Wednesday, January 7, 2015

2014 Music Review, Part 02 (Albums 100-76)


Here we go!
Counting down my top 100 albums of 2014!

In this second section of my 2014 music review, I am covering the first quarter of my top 100 albums. This section was as difficult to narrow down as the other sections. Just narrowing down my honorable mentions was a big challenge for me.

So I offer these as my humble suggestions for what I felt were some of the best releases of the year.

As always, there is a song suggested with a link to either Youtube, Bandcamp, or Spotify for you to check it out! I hope you find something you enjoy!

Let’s do this!


100. Oh, Common Life, Fireworks
Release Date: March 25, 2014

Fireworks doesn’t feel like pop punk—even though I keep being told they are pop punk. I feel they have found a way to break away from that genre restrictions because they have created a unique sound that stands out in the scene today.



99. Relief, Vacationer
Release Date: June 23, 2014

Kenny Vasoli has played a major role in my musical development. I grew up with the pop punk gloriousness of The Starting Line, and then sharpened my musical tastes with personL—which I think is his best project. And now I get to chill out and live it up with this new summery/indie group, Vacationer.


98. Don’t Wait Up, Bane
Release Date: May 13, 2014

It took nine years, but Bane returned with another incredible hardcore album to add to their discography. A powerful display that while this may be the band’s last album, hardcore will never die.




97. Arc Iris, Arc Iris
Release Date: April 01, 2014

I snagged this album on LP on a whim because 1. It was on sale and 2. I had heard the track, “Singing so Sweetly,” and thought it was a fun jazzy arrangement, so I wanted to hear the rest of the album. Little did I know, this band, fronted by Jocie Adams (the Low Anthem), would sweep me away with her sultry vocals and brilliant instrumentation.

96. Die Without Hope, Carnifex
Release Date:

When I run, I often listen to metal mixes. This Carnifex album kept popping up for me this year and it gave me all sorts of motivation to power through. So brutality. Very metal. Wow.




95. Bazaar, Wampire
Release Date:

I went to high school with Eric and Rocky, the two masterminds behind Wampire. They have always been on the fringe of music trends, so it makes perfect sense that their shoegaze dance-crazed sophomore album would cause a stir this year.



94. Young and Courageous, Tides of Man
Release Date: February 04, 2014

What happens when your lead singer leaves to front Dance Gavin Dance? Well, I guess you just go instrumental! I was surprised by how well Tides of Man made the transition to being an instrumental band. This album has many great pieces on it.



93. Dialects, Snowmine
Release Date: February 04, 2014

I listened to this album early in the year and kept coming back to it—a perk of an early year release. Snowmine has crafted an essential listen for anyone that enjoys chill indie rock. Plain and simple.
Play: “Rome”




92. LOSE, Cymbals Eat Guitars
Release Date: August 26, 2014

I turned on this album after I saw the album cover in a record store—and I was not disappointed. This is such a great complex blend of post rock/post hardcore. There’s something for (almost) everyone to love.



91. You Will Eventually Be Forgotten,
empire! empire! (I was a lonely estate)
Release Date: August 19, 2014

So, emo is back and it is awesome. This empire! empire! album has potential to become an emo classic. Lots of feels, lots of incredible writing—necessary listening for anyone needing to vent about anything.


90. Sonic Highway, Foo Fighters
Release Date: November 10, 2014

It took me a few listens to fully grasp this concept album based on the major music scenes of American history. Dave Grohl wanted to be ambitious with this album and that is the best way to describe Sonic Highways—ambitious. There is a lot going on in this album, and some parts feel phoned in, but it is still a rockin’ Foo album.


89. Language, The Contortionist
Release Date: September 16, 2014

The Contortionist has been known to explore and push the boundaries of prog-metal. My first few listens through this album weren’t great. I was distracted. It took a solid sit down effort to realize that this album has a lot of intricate details working to its advantage.


88. Devil, Chiodos
Release Date: April 1, 2014

We did it! Craig Owens is back with Chiodos! I guess the drama is over! And Thom Erak is along for the ride this time! Even with all of this good “news,” I was nervous for Devil. Yet, surprisingly, this album did an incredible job rebuilding the Chiodos sound (minus “3AM,” which is a terrible song).


87. Wovenwar, Wovenwar
Release Date: August 05, 2014

What would you do if your lead singer was arrested for plotting to murder his wife? Well, you start a new band, apparently! That’s what the members of As I Lay Dying did—as they teamed with Oh, Sleeper lead singer, Shane Blay, to create this all new metal force to be reckoned with.


86. Our Love, Caribou
Release Date: October 07, 2014

This is such a chill album with great beats, soft vocals (when there are vocals), and some absolutely stunning compositions.
Play: “Dive”





85. Shelter, Alcest
Release Date: January 17, 2014

I did not expect to fall in love with a shoegaze band from France this year. But it happened. This album is uplifting to the point that it feels like a religious experience when you listen to it. Such a light and airy listen.



84. Heavy Fruit, He is Legend
Release Date: August 19, 2014

When I heard there would be a new He is Legend album, I thought of the first time I saw them live back in 2007—their energy, their rawness, their talent. This album is a great return to form for these southern metal heads.



83. Mitau, Audrey Fall
Release Date: January 14, 2014

Audrey Fall has crafted a very full post metal instrumental sound. It’s hard to tell where the band will go from this debut LP, but listen to this one while lying on the floor on a rainy day. Trust me.




82. Splinters, Vallenfyre
Release Date: May 13, 2014

I got a headache while head-banging to this album the first time I went through it. So, that right there should be a clear indication that this is a powerful extreme metal album from a dominant British supergroup that contains members of Paradise Lost, Doom, and At the Gates.


81. Love of Cartography, Sleepmakeswaves
Release Date: July 04, 2014

This was one of my most anticipated albums of the year and it didn’t disappoint. SMW has been cemented among the best in post rock instrumental tunes—they use this album to explore some uncharted heavier sounds and experimentation, which pay off greatly.


80. More Than Any Other Day, Ought
Release Date: April 29, 2014

I’ve come to terms with the fact that I will never have At The Drive-In again. I’m okay with that. For now, I am more than happy to have the art-punk stylings of Ought—who have crafted this masterful album that made me wish I could be in the band.



79. Lost Forever // Lost Together, Architects
Release Date: March 11, 2014

So, holy shit—Architects performed most of this album when I saw them live this year and I loved every second of it. I am a big fan of their previous albums, and this release is another strong metal album from one of Britain’s finest acts.



78. After the End, Merchandise
Release Date: August 25, 2014

It’s hard to explain Merchandise’s sound. It has a throwback 80s Brit-pop feel to it—if I had to compare it to anything, I would say Interpol mixed with the Cure. But I’m probably wrong because I just can’t pin down a way to describe the way this album makes me feel.


77. Once More ‘Round the Sun, Mastodon
Release Date: June 24, 2014

Has Mastodon made a bad album yet? The answer is no. These men continue to release dominant metal albums that will motivate other metal bands to step their game up.




76. Island Intervals, Death Vessel
Release Date: February 25, 2014

Joel Thibodeau and his team worked with Jonsi from Sigur Ros to create this incredible folksy/ambient album. I found this album endearingly powerful in its delivery of a loveable—yet, dynamic sound.




There is the first quarter of my list!

Get ready for the next section in just a few days!

In the meantime, if you haven’t already, check out the last post:


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