Paramore- Brand New Eyes

Hey, y'all! It's time for me to talk about another CD on my shelf! As always, I put my iTunes on shuffle, and the CD containing the first song that played is the one I'll be talking about!

Release Date: September 29, 2009

Genre: Pop punk, Alternative

When I bought the CD: If I remember correctly, I got it when it came out.

Track Listing

1. Careful
2. Ignorance
3. Playing God
4. Brick by Boring Brick
5. Turn It Off
6. The Only Exception
7. Feeling Sorry
8. Looking Up
9. Where the Lines Overlap
10. Misguided Ghosts
11. All I Wanted

Paramore lineup on this CD:
Hayley Williams- vocals, keyboards
Josh Farro- lead guitar
Taylor York- rhythm guitar
Jeremy Davis- bass
Zac Farro- drums, percussion

L-R: Taylor, Josh, Hayley, Zac, and Jeremy

About Paramore: 
Paramore has been a band since 2004. So far, they've released 4 CDs: All We Know Is Falling in 2005, Riot! in 2007, Brand New Eyes in 2009, and Paramore in 2013. The band has gone through several lineup changes. I mean seriously, their Wikipedia page has an actual TIMELINE showing the changes:

However, the timeline is partially inaccurate, because Hunter Lamb did NOT play on Riot!, and Taylor York didn't join Paramore until later, and I believe it was 2009. Josh Farro played all the guitar parts on Riot!, and Taylor was a touring member until just before Brand New Eyes.

My Opinion about Paramore:
Paramore was the first alternative band I got into, and they're actually what caused me to begin listening to alternative music. In the gap between Brand New Eyes and Paramore, I didn't listen to them quite as much and they fell down a bit on my list of favorite bands, but they've always been among my top 10 bands, and have been a staple in my ever-changing list of favorites.

About the CD:  

This was the first Paramore CD with Taylor York, and the last one with the Farro brothers. Some of the songs were actually part of the reason that they left the band. Hayley and Josh had dated and broken up, causing Hayley to write songs about it as well as writing some songs that the brothers didn't really agree with. It caused a lot of tension, and with other factors, eventually caused them to leave. Which, as we know, was very traumatic to Paramore fans everywhere.

IMHO: 
I don't think I'd call this one of my favorite Paramore CDs. It's one of those CDs with some really amazing songs, and then some songs that I've maybe listened to 5 times ever. If that. And pretty much every song on the CD falls into one of those two categories.

As always, I'm going to give each song a rating out of 10 and then give a brief explanation of why it got that rating. 

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Careful- 7.5/10. This is one of the only songs that falls somewhere in the middle for me. I thought it was one of my least favorites on the CD, but as I listen to it again, I realize that it's pretty middle of the pack. It's not great, but not as forgettable as some other songs on this CD.

Ignorance- 10/10. First off, the music on this is just really awesome. Hayley's vocals are awesome as always, and the lyrics are really great too. It's just a really great combination of everything.

Playing God- 10/10. This is possibly my all-time favorite Paramore song. I haven't really thought too seriously about what my favorite Paramore song is, but I know that this would be in my top 5, if not right at #1. The lyrics in this song are so phenomenal. There are so many lines that I absolutely love.

Brick by Boring Brick- 10/10. Hayley's vocals are just really cool on this one. I really love the lyrics on this one as well, especially in the chorus. I don't often think about lyrics in a song (typical instrumentalist) but I've mentioned Hayley's lyrics 3 times already. Hayley writes great lyrics.

Turn It Off- 8/10. Honestly, Hayley's vocals and lyrics in the chorus are what I really like about this song. It's not my favorite on the CD, but it's better than most of them.

The Only Exception- 9/10. I think this song had a little too much hype as a single. Everyone seemed completely enthralled with it. I really enjoyed it too, but I felt like everyone made a bigger deal of it than they needed to. It's beautifully simple, and I really like that.  And of course, Hayley's vocals and lyrics are on-point.

Feeling Sorry- 7/10. I get this one and Looking Up confused constantly. The entire song feels like it's going nowhere. It does have a nice high point, but the rest of the song seems pretty flat.

Looking Up- 7/10. I get this and Feeling Sorry confused, and they have the same problems as well. I just feel like most of this song is flat. Once again, there are a few seconds near the end that are nice, but overall, meh.

Where the Lines Overlap- 6/10. If I were to describe this song in one word, it would be boring. I can never remember how the song goes until I listen to it. It's forgettable and boring.

