Chris Fallon
01/15/10, 12:46 AM
Last decade really could have been dubbed my own personal "Integrity Age." It was a time that I did a lot of growing up, and to be frank, music was a majority of what got me through it (pot, booze and thoughts of sex also helped a tad). It was a good ten years where I fluxed between music I woefully regret ever having near my ears and songs I couldn't believe I had been missing out on (RIP OiNK).
Call this list whatever you want -- a reflection, a compilation, a retrospective. All in all, these are the albums that hit me the most and sincerely affected the way I approached all music from there on out. Sure, I might be missing a few essential gems, but you try condensing a decade's worth of music into ten discs. Actually, try doing that and honestly thinking about each record and what it means to you, and how it made you feel the first 20 times you spun it.
These albums still get me fired up and make the hairs of my 26 year old macho-man beard stand northbound. These are the records that moved me in a very personal way and allowed me to begin peeking over that "safe" musical fence that surrounded my own metaphorical backyard for the ears.
http://i48.tinypic.com/9qv0o3.jpg
The Lawrence Arms - The Greatest Story Ever Told
Record Label: Fat Wreck Chords
Release Date: September 23, 2003
No secret here -- The Larry Arms made one of the pinnacle achievements of mainstream modern punk with this album. It's funny, too, because they aren't a band you'd expect this from. Not to discredit them, but a rough-throat band that juggles between philosophy, religion, personal reflection and vulgarity balancing all that over pop-punk melodies? C'mon, did you honestly expect the band to produce such a stellar number, one that trumps nearly every other punk release from this decade when you narrow them down? Suppose Fat Mike really does knows his shit, because not only does this album remain their best, but the band continued to evolve from the blueprint this album laid out. A testament to long-standing punk bands all over the world, The Greatest Story Ever Told contains some of the best album artwork period, and proves not all bands have to quit after their first masterpiece in order to remain relevant.
http://i48.tinypic.com/29vjfq8.jpg
Butch Walker - Letters
Record Label: Epic Records
Release Date: August 24, 2004
What a summer 2004 was. Right before my 21st birthday, I was blessed with the best (and final) album Midtown ever made, many fun vacations to visit relatives and Butch Walker's long-anticipated sophomore album (plus, I remember Futures leaked sometime around there, too). It was drastically different from his first solo outing and genre-wise, further away from anything Marvelous 3 ever did, but what caught me were the deliciously classic pop hooks and the way he sang sentiment & adoration (and sarcasm, too, I suppose). "#1 Summer Jam" should have been just that -- and how did a beautiful pop melody like "Mixtape" get absolutely no radio play whatsoever?! You thought Acceptance getting the shaft was a musical crime... Butch Walker made arguably his greatest record, an album that pushed him to his musical tilting point and made him a valued producer/songwriter. "The Best Thing You Never Had" manages to make a metaphor involving toilet seats sound romantic and how many albums can you name that contain the artist's best song in the hidden track?
http://i50.tinypic.com/2mi4w7l.jpg
The Graduate - Anhedonia
Record Label: Icon MES
Release Date: April 10, 2007
2007 was a monumental learning year for myself, and also, the year I began heavily reviewing albums for the site. Looking back, the album that really pushed me to get into critiquing was Anhedonia, an album that affected the way I view intelligent modern pop music and gave me hope in-between the neon & electronica scenes. From the edge-of-pessimism confessional "I Survived" to the darker self-reflection title track, it was the right album at the right time - and album that accompanied me during many long nights and walks home from work. Funny thing is, while it immediately puts me back into that rocky state of mind, I relish the words Cory Warning belts out and really thank that album for assisting me in getting through some relatively hard times mentally. Any record that can bring you back with such sincerity & intensity, yet make you continue to reflect on how you managed to get through it all is a winner in my book.
http://i45.tinypic.com/6eir8x.jpg
Alkaline Trio - Maybe I'll Catch Fire
Record Label: Asian Man Records
Release Date: March 14, 2000
The subject matter is notoriously grim, the songs are infamously sinister and there is no doubt this is the band's finest period -- however, it's quite a step up on all fronts from their chaotic debut and set the bar for every fellow punk band masquerading as successors to viciously creative and dark punk acts like Fugazi or even, Pixies. "Radio" will forever be the band's passion cry, but how can you not love the way Matt Skiba curses out to his hometown on "Fuck You Aurora"? The title track is one of the band's most underrated tales of self-tragedy and reveals quite an inner dialogue between both vocalists. While the band continues to play with dark material and has never strayed too far creatively, this album is undoubtedly their finest moment and kicked off the decade with a bang.
