this is how we pimp
So a little while back I promised miafeliz that I'd put together some bandslash music and info for her, so she'd have some idea of who the heck I'm talking about. So, this is my own personal little mini-primer. It is not at all exhaustive and is definitely geared towards the things that I love and that I think will interest miafeliz. But anyone else is free to grab whatever music you want, just you know, take it for sampling purposes, if you like it, please buy some, yadda.
Sooo very not browser friendly.
My Chemical Romance:
This is My Chemical Romance as The Black Parade. They are from right to left: Bob Bryar (drums, don't mind the ice pack in his mouth, at the time he was trying to keep a staph infection from going to his brain after he caught on fire filming one of their videos), Frank Iero (rhythm guitar), Gerard Way (lead singer, lyricist, saver of lives), Mikey Way (bass guitar, baby brother of Gerard), Ray Toro (lead guitar, backing vocals).
This look was specific to the album and Gerard got rid of the white-blond hair after a short time. Lately he's looking like this:
Five things to know about MCR:
1. Gerard graduated from art school and was working at the Cartoon Network when September 11 happened. He decided to quit doing cartoons and do something that would make a difference, which apparently meant, start a band.
2. The band saved Gerard's life twice, once when he started it and it saved him from depression and again when he hit rock bottom on alcohol and drugs just as their second album was coming out. Now he wants to save YOUR life. No really, he's adorably earnest and feels that his band can save kids lives.
3. Frank Iero is a crazy little fireball. He came out of the Jersey punk scene and while apparently you can take Frank out of the punk scene, you can not take the punk out of the Frank. He's insane on stage and he tends to destroy things, when he's not making out with his lead singer, that is. Offstage he's incredibly sweet and is just as articulate as Gerard when it comes to talking about their music and what they are all about.
4. Mikey is married. Gerard just got married this fall on the last day of the Projekt Revolution Tour to this very hot woman and married life seems to be agreeing with him. Frank is engaged to the girl he's been with since before the band started.
5. The above does not stop Gerard and Frank from kissing, groping and making out on stage. They've done it for a long time, but the Projekt Revolution tour was particularly full of the stage-gay. No really.
The music:
MCR has three albums, the first of which was on a local Jersey label and the second two were on a major label. I'm going to put up all of The Black Parade, because it seriously rocks and it's the most accessible. I'll include a couple of my favorite songs from the other two albums.
1. "I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love" A much punkier album and a little bit all over the place and raw.
Skylines and Turnstiles. This is the first song Gerard wrote, about Sept. 11.
Vampires will Never Hurt You. They were, and still are to a lesser degree, all about the use of horror movie metaphors.
2. "Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge"
I'm Not Okay (I Promise) Probably the song and video that most represents what they are about.
Helena The song they wrote about Gerard and Mikey's grandmother, who died when they were recording the album.
You Know What They Do to Guys Like Us in Prison The title is pretty self-explanatory.
3. "The Black Parade"
I fucking love this album. It's a little bit punk, a little bit heavy metal, a little bit pop, and a little bit cabaret (complete with Liza Minelli cameo!). It's a concept album and is pretty much all about the ways that death comes for people, but it's not at all as depressing as that sounds, especially when it ends with Famous Last Words, a song I love more than reason.
Videos on Youtube:
I'm Not Okay (I Promise)
Ghost of You
Welcome to the Black Parade
Famous Last Words
I Don't Love You
Now on to the bands that can be described as Pete Wentz and his Big Queer Empire. Fall Out Boy and The Academy Is... are on the Fueled by Ramen label, the rest of these bands are on Pete's imprint label DecayDance.
Fall Out Boy
They are Patrick Stump (singer, songwriter, rhythm guitar, producer), Pete Wentz (mastermind, lyricist, bass guitar), Andy Hurley (drums), Joe Trohman (lead guitar).
A more recent picture. Pete, Joe, Patrick, Andy. Mostly this is here so you can admire Joe's Jew Fro.
Four things about Fall Out Boy:
1. They're all from the suburbs of Chicago, literally John Hughes movie country.
2. Pete is the not the singer, but he is the frontman of the band. He pretty much takes all the shit and gets very little of the credit. There are pictures of his penis on the internet. He LOVES Patrick. He is currently dating Ashlee Simpson (ugh). He is a really fascinating dude and he was recently on NPR talking about gender, sexuality, and rock and roll.
