Independent Closet: Broke City

Rules

Welcome everyone to a new experiment here at ROCK D3C0D3D! Independent Closet is a side project I have wanted to do for a quite a while that showcases amazing artists you have probably never heard of. Because this is a showcase, there will be a review of the work itself but grading will be change from a 1-10 scale to strictly BUY IT, HEAR IT, IGNORE IT as I feel it will better differentiate from the regular review show. But, before we start a few ground rules MUST be laid down.
1. Only one work from the artists can be reviewed.
This includes EP's, LP's, and full length albums so as to keep the artists featured fresh
2. All artists featured must NOT have a top 10 hit
I would prefer to keep it to local acts that have labored to create something mainstream music does not
3. One song MUST be a BUY IT and one song MUST be an IGNORE IT
This is too avoid favoritism in albums as a majority of these will songs from my teenagedom.
Without further ado though, let's dive into our first episode featuring the hometown heroes of Broke City from Salt Lake City, UT and their last EP entitled No Thanks For The Ride

History

 Now I was first introduced to this band way back in the summer of 2007 when they were guest instructors at a week-long summer camp for young aspiring musicians entitled "Jam Camp." This place was awesome and I had the distinct honor of having our band taught by their then bassist Dave Briggs. Sadly, Dave would later leave the band in the coming years but, for their 2007 release entitled The Answer, their line-up consisted of Joel Pack (lead vocals/guitar), "The Rob" Moffit (drums), and Mr. Briggs (bass). Watching this trio perform was definitely an awe inspiring moment as they belted out the songs from their first (and sadly only) debut album. 

The following year when we returned to "Jam Camp" Joel Pack and "The Rob" were very much still apart of Broke City creating songs for the upcoming EP we are looking at today. Finally after 2 long years of waiting Broke City was able to release No Thanks For The Ride as a six-track EP in 2009 to much of my excitement. Sadly though on October 9th 2010, Broke City played it's last show before calling it quits. Thankfully Joel Pack and "The Rob" still record music to this day and Joel has even become a producer in Utah under his studio "Rigby Road Studios." They created a band called Joel Pack and the Pops in 2011 and continue to play around the Utah circuit to this day.

Album "Review"

Now for myself the build up for No Thanks for The Ride was painstaking as the first song was teased on New Year's Day 2008. The Song was called "I Feel Alive" and my god does it pack quite a wallop. The song starts very melodically with Joel playing a piano part perfectly illustrating the cold winters day outside before the rest of the instruments launch in and create a powerful wall of sound worthy of knocking anyone off their ass. It is here I must say that "The Rob" is a fantastic drummer that not keeps the beat alive by the change ups he throws throughout the whole song, by also by the sheer mass of sound projecting out of his kit. This song is a must hear for anyone looking for something different but still in the realm of rock.

A few of my other favorites on the album are "A Life You Won't Miss" and "Failure" another two songs I was teased of throughout the years leading up to the eventually release of the album as both songs are filled with very thought provoking if not a tad depressing lyrics ("I woke today, all the colors of the rainbow bend in different shades of grey") and amazing musical craft man ship. Besides "A Life You Won't Miss" has a very clavier solo which is mind-blowing how well it works in a song about how the radio, movies, and TV have desensitized us into believing  it's the life we need. Well done Mr. Pack well done indeed.

The two songs on the album that will probably split the crowd of people. "Anything Stronger" is a great example of a rocking tune with a blues feel that I'm sure will take a few listens to get used to. "The Dark Passenger" though has slowed worked itself into my consciousness as my favorite on the album as the instrumentation and subtle vocal changes create an ambience that will really have you pounded your first in the air as you scream the chorus at the top of your lungs ("I'm not falling, I'm not drowning you're just trying to take control"). It's here I should note Joel's incredible control of his register as throughout the album he will change from belting at the top of his lungs to his soft almost falsetto sound in an instant.

"...an amazing finisher for a band that I am quite sad has come and past."

The one song that I found most artist though is "Snowed In" from the opening crushed almost 8-bit sounding drums to the solemn guitar part it creates a very different vibe than the rest of the album teasing us with a completely different sound. Of course being the magicians of sound they are the slowly build into the first chorus before flipping the script on the second verse going from soft and solemn to all out wall of rock that must be heard. This is definitely an amazing finisher for a band that I am quite sad has come and past.

