Sing Along Forever

After a hectic couple weeks I have returned to count down the Top 25 LPs of 2011.  Looking back, 2011 was a pretty solid year for music indeed.  While there were some crimes against mankind (Lulu, I Set My Friends on Fire) there were plenty of reasons to sing along forever.  What follows are 25 of those reasons.

#25) Cave In - White Silence

White Silence is Cave In’s first full length in six years.  From the proggy opener “White Silence”, through the eight-minute alterna-metal of “Sing My Love”, to the ethereal closer “Reanimation” the band deftly traverses genre, style, and flavor for a unique blend of everything that is awesome about heavy music.  Describing their sound as post-hardcore is too limiting.  Cave In is post-everything.

Check out: “Heartbreaks, Earthquakes”, “Reanimation”.

#24 Dance Gavin Dance - Downtown Battle Mountain II

DBM2 saw the return of both Jonny Craig and Jon Mess to Dance Gavin Dance, the first time since Downtown Battle Mountain was released in 2007.  While not every track is instantly memorable the album rewards multiple listens.  One thing is clear, DGD knows how to layer an album.  I’m still uncovering instrumental fills I had missed before.  The album is a frenetic mess, but the appeal is in the chaos.

Check out: “Pounce Bounce”, “Thug City”

#23 Art Brut - Brilliant! Tragic!

Eddie Argos and company follow up the absolutely fantastic Art Brut vs. Satan with a little bit of twist.  After four albums, Eddie is actually singing!  His voice isn’t really good, but it lends a vaguely post-punk vibe to Art Brut’s indie rock jams (“Lost Weekend”, Sexy”).  Brilliant! retains the tongue-in-cheek humor that Art Brut is known for and hits more often than it misses.  While songs like “Is Dog Eared” and “Ice Hockey” overstay their welcome, they are more than compensated for with classic AB tracks like “Lost Weekend” and “Martin Kemp”.  A very solid album and a respectable entry in Art Brut’s canon.

Check out: “Lost Weekend”, “Martin Kemp”

#22 Transit - Listen & Forgive

Part of the new breed of pop-punk, raised on The Movielife and Saves the Day, Transit expands their palate with a heavy helping of American Football on their third full-length.  Listen & Forgive opens with a trio of knock-out numbers, capturing the the beauty and fragility of 90’s emo with the gaunt intensity punk rock.  Joe Boynton’s lyrics straddle a thin line between subdued sentimentality and histrionics, but the strength of the band’s musicianship keeps them on track and adds to their depth.  I’m excited to see what these kids do next.

Check out: “Long Lost Friends”, “Listen & Forgive”

#21 Taking Back Sunday - Taking Back Sunday

I must admit, I had some unrealistically high expectations for this album.  I knew TBS wasn’t going to release Tell All Your Friends II just because John Nolan and Shaun Cooper rejoined the band, but my excitement got the best of me.  Naturally I was disappointed.  Then I really started to listen to the album and saw it for what it was: the continued progression of TBS that has been taking place since TAYF all those years ago.  Sure, they’re worshiping at the altar of Dave Grohl, but even on Where You Want to Be you can hear them paying respects.  “El Paso”, the album’s opener, is probably the heaviest TBS track to date and oddly reminiscent of former rivals Brand New (“Vices”).  “Best Places to Be a Mom” is the closest thing on the album to recapturing their classic sound, and they really knock it out of the park.  The sweet vocal interplay between Adam and John is top notch and suddenly turns the clock back nine years.  There are definitely some flops.  The second half of the album is mostly forgettable, but “This is All Now” is easily the best song TBS has written in a half decade.

Check out: “El Paso”, “Best Places to Be a Mom”, “This is All Now”

#20 Kevin Devine - Between the Concrete and Clouds

Kevin Devine always brings it.  Solid is the best way of describing his song-writing.  The indie-rock troubadour sounds at home on Between the Concrete and Clouds, whether he’s experimenting with folk (“Sleepwalking Through My Life”), writing short playful jams (“Wait Out the Wreck”), or emulating latter 00’s Jesse Lacey (“11-17”).  Kevin is at his best however when he drags the song out, as evidenced by closing track, the haunting “I Used to Be Someone”.

Check out: “11-17”, “I Used to Be Someone”

#19 Set Your Goals - Burning at Both Ends

Of the many differences between Burning at Both Ends and SYG’s 2009 album This Will Be the Death of Us, the one that is most apparent is the lack of guest stars.  There’s no Haley Williams or Vinnie Caruana, but there is a mighty slab of muscular pop-punk.  Burning at Both Ends is filled with solid, enjoyable jams.  From the harrowing “Happy New Year” and “Trenches” to the bouncy fun of “London Heathrow” SYG delivers a slew of fast, catchy songs.  The only real misstep is the obnoxious forced nostalgia of “Product of the 80’s”, a forgettable trip down memory lane.  That said Burning at Both Ends captures SYG boiled down to their essence.  Good, fun, pop-punk.

