My Top 10 Albums Of The Decade: The Nearly

Well, spring break has started & the sun has been shining for the past couple of days. Everything's just great at the moment! Before I head off to Atlanta, GA with the rest of my ASM gang, I felt compelled to do a write-up on the albums that did not made into my Top 10 list as they lost out by a fraction. So, to do justice to my musical taste, here it is!

Jet - Get Born (2003)

The rip-roarin' debut by this Australian quartet brings back rock & roll to its roots. The thunderous tunes reminds me of AC/DC but their garage rock influences makes their music dirtier, grittier & not to mention, shake-able. Having the talent to tear the house down (Are You Gonna Be My Girl") & belt out catchy ballads ("Look What You've Done") truly makes them the real rockstars.

Favorite tracks: Rollover DJ, Get Me Outta Here, Sgt Major

The Strokes - Is This It (2001)

Across the world, another form of garage rock revival (and the mod dressing too) took place in the boroughs of New York City. Their lo-fi sound coupled with Julian Casablanca's lazy & stoned voice was a perfect match for the ears to listen as exemplified by the songs "Is This It", "Someday" & "Barely Legal." This album, alongside The White Stripes' "White Blood Cells," brought indie/garage to the forefront of mainstream music throughout the decade.

Favorite tracks: Someday, Last Nite, New York City Cops

Dum Dum Tak - Hentikan Penindasan (2009)

A late entry but this Kuala Terengganu socio-political punk band is to borrow it from The Clash, "The Only [Malaysian] Band That Matters." Forget Bunkface, this is the real deal: they're one of the few bands that have the guts to say what they want to say & don't give a shit about what other people think about them. Songs range from anti-ISA ("Demokrasi Tanpa I.S.A."), rise in gas prices ("Petrol Petrol Petrol") & civil rights ("Suara Kami") will sure to make your blood boil & spirits raised.

Favorite tracks: Suara Kami, Perangi Mereka, Hak Asasi Hipokrasi

Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend (2008)

Lost out to Couple on my Top 10 list, this Columbia University prep-boys pack one hell of a beat. Mixing indie with classical and African tunes you'll get massively addicting songs like "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa", "Oxford Comma" & "M79." Not to forget, the very very very catchy "A-Punk" that once got into my head for a week! Definitely the album to bring along on a fine summer's day picnic by the park or the beach. 

Favorite tracks: A-Punk, Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa, The Kids Don't Stand A Chance

The Thrills - So Much For The City (2003)

A good complement to Vampire Weekend would be this album that celebrates the beauty of America's west coast ["Santa Cruz (You're Not That Far)", "Big Sur"]. Actually hailing from Ireland, The Thrills style was aptly branded as "sun-drenched, inspired by classic American pop of the late '60s and early '70s" reminiscent of The Beach Boys. 'Nuff said.

Favorite tracks: Big Sur, Don't Steal Our Sun, Say It Ain't So

The Otherside Orchestra - ElectROMANCEstacy (2008)

When the Malaysia underground scene boomed in late 2007, everyone pretty much wanted to be in an indie band but not these guys. Their brand of hard-hitting "rock-tronica" coupled with the haunting voice of Dhiya Izwin besides having their own lighting effects during their live shows (which is a must) takes raving to a whole new level.

Favorite tracks: Eksperimentasi Elektro Cinta, Possessive, Eternal Punishment

Lily Allen - Alright, Still (2006)

I'm not a fan of mainstream pop stars & had a fleeting period liking a couple of her songs but once I re-listened this album again, I fell in love with Lily Allen. I was swayed because her music is deeply influenced by ska and dub ("LDN", "Friday Night", "Friend Of Mine") that was sadly not apparent in her sophomore album. This is one fine piece of British street music that is worth delving into or in my case, having an infatuation with ;)

Favorite tracks: LDN, Friday Night, Everything's Just Wonderful

My Top 10 Albums Of The Decade

Yes! It's the time of the year for people to do lists & one list I won't be doing is "My New Year's Resolution" because face it, you'll be trying to break each and every one of those resolutions you wrote down before the end of next year. So, since this will be the end of the first decade of the noughties, I'll wrap it up with my best ten albums that holds dear to my heart & are musically, if not culturally, significant to the masses.

 











Green Day - American Idiot (2004)  
Green Day was the first ever band I listened to when I got into music & when this album came out I said to myself: this is the rock opera of the 21st century. Clocking at nearly an hour, this album takes you through the life of Jesus of Suburbia filled with hope & despair in typical three-cord punk rock fashion. All songs were solid but what surprised me was their two 9-minute epics "Jesus of Suburbia" and "Homecoming" that consist of five medleys played furiously non-stop, not letting me catch a breather at all. 
Favorite tracks: Letterbomb, Whatsername, Jesus of Suburbia.

Bloc Party - Silent Alarm (2005)
Move aside The Killers, the real post-punk revivalists are none other than London's Bloc Party. First introduced by my cousin, it took a while to get into their groove but when it clicked, I just got hooked to it. Blending intense guitar rhythms, tight drum beats & Kele Okereke's hallowing voice, "Silent Alarm" also packs a punch with socio-political messages in their lyrics e.g. "Helicopter" is basically a bash on George W. Bush ["Just like his dad, just like his dad (the same mistakes); some things will never be different"].
Favorite tracks: Helicopter, This Modern Love, Pioneers.

