Top Ten Albums of 2007

I know that my musical opinion is no more important than anyone’s, but since I do have a place to do it, I’m going to give my top ten albums of the year. All of the top tens I see in Rolling Stone or any other “hip” music magazine all have roughly the same list. I can assure that my list will not contain any Amy Winehouse or Animal Collective (a band that I can’t understand why anyone would listen to.) I know this blog focuses mainly on songs, but what I’m giving you here is my top ten albums of the year. I’m not saying these are the top ten singles or songs, but these are the albums that spent the most time in my CD player. So without further ado, I give you the
list:

10. Mae - Singularity
Despite what my brother, my sister-in-law or my roommate might tell you, Singularity is actually a good album. True, it doesn’t come near what Mae has done in the past and I think they could’ve done a little better, but there are still some great songs here. Mae is still one of my favorite bands and I wish Singularity would’ve landed higher on my list, but I couldn’t not include it. Here is the song that should’ve been the first single, “Brink of Disaster.”



Mae - "Brink of Disaster"

9. Future of Forestry - Twilight
Twilight is about as good as a debut can get. Future of Forestry sound huge on this record, due in part to the amazing production skills of Ken Andrews. FOF kind of renewed my hope in worship music and hopefully they showed a lot of people that Christian music can be innovative and doesn’t have to suck. “Thinking of You” is probably the catchiest track and is a good example of what the band is capable of. I can’t wait to hear more.



Future of Forestry - "Thinking of You"

8. As Cities Burn - Come Now Sleep
As Cities Burn’s sophomore album may as well be a debut, considering they completely retooled their sound and changed lead singers. What they came up with was one of the most emotionally raw records of the year. The lyrical content is spiritually deep and inspiring. Singer Cody Bonnette really finds his voice on this album and the guitars sound amazing. “Our World Is Grey” probably has the best lyrics on the album and a great guitar explosion at the beginning that reminds me of Thursday. Always a good sign.


As Cities Burn - "Our World Is Grey"

7. Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
I don’t think anyone really knew what to expect from Modest Mouse after they hit pop gold with “Float On” in 2004. Would they cater more toward radio now or would they go back to their old ways? I’m glad to say that Isaac Brock and the gang didn’t try to cash in with another hit single. We Were Dead takes a little longer to get into, but once you listen a few times, you can’t stop listening. “Spitting Venom” has one of the most dynamic changes I’ve ever heard in a song, going from a strummed acoustic, to a barrage of guitars courtesy of Brock and ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr. Especially great is the outro, where the song takes an unexpected turn, complete with horns.


Modest Mouse - "Spitting Venom"

6. Relient K - Five Score and Seven Years Ago
Relient K further honed their pop prowess on Five Score and Seven Years Ago, an album that includes more piano than ever before but still plenty of guitar crunch. They’ve pretty much perfected the three minute pop-punk song as evidenced by first single “Must Have Done Something Right.” Another highlight is the epic 11 minute album closer “Deathbed.” “Forgiven" really shows how far Relient K has come in recent years with some great piano, not to mention the outstanding melody and lyrics.



Relient K - "Forgiven"

5. Manchester Orchestra - I'm Like a Virgin Losing a Child
Okay, okay, Manchester Orchestra's debut technically came out in late 2006, however it didn’t see a national release until July of this year so nobody really knew about it. This is just an amazing debut that I bought on a whim after hearing one song and it’s one of the most impressive albums I’ve heard in a long time. Singer Andy Hull’s voice fits the music so perfectly and his lyrics are spiritually thought provoking. “Colly Strings” is my favorite track and a great way to wrap up the album because of its slow build and anthemic ending. Well done.


Manchester Orchestra - "Colly Strings"

4. Say Anything - In Defense of the Genre
When I first got Say Anything's sophomore release I was a little apprehensive about the fact that it was two discs. With that many songs, there is sure to be some filler and of course there is. But if you remove one song from the first disc and add three or four from the second disc, you have an amazing collection of 15 or 16 tracks and possibly the best album of the year. Max Bemis can craft hooks with the best of them and he has the ability to make a song do a 180 right in the middle and it still works. “The Word You Wield” is the best song on disc two and it reminds me so much of Weezer, right down to the “whoa-ohs” in the chorus.


