Here is a closer look at what made up our top 10 albums of 2014 and the staffers who contributed.
KJHK is home to DJs and staff members with varying tastes. It is what makes 90.7 what it is. Below is each individual top list that contributed to KJHK’s overall top 10 list.
Emilie Stafford – Music Director, DJ, Senior studying Marketing from Hutchinson, KS.
1. Salad Days – Mac DeMarco
2. They Want My Soul – Spoon
3. Atlas – Real Estate
4. Manipulator – Ty Segall
5. Nikki Nack – tUnE-yArDs
6. Donovan Blanc – Donovan Blanc
7. Our Love – Caribou
8. Mr. Noah EP – Panda Bear
9. …And Star Power – Foxygen
10. Sun Structures – Temples
“I was lucky enough to see my top 3 albums in concert. I think that greatly contributed to my decision. Seeing a new album live really shows just how great it is.”
Rachel Bennett – Assistant Music Director, DJ, Sophomore studying Film from Basehor, KS.
1. Here and Nowhere Else – Cloud Nothings
2. DSU – Alex G
3. Warpaint – Warpaint
4. Alvvays – Alvvays
5. Drop – Thee Oh Sees
6. Salad Days – Mac DeMarco
7. Never Hungover Again – Joyce Manner
8. Wig Out at Jagbags – Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks
9. Atlas – Real Estate
10. Eons – Mimicking Birds
Jake Waters – Programming Director, Senior studying Film from Hutchinson, KS.
1. Sun Kil Moon – Benji
2. Here and Nowhere Else – Cloud Nothings
3. DSU – Alex G
4. Atlas – Real Estate
5. It’s Album Time – Todd Terjfe
6. Salad Days – Mac DeMarco
7. Never Hungover Again – Joyce Manner
8. Singles – Future Islands
9. Tied to a Star – J. Mascis
10. St. Vincent – St. Vincent
Matt Primovic – Station Manager, Graduate Student studying Architecture from Overland Park, KS.
1. You’re Dead! – Flying Lotus
2. Nikki Nack – tUnE-yArDs
3. Salad Days – Mac DeMarco
4. They Want My Soul – Spoon
5. LP1 – FKA Twigs
6. St. Vincent – St. Vincent
7. In Conflict – Owen Pallett
8. Our Love – Caribou
9. Mr. Noah EP – Panda Bear
10. SYRO – Aphex Twin
“This is the best list of our brief time, as related to new music released in the year 2014.”
Mitch Raznick – Live Music Director, DJ, Senior studying News & Information and Film Studies from Omaha, NE.
1. Built on Glass – Chet Faker
2. SYRO – Aphex Twin
3. Sway – Whirr
4. Their Bodies in the Fog – Arrange
5. No More EP – Shlohomo & Jeremih
6. What Is This Heart? – How to Dress Well
7. LP1 – FKA Twigs
8. Frozen Throne – Groundislava
9. Dead – Young Fathers
10. Pinata – Freddie Gibbs & Madlib
“I have a list of about 30 favorite albums of the year, so it was tough to narrow it down. Also, Hiatus Kaiyote is about to put out a new EP on December 2nd, so this top 10 list is subject to change. Finally, these albums are not in any specific order – it was way too difficult to order them from favorite to least favorite or something like that.”
Jerod Barker – Production Director, DJ, Senior studying Illustration from Silver Lake, KS.
1. No Magic – No Magic
2. Picture You Staring – Tops
3. Lost in the Dream – The War On Drugs
4. Shriek – Wye Oak
5. March On Washington – Diamond District
6. Wave 1 – Com Truise
7. So It Goes – Ratking
8. Brill Bruisers – The New Pornographers
9. Fortuna – Popstrangers
10. Dance Flora – Party Gardens
“Though I love Spoon, TV On The Radio, Flying Lotus and SBTRKT, I simply need more time with them before I can whole-heartedly list them in my top 10.”
John McCain – IT Director, DJ, Sophomore studying Computer Science from Lawrence, KS.
1. LP1 – FKA Twigs
2. To Be Kind – Swans
3. Burn Your Fire For No Witness – Angel Olsen
4. Say Yes To Love – Perfect Pussy
5. Here and Nowhere Else – Cloud Nothings
6. Adult Jazz – Gist Is
7. Plowing Into the Field of Love – Iceage
8. Eagulls – Eagulls
9. Home, Like No Place Is There – The Hotelier
10. Easy Pain – Young Widows
DJ Uncle Jesse – Multimedia Director, Producer of Live @ KJHK, Junior studying Film and Media Studies from Hutchinson, KS.
