2003 in music. • Page 6

farewell transmission hit me like a ton of bricks the first time I heard it. there was no waiting around. his voice is perfect and it's an a+ melody, with great lyrics. idk. i would get why some wouldn't love it, but it's extremely surprising to me chris doesn't, given the stuff he tends to like

 

the version kevin morby and waxahatchee do is great too

 

Oh yeah it’s the ephemera and stuff in the margins that gets swept away. EPs. Singles. Acoustic versions.

And don’t get me started on how much music on streaming is inferior re-records. In going through the biggest hits of years in the ‘60s and ‘70s with my dad and checking out the ones he remembers fondly, like 30% or more the original version is lost in a sea of shitty re-dos if it’s there at all.

And insult to injury, now bands from the 00s are doing that shit too. Looking at you, Saving Alcatraz

 

Guess I'll continue clinging to my iPods and external hard drives and old computers full of mp3s. Haha

 

Not to go down a separate wormhole here but since you mentioned external hard drives Craig, are there any places you know of to go to "jailbreak" or retrieve files on a hard drive that's no longer compatible with current computers?

My fucking iPods were stolen in 2018, two of em full with 160GBs of my collection - including most of the 'deleted years' referred to. I have it all backed up but haven't been able to access any of it, which is why I started the project of rebuilding my collection on streaming - which is still less than desirable.

My thought was that if I can get that done, I can buy two old used iPods off fb marketplace or something and re-load them.

 

1. Relient K - Two Lefts Don't Make A Right but Three Do
Not their best album but at this time they were my favorite band and I listened nonstop
2. Further Seems Forever - How to Start a Fire
I wasn't a fan right away since Chris left but this grew on me big time years later
3. Mae - Destination Beautiful
Didn't fully get into this album until after The Everglow but still a fantastic debut

Others:
Something Corporate - North
Thrice - Artist in the Ambulance
Switchfoot - The Beautiful Letdown

Just looking through lists and thinking of honorable mention albums that are barely/not even listed yet shows how crazy good the year was, including

Brave Saint Saturn - The Light of Things Hoped For
Five Iron Frenzy - The End is Near
Holland - Photographs and Tidalwaves
Jars of Clay - Who We Are Instead
Rocket Summer - Calendar Days
Spill Canvas - Sunsets and Car Crashes
Watashi Wa - The Love of Life

This was the peak era of Tooth and Nail/Christian adjacent bands. I'm sure I'll think of a bunch more albums later on

 

Huh, I really have no experience with this at all. What computer/OS do you use? My best advice just off the top of my head would be to find an older computer that you can use to access the hard drives and then port the files over to a new device, but I'm not sure if that's a realistic option for you.

 

There are definitely computer/tech places that can help you access hard drives that won't mount

 

Wait is Sunsets and Car Crashes actually ‘03? I had it written as ‘04, as does wiki

 

it's 2004

 

Someone stole my iPod that had a bunch old soul music I use to blog dig for. Now I don’t have the time or means to really start looking for it all again

 

It was me

 

thanks Craig and @JRGComedy - I have a few computers I've tried it on, a Dell, a new Mac, and an HP. None of them recognized it. It's not unrealistic to get my hands on a different computer, but also might just be worth paying one of those stores mentioned that specializes in that sort of thing.

this is purely a luxury/convenience kind of thing for me at this point. I miss my iPod classics a lot.

 

Yeah, that's the other thing. There's so much stuff in my iTunes that I spent hours digging around the internet for when I was 15-22. Even if some of that stuff is still out there, I don't know how I'd ever find the time to go searching for it again.

 

Spotify lied to me!

 

Another stacked year. Here's mine along with some thoughts:

01) LUCKY BOYS CONFUSION - Commitment

As I said in the 2001 thread, I can't believe this band never fully made it. This is their second major label album and it's chock-full of pop-punk with various influences in between. Ridiculously catchy, dynamic and all-around fun.

02) BRAND NEW - Deja Entendu

Controversy aside, this was a phenomenal step forward by what I had written off as a better-than-average pop-punk band in 2001.

03) A PERFECT CIRCLE - Thirteenth Step

Another big step forward with the band toning down some of the more childish elements of their debut into a full-on brooding art-rock masterpiece. MJK's vocals are incredible and Billy Howerdel's arrangements match the eerie feel of the album.

04) AFI - Sing The Sorrow

My complaints about the mastering aside (seriously, "Girls Not Grey" should pop much more) this was an excellent major label debut with a punk/hardcore band embracing a broader sonic palate of influences.

05) THE WHITE STRIPES - Elephant

Jack White comes back off a hit bigger and better with his best collection of songs.

06) MUSE - Absolution

I forever had this slated as a 2004 release for some reason but that was due to not hearing about it until 2004. Anyways, at the time this was what I and many other listeners were looking for who wanted Radiohead to rock a bit more. Matt Bellamy also proved to be a master composer in his own right as this record is full of Britpop-inspired riffs and theatrical piano compoisitions.

07) DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE - Transatlanticism

Nearly 20 years on this was the perfect indie rock breakup record for college kids and young 20-somethings.

