Various

Warped Tour 2003 Compilation (2003)
Side One Dummy Records

Reviewer Rating:

Contributed by: Adam
(others by this writer | submit your own)
Published on June 10th 2003

I usually give these things a good score because, hey, it's 50 songs for the price of a quality sandwich. If you're at least slightly interested in hearing the unreleased tracks on this sucker than that should be reason enough to pick it up. However this suffers from the same flaws as other massive punk compilations.

I'd love to have the tracklisting reflect the lineup of this year's festival. I understand that the scheduled release of the CD probably conflicts with the confirmation of all the acts, but whatever the circumstances headlining bands like Rancid, The Ataris and AFI are noticeably absent. However to SideOne's credit there are new tracks from the majority of the other headliners on here. New tunes from The Suicide Machines, Less Than Jake, Thrice, the Dropkick Murphys, Me First & The Gimmie Gimmies and others make this worth checking out.

As always with these massive compilations, we have the doldrums. Maybe its just a the result of trying to sit through both CDs back to back, but there are (seemingly) long stretches of too-similar music that kill the momentum. On this year's comp that quagmire is located around tracks 16 to 21 of the first disc: a string of mostly radio-emo that goes Senses Fail -> Stairwell -> Story Of The Year -> Useless ID -> Matchbook Romance -> Early November. Not to knock those bands per-se, but the momentum simply lags here. Call it the curse of packing so much music into one release: arrangement is a bitch.

With that off my chest, there's a lot of great stuff here. Most prominent is the new Suicide Machines song "Your Silence." The track has everything you can ask for, raging punk/hardcore that eclipses their "Battle Hymns" material and a tantalizing upstroke bridge to build anticipation for their full length. NOFX contribute a great politically charged track from their "13 Stitches" 7" while Less Than Jake throw in the fun "Anthem" b-side "ASAOK." The new Dropkick Murphys and Thrice full lengths are previewed with a duo of strong tracks. The Bouncing Souls kick off the second disc with the speedy "Born Free" from their new record.

Two bands that surprised me were Letter Kills and S.T.U.N.. With "Don't Believe" Letter Kills prove how good screamy post-punk can actually sound if the band remembers that rock & roll can be loud, fast and fun. Meanwhile S.T.U.N inject a Beastie Boys / Janes Addiction vibe into the metallic-punk of "The Movement." Strong album cuts from a ton of bands fill in the gaps, including music from Tsunami Bomb, Jackson, Rise Against and others.

My favorite moment comes from Boston's Avoid One Thing. In a track co-written by the Alkaline Trio's Matt Skiba and H2O's Toby Morse, they rip into mall punk culture with "Pop Punk Band." The key moment being Joe Gittleman's lament "Our love it can't be wrong... I wanna sing like Tom Delonge!." Another high point is when Me First & The Gimmie Gimmie's respectfully cover Jimmy Cliff's "The Harder They Come." As the original is one of the greatest songs of all time (disagree and we'll fight), the fact that Me First's version never once loses its seriousness is credit enough.

Of course there's stuff I didn't appreciate. Taking Back Sunday have the "sneak peek version" (whatever that means) of a song called "Your Own Disaster." It's one of the finest examples of quasi-acoustic, vocally off-tune sap-emo I've ever come across. I could do without Coheed and Cambria's Geddy Lee impression as well, Rush bothers me enough on their own. Yellowcard, Simple Plan and Mest stick out as far too sugary and in comparison to the other bands here.

As always, personal preference more than anything is controlling what bands I'm focusing on in this review. You'll get the most enjoyment out of the new Warped Tour comp by listening to it as individual blocks of 2-3 tracks at a time that. It works far better as a sampler than as an album, so taken that way it's quite effective.

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

Anonymous (May 25, 2004)

It is better than my ass!

Anonymous (June 15, 2003)

What Thrice song is on here? Either "Under a Killing moon" or more likely "All thats left" right? I might buy this comp just to hear one of their new songs, the artist in the ambulance is gonna be so great. I really dont understand why people hate this band....i think its just because they got stuck in the whole "scremo" label because of there vocals. Oh well. Great band. And it doesnt matter how many shit songs ar eon here, the 10 or so good ones make it easily worth its 4-7 dollar admission price....especially unreleased shit.

