The Best Records of 2010 Part Two

10. 'The Dissent of Man' by Bad Religion (Released on 28/9/2010 by Epitaph Records. BUY IT at Amazon!)

Many folks would tell you that the Sex Pistols created the definitive punk album with their one album, and in burning out after a few short years together created the archetype for all punk bands to follow. Not so. Bad Religion have just celebrated their 30th year as a band with the release of their 15th (!) album The Dissent of Man. Although the members of this iconic band are closer to retirement than they are to their teens, you would never know from listening to this, as their output remains as angry and blisteringly fast as it ever had been. Ever since Brett Gurewitz rejoined the band for 2002's The Process of Belief, Bad Religion have been unstoppable with each release hailed as worthy of sitting alongside classics like No Control or Suffer. Certainly with tunes like 'The Resist Stance' and 'The Devil In Stitches', The Dissent of Man up there with Process.. and The Empire Strikes First. Another fine effort to add to their arsenal, and whilst they might not go another thrity years, the fact that they are still putting out records of this quality is testament to what a fantastic band they are.

Watch an Epitaph Records preview video for 'The Devil In Stitches', from the album The Dissent of Man


Epitaph Records' Music player, loaded with three tracks from The Dissent of Man


9. 'Hurley' by Weezer (Released on 10/9/2010 by Epitaph Records. BUY IT at Amazon!)

Yes, really. If you can listen to this album and not think it's their best work since Green or maybe even Pinkerton then... well, clearly you and I have differing opinions on the quality of Weezer's work. I have quite a high tolerance for bad Weezer. I enjoyed Red and Raditude (although even I baulked a bit at most of Make Believe), but crucially, I can tell the difference between bad Weezer and good Weezer. This is definitely good Weezer. One thing Weezer have done in recent years, 'Beverly Hills' aside, is release killer singles. 'Memories' takes up this baton as well as opening up the album and reviews Weezer's 16 year career. It sets up the rest of the album nicely, 'Ruling Me' is typical sunny Weezer pop rock, laden with hooks. 'Trainwrecks' is one of my favourite songs by the band ever, it's chugging guitars and rocksteady beats recalling 'Hash Pipe' whilst its lyrics will speak to everymen everywhere. 'Where's My Sex' is one of the more ridiculous Weezer songs ever written but it works, with a neat little change of tempo midway through keeping things interesting. Closer time flies is another top notch tune, pounding kick drums underpin a sweet, almost twee pop tune whilst Rivers Cuomo laments the passing of time whilst looking forward to what might lie ahead. If you dismissed Weezer many years ago, please reconsider. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Watch the official video for 'Memories', from the album Hurley


8. 'Icons' by None More Black (Released on 26/10/10 on Fat Wreck Chords. BUY IT at Amazon!)

I'm so glad that None More Black are back. All of their sings are just ridiculously catchy, absolutely loaded with melody, but still definitely punk as fuck. This is their first release since 2006's This Is Satire. I was going to say that it is exactly what we've come to expect from Jason Schevchuk and co. but that's not quite fair because, to my ears at least, it sounds a tad different to previous releases. It's almost as if they've taken the standard NMB formula (I didn't want to use that word since it must be quite insulting to a songwriter as it implies that their work is formulaic, but whatever, Tervor) and given it a little twist. I've long been a fan of NMB's because nobody does punk rock like them, no one out there sounds like them, and that is a very good thing. Schevchuk's intensely personal lyrics and some of the strangest punk riffs you'll ever hear combine to make this album a killer. Don't get me wrong, it's still very recognisably a punk rock record, it's not reinventing the wheel or anything but I think they put some new wheel trims on that wheel because they look kind of cool. Anyway, get this record. It's good. Yup.

Watch a not very official video for 'Mr. Artistic from Icons.


Fat Wreck Chords' page for Icons, with links to MP3 downloads of 'I'm Warning You With Peace & Love' and 'Iron Mouth Act'.

7. 'We Chase The Waves' by Sundowner (Released on 10/8/10 on Asian Man Records. BUY IT at Amazon!)

