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.
Play: “Woods”
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.
Play: “Shining”
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.
Play: “All the Way Through”
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.
Play: “Swimming”
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.
Play: “Condemned toDecay”
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.
Play: “Fly on the Wall”
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.
Play: “Young and Courageous”
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.
Play: “Laramie”
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.
Play: “A Keepsake”
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.
Play: “Outside”
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.
Play: "Language I: Intuition"
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).
Play: “Behvis Bullock”
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.
Play: “All Rise”
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.
Play: “Shelter”
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.
Play: “This Will Never Work”
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.
Play: “Courland Aa”
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.
Play: “Bereft”
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.
Play: “Habit”
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.
Play: “Naysayer”
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.
Play: “Enemy”
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.
Play: “The Motherload”
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.
Play: “Velvet Antlers”
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:
No comments:
Post a Comment