All Time Low- Future Hearts

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!

NOPE. This is a very special CDs On My Shelf, where I discuss the CD that I've been eagerly anticipating for quite a while. AKA: Y'ALL, MY FAVORITE BAND'S NEW CD CAME OUT TODAY!!!!!!!!!

Release Date: April 7th, 2015

Genre: Pop punk, Alternative

When I bought the CD: Pre-ordered it! (But heard all of the songs about a week before its official release)

Track Listing

1. Satellite
2. Kicking & Screaming
3. Something's Gotta Give
4. Kids in the Dark
5. Runaways
6. Missing You
7. Cinderblock Garden
8. Tidal Waves (Feat. Mark Hoppus)
9. Don't You Go
10. Bail Me Out (Feat. Joel Madden)
11. Dancing With a Wolf
12. The Edge of Tonight
13. Old Scars/ Future Hearts

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 posts on their other CDs]
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 posts about their CDs]
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:  

As you will notice, this CD came out today! I've been listening to it non-stop and decided that it would be fun to actually choose a CD to talk about for once rather than choosing randomly. This CD is a really interesting one. I feel like there are a lot of different things going on with it. I have a hard time categorizing this within All Time Low's discography of music. There are moments when I feel like songs are very familiar, but others when I feel like this is a totally different sound for them. 

IMHO: 
I was beginning to get really worried about this CD. They released Something's Gotta Give, Kids in the Dark, Runaways, and Tidal Waves and I was very underwhelmed. None of them were bad, but they were all very expected. They definitely had ATL's normal sound, but without the excitement that usually accompanies one of their songs. Of the four of them, they're generally each perfectly good songs on their own, but when they were all released one after the other, I started worrying that the entire CD would sound the same. Fortunately, that couldn't be further from the truth. I'm not going to go into a comparison to other All Time Low CDs, because I do plan on doing a ranking of all of them soon, but I do really like this CD overall.

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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*Disclaimer: I've only been listening to most of these songs for about a week. I usually don't post on CDs this soon after their release because it typically takes me a while to solidify my opinions on songs. So I was a little generous on this, and my opinions will probably continue varying for a while until I settle into my long-term feelings. *

Satellite- 9/10.

This one is really interesting because it features distorted guitar and vocals, which is really unusual for All Time Low. It's a little bit more gritty of a sound, which I feel is one of the new sounds that ATL introduces on this CD. And it features brief screaming. Not hardcore by any stretch of the imagination, but definitely rougher than the usual All Time Low song. 

   

Kicking & Screaming- 9.5/10. 

This has a sound that is fairly "Don't Panic" but with a good mix of the grittier Future Hearts sound. That's probably why I enjoy this song so much, because the Don't Panic sound is my favorite, and I really love this new, grittier sound.
   

Something's Gotta Give- 8.5/10.

I tried to categorize this song within the All Time Low discography, but found myself grasping at straws. Maybe it just sounds so familiar now because I've played it a lot, but it feels very All Time Low. I feel that the sound on this one is also a new sound that they introduced on this CD, and it's the exact opposite of the other one. That's all grit while this one is really smooth.
   

Kids in the Dark- 9/10. 

This song makes me think of Time Bomb and some other songs on Dirty Work. Fortunately, it's the good songs on Dirty Work. Even though it was released amidst some underwhelming songs, this one is really fun and I enjoy it.
   

Runaways- 8.5/10.

This one, I feel, has the same sound as Something's Gotta Give. It's very... glossy. I'm not sure that's the right word, but the vocals are very smooth and it's got a much softer sound than the grittier songs on the CD. There are a few electronic sounds thrown in and even the bass sounds softer. I'm not quite sure how I feel about this yet. I don't dislike it, but it's not my favorite All Time Low sound ever.
   

Missing You- 8.5/10.

