All Songs Considered

We love hearing what our listeners think are the best albums of the year. It's a fun way to see how our own picks line up with our audience's, and a chance to discover some surprises we may have missed. (There are always surprises we missed). For 2014, our listeners decided St. Vincent's stunning, self-titled release, which came out way back in February, was the best album of the year. No other record came close in our annual poll. St. Vincent had twice as many votes as the next closest contender, Alt-J's This Is All Yours. Beck's gorgeous, meditative Morning Phase came in third, while FKA Twgis' strangely transfixing LP1 and Jack White's bone rattling Lazaretto round out the top five. Below you'll find a playlist with the Top 25 albums chosen by our listeners, along with a more comprehensive list of the top 100 albums. If you'd like to head over to your favorite local record store and go on a shopping spree, here's a downloadable PDF of the Top 100. Thanks for tuning in with us this year, and for being the greatest listeners we could ever hope for!

How will we remember the music of 2014? All Songs Considered starts off NPR Music's year-end coverage by discussing themes that surfaced again and again: new discoveries, best live shows, saddest records and missed gems. All Songs Considered hosts Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton are joined by NPR Music's Ann Powers and Stephen Thompson to reflect on what made 2014 a standout year in music. From established artists like Beck, St. Vincent and Weezer to new acts like FKA Twigs, Sturgill Simpson, Sylvan Esso and Luluc, 2014's releases were varied and surprising. Some, like the beautiful albums by Beck and Luluc, made an impression while keeping the volume low; others, including the sophomore album from the hip-hop duo Run The Jewels, made a noise that was impossible to turn down once it arrived like a buzzsaw in October. And then there are the pop juggernauts who bookended the year: Beyoncé, whose self-titled album came out late in 2013 but echoed through most of this year, and Taylor Swift, who wiped the floor (sales-wise, at least) with every other album released in 2014. This is just the beginning of our year-end extravaganza. Next week NPR Music will share lists of our favorite albums and favorite songs, as well as individual lists from Bob, Robin, Stephen and Ann. What defined your year in music? Let us know in our comment section below and vote for your favorite albums of the year in our listener poll.

Decades ago, the potent folk songs of Cat Stevens inspired All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen to pick up acoustic guitar. Now known as Yusuf/Cat Stevens, the singer visits the All Songs studio for this week's show to discuss his path to music and share songs that inspired him along the way. Yusuf/Cat Stevens' most recent album, Tell 'Em I'm Gone, features reworkings of a number of classic blues songs and originals. The record also includes collaborations with super-producer Rick Rubin and harmonica player Charlie Musselwhite. Tell Em I'm Gone is his first album since 2009.

Following an eight-year hiatus after touring its last album, The Woods, Sleater-Kinney is back together. Earlier this year, the band put out a box set which included remastered versions of all seven of its albums, as well as a hardcover book featuring previously unseen photos. Included was an unlabeled 7-inch record with a new song, "Bury Our Friends," which turned out to be more than a one-off reunion. Corin Tucker, Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss had recorded a full album, No Cities To Love, which will be out on Jan. 20.

Earlier this month, All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen traveled to Reykjavik, Iceland to attend the annual Iceland Airwaves music festival. Kevin Cole and the crew from NPR member station KEXP were there to broadcast and record bands at the festival. The lineup included bands from around the world, but Airwaves is a rare chance to hear bands from Iceland itself — about 150 of them were on the bill, and Bob and Kevin pick three standouts here. Robin Hilton shares a track from TV on the Radio's latest album, Seeds, which the band (and Robin) believes to be its best yet. Bob offers up a pulsing track from Caribou, whose album Our Love, its most dance-able, attracted a more enthusiastic response than any other stage of the group's 10-year career, if the show Bob saw last week is any indication. Robin closes the show with a gorgeous ambient cut from A Winged Victory For The Sullen's new album, Atomos.

