My Favorite Under-Appreciated Albums of 2014

2014 is almost two-thirds done, and it has already been a great year for music. I’m sure most people have been thinking about their favorite albums that have been released so far, and of course, so have I. I started keeping a list of all the albums I listened to this year, and I’ve been sorting out albums that are from bands that aren’t that popular, or are just solid albums that no one seems to be enjoying as much as me. I picked my 10 favorites in no particular order that I think people should check out if they haven’t already. Find out what they are after the jump.

1. Tides of Man – Young and Courageous (Post-Rock)

Many people know Tides of Man from their Rise and Tilian Pearson days, and I had no clue they were still making music until the beginning of this year. Instead of looking for another vocalist, they decided to change their image completely and came out with an instrumental album. I have to say that this is amazing guitar-driven post-rock, and it is by far my favorite release of theirs. Every song on this album is unique and interesting, and the album altogether flows beautifully into an amazing piece of work. Even the bonus tracks they released following the album were up to par with the rest of the album. This is a must listen for a long car ride, and if you love post-rock, this album is for you.

2. XO – Heart (Indie Rock)

Jeff and Jake Turner are most known for their contributions in Say Anything, but they have also had the side project XO since 2004. It took them 10 years to release their debut album, and it’s amazing to the point where it’s hard to describe. Calling this band Indie Rock doesn’t do them justice, while they have heavy elements of shoegaze with tons of noise from the guitars, and even a very surf rock feel with a good amount of their songs as well. All of the songs are very catchy, but have a great deal of thought put into them. The guitars lead the way on this album for sure, but all of the instruments flow together and the vocals seal the deal. This album blends a lot of genres, and every song stands out in its own way, so listen for yourself and see if you can describe it better than me.

3. Silent Planet – lastsleep (1944-1946) (Metalcore)

I have no clue how I found out about this band, but I’m glad that I did. It takes a lot out of me to really enjoy metalcore bands, and most don’t seem to stick out to me as much anymore. However, Silent Planet does metalcore right in standing out from the pack and releasing an emotion-filled journey on their EP. While there are five songs total, 2 songs are instrumental and ambient, which is something I enjoyed. They build into the next songs and make the EP fell complete. Also, I love ambient anything so it was a plus for me. But realistically, they released three true songs on this EP, and they are all great. This band is very promising, and gives me a breath of fresh air in the metalcore scene, and even gives me hope for the future. Silent Planet is also working on a new album later this year, so be ready to check it out when it comes out.

4. Painted Palms – Forver (Synthpop / Psychedelic Rock)

I follow a lot of Polyvinyl bands, including Braid, Owls, and Owen, and randomly I decided to give Forever a listen, and I was very surprised with what I heard. Once again, this band is very hard to pin to a certain genre, but if I had to describe them, it would be if Tame Impala and MGMT combined, and you have Painted Palms. This album is very synth based, but with a good amount of guitars and drums as well. The vocals definitely have the psychedelic rock feel, and the blend of heavy synth with instruments mixed in here and there really work together. The first song I listened to was Spinning Signs, and it immediately got stuck in my head. This album has great songs start to finish, and it is definitely worth your time to listen to.

5. Cycles – Enceladus (Progressive Metal / Djent)

I’m usually easily bored by new bands who considered themselves Djent, but Cycles impressed me on their EP Enceladus. Cycles, hailing from France, does a great job at giving their songs a great groove, while not sounding like a typical djent band. The lyrics are either a hit or miss, but overall I enjoy all of the songs and the EP. This band has a lot of potential, and I can definitely see them getting notoriety in the future. Check out their EP to see if you like it.

6. BadBadNotGood – III (Experimental / Hip-Hop / Jazz / ???)

BadBadNotGood is a very interesting band to say the least. Their instrumental album III is full of a wide range of genres that revolve around a hip-hop inspired beats. The beats are fairly simple in nature, but build in complexity with the instruments they use to back it. More importantly, BadBadNotGood makes songs that are nothing like I’ve ever heard before, and that’s what stands out most to me. I would never imagine myself listening to instrumental hip-hop beats, but BadBadNotGood does it right, and the songs that incorporate jazz instruments and influences are among my favorites. If you’re looking for a new experience, please listen to this band.

7. Snarky Puppy – We Like It Here (Jazz / Fusion / Improv)

Snarky Puppy is an amazing band that gives me hope for modern jazz. This album was filmed live from their 4 night performance in the Netherlands, and the amount of exploration instrumentally on this album is remarkable. Also, the fact that a good amount was improvised too shows just how talented they are. If you need another reason to listen to this band, they were 2014 Grammy Award Winners. Make sure you listen to this band, and if you ever find yourself at a jazz festival, make sure you see them live too.

8. sleepmakeswaves – Love of Cartography (Post-Rock)

Yes, I love post-rock, and so should you. I did my best to keep the genres as diverse as possible, but I put this album on my list. sleepmakeswaves is a criminally under-rated post-rock band who released one of their best albums to date earlier this month. This album has amazing build-ups, and knows how to make heavy and complex songs that beautifully flow into amazing electronic atmospheres. This is one of those albums that blows me away from start to finish, and not one song stands out above others, as this album needs to be listened to in full. That doesn’t mean you won’t have favorite songs from this album, however, but the album as one stands on its own. This album is a must listen for everyone, regardless if you like post-rock or not.

9. Vales – Wilt & Rise (Screamo)

I was never the biggest fan of screamo from the get-go, but there are always albums I can find that I really enjoy from the genre. This album is one of them. Upon first listen I wasn’t fond of the vocalist, but it grew on me after a few songs and now I don’t know why I didn’t like it in the first place. The amount of emotion and passion put into this album in shown on every song, and all of them impact me in their own way. This, and Frameworks’ album this year really drew me into screamo, and this album should definitely be heard by all screamo fans.

10. The Room Colored Charlatan – Primitives (Progressive Metal)

Subliminal Groove Records has an immense repertoire of talented bands, and The Room Colored Charlatan proves that on their second full length Primitives. I loved The Room Colored Charlatan’s debut album, but I personally thought the production was lacking. That is not a worry on this album though, and I love the mix for it. It definitely gives me an Exoplanet-like feel on certain songs on the album, but overall the album is very unique and has it’s own feel. When their first single “Questions of Origin” came out, I didn’t think another song on the album could top it, but every song is on the same caliber  as this single, and it couldn’t have made me happier.

I hope some of you find a new band or album in 2014 that you might have missed that you really enjoyed from this list. I did my best to spread it out between a lot of genres so everyone could find something that they really like. Remember, the year is far from over, and there a ton of more albums to come.