It’s been an interesting year. Many of our childhood heroes have let us down by dropping sub-par material that will ruin their nostalgia riddled live show for years to come. That being said, along with some good new bands, some older bands have come out of left field with their best music to date.
But more importantly than other bands and their music, we released our first album:
So, we’d like you to download and listen to that, and forget everything else you read below. Because we’re the best of 2014, if you don’t know about anyone else.
The following is a list of things you’re not allowed to listen to:
Top LPs of 2014
10. Morning Glory – War Psalms
Just when you thought the crust-ska-crack-rock-steady-fedora-punk thing was dead and boring, Morning Glory delivers a well-rounded inventive yet rooted album to make you shut your mouth.
9. White Lung – Deep Fantasy
Another solid log from these ladies + guitar nerd, this one is kinda similar to the last one but in a good way.
8. The Old Firm Casuals – This Means War
Of all the Rancid side-projects that are still going, this one seems to be the most compelling. Reminds me of the better days of the bastards but with a side order of Oi!
7. Pharaoh Monch – PTSD
Probably his worst album, but it’s still better than you.
6. Beat Noir – Ecotone
1 part the melodic 90s alt, 1 part energetic 80s punk; yum.
5. Against Me! – Transgender Dysphoria Blues
Ultimately an uneven album, however, many of these songs will be counted among their best. A breath of fresh air and a re-invigoration of the band.
4. Joyce Manor – Never Drunk Again
Less immediately digestible than previous efforts; yet, more enduring than the fragmentary nature of their last album. Probably the best album to stage dive and aggressively mosh to released this year.
3. Holy Mess – Comfort in Discord
If Alkaline Trio stopped basing their songs on skeleton heart t-shirt sales and wrote about adult feelings, it would sound like this.
2. Dogjaw – No One Will Ever Believe You
Best kept secret of the year. Jack-era Dead to Me meets Sonic 2’s soundtrack meets Pinkerton era Weezer; all my favourite things.
1. The Dwarves – Invented Rock n Roll
This year’s classic album + the definitive album by the Dwarves. After decades of grinding it out, they’ve finally mastered the craft, offending everyone from the Christian right to the holier-than-thou mom’s basement punks. I guess every dog has it’s day.
Tops EPs of 2014
We all know that EPs are better than LPs, so this is the list you should be focusing on.
10. Heart Attack Kids – Hooligans
London rage-punk that’s great to blast on your drive to cubicle office hell in the mornings. Sounds like someone has a case of the Mondays.
9. Stuck Out Here – Getting Used To Feeling Like Shit
Catchy stuff, fun to smash furniture to.
8. The Reckless Upstarts – Concrete Stare
Our old bassist thinks it’s ok to find new best friends, and start new bands, and move on to better things. What a dick, he’s out of the trust fund.
7. Wasted Potential – S/T
Re-recordings of songs from their demo, looking forward to hearing some new ones.
6. The New Outcasts – …Make a Scene
Nice guys, great music. First track reminds me of Nightmare before Christmas, in a non-hot-topic kind of way.
5. Black Cat Attack – Bright Side of the Moon
Best horror-punk going, with 2 different but equally good singers.
4. Beach Slang – Cheap Thrills on a Dead End Street
Best new band of the year fo-sho. If Jawbreaker did karaoke over replacements songs, it would sound like this.
3. RVIVR – Bicker and Breathe
When this band isn’t yelling at you about sexism, they spend their time writing great songs.
2. Captain Bringdown and the Buzzkills – Strike Again!
London Ontario wins again for highest per capita rate of great bands. This one is Captain Bringdown’s best yet.
1. Beach Slang – Who Would Ever Want Anything So Broken?
What? 2 EPs in the top 10 by the same band? Yep, best new band of the year.