Album Review: The Used- Imaginary Enemy

Halfway through the second track of Imaginary Enemy, I exclaimed, “They’ve finally done it- they’ve put it all together on an album.” This was right around the bridge of “Cry,” when vocalist Bert McCracken cuts through a series of electronic effects to offer a guttural screech of “Nicer than that.” What follows is a punishing 25 seconds of metal riffs provided by guitarist Quinn Allman and bassist Jeph Howard. 

The opening track, ”Revolution,” and the track I spoke about above, “Cry,” are just about everything I could possibly expect in an album from The Used. They’re upbeat, incendiary emo anthems. If only the rest of the album could be like that.

Warped Tour 2012, through Donald's eyes

Warped Tour has taken its lumps over the last five years. Hopping on the newest scene hype trains across the country, the tour seemed to have lost its luster in the scene. Nevertheless, it's still the cheapest way to see almost every one of your favorite bands in the summer, and the experience of being around so many people who have (somewhat) similar tastes in music as you is worth the price of admission alone. So here I am, at 21 years old, writing to tell you that for the fourth straight year, and fifth year out of the last six, I made the trek to wherever Warped was being held in the great state of New Jersey (this year, it was at PNC Bank Arts Center).

This year, however, there was a bit of a different experience for me at Warped Tour. Sure, I packed my bag for the day like I always do, but it was what was in that bag that was different. I caught as many sets as I could, but missed a few. But it wasn't due to the schedule of when the bands played, it was the busy schedule I had to keep up with. The schedule that has produced the three videos you'll see below, and one of the most important things to happen to this show. They are interviews with Yellowcard, The Used, and Of Mice and Men, but they carry more weight than that. They carry a certain sense of accomplishment, for me at least. But it isn't the fact that I was able to go to the box office and get a press wristband. The true joy of this was to be able to post these for all of you to listen to.

I can tell you all about every band I saw. I can say things like Bayside continues to be the best-sounding live band out there, or that Transit's emotional blend of pop-punk and emo sounds as good on an acoustic set as it does during their energetic full-band sets. I can tell you that the crowds surrounding the Main Stage for Of Mice & Men, New Found Glory, and Yellowcard need to be seen in order for you to believe it. I can tell you that Fireworks played like a band who's bound to be the next big band with a cult-like following. I can tell you that Buddy Neilson of Senses Fail is reason enough to see the band in concert, or that Matty Arsenault of A Loss for Words is poised to be the scene's next great frontman. Whoops, I guess I just said all of that. So, there you go. Now you know what Warped was like for me outside of the Press Room. Now, let's get to the good stuff. My interviews with Jeph and Dan from The Used,  Ryan Key of Yellowcard, and Austin and Tino from Of Mice & Men can be listened to below.

The Used:

Yellowcard:

Of Mice & Men:

A big thank you to Jeph and Dan of The Used, Ryan of Yellowcard, and Austin and Tino of Of Mice & Men for taking the time out of their schedules for the interviews. And to those who are reading, I hope you enjoyed them. If you have the opportunity to head to Warped Tour this year, do it. There's no better concert experience this summer, or any other time of the year. 

Album Review: The Used- Vulnerable

(Click here to purchase the album)

Think back to the early 2000s, when emo had just made it big. If someone asked you who the quintessential emo band was, who would you pick? Most would likely say Fall Out Boy, as they were the band that took emo to the mainstream in the biggest way. Or, you might say Hawthorne Heights, whose breakthrough hit "Ohio is for Lovers" showed the world how good the genre could be. Taking Back Sunday and Brand New would probably be common answers for those on the east coast, while old-schoolers will likely say bands like The Get-Up Kids or Sunny Day Real Estate. But how many people would say The Used? The answer, unfortunately for the band, is too few. The band broke out in the beginning of the new millennium with the hit "The Taste of Ink," and then their most commercially successful album In Love and Death, with its hit singles "All That I've Got" and "I Caught Fire" catapulting the band to the ranks of a major label. What resulted were two mediocre albums (Lies for the Liars and the most recent, 2009's Artwork) that saw the band struggling for creative control with Warner Records. Now free from Warner, the band have signed on to Hopeless Records, who have made more than a few headlines in signing other presumed "over the hill" acts like Silverstein and Yellowcard. After Silverstein's sold Rescue and Yellowcard's impeccable When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes were released under Hopeless last year, is Vulnerable, The Used's fifth full-length, the return to form fans have been waiting for?

