27 Albums That Shaped the First 27 Years of My Life, #2: Day at the Fair - The Rocking Chair Years

As I quickly approach my 27th birthday (an age, coincidentally, that many musicians met their own mortality), I have been thinking about the role that music has played in my life. I have not played an instrument for nearly sixteen years and have never been in a band, but I would still consider myself an audiophile. The 26000 songs on my hard drive would agree with me as well.

Because of all those things, I thought it would be as good a time as any to compile my list of the 27 albums that most shaped these first 27 years of my life. Starting Friday January 31, I will be posting one album from the list every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday until we reach #1 just before my birthday.

Let me make one thing abundantly clear: I am not saying that these are the 27 greatest albums of all time. I am not so arrogant to believe that my personal opinion is the definitive voice on music. I like what I like. Hopefully you will be able to unearth some gems from my list. If not, that is alright. These songs and albums are important to me regardless of anyone’s opinions of them.

#2: Day at the Fair – The Rocking Chair Years
Release Date: May 5, 2005
When I first heard the album: November 2006, September 2008

Why I loved it then: There used to be this show on MTV called Two-A-Days. I’m not entirely sure why I took a liking to it considering my disdain for both MTV and reality television, but I did. At the close of each episode, they would play a song by a little known band named Day at the Fair. The song was titled “Everything I’ve Ever Wanted”. From the very first time I heard the song, it became my favorite song in the world. The lyrics, vocals, and instrumentation are perfect. If there was one song in the world written with Jakob Duehr in mind, that would be the song. One of my favorite traditions is to listen to that song on my birthday as the clock passes from 10:30 AM to 10:31 (the minute that I was born).

Oddly enough, for nearly two years, “Everything I’ve Ever Wanted” was the only song I heard off the album. I would look for more from the band, but their album wasn’t sold in stores around here and the site which I used to download music did not have much of their library available. I was finally able to find the rest of the album in September 2008. It connected with me in a way that no other album had ever done up to that point. The emotion heard and felt in the lyrics and vocals were unlike anything I had ever felt while listening to music. While I drove to my first month of student teaching, this was my soundtrack. I was discovering who I was as a teacher and as a person, and this album guided me through that search. Day at the Fair seemed to be able to understand the place I was at that point in my life. For the long early morning rides that I would think about how my life had taken me to that point, I had these words from the title track: “And I still love the things I lost that brought me here…” Those words could not have been more true, and as I grew during that period, my love for the album grew as well.

Why I still love it now: This album came out nearly a decade ago, but it is as relatable as it was back then. Actually, the album has grown with me as I’ve grown. These guys know how to make great songs. It’s why I’m so excited that after nine years, they’re FINALLY making another album. If their first track since reuniting (“The Brightening”) is any indication, we’re in for something great. If there's one thing Day at the Fair does better than almost anyone, it's finishing a song. These guys know how to make a finish soar (see Coda and Monday Morning). This album has plenty of that, and for that reason, you never want a song to actually end.

I probably should make one thing clear. Chris Barker is not a flawless vocalist. He is no Stephen Christian or Ryan Key, but in his case, that's what makes him so good. The openness and vulnerability in the vocals allow the listener to connect even more deeply with the music. Part of what makes Day at the Fair so special is that they seem like regular people living regular lives who understand the very things that we have to encounter on a daily basis. The emotion in Chris’ voice when he sings makes you feel like he gets it and gets people in general. I would absolutely love to get the chance to meet these guys someday to thank them for this album, not only for how amazing it is, but for it helped me grow as a teacher and as a man (if they ever make it to Chicago).

Lingering Lyric: “Now I’m given the chance that I want/ I will do it and I’ll do it well/ And for those who have stood by my side/ You are the story I tell”
Top Tracks: The Rocking Chair Years, Coda, And My Name’s Dignan, So What, This Is Why We Don’t Have Nice Things, Remembering Britt, Everything I’ve Ever Wanted, Monday Morning

Previous Entries
27. Avalon - In a Different Light
26. The Dangerous Summer - Golden Record
25. Just Surrender - If These Streets Could Talk
24. The Lumineers - The Lumineers
23. Relient K - Two Lefts Don't Make a Right... But Three Do
22. Better Luck Next Time - Third Time's a Charm
21. Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight
20. ZOEgirl - Life
19. My Chemical Romance - Welcome to the Black Parade
18. Anberlin - Blueprints for the Black Market
17. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
16. Rise Against - The Sufferer & the Witness
15. We the Kings - We the Kings
14. Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue
13. New Found Glory - Nothing Gold Can Stay
12. The Graduate - Anhedonia
11. Hawk Nelson - Letter to the President
10. Jimmy Eat World - Bleed American
9. A Day to Remember - Common Courtesy
8. Anberlin - New Surrender
7. New Found Glory - Coming Home
6. FM Static - What Are You Waiting For?
5. Yellowcard - Paper Walls
4. Relient K - Mmhmm
3. Rise Against - Appeal to Reason

27 Albums That Shaped the First 27 Years of My Life, #3: Rise Against - Appeal to Reason

As I quickly approach my 27th birthday (an age, coincidentally, that many musicians met their own mortality), I have been thinking about the role that music has played in my life. I have not played an instrument for nearly sixteen years and have never been in a band, but I would still consider myself an audiophile. The 26000 songs on my hard drive would agree with me as well.

Because of all those things, I thought it would be as good a time as any to compile my list of the 27 albums that most shaped these first 27 years of my life. Starting Friday January 31, I will be posting one album from the list every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday until we reach #1 just before my birthday.

Let me make one thing abundantly clear: I am not saying that these are the 27 greatest albums of all time. I am not so arrogant to believe that my personal opinion is the definitive voice on music. I like what I like. Hopefully you will be able to unearth some gems from my list. If not, that is alright. These songs and albums are important to me regardless of anyone’s opinions of them.

#3: Rise Against – Appeal to Reason
Release Date: October 7, 2008
When I first heard the album: October 2008

Why I loved it then: Back in the days when people still used AIM, my friend Nick and I would trade music with one another. He’d usually send me off on searches for some odd, obscure song he couldn’t find, and I found it, he’d reward me by sending back a song he knew I’d like based on my tastes. When we did this in October 2008, he sent me back “Savior” from Rise Against. The Sufferer & The Witness had already made me a pretty big fan of the band, but that song was even better than the Rise Against I knew. I immediately searched for the rest of the album online. As my political allegiances began to shift, this album effectively encapsulated my growing disdain for the way our country was handling its affairs. Rise Against has never shied away from sharing their opinions, and they did so in this album with a greater fervor than ever before. The songs hit hard and heavy and their energy meshed well with the energy I was beginning to find within myself. I needed something to energize me for those early morning drives from Orland Park to Oak Lawn for student teaching. This album did the trick.

