15. Only Crime - To the Nines (Fat Wreck Chords)
I think we can all agree by now that Bill Stevenson is the man. This is a supergroup from members of the Descendents, (that would be our buddy Bill Stevenson), Good Riddance, and Bane. And yeah, it most definitely lives up to the high standards put up to it just by having all those members in there. Melodic hardcore that's heavier on melody than hardcore.
14. Aggrolites - Dirty Reggae (Axe Records)
The Aggrolites' track "Dirty Reggae," taken from the album of the same name, was easily one of the best tracks on Give 'Em the Boot IV. The full album doesn't disappoint. If you like classic '60's style reggae, this is your dream come true. An album full of mostly-instrumentals that make me want to curl up in a ball and nap away the day.
13. Matadors - The Devil's Music (Stumble Records)
London's Matadors make me proud to be from Ontario. I first heard them via a super-lo-fi version of "The Evil Eye" on Stumble Records' Canadian psycho/rockabilly comp, Zombie Night in Canada. Since then, I've been hooked. The Matadors mix slick rockabilly with creepy horror lyrics to create their own self-proclaimed "horrorbilly," and make you want to run around town with a cowboy hat on shooting people.
12. Less Than Jake - B is For B-Sides (Warner)
After the disaster that was Anthem, people drifted between blaming Less Than Jake for selling out and blaming their major label for trying to make them into the next pop-punk sensation. This collection of songs the band was forced to take off Anthem shows that maybe it wasn't their fault that album sucks! This is all the ska-punk you were missing from your life, but didn't realize because your life's become an empty hole in a vast desert of nothingness. Also, your girlfriend cheated on you with your brother. So dammit, stop crying and put on some Less Than Jake.
11. Balzac - Came Out of the Grave (Disk Union Japan)
I may understand very little of what Japan's Balzac is singing about due to language barriers, but you can't deny the great musicianship Balzac has. Their friendliness with the shoddy Newfits may put you off if you're a horror punk fan, but don't worry...they actually have originality. Balzac mix power pop with punk, metal, and industrial to create one solid listen.
10. Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards - Viking (Hellcat/Epitaph)
Yeah, I've been told over and over that his songs about killing women are sexist, the lyrics are very shallow, etc, etc, but I still like listening to it. I used to think of Lars Frederiksen as a bit of a fashion punk (why, I don't know), but I just can't deny the catchiness of his street punk melodies. And hey, everyone likes to think about killing women now and again.
9. Blood Brothers - Crimes (V2/BMG)
If the Blood Brothers hadn't have been recommended to me by a friend, I probably would've never listened to them. I mean, you have to admit...a band bearing the adjectives "experimental hardcore," "mandatory hipster listening," and [insert horrified gasp] "screamo/emo" is bound to set off some alarms. But the difference is, the Blood Brothers can actually pull it off and make confusingly deep lyrics cool again.
8. Descendents - Cool To Be You (Fat Wreck Chords)
Yeah, Bill Stevenson really is the man. The Descendents return from an eight year hiatus with one of their best albums in a good, long while. High quality Descendents stuff from start to finish, believe you me. The Descendents prove the old adage that keeping it simple is the best way to do things right by delivering stripped-down pop-punk that's guaranteed to cheer anyone up.
7. Horrorpops - Hell Yeah! (Hellcat/Epitaph)
As if psychobilly wasn't good enough already, the Nekromantix' Kim Nekroman and his wife, Patricia Day, mix it with surf punk, new wave, and 50's jukebox rock to create one catchy album. This record is like morphine or something; you will be eternally happy as long as it's on somewhere in the background.
6. 12 Step Rebels - Go Go Graveyard Rockin' (Dead Body Wreckerds)
After downloading some old demos and the bands' split with the unfortunately now-defunct Graveyard Shift, I was curious as to how ex-Tiger Army Geoff Kresge's psychobilly proteges would hold up as the flagship band of his new label, Dead Body Wreckerds. The 12 Step Rebels follow in Tiger Army's footsteps by mixing an emotionally-driven singer with punkabilly melodies and B-horror movie lyrics. This is one band I've vowed to watch.
5. Green Day - American Idiot (Warner)
A lot of people, both critics and fans alike, predicted that Green Day would probably be relegated to making Dookie over and over again for the rest of their lives. (Hey, Pennywise and the Offspring have made entire careers out of endlessly rehashing their most popular albums.) Needless to say, Green Day impressed us all by proving they did have new ground to cover after releasing the requisite "mature" album, Warning, by making this amazing "punk rock opera." Other pop-punk bands, take notes!
4. Jello Biafra with the Melvins - Never Breathe What You Can't See (Alternative Tentacles)
Ex-Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra's spoken word stuff regarding the political turmoil of today may be pretty good, but let's face it...we really want his biting satire in song form. Thankfully, he delivers in one of his best solo recordings to date, with the Melvins providing the perfect quirky back-up first made popular with the Dead Kennedys themselves. Or, this could just be Jello's subtle way of diverting profits from the "reformed" Dead Kennedys cavorting around.
