Just before America bled and shortly after Y2K failed, the 21st century started with a rock/roll bang, or whimper depending upon which of you miscreants is reading this with the advent of iTunes in early January. Shortly after, the President known as George Herbert Walker Bush took office, and until late-2016, we thought that this was the worst possible option for our great nation, but he seems super sweet now for a domestic terrorist with his adroable bond with Michelle Obama. 2001 also had some monumental albums from blink-182, The Strokes, System of a Down, Dashboard Confessional, and more acts that STILL stream well. This article is not about these J-date success stories, but it is designed to highlight the top ten most underrated full-length studio albums from 2001 in alphabetical order. You hate us because you ain’t us, so we know we’re wrong already.
Bad Astronaut “Acrophobe”
Side projects don’t usually get the same love as their prequel episode, and mostly for valid reasons, but Bad Astronaut’s debut full-length studio album “Acrophobe” managed to be superior to SOME, but not ALL Lagwagon records; All is a great band too but we digress. Joey Cape is the prolific gent behind BA and Its multi-genre sound landscape is different in the best way, and you likely missed it because you were too busy talking about “The Sopranos.” The band released two more albums but sadly closed shop in 2006 after the death of drummer Derrick Plourde. To add insult to injury, after the band reunited in 2010, they lost another drummer as Erik Herzog also passed away. Although the band is forever marred in not one, but two tragedies, their catalog remains standing the test of time, and “Acrophobe” is timely AND timeless any day, month, or year.
Breaking Pangaea “Cannon to a Whisper”
Google Fred Mascherino and you will find A LOT of bands that he has been a part of including his current stint Say Anything and The Lemonheads… but we are here to discuss the oft-overlooked Breaking Pangaea, which is likely mispronounced even more than Mascherino. The band also featured Will Noon on drums, who later moonlit in Straylight Run. “Cannon to a Whisper” is BP’s only full-length studio effort and it came out at the very tail end of 2001, making it eligible for this esteemed list by just under twenty-one days. Sadly the band broke up just three years later, but happily they reunited for a one-off show in 2019. If you think that Warped tour vets can’t play their instruments, then you definitely haven’t seen punk legend John Mayer cosplaying Jerry Garcia.
Every Time I Die “Last Night In Town”
Every Time I Die is a critical darling in inferior publications, but their public love often starts with their sophomore full-length “Hot Damn!” and subsequently moves forward, skipping this underrated gem. However, both literally and figuratively, “Hot Damn” would not be their second if “Last Night In Town” was eliminated from history, and this release is a brutal by definition introduction to the band. Want proof? Play it for your octogenarian Grandma and count how many seconds it takes her to say, “Turn that racket off!” Enter without knocking, notify the police, DON’T listen to her, and blast LNIT even louder; that’ll show ‘em. Buffalo’s favorite sons not named Goo Goo Dolls deserve more listens on this LP.
Fenix TX “Lechuza”
Fenix TX’s last full-length studio album “Lechuza” is quite the paradox as it managed to be certified gold yet still under the radar. Maybe it’s because the pop-punk boom was, uh, booming? Maybe it’s because it’s significantly heavier than its self-titled predecessor? Or maybe it’s because it was reviewed poorly in whack “news” outlets? Whatever it is, we’re touched by it much like Judge Reinhold in the 1980s comedy goldmine “Fast Times at Ridgemont High.” We may get flak for this, but “Lechuza” is Fenix TX’s best album, just ask the cast of 1980s drama gem “Stand By Me,” Jem is truly outrageous (truly, truly, truly outrageous). Barn owls, pastures of muppets, dead horses, and the state of Texas would all combine together into a happy tearjerker if you put this LP in heavy rotation.
