Five records that changed your life

[sftravis]

I already feel stupid because I left Dead Kennedys off my list and they were the band that got me into punk rock. I suck at lists.

[faith]

1. Silverchair - Neon Ballroom

With this album, I seriously started getting addicted to music.

2. Freakend's - Fall From Life

Awesome record from local melodic punk rock band. It got me into punk rock more than any other records.

3. Children Of Bodom - Hatebreeder

Introduced me to "harder" music. I still don't like 90% of hardcore and I still hate anything that doesn't have a good melody in it, but I'm not afraid of listening to metal or different types of vocals anymore

4. NOFX - 45 or 46 Songs... (especially Counting Sheep)

First NOFX album I bought. I discovered them in 2003, I'm fairly new fan I know. The first CD of this album still holds some of my favorite NOFX songs ever

5. Matchbook Romance - Voices

My favorite album of all times. I'm really sad that most people don't see how great it is

7" that changed my life: NOFX - Liza and Louise

First vinyl record I ever bought, on black for CAD$7.00 at X20 in early 2004

Addicted ever since.

[mrc]

1. Bad Religion - Suffer - This was the 1st punkrock cd i heard and i was blown away. i borrowed it from my friend and then was lucky enough to catch them live a few months later with SNFU (i think this was in 1994, when i was 13)

2. Broadways - broken star - i got this album back in highschool and it has soooo many memories attached to it. I still listen to this all the time, still one of my favorites. when i put it in my cd player in the car, i usually listen to it about 3 or 4 times before i take it out

3. Operation Ivy - my very first experience with the punk/ska type music when i was about 14

4. NOFX - Punk in drublic - Got this in 8th grade at the NOFX and Bouncing souls show - i picked this up because of the show, i have never seen a more energetic live show, one of the most memorable shows i have ever been to.

5. Gorilla biscuits - Start today - got me into hardcore

honorable mentions:

Propagandhi - how to clean everything

Pennywise - unknown road

Wu-tang - 36 chambers

Less than jake - Pezzcore

Weezer - blue album

Warzone - lower east side

[faith]

5. Matchbook Romance - Voices

My favorite album of all times. I'm really sad that most people don't see how great it is.

It's a great album. I don't get why so many people trash it, I've had huge Matchbook Romance fans bash the hell out of it. I think it's excellent and a good direction... the reaction probably had a lot to do with why they broke up, sadly.

I know it was a drastic change from S&A, but if you look at their history, it's always been about evolution. Fizzlewink was pop-punk, The Getaway was more screamoish, their first EP was a bit less screamoish, S&A had almost no screams, then their split with MCS announced something completely different.. People had to be completely stupid to think that they would keep the same style of music

I'm pretty upset at how they broke up though. Judas left but it was no surprise, the guy obviously wasn't happy living the kind of lifestyle you have in a band. Then after a few months of absolutely no news, the band broke up and there wasn't ever any reasons given. A few other people I know and I were always huge fans that got news before everyone else and all, but I haven't heard of anyone ever since

it's a fucking bummer, seriously

[lokithelion]

Voices is a really really good Gatsby's American Dream album.

[vinylme]

D.R.I. - Dealing With It

Fifteen - The Choice Of A New Generation

Suicidal Tendencies - S/T

Jawbreaker - Unfun

Descendents - Enjoy!

[magalvsr13]

rx bandits - progress

thrice - identity crisis

brand new - the devil and god are raging inside me

comeback kid - turn it around

saves the day - stay what you are

[captainmorgan]

Tsunami Bomb - Invasion From Within!

I had spent the first couple years of high school listening to metal, for the most part. At one point, I heard of Tsunami Bomb, bought this EP, and realized that what I'd been looking for this whole time was punk rock.

Subhumans - Time Flies/Rats

Got me into political punk and less pop/melodic stuff. "Work-Rest-Play-Die" blew my 16 year old mind.

Bouncing Souls - Anchors Aweigh

I was a latecomer to the Souls, this was the first record I heard. But I was hooked, and now their logo is tattooed into my leg. All time favorite record from all time favorite band

Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie

The album that made me a serious music fan as a young 'un

Minor Threat - Disco

I listened to all kinds of anarcho and UK82 stuff, but I didn't really "get" hardcore until I got into this album.

[cj]

Led Zeppelin IV

Eric Clapton - Slowhand

Rise Against - Revolutions per Minute

Deltron 3030 - S/T

The song Sic Transit Gloria

[faith]

Voices is a really really good Gatsby's American Dream album.

while I admit that there is definitely some GAD influence in taht record, you clearly didn't listen to it more than once if thats all you heard

[matt]

1.