Once again, I get the Something's Gotta Give vibe from this one. It's obviously very different from Something's Gotta Give, but it has the same, softer, poppier sound. Even though it's fairly out of place in ATL's discography, it doesn't really sound out of place. It's got a kinda folk-pop vibe that I actually kinda like.

   

Cinderblock Garden- 9.5/10.

This song sounds very All Time Low. That probably sounds odd to say, since these are all obviously songs by All Time Low, but I feel like there are so many elements in this song that are so essential to All Time Low as a band.
   

Tidal Waves (Feat. Mark Hoppus)- 7.5/10.

This is another one with the softer sound. It's also my least favorite. It has some Nothing Personal elements because of the electronic sound to the chorus, but it's nowhere near as exciting as Nothing Personal. I just feel like the song never really builds to something. It just kinda flat-lines.
   

Don't You Go- 10/10.

I love this one. It sounded very familiar but not because it was similar to All Time Low songs. It is a little, but Alex's vocal style reminds me a little of Billie Joe. This definitely has more of the grittier Future Hearts sound, and I love it. It has a splash of Dirty Work, but in a good way.
   

Bail Me Out (Feat. Joel Madden)- 9/10. 

This song just makes me think of Good Charlotte. And not just because Joel is on it. I feel like the music is also very Good Charlotte as well. It definitely has some of the softer sound to it, but the fact that it's mixed with a Good Charlotte-esque sound elevates it above the other songs with that vibe.
   

Dancing With a Wolf- 10/10.

This. Song. Hands down, my absolute favorite song on the CD. It's got the grittier sound to it and it's just so great. It's got just the slightest tinge of an electronic sound to it, which is actually super cool. It's just so fun and such a jam song.
   

The Edge of Tonight- 8.5/10.

I had to give this one a little time. Initially, I was like "Nope, too much pop. Don't want to listen kbye." But the chorus is really great. Overall, the song definitely has that softer sound, but the chorus almost makes up for the overly poppy verses.
   

Old Scars/ Future Hearts- 10/10.

The sound on this one is extremely similar to the one on Satellite. They're the most gritty songs on the CD and I love it. Also, I keep feeling like Alex's vocals have a Billie Joe-esque sound on this CD. I'm not sure why. But yeah, this one is really great. I think ATL should explore this grittier sound a bit more. I'm a big fan.

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Favorite Songs: Dancing With a Wolf, Don't You Go, Old Scars/ Future Hearts

Least Favorite Songs: Tidal Waves.

Video! 

Kids in the Dark music video

Something's Gotta Give music video

Rating: 8.5/10. I know that this isn't exactly the average of all of the ratings, but it's certainly the most common rating. I like this CD, but I have some mixed feelings about it. I'm definitely going to be jamming to it and blasting it for quite a while, because I do genuinely like it, but I really wish that they had explored the grittier sounds more because those were really great.

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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!

20 Day Favorite Band Challenge

Hey, y'all! It's once again time for a One Day Tumblr Challenge! Today, I'm doing the 20 Day Favorite Band challenge. This is going to be just a little different, because I have two favorite bands. So, what I'm going to do is to do it twice, once for each band. Let's get started! 

McFly

1) Band basics

The guys in McFly are (from L-R in the picture): Dougie Poynter, Tom Fletcher, Danny Jones, and Harry Judd. Danny is technically the front man although he and Tom are both considered to be the lead singers of the band. Danny and Tom also share guitar duties. Tom does the majority of the songwriting, although all three of the other guys (especially Danny) also write. Tom also does the piano/keyboards for the band. Dougie is the bassist and occasionally gets lead vocal parts. Harry plays the drums and any other percussion necessary. The band has been together since 2003 and has released 5 studio albums, as well as several compilations and live CDs. Their style has gone through many stages, from a Beach Boys-esque style, to some orchestral songs, to more rock, to more electronic pop. 