Anonymous (June 15, 2003)

i disagree with one part of the review. i think 'pop punk band' is the worst fuckign song ever. its like cmon guys, a washed up bosstone and that lame washed up dork from h20 trying to be bad ass by ripping on bands with members 18 years younger than them. i mean, did u miss the last h20 album? and now toby is trying to bash pop punk? and i love alk3, but where the hell does skiba get the balls to bash pop punkers? talk about biting the hand that feeds. and last i chedked, avoid one thing was just boring pop punk anyway, teh only reason they got on this comp is cuz they're on side one dummy. sounds just like a buncha jealous old guys, pissed at the success of bands much younger and more talented than them. go ahead and try to defend toby morse, tone deaf former hard core guy wishing he was in new found glory. this song really pissed me off, i
m sorry

Anonymous (June 15, 2003)

haha

inagreendase (June 13, 2003)

yeah, i'll have to complete the hat trick...the kicked in the head song is definitely a catchy number. ironically, i had that song stuck in my head goaltending games in my school's hockey tournament - in which my team lost in the finals. IRONY AT ITS CORE

Anonymous (June 13, 2003)

that kicked in the head song does rock! This rating is for that song!

evildeadalive (June 12, 2003)

I wonder if Sara(with no h) is related to Jefrey with one f Jefrey.

Anonymous (June 12, 2003)

DAMN, I swear they must have some of these bands on contract. It's like the same bands every year.

Sara(no h)

Anonymous (June 12, 2003)

Man that Kicked in the Head track is kicking my ass. Good job guys... reinventing their sound again!This is the best Warped Tour Comp since World Warped III in 2000BostonMusicGuy

inagreendase (June 11, 2003)

new rancid drops indestructible on july 22. of course, i got this from a punknews news post which got it from alternative press. all sources credited so im done

Anonymous (June 11, 2003)

i really don't understand a "punk comp" with more then 20 songs on it. it just gets to be redundant and lameass. the "purpose" of the warped comp is the sell a bunch at the show itself along with every other "cheap comp" I mean if you are a suicide machines fan you are gonna buy this cd for one song? come on thats lameass. 50 songs is a lot for me to listen to a "good" comp never goes over 23 in my opinion and that too is "a lot"

Eddie (June 11, 2003)

BEST TRACKS:
NOFX, Suicide Machines, Less Than Jake No Use for a Name

WORST TRACKS:
Simple Plan, Poison the Well, Casualites, Mest

Anonymous (June 11, 2003)

instead of laughing like "hahaha" laugh like this: "oioioi" then whenever someones says somthing funny, you can go "oioioi" and you will be more punk rock.

Anonymous (June 11, 2003)

hahahahah
that's funny.

"chances are slim you'll see a new rancid CD before warped starts"
nice, I like the sarcasm.

Anonymous (June 11, 2003)

Considering Warped starts in about 5 days, I think chances are slim you'll see a new Rancid record before that.

Anonymous (June 11, 2003)

The Briefs rock!

CallingLondon (June 11, 2003)

anyone know when the rancid album comes out? i hope it's before warped starts

Anonymous (June 11, 2003)

My favorite cheap comp really isn't THAT cheap, but it's the Dirtnap across america comp. featuring The Epoxies, The Briefs, Exploding Hearts, The Diskords, and probably 25 or more artist you most likely wouldn't know about unless you were from the Northwest area. You all should check it out

InaGreendase (June 11, 2003)

I'm logged in. Are we happy now? The name has an s because when I originally made this name a few years ago for AIM/AOL/etc. the correctly spelled version was taken, so I changed it to an s and it stuck. Pretty simple logic behind that...it doesn't really matter whether I'm logged in or not, most people know (hate) me around here and will still know it's me when I put my name at the bottom. People like sickboi do it to, chill out

Anonymous (June 11, 2003)

Definately the Give Em The Boots

Anonymous (June 11, 2003)

any thoughts on what your favorite cheap comp is? mine would have to be one of the first two "Give Em the Boot" comps. Probably the second.