http://i49.tinypic.com/2whkxi1.jpg
The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound
Record Label: SideOneDummy Records
Release Date: August 19, 2008
Call Brian Fallon a modern-day poet, intent on reflecting upon days he lived vicariously through his radio -- perhaps a day many of us yearn for and wish existed now. The classic nostalgic references to Springsteen, Petty, Dylan and even Miles Davis litter this Americana masterpiece for the punk rock generation. Gritty with a streamline of old-school polish, The '59 Sound paints a vivid picture of a world we lost all while paying homage to the greats that lived it. What was even more beautiful about all this was it was a familiar sound wrapped inside of a new delivery, and expected more from its audience than to take it as-is. "The Backseat" is a glorious final track that plays like vintage Springsteen (shocking, I know) and the title track still contains a furious hook, even after multiple listens. "The Patient Ferris Wheel" tells a great story between a passionate chorus and the soft, smokey quiet of "Here's Looking At You, Kid" juxtaposes the raucous classic punk rock wonderfully. What makes it even more special nearly two years later -- it still leaves you searching for more inside its dense lyricism and musical arrangement.
http://i48.tinypic.com/30ic3zo.jpg
The Format - Dog Problems
Record Label: The Vanity Label
Release Date: July 11, 2006
Nate Ruess is a pretty smart guy when it comes to building bold pop structures, as well as marketing his music with no label assistance. Let's remember that in 2006, the digital age was still relatively new and selling your own band's album through your own store was unheard of -- so when the Format were hit with an early leak... they did something pretty innovative at the time. Also, not many albums come close to fully embracing the classic pop sound and pulling it off. "Time Bomb" and "Oceans" could knock an entire room on their asses and the burning wit of "The Compromise" is one of the most blatant, yet well-disguised, "fuck yous" to the music industry ever. It's merely a shame an album so brilliantly conceived didn't get the recognition it deserved -- it's more or less a thinking man's pop record and may ultimately be discovered by more people as the years pass (and maybe fun. grows in popularity). If "Pick Me Up" fails to get your toes tapping, then you need to visit a doctor, because something has to be wrong with you. Even if you are just a cynical prick.
http://i50.tinypic.com/2drw3fp.jpg
Third Eye Blind - Out of the Vein
Record Label: Elektra Records
Release Date: May 13, 2003
Released in the midst of a rather agonizing year for me, Third Eye Blind had always been a band I liked, but never loved. That was until I put my ears front-and-center to hear what Stephen Jenkins had to say. Sure, I had never dated Charlize Theron, gotten in a pretty bad motorcycle accident and my record label wasn't crumbling apart, but I felt like "Wake For Young Souls" and "Company" spoke to me directly. There I am, 18 years old with my future up in the air... and an album was really hitting me on all the right personal notes. Sometimes, I still listen to this album during sad times -- but also happy times, because I know it was the album that made me fully appreciate the band past "Semi-Charmed Life." There's more here than one might expect -- "Blinded" has a nice hook to it, but is rather personal and "Faster" scoots by on its candid animosity. "My Hit and Run" still makes me feel completely connected to Jenkins' own personal life-changing moment, and "Danger" is hard-edged fun for any concert-goer. Above all, it's an album that you might have passed by on band name alone -- but check the lyrics out and let the smooth pop-rock rush over you. You might be pleasantly surprised by the charming truth residing within.