Check out: “Trenches”, “Raphael”

#18 Patrick Stump - Soul Punk

Soul Punk is easily the biggest surprise of the year.  I never would have imagined the former Fall Out Boy vocalist giving his best MJ impression would be so damn engaging.  The album really runs the musical gamut.  Album centerpiece “Run Dry (X Heart X Fingers)” deftly switches between dance-pop to prog to metal and back again.  “Dance Miserable” has a deliciously funky bassline and provides some of the most stunning vocals of Stump’s career.  The album isn’t perfect.  “Greed” never really goes anywhere and the addition of a second version of “This City” featuring Lupe Fiasco is extraneous, but the bulk of the album is nothing short of pop gold.

Check out: “Dance Miserable”, “Run Dry (X Hearts X Fingers)”

#17 Childish Gambino - Camp

I’m not going to act like I know everything about hip-hop.  I don’t.  What I do know is good music.  And Camp definitely fits that criteria.  From open to close, Camp is heartfelt opus.  While there is plenty of sensitivity to Donald’s lyrics, he is at his best when he goes hard.  “Bonfire” is a testament to everything that is good about rap music.  Ditto “You See Me”, which reminds me stylistically of a hardcore song.  The minimalist instrumentation provides what sounds like a three-minute breakdown with Donald providing some of his most venomous and status-update worthy lyrics.  Closing track “That Power” is strong in-and-of itself but once the three minute mark hits it elevates to whole other level.  The soliloquy Donald provides wrapping up the album is poetry at its best.  Hard to believe it appears on the same album as the line “made the beat then murdered it/Casey Anthony” but that’s just the beauty of Childish Gambino.

Check out: “Bonfire”, “You See Me”, “That Power”

#16 The Aquabats! - Hi-Five Soup!

It’s been six long years since The Aquabats released Charge!! in 2005.  That doesn’t mean they haven’t been busy.  Christian Jacobs, also known as MC Bat Commander, created critically acclaimed children’s show Yo Gabba Gabba!  This is extremely relevant as that spirit carries over to Hi-Five Soup! for better or worse.  The Aquabats! were never purveyors of the taboo but one can’t help but notice how increasingly kid-friendly their albums have become.  This was a little off-putting at first with songs like “B.F.F.!” and “Hey Homies!” but the undeniably strong songwriting outweighs the thinly veiled tales of morality, but soon become irresistible as the hooks sink their way deep into your psyche.  Meanwhile songs like “The Shark Fighter!” and “Luck Dragon Lady!” provide an instant escape into Aquabats absurdity.  I’m sure for some the very new-wave sound might grow taxing, but The Aquabats! remain the kings of the ridiculously fun.

Check out: “The Shark Fighter!”, “B.F.F.!”, “Luck Dragon Lady!”

#15 Andrew Jackson Jihad - Knife Man

One thing is for sure, AJJ understands the human condition.  The guys lay it all down for everyone to hear.  With a sardonic sensibility, AJJ tears into society, religion, and American mores over the span of 16 folk-punk gems.  “Gift of the Magi 2: Return of the Magi”, the album’s strongest track contains the most telling lyrics of the album “if god doesn’t like ugly/then god doesn’t like anybody/so fuck god anyway/god is obsolete/oh my god thinks my jokes are funny”.

Check out: “Gift of the Magi 2: Return of the Magi”, “American Tune”

#14 Beastie Boys - Hot Sauce Committee Part Two

The sequel to the shelved Hot Sauce Committee shines brightly considering the dark news of Adam Yauch’s diagnosis with cancer.    Hot Sauce is all over the place yet extremely cohesive as only the Beasties can do.  “Make Some Noise”, the opening track, is classic Beastie Boys.  The thrill carries on with minimalist jam “Nonstop Disco Powerpack” and continues until the album’s conclusion.  There’s even the token rocker, “Lee Majors Come Again” in case you forgot they started out as rock band.  It’s great to hear them enter their fourth decade of excellence.

Check out: “Make Some Noise”, “Ok”, “Lee Majors Come Again”

#13 La Dispute - Wildlife

Jordan Dreyer is the undisputed king of empathy.  Like a lightning rod being struck over and over again with the pain of others, Jordan spills tortured lyrics over fourteen emotionally draining tracks.  Let’s be honest, he’s the reason we listen to the band.  La Dispute is definitely capable musically, but it’s his words, his voice which gives the songs the their power.  While Wildlife is a long listen, one that probably could have been cut down by a song or three, the journey the listener is taken on is peerless.  “Edit Your Hometown” sings the sorrows of watching your friends grow up and move on without you, while “St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church Blues” aches of the pain of time and entropy through the perspective of a dying cathedral.  While we’ve grown used to Jordan’s personal laments, it’s when he takes on the stories of others that La Dispute hits hardest.  “Edward Benz, 27 Times” paints the picture of a father’s struggle to help his schizophrenic son, taking a knife in the process.  “I See Everything” details in the form of dates and journal entries the slow death of a child to cancer.  Album highlight, the near seven-minute “King Park” brings to life in haunting detail the scene of a shooting and the aftermath of the shooter, holed up in a hotel begging to know if god will let him into heaven if he kills himself.  Shit’s deep.

