My 50 Favourite records.

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#- Modern Life is War - Witness

This week, Marshalltown, Iowa's, Modern Life is War broke a 5 year hiatus, unleashing their new record Fever Dreaming. While the jury may still be out on it, this seems like as good as time as any to reflect on their landmark 2005 album, Witness, as I found myself doing last week.

I've written and spoken at length about how Give Up the Ghost's 2003 finale We're Down 'Til We're Underground marked an end to a certain style of hardcore which already by that point had found itself increasingly moving towards metal. Keystone records like Botch's We Are The Romans and Converge's Jane Doe changed the face of what it meant to be a hardcore bands; these bands were still that in spirit, but their sound had progressed to so much more. Give Up the Ghost were the last crusaders of an already dying genre, and by the time of 2005, no-one was really just a hardcore band any more.

Modern Life is War were in a lot of ways just a tiny bit too late to make a huge impact. The cultural significance of being a hardcore band as it was known had shifted dramatically. What kept them relevant was their highly encouraging début My Love, My Way. Released at around the same time Give up the Ghost disintegrated, Modern Life is War quickly became a cult band who they reminded many of then American Nightmare's Background Music. Modern Life is War were keenly encouraged to carry the torch now that AN/GUTG were gone, but the difference was, many of those fans by now had moved on to other things.

This worked incredible things for when MLIW sat down to write their follow-up, Witness. Here was a band with an incredible amount of pressure, tipped to be the saviours of that "classic" hardcore sound in a genre that can be highly parabolic, and yet at the same time, the majority of the music world ignored them, not satisfied with being "just a hardcore band" any more, particularly with so many of their peers and heroes disbanding at this time.

What an incredible thing this follow-up turned out to be then. Weighing in at a measly 9 songs and 25 minutes, Witness uses all the force of it's fallen heroes, old - "We're Still D.E.A.D.R.A.M.O.N.E.S" - or new - it was released on the then fairly young Deathwish Records, run by Converge's Jacob Bannon (who also designed the album's powerful artwork) and recorded by the peerless Kurt Ballou.

Witness is such an incredible work, it's tough to know how to begin talking about it. Even it's artwork perfectly encapsulates the alienation and frustration this record is constantly tearing at the seams with, capturing a Marshalltown, Iowa from 1896, in monochrome, a town which presumably, by listening to the record, feels stuck in the past and aggressively colourless to this day.

Right from the opening guitar line of "The Outsiders" Witness is an empowering record. I still to this day remember the feeling of the first time I listened to it nearly a decade ago (16, growing up is absolute nowhere town of my own), and to use a cliché, not only felt the hairs stand up, but felt an urge for everything inside of me to be thrown out into the ether. It's still the case today. And from the moment Jeffrey Eaton offers up the question "SO WHAT THE FUCK, ARE YOU GOING TO DO KID?" there was nothing else that could possibly have spoken more directly. There are scarce comparisons to a more perfect opening to a record, this is the frustration felt by millions of teenagers everywhere, striving to better themselves but not knowing how, and none more brilliantly captured than by these 5 guys who are laying all their guts out for all to see.

What's really evidently stunning about this album is that it's one of those rare occasions where every single member of the band seems perfectly in tune with each other. That's what makes this such a cohesive record, it's a short, sharp, shock which doesn't attempt to thrill you clever experimentation nor stick too closely to the perceived conventions of hardcore (rather like that other hugely loved and respected aforementioned band) but merely to write songs which tell a story of pure loneliness, frustration and alienation. There are plentiful examples of this incredible skill, such as when the drums and Eaton kick in to "The Outsiders" or the way that before you can catch your breath, you're suddenly in the double-time, disorientating chaos of "Martin Atchet"; the moment of reflection turned dizzying crescendo on the simply titled "Marshalltown"; the fact that they somehow managed to write a catchy single in "D.E.A.D.R.A.M.O.N.E.S"; the absolutely heartbreaking, emotional breakdown of "I'm Not Ready"; the closing moments of "Hair Raising Accounts...". Perhaps the example in which they really shine however is the penultimate The Who referencing "Young Man Blues" a disconcertingly upbeat song from it's initial classic hard-rock guitar riff, until about half way through where the song turns into a minute long build-up, piling layers upon layers of nervous tension before the brief explosion and quite possibly most succinct statement of the band's career, when Eaton proclaims

"I am the 4 a.m. Arcade Street white bloodshot witness. I'm just another kid in the chorus. An empty street corner prophet...

In this modern life... Cheap and disconnected... Where there is a siege going on and the besieged will be the last to know"

it is a purely thrilling moment.

