Albums I Attained For Free But Would Now Pay Money For
Against Me! – New Wave. The single “Thrash Unreal” was really cool to me. I saw the video on Fuse, and then decided that I loved it. It requires some singing at the top of your lungs about how “no mother ever dreams that her daughter’s gonna grow up to be a junkie.” “And if she had to live it all over again, you know she wouldn’t change anything for the world.” If I had to hear it again…it would be about 100x again.
All Time Low – So Wrong, It’s Right. These boys are my age, and they play to the little pop-punk AP reader within. “Dear Maria (Count Me In)” was by far my fave. “Make it count when I’m the one that’s selling you out.” They released an EP the previous year, and played Warped for the second year running. And their publicity? Photo spreads in tighty-whities. Sweet.
Andrew Bird – Armchair Apocrypha. With Andrew Bird, you can’t go wrong. Lucky for me, I worked in college radio when this was released. Oh, yeah. Bird in all of his anti-folk glory.
Avril Lavigne –The Best Damn Thing. Look, no matter what she puts out, Avril is inspiring all generations of punk rock-turned-pop princesses out there to just have some damn fun with music. Say what you will, but Avril has that “you go, (white) girl” thang…
Blaqk Audio –CexCells. Who says Davey Havok won’t make you think about 80s glam? And…you know that scene from House, Season 2 “Hunting,” where Cameron is tripping on meth and jumps Chase? Well, Goldfrappe’s “Crystalline Green” was playing, and I could hear so many of these glam-techno-esque beats going in its place.
Boys Like Girls –Boys Like Girls. Finally, pop-punk my cousin and I can agree on! I mean, aside from talking about drinking and going out driving (wtf?), “The Great Escape” is relatively flawless for the genre. But I thought “HeroHeroine” rocked my summer.
Bright Eyes –Cassadaga. Bright Eyes has been known on college campuses and indie hipster blogs for quite some time now, and Oberst got some good ol’ mainstream glory this year. I saw a video on MTV for it…or maybe Fuse or VH1. Point is, it got my radio-only friend asking me if I’ve ever heard of “Blue Eyes or whatever it is.”
Cake –B-Sides and Rarities. Sexy stuff. Cake doing a cover of “Mahna, Mahna”? Oh, yeah. I’d hit it. Other exciting covers on here, but “Mahna, Mahna” covers will get me to buy anything.
Chiodos-Bone Palace Ballet. Yay! Stayed on AP’s tongue for half the year and impressed me the whole time. Some emo awesomeness if I ever heard it.
Circa Survive –On Letting Go. Aside from being devastatingly beautiful, Anthony Green’s voice is the Claudio Sanchez of the…well, relatively same genre, I guess. Sort of experimental-progressive, yet still on the touch of emo side. “The Difference Between Medicine and Poison is the Dose” is chock-full of great lyrics about writing. How self-aware. But seriously, I am in lurve.
Colbie Caillat –Coco. It wasn’t so bad to feel girly to this album. She’s sweet. I kept wanting cookie dough. And “starts in my toes, makes me crinkle my nose” made me think of my little baby cousin.
Dropkick Murphys –The Meanest of Times. Oi! I still haven’t gotten around to listening, but it’s on my to-do list, and I predict that I will want to purchase it.
Fall Out Boy –Infinity on High. Hellz yeah, it’s on my list! Again, say what you will about FOB (sell-outs? Yeah, cuz they’re good), but I am going to definitely have this as number three of my top albums of this year, possibly within top 15 of all time…obviously, this in my opinion, so back off. Anyway, Patrick Stump vocals stay awesome throughout all tracks, putting the oomph into the livelihood of Wentz’ lyrics. “Hum Hallelujah” is probably one of my favorite songs ever. “I sing the blues and swallowed them, too…I could write it better than you ever felt it!” The opening track, “Thriller” is a great start to a fantastic album, with jay-Z callin’ out them haterz in his shout-out. “Golden,” a piano-driven track with such gems as “I saw God cry in the reflection of my enemies, and all the lovers with no time for me,” and “tongues on the sockets of electric dreams,” Stump shows wonderful vocal feeling. The singles were well picked, also. Thnks fr th mmrs.