3. Patrick Stump is made of win. He has a voice with amazing range and he's a complete music geek. He plays drums, guitar, piano, and a bunch of other instruments. He joined the band when he was 16 years old. He'd intended to audition as a drummer, but Pete had him sing and the rest was history. He and Pete write their songs together. Pete basically writes lots of lyrics, poems, snippets of stuff and hands it all over to Patrick, who takes the words and puts them into something coherent and puts music to them, all on his Mac. He also produces for several of the bands on Pete's label.
4. They are a pocket-sized band. Seriously, Patrick is like 5'4" and Andy just barely over that and Pete's maybe an inch or so taller than them. Joe is the only average sized guy in the band.
The music:
They also have three albums, although there is an earlier album that they did before they had worked out the Pete/Patrick writing process, which even they don't like to count.
1. Take This to Your Grave
Grand Theft Autumn (Where is Your Boy)
Saturday
Calm Before the Storm
2. From Under the Cork Tree
Dance Dance
Sugar We're Going Down
A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More Touch Me
I Slept With Someone in Fall Out Boy and All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me
3. Infinity on High
The Take Over, The Breaks Over
This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race
Hum Hallelujah
Golden
Thnks fr th Mmrs
Don't You Know Who I Think I Am
Videos:
Dance, Dance
This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race
Thnks fr th Mmrs
The Take Over, The Breaks Over- Pete's dog gets his own video! Busta is jealous in dog heaven.
I'm Like a Lawyer With the Way I'm Always Trying to Get You Off (You and Me) If you watch any of these videos, definitely watch this one.
Panic! At the Disco
They are: Jon Walker (bass guitar, keyboards, backup vocals, former camera guy for TAI), Spencer Smith (drums), Brendon Urie (lead singer, rhythm guitar, piano, and any other instrument he lays his hand on apparently), Ryan Ross (lead guitar and lyricist). This is what they look like now, as real boys.
This is what they used to look like:
Three things about Panic:
1. Ryan and Spencer were best friends since they were little kids and started a band when they were teenagers. Brendon Urie was a good Morman kid who learned to sing in the choir. They all grew up in Las Vegas. They had an earlier bass player, also from LV, who they ended up kicking out. They then picked up Jon Walker (or stole, depending on who you ask) from The Academy Is..., the band he was working as a guitar tech and videographer for. Jon is part of the extended Chicago gang.
2. So Ryan Ross used to be a big fanboy on the internet and he also liked to upload pictures of his jailbait self. There is still evidence of this on Livejournal. He was a HUGE fanboy of FOB and he commented to Pete on their LJ or Board or something, telling him to go check out their music. A few weeks later, Pete IM'd him. Long story short, Pete signed Panic to his label and adopted himself some proteges.
3. They'd only been playing together for a few months when Pete met them and they'd never performed live. They were babies. Only Ryan was in college. Brendon and Spencer were still in HS. Their youth and inexperience shows on the album. It's a little bit all over the place stylistically, but Ryan's strong lyrical point of view pulls it all together. They're currently working on their second album.
The music:
"A Fever You Can't Sweat Out"
I'm just including a few of the songs I really like here, but will happily supply more if asked.
Camisado One of the songs Ryan wrote about his abusive alcoholic father.
Lying is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off
I Write Sins Not Tragedies
Build God, Then We'll Talk
Videos:
I Write Sins Not Tragedies
But It's Better if You Do
The Academy Is...
They are: Adam T. Siska (bass guitar), Michael Guy Chislett (rhythm guitar), William Beckett (singer), Mike Carden (lead guitar), Andy "The Butcher" Mrotek (drums).
Btw, William Beckett is the prettiest man in bandom. Seriously. Pretty.
So, these guys are part of the same music scene in suburban Chicago that FOB came out of and Pete hand a hand in getting them signed to Fueled By Ramen. They have two albums, but I only have the most recent, Santi, so here's a taste.
We've Got a Big Mess on Our Hands
Everything We Had
Bulls in Brooklyn
Videos:
We've Got a Big Mess on Our Hands (this has a tiny crossover with FOB's Thnks fr th Mmrs video)
Slow Down From the first album.