With the Lawrence Arms happy to take things at a relaxed and casual speed these days, it's been left increasingly to their solo projects to ensure that we get our fix our of Messrs McCaughan, Kelly and Hennessy. This is Chris McCaughan's second outing as Sundowner, following on from 2007's Four One Five Two, and it's noticable how much more accomplished this record is. Whereas his previous release was supplemented by a couple of Larry Arms tracks, and as a result didn't feel quite like a stand alone work, We Chase The Waves is very much a different project in it's own right. Thematically, it's not to different from what you find Chris writing and singing about on Lawrence Arms releases, mixing a whistful world weariness with cautious optimism, and musically they could all be worked into full band tracks, but the fact that McCaughan hasn't felt the need to prop his new material up with different versions of his previous work speaks volumes for his confidence in this material. Bare, but never desolate, stripped back but still fully realised, these songs will do very nicely for me until my favourite Chicago three piece reconvenes in a studio somewhere over the pond to lay down some new jams. Just don't leave it too long, please.

Watch the official video for 'In The Flicker', from the album We Chase The Waves.


6. 'Real Ghosts Caught On Tape' by Fake Problems (Released on 21/9/10 on Side One Dummy Records. BUY IT at Amazon!)

In the past, I would have probably described Fake Problems as a punk rock or folk punk band, and that would've been completely wrong and unfair on them. Listening to back to their body of work, it's clear to me that they could never be contained by one genre or sub-genre. Real Ghosts... just goes to prove that point further, and continues their journey through genre after genre. Recorded with Ted Hutt, who has also produced luminaries such as The Gaslight Anthem and The Bouncing Souls, Real Ghosts... is the follow up to last year's #1 record It's Great To Be Alive, and it sees the band smoothing off some of their rougher edges and probably alienating quite a lot of their fan base. I think of this record as some kind of soul/pop/60s girl group/punk monster, and it takes its cues from all over the place. Chris Farren's voice isn't constantly pushed to throat shredding levels as it has been in the past, and the tunes are clearly a lot more poilshed than before, with some of the melodrama stripped away. Fake Problems have signalled their intent with this record to continue pushing the boundaries. I'm up for the journey and with songs this good, I'm sure many others will be too. Just don't expect a punk rock record.

Watch the official video for 'Soulless', from the album Real Ghosts Caught On Tape.


5. 'I Was Trying To Describe You To Someone' by Crime In Stereo (Released on 23/2/2010 on Bridge Nine Records. BUY IT at Amazon!)

This is what punk rock should be about. Bold, adventurous, uninhibited, visceral, viscious and agressive as fuck. Continuing to push the boundaries of what can be considered hardcore, with this, their fourth release, Crime In Stereo created a real monster. Songs jump genres from one verse to the chorus, making for a really exciting listen. I've never been terribly interested in conventional hardcore, which is sometimes a bit one dimensional for my liking but I Was Trying... is as far from one dimensional as you can get. Inevitably, it has attracted some criticism from hardcore fans, with some even suggesting that Crime In Stereo had sold out their fans by changing their sound so radically. To that, I can only say, well... fuck off then. That's about as eloquent as I can be. If you want to listen to music that never ever, ever changes and constantly serves up the same thing, listen to The Offspring constantly or The Ramones. This is the thing that gets me with punks. They moan so much when bands dare to push their music in new directions or make choices they disagree. That flies completely in the face of what I think of as punk, which should be challenging and adventurous, and to paraphrase Joe Strummer, Crime In Stereo were never your toys to begin with. This record is a grower, so put the effort in and you'll be richly rewarded. If you're a fan of melodic hardcore, you should get this. If you're not, you should get this. Essential. This album broke new boundaries for hardcore, and then the band broke up. That is strangely fitting.

Watch the official video for 'I Am Everything I Am Not', from the album I Was Trying To Describe You To Someone.


4. 'In Desolation' by Off With Their Heads (Released on 8/7/10 on Epitaph Records. BUY IT at Amazon!)

Off With Their Heads is weird. There. I said it. Right off the bat. They are the weirdest band. But the thing that makes them weird is also the thing that makes them great. If you were just to read their lyrics without knowing what type of music they played you'd think that they were a miserable, depressing, mopey shoegaze band but couple their lyrics with the devestatingly simple but well crafted punk rock tunes and they take on a completely different dimension and somehow the lyrics aren't so downbeat. They become almost a celebration of the fucked up world we live in and the mundane crap that we have to live with. I've only seen Off With Their Heads live once, but it wasn't a depressing affair at all, it was riotous and fun (and very, very LOUD) and that speaks volumes for their prowess as a band. And so onto the record. In Desolation is Off With Their Heads second full length proper, following on from 2008's From The Bottom, and a glut of 7 inches released over their 8 year span as a band. It is also their debut for Epitaph, that onetime punk rock powerhouse label that has latterly been releasing all manner of long fringed rubbish. Hopefully, In Desolation will see the label head back to its roots. Lasting just over half an hour, this album is 12 tracks of almost triumphant self-loathing. With tunes like 'Drive', 'Their Own Medicine', 'All I Can Do' and 'Clear The Air', this album is so catchy you'll need a vaccine to get this record off heavy rotation.

