The majority of our staff was in high school a decade back and as 10-year anniversary tours have seemingly become a staple in the genres we held closest to our hearts at the time (and still), we’ve grown to accept this fact and find it only appropriate that we again look back and pinpoint our favorite albums from a simpler time that we would love to see celebrated in the form of a tour, select shows, or at the very least, get a first-time vinyl treatment or reissue.

2013 was a massive year for bands and fans alike in terms of 10-year anniversary and reunion happenings. RX Bandits, Yellowcard, Finch, Taking Back Sunday, Blink-182, Fall Out Boy, Emery, The Postal Service, Story Of The Year and so many more took advantage of the opportunity with great success, while many others we were hoping to see showed no signs of activity in that sense whatsoever; Brand New, Thursday, Rufio, Thrice, AFI, Slick Shoes, The Distillers, etc. Death Cab, The Format, The Bled and a few others at least gave us celebratory wax.

As 2013 nears its end, we look forward (and back) as we’ve chosen a whopping 20 albums that we’d love to see celebrated in 2014. While some may be more likely than others, we’ll take what we can get. 2004 was an incredible year for music and we can’t wait to see the exciting announcements of tours and album reissues that lie ahead. Follow us after the jump to see what albums (in no particular order) our staff want to see commemorated in 2014.

Glass Casket – We Are Gathered Here Today

As I Lay Dying’s Frail Words Collapse was my initial foray into a transition from screamo to much heavier music. Following an exploration in that area, it was bands like BTBAM, With Passion, and Glass Casket that set it all indefinitely in motion. Something about Glass Casket’s We Are Gathered Here Today really stood out to me among the rest however. It was likely the unprocessed, organic, and genuine feel to its offerings but the musicianship and heaviness still blow me away a decade later. WAGHT is one of those albums that never loses its appeal. From the immediate intensity of “Pencil Lead Syringe” to the emotionally agonizing repeated lines of “A Grey A.M. You Will Never Get To See,” We Are Gathered Here Today is hands down one of my favorite death metal albums to this day. As unlikely as a reunion tour would be with the majority of members busy in Between The Buried and Me and Wretched/Columns, even one show in which they played this album front to back would result in a venue needing serious repairs. — Brian Lion, Head Of Staff / Editor / Feature Writer

Relient K – Mmhmm

Relient K already had three full-lengths under their belts when they released Mmhmm, but there’s a good chance they broke onto your radar in 2004 with smash hit singles like “Be My Escape” and “Who I Am Hates Who I’ve Been.” The album is the perfect intersection of frontman Matt Thiessen’s clever lyricism and the band’s peppy but musically intelligent brand of pop punk, and even its deep cuts remain fan favorites to this day. What better way for Relient K to bounce back from the poorly received Collapsible Lung than with a tenth anniversary tour (and coinciding vinyl reissue, if fans can dream) for their best selling and arguably most popular album? — Troy Sennett, News & Review Writer

My Chemical Romance – Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge

I, like every other kid who didn’t make whatever school thing they tried out for, felt like no band had been able to relate to my pain until My Chemical Romance surprised the world with “I’m Not Okay (I Promise),” the lead single off 2004’s 3 Cheers For Sweet Revenge. From the moment that infectious hook hit my ear canal I was hooked on MCR for life, and as their bandwagon grew crowded as singles like “Helena” topped the charts, I cheered for their rise. A decade later I still feel sixteen when this album plays, and I hope that feeling never goes away (though the sensation of uneasiness in my own skin can dissipate any time). — James Shotwell, Editor & Co-owner

He Is Legend – I Am Hollywood

Ah, my favorite album of 2004; He Is Legend’s masterpiece, I Am Hollywood. Oddly enough, I have to give credit to Craigery Owens for originally introducing me to the band’s material. “Dude, you have to watch this video! It’s so good!” Craig promised. It didn’t take but 10 seconds before Schuyler Croom’s vocal variety attacks in the puppet-featuring video for opening track, “The Seduction,” and from that moment I knew I was hooked. Luckily, each of the 9 following tracks were equally or somehow more satisfying with an ideal blend of styles ranging from hard Southern rock to militant metalcore, and even extending to more beautifully melodic moments, none of which ever leave out an undeniable ass-shaking groove. Croom’s prowess as not only a surefooted vocalist but as a raconteur through unique and ambiguous storylines only adds to the album’s novelty. One of my most unforgettable moments in my history of attending live shows will always be Schuyler hanging upside-down from the exposed plumbing in the now-defunct San Francisco venue, The Pound, repeatedly shoving his microphone in my mouth as we went back and forth screaming “I am Hollywood!” with nothing but the utmost intensity. There’s no disputing that the band’s debut album was far before its time. If I Am Hollywood was released this next year, it would feel perfectly placed and still manage to trump any competition. Here’s hoping that an anniversary tour is in the works, or at the very least that it gets the wax treatment to celebrate a healthy 10 years of staying completely relevant. — Brian Lion, Head Of Staff / Editor / Feature Writer