Mad Caddies “Rock The Plank”
Ska record one of two in this piece: If you like your ska with a heavy morsel of Dixieland, well Mad Caddies’ “Rock The Plank” is for you. Jack Sparrow approved this very entry, and because of said accolade the Goleta, California band’s third album doesn’t let up from start to finish with an “R” and the “Sea.” Actually, the band’s entire catalog is too slept on for its own good, so you should dig into the two that came before “Rock The Plank” and the others that followed. FYI: Track two, “Mary Melody” is a personal favorite and easily not only one of the best songs on this album, but one of their most high quality numbers altogether… What can WE do? Just try NOT to tap your feet and/or smile to this one! Spoiler alert from Paul Heyman: You can’t. No no no.
Muse “Origin Of Symmetry”
Yes, fools, we know before we write the rest of this section that many of you will scoff at this entry and your cold hearts that have yet to merge into a supermassive black hole, but stateside it took Muse one more album for things to start to literally plug in, baby, so this one is a new born for many domestically; we’re feeling good about these Easter Egg mentions but not about your lack of acumen. Disagree? Well this album wasn’t even released in the US until four years later, so you can take your attitude to where the sun doesn’t shine. In closing, Muse absolutely put the “power” in power trio into “Origin Of Symmetry,” and eventually took over the world. Lucky concert attendees usually get to hear a song or two from this full-length studio album at Muse rock/roll/party/soul shows.
Rocket From The Crypt “Group Sounds”
A horn section playing in a band that ISN’T ska? Blasphemy OR badass? You decide, but we know that it’s mad cool, daddy-o, AND we love ska unironically; if you don’t believe us, look into our ska week that took place earlier this year. After leaving Interscope Records shortly after their also underrated almost self-titled acronym named album, San Diego’s Rocket From The Crypt signed to Vagrant Records and released “Group Sounds,” which is exactly that but more fiery. Self-produced albums are a mixed bag with more rotten apples than crisp/juicy ones, but RFTC proved to the haters that they had all things production and arrangement under AND out of control. Fun fact: The band played this album in full at Riot Fest in 2022.
Rx Bandits “Progress”
Ska record two of two in this piece: If you like your ska with a combination of every musical genre in existence, well Rx Bandits’ “Progress” is for you. Easily one of the better ska albums of the 21st Century, “Progress” is also one of the more underrated Drive-Thru Records releases as well. Also, if you had a chance to go to Warped Tour the following year, said label had its own stage, and Rx Bandits performed on it with honors/bands that your older brother Irving still rocks out to like Home Grown, Finch, The Starting Line, The Movielife, and more. Rx Bandits got weirder in the best way with each subsequent release but we posit that this one was more of their oddity gateway drug, as their prior LP was more straight ahead. Well, we here like things weird, and we love it when bands, uh, progress.
Semisonic “All About Chemistry”
So much more than“Closing Time,” which is honestly the ’90s version of “Sweet Caroline” but we digress. Minneapolis, Minnesota’s Semisonic got a combination of an insane degree of success and an extremely unfair shake as they were relegated to one hit wonder status after the aforementioned mega-single was no longer their current one. Still, we’d rather have one hit than none, amirite? “All About Chemistry,” Semisonic’s third full-length studio album should’ve kept the band afloat for much, much longer but it unfortunately caused the act’s periodic table to fall down and break (up) for the first time. Honestly, it’s more of an album experience than their sophomore full-length that featured “Closing Time,” and we implore you to disagree. Happily, the band finally released a follow-up record last year, making the sun a little bit brighter… and now we’re about to close out tonight and forever.
Sense Field “Tonight And Forever”
The alphabet doesn’t lie, so we guess we’re opening and closing this piece with something sad: Sense Field’s vocalist Jon Bunch left this earth in 2016 and we’d love to send our condolences to his family, friends, and bandmates, who were likely regarded as a combination of family AND friends. Even though this effort from the underrated Sense Field had a minor hit with “Save Yourself,” most casual rock fans who overuse the word emo likely don’t know about any senses but failing ones… and that’s ok, but don’t let it happen again! We promise to not ask you to name three songs by the band. Anyway, this full-length studio record needs more public affection on social media and offline as it found a way to remain timeless through love songs, emergency exits, and fun never ending. Could you save yourself for someone who could love you for you?