Alkaline Trio: Album Tierlist

I've been a fan of Alkaline Trio for 24 years now. They just released a new album and I've been listening to it non-stop. 

It's so good that it inspired me to make this chart, based on my subjective assessment. 

Now that tierlist isn't going to mean much to anyone that's not a fan already, but I do want to spell it out chronologically:

Goddamnit (1998) ★★★★★

Maybe I'll Catch Fire (2000) ★★★★½

Alkaline Trio (2000) ★★★★★

From Here to Infirmary (2001) ★★★★★

Good Mourning (2003) ★★★★½

Crimson (2005) ★★★★★

Agony & Irony (2008) ★★★★½

This Addiction (2010) ★★★

My Shame Is True (2013) ★★★

Is This Thing Cursed? (2018) ★★★½

Blood, Hair, and Eyeballs (2024) ★★★★★

All of their first seven albums to me are great (4.5 or 5 stars). 

Then their next three were all on a lower level, some good moments, but clearly not as good (3 or 3.5 stars). 

So for them to come out with this in 2024, I'm kinda blown away. 

Their first great album since 2008. Their first 5-star album since 2005. 

I'm not able to attend their 2024 tour and that's probably okay considering I'm 40. 

I also don't wear band shirts really anymore. To which Mrs. Hoagie Central said that's a good thing because I'm 40. To which I replied, what the hell does that mean

I watched some of the live show videos, I even made a playlist in Spotify to match their first show in Anaheim. 

Then I went one step further and made my dream setlist.

And I've done enough listening that I think my 2024 Spotify Wrapped is already a wrap.

favorite bands, revisited

back in 2014, I did a full top 80 bands

in 2020 census, I did a top 10 bands

I thought maybe I could make an update focused on being helpful to me, just to keep tabs on the bands I like. (Also, like just in case my Spotify got deleted or something, I'd have a backup.)

All of these are based on the reality of how much I like/listen to them, not a judgment on absolute quality. 

Tier One

311

Alkaline Trio

Dashboard Confessional

Motion City Soundtrack

New Found Glory

Panic! at the Disco

Vampire Weekend

Tier Two

Death Cab for Cutie

Jimmy Eat World

Fall Out Boy

Weezer

Jack Johnson

Ozma

Third Eye Blind

The Hold Steady

Tier Three

AJR

New Politics

The National

The Stereo

Brand New

Saves The Day

Unwritten Law 

Midtown

Tommy Prine

Waterparks

Seaway

Blink 182

Tier Four

Reel Big Fish

Sugarcult

Less Than Jake

Sublime

Strike

The Starting Line

The Impossibles

The Pixies

Jimi Hendrix

Forever the Sickest Kids

The Get Up Kids

My Chemical Romance

State Champs

Sum 41

Twenty One Pilots

Tier Five

Bracket

American Hi-Fi

Incubus

Flaming Lips

The Anniversary

The Juliana Theory

Flickerstick

Cartel

Hey Mercedes

Zebrahead

Tier Six

Just Surrender

Lucky Boys Confusion

Ultimate Fakebook

The Red Hot Valentines

The Audition

All Time Low

The Promise Ring

The Urge

Hit The Lights

The Menzingers

Reggie and the Full Effect

Milencolin

Against Me

Pedro the Lion

2021 scene

Lately I've been listening to a lot more albums and artists discographies as opposed to one-off songs. 

Here are some of the artists I've been enjoying this year and when I primarily listen.

Death Cab for Cutie (working)

Motion City Soundtrack (showering)

Alkaline Trio (driving)

Jimmy Eat World (anytime)

Panic at the Disco (exercising)

Fall Out Boy (basketball)

With the exception of Death Cab, all of them are bands that I've liked and listened to for a long time. I kinda decided that now is a good time to focus on the good stuff. Instead of looking for something new, that I should dive deep into my favorites. 

Death Cab on the other hand is a revelation. I've had their Transatlanticism cd since 2004ish but never really listened to anything else by them. They didn't crack my 2014 list of favorite 80 bands. But the songwriting is incredible. I Will Follow You Into The Dark is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard.

