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POP PUNK/EMO BRACKET PLAYLIST
Hi! Welcome to Livejournal! Remember Livejournal? I've been using this platform since 2003, off and on, to document my life in its many variations. It's been through every relationship I've ever had, good and bad, and everything in between. Therefore it only felt fitting to use it as the way to share my take on the Heart On Ur Sleeve emo bracket playlist currently being run by my friend Liz.
Now, as you'll see, I am not familiar with some of the included bands. Some I actively dislike; some are from a time period beyond when I stopped paying attention to music, or from when my tastes slightly shifted; and some just slipped my radar. For that, my friends Liz (@liz_the_lemur on Twitter) and Whitney (@EditrixW on Twitter) stepped in to pick up my slack.
These songs are listed in the order of the competition bracket and that alone - the only preference is in what songs I selected, not how they are listed. Please enjoy, and won't you follow me behind the cut?
1. BLINK-182, "DAMMIT"
Seed 1, Blink-182. A well deserved seed, since quite honestly they were the gateway for so many of us to make our way into this corner of music. They had widespread public appeal, were nerdy and vulgar and I loved that? One time I was listening to Enema of the State in the car and my mom listened to "I want to fuck a dog in the ass" and that was mortifying but hey. I went with Dammit because it was kind of the first indication of what they would become. And now Tom Delonge is like investing serious cash into investigating UFOs. Well I guess this is growing up indeed.
2. ALLISTER, "D2"
A rough go seeding #64 Allister against #1 Blink-182, you may be wondering how Allister ended up on this bracket at all. D2, or D Squared, was impossibly important to me after breaking up with my college boyfriend and as I just started dating my grad school mistake boyfriend. But then again, Allister's been around since 1994. They're still kicking and putting out good music. It makes perfect sense with them being on the impossibly important Drive-Thru Records, too.
3. THE USED, "I'M A FAKE"
Honestly this is a bold choice using I'm A Fake instead of anything off of (#32 The Used's) their first album, but hey, I'm making this playlist, and I really hated that first album. In retrospect it's not bad, but I liked In Love And Death a lot more. Bert McCracken was probably most well known in my circles as "that guy that probably dated Gerard Way" and I always thought of the two bands in a Taking Back Sunday/Brand New sense, and I always favored MCR.
4. THE ATARIS, "I WON'T SPEND ANOTHER NIGHT ALONE"
Yes, I am including the version from So Long, Astoria since much like Allister, #33 The Ataris had been around for almost a full decade before their hits off of SLA. (author's note: can we really say hits? I haven't given this much thought. Did they even make the charts, or just our hearts?) "I Won't Spend Another Night Alone" was originally on Blue Skies, Broken Hearts...Next 12 Exits but it's this version that lurked in the hidden tracks that captured my heart. The Ataris were always a lot more pop punk than emo in my mind, but it's this song that really bridged the gap for me. Let's go to the pound and let all the cats go free.
5. PARAMORE, "MISERY BUSINESS"
Full disclosure: I have never liked #16 Paramore. They just didn't do it for me? And I don't think it was internalized misogyny, since I really liked other female-led bands like The Donnas and Go Betty Go, I just...didn't care for 'em. "Misery Business" was suggested to me since it was really their breakthrough hit, and I can see why - it was the only song of theirs I really enjoyed, but I have no horse in this race.
6. MIDTOWN, "LET GO"
#49 Midtown, oh, how I love you. If you don't know who Midtown are/were (and they broke up in like, 2005, so I wouldn't blame you if you got on the scene late), they're what Gabe Saporta was in before Cobra Starship and why he was even asked to be anywhere near the Snakes on a Plane soundtrack. If this song is pulling at the back of your mind in a "wait, I know this, why do I know this?" sense? It's because it was the theme song for the Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Battle of the Sexes in like, 2003. Midtown is my underdog in this race and I know they're gonna get knocked out by *ugh* Paramore but gosh, I love them.
7. RELIENT K, "SADIE HAWKINS DANCE"
If you weren't in the religious circle, #17 Relient K may not have been that big to you. And I wasn't! I had no experience with the religious/Christian side of pop-punk until much later, so it may come as a surprise how MASSIVE Relient K were, or even that they had four albums released before 2005's mmhmm, which their mainstream success came from. It's from one of these albums, 2001's The Anatomy of the Tongue In Cheek that "Sadie Hawkins Dance" comes from. Their later releases were a lot more emo than pop-punk, but again, I think this is a good foundation and that's why I'm picking it.
8. FENIX TX, "PASTURE OF MUPPETS"
#48 Fenix TX is another of those bands that I didn't think anyone else knew about, but is yet another of those legendary Drive-Thru Records artists that started in the early 90s. Here's a fun fact: the band was originally called Riverfenix, but had to change their name after they got hit with legal action from River Phoenix's estate. They deserve to be on this list because they were literally the first band signed to Drive-Thru, and also this song is fun and has a fantastic spoonerism of a name.
9. GOOD CHARLOTTE, "MY BLOODY VALENTINE"
#8 Good Charlotte: another band you will likely be surprised to find out that I absolutely fucking hated!!!! In fact, the only reason I didn't defer to my tag-team on this one is because this song was on the Warped Tour soundtrack in like, 2004, and I begrudgingly accepted it. Good Charlotte were sellouts! I could not like them! Joke's on me, success is a good thing and so is paying bills. Didn't one of them marry Hilary Duff or something like that? Maybe Nicole Richie? I forget.
10. WATERPARKS, "STUPID FOR YOU"
I had no idea who #57 Waterparks were, and it turns out that's because this album came out in 2016, the year I turned 30 and the entire world began to slowly fall apart. It's fun and it's catchy and if it had come out like ten years earlier I would have been SO into it.
11. THE SPILL CANVAS, "POLYGRAPH, RIGHT NOW"
Another underdog pick for me, I absolutely ADORE #25 The Spill Canvas. They were the first band I saw live after I broke up with my first boyfriend, who cheated on me with my best friend, so I was absolutely RIFE with angst. I met them at Starland Ballroom and Nick Thomas was so genuinely kind. He gave me jelly beans (it was buttered popcorn, AKA the best jelly bean and no I will not be taking questions at this time) and a big hug and I will always remember that. I also might have included this one on my list because I remember singing it in the car with my crush, a disastrous story not meant for this list, and it will always have a soft spot in my heart.
12. ALKALINE TRIO, "QUEEN OF PAIN"
Okay okay I KNOW I went with a real deep cut for #40 Alkaline Trio, which was first released on a split EP with Hot Water Music, Sir Not-Appearing-On-This-Bracket. But it's guitar heavy and emotional, and that's why it's here. Alkaline Trio were always one of those "spooky" bands that I categorized like MCR and Senses Fail that had a bit more of a horror element to their lyrics and appearance, and I saw them play with Against Me! almost exactly 14 years ago (a quick check tells me they came through here on April 15, 2006!) and I had an extra ticket that I scalped for like fifty bucks so thanks, ALK3.
13. PANIC! AT THE DISCO, "BUILD GOD, THEN WE'LL TALK"
I firmly believe that as soon as #9 Panic! At The Disco took the exclamation point out of their name, they started to suck. IMO they have one good album and that's it; I saw them in Philly with the fucking Dresden Dolls and the much better The Hush Sound, but I will absolutely admit that their first album slaps HARD. This video is absolutely bonkers though so YMMV even if it was one of my favorite songs off of the album.
14. GATSBY'S AMERICAN DREAM, "THEATRE"
There are a lot of underdogs on this bracket that I'll go to bat for and one of them is #56 Gatsby's American Dream. Apparently a lot of people consider them to be straight up "indie rock" at this point? Which is weird, but ok? But "Theatre" is a great song, has really charged drums AND guitar work, and it was absoutely on every gym playlist I ever made. Let's fuckin gooooooo.