While I am sad to see Broke City go I am completely confident that Joel and Rob are doing what is best with creating Joel Pack and The Pops and eagerly await a chance to listen to a full album by the bunch. Till than it's time to break down the songs on the album to which ones you should run out and grab and which you should avoid. Of course, I would like to state that this is a beautiful EP that any music fanatic should have in their collections but as are the rules here we go.

Broke City is available to be listened to here and on iTunes for purchase:  http://www.reverbnation.com/artist_87611/bio

BUY IT: "I Feel Alive," "A Life You Won't Miss," "The Dark Passenger," "Snowed In"

HEAR IT: "Failure"

IGNORE IT: "Anything Stronger"

*As with all things, the opinions expressed our purely that of the author and should be taken as such. ** All images, music, and information used are for entertainment purposes. No copyright infringement intended.

 

Fooled By Ramen Finale: Fall Out Boy

Over the last month, and time here at Rock D3C0D3D, we've taken a look at a multitude of artists preforming through a plethora of genres. From Alternative rock, to hip-hop, to even country Fueled By Ramen has definitely shown itself to be a diverse record label. Put finally we come to the end of this journey and with that comes not only one of the most anticipated albums of 2013, but also the return of one of my favorite rock groups to come out of the 2000's. I am of course speaking of Fall Out Boy and their return venture entitled Save Rock and Roll.

Fall Out Boy was founded by members Pete Wentz and Joe Trohman in early 2001 after being in various hardcore punk bands in their Chicago area. It wouldn't be until a little later on that Trohman met future lead singer Patrick Stump at a bookstore to which they talked of a common interest in the band Neurosis. Oddly enough, Stump originally auditioned for the open drummer spot in the band until Wentz and Trohman heard his huge vocal register and decided he would be better suited as their lead. After a few more lineup changes, and the band being give it's name at a concert, they found Andy Hurley to be their drummer.

They went on to release a few EP before making their first album entitled Take This To Your Grave releasing it on May 6, 2003. It was a big hit with singles such as "Grand Theft Autmun/Where is Your Boy" and "Saturday." it achieved gold status but only after their breakthrough album entitled From Under the Cork Tree. The album saw them change to the bigger label "Island" and eventually led to the creation of Decaydance Records. This is when I started getting involved with the band as I watched all of their music videos back when Fuse TV was a better source than MTV. They released their big hits "Sugar We're Going Down," "Dance, Dance," and my personal favorite "A Little Less Sixteen Candles, a Little More Touch Me." They released two more albums entitled Infinity on High and Folie A Deux before going on hiatus in 2010. I personally have not heard Folie A Deux but, I do recommend Infinity on High for all of you music lovers out there. They reformed in 2013 much to the delight of myself and said they had been secretly recording an album they were to release later in the year. Well, we've got the album now so let's see if Fall Out Boy still has it or if they should've stayed in hiatus.

The Cover for the most anticipated album... I don't get it.

The Singles

So this album's actually has a lot of videos for the songs on it but sadly only two singles have been released so far. The first being "My Song Knows What You Did in the Dark (Light 'Em Up)" and the later titled, "The Phoenix." Both of these songs are energetic thrill rides that create an amazing atmosphere for the start of the album.

From the pulse pounding drums, string sections in the intro and pre-chorus, to Patrick Stump's awesome falsetto "The Pheonix" will definitely get you in the mood for what Fall Out Boy is offering this time around. The song has three sections to it, the first being a swirl of strings and percussion leading directly into a slowed down solemn pre-chorus lead-up that pays off fully in the chorus as it turns into a dance floor "call to arms" that is a beauty to hear. 

I honestly prefer this over the first single, "My Song Knows What You Did in the Dark (Light 'Em Up) though I may be in the minority here because it definitely has a classic reformed Fall Out Boy sound reminiscent of "Thnks Fr Th Mmrs." Though the song does take a page from Fun's "We Are Young" creating a sort of anti-chorus that is fun to listen to but seems to keep things in the same place if not lower the intensity. Of course, Stump's voice has never sounded better not only on this song but the whole album because when he squeals "FIRE" you know Fall Out Boy will not be shying away from doing what they want on this album.

The Rest of the Album...