Misguided Ghosts- 6.5/10. Like with Where the Lines Overlap, I always forget what this song sounds like. I gave it a slightly higher rating because I like it better than Where the Lines Overlap, but they have basically the same problems.

All I Wanted- 10/10. Those lyrics. Those vocals. Wow. I have nothing else to say about this song. Just wow.

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Favorite Songs: Playing God, All I Wanted, Brick by Boring Brick, Ignorance

Least Favorite Songs: Where the Lines Overlap and Misguided Ghosts

Video! 

Playing God music video

All I Wanted video

Rating: 8.5/10. It makes me really sad that this CD has so many really amazing songs, but so many not-so-great songs mixed in with it.

Hope you liked my newest "The CDs on my Shelf" post! Have any questions? Do you like Paramore? Let me know in the comments!

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All Time Low- Nothing Personal

Hey, y'all! It's time for me to talk about another CD on my shelf! As always, I put my iTunes on shuffle, and the CD containing the first song that played is the one I'll be talking about!

Release Date: July 7, 2009

Genre: Alternative, Pop Punk

*New Section/ Info*- When I bought the CD: Funny story, actually! The night before its release, I was on iTunes, and for some reason decided to check on the store for the CD... and it was available for purchase! So I purchased it and it downloaded and less than 10 minutes later, it was unavailable again. So I got it like 2-3 hours before it was actually supposed to be released.

Track Listing

1. Weightless
2. Break Your Little Heart
3. Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don't)
4. Lost In Stereo
5. Stella
6. Sick Little Games
7. Hello Brooklyn
8. Walls
9. Too Much
10. Keep The Change, You Filthy Animal
11. A Party Song (The Walk of Shame)
12. Therapy
13. Poison (Bonus Track)

All Time Low is:
Alex Gaskarth- vocals, guitar
Jack Barakat- guitar
Zack Merrick- bass
Rian Dawson- drums/percussion

L-R: Rian, Alex, Jack, Zack

About All Time Low: 
[Stolen from my post about their CD, Don't Panic]
All Time Low was formed in 2003 when all four guys were still in high school. One day, they were all just jamming together and decided to form a band. Their "first" CD, The Party Scene, came out in 2005, but it's not really considered most of the time when discussing All Time Low's discography. They then released Put Up or Shut Up, an EP, in 2006. They have released 4 more CDs: So Wrong, It's Right in 2007, Nothing Personal in 2009, Dirty Work in 2011, and Don't Panic in 2012. All four members of the band have been in the band from the beginning, which I think is pretty significant for a band that's already 11 years old.

My Opinion about All Time Low:
[Once again, stolen from my post about their CD, Don't Panic]
I talk a lot about how McFly is my favorite band... but I've failed to mention that I have two favorite bands... and clearly, All Time Low is the other one. If forced to choose between the two, I would choose McFly, but All Time Low definitely also holds the title of my favorite band. I've been listening to them since junior high, and they're the only band that has consistently been one of my top 3 bands since then. Even McFly can't say that. Alex Gaskarth is absolutely hilarious, and a total Harry Potter nerd, which I think is super awesome. He's definitely my favorite in the band just for that. And of course, everyone loves Jack. He's the crazy goofball, and no one can get enough of his hilarious antics. And the skunk hair. It will never die! Also, Rian Dawson and Cassadee Pope are actually the cutest couple ever. I approved immediately when I heard they were together. Adorable.

About the CD:  

Of all of ATL's CDs, this is probably the one with the least exciting information about it. So Wrong It's Right was their first CD to really blow up and become popular, Dirty Work was their first (and only) major label release, and Don't Panic was released not long after they returned to their original label, after a disappointing release the year before. Nothing Personal was just kinda... released. The promos for the CD were cool, though. They would have a rude comment and then say "Nothing Personal" below it. My favorite was a poster of the guys holding up a blank white poster board (that the owner of the poster could fill in), with "Nothing Personal" at the bottom of the poster.

IMHO: 
It's not my favorite All Time Low CD, but it's certainly not my least favorite. This CD has some of my absolute favorite All Time Low songs ever. There are a few songs that are duds, but overall, I really love this CD.

As always, I'm going to give each song a rating out of 10 and then give a brief explanation of why it got that rating. 