3. Tiger Army - III: Ghost Tigers Rise (Hellcat/Epitaph)
Tiger Army's third album was pushed back numerous times in the wake of drummer Fred Hell being shot in the brain by robbers, which would result in permanent co-ordination problems making it necessary for him to leave the band. Shortly after, stand-up bassist Geoff Kresge would leave to play guitar for the Horrorpops under shadowy circumstances. Regardless of the drama overshadowing this release, Tiger Army moves in a slower, more introspective direction, distancing themselves from horror cliches and turning out one hell of an album.
2. Social Distortion - Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll (Time Bomb Recordings)
There aren't many original punk bands who are still together, let alone putting out good music. Everyone's hero Mike Ness really delivered with this one, even after an 8 year hiatus and the death of bandmate Dennis Danell. Good on Social D for continuing their trademark punk/rockabilly sound without rehashing their old hits. This disk is a solid listen from start to finish, with the band covering ground from themes of introspection to good ol' fashioned gangster posturing.
1. Nekromantix - Dead Girls Don't Cry (Hellcat/Epitaph)
15 years after the band's beginnings, Denmark's Nekromantix still have yet to start fading out. In fact, I don't even think they've reached their peak yet. Experience mixed with a knack for writing good melodies and lyrics made for the best album of 2004. No one with a soul in their body (or, a soul outside their body *evil laughter!*) can deny catchy psychobilly tracks like "Dead Girls Don't Cry," "Ghoulina,"or "A Stone With Your/My Name." Now if only Kim and the boys would get up to Toronto...
TECHNICALITIES: It was a live recording, remastering of an old release, compilation, or an EP.
The Clash - London Calling: The 25th Anniversary Edition (Epic/Sony)
Just as Nirvana fans creamed their pants over the release of that one unreleased Nirvana song two years back, as a Clash fan, I get a certain satisfaction in hearing the five unreleased Clash jams, even if it's pretty obvious why they didn't make it onto the actual London Calling.
Closet Monster - We Built This City [EP] (Underground Operations)
Closet Monster is really the closest I have to a decent local band without having to drive a good distance. Political without being too preachy, and catchy without being too poppy.
Dead Kennedys - Live at the Deaf Club (Manifesto Records)
After the shoddiness of Mutiny on the Bay, and Jello Biafra dismissing this as being of a worse quality than tracks mastered over 15 years ago, I didn't expect much. But the facts are, this CD is of the highest quality, and it's very cool to hear all their later classics in early stages before they had even recorded an album. And two guitars, dammit! Two guitars!
Various Arists - Give 'Em the Boot IV (Hellcat/Epitaph)
Thank god Hellcat is once again including non-Hellcat bands on their compilations, because the likes of Resurex and the Aggrolites make for some high quality listening. Oh, and as if the Nekromantix didn't already have the best album of the year, they also have to top themselves with a funeral dirge-esque version of Rancid's "Dead Bodies." Man, I will never be as cool as those guys and they know it.
Various Arists - Rock Against Bush Vols. 1 and 2 (Fat Wreck Chords)
Will Ferrell's sketch where he acts out a Bush campaign ad as Bush himself, included on the free DVD with Vol. 2, is well worth the cost of the compilation alone. Oh yeah and the songs are pretty good too bla bla bla.
Okay, so this wasn't really a let-down because Danzig has been making pretty half-assed music since 1996. But thank god he's finally hanging it up after this one. Even the most diehard fan has to admit Danzig's become a bit of a parody of himself (Exhibit A: The infamous knockout video), and his one saving grace, his cool voice, doesn't even sound right anymore.
The Explosion - Black Tape (Virgin Records)
I have to admit that I feel kind of guilty putting The Explosion on this list, after witnessing them put on a great live show despite the fact that only a handful of people were paying attention, and that despite being a major label's next attempt at a cash cow, they're still a decent bunch of guys. But the sad truth is, their first major label effort was way overproduced (especially the disturbingly slick vocals) and just didn't have the replay value of their others. Sorry.
Good Charlotte - The Chronicles of Life and Death (Epic/Sony)
So I swore up and down that Good Charlotte really wasn't a manufactured band, they had just got in on the right trend at the right time. Now I feel sort of stupid. With the exception of a few good pop-punk/emo tracks, this album has no direction and drowns in it's own attempt at being "deep." You know, as crappy as this album was, by including it on this list I feel like one of those girls who was creaming their jeans over Benji and Joel two years ago, but now is all into "emocore" and denies ever liking pop-punk.
Hazen St. - S/T (DC Flag/Sony)
I for one cannot believe members of H20, Madball, and the Cro-Mags would make such a mediocre pop-punk record. They should've realized fans of their full-time bands would hate it, and pop-punk fans would dismiss it based on their rough vocals and tough guy appearance. They're also dressed like D-12 on the front cover. What the hell Toby, what the hell.
Aaaand our magical ride ends. We all had some fun - you learned what albums I liked and hated, and I learned that while it's easy to say why you hated something, it's impossible to compliment something without coming off like a pompous bastard. As for 2005, all of my top bands came out with albums this year, so it looks like 2005 might turn out to be a bottom of the barrel year. If so, it'll just mean time to check out older bands, so everybody wins. Now go into that world a better man, or woman, or whatever, and make me proud.