Check out: “King Park”, “Edit Your Hometown”, I See Everything”

#12 Silverstein - Rescue

I support bands evolving their sounds.  Without growth there is stagnation and eventually death.  Some bands work best in a particular context however.  Silverstein is one of those bands.  Most of the slew of post-hardcore bands to merge in the early 00’s either broke up or moved on, Silverstein has remained relatively the same.  They’ve definitely honed their sound, drawing more from their punk background.  “Texas Mickey” wouldn’t sound out of place on a Punk-O-Rama compilation from the late 90’s.  They also understand the use of both subtlety and the need to ignore it from time to time.  “The Artist” is arguably the heaviest Silverstein song to date, while “Forget Your Heart” draws from both 90’s emo as well as When Broken is Easily Fixed.  Rescue just might be Silverstein’s best record to date.

Check out: “Medication”, “The Artist”, “Forget Your Heart”

#11 Man Overboard - Man Overboard

Man Overboard has done nothing but impress me this year.  Their compilation of older material was already spoken of in my previous blog entry, but that has nothing on their self-titled album.  The band understands the mechanics of pop-punk.  They know what works, how to emulate their influences, and also how to maintain their own identity.  “Rare” is classic pop-punk.  Laments about girls over fast punk beats with sugary sweet vocals declaring “you’re so worth all of this torture”.  Even tropes which have long been played out Man Overboard approaches with skill and intuitive song writing.  “Atlas”, the classic ‘I don’t feel like an adult’ song feels not just inspired but incredibly fresh.  The band also has an exquisite understanding of the beauty of brevity.  The album is over before you know it, ready for another listen. 

Check out: “Rare”, “Teleport”, “Atlas”

#10 Manchester Orchestra - Simple Math

Manchester Orchestra does everything they can to follow-up the breathtaking Mean Everything to Nothing, quite the monumental task.  While Simple Math is a disappointment, it is only so because Andy Hull set the bar so goddamn high.  Taken on its own merits, Simple Math is an excellent modern indie-rock record.  The aptly titled “Mighty” begins with the crunchy riffs MO is known for before erupting in a propulsive string-section accompanied second half.  “Pensacola” has a playful vibe which is new for Manchester, the most pop-punk Hull and co. have ever sounded.  The album is fairly consistent if a little monotonous toward the second half, but it’s well worth the slow burning monster of a jam closing track “Leaky Breaks”.  Andy lays out the perfect balance of minimalism with jazzy spastic guitar bridges and his oh-so-perfect whisper-like understated vocal delivery.  The song is worth the price of entry alone.

Check out: “Mighty”, “Pensacola”, “Leaky Breaks”

#9 Mates of State - Mountaintops

From the opening eruption of the “oohs” of “Palomino”, Mountaintops is thirty-seven minutes of pure joy.  Six full-lengths into their career, Jason Hammel and Kori Gardner sound as irresistible as ever.  The vocal interplay, the propulsive drumming, and the outstanding piano/synth arrangements are top notch.  Fun, bubbly numbers like the outstanding “Maracas” and “Sway” keep the album bouncing while slower, more textured songs like album highlight “Unless I’m Led” keep it firmly rooted in ethereal soil.  Excellence in the form of indie-pop.

Check out: “Maracas”, “Unless I’m Led”, “Changes”

#8 The Get Up Kids - There Are Rules

2011 has been a banner year for 90’s emo.  Braid got back together and released a ballin’ ass EP.  The Promise Ring reunited and are in the process of piecing together a b-sides compilation.  And The Get Up Kids absolutely killed it on their first studio album in 8 years.  Far removed from The Guilt Show, light years beyond Something to Write Home About, There Are Rules redefines who The Get Up Kids are.  When you consider the long stretch of time you can sense the direction the band was going in.  There is a strong post-punk and indie vibe throughout the album.  Opening track “Tithe” is the most vicious TGUK have ever sounded.  “Regent’s Court” is the best song The Strokes never wrote.  “Automatic” could have been written in 1982.  There Are Rules is expansive and experimental while maintaining the key elements of TGUK, catchy hooks, honest lyrics, and a willingness to explore.  The Get Up Kids are as strong as ever.

Check out: “Tithe”, “Automatic”, “Rememorable”

#7 I Am the Avalanche - Avalanche United

It’s been six long, long, long years but IATA is finally back.  Avalanche United is a celebration.  Vinnie Caruana, the most honest voice in rock music, sounds not just passionate but relieved on the follow-up to their 2005 self-titled album.  Almost half the album has been available in demo form for years now.  “Brooklyn Dodgers” has not only been a live staple but the signature IATA jam since 2007.  As a fan it’s hard to explain how amazing it is to have this collection of songs finally available, and have tracks like “Brooklyn Dodgers” finally get their time to legitimately shine.  Like I said, Vinnie sounds relieved.  Despite all of the personal hype I may have given Avalanche United, the strength of the songs speak volumes for the album.  Opener “Holy Fuck” is a finger-pointer which will definitely get crowds moving and yelling along.  “I’ll Be Back Around” is heavier than the bulk of their self-titled album, but that is part of an ongoing theme throughout United.  The band sounds rawer, the vocals less produced.  Brett Romnes gets a chance to let his superb drumming shine in the closer “Gratitude”.  The highlight of the album is mid-album jam “Dead Friends”.  It’s simultaneously reminiscent of Forty Hour Train-era Movielife and the perfect example of why I say Vinnie has the most honest voice in rock.  Rawness.

