TOP TEN ALBUMS OF 2004
Suj's Picks...
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Underoath - They're Only Chasing Safety- Take the sound of metal drive hardcore and mix it up with Taking Back Sunday, add in plenty of screaming, and catchy hooks galore, and what you have is a fun filled record.
From First to Last - dear diary, my teenage angst has a death count- dear diary, this is one hellva an album. PS. world look out cause here they come!
I Can Make a Mess Like Nobody's Business - self-titled- Ace Enders of The Early Novembers solo outfit merge the soft spoken Elliot Smith with the unique nature of Conner Oberst.
This Providence - our worlds divorce- Next Big Thing? Hell Yes!
Jimmy Eat World - futures- A great release from a band that can do no wrong.
THE TOP TEN
10. Straylight Run - self-titled
When John Nolan and bassist Shaun Cooper left Taking Back Sunday it certainly took me by surprise. Soon after the controversy as to why they left and what their newly formed Straylight Run would actually sound like was all the rage. So, when Straylight released a few demos on their website in and around October of 2003 they were surprisingly good, though completely different then TBS, its was refreshing to hear and it seemed that Nolan was trying to bring back music to its golden era where it wasn't about marketing rather the music itself.
With the full-length self-titled album Straylight truly shows why we all must believe the hype. The music arrangements sound vibrant and full of colours while the vocals from both John and Michelle shine bright with confidence and strength. Their vocal melodies fit perfectly with the flowing music and when backed by the impeccable songwriting its like Rembrandt painting come to life. The piano is a very versatile instrument and having it be the focus is a much more difficult than hiding behind distorted guitar riffs which Straylight manages to pull off like pros as you’re taken through somber journey of the soft, delicate, and occasionally frantic moments of the album. There is even a little dabbling with electronic drums and the whole mood it brings with “Tool Sheds and Hot Tubs”, which is sung in it’s entirety by Michelle. It’s a fun pop-techno song that is a little less Postal Service and a little more 'I'm gonna dance and there's nothing you can do about it honey.' This is an album best listened to while cuddled up by a fire with that special someone or if your like me and lacking that special someone its best listening to this album cuddled up by a window with your binoculars spying into your hot neighbors window while she changes into that newly bought Christmas lingerie. I have high expectations for the next Straylight Run album, since many of these songs were widely heard demos which I've been listening to for quite sometime before the albums release.
If Straylight’s debut proves anything, it proves that John Nolan is a cy-borg sent from the future enhanced with the genes of musical legends Morrissey and John Lennon to rid the world of youthful pop stars and gold-faced rappers.
----------
9. Taking Back Sunday - where you want to be
The aftermath of the whole John Nolan/Shaun Cooper departure sought a new evolution and reformation in the world of Taking Back Sunday. Lazzara and company were set out to prove all the naysayers and John Nolan groupies wrong and to show to the world that Taking Back Sunday still has what it takes. With one listen of this album its evident that TBS didn't lose two members, instead they gained two better ones in the additions of Breaking Pangaea front man Fred Mascherino on vocals/guitar and acclaimed bassist-for-hire Matt Rubano.
Shit, did I just diss the great all-mighty John Nolan? Yes and No. I'm just fucking sick and tired of the crap on the internet and all those hipsters humping the leg of Nolan calling him the only reason TBS was good. They all proclaimed this album would suck even before hearing it, TBS even made a shirt suggesting that very notion. Sure, Nolan is great and has a wonderful hold on the craft of music which is clearly evident on the Straylight disc. To pigeon-hold him as the sole reason why TBS is TBS, is just wrong and fucking ridiculous. Its like saying Han solo, Chewbacca, Yoda, Obi-wan, and Lando did nothing to aid the rebel forces in the war against the empire and that it was solely Luke who did all the work. Sure, that could be debated being that Luke was the last of the Jedi and the only one who can battle Darth and the Emperor, but can Luke make the kessel run under 12 parsecs? I think not.
Anyways..."Where You Want to Be" simply shows why they are a "force" not be reckoned with. On this album they attempt to branch out and try new sounds instead of the one dimensional, yet amazingly smooth catchy sounds of their debut. They tap into the soul of The Police in "Bonus Mosh pt 2" and their dark side in "The Union". Also Fred's vocals shine throughout this album and made me completely forget about that other guy. From front to back this album grab me by my ears and screamed 11 reasons why I love this band.
