Throughout the year when I listen to new music I like I write a little something about it because at the end of the year a lot of music sites I read have you submit a list of your favorites and its fun turning people on to some new music they might have never ended up listening to otherwise. My favorites (and letdowns) were as follows. Any hyperlink will probably either take you to another review of the album that I thought was well written or a place where a free download of the songs can be found (and who doesn't love that!?). So here goes:
Best Albums of 2010
1. End Times (Eels)
It’s one thing when your girlfriend breaks up with you in your early days, and you end up shaking it off, maybe writing a break-up song to get over a faulty relationship. Things happen for the best and often down the road people can end up finding that one significant other who fills the emptiness in their lives and makes them prepared to dedicate their life to that individual because no matter what happens, having that person by your side leaves you knowing that everything will be alright. You don’t expect to ever be alone again, but when that feeling is not returned, tragedy can strike in the form of the big D-word; Divorce, and this is basically where End Times picks up.
Eel’s front man, ‘E’ has really led a troublesome life. With a father that died young, a schizophrenic sister that committed suicide, a mother that died of lung cancer, and a cousin who was a flight attendant on the plane crashing into the Pentagon in the September 11th attacks, E has learned to combat tragedy in a heart wrenchingly simple style of songwriting (And while I don’t mean to sing of the man’s sorrows, you can see where this would be the icing on the cake). However, he is not asking for peoples sympathy on the album because thankfully most of us will never have to go through the things he’s been through, he is just doing the one thing he knows best; writing music; and using it as a tool of closure. And it is from this that we get a very introspective album from E on how the event is shaping the thoughts in his head.
With no one to turn to (I Need A Mother), E is left feeling like he was destined to be alone because while that little bird on his porch is supposed to be a sign that things are going to be better, E can only tell himself “Goddamn, I miss that girl” (which is probably the strongest line in the album despite its simplicity). This is a somber blues album. After you listen to this album, there’s really nothing you can take from it; no message or insight. It’s just good songwriting that was meant to be written and deserves a listen.
2. Recitation (Envy)
I was fortunate enough to have Geoff Rickley turn me on to this band a few years back when they did a split with Thursday. I was absolutely taken away by their ability to put me in a tranquil atmosphere and then seamlessly suck me up into a turbulent and chaotic whirlwind of sound all before gently bringing me back down to catch a breath from what I had just experienced, leaving me in complete awe. However, I had not listened to a full album yet. So… when I saw the new album up for download I surrendered to the temptation and clicked on that tab of file acquisition; unaware of the adventure I was about to be taken on.
I remember that night, lying awake in my bed listening to the album in my headphones. I was too wound up to put myself to bed. I was beside myself with the thoughts going through my head, assessing my life and what will become of me; will being successful really make me happy? And I was looking for something. I don’t know; some sense of direction, some sense of assurance, just some knowing of where I was going to end up; that somewhere there was a place that I belonged.
I didn’t know that place would be the roof of my garage. I don’t know what it was that led me to do it but somewhere into the first few songs I just decided to crawl out my window at 2am and listen to the album on the roof of my garage, staring into space. My troubled thoughts left me and I was in my own moment. Suddenly, I realized that everything would be okay. We’re all just living and nature will take its course. There is no plan for me because my future is unwritten. And I crawled back inside and went to sleep.
Recitation is beautifully composed masterpiece. Envy has a formula and they stick to it and I don’t mind the repetition one bit. The reward you get out of listening to this music is completely different to that of rock n’ roll, and while I love a good rock song, you have to be in a different mindset when you listen to Envy. You won’t listen to the album and leave with a song stuck in your head but rather you’ll have music, a symphonic of sound ringing through your head and a curiosity to look closer at the things in life we often forget to notice. There are no ‘singles’ from this album that I can recommend but the album itself is wonderfully composed throughout.
3. Raising Ruins for the Future(Mighty Midgets)
I always love a great debut album which gives way to some favoritism because it usually means more promising stuff to come and it means I haven’t really heard something that didn’t meet my expectations from that artist yet. For me, Mighty Midgets was that band. This album immediately grabbed me by the collar of the shirt and punched me in the face and I loved every minute of it. Sweden is doing hardcore punk right; scattered with melodic sing-alongs to politically-charged lyrics. The bass and guitars and vocals sound great despite how much is actually going on in these fast-paced anthems. Upon listening, I felt that if you take everything that is good about Strike Anywhere, NOFX, and Milencolin fused together in one band, this would be how it sounds.
4. White Crosses (Against Me!)
Surrounding a certain degree of hype, I’ve given Against Me several listens hoping something would click but I was just never able to get myself behind their music, until now that is. White Crosses is a simple album. It’s safe to say now that Against Me is pushing towards that “big band” sound. I’m not sure if this is the reason why early-on fans seem to be turning away from their music but I would argue that their last album was going for a new wave sound (which I hate).
Against Me has still managed to maintain an aggressive attitude with political undertones to their music; bringing up several societal issues in White Crosses that typically go untouched in songwriting along with some songs dealing with relationships. Where I think many fans are becoming disappointed in this album is Tom’s telling of how he is giving up and moving on from the things he once fought for. I will say that this is a defeating album but it is also a very smart album where messages can be drawn from geographical/historical references to really get something out of what he’s saying. But all Tom is doing is telling it like it is and I can respect that. Cock Sparrer said it best when they asked the question “Where are they [anarchist punks] now?”
This is a very solid album and I really wish I had nothing bad to say about it but personally I think Tom Gable’s voice can get pretty annoying and this album could have potentially ranked higher. I still can’t help throwing it on and cranking it up now and then which is why I recommend it.
