New : Winterfylleth - 'The Divination of Antiquity' / Voices - 'London'

English Black Metal is in absurdly rude health these days. Not that often you get to make such self-congratulatory statements but on the basis of these two stonking releases that surfaced towards the tail end of last year the genre's potential for evoking mood and pastoral charm has finally been matched by our musician's talents. Neither of these bands are new of course, Manchester's Winterfylleth being four albums into a resolutely focussed career of nature-loving BM whilst Voices incorporate the compositional backbone of noughties extreme metal stalwarts Akercocke whose nerve-shattering ballast saw them leap forth from the ranks fifteen years ago and proceed to decimate much of the ensuing decade.

BM's capacity for thunderous excess allows for its subject matter to be amplified to such an extent that it becomes almost unbearable, sensations projected onto a widescreen of sensory overload and cathartic bliss to allow for - or in most cases demand - the listener's physical engagement in the matter at hand. This can allow for cartoonish devilry or simple shock value theatrics but in more delicately handled cases provides for an experience that takes you somewhere completely new, allowing you to soak up the highs and lows of an emotional voyage from the epicentre of the action by dragging you out of your musical comfort zone and pressing your face right up against the screen. Winterfylleth's shtick since their inception in the late noughties has been to evoke the savage melancholy of the British Isles via a musical tribute taking in landscape, weather and several centuries of stark folklore. It's been an uncomfortable journey at times, England's fractious relationship with its own heritage leading many to draw lazy parallels between the band's choice of subject matter and perceived regressive political ideas but what's become apparent as they've progressed is that these guys are only doing what most of their overseas peers have done over the years - fashioning the distinct characteristics of their homeland into a brand of extreme metal that transports the listener there and lets them breathe in the air themselves. Varg Vikernes' remark about his pioneering BM project Burzum evoking the sensation of walking through a Norwegian forest comes to mind when 'The Divination of Antiquity' rages forth from the speakers, the band's chaotic assault coming together like a stormcloud hanging over wild green hills fixing to lash the land with rain and hail - the sensation is violent and unsettling yet strangely comforting at the same time, particularly on the title track which underpins the whirlwind blastbeats and raspy vocals with a subdued strain of resonant melody that almost edges into post punk territory (imagine hearing 'Unknown Pleasures' emanating from someone's car window through a February hailstorm and you're somewhere close). They may seem more comfortable at full tilt but the pace slows on cuts like the sombre 'A Careworn Heart' which drops the violence to mellow to an almost defiant sense of melancholy a la Metallica's 'To Live Is To Die', paring down their sound to incorporate solace without detaching the end product from the belligerent rage surrounding it. In fact there's more than a little vintage 'tallica in Winterfylleth's canon - they pace their records like Hetfield and co did back in the 80s, knocking out epic slabs of volatile metal that weave enthralling narratives around intoxicating rushes of raging turbulence. You'll be coming back to this and its predecessors for bouts of late night headphone magic, tuning out life to be transported to the rain-lashed fields of rural Britain to feel the wind blow through your hair as another raging stormcloud beckons. If my Metallica metaphor holds true then these boys should be on the cusp of dropping their 'Black Album' next time they hit the studio - whether that's a good or bad thing depends on your perspective but in any case it promises to be worth sticking around for.

If Voices fit into the same national template it's through the distinct link with the capital that they've chosen to make the central theme of their second release in two years, striding forth from the abstract background of Extreme Metal to plant their flag squarely in the centre of the sprawling metropolis that sets the pace for modern Britain. 'London' isn't so much a critique of the capital's less likeable side as an acknowledgement of it - Akercocke alumni Jason Mendonca and David Gray always had a distinctly metropolitan air to them even when they were belching out odes to vestal masturbation over torrents of bowel-quaking blastbeats in their previous guise and the pair were happy to embody the sort of erudite perverts that hold most of the major positions in the British Arts industry. Here they step into the heads of the corporate financiers, angry virgins and ruthless landlords that roam the city's streets virtually unnoticed, characters key to the capital's mood yet rarely embodied in its musical output. 'London' is basically what a trip through the headspace of your average tube carriage of commuters might sound like, a maelstrom of frustration and disgust barely held in check as the city's inhabitants force themselves to coexist within its imposed behavioural patterns - imagine if a radio frequency could pick up the collective thoughts of your average Patrick Bateman tycoon, bile-filled 4Chan troll and vindictive shirked lover and broadcast them at face-melting volume and you're probably in the right area. Cuts like 'Music For The Recently Bereaved' and 'Imaginary Sketches of a Poisoned Man' take the sensory excesses of Akercocke's finest moments and transport them from dark fantasy into vivid reality whilst that recurrent fascination in pleasures of the flash returns in Metropolitan format in 'Vicarious Lover' and the deliriously unsettling 'The Fucktrance', Mendonca's Royal Shakespeare Co. delivery booming over the proceedings to add a thunderously theatrical edge to an already intoxicating mix. 'London' encapsulates the stripclub coke parties, corporate tax deals and directionless misanthropy that underpin life in the capital today, a lifesblood that the band have decided to embrace rather than ignore to bring their coruscating Extreme Metal into stark focus at the heart of everyday life - it's a move that suits them and will doubtless yield yet more thrilling forays into the sewers of the Metropolitan experience. Match up Voices' commuting soundtrack with Winterfylleth's pastoral weekend retreat and you've got a perfect Metal soundtrack for England in 2015.

Check out : 'The Divination of Antiquity' and 'Vicarious Lover' for the best of both worlds.

New : Pinkshinyultrablast - 'Everything Else Matters'

Shoegaze seems to have touched parts of the globe that other more traditional forms of guitar music can't quite reach, dream pop spores carried across continents to find a home in the least likely of locations. Like Black Metal, Techno and the various modern permutations on abstract instrumentalism, the shoegaze sound crosses over because it's all about feeling man - you don't need lyrics to convey the sensations on show here, just a fuzz pedal and a wild imagination. St Petersburg's Pinkshinyultrablast sound like they've come straight out of a random band name generator for fluffy cloud hopping indie rock but don't let that put you off as their debut 'Everything Else Matters' comes strapped with enough crystalline charm to blow the cobwebs off even the most seasoned shoegazer and make the local competition seem decidedly....well, orthodox (Hahahaha!! Oh dear!). The most obvious reference point here is Asobi Seksu's weightless second wave shimmer, the tracks building on a solid foundation of sugary riffs and lofty effects pedal to skate across the skyline with consummate grace and this is certainly a lot more streamlined than you'd expect from your average bunch of rookies. The vocals recall Liz Frazer at her flightiest but the band are locked into a punchy formation of potent guitar pop and when they choose to put their foot to the floor there's enough wind in their sails to knock you flat on your arse. They may stick to more recognisable fare with the likes of 'Glitter' and the sumptous 'Umi' but elsewhere they let their imagination run wild, tracks like the sprawling 'Metamorphosis' unfolding like Battles locking horns with Lush, the bass pulsating like a rubberband heartbeat as the guitars crash around the place like giant pink thunderbolts. And in true MBV style they've apparently flirted with near bankruptcy in putting the record together so you get the sense that we're dealing with a bunch of preciously talented studio nerds here. Whether they can cut it live will provide confirmation on whether we're dealing with a long term relationship or a quick fling but this is a thoroughly promising start - its title may conjure up awkward memories of the moment where Metallica officially entered a world of suck but 'Everything Else Matters' harbours no less ambition than Hetfield and co in stadium mode. These Russkies are going places and 2015 is already gonna have to try pretty damn hard to top them in the newgaze stakes.

