This post is quickly becoming less than timely. But I have two loves in my life - medicine and music. And this one's about music. 2014 spawned a lot of popular hits, many of which now grace my iPod. Ariana Grande maybe the first Top 40 artist in years who had an album that I listened to all the way through ("Problem" and "Love Me Harder" were in my head for weeks). My sister was, for a while, playing through an endless loop of Ed Sheeran's "Don't", Disclosure's "Latch" (or as I refer to it, the "Thah-Thah" song), and Hozier's "Take Me to Church." My fiancée will be incredibly pleased when the day comes that she can say the word "happy" and I don't immediately ask if she wants to CLAP ALOOONG IF [SHE] FEEEELLL[S] LIKE A ROOM WITHOUT A RO...sorry.
But there are a lot of great artists that won't be heard on the Top 40 stations, or if they are, not nearly as much as some of those artists. Some of these have been around for a long time, others are just coming into the light as artists. But here are my favorite musical discoveries of 2014, in no particular order:
1. Elizabeth Shepherd: The Signal. I tend to prefer instrumental jazz to vocal jazz, and it's rare that I buy the latter. However, sometime in October, Canada's Jazz.FM 91.1 newsletter highlighted Ms. Shepherd's new album and its unique sound. I went to iTunes and previewed 2 songs. I listened to about 10 seconds of each, and immediately bought the album. Fastest I've ever done so with a new (to me) artist. I know I said this list is not in any order, but this is definitely my favorite album of last year.
Shepherd stated in an interview once that she was reluctant to call this album "jazz" because jazz lyrics, at least classically, tend to take a backseat to the melody. Shepherd combines the freedom of jazz form and instrumentation with a deliberate and serious approach to lyrics, and the result is gorgeous. I could make a whole post about why I love this album, but suffice it to say I can't listen to it enough.
2. Richard Marx, Beautiful Goodbye. If you've read more than two or three of my entries here, you know I've been a lifelong fan of Richard Marx. With the exception of a Christmas album two years ago, it's been about six years since his last album of new material. When the first single for this album came out, it was clear that Marx was choosing to embrace the fact that he is loved by middle-aged women everywhere (the music video certainly plays to this strength). "Whatever We Started" depicts the feelings of two people who can't help but have an affair. That sets the tone for the rest of an album that oozes with sensuality, where Marx employs modern pop and EDM production to channel his cougar's-darling sex appeal. Except for final track "Moscow Calling" - I'm pretty sure that's just him having fun. While this kind of lyric material is not my usual cup of tea, Marx's voice and clever lyrics (ranging from subtle to not-at-all-subtle) continue to be great. And for one other highlight - in his recent trend of taking songs he wrote for other artists and re-introducing them in his own voice, he brings back a re-recording of "Suddenly", originally recorded by Toni Braxton. If you're looking for a good adult contemporary/soft rock album, look no further.
3. Meg Myers, Make A Shadow. My former roommate Eric and I share a fondness for great music (and a fondness for ranting against the music we don't find great). We occasionally disagree on what's great, but for the most part we tend to enjoy the same stuff. So when he told me to go and listen to this girl Meg Myers right away, I figured it would have to be pretty good. 19 seconds into the album, when the harsh guitar chords of "Desire" kicked in, I was immediately hooked. I have since described my reaction to that song as "I don't know if I'm turned on or terrified." This is Myers' second EP, and she ranges from Florence + The Machine-style art-pop choruses to femme fatale seduction to raw powerful screaming vocals that sends chills down your spine. Alternative rock has a new siren, and she packs a punch. Also, her Instagram is pretty funny.
4. Snarky Puppy, We Like It Here. Snarky. Freaking. Puppy. My old friend and fellow drummer Ryan sent me a video via Twitter, and the minute I heard "What About Me" - my jaw hit the floor. Described by my friend Mick as "Red Hot Chili Peppers meets Blood Sweat & Tears," this jazz collective is exceptional at marrying prog rock, fusion, jazz, and insanity all in a beautiful onslaught of sound and fury. The recording session, filmed and recorded live over 4 nights in the Netherlands, is as much a visual experience (the entirety is on YouTube) as it is aural - you gotta see the joy and the intensity these players display, and how much fun they're having. Drummers especially should watch as well as listen as Larnell Lewis (subbing in for usual drummer Sput Searight) melts everyone's faces off.
