Music Tracking 2014

These are 2014 releases that I've taken note of, listed alphabetically by artist, with VA comps at the bottom. My grades, where available, are in brackets at the end of the line (stars in B+ range). Lines in blue indicate that I have a physical copy (albeit sometimes just a promo CDR); in green are records that I graded based on a Rhapsody stream or other such source. Most records have release dates and a brief generic note (usually taken from AMG). When I first put this file together, I dropped records once I had rated them. On Aug. 25, I folded the year-end list back in, both to give a sense of context (what I've heard vs. what I haven't) and to weed out some errors.

Unheard records are prioritized 0-3 (graded records are 4-5). The priotization is based subjectively on personal interests, reviews I've noticed, reviewers I particularly respect, what I know about the artists, etc. Roughly speaking: 0 is something I have no reason to consider (default page omits 0); 1 has been noted as having some cred somewhere; 2 is something I have some specific reason to search out; 3 is something I'll listen to ASAP.

Option selectors:

New Releases

  • Akrobatik: Built to Last (self-released)
  • Arc Iris: Arc Iris (Anti-Epitaph) [04-01] - singer-songwriter
  • Audio One: The Midwest School (Audiographic) [05-15] - free jazz
  • The Bad Plus: The Rite of Spring (Masterworks) [03-25] - avant-garde
  • Diego Barber + Craig Taborn: Tales (Sunnyside) - jazz
  • Jerry Bergonzi: Intersecting Lines (Savant) [04-12] - jazz
  • Boris: Noise (Sargent House) [06-17] - post-rock
  • Anthony Braxton/Tomas Fujiwara/Tom Rainey: Trio New Haven 2013 (New Braxton House) - jazz
  • Anthony Braxton: Duo (Amherst) 2010 (New Braxton House) - jazz
  • The Budos Band: Burnt Offering (Daptone) [10-21] - instrumental rock
  • Ali Campbell: Silhouette: The Legendary Voice of UB40 (Cooking Vinyl) [10-07] - reggae-pop
  • Avishai Cohen's Triveni: Dark Nights (Anzic) [10-27] - jazz
  • Marc Ducret: Tower-Bridge (Ayler) - jazz
  • Fatboy Slim: Bem Brasil (Astralwerks) [06-10] - big beat
  • Sallie Ford: Slap Back (Vanguard) [10-14] - alt/indie rock
  • Scott Hamilton: Live at Smalls (Smalls Live) [09-09] - jazz
  • Curtis Harding: Soul Power (Burger) [05-06] - soul
  • Fred Hersch: Floating (MRI) [07-09] - piano jazz
  • Jenny Hval & Susanna: Meshes of Voice (Susannasonata) [08-19] - alt/indie rock
  • Russ Johnson: Meeting Point (Relay) [05-16] - jazz
  • Kiasmos: Kiasmos (Erased Tapes) [10-28] - club/dance
  • Jennifer Knapp: Set Me Free (Righteous Babe) [10-14] - alt singer/songwriter
  • Joëlle Léandre/Pascal Contet: 3 (Ayler) - jazz
  • Lean Left: Live at the Area Sismica (Unsounds) - free jazz
  • Lily & Madeleine: Fumes (Asthmatic Kitty) [10-26]
  • Millie & Andrea: Drop the Vowels (Modern Love) [03-21] - Pitchfork overlooked
  • Nicole Mitchell's Sonic Projections: The Secret Escapades of Velvet Anderson (RogueArt) - jazz
  • Roscoe Mitchell/Mike Reed: In Pursuit of Magic (482 Music) [01-28] - jazz
  • Nils Petter Molvaer: Switch (Okeh/Sony) - jazz
  • Jemeel Moondoc: The Zookeeper's House (Relative Pitch) [05-27] - jazz
  • Nickel Creek: A Dotted Line (Nonesuch) [04-01] - country
  • Nightingales: For Fuck's Sake (self-released)
  • Paolo Nutini: Caustic Love (Atlantic) [04-14] - alt/indie rock
  • Pere Ubu: Carnival of Souls (Fire) [09-09] - alt/indie rock
  • Houston Person: The Melody Lingers On (High Note) [10-21] - jazz
  • Robert Plant & the Sensational Space Shifters: Lullaby and . . . the Ceaseless Roar (EastWest) [09-09] - Americana
  • Rancid: . . . Honor Is All We Know (Epitaph) [10-28] - alt/indie rock
  • Matana Roberts/Sam Shalabi/Nicolas Caloia: Feldspar (Tour de Bras) - jazz
  • Second Exit: Spoon (ForTune) - jazz
  • Brian Settles Trio: Folk (Engine Studios) - jazz
  • Shellac: Dude Incredible (Touch & Go) [09-16] - alt/indie rock
  • The Shivas: You Know What to Do (K) [10-28] - garage punk
  • Blaise Siwula/Harvey Valdes/Gian Luigi Diana: Tesla Coils () - jazz
  • J Spaceman and Kid Millions: Live at the Poisson Rouge (Northern Spy) - jazz
  • Alister Spence/Myra Melford: Everything Here Is Possible (self-released) - jazz
  • Stalley: Ohio (Atlantic/Maybach) [10-28] - gangsta rap
  • Bob Stewart: Connections: Mind the Gap (Sunnyside) [08-05] - jazz
  • Taylor Swift: 1989 (Big Machine) [10-28] - teen pop
  • Syrinx Effect: Snail Songs (self-released) - jazz
  • Tarbaby with Oliver Lake & Marc Ducret: Fanon (RogueArt) - jazz
  • Greg Tardy: Hope (SteepleChase) - jazz
  • The WHO Trio: The WHO Zoo (Auricle) - jazz
  • Lucinda Williams: Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone (Highway 20) [09-30] - contemporary folk
  • John Zorn: Valentine's Day (Tzadik) [07-00] - jazz
  • Dear Jean: Artists Celebrate Jean Ritchie (Compass, 2CD) [09-09] - folk
  • Hyperdub 10.2 (Hyperdub) [07-29] - electronic
  • Hyperdub 10.3 (Hyperdub) [09-22] - electronic
  • Hyperdub 10.4 (Hyperdub) [11-10] - electronic

