I turned 39 on Friday. 39. It’s an almost laughable number. An age I never comprehended as a child ever being. That was the age of adults, the wise parents, the supposedly wise teachers. And yet here I am. Over the past couple of weeks I’ve been repeatedly drawn to this record from The Ataris. It’s interesting to reflect on an album that is ostensibly about nostalgia, with nostalgic eyes. But it captures those feelings of youth, of growing up, and the bittersweet fondness of yesteryear with such clarity. And today the songs not only bring me back lyrically, but also pull me back to when I first heard them. That’s an incredible combination.

“So long, Astoria, I found a map to buried treasure. And even if we come home empty handed, we’ll still have our stories of battle scars, pirate ships, and wounded hearts. Broken bones and all the best of friendships. And when this hourglass has filtered out its final grain of sand, I raise my glass to the memories we had…”

#vinyl #theataris

All these years later and I’m still willing to die on my hill that this album is 1) ahead of its time, and 2) very good. It’s full of all those Batman punch sounds the cool kids use to describe songs these days. And “Run Dry” is up there with the best in his catalog in my opinion. I’ve had this on a lot this week because it’s a great pick-me-up album and it sounds shockingly modern for having been released over a decade ago.

#vinyl #falloutboy #patrickstump

I’m starting the week with another entry in my “underrated as hell” pop-punk albums list. The debut from The Matches is frenetic and buoyant with just the right dash of attitude to make it one of the most fun listening experiences in the whole genre. Plus their live show was one of the best I ever saw. This release, with the original and the Epitaph version packaged together, is beautiful and a joyous walk down memory lane.

#vinyl #thematches

Made it to another Friday and I’m celebrating with one of my all time favorite (and underrated) pop-punk albums. I’ve always loved the raw energy on display here and as the sun starts to peek out a little this gets me right in the mood for a summer of BBQ, friends, and beer. Here’s to the weekend…

#vinyl #valencia

Fun fact for those that like facts that make them feel old: this turns ten today. Yep, a full decade has passed. Still a damn good album.

#vinyl #nownow

“Emotion is my middle name…”

The first line of track one still gets me pumped; what a perfect way to open an album. And today’s Friday and the weekend is upon us, so what a perfect time to break back out this absolute monster of a pop-punk album. All these years later and I still am brought right back to bouncing around my room and cranking this up right to the edge of where my parents yell at me down the stairs to turn it down. These days I just get the side-eye from the wife. 🤘

Truth told, I’m not sure I’ll ever love a song as much as I love “Doing Time.”

#vinyl #mxpx #mxpxcollection

There are bands that everyone knew about in the early 2000s and then there are the little classics that those that were reading AbsolutePunk knew about. This has always felt like one of those. One of the hidden gems that if you know, you know. And it’s an album that continues to feel far ahead of its time and holds up quite well. (And one where a plucky! little band from Las Vegas would find inspiration for their band name not long after.)

“Hold your breath, you know how long…”

#vinyl #nametaken