[Leanne Cushing is a contributing editor at Punknews.org]
My name is Leanne Cushing and I’m a news editor here at Punknews. 2014 was more of a “best of†moments and shows that come to mind but I was able to scrounge up my Top 10 albums to add to the mix.
BEST LPs OF 2014
10
The Smith Street Band: Throw Me In The River
Side One Dummy
This breakup album is great to listen to when you have a case of the feels. The album as a whole plays through beautifully and without any low points. I love the melodies, carrying bass lines and Wil’s shouting. Some of the pictures painted within the lyrics can be felt down to the bone. Personal highlights are: “Calgary Girls,†“Surrey Dive†and “The Arrogance of the Drunk Pedestrian.â€
9
Somos: Temple of Plenty
Tiny Engines
This album is pop-rock; not just in genre but in the means of musical ear candy. Each song stands on its own, as does the album as a whole. These young Boston boys have been turning heads in the past two years; a support tour with Modern Baseball and a spot on Riot Fest and more recently signing to No Sleep Records. If I was still in high school, there’s a good chance that Somos would be my favorite band. Honest, sweet anthems with catchy guitar melodies and distinct vocals of Michael Fiorentino have this band on an upwards trajectory. “Strangest Example†is a showcase song for this album: sweet lyrics, beautiful melodies and incredible production to balance each element.
8
Sharon Van Etten: Are We There
Jagjaguwar
Sharon Van Etten’s fourth full release did a bit of chart climbing this year. The singer-songwriter’s last album, Tramp, is a favorite released in the past couple years and Are We There serves up more of the bluesy, beautiful songs that hit the feels hard.
7
Hooray For Earth: RACY
Dovecote Records
This New York-based indie outfit has sadly called it as a band. The good thing is before they broke up, they produced RACY. “Say Enough†would have been a regular play on the college indie rock show I once had. While it is the stuff for Sprint and Apple commercials alike, a well-constructed dance-y, happy album is a good thing to have in the mix. The album was one of my favorites produced this year and satisfies that need to hear synthesizers once in a while.
6
Little Big League: Tropical Jinx
Run For Cover Records
Little Big League’s sophomore album steps more into the indie rock scene with less screaming from frontwoman Michelle Zauner, but more beautiful melodies. Michelle exposes some old wounds in her lyrics. The lyrics in “Property Line†and “In Air†are particularly breathtaking.
5
Cayetana: Nervous Like Me
Tiny Engines
I fell in love with Cayetana after their first EP demo came out on Bandcamp. Since 2012, these Philly ladies have been making waves. The warbling sincerity that Augusta Koch delivers makes it hard to not empathize with the situations or emotions laid out in the lyrics. “Serious Things Are Stupid†felt like a personal anthem (along with a few others) all the while having a toe-tapping lo-fi sound.
4
Against Me! : Transgender Dysphoria Blues
Total Treble
While Against Me!’s Transgender Dysphoria Blues was an early 2014 release, I feel like it is the most influential of the year. Laura Jane Grace has always delivered her heart into her albums and bringing this album to the surface is beautiful. Controversial topics are always something punk music strives to address but I can’t recall a release that does it quite in this way. Pre-released song “Black Me Out†and heartfelt songs like “My Dead Friend†and “Two Coffins†pull as instant favorites while some, like “Drinking with the Jocks,†help keep non-lyric lovers (say, most of the Boston AM! fans) roped in.
3
Pianos Become the Teeth: Keep You
Epitaph Records
As a recovering shoegaze and post-rock kid, Keep You has enough lyrics to push out the old Explosions In the Sky records and listen to this on repeat. This album was a great release for the fall; the melodies and emo lyrics greet the northeast cold with empty, open arms.
2
Strand of Oaks: Heal
Dead Oceans
Philly-based band Strand of Oaks has been making strides with the release of Heal. This album has been a refreshing find for me, and it's been exciting seeing the band grow while having just completed a giant US and Europe tour (with a special appearance on Seth Meyers). There is a sentimental, semi-short fiction style in the lyrics that paint pictures of beautiful memories lived and reflections resolved. Heal makes me want nothing more than to hear the life stories of band frontman Timothy Showalter. Noteworthy tracks include “Goshen ‘97,†“JM†and “Plymouth.â€
1
Restorations: LP3
Side One Dummy
Like the previous self-titled and LP2 before it, Restorations continues to be a hard to classify band that takes every album as a new opportunity to push the envelope. While I adore the catchy melodies to heartfelt lyrics and raspy voice of Jon Loudon, every song on this album isn’t driven by just that. The bass lines, organ overtones, layered guitar and backup harmonies are what balance the album and makes it repeatable for hundreds (literally, hundreds) of spins.