Who could believe it's been a whole ten years since Y2K?!?! Not me, that's for sure! What was on the radio 10 years ago? Chumbawumba? Ricky Martin? Had Eminem even cleaned out his closet yet? I was only 12, and totally into classic rock. Like, I literally loved Kansas. And Boston. And all those other crappy one-word 70s bands named after some American city. Hell, I even loved America! But 2000 was also the start of broadening horizons for me, and I'm not just talking about discovering masturbation. As far as music goes, my cousin made me a mixtape with The B-52s' "Dance This Mess Around" on it. One of my best buddies (since I was 5, and still to this day) Jared got me into the Talking Heads really hard, really fast. And somehow I fell face first into the Beastie Boys' 1986 magnum opus "Licensed to Ill." I was getting a little bit cooler. Still fat and weird as hell, but definitely getting a little cooler.
Not to say I hadn't already had a strong base for good music already; throughout my childhood, my father raised me on a steady diet of the Everly Brothers, Beach Boys, Beatles, Ricky Nelson, and - above all else - Roy Orbison. I quickly got into Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Buddy Holly, and Bill Haley and his Comets at an absurdly young age. The seeds were planted.
My mother, on the other hand, preferred her music a little heavier: her record collection consisted of Zeppelin, Sabbath, and (yes...) Molly Hatchet. Granted, I didn't listen to these much hairier bands until years after my 1950s obsession, but regardless, my mother still played contemporary bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Silverchair wherever there was a tape deck.
So where did this leave me? Well, take the three chord magic and eternal teenage romance of 50s rock 'n' roll, combine it with the angrier, louder, and occasionally more emotional grunge movement, and what do you get? About 20 year in-between the two, in 1977.
This is why punk was for me...or at least it's my fifty-cent analysis of the whole thing. But I didn't hear - or, at least, acknowledge - the Clash and the Ramones until the summer of '04. So what the hell did I do before that? Well, what a perfect segue into my list. Here are my top ten albums of the last decade. Huzzah!
1.) "Guitar Romanitc" - The Exploding Hearts...I didn't even know about these guys until right after the accident. I was really into the Buzzcocks, and a friend (I think it was Jared again) mentioned they'd probably be up my alley. Not long thereafter, I read the obituary in Rolling Stone, and quickly picked up their CD as Newbury Comics. Completely and instantly changed my entire attitude about modern music. Catchy, poppy, snotty, and punky rock 'n' roll wasn't dead...it had just snuck back underground! I couldn't believe there were other kids out there who even knew who the Plimsouls were, let alone recording with the likes of Peter Case. Looked like it was time to dive deep....
2.) "Dorkrockcorkrod" - The Ergs!...Now here's the thing. I'm not really even that big of a pop-punk guy. I mean, I only got into Screeching Weasel this year, and I hated even Lookout!-era Green Day all throughout high school. But for some reason, this "willfully geeky" trio from the swamps of Jersey totally stole my heart, as well as a decent portion of my savings. I remember the day I discovered them: on Myspace, of all things. I was 16. I messaged them and said I was going to throw caution to the wind and hightail it to the Garden State - some five hours away - to watch them play some backyard matinee BBQ. Needless to say, they messaged me back and told me not to bother; the cops would probably shut them down, anyway. So, I decided to wait it out until they came to my neck of the woods. Not long thereafter, they were opening for Nikki Corvette and the Singrays at the now-tattoo-parlor Regeneration Records in Boston. To this day, that was the best show with the most energy I've ever been to. I met and hung out with people that night that I've now known for years.
Anyway, I bought my copy of "Dorkrockcorkrod" (a lovely little palindrome made just for nerds like me), and soon introduced their brand of power-pop-punk-rock to my pals at school. "Everything Falls Apart (and More)" became the anthem for our lunch table. A couple guys even covered the song in their band, and at least two pop-punk bands formed, citing The Ergs! as their main influence (strangely enough, both of their names also ended in an exclamation point).
Later I'd see The Ergs! some half a dozen more times, from Boston with Lifetime, the Bouncing Souls, and The Leftovers, to New York with The Steinways and the Modern Machines. It all culminated to an epic road trip to Asbury Park to see their final show. It was an incredible weekend filled with Chinese food, Corona, a gay resort I ended up staying in with my pal Brendan, traffic jams at 4 A.M. on the Jersey Turnpike, and LOTS of records.