Feist –The Reminder. Anyone with a TV, and probably an iPod, new “1234”’s chorus from the commercials that wouldn’t stop, but I think it suited another company better, but was never used….KASHI! The roundness of the sounds, like drops of water, sound just like what Kashi wants. And I also kept thinking about the Where The Hell Is Matt? videos.
Finger Eleven –Them vs. Me vs. You. If only because “Paralyzer” is a song I’d wanna hump to. Wait, what? Oh, and referencing one’s own song in lyrics? Totally rad.
The Format –B-Sides and Rarities. I’ve been trying to have sex with this album since late November. So far, nothing but a broken heart and emotional exhaustion. But, figurative physical relationships aside, The Format blew me away. Seeing them perform The Kinks’ “Apeman” on Conan got my hopes up, and the album’s release kept satisfying me with every track. “Seven Digit Pin Code” is awesomely Format, with the vocals and just an acoustic, the Arizona group continued to wow me. “Do You Believe in Magic” made me want to fall in love again. This one comes super-highly recommended.
Hanson –The Walk. The band of Okie Bros. is still releasing music, and I’ve unironically loved their stuff since 2005’s “Penny and Me.” Actually, I unironically loved Middle of Nowhere, but, well, you don’t need to know that. They’ve matured a lot, and listened to a lot of indie rock, and gotten laid since then, and it has served them well.
Jimmy Eat World –Chase This Light. Sweet-JEWy-goodness. “Big Casino” is so wonderful as a first single, with the trademark buzzing guitars, and Jim Atkins’ voice going to the brink, complete with “New Jersey success story” lyrics, and other lyrical awesometude, I was caught when I first heard ‘em on Steven’s Untitled. They’re keeping their decade-long fans happy, and the new ones won’t be disappointed.
Juno Soundtrack – Sexy stuff there. The roundness sounded like a Kashi commercial, but the sheer indie-love was undeniable. All tracks are absolutely sweet and cuddly in a simple way, and I’m not sure what other words I should use here. They’re so…Bleeker/Juno! I’d actually gift this. The Moldy Peaches’ (and the version with Michael Cera and Ellen Page) “Anyone Else But You” made me think of my guy friends and want to be with them for those short-lived sweet “If we were to date” moments.
Kanye West –Graduation. Three albums of solid awesome in a row. I’m not gonna lie, I’ve liked Kanye since I heard “New Workout Plan.” (All them mochalattes, you gotta do pilates) And then, lest we forget, “Heard ‘Em Say,” with Adam Levine. I have a bitchin’ Kanyte playlist, and he deserves a Grammy this year to go with his ego. Even if he does quip some ig’nant stuff, his rhymes be solid, and I love that wit. When you sample Daft Punk, you excite me.
Lucinda Williams –West. When you get a song on House, MD (“Are You Alright?”), you’re in me good books. And when you have the ability to make me feel quite okay about being downright lonely because I now have a soundtrack to my solitude, you are in me really good books. I think that if the Distillers’ Brody Dalle were to be doing folksy-country-bluesy-singer/songwriter stuff, she’d sound like Lucinda Williams.
Motion City Soundtrack –Even If It Kills Me. TIED FOR BEST ALBUM OF THE YEAR. Seriously. Firstly, I love MCS. Second, marriage has not killed Justin’s lyrical talents. It’s so catchy, and it’s so witty and it’s so wonderful. Pop-punk manna, really. There’s a Moog in most tracks, and I love it. “Fell In Love Without You” makes me want to run, sing, and jump a lot. “It Had To Be You” is a great song about recollection, and “oohs” in the chorus. “The Conversation” takes a good piano lull in the album, and it’s good an break-uppable. “Where I Belong” is fantastic with its percussion. “Point of Extinction” is one of my faves, definitely. And there’s a good voice strain in it. “Antonia” is an adorable song about his wife, and any boy after my heart will replace these lyrics with quirks about me (Gobstoppers and Captain Crunch contain the same number of syllables, FYI). Oh, wait…Adam did it for me. “Even If It Kills Me” was one of my anthems for the year. Redemption, rethinking, realization…it’s so real to me, and the build-up to the chorus, it’s just so wonderful. I’ve probably quoted the lyrics to it too many times to count. “Broken Heart” is just so great, because it’s a great MCS started track for the mainstream. Of course, I think MCS should be more well-known than they are, but, I can’t have everything. I love love love it as a single. And “This is For Real.” So great, because it’s so relatable to anyone that wants a second chance. And it’s clear. And it’s…oh, just go buy the album.
