10 Albums That Are Well Good!

A few weeks ago The Academy Is... called it day. Thrice then said they were also taking an indefinite hiatus and then the following day, New Jersey emo quintet Thursday also announced it was the end of the road. With so many bands that got me into alternative music finishing, I wanted to put together a little tribute to some awesome bands, with the prestigious 10 Albums That Are Well Good Award!

These aren't neccesarily the bands like Green Day, Blink, Weezer, KoRn etc who got me into alternative music, just the albums that I was blown away by when I was growing up and probably define who I am (...so gay). Anyway, in no particular order, feast your ears on these!


Taking Back Sunday
Tell All Your Friends
2002
Victory Records


Just amazing. I don't think TBS have ever managed anything as good as this since. I remember hearing 'Cute Without The E' for the first time and being blown away! I love the Brand New digs in 'There's No I In Team' and it's overall just an amazing album!

My Favourite Track - Cute Without The E


Thursday
Full Collapse
2001
Victory Records

Say what you want about Thursday but without them we wouldn't have so of the awesome bands we have today. Geoff Rickley is amazing and a proper inspiration to other artists. It combines just enough high school angst with powerful messages so it's not too whiney or too preachy. Spot on!

My Favourite Track - Autobiography Of A Nation


Underoath
They're Only Chasing Safety
2004
Solid State Records

First proper screamy band I got into having tried to get away from the metal I liked as a kid. Both vocalists are amazing and got me into other wicked bands like From Autumn To Ashes. Aaron Gillespie has gone onto start The Almost who are also a band worth giving a listen to!

My Favourite Track - A Boy Brushed Red Living In Black And White


Emanuel
Soundtrack To A Headrush
2005
Vagrant Records

What a band! This album was so good and took my ages to find downloading track by track on KaZaa or whatever I was using back them! I still listen to the tracks on this album now and it's a shame their second album was so bad and they have since split up.

My Favourite Track - Hotline


Finch
What It Is To Burn
2002
Drive-Thru Records

When Finch disbanded in 2006 I was gutted. I guess I took them for granted and it was a shock when they broke up because I hadn't seen them live. Luckily for me, they reformed and I did see them at Give It A Name a few years later but it looked they had lost some of the momentum from their first stint. A new album has been in the pipelines for ages but nothing more than a quick EP has been released yet. Either way, I'm not expecting much.

My Favourite Track - Perfection Through Silence


Funeral For A Friend
Casually Dressed And Deep In Conversation
2003
Atlantic/Mighty Atom Records

Gotta have some Welsh boys in here and with the exception of Hours, FFAF just aren't the same band anymore. It's a shame and I don't really know many people who like the new Funeral but they chose to evolve. At least they left some wicked early EP's and albums so people can here where they really came from.

My Favourite Track - She Drove Me To Daytime Television


Brand New
Your Favourite Weapon
2001
Triple Crown Records

Deja Entendu is a good album and I think was the perfect combination of the energetic and surreal side of Jesse Lacey and Brand New. Their new stuff says to me 'look how weird we are,' while their first two albums were honest accounts of themselves. I chose this over Deja Entendu because this was one the first albums I took to school to play on the stereo. Everyone hated it reaffirming my view that they were amazing.

My Favourite Track - Seventy Times Seven


AFI
The Art Of Drowning
2000
Nitro

Let's get some punk in here! Davey Havok is another weird musician who seems to take himself too seriously but this album is wicked! It's well energetic and they were still an underground band at this point before the release of Sing the Sorrow which brought them some mainstream success. Go listen!

My Favourite Track - Morning Star


Anti-Flag
Underground Network
2001
Fat Wreck Chords

Yeah! I'm 15, think the world's gone to shit and this record comes along a rips the roof off things. Looking back now a lot of it is a bit silly and I met drummer Pat at a gig in Liverpool once and he was a complete tosser so I don't like Anti-Flag any more.

My Favourite Track - Stars And Stripes


Millencolin
Pennybridge Pioneers
2000
Epitaph

Swedish punk? WHAAAT? It's true though and Millencolin aren't the only Swede punk band! Refused, anyone? I heard No Cigar on Tony Hawk 2, and immediately went and bought their album, that's advertising! Job done, list done.

My Favourite Track - No Cigar