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Shut Up and Dance (Walk the Moon) – Song Review

This week’s review is on “Shut Up and Dance” by Walk the Moon. This song has been one of the songs of the summer, and one of the top songs in the alternative genre. It quickly moved from alternative to top 40 in a matter of months.

The Band: Walk the Moon took the Indie/Alternative scene by storm. They are from Cincinnati, Ohio, and are formed by Nicholas Petricca, Kevin Ray, Sean Waugaman, and Eli Maiman. WTM released their debut album “I Want! I Want!” in 2010, which included their first radio hit “Anna Sun”. After signing with RCA Records, the band released their self-titled album in 2012. In 2014, the band released “Talking is Hard” which includes their recent single “Different Colors” and their mainstream hit “Shut Up and Dance”.

Speaking of which…

The Song: Shut Up and Dance is one of the biggest Alternative songs today, and it’s Walk the Moon’s most popular song. It charted at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached number 1 on Billboard's Rock Songs chart as well as Billboard's Alternative Songs chart. The lead singer, Petricca, says the song came from a party he went to and his girlfriend inviting him to dance with her. The music video created the main vibe of the song, as it shows Petricca as an awkward guy as he awkwardly dances with the girl of his dreams (Spoiler alert they get together in the end). Petricca states the meaning of the song as, “Encouraging people to let go of whatever it is that’s bothering you and get into your body and out of your head."

The song starts with guitar and it’s so unique that once you hear it on the radio you’ll already know what song is on. This is another song that starts with the chorus and heads straight to the point, with the verses and everything else as minor points. The chorus starts with "Oh don't you dare look back. Just keep your eyes on me." I said, "You're holding back," She said, "Shut up and dance with me!" This woman is my destiny. She said, "Ooh-ooh-hoo, Shut up and dance with me." The chorus basically sums up the main point of the song. The guy is falling for the girl he’s dancing with and the lady says,” Shut up and dance with me”.

The verses come in after the chorus. Verse one starts with “We were victims of the night, the chemical, physical, kryptonite. Helpless to the bass, and the fading light. We were bound to get together, bound to get together.” This is the start to the story that plays out in the song. The lead singer talks about him and the leading lady and how they were destined to be together. I love how Petricca uses kryptonite as a comparison to his love for his lady in this set of lyrics.

After the verse is the pre chorus which leads back to the chorus and that happens a lot of times in this song. After the chorus is verse two which says,” A backless dress and some beat up sneaks, my discothèque, Juliet teenage dream. I felt it in my chest as she looked at me. I knew we were bound to be together, bound to be together.” This is when we get a clear description of the leading lady, and he uses a Romeo and Juliet comparison to describe her.

 The verse then goes back to the chorus which then goes to a break and this is when you can feel the dance vibe to the song; keyboard, electric guitar, the drums, all of which equals a break you can dance to.  After the break is a tiny bridge that leads to the pre chorus, “Deep in her eyes, I think I see the future. I realize this is my last chance.” This is pretty explanatory, basically our leading man doesn’t have that much time to get the girl of his dreams. And then goes the chorus which closes out the song, and you are sure for a fact that the leading duo are together.

  Shut Up and Dance is one of the songs of the summer, and personally I love it. I love that it’s catchy, the lyrics are unique and you can dance to it (hence the name). WTM has definitely opened their doors to the mainstream and have one of the best alternative songs of 2015.

[thealtanatorx]

My Own Worst Enemy (Lit) – Song Review

Over the past few decades, Rock went from one genre to having many genres. Heavy metal was already making a name for itself thanks to bands like Metallica, AC/DC, and Guns n Roses. Grunge was also increasing popularity thanks to Nirvana, and Pearl Jam. But the 90s was also when Alternative Rock was increasing. In fact, the 90s was the year of the Alternative era as bands from Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Offspring, and Stone Temple Pilots have grew popular in the Era.