Also, they have this thing called TAI TV, where they post new videos every week. It ranges from basic backstage stuff to really dorky skits. Here are a couple of my very favorites: (two of these include Tom Conrad, who was their guitar player replaced by Chislett).
TAI TV 20: Beckett plays 20 questions.
TAI TV 29: Exposure
TAI TV 11: Double Duel
TAI TV 13: Butcher and Tom in downtown Albuquerque. Because it amuses the hell out of me.
Gym Class Heroes
They are: Matt McGinley (drums), Disashi Lumumba-Kasongo (guitar), Travis McCoy (rap and vocals), Eric Roberts (bass guitar).
They were also signed by DecayDance and Patrick produced and guested on several tracks on their most recent album, "As Cruel as Schoolchildren". I have a serious dearth of their music, but this is my favorite anyway:
Cupid's Chokehold They sample Supertramp!
The Video: Cupid's Chokehold
And a video for the other song Patrick guests on, with appearances by Pete Wentz as Elvis and the boys from Panic as Furries. Clothes Off!
Cobra Starship
They are: Victoria (Vicky-T) Asher (keytar player and background vocals), Gabe Saporta (vocals), Ryland Blackington (guitar), Nate Navarro sans shirt (drums), Alex Suarez (bass guitar).
Gabe used to be in a Jersey alternative band called Midtown, who toured with MCR back in the day (whee, band connections!). They were formed out of a FBR supergroup collaboration for the theme song to Snakes on a Plane (the group included Gabe, William Beckett, Travis McCoy, and Maja Iversson from The Sounds. Gabe's stated mission is to make hipsters take themselves less seriously. He also, um, has a big thing for Justin Timberlake.
They have two albums out, neither of which I own (boo!).
"While the City Sleeps, We Rule the Streets"
The Church of Hot Addiction
"Viva La Cobra," produced by Patrick Stump.
Guilty Pleasure
And the fantastic video for Guilty Pleasure.
Oh yeah, and there's the video for Snakes on a Plane (Bring It).
And just because I can, pictures of William, Travis, and Gabe, who totally have some kind of crazy triangle going on. *g*
There are a few other bands that appear in bandslash, but these are the ones I am familiar with and have music for.
And good lord, this became way longer than I intended and it took me two days. But it was fun! Let me know if you download any of the music or if I screwed anything up massively.
Sooo very not browser friendly.
My Chemical Romance:
This is My Chemical Romance as The Black Parade. They are from right to left: Bob Bryar (drums, don't mind the ice pack in his mouth, at the time he was trying to keep a staph infection from going to his brain after he caught on fire filming one of their videos), Frank Iero (rhythm guitar), Gerard Way (lead singer, lyricist, saver of lives), Mikey Way (bass guitar, baby brother of Gerard), Ray Toro (lead guitar, backing vocals).
This look was specific to the album and Gerard got rid of the white-blond hair after a short time. Lately he's looking like this:
Five things to know about MCR:
1. Gerard graduated from art school and was working at the Cartoon Network when September 11 happened. He decided to quit doing cartoons and do something that would make a difference, which apparently meant, start a band.
2. The band saved Gerard's life twice, once when he started it and it saved him from depression and again when he hit rock bottom on alcohol and drugs just as their second album was coming out. Now he wants to save YOUR life. No really, he's adorably earnest and feels that his band can save kids lives.
3. Frank Iero is a crazy little fireball. He came out of the Jersey punk scene and while apparently you can take Frank out of the punk scene, you can not take the punk out of the Frank. He's insane on stage and he tends to destroy things, when he's not making out with his lead singer, that is. Offstage he's incredibly sweet and is just as articulate as Gerard when it comes to talking about their music and what they are all about.
4. Mikey is married. Gerard just got married this fall on the last day of the Projekt Revolution Tour to this very hot woman and married life seems to be agreeing with him. Frank is engaged to the girl he's been with since before the band started.
5. The above does not stop Gerard and Frank from kissing, groping and making out on stage. They've done it for a long time, but the Projekt Revolution tour was particularly full of the stage-gay. No really.
The music:
MCR has three albums, the first of which was on a local Jersey label and the second two were on a major label. I'm going to put up all of The Black Parade, because it seriously rocks and it's the most accessible. I'll include a couple of my favorite songs from the other two albums.