Pennywise - About Time

I can remember roaming around the virgin megastore in costa mesa just killing time and listening to random things at the listening stations. somehow at 12 years old i was drawn to this album. it was so fast and aggressive to me. completely opened my eyes and ears to punk music. i remember buying the cd and taking it home to listen to while i skated and just being pumped. gateway to all things epitaph/fat

2.

Home Grown - Act Your Age

just taught me music could be fun and you didnt always have to be mad.

3.

The Ataris - Blue Skies Broken Hearts Next 12 Exits

the woe is me i hate girls album that all the angst ridden 15 year olds clinged to

4.

Saves the Day - Through Being Cool

something about the not so subtle over the top lyrics just hit me. i thought that fool was nuts

5.

Jimmy Eat World - Clarity

i just thought it sounded pretty. goodbye sky harbor.

[xforlifex]

Jawbreaker-Dear you

American Nightmare-Background Music

Kid Dynamite-Shorter, faster, louder

Youth of Today-We're Not in this alone

Negative Approach-S/T 7"

[elephanttttt]

postal service - give up

brand new -YFW

the early November- room

bright eyes - all albums

Hawthorne heights - silence in black and white (smite me)

[elephanttttt]

ACTULLYwait i cannnot limit this to only 5 albums....

[elephanttttt]

5. Matchbook Romance - Voices

My favorite album of all times. I'm really sad that most people don't see how great it is.

It's a great album. I don't get why so many people trash it, I've had huge Matchbook Romance fans bash the hell out of it. I think it's excellent and a good direction... the reaction probably had a lot to do with why they broke up, sadly.

i honesty havent given it much of a chance, i loved the first full length however.

[elephanttttt]

ACTULLYwait i cannnot limit this to only 5 albums....

Yes, you can. You name 5 records that changed your life. It doesn't mean that only 5 have.

you are wise!

[Guest falloutcollapse]

Thursday-War all the Time:

This album shaped everything. From the heavy instrumentation to the heavier lyrical content, this album has made me wiser, even from the first second I turned it on in 5th grade. Even though it isn't my favorite release by them, it's the first heavy CD I ever got and loved. They became my favorite band, and still are. Geoff Rickly is so compassionate and you can really hear it in his voice. It taught me that the general perception of "perfect" doesn't have to be my perception of it.

Minus the Bear-Highly Refined Pirates:

I accidentally checked out this band after my friend told me that Bear vs. Shark would change my life. They didn't, but Minus the Bear did. Up to this point, I was into a lot of heavier stuff like Thursday. Minus the Bear, from the first second of the first track, were the most relaxed sound I've ever heard. I love every track, even the instrumentals. The lyrics match the music so well; a big, chill sound. On a deeper level, this album has really gotten me to get more serious about guitar playing. The playing is frantic, but it's not shredding or anything. The complexity doesn't shine unless you are imitating it, which is a good thing. I can play the whole side A of the record now perfect It taught me that sometimes, you just need to let loose and have fun.

Circa Survive-Juturna:

The imagery Anthony Green has on this CD is incredible. His voice is really comforting to me, because it was the first time I really had vocals stick out at me. Geoff from Thursday is all over the place, and Jake from MTB has a very mid-range voice, but Anthony has a really really distinct voice that has been copied plenty of times now. The lyrics also mesh with the music well, as they are crazy and introspective. This album is the first really "artsy" album I got into, which really changed things again. Nobody I hang out with likes this band to this day, because there aren't big hooks or anything. It's an amazing piece of music, and nothing short of epic.

Death Cab for Cutie-Transatlanticism:

This was the first "indie" album I really got into. After hearing a few songs in my friend's car, I knew I had to pick it up. Ben Gibbard really really sounds depressed on this album, and when I'm not feeling that hot, I turn it on and realize that things are okay. It's a huge album, and it really got me into many bands I like today. I know that this was at the height of their popularity, and it's a huge seller, but I still consider it a gem, because it really introduced me to a new sound that I continue to love. It really taught me that my life really isn't that bad, and I just need to find things to grasp onto, as opposed to the emo music I was listening to at the time.

I really don't have a fifth, but that's only because it could be either Taking Back Sunday-Tell All Your Friends or Something Corporate-North. Both of them really got me into poppy/emo music, and gave me new sounds. I don't listen to either anymore, but I still think of them as albums that changed my life.

[allurin]

Saves The Day - "Stay what you are", this album is magic a masterpiece

The Lawrence Arms - "The Greatest Story Ever Told" some say there overrated thats there choice

Against me! -"Reinventing Axl Rose" Though i dont listen to this album much anymore it probly had the biggest impact when it first came out

Strike Anywhere- "Change Is a Sound"

The Gaslight Anthem - "Sink or Swim" This album is in the mist of consuming my life

Im still young though lots of time for other albums to catch my eye

[von]

dont feel like doing explanations...but here we go (hardcore and punk stuff)

bad religion - recipe for hate

silent majority - life of a spectator

shai hulud - hearts...

hot water music - fuel...

sick of it all - scratch the surface

[kirbypuckett]

These aren't my favorite records, not sure if some folks are listing at that way, but these are the ones that changed my life and they're in chronological order!

