First year on Team Pastepunk, so first year I get to do one of these. Feel free to shoot me an email to agree/tell me I suck at elliot@pastepunk.com. All emails concerning my sucktitude will, however, be promptly deleted. #20: CURSIVE – The Ugly Organ (Saddle Creek). I’m amazed at how quickly this release slipped everyone’s minds. CURSIVE faced a lot of criticism for this release, but the best ones always do. “The Ugly Organ” was easily my favorite album for the first few months of the year after getting my hands on it way back in February. Powerful rhythms along with Tim Kasher’s intelligent lyrics manage to slide CURSIVE into the top 20. #19: THURSDAY – War All the Time (Island). At one point and time, like many people who review music, I just grew tired of THURSDAY. I didn’t think there was anyway that their major label debut could live up to the hype (or even “Full Collapse”, for that matter). It took a couple of weeks before I finally understood how to interpret “War All the Time”, and once I did, I realized that THURSDAY is as good as ever. The angst-ridden lyrics are honest and the title track is one of the more powerful songs I’ve heard this year. My interest in this album was rejuvenated by their tour with THRICE a few months ago, too. #18 NONE MORE BLACK – File Under Black (Fat Wreck Chords). The yin to PAINT IT BLACK’s yang, Jason Shevchuk’s contribution to the post-KID DYNAMITE world is solid. Luckily, “Cheap Shots, Youth Anthems”, a collection of rare KID DYNAMITE material, was enough to allow me to respect NONE MORE BLACK as a new group rather than a mere extension of KD. If “File Under Black” is a sign of things to come, than NMB will be able to make a thorough dent on the punk scene. #17 BLEEDING THROUGH – This Is Love, This Is Murderous (Trustkill). When I first saw this album I laughed my ass off. It seemed so comical and dumb. When I actually listened to the disc, I discovered a band that almost warranted such over-the-top artwork. Amidst the sheer thrashing riffs, there is something evil in this album that keeps drawing me back to it time after time, like slowing down to stare at car wreck. #16 CAVE IN- Antenna (RCA). I think Mr. Kevin Wade put it best when he said, “Cave In continue to be one of the best live bands around and one of the most musically gifted rock bands I’ve heard, but, assuming their careers continue for many years, this one will probably be quickly forgotten.” Solid album, but “Antenna” simply bored me after awhile. Still, CAVE IN earns a spot here based on reputation and the promise of another metal album. #15 AFI – Sing the Sorrow (Dreamworks). I don’t know if there is any song that came out this year that pumps me up more than the lead track off of “Sing the Sorrow”, “Miseria Cantare: The Beginning”. A lot of the songs are hit-or-miss, but overall AFI has cracked out another solid album that has garnered them some well-deserved mainstream attention. While I prefer the more “punk” sound of AFI’s earlier works, the refined style that has replaced their ferocity works too. #14 PAINT IT BLACK – CVA (Jade Tree). “Totally old-school hardcore… Fight mediocrity in hardcore – listen to PAINT IT BLACK.” – Jordan A. Baker’s review of “CVA”. #13 BELOVED – Failure On (Solid State). In 2003 I heard more tough-guy hardcore acts than I could stomach, and it was good to see a band that actually focuses on intelligent song-writing. “Failure On” is highlighted by graceful melodies gashed with periodical brutality. While the intricate guitars and layered rhythms are at a more mild tempo than many of the aforementioned hardcore bands, BELOVED can still kick your ass in a heartbeat. #12 JOE STRUMMER AND THE MESCALEROS – Streetcore (Epitaph). I could ramble off a few sentences about how amazing the late Joe Strummer was, but I’ll let you go through the review archives for that. This album is great in its own right, not simply because it’s the work of a legendary musician, which is something