5. Lindsey Stirling, Shatter Me. Ms. Stirling's story is fairly well known now - auditioned for America's Got Talent, the judges told her a dancing violinist wasn't enough to fill stadiums, she took to YouTube posting violin/orchestral/dubstep covers and originals and became a sensation. Her first album was in heavy rotation on my Pandora study playlists, and I wondered if she would actually be able to do better with her sophomore effort. Well, she did and then some. She takes the EDM+violin concept and expands it, incorporating more diverse themes and motifs in her playing (channeling Westerns in "Roundtable Revival" and dripping with '90s-style hip-hop in "Swag"). She also makes it a much more personal album with the title track, in which guest vocalist Lzzy Hale* belts out Stirling-penned lyrics inspired by her history of dealing with an eating disorder. Stirling also enjoys transforming her songs into visual experiences, and her music videos continue to be awesome.
*Also, check out Lzzy Hale's guest appearance with Eric Church where she basically sings him off the stage during "That's Damn Rock n' Roll."
6. Eric Clapton, The Breeze (An Appreciation of JJ Cale). The world lost a great blues songwriter in 2013 when JJ Cale passed away. He wrote so many great songs, though most of the world (including me) knows his work due to other artists' covers of his tunes. The great Eric Clapton hit "Cocaine"? That's JJ Cale right there. Clapton and Cale were long-time collaborators, and so to commemorate his beloved friend, Clapton teamed up with John Mayer, Tom Petty, Doyle Bramhall II, and a host of other great blues/rock players to pay tribute. I admit I'm not familiar with a lot of Cale's work (beside what Clapton's done), but the songs on this album make me want to listen to more of it. There's more old school blues rock songwriting and sentiment here than you can shake a stick at, coupled with some terrific guitar work by Clapton, et al., yet it's accessible enough for today's listeners.
Also, if you want to hear some of Cale's collaborative work with Clapton, I highly recommend their duo album, The Road to Escondido, from 2006. One of my favorite albums for years.
In addition to these, you probably heard about a couple of my other favorite albums from last year, these two actually on the charts - Beck's Morning Phase (listen to it, and ignore the awards show "controversy" there - just enjoy the album), and the Foo Fighters' Sonic Highways (and its companion HBO documentary series by Dave Grohl). Both very much worth a listen.
There's already a lot of great music to look forward to in 2015. Florence + The Machine, Toto, jazz drumming legend Steve Gadd, and many others are already in the pre-order stage of their album releases, and there are many more to come. Here's to another year of great musical finds!
But there are a lot of great artists that won't be heard on the Top 40 stations, or if they are, not nearly as much as some of those artists. Some of these have been around for a long time, others are just coming into the light as artists. But here are my favorite musical discoveries of 2014, in no particular order:
1. Elizabeth Shepherd: The Signal. I tend to prefer instrumental jazz to vocal jazz, and it's rare that I buy the latter. However, sometime in October, Canada's Jazz.FM 91.1 newsletter highlighted Ms. Shepherd's new album and its unique sound. I went to iTunes and previewed 2 songs. I listened to about 10 seconds of each, and immediately bought the album. Fastest I've ever done so with a new (to me) artist. I know I said this list is not in any order, but this is definitely my favorite album of last year.Shepherd stated in an interview once that she was reluctant to call this album "jazz" because jazz lyrics, at least classically, tend to take a backseat to the melody. Shepherd combines the freedom of jazz form and instrumentation with a deliberate and serious approach to lyrics, and the result is gorgeous. I could make a whole post about why I love this album, but suffice it to say I can't listen to it enough.
