2014 according to SWNK
2014 is about over so.. IT’S TIME! TIME TO UNDERST…. look back again… Like every year 🙂
First of all, to everyone reading this: Thanks for sticking around (or stumbling upon this list). Whether you’re just checking to see if your band is included or want to see what our reviewers think of 2014, it doesn’t really matter. As for SWNK in 2014? Mad props to Dennis for keeping this going while I (Pim) had less and less time for SWNK. Everyone visiting this site owes him a big thank you. I know I do.
Anyway, enough about that, time for the lists!
Dennis
Best releases
1. Neighborhood Brats – Recovery
2. The Number Ones – The number ones
3. Hurula – Vi Är Människorna Våra Föräldrar Varnade Oss För
4. Protestant – In thy name
5. Crows – Better of dead
6. Trophies – There will be no light
7. FJØRT – D’accord
8. Svffer – The lies we live
9. The Great Old Ones – Tekeli-li
10. No Problem – Already dead
11. No More Art – Sorrows of youth
12. The Real Energy – Beyond delays
13. Hysterese – Hysterese
14. The Local Spastics – The local spastics
15. Solstafir – Otta
16. Suffering Quota – Suffering Quota
17. Paramnesia – Paramnesia
18. Sun Worship – Elder Giants
19. Brain F≠ – Empty set
20. Crucified Barbara – In the red
And so much more…
EP’s/7”/split
Pale Angels – Strange powers
Fonija/Culture development split
Pariso/Svalbard split
We Never Learned To Live/Human Future split
Bäddat för trubbel – Inte Varit Så Tuff
Grinding Halt/Pine Barrens split
The Kut – Make up
Best show
The Local Spastics album release show
Best Movies
Hard to say as I have some catching up to do when it comes to movies. For now I’d say The Grand Budapest Hotel…
The good
+ A new job. I wasn’t even looking for it, but I received an offer I could not refuse.
+ Trip to Scotland with my father.
+ I’ve heard so many great records this year. In my book, 2014 was a great year for music!
+ Had a great year. So good I’m having a hard time summing up the bad…
The bad
– Again I didn’t skate enough this year…
– Did not visit a lot of shows this year.
Looking forward to
2014 was a quiet year for horrorpunk. 2015 should be different with new albums coming up from Calabrese and The Crimson Ghosts. New albums by Danko Jones and Good Riddance are also something to look forward to.
Louis
Releases
Flying Lotus – You’re dead!
When your favourite musician drops a record like this, and grasps back on the older influences you loved the most its impossible not putting in it on 1 in whatsoever list. Even though the one which came in second tops your alltime list….. ehhh what?!?!
Lawrence Arms – Metropole
This album instantly topped my list of all time favourite records in any genre. This is exactly the vibe I love so much in Punk Rock.
Run the Jewels – Run the Jewels 2
Kendrick Lamar brought HipHop back to it’s stortytelling mode. Killer Mike and El-P tears this up with their second Run the Jewels record. An album full independent and spot-on bangers. Check this out. Both are solo not good enough but together they are Hip Hops finest.
Mongol Horde – Mongol Horde
Frank Turner. Hero, and even a bigger hero when he surprises his unknowing crowd with his hardcore band Mongol Horde when they came to see his Springsteen styled music.
Lagwagon – Hang
The smaller brother of NOFX. The Fifth wheel on the wagon in the glory days of Epitaph and particularly Fat Wreck. 2014 they have outgrown all their colleagues and delivered, right after the lawrence arms ;), by far the best punk record in years!
Gaslight Anthem – Get Hurt
With this record I can finally accept they outgrown the punkscene and the small venues. Stadium rock at it’s finest. And just plain good songs.
Masked Intruder – MI
Great riffs, good melodies and most of all feelgood punk rock. Again an terrific album by the intruders.
Shabazz Palaces – Lese Majesty
After their debute I thought the former ‘Digable Planets’ would keep it to this one way wonder. But suddenly there was Lese Majesty. Shabazz Palaces reinvented theirselves, even thought they allready did with erecting this whole group. Magnificent music which is way ahead of it’s time but also subtle honours the old school.
Best show
Trash Talk @ Haarlem
Best 7 inch/EP
Apologies, I have none – Black Everything
After the departure of main member Dan Bond my expectations for this supertalent in the genre hit rock bottom. Then they surprised me with this epic EP. Total different road (London being an hopeful album, nowadays they preach depression), still as intense and good as their debute.