New Found Glory –From Your Screen to Your Stereo II. Of course I’m picking this in the top 5 of the year. Still rocking the covers after all these years, some better than the originals. And the guest vocals on here are great. If you’ve been out of the loop, NFG released an EP back in 2000 of covers songs that had been associated with movies: “That Thing You Do,” “Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing,” “My Heart Will Go On.” Now, they’ve got a full length album of awesometude. Taking Back Sunday’s Adam Lazzara drops in for “Love Fool,” that Eisley chick on “It Ain’t Me, Babe,” Dashboard’s Carrabba on “The Promise,” FOB’s Patrick Stump on “King of Wishful Thinking,” and (my fave!) Max Bemis on “Crazy for You.” And we cannot forget the other shiny tracks: “Iris (feat. Cartel’s Will Pugh),” “Kiss Me,” and “Head over Heels.”
Paolo Nutini –These Streets. Sexy tunes. He’s pretty. He played Bonnaroo. He drunkenly got a tattoo of the LoneStar Beer star. Damn right. “These Streets” caught my attention during a late night study/chill session in AJ’s room right around finals last year. She wrote the name of the song on my forearm in eyeliner. Hard to forget stuff like that. “New Shoes” was apparently an ad campaign staple.
Paramore –Riot!. People younger than me can be cooler than I, and have much more bitchin’ hair, and Haley Williams is that people. I want her hair. And her awesome rocking awesometude. Catchy and singable, the Warped-friendly tracks rocked my summer mix CDs. “For A Pessimist, I’m Pretty Optimistic” caught my attention early on, and I always belt it out when it comes up on the iPod.
Radiohead –In Rainbows. Now, technically, I purchased this one, because I named my own price. Radiohead again became the talk of the music biz, this time not only for Thom Yorke’s awkwardness, not only for the ironic, deep, and experimental tunes, but much of the hype came from the sales strategy. Surely, you’ve heard about how, in early October, it was announced on the website that in ten days a new album would hit the press. The press, though, was an online-only format, in a never-before-seen band sanctioned name-you-own-price, be it nothing to a zillion bucks/pounds, and all things in between. Clever bastards. And the album lived up to what we have come to expect from a Radiohead release. Nonsensical sound blurbs, falsetto, and whirliness abound, my fave track was “Videotape.” “Bodysnatchers” sounded like early-punky Radiohead, and “15 Step” catches you at the start with the quirkiness. Sweet. More Radiohead.
Reel Big Fish –Monkeys for Nothin’, Chimps for Free. First off, if there’s an RBF release, you know it’s on the top of my list, even if it were like a Britney Spears comeback performance at the VMAs. Seriously. I love this band. They continue to come out with the candy-coated fury that I fell in love with in the first place. Songs about girlfriends (“Please Don’t Tell Her I Have A Girlfriend,” which is funny, ‘cause they’re all married, I believe…), drinking (“Everybody’s Drunk,” complete with an homage to Twisted Sister and lovely spoken bits), partying (“Party Down,” which is reminiscent of all of their different styles they use for “S.R.” in concert), cussing (“Another F.U. Song,” which was fucking great), and revolution (“Will The Revolution Come?,” reggae joy, with wonderful lyrics, “If we won’t wise up, then how can we rise up?”). Plus, other stellar ska standard setters appear in the forms of “New Version of You,” “My Imaginary Friend,” (super clever), “Another Day in Paradise,” “Slow Down,” and redone versions of “Hate You,” and“I’m Her Man.”
