Taking Back Sunday -
I can actually pinpoint a million places where this band made a bad move. Swapping out Read, who did vocals on the EP, for Lazzara was probably a mistake from the word go, as much as I love Adam. And in a similar vein, Nolan leaving was a major blow. His songwriting put them on the map. Much as I love Fred and Matt. Although they managed to get
Where You Want To Be right even with that lineup,
Louder Now was so wrong on so many levels. Even listening to it in the background I'm forced to skip some tracks. But the thing I hate most? New Again. It doesn't even deserve a link. And that's why I've taken my TBS poster down. Wish I had one with Liam and John on, and Adam as the bassist. </rant>
Funeral for a Friend -
Why is it bands feel the need to 'go mainstream' on their third album? It's practically a fucking law. I love the concept of
Tales Don't Tell Themselves' "story", the nautical theme, but for fuck's sake, is it Funeral? Is it fuck. Yet another case of the EPs being the best things they've made. See above.
Atreyu -
I am a stuck record. Are
A Death Grip on Yesterday and
Lead Sails Paper Anchor metal? Are they fuck.
Saosin -
I don't know what's happened to them, but the raw sound has gone. It's almost as if the singer's changed. Again. This is another case of TBS syndrome. Green doing vocals on the EP was far rawer and far more interesting than Cove. Much as I love Cove. But
In Search Of Solid Ground is just
boring. The fire's gone. As usual.
Alexisonfire -
I hate that I'm scared to listen to
Old Crows / Young Cardinals.
Crisis had those telltale, more-mainstream-but-still-good vibes that say to me that the next album will be shitty and, well, mainstream. Old Crows has a pretentious feel to it that makes me worry it's going to be another New Again. I've avoided it like leprosy to this date.
Thursday -
Thursday are by no means any longer one of my favourite bands. But I'd still love to see them live. Unfortunately, all their live reviews have been mediocre, including a first-hand account from a friend who saw them supporting MCR. I hate this about them. I want them to be fucking great live so I can go and see them and tick them off my list. I don't want to see them and to be let down.
Bullet for My Valentine -
Oh, BFMV. I stopped listening to you guys after
The Poison. I don't even know what you've done since then. I dislike that you don't make me WANT to know what you've done since then. The chance that it's anywhere near as good as
Cries in Vain or your
Sanitarium cover is too slim for words.
Bad Religion -
There is only one thing I dislike about BR. They have been going far too long and have far too many songs. I'll never be able to listen to all of them :(. They've changed their sound so many times, and could potentially fall into the category of my first five artists with the dodgy, more mainstream album in
The Empire Strikes First. After all, it is much less punk. But it's so perfect, I'll let it off.
HIM -
Keep the great vocals, get rid of the 'omg i r 14 lots of teen angst' lyrics, and I'll reconsider you.
The Used -
One day I started skipping The Used's tracks. I don't know why, but now I can't listen to them. I just don't like them anymore.
Enter Shikari -
I HATE YOU ROU REYNOLDS. The EP was PERFECT. It was unique. It had potential. It was just amazing. And the album? What shite. What utter, utter, obnoxious wank.
Fall Out Boy -
I hate that I used to listen to this band.
Thrice -
I love Thrice. They blew me away at GIAN and I immediately got their album first thing the next day. I can't wait to see them again at Reading. But guess what? The new album? Pretentious, mainstream, crowdpleasing horseshit.
Pendulum -
One of my top artists? Didn't think I listened to them that much. I love having Pendulum on when I'm gaming. I dislike that
In Silico is immediately dismissed as being worse than their older stuff. It's different, yes. But I really like it.
Anberlin -
I hate that the band members are all gimps. Because they sound fantastic.
My Chemical Romance -
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHA no.
Straylight Run -
Michelle Nolan must have been really annoying. There's no way she should have got as many vocals as she was given. They just don't fit and in some cases they ruin the songs. My theory is she threw a hissy fit until John and Shaun gave her a bigger role.
Rise Against -
I'd like to see these guys live. They have, what, 5 albums? I dislike that I only have two. I love how I can just let them wash over me and be carried away in their (amazing) sound, or how I can sing my lungs out to them.
Kill Hannah -
God, I had a miserable childhood. That solo in
They Can't Save Us Now is still mint, though. I confess I drive to it sometimes.
Metallica and
Brand New -
I have 286 plays each. Luckily, they're both easy, so no wall-of-text here. Metallica - The '90s. What the fuck happened. And Brand New - it's not that
Daisy is a
bad album. It just isn't up to their standards. I'm glad it's their last one, but I wish even more they hadn't made it.
To summarise, I love EPs, get your conformist nonsense out of my library, and some of these bands I NEVER listen to at all anymore. With very good reason.
Right, that's my wall of text. Feel free to post lots of tl;dr.
--K
kieranajp
Broken Mirrors