Walking Wounded

I’ve wanted to see Jimmy Eat World in concert for a LONG time and have never had the chance. I’m still kicking myself for missing them with Blink 182 many years ago. And for missing them at Warped Tour Orlando a ways back because they played one of the first sets while I was stuck in traffic. Well, I’m not missing this one (unless they don’t come near Orlando) with Paramore (one of my new favorite bands) on tour with them. Hopefully they pick up a good 3rd act as well. I can’t wait!

I was going to title this best albums of 2007 but decided that no one can really say that. All you can do is say what your favorites are. So here are my top 12.

12. Good Charlotte – Good Morning Revival

This album was a complete surprise for me. I’ve never been much of a fan of Good Charlotte and am hesitant with pop-punk music. Typically there songs are pretty boring and geared towards the “teenie bopper punk rockers” (what has the world come to that such a thing exists). However they stepped it up with this album and put something together worth listening too. I kept finding myself wanting to go back to this album and listen through it again. There are a couple songs I can’t stand like “Keep you Hands Off my Girl” but I simply always skip them and don’t notice them. There are 15 tracks so I can stand a couple I don’t like.

11. The Fold – Secrets Keep You Sick

The Folds first release had a few tracks that I loved and always fit well in homemade compilations. They have an energetic, lively sound with a lot of indie rock roots. However, the rest of the album got boring and I could never actually make it through the whole things. With there release this year they kept there same energy and unique sound but did a few things musically throughout to keep the album fresh beginning to end. I also connected with the lyrics on this album which helped draw me in more.

10. MXPX – Secret Weapon

I’ve been a fan of MXPX a long time. They are the reason I love punk so much. Teenage Politics was one of the first albums I ever bought way back in 1996. Since then, MXPX has tried all sorts of things stylistically. Some good and some bad. A lot of people say they kept leaving there roots. I would say Secret Weapon is almost the best of MXPXs sound over the years. This is album is catchy and a blast to sing along to (which is a main reason I listen to mxpx). I hope they continue in the direction of this album for the future.

9. Ivory – Ivory EP

Very few people have heard of Ivory. They are small band from Wisconsin that I found out about through Purevolume. I heard two singles off this EP and they made me melt. They have an ambient light rock sound with very light airy vocals. One of my favorite things about Ivory though is there vocals. They really capture emotion in there music. This was the first album I ever bought off of itunes (because it came without drm and a higher bit rate). Ivory has now changed every member except it’s singer and I’m not as big of a fan of there newer sound but I hope they can get back to the magic they captured in the first EP.

8. The Weakerthans – Reunion Tour

I was shocked to find out that the Weakerthans were putting out another album after a long hiatus. I’ve always loved there music. They unique form of coffee shop rock music with lyrics that are very poetic. I love their lyrics because they use very descriptive words and have a way of painting a picture with words that I never seen another band do. This album is just as grand as there first ones.

7. The Starting Line – Direction

The Starting Line started out as your typical broken hearted punk rock band. I liked them from the beginning because of their great lyrics and though not original, very solid sound. They have since then matured and evolved into a very talented and original band that has developed unique style of there own. I’m excited to see how they continue to grow musically because it seams they are no where near done yet.

6. Relient K – 5 score and 7 years ago

I actually don’t like the fact that I like Relient K so much. Why? Because every Christian who likes rock or punk seems to love Relient K (well those around my age). Well, it just so happens that they are good enough to deserve such a following. I did not think that Relient K could top Mmm Hmm, but this record came close if not actually accomplishing the task. I’m surprised they keep making there sound fresh, but I hope they can keep it up because I love it.

5. Jimmy Eat World – Chase This Light

Jimmy Eat World is my favorite band. I’ve been listening to them since Static Prevails Came out. I already wrote a review of this album so you know how much I like it. I was sure this would be my favorite album of the year but it didn’t stand the test of time. It is still an amazing album and I love it but it doesn’t have the replayablity of their previous albums and that’s why it’s only number five.

4. Angels and Airwaves – I Empire

I was sad to see Blink 182 break up but the result was two bands that are both better than Blink in my opinion. The drummer and bassist/singer went to +44 and the guitarist/singer started Angels and Airwaves. AA took U2′s electric echo sound and ran with it. It is the defining sound of their music. I can’t stop listening to this one. It is great car music too. This album stays interesting all the way through. Vocally, lyrically, musically all shine on this album.

3. Dashboard Confessional – In the Shade of Poison Trees

It may come as a surprise that I put DC at number 3 if you read my review of that album. However, this album stood the test of time and I liked it better on my 20th listen than I did to my 10th. I started to connect with the lyrics and really appreciate them. I began to love singing along to this album and notice how amazing the song witting is. I love this return to acoustic centered music from DC and I hope it stays this way.

2. Chevelle – Vena Sera

I think what bumped Chevelle up to the number two spot was the fact that I saw them in concert this year and they were amazing. They are rank as one of the best live performances I’ve ever seen. Chevelle has become quite popular on the radio over the past couple years and it’s well deserved. They have a great combination of melodic vocals mixed with driving rythmatic guitar and just the right amount of raw vocals.

1. Paramore – Riot!

Finally! It’s band with a woman lead vocalist that really rocks! Most of the time these “chick punk rock bands” are really bad. They don’t have talent, the girl can’t really sing, and people only like them because of the rarity of having a female up front. I heard their radio and loved it but was scared the album would be very repetitious. I was very surprised to find that the band branches out into many different genres of rock and that they pull it off very well. I wasn’t expecting this to become my number 1 album of the year but once I pitted it against all the others it came out on top.