Reel Big Fish and Zolof The Rock And Roll Destroyer –Duet All Night Long. Covers featuring the vocals of Zolof’s Rachel Minton (sugary sweet) and RBF’s Aaron Barrett (delightfully cheesy). Me loves the cover of The Smiths’ “Ask,” in which both vocals blend so wonderfully. Another appearance of the “It’s Not Easy” song from Pete’s Dragon, which I have always found a voice to sing along to. Also on the EP: “Don’t You Want Me,” “Dress You Up,” “Say Say Say,” and Slightly Stoopid’s “Lyin’ Ass Bitch.” Yay for catchy power-pop and ska!
Regina Spektor –Begin To Hope. My mom felt quite hip when she knew who Spektor was, having seen stories on the Russian lady on Good Morning America or Today on NBC or VH1 or something. Don’t get me wrong though, she’s great, and this was a great album to hit mainstream with. “Samson” managed to hit me a thousand times over with a small ice hammer of sound to the knee caps, achieving by far the highest play count this year on my computer (323), but bear in mind, it’s on every sleep playlist I’ve had since January, and I sleep a lot. Okay, so it’s not really from 2007, it was released in ’06, but my mom will need this to recognize at least one album I liked recently. Delicate loneliness.
Say Anything –In Defense of The Genre. TIE FOR BEST ALBUM OF THE YEAR. A double-disc, chock full of what I love about the emo genre. Max Bemis (my favorite Jew lover), writing in the midst of bipolar breakdown and rehab and the whacko basket, manages to jew his way to the top of everything fantastic. Guest vocals? Oh, yeah. If they weren’t guesting on NFG’s Screen to Stereo II, they were on here. MyChem’s face of emo Gerard Way hits the mic for the title track, a huge “LOOK AT US” for the genre, featuring such phrases as “toss my caustic salad”, and “I’ve got an empty wallet and a record cover…so I spew a comet of verbal vomit, it’s full of piss and we’ll never stop it,” it’s pure emo greatness. I love every track of both discs. Of course, I don’t have the attention span to say all of them, but highlights: “Sorry, Dudes. My Bad (feat. Saves the Day’s Chris Connelly,” chronicles life on the road, with styles to ensure the analogy of Saves the Day/Say Anything :: The Used/MyChem. “Skinny Mean Man,” personifies the toll drugs take on a girl of interest (“gasoline to make it go faster”). Bemis goes all Queen on Broadway/cabaret with “That Is Why,” which caught me immediately (“slender slave with sluttish sleepy eyes”). Hayley Williams is the girl looking so good in horn-rimmed glasses on “The Church Channel,” telling of Max’s institutionalized days (“they let us play with markers, but I keep trying to draw infinity,” “I wake up in a room and realize I’m insane again, this is the fifth time straight in a year I’ve ended up in here”). We’re reminded of the sound of “Wow I Can Get Sexual Too” in the single “Baby Girl, I’m A Blur,” a computer-generated beat exhibiting great vocals. Jewish heritage is the highlight of “Died A Jew.” Probably one of my favorites has to be “About Falling,” on which Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba gets a lovely spot:
and i don’t really even care if i’m alone now
their flesh is sustenance; i cackle as I prey upon the weak and poor
i have no feeling and this prison is a home
i have no heart, i sold my soul
and i don’t really even care if you’re listening.”
I love the guitar on that track. “Spores” is another shiner, it has a fantastic guitar-backed intro. “Have at Thee!” throws a well-received curveball, and definitely gets me happy and rocking,, especially the John Ramsey-friendly use of the word “crunk.” To close off the album, a lovely acoustic track dubbed “Goodbye Young Tutor, You’ve Now Outgrown Me,” which I can sleep to, but lovesick and lonely in my easy dreams. “Maxim, I love you, I need you, and no one will do but you.”
Yellowcard –Paper Walls. “Shadows and Regrets” is a great Yellowcard standard, with the gimmick of the violin, and reminiscing.
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