For though it certainly doesn't hurt that Kurt Ballou makes this record sound absolutely massive from it's very first guitar strum to it's final drum shot, it is Eaton who somewhat steals the show here. He already showed he was a more than capable lyricist on My Love, My Way, but rather like Wesley Eisold before him, his vocals lacked the clarity or confidence to really make their full impact. There is absolutely no mistaking it here. From that very first, aforementioned line, Eaton's voice has this incredibly powerful tone which can tell dozens of stories from it's intonation alone. Hardcore music is at it's best when it reaches a genuine honesty in it's emotional make-up which is so rarely found in countless other genres, but increasingly by this point, was lost in many "hardcore" bands. Part of the reason the genre's relevance was dying was because it's many front-men and even often supporting band so rarely felt like they really meant it; Eisold merely put a witty and ironic epigram on it's tombstone. But the pain and torture in Eaton's voice is somewhat scary as it is stunning; the emotion and frustration of it runs exactly parallel to the deep lyrical content, and yet remains powerful and memorable to give it real impact. The stories of Marshalltown could and are those of  thousands of nowhere towns and the largely alienated individuals which inhabit them, and Eaton captures them with the same brutal honesty and imagination as a young Bruce Springsteen once did about his native Ashbury Park, New Jersey. Both men looked around them and saw the great depression of America largely exhibited in Witness' artwork, saw all those around them in financial woe or drugs or worse and saw themselves potentially going the same way if they didn't act fast, what possible better inspiration could one have to write music that really matters and speaks to people than the one which surrounds countless others every day. That's what I mean when I say Witness is an empowering, inspiring record; it's content may be largely depressing but as exemplified by "D.E.A.D.R.A.M.O.N.E.S" the ability to make something of yourself, using that angst as a tool to aid it, is an incredibly moving thing to anyone who's ever felt disappointed by their home.

Modern Life is War would never re-capture the sheer strong-minded spirit of Witness because they would never quite feel such a purely focused source of anger again. Sure, their following records still find lots of things in the world to challenge, but nothing will ever feel as important or as life-affirming/defining as channelling the spirit of millions of alienated young men and women who are fed up with the way their lives are and are desperate for change.

As an epilogue, if you'll indulge me, this album and this band will always have a special place in my heart because they were the first band I went to see by myself (by that I mean without my parents, I went with some friends) in London at the Camden Barfly in February 2006. It remains one of the greatest spectacles I've ever witnessed, as well as one of the first hardcore shows I went to, completely opening (and blowing) my mind. All that tension and expectation from listening to the record was not only recognised, but fully blown apart, such an intoxicating experience this was. I can't even begin to explain how perfect it was, it was everything I hoped and more, and remains an incredible and even important moment from my adolescence which I will take with me to this day as a huge point of inspiration. 

(That's a 17 year old me standing just behind Jeffrey Eaton, in complete awe)

[thisismy50]

Mogwai - Come on Die Young (CODY)

Kinda proving that 50 albums isn't enough/this is fairly impossible because tastes and opinions are fluid, here's something else I inexplicably missed. This was probably because there isn't a full mogwai record that I believe to be perfect, more just a period between 1997 and 2003 where they just produced an incredible amount of high quality, beautiful and distinctive music. It's often pretty difficult to pick between this, Young Team or Rock Action, let alone the wonderful Ten Rapid and EP+6 records because there is so much consistent quality over this era that it's almost impossible to settle for just one.

I am however going to attempt to do that, and suggest that Come on Die Young or CODY is their most accomplished work. If nothing else, CODY has the consistent theme of being by far their darkest record, even if the artwork is a tongue-in-cheek take on black metal, the moody atmosphere they envisage is one of a endless winter. When at their peak, Mogwai's incredible unique selling point is how timeless their music feels. I don't mean this in the classical "this hasn't aged at all" sense, even though that wouldn't be wrong, but in the way that time seems to suspend when listening to a total jam or see them live; as if nothing else matters, even if the sound of the apocalypse is surrounding you.

On CODY, Mogwai create an unforgiving and unassuming mood which simply does not let up. It's heartbreaking one-two opening punch of "Punk Rock:"/"CODY" set up a fairly brutal listening experience as you because enveloped in the layers of sound the band throw at you. One is often lulled into a false sense of security with Mogwai, but it doesn't take long for the fear to set in. Really though, what makes CODY so special is the big pay-off, "Christmas Steps" which still remains the band's finest achievement. A stunning, stark, emotional 10-minute ride which without a single work evokes so many images of snow-storms and violence and angst in the darkest part of the year.

In my 5 years of living in Glasgow, I have been very privileged to see Mogwai in a number of small and strange locations (and even got to record with their producer Andy Miller) and they never cease to amaze me or anyone else who happens to see them. There have been bountiful strong calls for Glasgow's best band over the years, but nothing comes close for me to Mogwai, they are truly a heritage for this city and region.

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#- Queens of the Stone Age - Rated R

Another aside here, with the release of Queens of the Stone Age's 6th album (the very good indeed) ...Like Clockwork, I realised that I had missed one of my favourite records of all time.

In 2003, Queens of the Stone Age were deemed to be at the top of their game with Songs for the Deaf, an excellent, if top heavy record. But really, nothing compares to 2001's Rated R. I had nearly forgotten this, but recently, driving back from a very fun/intense tour overnight to be back in Glasgow the following morning after playing Nottingham, after making our final pit-stop in Gretna, just as the sun was coming over the M74 Scottish Lowlands (a beautiful part of the country) this record got put on, and it all came flooding back.