http://i47.tinypic.com/11qqpz9.jpg
Brand New - Deja Entendu
Record Label: Triple Crown Records
Release Date: June 17, 2003
Yeah, yeah -- cliche entry, right? Well, fuck off -- I have my reasons for this album. Before you assume I'm a sheep being lassoed by the ever-popular "scene police," I hadn't even heard of Absolutepunk.net when this album was purchased at our recently-opened Best Buy in the summer of 2003. I bought it solely based upon seeing the music video for "The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows" on MTV2. Little did I know, on those late nights staying up purging through this record, that it would quite literally speak to me in a way I had no idea a record was capable of. At this time in my life, I was purely a pop-punk aficionado and this was a pretty progressive move for me. Yet the articulation and brutal frankness on tracks like "Me Vs. Maradona Vs. Elvis" and the fierce anger on "Okay, I Believe You..." were deceptively new to me. Upon discovering the website and seeing how adored the album was, I admit I grew tired of it in some regard. However, for all its hype and "overrated" acclaim, Deja Entendu -- at one point -- was the gold standard. It wasn't typical for a band to change like that, and Brand New continued to develop a stark, earnest and (above all) dark modern-rock sound. You can't beat the way Jesse Lacey warbles/screams these eleven anthems for a generation still recovering from that Long Island band's initial impact. If the modern scene was the moon, then Brand New were Apollo 11.
http://i47.tinypic.com/rwtm9s.jpg
Death Cab For Cutie - Transatlanticism
Record Label: Barsuk Records
Release Date: October 7, 2003
This was my very first Death Cab experience. Surprising, huh? I mean, I knew of them through the local scene but had never given them a shot. Then I heard the whispering wind percussion of "The New Year" -- and I wanted more. I remember Transatlanticism being the very first album I ever downloaded illegally (off WinMx, no less), burned onto a CD, listened to religiously... and then went out to buy with what little money I had at the time. For me, between all the Deja Entendu-ness of my late summer-early fall, it was the perfect change and ending to a pretty crappy year. The title track still gives me chills with its insanely gorgeous build-up and is the kind of song you'd expect to hear Genesis or early Elton John compose. Then you have the parallel songs that make this album so remarkably different -- the light-hearted pop jangle of "The Sound of Settling" and the claustrophobic lust of "We Looked Like Giants." I still have trouble listening to "Passenger Seat" and not wanting to just sit down right where I am, and taking the world in -- it's a powerful song. It ultimately catapulted the band into the mainstream, and sure, Plans was a well-done follow-up... there's just no beating this album in my eyes.
http://i46.tinypic.com/2uhrfpu.jpg
Jimmy Eat World - Futures
Record Label: Interscope/Geffen
Release Date: October 19, 2004
Bleed American was the soundtrack to my senior year in high school. I think it was universal fact that Jimmy Eat World were just too good to ignore, and with anticipation for the upcoming album on high, the Futures leak was a pretty spectacular deal in the early days of internet leaks. Now, this was still at the time when "Jen" was an album track -- squeezed in the middle between "Drugs or Me" and "Pain," I believe? I begged my mom to buy me some blank CDs as an early birthday gift so I could listen to the album (along with Butch's Letters) on a long plane trip. It was essentially my own personal eurphoria -- one of the few vivid moments in my life where an album literally took over my life and was listened to the point of obsessiveness. Why this album? What made this one so special? The production, the way Jim Adkins carefully sings each word, the addicting bass lines... they all contributed to my admiration.
Whether it was the jarring, yet seamless, transition Jimmy Eat World made from aggressive pop-inspired alt-rock to moody, dark pop-rock or whether it was the right time in my life... Futures still remains an album I consider to be a cherished favorite amongst any album I have purchased. "23" consistently gives me chills, even three years after it meant most to me, and the stirring bass of "Polaris" makes me swoon like a pedophile at a Jonas Brothers concert (only not in a weird way). "Kill" is just fucking painful poetry, like heartbreakingly real, and still remains a highlight of the band's career (it might be the best song they ever wrote). "Just Tonight" is painfully simple, yet takes on a sinister take with every impending listen -- and how can you ignore the way the album opens, on the booming title track. There aren't many albums that can still captivate me with each track listen after listen, however, Futures is so drearily optimistic and lush with mellow beauty, that I can't ever seem to dislodge it from my brain. Suppose that's the best compliment you can offer such a consistent and reliable band like Jimmy Eat World.