15. MAYDAY PARADE, "JAMIE ALL OVER"
Another band that completely slipped my radar. I don't know why? I think #24 Mayday Parade were probably just a little too late for me. Sorry, guys. This song is pretty fun though, and the lead singer looks like a Bee Gee. God, remember when every vaguely musical guy had that same swoopy haircut? It was a good few years for Dudes I Thought Were Hot.
16. THE STARTING LINE, "BEDROOM TALK"
A bold choice maybe pulling from #41 The Starting Line's sophomore album, but the story behind it was real sweet and I love Kenny Vasoli so there we go. Apparently this song came after a lot of soul-searching and religious reconciliation, or so the story goes. Who knows. Maybe it's just a reimagining of Paradise By The Dashboard Light. Whatever, Kenny Vasoli was a cutie and yes, it really was that simple for me.
17. THE ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS, "YOUR STAR"
Ooh, look at Elyse, being bold with an old school choice for the #4 All-American Rejects. Since this is basically Elyse Tells Stories About All These Songs, here's this one: I got this album for my birthday my junior year of high school because "Swing, Swing" was a huge hit and all over MTV2 and Fuse/Much Music or whatever it was. I put it on...and I hated it??? It gave me a headache??? So I put it down for a long time. Turns out I was just getting a migraine and when I listened to it WITHOUT being in extreme pain, it was a damn solid album. Also can we take this opportunity to ogle how fucking underwear model beautiful Tyson Ritter was? Blue eyes and dark hair DID IT for me, man.
18. CARTEL, "THE MINSTREL'S PRAYER"
In 2007, I visited my friend Casey at her college in Virginia. We went on a grand road trip to another nearby college, whose big deal was that they'd gotten #61 Cartel as their headliner for their Springfest or whatever. It was a fun show until some asshole in the back threw one of those giant skate sneakers that landed square on my head. I didn't get knocked out, thank god, but at the end of the show when everything was being cleaned up, the one guy came to the front with a copy of the setlist. A bunch of real grabby people were up there making hands for it and I just turned to the guy and said "I got hit in the head with a shoe. Can I have it?" and he handed it right to me. Most people might remember Cartel from the whole "band in a bubble" stunt, but they were really solid and worth their spot on this list. I probably would have seeded them higher, honestly.
19. STRAYLIGHT RUN, "BIG SHOT (HANDS IN THE SKY)"
#29 Straylight Run deserved SO much better. After John Nolan broke off from Taking Back Sunday, he formed this in the ashes, and they had a definitively more folky? ambience to them, shall we say? But oh man, there is something so yearning about this song that I feel it in my soul. Also apparently this was on Sons of Anarchy? Fuck if I know. Just clap along with me, y'all.
20. THE GET UP KIDS, "HOLIDAY"
Is this the first appearance of a band on Vagrant Records??? Wow. #36 The Get Up Kids are seminal players in the midwest emo scene, forming in 1995 and boy howdy they are STILL GOING. This song, "Holiday," was included on their 1999 release Something To Write Home About and is just a great song and great snapshot of the era. Compare this to other early emo bands like Sunny Day Real Estate and Jets To Brazil and even Jimmy Eat World's early stuff. It stands up and stands out.
21. MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK, "CAPITAL H"
Hands up if you remember Alternative Press, yeah? They're still going, thank goodness, but one of the first issues I ever bought myself before I subscribed (yes, I subscribed!! shock!) came with a bonus CD that had demos from a couple bands. It had songs from Sparta, Coheed and Cambria and a few others, but this song in particular - #13 Motion City Soundtrack's "Capital H" - stood out. It was fun, it was catchy, Justin Pierre's hair knew no bounds. They got a lot more popular with their later releases, which was well deserved, but it'll always be this song that makes me think MCS.
22. MATCHBOOK ROMANCE, "MONSTERS"
Full disclosure: Matchbook Romance's 2006 album Voices is one of my top, if not my top? favorite album of all time. It is one of the rare ones that I skip no songs on, and know pretty much all the words to. I think quite possibly if you look at this journal that one of the 'likes' listed are "appropriate matchbook romance lyrics," and that is because oh GOD did I relate hard to these guys. I never saw them live, and that one stings. This song, "Monsters," made an appearance on Guitar Hero as one of the bonus songs, and it both did and does rule.
23. ALL TIME LOW, "THE GIRL'S A STRAIGHT UP HUSTLER"
Okay, this is a fun one. #20 All Time Low are one of those bands that I genuinely knew about before they got big? I saw them play at ye olde Bloomfield Ave Cafe to a very small crowd, and I remember buying this EP (2006's Put Up or Shut Up EP) at the door. I guess they hit a lot bigger after that, and it always made me happy for them, but I fell out of that part of the scene right around then. They put on a hell of a live show, though. I wish I could search this journal to find the entry I'd written after that, but inevitably I cannot.
24. THE ACADEMY IS..., "CLASSIFIEDS"
I apparently have a lot of "I saw these guys before they got big" stories, and #45 The Academy Is... is no exception. I literally cannot remember who I saw them with, but it was like, right when the album came out. I had a green TAI shirt I bought at the merch window and I wore it to DEATH. Their first album was super important to me but I don't think I ever listened to their sophomore release because someone told me it sucked. I should probably remedy that. Also: William Beckett, who was gorgeous but I could probably have snapped over one knee at the time. I saw the ten year anniversary show for this album back in 2015, and he was still beautiful. Thank you for indulging me.
25. JACK'S MANNEQUIN, "DARK BLUE"
Why did I pick this instead of The Mixed Tape? I don't know!!! It's the first one that came to mind. Andrew McMahon makes his first appearance on this list with #5 Jack's Mannequin, which I personally don't know if I'd have seeded so high, but I am biased and only one person! World, people, etc. All I really remember about Jack's Mannequin is that he started this right around the time he was recovering from cancer, and was also right around the time my mother had cancer, so I don't think I can be unbiased in thinking about JM.
26. MAE, "THIS TIME IS THE LAST TIME"
I kinda wish I knew more about #60 Mae. I liked them well and good, but I tied them closely to friends I had a nasty falling out with, so I couldn't listen to them for the longest time. Isn't it funny how music works like that? The music stays, but the people don't. Anyway it's been like fifteen years and The Everglow is still a great album and those people still suck.
27. SAVES THE DAY, "AT YOUR FUNERAL"
Do you know how hard it is to pick a song for #28 Saves The Day? IMPOSSIBLY HARD. Chris Conley and crew have been at it since 1997 and have been on THREE big time Emo Record Labels (tm) - Vagrant, Razor and Tie AND Equal Vision. Their album Stay What You Are was released in 2001 and was my introduction to them; though arguably people tend to favor their earlier release Through Being Cool it was Stay that got me interested in their repertoire. Their lyrics are beautiful and songs even moreso. Gonna sigh now.
28. SENSES FAIL, "NJ FALLS INTO THE ATLANTIC"
I love #37 Senses Fail, but their lead singer Buddy Neilsen stepped on my foot once at an Early November show and was a real dick about it. Did you know they've got seven fucking studio albums???
29. YELLOWCARD, "WAY AWAY"
This was another hard choice for a song, since #12 Yellowcard had a LOT of great stuff. Did I want to go with something off of their earlier albums? The band formed in 1997 and had a lot of more punk-influenced albums until 2003's Ocean Avenue, which I inevitably picked the lead single from. "Ocean Avenue" is a great song, but it was "Way Away" that got me thinking "holy shit are these dudes using a violin in rock music in a way that doesn't suck?" Side note, there was a guy that sat behind me in my high school marine biology class that was a dead ringer for lead singer Ryan Key, and one time he snuck up on me and I smacked him in the face and gave him a bloody nose. He missed the quiz that day and I felt awful about it.
30. STORY OF THE YEAR, "ANTHEM OF OUR DYING DAY"
So I was a bit confused initially about the inclusion of #53 Story of the Year, because I guess mentally I lumped these dudes in with the tail end of the nu-metal wave? I don't know why??? I should probably give Page Avenue another listen, shouldn't I? Anyway, this was the big hit, and the one I felt most comfortable including on this list. I guess I never really noticed the harmonies! It's pretty good!
31. HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS, "SAYING SORRY"
Joke's on you if you thought I was gonna put "Ohio Is For Lovers" haaaah. #21 Hawthorne Heights became a bit of a joke, really. They had THE most stereotypical "emo" lyrics, about self-injury and lost love and it was really kind of cringey, actually? I remember their second album, If Only You Were Lonely, got released with two separate covers of like, a girl crying in a really big bed, and then the other half was a guy crying in a really big bed, and it was weird. I bought it at Target anyway. I don't remember why. I really didn't like them that much, but I think it was that ONE! line of synth in "Saying Sorry" that had me hang onto their album. I'm a sucker for a good synth.
32. HELLOGOODBYE, "OH! IT IS LOVE"
#44 Hellogoodbye was always kind of a weird band? A little more pop than punk, a little more indie than anything, and big big fans of ukuleles, I fully blame them for the direction pop music took afterwards. The entirety of Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs! is basically wedding songs. Hey, someone had to write the happy music. And hey, it's Drive-Thru again!
33. FALL OUT BOY, "THE PATRON SAINT OF LIARS AND FAKES"
And now we come around to the second half of the bracket. #2 Fall Out Boy is such a heavy hitter with a HELL of an ouvre. Seven albums, who knows how many EPs and singles and just...they're the big time, y'all. Ultimately I decided to pick something from their earliest full-length, Take This To Your Grave. The whole album is full of gems and a bit of misogyny but that kind of comes standard from this genre so take it with a grain of salt and "The Patron Saint Of Liars And Fakes" is a song I related way more than I should have to when I was in college. I wanted to BE the patron saint. I may be. That might not be a good thing.
34. THIS PROVIDENCE, "CARD HOUSE DREAMER"
Oh, This Providence. This #63 seed doesn't really stand a chance against FOB, but they're SUPER fun. Check out their self-titled album. And of course, they were on Fueled By Ramen, one of the biggest players in the game (they had FOB so of course they were!). I always wanted to see these guys live, but it sadly was never in the cards for me.
35. SUGARCULT, "PRETTY GIRL (THE WAY)"
#31 Sugarcult started in 1998, releasing their first full-length Start Static in 2001. The album is pretty solidly the bounciest California-infused pop punk with one glaring exception - "Pretty Girl (The Way)," which one time in a hotel room at a convention I listened to on repeat like 40 times in a row while I was lamenting that the guy I was there with wasn't interested in me. It's okay, he ended up being kind of a scumbag. It's a shame, his mom really liked me. Uh, right. Sugarcult's later releases leaned more towards the emotional end, and honestly are all pretty bangin'. They're technically still together, just on hiatus.
36. THE RED JUMPSUIT APPARATUS, "FACE DOWN"
Another band up there with Paramore that I really just kinda fucking hated, I'm pretty sure #34 The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus's "Face Down" is about a girl who is in abusive relationship and hoo boy that's really triggering. NEXT
37. HEY MONDAY, "HOMECOMING"
#15 Hey Monday is a band I had legitimately never heard of. I think I'd heard this song before, but quite honestly it's so rare to find female-fronted bands in this genre I am genuinely sad they flew under my radar.
38. FINCH, "PERFECTION THROUGH SILENCE"
FINCH OH MY GOD FINCH. The #50 seed holds a special place in my heart mostly because What It Is To Burn was the first album I really bought "on my own," like, I drove my ass to the mall and bought it myself. I also bought three band shirts that day - one for Finch, one for Thrice, and one for Dashboard Confessional. I had a Very Varied Taste, clearly. Anyway, this album is still good and one of the few on this list I will genuinely call "screamo."
39. CUTE IS WHAT WE AIM FOR, "THE CURSE OF CURVES"
#18 Cute Is What We Aim For is a band that was on my "I really fucking hate these guys" list and I wasn't sure why until I heard this song just now and wow I really just want to punch this guy in the face. Sorry. He's just got a real punchable face. What do you mean by the curse of curves anyway? Is it boobs? Is that the curse of curves?
40. BAYSIDE, "MONTAUK"
The first time I heard about #47 Bayside was sadly upon the death of John "Beatz" Holohan, the drummer, after a severe car accident the band had been in. I genuinely still get sad thinking about that. Bayside was and is so important to me. I saw them at Warped Tour with a friend I wound up dating for two years, who crowd surfed to them for me because I was afraid to, and were the band I turned to when I needed to, y'know, feel things. Their later releases are just as good, albeit somewhat painful in how obvious about mental illness they are, and though I lost track of them after Killing Time, they put out a new album last year! Listen to Bayside. Please.
41. DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL, "SCREAMING INFIDELITITES"
Arguably the most divisive artist on this list, #7 Dashboard Confessional is typically a solo project from Chris Carrabba, of no relation to the Italian Grill, but of yes relation to the poster I had on my wall all through high school and college and routinely topped the "most beautiful men I will never actually do anything to" list in my head. The yearning!!! The emotion!!! The complete soppitude of it all! I unashamedly love it, and him, and whenever I find a stray hair on the floor I cannot help but think of this song, since it's really easy to tell when it's mine.
42. UNDEROATH, "REINVENTING YOUR EXIT"
Another band erring on the side of screamo, #58 Underoath is actually pretty catchy which is high praise in my family. I remember being genuinely freaked out by their drummer for some reason? He was like, the only guy in emo with hair That Red that hadn't dyed it like, pitch black. Underoath was another one of those vaguely christian bands making the crossover, and it was worth it imo.
43. ANBERLIN, "A DAY LATE"
#26 Anberlin was such a rare band to me: melodic, leaning heavy on harmonies and melody over strategically placed screams, and singing about Heart Stuff. "A Day Late" makes its appearance on this list because it was my anthem, perpetually pining over those I could not have, but was happy to still have as a friend - did I friendzone myself? Was that a thing? when my daydreams would have to suffice for anything more. I love Anberlin and want them to do well so I am super biased. They also do a really kickass cover of The Cure's "Love Song," but I opted against any covers on this list.
44. SEAWAY, "SHY GUYS"
I have absolutely never heard of #39 Seaway. It looks like they're a bit more recent than the other bands on the list, but if "Shy Guys" is anything to go off of, they're fun! Give 'em a shot, I know I'm going to!
45. JIMMY EAT WORLD, "FOR ME THIS IS HEAVEN"
As the K-pop stans say, I have a Bias, and my bias is #10 Jimmy Eat World. I have a fucking Jimmy Eat World tattoo. I have seen them countless times, I have met them, I love them, and probably my tied-for-first perfect album is 1999's Clarity. When I was younger, I wanted to live this album, to be it and breathe it and have it spell out my life; but as an adult, it is pure, distilled memory. It is every good memory I have ever had compounded into one album, in a way that lets me me life. If I can't let myself be happy now then when - if not now, when? Jimmy Eat World had arguably the biggest cultural impact on me and I am so thankful they are still making music.
46. WE THE KINGS, "CHECK YES JULIET"
We're getting to the portion of the playlist of bands I am unfamiliar with, and #55 We The Kings just completely avoided me? I don't know why, they are definitely contemporary to other bands I listened to. They're fine. This song is fun and I would have liked it a lot more if I had first heard it when I was in my twenties.
47. NEW FOUND GLORY, "MY FRIENDS OVER YOU"
Much like Good Charlotte, I just...really hated #23 New Found Glory? Why?? They were fine! I didn't actually really like them until they did the split EP with Dashboard Confessional SEVERALS of years later, and then once I found their From The Screen To The Stereo albums it was like I completely turned the page on them. These guys are pure pop-punk, distilled. Fun, energetic, the kind of dudes you would see with skateboards somewhere. Worth it.