Watch the official video for 'Drive', from the album In Desolation.


Epitaph Records' player loaded with three songs from In Desolation


=1. 'American Slang' by The Gaslight Anthem (Released on 15/7/10 on Side One Dummy Records. BUY IT at Amazon!)

Continuing their underdog campaign for world domination, American Slang carried on where The '59 Sound left off, pushing New Jersey's new favourite sons to even further heights. This record saw the band step out of the shadows of you-know-who (yeah, Lord Voldemort, got it in one), and really begin to plow their own furrow whilst remaining true to their roots. Lyrically, Brain Fallon is less ready to draw on the work of others for his inspiration and begins to truly craft his own identity into his band's work. Inevitably, the Gaslight Anthem will always be pegged by comparisons to Springsteen, but they're obviously keen to move past both his influence and their own past, something that is shown on 'Orphans', when Fallon sings "the clothes I wore just don't fit my soul no more" before adding "we were orphans before we were ever the sons of these songs." It is a theme that recurs throughout the record, signalled by the rousing title track and album opener 'American Slang'. Fallon seems to be addressing his past self when he sings "Look what you've started, I seem to be coming out of my skin." There is definitely a feeling of rebirth on American Slang, the band striving to rid themselves of any Springsteen revisionist tags and really become credible artists in their own right. As with most great albums, at the heart of American Slang lies conflict. So often the songs speak fondly of the post, but acknowledging that the present is never so speia-tinged and that looking to the future can be even more exciting than looking to the past. A mature, gutsy record that accomplishes what the band set out to do and will make sure that their name is writ large over marquees all over the world, without having to reference anyone else for confirmation of the greatness.

Watch the official video for 'American Slang', from the album American Slang.


=1. 'White Crosses' by Against Me! (Released on 8/7/10 on Sire Records. BUY IT at Amazon!)

Against Me! is a band that divides opinion like no other. Whenever an article appears about them on Punknews.org, the comments section is filled with clashing opinions and raised internet voices. (Check out this recent thread of comments reacting to the news that the band had left Sire to see what I mean: http://www.punknews.org/article/40752) See what I mean? It's all so boring now, isn't it? Everyone under the sun has had the same conversation about them. It's not hard to understand why they draw so much attention, affection, devotion, spite and hatred when listening to their back catalogue. Powerful punk rock jams with wordy lyrics that nailed singer/guitarist Tom Gabel's colours firmly to the mast. It's easy to see why he became a standard for people to rally behind and then a figure of fun and ridicule for others. But I'm not here to chat about a well worn topic. It's a long and difficult history and with countless opinions online about Gabel and his band, I won't get drawn into it.

Safe to say, I'm a big fan of Against Me!. I never used to be, but thankfully a couple of my friends showed me the error of my ways and now I would count them as one of my top 3 favourite bands. 2010 saw them release their fifth full length, and second for Sire/Warner, White Crosses. Clocking in at just over 35 minutes in length, White Crosses sees AM! developing the aural themes they started on 2007's excellent New Wave. Opening with the catchy pro-choice title track, the album grabs you from the word go. You can also tell immediately that the production is slicker than on anything that the band has previously released, with many fans complaining that Butch Vig's work had 'ruined' the album but, for me, the production doesn't detract from Gabel's songwriting at all. Yes, it does sound more radio friendly than Reinventing Axl Rose, but you don't get pop songs with lyrics like "7 missiles flying over the sea of japan. Tales of feral children sleeping in wolf dens. And the pious preacher commands. I hold my breath in anticipation. Into the shelter of the jungle noble savages run. Vestal virgins triumph over life long inhibitions. And I wonder, what is real? What is fiction?" as on 'High Pressure Low'. But whilst some might not feel that White Crosses isn't Against Me!'s strongest release, it might help to think of it as a transitional one, as the band seem keen to tackle their past whilst looking to the future. Musically, they have married the best poppy punk rock of the Replacements to Tom Petty, with a pinch of Springsteen in some tracks. It will be exciting to see where Against Me! head next. Having left Sire, will they cast off the supposed shackles of major label employment and head back into the realms of straight up punk rock (doubtful) or will they carry on down the path they have trodden with their last two releases? Either way, I'll be with them for the ride as will many, many others. After all, if this is, as some will have you believe, Against Me! off form just imagine what they could do if they rediscover what they have supposedly lost. As the boys themselves have told us already, even at their worst, they're better than most.

Watch the official video for 'I Was A Teenage Anarchist', from the album White Crosses.


=1. 'Chamberlain Waits' by The Menzingers (Released on 13/4/10 on Red Scare Industries. BUY IT at Amazon!)

Even before I heard Chamberlain Waits, I knew it would be good. It seemed to have gathered such an incredible weight of anticipation and expectation online, following on from their 2009 EP Hold On, Dodge, that you just knew it would be special, but I didn't really expect it to be quite this good. 'Who's Your Partner' asks that "these simple songs get caught in our heads" and they don't fail to obey. The themes of the album are typical of the genre, anger, resentment, dissatisfaction, disenfrancisement, cautious optimism, and as a result, some critics have scored the album averagely, citing that it contains nothing that hasn't already been done elsewhere. And although that might be true, if you're going to use that as a stick to beat a band with then you might as well just stop listening to music. 12 notes can only stretch so far after all. For me, it's not a problem since everything on Chamberlain Waits is done so damn well. Songs like 'I Was Born and 'Timetables' are new classics, and whilst the album isn't as rough around the edges as 2007's A Lesson inThe Abuse of Information Technology, i feel that the band has benefited from the maturation process, their lyrical themes sound more developed and muscially, they are tighter with the songs proving to be more finely crafted than before and Tom May's throaty growl is a touch more restrained and accessible. With Chamberlain Waits, the Menzingers look to have exorcised the ghosts of their pasts, and will now blaze forward into what looks to be a promising future. Expect to see these boys mentioned in the same breath as greats like Dillinger Four, The Lawrence Arms and Against Me! before too long. They are that good.

Watch the official video for 'I Was Born', from the album Chamberlain Waits.


Yeah, I know, three albums at joint #1 is a bit of a cop out but all three of them played such a large part in my 2010 that it seemed churlish to seperate them. 2010 was a really good year for music, so many great records came out, I saw so many great gigs, had some of the best nights of my life so far, it really was very good. Hopefully 2011 will come somewhere close. Thanks for reading.

Finally... The Best Records of 2010! Part One!

This took me long enough, didn't it? Read, disagree, post your own lists in the comment box!

20. 'Manimals' by VRGNS (Released on 31/8/2010 on Kiss of Death Records)

Hailing from Orlando, Florida, VRGNS don't have any vowels in their name and play orgcore punk with gruff, gravelly vocals that some people might term 'whiskey soaked' but I'm sceptical about the actual effects of whiskey on vocal chords, since I drink a fair bit of the stuff and can't sing with a gravelly voice without getting a sore throat. Each song on Manimals has solid hooks and sing along choruses, with stand out track 'No Longer Entertainment' recalling From Here To Infirmary-era Alkaline Trio, musically if not quite captruing the Trio's lyrical brilliance. One of the great things about this album is that it's available for free from Kiss of Death Records (yes, completely legally!), so I won't bang on about it too much. It clocks in at just over 25 minutes, so never outstays its welcome and is definitely worth a try.

Download Manimals here!

19. 'The Speakeasy' by Smoke Or Fire (Released on 9/11/2010 on Fat Wreck Chords. BUY IT at Amazon!)

In recent years, Fat Mike has bemoaned the decline in slaes of records put out on his Fat Wreck Chords imprint. Well, Mike, if you keep putting out records of this quality rather than whatever boring retread No Use For A Name have recorded, the good people of the world will start buying your records in vast (ok, maybe not vast, but definitely significant quantities) again. This is simply Smoke or Fire's finest release to date, although I'm sure you could find many opinions that would contend otherwise. The choruses on this record are huge, with melodies that will not leave your head for days. I've read some comments that criticise this album for its lack of hooks and I don't think that this could be any further from the truth. Highly recommended.

Fat Wreck Chords page for The Speakeasy, including links for MP3 downloads of 'Monsters Among Us' and 'Neon Light'.


18. 'Brothers' by The Black Keys (Released on 18/5/2010 on Nonesuch Records. BUY IT at Amazon!)

Brothers is my first experience of the Black Keys, which I can't quite believe as it's their sixth album. An album of classic blues rock numbers, at times raucous and hedonistic, but also moody, soulful and reflective. The Holy Trinity of songs 'Next Girl', 'Tighten Up', and 'Howlin' For You' grabbed my attention and made sure that this album has been on heavy rotation since I picked it up a few months ago. One of the great things about Brothers is the band's ability to seemingly twist different genres to fit their bluesy niche, with some songs having a real glam rock stomp to them. It helps the album to constantly feel fresh and never derivative, which is a major accomplishment considering so many of the songs rely on the music of the past for their inspiration. I'm definitely going to dig further into the Black Keys' past and look forward to their future too. This is a mean, dirty, gutsy record and one that you need if you haven't already got it.

Watch the official video for 'Tighten Up', from the album Brothers.


17. 'Cavalcade' by The Flatliners (Released on 13/4/2010 on Fat Wreck Chords. BUY IT at Amazon!)

I first became aware of the Flatliners after seeing them support NOFX at the o2 academy in Leeds in 2009, and was impressed enough that I got their two albums The Great Awake and Destroy to Create. There were good moments on each, particularly The Great Awake which showed signs that the band were looking to get away from a ska punk sound that had seen them likened to the Suicide Machines, amongst others. Cavalcade is the culmination of that process. A hulking, head banging modern punk record with only a hint at their off beat past (on 'He Was A Jazzman'), it's a hugely impressive album and affords the band a seat at the table with the Big Boys of the genre. If I have any criticisms of this album, it is purely that it's opening group of songs, particularly first track 'The Calming Collection', set a standard that the rest of the songs only just fail to meet but that really is nit picking and shouldn't distract from what is a stormer of an album. They recently had to cancel their upcoming UK tour but make sure you check them out next time they hit these shores.

Fat Wreck Chords page for Cavalcade, including links for MP3 downloads of 'Carry The Banner' and 'Monumental'


Watch the official video for 'Carry The Banner' from the album Cavalcade



16. 'The Chaos' by The Futureheads (Released on 26/4/2010 on Nul Records. BUY IT at Amazon!)


I love The Futureheads. I bought their first album in my first year of Uni when I was an awkward, weird 18 year old who was trying to get 'with it' and listen to all the cool indie bands that everyone was going mental for at the time. Now that I'm an awkward, weird 24 year old, I still love them and they're just about the only band I got in to around that time that I still have any time for. I was really looking forward to The Chaos being released and when I got my copy on the day of release (always a sign of being really excited about a record), I wasn't disappointed. Opening with the typicallty jerky and frenetic title track and singles 'Struck Dumb' and 'The Heartbeat Song', it's classic Futureheads from the get go. Replete with Mackem accents, angular guitars (whatever that means) and a finely honed pop sensibility, they continue to prove with The Chaos that they have never been about just that Kate Bush cover, and in closer 'Jupiter' they have written perhaps their best ever track. Brilliant stuff.

Watch the official video for 'I Can Do That', from the album The Chaos.



15. 'The Suburbs' by Arcade Fire (Released 2/8/10 on Mercury Records. BUY IT at Amazon!)


Simply put, this is Arcade Fire's finest album to date. Debuting at #1 in the UK album charts, it has been critically acclaimed and nominated for numerous awards. So why does it only place at #15 in my list? Well firstly, I'd like to say that being ranked at #15 does not make it one of the worst albums of the year. Remember that this is a list of the 20 best albums of the year so for it place at all is a compliment. Secondly, I'm something of a newcomer to the band. Yes, where have I been? No idea. I only got their previous two albums late last year and I first listened to this effort on the 1st of this month. I was quick to recognise that The Suburbs is a genius album and although it only places toward the bottom of my top 20, I am sure that it is a work of substantial depth and is definitely an album that I will be returning to over the coming months and years.

Watch the official video for 'Ready to Start', from the album The Suburbs.


14. 'The Monitor' by Titus Andronicus (Released 9/3/2010 on XL Recordings. BUY IT at Amazon!)


Upholding New Jersey's tradition of brilliant music, Titus Andronicus's second full length, The Monitor, is another release that probably deserves a better ranking than I'm giving it but again, I must say that being included at all shows how much I like this album. This is a wonderfully eccentric album, at times indie rock, at times punk rock, flecked throughout with elements of funk and, of course, the mandatory Springsteen influences (you didn't think that the Gaslight Anthem had cornered the market there, did you?). It is as life affirming as it is melancholy and reflective. The album follows a loose concept based on the American Civil War, which is perhaps what prompted me to listen to it at first since I'm interested in American history and this period in particular. it's an unusual area for an indie/punk band to draw inspiration but it definitely paid off and might even spawn a sideshoot genre of it's own. Gettysburgcore anyone? If I were to compare this album to a vegetable, it would be an onion because it has many layers for you to peel away. I seem to notice some new element every time I put it on. Definitely worth your money and your time.

