Pazar 11 May 2008, 3:10

1. Bayside
An old friend of mine had sent me A Synonym for Acquiesce and I had a copy of Masterpiece on a Victory Records Sampler. I think I heard Masterpiece first, but I didn't really listen to it like I did Synonym. Anyways, neither of them really got me into Bayside at the time, but then around a year ago I stumbled across Masterpiece again and I realized I had to get the rest of their stuff. After obtaining their 3 albums I spent all of summer and most of fall listening to them probably more than it's healthy.
First Heard: Let's say A Synonym for Acquiesce
Current Favorite: Devotion and Desire

2. Thursday
Get ready to hear this one a lot. So summer of 2004 I was listening to a whole lot of the Warped Tour 2004 Compilation (back when the comps weren't filled with shit screamy bands and unoriginal radio pop). Then one day Tomorrow I'll Be You gets completely stuck in my head. Some time soon after that I got my hands on War All The Time and spent the next 3 years of my life completely obsessed with the band.
First Heard: Tomorrow I'll Be You
Current Favorite: Okay this is kinda weird, but Cross Out the Eyes (Live) the Live at Hellfest Version. It's just so amazing.

3. Motion City Soundtrack
I told you you'd hear this one a lot. So summer of 2004 I was…..same story, but instead of Tomorrow I'll Be You it was the insanely fun Capital H. From that point on I felt like MCS was an amazing band, but I didn't end up really getting into them until a year later when Make Out Kids was on the 2005 Warped Comp. At this point they were 2/2 so I went to their website where they had all of Commit This To Memory streaming. I spent about a month purely listening to that before I got an actual hard copy for myself.
First Heard: Capital H
Current Favorite: Last Night

4. Silverstein
So summer of 2005 I was sitting in my room on my new laptop one night doing some coding while listening to the 2005 Warped Tour Compilation when their Smashed Into Pieces demanded my attention. I couldn't get over the song. Some time in the early fall after that my dad got me Discovering the Waterfront and that was that.
First Heard: Smashed Into Pieces
Current Favorite: Fist Wrapped in Blood

5. The Matches
Am I sounding like a broken record yet am I sounding like a broken record yet am I sounding like a broken record yet? I never realized how much I have to thank the 2004 and 2005 Warped Tour Comps for introducing me to my favorite bands. Those were some good fucking CDs. So summer of 2004 one of the songs I listened to a crapload was Audio Blood. I liked the song a lot, but I don't think I really investigated the band until the next year when they had Dog-eared Page on the Comp. By that point they were 2/2 too and I went to their PureVolume page, where I downloaded all of the tracks they had up for free at the time. It was all really good stuff (from E.Von Dahl Killed the Locals). After that they kinda sunk away for a while for me until I was in the car with my best friend and he was playing a sampler he had, which included What Katie Said off of Decomposer. That's when I decided I had to get that album and I'd say I really got into them.
First Heard: Audio Blood
Current Favorite: Oh my god, From 24C <3

6. The Format
*gasp* An artist that hasn't glimpsed the likes of Warped. They were an old friend's favorite band and she sent me a few of their songs, The First Single (Cause a Scene), Wait, Wait, Wait. I thought they were alright, but nothing really special. Some time after that (when Dog Problems had just come out) she was singing a couple songs to me on the phone (Dog Problems and Inches and Falling) and that's when I really got into them. Dog Problems was all so amazing and catchy, and after that I was more able to appreciate their earlier stuff.
First Heard: The First Single (Cause a Scene)
Current Favorite: If Work Permits (and it always will be)

7. Barenaked Ladies
Actually, I think we're out of the Warped woods for a while now. Me and these guys go back the furthest of any band I still listen to. I still remember the first time I heard One Week on the radio one night driving back from the pool. They're a lot more accessible to my parents than most of what I listen to (plus I was young), so they and I kinda got into them together. My dad got Stunt and Maroon and so I grew up on them.
First Heard: One Week
Current Favorite: I'd be remiss if I didn't say the theme for The Big Bang Theory. XD

8. Emery
Well, I remember about 2 years ago I was looking for a new band to get into and I had Walls on a sampler, so I decided to make it them. Good choice and great timing. On a whim I picked up The Question which is INfuckingCREDIBLE. I listened to that album an unholy amount. They were a really sudden and strong thing.
First Heard: Walls
Current Favorite: Returning the Smile You Have Had From the Start

9. Scary Kids Scaring Kids
Last year in early October I bought tickets for the Halloween Chiodos concert because Emery was on the bill. Since I didn't want to go just to see one supporting act I listened to a bit of Chiodos and SKSK. I tried Chiodos and just couldn't get into them, so I tried SKSK's The City Sleeps In Flames. I really wasn't feeling that either, but after I tried to moving on to listening to something else that day all I craved was SKSK's sound. So I came back to them and really got into them after that. In fact, by Halloween I was more excited about SKSK than I was Emery (largely because I'm Only A Man was such a huge let-down following The Question).
Heard First: My Darkest Hour
Current Favorite: Toss up: The Only Medicine or The Deep End

10. Brand New
Brand New was another one of those bands I got into after being introduced by an old friend. She sent me Okay, I Believe You, but My Tommy Gun Don't, Soco Amaretto Lime, Sudden Death In Carolina and a handful of others. Slowly but surely I got more and more into them, the more I listened. I suppose you could say it was the opposite of Emery.
Heard First: It was one of the 3 I mentioned above.
Current Favorite: I Will Play My Game Beneath the Spin Light

11. Straylight Run
Okay, same aforementioned old friend sent me The Tension and the Terror and Hands In the Sky (Big Shot). Flirted with them for a while, but nothing much, then last winter I downloaded all of Straylight Run and I really fell in love with them at that point.
Heard First: The Tension and the Terror
Current Favorite: It's for the Best <3 Nate

12. Greeley Estates
Okay, we're back to this pattern again. 2005, sometime after I went through that Silverstein swing Greeley's Don't Look Away caught my attention and I started listening to them. It was a bit mellow at first, since all I had was their EP Caveat Emptor. Eventually Far From the Lies came out and I got it and proceeded to love it greatly (and EVERYONE who sees my CD can't help but comment on how beautiful the art is).
Heard First: Don't Look Away
Current Favorite: This Moment

13. mewithoutYou
I think I had my strangest encounter of the list with these guys. I was listening to The Legion of Doom and I thought their half of Dangerous Business Since 1979 (mewithoutYou vs. Underoath) was incredible so I sought out Catch For Us the Foxes. I was right. At first I was a little taken aback by the lack of…I don't really know how to put it compared to a richer remix mash-up, but their music raw is a different experience. I just sort of got into them in growing bursts. I'd listen to the CD a little, come back to it in a couple months and listen to it more and so on. When I got Brother, Sister they had definitely fallen into my list of bands I absolutely love to death.
Heard First: January 1979
Current Favorite: That changes so often; whatever's stuck in my head. At this very moment I'll give the nod to Leaf and O, Porcupine.

To be continued…