Why I still love it now: When I first conceived the idea for this blog series, I knew immediately what the top three albums in the list would be. Appeal to Reason and the #2 album on this list dually served as the soundtrack to one of the most important periods of my life: student teaching at H.L. Richards High School. I cannot listen to this album without thinking about the students (who are all now adults) who shaped me into the teacher I eventually became. I would not be who I am today were it not for them. This album actually had a direct effect on my relationship with the students as well. For the first few weeks of the school year, as I was learning and observing under Montes, I was little more than the “creepy guy in the corner” who was timid and exhibited no personality. But as I took over control of the classes, I gradually let that personality come out. As the kids were working on a project, I played “Re-Education Through Labor”. That somehow got the students to realize that even though I was a teacher, I was still one of “them” as far as my interests and tastes. This album always has and always will be tied to one of the greatest periods of my life.

Lingering Lyric: “I won't crawl on my knees for you/ I won't believe the lies that hide the truth/ I won't sweat one more drop for you/ 'Cause we are the rust upon your gears/ We are the insect in your ears/ We crawl/ We crawl/ We crawl... all over you”
Top Tracks: Long Forgotten Sons, Re-Education Through Labor, The Dirt Whispered, Kotov Syndrome, Entertainment, Hero of War, Savior, Whereabouts Unknown

Previous Entries
27. Avalon - In a Different Light
26. The Dangerous Summer - Golden Record
25. Just Surrender - If These Streets Could Talk
24. The Lumineers - The Lumineers
23. Relient K - Two Lefts Don't Make a Right... But Three Do
22. Better Luck Next Time - Third Time's a Charm
21. Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight
20. ZOEgirl - Life
19. My Chemical Romance - Welcome to the Black Parade
18. Anberlin - Blueprints for the Black Market
17. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
16. Rise Against - The Sufferer & the Witness
15. We the Kings - We the Kings
14. Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue
13. New Found Glory - Nothing Gold Can Stay
12. The Graduate - Anhedonia
11. Hawk Nelson - Letter to the President
10. Jimmy Eat World - Bleed American
9. A Day to Remember - Common Courtesy
8. Anberlin - New Surrender
7. New Found Glory - Coming Home
6. FM Static - What Are You Waiting For?
5. Yellowcard - Paper Walls
4. Relient K - Mmhmm

27 Albums That Shaped the First 27 Years of My Life, #4: Relient K - Mmhmm

As I quickly approach my 27th birthday (an age, coincidentally, that many musicians met their own mortality), I have been thinking about the role that music has played in my life. I have not played an instrument for nearly sixteen years and have never been in a band, but I would still consider myself an audiophile. The 26000 songs on my hard drive would agree with me as well.

Because of all those things, I thought it would be as good a time as any to compile my list of the 27 albums that most shaped these first 27 years of my life. Starting Friday January 31, I will be posting one album from the list every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday until we reach #1 just before my birthday.

Let me make one thing abundantly clear: I am not saying that these are the 27 greatest albums of all time. I am not so arrogant to believe that my personal opinion is the definitive voice on music. I like what I like. Hopefully you will be able to unearth some gems from my list. If not, that is alright. These songs and albums are important to me regardless of anyone’s opinions of them.



#4: Relient K – Mmhmm
Release Date: November 2, 2004
When I first heard the album: December 2004

Why I loved it then: Pretend it’s 2004. Relient K at this point was unquestionably awesome, yet their inherent goofiness had you wondering whether or not they could actually break through and make it big. We’re not talking big within the Christian music industry. We’re talking big within the entire world of music. If you’re Relient K, what do you do to break through this glass ceiling without losing the essence of what made you great in the first place? If you guessed “Take a more serious tone in both lyrics and musicality while putting the piano to good use”, step right up and claim your prize. Relient K did exactly that, and it worked. Everything I loved about Relient K was still there, only so much better. If Mmhmm was a girl, I would have taken her to prom in 2005. It dealt with life’s struggles both internally and externally in a much more mature way. As someone who needed to be a little more mature (especially in the realm of my dealings with the fairer sex), this was the exact album I needed at this point in my life.

Why I still love it now: This was the third of the three albums that served as the soundtrack to my senior year of high school (along with Hawk Nelson’s Letters to the President and FM Static’s What Are You Waiting For?). There might only be a few albums in your life that make such an immediate emotional impact. I vividly recall the first time I heard this album. It was Christmas night of 2004, which is still the best Christmas I have ever had (and one of the final days of the greatest year of my life to date). I remember laying in my bed with the lights out listening to this album. With each song, I was moved more and more until “Who I Am Hates Who I’ve Been” completely blew my mind and stole my heart. Nearly ten years later, I still adore this album. I’ve used a line from “Let It All Out” as my e-mail signature for the past nine years. If anything, it serves as a reminder of how great Relient K once was and still could be. While I respect Five Score and Seven Years Ago and appreciate the more serene nature of Forget and Not Slow Down (but don’t even get me started on Collapsible Lung), this was Relient K’s magnum opus. Even if they never put out another piece of work that comes close to matching this album, Relient K will always hold a special place in my heart because they created something so mesmerizing.

Lingering Lyric: “And you said I know that this will hurt/ But if I don't break your heart then things will just get worse/ If the burden seems too much to bear, remember/ The end will justify the pain it took to get us there”
Top Tracks: The One I’m Waiting For, Be My Escape, High of 75, I So Hate Consequences, More Than Useless, Let It All Out, Who I Am Hates Who I’ve Been, Maintain Consciousness, This Week the Trend

Previous Entries
27. Avalon - In a Different Light
26. The Dangerous Summer - Golden Record
25. Just Surrender - If These Streets Could Talk
24. The Lumineers - The Lumineers
23. Relient K - Two Lefts Don't Make a Right... But Three Do
22. Better Luck Next Time - Third Time's a Charm
21. Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight
20. ZOEgirl - Life
19. My Chemical Romance - Welcome to the Black Parade
18. Anberlin - Blueprints for the Black Market
17. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
16. Rise Against - The Sufferer & the Witness
15. We the Kings - We the Kings
14. Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue
13. New Found Glory - Nothing Gold Can Stay
12. The Graduate - Anhedonia
11. Hawk Nelson - Letter to the President
10. Jimmy Eat World - Bleed American
9. A Day to Remember - Common Courtesy
8. Anberlin - New Surrender
7. New Found Glory - Coming Home
6. FM Static - What Are You Waiting For?
5. Yellowcard - Paper Walls

27 Albums That Shaped the First 27 Years of My Life, #5: Yellowcard - Paper Walls

As I quickly approach my 27th birthday (an age, coincidentally, that many musicians met their own mortality), I have been thinking about the role that music has played in my life. I have not played an instrument for nearly sixteen years and have never been in a band, but I would still consider myself an audiophile. The 26000 songs on my hard drive would agree with me as well.

