Best Rock Album of 2014

Jack White... His association with Third Man records.. I appreciate his dedication to vinyl.

The problem is the "end product". The sonics are not good!

I'll not buy another lp on TMR until I hear the sonics have improved!

Conor Oberst- Upside Down Mountain
Eels- The Cautionary Tales of Mark Oliver Everett

In previous incarnations Oberst has been all over the place-- sometime as painfully so for his audience as for himself. But on this one he is in top form with alt country leaning into rock. He's now at the intersection of Rosanne, Lucinda, Son Volt, Wilco, Neil, and occasionally George Harrison.

The new Eels album is better than his last few. I saw them live a couple of weeks ago from the fourth row in a half-empty house. This is as fine a working band as there is, full of shaded truths tempered with gentle irony.

Jack White is good, but more blues fan-boy than aging baby genius.

The new Lana Del Rey album, Ultraviolence, is just breathtaking. This girl can sing!

Neal

Dgarretson: Let's admit it, as far as sonics and quality of output, JW has slipped. His association with 3rd Man records, while admirable is (sonically) a disaster.

I'm really enjoying the new Antler's album called Familiars!!!