Max Bemis: I’m Real

Max Bemis of Say Anything is feeling great. So all those rumors about his health can be tossed out the window. Bemis, who suffers from bipolar disorder, is simply tired of the focus always being about his health. The music is what he wants it all to be about, and feeling as healthy as ever, it looks like everything is headed in that direction. With the re-release of the album …Is a Real Boy on major label J Records out on shelves (including a bonus disc titled, …Was a Real Boy, that features seven new tracks), Bemis hopes more and more people are now able to discover the album that put him in the spotlight.

“Both us (the band) and J Records agreed the record could be appreciated by more people than those who had heard it at the time,” explains Bemis.

…Is a Real Boy was originally released by indie powerhouse Doghouse with immediate hype and buzz as the album was in many ways a breakthrough- a structure and arrangement that resembled that of a rock opera. Bemis fostered the idea by simply looking back on his youth. “I’ve always been a fan of cinema and when I was a young, young kid, musicals,” says Bemis. “I thought that the format was conducive to the type of music I write and the story I was trying to tell about finding one’s self.”

As Bemis states, …Is a Real Boy incorporates the theme of self-discovery and to a lighter extent, an irritated outcry against the type of world and society we live in today. “I would say there is a lot of anger in my music towards injustice and hypocrisy, but it’s not a completed dismissal of everything I know,” explains Bemis. “It’s about there being obstacles in the way of you being able to appreciate life to it’s fullest and the journey you take to defeat them.” After the album was released, the majority of the critics lauded Say Anything. The positive response to the album caught Bemis off guard. “I hoped it would be (a success), and I was surprised to see things unfold exactly as I wanted them to,” he says. But with the album packed with tons of sincerity and honesty from Bemis, listeners instantly connected with his words and music and clever approach to wrapping it all together.

“Personal experience and that of those around me” (is where Bemis draws his inspiration from), he says. “A lot of …Is a Real Boy is about objectification of self and watching those you love being objectified and different reactions to both of those things. I have experienced a lot of people in this day and age who don’t appreciate themselves including at one point, myself.”

With Bemis not appreciating himself, this led to some tribulations for the young man. During the recording process of the album, Bemis was under so much stress that he stumbled upon a nervous breakdown that ultimately led to his ongoing battle with bipolar disorder. This forced Say Anything to cancel several shows and tours, and things went from looking up, to looking very bleak. After awhile, Bemis finally understood how serious his problem was and that things needed to change. “I literally started to hallucinate and the paranoia resulting from this drove away the people that mattered most to me in the world,” says Bemis. “That was when I realized I had to do something about it.”

And he did. Bemis got the help he needed and began to learn how to deal with his setback. “It (his struggles to deal with his health) was just learning to cope with my disorder, accepting that I had to be on medication indefinitely despite sacrificing the manic element that comes with not taking it, and discovering that sobriety suits me far better than smoking weed constantly,” explains Bemis. On proper medication and taking it, Bemis finally feels he is on the right track. “I am on medication for bipolar disorder and I feel stable, but it doesn’t overpower my personality,” he says.

During the entire period of time Say Anything was canceling shows and tours while Bemis wasn’t healthy, the message boards and gossip powered websites were having a field day writing about what was wrong with Bemis, who refused to let the rumors get to him. “I tended to not read the bullshit that was written,” he says. “I also did my best to be pretty open about the truth of what happened to me so that people didn’t really have room to speculate.” After all is said and done, Bemis is taking the approach that he can take a lot of positives from these situations he encountered. “I’ve faced my inner demons and fears that surfaced when I thought everyone and everything was out to get me,” explains Bemis. “I even accepted that I was going to die right then and there. Going through this type of an experience makes you much stronger and prepared for life’s little hardships.”

Through all of the health issues, Bemis and Say Anything still had to carry out as a band and decided to take the step from indie to major and eventually signed with J Records. “More people can find our record and we have the money to stay on the road longer and carry out a lot of the ideas we have,” explains Bemis. “There are also a lot more people involved, being that it’s a huge company, but they totally respect us and most of the time let us do our thing.”

With …Is a Real Boy now re-released and …Was a Real Boy included, Bemis was able to tell another side of his story that strongly focuses on sexuality. “Basically, on the record, the character is withdrawn and his sexuality is repressed by his paranoia and depression,” explains Bemis. “He is alone and scared. On the bonus disc, he rediscovers his desire and it burns within him, leading him in every direction until finally he realizes what he wants again.”

