Fall Out Boy Show Madness, Yet There Is Method To It

Did you know Fall Out Boy were releasing a new record on Tuesday? If you did, you seem to be in the minority. The once ubiquitous punk band have but one mild radio hit in play right now in "I Don't Care" (#22 on the Top 40 this week). It's true, Folie A Deux lacks the immediate gratification that previous FOB albums gave, but this album signals Fall Out Boy's graduation from the standard pop-punk outift into a smarter, diverse band. Give it a chance, and Folie A Deux will reward time and again.

It takes the better part of the first song "Disloyal Order of Water Buffaloes" for Fall Out Boy to get into a rhythm that can resonate with listeners (I bought in right around the chanting "Detox just to Retox!"). Unlike their previous work, Fall Out Boy seem less interested in making music that gets people singing along and more interested in making people shut up and listen to what they're trying to say. Whereas other albums featured a good blend between Pat Stump/Pete Wentz's lyrics and the tight music, this one's all about Pete Wentz's take on fame, fatherhood, and politics. On "I Don't Care" Stump defiantly declares "I don't care what you think as long as it's about me". Likewise "Headfirst Slide into Cooperstown on A Bad Bet" has the band singing "I will never end up like him / behind my back I already am". Make no mistake; there's nothing stupid about this record.

That said, the emphasis on substance over spectacle makes it a more difficult listen. With no herpes-esque infectious hooks to force listeners to come back, individual tracks on the album are far less memorable. Lil Wayne helps keep things fun on "Tiffany Blews", and "The (Shipped) Gold Standard" stands out as a surprise favorite amongst the hit-and-miss later tracks. There's nothing wrong musically here, it's just not what listeners or radio programmers have come to expect from the guys who wrote "Dance, Dance".

Folie A Deux is already drawing comparisons to modern punk classics American Idiot and The Black Parade. While this record may match those in sheer ambition and scope, Fall Out Boy come up short here in regards to making something I can imagine going back to years from now when I want something representative of the rest of their career. All in all I see it more as an equivalent to Magical Mystery Tour, with a lot of great ideas and great passion in the music, but trying too hard to say something and forgetting that it's supposed to be musically pleasing too.

Final Score: 7/10
Fall Out Boy - The (Shipped) Gold Standard
Fall Out Boy - Disloyal Order of Water Buffaloes
Buy Folie A Deux on iTunes today

Fall Out Boy Get (Even More) Postmodern

The DMCA struck this post down, but luckily my MOG feed saved the text, so here it is sans MP3

In their continuing quest to get people to give a crap about Folie A Deux , Fall Out Boy released a third track from the album (now slated for release on December 16) yesterday. "What A Catch, Donnie" is certain to become a crowd favorite at shows, with a glorious singalong to end the track (featuring the voices of a number of FOB's friends, among them Elvis Costello, Gabe Saporta, Brandon Urie, and then some). Listen closely and you'll hear one of the voices singing the choruses to various Fall Out Boy tracks (I heard "Sugar, We're Going Down" and "This Ain't A Scene..." and I'm sure there are others in there). Sounds like the guys are going for the "All You Need Is Love" approach here. This is probably going to become my favorite of the new batch of tracks, and it certainly hasn't diminshed my expectations for the record, but numbers don't lie, and all three tracks from Folie A Deux are struggling to make an impact. I don't know what the band is gonna need to do to generate sales for this one, but at least now they have six more weeks to find a way.

Fall Out Boy - What A Catch, Donnie [iTunes]

==TJ==

Stuff That Fell Through The Cracks

In a strange way, I feel like the fact that my last post got enough attention to get taken down is worthy of being noted. So click here to see the email Blogger sent me to inform me thus.

So in spite of my best efforts, there are still bits and pieces from the music world that end up slipping under my radar and don't get the coverage they deserve here. So I'm devoting this post to giving those stories at least some of what they're due.