Senses Fail – Let It Enfold You

There are a handful of bands that can be credited with being staples in the modern post-hardcore scene. Senses Fail is easily one of those bands who have made a huge impact on the genre. Even though they had released their From The Depths Of Dreams EP two years before Let It Enfold You, that album is what rocketed the band up to commercial success. Nothing else they have released to this day touches the emotions this album invokes for thousands of twenty-somethings all over the world. The group may still tour regularly, but an anniversary tour to celebrate and acknowledge such an important album to the post hardcore scene would be something that no fan can excuse missing. — Kriston McConnell, News Editor/Writer & Reviewer

The Blood Brothers – Crimes

The Blood Brothers were arguably the most original sounding band to emerge from the post-hardcore boom of the early ’00s, and on their fourth studio album Crimes they pushed that originality unlike ever before. A cataclysmic blend of jaunty rhythms, unconventional structures and frantic energy somehow manipulated into 13 tracks of all around musical oddity. Best remembered for lead single “Love Rhymes with Hideous Car Wreck” and unlikely radio hit “Trash Flavored Trash,” Crimes is at once a challenging and cathartic listen, as the otherworldly voices of Johnny Whitney and Jordan Blilie somehow cut through the sonic chaos to take you on a harrowing journey through the personal and political unrest of 2004. 10 years on it still sounds as fresh and vibrant as ever. Inspiring stuff. The world needs this reunion tour. — Brenton Harris, News & Review Writer

mewithoutYou – Catch For Us The Foxes

When I first heard mewithoutYou, I didn’t get it. Eclectic musicianship, followed by a man cleverly yelling at me in a seamless fashion, it took a few listens to click. But, mewithoutYou’s Catch for Us the Foxes remains one of the smartest, most beautifully executed delves into indie rock to date. Like a seed that needs time to grow, mewithoutYou’s genius generally seems to develop with repeated experiences. Weaving in and out of indie inspired guitar riffs, coupled with a rhythm section that is ever solidified when in unison, and adding one of the most eccentric, or better yet, arcane frontmen in the scene, the band’s sophomore album will continue to remain as one of the strongest releases from the past decade. The album showed me experimentation. First grasping my ears at age 14, the lyricism of the album was incredibly moving, and showed me how to question the walls of reality I thought I knew. Uneasy at times, as I would read along to Aaron Weiss’ lyrics, I found myself discovering a whole new world, one that was once blanketed by the guise of a nuclear suburbs. “Scratch around the mouth of the glass / My life is no longer mine.” — Drew Caruso, News & Review Writer

Say Anything – …Is A Real Boy

“It’s only a few lines, but I’m having anxiety about it.” Fewer words have more awkwardly introduced a record, yet fewer words have successfully stood the test of time in record introductions. It almost goes without assumption that Say Anything’s …Is A Real Boy is a record worthy of captivating an entire generation for a decade and beyond. It was not only genre-defining, but generation-defining. Tracks like “Woe,” and “The Futile” are, to this day, anthems for every awkward twenty-something, what the hell am I doing with my life?-guy and girl everywhere. It’s a record odd enough to have your parents and modern-rock-listening-friends to raise an eyebrow when you spin it, but perfect enough to have them singing along by the end of the listen. Songs like the historic rantings of “Admit It” contain words that I have lived my life by for as long as I can remember. It’s dynamic enough to be played at a wedding reception (I witnessed a couple do their first dance to “I Want To Know Your Plans” once and melted on the inside). It’s a record that still changes lives upon discovery. The older I get, the more I experience, the more real and relatable each song becomes, and I know I’m not alone. And this is what makes …Is A Real Boy great. Not only has it stood the test of time amongst mediocre progressive and angry emo-rock, it has gotten better with time. If any record has a legacy worthy of a celebration in 2014, it is …Is A Real Boy. — Matthew Leimkuehler, Music Editor & Review Writer

The Used – In Love And Death

The Used taught me how to play guitar. First learning the chords of “Maybe Memories” and later honing my skills with such gems like “Let It Bleed,” “Listening,” and “Sound Effects and Overdramatics,” from the band’s sophomore album, In Love And Death, musically, I grew with the songs. Leaving the more emo and post-hardcore influenced tracks of the self-titled, In Love And Death dove into darker waters. Arguably more groovier than the works before, the tracks on In Love And Death found singer Bert McCraken in a state of limbo, lost in life and death while still working over the death of his pregnant girlfriend. Bleeding out onto the lyricism and musicianship of the songs, I venture that the collective artistry of In Love And Death will easily be one of the high points in the band’s career. Though I have grown to different arenas of music, I will never forget what the first two albums from The Used gave to me, especially the trying efforts of In Love And Death. — Drew Caruso, News & Review Writer

