Anton Djamoos
11/29/08, 11:02 AM
Welcome to the end of 2008. Thank you all for your continued support of AP.net and, if you're reading this list, probably me. 2008 saw the proliferation of some great things on this site, such as the new layout, more chats, and a heavily bolstered gallery. Lots of great news stories this year made me continually engaged in this site and hopefully you as well. 2009 will bring some more great things.
On a personal level, 2008 will be remembered by me as the year that I finally became an adult. I broke up with a girlfriend in January, moved out of my parents house and got a new girlfriend who I will buy a house with in May and hopefully marry one day. Everything's changing, there's more responsibility, and I am loving every minute of it. Whew. Being a grown-up is busy work.
But all that will not mean that I will forget about AP.net. Far from it. There's so much I still want to accomplish on this site to see it reach even higher levels. At this point, it seems like the only roadblock in our way is Pitchfork, as all other competition has all but vanished. If you all want to make AP.net your homepage and visit the site as often and for as long as possible, that'd be wonderful.
Instead of the typical top tens of everything, I decided to only top tenisize my albums of the year list. Other than that, everything is random and in no order. I'm intrigued to hear what all your moments of the year are...what parts of songs stop you in your tracks?
MUSICAL MOMENTS OF THE YEAR
These are the moments in music when you want to put on a pair of good headphones, close your eyes, and let yourself absorb the awesome.
Ludo - "Love Me Dead"
3:06 - 3:22
You're born of a jackal! You're beautifulllll...
The Reign of Kindo - "The Moments In Between"
1:27 - 2:30
The best moment on this album occurs in the beautiful first track. Oh my god, what have I become?
Fightstar - "Darkstar"
1:02 - 1:27
The prechorus into the chorus of this song is awesome. Fightstar has a nice sound and this is a build-up to a nice cataclysm of awesome.
Forgive Durden - Razia's Shadow
whole album
Lame, I know, but each song is a twist and turn into something new. I really like "The End and the Beginning" when Thomas sings "Casanovas have charmed with chiffon so chi chi..." but it's just one brush stroke in a masterpiece.
Senses Fail - "Lungs Like Gallows"
0:56 - 1:18
It rocks, it's awesome. IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII GIVE BLOOD! Buddy can scream well. The guitar is so friggin good.
Senses Fail - "Wolves at the Door"
1:15 - 2:51
Fun, fun, fun.
Thrice - "Broken Lungs"
3:17 - end
Dustin shows why his voice is one of my favorites in the scene
Muse - "Knights of Cydonia" (Live at HAARP)
3:31 - end
The crowd singing along to the explosion of "No one's going to take me alive..." is great.
Inept - "It's All In Our Head"
0:00 - 0:26
The intro to the song is a lot of fun to sing along to and drive to. Give it a shot.MEMORABLE AP.net EVENTS OF THE YEAR
Cute is What We Aim For cover art drama
Midtown didn't reunite for anything
The Receiving End of Sirens' last show
Forgive Durden viral marketing
CFOB and myself getting inserted into that drama
Jason vs. Envy on the Coast
Jason vs. Alternative Press
Geoff Rickly vs. mht
Glamour Kills Guitar Contest
Anberlin selling well on a major
Fall Out Boy's single covers, particular every single thing Joe did
Glassjaw released a song!
Mae's rebirth
Thursday's resurgence
Valencia being awesome
Any thread involving Jeffree Star/Trace Cyrus
Plain White T's vs. Chris Fallon
Blake's Killers review
3OH!3's news bash (http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=645312)MUSIC I LOVED THIS YEAR THAT DIDN'T MAKE MY LIST BELOW OR EVEN COME OUT THIS YEAR
Ludo - Love Me Dead
Paramore - Decode/Riot!
Refused - The Shape of Punk to Come
Thrice's Earth/Air
All Time Low - So Wrong, It's Right
All of The Cab's singles\
Two Shots of Rye - Hooks on Tape
Children of Bodom - "Triple Corpse Hammerblow"
Forever the Sickest Kids - "Whoa Oh! (Me vs. Everyone)"
Ivoryline - There Came A Lion
Name Taken - Hold On
Manchester Orchestra - I'm Like a Virgin Losing a Child
The Outlaws - "Green Grass and High Tide"
Bayside - "Devotion and Desire"
ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
10. Underoath - Lost in the Sound of Separation (listen) (http://www.myspace.com/underoath) (buy) (http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Sound-Separation-CD-DVD/dp/B001D25MTI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1230304157&sr=1-2)
Underoath's sound changed to the more experimental with this one and it worked marvelously. Though I don't think this album captures the intensity of Define the Great Line, it is still an impressive effort from this band who constantly succeeds in expanding their sound and furthering the genre.
