2015: A Year In Music

I understand that people's favorite albums list can become monotonous at times. So I want to clear the air. The only real reason I make these lists is because I believe music is made to be shared; not to make you feel like my taste in music is superior. I do this to create an opportunity for people to find some new/different music. In light of that, the reason I included the albums I did is because I connected with them in some way or another. This is not a contest of who I thought made the best music. This is merely the albums I listened to and felt a connection with emotionally, and that's why I put them in a list. I also put them in a list because I desire structure in all things.

So the format is this; I will provide the genre as defined by iTunes and also what I would say it is in parenthesis, A couple of links to songs I think you should listen to if you're interested, and also a link to the full album stream (In some cases I could only find YouTube links to full album streams) And a link to their webstore where you can purchase a physical copy of the album, and/or some merchandise if you desire. I also will have a little blurb about my top few albums.

I also included a list of EP's to begin with because all these EP's are great, and I didn't want to leave them out, but couldn't justify putting them into the full list.

Thanks for reading. Here we go:

EP's

5. This Wild Life - Clouded Atmosphere Edition

Genre: Alternative (Acoustic)

Listen To The Full Album Here
(New songs are Stay Up Late, It's Alright and Alone With Me)

or buy it at their Webstore

4. The Devil Wears Prada - Space

Genre: Rock (Metalcore)
Listen to the full album here

or buy it at their Webstore

3. Modern Baseball - The Perfect Cast

Genre: Alternative (Pop-Punk)

You can listen to it on their Bandcamp

or you can buy it at their Webstore

2. The Venetia Fair - Death Is The Poor Man's Doctor

Genre: Rock (Circus Rock)

This is the band's final song release before they break up. I listened to their old album (Every Sick Disgusting Thought We've Got In Our Brain) so much that I got a little bit sick of it. I'm genuinely a little heartbroken about their dismantling. They were some of the nicest band guys I have ever met. At any rate this isn't for purchase, but you can go jam it here and I highly suggest you do. It'll make you dance. If you wanna buy a shirt or old release, you can find their store here. (Do it.)

1. My Iron Lung - S.O.S.

Genre: Rock (Post-Rock/Experimental?)

Some of you might be asking: "Jake, Wasn't My Iron Lung your #1 album of 2014?" To which I say: "Yes." These guys are constantly putting out good tunes and have another LP on the way. I went and talked to these guys after their set on their tour with Silverstein. They were all incredibly nice and grateful for my small purchases of merchandise. This album provides a bit more clean (background) vocals, but still rips. There is only 2 songs, but both are really good and worth purchasing. You can listen to it here. Or go buy it on Bandcamp.

Okay, now we'll move onto full lengths. Working backwards.

LP's

20. nowHere - Hell Knows I'm Miserable Now

Genre: Spoken Word

I can't find a full album stream, so here is my favorite song. But, you can buy physical copies here.

19. State Champs - Around The World And Back

Genre: Pop-Punk
I like the songs Secrets and All Or Nothing

Listen to the full album here. or buy a Physical copy here.

18. Knuckle Puck - Copacetic

Genre: Pop-Punk
I like the songs Disdain and True Contrite

Listen to the full album here. or buy a physical copy here.

17. August Burns Red - Found In Far Away Places

Genre: Metalcore
I like the songs Ghosts and The Wake

Listen to the full album here. or buy a physical copy here.

16. Coheed And Cambria - The Color Before The Sun

Genre: Rock
I like the songs Colors and Eraser

Listen to the full album here. or buy a physical copy here.

15. Idlehands - Dena Mora

Genre: Alternative
I like the songs Mellow Christ and Youth, Too Late

Listen to the full album here. or buy a physical copy here.

14. Foxing - Dealer

Genre: Alternative
I like the songs Night Channels and The Magdalene

Listen to the full album here. or buy a physical copy here.

13. Better Off - Milk

Genre: Rock
I like the songs Unhappy and Dresser Drawer

Listen to the full album here. or buy a physical copy here.

12. Silverstein - I Am Alive In Everything I Touch

Genre: Post-Hardcore
I like the songs Toronto (Unabridged) and A Midwestern State Of Emergency

Listen to the full album here. or buy a physical copy here.

11. alone. - Somewhere In The Sierras

Genre: Alternative
I like the songs Close Without Closure and Maternity Leave (Funeral March 28th)

Listen to the full album here. or buy a physical copy here.

10. Wind In Sails - Morning Light

Genre: Alternative (Acoustic)
I like the songs Push And Shove and Hanging Over You

Listen to the full album here. or buy a physical copy here.