08) BLINK 182 - Blink 182

Biggest surprise in 2003 as this band's hijacks had really started to get on my nerves but this is an undeniably great record and the one I still think is their best.

09) LINKIN PARK - Meteora

Big-budget follow-up to a smash debut with LP tightening up their hooks while also expanding into more Depeche Mode territory.

10) LESS THAN JAKE - Anthem

This seems to be LTJ's own favorite record of theirs and for good reason, whole thing sprints by tossing off hooks with relentless energy.

11) YELLOWCARD - Ocean Avenue

One of the best pop-punk summer albums of all time that also works well as a fall soundtrack.

12) FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE - Welcome Interstate Managers

Incredibly dynamic and cool power-pop, even the country song grew on me.

13) THE DARKNESS - Permission To Land

Stupid rock that is done smartly, The Darkness were definitely in and the joke but also executed the whole presentation well.

14) SNOW PATROL - Final Straw

Technically 2003 released overseas (but not in the US until 2004), this was a nice stop-gap for Coldplay fans in terms of polite and friendly lite rock.

15) RADIOHEAD - Hail To The Thief

Probably the crankiest Radiohead album but with many amazing highs and the welcome addition of guitars again

16) COPELAND - Beneath The Medicine Tree

One of the many post-Clarity albums that popped up in the 00's, this was in constant rotation due to the beautiful melodies and songs.

17) FALL OUT BOY - Take This To Your Grave

Some of the lyrics on this are a bit cringe-y but this really cemented a whole new era of pop-punk

18) SOMETHING CORPORATE - North

I enjoyed SoCo's debut EP and album but this is the one that really raised my eyebrows in terms of Andrew Mcmahon's songwriting stepping up.

19) THE STROKES - Room On Fire

Some days I think this is actually more enjoyable than Is This It due to not having all the baggage of critical importance. An excellent counrterpart to their debut.

20) COHEED & CAMBRIA - In Keeping Secrets Of Silent Earth: 3

It took this album to make me a fan as Claudio's voice was a bit of a barrier for me at first. Prog-rock-meets-emo at its finest.

Honorable mentions

BILLY TALENT - Billy Talent

Speaking of nasal voices, this was a bit of an acquired taste but still a fantastic record (and a huge hit in Canada)

JET - Get Born

Completely slutty and pandering to the "garage rock" movement but that's what makes these albums so enjoyable years later, just a great collection of rip-off songs that work well.

ALIEN ANT FARM - TruAnt

A much more interesting, melodic and overall enjoyable album than their debut. Was unfortunately lost in the shuffle.

DEFTONES - Deftones

Probably the most UNaccessible Deftones album to date, really angry, dark and brooding with the band creating their heaviest and atmospheric songs in one place.

MATTHEW GOOD - Avalanche

I loved Canada's Matthew Good Band and MG's solo album showcased plenty of what I loved about them in terms of the Springsteen done in an alternative rock style.

ZEBRAHEAD - MFZB

Apparently this was huge in Japan. Rap-rock infused with pop-punk that's ridiculously catchy.

THIRD EYE BLIND - Out Of The Vein

Definitely a stumble after the first two and a bit too much shiny production mixed with the loss of Kevin Cadogen's hooks but...still some gems on here.

THE FORMAT - Interventions & Lullabies

Indie pop for the Warped Tour crowd, still a great debut.

 

hey driver to the top of the row oh ode

 

I know it got some love on early pages, but the ETID army from these boards must mostly ignore these threads lol - I could've sworn Hot Damn! would be a contender this year.

I cannot believe we are coming up on 19 years of this banger. Never had heard anything like it in my life to that point, and really still don't think many heavy bands do it quite as well as ETID did.

 

You son of a bitch.

This album does rule was close to making my list, but dumile is king

 

Well, been thinking about it a lot the last few days, time to try to do this...

1. Alkaline Trio-Good Mourning

My favorite album by my favorite band. In 2003 I was finally starting to settle into more of a rock music fandom, though Eminem Show and other popular rap that I'll mention later on was still in my mix. But I also had gone through my first real "heartache" in 2002, and during that a friend of mine happened to send me two songs by this band he liked called Alkaline Trio, called Goodbye Forever and I Lied My Face Off. I liked them. I assumed the two different vocalists meant they had gone through a couple different singers. But that was basically that. Until the following spring/summer, he told me they released a new album, showed me a couple songs, I liked them. Fast forward until that fall, about 6 months after the album had come out. I went through another heartache, and decided I should find some music to fit my mood, and Alkaline Trio seemed like the first logical place to go. So I got Good Mourning and was hooked. What a perfect winter album btw. I've said that countless times in the Alk3 thread when the rankings come around. The combo of Matt's blown out vocal chords and the somewhat messed up production on the drums and bass really give this thing a winter sound IMO. Not to mention the macabre lyrics and the whole black and red color scheme and 3 piece suits and etc. Just one hell of an aesthetic. Love every single song on there with maybe the exception of Fatally Yours, and that one is still good. Also I'm a Dan Andriano fan so no coincidence the album with the most Dan songs is my favorite Trio album. He really crushed it out of the park on that album. His warm silky-ish low voice blended in well with the sound of the album, and Every Thug Needs A Lady being a "bright spot" on the album but yet still somehwo fits the gloomy winter feel to it is crazy. Lots of cool vocal moments on this album...the this could be love..love for fire part (and the tubular bells with the skiba scream at the end), the dual vocals at the end of one hundred stories, matt screaming the last chorus of continental, everything about All On Black, all 3 memebrs singing "We washed it down the drain" on Emma, etc etc etc.....Just such a great album.

