B3

Placebo did release their latest extended play last september, but I didn't pay it much attention up until now. I was actually quite surprised to find it pretty good. In contrast to Placebo's last full-length, Battle for the Sun, it sounds quite fresh and got me stoked for the band's new album, which should be out either in March, or later in the summer... Thoughts?

Influential albums

This was actually one of the ideas I had on my mind when I was writing the first paragraph of the Nada Surf review back in January. I was planning to do this as a part of the "older albums revisited" section but it was st. tropez who finally forced me to get down to it. It took me three months...

I got into music much, much later than most of you. It wasn't until I discovered the secret of downloading. Yes, big surprise, I'm a pirate. Therefore almost all the albums mentioned here will be from the noughties. I may not listen to many of them anymore, but these records had a tremendous impact on my life and I'll always have a soft spot for them. Let's start with 21 albums that didn't make the final cut. I'm pretty sure I'll revisit them one day too.

AFI Sing the Sorrow
Arcade Fire The Suburbs
Ash Meltdown
Avenged Sevenfold City of Evil
Biffy Clyro Only Revolutions
Blink 182 Enema of the State
The Cure Disintegration
Fightstar Be Human
The Gaslight Anthem The '59 Sound
Idlewild Broken Promises
Journey Escape
The Killers Sam's Town
Lostprophets Liberation Transmission
Muse Black Holes And Revelations
Oasis What's the Story Morning Glory?
Rise Against The Sufferer & the Witness
Saosin Saosin
Silversun Pickups Swoon
Snow Patrol Eyes Open
Story of the Year Page Avenue
Taking Back Sunday Louder Now
Travis The Boy With No Name

The Beatles Help!

I think it's safe to say, that the Beatles have been with me all my life. I digged all of their songs when I heard them on the radio. But it wasn't until the 2009 remaster, which offered a great opportunity, that I checked their whole catalogue out and discovered there's a lot more to love than just the notoriously known singles. I could easily choose any Beatles' album, but I chose Help!, because the first track of the same name was literally the very first song ever to gain the title "my favourite song". Although, I was in elementary school and probably didn't even know any other band at that time. But that's not the point. I love the Beatles, period.

The Best Albums of 2009

Trying to keep up the pace one post at a day, I decided to reveal my AOTY list of the last year which, in my humble opinion, was really great for music. This post comes a little bit late, please, forgive me... :-P Neverthless, my top albums are pretty much in this order.

#12 Saosin - In Search of Solid Ground


I'm tired of all the people bitching about how awful this album was. While it surely isn't as good compared to its predecessor, it still contains some great tunes and sounds typically Saosin.
Best tracks: From track #1 to #5, This Is Real, You Never Noticed Me (Bonus track)

#11 Placebo - Battle for the Sun


what can I say? it's Placebo...
Best tracks: Battle for the Sun, For What It's Worth, The Never-ending Why, Kings of Medicine

#10 The Audition - Self-Titled Album


Every other song on this album is a gem, while the others are "just" very good. The Audition seems to never fail to deliver genuine powerpop anthems.
Best tracks: My Temperature's Rising, Everybody's Someone Else's Secret, Steal.Sign.Deliver

#9 All Time Low - Nothing Personal


I had never expected to enjoy such an album so much, but since this record came out I started listening to pop punk immensely, an obsession that's been lasting until today.
Best tracks: Weightless, Break Your Little Heart, Sick Little Games, Hello Brooklyn

#8 AFI - Crash Love


The only thing I'm missing on the newest AFI's record is another weird opening track. Driving guitars, Davey Havok's typical vocals, what alse do you need?
Best tracks: Beautiful Thieves, End Transmission, Medicate, Sacriledge

#7 Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown


I enjoyed it. A lot. I'm not ashamed of it. Green Day was practically the band that once brought me into the punk genre. This album made me start listening to them once again.
Best tracks: Know Your Enemy, !Viva la Gloria!, The Static Age, 21 Guns

#6 Fightstar - Be Human


Perhaps my most anticipated release of the spring hasn't let me down one bit. It may take some time getting into their music because of their unique sound, but it's definitely worth it. Charlie Simpson, formerly from Busted, is the man.
Best tracks: Calling on All Stations, The English Way, Colours Bleed to Red, Mercury Summer

#5 White Lies - To Lose My Life...


In my opinion, this year's best debut album belongs to this post-punk revival band from London. Every song on this this record is a potential single. If you like Interpol, Editors or Joy Division, be sure to check these guys out.
Best tracks: To Lose My Life, Unfinished Business, Farewell to the Fairground

#4 Muse - The Resistance


More epic, more ambitious and weirder than ever. It's hard to dislike this album.
Best tracks: Uprising, Resistance, Undisclosed Desires, MK Ultra and the twelve-minutes-long closing track

#3 Emery - ... In Shallow Seas We Sail


Easily the very best post-hardcore album of the year and one of the best I've heard, like ever... Amazing screaming, evenly great clean vocals, powerful melodies... I could go on for hours. I won't though.
Best tracks: Inside Our Skin; The Smile, The Face; A Sin to Hold On to, Piggy Bank Lies

#2 Biffy Clyro - Only Revolutions


I wasn't much into "Puzzle," I wasn't expecting much from this either. But after a few spins I could easily say that this album is nothing short of brilliant.
Best tracks: The Captain, That Golden Rule, Bubbles, God & Satan, Mountains

#1 Silversun Pickups - Swoon


I didn't know about this band until the album appeared on another blog and I decided to give it a shot. I instantly fell in love with the sound of the distorted guitars and Brian Aubert's vocals and kept spinning the record over and over again.
Best tracks: The Royal We, It's Nice to Know You Work Alone, Panic Switch and pretty much the whole album...

Honorable mentions: Cartel - Cycles, Tegan & Sara - Sainthood, Dashboard Confessional - Alter the Ending, Taking Back Sunday - New Again, Silverstein - A Shipwreck in the Sand, Paramore - Brand New Eyes, Relient K - Forget & Not Slow Down, Paper Route - Absence