Fanboys Anonymous

When I set out to find my next favorite musician, there are three places I look: Spotify, the opening acts for my favorite bands, and recommendations from friends. Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of seeing a social media post about an indie musician out of Boston. Always up for hearing new talent, and yes, I am partial to the male voice, I began listening to and fell quickly in love with Troy's voice. His upcoming EP When The Lights Came has a raw sound of inspirational emotion. From the pop sound of the title track "When the Lights Came" to the slower piano arrangement of "The Lucky Ones," there's a wide arrangement on the EP. "Song Man" has to be my absolute favorite; it begins with a slow beat, but before you know it, it quickly moves into a catchy trance that has you not only singing along but also trying to decipher the meaning of the lyrics.

Troy was kind enough to answer a few questions for Fanboys Anonymous and give me a sneak peek of his EP, which I know you guys will absolutely love!

FA: Your newest single, "Coward," is written in conjunction with Restless Waters by Jessica Park. Can you tell me how that process worked?

Troy: Yes! Very exciting to be a part of Jessica's new book. She is a brilliant author and a wonderful person to work with. Jess and I had been talking for a couple of years about working on a project together, and when she decided to write Restless Waters she knew that it was the right project. The process for writing "Coward" was really great in many ways. It challenged me in a way that no other song that I've written has. All my songs are very personal and pulled out of life experiences. So attempting to write a song about a fictional character was a bit frightening. But Jess really gave me a great understanding of who Sabin was and what he was dealing with. It turned out that I felt a strong connection to his character, and that gave me a good idea as to how the song should go. Working with Jess was a pleasure; she really gave me complete freedom to dive in and attempt to portray Sabin through this song. So with her guidance I tried to vaguely encompass all of the things he is dealing with in the book so people that know the character could relate to it and it would be authentic to him, but also so that people that aren't familiar might be able to connect as well.

FA: It looks like you have an EP coming out soon. Can you tell me more about when to expect it? From what I've heard it's been "coming" since early this year, yet I only see a single from it. Unless it is out and can't find it?

Troy: You're right, my EP When The Lights Came has been on standby for quite a while now. I've really been waiting for the right time to release it. It looks like that time might be very soon! I released the single "Rosary" last summer along with a gorgeous music video, and it has been doing quite well, but I really wanted to release the EP in a unique way. The collaboration of "Coward" with Jessica led to her using many of my songs on the EP in the book as well, so as it turns out, I'm happy that we waited to release it. It feels a bit more special now that it will begin its life within the book.

FA: What types of music should we expect from the EP? Is it similar to your other singles or a new sound?

Troy: My goal for the EP and all of my music has been to maintain simplicity but still achieve a big and impactful sound. So the EP is definitely in line with "Coward" and "Rosary." I've been working with Dante Lattanzi of Caelum Music Production on all of the tunes, and he has completely captured everything I was looking for. The songs are very personal and emotional, so I wanted to allow them to convey that with little distraction.

FA: Do you feel any special connection to any of your songs, more so than the others? I know this is like picking a favorite child, you can hate me. Ha, ha.

Troy: I do feel a special connection to all of my songs actually, I don't know if I could pick a favorite. If I had to I might say "Rosary" and "Restless Lady" are my two favorites because they came out of very painful memories of losing my father. "Rosary" was inspired by a conversation that I never got to finish with my dad, and "Restless Lady" is kind of a tribute to my mom for being so strong after my dad passed away. I also feel a special connection to "Restless Lady" because I named the song after a song that he wrote many years ago. I opened his old Gibson Acoustic guitar case and I found a musty handwritten lyric sheet of his song "Restless Lady," and about 30 minutes later I had completed the song. I've never written a song that fast before or after, so this one is a special one for sure.

FA: Do you prefer working in a band or as a solo act? Do you like having more creative control over the work without the risk of disagreement from band members?

Troy: There are definitely pros and cons to both. At the moment, I am loving what I am doing as a solo act. I do enjoy the freedom to do whatever I think is right and to explore whatever type of direction a song leads. That being said I think it is really important for me to have other opinions, so I have other people that I respect and trust that I'll share ideas with and make sure I'm not crazy most of the time. Having Dante as a partner also makes life easy for me as a solo act. As an incredible multi-instrumentalist, he can really bring anything to life and makes it easy to explore so many different avenues.

FA: Where did your interest in music begin? Were there any people in your life who encouraged and helped your creative talents along the way?

Troy: My father was a musician. He met my mom while he was playing gigs. Music was always in my house growing up, so I loved music at a young age. Although I didn't start pursuing it until I was in college, I always loved to sing. My family has encouraged me ever since I began to write songs; it feels great knowing that they love what I'm doing. Every musician that I've played with over the years has also helped me in some way. I like to learn from everyone, and just having the fortune to know and have played with some incredible people has really helped me grow as a musician.

FA: For people out there who haven't yet had the pleasure of listening to your music, how would you classify your sound?

Troy: This is a tough one. And I should probably have this answer ready because people ask me all the time, but I've had a hard time putting my own label on it. I guess I can just quote from a blog called Jamsphere that summed it up pretty good in my opinion: "It's like Eddie Vedder meets Otis Redding over at Daryl Hall's house on a Sunday afternoon."

