HEY EVERYONE! This top 10 is going to be a part of the next issue of the "The Only Way I Know How" fanzine based out of Michigan. Many other respected individuals from hardcore's past and present have also taken part in this column. The zine will also feature interviews with Vic Dicara of 108, Dan Yemin of Paint It Black, and much more neat material to read! It should be out by May or June and hopefully ready for LI FEST. Get in touch if you would like to get a hold of a copy. But for now, please enjoy.
- CFK
These records helped cater to my outlet and therapy at the tailend of my most impressionable years. They taught me alot of things I could not learn in books or from my parents. They gave me guidance, creativity, personality, and shaped my life the way it is today. Some of these masterpieces served as my real yearbook in the last 2 years of High School. Some of them kept me in step with what I truly love when I was feeling doubtful. I would not have made it out alive in the most difficult times without these records. These are my Top Ten LP's Of 2000-2009 (in order of the year released)!
Grey Area - Fanbelt Algebra (2000, Victory Records) I had to put this record on my list. Not only was Grey Area an enormous influence on one of my earlier bands, but they really captured a very important time in my life where I finally got my feet wet comfortably with hardcore and my lifestyle. I really love the harmonies and melodies on "Fanbelt Algebra" . It was unique how Ernie would sing the songs differently live, and how I was able to learn the live versions just by seeing them live so much. I loved listening to this on my walkman everday when I would meet up with my friends at the parking lot to skate until we got kicked out. Grey Area definatly captured the essence of NYC. When I listen to their songs I can relate them to people who I knew at that time, or how I was feeling at that moment of my life.
Kill Your Idols- No Gimmicks Needed (2000, Blackout Records) Right there with Silent Majority, this band makes me proud to be a part of the LIHC scene. This record was what the top of the decade needed. In the summer of 2000 alot of my friends were getting into corny metal core bands that unfortunatly plagued everyone, but especially Long Island. The first time I heard the song "Cast Me Aside" I was just warm in my soul and not bitter anymore about how lame all my friends at the time were becoming. In fact, when this record came out I started to meet my new best friends that I have only grown a stronger bond with over the years.
The Nerve Agents- Days Of The White Owl (2000, Revelation Records) This was a very dark record that combined both elements of punk and hardcore at it's finest. "Days Of The White Owl" was an anthem for telling off the "american dream". I love The Nerve Agents dismay with politics, emphasis on the perfect image, inhumane living, and on being told on how you should live in this world. I loved how their attitude on this record reflected to their live performance. I backed the eyeliner, dark image, and the "white owl" in the mummy robe!
As Friends Rust- Won (2001, Doghouse Records) Some do not consider As Friends Rust to be a hardcore band. I do not agree with that statement since everytime I spin their records or read the lyrics I hear music that is pruriently explicit and graphically depicted! In the song "Laughing Out Loud" I always get chills everytime I hear the first few lines. "Sometimes I'd like to know the insides of my wrists, sometimes I'd like to do what does not happen after this." The riffs and mood of this record musically fit the lyrics all too well. "Won" picked up my spirits at a time of my life where I knew things were going to change shortly in the future and that I needed to be upfront with those around me and myself in order to not have a nervous breakdown. "Won" is definatly my favorite record out of the Gainesville explosion!
Bane- Give Blood (2001, Equal Vision Records) My favorite hardcore record of the decade! Everything is perfect about "Give Blood" from the layout, lyrics, percussion, riffs, and bass grooves. This was the lp that made me realize I wanted to start touring in a band constantly , get my shit together musically, and put real life on hold indefinatly.
Carry On- A Life Less Plagued (2002, Bridge 9 Records) Perfect record that is not too long, but not too short. Regardless of what happend with all the "drama", this band will always be a big deal to me. This LP really summed up all the petty things that have been involved with the hardcore scene in the past and to this very day. It was appropriate to use the word "fuck" in every song because "A Life Less Plagued" was a big fuck off to everything that soils the hardcore community. Great lyrics, great riffs, and a job well done to Lucas Mcfadden on the drums even though he was unfortunatly not credited in the layout.
Modern Life Is War- Witness (2005, Deathwish Inc.) Some of my favorite songs in music have been in the form of a story in one way or another. "Witness" is a very intresting story from start to finish of their hometown in Iowa called Marshalltown. Jeffrey Eaton wrote some memorable lyrics on this record that will stick with me for a lifetime. "D.E.A.D.R.A.M.O.N.E.S" is by far one of my favorite punk rock songs ever written. If I ever question why I constantly tour in a band, I put on that song and feel back to normal immediately! This band was on a whole different level musically as well. It was intense and hard hitting in an intellegent manner, and everyone knew how to play their instrument well. Very in the pocket everytime I saw them live. I feel very sorry if anyone ever slept on this band or missed them live.
Go It Alone- The Only Blood Between Us (2005, Rivalry Records) This LP really revealed the ugly side of Rain City. It takes guts to really call out the bad side of your hometown and really just wake up the delusional people that take your city lightly. This band never got the due they deserved, but "The Only Blood Between Us" did not leave my turntable the entire summer of 2005! Very dynamical music that had much more punch and taste than your average hardcore band in 2005. The lyrics just bled honesty and disgust to the actions of a corrupt world and bonds that became permenantly broken. Canadian artists tend to leave a huge inspirational mark on me and Go It Alone is definatly one of those bands I will continue to talk about years from now. I'am so honored I got to know each individual of this band and see them everynight on their last U.S. tour.
Crime In Stereo - The Troubled Stateside (2006, Nitro Records) It has been a very big deal to watch this band grow since day one when Mike handed me their first demo at a local show on long Island. Every ounce of contempt I have for the stereotypical life of a Long Islander is confronted on this record with some very creative and memorable songs.
Have Heart- The Things We Carry (2006, Bridge 9 Records) The lyrical content on this record is some of the most intellegent subject matter I have ever heard on a hardcore record. "Unbreakable" may be one of the hardest songs I have ever heard, in the proper context. I did not feel so alone in a crowd anymore the day I put "Armed With A Mind " on repeat as I took the ferry to Connecticut for Ambitions practice.
