Album Review: Neighborhoods

I reserve doing album reviews for special occasions and exceptionally good albums. This is both. It's the first new blink-182 album in 8 years, and their first new material since their break-up and make-up.

It's a blink album, to be certain. They're the same band as they always were, but they're a completely new band at the same time. The 8 years it's been since their last album came out really, really shows. They've grown up a lot since 2003; they are not in their 20s anymore. They're married [and divorced] and have children.

It sounds nothing like Enema of the State, but why would it? This isn't the 90s anymore. During the band's hiatus, they all had time to expand on their own. Travis has his own album, Mark did +44 (with Travis), and Tom has done both Box Car Racer, and Angels and Airwaves.

Some people are saying that blink sounds too much like Angels and Airwaves featuring +44 now. But is that not what it always was? To me, AVA sounds like Tom and +44 sounds like Mark. Obviously Travis sounds like Travis. In having the chance to separate and do their own projects, I feel it gave them a chance to develop their own sounds, and us a chance to differentiate between the two.

So, there's a lot of Tom on the record, and there's a lot of Mark on the record, and the whole thing has Travis putting in the solid beats in the background. It's a fitting place for him, I think. He puts in what needs to be there and it holds everything together perfectly. He seems to be a lot like that in person, as well.

Ghost on the Dancefloor:
I think this was a really good choice for a first song, it's one of my favourites on the record so far. It's very up-beat and really quite dancy with lyrics about being incredibly sad and lonely, which is what a lot of blink songs are about anyway, so nothing new there.

Natives:
The bass on this song is amazing. It sounds like it could have been released on their last album. Nothing has changed, which is not a bad thing at all.

Up All Night:
This is the first single, which I personally think was a mistake. It is a very new sound for them and I think a smarter choice for first single would have been After Midnight. Not that this isn't a great song. Since it was their first single, I've had a long while to listen to it. It has the back and forth style that they have perfected and it's executed brilliantly on this track. It doesn't sound like their old sound at all, but you can clearly hear the merging of their 3 signature styles and it's a great marriage.

After Midnight:
This is another one of my favourite tracks. It's a perfect balance of their newer sounding songs, and their classics. It's absolutely brilliant lyrically. And it's catchy, which I love. I have nothing else to really say other than this song is, in my opinion, excellent and should have been the first single.

Snake Charmer:
This song is really dark, both lyrically and musically. There's a lot going on, but it fits together well, somehow. It's very much a "Tom and Travis" song. The bass line is great, but that's really all I hear of Mark on this track. It's lacking, there.

Heart's All Gone:
It has an interlude before it which is rather haunting and pretty experimental. It's a different direction for them. I'm glad it's on its own track so that I don't have to listen to it repeatedly, though. It's nice for sometimes and goes great for a straight listen-through of the album, but I wouldn't want it fused to Heart's All Gone.
The drumming really stands out on this track. It seems like a counter to Snake Charmer; it's very much of a Mark and Travis creation. The vocals and lyrics are both really strong, and it's up-beat.

Wishing Well:
Musically it sounds like some of their older stuff, which will never earn any complaints from me. It's vivid and interesting lyrically and is taking a lot of what Tom has been working with in AVA.

Kaleidoscope:
This, lyrically, one of my favourite tracks on the album. Mark sounds amazing on it; he has a really, really gorgeous voice. Instrumentally, it's nothing special or extraordinary, but the vocals are stunning.

This Is Home:
It's electronic and dancy. The vocals fit in great with the instrumentals. It needs a few more listens for me to really make a solid opinion on it. It isn't a bad song, but it doesn't stand out like some of the others do.

MH 4.18.2011:
Sounds like old blink. As always, Mark sounds great.

Love is Dangerous:
Their vocals mesh perfectly together. It's very much a balance between both of their styles. The drums don't stand out, and aren't lost in the background, either. It's a perfect marriage of 3.

