Pick of the Moment: Paramore by Paramore

Paramore has done something that’s hard, if not impossible to do – to change what your music is about, but to keep your sound and original fans. But somehow, they've done it, and done it spectacularly on their 4^th album.

If you were alive in 2007, you’re familiar with emo music. And if you weren’t alive then, you should get off the computer and study for kindergarten. Emo music was everywhere, and every rock band on the radio made it. Panic! At the Disco, Fallout Boy, Hawthorne Heights, My Chemical Romance, and Linkin Park were on repeat on my mp3 player, along with millions of other kids around the world. But Paramore was slightly different – they had a female lead singer. A very, very, very hot female singer. This brought in a trend of emo/alternative bands with female leads like Flyleaf and Hey Monday. However, Paramore is the only band from that era still kicking today. Why? Because they've evolved in a way that doesn't alienate their fan base, but matches the waves and trends in contemporary music, and this album is a culmination of that.

Their previous effort, brand new eyes, hinted at the new direction they would be going for Paramore. bne had a mix of love songs and I hate you songs, the latter being what they had traditionally done, and was what every other alternative band had done before them. But these love songs were something new, and, at least for me, was a refreshing change for both the band and the genre as a whole.

The best way I can describe the songs here is that they are aggressive love songs. I mean, look at “Be Alone”. It starts off in a fairly standard, aggressive way, but then we reach the chorus and Hayley sings out “You should be alone/Yeah, you should be alone/You should be alone with me”. It keeps the normal alt-rock attitude and sound, but it’s a song about how much she’s into a dude, and how he should totally hang out with her because it’ll be totally awesome. Totes. Same with “Still Into You”; it’s all about how, even after all this time, she’s still in love her guy, with a traditional alternative rock backing. It’s sweet, it’s touching, it’s headbang worthy.

There’s a few of the angry songs, but they aren't really angry. They come across as more of an acceptance of facts, an attempt to move on and separate from the past, and if they have to do it angrily, then so be it. Even “Part 2”, which is a sequel to “Let the Flames Begin” off of Riot!, takes the edge off the anger from the lyrics on the original track, but keeps the aggressive music somewhat intact.

And they experiment too, which is nice. They take a stab at post-rock on “Future”, mimicking Sigur Ros or God Speed You Black Emperor, in their own way. They do some sunny, beachy songs with “Moving On”, “Holiday”, and “I’m Not Angry Anymore”, all interludes on the album. “Hate To See Your Heart Break” takes on a late 50’s, early 60’s pop R&B love song feel (and by “pop”, I mean the stolen white version). It really shows off Hayley’s talent as a singer, if you ever had to question it. Plus, there’s the addition of the keyboard on nearly every track, which adds a nice, new layer to the sound.

Whatever you thought of Paramore before, ignore. Give this album, or at least a few of non-single tracks a listen. Trust me, I think you’ll like it. Know what else you'll like? Our blog on Facebook.

Track of the Moment: December, 1963 by Frankie Valli and the 4 Seasons

 When I first mentioned Frankie Valli and the 4 Seasons (or whatever name you want to call them, because they couldn’t decide themselves) to Mark while listening to ELO (I was commenting on how they have a few things in common, musically), Mark didn’t know who they were. (He later rescinded this by claiming he didn’t know the name “Frankie Valli” off the top of his head). And for someone who knows music as well as he does, I was so disappointed I stole his dog and fed his childhood to a homeless man (I’m currently still in shock over this incident, so pardon my nonsensical ramblings and cheesehouse connoisseurs). Once I got back to the FoaLiaB offices, I sat him down and played him some of the best goddamn pop rock from the 60’s and 70’s.

Their list of accomplishments is nearly endless. Three consecutive #1 singles in a row from a new band, induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, New Jersey Hall of Fame, and Vocal Group Hall of Fame, and multiple albums and singles that sold in the millions. They rivaled the Beach Boys in popularity. They’re the only band to have a #1 hit before, during, and after The Beatles had their #1 hits. Their songs are a staple of classic rock radio. The Frankie Falsetto is unmistakable to anyone who knows anything about classic music. There were thousands of people conceived to their songs. They have a musical written about them that won four Tony Awards. They are one of the greatest pop-rock acts of all time, hands down, no fooling.

Today’s song is a perennial favorite, “December, 1963”. Written towards the end of the bands recording period, it recalls the heyday of The 4 Seasons in the early 1960’s. While songs like “My Eyes Adored You” was trying to move towards the soul and disco sounds that were popular, “December, 1963” went back, mixing some modern sounds with that classic, late 50’s, early 60’s 4 Seasons sound. Between the nostalgic instrumentation and vocals, along with the song (allegedly, but pretty obviously) being about losing your virginity, it became an instant classic at that time. That holds true even today, giving us a simple, fun, happy tune that makes us all look back to those happy moments when we were younger.