best song of 2015

my favorite bands in order

80. All Time Low
79. Anything But Joey
78. Spring Heeled Jack
77. The Audition
76. Hot Hot Heat
75. Metro Station
74. Something Corporate
73. Cute Is What We Aim For
72. The Red Hot Valentines
71. Nerf Herder
70. Lucky Boys Confusion
69. Ultimate Fakebook
68. American Hi-Fi
67. The Pixies
66. Explosions In The Sky
65. Fatboy Slim
64. Air
63. Just Surrender
62. Bracket
61. Against Me!
60. The Urge
59. Denison Witmer
58. Pedro The Lion
57. The Promise Ring
56. Strike
55. Hit The Lights
54. The Killers
53. My Chemical Romance
52. The All-American Rejects
51. The Strokes
50. Goldfinger
49. Green Day
48. Foo Fighters
47. Tenacious D
46. Reggie & The Full Effect
45. Phoenix
44. Passion Pit
43. Wires In The Walls
42. Eve 6
41. Taking Back Sunday
40. Fountains Of Wayne
39. Less Than Jake
38. Fall Out Boy
37. Sum 41
36. Blink 182
35. Incubus
34. Cartel
33. Forever The Sickest Kids
32. Childish Gambino
31. Beastie Boys
30. Zebrahead
29. The Starting Line
28. Hey Mercedes
27. New Found Glory
26. Third Eye Blind
25. Reel Big Fish
24. Unwritten Law
23. Jack Johnson
22. Midtown

21. Saves The Day

20. The Anniversary
19. Sugarcult
18. The Juliana Theory
17. Flickerstick
16. Jimmy Eat World
15. Weezer
14. The Get Up Kids
13. The Impossibles
12. The National
11. The Stereo
10. Vampire Weekend
9. Sublime
8. Panic at the Disco
7. Brand New
6. Ozma
5. The Hold Steady
4. Motion City Soundtrack
3. Alkaline Trio
2. Dashboard Confessional
1. 311

The Perils Of Progress

On May 14, 2013, Vampire Weekend released their their album, Modern Vampires of the City.

It's good. It's closer to really good than pretty good. What I'm surprised at is how similar it is to their previous two albums.

Their debut self-titled album came out five years ago. Contra followed in 2010. The songs from all three feel like they might have been recorded at the same session.

My initial reaction to this was it was a bad thing. But is it?

- - -

Brand New has released four albums. Their first record, Your Favorite Weapon, is full of simple, poppy songs that are just about perfect. The album came out in 2001 and I still listen to it today. I can put "Soco Amaretto Lime" on repeat for an hour and "The No Seatbelt Song" still gives me goosebumps.

In 2003, their second album showed that they weren't content to make the same music. Deja Entendu is a better album, full of layered structures and texture not commonly heard on radio singles. This was real progress.

They continued down this path in 2006 with The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me, but to less success. The songs are more layered, but less accessible. Gone are any resemblances to hooks or the snappiness that punctuated their debut.

By Daisy in 2009, it was all texture, all filler.

- - -

I would absolutely love a brand new Brand New album in the same vein as Deja Entendu. But I would be equally happy with 12 new songs that sound like Your Favorite Weapon. 

- - -

Panic at the Disco gave us an incredible first album, again poppy, snappy, something fresh. But then followed it up with Pretty. Odd., one of the best albums I've ever heard.

So I had high hopes for the evolution of their third album, Vices & Virtues. It was flat. As if it was the cutting room floor of Pretty. Odd. 

- - -

So that brings me back to Vampire Weekend. Their songs sound the same. Some new chords, some new lyrics. Same old stuff. It's a little disappointing that they're giving me what I know, and not something better. But at least they're not giving me something worse.

If I lived in Brazil, I'd listen to Strike

Saw this band on Brazil MTV.



Video not that different than this song that I've been listening to this year.



I'm so indie, I listen to bands that don't even speak English.

Edit: I wrote this post two days ago. Yesterday I went ahead and started listening to all their songs via youtube, language barrier be damned. Pretty good to listen to while writing, so no pesky english words get in the way of my thoughts. So now the title of this post is inaccurate.

can't get enough ozma

Ozma split up in 2004, a few years after making an excellent record that I listed to throughout college.

They got back in 2007 to make Pasadena. And I can't stop listening to it. Selected highlights:







And just because it's so good...here are some from their 2001 album:

Afternoon Scene: Brand New - Part Two

In honor of the brand new album (Daisy) by Brand New, here's a song from their last album:

"Jesus Christ"


And here's a song from Daisy, that came out yesterday:

"At The Bottom"

new alk3

Here's the best song off their new album, Agony & Irony.

"Calling All Skeletons"

midnight scene

So this is what I've been listening to this week: Hold Steady and Against Me! (sic)

I'm not vouching for the video part, just the songs:

Hold Steady - Chips Ahoy!

Against Me! - Thrash Unreal


Hold Steady - Your Little Hoodrat Friend

Afternoon Scene: 311

What can I say about 311? They've been my favorite band, my only favorite band, ever since I got into music. For the last 10 years, I've been listening to them, watching them evolve their sound, not improving or getting worse, just staying excellent and making different styles of music.