5. Phoenix(Just Surrender)
On my initial listen to this album, my face went blank and I was taken by surprise. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. It was definitely Just Surrender but without the aggression I had come to expect and instead with portions of songs comparable to something from LFO or the Jonas Brothers (i.e. listen to Crazy, Burning Up and Better to Leave; you’ll hear what I’m talking about). So, why is this my 5th most recommended album of 2010 you may be asking? Because I like it. It is good pop rock without the usual corniness I would be ashamed to listen to. Don’t come to expect something breakthrough or genius here, just damn catchy music. I was obviously a sucker for the dual vocals throughout as well.
6. Hostage Calm(Hostage Calm)
I was fortunate to see these guys at a house show with La Dispute last year before I’d ever heard of them and I fell in love with their melodic hardcore/ punk sound; immediately drawing connections to Strike Anywhere. So when they experimented with their sound, I was taken by surprise. How can you not be when you’re suddenly hearing a melodic punk band dabble in meringue sound? Typically, when bands try to change their sound, they fall flat on their face. I’ve seen very few bands pull it off successfully but Hostage Calm pulls this off in their even better follow-up to Lens. I’m not sure what it is about this album, but it has kept me coming back.
7. American Slang (The Gaslight Anthem)
Gaslight Anthem has quickly become America’s favorite rock n’ roll poster child after only 2 full-length releases; captivating the hearts and minds of audiences, both young and mature, across the globe with their straightforward Americana songs rooted in deep influences to classic punk/blues/soul/folk acts. You may ask, “Are these young New Brunswick guys really worth so much attention so quickly?” My answer is, “Yes.”
From the moment I heard their debut Sink or Swim, it just clicked. “I heard it like a shot from my skull to my brain” and “I’d carry those songs like a comfort wherever I go.” It was loud, it was fast, it was rowdy, it was fun, it was me; and it was every other rebellious, wild heart singing along beside me. However, as TGA has matured their style, I have found myself losing grasp with the band I so closely latched onto in the beginning (To clarify: I wasn’t spinning their last album on repeat until every song reached plays into the hundreds; a factor that all my favorite albums are capable of accomplishing with me). Suddenly, the band was tamed down and was lacking all those things that made me love them in the first place. Their sound was becoming so much cleaner, and produced (something that never impressed me).
As friends and other loyal Gaslight listeners have tried defending their music by explaining the intended reaction I’m supposed to get out of each and every song, I’m just not feeling it the same way they must be. For example, while Boxer may be a song to help a close friend of Brian’s get over a divorce, that’s not something I’m going to be able to pull out of the song from listening to it, nor is that something I should have to search for to find. The only message I can really interpret from the song is that the writings and ideas of others have the ability to heal wounds (a good message, but nothing I haven’t heard before).
If an artist wants to riddle his pieces in deeper meaning, his ability to paint a picture is his only way of truly capturing that and transmitting it to the broader audience. So, is American Slang about how the golden age of fm radio became the cultural language of our nation? I don’t know!! And why would I know? When I listen to an album, I can only take it at face value. And when I listen to rock n’ roll, I’m not looking for a deeper meaning. You can fill your album with lyrics that reference classic American music and tabs, scales, and chords that show your broad influences of culturally revolutionary artists all you want, but if I’ve never listened to any music before in my life, why should that matter to me? As the Bouncing Souls once said, “give me a reason to care, and I’ll sing along forever.” At face value, American Slang is a good album. It is my 7th most recommended album of the year for Christ’s sake. I just wouldn’t put this album in the likes of an “immediate great” like many other critics have chosen to do. I don’t find myself getting the urge to go back to it nor has it retained any strong physical relations to my life. I guess when Brian Fallon is trying to share all his bounteous stories and influences with his fans, he just can’t win ‘em all.
8. Semper Liberi (The Blacklist Royals)
No gimmicks here, just a debut rock ’n roll album with really solid rock n’ roll piano tunes from beginning to end. Paper & Plastick records is really boasting a solid lineup of new bands these days and all I can really say is listen to this album.
9. Good Morning, Magpie (Murder by Death)
This is the best Murder By Death album yet in my opinion. I think they’ve finally found that sound they’re looking for. If you’ve heard Murder by Death before, you know what you’re getting; something totally unique. ‘You don’t miss twice when you’re shaving with a knife.’
10. No Looking Back (Act as One)
This band is like New Found Glory with some Metalcore influence that I actually enjoyed because it didn’t lead to some cookie-cutter scene band with that intermittent whiny autotuned-sounding voice that lacks any real melody. Another solid debut album.
11. We Don’t Stand A Chance (AM Taxi)
I don’t want to spend much time talking about this one since it only adds 3 new songs to AM Taxi’s music library (while the rest of the album has been progressively released over the past few years in the form of 2 EPs). Other than a more polished sound, these songs remain relatively unchanged on the debut album (and to be honest I prefer the more raw sound). But if you haven’t heard AM Taxi, this is definitely a solid album and still worth checking out. Much like Gaslight Anthem, you might feel like you’re listening to Bruce Springsteen or the Rolling Stones a little; which I’m proud to see making its way to my local music scene.
Honorable Mentions: The Fire (Senses Fail) Chamberlain Waits (the Menzingers), Hang Cool Teddy Bear (Meat Loaf), Anybody Out There (Rufio), We Chase the Waves (Sundowner), Polka’s Not Dead (The Dreadnoughts), True Devotion (Rocky Votalato) Greener Pastures! (Octaves) Real Talk (Man Overboard)
Best Eps, splits, etc
The White Buffalo Prepare for Black & Blue EP
Just when I thought I had listened to all the new music I could handle this year because I wasn’t spending any time revisiting my old favorite records or just letting my music shuffle, I found out that The White Buffalo had put out a new EP. This was a guy who I had been listening to religiously four years ago before I started college and let the rock-n-roll lifestyle take over my life. Unfortunately, I really haven’t continued listening to him because he hasn’t put out any new music or even put out any news updates to let fans know he’s still alive. He has had a lucky streak of his music being picked up for use in several Sons of Anarchy episodes though which has probably helped give him more exposure with the release of Prepare for the Black & Blue.