=Guns N Roses may yet get to fill out a tax form this year, and the American people may yet get a free Dr. Pepper. Sources close to the band confirm that retail outlet Best Buy has scored exclusivity rights to the release of Chinese Democracy, which may well be out around Thanksgiving (Rolling Stone says mark November 25th on your calendars) if sources are to be believed. It's already been confirmed that a song called "Shackler's Revenge" is on Rock Band 2 and that another song entitled "If The World" will be featured in the new Leonardo DiCaprio/Russell Crowe film Body of Lies. Word on whether or not either song will see a wider, digital release in the near future remains to be seen.

Damn, and here I thought Kevin Cogill had the exclusive rights to Chinese Democracy's release.

=Fall Out Boy are taking umbrage with the release of the video for "I Don't Care", claiming that the label tampered with the vid my adding meaningless product placement. Pete Wentz wrote a rant about it on his blog only to have it get removed by the record label, and having seen the clip in question, I can't say the band's claim is baseless. The editing of the cellphone shot is kinda shady and gratuitous, but since its only there for at best 3 seconds, not sure its worth the complaints. The video itself is fantastic though. Props for the cameos by Mark Hoppus and the fake Sarah Palin.

(The cellphone clip in question is at about 1:34 in this video, which I'm surprised I found given that last I heard it was getting pulled down left and right)



=Metallica is in an interesting jam regarding their new album Death Magnetic. There's been a bunch of complaints about the mastering of the CD, which apparently doesn't lend itself well to being played at loud volumes. Metallica is defending the mastering, saying it sounds exactly how they want it to sound. Likewise, someone went and remastered the album using the version released for Guitar Hero III. Props to Matt at Addicted to Vinyl for getting a copy out there. Since I'm still listening to my leaked copy I can't speak to the sound quality being bad, but anyone who knows for sure is welcome to offer their thoughts.

=Nickelback is offering their newest single "Gotta Be Somebody" for free on their website until 6AM EDT on September 30 (so for the next 6 hours from the time I'm typing this). Idolator hit it on the head when they called this track a prom song, but it's pretty good nonetheless. I can imagine this song scoring a scene somewhere near the end of this season of Smallville, what with the grandiose lyrics and Killers-esque synthesizers in the beginning of the track. Based on this and the fact that apparently Dark Horse might have a "Parental Advisory" tag on it, Nickelback may well be letting their balls drop a bit for this record, sales and spins be damned. This album might be worth the cash after all.

That's all I've got for now. The pulled post from earlier spooked me a bit, so no mp3s with this one. I'll make up for it tomorrow with a shitload of reviews and other goodies.

==TJ==

Time to Play Catch-Up

So this whole MOG thing is beginning to take shape. Those of you who saw the banner ad yesterday will soon see an ad that actually fits on the site and isn't cut off. Likewise you should also now see the RSS feed off in the sidebar. This is a bit of an experiment for VLM, and your feedback is certainly appreciated. Bear with the site as it gets used to the new stuff.

Meanwhile, it took less than a week for Kanye West's new track to undergo countless remixes, and it all culminates in the obligatory cover. In perhaps a year-late thank-you for the "This Ain't A Scene..." remix, Fall Out Boy's Pat Stump has placed his vocals on "Love Lockdown", and surprisingly enough its pretty damn good. It could use a little harmony to take the edge off (guess Pete Wentz was busy that day), but it's a worthy homage to a track we'll all be hearing a million times a day for the next few weeks.

Pat Stump - Love Lockdown (Kanye West Cover)
Kanye West - Love Lockdown [iTunes]
Fall Out Boy - This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race (Kanye West Remix) [iTunes]

'Ye also announced that 808s and Heartbreak was now set to drop "November something", effectively killing the already dead Kanye v. 50 part deux subplot that would have existed had the original December release date stuck.

That's it for now. Expect tons more in the next few hours, I've got a lot to catch up on.

==TJ==

A Day Late And A Dollar(Ish) Short

Because I'm lazy and posting a full chart takes more work than its gonna be worth now that it's 24 hours late, I'm just gonna widget the top 5 and talk about a couple tracks.



