Every passing year is another opportunity to discover great music from bands new and old, creating a soundtrack to our lives for that chapter with our old favorites as the reoccurring theme. 2014 was no exception to the scoring of our daily routines and I am pleased to share 10 albums that helped me define the year.
Fast Astronaut, “Invisible Sun”
Released March 1st – Fast Astronaut was an exciting discovery for me due to the band being made up of Andy Wildrick of The Junior Varsity, (quite literally my favorite band in high school,) and guitarist for The Dear Hunter, as well as EJ Morgan and John Schaffer of Atlas. This debut EP is packed with ambience, catchy melodies and giant sound that could fill even the largest arenas to the roof.
Recommended Intake: Get in your car and hit the road just before dawn. Watch the world come to life as the sky becomes steadily paler.
Tokyo Police Club, “Forcefield”
Released March 25th – Following up their 2010 release, “Champ,” Tokyo Police Club Re-emerged with a new energy on “Forcefield.” The band really seems to come into-their -own on this album, moving away from, for lack of a better term, “The Strokes sound,” and into place of experimentation and influence. The guitar in the intro of, “Gonna Be Ready” personally reminds me of something Omar Rodríguez-López, (At The Drive-In/ The Mars Volta/Antemasque) might play. The aggressiveness of the intro and syncopated riff underlying the verse has a pleasing familiarity.Each song on this album is a triumph of lyricism and musicianship.
Chiodos, “Devil”
Released April 1st – With the return of Craig Owens, Chiodos is back and as solid as ever. “Devil” comes in classic Chiodos form; complete with piano intro, shredding riffs, bouncing rhythms, and countless hooks. Not to mention the usual outlandish song titles like, “Ole Fishlips Is Dead Now,” and “Why The Munsters Matter.” “Devil” is a great listen for both your general #RTFO session, (Rocking The Fuck Out,) or those days where you’d rather give the world the finger in skywriting.
Foxy Shazam, “Gonzo”
Released April 2nd – On April 2nd Foxy Shazam surprised everyone by releasing “Gonzo” without any forewarning and free of charge for the digital download. Alongside audio engineer Steve Albini, Foxy captured their vision in magically raw way that truly sets “Gonzo” apart from their previous albums. The lyrical content of this album is very personal and the instrumentation tells the story beautifully. The trumpet is a much more prominent feature on “Gonzo,” played by Alex Nauth who’s tone really sets the mood. Though Foxy Shazam is currently taking a break from it all, I am more than confident they will return bigger than ever, and once again completely different from the past.
Naïve Thieves, “Vamonos”
Released April 29th – “Vamonos” is the first full-length album by the Southern Californian group produced by Casey Crescenzo (The Dear Hunter/Receiving End Of Sirens) on his Equal Vision imprint, Cave & Canary Goods. Naïve Thieves have a classic sound that to me echoes the golden years of Hollywood accompanied by tropical jazz rhythms you might hear in an old beach movie. The smooth and crooning voice of Cameron Thorne is a window into the past that any lover of nostalgia can appreciate.
Casey Crescenzo, “Amour & Attrition”
Released June 3rd – It’s apparent that Casey Crescenzo had a busy year because along with producing Naïve Thieves, he also found time to compose a symphony and travel to the Czech Republic where he recorded its four movements with a live orchestra. “Amour & Attrition” combines everything you love about the instrumentation of the symphony and the identifiable compositions of Casey Crescenzo, a.k.a., The Dear Hunter.
Say Anything, “Hebrews”
Released June 10th – Max Bemis and company released their 6th studio album entitled, “Hebrews” this summer. Contrary to their previous releases, “Hebrews” features no guitars and instead is composed of orchestral arrangements based around Max’s lyrics describing his transition into a husband and father as well his response to a changing fan base and the expectations placed upon him. The raw honesty of this album is not for all but I personally enjoy the continuation of Max’s journey.
Jack White, “Lazaretto”
Released June 10th – June 10th also marked the release of “Lazaretto” from Jack White on his own label, Third Man Records. Each track on this album is very different from the last, ranging from gritty rock ‘n roll to warm vocal harmonies and string bands. “Lazaretto” also incorporated multiple new features exclusively in its Ultra LP vinyl format including playing from inside to out to an outer locked groove, selectable acoustic or electric intro on track 1 of side B, under the label groove/ hidden songs, and floating angel hologram on the dead wax of the A side. “Lazaretto” is must for any Jack White fan or vinyl collector.
Vacationer, “Relief”
Released June 23rd– Vacationer is quite a contrast when compared to The Starting Line for singer and bassist, Kenny Vasoli. Vacationer is considered “Nu-hula,” which is an electronically fueled mixture of pop, hip-hop beats, reggae, tropical jazz, Caribbean rhythms, and other less obvious influences. “Relief” is the second release by the group since their 2012 debut, “Gone.” “Relief” by definition is a very chill, laid back album filled with positive vibes that leave you with a strong desire to go to the beach, never mind that the wind chill outside is -12 as I’m writing this. “Relief” was a wonderfully refreshing experience for myself, and I’m glad it found me.
Antemasque, (Self-titled)
Released November 10th – Much to the pleasure of At The Drive-In/The Mars Volta fans, Omar Rodríguez-López and Cedric Bixler-Zavala unveiled the self-titled debut for their most recent project, “Antemasque.” Compared to what you might expect from TMV, “Antemasque” contains the most pop structure (VCVCBC) for the duo since At The Drive-In with “Octahedron” being a bit of an exception. Despite being more on the conventional side, “Antemasque” is still made up of the signature guitar playing of Omar accompanied by familiar voice of Cedric. It does seem that Cedric has reeled in his vocal range a good deal; no longer extending into the upper octaves like was so common in TMV. Whether this be for a more comfortable performance or for viability, it’s certainly not a bad thing. Any former fan that can appreciate growth and experiencing something new will not be let down.
It’s safe to say that 2014 had its fair share of great music along with all of the bad. As far as the albums go that I was looking forward to, I feel quite pleased with how they all turned out. Even the few surprises I discovered this year really blew me away. As we start off 2015, I know of at least one record that I’m sure to buy, which is Modest Mouse, “Strangers to Ourselves.” If you have yet to hear their latest single, “Lampshades On Fire,” then here, I help! Schnell!
Happy 2015 to everyone!
Jacob Stahl