1) The Offspring - Smash: Here's the story, I was in 7th or 8th grade when I first heard this band/record. Prior to that I listened to nothing but what was played on the Top 40 radio station. I vividly recall walking my dog each night listening to a mix tape I dubbed onto a cassette that came with my pap's new Ford Thunderbird with songs from the radio. I still had decent taste back then as it included Ben Folds Five (Brick), Oasis (Wonderwall), Ace of Base, the Pittsburgh Penguin's playoff fight song (hahaha), and a few other tunes, probably Madonna. Anyways, I obviously heard "Self-Esteem" and "Come Out and Play" on said radio station, but they didn't hit me until about a year later. That year a kid named Erik moved into our neighborhood and he went away for the summer, but we he came back he had this blue grocery bag filled with CDs. They included AFI, the Vandals, Guttermouth (aka Nitro Records) and Smash. We sat in my room and listened to those records endlessly, this one stuck with me the most and was my favorite album throughout high school. I listened to it once recently, it was still pretty good.

2) Punk-O-Rama - Version 2.1: Like every other kid going into 9th grade in the late nineties I had to own a pair of Airwalk shoes. While purchasing new shoes at Dick's the salesperson gave my brother and I each a copy of this compilation. For some reason he gave them to us, even though they were a Van's promotion. I listened to it once or twice and then tossed it aside so I could listen to Jock Jams Volume 2, Smashing Pumpkins, Presidents of the United States of America, and Rage Against the Machine. Up until this point my only grasps with punk came from the limited Nitro Records cataloged I copied from my friend and the radio favorites Green Day, the Offspring, and Rancid. I was a good kid growing up, but I always tested my limits and found myself grounded quite often. I can't remember what I did, but I was stuck with going camping near lake Erie with my mom, her friend and their daughters (who were too young for me to hang out with). So I grabbed my rollerblades, Sony Discman, and a few CDs, and prepared for the worst weekend of my life. On the car ride up as I bored myself with the few CDs I actually owned I decided to give this "Punk-O-Rama" thing one more try. Holy hell did it him me!

It was the Voodoo Glow Skulls track "El Coo Cooi" that first clicked in my ears. After that the puzzle pieces just started to align. Descendents' "Coffee Mug" -- I didn't know songs could be that short and still pack a punch. "Perfect People" by Pennywise remains one of the few songs I can listen to by that band. I probably listened to "Side Kick" by Rancid a hundred times that weekend along with Bad Religion and NOFX.

Now my Punk-O-Rama was not version 2 that most people had, nay it was version 2.1 and it was so much better! It included songs by H2O (Family Tree), Hepcat, and Ten Foot Pole (Regret). The H2O and TFP songs became some of my favorites of that era and I would not be huge fans of those bands if it wasn't for this little compilation. After that trip I saved my allowance religiously so that I could afford all of those albums by the bands on it. At some point or another I owned 11 albums out of the 17 that had tracks on it. From this point on I considered myself a "punk."

3) Weezer - Pinkerton: Weezer is my all time favorite band (regardless of how far they've fallen off the map) and this album still speaks volumes to me each time I hear it. It has easily paved the path for the music I listen to today.

4) Beach Boys - Pet Sounds: Who hasn't heard this album? If you're one of the few who haven't, leave the Internet and buy it now. I've been listening to the Beach Boys since the day I was born, but it wasn't until just last year that Pet Sounds really spoke to me. Everything about this album, except "Sloop John B" (I just don't like that song) is as perfect as music could ever be. I really started getting into older music during the early parts of 2007 and the Beach Boys certainly helped.

5) Girl Talk - Night Ripper: The number five pick is very difficult. I'm at a developing stage musically. I listen to a lot of hip-hop, indie, electronic, and ::insert whatever's hot on Pitchfork here:: music these days. This album isn't exactly one that has specifically changed my life, but it encompasses a lot about what has. It contains everything from hip-hop (M.I.A., Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Clipse), to indie (Phantom Planet, the Pixies, Hum), to other popular music (Weezer, James Dean, Daft Punk, Pointer Sisters, Britney Spears), etc... Night Ripper encompasses a lot of genres that I listen to now, so I opted to include it.