1. Everyday Robots – Damon Albarn
2. Alvvays – Alvvays
3. Best Day – Thurston Moore
4. Salad Days – Mac DeMarco
5. Kin – Pat Matheny Unity Group
6. El Pintor – Interpol
7. Atlas – Real Estate
8. …And Star Power – Foxygen
9. They Want My Soul – Spoon
10. Drop – Thee Oh Sees
“I love all of these albums.”
Tim Cornell – Online Sports Director, Sophomore studying Journalism & Film from Riverside, CA.
1. …and then you shoot your cousin – The Roots
2. Everyday Robots – Damon Albarn
3. Lost in the Dream – The War On Drugs
4. El Pintor – Interpol
5. Pinata – Freddie Gibbs & Madlib
6. Salad Days – Mac DeMarco
7. Acoustic at the Ryman (Live) – Band of Horses
8. Run the Jewels 2 – Run the Jewels
9. They Want My Soul – Spoon
10. St. Vincent – St. Vincent
Dustin Wolfe – Live Music SUA Coordinator, DJ, Senior studying Strategic Communications and Global and International Studies from Sealy, TX.
1.Worlds – Porter Robinson
2. How to Run Away – Slow Magic
3. Atlas – Real Estate
4. Lost Loves – Minus the Bear
5. Sylvan Esso – Sylvan Esso
6. Goddess – Banks
7. Settle -Disclosure
8. Z – SZA
9. Void – RL Grime
10. Awake – Tycho
“It would be impossible to put these albums in any order, but theses were by far my favorite alternative albums of 2014! THE SOUND ALTERNATIVE.”
Vince Meserko – Host of Hickory Wind, The Jookhouse and Music Staff, Graduate student studying Communication Studies from Overland Park, KS.
1. If the Roses Don’t Kill Us – Christopher Denny
2. Tomorrow’s Hits – The Men
3. Give the People What They Want! – Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
4. Cold World – Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens
5. Burn Your Fire For No Witness – Angel Olsen
6. The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas – Courtney Barnett
7. Madman – Sean Rowe
8. Accumulator – Greyhounds
9. With Light and With Love – Woods
10. Favorite Waitress – The Felice Brothers
“Go listen to the Christopher Denny record.”
Doug Bybee – DJ and Music Staff, Sophomore studying Journalism from Pleasant Hill, MO.
1. Mac DeMarco – Salad Days
2. Future Islands – Singles
3. Ariel Pink – Pom Pom
4. Aphex Twin – Syro
5. Wye Oak – Shriek
6. Parquet Courts – Sunbathing Animal
7. Tobacco – Ultima II Massage
8. Caribou – Our Love
9. Mr Twin Sister – Mr Twin Sister
10. Sunny Day In Glasgow – Sea When Absent
“2014 was a year that a lot of acts became decidedly more electronic and incorporated thicker productions in their sound, and I think a lot of these albums reflect that. It seems pretty perfectly summed up by the fact that we saw a new Aphex Twin album.”
Ethan Graham – DJ, Music Staff and Multimedia Staff, Senior studying Creative Writing and Classical Languages from Linn Valley, KS.
1. Question Bedtime by MC Frontalot
2. Life As A Dog by K. Flay
3. Malibu Shark Attack by Malibu Shark Attack
4. Foreverrr by MC Chris
5. Grown Up by Beefy
6. Last Gen by Dr. Awkward
7.Dimetradon by The Doubleclicks
8. The Snuggle Is Real by Mikal Khill
9. Mandatory Fun by Weird Al
10. All You Can Do by Watsky
“The majority of this list is Nerdcore Hip-Hop. So there’s that.”
Alexis Peterson – DJ, Senior studying Strategic Communications from Topeka,KS
1. Cruel Runnings– Miniature Tigers
2. White Women– Chromeo
3. Strange Desire– Bleachers
4. Lazaretto– Jack White
5. Nikki Nack– tUnE-yArDs
6. Be Impressive – The Griswolds
7. Built On Glass – Chet Faker
8. Morning Phase– Beck
9. Tyranny– Julian Casablancas + The Voidz
10. Wonder Where We Land – SBTRKT
Quinlan Carttar – DJ, Freshman studying Spanish from Lawrence, KS
1. St. Vincent, St. Vincent
2. Supermodel, Foster the People
3. Morning Phase, Beck
4. Mind Over Matter, Young the Giant
5. Lazaretto, Jack White
6. This Is All Yours, alt-J
7. Atlas, Real Estate
8. Lost in the Dream, The War On Drugs
9. Hold My Home, Cold War Kids
10. They Want My Soul, Spoon
“I had to double-check whether Evil Friends by Portugal. The Man had been released earlier this year, but I was disappointed to find that it came out June of 2013. Otherwise that album would have topped my list without a doubt.”