----------
8. My Chemical Romance - three cheers for sweet revenge
As I walk towards the light I suddenly find myself at a crossroad. To the left leads me to a world filled with media tabloid pop, gold crested cup holding hip hop, and smooth dancing r & b. While to the right leads to a broken down shed somewhere out in the middle of nowhere with spooky sounds coming from the nearby woods. An old Witch wearing a black dress, pointy hat, and bright red ruby shoes looks at me stirring a cauldron mixed with Coheed & Cambria, AFI, The Used, a DVD copy of the Lost Boys signed by Cory Feldman, The White Stripes, ‘70s Rock & Roll, and the hearts and souls of little boys and girls all around the world. She then spoons out a concoction into a jar labeled My Chemical Romance and right then and there I knew which road must be taken.
I for one was blown away and felt has if my heart were being eerily massaged as the first track off “Helena” began to play. The album then continues to keep its dark arts tradition alive as it takes a 44 caliber to your head, pulls the trigger, and takes you on an eventful ride through hell, love, and revenge. The scorn-lovelorn vocals of one Gerard Way along with his gang of talent infused misfits have gingerly created one of the most exhilarating albums of the year. If the catchy nature of “I’m not okay (I promise)” and the marriage of drum and guitar on “Jetset Life Is Gonna Kill You” doesn't instantly put you in the mood to start tapping you toes you may very well by dead. I cannot end this spew without mentioning the finest track off this brilliant album “You Know What They do to Guys like Us in Prison” which made me realize that dancing while your blinds are wide open is not a good idea. So, I would just like to thank the red ruby shoe wearing witch and her magic cauldron for this wonderful gift.
----------
7. The Blood Brothers - crimes
If Refused were ever to have a sickly talented doppelganger its name would be The Blood Brothers. This is an album that gets more original and more unique with every passing track, lyric, and embellished musical outburst. “Crimes” sees the facet of music expanding to gander horizons and seeing what the future has in store, rather than merely cashing into the standard trends of today’s scene. “Feed Me to the Forest” starts the album off, and what an enjoyable start it is with its melodies that shout out miraculously to which your soul steps away from your body and begins to dance with you.
The material of this album is soft, deep with insight, and hindered with a touch of aggression. Tracks like “Beautiful Horses” and “Trash Flavored Trash” showcase insane outbursts of musical glory. The band’s lyric writing is just as fun and comical as ever and really brings the album together. With “Crimes”, The Blood Brothers have put out one of the most unique, highly enjoyable, and incredibly original album of year.
---------
6. Elliot Smith - from a basement on the hill
This is a man who had the uncanny ability to write songs that evoked emotions that most writers could only dream of. Songs that hold strong meaning, and with every line he spit forth it felt as if the world was at a standstill awaiting the next verse of this visionary voice. His songs were of heartache, addiction, sorrow, and very little hope. Late October 2003 Smith died of what was thought to be a self inflicted stab wound to the chest. There is still question whether it was suicide or murder, but regardless of the conclusion of the investigation, the world lost one of its most promising musicians who was in the middle of his masterpiece.
"From A Basement On The Hill" is a musical cornucopia offering many different sounds and styles. The thing that is most striking about the songs is the contrast of lyrics and the feel of the music. The bleak lyrics make the upbeat songs that much more interesting, and scary. Songs like “Memory Lane.” fall into Smith's classic folk guitar numbers as it goes along like a breezy, carefree song from the Beatles, but where they would have hopeful and optimistic lyrics, Smith is bleak and tragic. “Isolation pulls past the tunnel to the pride world where you can make place where you can stay. But everybody is scared of this place and is staying away.Your little house on memory lane. The mayor’s name is fear and his force patrols the peer…you keep your doors and windows shut and swear you’ll never show a soul again, but isolation pushes you ‘til every muscle aches…”.
Stripped of the lyrics, this album would have that whistling along, tapping your foot, folk-pop rock masterpiece type of feel, but when you put the lyrics into the equation, the songs awake and become a living, breathing, conglomerate of heartful sound waves. Desperation, despair, longing, addiction and isolation to the sounds of a up-beat tunes makes this record not only haunting, but possibly genius. Elliot Smith is a man who will be missed...