Honorable Mention:
Rx Bandits - Progress
Taking Back Sunday - Tell All Your Friends
Lucero - 1372 Overton Park
Anberlin - Never Take Friendship Personal
Something Corporate - Leaving Though the Window
Relient K - Five Score and Seven Years Ago
Northstar - Pollyanna
Green Day - American Idiot
Acceptance - Phantoms
Millencolin - Pennybridge Pioneers
Call this list whatever you want -- a reflection, a compilation, a retrospective. All in all, these are the albums that hit me the most and sincerely affected the way I approached all music from there on out. Sure, I might be missing a few essential gems, but you try condensing a decade's worth of music into ten discs. Actually, try doing that and honestly thinking about each record and what it means to you, and how it made you feel the first 20 times you spun it.
These albums still get me fired up and make the hairs of my 26 year old macho-man beard stand northbound. These are the records that moved me in a very personal way and allowed me to begin peeking over that "safe" musical fence that surrounded my own metaphorical backyard for the ears.
http://i48.tinypic.com/9qv0o3.jpg
The Lawrence Arms - The Greatest Story Ever Told
Record Label: Fat Wreck Chords
Release Date: September 23, 2003
No secret here -- The Larry Arms made one of the pinnacle achievements of mainstream modern punk with this album. It's funny, too, because they aren't a band you'd expect this from. Not to discredit them, but a rough-throat band that juggles between philosophy, religion, personal reflection and vulgarity balancing all that over pop-punk melodies? C'mon, did you honestly expect the band to produce such a stellar number, one that trumps nearly every other punk release from this decade when you narrow them down? Suppose Fat Mike really does knows his shit, because not only does this album remain their best, but the band continued to evolve from the blueprint this album laid out. A testament to long-standing punk bands all over the world, The Greatest Story Ever Told contains some of the best album artwork period, and proves not all bands have to quit after their first masterpiece in order to remain relevant.
http://i48.tinypic.com/29vjfq8.jpg
Butch Walker - Letters
Record Label: Epic Records
Release Date: August 24, 2004
What a summer 2004 was. Right before my 21st birthday, I was blessed with the best (and final) album Midtown ever made, many fun vacations to visit relatives and Butch Walker's long-anticipated sophomore album (plus, I remember Futures leaked sometime around there, too). It was drastically different from his first solo outing and genre-wise, further away from anything Marvelous 3 ever did, but what caught me were the deliciously classic pop hooks and the way he sang sentiment & adoration (and sarcasm, too, I suppose). "#1 Summer Jam" should have been just that -- and how did a beautiful pop melody like "Mixtape" get absolutely no radio play whatsoever?! You thought Acceptance getting the shaft was a musical crime... Butch Walker made arguably his greatest record, an album that pushed him to his musical tilting point and made him a valued producer/songwriter. "The Best Thing You Never Had" manages to make a metaphor involving toilet seats sound romantic and how many albums can you name that contain the artist's best song in the hidden track?
http://i50.tinypic.com/2mi4w7l.jpg
The Graduate - Anhedonia
Record Label: Icon MES
Release Date: April 10, 2007
2007 was a monumental learning year for myself, and also, the year I began heavily reviewing albums for the site. Looking back, the album that really pushed me to get into critiquing was Anhedonia, an album that affected the way I view intelligent modern pop music and gave me hope in-between the neon & electronica scenes. From the edge-of-pessimism confessional "I Survived" to the darker self-reflection title track, it was the right album at the right time - and album that accompanied me during many long nights and walks home from work. Funny thing is, while it immediately puts me back into that rocky state of mind, I relish the words Cory Warning belts out and really thank that album for assisting me in getting through some relatively hard times mentally. Any record that can bring you back with such sincerity & intensity, yet make you continue to reflect on how you managed to get through it all is a winner in my book.
http://i45.tinypic.com/6eir8x.jpg
Alkaline Trio - Maybe I'll Catch Fire
Record Label: Asian Man Records
Release Date: March 14, 2000
The subject matter is notoriously grim, the songs are infamously sinister and there is no doubt this is the band's finest period -- however, it's quite a step up on all fronts from their chaotic debut and set the bar for every fellow punk band masquerading as successors to viciously creative and dark punk acts like Fugazi or even, Pixies. "Radio" will forever be the band's passion cry, but how can you not love the way Matt Skiba curses out to his hometown on "Fuck You Aurora"? The title track is one of the band's most underrated tales of self-tragedy and reveals quite an inner dialogue between both vocalists. While the band continues to play with dark material and has never strayed too far creatively, this album is undoubtedly their finest moment and kicked off the decade with a bang.