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Weightless- 10/10. This is the song that I label as my "favorite song." I don't have a singular favorite, but when pressed, I choose this one. It's also my favorite All Time Low song. ATL fans who say this is their favorite get a lot of flack and get called "fake fans," which really bothers me. I fully understand that it's not their best song by any means. But it's my favorite because I love the lyrics and really relate to them. 

Break Your Little Heart- 9.5/10. I love how snarky this song is. "I'm gonna break your little heart, watch you take the fall, laughing all the way to the hospital" I mean it's just so so snarky. Ugh just love. 

Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don't)- 9.5/10. First off, this music video is hilarious. And the percussion on this is just really cool. I don't know why I like it so much, but it's really cool, especially in the verses. This one is just fun and catchy. 

Lost In Stereo- 10/10. Another of my favorite All Time Low songs! I tried to pinpoint one thing about it that I really, really loved, whether it be the lyrics or the music or even a specific instrument, but it's just all of it. I have a list of songs that I just don't skip on my iTunes, and this is on it, for sure. 

Stella- 7.5/10. Not my fave. It's grown on me a little recently (because it used to be my least favorite on the CD) but it's just not one that I love. And I don't really know what it is that I don't like about it, because the chorus is pretty cool, and the verses aren't bad, but I'm just not a huge fan. Maybe it's just because it pales in comparison to other, better songs on the CD...?

Sick Little Games- 8.5/10. I'm not sure if this song was meant to be a commentary on the mindset of humanity, but I think it ended up being a good- and humorous- commentary about how much everyone (everyone) craves fame. Everyone wants that little taste of the limelight, whether you personally want to be famous, or whether you want to be associated with someone famous. 

Hello Brooklyn- 9.5/10. A lot of people don't like this one, but I really like it. Also, not sure if this was a nod to Cobra Starship (their song, Guilty Pleasure: "If the world is ending, I'm throwing the party; Hello Brooklyn: "Everybody knows there's a party at the end of the world." Obviously, the party at the end of the world concept is nothing new, but both are pop punk artists and know each other). Anyway, I just think it's a fun one. And I used to live somewhere called Frisco, which is mentioned in the shoutouts. It's supposed to reference San Francisco, but he said Frisco, so I'm gonna count it. 

Walls- 9.5/10. Once again, this song is one that a lot of ATL fans criticize for being too pop-y, but I really like it. I don't think it's incredibly pop sounding, and I think that the electronic/guitar transitions are really cool. 

Too Much- 6.5/10. I used to kinda like this song. Not so much. I think it's way too pop-y and repetitive. And Alex's voice is too edited and very obviously autotuned. I like Alex's voice just the way it is! There are barely any "real" instruments, and it's almost entirely electronic beats, which just takes it too far away from the territory of being All Time Low for me. 

Keep The Change, You Filthy Animal- 8/10. I like the simplicity of parts of the song. The chorus is very All Time Low- pop punk and catchy. I also really like the percussion on this one. Overall, it's good, but it's not one of my favorites. 

A Party Song (The Walk of Shame)- 10/10. This song is just too much fun. I feel like this song is really close to the epitome of All Time Low. The guitar is really heavy and pop punk, but it's just a really fun and catchy song. When I listen to this song, I picture Alex walking through a party, wearing sunglasses and parting the crowd because he's just that cool. 

Therapy- 9/10. For a lot of people, this is their favorite All Time Low song because of the meaning to them. For me, it's just a good song. Generally, when bands that have a lot of fast songs decide to do a slow, softer one, I don't like it. But I really like Therapy. But I think I'd like almost anything All Time Low ever does. Because they're just too great.

Poison (Bonus Track)- 8/10. It's good. I like it. I just don't have a ton to say about this song because I don't think it's particularly intriguing. I've always just liked it. It's a good song.

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Favorite Songs: Weightless, Lost In Stereo, and A Party Song (The Walk of Shame)

Least Favorite Songs: Too Much and Stella.

Video! 

Weightless music video

Lost In Stereo music video

Rating: 9.5/10. It may not be my favorite All Time Low CD, but it is a really great All Time Low CD, and they're my favorite band. So this was a no-brainer. Such a great CD.  

Hope you liked my newest "The CDs on my Shelf" post! Have any questions? What are your opinions on All Time Low? Let me know in the comments. If you like my posts, I'd really appreciate if you'd subscribe/follow, because it lets me know y'all are liking them! Hope you enjoyed! Comment, comment, comment! I love feedback! Thanks for reading!