----------
5. Midtown - forget what you know
Remember when you were a little kid, and nothing else mattered except having fun? But then you started growing, and seeing many changes especially in your lower regions. Then, more and more responsibilities were put on you and pretty soon it wasn't all about just having fun; you actually had to start caring about everything else in your life. Let's face it people, change is inevitable! It's in everything we do, everything we see, that's just the way the world works. For Midtown, change is exactly what was needed, to not only prove to themselves they got what its takes, but to also show the world that they ain't that trendy pop-punk band with that drive-thru records sound within a scene that’s becoming more and more prevalent.
With black worn-out leather jackets, faded vegan friendly chuck taylors, obscure band t-shits, vintage levis jeans, freshly disheveled hair, and a new outlook on life the boys of Midtown walked into the face of the "scene", looked directly into its devilish eyes and said with a sharply toned voice "Forget what you fucking know!" The album kicks off with an eerie introduction track and jumps straight into "To Our Saviors." From the strumming of the guitar to the frantic vocals, you instantly hear a major difference. The old Midtown essence is still in tact, just in a new form. "Give It Up" follows perfectly, with a more smoothing feel, but still manages to bring forth the heavy rock. "Empty like the Ocean" simply amazes me. The grunge tinged guitars and the lyrical content seriously show how much this band has changed. "Waiting for the News" starts out a little differently, with a piano as the drums, bass, and guitars soon follow to dish out one amazing track. It's a major departure from what everyone is used to hearing, but it’s fucking spectacular. They have finally found a sound that they can call their own.
---------
4. Rilo Kiley - more adventerous
Jenny Lewis, front woman of Rilo Kiley, has a voice that can make you feel uncontrollably happy and sad at the exact same time. She's the type of singer that when you hear her voice you envision yourself stranded on a topical island with only the clothes you have on and Natalie Portman on you side, simply put her voice and that vision are just utterly beautiful.
By mixing indie rock with lo-fi and a little bit of country, Rilo Kiley creates a stunningly original sound, filled with complete confidence and brutal honesty. There are some straight up country moments with "A Man/Me/Then Jim" and "The Absence of God". There are some great rockers with "Portions for Foxes" and "Love and War". And there are some sad mellow songs in the vein of “It Just Is" and "It's A Hit". Lewis’ vocals are great on this album and when flowed with the music it’s very atmospheric and adaptable. The lyrics are downright poetic. The storyboard narratives that fill the words of each song couldn't be more ingenious, never sounding trite or contrived. The music is just as pensive as the words and conforms quite nicely to make a cohesive whole.
--------
3. Green Day - american idiot
"American Idiot", sees new life in a band that had fallen off its pedestal in recent years. With this release Green Day seems refreshed, and it’s like they never left -- well, it actually feels more like "Warning" never really happened. Here, the band has reverted back to their crimson punk roots, trimmed the fat and clarified their intent. Here's an album that contains an operetta, a nine-minute long epic that's divided into parts ("Jesus of Suburbia"), and it's fucking brilliant. Where other bands just try and make epics for the sake of epics, Green Day actually took the time to write a coherent relevant album that deserves the monarch of a “True Epic”
Billy Joe is such a good songwriter that he pulls off every thing he tries. He could write a song about a plastic bag floating in the wind or even an overweight kid eating a bowl of Kraft Dinner and it would probably be one of the most interesting songs of the year. Green Day has delivered an operatic experience like no other. Once you prep yourself and gather up the nerve to put on those headphones on and with great anticipation push play you are quickly spun into a ride filled with everything a music lover needs, an eargasm you soon won't forget. With social commentary on the world with songs like "Holiday" and "American Idiot", and moody memorable ballads such as "Wake Me Up When September Ends" and "Boulevard of Broken Dreams", the album touches you in way that it makes think about your life and the world around you. To see the changes within yourself and how precious life can be as you experience St. Jimmy and the tormented life he lead. Though fictional, this punk rock opera provokes high feeling and emotion.
In the end this album is important to punk's evolution, Strummer and Ramone would be proud.
---------
2. The Good Life - album of the year
Tim Kasher is a man on a mission to write the most tear-inducing music ever. Completely filled with dark outlooks on life, tales of hopeless grudge-fucking and bitter tales of chasing and losing love, The Good Life's newest misery piece “Album of the Year” is the ultimate soundtrack for the manic depressive.