2) First song you heard

Well, there are kinda two answers to this question. The first time I heard of them was when they were in the Lindsay Lohan movie, Just My Luck. So technically, the first song I heard by them was Five Colours In Her Hair. However, I didn't put this into my long-term memory at all and didn't even know they were a real band and I completely forgot about them. 

Oddly enough, back in middle school, when I was obsessed with The Jonas Brothers, I watched an interview where they were asked what their favorite song was. Nick responded with Transylvania by McFly. Nick was my fave, so I went and checked out the song. At the time, I wasn't a fan. I thought it was a little weird and just didn't really like it. Now, it's one of my all-time favorite McFly songs. Anyway, at that point, I just didn't connect the dots between the two. When I actually started listening to the band (and I can't remember when that was), I finally connected all the dots upon rewatching Just My Luck and the Jonas Brothers interview. It was really interesting. 

3) Your favorite song

There are so many. I'll just give you my top 5 so that I don't ramble forever: Lies, Sorry's Not Good Enough, Five Colours In Her Hair, That Girl, and Transylvania.

4) Your favorite album

Radio:ACTIVE, their 2008 CD, is just absolute perfection. I have trouble calling any song on this CD my "least favorite on the CD" because they're all so great.

5) Your favorite band member

Tom Fletcher! Honestly, he's my #1 celebrity crush ever. So many things about him are what I want in a guy. Not only is he an extremely talented musician, but he's also extremely intelligent. He's very mature- he was the first of the guys to settle down and start a family- but he's also basically just a big kid. He collects Disney toys, and has tons of action figures... he even has a Buzz Lightyear action figure on his nightstand. Oh, and he also named his son Buzz Michelangelo... after Buzz Lightyear and Michelangelo from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I mean, just look at this picture...

He's basically just a big dork and I really love that. He's just so incredibly great. I love him. I hold so many guys to him as a standard.

6) Your favorite song title

Hmmm... Most of their titles are very straightforward, so it's hard to really pick a favorite. Maybe Silence Is A Scary Sound? Just because I definitely agree with that statement.

7) Your favorite album title

I really like that they named their greatest hits CD Memory Lane, not just because of the actual meaning of the phrase but because that's the name of one of the songs on their 2005 CD, Wonderland... So the title itself is even a throwback. I just think that was a great naming decision.

8) Your favorite lyrics

I'm not sure I can choose just one single lyric. There are just too many great lyrics to just choose one. So maybe I'll go with "Galaxy Defenders stay forever" from Star Girl. The McFly fanbase started to be called the Galaxy Defenders after that song was released, so it's taken on a meaning past what anyone planned it to be.

9) Your favorite photo of the band

Honestly, my favorite picture of the band is usually whatever picture is current where they all look good... which is why I chose the picture of them above all of these questions. So basically that picture is my current favorite of them. 

10) Your favorite album cover

I've always really liked this cover... regardless of the feelings I have about the actual CD. It just looks so dynamic and I think it looks super cool and I love that Tom is the most prominent one rather than Danny. Above The Noise is also one of my favorite McFly album titles.

11) Best song-related memory

I'd probably have to go with a Christmas-time road trip where I first really fell in love with McFly. I'd had their music on my iPod, and they were in my top 10 bands, but on one road trip I listened to some of the songs I'd just skipped over before and really fell in love. After that, they quickly rose to become one of my favorites. 

12) Worst song- related memory

When my Grandpa passed away, I spent the entire 8 hour car ride sitting in the car and just listening to McFly to try to make myself feel better. Usually, I spend road trips reading or watching a DVD, but I couldn't really do anything except for just sit and listen to McFly. It was a really upsetting time for me, but McFly really helped me feel better. 

13) Best song

I think that technically speaking, their best song is She Falls Asleep (Both Parts 1 &2). It's so beautiful with the orchestra and Tom's vocals. I think it's just so beautiful.

14) Worst song

I don't think I could really name a "worst" song, because even the ones I don't like as much are still good songs. But the one I would say is probably my least favorite McFly song is Hypnotised from their debut (2004) CD, Room On The 3rd Floor. I just don't really listen to it or like it as much as some of their other songs. 

