I look outside on this beautiful Friday evening as the sun hovers just above the city line, and I can feel summer right around the bend. The air aching for BBQs, long walks, sunglasses and flip-flops. I’ve spilled many words about Yellowcard’s ‘Ocean Avenue’ over the years and the impact it had on a young boy setting off for college in California. Leaving behind friends, family, and relationships led to the album’s themes seemingly mirroring my new life. But tonight, I’m reaching for the acoustic version of the album and the subdued renditions of these perfect pop-punk gems. If the original was made for sunny summer days, the acoustic soundtracks these warming nights — the change in weather peeking between a calming cool breeze. Cold hazy beer in hand, sitting here and remembering those college years, when all I wanted in my life is what I now have right here. A healthy life, a cold beer, and great music.

I hope everyone has a great weekend.

#yellowcard #vinyl

I thought we were moving toward spring and then all of a sudden we have snow and the return of the rain here in Portland. Perfect weather to break out some Copeland. All of the band’s albums have been very attached to specific seasons for me, usually when it’s softer out, colder. And they make me want to sit by a warm fire, pour a stiff drink, and just get lost in their beauty. So I think I will.

#copeland #vinyl

When I saw this re-press go up for sale last year, I had to pick it up. Then I forgot I ordered it until it finally showed up last week. I still think this is my favorite of Tom’s solo projects; I love the energy, the drums, and the production.

Fun story: Before the album was released the label invited me to this first listen party thing in Hollywood. My college roommate and I drive up to it, and it’s in a bar. We are still underage. I’m unsure if the label had any idea I was some dumbass kid writing from my dorm room (reading the “review” I wrote about this, and I find it hard to believe anyone thought I was out of my teens). So we ended up getting admitted with giant black X’s on our hands. They opened by playing the new New Found Glory album for the small group (Sticks and Stones) and then played this twice. I left thinking it was awesome and I couldn’t wait to hear it again, but was also blown away by the new NFG. Many, many nights that freshman year spent listening to those two albums in my headphones as I drifted off to sleep, and a fun memory that my college roommate and I still laugh about.

#vinyl #boxcarracer #blink182 #tomdelonge #travisbarker

Here’s one from the collection I haven’t posted before, but when I talk about albums that once held the pop-punk “Championship Belt” this is undoubtably one of them. A master class in songwriting, hooks, and vocal prowess — it really doesn’t get much better.

I remember driving to the Militia Group offices to pick up an advance copy and driving back to campus with it blaring the whole way; I knew it was special immediately and I wanted to tell the world. We had the pleasure of debuting this album on the website before it was released and it was before the days of easy streaming systems like SoundCloud. So, I hacked together some Flash player to make it work and crossed my fingers the server wouldn’t crash.

(And, for fun, the live version is also spectacular.)

“Cause our days were numbered by nights on too many rooftops
They said we’re wasting our lives
But, oh at least we know
That if we die
We lived with passion…”

#vinyl #cartel

Heading into the weekend with this in my headphones. After all these years I’m still not sure what the general consensus is in on this one, but I know I’m still a fan. There’s something special in those guitars and melodies.

I’ll never forget a friend in the record industry driving down to meet me in my dorm room in college after he said he wanted me to play some instrumental demos for me. He popped in the CD, hit play, and said the band was flying out a singer to try to put some vocals on them. The songs would become ‘Translating the Name’ and by the second track I was demanding to rip them to mp3. One of these days they need to press that record to vinyl, but in the meantime I’m happy with all the Saosin eras. Each means something different to me and is attached to a specific part of my life.

I hope everyone has a great weekend.

#vinyl #saosin

I am having a difficult time dealing with the reality that this album is now 20 years old. And an even more difficult time putting to words the impact it had on me, our music scene, and my freshman year of college. It’s an album I’ll always associate with sunny California and the new friends I was making, and the early years of AbsolutePunk. Albums like this made me even more confident in the website’s transition from a fan site because I could see the fire and passion that burned when we wrote about an album like this and someone discovered their new favorite band.

Fun fact: I missed that this album got remastered a few years back because I have been listening to my same set of mp3s for over twenty years now. Sometimes I’m turned off by a remaster because it sounds “off” to me, but I actually think it works well here. Makes the album sound more full without removing the intensity and fury that drew me to it in the first place.

As classic as muscle cars, cold beer, and rock n roll.

#vinyl #takingbacksunday #takingbacksunday20

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