Check out: “Brooklyn Dodgers”, “Gratitude”, “Dead Friends”

#6 Bomb the Music Industry! - Vacation

God bless you, Jeff Rosenstock.  I could write about how Jeff is the most important figure in punk rock.  I could write about with each release BTMI just keeps getting better and better and better.  I could even write about the fact that although Jeff’s lyrics are incredibly personal and extremely situational somehow he understands who I am at my core better than I do.  But these are all understatements.  Vacation continues BTMI’s streak of glory.  Indie-infused punk rock at its finest, songs like “Vocal Coach”, “Everybody That You Love”, and “The Shit That You Hate” all destroy while songs like “Hurricane Waves” and “Why, Oh Why, Oh Why (Oh Oh Oh Oh)” pacify with their beauty even if the lyrics are often anything but.  The absolute kicker is that all of this is released for free on his label’s website, www.quoteunquoterecords.com.  I guess the idiom is true, the best things in life really are free.  It probably sounds like I’ve blown my load at #6, but they only get better.

Check out: “Vocal Coach”, “Everybody That You Love”, “Why, Oh Why, Oh Why (Oh Oh Oh Oh)

#5 The Swellers - Good for Me

In 2009 The Swellers released Ups and Downsizing, an album that got a lot of buzz and good press.  I thought the album was decent.  I really didn’t have any expectations for Good for Me but I read some things that made me interested.  The band stated that Pinkerton was an influence on the writing of the record.  The Swellers certainly weren’t the first band to name drop one of the best albums of all time, but it did raise my level of curiosity.  In many ways, Good for Me can be viewed as a tribute to the core of Pinkerton.  From the “Tired of Sex”-like coda at the end of opening track “Runaway” to the line drop of “September ‘96”, the month Pinkerton was released in “The Best I Ever Had”, a song about loving music.  Despite the nods to the Weezer classic, Good for Me stands on the strength of the songwriting of The Swellers.  “Runaway” and “Inside My Head” are direct rockers while songs like “Parkview” and “On the Line” are more subdued but with a driving force of their own.  Lyrically Nick Diener delivers, producing heartfelt and honest lyrics.  The closing duo of tracks, “Prime Meridian” and “Warming Up” share lyrics containing the album’s title, albeit in different context.  The songs work well individually yet the album has the cohesion to make them all work expertly in context with each other.  The Swellers are modern power-pop/rock marvels.

Check out: “Runaway”, “Prime Meridian”, “Warming Up”

#4 Blink-182 - Neighborhoods

When Blink-182 announced their hiatus in 2005 I lamented the fact that the band had yet to record a masterpiece.  Dude Ranch and Enema of the State are modern-day classics, but on their 2003 self-titled album Blink was reaching for sonic vistas they had yet to discover.  There were several excellent songs on Blink-182 but it felt like a stepping stone to a truly great album.  Eight years later they finally create what I feel they were trying to with their self-titled.  Taking cues from a litany of influences between the three members and somehow making sense of Angels and Airwaves and +44, Neighborhoods is a playground.  “Natives”, one of the album’s strongest tracks, best exemplifies this.  The stadium rock guitar of Tom Delonge is amended to fit effortlessly in with Travis’s frenetic drumming and Mark’s sense of melody and texture.  It sounds like Blink-182.  On paper it doesn’t sound like Neighborhoods should work, but somehow it does.  The press statements sounded cloudy, like the album would be a jumbled mess, but the cohesion is effortless.  This is a testament to not just the strength of the band members’ individual talents but also the magic that happens when Mark, Tom, and Travis get together.  Where Angels and Airwaves sounds bloated and joyless and +44 was blase, Blink-182, the melding of those minds, is exuberant and poignant.  Neighborhoods is a flat-out incredible album.

Check out: “Natives”, “Wishing Well”, “MH 4.18.2011”

#3 Tyler, the Creator - Goblin

Goblin may be classified as hip-hop but at its core it is as punk as they come.  Tyler’s lyrics are unforgiving.  He traverses the thin line between humorous absurdity and stark reality.  At first look it’s easy to get caught up on the over-the-top violence.  Tyler has taken heat for his casual usage of the word “faggot” and depictions of misogyny (“Rape a pregnant bitch and tell my friends I had a threesome”).  This is merely a red-herring though.  What Tyler really captures is an accurate insight into the mind of an eighteen-year-old with daddy issues.  It goes beyond that though.  The violence, the rape, the hate, these all come right along with lines like “I’m awesome/and I fuck dolphins”.  Clearly it’s not to be taken seriously.  Much like the Dwarves, intentionally offensive yet ultimately playful.  I know when I was 18 nothing was more entertaining than ridiculous over-the-top shit and that’s what Tyler brings.  He’s not writing it for me or you.  He’s writing it for him.  Songs like “Tron Cat”, “Transylvania”, and “Bitch Suck Dick” are all about Tyler and friends writing the craziest shit they can think of.  Meanwhile songs like “Goblin”, “Radicals” and even “Sandwitches” tackle the deeper Tyler.    While “Radicals” contains the refrain “Kill people/burn shit/fuck school” it also delves into the idea of mind over matter.  You are whatever you think you are, no matter what anyone else says.  Tyler’s age shows on the record.  While Tyler can come off as juvenile, he’s just an 18-year-old with a crazy imagination and a steady flow.

