Keepin' Time

Welcome back, Plymouth State. When we last saw each other, I was telling you about the 5 albums I was most looking forward to picking up this summer. Those releases by Against Me!, The Gaslight Anthem, Nachtmystium, Far and Norma Jean were all excellent, but I also picked up a few records this summer that took me by surprise. I found a couple new bands that I got really excited about, and some bands I had always enjoyed made me a superfan with the quality of their new material. Here are 5 albums I didn't expect to enjoy so much from the summer of 2010:

1.)Wavves –"King of the Beach" – I didn't even really care that Nathan Williams' latest twisted drug induced surf rock opus was being released until I accidently heard the title track "King of the Beach." I bought the album based on the strength of that song and found myself the true album of the summer. This thing is a monster collage of pieces of mid-90's Green Day and the Beach Boys with bits of smart indie rock and a dash of Weezer thrown in for good measure, and all of this accomplished with the attitude of the Beastie Boys. This is a must hear.

2.) Man Overboard – "Real Talk" 

 Don't get me wrong, Man Overboard has always been an excellent band. They have mostly filled the void left by the Starting Line's hiatus a couple years back, and their smart lyrics and bouncy guitars have kept pop punk in my good graces recently. But their new album "Real Talk" is absolutely amazing. They have truly elevated themselves from the level of tolerable pop punk to the rising princes of the genre. This record sounds like it could have been made in 2002, and that makes me happy.

3.) Parkway Drive – "Deep Blue" –

 God I love Australia. In a year that also saw stellar releases from The Red Shore and Confession, Parkway Drive took it upon themselves to steal the show and raise the bar for death metal from down under. "Deep Blue" is the most crushing, concise batch of songs Winston McCall and crew have crafted yet in their career. Every single song punches you right in the face and does not let up until the last note rings out. This was definitely my metal record of the summer.

4.) AM Taxi –"We Don't Stand A Chance" – 

These L.A. gents, featuring former members of the fantastic and short lived ska pop unit Lucky Boys Confusion, put out one hell of a grungy power pop record this summer that no one seemed to notice. The choruses are subtly huge, with wisps of 70's big balladry and bits and pieces of infectious 90's radio rock. Keep this band on your radar, it sounds like there could be bigger things to come.

5.) The Maine – "Black & White" 

– Lastly, it should be known I am not the biggest fan of the recent boy bands with guitars movement. I have come to refer to such acts as "nu pop punk." Bands like We the Kings, Boyslikegirls and Mayday Parade really don't speak to me in any way and therefore can't hold my interest. However, I always thought The Maine were the best out of this pack of bands. They weren't reinventing the wheel, but there was something about John O'Callaghan's voice and those crisp, shiny guitars that made me think there was more hiding underneath the surface of these Arizona boys' musical palettes. On "Black & White", the boys prove this theory by combining Third Eye Blind, New Found Glory and late 70's Tom Petty into one rolling stone of perfect radio rock. You are not too cool to listen to this band. I urge you to pick up "Black & White", and all of the above albums to carry you through into the cold months.