Although they were born out of the hardcore scene, for the past five years Boston, Massachusetts’ Defeater have challenged the conventions of the genre by crafting music that takes an old-school formula and pushes it in new and ambitious directions without sacrificing an ounce of aggression.
Case in point is the band’s third full-length Letters Home, the culmination of these efforts and sonic evidence of a band who are at their musical and creative peak. Letters Home is much more than a hardcore record, it’s a concept album that explores the concepts of loss, family and love in a way that transcends genres and the chances that Defeater take on the album both musically and lyrically will undoubtedly inspire bands who play various styles of music on a visceral and artistic level.
Ghettoblaster recently caught up with Jake Woodruff of Defeater and Dream Tigers to ask about the most visceral and artistic records he enjoyed in 2014. This is what he offered.
young widows , easy pain
angel olsen, burn your fire for no witness
this will destroy you, another language
bry webb, free will
sun kil moon, benji
pianos become the teeth, keep you
la dispute, rooms of the house
ryan adams, ryan adams
fucking invincible, it’ll get worse before it gets better
delta spirit, into the wide
(Visit Defeater here: https://www.facebook.com/defeaterband.)