Check out: “Yonkers”, “Sandwitches”, “Tron Cat”

#2 Title Fight - Shed

After two back-to-back amazing EPs expectations were high, and in proper fashion Title Fight came through and wrote what I consider to be the second best album of the year.  They have continued to expand on their sound and have taken more influences from that good ol’ 90’s emo lot.  This is exhibited most elegantly on the almost instrumental “Safe in Your Skin”.  With only a few lines of vocals coming in the final forty seconds or so, the band expertly achieves a sense of beauty as much from the space between the sounds as the sounds themselves.  It almost feels like it’s about to collapse in on itself.   Shed doesn’t wear out.  With each listen you uncover more.

Check out: “Shed”, “Flood of ‘72”, “Safe in Your Skin”

#1 Saves the Day - Daybreak

When Under the Boards came out in 2007 Chris Conley has intended to release Daybreak the following year.  Obviously that did not happen.  In fact between then and now Chris lost his entire band.  From longtime member David Soloway taking departure to Glassjaw taking its rhythm section (Durijah Lang, Manuel Carrero)back, Chris had to rebuild.  After many delays Daybreak is finally out and it was definitely worth the wait.  Chris has never sounded this sure of himself before.  The title track is epic.  At 10:44, the sectional number is six minutes longer than the previously longest Saves the Day song (“Jodie”) but it’s structured so well that it definitely doesn’t feel its length.  “Let it All Go”, “Living Without Love”, and “Deranged and Desperate” fit in expertly with STD’s canon, while tracks like “E”, “Z”, and to a lesser extent “Chameleon” show Chris expanding his sound.  When Saves the Day released Sound the Alarm in 2006 it felt like a return to their roots an immediate sound, like a more mature Can’t Slow Down.  In many ways Daybreak is like a more mature, more confident In Reverie yet connected to the past two albums in intonation and detail.  The melodies, the vivid lyrics, and the vocals are all in top form and aid in completing this cycle of albums.  With this being the last chapter in the trilogy of albums that started with the aforementioned Sound the Alarm, I can’t help but be curious as to where they are moving from here.  I just hope Chris can maintain this level of confidence in his work.  This is definitely Saves the Day at their best.

Check out: “Deranged & Desperate”, “Living Without Love”, “Let it All Go”

Thank you for reading!  I will be reviewing new releases on a regular basis from this point forward… hopefully.

Greetings friends!  I’ve been rather lax about updating (understatement) though I’ve taken this time to piece together a comprehensive best of the year list.  Between albums, EPs, and compilations, I have the 50 essential records of 2011.  In Part One, we will take a look at my 10 Honorable Mentions, Top 5 Compilations, and Top 10 EPs.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

The Clippers - An Evening With the Clippers

Boston based The Clippers bring forth an entertaining blend of 90’s emo with an indie rock lean.  Comprised of 5 songs in less then 8 minutes it’s over before you know it, but the jazzy guitar lines and vigorous vocals will keep you coming back.

Check out: “Mature Women”

Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate) - On Time Spent Waiting

The proliferation of the mid-90’s emo influence continues to bleed into 2011 with Empire! Empire!’s second EP of the year.  Keith Latinen’s extremely high pitched vocals may be a turn off for some, but the American Football-esque guitar stylings and accompanying trumpet help cement them in a plane of ethereal beauty.

Check out: “When You Are Done Living on Borrowed Time”

Lemuria - Pebble

On Pebble, Lemuria blends indie-rock and pop-punk effortlessly.  Whether it’s the sparse opening track “Gravity”, the Pavement influenced “Yellowstone Lady” or driving punk numbers like the unnerving song “Bloomer”, Lemuria clearly has an understanding of varied song writing.  The album definitely has some valleys, but those peaks more than make up for it.

Check out: “Yellowstone Lady”

Rise Against - Join the Ranks

One can’t help but feel eternally disappointed by Rise Against.  Where their full lengths usually provide a memorable song or two they usually fall flat on trite formula and try too hard to be accepted by modern rock radio.  It’s hard to blame them as this has given them plenty of success.  Nevertheless, with a new full length the band usually releases an EP of killer jams that might be a little too fast or throaty for their average fan, and Join the Ranks is no different.

Check out: “Generation Lost”

Screeching Weasel - First World Manifesto

Released shortly before Ben Weasel punched a girl in the face at a Screeching Weasel show, subsequently causing the rest of his band to quit, First World Manifesto delivers quality Ramones-y pop-punk songs.  Screeching Weasel isn’t re-inventing the wheel, but the old dogs still have song great songs left in them.

Check out: “Creepy Crawl”

The Strokes - Angles

Had my Top 25 Albums been a Top 26 instead, you’d be reading about Angles a bit father down this page.  The Strokes really came through after the disappointing First Impressions of Earth.  The first half of Angles is all gold.  “Machu Pichu” is an outstanding opener followed up brilliantly with “Under Cover of Darkness”.  “Taken for a Fool” might be the best song the band has written since “Reptila”.  Too bad the second half was so forgettable.