9. Metallica - Death Magnetic (listen) (http://www.myspace.com/metallica) (buy) (http://www.amazon.com/Death-Magnetic-Metallica/dp/B00192KCQ0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1230304179&sr=1-1)
This album really surprised me with how much I liked it. Why would I want to give Metallica a chance after being blatantly responsible for the music downloading restrictions in place today? Well, after listening to this album, I couldn't help it. It's a fun guitar album that constantly hits hard and I have an even better connection with this music after playing it on Guitar Hero. I suggest downloading it there for an amazing virtual rocking experience.
8. The Injured List - There's Always Next Year (listen) (http://www.myspace.com/theinjuredlist) (download free) (http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=712182)
This band is fresh-grown from the AP.net General Forum soil, and it couldn't have come out any better. A great mix of so many different styles, starting with a catchy song that will instantly pull you into the album and ending with a winning closer that will leave you pressing repeat. Everything in between is great as well. Give this band time...they're going places.
7. Inept - So Much Between Us (listen) (http://www.myspace.com/ineptband)(buy) (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001B87B0C?ie=UTF8&tag=absolu0d-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&creative=373489&creativeASIN=B001B87B0C)
Easily one of my favorite pop rock albums of the year, this is a great collection of songs for when you just want to listen and sing along. Not many people know about this band, but this album should make instant fans out of many.
6. Senses Fail - Life Is Not A Waiting Room (listen) (http://www.myspace.com/sensesfail)(buy) (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001EOQWIU?ie=UTF8&tag=absolu0d-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&creative=373489&creativeASIN=B001EOQWIU)
Senses Fail redefined who they were as a band with Still Searching and continued on that path with this album. Standout tracks "Lungs Like Gallows" and "Wolves at the Door" will have you air guitaring for days on end, as I was this year. They may not be the cool band to like, but after they put out the past two exceptional albums, it's finally time to accept Senses Fail as a band that deserves their success.
5. Lydia - Illuminate (listen) (http://www.myspace.com/lydia) (buy) (http://www.amazon.com/Illuminate-Lydia/dp/B001G9LVJI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1230303313&sr=1-1)
If you have been reading AP.net in 2008, you should already have this album or at least listened to it in some capacity. We've hyped it up enough that you know it has to be something special.
4. Fall Out Boy - Folie a Deux (listen) (http://www.myspace.com/falloutboy) (buy) (http://www.amazon.com/Folie-Deux-Fall-Out-Boy/dp/B001FBIPF0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1230304203&sr=1-1)
Fall Out Boy didn't need to reinvent themselves and they didn't. What they did do with this album was take the tongue in cheek and put it on the backburner for a more sentimental side of Pete Wentz. Impending fatherhood, politics, and a huge viral marketing campaign played a huge part in the outcome of this album, and the results are nothing to be surprised about. Hooks galore, great vocal work, and outstanding tracks, this album is pure Fall Out Boy without any gimmicks. Everyone can find something to like about this one.
3. Valencia - We All Need a Reason to Believe (listen) (http://www.myspace.com/valencia) (buy) (http://www.amazon.com/We-All-Need-Reason-Believe/dp/B001C47ZPG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1230304225&sr=1-1)
The best pop-punk album of the year did not come from Fall Out Boy, but from the honest and powerful songcraft of Valencia. These guys fully delivered on the promise they showed on their debut and surpassed it by leaps and bounds with songs that stay with you. Shane's vocals are fledged out perfectly and their major label debut sounds amazing. If you are in the market for one pop-punk album this year, make it this one and don't look back. This band is the future of the pop-punk world...they just need the support to get there.
2. The Reign of Kindo - Rhythm, Chord, and Melody (listen) (http://www.myspace.com/thereignofkindo) (buy) (http://www.amazon.com/Rhythm-Chord-Melody-Reign-Kindo/dp/B001B92EI0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1230304380&sr=1-1)
I fell in love with The Reign of Kindo's EP earlier this year and became immensely excited for what their full-length would give me. Instead of moving toward a more jazzy sound, the band branched out into a much more creative overall sound, using many different genres as a basis for their atmospheric, ethereal sounds. Give it a shot if you love Something Corporate and This Day and Age...you won't regret it.
1. Forgive Durden - Razia's Shadow (listen) (http://www.purevolume.com/forgivedurden) (BUY) (http://www.amazon.com/Razias-Shadow-Musical-Forgive-Durden/dp/B001GZQ42G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1230304493&sr=1-1)
What's left to say that hasn't been said? Razia's Shadow is a journey through music and story and the brainchild of Forgive Durden's Thomas Dutton. Fantastic guest vocals, MVP drumming, and lyricism that outshines anything else that was written this year, Razia's Shadow easily earned my #1 album of the year before it was even released. In the weeks that followed, it never left my playlist at work, while driving, or hanging out at home, and still remains there. I find something new to love with each time I listen to the album and it's so good that I find it impossible to pick a favorite track, as I love a new song more each day. Congratulations to Thomas Dutton for writing and recording what I believe is the best album I heard that was released in 2008.
