Dear (See Below) Bands,

I love your music. Love, love, love. But can you maybe try to be a little less annoying? It makes it so hard to defend you when I tell my friends about my favorite artists. Actually, it makes it hard to admit to anyone that you happen to be one of them.  And I want to make them like you, really, I do. But like that friend who has a minor character flaw that now pisses you off enough that you really can’t see the good in her anymore,  I’m finding it difficult to enjoy your music knowing how annoying you are.

Here are some heart-to-heart tips from your loving (secret) admirer to be a little less annoying and a little more rock and roll.

Fall Out Boy

You always have a spot in my 6-CD player in my car. Sugar, you’ll never go down on the playlist for me if you continue to make some of the sweetest pop punk music out there. But please, Pete Wentz, I’m begging you – cut your hair, lay off the eyeliner and put on a damn shirt when you are on a magazine cover. You need to settle down – you play bass. And, um, you have a kid?

Also, Patrick, can you please enunciate your song lyrics so I can actually sing along and not just randomly open my mouth while humming the tune to look like I know what I’m singing? And what’s up with the weird syntax and bizzare punctuation in the song titles? Thnks Fr Th Confusn. I mean, e.e. Cummings was a legit poet, while you’re just… an antithesis of all semblance of reason. And grammar. My English teacher highly disapproves. Read More »

All the musicians featured in this week’s Let it Rock have been on the music scene for quite a while. They’re not newcomers in the least bit, which means their fans are sure to have some strong opinions about their newest albums. (Duh, don’t music lovers always have strong opinions about their favorites?) It’s also the chance for the artists to get some new fans that might have never heard them. You know, those youngsters.

But the most important thing is….Kelly Clarkson is back!! OMFG! Wahooo!

And also her American Idol co-star Taylor Hicks. But I didn’t review his new album this week because, this week, Kelly is the only American Idol who matters. Read More »

It is no secret that we l-o-v-e Jennifer Hudson. We’d scream it from the rooftops if we weren’t too lazy to climb all the way up there. We were already super stoked for the girl and her debut album coming out in a few weeks, but now we have even more to be excited about:

Ms. Hudson is about to become Mrs. Jennifer Hudson Otunga! (She’s engaged, for everyone who missed that.)

There is nothing quite like being in love, so we are so happy for our pal, Jennifer. Her husband-to-be, David Otunga is hot, smart (a Harvard Law School grad) and has some fine taste in engagement rings. His previous taste in women is a tad questionable (I Love New York? Really?!), but he has clearly learned from his mistakes and traded up to the beautiful, talented Jennifer Hudson.

This woman proves that you can really have it all: looks, talent, a successful career and a worthwhile relationship (even if guy happened to be on one of the worst reality shows…ever).

You go girl.

You want nothing more than to slap your boss. And then to quit your job. You want to spit in your professor’s face. You want to tell your parents you’re joining the circus to make money for crack…JUST TO PISS THEM OFF. Today is the day you tell your best friend that those jeans DO make her ass look big because HER ASS IS BIG. You want to list off all of your exes to your guy who have been better in bed. That’s right. This is what I refer to as a “SCREW EVERYONE” day.

And they should never be spent without a soundtrack. So me and my Ipod went and made a playlist for these days.

“Spent on Rainy Days” BRIGHT EYES (Indie)

“Blueprint” FUGAZI (Punk)

“Gravity” DRESDEN DOLLS (Rock)

“Today is the day” MOROS EROS (Indie/Experimental)

“The Egg” SHINER (Indie/Alternative)

“The Other” ISIS (Experimental/Metal)

“The Never Aftermath” THE END (Metal/Ambient)

“In The Belly Of A Shark” GALLOWS (Punk/Rock)

“Complete and utter confusion” FEAR BEFORE THE MARCH OF FLAMES (Experimental/Rock)

“Set fire to the face on fire” THE BLOOD BROTHERS (Other/Punk)

So instead of taking your Screw Everyone day out on the people around you…why not just put on these songs and let out your angst the old fashioned way? You know…like a 14-year-old who just slammed her bedroom door in her mom’s face. And then locked the door. And then wrote “Screw EVERYONE” in her blog.

What’s better than a southern punk rock sounding band comprised of tattooed boys who have some serious chips on their shoulders? A southern punk rock sounding band comprised of tattooed boys with serious chips on their shoulders who are FROM ENGLAND.

Most people call them Gallows, but after spending a couple months on Warped Tour alongside them this past summer; I call them The UK’s Answer To The Shitty American Hottopic-esque Bands Polluting The Minds Of Today’s Teens, instead.

They’re angry. But they’re honest. They don’t prepackage themselves with the sorta fashion you’d expect out of a festival like Warped Tour these days. In fact, Gallows pretty much don’t give a f*$k about anything. Read More »

12 Days of Christmas – Christmas Is for the Birds

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In case the holidays are bring you down, check out this video from Taking Back Sunday, “Christmas Is For the Birds”!

New Found Glory: Kiss Me

Kiss Me

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Admittedly, I’ve been on this strange pop-punk kick and I’ve been listening to bands I got into in like…2001. Nonetheless, this is a brand new song (well, it’s a Sixpence None the Richer cover…) from New Found Glory called “Kiss Me”.

Get it here!