48. ARMOR FOR SLEEP, "CAR UNDERWATER"
It's time for "personal anecdote about the band in question with Elyse" time again! So when I was in college, I had a bunch of friends on the newspaper staff, and they asked me to do some articles about music, which was cool, I guess? I had a couple bylines my junior year, and I think I still have some of the issues somewhere. Anyway, one of the 'assignments' I got was that I got to do a review of the then-new #42 Armor For Sleep album Smile For Them. I think I opted to call it Smile For Some because it wasn't as good as What To Do When You Are Dead like, at all. Anyway, "Car Underwater" was real good and so was that whole album.
49. SOMETHING CORPORATE, "STRAW DOG"
With a band as impactful? as #3 Something Corporate, how - seriously, HOW - am I supposed to pick just ONE song? Do I go with "Konstantine," the crowd favorite? "If U C Jordan" for the most impactful "fuck you" in pop-punk? "Space?" "Me And The Moon?" No, you go with "Straw Dog," because it's your favorite and the one you threw on so many mix tapes for people that didn't deserve them, because the song still rules. I am extremely lucky and saw Something Corporate on their last tour before their disbanding, and I'll be perfectly honest that I haven't liked any other Andrew McMahon projects near as much as SoCo. Hey, now.
50. VALENCIA, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING, MAN? THAT'S WEIRD!"
#62 Valencia is absolutely doomed in this bracket, but they are fun and I wanted to show off one of their best (in my opinion) jams that would get me nigh-headbanging. And hey, they reunited last year and released two new singles! Hell yeah!!
51. SUM 41, "WE'RE ALL TO BLAME"
Another seminal band in the transition from "normie" to punk for me, #30 Sum 41 were? are? Canadian dudes with a love for 80s metal (listen close enough and you'll hear it in like, everything they do, and their alter ego Pain for Pleasure is a loving homage) and fart jokes. They were the northern Blink-182 and got a lot of crap, but their third album Chuck bridged so many musical styles and was honestly DAMN good. Deryck Whibley dated and maybe married Avril Lavigne until she left him for the Nickelback guy and that was honestly a major downgrade.
52. SPITALFIELD, "GOLD DUST VS. STATE OF ILLINOIS"
#35 Spitalfield really stood out to me Back In The Day. They had a real dreamy, almost etherial sound to their style that I didn't really sense from any of their contemporaries - maybe Armor For Sleep got closest, but Spitalfield were pretty damn unique. "Gold Dust vs. State of Illinois" was my pick from their Stop Doing Bad Things album, but it was close between this and "Tampa Bum Blues." If you don't know their work as much, they're another underdog I suggest checking out more.
53. SIMPLE PLAN, "I'D DO ANYTHING"
Like Sum 41, but worse! I am trying to come up with nice things to say about #14 Simple Plan, but these guys REALLY annoyed me. Uh...they did the theme song for What's New, Scooby Doo and perform it routinely on their tours still? In all seriousness, listening to "I'd Do Anything" close to 20 years removed, they've got a few things going for them: a Mark Hoppus cameo, surprisingly upbeat lyrics, and really tight harmonies. Damn. I played myself.
54. BOX CAR RACER, "I FEEL SO"
Tom DeLonge is the weakest part of Blink-182 and his side project, #51 Box Car Racer is far inferior to the Mark Hoppus/Travis Barker joint +44. This song sucks. Next.
55. THE EARLY NOVEMBER, "EVER SO SWEET"
I am a bit biased here because #19 The Early November were the first band I ever saw live. Well, that my parents didn't take me to, at least. I don't know why I picked what's effectively their wedding song, but Ace Enders has a beautifully sweet voice and have y'all ever listened to The Mother, The Mechanic, The Path because it's WEIRD and I fucking LOVED IT. TRIPLE DISC CONCEPT ALBUM. Who had the chutzpah to do that? The Early November, that's who.
56. AFI, "BEAUTIFUL THIEVES"
It is kind of a bold choice to pick a song from so late in their discography, but #46 AFI has SUCH a diverse range that it's almost like their early work is a completely different band. And you know what? They formed in NINETEEN FUCKING NINETY ONE, so it's kind of true. I would also like to say that Davey Havok is arguably at his most beautiful in this video, and it's no wonder that I had a GIANT fuckoff AFI poster in my bedroom AND dorm room. You want to talk about transformative haircuts? DAVEY FREAKIN' HAVOC.
57. MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, "OUR LADY OF SORROWS"
The hometown heroes, #6 My Chemical Romance, have been so many different iterations of themselves. They wrote an entirely different version of themselves for each album, but to honor them and their spot on this bracket I decided to go early: off of 2002's I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love is "Our Lady of Sorrows." It's raw, it's rough, and it's painful but beautiful at the same time.
58. BOYS LIKE GIRLS, "DANCE HALL DRUG"
Oh, #59 Boys Like Girls. You don't stand a chance against MCR, but you had that fun brand of bouncy pop-punk in a wave of All Time Low clones that stuck around for a bit. You were fun! I put you on my gym playlist! You're...apparently still together and touring even though you haven't released an album since 2012! To quote yourselves: "maybe you should pack it up and say goodbye."
59. RUFIO, "SCIENCE FICTION"
I've never seen Hook so I had no idea where #27 Rufio got their name from for the longest time. But when I was a freshman in high school, I worked for my county's road and bridge division doing paperwork and filing for them. I used to listen to a Yahoo! radio station for Rufio, because they played the most diverse music, and it introduced me to SO much good, old, new and weird music at the time ('sup Ike Reilly) and Rufio is a weird gateway, but it works. "Science Fiction" off of MCMLXXXV - that's 1985 if you can't read Roman numerals - perfectly showcases their tight harmonies, tighter guitar, and fun lyrics. A perfect combination, if you ask me.
60. THE JULIANA THEORY, "SHOTGUN SERENADE"
Deadbeat Sweetheartbeat was the perfect note for The Juliana Theory to end on, a crescendo building to the end of a beautiful career. I almost went with "The Closest Thing," for its aching and perfect description of a one-sided crush, but instead opted for the powerful and intense "Shotgun Serenade," which I feel fits the pop-punk part of this bracket a lot better. Also, The Juliana Theory follow me on Twitter and that's pretty fuckin cool.
61. TAKING BACK SUNDAY, "GREAT ROMANCES OF THE 20TH CENTURY"
We're ending with some real heavy hitters here, too. #11 Taking Back Sunday broke out of the Long Island scene in musical controversy but ultimately, in my opinion, won the war. Tell All Your Friends was another album I made the mistake of trying to listen to while I had a migraine, and it took a long time for me to realize how damn good they were. They're still recording, still playing, and much like the Juliana Theory, also follow me on Twitter.
62. PLAIN WHITE T'S, "REVENGE"
Listen: there was so, so much more to #54 Plain White T's than "Hey There Delilah." I promise. Stop and All That We Needed were both solid pop-punk albums worth at least one listen. I remember buying All That We Needed at the local used record store by college because I wanted to ask out the guy behind the counter. Which, in retrospect, was a terrible fucking idea because don't bother people while they're working, especially in situations they can't get out of, but he never called me back. So it really worked out in my favor, I suppose.
63. FOREVER THE SICKEST KIDS, "WHOA OH (ME VS. EVERYONE)"
The final band I did not get into, #22 Forever The Sickest Kids seem to have hit around the same time as all those dance-punk bands near the end of the 2000s. They're fun! I'm gonna look into them a bit more. Maybe you should, too.
64. BRAND NEW, "SIC TRANSIT GLORIA...GLORY FADES"
God, I wish Jesse Lacey weren't a fuckin scumbag that slept with underage groupies. I really, really wish that weren't the case, because I can assume it's the same for many of you that #43 Brand New were really important for you. The video for "Sic Transit Gloria...Glory Fades" was one of the sexiest things I had ever seen at age 16. But every good thing I could say about Brand New, about their first three albums (fuck Daisy, it was always garbage) and their music...everything will always be overshadowed by the awful things done by their lead singer.
So that's it - one song from each of 64 bands. I definitely went on a lot longer than I probably should have but what do you expect when you get a playlist? You get a piece of someone's heart, and a story to go with. This one just happened to be written out.
(regular readers, hi, I'll write a normal entry soon, but I had to get this out of my system!)
