#ozzfest 2003

[ruinedholograms]

Ozzfest (2003)

[krispyweiss]

Crazy Town’s Shifty Shellshock Dies at 49

Crazy Town frontman Shifty Shellshock has died at 49, according to multiple media reports.

Shellshock, born Seth Binzer, was reportedly found dead June 24 in his home. No cause of death has been reported.

The rap-rock band had a hit in 1999 with “Butterfly.” The group went on to release two LPs and play at Ozzfest before breaking up in 2003.

“Rest in peace,” read a post on the festival’s Facebook page.

Crazy Town reformed in 2007 and released another album in 2015. Shellshock had been performing recently as Crazy Town X.

“You became familiar to many for a song,” Shellshock’s touring mates Saving Abel said on social media. “You became our friend because of your kindness to us.”

6/25/24

[glazzzeee]

HELP weird-ass dream

I had a dream where Jojo siwa was the singer of Limp bizkit

it was in a weird live show(?) and she was singing Turn it Up BItch but it was in 2001 apparently because there were other guests there and one of them was Corey fucking Taylor in his 2001 IOWA band attire

AND

every time Corey was acting or implying his sarcasm to the way she was singing or just to her generally, Fred would come up to him and shut him up with a kiss💀.

needless to say, my head was jumbling era's bc for example, why is Turn it Up BItch playing? but i think I know what inspired this dream;

just. YouTube vids i saw. The uncensored Ozzfest documentary(?) where 2001 era Corey was filmed and talked to, the new LB song that i have listened to-aka-Turn it Up BItch,, AND the 2003 MTV Icon featuring LB covering a Metallica song-just the whole live stage area which was at my dream yk?

idk why Jojo siwa was there.

[vodkaandsnakes]

On this day, June 19, in Type O Negative history:

Type O Negative play Fort Hood with Motley Crue in Killeen, TX (1994)

Type O Negative play Ozzfest at the New World Music Theatre with Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, Marilyn Manson, and Pantera at Tinley Park, IL (1997)

Type O Negative play the Manchester Academy 2 in Manchester, England (2003)

Type O Negative play the Manchester Academy 2 with Paradise Lost in Manchester, England (2007)

Yes- this audio is terrible. But how often do we get to see Josh all front and center-like? They are performing "Xero Tolerance", by the way.

Type O Negative play The Orbit Room with 3 Inches of Blood in Grand Rapids, MI (2008)

[darkarfs]

This shirt is actually a lie. I first heard Motörhead in 1998 as Ozzfest's 2nd stage headliners, where I got Lemmy's autograph. I first saw the Young Ones on VHS boxed set that I stole from the Goodwill I worked at in 2003. But this was the last one the place had in my size, and I'm a bit of a comedy nerd, so I was compelled. My computer didn't save my top 25 albums and 10 favorite wrestling matches I spent most of New Year's Day writing. Not a GREAT loss, except that it really underlined how lonely I felt that weekend. It makes you feel like a lot is chaotic and pointless, but so does looking out the window or reading the news, these days. But the good (?) news is it doesn't necessarily make me feel hopeless or nihilistic, but that's probably just because I can afford to not feel that way. But god, fuck that spineless bag of wet cat shit McCarthy, huh?

2022 was the year I learned I finally embraced a punk rock side of myself, a dorkier prog side, and became a cartoon supervillain. I became nostalgic for Jackbox nights with a Canadian contingent of radical socialists and horror nerds during lockdown - yes, nostalgic for lockdown (I made more money!) because, as I lose more and more friends and spend time in the MAGA bowels of God's earth, admit that I am finally mortal with the passing of my father, I realize just how precious friendships, relationships and life itself kind of is.

Thanks all the rest of you for sticking around. I will continue to fight for you, many of whom I consider family.

[brokelifethrift]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal 2003.

[all2collectmore]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: VTG OZZFEST 2003 T Shirt Metal concert band tour Ozzy manson korn Size 2XL.