FA: Are there any comparisons out there that you absolutely hate? Or for that matter love?

Troy: I don't think I've ever been put off by a comparison. I guess I look at any comparison as a compliment. I do love when I hear an Amos Lee or Kings of Leon comparison though. Two of my all-time favorites.

FA: What (or Who) are you a fanboy of?

Troy: I was/am obsessed with the movie Avatar! I thought it was the most incredibly moving piece of art I've ever seen. I've gotten a lot of shit from my friends for this, but I don't care. I saw it in the theater about 10 times and probably watched it at home about 20 times more. I still feel moved every single time.

FA: Light saber or magic wand?

Troy: Well when I was a young boy I was a very amateur magician, so I'd have to say magic wand.

FA: Favorite book?

Troy: Restless Waters by Jessica Park

FA: Favorite band?

Troy: Kings of Leon

FA: Favorite TV show?

Troy: Friends

Listen to "Coward" below and let me know your thoughts in a comment!

The theme song for the latest film in the James Bond franchise, Spectre, has been released. The following are the lyrics:

SPECTRE theme song "Writing's on the Wall"
Performed by Sam Smith
Written by Sam Smith and Thomas Newman

I've been here before
But always hit the floor
I've spent a lifetime running
and I always get away
But with you I'm feeling something
That makes me want to stay.

I'm prepared for this
I never shoot to miss
But I feel a storm is coming
If I'm gonna make it through the day
Then there's no more use in running
This is something I gotta face.

If I risk it all
Could you break my fall?

How do I live? How do I breathe?
When you're not here, I'm suffocating
I want to feel love run through my blood
Tell me, is this where I give it all up?
For you, I have to risk it all
Cause the writing's on the wall

A million shards of glass
That haunt me from my past
As the stars begin to gather
And the light begins to fade
When all hope begins to shatter
Know that I won't be afraid

If I risk it all
Could you break my fall?

How do I live? How do I breathe?
When you're not here, I'm suffocating
I want to feel love run through my blood
Tell me, is this where I give it all up?
For you, I have to risk it all
Cause the writing's on the wall

The writing's on the wall

How do I live? How do I breathe?
When you're not here, I'm suffocating
I want to feel love run through my blood
Tell me, is this where I give it all up?

How do I live? How do I breathe?
When you're not here, I'm suffocating
I want to feel love run through my blood
Tell me, is this where I give it all up?
For you, I have to risk it all
Cause the writing's on the wall

For you, I have to risk it all
Cause the writing's on the wall

A cryptic message from Bond's past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organization. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind SPECTRE.

Newcomers on the indie music scene, Betsy, have an eclectic sound that reminds me of the early '90s era. From the slow ballad of "It Breaks My Heart" to the 311 type arrangements of "Rocky Road," the band has definitely shown its vast talent in its debut four-track EP.

In a music industry that constantly changes, a new band needs to show something spectacular in order to stand out. Betsy has done all this and more. Members of this band include Joe Rattanavong, Spencer Armada, Billiejoe Jones, Zack Field. In an exclusive interview with lead singer and guitar player Joe Rattanavong, I learned about the inspiration behind the music and how this band came together.

Fanboys Anonymous: First off, tell me about the members of your band.

Joe: I guess I'll start with our bass player, Spencer Armada. He's a big nerd with a sweet heart,
a grad student, and killer bass player. He's been with Betsy since the beginning. One of my best friends, Billie Jo Jones, is our guitar player. I like to think of him as a man of steel who plays guitar exceptionally well! No, but things changed a lot once he joined the band. Our sound became much fuller. There was a point when we first started the band where I was trying to do a lot of rhythm and lead stuff on my own. I got the job done, but it was just a much different sound. It was a little too raw for our liking. Zack Field is our drummer. He's been the most recent addition to the band; perhaps the most important. Not just because he's an amazing drummer but because we were stranded without one for a small while. He was a blessing. These guys are all amazing, and I'm super stoked to be playing with them.

FA: Your debut self-titled EP, Betsy, just released this month. What's your favorite song off the album and why?

Joe: I don't really have a favorite. I guess if I had to choose, it would be "Rocky Road," just because it's come such a long way from when I wrote it. Also, I feel like we all contributed something crucial to the song. Everyone wrote great parts. The drum and bass at the beginning really start the groove, and once Billie and I come in, it really comes full circle. There's also a trumpet section that Spencer and I wrote. It really added a lot of color to the song.

FA: What influences your music?

Joe: I guess the obvious answer is other people's music. I try and see a show at least once a month and really hone in the experience. You can always walk away being inspired after a great performance. Also, living in San Francisco has been a huge influence in my writing. Traveling and seeing people is always a great way for me to write music. Even traveling a short distance. I take the train every day and can write for an hour in my notebook just by sitting and thinking.

FA: Do you find that the San Francisco area responds well to indie artists? Are there any local venues or festivals you hope to play in?