1. "I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love" A much punkier album and a little bit all over the place and raw.
Skylines and Turnstiles. This is the first song Gerard wrote, about Sept. 11.
Vampires will Never Hurt You. They were, and still are to a lesser degree, all about the use of horror movie metaphors.
2. "Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge"
I'm Not Okay (I Promise) Probably the song and video that most represents what they are about.
Helena The song they wrote about Gerard and Mikey's grandmother, who died when they were recording the album.
You Know What They Do to Guys Like Us in Prison The title is pretty self-explanatory.
3. "The Black Parade"
I fucking love this album. It's a little bit punk, a little bit heavy metal, a little bit pop, and a little bit cabaret (complete with Liza Minelli cameo!). It's a concept album and is pretty much all about the ways that death comes for people, but it's not at all as depressing as that sounds, especially when it ends with Famous Last Words, a song I love more than reason.
Videos on Youtube:
I'm Not Okay (I Promise)
Ghost of You
Welcome to the Black Parade
Famous Last Words
I Don't Love You
Now on to the bands that can be described as Pete Wentz and his Big Queer Empire. Fall Out Boy and The Academy Is... are on the Fueled by Ramen label, the rest of these bands are on Pete's imprint label DecayDance.
Fall Out Boy
They are Patrick Stump (singer, songwriter, rhythm guitar, producer), Pete Wentz (mastermind, lyricist, bass guitar), Andy Hurley (drums), Joe Trohman (lead guitar).
A more recent picture. Pete, Joe, Patrick, Andy. Mostly this is here so you can admire Joe's Jew Fro.
Four things about Fall Out Boy:
1. They're all from the suburbs of Chicago, literally John Hughes movie country.
2. Pete is the not the singer, but he is the frontman of the band. He pretty much takes all the shit and gets very little of the credit. There are pictures of his penis on the internet. He LOVES Patrick. He is currently dating Ashlee Simpson (ugh). He is a really fascinating dude and he was recently on NPR talking about gender, sexuality, and rock and roll.
3. Patrick Stump is made of win. He has a voice with amazing range and he's a complete music geek. He plays drums, guitar, piano, and a bunch of other instruments. He joined the band when he was 16 years old. He'd intended to audition as a drummer, but Pete had him sing and the rest was history. He and Pete write their songs together. Pete basically writes lots of lyrics, poems, snippets of stuff and hands it all over to Patrick, who takes the words and puts them into something coherent and puts music to them, all on his Mac. He also produces for several of the bands on Pete's label.
4. They are a pocket-sized band. Seriously, Patrick is like 5'4" and Andy just barely over that and Pete's maybe an inch or so taller than them. Joe is the only average sized guy in the band.
The music:
They also have three albums, although there is an earlier album that they did before they had worked out the Pete/Patrick writing process, which even they don't like to count.
1. Take This to Your Grave
Grand Theft Autumn (Where is Your Boy)
Saturday
Calm Before the Storm
2. From Under the Cork Tree
Dance Dance
Sugar We're Going Down
A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More Touch Me
I Slept With Someone in Fall Out Boy and All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me
3. Infinity on High
The Take Over, The Breaks Over
This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race
Hum Hallelujah
Golden
Thnks fr th Mmrs
Don't You Know Who I Think I Am
Videos:
Dance, Dance
This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race
Thnks fr th Mmrs
The Take Over, The Breaks Over- Pete's dog gets his own video! Busta is jealous in dog heaven.
I'm Like a Lawyer With the Way I'm Always Trying to Get You Off (You and Me) If you watch any of these videos, definitely watch this one.
Panic! At the Disco
They are: Jon Walker (bass guitar, keyboards, backup vocals, former camera guy for TAI), Spencer Smith (drums), Brendon Urie (lead singer, rhythm guitar, piano, and any other instrument he lays his hand on apparently), Ryan Ross (lead guitar and lyricist). This is what they look like now, as real boys.
This is what they used to look like:
Three things about Panic:
1. Ryan and Spencer were best friends since they were little kids and started a band when they were teenagers. Brendon Urie was a good Morman kid who learned to sing in the choir. They all grew up in Las Vegas. They had an earlier bass player, also from LV, who they ended up kicking out. They then picked up Jon Walker (or stole, depending on who you ask) from The Academy Is..., the band he was working as a guitar tech and videographer for. Jon is part of the extended Chicago gang.