Check out : 'Umi', a double shot of gorgeous with a foamy head of effects pedal.

New : Beat Spacek - 'Modern Streets'

If you've been following the podcast over at http://www.indie500radio.com recently then you'll be aware that Matthew and myself have basically adopted a fervently parochial outlook for 2015, focussing our attention on the French indie scene rather than simply dishing up further coverage of bands already covered in the international press (generally with better researched and more articulate praise I shouldn't wonder). It's a principle we've agreed to stick to for as long as it suits us which means bands from outside the French/Francophone circuit will doubtless get a shout out if their record makes us stand up and pay attention - as for the rest of it, I'll be doing my level best to knock out write ups to keep track of the everflowing stream of bitchin' music passing through my senses on an almost daily basis.

This noble intention was adopted back in January when no-one in their right time bothers releasing a record seeing as the majority of us are broke as a joke after Xmas/New Year and probably still caught up in the musical hangover of the previous year. But fear not as those lovely people at Ninja Tune came to the rescue yet again with this bombastic newie from Steve Spacek, one half of nimble fingered bass nerds Africa Hitech who wrecked my tiny mind with their last LP '93 Million Miles' a couple of years back. I hadn't stuck that on in a while and listening to 'Modern Streets' sent me back for a spot of beat nostalgia - Spacek does his thing in the same dub 'n' bass register across both releases but his more recent stuff takes Hitech's sound out of the club and into the winter night, replacing strobes with streetlights as he chronicles the languid bus trip across town as opposed to the delirium out on the dancefloor earlier in the evening. The cover of 'Modern Streets' reminds me of traffic lights viewed through the clarity that several beers and a side salad of chemicals brings to the urban night rambler, not quite the comedown but certainly the start of the inevitable descent. And that's no bad thing because this isn't a depressive record, it's a slab of contemplative dance music destined for the wee small hours in the wake of a bit of a mad one - the beats skitter across the surface like the fidgety twitches of a bedbound clubber and the low-end throb underpinning it all caresses your temples like a boxing coach bringing you down from match night. According to Ninja Tune's website Spacek created most of this on I-Phone/I-Pad apps which taps into my imagined narrative of this record being made on the move, the sensations of nocturnal urban Britain seeping directly into it like bass booming out from car stereos or intrusive hiss seeping forth from teenagers' headphones on the night bus. He keeps his vocal contributions to subtle intrusions rather than out and out grandstanding, slipping between the chords with a mellow House delivery that reminds me of Kele's sumptous 'Trick' LP from last year - indeed, if that record soundtracked the preparation stages for a night of dancefloor bravado and stolen smooches then 'Modern Streets' provides the perfect counterpoint for the evening's closing stages (and we all know what happens then). Stick '93 Million Miles' between the two and you've got a cracking night out. Ninja Tune have hit another home run here and Spacek might just have won January with this wee beauty. Smokin' stuff!

Check out : 'Inflight Wave', gliding smoothly up above the streets and houses.

New : Nude Beach - '77'

Fresh off the back of my recent best of 2014 entries it’s time to pass over to a radical new theme, namely albums that completely passed me by because I wasn’t paying enough attention (hey, there’s bound to be a couple). This time last year I was castigating myself for missing out on stonkers from the likes of Cate Le Bon and Cut Copy in 2013’s rundown and this year’s one that got away looks to be Nude Beach’s colossal ‘77’, an almost over generous dollop of catchy ass guitar pop from the crowded confines of NYC’s indie scene. These dudes have toured with The Men so you know there’s gonna be something about them to love, although beyond what sounds very much like a shared love of 70s US radio rock they’re two very different beasts – whilst their tour buddies are partial to splunderous noise blasts the Nudesters are way more slick and snappy, serving up their ingredients with enough spit and polish to tempt mainstream radio over 18 potential smasheroonies. There’s a spot of Elvis Costello’s sneery New Wave, a little of Tom Petty’s road-friendly twang and even a noticeable smidgen of ‘Bandwagonesque’-era Teenage Fanclub, all reassuringly elegant influences that set this aside from some of the more bovine bar rock configurations aping Springsteen at his sweatiest. What’s more they sound like they’re doing it for the right reasons – indie kids can be pretty snotty especially when you’re dealing with NYC hipsters and there’s already far too many emaciated scruffs trying to ride passenger on the same set of New Order/The Cure LPs being passed around yet never really sounding like they mean it but Nude Beach sound like they’ve been slurping on the teat of melodic radio rock since they came into this world. ‘77’ perhaps appropriately focuses on the poppier heights of the late 1970s, losing itself in warm guitar licks and dreamy melody as tracks veer between snappy hook-based pop and sun-drenched road rock like the highlights of a long journey drifting by as you lose track of time. 18 tracks of this stuff makes it seem more like a compilation than a regular LP so you might say they’d have been better served guarding a few cuts for a void-filling EP six months from now after they’ve finishing touring the rest of the record - then again they’re no filler here despite the length so what the fuck am I complaining about? ‘77’ is well worth the asking price even if you pay per track like I do – snap this one up before it goes cold and bookend it with The Men’s latest and the debut from their offshoot Dream Police for a sumptuous session of seventies rockin’.

Check out : ‘See My Way’, which could’ve come straight off one of Teenage Fanclub’s early 90s records. And that ain’t no bad thing.

Best of 2014 Chapter Six : 5-1

5. Wife - What's Between

Creating a record that expounds upon your innermost thought processes and expecting people to listen to it relies on the assumption that you’re in some way interesting to begin with. There are numerous solo artists out there making albums that are ‘all about me’ but as listeners we’re perfectly entitled to ask for more justification to press play, something that sets each individual musician out from the pack and makes what they have to say that bit more intriguing than the next guy. I’ll confess that I might have skimmed over ‘What’s Between’ had I not been familiar with its creator James Kelly from his role as mastermind of Irish Black Metal project Altar of Plagues whose staggering ‘Teethed Glory And Injury’ landed last year to offer a terrifyingly raw passage through the despondent end of the emotional spectrum that couldn’t fail to strike a chord with even those typically put off by the genre’s harsh dynamics. Kelly called time on the project soon afterwards and resurfaced under the Wife moniker this year with a new direction that bore little resemblance to his previous endeavours on first listen but I was determined to join the dots between the two and kept going round until I’d tracked it back to the same origins as his earlier work. Beneath the layers of both lies a shivering vulnerability that fuelled the resurgent anger of his BM material but here comes vividly to life as a more accepting, articulate beast capable of examining its own feelings without resorting to nightmarish anguish or bitter rage blasts. It’s a dichotomy that underlies much of the better BM out there but rarely has it been exposed so candidly (and dare I say it bravely) in a genre often bogged down by its own commitment to horror and misanthropy. Fellow mould-breaker Justin Broadrick achieved something comparable with his Jesu project that emerged as a postscript to Godflesh in the early 00s and drew back from industrial dissonance to a more lucid, vulnerable form to stunning effect – their self-titled debut from late 2004 remains one of my favourite records of all time. But Kelly is onto something different here, drifting closer to mainstream sounds with a strand of subdued electronica that could easily find its way into the NME’s favourites alongside Alt-J and Wild Beasts – perhaps it’s no bad thing that it didn’t as to bracket it in with the risk-free dabblings of such bands would mask the more critical and cunning heart that pumps the blood through ‘What’s Between’. The nine tracks here resonate like wounds throbbing in the wake of the stormblast they survived in his previous work, weaknesses once exposed and mercilessly ravaged now nurtured until they’re fully understood like a surgeon patching up a patient. There are two sides to every coin and Kelly’s ability to illustrate both in such quick succession hints that he possesses that rare self awareness needed to really hit home with every release – happiness no doubt lies between such polarised extremities and rarely have they been captured so vividly on record. Ideally get both this and ‘Teethed Glory And Injury’ for the full picture but even as a standalone ‘What’s Between’ has the potency to move the listener where others can only politely brush past.