These songs were originally supposed to be a part of an AIDS charity album that never surfaced. “The record explores sexuality, and AIDS is sexually transmitted,” says Bemis. “The record is about dark, dirty, untrusting sex. I wrote about it to basically cleanse myself of this stage in my own life and thought that it might serve to expose these feelings to people and have them examine why they do this to themselves which is appropriately tied to fighting promiscuity and unprotected sex.”  So with Bemis finally feeling better, the focus of Say Anything is hopefully shifting back to the music, where Max wanted it be all along. With …Is a Real Boy being such a breath of fresh air release, there is no telling what Bemis will come up with next;

“I hope that our next record will be more inspiring and uplifting,” he says. “I want to be the Joshua Tree with balls on laughing gas.”

Anathallo – Floating World

I have an unusual relation with this band. Hailing from Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, Anathallo are regulars of the Grand Rapids music scene (such as it is). Living in Grand Rapids I have had many opportunities to see Anathallo as, when they are not touring, they seem to be playing a show every few weeks. However I have only seen them live twice, a choice I am beginning to regret as their career gains momentum, drawing them farther and farther from GR. Perhaps people in this small city have begun to take them for granted because they always seem to be here. This is unfortunate because, simply put, Anathallo are one of the best live bands performing today.

When I say “best live band” I don’t simply mean in Michigan, or even the mid-west. Anathallo are one of the best live acts in the nation. Their shows are not flashy- no pyrotechnics or light displays- they are just seven young people playing with unbelievable passion and skill. Several members of the band are multi-instrumentalists and often switch instruments mid-song, giving their music an eclectic style and their performances a vital intensity. They are somewhat famous (locally, anyway) for their penchant for unorthodox percussion, including chains, pipes, and intricate stomping and clapping that utilizes every member of the band. This group mentality extends to the harmonies, which can create the startling effect of a rising wall of voices in the middle of a song.

Unfortunately such a fantastic live performance that depends so much on the personal interaction of the members is nearly impossible to transfer to a recording. Anathallo have released several records, which are all good, but do not capture the heights their music can reach on stage. With Floating World, their fifth release, Anathallo have come closer to capturing the passion of their live show than ever before.

I cannot be certain, but judging from the Japanese elements throughout the album I am guessing that the title references Ishiguro’s novel An Artist of the Floating World. If so, it is fitting in several respects. First, the “floating world” of Ishiguro’s novel refers to the night life in Japan, a world which exists only for that evening, perishes, and is recreated the next. This is an appropriate description of Anathallo’s performances, miniature worlds that are created throughout the evening and disappear along with the band. Secondly, “floating world” also refers to Japan at the time the novel takes place, in a flux between the traditional way of life and a more westernized, progressive mindset. This album also finds Anathallo in flux, poised to move from a local favorite to a breakthrough band.

I’m going to stop with the comparisons now because this is turning into a dissertation. The music Anathallo have recorded here is some of their best, shifting from delicate arpeggio guitar interwoven with powerful harmonies to a carnival mishmash of percussion and brass that calls to mind Tom Waits while maintaining a unique sound. Sadly this is a promo copy and doesn’t include the lyrics, which is a shame because they typically reflect the same passion found in the music. But if experience is anything to go by they have been just as carefully crafted as the music itself. Given all of these elements, Floating World finds Anathallo on the brink of receiving the nationwide attention they deserve.

(Nettwerk)

The Raconteurs – Broken Boy Soldiers

Don’t call it a super group. Don’t call it Jack White’s new band. Don’t call it the White Stripes with bass. And you better not call it a side-project. What you can call it is new. What you can call it is refreshing. What you can call it is equal. What you can call it is masterful. And, what you can most definitely call it is quality.

The Raconteurs started out as nothing more than two old pals banging around trying to write a song, and has ended up a communal band that is surging in popularity, and has produced one heck of a fantastic record. The two fellows it began with are, as you probably know, Brendan Benson, and Jack White. Both had been friends for a long while, and during an impromptu jam session, the tune “Steady, As She Goes” was born. Things snowballed from their, eventually adding members Jack (Little Jack) Lawrence on bass guitar, and Patrick Keller on drums. Both Keller and Lawrence are members of the band The Greenhornes. Benson started out as an acclaimed solo singer/songwriter, and Jack White earned his stripes in a way that I’m sure we are all already aware of.