9. Dance Gavin Dance - Instant Gratification

Genre: Post Hardcore (Experimental)
I like the songs Variation and Death Of A Strawberry

Listen to the full album here. or buy a physical copy here. (Some cool, cheap cassette tapes still up)

8. Neck Deep - Life's Not Out To Get You

Genre: Pop-Punk
I like the songs Rock Bottom and Gold Steps

Listen to the full album here. or buy a physical copy here.

7. Between The Buried And Me - Coma Ecliptic

Genre: Progressive Metal
I like the songs The Coma Machine and Memory Palace

Listen to the full album here. or buy a physical copy here.

6. Citizen - Everybody Is Going To Heaven

Genre: Alternative (Rock)
I like the songs Heaviside and Stain

Listen to the full album here. or buy a physical copy here.

5. The Story So Far - Self Titled

Genre: Pop-Punk
I like the songs Scowl and Stalemate

Listen to the full album here. or buy a physical copy here.

I remember going to a Story So Far show back in 2012 just before they released What You Don't See, and there was a room of about 20-30 kids. I went to their headlining show this year and there was a packed room. I listen to this album, at the very least, twice a week. They deserve every ounce of growth and recognition they have received. The music speaks for itself.

4. Four Year Strong - Self Titled

Genre: Pop-Punk (Punk)
I like the songs Here's To Swimming With Bow Legged Women and I Hold Myself In Contempt

Listen to the full album here. or buy a physical copy here.

I was a freshman in high school when I first heard Four Year Strong. Their debut album (Rise Or Die Trying) was playing on the speakers of Hot Topic and I asked who it was. I then went and purchased the album at FYE next door. I lost touch with the band from that album to this. In the seemingly endless array of current pop-punk, A light of hope for true to the faith pop punk fans shines through in this Self Titled album. Tag team vocals, and blistering riffs keeps the light on for those who are tired of the 5 Seconds Of Summer knock offs. Edgy punk for the win.

3. Eidola - Degeneraterra

Genre: Post Hardcore Experimental
I like the songs Humble Ledger (Gnostic States) and Contra (Second Temple)

Listen to the full album here. or buy a physical copy here.

If you asked who my favorite act to come out of Utah is, up until this year I would have answered "Nobody." But that isn't the reason this album infiltrated my top 5. I first heard the album and thought it was really good. I then stumbled on a track by track explanation of concept, and it blew me away. This album seems to be an all encompassing act that brings something to the table for everyone to enjoy. I have always felt like this genre is such a delicate one; these guys hit the nail on the head.

2. Counterparts - Tragedy Will Find Us

Genre: Hardcore (Melodic hardcore)
I like the songs Resonate and Collapse

Listen to the full album here. or buy a physical copy here.

Simply put: I have listened to this album more than any other album released this year. While on the exterior it is some of the darkest music I listen to, there is certainly more to it than that. In my opinion, this album encompasses so many emotions in so few songs its astonishing. I've had few albums make me cry (I admit that begrudgingly) and this album brought me to tears twice. If you need a powerhouse album that's one sucker punch of emotions, followed by a left hook from riff city, this is it.

1. Pentimento - I, No Longer

Genre: Rock (Post-Rock)
I like the songs Clever Reason and Gateway

Listen to the full album here. or buy a physical copy here.

I have been excited about this album since I found them and was jamming their EP "Inside The Sea" in 2013. By all measures, I was absolutely not disappointed. I originally came into Pentimento because I liked their blend of pop-punk and post rock. They have evolved from that into something that is both beautifully crafted, heartfelt, and easy to listen to rock. To put it lightly, this album rules and if you haven't jammed it, you'll more than likely enjoy it. Pentimento are some really nice dudes, and they always respond kindly to people on their social media outlets. Send them a Home Alone picture/gif; They'll love it.

Around The World And Back.

"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take -Wayne Gretzky" -Michael Scott

When I was in high school I went through a phase with my friends where we loved gambling. We used to play Texas Hold 'Em, Between The Sheets, Black Jack and so on, and actually put our own money at stake. One time I was at my friend Matt's house, there was 3 of us, and we were playing Texas Hold 'Em. I think I put a total of $10 at stake and played directly against this other person Landon. My friend Matt was the dealer. A hand came up that I felt like I had a good shot with; I don't remember the cards. I decided not to call and the other person took the pot. When I asked to see what his hand was so I could compare, he answered "You gotta pay to see." and hastily handed his cards in to be shuffled through a new hand. That has stuck with me over the years, "You gotta pay to see." Matt ended up rigging the deck and drawing me 3 aces to win my $10 back and an extra $10 from the other player, but that's not really relevant, just thought you might want to know. (True story)

I was thinking about gambling and the bets I have won and lost over the past few years, which have easily been the most influential I have ever lived through. I stress "lived through." In those few years I have gambled with a lot of things that don't revolve at all around my money or even anything monetary. But I have learned that the most gambling you will ever do is with your own emotions.