15) Best album

Honestly, I think that Radio:ACTIVE is not only my favorite CD, but their best CD. It's really cohesive, but also has variety that keeps it interesting. It's just a great CD.

16) Worst album

Yep, their most recent studio album (how sad is it that 2010 is their newest?!) is the one that I think is their worst. It's just too overproduced. Even they said they weren't happy with the way the album was produced. I just hope that they rebound from this CD when they release their 6th album... whenever we finally get it. 

17) Most-played song

On my iTunes, the most played McFly song is Lies. However, on my old iTunes, I think it was second to Five Colours In Her Hair. But either way, Lies is the most played song on my iTunes currently. 

18) Least-played song

I went with just the ones on the studio albums, and of those, the least played is Party Girl from Above The Noise. I think on my old iTunes, the least played was The Ballad of Paul K from Wonderland, but I definitely like that song better than Party Girl.

19) Most popular song overall

I'm taking this as the most commercially popular song by McFly, which is definitely Five Colours In Her Hair. It was the song that launched their career, and it's definitely a fan favorite. Also, it turns 10 this year, which is just mind-boggling. 

20) Why is this your favorite band?

I don't even know where to start with this. Obviously, I love their music, but I also really love all four of the guys (especially Tom). I feel like they're all great guys, but they're also extremely talented musicians. I love that they're all so incredibly committed to the band. They've stated that they'd never replace a member who left the band, and they each have stated that they wouldn't leave. I feel like they're one of those bands who will continue on for years and years and years. I just love them so, SO much. They hold such a special place in my heart. 

All Time Low

1) Band basics

The All Time Low guys (from L-R in the picture) are: Rian Dawson, Alex Gaskarth, Jack Barakat, and Zack Merrick. Alex is the lead singer and guitarist, Jack is lead guitarist, Zack is the bassist, and Rian is the drummer. Their parts in the band are much more defined than in McFly. Alex is the only one who ever sings (except when they have a guest vocalist). Alex does the vast majority of the lyrics writing, and often writes the entire song, but the rest of the guys also write the music as well. The band came together in 2003, when they were all still in high school. To date, they've released five studio albums, as well as an EP and an extended version of one of their CDs. Although they have released five CDs, their first CD, The Party Scene, is often overlooked as part of their discography. It's not even on iTunes. I tend to not even include it when talking about All Time Low's CDs, and often call So Wrong It's Right their first CD. 

2) First song you heard

There are a few songs that come to mind when I think about what my first All Time Low song was. I'm not sure what the exact song was, but I'm sure that Coffee Shop Soundtrack, Six Feet Under The Stars, and Dear Maria Count Me In were the first few. I'm sure that Poppin' Champagne was also up there in the first few that I listened to.

3) Your favorite song

It's really hard for me to choose a favorite, and unlike McFly, I haven't ever actually sat down and ranked all of All Time Low's songs from favorite to least favorite. (I know, I'm weird). I've always said that Weightless is my favorite song, not just from All Time Low, but out of all songs. However, I'm not sure that's necessarily true anymore. But I do really love Weightless. I love Shameless, Poppin' Champagne, So Long Soldier, and Lost In Stereo. I'm not sure if those five are necessarily my top 5, but they're all definitely up there. 

4) Your favorite album

I've already done a CDs On My Shelf post about this CD, which you can see by clicking HERE. This got the first 10/10 that I've ever given to a CD. For the longest time, So Wrong It's Right was my favorite All Time Low CD, but then in 2012, they released this CD and I fell head over heels in love. It was so much better than I could've ever hoped for, especially after how disappointed I was with their 2011 release. Much like with my favorite McFly CD, it's hard to say that any song on the CD is worse than any other. They're just all extremely great.  

