Remember: “Year End Best of Lists” are nothing more than the rundown of one single critic’s solitary taste. There’s all sorts of great music boiling to the surface year after year. All music deserves a listen – despite what critics recommend.
That said, here’s how I queued my playlist.
BEST LOCAL SHOW
1) Centro-matic, Parish, Dec. 18
2) Tweedy, Texas Ballroom, June 21
3) Margaret Moser’s Retirement Party, The Continental Club, May 4
4) Alejandro Escovedo’s United Sounds of Austin, ACL Live, Jan. 11
BEST INTERNATIONAL DO GOOD ALBUM
Tarka Cordell & Friends, Life (Room 609 Records)
BEST NATIONAL RELEASE
Tweedy, Sukierae (dBPM)
BEST NATIONAL SINGLE
1) War on Drugs, “Red Eyes,” Lost in the Dream (Secretly Canadian)
2) Ruby Friedman, “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive” (Pulchrum)
BEST NATIONAL SINGER-SONGWRITER
Matthew Ryan, Boxers (Matthew Ryan)
BEST ALT-FOLK
Easton Stagger Phillips, Resolution Road (Easton Stagger Phillips)
HONORABLE MENTION
1) John Fullbright, Songs (Blue Dirt Records)
2) Centro-matic, Take Pride in Your Long Odds (Navigational Transmissions)
3) Mike Castle, Everything Gold (Michael Lojkutz)
4) Chuck Prophet, Night Surfer (Yep Rock)
5) Maggie Rogers, Blood Ballet (Maggie Rogers)
6) The Belle Sounds, Black Stone (The Belle Sounds)
BEST DEBUT
1) Benjamin Booker, Benjamin Booker (ATO)
2) Curtis McMurtry, Respectable Enemy
3) Amy Sue Berlin, Fragile Bones
4) Mike McCoy, The Death Bus (Suchawussy)
BEST CAREER RETROSPECTIVE
Jon Dee Graham, Do Not Forget (Freedom)
BEST LOCAL DUO
The Mastersons, Good Luck Charm (New West Records)
BEST LOCAL SINGER-SONGWRITER
J. Wagner, The Runaway Kid (J. Wagner)
This article appears in December 26 • 2014.