Was 2014 the year that pop music died? It was definitely another year of us not giving a single toss about it. Some will remember it as the year that U2 shat on most people’s mp3 collections. Others who lost their mp3 collections to some hard drive failure will be sobbing and turning to vinyl finally, in a year that sales for the good stuff rose to record figures and rightly so.
As usual, hundreds of albums came and went. Some were over-hyped, others made us dance, sing, shout and write about them. Here’s a list of our top 10s and favourite songs from the reprobates who supply the good ship Crossfire with their love and passion monthly.
If you want in on this and feel the urge to contribute reviews in 2015 then get in touch.
ZACHARY LEEKS:
1. Vertical Scratchers – ‘Daughter Of Everything’ – (Merge Records) review
2. Pusrad – ‘Erarre Humannum EST’ – (Dead Beat)
3. BRONCHO – ‘Just Enough Hip To Be Woman’ – (Dine Alone Records)
4. Fugazi – ‘First Demo’ – (Dischord Records)
5. The Proper Ornaments – ‘Wooden Head’ (Fortuna Pop)
6. Wax Children – ‘Angst’ – S/R review
7. OFF! – ‘Wasted Years’ – (VICE)
8. The Ghost Of A Sabre Tooth Tiger – ‘Midnight Sun’ – (Chimera)
9. Useless Eaters – ‘Bleeding Moon’ – (Castle Face Records)
10. J Mascis – ‘Tied To A Star’ (Sub Pop) review
Honourable mentions: Sleaford Mods, Afghan Whigs, Run The Jewels, Cheatahs, Jonathan Boulet.
Song of the Year: The Proper Ornaments – ‘Now I Understand’ (Fortuna Pop)
NICK HUTCHINGS:
1. Oozing Wound – ‘Earth Suck’ – (Thrill Jockey) review
2. Chain & The Gang – ‘Minimum Rock & Roll’ – (Dischord) review
3. White Fence – ‘For The Recently Found Innocent’ – (Drag City) interview
4. Ty Segall – ‘Manipulator’ – (Drag City) review
5. Thee Oh Sees – ‘Drop’ – (Castle Face) review
6. Half Japanese – ‘Overjoyed’ – (Joyful Noise) interview
7. Pissed Jeans – ‘Shallow’ (reissue) – (Sub Pop) interview
8. Black Pus / Oozing Wound – ‘Split LP’ – (Thrill Jockey)
9. J. Mascis – ‘Tied To A Star’ – (Sub Pop) review
10. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – ‘I’m In Your Mind Fuzz’ – (Heavenly Recordings) review
Song of the Year: Black Pus – ‘Blood Will Run’ (Thrill Jockey)
This is Brian Chippendale from Lightning Bolt’s “other band” playing a cautionary tale from the obnoxiously / deliciously titled “Split LP” with Oozing Wound. Related to a controversial shooting incident, this feels even more apt given recent incidents in Ferguson, USA. Aside from the heaviness, I love how the “yo” at the beginning could almost be the beginning of Skee-Lo’s ‘I Wish’ – that is until the deep drumming and heavy shredding…
MILES HACKETT:
1. ACxDC – ‘Antichrist Demoncore’ – (Meletov)
2. OFF! – ‘Wasted Years’ – (Vice) review
3. The Lawrence Arms – ‘Metropole’ – (Epitaph)
4. Cold World – ‘How The Gods Chill’ – (Deathwish)
5. Mongol Horde – ‘Mongol Horde’ – (Xtra Mile)
6. Boston Strangler – ‘Fire’ – (Fun With Smack)
7. Praise – ‘Lights Went Out’ – (React)
8. Old Firm Casuals – ‘This Means War’ – (Randale)
9. Foreseen – ‘Helsinki Savagery’ – (2 Buck Spin)
10. Vanishing Life – ‘Vanishing Life’ – (Collect)
Song of the Year: ACxDC – ‘Filicide’ (Meletov)
TIM LEWIS:
1. Self Defense Family – ‘Try Me’ – (Deathwish)
2. The Number Ones – S/T – (Static Shock Records / Deranged Records) review
3. Code Orange – ‘I Am King’ – (Deathwish)
4. Good Throb – ‘Fuck Off’ – (S/R)
5. Perspex Flesh – S/T – (Static Shock Records)
6. Angel Du$t – ‘A.D.’ – (React! Records)
7. The Lowest Form – ‘Negative Ecstasy’ – (Iron Lung Records)
8. Renounced – ‘The Melancholy We Ache’ – (Carry The Weight Records)
9. Eagulls – S/T – (Partisan) review
10. The Flex – ‘Wild Stabs in the Dark’ – (Milk Run Records)
Honourable mentions: Hank Wood and the Hammerheads, FKA twigs, Give.
