Sábado 13 Ene 2007, 18:27

Here goes nothing.

Top Albums
1. The Lillingtons - The Too Late Show. Who would've thought that two years in a row Kody Templeman would be singing on my favorite album? This also marks the first time that I couldn't resist downloading a leak and then re-buying the actual album once it came out.
2. Sick of it All - Death to Tyrants. Has there ever been a case where a band puts out their best album twenty years after forming? These guys were one of the first hardcore bands I ever truly loved and the fact that I think this album is better than sentimental favorites like Scratch the Surface (the ultimate soundtrack for my long nights working at Jewel) and Call to Arms says a whole lot.
3. Napalm Death - Smear Campaign. The first few times I listened to this album it sounded like one 50 minute song of noise. That 50 minute song soon turned into a battering ram that made me unable to listen to anything else for days at a time. I'm such a nerd that I even bought the digi-pack version with two bonus songs, thankyouverymuch Metal Haven.
4. Converge - No Heroes. They finally put out an album where I love all the songs and not just 75-80%. Wow
5. The Bronx - The Bronx 2006. Surprise of the year perhaps? It's funny how a band I used to hate has climbed up the ranks to one of the favorites. HERE COMES YOUR SHITTY FUTURE!
6. The Copyrights - Mutiny Pop. Your heros are all assholes (paging Ben Weasel?); these guys are not.
7. Mission of Burma - The Obliterati. I finally saw the light and went from casual fan to "holy goddamnit this is genius" because of this album and bonus DVD.
8. Street Dogs - Fading American Dream. Say what you will about the so called "generic pro-union/working class punk rock" that this album contains, there's no one doing this sound better right now.
9. Some Girls - Heaven's Pregnant Teens. This is the perfect soundtrack to have pumping into your head on a cold, rainy day walking to classes you hate. I had plenty of experiences with it too, trust me.
10. Ryan's Hope - Apocalypse in Increments. This is what would happen if Down By Law let more of Sam Williams's metal influences creep into the albums. I fucking love it.

Honorable Mentions
Riverboat Gamblers - To the Confusion of our Enemies. Bullet Treatment - The Mistake. Guttermouth - Shave the Planet. Killing Joke - Hosannahs From the Basements of Hell. Bigwig - Reclamation. New York Dolls - One Day It Will Please Us To Remember Even This. Poison Idea - Latest Will and Testament. Victims - Divide and Concquer. Toys That Kill - Shanked! The Living End - State of Emergency. Retching Red - Scarlett Whore of War. Buzzcocks - Flat Pack Philosophy

Best EPs
Chronic Seizure - self titled. Report Suspicious Activity - Dreamland. No Slogan - No Pasaran (did this come out in 2006? I think it did).

Best DVDs
Bad Brains - Live at CBGBs 1982. Buzzcocks - Live at Shepherd's Bush Empire. Devo - Live 1980. Joe Strummer - Let's Rock Again. Bad Religion - Live at the Palladium.

Best album of power pop covers
The Methadones - 21st Century Power Pop Riot. I would feel like an ass putting this in with the normal album category but it's too damn good not to mention.

Most resounding "Eh" of the year
Bouncing Souls - The Gold Record and NOFX - Wolves in Wolves' Clothing. I'm not sure if its due to changing tastes or the fact that these two albums seemed phoned in.

Best Split of the Year
Strung Up/Direct Control. I hadn't really heard Direct Control until seeing them this September. Talk about an amazing way to discover a great band. The fact that Strung Up are way better than average too is a hell of a bonus as well.

Best Shows of 2006
I saw so many of my favorite bands this year that attempting to rank them in any sort of numerical order would completely futile. Here's a list of some of the best. I'm terrible at remembering things so there's bound to be quite a few missing

Riot Fest 2006, Congress Theater, November. I heard a lot of grumbling about the promoter, about the huge venue, the asshole staff, but when it boils down to the essentials, this thing fucking ruled. Come on, in one day I saw Naked Raygun, Blue Meanies, 7 Seconds, Youth Brigade, The Toasters, The Bollweevils, I Attack, and many more. Some of the best $23 I ever spent.
Adolescents/Street Dogs, Beat Kitchen, August. Listen to the intro of "No Way." Listen to it a few thousand more times over the course of a young man's formative teenage years. Imagine the pure euphoria of that young man, now 20 years old, seeing that band for the first time. Try it out, it's a lot of fun.
X/Rollins Band, House of Blues, August. The HOB fucked me over by starting the show late and making me miss the Gamblers. As much as that pissed me off it was more than made up for by the awe inspiring combination of Cervenka, Doe, Zoom, and Bonebreak. As an added bonus, the Rollins Band set was way better than I was expecting too.
The Germs, Beat Kitchen, July. I know it's Shane West acting. I don't fucking care. I have a picture with Lorna Doom and you don't.
Against All Authority/Brain Failure/The Code, Beat Kitchen, March. I've never seen a better example of the band and fans locking onto each other and giving everything they've got for 45 minutes then collapsing out of pure exhaustion. Impossible to describe if you weren't there, but this solidified why I love punk rock.
Anthrax, House of Blues, January. All out thrash attack. Anthrax are the perfect metal band for me; always rocking but with a goody sense of humor. If only every metal show I went to could have such an atmosphere of fun and lack of meatheads.
The Epoxies/Phenomenauts/Teenage Bottlerocket, Beat Kitchen, June. Three of my favorite bands to see live all packages together. You might say it was the gimmick tour of the year, and I might say you don't know how to have fun.
The Methadones/The Bomb, Beat Kitchen, February. When the 12th time that you see a band (The Methadones) is the best you know that it was a good time. Also, this was the only time I've seen them play the Cheap Trick cover.
Dillinger Four/The Methadones/Toys That Kill, Beat Kitchen, July. After a years of trying and failing I finally saw D4.

Worst Show of 2006, and so far, my entire life
Anthrax, The Pearl Room, July. I should have used my punk rock sixth sense and known that seeing a metal show in a far away suburban sports car was a bad idea. I had no idea that the security goons would flat out beat up innocent people and make me fearful for my safety. Never, ever go to the Pearl Room. Trust me.

Most Nostalgic Show (three way tie!)
Rancid, House of Blues, two shows, September. It made me feel like I was 13 again and was buying Punk-O-Rama 2 for the first time. I hadn't seen them since I was 15.
The Living End, House of Blues, November. I had not seen these Aussies since I was 15, and never headlining a show. Once again, you could have put me right back into being a freshman in high school

Worst Break Up
The Suicide Machines. I've never, ever been more upset by a band breaking up than by this one. It was more than losing a band, it was like losing a friend.

Shows I missed because I wasn't 21
Buzzcocks. Mission of Burma. Blue Meanies. Naked Raygun. Riverboat Gamblers x 2. The Phenoms last show. Fuck being 20.

2007 ahead!
I will be 21 on May 23. Fuck you Double Door. Fuck you Note, I'm coming. Iggy and the fucking Stooges. Teenage Bottlerocket. Copyrights. Bad Religion. Many others that aren't coming to mind right now