The Loop : Disclaimers and Honorable Mentions

I spent the last four hours or so compiling lists for The Loop series, digging through my iTunes and dividing up all the albums I wanted to include into their respective categories (2000-2003, 2004-2006, 2007-2009) I searched through old journal entries and my old high school website that had a long list of what I was listening to back then. It was an exhaustive process. However, I think I have all of the albums I wanted. That being said, I started to over-think things (as I tend to do) finding records that missed the cut offs and wanting to include entire discographies that span over several cateogries, etc. It made me a nervous music nerd. However, I've come to terms with the boundaries I set for this and want to put a few things out upfront:


1) There are a lot of GREAT albums that are not included in these lists. Bands like songs:ohia, Chase Pagan, Aqueduct, White Stripes, etc. I also had certain songs that I loved, but not full records, as it goes. I consume more music than most humans should, so I made sure to cut it down to the albums that I can remember completely geeking out about. I'm talking multiple repeat plays during the day, saw the concert, bought the shirt, put it on various mixtapes, changed my views about music kind of albums. There were a lot of close calls, but the guidelines I've set will hopefully make for a pretty awesome and comprehensive list.

2) I was once a 16 year old girl: There are gonna be a lot of "really?" albums on here. But that's why I've called this series "10 years of Unapologetic Albums" . . . because I'm happy to admit them (mostly in this first month - high school) All of those pop punk and ska bands meant something at that time and opened up a lot of doors as far as discovering music and finding all the ways TO discover music. That and I probably thought the boys in them were, like, SO cute.

3) I might choose just one record from a band with an extensive catalog: For the most part, I was able to choose THAT album that got me into the band, even if I loved their previous or following work. A couple of them I might double up if the albums fell in the same time period, depending on the case. It may not be the Pinkerton of the collection, but it's the one that I connected with the most for whatever reason.

and finally . . .

4) There were a ton of albums that missed the cutoff: It killed me to have to cross certain albums off the list because they fell in the 90's, or even worse, 1999 (I'm looking at you, Clarity) I was musically raised by an older brother who discovered a lot of his stuff in the 90's, not to mention that I was a ska kid, so most of those albums were in and around 1996 (seriously). It broke my 14 year old heart to not include some of them that meant SO much to me, so I'm going to post a one-time only "honorable mention" list, for those records off the top of my head that came out when I didn't have a car or income:

• Weezer - The Blue Album ; Pinkerton
• Jimmy Eat World - Static Prevails, Clarity
• Wilco - Summerteeth
• Catch 22 - Keasby Nights
• Dance Hall Crashers - Honey, I'm Homely
• The Hippos - Heads are Gonna Roll
  
• Fenix TX - s/t
• Elliott Smith - XO, Figure 8, Roman Candle, Elliott Smith (basically everything)
• The Insyderz - Motor City Ska, Skallielujah
  
• The OC Supertones - The Adventures of the OC Supertones
• MXPX - Pokinatcha, Teenage Politics, Life in General, Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo
• The W's - The Trouble with X
• Reel Big Fish - Turn the Radio Off , Why Do They Rock So Hard?
• The Aquabats - The Fury of the Aquabats
• Less Than Jake - Pezcore, Hello Rockview
• Jefferie's Fan Club - Nothing to Prove
• Allister - Dead Ends and Girlfriends
• Incubus - S.C.I.E.N.C.E. , Make Yourself
• Goldfinger - Hang-Ups
• Neutral Milk Hotel - In an Aeroplane Over the Sea
• No Doubt - Tragic Kingdown
• Oasis - (What's The Story) Morning Glory?
• Pavement - Brighten the Corners
• Philmore - EP
• Noggin Toboggon - Snapcase
• Radiohead - The Bends
• The Ataris - Blue Skies, Broken Hearts , Next 12 Exits

That probably isn't everything and there are a few records I'm combining because the band meant that much (get ready for a whole geek out on Five Iron Frenzy) but I set these rules for myself and I'm going to keep them. I'm just hoping I don't die / hate music by the end of this process.

And here we go . . .