Only just heard St Vincent's album from beginning to end - sounds fantastic, but too soon to say if it's a top tenner. Not played Lykke Li's album in full yet, although what I've heard sounds great.
For me, there's a considerable gap between number one and the rest. For once, that part was easy. My problem was (like Lou) listening to a lot of 2013 records during 2014. Number one would've been Bill Callahan's Dream River, released in 2013. Here are my favourites:
Albums
1. The War on Drugs – Lost in the Dream
2. Angel Olsen - Burn Your Fire For No Witness
3. Sharon Van Etten - Are We There
4. Wild Beasts - Present Tense
5. Neil Young - A Letter Home
6. TV on the Radio - Seeds
7. Ariel Pink – Pom Pom
8. Beck - Morning Phase
9. Mogwai – Rave Tapes
10. Thom Yorke - Tomorrow's Modern Boxes
Gigs
1. Atomic Bomb (William Onyeabor by Damon Albarn, Hot Chip and Co) at the Barbican
2. Bill Callahan at the Royal Festival Hall
3. Keaton Henson at the Queen Elizabeth Hall
4. TV on the Radio at Oslo
5. Mogwai at the Royal Festival Hall
6. Neutral Milk Hotel at the Roundhouse
7. Slint at Electric Brixton
8. Gruff Rhys at Soho Theatre
9. Sinkane at Oslo
10. Bonnie Prince Billy at St John at Hackney
Nigel