Long Island, New York's Brand New cemented their status as one of the premiere emo-punk bands of my generation with this classic effort. This was one of the first albums I listened to where I didn't skip a single track in between and listened to the entire thing straight through. An absolutely flawless album from start to finish featuring such awesome tracks such as "The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows", "Sic Transit Gloria...Glory Fades" and "I Will Play My Game Beneath The Spin Light". Frontman Jesse Lacey is at the top of his game here with haunting vocals reeking of despair and presenting a new facet of the band that hadn't been uncovered up until this point, and allowed them to evolve and gravitate towards other sounds that they hadn't experimented with either. A classic album from beginning to end.
Chris Carrabba cemented his lyrical reputation with this terrific third effort. The album changed the game for the band, and immediately catapulted them to a level of stardom never seen before. The album went gold on the strength of such classic tracks like the indelible "Hands Down", "Rapid Hope Loss", and "As Lovers Go". Completely raw and honest in terms of lyrical veracity and blasting melodies, the album clearly articulates the band's musical mission that was fully developed and ready to be exposed on a wider scale to a clear and receptive audience out in front.
Jacksonville, Florida's own Yellowcard officially landed with their sensational fourth studio album. The album immediately turned heads with its introduction of a violin player in the band never done before, but worked to perfection here on tracks like 'Way Away", the title track, "Only One", and "Empty Apartment". Frontman Ryan Key's longing shines through brightly on this effort that totally defined my summer of 2003, and I immediately became obsessed with this band from that point forward and have totally enjoyed seeing the band evolve greatly and mature into a confident and static band appreciated by legions of fans all over the world.
From the heart of the midwest in St. Louis, Missouri, Story of The Year made their presence known with their major label debut. The album was a raw and dynamic effort, producing a hard edged rock sound that immediately jolted fans and breathed some diversity into the musical format at that time, producing unbelievable tracks like "Until The Day I Die", "Anthem of Our Dying Day", "Sidewalks" and "Razorblades". This album gave me an immediate blood rush, and was an integral part of my freshman year at college that provided me with so many memories along the way that I'll cherish for some time to come.
Bellingham, Washington's own Death Cab For Cutie gained legions of fans with their fourth studio album. The album became a centerpiece for contemporary indie rock, and was a favorite of Seth Cohen's from The O.C. that completely transcended boundaries, and presented a vivid and detailed lyrical perspective from frontman Ben Gibbard that is very autobiographical in nature, and was eloquently presented in tracks such as "The Sound of Settling" "Title and Registration" and "The New Year". An album that completely jump started my love for indie rock, and allowed me to look at music a little bit deeper within the melodies and lyrics.
Irvine, California's Thrice officially hit it big with their outstanding third album. The effort was a raw and realistic effort that delved into the more technical side of the band with complex time signatures and melodic hardcore breakdowns that have become their hallmark for quite some time, and gained a huge legion of fans (myself included) with this cathartic release. Some standout tracks from this release include "All That's Left", "Stare at The Sun", "Paper Tigers", and "The Melting Point of Wax". While they're currently on hiatus, I anxiously anticipate their return with baited breath and hope they continue their musical mission that they set on with this album.
East Brunswick, New Jersey's Thursday broke on through with their third studio album here. The effort followed up the previous year's fantastic Full Collapse, but this effort cut right to the core with a honest and reflective set of poetic blasts that created the basic foundation of their fanbase, and immediately sprang them to life with a collection of blasting and emotionally charged tracks, such as "Signals In The Air", "For The Workforce, Drowning", "Division St." and "Asleep In The Chapel". A terrific start from a band who got their start performing in basement shows in NJ, and showed their devotion to their home state with this incredible collection of compositions.
Another band hailing from the Garden State, The Early November brought their blend of emo-punk to the masses with their debut full length, The Room's Too Cold. The effort brought frontman Ace Enders and Co. to the forefront with a honest and heartfelt collection of tunes that really presents the bare bones essence of what music is all about and really left an impression on me that just made me stand there with awe and see their musical presence unfold right before my eyes. Some tracks that really stand out on this one include "Ever So Sweet", "Something That Produces Results", "My Sleep Pattern Changed", and "Everything's Too Cold...But You're So Hot". An outstanding collection from a band that wasn't as well known from their peers in the scene, but contributed a great deal of musical gifts to the masses with this one.
A side project of Death Cab's Ben Gibbard, The Postal Service made a hell of a first impression with their debut, Give Up. The effort coupled the worlds of indie and electronic into a brand new genre called indietronica and completely transformed the musical landscape into a sea of shifting rhythms and harmonies that were unlike anything currently out there in the world of music at that time. It created a whole new genre of sorts, and immediately threw out the musical rulebook in the process where you didn't need to abide by any rules or regulations when creating these out of this world jams. Some standout tracks from this collection include "Such Great Heights", "We Will Become Silhouettes", and "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight". A terrific collection from an act that was their only studio effort to date, and changed the musical landscape as we know it.
The fourth studio album from The White Stripes proved they were worth all the buzz generated about the months before this release came out. A thorough and exhilarating collection of tracks that completely defined the style of early '00's alternative rock, and made them lauded and respected in multiple circles and gave a whole new meaning to the framework of garage rock that was all over the musical world at that time. An incredible collection of tracks including "Seven Nation Army", "The Hardest Button to Button", and "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself". An outstanding album that really started my love of garage rock, and gave me a whole set of musical notes to whet my musical appetite.
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