Joe: Well, San Francisco is a really accepting town so, yes. However, the music scene here is sort of dragging right now. Bands and musicians are starting to relocate to other parts of the bay or California. Venues are shutting down. A lot of bands are moving to Oakland because it's just cheaper. San Francisco is so expensive, musicians can't afford to live here. I've noticed bigger names are moving to L.A. I don't know. I think most people just want new scenery. Yeah, now that this EP is out, we're going to start playing everywhere in town. We're a fresh band, so we'll have to start from the bottom. We're ready and excited.

FA: Tell me about the recording and mixing process.

Joe: We recorded at Hyde street studios here in San Francisco. It's a legendary studio. A lot of great bands have recorded here—Janis Joplin; Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young; Green day recorded Insomniac there! Sun Kill Moon did Benji there! So, we felt really fortunate to be able to work in such a nice studio. We recorded all the tracks in one day with the help of our good friend and engineer Dan Shalev, who also produced and mixed the record at his house. It took us about 2 months, but that's because Dan's work is so tedious. We really took our time on it though, listening to different versions of the song every day until we knew which one was right. He did such a great job on this project. Without him, these songs wouldn't sound as good as they do.

FA: In your opinion, what sets you apart from other artists? What makes your music unique?

Joe: I don't know. I try not to think about that. Once I start thinking about it, I start questioning myself and my music. I've had this problem in the past. so I just do what I do. Luckily, the band is able to come up with good ideas that keep things interesting.

FA: What's your band's story? How did you come together and decide "Hey, let's start a band?"

Joe: It kind of just happened. I lived in a house full of musicians. My old roommate/best friend Nate White, who I played music with in Tennessee, started playing drums a lot, so I would find myself playing guitar with him all the time. Spencer is a close friend of ours, and he would come over and jam. I guess one thing led to another, and we started Betsy. Nate eventually started playing in a band called The Persons but was a big part of Betsy in the beginning.

FA: What's next for this year? Anything special?

Joe: Just playing shows and finishing our full length. We'll probably do a small tour soon but mainly just continue to write and play out.

FA: My favorite bands include Lydia and Copeland, which have been around for at least a decade. In ten years, do you hope to be together still or expanding into other projects to keep things fresh?

Joe: Keeping a band together for ten years would be a dream come true. I'll definitely be doing other projects though. Starting new things are always fun.

FA: My favorite song (that I've heard so far) is "Summer's Over," which seems to fit well with the fact that summer is ending. Can you tell me about how that song came about?

Joe: I actually wrote it at the end of last summer just noodling around on guitar in my room. I just had words flowing through my head, but the words are quite literal in reference to what I was doing at the moment, ha, I was just drinking by myself and thinking about everything. We had partied a lot that summer. It was ending. My friends were in the next room being loud and annoying. I don't know. It's a cheesy, simple song that I didn't think we would actually use, but it's a lot of fun.

FA: Lightsaber or a magic wand?

Joe: Ha, light saber. No question.

FA: DC or Marvel?

Joe: DC wins.

FA: Favorite movie?

Joe: I'm a huge fan of Quentin Tarantino. I love all the Kill Bills. I can't wait for the next one.

FA: Favorite TV show?

Joe: I'm watching Alpha House right now with John Goodman. I like a lot of older stuff though. Seinfeld is a go-to classic.

If you are a fan of musicians such as Green Day, 311, or Sublime, check out the songs below and leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Celebrated composer James Horner died yesterday, June 22, 2015, after his plane crashed in southern California. He was 61 years old.

Horner's long and successful career spanned four decades, from the late '70s and early '80s until now. At the time of his death, he was attached to upcoming releases like Anton Fuqua's Southpaw—a far cry from the kinds of films through which he made his name.

Horner's breakthrough came with scoring 1982's Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, crafting dynamic compositions that would define the hallmarks of his approach to movie music. You know a James Horner score when you hear it, most of the time. In fact, there's a chance you are hearing some of a previous score. In addition to borrowing and tweaking selections from classical composers for his work, Horner often reused pieces of his own scores for later films. Horner scored both of the top-grossing movies of all time—James Cameron's Avatar and Titanic—the latter of which is also the best-selling film score ever. This is despite a notoriously rocky first recording process working with Cameron on Aliens, after which Horner swore he wouldn't work with Cameron again.

Cameron was far from Horner's only repeat director, though Cameron's movies were the only ones for which Horner won Academy Awards (Best Original Song and Best Original Score, for Titanic). Ron Howard, Walter Hill, Joe Johnston, Don Bluth, Michael Apted, Phil Alden Robinson, Mel Gibson, Philip Noyce, Edward Zwick, Alan J. Pakula, Wolfgang Petersen, Jean-Jacques Annaud, Martin Campbell, Steven Zaillian—each of these directors worked at least twice with Horner, with seven total collaborations with Ron Howard, including Apollo 13.

Horner's music is the kind where every few years you realize he scored another beloved movie, be it An American Tail, Willow, Patriot Games, Braveheart, or Field of Dreams. He was occasionally criticized for using tweaked selections from classical scores or his own previous work, considered less original than crafting wholly new compositions. But Horner was a pioneer of electronic music and unusual instrumentation to get the effect he wanted, and a glimpse at his filmography reveals a more diverse range of work than one might expect from a glimpse at his greatest hits. His sound will be missed.