[1962dude420-blog]

June 12, 2003 - Rolling Stone issue #924 with Monsters of Summer Tours

[emos1ut666]

[haluceongenic]

[mm-hey-cruel-world-2]

Marilyn Manson live at Ozzfest 2003

[x--daughters-of-darkness--x]

Evanescence’s Amy Lee shares her thoughts on working with Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale

“We love each other, and we get along”

Front-women Amy Lee and Lzzy Hale are no strangers to collaborating with each other, Amy Lee having guested on Halestorm’s ‘Reimagined’ EP on the emotional piano ballad ‘Break In.’

This time however, the duo are set to share the stage with one another on an autumn tour that’ll see two of the most hard-working and hard-rocking women in the metal industry perform alongside their respective bands.

Whilst being interviewed by Matt Pinfield on the last instalment of the “New and Approved” music series on 95.5 KLOS, Amy Lee delved into her friendship with the Pennsylvanian-based Lzzy Hale:

"It started with music. It worked out for us to go do some shows together. We hadn't met in person before signing up to do a tour together in 2012. And I remember we had some kind of joint press or meet-and-greet to do on that first day. And I went in there like, 'Hey,' before the fans came in. And we just clicked immediately. She's really humble and really down to earth. She doesn't take all the glory too seriously. She takes herself seriously and respects herself. She's just a really cool person.”

"We love each other, and we get along," Amy added. "We play hard and we work hard. So I'm very much looking forward to playing live music in general; but to be able to go back out for our first tour out with a whole group of people that we're friends with — the crew, the band, we love each other, all of us. So it's gonna be a really good time.”

Evanescence and Halestorm will be hitting the road on 5th November in the US, starting with a date in Portland, Oregon before making their way throughout the country.

Evanescence's career throughout the years:

1998: The band's inception

Singer and pianist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody formed Evanescence in Arkansas back in 1995, after the pair met at a Christian youth camp. They chose the name Evanescence due to its meaning: "disappearance" or "fading away". The duo released their debut self-titled EP in 1998 and were later joined by friends John LeCompt, Rocky Gray and Will Boyd.

2003: Debut album 'Fallen'

After being signed by Wind-up Records in 2002, the band released their debut album 'Fallen' in 2003. To promote the album, Evanescence headlined the Nintendo Fusion tour in 2003. 'Fallen' spent a whopping 43 weeks in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 and was certified 7× Platinum in the US after selling more than 17 million copies worldwide. The album included hit singles 'Bring Me to Life', 'My Immortal', 'Going Under' and 'Everybody's Fool'. Mega hit 'Bring Me to Life', featuring guest vocals from Paul McCoy from the band 12 Stones, was an international success, reaching Number 5 on the American Billboard Hot 100 and hitting the top spot in the UK Chart.

2004: Grammy Award wins

The phenomenal success of 'Fallen' saw Evanescence win not one but two Grammy Awards in 2004. Their hit single 'Bring Me To Life' won Best Hard Rock Performance and the band won the award for Best New Artist.

2006: Line-up change and follow-up record

After parting ways with both Will Boyd and Ben Moody, Evanescence and the success of their Grammy wins, Evanescence went back into the studio to record their follow-up album. After 18 months of writing and producing, the band released 'Open Door' in 2006. The album featured singles 'Call Me When Your Sober', 'Lithium', 'Weight Of The World' and 'Sweet Sacrifice' and debuted at Number 1 on the Billboard 200. The album and single 'Call Me When You're Sober' have since achieve 2x Platinum and Platinum status in the US respectively.

2007-2009: Another line-up change

In 2007, The band announced that guitarist John LeCompt and drummer Rocky Gray had left. The duo went on to join founding Evanescence member Ben Moody to create the band We Are the Fallen. Evanescence brought in two members of Dark New Day, drummer Will Hunt and guitarist Troy McLawhorn to act as their replacements. Two years, later frontwoman Amy Lee announced that the band were going back into the studio to start writing their third, self-titled album.

