Best of 2014

Kira Wisniewski's picks (2014)

Kira Wisniewski

[Kira Wisniewski is a contributing editor at Punknews.org.]

Hello/Goodbye.

I’m pumped for so many positive things that have happened in my personal life in 2014. To

quote my dear friend Meg: “I’m just living my best life!” This past year:

However, as the year closes, and we’re reflecting on the year and remembering favorite tunes and personal highlights, it’s imperative that we also reflect on the atrocities that unfortunately took place in 2014. I’m by no means an expert here or trying to be, but here are a few resources, articles, and videos that can help us all be better informed and more engaged:
Colorlines, Crunk Feminist Collective, this piece by Cera Byer, this post by Aida Manduley, videos by Jay Smooth, this piece from Quartz, and of course, ">this clip of Jon Stewart from The Daily Show. #blacklivesmatter

2014 also marks the end of the road for me and the org. It’s been a honor and a privilege to be

an editor for three years and it’s been a delight getting to know everyone in the Punknews

community. I’m happy that nearly 200 interviews were coordinated, conducted and posted on

my watch as interviews editor. And I’m excited for the next generation of editors to keep moving

things forward in 2015 and beyond. That all being said, here’s my top ten albums of 2014. (I’m

not apologizing for the pop album listed. Haters gonna hate.)

10

Eagulls: Eagulls

Partisan

This 37 minute, 10-track album is such a fun treat from across the pond. The driving 4/4

drum beats and shouty urgency of the vocals makes me keep my fingers crossed for an Eagulls

and Japandroids tour (that has a stop in Baltimore). That would be a fun, sweaty mess of a

good show.

9

Taylor Swift: 1989

Big Machine

I’m all about TSwift’s full-on foray into pop music. I’m also all about this stage in her life

where she’s realizing that your girlfriends are what is most important and those are the

relationships you should be nurturing. Shine theory, y’all. Preach.

8

The Lawrence Arms:

Metropole

Epitaph

After approximately a million years, the Larry Arms finally put out a new record! And the

good news is that it is great! Completely consistent with the tried and true texture and tone

we’ve all grown to know and love from this lovable trio! (I can apparently only speak in an

exclamatory manner about this band.)

7

Cayetana:

Nervous Like Me

Tiny Engines

What a debut! Augusta Koch’s voice is just so goddamn delightful. I love her range of

emotion heard on this album. She can go from singing sweetly in one instance and then in

another she has a great “don’t-fuck-with-me” growl. I just love it. This is indie pop punk at it’s

finest.

6

Hard Girls:

A Thousand Surfaces

Asian Man Records

This is such a fun album! It’s anthemic, danceable and earnest as all hell. I was late to

jump on the Hard Girls train, but full steam ahead, y’all!

5

Against Me!:

Transgender Dysphoria Blues

Total Treble

This is such a remarkable and beautiful album. When I saw them play this album in some

small town in Pennsylvania earlier this year, it was honestly one of the best shows I’ve ever

seen. I was raised on Florida sunshine, so I’ve seen Against Me! many, many times and this

particular show, showcasing this particular album was just such a treat; everyone in the band

looked so happy. My love for this band runs deep.

4

Ex Hex: Rips

Merge Records

What another stunning debut! I only wish this was released earlier in the year, so it could

have been the soundtrack to my early summer road trip. It’s both retro and fresh at the same

time (I realize that sounds cray.) This album needs to be played with the windows down on the

open road, but let’s all save that for next summer and in the meantime sing and dance to this

album in your shower. It’s a great consolation prize.

3

Chumped:

Teenage Retirement

Anchorless Records

Even though they hail from Brooklyn, to me, they sound like a perfect hybrid of the whole

Midwest pop punk sound with a heavy dose of SoCal mixed in. Also, does anyone remember

that band the Halo Friendlies? I fell for that band when I was a youth at Warped Tour. Anywho,

frontlady Anika Pyle’s voice makes me super nostalgic. Listening to Chumped makes me relive

the essence of being young, dumb and in love (I mean this in a good way).

2

Restorations:

LP3

Side One Dummy

What a band! What an album! I really enjoy how ferocious this album is. There is not a dud

on the entire album. Every song on it, I hope they play when I see them live. And when listening

at home or in the car or walking or scooting or whatever -- let's all agree to listen to this album

very loudly. Cool? Cool.

1

The Menzingers:

Rented World

Epitaph Records

Real talk: ”I Don’t Wanna Be An Asshole Anymore” might be my favorite first track on

album of all time. It’s hands down my favorite song of the year too. When you start that strong,

you’ve got a solid fucking album. This is the band I’ve probably seen the most live this year and

in every single iteration they were goddamn delightful -- from a weird $5 show with Taking Back

Sunday at an outdoor bar thingy (Power Plant Live) to the acoustic Red Scare joint in Brooklyn

to playing the Souls anniversary on summerstage in Asbury Park to a straight up show at

Baltimore’s Ottobar. Every time I sang along loudly and out of key and danced with one fist in

the air. What more could you ask for in an album of the year? Nothing.

Honorable Mentions

There were more good tunes in 2014 for sure: Red Scare comp, Gaslight Anthem, Adore

Delano, Masked Intruder, Lagwagon, Antarctigo Vespucci, PEARS, Future Islands, Diarrhea

Planet, FKA twigs. And I know technically the Beyonce album dropped at the very end of

December 2013, but that album seriously slays and was quite present in my life this past year.

Here’s a playlist that includes the top ten and some tunes by the HMs. Fair warning, although

always a punk rock girl at heart, I do enjoy pop music (you should know that by now, dear

reader).

2015: You Do You

Thanks again for the opportunity to be part of this community.

You can read my infrequent tweets and mostly retweets of people I admire on

href="http://twitter.com/kiraface">Twitter, see photos of my pet rabbit Billie Jean on

href="http://instagram.com/kiraface">Instagram, and keep tabs on the curation of my

(almost) annual art project Call + Response here.

Be good to each other.