5) Your favorite band member

Alex Gaskarth! He seems like such a nice guy and is extremely hilarious and a really talented musician. He has some of the best, most epic tweets ever. Plus, to make things even better, he's a huge Harry Potter nerd, which is always a great trait! I don't have the same intense love for Alex that I have for Tom, but he definitely has a special place in my heart. I also really love Jack. He makes me laugh endlessly.

6) Your favorite song title

Definitely The Irony of Choking on a Lifesaver. It's really funny, and I really want to know how they chose that name, because although it evokes the theme of the song, it's never mentioned in the song.

7) Your favorite album title

It's not necessarily the title itself, but I really loved what they did with the advertising for Nothing Personal. They'd put funny insults on a poster and then put "Nothing Personal" below it. I thought it was really cool. 

8) Your favorite lyrics

I really love all of the lyrics in Weightless, especially these two: "Turn a page, I'm a book, half unread" and "maybe it's not my weekend, but it's gonna be my year, and I'm so sick of watching while the minutes pass as I go nowhere."

9) Your favorite photo of the band

Once again, the photo I used at the beginning of this section of the post is the one that's probably my favorite picture of the band. 

10) Your favorite album cover

I really love the red/black combo, which is why I have this as the album art on my iTunes even though I have the deluxe CD (which has a blue background rather than red). I just realized that this is a recurring theme- my favorite covers are the CDs I'm not as big of a fan of!

11) Best song-related memory

Honestly, just driving around and blasting Don't Panic. I love it. 

12) Worst song- related memory

It's not necessarily bad, but it was pretty embarrassing and is a really funny story now. So, the day before Dirty Work was released (June 8, 2011), I got my first car. So going to get Dirty Work on the morning of the 8th was my first drive by myself in my car. I was being over-careful and following the drivers ed rules more than I'd ever followed them before, so when I got back into my car, I locked the car behind me (one of the first things drivers ed says to do when getting in the car) but I did it with my key remote. I wasn't aware that doing that would cause the car alarm to start blaring the second I tried putting my key in the ignition. I frantically pushed every button I could find, and finally realized I just had to unlock the car. So embarrassing. But at least I got to listen to the CD!

13) Best song

I'd say that their technically best song is Remembering Sunday. It's so raw and acoustic, and really great.

 

14) Worst song

Worst... Hmm. I don't think I have a single worst, but I'm not a huge fan of No Idea, Return The Favor, or Too Much

15) Best album

Once again, I honestly think that Don't Panic is their best CD. I think it really demonstrates how much they've grown over the years.

16) Worst album

My least favorite album is actually different than what I consider to be their worst CD. I definitely think that Dirty Work was their worst CD. It was really basic and poppy. However, that also makes it really easy to listen to and to enjoy, even though I think it's technically their worst CD. However, Put Up Or Shut Up, their 2006 EP is definitely the one I listen to the least. I don't think the songs on it are bad at all, but I just don't tend to want to listen to them as much. 

17) Most-played song

So Long Soldier and The Irony of Choking On A Lifesaver both have the same number of plays. However, on my old iTunes, before I got my laptop, Weightless had more than 100 plays. If it wasn't the most played song on my iTunes, it was at least in the top 5.  But on the current iTunes, the entire Don't Panic CD has more plays than any other songs do.

18) Least-played song

Of the studio albums, the song with the least plays is Holly (Would You Turn Me On?). That one is one of my least favorite songs by All Time Low, so it definitely makes sense that it has so few plays. 

19) Most popular song overall

Commercially, I think that Dear Maria, Count Me In and Weightless are the two most popular songs. I have friends who aren't really All Time Low fans or even pop punk fans who enjoy Dear Maria.

20) Why is this your favorite band?

A lot of the same reasons that McFly is... again, obviously I love their music. The guys all seem like really great guys, and they're really funny and talented. They're all really devoted to the band, and once again, the fact that they've been a band for almost eleven years without a single lineup change really shows how committed they all are to the band. They're all best friends, and I think that if one member left the band, they would decide to call it quits rather than continuing on without an important part of their lineup.