2. Richard Marx, Beautiful Goodbye. If you've read more than two or three of my entries here, you know I've been a lifelong fan of Richard Marx. With the exception of a Christmas album two years ago, it's been about six years since his last album of new material. When the first single for this album came out, it was clear that Marx was choosing to embrace the fact that he is loved by middle-aged women everywhere (the music video certainly plays to this strength). "Whatever We Started" depicts the feelings of two people who can't help but have an affair. That sets the tone for the rest of an album that oozes with sensuality, where Marx employs modern pop and EDM production to channel his cougar's-darling sex appeal. Except for final track "Moscow Calling" - I'm pretty sure that's just him having fun. While this kind of lyric material is not my usual cup of tea, Marx's voice and clever lyrics (ranging from subtle to not-at-all-subtle) continue to be great. And for one other highlight - in his recent trend of taking songs he wrote for other artists and re-introducing them in his own voice, he brings back a re-recording of "Suddenly", originally recorded by Toni Braxton. If you're looking for a good adult contemporary/soft rock album, look no further.3. Meg Myers, Make A Shadow. My former roommate Eric and I share a fondness for great music (and a fondness for ranting against the music we don't find great). We occasionally disagree on what's great, but for the most part we tend to enjoy the same stuff. So when he told me to go and listen to this girl Meg Myers right away, I figured it would have to be pretty good. 19 seconds into the album, when the harsh guitar chords of "Desire" kicked in, I was immediately hooked. I have since described my reaction to that song as "I don't know if I'm turned on or terrified." This is Myers' second EP, and she ranges from Florence + The Machine-style art-pop choruses to femme fatale seduction to raw powerful screaming vocals that sends chills down your spine. Alternative rock has a new siren, and she packs a punch. Also, her Instagram is pretty funny.4. Snarky Puppy, We Like It Here. Snarky. Freaking. Puppy. My old friend and fellow drummer Ryan sent me a video via Twitter, and the minute I heard "What About Me" - my jaw hit the floor. Described by my friend Mick as "Red Hot Chili Peppers meets Blood Sweat & Tears," this jazz collective is exceptional at marrying prog rock, fusion, jazz, and insanity all in a beautiful onslaught of sound and fury. The recording session, filmed and recorded live over 4 nights in the Netherlands, is as much a visual experience (the entirety is on YouTube) as it is aural - you gotta see the joy and the intensity these players display, and how much fun they're having. Drummers especially should watch as well as listen as Larnell Lewis (subbing in for usual drummer Sput Searight) melts everyone's faces off.5. Lindsey Stirling, Shatter Me. Ms. Stirling's story is fairly well known now - auditioned for America's Got Talent, the judges told her a dancing violinist wasn't enough to fill stadiums, she took to YouTube posting violin/orchestral/dubstep covers and originals and became a sensation. Her first album was in heavy rotation on my Pandora study playlists, and I wondered if she would actually be able to do better with her sophomore effort. Well, she did and then some. She takes the EDM+violin concept and expands it, incorporating more diverse themes and motifs in her playing (channeling Westerns in "Roundtable Revival" and dripping with '90s-style hip-hop in "Swag"). She also makes it a much more personal album with the title track, in which guest vocalist Lzzy Hale* belts out Stirling-penned lyrics inspired by her history of dealing with an eating disorder. Stirling also enjoys transforming her songs into visual experiences, and her music videos continue to be awesome.*Also, check out Lzzy Hale's guest appearance with Eric Church where she basically sings him off the stage during "That's Damn Rock n' Roll."
6. Eric Clapton, The Breeze (An Appreciation of JJ Cale). The world lost a great blues songwriter in 2013 when JJ Cale passed away. He wrote so many great songs, though most of the world (including me) knows his work due to other artists' covers of his tunes. The great Eric Clapton hit "Cocaine"? That's JJ Cale right there. Clapton and Cale were long-time collaborators, and so to commemorate his beloved friend, Clapton teamed up with John Mayer, Tom Petty, Doyle Bramhall II, and a host of other great blues/rock players to pay tribute. I admit I'm not familiar with a lot of Cale's work (beside what Clapton's done), but the songs on this album make me want to listen to more of it. There's more old school blues rock songwriting and sentiment here than you can shake a stick at, coupled with some terrific guitar work by Clapton, et al., yet it's accessible enough for today's listeners.Also, if you want to hear some of Cale's collaborative work with Clapton, I highly recommend their duo album, The Road to Escondido, from 2006. One of my favorite albums for years.
In addition to these, you probably heard about a couple of my other favorite albums from last year, these two actually on the charts - Beck's Morning Phase (listen to it, and ignore the awards show "controversy" there - just enjoy the album), and the Foo Fighters' Sonic Highways (and its companion HBO documentary series by Dave Grohl). Both very much worth a listen.
There's already a lot of great music to look forward to in 2015. Florence + The Machine, Toto, jazz drumming legend Steve Gadd, and many others are already in the pre-order stage of their album releases, and there are many more to come. Here's to another year of great musical finds!
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