Thursday, January 15, 2015

Kevin presents: The best albums of 2014

What kind of music blog would this be without an end of the year Best Album list? Yes, I am fully aware I'm a little late, but seeing as though I randomly decided to even start doing this a few days ago, I say fuck it. Close enough. Now listen to and respect my opinions.

10. Dead Bars - Dead Bars (No Idea)

I know a lot of people don't count 4 song EP's as albums, but I'm not some people. Does it have music on it? Then its an album. Dead Bars were described to me as follows: "The singer can't sing, and the lyrics are super dumb, but they are sooooo good." These are all true. This short 4 song EP sums up what this band seems to be about, quick short songs you can get drunk to and scream along with your friends. My favorite Dead Bars song, Just Fine, is on a split with Sunshine State, but I included this because it has more songs.

9. Bad Cop/Bad Cop - Boss Lady (Fat Wreck Chords)

At least I kept the 2 EP's on the bottom of the list, ok you fucking whiners? Bad Cop/Bad Cop put out this gem on Fat Wreck Chords early last year. Their first on Fat, second EP overall, this is a short, sweet, glimpse into what they are capable of. The B-Side, Rodeo and Asshole are 2 of my absolute most favorite songs.

8. Chris Cresswell - One Week Record (One Week Records)

The Flatliners are one of my favorite bands, so I was looking forward to Chris Cresswell's debut solo album, put out on Joey Cape's new One Week Records. The idea behind the label is to write and record an album in one week. This could not be more of the opposite of the Flatliners, and that's what makes it special.

7. Pup - Pup (Side One Dummy)

It took me forever to actually get into this band. Number 1, that fucking album cover. 2, everyone was so stoked on them, that it actually made me not like them. That's a thing. I believe its called being punk as fuck. But then I went and saw them play in a garage in Temecula and it turns out, they aren't so bad after all. I think it was the jammy song Yukon that made me reevaluate my opinion. I've seen this album on a lot of year end lists, and people seem to like to point out it came out in 2013, but it was released on Side One in 2014, so fuck you, you nit picky nerds.

6. Against Me! - Transgender Dysphoria Blues (Total Treble)

I'm going to be honest, Against Me! is definitely my favorite band of all time and I absolutely despised White Crosses when it was released, but I loved Black Crosses, which was pretty much the demo's from White Crosses (and it didn't have the worst song ever made by humans, Bob Dylan Dream). Now, I can not relate to this album like most other Against Me! albums, but that doesn't mean it still doesn't rip. Black Me Out and Osama Bin Laden As The Crucified Christ are 2 of my favorite AM! songs ever.

5. The Creeps - Eulogies (It's Alive!)

The Creeps are the second band that made my list that my dear friend Lindsey introduced me to. And the second that took me forever to get into. When I went to go visit her in Oakland in September, she pretty much played this album non-stop for the week I was there. I didn't give it a listen to for a few more moths on my own, but when I did, Jesus. It is so depressingly awesome. I'm pretty sure the song Cancer is what I would be if instead of a person, I was a song.

4. Banner Pilot - Souvenirs (Fat Wreck Chords)

Yes, I enjoyed this album. Obviously. It's #4 on my list idiot. Now, is it as good as Heart Beats Pacific or Collapser? No. But those were damn near perfect albums. But you can't honestly tell me this album is not good. Personal opinion: if the album ended at track 10 Springless, it would have been great from start to finish. As it stands, the last 2 tracks are the weak spot. Still a great album though.

3. Lagwagon - Hang (Fat Wreck Chords)

Lagwagon is THE band that got me into punk music. Back when I listened to only rap, my buddy gave me Let's Talk About Feelings and I immediately changed my ways. So to see these guys not only still making music 12 years later, but making really really good music is fucking awesome.

2. The Holy Mess - Comfort in the Discord (Self Released)

I fucking love The Holy Mess. I was lucky enough to catch them play a few songs at Fest this year, but I am absolutely pumped for the day they play an actual show somewhere in or around southern California. This album is perfect from start to finish, and contains one of my favorite lyrics in a song, "Shit faced on a Tuesday night/Can't sleep so I keep on drinking/Smoking to keep from drinking/Drinking to keep from thinking about you"

1. The Lawrence Arms - Metropole (Epitaph)

Come on, did you really think I was going to pick something else? After an 8 year hiatus, Brendan, Neil and Chris come back with the best album of 2014, Metropole. I read a bunch of interviews before this album came out, and in all of them they claim this album is not about getting old, but fuck them, it totally fucking is. And that's why this is one of the single most relatable albums to me ever. I'm turning 30 this year, and I swear to god the song Seventeener (17th and 37th) is my life.





No comments: