The Inevitable Best Of List

Every single blog every single year does a Best of list for the year. Even though I just started this blog, I am going to give my opinion on the best albums (including b-side collections and EPs).

Top 10 Albums Of the Year:

10. Bullets To Broadway - Drink Positive: I knew this E.P. was going to be amazing after I heard that two members of now the now defunt pop punk outfit Teen Idols were in this band. Like Teen Idols, Bullets To Broadway use dual male and female vocals making a sound that some may find annoying but that I think makes them stand out from the generic pop punk that has been coming out lately.

9. Paint It Black - Paradise: Paint It Black will always be tagged as "those guys from Kid Dynamite's new band". This album, though not as flowing as their debut CVA, should help them break that. Initially, I wasn't too impressed by this album but after seeing the band play live twice and hearing many of the songs off the album played live, I realized how good an album this was. Hopefully their next album will be a mix of this album's melody and CVA's fluidity.

8. The Loved Ones - S/T E.P.: The Loved Ones are one of the few bands I try to see every time they come to New York. The band which is made up of members of hardcore bands, made a suprisingly good pop punk album that flows great and has songs that get stuck in my head for days (in a good way). They always put on a great live show even if it is in front of five people with no P.A. and are some of the nicest guys I have met. I can't wait until their full length comes out this winter. It will probably be one of the best releases of 2006.

7. The Evens - S/T: Ian MacKaye is back in a new band with his wife. The duo may get bundled in with the several bassless bands around today like The White Stripes and Sleater-Kinney even though their sound differs from both those bands. Their garage-rock like sound and alternating of their voices makes the album flow well. I pray that this band will last longer than Minor Threat did.

6. Latterman - No Matter Where We Go...!: Oh man, this album is amazing and a great filler for the hole left in my heart after the great Long Island band Bottle Rocket broke up. I guess this would be considered post hardcore and an amazing post hardcore album it is. Every single song on this album is great and I can barely formulate the words to explain the greatness of this album. I just wish it was a bit longer.

5. Common Rider - Against All Authority/Common Rider Split: I gotta say, even though I love Against All Authority, their contributions to this split was extremely disapointing. Common Rider's tracks on the other hand were amazing for b-sides. "Where The Waves Are Highests" was a great start and the rest of the songs help keep the entire split from being a complete disapointment. I really wished that Common Rider would have just released a b-sides/rarities album with these tracks. It would have been a lot better than Against All Authority tracks.

4. Smoke Or Fire - Above the City: When I first heard this album I was blown away. My first thoughts were "Fat Wreck Chords released an album that wasn't skate punk?" I was impressed by the debut album from this band. The songs are very original for what is being produced today and I really think this band is going to go extremely far.

3. Underminded - Hail Unamerican!: The only good metalcore band ever.

2. The Epoxies - Stop The Future: First off I have to say that 1. The Epoxies are the best live band ever and 2. I am in love with Roxy. The Epoxies are definatly one the best bands around right now and their latest album confirmed it for me. It is more melodic than their debut and seems to flow better. Most of the songs off this album are extremely catch and fun to sing along to. Everyone must pick up this album right now.

1. The Soviettes - LPIII: Oh man, oh man. This band is too good for words. I adored both LP and LPII and LPIII just blew me out of the water. All of the songs are amazing. They kept the winning formula from the old albums but the news are just the perfect mix of the slower love songs ("Thinking Of You") to the fast political songs ("Paranoia Cha Cha Cha!").

Great albums that came out in 2004 that I didn't hear until 2005:

Even In Blackouts - Zeitgeist's Echo: This band has so much talent and is extremely original next to all those emo/screamo bands that have been releasing albums by the hour this past year. Songs like "Heaven" and "If..." show matured writing from the first album and great melodies and lyrics. Everyone should pick up this album even if you don't like acoustic music or female vocals.

The Aquabats - Myths, Legends And Other Amazing Adventures, Vol. 2: Just because of the song "Pizza Day".

World/Inferno Friendship Society - Speak Of Brave Men: This band is the only band that can get away with releasing a 3 song E.P. for $12.00 (I didn't pay that much for it but I know some people that did). Every single penny is worth how amazing this album is.