It's Our Party, We Can Love Who We Want To

It's time, y'all. Miley Cyrus is playing the Honda Center tonight and Sergio and I are going and there's nothing anybody can do about that. I've really come to appreciate Miley's newest album for being exactly what you wouldn't expect based on the image she's been touting in the media lately. Also I think the outrage is entirely misplaced, although it serves her purposes well.

But seriously though. Nudity in a music video? When did everyone suddenly time warp from the 1910's to be shocked about this?

Anyway, in my tradition of honoring concerts with their own post, here is

FIVE MUSICIANS/BANDS WHO REALLY DESERVE A SECOND LOOK

Sometimes a certain band or song will jar with the public and accrue undeserved mass hatred completely by accident. Sometimes that hatred is for a style that was abandoned unnoticed by everyone decrying its failures. Sometimes a single song can eclipse the rest of a band's oeuvre. Either way, there are some musicians who have developed quietly in the background and I think deserve more respect.

And since I have this here social media platform, what better place for supporting some of my favorite artists? It's a win-win! And I understand that these genres are sometimes just not the kind that a lot of people are interested in. I get that. Not everybody can like everything.

But I beg you to give these five artists another listen before you decide how you feel!

#5 Bowling For Soup

The Song That Ruined Everything: 1985

Try This One On For Size: When We Die

Bowling For Soup has lived in the shadow of Blink-182 for its entire career, but honestly I prefer them. I guess I like my snotty pop punk with a little bit of warmheartedness underneath. Led by front man Jaret Reddick, this four piece rock band from Denton, Texas has been plugging along since 1994 (so exactly as long as I myself have been plugging along). They hit it big with 1985 and High School Never Ends, which are both fantastic and humorous songs, but BFS can strike an emotional chord just as well as a funny bone. When We Die is an excellent example of the band getting introspective and it is just as earnest as sincere as the rest of their work. 

Most of the time even their ballads are pretty funny (which I'm not complaining about), but it's important to see that these are real guys going through real experiences and expressing that in a medium they love. Their heart and soul, even though its mostly expressed in a goofy way is what draws me to them more than their singles.

Other Great Tracks: Turbulence, I Don't Wish You Were Dead Anymore, Val Kilmer

#4 One Direction

The Song That Ruined Everything: What Makes You Beautiful

Try This One On For Size: Happily

Tossed aside by most of my peers for being just another dumb prepackaged boyband (let us never forget that these are the same people who secretly perk up their ears any time *NSYNC plays at a party), the lads of One Direction are finally starting to steer their own ship and although it's hard not to describe their current status as Mumford-lite, there are true musical artists below the plasticky pop sheen and I'd say their career trajectory is worth following.

In just two years they've grown a lifetime and released three albums of wildly different musical styles. I understand this kind of pop isn't for everybody, especially those who were raised on a solid diet of Led Zeppelin and The Beatles and what have you, but sometimes isn't it just nice to just bask in the glow of a really good pop song? It's not a sin to admit that. Give Midnight Memories a listen. It's no Sgt. Pepper's. But it's also no No Strings Attached.

Other Great Tracks: Don't Forget Where You Belong, She's Not Afraid, Through the Dark

#3 Owl City

The Song That Ruined Everything: Fireflies

Try This One On For Size: Bombshell Blonde

Talk about a huge missed opportunity for everybody. Fireflies exploded like a majestic pyrotechnic and then everyone immediately stopped paying attention. Although Owl City was the biggest act on the planet for all of three weeks, there are still huge gaps in public knowledge, like the truly fantastic early EPs filled with bubbling and human electronica or the newer albums that use actual real instruments and vocals.

And then there's the dubsteppy Bombshell Blonde that's about as far from people's dippy fantasy perceptions of Owl City as the Sex Pistols.

Maybe he's just won me over with his puns, but I refuse to be the only person in the world still buying his albums. His tracks are clever and cute and invariably positive. And as much as I like Adele, sometimes I don't want my radio to make me sob in the car. 