Check out : 'Heart Is A Far Light', beamed in from somewhere deep inside.

4. Eagulls - s/t

A recurring gripe of mine these days is that the UK isn’t producing the standard of decent guitar music it has been known for in the past – this is part disappointment for a lack of new indie bands to get excited but also a genuine concern for the demise of a fundamental outlet for local youth looking to blow off a bit of steam and air their grievances over something constructive. Call it romanticising the past if you like but the way I see it we’ve let the commercial evolution of the music industry run ragged over the lower rungs on the ladder to the extent that forming a band now seems like a decadent distraction reserved for the fabulously wealthy, and whilst it’s not that trust fund babies never make decent records there does seem to be a gaping hole further down the trough that used to be filled by kids from more ordinary backgrounds expounding on their own situation in the hope that others would find something familiar in there. It’s an established truth that guitar music doesn’t sell records like it used to and as such a snotty disdain for indie rock has crept in over recent years as if those still producing it have yet to shake off the previous decade’s hangover, the quick burning rage of punk too often patronised in favour of career-stable electro that tickles the senses but rarely lands a knockout blow. There’s the odd exception of course – a good dealing of press attention has been fawned over Fat White Family and although their ramshackle punk sounds like it’d be great fun live it nevertheless remains little more than the soundtrack to another hipster piss up rather than a genuinely engaging examination of the modern British mindset. That is of course where Eagulls come in. Wanton hedonism has been a trademark of British youth for some time now but what sets apart these volatile times for today’s kids is a fidgety lack of direction that can easily spill over into destructive rage, a listlessness in the face of an enemy too shapeless to take aim at that frequently leaves the shooter unsure about where to point the weapon but unable to resist the urge to pull the trigger. All this needs to be documented by those living it on a day to day basis – writing about it from a distance cocooned by layers of metaphor isn’t enough. Eagulls’ blistering debut struck a nerve this year precisely because it brought those feelings to the surface – this isn’t The Clash taking potshots at well chosen authority figures, this is a bunch of lads from scattershot locations in the North of England fusing into one collective charge of refreshingly honest inertia-driven catharsis. We met the band after they played last year and they were all beamingly positive, enthusing over their record’s cover photo of a once-proud council block abandoned to decay and you sense that there’s a lot more to their game that blithely stating how crap things are – they may linger on gory detail in some instances but that’s only to flesh out a bigger picture, one of a world they feel can ultimately improve if we can only concentrate on what’s important. But the journey to any change begins with taking stock of what’s wrong and ‘Eagulls’ perfectly encapsulates the mood of our times, howling into a void left by the deterioration of institutions we once took for granted desperately searching for a place to stick its boot. British guitar music had no better representatives this year than these adventurous tykes.

Check out : 'Possessed' live on Letterman - showing Future Islands how it's done.

3. The Dead Mantra - Lemure

Though it is primarily known overseas for the effortless Versaillais chic of its electro (and occasional indie) outfits, French music has always had a love for dissonance that runs through much of its more engaging material. The country boasts a vibrant garage rock scene that churns out countless road-toughened bands pumping out echoic psychobilly and gnarled psychedelia to thrill audiences in whatever toilet venue they can find to play in, often drawing on influences much of the mainstream media has long since abandoned to the annals of history. The scene is refreshing in that few if any of the bands receive anything like the level of exposure they deserve, although this does mean that watching them play remains an attractively cheap option and it also shields them from the miserable scene politics that mire the crowded confines of the North American and British indie circuits. We’re doing our best at Indie500 to unearth the best of the bunch and no band blew us away more this year than Le Mans’ The Dead Mantra whose ‘Gregorian Shoegaze’ had us flapping with delirious ecstasy like two sea lions who’d just been tossed a large and extremely tasty fish. Whether or not they’ll pursue that description through to completion remains to be seen but for the time being it’s a pretty decent description of where they fit in on the register of echo rock, their sound booming out like spectral waves spilling into a gargantuan religious edifice and crashing back from each surface in a torrent of brutal volume and shattered stained glass. Opener ‘Holy Dawn’ projects like hypno-rock stalwarts OM waking from a long hibernation and when they kick into gear there’s no hiding from their ruthless assault on the senses – imagine they spleen-venting rasp of Nirvana’s ‘Bleach’ and MaryChain’s ‘Never Understand’ channelled through the multi-layered echo rush of A Place To Bury Strangers and you’re somewhere close. Whilst shoegaze has been adopted elsewhere as an excuse for airy complacency and directionless romantic musing The Mantra employ it as a powerhose set to full blast to knock away the supports and send the listener spinning into a void of vibrant sound and feeling, guitar riffs discharged at point blank range into the nearest surface to reverberate back through you like a heart tremor to leave you shuddering yet wildly intrigued. The yowled bliss-out of ‘Mxeico’ might just be the most stylish account opener since Ride’s ‘Chelsea Girl’ back when the genre had only just emerged from the ocean and there’s every indication these lads might chart a trajectory that’s equally thrilling to follow. Any doubts we might have had about whether they’d be able to cut it live were instantly dispelled when they brought the show to Paris and drenched La Mecanique Ondulatoire with a blistering set that bent heads out of shape like nothing we’ve seen in recent months – you know when the drummer shows up in a Burzum T-shirt that something pretty devastating is about to be unleashed. ‘Lemure’ is packed full of promise for future greatness and is a startlingly potent first step on a journey that will surely lead them to yet greater heights and we will certainly be there to eagerly take in their next offensive.

Check out : 'Mxeico', maybe the year's most thrilling two and a half minutes.