Fighting The Gravity:
It's dark and electronic, which works perfectly with the dark lyrics. Bits of it remind me a bit of Asthenia, which is great, as it's one of my favourite songs they've done. It doesn't really stand out, but it's got a big sound and it's nice to listen to.

Even if She Falls:
A lot like old blink. The bass really stands out on this and sounds great. The vocals are good and the lyrics are great. Good ending to the record.

Over-all, they've made a very strong come-back. There are throw-backs to their classic sound, and they're also bringing new stuff into the mix. I feel that on the whole, it would have been stronger if there was more vocal contribution from Mark. It's very diverse and it wasn't repetitive. The songs that didn't really "stand out" were not bad or boring. I wouldn't remember them enough to put them on repeat, but I also wouldn't skip over them on shuffle. It's a very dark album, which makes sense since they're on a come-back from a quite public, seemingly rather harsh, break-up.

It's way more grown-up and mature than Enema of the State or Take Off Your Pants and Jacket, and picks up where their most recent album left off. Although it's grown up, it isn't all, "We have kids and this is how we feel being parents", it's still full of their always relatable, very real, lyrics. They certainly have not lost their touch.

Note: it pains me greatly to have to spell "neighborhoods" instead of "neighbourhoods".

Please Don't, Actually

This song is called "Stay Together For The Kids" which is nice, and all.
But really; please don't.

Having parents who are divorced is a million times better than having parents who argue fucking constantly.
Really. I would know.

Having parents who date other people is weird, fucked up, and gross... absolutely.
But it's still better than them fucking fighting all the fucking time.

If you can work through your shit and stay together, by all means, absolutely do.
But whatever you do... do NOT ever stay together for the kids. They will hate you for it.

I Still Love Alice

I wanna hurt you just to hear you screaming my name.
That one time Carol and I saw Alice play at the state fair and it was free.
That other time I spent all day walking around Toronto looking for an Alice Cooper shirt.
That time David Granzotto played this song for me in his car on the way to school.

Pet The Albums

Ugh. I'm too excited to even brain.

I've accepted the fact that I am never going to Warped Tour.

And I thought, when they broke up, that I'd never get to see blink-182 because I'm an asshole and I keep missing their shows. Which is stupid. Because I fucking love them so much.

But now I have a ticket to go, so everything will be allright.

Anyway.

The point of this was to mention the first time I ever listened to them.

I love telling this story.

When I was 10, the only music I ever listened to was what my parents listened to, The Backstreet Boys, etc.; Spice Girls, etc.; and Britney Spears, etc.; as well as what was played on WNIC. Because that was the only radio station I'd ever heard in my life.

In music class, Bracken Merrit brought in Cheshire Cat, for us to listen to... so there were a bunch of 9 and 10 year olds sitting on the floor listening to Carousel. And It was the first time in my life I'd ever heard anything that could actually be classified as some form of punk. I found out what CD and band it was and straight away asked my parents for it. They never actually got it for me, but I kept asking. I don't know why they never got it for me. I really, really, really wanted it. Perhaps it was because it was pop-punk? Or maybe the parental advisory label scared them away.

Parental advisory labels are censorship of art and are therefore horrible and wrong.

Anyway, I used to go to Borders and every time we'd go, I'd go up to the music section and find where they kept the blink-182 CDs and I used to go through them and just look at them all and pet them. I wanted one so badly, but they all had parental advisory stickers on them, so I wasn't allowed to buy them, and my parents refused to get any of them for me. So I was stuck with stupid bubble-gum pop. I feel like I'd have grown up and gone to more fun shows earlier if I had been able to listen to blink-182 as a kid.

Also, I feel like I'd have been more awesome if my babysitter had let me listen to Nevermind when I was 7. Of course the only reason I wanted to listen to it was because of the naked baby on the cover. But still. It's a great album. I could have been a little grunge kid. But no. He wouldn't let me. I still don't know why. It's not profane or anything. I think censorship of inappropriate things for kids is stupid. You can tell all the sex jokes you want and they really will not have a fucking clue what the hell you're on about. Stuff like that is only inappropriate when you actually get the references and kids don't, so it's fine to let them watch stuff like that because they just won't think anything of it.

