sonic boom six - arcade perfect. i haven't enjoyed a 'ska band' this much since I heard the Resignation in eleventh grade. this band is fucking amazing, a great mix of styles and the whole thing still feels coherent. there aren't many bands i would want to tour with just for the pleasure of watching them every night but this is one of them.
paint it black - cva, paradise, new lexicon. i was into paradise in 07, i think, but hearing new lexicon this past year caused me to go back and listen to PIB's whole catalogue in more depth this year. i don't think i'm anywhere near to internalizing it as much as i have some other bands, but that is what 09 is for. the fact that they have put out three records that display a clear direction in terms of musical growth... i want to be in a band like that.
the gaslight anthem - the '59 sound. i am not sure yet if this band is just a favorite when i'm feeling down or if i really love them yet. i listened to the damn record plenty in 08, but i can't really tell why. it must be included due to the sheer number of plays.
bayside - shudder. not pop-punk in the way you'd think, but that is to their benefit. once i learned to love the vocal delivery i got into this record in a big way. my favs on here are songs i will love forever.
punchline - just say yes. never really got into p-line before. used to be brandon's thing, i didn't really get down except on the occasions we would hear it in his car. then this record came out and made me realize i really, really like them. songwriting is varied. the album gets real mellow in places, but its in a good way. they've obviously written many straightforward pop punk songs in their day, so the sound of them opening up and exploring more varied styles is pretty interesting. i can't say i'd ever take my band in that direction, even after putting out as many records as they have, but i think it works for them. i'm definitely going to explore more of the back catalogue in '09.
less than jake - gnv fla. they proved you can go home again. its not their best work, and i was bummed it wasn't as stellar as i hoped, because god knows how long it will be before they get a chance to prove themselves again. still, it got them back on track, and the best songs on gnv fla are up there with my favorite less than jake songs. i think more listening in 09 will yield some more favorites off of this record.
h2o - nothing to prove. this record introduced me to h20, and made me understand melodic hardcore in a new way. i don't agree with everything they did on here but it's solid, got awesome hooks and great playing. that wasn't as much bullshit as it sounded.
hostage calm - lens. this band opened my mind to songwriting ideas i hadn't been open to before. listening to this record was an effort in trying to understand how the hell a human being could write music this good. i look forward to their future in making music.
the one overriding feeling i have regarding all of these is that i still feel like i don't know these records that well. the top 10 of 07 were records i liked so much i learned them inside and out. this past year i feel like i can't hardly remember the records i listened to the most. and the fact that i can't name 10 new records i enjoyed this year kind of speaks to that. i think the last six months of 08 being such a blur kind of contributed to that. i think one of my resolutions for 09 may be to "pay better attention."
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