Okay so. THE LIST. I'm going to attempt to get a blurb about each one, and pick a track or two that (hopefully) aren't singles. Might slip on the last one though, it's a tough call on a few of these.
10.Panic At The Disco - A Fever You Can't Sweat Out: Initially I heard these guys in my close-minded phase, when I thought all the Fueled By Ramen bands would be utter shit (METAL FUCK YEAH). I was proven wrong here. These guys have a good ear for catchy hooks and they get it right on nearly every song. I've never been a fan of the filler track idea, though, such as the intro and segue. It works well for this album though, tying the techno beat-backed first half of the album to the piano-fueled second half. Check out Camisado and Build God, Then We'll Talk.
9. Brand New - Deja Entendu: I love this album. It's a band I took a risk on, buying on the behest of a friend, and I'm glad I did. This album is easily the best, though I will admit it's a bit on the depressing side in parts. All in all the songs flow well but they're not too similar, and the lead and backup singers are great at putting some emotion in the tracks. It was hard to put this album so low, but I lost it for a long time and it's honestly not as fresh in my mind as the others. Still, though, give I Will Play My Game Beneath The Spin Light and I Believe You, But My Tommy Gun Don't a listen.
8. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium: I really wish I could have dipped into the late 90's, as Californication is still one of the best albums ever. However, this double-disc monster is worth every penny. It's a return to the old RHCP funk in parts, but a push of the new mellow feel they picked up in the late 90's early millennium. It almost feels like an anthology or a greatest hits, but it's all new songs and they're all awesome. It's rare to find such a large collection of tracks that I can listen to from one CD to the next all the way through, but this album manages it with ease. Wet Sand, Snow (Hey Oh) and C'mon Girl are all great tracks.
7. System of A Down - Toxicity: The best SoaD album to date. Great from start to finish with more energy than one album should be able to handle. Definitely not for everyone, but I love it. Jet Pilot and Deer Dance are by far the strangest tracks, but two of my favorites.
6. Ben Folds - Rockin' The Suburbs: Good ol' Ben. He's been doing great work since the 90's and in his solo years he hasn't let up. It was a really tough call between this one and Songs For Silverman, but Fred Jones Pt. 2 makes this album, as it's one of my favorite songs of all time (of all time!). Amazing piano work as always, and a very Elton John flair for catchy songs, whether a single or not. Fred Jones, Pt. 2 and Zak and Sara are the tops.
5. A Perfect Circle - Mer De Noms: Just plain old beautiful. I honestly have trouble putting this to words. Reinholder and Magdelena are amazing, as is The Hollow. Just a fantastic album.
4. The Darkness - Permission To Land: This one came out of nowhere for me. I was just getting into classic rock, and heard this on MTv2 (when it still had music). I had thought they were in some kind of classic rock block, but apparently this was a new band. It's only 10 tracks but they make use of every second. Ridiculous solos, wailing vocals and it fills every inch of your speakers with sexy, sexy rock. Love On The Rocks With No Ice and Friday Night are solid tracks.
3. Flogging Molly - Drunken Lullabies: This was another hard choice. All of FM's albums were released in the 2000's, but I had to go with this one. I feel it best represents what the band is all about, and contains the best tracks all in all. There's the usual mix of punk and folk, but they definitely found their sound here. The Kilburn High Road and Death Valley Queen stand out the most to me.
2. Foo Fighters - One By One: One of the few albums I can listen to from start to finish with no skipping of tracks, over and over again. Also one of the best FF albums. Every song is awesome, either rolling hard like thunder or mellow like water, and inspired regardless of tempo. Taylor Hawkins really comes into his own on this album as well, considering it almost wasn't made due to his alcohol rehab. Check out tracks like Lonely As You and Disenchanted Lullaby.
1. Incubus - Morning View: And here we have number one. This is, I believe, the best Incubus album. It was the last made with Dirk Lance, the original bassist of the band, but it's a great mix of old and new Incubus. The band has constantly evolved and changed sound since starting out, and this is where they really seem to find the right groove. It's not the final attempt at a new sound, but you can tell it's close to what they were looking for. Aqueous Transmission is one of the most beautiful tracks I've ever heard, and Blood On The Ground is a great hard-hitting tune.