Because of all those things, I thought it would be as good a time as any to compile my list of the 27 albums that most shaped these first 27 years of my life. Starting Friday January 31, I will be posting one album from the list every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday until we reach #1 just before my birthday.

Let me make one thing abundantly clear: I am not saying that these are the 27 greatest albums of all time. I am not so arrogant to believe that my personal opinion is the definitive voice on music. I like what I like. Hopefully you will be able to unearth some gems from my list. If not, that is alright. These songs and albums are important to me regardless of anyone’s opinions of them.

#5: Yellowcard – Paper Walls
Release Date: July 17, 2007
When I first heard the album: January 2008

Why I loved it then: From 2003 to 2007, Yellowcard was a band that I respected and enjoyed whenever I heard them, but they were not a band I thought about very often. In fact, from 2005 on, I had pretty much forgotten they existed. That changed when I got Madden 2008 for Christmas. Once again, a Yellowcard song (“Fighting”) was included in the game’s soundtrack, and I instantly fell in love with it. So I went online to find other songs from the album. Not only did I connect with the album, but because of Paper Walls, Yellowcard became one of my favorite bands. The album was emotional and intense yet still somehow maintained the high energy that Ocean Avenue became famous for. It was pop punk the way pop punk was meant to be. It wasn’t necessarily flashy, but it didn’t need to be.

Why I still love it now: Yellowcard has become one of my five favorite bands of all time, and this album went a long way toward them gaining that status. It brings me back to a specific period in my life. During the beginning of 2008, I knew that things were changing and that I needed to change with the times. I was in my last semester on campus at ONU before student teaching, and I knew that I was going to have to figure myself out as a person and as a teacher. My pursuit of Stacie was nearing the expiration date, and I wasn’t sure what to do about her or myself. I finally came to the painful realization that I let myself go during my college years, and I had do something about it to not only regain my health but also to gain some confidence for the first time in my life. And Yellowcard was the soundtrack for that time period. From January to May 2008, the only band I listened to while in my car was Yellowcard. Since I commuted 350 miles a week, I listened to them a lot. They became my driving buddies, and they were a steady friend during those days, a constant during a period in which change was on the horizon. Paper Walls will remind me of the period in my life that I knew I needed to change things and then went out and did it.

Lingering Lyric: “When we were only kids/ And our time couldn't end/ And how tall did we stand/ With the world in our hands/ And we were only kids/ And we were best of friends/ And we hoped for the best/ And let go of the rest”
Top Tracks: Fighting, Shrink the World, Keeper, Shadows and Regrets, Five Becomes Four, Afraid, Dear Bobbie, Paper Walls


Previous Entries
27. Avalon - In a Different Light
26. The Dangerous Summer - Golden Record
25. Just Surrender - If These Streets Could Talk
24. The Lumineers - The Lumineers
23. Relient K - Two Lefts Don't Make a Right... But Three Do
22. Better Luck Next Time - Third Time's a Charm
21. Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight
20. ZOEgirl - Life
19. My Chemical Romance - Welcome to the Black Parade
18. Anberlin - Blueprints for the Black Market
17. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
16. Rise Against - The Sufferer & the Witness
15. We the Kings - We the Kings
14. Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue
13. New Found Glory - Nothing Gold Can Stay
12. The Graduate - Anhedonia
11. Hawk Nelson - Letter to the President
10. Jimmy Eat World - Bleed American
9. A Day to Remember - Common Courtesy
8. Anberlin - New Surrender
7. New Found Glory - Coming Home
6. FM Static - What Are You Waiting For?

Look, Mom! I'm Getting Wiser!

The older you get, the more realistic you become. While I still pride myself on my often unwavering optimism, realism has set in significantly more than it did ten or even five years ago. With each passing day, week, and year, you come to a greater understanding of simply what is. We spend most of our time trying to reconcile what is with what we would like it to be. We make sacrifices along the way. Sometimes we sacrifice our dreams after they have been crushed by the weight of reality. Sometimes we sacrifice conveniences because we simply cannot allow our dreams to fall by the wayside. Sacrifice is inevitable. The sacrifices we make are dependent upon our priorities.

I figured I’d be farther along by now. Here I am, on the verge of my twenty-seventh birthday, nowhere near the point that my younger self would have imagined me to be. When we are younger, we are highly idealistic. I quickly realized that it was imprudent and unrealistic to believe that by the age of 27 that I would be in the U.S. House of Representatives, that such a job was dependent upon resources and experience that someone that age could not feasibly acquire. Though I discarded those goals and my “twenty year plan” once I fell out of love with politics, I still had aspirations of where I would be by a certain point in time. By the time I turned 27, I believed I would be well-settled into a teaching job in a public school district, having obtained tenure by this point with sights on a department chair position. I believed I would be married to the woman of my dreams. We would be living in a nice (but not extravagant) house or townhouse by now and would be starting to think about expanding our family. Yet here I am, having exhausted most of my 20s with seemingly little more to show for myself than the scars of battle.

Maybe I feel this way because my life as a 26 year old was particularly challenging. It was a road littered with loss and disappointment. But I’m starting to think about things with a greater sense of urgency. Potential can only take you so far. A prospect only remains a prospect if there is production to back it up. Potential is a vehicle to take you to where you want to be, but it is not something that can sustain you. You have to produce.

I have always believed that perhaps my greatest attribute was not my intellect nor my humor or even my looks (insert haughty snicker here) but rather my ability to persist, to pick a goal and plug away at it until I got it. That attribute has certainly helped me. Without it, I would not have lost weight or run two marathons. I probably would have wound up as a substitute teacher or working at a retail job instead of getting my classroom back at AAA Academy after I got laid off. But the very thing that I believed made me special can also serve as one of my greatest hindrances to progress.

I’ve spent a long time waiting on the wrong people. That doesn’t mean that they were bad people. They were just the wrong people. Whether it’s holding onto the hope that people weren’t going to move on without me or believing that someone would see that I was the best option all along, my refusal to give up can cost me something newer and/or better. I don’t have a great group of friends that I hang out with on a regular basis these days. I didn’t want to replace the friends I did have despite seeing all the warning signs. I thought that 20 years of friendship had to count for something. It does, but they are little more than memories. Instead of holding on to what was, I might have been better served to follow their lead and pursue fresh starts and new opportunities.