Hi! Welcome to Livejournal! Remember Livejournal? I've been using this platform since 2003, off and on, to document my life in its many variations. It's been through every relationship I've ever had, good and bad, and everything in between. Therefore it only felt fitting to use it as the way to share my take on the Heart On Ur Sleeve emo bracket playlist currently being run by my friend Liz.
Now, as you'll see, I am not familiar with some of the included bands. Some I actively dislike; some are from a time period beyond when I stopped paying attention to music, or from when my tastes slightly shifted; and some just slipped my radar. For that, my friends Liz (@liz_the_lemur on Twitter) and Whitney (@EditrixW on Twitter) stepped in to pick up my slack.
These songs are listed in the order of the competition bracket and that alone - the only preference is in what songs I selected, not how they are listed. Please enjoy, and won't you follow me behind the cut?
1. BLINK-182, "DAMMIT"
Click to viewSeed 1, Blink-182. A well deserved seed, since quite honestly they were the gateway for so many of us to make our way into this corner of music. They had widespread public appeal, were nerdy and vulgar and I loved that? One time I was listening to Enema of the State in the car and my mom listened to "I want to fuck a dog in the ass" and that was mortifying but hey. I went with Dammit because it was kind of the first indication of what they would become. And now Tom Delonge is like investing serious cash into investigating UFOs. Well I guess this is growing up indeed.
2. ALLISTER, "D2"
A rough go seeding #64 Allister against #1 Blink-182, you may be wondering how Allister ended up on this bracket at all. D2, or D Squared, was impossibly important to me after breaking up with my college boyfriend and as I just started dating my grad school mistake boyfriend. But then again, Allister's been around since 1994. They're still kicking and putting out good music. It makes perfect sense with them being on the impossibly important Drive-Thru Records, too.
3. THE USED, "I'M A FAKE"
Honestly this is a bold choice using I'm A Fake instead of anything off of (#32 The Used's) their first album, but hey, I'm making this playlist, and I really hated that first album. In retrospect it's not bad, but I liked In Love And Death a lot more. Bert McCracken was probably most well known in my circles as "that guy that probably dated Gerard Way" and I always thought of the two bands in a Taking Back Sunday/Brand New sense, and I always favored MCR.
4. THE ATARIS, "I WON'T SPEND ANOTHER NIGHT ALONE"
Yes, I am including the version from So Long, Astoria since much like Allister, #33 The Ataris had been around for almost a full decade before their hits off of SLA. (author's note: can we really say hits? I haven't given this much thought. Did they even make the charts, or just our hearts?) "I Won't Spend Another Night Alone" was originally on Blue Skies, Broken Hearts...Next 12 Exits but it's this version that lurked in the hidden tracks that captured my heart. The Ataris were always a lot more pop punk than emo in my mind, but it's this song that really bridged the gap for me. Let's go to the pound and let all the cats go free.
5. PARAMORE, "MISERY BUSINESS"
Full disclosure: I have never liked #16 Paramore. They just didn't do it for me? And I don't think it was internalized misogyny, since I really liked other female-led bands like The Donnas and Go Betty Go, I just...didn't care for 'em. "Misery Business" was suggested to me since it was really their breakthrough hit, and I can see why - it was the only song of theirs I really enjoyed, but I have no horse in this race.
6. MIDTOWN, "LET GO"
#49 Midtown, oh, how I love you. If you don't know who Midtown are/were (and they broke up in like, 2005, so I wouldn't blame you if you got on the scene late), they're what Gabe Saporta was in before Cobra Starship and why he was even asked to be anywhere near the Snakes on a Plane soundtrack. If this song is pulling at the back of your mind in a "wait, I know this, why do I know this?" sense? It's because it was the theme song for the Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Battle of the Sexes in like, 2003. Midtown is my underdog in this race and I know they're gonna get knocked out by *ugh* Paramore but gosh, I love them.
7. RELIENT K, "SADIE HAWKINS DANCE"
If you weren't in the religious circle, #17 Relient K may not have been that big to you. And I wasn't! I had no experience with the religious/Christian side of pop-punk until much later, so it may come as a surprise how MASSIVE Relient K were, or even that they had four albums released before 2005's mmhmm, which their mainstream success came from. It's from one of these albums, 2001's The Anatomy of the Tongue In Cheek that "Sadie Hawkins Dance" comes from. Their later releases were a lot more emo than pop-punk, but again, I think this is a good foundation and that's why I'm picking it.
8. FENIX TX, "PASTURE OF MUPPETS"
#48 Fenix TX is another of those bands that I didn't think anyone else knew about, but is yet another of those legendary Drive-Thru Records artists that started in the early 90s. Here's a fun fact: the band was originally called Riverfenix, but had to change their name after they got hit with legal action from River Phoenix's estate. They deserve to be on this list because they were literally the first band signed to Drive-Thru, and also this song is fun and has a fantastic spoonerism of a name.
9. GOOD CHARLOTTE, "MY BLOODY VALENTINE"
#8 Good Charlotte: another band you will likely be surprised to find out that I absolutely fucking hated!!!! In fact, the only reason I didn't defer to my tag-team on this one is because this song was on the Warped Tour soundtrack in like, 2004, and I begrudgingly accepted it. Good Charlotte were sellouts! I could not like them! Joke's on me, success is a good thing and so is paying bills. Didn't one of them marry Hilary Duff or something like that? Maybe Nicole Richie? I forget.
10. WATERPARKS, "STUPID FOR YOU"
I had no idea who #57 Waterparks were, and it turns out that's because this album came out in 2016, the year I turned 30 and the entire world began to slowly fall apart. It's fun and it's catchy and if it had come out like ten years earlier I would have been SO into it.
11. THE SPILL CANVAS, "POLYGRAPH, RIGHT NOW"
Another underdog pick for me, I absolutely ADORE #25 The Spill Canvas. They were the first band I saw live after I broke up with my first boyfriend, who cheated on me with my best friend, so I was absolutely RIFE with angst. I met them at Starland Ballroom and Nick Thomas was so genuinely kind. He gave me jelly beans (it was buttered popcorn, AKA the best jelly bean and no I will not be taking questions at this time) and a big hug and I will always remember that. I also might have included this one on my list because I remember singing it in the car with my crush, a disastrous story not meant for this list, and it will always have a soft spot in my heart.
12. ALKALINE TRIO, "QUEEN OF PAIN"
Okay okay I KNOW I went with a real deep cut for #40 Alkaline Trio, which was first released on a split EP with Hot Water Music, Sir Not-Appearing-On-This-Bracket. But it's guitar heavy and emotional, and that's why it's here. Alkaline Trio were always one of those "spooky" bands that I categorized like MCR and Senses Fail that had a bit more of a horror element to their lyrics and appearance, and I saw them play with Against Me! almost exactly 14 years ago (a quick check tells me they came through here on April 15, 2006!) and I had an extra ticket that I scalped for like fifty bucks so thanks, ALK3.
13. PANIC! AT THE DISCO, "BUILD GOD, THEN WE'LL TALK"
I firmly believe that as soon as #9 Panic! At The Disco took the exclamation point out of their name, they started to suck. IMO they have one good album and that's it; I saw them in Philly with the fucking Dresden Dolls and the much better The Hush Sound, but I will absolutely admit that their first album slaps HARD. This video is absolutely bonkers though so YMMV even if it was one of my favorite songs off of the album.
14. GATSBY'S AMERICAN DREAM, "THEATRE"
There are a lot of underdogs on this bracket that I'll go to bat for and one of them is #56 Gatsby's American Dream. Apparently a lot of people consider them to be straight up "indie rock" at this point? Which is weird, but ok? But "Theatre" is a great song, has really charged drums AND guitar work, and it was absoutely on every gym playlist I ever made. Let's fuckin gooooooo.
