2008 Imagine Echoes Awards
Worst Band of the Year: New Found Glory
Wow! Four years in a row. Congrats on consistently delivering the worst music possible. And just like last year, there is no need to even pick a runner up, because New Found Glory is in a league of their own.
Song of the Year: Metallica: “That Was Just Your Life”
Now this was a tough category to decide! Up to a few hours ago I had it pinned down to “Carolina Drama” by the Racontuers and “That Was Just Your Life” by Metallica. As you can see, Metallica pulled away in the end, but only by the slightest of margins. “That Was Just Your Life” was the perfect way to open up Death Magnetic. It had reminents of And Justice for All, and specifically “Blackened”. The song is loud, fast, and contains every element that makes Metallica great.
Wow! Four years in a row. Congrats on consistently delivering the worst music possible. And just like last year, there is no need to even pick a runner up, because New Found Glory is in a league of their own.
Song of the Year: Metallica: “That Was Just Your Life”
Now this was a tough category to decide! Up to a few hours ago I had it pinned down to “Carolina Drama” by the Racontuers and “That Was Just Your Life” by Metallica. As you can see, Metallica pulled away in the end, but only by the slightest of margins. “That Was Just Your Life” was the perfect way to open up Death Magnetic. It had reminents of And Justice for All, and specifically “Blackened”. The song is loud, fast, and contains every element that makes Metallica great.
Runner Up: The Racontuers: "Carolina Drama"
Comeback Band of the Year: Metallica
Has Metallica really gone anywhere? No, not really. The reason they take this category is completely due to their return to what made them great. The old formula of thrashy, angry, and lengthy songs has worked once again. Death Magnetic may not be another Ride the Lightning or Master of Puppets, but it’s the closest they’ve come in a very long time. There’s no reason to expect perfection like that, and anyone who is disappointed with anything less than those two albums probably has a very small music collection.
Runner Up: AC/DC
Moment of the Year: Guns N’ Roses Threatens Dr. Pepper
One would probably assume that the release of Chinese Democracy is bigger news than Guns N Roses threatening legal action against Dr. Pepper. And it probably is. But the one thing that was bigger than the news of the release of Chinese Democracy was the marketing campaign by Dr. Pepper promising all Americans a free can of Dr. Pepper if the album was released sometime this year. What seemed like a genius marketing ploy at the time, due to the inconceivable notion that there was any possibility of Axl actually releasing his album that seemed more folklore than fact, turned out to be a giant fiasco. Dr. Pepper was unable to meet the high demand on their website where everyone could redeem their coupons, and the server crashed. Axl in return threatened legal action against Dr. Pepper for its inability to meet its promise to America. We’ll see where this goes in 2009.
Runner Up: Metallica Returns Back to Old Form
Album Cover of the Year: The Mars Volta: The Bedlam in Goliath
Should we expect anything less from the Volta. Not only do they continue to push boundaries musically, they also deliver the best artwork on all of their albums. Like their previous album Amputechture, the artwork was done by Jeff Jordan. The scene seems to depict a westernization of the Middle East, and of course it’s done stunningly.
Runner Up: Fleet Foxes: S/T
Debut Album of the Year: Absentstar: Sea Trials
I’m typically pretty anti straight up pop rock, but Absenstar nails the genre seamlessly. The music is filled with hooks galore and passion. Absenstar looks no further than accomplishing those basic goals. This isn’t an album that will stun you with innovative material, instead it’s just the kind of album you slap on if you’re looking for some simple and solid tunes.
Runner Up: The Dead Trees: King of Rosa
Album of the Year: The Killers: Day and Age
This choice wasn’t necessarily easy. Any of the albums that I nominated could have easily fallen into the top spot. While I know that I’ll probably receive a lot of gripe for ranking this as the album of the year, I’m going to stick with my gut. The Killers, whether anyone wants to believe it or not, have yet to release a sup bar album. They offer a creative blend of pop rock that remains fresh and at the same time continues to evolve. Brandon Flowers huge ego won’t win any light hearted people over, but he manages to create music that is impossible to ignore, whether for better or worse.
Runner Up: The Racontuers: Consolers of the Lonely
Band of the Year: Metallica
The past two years, the band that I named band of the year had also won album of the year. So what makes Metallica an exception?
Fans had all but written off Metallica prior to St. Anger, and once that was released, the flood gates opened and the wrath of metal heads was unleashed. Does Metallica deserve any preferential treatment for finally getting it right? Probably not. But I’m going to give it to them anyhow. Death Magnetic rocks on practically every level. The only problem which I have stated before is there is an excess of material. Why do bands feel they need to throw every song they’ve written onto an album? Keep it short and give us the best material you have to offer. Thankfully the strong material is fantastic. I even got chills when I first heard the album opener, “That Was Just Your Life”. Metallica’s strong comeback to prominence earns them band of the year.