What are your favorite James Horner scores? Reminisce and pay respects in the comments below.

On episode 20 of the Fanboys Anonymous Group Meeting podcast, the panel has a roundtable discussion about things in the geek culture spectrum that are labeled "not safe for work".

Hosted by Tony Mango, the panel includes Calen Bruce, Caroline Oliveira, Shaun Walker, Angela Williams.

Some topics we address:

• MPAA ratings for film
• Censorship on television
• Janet Jackson's Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction
• ESRB ratings for video games
• Do violent video games create killers?
• Grand Theft Auto Hot Coffee Mod
• Game of War Kate Upton sexploitation
• Parental advisory warnings for music
• Songs that promote substance abuse or racism
• Is nudity in cosplay art or just to seek attention?
• Rule 34 on the internet
• and more!

You can watch the podcast below. Make sure to subscribe!

Every genre of music has its heroes: Hendrix, Mozart, Elvis, Pavarotti, Madonna, David Guetta, and so forth. Though they are not the only absolute truths in their categories, for some reason destiny chose them to be the spearhead of their brethren's flagpole. Yes, I'm kidding about Guetta.

B.B. King plays on "Lucille"

B.B. King was such. A name so big in the genre of blues that even my grandmother, who knows nothing of the sorts, is aware of the larger-than-life legend. If you're not aware of what this man did with blues, now is the time to get to know it. The elements of jazz, gospel, and even rock 'n' roll that were imported to that particular facet of guitar music are probably due to Blues Boy King.

This is big because blues music was essentially the Mississippi delta acoustic guitar tunes, usually about the devil at the crossroads at midnight, or "my baby ran away on a train to Georgia." With the modernization of blues and the electric guitar, B.B. King did his part alongside peers of close caliber but nowhere near the same brilliance as King's charisma. He moaned, cried, screamed, and told jokes and tales through his guitar, Lucille. The message was loud and clear as he influenced names such as Eric Clapton, Gary Moore, and Keith Richards.

Averaging 250–300 shows per year, he had cut back to "only" 100 in since he turned 80. Such was his dedication that he performed into the last year of his life, when the last remaining dates of 2014 were cancelled due to health reasons.

Enjoy some of his work! R.I.P. Blues Boy.

Death Cab for Cutie released their last album, Codes and Keys, in 2011. It was an album very different from the group's previous discography; it sounded happy. It was less guitar-centric, more ambient—"less photograph, more impressionism," as lead guitarist and producer Chris Walla put it at the time. Frontman and vocalist Ben Gibbard had married his longtime sweetheart Zooey Deschanel, maybe putting an end to the soulful heartbreak that dripped from prior albums and had defined part of DCFC's sound. The band's latest album, Kintsugi, newly released at the end of March, deals with the separation from both parties.

Though Walla remained on board for recording, he has since parted ways with the group to produce solo work and didn't produce/mix/engineer this album as he had every Death Cab album before this one. And sadly for Gibbard and indie romantics everywhere, he and his wife separated, finalizing their divorce in 2012.

It's easy to think that this record could have been a glorious dive back into the dark human depths of DCFC's yesteryear, and it's easy to see why. Gibbard, as a lyricist, has long been dogged by the stories about which he sings, often mistaken for the main character in any given song. Every interview about this album has touched on the fact of his divorce and how much it has informed the content of the songs. To quote his interview with Billboard: "I'm not going to change the way I've always written for fear of people correctly or incorrectly assigning a name and face to these songs... I've always written about my life and the lives of people around me, and how everything intersects."

While some of the songs undeniably deal with Gibbard's personal life, it doesn't matter. Gibbard's central talent of making every song personal, to him or the listener, is still on full display on Kintsugi, and the sonic landscape is no less rich or intriguing minus Walla's hands-on involvement. After the harshness of 2008's Narrow Stairs and the interesting meanderings of Codes and Keys, Kintsugi is an important step and statement from a veteran band that still wants to explore.


First, that title: "kintsugi" refers to a Japanese practice of mending broken ceramics using lacquer mixed with precious metals, often gold. It translates as "golden repair," the idea being to celebrate the history of an object, breaks or cracks notwithstanding. As many have pointed out, it's an apt title for an album created by rents and rifts. Pair this with the first line of the opening track, "No Room in Frame," as Gibbard sings "I don't know where to begin…" It's like looking at the pieces left behind without an idea of the shape they will eventually take.

That said, "No Room in Frame" is one of the more obviously Zooey-inspired tracks on the album. "Was I in your way, when the cameras turned to face you? / No room in frame for two," he laments. It's a relatively sparse song, relying mostly on Gibbard's thoughtful tones as he travels familiar territories and muses about, well, love and loss. What else is there? A more layered sound builds through the song, rhythm guitar giving way to out-of-focus keyboard textures and ending on a more traditional Death Cab guitar piece courtesy of Walla. "We'll both go on to be lonely with someone else," Gibbard concludes.