2. Blink-182-Untitled

I didn't actually get into this entire album until 2007. I wasn't a huge blink fan but knew a ton of songs between singles and movie soundtracks. But in 2007 I went through a horrible break up and was clinically depressed. Once again turning to music, I knew the blink untitled album was supposedly a moody album of sorts. So I went and got it and I loved it. Definitely my favorite blink album to date. The singles of course were great. I Miss You is still an emo kid anthem today. Feeling This on the Madden soundtrack? yes. Now my son loves the song. Down was good. Always was good. And then I got the album and man....a student asked me my favorite blink song a couple weeks ago and I answered Stockholm Syndrome. God I love that song. All Of This is amazing as well, Robert Smith vocals really gave me the "i'm depressed" song I needed haha. Asthenia, I'm Lost With You You, Here's Your Letter, etc. Just hit all the right spots for me.

3. Brand New-Deja Entandu

I thought hard about this because I didn't want them to get any points from me. But I realized all the other albums that could potentially go here for me, I just didn't like those albums as a whole enough to put them here. But this was the same story with Blink's untitled for me....depressed from the break up in 2007, I knew some songs from this band, and then I went to a concert with a couple of girls from my buddy's freshman year dorm floor. Realized they were as depressing as I needed my music to be at the time, so went out and bought this one and TDAG that week. Really hit the spot of someone desperate to scream (and cry) about their feelings in song lol. Only one song on there I never really got into, and DAMN am I glad about that knowing what I know now. When the news broke, this one fell out of my rotation for probably a solid year before I finally started letting songs from it play again when they came on shuffle. I can't push this band or their songs on anyone anymore, but this album really helped me get through the hardest time in my life (at the time) and because of that there's a lot of sentimental value to the songs for me. I'm not going to spend any more time getting to the songs or anything on here, I've already said enough.


The next closest albums would probably be.....A Mark A Mission A Brand A Scar would probably be the next one, but I truthfully don't like enough of that album to say it's a top 3 album for me. But the songs I do like on there, i like A LOT. The high points on this album are, dare I say, the highest on any Dashboard album? It's an interesting mix of songs. Hands Down is a classic in every sense. So Beautiful sounds like it could have been on The Places You Have Come To Fear The Most. Ghost of a good Thing was in so many AIM profles and away messages. Rapid Hope Loss as well. But truth be told there's a bunch of songs on this album I cant even remember what they sound like off the top of my head.

There are so many songs I like from this year where I never went out and bought the album.....Girls Not Grey and Leaving Song Pt. 2? other madden sountrack classic there...Transatlancism, maybe I need to find the time to sit down and give that one a proper listen. Meteora was all over the place and I liked the singles, but after loving Hybrid Theory, when I DID hear the singles I was a little underwhelmed because I was like "eh this sounds exactly like Hybrid theory"...I liked it! I just didn't wanna go buy the album. But like very 15 year old boy of course I loved Somewhere I Belong and Numb. Outkast was everywhere. LOVED Hey Ya!, still do. Also loved Roses and liked The Way YOu Move. Never became a huge coheed fan but did eventually come around to loving Three Evils. That one was also one I saw in a lot of melodramatic away messages and profiles at the time (pull the trigger and the nightmare stops!)....50 Cent's album came out in 2003?! Goddamn. Those songs were unavoidable. I guess technically Wanksta isn't an official track, but that, In Da Club, 21 Questions, and P.I.M.P. were such fun high school days tracks. My ex put a Postal Service song on a mix for me (NOT such great heights!) that i liked....I never became a huge FOB fan, but there were definitely a few FOB songs from TTTYG that ended up in my rotation of depressed from a break up songs lol...Yellowcard, loved and still love Ocean Avenue and Only One....Way Away was good too, I think that was yet another Madden sountrack song?...Poodle Hat was a slightly disappointing follow up after Bad Hair Day and Running With scissors, but I do remember liking some of it...I think it has my favorite polka on it?....An ex put Soundtrack to Our Movie on a mix for me as well....I Believe In a Thing Called Love was such a fun song to air gutiar too, and to try to sing in the falsetto voice...

If i don't stop there I'll just keep going. There's just an insane amount of songs from this year that I still enjoy listening to today. I'm sure part of that is 2003 being the end of my freshman/start of sophomore year in high school lol, but damn. So many great songs.

 

Sing the Sorrow and Ocean Avenue absolutely should be on my list somewhere, I'll revise someday...

 

No posts in here today...Kroeger time

 

Can’t wait for 2005. Year of the Nickelback

 

I honestly like that song.

 

I actually go to bat for Nickelback in most cases. In terms of big sounding pop/rock, you can do a lot worse.