Another year is in the books, and we here at Hush Comics couldn’t pass at the chance to rank our favorites of this year’s releases in all types of mediums. Some of the winners will surprise you; heck, some of the results surprised us. The results are completely subjective, and therefore were chosen with infallible logic. We would love to hear your opinions on what we have chosen, or if you thought we missed anything. This should be a fun review before we gear up for 2015.
Click on the link to take you to the “Best of 2014” homepage.
Another year is in the books, and we here at Hush Comics couldn’t pass at the chance to rank our favorites of this year’s releases in all types of mediums. Some of the winners will surprise you; heck, some of the results surprised us. The results are completely subjective, and therefore were chosen with infallible logic. We would love to hear your opinions on what we have chosen, or if you thought we missed anything. This should be a fun review before we gear up for 2015.
Click on the link to take you to the “Best of 2014” homepage.
Album of the Year
Childish Gambino’s Stone Mountain/Kauai
Kiesza’s Sound of a Woman
Pharoahe Monch’s P.T.S.D.
The Root’s …And Then You Shoot Your Cousin
Sam Smith’s In the Lonely Hour
WINNER – Pharoahe Monch: P.T.S.D.
If you’ve been following Hush Comics’ “Diggin’ Through the Crates” articles, then there is no surprise when I tell you that we are BIG fans of this man. Forget for a moment that he frequents our site for his comic book wisdom, Pharoahe Monch is is the most powerful poet of this generation. His latest record, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, is a compilation that touches on ground-level socio-political issues like drug addiction (“Broken Again” and gun violence “Damage,” but also exudes excellence through bravado on “Bad M.F.” There is not a rapper alive that can touch Pharoahe lyrically, and P.T.S.D. is just a friendly reminder. – Sherif
Second Place – Childish Gambino: STNMTN-Kauai
Yes everybody, Childish Gambino is still weird, but we love him for it. Being a fan of both Camp and because the internet, I was quite excited to hear this combo album-ish mixtape… thingy. I don’t know exactly what Gambino hopes or desires from his craft, but STNMTN-Kauai was a pleasant mix of his first two albums. Yes, it was filled with melodies and soothing sounds, but it was also filled with genuine rap lyrics. Is Gambino finding a happy medium, or will the experiments continue? STNMTN had me grooving and bumping my shoulders side to side, and Kauai made my heart full believing I was getting a small glimpse into Gambino’s thoughts and feelings. There was also a genius to the album’s marketing when he released STNMTN for free, and Kauai as a cheap EP on iTunes. No matter what side of the album I was listening to, one thing was clear, this music made me feel good, even the weird tracks with Jaden Smith. – Evan
Third Place – The Roots: …And Then You Shoot Your Cousin
Since joining Jimmy Fallon, the Legendary Roots Crew has been relatively quiet on the music scene. After an odd collaboration album with Elvis Costello in 2013, The Roots continued their departure from their signature Hip-Hop sound with a concept album called …And Then You Shoot Your Cousin. In this album, all bets are off, and it’s likely you won’t even recognize these as the same Roots that you grew up with. To me, that is the allure of &TYSYC. Clocking in less than 35 minutes in total length, the album is best treated much better as a continuous experience (much like Childish Gambino’s because the internet was last year) than a full-length Hip-Hop album. Even if The Roots’ play is limited to xylophone remixes of pop songs on the Tonight Show, And Then You Shoot Your Cousin is proof that they still reign supreme as artists. – Sherif
RUNNER UP – Sam Smith: In the Lonely Hour
Are you a sad, lonely man? Do you wish there was an artist and an album out there that spoke upon your problems? Are you ready to feel all the feelings? Of course you are! Well, in that case, Sam Smith’s new album, In the Lonely Hour, is perfect for you and your emotions. Lots of albums come out every year, some of them are decent, many of them suck, and very few of them are ones to remember. Sam Smith is one of those albums to remember. Throughout all 16 tracks, I never felt like skipping any of the song, not once. Probably one of the things I appreciated most about this album was how it felt real. It felt like the truth and Sam Smith genuinely was expressing his thoughts and feelings. A lot of new artist try to make a huge statement upon their arrival by creating a crazy club hit with lots of sounds and intense lyrics. However, his breakout hit “Stay with Me,” was not flashy in the least bit. It was not over the top or extravagant. It was simply Sam Smith. – Evan
RUNNER UP – Kiesza: Sound of A Woman
Mix 90’s House with Hip-Hop and you get this amazing album. The music video for her first single, “Hideaway,” has been out for a few months now, but her song is just now starting to hit the radio (at least on our state’s stations) . Listening to this album brought me back to all the good things I remember about the music of the 90’s and you can tell how heavily she was influenced by it; from En Vogue to Haddaway, she has a little something for everyone. I never actually realized I didn’t know the words to “What is Love” until I listened to her cover for it. My experience from it was solely form Night at the Roxbury and the morning announcements at our high school. The greatest song on this album is definitely “Piano” and everyone reading this should listen to that song if they were only going to pick one try out. – Robert
Another year is in the books, and we here at Hush Comics couldn’t pass at the chance to rank our favorites of this year’s releases in all types of mediums. Some of the winners will surprise you; heck, some of the results surprised us. The results are completely subjective, and therefore were chosen with infallible logic. We would love to hear your opinions on what we have chosen, or if you thought we missed anything. This should be a fun review before we gear up for 2015.