Best song
Lawrence Arms – the YMCA down the street of the clinic
Best movie/DVD
Interstellar
The good…
+ Lawrence Arms writing an album that is my instant favourite record
+ Randomly and unexpecting updating my Paint it Black vinyl collection on the dutch Vinyl exhibition
+ Dalrymple reuniting with Dead to Me!!!!
The bad…
– Trash Talk’s no peace simply not making it in my album yearlist.
– Another year goes by without seeing Paint it Black
And the Ugly
Fucking idiots in deserts chopping off heads and filming it
Future
I hope the revival of Punk rock gets even bigger. Albums like Lagwagons Hang on a more regular basis. Also still still longing for Joey Badass’ B4DA$$
Pim
Releases (in no particular order)
Weezer – Everything Will Be Alright in The End
Nibiru – Big Soul EP
Basement – Further Sky EP
The Kids’ Crusade – Sway EP
Chuck Ragan – Till Midnight
No Warning – Suffer, Survive LP (finally!)
Cold World – How The Gods Chill
White Lung – Deep Fantasy
Me First And The Gimme Gimmes – Are We Not Men? We Are Diva!
The Dwarves – The Dwarves Invented Rock ‘N’ Roll
Best show
Judge @ Groezrock
Best 7 inch/EP
Nibiru – Big Soul EP
Best song
Weezer – Back To The Shack
Best movie/DVD
Interstellar, without a doubt. And once again the Walking Dead TV (still loving the drama!) series. Curious to see what that spinoff is going to be like. “Gotham” deserves a mention too. When I saw the Wayne murder scene I wasn’t expection much, but it really picked up after that. Love Gordon & the Penguin.
Best game
The Walking Dead – Season 2. Not as good as season 1, but still good. Aside from that not much, haven’t been playing many games either. Looking forward to Arkham Knight & Uncharted 4!
Best zines/books
The Walking Dead / Batman comics
The good… (A Clear Blue Sky)
+ Meeting Nathalie, best thing ever happened to me.
+ Moving into a new home with her. (Moving to a bigger place already in February though… Life really is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.)
+ Seeing Jax (my little sis her son) growing up. Dude’s awesome. And there’s another rascal on the way 🙂
+ Getting introduced to sushi (yes I’m late to the party) and all other kinds of great food.
+ 03 Webdesign still on the rise. 2015 is going to be even better. New office, new partnership. Let’s go!
+ The release of “Better Days” (my band Said And Done’s final LP).
The bad… (Nothing Lasts Forever)
– The end of Said And Done. Things clearly don’t always go as planned…
– Less time for SWNK.
Maurice
Best releases
1. Bongripper – Miserable
2. Thou – Heathen
3. Godflesh – A World Lit Only By Fire
4. Teitanblood – Death
5. Radar Men from the Moon – Strange Wave Galore
6. Electric Wizard – Time to Die
7. Mono – Rays of Darkness/The Last Dawn
8. Yob – Clearing the Path to Ascend
9. Swans – To Be Kind
10.Venetian Snares – My Love is a Bulldozer
11. Ambarchi/Randalf/Dunn – Themes from Kairos
12. Watter – This World
13. A Winged Victory for the Sullen – Atomos
14. Jakob – Sines
15. Mastodon – Once more round the Sun
Best Shows
1. Windhand, Whitehorse @ Heavy Days in Doomtown, Copenhagen
2. Dehumanized @Kavka, Antwerpen
3. Ulcerate @ Grenswerk, Venlo
4. Swans @ Le Guess Who, Utrecht
5. Integrity @ A389 Birthday Bash, Baltimore
6. A Winged Victory for the Sullen @ De Roma, Antwerpen
7. Brutal Blues @ Bloodshed fest, Eindhoven
8. Krallice @ Incubate, Tilburg
9. Melt Banana @ Paradiso, Amsterdam
10. Morbid Angel @ EMM, Eindhoven
Best EP
1. Uncle Acid – Runaway Girls
2. Radiation – Radiation EP
Best Demotape
1. Radiation/Kaiten – Split
2. Psudoku – Planetarisk Psudoku
Best song
Mastodon – Aunt Lisa
Best Movie/DVD
Poppy Ackroyd / Lumen – Escapement Visualised
Best zines/books
Decibel Magazine & De Oorlog aan je Voordeur
The Good…
+ Girlfriend
+ NYC visit, Colorado visit
+ Roadtrips to Copenhagen, France and Belgium
+ Weekend Lithuania
+ The nice shows and festival I visited
+ Touring with Noothgrush
+ Achievements with Throw me in the Crater
+ Starting up a new Black Metal project
The Bad…
– Too many stupid (racist) people in this country complaining. Advise: travel around the world on a low budget and discover how good life is in the Netherlands
– Religious fundamentalism bullshit
– The end of Throw me in the Crater????