http://i49.tinypic.com/2whkxi1.jpg
The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound
Record Label: SideOneDummy Records
Release Date: August 19, 2008
Call Brian Fallon a modern-day poet, intent on reflecting upon days he lived vicariously through his radio -- perhaps a day many of us yearn for and wish existed now. The classic nostalgic references to Springsteen, Petty, Dylan and even Miles Davis litter this Americana masterpiece for the punk rock generation. Gritty with a streamline of old-school polish, The '59 Sound paints a vivid picture of a world we lost all while paying homage to the greats that lived it. What was even more beautiful about all this was it was a familiar sound wrapped inside of a new delivery, and expected more from its audience than to take it as-is. "The Backseat" is a glorious final track that plays like vintage Springsteen (shocking, I know) and the title track still contains a furious hook, even after multiple listens. "The Patient Ferris Wheel" tells a great story between a passionate chorus and the soft, smokey quiet of "Here's Looking At You, Kid" juxtaposes the raucous classic punk rock wonderfully. What makes it even more special nearly two years later -- it still leaves you searching for more inside its dense lyricism and musical arrangement.
http://i48.tinypic.com/30ic3zo.jpg
The Format - Dog Problems
Record Label: The Vanity Label
Release Date: July 11, 2006
Nate Ruess is a pretty smart guy when it comes to building bold pop structures, as well as marketing his music with no label assistance. Let's remember that in 2006, the digital age was still relatively new and selling your own band's album through your own store was unheard of -- so when the Format were hit with an early leak... they did something pretty innovative at the time. Also, not many albums come close to fully embracing the classic pop sound and pulling it off. "Time Bomb" and "Oceans" could knock an entire room on their asses and the burning wit of "The Compromise" is one of the most blatant, yet well-disguised, "fuck yous" to the music industry ever. It's merely a shame an album so brilliantly conceived didn't get the recognition it deserved -- it's more or less a thinking man's pop record and may ultimately be discovered by more people as the years pass (and maybe fun. grows in popularity). If "Pick Me Up" fails to get your toes tapping, then you need to visit a doctor, because something has to be wrong with you. Even if you are just a cynical prick.
http://i50.tinypic.com/2drw3fp.jpg
Third Eye Blind - Out of the Vein
Record Label: Elektra Records
Release Date: May 13, 2003
Released in the midst of a rather agonizing year for me, Third Eye Blind had always been a band I liked, but never loved. That was until I put my ears front-and-center to hear what Stephen Jenkins had to say. Sure, I had never dated Charlize Theron, gotten in a pretty bad motorcycle accident and my record label wasn't crumbling apart, but I felt like "Wake For Young Souls" and "Company" spoke to me directly. There I am, 18 years old with my future up in the air... and an album was really hitting me on all the right personal notes. Sometimes, I still listen to this album during sad times -- but also happy times, because I know it was the album that made me fully appreciate the band past "Semi-Charmed Life." There's more here than one might expect -- "Blinded" has a nice hook to it, but is rather personal and "Faster" scoots by on its candid animosity. "My Hit and Run" still makes me feel completely connected to Jenkins' own personal life-changing moment, and "Danger" is hard-edged fun for any concert-goer. Above all, it's an album that you might have passed by on band name alone -- but check the lyrics out and let the smooth pop-rock rush over you. You might be pleasantly surprised by the charming truth residing within.