The boys of The Raconteurs are taking an amazingly reserved approach to marketing with this band, with White doing everything he can to stress the fact that he’s only one of the four; and in no way the leader of the group. Equal attention is required for all members in interviews; and in almost every press photo released, White is found hanging onto the sides of the others, or merely drifting in the background. The move is, obviously, to try and have The Raconteurs judged upon their own merits, just as they would be if the members had no previous fame at all on their resumes. It’s astoundingly noble, and I think it works ridiculously well. This doesn’t feel like the White Stripes, or sound like the White Stripes; because it isn’t the White Stripes. The song writing doesn’t even sound like the ‘Stripes, with Benson’s signature wit and pop-sensibilities prevalent throughout. Benson brings the brains, and Lawrence, White, and Keller bring the heart. It’s a deadly combination that succeeds in spades.

Don’t be fooled by “Steady, As She Goes” into thinking that Broken Boy Soldiers is all rollicking rock and roll, and slick guitar licks. Benson and White split vocal duties throughout (though their voices mesh so well that it gets tough to tell the differences at times), and many of the songs sound more like Benson than White. Dirty, lovely power-pop draped in a deep appreciation for classic rock, and an ever-present charm that’s there throughout. Apart from “Steady, As She Goes,” other highlights include the ridiculously good “Together,” and the bewildering golden stumble of a title track “Broken Boy Soldiers.” Every song just sounds so different, so varied, and can’t help but show the unwavering versatility these four musicians possess when put together, with no more aspiration than to just write good songs.

Broken Boy Soldiers is one of the greatest dirty indie pop records to hit shelves in ages. After just one listen to this record, you would be hard-pressed to ever call it a side-project. It’s just so good that it must have required the full devotion of attention from all members involved. If The Raconteurs were comprised of a bunch of nobodies, they would still be the hottest little band tearing up the scene.

(V2 Records)

Morningwood – Morningwood

As you can probably infer from the band’s name, Morningwood are the latest metal-inspired party band to be as bad and potty-mouthed as they want to be. Their songs feature lyrics like “We would both lift up our shirts / Kissed him once, you kissed him twice” (“Ride the Lights”) and puns involving the word “come.” The quartet’s frontwoman, Chantal Claret, is spastically sexual with pure, gutsy attitude pumping through her veins. And while Morningwood is undoubtedly out to rock and shock, its shtick is predictable.

Nevertheless, its self-titled debut has its hard-rocking moments. “Nü Rock” kicks off the album with loud authority, charging guitars and crashing drums. Claret’s rowdy yelping adds edge to “Easy,” an old-school metal anthem reminiscent of AC/DC; “Body” is similarly thunderous and straightforward, with contrasting vocals that cement the band’s personal style. The band steps out of that established style on “Take Off Your Clothes,” a meandering, mostly spoken ode to (what else?) sex. The song is oddly fascinating and kind of fun, but it’s harsh on the ears.

“Nth Degree” is a sugary contrast to the dirtier songs and is catchy as hell. In fact, it’s so infectious that American Eagle is hilariously using the song’s chant of ”M-O-R-N-I-N-G-W-O-O-D” in a television commercial to sell its tank tops, jeans and other casual basics. This band absolutely loves to spell things out- it doesn’t end with “Nth Degree.” The “Everybody Rules” features a chant of ‘E-V-E-R-Y-B-O-D-Y.” If Morningwood wasn’t so darn crude, they could make fun and exciting musical videos teaching youngsters to spell.

Claret is a spunky and likeable frontwoman with range, her vocals effortlessly swinging from a sweet and gentle coo to a raucous howl on songs like “Jetsetter” and “Televisor.” But her persona is so out there that it pigeonholes the band and constricts Morningwood’s chance of expanding its audience. The “sexy” conversational banter between Claretand bassist Pedro Yanowitz on “New York Girls” and “Take Off Your Clothes” is more comical than stimulating, yet the deadpan delivery proves that yes, they are serious. Perhaps the players behind Morningwood just need to let their sense of humor shine through. 

