The Music Writers' Poll 2014: Steve Bell

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

1. HITS - Hikikomori
2. Parquet Courts - Sunbathing Animal
3. Blank Realm - Grassed Inn
4. Velociraptor - Velociraptor
5. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Wig Out At Jagbags
6. Cloud Nothings - Here And Nowhere Else
7. Centro-Matic - Take Pride In Your Long Odds
8. Swans - To Be Kind
9. Little Bastard - Little Bastard
10. The Men - Tomorrow's Hits

SONG OF THE YEAR

1. Ty Segall - Tall Man Skinny Lady
2. Anthony Atkinson - Labour Day
3. Parkay Quarts - Uncast Shadow Of A Southern Myth
4. Old Crow Medicine Show - Dearly Departed Friend
5. The Hold Steady - The Ambassador

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

1. Violent Soho
2. Blank Realm
3. Radio Birdman
4. Parquet Courts
5. HITS

INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE

1. Parquet Courts
2. Hurray For The Riff Raff
3. Billy Bragg
4. Future Of The Left
5. The Supersuckers

AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

1. Violent Soho
2. TV Colours
3. Courtney Barnett
4. Radio Birdman
5. Blank Realm

TOP TV SHOW

1. Key & Peele
2. The Simpsons
3. South Park
4. Shaun Micallef's Mad As Hell
5. Law & Order

TOP MOVIE

1. The Grand Budapest Hotel
2. Monty Python Live: Mostly
3. INXS: Never Tear Us Apart
4. Sin City: A Dame To Kill For
5. Frank

TOP WEBSITE

1. The A.V. Club
2. Saintsational
3. The I-94 Bar
4. Cracked
5. theMusic.com.au

HIGHLIGHT OF 2014

Weezer Cruise 2 - including amazing desert island gig in Bahamas. Violent Soho taking over the world, plus HITS, Blank Realm and Velociraptor also doing Brisbane proud. Giants Of Science doing a Lazarus. St Kilda's mad drafting skills. Meredith, Blurst Of Times and Mullum Festival giving cool boutique experiences. Good times with great friends. Life rules!

PREDICTION FOR 2015

Saints not needing to tank to ensure amazing strategic draft picks and set the platform for a massive tilt at flag - one day. Something cool happening to celebrate the 20th birthday of Pavement's Wowee Zowee. Dollar Bar's new album turns heads. Fugazi reform - for the money. Life still rules!