BUT BACK TO THE ALBUM! Their sophomore effort, "Upstairs/Downstairs," is also great, but still can't hold a candle to "Dorkrock...." There's just something about it that'll convert any music fan and keep them spinning it for years and years. It just doesn't get old. And it just doesn't get better than this.
3.) "Bazooka!!!" - The Star Spangles...I swear, this is one of the most underrated albums by one of the most misunderstood bands in the past ten years. The Spangles got signed to Capital, which is pretty much unheard of because at the time they were a mere New York City bar band that had only released a couple independent singles. They got signed, and started touring the world to support the record.
Here's the part about being misunderstood: "Bazooka!!!" came out not too long after The Strokes' "Is This It," another New York band thrown into the spotlight. The Strokes obviously catapulted into superstardom, being hailed as both refreshingly original as well as reminiscent of Lou Reed and the late 1970s CBGB roster. The Spangles, on the other hand, were simply reviving powerpop and infusing it with a Johnny Thunders energy. The music was simple, a little sloppy, and the lyrics certainly weren't going to change the world. It just rocked. Unfortunately, everybody held them to the uber-hip and ultra-polished standards of The Strokes, and consequently dismissed them as a failed entry in the new new wave scene. The fact that "Bazooka!!!" was a major label release simply hammered this incorrect notion home, and the band's success would be almost immediately stifled. They'd spend the next five years trying to get out of their contract, causing the group to break up, and then later reform with an entirely different rhythm section. As for the record, let's just say I bought my copy in a clearance CD bin for three bucks. "Is This It" it was not.
Still, I'll never understand why this band had such an unfortunate outcome. I would have thought more in-the-know record nerds and Ramones t-shirt clad punkers could have appreciated their Thunders and Hoodoo Gurus covers, as well as the blatantly stolen chords from "Terminal Love" (hell, they even dressed like The Boys). But I guess it just wasn't meant to be. Either way, this CD never left my car stereo for the entire winter I bought it, and it still gives me a rush every time I hear that guitar explosion in the first few seconds of "I Live For Speed."
4.) "Stalkers" - Stalkers...Riding on the wave of powerpop revival The Spangles had ignited a few years prior, the Stalkers - along with the Electric Shadows and Baby Shakes - quickly became New York's premier punk rock 'n' roll bar band. Their self-titled debut was released on an independent label, and it is pitch-perfect. It's party music, it's heartbroken music, it's angry music...you name it. The songwriting is top-notch (in a genre where that is all too often an afterthought), and the musicianship is better than anybody would expect. Granted, we're only talking power chords and quick solos here and there, but nobody does it better. I actually skipped my senior prom to see these guys play an Italian-American Club down the street from my school. I don't know if these guys are getting adequate exposure in the States, or if it's just that the average American wouldn't be into this stuff (how, I'll never know), but their single "Let's Get It Together" was released in England and skyrocketed to the top of the charts. Like, literally NME's number one. So you tell me.
5.) "Some Action EP" - Some Action... Maybe this shouldn't count because it's only a 5-song EP and not a full-length, but it's so good I couldn't leave it out. Upon first listen, it flies by so fast that most of the catchiness misses you. A couple more spins later, it'd take a lobotomy to get songs like "Pillow Talk" out of your head. It's dirty, mean, and so damn anthemic punk rock without sounding like a bunch of meathead frat boys that are a little too proud of their hometown. On the contrary, Some Action is fucking bored sick of New York, which is what they yell in their namesake, a chant-along that steals a bit more than a bit from The Saints' '77 classic "(I'm) Stranded"...but that's totally okay.
I was lucky enough...no, scratch that...totally spoiled the night I caught their one and only show I could make it to right after I moved to New York. It was the release of their LP, which is also really fucking good, but misses something that the EP absolutely nails. Anyway, this night, the killer garage trio The Visitors opened, there was free PBR all night, free copies of their 7", as well as the new CD. ALL FREE. Like I said, totally spoiled. Not to mention I was a dumb, starry-eyed 18 year old who was still mystified with the idea of alcohol and loud music. Little did I know, however, it was also one of Some Action's last shows, as Ian started Tigershark, and Ethan formed the underground favorite LiveFastDie, which easily became one of the greatest live acts I've ever seen. Bittersweet, though, considering Some Action would be no more after the release of their aptly-titled LP, "The Band That Sucked the Life out of Rock 'n Roll and Killed Itself in the Process."