Don’t even get me started on my dating pursuits. I spent a combined ten years on two girls, and I have very little to show for it aside from the occasional text message and like on my Instagram pictures. If it is meant to be, it will be, but it won’t require you sitting and earnestly waiting for it. I don’t know my story is going to end with the beautiful teacher who has caught my eye. Do I hope she’s “The One”? Absolutely! But whether or not she is or isn’t “The One” is something I don’t know yet. If I’ve learned anything in life, it’s that nothing is guaranteed no matter how amazing she is and how perfect of a match we would be. What I do know is had I not finally realized that things with Jannelle were a dead end, I never would have met her in the first place and wouldn’t be having ridiculous dreams about her walking down the aisle dancing to that Pharrell Williams song.

If you think that I conceived this post with the primary purpose of feeling bad for myself that I haven’t reached my goals, you would be incorrect. As I stated earlier this year, there have been only three things I really wanted in my life. One of them finally happened this year. Maybe the others will fall into place. For the first time in a long time, I have faith that they will. But maybe they won’t. I’m finally learning that life does not and will not adhere to my timeframes. And for the first time, I’m okay with that.

I don’t know what is to come, but I’m excited to get there. I’m not afraid of not meeting my own expectations anymore. I don’t need to look at my “prime” in terms of an athlete’s career. My life (hopefully) won’t be over by the time I am 40, so I don’t need to try to cram everything into my life as quickly as possible. When things are meant to occur, they will. I just don’t have sit around worrying and waiting for them anymore. It’s okay to leave things behind. There’s a difference between giving up and letting go. I’ve fought the good fight. There are simply newer, bigger, and better fights for me to fight these days.

I have a good feeling about turning 27…

27 Albums That Shaped the First 27 Years of My Life, #6: FM Static - What Are You Waiting For?

As I quickly approach my 27th birthday (an age, coincidentally, that many musicians met their own mortality), I have been thinking about the role that music has played in my life. I have not played an instrument for nearly sixteen years and have never been in a band, but I would still consider myself an audiophile. The 26000 songs on my hard drive would agree with me as well.

Because of all those things, I thought it would be as good a time as any to compile my list of the 27 albums that most shaped these first 27 years of my life. Starting Friday January 31, I will be posting one album from the list every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday until we reach #1 just before my birthday.

Let me make one thing abundantly clear: I am not saying that these are the 27 greatest albums of all time. I am not so arrogant to believe that my personal opinion is the definitive voice on music. I like what I like. Hopefully you will be able to unearth some gems from my list. If not, that is alright. These songs and albums are important to me regardless of anyone’s opinions of them.

#6: FM Static – What Are You Waiting For?
Release Date: July 22, 2003
When I first heard the album: Summer 2003, Summer/Fall 2004

Why I loved it then: The first track off this album I heard was Crazy Mary in mid- to late-2003. I actually thought it was awful and that Trevor McNevan should stick to Thousand Foot Krutch and stay out of the pop punk game. (Yeah, I was wrong about that. If by chance you ever read this, sorry Trevor.) Fortunately, the next single (“Something to Believe In”) was much more palatable to my tastes. At this point I was a little more open to the band. Then, in the summer of 2004 I heard “Definitely Maybe”. It fully described everything I was feeling about Jessica, my hopes for a relationship with her, and my disappointment in the relationship that she was in at that time. I also heard “Three Days Later” and knew that I HAD to pick up this album. I did, and I fell in love. The songs accurately captured where I was at that point in my life with adolescent love and heartache. My sister can still sing some of the songs off this album to this day because of how much I overplayed the album back then.

Why I still love it now: What Are You Waiting For? is the second of the three albums that served as the soundtrack to my senior year of high school (along with Hawk Nelson’s Letters to the President and another album that will be detailed in a future entry in this series). Each of the three albums holds a special place in my heart today for very different reasons. This album holds a special place in my heart because it reminds me of someone who is still very important to me. I cannot listen to this album without thinking of Jessica and our last year at camp together. It brings me back to thoughts of her, Lake Williamson, youth convention in Springfield, and Friday nights during football season. It reminds me of a time in my life when I was truly and completely happy and hopeful. For just a moment, What Are You Waiting For? makes me feel 17 again, and I don’t mind it at all.

Lingering Lyric: “One, she makes me feel not / Too much like anything, that's / Three times more than I've ever felt before, and it's / One a.m. and I'm / Too sucked in, 'cuz it's/ Three days later, I can't stop thinking about you”
Top Tracks: Three Days Later, Something to Believe In, Definitely Maybe, Donna, All the Days, Hold Me Twice

Previous Entries
27. Avalon - In a Different Light
26. The Dangerous Summer - Golden Record
25. Just Surrender - If These Streets Could Talk
24. The Lumineers - The Lumineers
23. Relient K - Two Lefts Don't Make a Right... But Three Do
22. Better Luck Next Time - Third Time's a Charm
21. Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight
20. ZOEgirl - Life
19. My Chemical Romance - Welcome to the Black Parade
18. Anberlin - Blueprints for the Black Market
17. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
16. Rise Against - The Sufferer & the Witness
15. We the Kings - We the Kings
14. Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue
13. New Found Glory - Nothing Gold Can Stay
12. The Graduate - Anhedonia
11. Hawk Nelson - Letter to the President
10. Jimmy Eat World - Bleed American
9. A Day to Remember - Common Courtesy
8. Anberlin - New Surrender
7. New Found Glory - Coming Home

27 Albums That Shaped the First 27 Years of My Life, #7: New Found Glory - Coming Home

As I quickly approach my 27th birthday (an age, coincidentally, that many musicians met their own mortality), I have been thinking about the role that music has played in my life. I have not played an instrument for nearly sixteen years and have never been in a band, but I would still consider myself an audiophile. The 26000 songs on my hard drive would agree with me as well.

Because of all those things, I thought it would be as good a time as any to compile my list of the 27 albums that most shaped these first 27 years of my life. Starting Friday January 31, I will be posting one album from the list every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday until we reach #1 just before my birthday.

Let me make one thing abundantly clear: I am not saying that these are the 27 greatest albums of all time. I am not so arrogant to believe that my personal opinion is the definitive voice on music. I like what I like. Hopefully you will be able to unearth some gems from my list. If not, that is alright. These songs and albums are important to me regardless of anyone’s opinions of them.

