45. “Apparitions of Melody”/Kids in the Way/Flicker/2005
Apparitions of Melody is a picture perfect example of maturing one’s sound without losing what made you great. Kids in the Way released three solid albums during this decade, but this one was truly a masterpiece. The bands blend of alternative rock riffs soaring choruses and punk-inspired energy demands just as much attention as they did on both their other releases, but Melody added a more personal vibe to it. The tracks on the album are draped in shadows giving the album a different, darker canvas for the music to be written on then the band’s past efforts, but had choruses that served as the light at the end of tunnel. Also, lead singer Dave Pelsue unique voice and screaming raises the energy above the band’s two other efforts. A raw, truthful and enjoyable listen that defines Kids in the Way.
44. “New Medicines”/Dead Poetic/Tooth and Nail/2004
I remember picking up this album on a whim while on a mission trip in Georgia. I didn’t know nothing about the band, but really dug the minimalist art adorning the front. It was one of the first times, of what became many, when I went with my gut reaction on an album and it paid off. New Medicines is still in heavy rotation 6 years later. With this album, Dead Poetic introduced me to the screamo genre and heavily influenced what type sound makes my ears perk and my blood run to this day. New Medicines mixed hard rock, primal screams and incredible melodies that hooked me from the opening track. Unfortunately, the band didn’t have much longer as they changed their sound drastically with their next album, Vices, more or less becoming an Avenged Sevenfold knockoff, a band I am not so fond of. Dead Poetic broke up after the release of Vices, but New Medicines will always be held in high regard in my music collection as an album that impacted what musical path I embarked on.
43. “Hello Hurricane”/Switchfoot/Lowercase People/2009
Even though I remember this band before they broke into the big time, I was never really a fan. I was young and Nu-Metal consumed my life’s soundtrack. I enjoyed some of their songs from time to time, but my appreciation for the genius of Switchfoot wasn’t realized until they broke into the mainstream, a rare occurrence for yours truly. But since then I have come to put Jon Foreman and the boys in their rightful place as one of the best bands of the last decade. With their most recent release, Hello Hurricane, the band jumped the major-label ship and decided to go indie once more. A beautiful decision. Hello Hurricane is epic, emotion fueled and thought provoking. It takes the best of rock and blends it with the best of pop. Its complex, yet simple. It’s pop, but very clearly has it’s roots in rock. It’s lyrics cut deep, but heals in the same accord. Hello Hurricane serves as a reminder that Switchfoot is just getting started.
42. “Forget and Not Slow Down”/Relient K/Mono vs. Stereo/2009
Relient K has come along way since it pop-culture aware, pop/punk beginnings. Don’t get me wrong, I love some of their early stuff (“Sadie Hawkins Dance” is still one of my favorite songs), but the band has matured and has learned the art of crafting the best of alternative, punk and pop sounds into a tasty musical smoothie. Forget and Not Slow Down serves as the band’s best album to date, taking the aforementioned ingredients, added a bit of folk and concocted an album that will have your ears grinning. The songs are crafted to be both catchy and smart, as Matt Thiesen continues to cement his place as one of the best lyrical writers of my generation. The album accomplishes one characteristic that all great albums have: it appeals to the listener. The songs are all about letting go of past hurts, learning from them and not letting them hold you back. We can all relate to finding love, losing love and ultimately dusting ourselves off to begin another quest inspired by love. Relient K decided to gives us a soundtrack to keep us company.
41. “The Clearing”/Sleep for Sleepers/Dreamt Records/2009
“There is no way this album was making the Top 50 of the decade,” I told myself through greeted teeth. How can a band that just released an album in 2009 make a list of my own personal favorites of the past ten years? By producing an album so riveting it made me look at music in a whole new way. The Clearing, released on Dreamt Music (a sub-label to metal powerhouse Facedown Records), creates a calm, surreal atmosphere littered with pop/rock melodies, catchy choruses and a whole lot of heart and soul. The Clearing achieves a level of greatness that leaves you at a lost for words. It should be criminal for a band this young to be this good. Muse is the only band on the planet that can literally transform my reality when I listen to them. Sleep for Sleepers has just seated themselves at Muse’s table.
40. “Rival Factions”/Project 86/Tooth and Nail/2005
All of Project 86’s album could have made this list. They’re that good and that influential to my music life. But I fancy myself a man of restraint and, as hard as it was, I had to take a hard look at which albums truly deserved to be included on the list. Rival Factions started at the bottom of the heap, but like a 100-1 long shot at Church Hill Downs, it surprised with a last minute sprint towards to finish line. I had forgotten how good this album really was, but after really examining it, I quickly realized how impressive a work the band had constructed. Project 86 decided to role the dice and experiment with a lot of different sounds on Rival Factions. Everything from 1980s inspired synth-rock to experimental hardcore to punk was all used in the making of this album. And it all worked together to again add to the mystique of Project 86 more so than any other work the band has put out. It astounds me how an album that was no where near the elite in my personal rankings of Project’s albums, can make my best of the decade list. Just goes to show, never count out the underdog.