So yeah, the top track is from the CitizensFOB Mixtape I keep promising to talk about. It's pretty fantastic

Cobra Starship - I Kissed A Boy

And the other really noteworthy part is the new track from The Crash Motive, who finally released their EP Just Cause It Never Happened Don't Mean It Won't earlier this week, and its gone into constant rotation already.

The Crash Motive - Between Us, You & I [iTunes]

And NO, I will not apologize or feel ashamed for having "Unwritten" in the number 2 spot. Just not gonna happen.

Promise to be back on track next week, when there are no drunk people in my apartment.

==TJ==

Linktacular New Post!

Here in America (I don't know if I have any international readers, hence the clarfication), today is Labor Day, the day when we all celebrate how hard we Americans work by...taking a day off. Hmm. Anywho, some random stuff to catch you all up on since I went away.

Matt at Addicted to Vinyl posted two fantastic complete live shows; a Matchbox 20 set from Australia circa 1998 (After Yourself Or Someone Like You, but just before Mad Season), and the famous Nine Inch Nails Woodstock '94 show. Both are available in their entirety at the links provided. Enjoy!

Friends or Enemies posted a mixtape featuring new stuff from Fall Out Boy, Gym Class Heroes, et al. Haven't listened to it yet (headphones are busted so listening time has been shelved lately), but its free if you click here. Click the little lever thingy then fill out some info and you'll get your download ticket. PS: Fall Out Boy releasing a new album already? That was quick.

And since I've posted so many others cool stuff, I suppose I should give you good folks something to read (assuming you're still reading and didn't click away yet). This live show has gotten posted before, I'm certain, but it's a great show and worthy of being recycled here. Sometimes called "The Show That Broke Up Audioslave", Chris Cornell did an unplugged show in Sweden shortly after Revelations was released. Here is that show. For all the people who hate the new solo Cornell stuff, use this as a means to look back fondly upon the man.

Chris Cornell Unplugged in Sweden

Doesn't Remind Me
Like A Stone
Wide Awake
Fell On Black Days
Be Yourself
Billie Jean
Original Fire
Redemption Song [Bob Marley Cover]
Peace, Love and Understanding [Elvis Costello Cover]
All Night Thing
Black Hole Sun
Call Me A Dog
Thank You [Led Zeppelin Cover]

Complete zipped download

Have at it. Back later.

==TJ==

It's Time for your Weekend WTF?!?!

Introducing a new weekly(ish) feature on Viva La Mainstream!, entitled Weekend WTF?!?! It's where I post and/or discuss a song that is pretty well described as What The F#(&. Some posts might actually have meaning, others will just be something ridiculous.

I know I posted this back in the spring when this first came out, but it's so cool it needs to be re-posted. Sometime in mid-2007, after Fall Out Boy released Infinity On High, but before Kanye released Graduation, a group of DJs put together a mixtape of mashups, blends and remixes between Kanye and FOB. The results were fairly mixed, but the highlight was the mashup of "Dance Dance" and "Golddigger". I love it, and I think you'd be hard pressed to not do the same.

Kanye West and Fall Out Boy - I Don't Care I Still Love Her

==TJ==

Currently Listening: Good Charlotte - I Don't Wanna Be In Love (Dance Floor Anthem) [iTunes]
(why...why do I like this song??)

Does this make Radiohead and NIN the Tom Glavine and Mariano Rivera of Music?

Thanks to anyone who listened on Tuesday. It was sort of a disorganized show, seeings how I was training people in the midst of doing a show. A few mixups and glitches (sorry to anyone listening during the nasty feedback), and of course the ongoing technical issues were a pain, but hopefully by next week a large majority of that will be settled.