Anyone who is interested in that record, here is a crazy breakdown of the entire album, sample for sample:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_Ripper

[¯\_(ツ)_/¯]

my 5 records

green day - dookie - 6th grade I think? wow. haha, changed my life from there on.

nirvana - teen spirit - got hit by a car riding my bike listening to that CD in 1997. last time I ever listened to nirvana. last time i ever listened to grunge actually.

hot water music - live at the hardback - record changed my outlook on so many things for some reason. I think it was the sheer intensity of that live recording that for some reason just really hit home. That and my friend jon asked me if I wanted to go to that show before I was really into HWM and I turned it down because it was a 20+ hr drive and I was in high school. now I kick myself for not going.

punchline - rewind EP - I dont think it changed my life so much as it was a soundtrack to I think 18 months of my life in 2003 - 2004. I just realized it this morning when I listened to it on my way to work, but so many memories and old friends are tied to that album. so good.

bad religion - stranger than fiction - this tied with green day transformed me into who I am today. I think those two records "ruined my life", haha

[xfedaykinx]

chronological order:

1] the eagles - hotel california - from as early as i can remember i used to have my father put the record on his turntable and sit there with the gatefold open and sing the lyrics over and over again. to this day i know the entire song by heart, including the guitar solo at the end. i cant listen to that song without mouthing the end solo in its entirety. this is where my love for music began.

2] michael jackson - dangerous - what can i say? i was obsessed. clearly not the album 'bad' or 'thriller' are, but this record helped to further my interest in music.

3] weezer - blue album - this record got me into the 'cool' music. before this i was always the kid who had no idea what kids were talking about when theyd discuss green day, ace of base, boyz II men and whatever else was popular at the time. i was always like, "yeah, i listen to the eagles and steely dan" i was a total nerd, but now i understand that i was just that much more awesome than those other kids.

4] tool - aenima - this record changed everything. got me into metal, rock, alternative... all that jazz. helped make me a "free-thinker" if you will.

5] shai hulud - hearts once nourished... - these guys helped finalize what tool started. i can safely say that if it werent for shai hulud id probably be listening to nu-metal, distraught over the loss of limp bizket or some bullshit. THIS RECORD SAVED ME. i cant stress that enough. introduced me to hardcore. ive never been the same since.

honorable mentions:

korn - korn

nothingface - an audio guide to everyday atrocity

green day - dookie

strongarm - advent of a miracle

nofx - so long, and thanks for all the shoes

bigwig - stay asleep

[danalive]

mxpx - life in general

jimmy eat world - clarity

ryan adams - heartbreaker

mineral - endserenading

thats all i can think of

[stefan]

Just got back from vacation so I'm contributing late, I had to combine two albums.

In chronological order (of release date):

Bad Religion - “Suffer” (1988)

To this day I could probably still sing along to this from start to finish. I didn’t hear this until years after it was already out but this led me to the Epitaph catalog and picking up The Offspring’s “Ignition”. My jaw dropped at the success of the release of “Smash”, how could that many people like the same music as me? So Bad Religion always held a larger place in my heart than The Offspring. At the time I never would have guessed that I would one day get a PhD from the same place as Greg Graffin.

Gorilla Biscuits - "Start Today" (1988)

The best part of listening to this in junior high was that the GBs were kids just like me when they made it. Youth of Today and Bold got me into the straightedge scene but the seemingly fun-loving Biscuits kept me from leaving. This exposed me to the Revelation catalog and so many great bands (Farside, Quicksand, and eventually Texas is the Reason), as well as 7 Seconds and the BYO back catalog, especially the also life-changing “Someone's Gonna Get Their Head to Believe In Something“ compilation.

Leatherface - “Mush” (1991)

This ignited my obsession with Leatherface, led to two summers of road trips with the boys from Sunderland, and introduced me to No Idea and countless USFC’ers everywhere. Still my undisputed favorite album of all time, I hear something new every time I listen to it... I remember sitting on a train in Germany listening to “The Shape of Punk To Come” and thinking about how the double bass drum totally sounded like it belonged on “Mush”. Weird.

Sugar - “Copper Blue” (1992) and Catherine Wheel - “Ferment” (1992)

What’s a boy to do if he’s too late for Husker Du? Fall in love with “Copper Blue”. This led to my discovery of the SST scene (Husker Du, The Minutemen, Descendents, Black Flag) and my continued love affair with Bob Mould. I bought “Ferment” the same month and it was my introduction to what I call space rock and you call shoegaze. While “Chrome” was even better, “Ferment” came first and preceded the almighty Hum and Sunny Day Real Estate.

Cave In - “Until Your Heart Stops” (1998)

Growing up all my guitarist friends listened to Metallica. When this came out I realized that I liked metal, too. Brodsky was (and probably still is) one of the nicest guys around and seemed to be the antithesis of a lot of tough guy posturing going on in hardcore at the time, which was a key requirement for me back then.

[lokithelion]

Voices is a really really good Gatsby's American Dream album.

while I admit that there is definitely some GAD influence in taht record, you clearly didn't listen to it more than once if thats all you heard

I listen to it all the time still. It sounds like GAD with metal solos. Since I love Gatsby thats a complement in my book.