So, people tease me a lot about my dislike of Paramore and I thought I'd clear up a few things.
Upon first discovering I don't like the band, people always come back with "But they're so catchy! How can you dislike them?"
I don't dislike their music. They ARE catchy and poppy. The lead singer has a decent voice that she uses all right, and she has the potential to sound even better. The guitarist is pretty good; the drummer can't do more than power drum but at least he does that well; and the bassist is all right for mostly plucking one string at a time. They're not a bad band, the state of the music world considered.
Their music isn't my problem.
It isn't even really THEM that bothers me anymore. I admit I really disliked them when I read an article stating that the lead singer (who doesn't play an instrument) was leaving the band to go solo. I took that was a sign they were the next No Doubt. Sure the singer SAYS it's not about her, it's all about the band, then BAM she's gone singing songs that spell "Bananas/B-A-N-A-N-A-S". However, the lead singer recently gave an interview saying that she never intended to leave the band, etc, etc. *shrugs* Whatever. Maybe I was wrong.
It's the synchronized dancing that really gets me.
And, frankly, who the hell is that second guitarist?? He's not listed on the line-up, but there he is, dancing in unison with the others as they play the power chords. WTF??
Where in the Rock-N-Roll Manual does it say that there should be synchronized dancing? Kiss called, they want their '73 stage show back.
Wednesday, May 14
Wednesday, April 23
New Music
For the last few months, I've been really pushing everyone to listen to The Wombats. [Out as of April 8th! Woohoo!] My favorite tracks are "Kill the Director" and "Let's Dance to Joy Division," but "Moving to New York" is their most popular song so far. Shows how much I know about hit-making. :p
But I've been talking about this band for 3 months, and I think people are tired to hearing me talk about them right now. So, I decided I'd put together a list of all the other bands I'm crazy about at the moment. At the very least, I can use it as a conversational reference so I don't wind up getting strangled by one of my roommates.
THE KOOKS!!!!!
I'm completely in love with these guys. Modern version of The Clash? Maybe. On their track "You Don't Love Me," definitely. But I think they're more than just a remake of (my favorite) a popular old school band.
Favorite tracks: "You Don't Love Me," "Naive," "Always Where I Need to Be," "She Moves in Her Own Way," etc, etc.
(available on iTunes)
Grand Ole Party
Their singer is a mix between Janis Joplin and Chrissy Hynde. Plus, she's their drummer. Stand aside Phil Collins, this girl has more soul than you could ever hope to have.
Favorite tracks: "Belle Isle" "Look Out Young Son"
(available on iTunes)
Funeral Party
They call themselves Funk/New Wave/Electro, but all I hear is rock. Maybe some funk on the bass lines. And they use some electronics to create the sounds in the backgrounds of certain tracks. But take a listen to their live track "Postcards of Persuasion" and you know for sure they aren't faking it with ProTools.
Favorite tracks: "Car Wars" "Where Did It Go Wrong"
(unavailable for download)
MC Rut
They're all over the radio in Sacramento and gearing up for a slew of radio fests over the next few months. Aggro-rock isn't really my cup of tea (as anyone who knows me is well aware) but these guys are way more than that. Listen to the lyrics on "New Low" and then tell me they're the new RAtM. Just try it.
Favorite track: "New Low"
(unavailable for download)
Honorable Mention
David Vandervelde "Nothin' No"
David Vandervelde
I really only know one song, but I love it. So far, everyone I've played it for has been turned off by the rawness of the style; especially his voice. But for some reason I'm really drawn to it.
(available on iTunes)
Mainstream Fave
The Starting Line "Island"
The Starting Line
They can go from teen punk band to this? I...don't really understand, but I like it! And I wish they'd do more of it!
(available on iTunes)
But I've been talking about this band for 3 months, and I think people are tired to hearing me talk about them right now. So, I decided I'd put together a list of all the other bands I'm crazy about at the moment. At the very least, I can use it as a conversational reference so I don't wind up getting strangled by one of my roommates.
THE KOOKS!!!!!
I'm completely in love with these guys. Modern version of The Clash? Maybe. On their track "You Don't Love Me," definitely. But I think they're more than just a remake of (my favorite) a popular old school band.
Favorite tracks: "You Don't Love Me," "Naive," "Always Where I Need to Be," "She Moves in Her Own Way," etc, etc.
(available on iTunes)
Grand Ole Party
Their singer is a mix between Janis Joplin and Chrissy Hynde. Plus, she's their drummer. Stand aside Phil Collins, this girl has more soul than you could ever hope to have.
