Unlike a lot of people I had no trouble finding 25 or more albums that could have easily sat in a Top Ten position this year and the same goes for gigs and festivals in what was another bumper musical year for me.
So here goes ……
Top Ten Albums 2014
1. Robert Plant & The Sensational Space Shifters – Lullaby and the Ceaseless Roar
2. The New Basement Tapes – Lost on the River
3. Ryan Adams – Ryan Adams
4. Esben and the Witch – A New Native
5. The War on Drugs – Lost in a Dream
6. Wild Beasts – Present Tense
7. Orenda Fink – Blue Dream
8. Sun Kil Moon – Benji
9. Sharon van Etten – Are We There
10. Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks – Wig out At Jagbags
Top Ten Gigs 2014
1. Kate Bush – Hammersmith Apollo
2. Damon Albarn – Queen Mary University
3. Ryan Adams – Shepherds Bush Empire
4. Manic Street Preachers – Roundhouse (Holy Bible Show)
5. Wild Beasts/East India Youth – Cambridge Corn Exchange
6. The War on Drugs/Quilt – Koko
7. Garry Numan – Cambridge Junction 1
8. Jeff Tweedy – London Palladium
9. James Taylor – Royal Albert Hall
10. Real Estate/Avvays – Cambridge Junction 2
Top Ten Festival Shows
1. Flaming Lips – End of the Road Festival (EOTR)
2. RM Hubbert - Howling Fling, Eigg
3. Neutral Milk Hotel – Green Man
4. Daughter – Green Man
5. The War on Drugs – Green Man
6. Richard Thompson – EOTR
7. Steve Mason – Howlin' Fling, Eigg
8. The Phantom Band, Howlin' Fling, Eigg
9. Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks – EOTR
10. Pink Mountaintops – EOTR
Finally, fave song was 'Fair Warning' by The Rails
Merry Christmas
Pete