The first time I actually got to listen to more than Carousel was when I went to Molly Curry's house when I was 12. She had a lovely assortment of blink albums that we listened to while sitting on her floor and playing with her horses. It was a lovely moment for me.

At some point, I finally managed to acquire a copy of Cheshire Cat. I listened to that album over and over and over again. It remains one of my more cherished possessions. Others include my mother's charm bracelet, my great-great grandfather's cufflinks, Richard Kruspe's guitar pick that I got after the Rammstein show in Montreal last year, the signed Silverstein drum-head Kevin gave me after their 10th anniversary shows, my cast, and that picture of Travis Barker and I when I was 15. Obviously it's very important, if it's as important as all of those things. (Okay. I'm kind of exaggerating, here. It's not actually that important to me. But I do like it a lot!!)

I met Travis Barker at the airport when I was 15 and he was on my plane to LA. I didn't actually know who he was, to be honest, since the only album I had was Cheshire Cat and Scott was still their drummer on that one. After that, I started listening to their newer stuff because I finally figured out how to pirate music. And now I love them and I'm going to see them.

So yeah. That's my whole sordid history on my relationship, up until now, with blink-182. Who knows what will happen at their show?

Actually. I'm pretty sure of one thing that will happen. And that will be...

I'm definitely probably most likely going to cry.

All of my tears of joy ever.

Reading... or, Why I Wish I Lived In England Right Now

Summer music festivals are a staple for anyone in the whole... "scene" as it were. And even people who aren't regularly included in said group.

I, personally, have never attended a summer music festival. Ever.

I've been to shows all over, but I've never been to Warped, The Bamboozle, Bonnaroo, SXSW, Coachella, SCENE, or, awkwardly enough, NXNE. (However, I can scratch NXNE off my list in a few weeks as it takes place here in Toronto, and I am [hopefully] going to at least a few shows. Also, SCENE in St. Catherine's for my birthday in late June.)

Never having been able to attend any of the above, it is my dearest and sincerest wish to go to some of the European summer music festivals. Namely Reading Festival, and Rock Am Ring, in Germany. Exclusively for their brilliant lineups...

Reading 2011:
My Chemical Romance, Bring Me The Horizon, New Found Glory, The Strokes, The National, Jimmy Eat World, Muse, Enter Shikari, Frank Turner, Taking Back Sunday, The Naked And Famous, Jane's Addiction, Crystal Castles, OFWGKTA, Panic! At The Disco, Best Coast, Fucked Up, DRUGS, Does It Offend You, Yeah?, Comeback Kid, Boysetsfire, Title Fight, Descendents, Flogging Molly, and Hot Water Music.

Rock Am Ring 2011:
Kings Of Leon, DeadmatInu5, Interpol, The Gaslight Anthem, Plain White T's, The Pretty Reckless, August Burns Red, All That Remains, Disturbed, Bring Me The Horizon, Hollywood Undead, Escape The Fate, System Of A Down, Simple Plan, Silverstein, and Frank Turner.

So tired of living on this continent. Get me somewhere better with more culture, please?

Teenage Dream

Dirty Mary > Katy Perry

Darren Criss > Katy Perry

Dirty Mary ≥ Darren Criss


DIRTY MARY
(It's live and a bit awful. But this is my favourite song ever.)


Katy Perry
...not half as good as...


Darren Criss

I Wanna Do It Let's Draw Straws

Every year, I have an obsession that begins in mid October and lasts until just after Christmas. That is The Nightmare Before Christmas. My two favourite songs are Kidnap the Sandy Claws and Oogie Boogie's Song. Talking of the first one, here is an amazing cover by She Wants Revenge. And some other goodies.

Oh Hey

I was in a movie. Apparently.

I even have like... close ups.

Which are some-what mortifying...
because like. I'm definitely way shyer than I seem.

