End of Year List CAT5's 2014 Favorites!

[CAT5 9075]

2014 has yielded yet another year of wonderful music, and here's my usual self-indulgent run-down of the albums and EPs I enjoyed most.

My tone this year is a bit more personal and subjective than I tried to be in 2013, and my list isn't as long either.

Thanks for checking it out nonetheless.

CAT5's Favorite Japanese Releases of 2014

clepsydra by chouchou merged syrups.

 

Sample: 橙鳴る

    clepsydra took me by complete surprise after last year's thoroughly disappointing

debut "since". chouchou merged syrups. aren't just following cinema staff's

blueprint on how to play emo rooted indie-rock/pop anymore,

they're actually making it their own this time.

Passage of Time by Cloud nine(9)

 

Sample: Passage of Time

 lop abuse on somebody was, for me, one of the most promising young

post/math-rock bands out of Japan. But since they've disbanded their

guitarist has gone on to join Cloud nine(9), which has, again, become

 one of the most promising young Japanese post/math-rock bands.

Surely this is fate. Oh, and it's completely free over @ bandcamp

HEADACHE AND HEARTBURN by CONCERT

 

Sample: 曖昧さ回避

This release took me completely off guard and would have completely slipped 

 under my radar if not for a good friend of mine. CONCERT's sound seems to

draw heavily off of 70's soft-rock and psychedelia while employing quirky and

forward-thinking production. I imagine this is what a collaboration between 

lamp and cornelius might sound like.

BRIGHT TIME by EGO-WRAPPIN'

 

Sample: 太陽哀歌

 EGO-WRAPPIN's last full-length album Steal a Person's Heart was an underwhelming

effort, fraught with various musical style except the one they do best. So it's great

to hear them return to their jazzy roots on the BRIGHT TIME EP. But with only

4 tracks and the entire thing recorded in mono, it's such a tease.

JariBu by JariBu Afrobeat Arkestra

 

Sample: Wild Pansy

   I'm only aware of three different Afrobeat bands from Japan, and each year it

   seems like these bands take turns outdoing each other - 2012 was the year

  of KINGDOM☆AFROCKS, 2013 was REGGAELATION INDEPENDANCE,

  and so 2014 inevitably falls back to the JariBu Afrobeat Arkestra. They've locked

the grooves down this year and delivered their finest album yet.

homephone TE by macaroom

 

Sample: Kingdom

Another obscure recommendation from a friend that would have surely slipped my

radar. macaroom creates dreamy ambient-pop and homephone TE is an

intoxicatingly immersive album from start to finish. There are, however, 2 tracks 

sung entirely in Croatian that might raise an eyebrow at first.

5 - 1 + 1 = by mothercoat

 

Sample: trickster

mothercoat....consistently creative, and yet consistently underrated. They've

been around for over a decade and yet somehow their music seems to

get lost amongst international Japanese-indie fans - old and new. 5 - 1 + 1 =

is a reference to the changes in their band lineup, and each track is a

distinct reflection of those changes (track 1 - with old guitarist, track 2

without guitarist, track 3 with new guitarist). But three tracks simply 

isn't enough, so I can't wait to hear what else they've got in store.

my letter by my letter

 

Sample: ルーザー！

A friend of mine shared this band's demo with me back in 2011, and while

I remember diggin' it, I'd completely forgotten they existed by this year. I'm

glad they were finally able to get around to releasing an album, though.

Bands like シャムキャッツ and ミツメ released solid records this year, but

my letter takes the cake as my easy-going indie-rock album of the year. 

Lots of great guitar interplay and you can't beat the combo of male/female vocals.

Elephant by orcaorca

 

Sample: Clockwork Lovers

orcaorca is the instrumental outing of 2 members from the electronic

group ChouChou (no, not chouchou merged syrups. ha) Glitchy, electro-acoustic

bliss that weaves itself seamlessly in and out of ambient soundscapes 

and minimal-tehcno pulsation.

Koko by Satomimagae

 

Sample: Mikkai

I don't often hear music like this out of the modern J-folk world, so

Satomimagae was an instant love for me. Her music has an exceedingly

dense melancholic atmosphere and conjures up images of both

depression and desolation. Fantastic album recorded with the perfect 

amount of intimate rawness.