So, there you go, my 20 Day Favorite Band Challenge! I hope you enjoyed learning about both of these bands, and if you haven't heard of them, I think you should definitely give them a listen, because they make some great music. 

There are a lot of exciting things happening in the next couple weeks on From Kristen's Brain...! Tuesday, I'll be posting my series of the month post. Thursday, I'll be making an announcement about the project I'm doing this summer. I think that my April wrap-up that I discussed doing will be posted on May 8th, but I have both a Secret Lightning Scar chapter and a CDs On My Shelf post between now and then. If you want to keep up with my posts, I'd love it if you'd subscribe/follow, since it keeps you up-to-date and lets me know that you enjoy what I'm doing!

Thanks for reading! Hope to see you back here soon!

All Time Low- Don't Panic

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! Just so you know, you're in for a really special post today. This CD holds a very special place in my heart and is a first for my CDs On My Shelf posts... but you'll find out about that later!

Release Date: October 12, 2012

Genre: Pop Punk, Alternative

Track Listing

1. The Reckless and the Brave
2. Backseat Serenade
3. If These Sheets Were States
4. Somewhere In Neverland
5. So Long Soldier
6. The Irony of Choking on a Lifesaver
7. To Live and Let Go
8. Outlines
9. Thanks To You
10. For Baltimore
11. Paint You Wings
12. So Long, and Thanks For All The Booze

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

L-R: Rian, Alex, Jack, Zack

About All Time Low: 
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:
I've talked a lot on here 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:  

In 2011, All Time Low moved to a larger record label, and both they and the fans quickly realized it wasn't the right move for them. Their 2011 release, Dirty Work, was very very poppy for the band, and didn't go over so great with their fans. In 2012, All Time Low left their record label, re-joined their previous label, and immediately began releasing singles, getting fans excited for the CD they were promising to drop in the fall. This CD shows just how much a band's music can improve in a short amount of time. Less than a year and a half after releasing a CD that was heading far down the pop track, All Time Low put everything into reverse and created a CD reminiscent of their true pop-punk roots.

IMHO: 
For the longest time, So Wrong, It's Right was my favorite All Time Low CD. It was so pop-punk and great, and I counted it among my top 10 CDs ever. They released Nothing Personal, and I loved it, but it couldn't touch SWIR. It was starting down the trail of becoming more pop than I was wanting All Time Low to do. Then, Dirty Work was slightly disappointing (clearly I don't hate the CD- they're my favorite band for a reason). And then... Don't Panic. I couldn't even believe how great the CD was. All the songs were amazing. It not only reached my top 10 favorite CDs of all-time, it became #2. TWO. (and no, I won't tell you what #1 is!).

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. 


The Reckless and the Brave- 10/10. The lyrics. They speak directly to All Time Low's fans. They're the oddballs, the ones who don't fit in. This song was written by individualists for individualists, and it shows.
Backseat Serenade- 10/10. Cassadee Pope's vocals on this song are such a great bonus. This is one of the songs I love because of the music more than the lyrics. The sing-along-ability (is that even a word? I'm making up things) is so strong. If you don't feel the urge to sing along with this chorus... I don't understand you.
If These Sheets Were States- 9/10. Even though it's one of the lower-scored songs on the CD, it's still an amazing song. I guess with this one, there's nothing about it that makes me go "now that was perfect". But it's fun, and I really like it!
Somewhere In Neverland- 9.5/10. The Peter Pan references are just so great in this song, and it reflects how they feel about growing up, and how I feel about growing up. It speaks directly to my desire to return to a simpler time in my life when I didn't have real worries in the world... it makes me want to go to Neverland. And not the one Michael Jackson built.
So Long Soldier- 10/10. True confession, this was my least favorite on the CD for the first few months after it came out. And then it grew on me. It grew on me BIGTIME. It's possibly my favorite on the CD. I love the lyrics and how it tells Alex's/ the band's story, but the music is also just so old-school pop punk. Not the poppy pop punk of today, but true pop punk roots. It's so great. The guitar intro is my ringtone. It's just SO good.
The Irony of Choking on a Lifesaver- 10/10. This used to be my favorite on the CD. A lot of people don't like this because it's a bit reminiscent of Dirty Work (which I didn't dislike as much as most people... even though it's my least favorite of their CDs). But for me, this song is about the attitude. It's a bit more catchy than All Time Low songs normally are, but it's just as sarcastic and sassy, and it's that attitude that I really love about this song.