2011: Third album release and worldwide tour

Due to delays with their record label, Evanescence weren't able to release their third album until 2011, five years after 'Open Door'. Not that it mattered, because 'Evanescence' debuted at Number 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and Number 4 on the UK Albums Chart and took the band on a year-long worldwide tour to promote the album.

2012: Hiatus and Amy Lee's solo project

Evanescence announced that they would be going on a hiatus in 2012, with Amy announcing in NME: "I haven't been sitting down to write. I'm thinking we'll take a break first. I'm really not sure what I'll do next. At the end of any really long tour you need to get your head in order. I think at the end of the run we'll go on a break for a while and figure things out. "Taking long breaks is seen as a bad thing, but I don't think it's a bad thing. People have the idea that you have to keep putting stuff out while people remember you. But I'd rather make something that's awesome and then make people remember again. I hope it doesn't take five years, but I don't want to put a timeline on it either. We'll all be doing our own thing for a while. They're (my bandmates) very talented and they'll all be fine." Amy Lee went on to release solo album 'Aftermath' in 2014, a soundtrack for Mark Jackson's film War Story. She said of the project: "It's not what you'd expect; there's a lot of blending of sounds, a lot of ominous tones. I play a lot of keyboard, and a lot of Taurus pedal. There's a lot of low drones."

2015: Reunion with intimate shows

Three years after going on a break, Evanescence ended their hiatus by hosting a three-night show at intimate venues in Nashville, Dallas and LA in November 2015. This was just before the band hopped on a plane to Japan to perform at Ozzy Osbourne's iconic festival Ozzfest, alongside Korn and Ozzy himself.

2015-2016: Another line-up change

In 2015, Evanescence underwent yet another line-up change after long-time guitarist Terry Balsamo, who originally replaced Ben Moody, decided to leave the band. His replacement was the German singer and guitarist, Jen Majura from the band, Equilibrium. Evanescense continued to tour throughout 2016, but focused on playing hits from their previous albums like 'My Immortal' and 'Going Under'.

2017: 'Synthesis'

Fourth record 'Synthesis' was released in November 2017. As well as featuring new material such as 'Imperfection', the album included reworked versions of the band's older works such as 'My Heart Is Broken', 'Lacrymosa' and 'Bring Me To Life'. 'Synthesis' peaked at Number 1 on four of the Billboard charts, including US Top Alternative Albums, US Top Classical Albums, US Top Rock Albums and US Independent Albums.

2018: 'Synthesis Tour' features a live orchestra

To promote the album, the band embarked on the 'Synthesis Live Tour' in October 2017. This 60-date worldwide tour was different from any other tour they had done before because it featured a live orchestra. The tour was co-headlined by violinist Lindsay Stirling who also featured on the band's single 'Hi-Lo'.

2020: Brand new music

In 2020, Evanescence released four new singles, 'Wasted On You', 'The Game Is Over', 'Yeah Right' and 'Use My Voice', which all appear on the band's fifth album, 'The Bitter Truth'. First announced in 2018, it was meant to be released in 2020, but had to be delayed due to the pandemic. 'The Bitter Truth' is not only the band's first album in three years, but also their first album with all-new material since 'Evanescence'.

2021: 'The Bitter Truth' is finally released

Evanescence released the fifth single, 'Better Without You', in early March ahead of the release of 'The Bitter Truth', which finally saw the light of day on 26th March 2021. The band is also set to be joining fellow rockers, Within Temptation this autumn for the 'Worlds Collide' European tour, which was postponed due to the pandemic.

[kaileeandag]

Items in Alana’s Collection!

She has quite a bit of stuff, due to her mom being the primary breadwinner in the family.