#7: New Found Glory – Coming Home
Release Date: September 19, 2006
When I first heard the album: March 2007, December 2008

Why I loved it then: I first heard a couple tracks off the album in early 2007. It only took a few seconds to realize that this was nothing like anything New Found Glory had ever done before. The hyper-energetic songs had been replaced by something more subdued. Despite being someone who is traditionally reticent to change, this was alright with me. By the time I first heard these tracks, I was much older than I was when I heard the band for the first time. Adolescent hopes, dreams, and naïveté had been replaced with the realization that life is going to be challenging more often than not. I was not quite the music lover that I would eventually become, so I did not listen to the rest of the album until December 2008 (that oft-mentioned glorious period in which my musical tastes would fully blossom). After some promising opening tracks, the album began to level off a bit. Then all of a sudden, tracks 8-11 (“Too Good to Be”, “Love and Pain”, “Familiar Landscapes”, “When I Die”) happened. Too often, the songs toward the middle/end of an album tend to be filler to build up to a strong finish. That was not the case with Coming Home. These songs are among the most heartfelt and emotional in New Found Glory’s entire catalog, slowly building until “When I Die”, a song so emotional and powerful that it is nearly impossible to listen to the song and not be moved. This album demonstrated that “different” and “good” are not mutually exclusive.

Why I still love it now: There are albums that are meaningful because they served as the soundtrack to a particularly poignant time in your life, and there are albums that are meaningful because they taught you something about yourself. Coming Home fits the latter description. A number diehard NFG fans do not even include this album in the band’s discography in many discussions, considering it an aberration or something to be looked over. I am not one of those people. I heard this album when I was transitioning from the end of adolescence into full-fledged adulthood and the responsibilities that followed. Coming Home showed me that it was okay to grow up. In fact, growing up might turn out even better than anyone could have imagined. Though the band returned to their old sound in the albums that followed this one, this album will always hold a special spot in my heart.

Lingering Lyric: “I'm still here but I'm waiting/ For our long conversations/ I'm still here but I'm waiting to go home/ When I die I'll be fine/ Cause I know you're always there/ When I die I'm alright/ Cause I know you'll be there/ You are home"
Top Tracks: Hold My Hand, It’s Not Your Fault, On My Mind, Too Good to Be, Love and Pain, Familiar Landscapes, When I Die

Previous Entries
27. Avalon - In a Different Light
26. The Dangerous Summer - Golden Record
25. Just Surrender - If These Streets Could Talk
24. The Lumineers - The Lumineers
23. Relient K - Two Lefts Don't Make a Right... But Three Do
22. Better Luck Next Time - Third Time's a Charm
21. Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight
20. ZOEgirl - Life
19. My Chemical Romance - Welcome to the Black Parade
18. Anberlin - Blueprints for the Black Market
17. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
16. Rise Against - The Sufferer & the Witness
15. We the Kings - We the Kings
14. Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue
13. New Found Glory - Nothing Gold Can Stay
12. The Graduate - Anhedonia
11. Hawk Nelson - Letter to the President
10. Jimmy Eat World - Bleed American
9. A Day to Remember - Common Courtesy
8. Anberlin - New Surrender

27 Albums That Shaped the First 27 Years of My Life, #8: Anberlin - New Surrender

As I quickly approach my 27th birthday (an age, coincidentally, that many musicians met their own mortality), I have been thinking about the role that music has played in my life. I have not played an instrument for nearly sixteen years and have never been in a band, but I would still consider myself an audiophile. The 26000 songs on my hard drive would agree with me as well.

Because of all those things, I thought it would be as good a time as any to compile my list of the 27 albums that most shaped these first 27 years of my life. Starting Friday January 31, I will be posting one album from the list every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday until we reach #1 just before my birthday.

Let me make one thing abundantly clear: I am not saying that these are the 27 greatest albums of all time. I am not so arrogant to believe that my personal opinion is the definitive voice on music. I like what I like. Hopefully you will be able to unearth some gems from my list. If not, that is alright. These songs and albums are important to me regardless of anyone’s opinions of them.

#8: Anberlin – New Surrender
Release Date: September 30, 2008
When I first heard the album: November 2008

Why I loved it then: From 2003 on, Anberlin was always a band that was on my radar. They continued to put forth good music, but to that point they had not yet put forth anything that connected with me as well as their debut release. Back then, I appreciated the lyrics of Never Take Friendship Personal and the energy of Cities (and as the years have gone on, I’ve learned to enjoy that album more), but I wanted something that really hit with me. From the first guitar riff of the opening track, New Surrender did exactly that. Stephen Christian and the boys brought intensity and emotion that lasted the entire album. While the songs were great, what really connected me to the album was the band’s reasoning for the name. Stephen Christian puts it much better than I could, so I’ll just leave the explanation to him:

We will all come to the point in our life where we have to admit that we feel defeated, that something has conquered us. We must change, not because we want to, but because we desperately have to. We cannot take life in its current suffocating state, even to admit such desperation shows that we are feeling deserted, wandering the barren desert, a shell of our former selves. It is only up from here, it is impossible to sink any lower into ourselves or our circumstances. But we can be salvaged, a deliverance. No vice can stand, no fix can take. The thorn in the side can be removed, but you have to be willing to admit and surrender. Surrender your habits, your lifestyle, your past, your present, and your future. This is your new surrender. The new surrender. New Surrender.

Why I still love it now: Though 2008 was a very productive year (and the more I reflect upon that year, the greater appreciation I have for it), it was not easy. There were a lot of things of which I had to let go. I had to make a conscious effort to let go of certain hopes and dreams and longing for specific relationships so that I could get to the point of moving forward. This album reminds me of that. From a more musical standpoint, I love this album because it takes everything I loved Anberlin after their first three albums, mixes it together, and puts forth something that will rock your face off. Personally, I believe it is a great band’s finest hour.

Lingering Lyric: “Silent alarms are ringing/ Sounds of revolt draw near/ A new united front/ That you will come to fear/ We will hold together/ To become the change/ Voice for the voiceless/ With every common man engaged"
Top Tracks: The Resistance, Breaking, Retrace, The Feel Good Drag, Disappear, Haight St.

Previous Entries
27. Avalon - In a Different Light
26. The Dangerous Summer - Golden Record
25. Just Surrender - If These Streets Could Talk
24. The Lumineers - The Lumineers
23. Relient K - Two Lefts Don't Make a Right... But Three Do
22. Better Luck Next Time - Third Time's a Charm
21. Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight
20. ZOEgirl - Life
19. My Chemical Romance - Welcome to the Black Parade
18. Anberlin - Blueprints for the Black Market
17. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
16. Rise Against - The Sufferer & the Witness
15. We the Kings - We the Kings
14. Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue
13. New Found Glory - Nothing Gold Can Stay
12. The Graduate - Anhedonia
11. Hawk Nelson - Letter to the President
10. Jimmy Eat World - Bleed American
9. A Day to Remember - Common Courtesy

27 Albums That Shaped the First 27 Years of My Life, #9: A Day to Remember - Common Courtesy

As I quickly approach my 27th birthday (an age, coincidentally, that many musicians met their own mortality), I have been thinking about the role that music has played in my life. I have not played an instrument for nearly sixteen years and have never been in a band, but I would still consider myself an audiophile. The 26000 songs on my hard drive would agree with me as well.