Say Anything - "The Word You Wield"

3. Anberlin - Cities
Anberlin’s third album Cities finds them stepping up their game and branching out with a few acoustic based tracks. They still bring the rock as good as ever on songs like “Godspeed” and “Hello Alone.” The epic closer “Fin” shows great diversity as well. Anberlin have signed to a major label and hopefully it won’t change them at all. “Alexithymia” has a great hook and is one of the most rocking tunes on the record. It’s title is a medical term for the inability to express one’s feelings, which is ironic because singer Stephen Christian does such a good job of that on this record.


Anberlin - "Alexithymia"

2. Matthew Good - Hospital Music
Hospital Music is Matthew Good’s third solo album since this dissolution of Matthew Good Band earlier this decade. This record was born out of his time spent in the hospital after he was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder. It’s also quite influenced by his recent divorce. Keeping these things in mind while listening brings a whole new perspective to songs like “She’s In It for the Money” and the excellent cover of Daniel Johnston’s “True Love Will Find You In the End.” “A Single Explosion” is a pretty simple song but it has great lyrics and cool guitar lick that really stays with you. Hospital Music is further proof that Matthew Good can’t put out a bad record. Hopefully there’s plenty more where this came from.


Matthew Good - "A Single Explosion"

1. Jimmy Eat World - Chase This Light
I anticipated the release of several albums from some of my favorite bands this year. Of all that anticipation, Chase This Light is the one album that truly delivered on all my expectations. It had been three years since the release of their fourth album Futures and I was getting antsy for some new Jimmy Eat World. From the opening chords of first single “Big Casino,” I knew I would not be disappointed. Chase This Light finds Jimmy Eat World at the top of their game. There is no filler here. Even when they step out of their norm for a moody, string driven song like “Gotta Be Somebody’s Blues” or the make you wanna dance “Here It Goes,” they still sound like themselves and it still works. “Dizzy” is the perfect song to end the album with. It’s full of emotional lyrics and Jim Adkins’ voice has never sounded better. A very poignant song indeed.


Jimmy Eat World - "Dizzy"

So there it is, take it or leave it, my list of the top ten albums of 2007. If you don’t have any of these albums I suggest you pick them up and hopefully you’ll enjoy them as much as I did. Don’t ever let anyone tell that there is not any good new music these days. You just have to dig deep and find it for yourself. Happy New Year and here’s to another year of great music.

Motion City Soundtrack - "Resolution" (2005)

Motion City Soundtrack is an indie pop band from Minneapolis. Earlier this year I featured a song from their recently released third album Even If It Kills Me. That album was pretty good, but somewhat disappointing considering how great their sophomore album Commit This To Memory was. Every track on that album was great, filled with an equal amount of pop and angst. “Resolution” is one of two songs on Commit that focuses on the New Year, the other being “Together We’ll Ring In the New Year.” This is the better of the two and a great song for tonight, with the chorus refrain of “Let’s give it up for the New Year.” Happy New Year.


Motion City Soundtrack - "Resolution"

Edit: I erroneously stated that MCS were from Chicago when they are actually from Minneapolis,MN. Thanks to the anonymous commenter who pointed out my mistake.

Dan Wilson - "What a Year for a New Year" (2003)

You may not recognize the name Dan Wilson, but you’ve probably heard his songs before. Wilson was the front man for 90s rock band Semisonic, whose hits include “Closing Time” and “Secret Smile.” Today’s song is another New Year’s jam coming from Maybe This Christmas. It’s a pretty cool piano driven tune and it shows off Wilson’s pop song writing abilities. He just released his first solo album entitled Free Life this past October. You can hear songs from it here.


Dan Wilson - "What a Year for a New Year"

Belasana - "Bittersweet Eve" (2004)

Christmas may be over, but there are still plenty of holiday songs to go around. Today’s song comes from Belasana, which is a collaboration between The Juliana Theory front man Brett Detar and Sense Field guitarist Chris Evenson. “Bittersweet Eve” appeared on Maybe This Christmas Tree and is the only song the duo have made together. Since that time, both members’ bands have broken up and according to the Belasana website, they have been working on new music. I’m a huge fan of The Juliana Theory so I think that would be awesome, but for now we get to enjoy this great tune about New Year’s Eve.