Morningwood’s self-titled debut is certainly interesting, with commanding riffs and provocative vocals. However, it’s tough for a band to make a career out of female-fronted cock rock; similar bands (remember the Donnas?) have made a quick buck and disappeared into obscurity. The sub-genre is so overtly raunchy and desperate to shock that its bands are destined to be a short-lived novelty from the beginning. The music is great for parties or for making your prudish friends uncomfortable, but will we remember Morningwood the morning after?

(Capitol Records)

Eisley: It’s All Relative

At the gritty Paradise Rock Club a five year-old girl in a concert t-shirt scampers from backstage, her grandmother or aunt in hot pursuit. Pencil boxes and markers are strewn across the backstage area rather than beer cans, and a peculiar number of skinny, wide-eyed towheads abound. Boyd DuPree, manager of tonight’s band and father to four-fifths of its members, meticulously tapes posters to the stage as he directs the road crew.

While a typical night at a rock club involves rowdy anthems of rebellion and Pabst Blue Ribbon, an Eisley concert is a wholesome family operation. Like the band’s mesmerizing tales of mythical creatures and innocent love, the DuPrees’ approach to their burgeoning musical career is simple yet remarkably different. It brings the band- four siblings and one cousin, ages 15 to 24- and much of their large family on the road.

“Oh, that’s not even half of them,” assured co-vocalist and guitarist Sherri, 22, her voice faint from a cold.

Her little sister Christie plays in the back of the tiny, poorly lit dressing room as the band huddles around the catering spread. It’s a disappointing array of the usual cold cuts and veggies; what the band really wants are Starbucks lattes and anything with high sugar content. On the couch, sleepy-eyed co-vocalist and keyboardist Stacy, 17, chats on the phone with her mother, who is back home in Tyler, Texas, taking care of Collin (the youngest DuPree sibling). The DuPrees are soft-spoken and polite, artsy and creative without a hint of pretension. Their Southern charm is infectious, and they don’t deny their devout Christian beliefs or strong family values to appear more hip. (“We don’t try to be something that we’re not,” explained guitarist Chauntelle, 24.) They’re exquisitely pleasant, like a real-life Partridge Family, without the gaudy costumes and cranky manager.

 “I think they are more genuine than anything,” said Jimmy Richards, friend of the DuPrees and drummer for Brighten. “They’re one of the best bands I’ve ever seen and I’m honored to be opening for them.”

Their musical abilities developed naturally- Boyd DuPree is a drummer and his wife sings. The couple (who do not perform with Eisley) owned a small music venue in Tyler, creating an environment that would inspire the four eldest DuPree children to pick up instruments and begin writing songs.

“We loved playing music together. The first show we played was at a church,” said Chauntelle. “Then we were being asked to play. It was like, ‘I guess we should think of a band name. People think we’re a band.’”

They named the band Eisley, after the Mos Eisley Cantina in Star Wars. Since the 2003 release of its Laughing City EP, Eisley has landed several high profile tours and earned a diverse and loyal cult following. Critics praise the band’s distinctive sound, a mélange of musical influences as diverse as Radiohead and the Judds blended with Sherri and Stacy’s dreamlike lyrical tales of fantasy and youth. Despite the presence of characters like Mr. Pine and the Sea King, Eisley’s music is surprisingly mature- its songs won’t be confused with “Puff the Magic Dragon” and other kiddie fare. The band members stress that their songs are not the musical equivalent of a Disney movie.

“We don’t have any songs about fairies!” said Sherri, laughing.

While they draw the line at fairies, the music does incorporate the DuPrees’ love for C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. It is an imaginative result of a cable-less household.On the road for over a year in support of Room Noises, Eisley has shared the stage with artists as diverse as Hot Hot Heat, Coldplay, and New Found Glory. Strangely, Eisley has been embraced by the emo/punk scene, a phenomenon that puzzles even the band members themselves.

 “Most of our fans are bands,” explained Sherri. “All those bands are fans that asked us on tour because they liked us. We end up with bands we don’t really sound anything like.”

While they have gotten used to being the odd ones out on the bill, awkward onstage moments are still plentiful. A recent incident on tour with emo rockers Taking Back Sunday in Australia still has the DuPrees laughing. After drummer Weston, 19, broke his drum set, the band had a new one shipped out immediately. What was delivered was not what they ordered … but, much to cousin and bassist Garron’s amusement, it was too late.