Other Great Tracks: Captains and Cruise Ships, Hey Anna, I'm Coming After You

#2 MIKA

The Song That Ruined Everything: Love Today

Try This One On For Size: The Origin of Love

Perhaps never hated or even never as big as some of the other artists on this list, there are still solid perceptions around him as a pleasant but throwaway pop artist with killer pipes. But get this.

MIKA has swiftly become one of my favorite modern day artists based on the shoulders of his solid gold album The Origin of Love. Inspired by a lot of world music and sweeping vocals, he's like the falsetto Bastille that everybody forgot to listen to. The new album is so radically different from his earlier works that I'm not even entirely convinced it's the same person.

But if you're looking for astoundingly crafted and meaningful Europop, look no further. MIKA's soundscapes will fill your ears and make you completely forget that Lollipop ever even happened. 

Other Great Tracks: Tah Dah, Elle Me Dit, Stardust

#1 Ke$ha

The Song That Ruined Everything: TiK ToK

Try This One On For Size: Old Flames Can't Hold a Candle to You

Oh, my Ke$ha. Queen of the Underappreciated. It's understandable why people would dislike her debut album Animal (although I thoroughly enjoyed it for its no-holds-barred party atmosphere and clever satire) due to its largely computer-based rhythms, but each ensuing album is met with cries of "Talentless whore!" and "Autotuned garbage!" by people who have almost certainly never listened to them.

Because if they did, they'd find an all grown up K$ taking influence from her Nashville roots and her rock 'n roll lifestyle to create one of the most satisfying and experimental pop albums of the decade. She's still a ribald party girl and I wouldn't ask anything less of her, but any analytical ear can clearly hear the deft satire of her lyrics and the boldly feminist cheesy pop world she has created for herself.

Ke$ha's unpopularity is a persistent and unknowable enigma. But I guess people just need to hate something. And Ke$ha's tracks are nothing if not divisively different from the norm (in such a deceptive way that some people can't even see it). But seriously. Why hate someone so devoted to the betterment of her listeners? Katy Perry and even Lady Gaga are becoming increasingly sterile and prepackaged but Ke$ha has developed her sound tremendously and is on the verge of a true masterpiece of bubblegum pop art.

Please. If there's anything you take away from this list at all, let it be Warrior. At least click a couple iTunes previews. Thank me later.

Other Great Tracks: Out Alive, Love Into the Light, The Harold Song

Word Count: 1272

Track by Track: Midnight Memories

Year: 2013

Artist: One Direction

Label: Columbia, Syco

Here we are at One Direction's third studio album. These poor boys have been put through the ringer, I think the studio is trying to squeeze as much money out of them as they can before they just collapse from exhaustion. 

Besides the interviews, video appearances, music video shoots, and trying to have healthy relationships with friends, family and girlfriends, since their first album dropped in November 2011 Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson have released two follow up albums, "written" two books, released a documentary and a live concert DVD, went on two world tours and are gearing up for a third.

This is a band, the oldest member of which is a mere 21 years old.

Somebody oughta call PETA or something.

But the fact remains that we have a new album out and by George, I'm going to tell you about it.

Track 1: "Best Song Ever"

Far be it from me to say the title isn't accurate, this is one hella catchy song. The (maybe maybe not stolen from The Who) opening riff captures the joyous essence of their concerts and stage presence in a way that none of their albums had fully expressed up to this point. "Best Song Ever" is bottled fun.

Perhaps it's punching that "FUN WE'RE HAVING FUN" button a little too hard, but this is a boy band we're talking about. We have to grade on a curve regarding cheesiness. Anyway I'm not gonna delve too deep into it, this song has been out for eons, I think everybody who cares has already formed a pretty immobile opinion on it.

Best Line: "Said I had a dirty mouth / But she kissed me like she meant it"

Track 2: "Story Of My Life"

The first track on Midnight Memories sees 1D veering off into a radical new direction (maybe there's more than one, hm?), namely the folk rock stylings of the likes of Phillip Phillips and Mumford and Sons. The pounding bass drum, the strumming guitars, and the abstractly sad lyrics would all indicate their influence.