Belasana - "Bittersweet Eve"

The Evan Anthem - "Good Night, Good Fight" (2003)

The Evan Anthem is a cool indie rock band that was one of the first signees to the Mono vs. Stereo record label, which is a sub label of Gotee Records, which is owned by DC Talk’s TobyMac. Their 2003 debut was called Prologue and was full of some catchy yet brooding guitar driven tracks. They followed up in 2005 with SENS an album with a little more depth and variety in the song writing, but the hooks weren’t as strong. The band released a two song EP entitled Crestfallen on iTunes in September of 2006 and appears to have been taking a break since then. Their Myspace page has been dormant for a while, so it’s hard to tell what their up to. Meanwhile, rock out to this song from Prologue.

The Evan Anthem - "Good Night, Good Fight"

Watashi Wa - "10 Years and Separating States" (2006)

Watashi Wa was an indie band from California fronted by Seth Roberts. Their name is Japanese for “I Am,” as in the name God uses to refer to Himself in the Bible. They released a couple albums before signing with Tooth & Nail Records in 2003 and releasing their most notable album The Love of Life. The band announced they were breaking up in the summer of 2004, but Roberts’ new project Eager Seas, would be putting out an album on Tooth & Nail. Eager Seas was supposed to decidedly different from Watashi Wa, with a more organic and acoustic sound. The album was to be titled People Like People and had a few set release dates but kept getting postponed. At one point there was even an ad in Alternative Press magazine with the album artwork and a release date, but it never happened. Apparently Tooth & Nail figured that Watashi Wa owed them another album and they decided to release the album with the title being Eager Seas and the artist being Watashi Wa. I’m sure there were lots of legal issues involved that I’m not aware of and don’t understand, but I think this just proves that even indie labels can sometimes be difficult. In any event, Eager Seas was finally released in January of 2006, without much of a marketing push from the label. The songs on the album are some of the best Roberts has written and they incorporate a lot of acoustic guitar and piano not found on previous Watashi Wa records. My favorite is probably today’s song, which is also the album opener. Since the name and title fiasco, Roberts has amicably parted ways with Tooth & Nail and has formed a new band called Lakes. This was reportedly to distance himself from any name confusion that might occur. Lakes has released an EP entitled Photographs via The Militia Group. You can hear songs from it on their Myspace page.


Watashi Wa - "10 Years and Separating States"

Filmmaker - "Breathing Room" (2002)

Filmmaker is a Canadian indie/emo/rock band that formed in 2000. After releasing an EP entitled Break This Fall in 2001, the band came out with their full-length debut An Invitation To An Accident in 2002. Today’s song is one that was in heavy rotation when I first started working at KXUL as a freshman in college in late 2002. I couldn’t get enough of this song then and I still think it’s great. The sound is reminiscent of early Jimmy Eat World and The Juliana Theory. I love how this song has distinct parts that are almost like mini-hooks within the song. This is the only song I ever heard from Invitation and apparently the band hasn’t released another record since then. The do have a Myspace page and it looks like they aren’t completely inactive, so keep your ears open.


Filmmaker - "Breathing Room"

Relient K - "I Celebrate the Day" (2003)

Relient K is one of the most original pop punk bands out today. I know that may sound like an oxymoron and yes they’re not that much different than a lot of bands but what really sets them apart is the songwriting ability of Matthew Thiessen. He always delivers some of the most hilarious and clever lyrics you’ve ever heard, with great melodies to boot. Despite the band’s mainstream success Thiessen has never been afraid to wear his faith on his sleeve and that can be heard on today’s song from the recently released Christmas album Let It Snow Baby…Let It Reindeer. This song, along with nine others from the album were originally released in 2003 under the name of Deck the Halls, Bruise Your Hand, a bonus disc packaged with special editions of their third album Two Lefts Don’t Make a Right…But Three Do. (Did I also mention they have a knack for extremely long titles?) Let It Snow features those songs as well as six new ones, making for an excellent Christmas album featuring unique takes on classics like “12 Days of Christmas” and “Sleigh Ride,” as well as great originals like “Santa Claus Is Thumbing To Town” and “Merry Christmas, Here’s To Many More.” The standout track has to be today’s song however. Thiessen opens his heart to Jesus, thanking Him for humbling Himself as a human and dying so that we may live. So as you celebrate today remember the reason that Jesus came to Earth and thank God for the most amazing gift ever. Merry Christmas.