While Songs for the Deaf had the biggest impact, biggest guests, and some huge songs ("Song for the Dead", "Go With the Flow" namely), Rated R is a perfect record from start to finish as it never gets too over-inflated in the SFTD does towards it's final third. From it's instantaneously catchy, ballsy opener "Feel Good Hit of the Summer" it is an incredible experience of inspired song-writing. The pop sensibilities of "Lost Art of Keeping a Secret", the 60's groove of "Auto Pilot", the psychedelia of "Better Living Through Chemistry" it is the perfect example of the guitar laden rock album. 

What was always so exciting about this era of QOTSA was the three-headed front-man of Homme, Oliveri and Lanegan. While Queens of the Stone Age is unquestionably Josh Homme's band, Nick Oliveri and Mark Lanegan were equally crucial elements in making the band so exciting. The reason I bring this up, is because Rated R's irrepressably finest achievement is Lanegan's "In the Fade", an absolute barn-stormer of a song which cheekily reprises into the album's opener.

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#33 - Converge - Jane Doe

I don't even know where to begin with this one. Jane Doe isn't my favourite Converge album, but it is objectively, unquestionably their best album. It is an incredible achievement on how far the "limits" or hardcore music can be pushed, and there's never been anything even like it before or since.

Right from that opening minute and 19 seconds of "Concubine" it's a bit difficult to understand what has just happened to the listener. Just, "what is this?" It's so technically proficient, and yet so seamless, it verges on being humorous. "What am I listening to? How is this band even doing this? Are there even words? does it matter?"

But once you accept the chaos, and once "Fault and Fracture" speeds towards it's climatic breakdown, you begin to understand. It's a tough album to digest, simply because there was no precedent for it. The band had always been one of the most inventive hardcore bands up to this point, but they never even came close to producing anything on this scale before. Because for an album that is such a cacophonous mess for the majority of it's running time, it's startlingly melodic too, which ratchets up the tension even further.

Take "Distance and Meaning" intentionally put in after the 1-2 sucker punch of "Concubine"/"Fault and Fracture" which tones things down somewhat, in that you can actually hear Jacob Bannon's lyrics through his creepy talking voice. Even further to this point is "Hell to Pay" which is would have been about as "quiet" as the band ever had been to this point. What one quickly realises and the bluesy swagger descends into the hardcore stomp of "Homewrecker" is that this is one of (if not the) the best sequenced records in the genre. It simply does not let up for it's 45 minutes, just pummelling you with noise and aggression, but with a point to it. Ultimately, every song on Jane Doe is an instant classic, all working perfectly in unity as a record, throwing the listener ever closer to the epic, incredible title track finale.

With Jane Doe, Converge asserted themselves as the best in the game. They were never a band who sat still particularly, that much was clear already in their first two full-lengths. But Jane Doe was a game changer, both for the band and the genre, it saw all 4 members at the absolute top of their game to produce and incredible piece of art (Ben Koller's drumming in particular is simply astonishing), and we are still feeling it's effects 12 years later.

Watch: Concubine/Fault and Fracture video. FYI, I prefer the editing of the video when it's just Fault and Fracture so the performance and "narrative" run simultaneously, but as far as the song goes, it's pretty impossible to have one and not the other. This video made me begin to understand what an incredible band this was and still is.

[masterpiecesoftheheaviergenres]

Swing Kids - Discography (1997)

Another rule I’m going to set myself in this blog (though I’ll inevitably end up breaking) is that I’m only going to be concentrating on records from the 1990’s and 2000’s. There are two main reasons for this; 1) Because plenty has already been written...

[thisismy50]

Here's another record which inexplicably wasn't on my list. I will be having words with myself about it shortly.

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#- Orchid - Gatefold (2002)

A brief aside here, as I realised this very special album had been missed off. Because really, Orchid are a stunning band who can still compete with the best. It seems unfair even to pick just one records of theirs, so consistent were they in approach, but the upwards trajectory in production and song-structure left me at their swan-song.

I already wrote at length about City of Caterpillar's only full length. It was also released in 2002 (the peak and death of screamo) and how it came to epitomise the most post-rocky, progressive element to "Screamo" music. Well Orchid represented the other end of the spectrum (and Circle Takes the Square did both, but I can't handle them today). Screamo is a strange old genre, widely addictive and satisfying to so many at a certain time in people's lives, then just to disappear as quickly as it entered those peoples lives. It's easy to get caught up in Screamo hyperbole; for many, once discovered (myself included), it's a genre which makes one feel like punk music can't progress any further, that this is the pinnacle, it's all you listen to and all you want to be as a musician.

But after a while, you realise the genre and scene has been dead for 10 years and there's not much else one can do about it. This record largely is the reason for and eulogy of a scene. Of course, there are still plenty of great bands to this day who are influenced by the hypnotic, chaotic rhythms, the black-metal-esque atmosphere, the occasionally catchy vocals. But often bands (both then and now) got too caught up in a singular idea and didn't use it to progress themselves in anyway. Ironically, Orchid are actually the archetype for this sort of thing, they did largely only do one thing their entire career of three full lengths and lots of singles and split EPs. The difference is, they simply did it louder, better, more consistently and first.