It's certainly predicated on the success of the aforementioned bands as well as The Lumineers and every other freaking band we have that sounds like they're from the nineteenth century. At least the studio executives that own their souls have decided to try something a little different than the bubblegum pop they've been dishing out thus far.

And much to my delight, Louis is turning more and more into their secret weapon. After being largely ignored on their first album, Up All Night, he has slowly been taking the spotlight (vocally) because, out of all the boys, his raspy idiosyncratic voice is the most suited for this new musical style. He also had a hand writing 11 out of the 18 songs on this album (as compared to Liam's 9, Harry's 4, Niall's 2, and Zayn's 1), so I feel completely justified maintaining him as my favourite.

Best Line: "I drive all night to keep her warm and time / Is frozen"

Track 3: "Diana"

This is classic fast-paced quasi-ballad boy band material. A swift catchy beat, some thrown out background riffs, airy instrumentation that floats along like a cloud. And it's the third song in a row that features a heavy Louis portion. Praise!

The most interesting thing about this track is that, for (to my knowledge) the first time in their entire career, there is a specific girl's name mentioned in one of their songs. Their songs usually celebrate the nonspecific traits their nonspecific object of love has (What Makes You Beautiful is notable for only requiring the girl to have hair and smile sometimes) so as to appeal to the broadest audience possible.

Perhaps this specificity is evidence of a less pandering mindset that is evidence of them branching out of the comfort zones, bolstered by the success of, well everything they've done this far. Or they just got bored. Who knows. It's pretty good nonetheless.

Best Line: "I speak a different language / But I still hear your call"

Track 4: "Midnight Memories"

This one is clearly more rock influenced. There's some AC/DC in there, some Bon Jovi, some Bachman Turner Overdrive (wow, really?). And there's definitely some sprinklings of the Beach Boys and the chorus is unavoidably close to "Pour Some Sugar On Me." I know that's not the most hardcore list of rock bands available, but this is light years away from, say "One Thing."

This song is certainly in a hurry to go places. At a swift two minutes 56 seconds, the choruses tumble over one another and the song is over before it gets a chance to breathe. It has a great shoutalong chorus but it is marred by a sense of the boys wanting to do something new and the studios appeasing them but trying to get it over with as quickly as possible.

Also they pretend to say the S-word, but then they stop in the middle oh how edgy. Sorry. I'm being a bitter grandpa. That trick is getting old though.

Best Line: "Now I'm at the age when I know what I need"

Track 5: "You & I"

The first weak spot on a pretty strong pop album. This first ballad on the album can't at all cover the ground of the likes of "Gotta Be You," "Moments," or even the admittedly not stellar "Little Things." Already on this album we've had a song with more emotional impact in "Story of My Life" and this just seems like a bland and dreary star-crossed lovers song.

Zayn's voice hits the highest note it ever has in the breakdown though, so there's that. That was pretty impressive. And I can see this song eating it up live, but in a recording it just isn't really doing it for me. This is the first song since "Best Song Ever" that had not a single one of the boys credited as composer and it reeks of studio tampering.

Best Line: "Did they ever hold each other tight / Like us?"

Track 6: "Don't Forget Where You Belong"

This song about life on the road is starting to cement in the sound of this album - a lot more rock influences, real instruments, and the increased involvement of the boys in deciding the lyrics they actually want to sing.

It's got a stomp clap beat and some great harmonies that show off the boys' incredible abilities to work together as a unit. Usually in the mastered tracks their voices are dampened in the mix, reducing the unique qualities of each of their singing styles, but this track really shows off how their voices interact with one another.

Best Line: "I'm flicking through the pages / I've written in my memory"

Track 7: "Strong"

Led by a light staccato guitar sting, the song opens thinly but increases in strength with every passing verse until the chorus explodes across the sky. I'd like to think that that progression mirrors the idea of gaining strength from somebody else.

