Songs 4 Saturday...

Have not Pressed Play on much music this week. What the hell's up with that?! And it's Saturday night, doesn't it mean one should be out drinking into the earliest hours of the morning? No. It used to. Not anymore. When not working 8-5 Monday-Friday, that means weekends aren't to me what they are to so many. Suits me just fine!

In any case...

The All-American Rejects

self-titled debut

2002

My Paper Heart
Your Star
Swing, Swing
Time Stands Still
One More Sad Song
Why Worry
Don't Leave Me
Too Far Gone
Drive Away
Happy Endings
The Last Song

Listening to and knowing about what's new and now and this century is so not me. A little bit perhaps but when it comes to music and bands from the late 90's and beyond, I'm so very much in the dark. And that's fine with me. But why not try a little from time to time? Might be surprised and hear something really good. That's exactly what I did tonight and that's exactly what I was -- surprised.

As far as I know, The All-American Rejects are a dime a dozen band... but they're not too bad. Apparently they had a hit single from this album, Swing, Swing, which did well on the modern rock charts and got a lot of radioplay. Huh. I had no idea and that just goes to show how up on new music I surely isn't, yo. And they're from where? Stillwater, Oklahoma? I really woulda thought that everything out of the Sooner State would involve belt buckles and cowboy hats. Nope. This is definitely not music resembling something that one would hear at the Grand Ol' Opry. One of my first impressions here was these guys are kind of a Green Day Lite with a Drum Machine.

Why they chose to include bits and pieces of electronic drums I am not sure. It's certainly a little different and even odd to hear. My mind was so focused on their punk-power-pop "alternative" kind of sound and then all of a sudden there are those drum machine moments that seemingly don't belong. With a second listen of the album they meld in more and I realized for the most part this is straight-ahead rockin' that would probably make for some fun listening live in a bar or at a frat party... not that frat parties are ideal places for hearing live music but back in the day... well, fun times remembered quite cloudily at best!

Anyway... I liked this album! The sound sits in an area that's not too fluffy and it's not all 3-chord thrashing where lyrics mean nothing 'cause all ya wanna do is bounce off the walls and smash stuff. I'll definitely hang onto this and will someday look forward to hearing it again... as well as later releases from these guys. Stillwater, Oklahoma?! Who knew?!

320 kbps dload found this way --> Here