The key to Orchid is that they never outstay their welcome. There are so many bands of this scene and genre, Saetia, Neil Perry, Pg.99, to name a few who wrote incredible songs but never really translated to full records because they simply didn't have the imagination to really do anything exciting longer than a couple of songs ending in meaningless repetition. No Orchid record is longer than 25 minutes (this one) and barely any songs are longer than a minute. Somewhat left-field, but this is (and I'll come back to this) a large reason why Madvillainy is one of my favourite albums of all time; every track is quick and to the point, but with enough innovation and intrigue in every single song to leave you wanting a little bit more each time.

This is something Orchid perfected over their three full lengths. They found a unique sound blending the emo-post-hardcore of their forefathers and grindcore, thanks in part to their friends and early contributors Pig Destroyer, and stretched it as far as it possibly could go before it got dull. Whereas other, lesser bands, would put all these riffs into lots of longer songs, Orchid had a strict one riff per song (apart from the final song on each album, which they allowed themselves to indulge in being a couple minutes long) ethos which led to far more catchy and memorable songs.

On top of this, the band were phenomenal musicians too. Will Killingsworth is probably the best songwriter in the game (something he continued to prove in his later band Ampere) while the bands rhythm section kept things going at an incredible breakneck speed. On top of this, Kurt Ballou's (Converge) production meant Orchid didn't fall into the trap of so many of their peers; it was possible to make chaos sound beautiful. And then there's vocalist Jayson Green, who has one of the recognisable voices in the genre, a low-end bark, but also a highly witty sense of humour, and smart-alec literary references to boot.

Orchid were a special band who like their music, never outstayed their welcome, splitting up just as they released their final record. Their last ever show is on youtube, and it remains one of the best performance videos on the internet.

[thisismy50]

#34 - Sonic Youth - Sonic Nurse (2004)

Sonic Nurse was Sonic Youth's 13th (of 15) and represented the band at an evergreen state. after a troubled period in the 90's providing some mixed work, the turn of the century became highly fruitful for the band, in tragic circumstances. 2002's Murray Street, the band's ode to New York City post 9/11, saw the band revitalised with the sort of energy barely seen since Daydream Nation let alone Dirty. It came after what will probably go down as the band's least successful period (Experimental Jet Set through to NYC Ghosts & Flowers - bar Washing Machine) but it was a necessary period of exorcism in order to get to this wonderfully revitalised late period of the band.

Murray Street saw the band still daydreaming, but writing with some of the most captivating song-structures and melodies the band had ever capitalised. Sonic Nurse however goes a step back to go forward (which they went even further back on the power-pop Rather Ripped) in that it has echoes of the great Evol or Sister but nearly two decades of experience added. Sonic Nurse in many ways is one of the most rewarding Youth albums in that it keeps it's noodling to a manageable level, produces some wonderfully constructed songs, and is quite possibly the best produced record of their tenure.

On Sonic Nurse, as you may expect from a band playing together for just over 20 years at this stage, everyone seems to in tune with each other. Every song comes together with such precision but without forgetting the ability to still excite after all this time. So many songs, like "Pattern Recognition" or "Dripping Dream" or "Stones" just show the band at their absolute best. The clear stand though, belongs to the quieter Lee Ranaldo who always pops up just when you've started to forget his influence. "Paper Cup Exit" sits near the end of the record but it sums up everything that is great about Sonic Nurse and a lot about the band and what they became. It belongs in the bands annuals of one of their greatest works as it builds from it's humble beginning to an explosion of sound and vision, all the while keeping one of the band's catchiest yet subtle melodies they would ever create.

Sonic Youth it seems died with the demise of Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore's relationship last year. But with records like these, their legacy is all but assured for many, many years to come.

[thisismy50]

#35 - Unwound - Repetition (1996)

Since making this list, I've actually fell head over heels for another Unwound album, 1995's The Future of What. Given there's already 3 Unwound records here, a 4th is probably excessive, but it is a record I've been to listening a lot more recently than Repetition. Not since Fugazi and... well not many others, has a band so completely blown me over with such an impeccable back catalogue. Yet this band remain fairly underrated, particularly compared to their aforementioned D.C equivalents.

Unwound have such an addictive quality for me; pretty much none of their work hit me immediately, but there's always a song that sticks with you after the second listen, and then you notice the song after that is also amazing, and then the song after that, and then you go back to the start and hell, that song is amazing too. This is really how The Future of What happened for me, I didn't really see much in it at first, but then "Swan" is an incredible finale, and then there's "Dissapoint" before it, and then back at the start you have an incredible run in "New Energy", "Demolished", "Natural Disasters" and "Re-enact the Crime".

This is relevant because Repetition was probably the first Unwound record I did this mode of discovering and loving with. Whereas Leaves Turn Inside You is a slog that must be enjoyed from beginning to end, the rest of their records are fairly interchangeable, and I mean that as positively as I can. That's not to say the albums aren't well structured; Repetition in particular is brilliantly sequenced, but a lot of the songs from the stunning trilogy of New Plastic Ideas, The Future of What and Repetition all amazingly written and released in the space of 3 years ('94-'96).

