30 September 2010

September Update

92 days until the new year.
86 days until Christmas
84 days until my birthday.
31 days until Halloween.

Man, 2010 has moved so slowly, but so fast! It's the same as updating my blog!

School has been a bit difficulty to adjust to, and I have still been in the "wasting free time" mode since I got back from Europe. Speaking of which, I still haven't gone through those photos other than finding that one...

Anyway, I'll try to post at least one entry a week, even if it's a review of an album I'm listening to. No great movies have caught my attention, so you all have to suffer a while. However, I have finally climbed out of the rock and finally watched the Lord of the Rings trilogy two weeks before school started. Maybe I'll post up my reaction towards it...

Otherwise, I can't think of much to say right now. But I will say three things:

1. NEVER take AP American History. if US history hasn't been beaten into my skull enough...
2. never suffer through a cutthroat-strict Catholic school
3. survive the transition from summer to autumn as best you can, okay? :)

I'll try to update as often as possible if the AP homework doesn't take me four hours... Just wanted to let you know I'm still alive. :)

~ Fangirl

24 September 2010

Review of 'Infinity on High' by Fall Out Boy

(Credit to owners and Fall Out Boy. It's not mine.)
My Rank: 4.5 out of 5 -> It Sucks When You Borrow Something Awesome That Isn't Yours

Yep. I am guilty. But before you set my ass on fire for saying that a Fall Out Boy album is good, allow me to explain...

Whatever the drama and politics are about this band, I have no idea about them and I don't really care. Pete Wentz? Not hot. Not interesting. Have him all you want ladies. Their break-up? Doesn't concern me much, but I truly am depressed that Paramore had to replace them in terms of annoyance. Hayley's band might have only one okay song on a sucky movie soundtrack, but at least FOB has an album worth buying.

About three years ago, my cousin and I switched CDs that we wanted to try out. As she got two of mine, I got two of hers, and this was one of them. At that time, I enjoyed "Thnks Fr Th Mmrs" so much that it was a song that I was dying for. I was so into it that I thought of giving FOB a try, especially since my expansion of music taste was still young. After listening in its entirety, this is one CD I regret not buying.

The urge to review this just came up recently since I felt I haven't listened to this album in a long time. Good thing I get to let it out now on this lovely blog. :)

As a lover of rock music, this is overrated, but it does deserve some of its credit. Each song brings a different image to mind based on the elements in the music (a chorus on "Hum Hallelujah" or a riot-esque anthem in "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race.") Every album has that kind of thing going on, but for some reason, Fall Out Boy does it and stay interesting until the end. There are several favorites of mine: "Thriller," which has a pretty cool intro and outro spoken by Jay-Z (who'd da thunk?); "I'm Like a Lawyer... (Me and You)" for it starting bland and slow and then building up to this melancholic, epic chorus; "Don't You Know...?" for it being catchy and fun (which I normally avoid like the plague); and "You're Crashing..."

Yes, I shortened all the titles since they are insanely long. Especially this one...

"I'm Like a Lawyer with the Way I'm Always Trying to Get You Off (Me and You)" <- and it's not my favorite because the title is the longest on the album.

However, no matter how much I enjoy this album, Fall Out Boy was always overrated. But I had to give them credit for getting me to really like an album. To this day, I still have to thank them, even if I never will be reputable as a "true metalhead" or whatever people think of me. (Someone once said I was a goth... another an emo...)

Anyway, is this album buyable? I say so if you are a fan of pop rock or alternative rock music. Not willing to give it a try since it's FOB? That's fine. I recommend to at least give one of their five singles off this a try.

This album sits next to Meteora when it comes to solid alternative rock albums that I can listen to from start to finish. I'll continue to remember how much I enjoyed this album for a few days. Maybe I'll buy this album the next time I'm in FYE. :)

My last words... REMEMBER: Emo ain't a scene... "it's a goddamn arms race"! :P

12 September 2010

Why do people like music?

Thanks a lot, Tenebris in Lux, for that post you made today. Now you got my lazy, tired brain off the couch and made it run a few laps. Perhaps this is a response to her post, but I wanted to toss in my few cents on the common question: Why do people like music?

The best answer I can give is that judging music or determining how you like it is purely subjective. You can't have a logical, objective argument about how Lady GaGa sounds better than Madonna, or how American music in general sucks more than its European counterpart. Many have tried, but many still won't agree. It's not like you're convincing an intelligent man that an orange naturally is stripped like a zebra.

Obviously we all are different in some way, shape or form, so you can't expect everyone to like what you like or hate what you hate. That's true with views of religion, politics, and quality food, movies, and stories. Music isn't much different from that in a sense. But maybe it is since I can't recall a huge World War with millions of bombs, guns, weapons, and dead warriors and innocents over a musical artist.

But if I were to answer that question, it will have to be this.

I love music because it, like art is supposed to, affects me in a way that I can't really convey the message without some confusion. But the bright side is that you don't have to be some form of artist to say that you love or hate the product. Do you have to know how to accurately mix colors to create a certain shade of pink in order to say that you hate that color? Do you have to know how to do a handstand to say that the technique is silly and pointless? Sometimes all we can to is judge the quality of the final product for what it is. And a reason for why you think a certain way would be a nice way to not let someone kill you over an opinion that shouldn't insult them.

Anyway, music is the reason I connected with my dad. He was the reason I enjoy music so much. He would sing to me when I was still in my mom's tummy. He would play music in his car while we were on the road together (and we still do.) He listens to me when I rant about my music tastes and when I play my favorite bands for him. He took me to my first rock concert without complaint. And he lets me buy stuff off his account on iTunes. ^_^

And from listening to music, reading interpretations of lyrics, and researching bands and their inspirations, I learn a bit more about life stories and theories of how life is. The fun and sad part, depending on the topic, is to see them in practice in the world. Some might find that insane, but it's just like picking up a Bible and reading a story in it. You take the message, relate it to your life, and apply it. But it's easier for me to learn life lessons in lyrics and stories than an ancient holy book.

I must raise my hand and plead guilty to the questions who is your idol and what is your favorite band. Obviously HIM is the first band that comes to mind. As for idol, it's Ville Valo. I don't worship the man or have a shrine in his name (that would be freaking scary), but I look up to him so much as a musician, a poet, and [how he presents himself as] a person. Sure, he has to be like SOME rock stars who have to show off their sexiness, but I love that the man has a brain underneath his dark curls and he knows how to use it. Every idol or role model in some way teaches you to not give up on something. From the music and interviews, Ville continues to teach me to not to give up on love. It's hard, miserable, and painful, but it's worth dying for.

But above all, HIM, Emilie Autumn, Lacuna Coil, Type O Negative as well as others on my list of musicians and bands I enjoy give me an escape from the real world when I want or need to. The computer and video games help, but music is number one in my heart. It's so important to me that I need it in order to help me fall asleep at night.

Why do I love music? I strayed a lot on this rant, but the three sentences above are the best general answers I can give.
But what about you? Can you answer the big question, or do you struggle like Tenebris did (and I sometimes can too)?
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