Watch the official video for (a truncated version of) 'A More Perfect Union', from the album The Monitor.



13. 'Rebellion' by The Riot Before (Released on 27/4/2010 on Paper and Plastick Records. DOWNLOAD IT at Amazon!)


Ah, the Riot Before. Another band hampered by comparisons to Against Me! It's not as if the comparisons aren't justified (and simply put, The Riot Before aren't as good as AM!) but I've always felt that this band had more to them than simply wanting to create their own 'Walking Is Still Honest' or 'Pints of Guiness'. With the release of Rebellion, The Riot Before have shown that they can plow their own furrow. Rousing folk-punk tunes (although the balance has tipped even further in favour of punk than ever before) like 'Backstage Rooms', 'Uncharted Lands', 'The Oregon Trail' and instant classic 'Tinnitus' benefit from repeated plays, as this album has proven to be a real grower with me. A lot of the time, the more you listen to an album, the more stale it can become in your own mind but Rebellion defies this. This could be put down to the band's knack for writing a winning tune becoming stronger than ever before. Unfortunately, I never caught them on their recent UK tour but I really hope that they'll be back around soon, hopefully with another top record under their belts.

Watch the official video for 'Backstage Rooms', from the album Rebellion.



Download their 2007 EP, So Long, The Lighthouse for free from Quote Unquote Records.

12. 'Volatile Molotov' by The Arrivals (Released on 5/10/2010 on Recess Records. BUY IT from Amazon!)


This album was always going to be a winner with me before I even heard a note of the 13 songs it contains, wasn't it? Clash references and D4's Paddy Costello on bass? No brainer. Taking its name from a lyric of The Clash's 'Straight To Hell', Volatile Molotov is unlucky not to be in my top ten releases of 2010. With brilliantly crafted lyrics that focus on the shitty side of life, but that still find reason for optimism moving forward as well as undeniable tunes, this is an album that you need. 'New Gold Standard' and 'Frontline' are possibly two of my favourite songs of the last year and with another 11 of a similar standard (see what I did there?) to discover, you won't be dissappointed. Closer 'Simple Pleasures in America' is simple, unrestrained hedonism and makes sure that Volatile Molotov ends as is starts, on a very fucking high note. One message board punter described it as 'God-like', and that's only slightly over stating things. The Arrivals have Arrived. Fnar fnar.

Watch a not very official video for 'Two Years', from the album Volatile Molotov.




11. 'Not Like This' by Iron Chic (Released on 1/9/2010 on Dead Broke Rekerds)


The Latterman family tree must be getting big enough to rival anything that Slapstick have grown by now, surely? Following on from 2009's Shitty Rambo E.P, Not Like This saw punk rock enthusiasts all over the world sit up and take notice. The opening line of the album on 'Cutesy Monster Man' ("I want to smash my face into that god damn radio") will grab you from the get go if, like me, you loathe pretty much everything you hear on the radio. 10 songs of pure, proper pop punk gold, blasting through your speakers in just over half an hour, Not Like This is a brilliant of example of just how good pop punk can be and shows doubters that the genre is not defined by cynical boy bands in punks clothes like All Time Low. The pay off of 'Time Keeps On Slipping Into The (Cosmic) Future' has to be a live favourite, it demands to be sung arm in sweaty arm with your best mates and is followed up by another absolute classic in 'Timecop. Really though, picking any tracks as standouts above the rest is harsh, as they're all beauts. As with VRGNS, Iron Chic have made this record available on a 'pay what you want' (free, in other words) basis from their band camp page.
Get it here!

Numbers 10 to 1 will follow on later on today or tomorrow! I'll also include honourable mentions and that sort of shizzle. Fizzle. Thanks for reading!