This has easily become the most anticipated album of 2013 and it's not hard to see why when you have a band that not only defined the pop rock genre in the 2000's but also were huge contributors to pushing great artists to the forefront of public consciousness. Of course the album isn't fully paved in gold as I found myself more than displeased with songs "The Mighty Fall" and "Rat a Tat." It's not that they are horribly songs as Fall Out Boy at their 'meh' is still better than a majority of the artists today's 'good.' The only real problem with these songs is the industrial drums in "The Mighty Fall" and the performance by Coutrney Love ("It's Courtney Bitch") are a nice touch but are real letdowns as the songs do not seem to lead much of anywhere as opposed to other songs on the album that blow preconceived notions out of the water.

"...even if Fall Out Boy doesn't save rock and roll it's a damn good start."

Now that we have the bad out of the way let's talk about the songs that are a shoe in to be singles. "Alone Together," "Young Volcanoes," and "Save Rock and Roll" are some of the best songs on the album that are assured, if given the chance, can slaughter the charts with "Alone Together" being a fun love song about being young, having fun, and doing what you want because you strictly can. It also features one of my favorite lines from the album ("My heart is like a stallion, they love it more when it's broken). "Young Volcanoes" while not my personal favorite will be an easy song to sell over summer with it's acoustic guitar, ethnic drums, and lyrics that for myself can easily be seen as an around the campfire ballad lending more to the free and wild nature they have been going for throughout the album.

It is the finally though that is the standout track on this album as it offers not only a very reserved musical performance from Fall Out Boy but also a collaboration with the musical savant himself Sir Elton John. I do not think there is enough good things that can be said about this album, from its intermediate piano melody, simple vocal melody, and HUGE soaring chorus this song is a masterpiece. I must say I am a little sad that Elton John's part is reserved to a half verse and repeat prechorus but, take what you can I guess. If you are only going to buy one song off of this album this is the song as it is a love letter to "the songs worth singing" and proves that even if Fall Out Boy doesn't fully save rock and roll it's a damn good start.

Though I'm barely skimming the awe-inspiring album that is Save Rock and Roll I highly recommend to go out and buy this album as it is a testament that not only can a band reinvent their sound, come back after years of hiatus, but also record an album in complete silence from it's fans an make something that is truly fantastic. This is the rock album we have been waiting for and it does not get much better than this.

Well that is all for this month "Fooled By Ramen" month was an amazing experience and goes to show that rock music while evolving, is not truly dead in mainstream eyes. Next time, we take a turn to the punk rock side and look at Alkaline Trio's My Shame Is True.

DECODED: 9.5 out of 10

As always please like, share and comment below!

BUY IT: The Phoenix, My Song Knows What You Did In The Dark, Alone Together, Just One Yesterday, Death Valley, Save Rock and Roll

 

HEAR IT: Where Did The Party Go, Miss Missing You, Young Volcanoes

TRASH IT:  The Mighty Fall, Rat a Tat

*As with all things, the opinions expressed our purely that of the author and should be taken as such. ** All images, music, and information used are for entertainment purposes. No copyright infringement intended.

"Fooled By Ramen" Part 2: A Rocket To The Moon

Does everyone remember the mid 2000's? More specifically does everyone remember the invention of the sub-genre Nu-Metal? I remember being in middle school, the first time I really got to sit down and listen to this genre. I felt like such a little badass with my Disturbed and Linkin Park albums belting out all of the tunes in an off-pitch manner that made people fear for my sanity. Why do I bring this up? Well, let's talk about country, more specifically popular country in the last 5-8 years. From Taylor Swift dominating the charts continuously to the male "equivalent" Hunter Hayes the landscape of country music has definitely changes from the days of Garth Brooks and Alan Jackson. Now you may be asking, "Keith what could this possible have to do with A Rocket To The Moon?" In a sense everything, as their newest venture Wild & Free was released as a Pop/Rock album but the only rock it seems to have is a few SLIGHTLY distorted guitars in rare instances. So I would like to propose a new genre for the Taylor Swift's, Hunter Hayes, and most recently A Rocket To The Moon and categorize them as "Nu-Country" that way they can still feel they have some what of an edge to their watered down, tame sound.

