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?
One surefire way to become a guest on the Joe Rogan show is to get a bunch of people to compare you to Hitler, and we all know Hitler made a name for himself during WWII, but what about the men who made that great war possible in the first place? Today, as a special treat, Joe welcomes former Japanese Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoye, whose Wikipedia page Joe will read at him occasionally pausing to ask hard-hitting questions like “You did that stuff? Wow.” and “The bioavailability of fish protein is insane, right?” You’re gonna want an extra cup of Black Rifle Coffee and lion’s mane mushroom extract on hand as Joe breaks down how Konoye’s dissolvement of all rival political parties was a lot like his move to Spotify.
Ante Pavelić was the dictator of The Independent State of Croatia from 1941 to 1945, head of the ultranationalist organization Ustaša, and recipient of the Grand Cross of the Order of the German Eagle awarded by Hitler himself. After Joe harshly condemns his genocidal actions against Jews, Serbs, Roma, and anti-Fascists as “whacky” and “pretty nutty if I’m being honest dude” (right to his face!) the boys talk about how cool the Grand Cross looks, the importance of medals and the drive it takes to achieve them. Need nootropics on the go? Try Neurogum today. Use promo code JRE for $10 off your first order.
Fascist leaders are like highlanders bro—in the end, there can only be one. Of all the heads Hitler chopped off to gain the political equivalent of the quickening, Dollfuss’s probably… gave off the most sparks? I don’t know, I’m pretty high right now. From his humble beginnings as Minister of Agriculture and Forestry (before the libs took it over and made it all political yo) Dollfuss (or Dollfuß if you’re nasty) rose to become dictator of Austria. On paper, it sounds like he and Hitler would be great friends, but apparently, they weren’t because of some complicated history shit? Today Joe sits down with the former Chancellor of Austria to get to the bottom of this, but he doesn’t really pay a lot of attention and they wind up going on a tirade about trans athletes. Sick fucking episode, buckle up.
Brazil, retirement paradise of Nazi war criminals and home to some of the fiercest fighters in the world thanks to genetics and an 80% Toxoplasmosis infection rate brah. Today Joe has the pleasure of chatting with Getúlio Vargas, who served as President of Brazil from 1930 to 1945, and then again from 1951 to 1954. Hmm, a lot of these fascist dictator guys seem to have gaps like that… probably nothing to worry about. Anyway, Joe helps break down how Getúlio is proof positive that America can work with, not against fascist dictators by sighting FDR’s support of Estado Novo before devolving into a diatribe about how young people are going gay to get into Ivy League schools, all brought to you by the good people at Athletic Greens.
Should a country dismiss the legacy of a bonafide war hero just because he went on to seize control of the government and collaborate with one itsy bitsy Nazi dictator? Joe doesn’t think so! In the interest of fair and balanced media, Joe wants to give Pétain a chance to tell his side of the story. They’ll talk about how giving the slightest, completely empty protest to deporting French Jews to concentration camps wasn’t actually a big deal, why Charles De Gaulle was a cuck, and how to stay fit in exile way into your ’90s (hint, the secret isn’t soy milk bra!) Brought to you by Zip Recruiter.
Stalin’s got the kill count, Hitler’s got the branding, but isn’t there something to be said for staying power? Serving as Prime Minister of Portugal from 1932 to 1968, Oliveira established one of the longest-lived authoritarian regimes in all of modern Europe. Think about that bro! Today Joe picks his brain about how to best ward off contenders to the throne (he’s seeing Theo Von in his rearview a lot lately,) how to get ahead in fascism by adamantly claiming not to be a fascist, and how totalitarianism and capitalism can totes coexist!
Any Roganite knows it takes some seriously high T to become a fascist dictator, but pulling that shit off in the country that invented wrestling bro? Now that’s some real MAN shit. That’s probably why his whole country called him Daddy. Well, that and the fact that he demanded they do it. This week Joe sits with the Freethinkker’s Party founder to talk about how the Greek economic collapse of 2007 never would have happened with a strongman like him making all the decisions, the importance of book burnings, and how Pankration paved the way for mixed martial arts in 648 B.C.
In today’s guest corner, we have Il Duce, the founder, the Ray Kroc of fascism, it’s Benito Mussolini! This is the man who showed the greats how it was done, and Joe will be quick to remind you that he means “great” in the Dan Carlin way, with a big “G,” not great as in good. He’ll say it a lot though, to the point where you start to think “Is this a dog whistle? Does he want it both ways or something?” Mussolini laid out the blueprint of government that would be copied and adopted by nearly all Axis powers, basically what Joe did for the carnivore diet. Anyway, Joe takes him to task with hard-hitting critiques like “Yeah I mean, I can’t condone what you did and what it inspired, but like, you’re an O.G dude, that’s undeniable.”
When we think of WWII-era fascist Axis leaders, after efficiency, we think of very bad people who murdered Jews. Well, what if Joe Rogan told you that the dictator of Romania actually SAVED the majority of Jews in Romania proper from deportation to Poland? And what if Joe forgot to mention that he did so by killing 400,000 Jews in Romanian territories, seizing all wealth and property from the ones he didn’t deport, and pretty much just leaving the time and manner of their execution “TBD?” Well, Joe would get right on X (not Twitter) and post a correction, calling himself an idiot, but reminding you that you’re the bigger idiot for listening to him in the first place. Then he would go right back to directly influencing a sizable portion of the voting population.
The man himself. From Duncan Trussell to Elon Musk, it has all been leading to this folks. For years Joe has been telling his guests that it’s completely unfair they get compared to Hitler. Today, he reveals that this sentiment comes from a place of love and adoration. If you thought his Trump interview was a sycophantic cards-on-the-table moment, you ain’t seen nothing yet. After some light token criticism over his extermination of “an unclear number” of Jewish people, Rogan invites Hitler to open up about what it’s like to be a victim of liberal media bias. Joe can’t post the video out of fear of being shadowbanned, but there is totally a clip out there of “The View” hosts praising Hitler before the leftist political machine made them reverse course brah.