And they are known for being a stellar live band. I've seen them 3 times and they always play long shows, and stick around for the fans after. And since 2000, every other year on March 11th, they have a special 3-11 day concert that lasts about 5 hours.

The one thing that's kind of funny, is for how much I love their CD's, their videos were always sort of lacking. Sort of weird, whatever. Anyways, they've produced 8 official albums, they've got 5 guys, and they're originally from Omaha.

If you're only going to watch one clip, watch this live video from March 11, 2004 in New Orleans, particularly from 3:17 remaining on.
"Applied Science" (live)


"Prisoner"


"Beyond the Gray Sky"


"Down, Frolic Room, Don't Tread on Me, Solar Flare, and Amber" (live)

Afternoon Scene: Brand New

I was almost shocked that I hadn't covered Brand New already, one of my current favorites. They're from Long Island and they have a rivalry with Taking Back Sunday.



This video was made by a fan, and the video retells the origin of the rivalry with TBS. (Red = Brand New, Green = TBS) This is also the song that is the final song in my running routine, and I know when i get to the part with :44 remaining that I've made it. I love that part.

"Seventy Times 7"


"Sic Transit Gloria...Glory Fades"


"The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows"




Another fan made video, this one kind of sucks. But the last 1:30 of the song is fantastic anyways.
"Okay I Believe You But My Tommy Gun Don't"

Afternoon Scene: Unwritten Law

Unwritten Law is a San Diego band that formed in 1990 and became more popular because of some singles, that are mostly mediocre. I think their best stuff is on their 1998 self-titled CD. Here's 3 videos from that. (I also love Sound Siren from Elva, but couldn't find any version of the song online.)

"Teenage Suicide"


"Cailin"


"Lonesome"

Afternoon Scene: Incubus

Incubus is a 5-piece band from California that formed in 1991. They've really evolved, and I really like their stuff from Make Yourself on. Here's a sampling.

"Pardon Me" 1999


"Warning" 2001

"Talk Show on Mute" 2004


"Love Hurts" 2006

Afternoon Scene: Arcade Fire

Arcade Fire is a 7-piece group from Montreal. Funeral is my go-to album when I want to write at work and listen to something peaceful, over and over again on repeat. Tunnels is my favorite song by them, and the video just happens to be pretty intriguing. Neat stuff.

"Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)"


"Rebellion (Lies)"


"Wake Up" (live featuring David Bowie)

Afternoon Scene: Cartel

Cartel is a 5-piece group from Atlanta. I only found about them last year, but have already listened to Chroma more times than I can count. They're set to record their follow-up in a bubble (!) starting May 23rd.

"Honestly"


"Say Anything (Else)"


"The Mistrel's Prayer" (acoustic, live)

Afternoon Scene: Alkaline Trio

What can you say about Alk3? I first heard them in 2000 and was hooked. They were down with death before it became cool. They're from Chicago. And they have too many great songs to list.

"Stupid Kid"


"Mercy Me"


"Radio" (live)


"Time to Waste"


"We've Had Enough"


"Nose Over Tail" (live)

Afternoon Scene: theAUDITION

Officially, theAUDITION is from Chicago, although their wikipedia entry currently reads that "theAUDITION is from ELMHURST and are a buncha sally's trying to sound tough, saying they're from Chicago."

So there you go, they might be a bunch of Sally's. Either way, their album came out in 2005 and it rocks.

"You've Made Us Conscious"


"Approach the Bench" (fan-made)

Afternoon Scene: Dashboard Confessional

I first heard Dashboard Confessional during my senior year of high school, 2000-01. Just a guy with an acoustic guitar and I hadn't heard anything like it. There were nights where I slept on the couch downstairs, so I could fall asleep to this album. On the last day of high school, I remember writing the lyrics to the end of "Swiss Army Romance" on the chalkboard in calculus class.

We're not twenty-one,
but the sooner we are,
the sooner the fun will begin,
so get out your fake eyelashes,
and fake IDs,
and real disasters ensue.
It's cool to take these chances.
It's cool to fake romances.
And grow up fast,
and grow up fast.

I remember seeing him live--as an opening act--before he became popular. After his set which no one was really singing along, I was buying one of his shirts and he came over to the merch table. I told him, "I know the rest of the crowd wasn't really into you, but we came to see you, you were great." I really meant it as a compliment. But he responded "the crowd wasn't into me?" Whoops.

Years later, and countless late night conversations where his albums were the soundtrack, I proposed to the song "Hands Down." And then a year after that, our wedding ended with that same song.

"Swiss Army Romance" (2000 song performed live in 2002)


"Screaming Infidelities" (2001)


"Hands Down" (2003)


"Stolen" (2006)


"So Long, So Long" (2006 fan-made version)