Because of all those things, I thought it would be as good a time as any to compile my list of the 27 albums that most shaped these first 27 years of my life. Starting Friday January 31, I will be posting one album from the list every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday until we reach #1 just before my birthday.

Let me make one thing abundantly clear: I am not saying that these are the 27 greatest albums of all time. I am not so arrogant to believe that my personal opinion is the definitive voice on music. I like what I like. Hopefully you will be able to unearth some gems from my list. If not, that is alright. These songs and albums are important to me regardless of anyone’s opinions of them.

#9: A Day to Remember – Common Courtesy
Release Date: October 8, 2013
When I first heard the album: October 2013

Why I loved it then: As I said when I covered The Dangerous Summer’s Golden Record, I was very reluctant to include any newer albums in this list due to concerns about recency bias. That said, this album absolutely deserves its spot in the top ten of this list. Common Courtesy seemed like it would never be released. A Day to Remember has had chronic, well-publicized issues with their record label. Put simply, they were not being appreciated for the work they have done and were taken advantage of. So the guys decided to make the album on their own. Common Courtesy is the fruit of that labor. And let me tell you, it’s pretty fantastic. A Day to Remember is known for their distinguishable balance of pop punk and hardcore sensibilities. This album is no different, but what makes this album stand out to this overgrown pop punk kid is that ADTR also shows how good they could be if they were a straight up pop punk band. At a time when I needed something good to listen to, this did the trick.

Why I still love it now: The albums that affect you the most are the ones that you can relate to immediately. I heard this album during one of the most trying seasons of my life. I was laid off from one job, and the job I got thereafter was so much of a nightmare that walking away and having nothing was my best option. My friends were absent and my love life fell apart. I felt beaten up and underappreciated. I felt that no matter how hard I worked, I wasn’t getting what I deserved. Fortunately for me, A Day to Remember was in that same place at that point in time. The album also showed me that no matter how angry you are and how beaten up you are, you can use those things to fuel you and put forth the best work you’ve ever done. The lyrics of “I'm Already Gone” were particularly poignant as one long term pursuit ended and another began. This album helped bring me through one of the most difficult times in my life, and for that I am thankful.

Lingering Lyric: “And I, I'm already gone/ I'm already something to someone that I don't know/ When will I know?/ And I, I'm out making rounds/ On every side of town/ That I've been through, that I know/ To find my reason to come back home."
Top Tracks: City of Ocala, Right Back at It Again, Best of Me, I'm Already Gone, I Surrender, I Remember

Previous Entries
27. Avalon - In a Different Light
26. The Dangerous Summer - Golden Record
25. Just Surrender - If These Streets Could Talk
24. The Lumineers - The Lumineers
23. Relient K - Two Lefts Don't Make a Right... But Three Do
22. Better Luck Next Time - Third Time's a Charm
21. Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight
20. ZOEgirl - Life
19. My Chemical Romance - Welcome to the Black Parade
18. Anberlin - Blueprints for the Black Market
17. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
16. Rise Against - The Sufferer & the Witness
15. We the Kings - We the Kings
14. Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue
13. New Found Glory - Nothing Gold Can Stay
12. The Graduate - Anhedonia
11. Hawk Nelson - Letter to the President
10. Jimmy Eat World - Bleed American

27 Albums That Shaped the First 27 Years of My Life, #10: Jimmy Eat World - Bleed American

As I quickly approach my 27th birthday (an age, coincidentally, that many musicians met their own mortality), I have been thinking about the role that music has played in my life. I have not played an instrument for nearly sixteen years and have never been in a band, but I would still consider myself an audiophile. The 26000 songs on my hard drive would agree with me as well.

Because of all those things, I thought it would be as good a time as any to compile my list of the 27 albums that most shaped these first 27 years of my life. Starting Friday January 31, I will be posting one album from the list every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday until we reach #1 just before my birthday.

Let me make one thing abundantly clear: I am not saying that these are the 27 greatest albums of all time. I am not so arrogant to believe that my personal opinion is the definitive voice on music. I like what I like. Hopefully you will be able to unearth some gems from my list. If not, that is alright. These songs and albums are important to me regardless of anyone’s opinions of them.

#10: Jimmy Eat World – Bleed American
Release Date: July 18, 2001
When I first heard the album: June 2009

Why I loved it then: I know you’re probably tired of reading this by now, but the period between October 2008 and July 2009 was by far the most influential period of my life musically. I had heard of Jimmy Eat World for years but never gave them a listen because I (wrongly) believed that they were stylistically similar to the Dave Matthews Band. Yeah, I’m not entirely sure why I thought that either. I heard “Firefight” from their Chase This Light album while I was at a Hot Topic in Florida, and that piqued my curiosity about the band. After hearing “The Middle” while playing Rock Band 2, I finally decided to download their entire discography. I instantly fell in love with Bleed American. Jimmy Eat World’s unique brand of “emotional pop punk” set them apart from other bands in the genre. Stylistically, it was everything I had loved about music ever since I heard NFG’s Nothing Gold Can Stay. Lyrically, it was exactly what I needed at the time. I was JUST starting to realize that the fairy tale I believed my life would be post-college graduation was a farce. Sprinkling the pop punk sound with some emotional lyrics puts Jimmy Eat World and this album on a level of its own.

Why I still love it now: Wow, we’ve made it to my top ten, which means that these albums are albums that I love a whole awful lot. There is pretty much nothing bad I can say about this album. The two or three songs I don’t particularly care for aren’t so much “bad” inasmuch as they simply don’t mesh well with me stylistically. This album was the soundtrack for the summer that I realized that life was not going to be easy. When I listen to this album, I think of driving to CiCi’s with Rob, taking Stacie to breakfast and to my grandparents’ pool, and of failed job interviews. It has become synonymous with a period of my life that was far from perfect yet was still inherently enjoyable.

