Best of 2007

The year's almost over, thought it seems it's only just begun. This is making me feel really old and nostalgic...

Anyway. I'll post my Best of Two-Thousand-Seven lists shortly.

Head Automatica for life.

Funniest Video Ever.
Graduation Day


The Razor


Beating Heart Baby

A jubilee of awesomeness.

So I'm in love with VHS or Beta.



Bedouin Soundclash


Great Northern


Wilco


Zazie



Elliot Smith (RIP) - my heart aches whenever I think about Elliot.


...and now I'm crying. Fuck, I wish he wasn't gone.

Rise Against - BLOGWHORING!!!!!11ONEZ111

Rise Against is definitely my huge new love right now. Not that I recently became interested in them, I just fell in love with Tim and those goddamn harmonies all over again.
They're truly everything I need and aspire to be. Politically aware, politically ACTIVE, they use their passion for music to further their beliefs. Yeah, that's all I want to be.

Swing Life Away


Prayer Of The Refugee


Blood To Bleed


Ready To Fall


Hold on slow down
Again from the top now and tell me everything.
I know I`ve been gone for
What seems like forever
But I`m here now waiting
To convince you that I`m not
A ghost or a stranger
But closer than you think
She said just go on to what you
Pretend is your life but
Please don`t die on me

Wings won`t take me
Heights don`t phase me
So take a step
But don`t look down, take a step

Now I`m standing on a rooftop ready to fall (ready to fall)
I think I'm at the edge now but I could be wrong
I'm standing on a rooftop ready to fall

Perpetual motion the image wont focus
A blur is all that's seen
But here in this moment like the eye of the storm
It all came clear to me
I found a shoulder to lean on
An infallible reason to live all by itself
I took one last look from the heights that I once loved
And then I ran like hell

Wings won't take me
Heights don't phase me
So take a step
But don't look down take a step

Now I'm standing on a rooftop ready to fall (ready to fall)
I think I'm at the edge now but I could be wrong
I'm standing on a rooftop ready to fall

I count the times that Ive been sorry (I know I know)
Now my compassion slowly drowns (I know I know)
If there's a time these walls could guard you (I know I know)
Then let that time be right now

Now I'm standing on a rooftop
Now I'm standing on a rooftop ready to fall (ready to fall)
I'm standing on a rooftop ready to fall
I think I'm at the edge now but I could be wrong
I'm standing on a rooftop ready to fall

Bloc Party LIVE at House of Blues, Septmber 22nd, 2007

As promised, footage from the September 22nd Bloc Party show at the House of Blues.


Part of 'Hunting For Witches' (terrible quality):


One third of 'Helicopter' (last song of the show):


'Banquet':


'This Modern Love'

The Killing Lights

5 AM on the bathroom floor
From the night before
Do you find me dreadful?

Such a shame
Such a sad disgrace
Such a pretty face
But she's not regretful

Am I beautiful?
AmI usable?

It's killing time again
Put on your face and let's pretend
These killing lights won't kill us all again

Three AM on the city street
When the air is sweet
I have had my mouth full
But it seems that outside the screen
Such a pretty face often will look dreadful

Am I beautiful?
Am I usable?

It's killing time again.
Put on your face and let's pretend,
These killing lights won't kill us all again.

It's killing time again
Cover your face and we'll pretend
These killing lights can't kill us all again

You see, they always remember
They never forget a face...


When they
Cut cut cut cut cut cut cut you up
Cut cut cut cut they remember,
Cut cut cut cut cut cut cut you up
Cut you up...

It's killing time again
Put on your face and let's pretend
These killing lights won't kill us all again

It's killing time again
Cover your face and we'll pretend
These killing lights can't kill us all again

All again, all again
It's time again...

It's killing time.

Head Automatica

NYC rock/popcore/whatver it is, I love it.

I love you, Head Automatica.

Head Automatica is the "side project" of Glassjaw's frontman. Oh, and it's fucking perfect.

Reminds me of... Glassjaw, of course. Plus At The Drive-In and a little Taking Back Sunday.

Get on it!

Incubus concert

So the INCUBUS concert was a dream come true.

It really was. It was perfect, the night of my life.

I'll leave it at that.

Abandoned Pools.

Abandoned Pools gets my vote for most underrated band. Not ever, but of the last few years, definitely.


I am armed to the teeth
You can't hold me down
I've turned seething
Into a hobby

Why is god out to get us?
Can't we just be friends
I feel a twinge of righteousness
Like a corporate hedonist

Armed to the teeth
I'm ready
Go out and spend
Your money

The thugs are banging
In SUVs
My thoughts are changing into theories
The master of our destiny
Out in the graveyard of good ideas
That could have been the downfall of leaders
Yeah

Armed to the teeth
I'm ready
Go out and spend
Your money...

Giants of industry
Come on come on and try to eat me
Armed to the teeth
I'm ready

What century are you living in?
An ancient puzzle piece that won't fit in

Armed to the teeth
I'm ready
Go out and spend
Your money

Giants of industry
Come on come on and try to eat me
Armed to the teeth
I'm ready....

I'm ready.

Shiny Toy Guns

FOUND MY NEW FAVORITE BAND!

Shiny Toy Guns sound like the goddamn apocalypse. Oh my god.
Punk rock and debauchery laced with female vocals, drum machines and synthesizers?
I'm in eargasm heaven!

This music makes you go crazy, which is what all good music should do.

Eat your heart out.







And, if all goes well, I'll be seeing them November 2nd.
I've got a number of shows to go to first though.

new The Starting Line is actually good

Yeah, I couldn't believe it either.
The Starting Line have been my pet peeve and on my 'worst bands' list for years.
And then they release the song 'Island' off their new cd, Direction.