End of Year Contender: "Chamberlain Waits" by The Menzingers

I can't remember when I first came across the Menzingers, but I do remember it was someone on the Against Me! Forum who turned me onto them and I started with their EP Hold On, Dodge. Now, I'm not one of those people who enjoys listening to records that sound like crap, so the first thing I noticed about Hold On, Dodge was that the mix is horrible but I kept with it and I was really glad I did because the strength of the songs made up for the lack of audio excellence and now I barely even notice (or care) about the way the EP sounds. Hold On, Dodge made it onto a lot of End of Year lists last year so the pressure was on for the Menzingers to deliver what was one of the most hotly anticipated punk rock records of 2010. Recorded at Atlas Studios in Chicago with punk rock uber-producer Matt Allison and using the Lawrence Arms' gear, Chamberlain Waits is everything that we hoped for and a little bit more.


Opening up with 'Who's Your Partner', you knew on first listen that you were in for something special. The solid gold hooks that we all came to expect are there and thankfully I can have no complaints about Allison's production. If anything has changed over the Menzingers' short career it's that their lyrics have started to sound world weary. The lyrics on songs like 'Home Outgrown' and the album's standout cut 'Timetables' see the band's dual vocalled frontmen Greg Barnett and Tom May in reflective mood, looking back at a past that they find no longer seems to fit them quite like it did when it was the present. As well as vocal duties, Barnett and May handle the six strings for the band and they really excell on Chamberlain Waits. One of the first things you'll notice is that, much like NOFX, the guitarists are constantly playing seperate lines, alternating brilliantly between lead and rhythm work. If you stripped away the lead lines to leave just chords, the songs would still stick in your head but the riffs really help to cement them in position and ensure that every song feels like an old favourite but remain fresh. Pop punk hasn't sounded this infectious since the Descendents released Eveything Sucks, way back in 1996. 'Male Call', the album's midway point is a nice change of pace. Coming across like the Yankee love child of Billy Bragg, it is a lament for the fate of a girl that May cannot help, no matter how much he might want to:

I'd buy your soul but I can't afford to pay girl, They say that you get nothing for free. Your lipstick adorns my collar, While these thoughts of fire wrestle with me.

One of the great things about this record is that it has no weak period. Clocking in at around half an hour, if there was a poor song on this collection it could really derail things but there just isn't one, no matter how hard you look to find fault, you can't. It makes for an engaging listen, and even after 20-odd plays (thanks itunes), I have to listen to it all back to back. Sure, taken apart all the songs stand up individually but together, the sum of their parts is greater than any single can track can manage. To sum up, the Menzingers have seriously upped the game for any punk rock band out there. Chamberlain Waits ticks all the boxes. Energetic, catchy, and lyrically brilliant. Lyrics are a huge part of my enjoying any record and on Chamberlain Waits, The Menzingers have put themselves up alongside other lyrical geniuses (plural?) like the Larry Arms and AM!. If you haven't heard this record yet, I can only ask why not?! If you're a fan of anything loud, fast and fucking brilliant then do yourself a favour and pick this up. I promise that you won't regret it.





The Official video for 'I Was Born' from the album Chamberlain Waits.

Buy Chamberlain Waits from Amazon

Note: I kind of rushed this entry because I have things to do before I go to work and I don't have as much time as I'd like to write about this record. Sorry, but it is nearly Christmas so... you know, it's a busy time!

Stop The World

Joe Strummer 1952 -2002

Today marks the 8th anniversary of Joe Strummer's death from an undiagnosed congenital heart defect. I'll be playing London Calling tonight, and whatever your favourite song or album by Joe or The Clash, i'd suggest you do the same.

Thanks for the music, Joe. Let it roll!


In other news, since the band are Clash disciples, I am currently drafting (yes, really) my views on 'Chamberlain Waits' by The Menzingers. it will be up tonight or tomorrow, I promise. That should keep the impatient (and non-existent) hordes at bay.

I could procrastinate all day, but I can't be bothered.

Hey! God, has it really been over a week since I promised to write some stuff that no one will read about albums no one will buy? Yeah, it has been. I've been busy with work and just generally doing other things like making my gameface for FIFA 11 and have been distracted from writing. I've had a bad day at work today, but tomorrow is a day off and I will, absolutely will, write about at least two albums tomorrow. You might have read my tweet (in the box opposite, and HEY, follow me on Twitter @rwalkerdotcom) saying that I'm only going to write long articles on my top 10. I have trouble seeing things through so it's best that I do things this way, but I will write a little on the best of the rest and add links as to where you can hear samples or legally download that stuff. After I've completed my wordy stream-of-consciousness musings, I'll reveal my final standings for 2010's record of the year. That's an exclusive to this blog, you won't read it in your latest copy of Smash Hits magazine. What a scoop!

