Year in Rock 2014: Fashionably Late But Bound To Be Great

YEAR IN ROCK 2014

New format.

Same great taste.

COMING IN DECEMBER

Since this blog's origins in 2011 (and, for longtime friends, long before), I've given an annual rundown of my favourite songs and albums at year's end, lauding the ones I enjoyed the most and crowning them with empty, meaningless awards.

That hasn't changed for 2014, but the way I'm presenting it has.

Rather than daily posts singling out one artist at a time starting November 1, I've decided to ditch that format and instead nominate artists and albums for specific awards. I'll be announcing nominations in December, and there are a few reasons why:

a) Whereas I'd normally have a list of nominees ready to go by now, this year proves a little more difficult due to the fact that there is still a handful of very intriguing releases due to be released in November (and, in Smashing Pumpkins' case, December). How, for instance, can I possibly know what to nominate for Album of the Year without hearing the new one from Foo Fighters?

b) Traditionally, in my daily Year in Rock posts I'd discuss the group and why they were nominated. There isn't really as much need for that this year as the majority of the nominees will have had their albums reviewed on this blog in pretty extensive detail. Chances are, you know why I dug He Is Legend this year, and I don't really need a second blog post to say the same things again.

c) This is more of a selfish reason, but it lightens my work load. For those who don't know, my day job is in retail. My job gets increasingly taxing as the holiday shopping season rolls on, and it can be borderline unbearable to add daily blog posts to the equation. Besides, the continued album reviews should ensure the place doesn't become a ghost town.

So, with all that said, thanks to all the forthcoming nominees, and all of you reading about them, for making 2014 another fun year full of good rock n' roll. To commemorate it, some of your faves will be competing for Year in Rock 2014 Awards (maybe I'll call them "Biteys"?) in the following categories:

Album of the Year (for the overall awesomest full album experience of '14)

Song of the Year (for the song that, above all others, was my jam)

Video of the Year (for all you chronic YouTubers)

Best New Artist Recording of the Year (only for noobs, or artists whose first official album released in '14)

Best Comeback Recording of the Year (only for oldies, or artists who took 10 years or more between albums)

Sound Bites Hall of Fame (this is only for artists whose first official album released more than 25 years ago)

...and maybe others. I've got time to work it all out, as the nominees will be revealed on December 1st, with the winners announced on December 19th. Stay tuned!