Reissues, Etc.

  • A Certain Ratio: Sextet (1982, Factory Benelux, 2CD) [11-04] - alt/indie rock
  • John Coltrane & Friends: Trane's Blue Note Sessions (1956-57, Blue Note, 3CD) - jazz
  • Bob Dylan: The Basement Tapes Complete: The Bootleg Series Vol 11 (Columbia/Legacy, 6CD) [11-04] - singer/songwriter
  • Rowland S Howard: Pop Crimes (Fat Possum) [08-05]
  • Ross Johnson and Jeffrey Evans: Vanity Sessions (Spacecase) [01-14]
  • Bessie Jones/The Georgia Sea Island Singers: Get in Union: Recordings by Alan Lomax 1959-1966 (Tompkins Square) [10-28] - field recordings
  • Peter Kowald: Discography (Jazzwerkstatt, 4CD) [08-26] - jazz
  • Steve Lacy: Cycles (1976-1980) (1976-80, Emanem, 2CD) - jazz
  • Frank Lowe Quartet: Out Loud (1974, Triple Point, 5LP) - jazz
  • Joe McPhee: The CJR Years 1969-1974 (Bo' Weavil) - jazz
  • Joe McPhee: As Serious as Your Life (1996, Hatology) - jazz
  • Joe McPhee: Underground Railroad (Bo' Weavil) - jazz
  • Joe Jack Talcum: Home Recordings Vol 2 1993-1999 (Happy Happy Birthday to Me) [09-16] - alt/indie rock
  • Horace Tapscott Quintet: The Giant Is Awakened (International Phonograph) [10-21] - jazz
  • Underworld: Dubnobasswithmyheadman [20th Anniversary Super Edition] (1994, Universal, 5CD) [10-07]
  • Robert Wyatt: Different Every Time (Domino, 2CD) [11-18] - art rock
  • Country Funk II: 1967-1974 (Light in the Attic) [07-15] - country/funk
  • Punk 45: Proto-Punk, 1970-77, Vol. 3: Sick on You! One Way Spit! After the Love & Before the Revolution (1970-77, Soul Jazz)

Note: As of Dec. 6, 2014, I stopped automatically adding records from EOY lists where they didn't seem to have any prospecting value.

Priority Counts

  • Priority 2: 71
  • Priority 3: 5

Total: 76