Jouke
Best releases
1. Lagwagon – Hang
2. American Hi-Fi – Blood & Lemonade
3. Masked Intruder – M.I.
4. Me First And The Gimme Gimmes -Are We Not Men? We Are Diva!
5. The Dwarves – The Dwarves Invented Rock ‘N’ Roll
Best Shows
Descendents at Groezrock: simply amazing
The Offspring playing my favorite record at Groezrock
SNFU at Ieperfest: wacky, but awesome
No Warning at Ieperfest: really got into them after seeing them
Hoist The Colours at Simplon, Groningen
Best EPs
Omaha – Touch ‘em all, Joe
Blowfuse – Couch
The Decline – Can I Borrow A Feeling?
Best Demotape
Can’t recall listening to one this year
Best song
Although not released this year, the song I played most this year is ‘Tarkin Doctrine’ by Adrenalized.
Best Movie/DVD
Mmm.. Lot of cool movies, but I really digged Divergent and The Lego Movie.
Best zines/books
John Joseph – Meat Is For Pussies
Jim Lindberg – Punk Rock Dad
The Good…
+ Good year for Morning Wood Records. It’s getting bigger and better! Signed 7-8 new bands to the label this year and released a bunch of great albums!
+ Started a new skatepunk band called Suburgent
+ I have a feeling the 90’s punk rock style from Southern-California will be coming back sooner or later
The Bad…
– Guttermouth cancelling their European tour
– Dutch people complaining about the economical crisis, immigration, Russia or the government, while we still flush our toilets with clean drinking water and live in one of the most stable countries in the world.
– Ebola: society’s shitting bricks because of a disease that’s only responsible for a really small amount of deaths compared to hunger, war or obesity. The western world only worries (or ‘care’ is what they call it) about something when it could affect them in a negative way.
– Media: people still think everything on TV or in newspapers is true. Weird why the majority still never questions the information that gets presented to them.
Niels
Best releases
Punch – They Don’t Have to Believe
Morrissey – World Peace is None of Your Business
The Smashing Pumpkins – Monuments to an Elegy
Lagwagon – Hang
Weezer – Everything Will Be Allright in the End
Bane – Don’t Wait Up
Nothing – Guilty of Everything
Pallbearer – Foundations of Burden
Mastodon – Once More ‘Round the Sun
Thou – Heathen
Best EP’s
Protester – s/t
Step Forward – s/t
Stone Dagger – s/t
Amenra/Madensuyu – split
Whirr/Nothing – split
Sweet Jesus – Box
Best shows
Morrissey @ Tivoli, Vredenburg
Lagwagon and Bane @ Punkrock Holiday Slovenia
Paint it Black @ Groezrock
xemonerdx
Best releases, in no particular order
Funerals – Human Ruin 7″
Strange Places – Strange(r) Places 7″
Renounced – The Melancholy We Ache LP
Soulground – Paradise 7″
Incitement – Hyena 12″
Decadence – Into The Mouth Of Hell 10″
Unrestrained – Forward Onto Death LP
Borrowed Time – Captive Soul 7″
Get The Shot – No Peace In Hell LP
Annulment – Celestial Mother Of The Handless Path demo
Breaking Point – Set To Burn LP
Human Animal songs from their split 7″s with Additional Time & Wreckage
Constrict – Carved Into Stone 7″
Darkside NYC – Optimism Is Self-Deception Vol. 1 & 2 CD
In Tongues – Entombed By Existence demo
Best song
Funerals – Human Ruin
Best shows
All Out War @ Trix, Antwerp, Belgium
Renounced @ middle of nowhere, Belgium
Strife & Suicidal Tendencies @ 013, Tilburg, The Netherlands
What’s your list? Put em in the comments!
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