Say It Ain't So (as sung by Weezer)

I think a little bit of me died today. Panic(!) at the Disco (I'm attached to the "!" but there is rumor of it coming back?? *fingers crossed*) is officially split in half. Brendon and Spencer are sticking it out while Ryan and Jon are off on a different (musical) career path. I almost feel ridiculous for feeling this way, but I don't think I can help it. What with all the official messages from the band members themselves, there is a dull ache within me, and I'm not trying to be melodramatic. Explanation as to why? Might as well...

I whole-heartedly admit that in the earlier years of my middle school career, I was trying to "fit-in"; I did not want to be embarrased because I wanted to be different. I wouldn't say I was in the "popular crowd" because I don't think those existed at our school, but I will say that I was in that main group of girls that everyone in our grade knew. I didn't care to be in it or not, but I was and didn't want to be judged. I tried to dress similar, I listened to the same music, and I went out on the weekends with them and watched movies that, to be honest, I had little interest in.
And then I found something for myself.
Watching MTV and TRL (when it was still alive and well), I saw music videos for My Chemical Romance's "Helena," Fall Out Boy's "Sugar, We're Going Down," and Panic! at the Disco's "I Write Sins Not Tragedies." Three bands, three songs. Different from the norm of mainstream, yet still making it big at some point. It wasn't sudden, it wasn't like a flick of a switch, but at some point after seeing them and listening to them, I found myself not caring what others thought and doing things I wanted to do. Indirectly, they taught me to be myself, that it's okay to be different. Cliche as it may be, I probably wouldn't be the same person today without them.

And to hear about Panic's split breaks my heart.

Best of luck to Ryan and Jon, who will undoubtedly be successful if they play their cards right, and best of luck to Brendon and Spencer, who carry on Panic's legacy, if you will. Maybe they'll ressurect the "!" who knows? I'll be following both parties and will hopefully not be disappointed.

Being Sentimental is Underrated

Have you ever kept little, near-meaningless knick-knacks, notes, or letters? Ever told yourself that you will have no use for it and throw it out? Ever thought someone who did that was being stupid? The answers should hopefully be the following: yes, no, of course not. If they weren't you're truly missing out on something.

I was cleaning parts of my room today --shocker, I know-- and found a couple cards (birthday, holiday, get well, etc.) and notes from months and years back. And being the weird, never-can-let-anything-go kind of person I am, I read them. I guess I'm a sucker because I had a smile etched on my face for the entire time I spent reading. I'm not on the greatest terms with one of my best friends at the moment. A complete betrayal of trust in my eyes. Forgiven, but not forgotten and definitely back to square one of that trust level. It was something so trivial which makes the whole trust thing escalate. But he's on the other side of the world for the time being. Anyway, he wrote me a Christmas card despite his being Jewish (but he spends Christmas with my family regardless XP). It reminded me why we're such amazing friends. It reminded me of how lucky I am. It reminded me that no matter how many fights we get in, how many times I get frustrated or angry with him, how many times we will both make mistakes, we will always have that bond and friendship. Yes, I am being an incredibly big block of cheeeeeese right now, but I could care less. Because I have made some of the greatest relationships I could ever ask for.

Moral of this post: Don't throw the little things away. They serve as reminders for what you may forget. And on a side note, don't always be the man behind the camera, literally. You'll look back on the pictures and wish you were in them. It's something I've experienced and regret, but I can't break out of the habit completely, not yet. Pictures and informal notes: the tangible memories that your mind can't always retain for you.

We Interrupt this Broadcast

A brief pause in the music scene for a bit because, hey, I never said this was a music blog nor do I intend it to be. It just happened to be that the everlasting battle of what music genre is best or hit songs vs. complete albums struck a chord with me at the time. For (great, if I do say so myself) music-based opinions, recommendations, and, well, just plan music (songs and whatnot), check out my good friend Boy Wonder at http://emoboywonder.blogspot.com/. Very good stuff, let me tell you. I recommend for anyone in or wanting to get in the rock, pop-punk, or electronica scene. Scratch that, I recommend for anyone really. Seriously, his reviews are top-notch; check them out. Plus, you don't have to worry about him bashing your favorite artist or something. He posts what he enjoys, and I hope you enjoy it, too. Alright, enough shameless whoring. This turned into a music post without my intending...

GRADUATION <-- it's a word you always throw around, an event you know is coming, yet when it hits you, it hits you hard but in the slow-progressively-getting-more-noticed kind of way. Put it this way, when the ceremony is over, all you think about is must get pictures with all my friends. Then, summer hits, and you have all your plans either travelling, working, preparing for the upcoming fall, simply hanging out, or some sort of combination of the aforementioned possibilities. Slowly but surely, for most people, that day on your calendar circled in red marked "MOVE-IN DAY" crawls closer and closer. And you begin to realize, this is it. This is a new beginning (of course thought in less groundbreaking, cliche terms, more like "oh, fuck"). I can't comment on how it will be the week before everyone disperses across the country because I haven't reached that point myself. I'll jump off that bridge when I get to it (crossing is just way to easy and I like a bit of an adrenaline rush). For now, I'm going to make the most of my summer: travelling in foreign countries, working for a bit of spending money, and hanging out with old friends, new friends, best friends, and friends I hope to not let go. No need for teary goodbyes when we get to the point of send-offs because we didn't see enough of each other. Just one last hug and a "see you later" will suffice.

snap crackle POP

As mentioned in a previous post, I thought a discussion involving various musical genres would be interesting, seeing as my friends' taste in music, as well as my own, span far and wide through the vast sea of notes, beats, and melodies. I can't say I won't be impartial because 1. it's my blog (and the likelihood of anyone actually reading this is about the same as fangirls denouncing Myspace, Buzznet, and the like... slim to none) and 2. being opinionated results in more interesting and enriching conversation.