Each song here was written during a different month of the year, and that's really where the album's title comes into play. Each song is presented as a mood piece that displays what Kasher was thinking about each month out of an entire year. The album opens with the month of April, with a song that reflects the album's title. "Album of the Year" is one of the more Cursive-esque songs here, complete with the off-kilter beat and a tale that reflects very similarly the events that were all over Cursive's album “Domestica”. The song is very powerful, not just because it forces you to listen to the story carefully, but because the instrumentation is so well-crafted. The album in its whole leaves a very lasting impression long after its finished as its impossible to escape the lyrical prowess of the songs, and the listener will be completely enveloped from the very first note, and usually have to repeat each song numerous times before finally realizing and understanding how powerful each song really is.
----------
1. Say Anything - ...is a real boy
Max Bemis is a genius and one of the most prolific songwriters of our deluded generation. With "...is a real boy" he has crafted together a well oiled assault of self-ejaculatory realism. It’s really hard to describe Say Anything and pigeon hold them into a genre as some songs are straight up punk, others hard rock, while alos running the gambit to all things eclectic and unique. Upon the albums first listen you will find it absolutely compelling to the point that thoughts will run through your head begging questions like "Can this album cure cancer?", "Did I just blow a load?" or "Is this the greatest album my precious ears have ever had the pleasure to be in company with?" Well, the answers to those questions are: Perhaps, Yes, and Defiantly Yes.
The disc kicks off with the ever changing tune "Belt." It starts off like a grudging punk induced attack, moves into a pop chorus then changes swiftly again into the final gang vocal sing-a-long of "What say you and all your friends step up to my friends in the alley tonight." This song is a microcosm of the entire disc. Each song changes, morphs, grows, soars and then nose dives back to the ground wrapping up each song into a perfect sonic boom. The music alone would make Oscar the grouch - Oscar the Pimp, and the fucking lyrics are poetic beauty. They talk about not selling out, wishing pain on an ex, having sex in public places, about the dangers of doing nothing with your life, saying 'fuck you' to the critics and scensters. I could just picture all the lyrics being published into a book conveniently titled "Max Bemis and his book of lyrical heartbreaks, triumphs, and rambling ons" and I for one will be first line to purchase said book, walk into an impromptu poetry reading at the nearby bingo hall, and let the snapping fingers roll.
The diversity and lyrical depth of this record makes it a must have as it will leave you breathless at albums end. You love this record, Admit It!!!
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Underoath - They're Only Chasing Safety- Take the sound of metal drive hardcore and mix it up with Taking Back Sunday, add in plenty of screaming, and catchy hooks galore, and what you have is a fun filled record.
From First to Last - dear diary, my teenage angst has a death count- dear diary, this is one hellva an album. PS. world look out cause here they come!
I Can Make a Mess Like Nobody's Business - self-titled- Ace Enders of The Early Novembers solo outfit merge the soft spoken Elliot Smith with the unique nature of Conner Oberst.
This Providence - our worlds divorce- Next Big Thing? Hell Yes!
Jimmy Eat World - futures- A great release from a band that can do no wrong.
THE TOP TEN
10. Straylight Run - self-titled
When John Nolan and bassist Shaun Cooper left Taking Back Sunday it certainly took me by surprise. Soon after the controversy as to why they left and what their newly formed Straylight Run would actually sound like was all the rage. So, when Straylight released a few demos on their website in and around October of 2003 they were surprisingly good, though completely different then TBS, its was refreshing to hear and it seemed that Nolan was trying to bring back music to its golden era where it wasn't about marketing rather the music itself.
With the full-length self-titled album Straylight truly shows why we all must believe the hype. The music arrangements sound vibrant and full of colours while the vocals from both John and Michelle shine bright with confidence and strength. Their vocal melodies fit perfectly with the flowing music and when backed by the impeccable songwriting its like Rembrandt painting come to life. The piano is a very versatile instrument and having it be the focus is a much more difficult than hiding behind distorted guitar riffs which Straylight manages to pull off like pros as you’re taken through somber journey of the soft, delicate, and occasionally frantic moments of the album. There is even a little dabbling with electronic drums and the whole mood it brings with “Tool Sheds and Hot Tubs”, which is sung in it’s entirety by Michelle. It’s a fun pop-techno song that is a little less Postal Service and a little more 'I'm gonna dance and there's nothing you can do about it honey.' This is an album best listened to while cuddled up by a fire with that special someone or if your like me and lacking that special someone its best listening to this album cuddled up by a window with your binoculars spying into your hot neighbors window while she changes into that newly bought Christmas lingerie. I have high expectations for the next Straylight Run album, since many of these songs were widely heard demos which I've been listening to for quite sometime before the albums release.
