Leave it to Fall Out Boy – even if you question their abilities as songwriters, they’re experts at drawing attention to themselves. Their latest project, Citizens For Our Betterment [the acronym for which cleverly also contains the acronym for the band’s name], might be a better publicity stunt then even bassist Pete Wentz’s famous “home photos.”
By going to CitizensForOurBetterment.com, the visitor is prompted to download a “mixtape” called “Welcome to the New Administration.” The visitor is also informed that Fall Out Boy’s new album will be released on November 4 of this year: election day.
“Welcome to the New Administration” features artists from Fall Out Boy’s own Fueled By Ramen/Decaydance record label, the most popular of them being The Academy Is…, Panic at the Disco, and Cobra Starship. The first forty or so minutes of the “mixtape” contains demos and snippets from Fall Out Boy’s new album, Cobra’s take on “I Kissed A Girl,” and a rather delicious remix of “Automatic Eyes” from The Academy Is…’s soon-to-be-released third effort. Between practically every track, Clinton Sparks’ obnoxious voice shouts out to introduce the artist or to welcome you to the new administration. If you’re a fan of all things Fueled By Ramen, it’s enough to make you salivate. Not that any of the bands on the “mixtape” would have much problem making bank, but it’s a clever marketing tool, blending demos with sweet-voiced frontmen reminding you that their new album drops soon (that would be William Beckett).
Then, after all that excitement, two minutes of “manifestos” from some of the label’s biggest names – each member of Fall Out Boy, Gabe Saporta of Cobra Starship, etc. Each musician speaks about change, and raising your voice – not one of them makes a clear statement, but the message seems to be that they want you to get out and vote.
It’s not exactly a secret that Chicago natives Fall Out Boy have had their ballots marked for their homeboy Barack Obama for months. The band has held concerts to fundraise for his campaign, and just recently played the “Rock The Vote Ballot Bash” at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado. Which is why it’s so surprising that this “mixtape” calling for change is hardly political at all.
As I mentioned, there are really only two minutes of propaganda on this “mixtape” – almost four if you count The Hush Sound’s contribution, entitled “We Believe In (Barack Obama).” Personally, judging from the “mixtape”’s star-spangled cover, I expected more. The rest of the “mixtape” is simply what I stated earlier – a marketing tool. When only ten percent of something passed off as propaganda actually contains propaganda (if those two or four minutes can count as such), and the rest is just promotion, one has to wonder what Fall Out Boy really wants: for their fans to buy their new album, or to exercise their voting rights? By pure ratios, it looks like the former. And, perhaps, by releasing their new album on election day, Fall Out Boy has stuck the date of November 4 in the heads of their fans, but you can probably guess which line said fans will be standing in on that day.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Thursday, August 7, 2008
slightly past 'use by' date
from NME.com:
The rapper delivered the lines during a show at New York's Madison Square Garden last night (August 6).
During the show Jay-Z rapped: "That bloke from Oasis said I couldn't play guitar/Somebody should have told him I'm a fuckin' rock star".
He then reprised a line from Oasis' 1995 hit 'Wonderwall', rapping, "Today is gonna be the day that I'm gonna throw it back to you".
A public spat has blown up between the pair since Noel Gallagher said Jay-Z was "wrong" for Glastonbury earlier this year. Jay-Z then opened his headline slot on June 28 this year with a cover of 'Wonderwall'.
However speaking in this week's issue of NME, out now, Gallagher played down any feud.
"I wasn't saying I was better than Jay-Z as a person or rock was greater than hip-hop," he said. "I said what I said, and it was wrong, or it was taken wrong, and now all this [media furore]."
Gallagher also claimed that Jay-Z liked 'Wonderwall', despite his mock version, and claimed 'Wonderwall' is always the last song of the night at the star's restaurant in New York. Gallagher added: "I'll have a beer with him one day and it will be fine."
Dear Jigga,
Jay-Z raps about Oasis' Noel Gallagher Glastonbury spat
The rapper delivered the lines during a show at New York's Madison Square Garden last night (August 6).
During the show Jay-Z rapped: "That bloke from Oasis said I couldn't play guitar/Somebody should have told him I'm a fuckin' rock star".
