The Loop : Looking Back on 2000 - 2003

So we've reached the end of October and the end of revisiting albums from 2000-2003. Already this has been a tremendous ride, going back through these records, many of which I hadn't listened to other than a few songs here and there in YEARS. Of the 10 years we're going through, these were the most defining and helped broaden my understanding of music, among other things, from an early age. As I touched on in my Five Iron Frenzy post, I was a kid who was made fun of a lot growing up, for no real reason. That coupled with moving to a new state made it hard for me to really connect. But then I had music. So much of these records were my safety during those troubling adolescent times and I will never be able to replace those moments when all that felt right was Five Iron Frenzy.

This was before the MySpace explosion happened and while we were all still finding out about shows through flyers outside of The Nile. It was music's last gasp of being organic and while so much of the internet has advanced music, it really doesn't compare to the hours spent piecing together a mixtape manually, or having someone run up to you and force you to put on their headphones so they could play you a song. I'm amazed to think of how many of my current friends were probably at the same shows I was at and how we didn't even know we'd find that bond later on. It's been cool to hear feedback from friends on some of these records and memories we had in common, which is exactly what I wanted this series to do. I hope you've found something that struck a chord and forced you to revisit your favorite records.

I'm excited to move forward to albums from 2004 - 2006 during November, which involved records from the end of high school and beginning of college. I started to look at music differently as I started "working" in music, which is good and bad, but I think it will make some of these more interesting.

But before we close this chapter, here is a list of records that I wanted to include on this list, but didn't feel I had enough to say except "DUDE, THIS RECORD IS SO AWESOME". And they are. You should listen to them:

• Modest Mouse - The Moon and Antarctica
• Alkaline Trio - From Here to Infirmary
• The Movielife - This Time Next Year
• Finch - What it is to Burn
• The Ataris - End is Forever
• Adam Panic - We All Do
• At the Drive In - Relationship of Command
• All American Rejects - S/T
• Green Day - Warning
• Hot Hot Heat - Make Up the Breakdown
• MEST - Wasting Time
• Kings of Convinence: Quiet is the New Loud
• Nickel Creek - s/t
• The Oranges Band - All Around
• The Rocket Summer - Calendar Day

And a reminder of what we DID go over, in case you want to circle back:

• Saves the Day - Stay What You Are
• Vagrant Records - Another Year on the Streets Vol. 2
• Rocky Votolato - Suicide Medicine
• Limbeck - Hi, Everything's Great
• Midtown - Save the World, Lose the Girl
• Acoustic Christmas 2003
• The Format - Interventions and Lullabies
• Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - Hearts of Oak
• Dashboard Confessional - Swiss Army / Places
• Death Cab for Cutie - The Photo Album
• Bright Eyes - Lifted, or The Story is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground
• The Desaparecidos - Read Music / Speak Spanish
• Coheed and Cambria - The Second Stage Turbine Blade
• Incubus - Morning View
• Something Corporate - Leaving Through the Window / North
• Ben Kweller - Sha Sha
• The Weakerthans - Left and Leaving
• Taking Back Sunday - Tell All Your Friends
• And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead - Source Tags and Codes
• The Bens - s/t
• Ben Folds - Speed Graphic
• RX Bandits - Progress
• Sparta - Wiretap Scars
• Onelinedrawing - Visitor
• Further Seems Forever - The Moon is Down
• Motion City Soundtrack - I Am the Movie
• New Found Glory - s/t
• Psoma - Fear the Penguin
• Brand New - Deja Entendu
• Codename:Rocky - Infinity
• The Shins - Oh Inverted World / Chutes Too Narrow
• In Memory of Five Iron Frenzy

Here's to continuing on this journey. Cheers!