Anonymous (June 11, 2003)

inagreendase does have an account... its just that at times hes not at his computer and is too lazy to log in... i do the same.. well the first disk is pretty good, and the second cd is not so good, except for the unseen song which is pretty good. mest sucks. every song from their past 3 albums sounds exactly the same.

thrice=god

Kurt_F (June 11, 2003)

Stupid typo!

though=thought

Kurt_F (June 11, 2003)

Random though:

A lot of people are going to be scratching thier heads when they hear the new Brand New album. It's nothing like "Your Favorite Weapon." I can only imagine how many people are going to say the sentence "YFW is so much better than this cd" or "Thier old stuff is better."

Blah.

Anonymous (June 11, 2003)

Agreed that Avoid One Thing had one of the best records last year that very few people bought. Kings of Nuthin' had the other. The Get-Up Kids had the worst record that too many people bought.
Also agreed that the best you can hope for liking on these things are 15 songs and five of them you will probably already have on other albums - same with Punk O Rama. Good way to hear a lot of different bands, though. Last year, it was AOT I heard for the first time.
Also, also, lost in the list of props has to be the Swinging Utters. I have never bought one of their CDs, but every song I've heard from them I like. Maybe I should.

Anonymous (June 11, 2003)

this comp is worth it just to hear the Letter Kills song, there unbelieveable!

KirbyPuckett (June 11, 2003)

b) geddy lee...best bass player of all time (name the movie ;) )

I know it was said, but...Orgasmo is an awesome movie.

lieutenant (June 10, 2003)

Just wanted to add, upon listening to the track on the comp e-card, that the new Bouncing Souls material sounds really, really killer. Its classic Souls, meaning it really had me smiling the whole time. Of course you have to smile fast, its a speedy beat with the most charm the band can exhibit. Forget Common Rider for a moment, the new Souls will be the "unity music" of 2003.

Anonymous (June 10, 2003)

The only band on the tour that really should have been on here is M-80. I'm not in the band, but I'm a huge fan. They're local to the Rhode Island area and happen to be the only unsigned band playing the tour.

lieutenant (June 10, 2003)

Goddamn. I really never have liked compilations (mix tapes have sentimental value, compilations usually bore me - though I am aware intrinsically they are not too different), but I will have to buy this album, as new AOT/Matt Skiba, Suicide Machines, and Bouncing Souls tracks are tempting enough. But to be completely honest, and this mat attack my credibility as a "free spirit", but I always feel weird buying albums like this. So shoot me, I can be needlessly self-conscious. Eh.

Shindo (June 10, 2003)

Either search for their website (it has media online) or check back here Sunday... they might just be MP3 o' the week...

Anonymous (June 10, 2003)

Who's STUN? Anyone got samples?

Anonymous (June 10, 2003)

This score is for Thrice, and metal combined. Woo hoo!

Anonymous (June 10, 2003)

I dont think Matt Skiba personally chooses who sells his records. So he can talk shit about Hot Topic all he wants.

and like Thrice or not, I can't name a band that sounds a lot like them. I mean there is a ton of sing/scream bands but how many throw in metallica like riffs? Or at least did that before Thrice did.

Anonymous (June 10, 2003)

the first cd is pretty good and the second cd is not so good. i like how the new ltj song sounds like their old stuff-even tho their new cd sucks, that song shows they can still rock-the thrice song sounds too much like new strung out and the rufio song sounds too much like 'more betterness'-era no use for a name-stand out tracks from the first cd are the suicide machines song (like that they are going back to their old style) the ltj song, the yellowcard song, the STUN song (sounds like blood brothers, really good) the jackson song (i find it catchy, shoot me)and the stairwell song (closer to weezer than ozma is)-the second cd didn't rerally do it for me-i like the watered-down kid dynamite sound that none more black has going for it-i like the absolutely ridiculous andrew wk song and i think the instrumentals on the coheed song are pretty cool, i also kind of like the mad caddies and allister songs on this cd, not so good but catchy-this cd is worth it for 7 bucks, chances are you'll really like at least 12 of the songs

Anonymous (June 10, 2003)

Nintendo 89 is the Audio Karate song.

The other S.T.U.N. song I've heard "Annihilation Of The Generation" doesn't sound much like Ratm

Anonymous (June 10, 2003)

Thrice is so bad and so unoriginal, damn kids... get a clue.

gutterhippo (June 10, 2003)

what audio karate song is on the cd? i love that band!

