25. Cancer Bats "Birthing The Giant" (2006)
http://www.teamdistort.com/graphics/discography/7.jpg
What it is: Heavy punk rock
Favorite track: "French Immersion"

I don't really know where to start with Cancer Bats. Their sound blends the heaviness and aggressiveness of metal with the simplicity and energy of punk rock, all with a southern edge. Birthing The Giant is an impressive debut from the Bats, with big metallic riffs, crazy lyrics, and amazing energy. The purpose here is clear, and that purpose is fun.

For a band with a complete lack of singing, Cancer Bats have hooks coming out their fingernails, and here it seems to be the lyrics, and Liam Cormier's aggressive vocals definitely suit the sound. Simple, yet effective lines such as "Let's do this!" from French Immersion or "We are the ones who'll die!" from Golden Tanks make you want to yell right along with him.

Instrument-wise, the Cancer Bats are fairly minimalistic. But this doesn't mean that you won't find hooks in their instrumentals. Often times at the end of a verse or chorus, they'll thrown in a little riff, usually played by both the bassist and the guitarist. The lack of singing also forces you to notice the instruments more, how they change the mood and feel of the song.

This album isn't brilliant, groundbreaking, and has no diversity at all, but it's energetic, and intense, and that's what I look for in a modern punk rock album. "Let's do this!" has become something of a catchphrase with me and one of my Cancer Bats-listening friends. What I like about Birthing The Giant is how simple, yet effective it is. It's like The Ramones all over again.

Listen to it, let it take you for a wild ride.

24. Asian Dub Foundation "Rafi's Revenge" (1998)
http://www.chestionabil.ro/images/blog/asian.jpg
What it is: Jamaican music meets electronica and hip hop?
Favorite track: "Naxalite"

Asian Dub Foundation is a band I found out about from a video game, and this video game was Need For Speed: Underground. But this was years ago. It wasn't until after seeing Urban mention them in one of his posts that I remembered them and decided to give them a shot. Jackhammer told me to get this album, and what a great recommendation that was.

I will skip the genre lecture, because I don't know what it is exactly myself. Rafi's Revenge is a hard album to pin down on one genre. They seem to be quite the band to gather influences and put them all together. A wide variety of instruments are used here to create an extremely interesting sound that defies any classification.

The first track, Naxalite focuses on a more energetic sound, opening with a riff that can only be described as electricity in musical form, and becoming a sort of techno-world-rap song, it gets me pumped up every time. Black White is a song that celebrates our multicultural society and slams racism. You'll find some songs that lean more towards an electronic sounds, and you'll find your more Jamaican-style stuff. In the end, it's very satisfying.

Asian Dub Foundation's focus seems to be one of peace and acceptance, and even the instrumental aspect seems to compliment their philosophy. It's definitely a rewarding listen, and I encourage anyone who hasn't listened to try it. The melodies are catchy, the instrumentation is diverse, and end product is a kickass album.

23. At The Drive-In "In/Casino/Out" (1998)
http://fearless.merchnow.com/images/429?w=300&h=297
What it is: post-hardcore/indie rock
Favorite track: Napoleon Solo

It seems At The Drive-In improved with every release they put out. However, In/Casino/Out is the point in their career where they really got good at what they did. In/Casino/Out is their second full-length album, but fifth release in total (if my memory serves me well).

It took a while for me to get into In/Casino/Out. I was kind of dissapointed the first time I heard it. I was put off by the somewhat slower, more laid back sound. I could enjoy Alpha Centauri and Chanbara because they sounded more like the At The Drive-In I was used to, but I didn't really enjoy the rest of the album. Then I began to enjoy Napoleon Solo, and this led to me being more comfortable with the sound. After that, the next growers were Lopsided and Hourglass. Now, I can appreciate the album as a whole.

In/Casino/Out is a softer, slower album on average than Relationship Of Command, but surpasses it terms of emotion (on average yet again). Napoleon Solo definitely ranks up there with Invalid Litter Dept from ROC as some of the most intense stuff they've ever done. Cedric Bixler-Zavala absolutely pours his soul into this, and other songs on this album.

As usual, you will find the unorthodox guitar and cryptic lyrics ATDI is known for here.

