I had my piece for this week all planned out, and I’ll write it next week, because current events in the music world have caught my interest, and they’re VERY EXCITING!
So last week I discussed the rumours flooding the interwebnetthingy of a Fall Out Boy reunion. Late last night (Irish time), a video was posted on Youtube by an account called falloutboy (N.B.: all previous videos had been posted by Fueled By Ramen records or the FOB Vevo account).
It’s a new single, called My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light ‘Em Up) and here it is!
So, a video in which three people set fire to a load of FOB-related stuff and (it’s implied) the band members themselves. Pretty odd, but hell, it has 2Chainz with a massive flamethrower, and what more could anyone want?
Now, I say a new single, but a demo of it was uploaded by someone who was presumably close enough to the band to have access to it four years ago… Unfortunately both uploads – one of which called it 80′s Song (My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark) – have been blocked by Universal, presumably because of the new single (at least we know FOB have a label!). You can still see them in the search results at the time of writing though…
A demo from four years ago makes sense, as the song bears a close stylistic resemblance to the two new tracks released on their greatest hits album just before they went on hiatus:
Alpha Dog:
“From Now On We Are Enemies”:
Their new album, Save Rock & Roll is due to be released in May, to coincide with the tenth anniversary of their debut, Take This To Your Grave. There would appear to be a bit of a stylistic difference…
Saturday:
Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy?:
Dead On Arrival:
…and just for the sake of completeness, here’s their breakthrough single Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down…
Incidentally, I got the phrase ‘real life writes the plot’ here.
Right, apologies for this being so one-track, but I’m SOOOOOOOO excited!
As always with anything I write: debate, discuss, destroy!
When you said “current events in the music world have caught my interest, and they’re VERY EXCITING!” I assumed you were talking about My Bloody Valentine.
Then I realised you weren’t born when their last album came out.
I’ll try to listen to Fall Out Boy when I’ve stopped weeping.
Personally I treat MBV as sonic wallpaper, meaning no offence. Nice to have on when I’m doing stuff, but I wouldn’t sit down and listen to an entire album…
EDIT: and actually Loveless was released five days after my first birthday…
Ahhh, I used to drive an MVG, could never get into third gear, let alone trendy gear.
you’re not listening to it loud enough then! I’m glad you’re excited, I’ll try to watch these tomorrow.
@tatankayotanka: teehee
@beth: thanks!
Sorry, barbryn, it’s not just them young folks; I’ve actually been playing MBV today precisely as a nice undistracting backdrop while I try to get some writing done.
I’m not alone!
My younger daughter, the music biz pro, is ecstatic about this and they are headed here, apparently (June, I think?). She goes way back with these fellows and an interview she did with them early in her career really helped her establish herself and they have been lovely ever since. I’ve never been nearly as enamored of these boys and their ilk (Save the Day, The Academy Is, and the rest of the emo crowd) but owe her for Blink-182.
Cool! Your daughter isn’t Faye Lewis is she? Just checking…
to the best of my knowledge, she is not nor has she written for Rock Sound, I don’t think….but who knows (not me)
Grand so
I asked because I know Faye vaguely and she did the first UK interview with FOB 
OK, so I do remember “Sugar, We’re Going Down” from my Radio 1 listening days. Good pop songs, and their arrangements are developing in interesting ways. I just don’t like the vocals (even less with the slight electronic treatment on the later stuff), and there’s something about the FM sheen of the production that grates too.
It is, though, wonderful when a favourite band reappears with something worthwhile after an extended hiatus. So I’m happy for you, even though the sounds don’t much appeal to this particular set of ears.
I do have issues with the production (and occasionally the arrangements) of their more recent work. One of the reasons for the hiatus was that when they played songs from their last album live, a lot of fans would boo until they stopped. Now I liked that album, but I can see the issue: four guys from the Chicago hardcore scene, one of whom played in a really aggressive band with the (future) singer from Rise Against, form a pop-punk/emo band. Said band develops a cult following, and then drops all the hardcore elements and personal lyrics to deliver a ‘mature’ rock State of the Nation address. *gasps*
And Patrick Stump’s vocals are very marmite, like a more musical Tom DeLonge…