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Ashland Ski Area shut down again by lack of snow Police Reports Chief Holderness retiring, wants to help find successor Ringing in the new year Howling good time at a wolf moon conclave Education Ashland schools to implement chickenpox precautions In the new year, be sure you have your 'ICE' file ready Walker students show creative chops at Invention Convention Teacher's Tips: Second — and third — chances are there for students For a friend: AHS seniors team up to help former fellow student Environment New TAP pumps bolster Ashland's options Most residents speak against gas pipeline proposed for Southern Oregon Home Help: Make your new house feel like home Business Ashland Safeway becomes Haggen's in March Ride & Drive: 2015 Honda Crosstour Dear Monty: Best start for 1st-time homebuyers Ride & Drive: 2015 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Silvio Calabi: Infiniti Q50 offers business-class driving Politics and elections Chief Holderness retiring, wants to help find successor State certifies recount showing failure of GMO-labeling measure State News Police officer shoots armed driver near Reedsport Nation - World Obama makes Maduro’s ‘insolent Yankees’ line harder to sell Obituaries Death Notices Death Notices Local radio pioneer Howard LaMere, 64, dies at Ashland home Death Notices Death Notices Shareable Looking back: Do you remember 2014’s biggest stories? 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Ashland Ski Area shut down again by lack of snow ... Ashland Calendar ... Ringing in the new year ... Mt. Ashland Ski Area shut down again by lack of snow ... Ashland Calendar ... Ringing in the new year ... The Farr Side: Top 10 album count-up for 2014 Comment By David T. Farr More Content Now DailyTidings.com By David T. Farr More Content Now Posted Dec. 31, 2014 @ 9:54 am By David T. Farr More Content Now Posted Dec. 31, 2014 @ 9:54 am » Social News I can’t remember a year in recent memory when women dominated the music charts the way they did in 2014. Ariana Grande, Iggy Azalea, Katy Perry, Meghan Trainor, Miranda Lambert, Beyonce and, perhaps this year’s most iconic star, Taylor Swift, simply ruled the charts all year long. Male acts managed to wedge themselves into the mix, like Pharrell Williams, Ed Sheeran, Passenger, Maroon 5, John Legend, Jason Derulo and Justin Timberlake. But no male artist created a buzz like Sam Smith. He managed to break the mold and become the year’s biggest new star. The digital download age is upon us, and the biggest hits illustrate the magnitude of its impact. “Singles” are the thing again whether we like it or not. I’m still an album junkie, so choosing a list is proving to be more and more difficult with each passing year. Here are my choices for the best of 2014. Each made the cut for different reasons, but all them were in heavy rotation at my house 10. “Platinum,” Miranda Lambert: If you’re going to be true to country music, who better than country music’s current leading lady, Miranda? I didn’t warm up to Lambert’s brand of twang until this album. Right away I gravitated toward “Priscilla,” a song that parodied Lambert’s life to that of Priscilla Presley. Her duet with Carrie Underwood on “Somethin’ Bad” showcases the power of women in country music more so than any other females in the genre right now. “Platinum” became her fourth-straight album to debut at No.1, something no other country artist can claim. 9. “1,000 Forms of Fear,” Sia: If I ever purchased album before for one song, it’s this album, when I fell in love with “Chandelier.” Sia’s vocals just kill that song: Her vocal range and depth amazes me. She’s always been a “behind the scenes” kind of artist, writing songs for other singers. She suffers from stage fright so bad that she chose to remain behind the scenes while singing the worldwide smash single. The rest of the album features a fiery mix of dance/house electronica music with, you guessed it, amazing, powerful vocals. 8. “X,” Ed Sheeran: “X” marked the spot for Sheeran, who didn’t fall into the sophomore slump. The new material on this record found Sheeran leaving balladry behind somewhat and gives us a taste of his uptempo side. And, guess what? We liked it. The first single, “Sing,” sounded more like a Justin Timberlake song, but it had a British flare that’s been missing from music since the George Michael heyday. It was nice to see him show this other side of himself but still manage to stay true to his own artistry. The follow up single, “Don’t,” is awesome and the album’s best. 7. “Oh What a Life,” American Authors: Why this group wasn’t nominated for the Best New Artist Grammy is beyond me. “Oh What a Life” is an amazing collection of feel-good indie pop-rock tracks, including the breakthrough single, “Best Day of My Life.” You can be having the worst day ever and that song comes on and, somehow, things seem to get better. That’s the sign of a good song. This band’s music is somewhere between Mumford & Sons and fun., complete with banjos and enough spirit to carve a niche. 