Sooo music is my passion and here seems like the most appropriate place to just explode, and rant, and rave, and everything. A little intro: Hi Im Becca, Im obsessed with music. Ive dreamt of playing the piano since I was 4. I write and I love singing. Someday, my dreams will come true...when I actually start acting on them rather than just talking about it. So yeah, here I am trying to find some easy way to just slide into what I really started this for. Heh. A lot of new albums came out this summer and I just feel like giving my insight on a few of them. Im no critic by any means, and I struggle with how I want to make my words sound because I think too much when I write lately, but just bare with me here. Its just stuff I need to get off my chest about bands Im getting more into, old bands Ive lost interest in sadly, and anticipation for albums that arent out yet. Paramore - "Riot" I'm very disappointed to say the least. I pre-ordered the CD back in April, and I didnt get it in the mail until two weeks after it was actually released June 12th. Dont get me wrong, I tore the package to shreds and almost broke the CD because I couldnt get it into my CD player fast enough... The songs are catchy, and Hayley's voice is as powerful as ever. The drums are strong, Zac definitely got better. I can relate to the lyrics, and the feelings conveyed in most of them. Their sound though....they really dumbed themselves down to attract a younger audience, a more massive audience. My life was in "All We Know Is Falling" and I have been by Paramore for a long long time. They are amazing live, and they still were when I saw some of their set at Warped Tour this month. But their fan base is a mess and I think that says a lot about a band, and who they have become. Most of them are selfish 13 year old Hayley Williams wannabe's. I hate TRL, I hate MTV and I always have. Theres a difference between promoting your band and wanting to do well, and completely selling out and putting fast food condiments in your hair so you look really fucking awesome. With that said, Paramore you have broken my heart but I will always owe a big part of my life to you. Tegan and Sara - "The Con" Amazing is beyond an understatement for this record. As stated on stylusmagazine.com "There is less of the rock straight talk of 2004’s So Jealous, simply because the situations are written in more complicated terms." That is the perfect description. I love the fact that it was produced by Death Cab For Cutie's Chris Walla, thats a great collaboration right there. What I find most intriguing is the fact that Tegan and Sara, while working on this album together, are very separated but just as strong as ever. It was released July 24th I believe and I still listen to it constantly. So many songs hit home, particularly Nineteen and Soil Soil. The fast paced more like talking less like singing style of Soil Soil is beautifully sad with the piano chiming in the background as a contrast to Tegans high raspy voice. Talk about a run on sentence. Well needless to say, Im obsessed and I hope to god someone gets me those tickets to see them in Boston on my birthday! Boys Night Out's self titled album came out June 26th, I have a copy but I havent listened thoroughly enough to give a full opinion on it. But I do know I love it. The third track "The Push and Pull" reminds me very much of a relationship I just got out of. The Starting Line's "Direction" is another one that I do have but havent listened to enough. I am obsessed with Island though, just not really feeling the music vid. I tried out Mae's "Singularity" but I really was not feeling it at all. Im not sure what it was, I didnt feel like giving it enough time to figure out. I'll stick with "Destination: Beautiful" because it's really amazing and gives me butterflies. *sidenote Im not going to lie, Im a shameless pirate. I know, I probably just lost a lot of respect from a lot of people. I do what I can to go out and buy the CDs of bands that I truly love and respect, and thats a lot of bands, eventually, even if I have downloaded already. So don't run away just yet, please! Eisley - "Combinations" Currently listening to it for the first time. Its very impressive and Im not disappointed in their slight change of sound AT ALL. Ahh "Room Noises" brings back so many good memories, I really had high hopes for this one and they cease to amaze me. Right now "A Sight To Behold" is playing and I love love love love LOVE the rock sound, but they still manage to squeeze in their amazing original Eisley sound in everything they do. I dont exactly know how to explain this Eisley sound... I love their high pitched voices. Theyre not really powerful in the way that like...Hayley Williams voice is, but theyre more magical, for lack of a...less lame word? I dont know Im overwhelmed with giddy fangirl feelings inside of me over this album, excuse me. Well anywho, there are a lot more CDs coming out and Im overwhelmed. My library keeps growing and growing and I get stuck on one new CD and Im like OHMYGOSH SO MANY MORE TO LISTEN TO. Im really overly excited for Chiodos and Motion City Soundtrack. Ahh September, come sooner!