In/Casino/Out is an awesome album, and for those who think that At The Drive-In's only good album is Relationship Of Command, you're very wrong. In/Casino/Out is very much worth the listen, and you may be scratching your head on whether it's better than Relationship Of Command. I still like ROC better, but In/Casino/Out puts up quite a fight.

22. Matisyahu "Youth" (2006)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...hu_-_Youth.jpg
What it is: Reggae performed by a hisidic jew
Favorite track: Time Of Your Song

Matisyahu sounded pretty interesting when I first heard about him. I mean, 21st century reggae with hints of hip hop and rock, and performed by a jew. Of course, I'm not gonna bore you with the whole "OMG A JEW DOING REGGAE" thing.

Many fans prefer "Shake Off The Dust... ARISE!", but that album didn't do it for me. Maybe it was because I heard this one first and that's the one I stick with etc, but this album just has more memorable songs. The choruses are catchy, and it's really more of a feel good album.

I really like Matisyahu's lyrics. His usage of Jewish and Biblical themes makes his music a lot more interesting to me. Some of my favorite lyrics on the album are:

from Fire Of Heaven/Altar Of Earth

from What I'm Fighting For

Matisyahu is like a rabbi singing reggae, but you don't have to be Jewish to find his music, or even his message enjoyable. Though his music is very focused on the Jewish religion, he doesn't come off as preachy.

Excellent album, all I can say.

21. Millencolin "Pennybridge Pioneers" (2000)
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What it is: Fun, poppy skate punk
Favorite track: No Cigar

The musical elitist deep inside me tells me that it should be embarassing that I like this album. But you know what? Screw you inner musical elitist. I'd be a liar if I said I didn't love this album. It's fun skate punk with big pop hooks.

Let's travel back in time to when I was about ten or eleven. Many a day I would spend rocking out to the wonderful music on Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2. No Cigar was one of my favorite tracks on that game, and it was made for skateboarding. I bought this album in the summer of 2008. By then I'd heard a lot of Millencolin songs, and I liked them a lot.

As with others on this list, this is a fun album. There's high-octane guitar riffs, such as the main riff on Penguins & Polarbears, big pop choruses, such as the one on The Mayfly. While I described it as a skate punk album, some songs are more pop-rockish, such as A-Ten and Fox. It's all good.

I don't recommend this album to the average MBer, because you'd probably find it juvenile and "shitty", but that's your business. As for me, I'll keep spinning Pennybridge Pioneers until the CD dies.

20. Teenage Bottlerocket "Total" (2005)
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What it is: catchiest pop punk ever
Favorite track: Fall For Me

This list is looking bleak, innit? This is the second pop punk album in a row! Not to fear, the future is bright...

...but the present is gloomy. This may be the second pop punk album in a row, but this one is quite a bit different than that other one. Whereas Millencolin had more conventional rock stuff on their album, this one is raw and punky, and pretty much sounds like what The Ramones would be recording if they were still going.

There's real art and skill in this album, you must know. I mean, how hard it must be, making catchy-as-hell songs and worrying about whether you've stolen a chord pattern from Screeching Weasel or The Lillingtons or The Ramones.

Whether they did or not, nothing can take away from the fact that this is the catchiest pop punk album you'll hear. Most of the songs here are about girls and the lyrics are cheesy as hell, but isn't that part of the appeal of the genre? One thing's for sure, this band isn't to be taken seriously, they're goofballs.

Bloodbath At Burger King expresses an employees desire to murder his fellow his employees. Go Away, the most repetetive track on the album tells about how he "loves it when you go away". I mean, what the hell is this?

But, Alexisonfire put it best: "Sometimes it's just about feeling good/John Cusack, pop punk".

Originally Posted by Alfred (Post 575766) 23. At The Drive-In "In/Casino/Out" (1998)

19. The Clash "Give Em Enough Rope" (1978)
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What it is: better than their debut dammit
Favorite track: Safe European Home

See, I told you the future was bright!

I could be wrong, but "Give Em Enough Rope" always seems like the overlooked Clash album. Everyone loves their debut, because it's their first album and shows their early sound. "London Calling" goes without saying, "Sandinista!" is so huge and weird, but loved by many fans. Combat Rock has "Should I Stay Or Should I Go" and "Rock The Casbah", and everyone seems to avoid Cut The Crap like a swarm of bees (I myself am guilty of this).