This week, Foo Fighters releases its latest project, Sonic Highways. Why "project" rather than album? Sonic Highways is more than just eight new songs. It's also an eight-part documentary currently running on HBO. Together, the album and film series look at the intersection of geography and music. It's what Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl calls a love letter to the history of American music. The band wrote and recorded each song in a different city. Grohl interviewed local musical icons in each place and wove the stories he heard and the history of each location into his lyrics. The first stop in the band's musical journey was Chicago, followed by Grohl's former hometown, Washington, D.C., then on to Nashville, Austin, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Seattle and New York. When Dave Grohl stopped by the NPR studios in Washington, D.C. to talk about Sonic Highways with us, he reflected on growing up in the area, on what it was like to see his favorite bands play the 9:30 Club and how the city's complicated and controversial history shaped his world view and the song "The Feast and the Famine," which was recorded at Inner Ear Studio in the D.C. area. Grohl also explained how some of the other songs for Sonic Highways came together and talked about the local musicians that inspired them.

It's been more than 40 years since singer Bryan Ferry started making some of the freshest, most original rock music of the early 1970s in the band Roxy Music. Ferry was 26 years old when the group formed in 1971, but his unexpectedly mature croon was a potent counterpoint to the glam and eerie electronic rock the group made. Later, as a solo artist, Ferry found entry points to cover both '60s rock hits and standards from the 1930s. His music has been a combination of all those things ever since. Bryan Ferry is now 69 years old. His voice is a bit deeper and even more alluring. His latest (and fourteenth) solo album, Avonmore, comes out Nov. 18. He recently sat down to chat about the record and his life of music with All Songs Considered hosts Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton. Speaking from member station WNYC in New York, Ferry talked about his love for sad music, why he'd like to see his songs turned into a Broadway musical and how he was inspired to become a musician after hitchhiking to London to see Otis Redding play.

On this week's All Songs Considered, Robin Hilton shares the first single from Belle & Sebastian's upcoming album, Girls In Peacetime Want To Dance, out Jan. 20. If they're looking for it, "The Party Line" would give those girls what they want — it's a surprisingly bouncy song from the veteran Scottish band. Bob Boilen's week was devoted to the CMJ Music Marathon, where he saw more than 60 bands perform. You can hear songs by ten of his favorite discoveries from the New York-based festival here. Four of those songs are on the show this week, including an upbeat but dark song from the British trio Happyness, a grinding track from post-punk band Protomartyr, Japanese prog and punk rock from Bo Ningen and gorgeous vocals and instrumental harmonies from teenage Norwegian singer-songwriter Aurora. Robin also shares a gorgeous, spare song from Grouper (Liz Harris), whose forthcoming album, Ruins, is available to stream in its entirety in our First Listen series. And finally, it's difficult to believe that it's been more than a year since Lou Reed's death. A new reissue of The Velvet Underground's self-titled third album is packaged in a six-disc box set that includes previously unheard live recordings and a newly remastered version of the album. Robin plays a live version of "I'm Waiting For The Man" from the set, The Velvet Underground: 45th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition.

The band Sleater-Kinney (Carrie Brownstein, Corin Tucker, Janet Weiss) is back together, and we're all pretty excited at All Songs Considered! After an eight-year hiatus, and nearly ten years since releasing their last album, Carrie and company have announced a new, upcoming record and a brand new song called "Bury Our Friends." The album, No Cities To Love, is due out Jan. 20. NPR Music's Lars Gotrich joins hosts Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton talk about the new album and to share music from Philadelphia-based punk band Cayetana. The group will perform at NPR Music's showcase during the CMJ Music Marathon. Next, NPR Music's Frannie Kelley (Microphone Check) shares music from R&B singer Elle Varner, who will be headlining NPR Music's live concert showcase during this week's CMJ Music Marathon in New York. Bob follows with an upbeat sing-along song (complete with hand claps) from Australian indie band Immigrant Union. Robin continues with The Flaming Lips' trippy, distorted version of "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds," from the band's upcoming Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band cover album, A Little Help From My Fwends. On a quieter note, Bob shares a song by folk artist Teddy Thompson, off the new album, Family, which he made with his parents, Linda and Richard Thompson, and sister Kami Thompson, among other family members. Robin closes the show with a gritty but wistful cut from Southern California-based GRMLN's upcoming album, Soon Away.

