Wayback Machine: Best of the 2010s (2010-11)
Featuring Kvelertak, Crime In Stereo, Most Precious Blood, Joyce Manor, and more.
For me, the 2010s are synonymous with fucking up and figuring stuff out. You know the deal: failed relationships, dead-end jobs, the crushing weight of corporate wage-slavery, burgeoning intellectual curiosity, embracing empathy and kindness—real adult shit. Musically, however, I managed to blow my horizons wide open, consuming all things weird and wonderful. This is the first instalment of my (arguably ambitious) ‘Best of the 2010s’ album list, kicking off with 2010 and 2011. Enjoy.
2010:
The Menzingers – Chamberlain Waits
What is there to say that isn’t already immediately apparent when listening to something as catchy as Chamberlain Waits? This is anthemic, sincere to a fault, pint-spilling, arm-in-arm, sore-throated, sing-along punk rock at its finest.
Choice Cuts: “Tasker Morris Station” and “Time Tables”
letlive. – Fake History
This one put letlive. on the scene map, rocketing them to the top of the overcrowded post-hardcore Warped Tour heap throughout much of the last decade. Frontman Jason Aalon Butler’s (Fever 333/Pressure Cracks) vocal range and control are still awe-inspiring to me, as he effortlessly switches from acerbic screams to devastating soulful croons.
Choice Cuts: “Muther”
Crime In Stereo – I Was Trying To Describe You To Someone
After the high watermark left by 2007’s spectacular Is Dead, Crime In Stereo and producer Mike Sapone (Brand New) managed to build on the lyrical complexity and emotional textures of their previous efforts, while also keeping the band’s molten core of melodic punk rock firmly intact. This would sadly end up being the final record from the Long Island, NY outfit, but oh boy, what a send-off.
Choice Cuts: “Not Dead”
Transit – Keep This To Yourself
There was a point in the late 00s/early 10s where Run For Cover Records were at the forefront of the fourth wave of emo, aka “the emo revival”. Taking genre staples like Saves The Day and Lifetime as their touchstone, Boston’s Transit took the emo blueprint and made something punchy, rhythmically focused, and captivating.
Choice Cuts: “Please, Head North”
Kvelertak – S/T
Mother of God, this fucking record. Ten years later, and it still rules. A non-stop thrill ride that never ceases to make me smile, overflowing with rollicking party riffs, Sabbathian psychedelic freak-outs, and balls-to-the-wall energy. No one does fun quite like these rowdy Norwegians.
Choice Cuts: “Fossegrim”
The Chariot – Long Live
For the masters of faith-based chaotic hardcore, I feel like this record is The Chariot’s most cohesive and powerful, coming as close as humanly possible to capturing the jaw-dropping insanity of their legendary live performances. With every dissonant chord, rapid-fire tempo change, and lyrical fusillade, not a single second is wasted.
Choice Cuts: “The City”
Norma Jean – Meridional
I’ll admit that this is the last Norma Jean record that I genuinely loved, and it also happened to be their last with guitarist and founding member Scottie Henry. It’s heavy, expansive, and thematically dense, with some of the band’s most progressive material to date.
Choice Cuts: “Falling From The Sky: Day Seven”
Everyone, Everywhere – S/T
Sometimes you just need the chill vibes of indie-rock and post-rock to wash over you and soothe away the world’s troubles. For me, that’s exactly what Everyone Everywhere do. This record is light, breezy, fun, and super sweet; perfect for Sunday mornings and mid-week solitude.
Choice Cuts: “Raw Bar OBX 2002”
Counterparts – Prophets
I know people rant and rave about the latter-day Counterparts material, and I will gladly concede that they’re one of the best melodic hardcore bands on the planet for a reason. And yet, their debut album Prophets is the one that I keep coming back to time and time again. I honestly don’t think it’s left my gym playlist for over a decade. So, if you want heavy and melodic metalcore jams, this is the one for you.
Choice cuts: “Sturdy Wings”
The Sword – Warp Riders
In my early twenties, I turned my nose up at the idea of doom metal or ‘stoner rock’ having any relevance in my music collection. That is until a good friend put me on to The Sword with their classic track, “Freya”. On Warp Riders, the group’s third album, the group pushed ever closer in their search for the perfect riff, edging out their cosmic sci-fi voyage with dreamy vocal lines and Heavy Metal-inspired imagery.
