(15) Belvidere 7" - Casanovas in Heat (Katorga Works)
Casanovas in Heat came out of nowhere and kicked my ass with this 7". Think 80s college rock and power pop ala Husker Du and The Replacements with a Buzzcocks edge. It would be real nice if they released a full length in 2015.
Top jam: "Destiny St."
(14) Cheap Thrills on a Dead End Street EP - Beach Slang (Tiny Engines)
The blatantly early 90s alternative rock sounding vocals and ridiculous lyrics are a bit much, but, I don't really have anything else to complain about with Beach Slang. They seem to get constant comparisons to A Boy Named Goo, and okay, that's clever and a little bit true and also really gimmicky. I'll be honest, I'm only really familiar with "Name," "Iris" and the hits from Dizzy Up the Girl, so, to me, this sounds like emo Replacements, and it is awesome. Fuzzy guitars playing open chords and excellent melodies to boot. Cheap Thrills on a Dead End Street was the second EP the band released in 2014. More on that later.
Top jam: "All Fuzzed Out"
(13) Steve Hears Pile in Malden and Bursts Into Tears EP - Krill (Exploding in Sound)
I guess I'd say Krill's follow-up to last year's quite good Lucky Leaves is an improvement, but, it's really just more of the same with slightly better production. Moody, zany, noodly, sometimes discordant and concept-heavy, but, also sometimes melodic and upbeat guitar pop with an insane sounding person singing. This EP also has a song called "Turd" on it, and I think it might actually be about poop in a way? Anyway, looking forward to next year's full length.
Top jam: "Steve Hears Pile in Malden and Bursts Into Tears"
(12) Scary Stories You Tell in the Dark EP - Donovan Wolfington (Topshelf)
I was pleasantly surprised by last year's Stop Breathing LP, and on Donovan Wolfington's latest, the Scary Stories You Tell in the Dark EP, they continue to merge emo noodling with pop punk trajectory. This time they up the amount of early 90s alternative rock fuzz on their guitars, and there you have it. The EP's production is a little off to me, but, not enough to take away from how good the music is. One more thing: this band seems unfairly talented for how young they look.
Top jam: "Alone"
(11) Hard of Hearing EP - Dream Version (self-released)
My friend and former bandmate Alec Jensen is a music genius. I've written about him on here before. Dream Version is his new band with fellow Chicago musicians (and teachers!), and this is a little two-song digital release they unleashed on the internet early on in 2014. Jensen is probably the most talented songwriter I know, and he has found the perfect set of guys to help formulate his vision and add their own awesome character to the songs. Both "Hard of Hearing" and "Escape Your Escape" are pure pop/rock bliss with perfect melodies and arrangements. This is some truly pro shit. I am proud, and absolutely cannot wait for their full length coming in early 2015.
Top jam: "Hard of Hearing"
(10) Loose Planes EP - Loose Planes (6131)
Loose Planes are another friend band, though I only know one of the guys in it (Brent Mosser, formerly of one of my all-time favorite local Detroit bands, The Word Play). Also featured here are dudes from established and popular pop punk and emo bands like Fireworks, Make Do and Mend and Hampshire. They also released two EPs this year, the first of which (this one) got picked up and released by 6131 Records. This could be lazily categorized as pop punk, but, I think it has a little more of a Superchunk sound with slight nods to Dinosaur Jr. All four songs are great, but, "Licking Cement" is one of my favorites of the year.
Top jam: "Licking Cement"
(9) Dogs on Acid EP - Dogs on Acid (Ranch)
Dogs on Acid are a newer Philadelphia punk band featuring dudes who were in disbanded emo greats Algernon Cadwallader, Snowing and Glocca Morra (just found out they're breaking up, and I am crushed). These guys are considerably less noodly than those three bands, and I don't think they fit the emo tag exclusively (though, sure, there is an element of that in their sound). I'd say they're heading more in an Archers of Loaf sort of direction, but, brighter and poppier? These two songs rule, and I have a 7" on Asian Man to look forward to in 2015.
Top jam: "Waiting for You to Come Home"
(8) Underlay EP - Twerps (Merge/Chapter)
Travis Bravender tipped me off to Twerps a couple months ago. This is some extremely good jangly guitar pop that leans more toward 60s psych/garage pop like The Byrds and The Dovers than 80s jangle pop. A song from their forthcoming 2015 LP that was released late this year sounds like The Bats and The Feelies, though, so maybe they're going that way. Anyway, all of the songs on Underlay are good, half of them are great.