Relient K - "I Celebrate the Day"

Trans-Siberian Orchestra - "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24" (1996)

You’ve probably heard of Trans-Siberian Orchestra by now. They’ve been making music for the past decade that can be described as orchestral heavy metal if you will. The band puts a rocking touch on some Christmas classics, mostly in the form of instrumentals. Their first album was 1996’s Christmas Eve and Other Stories, followed in 1998 by The Christmas Attic. In 2000 the band released their first non-Christmas record entitled Beethoven’s Last Night. They wrapped up their “Christmas trilogy” in 2004 with The Lost Christmas Eve. All three Christmas albums and a live DVD can be purchased in this package for a very fair price. I’ve had more than one person tell that their live show is phenomenal and not to be missed so I’m going to have to check that out for sure hopefully next year. For now, enjoy this song from Christmas Eve and Other Stories.


Trans-Siberian Orchestra - "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24"

Sleeping At Last - "What Child Is This" (2005)

Sleeping At Last is a cool indie band from Chicago. They broke onto the scene in 2003 with their major label debut Ghosts. The album is full of great atmospheric rock accompanied by the stellar voice of singer Ryan O’Neal. The band has since parted ways with Interscope Records and they released their third album Keep No Score in 2006. In late 2005 they released the Ghosts of Christmas Past EP which featured two b-sides from the Ghosts sessions as well as two Christmas songs. Along with “O Holy Night” there is also today’s song, an excellent version of “What Child Is This.” This has always been one of my favorite Christmas hymns. The melody is timeless and the lyrics are outstanding, reminding us that Jesus is the reason for Christmas.


Sleeping At Last - "What Child Is This"

MC Lars - "Gary the Green-Nosed Reindeer" (2006)

As I’ve said before, MC Lars is a rapper like no other. A purveyor of what he calls “post-punk laptop rap,” Lars always has fresh and hilarious rhymes. His latest album The Graduate came out in 2006 and he has since released two iTunes only singles. He’s working on another album that should be out next year. Today’s song is another one from A Santa Cause 2. “Gary the Green-Nosed Reindeer” is the tale of Rudolph’s illegitimate half brother who must save Christmas after Rudolph is kidnapped by Osama Bin Laden. It’s as hilarious as it sounds.


MC Lars - "Gary the Green-Nosed Reindeer"

Fountains of Wayne - "I Want An Alien for Christmas" (1997)

Fountains of Wayne are power pop geniuses. Every song they write is very clever and they always get stuck in your head. They’ve released four full length albums, most recently Traffic and Weather which came out earlier this year. Their biggest success was the hit “Stacy’s Mom” which was inescapable in the summer of 2003, and not without cause. It was a great tune and turned a lot of people onto the band. Today’s Christmas song was originally released as a single in 1997 and later resurfaced on the band’s 2005 rarities compilation Out of State Plates. Check it out and I think you’ll agree that an alien would indeed make a great Christmas present this year.


Fountains of Wayne - "I Want An Alien for Christmas"

Death Cab for Cutie - "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" (2004) & Anberlin - "Baby Please Come Home" (2005)

Death Cab for Cutie and Anberlin are two of my favorite bands. Stylistically they are quite different, but equally excellent. The reason I’m featuring both bands is because they both recorded cover versions of the classic “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).” Death Cab’s version appeared on the 2004 compilation Maybe This Christmas Tree, the third installment of the Maybe This Christmas series. A year later, Anberlin came out with their version as part of Tooth & Nail’s Happy Christmas Vol. 4. I couldn’t just pick one version because each is great in its own way. Both bands add their touches to it and make it their own. It’s a great song and two is better than one, so enjoy.


Death Cab for Cutie - "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)"


Anberlin - "Baby Please Come Home"

The Format - "Holly Jolly Christmas" (2006)

I featured The Format in my first post. They’re one of the best indie bands out today. They write very catchy songs and have released two great albums, that you should definitely check out. In keeping with the Christmas theme, today’s song comes from the second installment of the A Santa Cause compilation series. They put their stamp on this Christmas classic while keeping the charm of the original.

The Format - "Holly Jolly Christmas"

Something Corporate - "Forget December" (2003)

Something Corporate is a great piano driven rock band from California. They’ve been a big name on the indie/emo scene since signing to Drive Thru Records in 2001. They’ve since released two albums and an EP, most notably 2003’s North. The band has been on hiatus since 2004. In 2005 Andrew McMahon’s side project Jack’s Mannequin released their debut Everything In Transit to much critical acclaim and a good deal of commercial success. Today’s seasonal song originally appeared on their Japanese only rarities album Songs for Silent Movies. It was later released on the compilation A Santa Cause: It’s a Punk Rock Christmas. It’s not really a Christmas song, but definitely a December song. Something Corporate are still inactive and McMahon is planning the release of the second Jack’s Mannequin album due out some time next year.