If Straylight’s debut proves anything, it proves that John Nolan is a cy-borg sent from the future enhanced with the genes of musical legends Morrissey and John Lennon to rid the world of youthful pop stars and gold-faced rappers.
----------
9. Taking Back Sunday - where you want to be
The aftermath of the whole John Nolan/Shaun Cooper departure sought a new evolution and reformation in the world of Taking Back Sunday. Lazzara and company were set out to prove all the naysayers and John Nolan groupies wrong and to show to the world that Taking Back Sunday still has what it takes. With one listen of this album its evident that TBS didn't lose two members, instead they gained two better ones in the additions of Breaking Pangaea front man Fred Mascherino on vocals/guitar and acclaimed bassist-for-hire Matt Rubano.
Shit, did I just diss the great all-mighty John Nolan? Yes and No. I'm just fucking sick and tired of the crap on the internet and all those hipsters humping the leg of Nolan calling him the only reason TBS was good. They all proclaimed this album would suck even before hearing it, TBS even made a shirt suggesting that very notion. Sure, Nolan is great and has a wonderful hold on the craft of music which is clearly evident on the Straylight disc. To pigeon-hold him as the sole reason why TBS is TBS, is just wrong and fucking ridiculous. Its like saying Han solo, Chewbacca, Yoda, Obi-wan, and Lando did nothing to aid the rebel forces in the war against the empire and that it was solely Luke who did all the work. Sure, that could be debated being that Luke was the last of the Jedi and the only one who can battle Darth and the Emperor, but can Luke make the kessel run under 12 parsecs? I think not.
Anyways..."Where You Want to Be" simply shows why they are a "force" not be reckoned with. On this album they attempt to branch out and try new sounds instead of the one dimensional, yet amazingly smooth catchy sounds of their debut. They tap into the soul of The Police in "Bonus Mosh pt 2" and their dark side in "The Union". Also Fred's vocals shine throughout this album and made me completely forget about that other guy. From front to back this album grab me by my ears and screamed 11 reasons why I love this band.
----------
8. My Chemical Romance - three cheers for sweet revenge
As I walk towards the light I suddenly find myself at a crossroad. To the left leads me to a world filled with media tabloid pop, gold crested cup holding hip hop, and smooth dancing r & b. While to the right leads to a broken down shed somewhere out in the middle of nowhere with spooky sounds coming from the nearby woods. An old Witch wearing a black dress, pointy hat, and bright red ruby shoes looks at me stirring a cauldron mixed with Coheed & Cambria, AFI, The Used, a DVD copy of the Lost Boys signed by Cory Feldman, The White Stripes, ‘70s Rock & Roll, and the hearts and souls of little boys and girls all around the world. She then spoons out a concoction into a jar labeled My Chemical Romance and right then and there I knew which road must be taken.
I for one was blown away and felt has if my heart were being eerily massaged as the first track off “Helena” began to play. The album then continues to keep its dark arts tradition alive as it takes a 44 caliber to your head, pulls the trigger, and takes you on an eventful ride through hell, love, and revenge. The scorn-lovelorn vocals of one Gerard Way along with his gang of talent infused misfits have gingerly created one of the most exhilarating albums of the year. If the catchy nature of “I’m not okay (I promise)” and the marriage of drum and guitar on “Jetset Life Is Gonna Kill You” doesn't instantly put you in the mood to start tapping you toes you may very well by dead. I cannot end this spew without mentioning the finest track off this brilliant album “You Know What They do to Guys like Us in Prison” which made me realize that dancing while your blinds are wide open is not a good idea. So, I would just like to thank the red ruby shoe wearing witch and her magic cauldron for this wonderful gift.
----------
7. The Blood Brothers - crimes
If Refused were ever to have a sickly talented doppelganger its name would be The Blood Brothers. This is an album that gets more original and more unique with every passing track, lyric, and embellished musical outburst. “Crimes” sees the facet of music expanding to gander horizons and seeing what the future has in store, rather than merely cashing into the standard trends of today’s scene. “Feed Me to the Forest” starts the album off, and what an enjoyable start it is with its melodies that shout out miraculously to which your soul steps away from your body and begins to dance with you.
