Top ten of the decade so far.

Realize that I spend over a quarter of my work week killing time at home, so no list really seems too trivial to make. Since I didn't recognize that good punk was still being made until I was 19 or so(in 2000), I was in no position to make a best of the 90s list. I'm looking forward to making a more definitive list in 3 years, but this will do for now. The cut off is January of 2000, even though the decade begins in 2001(since there was no year zero, doye), but it doesn't matter anyway. Plus, who cares? Of course this list is extremely subjective (and subject to change), so don't lose any sleep over it. There are several records that I thought would make this list when they were released, but haven't aged well("Police" for example), so too bad for them. This was a lot harder to make than I thought it would be, and that's great. Shows that there is still an amazing amount of great music being made today. A big fuck off to those whose idea of punk in 2007 is a new Bad Brains album and a Radio Birdman tour. Apologies to Knife Fight, Young Wasteners, Tear It Up, Career Suicide, whoever...not today.

10. Pedestrians- Why Kill What's Dead 7" (Southkore 2005)
Probably the best record to come out of the excellent Chicago scene(just beating out "Dumb Hardcore" and the 1st Chronic Seizure). Fucking great mid-west punk, great lyrics, unique packaging, this has it all. Pedestrians is still a dumb name for a band though.

9. World Burns To Death-Sucking of the Missile Cock 12" (Hardcore Holocaust 2003(?))
This is a record that everyone was all about when it came out, but now they are too cool for. Personally I could care less and will stand behind this %100. In a scene of pretenders, they are true hardcore. Lyrics that make no apologies, and weed out the poseurs. Of course it can all become a bit much(see their 2nd, albeit still great, Lp), but this could make the list based on only the hilarious message board accusations that their logo is anti-semetic and the such. This is the hammer.

8. Kieltolaki- 1st 7" (Moo Cow 2006)
A perfect record. Right up there with the classics of Finnish Hardcore, even though I don't think it sounds all that much like them. More of an American HC, and less of a Dis-influence, but when it sounds this good, who gives a fuck. Unbelievable.

7. Criminal Damage- 12" (Feral Ward 2006)
Absolutely perfect, sing-along, fist in the air punk. While the pedigree is intact, none of that matters when the tunes are this good. I'm not the first to rave on this, so I'll leave it at that, but it's a fucking crime that I had a copy of this for distro for 6 months and no one would even give it a chance.

6. Formaldehyde Junkies- Are a Total Wreck 7" (Firestarter/Underestimated 2005)
For anyone who has seen their early, out-of-control early shows, this record did not make any sense. I remember how my band had traveled to play the release show for this, getting home, throwing this on the turntable and just being in awe. Somewhere along the way they learned to play, and layed down probably the most authentic 80s hardcore of the decade. Sure not sit along side the Dragnet and Crucial Unit 7"s in the used bins of tomorrow.

5.Framtid- Under the Ashes 12" (Crust War 2002)
The Crust War scene has made a slew of great records and this is the best of the best. Taking the sound of bands like Mob 47 and then blowing it away by taking it to the next logical evolutionary step. For all the (sometimes deserving, sometimes not) hype that surrounded Japanese bands for a couple years, this is one that deserved it all (and more). You can get this for 8 bucks from Black Water now, so you have no excuse. For punx.

4. Sex Vid- Drugging 7" (Kill Test 2006)
For all the bands that are formed by punk "experts" trying to meld a million different obscure references, I can't deny that at least one band got it right. Read any issue of MRR in the past year if you wanna know anything else.

3. 9 Shocks Terror "Paying Ohmage" LP (Sound Pollution 2001)
Okay, maybe 2 bands got it right. Usually the huge production would be a major turnoff, but it totally works here. 9 Shocks Terror is the band that could (hell, did) save hardcore. Give me a band that I can throw a garbage can at after waxing philosophically about them for the 20+ hours it took to get to their show(happened). This is their best record, despite the cardinal sin of the dreaded recorded cover. God.

2. Asbest-Nyt Blod 7" (Hjernespind 2002)
While everyone was losing their shit over Amdi Petersen's Arme and No Hope for the Kids, this totally flew under the radar. The apex of the K-Town scene. Just absolutely perfect rough hardcore. If this came out in 1982, it would be a $300 record. I realize that this record epitomizes the subjectivity of my list, but no apologies.

1.Tragedy-Vengeance LP (Tragedy 2002)
Definitely not the "coolest" thing to put at the top of this list, and I'm sure anyone whose read a zine in the past 5 years doesn't need to hear anymore wannabe rock criticism of this. However this is a record that made a thousand kids trade their Throwdown shirts for From Ashes Rise shirts. For once the hype was right on. The band learned from the failures those who turned underground success into mainstream failure, and played it all on their own terms. The hype has died, but I'm still right here. It's gonna take a real monster to knock this off the top spot in the next 3 years.


Here's hoping this bummed you out.