Lingering Lyric: “Are you gonna live your life wonderin' standing in the back lookin' around?/ Are you gonna waste your time thinkin' how you've grown up or how you missed out?/ Things are never gonna be the way you want./ Where's it gonna get you acting serious?/ Things are never gonna be quite what you want./ Or even at 25, you gotta start sometime./ I'm on my feet, I'm on the floor, I'm good to go./ Now all I need is just to hear a song I know./ I wanna always feel like part of this was mine./ I wanna fall in love tonight.”
Top Tracks: Bleed American, A Praise Chorus, The Middle, Sweetness, Hear You Me, Cautioners

Previous Entries
27. Avalon - In a Different Light
26. The Dangerous Summer - Golden Record
25. Just Surrender - If These Streets Could Talk
24. The Lumineers - The Lumineers
23. Relient K - Two Lefts Don't Make a Right... But Three Do
22. Better Luck Next Time - Third Time's a Charm
21. Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight
20. ZOEgirl - Life
19. My Chemical Romance - Welcome to the Black Parade
18. Anberlin - Blueprints for the Black Market
17. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
16. Rise Against - The Sufferer & the Witness
15. We the Kings - We the Kings
14. Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue
13. New Found Glory - Nothing Gold Can Stay
12. The Graduate - Anhedonia
11. Hawk Nelson - Letters to the President

27 Albums That Shaped the First 27 Years of My Life, #11: Hawk Nelson - Letters to the President

As I quickly approach my 27th birthday (an age, coincidentally, that many musicians met their own mortality), I have been thinking about the role that music has played in my life. I have not played an instrument for nearly sixteen years and have never been in a band, but I would still consider myself an audiophile. The 26000 songs on my hard drive would agree with me as well.

Because of all those things, I thought it would be as good a time as any to compile my list of the 27 albums that most shaped these first 27 years of my life. Starting Friday January 31, I will be posting one album from the list every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday until we reach #1 just before my birthday.

Let me make one thing abundantly clear: I am not saying that these are the 27 greatest albums of all time. I am not so arrogant to believe that my personal opinion is the definitive voice on music. I like what I like. Hopefully you will be able to unearth some gems from my list. If not, that is alright. These songs and albums are important to me regardless of anyone’s opinions of them.

#11: Hawk Nelson – Letters to the President
Release Date: July 13, 2004
When I first heard the album: December 2004

Why I loved it then: By late 2004, Christian radio FINALLY started to get into the pop punk game, with bands like Relient K, Hawk Nelson, Everyday Sunday, FM Static, and Stellar Kart getting regular airplay. I couldn’t have been happier to find new bands to listen to. I first heard the title track of the album in 2004 and thought it was catchy, so I asked my mom for the album for Christmas. This song, along with two other albums that made the top ten of this list, served as the soundtrack to my senior year of high school. It had everything I was looking for at the time. Positive themes? Check. Pop punk? Check. The occasional song about a failed relationship? Check. Put it all together and you get one of my favorite albums ever.

Why I still love it now: The period of time when I first listened to this album is one of my favorite periods of my life. It was the last time in my life when I had no real stresses or responsibilities, and all my friends were around and available to hang out all the time. The lighthearted fun of this album meshed well with the lighthearted fun I was having in my life, and it is a welcome reminder of how awesome my life was. I cannot listen to this album without feeling like it’s senior year all over again, and really, that’s not a bad thing.

Lingering Lyric: “For the first time in my whole life/ I'm not afraid of feeling alive/ For the last time I'm falling behind/ And nothing out there will change my mind”
Top Tracks: California, Letters to the President, Someone Else Before, First Time, Late Show

Previous Entries
27. Avalon - In a Different Light
26. The Dangerous Summer - Golden Record
25. Just Surrender - If These Streets Could Talk
24. The Lumineers - The Lumineers
23. Relient K - Two Lefts Don't Make a Right... But Three Do
22. Better Luck Next Time - Third Time's a Charm
21. Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight
20. ZOEgirl - Life
19. My Chemical Romance - Welcome to the Black Parade
18. Anberlin - Blueprints for the Black Market
17. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
16. Rise Against - The Sufferer & the Witness
15. We the Kings - We the Kings
14. Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue
13. New Found Glory - Nothing Gold Can Stay
12. The Graduate - Anhedonia

27 Albums That Shaped the First 27 Years of My Life, #12: The Graduate - Anhedonia

As I quickly approach my 27th birthday (an age, coincidentally, that many musicians met their own mortality), I have been thinking about the role that music has played in my life. I have not played an instrument for nearly sixteen years and have never been in a band, but I would still consider myself an audiophile. The 26000 songs on my hard drive would agree with me as well.

Because of all those things, I thought it would be as good a time as any to compile my list of the 27 albums that most shaped these first 27 years of my life. Starting Friday January 31, I will be posting one album from the list every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday until we reach #1 just before my birthday.

Let me make one thing abundantly clear: I am not saying that these are the 27 greatest albums of all time. I am not so arrogant to believe that my personal opinion is the definitive voice on music. I like what I like. Hopefully you will be able to unearth some gems from my list. If not, that is alright. These songs and albums are important to me regardless of anyone’s opinions of them.

#12: The Graduate – Anhedonia
Release Date: April 10, 2007
When I first heard the album: July 2010

Why I loved it then: I was knee-deep into the “Summer of Sorrow”, and I was looking for new music to listen to. 2010’s new releases had not done the trick for me to that point, so I decided to once again peruse Wikipedia’s “List of Pop Punk Bands” page for new bands to check out. For some reason, The Graduate was put in that list (while I absolutely adore them, I would not necessarily classify them as part of the genre). I decided to give Anhedonia (the song) a listen because I had no idea what the word meant but it sounded pretty cool. When I heard the song, I was blown away. Not only were these guys great musically, but lyrically, they got it. I quickly decided to download the rest of the album and fell in love. The rest, as they say, was history.

Why I still love it now: I was extremely tempted to simply write “Because it’s amazing” in this section and move on. That is true, but it doesn’t do it justice. Anhedonia came to define a period of my life because, quite honestly, things were so bad I began to lose the ability to find pleasure in traditionally pleasurable things. Because of this album, I began to feel pleasure again, and because of this album, I discovered what would eventually become my favorite band of all time. This is not the last time The Graduate appears on this list, and while I did not like this album quite as much as its successor, that is by no means a knock against Anhedonia. It’s like comparing A work to A+ work. Either way, it’s elite-level quality.

Lingering Lyric: “Is there any truth to the recipe/ I’ve been mixing thrills in the right key/ But I don’t feel right in my skin/ So I don’t feel anything at all”
Top Tracks: Sit & Sink, I Survived, Anhedonia, The City That Reads, Surround Yourself, Doppelganger

Previous Entries
27. Avalon - In a Different Light
26. The Dangerous Summer - Golden Record
25. Just Surrender - If These Streets Could Talk
24. The Lumineers - The Lumineers
23. Relient K - Two Lefts Don't Make a Right... But Three Do
22. Better Luck Next Time - Third Time's a Charm
21. Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight
20. ZOEgirl - Life
19. My Chemical Romance - Welcome to the Black Parade
18. Anberlin - Blueprints for the Black Market
17. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
16. Rise Against - The Sufferer & the Witness
15. We the Kings - We the Kings
14. Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue
13. New Found Glory - Nothing Gold Can Stay

27 Albums That Shaped the First 27 Years of My Life, #13: New Found Glory - Nothing Gold Can Stay

As I quickly approach my 27th birthday (an age, coincidentally, that many musicians met their own mortality), I have been thinking about the role that music has played in my life. I have not played an instrument for nearly sixteen years and have never been in a band, but I would still consider myself an audiophile. The 26000 songs on my hard drive would agree with me as well.

