Best [music] of 2014 - Part 4

Here's part 4, only 1 more left after this.

*Download link at the bottom
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• 31. Sage Francis - Pressure Cooker: "Where have you been? Where have you been? ...I've been busy." Such a great way to open a record. I tip my hat to thee Mr. Francis.
• 32. Rancid - Face Up: Rancid kind of sounds like the Rancid of old on their new album. This song could've came straight off '...And Out Come The Wolves', which is excellent news.
• 33. Chuck Ragan - Non Typical: Ragan of Hot Water Music has released another solo album this year. It's almost too country sounding, but luckily it isn't.
• 34. Jeff Rosenstock - I'm So Gross: I could go on forever about how amazing Jeff Rosenstock is. Basically anything he has to do with I love. He had a really busy year, but only released a 2 song 7" under his own name. Fantastically depressing lyrics as always.
• 35. Black Lips - Funny: Always a good band to listen to. They certainly have their own take on rock'n'roll and I approve of it.
• 36. Rise Against - The Great Die-Off: This band has faltered a bit over the past few years, but this song is excellent and a couple others on the album aren't too bad as well.
• 37. Bruce Lee Band - Ms. Me: A great song about the fear of growing old alone. Another project that Jeff Rosenstock contributed on. Don't forget though, it's still Mike Park's brainchild.
• 38. Ball Park Music - She Only Loves Me When I'm There: Kinda stumbled upon this (horribly named) band. A really solid release. I recommend the whole album.
• 39. Me First and The Gimme Gimmes - Straight Up: The best cover band releases another album. A great cover of Paula Abdul. 
• 40. Cloud Cult - Chemicals Collide (Live): Cloud Cult put out a live acoustic album this year and it's great. This is an older song, but I love the melody and lyrics.
• 41. Swingin' Utters - I'm Not Coming Home: These guys once again prove why they're one of the best at writing folky punk songs. Jack Dalrymple helps too.
• 42. MC Chris - Let Me In: A song off a Ghost Busters concept album. This song is about Rick Moranis' character in Ghost Busters 2.
• 43. Ages and Ages - Divisionary (Do the Right Thing): A great song from good ol' Portland Oregon. Enjoy or else... or something... whatever.
• 44. Joyce Manor - Heart Tattoo: "I want a heart tattoo. I want it to hurt really bad. That's how I'll know, I'll know it's real." Joyce Manor, yes please.
• 45. Hospitality - I Miss Your Bones: It's the calm in the chorus that really gets me in this song.
• 46. Thumpers - Unkinder (A Tougher Love): This song is all about the delicious harmonies in the chorus. It's done well. 
• 47. The Skints - Break Me Down: Not a lot of reggae on this list and that's a bit of a shame. Luckily this song is here to calm you all down.
• 48. The Lillingtons - Pyramids: Is this band still together? Not really, but they did come back together to record their first song in 7 years. Don't expect much else though. Oh and this song is all about conspiracies - as we've come to expect from this band.
• 49. Hello Saferide - I Forgot About Songs: This song is so.... cute? Yeah. Cute. Swedish music always seems to be either cute or brutal. Such a weird country.
• 50. Sundials - Dealin': A song about dealing with agoraphobia? Damn right! This band is really easy to like. So much honesty.  
• 51. Yelle - Coca Sans Bulles: What's this? French music? See how terribly sophisticated I am?
• 52. The Falcon - We Are The Bald: "We've got no hair, we've got no hair, we are the bald." The Falcon come back for their first song in 8 years and it quite simply destroys.
• 53. The Hold Steady - All Through The City: Surprisingly, the best song from the Hold Steady this year came off the bonus EP they put out before the album. Who would've thought?
• 54. Conor Oberst - Zigzagging Toward the Light: I'm always a sucker for Oberst. The album is actually fairly upbeat. Weird right?
• 55. The Copyrights - Telescope: This band was fairly busy this year and I'm happy about that. Some real quality music here. Their last album was great too.
• 56. The Gateway District - Skyline Drive: I wish this band released more stuff because there are some serious gems to be found in their discography. This being one of them.
• 57. CunninLynguists - Drunk Dial (feat. Murs & Grieves): Damn this song is ridiculous. I've heard it way too many times, but it still makes me laugh. Murs is awesome.
• 58. The Presidents of the United States of America - Poor Little Me: If you don't like this band there is something wrong with you. They were built for universal appeal.
• 59. Big Eyes - Asking You to Stay: I wish more music was as good as what Big Eyes produces. Taking up the reins of Joan Jett. Quality rock.
• 60. The Phenomenauts - I Don't Care Whether Earth is the Best (I Love It Anyway): This band is a bunch of lovable nerds. This particular song is actually a reference to an old song of theirs.