Wow.

I honestly didn't know bands could go from fucking terrible to actually more than good.
Apparently it's possible, though!

Their t-shirts are cute too.




I.

Love.

This.





Song. There, I said it.
Hearing the band's name still makes me cringe, though.


This is why I've hated The Starting Line for 5 years:

Rilo Kiley - Silver Lining

"Hooray hooray, I'm your silver lining. Hooray hooray, but now I'm gold."

Jenny darling, I know how you feel.

MUSE!

Muse are incredible musicians.

I've never heard anyone actually say they dislike Muse.
I've had people tell me they don't listen to it, or are not into that type of music, but I've NEVER had anyone tell me they think Muse makes bad music.
Their music makes me want to do so many things, extreme and mundane, righteous and evil, safe and life-threatening. ALL AT FUCKING ONCE.

They probably sold their souls for those riffs.
It's because they're gods.








So go ahead, tell me it's bad music. Just tell me why.

Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight

Linkin Park can do no wrong. And I never thought I'd say that.

Let me just tell you; for the past few years since Meteora I had basically given up hope for LP. I in no way thought they could 'one-up' their past records, or appeal to modern-day music fans.
Man was I wrong.

The band's third full-length, Minutes to Midnight is pretty damn amazing.
There's still some rap, a lot of screaming and some ravenous guitar riffs. There's also some guitar solos, which I never ever thought I'd hear on one of their records.

Let's just say the boys are still pissed-off, just this time it's at the world and humanity, not ex-girlfriends.

Wonderful transformation and progression for the band, it definitely makes me want to see them live for the second time.

Such a beautifully cohesive compilation of tracks. Well worth the atrociously long gap between albums.


Rating: This album is a foxy 4, children.

Cities of Night.

Yeah.. so i had to elaborate on just how insane this track is.


I've seen what you have made in all it's beauty
What I cannot create I recognize.
Let's watch the night explode
Just hold onto me.
I'll whisper you this truth uncompromised.

Wait for a heart that never lies
But not this time.
Watch those explosions in the sky and you'll go blind
But not this time.

Will you live in hope or dark desire?
What can I say?
Fuck love, give me fire.

Have you seen what I've made beneath the wreckage?
Just suffer through the dust and there you'll find
The color of a night that burned out from us.

Surrounded by its glow our city lies.
Wait for a love that never dies and you've lost life.
One overdose just to survive.

We'll shine this time.
We'll make headlines.



And the bonus track, Mute? AMAZING. I was honestly blown right away and wanted to take drugs or something (not really).
And then The Cure's 'Tainted Love' came on and I almost died.

(Yeah, I know the Cure's version is only a cover and Soft Cell did it originally)

Blaqk Audio - 'CexCells'

I figured I should issue a brief insight on the cd I actually spent money on yesterday.

CexCells is one hell of a record. I simply love it.

Although it did take about 5 listens to consider it worth my time.

Well, don't get this cd just because you're an AFI fan. Just don't. It sounds nothing like AFI, in fact the only similarity is Davey Havok's voice in both.

Blaqk Audio's self proclamation of this (dare I say it?) side project is: "Two boys in love with synthesizers".

No kidding.

The lyrics seem to revolve around dysfunctional love and sex, as the title implies.





It generally reminds me of some good, synthy, prog, psudeo-industrial 80's doom dance music. If you catch my drift. Do you?





It sounds like Nine Inch Nails, The Cure, Depeche Mode, Rob Zombie and old Madonna involved in a murderous street fight that later turns into a steamy, masochistic orgie.



Standout tracks: 'Between Breaths (an XX perspective)', 'Stiff Kittens', 'Cities of Night', 'Wake Up, Open the Door and Escape To the Sea'.

I like.

Less-than-stellar track: Again, Again and Again.

(Only because I hate techno and the intro involves too much of it.)

Rating: 4 of 5.



Now I just wish they'd add a Dallas date to their tour.

Boys Don't Cry

I have this song stuck in my head, bitches!

Razorlight's version of it at the Mtv Icon thing pretty much sucked.
AFI's version of 'Just Like Heaven', though? *kiss kiss kiss*

Fuse's 'Warped Dream Line-Up'

So, Fuse the TV channel revealed viewer's dream line-up for Warped Tour.

Here's how it looks:

10. Avenged Sevendfold
9. Underoath
8. Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
7. Green Day
6. AFI
5. Fall Out Boy
4. Taking Back Sunday
3. The Used
2. Paramore
1. My Chemical Romance

They could've done a worse job, and they most certainly could've done an even better one.
I have a number of problems with this list, mostly minor technicalities.

First of all, what the fuck are My Chemical Romance doing as number 1? I don't mind there music at all, but they should definitely be no higher than #3.

Secondly, Paramore, Underoath and Red Jumpsuit Apparatus shouldn't even be on this list. They all play pretty OK music (Underoath play stellar music as a matter of fact), but they should in no way, shape or form be an a list of all-stars.

AFI should be #1, definitely, since everyone knows their live shows are even better than their CD's.

Wow. Some people have no respect for the classics, do they?
I mean, where's Tiger Army, Bad Religion, The Unseen and Pennywise on this list?

And also, seeing as they put on the best shows of my life, the list should include Deftones, Circa Survive, Family Force 5, Killswitch Engage AND Coheed and Cambria.

NEW BLOG, NEW BLOG, READ ALL ABOUT IT

This would be Lauren's new music blog.

I figure it will be a creative type of catharsis, seeing as it's rarely my day. EVER.

So go ahead, comment your little booties off!