Check out: “Taken for a Fool”

Thursday - No Devolucion

Where 2009’s Common Existence was somewhat of an updated return to form for the post-hardcore vets, No Devolucion explores their more experimental side.  The screams are scarce and typically distorted to a static cacophony similar to those of Geoff’s United Nations side project.  The songs meander and often they lose focus causing detriment to the album, but when they hit they do so with ferocity.  Even if it’s not a great album, it can be a fascinating listen.

Check out: “Turnpike Divides”

Tigers Jaw - Gypsy

Gypsy is a simple little EP, consisting of the titular Fleetwood Mac cover and an alternate version of a song from their split earlier in the year with The Sidekicks, “Jimmy Piersall”.  The A-side is a solid, mostly faithful cover.  The B-side trades out Adam for Brianna on vocals, and strips the song down to a baser form, improving on the already enjoyable original.  Good stuff all around.

Check out: “Jimmy Piersall” (Alternate Version)

Touche Amore - Parting the Sea Between Brightness and Me

Sincere hardcore revival at its finest.  Opening track “~” isn’t a song, it’s a mission statement.  At just over 20 minutes the 13 songs fly by in cathartic exuberance.  Too often the songs blend together but that is a common symptom of the genre at large.  Other highlights include “Wants/Needs” and “Crutch”.

Check out: “~”

The Wonder Years - Suburbia I’ve Given You All and Now I’m Nothing

While last year’s The Upsides brought them a mass of attention and good press it wasn’t until Suburbia that I felt connected to the band.  It’s not perfect, but it’s good, honest pop-punk.  Dan “Soupy” Campbell sings it best with his declaration “I’m not a self-help book/I’m just a fucked up kid”…”it’s not about forcing happinees/it’s about not letting sadness win.”  Well said.

Check out: “Local Man Ruins Everything”

TOP 5 COMPILATIONS

#5) Alkaline Trio - Damnesia

Alkaline Trio reimagines a handful of their classic songs spanning the length of their career through the lens of acoustic guitars.  Most of the tracks feature different arrangements allowing for a unique listening experience but the real highlights are the few new songs.  Skiba’s “Olde English 800” is instantaneously singable and Andriano’s “I Remember a Rooftop” is one of his finest songs to date.

Check out: “I Remember a Rooftop”

#4) Man Overboard - The Human Highlight Reel

Man Overboard collects a few old EPs and assorted songs on The Human Highlight Reel.  One thing is evident, the band understands how to write pop-punk songs.  The genre is overstuffed and has a tendency to come off as very generic, but Man Overboard evades that over what could have been a very hit or miss collection.  They even cover “Red Paint” by The Promise Ring!!

Check out: “I Saw Behemoth and it Ruled”

#3 Chris Carrabba - Covered in the Flood

While this isn’t Chris Carrabba’s first cover album, it is his first not under the Dashboard Confessional banner.  Chris gives us 10 renditions of mainly 90’s indie and alternative songs, including tracks originally by artists like Big Star, Archers of Loaf, R.E.M., and The Long Winters.  It serves as a testimony of his love for many subtle inspirations and a great introduction to some acts if you’re not already initiated.

Check out: “Web in Front”

#2) Into It. Over It. - Twelve Towns

Evan Weiss wrote a series of songs written in various cities across America which he released on an array of singles and EPs.  All twelve are collected on Twelve Towns.  The writing is extremely varied, drawing from folk, indie, second-wave emo, and good ol’ punk rock, while the lyrics reflect the situation and the town Evan was in at the time.  It’s a brilliant concept, and executed expertly.

Check out: “Cambridge, MA”

#1) Various Artists - Mixed Signals

Run For Cover records, a label with quite the impressive roster, decided to release not a sampler, but a presentation of their roster through a series of amazing original songs.  Most of the acts draw from a punk/indie/emo influence base, but they stand individually from them.  Hostage Calm’s “The “M” Word” is picture perfect indie-pop bliss, where The Menzingers’ “Irish Goodbyes” boils down everything that is great about punk rock down to 2:20 with the singalong “when I get home I’m not talking to anyone/when I get home I’m unplugging my telephone/when I get home I’ll get high alone”.  Other acts like CSTVT, Tigers Jaw, Balance and Composure, Make Do and Mend, and The World is a Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid to Die completely own on their respective tracks, creating one of the most consistent and enjoyable compilations I’ve heard in years.

Check out: Hostage Calm - “The “M” Word”, The Menzingers - “Irish Goodbyes”

TOP 10 EPs

10) O Pioneers!!!/Andrew Jackson Jihad - Split

This split served as both the introduction to me of Andrew Jackson Jihad and a bookend to O Pioneers!!!’s career.  On the O Pioneers!!! side Eric Solomon jams out three solid songs in standard OP fashion: loud guitar, hoarse vocals, and lyrics about apathy and depression.  AJJ continues the nihilism and self-loathing, albeit in a slightly more upbeat fashion with their own brand of folk-punk.

Check out: O Pioneers!!! - “Party Time, Yeah!”, Andrew Jackson Jihad - “This is Why I’m Hot”

#9) Riverboat Gamblers - Smash/Grab

Smash/Grab is filled with sneering punk attitude and raw rock bombast.  Over the course of four songs and eight minutes, Riverboat Gamblers provide some of the most enjoyable punk songs of the year.