“So they brought the drum set to the venue … and it was a bright pink, sparkle drum set,” said Garron, 15. “We were playing with The Getaway Plan, a hardcore band, and then it goes to a girl-fronted softer band with pink sparkle drums.” The crowd was confused, to say the least. But the discomfort served as a proper initiation for new member Garron, who replaced longtime DuPree friend Jon Wilson last year.

 “It’s funny because some of our fans are really into fashion and being real cool,” said Chauntelle. “We’re the biggest dorks. We play David Hasselhoff before we go out- we love it. We like to have fun and be stupid.”

Their definition of fun isn’t a result of family supervision, they say- they’re just more interested in good, clean fun than becoming a hard-partying cliché.

“We usually party it up at our hotels with the other bands,” said Weston. “We eat Pop Tarts, drink Capri Sun … that’s what I’m talking about,” added  Garron.

Touring with their friends in the power pop trio Brighten on the “Final Noises” tour has made the fun-loving band even more vivacious than usual. “Weston and I shaved our heads,” said Richards. “We go to movies and play with our airsoft guns. We dance a lot during each others’ sets and ‘raise the roof’ to each other to see how many times we can do it before we laugh.”

The DuPrees claim to never tire of each other, and are even a bit offended by the idea of it. For them, family and friends are virtually interchangeable. “I think it’s because we haven’t really gotten to that place in our lives yet. We’re all pretty young and we live in the same house,” said Stacy. “So we’re kind of dependent on each other.”

Things are changing soon in the DuPree household. Sherri’s upcoming nuptials to New Found Glory guitarist Chad Gilbert will make her the first of the siblings to move out of the house.

“[Our relationship] might change,” Stacy continued, a bit of uncertainty in her voice. “But I don’t think it will.” And while the family dynamic may change, the quirky qualities that make Eisley unique will not. The DuPrees have already begun work on their next album, which Sherri promises will be “more defined and more reality based” and “not as girly.” They’ve already completed one track- a love song about aliens.

Later that night, the band kicks into the ethereal “Marvelous Things” and all eyes and ears fixate on the band. Images of old Sci-Fi posters flash on a computer screen behind Stacy, who glances down shyly at her keyboards while belting out high notes. Sherri comes alive, cracking jokes and singing without a hint of sickness in her voice. Chauntelle sings along and leans into the crowd; Weston and Garron exchange smiles. And, on the floor, Boyd runs around taking photos of his children and nephew, beaming proudly like it’s their first show.It’s far from an ordinary rock show, but talented kin of Eisley wouldn’t have it any other way.

—

Eisley’s Room Noises is available through Reprise. 

Drug Free Rock

Taking the Drugs Out of Rock n’ Roll

Wil Francis wasn’t comfortable in his own skin. All he wanted was to feel normal. In his adolescent search for belonging, Francis discovered a dangerous yet provocative world. At age 11, he began drinking heavily and smoking marijuana. Within four years, he was living on the streets of Seattle, shooting up in alleys, stealing cars and spending nights in jail. A devoted fan of punk rock and grunge, Francis looked up to local heroes like Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain and Alice in Chains’ Layne Staley. Both were rockstars who lived decadent junkie lifestyles, and neither would live to see 35. Sober for nearly seven years, Francis now fronts the goth-punk band Aiden.

Rock culture has changed drastically since he was growing up in the 1990s, and his story and example are part of its evolution. Unlike the motley musicians of old, many of today’s rockers promote a positive message by abstaining from drugs and alcohol. And young music fans are listening.

Since going public with his past substance abuse problems, Francis has received “tons of letters and emails” from supportive teens with similar problems. “That’s probably the best reward,” he says. “But I don’t have the power to get people sober. All I can do is share my story and live by example.”

With the presence of responsible role models, a more positive scene has emerged. The punk, emo and hardcore counterculture has moved beyond the clichés of sex, drugs and rock n’ roll, encompassing a new group of individuals- the kids who want to rock n’ roll all night, but not party every day.

“The music scene definitely provides an alternative social aspect because everyone hangs out and we have a good time without the presence of alcohol or anything,” said music fan Joanne Miller, 18, of Everett. Miller is straightedge- she does not use drugs, alcohol or tobacco. Named after a song by seminal sober punks Minor Threat, straightedge is rooted in the hardcore music scene and emphasizes self-control, a positive attitude and a healthy, chemical-free lifestyle.