"Black Sun," the second song and first single from the album, opens with a measured two-note guitar riff paced like a pensive stride. This song is the yin to the opening yang, rougher and angrier than the lighter "No Room in Frame." "How could something so fair be so cruel?" is the crux of the song, asked repeatedly before Walla opens up a hard fuzzed-out guitar that ends abruptly, like a changing mood. Whiskey in the water, death on the vine, fear in the eyes, beauty in a failure, depths beyond compare—the lyrics brood above the steady rhythm and electronic textures backing the track. This is the kind of thing Death Cab does extremely well. If Ben Gibbard had never even met Zooey Deschanel, the song would still retain power because of Death Cab's talent to infuse deceptively simple thoughts with emotional truth and power. Perhaps even better is the ending verse: "There is grace within forgiveness / but it's so hard for me to find." Admitting to your struggles despite knowing the road is quintessentially Gibbard.

"Ghosts of Beverly Drive," track three, highlights another Death Cab talent: fun and bright music obscuring the painful story told by the lyrics (see: "Crooked Teeth," "The Sound of Settling," "Long Division," etc.). As indicated by the title, this is the first of a few songs on the album that deal with another perennial Gibbard topic, celebrity and the culture that comes with it. He speaks of not knowing why he returns to "the scenes of these crimes, where the hedgerows slowly wind / Through the ghosts of Beverly Drive / I don't know what I expect to find / Where all the news is second hand / And everything just goes on as planned." The emptiness of L.A. and its celebrity denizens makes a few appearances on this album, but this track includes a kind of mea culpa in the shape of a central conundrum that exists for any working artist, but particularly in this time and place. "You wanna teach but not be taught / and I wanna sell, but not be bought / so let us not be lonesome, lost in between our needs and wants."

"Little Wanderer" opens with a riff reminiscent of The Cure filtered through The Police, the first hint of the '80s-fest to come later in the album. It speaks to long-distance relationships in the age of instant communication. Gibbard casts himself in the left-behind role, acting as a lighthouse for his returning partner, or the tree on which her bird can land, standing tall "guiding you home to me." Though a song off of 2001's The Photo Album was titled "A Movie Script Ending" and played on the irony of that phrase, this song actually has one, a kiss and "embrace in the baggage claim" at the wanderer's return.

The fifth and sixth tracks, "You've Haunted Me All My Life" and "Hold No Guns" are gentler interludes that feature mostly Gibbard and a guitar, palate cleansers for the musical shift to come. "You've Haunted Me" could have been a B-side from the earliest DCFC works, simple emotion and simple arrangement adding to a greater whole, though it certainly employs some subtle sonic tricks picked up in the intervening years. "Hold No Guns" is even simpler and shorter, a series of questions asked of a retreating lover. "My love, why do you run? / For my hands hold no guns."

Remember that '80s-fest I mentioned? Track seven, "Everything's a Ceiling," takes that and runs with it, opening on pure synth over knocking and clapping percussion. "Way, way down in a hole / There's no feeling / 'Cause when you're so far beneath the floor / Everything's a ceiling," Gibbard sings, again happy to lay sharply depressing lyrics over happier music. That's the thing: though odd, the synth conceit is owned totally, and an unmistakable Death Cab riff emerges through the chorus as Gibbard sings about being left in his hole, calling out for his love while she's "miles away, digging with someone new." Then the band turns the '80s up a notch, ushering in a tap-tap rhythm reminiscent of the start of "(I've Had) The Time of My Life." It's a crazy mashup, '80s pop rhythms combined with vintage Death Cab for Cutie, but it works. It's a seamless transition, too, around the 2:30 mark, when the two influences blend easily into one song, and you'd never guess that opening connects to this ending. This dovetails nicely with the imagery in the lyrics, as Gibbard resolves himself to simply keep digging, since "if the Earth is as round as they say / Then I won't find another place / From where I break back through / That's farther away from you."

"Good Help (Is So Hard To Find)" puts another log on the celebrity-burning fire. "You'll never have to hear the word "no" / If you keep all your friends on the payroll," Gibbard begins. This too is an upbeat tune, of course accompanied by further warnings about the realities, or perhaps unrealities, of living life insulated from challenges to one's artistry or development. The guitar chugs, slides, and shimmers beneath the vocal, supported in turn by an enthusiastic if traditional rhythm. It's one of the more polished tracks on the album and provides a nice lead-in to the fascinating "El Dorado."

Another retro intro, with plenty of reverb creating an echoing guitar soundscape, gives way to a more propulsive rhythm section that drives the track. Set at a gig "over in Culver City, shining bright, name in lights," Gibbard sings not as the musician, but as an audience member in attendance to support... someone. Given the nature of the album, I'll leave it to you to decide whether or not this is another Zooey song. "I tried to be hyped for you," he repeats. "Seems you finally found, finally found El Dorado / So why does it feel underwhelming, barely real?" The song is a showcase for a number of major Death Cab themes, and not just from this album. Sure, there's the maybe-sorta Zooey Deschanel influence, but again there's Gibbard's own mixed feelings over whether or not to even attend the event, the difficulties he has in trying to be excited for his friend, and the trouble he has in general with the idea of fame, of a name in lights.

Death Cab for Cutie performs on Letterman.