Meet Outfit (Ozzfest 2002 t-shirt, blue jeans, and red and black Heely’s shoes with white socks) Meet Accessories (comes with a non-functioning glacier clear Game Boy Advance with a Pokemon Crystal game cartridge in the slot, pictures from the games Pokemon Red, Pokemon Yellow, Pokemon Gold, Pokemon Crystal, Hamtaro: Ham Hams Unite!, and The Powerpuff Girls Battle Him, autographed picture of the band Drowning Pool, sparkly light blue purse from Limited Too monogramed with the letter ‘A’, heart shaped Barbie locket containing a picture of Alana and her dad as well as a picture of Alana and her (step) mom Diana in Poland in 1998, and Hamtaro plush toy)

School Collection: -Alana’s School Supplies (light purple Hamtaro backpack, two FiveStar brand notebooks, a 5th grade math textbook, three pencils in a pink Hamtaro pencil case, and an eraser) -Alana’s Lunch Box (Dragon Ball Z lunchbox with a picture of Goku on the front, comes with these pretend food items: peanut butter sandwich with grape jelly, a pouch of orange Tang, fudge brownie dessert Lunchable, and a bag of raspberries) -Alana’s School Lunch (red lunch tray with these pretend food items: four french toast sticks with a cup of syrup, a sausage patty, applesauce, and a carton of milk)

Holiday Collection: -Alana’s Special Day Outfit (sparkly purple dress with black bolero, navy blue tights, and black mary janes) -Alana’s Nintendo Gamecube console and games (non-functional, indigo color and comes with screenshots from these games: The Simpsons Road Rage, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Luigi’s Mansion, Animal Crossing, Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex, and Resident Evil 2002 remake) -Alana’s Gamecube Games (cases only, comes with these games and screenshots from each: Metroid Prime, Super Mario Sunshine, and Mario Party 4) -Alana’s Game Boy Advance games (each cartridge is non-functional, got these games: Mega Man Battle Network 1 and 2, Super Mario World Super Mario Advance 2, and Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland) -Alana’s Christmas Ornaments and Crafts (comes with these crafts and ornaments: empty jar of Gerber baby food decorated with glitter and pictures of snowmen, a homemade star ornament with Alana’s school picture on it, and a circular ornament containing a picture of Alana, her (step)mom Diana, and her dad Trevor)

Spring Collection: -Flame Red Game Boy Advance SP with Pokemon Sapphire game (game and system are non-functional, got the game on release day-March 19th,2003-and the system when it came out a few days later, on March 23rd, 2003) -Alana’s Spring Outfit (the outfit is a navy blue pair of capris, a solid navy blue tank top with sparkly decal, and a pair of baby blue and tan sandals) -Alana’s cat Pancake and Cat Bed (a black cat with a collar reading ‘Pancake Ashman’, comes with a pink cat bed) -Hamtaro: Ham Ham Heartbreak game (non-functional, comes with screenshots from the game)

Summer Collection: -Alana’s Game Boy Player (non-functional, accessory for her Gamecube enabling her to play Game Boy games, bought prior to leaving for Poland) -Alana’s Swimsuit (a blue and green Tankini from Limited Too) and Hamtaro towel -Alana’s Polish Sweets and Snacks (comes with these pretend food items: a Prince Polo chocolate wafer bar, Ptasie Mleczko chocolate covered milk meringue candy, a slice of Sernik cheesecake, and a bag of Akuku jelly filled gummies) -Alana’s Polish Flag (a doll sized Polish flag) -Alana’s McDonald’s Poland Meal (comes with these pretend food items: McChicken burger, medium fry, a cup of Sprite, and fried apple pie) -Pokemon Pinball Ruby and Sapphire game (non-functional, comes with screenshots from the game, bought in late August of 2003)

Birthday Collection: -Final Fantasy Tactics Advance game (non-functional, comes with screenshots of the game) (got after her birthday passed) -The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker game (case only, comes with screenshots from the game) -Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg game (case only, comes with screenshots from the game) (got after her birthday passed) -Alana’s Birthday Outfit (sparkly green tank top with navy blue shorts and brown sandals) -Alana’s Pool and Poolside Accessories (comes with an in-ground style pool with a Hamtaro towel different from the one that came with her swimsuit, and a Swimming Champion Barbie doll)