Much like Fugazi, Unwound added a little something each time they went into the studio. They simply got more and more confident in what they were doing each time, both in production and song-writing. By time of Repetition the main additions were; keyboards and synths, adding a whole new element to the band, dubby-instrumentals (an ode to fugazi) and, a pop single!

Well, pop single may be overselling it a bit, but "Corpse Pose" is about as close the band ever would get to having a 'hit' (at least until "Scarlette" - which even had a video!) The song remains one of the band's proudest and catchiest moments, a fan-favourite which they couldn't even play live initially while they were still a three piece.

But that's only the beginning, Repetition grows into a very dark space in some largely instrumental, and yes, repetitive, songs which disorientate the listener from their humble beginnings. All of this leads to "Lady Elect" the centre-piece and perhaps still one of the band's finest achievements (of which there are many). A sprawling epic which would pre-empt the band's later culmination, but also has echoes of previous songs like "Arboretum". Though Vern, Sara and Justin were brilliant and knowing how to play with each other, Lady Elect probably is Justin Trosper's finest moment as a guitarist. The layered riffs spiral round like a bad dream, and just when you think the song can't be pushed any further, a swift yet subtle key-change hits 4 minutes in, to create a moment of pure, transcendent beauty.

From then on, the record just sounds like heavy rain punishing and soaking the listener. "Fingernails on a Chalkboard" & "Murder Movies" are a terrifying one-two punch but also an excellent example of the two main moods the band always captured so well. But it's not all doom and gloom, much as the opening two songs are (relatively speaking) upbeat, the record finishes on a high note too, after such a punishing middle section. The instrumental, At the Drive-in predicting "Go To Dallas And Take A Left" instantly brings things back round to a more welcoming sound, before completely falling apart into a cacophonous mess (with saxophones!) and bleeding into the brilliant closer "For Your Entertainment".

What's always pretty amazing about this band is how they were seemingly way ahead of it's time. "For Your Entertainment", could be, well, is, later a Trail of Dead song (and that's not the first time that's happened). It seems incredible now, that such an influential band never really got the recognition because of the place and time they existed, even though the being a Northwestern band after the Nirvana explosion was surely the best place to be. Unwound were constantly overshadowed by Olympia's K Records and their Riot Grrrl label-mates on Kill Rock Stars; appreciated and deeply loved by anyone who saw them but barely scratching the surface elsewhere. Of course, to some respects, this could be seen as a good thing. Unwound simply refused to compromise, but then due to their unique position, they were likely never actually asked to. As a result, the band have a flawless record and though they may not get the wider recognition of bands like Fugazi and At the Drive-in and Trail of Dead (despite largely preceding them) they diligently worked away at what they wanted to create, unrestricted, and stopped when it seemed natural to them.

[thisismy50]

#36 - Why? - Alopecia (2008)

The career trajectory of the Berkeley, California Why was a fairly incredible one. Yoni Wolf's previous stage-name now meant a fully-fledged quartet, and this resulting album became the answer of a decade of incredible work. Emerged from the wonderfully enigmatic Anticon Records, who through it's Californian community largely invented "alternative hip-hop" (though the East Coast's Def Jux may have something to say about that) with it's creative peak being Wolf's previous band cLOUDDEAD. cLOUDDEAD didn't actually release on Anticon despite being created completed by the members of the collective, but their two full-lengths and quick demise threatened a wider exposure for the label through it's success. 

Where cLOUDDEAD's other orchestrator, Doseone, went on to create many great albums with his band Subtle, they never achieved anything quite like Why?'s Alopecia. The end of cLOUDDEAD largely predicted the end of Anticon's creative peak and relevance, but their legacy lived on through Subtle and Why? who both realised their potential in the albums to come. 

Why? as a full band's debut Elephant Eyelash was an early indication. There, Wolf grew in (self-deprecating) confidence as a front man, and the band began to explore turning their already fascinating blend of experimental hip-hop and turning them into indie-pop songs akin to The Pastels or Beat Happening. 

So when Alopecia finally dropped in 2008 (a long three year wait) it was an unprecedented  landmark record. The band found the perfect blend between songs-manship, melody, catchy, witty rapping and more experimental structures to create a mini-masterpiece. 5 years on and every song on this record still sounds as fresh and vital as it did then, which is no small feat given the indie-community was still in it's highest, most influential period (2003-08). 

The run of opening songs in unheralded; "The Vowels; pt.2", "Good Friday", "These Few Presidents" and "The Hollows" nearly threaten to undermine the rest of the record, so top heavy it could be. But the record settles into a quieter groove as it goes on, and get's no less impeccable in songs like "Fatalist Palmistry" or "Simon's Dilemma". 

Alopecia's legacy will run for some time, a record that has so far stood the test of time and only grown in reputation since the bands fairly disappointing follow ups. Truly, this is one of the best example's of Indie's dominance of the Naughties. 