As a punk rock band, this is the greatest thing The Clash could have possibly achieved. There's lots of energy here, and they're tight as hell. The melodies are great, and the lyrics are pure Clash. Safe European Home is superb, the finest punk track that they made. English Civil War was also a treat for me, because of its usage of an old melody that I've always loved. Stay Free has lyrics of youthful rebellion, but it sounds like it should be on London Calling. The production here is very slick.

I could be wrong, but as I said before, this album doesn't seem to get the recognition it deserves. There are many memorable songs here, and as an album it works extremely well. It's a more energetic sound, but at the same time, more laid back than their debut. Their feel-good record if you like.

Originally Posted by Double X (Post 582901) If this is in your top 25 the s/t better be in it. :bringit:

18. Echo & The Bunnymen "Crocodiles" (1980)
http://www.johnbraine.com/uploaded_i...crocodiles.jpg
What it is: :usehead:
Favorite Track: All That Jazz

If you told me a long time ago that this would be one of my favorite albums, I would've said "Yer nuts!". Well, maybe not, because I'm generally a very open minded person, but I digress... the point is, this is not an album I really expected to rank very high with me when I first listened to it.

But damn, I was wrong. This album is a goldmine of hooks (musically and lyrically), and just overall mind-blowishness. I was expecting to be bored out of my mind like the first time I listened to a Joy Division, but this was a pleasent surprise.

As most of you have probably heard this album, I won't have to go in to much detail. It's basically energetic post-punk with often dark-sounding hooks and melodies. The great guitar, vocals, and that strong bass presence make the sound here extremely solid.

I love an album that gets better with each song, and this is one of those albums. I personally find the first two tracks to be decent, but not outstanding. But when Monkeys kicks in... it's all uphill from there. There's kind of an upbeat, yet dark feel here, especially on the tracks All That Jazz, Villiers Terrace, and Crocodiles. It's very accessible.

"Heaven Up Here" and "Ocean Rain" are nice, but this is fantastic. Each of them has their moments, but out of the three, this is the only one I that keeps my interest, beginning to end.

Originally Posted by Alfred (Post 589539) [CENTER]18. Echo & The Bunnymen "Crocodiles" (1980)

Originally Posted by Alfred (Post 589539) [CENTER]18. Echo & The Bunnymen "Crocodiles" (1980)

17. He Is Legend "I Am Hollywood" (2004)
http://www.alexkoyich.com/_cddb/artw...amholywood.jpg
What it is: I'm just gonna say Hard Rock
Favorite Track: You Think I'm Pretty?

I love those bands that seem to combine elements of other bands you like, and that is the case with He Is Legend. They combine the heavy southern edge of Maylene with the pretty singing and post-hardcore atmosphere of Alexisonfire, and at the same time have their own idiosynchrasies. The end product is a very enjoyable hard rock album.

The reason I choose this album over 2006's "Suck Out The Poison" is partially because this is the last album with Schuylar Croom aforementioned pretty vocals, which are almost completely absent from that album (as HIL have stated is because of his excessive smoking). This

One weakness I have continually noticed with He Is Legend is their songwriting. It's not terrible, but it's quite simple. However, the excellent vocal delivery makes up for that. Schuylar Croom has fantastic screaming, singing, or whatever he decides to do with his voice. He certainly has a way around a vocal riff.

Most of the tracks on the album use the same formula. Fast rhythm, screaming/clean singing shifts, many guitar riffs, but you know the old saying, if it ain't broke...

I've posted this before...

16. Alexisonfire (2002)
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qmicN86KAx...exisonfire.jpg
What it is: Post-hardcore
Favorite Track: .44 Caliber Love Letter

There had to be an Alexisonfire album on my list, but the problem is, which one? Every time I sat down and thought about which album was my favorite, I ended up more clueless than I was before. At first I was pretty certain that it would be 2006's crisis, due to the accessibility of it and the great songs. But finally I settled on their self-titled debut album, and here's why.

"Alexisonfire" is rawer, less structured, more intense/energetic, and far more passionate than anything they released after. "Crisis" and "Watch Out!" have more standout tracks sure, but Alexisonfire works better as an album, and that is the point of this thread, is it not? So I shoved aside the accessibility of the other two, and decided that the sound of a young hardcore band making their first record is a far more interesting listen.