A brief overview of the band starts with Nick Santino whom started A Rocket to the Moon in the summer of 2006 as experiment with a few different musicians. Eventually they played "The Bambaoozle" in 2008 garnering them an appearance on the show Total Request Live, where they premiered "Dakota." The performance peaked the interest of Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz who wanted to set them up with a split deal with his label "Decaydance Records" and "Fueled By Ramen" though unfortunately they only were able to strike a deal with "Ramen" in August 2008. They have toured extensively and have released one other full-length album entitled On Your Side which peaked at 82 on the US Billboard 200. After another go at touring for a few years, the band returned to the studio and decided to adapt the sound that had original gained them so much notoriety and came out with the subject of today's ROCK D3COD3D: Wild & Free.

 Bah! More like "Tame & Caged"

The Singles

This album has actually spawned a multitude of singles unlike last week's album but for the life of me I cannot understand why. The first is entitled "Whole Lotta You" which seems like a tamer version of "Life Of The Party" by Boys Like Girls. The song is just like it's follow-up "Going Out" the only exception being that "Whole Lotta You" is about a party where "No one wants to go home tonight alone." Which marks it down to a listen compared to it's follow up that is a fun tune made around having fun and as the title says "going out" to have fun with the mates regardless of the trouble they may get in. For that reason it gets a low "buy it" as a follow-up song to keep your energy flowing but it definitely is not a stand alone scream along to the lyrics song. 

The last single "Ever Enough" describes a good bit of the second half of the album. A ballad dedicated to the girl the writer loves asking the question if what he has done is enough. The subject may not be a new idea by any extremes but it definitely adds a nice change of pace for a band that seemingly has been all about partying to this point. It's a great example of not only Nick Sanito's simplicity with writing a good set of lyrics but the band itself composing a good backing that is rather reminiscent of classic 90's rock at times that makes it automatic walk to "Buy It."

The Album Itself...

The rest of the album is actually a pretty good mixed back of emotions sadly lacking emotional depth except for a song here and there. The one thing I will say about A Rocket to the Moon is that when they really try at emotional subject matter they can really hit it well. For example, the stand-out track on this album "Another Set of Wings" paints the picture of a man dealing with the loss of his lover. Unlike the majority of the album this loss is not the simple break up tone, but an inside look of a man who's love has died and he cannot bring himself to move ("I need my angel like heavens needs a new pair of wings."). It's heart wrenching to hear just the deadness in the singer's voice, which I give major kudos to Nick for not doing what I expected him to do and turn the power up to eleven to finish the song on a powerful note. He instead let's the instrumentation paint his canvas while adding subtle vocal harmonies around the same sounding vocal part really connecting you with the main character who is at a low many of us may never go through.

Two other great tracks are "First Kiss" and "Lost and Found" because they are essentially opposites of one another. The first is a retelling of the first date (and subsequently kiss) this couple goes through and even though times may get tough they can always reference that to know why they should be together. It's here I'd like to mention that this album seems to have a Goo Goo Dolls sense to it in terms of it's vocals (minus the twang) and some of the guitar parts which is a nice touch to hear as it's been long since that band has released anything. "Lost and Found" is the final track and has a sense of starting over, going through stories of people with the message being "You need to get lost before you get found." It starts with a grand piano that beautifully accompanies the vocals that slowly swells as strings, oo's, and drums come envelope the sound scape. My only complaint is that with auto tune the way it is you can actually clearly hear it correcting him in this song which can be a sad disheartening. All in all though it's a pretty great country sounding tune.

Very confused on the image your band is going for...

Sadly, the whole album doesn't fair amazingly though with a majority of it being the same tempo, tune, and message, you may find yourself incredibly bored as the album progress. The worst songs on the album though have got to be the titular track , "Wild and Free" and "You're My Song." The first's worse problem is it is too tame for the subject material and it lacks the dynamic punch and fun a song of this titled should have. Sure it has a few nice moments but a majority of the song is sorely just a let down and leaves a lot to be desired but, it's nothing compared to "You're My Song." This song... I could go on for hours about what's wrong with this song but I'll save all of you the hassle of seeing that rant. Long story short it's another song that mentions other song titles intermittently throughout it's running time particularly cramming a majority in the chorus ("You're my Sweet Home Alabama"). I find these songs lazy as the originator "American Pie" by Don McLean used expression to reference songs without being so over-the-head with it. This song honestly just seems like a lazy attempt to cash-in an easy hit that is completely lackluster and a tad annoying. Do yourself a favor and DO NOT listen to this song as you're wasting your time.