And like Till Lindemann, I am highly weirded out by people like... staring at me.

So I just got back from the film premier. Hahaha.

And I don't think I've ever blushed so hard in my entire life. Or laughed so hard in an "oh god people are looking at my face, fuck me and my life this is terrible" sort of way.

SO... to see my sweaty mug stealing a guitar pic for my friend, go buy Silverstein's DVD tomorrow. It's called Decade and should be in any music store for less than $20.

Blink

I don't know if I've ever written about this before, but I feel like writing about it now.

I distinctly remember the first time I ever heard anything by Blink 182. I was in like... 5th grade (i think). And some kid brought Cheshire Cat into music class and we listened to Carousel. I'd never heard anything like it in my life, and I was totally in awe. And I'm pretty sure, when I went home, I asked my parents for Cheshire Cat. But I thiiink it maybe had one of those pesky parental advisory stickers on it. So they wouldn't get it for me. =/

But I finally got my grubby little fingers on a copy and listened to it alll the time.

And then... I guess I kinda forgot about them because I met Travis Barker when I was 15 and didn't really know who he was.

Oh well. I do now.

Oh Mama I'm In Fear For My Life From The Long Arm Of The Law

YES.

Enemy Of The World

Once upon a time, my buddy Jason let me write and album review for his website. This was terrifying, by the way, as when it comes to writing, I feel like I have no idea what the balls I'm doing... even if I appear to. But anyway. Yesterday, Four Year Strong's new album was released. It's called Enemy of the World. And it is amazing. So... I thought I'd review it for my own blog. And since it's my blog, I know I can do whatever the fuck I want in terms of writing as if you dislike my writing, you wouldn't be reading my blog, so it's all g.

I love Four Year Strong. I have an FYS tattoo. Well. Kinda. It's FYS lyrics with a Tokidoki character. A few of my friends and I all have the same lyrics with different Tokidoki tattoos. Mine is Mozzarella, she's a girl in a cow-suit with a tommy-gun, and she's part of the Moofia. They stand up for kids on the playground against bullies who try and steal their milk. And under it, is the line TEAM UP! from Heroes Get Remembered, Legends Never Die.

The first time I listened to Enemy of the World was kind of like the first time I listened to Homesick by ADTR. I was like whoa. LIKE. WHOA. It's an amazing record. Some bands change their sound from album to album, but this is pretty much FYS exactly as you'd expect them to sound. Which is good, because I really like the way they sound. My favourite track as of now is the title track, which happens to be the last track on the album. But as I listen to it more and more, I expect this to change as ever. I always rotate around which songs I like the best.

I spent all of last night listening to this and all I can think about is when I can go see them play live. So good. So, yeah. You should go to your local independent record store and pick this up, if they have it. Because it's amazing and definitely worth the money.

Seventeen Forever

I made a mixtape for all of you fine folks detailing the events of my 17th year of life through songs. It's available for download here. ^__________^ 2 tracks, about 45 minutes long each and a tracklist. Figure out the story yourself... but email me if you want specifics. Happy listening.

I Sent Two Letters Back In Autumn

I've devoted my night to uploading most of my CD collection into my computer. About 1/4 of my CD collection I got from my ex-boyfriend Brad. He was always so much better at stealing music than I was.

...Possibly because he would break into cars and remove peoples' CD cases in order to do so? Whereas I just download things off of the internet. My way doesn't include album art. Oh my life.

Anyway, my CD collection reminds me of my Vinyl collection... which my mum probably sold. Which irks me a little bit because I had a copy of Their Satanic Majesties Request with the rather rare 3D cover... among other things that I'd rather keep in my possession. Oh well. I think she sold my DVD collection as well. I'm just going to try not to think about things like that.

Holy Roller Do You Feel My Flame?

I love Landon Pigg. Just saying.

DIRTY MARY!!!

So good.