Just like a lot of the songs on this first half so far, it's quite good, but nothing has really stood out as an obvious album best yet. But this song explores an idea that's been on my mind for a while. I've been involved with a lot of feminists and supporters of female independence, which is a cause I wholeheartedly support.

But some people take it too far, to the point of completely denying the possibility of being in love. In my mind, love is about developing yourself as an individual, being completely comfortable and capable of living on your own, and then to be willing to share your carefully cultivated self with somebody else who you trust. It's not a shame to be alone or single or whatever, but I think there's a part of us as humans that craves the feeling of belonging to someone or some group.

Not in the "I'm giving up my entire self to be with you" way but in the "I need to share this experience with somebody" way. Anyway, this song to me is about that shift from independence to a mutually supportive relationship and the hangups with that and I'm almost definitely reading way too much into it, but it's an idea that really intrigues me immensely.

Best Line: "Is it so wrong / That you make me strong?"

Track 8: "Happily"

This is it! Imediately on first listen, this song is the best on the first half of the album. It's always a joy when the Boys' Britishness comes through and this track feels almost like a pop rock Irish drinking song! Instead of feeling like another limp manifestation of the anachronistic folk rock trend of Phillips Phillips et al., this is a perfect synthesis of all the best (and least dreary) parts of those songs.

Also check out that downright filthy Best Line. Them boys are growing up, yo.

Best Line: "And if he feels my traces in your hair / Sorry love, but I don't really care"

Track 9: "Right Now"

Although this song isn't the most compelling lyrically or musically, it's perhaps the most intriguing vocal song the group has ever done. First things first, Louis actually gets to open a song, which up til now has only been a forgotten pipe dream. I'm getting so much Louis love off of this album.

At no point in the song are all the boys singing together. There are a couple harmonies and some cosmic backing vocals, but the track is mostly a showcase for their individual voices, which is something they really needed to avoid amoebeating into one personality-less blob of quiffs and tattoos.

They really get a chance to show off here, especially Zayn who busts out some incredible falsetto that could only be the result of some traumatic vocal cord surgery, it's way too good to be human.

Best Line: "Lights go down / And the night is calling to me"

Track 10: "Little Black Dress"

The most alt rock song in their arsenal so far, this song would be at home on an album by The Strokes, something I never thought I'd say about 1D. The song even has a freaking guitar solo! I hope it's one of the boys playing, cuz if it's just some studio musician that's no fun.

It probably is. Oh well, it's still an invigoratingly different if not particularly envelope pushing in terms of the genre it's trying to access. Another majorly brief song that feels like it just barely squeezed onto the album.

Best Line: "Little black dress / Just walked into the room"

Track 11: "Through the Dark"

OK this one is just Phillip Phillips, I'm sorry to say. Where the other ones have taken him as a strong influence, "Through the Dark" feels like the illegitimate love child of "Home" and "Gone, Gone, Gone" as sung by a pre-pubescent Marcus Mumford.

Lots of talk of natural elements (fire & water for your love), a smashing bass drum, and a downright medieval atmosphere (When listening, I can't help but feel I'm in a room made entirely of wood. Go on. Tell me I'm wrong.) mean this song isn't even bad but merely too derivative to exist on its own. 

Best Line: "And I remember you laughing / So let's just laugh again"

Track 12: "Something Great"

Harry Styles had a major hand on this song, so perhaps that's the reason it's not my favorite. The beat is plodding and the lyrics are a little too whiny for my tastes. Frankly, I'm a little bored by it. I don't have much to say because I really don't want to listen to it again.

Best Line: "Come on, jump out at me"

Track 13: "Little White Lies"

Although I was secretly hoping for a companion piece to "Little Black Dress," I like what I got instead.   Finally, a throwback to the One Direction of yore (you know, 365 days ago). With a soaring harmonic opening like "Save You Tonight," one of my favorite songs off of Up All Night and an exciting dubstep-influenced beat, "Little White Lies" gives the back half of Midnight Memories some much needed energy and fun.

