Topic: Some food for thought. (Read 10242 times)

imapiratearg · « **on:** 18 Jun 2008, 13:19 »

Okay, so, one of my friends posted a bulletin on Myspace describing how she had purchased Panic at the Disco's new album for one of her friends and gave it a listen. She then went on to say it is pretty awesome. I found this shocking, seeing as my friend (Emily is her name) has pretty okay taste in music for the most part, but then I got curious. So, today, I went to All Music Guide's website and looked it up (where that URL goes). I listened to some samples after reading the review and I was surprised to find that it isn't utter shit! It's actually listenable, despite the blatant Beatles rip-offs present. Whether this was a drop of their previous pretentiousness and a honest-to-goodness attempt at writing some real music, or whether it was an attempt to jump on the "We sound like The Beatles!" bandwagon, I don't know. It seems like this is far more entertaining than their last album, seeing as they go about this one with a sense of humor less bittersweet than their last one. However, it just doesn't seem to click in my mind, the music is significantly better, but I still cannot stand the vocalist. Not only does he still sound like a clone of Patrick Stump, his sensitive, crooning, quavering vocals clash entirely with the psychedelic soundscapes.

Please note: I am not trying to bash Panic at the Disco, but rather spark some conversation and get some other opinions about it. I was really surprised to hear them try to do a folk song, and I wanted to see some other reactions.

benji · « **Reply #1 on:** 18 Jun 2008, 13:38 »

I really dislike the lead singer. I remember listening to their first album at the music store. It was some song that started with an instrumental piece that wasn't half bad and I was starting to get in to it, and then he opened his mouth and that completely ruined everything for me. Totally agree on the Stump comparison. I remember thinking "this guy is trying to be fall out boy, but can't. That's kinda sad." That being said, they always seemed like pretty good instrumentalists to me, even when I heard them after that. Still, I think they'll have to do better then "ok for a blatant Beatles rip-off" before I'll be interested again.

imapiratearg · « **Reply #2 on:** 18 Jun 2008, 13:44 »

Yeah. I burst out laughing when I heard that "folk" song. The harmonica part was cool, but that was about it. I think they just try too hard and lack originality or any sort of freshness.

Hehe, honestly, the first time I ever heard their first single on the radio, I thought it actually was Fall Out Boy.

muffy · « **Reply #3 on:** 18 Jun 2008, 14:15 »

Last time I brought this album up, I was nearly laughed out of here, but I agree: the singer's voice works brilliantly for the theatrical emo-pop of their first album, but on Pretty.Odd. it sits totally askew on all tracks bar the first single.

Also, the fact that they alienated a hardcore following of young teenagers in order to do something more inventive and somehow more worthy when everyone expected otherwise has to be commended, and the only reason they managed to pull it off (mostly) is because beyond the scene and the fanbase, they're all pretty adept musicians and are therefore capable of writing decent tunes, no matter how grating the voice that leads them is.

Basically, they all grew up a bit, stopped fawning at the altar of Pete Wentz, started listening to the Kinks et al, discovered pot and antagonised an army of emo girls. Credit due, methinks.

imapiratearg · « **Reply #4 on:** 18 Jun 2008, 14:24 »

I feel like I should give them a bit of due credit, because it sounds like they tried to write less mindless and soulless music, but listening to it just feels really clunky and awkward, like driving a jury-rigged go-cart made of bicycle frames and duct tape.

muffy · « **Reply #5 on:** 18 Jun 2008, 15:08 »

That's a pretty good analogy, actually. I'm fond of the album, in parts (though it has the worst opening track to any album I've ever heard in the history of openers), but it's a case of the ambition being far more impressive than the finished product. It'll be fun if they ever discover prog, though.

jeph · « **Reply #6 on:** 18 Jun 2008, 16:15 »

Sometimes I will write off a band just because of their name. This is one of those times.

imapiratearg · « **Reply #7 on:** 18 Jun 2008, 16:22 »

Their name is pretty bad. Almost as bad as Protest the Hero and Five Finger Death Punch.

Sox · « **Reply #8 on:** 18 Jun 2008, 18:02 »

Fallout Boy suck, I have no interest in hearing this. But I guess if they broke up the band, their next band could be alright, if they abandoned the 'we wanna be rockstars' thing they have.

imapiratearg · « **Reply #9 on:** 18 Jun 2008, 18:06 »

The thread's about Panic at the Disco, bro.

sean · « **Reply #10 on:** 18 Jun 2008, 19:58 »

On the counterpoint, all my friends who actually liked Panic at the Disco hated this album. Though I suppose somebody brought that point up already.

