Sounds In The Signals - The Best Albums & EP's (Mid-Year) 2014

Here is a list of the 30 best albums of the year so far. I've listened to a ton of albums this year. I originally wanted to include a fairly big list. However, I decided to narrow it down to help streamline and maximize, as opposed to minimizing in a giant list, how great these select 30 albums are. I've tried to represent various genres in this list. Of course I probably missed an album and some albums not on the list will probably appear somewhere on my top 30 list at the end of the year. Some may get pushed further down on my list as other albums come out during the remainder of the year. In any case, as it stands today, here are the top 30 albums of the first six months of the year...in my humble opinion. I've also included a smaller list of the 15 best EP's of 2014 so far. That list is in no particular order.

01.Northbound - Death Of A Slug

This album really snuck up on me. It's really everything you'd want to hear in an album of the year candidate. Vocally this is really solid, I really like the lyrics, and the songwriting is above average and really well done.
 
02.The Hotelier - Home Like No Place There Is

Now on any given day this could flip flop with Northbound. This album was everything I wanted it to be. It's really super solid songwriting and should be on anyone's list as a contender for album of the year. This is the full package. The lyrical content on this album is just insanely good and the songs are super well written.
 
03.You Blew It! - Keep Doing What You're Doing

This band started the year strong and had all the buzz with the emo revival. They really lived up to expectations. I think this is my favorite thing the band has ever done. They really have a handle on the sound they are going for and do it better than most.  

04.Modern Baseball - You're Gonna Miss It All

It's quirky, fun music. It's teetering on pop/punk meets emo. I like how catchy the album is. It has some great lyrical qualities as well. The music has this great ability to really pump me up when I'm listening to it.
 
05.Somos - Temple Of Plenty

Temple Of Plenty just kind of came out of nowhere. I saw the artwork for this and it just caught my eye. The music kept me around! I really like the lyrics on this album. The band, like Modern Baseball, kind of teeter on the pop/punk meets emo vibe. Great album. 



06-30:
 
06.Weatherbox - Flies In All Directions
07.This Wild Life - Clouded
08.Blu - Good To Be Home
09.Tigers Jaw - Charmer
10.Fireworks - Oh, Common Life
11.Eric Church - The Outsiders
12.Sorority Noise - Forgettable
13.The Menzingers - Rented World
14.La Dispute-The Rooms of the House
15.Conor Oberst - Upside Down Mountain
16.Manchester Orchestra - Cope
17.Sundy Best - Bring Up The Sun
18.Ab-Soul - These Days...
19.Frameworks - Loom
20.Masked Intruder - M.I.
21.Young And In The Way - When Life Comes To Death
22.Lana Del Rey - Ultraviolence
23.Neck Deep - Wishful Thinking
24.Sleep In. - Settling
25.For The Win - More Than You Know
26.Sturgill Simpson - Metamodern Sounds in Country Music
27.Chiodos - Devil
28.Slaves - Through Art We Are Equal
29.The Goddamn Gallows - The Maker
30.Issues - Issues

Top 15 EPs:

Grayscale - The Libra Sessions
Firestarter - Forget The Past
Donor - Ache Through My Bones
The Story So Far - Songs Of...
Best Of Luck - October 1961
Clean Break - Face Value
Megan & Liz - Simple Life
Violent Reaction - Dead End
Longest War - Longest War
Stoop Kids - Growing Pains
Dagwood - Not What You Want
Dogchains - Give/Take
Permanent Ruin - San Jose
The Violent Hearts - The Penalty
The Hundred Acre Woods - Cold In The Morning