In all though Wild and Free wasn't a horribly bad experience but I do wonder why this was not released as a country album because I feel it would've charted and suited it better to be there. Either way though it definitely creates yet another genre "Fueled By Ramen" has it's hand in though aren't milking it for what it's worth. I'd like to say if you can appreciate country music or this brand of "Nu-Country" than this album is definitely a good listen for you but if not, take a listen to the "Buy It" list below and see if you can find a song that tickles your fancy. 

Two down, two to go as next week we take a look at one of my all-time NOT favorite bands Paramore.

DECODED: 6.5 out of 10

As always please like, share and comment below!

BUY IT: (low)Going Out, First Kiss, Ever Enough, Another Set of Wings, Lost and Found

 

HEAR IT: Whole Lotta You, If I'm Gonna Fall In Love, I Do, Nothing At All, Somebody Out There,

TRASH IT:  Wild & Free, Wherever You Go, You're My Song

*As with all things, the opinions expressed our purely that of the author and should be taken as such. ** All images, music, and information used are for entertainment purposes. No copyright infringement intended.

"Fooled By Ramen" Month Part 1: Twenty One Pilots

You can check out the sequel review for "Blurryface" here

History

Hello everyone and welcome to the first part of "Fooled By Ramen" month. This week we're going to be taking a look at the one of the newest bands to join the label known as Twenty One Pilots. The band started from humbling beginnings when friends Tyler Joseph, Nick Thomas, and Chris Salih formed the band in 2009 in Columbus, Ohio. The band's name originates from studying Arthur Miller's All My Sons in which a man commits suicide after causing the death of twenty one pilots during World War II. Eventually after their first self-titled release, Nick and Chris left the band because of scheduling conflicts and Tyler was joined by Josh Dun. The duet created a second self-release entitled Regional at Best which dropped July 8, 2011 eventually attracting record label attention with a sold out show. It was not until April 2012 that they announced they were to become apart of the label "Fueled By Ramen" and released a three song EP that year. After extensive touring with Neon Trees and Walk the Moon they say down in the studio to write a new album. That album is the one we are looking at today, Twenty One Pilots' mainstream debut album entitled Vessel.

You know what sells albums? Pictures of old men!

The Singles

So far there is only one single on the album which may honestly be the only single considering it was released last year in August to luke warm airplay. I find this very sad as the only single for the album, entitled "Holding on to You," is by no means the worst song on the album but it is certainly not the best on the album. Quick side note, does anyway find it funny that the second song on the album is almost 95% of the time the first single? Just some food for thought there.

Now for the single itself it is a pretty fun song, with a wavering keyboard part that gently flows in and out before the drums launch in and turn the sound on it's head. What I mean by this is, lyricist, Tyler Joseph comes out of the gate swinging with his hip-hop inspired verse work. It's here that the band shine as being something very different from what the market has been churning out for years which sadly as we'll see not all artists on "Ramen" can hold this honor. One part I would love to point your attention to is the lyrical repeat in the bridge to which Joseph is begging the mass market to stop praising songs with little to no lyrical depth in them as we were "gifted with thought." Some more food for thought. 

The Album Itself...

This band (and subsequentally this album) were brought to my attention by a fellow music lover and a friend of mind who had heard them through the grapevine and thought I would enjoy. And you know what? He could not have been more right! I feel that Twenty One Pilots were the band The Flobots wish they had been as they write song bigger and better with two members than most bands now a days do with 3+. This album is a testament to what one can do with pure willpower, synthetic instrumentation, and a dynamic drummer. It should be noted that very little if any guitar parts are in this album leaving the melodies to be crafted by multitudes of synths and bass lines.

The opener "Ode To Sleep" starts well enough with a very ominous before cutting down for completely except for twirling air and Joseph's vocals. Then something strange happens, the whole song shifts to an upbeat bass walk complete with background claps and bright piano creating a much happier tone. This song goes in many different directions and it a fun ride every single listen through as it cuts between the two sounds creating an awesome album opener.

 "Migraine" starts with a vocoder effect that makes the vocals sound incredibly robotic without reverting to the tale tell autotune sound effect. It's here I'd like to note not only does Joseph have a great tonality in his vocals but he also is very poetic in his lyrical styling. It's a refreshing part of the album as he adapts his styling throughout the song (and others) that unknowingly keep the attention of listeners as they hear him variate his tone slightly making him stand out as a true performer. His ability to get in character isn't the only amazing this as Joseph did a majority of the instrument though I'm sure Dun had a say on what would and would not work in some songs.

