Scene SC Top 11 of The Decade

Here are our top 11 favorite albums of the last 10 years.  They differ from all of the other lists you’ve probably seen.  I guess we’re not as indie as they are.

It was hard choosing which one of The Everybodyfields albums to go in the top ten.  On one hand my favorite song is off Plague of Dreams,  on the other Nothing is Okay is heart breakingly amazing.  You have the love it or you don’t voice of Sam Quinn along with the everybody loves it voice of Jill Andrews.  An amazing combination that climaxed with this album.

I was a senior in high school who played an acoustic guitar in open tunings and wrote emotional lyrics and this was before I ever knew who Chris Carrabba was.  Dashboard Confessional fans were soon asking “Who is Further Seems Forever?”  This album is the prime of Dashboard Confessional even though Swiss Army Romance was great.  Maybe it would be first if “Screaming Infidelities” didn’t carry over.

This is the best Anberlin record.  Stephen Christian hit his prime lyrically on this album and it was more developed and put together than Never Take Friendship Personal.  Every song has a purpose and his band mates hit the prime of their musical ability.  The highlights from their latest and most recognized album were ideas stolen from their previous two records.

This album came out in 2000 and really opening a lot of doors for me.  Compared to some of the stuff that I was listening to, this album paved the way for the next 6 years of Tooth and Nail bands that I was and still am obsessed with.

Jack’s Mannequin started out as Andrew McMahon’s side project to Something Corporate, but right before the release of his first album he was diagnosed with Leukemia.  This album is about his fight to recover and the questions you encounter when you are confronted by death.

I never saw Jimmy Eat World hitting the mainstream like this did, but I never complained about it.  I was much more comfortable driving around with my buddies blasting “Bleed American.”  “Hear You Me” and “A Praise Chorus” are two anthems of my high school years.

When I listen to this album I realize that it couldn’t be any more perfect.  Ben Gibbard hits his prime with lyrics so descriptive you can see the end of summer in Washington and “I Will Follow You Into The Dark” is one of their most touching songs.  I’m not sure DCFC will ever write a better song than “What Sarah Said.”

This album took me into my freshman year of college and I wanted to be as rebellious as Dave Bazan’s lyrics in this album.  Stick it to big business, stick to being superficial, this album has line after line that you wish you wrote.

This is the only Copeland album that I feel like Aaron Marsh had something worthwhile to say and write about.  He isn’t try to “Freak” me out, but instead makes me try to understand what he is feeling.  He does a beautiful job on it especially with “Paula Sparks” and “Testing The Strong Ones.”

This album was released in 2001 and is simply better than any of Ryan Adams other albums in the 2000-2010 era.  Heartbreaker has some amazing songs, but other songs seriously lack.  Gold is a better album than Heartbreaker, but Heartbreaker’s best songs are simply better.  Pneumonia is great song after great song.

This album changed my mind and changed the landscape of indie rock.  I would never give electronic anything the time of day before this album.  I almost wrote off “Everlong” by Foo Fighters at one point because I mistook Taylor Hawkins speedy hands for a drum machine.  Congratulations Ben Gibbard, you struck gold with me with this album and Plans.  This is also where I fell in love with the voice of Ms. Jenny Lewis.