Another band that helped increase the Alternative era was Lit. The band formed in 1989, and included Jeremy and A. Jay Popoff, Kevin Baldes, Sean Holland, and Allen Shellenberger. The band released their EP called “New Vibe Revolution” in 1993. After releasing their debut album “Tripping the Light Fantastic”, the band signed to RCA Records in 1998. The band released their second album, ”A Place in the Sun” in 1999, which included songs like, ”Zip-Lock", "Miserable", and their hit single, ”My Own Worst Enemy” . A Place in the Sun went platinum and became the bestselling album for the band. Since APITS, Lit had released “Atomic (2001)” and their self-titled album “Lit (2004)”. Following the release of their self-titled album, Shellenberger passed away due to brain tumor in 2008. In 2012, the band has released “The View from the Bottom” and is currently writing their next album.

  The Song: My Own Worst Enemy was released in 1999 on the band’s second album, “A Place in the Sun”. The song was really successful in mainstream rock in the radio as well as the charts, as it reached number 51 on the Billboard hot 100, and received a Billboard Music Award for the biggest modern song of 1999. My Own Worst Enemy has a very alternative vibe. While other songs spoke for the grunge and/or punk side of 90s rock, this song spoke for the alternative rock side of the 90s.

 The song starts a heavy guitar, and that becomes the main guitar riff as the other instruments combine with the guitar. The lyrics start with,” Can we forget about the things I said when I was drunk? I didn't mean to call you that.  I can't remember what was said or what you threw at me…” The lyrics state a drunken scenario, and you can already sense the alternative vibe. And the drunk scenario continues in the chorus,” Please tell me why my car is in the front yard. And I'm sleeping with my clothes on. I came in through the window last night. And you're gone.”

  The next verse hits another turn with the lines,” It's no surprise to me I am my own worst enemy. Cause every now and then I kick the living shit out of me. The smoke alarm is going off, and there's a cigarette. Still burning…” This set of lyrics is interesting, because you finally see the meaning of the title since it’s in these lines. I think the singer refers to the mistakes he’s made, hence why he kicks the living shit out of him, hence why he’s his own worst enemy. The song then goes back to the chorus, and then it goes to a guitar solo, with the chorus ending the song.

 My Own Worst Enemy is another memorable song from the 90s era. With it’s guitar riffs and rebellious lyrics, the song spoke for the 90’s alternative era, and gave listeners that alternative vibe.

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[thealtanatorx]

Album Review: From Under the Cork Tree – Fall Out Boy (2005)

2015 is the best year in alternative music. It’s the 10 year mark of the albums that we’ve listened to our whole life, the albums that we’ve laughed, cried, and straight up grew up to. This month was the 10 year birthday of From Under the Cork Tree from everyone’s favorite band from Chicago, Fall Out Boy. This album was a pretty big hit for FOB; not only did the album receive double platinum status and sold over 2 million albums worldwide, it sent FOB to mainstream success. From Under the Cork Tree opened many doors for Fall out Boy. 

Track list:

1) Our Lawyer Made Us Change the Name of This Song So We Wouldn’t Get Sued – There’s been a rule that the first song is the grand entrance, and it shows listeners what the band/artist is made of. Case in point: Fall out Boy. This is by far one of the best leading songs in an album, because it shows what the band is made of. “Brothers and sisters put this record down. Take my advice cause we are bad news…” It starts with a bang, gets straight to the point, and badass lyrics. It makes sense why this is the first song of the album.

2) Of All the Gin Joints in All the World – One of my favorite songs in the album, music and lyric wise. Music wise, it’s fast and brings so music energy. Lyrics wise, it feels like it came from the heart, there’s so much truth and energy in the lyrics at the same time. The lyrics and music really blend well bringing energetic music and lyrics together. I give many props to both Pete and Patrick for coming up with music to rock to and lyrics to relate to. This song doesn’t disappoint.

3) Dance, Dance – I’m pretty sure everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, knows this song. Once you hear the drums and the bass line, you know what song this is and you start head banging NONSTOP. Dance is a memorable song from the good old FOB days. And the music video is just as memorable as the song. A freaking high school dance, with Fall Out Boy. 10 years later, and I still laugh when Pete dances at the end.

