My Nostalgia – 2003 • Page 2

Pretty much every year from 2002-2006 features stone cold classics, but this one really stands out. I remember going to the 2004 Warped Tour after this at the end of a school year and looking at the daily lineup of bands I saw and albums they were supporting is INSANE.

I don’t know if any other scene in the history of modern popular music had a confluence of cultural impact and concert availability quite like this period for this scene and Warped. Just a perfect, beautiful storm that was too good to last.

 

I've never actually seen 2003's discography written out but holy sh*t, LOOK AT HOW IMPORTANT THAT YEAR WAS FOR ME (and apparently everyone else that's read this article).

I'm in complete awe of these influential albums and there they are... just bundled up in one f*cking year. I swear I thought memories attached to these albums were scattered throughout time but NOPE, I guess 2003 was just one f*cked up emo-driven year for me (I am very aware that these albums have followed me throughout most of my high school/college career).

Ugh... take me back to these first listens! Not only were these timeless records, but they were very much a gateway into what would better shape and expand my musical taste.

SO TO DIVE INTO JASON'S 2003 NOSTALGIA DISCOGRAPHY:

Never thought I'd ever enjoy screamo, but there they were: Story of the Year, Matchbook Romance, and Senses Fail. I never stood a chance.

Take this to your Grave changed my life. This album was THE game changer with punk rooted boys making genre-bending pop/rock. I sang like Patrick Stump for at least 2 years after that.

Ocean avenue was so g*ddamn special it makes me cry. Not only was this album near perfect, but it will forever sit with near perfect nostalgia.

In a world of pop/rock/emo, John Mayer would be my pop pulse as he begins to experiment with the genre with his second full length album Heavier Things (Jason, you're my spirit animal for including JM).

Honorable mention songs:
The Format- "The First Single" (this song is so g*ddamn catchy it's ridiculous)
Blink-182- "Feeling This," "I Miss You," & "Violence" ("I Miss You" has stood the test of time)
Mae- "Embers and Envelopes" (SOOO BEAUTIFUL, mind-f*cked me melodically)
The Ataris- "The Boys of Summer" (I should have given this album more credit, but this rendition is straight *fire emoji*)
Coheed and Cambria- "A Favor House Atlantic" (from the depths of hell comes one of the most best pop/rock constructed tunes EVER)
Death Cab for Cutie- "The New Year" & "The Sound of Settling" (everyone will be mad I'm only mentioning their songs and not their album)
Explosions in the Sky- "First Breath After Coma" (read the song title again)

When Rufio released their second full length MCMLXXV, it gave us a more polished and mature version of the boys we fell in love with, solidifying their stay amongst their pop/rock/emo peers.

Every Dashboard Confessional EP and album lead up to A Mark A Mission A Brand A Scar. It was triumphant in the most emo way it can be.

North by Something Corporate was so underrated. From start to finish it's a f*cking masterpiece.

At the time I was hanging out with bands and they most definitely influenced me on what to listen to. So they threw at me The Artist in the Ambulance where I got to really listen to well crafted and skilled musicianship. Another album we listened to (especially high) was RX Bandit's The Resignation. It could have very well been the weed but holy f*ck did it blow my mind. It was such an overall raw sound that was part groovy and part aggressive meshed with ska.

"Hey," the bands would ask," but have you listened to Deja Entendu yet?" I won't lie. The album didn't stick at first. It took a couple of listens and probably some frustrating conversations, but at some point, at some time, on one day, IT JUST F*CKING CLICKED. And the thing was, the album was so popular. Not only did my "band" friends listen to it, but even all the "cool kids." So really, here we have an album that through its raw contributions musically, vocally, emotionally and lyrically, somehow was able to bring together different groups of people and define an era of emo music.

The Postal Service was probably my first involvement with electronic music. It was somewhat accessible and familiar, yet on a completely different planet. You know what? Scratch that. We didn't know what the f*ck we were listening to, but it did send us to the f*cking moon and it was absolutely beautiful.

The Early November was important to me. Not to say that they are THE most important, they just so happen to be the last band/album I discuss right now. The Room's Too Cold defines what 2003 was: something beautiful, daring, youthful, loud, quiet, but now looking back on it, nostalgic.

 

Rock The Bells was kind of the Warped of Hip Hop at the time, though not as stacked

 

Loved that R Kelly album.

 

Fuckin' loving these nostalgic posts - it's almost as if I was reading my own diary.

Also love reading the comments from peeps like me, who were influenced in some way by this music. Cheers!

 

Some of my favorite albums ever released were in 2003. Amazing year for music for me personally.

The Ataris - SLA
Yellowcard - Ocean Ave
Matchbook Romance - Stories & Alibies
BN - Deja Entendu (blehhh)
Something Corporate - North
TEN - The Rooms Too Cold

And more....wowww what a year

 

Random thought: in my head I can visualize the Watashi Wa ads in Alt Press right down to the font lol

 

Loving these My Nostalgia posts.