2. So Ryan Ross used to be a big fanboy on the internet and he also liked to upload pictures of his jailbait self. There is still evidence of this on Livejournal. He was a HUGE fanboy of FOB and he commented to Pete on their LJ or Board or something, telling him to go check out their music. A few weeks later, Pete IM'd him. Long story short, Pete signed Panic to his label and adopted himself some proteges.
3. They'd only been playing together for a few months when Pete met them and they'd never performed live. They were babies. Only Ryan was in college. Brendon and Spencer were still in HS. Their youth and inexperience shows on the album. It's a little bit all over the place stylistically, but Ryan's strong lyrical point of view pulls it all together. They're currently working on their second album.
The music:
"A Fever You Can't Sweat Out"
I'm just including a few of the songs I really like here, but will happily supply more if asked.
Camisado One of the songs Ryan wrote about his abusive alcoholic father.
Lying is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off
I Write Sins Not Tragedies
Build God, Then We'll Talk
Videos:
I Write Sins Not Tragedies
But It's Better if You Do
The Academy Is...
They are: Adam T. Siska (bass guitar), Michael Guy Chislett (rhythm guitar), William Beckett (singer), Mike Carden (lead guitar), Andy "The Butcher" Mrotek (drums).
Btw, William Beckett is the prettiest man in bandom. Seriously. Pretty.
So, these guys are part of the same music scene in suburban Chicago that FOB came out of and Pete hand a hand in getting them signed to Fueled By Ramen. They have two albums, but I only have the most recent, Santi, so here's a taste.
We've Got a Big Mess on Our Hands
Everything We Had
Bulls in Brooklyn
Videos:
We've Got a Big Mess on Our Hands (this has a tiny crossover with FOB's Thnks fr th Mmrs video)
Slow Down From the first album.
Also, they have this thing called TAI TV, where they post new videos every week. It ranges from basic backstage stuff to really dorky skits. Here are a couple of my very favorites: (two of these include Tom Conrad, who was their guitar player replaced by Chislett).
TAI TV 20: Beckett plays 20 questions.
TAI TV 29: Exposure
TAI TV 11: Double Duel
TAI TV 13: Butcher and Tom in downtown Albuquerque. Because it amuses the hell out of me.
Gym Class Heroes
They are: Matt McGinley (drums), Disashi Lumumba-Kasongo (guitar), Travis McCoy (rap and vocals), Eric Roberts (bass guitar).
They were also signed by DecayDance and Patrick produced and guested on several tracks on their most recent album, "As Cruel as Schoolchildren". I have a serious dearth of their music, but this is my favorite anyway:
Cupid's Chokehold They sample Supertramp!
The Video: Cupid's Chokehold
And a video for the other song Patrick guests on, with appearances by Pete Wentz as Elvis and the boys from Panic as Furries. Clothes Off!
Cobra Starship
They are: Victoria (Vicky-T) Asher (keytar player and background vocals), Gabe Saporta (vocals), Ryland Blackington (guitar), Nate Navarro sans shirt (drums), Alex Suarez (bass guitar).
Gabe used to be in a Jersey alternative band called Midtown, who toured with MCR back in the day (whee, band connections!). They were formed out of a FBR supergroup collaboration for the theme song to Snakes on a Plane (the group included Gabe, William Beckett, Travis McCoy, and Maja Iversson from The Sounds. Gabe's stated mission is to make hipsters take themselves less seriously. He also, um, has a big thing for Justin Timberlake.
They have two albums out, neither of which I own (boo!).
"While the City Sleeps, We Rule the Streets"
The Church of Hot Addiction
"Viva La Cobra," produced by Patrick Stump.
Guilty Pleasure
And the fantastic video for Guilty Pleasure.
Oh yeah, and there's the video for Snakes on a Plane (Bring It).
And just because I can, pictures of William, Travis, and Gabe, who totally have some kind of crazy triangle going on. *g*
There are a few other bands that appear in bandslash, but these are the ones I am familiar with and have music for.
And good lord, this became way longer than I intended and it took me two days. But it was fun! Let me know if you download any of the music or if I screwed anything up massively.