Rhapsody in beauty by THE NOVEMBERS

 

Sample: Blood Music.1985

Rhapsody in beauty is yet another testament to THE NOVEMBER's continued

growth and further accentuates their artistic proclivities. It's a dynamic album-

from abrasive shoegaze, dark grunge, to angelic acoustic numbers and more.

THE NOVEMBERS are clearly inspired and HAVE been for the past few

years. Even if it's taken them about 6 years, they've completely won me 

over as a fan and are now one of my all-time favorites.

CAO by アルカラ

 

Sample: 愚痴ばっかりのローレロレロ

arukara have been on fire since 2009, but this is by far my favorite album

from them yet. The band's sound, which combines all of the hookiness and

buoyancy of pop music with the multifaceted indie-rock ingenuity of an 

early 9mm parabellum bullet, has been refined to perfection.

IMAGINARY MONO-FICTION by ヒトリエ

 

Sample: 生きたがりの娘

I've long thought that some vocaloids had cool backing music, but being

that I can't stand vocaloids, it was always an unfortunate arrangement for me.

Thankfully, vocaloid producer wowaka took his colorful ideas and translated

them into an actual band. The results have been splendid thus far. For me, 

the jury is still out on their first full-length, but this mini definitely delivers.

ふつうのしあわせ by ふつうのしあわせ

 

Sample: キャプテンにはなれない

I saw this band described somewhere as bloodthirsty butchers meets

PANICSMILE and thought that was an apt description. Especially the

comparison to the latter. ふつうのしあわせ or "Ordinary Happy" play

wonderfully spastic, disharmonic post-punk with a trumpet thrown in 

for good measure, cuz why the hell not?

攻撃的国民的音楽 by 八十八ヶ所巡礼

 

Sample: -超感覚的宇宙-

 If you've been following my "best-Of" lists over the past few years, then

you've probably noticed that 88kasyo junrei's albums have made an appearance

every time. I'm biased as fuck and I can't help it. Their formula is like a

nonstop barrage of endorphins on my musical pleasure zones - heaps of

melody, quirky and eccentric songwriting, unhinged yet groovy

instrumentation, just the right amount of excessive noodling...so, yeah. There ya go.

(not) NUCLEAR LOVE (or affection) by 印象派

 

Sample: ライ! ライ! ライ!

There's nothing particularly outstanding about inshowha, but they make 

extremely well produced and catchy jpop. It also helps that their image/gimmick

neither overshadows nor detracts from their actual music, so the duo exudes

a kind of earnest charm. I was also pretty surprised at how well crafted this

mini album was. It flows perfectly from one track to the next and you can

tell actual thought was put into the songwriting. This isn't a release of 

sloppily glued together singles or filler tracks. Quality Jpop right here.

NO UNDERGROUND by 撃鉄

 

Sample: やっちゃおう

Gekitetsu's first full album expands on the sound they became known for on

their first 2 EPs - vivacious post-punk chock full of singy-shouty vocals,

discordant, angular guitar riffs, heady basslines, and nu-wave-y drumming.

These guys are always a blast to listen to and definitely worth a try if you're

into the coarser side of Japanese indie.

[CAT5 9075]

CAT5's Favorite International Releases of 2014

Hours Were The Birds by Adrianne Lenker

 

Sample: Lighthouse

 This was a pretty random bandcamp discovery iirc. I've always been a sucker for

  sweet female vocals in folk/singer-songwriter music, and this is the album that most

thoroughly fulfilled that need for me this year. Obscure, but good.

Totem by Bâton Rouge

 

Sample: Train De Nuit

French emo band Baton Rouge's first album Fragments D'eux Mêmes was

 one of my favorites back in 2011 - it was intense, melodic, and straight to

the point. Train De Nuit is an entirely different beast, though. It's more

fleshed-out, and the melodies take their time to build, but when

everything finally clicks, it's a rewarding listen

Earthbeat by Be Forest

 

Sample: Airwaves

One of my more fortuitous discoveries from hanging out on plug.dj.