It's basically early One Direction with more Louis and I'm totally down with that.

Best Line: "If this room was burning / I wouldn't even notice"

Track 14: "Better Than Words"

A more turned down song to close up the album, "Better Than Words" leaves us on a welcome mellow note. More alt rock, a jaunty whistling opening, and Louis rocking it out like he's never done before (I'm aware that there's other members of the band, but save for Niall, they've all had more than their share of limelight, it's my turn now).

For some reason, the lyrics in the verses are almost one hundred percent comprised of the names of other songs like "More Than A Feeling," "Someone Like You," "How Deep Is Your Love," and even "Hips Don't Lie" and two Beyoncé songs. It's clever though and it's a lot of fun and it works.

Best Line: "I don't know how else to sum it up / Cuz words ain't good enough"

Overall: Midnight Memories is a new experience for One Direction fans, and seeing them branch out is a gratifying experience. However, like most of the albums this season, it's just a little less than the band's previous efforts. It's a good listen and the boys' vocals are really improving after a couple years of experience. There's nothing particularly lyrically exciting and listening to the entire album all the way through can be a slog, but there are enough vivacious pop tunes that'll be in circulation on my iPod for a while yet to earn this album my appreciation.

Also Louis.

Ranking:

#14 "Something Great"

#13 "You & I"

#12 "Strong"

#11 "Little Black Dress"

#10 "Better Than Words"

#9 "Midnight Memories"

#8 "Through the Dark"

#7 "Right Now"

#6 "Story of My Life"

#5 "Best Song Ever"

#4 "Diana"

#3 "Little White Lies"

#2 "Don't Forget Where You Belong"

#1 "Happily"

Word Count: 2363

1D 3D

Year: 2013

Cast: Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles

Director: Morgan Spurlock

Run Time: 1 hour 32 minutes

MPAA Rating: PG

The biggest problem inherent in making a One Direction documentary is that none of them have been alive all that long, really. At 21, Louis Tomlinson is the eldest, and how many truly insightful stories does a 21-year-old have to tell?

Granted, much has happened in One Direction's meteoric rise to fame since the seventh series of The X Factor in 2010. But the fact still stands that this entire documentary spans what would be the fifteen minute "early life" segment of any other artist's onscreen story. Heck, even 28-year-old Katy Perry has lived veritable eons compared to these fresh-faced young lads (And don't even get me started on Katy Perry: Part of Me, which I can say with no guilt is my favorite documentary film).

Suffice it to say, One Direction: This Is Us just couldn't have had enough to say to justify a 92 minute feature, and really it doesn't. It's just a corporate product shoved out by Syco Entertainment in an attempt to ride the tidal wave that is 1D's success before it evaporates into thin air.

I am being relentlessly bitter here because I can afford it. You see, One Direction: This Is Us has a few tricks up its sleeve. First and foremost is director Morgan Spurlock who, despite his films' spurious claims having recently come under fire, is a darn good documentarian, perhaps the first veteran doc filmmaker to tackle a project of This Is Us's bubblegum magnitude.

With a strong hand at the wheel and the boys' charming personalities at the forefront, it might not have a lot to tell, but the manner in which it is told is flashy, precise, and a lot of fun.

Shirtless boys provide a valuable thematic arc throughout.

The beginning of the film is, by no coincidence, the first song of their 2013 concert tour and right off the bat This Is Us proves itself as a work of cinema. Summertime popcorn cinema, yes, but there is a lot of talent behind (and in front of) the camera. Crisply shot and thrillingly edited, the opening sequence pairs modern quick cuts and flashy cutaways with a more traditional sense of introducing characters and location (let us never forget that documentaries and fiction are very similar in the way they tell stories).

Concert footage thankfully doesn't dominate and the songs get room to breathe as we delve into the history and interactions of these five boys. Their interrelationship is at the forefront as it should be, and it is not hard to see that there's a lot of love and attention that goes into keeping One Direction what it is - a purely enjoyable experience no matter how you slice it.

Or pants it.

And for once in a concert doc, the 3D is put to good use. While the staging of a One Direction concert is fairly simple (empty stage, big ol' screens behind them), the material displayed onscreen during the performance is laid over and intercut with the live footage in a way that makes the performances immensely tactile and aesthetically pleasing. These creative twists elevate the movie from simply repeating a live show, a trap which their previous DVD venture Up All Night: The Live Tour enthusiastically fell into.

There were less shirtless boys in that one.

Now if you'll allow me to indulge myself for a couple of paragraphs, I'd like to discuss the nature of One Direction's appeal. They've oft been criticized for being just another dumb boy band that girls wet themselves over and love them though I do, this isn't exactly far from the truth (It's a mark of my professionalism that I don't jump into the ring and defend their singing abilities, which are showcased to great effect in This Is Us).

What rubs me the wrong way is that these girls are criticized just as much for loving the band the way they do. Many reviews reduce them to shrieking harpies paralyzed by their hormones or the first signs of the apocalypse from the dumbed down "Me Generation." This could not be further from the truth. Yeah, maybe the ten-year-old girls with smeared mascara and "You Are My Heroes" posters are overreacting.

But let me ask you a question.

When was the last time you were so ecstatically happy that you cried? Or danced without fearing that other people will see you? Have you ever been happy enough to scream at the top of your lungs?

I know I haven't (well, maybe not the dancing part). That's just a sad truth of growing up. For a limited time only, these young girls have access to emotions the likes of which most of us have never seen. They experience happiness so pure and positive that it colors their entire experience on this Earth. We shouldn't judge them for loving a dumb boy band. We should be jealous.

I would give every last cent I had just to be as happy as one of those girls for twelve seconds.

Who are we to say the reason they feel this way is invalid?

Happiness is happiness is happiness is happiness and there's not enough of that in the world as it is, so let it be.

For some extra fun, check out the KidsInMind review of the film. They're a "parental review" web site that makes sure your precious children don't see such violent things as "five teen boys cry[ing]" or filthy smut like a girl whose "T-shirt rises up partially to reveal her navel."

America.

TL;DR: One Direction: This Is Us is a piece of cotton candy fluff, but it features beautiful editing and is packed with buoyant energy.

Rating: 7/10

Should I Spend Money On This? Only if you're a One Direction fan, but if you aren't, you're probably not reading this anyway. 

Word Count:  1000

The British Are Coming!

As I pop 100 aspirin and prepare for the aural torment of a million screaming girls (and Cheyda) at the One Direction concert tonight, I give thee

The Top Five Members of One Direction

#5 Harry Styles

While he's a huge fan favorite, I, ever the rebel, would have to disagree. I 0% understand his hair and think he is probably a huge douche in real life. Sorry, Cheyda. Also, he has 27 tattoos. Calm down, kid. You're younger than me and already you have 27 more regrets than I do.

#4 Liam Payne

While Liam has an appreciative fan base, he has made the mistake of being the quiet one in a group of handsome young men and, as such, tends to fade into the background or be forgotten. Although his hair has benefitted the most from the 1D trend of gradually tilting upward over the years like a skateboard ramp. By 2016, their hair will be visible from outer space.

#3 Niall Horan

He's definitely more teddy bear than sex symbol, but he's the only blonde member and the only Irish member so he sticks out. Also I watched the concert DVD (which I own proudly) and he seems like a nice lad. I wouldn't mind if my sister dated him.

#2 Zayn Malik

Yes, OK, he's pretty. So are a lot of people. Yeah, he's really pretty. OK fine. Bottom line is he's not my type, and instead of trying to pressure me into liking him, other people should respect that there is more for them. The end. Also his ice cream cone hair is weird. There. I said it.

#1 Louis Tomlinson

Forever and always. He's the funny one, just like me! In my imagination. All the boys seem charming and fun-loving, but Louis - being the oldest - seems most comfortable in his skin and I feel it. I feel it everywhere.

Word Count: 317