Best of 2014 The breakthroughs that you might have missed

Talk “breakthroughs” in 2014 and immediately the finger points towards a handful of obvious names: Future Islands for their post-Letterman rise, The War on Drugs for their universal acclaim, Caribou for one of the go-to songs of the summer. 60,000 copies sold in one week represents one almighty milestone for Royal Blood. Jungle’s first year couldn’t have gone much better, save a Mercury Prize win. And cult concerns like Perfect Pussy and Eagulls found themselves breaking through - these are all simple choices when reflecting on the year, considering the artists that broke into the big time.

But falling slightly under the radar is a handful of names who’ve achieved similar feats through alternate means. More often that not, it didn’t require an album release. Tours from last year kept on going, more dates being announced, festivals awaiting the appearance of acts who stole the agenda in 2013.