...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.

"Where are you?" "Stage Ray by the booze."

Text for the mofo WIN, right there.

I need to leave work and get in line to try to be within spitting distance of the stage tonight.

Have fun!

Have fun!

I'm going to die. It's gonna be awesome! (Oh, and my new Docs are kickass because I was on my feet for 7 hours last night and it barely hurt at all.)

t peeks in

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.

I'll take Mo Tucker over him any day.

t runs back out to hide

Toro shreds like Slash. That may be my affection and his hair talking.

MCR, when doing The Black Parade, put on a seriously awesome theatrical live show. Sadly, this tour, they didn't hit Seattle, so I cannot speak as to their more intimate shows.