Tyler Daniels – DJ, Live Music Staff and Music Staff, Sophomore studying Marketing from Hutchinson, KS.
1. Electroshock Death Grip by Black Taxi
2. Cruel Runnings by Miniature Tigers
3. This Is All Yours by Alt-J
4. Oh, What A Life by American Authors
5. Zaba by Glass Animals
6. Lazaretto by Jack White
7. Shadow of Whales by Shadow of Whales
8. They Want My Soul by Spoon
9. Tyranny by Julian Casablancas + The Voidz
10. Education, Education, Education & War by Kaiser Chiefs
“This list is comprised of the albums that I spent the most time listening to this year, not which albums had the best sells or chart rankings. No genre was excluded and no points were awarded for “indie status”. The further up the rankings an album is, the more time it spent in my car stereo and blasting out of my bedroom’s speakers. This was a great year for music and this list is just a small sample of the albums that my ears had the pleasure of listening to over and over and over and over again.”
Cody Boston – Multimedia Producer, Junior studying Film and Media Studies from Shawnee, KS
1. Salad Days-Mac DeMarco
2. Wonder Where We Land-SBRTK
3. You’re Dead-Flying Lotus
4. III-Badbadnotgood
5. Kauai– Childish Gambino
6. Tangerine Sky– Blackbird Blackbird
7. Nabuma Rubberband– Little Dragon
8. Surf-Chance the Rapper
9. Oxymoron-Schoolboy Q
10. Z-SZA
Andrew Zeserman – Music Staff, Freshman studying Film from West Orange, NJ.
1. Salad Days by Mac Demarco
2. The Cautionary Tales of Mark Oliver Everett by The Eels
3. Pom Pom by Ariel Pink
4. Everything Will Be Alright In The End by Weezer
5. Indie Cindy by The Pixies
6. Turn Blue by The Black Keys
7. Hesitant Alien by Gerard Way
8. Morning Phase by Beck
9. St. Vincent by St. Vincent
10. Ryan Adams by Ryan Adams
Anna Meyer – Music Staff, Freshman studying Journalism & Strategic Communications from Minneapolis, MN.
1. The Double EP: A sea of split Peas by Courtney Barnett
2. Salad Days by Mac DeMarco
3. Crush Songs by Karen O
4. 1000 Forms of Fear by Sia
5. Atlas by Real Estate
6. Beyonce by Beyonce
7. After the Disco by Broken Bells
8. Things Are Really Great Here, Sort Of… by Andrew Bird
9. This Is all Yours by alt-j
10. …And Star Power by Foxygen
Andy Miller – DJ and Music Staff, Senior studying Behavioral Neuroscience from Kansas City, MO.
1. FKA Twigs – LP1
2. Freddie Gibbs and Madlib – Pinata
3. Flying Lotus – You’re Dead
4. Future Islands – Singles
5.Lana Del Rey – Ultraviolence
6. Run the Jewels – RTJ2
7. Mac DeMarco – Salad Days
8. St. Vincent – St. Vincent
9. Arca – Xen
10. ILoveMakonnen – ILoveMakonnen
“Honorable Mentions: Lykee Li – I Never Learn, Real Estate – Atlas, Schoolboy Q – Oxymoron, Isaiah Rashad – Cilvia Demo”
Jamie Stone – Live Music Committee, Freshman studying Strategic Communications from Los Angeles, CA.
1. Talking is Hard -Walk the Moon
2. 1989– Taylor Swift
3. Mind Over Matter– Young the Giant
4. Supermodel- Foster the People
5. Pop Psychology– Neon Trees
6. The Rockville LP– O.A.R.
7. Everything Will Be Alright in the End– Weezer
8. Listen– The Kooks
9. V– Maroon 5
10. This is all Yours– Alt-J
Connor Janzen – Host of Malicious Intent, Senior studying Architecture from Hutchinson, KS.
1. The Flesh Prevails by Fallujah
2. Promulgation of the Fall by Dead Congregation
3. Dark Space III I by Darkspace
4. Language by The Contortionist
5. Aura by Saor
6. A Never-Ending Cycle of Atonement by Inanimate Existence
7. Grand Morbid Funeral by Bloodbath
8. Sun Eater by Job for a Cowboy
9. The Lucid Collective by Archspire
10.Immortal by Alterbeast
“It was a year filled with some really incredible metal releases and narrowing it down to a mere 10 was immensely difficult. In a range of death metal, black metal and progressive metal the turnout was incredibly strong. I would recommend any one of these albums to someone looking for an incredibly fulfilling listening experience and it’s clear that 2015 has quite a lot to live up to!”
