It’s sexier than…your fucking hipster beard! It’s the end of year list compiling our team’s favourite tracks of 2014! It’s been a great year. As always, we really appreciate your support and we love you very much! Let us know what you think of these awesome tunes!
[like_to_read][/like_to_read]
GUEST PICKS:
Jericho Keys (BBC Introducing in York and North Yorkshire) picks:
Catfish And The Bottlemen – ‘Cocoon’
“This is the sort of track that everyone can relate to if they’ve ever been drunk & fallen out with their partner. Every song off their debut album documents some part of your youth & growing up with all the scraps, scrapes, headaches and heartbreaks thrown in. “
—
Tim Hornsby (Booker and Founder of Fibbers York) picks:
The Lake Poets – ‘Honest Hearts’
“Such a beautiful performer with a wealth of material. And a lovely bloke as well.“
—
Chris Catalyst, Eureka Machines / Sisters Of Mercy
Losers – ‘Turn Around’
“I liked the [Losers] album so much so that I got them on the most recent tour by The Sisters Of Mercy, where they knocked audiences sideways every night. They’re a band of pedigree, featuring members of The Cooper Temple Clause, Yourcodenameis:milo, Young Legionnaire and Oceansize, and they’ve added all that experience and talent up to come up with an amazing sum. Brilliant album, amazing live… there’s nothing not to like.“
—
Harry Johns, Brawlers
PUP – ‘Guilt Trip’
“Basically Brawlers listen to this every day we play shows. Best band, great friends – punk but a bit different, which is where we come from too.“
—
Simon Gallagher, tour manager [letlive.]
Marmozets – Why Do You Hate Me’
“Progressing from a blue-print of Daughters meets L7, keeping the vein of giving no fucks yet steadily opening the gates to a wider audience – ‘Why Do You Hate Me?’ displays a true turning point for Marmozets.“
—
Giles Moorhouse, Armalyte Industries
Paolo Nutini – ‘Iron Sky’
“Why? Just listen. If you have to ask ‘why’ after hearing this insta-epic then you’ll never know.”
—
Jamie Baker, Officers
Wild Beasts – ‘Wanderlust’
“My album of the year is Wild Beasts, ‘Present Tense’. A masterpiece and career zenith which will see them placed on a path to be one of the great quintessential British bands in time.”
—
Jane Thrace, Dark-Cide
Combichrist – ‘We Rule The World, Motherfuckers’
—
TEAM PICKS:
Francesca Fortunato, writer
The Front Bottoms – Jim Bogart
“A gut-wrenching tale of unrequited love layered with dynamic melodies. This song gets stuck in your head right from the beginning with no hope of leaving.”
—
Sep Gohardani, writer
Interpol – ‘Tidal Wave’
“Though not one of the singles from the band’s comeback fifth album ‘El Pintor’, ‘Tidal Wave’ encapsulates all that’s great about the band. It’s a song that starts unassumingly enough, but its drumbeat and guitar line always suggest an imminent explosion of sound, and it crescendos to a rousing, euphoric conclusion in their typically dramatic style.”
—
Max Watt, writer
Expire – ‘Forgetting’
“Expire are the shit.”
—
Louisa Kouzapas, writer
Ginger Wildheart – ‘Albion’
“In the way that only Ginger Wildheart knows how; writing one rifftastic song which seems to encompass the motion of three. Best track from a great album.”
—
Danielle Barge, writer
Little Dragon – ‘Klapp Klapp’
“How can anyone not love that synth? Excellent track from this wonderful indietronica band from Sweden.“
—
Faye Lewis, writer
Beck – ‘Heart Is A Drum’
“Beck described Morning Phase as a follow-up to 02’s incredible Sea Change and the album certainly re-invokes the stunning symphonies producer Nigel Godrich masterfully created first time round. With Beck at the production helm on Morning Phase the album follows a similarly epic call to heartbreak and Heart Is A Drum encapsulates that withdrawn emotion that Beck is so good at.”
—
Steve Nash, writer
The Lawrence Arms – ‘Seventeener’
“Because, despite both Chris and Brandon releasing a wealth of superb material independently, it’s always great to have them back together. It’s the sound of two of the finest songwriters and most unique vocalists around enjoying themselves, and that’ll do for me.”
—
Paul Faller, writer
johnny foreigner – ‘Riff Glitchard’
“I love this band when they’re loud, I might love them even more when they’re quiet, and I love them most of all when they’re emotionally devastating. ‘Riff Glitchard’ combines all three of these aspects into one beautiful whole.“
—
Dom Smith, editor
Keroscene – ‘Cotton Candy’
“Man, it’s just great. Listen! I’ve got so much time for this band.”
—
OTHERS THAT WE LOVED THIS YEAR…
Solemn Sun – ‘Josef’
“Amazing. Uplifting. Near-perfect.”
—
Reggie And The Full Effect – ’37’
“Just good fun from a criminally underrated band.”
—
frnkiero andthe cellabration – ‘joyriding’
“Bloody great fun from the former MCR man.”
—
Gerard Way – ‘Zero Zero’
“Catchy as hell. Brill.”
—
A Joker’s Rage – ‘Bounce’
“These dudes are going to go far. Nice face paint too!”
—
Weezer – ‘Back To The Shack’
“Because it’s Weezer.”
—
Sleepwave – ‘Inner Body Revolt’
“This band, man. Best thing in alternative metal right now.”
—
Tricky – ‘Nicotine Love’
“Effortless cool.”
—
Brawlers – ‘Two Minutes’
“We’ve got much love for Brawlers. This sound is so much fun!”
—
Bad For Lazarus – ‘Caught In The Twist’
“Chaos. Beautiful chaos.”
—
…And The Hangnails – ‘You & I’ (pictured)
“Brilliant track. Awesome band.”
—
sElf – ‘Runaway’
“All the cats.”
—
Youth Code – ‘Consuming Guilt’
“Violent Industrial vibes. Back to our roots.”
—
Young Fathers – ‘Come Soon Come Soon’
“Calming. Decadent. Ace.”
—
GHXST – ‘Galaxia’
“Doom-grunge. Because it’s fucking doom-grunge, all right?”
—
Manchester Orchestra – ‘See It Again’
“Most epic band in the world.”
—
No Devotion – ‘Stay’
“Wonderful band. LostProphets good ones have a second chance to shine.”
