Bandom is kind of viral. It seems to attract people from a variety of other fandoms. I, for one, blame the writers' strike.

The most popular bands, at least in the corners that I frequent, are My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, and Panic At The Disco, with a growing amount of attention paid to the bands that fall within the Six Degrees of Pete Wentz, like The Academy Is... and Cobra Starship.

When crack_van (a fiction rec site on LJ) added bandom as one of their rec categories, they posted a pretty informative overview with pictures. It actually has information on the bands, includes discographies, along with the fic-related stuff (which you could just skip over if it's not your beautiful cake). You can find it here.

I'll let Jilli speak to whether MCR is a goth band or not, because her definition will be far more accurate.

eta: x-posted with SA, who should just speak for me all the time.

They're not retreads of NSYNC or BSB, you know? They've got more of an edge, and Fall Out Boy, as juliana pointed out, is definitely more *punk*-pop.

Well, the major difference between the boybands and the FBR/MCR bands is origination, which also extends to marketing and self-promotion. NSync and BSB were both created as artists that could be marketed to a rapidly opening niche in pop. They were more entertainment, and less about self-created music. And that shouldn't be misinterpreted as hating on them, because I love(d) them unreasonably for about five years, so. But prior to Nsync's permanent hiatus, and the Backstreet Boys reformation as an older musical group with more control over their sound, they were very much about putting together an entertaining stage show and radio-friendly singles. They had the vocal chops to back it up, and I don't think anyone who looks at Justin Timberlake's solo work can deny his musicality, but boybands::ready-made (high quality) lasagne:fall out boy::momma's homemade casserole. To give you a really horrible analogy. Sorry about that. I fail at them.

FOB and MCR, by contrast, were formed in and of themselves with no outisde management or marketing; both of their fanbases were built locally and then grew over time to reach the success they have now. They write, compose, and perform all their own music (though people argue about the quality thereof, which I am not touching!) and have considerably more control over their image, such as it is, and their creative visions (particularly MCR) than any of the boyband/pop princess circuit could have claimed to from 2000-2005. Both bands are coming from a different musical background than BSB/NSync--it's notable that Fall Out Boy's first mainstream single was "Sugar We're Going Down," even though they'd put out two albums and an EP by the time "From Under the Cork Tree" came out; and similarly, MCR's "I'm Not Okay" was their entrance into the mainstream even though they'd been touring off their first album for nearly three years by that point. Depending on what you classify as touring.

From a business perspective, Fall Out Boy and MCR were both self-sustaining business ventures, albeit small ones, that rested entirely in the bands' own hands, whereas the pop fandom kids only gained control over the business side of their music after bitter battles with their managers, or through managerial control by parents.

Really, to me, the thing of note is the point behind the two scenes. With pop, it was talent that was marketed into success; with fob/mcr, it was a bunch of guys who wanted to play music and happened to have some business sense that miraculously made them successful. Both have catchy fucking songs, but in very different genres.

SA knows all! (And I mean that sincerely! I had no idea about most of that, aside from NSYNC and BSB being created, and MCR and FOB being self-created.)

I was talking mostly about the difference in sound, just to me personally. I missed all the NSYNC and BSB love, because of where I was in my life at the time, I guess, and FOB/MCR/Panic is wonderful for me because it's poppy and fun and rocking and ... not like a lot of the other stuff I listen to.

I was talking mostly about the difference in sound, just to me personally.

That's what I was wondering, basically. Although I'm, as always, impressed by SA's scholar-like explication of Bandom: Then And Now.

FOB/MCR/Panic is wonderful for me because it's poppy and fun and rocking

Okay, that's also basically what I was wondering -- what they *sound* like.

I can send you a few songs if you want a little sampler.

...oh.

Um. Fall Out Boy has the heart-tearing lyrics of mid-era Smiths/Tori Amos set to a driving pop-punk beat. The kind of dance-rock that has you mouthing every word while you're jumping up and down breathless.

My Chemical Romance alternates between thundering rhythms and Gerard Way wailing his soul out, and surprisingly delicate songs with Ray Toro's talented chord progressions mixed to really affecting design.

Panic at the Disco's first album, Fever, was "techno dance-pop cabaret." To, er, steal a phrase, but there's no real accurate way to pin their sound. It's like if you threw carnivale and a rave in bed together and had a fast-paced acid-tongued baby with a predeliction for eyeliner and disaffected teenage sarcasm. Their current sound (now that they're legal) is angling more towards the psych-pop/sixties rock of Sgt Pepper's era Beatles (god, I am so over that comparison, but it's rather apt) or mid-ninties Super Furry Animals, with a couple of experimental curveballs thrown in. It's probably more accessible than Fever, considerably slower-paced, and about 300% more inscrutable lyrically. They've obviously progressed as musicians (the whole album was tracked live) but it really depends on your taste.

The Hush Sound is just pretty.

Fred Pete, thank you so much for the recs! I'm acheck them out this weekend.

MCR - very much not a goth band, however gothy their tendencies (IMNSHO). Gerard has expressed his admiration of Nirvana, and has said that Nirvana was interpreting rock for that time period, and MCR wishes to interpret rock for this time period. (He wasn't saying that they are the ONLY interpreters of rock, just that that's part of their aesthetic. Their goal, as always, is to Save Your Life. So not kidding with that.) Also, large fans of Green Day, which comes through in more than a few songs. Mostly, though, I'd liken them to Queen.

MCR hooked me in when someone made me sit down and *listen* and *watch*. Ray Toro (lead guitar, main composer) is a hell of a guitarist, who lists Iron Maiden, Queen, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jimi Hendrix, Tony Iommi, and others as his influences. Those show up all the way through MCR's catalog, but especially in the last album. Bob Bryar (drummer) is better than a lot of people realize, largely due to his extensive grounding in jazz drumming. (SA can explicate on that further.) From there. I actually looked up the lyrics and history, and then began the flailing.

I don't know, dude, I think Bryar is mostly underappreciated because the rest of the band gets so much flail, but on the drumming scene he gets a lot of respect. He drummed through junior high and high school, where he was primarily a jazz band drummer, which speaks to his skill level, I think. The best and easiest way to convey his talent is to take a look at his drumkit for The Black Parade (third album, rather conceptual and interestingly experimental from a drumming point of view). That is a ridiculous collection of drums. And he uses them all. Two snares, four toms (18" and 20" floor toms!), three ride cymbals, two crash, and a hi-hat. Ridiculousness.

Last night, I described The Hush Sound as "sociopathic piano rock." By which I mean awesome.

And that is all I will say about the subject of bandom, because I need to leave work and get in line to try to be within spitting distance of the stage tonight. (Although I will relay one of last night's text message exchanges: "Where are you?" "Stage Ray by the booze.")

MCR is kind of like.... okay.

Take a nerdy kid from Jersey with a wicked voice and a penchant for horror, maudlin optimism, and Freddy Mercury-esque stage theatrics. Put his dorky little Jersey scene-king brother on the bass. His friend on lead guitar shreds like Van Halen. The rhythm guitarist was airlifted in from a Jersey thrash punk band. Top that with a Chicago kid with a kit the size of a small suburb, who beats on it like they're making it illegal.

It sounds kind of like that.