Recently the movement has gained momentum, as clean teens in search of belonging seek a community of like-minded peers. The lifestyle is also endorsed by some of today’s most popular rock bands, including the ubiquitous multi-platinum pop-punk band Fall Out Boy.

“You’ve got people like Pete [Wentz, of Fall Out Boy, pictured below] who are famous and yet they’re having fun without getting drunk, pretty much breaking the mold of the rockstar,” said Miller. “Kids are finding out that not everyone is drinking and getting high and that even if you don’t, that’s acceptable.”

Indeed, things have changed since the advent of punk in the 1970s. Led by notorious acts like the Stooges, the Sex Pistols and the Ramones, punk was a musical and cultural revolution that rebelled against the confines of society and authority. But over the next 30 years, the culture expanded its scope and the face of punk evolved from a pock-marked Sid Vicious to pretty-boy Pete Wentz.

And while the thought of punk cleaning up its act may thrill parents, Miller believes there is still an element of teenage rebellion in a pledge of sobriety. She says that, like old-school punks, straightedge teens are “rebelling against a certain set of norms.” “It’s rebelling against what everyone expects from you,” said Miller. “Because honestly a lot of people are like, ‘Oh college, just an excuse to get drunk and smoke up.’”

Another young music fan staying sober is Michelle Buchman, 20, of Tyngsboro. For her, watching her friends go wild during their freshman year of college served as a rude awakening. While Buchman occasionally indulged in social drinking, she says that watching others revel in excessive amounts of alcohol and drugs made her opposed to the behavior. Buchman, who counts Fall Out Boy and straightedge metalcore quartet Throwdown among her favorite bands, quit drinking and devoted herself to clean living.

“I think [the straightedge movement] is definitely growing because of the exposure it’s getting. I mean a lot of members of bands are edge now,” said Buchman. “So I think kids kind of see them and that’s how they get into straightedge. It’s definitely being more publicized now than it ever was.”

She warns that many young teens may not fully understand the strict commitment that correlates with straightedge.

Although it is a healthy and safe movement, straightedge can also have negative implications. The community’s reputation for being preachy, intolerant or incredibly demanding (some variances of straightedge include veganism and abstinence from pre-marital sex) often rebuffs some sober individuals, including Francis, from using the label. Greg Wood, guitarist for pop-punk band Punchline, has been sober all his life and is a straightedge advocate. In 2005, he founded Antidote Apparel, a clothing line based on non-violent, drug-free messages. One of his t-shirts reads “Another Drug Free Rockstar;” others depict bright, sunny days, rainbows and children blowing bubbles without a hint of irony.

Just ten years ago, a concertgoer wearing one of Antidote’s tees would have been moshpit roadkill. But in today’s rock scene, positive messages are as accepted as uniform black, and the clothing line has found a niche group of consumers.

“For me, given the opportunity to reach kids on some small, hopefully growing mass scale, I wanted to put a positive alternative out there,” said Wood. “The reaction has been awesome, and very encouraging and exciting for me personally.”

But while more band members are defying rock stereotypes, a small faction within the punk scene is trying to do the opposite by glamorizing debauchery and public inebriation. “There are more bands than five years ago who proclaim themselves drug free, but there is certainly a movement of bands who want to live out the sex, drugs and rock n’ roll image of Guns n’ Roses,” said Wood. “Embracing their mystique and purported lifestyle as a primary goal, before the music, is about as lame as you can get.”

This counter-movement doesn’t bother Francis. At the core of the music scene’s sober crowd is a philosophy of free will; the important thing, they believe, is that kids see that they have a choice when it comes to drugs and alcohol.

“Some people want to be Mötley Crüe and that’s cool,” said Francis. “That’s what works for them. It’s all about what you want to do. That’s a choice that I have, but I choose to stay sober and keep a level head.”

The Repeat Binge

There are times where one song hits you like a battleaxe. You interrupt your daily work just so you can hear the sweet tune over and over again. Thanks to iTunes, you can hear the song over and over again with the clever little repeat button. You hit it once, it repeats the whole album. You hit it twice and you repeat the one song. How lucky for music addicts to have this button. Of course, it’s not the first time anyone has seen this button. They’re on iPods, CD players, and mp3 players. Hey, I even think I have the button on my car stereo. What I’m getting at here is that one song can change your whole perspective on life and when you’ve got the repeat button, it’s on. 

