Music

There are very few albums these days that we can listen to all the way through without skipping songs. Most modern albums (and a few of the classics) that you can tell the artist had a few songs that they knew could be hits, but needed more songs as filler to make a full album. I have a list of a few albums that I can listen to all the way through without skipping a single song because they are all quality songs.

A Fever You Can't Sweat Out - Panic! At the Disco

This is an amazing debut CD and I have listened to it front to back many times. I think the reason that this is such a wonderful album is because the style of music that they were producing was unlike almost anything that we have ever heard.

Chroma - Cartel

Another great album. This is almost like a concept album, considering that it is in the form of an old vinyl album, it even starts with the sound of a record being started. Also it loops certain parts of different songs into other songs (hooks, lyrics, etc). My only critique of this album is that a lot of the songs do sound similar, although this isn't necessarily a bad thing. It is slightly reminiscent of older albums where you could tell which album a song was off of because almost all songs were in the same style.

In Love And Death - The Used

This album has a wide variety of song style on it. From the "in your face" heavy songs to the slow melodic style and even a bit of "screamo." It is the variety and also the writing that make this such a wonderful album to me. The writing (lyrically) really comes from the heart. There are quite a few songs on this album that everyone can listen to and really feel what the artist is saying.

The Black Parade - My Chemical Romance

All in all a very solid album. I think this is one of the greatest albums of the last 10 years. It also is a concept album, though this one follows a certain storyline. Beautifully written, wonderful melodies and hypnotic hooks make this one that you can not only want to listen to it from beginning to end but also put it on repeat.

Warning - Green Day

Anyone who knows me would wonder whats wrong with me if I didn't have a Green Day album on here. Warning is honestly the only Green Day album that I can still listen to beginning to end. Again this has so much variety in it. Not so much in the song styling, but in the instruments used. They introduce a few different instruments in a few different songs and it really fits with their "pop punk" style.

When Your Heart Stops Beating - +44

This album by Blink 182 alumni Travis Barker and Mark Hoppus really caught me off guard. I had been a huge fan of Blink and Tom's side projects (Angels And Airwaves and Boxcar Racer). However this surpassed any Blink or side project album that I had heard. The song writing and the music were crisp, clean and different. Honestly, unless you know Mark's voice, you really would know that this band was associated with Blink 182 in any way.

I am sure that there are more that I am missing, however these are the only ones that I can think of at the moment. If you have not heard these albums I would encourage you listen to them (either buy or download or however you get your music).

As a musician myself, I have noticed that variety is a key to a well written and great album. I shall keep that in mind while I work on my music.