He then reprised a line from Oasis' 1995 hit 'Wonderwall', rapping, "Today is gonna be the day that I'm gonna throw it back to you".
A public spat has blown up between the pair since Noel Gallagher said Jay-Z was "wrong" for Glastonbury earlier this year. Jay-Z then opened his headline slot on June 28 this year with a cover of 'Wonderwall'.
However speaking in this week's issue of NME, out now, Gallagher played down any feud.
"I wasn't saying I was better than Jay-Z as a person or rock was greater than hip-hop," he said. "I said what I said, and it was wrong, or it was taken wrong, and now all this [media furore]."
Gallagher also claimed that Jay-Z liked 'Wonderwall', despite his mock version, and claimed 'Wonderwall' is always the last song of the night at the star's restaurant in New York. Gallagher added: "I'll have a beer with him one day and it will be fine."
Dear Jigga,
GIVE. IT. UP. ALREADY.
Now, I love Oasis, but I think you pretty much owned Noel when you "covered" "Wonderwall" at Glasto. It was kind of genius. But don't draw this out.
I don't have access to the new issue of NME to read Noel's statement, because I would have to drive for twenty minutes (or longer, since I would probably get lost) to get my hands on an issue. It doesn't look like Noel straight-up apologised, but clearly he doesn't want this to go on. Really? Noel was only saying what a lot of people were saying, and if they weren't saying it, a lot of people were thinking it. So go have a beer with the man and find somebody else to bitch about.
Kthx,
Jackie
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
at the risk of sounding like a teenager who only thinks they're insightful...
This is a fucking outrage.
from NME.com:
Emo to be made illegal in Russia
A new Russian law could make being an emo kid illegal in the eastern European country.
Legislation is currenting being formulated in Russia to heavily regulate emo websites and ban emo and goth dress style in schools and government buildings.
The new laws are apparently being driven by fears that these "dangerous teen trends" encourage depression and suicide.
The legislation was presented last month at a hearing held by the State Durma, where critics claimed that the "negative" emo culture encourages anti-social behaviour and glorifies suicide.
Emo kids were described as teenagers who wear black, have facial piercings and black hair with fringes that "cover half the face", reports The Guardian.
The weekend saw mass protests by Russian emo kids.
In Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, where laws are already being implemented, protestors in a march held signs saying "A Totalitarian State Encourages Stupidity".
Dmitry Gilevich of Russian emo band MAIO stepped in backing the protests, saying: "Expressing psychological emotions is not forbidden by law."
However, emo critics remain unconvinced.
Alexander Grishunin, an adviser to bill sponsor Yevgeny Yuryev, described a ban as necessary, stating: "This is the first step in the public discourse."
The moves in Russia follow criticism of the genre in the UK earlier this year, which saw My Chemical Romance fans protesting at the offices of British newspaper The Daily Mail over their coverage which linked emo with suicide.
This offends me on two levels.
First, as somebody who believes that freedom of speech and all that it entails is a fundamental human right [as long as it doesn't infringe on the rights of others, blah blah]. And, yes, admittedly Russia doesn't have the best track record when it comes to bestowing rights on its citizens, so this really shouldn't be that much of a surprise. But everybody should have the right to express themselves, blah blah. It's nothing you haven't heard before, I'm sure.
Secondly, I'm offended as someone who believes that emo is more than... what did they say? 'teenagers who wear black, have facial piercings and black hair with fringes that "cover half the face.'" I realise I'm probably one of the few people with this belief, but I have committed myself to it. Stereotypes are bad enough as is; I'm surprised that my large collection of My Chemical Romance shirts hasn't caused anybody to call me an emo faggot [at least to my face]. But by passing this legislation, what 'emo' is or isn't will become a law. A bunch of stuffy politicians are going to be telling teenagers what their niche is, what box they fit into, what their lifestyle is - and then they are going to tell them that that they can't go into that box, because it's self-destructive.
And is locking away who you are less destructive than expressing yourself?
from NME.com:
Emo to be made illegal in Russia
A new Russian law could make being an emo kid illegal in the eastern European country.