I remember I listened to their first album once. I don't remember rabidly hating it, but I was hardly impressed.

Nodaisho · « **Reply #11 on:** 18 Jun 2008, 21:52 »

Quote from: imapiratearg on 18 Jun 2008, 18:06

The thread's about Panic at the Disco, bro.

To tell the truth, I could never tell the difference unless I knew the song.

Taking a listen right now, expecting the worst.

Opening track so far seems like it could be a Beatles cover, hopefully they show some amount of creativity.

edit: the lyrics seem clunky sometimes, but it is much better than I expected so far. And it doesn't feel like they are ripping off the beatles, so that is good too.

Tom · « **Reply #12 on:** 18 Jun 2008, 22:36 »

Beatles ala Fall Out Boy, unimpressed by any of the singles off the new album (and the old) I just ignore them. Like Sean, I don't rabidly hate them just unimpressed. Then again I don't really like the Beatles.

Nodaisho · « **Reply #13 on:** 18 Jun 2008, 22:46 »

Quote from: n0t_r0bert_b0yle!! on 18 Jun 2008, 22:36

I don't really like the Beatles.

Shun.

Tom · « **Reply #14 on:** 18 Jun 2008, 23:10 »

Quote from: Nodaisho on 18 Jun 2008, 22:46

Quote from: n0t_r0bert_b0yle!! on 18 Jun 2008, 22:36
I don't really like the Beatles.
Shun.

Don't shun me for that, shun me for not having listened to any Sloan. Where do I start?

imapiratearg · « **Reply #15 on:** 19 Jun 2008, 05:59 »

Sloan did it much better than Panic at the Disco, though. Now that I think about it, I personally think that Sloan did it better than The Beatles, even. The rock and roll-type stuff, I mean. As far as I know, they haven't done any psychedelic, orchestral pop.

Kai · « **Reply #16 on:** 19 Jun 2008, 09:19 »

Quote from: tommydski on 18 Jun 2008, 22:47

FYP

imapiratearg · « **Reply #17 on:** 19 Jun 2008, 09:26 »

What's your point?

Thrillho · « **Reply #18 on:** 19 Jun 2008, 09:29 »

I heard one of the singles from the new album - they kept popping out of their own bodies like russian dolls? - and remember thinking 'holy fuck, this is actually good. no hope of reproducing it live, though.'

I also remember 'Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have With Her Pants On' or whatever it's called from the first album being a good tune.

Catacombs · « **Reply #19 on:** 19 Jun 2008, 11:55 »

I haven't heard anything off their new album, but that "I chimed in "Haven't you people ever heard of closing the goddamn door?!" song pissed me the fuck off.

Kai · « **Reply #20 on:** 19 Jun 2008, 13:34 »

Quote from: imapiratearg on 19 Jun 2008, 09:26

What's your point?

Sloan do the rockin' Beatles tunes. The Olivia Tremor Control gets all the orchestral-psych ones.

What I am saying is we need a Sloan/Tremor Control supergroup.

orangepeas · « **Reply #21 on:** 19 Jun 2008, 13:37 »

Quote from: imapiratearg on 18 Jun 2008, 14:24

I feel like I should give them a bit of due credit, because it sounds like they tried to write less mindless and soulless music, but listening to it just feels really clunky and awkward, like driving a jury-rigged go-cart made of bicycle frames and duct tape.

i really like your description.

benji · « **Reply #22 on:** 19 Jun 2008, 14:21 »

Quote from: Catacombs on 19 Jun 2008, 11:55

I haven't heard anything off their new album, but that "I chimed in "Haven't you people ever heard of closing the goddamn door?!" song pissed me the fuck off.

Yeah. That one was really annoying.

Christophe · « **Reply #23 on:** 19 Jun 2008, 14:24 »

First it was Fall Out Boy with a Harpsichord. Now it's Fall Out Boy with LSD and backwards guitar.

Pete Wentz needs to be publicly castrated for what he's done to the world, bankrolling P!ATD included.

a pack of wolves · « **Reply #24 on:** 19 Jun 2008, 18:43 »

Pete Wentz was in Racetraitor. The man has a free pass for any subsequent sins because let's face it, none of us will ever make anything as good as Burn The Idol of the White Messiah.

