RVA Magazine’s Top 25 of 2014, Part 4: Contributors’ Top Fives

by | Dec 25, 2014 | MUSIC

We hope you’re enjoying our weeklong countdown of the best of 2014 in music. If you’re just joining us, make sure to check out our Honorable Mentions, #25 – #16, and #15 – #6.

Later today, we will be unveiling our top five albums of the year, but before we do that, let’s take a look at our contributor’s personal and extremely diverse top five albums of the year:


We hope you’re enjoying our weeklong countdown of the best of 2014 in music. If you’re just joining us, make sure to check out our Honorable Mentions, #25 – #16, and #15 – #6.

Later today, we will be unveiling our top five albums of the year, but before we do that, let’s take a look at our contributor’s personal and extremely diverse top five albums of the year:

Laura Bittner

1. Sundials – Kick
2. FKA Twigs – LP1
3. Beck – Morning Phase
4. Frameworks – Loom
5. The Hotelier – Home, Like Noplace is There

Black Liquid

1. Atmosphere – Southsiders
2. Gucci Mane – Trap God 3
3. 2 Chainz – Freebase
4. Future – Monster
5. Rick Ross – Hood Billionaire

Shannon Cleary

1. St. Vincent – St. Vincent
2. Ex Hex – Rips
3. Joyce Manor – Never Hungover Again
4. Sylvan Esso – Sylvan Esso
5. Protomartyr – Under Color Of Official Right

Andrew Cothern

1. The Pierces – Creation
2. Michael Jackson – Xscape
3. Passenger – Whispers
4. Tiny Victories – Haunts
5. Against Me! – Transgender Dysphoria Blues

Alex Criqui

1. Mac DeMarco – Salad Days
2. Ty Segall – Manipulator
3. Flying Lotus – You’re Dead
4. Iceage – Plowing Into The Field Of Love
5. Future Islands – Singles

Cody Endres

1. Beck – Morning Phase
2. Aphex Twin – Syro
3. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib – Piñata
4. Run The Jewels – Run The Jewels 2
5. Kool A.D. – Not O.K.

Davy Jones

1. Sturgill Simpson – Metamodern Sounds In Country Music
2. Flying Lotus – You’re Dead!
3. Sleepwalkers – Greenwood Shade
4. Landlady – Upright Behavior
5. Blake Mills – Heigh Ho

Matt Klimas

1. St. Vincent – St. Vincent
2. Wye Oak – Shriek
3. The Lees Of Memory – Sisyphus Says
4. The Rentals – Lost in Alphaville
5. Blonde Redhead – Barragán

Stephen Lecky

1. PHOX – PHOX
2. Sturgill Simpson – Metamodern Sounds In Country Music
3. Sleepwalkers – Greenwood Shade
4. Shovels And Rope – Swimming Time
5. The War On Drugs – Lost In The Dream

Andrew Necci

1. Posture & The Grizzly – Busch Hymns
2. The Hotelier – Home, Like Noplace Is There
3. Lydia Lovelace – Somewhere Else
4. Good Throb – Fuck Off
5. Issues – Issues

Doug Nunnally

1. Sun Kil Moon – Benji
2. White Lung – Deep Fantasy
3. Against Me! – Transgender Dysphoria Blues
4. Dum Dum Girls – Too True
5. The Hotelier – Home, Like Noplace is There

John Reinhold

1. Flying Lotus – You’re Dead!
2. Mr. Carmack – DIMEBAG
3. Machinedrum – Vapor City Archives
4. Apex Twin – Syro
5. Run The Jewels – Run The Jewels 2

Graham Scala

1. Awaas – It’s Great Dying
2. Sturgill Simpson – Metamodern Sounds In Country Music
3. Mujahideen – Dead Language
4. Yob – Clearing The Path To Ascend
5. Battle Ruins – Battle Ruins

Kyle Shearin

1. Lykke Li – I Never Learn
2. St. Vincent – St. Vincent
3. Jenny Lewis – The Voyager
4. Spoon – They Want My Soul
5. Real Estate – Talking Backwards

Tyler Spindle

1. FKA Twigs – LP1
2. Parquet Courts – Sunbathing Animal
3. Run The Jewels – Run The Jewels 2
4. The War On Drugs – Lost In The Dream
5. Mr Twin Sister – Mr Twin Sister

Chris Suarez

1. Mac Demarco – Salad Days
2. Real Estate – Atlas
3. Tawny Peaks – In Silver River
4. Clique – Clique
5. Sundials – Kick

Joshua Tucker

1. Sleepwalkers – Greenwood Shade
2. Avers – Empty Light
3. Long Arms – Constant Comment
4. White Laces – Trance
5. Butcher Brown – All Purpose Music

Emilie Von Unwerth

1. Nots – We Are Nots
2. Angel Olsen – Burn Your Fire For No Witness
3. Swans – To Be Kind
4. Mac DeMarco – Salad Days
5. Pallbearer – Foundations Of Burden

Daniel White

1. The War On Drugs – Lost In The Dream
2. The Hotelier – Home, Like Noplace is There
3. Real Estate – Atlas
4. The Mary Onettes – Portico
5. Caribou – Our Love

We will unveil our Top 5 Albums Of The Year later today, so stay tuned!

Marilyn Drew Necci

Marilyn Drew Necci

Former GayRVA editor-in-chief, RVA Magazine editor for print and web. Anxiety expert, proud trans woman, happily married.




more in music

Adam Scott and GWAR: Merging Time and Music in Photo

We are back to Waynesboro, Virginia to catch up with photographer Adam Scott on his latest project. Adam has been superimposing vintage GWAR photos onto their modern-day locations in Richmond highlighting the city's evolution, or de-evolution, depending on your...

Illiterate Light, PBGRenegade w/ Téy Renae & 4la7la: Sound Check

I'm keeping it local this week, because once again the local talent here is just so powerful and concentrated in Richmond that I can't help but talk about every artist at length. On this week's SOUND CHECK, you might actually be able to get tickets to an Illiterate...

Congrats 821 Cafe! A Favorite Richmond Hang Out Turns Twenty

821 Cafe, the unassuming diner/restaurant/bar on the corner of Cherry and Cary streets - where Oregon Hill and the Fan meet - turns 20 years old in its current incarnation. Andrew Clarke and Chip Cooke bought the place from its previous owners back in 2004, and have...

The Motet, Low Phase & Erin & The Wildfire: Sound Check

I know you're itching to get back outside as much as I am, but while the rain clears up we'll have to wait just a little while longer. We're almost in festival season where outside concerts seemingly never end, with sunshine and tunes galore. Until then, we've got an...

Chandler Has Gone Viral, Again

When your friend from far away Portugal hits you up with a message like, "Have you seen this? Do you know this guy? He's from Richmond and he is all over TikTok!" you can't help but check it out. And when you discover it's Chandler Matkins, it's almost a given—of...

The Descendents & Circle Jerks Show is Sold Out…

It’s 1978 and Los Angeles is mic-checking and clearing its throat before unleashing its answer to New York City and London punk rock. It’s about to birth two of the most influential punk bands of all time. Descendents and Circle Jerks, titans of the sun-drenched and...

King Kaiju, Lockedinkee & Nickelus F: Yo! Hip Hop RVA

Hey y’all! I know it’s been a few months since my last YO! HIP HOP RVA write-up, but the hiatus was necessary because wedding planning was consuming my life. As of a few weeks ago, I’m off the market! Now, without further ado… this week’s edition of YO! HIP HOP RVA...