Winter Collection: -Game Boy Advance Games (non-functional copies with screenshots from these games: Fire Emblem and Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town) -Alana’s Hat and Mittens (black and red mittens with matching hat) -Alana’s Navy Blue Winter Coat and Black Snow Boots -Alana’s Gamecube Games (cases with screenshots of these games: The Simpsons Hit & Run and Spongebob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom)

Bedtime Collection: -Alana’s Bed and Bedding (twin bed with a light blue comforter with Black Eyed Susan flower decals) -Alana’s Pajamas (blue pajamas with a chihuahua decal on the shirt and pants) -Alana’s Red Nightgown with Matching Slipper Socks -Alana’s Bijou plush toy (stuffed animal of the character Bijou from Hamtaro) -Alana’s American Girl Doll (mini size Molly doll) -Alana’s Bathroom and Beauty Accessories (sparkly blue Limited Too hair dryer, sparkly blue Limited Too nail dryer, sparkly blue Limited Too GirlCare Caboodle containing pretend nail polish, and Juice Bar Gummy Bear scented pretend body spray) -Alana’s TV and console (non-functional, comes with a pretend DVD player attached with screenshots from these shows: The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, Hamtaro, Yu-Yu Hakusho, Courage The Cowardly Dog, Ed Edd n Eddy, and Spongebob Squarepants. The Gamecube from her Holiday Collection can be attached to the TV)

Extra Outfits and Accessories: -Alana’s Bazyli toy dragon (a stuffed animal of Bazyli, a dragon from the Polish adaption of Sesame Street called Ulica Sezamkowa) (bought when she was last in Poland in the late 90′s) -Alana’s Sleepover Set (black and pink sleeping bag, copy of the 2002 live action Scooby Doo with screenshots from the movie, pretend pepperoni pizza and three pretend bottles of water, pretend bowl of popcorn, and a bag of pretend Baked Lays Sour Cream & Onion chips) -Spongebob Chapter Book Collection (comes with these Spongebob chapter books: New Student Starfish, Hall Monitor, Tea at the Treedome, Sandy’s Rocket, The World’s Greatest Valentine, and Naughty Nautical Neighbors)

[aphotolog]

1894. Going through old stuff. Found these guys. (September 4th 2017)

[vodkaandsnakes]

On this day, June 28, in Type O Negative history:

Type O Negative play the Cellaris Amphitheatre with Queensryche in Atlanta, GA (1995)

Type O Negative play the Roskilde Festival in Roskilde, Denmark (1996)

Type O Negative play Ozzfest at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, NV (1997)

Type O Negative play A Summer Day in Hell in Bologna, Italy (2003)

Type O Negative play Terminal 5 in New York, NY (2008)

Type O Negative play Terminal 5 with 3 Inches of Blood in New York, NY (2009)

[patternsintraffic]

My 100 Favorite Albums of the 2000s: Honorable Mentions 2 of 2

OK. This is it, I promise. At some point I have to stop listing albums from my youth. ...Right?

Seriously, thanks for reading and I hope I either introduced you to or reminded you of some great music from an underappreciated musical decade. I know I enjoyed myself! Next time you hear from me it should be with new music news in tow!

Hotwire - The Routine (2003)

I remember coming across Hotwire at a friend's house while we were in some rarely-visited corner of the Internet seeking out new music. The song was either "Not Today" or "Hands on You" (either would have done plenty to catch my attention) and I made a point to follow the band after that and pick up their first and only album The Routine. The album is classified as alternative metal, but it's not far at all from louder emo acts like Taking Back Sunday, Thursday, or Thrice. Hotwire were on the Ozzfest tour in 2003 and also toured with the likes of Mogwai, Darkest Hour, Killswitch Engage, and Atreyu. It's hard for me to imagine them fitting in with that crowd, as they had such a melodic and pop-leaning side to their music that most of those bands lack. Put them on a few tours with those aforementioned emo bands and I think they gain a much larger following. Hindsight is 20/20, as they say.