I also ended up sitting in on the Alex, Helen, and Amanda show after they had some trouble, and let's just say, if you aren't listening to their show...you should be. Even if you aren't a fan of Top 40 stuff, just listen in for the ridiculous antics. Alex, Helen, and Amanda are on Tuesdays from 7-9 at radio.arcadia.edu. I'm admittedly not a fan of all of their stuff, but just being in the studio with them is a trip in and of itself. MP3s of some stuff they play is below.

So after much publicity and blogging, Radiohead's In Rainbows made its way onto the hard drives of fans all over the world today. I'm listening through it as I type this, and it's more or less what I expected. Weird, borderline trippy music with schizophrenic (and sometimes nonexistent) melodies that ultimately makes for OK ambient noise. A final rating to come later, but even though I'm not thrilled with it after one listen, I know I'm gonna end up playing through it a few more times. Most of what I've read about it so far seems pretty split; longtime fans seem to love the album, casual fans and others are rather indifferent. I'll let you know where I stand later.

In other stick-it-to-the-man news, Nine Inch Nails posted a message on their website in which Trent Reznor joyfully declares himself a free agent in the music world:

"Hello everyone. I've waited a LONG time to be able to make the
following announcement: as of right now Nine Inch Nails is a totally
free agent, free of any recording contract with any label. I have
been under recording contracts for 18 years and have watched the
business radically mutate from one thing to something inherently very
different and it gives me great pleasure to be able to finally have a
direct relationship with the audience as I see fit and appropriate.
Look for some announcements in the near future regarding 2008.
Exciting times, indeed."

Before we all get ornery and get ready to mark the time of death of the record label as we know it, let's remember that Radiohead and NIN have never been known for being the darlings of the recording industry. Anyone else remember the conniption that the RIAA had prior to the release of Year Zero? When bands like Fall Out Boy or Kelly Clarkson go free agent, then I'll call it.

One more thing; Dashboard Confessional frontman Chris Carrabba has been passing the time on his solo tour by blogging about his experiences on the road. Blog topics range from stories of fans he meets (good to know I'm not the only over-18 male who loves Dashboard) to lists of things he loves and hates at the moment (apparently Chris is a fan of Heroes and Battlestar Galactica). The blog is on his myspace page, and will probably go for the length of his solo tour. On another note, I ruckused The Shade of Poison Trees and made it through The Wire Tapes, the covers album I mentioned earlier. I didn't know too many of the originals, but Dashboard redoes tracks like "El Scorcho" and Regina Spektor's "Better" incredibly well. More in-depth reviews later, and definitely expect this stuff to be on the radio show next week.

That's all for now. Enjoy the MP3s, and I'll be back soon.

Timbaland - The Way I Are (As heard on Alex, Helen, and Amanda)
Fall Out Boy - The Take Over, The Break's Over (As heard on Alex, Helen, and Amanda)
Kanye West- Stronger (As heard on Alex, Helen, and Amanda)
Nine Inch Nails - Capital G
Dashboard Confessional - Better (Regina Spektor cover)

Buying music may be good karma, but Thom Yorke and Trent Reznor don't care so much...the choice is yours.

==TJ==

The Heads of A Million Teenage Girls Just Exploded

Now, what if I were to tell you that Fall Out Boy and Kanye West got together and remixed, mashed up, and did cool stuff to all their popular hits, ie a mashup of "Gold Digger" and "Dance, Dance", and then released an online mixtape of the results of that gathering? Is that something you might be interested in?



Download from The Leak Source [via Idolator]

Yeah, I think my work here is done. Enjoy.

==TJ==

EDIT: I was slightly mistaken. As indicated by the "Presented by PDA & His Army of DJ's", this is the work of a group of relatively talented DJs. Kanye and FOB had nothing to do with the creation of this mixtape. Still damn cool though. Already listened through it once, and I think it needs another play-through for a decent rating. So far the highlights are "We Majorly Thankful", "Thanks For Telling Me Nothing" (a mashup of "Thnks Fr Th Mmrs" and "Can't Tell Me Nothing"), and the "Arms Race Megamix" which you have to hear to understand fully.
(Tentative)Ruling on the Field: 7.5/10

Take Me Out to the Ball Game...