But instead of one "blog" of every genre, different posts will be devoted to solely one type. And today, we begin with pop and Top 40. (strictly pop, not delving into the realm of pop-punk or anything)

I'd be lying if I said there was no talent within the pop gene-pool because there are many, many artists who are vocally (if not also instrumentally) talented. Kelly Clarkson qualifies as does Christina Aguilera. Each of their voices, when stripped down and pulled away from editting and studio work, is great, least to say. Live shows truly show that. Give a purely vocal pop artist a mic and perhaps some guitar or piano background music and the true test is whether or not he or she can carry out the song based solely on his or her vocal prowess. For the most part, these ladies pass the test with flying colors. A group that doesn't is the Pussycat Dolls. Now, don't get me wrong; I like their songs as much as the next guy. However, I think their looks/sex appeal (<-- don't deny it), dancing, and catchy, computerized synths (a-la-"When I Grow Up") make their singing better, if not cover up what flaws their singing may have. Honestly, I think their dancing is better than their singing. This is not an attack on PCD because I know I will still be listening to them on my own accord. This is merely an example of how pop is more than just sugary melodies and includes appearance and presentation. As much as I hate to say it, when is the last time an overweight pop singer made it big?

And if you want my opinion on Disney pop (which I think should almost be its own genre and category), look directly below this post. If you want the Sparknotes version, I don't particularly approve.

Finally, a question that relates more to the rock scene than pop (and perhaps not even music at all)...
When guys paint their nails (typically black, as I have seen), do they do it themselves? Do their friends (male or female) help them? Or do they go to a nail salon and get them done? Or some sort of combination, depending on their mood?

Next up... Rap/Hip-hop

Faux Singers?

Random thought that popped into my head (and I happened to be on the computer)...

Is it me, or do all Disney stars (former or current) have the need to "launch their music careers" at some point? There is no way that all of them have immense musical talents.

Examples include Hilary Duff, Lindsay Lohan, Corbin Bleu (granted, he was in High School Musical, so some talent must have been necessary), Vanessa Hudgens (same thing), Ashley Tisdale (same thing), Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana, Selena Gomez, Mitchel Musso, etc.

I don't get it. It bugs me. Actors turned singers (as in, releasing self-title/self-named albums) bug me unless actual talent is involved. Or maybe Disney actor-singers bug me... Whatever.

And to end to random rant and tangent of the day, I wonder how Mason Musso feels about his little brother starting up in the music biz, probably garnering a bigger fanbase of screaming tweens faster than he was able to simply because Mitchel's a Disney "star"...

Ridiculous

I definitely meant to write about how ridiculous (in the most awesome way) my week was when it was still, well, that week. But it was delayed, and I would like to re-live through words regardless.

Saturday- Prom. Kinda fun. Bad food. Good friends. Lots of pictures. My camera never left my hand.
Saturday/Sunday- After-Prom. Absolute crazy madness worth of fun. A lot of falling. I can't remember a lot of it, but I had an amazing time, that much I'm sure. Went back to a friend's house for late night/early morning drunken-ness and swimming.
Sunday- Aftermath. Woke up to friends, swimming, and the Lakers. Not much more I can ask.
Monday- School. Buzzkill.
Tuesday- All Time Low video shoot. Wow. It definitely beat my prom experience in terms of fun and amazing-ness. Neck and neck with after-prom. Can't even explain the euphoria.
Wednesday- School. Semi-buzzkill. XP Still on an adrenaline rush/high from the day prior.
Thursday night/Friday morning- Grad Nite at Disneyland. Lots of fun. Absolutely exhausted on the ride home.

And thus, my not really full week of excitement ends. But it was definitely one of the best weeks of my life. No exaggeration. Can't really compare it to my 8th grade Yosemite trip though. I'll put them in two different categories of awesome.

Albums vs. Singles/Songs

A strange debate has taken place in my head about the idea of albums and records of artists versus simply invdividual songs or singles. As of late, I have liked buying whole albums as opposed to songs. I feel like listening to a record in its entirety enhances the meaning the artist(s) try to portray through his/her/their music and sometimes brings even more feeling to the singles everyone hears. Like the songs in The Black Parade. Individually, they are all great songs to listen to. Individually, some people adore them, while others scorn them for being the epitome of stereotypical emo with a circling theme of darkness and death. But together, they tell a story of life and death and the emotions that run through your veins in the moments before and after you take your last breath. Concept albums such as TBP are meant to be listened to as wholes, though they can produce chart-topping singles.

Other albums have songs that are quite possibly impossible to listen to without the rest of the record. Forgive Durgen's Razia's Shadow is essentially a musical within an album, narration and all. The songs typically end with narration leading to the following song. The songs themselves are quite enjoyable to listen to, but missing pieces disallows listeners to fully appreciate what the congregation of musicians have put out.

Then, there are albums that don't have a connection between their songs other than the genre and the artist. Pretty.Odd., Folie a Deux, and City of Evil are all records I love listening to as collective groups rather than singling out the songs within them. As good as they may be, I find a strange enjoyment listening to them all together with the other songs in the album.

And that's my muscial rant for today. Maybe a discussion of rock vs. hip-hop vs. pop next time?