Something Corporate - "Forget December"

Mew - "Apocalypso" (2005)

Mew is an indie rock band from Denmark. They’ve released four albums since 1997, the latest of which being …And the Glass Handed Kites, which came out in their homeland in 2005 but didn’t see a U.S. release until 2006. Lead singer Jonas Bjerre has a very distinctive voice that is quite high, even sounding a little like a woman at times. Today’s song is one of the coolest from Kites. The band are currently in the studio working on a new album.


Mew - "Apocalypso"

Tony Lucca - "Devil Town" & Jose Gonzalez - "Storm" (2007)

I recently watched the entire first season of Friday Night Lights on DVD. The show is definitely one of the best on television. While it is a small screen adaptation of the the 2004 movie of the same name, the television version has some small differences. It is set I the present day, no the 80s like the movie. It’s also set in the fictional town of Dillon, Texas rather than Odessa like the movie. While it is based on football, the show is so much more than that. It’s really a pretty honest look at small town life and the things that normal people go through everyday. It’s a very character driven show and the entire cast is excellent. In addition to that, the show also boasts an impressive soundtrack. Sometimes the music in a scene is just as important as the dialogue and FNL does a great job of getting it right every time. The show has lots of score music provided by Explosions In the Sky, who also scored the movie. The CD soundtrack for the show was released this past summer and includes great artists like The Killers, Spoon and Whiskeytown. I wanted to feature a song from the show, but I couldn’t decide which one, so I went with two. The first is from Tony Lucca and is actually a cover of a song by singer/songwriter Daniel Johnston. The original “Devil Town” had no instrumentation. Lucca’s version however has some great guitar work that is somewhat like the Bright Eyes version of the song, but I think this one is better. The next tune comes from Jose Gonzalez, a great singer/songwriter from Sweden. “Storm” is a very cool acoustic track that set the tone nicely in a pivotal scene late in the first season of FNL. This soundtrack is definitely worth it and I recommend checking out the show on DVD.


Tony Lucca - "Devil Town"


Jose Gonzalez - "Storm"

Augustana - "Bullets" (2005)

Augustana is a rock band based in California that formed when the members were in college in Illinois. Their debut album All the Stars and Boulevards was released in September of 2005, though it was a few months later that they started seeing radio play for the first single “Boston.” “Boston” is a really catchy piano driven that could be considered the ballad of the album. Its success was really not surprising given how Augustana’s label mates The Fray exploded in 2006 with “How To Save a Life.” The piano rock niche had gone mainstream. Other standouts on All the Stars and Boulevards include the title track and today’s song. In fact the first five tracks are stellar but the album lags a little toward the end. Augustana’s sound is somewhat influenced by late 90s radio rock such as Goo Goo Dolls and The Wallflowers. That’s not a bad thing at all, and these guys pull it off well. Their sophomore album, Can’t Love, Can’t Hurt, should be out in 2008.


Augustana - "Bullets"

Space Cadet - "The Letdown" (2007)

Space Cadet is one of the best rock bands you’ve never heard. They’ve made their name in the Dallas scene after forming in nearby Denton and have just released their third album for Kirtland Records. I was first introduced to Space Cadet back in 2003 while working at KXUL. We were playing a few tracks from their ironically titled debut Greatest Hits. The songs were very catchy, clever and just really rocked. Something that really stands out about this band is singer Ted Levin’s great voice, which is distinctive enough to separate themselves from other sound-alike rock acts out right now. The band followed up Greatest Hits with the even better Debutante in 2005. When that album came out I got the chance to have the band in studio and interview them. We were also treated to some excellent acoustic performances. In addition to being great live, the guys are also really nice and down to earth. Now Space Cadet has released their third album Closest Thing To Closure which just hit stores this past Tuesday. I’ve yet to hear the entire thing, but I did get my hands on some advance tracks because I know people. Today’s track is my favorite of the ones I’ve heard. The melody is great and the riff is outstanding as well. There’s no reason this shouldn’t be on the radio all over the country. It’s probably just a matter of time before everyone realizes how good this band is, but now you can say you heard them first.


