The first Monday of the New Year begins tomorrow. Before we look to the next 12 months of music, we should look at this past year. Before we can celebrate the new greats, the return of the classics and look to growth of the alternative genre and the artist therein we wanted to take a look of who made splashes on the scene, songs that became anthems, bands that clawed their way back from the edge and those we sadly had to say goodbye to.
2010 was the end of a decade and a year that moshed to the rebel anthems “Break” (Three Days Grace) “I Will Not Bow” (Breaking Benjamin) and “Uprising” (Muse) while it partied to “I Want You To” (Weezer). In 2010, we heard the first song after losing the Rev and “Nightmare” shot up the charts. “Catalyst” redefined Linkin Park in a controversial dance through genres while “In One Ear” thanked fans and proved that Cage the Elephant was no one-trick-pony. While songs like “The Good Life” made it into the Top 40, the majority of the alternative scene fell short of that A-list. It didn’t matter, we might have been children of a lesser God in 2010, but powerful songs like “Kings and Queens” (30 Seconds to Mars) rocked our year. What else can we do but look forward to the singles of 2011?
2010 proved to be a big year for some bands and their albums. Following their dabbles in new genres on Minutes to Midnight, Linkin Park returned to the scene with a new sound, one not at first accepted, with A Thousand Suns, an album that gained popularity. Motion City Soundtrack delivered with their highly anticipated My Dinosaur Life. Though it was released in 2009, fans rocked to Kings of Leon’s Only By the Night all year. Remember Good Morning Revival? Good Charlotte bounced between producers before dropping Cardiology, an upbeat Pop album that moved away from the gritty roots: who can blame them, Joel’s not nearly as angry as he used to be. Perhaps the most important album dropped on the scene in 2010 though, may just be the latest one to drop. Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, dropped in November and it and the single “Na Na Na” gained near instant popularity as fans surged to the return of My Chemical Romance.
Danger Days proved to fans what Gerard Way said of “Na Na Na”: “[The MCR] spirit is back” and the energy that continued through the album saved a band that fans were afraid may have burned bright, fast, and out. My Chemical Romance takes the cake when it comes to comebacks this year. Blink 182 promised an album, but we all know how that went; we’ll still take their word for it this time and they did manage to tour Europe in 2010.
2010 proved to be a big year for touring. Warped Tour went off for the fifteenth year in a row. Though Bamboozle Left may have ran for its last year in 2010- at least for a while- the road show enjoyed success, uniting core pop-punk bands All Time Low, Boys Like Girls and Forever The Sickest Kids and marking the return of Simple Plan to the active music scene. Honda Civic Tour returned to the stage and All Time Low toured America for the last time before releasing their first big label album. Avenged Seven Fold took to the stage and mourned the Rev with fans during their Nightmare tour, perhaps one of the biggest headlined tours of the year.
Unfortunately, not any or all music news is good news. 2010 marked the 40th anniversary of the Beatles’ break up. It also became the year when Panic! At The Disco drama hit the fan, fans were forced to say good bye to Matt Rubano as he left Taking Back Sunday in March to be replaced by the original members. The Killers announced an indefinite hiatus in 2010. The bassist of rising band The Word Alive left on friendly terms while, naturally, fans of the alternative genre are wrapped around the rocky departure of the Farro brothers from Paramore. No doubt, we’ll continue to hear about this particular divorce into 2011.
On a brighter note, there were many bands that picked up quite a bit of steam in 2010. Neon Trees enjoyed a high spot on the charts with the single “Animal” off their first full length album. Asking Alexandria and We Came As Romans are growing in popularity, right along D.R.U.G.S. all making it into Alternative Press’ “Most Anticipated” issue. Canadian band My Darkest Days toured with Papa Roach and Before You Exit opened a full tour, with Rocket to the Moon, for All Time Low. The Wonder Years and Every Avenue gained popularity in the pop-punk genre and The Ready Set signed with Pete Wentz’ label.
When the ball dropped in NYC this past Friday, it marked the end of a year and the end of a decade. It closed a year of musical development, loss and growth. Here’s to the alternative scene, this great past year and to the opportunities of the next.
-NSS 1/3/2011: 3:26 a.m.
neverstopstereo 