I do not know what I love about this but my is it badass...

House of Gold seems to be a track that sticks out to people whenever I ask them about the band and can you guess why? IT FEATURES A UKELELE... What the hell is this world coming to? Yes, I have a huge dislike for the ukelele as it seems all the douchey characters that used to play "Wonderwall" to make the women swoon slowly flocked to the ukelele to show how comfortable they are with their masculinity. But we aren't here for that debate... Maybe another day... Anyway the song itself? It's quite good and has a sweet sentiment to it ("She asked me son when I grow old will you buy me a house of gold?"). Of course does that make it an incredibly song? No but it's damn better than a majority of songs on the market and I dare you to listen to this song twice without humming along! SERIOUSLY DO IT!

Oh "Car Radio" do I love you so much. I feel like this song has to be about more than a car radio but what could it possibly be? Maybe the car is a representation of him ("I hate this car i'm driving there's no hiding....") and the aforementioned "Car Radio" is actually his heart that he can't find the will to move forward and truly find peace in what has left him... Or maybe I'm reading to far into things. Either way this is an amazing song an instantly won me over as Joseph slowly seems to go more insane as the instrumentation gets more and more presence in the song eventually leading to Joseph just screaming "NOW I JUST SIT IN SILENCE" repeatedly. All in all one of my favorite song on the album with a surprise dance floor breakdown/bridge.

A good majority of the rest of the songs leave me reminescent of other songs such as "Semi Automatic" sounding like a Passion Pit song I swear I've heard and "Screen" oddly like a mixture of "Boston" by Augustana and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" (yes the ukelele returns). Though needless to the sound alikes these songs are both great representation of the variety of styling Twenty One Pilots can pull off. "The Run and Go" has an oddly country sound to it which unlike other bands "Ramen" has signed it pulled off nicely in this old-timey saloon sounding tune.

"Fake You Out" and "Guns For Hands" are songs I cannot understand are not singles. These songs are screaming for airplay as they offer a danceable hook, an awesome blend of Passion Pit and Awolnation, and the first a great message about youth. I feel like these songs should be sent out to a mass majority of people so we can start requesting them all over the nation and cause mass chaos among radio stations when they realize the amount of requests for a song that wasn't officially released to them. You get on that internet. 

Listen to it!!!!

To be honest the rest of the album is just as great as I've been preaching and I am deeply saddened that a band as revolutionary, or at least in sync with what the music market needs, is not as famous as other bands and artists releasing songs with minimal musical craftmenship. Honestly if I have not convince you to go out and buy this album than click the video above and just give it a minute of your time as this is true alternative rock genius. From the poetic hip-hop inspired lyricism by Tyler Joseph to the incredibly addicting production behind a majority of the songs on the album don't let this pass you by. Be a hipster and know them before there popular! Yea I know that sounds horrible who wants to a hipster anymore? But seriously give Vessels by Twenty One Pilots an honest listen.

Sadly the awesomeness of "Fooled By Ramen" month cannot continue with a slight misstep or two so next time we take a look at A Rocket to the Moon's Wild and Free. Pray for my soul...

 

DECODED: 9.0 out of 10

As always please like, share and comment below!

BUY IT:  Holding On To You, Migraine, House of Gold, Car Radio, Fake You Out, Guns For Hands

 

HEAR IT: Ode To Sleep, Semi-Automatic, Screen, The Run And Go, Trees, Truce

TRASH IT:  NONE

*As with all things, the opinions expressed our purely that of the author and should be taken as such.
** All images, music, and information used are for entertainment purposes. No copyright infringement intended.

"Fooled By Ramen" Month: Introduction

Hello and welcome to "Fooled By Ramen" Month where in the month of April we will be taking an in-depth look on at a variety of bands under the "Fueled By Ramen" label. We'll be doing this in preparation for the new Fall Out Boy album entitled Save Rock and Roll that will be releasing later this month. Now before I get a bunch of spam mail stating "Fall Out Boy isn't apart of 'Fueled By Ramen' anymore idiot," I'd like to rebute that with a nonchalant, so what? The reason behind this is I feel that Fall Out Boy would not be where they are today without their time being apart of "Fueled By Ramen." This is where they released their first album Take This to Your Grave(2004) as well as setting up a chain reaction of artists to interact with the label, a number of which we will be taking a look at this month (most notably Paramore).

