2014 – A Personal ‘Best Of’ And Regular Rotations

My 2014 Music Collection: Bath, United Kingdom.

A Best Of… and a photo of me on Blackpool Seafront, during Rebellion Festival weekend 2014. What? I’m from an Island and I live inland… I’d missed the coast!

I’ll keep this intro short. It saves me going on and keeps it about the music. After all, ’tis only a list! Here is what it shall entail:

A list and a few words on each album entry, with some music and video links thrown in for your listening pleasure! As you may have expected, some of these bands are those we have featured, so expect links to our articles – aren’t we nice? Finally, I’ll be listing some honourable mentions from this year that have… wait for it… ‘ROCKED MY WORLD’. Don’t fret, I won’t be saying that again in my life time. *shudder*.

 1. Bobby Funk – I’m A C**t: One of my earlier reviews from back in July. Bobby Funk have it all when it comes to old-school Hardcore Punk. It’s fast, gritty, humorous and accurately titled. The EP is cheap as fuck and it’s clear they had fun recording it. Plus, I am also a C**t. Check out what I scribbled here.

2. Bottle Breakers – Weight Anchor:  The band released a four track EP back in January of 2014. A perfect slice of Rock ‘n’ Roll, charged with old-school Punk-Rock, with nods to greats such as Social Distortion. It really is a feel-good release.  We at MF can’t wait to get this band on our humble site!

3. Clem Mcgillicutty And The Burnouts – It Gets Better I Promise: I gave this album 8.5/10, find out why here. Get your Folk on, dance like a Punk. Folk Punk is always welcome. Here’s a video the band recorded for ‘A Harrowing Experience In The Key Of G’. The audio was re-recorded for the album.

4. Comeback Kid – Die Knowing: I had been waiting for this album… Waiting a long, long time. The great thing is, the Canadian mob delivered. Mixing their trademark Hardcore-Punk with the more current NYC, Metallic Hardcore so prominent at the moment, Die Knowing is fucking fantastic. Plus, the bands original vocalist – Scott Wade – makes an appearance on the song ‘Full Swing’. They are honestly one of my favourite Hardcore bands and it really is great to see them going strong after a decade. Here’s the video for ‘Should Know Better’.

5. Dead Town Nothing – Consequences: A band I wrote an exclusive for a few months ago. They are from the Isle Of Wight like myself and Stefan, so this was a special one for us. A brutal slab of Metallic-Hardcore be this album. You can find the scribblings here.

6. Ghost Of The Avalanche – Body Snatchers EP: Ahhh GOTA. I love this band. I’ve seen them three times now. The last time I saw them, a friend leaned over and said, ‘they never put on a bad show do they?’. No, no they don’t. Here’s the article we wrote on them earlier this year and one my favourite songs of the year too. Two-piece Punk-Rock, infused with Rock ‘n’ Roll and stripped right down.

7. Ghouls – Great Expectations: We have featured these gents twice now and we love them. Click here for the latest, a link to the first article is included. Now, here’s a song that puts a smile on my face.

8. GoRampage – Our first band from mainland Europe, GoRampage from Germany. My music taste has moved towards more progressive genres in recent months, and this band helped things along. Check the review here and then listen to this:

9. Hora Douse – Crash EP: One of Stefan’s finds. I fucking love this band. Solid Alternative-Rock with plenty of riffs, grooves, ballads and Punk injections. Read here and check out lead single ‘Bored’ below and have a wander over to their bandcamp and SoundCloud for more!

10. The Lawrence Arms – Metropole: Easily in my top three of the year. Metropole. The Lawrence Arms are one of Chicago’s finest and not the only band from said city in this list… This album was my first major review and ended up being re-tweeted by Epitaph Records. I smiled. Have a read here.

11. OFF! – Wasted Years: OFF! The best Punk-Rock show I’ve ever been too, Cerebral Ballzy in support of a brutal band from Brighton named Teef. Now that was a night in Bristol!

12. Only Crime – Pursuance: Like OFF!, OC are a supergroup and a good one at that. I missed them in Bristol and it wounded me! Another of my top three! A top three that probably will exceed the value of three at this rate. I was always crap at Maths.

13. Pennywise – Yesterdays: I don’t really need to say too much about these legends; they are hugely influential. I had to review this album, I HAD TO! (click here) Got re-tweeted by Epitaph again too. Essentially a new/old album and a tribute to the late Jason Thirsk. And it’s nice to have Jim back on vocals, as much as I loved All Or Nothing with Zoli, normality has been restored.

14. POLAR. – Shadowed By Vultures: By far, the best Hardcore band in the UK right now. Each release changes things up a bit and is always pulled off with flying colours. ‘Black Days’ not the heaviest on the album, but leaning more to a Melodic-Hardcore/Punk direction, it breaks things up during the brutal onslaught. There’s also a Piano-led track… yes, you heard correctly.

15. Profile Me – Lone Wolf: Another band hailing from Germany, Profile Me. Featuring GoRampage’s bassist, Profile Me are a Pop-Punk/Skate-Punk band that sound like they should have been playing in the 90’s and on a Tony Hawk PS1 game soundtrack. Check out what we wrote here.

16. Radkey – Feed My Brain- Single: This band. Radkey have been causing a shit storm in both the US, UK and probably the cosmos. I chose them as my first ever review (click here), it was only a single but I still thoroughly enjoyed writing it. Easily one of my favourite modern Punk bands due to their fresh and original sound. This track for example, has more of a Stoner Rock groove.

