Anticipated: 2014 Q2 Releases

The last three months have brought us some awesome new music from the likes of Against Me!, The Hotelier, Nai Harvest and Seahaven (to name a few). As we delve into the second quarter of 2014 (where is this year going?), the next three months are full of just as much promise. To celebrate the months ahead, here’s our guide to the records we’ll be listening to in April, May and June.

Here’s a selection of what has our musical mouths watering this quarter:

Banner Pilot – ‘Souvenir’

[April 14]

Minneapolis melodic punks Banner Pilot return with the tune heavy ‘Souvenir’. There’s a slight air of Alkaline Trio and gruffer contemporaries like Off With Their Heads in the vocal style, and a definite increased focus on pop laden hooks. If introspective lyrics over punk melody are your thing, then ‘Souvenir’ is likely to please.

Pre-order

Menzingers – ‘Rented World’

[April 21]

Set to release the follow up to our Album of the Year 2012, The Menzingers ‘Rented World’ is already sounding massive. Having just released the opening track from the record, the mixture of dark lyrics and off-kilter melody already has us excited. The album promises more maturity, more understanding and more grunge.

Pre-order

Brody Dalle – ‘Diploid Love’

[April 28]

The iconic Brody Dalle has been creating punk and punk inspired music for the best part of 20 years, starting with Sourpuss, moving through The Distillers and Spinnerette to arrive at her debut solo outing. Both tracks already released from the album sound huge, with ‘Don’t Mess With Me’ harking more than a little back to her days with The Distillers.

Pre-order

Leagues Apart – ‘Brief Interviews with Hideous Men’

[April 28]

Hailing from Manchester, Leagues Apart have already enjoyed playing shows with the likes of The Menzingers and The Flatliners. It gives you some idea about their style – sharing an introspective and pessimistic view through their lyrics, while somehow keeping a reasonably upbeat melody. Lead track ‘In Spite Of It All’ is one hell of a raw and downtrodden commentary.

Pre-order: Coming Soon

Frameworks – ‘Loom’

[April 28]

Hailing from the hometown of Fest, Gainesville’s Frameworks are nothing like the music you might associate with the festival. Instead bringing in Deafheaven producer Jack Shirley, the lead single implies a unique mixture of post-rock, doom and twiddling guitar work. Defining themselves as “tropical punk”, ‘Loom’ is shaping up to be one of the most interesting records of the quarter. Expect attention from a wide range of critics for this one.

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Andrew Jackson Jihad – ‘Christmas Island’

[May 06]

After signing to SideOneDummy Records, Arizona based weird-brigade Andrew Jackson Jihad will be releasing ‘Christmas Island’ at the start of May. Assuming ‘Children Of God’ is a good indicator of things to come, the record promises more unusual lyrical topic choices than before. “With eyes as red as a dog’s asshole when you see it shitting,” anyone?

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Bane – ‘Don’t Wait Up’

[May 09]

Confirmed as their final album, ‘Don’t Wait Up’ is looking to be a sombre swansong by the Massachusetts hardcore punks. It’s been a long time in the making, and the band have put more of themselves into the record than ever before. Seven years since their last album and 15 years since their debut, this is both a welcome return and a sad goodbye.

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Mad Caddies – ‘Dirty Rice’

[May 12]

‘Dirty Rice’ is set to be the band’s first album in seven years. ‘Brand New Scar’, the first track to appear from the record, shows that the band have been working on pulling their sound together once again. Mixing ska, punk and cabaret style atmosphere, ‘Dirty Rice’ is shaping up to be a well-considered party soundtrack. See you in the sunshine!

Listen to ‘Brand New Scar’ via Alternative Press

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Me First and the Gimme Gimmes – ‘Are We Not Men? We Are Diva!’

[May 12]

An album of covers of songs made famous by a range of high-profile divas? If anyone was going to deliver this potential treat, it would be covers aficionados Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. With songs originally by the likes of Gloria Gaynor, Celine Dion and Lady Gaga on the table, this is bound to be a lot of fun.

Listen to ‘Straight Up’ via Esquire

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Goodtime Boys – ‘Rain’

[May 19]

Both Goodtime Boys’ two EPs have delivered heavy atmospheric hardcore with visceral screams and drawn out soundscapes. Their forthcoming debut is looking to build on the Welsh five-piece’s sound, as lead track ‘Moral Decay’ slides from screams to a beautifully resigned climax.

Listen to ‘Moral Decay’ via This Is Fake DIY

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Masked Intruder – ‘M.I.’