Forest plays a brand of dream-pop that often floats off into a brume of shoegaze,

yet is constantly anchored by earthy, commanding drums. One of those

albums that I can turn on and just be swept away by the atmosphere 

without having to listen too intently.

Black Messiah by D'Angelo

 

Sample: Ain't That Easy

It's been 14 year's since D'Angelo's last album, and although I was

probably a bit too young to appreciate his music at that time (age 13),

the "Black Messiah" is a more than welcome addition to my playlist now.

Gritty, organic soul music that easily reminds me of classics like

Al Green and even Prince.

Hard Believer by Fink

 

Sample: Pilgrim

Fink's style of soulful/bluesy folk tunes were originally pretty friendly and

easily digestible, but over the years his sound has become progressively darker

and experimental around the edges. Hard Believer continues this trend,

and while some of the songs get a bit too self-indulgent, repeat listens have

revealed to me that almost each track works well on it's own instead of 

in the convoluted context of the album.

LP1 by FKA twigs

 

Sample: Two Weeks

I actually didn't expect to like FKA twigs. I thought she'd be another kelela -

nice vocals over crappy, sparse beats - and then pegged as some glorious

"experimental r&b" goddess. I'm glad I was wrong. The production on LP1 

is actually the most interesting thing about it. It's got all of the minimalistic

qualities of trap-influenced r&b, but there's an idm-like ingenuity

behind it all. Definitely an album better appreciated in headphones 

or with a good set of speakers.

Chiaroscuro by I Break Horses

 

Sample: Faith

I haven't gotten around to hearing this duo's first album yet, and I often see

them described as "electrogaze" (electronic shoegaze), but I'd describe

this album a bit differently. It sounds more to me like dark, hazy electrpop with

an affinity for the 80's. Whatever you wanna call it, it's a sound that I've 

found myself more drawn towards this year.

You Can Do Better by Johnny Foreigner

 

Sample: In Capitals

Hailing from England, Johnny Foreigner play raw, energetic, and straightfoward 

  indie-rock with punk spirit. It's an album I like to throw on when I want to hear

something bright and uplifting, but that also rocks at the same time.

Moving On by Kan Wakan

 

Sample: Sawdust

 Cinematic pop music with smoky female vocals and an emphasis on live

instrumentation? Always a good recipe in my book, and Kan Wakan

   made wonderful use of those ingredients. Unfortunately (or fortunately?),

this album is a one-off, as vocalist Kristianne Bautista is no longer in the band.

My Little Ghost by Kidkanevil

 

Sample: All Is Not Lost (feat. Cuushe & Cokiyu)

If everything about this release seems very "Japanese" to you - from 

 the album cover to the featured artists - then you're not far off the mark.

My Little Ghost was released through the Japanese music label flau, although

some ppl might associate Kidkanevil more easily with his role in the UK

electronic/trip-hop band Stateless. Interestingly, My Little Ghost is more in 

 the realm of ambient, IDM, and glitch than it is Kidkanevil's favored

genre of hip hop. He absolutely excels at these other styles, though.

Across by Kilo Kish

 

Sample: Curious

If I had to offer an American equivalent to Japanese artists like daoko

or Izumi Macra, then Kilo Kish would be the first to come to mind. She

creates the same kind of innocent-sounding alternative hip hop and employs

a similarly careless and unassuming flow. She also "sings" without really

having a singing voice (just like the Japanese artists i just mentioned), 

but it's all done very charmingly. The production is super chill too.

The Golden Echo by Kimbra

 

Sample: Madouse

 When the The Golden Echo came out, I was fortunate enough to listen to

it along with , and since we were both already fans, our

hype was over 9000. The Golden Echo completely surpassed all of my

expectations. Kimbra's ability to hop from style to style (with style) -

whether it's trap, disco, or psychedelic soul-influenced - is on par with 

her contemporary Janelle Monáe.

Nabuma Rubberband by Little Dragon

 

Sample: Let Go

I've been stalking following Yukimi Nagano ever since I first heard her soulful

croon back in 2006 via her various jazz/nu-jazz collaborations. When I

discovered she had a band called Little Dragon in 2007, I was pretty excited.