RAAAAAAAGEr

So tonight... last night? Something.
Anyway. I went to this... party... thing something. I don't know what to call it. But it was at Sneaky Dee's hosted by my buddy Cole and some of his friends.

My friends were going to come, but they decided to get balls-high instead and be super lazy. This is why I don't do drugs. They take away all motivation to be remotely interesting. I would know. I was definitely kind of a stoner in highschool for like 2 months.

So I told them I'd go to this thing for like 10 minutes, seeing as it would probably be lame, like all things are, but I just like to randomly turn up at places to make it seem like I have an interesting social life other than crashing my skateboard and walking to restaurants.

This plan backfired when the music was amazing. There was this crazy girl dancing on a speaker or something. I wanted to put her in my pocket and take her home. She was the most ridiculous person I have ever seen. It was great. There were actually a few ridiculous people around, now that I mention it.

The windows fogged up so I went around writing things like, "Nom Nom Tillius" and "Ich liebe RZKitty für immer" etc. AH. Since I mention dear Herr Kruspe, I would also like to take this opportunity to inform everyone that I will no longer be referring to him as Richard or Kitty. He is now "Dick". And what does Dick do? Dick plays guitar. And oh how I love Dick. Glamourous Dick is so fabbity fab and gorgey. Enough of that.

So, I met people, danced with people, and got offered every drink ever. I decided on orange juice. I'm sure I looked drunk because A. I'm a ridiculous dancer. I do not regret this at all. I live to move and I love to dance. Also, B. The floors were slippery with god-knows-what so I kept sliding around like a tipsy asshole.

Afterwards, I bought a cupcake and went to my friends' house. They have a cute cat. He's super fuzzeh. My ridiculously high friend decided to eat all of my cupcake... except for the chocolate-chips. So that was kind of a bummer. We played a fun game of trying to guess where Richard was from because I had just noticed his bizarro accent. I was really off the ball with accents today. I was talking to some Australian girl without even knowing she was Australian. Good job me.

I was going to leave, but then I walked past Chris' room and discovered that not only did he have a bass, he also had a trumpet. Fun times were had by... well. Me. Super out of tune trumpet though. And lots of 12:51 happened. Since he has an amp. And I do not. Which suuucks.

We then found a breathalizer thingy. I was the only person who blew a 0.00. After that, I left. Walked back to Sneaky's to get a cucpake for myself this time, and went home. On my way there, the street was blocked off and there were police cars all over on College between Spadina and Bathurst. I asked the media dude who was filming there what had gone on. Apparently a car hit a pedestrian.

I got myself home, wrote half this blog entry, then apparently passed out for 5 hours. And now I'm going back to sleep because it's a LAAAAZY Sudae.

MiniFridge Koolaid

So, I really like Koolaid. But I have no pitchers, and I only have a minifridge. So here's an easy solution if you find yourself in a similar predicament and would rather buy 1 pack of Koolaid mix and a bag of sugar instead of paying for the little individual packets.

What you need is:
1 Cup of sugar
1 packet of Koolaid mix
A water bottle, I used an empty vitamin water bottle
Warm water

Put the Koolaid mix in the empty bottle, measure out the sugar and carefully pour it in as well. Fill the rest of the bottle up with warm water so that the sugar melts faster. Screw the lid on tightly and then just shake it up until it's all mixed and everything is dissolved. Then just stick it in the fridge for later. When you want Koolaid, just pour some into a glass or water bottle, and add a bunch of water so that it isn't so concentrated.

So there you have it, low-space Koolaid. Loves it.

Also. Listen to this song. It's good.

I Take It Back

SO... I've most certainly made fun of Tay Zonday at least once for his song Chocolate Rain... and writing "I move away from the mic to breathe"... yeah. Anyway. I take it back. Because this is amazing.



Happy Christmas everyone. ^_^

Er...

I'm pretty sure this dude has raped at least one person.

What a creeper.

Once Upon A Time...

There was a musician named Cat Stevens.


...and then he became weirdly religious.


BUT. Before that. He did this: