Quarta-feira 2 Jan 2008, 3h:58
What a shitty year for music…. But anyways, nerdtime:
The Top Ten:
1) Keepin 6 - Uncensored:
Similar to No Trigger's album last year–not the most innovative album of the year, but the best. This time it's ska-punk. Yes, this sounds like Operation Ivy, Against All Authority, and Leftover Crack. But this is better. Yep, better. Most addictive, danceable shit I've heard in a looooong time.
2) Comeback Kid - Broadcasting...
It's very rare that a band changes its singer and improves, much less puts out an album far, far better than anything they've done before. But that's what Comeback Kid did this year. An excellent hardcore album. Broadcasting and One Left Satisfied are standout tracks.
3) The World/Inferno Friendship Society - Addicted to Bad Ideas
For the second straight year, The World/Inferno Friendship Society falls a place behind an album that is much less original but only slightly better. M is for Morphine, Cathy Catherine, Thumb Cinema, and Addicted to Bad Ideas are beyond unbelievable tracks, but Everybody Comes to Rick's is the worst on any of their full lengths and a few other tracks weren't quite up to their standard. This is the first of a number of great albums from bands who had even greater albums last year.
Not only was C.Y.S.L.A.B.F. better than this, but it's not entirely clear whether this should count–the album contains the 666 session, recorded on 6/6/06 but released in 07 along with the majority of their debut 7" from back in 2004 or so and some new songs. That said, it was a shitty year for music, and this was totally amazing, so I'm counting it.
5) The Death Set - Red Warehouses Bad Neighbourhoods
Like 666, not only was To better than this, but it's also unclear whether it should count–it clocks in at something like 15 minutes total and is pretty clearly an EP. But there are 12 songs, and again, the year sucked, so this can stay, since it rules. Fun and danceable.
6) A Wilhelm Scream - Career Suicide
Continuing with their "more is more" theme, they have added even more riffs, harmonies, solos, screams, and, well, more. The "Live like a legend and not like an asshole" opening to I Wipe My Ass With Showbiz is one of the best album openings ever. The song is easily one of the best of the year and is great evidence why a great first track is crucial to an album–I usually put the album on just for that song and then stay for the rest, which is far from disappointing, though each song has its highs (the screaming) and lows (the harmonies and extended solos).
7) Bomb The Music Industry! - Get Warmer
Another phenomenal album, though again slightly worse than last year's Goodbye Cool World–a near-impossible bar to set. I didn't get into it too much on the first 10 listens, but when I came back to it, I really discovered how great it was. There are a number of real standout tracks, like 25 Hour G-ddamn Telethon, I Don't Love You Anymore, and Bike Test 1 2 3, with very few disappointing tracks. Bomb The Music Industry! has become one of the most reliable bands in ska, punk, and ska-punk.
8) Bad Religion - New Maps of Hell
Bad Religion is a really good band. After The Empire Strikes First, though, I must admit I thought they were done. That was not the first time I'd thought that, and it was not the first time I was wrong. This was really a great album, with only the last song really not measuring up. Surprisingly catchy, fun, reliable, and a bit more hard hitting than usual.
9) The Unlovables - Heartsickle
This is a really good album. Crush, Boyfriend, Heartbreak and the Punk Rock Club EP were two of the great pop punk releases of all time, in my book. While the songwriting and musicianship has certainly progressed, it was impossible to hope for the same level of catchiness. Compared to most stuff released, this album is catchy as hell, and it's as fun as The Unlovables have ever been.
10) (tie) The Terrible Twos - If You Ever See an Owl and The Bee Team - Hot Times USA
Two accoustic albums crack my top ten for the first time in lord knows how long. But I must admit, these are good. The Terrible Twos is/are, quite embarrassingly, the lead singer from The Get Up Kids. It's ok, he's a dad now, so he can't really be that angsty anymore. The Bee Team are just a fun group of kids bashing out some tunes. Hot jams &c.
Honourable Mentions
Awesome, ripping hardcore. I believe this is their debut, and it is a great one. Nothing but solid, blasting hardcore, plain and simple, like it should be.
The Dollyrots - Because I'm Awesome
Again, a testament to how far a strong opening can get you: the first two songs on this album, Because I'm Awesome and My Best Friend's Hot, are two of the best of the year. The rest of the album, take it or leave it–it's pretty decent. The Dollyrots seem to have somewhat of a pattern here, as Eat My Heart Out also had two stand out tracks early on, with Kick Me To The Curb and Jackie Chan
Zolof the Rock & Roll Destroyer - Schematics
Very fun and catchy album. Got plenty of spins. No tremendous standout tracks, but no bad ones either. These guys are really becoming a steady source of fun.
Gogol Bordello - Super Taranta
This is my favourite Gogol Bordello album so far, though that is certainly not saying much since I'm not a big fan. It's definitely a mixed bag, but American Wedding is easily one of the best songs of the year. Very catchy at times, and always fun.
I'm not a huge fan of grindcore, but Pig Destroyer has always been my favourite band in the genre. This is the best grindcore album I've ever heard.
Best EPs:
1) Last of the Believers - Paper Ships Under a Burning Bridge
Great debut EP from an allstar band featuring members of Rise Against, Ignite, and more. They took the top spot once I gave Mika Miko and The Death Set the benefit of the doubt to move up. They're releasing a "Version 2.0" in a few weeks–we'll see what that means.
2) Everybody Out! - Everybody Out!
Another great debut. Everybody Out! is very fun live as well. This band could get really big.
3) Bomb The Music Industry/O Pioneers!!! Split
The Bomb The Music Industry! side is great as always. I never much liked the O Pioneers!!!, but their first song, Punknews Is Stoked is actually totally amazing. Too bad the other three don't quite hold up to the first 5.
4) Nanuchka - Mediterranean
This is a single. The song is better than anything on any EP, but it's only one song. Nanuchka is an amazing band, and I expect them to continue to produce great things.
5) Short Attention - Clever, Maddening, Annoying
Wow, a 7" with 29 songs. That's awesome. Short Attention is made up of members of The Steinways, The Unlovables, and The Ergs, so it's gotta be pretty good. Some songs are much better than others, obviously, but still really fun.
Disappointments:
The Epoxies are one of my favourite bands of all times, so maybe I hold them to too high a standard. But when I heard the song My New World, I was really excited. Too bad the rest of the EP couldn't hold up. Most of it was way too slow. I hear rumours of a full length next year, so hopefully this will be forgotten.
To The Nines was one of my favourite albums of 2003 or whenever it came out. It's always really exciting when a supergroup turns out well. They really let me down this time, though, as only one or two songs really stood out, and I had trouble listening to the whole album without getting bored.
Off With Their Heads - All Things Move Toward Their End...
This is weird, because this was a compilation album of 7"s and splits that were already out. It really did not stand up to Hospitals, though. Never got into it. I'm gonna let it slide and hope for them to come back strong next year with their real debut full length.
I must admit, I didn't listen to:
Crime In Stereo, The Toasters, The Unseen, Groovie Ghoulies, Agnostic Front, Madball, and the Lidia Stone EP (but only because I couldn't find a way to buy it)
Holy crap (maybe) next year:
Black President, Bomb The Music Industry!, Dillinger Four, No Trigger, The Aquabats, The Steinways, Nanuchka, Off With Their Heads, The Falcon, The Thermals, The Loved Ones, Flogging Molly, Paint It Black, The Bouncing Souls, Rancid, Teenage Bottlerocket, Lemuria, The Horrorpops, The Fad, Murphys Law