I wanted to get this in before 2015 got into full swing -- here are my top lists for 2014. I thought it was a solid year but previous years seemed more impressive in terms of quality of output across the board. This list is not so much "Next Wave" but there was plenty of '80s New Wave and pop revivalism from bands like Tennis, De Lux (Talking Heads reborn!) and The Ting Tings.
Top 10 Songs of 2014:
1) Real Estate - Had to Hear
2) Broken Bells - Perfect World
3) Jenny Lewis - She's Not Me
4) Band of Skulls - Nightmares
5) The Decemberists - Make You Better
6) Hozier - Take Me to Church (technically 2013 and way overplayed by now, but it will endure as a classic in my book)
7) Niia - Body
8.) The Rosebuds - In My Teeth
9) The War on Drugs - Under the Pressure
10) Ace Reporter - Untouched and Arrived
http://open.spotify.com/user/122464844/playlist/0qdPpssmx2eAM4T8VcSQOo
Top 30 Albums:
1) Real Estate - Atlas
2) Ryan Adams - Ryan Adams
3) Broken Bells - After the Disco
4) Ty Segall - Manipulator
5) Jenny Lewis - The Voyager
6) The New Pornographers - Brill Bruisers
7) Ray LaMontagne - Supernova
8.) The Rosebuds - Sand + Silence
9) First Aid Kit - Stay Gold
10) The War on Drugs - Lost in the Dream
11) Hozier - Hozier
12) Wild Cub - Youth
13) De Lux - Voyage
14) Tennis - Ritual in Repeat
15) The Feeling - Boy Who Cried Wolf
16) Stars - No One Is Lost
17) Band of Skulls - Himalayan
18.) Thievery Corporation - Saudade
19) TV on the Radio - Seeds
20) The Ting Tings - Super Critical
21) Elbow - The Take Off And Landing Of Everything
22) Chromeo - White Women
23) Lykke Li - I Never Learn
24) Future Islands - Singles
25) The Twilight Sad - Nobody Wants to Be Here and Nobody Wants to Leave
26) Spoon - They Want My Soul
27) Beck - Morning Phase
28.) Fanfarlo - Let's Go Extinct
29) Sharon Van Etten - Are We There
30) Deacon Blue - A New House