Legislation is currenting being formulated in Russia to heavily regulate emo websites and ban emo and goth dress style in schools and government buildings.
The new laws are apparently being driven by fears that these "dangerous teen trends" encourage depression and suicide.
The legislation was presented last month at a hearing held by the State Durma, where critics claimed that the "negative" emo culture encourages anti-social behaviour and glorifies suicide.
Emo kids were described as teenagers who wear black, have facial piercings and black hair with fringes that "cover half the face", reports The Guardian.
The weekend saw mass protests by Russian emo kids.
In Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, where laws are already being implemented, protestors in a march held signs saying "A Totalitarian State Encourages Stupidity".
Dmitry Gilevich of Russian emo band MAIO stepped in backing the protests, saying: "Expressing psychological emotions is not forbidden by law."
However, emo critics remain unconvinced.
Alexander Grishunin, an adviser to bill sponsor Yevgeny Yuryev, described a ban as necessary, stating: "This is the first step in the public discourse."
The moves in Russia follow criticism of the genre in the UK earlier this year, which saw My Chemical Romance fans protesting at the offices of British newspaper The Daily Mail over their coverage which linked emo with suicide.
This offends me on two levels.
First, as somebody who believes that freedom of speech and all that it entails is a fundamental human right [as long as it doesn't infringe on the rights of others, blah blah]. And, yes, admittedly Russia doesn't have the best track record when it comes to bestowing rights on its citizens, so this really shouldn't be that much of a surprise. But everybody should have the right to express themselves, blah blah. It's nothing you haven't heard before, I'm sure.
Secondly, I'm offended as someone who believes that emo is more than... what did they say? 'teenagers who wear black, have facial piercings and black hair with fringes that "cover half the face.'" I realise I'm probably one of the few people with this belief, but I have committed myself to it. Stereotypes are bad enough as is; I'm surprised that my large collection of My Chemical Romance shirts hasn't caused anybody to call me an emo faggot [at least to my face]. But by passing this legislation, what 'emo' is or isn't will become a law. A bunch of stuffy politicians are going to be telling teenagers what their niche is, what box they fit into, what their lifestyle is - and then they are going to tell them that that they can't go into that box, because it's self-destructive.
And is locking away who you are less destructive than expressing yourself?
Friday, July 11, 2008
In Defense of the Genre: Not Again
originally posted THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2008
The shit just hit the fan.
From NME:
Emo music attacked over teen suicide
An inquest in Maidstone has heard that Hannah Bond, a 13 year-old girl from Kent, committed suicide by hanging herself - and emo music has been blamed.
Roger Sykes, the coroner who gave the verdict of suicide yesterday (May 7), suggested that the fact that Bond was an obsessive fan of such music was linked to her death.
The inquest heard that Bond had discussed with friends the "glamour" of suicide, and was obsessed with American band My Chemical Romance. She had a picture of an emo girl with bloody wrists on her Bebo page.
Bond's father Ray explained that his daughter had had an episode of self-harm prior to her suicide, which she told him was an emo initiation ceremony.
Her mother Heather Bond, also provided some background on her interest in the genre explaining: "There are [emo] websites that show pink teddies hanging themselves. She called emo a fashion and I thought it was normal. Hannah was a normal girl. She had loads of friends. She could be a bit moody but I thought it was just because she was a teenager."
However as he gave the verdict of suicide, coroner Sykes criticised the genre saying: "The emo overtones concerning death and associating it with glamour I find very disturbing."
If you're not already aware, this is not the first time MCR has been attacked like this. The last time it was in some crappy tabloid, but many people took it very seriously. Probably this will be kept pretty quiet here in the states, but I can only imagine what the reaction will be in the UK.
Everybody's got it all wrong.
"Emo initiation ceremony"? I'm sure there's some cracked up people out on the internet who would convince people of this. "Emo" isn't a cult, it's a label, a stereotype, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were some people trying to make it a cult. And, yes, there are some people who believe they need to cut themselves to fit in. This was her problem. Gerard Way said that he once saw a girl in the audience with cuts all over her arms. He said he thought it was sad that she felt she needed to harm herself in order to fit in.
MCR does not support this.