Comeback Band of the Year: Metallica
Has Metallica really gone anywhere? No, not really. The reason they take this category is completely due to their return to what made them great. The old formula of thrashy, angry, and lengthy songs has worked once again. Death Magnetic may not be another Ride the Lightning or Master of Puppets, but it’s the closest they’ve come in a very long time. There’s no reason to expect perfection like that, and anyone who is disappointed with anything less than those two albums probably has a very small music collection.
Runner Up: AC/DC
Moment of the Year: Guns N’ Roses Threatens Dr. Pepper
One would probably assume that the release of Chinese Democracy is bigger news than Guns N Roses threatening legal action against Dr. Pepper. And it probably is. But the one thing that was bigger than the news of the release of Chinese Democracy was the marketing campaign by Dr. Pepper promising all Americans a free can of Dr. Pepper if the album was released sometime this year. What seemed like a genius marketing ploy at the time, due to the inconceivable notion that there was any possibility of Axl actually releasing his album that seemed more folklore than fact, turned out to be a giant fiasco. Dr. Pepper was unable to meet the high demand on their website where everyone could redeem their coupons, and the server crashed. Axl in return threatened legal action against Dr. Pepper for its inability to meet its promise to America. We’ll see where this goes in 2009.
Runner Up: Metallica Returns Back to Old Form
Album Cover of the Year: The Mars Volta: The Bedlam in Goliath
Should we expect anything less from the Volta. Not only do they continue to push boundaries musically, they also deliver the best artwork on all of their albums. Like their previous album Amputechture, the artwork was done by Jeff Jordan. The scene seems to depict a westernization of the Middle East, and of course it’s done stunningly.
Runner Up: Fleet Foxes: S/T
Debut Album of the Year: Absentstar: Sea Trials
I’m typically pretty anti straight up pop rock, but Absenstar nails the genre seamlessly. The music is filled with hooks galore and passion. Absenstar looks no further than accomplishing those basic goals. This isn’t an album that will stun you with innovative material, instead it’s just the kind of album you slap on if you’re looking for some simple and solid tunes.
Runner Up: The Dead Trees: King of Rosa
Album of the Year: The Killers: Day and Age
This choice wasn’t necessarily easy. Any of the albums that I nominated could have easily fallen into the top spot. While I know that I’ll probably receive a lot of gripe for ranking this as the album of the year, I’m going to stick with my gut. The Killers, whether anyone wants to believe it or not, have yet to release a sup bar album. They offer a creative blend of pop rock that remains fresh and at the same time continues to evolve. Brandon Flowers huge ego won’t win any light hearted people over, but he manages to create music that is impossible to ignore, whether for better or worse.
Runner Up: The Racontuers: Consolers of the Lonely
Band of the Year: Metallica
The past two years, the band that I named band of the year had also won album of the year. So what makes Metallica an exception?
Fans had all but written off Metallica prior to St. Anger, and once that was released, the flood gates opened and the wrath of metal heads was unleashed. Does Metallica deserve any preferential treatment for finally getting it right? Probably not. But I’m going to give it to them anyhow. Death Magnetic rocks on practically every level. The only problem which I have stated before is there is an excess of material. Why do bands feel they need to throw every song they’ve written onto an album? Keep it short and give us the best material you have to offer. Thankfully the strong material is fantastic. I even got chills when I first heard the album opener, “That Was Just Your Life”. Metallica’s strong comeback to prominence earns them band of the year.
posted by Jeff at 11:46 AM
17 Comments:
So, how is New FOund Glory worse than the Killers? Both play catchy, fluffy tunes. The style is different, but the lack of substance isn't all that far apart. NFG actually released a decent EP this year. The Killers are one of those bands that don't have an original idea in their heads. They execute well enough, but it's largely someone else's ideas. Kinda like Coldplay. NFG is at least doing something that they've been at since before it was all the rage.
I'm with you on that Volta cover. It's second only to Amputechture in my opinion, but they've had four great covers in a row.
Bob -New Found Glory are the kings of one of the worst genres (if not the worst genre) in rock history. Emo of course. The whiny emo vocals make me want to gouge my ears out, and practically every song is about the same topic. My girlfriend doesn't love me so my life sucks. I also can't stand the notion that they think that they're not a pop band, and in reaction to being labeled as a pop band they tried to make a heavier album. Make an album that feels true to you, and not because you want to prove something.
The Killers on the other hand are constantly evolving. None of their albums sound similar and in fact Day and Age has a very eclectic group of songs. Hot Fuss was 80s synth driven, Sam's Town was Bruce Springsteen-esque Americana, and Day and Age is just a wide variety of styles packed together. I will admit that Sam's Town was pretty unoriginal, but Hot Fuss was the very pinnacle of the indie genre. I find the majority of their music to be pretty original, but even if it's not, they execute extremely well.
Bob - For some reason Frances the Mute is probably my favorite Volta cover. I just love how haunting it is, and the image is so strong. Amputechture is probably second, and Bedlam is third.
