The Soundtrack Of My Life's Top 25 Albums Of 2014

25. Kylie Minogue - Kiss Me Once

24. Neon Trees - Pop Psychology

23. Haunted Hearts - Initiation
22. Paloma Faith - A Perfect Contradiction

21. Spoon - They Want My Soul
20. 2NE1 - Crush

19. Beck - Morning Phase

18. Röyksopp & Robyn - Do It Again

17. The Drums - Encyclopedia

16. Dum Dum Girls - Too True

15. Kiesza - Sound Of A Woman

14. RAC - Strangers

13. Taylor Swift - 1989

12. Lykke Li - I Never Learn

11. Bleachers - Strange Desire

10. Betty Who - Take Me When You Go

9. Lana Del Rey - Ultraviolence

8. Karen O - Crush Songs 

7. Trust - Joyland

 

6. La Roux - Trouble In Paradise

5. Imogen Heap - Sparks

4. Banks - Goddess

3. St. Vincent - St. Vincent

2. Tori Amos - Unrepentant Geraldines

1. Beyoncé - Beyoncé

Is Lana Del Rey's "Black Beauty" Demo Better Than The Album Version?

If you've heard the deluxe edition of Lana Del Rey's Ultraviolence, then you'll notice that the first bonus track is "Black Beauty", a song that leaked last year in the form of a demo.  There's always that age-old debate between preferences towards the demo version and the album version of a song, and "Black Beauty" is an interesting case.

It's pretty much the same song in both forms when it comes to the lyrics, but everything else has completely changed.  The demo featured minimal production and was a tragically beautiful song in every way possible.  As far demos go, "Black Beauty" is fantastic.

The album version keeps the low-key intro, but switches things up once the first chorus hits.  The album version was actually produced by Paul Epworth and sounds like a piece of Ultraviolence, which serves the record better in terms of continuity.  It's grand and triumphant, which replaces the original atmosphere a bit.

So here's the deal, which version do you prefer?  Does the "less is more" demo feel more personal or do you prefer the fully produced album version?  You can pick up a copy of the album, featuring "Black Beauty", here.

Lana Del Rey - West Coast

Lana Del Rey has revealed the lead single off of her upcoming Ultraviolence album and it's actually pretty surprising.  It's a decent change from her usual semi-throwback sound.  Her signature beats and strings formula has shifted to a less flashy production style and we have Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys to thank (or blame?) for that.  The vocals have less polish and there's a startling change of pace as the chorus begins.  I'm on the fence about the production, mostly due to the really loud theremin sound during the final chorus.  Aside from those small complaints, I kind of adore "West Coast".  We get to see a new side of Lana and I'm anticipating the full record more than ever before.

Ultraviolence is due this year on Interscope, possibly even next month according to reports.  You can download "West Coast" here.

Lana Del Rey - Once Upon A Dream

 

Lana Del Rey is slowly becoming a master of cinematic music.  Last year's "Young And Beautiful" was probably featured in about half of The Great Gatsby's significant scenes, or at least it felt that way, and now Lana is singing the theme song to Disney's dark fairy tale story Maleficent.  According to the internet, Angelina Jolie specifically chose her to sing the Sleeping Beauty classic, "Once Upon A Dream".  It's dark, dreary, and extra Lana-y.  The new trailer featuring the song premiered during the Grammys and it managed to get me interested in the film, so I think it's working.

"Once Upon A Dream" is available to download for free on Google Play or you can watch the trailer below.  Maleficent is in theatres on May 30.

Best Albums Of 2012: #10 - 1

Here's part two and the conclusion to The Soundtrack Of My Life's "Best Albums Of 2012" list.  The top ten includes more than one album cover featuring an alarming amount of pink.  Three of the albums are debut records for the artist.  Most importantly, they're all spectacular.  Let's get started...

10. Dum Dum Girls - End Of Daze

End Of Daze is the only EP on this list.  It contains a mere five songs and one of them is a Strawberry Switchblade cover.  Three of the tracks were originally meant to be released as b-sides during the promotion of the band's last album, Only In Dreams.  It's somewhat of a miracle that this EP became the wonder that it is.  I would have never guessed that something so scattered, and really made up of obscurities mixed with stray ideas, could be so captivating.

9. Alicia Keys - Girl On Fire

I jumped on the Alicia Keys bandwagon when she released As I Am.  "No One" was blowing up on the radio and the record was a release day purchase for me.  I backtracked from there and discovered The Diary Of Alicia Keys, which would serve as a massive influence towards my own musical creations and use of keyboards.  However, Alicia's formula became somewhat stale over the years.  The Element Of Freedom came out in 2009 and, even though that album holds some stellar singles, I found myself skipping over a decent amount of the tracks.  On that note, Girl On Fire has completely reinvigorated my adoration for Alicia Keys.  There's absolutely zero filler on this record and Alicia is taking chances with new production methods.  She also collaborated with fresh faces such as Jamie xx, Gary Clark Jr., Emeli Sandé, and Frank Ocean.  Girl On Fire is an album that deserves to be ranked among the best of her work.