The material of this album is soft, deep with insight, and hindered with a touch of aggression. Tracks like “Beautiful Horses” and “Trash Flavored Trash” showcase insane outbursts of musical glory. The band’s lyric writing is just as fun and comical as ever and really brings the album together. With “Crimes”, The Blood Brothers have put out one of the most unique, highly enjoyable, and incredibly original album of year.
---------
6. Elliot Smith - from a basement on the hill
This is a man who had the uncanny ability to write songs that evoked emotions that most writers could only dream of. Songs that hold strong meaning, and with every line he spit forth it felt as if the world was at a standstill awaiting the next verse of this visionary voice. His songs were of heartache, addiction, sorrow, and very little hope. Late October 2003 Smith died of what was thought to be a self inflicted stab wound to the chest. There is still question whether it was suicide or murder, but regardless of the conclusion of the investigation, the world lost one of its most promising musicians who was in the middle of his masterpiece.
"From A Basement On The Hill" is a musical cornucopia offering many different sounds and styles. The thing that is most striking about the songs is the contrast of lyrics and the feel of the music. The bleak lyrics make the upbeat songs that much more interesting, and scary. Songs like “Memory Lane.” fall into Smith's classic folk guitar numbers as it goes along like a breezy, carefree song from the Beatles, but where they would have hopeful and optimistic lyrics, Smith is bleak and tragic. “Isolation pulls past the tunnel to the pride world where you can make place where you can stay. But everybody is scared of this place and is staying away.Your little house on memory lane. The mayor’s name is fear and his force patrols the peer…you keep your doors and windows shut and swear you’ll never show a soul again, but isolation pushes you ‘til every muscle aches…”.
Stripped of the lyrics, this album would have that whistling along, tapping your foot, folk-pop rock masterpiece type of feel, but when you put the lyrics into the equation, the songs awake and become a living, breathing, conglomerate of heartful sound waves. Desperation, despair, longing, addiction and isolation to the sounds of a up-beat tunes makes this record not only haunting, but possibly genius. Elliot Smith is a man who will be missed...
----------
5. Midtown - forget what you know
Remember when you were a little kid, and nothing else mattered except having fun? But then you started growing, and seeing many changes especially in your lower regions. Then, more and more responsibilities were put on you and pretty soon it wasn't all about just having fun; you actually had to start caring about everything else in your life. Let's face it people, change is inevitable! It's in everything we do, everything we see, that's just the way the world works. For Midtown, change is exactly what was needed, to not only prove to themselves they got what its takes, but to also show the world that they ain't that trendy pop-punk band with that drive-thru records sound within a scene that’s becoming more and more prevalent.
With black worn-out leather jackets, faded vegan friendly chuck taylors, obscure band t-shits, vintage levis jeans, freshly disheveled hair, and a new outlook on life the boys of Midtown walked into the face of the "scene", looked directly into its devilish eyes and said with a sharply toned voice "Forget what you fucking know!" The album kicks off with an eerie introduction track and jumps straight into "To Our Saviors." From the strumming of the guitar to the frantic vocals, you instantly hear a major difference. The old Midtown essence is still in tact, just in a new form. "Give It Up" follows perfectly, with a more smoothing feel, but still manages to bring forth the heavy rock. "Empty like the Ocean" simply amazes me. The grunge tinged guitars and the lyrical content seriously show how much this band has changed. "Waiting for the News" starts out a little differently, with a piano as the drums, bass, and guitars soon follow to dish out one amazing track. It's a major departure from what everyone is used to hearing, but it’s fucking spectacular. They have finally found a sound that they can call their own.
---------
4. Rilo Kiley - more adventerous
Jenny Lewis, front woman of Rilo Kiley, has a voice that can make you feel uncontrollably happy and sad at the exact same time. She's the type of singer that when you hear her voice you envision yourself stranded on a topical island with only the clothes you have on and Natalie Portman on you side, simply put her voice and that vision are just utterly beautiful.
By mixing indie rock with lo-fi and a little bit of country, Rilo Kiley creates a stunningly original sound, filled with complete confidence and brutal honesty. There are some straight up country moments with "A Man/Me/Then Jim" and "The Absence of God". There are some great rockers with "Portions for Foxes" and "Love and War". And there are some sad mellow songs in the vein of “It Just Is" and "It's A Hit". Lewis’ vocals are great on this album and when flowed with the music it’s very atmospheric and adaptable. The lyrics are downright poetic. The storyboard narratives that fill the words of each song couldn't be more ingenious, never sounding trite or contrived. The music is just as pensive as the words and conforms quite nicely to make a cohesive whole.