2. Nothing - Guilty Of Everything

If there’s been a theme to my favourite guitar releases of the last couple of years it’s been rehabilitation, music used both as a coping process in itself but also as a recreation of the emotional voyage from bad to good. Deafheaven’s beautifully discordant ‘Sunbather’ LP from last year topped my picks of 2013 with a disarming marriage of chaotic destruction and blissful rebirth and this year’s Wife LP (see earlier) evoked similar feelings of structured recovery from turbulent hysteria, each time leaving the toxic genesis of the ills intact to provide context for their eventual cure. Whilst there’s clear traces of a fraught emotional history in either package you still feel that the creators are probably nice boys at heart so what sets Nothing apart from the pack is that their frontman Dominic Palermo will admit from the start that he has not always conducted himself like a true gentleman and it’s this feeling of shame and dishonour that gives their debut LP ‘Guilty Of Everything’ that extra push to really knock you on your arse. Palermo’s roots in hardcore punk saw him lose himself in the real time violence that so often accompanies the music resulting in a two year jail spell for aggravated assault and attempted murder and it was in this context that ‘Guilty’ was forged – it’s certainly an eye-catching narrative but similar tales have been told by ego-hungry musicians eager to illustrate how far they’ve had to travel to gain the adulation they now enjoy (see Falling In Reverse’s Ronnie Radke for today’s most unpalatable example) without ever translating into anything more than emotional exhibitionism and scattershot accusations at those deemed responsible for their plight. But there’s no soul-bearing here, indeed if anything Palermo’s doing exactly the opposite – his musical shift from splenetic hardcore to warm guitar fuzz pop signalling the realisation that catharsis comes with its own limitations, allowing for the airing of grievances but failing to cater to the identification of their source. Here he’s bathing in each step of the recovery process, acknowledging his own shortcomings as part of a gradual evolution and providing a laudably candid view of his mindset to those interested in how it feels to claw yourself back from one giant fuck up. Handled with less grace this could easily be perceived as a plea for sympathy but the music doesn’t reach out to the listener for anything other than basic understanding, slowing the pace of his delivery to calmly present his mindset rather than engaging in the frantic clamour for recognition that dominates more aggressive releases. ‘Guilty Of Everything’ could’ve easily landed 20 years ago, its lysergic swirl and deftly handled momentum evoking US alt noise stalwarts Hum and even Soungarden at their darkest and bleakest –we tend to overlook Grunge’s own roots in DIY North American hardcore in favour of the magazine cover alienation of the MTV years but trace back any of the era’s better bands and you’ll probably find grass roots punk rock and rabid spleen-venting. Consider ‘Guilty Of Everything’ a rediscovery of that particular path two decades later, children reliving the same trial and error challenges faced by their parents as the cycle of abuse rolls defiantly onward. This might not be the year’s cheeriest release but it will leave you with a sense of composure upon completion, a sense that some kind of breakthrough has been made. I won’t hold it against Palermo if his next release is a cheerier affair – for his own sake I sincerely hope it is – but for the moment he’s turned his own plight into something truly remarkable.

Check out : 'Endlessly', a surprisingly accessible view into a complex universe.

1. Kate Tempest - Everybody Down

It's actually fairly rare these days that a new record comes along as an out and out favourite in my own best album lists - it's much easier to lay down such an accolade in hindsight after the record in question has had a few years on the boil to take on characteristics and significance that link it indelibly to the circumstances of its release. This year however it was clear from the outset - nothing really came close to the shot in the arm I got from Kate Tempest's thunderous arrival on the UK music scene that saw her narrowly miss out on the Mercury Music Prize and garner enough critical acclaim to keep her name in the press without threatening her with the trappings of a genuine superstar. I'm actually glad the major plaudits were directed elsewhere as it leaves 'Everybody Down' as my own private pleasure, something I can turn my friends onto in smug confidence that they won't already own a copy. Tempest's charm stems from her ability to turn phrase like a poet, construct narrative like a novelist and still pitch her product with the everyman sincerity of a mate in the pub, a straight to the heart approach that remains beautifully evocative and disarmingly articulate. She's been widely compared to The Streets' Mike Skinner and this should be taken as a constructive compliment rather a slapdown accusation of plagiarism - in truth Tempest engages with the same ease as her Kronenberg-chugging counterpart but wields a richer lyrical arsenal and a greater understanding of Hip Hop dynamics, her lines flowing and wrapping themselves around each other like the genre's most adept storytellers. The tale built into 'Everybody Down' runs along the same lines as 'A Grand Don't Come For Free' but fleshes out its characters with a humane understanding you'd expect from a box set HBO series, avoiding simple stereotypes and constructs and instead giving people real feelings and identities, shying away from outright judgement in favour of a more understanding examination of what make us all tick and where right and wrong decisions come from. Whilst many of her Hip Hop peers revel in kitchen sink shock value Tempest seems well-suited to her chosen genre precisely because of its scope for complex description and narrative balance, weaving lines around the contours of her protagonists until they almost come out of the speakers and stroll off into everyday life. She's got the lyrical skills to rival any of today's posturing MCs but none of the compulsion to simply show off and her employment of considerable talent serves only to turn what could by a fly by night vignette into a thoroughly engrossing listen. 'Everybody Down' doesn't let up for a second across its twelve chapter dash through drugs deals gone wrong, flawed romance and vaulting ambition and Tempest tops her best on every track, each time coming back with a new manoeuvre to leave your jaw hanging open and your head nodding in time with her flow. It's been a while since something knocked me for six like this and repeated spins over the course of the year have served only to entrench my view that nothing comes close to topping Tempest at full tilt. If 2014 needed a star then it surely found it elsewhere, however if the year was lacking a mercurial talent to stun and amaze then there could be no doubt that 'Everybody Down' was just what the doctor ordered. 

Check out : 'Marshall Law', the opening salvo to what turns out to be an unforgettable ride.

Best of 2014 Part Five : 10-6

10. A Sunny Day In Glasgow - Sea When Absent

2014 marked the 30th anniversary of Cocteau Twins' 'Treasure' LP and JAMC's 'Upside Down' single, perhaps the two most pivotal releases in the history of echo-laden indie rock - I'm avoiding the term shoegaze as it wouldn't even entered media vernacular until the dawn of the 1990s which goes to show that this kind of sound has existed in the periphery of British music for much longer than we've been able to adequately describe it. Scotland's DIY indie scene has played a particularly vital role in nurturing the more introverted talents of British guitar music and it's only fitting that Yanks A Sunny Day In Glasgow have chosen to ply their nu-gaze trade under a mantle referencing the music's heartlands, although it should be made clear that 'A Sea When Absent' is no mere tribute to their forefathers. The band come at you from all angles from the word go, flooding your senses with wave upon wave of blissed out reverb and vocal loops that pile up on each other to leave you spinning through space like Alice tumbling down the rabbit hole. Imagine being on an island assailed by several separate tides at the same time and you're somewhere close. One of my friends claimed a few years back to have reached a moment of clarity at Glastonbury which led to him taking all the drugs he'd brought along for the weekend as one giant pharmaceutical cocktail and I imagine the state of sensory refreshment he reached as a result felt something like this sounds. It's not that this sort of thing hasn't been attempted before, it's more that it hasn't been pulled off with quite this much aplomb - Sunny Day build up gargantuan frescos over six or seven minute tracks that take you through a spectrum of gorgeous headstates to leave you giddy and flushed with ecstasy upon completion. 'A Sea When Absent' delighted and confused more than any other trip that landed in 2014 and deserves to be lauded as the next step forward in the canon of dreamy guitar music. 

Check out : 'Bye Bye Big Ocean', total submersion into deep and fascinating waters.


