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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Two Eagle Point men charged in Lake Creek Road poaching case Councilman stirs online dust-up with anti-marijuana post Visit birding hotspots along Bear Creek Greenway MADGE bust at Medford Walmart nets meth, $20,000 in cash Drug raid in Rogue River leads to two arrests Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Two Eagle Point men charged in Lake Creek Road poaching case MADGE bust at Medford Walmart nets meth, $20,000 in cash Drug raid in Rogue River leads to two arrests Emergency services Fire reported twice at Eastwood home; second call was real thing Politics and Elections Councilman stirs online dust-up with anti-marijuana post State certifies recount showing failure of GMO-labeling measure Time running out for O&C funds GMO vote recount still shows little change GMO labeling votes recounted under careful watch in Jackson County Education Traveling artist sets the stage for Ruch School amphitheater Ruch school class focuses on the natural environment Bethel Church helps families at McLoughlin Middle School Logos may offer students 'fifth year' at RCC or SOU St. Mary's plays host to youth robotics tournament Environment Monument expansion expected to increase tourism, protect resources Biologist resigns over LNG reporting failure Bird flu discovered in Winston backyard flock Jackson County holds back on enforcing GMO ban for now No fish, no funding for problem dams State News Oregon minimum wage rises to $9.25 Storm brings snow, cold to West Idaho shooting victim supported gun rights Dam problems force early fish transfer into Willamette Valley lakes Portland mattress stowaway cat back home Nation - World Obama makes Maduro’s ‘insolent Yankees’ line harder to sell Obituaries Leonard Lyle Roberts Death Notices Sidney A. Stitt Edward James Kelly Dean Seaney Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable In memoriam: 2014’s notable deaths Looking back: Do you remember 2014’s biggest stories? Sports Latest Stories Ohio State’s Jones getting quite an education Ravens head of security charged with sex offense Going great lengths Lions’ Suh refuses to talk about incident Michigan AD Hackett: Harbaugh a long-term answer Varsity 541 College Sports Ohio State’s Jones getting quite an education Going great lengths Michigan AD Hackett: Harbaugh a long-term answer Facebook responses suggest Ducks win Balanced Beavers knock off Santa Barbara Pro Sports Ravens head of security charged with sex offense Lions’ Suh refuses to talk about incident Aldridge comes back strong in Blazers win Bryant's triple-double carries Lakers Lions’ Suh cleared top play Sunday Community Sports Business Latest Stories Rising prices bear fruit for local pear growers Dear Monty: Best start for 1st-time homebuyers Milken economist headlines Southern Oregon Business Conference Ride & Drive: 2015 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Silvio Calabi: Infiniti Q50 offers business-class driving Real Estate News Dear Monty: Best start for 1st-time homebuyers Rental owners group reports 2.48 percent vacancy rate More sales, but no change in residential housing median price People In Business People in Business, Dec. 3 Transportation Falling gas prices help spur travel at Medford airport Agriculture Rising prices bear fruit for local pear growers K-BAR ignites agriculture boom beneath Table Rocks Opinion Latest Granlund cartoon: Resolutions redux Matthew T. Mangino: Judges lament ‘Prosecution by PowerPoint’ Jim Brock: You don't have to take it anymore Our View: Caves expansion worth the wait Letters to the Editor, Dec. 31 Editorials Our View: Caves expansion worth the wait Other Views: Oregon incomes still lag behind Our View: Council is barking up the right tree Other Views: Roseburg VA director sets the right goals Our View: Thanks to four departing leaders Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Dec. 31 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 30 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 29 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 28 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 26 Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Loved one chose death with dignity in Oregon Guest Opinion: Forest thinning means water for the future Guest Opinion: Suit threatens family farms and democratic vote Guest Opinion: SOU pool decision short-sighted Guest Opinion: It's time for biologists to let OR-7 go dark Lifestyle Latest stories Dear Monty: Best start for 1st-time homebuyers Community blog: Ring in new flavors with year's last appetizers Community blog: We Don't Have To Conspire Against Good Health Mark L. Hopkins: New Year’s resolutions and more HealthStyle: New year, new you Food Community blog: Ring in new flavors with year's last appetizers Food for Thought: Tips for cooking when you have food allergies Food for Thought: Wintertime wining and dining Kitchen Call: The comfort of creamy soups Community blog: Baking contest finalists combine cookies, candies Home and Garden Dear Monty: Best start for 1st-time homebuyers Dear Monty: Can a rookie real estate agent be a good choice? Bathtub or shower: What’s best for you? Home Help: Home safety tips for a safe and happy winter season How NOT to install drywall Health Community blog: We Don't Have To Conspire Against Good Health HealthStyle: New year, new you Health Watch: Build up your glutes in the off-season Dr. Jeff Hersh: What's a monoclonal antibody? Dr. Murray Feingold: Have a happy and stress-free holiday Hiking Biking Faith (No heading) Churches, synagogs host seasonal events Bethel Church helps families at McLoughlin Middle School Milestones and Achievements Local landowners see no public good in proposed pipeline Pear Blossom queen has open heart surgery Hundreds enjoy Christmas dinner, gifts at St. Vincent de Paul SinceYou Asked: SBA would work with Mt. Ashland Ski Area about loan Fans, friends and family welcome home victorious SOU team at airport Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories New Schneider Museum exhibits highlight First Friday Camelot's 'Fiddler' is a charmer Top 10 CDs of 2014 Ring in 2015 at a New Year's celebration near you Dobra Tea menu offers hundreds of brews Theater Camelot's 'Fiddler' is a charmer ACT presents reading of 'The Quality of Life' Meet the real Jacob Marley This Nutcracker ballet will have a superhero twist Plumbing the depths of meaning Music The Farr Side: Top 10 album count-up for 2014 Top 10 CDs of 2014 A tribute to Joe Cocker Ring in 2015 at a New Year's celebration near you SugarBeats headline an all-ages dance party at Historic Ashland Armory Community Events New Schneider Museum exhibits highlight First Friday Celebrate winter solstice with the Bad Film Society Tomaseen Foley's "A Celtic Christmas" returns to the Craterian Theater Stefan Baumann and Eugene Bennett highlight Third Fridays Dancing People Company celebrates the solstice Dining Dobra Tea menu offers hundreds of brews Food for Thought: Wintertime wining and dining Coffee shops roll out holiday-inspired drinks Over Easy serves 'pop-up' brunch Sundays Ooblies Artisan Waffle Sandwiches Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW Two Eagle Point men charged in Lake Creek Road poaching case ... MADGE bust at Medford Walmart nets meth, $20,000 in cash ... Drug raid in Rogue River leads to two arrests ... Two Eagle Point men charged in Lake Creek Road poaching case ... MADGE bust at Medford Walmart nets meth, $20,000 in cash ... Drug raid in Rogue River leads to two arrests ... The Farr Side: Top 10 album count-up for 2014 Comment By David T. Farr More Content Now MailTribune.com By David T. Farr More Content Now Posted Dec. 31, 2014 @ 9:53 am By David T. Farr More Content Now Posted Dec. 31, 2014 @ 9:53 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 MailTribune.com By David T. 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