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#37 - TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain (2006)

TV on the Radio are perhaps the archetypal Naughties Indie band. Hailing from Brooklyn, ethnically diverse, bringing a modern electronic sound to lots of classic soul and funk references; they represented the amalgam-ism of aspects which the internet age, by this point in full swing, was throwing together. And it helped that they made really amazing music too.

By the time of Return's release, TVOTR were already riding a rather large wave of hype from their excellent debut record (which narrowly missed this list) Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes. On the back of the transcendent single 'Staring at the Sun' and other stunning tracks such as bass heavy opener 'The Wrong Way', post-punky 'Dreams', the barbershop, acapella inflected 'Poppy', or epic finale 'Wear You Out.' It is perhaps no wonder that David Bowie became such an advocate of the band.

But more amazingly, TVOTR didn't shy away when approaching their sophomore like so many others. Make no mistake, Return is their masterpiece. Right from the synthesised drum beats and brass samples of 'I Was a Lover', this was clearly a band firing on all creative cylinders. Bowie himself appears on the breathtaking 'Province' a beautiful song with a powerful video. And then of course, there is the incredible 'Wolf Like Me', which would still sit in most people's top 10 songs of the decade. A powerful, sex-soaked post punk anthem which recalls all the darkness this band evoke and perhaps unsurprisingly is a go-to song for any vampire or werewolf based TV show or film.

The second half of the record is more about mood than individual pieces; everything from the minimalist 'A Method' onwards spirals into a very, very dark, atmospheric place. It is a stunning album, one the band would never really recapture (though the far more upbeat Dear Science was another excellent entry to the band's back catalogue). Their future is still unsure after the very sad death of their rather understated bassist Gerard Smith two years ago, but even if they leave it at this, the band's legacy will very much remain for some time.

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#38 - Jimmy Eat World - Clarity (1999)

As I will return to later in this list, 1999 was the creative peak of so-called "Emo Music". This is perhaps fitting, being the end of a decade where a new generation of kids were reacting to the DIY-Indie punk music of the 80's in various ways. The angrier kids defected to "post-hardcore" led by Fugazi and Drive Like Jehu, which created some equally fruitful results, but the more artistic, intimate kids went the other way. By 1999, indie music was far enough away from the 80's and Nirvana's explosion in 1991 that it had established a new, confident network of incredible acts just before history would repeat in the next two years.

In the previous couple years, the scene had established with genre defining records from Cap'n Jazz/Joan of Arc, Mineral, Sunny Day Real Estate, Braid, The Promise Ring and Christie Front Drive. Just look at 1999 alone:

American Football - American Football

The Get Up Kids - Something to Write Home About

Saves the Day - Through Being Cool

Orchid - Chaos is Me (admittedly a bit heavier than the rest)

At the Drive-in - Vaya

Hot Water Music - No Division

Small Brown Bike - Our Own Wars

Grade - Under the Radar

The Dismemberment Plan - Emergency & I

and then, there's the band (and their record) who survived them all; Jimmy Eat World's Clarity. 

Clarity is a fascinating turning point in "Emo"'s evolution. Released on a major label (Capitol Records), but far too ambitious to really sustain such an audience, the release was all the same an admission that a change was coming. The album was a commercial flop at the time, despite 'Lucky Denver Mint' (probably the least fulfilling song on the record) being pushed onto a terrible Drew Barrymore rom-com, but has retrospectively become a critic and fan favourite, and it's not hard to see why.

What's amusing now is that, Clarity has been so regularly been plagiarised (no less than by the band themselves) that it seems amazing that this record took a while to find it's audience. The band were shunned for releasing such a record on a major label from indie and mainstream audiences a like (but oh, how the joke would soon be on them) but they only needed to clean up their sound on Bleed American two years later to finally crack the sky.

The magic of Clarity lies in its structure. It is perhaps one of the best sequenced records of recent memory. From it's beautifully static opener 'Table for Glasses' the band rip through three strong but standard rockers including the aforementioned lead single. But then 'A Sunday' opens with it's xylophone intro, and things change drastically.

Soon, we're taken through an incredible run of songs; 'Crush' blasts onto the record and remains one of the band's most memorably catchy songs, '12.23.93' emerges from it's predecessors' ashes to resolve a minimalistic relationship song, and then 'Ten' begins the record's emotional core.

Built on a fairly simple melody which will pretty much continue on for the next three breathtaking songs, 'Ten' begins the heart of Clarity. The violins at the beginning of 'Just Watch the Fireworks' just cloud up any dry eye remaining; a beautifully constructed song that perfectly captures a young love lost and the special moments one remember's forever. 'For Me This is Heaven' continues this theme with incredible aplomb, with that enchanting refrain "can you still feel the butterflies?"

And then of course, there is 'Blister' one of the few songs that is still a regular on JEW's set-lists even today. And it is not difficult to see why; Tom Linton's only lead contribution to the record (another sign of things to come) he makes sure his effort is heard loud and clear here with a pop-punk anthem.

