The Music Writers' Poll 2014: Brendan Hitchens

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

1. The Smith Street Band - Throw Me In The River
2. Andrew Jackson Jihad - Christmas Island
3. Joyce Manor - Never Hungover Again
4. The Interrupters - The Interrupters
5. Restorations - LP3
6. The Menzingers - Rented World
7. The Bruce Lee Band - Everything Will Be Alright, My Friend
8. Masked Intruder - M.I
9. PUP - PUP
10. The Gaslight Anthem - Get Hurt

SONG OF THE YEAR

1. The Bruce Lee Band - We’ve Got The Money, We’ve Got The Power
2. High Dive - Seventeen
3. The Smith Street Band - Surrey Dive
4. Antarctigo Vespucci - Don't Die in Yr Hometown
5. Andrew Jackson Jihad - Temple Grandin

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

1. The Smith Street Band
2. Joyce Manor
3. The Menzingers
4. Jeff Rosenstock
5. High Dive

INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE

1. Neko Case
2. The Front Bottoms
3. Menzingers
4. Joyce Manor
5. Apologies, I Have None

AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

1. Melbourne Ska Orchestra
2. The Smith Street Band
3. Dick Diver
4. The Bennies
5. Georgia Maq

TOP TV SHOW

1. Footy Classified
2. Criminal Minds
3. Shaun Micallef's Mad As Hell
4. RAGE
5. Community Kitchen

TOP MOVIE

1. The Mule
2. Let's Be Cops
3. Bad Neighbours
4. Fury
5. Night Crawler

TOP WEBSITE

1. Bombshell Zine
2. Punk News
3. Twitter
4. YouTube
5. Instagram

HIGHLIGHT OF 2014

Seeing Australian bands like Violent Soho and The Smith Street Band infiltrate the mainstream; opting for hard work and relentless touring over patronising Pozible campaigns masquerading as DIY

PREDICTION FOR 2015

Buoyed by the rise of Violent Soho and The Smith Street Band, together with Victoria's liquor licensing laws for all ages shows being relaxed, a new frontier of youth-led alternative music will rise.