Anonymous (June 10, 2003)

I hear a little RATM in STUN I suppose, but I don't think they're all that similar from what I've heard of 'em so far. Definitley more of a faster punk band.

Anonymous (June 10, 2003)

New Bouncing Souls and SM? Damn.... now I got something else to pick up w/ the murphys cd today... nevermind the planet smashers

Anonymous (June 10, 2003)

And Melvin on the cover...mmmmmmmm sexy.

Anonymous (June 10, 2003)

I really enjoyed the face to face track as well as the other mentioned standouts pointed out in the above article.

Anonymous (June 10, 2003)

I suprisingly enjoyed the Mest song, and is it just me or does S.T.U.N. sound like Rage Against The Machine?

Anonymous (June 10, 2003)

New Warped comp is good shit!!! Faves so far are the songs by Thrice, DBS, and S.T.U.N.

Does anyone know where I can find out more about the latter band? As far as I can tell they don't have an album out yet.. Were any of those guys in another band before?

shindo (June 10, 2003)

To the guy a few messages below... I dont think the AOT sing is a "diss" (what a stupid word) on Tom as much as, like you said, "all these bands are tring to copy tom's singing style?"

Joseph (June 10, 2003)

Inagreendase (did you mean daze?) why dont you register a name on here to post with? I don't care what you put at the bottom of your posts, its whats up top I identify you with. It's not THAT hard to register here...

Anyway, I'm gonna pick up the comp soon enough just because it's cheap as all-get out... thing about it is, they only sell it at hot topic (where I live anyway) and so I have to get over there

Anonymous (June 10, 2003)

Instead of spending 7 bucks on this holy piece of shit, I bought the Bouncing Souls' last album used...

Suckahs.

Anonymous (June 10, 2003)

"pre packaged punk confomrmity..so fuck me"

I kind of think it's tounge in cheek and kind of a fuck you to people who sat shit to Matt.

Anonymous (June 10, 2003)

In regards to the Avoid One Thing Song...

I really don't get it, is it a full out diss on "pop punk" or is it more tongue and cheek? Anyway you look at it Alkaline Trio is a pop punk band ( a good one at that, not shitty ass mall crap like SImple Plan, Starting Line,GC), and Matt is a fan of Blink182 and toured with them, so when Joe makes the Tom Delonge comment is he making a flat out diss, or saying how all these bands are tring to copy tom's singing style?
also hot topic carries this damn CD, as does merchandise for avoid one thing and alkaline trio...Just a thought

CaptainCrunch (June 10, 2003)

I saw STUN last night with Dredg and they were very good.

As for this comp, I haven't listened to it yet, but you can't beat 50 songs for 4 bucks.

Anonymous (June 10, 2003)

Best songs:
Suicide Machines - Your Silence
Nofx - Glass War
Less Than Jake - ASAOK
Avoid One Thing - Pop Punk Band
Bouncing Souls - Born Free
Dropkick Murphys - Walk Away
Swingin' Utters - Glad
Rise Against - Like An Angel
The Briggs - Media Control

I was also suprised with the Rufio, Glassjaw, and Audio Karate songs.

dropkick (June 10, 2003)

the avoid on ething track is good, AND SO IDS THE DKM 1

THEIR NEW RECORD IS OUT TODAY SO GO GET IT, SERIOUSLY GET OF YOUR LAZY ASS AND GET IT

WHY AREWNT YOU AT THE RECORD STORE,GO GO GO

Anonymous (June 10, 2003)

*** does any one know if that song called "somewhere on Fullerton" by Allister is about the Fireside Bowl in Chicago? I really dont like that song at all, but if i remember correctly, they are from chicago, and the Bowl is on Fullerton... its just a thought.

Anonymous (June 10, 2003)

Pretty good comp.. if anything just for the huge amount of stuff on it. I agree, S.T.U.N. fuckin rocks. I caught them on the Bad Religion tour a few months back and was floored by them. A buddy scored an advance of their new record and it's perty sick! Can't wait to see 'em on Warped this summer.

Anonymous (June 10, 2003)

Oh come on,man,its Orgazmo."Ya know?Geddy Lee!Best bass player ever!Pssh!Thats some hot shit right there!"