Vulnerable starts off with lead single "I Come Alive," and features a hint of the creepy string arrangements that made In Love and Death stand out so much, and the chorus of the song soars, making it the perfect choice to reintroduce The Used back to the game. If The Used are one thing on Vulnerable, let it be known that they are ambitious. A dubstep sample somehow makes its way into the second verse of "I Come Alive," turning what the listener thinks is a straight-up rock song into something that may not be able to be classified.  That ambition gets a little weird on "Hands and Faces," when the song begins with a techno beat, and McCracken's voice altered by a vocoder (or whatever that is). The band comes in for a brief couple of moments for the chorus, but that's not enough to get the weird taste out of your mouth from the beginning. "Getting Over You" is the token slowed-down song on Vulnerable, and though it has a sense of sentimentality from the piano and drums, but the lyrics are too cheesy to be taken seriously, and seem as if they're very lazily put together. That creativity may be most well used on the middle-finger-to-the-man track, "Shine." "It's my time to shine," McCracken sings in the chorus, "Do it my way, 'cause it's my time..." Though the band hint at it throughout the album, "Shine" will stand out as the main showcase of the band airing out its dirty laundry with Warner, and the angriest track on Vulnerable.

However, when the band pick up the pace and stop trying to add too many frills, Vulnerable hits really hard. "This Fire" starts off with Bert McCracken crooning over more strings before the band comes in for the chorus, and McCracken's screaming/shouting style shines over yet another chorus. Despite McCracken's vocal delivery of his lyrics being the constant bright spot for the band, guitarist Quinn Allman steals the show on multiple occasions. From the ass-kicking opening licks on "Put Me Out" to the high-pitched opening to "Moving On," Allman paces the album very well throughout, and it's obvious to tell that The Used were able to recapture some of the magic that made their first two full-lengths so memorable.

Sure, the lyrics aren't as dark or "emo" as they've been, but the progressions the band have made are what make Vulnerable feel like such an accomplishment. The Used fought for creative control with Warner for years, and now that they're free to make the music that they want. This level of creative freedom has its drawbacks, as parts of the album seem to have little focus, but what makes Vulnerable great is that no matter what twists or turns it takes, it's still an authentic, heartfelt album from The Used, and that's the first time we've been able to say that since In Love and Death, which was released in 2004. This is the album we've been waiting for from The Used, the album that shows they're still talented, still heartfelt, and as Vulnerable as ever.

The Bottom Line: If you've listened to The Used before, or you're a huge fan of the emo genre, you owe it to The Used and yourself to give Vulnerable a listen. It may not be your cup of tea, but for those who give it a chance, Vulnerable will prove to be one of the more memorable (maybe not one of the best, but one of the more memorable for sure) albums of the year.

Recommended if you rock: Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows's Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows, The Used's In Love and Death, Hawthorne Heights's The Silence in Black and White

Recommendation for the Week, 11/7-11/13

With all the junk that we've had to endure from horror movies in recent years (the last 4 movies in the Saw series, Slither, and countless other thoughtless reboots of classics), it seems the worst is yet to come. Zombies are all the rage now, as many sci-fi fans are trying to break free from the vampire theme (Twilight has basically ruined vampires forever; and not the "Edward loves Bella forever kind, either. I mean the "man, this class drags on forever," kind of forever). This is a cause for concern, because zombies are really the only pure horror figures we have left, and at some point, someone's going to ruin that too.

But that's not the point. Over the years, I've noticed the theme of zombies coming back to life in music in a big way, with bands who were "dead" coming out with albums that saved their careers. However, sometimes the band can never outgrow that disappointing album, and become the zombie versions of their former selves. That brings us to this week's theme: a split-themed week, with bands whose entire careers were killed in one album, and the bands who were able to overcome a bad album to come back from the dead and reurrect their careers. We'll start it off with those who lost their way first:

50 Cent- Curtis: We all know the story behind this one by now: Kanye West and 50 were both set to release new albums on the same day, 50 said he'd retire if Kanye beat him in first-week sales, and you guessed it, Kanye's Graduation smacked Curtis, selling over 200k more copies. And while the two albums set a record for the highest week of record sales in nearly a decade, many 50 fans were disappointed with a lackluster effort that saw the supposed gangster rapper collaborating with many pop artists, ruining his reputation. 50 faded into obscurity shortly thereafter, and although he has released a new album since then (the also underwhelming Before I Self Destruct), many fans have written 50 off as a passing trend by now, while Kanye still tops the charts.