Started by a team up by John Janick and Less Than Jake drummer/lyricist Vinnie Fiorello, Fueled by Ramen opened it's doors in 1996 and had it's first success from the band Jimmy Eat World. After JEM's self-titled EP set fire across the country it yielded a huge breakthrough for not only the band but for the  label as well in 1998. They eventually set up an office space in Tampa Florida and had a few bands come through their studio such one in particular being Fall Out Boy. After Take This to Your Grave went gold Pete Wentz (then bassist of Fall Out Boy) came up with an idea with John Janick to create the subsidiary "Decaydance Records" releasing music from a wide variety of artists such as Gym Class Heroes and The Hush Sound. Luck definitely struck as in 2005 they both released the smash hit A Fever You Can't Sweat Out by Panic! at the Disco that went double platinum. Luck wouldn't ended there as they later signed the band Paramore and released the wide selling Riot! in 2007 after acquiring an office in midtown Manhattan.
But see all of this brings us to today. With FOB out of Fueled By Ramen and Panic! at the Disco slowly trying to churn out the magic they once had who do they have to really take the mantle and keep Fueled By Ramen alive? Well, with the new self-titled Paramore album dropped this month and the small little band I covered in January Fun(.) we're gonna dive a little deeper and explore just how great this label is and answer the question if Fueled By Ramen can stay alive in a changing musical market or if they will simply sink as many labels do once their musical genre's flame is gone with the wind. Either matter this should be a hugely fun month here at ROCK D3C0D3D and I look forward to sharing this journey with you! 

This week's artist will be the newest of the bunch but don't take their immaturity with the label to mean that they are not a sleeping lion ready to break through an offer a new age of musical prowess. I am course speaking of the Ohio native duet none as Twenty One Pilots and their debut album Vessel.

Till than make sure to like, comment, and share everyone!

*As with all things, the opinions expressed our purely that of the author and should be taken as such.
** All images, music, and information used are for entertainment purposes. No copyright infringement intended.

Justin Timberlake Helps Us All See In 20/20

Hello everyone and welcome back to another outing of ROCK D3C0D3D where this week we're looking at.... a pop album? Yes indeed, it seems my nostalgia has gotten the better of me and I feel bound to review the newest effort by pop star Justin Timberlake, entitled The 20/20 Experience. Now I feel that if you have not already heard of Justin Timberlake (here on referred to as "JT") than I would like to know the rock you've been hiding under so I may escape the still going "Bieber Fever" and the awful disgrace to boy bands known as "One Direction." But I digress, JT was born Justin Randall Timberlake on January 31, 1981 in Memphis Tennessee. At age 11, he premiered on the television show Star Serach as "Justin Randall" and a year later became apart of The Mickey Mouse Club, with others such as Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and most importantly JC Chasez. JC ended up becoming the pivotal player in recruiting JT into an all-male group known as 'N Sync. From there, we know he became a writer and one of the lead singers eventually culminating in the bands hiatus in 2002. JT wasted no time trudging ahead though as he released his own album Justified in November the same year becoming a stand alone household name. After releasing FutureSex/LoveSounds in 2004 he went on a brief hiatus from music itself pursuing other goals such as acting, purchasing a gold course, and a few stints on the show Saturday Night Live, making his music career look like nothing more than a fleeting memory. But finally in 2013 JT announced he was returning with an all-new album, The 20/20 Experience in February that was quoted as having "no rules and/or end goal in mind." Without further ado let's jump in and see what JT has to offer us!

 

In case it was not subtle enough 20/20 refers to eyes.

The Singles:

So far only two singles have been released for The 20/20 Experience the first of which is a mid-tempo R&B collaboration with Jay-Z entitled "Suit & Tie." To be honest I had avoided hearing this song until the album released because I prefer to hear where a song fits in its album before determining if it's good or bad but, sadly it just does not do it for me. I enjoy the music as the horns, drums, synth, and swirling strings offer a huge diversity from what's on the radio today but it's the lack of depth in the vocal performance that keeps me from loving it. JT doesn't sound like he's having less fun on the song than others such as "Pusher Love Girl" or "That Girl." I won't go into much about Jay-Z's performance besides the fact that it's there and that seems to be the sentiment Jay-Z gives during it.