At the end of the video for "Teenagers," there is a short message from MCR - "violence is not the answer."
MCR does not support this.
"The emo overtones concerning death and associating it with glamour I find very disturbing."
Now, I'm not really big on "emo." I'm actually unsure of the actual meaning of the word, and I have a fascination with trying to find a definitive meaning for it. You may or may not label me as an emo kid, but (in case you couldn't already tell), I am a huge fan of My Chemical Romance. And I know firsthand how their music affects people.
Sure, The Black Parade is full of death, but it's about learning to not fear death, and at the same time, not fearing life. That very same album saved my own life, and changed it for the better. I'm one of thousands.
Go watch their documentary, Life On The Murder Scene. In the very beginning, Frank Iero says, "We're definitely a band that wants to save your life." Glamorous suicide, indeed.
This isn't to say that people who are MCR fans won't commit suicide. It happens, obviously - they're not a surefire cure. They've helped an enormous amount of people, but do you ever hear about that in the papers? Hardly.
My point is, you've got it all wrong. This girl's problem was not that she listened to My Chemical Romance. Her problem was that she thought she needed to harm herself, and that suicide was somehow glamorous.
The wrong people have been incriminated.
The shit just hit the fan.
From NME:
Emo music attacked over teen suicide
An inquest in Maidstone has heard that Hannah Bond, a 13 year-old girl from Kent, committed suicide by hanging herself - and emo music has been blamed.
Roger Sykes, the coroner who gave the verdict of suicide yesterday (May 7), suggested that the fact that Bond was an obsessive fan of such music was linked to her death.
The inquest heard that Bond had discussed with friends the "glamour" of suicide, and was obsessed with American band My Chemical Romance. She had a picture of an emo girl with bloody wrists on her Bebo page.
Bond's father Ray explained that his daughter had had an episode of self-harm prior to her suicide, which she told him was an emo initiation ceremony.
Her mother Heather Bond, also provided some background on her interest in the genre explaining: "There are [emo] websites that show pink teddies hanging themselves. She called emo a fashion and I thought it was normal. Hannah was a normal girl. She had loads of friends. She could be a bit moody but I thought it was just because she was a teenager."
However as he gave the verdict of suicide, coroner Sykes criticised the genre saying: "The emo overtones concerning death and associating it with glamour I find very disturbing."
If you're not already aware, this is not the first time MCR has been attacked like this. The last time it was in some crappy tabloid, but many people took it very seriously. Probably this will be kept pretty quiet here in the states, but I can only imagine what the reaction will be in the UK.
Everybody's got it all wrong.
"Emo initiation ceremony"? I'm sure there's some cracked up people out on the internet who would convince people of this. "Emo" isn't a cult, it's a label, a stereotype, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were some people trying to make it a cult. And, yes, there are some people who believe they need to cut themselves to fit in. This was her problem. Gerard Way said that he once saw a girl in the audience with cuts all over her arms. He said he thought it was sad that she felt she needed to harm herself in order to fit in.
MCR does not support this.
At the end of the video for "Teenagers," there is a short message from MCR - "violence is not the answer."
MCR does not support this.
"The emo overtones concerning death and associating it with glamour I find very disturbing."
Now, I'm not really big on "emo." I'm actually unsure of the actual meaning of the word, and I have a fascination with trying to find a definitive meaning for it. You may or may not label me as an emo kid, but (in case you couldn't already tell), I am a huge fan of My Chemical Romance. And I know firsthand how their music affects people.
Sure, The Black Parade is full of death, but it's about learning to not fear death, and at the same time, not fearing life. That very same album saved my own life, and changed it for the better. I'm one of thousands.
Go watch their documentary, Life On The Murder Scene. In the very beginning, Frank Iero says, "We're definitely a band that wants to save your life." Glamorous suicide, indeed.
This isn't to say that people who are MCR fans won't commit suicide. It happens, obviously - they're not a surefire cure. They've helped an enormous amount of people, but do you ever hear about that in the papers? Hardly.
My point is, you've got it all wrong. This girl's problem was not that she listened to My Chemical Romance. Her problem was that she thought she needed to harm herself, and that suicide was somehow glamorous.