Click on the link to take you to the “Best of 2014” homepage.
Best New Artist
Charli XCX
Jhene Aiko
Kiesza
Sam Smith
Sia
WINNER – Sam Smith
SAM SMITH IS MY SPIRIT ANIMAL!!! After initially hearing Sam Smith for the first time with his breakout hit, “Stay With Me,” I had several thoughts. Who is this sad, sad man? How come I haven’t listened to this song 100 times by now? And, why am I crying in the shower with all my clothes on? Sam Smith brings something to the table other artists do not. Although it is more than common to sing of love, loss, and heartbreak, Sam Smith does it in the clearest most honest way I’ve heard in a long time. When hearing him sing, I don’t think to myself, “these are celebrity famous people problems,” rather these are the problems of the common man. Sam Smith brings a voice and a melody to those individuals facing the same problems, yet have no idea how to articulate it. 2014 was a little more enjoyable due to Sam Smith, let’s hope he 2015 comes with the same shine. – Evan
Second Place – Jhene Aiko
This soulful songstress first made her way into my aural cavities was on Childish Gambino’s “Pretty Toes” last year. I instantly fell in love with her voice. R&B is a barren wasteland these days. I mean sure, you have your Frank Oceans and your Janelle Monaes, but Jhene Aiko is reminiscent of when R&B was just… sexy. Though her voice is unique, I am instantly reminded of a softer version of Cassie and Amerie. Just ten years ago, a style like that was a dime a dozen, but now it is a breath of fresh air on these tired ears. – Sherif
Third Place – Kiesza
Let’s face it, guys, aside from a slew of respectable one-hit wonders, 2014 has been a pretty crappy year for new music. As I went through and listed by favorite songs of the year, I came across the music video for Kiesza’s (I’m still unsure how to pronounce the name) “Hideaway,” and I was blown away. Further into the YouTube rabbit hole we go, I found a magical journey of continual aural pleasure. This album will take you back to the early 90’s, where house music and rhythmic dance reigned supreme. It’s rare to see an artist who looks like they enjoy what they do as much as I enjoy listening it, and I hope we get to enjoy her for years more to come. Fun Fact: Kiesza has a cover of Hozier’s “Take Me To Church” that is pretty darn great. – Sherif
RUNNER UP – Sia
It wasn’t until stood in our dining room with a 30 lb light fixture in my hands that I really appreciated Sia. As I struggled to match the pitch of “Chandelier,” or as I was wailing, “Shan-de-leh-heeeeeer,” I realized what a talented singer she was. Now, calling her a “new” artist is nothing short of a lie; the Aussie singer has been around for over a decade, morphing her style from a jazzy R&B to the popular sound that has made her an international sensation. – Sherif
RUNNER UP – Charli XCX
Charli XCX is just plain fun! I listen to “Boom Clap” nearly every morning on my way to class and that British accent is to die for. Charli XCX makes me want to dance around my room all day and the fact that she’s only two years older than I am (she’s 22) is pretty damn impressive. With an early Madonna feel mixed with her own spooky, modern jam tone, Charli XCX’s name started to get big with her feature on Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy.” She really blew up when she lent her song “Boom Clap” to The Fault in Our Stars‘ Soundtrack. “Boom Clap” is a fan favorite for Fault Fanatics and Nerdfighters worldwide. Released as the album’s first single, it peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and also charted as number 6 on the UK Singles Chart. One thing that I found particularly interesting about Charli XCX is that she has synesthesia, meaning that she sees music in different colors. “I love music that’s black, pink, purple or red – but I hate music that’s green, yellow or brown.” Whatever color her music is, I absolutely love it. – Charlotte
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