4) Sugar, We're Goin’ Down – I’m not gonna go into detail about this song, because EVERYONE knows this song. Once the drum comes in, that’s when everyone starts rocking out. But the moment is the first line,” Am I more than you bargained for yet...” Once every one hears that first line, everyone starts rocking out. This song was the very first time almost everyone had seen or heard of FOB. And the music video is unique and definitely an introduction to the band. No one has made a video of a human/deer falling for a human

5) Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner – One of those songs where it’s not one of my favorites, but I’ll still listen to the song when it plays. It has a very punk vibe, the kind that gets you to stop what you’re doing and rock out. The lyrics say a lot about the song as well. Overall, not a bad song.

6) I've Got a Dark Alley and a Bad Idea That Says You Should Shut Your Mouth (Summer Song) – The lyrics say A LOT in this song, it has a really deep meaning and bring a really deep vibe for this song. This song is basically a poem, you can get a poetry vibe out of this song.

7) 7 Minutes in Heaven (Atavan Halen) – This is my MAIN favorite in the album, I love this song for the music and the lyrics. The lyrics in this song have a very punk vibe, while the music has the punk/energetic vibe. Fun Fact: Joe sang as well in this song (Pete and Joe have roles as backup vocals in most of the songs, so here’s to anyone that says it’s ONLY Patrick). Favorite line? “I'm sitting out dances on the wall. Trying to forget everything that isn't you, I'm not going home alone. Cause I don't do too well on my own”

8) Sophomore Slump or Comeback of the Year – Another favorite song of mine, mainly because the music and lyrics blend really well. I’m in love with the lyrics in this song the lyrics are ones that everyone understands. You can listen to the break, and once you hear the lyrics in that part, you can really understand the song and relate to the song as well.

9) Champagne for My Real Friends, Real Pain for My Sham Friends – Another favorite song of mine in the album. It starts with less than a minute of guitar riffs. It’s a really fast song with lyrics that relate to a lot of listeners. This song in particular is a good example, there are moments where you can rock to the song and other moments where you can listen to the lyrics and relate to them. This song is one of my favorites overall.

10) I Slept With Someone in Fall Out Boy and All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me – This song is another favorite on the album, it’s one of those songs where you do nothing but rock out (many songs like that in this album, obviously). I bet everyone’s favorite part is the break where Pete Wentz gets into scream mode for about a minute till Patrick goes back into the song. Also, when Pete screams into the end, and the ending goes into the next song, no one does it like FOB.

11) A Little Less Sixteen Candles, a Little More “Touch Me” – This song is by far one of my favorites, not only from the album but from the band! Every time I hear this song, you guys are gonna see an excited headbanging girl, just saying. Anyways, this song is so energetic and punk, and EVERYTHING that is Fall Out Boy. And the lyrics have very deep meanings as well, so there’s more to love besides the music. Over all, this song is another favorite song in the album.

12) Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying (Do Your Part to Save the Scene and Stop Going to Shows)- Can’t really count this song as one of my favorites in the album. It has a very dance vibe, and the lyrics mixes really well with the song. It goes from slow to a dance vibe, with a break with the gang.

13) XO – Honestly, I did not think of this song as ending song, but as you listen to the whole song, you can feel the whole album come to full circle. In every ending song, there’s a part where you can feel the album come to full circle, and this is the song. Some songs have that; other songs have every song in the album mixed together. XO is definitely a perfect ending song.

 Overall, from under the cork tree is one of the best songs of the alternative rock era. As stated before, I give a lot of props to both Pete, Patrick, and the rest of FOB for coming up with the music and lyrics for the album. 10 years after FUTCT, it shows the band has come A LONG way, from just being 4 Chicago dudes to being one of the best bands in alternative rock. Personally, I’m extremely proud of the guys, how far the album has come, and I know this is not the last of fall out boy.

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[thealtanatorx]

Album Review: My Chemical Romance - Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge (2004)

This week’s blog is an album review on My Chemical Romance’s “Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge”. This album is one of the best albums of this decade. And the album has impacted many fans of My Chemical Romance. A decade later, the album is still changing lives.