To Live and Let Go- 9/10. My least favorite on the CD, which isn't saying a ton, since it's still a 9 and a great song. The chorus is really interesting, as is the bridge. But it's just simply not quite as good as the other songs on this CD.
Outlines- 9.5/10. This is a huge fan favorite, and although I really like it, I know I don't like it anywhere near as much as most people like it. Even though I barely notice/pay attention to it, I wish it was just Alex singing. I think it would've been just as good. But the lyrics are so great and I love the music... and like I said, I rarely even think about the fact that it's not just Alex. I've listened to it toooo many times. 

Thanks To You- 9/10. My second-least-favorite on the CD. Again, there's nothing wrong with it and it's still a great song. It's just that among all of the super awesome, standout songs, this one falls behind into the background a bit.
For Baltimore- 9.5/10. This is a little random, but one of the reasons I really like this one is because of the drums and guitar. And the last like... minute of the song. Yes.
Paint You Wings- 10/10. The key word for this song is interesting. The way it transitions between the different sections is really interesting, the chorus line is interesting, the lyrics are interesting (and very clever!), it's just a really interesting and new song for them. The chorus is very "All Time Low," but that's the only bit that's pretty typical of them. I just really like this song because the lyrics are some of my favorites, and the music is some of my favorite, and they go together so, so well.
So Long, and Thanks For All The Booze- 10/10. Talk about a power anthem! It's all about being able to be yourself and not letting other people tell you that you can't be what you want to be. The music on this one isn't quite as strong as the lyrics are, but the combination is just so great. I love it, and the message is just the best.

Favorite Songs: All of the above? But if I had to choose, So Long Soldier, Paint You Wings, and The Reckless and the Brave are my top 3... or maybe The Irony of Choking on a Lifesaver would be included? Or Backseat Serenade? Or So Long, and Thanks For All The Booze? Just... all of those.

Least Favorite Songs: As said earlier, To Live and Let Go and Thanks To You don't stand out quite as much.

Video! 

Just one video this time- the entire CD. ENJOY.

Rating: 10/10. This is the first that I was talking about! It's my first 10/10 CD! There was no doubt in my mind that this CD would get a 10. It's so incredibly close to perfection, and it's definitely the 2nd-most-played CD on my iTunes. It's so great.

 Hope you liked my newest "The CDs on my Shelf" post! Have any questions? What did you think of 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!

The Friday Night Boys- Off The Deep End

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: June 9, 2009

Genre: Powerpop, Pop-Punk, Electronic

Track Listing

1. Permanent Heartbreak
2. Stupid Love Letter
3. Suicide Sunday
4. Finding Me Out
5. Stuttering
6. Can't Take That Away
7. How I Met Your Mother
8. Hollow
9. The First Time (Natalie's Song)
10. Molly Makeout (feat. Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low)
11. Unforget You
12. Sorry I Stole Your Gurl

The Friday Night Boys lineup on this CD:
Andrew Goldstein- vocals
Mike Toohey- guitarist
Robby Reider- bassist
Chris Barrett- drums

About The Friday Night Boys: 
The Friday Night Boys formed in 2006, and put out 3 EPs: So Friday Night, So Friday Tight in 2007, The Sketch Process in 2008, and the That's What She Said EP in 2008. They followed those releases with this CD. Unfortunately however, they disbanded in 2010.