Space Cadet - "The Letdown"

Jars of Clay - "Peace Is Here" (2007)

Jars of Clay made their first foray into Christmas music with their 1995 Drummer Boy EP which featured their rendition of the classic Christmas tune “Little Drummer Boy.” Also included was an equally well performed version of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.” Over the years, the band has recorded more Christmas music for various compilations and even recorded a Christmas jingle for Coca-Cola in the late 90s. Now they have released a full length entitled (what else?) Christmas Songs. All 14 tracks on the album are new recordings, so nothing has been recycled. The new versions of “Drummer Boy” and “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” are even better than their predecessors. Also included are some Christmas classics such as “Wonderful Christmastime,” “Christmastime is Here” and a very cool reinterpretation of “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” The rest of the tracks are all originals that are well executed. “Love Came Down at Christmas” is particularly enjoyable as is today’s song “Peace Is Here.” This is definitely an album you should add to your Christmas collection and enjoy for many Christmases to come.


Jars of Clay - "Peace Is Here"

Idlewild - "No Emotion" (2007)

I featured Idlewild in a previous post and I mentioned how they are one of the most overlooked and underrated bands from the UK. Hailing from Scotland, the band has recorded five excellent studio albums, the latest of which is Make Another World, released earlier this year. On this album Idlewild returns to a more guitar driven rock sound, leaving behind the folk tendencies found on 2005’s Warnings/Promises. This may be due to the fact that singer/songwriter Roddy Woomble’s recently released solo album My Secret Is My Silence was heavily folk influenced. Perhaps he got it all out on that record. In any event Make Another World is a far more rocking affair. “If It Takes You Home” is a fast paced two minute jam that recalls their hit “A Modern Way of Letting Go” from the 2002 album The Remote Part. Today’s song was the lead single and is probably the catchiest on the record. In fact it’s downright danceable. This song is also included on the new greatest hits album Scottish Fiction: Best of 1997-2007, which spans the band’s entire career and contains great cuts from all of their albums. Idlewild never disappoint and hopefully we’ll see another greatest hits record after ten more years of stellar albums.


Idlewild - "No Emotion"

Project 86 - "Put Your Lips To the TV" (2007)

Project 86 is a band that has been in the rock scene since 1998, releasing their first two albums on BEC Recordings, a sub-label of Tooth & Nail Records. The band’s popularity grew and they eventually signed with Atlantic Records, which released their third album Truthless Heroes. That album was considered by some fans to be quite different from their previous work. Of course, like so many indie bands that sign to major labels, Project 86 had problems with the label and fought to free themselves from their contract. After doing so, they independently released Songs To Burn Your Bridges By. Fans saw it as somewhat of a return to form for the band. The band resigned with Tooth & Nail and the album was given a full release with new artwork and a video for lead single “The Spy Hunter.” I had always been aware of Project 86 but I kind of assumed they were really heavy screaming metal, which I wasn’t always into. To a certain degree, they are really heavy screaming metal, but there is also some melody thrown in and Andrew Schwab’s lyrics are always pretty good. I really took notice of them more after hearing “My Will Be a Dead Man” from their 2005 album …And the Rest Will Follow. You can check out the video here, it’s equally as awesome as the song. That tune has a really raw hard rock feel that just makes you want to rock out along with them. My interest was piqued for what they would do next. Earlier this year Project 86 released their sixth album entitled Rival Factions. The first thing I noticed after listening to the new tracks on their Myspace was that there was more focus on melody than before. The songs still rock really hard, but you can sing along rather than scream along. Today’s song was one of the first two that I heard from the album, the other being “Evil (A Chorus of Resistance).” You can check out that video here. That’s an excellent first single, but my favorite on the record has to be “Put Your Lips To the TV.” As the title implies, this is the ultimate kiss off song. The riff is great and I love the piano at the beginning as well. The band recently released The Kane Mutiny EP only on iTunes. It features two b-sides from Rival Factions, a cover and two remixes of older songs as well as the video for “Evil,” all of which is a steal for under five bucks and you should check it out.