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Review: Rancid - Honor Is All We Know

The perennial punks in Rancid are back with their 8th album. They've been taunting the album for a couple years now, to the point that many fans were starting to wonder if it would ever see the light of day, but low and behold here it is. The band took an interesting approach to how they released the album by out-of-the-blue releasing cover art, track list and a video of three songs around a month before the actual release date. Who does that? Rancid does that.

Even though it's been 5 years since the last Rancid album, the members have been far from quiet. Tim Armstrong himself was on a constant release streak with his side project Tim Timebomb and Friends, releasing what seemed like a song a day for a year. On top of that there's his work with Hellcat Records, making a web-based musical theatre, The Transplants and everything else in-between. I don't think anyone can blame Armstrong of laziness, since the early 90's he's been active in every facet of the music industry that one can be.

Mr. Armstrong is, to me, one of the biggest conundrums in music. He's honestly a terrible singer. Really, just plain terrible. It sounds less like he's trying to sing and more like he stumbled upon a microphone and is drunkenly slurring out some words. I realize that that is pretty critical of one of the most famous people in the punk scene, but guess what? Even if I insult it I still find myself enjoyably listening to it. Maybe he made some pact with the devil? I doubt I'll ever figure out what exactly his appeal is, but does that really matter? Not really. and I'm going to continue to listen to what he's involved in, but I'll never understand it. But I digress, let's get to the review of the new album.

Every previous Rancid record has had it's own vibe. Let me break them all down for you:

• Rancid(2003) - the debut album that established what Armstrong and Freeman wanted to sound like.
• Let's Go - The sound of the first album is polished up, but more importantly Lars Frederickson is added on guitar/vocals, adding another dimension to the sound.
• ...And Out Come the Wolves - This is where they master their songs. Everything hits home on this album. Still their most famous album and it shows off their musicality. 
• Life Won't Wait - Coming off the heels of the successful last album, Rancid gets the most experimental it has ever been. Recorded between Los Angeles and Jamaica this album incorporates multiple singers and musicians and varies between multiple genres.
• Rancid(2000) - After the experimentation of L.W.W. Rancid returns with it's most straight-up hardcore punk album. 
• Indestructable - Rancid starts to flex it's commercial success and incorporates new friends like Skinhead Rob to make a loud (production-wise) album that re-adds the reggae and ska from previous albums.
• Let the Dominoes Fall - Decidedly their worst album. A few good tracks, but overall it lacked any real passion and felt stale to most fans.

So where does Honor Is All We Know stack up to the rest? In the best way possible it sounds like b-sides from A.O.C.T.W. In production and overall vibe it comes closest to their 1995 album than any previous one has. The songs aren't as personal as earlier releases, but the gangster 'we'll-kick-your-ass-if-you-get-in-our-way' mood is present the whole way though. Dispersed through the Oi tracks is a couple ska songs and a couple others that make use of the organ. Armstrong takes the lead on most songs, but Frederickson is still present and even Freeman gets some solo vocal duties.

It's not their best album, but it certainly it isn't a disappointment. Like Armstrong says in the opening track "I've been gone way too long and I'm back where I belong." They might not have the youthful spark that stoked the songs of earlier albums, but they certainly sound like they're back in the territory that they not only know, but that they helped establish.

SONGS TO CHECK OUT: FACE UP / EVIL'S MY FRIEND / BACK WHERE I BELONG
RATING: 8/10