On a personal level, 2008 will be remembered by me as the year that I finally became an adult. I broke up with a girlfriend in January, moved out of my parents house and got a new girlfriend who I will buy a house with in May and hopefully marry one day. Everything's changing, there's more responsibility, and I am loving every minute of it. Whew. Being a grown-up is busy work.
But all that will not mean that I will forget about AP.net. Far from it. There's so much I still want to accomplish on this site to see it reach even higher levels. At this point, it seems like the only roadblock in our way is Pitchfork, as all other competition has all but vanished. If you all want to make AP.net your homepage and visit the site as often and for as long as possible, that'd be wonderful.
Instead of the typical top tens of everything, I decided to only top tenisize my albums of the year list. Other than that, everything is random and in no order. I'm intrigued to hear what all your moments of the year are...what parts of songs stop you in your tracks?
MUSICAL MOMENTS OF THE YEAR
These are the moments in music when you want to put on a pair of good headphones, close your eyes, and let yourself absorb the awesome.
Ludo - "Love Me Dead"
3:06 - 3:22
You're born of a jackal! You're beautifulllll...
The Reign of Kindo - "The Moments In Between"
1:27 - 2:30
The best moment on this album occurs in the beautiful first track. Oh my god, what have I become?
Fightstar - "Darkstar"
1:02 - 1:27
The prechorus into the chorus of this song is awesome. Fightstar has a nice sound and this is a build-up to a nice cataclysm of awesome.
Forgive Durden - Razia's Shadow
whole album
Lame, I know, but each song is a twist and turn into something new. I really like "The End and the Beginning" when Thomas sings "Casanovas have charmed with chiffon so chi chi..." but it's just one brush stroke in a masterpiece.
Senses Fail - "Lungs Like Gallows"
0:56 - 1:18
It rocks, it's awesome. IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII GIVE BLOOD! Buddy can scream well. The guitar is so friggin good.
Senses Fail - "Wolves at the Door"
1:15 - 2:51
Fun, fun, fun.
Thrice - "Broken Lungs"
3:17 - end
Dustin shows why his voice is one of my favorites in the scene
Muse - "Knights of Cydonia" (Live at HAARP)
3:31 - end
The crowd singing along to the explosion of "No one's going to take me alive..." is great.
Inept - "It's All In Our Head"
0:00 - 0:26
The intro to the song is a lot of fun to sing along to and drive to. Give it a shot.MEMORABLE AP.net EVENTS OF THE YEAR
Cute is What We Aim For cover art drama
Midtown didn't reunite for anything
The Receiving End of Sirens' last show
Forgive Durden viral marketing
CFOB and myself getting inserted into that drama
Jason vs. Envy on the Coast
Jason vs. Alternative Press
Geoff Rickly vs. mht
Glamour Kills Guitar Contest
Anberlin selling well on a major
Fall Out Boy's single covers, particular every single thing Joe did
Glassjaw released a song!
Mae's rebirth
Thursday's resurgence
Valencia being awesome
Any thread involving Jeffree Star/Trace Cyrus
Plain White T's vs. Chris Fallon
Blake's Killers review
3OH!3's news bash (http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=645312)MUSIC I LOVED THIS YEAR THAT DIDN'T MAKE MY LIST BELOW OR EVEN COME OUT THIS YEAR
Ludo - Love Me Dead
Paramore - Decode/Riot!
Refused - The Shape of Punk to Come
Thrice's Earth/Air
All Time Low - So Wrong, It's Right
All of The Cab's singles\
Two Shots of Rye - Hooks on Tape
Children of Bodom - "Triple Corpse Hammerblow"
Forever the Sickest Kids - "Whoa Oh! (Me vs. Everyone)"
Ivoryline - There Came A Lion
Name Taken - Hold On
Manchester Orchestra - I'm Like a Virgin Losing a Child
The Outlaws - "Green Grass and High Tide"
Bayside - "Devotion and Desire"
ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
10. Underoath - Lost in the Sound of Separation (listen) (http://www.myspace.com/underoath) (buy) (http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Sound-Separation-CD-DVD/dp/B001D25MTI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1230304157&sr=1-2)
Underoath's sound changed to the more experimental with this one and it worked marvelously. Though I don't think this album captures the intensity of Define the Great Line, it is still an impressive effort from this band who constantly succeeds in expanding their sound and furthering the genre.