I’m afraid might be overlooked. The rock meets reggae meets folk sound of “Streetcore” will be the type of influence that could spring up a dozen like-sounding bands, and it’s essential even for people who have never even heard of Joe Strummer. #11 BRAND NEW – Deja Entendu (Triple Crown). “Deja Emtendu” took me a long time “to get”. After a good friend played them incessantly on a road trip I would have been satisfied with never of seeing this album again, but somewhere down the line it finally clicked that he was on to something. BRAND NEW has come out with an album that is sensitive, creative, and catchy enough to put them in the spotlight for 2004. #10 THE MOVIELIFE – 40 Hour Train Back to Penn (Drive-Thru). It’s a shame that 2003 marked the end of THE MOVIELIFE, a mainstay of the growing Long Island scene, because “40 Hour Train…” displayed the evolution of the band from catchy pop punkers to near pioneers of the genre. Whenever I get sick of the same old pop punk bands arriving in my mailbox, all I need to do is pop in THE MOVIELIFE to remember how great it can sound if done right. This release has memorable choruses and punching rhythms that only hint at the potential THE MOVIELIFE had. #9 THE BLOOD BROTHERS – Burn, Piano Island, Burn (Artist Direct). Love ‘em or hate ‘em, no band can make you flail about quite like THE BLOOD BROTHERS. Without utilizing the testosterone induced machisimo of their peers, THE BLOOD BROTHERS are able to wake up memories of REFUSED in their own way. Psychotic arrangements, attacking guitars, and bipolar duel vocalists drive “Burn, Piano Island, Burn” to the top of the spazzcore scene, using as much precision as they do chaos and rivaling PARK in the “Most F*cked Up Lyrics” category. #8 DEATHCAB FOR CUTIE – Transatlanticism (Sub Pop). With an established spot in the indie scene, DEATHCAB decided to do things a little differently this time around. “Transatlanticism” is at times beautifully epic and at times tritely personal, all tied together by Ben Gibbard’s bittersweet lyrics and Chris Walla’s brilliantly creative musicianship. Even in a list that features some of the best punk and hardcore of the year, there was simply no way that I could leave this album off. #7 PARK – It Won’t Snow Where You’re Going (Lobster). I’d like to call this a sleeper pick, but by now everyone knows about them. Piece by piece, this may be one of the best guitar albums of the year (and that’s saying a lot in a year of great metal). The lyrics, dark as they may be, say all of the things that you may be too scared to say yourself. I love it when a band seems to make music for themselves, as if there were no audience at all, and that’s exactly what PARK has done. #6 EVERY TIME I DIE – Hot Damn! (Ferret). Slightly more structured than their previous work (if you can imagine that) but still more frantic than a cat in a washing machine, “Hot Damn!” is the perfect title for an album that is perfect chaos. You have to get ready for listening to the blistering 30 minutes of hardcore and thrash on this disc, but it’s well worth it. If I didn’t no better, I’d think that EVERY TIME I DIE was actually two bands fighting with each other with their instruments. This is the type of band that other groups will be copying for the next couple of years. #5 VAUX – There Must Be Some Way to Stop Them (Volcom). An original sound from a band that isn’t afraid to push the limits. Using everything from an organ to three guitars, VAUX has written creativity all over “There Must Be Some Way to Stop Them”. There is no way to categorize VAUX; they have elements of REFUSED at the same time as AT THE DRIVE IN and THE DEFTONES. Listen to this release a few dozen times and you’ll still find something new about it in each spin. #4 RISE AGAINST – Revolutions Per Minute (Fat). RISE AGAINST just keeps raising the bar. Eclectic and intelligent subjects perfectly compliment the melodic punk/hardcore in songs that make songs like “Halfway There” unforgettable. The single, “Heaven Knows”, is one of the best I’ve heard this year, memorable and definitely catchy without breaking the flow of the album. Their sophomore album is an amazing album, but also a glimpse of what to come in 2004. It’s rebellious, energetic, and ultimately an essential album. #3 THE POSTAL SERVICE – Give Up (Sub Pop). “Give Up” is far too infectious to ignore. The addicting harmonies and catchy rhythms are enough to make even the fiercest of hardcore fans bop their heads. Gibbard, alongside electro pop mastermind Dntel, has released an album that is one of the most original things to come out this year, but with far more replay value than other unique releases (see: THE MARS VOLTA). After a handful of listens you know every lyric by heart, but still can’t get enough. I didn’t listen to any album as much as I did “Give Up” this year, and despite an imminent name change, THE POSTAL SERVICE wins the award as the best newcomer of the year. #2 THRICE- The Artist In the Ambulance (Island). THRICE could have easily been number one on this list. “The Artist In The Ambulance” seems to emphasize balance in every way, from the collision of splendor with viciousness to the maturation in song-writing blended with Dustin’s honest lyrics. This is the type of album that can make you throw your fists in the air and have goosebumps five seconds later. Intelligent, amazing, and conducive to air guitar, THRICE’s brush with mainstream (and the ensuing press) might make this the most important release of the year, setting the stage for the likes of SPARTA and GLASSJAW to succeed in 2004. #1 STRIKE ANYWHERE- Exit English (Jade Tree). STRIKE ANYWHERE epitomizes everything I love about music. I can‘t listen to “Exit English” without some type of emotional reaction, whether it be to the melodies, insightful lyrics, or the sheer fist-pumping choruses. My heart beats harder whenever I listen to tracks like “Blaze” or “To the World”. Everyone seems to recognize this album as a great release, and it’s for that reason that it hits number one. Quite simply, everyone I know gets something out of this album. Whether you fancy yourself hardcore, punk, emo, metal, or even indie, there is some type of authenticity to STRIKE ANYWHERE’s music that demands your immediate respect. Honorable Mention: A PERFECT CIRCLE – Thirteenth Step COHEED AND CAMBRIA – In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 SINCE BY MAN – We Sing the Body Electric DENALI – Instinct THE BRONX – S/T HEY MERCEDES – Loses Control SCRAPS AND HEART ATTACKS – Still Sick NORA – Dreamers and Deadmen DEATH BY STEREO – Into the Valley of Death DARKEST HOUR – Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation TED LEO AND THE PHARMACISTS – Hearts Of Oak NADA SURF – Let Go MARS VOLTA – Deloused in the Comatorium RADIOHEAD – Hail to the Thief RANCID – Indestructible MAXEEN – S/T THE WEAKERTHANS – Reconstruction Site CAT POWER – You Are Free Songs of the Year: JOE STRUMMER – Redemption Song (Bob Marley cover) STIKE ANYWHERE – To the World RISE AGAINST – Halfway There PARK – Gasoline Kisses For Everyone BRAND NEW – Sic Transit Gloria…Glory Fades OUTKAST – Hey Ya (although I WILL shoot my T.V. next time I hear it) Most Anticipated: RISE AGAINST BAD RELIGION JIMMY EAT WORLD GLASSJAW SAOSIN Best Album for: Partying: ANDREW WK – The Wolf Fist Pumping: STRIKE ANYWHERE – Exit English Nostalgia: (tie) KID DYNAMITE – Cheap Shots, Youth Anthems and BAD BRAINS – Banned in D.C. Dozing Off: THE FIRE THEFT – S/T Albums Sorely Missing From This List Because I Have Yet to Listen To Them: CHILDREN OF BODOM – Hate Crew Deathroll SONATA ARCTICA – Winterheart’s Guild COMEBACK KID – Turn It Around THE SUICIDE FILE – Twilight Best Tours of the Year (no order): THRICE/COHEED AND CAMBRIA/ THURSDAY POISON THE WELL/EVERY TIME I DIE/NORA/ THE BRONX ANDREW WK/VAUX BOUNCING SOULS/STRIKE ANYWHERE/TSUNAMI BOMB ANTI-FLAG/RISE AGAINST/AGAINST ME/NONE MORE BLACK