This year, my favorites were quieter than usual. My top three albums have acoustic guitars often as the lead instrument, though the artists — Luluc, Angel Olsen and Rodrigo Amarante — originate from Australia, the U.S. and Brazil, respectively.
Six of my top 10 are led by women. Five I wasn't even aware of until 2014 (Perfect Pussy, FKA twigs, Sylvan Esso, Rodrigo Amarante and Luluc). I saw eight out of 10 of these bands in concert this year (I missed both The Antlers and FKA twigs at home when I ventured to a music festival in Iceland). I'd say it was a better year for songs than for albums, but still, my top 10 records stand out and will be my friends for a long time.
Below my top 10, I have listed 10 more bonus picks in unranked, alphabetical order. These were artists who were new to me in 2014. They may not have made my top 10, but they are all worth listening to and keeping an ear out for.
P.S. You probably loved something I didn't. If your favorite record isn't here, tell me what it was so I can discover something new as well.
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