8. Diamond Rings - Free Dimensional

Special Affections, Diamond Rings' debut album, was the result of an extended stay in a hospital.  The bedroom pop aspect and flamboyant image of Diamond Rings contrasted so violently with John O'Regan's voice that it was brilliant.  A sound setting of innocent keyboards and beats that rang the call of Casio was an unlikely pairing for such insightful lyrics.  Pop music can disguise the most provoking ideas.  For his second album, Diamond Rings went glam.  The production level has been doubled over and there's more of a superstar persona to his ways.  The Klaus Nomi outfit and rap bridges complete this package.

7. Neon Trees - Picture Show

I had the opportunity to witness a Neon Trees concert last summer and it was a truly amazing experience.  Meeting some of the band only made it even better, but that's a story for another day.  Picture Show took the alternative pop sound of their debut and added a new wave twist.  They swayed away from the standard pop song structure, although "Everybody Talks" is radio tailored, and expanded to unfamiliar territory.  "Teenage Sounds" is Billy Idol and "Mad Love" is a bit of Bruce Springsteen.  Some of my favorites from the bunch are the mellow tracks like "Close To You" and "Take Me For A Ride".

6. Sleigh Bells - Reign Of Terror

I still like to bring out Treats and blast in over the speakers every once in a while.  That record will forever hold many unforgettable memories.  Reign Of Terror was definitely a change of direction for the duo.  It took the band away from the wordless sing-along melodies and towards a guitar focused mashup of pop vocals and 80's stadium rock.  Luckily, they managed to keep that Sleigh Bells attitude.  The Reign Of Terror vinyl presentation is also one of the most impressive packages I acquired in 2012.  True. Shred. Guitar,

5. Divine Fits - A Thing Called Divine Fits

Let's face it, supergroups and collaborations between established musicians can be disappointing.  Metallica and Lou Reed is the only example necessary.  In contrast to that fact, Divine Fits created the best "supergroup" album in recent memory.  Britt Daniel of Spoon, Dan Boeckner of Handsome Furs and Wolf Parade, Sam Brown of New Bomb Turks, and Alex Fischel are responsible for this masterpiece.  A Thing Called Divine Fits is the perfect blend of a new project and the sounds of those associated bands.  But honestly, is Britt Daniel even capable of creating anything less than amazing?

4. Porcelain Raft - Strange Weekend

I became obsessed with Porcelain Raft in late 2011 after stumbling upon a few scattered singles and mismatched EP's.  The acoustic "Everything From You Hands" and a live version of "Backwords" were constantly on repeat.  When Strange Weekend came out last January, you better believe I snatched a copy of the limited white vinyl and fell in love with every moment of the record.  The studio version of "Backwords" would probably sit near the top of my "favorite songs of 2012" list.  From Mauro Remiddi's songwriting methods to the live performances, Porcelain Raft fascinates me.

3. Grimes - Visions

My first encounter with Grimes was an odd one.  Prior to Visions, I hadn't heard any of Claire Boucher's work.  Back in January when Visions was getting a ton of attention and critical acclaim, I listened to a few random tracks off of it.  It didn't strike me as anything special.  It wasn't until I heard "Genesis" that I sat back down and gave the entire record a spin.  Now I'm obsessed with everything about Grimes.  My favorite track on Visions changes every other day, but "Colour Of Moonlight (Antiochus)" with Doldrums sits on top most often.  Don't even get me started on the "Genesis" music video.

2. Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra - Theatre Is Evil

Everyone has some sort of radical opinion about Amanda Palmer.  Writers rant about how she's taking advantage of her fans and stealing the valuable time of musicians, but at the same time, her fanbase ranks among the most loyal followers that you could ever find.  Theatre Is Evil found its beginnings as the Kickstarter album that passed the million dollar mark.  It lives up to the hype.  I absolutely couldn't believe how solid this album was.  The standard tracklisting holds fifteen songs and clocks in as quite a hefty record, but every single moment is just as brilliant as the last.

1. Lana Del Rey - Born To Die / Paradise

Lana Del Rey captured the attention of the entire internet population.  She captivated and confused everyone.  Is she a scam with fake lips or is "Video Games" a masterpiece? Maybe both? Neither?  The mystery surrounding "Lizzy Grant" only made the situation more interesting.  By the time she released her debut album, Born to Die, most of the hipsters had thrown her away, but in an interesting turn of events, she became somewhat of a pop star with a following of devotee's who would trend  "Lana you're the bestest" all over social networks.  The pop crowd took her in after the now infamous Saturday Night Live performance.

