7 Records That Totally Have the Right to Exist.

I am not sure if anyone has noticed this or not, but I totally dig lists. For some reason, making lists seems to somehow justify why certain records are better than others. Sitting in front of a computer and meticulously arranging songs, albums or artist into some kind of specific order helps me to conceptualize what makes a certain record (or song, or artist, or etc etc) incredible (or shitty).

Having said that, I think too much of an emphasis is placed on the total extremes of the “goodness” level. People are often way too concerned with either a) the great records or b) the most god-awful of the god-awful. Nobody ever focuses on the records that are simply just pretty OK.

Below is a list of 7 records that totally have the right to exist. These are not records that are necessarily riveting, but they aren't exactly garbage either. These are the records that you hold on to while scourging for the real find in the used record bins; If you can't find anything else, these records aren't a total waste of money. . They aren't bad, but, they aren't that great either. They simply exist, and totally have a right to do so.

7 Records That Totally Have the Right To Exist.
7. Jets to Brazil - Orange Rhyming Dictionary
It is not fair to compare Jets to Brazil to Jawbreaker. To compare Jawbreaker and Jets to Brazil is like trying to compare and Apple to an Onion. They are vaguely similar in that they share a couple similar features (shape, style, Blake Schwarzenbach), but one is quite obviously a fruit and the other is, well, an onion. Anyway, since I don't think this metaphor is working anymore, I'll just say that Blake should of stuck to making great Jawbreaker records as opposed to making decent Jets to Brazil records.

6. Say Anything - …is a Real Boy
A lot has been said about Max Bemis and Say Anything. When …is a Real Boy came out, it made quite a few “Best of” lists, as well as 'worst of the worst” lists. Both of these polarized statements are wrong, however, as Say Anything is merely just okay. Nothing on this record screams of originality. Just a bunch of pretty decent pop-rock tunes.

5. Cursive - Happy Hollow
Not better than the Good Life's Album of the Year, but certainly not the worst Cursive record ever, either. We can't expect Tim Kasher to stay depressed for all of his life. Consequently, we cannot expect him to write incredible records forever, either.

4. Alkaline Trio - Crimson
Not worth the 20 something dollars Vagrant wants for the “Limited Edition” red vinyl, but, you know, picking up a new copy of it on CDs isn't that bad of an investment. Some of the songs - “Mercy Me,” for one - are actually pretty decent. Only problem is that said songs were awesome the first time around, a couple records ago.

3. The Falcon - Unicornography
A lot of what makes some of the best punk bands so great is that they are nothing more than a couple of decent musicians whom get together and bring in different elements of songwriting that totally click. This is a perfect example of what happens when decent musicians start a side-project that doesn't really click: a moderately decent album.

2. The Draft - In a Million Pieces
Better than the worse Hot Water Record (The New What's Next), but, obviously not better than the best Hot Water Record (pretty much everything else).

1. The entire Get Up Kids catalog after Something to Write Home About
Something to Write Home About and everything before it are all pretty much flawless records. Everything after it kind of falls within the “meh” and “eh” category. Could be worse, but could have been a lot better as well. This, obviously excludes their live album.