#10days10albums

Day 10: WORRY - Jeff Rosenstock

When this album dropped in 2016, I was hooked- I think this is @jeffrosenstock’s magnum opus (at least so far- I hope to see more, especially after POST- came out this year!). WORRY captures the uncertainty that many young adults and even grown adults can associate with, and is such a masterclass in weaving soul-crushing, brutally honest lyrics with incredibly poppy melodies and sound, jumping around Jeff’s stylistic background including the hardcore punk, ska, light dustings of chiptune, and the powerpop that has come to define his solo work. If you haven’t heard it, don’t sleep on it. Seriously.

#10days10albums #worry #jeffrosenstock #powerpop #punk #diy #quoteunquoterecords

Day 9: Three Cheers for Disappointment - The Arrogant Sons of Bitches

Oh, this album. This is one of the few albums I just always listen front to back when a song comes into rotation. Huge ska punk album with an aesthetic change to be more aggresively frenetic musically but lyrically so unabashedly and emotionally honest and raw. Such a large album from a largely underrated band thay didn’t receive much attention until after they broke up. This is the album that turned my attention to @jeffrosenstock’s songwriting prowess and the aesthetics, culture, and sound behind Bomb the Music Industry!

#10days10albums #ska #punk #skapunk #punk rock #threecheersfordisappointment #arrogantsonsofbitches #asob

Day 8: Make Believe - Weezer

Ohhhhh the melodies. Not much to say, other than that this album singlehandedly got me into the melodic powerpop (and to the sad nerdboy) aesthetic. So many bangers on this album, from Beverly Hills to Perfect Situation to We Are All On Drugs… well, actually, basically every song on this album is not worth sleeping on.

#10days10albums #weezer #makebelieve #powerpop #pop

Day 7: Peace Through Music - The Chinkees

I had to include an @asianmanrecords release on my top 10 as the whole label and @mikeparkmusic represent such an exemplary form of DIY punk rock ethos (and Mike is seriously one of the greatest, nicest people ever). I was split between some really great releases from great bands like Slow Gherkin, MU330, Skankin’ Pickle, Link 80, and more, but as far as impact and demonstrating explicitly what a vehicle punk rock and ska-punk could be for confronting and navigating issues in identity politics, heritage, racism, privilege… The Chinkees are so uniquely subtly provocative in this regard. The willingness to talk about these societal issues and to put their money where their mouth was- 10% of the album sales profits were donated to organizations fighting against racism- greatly influence my world perspective, even today.

#10days10albums #ska #punk #punkrock #asianmanrecords #peacethroughmusic #thechinkees #chinkees

Day 6: …And Out Come the Wolves - Rancid

Another of my middle school jams- I remember when Time Bomb and Ruby Soho were playing so regularly on KROQ with even just a bit of airplay on KISS-FM, and when the music videos were on rotation in the early days of the internet age. I think this album cemented for the entire world the aesthetic of East Bay punk rock and ska-punk- of course, in the aftermath of Operation Ivy.

#10days10albums #punkrock #ska #punk #andoutcomethewolves #rancid

Day 5 (getting caught up after a busy week finishing up grad school work!): Energy (Including the Hectic EP) - Operation Ivy

Probably my all-time favorite album. If the tome of the Skatalites and their collaborators from Jamaica and The Specials in the UK when ska and reggae hit UK are the Old Testament, this album is the new testament paving the way with an aesthetic ska-punk and for skacore. With socially conscious lyrics providing commentary on society, culture, and on the individual and self-actualization, this album and band also paved the way for an evolving aesthetic in punk rock.

#10days10albums #ska #punk #energy #operationivy #opivy

Day 4: The Specials (Self-Titled)

This album (and band) are definitely in my top 3 favorite of all time. Social commentary, the quintessential Two Tone sound, and the messages of class and youth struggles and implicit anti-racism… so much to unpack in such good music.

Fun fact: I discovered the Specials before Green Day. “Little Bitch” was used in DDR… and from there, I found Nite Klub and the rest of the other album. Somehow.

#10days10albums #thespecials #ska #reggae #punk #twotone

Day 3: American Idiot - Green Day

Speaking of middle school, American Idiot came out while I was in middle school. I would of course later discover their earlier classics, but this album with its storyline and melodic poppiness is still a guilty pleasure for me for this day. (And this album would lead me to Rancid and Op Ivy and discovering more East Bay punk rock!) #10days10albums #americanidiot #greenday #poppunk

Day 2: Toxicity - System of a Down

Yet another album with eclectic influences- this album was what got me into heavy music when I was about 10-11 years old when Chop Suey was on MTV. Phase two of appreciation came when I was old enough to understand and appreciate the lyrical content and subject matter. In fact, Mezmerize and Hypnotize would be the first two CDs I buy with my own money, in middle school.

#10days10albums #systemofadown #soad #toxicity #metal #prog

Day 1: Everything Goes Numb - Streetlight Manifesto

This was the album that started it all- while I had listened to punk rock and ska, Streetlight Manifesto and this album specifically were what made me want to play in a ska band in high school (in fact, my future @thetwotoneboners bandmates who went to my high school geeked out on this album with me! -and yes, I know Streetlight Manifesto really is more eclectic than ska-punk). Huge, eclectic sounds with solid instrumentalists and such angsty lyricism spoke to teenage band geek me!

#10days10albums #streetlightmanifesto #everythinggoesnumb #ska #punk #skapunk #punkrock