Fall Out Boy Saved Rock and Roll

Hey,

Sorry for not posting last Friday, but I had plans. J Anyways, I was going to post a review of Fall Out Boy’s new album last week, so I’ll do it this week instead. Without further ado, my top 5 favorite songs off FOB”s new album “Save Rock and Roll…”

5. “Death Valley”- I am so freaking obsessed with this song; I hope I can put it into words. I have literally listened to this song like a million times since the album came on. Patrick’s incredible vocal range, the kicking drum section, and the guitar lines all come together to make a remarkably sick, genius song. I saw some negative comments online about the section around 2:50, which some fans have dubbed “FallStep.” I dunno, I think it’s kind of cool. FOB has the right to experiment with new styles if they want. It’s a cool track and I have a feeling this song is going to be so much fun performed live.

4. “Just One Yesterday” ft. Foxes- I am a big fan of this track as it switches from heavy to light back to heavy. It’s not just playing on one level, but rather many. My favorite aspect is the lyrics “Letting people down is my thing baby/ Find yourself a new gig/ This town ain't big enough for two of us/I don't have the right name/ Or the right looks/But I have twice the heart.” Dang.

3. “Young Volcanoes”- The third single off the album, it has a kind of bouncy, Cali, almost Train-like vibe to it. I appreciate that FOB is experimenting with some acoustic guitars, especially in this track. This song is probably the “happiest” song on the album, considering most of the other songs have a slightly darker tone, but I like it. Very cool.

2. “The Phoenix”-This is my second favorite on the album, though it really deserves like 1.75^th place, because it is just as good as The Mighty Fall. I like the darker sound, Patrick’s soaring vocals, the dynamic changes, and the song combines rock, alt, and a little pop into one big, super good track. I love to see artists branch out every now and then.

1. “The Mighty Fall” ft. Big Sean- I love how it starts out with the light percussion and then eventually everything else just comes in. Patrick’s vocals + the distortion give this song a nice, hard edge; it kind of combines their older stuff with his own Soul Punk album. I truly believe that chorus is the best thing on the album. It’s rough, raw, and entirely perfect. It’s almost taunting, which fits with the theme of the song. The only thing I don’t like is Big Sean’s part, as I don’t think he’s up to par with FOB, but I suppose it could have been worse. J Overall, though, it is by far, my favorite song on the album. Love it!

I just wanted to say really quickly that people on the internet have been complaining about how FOB is different, their new music sucks, it’s Patrick’s fault, they’ve changed, and so on and so forth. But, I saw this really good comment on YouTube that completely supports how I feel about FOB and other artists who change their style. “In music, we generally become fans of an artist on the basis of how he or she executes our own favorite style of music. When they deviate, we complain. Rather than trying to reorient our taste to keep up with the artist himself, we stick to the past. It exposes how we are not really lovers of music or artistry, but ourselves. Following an iconoclast, i.e.[Fall Out Boy], is a challenge, but doing so allows us to grow with [them] rather than using [them] to fulfill our stale expectations. Listen regardless.” Thanks to shotinthedark90 for that insightful statement. Think on that next time you or a friend starts to complain about artists changing their style.

Anyways, thanks for reading.

Until next week,

Bella

Fall Out Boy is Back And Other Songs I'm In Love With

Hey,

So, last week, I wrapped up the series on lyrics. And this week, we’re back to actual music reviews! I know that other series deviated from my typical format, but it’s an issue I’m, obviously, very passionate about.

Without further ado, another installment of “What is Bella Listening To…”

 

My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark by Fall Out Boy- Who else is super excited about these guys getting back together????!!! I guess you can tell I am. J I seriously fell in love with Patrick Stump when I saw him open for Panic! At the Disco last year and I appreciate Fall Out Boy’s stuff a little differently now; I’ve always kind of liked their stuff, but not I really love it. J Anyways, this song starts out with dark distortion, choir-esque vocalizations, and then the down-and-dirty guitar riffs breakthrough and then, it’s Patrick time to shine. (Pardon the cliché) And that chorus!!! Holy crap. It’s just all like KABOOOMMM! That’s the best way I can explain it. It’s wild, yet controlled and just a beautiful explosion of the awesomeness that is Fall Out Boy.

About to Die by Dirty Projectors- I love the strange, African sounding drumbeats at the beginning, delicate plucking noises, and the way everything just trickles in. Some songs start off strong and others just kind of gradually grow. This song hits its peak around 1:18 or so, right before the chorus. Before and after, this song is fantastic.

All These Girls by Atlas Genius- Atlas Genius is one of my favorite discoveries of 2012. They’re Australian, which is totally awesome (I am such a sucker for accents, especially Australian ones J ). This song, like their other tracks, is a mixture of pop meets rock meets alt; and it is totally brilliant. The changing time signatures, varying rhythms, and undulating vocals make for a sweet find. Check them out. J

Running For Cover by Ivan & Aloysha- I like the kind of swaying beat, stripped instrumentation, and the intricately layered vocals. It has kind of a soundtrack feeling, like something that could play in an episode of White Collar or something. That’s cool, in my book. This song is absolutely gorgeous.

I Wanna Be Free by Panic At the Disco- a big throwback, considering this song came out several years ago as a bonus track off their album Vices and Virtues. Nonetheless, the song is easily one of Panic’s best efforts. I love Brendon’s glorious, soaring vocals, Spencer’s steady drumming that, at times, reminds me of Darren King from MuteMath. Love the swift change that occurs around 2:14-ish. I love how they are unafraid to throw something in there like that and it always works. An oldie, but a goodie. J

 

Well, that’s it for this week. Please comment and go to my Contact tab and send me a message or tweet at me. I love to hear from you all!

Until then,

Bella

 

Those Who Put Effort Into Their Lyrics Are Rewarded

Hey,

So, I’m sorry I did not get this post up last night, but I’ve been sick all week with strep throat and honestly, I was absolutely miserable last night. I’m trying to be punctual and keep to my promise of a new post every Friday, but I needed one more night to rest. I’m doing better today, still sneezing like crazy, but at least I can think clearly. J

Health issues aside, this week, I’m writing about my favorite lyrics. As a music conisseur, I like to pay as much attention to the lyrics as I do the music. This sometimes ends in disappointment due to the kiddie-pool-depth of most songs, but occasionally, especially in these five instances, I am pleasantly surprised.

Without further ado, I present to you my five favorite songs that boast beautiful lyrics…

Plastic Jungle by Miike Snow- One of my favorite European-alternative bands! This song makes it on my list because I have no idea what the heck they’re talking about. It opens with “I was born into money/and sold down the river.” What? It goes on to say “I was choked by a jailor and f***ed a gorilla.” And I have to hope that’s a metaphor for something J I love the fact that their lyrics are so confusing. I know that’s kind of weird, but it makes you think. It’s different from other groups where their lyrics are simple and you know exactly what they’re trying to say. It is impossible to decode this song without doing some research. And from what I’ve gathered, everyone else is confused too, but a few people have hazarded a guess that the singer is telling his own personal story about how he hates his evil ways. That may be true, but I’m going to keep appreciating these crazy lyrics for what they are: creative.

Cousins by Vampire Weekend- Another song with equally confusing lyrics. Unlike Miike Snow’s song, I think there is an actual meaning to this one. J The song is essentially a slam against critics who are putting Vampire Weekend down because of their wealthy backgrounds. And VW, ironically, showed those critics that just because they’re rich, it doesn’t mean they can’t write amazing songs. Do you think those snot-nosed, hipster critics could write beautiful lyrics like these? Nope, didn’t think so. I chose this song because it’s the ultimate diss track, yet they do it with style and end up looking even better than they did before. Not to mention, it is literally lyrical poetry and that, most definitely, deserves a place on my blog. J

Dance Dance by Fall Out Boy- Oh, Fall Out Boy. While I cannot say that I am a big FOB fan, I do like several of their songs and truly love their lyrics. You may be sitting at home thinking, “Wow, Bella, ‘Dance Dance’ is one of FOB’s most mainstream songs. Why’d you pick that one?’” Well, thanks for asking. I chose it because, in my opinion, it’s one of their best songs, showcasing their lyrical originality and ingenuity, so that’s why I’ve included it on my list. Now, I can make sense of these lyrics, so that’s good. J It’s about a failed relationship, though, like the other two songs, it takes a little bit of digging to discover that. My favorite line is “Why don't you show me/ A little bit of spine/ You've been saving/ For his mattress, love?” It’s a completely squirmy, pervy line, yet, due to their syntax, it comes across as slightly beautiful. I don’t condone using that as a pickup line, but it goes to show why FOB was/is so popular.

Mercenray by Panic! At the Disco- Yes, my favorite scandalous band. This song came off the Batman: Arkham City video game, so, yeah, this song is about Batman. It would have been easy to just write a song like “He’s a superhero/you don’t know his history/his parents are dead/he be fighting the man with bad makeup/yo, he’s Batman.” Instead, Panic! At the Disco rely on bright diction (word choice) such as “collateral damage,” “mercenary,” and “dodge.” Laugh all you want, but I’m including “dodge” because how often do we really use that word in every day conversation? Never. So, diction aside, I love the phrasing as well. “I dodge the blast/and apologize for collateral damage” not only sums up Batman, but it could also fit into any other PATD song because it’s different and unique. My other favorite line is “I can only recall/and spend some time” because it straddles the line of sounding conversational and formal. A truly fantastic track.

Pins and Needles by MuteMath- One of the best alternative bands of our generation! And, understandably, their lyrics are incredible as well. The lyrics are much less confusing compared to “Plastic Jungle,” yet there is a great depth to them. This is hardly a fluffy pop song. At first, the instrumentation caught my attention, but there is more to this song than just Darren’s incredible drumming. The lyrics are quite breathtaking. The song is about facades and how the lead singer, Paul, is tired of people pretending to be someone they’re not and eventually comes to the realization that he is “broken.” I love the brutal honesty and laments contained within these lyrics. More than that, this song makes my list because of the vivid visual imagery. My favorite examples are “facades are a fire on the skin,” which one can easily picture, “I get tired of pin and needles,” a beautiful metaphor, and “paper thin conviction,” which is a very true observation. MuteMath always creates such stunning musical masterpieces and it is so refreshing to find a band, like all the others highlighted on my list, who puts as much emphasis on the lyrics as they do the actual music.

Alright, that’s about it for this week. Next week, I’m hoping to do another edition of “What’s on my Spotify” or something along those lines.

Until then,

Bella