As a heavily music-oriented person, I always opened up to all genres of music and found myself leaning towards alternative rock, mostly because of the influences around me. But as I got older, alternative rock/punk rock definitely became my favorite type of music to listen to. I am always trying to find new music to listen to and new stuff from my favorite bands so creating an Alternative Rock Gift Guide will also help other modern rockers find new, great music.
AFI: Crash Love
I love this album and I chose this one because, as a Goth-punk band, AFI’s music differs with every album. Back when their debut album Answer That and Stay Fashionable (1995) came out, you could tell that their music was very new, and they hadn’t gotten into their more Goth style that they were later going for. The albums Sing the Sorrow (2003) and DECEMBERUNDERGROUND (2006) really had that gothic tinge that everybody loved about them. This year’s album, Crash Love shows a change in their Goth-punk feel, but still holds that catchy-rock style. Some people may argue that Crash Love is more punk rock and less hard rock, but if you love AFI no matter what they play, or if you know someone who does, this is the perfect gift.
Paramore: Brand New Eyes
This is also my pick because Paramore is one of my favorite bands, and their music always holds my attention. Their most popular album, Riot!, really changed the medium for punk rock. It was an immediate hit and having a female lead seemed to draw the teen girl crowd. Brand New Eyes sounds like Paramore’s classic style and every song has a catchy feel and meaning. This is a great gift. If you know someone who loves Paramore, you can guarantee they will love this album because the style is very much the same.
Green Day: 21st Century Breakdown
Green Day’s style has changed a lot over the years and 21st Century Breakdown is very different from classic Green Day. If you are a fan of old Green day, with their traditional punk rock, this might not be the best gift for you. They have taken a sort of political turn in their more recent albums, American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown. Although this album contains many great songs and meaningful lyrics, if you prefer Green Day’s garage band style over their newer style, you probably won’t appreciate this one as much.
Switchfoot: Hello Hurricane
This is one of my picks because Swithfoot’s new album has a different approach to their soft rock style. Some of their older albums such as The Beautiful Letdown have a more mild rock sound that slightly resembles Nickelback. The newer albums such as Oh! Gravity and Hello Hurricane are going for a somewhat harder punk rock sound while they still have that old mild rock sound the band started out having. Oh! Gravity was a great album and Hello Hurricane is considerably more punk than I expected. It is definitely a great gift if you like a change in your punk rock taste.
Warped Tour 2009 Tour Compilation
What can I say about this? There’s something for everyone! Lastly, I picked this one because theirs is a little bit of everything in the Warped Tour Compilation albums. There has been one every year since 1998 and every time, there is a taste of something new. These albums are the best gift for your fellow rock fans because it gives a little flavor of all the new bands and their emerging music styles. If you know people who are trying to broaden their horizons in their rock musical tastes, this is a great gift.
