Bream's and Riemenschneider's top concerts, albums of 2014

In a year that saw Garth Brooks play 11 concerts and Bob Dylan three in the same week and a half — and had Bruno Mars, Nick Cave and Rock the Garden on the same day (June 21) — it was a good thing we had two music critics. And with listenership so scattered, thanks to the Internet, it helped to have both sets of ears to the ground. No wonder our lists below look so different.

How do you choose between the physical daring of Pink and the artistic daring of Lisa Fischer? They were both doubly good — Pink was also my No. 1 concert in 2013, and I witnessed both of Fischer's shows on Sept. 11 and three at her return engagement in December.

1 Pink (Xcel Energy Center, Jan. 7)

2 Lisa Fischer (Dakota Jazz Club, Sept. 11)

3 Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings (State Theatre, April 9)

4 St. Paul & the Broken Bones (Varsity Theater, June 1)

5 Paul McCartney (Target Field, Aug. 2)

7 Arcade Fire (Target Center, March 8)

8 Rosanne Cash (the O'Shaughnessy, Sept. 5)

9 Bruno Mars (Xcel Energy Center, June 21)

10 The Mavericks (Pantages Theatre, March 9)

Two legends of the 1980s Minneapolis rock scene put on historic local shows that proved their songs are timeless, but lanky Aussie showman Nick Cave proved untouchable as a live performer — although not literally, since he was in the middle of the crowd for good chunks of the show.

2 Bob Mould Band (7th Street Entry, Aug. 31)

3 The Replacements (Midway Stadium, Sept. 13)

4 Run the Jewels (Fine Line, Nov. 20)

5 Rock the Garden, Day 2, with Spoon, Guided by Voices, Dessa, Kurt Vile, Valerie June (Walker Art Center, June 22)

6 Lauryn Hill (First Avenue, June 30)

8 Paul McCartney (Target Field, Aug. 2)

9 Schoolboy Q (Mill City Nights, April 20)

10 FKA Twigs (Fine Line, Nov. 14)

They couldn't be more different: A veteran with a revered name, delivering an impeccably crafted concept album about exploring her roots, and a British newcomer with a peculiar stage name, offering an ambitious modern soul take on romance and heartbreak. Rosanne Cash and FKA Twigs perked my ears up in 2014. So did a bunch of veterans and some delightful ­newcomers.

1 Rosanne Cash, "The River and the Thread"

3 Leonard Cohen, "Popular Problems"

4 St. Vincent, "St. Vincent"

5 Miranda Lambert, "Platinum"

6 Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, "Give the People What They Want"

7 Sturgill Simpson, "Metramodern Sounds in Country Music"

9 Sam Smith, "In the Lonely Hour"

10 Mary J. Blige, "The London Sessions"

One was about a dude trying to find his way out of a hole, and the other had a guy teetering on the precipice of a variety of holes. Records by the War on Drugs and Sturgill Simpson also had distinctively classic, gorgeous sonic qualities, with the former's ambitious '80s rock production and the latter's trad-country taking on new life. Paired with the liveliest, purest, most gusto-laden, all-in kind of hip-hop and rock records of the year (Run the Jewels and Benjamin Booker), 2014 saw a lot of relative newcomers step to the forefront.

1 The War on Drugs, "Lost in the Dream"

2 Sturgill Simpson, "Metramodern Sounds in Country Music"

4 Benjamin Booker, "Benjamin Booker"

5 Hurray for the Riff Raff, "Small Town Heroes"

6 Kelis, "Food"

7 Against Me! "Transgender Dysphoria Blues"

8 Courtney Barnett, "The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas"

10 Gary Clark Jr., "Live"

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