Not much has changed with the White Buffalo’s music. It still consists of a guy strumming his guitar with songs about relationships, bloodshed, and getting drunk. He still sings with possibly the most ruggedly soothing voice that is capable of giving you goose bumps; and he still believably conveys himself as a weary traveler of the great plains of North America with enough life experience to have his own character in a book of American folklore (I say that because it’s true).
What I’m saying is the White Buffalo is an American folk music icon that the world still doesn’t know about. At any point, he is capable of becoming the next Eddie Vedder. This is the reason why I enjoy sharing music with people in the first place. White buffalos are very rare creatures and I think the same can be said about stories Jake Smith sings of in his music. For some reason, the closest thing I can put my finger on in terms of comparison would be Murder By Death or William Elliot Whitmore or Xavier Rudd. The White Buffalo seems to have some type of spiritual understanding of the land that keeps him standing still while the rest of society is stuck in the daily hustle and bustle with the idea that there is something that we can achieve if we keep pushing forward. It’s his music that I imagine the sun comes up to at the start of each new day before it sets.
iOninetyfour The Things We Hold On To ep
I was really expecting good things from this band but they called it quits but not before putting out the last material they finished. If you take the pop punk hooks and chugging guitar breakdowns of Set Your Goals and Four Year Strong mixed with female vocals of Haley Williams, you’d probably get something similar to this.
La Dispute/ Touche Amore The Worth of the World split
There is a very unique uniformity to the bands’ different tracks on this split which shows how they wrote the songs with each other in mind (even doing guest vocals on each other’s tracks) but La Dispute’s tracks really overshadow Touche Amore’s.
Captain We’re Sinking It’s a Trap! Ep
Menzingers fans rejoice because here is an ep from another Scranton-based punk rock band that actually includes the brother of a Menzingers group member. It has the same songwriting style and for all I know I can hardly differentiate the bands. It’s up for you to decided if that’s a good thing or not.
Best Songs of 2010
The White Buffalo: Love Song #2/ John Jameson
Koji: All My Life (only on his myspace, not the thugtastic rap song that shows up on itunes and Amazon)
Let Me Run: CSJ
The Jezebels: A Little Piece
Hostage Calm: War on a Feeling/ Rebel Fatigues/ Ballots or Stones
Against Me: White Crosses/ I was a Teenage Anarchist/ Because of the Shame/ Suffocation/ Ache with Me/ Spanish Moss
Gaslight Anthem: Boxer/ The Spirit of Jazz
La Dispute: Why It Scares Me
Red City Radio: A Brief Lesson in Repetition/ They Don’t Make Gravel Roads like they used to
American Taxi: Fed Up
Weezer: Memories
Act As One: True Friends and Dead Ends/ Switch Hitter
The Blacklist Royals: Rock n’ Roll/ American Hearts/ White Line Fever
Just Surrender: Burning Up/ Take Me Home
Authority Zero: Brick in the Wave/ Get it Right
Murder By Death: As Long as There Is Whiskey In the World
The Riot Before: Blank Slate
The Years Gone By: When We Were Kids
Senses Fail: Lifeboats
Meat Loaf: Peace on Earth
The Ataris: All Souls Day
Favorite Shows of 2010
The Riot Before & Red City Radio: This was the climax of my 4 concert weekend during the weekend of Riot Fest and while I may have been going deaf, this concert was a blast. It’s a lot easier to kill time when you have friends and people you know to talk to before the show. It’s even better when you get to hang out and get drunk with all the bands and cool people like All-Ages Pete and Fest-goers after the show and just talk about nothing. Support Firehouse Pizza and Pub in Normal, Illinois. They are awesome people.
Envy and Trash Talk: Where do I start? I walked in to this show and caught And So I Watch You From Afar who I just thought was some local opener. No. They were an instrumental band from Ireland but instead of treading the worn path of instrumental rock, ASIWYFA slam-danced all over it. I don’t know how Trash Talk landed on this gig but after they played their wild music and left the stage by scaling a fence to the balcony, it left my blood pumping which was a perfect way to get me ready for Envy. Watching Envy was truly a moving experience that I will never forget. As they built listeners up to the most powerful parts of their songs, they had eased them into a trance and I could really do nothing but close my eyes and let it take me away. And when I opened my eyes for a short time, I couldn’t believe what I saw. Hardcore kids with long-sleeves and arms the size of my neck to the right of me, indie kids with tight pants and flannels to the left of me, and any other category of kid standing somewhere around me; and they were all just in their own moment being taken away by the music. And it was at that moment, there was a feeling of togetherness and the things that separated us were of the least importance. I know it sounds like a corny thing to say but the effect felt just like a more scaled-down feeling of after 9/11, everyone coming together as one. Unfortunately, I had to catch La Dispute separately because they had not united with the rest of the tour yet but I think this details the tour pretty well.
The Swellers, Man Overboard, & Fireworks: The Swellers covered May 16th by Lagwagon and it was one of those shows where I was consistently in to every band. I met some real cool Australians as well.
Banner Pilot, the Ataris, & the Menzingers: The Ataris wrote some great coming-of-age music but it’s kinda hard to watch Kris Roe now knowing that those times he sings about are behind him. Great lineup nonetheless.
The Gaslight Anthem & Tim Barry @the House of Blues: they performed Sr. and the Queen in its entirety. We had a party. Everybody was swingin.
La Dispute: this was the only band I saw at the last concert to round out my 4 concert weekend solely because you couldn’t even stand in the ‘secret venue’ without sweating buckets. It was cool to see La Dispute play their 12 minute song Last Lost Continent.
The Riot Before & Nothington: I think I got up on stage and sang during Capillaries (which is awesome). Bud Ice really hits you hard.