Because of all those things, I thought it would be as good a time as any to compile my list of the 27 albums that most shaped these first 27 years of my life. Starting Friday January 31, I will be posting one album from the list every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday until we reach #1 just before my birthday.

Let me make one thing abundantly clear: I am not saying that these are the 27 greatest albums of all time. I am not so arrogant to believe that my personal opinion is the definitive voice on music. I like what I like. Hopefully you will be able to unearth some gems from my list. If not, that is alright. These songs and albums are important to me regardless of anyone’s opinions of them.

#13: New Found Glory – Nothing Gold Can Stay
Release Date: October 19, 1999
When I first heard the album: April 2001

Why I loved it then: As I stated in one of the earlier posts in this series, if there was a Holy Trinity of pop punk music, most would agree that the trinity would consist of Green Day, Blink-182, and New Found Glory. I never got into Blink, and I pretty much abhor post-American Idiot Green Day. New Found Glory, however, is a band that I have always loved. But the way I discovered New Found Glory was unexpected. I heard them for the very first time in Jon Foley’s dad’s car on the way back from Whirlyball at one of the PBC youth group lock-ins. It was like nothing I had ever heard before. Nothing on the Christian station that I listened to compared at all. It was frenetic yet focused and dealt with issues of love and the heart: two themes in which my fourteen year old self was very interested. Interestingly enough, I do not remember whether it was this album or NFG’s eponymous 2000 release that was actually playing in the vehicle. When I finally got a computer and downloaded “Hit or Miss”, I downloaded the original version, and for that reason, my love for the genre is attributed to Nothing Gold Can Stay

Why I still love it now: You never forget your first. Whether your first crush, your first day of school, or myriad other firsts, the newness of an experience creates a lasting impression. This album was my first foray into the world of pop punk. Nothing Gold Can Stay is not the greatest pop punk album of all time. It’s not even the greatest NFG album ever. But what it does have on other albums is that it was THE album that got me interested in the genre. If I had never heard this album, I don’t know what sort of path my musical tastes would have taken. This album shaped my life both directly and indirectly. It was great in and of itself, but its lasting contribution is that it was THE one album that made me want to find things just like it.

Lingering Lyric: “Have I waited too long/ Have I found that someone/ Have I waited too long to see you”
Top Tracks: Hit or Miss, 3rd and Long, 2s & 3s, The Goodbye Song

Previous Entries
27. Avalon - In a Different Light
26. The Dangerous Summer - Golden Record
25. Just Surrender - If These Streets Could Talk
24. The Lumineers - The Lumineers
23. Relient K - Two Lefts Don't Make a Right... But Three Do
22. Better Luck Next Time - Third Time's a Charm
21. Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight
20. ZOEgirl - Life
19. My Chemical Romance - Welcome to the Black Parade
18. Anberlin - Blueprints for the Black Market
17. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
16. Rise Against - The Sufferer & the Witness
15. We the Kings - We the Kings
14. Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue

27 Albums That Shaped the First 27 Years of My Life, #14: Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue

As I quickly approach my 27th birthday (an age, coincidentally, that many musicians met their own mortality), I have been thinking about the role that music has played in my life. I have not played an instrument for nearly sixteen years and have never been in a band, but I would still consider myself an audiophile. The 26000 songs on my hard drive would agree with me as well.

Because of all those things, I thought it would be as good a time as any to compile my list of the 27 albums that most shaped these first 27 years of my life. Starting Friday January 31, I will be posting one album from the list every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday until we reach #1 just before my birthday.

Let me make one thing abundantly clear: I am not saying that these are the 27 greatest albums of all time. I am not so arrogant to believe that my personal opinion is the definitive voice on music. I like what I like. Hopefully you will be able to unearth some gems from my list. If not, that is alright. These songs and albums are important to me regardless of anyone’s opinions of them.

#14: Yellowcard – Ocean Avenue
Release Date: July 22, 2003
When I first heard the album: 2003, 2004, January 2008

Why I loved it then: Ocean Avenue is an interesting album to me in that I didn’t hear it all at once. As a teen, I was not nearly as savvy at finding music as my twentysomething self would become. If something wasn’t on Christian radio or in the car of whatever friend I was riding with, I would only hear it if it was in a video game or on a commercial. “Way Away” was featured in Madden 2004. I fell in love with the song quickly but didn’t give the band much of a second thought. I heard “Ocean Avenue” in a store a year later and thought it was just as great. But it was not until I heard yet another Yellowcard song in Madden 2008 that I finally gave the band the attention that they deserved. Ocean Avenue finds this spot on my list because it played a role in two distinct eras of my life. It is undeniably good and represents what pop punk should be.

Why I still love it now: Yellowcard ranks among my top five bands of all time because they are among the most talented bands I’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to. Quite honestly, I do not think it is possible for them to make a bad album. Even their missteps are tolerable (here’s looking at you, Lights and Sounds). The implementation of the violin into pop punk music is genius, and Ryan Key’s vocals are among the most heartfelt-sounding around. What I like about Ocean Avenue is that with each listen, I notice something new that I like. For research purposes for this post, I listened again to both this album and the phenomenal 2013 acoustic remake, and I realized I had never really given “Inside Out” a chance. Now it ranks among my favorite songs in the entire album. It’s a great album that has not lost any of its luster with age.

Lingering Lyric: “Close up these eyes, try not to cry/ All that I've got to pull me through is memories of you”
Top Tracks: Way Away, Ocean Avenue, Only One, Inside Out, Believe, One Year Six Months

Previous Entries
27. Avalon - In a Different Light
26. The Dangerous Summer - Golden Record
25. Just Surrender - If These Streets Could Talk
24. The Lumineers - The Lumineers
23. Relient K - Two Lefts Don't Make a Right... But Three Do
22. Better Luck Next Time - Third Time's a Charm
21. Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight
20. ZOEgirl - Life
19. My Chemical Romance - Welcome to the Black Parade
18. Anberlin - Blueprints for the Black Market
17. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
16. Rise Against - The Sufferer & the Witness
15. We the Kings - We the Kings