Song of the Day 3/21/15

Helena-My Chemical Romance

OK let’s be real here you damn well knew that one of the big 3 emo acts had to be mentioned at some point this week and in asking around what to cover it occurred to me that this week should end with probably the more semi consistent of the big 3 which for those unfamiliar would be Fallout Boy, Panic! At the Disco, and of course My Chemical Romance.

Now what always surprised me about that time frame in retrospect is how of all the bands to just kind of break out these guys were one of them and that of all the songs they did this song in particular was the one that broke them really into the mainstream and it’s not that I’m discrediting the song itself but it’s just kind of interesting to think that while I’m not OK kind of got them recognition this song got MTV rotations and people to go pick up Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge which is really a solid album but it also did eventually lead to the vastly superior Black Parade album which was the real commercial and creative peak for this band because like their contemporaries they had to expand their songs to be something more than slopped together rockers and they did which sadly that didn’t go to Danger Day’s which was the, “oh Shit our fans moved on and now we’re playing to young kids that don’t get it,” album and like their contemporaries things just kind of moved on.

All that critique aside this song still has an oddly amusing charm to it that hasn’t been to diluted to terrible follow up records like Panic! or Fallout Boy’s  more recent records though there’s a charm to going back to this semi knock off Misfits inspired act every once in a blue moon because they actually crafted plenty of good tunes that you forget just how good they actually are and it’s the fact that they just kind of said fuck it split up and have been doing there own musical adventures with Gerard Way making a semi alright solo record that’s knocking off glam rockers instead of Billy Corgan and Frank Lero is making music from his garage this band didn’t go some odd electronic direction which I can more then appreciate.

Well I guess that wraps up emo week time to bandage your cuts and remember that you’re a grown up now people but maybe in due time I can do this again because it’s kind of fun to throwback and of course there’s a shit load of acts that I didn’t cover but until then time to extra not act my age…

Song of the Day 11/11/14

So I've been going through a series of songs and figuring later articles and what not so when it comes time to write a song of the day I'm often stumped really but every once in a blue moon I'll look at the past songs I spend my weekend listening to and when I do there's usually a decent amount of interesting tunes but there was one song that I recalled listening to that is actually a lot better then I anticipated.

Millions it's one of many new cuts from Gerard Way's solo effort and in all honesty it's actually quite interesting to see where this former My Chemical Romance frontman is going musically and while I do enjoy the kind of overly 70's glam rock style of the previous single No Shows and how it's kind of the best blend of dirty 70's guitars and Way's kind of wanna be proto-punk vocals it's too hard to listen to that song and not think he's dick riding a Gary Glitter meets Ziggy Stardust Bowie sound with it.

On the contrary Millions is just a kind of old school sounding alternative rocker that has a kind of Kings of Leon sounding intro and is sang in such a style that reminds me of a group like the Pillows or Surfer Blood but there's also a slightly subtle but straight forward approach in Way's vocal delivery that gives this song a more charming quality then I can recall hearing from him in quite some time and it's really nice to hear. This songs a very charming affair that I seem to enjoy more then I honestly thought I ever would which is always a good thing.