20. Black Holes & Revelations - Muse
19. I Get Wet - Andrew W.K.
18. Maybe I'll Catch Fire - Alkaline Trio
17. Love Travels At Illegal Speeds - Graham Coxon
16. The New What Next - Hot Water Music
15. Searching For A Former Clarity - Against Me!
14. The Bronx (The First One) - The Bronx
13. Streetcore - Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
12. Poetry Of The Deed - Frank Turner
11. The Greatest Story Ever Told - The Lawrence Arms
10. Situationist Comedy - Dillinger Four
9. The Gold Record - The Bouncing Souls
8. American Idiot - Green Day
7. The Futureheads - The Futureheads
6. Sink Or Swim - The Gaslight Anthem
5. It's Great To Be Alive - Fake Problems
4. From Here To Infirmary - Alkaline Trio
3. As The Eternal Cowboy/The Original Cowboy - Against Me!
I've put both The Eternal Cowboy and The Original Cowboy in at number 3 together because they are, essentially, the same album. Each contains different versions of the same songs, recorded at different times and released several years apart. Even if you own only one of these releases you should know that the number three spot is jutsified. The Eternal Cowboy clocks in at just over 25 minutes long, barely making it a full length but it's a brilliantly fast paced record, only letting you catch your breath during the acoustic moments 'Sink Florida Sink,' 'Unsubstantiated Rumours...' and 'Cavalier Eternal'. Otherwise this is just a pure rock-fuck-out record. Actually, that does it an injustice. Tom Gabel's prowess as a lyricist means that you also have to listen to what he's singing. Releasing 'The Original Cowby' might have been seen by some as cash in by Fat and Against Me! themselves on the band's burgeoning popularity but I think it was a brilliant idea. It enhances what was already a brilliant collection of songs by showing them in an even rougher, rawer light and doesn't disappoint at all. Buy The Eternal Cowboy first if you don't own it, enjoy it for yourselves, and then, just as you begin to tire of it, buy The Original Cowboy and rediscover it all over again. Awesome.
2. Oh! Calcutta - The Lawrence Arms
If you're not into punk rock or friends with someone who is, you probably won't have heard of The Lawrence Arms. But if you are into punk rock, you will know and love The Lawrence Arms. One of Chicago's finest exports, since well... the Alkaline Trio. This album has really snuck up on the outside to take second place in this rundown. I've had it since its release but it's only really in the last year that it has found it's way more and more often into my CD player or being played on my iPod. And that is simply because it's a magnificent album, and, as you probably know, I want magnificence. Nothing less. It is the culmination of The Larry Arms's development as a band, as they really do sound like a proper band on this release. No longer do Chris and Brendan sing their own songs but their vocal intertwine to great effect. Brendan's growl coupled with Chris's croon sound fantastic, lending a manic effect to the slower songs and a more tuneful side to the all out punk rock of others. Not to leave anyone out, Neil's drumming defies the attachment of any superlatives and helps to make 'Oh! Calcutta!' a must have for any punks, and a great place for the newbie to start his or her collection. Yes, it does.
1. The '59 Sound - The Gaslight Anthem
Derivative. Bruce Springsteen rip offs. Doing absolutely nothing new. Trite. These are just a few of the criticisms I've heard or read of The Gaslight Anthem, but anyone who might offer these opinions, for me, just doesn't get it. Okay, I accept that what The Gaslight Anthem do is hardly ground breaking but they'd be the first to tell you that themselves. I love this album. It's pretty much soundtracked my life since the day I got it. It's a wonderful record. Yes, they reference The Boss but they also pull references (both lyrical and musical) from a myriad of sources, including Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, The Replacements, Social Distortion, Tom Petty and The Clash to name but a few. I think the references that Brain Fallon makes in his lyrics to other bands and their songs work brilliantly and really contribute to the feel of this record and the stories contained within the songs. Fallon has admitted himself that he sees this record as the band's contribution to the story of American rock and roll and like all good connoisseur's, he knows his history and isn't afraid to wear his influences on his sleeve, along with his heart. It's a record of many faces too. It has rockers, ballads, tear jerkers and songs to lift your spirits. If you haven't heard it yet, where have you been? I'd urge you to pick up a copy. If you like honesty, passion, good time rock and roll and (of course) Springsteen, you'll be into this. If you don't like those things, chances are that this will make a convert of you.
Honourable Mentions must go to the following:
Pump Up The Valuum - NOFX
Conspiracy Of One - The Offspring
Today's Empires, Tomorrow's Ashes - Propagandhi
Look What I Almost Stepped In - The Vandals
How I Spent My Summer Vacation - The Bouncing Souls
Global A Go Go - Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
The Green Album - Weezer
Reinventing Axl Rose - Against Me!
Caution - Hot Water Music
Apathy & Exhaustion - The Lawrence Arms
Internet Dating Superstuds - The Vandals
Good Mourning - Alkaline Trio
File Under Black - None More Black
The Empire Strikes First - Bad Religion
Cool To Be You - Descendents
God Don't Make No Trash or Up Your Ass With Broken Glass - The Falcon
Happiness In Magazines - Graham Coxon
So Jealous - Tegan And Sara
Where The Humans Eat - Willy Mason
A Certain Trigger - Maximo Park
Capture/Release - The Rakes
A Healthy Distrust - Sage Francis
With Love And Squalor - We Are Scientists
The Bronx 2 - The Bronx
The Sufferer And The Witness- Rise Against
Baby 81 - BRMC
Panic Prevention - Jamie T
Human The Death Dance - Sage Francis
Four One Five Two - Sundowner
New Wave - Against Me!
Agony & Irony - Alkaline Trio
The Last Pale Light In The West - Ben Nichols
C I V I L W A R - Dillinger Four
Love, Ire & Song - Frank Turner
This Is Not The World - The Futureheads
Glasvegas - Glasvegas
Build & Burn - The Loved Ones
Appeal To Reason - Rise Against
Heart Burns - Tom Gabel
Ignore The Ignorant - The Cribs
Senor & The Queen - The Gaslight Anthem
Buttsweat & Tears - The Lawrence Arms
Chasing Hamburg - Polar Bear Club
Supporting Caste - Propagandhi
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