The wrong people have been incriminated.
two letters to my favourite publications: this week in WTF
originally posted WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2008
Dear NME,
Please stop posting The Daily Gossip. I wish I knew of a word to describe something that is simultaneously tasteless, uninteresting, and pointless. The Edge and Brad Pitt are apparently BFFs? Natalie Imbruglia's cousin? Quite frankly, who gives a shit? Now, as much as I hope that that item on Amy Winehouse's husband running away with his mistress is fake [it's from The Sun, so probably], that is some gossip that is actually vaguely interesting. Some dude changing his car battery not only does not qualify as gossip, but does not qualify as anything interesting.
Dear Rolling Stone,
Is nothing sacred? Does it mean anything any more to be featured on the cover of your publication? Because I beg of you to defend this:
You have probably the most well-respected pop culture publication in the world, and not to mention probably the most iconic magazine cover in the history of history. You should have known better for all the slack you got for putting Panic at the Disco (then Panic! at the Disco) on your cover.
I know it's a free country, but please, learn some shame.
kthx,
Jackie
Dear NME,
Please stop posting The Daily Gossip. I wish I knew of a word to describe something that is simultaneously tasteless, uninteresting, and pointless. The Edge and Brad Pitt are apparently BFFs? Natalie Imbruglia's cousin? Quite frankly, who gives a shit? Now, as much as I hope that that item on Amy Winehouse's husband running away with his mistress is fake [it's from The Sun, so probably], that is some gossip that is actually vaguely interesting. Some dude changing his car battery not only does not qualify as gossip, but does not qualify as anything interesting.
Dear Rolling Stone,
Is nothing sacred? Does it mean anything any more to be featured on the cover of your publication? Because I beg of you to defend this:
You have probably the most well-respected pop culture publication in the world, and not to mention probably the most iconic magazine cover in the history of history. You should have known better for all the slack you got for putting Panic at the Disco (then Panic! at the Disco) on your cover.
I know it's a free country, but please, learn some shame.
kthx,
Jackie
kicking everyone's asses, as usual.
here's this from NME:
The Cure to release new single each month
The Cure have announced that they will release a new single each month leading up to the release of their 13th studio album in September.
Robert Smith and co will drop the first single from the as-yet untitled album on May 13, and intend to release a different a- and b-side single on the thirteenth of each month until the album is released on September 13.
The first single, 'The Only One', includes the b-side 'NY Trip'. The second single, 'Freakshow' -- due out June 13 -- contains the b-side 'All Kinds Of Stuff'.
Both b-sides are exclusive to the singles and will not appear on the full-length album. They were produced by Smith and Keith Uddin.
The July 13 and August 13 singles will be announced shortly.
The band are set to kick off an extensive US tour in support of the new album beginning May 9, as previously reported.
So after hearing bands like Muse and Smashing Pumpkins 'suggest' that this is how they might do things, The Cure are the first [well, as far as I've heard] to actually do it. I'm very interested to see how this works out, and to see which bands will follow suit. [My money's on the Pumpkins. The odds are pretty good, considering Billy Corgan's massive love for Robert Smith.]
Another interesting trend with singles lately - releasing them for free. Nine Inch Nails and Coldplay have done this already, releasing "Discipline" and "Violet Hill" on their websites, respectively. "Discipline" sports a sexy, catchy groove, but it's nothing you wouldn't expect from Trent Reznor by now, and it's not amazing. "Violet Hill" is more worth your time, featuring pure piano over Pixies-like guitars and a stomping beat.
If nothing else, NIN loses once again in the album art category. Coldplay's might just be the album title splashed in white across Eugene Delacroix’s painting, Liberty Leading the People (strangely enough, as the title was inspired by Frida Kahlo), but it's a hell of a lot more interesting than four black boxes and a red line on grey. Insincere, indeed, my dear Reznor. (No, I'm still not over that.)
We'll see if this catches on, or whether anybody releases something so great it'll create a whole slew of new fans... I definitely want to see where this goes.
The Cure to release new single each month
The Cure have announced that they will release a new single each month leading up to the release of their 13th studio album in September.