The Band: My Chemical Romance formed in 2001, consisting of Gerard and Mikey Way, Ray Toro, Frank Iero, and Bob Bryar. Gerard wanted to form a band after the attack of 9/11, gaining influence after watching the fall of the twin towers. Along with Matt Pelissier, Way met guitarist Ray Toro, and recruited his brother Mikey as bassist. Once the band met Frank Iero, they started recording on “I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love” (2002). The band toured with Avenge Sevenfold to promote the album. After “Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge” (2004) was released, Pelissier left the band and was replaced with Bob Bryar. The album had major success, due to going platinum after the release. The band opened for Green Day, co-headlined Warped Tour with Fall Out Boy, and co-headlined with Alkaline Trio. The band released 2 albums after: The Black Parade (2006), and Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys (2010). Before the release of Danger Days, the band parted ways with Bryar. The band also released a collection of singles that were recorded before Danger Days. After the release of “Conventional Weapons” in 2013, My Chemical Romance parted ways. Fast forward to 2015, each of the band members are making success, and still impacting lives till this day.

The Album: Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge is the album that opened a lot of doors for My Chemical Romance. They’ve had success in the Billboard charts, as well as going platinum after the release. The album has a mixture of fast/energetic songs, and slow and deep songs.

1. Helena - This is the perfect song to open the album. Even though the song is dark, it still shows so much light in the song. The song goes from fast to slow, however still containing the same message. According to Gerard, the inspiration behind the song was the loss of his and Mikey’s grandmother. The one thing I love about the song is the lyrics. The lyrics give so much emotion, and meaning. You can tell Gerard is giving so much emotion and sadness, because this is a sad song. It’s a song about death and sadness, and saying goodbye.

2. Give 'em hell kid – Even though this is the second song of the album, this is the first song to give the room energy for the rest of the album. When the bass line starts and all the instruments come in, that’s when the energy starts coming in. I think the song is referring to teenage pregnancy, and it had many deep meanings surrounding teen pregnancy (main one being ephedrine).

3. to the end – “Here comes the bride. Here comes the bride…” Every time I see this song in a concert, Gerard starts the song with that saying. This song makes a lot of wedding references, and the music has a wedding vibe. There’s a moment where the song goes into a break, and then back to normal speed. I love the harmonies in this song, especially during the chorus. Overall, this song is another favorite of mine.

4. You know what they do to guys like us in prison – I love this song so much. This is my absolute favorite song in the album. This would be the perfect song for joyriding, or being rebellious, etc. It’s fast, head banging, raw. There are so many reasons why the song is genius. If you need a song you can listen to while you’re driving, running, or even doing homework, this is the perfect song.

5. I'm not okay (I promise) - If you was from the 2005 era, you would know this song very freaking well. I’m not okay was the new Smells Like Teen Spirit. It spoke for the kids who didn’t fit in, the outcasts, and the kids who rebelled against the popular kids. It fits the head banging category, as well as the guitar being raw and edgy. The music videos did success as well. There were two music videos; however the main one was the “Outcasts vs popular kids at a high school” music video.

6. The ghost of you – This is another slow song from the band. It definitely shows the raw emotion of Gerard’s voice. The song surrounds the meaning of loss and letting go. And there’s a moment where the song pauses and it goes back to a part where you can definitely hear Gerard’s raw emotion. And the music video gives the song a World War II vibe, which I really liked a lot.

7. The jetset life is gonna kill you – I heard this combines with “The Ghost of You” and on the “May Death Never Stop You” CD, the song goes into the beginning of The Jetset. So this song has a church vibe in the beginning of the song, which mixes with the drums until the verse starts. Speaking of the verses, the song surrounds drugs and/or the topic of suicide. And just like majority of the other songs, Jetset goes into a break and then resumes back to normal speed. The song gives an energetic vibe, like running off and driving somewhere, etc.

8. Interlude – Slow and simple, nothing but guitar and Gerard’s vocals.

9. Thank you for the venom – Another favorite song in the album. It’s fast and energetic, while having a deep meaning at the same time. I love the guitar solos in this song, and there’s a moment where the song goes into absolute head banging mode and that’s when the guitar solo comes in. And I give props to Ray for the guitar solo in this song.

10. Hang 'em high – Another big favorite song of mine in the album. This song gives a western vibe in the beginning, until it goes to normal MCR mode (Fast, raw, energetic, etc). The song is basically about a man who falls in love with a lady who suddenly dies. The man ends up committing suicide, however he ends up hell while she ends up in heaven. So this song gives a western, “run for your lives” vibe. Ironically, the man is running from demons to be with his lady in the other life, so the song blends really well.

11. it’s not a fashion statement, it’s a fucking death wish – The song gives a rebellious vibe, meaning you get the energy to rebel and do whatever you want and not care about others who are judging, which happens to be the main point of the song. Basically, the man got to the point where he fell really hard, and now he’s at that,”Screw it” point where he’s doing what ever he wants and is basically getting revenge. This line,” This hole that you put me in wasn't deep enough, and I'm climbing out right now. You're running out of places to hide from me…”Meaning, I‘m coming up right now, and there’s nowhere to hide, revenge starts now.

12. Cemetery drive – This is the one song that’s iffy for me. Don’t get me wrong, I love the music and all, and I’m not saying I don’t like the song, it’s just iffy for me. Anyways, I have a feeling this song is referring to Gerard’s lost love, especially with the lines,” I miss you, I miss you so far. And the collision of your kiss that made it so hard…” It’s another song that gives a funeral vibe, and you can really hear Gerard’s raw emotion in this song.

13. I never told you what I do for a living – The last song, a killer finale. It’s another head banging song, and this is when the guitar pops out the most in the song. This song has a major death meaning, especially the line,” "They gave us two shots to the back of the head and we're all dead now…” Ironically, that’s the very last song. So the ending is coincidentally the death of the main character. As of music wise, this also shows Gerard’s vocals and raw emotion, as he sings and screams and does everything in between. Overall, this song is the perfect ending to a perfect album.  

Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, Is one of the best albums of rock today. The album contains slow songs, head banging songs, and songs that contain both. You can rebel, run away, or even sit down with every song in the album. The most important fact, is the fact that this album saved so many lives, so many people never gave up and learned to stay strong thanks to this band. And even though the band broke up 2 years ago, they will forever impact the lives of MILLIONS. Their memory will carry on.

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[thealtanatorx]

Song Review: Korn – Freak on a Leash (1998)

  This week I’m doing a song review on Korn’s Freak on a Leash. I’ve been really hooked on this song for the sake of its guitar riffs, and lyrics. It’s another memorable song of the 90’s Alternative decade.

 The band formed in 1993, consisting members of  Jonathan Davis (Vocals), James Shaffer (guitar), Brian Welch, Reginald Arvizu (bass), and David Silveria (Drums). The band released their albums “Neidermayer’s Mind” (1993), “Life Is Peachy” (1996), “Follow the Leader” (1998), “Issues”(1999) “Untouchables” (2002), “Take a Look in the Mirror” (2003) and “See You on the Other Side” (2005). The band released a Greatest Hits album in 2004, as well as recent albums; “Korn III: Remember Who You Are” (2010), “The Path of Totality” (2011), and “The Paradigm Shift” (2013). After the release of See You on the Other Side in 2005, Silveria announced he was leaving the band, and he was replaced with the band’s current drummer, Ray Luzier.

The Song: Freak on a Leash was in the band’s third album “Follow the Leader”, releasing in 1998. Both the song and the album had success in the mainstream, debuting in the billboard charts as well as MTV’s Total Request Live (TRL). The song itself is memorable due to its guitar riffs and deep lyrics (Something takes a part of me… Feeling like a freak on a leash).

  The guitar is what starts the song (My favorite part) and the riff continues throughout the whole song, as well as other famous riffs. After the guitar riff is the verse. The verse is when the lead vocalist (Davis) talks about a part of him being taken away. I’ll give brownie points to Davis for using the very first line of the song as the very first line of the chorus. Davis goes in to the song explaining the feeling of that a part of him is being taken away, and goes into life being the enemy. Basically saying, a part of him is stolen, and life is the burglar. Well played, Davis.

