I was sitting on the couch last night, movie paused while Hannah grabbed some more wine, when I flipped over to Instagram to read the news that Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighters had passed away. It felt like getting hit in the chest by a brick. I’ve been listening to this band for literally as long as I can remember. Hell, I’ve followed the Foo’s career since their inception. This is just so impossibly sad, so devastatingly heartbreaking. He was only 50, he leaves behind a family, and the world is left a little darker without his presence in it. A true beacon of happiness behind the drums, his passion and love for music were forever on display. His infectious smile and pure joy behind the kit made him literally the only man alive that you never once thought, “hm, I wish Dave was back there instead.” A legendary talent. I am left without words to describe this loss to the music world. Instead, I recommend everyone watch the 2008 Wembley performance of “Everlong,” and pour one out for Taylor. RIP.

#foofighters #vinyl

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

Honestly, tonight I was just looking for something to take my mind off everything and try and clear the head. Something a little nostalgic, something a lot of fun, and this is fitting the bill. I always thought it faced a little too much criticism from folks that wanted a repeat of their debut. This stretched their sound, gave us incredible songs like “Ready” and “Surprise, Surprise,” and holds up all these years later as a fun and underrated gem in the band’s catalog.

#vinyl #thestartingline

New Dashboard Confessional is out now. I’ve been obsessed with it for a while and now you can find out why. I think it’s an instant classic that reflects “us,” those that grew up in this scene, here, now, at this age and time. Highly recommended.

What I wrote a few weeks back: It has all the emotional and cathartic elements we know and love, but it’s wrapped in the stories of a man in his mid-forties. If his first few albums were walking us through heartbreak and young adulthood, these are the songs of coming to terms with and trying to figure out this next stage of life. Of marriage, family, and children, and where does one fit in after they’ve grown up? The songs vary from primarily acoustic to some full-band tracks, and I find it an incredibly refreshing return to form after being let down by the last album. From the ‘Alter the Ending’ echos in “The Better of Me” to the song that is going to absolutely wreck every emo parent, “Me and Mine,” to the begging to be sung along with “Southbound and Sinking,” this is Dashboard at his best. In college (deep breath ’cause I’m about to age myself), I used to listen to ‘The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most’ on repeat in my Discman while laying on my bottom bunk. I’d stare at the wood paneling and get lost between the songs and my thoughts. It was the perfect album to become enveloped in and the kind of songs that made you think about picking up a guitar and singing your heart out. I spent the other night laying on the couch, staring at the ceiling, with this album coming through my headphones. Some twenty years later, much has changed, but some of my favorite things have stayed just the same. And that moment in the dark, a Dashboard album making me contemplate life and my place within it, is one of those great moments where memory and the present collapse upon each other like a twisted aging mirror. Younger me thinking of what I’ll be like when I’m older, older me chuckling at the naivety of youth. Both happily lost in song. #vinyl #dashboardconfessional

I felt half in a funk for a good portion of this week. Something was gnawing at me, and I couldn’t put my finger on it. Feeling stuck, a lack of forward progress, and unable to get out of my head. Around Wednesday, I tossed on The Dangerous Summer’s ‘Reach for the Sun’ and all of a sudden, I could feel the fog start to clear. It’s an album of catharsis, of reinvention, of moving beyond the past. Or maybe I’m just projecting. But it is exactly what I needed, when I needed it.

#vinyl #thedangeroussummer

This one turns 27 today (feeling old yet?) so I figured I’d take it out for a spin. My copy is pretty worn around the edges, but I do love having one of the “red eye” versions.

I discovered this album after ‘Dude Ranch’ when a friend told me his brother had “their first album” and I didn’t believe him. Oh, the days before the internet. I was sure and certain they didn’t have more than one album. He came to school the next day with a copy of ‘Cheshire’ and my mind was blown. And thus, my first copy was a tape made from that CD — which I promptly wore out. And then the following Christmas my mom found me a copy of the CD, blowing young-and-unable-to-drive Jason’s mind that she could find such a thing.

After all these years, “Wasting Time” remains my favorite from this album.

#vinyl #blink182

One of my very first (and only) jobs was working at Borders and selling books and CDs. Mostly that meant sitting behind the counter and reading Calvin and Hobbes comics between checking out customers. The store was maybe a ten minute drive, at most, from my parents’ house. But, I’d always take the long way home so I could get a little extra time, alone, just listening to music. This EP must have been played at least a thousand times on those drives. I sure as hell tried to blow out that little Jetta’s speakers.

While not as immediately accessible or “big” sounding as the band’s hits. It still showcases their unique spin on pop-punk and has the hints of where they were headed. I’ve been revisiting it quite a bit this week and it’s funny how quickly the specific memory of driving to Borders to lazily sell overpriced CDs came to mind when I hear these songs.

#vinyl #yellowcard