Check out: “The Ol’ Smash and Grab”

#8) Into It. Over It./Such Gold - Split

On this split Into It. Over It. provides two songs that would later appear on Twelve Towns  and Such Gold releases a pair of tracks worthy of some hype.  Many acts from the new school of pop-punk cite The Movielife as an influence, but few lack the vocal honesty that Ben Kotin brings with his band, worthy of the Vinnie name drop

Check out: Into It. Over It. - “Portland, OR”, Such Gold - “The World You Live In”

#7) Wavves - Life Sux

Wavves follows up last year’s outstanding album King of the Beach (my #3 for those who keep track of these things) with an EP of songs rooted more firmly in rock than before, though not forgetting to send a tide of distortion the listener’s way.  Nathan Williams even gets some buzzworthy guests to appear with Fucked Up appearing on “Destroy” and Best Coast showing up on the outstanding “Nodding Off”.

Check out: “Nodding Off”

#6 Braid - Closer to Closed

Although it’s been thirteen years since Braid last released new material, the reformed group sounds absolutely fantastic.  Chris Broach sounds less yelpy on opening track “The Right Time” and Bob Nanna sounds oh so comfortable on his first contribution “Do Over”.  It’s not until the final song, the near 6-minute “Universe or Worse”, where you really feel the passage of time has stopped and it’s 1998 again.

Check out: “Universe or Worse”

#5 Captain, We’re Sinking - With Joe Riley

Scranton’s Captain, We’re Sinking comes through with yet another outstanding EP.  With Joe Riley picks up where 2009’s It’s a Trap! left off.  Rough beard punk vocals sung to riffy punk rock with just enough of a pop influence to make the songs ridiculously catchy.  It’s time for a new full length, guys!

Check out: “Foster Brothers”

#4) Tidemouth - What I Meant to Say

Of all the albums I listened to this year, I think I was most caught off guard by What I Meant to Say.  6 tracks of blisteringly intense post-punk influenced Saetia style screamo.  The young band has an understanding of the dynamics than many bands their senior only wish to attain.  The vocals are sincere and intense, the drumming exquisite, and the lyrics are cathartic and powerful.  Good shit.

Check out: “Upsidedown”, “The World Became Dark When the Sky Fell Apart”

#3 Glassjaw - Our Color Green

After a seemingly endless 9 year wait, 2011 gave birth to brand new Glassjaw material.  The first of two EPs they released, Our Color Green features songs that Glassjaw has been playing on tour for years now.  In many ways it is the logical progression from Worship & Tribute, the heaviness has been increased ten-fold on songs like “Jesus Glue” and “You Think You’re (John Fucking Lennon)”, the former adding in latin, jazz, and grindcore influences, which the latter showcases the dichotomy of Daryl’s Jeckyl/Hyde vocals.  Daryl can still croon like no other on “Natural Born Farmer” and “All Good Junkies Go to Heaven”.  Glassjaw sounds tighter than ever, and in many ways Our Color Green is just the beginning.

Check out: “Jesus Glue”, “You Think You’re (John Fucking Lennon)”

#2) Glassjaw - Coloring Book

Where Our Color Green was Glassjaw updating their sound, Coloring Book is Glassjaw pissing all over that precedent.  Without a single scream present, this EP is full of Daryl singing like a madman, taking his vocals to ridiculous heights (“Daytona White”).  While he always sounds like himself, you can’t help but pick up on a Cedric Bixler-Zavala influence.  The Mars Volta actually isn’t all too far off as far as comparisons go.  The Latin influences touched upon by songs like “Jesus Glue” gets fleshed out throughout Coloring Book.  While Daryl tends to be the centerpiece of Glassjaw, it would be criminal to not discuss how fluid the band is.  Durijah Lang’s drumming combines effortlessly with Manny Carrero’s mind bending basswork to create one of the strongest rhythm sections in rock music (“Vanilla Poltergeist Snake”).  Justin Beck’s guitar skills cannot be understated, though frequently they fall in the background behind the rest of band.  Beck understands exactly what is needed of him within the context of the song, aiding to create a work that is far more than the sum of its parts instead of trying to prove what crazy chops he has.  Time will tell if Glassjaw will continue to venture further down the proggy path Coloring Book sent them on, or if it will be another stop along the way, but one thing is for certain, Glassjaw just keeps getting better.