Choice Cuts: “Arrows In The Dark”
2011:
sleepmakeswaves – ...and so we destroyed everything
This was my first introduction to the Aussie post-rock powerhouse that is sleepmakeswaves, and it’s still one of my favourite records for the band and the genre. It hits that sweet spot between the lofty peaks of Explosions In The Sky and the dark canyons of Isis. A real ‘sit alone in a dark room with headphones’ type of record. Highly recommended.
Choice Cuts: “now we rise and we are everywhere”
Born of Osiris – The Discovery
By the time 2011 arrived, all the Rise-core/crab-core adjacent bands were trying to figure out what to do next. While most of them didn’t last, proto-djent sextet Born of Osiris weathered the storm and produced my favourite record in their entire discography. It’s also their only album with guitar virtuoso Jason Richardson, and his technical stamp is front and centre here with intricate leads and crushing dynamics.
Choice Cuts: “Recreate”
Most Precious Blood – Do Not Resuscitate
I’m still bummed that we’ll likely never get another Most Precious Blood album. And, if that’s the case, at least they got to go out on the strongest note possible. Do Not Resuscitate is a furious, forward-thinking indictment on the state of hardcore at the turn of the last decade, seething with rage and purposeful discontent.
Choice Cuts: “A Danger To Myself and Others”
Mariachi El Bronx – II
I can’t really put this album into words, or at least any that would accurately do it justice. This is the second full-length album from the Latin-infused mariachi alter-ego of L.A. punk rockers The Bronx, who write gorgeous songs tailor-made for coastal vistas, barbeque cookouts, and beers on the beach. It’s a vibe; it’s a mood; it’s a feeling—it’s all of the above.
Choice Cuts: “Revolution Girls”
Joyce Manor – S/T
This album, perhaps better than any other, perfectly encapsulates the fuzzy feeling of a crazy night out. The highs and lows, the drunken euphoria, the fractured memories, the wandering eyes, the prideful boasts, the crushing hangover, the nostalgic stories told years later: “I just laid there in protest, entirely fucked/ It’s such a stubborn reminder one perfect night’s not enough.”
Choice Cuts: “Constant Headache”
Balance and Composure – Separation
I don’t think my late-adolescent, early twenties brain was quite ready for the cathartic gut-punch of Balance and Composure’s debut album. It’s a record that took the packaging of alt-rock, grunge, and emo angst to a completely new level, paradoxically more engaging and obscure at the same time. And its legacy survives to this day, with a plethora of dime-a-dozen bands still trying to jack this sound.
Choice Cuts: “I Tore You Apart In My Head”
Foundation – When The Smoke Clears
Even though I’m the furthest thing from straight-edge, I still appreciate a good drug-free abstinent banger and When The Smoke Clears is chock-full of them. Foundation do ‘pissed off and mad about it’ better than most, and it’s a crying shame that they’re no longer around to metabolise our current age of distress.
Choice Cuts: “Anthem For Redemption”
Cave In – White Silence
This was the comeback record that no one saw coming, and it did not disappoint. I still remember racking up the first track off White Silence on my bedroom headphones and being completely blown the fuck away with how weird and heavy and massive it was. Cave In were always ahead of the curve, and they’re still untouchable to this day.
Choice Cuts: “Sing My Loves”
La Dispute – Wildlife
Look, I know La Dispute cop a lot of shit, especially thanks to the moped guy, and it’s not entirely unfounded. Is the music a little on the pretentious side? Sure, but it still fucking rocks. Wildlife finds the group operating at their creative peak with a near-perfect synthesis of mewithoutyou indie-folk, Thrice-inflected post-hardcore, and obscure spoken-word Beat poetry.
Choice Cuts: “King Park”
Hawks and Doves – Year One
I’m a huge fan of Planes Mistaken For Stars, and I picked this album up on a whim from a merch table at one of their reunion shows in NYC. Hawk and Doves is the solo project of PMFS frontman Gared O’Donnell, and he uses this extra space to flesh out his simmering lyricism and whiskey-soaked drawl. It’s the type of music best paired with bad decisions, mild alcoholism, and an overstuffed ashtray. As a record, it’s a hard one to find (what the hell Spotify!) but well worth seeking out.
Choice Cuts: “I Do Declare”
You can find all these tracks on the TPD Best of the 2010s playlist.