Tom · « **Reply #25 on:** 19 Jun 2008, 19:40 »

I mainly asscoiate HELP and Please Please Me with the Beatles, both of which put me to sleep. I really don't like the Beatles earlier stuff , i.e before Rubber Soul as much but I can appreciate and enjoy what it inspired.

Thrillho · « **Reply #26 on:** 20 Jun 2008, 16:02 »

You're going to hell.

Tom · « **Reply #27 on:** 20 Jun 2008, 16:36 »

Hell is like voodoo

De_El · « **Reply #28 on:** 20 Jun 2008, 21:43 »

Wait, what the hell? The Wikipedia article on Racetraitor makes it sound like they were pretty hardcore, and then members of that band form a thing like Fall Out Boy? CONFUSION (pump panel reconstruction mix)

Also, I thought we had all moved beyond silly antiquated superstitions like hell and the Beatles.

imapiratearg · « **Reply #29 on:** 20 Jun 2008, 23:29 »

Quote from: Kai on 19 Jun 2008, 13:34

What I am saying is we need a Sloan/Tremor Control supergroup.

That would be fucking awesome.

a pack of wolves · « **Reply #30 on:** 21 Jun 2008, 14:01 »

Quote from: De_El on 20 Jun 2008, 21:43

Wait, what the hell? The Wikipedia article on Racetraitor makes it sound like they were pretty hardcore, and then members of that band form a thing like Fall Out Boy? CONFUSION

Not just pretty hardcore, Burn The Idol Of The White Messiah (their only album) is absolutely raging metalcore. They were very political and as the name implies vehemently anti-racist. Great stuff. I'm not sure how much Wentz actually played on to be honest, he might just have been a touring bassist, but still he deserves some credit for being in them at all. He was also the vocalist in the more melodic but still definitely hardcore Arma Angelus, who were decent enough, and he kept that band going for a while after joining Fall Out Boy. Fall Out Boy's drummer was in Racetraitor for their whole career though as far as I know, but even odder he's also a former member of the hardline band Vegan Reich. I heard somewhere he's still nailed to the x and a primitivist anarchist to boot, despite his day job.

It's not too odd though, loads of hardcore guys went on to do much more pop bands. Walter Schriefels of Rival Schools started out with Gorilla Biscuits and Project X (who wrote the classic song Straight Edge Revenge), The Get Up Kids' keyboard player was the drummer in crushing metalcore Zeppelin-lovers Coalesce and Avril Lavigne's backing band are ex-Grade!

valley_parade · « **Reply #31 on:** 22 Jun 2008, 07:55 »

Quote from: a pack of wolves on 19 Jun 2008, 18:43

Pete Wentz was in Racetraitor. The man has a free pass for any subsequent sins because let's face it, none of us will ever make anything as good as Burn The Idol of the White Messiah.

And that, my friends, (with help from The Falcon and Rise Against), is Fall Out Boy's connection to the Slapstick family tree.

Quote

The Get Up Kids' keyboard player was the drummer in crushing metalcore Zeppelin-lovers Coalesce

You're entirely forgetting he WAS Reggie and the Full Effect (and now he's apparently doing keyboards for My Chemical Romance?!).

Man. I loved Reggie and the Full Effect.

a pack of wolves · « **Reply #32 on:** 24 Jun 2008, 08:37 »

I had completely forgotten that! I used to really like Reggie and the Full Effect too but I have a feeling if I went back and listened again I'd be disappointed, so I'm happy to leave it as a good memory. Is he really in MCR now? That's a pretty bad climb down from playing on songs like Mass Pike and You Can't Kill Us All.

MusicScribbles · « **Reply #33 on:** 24 Jun 2008, 08:51 »

Quote from: imapiratearg on 20 Jun 2008, 23:29

Quote from: Kai on 19 Jun 2008, 13:34
What I am saying is we need a Sloan/Tremor Control supergroup.

That would be as awesome as fucking.

Thrillho · « **Reply #34 on:** 24 Jun 2008, 08:57 »

I just watched a video of Racetraitor on youtube (although annoyingly I had to wade through a bunch of nazi punk cunts first), and fuck me, my respect for those two guys has gone up an enormous amount, even if Pete was only auxilary bassist. I might just have to buy the album.

THESE FORUMS NOW CLOSED (read only)

Author Topic: Some food for thought. (Read 10242 times)