For no reason other than the fact that we are super fucking nosy, we poked, prodded, and hassled some of our favorite artists into giving us an idea of what they loved in 2014. Meredith Graves of Perfect Pussy caved in first, and now we've been able to con Nicky Palermo of the hard-touring favorite NOTHING to give us his favorite records of the year. Nicky's favorites are below, so now we can stop texting him.Merchandise - After The End
When the single for "Little Killer" was released I was a little taken back. I became aware that this wasn't going to be the sound I so much adored from Children Of Desire, Merchandise's 2012 debut full length. Maybe they strayed too far from the path? After listening to the full album several times it became crystal clear that I was absolutely wrong. This record is stunning. From brilliant song writing, to catchy, fearless vocal melodies, to it's pristine production, this is my favorite release this year. Grouper - Ruins
Jeff Zeigler, who produced Guilty Of Everything introduced me to Liz Harris and Grouper while we were in the studio trying to finish our album. We were eating mass amounts of speed trying to get through the redundant 12-14 hour days that stacked back to back for weeks. By the time I would get home I'd have to chug red wine to try and fall asleep just to do it all over again. Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill was the soundtrack to that misery.
On Ruins, everything seems to strip down further and somehow become even more honest then her past releases. It's unbelievably sad and beautiful and has the potential to deflate the listener. One could only dream of writing something this powerful. Total Control - Typical System
I still stunned I'm not seeing this record pop up on every end of year list. It's brilliant from start to finish. They successfully captured the most honest and sincere sound that could be stripped right from your favorite 80s records but add their own devastating features with crushing word play which in many cases, trumps their predecessors. They are doing what so many are trying to do, but to them, it seems more genuine and natural. Total Control is the best punk band making records today. Runner Up
Amen Dunes - LoveFollow Nothing on Twitter.
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When the single for "Little Killer" was released I was a little taken back. I became aware that this wasn't going to be the sound I so much adored from Children Of Desire, Merchandise's 2012 debut full length. Maybe they strayed too far from the path? After listening to the full album several times it became crystal clear that I was absolutely wrong. This record is stunning. From brilliant song writing, to catchy, fearless vocal melodies, to it's pristine production, this is my favorite release this year. Grouper - Ruins
Jeff Zeigler, who produced Guilty Of Everything introduced me to Liz Harris and Grouper while we were in the studio trying to finish our album. We were eating mass amounts of speed trying to get through the redundant 12-14 hour days that stacked back to back for weeks. By the time I would get home I'd have to chug red wine to try and fall asleep just to do it all over again. Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill was the soundtrack to that misery.
On Ruins, everything seems to strip down further and somehow become even more honest then her past releases. It's unbelievably sad and beautiful and has the potential to deflate the listener. One could only dream of writing something this powerful. Total Control - Typical System
I still stunned I'm not seeing this record pop up on every end of year list. It's brilliant from start to finish. They successfully captured the most honest and sincere sound that could be stripped right from your favorite 80s records but add their own devastating features with crushing word play which in many cases, trumps their predecessors. They are doing what so many are trying to do, but to them, it seems more genuine and natural. Total Control is the best punk band making records today. Runner Up
Amen Dunes - LoveFollow Nothing on Twitter.