There’s nothing special, the song that is. Probably a cute little tune with acoustic guitars, some drums and a heartfelt lyrical catchphrase repeated over and over again. Repeat just seems to come up more than once. It’s not just the convenience of repeat, but the lyrics, the vocals, and the music repeats. I find myself repeating songs on more than one occasion. It has become an addiction rather than a way to enjoy a good song. Lately, my song of choice is James Blunt’s “Wisemen.” The song actually doesn’t make any sense, but I like it. It might be the lyric “look who’s alone now / it’s not me / It’s not me,” as though Mr. Blunt is trying to convince himself that he’s got a better life. Maybe he’s trying to convince his audience that he’s got the better life. Maybe it’s that mysterious girl that every male singer talks about. 

Unfortunately in this case, I don’t think this is the case. I think it comes down to a little thing I like to call “the repeat binge.” The phenomenon can only be described as the direct result of months without anything good to listen to. You tire of everything on your computer, your CD collection is not up to date, and you’ve been searching the radio for that one tune. Then there it is; on some trailer for a movie, or on the radio but you only catch the last five seconds of the song. Once you reach a computer, you look up whatever lyric you remember on Google. Nothing. You go to iTunes and put in possible title names. Nothing. You ask your close friends, relatives, neighbor’s best friend who works in the music industry. Nothing.

Hopefully, the song will have some identifiable voice. You will hear it and instantaneously know who it is. Unless you’re listening to another band who doesn’t claim to sound like Joy Division, you will probably figure it out. And once you figure it out, it is like finding the Holy Grail, or purchasing some ridiculously priced pair of shoes on discount; twenty percent off with an additional fifteen percent off of that. 

What really scares me about this binge is that I don’t know how it starts. I’ve asked friends, co-workers, and interns. It’s just a constant beat that plays in your head. You want out so you find the only solution to get rid of it is to listen to it again. But then you end up listening to it another five or six times. My friend Keith just recently introduced me to this song by Kate Bush. I have had a repeat binge of Kate Bush before. It was with that song from the movie She’s Having a Baby. Yeah, you know what I’m talking about. The scene when she’s actually having the baby and Kevin Bacon started to break down and cry. Anyway, it’s not “this woman’s work” again. Instead, it’s “Running Up the Hill.” The soothing sound of the synthesizer keyboard reassures me that Bush’s voice will soon arise. A day without her voice is like being strung out. You play the song in your head, but you can’t get it right. You wait until young get home, but before you do you press play one more time on your office computer. You just can’t stop.And like a friend, I heard Keith’s thoughts on the song. “You need to hear her voice.” Suddenly, after one listen through of the song, I have to hear it for another good hour. I don’t have the song so I end up going to Keith’s myspace and pushing the play button over and over. This is a situation where there is a lack of a repeat button. You end up pressing the back button, or play again and again. Kate Bush has become my new drug of choice. While everyone is snorting lines of coke in the bathroom, I’ll be listening to Kate Bush on repeat. Actually, I’m listening to Kate Bush right now. Let me take a moment to press play again…

Goo Goo Dolls – Let Love In

As I sit here in my quickly emptying bedroom at my current apartment (I’m packing to move to a place closer to town in a couple of days), the music filling the air feels somehow appropriate. I always found myself moving around a lot at my younger ages; having gone to a handful or two of middle and high schools before finally graduating and heading on to college. Since I graduated high school, I’ve lived in  at least four different places within the span of three some odd years. The only things that followed me through all of those ‘homes’ were a small collection of books, and my ever-burgeoning album collection that has lived in various cases and incarnations.

I’ve been a Goo Goo Dolls fan since back when I first got my hands on a copy of Superstar Car Wash was new and edgy, and I became a devout stalwart the first time I heard “Iris,” in the film City Of Angels. Just the immediacy in Reznik’s words and voice; it really spoke to me at that diffident age of barely being a teenager. The four year span between the releases of ’98’s masterpiece Dizzy Up The Girl, and 2002’s Gutterfloweralmost did me in, and on top of that the only truly great track on the latter was the too-short “Sympathy.” The misstep of Gutterflower was followed up by the filler release of the CD/DVD combo Live In Buffalo, and two years later, Let Love In finally arrives.