Biggest Disappointments
Forgettable(Far From Finished) Not gonna lie, I actually didn’t even know this was coming out until the band handed it to me so it’s not like I could have had high anticipations. I do respect that they got experimental and while innocent, nostalgic, and quirky, this album lacks everything I love about Far From Finished and it is definitely their “forgettable” album.
Invented (Jimmy Eat World) Maybe I need to revisit this one because when I heard it streaming online, every song was going in and out of some drowned out sound at the most random moments. Clearly it was weird if that’s what the album was supposed to sound like because it almost had me scratching my head as much as auto-tune does.
This Addiction (Alkaline Trio) Ugh, in an attempt to appease Trio’s die-hard original fans, the band seems to have backtracked from the direction their influences were pushing them and created a terribly boring album.
99 Songs of the Revolution (Streetlight Manifesto) I didn’t think Streetlight could put out a bad cover song but most of these were passable. In addition, fans haven’t been waiting 3 years for cover songs. Where’s some new music?
Most Overrated
Enemy of the World (Four Year Strong) When I heard the initial clips from new songs, even I was getting excited for some energetic Set Your Goals-reminiscent pop punk with that hardcore stick-to-your-guns attitude. However, that attitude seemed to be missing. One reason I can get behind SYG and not think they’re a corny band who exploits hardcore is because I feel that they are sincere about what they say. In FYS’s case, I don’t really know what they say, because they don’t say much. In Wasting Time for example the songwriter is finding that wasted times are often the best times however someone else (a girl I’m assuming) is keeping him from living like the days he did when he felt alive. And that’s pretty much it. There’s no point when the songwriter says how he will fix this or what happens next. Similarly, another song that will likely be a crowd favorite Find My Way Back is a song about feeling distanced from something and having to find your way back. That’s it. There’s no substance to really get behind for me when I listen to this band. Personally, I just think there’s much better stuff out there that does more than just imitate the chugging guitars and gang vocals of melodic hardcore without actually saying anything.
Real Talk (Man Overboard) Man Overboard has been known to make some great pop punk for the sensitive guy who wears his heart on his sleeve but when I heard Real Talk even I cringed a little. Let’s just say it can’t get much more lovey-dovey. At first, I just wasn’t a fan of how standard the choruses were. When you’re into a chorus and you’re waiting for a good hook to round it out, it’s kind of a letdown when they just say “I think you’re my favorite girl I ever met yeah, I think you’re my favorite girl I ever met” or “I like you”. But sometimes, it’s just that simple. Sometimes, there’s no better way to explain how you feel when you’re falling for a girl and when I found myself in one of these situations this year, a few songs from this album actually started growing me and would’ve been the perfect songs to throw on a mixtape for her (if only it were that easy). But, I’m not here to talk about my problems and while a few songs have grown on me (Real Talk, I Like You, Septemberism), Real Talk is still an overrated album overall in my opinion.
End Measure Mile (Make Do and Mend) I was really digging this album the first couple times I listened to it, and so was every other site that reviewed it, putting it up there with American Slang as their contender for Album of the Year. However, that quickly wore off the more I listened to is and it just hasn’t had a lasting effect on me like MDAMs earlier EPs have. I would only recommend a few songs (Ghostal, Thanks) and I wouldn’t even call them their finest work.
Hidden Gems
Thunderlip: There are a lot of ‘rock’ bands out there today that I just can’t get into. To me they seem void of any real rock n’ roll attitude which makes me wonder if they sincerely love what they are doing or if it is just some fashion-show-myspace-listens-popularity-contest. And then I have to ask myself, “why did I fall in love with rock n’ roll to begin with?” Fortunately, Thunderlip is there to remind me, and after digging them up this year, I was so happy to hear that they are back together and making a comeback. I may not be able to answer what possesses their soul-snatching and face melting rock n’ roll but I can tell you that they love being on stage doing what they do and that’s something I can support wholeheartedly.
Make Do and Mend
Red City Radio: “I’m in this hole, living my father’s dreams; I’m just trying to find a better way out.”
Defeater: It’s a bold move for a hardcore band to come straight out of the gates with a concept album but Defeater did in 2008 and it ruled. They followed it up with an EP in 2009 and I’m just finding out about these now. Basically, the albums/writings each tale a character through events in their lives (the EP detailing the story of a character on the streets that the album protagonist crosses paths with). Each song plays out like a chapter. Without giving too much away, each character must deal with his own hardships/struggles at points in American history (what kind of literature would it be, if this wasn’t the case?). That’s right, I compared this to literature. Every song is surprisingly well written enough to give you the ability to visualize the timeframe and paint the narrative in detail. I am writing this following the first time I’ve even listened to Defeater, after listening to it all in one night. Hardcore has stories to tell and Defeater is its narrator.
American Steel
Most Anticipated of 2011
Due to unfulfilled promises, this list has not changed much since last year.
1. New Fallen From the Sky album
2. New La Dispute album
3. Red City Radio debut album
4. New Thursday album
5. New New Found Glory album
6. Cowboys and Aliens
Random Thought #1: when I went back for a second listen to all these albums to make my final decision, I was kind of frustrated at all the 10-track albums I ran across. Even though music has essentially become buying the select songs you want off iTunes, which really counteracts the idea of different ‘albums’, my message to musicians is if you’re going to make an album, don’t sell yourself short. There are some people like myself that still appreciate hearing a solid album from front to back but all my favorite albums that have achieved this for me in the past run from 12-14 songs. C’mon 2010, let’s not make this a habit going into 2011. You’re better than that.
Random Thought #2: Catch the Wave! I’m still not sure what the Wave is, but if it has anything to do with the mass amounts of splits, guest vocals, and collaborations that came from the bands listed as members of the Wave (La Dispute, Touche Amore, Make Do and Mend, Koji) in 2010, then I like it. Not only has it really created a family-like bond similar to that of the time when Thursday was rocking basement shows in New Jersey which has seemed absent in recent years, but it has also given these bands excuses to support each other as touring acts so that they can perform the songs live together.