9. Pallbearer - Foundations Of Burden

The long and winding road linking modern Metal to its roots in old Blues has taken in numerous thrilling stylistic offshoots but sooner or later things will fall back into that familiar groove of heavy guitar licks and lingering melancholy. Ever since Sabbath's leaden dirge rock first belched out of the industrial midlands as an antidote to the flower power era this sort of music has been around to soundtrack the darker side of the human psyche, the one that recognises sadness and aggression and voluntarily elects to swim deeply in such waters rather than ignoring them in the hope they'll disappear. The riffs and drumbeats are what piques your interest but what keeps you around is the gothic melodrama within the music, the downward tug of elements opening up chasms beneath your feet as you fall flailing into the void. Pallbearer's position at the front of Doom's current regiment owes a great deal to their harnessing of this flailing sensation, a lucid descent into madness that echoes throughout their gargantuan second album to stunning effect. 'Foundations Of Burden' is the work of a young band sounding like it has decades of hopeless toil behind it, grimly accepting its own fate but taking some pleasure from ruminating on the view as the world falls down around it. Each of the six tracks on show here is a mission to the very heart of their futile universe, the music built not around sense-battering savagery but rather a drawn out examination of Metal's dreamier elements, guitars wailing and vocals booming forth like vibrations from beneath the Earth's crust. This is a journey you can't afford to miss - don't even think of it as a Metal record, consider it more a deeper study into the thunderous riff rock doing the rounds right now in the indie press, a more complete package unadulterated by the pull of mainstream radio and free to really revel in the doomy magnificence of heavy guitar music. 'Foundations Of Burden' was deservedly on a number of best of 2014 lists and once again the hype is truly justified - this was the year's most epic release by some distance.

Check out : 'Vanished' - after 11 and a half minutes of this you'll have forgotten what day it is.


8. Aphex Twin - Syro

The somewhat predictable appearance of 'Syro' on virtually every best of 2014 list out there leads us to one of two possible conclusions. One : music journalists are a bunch of complacent thirty-somethings longing for their youth and thus guaranteed to latch onto anything rekindling the vibe of 1990s electronic music regardless of its quality, babbling endlessly about how the new stuff from dance music's veterans towers above the output of younger competitors whilst witlessly losing the objectivity that allowed them to appreciate such artists when they originally surfaced in the music's formative era. Or Two : it's just really fucking good. To justify my own choice let's just say that there have been other comeback records from electronic artists who were part of the original rave era that have passed me by completely - I'm not gonna name names in order to keep these posts positive but let's just say providing the soundtrack to beanbag philosophy sessions back in 1994 doesn't necessarily mean you can still cut it in the crowded landscape of electronic music two decades later. The reason 'Syro' connected with such a wide audience is that it succeeded in changing whilst staying the same, maintaining Richard James' trademark metallic clang yet factoring in a feeling of steadier, almost calmer logic to it. Aphex used to delight in pranging you with unsettling noise blasts and demonic samples and whilst you still feel he could whip out his bag of bad trip tricks at any moment there's less of a pressing need to do so, his inclination to fuck with your head tempered by a growing fondness for more playful journeys across the bleep spectrum. The dude's a father these days and you can kind of imagine his offspring contributing to the mix here, individual elements and effects thrown in almost as if they'd been picked out by an enthusiastic infant trawling through dad's sound library. The Aphex insignia is still clearly present on every note here, his distinctive electronic blorps and squiggles bubbling to the surface of each thrilling composition like the primo cuts from his earlier material to bring the stylistic freeform bliss of the rave era to life without resorting to common nostalgia or retro fetishism. There's nothing as direct as 'Donkey Rhubarb', nothing as clanging as 'Ventolin', nothing as bizarre as 'Windowlicker' and nothing as weightless as his Selected Ambient Works stuff but 'Syro' succeeds in evoking everything in between for one seamless rush of fascinating electronica and its dwarfing of 2014's competition is merely a by product of his deft execution and mastery of his art. 

Check out : 's950tx16wasr10', like being chased around by a swarm of cartoon insects.


7. Kele - Trick

The British indie boom of the mid noughties is far enough behind us now for the music to sound genuinely old fashioned, those angular guitar lines and overblown regional accents prompting modern day reactions similar to those elicited from Beavis and Butthead when faced with the worst aspects of 80s MTV excess. Those years have gone by quickly for those of us who remember them yet are still fresh enough in memory for their sonic characteristics to prompt adverse reactions - none of us need reminding how much younger and slimmer we were when the first Editors LP came out and seeing the audiences that turn out for the surviving bands of that era only reminds us of our own mortality. It's a harsh environment for the skinny-jeaned stars of yesteryear and navigating your way through a new decade can prove tricky - you might have been the coolest thing since sliced bread back in 2005 but knowing where to fit in ten years down the line requires a sensitivity that only the most savvy protagonists possess. The jury's still out on whether Bloc Party fit into this bracket, their fourth LP from a couple of years back leaving many questions unanswered over their future direction but frontman Kele Okereke has more than one trick up his sleeve and this second solo offering saw him move into cooler, more danceable territory without a brittle guitar lick or hi-hat tickle in sight. 'Trick' comes along four years after his 2010 debut which made a decent attempt at assimilating the electronic sounds of the time yet struggled to really stand out from the pack - this time however he's found his own style, namely the joyous House music of the late 80s which he channels perfectly over ten flawless slabs of modern day electronica. Whilst the era has already been strip-mined to saturation by the nerdier end of UK indie, few of the bespectacled Cambridge graduates using its vocabulary can actually feel their way around a Soul record but Kele succeeds in tapping into the music's heart by going at it as a vocalist rather than as producer, stepping to stage front to preach the gospel like House's greatest mic threats (think Ten City's Byron Stingily, Inner City's Paris Red or even Adeva in places). Bloc Party's riff-based charge often masked Kele's own vocal ability but here he's free to shine and every track here is a euphoric rush of love, hope and positivity from a man who sounds like he's really enjoying himself. The lyrics tackle loneliness, confidence and the dating game with the optimistic sincerity of a 30-something gay bloke navigating his way through modern life (Kele only really nailed his colours to the mast a couple of years back) and the reflective moments are complemented perfectly by some joyous anthems to the pleasures of fly by night romance, his touch steady enough to bring the story to life in vivid detail without it ever seeming gratuitous. This was the record I put on this year to cheer myself up, positivity just beaming out from every track as the record lights up the room with each spin. Bloc Party may be back, they may not but on this evidence I don't even care any more - Kele's got his groove back and 'Trick' shows him firing on all cylinders as the new decade progresses. His best years are surely still to come.

Check out : 'Like We Used To', a loved-up thumper that wouldn't sound out of place on Dance Energy.