17. Riskee And The Ridicule – Dawn of The Dog: MF favourites from Kent. RATR produce an eclectic sound with a combination of Punk-Rock, Funk, Grime, Ska and Hip-Hop. Check out what we had to say here. In all honesty, it’s rare for a band to nail their message so well and in this case, what is wrong with the contemporary UK? Finally, something to think about, ‘If you ain’t got roots, how you gonna grow?’:

18. Spunk Volcano & The Eruptions – Injection: This band’s name still makes me laugh, I even have a t-shirt. I saw them at Rebellion Festival ’14 and had a great time. Specifically to the song ‘Oh For Fucks Sake’ which is essentially my theme song… A catchy and hook laden mix of old school Punk and Hardcore, you need this band in your life.

19. Step Right Up – Brass Knuckle Lullabies EP: Chicago three-piece SRU fucking blasted it with this EP, which is free by the way. If you wanted to see what we thought about it, click here. Mixing in influences such as Leftover Crack, Minor Threat, Black Flag, Patrick Bateman and, in my opinion, Poison Idea. You get a rather large Punk fist repeatedly punching you in the face, in a good way. It doesn’t hurt, too much – I only need mild re-constructive surgery.

20. Tuskens – Almost Over EP: Where a few of us at MF are based in Bath in the southwest of the England, we often feature a lot of bands from the region, as the area has a great music scene. Cue Tuskens. I reviewed their second EP back in the summer and was impressed. The ‘rockier’ side of the genre, Tuskens, much like some others of the region’s Pop-Punk bands; stand out from the current wave. Check out the review here. Speaking of other bands, check out Montrose here and Highlives here.

21 & 22. White Lion Parade – The Valley (Deluxe Edition) EP & A Fight Through It All EP: Some Post-Rock to finish. White Lion Parade hail from Bristol and Bath (sort of). They play an atmospheric mix of Post-Rock with some Post-Hardcore and Melodic Rock thrown in for good measure. I have seen them twice now, I can safely say it was as if a wall of noise was passing through me, whilst myself and two friends head-banged in perfect unison, all in slow motion of course. I thoroughly recommend checking this three piece out, you won’t be disappointed.

Regular Rotation (MORE music inbound):

Some of these bands released music in 2014, others didn’t, some I discovered this year with help from friends, others not. You get the idea, whatever their origin I can happily say that they played no small part in destroying my hearing, in a good way – again.

UGLYBoNES – More Hardcore Punk Rock from Chicago, the band have a solid back catalogue of EPs as well as a split with Step Right Up, a review of which you can find here. All music from both bands is free on bandcamp, with some tasty merch for cheap if you ask the right questions. Anyway, here’s some UB songs:

Castaway – Another band featured on Musically Fresh this year, the review of which can be found here. The reason I’m including them is the same reason why the band grabbed me in the first place, because of this line – ‘I’ve got high expectation and low self esteem…’

Star Fucking Hipsters – They are just a good band really aren’t they? I think so anyway. I could post a number of songs but I had to settle on this one. A slower one, you best be pumping that fist in the air in slow motion from 1:56.

Red Hot Chilli Peppers – Because.

Rinoa – In classic ‘me’ style, I got into this band a great deal of time after they had called it a day. Sent this way by some good friends, including White Lion Parade’s drummer and another who set me on to a fair few bands on this list, I was hooked on the Hardcore-Punk charged Post-Metal of Rinoa. Anyway, if you aren’t having some kind of music based orgasm from 3:00 onwards, I’m sending the boys round. That riff, that crescendo, this song.

P S O T Y (Pet Slimmers of The Year) – Another band on the Post-Metal train, P S O T Y. For a genre with ‘Metal’ in its description, this band are great for having on loud in the background while doing, well, whatever. Their music is as chilled as it is heavy and intense. Picking through the wilds on Skyrim, Fallout: New Vegas and Dragon Age: Inquisition with this band playing really works. Or alternatively if you are moving around in a really quite slow, epic and overly dramatic manner for whatever reason, P S O T Y are easily the best soundtrack.

Polar Maps – Another band hailing from the Isle Of Wight. Taking things down now a bit now with Polar Maps. A band that I found through MF, I really can’t get enough of this song. More proof that I don’t just sit around, with a confused angry facial expression and listen to Punk Rock. I do do that, just not all the time. Check out Stefan’s review, here.

Strength In Blunders – Another band we featured this year, Swindon’s Strength In Blunders. Discovered first at Rebellion Festival ’14, their debut album Life At Midnight honestly gets better with every listen. Personally I can’t wait to hear more from the band. If you fancy finding out what we thought, click here.

Street Sweeper Social Club – Finally, a band I was shown by my closest friend back in my second year of University. The band only have one album and one EP but neither have been off rotation for more than a week, in over TWO years. The EP (second release) in particular is phenomenal. Tom Morello from the mighty Rage Against The Machine + Boots Riley from The Coup = A socio-politcal Rap-Funk-Rock masterpiece. So much that I’m going to post a song from both releases. Why you ask? Well, there’s barely any music at all in this post is there…

Well, as much I could go on with this, for another few thousand words; I won’t. I couldn’t put anyone through that much of my writing, it really is a miracle that I haven’t been kicked off the team here at MF for my sinfully boring prose…

In all seriousness, this list is but a small part of what I’ve had in my ears this year and indeed that of Musically Fresh in general. We are in this for the bands, the music and to make it our mission to find sonic goodness for you lovely people; no matter where it is.

If you like what we are doing, get in contact, sit back, scroll through and feed your ears. You’ll feel fresher for it.

#StayFresh.