Next Up

This is just a quick check in to say that next up in my review fest will be Chamberlain Waits by the Menzingers and The Speakeasy by Smoke or Fire. If you don't own these albums, then I assume that you all know how to use the internet and itunes and what have you. Consider listening to them your homework. See you tomorrow or the next day or the day after that.

End of Year Contender: "In Desolation" by Off With Their Heads

Off With Their Heads is weird. There. I said it. Right off the bat. They are the weirdest band. But the thing that makes them weird is also the thing that makes them great. If you were just to read their lyrics without knowing what type of music they played you'd think that they were a miserable, depressing, mopey shoegaze band but couple their lyrics with the devestatingly simple but well crafted punk rock tunes and they take on a completely different dimension and somehow the lyrics aren't so downbeat. They become almost a celebration of the fucked up world we live in and the mundane crap that we have to live with. I've only seen Off With Their Heads live once, but it wasn't a depressing affair at all, it was riotous and fun (and very, very LOUD) and that speaks volumes for their prowess as a band.

And so onto the record. In Desolation is Off With Their Heads second full length proper, following on from 2008's From The Bottom, and a glut of 7 inches released over their 8 year span as a band. It is also their debut for Epitaph, that onetime punk rock powerhouse label that has latterly been releasing all manner of long fringed rubbish. Hopefully, In Desolation will see the label head back to its roots. Lasting just over half an hour, this album is 12 tracks of almost triumphant self-loathing. Kicking off with the anthemic 'Drive', you get the feeling that this album is a bit special. This song captures Off With Their Heads approach brilliantly. Young takes the listener out with him for a ride as he tries to escape his demons and ultimately himself, telling us he'll give over "everything I have if you got the right words to say," before not-so-reassuringly adding "If I can just get away from my shadow I'm in the clear."

Next up is 'Their Own Medicine' which roars out of the gate, looking to settle old scores and pick at scabs, with Young declaring 'I know it's fucked up but I can't forget all of the shit that happened in the past,' and then inviting the listener to join him as he gives his tormentors 'some of their own medicine.' By the time you reach 'Trying To Breathe', you realise that the formula for each new song isn't going to stray too far from the one for the last. Simple, bold as brass power chords played at speed over a solid rhythm section. Young himself has called OWTH's brand of punk "high school music" but there are no 17 year olds singing like this, at least not convincingly believe me. You can feel the frustration through your speakers when Young blasts "I hate every second of the goddamn day, gimme anything you got, I don't care. It's all the same." 'ZZYZX' is perhaps my favourite song on the record and it's the track that gives the album its title with it's catch refrain of 'for reasons, for reasons,' after which Young reiterates his desire to be completely alone, relecting the strains of the constant touring he undergoes with his band. He even goes so far as to say "I'll find myself or you'll find me dead." These deeply confessional lyrics span the length of the album, and, as I said, are alarmingly frank when read away from the music. They serve to create a great contradiction. How exactly can someone write such upliftingly ctachy punk music but at the same time be so miserable? The mirror is turned on the listener with 'Spare Time', as Young asks:

"How do you spend your spare time,
what do you do to pass the day?
do you focus on the bad times and how you never get your way"

The album closes with two of its strongest songs, 'My Episodes' and 'Clear The Air.' The latter, Young has admitted, is musically inspired by 'Joy' by Against Me! (from the album Searching For A Former Clarity). It is perhaps the most achingly open of all the album's tracks, the sparse arrangement leaving the lyrics bare whereas in other tracks they are surrounded by noise and aggression. 'Clear The Air' sees the band provide an overview for the entire album. It opens almost like a letter, with Young stating "I wanted to tell you, I wanted to share, Some important details that you're unaware of, I want you to listen, I want you to care,I'll choke to death if I don't clear the air." Although the album might seem depressing in its themes Young implores the listener "
Don't leave yet, I haven't got to the part that explains at all. Don't leave yet, I need some body there to catch me before I fall," before bookending the song the same way it began.

In Desolation is a fantastic album by a great band. I know I've made it sound like it should be hard work, but it really isn't. It's strangely uplifting and so catchy you'll need a vaccine to stop listening to it. Please don't take the lyrics out of the context of the music too much because that can detract from the overall feel of the album. This album is a must for fans of Dillinger Four and other 'beard punk' bands. Do yourself a favour and check it out. It's one of those that'll stay with you when you need it most.


Off With Their Heads' Epitaph music player, featuring tracks from In Desolation



The official video for 'Drive' from the album In Desolation

Get In Desolation from Amazon!