The pre-chorus is another favorite part of mine. A new guitar riff is being played as well as the lyrics,” Sometimes I cannot take this place. Sometimes it's my life I can't taste. Sometimes I cannot feel my face. You'll never see me fall from grace.” It’s referring to the last few bits of the verse, saying Life is the enemy, but I will not fall from this. The chorus is a memorable part of the song, as it uses the first line of the verse. It goes back to something taking a part of him. In the next verse Davis puts in the song title, “Feeling like a Freak on a Leash”. Davis writes about feeling abused and feeling pain. After the song goes back to the pre-chorus and the chorus, is a very interesting part. The lead vocalist (Davis) does freestyle and uses tiny fragments of words in the bridge, and actually rap words after that. The song ends after using the Chorus one last time.

Overall this song this highly recommended. Either for the kid who’s looking for new guitar riffs to play, or the kid who’s looking for something to relate to. I feel everyone feels like some part of theirs has been taken away thanks to the shitty way of life. Even though we barely hear fro Korn now, this song and band is highly memorable.

(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korn)

[thealtanatorx]

Song Review: Ain’t It Fun – Paramore

I was extremely happy when I found out Paramore won a Grammy for Best Rock Song at the 2015 Grammy’s on Sunday. I’ve been a personal fan of theirs since 2008. The band started in 2005 with Hayley Williams, Josh and Zac Farro, and Jeremy Davis. The band made 2 albums before Taylor York joined the band. After their 3rd album, Brand New Eyes, the Farro brothers left Paramore. And everyone knows about the controversy/he said-she said drama after the departure of the brothers. Fast forward to 2015, the band- now a trio- released their self-titled album, went on their own headlined tour, then their own cruise, as well as co-headlined with fall out Boy. It’s safe to safe Paramore has accomplished a lot in the past 10 years, and they can cross winning a Grammy out of their Bucket List.

The Song: The song is extremely self-explanatory. You can already tell what the song it’s about without having guesses and playing Sherlock Homes to find out the main point of the song. It’s basically saying that you’re grown up, you’re in the real world, and you’re on your own. Hayley explained the song was a reference to her moving from her hometown in Nashville, to Los Angeles. And she wrote the line, “Don’t go crying, to your mama, cause you’re all alone in the real world…” as a message to herself. This song can be sent to one or many people; people who graduated, people entering college, or people getting their own place and moved out. The song brings a sense of reality in a sarcastic tone. Including lines,”Ain’t it fun living in the real world? Ain’t it good being on your own?” The xylophone joins the guitars, bass and drums. And it ends with a gospel choir. Basically saying, “You’re a grown up, you’re in the real world, get over it.”

This song is an A+ on my book. Ain’t It Fun is a song for the people growing up, and it does successfully. It definitely proves that Paramore has grown up a lot since 2005, and I believe they are going to go further.

[thealtanatorx]

Song Review: Oasis - Wonderwall

   Wonderwall is a personal favorite of mine, mainly because of the lyrics. Don’t get me wrong, I love the music and the guitar riffs, but the lyrics and the one-liners are what make the song stand out. The songwriter of Oasis, Noel Gallagher, explained the song was about having an imaginary friend coming to save you from yourself. I personally think it’s those scenarios that everyone can relate to. Everyone has moments when they need to be saved or rescued (only to find out that only you can save you from yourself).

   Wonderwall has those lyrics that you put on social media as a status or a tweet, but in its beautiful form, meaning there’s no other way the lyrics could’ve been sung. “I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now…” and “You’re my wonderwall” are lines that could be sent towards anybody; A lover, an imaginary friend, or a person in general. It’s those lines that you can never tell who it’s for, but it’s very truthful at the same time. These lyrics are deep but in a very truthful way.

   Wonderwall is still a favorite hit today as it’s played on Pandora, Spotify, and most searched on Youtube.. Even though the band broke up later on, it’s still a memorable 90s song, and will always be a memorable Oasis song.