15. MAYDAY PARADE, "JAMIE ALL OVER"
Another band that completely slipped my radar. I don't know why? I think #24 Mayday Parade were probably just a little too late for me. Sorry, guys. This song is pretty fun though, and the lead singer looks like a Bee Gee. God, remember when every vaguely musical guy had that same swoopy haircut? It was a good few years for Dudes I Thought Were Hot.
16. THE STARTING LINE, "BEDROOM TALK"
A bold choice maybe pulling from #41 The Starting Line's sophomore album, but the story behind it was real sweet and I love Kenny Vasoli so there we go. Apparently this song came after a lot of soul-searching and religious reconciliation, or so the story goes. Who knows. Maybe it's just a reimagining of Paradise By The Dashboard Light. Whatever, Kenny Vasoli was a cutie and yes, it really was that simple for me.
17. THE ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS, "YOUR STAR"
Ooh, look at Elyse, being bold with an old school choice for the #4 All-American Rejects. Since this is basically Elyse Tells Stories About All These Songs, here's this one: I got this album for my birthday my junior year of high school because "Swing, Swing" was a huge hit and all over MTV2 and Fuse/Much Music or whatever it was. I put it on...and I hated it??? It gave me a headache??? So I put it down for a long time. Turns out I was just getting a migraine and when I listened to it WITHOUT being in extreme pain, it was a damn solid album. Also can we take this opportunity to ogle how fucking underwear model beautiful Tyson Ritter was? Blue eyes and dark hair DID IT for me, man.
18. CARTEL, "THE MINSTREL'S PRAYER"
In 2007, I visited my friend Casey at her college in Virginia. We went on a grand road trip to another nearby college, whose big deal was that they'd gotten #61 Cartel as their headliner for their Springfest or whatever. It was a fun show until some asshole in the back threw one of those giant skate sneakers that landed square on my head. I didn't get knocked out, thank god, but at the end of the show when everything was being cleaned up, the one guy came to the front with a copy of the setlist. A bunch of real grabby people were up there making hands for it and I just turned to the guy and said "I got hit in the head with a shoe. Can I have it?" and he handed it right to me. Most people might remember Cartel from the whole "band in a bubble" stunt, but they were really solid and worth their spot on this list. I probably would have seeded them higher, honestly.
19. STRAYLIGHT RUN, "BIG SHOT (HANDS IN THE SKY)"
#29 Straylight Run deserved SO much better. After John Nolan broke off from Taking Back Sunday, he formed this in the ashes, and they had a definitively more folky? ambience to them, shall we say? But oh man, there is something so yearning about this song that I feel it in my soul. Also apparently this was on Sons of Anarchy? Fuck if I know. Just clap along with me, y'all.
20. THE GET UP KIDS, "HOLIDAY"
Is this the first appearance of a band on Vagrant Records??? Wow. #36 The Get Up Kids are seminal players in the midwest emo scene, forming in 1995 and boy howdy they are STILL GOING. This song, "Holiday," was included on their 1999 release Something To Write Home About and is just a great song and great snapshot of the era. Compare this to other early emo bands like Sunny Day Real Estate and Jets To Brazil and even Jimmy Eat World's early stuff. It stands up and stands out.
21. MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK, "CAPITAL H"
Hands up if you remember Alternative Press, yeah? They're still going, thank goodness, but one of the first issues I ever bought myself before I subscribed (yes, I subscribed!! shock!) came with a bonus CD that had demos from a couple bands. It had songs from Sparta, Coheed and Cambria and a few others, but this song in particular - #13 Motion City Soundtrack's "Capital H" - stood out. It was fun, it was catchy, Justin Pierre's hair knew no bounds. They got a lot more popular with their later releases, which was well deserved, but it'll always be this song that makes me think MCS.
22. MATCHBOOK ROMANCE, "MONSTERS"
Full disclosure: Matchbook Romance's 2006 album Voices is one of my top, if not my top? favorite album of all time. It is one of the rare ones that I skip no songs on, and know pretty much all the words to. I think quite possibly if you look at this journal that one of the 'likes' listed are "appropriate matchbook romance lyrics," and that is because oh GOD did I relate hard to these guys. I never saw them live, and that one stings. This song, "Monsters," made an appearance on Guitar Hero as one of the bonus songs, and it both did and does rule.
23. ALL TIME LOW, "THE GIRL'S A STRAIGHT UP HUSTLER"
Okay, this is a fun one. #20 All Time Low are one of those bands that I genuinely knew about before they got big? I saw them play at ye olde Bloomfield Ave Cafe to a very small crowd, and I remember buying this EP (2006's Put Up or Shut Up EP) at the door. I guess they hit a lot bigger after that, and it always made me happy for them, but I fell out of that part of the scene right around then. They put on a hell of a live show, though. I wish I could search this journal to find the entry I'd written after that, but inevitably I cannot.
24. THE ACADEMY IS..., "CLASSIFIEDS"
I apparently have a lot of "I saw these guys before they got big" stories, and #45 The Academy Is... is no exception. I literally cannot remember who I saw them with, but it was like, right when the album came out. I had a green TAI shirt I bought at the merch window and I wore it to DEATH. Their first album was super important to me but I don't think I ever listened to their sophomore release because someone told me it sucked. I should probably remedy that. Also: William Beckett, who was gorgeous but I could probably have snapped over one knee at the time. I saw the ten year anniversary show for this album back in 2015, and he was still beautiful. Thank you for indulging me.
25. JACK'S MANNEQUIN, "DARK BLUE"
Why did I pick this instead of The Mixed Tape? I don't know!!! It's the first one that came to mind. Andrew McMahon makes his first appearance on this list with #5 Jack's Mannequin, which I personally don't know if I'd have seeded so high, but I am biased and only one person! World, people, etc. All I really remember about Jack's Mannequin is that he started this right around the time he was recovering from cancer, and was also right around the time my mother had cancer, so I don't think I can be unbiased in thinking about JM.
26. MAE, "THIS TIME IS THE LAST TIME"
I kinda wish I knew more about #60 Mae. I liked them well and good, but I tied them closely to friends I had a nasty falling out with, so I couldn't listen to them for the longest time. Isn't it funny how music works like that? The music stays, but the people don't. Anyway it's been like fifteen years and The Everglow is still a great album and those people still suck.
27. SAVES THE DAY, "AT YOUR FUNERAL"
Do you know how hard it is to pick a song for #28 Saves The Day? IMPOSSIBLY HARD. Chris Conley and crew have been at it since 1997 and have been on THREE big time Emo Record Labels (tm) - Vagrant, Razor and Tie AND Equal Vision. Their album Stay What You Are was released in 2001 and was my introduction to them; though arguably people tend to favor their earlier release Through Being Cool it was Stay that got me interested in their repertoire. Their lyrics are beautiful and songs even moreso. Gonna sigh now.
28. SENSES FAIL, "NJ FALLS INTO THE ATLANTIC"
I love #37 Senses Fail, but their lead singer Buddy Neilsen stepped on my foot once at an Early November show and was a real dick about it. Did you know they've got seven fucking studio albums???
29. YELLOWCARD, "WAY AWAY"
This was another hard choice for a song, since #12 Yellowcard had a LOT of great stuff. Did I want to go with something off of their earlier albums? The band formed in 1997 and had a lot of more punk-influenced albums until 2003's Ocean Avenue, which I inevitably picked the lead single from. "Ocean Avenue" is a great song, but it was "Way Away" that got me thinking "holy shit are these dudes using a violin in rock music in a way that doesn't suck?" Side note, there was a guy that sat behind me in my high school marine biology class that was a dead ringer for lead singer Ryan Key, and one time he snuck up on me and I smacked him in the face and gave him a bloody nose. He missed the quiz that day and I felt awful about it.
30. STORY OF THE YEAR, "ANTHEM OF OUR DYING DAY"
So I was a bit confused initially about the inclusion of #53 Story of the Year, because I guess mentally I lumped these dudes in with the tail end of the nu-metal wave? I don't know why??? I should probably give Page Avenue another listen, shouldn't I? Anyway, this was the big hit, and the one I felt most comfortable including on this list. I guess I never really noticed the harmonies! It's pretty good!
31. HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS, "SAYING SORRY"
Joke's on you if you thought I was gonna put "Ohio Is For Lovers" haaaah. #21 Hawthorne Heights became a bit of a joke, really. They had THE most stereotypical "emo" lyrics, about self-injury and lost love and it was really kind of cringey, actually? I remember their second album, If Only You Were Lonely, got released with two separate covers of like, a girl crying in a really big bed, and then the other half was a guy crying in a really big bed, and it was weird. I bought it at Target anyway. I don't remember why. I really didn't like them that much, but I think it was that ONE! line of synth in "Saying Sorry" that had me hang onto their album. I'm a sucker for a good synth.
32. HELLOGOODBYE, "OH! IT IS LOVE"
#44 Hellogoodbye was always kind of a weird band? A little more pop than punk, a little more indie than anything, and big big fans of ukuleles, I fully blame them for the direction pop music took afterwards. The entirety of Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs! is basically wedding songs. Hey, someone had to write the happy music. And hey, it's Drive-Thru again!
33. FALL OUT BOY, "THE PATRON SAINT OF LIARS AND FAKES"
And now we come around to the second half of the bracket. #2 Fall Out Boy is such a heavy hitter with a HELL of an ouvre. Seven albums, who knows how many EPs and singles and just...they're the big time, y'all. Ultimately I decided to pick something from their earliest full-length, Take This To Your Grave. The whole album is full of gems and a bit of misogyny but that kind of comes standard from this genre so take it with a grain of salt and "The Patron Saint Of Liars And Fakes" is a song I related way more than I should have to when I was in college. I wanted to BE the patron saint. I may be. That might not be a good thing.
34. THIS PROVIDENCE, "CARD HOUSE DREAMER"
Oh, This Providence. This #63 seed doesn't really stand a chance against FOB, but they're SUPER fun. Check out their self-titled album. And of course, they were on Fueled By Ramen, one of the biggest players in the game (they had FOB so of course they were!). I always wanted to see these guys live, but it sadly was never in the cards for me.
35. SUGARCULT, "PRETTY GIRL (THE WAY)"
#31 Sugarcult started in 1998, releasing their first full-length Start Static in 2001. The album is pretty solidly the bounciest California-infused pop punk with one glaring exception - "Pretty Girl (The Way)," which one time in a hotel room at a convention I listened to on repeat like 40 times in a row while I was lamenting that the guy I was there with wasn't interested in me. It's okay, he ended up being kind of a scumbag. It's a shame, his mom really liked me. Uh, right. Sugarcult's later releases leaned more towards the emotional end, and honestly are all pretty bangin'. They're technically still together, just on hiatus.
36. THE RED JUMPSUIT APPARATUS, "FACE DOWN"
Another band up there with Paramore that I really just kinda fucking hated, I'm pretty sure #34 The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus's "Face Down" is about a girl who is in abusive relationship and hoo boy that's really triggering. NEXT
37. HEY MONDAY, "HOMECOMING"
#15 Hey Monday is a band I had legitimately never heard of. I think I'd heard this song before, but quite honestly it's so rare to find female-fronted bands in this genre I am genuinely sad they flew under my radar.
38. FINCH, "PERFECTION THROUGH SILENCE"
FINCH OH MY GOD FINCH. The #50 seed holds a special place in my heart mostly because What It Is To Burn was the first album I really bought "on my own," like, I drove my ass to the mall and bought it myself. I also bought three band shirts that day - one for Finch, one for Thrice, and one for Dashboard Confessional. I had a Very Varied Taste, clearly. Anyway, this album is still good and one of the few on this list I will genuinely call "screamo."
39. CUTE IS WHAT WE AIM FOR, "THE CURSE OF CURVES"
#18 Cute Is What We Aim For is a band that was on my "I really fucking hate these guys" list and I wasn't sure why until I heard this song just now and wow I really just want to punch this guy in the face. Sorry. He's just got a real punchable face. What do you mean by the curse of curves anyway? Is it boobs? Is that the curse of curves?
40. BAYSIDE, "MONTAUK"
The first time I heard about #47 Bayside was sadly upon the death of John "Beatz" Holohan, the drummer, after a severe car accident the band had been in. I genuinely still get sad thinking about that. Bayside was and is so important to me. I saw them at Warped Tour with a friend I wound up dating for two years, who crowd surfed to them for me because I was afraid to, and were the band I turned to when I needed to, y'know, feel things. Their later releases are just as good, albeit somewhat painful in how obvious about mental illness they are, and though I lost track of them after Killing Time, they put out a new album last year! Listen to Bayside. Please.
41. DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL, "SCREAMING INFIDELITITES"
Arguably the most divisive artist on this list, #7 Dashboard Confessional is typically a solo project from Chris Carrabba, of no relation to the Italian Grill, but of yes relation to the poster I had on my wall all through high school and college and routinely topped the "most beautiful men I will never actually do anything to" list in my head. The yearning!!! The emotion!!! The complete soppitude of it all! I unashamedly love it, and him, and whenever I find a stray hair on the floor I cannot help but think of this song, since it's really easy to tell when it's mine.
42. UNDEROATH, "REINVENTING YOUR EXIT"
Another band erring on the side of screamo, #58 Underoath is actually pretty catchy which is high praise in my family. I remember being genuinely freaked out by their drummer for some reason? He was like, the only guy in emo with hair That Red that hadn't dyed it like, pitch black. Underoath was another one of those vaguely christian bands making the crossover, and it was worth it imo.
43. ANBERLIN, "A DAY LATE"
#26 Anberlin was such a rare band to me: melodic, leaning heavy on harmonies and melody over strategically placed screams, and singing about Heart Stuff. "A Day Late" makes its appearance on this list because it was my anthem, perpetually pining over those I could not have, but was happy to still have as a friend - did I friendzone myself? Was that a thing? when my daydreams would have to suffice for anything more. I love Anberlin and want them to do well so I am super biased. They also do a really kickass cover of The Cure's "Love Song," but I opted against any covers on this list.
44. SEAWAY, "SHY GUYS"
I have absolutely never heard of #39 Seaway. It looks like they're a bit more recent than the other bands on the list, but if "Shy Guys" is anything to go off of, they're fun! Give 'em a shot, I know I'm going to!
45. JIMMY EAT WORLD, "FOR ME THIS IS HEAVEN"
As the K-pop stans say, I have a Bias, and my bias is #10 Jimmy Eat World. I have a fucking Jimmy Eat World tattoo. I have seen them countless times, I have met them, I love them, and probably my tied-for-first perfect album is 1999's Clarity. When I was younger, I wanted to live this album, to be it and breathe it and have it spell out my life; but as an adult, it is pure, distilled memory. It is every good memory I have ever had compounded into one album, in a way that lets me me life. If I can't let myself be happy now then when - if not now, when? Jimmy Eat World had arguably the biggest cultural impact on me and I am so thankful they are still making music.
46. WE THE KINGS, "CHECK YES JULIET"
We're getting to the portion of the playlist of bands I am unfamiliar with, and #55 We The Kings just completely avoided me? I don't know why, they are definitely contemporary to other bands I listened to. They're fine. This song is fun and I would have liked it a lot more if I had first heard it when I was in my twenties.
47. NEW FOUND GLORY, "MY FRIENDS OVER YOU"
Much like Good Charlotte, I just...really hated #23 New Found Glory? Why?? They were fine! I didn't actually really like them until they did the split EP with Dashboard Confessional SEVERALS of years later, and then once I found their From The Screen To The Stereo albums it was like I completely turned the page on them. These guys are pure pop-punk, distilled. Fun, energetic, the kind of dudes you would see with skateboards somewhere. Worth it.
48. ARMOR FOR SLEEP, "CAR UNDERWATER"
It's time for "personal anecdote about the band in question with Elyse" time again! So when I was in college, I had a bunch of friends on the newspaper staff, and they asked me to do some articles about music, which was cool, I guess? I had a couple bylines my junior year, and I think I still have some of the issues somewhere. Anyway, one of the 'assignments' I got was that I got to do a review of the then-new #42 Armor For Sleep album Smile For Them. I think I opted to call it Smile For Some because it wasn't as good as What To Do When You Are Dead like, at all. Anyway, "Car Underwater" was real good and so was that whole album.
