I remember turning 20. I was a sophomore in college building the website that would, in many ways, define the next two decades of my life. It was 2003. And while countless albums from those years left a mark on me, it’s often Fall Out Boy’s blue painted ‘Take This To Your Grave’ I think about the most. They blow up. My website blows up. And so begins a two-decade ride of following this band’s career. And it’s over these years that I find myself intertwined with the songs. Each album holds a special place in my memory for where I was when I first heard it, who I was with, and the person I was, even if that wasn’t the person I wanted to be. Those early albums became the soundtrack to my stumbling twenties. And when I turned 30 in 2013 I wrote about the band’s rebirth in a way that looking back was not so subtly partially autobiographical. So, it’s only fitting that I turn 40 a week before the band releases another album. In many ways, the perfect cosmic bow tie of coincidence. In others, the exact music I need to hear as I’m evaluating the person I am now, the life I lead, and the future ahead of me. Ever since I first listened to those early demos, there’s been something about how Patrick thinks about music that aligns almost identically with what my brain craves. The way he crafts melodies, uses syncopation, starts, stops, speeds up, and builds songs has been soul candy since the beginning. And it’s why from the moment I first hit play on their new one a few weeks ago I’ve had a massive smile on my face just thinking about the songs and what they created. It’s an album that wears obvious influence from each era of the band. And it culminates in arguably the band’s most cohesive and ambitious album since ‘Folie.’ I grew up listening to Fall Out Boy. If there’s a band that can define where I came from to where I am today it’s hard not to think of this one. And at the precipice of middle age, of no longer being able even half to pretend I’m not an adult, I find comfort in turning to this old friend once again. A boy on a couch with headphones, typing away about the music that moves him. I am, as I ever was, me. God damn, what a band. God damn, what an album.

Sunday evening, a brief moment before the wheel of the week begins again. It’s here where we lean our shoulder against the hour hand, hoping to prolong a weekend bliss, holding onto the seconds before the inevitable churn of the week ahead swallows us in her seas.

And it’s here that I often find myself reaching for the albums that make me feel motivated, the ones that can pull back the weekend haze and prepare me for the job ahead. Lately, that’s included coming back to Anberlin’s ‘Cities,’ an album that still has the same propulsive drive and polish to sound as fresh and modern as the day it was released. I’ve found myself starting the week with this at the top of my playlist, and my Monday’s not seeming so daunting.

“They lied when they said the good die young…”

#anberlin #vinyl

Long ago, an online friend, Drew Sung, messaged me on AIM and told me he had a new band I should check out. I told him to send me a song. He said he couldn’t yet since they didn’t have a singer finalized, but that he’d drive down to Redlands and play it for me. So, sitting in my sophomore dorm room, we hit play together on the all instrumental version of this EP. My jaw just about bounced off the floor. I asked about the missing singer, he said they were trying one out who he thought could be a “game changer.” I asked if they had a band name, he said he wasn’t sure but they were tossing around “Saosin” as an idea. A few weeks later the MP3’s with Anthony Green’s instantly iconic vocals showed up. I think I wrote something back like, “this may very well shape the curvature of the music scene, in the future we may talk about music before this album, and then music after this album.” I’m not sure how much of my teenage hyperbole came to pass, but this release remains an absolute monster. A force in power and unmistakeable passion. An album that to this day can knock me on my ass and dominate an entire day with just 15 minutes, and five incredible songs.

I’m beyond happy to finally have this in my collection, and the smile on my face when it arrived today was not unlike when I first heard it all those years ago.

#saosin #vinyl #whenwereyoung

Anyone that knows me, or has been following my newsletter, knows just how excited I am to finally add this one into the collection. Not only one of my favorite pop-punk albums ever, but an album that’s has come to define the changing of the weather for me. As winter fades and we march into spring, my soul craves the bounce in these songs. A joyful throwback to the smell of freshly cut grass, sun soaked skin, and carefree nights.

It’s not quite summer, but I can feel it sneaking through the clouds.

#vinyl #newfoundglory

Walking into the weekend with a new one: this fantastic fast melodic punk album from A Wilhelm Scream. I’ve long thought of this band as one of my all time faves, and a big reason is that they just don’t miss. Album after album of incredible adrenaline pumping jams, and no matter how much time they take between albums I always know they’re going to deliver.

#vinyl #awilhelmscream

Haven’t posted anything for a while since I was spending most of my nights working on an album review the past week or so. But this week has me diving back into a whole bunch of Ace Enders and The Early November tunes and it’s a … looks at camera … real gold rush of quality tunes. Running the gamut of genres, from rock, to soft and introspective, there’s something for literally every mood. Tonight has me spinning this one and it’s working well for these early evening spring showers.

#vinyl #icanmakeamess #aceenders #theearlynovember

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