[May 27]

Masked Intruder’s debut, self titled, full length and shtick instantly made them one of the most entertaining punk bands out there, and this Fat Wreck follow up, ‘M.I’ will hopefully have just as many fantastic melodies and Weezer-meets-Beach-Boys-meets-2003-pop-punk esque moments. With a European tour on the cards for later in the year and with only six weeks to wait from announcement until we hear it, colour us stoked.

Pre-order: Coming soon

Lonely The Brave – ‘The Day’s War

[June 02]

The debut Lonely The Brave record has been a long time coming. Enjoying praise from all sides, their distinctive massive hooks, haunting vocals and crashing guitars have seen them support the likes of Deftones and Taking Back Sunday, and a genre-crossing set at last year’s Warped Tour UK. Last year’s album preview show was immense, and we can’t wait to hear it on record.

Pre-order

Tigers Jaw – ‘Charmer’

[June 02]

Having reduced down to a two piece this time last year, Tigers Jaw are preparing to unleash their new album in June. The line-up change doesn’t appear to have a dramatic effect on their sound, and the slightly off-kilter vocals and grunge inspired guitars are likely to remain in all their glory.

Pre-order: Coming Soon

Say Anything – ‘Hebrews’

[June 04]

Only recently announced, there’s little indication of the direction ‘Hebrews’ will take Say Anything in. With their most recent release, ‘Anarchy, My Dear’, retaining serious pop sensibilities, ‘Hebrews’ has the opportunity to carry on down this line or inject some rawness into their sound. Either way, any news from the Say Anything camp is exciting in our book.

Pre-order: Coming Soon

Brontide – ‘Artery’

[June 30]

Epic and beautiful soundscapes are the name of the game for the Holy Roar signed instrumentalist Brontide. Following up 2011’s ‘Sans Souci’, their newest effort is looking to keep the sprawling compositions infected by the unexpected. So far, all we have is an album trailer to go on, mind.

Pre-order: Coming Soon

 

 

2014 Q2 RELEASE LIST

We’ve also included a longer list of albums to look out for over the next three months. There are bound to be some records we haven’t listed, especially those that get announced as the second quarter goes on, but you might want to get your ears around some of these too.

APRIL
07 OFF! – ‘Wasted Years’
07 Pup – ‘Pup’
14 Banner Pilot – ‘Souvenir’
14 More Than Life – ‘What’s Left Of Me’
14 playlounge – ‘pilot’
14 Emmure – ‘Eternal Enemies’
14 Saves The Day – ‘Saves The Day’
21 The Menzingers – ‘Rented World’
21 Neon Trees – ‘Pop Psychology’
21 Strung Out – ‘Volume One’
28 Brody Dalle – ‘Diploid Love’
28 Frameworks – ‘Loom’
28 Leagues Apart – ‘Brief Interviews with Hideous Men’
28 Pixies – ‘Indy Cindy’
28 Up River – ‘Undertow’
28 Miss May I – ‘Rise of the Lion’
TBA Body Hound – ‘Rhombus Now’

MAY
05 DZ Deathrays – ‘Black Rat’
05 The Generators – ‘‘Life Gives-Life Takes’
06 Andrew Jackson Jihad – ‘Christmas Island’
09 Bane – ‘Don’t Wait Up’
12 Mad Caddies – ‘Dirty Rice’
12 Me First and the Gimme Gimmes – ‘Are We Not Men? We Are Diva!’
12 Cheap Girls – ‘Famous Graves’
12 Weatherbox – ‘Flies In All Directions’
12 Koo Koo Kanga Roo – ‘Whoopty Whoop’
19 Brandan Kelly & Sam Russo – ‘Split The Tip’
19 Goodtime Boys – ‘Rain’
24 Spraynard – ‘The Mark, Tom and Patrick Show’
26 Bury Tomorrow – ‘Runes’
26 Verses – ‘Feel It Faster’
26 Roll The Tanks – ‘Goodnight Jimmy Lee’
26 Suburban Legends – ‘Dreams Aren’t Real But These Songs Are’
27 Masked Intruder – ‘M.I.’

JUNE
02 Fucked Up – ‘Glass Boys’
02 Lonely The Brave – ‘The Day’s War’
02 Tigers Jaw – ‘Charmer’
09 Say Anything – ‘Hebrews’
14 Hard Girls – ‘A Thousand Surfaces’
14 Linkin Park – ‘The Hunting Party’
16 Feed The Rhino – ‘The Sorrow and the Sound’
30 Brontide – ‘Artery’
TBA Hard Girls – ‘A Thousand Surfaces’
TBA Strung Out – ‘Transmission Alpha Delta’

BEN TIPPLE