2014: Year End Review by Steven Farkas

Steven Farkas posted 1st January 2015
Editorials

ThePunkSite.com’s Best Of 2014

Best of 2014 Once again all of us here at ThePunkSite.com have taken the holidays to sit back and revisit all of our favourite albums of the year. Narrowing them down into easy-to-consume list forms – here’s what the people behind the website you’re currently browsing thought of this year’s music output.

Bobby Gorman | Cole Faulkner | Steven Farkas | Dustin Blumhagen

2014: Year End Review by Steven Farkas

As 2014 draws to a close with the usual celebrations and overindulgence in food and drink as well as feelings of general merriment, it is also a time to reflect on a fantastic year of music. The year brought a welcome downfall of new music from some of my all time favourite bands as well as a few new discoveries that downright blew me away. Here are my highlights (in no particular order).

Top Albums Of The Year

	The Lawrence Arms – Metropole – Epitaph Records I have to admit that I wasn’t the biggest fan of these guys before this record. I mean, I liked their stuff, but they were never a destination band for me. Metropole changed all that. From the first spin of the digital copy we were sent for review, I was hooked. The record was released in January and even on the last day of 2014 it still sounds amazing. The YMCA Down The Street From The Clinic and Drunk Tweets are particular favourites.
	The Blacklist Royals – Die Young With Me – Krian Music Group Love this band, love this record even if it did take some time to resonate. The lead single Righteous Child is a stunner, but the rest of the record is just as good if you give it time, Skeleton Crew and Die Young are also really impressive and the overarching theme of loss and heartache related to Rob Rufus’ battle with cancer seamlessly links everything together. Brilliant.
	The Dwarves – Invented Rock and Roll – Recess Records I know what to expect from a Dwarves record, and this doesn’t deviate from the formula, but if that formula is all kinds of awesome, then why change it? Trailer Trash and Hate Rock exemplify the band’s ability to both shock and delight in equal measure. Great fun.
	Steve Adamyk Band – Dial Tone – Dirtnap Records A record full of 2 minute jangly/powerpop anthems? Hell yes! Careless, Crash Course in Therapy and pretty much any other track on this record will make you smile and tap your feet without thinking. Great fun and an expected gem. Check these guys out live if they play anywhere near you in 2015.
	Chuck Ragan – Till Midnight – SideOneDummy Records I really loved this record, I mean if you want a soundtrack for the end of the world, then this is it. Depressing and uplifting at the same time, and featuring some of the earwormiest (is that even a word? If not, I just created it) music I heard last year. Something May Catch Fire and You and I Alone are both stunning.
	Teen Death – Crawling EP – 6131 Records I know this is only an EP, but just for the 100 seconds of pure unadulterated punk rock energy that is Poison, this EP makes the list. One of my favourite songs of the year bar none.
	The Menzingers – Rented World – Epitaph Records Our own Bobby Gorman wasn’t a huge fan, and I get where he was coming from, but I liked this record a lot. There was a level of maturity displayed in both the songwriting and the production and although the raw edges that made On The Impossible Past so great are missing, Rented World still holds up well. I Don’t Wanna Be An Asshole Anymore, Bad Things and When You Died all get better on multiple listens.