6. Warpaint - s/t

We're halfway through the decade already - HALFWAY!! - so  it seems like a lifetime since Warpaint's debut landed back in late 2010 in the midst of the chill wave phenomenon. Looking at the other bands who surfaced around the same time it's difficult to imagine them unleashing a record that'd really get you excited now but the anticipation that built up prior to  the release of Warpaint's long-awaited second salvo in January hinted that they might just be the band to break the mould all over again. Media led efforts to cram the band into some sort of musical pigeonhole dictated by their gender, political bias or compositional style missed the point - here was a band who were off in a field of their own, locked into a four part unit orbiting undiscovered galaxies and beaming back in the results to planet Earth for the rest of us to pick apart and scrutinise. Their second LP sees them sharper and more focussed than their blissed out debut, their ideas taking on 3 dimensional form and coming out of the speakers to interact with you like never before - there's a discernible humanity to their music that's missing in many of their more plastic peers and with the possible exception of Foals they're perhaps the only guitar band right now capable of mobilising the indie press in these unforgiving times. Listening to them is hypnotic but only in the sense that their evolution is spellbinding in itself, a captivating trawl through rhythmic subdivisions and shimmering guitar effects that remains firmly rooted to indie rock yet seem confident enough to pull it out of the dark ages and into the bright future that lies ahead. Trying to ape their sound would be nigh on impossible as there's not one single element to home in on, the mix taking you somewhere new precisely because you can't quite pinpoint where the charm stems from - they're pushed forward by a thousand individual ingredients that are laid out just right to cushion the fall and roll you through swathes of lucid atmospherics like you're on the comedown from the best high of your life. They're at their best when they're away from stage front, the album's quieter passages bringing out the intricacies of between the lines emotional states, those fleeting moments when you don't really know whether to laugh or cry - you might not get all of it on first listen or even fifteenth listen but you know you'll keep coming back regardless as newer elements are shaken from the ocean floor with each spin. And when they really connect they're stronger and more forthright than even before, the swirling groove fleshing out new anthemic cuts like 'Disco/Very', 'Keep It Healthy' and 'Love Is To Die' to carry the torch forward from where they left it with 'Undertow' and 'Billie Holliday' a few years back. As I said before there is still nobody out there like them but that's not the point - individuality will only thrill you for so long but true depth of vision will keep you coming round time after time for a fresh look and 'Warpaint' suggests that these gals are in it for a journey that promises to remain consistently rewarding for years to come.

Check out : the bumper 'Disco/Very - Keep It Healthy' promo vid for a good place to start.

Best of 2014 Part Four : 20-11

20. Eno/Hyde - Someday World

Both approaching an age where you'd expect them to be mainly occupied by watching daytime TV quiz shows, complaining about immigration and spending a good deal of time in the shed, Brian Eno and Underworld's Karl Hyde managed to lay down not one but TWO corking albums this year. 'Someday World' was my personal fave, the looped rave transmissions of Underworld intersecting nicely with Eno's ambient noodlings to craft something genuinely engaging. The tone is generally laid-back and positive so don't expect anything too out there - in fact you should check out their 'High Life' LP from later in the year if you're after some freeform rabbit hole weirdness - but this is still a masterclass in subdued electronica that dwarfs the output of their modern day novices. Think the quieter moments of Underworld's millennial material coupled with Eno's between the lines contribution to all those A-list production jobs and you're somewhere close. There's life in the old dogs yet.

Check out : 'Daddy's Car', aeons ahead of their 20-something suitors.

19. Johnny Marr - Playtime

Speaking of old dudes putting the youngsters to shame, who expected Johnny Marr to knock out one of the year's best albums? Not me certainly but seeing him live in November set me straight on that one - when you've got access to one of the most lauded back catalogues in music history and still bypass nostalgia to play the new shit you've gotta come out with something strong and 'Playland' has more than enough to hold its own against Johnny's best. Guys his age could be relying on past glories but instead he's tooled up with a bunch of 20-something apprentices and hit the road again to stay lean and mean - the live show was like seeing Ryan Giggs leading a bunch of academy tykes into battle and Johnny's still stylish enough to poach your girlfriend at the after party too. 'Playland' hits the rockier heights of the late Britpop period - think Hurricane N.1, early Travis and even Northern Uproar when they hit the target. All those years keeping his skills sharp in Modest Mouse and The Cribs have clearly paid off - Johnny's still setting the pace thirty years on.

Check out : 'Dynamo' - indie pop gold guaranteed to put a big old smile on your face.


18. Gardens and Villa - Dunes

If you're gonna synth it up these days you've gotta stand out from the crowd. I'm probably not alone in flitting through Spotify like I'm zapping TV channels, making my mind up after 5 seconds in case something better turns up next. Fortunately Michigan's Gardens and Villa hit the perfect frequency from the very first note of 'Dunes' and stay on it over ten tracks of luscious electronica, taking you back to Top of the Pops circa 1983 with modern songwriting chops to bust out this year's move loveable hipster indie LP. This guys cut it up the way I like it, keeping things short and to the point and flooding the mix with hooks and vocal melodies that'll light up your day - it might share characteristics with a zillion other Yank synthster acts right now but when someone bowls a strike like this you've got to give 'em credit where it's due. In fact I can't think of a record I've played more often than 'Dunes' since I bagged it back in February which pretty much says it all - this is just a perfect pop record from start to finish. Dip into it anywhere and you'll be saying the same soon enough.

Check out : 'Bullet Train', another potential radio gem to rival New Romantic at its finest.

17. Alvvays - s/t

If like me you're still buzzed off last year's Bleached LP then Toronto's Alvvays came around bang on time to keep the high going with this go-tell-your-friends-how-cool-it-is debut. In truth their approach is a bit more brainy and incisive than the slacker surf rock doing the rounds right now, getting in amongst them like Throwing Muses in their heyday and fleshing out the mix with some of the most satisfying melodic highs of the year. I think my continued love of this kinda sound stems from my teenage crush on Belly's Tanya Donnelly and this matches her at her flyaway best, their charge steeped in reverb but aimed squarely at the stars. I'm actually halfway inclined to sit down and read the lyrics on this one which is a bit of a rarity these days and we might just have a band on our hands capable of becoming genuine indie icons for the new era. 'Alvvays' gave me a rush of blood to the head I haven't felt since last year's Surfer Blood LP so if they can avoid career torpedoing troubles with the law these folks might just be destined for true greatness.

Check out : 'Archie Marry Me' - indie's best single of the year? Probably.

16. Clark - s/t

Losing LFO’s Mark Bell at the tender age of 43 was one of the year’s biggest bummers so let’s be thankful for those still around to fly Warp’s distinctive flag over years to come. Chris Clark already had half a dozen full lengths under his belt when he unleashed this self-titled stunner in September and might have just outdone himself for an eponymous late career peak a la Blur, Metallica et al. He skates in wide arcs here, veering from contemplative bleep tapestries to out and out bangers all as part of one fluid trajectory, his deft touch and masterful delivery providing a solo spot that almost merits a standing ovation when it’s all over. Comparisons with LFO’s own flawless run may be lazy given the circumstances of its release but ‘Clark’ is speaking a similar language and there’s even a shade of Dave Clark (no relation I’m told) and his much-overlooked 90s classic ‘Archive One’ on here. Techno continued to flourish in 2014 and Clark will start next year at the front of the pack ready for the next round of action.

Check out : 'Unfurla'. This man was clearly born to bleep.