The Used- Lies for the Liars: After nearly five years atop the emo underground, The Used saw success from In Love and Death as a springboard for them to branch out and get experimental, and those branches snapped almost as quickly as they grew. Lies for the Liars carried little of the raw emotion that has become the signature Used sound, and the band's album Artwork, which was released last year, did little to recover from the disappointing Lies. While The Used's fanbase continues to be one of the largest around, many fans only stick around their sets to hear "The Taste of Ink" and "All That I've Got," hoping the band plays the two songs early in their sets so they can skip out early and beat traffic.

Atreyu- Lead Sails Paper Anchor: In the Long Beach, California hardcore scene, Atreyu were praised for staying true to their sound while Avenged Sevenfold dropped their screaming significantly and received mainstream radio attention. To thank those who still supported them, the band decided to do the exact same thing, releasing the inexplicable Lead Sails Paper Anchor. In it, Alex Varkatzas drops his signature deep scream altogether for rougher clean vocals. Atreyu's noteworthy musicianship is still there, but on Lead Sails and the band's next album Congregation of the Damned lacked any kind of lyrical substance as seen on The Curse or A Death-Grip on Yesterday, as Atreyu continue to blindly chase more fans, sacrificing their originality and credibility in the process.

Mayday Parade- Anywhere But Here: Mayday Parade made waves with their EP Tales Told by Dead Friends, and backed that up with their stellar full-length debut A Lesson in Romantics. But when vocalist Jason Lancaster left the band shortly after Romantics was released, the band lost its key songwriter in addition to the dual-vocalists that set them apart in the pop-punk scene. Whatever Romantics did to set MP apart was nullified with Anywhere But Here, which serves as a reminder of how important Lancaster was to the band, and how poorly they will continue to fare without him.

Taking Back Sunday-New Again: After John Nolan was replaced by Fred Mascherano, TBS fans thought that the band could weather the storm and make another album like their emo classic Tell All Your Friends. But when Mascherano revealed he was leaving the band to pursue his side project The Color Fred full-time, Adam Lazarra took over all vocal responsibilities, and the band unfortunately released New Again. The album is loved by some, hated by many, and regarded by almost all as the band's worst album. Hell, even Lazarra himself has gone on the record in interviews saying the album wasn't good. In another admission of defeat, the band has now re-formed with the lineup that released Tell All Your Friends in order to salvage whatever they can from the wreckage of Ew Again. No, that wasn't a typo.

Now that we've explored the albums that "killed" bands, let's look on the brighter side of things, to the albums that saved bands:

Cartel- Cycles: "Let me reintroduce myself as a man with a cause." Has the first line of an album ever been as telling of what's to come as Will Pugh's first line of "Let's Go"? Cycles drove Cartel from the pop-punk wasteland back into the good graces of fans after the debacle in the bubble, and the band's nonstop touring ever since has proven they are still a hot commodity in the pop-punk scene thanks to the beautiful sonic experience of Cycles.

New Found Glory- Not Without a Fight: When Coming Home was viewed as a disappointment to fans, many thought NFG's best days were far behind them. But in 2009, the band proved that they wouldn't just fade away, and Not Without a  Fight is a 30-minute plus testimony to how good the band is. While there isn't a monster single like "My Friends Over You" or "All Downhill From Here," it can be argued that this is the best NFG album from start to finish, which proves that though all their members are over the age of thirty, they're still the kids everyone fell in love with ten years ago.

The Audition- Great Danger: While it was nice enough for Glamour Kills to let The Audition record Self-Titled Album in their new studio, I think it's safe to say they should just stick to clothes. The unfocused, watered-down effort wasn't exactly a good career for the band, but Great Danger has successfully pulled them from the grave they dug themselves, with Danny Stevens' best vocal effort of the band's career. The heart-on-sleeve lyrics that felt a little distant on Self-Titled are the prevalent theme throughout Great Danger, and the band have found their footing in the pop-punk scene, where they're likely to stay for years to come.