When creating this list, Lana was a clear choice for the top spot.  Out of every artist, album, and single from 2012, I kept returning to Born To Die and never stopped talking about the Lana Del Rey hype.  It's so rare for an artist to magically appear and shoot to the top like Lana managed.  I've paired Born To Die together with her second album, Paradise, due to the idea that they're companion pieces. It's also simply because I love both albums.  "Ride", the lead single from Paradise, received the ten minute epic of a video that it deserved.  That video is probably the best representation of Lana Del Rey as an artist.

There's been talk that Lana may retire from her current career and focus on working behind the scenes, making music for film.  Maybe the stage life isn't for her.  Either way, she fell into the spotlight and and created my favorite album of 2012.

Lana Del Rey - Ride

I'm not sure how Lana manages to create one amazing video after another, but her latest feat is a short film called "Ride".  The song is from the second coming of her debut album, Born To Die, deemed The Paradise Edition. Clocking in at ten minutes and nine seconds, "Ride" is a visual treat.  With an extended spoken intro and accompanying outro, the video takes this single to a completely new level.  Lana narrates her journey of freedom as she rides through life with a group of bikers.  How much of the story is made up and how much is real life Lana?  I'm not sure.  Directed by Anthony Mandler and written by Lana, watch "Ride" below.

 

Born To Die: The Paradise Edition, along with a stand alone Paradise record, will be available on November 13, via Interscope.  To pre-order the new tracks, go here.  To pre-order the double album, go this way.

Lana Del Rey - Blue Velvet

Lana Del Rey has a lot on her plate.  Not only has she become the face of H&M and gained a partnership with Jaguar, but she also plans to re-release Born To Die as a Paradise Edition of the record.  However, Lana recently spoke to Vogue Australia stating that she would prefer to work in the film industry, partially due to her crippling stage fright.  She told the magazine, "Hopefully I will branch into film work and stay there. That will be my happy place. I'd like to stay in one place for a long time... I love to take care of the songs – that's my natural place – then, when I get on stage that's not my element-".  No confirmation on whether she's simply referring to composing or intends to try acting as well.

A clip of H&M's Autumn ad campaign, which you can watch in what looks like a choppy television rip above, features Lana modeling their merchandise while singing Bobby Vinton's "Blue Velvet".  The song, which may be included on the Born To Die re-release, will be available as a promo single on September 20th.  To hear the full cover, head this way.  The full length H&M ad will be out tomorrow and Born To Die: Paradise Edition is scheduled for November.

UPDATE:

Here's the full commercial, which features more of the song.

Lana Del Rey - Born To Die

So many artists in today's industry come and go without leaving any sign that they were ever here.  Despite hard work, plans go awry.  Bands crash and burn.  Pop stars build images and personas that never take off.  Occasionally, we run into an artist that skyrockets to success faster than they could've ever dreamed.  Before you know it, they've booked primetime television and sold out venues.  Their debut record is one of the most anticipated releases since your last major label name.  It all happens so fast.

So which type of musician is Lana Del Rey?  Both.  Her former self, Lizzy Grant, is the artist that never was and Lana Del Rey is the artist that we can't stop talking about.  It's all the same girl, but only one version became a sensation.  Same music, different package.

There's no such thing as bad publicity.  It just doesn't exist.  If anyone knows this, it's Lana Del Rey.  From her looks to her voice, the world has become a critic.  "She's a manufactured puppet with no talent!"  "Her lips are fake!"  "Worst Saturday Night Live performance ever!"  Blogs who once worshipped the ground she walked on turned against her.  Cue the mediocre album reviews.

Real lips or not, I anticipated the release of her debut album, Born To Die.  On January 31, I searched the empty shelves trying to find a copy after others had snatched every disc in sight.  Despite all of the naysayers, Lana has an incredible following.  As I placed her album into the stereo, I thought to myself, "Will this live up to the hype?".

The short answer is yes.  The long answer is much more complicated.  Born To Die is packed front to back with that Jessica Rabbit aura, that "gangsta Nancy Sinatra" image.  It's orchestral strings on top of hip-hop beats.  Lana's voice morphs with every song.  A deep purr one moment, school girl whispers the next.  She has this deadly mystique about her, which is only enhanced by the mystery surrounding her rise to fame.