The Matches – E. Von Dahl Killed the Locals

From what I hear, middle school is an excruciatingly awkward time for everyone, which is why E. Von Dahl Killed the Locals should be required listening for all humans between the ages of 12 and 14. The debut album from Oakland, California’s The Matches is packed with perfect pop punk songs about not fitting in, going to shows, pining away for unattainable people and hating your shitty town. As the former owner of a face full of acne and a horrible Hot Topic wardrobe, I just knew that this record was written specifically for me, and it got a lot of play in my childhood bedroom between 2004 and 2006. And while I ditched the oversized goth pants years ago, Shawn Harris’ sneering, dramatic vocals still bring out the bratty teenager in me. — Em Cass, News & Feature Writer

Haste The Day – Burning Bridges

Almost a decade has passed since Haste The Day’s debut full-length, Burning Bridges, hit the metalcore scene, but it continues to be a record worth exploring. The flawless combination of heavy metal instrumentals, or as the band used to say, “rock and roll with breakdowns,” beautiful clean vocals at just the right moments, and Jimmy Ryan’s substantial high-register screams was unmatched at the time of its release (and is arguably still unmatched to this day). While Haste The Day indeed called it quits in 2011 with a lineup containing only one founding member, seeing the 2004 lineup return in 2014 and crank out classics such as “American Love” and Breaking My Own Heart” would be the emotionally draining experience of a lifetime. — Michael Giegerich, News & Review Writer

From First To Last – Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has A Body Count

Looking back now, there probably was no album with a more cliche set of song titles than From First To Last’s 2004 breakout full length, but I loved with every ounce of fandom my teenage body could fit into admittedly too tight jeans. Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has A Body Count featured eleven full throttled tracks (and one hilarious hidden song) that offered more promise and open-minded lyricism than the heavier side the alternative scene had been offered in years. From the struggles with identity found on “Note To Self,” to the haunting hook of “Emily” and the relentless fury of “Ride The Wings Of Pestilence,” Dear Diary was a juggernaut of a debut that continues to play flawlessly front-to-back to this very day. — James Shotwell, Editor & Co-owner

Rise Against – Siren Song of the Counter Culture

When Rise Against announced Siren Song of the Counter Culture was to be released via a major label, a feeling of trepidation set in as fans wondered “would they ‘sell out’”? As familiar crunching guitars give way to the rasp of vocalist Tim McIlrath screaming, “If we’re the flagship of peace and prosperity, then we’re taking on water and about to fucking sink,” on frantic opener “State of the Union,” it became clear fans needn’t have worried. This was still an RA record, it had just been made by a more mature RA. A natural progression from Revolutions Per Minute, Siren Song features 12 of RA’s most popular tracks, ranging from fierce melodic hardcore (“The First Drop,” “Life Less Frightening”) to mid-paced anthems (“Give it All” and “Paper Wings”) and the acoustic balladry of sleeper hit “Swing Life Away.” While not their best album (an honour arguably held by the follow up The Sufferer and the Witness) Siren Song…is the sound of RA transitioning from hardcore workhorse to stadium fillers, and for that it remains essential listening. — Brenton Harris, News & Review Writer

Arcade Fire – Funeral

2004 saw the birth of one band’s debut album too remarkable for accurate explanation, yet bitter and beaming critics alike all took their swing at putting words to the sounds that topped end of the year lists. I imagine Funeral was recorded from the edge of a roof, Arcade Fire’s members feeling the ridge of the rain gutter on their feet and Canada’s cold wind on their bare hands as they played to a desolate neighborhood just before midnight. From opening number “Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)” to closer “In the Backseat,” Funeral stands bravely with an open, bleeding wound. It’s been ten years since the album first came out, but it hasn’t aged at all. In fact, it keeps the listener from aging, too, which is something our inner child–caught up in the wonder and intrigue in the world–is grateful for. — Nina Corcoran, News & Review Writer

Kelly Clarkson – Breakaway

Working with a cadre that included super-producers Dr. Luke and Max Martin (and the dudes from Evanescence, it turns out), Clarkson crafted a pop rock sophomore album bursting at the seams with soon-to-be hits, pop masterpieces even the biggest anti-poptimists would be hard-pressed to ignore. Breakaway catapulted her to pop superstardom by maximizing her ability to both belt out and to convey genuine, human emotion in a giant pop song. “Since U Been Gone” alone secures the album’s spot on this list as one of the top three pop songs of the aughts and president of the “You can’t NOT sing along” club. There’s much more than just that grand slam, though – at least half the album is made up of Clarkson classics. With Breakaway, Clarkson stopped being simply an “Idol winner” and became a legitimate superstar – and deservingly so. — Tyler Hanan, News & Review Writer