Best Albums of 2010
1. End Times (Eels)
It’s one thing when your girlfriend breaks up with you in your early days, and you end up shaking it off, maybe writing a break-up song to get over a faulty relationship. Things happen for the best and often down the road people can end up finding that one significant other who fills the emptiness in their lives and makes them prepared to dedicate their life to that individual because no matter what happens, having that person by your side leaves you knowing that everything will be alright. You don’t expect to ever be alone again, but when that feeling is not returned, tragedy can strike in the form of the big D-word; Divorce, and this is basically where End Times picks up.
Eel’s front man, ‘E’ has really led a troublesome life. With a father that died young, a schizophrenic sister that committed suicide, a mother that died of lung cancer, and a cousin who was a flight attendant on the plane crashing into the Pentagon in the September 11th attacks, E has learned to combat tragedy in a heart wrenchingly simple style of songwriting (And while I don’t mean to sing of the man’s sorrows, you can see where this would be the icing on the cake). However, he is not asking for peoples sympathy on the album because thankfully most of us will never have to go through the things he’s been through, he is just doing the one thing he knows best; writing music; and using it as a tool of closure. And it is from this that we get a very introspective album from E on how the event is shaping the thoughts in his head.
With no one to turn to (I Need A Mother), E is left feeling like he was destined to be alone because while that little bird on his porch is supposed to be a sign that things are going to be better, E can only tell himself “Goddamn, I miss that girl” (which is probably the strongest line in the album despite its simplicity). This is a somber blues album. After you listen to this album, there’s really nothing you can take from it; no message or insight. It’s just good songwriting that was meant to be written and deserves a listen.
2. Recitation (Envy)
I was fortunate enough to have Geoff Rickley turn me on to this band a few years back when they did a split with Thursday. I was absolutely taken away by their ability to put me in a tranquil atmosphere and then seamlessly suck me up into a turbulent and chaotic whirlwind of sound all before gently bringing me back down to catch a breath from what I had just experienced, leaving me in complete awe. However, I had not listened to a full album yet. So… when I saw the new album up for download I surrendered to the temptation and clicked on that tab of file acquisition; unaware of the adventure I was about to be taken on.
I remember that night, lying awake in my bed listening to the album in my headphones. I was too wound up to put myself to bed. I was beside myself with the thoughts going through my head, assessing my life and what will become of me; will being successful really make me happy? And I was looking for something. I don’t know; some sense of direction, some sense of assurance, just some knowing of where I was going to end up; that somewhere there was a place that I belonged.
I didn’t know that place would be the roof of my garage. I don’t know what it was that led me to do it but somewhere into the first few songs I just decided to crawl out my window at 2am and listen to the album on the roof of my garage, staring into space. My troubled thoughts left me and I was in my own moment. Suddenly, I realized that everything would be okay. We’re all just living and nature will take its course. There is no plan for me because my future is unwritten. And I crawled back inside and went to sleep.
Recitation is beautifully composed masterpiece. Envy has a formula and they stick to it and I don’t mind the repetition one bit. The reward you get out of listening to this music is completely different to that of rock n’ roll, and while I love a good rock song, you have to be in a different mindset when you listen to Envy. You won’t listen to the album and leave with a song stuck in your head but rather you’ll have music, a symphonic of sound ringing through your head and a curiosity to look closer at the things in life we often forget to notice. There are no ‘singles’ from this album that I can recommend but the album itself is wonderfully composed throughout.
3. Raising Ruins for the Future(Mighty Midgets)
I always love a great debut album which gives way to some favoritism because it usually means more promising stuff to come and it means I haven’t really heard something that didn’t meet my expectations from that artist yet. For me, Mighty Midgets was that band. This album immediately grabbed me by the collar of the shirt and punched me in the face and I loved every minute of it. Sweden is doing hardcore punk right; scattered with melodic sing-alongs to politically-charged lyrics. The bass and guitars and vocals sound great despite how much is actually going on in these fast-paced anthems. Upon listening, I felt that if you take everything that is good about Strike Anywhere, NOFX, and Milencolin fused together in one band, this would be how it sounds.
4. White Crosses (Against Me!)
Surrounding a certain degree of hype, I’ve given Against Me several listens hoping something would click but I was just never able to get myself behind their music, until now that is. White Crosses is a simple album. It’s safe to say now that Against Me is pushing towards that “big band” sound. I’m not sure if this is the reason why early-on fans seem to be turning away from their music but I would argue that their last album was going for a new wave sound (which I hate).
Against Me has still managed to maintain an aggressive attitude with political undertones to their music; bringing up several societal issues in White Crosses that typically go untouched in songwriting along with some songs dealing with relationships. Where I think many fans are becoming disappointed in this album is Tom’s telling of how he is giving up and moving on from the things he once fought for. I will say that this is a defeating album but it is also a very smart album where messages can be drawn from geographical/historical references to really get something out of what he’s saying. But all Tom is doing is telling it like it is and I can respect that. Cock Sparrer said it best when they asked the question “Where are they [anarchist punks] now?”
This is a very solid album and I really wish I had nothing bad to say about it but personally I think Tom Gable’s voice can get pretty annoying and this album could have potentially ranked higher. I still can’t help throwing it on and cranking it up now and then which is why I recommend it.
5. Phoenix(Just Surrender)
On my initial listen to this album, my face went blank and I was taken by surprise. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. It was definitely Just Surrender but without the aggression I had come to expect and instead with portions of songs comparable to something from LFO or the Jonas Brothers (i.e. listen to Crazy, Burning Up and Better to Leave; you’ll hear what I’m talking about). So, why is this my 5th most recommended album of 2010 you may be asking? Because I like it. It is good pop rock without the usual corniness I would be ashamed to listen to. Don’t come to expect something breakthrough or genius here, just damn catchy music. I was obviously a sucker for the dual vocals throughout as well.