Host Bob Boilen kicks off this week's show with a buzzing song from Toronto-based The Rural Alberta Advantage's new album, Mended With Gold. Inspired by the track's killer percussion, Robin Hilton shares the neurotic, upbeat "Paradise Girls" from Deerhoof's upcoming album La Isla Bonita, out Nov. 3. Alt. Latino's Felix Contreras joins Bob and Robin in the studio to discuss Helado Negro, an artist who caught Bob's attention opening for Sinkane earlier this month. Felix and Bob share a lush, spacey cut from the singer's new album, Double Youth. Bob takes things in a different direction with Hozier's nod to R&B legend Jackie Wilson, "Jackie and Wilson," followed by English punk-duo Sleaford Mods' stark rant, "The Committee." Next, Robin gets lost in a gripping ambient track from Bing & Ruth's provocatively titled upcoming album, Tomorrow Was The Golden Age. We close the show with a dreamy cut from Norwegian electronic-duo Röyksopp's final album, The Inevitable End.

This is simply one of our favorite conversations we've ever had on All Songs Considered. Maybe you know John Congleton, maybe you don't. But chances are his production credit is on a record you love. It might be the newest Angel Olsen record or the St. Vincent album, or a record by Earl Sweatshirt, David Byrne, Lower Dens, Erykah Badu, The Roots, Bill Callahan, The Mountain Goats, Modest Mouse, The New Pornographers, Swans. The list goes on and on. John Congleton is a 37-year old musician, producer and engineer with a passion for bringing the best out of the artists he works with. This conversation with John Congleton is as much a philosophical look at life and appreciating sound as it is a geeky look at what a producer does. In a long conversation that touches on his work with some of the musicians listed above, Congleton shared his own mantra as a producer and listener, which was inspired by the example of one of his heroes, the late, great BBC radio DJ, music journalist and taste maker John Peel: "Any time he ever hears a piece of music that he doesn't like, he just assumes it's his problem." It's a great philosophy that takes music listening and criticism beyond the judgmental, number-driven rating system that often defines it. Near the start of the conversation, John Congleton said, "Art that doesn't challenge [me] is not interesting to me. I'm intoxicated by the stuff that I don't understand, 'cause at the end of the day I — if I get something out of that, I'm a better producer, I'm a better listener, I'm a better everything." Amen! Congleton has a lot more good advice and experience to share with producers, musicians and listeners alike. By clicking the audio link on this page, you can hear this Texan talk about why ZZ Top formed his idea of a good band, how his father influenced his musical taste and some of his new solo recordings. Read highlights from the interview below.

This week's All Songs Considered kicks off with a pair of anniversaries. This year marks the 30th anniversary of classic mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap, which inspires Robin Hilton to reminisce about rock concerts gone comically wrong, and then to invite listeners to submit their own "Spinal Tap moments." Next, Bob Boilen shares a live recording of an inventive new song from Robert Plant, who performed over the weekend at Brooklyn Academy of Music in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Nonesuch Records. Bob continues with a track recommended by The National's Bryce Dessner, who collaborated with French artist Mina Tindle on an upcoming album titled Parades. The gorgeous track, "Taranta," was inspired by the tarantella, a kind of traditional Southern Italian dance. Robin changes gears with "Nose Grows Some," the edgy closing track from Thom Yorke's surprise album Tomorrow's Modern Boxes. NPR Music's Otis Hart continues in the same vein with music from Aphex Twin's excellent new album Syro, the artist's first full-length solo effort in 13 years, as well as a track from London-based dance-pop duo The 2 Bears. Next, Robin selects an unnerving song from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' incredibly creepy soundtrack to the movie Gone Girl. Bob closes the show on a slightly more upbeat note, with a gentle, dreamy track from Jon Hopkins' upcoming EP, Asleep Versions, featuring vocals from Raphaelle Standell.