6. “The New Class,” Iggy Azalea: I have to say “The New Classic” is my favorite guilty pleasure of 2014. Every time “Fancy” came on the radio, I found myself turning it up. There’s no doubt it was the song of the summer. Iggy’s got a flair for tossin’ down irresistible lyrics that would make my language arts teachers squirm. The video for the track sold me on it for sure. Its “clueless” theme cracked me up. To prove she’s not a flash in the pan, Iggy hit with “Black Widow,” while also rapping her way up the charts with J-Lo and Ariana Grande. 5. “Cheek to Cheek,” Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga: I have to give props to Mr. Tony Bennett. Why? Because it took an 88-year-old man to tame Lady Gaga. Gaga wowed on this album and she didn’t need a meat dress to do so. Bennett successfully saw through all of Gaga’s get-ups to find how great a vocalist she is and these classics showcased the pair at their best. I love the standards when they aren’t tampered with, which is why Bennett has remained a classic all these years. Bennett and Gaga excel on “Cheek to Cheek,” while having great fun on “Anything Goes.” 4. “My Everything,” Ariana Grande: Ariana Grande was everywhere in 2014. Was it worth all the hype? I’d like to think so, because she totally hit it out of the ballpark with “Problem,” a track featuring Iggy Azalea. It’s the perfect pop song and the one that made her a star in my book. The infectious melody and bass line stood out among her peers, but her vocal range didn’t hurt. This girl has some pipes! On this record, she managed to tear up the dance floor with “Problem” and “Break Free” while also slowing it down for “Love Me Harder.” 3. “Native,” OneRepublic: OneRepublic is one of music’s best bands to emerge in the past decade. “Native” is the band’s fourth album and strongest to date. Led by the amazingly talented Ryan Tedder, this album featured a slew of hit-worthy tracks including “Feel Again,” “Counting Stars” and the year’s most touching single “I Lived.” Tedder is a multiple threat: He can write songs with massive appeal and longevity, and he can also sing them with the right kind of passion and conviction. The songs on this record prove that. 2. “In the Lonely Hour,” Sam Smith: Stunning! Sam Smith is one of the best artists to come along in years. “Stay With Me” is one of the year’s best tracks. What sounds like a full-on choir backing the soulful singer turns out to be his own vocals overdubbed 16 times. It’s brilliant. The blue-eyed soul singer’s success stems from tapping into his vulnerability, songwriting-wise, and coupling it with his incredibly amazing vocal style which includes a lifting falsetto. It’s pure genius. The album is filled with raw, rich, emotional tracks that lures in even the most finicky of critics. 1. “1989,” Taylor Swift: Tonight, we’re going to party like it’s 1989. Almost. Taylor Swift caused quite a stir this year when she walked away from country music to go “pop” on “1989.” It was a bold move, but one we all saw coming. It was just a matter of time before she did. To many, she already was pop. The songs featured on this album were all heavily influenced by the music of 1989, the year she was born. I don’t quite hear 1989 when I listen to it, but what I do hear, I happen to really like. “Shake It Off” is one of those songs that simply won’t go away. You can hear it and 10 minutes later it’s right back in your head. But it’s the single “Blank Space” that completely made this album be my No. 1 for the year. It is an awesome song. For a girl who’s tattered love life has made headlines, this song doesn’t follow suit with so many of her others. Musically, it’s well-structured. Lyrically, it’s brilliant. And, most importantly, it’s performed with a touch of pop perfection. In fact, the entire album is single-worthy, with not a bad one in the bunch. Was going ”pop” a bad thing for Swift? Not at all — she managed to sell 1.3 million albums in three days. By David T. Farr More Content Now DailyTidings.com By David T. 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