I was looking through some old pictures the other day and came across a few that were dated almost a year ago to date. I was living in Salt Lake City for about 6 months and had started what I thought was going to be my career doing Drywall with my Grandfathers company, it had exchanged hands and was now being run by my cousin(in-law?). I genuinely thought that this was my life's calling since I was just a kid. My dad did drywall for 40 years, and now I thought it was my turn to step up. I put all my eggs in this basket. And for a while, it was awesome. I was living with some of my only lasting friends, who were extremely hospitable and tolerant. But, like my dad had somewhat foreseen, the job began to decay. I had to pick up side work and start a job at a gas station to pay my bills. At one point I worked 90 hours a week for a couple of weeks. As I watched what I thought was my career fade, I also let myself fade. I was absolutely miserable for a huge amount of time. I let circumstance rule and felt I had lost control of everything.

I'm going to speed this next part up, for the sake of being overly sentimental.

My friend called not too long after I was spiraling down, and told me he had a job and a place for me to live in San Francisco. The Giants were in the Playoffs, I was going to make a good amount of money at a job I did the summer prior and loved, and I could live with my best friend. It was genuinely the perfect storm. So I packed all my shit, quit all my jobs and moved to California 2 days after. (I realize now that this is some peoples life long dream to move to SF, and I somewhat took it for granted. Keep good friends around; they're invaluable.)

Long story short; I found myself again. California cured what was ailing me, and made me realize that there is so much more to life than being a victim to circumstance. And that there is seriously beauty in every footstep, you just have to understand that it takes rain to grow roses. I was the happiest I had been in years. And it felt so good to be genuinely happy. Plus the Giants won the World Series, so that was a plus. I was and am so grateful to my Correnti family for saving me from myself, and giving me purpose again.

Alas, there is always a twist in the plot. In theory, I should have stayed in California forever and lived happily ever after. It would be absolutely ludicrous to move away from the only thing that made me sane. I did. However, there are 2 sides to the story as to why. I told my best friend and coworkers that I was moving back to go back to school, which was half true. I also have a tendency to get miserably homesick, so that didn't make my decision making easier. The truth was, I was moving back so I could be with a girl I had been back and forth with for almost 2 years. I couldn't really explain that to my best friend. Because he was back and forth with a girl for almost 3 years. So he told me that I was being thick, and that I was leaving SF on a whimsical chance that I MIGHT get together with this girl who had eluded me for 2 years now. And honestly, he was right. I had shed tears, chased her all over, stayed up til 3 AM to talk to her when she messaged me on Facebook from Nepal (humanitarian trip), and lost far more sleep than I care to mention. But for a reason I will never be able to explain, I felt good about it. I felt that it was finally my turn to have my cake and eat it too. So I went. I packed all my shit and moved back to the place I had sworn I would never return to. All based on a feeling.

Fast forward a few months, and I marry the same girl I had been chasing for so long. And to be curt, I could not be any happier. My wife is genuinely the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I am extremely grateful for her. I seriously could not say enough good things about my wife; we have an awesome relationship. I'll spare too much gushy stuff, though. I'm thankful I had the guts to go move away from the only thing that made me happy, on a chance of attaining happiness I never knew existed. Worked out well for me. Life has a strange way of turning the tables in ways you may never be able to figure out or understand, unless you're looking backwards on it.

I guess what I wanted to say is this: Gamble. You have such a strange connection to the universe and your gut feelings can dictate more than you will ever comprehend. I truly believe that you should always act on your instincts; the universe has taken thousands of years to evolve you into who you are, and you should never underestimate your own ability to feel and know things you don't understand. I know that sounds like some Matrix bullshit, and I'm asking you to pick a blue or red pill. But I just felt like this is something overshadowed. It would be a shitty life if you lived in fear like I always did in poker. Because in so many ways; You gotta pay to see.

I don't want this to come across as like: I have a gut feeling to punch my dad in the face.. WELL THEN DO IT! What I mean is that if you feel strongly about something, regardless of what it is, act on it. Keep a balance of heart and head. Because had I taken my friend(s) advice, I would have never left SF. Would I still be there and be happy? Maybe. But those people didn't know or feel what I did. And I am thankful that I rolled the dice.