15. Gallon Drunk - The Soul Of The Hour

It's a telling example of how powerful the music media still are when return flights from the likes of Nick Cave and David Bowie become events in their own right yet artists who've been doing the rounds for years can still drop a career best to practically zero fanfare. Gallon Drunk haven't even been away that long but they're the sort of loose living bunch that you'd assume would have died off by now (one of them did the other year as a matter of fact) so the fact that they can still smash out something this great deserves even more celebration. 'The Soul Of The Hour' sounds vibrant, determined and cathartic, a gaggle of shameless lushes staying focussed for long enough to perfectly capture their mindset after two and a half decades of wanton self abuse. There are romantic epics to rival anything The Bad Seeds ever put their name to plus some dirgey blues rock that could sit nicely alongside Jack White's solo stuff if enough people were paying attention. This is a late career peak in the same vein as Mazzy Star's return to the fray last year and is way too good to be a mere footnote to 2014.

Check out : the cinematic full length promo for 'Before The Fire'. Stirring stuff indeed.

14. Meatbodies - s/t

Ty Segall gets everywhere these days. I've started worrying that I'm gonna see his head pop out of the toilet next time I go to take a dump. Meatbodies are yet another offshoot from his stable, mainman Chad Ubovich having served time in Segall's Fuzz project who dropped a self-titled stunner last year and this newbie keeps the buzz going nicely. There's trippy riffs and stoner splurge everywhere you look plus some choppy four chord chunk in the vein of old school L7 and a fizzy enthusiasm in their delivery that recalls FIDLAR's stonking debut from a couple of years back. Plus they have possibly the year's coolest record sleeve, a startling collage that looks like a harrowing session of LSD and Haribo sweets projectile vomited onto the pavement. They're not rewriting the rulebook or anything here but when the material in question rules already there's no need to do so - you know this shit is gonna sound fantastic live and hopefully they'll put together some kind of slopfest Lollapalooza so that these guys, Segall and Thee Oh Sees can bring their joy to the people worldwide.

Check out : 'Rotten', a cocktail of psychedelic slush and brain-melting volume.


13. Museum Of Love - s/t

While we're on the subject of side projects, how about this one for a surprise success? I'm not the biggest fan of James Murphy or DFA records but former LCD drummer Pat Mahoney came straight outta leftfield this year with a solo voyage that connects where a lot of similar material goes in one ear and out the other. 'Museum Of Love' is one part disco pretension weighed out against several parts danceable tuneage and intricate dreamscaping, the loveable side of a musical subsection I'm often driven to loathe. There's a hidden depth to the material here that peels back to reveal different textures on every listen, a vibration built upwards from the beat rather than no substance disco thrills simply dolloped on top of a fragile foundation and you can travel within the tracks here as opposed to just sliding across the surface. The proliferation of vegan hipster electro these days would normally make me avoid this like a puddle of puke in the street but I'll admit that I was proven wrong here - the Museum Of Love is open for business and well worth a visit.

Check out : 'The Who's Who Of Who Cares', an emo song title for an nu electro classic.


12. Run The Jewels - RTJ 2

I probably wasn't alone in reacting with a mixture of pleasure and relief when RTJ's stoopendous second helping landed this year - with the seemingly endless debate about Hip Hop's place in society in today's media I'd almost given up hope on finding an album that made me feel like I did back in the 90s when I first heard Nas, Biggie et al. But let it be known that RTJ are no nostalgia trip, these guys are 2014 all over and somehow emerged as perhaps the band America needed as it slumped into yet another crisis of morality and fractious race conflict. Like the UK's own Sleaford Mods these dudes proved that youth was no pre-requisite for judging public mood with both EL-P and Killer Mike both pushing 40 but still razor sharp to the politics of the day, the latter in particular serving as one of entertainment's most indispensable voices in the wake of Ferguson. But we're almost forgetting the tunes here and the gold they served on this LP is as sharp as Raekwon and Ghostface firing lines off each other in Wu's heyday, a ruthless boot to the crotch that put smiles on faces perhaps more than any other release this year. Exceptionally, DO believe the hype - RTJ are just as good as the press would have you believe.

Check out : The whole thing for free on their website!


11. Behemoth - The Satanist

Think you had a busy 2014? How about coming back from the brink of death and recording the best album of your career? Behemoth's Nergal made us all look like underachievers this year with this stunning return from the void, his recovery from leukemia prior to the album's recording only made more remarkable by the music's fiery sense of purpose and defiant aggression. 'The Satanist' tops their stonking run of noughties releases by following a wholly different path, the skin-flaying Death Metal barrage of 'Demigod' and 'Evangelion' supplanted with a towering homage to their earlier Black Metal days that thrills and terrifies like nothing before. The Nerg sounds genuinely fearless, going as far as mixing his own blood samples with the paint for the album cover  and pouring himself into a staggering hymn to survival against the odds. Seeing him tour this earlier in 2014 was one of the year's highlights for me and the guy is currently peerless at the helm of today's Extreme Metal scene.

Check out : the fruity (and entirely NSFW) promo for 'Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel!'.

Best of 2014 Part Three : 30-21

30. Sleaford Mods - Chubbed Up

Sleaford Mods' rise to fame has been one of British music's more encouraging narratives this year - five years ago this sort of thing would have been lumped in with the borderline parody council estate rap of Devvo and Blackout Crew whereas the dearth of everyman social commentary in the UK music scene of 2014 has left these guys as a refreshing dose of working class vitriol. I'll admit that it took me a couple of listens to warm to this but now I can't stop playing it, kinda like when The Streets first came around - this isn't just kitchen sink realism for the sake of it, they're using the rich palette of everyday British life in the same way Yank rappers have drawn from their own culture for decades and it actually works really fucking well. 'Chubbed Up' is the singles comp that surfaced this year along with new studio LP 'Divide And Exit', they're both great but I marginally prefer this one for variety - one part Sham 69, one part Happy Mondays coupled with the journeyman wisdom of guys actually old enough to have lived through the rave era, they're in a field of their own right now.

Check out : 'Jobseeker', like Bez waking up from a twenty year coma and getting right back on it.

29. Teleman - Breakfast

If I were looking to make a quick buck in today's British music scene I'd probably get a job as a bailiff, what with the number of guitar groups formed in the lucrative indie boom of the mid-noughties who must be struggling to repay their loans now that they're virtually unemployable. Converting to electropop has become pretty much the only means to survive in most cases, although sometimes that actually works out for the best - Teleman are a case in point, reassembled from the bit parts of late noughties nobodies Pete and the Pirates to re-emerge as a savvy art pop outfit in the vein of early Roxy Music/Eno and sounding all the better for it. 'Breakfast' landed to no great fanfare earlier in the year but with hooks like these they're only going to remain undetected for so long. These lads have bypassed the early 80s bargain bin so eagerly plundered by their peers in favour of the quirky pop of the previous decade, drawing from Bowie and Talking Heads without leaving muddy footprints all over the carpet and nailing one of the year's best indie pop LPs in the process.

Check out : 'Skeleton Dance', although dip in anywhere and you'll find a potential hit.

28. Grouper - Ruins

Like Justin Broadrick and the dudes from The Men, Grouper's Liz Harris probably loses a few places on this list on account of the fact that she's in it every year. But that's what you get for maintaining this kind of strike rate - 'Ruins' is every bit as good as anything she's done before but connects on a totally different level, stripping back an already desolate arrangement to barely audible piano and vocals like she's phoning it in from a cold planet at the arse end of the galaxy. I originally chanced upon her shtick a few years back as a more likeable alternative to the media frenzy around Bon Iver and she's weathered the years with grace, exploring the landscape of plaintive melancholy with the intricate touch of a novelist and bringing those currents to life like fragile sculptures suspended in the night air. This is one to devote yourself to completely - pick yourself a slot in the wee small hours or a private moment on headphones and immerse yourself in 'Ruins' to be spellbound by the minimalist magic running through every track here. Her faultless run continues.