Favorite tracks: "Belle Isle" "Look Out Young Son"
(available on iTunes)
Funeral Party
They call themselves Funk/New Wave/Electro, but all I hear is rock. Maybe some funk on the bass lines. And they use some electronics to create the sounds in the backgrounds of certain tracks. But take a listen to their live track "Postcards of Persuasion" and you know for sure they aren't faking it with ProTools.
Favorite tracks: "Car Wars" "Where Did It Go Wrong"
(unavailable for download)
MC Rut
They're all over the radio in Sacramento and gearing up for a slew of radio fests over the next few months. Aggro-rock isn't really my cup of tea (as anyone who knows me is well aware) but these guys are way more than that. Listen to the lyrics on "New Low" and then tell me they're the new RAtM. Just try it.
Favorite track: "New Low"
(unavailable for download)
Honorable Mention
David Vandervelde "Nothin' No"
David Vandervelde
I really only know one song, but I love it. So far, everyone I've played it for has been turned off by the rawness of the style; especially his voice. But for some reason I'm really drawn to it.
(available on iTunes)
Mainstream Fave
The Starting Line "Island"
The Starting Line
They can go from teen punk band to this? I...don't really understand, but I like it! And I wish they'd do more of it!
(available on iTunes)
Thursday, March 27
Epic Journey
It's been a while since the last time I wrote anything up here. But last night I had a horrible, horrible experience over in SF that I just HAD to relate.
Okay. So I was driving Vivian (first mistake, right?) and I crossed the bridge going into SF.
About the time I hit the place where the 80 merges with the 101 (just before it hits 280), my entire car started to shake. But I was in the very left lane and I couldn't get across right away, forcing me to drive for about a mile in order to get all the way over to the right and then wait for an exit to magically appear. (This is an are of the 101 that has NO exits for miles sometimes. Very inconvenient.)
Then the exit that I took ended up being an overpass that became an underpass and then there was no where to pull over, so by the time I turned onto a side street that had a shoulder, I'd driven about 1.5 miles on what turned out to be a very VERY flat tire.
Then, since I don't have AAA anymore as of January, I had to call my parents to get the new Farmers info.
After hearing that I'm stuck after dark in the industrial sector of SF on a street without lights, my parents start freaking out. I suppose that's understandable. But my mom decides to make the call to Farmers herself for reasons unbeknownst to me. So getting the service call in took about twice as long as it should have.
I wasn't sure my spare was any good (since I've never had to use it), so Farmers said they were going to send a tow truck just in case. Half an hour after that, I get a call from this guy (who I swear is saying his name is Papi) telling me he's on his way and he seems really nice, so I'm not all that worried.
By the time the guy gets there, it's been an hour and half, I'm on this freaking side street in the industrial section of SF, and my aunt won't let me get off the phone because my mother called her despite my asking her NOT to.
He arrives in a turquoise Geo and he has a very thick accent and a Eurotrash ponytail. No tow truck. No extra tire.
He takes the flat off the car while he's trying to inflate my spare and he tosses it on the sidewalk with this incredulous look. Then he's all "Damn. That is DONE." Always comforting.
Luckily, after inflating it, Papi decides that my spare is good to go, but the saga doesn't end there.
Oh no. Not when it's ME.
It turns out my spare is one of those you-can't-go-over-50 mph thingies. And Papi is VERY adamant about that. In fact, here's how our conversation went...
Papi: So where do you live then?
Me: In the East Bay.
Papi (eyes widen as he mutters): Oh crap.
Me:...
Papi: Okay, you'll probably make it. But you can't go over 50.
Me: Okay.
Papi: No, this is not a game. You can't go over 50.
Me: Got it. No going over 50.
Papi: No, I'm serious. You go over 50, you blow out.
Me: Whoa. Got it.
Papi: Promise me. If you blow out, you're done for. Lose control, smash into the guardrail. NO GOING OVER 50.
Me(getting a bit nervous at Papi's vehemence and seriously considering calling a cab to get back to Oakland): Right. 50.
Papi: I know how it is, when you get the salsa going on your stereo and you just start cruising, but you can't do it.
Me: Right. No Borcua Boys. Got it.
Papi (a bit more calm): But you'll probably make it over the bridge.
Me(planning on not going anywhere CLOSE to 50mph): Oh god.
Papi: Don't worry. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.
So I drove over the bridge with my hazards on never going above 40. People LOVED me. I really appreciate how people come together in a time of crisis. They were all honking to show their support.
Oh, and it turns out his name isn't Papi. He works at a place called Pop-A-Lock, and he just has a really thick accent. Still, Papi is the most awesome man on the planet.
Okay. So I was driving Vivian (first mistake, right?) and I crossed the bridge going into SF.
About the time I hit the place where the 80 merges with the 101 (just before it hits 280), my entire car started to shake. But I was in the very left lane and I couldn't get across right away, forcing me to drive for about a mile in order to get all the way over to the right and then wait for an exit to magically appear. (This is an are of the 101 that has NO exits for miles sometimes. Very inconvenient.)