That’s right. Three years later and I finally record another song. Check it out HERE. It’s a song I wrote about 2 years ago and it’s about things I felt about 4 years ago. The song has undergone many changes from when I originally wrote it though. But that’s not unusual for me. I wouldn’t call the current version I have up finished. I’m still in process of tweaking it, and may rerecord it all together. But I thought people would enjoy hearing it and I have been dying to post it so there it is.

I borrowed about all of Russ’ recording equipment and did everything on my own. This has been a HUGE learning experience for me. I’ve learned a lot of the dos and don’ts of music recording. There things I didn’t fix early on and they kind of bit me in the butt later. I’ve also picked up on a lot of tricks to make things sounds better and more uniform. Russ has been a great aid in this also.

I’m siked to be recording again. It has been a blast. Though, a lot more hard work than I actually expected. But I still love it. I would say expect more soon but I need to give Russ his stuff back. Don’t worry though (I don’t you were), as soon as I have the funds I’m going to pick up some of my own stuff. I plan to be recording again early next year. Hopefully as I go I’ll keep getting better at song writing and recording and begin to produce some really nice music. So, let me know what you think thus far.

P.S. December life update coming this week.

This year had (for me) some albums that really let me down. I will list them in order of least disappointing to most disappointing.

5. As I lay Dying – An Ocean Between Us

This barely made the list. In fact I only had four I wanted on the list but who would do a top 4 list! I don’t listen to metal all that often, but when I do I’m looking for some originality, killer rhythms and amazing guitar riffs. I really liked their first two albums and was hoping this one would capture me like the first ones did. It however, simply did not. I can’t even put my finger on what it is. I’m just bored when I listen to this album. I don’t feel that steady memorizing sound that metal music can bring. It’s still a decent album which is why it is number 5 but I was disappointed by it.

4. Motion City Soundtrack – Even If It Kills Me

Motion City Soundtrack started hitting the scene big in 2005 with their first album Commit This to Memory. I heard them through Purevolume and I think that’s where they got a lot of their popularity. They brought a unique and fresh sound to the Pop Punk genre which is what drew me in. I saw them at Warped Tour that year and they were on a lower profile stage and there wasn’t enough room for the massive amount of people trying to catch them live.

Following this hype I expected their second full length to really step up to the plate and take their sound to the next level. Make it not just unique but unique and amazing. To my dismay this album was not amazing. It’s not bad. It’s just “meh.” It is more of the same, which isn’t as strikingly unique the second time around. Maybe my expectations were too high.

3. Mae – Singularity

Since Mae’s debut album Destination Beautiful, they have been one of my favorite bands. Then they followed up with The Everglow which, though a lot different, was undeniably amazing. Needless to say my expectations for Singularity were huge. One of my favorite bands who hasn’t done anything I didn’t love was coming out with a new album! To my surprise, on my first few listens through this album, I didn’t like it at all. But it was Mae so I pushed forward and kept listening. It was able to be redeemed up to passable album with the continued listening but nothing special by any means.

This may be an odd thing to mention but the flow of the album is all off. In fact my roommate made a copy of the CD with a different track order and it drastically improved the album. How weird is that. I think Mae just wanted to keep experimenting with their music and missed big this time around. Any elements of Destination Beautiful are all but gone which is enough to make me cry. The album is worth listening to and even buying, but it so below the caliber that Mae should be living up to that I am left quite disappointed. Mae, until you fix things with a better album, you have lost the status as one of my favorite bands.

2. Avril Lavigne – The Best Damn Thing.

Yeah, I’ll admit it. I like Avril Lavigne. So sue me. Well I guess I should say liked because this album sucks! And it does so on so many levels. Lets go into what I use to like. First, she had this punk rock chick image going which I dug. Even though it was pretty manufactured, I’m a sucker for the punk rock girls. More than that I enjoyed the music and the lyrics. The lyrics were very captivating and in my opinion is what really made her popular. She also sung them with such emotion. The music, while nothing very original was pretty solid which I can appreciate as a musician. With the Best Damn Thing everything is thrown out the window. Look at the CD Cover! I hate the overuse of this word but what a sellout. She went from a popular artist that actually looked like a semi realistic girl to this hideous prettied up pop star look. If you happen to catch one of her videos it’s even worse than this picture can do justice too.

Now, on to the music. It is so awful. The first single Girlfriend, while a blatant rip off of the 80′s hit Mickey by Toni Basel (who would rip off that song anyway), is just ridiculous. What in the world is she singing about? The lyrics are so bad and so Jr. High teenie-bopper music. Then track four starts the exact same way (who would rip off Mickey twice!). There are a couple good songs to be found among the mess like When you are gone which is the only song I would recommend getting. I hate the fact that anyone bought this album. Of the 5 albums on the list this is the only one that was not only disappointing but down right terrible.

1. Linkin Park – Minutes to Midnight

While this is probably the best album on the list, it is still my most disappointing. I, like so many others, love Linkin Park passionately; Not only their great music, but their lyrics that speak right to my heart. On both Hybrid Theory and Meteroa, I felt like every track could have been a single. They were all that good. Add that to the fact that it took 4 years for Linkin Park to finally release a 3rd album made me desperately looking forward to this album. This was the album that was suppose to grab hold of me and bring me to tears. That is quite an expectation to have but truly believe that is what Linkin Park has to live up to.

The album is a mix. Half the songs are great catchy songs, and even contain a lot of originality. The other half are these slow, kind of boring almost indie rock sounding songs. Linkin Park was not meant to be writing indie rock songs … ever. What were they thinking? The lyrics are decent, though they way too political for my liking. They jst don’t live up to the lyrics of the first two albums though. Lyrics that made me feel like someone was reading the pages of my heart. But rather, here, they are just good (exciting, huh?). I’m sorry Linkin Park but I expect so much more from you. If you are going to put out albums like this you need to do it every year, and you cannot wait four.