SWMRS frontman Cole Becker provides your soundtrack for this year's X Games.
Oakland party-punk four-piece SWMRS have always emanated the vibe of a skater boy gang. 2016's Drive North was full of youthful anthems about love and exhilaration, attracting fans of bands like FIDLAR or The Frights and smacking of equal parts carefree fun and anarcho-punk rebellion. This year's Berkeley's On Fire resonated deeply with the alternative community, with track titles like Too Much Coffee, Trashbag Baby, and IKEA Date staying the rocky course.
In honor of SWMRS opening this year's X Games in Minneapolis next Thursday, August 1st, we asked the band's frontman Cole Becker for his top skateboarding tracks. If you're looking for new jams to kick flip to, slap these in the boom box:
"One of the coolest intros to a song ever. Just saw them, and they didn’t play it!"
"Ian MacKaye is an absolute legend whose work ethic I strive for, and Brendan Canty has had such an influence on me."
"Brian Baker has been a member of some of the greatest bands in punk history."
"Bay. Area. Legends."
"Used to listen to this song on our way to go surfing at Sano."
"Heard this song when I watched Kevin Spanky’s part in Bake And Destroy. Kevin’s style is a Huge inspiration for me, I think the song is too."
"After Mike Mo’s switch flip into this in the first part of [classic skate video] Fully Flared, my 11-year-old brain exploded. Couldn't ever forget the song after that."
"One of the first skate movies I saw was Special. I think this was the song to Bobby Worrest’s part, me and the crew used to listen to this song so much."
"The first song we ever used for our crews first montage. Trash skating...great song though."
"Gonz made this song punk. Gonz is the GOAT, 'nough said."
"In my brief career as a skater, I practiced a lot of frontside shove its to this song."
"Gets ya real amped to fuck shit up on the dance floor!"
"Nothing quite like ABBA to get you moving."
