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The reason why the year 2014 in Wolfgang Möstls personal music history only secondarily marks the year Killed by 9V Batteries were brought to an end invokes comparisons to the Beatles, hides itself very Sgt. Pepper-like behind a concept of nerdy homages, and celebrates a varied party of twelve Lo-Fi gems starting with its artwork: Mile Me Deaf probably have never been better than on their wonderfully easygoing collection of catchy tunes 'Holography'. One year after he helped bringing Sex Jams noiserock to the next level, Wolfgang Möstl continues to make no mistakes on his several playgrounds. And we’re still allowed to miss Killed by 9V Batteries.
After the two consecutive successes '‘Im Schwindel‘‘ and 'Die Unsichtbaren‘, 2014 had to be endured without a new album by Messer, but fortunately not without other releases: while Record Store Day ’14 showed the groups changeableness with 'TCM Tones‘, last months 'Ein Film ist zuende, nur ein Film‘ succeeded with its balancing act between art piece and driving rock improvisation. Either way: no Heavy Pop Advent calender without being kicked off by Messer!
![The Menzingers, The Smith Street Band, The Holy Mess [15.10.2014,: Explosiv Graz]](https://i0.wp.com/www.heavypop.at/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/The-Menzingers-Live-e1413459797762.jpg?resize=205%2C205&ssl=1 "The Menzingers, The Smith Street Band, The Holy Mess [15.10.2014,: Explosiv Graz]")
Großes Punkrockkino, an einem nahezu perfekten Abend kompakt aufgezogen, das wegen der (angenehm) pünktlichen Beginnzeit zwar den Auftritt von The Holy Mess verpassen lässt, darüber hinaus aber die Erkenntnis unterstreicht, dass The Menzingers auch auf der Bühne schlichtweg eine Macht sind.
Daneben greifen kann die um Carson Cox und David Vassalotti zur vollwertigen Band ausgewachsenen Truppe scheinbar einfach nicht - weniger unmittelbare Euphorie als bisher entfachen dann aber doch: Merchandise fliegen auf ihrem Major-Einstand auf der ersten Blick gar zu reibungslos mit Autopilot durch die 1980er.
Weil Alec Ounsworth auch mit 'Only Run' die einst aufgebrummte Bürde als medial ausgerufener Nachlassverwalter der Talking Heads nicht mehr stemmen kann, schickt ausgerechnet Kanadas Experte für Postrock, Constellation Records, eine ihren Postpunk zwischen allen Stühlen platzierendes Quartett um den exaltierten Sänger Tim Beeler ins Rennen.
Ein unveröffentlichtes Album aus der gemeinhin schwächsten Phase des Man in Black, knappe 10 Jahre nach dem Tod des Man in Black ausgegraben. Skepsis durfte da die Vorfreude durchaus überschatten - 'Out Among the Stars' nun umso überraschender mit seinen Qualitäten aufzeigen kann.
Nach dem vergleichsweise regelrecht glückseligen, vielerorts absolut zu Unrecht verschmähten Blick zurück bis in die Kindheit auf dem großartigen 'Build a Rocket Boys!' richten Guy Garvey und Co. den Blick nun in die Zukunft: obwohl ihnen nach England nun endlich die ganze Welt zu Füßen liegt kein Grund für überbordende Euphorie im Hause Elbow.
Chris Breuer more or less jumped in at the deep end: after Bassist Louis Jucker left The Ocean to concentrate on his studies, it was up to the Saarland-Berliner to sustain the dynamic groove below the pressing progressive post-metal of the multinational group surrounding mastermind Robin Staps. And Breuer arrived just in time to become part of 'Pelagial', another mighty conceptional chunk by The Ocean. Right before setting out for their next tour, Chris Breuer told HeavyPop for the annual Advent calendar what records accompanied him throught this past year.
Day 18 of the HeavyPop Advent calendar brings us France's most intense band. Usually friends of rapid-fire releases (three and a half records over the course of five years) Lyon's Celeste took nearly three years to meticulously craft their Opus Magnum 'Animale(s)', and every second of work shows on their pitch-black conceptual work of art. Never before did Celeste sound more detailed, more coherent – in short: better. It was hard to imagine after the already outstanding 'Morte(s) Nee(s)', but Celeste outdid themselves again.
In the light of his band Disappears not only releasing the 'Kone'-EP that rose expectations for 2013, but consequently lifting their sound onto the next level with their following album 'Era' , Brian Case telling us about his favourite records of this past year is especially interesting. "Their best album so far" is the consensus on 'Era' elsewhere - which can only be repeated on day 13 of the Heavy Pop Advent calendar.
