Biggest Surprises Of The Year

[YI]

The Biggest Dissapointment thread got me thinking about records that have shocked me this year. Whether they're a new band blowing you away with some innovative material, or merely an older band busting out something new, or just flat out improved.

Here are some of mine;

Ignite...never really cared for them, mostly due to the shitty sounding drums. More melodic/poppy release I guess, but absolutely amazing.

Islands...I saw Ringo rated them, I was bored, got the album, and it's so much better than I expected it to be. It may be a little OTT, but I find this album to be like "If the Beatles were starting today", like what they'd produce!

Blackpool Lights...they sound like The Get Up Kids, in a cross between STWHA and OTW, and it's really grown on me, sexy stuff.

Placebo...I've always liked them, they've been a band I've liked, but not entirely sure why. But the latest release just really struck a chord with me, so great songs on there (Which all don't sound the same ).

Lucie Silvas...never thought much of her first stuff, my tastes have matured since then, and I am a LOT more into the softer stuff, so I'm thinking of listening over the first album, I'll probably enjoy it now.

There's more, but I can't think of them/can't be arsed to talk about them.

[Benji]

The Panic Channel, I was expecting them to just be another band that I enjoyed the music of. Since the release of their album they've had play of almost the entire thing almost every single day.

[reyrey619]

well, this year I got into ska for the first time. So, a few ska albums I've heard this year have surprised me.

Streetlight Manifesto- Keasbey Nights(Came out early this year, and is probably my favorite album of all time.)

Arrogant Sons of Bitches- Three Cheers For Dissapointment(Great album from a very underrated band. Shame they broke up though.)

The Supervillians- Grown Yer Own(Another good album for another underrated ska band.)

[Summers]

Ska is like the worst.

[Nerf]

Almost as bad as emo. Almost.

[reyrey619]

Ska is like the worst.

[YI]

Streetlight Manifesto- Keasbey Nights(Came out early this year, and is probably my favorite album of all time.)

Arrogant Sons of Bitches- Three Cheers For Dissapointment(Great album from a very underrated band. Shame they broke up though.)

The Supervillians- Grown Yer Own(Another good album for another underrated ska band.)

[Summers]

Almost as bad as emo. Almost.

Way worse than emo, way worse.

[Steeb]

Ska isn't even in the same ballpark as emo.

It's floating around in the shite outside the ballpark.

Erm, surprises....

"Through The Windowpane" - Guillemots - I expected goodness. Not near-perfection.

"Light Grenades" - Incubus - So much more complete, and sheerly amazing, particularly when compared to A Crow Left... which, whilst being good, wasn't great.

"FutureSex/LoveSounds" - Justin Timberlake - Just not was I was expecting at all. So much better, in every single way. He was good before. He's God now.

"Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs!" - Hellogoodbye - I thought the EP, when Ollie sent it to me, sounded terrible [the first one, not the later one] and so was more than pleasantly surprised by the album.

"Pieces Of The People We Love" - The Rapture - Something in me just made me think that they'd go the way of so many other good Indie bands, and put out a shonking second album. They surprised me, by coming back with this slice of awesome instead.

Edited November 30, 2006 by The Second Stage Turbine Blade

[YI]

What's with the hate for ska? Bands like Streetlight Manifesto are immensly talented and never seem to get the love they deserve. "Keasbey Nights" is one of those albums which should definately be put down as one of the best of modern time.

[Summers]

Personally, I can't stand ska. I don't mind a track or two if people I'm with want to listen to it, or if it's at a club, because I understand variety is needed, but aside from the 'poppier' tracks of LSJ & a couple of other 'main stream' ska, it genuinely sounds terrible to me.

[YI]

I see what you mean. I occasionally get like that. Like with the Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra. I love "Wild Peace", but I can never make it past half the album before I cannot stomach it anymore.

But with Streetlight (I swear I'll stop plugging), they seem to have a good blend of ska, pop, some acoustic-y stuff, some borderline hardcore stuff...and some call and response style jazzy stuff as well. I could listen to "Keasbey Nights" non-stop and probably still not get sick of it.

[Summers]

I might check out Keasbey Nights, on your reccomendation. But if it's bad.. so help me god.

[Rashid]

The 2 big surprised for me were Meatloaf and Weird Al.

I'm big fans of both of them, and had no idea about the release of their new albums until about a month before the release dates.

"White and Nerdy" I'd rank among Al's top 5 parodies. There's also some great songs on the album too.

Meatloaf's Bat out of Hell III was much better than expected. I rank it around the same as BofHII, maybe slightly higher.

[KussenKDogg2]

I might check out Keasbey Nights, on your reccomendation. But if it's bad.. so help me god.

[ROC]

Before the year, I couldn't really give a damn about TV on the Radio. I heard them mentioned a lot, but never really got into any of their music, but then Return to Cookie Mountain converted me. The Bronx had an amazing punk record as well, especially since I never could get into most of the punk I had heard before then. Oh, The Sounds and Destroyer are pretty awesome as well. (Thanks Ringo.)

[RPS]

Cadence Weapon. Amazing lyricist, amazing beats (hip hop and synth never sounded better) and a great entertainer. Probably one of the best CD's no one is listening too.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Almost as bad as emo. Almost.

Way worse than emo, way worse.

Proper proper ska and two tone from the 80s is far far far superior to the desperate attempts made by US wannabe bands in the current age.

[IAceI]

I might check out Keasbey Nights, on your reccomendation. But if it's bad.. so help me god.

[Liam]

Almost as bad as emo. Almost.

Way worse than emo, way worse.

Proper proper ska and two tone from the 80s is far far far superior to the desperate attempts made by US wannabe bands in the current age.

Yeah, that's what I was going to suggest myself.