6. Hostage Calm(Hostage Calm)
I was fortunate to see these guys at a house show with La Dispute last year before I’d ever heard of them and I fell in love with their melodic hardcore/ punk sound; immediately drawing connections to Strike Anywhere. So when they experimented with their sound, I was taken by surprise. How can you not be when you’re suddenly hearing a melodic punk band dabble in meringue sound? Typically, when bands try to change their sound, they fall flat on their face. I’ve seen very few bands pull it off successfully but Hostage Calm pulls this off in their even better follow-up to Lens. I’m not sure what it is about this album, but it has kept me coming back.
7. American Slang (The Gaslight Anthem)
Gaslight Anthem has quickly become America’s favorite rock n’ roll poster child after only 2 full-length releases; captivating the hearts and minds of audiences, both young and mature, across the globe with their straightforward Americana songs rooted in deep influences to classic punk/blues/soul/folk acts. You may ask, “Are these young New Brunswick guys really worth so much attention so quickly?” My answer is, “Yes.”
From the moment I heard their debut Sink or Swim, it just clicked. “I heard it like a shot from my skull to my brain” and “I’d carry those songs like a comfort wherever I go.” It was loud, it was fast, it was rowdy, it was fun, it was me; and it was every other rebellious, wild heart singing along beside me. However, as TGA has matured their style, I have found myself losing grasp with the band I so closely latched onto in the beginning (To clarify: I wasn’t spinning their last album on repeat until every song reached plays into the hundreds; a factor that all my favorite albums are capable of accomplishing with me). Suddenly, the band was tamed down and was lacking all those things that made me love them in the first place. Their sound was becoming so much cleaner, and produced (something that never impressed me).
As friends and other loyal Gaslight listeners have tried defending their music by explaining the intended reaction I’m supposed to get out of each and every song, I’m just not feeling it the same way they must be. For example, while Boxer may be a song to help a close friend of Brian’s get over a divorce, that’s not something I’m going to be able to pull out of the song from listening to it, nor is that something I should have to search for to find. The only message I can really interpret from the song is that the writings and ideas of others have the ability to heal wounds (a good message, but nothing I haven’t heard before).
If an artist wants to riddle his pieces in deeper meaning, his ability to paint a picture is his only way of truly capturing that and transmitting it to the broader audience. So, is American Slang about how the golden age of fm radio became the cultural language of our nation? I don’t know!! And why would I know? When I listen to an album, I can only take it at face value. And when I listen to rock n’ roll, I’m not looking for a deeper meaning. You can fill your album with lyrics that reference classic American music and tabs, scales, and chords that show your broad influences of culturally revolutionary artists all you want, but if I’ve never listened to any music before in my life, why should that matter to me? As the Bouncing Souls once said, “give me a reason to care, and I’ll sing along forever.” At face value, American Slang is a good album. It is my 7th most recommended album of the year for Christ’s sake. I just wouldn’t put this album in the likes of an “immediate great” like many other critics have chosen to do. I don’t find myself getting the urge to go back to it nor has it retained any strong physical relations to my life. I guess when Brian Fallon is trying to share all his bounteous stories and influences with his fans, he just can’t win ‘em all.
8. Semper Liberi (The Blacklist Royals)
No gimmicks here, just a debut rock ’n roll album with really solid rock n’ roll piano tunes from beginning to end. Paper & Plastick records is really boasting a solid lineup of new bands these days and all I can really say is listen to this album.
9. Good Morning, Magpie (Murder by Death)
This is the best Murder By Death album yet in my opinion. I think they’ve finally found that sound they’re looking for. If you’ve heard Murder by Death before, you know what you’re getting; something totally unique. ‘You don’t miss twice when you’re shaving with a knife.’
10. No Looking Back (Act as One)
This band is like New Found Glory with some Metalcore influence that I actually enjoyed because it didn’t lead to some cookie-cutter scene band with that intermittent whiny autotuned-sounding voice that lacks any real melody. Another solid debut album.
11. We Don’t Stand A Chance (AM Taxi)
I don’t want to spend much time talking about this one since it only adds 3 new songs to AM Taxi’s music library (while the rest of the album has been progressively released over the past few years in the form of 2 EPs). Other than a more polished sound, these songs remain relatively unchanged on the debut album (and to be honest I prefer the more raw sound). But if you haven’t heard AM Taxi, this is definitely a solid album and still worth checking out. Much like Gaslight Anthem, you might feel like you’re listening to Bruce Springsteen or the Rolling Stones a little; which I’m proud to see making its way to my local music scene.
Honorable Mentions: The Fire (Senses Fail) Chamberlain Waits (the Menzingers), Hang Cool Teddy Bear (Meat Loaf), Anybody Out There (Rufio), We Chase the Waves (Sundowner), Polka’s Not Dead (The Dreadnoughts), True Devotion (Rocky Votalato) Greener Pastures! (Octaves) Real Talk (Man Overboard)
Best Eps, splits, etc
The White Buffalo Prepare for Black & Blue EP
Just when I thought I had listened to all the new music I could handle this year because I wasn’t spending any time revisiting my old favorite records or just letting my music shuffle, I found out that The White Buffalo had put out a new EP. This was a guy who I had been listening to religiously four years ago before I started college and let the rock-n-roll lifestyle take over my life. Unfortunately, I really haven’t continued listening to him because he hasn’t put out any new music or even put out any news updates to let fans know he’s still alive. He has had a lucky streak of his music being picked up for use in several Sons of Anarchy episodes though which has probably helped give him more exposure with the release of Prepare for the Black & Blue.