The sound of Alexisonfire on this album is sharp and angry. They take a lot of influence from hardcore punk, but some odd structuring and complexity say otherwise. There is tons of screaming here, probably 90% of the vocals are screamed. The singing doesn't strike me as pretty, nor does it aim at producing a hook, like it does on the other two albums, but it's more just an instrument in the chaotic mix. It's a sound that is tight, together, and no part seems to stand out more than another. The production is quite low-end, but that doesn't take away from the album at all, but instead adds to it. As I said before, it's very sharp.

Alexisonfire have produced a hardcore masterpiece with this album, and their rawness, passion, and punk rock vibes set them apart from the whole hottopiccore thing, a trend which they are often wrongly associated with.

15. Bob Dylan "Bringing It All Back Home" (1965)
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What it is: Bob Dylan :pimp:
Favorite Track: It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)

In November I had the pleasure of seeing Bob Dylan live in London, Ontario. This was my first ever concert, and the only reason I got to see it is because my dad is a huge Dylan fan, he has been since high school. I'm pretty sure he has all of his pre-1990 albums on vinyl, and he's got Modern Times and the Essential Bob Dylan on CD (he plays the crap out of them). So anyways, there's my Bob Dylan background. I grew up hating him because that's all my dad would listen to and I couldn't stand the voice, but in recent years I have come to appreciate and enjoy his music and lyrics.

Soon after the concert, I decided to actually give Bob a good listen. So I obviously started with his "holy trinity" (and to be honest I haven't downloaded much by him since). The album that stood out for me was this one. I'm a lot for familiar with this album than the other two. It contains many songs I already knew from previous experiance with Dylan. Subterranean Homesick Blues, Mr. Tamourine Man, and It's All Over Now, Baby Blue were favorites of my dad, and apparently a lot of people. It's Alright, Ma was wonderful live, even though he turned it into a blues song.

I feel that this album sounds more like Dylan. There's a more folky feel here than the other albums, and my favorite Dylan songs are his more folk-oriented ones. I can't give It's Alright Ma enough praise. Everything about it, the mood, the delivery, and especially the lyrics are fantastic. Actually scratch that, all the songs on the album have fantastic lyrics. Dylan amuses me with his words just as much as any rapper does. Maggie's Farm and Subterranean Homesick Blues are especially good examples of what I'm talking about.

I now look back at my former self and snicker at how ignorant and close-minded I was. See, I wanted to listen to hard rock, something that I was forbidden to do at the time, taboo even, so when I heard this folk-rock stuff all the time it was really annoying. But now that I'm older I can finally enjoy Bob Dylan... even if my dad continues to overplay him.

And now a classic video...

14. Lagwagon "Let's Talk About Feelings" (1998)
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What it is: "The SoCal Sound"
Favorite Track: Change Despair

Ahh Lagwagon, been rocking them since Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2. That'll be the second band (and album for that matter) that I was introduced to through that video game. Viewing its hideous and juvenile-looking album art and title, and taking into account my description "SoCal Sound" one might assume that Lagwagon are just a poor-man's NOFX. If we're talking about their musical aspects, then you'd be somewhat correct.

While there's the silly short song "Hurry Up and Wait", Lagwagon have a more mature and laid back tone than NOFX, and there's something about them that doesn't scream of "pure shit". It's almost an authenticity thing. They don't think they're all "punk rawk" like NOFX, and their focus is not to be crude, but to write songs about everyday life. These things make Let's Talk About Feelings the perfect pop punk record.

Musically, Lagwagon uses elements of most skate punk bands. Fast tempo, technical guitar, and often changing tempos. For a punk band, their (and I guess most bands like this) instrumentation is complex, but at least they don't hide their skill because it's not tr00 punx.

The most common theme here is annoyance with other people:
but there's also moments of an encouraging attitude
Joey Cape is one of my favorite songwriters, regardless of how arguably simplistic his songwriting may be.

One of the best aspects of "Let's Talk About Feelings" is that there's not a single song on here that I don't like. The overall sound is very smooth and together. There's a lot of catchy moments, a lot of really fast streaks, and some well played effects or samples that add to the experience.

I know most of you would probably dismiss this album, but if you want a fun, enjoyable experiance try this album. It's twenty-five minutes of (for the most part) upbeat poppy, overall perfect punk rock. How anyone can dislike it is beyond me, but to each his own.

Watch this video. Lagwagon was one of the bands that made Warped Tour worthwhile. I don't think they'll be back.