49. SOMETHING CORPORATE, "STRAW DOG"
With a band as impactful? as #3 Something Corporate, how - seriously, HOW - am I supposed to pick just ONE song? Do I go with "Konstantine," the crowd favorite? "If U C Jordan" for the most impactful "fuck you" in pop-punk? "Space?" "Me And The Moon?" No, you go with "Straw Dog," because it's your favorite and the one you threw on so many mix tapes for people that didn't deserve them, because the song still rules. I am extremely lucky and saw Something Corporate on their last tour before their disbanding, and I'll be perfectly honest that I haven't liked any other Andrew McMahon projects near as much as SoCo. Hey, now.
50. VALENCIA, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING, MAN? THAT'S WEIRD!"
#62 Valencia is absolutely doomed in this bracket, but they are fun and I wanted to show off one of their best (in my opinion) jams that would get me nigh-headbanging. And hey, they reunited last year and released two new singles! Hell yeah!!
51. SUM 41, "WE'RE ALL TO BLAME"
Another seminal band in the transition from "normie" to punk for me, #30 Sum 41 were? are? Canadian dudes with a love for 80s metal (listen close enough and you'll hear it in like, everything they do, and their alter ego Pain for Pleasure is a loving homage) and fart jokes. They were the northern Blink-182 and got a lot of crap, but their third album Chuck bridged so many musical styles and was honestly DAMN good. Deryck Whibley dated and maybe married Avril Lavigne until she left him for the Nickelback guy and that was honestly a major downgrade.
52. SPITALFIELD, "GOLD DUST VS. STATE OF ILLINOIS"
#35 Spitalfield really stood out to me Back In The Day. They had a real dreamy, almost etherial sound to their style that I didn't really sense from any of their contemporaries - maybe Armor For Sleep got closest, but Spitalfield were pretty damn unique. "Gold Dust vs. State of Illinois" was my pick from their Stop Doing Bad Things album, but it was close between this and "Tampa Bum Blues." If you don't know their work as much, they're another underdog I suggest checking out more.
53. SIMPLE PLAN, "I'D DO ANYTHING"
Like Sum 41, but worse! I am trying to come up with nice things to say about #14 Simple Plan, but these guys REALLY annoyed me. Uh...they did the theme song for What's New, Scooby Doo and perform it routinely on their tours still? In all seriousness, listening to "I'd Do Anything" close to 20 years removed, they've got a few things going for them: a Mark Hoppus cameo, surprisingly upbeat lyrics, and really tight harmonies. Damn. I played myself.
54. BOX CAR RACER, "I FEEL SO"
Tom DeLonge is the weakest part of Blink-182 and his side project, #51 Box Car Racer is far inferior to the Mark Hoppus/Travis Barker joint +44. This song sucks. Next.
55. THE EARLY NOVEMBER, "EVER SO SWEET"
I am a bit biased here because #19 The Early November were the first band I ever saw live. Well, that my parents didn't take me to, at least. I don't know why I picked what's effectively their wedding song, but Ace Enders has a beautifully sweet voice and have y'all ever listened to The Mother, The Mechanic, The Path because it's WEIRD and I fucking LOVED IT. TRIPLE DISC CONCEPT ALBUM. Who had the chutzpah to do that? The Early November, that's who.
56. AFI, "BEAUTIFUL THIEVES"
It is kind of a bold choice to pick a song from so late in their discography, but #46 AFI has SUCH a diverse range that it's almost like their early work is a completely different band. And you know what? They formed in NINETEEN FUCKING NINETY ONE, so it's kind of true. I would also like to say that Davey Havok is arguably at his most beautiful in this video, and it's no wonder that I had a GIANT fuckoff AFI poster in my bedroom AND dorm room. You want to talk about transformative haircuts? DAVEY FREAKIN' HAVOC.
57. MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, "OUR LADY OF SORROWS"
The hometown heroes, #6 My Chemical Romance, have been so many different iterations of themselves. They wrote an entirely different version of themselves for each album, but to honor them and their spot on this bracket I decided to go early: off of 2002's I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love is "Our Lady of Sorrows." It's raw, it's rough, and it's painful but beautiful at the same time.
58. BOYS LIKE GIRLS, "DANCE HALL DRUG"
Oh, #59 Boys Like Girls. You don't stand a chance against MCR, but you had that fun brand of bouncy pop-punk in a wave of All Time Low clones that stuck around for a bit. You were fun! I put you on my gym playlist! You're...apparently still together and touring even though you haven't released an album since 2012! To quote yourselves: "maybe you should pack it up and say goodbye."
59. RUFIO, "SCIENCE FICTION"
I've never seen Hook so I had no idea where #27 Rufio got their name from for the longest time. But when I was a freshman in high school, I worked for my county's road and bridge division doing paperwork and filing for them. I used to listen to a Yahoo! radio station for Rufio, because they played the most diverse music, and it introduced me to SO much good, old, new and weird music at the time ('sup Ike Reilly) and Rufio is a weird gateway, but it works. "Science Fiction" off of MCMLXXXV - that's 1985 if you can't read Roman numerals - perfectly showcases their tight harmonies, tighter guitar, and fun lyrics. A perfect combination, if you ask me.
60. THE JULIANA THEORY, "SHOTGUN SERENADE"
Deadbeat Sweetheartbeat was the perfect note for The Juliana Theory to end on, a crescendo building to the end of a beautiful career. I almost went with "The Closest Thing," for its aching and perfect description of a one-sided crush, but instead opted for the powerful and intense "Shotgun Serenade," which I feel fits the pop-punk part of this bracket a lot better. Also, The Juliana Theory follow me on Twitter and that's pretty fuckin cool.
61. TAKING BACK SUNDAY, "GREAT ROMANCES OF THE 20TH CENTURY"
We're ending with some real heavy hitters here, too. #11 Taking Back Sunday broke out of the Long Island scene in musical controversy but ultimately, in my opinion, won the war. Tell All Your Friends was another album I made the mistake of trying to listen to while I had a migraine, and it took a long time for me to realize how damn good they were. They're still recording, still playing, and much like the Juliana Theory, also follow me on Twitter.
62. PLAIN WHITE T'S, "REVENGE"
Listen: there was so, so much more to #54 Plain White T's than "Hey There Delilah." I promise. Stop and All That We Needed were both solid pop-punk albums worth at least one listen. I remember buying All That We Needed at the local used record store by college because I wanted to ask out the guy behind the counter. Which, in retrospect, was a terrible fucking idea because don't bother people while they're working, especially in situations they can't get out of, but he never called me back. So it really worked out in my favor, I suppose.
63. FOREVER THE SICKEST KIDS, "WHOA OH (ME VS. EVERYONE)"
The final band I did not get into, #22 Forever The Sickest Kids seem to have hit around the same time as all those dance-punk bands near the end of the 2000s. They're fun! I'm gonna look into them a bit more. Maybe you should, too.
64. BRAND NEW, "SIC TRANSIT GLORIA...GLORY FADES"
God, I wish Jesse Lacey weren't a fuckin scumbag that slept with underage groupies. I really, really wish that weren't the case, because I can assume it's the same for many of you that #43 Brand New were really important for you. The video for "Sic Transit Gloria...Glory Fades" was one of the sexiest things I had ever seen at age 16. But every good thing I could say about Brand New, about their first three albums (fuck Daisy, it was always garbage) and their music...everything will always be overshadowed by the awful things done by their lead singer.
So that's it - one song from each of 64 bands. I definitely went on a lot longer than I probably should have but what do you expect when you get a playlist? You get a piece of someone's heart, and a story to go with. This one just happened to be written out.
(regular readers, hi, I'll write a normal entry soon, but I had to get this out of my system!)