Not much has changed with the White Buffalo’s music. It still consists of a guy strumming his guitar with songs about relationships, bloodshed, and getting drunk. He still sings with possibly the most ruggedly soothing voice that is capable of giving you goose bumps; and he still believably conveys himself as a weary traveler of the great plains of North America with enough life experience to have his own character in a book of American folklore (I say that because it’s true).
What I’m saying is the White Buffalo is an American folk music icon that the world still doesn’t know about. At any point, he is capable of becoming the next Eddie Vedder. This is the reason why I enjoy sharing music with people in the first place. White buffalos are very rare creatures and I think the same can be said about stories Jake Smith sings of in his music. For some reason, the closest thing I can put my finger on in terms of comparison would be Murder By Death or William Elliot Whitmore or Xavier Rudd. The White Buffalo seems to have some type of spiritual understanding of the land that keeps him standing still while the rest of society is stuck in the daily hustle and bustle with the idea that there is something that we can achieve if we keep pushing forward. It’s his music that I imagine the sun comes up to at the start of each new day before it sets.
iOninetyfour The Things We Hold On To ep
I was really expecting good things from this band but they called it quits but not before putting out the last material they finished. If you take the pop punk hooks and chugging guitar breakdowns of Set Your Goals and Four Year Strong mixed with female vocals of Haley Williams, you’d probably get something similar to this.
La Dispute/ Touche Amore The Worth of the World split
There is a very unique uniformity to the bands’ different tracks on this split which shows how they wrote the songs with each other in mind (even doing guest vocals on each other’s tracks) but La Dispute’s tracks really overshadow Touche Amore’s.
Captain We’re Sinking It’s a Trap! Ep
Menzingers fans rejoice because here is an ep from another Scranton-based punk rock band that actually includes the brother of a Menzingers group member. It has the same songwriting style and for all I know I can hardly differentiate the bands. It’s up for you to decided if that’s a good thing or not.
Best Songs of 2010
The White Buffalo: Love Song #2/ John Jameson
Koji: All My Life (only on his myspace, not the thugtastic rap song that shows up on itunes and Amazon)
Let Me Run: CSJ
The Jezebels: A Little Piece
Hostage Calm: War on a Feeling/ Rebel Fatigues/ Ballots or Stones
Against Me: White Crosses/ I was a Teenage Anarchist/ Because of the Shame/ Suffocation/ Ache with Me/ Spanish Moss
Gaslight Anthem: Boxer/ The Spirit of Jazz
La Dispute: Why It Scares Me
Red City Radio: A Brief Lesson in Repetition/ They Don’t Make Gravel Roads like they used to
American Taxi: Fed Up
Weezer: Memories
Act As One: True Friends and Dead Ends/ Switch Hitter
The Blacklist Royals: Rock n’ Roll/ American Hearts/ White Line Fever
Just Surrender: Burning Up/ Take Me Home
Authority Zero: Brick in the Wave/ Get it Right
Murder By Death: As Long as There Is Whiskey In the World
The Riot Before: Blank Slate
The Years Gone By: When We Were Kids
Senses Fail: Lifeboats
Meat Loaf: Peace on Earth
The Ataris: All Souls Day
Favorite Shows of 2010
The Riot Before & Red City Radio: This was the climax of my 4 concert weekend during the weekend of Riot Fest and while I may have been going deaf, this concert was a blast. It’s a lot easier to kill time when you have friends and people you know to talk to before the show. It’s even better when you get to hang out and get drunk with all the bands and cool people like All-Ages Pete and Fest-goers after the show and just talk about nothing. Support Firehouse Pizza and Pub in Normal, Illinois. They are awesome people.
Envy and Trash Talk: Where do I start? I walked in to this show and caught And So I Watch You From Afar who I just thought was some local opener. No. They were an instrumental band from Ireland but instead of treading the worn path of instrumental rock, ASIWYFA slam-danced all over it. I don’t know how Trash Talk landed on this gig but after they played their wild music and left the stage by scaling a fence to the balcony, it left my blood pumping which was a perfect way to get me ready for Envy. Watching Envy was truly a moving experience that I will never forget. As they built listeners up to the most powerful parts of their songs, they had eased them into a trance and I could really do nothing but close my eyes and let it take me away. And when I opened my eyes for a short time, I couldn’t believe what I saw. Hardcore kids with long-sleeves and arms the size of my neck to the right of me, indie kids with tight pants and flannels to the left of me, and any other category of kid standing somewhere around me; and they were all just in their own moment being taken away by the music. And it was at that moment, there was a feeling of togetherness and the things that separated us were of the least importance. I know it sounds like a corny thing to say but the effect felt just like a more scaled-down feeling of after 9/11, everyone coming together as one. Unfortunately, I had to catch La Dispute separately because they had not united with the rest of the tour yet but I think this details the tour pretty well.
The Swellers, Man Overboard, & Fireworks: The Swellers covered May 16th by Lagwagon and it was one of those shows where I was consistently in to every band. I met some real cool Australians as well.
Banner Pilot, the Ataris, & the Menzingers: The Ataris wrote some great coming-of-age music but it’s kinda hard to watch Kris Roe now knowing that those times he sings about are behind him. Great lineup nonetheless.
The Gaslight Anthem & Tim Barry @the House of Blues: they performed Sr. and the Queen in its entirety. We had a party. Everybody was swingin.
La Dispute: this was the only band I saw at the last concert to round out my 4 concert weekend solely because you couldn’t even stand in the ‘secret venue’ without sweating buckets. It was cool to see La Dispute play their 12 minute song Last Lost Continent.
The Riot Before & Nothington: I think I got up on stage and sang during Capillaries (which is awesome). Bud Ice really hits you hard.
Biggest Disappointments
Forgettable(Far From Finished) Not gonna lie, I actually didn’t even know this was coming out until the band handed it to me so it’s not like I could have had high anticipations. I do respect that they got experimental and while innocent, nostalgic, and quirky, this album lacks everything I love about Far From Finished and it is definitely their “forgettable” album.
