Today’s take me back before music made me pretentious moment comes from the summer of 2003. I realize before even making this list that it will bring obvious flaws in my taste of music to light which is something i’m fine with. My entire premise behind heycoolkid! has always been to present music that may or may not be “scene” enough for other blogs and at the same time bring attention to the music that i love and wish others would as well. (“others” meaning people whose opinions i actually care about, i’m pretty sure those people do exist, god i hope they exist)
The only line of defense i’ll use is that i do come from a small town in indiana where they still consider the stoned temple pilots as a relevent band. Whenever i’m home someone inevitable will ask me if i’ve “heard the new three days grace song”, no offense to my friends because in most other departments they were phenomenal but anytime i tried to play the stuff i was really into it fell onto deaf ears because it didn’t sound generic enough to be played on our coveted clear-channel radio station. Seriously these guys will line up hours early to get tickets for a godsmack show and still didn’t have time to listen to three minutes of an American Football song, rest assured i still pray for them daily. That being said the only connection to anything other than the cest pool of praised mediocrity i was drowning in was through alternative press so you can already get a general idea of the genre line this playlist will fall under. I probably should have been reading spin so i’d gotten to know more of things indie but when i was in junior high they made tasteless comments about good charlotte being christians and i never bought another copy. Not that i felt that close of connection to the madden brothers nor was i religious by any means, at that time i was a passionate atheist (i didn’t become a christian until years later) but i refuse to support something that judges someone for having religious convictions especially from a magazine that regularly promoted the black eyed peas. Okay here’s what i remember about the summer of 2003 i’m only putting up video links because at this point i’m not doing much to help someone check these bands out for the first time but possible this might help preserve these songs in some of our memories (or at least give me a laugh at what my life once revolved around):
1. Senses Fail- free fall without a parachute
This was my toe in the water in what eventually would become a committed dive into hardcore and screamo. I still prefer screamo even if it is leaps and bounds less talented but at least they’re not pretending to be hard and too cool for school. I was already a fan of Tokyo Rose and the fact that Mike Glita was now in SF gave me a good enough reason to track From the Depths of Dreams album down. Buddy’s lyrics have always connected with me more than just about any body else. Senses fail also are one of the few bands i still will go out of my way to get their new albums and to check a show out. Today this is probably my favorite song off the album but at the time i screamed my soul out to steven and the ground folds.
2. Brand New- Seventy Times Seven
Although i bought deja entedu first, i’ve always had a habit of buying everything i can find from a band i like which led me almost immediately to pick up your favorite weapon. Brand New’s first three albums are all equally great. Even if the band hates the songs from your favorite weapon i don’t and this song is still the best they’ve written ( eventually i’ll put up a playlist of my all-time favorite songs and this one inevitably will be on it).
Here’s a bonus song because Iron and Wine will be coming to town in a few weeks and i’ve found myself crossing my finger that this song makes it onto their setlist:
3. American Football- The Summer Ends
Cap n’ Jazz will always be a band i try to mention whenever humanly possible. They are probably the most underrated band that comes to mind and probably the most influential midwest band over music in the past twenty years. But if i’m being completely honest with myself I probably love Kinsella’s post jazz work more. Whether it be joan of arc, owen, or american football they equally helped shape my own love for music.
4. Say Anything- Walk Through Hell
Max Bemis you stole my heart in the most heterosexual way possible.
5. The New Amsterdams- Hanging on for hope
When The Get Up Kids broke up part of me did as well. Some artists just have something that needs to be said in a different kind of way. Matthew Pryor falls firmly into that category. I walked into the convenient store in broad ripple a few months ago and the guy behind the counter had four minute mile playing. He seemed surprised that i new what it was, which as my friend katie pointed out, seemed ridiculous in itself because that’s a pretty common album. I mentioned the terrible two’s to the guy and he seemed appalled at the idea of pryor playing children’s music, personally i think it’s kind of awesome. If you haven’t heard any of it check this out:
6. The Dillinger Escape plan- 43% Burnt
Dillinger remains to this day the best band to skate to followed maybe by youth of today or sun kil moon. This song made me believe I actually could do something without killing myself, to some extent i assume that was true
7. Saosin- Seven Years
Another song i’d easily say is one of the best songs ever written. This one helped with a lot of personal depression it’s a shame the band crumbled the way they did pretty much out of the gate. The drums deserve mention as well because they are pretty much mentally unstable.
8. Dashboard Confessional-The sharp hint of new tears
I’d be kidding myself if i’d try remember the summer of 03 without Swiss army romance or the places you’ve come to fear the most. Dashboard to this day remains my favorite band, go ahead and say what you want i’ve been catching trash for it ever since day one and i’m still not budging. Carrabba puts on the best live show possible and is one of the very few bands i’ve been willing to drive more than five hours to see (which i’ve done four times) which is the only way i get to see them since dashboard has played indy only once. Speaking of drums Mike Marsh is one of the best drummers around, don’t let the genre fool you. Similar to when Pryor left TGUK Chris’ departure from Further Seems Forever had me for a moment losing all faith in the future of music and with all honestly the first time i heard Dashboard i hated everything about it then two weeks later my girlfriend and i ended our two year relationship. I went for a late night drive through the country and started tossing cd’s out of my window because every song had some lame memory attached to it. A hundred dollars later i put the swiss army romance in and kept it there on repeat for hours. The next day i picked up the places you’ve come to fear the most and as far as i can remember only listened to those two albums for the next month. Every album they’ve put out i’ve loved and i’ve never been disappointed by one of their shows be it full band or solo. They are the one band i couldn’t care less if anyone else likes for some reason dashboard is personal to me.
Also: This video has always bothered me. Because it’s further seems forever’s Carrabba replacement made to look like he’s singing when it’s not his vocals on the album. They should have just shot a video without the band in it instead. Song’s still amazing though
9. The Honorary Title- Everything I once Had
This is the one song no matter what’s going on that if it comes on by the time the bridge hits i’m screaming at the top of my lungs along to. I feel sorry for anyone in a car with me and my brother when it’s playing as well only he actually sounds good singing it so it’s probably not as bad.
10. alexisonfire- .44 caliber love letter
i mentioned a post or two ago about a mixup i’d had with alexisonfire and tv on the radio and how it bummed me out completely. This is what i’d been hoping to be a part of when tv took the stage.
11. Underoath- never meant to break your heart
I once got into an argument on a flight out to DC over Underoath. The guy sitting the row over from me felt offended by my headphones being up too loud and forcing him to hear “satan’s music” All that needs to be said is that the guy was a close minded idiot and after telling him i would try to be more considerate with my headphone volume I then proceeded to turn my ipod up louder. I have no issue with being passive aggressive towards someone who without saying it obviously was a bush supporter and most likely only knew of what was in the bible from what he heard nightly from his favorite tv evangelist. I didn’t even tell him that underoath were christian, probably wouldn’t have made a difference if i had.
Also if you you’re looking for something to read that will both take you back a couple of years and get a few laughs in the process pick up Everybody Hurts: the essential guide to emo
which includes one of my favorite quotes. When describing something they say that it is “more emo than jake gyllenhaal drinking a red bull at a bright eyes concert” which when i read it in 2007 i thought it was rather funny.
well that’s it. Hopefully the new playlist will be up within a week