Top jam: "Conditional Report"
(7) Who Would Want Anything So Broken? EP - Beach Slang (Dead Broke)
Who Would Want Anything So Broken? is the first 2014 Beach Slang EP that I alluded to earlier. Same sound as the second one, however, different songs, obviously. I really like all four songs, but, "Get Lost" especially kills.
Top jam: "Get Lost"
(6) Split 7" - Little Big League/Ovlov (Tiny Engines)
The only split to make this list is a doozy. I had regretfully slept on Little Big League's excellent 2013 debut LP, These Are Good People, until I saw them live at Bled Fest back on Memorial Day weekend and purchased it there. They're not doing exactly the same thing as Speedy Ortiz, but, they are kindred spirits in the game of jagged, intertwining guitar dueling and front-women. "Year of the Sunhouse" and "Pure Bliss Choices" are two of their best songs. Ovlov's Am was my second favorite record of 2013, and they had a solid 2014 campaign, contributing to three different split releases. "The Great Crocodile," without question their best song of the year, continues in their MBV-meets-Dinosaur Jr. tradition, only with better production (better technically... I strongly prefer the fuzzed out, lo-fi mess that is Am).
Top jam: "The Great Crocodile" (Ovlov)
(5) The World is a Terrible Place & I Hate Myself and Want to Die EP - The Weaks (Lame-o)
The Weaks were a random discovery of mine, and I can't quite remember how it came about. Of course, they're another Philly punk band, and according to one picture I saw on the internet, I think Peter from Algernon Cadwallader/Dogs on Acid/Business Models was involved somehow at some point? I assume that the title of this EP, The World is a Terrible Place & I Hate Myself and Want to Die is a satirical nod to the popular emo/post-rock band The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die? Anyway, these six songs are fantastic, super catchy punk rock that varies in volume and tempo. "Nietzche's Harvest Song" and "How to Put an Audience to Sleep in Under Two Minutes" are the cream of the crop, bringing to a mind a louder version of Nothing Feels Good-era The Promise Ring with beard-punk vocals.
Top jam: "Nietzche's Harvest Song"
(4) Cassette EP - Viet Cong (Mexican Summer)
I am really pumped about this band. Viet Cong is made up of Matt Flegel and Mike Wallace (aka the rhythm section of the unfortunately short-lived and incredible Women) and two other guitar dudes. Mexican Summer reissued their 2013 cassette EP this year with the addition of a Bauhaus cover. Like Women, Viet Cong shift between haunting and discordant and warm and catchy. I have the 2013 version, so excluding the Bauhaus cover, the first four songs are gorgeous, chimey odes to 60s sunshine pop and 80s jangle pop. Without question, these are the best songs. "Structureless Design" is a dark post-punk jam, and then closer, "Choose Your Drone," meshes the two sounds before imploding into a wall of psychedelic noise. Can't wait for next year's full length!
Top jam: "Oxygen Feed"
(3) Real Hair EP - Speedy Ortiz (Carpark)
Speedy Ortiz followed up my favorite album of 2013, Major Arcana, perfectly with the Real Hair EP. Jagged, interwoven guitars with subtle, but driving bass and tastefully intricate drumming. More of those Archers of Loaf, Helium and Exile in Guyville vibes. These songs are bigger thanks to 90s alt-rock producer Paul Q. Kolderie, and it is a seamless and wonderful thing. Just another day for Speedy O. This band kicks so much ass.
Top jam: "Shine Theory"
(2) Separate EP - Roomrunner (Accidental Guest)
Roomrunner were hard pressed to surpass the quality of Ideal Cities, my third favorite record in 2013. But, they did it. Awesomely recorded by J. Robbins, Separate is less Bleach, and more, I don't know... a lot of things, I guess. Not that Ideal Cities is a one-trick Nirvana rip-off, but, it just seems like this EP draws from a wider array of influences. Chavez, Shiner, Hum and Swervedriver (and sure, In Utero) come to mind, except heavier, a little more straightforward (I said a little) and with simpler melodies. It's just about perfect, as every song is great, particularly "Chrono Trigger" (the tribute to the great SNES RPG in the title is most definitely not the only awesome thing about it).
Top jam: "Chrono Trigger"
(1) Kick EP - Sundials (Topshelf)
If I were to re-do my best of 2012 albums list, Sundials' When I Couldn't Breathe would rank a lot higher now (maybe even breaking into the top five). These boys know how to write a song that is structurally tricky, but chock-full of hooks and tremendous melodies. Kick is my favorite EP of 2014. It is an exceptional merging of pop punk and college rock. It is fuzz pop. It is jangle punk. It is what it is: a collection of six perfect songs.
Top jam: "Kick"
No comments:
Post a Comment