Anonymous (June 10, 2003)

Not that I wanted it or anything, but wasn't Hazen St.(side project featuring members of H2O, Madball, NFG, etc.) supposed to have a song on this comp?

shindo (June 10, 2003)

a) I refer to Coheeds vocalist giving me a Geddy Lee vibe. They don't ~sound~ like Rush musically

b) no idea

c) "sneak peak version" comes straight from the liner notes, its not my term. And I stick by my opinion that the song (or at the very least this recording of it) is crap, despite the fact that the band's done better or not.

adam

Anonymous (June 10, 2003)

a) coheed and cambria are nothing like rush
b) geddy lee...best bass player of all time (name the movie ;) )
c) Your Own Disaster is from TBS' 5 song demo, it's not a sneak peek of anything, and it's great.

Fuzzy (June 10, 2003)

Avoid One Thing had the best CD you didn't buy in 2002. Go pick it up. I am looking forward to hearing this compilation very much.

Anonymous (June 10, 2003)

I must say, my favorite track on this is Kicked in the Head's song. I was suprised in how good this song actually was.

Anonymous (June 10, 2003)

well i know it was an obvious point but SOMEONE had to make it; at least i was the first and not the tenth or so. oh, and i like how called me "Mr. Anonymous" considering my name is at the bottom of the post. it must be that "everything gets hazy at 2 am" rule.

INAGREENDASE

Joseph (June 10, 2003)

In regards to the 3 points the fine anonymous gentleman posted right before me...

Matt Skiba knocking his vendors is like being the punk version of a tapeworm... hating corporate crap but being part of it, regardless, but in so doing, spreading anti-corporate messages to more people than he would otherwise reach. Kris Roe, frontman for The Ataris, sings a song of protest against the radio on The Ataris major-label debut, and sure enough, In This Diary is played all over the radio. Hot Topic sells his cd, and the radio-friendly kids who like In This Diary are gonna buy his cd and get bombarded with a song that is anti-radio, but has the poppiest, most radio friendly feel on the album. Besides this, and most obviously, this album gets radio play. What exactly is all this? Irony. You've touched upon it, congratulations.

Anonymous (June 10, 2003)

3 points to make.

Nofx really need to be less subtle about their metaphors. The first like...seven times you listen to "Glass War" it sounds like the most screwed-up song. All you hear is the spastic bass line and lyrics of "the shards are starting/it's a glass war." I'm sorry I put that in quotes because I haven't the slighest what the hell Mike is saying.

My cousin (thrice=god) thinks Agent M sounds like a female version of Matt Skiba. I had a good laugh at that because if you really listen, it's pretty true, in the verses of Tsunami Bomb's contribution anyway.

Speaking of Matty, the Avoid One Thing is pretty funny the first time around, but that Hot Topic line gets really repetitive, really quickly. And don't they sell Alkaline Trio shirts at Hot Topic? Not sure, but I found some hilarity in the hypocricy at a few general facts. 1) This comp is sold at Hot Topic. 2) This song is on THE WARPED TOUR 2003 CD. The words "self-mocking" doesn't even describe it well enough. This is the epitomy of a mall-punk concet tour. Endless pop-punk, emo, hardcore, screamo bands that clog our airwaves (which I admittingly listen to nonetheless) sponsored by major chains tryin' to hit up that 11-21 demographic. Who the hell knows what age range they're shootin' for nowadays...?

--- inagreendase

GregSka (June 10, 2003)

No compilation could ever rival the first warped compilation but I'll deffinately give this a listen

Anonymous (June 10, 2003)

comps suck

krowdsurf (June 10, 2003)

There's a lot of good shit on here, the best of which you mentioned (Suicide Machines, Less Than Jake, NoFX). I'm in complete agreement with you about "The Harder They Come," this song rules. Though I still prefer Rancid's version. All said, this is one of the best compilation cd's I've seen in awhile and a lot better than previous Warped comps.

Anonymous (June 10, 2003)

best songs:

NOFX, Suicide Machines, Avoid One Thing, Missing 23rd (get their stuff), Unseen, None More Black, Bouncing Souls, Thrice.

A step up from last year's.

Ramo