Seven Indie Releases to Excite Yourself About in 2014 A. Noah Harrison 7. Battles (TBA)
Yes, everyone’s favorite math rock supergroup is back in the studio, recording its third album. Heck, Wikipedia says Battles said so on Facebook last month, a post that may not technically exist in the real world but rather in hearts. So any day now, RIGHT? Battles are perhaps the closest thing to what you might hear if you gave computers instruments and commanded them to play “human music.” Sometimes thunderous, sometimes delicate, they’re chock full of metronomic tempo shifts and polyrhythms that’ll make Slint sound like you in the shower. In 2012, they released their sophomore effort Gloss Drop, sans founding member Tyondai Braxton, and while not as adventurous as their insane debut—how could it be?—it proved a truly badass record. They even made the controversial decision to include real vocals (instead of hamster noises), featuring notable artists like Gary Numan and Yamashta Eye of Boredoms fame. Now if that doesn’t moisten your loins… Despite a relatively slow output, Battles’ prior work and collective experience can almost guarantee success. As soon as they format the hard drives of their musically adept computer minions, we can no doubt expect a very solid upcoming record.
6. Swans – To Be Kind (May 12)
Easily the most demented band on the list, Swans return with their thirteenth studio album in less than a month. Swans have been playing the musical equivalent of pain since around the time Kurt Cobain first experienced angst and are often touted (by me, right now) as one of the few bands for which heroin improves the listening experience. Whichever way rock seems to be heading, Swans go the opposite—ever since their No Wave days—often with great success. Their last album, The Seer, was hailed by many a-self-loathing critic as one of 2012’s the best. I wouldn’t go that far, but it is monolithic, churning, and at times infectiously groovy. A month ago, they released their new single, “A Little God in My Hands,” which suggests something more palatable for their next album. Let’s call it slime-stump muck-rock. I have to say, it’s damn catchy, even more so than their last effort! It even boasts a few unexpected guests, including—cue Pitchfork boner—St. Vincent. Indie Santa Claus is making his list and checking it twice, so listen to the fucking album if you expect something actually listenable in your stocking this year.
5. Beck (TBA)
Over the course of last summer, Beck quietly self-released three dope singles: “Gimme,” “I Won’t Be Long,” and “Defriended,” a song I once boldly proclaimed best song of 2013 (title pending). Here, Beck, a man of many faces, reveals his more experimental, electronic side, music intended for his upcoming fourteenth album. You know, that mystical album he apparently started in 2008 before he decided to put out an album in, uh, sheet music format? Well all three singles deserve a few listens despite your terrible tastes. It actually makes sense why these songs didn’t end up on Beck’s pensive and flaccid February release, Morning Phase. They rock harder, they’re catchy as hell, and they better showcase his idiosyncratic spirit. Simply put, it’s more conscientious better songwriting. If these singles, each uniquely satisfying, are any indication of the success of his upcoming record, you’d be an idiot not to get excited.
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