Obviously this band were about as big as a hardcore band ‘could’ be, but I felt like they had the potential to reach a worldwide, cross-genre audience with just how intelligent, insightful, honest and uplifting their approach to music is. They're arguably the best hardcore band to ever exist.
Rock Hits
10 Underrated Albums of the Early 2000s According to Trash Boat’s Tobi Duncan
Trash Boat are one of the buzziest bands to emerge from the U.K. in recent years, and they just dropped their stellar third album, Don't You Feel Amazing? These upstarts serve listeners a healthy dose of pop-punk, melodic hardcore and post-hardcore, heard on such new album standouts as "He's So Good," "Silence Is Golden" and the album's title track.
To get a little better idea of where this variety of influences came from, we asked Trash Boat frontman Tobi Duncan to share some of the albums that shaped his musical tastes as he was growing up. Before we turn it over to Tobi, be sure to check out the Don't You Feel Amazing? title track below. If you like what you hear, the album is available here.
Trash Boat, "Don't You Feel Amazing?"
Hey, My name is Tobi and I sing in a band called Trash Boat. These are the albums I grew up on and saw live regularly. When you fall in love with a sound you don’t care if that sound is played in a 100 cap club or a 10k arena. You have to hear it at any cost. These artists were by no means unsuccessful, but in my mind deserved to be much bigger than they were for the time.
Check out my best albums of the early 2000s below.
-
10
‘Songs to Scream at the Sun / The Things We Carry’ (2008 / 2006)
Have Heart
-
9
‘Separation’ (2011)
Balance & Composure
Grungy, catchy, moody, riffy. Every song is memorable and the vocal performances are so good. I still spin this regularly and don’t skip a single track, just belters.
-
8
‘Chasing Hamburg’ (2009)
Polar Bear Club
These guys should have been the biggest pop punk band in the world. Their instrumentation is just insane. It’s complex, intricate and just completely different to everything out at the time. The vocals are a massive inspiration to me, so gritty and powerful but full of melody and character. Perfect band.
-
7
‘The Last Thing You Forget’ (2009)
Title Fight
This is a couple of EPs taped together and it’s literally the best post hardcore / pop punk (ish) album ever made. It was everything I wanted from a band at the time – melody, energy, aggressive vocals and fans who will literally walk on each others' heads when seeing it live. Their show at the Camden Underworld for the Shed release tour is still in the top three craziest shows I have ever been to.
-
6
‘The Dead Walk’ (2006)
The Acacia Strain
Just a ridiculously heavy album that didn’t take itself too seriously. The lyrics and rhythm of the vocals are unpredictable, hard and fun. The instrumentation is blisteringly heavy and it’s just all round fun to listen to.
-
5
‘Box Car Racer’ (2002)
Box Car Racer
Better than any Blink record. That’s all that needs to be said. It’s what Blink should have evolved to be.
-
4
‘Forgotten Soul’ (2009)
Brutality Will Prevail
I didn’t like these guys when I listened to them for the first time, then I saw them live and my whole life changed. These guys were the kings of U.K. hardcore for the longest time and had a great family going with Purgatory Records. That label produced a load of awesome bands and they always played shows together and had great crowds.
-
3
‘The Somatic Defilement’ (2007)
Whitechapel
This was my first step into truly HEAVY heavy music. It was after hearing this record I truly started to figure out what I wanted from the music I listened to and how I wanted it to make me feel.
-
2
‘No Escaping This’ (2007)
Dirty Money
These guys only ever had a 7-track out and a split with Trapped Under Ice and they managed to play THE craziest show that has ever touched the Camden Underworld. The vocalist kept his scouse accent on track which is seldom heard and also incredible.
-
1
‘Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair’ (2006)
La Dispute
Still holds the top spot of my favourite alternative album of all time. There is not a single flaw. The lyrics are beyond poetic, the instrumentation is elite and the energy levels are through the roof. There simply is not a single thing about this record I don’t like and I think it deserved the world.