Do you find yourself saying "no" more often than not? Robin Hilton does, which is why he kicks off this week's All Songs Considered with L.A.-based Afternoons' joyful sing-along, "Say Yes." Next, Bob Boilen recaps his recent trip to the Americana Music Festival in Nashville, discussing some exciting new discoveries and selecting a rockabilly-tinged tune from Caroline Rose called "Blood on Your Bootheels." A nod to "These Boots Were Made For Walkin,'" perhaps? Robin continues with a quieter song from Damien Rice, whose new album, My Favourite Faded Fantasy, is set to be released Nov. 11. On a similar note, Bob selects a brooding number from Leonard Cohen's new album, Popular Problems, which was released just days after Cohen's 80th birthday. Joined in the studio by editor Lars Gotrich, the hosts introduce the noisy title track from Maryland-based Two Inch Astronaut's upcoming album, Foulbrood. After falling into a daze of '90s nostalgia, Robin closes the show with a track from shoegazey noise pop band Medicine, whose new album, Home Everywhere, comes out Oct. 28.

On this week's All Songs Considered, Robin Hilton kicks off the show by meditating on the perils of old age, and insisting that he still wants to be Daniel Lanois when he grows up. Cue "Opera," a powerful cut from Lanois' upcoming solo album, Flesh and Machine, and an unparalleled headphone listening experience. Bob Boilen introduces Italian electronic band Niagara with a driving track from the band's sophomore album, Don't Take It Personally, released last week. Next, Robin offers a killer song from Cleveland based mr. Gnome, whose new album, The Heart of a Dark Star, he has been eagerly awaiting since hearing their set at SXSW in 2011. Following a raw, unsettling song from Neuroplasticity, a left-turn of a sophomore album by the artist Cold Specks, editor Jacob Ganz makes a guest appearance to discuss an old favorite: '90s slowcore band Bedhead. The band is reissuing its complete recordings in a box set titled Bedhead 1992-1998, which features a previously unreleased cover of The Stranglers' classic, "Golden Brown" that's about as energetic as the subdued Texas band ever got. We close the episode with a track from Philip Selway's excellent solo album Weatherhouse, which, unlike side projects from Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, sounds distinctly un-Radiohead-like.

On this week's show we share music from the intimate and raw new solo album by Yeah Yeah Yeahs singer Karen O, warped garage rock from Meatbodies and several new discoveries, including two music collectives, one from Sweden and the other from Brooklyn.   After briefly enduring the torturous sounds of our Tiny Desk piano tuner, we kick the show off with the gritty, driving rock of Meatbodies, fronted by Chad Ubovich, a singer, guitarist and bassist known for his work with Mikal Cronin and the band Fuzz.   We follow with a cut that's been out for a while but only recently found its way to us, by a band called Amason (pronounced amazon). The group is part of the INGRID artist collective founded in Stockholm by Lykke Li, Peter, Bjorn & John, Teddybears and others. Amason has a new album due out in early 2015, but in the meantime we've got a cut from their 2013, self-titled EP, featuring members of Miike Snow, Gustav Ejstes (of Dungen), singer Amanda Bergman (of Idiot Wind) and more.   Also on the show: The gorgeous voice and transfixing sounds of Saint Saviour; A moody, reverb-soaked rock cut from Money, a band that sells out shows all over England but is only now finding its way to the U.S.; Insanely catchy, empowering pop from Lowell; The bedroom recording project of Oliver Kalb, a singer with an arresting voice who records under the name Bellows, with help from The Epoch artist collective; And finally we close out with Karen O's surprising acoustic album, a collection of songs she recorded eight years ago but is only now releasing.