Above all, make the choices and decisions that are going to make you happy. Whatever those decisions are, and however hard they may be. It's incredibly cliche, but life is short. There is no reason to spend your life miserable. Stop taking shortcuts and making temporary decisions on happiness. That's just something I truly believe; everyone deserves to be happy. Except assholes and bad drivers.

"Take comfort in the cadence on the bond we share." -Counterparts


P.S. Mets in 7.

Relationships Are Subjective. So Stop Trying To Push Your Shitty Ideas On Me.

First and foremost, I checked the views this blog has had, and it has just hurdled over 100,000. Which to some major websites may seem minimal. To me however, that is unreal. So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. I honestly didn't think people read this. I hope it provides you with even minimal comic relief, and in some way helps as much as it does me.

I realize it's been a while. I have just found that it's hard to bitch about things when your life is going fairly well. I say that with a hushed tone due to fear that someone might hear. At any rate, I have (inevitably so) something to caterwaul about.

I updated my Snapchat the other day, and I'm not really sure why. I don't use Snapchat. It seems like just a weird and somewhat sneaky way for high school kids to send pictures of their genitals to each other and not having any concrete evidence for the principal to use against them. But, that's a discussion for another day. On this Snapchat update, there was a feature that let you go through several different magazine and TV station's headlines for the day. To be honest, at first I was quite amused. I thought it was novel, and a quick way for the pervert that invented Snapchat to grab some cash. But I stumbled across the Cosmopolitan magazine part of the update. Look, I don't really know why I decided to look through it either. It was a Tuesday afternoon and I wasn't doing anything better, okay? Sue me. The things that were written in that section were not only degrading, generalizing, and awfully objectifying, but poorly written. I'm not entirely convinced that they have accredited journalists hired, but a bunch of pubescent teenagers writing and editing the articles therein. Honestly, how can people manage to read such trash? Laying aside all content, how could you allow yourself to not only read, but support a magazine that publishes incomplete ideas, sentences that are full of vocabulary from a shitty Disney Channel TV show, and grammar mistakes a 9th grade English temp should catch? I realize that my grammar and punctuation can be bad, but I'm not writing for a nationwide magazine that is being sold in stores, am I?

I guess getting past all of that and moving onto the content awakens a whole different demon. The "relationship advice" is what really irks me. I don't understand how you could generalize someones relationship to the point that you feel like you could give the entire nation advice on it. Relationships aren't a statistic that can be measured and calculated like a batting average or earned run average. It's something so subjective and that varies from person to person 100% of the time. It's like trying to tell people they need to change their favorite color or kind of pizza they like, because you like this one best. I just feel like telling people that you punched your boyfriend in the face during intercourse, and it changed your relationship for the better, and that everyone should do that is literally insane. Regardless of what your advice is, it is horribly assumptious of you to blanket statement every pubescent/middle aged woman that reads this magazine in such a way. And that they should not only read your advice, but take it and apply it to their lives and hard earned relationships.

Wading past how stupid blanket statements make a company/person look, lets venture further into the idea of taking advice from a stranger. How are you to know that the person who wrote this article isn't some wrinkly old cougar that only dates boys of 18? Or perhaps it's some bitter middle aged divorced broad that won a Land Rover from her most recently failed marriage (of 5 total.) And she feels that she is qualified to give advice to people on their personal relationships, and even further sex lives. Speaking of that, have you ever read the smut they publish about how to make a better sex life? Cringe worthy, at best. I guess tying all these loose ends together; taking dating/relationship/sex advice from a stranger is about as worthwhile as your marijuana dealer regulating your depression medication. There's a really good chance that they don't know shit; they just want your money.

I guess I just really want to get to the heart of this. If you're taking advice from anyone who isn't your mom or dad, what kind of life are you leading? If you really wanna know how to work out an issue or find out what your significant other likes, ask him. Seriously. There's a certain beauty that's held in learning and growing that people are trying to short cut. Stop. Go mess things up. Get your heart broken. Fall out of a truck. Whatever. Just always be learning and growing in the process; whatever that means to you. Don't look for relationship advice, look to create and learn your own. The world is a beautiful place and there are so many people that you can form new and meaningful relationships with, it's crazy to think you would even waste a second to pour over a magazine that literally means nothing, and knows nothing about you. Everything is subjective, and personal. The only way to solve problems you are having, is to figure them out on your own.

Also.

Dear England,

Stop trying to push your shitty fashion statements off on me. Gapped teeth does not look good.

Regards,

The rest of the world. Especially the USA. It's no wonder we rebelled (And won)