9. Metallica - Death Magnetic (listen) (http://www.myspace.com/metallica) (buy) (http://www.amazon.com/Death-Magnetic-Metallica/dp/B00192KCQ0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1230304179&sr=1-1)
This album really surprised me with how much I liked it. Why would I want to give Metallica a chance after being blatantly responsible for the music downloading restrictions in place today? Well, after listening to this album, I couldn't help it. It's a fun guitar album that constantly hits hard and I have an even better connection with this music after playing it on Guitar Hero. I suggest downloading it there for an amazing virtual rocking experience.
8. The Injured List - There's Always Next Year (listen) (http://www.myspace.com/theinjuredlist) (download free) (http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=712182)
This band is fresh-grown from the AP.net General Forum soil, and it couldn't have come out any better. A great mix of so many different styles, starting with a catchy song that will instantly pull you into the album and ending with a winning closer that will leave you pressing repeat. Everything in between is great as well. Give this band time...they're going places.
7. Inept - So Much Between Us (listen) (http://www.myspace.com/ineptband)(buy) (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001B87B0C?ie=UTF8&tag=absolu0d-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&creative=373489&creativeASIN=B001B87B0C)
Easily one of my favorite pop rock albums of the year, this is a great collection of songs for when you just want to listen and sing along. Not many people know about this band, but this album should make instant fans out of many.
6. Senses Fail - Life Is Not A Waiting Room (listen) (http://www.myspace.com/sensesfail)(buy) (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001EOQWIU?ie=UTF8&tag=absolu0d-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&creative=373489&creativeASIN=B001EOQWIU)
Senses Fail redefined who they were as a band with Still Searching and continued on that path with this album. Standout tracks "Lungs Like Gallows" and "Wolves at the Door" will have you air guitaring for days on end, as I was this year. They may not be the cool band to like, but after they put out the past two exceptional albums, it's finally time to accept Senses Fail as a band that deserves their success.
5. Lydia - Illuminate (listen) (http://www.myspace.com/lydia) (buy) (http://www.amazon.com/Illuminate-Lydia/dp/B001G9LVJI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1230303313&sr=1-1)
If you have been reading AP.net in 2008, you should already have this album or at least listened to it in some capacity. We've hyped it up enough that you know it has to be something special.
4. Fall Out Boy - Folie a Deux (listen) (http://www.myspace.com/falloutboy) (buy) (http://www.amazon.com/Folie-Deux-Fall-Out-Boy/dp/B001FBIPF0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1230304203&sr=1-1)
Fall Out Boy didn't need to reinvent themselves and they didn't. What they did do with this album was take the tongue in cheek and put it on the backburner for a more sentimental side of Pete Wentz. Impending fatherhood, politics, and a huge viral marketing campaign played a huge part in the outcome of this album, and the results are nothing to be surprised about. Hooks galore, great vocal work, and outstanding tracks, this album is pure Fall Out Boy without any gimmicks. Everyone can find something to like about this one.
3. Valencia - We All Need a Reason to Believe (listen) (http://www.myspace.com/valencia) (buy) (http://www.amazon.com/We-All-Need-Reason-Believe/dp/B001C47ZPG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1230304225&sr=1-1)
The best pop-punk album of the year did not come from Fall Out Boy, but from the honest and powerful songcraft of Valencia. These guys fully delivered on the promise they showed on their debut and surpassed it by leaps and bounds with songs that stay with you. Shane's vocals are fledged out perfectly and their major label debut sounds amazing. If you are in the market for one pop-punk album this year, make it this one and don't look back. This band is the future of the pop-punk world...they just need the support to get there.
2. The Reign of Kindo - Rhythm, Chord, and Melody (listen) (http://www.myspace.com/thereignofkindo) (buy) (http://www.amazon.com/Rhythm-Chord-Melody-Reign-Kindo/dp/B001B92EI0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1230304380&sr=1-1)
I fell in love with The Reign of Kindo's EP earlier this year and became immensely excited for what their full-length would give me. Instead of moving toward a more jazzy sound, the band branched out into a much more creative overall sound, using many different genres as a basis for their atmospheric, ethereal sounds. Give it a shot if you love Something Corporate and This Day and Age...you won't regret it.
1. Forgive Durden - Razia's Shadow (listen) (http://www.purevolume.com/forgivedurden) (BUY) (http://www.amazon.com/Razias-Shadow-Musical-Forgive-Durden/dp/B001GZQ42G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1230304493&sr=1-1)
What's left to say that hasn't been said? Razia's Shadow is a journey through music and story and the brainchild of Forgive Durden's Thomas Dutton. Fantastic guest vocals, MVP drumming, and lyricism that outshines anything else that was written this year, Razia's Shadow easily earned my #1 album of the year before it was even released. In the weeks that followed, it never left my playlist at work, while driving, or hanging out at home, and still remains there. I find something new to love with each time I listen to the album and it's so good that I find it impossible to pick a favorite track, as I love a new song more each day. Congratulations to Thomas Dutton for writing and recording what I believe is the best album I heard that was released in 2008.