Max Vandyke – DJ, News Staff, Freshman studying Religious Studies from Saint Paul, MN.
1. Weird Kids by We Are The In Crowd
2. Hold On Pain Ends by The Color Morale
3. The Predator Becomes the Prey by Ice Nine Kills
4. My Everything by Ariana Grande
5. Let The Ocean Take Me by The Amit Affliction
6. The Resistance: Rise of the Runaways by Crown The Empire
7. World On Fire by Slash
8. Black Veil Brides IV by Black Veil Brides
9. Issues by Issues
10. Punk Goes Pop Vol. 5 by Various Artists
Rachel Benefiel – DJ, Production Staff, Sophomore studying American Studies, Sociology and Film & Media Studies from Lawrence, KS.
1. FKA twigs – LP1
2. Alvvays – Alvvays
3. Gil Scott-Heron – The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (Reissue)
4. Chromeo – White Women
5. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings – Give the People What They Want
6. Tokyo Police Club – Forcefield
7. The Twilight Sad – Nobody Wants to Be Here and Nobody Wants to Leave
8. Wild Beasts – Present Tense
9. Karen O – Crush Songs
10. J Mascis – Tied to a Star
Paige Batson – DJ, Music Staff, Undecided from Wichita, KS
1. Rome Fortune – Small VVorld
2. Schoolboy Q – Oxymoron
3. War On Drugs – Lost In the Dream
4. Ty Segall – Manipulator
5. St. Vincent –St. Vincent
6. Flying Lotus – You’re Dead
7. Sylvan Esso – Sylvan Esso
8. Ariel Pink – Pom Pom
9. Mac DeMarco – Salad Days
10. Chet Faker – Built on Glass
“2014 has been an amazing and groundbreaking year for music. Choosing only 10 albums was incredibly difficult along with having to pick an order. I stand strongly by all 10 of these albums, there’s a little taste of different genres but they’re all equally mind blowing. If you have free time I recommend you check out any and all of my top 10. ”
Colin Smith – DJ, Music Staff, Freshman studying Marketing from La Grange, IL.
1. After the Disco by Broken Bells
2. Disgraceland by The Orwells
3. This Is All Yours by Alt-J
4. Salad Days by Mac Demarco
5. They Want My Soul by Spoon
6.Benjamin Booker by Benjamin Booker
7. Lost in the Dream by The War On Drugs
8. Here and Nowhere Else by Cloud Nothings
9. Half the City by St. Paul & The Broken Bones
10. Seeds by TV on the Radio
“The Orwells are dope. My list is beyond hunky-dory, at least I think it is. Truthfully, this list took countless hours–actually an embarrassing amount, ballpark probably 6 or 7 hours–reflecting on this year and going back and listening to albums again. There are lots of #11’s and #12’s. And, I’m not perfect, but this is an opinion piece so here ya go. *Cliché thing* Oh and KJHK rules. P.S. TV on the Radio got the nod because they’ve been running my iPod even before the nano days.”
Harrison Hipp – DJ and Music Staff, Junior studying Journalism from Olathe, KS.
1. Freddie Gibbs and Madlib – Pinata
2. Run The Jewels – Run The Jewels 2
3. Caribou – Our Love
4. Aphex Twin – Syro
5. Mac DeMarco – Salad Days
6. Mike Dillon – Band Of Outsiders
7. Flying Lotus – You’re Dead!
8. Ty Segall – Manipulator
9. Spoon – They Want My Soul
10. Wye Oak – Shriek
Allison McFall – DJ and Music Staff, Junior studying Social Welfare from Lawrence, KS
1. Courtney Barnett – Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas
2.Karen O – Crush Songs
3. TOPS – Picture You Staring
4. Angel Olsen – Burn Your Fire For No Witness
5. The War On Drugs – Lost in the Dream
6. Sharon Van Etten – Are We There
7. White Fence – For The Recently Found Innocent
8. Foxygen – …And Star Power
9. FKA Twigs – LP1
10. Ty Segall – Manipulator
Pat Mcquillan – DJ, Live Music Committee, Junior studying Strategic Communications from St. Paul, MN.
1. Run the Jewels: Run the Jewels 2
2. The War on Drugs: Lost in the Dream
3. Sylvan Esso: Sylvan Esso
4. SZA: Z
5. Childish Gambino: Because the Internet
6. Lana Del Ray: Ultraviolence
7. Atmosphere: Southsiders
8. St. Vincent: St. Vincent
9. Schoolboy Q: Oxymoron
10. Phantogram: Voices