"Ingenue," track ten, would seemingly be another song directed to or written about Gibbard's ex-wife, but it's not so easily classified. As in older Death Cab work, Gibbard's voice is filtered here for the first time on several Death Cab albums, and to great effect. "What have we done to you?" he asks of the titular ingenue in the opening lines. He speaks of the "currency of being twenty-three" and advises her to "take what you can" and then to "escape from this town / Before your sand runs out." Though "framed like a cartoon / The borders clear and defined / the colors bold and bright," eventually she'll want to be "taken more seriously / But they just play a cue / And it's such a hard thing to do." It's not long until he asks instead, "What will become of you?," questioning what will happen when "age's glacial pace / Cuts valleys into your face." While I'm sure some of Zooey leaked into the song, it feels more like a critique of how celebrity uses people, or uses them up. It's a warning, but perhaps a fruitless one, given the powerful lure of fame and its potentially brief offerings.

"Binary Sea" closes out the album, wrapping everything up with a kind of parable about modern life and our interaction with each other. Lyrically, it's among the strongest tunes on the album, and the arrangement reflects this, backing Gibbard's front-and-center vocals with a light piano and more atmospheric, electronic textures (all of which appear on this album courtesy of new producer Rich Costey, presumably). It would have been right at home on 2005's Plans.

Gibbard introduces Atlas, the mythical Titan who bears the world on his shoulders. Despite, as Gibbard says, the world being "so much smaller than the one he used to hold before," the weight "brought him to the floor." And what do we do in response to this apocalyptian scenario, of the world dropping from its support? "As you watched him struggle to his feet / You took photos capturing his defeat / And messaged them to all your friends / And we all laughed at his expense." I could reprint every line here, because it's quite incisive in the prettiest way, in true Death Cab fashion. As the song goes on, he asks the listener to swim out in that vast binary sea, where "zeroes and ones, patterns appear / They'll prove to all that we were here / For if there is no document / We cannot build our monument." Our obsession with documenting every facet of our lives distracts us from what is meaningful, he says. We're so determined to make memories and capture everlasting moments that living falls by the wayside. The same happens to Atlas by song's end.

Death Cab for Cutie is now a group of elder statesmen for the indie-darling scene of which it used to be a central part. Like any band of their longevity, they've had to evolve to survive, but for the best reasons. Gibbard has spoken of wanting to distance the band from becoming too self-referential, from retreading ground just because it was an easy path to walk. Without Walla, we'll see where the path leads from here on out, but Kinsugi is a terrific first step. While they're well past spending the currency of being 23, they have stuff of greater value to trade on. Gibbard's trademark brand of rueful wisdom, his ability to give personal voice to difficult feelings and stories, has aged well and should continue to.

This is music we're talking about here, however, and everyone has an opinion. Let us hear yours in the comments below! Hipsters, was Death Cab soooooooo much better before they were championed by The O.C.? Lovers of The New Girl, is Ben Gibbard being too mean on this album? Normal people, how does the music sound to you? Chime in!

As a fan of Logic for a number of years, I have been waiting patiently for the day of the release of his debut album. For a while, it felt like it was never going to happen. However, after releasing four mixtapes, signing with Def Jam, a number of nationwide and international tours, and numerous tweets from the man himself, the day has arrived for Under Pressure to be released to the public for the rap junkies to listen to.

Under Pressure is a very serious album compared to most of Logic's mixtapes. Throughout the album, Logic tells stories of how his brothers were in gangs and how it affected him, his father's addiction to crack, his difficult uprising, his success, and his transition into a celebrity, etc. At the end of the day, what most fans only want to know is this: did Logic "sell out" and became a mainstream rapper? The answer to that question is no, at least not yet.

Like I mentioned, this album is very dark with its lyrical content, and the production that went into it matches what Logic is saying. Most of the songs are very emotional and it doesn't really bring out a vibe that it will sell well if the song was released as a single.

For some reason, fans have a tendency to turn on rappers if they sign a record deal and just release albums that includes pop-like songs that would successfully sell as singles. Logic clearly stays away from that with this record, showing people who and what he is and what he brings to the table. This album isn't going for mainstream appeal as it is the coming out party for Logic and letting us know that he is here to stay.

Now for my opinion on the album: I am in love with it. Everything flows together smoothly and all of the songs deserve to be there. From "Gang Related," which tells from both Logic's prospective and from his brother's about the gangs they were in, to "Nikki," which is about the addiction of a certain something that Logic has been infatuated with for ten years now, everything has a spot and successfully lets us into Logic's world.

This is a definite buy for any fans of Logic who want to get to better understand the man's youth. I fully believe people will be talking about this album years from now as the starting of a great career for this young man. At the age of  24, Logic has brought upon us a new classic (Iggy pun intended) that hopefully brings the man the recognition and respect that he deserves.

So what do you think about the record? Is it a five-star classic or is it a dud that will be made fun of for years to come? Fill free to comment below!

What is up, Dacetacular nation? The D-List is a weekly Top 10 countdown with me, The Dace Man, and I'll run down my top 10 picks!