6.) "Gentleman Jesse" - Gentleman Jesse and His Men...Atlanta, you can keep the Black Lips, Carbonas, and Beat Beat Beat as far as I'm concerned (not that I don't love them all dearly), but this record is the one for me. Nothing has ever sounded tighter or catchier in terms of powerpop revival. If Joe Jackson hadn't gone all gay (literally) and gotten too good at the piano for his own good, maybe his later albums would be this great. Sometimes bitter, sometimes sad, sometimes happy, usually about a girl...each of these songs hits a chord in your heart and stays there until you're too drunk to stand anymore. Not to mention, from basement shows in Providence to Brooklyn's Radio Heartbeat Fest to the main stage at the Powerpop Weekend in Austin, Texas, these guys always put on an incredible show. And to cap it all off, they toured with and backed up Paul Collins in 2009, and if you closed your eyes, you'd swear you were in 1979 listening to The Beat. Just...so damn good. No wonder why this was on a billion top ten lists.
7.) "Is This It" - The Strokes...The album you can't ignore. Let me put it this way: it was 2001, and I was 13 years old, sitting in my childhood bedroom, watching NBC my ten-inch TV via clothes-hanger. "The Tonight Show" came on, and Jay Leno presented a young band called The Strokes. I liked the name, so I kept watching. Next thing I know, they rip into a little number called "Last Night," and my faith in rock 'n' roll was restored. Bought their record that weekend, and played it constantly. Let's face it: love them or hate them, they started a whole new genre of music...well, maybe not genre, but their style was brand new to this generation. Because of them, a billion new bands got their start...some were good (The Hives), some were not (take your pick). Either way you look at it, The Strokes were still the best.
8.) "Party at the Bushwick Hotel" - The Radio Faces...Now, I could've almost as easily gone with either of the Modern Machines LPs or the Used Kids full-length, but had to go with this, what I consdier the ultimate supergroup of the 2000s. You've got Nato from the aforementioned bands, Mike from The Ergs!, Sully from The Insurgent, and the late, great Jamie from Bent Outta Shape performing the world's greatest pop-punk, deeply rooted in heartland rock. Equal parts Replacements and Springsteen, this is pretty much the party album of the decade. After just a couple listens, these songs will get stuck in your head for days, and the addiction will sink in. Sadly, this was - and forever will be - their only release. So treasure it.
9.) "Love Visions" - Nobunny...Dumb, fun, punk rock 'n' roll from the powerpop-crazed streets of Oakland, CA. Justin - A.K.A. Nobunny - has found the catchiest, most sugary melodies possible, and sings along to them with lyrics straight out of his lovesick (and sometimes just plain sick) heart. Chock full of references, including an opening song that blatantly rips off The Human Beinz's "Nobody But Me" and a killer tune called "Chuck Berry Holiday." Honestly, you would be jealous you didn't write these songs first, but you'll have too much fun dancing to care. Also features a cover of a song by Chicago's Yolks, another awesome band worthy of the attention of anybody with ears and a turntable.
10.) "Activate Me EP" - The Kickz...This wasn't easy. I mean, I could have picked any number of killer releases from the past ten years to fill this slot. But it all boils down to this 7-song EP (it's more like a mini-LP, but now I'm just splitting hairs) by a "who-the-hell-are-they?" punk band from Texas. They sound like the Exploding Hearts, but after about a dozen beers. "Cold Last Night" is one of the best heartsick teenage tunes to grace my ears, and the rest - with the possible exception of the underwhelming title track - follows suit. These guys are everything I like to hear. In addition to this CD-only release (dammit), they put out two 7"s, both incredible. One of them even has a cover of "Don't Ask Why," which just so happens to be one of my favorite early 'Mats songs. Anyway, these guys just get it right without even sounding like they're trying. Well, that just about wraps it up. There were tons of other close calls, from The Bamboo Kids to The Marked Men, from the Reigning Sound to the Box Elders, from The Caesars to Springsteen...but hey, the rule is only ten on the list. Maybe in 2020.
