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
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.
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: Fireworks - Oh, Common Life Manchester Orchestra - Hope Young the Giant - Mind Over Matter Bleachers – Strange Desire Manchester Orchestra - Cope Golden Youth - The Cabin Copeland - Ixora Broken Bells - After the Disco Anberlin - Lowborn The War on Drugs – Lost in the Dream From Indian Lakes - Absent Sounds The Hotelier – Home, Like Noplace is There Taking Back Sunday - Happiness Is Yellowcard – Lift a Sail The Menzingers – Rented World Spoon - They Want My Soul Taylor Swift – 1989 Coldplay – Ghost Stories Weezer- Everything Will Be Alright In The End 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!