Top 100 Records of the 21st Century (So Far) [2000-2024]: 30-21

30. Leave A Light On by 7 Seconds (2014)
Is it a controversial hot take to say that Leave A Light On is 7 Seconds best album? I don’t think so. The Reno, NV hardcore punk band started way back in 1980, released seminal records on BYO Records, went through multiple lineup changes, went through multiple stylistic changes going from hardcore punk to U2 inspired emo-esque Big Music to power poppy punk to grunge-y punk to a return to hardcore punk with some melodic hardcore on the side. Each era has its fans and at least one has its detractors, but I’m a fan of all of it. Leave A Light On is the only 7 Seconds record that takes bits and pieces from nearly all of those eras. The result is an album that rewards longtime fans while at the same time providing a great jumping on point for new fans. As it stands, Leave A Light On is the band’s final record and honestly, I can’t think of a better final bow for this legendary band.

29. Summer, Slowly by Benchmarks (2020)
Somehow Benchmarks followed up their incredible full-length debut with an album that is even better. Like its predecessor, Summer, Slowly mixes alt country, heavy metal, heartland rock, indie rock, punk, and college rock resulting in a sound that is wholly and completely their own. No one sounds like Benchmarks. I am especially drawn to the song “Our Finest Hour,” especially this verse –

we’re all searching for our own versions of Heaven over Hell
but nothing really changes until we decide to change ourselves
and I won’t settle to watch the world burn from up here in the cheap seats
but right now I know that I still need to listen before I speak

Bottom-line, Summer, Slowly is absolutely perfect.

28. Shit Present (EP) by Shit Present (2015)
Shit Present’s self-titled debut EP is hands down the best indie punk record of all time. Hard stop. 5 stars, 6 in the Tokyo Dome.

27. Gold Country by Chuck Ragan (2009)

Chuck Ragan’s sophomore solo full-length studio album, Gold Country, is easily his best and quite possibly the best thing he has ever done with any project or band. In the mid- to late-00s, Ragan became the standard bearer and benchmark for punks who picked up acoustic guitars. He certainly wasn’t the first, but he was the most prevalent of his generation. The song that hits me hardest, and has since the first time I heard it in 2011, is the opening track “For Goodness Sake.” These lyrics say it all –

A wise old friend recently told me:
"An idle mind is the devil's playpen"
Mind the gaps and watch them closely
Spread the love but choose your friends wisely
Love yourself, to love your family
And find the difference between wants and needs
Be sure to stop and count your blessings
Smell the roses and fight for something

To drawn hate like a stone
And walk the path overgrown
Never to lay awake
And if so for goodness sake

Now call me crazy, but all the old ways
Of living simple are slowly fading
All we buy is time before we die
And lay on down desensitized

26. Heartsongs (EP) by Aree & the Pure Heart (2015)
Aree & the Pure Heart’s debut EP Heartsongs is absolutely perfect. Easy five stars on the Meltzer scale. For those unfamiliar, Aree & the Pure Heart played passionate, heartfelt, anthemic punk rock ‘n’ roll and did it better than most.

25. Cheap Grills by Sincere Engineer (2023)
Sincere Engineer’s third album, Cheap Grills, is another absolutely superb album. This band is three for three. How is that possible? Seriously, how is this band this good?

24. You Can’t Stay Here by Iron Chic (2017)
This is my Iron Chic album. I know people whose favorite is the debut Not Like This and others for whom it is The Constant One. For me it’s You Can’t Stay Here. I loved this album when it came out in 2017, but it took on a whole new meaning for me in 2021 after my mother-in-law passed away. Much of You Can’t Stay Here deals with death and was written in the aftermath of former guitarist Rob McAllister’s passing. This record provided comfort and solace for me in a really dark time and for that I am forever grateful. ★★★★★.

23. SkyTigers (EP) by Red City Radio (2018)
SkyTigers is hands down Red City Radio’s best record and the peak of their creative powers. Okay, their 2019 single “Love a Liar” is probably the best song they ever wrote, but you have to go with the single version and not the version they re-recorded for their 2020 album Paradise. Truth be told, the band probably should have called it a day after “Love a Liar” and exited the stage on good terms. But I digress… Getting back to SkyTigers, this record shows the many sides of the band and their influences with tracks that are absolutely their take on country ("I'll Still Be Around”) and glam metal (“In the Shadows”). The standout moment is the title track, an epic and powerful anthem that incorporates gospel choir style vocals that help drive home the song’s incredible message. It really is a shame that the band never got to perform this song with a full blown gospel choir because that would have been something incredible.

22. Refuse To Lose (EP) by Sam Russo (2021)
To celebrate the one year anniversary of his album Back to the Party, and as a bit of a middle finger to the pandemic that shut the world down, Sam Russo got some friends together and recorded an EP of full band versions of three of the best songs from the record. The result was a glorious revelation. Look, I love Russo’s acoustic songs but good god almighty these full band versions of “The Window,” “The Basement,” and “Young Heroes” are so fucking glorious. Hands down, Refuse To Lose is the best thing he’s done to date. I sincerely hope that there are more full band Sam Russo records in our future.

21. Hope Is Made Of Steel by Northcote (2015)
Northcote is the brainchild of singer/songwriter Matt Goud. The project has gone back and forth from being a solo acoustic project to a full band effort. Hope Is Made Of Steel, Northcote’s fourth album, is on the full band side of the spectrum and it is EASILY the best thing Goud has done to date. These songs lend themselves to the bigger sound that a full band can provide. Standout moments include “Bitter End,” “You Could Never Let Me Down,” “Small Town Dreams,” “Stronger Than You Know,” and the title track but truth be told, the entire album is excellent.