The Killers are the Stone Temple Pilots of today. They do execute well, but what they execute is completely meaningless. While indie has become a catch-all term like alternative was fifteen years ago, I don't think there's much about the Killers that's indie in either sound or spirit. They're a commercial rock band that waters down other people's ideas into something palatable to just about everyone. In a way, they have a lot in common with AOR in that they follow someone's formula, do it really, really well and make it really, really safe. To me, the Killers are a symbol of a lot of what's wrong with rock music.
Believe me, I'm not trying to make a case for NFG's greatness. They aren't a great band, but at least they did their own thing at one time. Granted, from Stick and Stones on, they're just an pop-punk/emo formula band. Their latest EP was a bit of return to form, but I don't know if they did it to stake a claim of credibility or just because they were tired of making pop records for the major label. Either way, it neither hurts nor helps their legacy which is checkered at best.
I really disagree about emo. Yeah, once it broke, there was a lot of really horrible sappy stuff getting released, but there were some good bands early on and it has its roots in the DC hardcore scene with bands like Rights of Spring and Dag Nasty. Besides, it's sappy self-loathing isn't as bad as the self-absorbed party-all-the-time mentality of hair metal (which I think is a front-runner for rock's worst genre).
Bob - I don't really mind all that much when a band takes ideas from the past, as long at they make them their own, which I feel The Killers do. Day & Age though, has a very original sound that really bounces all over the place in terms of style. Which may be why I think it's their strongest work.
I don't know if I can exactly pinpoint why I hate Emo so much. I'll just rant and see what comes up. For me every emo band is just rehashing exactly the same thing over and over again. It's not like they're being influenced by the music and doing their own thing with it. It just all sounds the same. The emo voice is easily one of the most annoying things for me, I can't bare to listen to that screaching whine on every song. While grunge was also the king of self loathing, I think it went a little deeper than emo which just seems to focus solely on bad relationships (at least the emo I hear.) Hair metal is probably the second worst genre behind emo in my oppinion. The party all the time lyrics drive me insane.
Emo may also cause such anger with me because of my age and where I lived. My High School was essentially the center of all things emo. 50% of the guys had the emo combover, girls pants, and super tight lame shirts. Emo reigned in my school which drove me crazy!
I completely disagree that the Killers make it their own. The very thing I can't stand about them is that they (like STP) don't.
Wow, I think emo to you is hair metal to me, because my hs was all Dokken and Motley Crue t-shirts and mullets! I have always foudn it annoying when something kinda counter-cultural gets taken over by the masses and turns into fashion more than culture. But, both genres have some good roots that shouldn't be discredited entirely. They didn't always suck as much as they did once they become the latest thing.
I guess, like Nirvana, this is something we'll never come to agreement on... One thing I do love about hair metal though, is the old guys who still think they're living in the 80s and think that Motley Crue is the greatest thing in the world. Nothing like a product of the 80s who has yet to realize what decade it is.
"Make an album that feels true to you, and not because you want to prove something."
I think this argument could apply to Metallica's Death magnetic. Although it's an alright album it's still possible that they fit in that second category.
Mark - While I don't want to believe it, I think you're right. It seemed more reactionary to the outburst of fans. On the other hand, it sounds good and I can live with that.
Good picks. I agree with you on Metallica!
Good picks. I agree with you on Metallica!
Jeff, well said comments about NFG and emo music. Emo is a genre I'm willing to ALMOST completely write off. There is one album by one emo band that I think transcended the genre-- My Chemical Romance's The Black Parade. I haven't heard their earlier albums in their entirety (but from what I have heard from those albums-- nothing to write home about). But The Black Parade is one kick ass album regardless of the genre.
I'm hoping that MCR has evolved out of the emo phase now that they realized they can make GOOD music. They're too good for that genre.... However I'll agree with you about NFG, they're crap.
Perplexio, you are absolutely right that The Black Parade transcends the genre. It's one of the best rock albums of the last 10 years.
I think everyone seems to forget that emo isn't a particularly new genre. It has a 20 or so year history that dates back to things that are anything but sappy. Yeah, NFG might be a little tough to take, but Rites of Spring is not.
David - I was glad to see Death Magnetic taking your album of the year award!
Perplexio - I've heard very good things about the Black Parade but I don't know if I can actually get myself to listen to it. Maybe one day I'll take the plunge, but right now I'm having a very hard time.
Bob - Well I guess when I am refering to emo I'm primarily focusing on this decades take on the genre. I often hear Weezer's music being described as emo, especially Pinkerton, and I happen to find Weezer to be one of the best bands of the 90s (although I refuse to believe that they are an emo band.) And I won't write off emo from the early hardcore days, but this whole new pop punk crap of the 2000s is what gets on my nerves.
Jeff, i'm glad to have found you through Dave Amulet's blogroll. Love your informative and entertaining blog and your best of 2008 list. I'll link to you from my site. best to you and yours in 2009.
ps So many people like that Killers album....I just can't see myself listening to it...should I give it a try? seano
Seano - I guess it really depends on your taste in music. It seems like people either love or hate The Killers. Personally I loved it so I would recommend it, but I could definitely see why people wouldn't like it. Definitely depends on your taste in music.
Also, I'll link to your blog right now. Thanks for the link!
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