Jimmy Eat World- Bleed American: When Capitol Records dropped them after the commercially disappointing Clarity, Jimmy Eat World considered calling it quits. Now, almost ten years later, millions of Jimmy Eat World fans (yes, I said millions) see how horrible it would have been without them. Not only is this a member of my "best comebacks" list, it may just be the best of all-time, as JEW have released three stellar albums since Bleed American (this year's Invented is now available), showing how the album that almost never was extended Jimmy Eat World's career, and solidified them as one of the best bands of the new millennium.

Eminem- Recovery: After a drug relapse, the album Relapse, and a couple of beautiful daughters who needed a father, many though Eminem was done. But one of the most loved rappers of the last decade proves that no matter how down we are, there's always a chance for Recovery. Monster singles "Not Afraid" and "Love the Way You Lie" cemented Em's legacy, while "We Won't Back Down" and "No Love" prove that the album is a major success as a whole, including the two quality singles released. While Relapse almost did enough to shelf Em's career, Recovery just may cement his place as a legend of American music.

There are so many more albums that could have been on either list, so let's hear them. Which would have made your lists? Did I get any of these wrong? Leave it in the comments, and Happy Veterans' Day!

Recommendation for the Week, 10/10-10/16

High school. For some, it was the most glorious days of our lives. For others, it was the awkward time where you had to put up with a bunch of idiots before you got to college and left it all behind. Whatever clique, demographic, or mindset you fell under during those dreaded/wonderful four years, however, one thing is always constant: teen angst. It could have come in the form of a big test, a crazy boyfriend/girlfriend, the side effects of a drunken mistake, or any other crazy story you can tell me about your high school. Love it or hate it, there's no denying that your high school years caused you to do a great deal of growing up (whether you choose to do it or not, however, is a completely different story), and that brings us to this week's recommendation. This is my top ten teen angst songs, the songs that helped me find something to hold onto, something to let me know that someone else knew what I was going through (as cliche as that sounds).

10. Good Charlotte- "The Anthem": Alright, I know what you're thinking: how could a horrible band like Good Charlotte get into this list? Truth is, I'm not even sure why its in here. But there's something magnetic about  "The Anthem" that just attracts the misguided youths of today, even though Good Charlotte's punk ways (and talent, for that matter) have gone by the wayside in recent years. Regardless, confused high school kids will find something to connect to almost immediately in this song, making it a perfect fit for a teen angst playlist.
Most Angsty Line: "At my high school, it felt more to me like a jail cell, a penitentiary."

9. Matchbook Romance- "My Eyes Burn": While it can be argued that this belongs more to the break-up playlist I constructed last week, it seems that teen angst and heartbreak have become synonymous over the years, and "My Eyes Burn" is the prefect mix of the two. While "Monsters" is by far the most notable song from MbR's career, there is certainly a great amount of respect paid to the emo classic Stories and Alibis, the band's first full-length. "My Eyes Burn" continues to carry youths through tough times today, and the fact that the band who wrote it broke up years ago shows how powerful and relatable the song truly is.
Most Angsty Line: "Sometimes I feel like I could drop off the face of the Earth. It seems I do more harm than good, I don't know if it's worth me losing sleep over this."

8. Atreyu- "Lip Gloss and Black": While Atreyu released Congregation of the Damned last year, it can be said that they're not even a band anymore. Their meteoric decline from a heartfelt screamo band to the sad attempt at radio rock they are now occurred almost as fast as their rise to the top of the metalcore scene. However, they were thankfully able to bless us with "Lip Gloss and Black," a self-destruction set to Atreyu's dual-guitar attack and perfect balance of clean and screamed vocals. "Lip Gloss and Black" is still the song they end their sets with, and considering Atreyu have released four albums since Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses (where the song made its debut), there is still a replay value that not only keeps older Atreyu fans coming back for more, but intrigues legions of new ones as well.
Most Angsty Line: "I'll show you that place in my chest where my heart still tries to beat."

7. Taking Back Sunday- "You Are So Last Summer": Another song that could have been included in the break-up playlist, but this song just feels more at home in the teen angst songs because of its self-examining nature. Adam Lazarra croons throughout the tack in one of his finer vocal performances, and this track is one of many stellar ones off of the band's classic Tell All Your Friends. In addition to the video for this song being awesome, there's also a deeper meaning of the song that can be found in the band's live show, as legions of jaded teenagers shout Lazarra's lyrics back at him.
Most Angsty Line: "She said 'Don't let it go to your head, boys like you are a dime a dozen.'"