Then the exit that I took ended up being an overpass that became an underpass and then there was no where to pull over, so by the time I turned onto a side street that had a shoulder, I'd driven about 1.5 miles on what turned out to be a very VERY flat tire.
Then, since I don't have AAA anymore as of January, I had to call my parents to get the new Farmers info.
After hearing that I'm stuck after dark in the industrial sector of SF on a street without lights, my parents start freaking out. I suppose that's understandable. But my mom decides to make the call to Farmers herself for reasons unbeknownst to me. So getting the service call in took about twice as long as it should have.
I wasn't sure my spare was any good (since I've never had to use it), so Farmers said they were going to send a tow truck just in case. Half an hour after that, I get a call from this guy (who I swear is saying his name is Papi) telling me he's on his way and he seems really nice, so I'm not all that worried.
By the time the guy gets there, it's been an hour and half, I'm on this freaking side street in the industrial section of SF, and my aunt won't let me get off the phone because my mother called her despite my asking her NOT to.
He arrives in a turquoise Geo and he has a very thick accent and a Eurotrash ponytail. No tow truck. No extra tire.
He takes the flat off the car while he's trying to inflate my spare and he tosses it on the sidewalk with this incredulous look. Then he's all "Damn. That is DONE." Always comforting.
Luckily, after inflating it, Papi decides that my spare is good to go, but the saga doesn't end there.
Oh no. Not when it's ME.
It turns out my spare is one of those you-can't-go-over-50 mph thingies. And Papi is VERY adamant about that. In fact, here's how our conversation went...
Papi: So where do you live then?
Me: In the East Bay.
Papi (eyes widen as he mutters): Oh crap.
Me:...
Papi: Okay, you'll probably make it. But you can't go over 50.
Me: Okay.
Papi: No, this is not a game. You can't go over 50.
Me: Got it. No going over 50.
Papi: No, I'm serious. You go over 50, you blow out.
Me: Whoa. Got it.
Papi: Promise me. If you blow out, you're done for. Lose control, smash into the guardrail. NO GOING OVER 50.
Me(getting a bit nervous at Papi's vehemence and seriously considering calling a cab to get back to Oakland): Right. 50.
Papi: I know how it is, when you get the salsa going on your stereo and you just start cruising, but you can't do it.
Me: Right. No Borcua Boys. Got it.
Papi (a bit more calm): But you'll probably make it over the bridge.
Me(planning on not going anywhere CLOSE to 50mph): Oh god.
Papi: Don't worry. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.
So I drove over the bridge with my hazards on never going above 40. People LOVED me. I really appreciate how people come together in a time of crisis. They were all honking to show their support.
Oh, and it turns out his name isn't Papi. He works at a place called Pop-A-Lock, and he just has a really thick accent. Still, Papi is the most awesome man on the planet.
Tuesday, November 13
Weezer Back from the Dead
Yeah, okay, so no one really believed that Weezer was gone for good. But when Rivers claimed he wanted to retire, we thought it would last a little longer than, what, a year??
Apparently, the new album is to be released April 22, 2008. (Happy Bday, Dani!!!) And an early release of "demos" (that sounds more like an EP than a demo) is supposed to come out before the end of the year. With an Ice Cube cover?? Oh, Rivers...
Retirement in the music industry is like a band leaving the stage. Everyone comes back for an encore these days.
You think they'll call it a reunion tour?
Apparently, the new album is to be released April 22, 2008. (Happy Bday, Dani!!!) And an early release of "demos" (that sounds more like an EP than a demo) is supposed to come out before the end of the year. With an Ice Cube cover?? Oh, Rivers...
Retirement in the music industry is like a band leaving the stage. Everyone comes back for an encore these days.
You think they'll call it a reunion tour?
Thursday, November 1
The Countdown Epidemic
It seems that the world has become obsessed with Countdowns. (I wonder if this has any connection to the slew of trilogies that have been appearing...)
I'd like to say definitively that the popularity began with VH1's Greatest Songs of the Eighties. Or slough all blame onto the conception of the awful song "Final Countdown." That's right, you heard me Europe. You're EVIL.
But I can't. Much to my chagrin.
Whatever the reason, we suddenly have Countdowns popping up everywhere. ABC Family has Thirteen Days of Halloween and 25 Days of Christmas. And, this year, they've added the Countdown to the 25 Days of Christmas. Yes, you read that right, they now have a COUNTDOWN to their COUNTDOWN.
