Top of the Notts 2014

<a data-cke-saved-href="http://1stblood.co.uk/album/1st-blood-live-like-legends" href="http://1stblood.co.uk/album/1st-blood-live-like-legends">1st Blood - Live Like Legends by 1st Blood Empire Ltd</a>
1st Blood – Live Like Legends
2014 felt like the year where Notts hip hop started to reclaim its dominance on the UK scene, so it made sense that the 1st Blood family struck back hard with this collection featuring an A-grade cast list of local vocals and talents. Paul Klotschkow

April Towers – Arcadia
Sounding halfway between OMD and Hurts, this superb piece of mid-paced electro pop made it all the way to Radio 1. The duo have a knack for knocking out a grand three minute pop tune and with more variety could be a big breakthrough act in 2015. Nick Parkhouse

<a data-cke-saved-href="http://bluebirdnotts.bandcamp.com/album/bluebird-sleepers-split-10" href="http://bluebirdnotts.bandcamp.com/album/bluebird-sleepers-split-10">Bluebird/Sleepers Split 10" by Bluebird</a>
Bluebird – Prey / Predator
Reigniting the torch last carried by local emo legends Bob Tilton. Alongside, the likes of Kagoule, Mannequin and Baby Godzilla, the future of Nottsrock is in healthy hands with this lot. PK

<a data-cke-saved-href="http://busstopmadonnas.bandcamp.com/album/bus-stop-madonnas" href="http://busstopmadonnas.bandcamp.com/album/bus-stop-madonnas">Bus Stop Madonnas by Bus Stop Madonnas</a>
Bus Stop Madonnas – Bus Stop Madonnas EP
The snarling garage rock two-piece came racing out of the traps with this fuzzed-up EP that mixed originals and well chosen covers and felt like a well timed kick in the nads. PK

<a data-cke-saved-href="http://bootrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-boot-ep" href="http://bootrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-boot-ep">The Boot EP by Cappo</a>
Cappo - The Boot EP
Channeling 1970s cop shows on a set of songs that showcased Cappo’s lyrical abilities against a backdrop of tense, stylish beats. PK

<a data-cke-saved-href="http://gallery47.bandcamp.com/album/all-will-be-well" href="http://gallery47.bandcamp.com/album/all-will-be-well">All Will Be Well by Gallery 47</a>
Gallery 47 – All Will Be Well
After recovering from health scares and heartache, Jack Peachey dusted himself down and delivered an album of raw honesty and vulnerability that felt like some of his wounds were still healing. PK

<a data-cke-saved-href="http://greyhairs.bandcamp.com/album/grey-hairs-schmey-hairs" href="http://greyhairs.bandcamp.com/album/grey-hairs-schmey-hairs">Grey Hairs Schmey Hairs by Grey Hairs</a>
Grey Hairs – Grey Hairs Schmey Hairs
Where Nottingham’s rowdy rockers raised a can to the man who drank all of the legends under the table – the late, great Harry Nilsson. Jump In To The Fire is indulgently in your face while the flipside is a delirious and woozy run through Coconut. PK

<a data-cke-saved-href="http://iamlono.bandcamp.com/album/too-bright-simone" href="http://iamlono.bandcamp.com/album/too-bright-simone">Too Bright / Simone by I AM LONO</a>
I AM LONO - Too Bright / Simone
I AM LONO are tipped for great things in 2015. They’ve been working on their master plan over the last three years and this double a-side, released on tape earlier this year, was seven minutes of pure electronic pop. The opening John Carpenter stabbing piano alone on Too Bright, is easily one of the best intro’s you’ll hear this year, or next for that matter. Rob McCleary

Indiana - Solo Dancing
Darkly hypnotic pop that catapulted the singer from talk of the blogosphere to top 20 pop star and set her on the road to stardom in 2015. Made the long wait for her debut album even more painful. PK

<a data-cke-saved-href="http://kagoule.bandcamp.com/track/it-knows-it-extended" href="http://kagoule.bandcamp.com/track/it-knows-it-extended">It Knows It (Extended) by Kagoule</a>
Kagoule – It Knows It
The songs they teased out on to the internet and at their gigs showcased a band brimming with confidence and supercharged with energy as evidenced on this live favourite that sounds like it fell out of Billy Corgan’s notebook in 1993. PK