Check out : 'Holding' just for the video which complements the music perfectly.

27. Goat - Commune

These psychedelic Swedes finished in my top ten with their 2012 debut but following up a bombastic debut with an equally engrossing second chapter is no mean feat - sophomore platters from fellow alumni Parquet Courts and PAWS landed this year and while pleasant enough still failed to hold my attention up against everything else. So where did these folks get it right? Let's just say the web they weave takes you somewhere you're happy to stay, the combination of wacked out Nordic mysticism and echo-laden stoner rock proving too intoxicating to turn down for a second visit. 'Commune' doesn't go anywhere their stellar debut 'World Music' didn't but staggers its attack for a steadier release, reining in their wig out tendencies to focus on delivering a series of potent acid rock belters that thrill and fascinate without curbing their characteristic eccentricities. They remain an attractive live proposition and seem to have no shortage of ideas for future flights of fancy so we might be in it for the long haul with these folks as they clip clop onwards and upwards.

Check out : the promo for 'Hide From The Sun'. Anyone order a double Jodorowsky?

26. Temples - Sun Structures

We’ve become so goddam cynical towards indie rock these days that every new guitar record built around a string of catchy singles is billed as some kind of cheap shot at fame that belongs in another age. Temples had more than enough quality on this debut to be 2014’s Peace/Vaccines/Drums etc if the industry were looking for such a thing – as it stands there’s just another great indie band straddling the line between cult appeal and genuine celebrity as punters continue to flock to their cause. ‘Sun Structures’ is a record your most straight-laced pal will dig whilst simultaneously bringing out a smile from more hardcore zealots with a soft spot for classic rock tricksmanship – there’s a smidge of Tame Impala’s woozy majesty in here along with a solid dose of early 70s glam and late 60s psychedelic space rock all of which combine to thrilling effect on this all killer no filler debut. The glare of the indie media has dried out many a band issued from promising beginnings so maybe it’s a good thing that these lads have been left to concentrate on the music for now – in any case this was one of the year’s catchiest debuts.

Check out : 'The Golden Throne', although again you can pick anything here as a highlight.

25. Earth - Primitive and Deadly

Heavy stonerisms were in plentiful supply this year with Yob, Electric Wizard and newbies Pallbearer all contributing to the encroaching fuzzcloud threatening to engulf modern Metal. Earth have been speaking this language for some time already but 'Primitive and Deadly' floated into focus for long enough to hypnotise like none of their previous releases, drawing in the listener like the Death Star reeling in its latest victim to crush them with the lumpen weight of a reclining Brontosaurus. The bong rock foundations are first class here but they're not the whole story, guests appearances from the likes of Rabia Shaheen Qazi and Mark Lanegan at the helm driving things forward like the cream of monolithic doom rock and leaving a dirty great footprint once they've finished' 'Primitive and Deadly' tones down to a frequency that has always been there in Metal but only surfaces at select moments so this glimpse into the core of heavy guitar rock was one to be savoured in full over five colossal segments. 

Check out : 'From The Zodiacal Light', a slow cooked gem of volcanic beauty.

24. Mac Demarco - Salad Days

I always seem to miss the promotion party for today’s up and coming stars so I can only hazard a guess at how Mac Demarco managed to go from cult favourite to indie’s new slacker Dylan in the space of twelve short months. My reading of things is that niceness is very much in vogue right now and ‘Salad Days’ is about as amiable as you can get, each track a mellow infusion of positive vibes and chilled out humour that’ll disarm even the angriest of listener – the guy even signs it off with a cheeky farewell as the record closes! Mac may be chillin’ but he’s no hippy, his smoothness never lapses into smugness and he carries each track with an instantly loveable dose of wit, warmth and campfire cool. Picking holes in all this would be downright heartless so it’s just as well there aren’t any, the ensemble standing up to the numerous spins it’s had both at home and in the bars of Paris since it landed back in February. If he can retain his laidback charm in the face of increased media glare and lucrative offers from romantic comedy soundtracks then 2015 is surely his for the taking.

Check out : August's live set on KEXP - even Evan Dando couldn't be this cool about it.

23. Bear In Heaven - Time Is Over One Day Old

Another one from the class of 2012 connecting with a stellar sequel, the Bears toned down the fluo for this one and instead flooded their palette with vibrant nighttime electronica, planting themselves in the bars and bedrooms rather than in the centre of the dancefloor. The results complement their previous gem 'I Love You, It's Cool' perfectly, showcasing their ability to transition smoothly between strobe rush and quiet time like no other electro troupe doing the rounds right now. When we chatted to them after their live show in October they freely admitted to having stopped playing their biggest hit because they were sick of it and it's just that approach that allows them to confidently crowdplease without lapsing into cheap thrills and lazy rave populism. Having surfaced in the midst of the chillwave boom circa 2009/10 they're one of the only bands still worth following and the quality on show here suggests that their future releases promise worthy additions to an impressive canon.

Check out : the promo for 'Time Between', a perfect slight of NYC nightlife. 

22. Function and Vatican Shadow - Games Have Rules

Like it minimal? In such times of austerity one can hardly blame you. If you're partial to understated Techno tinkering then Function and Vatican Shadow might just be the hidden gem 2014 has in store for you - 'Games Have Rules' uncoils slowly over seven studied forays through the quieter register of electronic music but does so without releasing its grip on your brain, shifting its weight only slightly as wave upon wave of sonic stimuli drift across you to leave you numb yet invigorated once it's all over. This sort of thing can easily become a byword for unimaginative studio noodling but done well it's like a really powerful stereo on its lowest setting, technically empowered to fully blast off but holding back its force to focus on the smaller components and bring the detail to life. These guys succeed in amplifying the minutae of their electronic canon like archaeologists scrutinising ancient relics, delicate of touch and steadfastly attentive to finite intricacies. This won't get you on the floor but it might just be the perfect soundtrack for coming back to reality afterwards.

Check out : 'A Year Has Passed', a study in the beauty of transition.

21. Lockah - Yahoo Or The Highway

2014 was another cracking year for electronica, although when has that not been the case over the last decade or so? The post-rave landscape is so inscrutably vast these days that there's bound to be something out there that serves it up the way you want and Aberdeen's Lockah added his name to the list with this stonking debut. Indebted to rave's car stereo aesthetic and laced with the rough-edged clang and snarky humour of his homeland, 'Yahoo Or The Highway' stood out from the crowd with its inventive bleep tapestries and gorgeous moments of euphoric release, managing its tone perfectly yet still knowing instinctively when to knock you on your arse. There's a nod to late period Squarepusher here with shades of the latter's criminally overlooked 'Ufabulum' LP from a couple of years back along with Lone's 'Echolocations' EP and even a hint of rave era mischievists Genaside II and Shut Up And Dance in his delivery, all in all more than enough to warrant paying close attention to his next move. 

Check out : 'If Loving U Is Wrong I Don't Wanna Be Wrong', both track and title summing up what he does best.