Check out: “Vanilla Poltergeist Snake”, “Daytona White”

#1) Grown Ups - Handholder

If you were to melt down all of the best emo records of the 90’s into a vat and re-press as a 7” more than ten years later, it would sound a hell of a lot like Handholder.  Grown Ups cut their teeth on updated emo with their previous EP and LP (Songs and More Songs respectively), and while they sounded good is would seem they were just playing a style of music they thought was cool.  They were fun and they were nostalgic, but they weren’t great; They didn’t connect to the core of those feelings, the soul of the music.  That’s what makes Handholder stand up so tall amongst a sea of great EPs.  From the jangly opening of “Wigwam” through the slow burn build-up of closer “Well Water”, Grown Ups succinctly demonstrates all that is good about emo, but it’s much more than that.  “Wildlife” takes on a strong punk influence with a fun bass solo and rapid fire drumming.  Third track, and arguably the strongest, “Couch-King” is the best example.  Technical yet playful guitars, rough yet intelligible vocals, and a speedy tempo bring the words and meaning of the song to life.  A minute into the song comes the lyrics which best sum up the EP and the sentiment of the music at large: “I’ve got a crown I wear around/but I’ve never worn it out/I just keep forgetting/I was king of the couch/I reigned for twenty-eight days/Building mountains of clothes/Making pillars of plates”, which precedes a playful instrumental break.  In classic 90’s emo fashion, the band called it quits this year, well before their time was up.  Seeing as how Braid, The Get Up Kids, and now The Promise Ring have gotten back together, maybe there will be some hope Snowing and Grown Ups will shine again someday.

Check out: The whole thing.  It’s only 4 songs.

Tuesday is my next day off so hopefully I will be able to post The Best of 2011, Part Two then where I will count down the 25 Best Full Lengths of the year.  Thank you for reading, and enjoy!

311
Universal Pulse
ATO Records
7/19/11

The summer of 2001 will forever be etched into my mind.  I had just finished up my Freshman year and in my own little way I felt like a prince.  The transition from middle to high school was arduous.  I was awkward and probably a bit over-sensitive as teenagers are wont to be.  Emerging mostly unscathed, I had a sense of pride.  I was also wallowing in joy knowing what was soon to be released.

During ninth grade and well throughout high school I held the concept of a favorite band very dear to me, so much so in fact that I had a hierarchy assembled.  I could have probably prattled off an ordered list of my 10 or 20 favorites, and during that Freshman year of mine, the unthinkable happened.  311 had usurped Blink-182 as my favorite band.  Even with Blink saddled at second place, June of 2001 was giving me a glorious bounty: A new album by 311 and a new album by Blink-182.  Life was perfect.

As I write this it is 2011, ten years since From Chaos and Take Off Your Pants and Jacket were released.  While I wouldn’t consider either my favorite band today, I definitely share a very personal history with both of them.  Seeing them both release new albums this year, especially after Blink-182’s hiatus, is a huge nostalgia trip.

This foray through memory lane is all very fitting as in many ways Universal Pulse, 311’s tenth studio album, sees them channeling their own past through the lens of musicians in their 40’s with absolutely no financial concerns.  311 has been able to establish a large enough fan base for them to not need to push the envelope.  They could give up writing new music altogether and still make a killing on tour.  That level of comfort allows them to do whatever they like which works both for and against the them on the album. It feels effortless and completely natural in creation, though it falls back on tricks all too well established.

At only 8 tracks, Universal Pulse is much shorter than any of 311’s other albums.  It opens with the album’s strongest track, “Time Bomb”, a long lost offspring of 1999’s Soundsystem.  The album is even name checked (“we are the system of sound”) within the song.  It boasts an enthusiasm that has been lost on 311 recently, probably due to the increased rapping.

Over the past few albums the rapping and much of the jazzier elements have been eschewed in favor of their now token alterna-reggae.  311 is best when they are experimenting.  1994’s Grassroots, their best album, is a collection of songs with a vast array on influences.  1997’s monolithic 21-track Transistor provides their many of their most fascinating songs.

The fun from “Time Bomb” carries onto the second track, “Wild Nights”.  SA gets in a good verse and expectations begin to rise.  It’s succeeded by “Sunsets in July”, the album’s lead single.  It’s a smooth, summery track, one you would expect from them.  It’s effective at what it does but it exemplifies the flaccid state of the past few records.  It’s the definition of stock 311.

“Trouble” and “Count Me In” showcase their reggae-rock in full effect, the former a slower jam about overcoming substance abuse with some unintentionally comical lyrics and the latter a sped up number with lyrical throwbacks to “You Get Worked” off of From Chaos.  The album beings to slump into an enjoyable mediocrity.  The songs aren’t bad, we’ve just heard them already.

This trend unfortunately continues throughout the second half of Universal Pulse.  “Rock On” is reminiscent of “Rollin’”, but aside from a ballin’ guitar solo on behalf of Tim Mahoney the track is forgettable.  Ditto for “Weightless” sans  the solo.  The album’s final track turns that around though.

The band shows signs of possible new directions on “And a Ways to Go”.  They introduce a prog-y bassline crossed with a familiar Transistor vibe, alien and ancient culture obsession in tact.  It’s almost like coming full circle, the familiar and the novel, the observing of one’s past while looking at the future at the same time.

While Universal Pulse may be a bit weak at times, 311’s heart is definitely still beating.  The lesser songs aren’t bad or unworthy of listening, they’re just safe and predictable.  At the same time, the better songs, especially “Time Bomb” propel the album and provide for a fun listening experience.  Universal Pulse definitely has more cohesion than it’s predecessor, 2009’s Uplifer.  It also doesn’t feel as long, but that could be because it’s only 8 tracks.  In the end it’s a solid addition to the canon, but far from their greatest work.  I’m sure even 15-year-old John would agree.

Rating: 3/5

Top Songs:  “Time Bomb”, “Wild Nights”, “And a Ways to Go”