<a data-cke-saved-href="http://kogumaza.bandcamp.com/album/l-s025-k-lp" href="http://kogumaza.bandcamp.com/album/l-s025-k-lp">L&S025 Kолокол LP by Kogumaza</a>
Kogumaza - Kолокол LP
Recorded with Lungfish’s Nathan Bell on bass, the second LP took the band’s earthy drones and fired them spacewards on an album that mixed speaker shuddering riffs, atmosphere and volume. There really isn’t another band like them, superior stuff. PK

<a data-cke-saved-href="http://lowpoint.bandcamp.com/album/transmission-one" href="http://lowpoint.bandcamp.com/album/transmission-one">Transmission One by Lviv</a>
Lviv - Transmission No. 1
The debut release from a trio of musicians who are probably better known under different guises saw them creating sparse minimal passages of music that felt like intercepted messages from world where time had no meaning. PK

<a data-cke-saved-href="http://mannequinuk.bandcamp.com/album/mannequin" href="http://mannequinuk.bandcamp.com/album/mannequin">Mannequin by Mannequin</a>
Mannequin – Mannequin
Built upon a mountain of riffs and crashing drums, but scratch beneath the surface and here was band with heart and melody underneath all of the aggression. This self-titled debut was a self-assured statement of grungy intent. PK

<a data-cke-saved-href="http://neilwarduk.bandcamp.com/album/drift" href="http://neilwarduk.bandcamp.com/album/drift">Drift by Neil Ward</a>
Neil Ward - Drift
This superb instrumental album is like nothing else you’ve heard from Nottingham in 2014. A self-taught pianist, Neil Ward’s second album could be Ludovico Einaudi, the score to a Hollywood blockbuster or background music in an Ibiza bar. Drift is something truly different from a real talent. NP

Origin One – All For The Love
A mixture of producers, songwriters, and rappers collaborating on a modern cocktail of dub and reggae that although was forward thinking still gave a nod to the past. PK

Ronika – Selectadisc
The disco queen mined the 80s for a set of future-retro pop smashes that was full to the brim with solid gold bangers that lived up to years of promise after being teased with a series of EP’s. PK

Ryan Thomas  - Worries & Troubles EP
After reaching number 1 in the iTunes blues chart earlier in the year, Ryan Thomas is certainly one to look out for, and his EP Worries & Troubles proved just why he’s grabbing attention all over the UK. It’ll be exciting to see what comes from the talented guitar-playing singer in 2015. Hannah Parker

<a data-cke-saved-href="http://sleafordmods.bandcamp.com/album/divide-and-exit" href="http://sleafordmods.bandcamp.com/album/divide-and-exit">Divide and Exit by Sleaford Mods</a>
Sleaford Mods – Divide and Exit
No other artist owned 2014 like t’Mods and their latest album cemented their reputation as no-nonsense voice of the people with Jason Williamson’s caustic tongue and street smart lyrics unafraid to tell it like it is. PK

<a data-cke-saved-href="http://threegirlrhumba.bandcamp.com/album/lemon-crush" href="http://threegirlrhumba.bandcamp.com/album/lemon-crush">Lemon Crush by Three Girl Rhumba</a>
Three Girl Rhumba - Lemon Crush
These three lads stormed through 2014, with gig after gig, but they still managed to release a self-titled EP so we don’t even have to leave our house to dance along to their catchy music. Let’s hope they give us even more tracks to get our toes tapping next year. HP

<a data-cke-saved-href="http://youthoracle.bandcamp.com/album/hellectricity" href="http://youthoracle.bandcamp.com/album/hellectricity">Hellectricity by YouthOracle</a>
YouthOracle – Flash Floods Volume 2
One of the city’s most active and talented grime artists and rap battlers as well as being one Nottingham’s shining lights of 2014. Listen to Hellectricity for one of the best songs to come out of Nottingham all year. PK

2014 has been such a great year for local talent. If you want to suggest other releases let us know below in the comments...