Jonezetta - Popularity (2006)

Jonezetta was one of the few Tooth & Nail bands from this decade that didn't make a big impression on the scene. I couldn't tell you why, because Popularity is full of danceable, infectious pop rock that easily stands toe to toe with its contemporaries. "Get Ready (Hot Machete)," "Man in a 3k Suit," and "Backstabber" are painfully radio-ready, as are most of the other songs on the record. There are so many alternate universes where one of these tracks catch on and Jonezetta is a household name, rather than fading into obscurity after their quietly-released second album.

Mae - The Everglow (2005)

Here's a Tooth & Nail record that took off. The Everglow is deserving of its scene classic status; a concept album with 15 tracks of uplifting and catchy melodic rock. The songs are triumphant, anthemic, and inspirational, and there are no real weak links in the tracklist. For some reason I never quite claimed this album as my own and developed a deep personal connection with it. I think the praise for it was so effusive that it turned me off; I was averse to following popular trends in that way. But my college bandmates loved it and it was often blasting in the car while we drove around campus or to and from band practice. I will definitely be picking this one up on vinyl the next time it is pressed so I can spend some more long-overdue time with The Everglow.

Manic - A Strange Audience (2008) [Pictured: Another New Home (2007)]

I decided when compiling my original list that I would only include albums that were officially released. But when I expanded to honorable mentions I had to include this album that was recorded for Suretone/Geffen in 2008 and never saw the light of day. I have a pretty wild history with this band, starting, once again, with DC101's New Music Mart. In 2003, they featured "No Words" by a band called Bemus. It took me quite a while to hunt the song down, but once I did it became my favorite song for a while. It was like Incubus with a harder edge, and I couldn't get enough. I followed the band for a few years, checking their website every few weeks waiting for word about an album release. But much to my dismay, it never happened. Bemus dissolved and some of the members went on to form Manic, which released two great EPs in Floor Boards and Another New Home. Again, I waited with baited breath for a promised full-length, and again it didn't materialize. Manic posted on their Myspace page in 2008 that the album they completed, titled A Strange Audience, would not be released by their label, but they would send the tracks to anyone who wanted them via email. I wrote that email posthaste, and soon received 14 masterful spacey/shoegazey rock tracks that were sparse, strange, haunting, experimental, ambient, unique, and captivating. All those descriptors are an attempt to say, it's hard to classify this album. It's not immediate, but it does have great hooks that sink in after a few listens. It's a bit weird, but not so much that it keeps the listener at arm's length. I'm happy to say that I recently worked with YouTuber irreversiblemess, someone who shares my zest for music preservation, to post both A Strange Audience and the unreleased Bemus album on his YouTube channel in full. If I have anything to say about it, at least a few people will take advantage of the ability to hear these gems that were almost lost to time. There is also a full-length version of Another New Home on streaming services which is made up of Manic's two officially-released EPs plus a couple of cuts from A Strange Audience. Neither band nor label seem to be involved in the distribution of that album, so I have no idea how it came to be. But I'm glad those songs are on streaming and encourage anyone to check those out as well. They're great! The Bemus/Manic guys must have been one of the unluckiest group of musicians in history, getting so close twice without ever having a full-length album released. The music reveals that they deserved so much better.

Margot & the Nuclear So and So's - The Dust of Retreat (2006)

I needed a bit of convincing to even check this album out, as I was pretty turned off by the band name Margot and the Nuclear So and So's. But I eventually gave in when I found out some friends were really enjoying The Dust of Retreat. These are mostly acoustic tracks led by the delicate voice of Richard Edwards, and they lope along with an uneasy gait, like you're listening in on an audio diary that wasn't really meant to be heard by anyone but Edwards himself. Songs like "Skeleton Key" and "Quiet As a Mouse" have undeniable hooks, but what stands out most when I think about this album are the unique production choices. There is an eerie undertone of foreboding that hangs over these otherwise beautiful and gentle songs, making for a fascinating and never-quite-comfortable listen.