Project 86 - "Put Your Lips To the TV"

Gratitude - "Feel Alright" (2005)

Gratitude was the latest full band project of Jonah Matranga, a man who has worn many musical hats. Most notably, Matranga fronted the band Far in the mid 90s. After they broke up, Matranga began releasing material under the name onelinedrawing. After that he fronted another band called New End Original. In 2004 he released his final album as onelinedrawing entitled The Volunteers. The album featured the excellent single “We Had a Deal.” In late 2004 Gratitude released their first EP entitled Your Invited, a preview of tracks that would be featured on their 2005 self-titled debut. The album proved to be a great rock record. From the first notes of the lead single “Drive Away” Gratitude had the listener hooked. This band was much more rock oriented and more accessible than Matranga’s solo work. Unfortunately, they could apparently only stand each other for so long and the band split before the end of 2005. Matranga is currently writing and recording and recently released an album under his own name entitled And. Today’s song is the most rocking one from Gratitude and it really makes me wish they had stuck it out for at least one more record.


Gratitude - "Feel Alright"

Gomez - "Notice" (2006)

Gomez is a band I wasn’t very familiar with until I heard “Silence” from their 2004 album Split the Difference. That song sounded like a lot of other indie bands coming from England at the time. I didn’t realize that Spilt the Difference was actually their fourth album since 1998. I dug that song, but didn’t look into them too much more. In 2006 they released their fifth album How We Operate. I was expecting more of the same from this record, but what I heard had much more of an alt-country influence. “See the World” was one example of this. My favorite song has to be the lead track “Notice” which starts with a nice little acoustic riff and slowly builds throughout the song, coming in with a full band and almost rocking out the end.


Gomez - "Notice"

American Hi-Fi - "Another Perfect Day" (2001)

American Hi-Fi are a pop-punk band that came along just before pop-punk blew up earlier this decade. They’re best known for the first single “Flavor of the Weak” from their 2001 self-titled debut. That song is outstanding and is the perfect example of a pop-punk hit. It was enough to get me interested and after hearing a few more songs I bought the album and listened to over and over again that summer. It’s just an extremely catchy record. There were several tracks that could have been hits, but nothing was as big as “Flavor of the Weak.” I was anticipating the release of the sophomore album The Art of Losing in 2003 but was slightly disappointed with what I heard. The title track was also the lead single and while it was catchy, it was much rawer and not really as good as anything on American Hi-Fi. Not to mention they drop the f-bomb in the chorus. The rest of the album was not much better. In 2005 the band came out with their third record Hearts On Parade. It seemed promising because the lead single, “The Geeks Get the Girls” was quite catchy and more along the lines of their first album. However, the band didn’t see great success with Hearts. “Geeks” was used as the theme song for the WB/CW reality show Beauty and the Geek. The band are still together and are supposedly recording a fourth album possibly due out next year. Today’s song was one of my favorites from their self-titled release. It’s kind of a power ballad, moving from an acoustic guitar to a massive ending all with great lyrics and vocals of front man Stacy Jones.


American Hi-Fi - "Another Perfect Day"

Guster - "Donde Esta Santa Claus?" (2003)

You’ve probably heard of Guster before. They’ve released five albums since 1994, gaining some popularity from singles like “Airport Song” from 1997’s Goldfly and more notably “Barrel of a Gun” from the 1999 album Lost and Gone Forever. They gained a lot of new attention in 2003 after releasing their fourth record Keep It Together which featured the incredibly catchy singles “Amsterdam” and “Careful.” 2006 saw the relase of their latest album Ganging Up On the Sun and the excellent single “One Man Wrecking Machine.” Today’s song is a fun little Christmas tune that originally appeared the compilation Maybe This Christmas Too, which is the second disc in the Maybe This Christmas series which also features Maybe This Christmas and Maybe This Christmas Tree. All three comps have some great tracks and I’ll give you a sampling of the other two later this month. According to allmusic.com, this song was first recording in 1990 by a band (or solo artist?) called Augie Rios. I haven’t heard that version, but it’s probably not as good as Guster’s. This is just a fun track to add to your Christmas rotation.


Guster - "Donde Esta Santa Claus?"

The Stills - "Still In Love Song" (2003)

The Stills are an indie rock band from Canada who released their first album in 2003. Logic Will Break Your Heart was full of great indie tunes reminiscent of Interpol with a little Smiths and Joy Division thrown in as well. “Still In Love Song” was the first single from the record and was the first one I heard when I saw the video, which features the band performing the song in super slow motion. The second single they released was the album opener “Lola Stars and Stripes” which was not as catchy, but had a good guitar line. In 2006 the band released the long awaited follow up album entitled Without Feathers. That record was quite a departure from Logic, with drummer Dave Hamelin now playing guitar and singing lead on a few songs. They also added organ and other keys to the songs that gave them a more rootsy feel. I think they had a good thing going and shouldn’t have changed direction, so here’s to hoping they put out another song as good as this one.