Lyrically, the record is focused on the subject of lost love.  The theme can be summarized by key words and phrases scattered throughout the songs.  Love.  American Dreams.  Money.  Coney Island.  Cherry Schnapps. Die.  The blood splattered lyric sheets tell all.  Her ideas are consistent the entire time.  It never lets up, and this determination proves successful.  The content of Born To Die truly feels like Lana Del Rey.

Many of the tracks on Born To Die had been heard in demo form prior to the album's release.  Everyone and their hipster neighbor knows "Video Games", the song that started it all.  However, there's only one "Video Games" on the record.  It's the most stripped and vulnerable ballad, bare of any hidden tricks.  Every other song on the record contains some kind of beat or radio friendly production move.

Born To Die is a goldmine of melodic treasures.  A large majority of the tracks have choruses to kill for. There are verses that contain such an immense amount of attitude that you'll be repeating them with no sign of relief.  "National Anthem" is one of the biggest culprits.  "I'm your national anthem / God, you're so handsome / Take me to the Hamptons / Bugatti Veyron".  The pouty delivery seals the deal.  Its twin, "Off To The Races", continues this mesmerizing pseudo-rap method.

In terms of bonus content, the US received an expanded edition of the physical album with two extra tracks, "Lolita" and "Without You".  It's a crime that "Lolita" isn't included on the standard issue of the album, but Lana could most definitely pull a "Super Bass" with the song.  It's one of the finer "orchestral hip-hop" moments.

I would definitely classify Born To Die as a pop record.  Despite various influences, it's full of traditional pop song structures and comes in a glossy package.  Listeners who discovered Lana on the alternative blogs may be disappointed with this direction, but if you enjoy an album full of hooks, then this one is for you.

The album reaches a slight stall at "Carmen", which probably should've been switched out for the previously mentioned "Lolita".  Both "Carmen" and "Million Dollar Man" slow down the pace more than I would prefer.  There's also a noticeable skip in vocal production between "Carmen" and "Million Dollar Man".  Lana's vocals seem rather quiet on the former, until the latter starts with a boost in volume.  The two tracks don't outright taint the record, but they lack the power found in songs such as "This Is What Makes Us Girls" and "Radio".

Finding the next pop star is a vicious game of roulette.  You never know who will win and who will go back to the drawing board.  We may not know if Lana Del Rey will still be the it-girl by next year, or if she's even a pop star at all, but Born To Die is a fantastic album filled with so many gems.  It really is a shame that some people will jump to conclusions and judge based on how she looks, or which rumors they deem true, rather than the music.  After every ounce of criticism and praise, listen to "Radio" for Lana's response.  "Not even they can stop me now... their heavy words can't bring me down".

Download: Lana Del Rey - "Born To Die" 

Download: Lana Del Rey - "Born To Die" (Deluxe Version)

Lana Del Rey - Born To Die

After a string of live performances, Lana Del Rey has revealed the studio version of her new track "Born To Die".  Lana's recent explosion within the internet world has brought her endless praise, and as always, accusations of a "gimmick" act.  Either way, I've had "Video Games" and "Blue Jeans" on repeat for months.

The new single shares the name of her debut album which is out in the US on January 31 of next year.  "Born To Die" resembles the similar sound of her previous singles, lush strings and her throwback melodies.  While the official music video isn't out until December 16, which I hear involves a tiger, you can listen to the song along with a promo video below.  It's fairly simple with Lana glaring down the camera as she embraces a tattooed man, both presumably naked.  Check it out...

The single officially hits airwaves and will be available for download on January 23, one week before her debut album, "Born To Die".

Lana Del Rey - Video Games/Blue Jeans

Lana Del Rey is the newest artist that you need to know.  Her music ranges from an elegant breeze in "Video Games" to the out of control danger of "Kinda Outta Luck".  Her image is part Hollywood trendy and part retro glam.  After posting a series of videos made up of, among other things, old film clips, dolled-up webcam footage, and American scenery, she's set to release the double A-side single of "Video Games" and "Blue Jeans".

Lana Del Rey used to go by Lizzy Grant.  After an image and name change, she has a fresh slate to work with.  "Video Games" is comparable to contemporaries such as Sia or Florence + The Machine.  The song has a blown up sound with harp and strings twisted around it.  Lana's voice is rich with a classic melody.

"Blue Jeans" shows us a different side of Lana Del Rey's voice.  The extra space tightens up as she pushes through an almost smokey hum.  The song also has a chorus to die for.  "I will love you 'til the end of time", she howls.  Each track is worthy of equal praise and addictive to the point of a broken repeat button.

You can pre-order the limited edition 7" picture disc of "Video Games/Blue Jeans" here.  The vinyl is due to be released on October 17th and if you hurry, you may still be able to get a signed copy.  Keep reading for the accompanying "Video Games" and "Blue Jeans" videos...