Until finally we arrive at 'Goodbye Sky Harbour'. The band's confidence to end on a 16-minute, mostly looped outro seems all the more amazing now, given what we know. But there seems to be no other way to end a record of Clarity's magnitude. Where the record already hit a creative peak during the 7-minute 'Just Watch the Fireworks' it almost seems like it would be disappointing to not end on that already built potential. Elsewhere 'Goodbye Sky Harbour' would merely seem like self-congratulatory ego massaging, but on a record has delicate and stunning as this, it makes perfect sense to let it, like the relationships that stand in for so many here, burn out to a cinder until it simply cannot keep going. 

A year later, At the Drive-In would introduce "Emo" to a mass audience (whether they liked it or not) with Relationship of Command, and the year after that, Jimmy would return to finally reap their rewards with a highly watered down version of the same (something the band have sadly continued to do ever since) in Bleed American. Though their breakthrough does have some incredible songs; namely the title track (which quickly changed post 9/11 and grew in notoriety as a result), the incredible, Davey von Bohlen (of The Promise Ring) lead 'A Praise Chorus' and Clarity b-side 'Sweetness', it also has 'The Middle' and the sickly sweet 'Hear You Me'. But Clarity more than anything else represents the last moment where "Emo" was allowed to be what it was at it's purest, despite it's (initial) commercial failures. As a record, along with the peers listed above, it showed that this style of music was a force to reckoned with, and like all good things, soon became spoiled once the mainstream finally caught on. 

It's impossible to pick a key track here, so just enjoy the full thing in full on it's 10th anniversary tour.

[thisismy50]

#39 - Grizzly Bear - Yellow House (2006)

Right from its enigmatic artwork, Yellow House is an especially creepy album. New York's Grizzly Bear came at the height of a freak-folk revival so far led by bands like Fleet Foxes or The Dodos and Animal Collective who added a modern, electronic, unsettling vibe to the genre. Nothing else even comes close to Yellow House though.

Yellow House literally begins and ends with the creaking sounds of a wooden floor-board easily imagined in one's concious from the artwork (which really is the house they recorded in). It introduced a full band and more importantly Daniel Rossen, who created a whole new element to what Ed Droste had built on the soulful if limited Horn of Plenty. Not only do the two guitarists and vocalists play off each other beautifully, they seemed to have no inhibitions in where their freedom of expression could stop.

And yet, it is such a beautifully understated record that it is in the little nuances and touches that this record really shines. The only time the band really display the chamber pop sensibilities they would later go on to explore is in the "how deep is your love" aping 'Knife' with it's absolutely bonkers environmentalist video; a brilliant single which would hook the imaginations of so many.

But this record really shines in it's longer, more exuberant pieces, such as 'Lullaby' and the still absolutely astounding 'On a Neck, on a Spit' which the band annoyingly never play in full live. Yellow House was an incredible statement in mood and atmosphere, never quite recreated again by the band nor anyone else really for that matter.

[thisismy50]

#40 - Beastie Boys - Ill Communication (1994)

Sometimes, the most popular* album is the right one. It's almost been a year since the passing of Adam 'MCA' Yaunch from throat cancer and he and the band are still sorely missed. At the time, I wrote about how their greatest hits may well be their best work, but don't feel it appropriate to include a greatest hits in this list. Equally, the band's earlier masterpiece, Paul's Boutique, has had something of an indie renaissance recently. But as much as I love that record, it is still Ill Communication that really does it for me from a full album. Like Paul's Boutique, Ill saw the band return to their foremost hip-hop roots after the more instrumentally heavy Check Your Head but with better production, guests, and ultimately songs. When it comes down to it, Ill Communication is my favourite (though it is too long) simply because it has the highest ratio of simply brilliant Beastie Boys songs than any other album. There aren't many more thrilling middle runs of a record than the central three-piece of 'Sabotage', 'Get it Together' featuring Q-tip (for my money, The Beastie's best song) and 'Sabrosa'.

It is the band somewhat at their purest since Paul's Boutique but with a maturity (and sense of humour) which they would explore for the rest of their career. This is so brilliantly displayed in the opening 'Sure Shot' with the now departed Yaunch's beautifully touching moment of clarity:

"I want to say a little something that's long overdueThe disrespect to women has got to be throughTo all the mothers and the sisters and the wives and friends"I wanna offer my love and respect to the end."

Listen to the entire thing on their website: http://illcommunication.beastieboys.com/#/audio

*most popular might actually be License to Ill, in which case, I retract the opening statement.

[heff88]

[thisismy50]

#41 - My Bloody Valentine - Isn’t Anything (1988)

Don’t expect to find Loveless here. There are some amazing songs on the Irish quartet’s supposed masterpiece, namely ‘Sometimes’, but I just can’t connect with it fully as a record. But ultimately, I’m into passion, not complete aesthetics. Isn’t Anything ended My Bloody Valentine the “post-punk band” on an incredible peak started from ‘You Made Me Realise’. Though it’s not perfect, Isn’t Anything is a collection of brilliantly written and performed songs, itself peaking somewhere between ‘Sueisfine’ & ‘You Never Should’, which for me is a far more fulfilling listen then anything else the band would release.