The Goo Goo Dolls have always happened to speak to me at their different stages of development, and somehow seemed to parallel my own life. Through all my moves, all the places I’ve been, their music had been a shifting constant in my life at different times. Along with Dizzy Up The Girl‘s confidence,I was confident in my own life when I first heard it. Happily sliding through high school, I seemed to know what I was doing, and I was having a good time doing it. When Gutterflower came, I was ending my high school run, and the confusion of the period and lack of direction seemed somehow unknowingly mirrored in the songs that I found there. It is with my own newly found sense of stumbling direction, knee-deep in college and (hopefully) finally beginning to figure things out that I happen upon the latest Goo Goo Dolls release.

Let Love In is the sound of a good band that has finally, I hate to say plateaued, but reached a level of quality and comfort that can only come with maturation and experience. Gone is the vivacious intensity of A Boy Named Goo, and Dizzy Up The Girl, and what is there now is a more stable sensibility; still passionate, but aged to the other side of the spectrum, where you look back upon it all with that knowing sense of hindsight. I find it comparable to recent releases Healthy In Paranoid Times by Our Lady Peace, and U2’s How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb. They’re all the products of good, experienced bands, making good, solid music from the other side of their youth. Not revolutionary, but evolutionary. On this album, a more peaceful Rzenik & Co. are present, with prevalent themes of love (look no further than the title), and peace exude from the tracks. It’s an appeal to the world to be heard one more time, with a message worth singing about, and I hope you’ll give it a chance to be heard. From the album opening rocker “Stay With You,” all the way to the beautiful ending “Become,” Let Love In is just the Goo Goo Dolls doing what they really seem to do best; making good music.

(Warner Bros.)

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Show Your Bones

New York art-punk trio the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have seen their fair share of good and bad times. Their most recent effort, Show Your Bones, is the result of internal and external forces having evolved the lives of this small band of misfits: flamboyant front-woman Karen O., drummer Brian Chase and guitarist Nick Zinner. Show Your Bonesis already being hailed as one of the best rock albums of the year … and for good reason. Produced by Squeak E. Clean, brother of legendary director Spike Jonze, Show Your Bones is clean and refined, unlike the low-fi garage band sound of 2003’s Fever to Tell. Karen O’s strong-yet-sexy rebellion is both rough and transparent. Her voice is strong and hard one minute, soft and subdued the next, and is the first thing one will notice upon listen of Show Your Bones.

The “We Will Rock You” anthem of “Gold Lion” is gaining momentum on college radio, and “Phenomenon,” with its poppy eeriness and mean downbeat may be next in line. Nearly every track on this album is worth mention, but the Hush Little Baby tune of “Dudley” and the catchy, sing-song choruses of “Honeybear” and “Cheated Hearts” are especially note-worthy. O sings over a simplified beat on “Cheated Hearts;” “Take these rings / stow them safe away / wear them on another rainy day.” “Mysteries” straight up rocks out with O’s screaming vocals rivaling Zinner’s raucous guitar like it’s nobody’s business. O bellows, with obvious frustration; “I don’t even know what it’s like not to go back to you…” While Karen O is seemingly exposed in the lyrical spotlight on Show Your Bones, Chase and Zinner seem content standing back and holding their own musically. They come through at all the right times, producing a sound that is a perfect blend of punk melancholy and poppy satisfaction.

The YYYs broke into the scene in 2004 and took flight after the melancholy ballad “Maps” (Fever To Tell) hit MTV2 and every subsequent radio station in the country. (You remember that haunting chorus: “Wait … they don’t love you like I love you”) They came out of nowhere in 2004 to receive a Grammy nod for Best Alternative Music Album, but lost out to the White Stripes. They have previously toured with Girls Against Boys, Sleater-Kinney and John Spencer Blues Explosion and are currently headlining a tour through Europe until the end of May. 20-something Karen O has solidified herself as a bona-fide rock goddess. Onstage antics are O’s norm and she’s known for wrapping mike cords around her neck and spitting beer on audiences at live shows. O has rocked a wardrobe that’s somewhere between Pat-Benetar-meets-psychotic-tap-dancer, and has recently ditched her mullet for a cropped pixie haircut. Regardless, the YYYs normally sell out shows within a matter of hours.

(Interscope Records)