The Stills - "Still In Love Song"

Paramore - "Let the Flames Begin" (2007)

Paramore are one of those bands that people might consider a guilty pleasure. Their music is pop-punk to be sure, but it’s really good and also consider that the average age of the band is only about 20. Singer Hayley Williams is only 18, but has a powerful voice beyond her years that grabs your attention. The band released their first album All We Know Is Falling back in 2005 and it’s safe to say that no other band of teenagers in country would even come close to that record. The album produced minor hits in the form of “Pressure” and “Emergency,” which put the band on the map and had everyone anticipating the follow up. Earlier this year Paramore released Riot! a collection of eleven great tracks that showcase the band’s maturing musical skills and Williams’ killer voice. The band sound more confident in their ability throughout the record. You’ve probably heard lead single “Misery Business” by now. It’s a perfect example of how to write a three minute pop gem. It’s has a great guitar riff and an instantly singable chorus. The entire album is full of great songs but today’s is one of my favorites. The guitar lick is memorable and the chorus is awesome. Some people may consider Paramore low on the credibility scale, but I think they’ve proven they’re more than a flash in the pan on Riot! Even if Paramore doesn’t last forever, Williams could probably go the Gwen Stefani route and have a successful solo career. In the words of Wayne Campbell: "This chick can wail."


Paramore - "Let the Flames Begin"

Cave In - "Inspire" (2003)

Cave In is a rock band that began in the metalcore scene. I’m not too familiar with metalcore, but I imagine it’s exactly what it sounds like: very heavy, scream-filled rock music. The first time I heard Cave In however, I did not hear their metalcore side. What I heard was heavy but also very spacey and atmospheric, with great melodies to boot, not something indicative of a metalcore band. The song was “Come Into Your Own” from their 2002 EP Tides of Tomorrow. I dug the song and when I first heard their 2003 album Antenna, I was even more intrigued. I bought Antenna after hearing a few songs I was quite pleased. The album has a huge feel, some insane guitar work and a few lengthy jams. You may remember that the video for lead single “Anchor” was played quite a bit on MTV2. That was one of my two favorites on the record, the other being today’s song. “Inspire” has some great riffs and a huge chorus. I was surprised to read in some magazine articles that many fans of Cave In’s previous work were not impressed with Antenna. It seems that it was too great a departure from what they had done in the past. I loved the record and thought they should make more like it. In 2005, Cave In released their fifth album Perfect Pitch Black. I’ve heard from a friend who bought the album that it was a return to their roots, with maybe only one song coming close to the greatness of Antenna. I was disappointed to hear this, but I guess Cave In were making the kind of music they wanted to. Last year the band announced their indefinite hiatus. They may not come back, but if they do I’ll be listening and hoping they put out another record like Antenna.


Cave In - "Inspire"

Anberlin - "The Haunting" (2007)

As I’ve said before, Anberlin is one of my favorite bands of the past few years. They make excellent rock music that is melodic, heavy and thought provoking all at once. Their third record Cities came out back in February and is still in my top ten for album of the year. The band recently signed with Universal Republic, a major label. The just released Lost Songs, a collection of b-sides and rarities on Tooth & Nail Records. My guess is they owed Tooth & Nail one more album, so this was put together to meet contractual obligations. Whatever the case, we now have every nearly every non-album track that Anberlin has ever recorded in one place. Now I already had most of these songs from one place or another, as some of them have appeared on compilations or have been released online. There are some new gems though, such as great acoustic versions of “Cadence,” “Dismantle.Repair.,” and “Naïve Orleans.” Also included is their set from AOL’s Sessions Under Cover, in which they covered the Radiohead classic “Creep.” Today’s song was previously released as part of the “Godspeed” EP last year on iTunes. In the liner notes, singer Stephen Christian reveals that this is the first song he ever wrote all the way through, even before Anberlin had formed. He said it stayed shelved because is didn’t think it sounded like Anberlin. In my opinion it’s one of their best songs ever. Lyrically it’s great, and I love the slow building pace of the song. It probably should have been on Cities, but got left off for one reason or another. Lost Songs is a must for any fan and I can’t wait to see what these guys will come up with on their fourth album, due out hopefully next year.


Anberlin - "The Haunting"