The second single "Mirrors" though truly blew me away, reminding me of everything I loved about Justin Timberlake. It is about a man who has realized the woman he wants and would do anything to keep them ("Show me how to fight for now...) as they are his heart  From the victorious sound of the guitar/synth introduction to the drop-off consisting of his beat box drums (which I totally want), the sparkling strings, and JT seemingly giving his all in the performance it's definitely the stand out single on this album.

The Rest Of The Album:

A lofty bit of the album suffers from the problems that plague "Suit & Tie" as the songs are pretty shallow, "have fun at the club/with JT and lose your mind." There is nothing wrong with this though as it is a fun trip throughout and for the detailed listener, you'll always find something new to hone in on upon repeat listens. The one thing I do marvel at this album though is the fact that these are some long songs, with the album capping out at 79 minutes after only 10 songs. To put this in perspective the 20-song double album I reviewed by Coheed and Cambria was roughly 78 minutes for both. That's insane to think that one Pop album is as long as two prog-rock albums when pop music is mainly made to be quick and make money at a timing of three minutes and thirty seconds. Moreover, I find myself only truly becoming sick of a few songs on the album and skipping forward because hearing JT experiment with the song is something that definitely needs to be heard.

  

"Wait I'm the musical guest? Cheap bastards"

The first song is entitled "Pusher Love Girl" which start the album off with power with soaring strings leading to a very groovy bass and piano riff. The song main stance is entirely new as JT compares a girls "love" to a drug and her being his dealer in the scenario but it's his classic falsetto and suave demeanor that make this song such a great listen. But be warned, it's over eight minutes long so it can be a trek but a rewarding one that's sentiment is at least better than the next few songs.

"Don't Hold The Wall" can be grouped up with the song like "Let The Groove Get In" which are fun songs about getting up and enjoying your surroundings (in this case a club). Their difference really come in the music with "DHTW" going for an African Safari feel and beat that is very slow paced while "LTGGI" starts as a gypsy-esuqe chant that eventually goes crazy with horns and synth before falling off to it's chant and piano. "Let The Groove Get In" definitely is the most energetic and my pick for better song of the two.

"That Girl" just starts fun with a man welcoming JT and The Tennessee Kids  on stage which starts such a great jazz infuzed song incorporating horns, guitars, a metronome click popping up, and "steel raked" drums. The vocals are a testament from JT to an unamed girl that they will be together no matter how different they are and what people say ("I don't care if they stop and stare..."). Yes not a huge new idea that cause people to rethink how they've thought of a subject but, still one that does a is helped a lot by the diverse music behind it. 

This of course leads us to what I like to think of as the "black sheep" of this album. The song entitled "Blue Ocean Floor," and this song amazes me. Starting with a reversed piano and three samples, an ocean, a clip, and a reversed shout. It's hear that JT shows of his vocal chops as the sound of a broken man, cutting between his normal singing voice and falsetto. Finally a bass and drum beat hits in as the pre-chorus picks up. Thankfully, this song doesn't ever truly pick up because it's an a very emotional song and if you listen closely to the lyrics you can truly hear the story JT is painting on the page. This is a very different sound and a beautiful song among an album of "have fun, leave your cares behind" which is what makes it so great if you refuse to hear anymore of the album because of "Suit & Tie" at least give this one a listen.

Wrap It Up

From the vivid instrumentation, the nostalgic vocal sound, and pure energetic vibe, in all, Justin Timblerake's new album The 20/20 Experience is an awesome feat in the pop music universe and definitely deserves a listen through for not only pop music enthusiasts but anyone who has a love for music. Sadly the only thing that hinders this album is a lack of depth on a majority of the album's song ideas keeping this from being a spectactular album. 

Well next time, we'll be flying back to the realm of rock and roll with Comedown Machine by The Strokes.

DECODED: 8.5 out of 10

As always please like, share and comment below!

BUY IT:  Let The Groove Get In, Mirrors, Blue Ocean Floor

 

HEAR IT: Pusher Love Girl, Tunnel Vision, That Girl, Dress On, Body Count

TRASH IT: Suit & Tie, Don't Hold The Wall, Strawberry Bubblegum, Spaceship Coupe

*As with all things, the opinions expressed our purely that of the author and should be taken as such.
** All images, music, and information used are for entertainment purposes. No copyright infringement intended.