6. Senses Fail- "Bite to Break Skin": Throughout the lengthy career of Senses Fail, Buddy Neilson's honest, revealing lyrics have given teens a new hero to look up to, even if Neilson is kind of on the short side. Regardless, "Bite to Break Skin" may be the song we look back on as Senses Fail's best contribution to the scene. The killer intro riff to the song, in addition to the song's impeccable breakdown ending add up to a swirl of emotion that ignites the soul of the inner teenager in all of us. While Senses Fail has pushed forward to release three full-lengths since "Bite to Break Skin" appeared on Let it Enfold You (The Fire hits stores next Tuesday, October 19th), the song's lasting power has added to the band's longevity, giving Neilson even more opportunities to bear it all on each release.
Most Angsty Line: "Angels are rendered useless, good has lost its heart."

5. Sum 41- "Motivation": While "Fat Lip" was my first introduction to Sum 41, it was "Motivation" that really drew me into the band. And while most fans of the band will point to "Still Waiting" or "The Hell's Song" as the band's best work, it's "Motivation" I keep going back to so I can get some anger or aggression out in my room. While the song perfectly depicts that empty, motivationless state you often fall into in your teenage years, it does so with a catchy chorus that doesn't take away from Sum 41's punk roots.
Most Angsty Line: "Maybe it's just something I can't get, but lately, I feel like I don't give a s***."

4. Bayside- "Tortures of the Damned": While this could have easily been Bayside's gold track "Devotion and Desire," but this gives me an opportunity to shed a light on Bayside's stellar career beyond "Devotion and Desire," and "Tortures of the Damned" is one of the best tracks to do that with. It's verses are as dark as they come, and while the chorus offers some hope, the bridge after the second chorus destroys all of the hope to create one of the best teen angst songs you haven't heard yet. So click the link on the song title and enjoy, kids. Bayside are about to show you how real music should be made.
Most Angsty Line: "Look at me now; I'm on the tracks with my back towards the last train leaving town."

3. From First to Last- "Note to Self": When you name your debut album Dear Diary: My Teen Angst has a Bodycount, you belong on this list. And there may be no better band at truly depicting teen angst than From First to Last, due in part to the fact that then-frontman Sonny Moore was fifteen when Dear Diary was written. "Note to Self" is a stinging attack on the self, and Moore's cries keep breaking down the emotional walls of teenagers to this day. Though the band imploded after Dear Diary, it should be noted that their contribution in the form of "Note to Self" continues to be played at a high rate, and may very well be remembered as the essential song of the emo era.
Most Angsty Line: "Note to self: I miss you terribly. This is what we call a tragedy. Come back to me."

2. The Used- "All That I've Got": In truth, there isn't a song written by The Used that isn't about teen angst, making "All That I've Got" a mere placeholder for the band's entire discography. Regardless, one song had to be picked, and I chose this one because it is arguably The Used's biggest single, and the closest the band got to bringing the darker side of emo into the limelight. Though they were surpassed by My Chemical Romance (hint, hint), there are still plenty of teens who pledge their allegiance to The Used, and songs like "All that I've Got" will ensure that the band is remembered for years to come.
Most Angsty Line: "I need something outward, someone please just kill me, hit me, knock me out, and let me go back to sleep."

1. My Chemical Romance- "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)": I remember watching TRL and hearing this song and seeing the video for the first time. I was floored by the honesty and the overall shock factor MyChem fused into their blend of emo, and the new face of rock and roll was found. "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" is by far the best song to depict teen angst, as anyone who has been through high school understands what its like to feel down and out at one point or another. It's one of the few inevitabilities left in the world, and it's one of the hardest to deal with, but thanks to My Chemical Romance, we now have a song to make the pain hurt a little less, and we should all be grateful for it.
Most Angsty Line: "You really need to listen to me, because I'm telling you the truth. I mean this, I'm okay. (Trust me, I'm not okay.)"

And behold, my high school soundtrack is complete. While there are a few songs on this list I'm not necessarily proud of, there are quite a few I'll come back to to this day to relive those awkward high school/teenage years. So now it's your turn. What made your list? Leave it in the comments, and may the teenager in all of us live on forever.