Invented (Jimmy Eat World) Maybe I need to revisit this one because when I heard it streaming online, every song was going in and out of some drowned out sound at the most random moments. Clearly it was weird if that’s what the album was supposed to sound like because it almost had me scratching my head as much as auto-tune does.
This Addiction (Alkaline Trio) Ugh, in an attempt to appease Trio’s die-hard original fans, the band seems to have backtracked from the direction their influences were pushing them and created a terribly boring album.
99 Songs of the Revolution (Streetlight Manifesto) I didn’t think Streetlight could put out a bad cover song but most of these were passable. In addition, fans haven’t been waiting 3 years for cover songs. Where’s some new music?
Most Overrated
Enemy of the World (Four Year Strong) When I heard the initial clips from new songs, even I was getting excited for some energetic Set Your Goals-reminiscent pop punk with that hardcore stick-to-your-guns attitude. However, that attitude seemed to be missing. One reason I can get behind SYG and not think they’re a corny band who exploits hardcore is because I feel that they are sincere about what they say. In FYS’s case, I don’t really know what they say, because they don’t say much. In Wasting Time for example the songwriter is finding that wasted times are often the best times however someone else (a girl I’m assuming) is keeping him from living like the days he did when he felt alive. And that’s pretty much it. There’s no point when the songwriter says how he will fix this or what happens next. Similarly, another song that will likely be a crowd favorite Find My Way Back is a song about feeling distanced from something and having to find your way back. That’s it. There’s no substance to really get behind for me when I listen to this band. Personally, I just think there’s much better stuff out there that does more than just imitate the chugging guitars and gang vocals of melodic hardcore without actually saying anything.
Real Talk (Man Overboard) Man Overboard has been known to make some great pop punk for the sensitive guy who wears his heart on his sleeve but when I heard Real Talk even I cringed a little. Let’s just say it can’t get much more lovey-dovey. At first, I just wasn’t a fan of how standard the choruses were. When you’re into a chorus and you’re waiting for a good hook to round it out, it’s kind of a letdown when they just say “I think you’re my favorite girl I ever met yeah, I think you’re my favorite girl I ever met” or “I like you”. But sometimes, it’s just that simple. Sometimes, there’s no better way to explain how you feel when you’re falling for a girl and when I found myself in one of these situations this year, a few songs from this album actually started growing me and would’ve been the perfect songs to throw on a mixtape for her (if only it were that easy). But, I’m not here to talk about my problems and while a few songs have grown on me (Real Talk, I Like You, Septemberism), Real Talk is still an overrated album overall in my opinion.
End Measure Mile (Make Do and Mend) I was really digging this album the first couple times I listened to it, and so was every other site that reviewed it, putting it up there with American Slang as their contender for Album of the Year. However, that quickly wore off the more I listened to is and it just hasn’t had a lasting effect on me like MDAMs earlier EPs have. I would only recommend a few songs (Ghostal, Thanks) and I wouldn’t even call them their finest work.
Hidden Gems
Thunderlip: There are a lot of ‘rock’ bands out there today that I just can’t get into. To me they seem void of any real rock n’ roll attitude which makes me wonder if they sincerely love what they are doing or if it is just some fashion-show-myspace-listens-popularity-contest. And then I have to ask myself, “why did I fall in love with rock n’ roll to begin with?” Fortunately, Thunderlip is there to remind me, and after digging them up this year, I was so happy to hear that they are back together and making a comeback. I may not be able to answer what possesses their soul-snatching and face melting rock n’ roll but I can tell you that they love being on stage doing what they do and that’s something I can support wholeheartedly.
Make Do and Mend
Red City Radio: “I’m in this hole, living my father’s dreams; I’m just trying to find a better way out.”
Defeater: It’s a bold move for a hardcore band to come straight out of the gates with a concept album but Defeater did in 2008 and it ruled. They followed it up with an EP in 2009 and I’m just finding out about these now. Basically, the albums/writings each tale a character through events in their lives (the EP detailing the story of a character on the streets that the album protagonist crosses paths with). Each song plays out like a chapter. Without giving too much away, each character must deal with his own hardships/struggles at points in American history (what kind of literature would it be, if this wasn’t the case?). That’s right, I compared this to literature. Every song is surprisingly well written enough to give you the ability to visualize the timeframe and paint the narrative in detail. I am writing this following the first time I’ve even listened to Defeater, after listening to it all in one night. Hardcore has stories to tell and Defeater is its narrator.
American Steel
Most Anticipated of 2011
Due to unfulfilled promises, this list has not changed much since last year.
1. New Fallen From the Sky album
2. New La Dispute album
3. Red City Radio debut album
4. New Thursday album
5. New New Found Glory album
6. Cowboys and Aliens
Random Thought #1: when I went back for a second listen to all these albums to make my final decision, I was kind of frustrated at all the 10-track albums I ran across. Even though music has essentially become buying the select songs you want off iTunes, which really counteracts the idea of different ‘albums’, my message to musicians is if you’re going to make an album, don’t sell yourself short. There are some people like myself that still appreciate hearing a solid album from front to back but all my favorite albums that have achieved this for me in the past run from 12-14 songs. C’mon 2010, let’s not make this a habit going into 2011. You’re better than that.
Random Thought #2: Catch the Wave! I’m still not sure what the Wave is, but if it has anything to do with the mass amounts of splits, guest vocals, and collaborations that came from the bands listed as members of the Wave (La Dispute, Touche Amore, Make Do and Mend, Koji) in 2010, then I like it. Not only has it really created a family-like bond similar to that of the time when Thursday was rocking basement shows in New Jersey which has seemed absent in recent years, but it has also given these bands excuses to support each other as touring acts so that they can perform the songs live together.