Idolator brought me this story, and being both a music and a baseball fan, it was too good to let pass:

The New York Mets are holding an online contest that will allow fans to pick third baseman David Wright's entrance music. The choices are varied, with everything from Cassie's "Me & U" to Nas' "New York State of Mind" (not to be confused with the Billy Joel version) to Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars" and My Chemical Romance's "Welcome to the Black Parade". If I were to vote (which I haven't yet), I'd probably go with The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again", but the fans should reserve the right, should Wright go into a slump in the playoffs again, to switch the music to Fall Out Boy's "Sugar, We're Goin' Down". But this idea got me thinking about what songs other players should take the field to.

Player: Julio Franco (NYM)
Song: Bill Haley and His Comets - "Rock Around the Clock"
This song was a number one hit in Franco's rookie season.

Player: Brett Myers (PHI)
Song: The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - "Face Down"
Wife-beater jokes never get old.

Player: Barry Bonds (SF)
Song: Milli Vanilli - "Blame it On The Rain"
Cheaters have to stick together

Player: Alex Rodriguez (NYY)
Song: My Chemical Romance - "Welcome to the Black Parade" (link above)
A song about cancer is much more appropriate here than it is for Wright.

Player: Ugueth Urbina
Song: Bob Marley - I Shot the Sheriff
This assumes Urbina makes it out of prison before season's end (Ugey is in a Venezuelan prison on an attempted murder charge)

OK I think the joke's just about run dry. I'll be back later.

==TJ==

Review: Fall Out Boy - Infinity On High

Never let it be said that Fall Out Boy doesn't read the papers. Infinity On High, their fourth album and second major-label release, can best be described as a commentary of the two years since 2005's chart topping From Under The Cork Tree. Cynics and core fans scoffed at their rise to success, but frontman Patrick Stump offers no apologies, musing on the album opener "Thriller", "We're just poster boys for the scene / But we're now making an acceptance speech". Instead, Fall Out Boy continues to embrace stardom in their own sarcastic, self-deprecating manner. The result is the album we all knew Fall Out Boy was capable of; a remarkable display of talent and fun that expands beyond the tired formulaic punk most had become accustomed to.

For all the praise that From Under the Cork Tree got and deserved, it only went through the motions of offering anything new. The comedically long song titles were arguably the most creative part of that CD. Those ridiculous, deceptively meaningless titles remain (See "I'm Like A Lawyer With The Way I'm Always Trying to Get You Off (Me & You)"), but the songs on Infinity On High have more than just a pretty face. Lead single "This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race" is a much angrier Fall Out Boy, written as a response to fans that suggested the band lost touch with their roots, while "Thnks Fr Th Mmrs" is a bitter message from someone slighted one too many times. The lyrics and musicianship on this album are remarkable, most notably on the piano ballad "Golden" (yes, you read that right) and the melodic courtroom farce "You're Crashing, But You're No Wave"

Overall Fall Out Boy finally reached their full potential on Infinity On High. Cynics and nay-sayers be damned; this time around, Fall Out Boy has earned every ounce of praise for this effort.

==TJ==

When You've Lost All Hope And Excuses...

No, I'm not abandoning this thing, I've just been working on the next entry because I want to do this one well. Probably by the end of this week I'll have posted for you a review of Fall Out Boy's new album, Infinity on High. It leaked to the internet over the weekend and it's now on my iPod. So far I'm really impressed. Expect a more thorough review soon.

Meanwhile, I encourage you all to listen to my radio show tomorrow, as I will be previewing FOB's new album as well as broadcasting with Danielle (my new co-DJ) from the Chat at the activities fair. Is that terribly exciting? No. Do I want you to listen anyway? Yes.

While I'm here and mentioning my friend Danielle, she writes reviews for mxdwn.com. Read her stuff, it's pretty good. And maybe now that I plugged her she can mention me on her page *hint hint*

==TJ==