Song of the Year: Self Defense Family – ‘Cottaging’ (Deathwish)
PETE CRAVEN:
1. Grand Collapse – ‘Far From The Callous Crowd’ – (Pumpkin Records)
2. OFF! – ‘Wasted Years’ – (Vice Records) review
3. Los Pepes – ‘Everyone’ – (Wanda Records)
4. Neighbourhood Brats – ‘Recovery’ – (Deranged Records)
5. No Problem – ‘Already Dead’ – (Deranged Records)
6. 7Seconds – ‘Leave A Light On’ – (Rise Records) review
7. Burning Heads – ‘Choose Your Trap’ – (Opposite Productions)
8. Young Conservatives – S/T – (Obscene Baby Auction)
9. Castro – ‘The River Needs’ – (Boss Tuneage)
10. Give – ‘Electric Flower Circus’ – (Adagio 830)
Song of the Year: Neighbourhood Brats – ‘Complete Mess’ – (Deranged Records)
JAMES SHERRY:
1. Sleaford Mods – ‘Divide & Exit’ – (Harbinger)
2. OFF! – ‘Wasted Years’ – (Vice Records) review
3. Pusrad – ‘Erarre Humannum EST’ – (Dead Beat)
4. The Boston Strangler – ‘Fire’ – Boston Strangler
5. Vertical Scratchers – ‘Daughter Of Everything’ – (Merge) review
6. The Ghost Of A Sabre Tooth Tiger – ‘Midnight Sun’ – (Chimera)
7. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – ‘I’m In Your Mind Fuzz’ – (Heavenly Recordings) review
8. Black Lips – ‘Underneath The Rainbow’ – (Vice Records) review
9. Goat – ‘Commune’ – (Rocket Recordings) review
10. Sun Kil Moon – ‘Benji’ – (Caldo Verdi)
Honourable mentions: Street Beef, The Flex, Eagulls, Big Ups, Chain & The Gang, Control Group, Hank Wood & The Hammerheads, Reigning Sound, Satan’s Satyrs, J Mascis and The Allah-Las.
Song of the Year: Sleaford Mods – ‘Tweet Tweet Tweet’ – (Harbinger)
CHRIS BUNT:
1. The Xcerts – ‘There Is Only You’ – (Raygun Music) review
2. Cloud Nothings – ‘Here and Nowhere Else’ – (Wichita)
3. Ryan Adams – ‘Ryan Adams’ – (Pax AM)
4. Manchester Orchestra – ‘Cope’ – (Loma Vista Recordings)
5. Thom Yorke – ‘Tomorow’s Modern Boxes’ – (S/R)
6. Eugene Quell – ‘A Great Uselessness’ – (Sonic Andehonic) review
7. Caribou – ‘Our Love’ – (Merge/City Slang)
8. Fucked Up – ‘Glass Boys’ – (Matador)
9. Flying Lotus – ‘You’re Dead!’ – (Warp)
10. Gnarwolves – S/T – (Big Scary Monsters)
Song of the Year: Cloud Nothings – ‘I’m Not Part Of Me’
DAVE PALMER:
1. GOAT – ‘Commune’ – (Rocket Recordings) review
2. BRONCHO – ‘Just Enough Hip To Be Woman’ – (Dine Alone Records)
3. Sheer Mag – ‘7”’ – (S/R)
4. Wax Children – ‘Angst’ – (S/R) review
5. Slippertails – ‘There’s A Disturbing Trend’ – (Fleeting Youth)
6. Cheatahs – S/T – (Wichita) review
7. The Proper Ornaments – ‘Wooden Head’ – (Fortuna Pop!) review
8. Silo – ‘Work’ – (Novennial Paralysis) review
9. Honeyblood – S/T – (Fatcat)
10. Vertical Scratchers – ‘Daughter Of Everything’ – (Merge Records) review
Honourable mentions: Lee Ranaldo’s ‘Acoustic Dust’, Fucked Up’s ‘Glass Boys’, Ex Hex’s ‘Rips’ and Fait’s ‘Atmosphere’ EP.
Song of the year: Girl Band – ‘Lawman’ – (self released)
JOE PARRY:
1. Protomartyr – Under Color Of Official Right – (Hardly Art)
2. Ought – More Than Any Other Day – (Constellation)
3. Perfect Pussy – Say Yes To Love – (Captured Tracks)
4. Eagulls – Eagulls – (Partisan) review
5. Run The Jewels – RTJ2 – (Mass Appeal)
6. Nothing – Guilty of Everything – (Relapse)
7. Alvvays – Alvvays – (Transgressive)
8. Fear of Men – Loom – (Kanine)
9. Angel Olson – Burn You Fire For No Witness – (Jagjaguwar Records)
10. Dean Blunt – Black Metal – (Rough Trade)
Honourable mentions: BRONCHO, Obliterations, Honeyblood, Todd Terje, A Twilight Sad, Cayetana, Cave Needles, White Lung, LOWER and Wild Beasts.
Song of the year: Todd Terje feat. Bryan Ferry – ‘Johnny & Mary’ – (Olsen Records)