The Killers – Hot Fuss

In 2004, The Killers broke out onto the scene with Hot Fuss, an album that would eventually catapult the band to alt-rock stardom. The album works not because it’s intensely unique, but because it reworks the best sounds from bands like The Cure and The Smiths in such a modern way that both the last and the next generations appreciate it. In a terrible, yet infections British accent, vocalist Brandon Flowers got down and dirty while the rest of the band brought on the tantalizing synths and guitar moves necessary to make an award-winning dance-rock record. Flowers has hinted that the Vegas-based band is leaning toward a hiatus to make time for Flowers’ solo work, so why not celebrate one of the band’s greatest achievements before a break? — Rebecca Docter, News & Review Writer

Mastodon – Leviathan

Since there wasn’t much else for a group of high-school metalheads living in a small Illinois farm town to do, my friends and I would often pack into a stick-shift Ford Escort hatchback and head to the nearest Media Play (anyone remember those?) to spend whatever money we made bagging groceries on CDs. One day, my friend picked up an album with a whale on the cover and bought it on the spot just because he liked the artwork and the band’s name. That band was Mastodon and that album, Leviathan, quickly became the soundtrack to countless road trips just like these. Mastodon always heavily favors its new material at live shows — they played Crack the Skye in full for several tours after its 2009 release and 80% of their Mayhem Festival setlist last summer was composed of songs from The Hunter — but Leviathan was their breakthrough album, so why not honor that by performing it for the legions of newer fans who weren’t around when they were touring the album (as well as the old farts like myself)? — Kevin Blumeyer, News & Review Writer

Fear Before The March Of Flames – Art Damage

Hey, kid, I’m a computer, stop all the downloading. Welp, that didn’t work, but I don’t blame the guys in the later named Fear Before for trying. If Lars Ulrich couldn’t get it done, I doubt experimental hardcore was the genre to pave way for that cause. That being said, I can personally thank the album Art Damage for allowing myself to enjoy the most absurd forms of music. An epic follow up to Odd How People Shake, this record is 30 minutes of music like I’d never heard before. Every time I hear the opening riff to “Should’ve Stayed In The Shallows,” I wonder how I could love a song based on framing a murder on a shark so deeply in my bones. You’ve got to thank Equal Vision for this one; this was certainly their glory days. To this day I’ve still never seen the band live, although it would’ve been great to see them play alongside Evergreen Terrace and I Killed The Prom Queen. Who knows, maybe 2014 we could see some Art Damage dates, in which I’d probably attend all in the Northeast. Remember, the party hasn’t started until there’s spike in the punch. — Derek Scancarelli, Photographer & Feature Writer

Modest Mouse – Good News For People Who Love Bad News

Following two critically lauded, unrelenting experimental masterpieces, Good News was Modest Mouse’s most accessible and successful album to date. It maintained the band’s singular traits – white trash lyrical genius, breathtaking emotional resonance, and a compositional excellence that wasn’t afraid to get weird – while pivoting to a sound more bathed in sunshine, (for them) optimism, and good old jamability. It’s much easier to get into than their older work, as evidenced by the success of “Float On.” Good News was easy for big groups to get down to, while still giving the older fans the depth they had signed on for. It may not broach the level of mastery of their older work, but it’s an album packed with fantastic tracks. — Tyler Hanan, News & Review Writer

Sufjan Stevens – Seven Swans

With a banjo under one arm and a guitar under the other, Sufjan Stevens wrote a folk album that allows the listener to choose his own path, doing something no other folk album has done. Religious or agnostic, hopeless or hope-filled, deep or simple, his songs teeter on the edge of any single, defining feeling. That’s why when listening to it you can’t help but feel like you’re both free from attachments and somehow trapped in a glass jar. I heard the album’s biggest track, “To Be Alone With You,” in an old hatchback while driving through middle-of-nowhere, Texas. Stevens’ wobbly falsettos and steady strumming split my thoughts in half, and continued to take over my brain for the remainer of the drive long after the song ended. Like the rest of the album, that song layers on whatever it is that Stevens is able to do in his music. Seven Swans‘ lyrics are taken from the carvings on Sunday school desks and acoustics from a secret structure. As any good magician, Stevens isn’t revealing that melodic formula anytime soon. I don’t think the average listeners could understand it even if he did; beauty that natural must come from a compound we haven’t discovered yet. — Nina Corcoran, News & Review Writer

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Brian Leak

Editor-In-Chief. King of forgetting drinks in the freezer. Pop culture pack rat. X-Phile. LOST apologist.

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