The worst of it all is that #1 is never what should be #1. For example, the aforementioned VH1 Eighties Countdown lists Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer" as #1 song of the eighties. I'm sorry. No. While "Livin' on a Prayer" is an awesome rock/pop number, it's just not #1 material. Half of the Earth's population hates that song with the fire of a thousand suns. (I'd like to state here that I am NOT a member of this Bon Jovi hating clan.) So how can they say that it defines an entire decade of music?
Wouldn't "In Your Eyes" be a better choice? I've never met someone who didn't like that song. Or at least no one who was aggresively vocal about their contempt. Unlike many Bon Jovi haters. (You know who you are.) And the romantic scene with John Cusack totally immortalized this ballad. Go Peter Gabriel!
Last night, I was watching Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments, and for #1 (I apologize if I'm ruining this for anyone out there) they put Jaws. Seriously? Above Exorcist? I mean, on the one hand, a big ugly shark. On the other, a girl's head spinning around on her neck. Is there really a contest?
I hate countdowns.
I'd like to say definitively that the popularity began with VH1's Greatest Songs of the Eighties. Or slough all blame onto the conception of the awful song "Final Countdown." That's right, you heard me Europe. You're EVIL.
But I can't. Much to my chagrin.
Whatever the reason, we suddenly have Countdowns popping up everywhere. ABC Family has Thirteen Days of Halloween and 25 Days of Christmas. And, this year, they've added the Countdown to the 25 Days of Christmas. Yes, you read that right, they now have a COUNTDOWN to their COUNTDOWN.
The worst of it all is that #1 is never what should be #1. For example, the aforementioned VH1 Eighties Countdown lists Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer" as #1 song of the eighties. I'm sorry. No. While "Livin' on a Prayer" is an awesome rock/pop number, it's just not #1 material. Half of the Earth's population hates that song with the fire of a thousand suns. (I'd like to state here that I am NOT a member of this Bon Jovi hating clan.) So how can they say that it defines an entire decade of music?
Wouldn't "In Your Eyes" be a better choice? I've never met someone who didn't like that song. Or at least no one who was aggresively vocal about their contempt. Unlike many Bon Jovi haters. (You know who you are.) And the romantic scene with John Cusack totally immortalized this ballad. Go Peter Gabriel!
Last night, I was watching Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments, and for #1 (I apologize if I'm ruining this for anyone out there) they put Jaws. Seriously? Above Exorcist? I mean, on the one hand, a big ugly shark. On the other, a girl's head spinning around on her neck. Is there really a contest?
I hate countdowns.
Monday, October 15
Sandman
Okay, so, I took the Sandman quiz (because it's late and I can't sleep). I got the weirdest result. I would never have expected this. (Even besides the fact that I thought it was predesigned to give everyone Dream...much like the Sorting Hat quiz is predesigned to place everyone in Gryffindor house.)
Weird, right?
Which Sandman Character are You? |
 You are Desire! You enjoy manipulating people and having people love you. You can be cruel and impetuous. Take this quiz!  Quizilla | Join | Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code |
Weird, right?
Wednesday, October 10
Radiohead
Okay, the thing that Radiohead is doing with their album-the sliding scale price-AWESOME. Now every single fan of the band can own the album. Genius.
I mean, it wouldn't work for most bands. Particularly considering how little bands make off the first x albums sold. However, Radiohead knew going into this album that they would sell every album pressed. So, the price of the album was really moot since they would be turning a profit at any price they asked.
Even more so due to the $80 they're asking for the special edition. Which doesn't even ship until Dec. 3rd. WTF? That part is...annoying. I don't care that it has 3 discs, 2 LPs, and extra artwork. Not $80 worth. I can see $50. Even $60. But $80??
It's not even an anniversary edition, or an import only available in one country. It's a regular 3 disc edition with 2 extra LPs. You can't even find The Beatles package sets for $80. Not for a modern pressing.
50 years from now, I can see buying it for $80. Hell, even after it's out of print (which will be a very long time from now, let me tell you), I can see $80. Right now, it's not exactly a collector's item.
I mean, it wouldn't work for most bands. Particularly considering how little bands make off the first x albums sold. However, Radiohead knew going into this album that they would sell every album pressed. So, the price of the album was really moot since they would be turning a profit at any price they asked.
Even more so due to the $80 they're asking for the special edition. Which doesn't even ship until Dec. 3rd. WTF? That part is...annoying. I don't care that it has 3 discs, 2 LPs, and extra artwork. Not $80 worth. I can see $50. Even $60. But $80??
It's not even an anniversary edition, or an import only available in one country. It's a regular 3 disc edition with 2 extra LPs. You can't even find The Beatles package sets for $80. Not for a modern pressing.
50 years from now, I can see buying it for $80. Hell, even after it's out of print (which will be a very long time from now, let me tell you), I can see $80. Right now, it's not exactly a collector's item.
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