[heff88]

[thisismy50]

#42: El-P - Fantastic Damage (2002)

Fantastic Damage is a long album. If it could cut itself down by 15 minutes or so, it would be the perfect album. But of all the Definitive Jux crew it is EL’s first full length that to me was the biggest statement, the largest impression. I love Cannibal Ox and Company Flow and Mr. Lif and Killer Mike and even El’s later stuff, but none of them come close to Fantastic Damage. It’s such an overwhelming listen that it’s stark beats begin to impregnate your dreams, but it’s also El at his most tuneful without going into melodrama (such as the later and appropriately titled ‘Overly Dramatic Truth’). There’s just so many great moments from the title track opener right through to ‘Blood’ (if you’re still with it after 70 minutes). It’s a crazy record because it just doesn’t let up, it’s hit after hit after hit which really needs to be taken apart into individual tracks before it can be really processed as a whole. But it is by far his most consistent (though last year’s Cancer 4 Cure certainly gave it a run) but also at it’s most sincere; the lack of over-production that I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead suffers abstains here, the lack of guest spots as like C4C is duly noted. El’s paranoid fantasies in a post 9/11 NYC paints this record like it’s graffiti meets cubist cover, and songs like ‘Dead Disnee’, ‘Stepfather Factory’ and still his crowning achievement ‘Deep Space 9mm’ still sound at once just as terrifying, exciting and memorable as they did 10 years ago.

[heff88]

[thisismy50]

#43 Give Up the Ghost - We’re Down Til We’re Underground (2003)

I’ve already written extensively about my love for this record, but the message never gets old; Give Up The Ghost/American Nightmare’s final full length record is a modern hardcore masterpiece. Every song here is a brilliant example of how far the genre can be stretched without ever leaving it completely. Purists prefer Background Music which is also a great record, but it was here that the band truly pushed themselves, and realised as the finale claims that ‘We Killed It’. Not only did they achieve what they as a band set out to do, they also closed the book on an entire genre and scene that never returned to prominence after it.

[heff88]

[thisismy50]

#44 - The Antlers - Burst Apart (2011)

Hey, I’m back after a couple of really hectic weeks working the Glasgow Film Festival. I’m sure you’ll all be glad to know.

The Antlers’ 4th full length record (2nd as a full band) is the most recent release in my list (2011) and it’s not hard to see why. After the incredible, yet emotionally draining break-out record Hospice in 2009, The Antlers had set themselves up for a fall. They were still only on the brink of wider recognition, but for so many people Hospice became an instantly very special album. On top of this, they had become a stunning live act to follow, so much was riding on what the band were going to release.

And for many, at first listen, Burst Apart was a disappointment. Apparently, myself included, we all still wanted to feel that transcendent catharsis that Hospice gave us just a little bit more, to feel something at once so sad and yet so beautiful. Where Hospice was an instantly recognisable record due to tracks like ‘Bear’ and ‘Two’, Burst Apart instead unravelled itself with every listen. As it didn’t have as much of a clearly defined narrative (though there certainly is one here) Burst Apart initially felt like the band had stopped challenging themselves.

What of course this actually meant was; they grew up. Burst Apart is a superior album to its predecessor precisely because it doesn’t rely on grand narratives and upsetting themes to get the job done; it allows wonderfully advanced song-writing and much more subtle, adult themes and emotions to take stead. Peter Silberman’s confidence as a songwriter and as a front-man grew exponentially in-between the records, and his assembled troupe now knew how to write together perfectly in sync. The best way to experience this is to watch some live videos (or better yet, go see the real thing). The band look so in sync with each other that it makes them a force to be reckoned with; one that would make any room shut up and listen.

And there’s so many reasons to fall in love all over again here. The dramatic ‘I Don’t Want Love’ almost picks up where Hospice left off, but here after we are led into a much seedier, darker place. There’s the Radiohead aping ‘Parentheses’ with it’s down-pouring drums, The George Harrison-esque ‘Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out’, the dreamy ‘Tiptoe’ and ‘Hounds’ before the absolutely devastating ‘Corsicana’ and ‘Putting the Dog to Sleep’.

And then of course, there is, ‘Rolled Together’. The centre-piece of this record, and also quite possibly the finest song the band have written to date, ‘Rolled Together’ is an impossibly simple song (it’s 2 and a half chords repeated the entire time) but the way it grows from relatively humble beginnings to a swelling, euphoric crash is one of the most thrilling things to have been committed to tape in this short decade so far.

I find Hospice quite difficult to listen to these days. I was obsessed with it back when it came out, but it’s a bit too much for me. It’s still an incredible record, but it’s emotional impact is both staggering and a little over-whelming. With Burst Apart The Antlers lost none of that emotional weight, but instead used it in far more pleasing ways. Who knows what album number 5 will be like.

‘Rolled Together’ (live)

p.s the main reason this record has a special place for me is because it reminds me of the best holiday ever when I saw these guys in L.A a couple summers ago.