Midtown - Forget What You Know (2004)

I was familiar with Save the World, Lose the Girl and Living Well Is the Best Revenge, but I never became well-acquainted with either. Midtown's final album, 2004's Forget What You Know, was the one to draw me in on the strength of singles "Give It Up" and "Empty Like the Ocean." These songs have more big rock riffs and bombastic production than the band's earlier emo output, and frontman Gabe Saporta grapples quite a bit throughout the album with religion and the state of our world. By the time you reach the loop that repeats ad nauseam to close out the album a la "Goodbye Sky Harbor," it's clear that you've just heard an important and well-thought-out piece of work.

Saosin - Saosin (2006)

The indie community was shocked when frontman Anthony Green departed Saosin just as they were gaining momentum on the strength of their debut EP Translating the Name. But the band barely missed a beat when the position was assumed by then-teenage vocalist Cove Reber, who more than capably maneuvers through 12 high-energy post-hardcore/alt-rock tracks including standouts "It's Far Better to Learn," "Voices," "I Never Wanted To," and "Bury Your Head." I rarely reach for this one since I wouldn't call it my go-to genre, but I never regret it when I do.

Steel Train - Trampoline (2007)

Before Jack Antonoff was a member of Fun. and then producer to the stars, he headed up Drive-Thru Records pop/rock/folk hybrid Steel Train. I happened to be on a kick with their second album Trampoline when I got my first smartphone, and while playing with all the new features I put mp3s of the album on my phone so I could take it on the go. I never got around to uploading any more music, so every time I went into the local files on that phone I was reminded of this very good album. Antonoff's youthful and urgent delivery is captivating on songs like "Kill Monsters in the Rain," "Dakota," and "Firecracker." The organic instrumentation and often-noodley guitar performances are a far cry from his current output with Bleachers, and well worth a listen if you are a more recent fan.

Test Your Reflex - The Burning Hour (2007)

I don't remember exactly how I came across Test Your Reflex's "Pieces of the Sun," but I was enamored with the blend of '80s pop influence with current indie rock. And that chorus! (*chef's kiss*) The Burning Hour has one of the best opening three-song stretches that I've ever heard, passing the baton from the undeniable "I'm Not Sorry" to the aforementioned "Pieces of the Sun" and then to the slightly quieter and more new-wave-leaning "Thinking of You." While the rest of the album doesn't match the peak of the first three tracks (and how could it, really?), it is full of engaging songs that hint at a successful career to come. Unfortunately, singer Ryan Levine and company could never settle into a groove and consistently build on the promise of this debut album. They changed their name to No Country in 2009, but only ever released some one-off tracks on Myspace. They appeared in the film Jennifer's Body and had a couple of original songs on the soundtrack, but they were attributed to Low Shoulder, their in-movie moniker. In 2014 they reemerged as Wildling, were signed to Warner Brothers, and released a few singles and an EP, but that band appears to now be defunct as well. In 2021 Levine has resurfaced yet again, releasing three singles under his own name. I hope that he can stick with one project long enough to consistently create and release music. He is clearly a talented writer and performer, but all the shuffling and reshuffling over the years has kept the volume of his output pretty low.

This Providence - Who Are You Now? (2009)

Who Are You Now? is This Providence's final full-length album, and probably their least celebrated. But I'm a sucker for these sugary pop rock tracks, even when the lyrical content gets a little shallow. When I started my career, I had a CD player/clock/radio at my desk, and the radio signal in my office was iffy at best. I brought a handful of CDs into the office, including this one, and it was the album most often soundtracking my accounts payable duties at a volume low enough to stay contained to my cubicle. Honestly, I just skimmed through the album for the first time in years and I was immediately singing along with every track. Hooks abound! I think I've just rediscovered a love for this album in real time. It probably should have been included in the top 100. #justiceforthisprovidence