Against Me! - White Crosses (2010)

I hate being the guy who complains about a band abandoning their old sound, but it’s difficult to avoid that sentiment with Against Me!’s new album. They have been my favorite band for about four years now, with their debut album Reinventing Axl Rose remaining one of my favorite albums of all time. Now, eight years after they released that album, something is different. Something is even quite different from 2007 when they released New Wave which was a great album despite being miles apart from their debut. Now, in 2010, the songwriting is definitely weaker. I keep feeling as though they’re trying to replicate their previous fury, but not quite nailing it. The lyrics feel a bit forced and are more general complaints than specific criticisms, as they used to be; they’re less hard-hitting. I should note, that in the hands of most bands, these songs would be far worse. Tom Gabel injects passion into everything he says, and his voice is capable of turning a bad song into a mediocre one, a decent one into a great one, and so on, in my mind. “White Crosses,” “High Pressure Low,” and “I Was a Teenage Anarchist” are all quite catchy. “Suffocation” is the best song on the album and fits nicely alongside my favorites from their back catalog. There are a few that I haven’t learned to like yet, but in time I’m sure I’ll come to terms with Against Me!’s changing sound and my opinion of this album will probably become more positive. I think that when they play these songs live, they’ll be performed with the same passion and fury as all of their material. This is certainly my least favorite album of theirs, but I remain a fan because they’ve given me so much terrific music. One album not up to their usual standards is not going to end my fandom, and if they want to play radio-friendly modern rock they’ll do it better than most of the bands doing that.

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Against Me! - The Original Cowboy (2009)

Eight demos of songs from their second album As the Eternal Cowboy (2003). They do sound somewhat different from the final versions, mainly they’re a bit rougher around the edges, but none of these are really alternate versions of the songs, and thus they may not seem necessary for those who aren't already fans of the band. None of the songs are really different enough to merit purchasing this. Against Me! is my favorite band, so this is worthwhile for me, but unless you are a fan or haven't heard them and want to, you probably don't need this. LISTEN

Against Me! - Reinventing Axl Rose (2002)

Against Me! are my favorite band. They epitomize punk music as I know and love it. There’s a monumental feeling to their music. Tom Gabel’s vocals are powerful and contribute immensely to the intensity of this music and have really come to define the band. “Reinventing Axl Rose” is their first album as a full band and their best full-length in my opinion. It has a folky sing-along style to the vocals that disappeared on their later albums, which are still great by the way. As a result, this is not only very raw, but also has something friendly and inviting about it. A lot of these are very good fast punk songs, such as “Walking is Still Honest” and “Pints of Guinness,” but Against Me! are special because of how well they can pull of protest songs like “Those Anarcho Punks” (my personal favorite), “Baby, I’m an Anarchist!” and “8 Full Hours of Sleep.” It’s easy to get a bit worn out by Gabel’s wailing vocals and left-wing rants, but what makes this music so meaningful to me is that I agree with every word they say. The volume and urgency to the music further cements their messages; it’s the way these things need to be said. Also, some of the lyrics are very clever. I cannot recommend this album enough. Recommended tracks: all except "The Politics of Starving" and "Scream it Until You're Coughing up Blood" which are merely ok. rapidshare

1. Pints of Guinness Make You Strong (2:40)
2. The Politics of Starving (3:06)
3. We Laugh at Danger (And Break All the Rules) (3:17)
4. I Still Love You Julie (3:12 )
5. Scream It Until You're Coughing Up Blood (2:29)
6. Jordan's 1st Choice (2:08)
7. Those Anarcho Punks Are Mysterious... (2:24)
8. Reinventing Axl Rose (2:25)
9. Baby, I'm an Anarchist! (2:40)
10. Walking Is Still Honest (2:37)
11. 8 Full Hours of Sleep (4:00)

Sorry to use rapidshare. I much prefer mediafire, but I don't want to upload all the albums so I'll use what's available.