Voodoo Highway, "Part of the Plan"

As technology shrinks the barriers to recording and releasing music, Central Oregon’s artists continue to document their work and put it out into the world. As always, some is good, some isn’t; ultimately that distinction is made in listeners’ ears and minds. Locals released lots of music this year, both on CD and online. Here are 10 releases that stand out among the crowd, according to Bulletin Entertainment Editor Ben Salmon.

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AMSTERDAM, ‘THE NEW ALONE’

Amsterdam, aka Bend resident Gabe Van Eikeren, is a regular on this list for two reasons: his hustle and consistency.

On “The New Alone” — his fourth album in three years — Van Eikeren plainly paints a 3-D picture of life, love and loss in the 21st century, detailing not only his considerable swagger, but also his insecurities.

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NOELLE BANGERT, ‘THE THINGS WE ALL KNOW’

A few years ago, British singer-songwriter Adele took over pop music so completely, we may never see such dominance again. Now here come her disciples, including this young Bend artist whose pristine-sounding debut album mines the same soul-pop territory, but with some of Bangert’s own retro vibe and self-assured charm. Top to bottom, “Things” is impressive.

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EXISTENTIAL DEPRESSION, ‘EXISTENTIAL DEPRESSION’

Central Oregon’s metal scene birthed more albums in 2014 than it ever has before, and all of them were solid efforts (or better). The 10-track debut from Existential Depression, a Bend-based death metal trio, stands out for its brutal blend of powerful riffs, technical skill, strangled growls and howls and harrowing point of view. Local music never sounded so gory.

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THE GOLD RUST, ‘SAWDUST, UNINCORPORATED’

This Bend duo makes music for the vast, verdant world to the west of Bend and the dusty, boundless landscape to the east.

Basically, anywhere but the city. On “Sawdust,” The Gold Rust — Casey (a boy) and Kaycee (a girl) — play gently gnarled folk hymns that trickle and float from an acoustic guitar and two voices lit only by candlelight. Theirs is the sound of Cascadia sighing.

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MISTY AEONS, ‘SELVES’

Caleb Neubauer splits time between his hometown of Bend and the Midwest, but he’s here now, so I’m counting this exquisite album from his Misty Aeons project. “Selves” is a graceful collision of lush chamber-pop and precious indie-folk, plus occasional nods to Sigur Ros’ skyscraping ambiance. The result is a work that soars with confidence, and is at times breathtaking.

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TERENCE NEAL, ‘SOMETHING LIKE THIS’

Warm and intimate, well-crafted but not fussy, “Something Like This” is an album full of classic folk-pop that feels immediately familiar, a testament to Bend singer-songwriter Terence Neal’s easy way with melody and his relatable lyrical themes.

If that’s not impressive enough, try this: It’s his first-ever solo effort.

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NO BUT YEAH, ‘OF A FLOWER PAST ITS PRIME’

Local singer-songwriter Ben Watts had a prolific 2014, posting one album under his own name and two as No But Yeah on Bandcamp. Each is a fascinating peek into the guy’s restless musical mind, which hops back and forth from hushed lo-fi confessionals to strangled alt-pop buzz. This album gets the nod because “Fight? Flight?” is a total earworm, but all Watts’ work is worth exploring.

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THIRD SEVEN, VARIOUS RECORDINGS

Cheating? Maybe. But Billy Mickelson — the adventurous musician behind Third Seven, the band and the online label — put out a ton of interesting music in 2014: three ambient/noise albums with his band Mysle, collaborations with punk band Vampirates and local electro-experimentalist Collothen, and more. The common thread is a gray, downcast vibe that runs through just about everything Mickelson records. Visit www.thirdseven.com and dig in.

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VOODOO HIGHWAY, ‘PART OF THE PLAN’

David Miller has been playing in heavy bands for a long time, but with Voodoo Highway, he exposes his bluesy, ’70s-influenced side, with Broken Down Guitars’ Stacie Johnson providing the vocal swagger. “Part of the Plan” is the soundtrack to your favorite old-school dive bar, an album for those who think they just don’t make rock ’n’ roll like they used to.

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WARM GADGET, ‘BRIDES’

The debut album from longtime local noise-makers Colten Williams and Tim Vester gestated for more than three years before finally punching its way into the world last summer. “Brides” is a shadowy slab of sludgy punk, industrial hard rock and weirdo electronics, all tangled up in a general sense of malaise. Warm Gadget’s warped view of the world was worth the wait.