My Opinion about The Friday Night Boys:
While they were never one of my favorite bands, I like their music. They're definitely on the more poppy side of pop punk, and their music is so much fun. With their songs, I tend to either love them or just not care.

About the CD:  
As I said before, this was their only CD, spawning 2 singles: Stuttering and Stupid Love Letter. The album has a fairly typical sound, which may be why the band didn't last so long, because several other bands had a very similar sound.

IMHO: 
This CD is very up and down. There are several I really, really like, and others I just don't care about.They aren't interesting enough for me to like them, and they aren't bad enough for me to hate them. They're just there. It seems really disjointed. They have both a pop punk and an electronic sound, and I don't feel like they marry the two very well. They have songs that are very pop punk, and some that are very electronic, but only one that seems to marry the two successfully. 

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. 

Permanent Heartbreak- 9.5/10. I really love the acoustic version of this, but I absolutely love the electric guitar in this one. I wish there was more of that & less of the electronic sound.
Stupid Love Letter- 10/10. I love the whole attitude of the song, and it's one that you can blast and jam to, especially when you're angry. This is the only song where I feel they actually combined the electronic and pop punk and it worked.
Suicide Sunday-8.5/10. The chorus is really dynamic and fun and I absolutely love it, but the verses are just a bit dull.
Finding Me Out- 8/10. It's a sweet song, and I appreciate their attempt at a slower love song. It's not perfect, but it's good.
Stuttering- 10/10. This song is just pure fun. In my opinion, it's one of the most pop punk songs and I just love it. It's great.
Can't Take That Away- 7/10. It's sweet, mostly just guitar and cello, and it's simple. I appreciate that, but it just doesn't seem to fit their sound.
How I Met Your Mother- 9/10. This one just makes me laugh. This is possibly the only song that I like purely because of the story in it rather than the music.
Hollow- 8/10. This is one of the other songs that I feel is the most pop punk of the CD. It's not that I dislike electronic music, but I do like pop punk better and I feel like that's where The Friday Night Boys actually shine. Their electronic efforts just don't seem to work as well for them.
The First Time (Natalie's Song)- 7/10. I don't dislike this song, but it's very average, unoriginal, and forgettable. It's like a guy saying a girl is "nice." It's a complement... but is it really?

Molly Makeout (feat. Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low)- 10/10. This song is a lot of fun for me, and on top of that, All Time Low is my favorite band and I LOVE Alex Gaskarth's voice. So he makes this even better.
Unforget You- 7/10. I don't know if it's just that I have a thing against electronic violins, but I'm not a big fan of this song. This has the opposite problem that Suicide Sunday has. I like the choruses, but I'm not a fan of the verses.
Sorry I Stole Your Gurl- 7.5/10. This is definitely the most electronic song on the CD, and I still can't decide if I like it or not... and I've had this CD for 3 years. And this is such a minor thing, but I just can't stand the way they spell girl on this song. If you're going to go for "gurl" you should at least go all out and say "Sorry I Stole Ur Gurl."

Favorite Songs: Molly Makeout is definitely my favorite. I also really like Stupid Love Letter, Stuttering, and Permanent Heartbreak.

Least Favorite Songs: The First Time (Natalie's Song) is probably my least favorite. Can't Take That Away and Unforget You are also two I'm not so fond of.

Video! 

Molly Makeout

Stupid Love Letter music video

Rating: 7.5/10. The average was close to an 8.5, but I'll tell you why I docked points. Though the quality of the individual songs may be good enough to receive an 8.5, it's too disjointed for me to feel like an 8.5 is merited. Typically, if I like a CD, there are a lot more songs reaching the 10/9.5 mark than there are reaching the 7/7.5 mark, and they're the same on this CD.

Hope you liked my newest "The CDs on my Shelf" post! Have any questions? What did you think of The Friday Night Boys? Let me know all of this 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!