Back to 2014 (Re-Ranking the Best of Lists) • Page 2

I usually skip ahead to that one and call it good.

 

Jim Wise and Micheline are the two I return to most outside of Carissa. Especially Micheline.

 

1. Anberlin - Lowborn
2. Copeland - Ixora
3. Nickel Creek - A Dotted Line
4. From Indian Lakes - Absent Sounds
5. The War On Drugs - Lost in the Dream
6. Kye Kye - Fantasize
7. La Dispute - Rooms of the House
8. Adam Sams - Tightwire
9. Levi the Poet - Correspondence (A Fiction)
10. The Hotelier - Home, Like Noplace is There
11. Coldplay - Ghost Stories
12. Damien Rice - My Favourite Faded Fantasy
13. Pianos Become the Teeth - Keep You
14. Wolves at the Gate - VxV
15. Manchester Orchestra - Cope/Hope

 

"Jim Wise" is tough for me, though not as tough as something like "Dogs."

 

2014 was weird. Last year of university, got demoted at work to pushing trolleys around which was boring as fuck, but allowed me to listen to more music. Made a lot of friends, but also pushed a few away due to my inability to deal with mental health issues/lashing out at people. Glad to put it behind me, although there were undeniably good moments.

1. Lower than Atlantis - Lower than Atlantis
2. Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness - Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness
3. Lift a Sail - Yellowcard
4. Royal Blood - Royal Blood
5. You're Gonna Miss It All - Modern Baseball
6. Cavalier Youth - You Me At Six - You Me At Six
7. Great Divide - Twin Atlantic
8. Happiness Is - Taking Back Sunday
9. Asymmetry - Mallory Knox
10. Twin Forks - Twin Forks
Honourable mention to Gerard Way's Hesitant Alien and Aaron West & The Roaring 20's We Don't Have Each Other.

 

Ixora by Copeland was on of my strongest choices ever for AOTY, I'll have to revisit it soon enough!

 

2014 is a weird year for me. I finished my first year of college, binged a ton of TV shows that were ap.net staples during summer break. I finally got in the loop when it comes to the forums, hanging out much more in there than in the news posts, finally.

Then to go back to my personal life, I changed my course and University at the same occasion for the following school year, but I remained in the same city.

And that's when... my social anxiety got the best of me. The first half of that school year was a struggle. I felt lonely and depressed so much, not able to make connections with anyone, and being part of much bigger classes than before was overwhelming. Sadly, that's all I'm reminded of when I put on some of the records highlighted in my list below, especially Yellowcard, The Tidal Sleep, Tinashe and others that came out that fall. I barely have any good memories, except for the Glasperlenspiel show that December, and the start of my deep dive into German rock and hip hop. Music and TV shows were huge sources of comfort back then. I also believe we got our first teaser of The Force Awakens at that time.

It just feels like a very bittersweet year for me, not one I like reminiscing about, and because of that, I had a difficult time remembering stuff that I loved compared to the previous years or 2015, which I'm looking forward revisiting next week as that's an incredible year, but I'll save my thoughts for Wednesday.

Anyway, here's my list, that contains some all time favorites:

Yellowcard - Lift A Sail
Tinashe - Aquarius
Katy B - Little Red
Silent Planet - The Night God
Hostage Calm - Die On Stage
Gates - Bloom And Breathe
After School - Dress To Kill
The Tidal Sleep - Vorstellungskraft
HaKU - Symbiosis
Pianos Become The Teeth - Keep You
Death From Above 1979 - The Physical World
Submotion Orchestra - Alium
The Intersphere - Relations In The Unseen
Betty Who - Take Me When You Go
Coldplay - Ghost Stories
Kye Kye - Fantasize
Passepied - Makunouchi ISM
The Xcerts - There Is Only You
Banks - Goddess
Marmozets - The Weird And Wonderful Marmozets

Then I guess those are the honorable mentions which, to me, mean the albums that slightly passed me by at the time, but that have become much more important to me over the years.

Against Me! – Transgender Dysphoria Blues
Every Time I Die – From Parts Unknown
PUP – PUP
St. Vincent - St. Vincent
Pvris - White Noise
Yelle - Complètement Fou
FKA Twigs - LP1
Danity Kane - DK3
Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Wanderlust
Anberlin - Lowborn
Lower Than Atlantis - Lower Than Atlantis

 

Going to give it a try. This was the year I graduated high school and started college. Went to my first festivals (Coachella and FYF) this year. Two different relationships for each half of the year. Weird times.

1. Julian Casablancas + The Voidz- Tyranny
2. Lana Del Rey- Ultraviolence
3. Foster the People- Supermodel
4. Thom Yorke- Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes
5. Taylor Swift- 1989
6. Halsey- Room 93
7. La Dispute- Rooms of the House
8. Charli XCX- Sucker
9. St Vincent- s/t
9. FKA Twigs- LP1
10. Bleachers- Strange Desire
11. Weezer- Everything Will Be Alright In The End
12. Coldplay- Ghost Stories
13. Gerard Way- Hesitant Alien
14. Kero Kero Bonito- Intro Bonito
15. The Kooks- Listen

 

I was not listening to a ton of new stuff in 2014. I remember listening to Manchester Orchestra on repeat that year and the Broken Bells album. I moved from WI to WV for half the year and then started grad school in the fall. I don't remember listening to a ton of new music that year because there was so much else going on in life.

Here is my re-ranking for 2014:

1. Fireworks - Oh, Common Life
2. Manchester Orchestra - Hope
3. Young the Giant - Mind Over Matter
4. Bleachers – Strange Desire
5. Manchester Orchestra - Cope
6. Golden Youth - The Cabin
7. Copeland - Ixora
8. Broken Bells - After the Disco
9. Anberlin - Lowborn
10. The War on Drugs – Lost in the Dream
11. From Indian Lakes - Absent Sounds
12. The Hotelier – Home, Like Noplace is There
13. Taking Back Sunday - Happiness Is
14. Yellowcard – Lift a Sail
15. The Menzingers – Rented World
16. Spoon - They Want My Soul
17. Taylor Swift – 1989
18. Coldplay – Ghost Stories
19. Weezer- Everything Will Be Alright In The End
20. The Gaslight Anthem – Get Hurt

Some honorable mentions: Circa Survive - Descensus; Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties – We Don’t Have Each Other; Walk the Moon – Talking is Hard; Hostage Calm - Die On Stage

 

Oh, I also dug up the top 5 of my whole list:

Copeland - Ixora
Gates - Bloom & Beathe
From Indian Lakes - Absent Sounds
La Dispute - Rooms Of The House
Pianos Become The Teeth - Keep You

Like I said I actually came back to revisit "Ixora" quite heavily during the weekend, I guess I'll turn to Gates and FIL for now, seeing as I spinned LD and PBTT very recently. Amazing albums!