http://i47.tinypic.com/11qqpz9.jpg
Brand New - Deja Entendu
Record Label: Triple Crown Records
Release Date: June 17, 2003
Yeah, yeah -- cliche entry, right? Well, fuck off -- I have my reasons for this album. Before you assume I'm a sheep being lassoed by the ever-popular "scene police," I hadn't even heard of Absolutepunk.net when this album was purchased at our recently-opened Best Buy in the summer of 2003. I bought it solely based upon seeing the music video for "The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows" on MTV2. Little did I know, on those late nights staying up purging through this record, that it would quite literally speak to me in a way I had no idea a record was capable of. At this time in my life, I was purely a pop-punk aficionado and this was a pretty progressive move for me. Yet the articulation and brutal frankness on tracks like "Me Vs. Maradona Vs. Elvis" and the fierce anger on "Okay, I Believe You..." were deceptively new to me. Upon discovering the website and seeing how adored the album was, I admit I grew tired of it in some regard. However, for all its hype and "overrated" acclaim, Deja Entendu -- at one point -- was the gold standard. It wasn't typical for a band to change like that, and Brand New continued to develop a stark, earnest and (above all) dark modern-rock sound. You can't beat the way Jesse Lacey warbles/screams these eleven anthems for a generation still recovering from that Long Island band's initial impact. If the modern scene was the moon, then Brand New were Apollo 11.
http://i47.tinypic.com/rwtm9s.jpg
Death Cab For Cutie - Transatlanticism
Record Label: Barsuk Records
Release Date: October 7, 2003
This was my very first Death Cab experience. Surprising, huh? I mean, I knew of them through the local scene but had never given them a shot. Then I heard the whispering wind percussion of "The New Year" -- and I wanted more. I remember Transatlanticism being the very first album I ever downloaded illegally (off WinMx, no less), burned onto a CD, listened to religiously... and then went out to buy with what little money I had at the time. For me, between all the Deja Entendu-ness of my late summer-early fall, it was the perfect change and ending to a pretty crappy year. The title track still gives me chills with its insanely gorgeous build-up and is the kind of song you'd expect to hear Genesis or early Elton John compose. Then you have the parallel songs that make this album so remarkably different -- the light-hearted pop jangle of "The Sound of Settling" and the claustrophobic lust of "We Looked Like Giants." I still have trouble listening to "Passenger Seat" and not wanting to just sit down right where I am, and taking the world in -- it's a powerful song. It ultimately catapulted the band into the mainstream, and sure, Plans was a well-done follow-up... there's just no beating this album in my eyes.
http://i46.tinypic.com/2uhrfpu.jpg
Jimmy Eat World - Futures
Record Label: Interscope/Geffen
Release Date: October 19, 2004
Bleed American was the soundtrack to my senior year in high school. I think it was universal fact that Jimmy Eat World were just too good to ignore, and with anticipation for the upcoming album on high, the Futures leak was a pretty spectacular deal in the early days of internet leaks. Now, this was still at the time when "Jen" was an album track -- squeezed in the middle between "Drugs or Me" and "Pain," I believe? I begged my mom to buy me some blank CDs as an early birthday gift so I could listen to the album (along with Butch's Letters) on a long plane trip. It was essentially my own personal eurphoria -- one of the few vivid moments in my life where an album literally took over my life and was listened to the point of obsessiveness. Why this album? What made this one so special? The production, the way Jim Adkins carefully sings each word, the addicting bass lines... they all contributed to my admiration.
Whether it was the jarring, yet seamless, transition Jimmy Eat World made from aggressive pop-inspired alt-rock to moody, dark pop-rock or whether it was the right time in my life... Futures still remains an album I consider to be a cherished favorite amongst any album I have purchased. "23" consistently gives me chills, even three years after it meant most to me, and the stirring bass of "Polaris" makes me swoon like a pedophile at a Jonas Brothers concert (only not in a weird way). "Kill" is just fucking painful poetry, like heartbreakingly real, and still remains a highlight of the band's career (it might be the best song they ever wrote). "Just Tonight" is painfully simple, yet takes on a sinister take with every impending listen -- and how can you ignore the way the album opens, on the booming title track. There aren't many albums that can still captivate me with each track listen after listen, however, Futures is so drearily optimistic and lush with mellow beauty, that I can't ever seem to dislodge it from my brain. Suppose that's the best compliment you can offer such a consistent and reliable band like Jimmy Eat World.
Honorable Mention:
Rx Bandits - Progress
Taking Back Sunday - Tell All Your Friends
Lucero - 1372 Overton Park
Anberlin - Never Take Friendship Personal
Something Corporate - Leaving Though the Window
Relient K - Five Score and Seven Years Ago
Northstar - Pollyanna
Green Day - American Idiot
Acceptance - Phantoms
Millencolin - Pennybridge Pioneers