Join me in the 8th episode as I give you my Top 10 Comic Book Characters on The Big Screen! I will sound off on the comic heroes and villains that have successfully made their way to the big screen! Fanboys and Fangirls jump on board the crazy train as I venture across the films that brought our favorite comic book characters to life. I'll journey through time to bring you some of the classic heroes and villains as well as current movies from the men (and women), the myths, and the legends of the comic world!

Did I mention one of your favorite films? Am I watching the right movies? Lastly, for the 7th week, did I manage to outrage the interwebs? Go grab a drink, maybe some snacks, and kick back and enjoy The D-List  for the week of September 29!

As always, check back regularly to see what Chris "The Dace Man" Dace is looking at (and no, not just porn), as well as all of the other bloggers here at Fanboys Anonymous. Remember, keyboard warriors: leave your feedback! Until the next time, for the few, the proud, and, of course, the Dacetacular, grab a beer—and in this case a list—and check out what's going on here in the Dace-Sphere. See ya next time!


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What is up, Dacetacular nation? The D-List is a weekly Top 10 countdown with me, The Dace Man, and I'll run down my top 10 picks!

Join me in the seventh episode as I give you my Top 10 Adam Sandler Films! I will sound off on the comedic film star that gave us classic films with unlimited rewatch value!. Fanboys and Fangirls jump on board the crazy train as I venture across generations of Sandler. I'll journey through time to bring you some of the classic comedies as well as current movies from the man, the myth, and the legend that is Adam Sandler!

Did I mention one of your favorite film? Am I watching the right movies? Lastly, for the seventh week, did I manage to outrage the interwebs? Go grab a drink, maybe some snacks, and kick back and enjoy The D-List  for the week of September 15!

 

As always, check back regularly to see what Chris "The Dace Man" Dace is looking at (and no, not just porn), as well as all of the other bloggers here at Fanboys Anonymous. Remember, keyboard warriors: leave your feedback! Until the next time, for the few, the proud, and, of course, the Dacetacular, grab a beer—and in this case a list—and check out what's going on here in the Dace-Sphere. See ya next time!

Listen live to The Dace Man Show every Wednesday at 8 p.m. EST on Mega Powers Radio.

Follow on Facebook: Mega Powers Radio | Fanboys Anonymous | The Dace Man Show | Nerd Court | Sports Talk Weekly | Addicted to Anime

After five years of promising a new album "soon," myriad producer changes, and a shift from longtime manager Paul McGuinness to Guy Oseary, U2 makes a better return than anyone had a right to expect with their brand-new album, Songs of Innocence.

Dropped by surprise (and for free!) just days ago at the already-legendary Apple unveiling, the Irishmen's thirteenth studio album is packed with pieces of their past: from lyrical allusions to growing up rough in the streets of '70s Dublin, to their inspirations and influences, to their loves and their lost. U2 has always mined their inner selves for material, but this album is notable for using their history to frame what's almost a concept album, tracing their development from kids into the biggest band in the world. Despite the number of cooks in U2's kitchen this time—from producer Brian Burton, a.k.a Danger Mouse, Adele's producer, Paul Epworth, and songwriter/producer Ryan Tedder—the result is a remarkably cohesive, joyous, and energetic sound of four guys who have nothing left to prove and just want to make music they enjoy.

This isn't to say U2 is no longer concerned with being "relevant," the buzzword that Bono has consistently returned to over the years when he feels U2 being overshadowed by the quick, punchy pop music dominating the radio and people's i-whatevers. There are clear and mostly successful attempts to draw from the structures of electronic music, territory U2 has toyed with for years. However, the rock 'n' roll is still there, in the snappy, pounding drums of Larry Mullen Jr., in Adam Clayton's stalwart, throbbing basslines, and the Edge's ever-reliable shimmering and echoing guitar textures. And Bono himself is in fine form, loose and comfortable playing with melody, with some of his best lyrics to date.


The album opens with the first single, "The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)," an unabashed homage to and celebration of the Ramones, the band that showed U2 the way. No doubt included as tribute to the passing of the final surviving member of the Ramones, Tommy, earlier this year, the song opens with a fuzzed-out, driven guitar riff from Edge before Bono opens up. "I was chasing/ down the days of fear/ chasing down a dream before it disappeared," he begins. "I woke up at the moment when the miracle occurred / the most beautiful sound I ever heard/ and a song that made some sense of out of the world." While Edge's punky, in-your-face guitar gets most of the standalone moments, the true standout might be Larry Mullen's absolutely stomp-your-feet drumming propelling the song. "We were pilgrims on our way," Bono sings, and so they were and are.

"Every Breaking Wave," a song the band tested live through parts of their U2360 tour, opens with a bassline and light guitar reminiscent of their beautiful "With or Without You." The simply-strummed backing track sounds like it could have been culled from leftover material from their '80s catalog before it opens into a bright, yearning chorus like only U2 can deliver: "If you go/ if you go your way and I go mine/ are we so, are we so helpless against the tide?/ Baby, every dog on the street/ knows that we're in love with defeat/ Are we ready to be swept off our feet/ and stop chasing every breaking wave?"