--------
3. Green Day - american idiot
"American Idiot", sees new life in a band that had fallen off its pedestal in recent years. With this release Green Day seems refreshed, and it’s like they never left -- well, it actually feels more like "Warning" never really happened. Here, the band has reverted back to their crimson punk roots, trimmed the fat and clarified their intent. Here's an album that contains an operetta, a nine-minute long epic that's divided into parts ("Jesus of Suburbia"), and it's fucking brilliant. Where other bands just try and make epics for the sake of epics, Green Day actually took the time to write a coherent relevant album that deserves the monarch of a “True Epic”
Billy Joe is such a good songwriter that he pulls off every thing he tries. He could write a song about a plastic bag floating in the wind or even an overweight kid eating a bowl of Kraft Dinner and it would probably be one of the most interesting songs of the year. Green Day has delivered an operatic experience like no other. Once you prep yourself and gather up the nerve to put on those headphones on and with great anticipation push play you are quickly spun into a ride filled with everything a music lover needs, an eargasm you soon won't forget. With social commentary on the world with songs like "Holiday" and "American Idiot", and moody memorable ballads such as "Wake Me Up When September Ends" and "Boulevard of Broken Dreams", the album touches you in way that it makes think about your life and the world around you. To see the changes within yourself and how precious life can be as you experience St. Jimmy and the tormented life he lead. Though fictional, this punk rock opera provokes high feeling and emotion.
In the end this album is important to punk's evolution, Strummer and Ramone would be proud.
---------
2. The Good Life - album of the year
Tim Kasher is a man on a mission to write the most tear-inducing music ever. Completely filled with dark outlooks on life, tales of hopeless grudge-fucking and bitter tales of chasing and losing love, The Good Life's newest misery piece “Album of the Year” is the ultimate soundtrack for the manic depressive.
Each song here was written during a different month of the year, and that's really where the album's title comes into play. Each song is presented as a mood piece that displays what Kasher was thinking about each month out of an entire year. The album opens with the month of April, with a song that reflects the album's title. "Album of the Year" is one of the more Cursive-esque songs here, complete with the off-kilter beat and a tale that reflects very similarly the events that were all over Cursive's album “Domestica”. The song is very powerful, not just because it forces you to listen to the story carefully, but because the instrumentation is so well-crafted. The album in its whole leaves a very lasting impression long after its finished as its impossible to escape the lyrical prowess of the songs, and the listener will be completely enveloped from the very first note, and usually have to repeat each song numerous times before finally realizing and understanding how powerful each song really is.
----------
1. Say Anything - ...is a real boy
Max Bemis is a genius and one of the most prolific songwriters of our deluded generation. With "...is a real boy" he has crafted together a well oiled assault of self-ejaculatory realism. It’s really hard to describe Say Anything and pigeon hold them into a genre as some songs are straight up punk, others hard rock, while alos running the gambit to all things eclectic and unique. Upon the albums first listen you will find it absolutely compelling to the point that thoughts will run through your head begging questions like "Can this album cure cancer?", "Did I just blow a load?" or "Is this the greatest album my precious ears have ever had the pleasure to be in company with?" Well, the answers to those questions are: Perhaps, Yes, and Defiantly Yes.
The disc kicks off with the ever changing tune "Belt." It starts off like a grudging punk induced attack, moves into a pop chorus then changes swiftly again into the final gang vocal sing-a-long of "What say you and all your friends step up to my friends in the alley tonight." This song is a microcosm of the entire disc. Each song changes, morphs, grows, soars and then nose dives back to the ground wrapping up each song into a perfect sonic boom. The music alone would make Oscar the grouch - Oscar the Pimp, and the fucking lyrics are poetic beauty. They talk about not selling out, wishing pain on an ex, having sex in public places, about the dangers of doing nothing with your life, saying 'fuck you' to the critics and scensters. I could just picture all the lyrics being published into a book conveniently titled "Max Bemis and his book of lyrical heartbreaks, triumphs, and rambling ons" and I for one will be first line to purchase said book, walk into an impromptu poetry reading at the nearby bingo hall, and let the snapping fingers roll.
The diversity and lyrical depth of this record makes it a must have as it will leave you breathless at albums end. You love this record, Admit It!!!