better late than never i suppose

Well, I’m back in school again and you know what that means… I get to kill time in between classes and I can start writing my blogs again. Last semester was nuts and I really didn’t get to write any. Anywho, since it’s a new decade and I’ve seen a million people do it, I’m going to do my top ten albums of the last decade. So without further ado, in no particular order, here are my top ten.
(I was going to write a paragraph with each one, but it’s awfully hard to put into words how much these albums mean to me) (and I’m lazy) (let’s just say a lot)

1. The Lawrence Arms- Apathy and Exhaustion

first eviction notice - wow. What a great song. “have I invented you?” come on, genius.
your gravest words - “I’m a satellite never getting signals right” again. wow.
These probably don’t make sense since they’re out of context, but listen to the whole song if you don’t know what I’m talking about. It’ll do ya some good. Probably change your life. Haha.


2 The Lawrence Arms- The Greatest Story Ever Told

you know how album reviews will always have a part that says go download… and then it’ll have like the top two songs? Well for this, “go download” the entire album. For real.



3 The Lawrence Arms- Cocktails and Dreams

Cocktails, was a collection of b-sides, rarities, and stuff like that. But even their stuff that isn’t good enough to make it into their albums is nuts.
100 resolutions – greatest new years song of all time. One of their greatest songs of all time period.


4 Taking Back Sunday- Tell All Your Friends

yeah yeah. I’m sure I’ll catch crap for this one. But come on. AP put it best If “cute without the e” isn’t the best breakup song of all time, it certainly is the most vicious. Or something to that matter. Plus the call and call back vocals, I think it was the first time I’d actually heard that and liked it. (I was in high school when this came out, and growing up I’d listened mostly to rap).


5 Brand New- Your Favorite Weapon

Another band from jersey. What’s in the water up there? I mean besides New York’s sewage. Heyooooo!! Sorry. It was too easy. Anyway, yeah, I started playing guitar because of the whole punk rock power pop thing I fell in love with in high school. That was like well seeing how it’s the decade thing, let’s just say 10 years ago. BUT I STILL CAN’T PLAY “JUDE LAW AND A SEMESTER ABROAD”. And it pisses me off people. I start to figure it out, and then I get pissed off and do something else. One of these days people. I’ll get it. I think they tune their guitars differently. Whatever.


6 The Get Up Kids- Something To Write Home About

yeah. Technically this album was released in 1999 so it shouldn’t count, but they re-released it in 2000 with bonus songs, and again in 2009 with a dvd for a ten year anniversary thing, so I’ll allow it. Plus, it’s my fucking list and I’ll do as I please. Anyway, yeah I hate when people call me emo, but these guys are emo as fuck. And if your going to call me emo for listening to this then fuck it. I’m emo. If you go see them live, or even listen to the live cd, the last line to “I’ll Catch You” when it’s just the singer and the piano, gives me goosebumps every time. Especially when the crowd joins in. either way. It’s nuts.


7 Against Me!- Reinventing Axl Rose

for those of you that know me well, you guys know that I don’t really drink that much. But if there’s one song in the world that makes me want to sit alone in my room and drink it’s “Pints of Guiness Make You Strong”. Also, if there’s a song that makes me want to sit in a pub and drunkenly sing along to a song with a bunch of my buddies, it’s this song. The gang vocals in this song are great.


8 Alkaline Trio- Good Mourning

some might say that their earlier stuff was better blah blah blah. But playing guitar along with this album is so much fun. That is all.


9 Fall Out Boy- Take This To Your Grave

this is the band I’m positive to get crap for. But the fact of the matter is that before pete wentz was a girl jean wearing, mascara using, too good for chicago so I’ll move l.a., hipster; fall out boy was a the pretty good band from Wilmette that would play c.o.d. and random spots in wheaton, and all over the burbs. And like good mourning, incredibly fun to play along to. And while I may not be able to hit Patrick stump’s vocal range, incredibly fun to sing along to as well. This of course being the time that they exclusively used guitars, bass, and drums. Now who knows what they’re into, but it doesn’t sound like guitars. (sorry pete, had to take my shot)


10 New Found Glory- New Found Glory

I think I was listening to this album the summer when I graduated high school. Back in the day when I was young, and so full of hope. Ahhhhh. The good old days. Now I’m just some old jaded son of a… well you get the point. There are only two songs in the world that as soon as I hear the first chord can instantly make me smile. The other was written before 2000 so I can’t mention on this list. But the other is “Hit or Miss”. I’m listening to it right now, and I’m smiling from ear to ear.


So yeah. There you have it folks. My top ten. I guess I did end up writing some stuff, but not as much as I had initially hoped. Whatevs. And some of these albums were albums that were just fun to listen to. I’m not one of those pretentious douchebags that thinks, that an album needs to touch my soul in order for it to make some sort of list. Although… larry arms….you guys do it all. I probably would have put their other albums on here too, but 3 was enough. So yeah. That is all for now. Hopefully I’ll be able to blog a bit more this semester than I was able to last semester.

Toodles.

Honorable mention:

The Gaslight Anthem- The ’59 Sound
Strike Anywhere- Exit English
Sundowner- Four One Five Two