Loved by some, missed by many – here’s a list of our favorite Mainland albums from 2014. Buoyed by a growing number of livehouses popping up across second and third-tier cities, the rise of online music services like Douban and Xiami, and a new generation that - gasp - is actually paying for music, this year has been an epic year for releases. Last year, we made note of some of 2013's Notable Albums, but this year we're taking the plunge and listing our Top 25. Feel free to send all love and/or complaints to arts@urbanatomy.com (preferably love), or better yet, comment below about what albums you think we missed. For the rest of the list, click here.

25. AV Okubo: Dynasty

AV大久保: 一品国际 

(Maybe Mars) 

Buy the album at Bandcamp or Taobao.
Follow A.V. Okubo on Douban and Facebook.

Few Mainland acts burst out the gate as quickly as the Wuhan quartet, who toured America alongside P.K. 14 and Carsick Cars prior to releasing their 2010 Martin Aktins (PiL) produced debut. For their second act, they’ve roped in legendary post-punk guitarist Andy Gill of Gang of Four fame for production duties. Coming out of China’s industrial punk capital, where guitarist Tan Chao works a day job as a train engineer at a major steel plant, AV Okubo explores the lifestyles of the country’s rich and famous. Wuhan mainstay Zi Jie designed the strikingly gauche cover and its English title  cheekily alludes to both the hit 1980s Texas oil tycoon drama and the Chinese luxury wine brand. Dynasty literally updates their ‘Breakwave’ style - an energetic trashy pastiche of surf rock guitars, pounding drumbeats, retro synths and plenty of attitude, but its slower tracks like ‘Everlasting Regret’ and ‘Opium’ that show off a refined songcraft that has their fans hoping it won’t be another four years before the next album. For more, check out our past feature on AV Okubo.

24. Djang San: Tofu Electrique/Elevator Music for Shampoo Commercials/Folk songs noone will listen to

(Karma Blues Records) 

Buy the albums at Bandcamp.
Follow Djang San on Douban and Facebook.

Born Jean-Sébastien Héry, the French musician has been a staple in Bejing's music scene for years,winning the China leg of the 2010 Global Battle of the Bands and representing China's underground against 18 countries in the World Final held in Kuala Lumpur in 2011. Renowned for reinventing the classical instrument zhongruan, Djang's an eclectic figure who's already released 28 albums, including 8 this year. His band is in fine form on the proggy Tofu Electrique, while Zhang indulges his troubador side on Folk Songs noone will listen to while going full-on experimental while commenting on consumerism on Elevator Music for Shampoo Commercials.

23. Wootacc: Maiden Voyage

Wootacc: 润色春秋 

(Groove Bunny Records) 

Buy the album at Bandcamp or Taobao.
Follow Wootacc on Douban and Twitter.

Coming out of Yanbian, a small city bordering North Korea in Jilin Province that has a surprisingly thriving beatboxing community, Wootacc is a hip-hop life. Starting out as a b-boy at 13 years old, he began making a name for himself two years later as one of the few in his city to rhyme in Mandarin. Since moving to Beijing in 2003, he’s battled local luminaries in the Iron Mic competition and was a member of the influential C.O.U.  After watching the scene stagnate, Wootacc sounds revitalized on his solo debut album. Guangzhou producer Petechen cooks up 20 tracks of jazzy funk in the vein of Native Tongues and The Dungeon Family, with the rapper spitting everything from raucous tongue twisters (‘We Play Quick’) to slow jams (‘Air China’). With an eye on international markets, he’s made the disc available with English, Japanese and Korean lyric books. For more, check out our feature on Wootacc. 

22. Goushen: Dio Cane

狗神: Dio Cane

(self-released) 

Buy the album at Bandcamp.
Follow Goushen on Douban.

Rising out of the ashes of Androspace and Bigong Bijing like a glorious phoenix, this Shanghai supergroup is leading the pack in the city’s resurgent metal scene. With a name translated as ‘dog god,’ Goushen continues on the promise of their debut EP 666 KTV with this scorching collection of 10 songs. Frontowman Lenz matches the group’s furiosity with tracks seamlessly incorporating metal, punk, grunge and classic sleze rock with tracks like the shape-shifting ‘Will Not Compromise,’ particularly impressing. Even the disc’s sole respite from the sonic onslaught is a galloping instrumental, ‘Once Upon a Time in Xinjiang,’ which takes surf rock on a rough and tumble ride through China’s wild west.

21. Ajinai: Synthesis

阿基耐: 溶 

(Indie Music) 

Buy the album at Taobao.
Follow Ajinai on Douban and Facebook.

No VPN? Listen to Ajinai's Synthesis on Xiami.

Over the past few years, these Mongolian folk-fusionists have made good on their name ‘powerful steed’ by establishing themselves as one of China’s must see acts and recently storming through Northern Europe’s festival season. On their second album, they’ve managed to capture the warm communal spirit of their shows with group leader Hugejiletu praising the chemistry of the band’s now stable lineup. Synthesis is a mix of original and traditional songs  and estabishing themselves as one of China’s must see acts. On their second album, they’ve managed to capture the warm communal spirit of their shows with group leader Hugejiletu praising the group’s now stable lineup. With its mix of original and traditional tracks, Synthesis remains anchored by throatsinging and the horse head fiddle, but reflects the band’s chemistry hardened by a year of touring the world with songs ranging from sublime opener ‘Yil’ to the Mongolian hootenany of ‘Benburri.’ For more, read our interview with Ajinai. 

For the rest of the list, click here.