The more I say about this song, the less it will mean.

So please, just listen. Enjoy the simple, deep and earnest lyrics, get carried away on the retro guitar, and remember a simpler time.

One major note, though: Do not put this song on a driving mix CD. For some reason, it has a knack for making me lose focus of where I'm at. Maybe you'll do better, but for me, it's not a good thing on the highway...

All assail. Or maybe today...don't.

So, here's a song I didn't get at first.

I bought this album from Best Buy when they had a bunch of new music for 6.99. I listened to it because, c'mon: that's a great freakin' band name. And A Fever You Can't Sweat Out? That's a good title, too!

What I didn't look at was the song titles. I popped the disc in, and CDDB took over. iTunes got the song titles and I thought something was wrong. Besides today's track, there's also:

-"London Beckoned Songs about Money Written By Machines"
-"Lying is the Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off"
and
- "There's A Good Reason These Tables are Numbered, Honey, You Just Haven't Thought of It Yet."

oh, and don't forget their hit song: "I Write Sins Not Tragedies."

I kind of thought that was unforgivable. I don't know why, but I think this kind of pretension should be reserved for, like, French bands or something. I hit play, and there it was: a huge blast of emo. I don't have time for emo. There was no emo when I was growing up. We had to pen up our discontent until it turned into angst. Those were the days...

I realized that I couldn't even get my money back on selling these guys on half.com. Guess I'll keep the CD, said I.

Last month, Spin named the lead singer of this band one of the hottest stars under 25. So I thought I'd give the disc another spin. Kinda glad I did.

Yes, the emo moments still make me think that these guys should spend a minute or two with the "Oi!" guy that used to do Energizer commercials. (If you remember him, shout it out!!!). And yes, the titles are still very pretentious. And I don't like their "hit" song at all...But I can forgive some Freshman mistakes if they are willing to grow on their next album.

And the hope I see is "The Only Difference..." It sets the tone of the album, actually asking for audience participation, but then, bullishly proceeds even if they don't get it. It lets us know that the album is a story, and even acknowledges that they are "desperate for attention."

Multiple listens of this track show off that the band can make a lot of something out of a lot of nothing. Break this down, and there's a lot of discord, but somehow it's wrangled, hammered, and twisted, through key changes and rhythmic variations, until it turns into something relevant, hopeful, and a good amount of fun.

If I have to listen to an album of young punk emo-esque guys, I'll choose Relient K over these guys. But right now this song's got my attention.

And you?

All assail!

This one's almost a cheat!

Don't get me wrong, I'm ready to jump back into this blogging thing. It's Shark week, my unofficial metric for getting back into the swing of things, and catching up on some ACs. One a day for 7 days. I hope you find something you like. I know I've found a few things...

So for the first AC1 of AC1 Week, I go to the album I've been spinning non-stop since it came out in June. Guster's Ganging up on the Sun is an impressive album, that continues to showcase the growth that they started to display on Keep it Together. So far, I've been very happy with this disc. Usually, when I love something as much as I did KiT, I worry that the follow-up will inevitably disappoint. So far, I'm not disappointed. Have I listened to KiT since Ganging up on the Sun came out? Yeah... But I don't think it's reflective of anything... Seriously.

"Satellite" is the main reason that I say that. It's nearly-perfect pop, and it keeps bringing me back to this album. Simple progression, lyrics that aren't complicated but seem to say a lot, and a great hook.
It stacks up well to anything that Keep it Together had to offer. (As far as pop goes, it might still have competition from tracks on Lost and Gone Forever, but I think that's for a different discussion. Keep it Together and Ganging Up on the Sun are leagues beyond Lost and Gone Forever in terms of artistic endeavor. That's where I'm coming from...)

I also love the song's placement on the album. The disc leads off with "Lightning Rod," which at first seems too simple and wispy to even catch on to (but which gains much resonance over repeated listening). But when "Satellite" comes on to follow, you really feel the album dig in. And it's really a nice step towards the robust rocker "New Underground." If I were the producer of a mix-tape, I think this is the style I'd emulate, even though for years, I've been doing the mix style suggested in High Fidelity...

Why did I say that this one felt like I was cheating? I just love this song. I started actually craving this song last week. So when I sat down to list the songs I should talk about this week, I didn't even have to think about what the first one was going to be.

This is it...

All assail!

Dead is not Cool,
and Cool is not Dead.

I'm just saying...
Shark Week begins very soon...

;-)

All assail!