Butterfingers - Selamat Tinggal Dunia (2005)
I dare say that this was the album that sparked Malaysia's indie music scene three years later. Although panned by the local media,they made a right move in shedding their Nirvana-esque 90's grunge & took their experimental progressive folk a step further by launching a full-Malay album. The result: an absolute bliss of fusion  between their brand of music with Malay culture e.g. "Tentang-Tentang" was adapted from a traditional Malay tune ("Geylang Si Paku Geylang") and turned into a protest-folk song.
Favorite tracks: Daulat Tuanku, Selamat Tinggal Dunia, Kabus Ribut 

The White Stripes - Elephant (2003)
There's only one word to describe this album: monu-fucking-mental. Everyone thought "Fell In Love With A Girl" was a one-off hit for them but they came back with a big one. It's garage rock at its purest with Meg White pummelling the drums & Jack White plucking the guitar strings like the gods of rock riding on a thunderstorm. Case in point: the  mind-blowing "Ball & Biscuit" intertwines calm verses with gargantuan rollicking guitar solos by the male half of The White Stripes.
Favorite tracks: Ball & Biscuit, The Hardest Button To Button, There's No Home For You Here.

Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006) 
These Sheffield lads' debut album took the whole world by storm because 1) they used the internet to give away free songs and 2) they're just that good. What makes them differ from the rest of the garage/post-punk pack is their relentless tempo, that sexy Yorkshire accent & even more relentless tempo although they can tone down a bit with songs like "Riot Van" & fan favorite "Mardy Bum." Perfect album if you want to go mental.
Favorite tracks: A Certain Romance, I Bet That You Look Good On The Dance Floor, Dancing Shoes.

Explosions In The Sky - Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Live Forever (2001) 
Truth be told, I became a fan of post-rock about two years ago but once I understood it, it's one of the best genres of music there is; this brings me to Explosions. They are a four-man orchestra that craft amazing songs that will evoke all kinds of emotions in you & you will always experience something new every time you play it. This album was my choice because out of all the five albums they released, somehow this one just gets me. 
Favorite tracks: Greet Death, Have You Passed Through This Night?, The Moon Is Down

 Couple - Top Of The Pop (2006)

I wanted to put in Vampire Weekend's self-titled debut but once I remembered Couple, there's no way Walcott's gonna get out of Cape Cod. "Happy, clappy but not crappy" aptly describes this band and their brand of power-pop is just a joy to behold; you just can't not dance to their music. Although the lyrics are cheesy, but hey who cares? This album is the best remedy when you're down. From "Now That I Can See" to "Are You Ready", your frown is guaranteed to turn into one big smile.

Favorite tracks: Now That I Can See, Rock N Roll, Tentang Kita 

 

Coldplay - A Rush Of Blood To The Head (2002)
Before they started to spew mediocre mainstream rubbish, Coldplay was actually a pretty legit band. "Parachutes" was a breakthrough phenomenon but I had to go with their sophomore effort as this album layed-down the "Coldplay sound", stamping their own genre on the music industry. From the thunderous opener "Politik" to the maniacal "A Rush of Blood to the Head", this is Coldplay at its peak.
Favorite tacks: Politik, Green Eyes, A Rush Of Blood To The Head. 
  
 











Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand (2004)
I'm not a fan of dance music, but dance-able music, now that's an interesting proposition. Scotland's very own art-rock outfit Franz Ferdinand got me first sucked in to their infectious  rhythms with their debut single "Take Me Out" that started out in typical indie strumming fashion before breaking out into an "everybody move!" moment. Yup, even when I'm doing assignments on my laptop while listening to them, I'll still imagine shaking meself on the dancefloor.
Favorite tracks: Take Me Out, Darts Of Pleasure, 40'.

Gorillaz - Demon Days (2005)
Everyone's favorite animated band continued where they left-off from the self-title debut four years back & its just got better and better. Still having that gritty British feel to it, this album is a musicologist's wet dream with funk/rap ("Dirty Harry"), 80's-dub ("Last Living Souls") & dance ("DARE") mixed into the fray. They also had a "is it the music or are we high?" moment with their last three tracks that featured a spoken word ("Fire Coming Out Of The Monkey's Head") proceeded by a haunting choir ("Don't Get Lost In Heaven" & "Demon Days").
Favorite tracks: Last Living Souls, Dirty Harry, DARE.

Green Day 21st Century Breakdown Gig Recap

Finally, I can die a happy person. I have seen the five bands I want to see in America: it started this March with Dropkick Murphys followed by Bruce Springsteen, Explosions In The Sky, Less Than Jake and topped off with the first band that got me into music: Green Day. So, here's the random things I've experienced during & after the concert at the Spectrum, South Philly.

• After the opening act, The Bravery, was done I went to the restroom and saw two girls queueing into the men's. They made a smart choice since they knew that lining up into the women's will take ages & the men's line was pretty quick.
• Five minutes before Green Day started, a giant pink bunny came on the stage with bottles of Miller Lite (I saw it was light blue in color; product placement, duh!). That bunny proceeded to dance around and "drank" the three bottles. Simply weird since there were a lot of kids and teenagers at the show.
• A girl with a red Phillies tee went on stage and was "saved" by "Reverend" Billy Joe Armstrong during the East Jesus Nowhere. I think the girl was really shocked when the pyrotechnics exploded midway through the song.
• A saxophonist came on stage and did a solo during The Static Age & a disco ball descended up on the crowd for Are We The Waiting.
• During the hour mark (the show was more than two & a half hours long), Green Day played the oldest song of the set: 1992 Kerplunk's 2000 Light Years Away. A timeless classic before Dookie made Green Day the band they are.
• King for a day! Princess by dawn. King for a day! In a leather thong. King for a day! Princess by dawn. Just wait till all the guys get a load of me...
• Being totally fan-friendly, they let three fans sing three verses of Longview & for the encore, one fan played guitar for 3/5 of the epic Jesus Of Suburbia!
• While waiting for the train back to Ardmore, I had a chat with an old lady who also went to the show. Apparently, her son bought her a ticket as a Mother's Day present (Oh, she guessed my age as 23. Am I getting old faster...?)