Robert Smith and co will drop the first single from the as-yet untitled album on May 13, and intend to release a different a- and b-side single on the thirteenth of each month until the album is released on September 13.
The first single, 'The Only One', includes the b-side 'NY Trip'. The second single, 'Freakshow' -- due out June 13 -- contains the b-side 'All Kinds Of Stuff'.
Both b-sides are exclusive to the singles and will not appear on the full-length album. They were produced by Smith and Keith Uddin.
The July 13 and August 13 singles will be announced shortly.
The band are set to kick off an extensive US tour in support of the new album beginning May 9, as previously reported.
So after hearing bands like Muse and Smashing Pumpkins 'suggest' that this is how they might do things, The Cure are the first [well, as far as I've heard] to actually do it. I'm very interested to see how this works out, and to see which bands will follow suit. [My money's on the Pumpkins. The odds are pretty good, considering Billy Corgan's massive love for Robert Smith.]
Another interesting trend with singles lately - releasing them for free. Nine Inch Nails and Coldplay have done this already, releasing "Discipline" and "Violet Hill" on their websites, respectively. "Discipline" sports a sexy, catchy groove, but it's nothing you wouldn't expect from Trent Reznor by now, and it's not amazing. "Violet Hill" is more worth your time, featuring pure piano over Pixies-like guitars and a stomping beat.
If nothing else, NIN loses once again in the album art category. Coldplay's might just be the album title splashed in white across Eugene Delacroix’s painting, Liberty Leading the People (strangely enough, as the title was inspired by Frida Kahlo), but it's a hell of a lot more interesting than four black boxes and a red line on grey. Insincere, indeed, my dear Reznor. (No, I'm still not over that.)
We'll see if this catches on, or whether anybody releases something so great it'll create a whole slew of new fans... I definitely want to see where this goes.
originally posted THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2008
do we dare believe it?
from NME.com:
Guns N' Roses finish 'Chinese Democracy' album
Guns N Roses have reportedly finished work on 'Chinese Democracy', the album that Axl Rose has been working on for the past 14 years.
Therockradio.com reports that Geffen Records, the band's record label, have confirmed they have received a finished copy of the album, and are currently haggling over money and rights issues with Rose.
The album is reported to have cost in excess of $13million (£6.5million) to produce.
As previously reported, it is rumoured that a Guns N' Roses reality TV show is set to be broadcast to coincide with the release of the album.
well, it seems kind of silly after years of release dates coming and going that we're finally hearing that the album is finished. you'd think they'd want to finish the album before putting release dates out, but I guess I'm too young to understand how things work.
as for said rumored reality show, let's hope that it's only a rumor. a reality show to coincide with an album seems like a cheap PR trick, and if the album is actually good, it won't need any of those. a reality show would only show lack of confidence.
personally, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks this, it's probably better if the album isn't released. after $13 million and 14 years, it's just not going to be as good as everybody wants it to be.
and what do you want to bet somebody inside Geffen is going to leak the whole thing? set lasers to Limewire.
do we dare believe it?
from NME.com:
Guns N' Roses finish 'Chinese Democracy' album
Guns N Roses have reportedly finished work on 'Chinese Democracy', the album that Axl Rose has been working on for the past 14 years.
Therockradio.com reports that Geffen Records, the band's record label, have confirmed they have received a finished copy of the album, and are currently haggling over money and rights issues with Rose.
The album is reported to have cost in excess of $13million (£6.5million) to produce.
As previously reported, it is rumoured that a Guns N' Roses reality TV show is set to be broadcast to coincide with the release of the album.
well, it seems kind of silly after years of release dates coming and going that we're finally hearing that the album is finished. you'd think they'd want to finish the album before putting release dates out, but I guess I'm too young to understand how things work.
as for said rumored reality show, let's hope that it's only a rumor. a reality show to coincide with an album seems like a cheap PR trick, and if the album is actually good, it won't need any of those. a reality show would only show lack of confidence.
personally, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks this, it's probably better if the album isn't released. after $13 million and 14 years, it's just not going to be as good as everybody wants it to be.
and what do you want to bet somebody inside Geffen is going to leak the whole thing? set lasers to Limewire.
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