Although that quickly devolved into utter disappointment upon hearing 

Little Dragon's debut album - sparse and awkward electronic music that just

made you uncomfortable listening to it. Fast-forward 7 years and 4

albums later - LITTLE DRAGON FINALLY HAS FINALLY GOTTEN IT RIGHT.

Yukimi's vocals are still the highlight, but this time the music and 

songwriting are equally excellent.

The Sky as Well as Space by Memory Map

 

Sample: Superhuman Child

  Memory Map is actually associated with Japan's Zankyo records, so it should

  come as no surprise that these guys play the kind of technical and inventive

 indie-rock that would be welcome there. I'm actually pretty surprised at how

obscure this band seems to be and the fact that I've never seen any 

of my indie buddies mention 'em before.

Composite by Monogrenade

 

Sample: L'aimant

Gorgeous orchestral indie-rock/pop from the French-Canadian ensemble

Monogrenade. This is their 2nd album after 2011's Tantale, 

and it's even better. Super lush soundscapes and impossibly chill.

Graveyard Whistling EP by Nothing But Thieves

 

Sample: Itch

I'm pretty shocked this band isn't bigger. They're signed to a major label (RCA),

but it doesn't look like they've made any significant waves yet. Whatever the

case, their songwriting is top-notch when it comes to pop-rock and their

vocalist has a uniquely piercing croon. Not sure how they're received 

in the UK, but I can imagine this boding well in the American mainstream.

OOM VELT by Salt Cathedral

 

Sample: Holy Soul

Just last year Salt Cathedral were a whimsical, math-rock band, but they've

since lost 3 members and have continued as an electronic duo. Their

sound has translated extremely well, mostly thanks to the ethereal vocals 

of Juliana Ronderos; which really carries the band.

Maui Tears by Sleepy Sun

 

Sample: The Lane

Spaced-out and voluminous psychedelic-rock from California. Maui Tears is

the band's 4th album and is hands down my favorite thus far. What I enjoy

the most here is how immersive the music is while still remaining accessible 

and not getting lost within itself.

Early Riser by Taylor McFerrin

 

Sample: Already There (feat. Robert Glasper & Thundercat)

First album from producer/multi-instrumentalist Taylor McFerrin out on

Brainfeeder - the same label as beatsmiths like Flying Lotus, Tokimonsta,

Teebs, etc. Super chill electronic/broken beat with jazzy overtones; featuring

a handful of guest vocalists and musicians. Early Riser is ridiculously 

smooth and might be one of the most flawlessly flowing albums I've ever heard.

Sun Structures by Temples

 

Sample: Colours To Life

Temples are a 60's psychedelic-rock revivalist band that play the style

to the letter. They don't offer a refreshing take on the genre and they don't

attempt to redefine the rules, but nonetheless, Sun Structures has 

thoroughly sated my ears this year.

Follow the Path by The Shaolin Afronauts

 

Sample: To the Water

 To the water is a behemoth double album with the first disc full of awesome

afrobeat grooves and the 2nd disc a more subdued venture into eastern

flavored funk that wouldn't be out of place in a 70's kung-fu flick. With 21 

tracks in total, I wouldn't recommend listening to both discs in one sitting.

Foreign Languages by tide/edit

 

Sample: Odd & Even

Ironically, some of the best post/math-rock bands have been coming out

of almost every other Asian country but Japan lately - yet most of

these newcomers have been inspired by Japan's scene. Such is the 

case with tide/edit from the Philippines who site toe as a major influence.

Manipulator by Ty Segall

 

Sample: The Crawler

I've always been attracted to rock music that draws from the psychedelic

and stoner sounds of the 60's and 70's, and Ty Segall's Manipulator

is like an aural smorgasbord of those eras. At 17 tracks long, the album

might appear to blend together during protracted listens, but I've found 

myself constantly discovering new jams upon revisits.

Warpaint by Warpaint

 

Sample: Biggy

Warpaint caught my attention back in 2010 on their first album The Fool,

but they weren't able to sustain it through an entire album. And while

their sound still manages to avoid being easily pigeonholed, the band's

songwriting has become somewhat less elusive and more viable than 

before. Not a challenging listen at all, but a definite grower.

Deep Fantasy by White Lung

 

Sample: Face Down

@Jigsaw9 first introduced me to White Lung with their album

back in 2012 and they've returned bigger and better than ever on 

Deep Fantasy. Still the intense female-fronted punk band with 

razor-wire riffage that I fell in love with.

[Zeus 7997]

This is an awesome list CAT! I skimmed through it very quickly but EGO-WRAPPIN' and fka twigs caught my eye immediately. I didn't know EGO-WRAPPIN' released something new this year so I need to get that and FKA twigs sounds nice so I'll follow up on that further.

[doombox 4421]

I wish there were more samples and at the same time I'm glad there aren't because I had to listen to every single one and way too many had me sucked in for the entire song: Cloud nine(9), my letter, satomimagae, arukara, hitorie, Baton Rouge, D'Angelo, Fink, FKA twigs, Nothing But Thieves... Basically the entire middle of this list has me.  Brb going to delete my eoty list because it will never be as perfect as this one. 

[bonsaijodelfisch 328]

i've seen everybody and their dogs fan-rage about that d'angelo album, and that sample shows me why that might be. have to chekc this one out for sure, aswell as all the rest, my library has been kinda static these past months so this and the 25-mh-mas list are very appreciated

[sai 868]

Interesting list! I'm honestly one of the minority when I say that I think that Rhapsody in Beauty is probably one of my least favourite albums from THE NOVEMBERS. Xeno was the only song I could really get into, but one good song doesn't make a good album. I feel like it just doesn't stick too well. I've listened to the album over 5 times by now and Xeno is literally the only song that I remember.

 

Kan Wakan's album was really good though, not what I expected, but a great listen.

[Keisuke 16]

I'm honestly one of the minority when I say that I think that Rhapsody in Beauty is probably one of my least favourite albums from THE NOVEMBERS. 

Same. They used to be one of my favorite bands. ._. I bought picnic before the release and now I don't listen to them anymore. Such a huge change.

I thought GIFT and Fourth wall were great but I didn't like zeitgeist a lot. 

I like We, Flower of Life and Romance though. 

(Sorry :'D)

[fitear1590 2414]

I've been meaning to reply to this, so I'm going to comment on some notable picks. Here goes!

chouchou merged syrups. - While I do agree it's better than since, I'm still having trouble getting into this. I'm just not digging the vocalist (though she has improved!)

Cloud nine(9) - This is solid! Didn't listen to really any math-rock stuff last year, so I'll have to check this out. Unfortunately, their bandcamp link doesn't seem to work anymore!

CONCERT - Lawd, the accuracy of your "Lamp x cornelius" comparison. This sounds fantastic!

macaroom - Lovely! Might fill the the gap that neue nahel has left in my heart. And interesting about the Croatian songs.

mothercoat - Quirky... I like!

orcaorca - I can get on board with this. Beautiful stuff!

アルカラ - I've been meaning to officially check them out and this seems like a good place to start!z

 

ふつうのしあわせ - I love me some off-kilter, spastic shit. Like a tamer (but catchier) version of the act we act?

撃鉄 - I remember this being played on plug and loving their energy

FKA twigs - Miasma introduced me to her EP last year, but it slipped my mind to check out her new album. Cool stuff.

Kan Wakan - If this sample is any indication of the rest of the album's material, I will love this.

Kilo Kish - This is great! Her voice works really well with the sing-talking.

Kimbra - As far as I'm concerned, Kimbra has now surpassed Janelle Monae. Good sample pick; "Madhouse" is one of my favorites from the album!

Monogrenade - Gorgeous

Temples - Definitely a solid album, but they were just edged out by Moodoïd on my list.

Tide/Edit - I've seen their name around, but haven't checked them out yet. Nonetheless, glad to see a Filipino band made your list!

PS: nothing wrong with a "self-indulgent" EOTY list
I'd rather read that and get an actual feel for someone's taste, than just what "should" be included on the list according to "popular" opinion.

Thanks for sharing, bruh!

[shizukasou 47]

Kudos for including Nabuma Rubberband! It's truly a gem <3