As with many U2 songs, it can be read in several ways. Bono and his wife Ali met as teens in Dublin, and the singer has made much of his restless spirit, despite having been with Ali as long as he has been with the band. The aforementioned "With or Without You" deals with themes of devotion to your work, or to your love, and similarly there's a sense of held breath before the deciding plunge running through the song. At the same time, it could be another piece of U2's origins. The band nearly broke up while recording their second album, 1981's October, despite being poised for rock stardom. Opening yourself to feeling—that's what's in this song.

The third track, "California (There Is No End to Love)" opens with the sound of the previous title—breaking waves on the shore—before an improbable Beach Boys-derived harmony of "Ba-ba-Barbara, Santa Barbara" rises. In many ways, this is as simple as a rock song gets. It speaks of U2's first pilgrimage to California as young men, youthful exuberance and excitement at this strange new place pouring from the music and the singer. Again, bits of the memory of that experience are scattered throughout the song. It's simple fun, "whoa-a-oh-a-oh" choruses and sunlit imagery.

And then things quiet down for the best love song any band has delivered in a long time, U2 included: "Song for Someone." It's not about meeting at a party and dancing the night away; it's not about the heated passion of a one-night-stand. It's deeper than that, speaking to, from, and about the heart's mysteries when it finds a kindred spirit. If any song has been about Bono's relationship with Ali, it's this one. "You've got a face not spoiled by beauty/ I've got some scars from where I've been/ You've got eyes that can see right through me/ You're not afraid of anything they've seen." It builds to a celebratory peak, and Bono tweaks the bridge verse slightly toward the end. "If there is a light, you can't always see/ and there is a world we can't always be/ If there is a dark within and without/ then there is a light, don't let it go out." It's a song of devotion, and the enigmatic title keeps it personal to everyone who hears it.

U2 perform their new single, "The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)" at Apple's release event.

Bono's mother, Iris Hewson, collapsed at his grandfather's funeral when the singer was fourteen. She died not long after, and Bono has never quite come to terms with it. She can be found on nearly every album the band has put out, from the first track on their first album, "I Will Follow" off 1980's Boy, through to this fifth track "Iris (Hold Me Close)." Bono plays with the double-meaning of his mother's name, Iris, throughout the song. "The ache in my heart/ is so much a part of who I am/ Something in your eyes/ took a thousand years to get here," speaking of the distance starlight travels to shine in one's eyes. "I've got your life inside of me," he cries, before the song builds to a kind of dance break featured in so many songs today. The chorus deflates a little, choosing to highlight muddled vocals instead of Edge's platinum guitar. I won't be surprised if someone remixes this song into a solid dance hit. The fundamentals are there, and it's just the chorus that needs a punch.

Drums and bass open "Volcano," something of an oddity but a fun one. It's a jangly song admitting to the rage inside—and doubtless inside the singer, who again has spoken often about the anger to which he can cling too tightly, especially as a young man after his mother's death. It follows "Iris" almost chronologically. At the end of the song, he sings "You were alone/ now you're not alone/ you were alone/ but now you are rock and roll," singing about the salvation he found in his band mates and their music. The song becomes about the reckless and fiery energy that drove the young pilgrims on their way.

That energy continues in the next track, "Raised by Wolves," a series of first-hand experiences of Irish terror. "Face down on a broken street/ there's a man in the corner in a pool of misery/ I'm in a white van as the red sea covers the ground/ Metal crash and I can tell what it is/ but I take a look, and now I'm sorry I did/ 5:30 on a Friday night, thirty-three good people cut down." Adam Clayton's bassline grounds the song, letting Edge cut through with quick and angry bursts of guitar in addition to the propulsive shine of his main guitar melody. As the band takes us through the violence of their teenage years, it doesn't have the political fury of, say, "Bullet the Blue Sky," but that's to the song's credit. It's a tension-building song spliced with animalistic vocalizations, presenting those times as just a way of life, albeit an uncertain and dangerous one. "The worst things in the world are justified by belief... I don't believe anymore," Bono croons.

Bono in "The Miracle" promotional music video, overlaid with his hero Joey Ramone.

The journey through their past continues in "Cedarwood Road," another stomping, almost twangy number named for the street on which Bono grew up. Edge's anthemic guitar opens the song immediately in a kind of mournful, descending cry before Larry Mullen joins in and transforms the song into a tough rocker. The song is dedicated to Guggi, a friend of Bono's from childhood through to this day. It speaks to the ties of friendship (surely directed at the band as well) but also to the "foolish pride" that gets you out the door, keeps you coming back for more, all teenage bombast and unabashed full-throttle emotion.

"Sleep Like A Baby Tonight," the ninth track on the album, is strange and wonderful from the first second. U2 has a few oddities in their catalog, and this song joins their ranks proudly. Opening with an odd techno-tonk throbbing, Bono describes an early morning which could be dominated by a hangover, similar to "In A Little While," off of 2001's All That You Can't Leave Behind. It speaks of the healing power of day over long nights, and the temporary hideaway sleep provides. "Tomorrow dawns like a suicide," Bono promises, "but you're gonna sleep like a baby tonight." Much of this song speaks to pain and forgiveness, both others' and one's own. The Edge bursts in periodically with an angry buzzing guitar, his sound from "The Fly" as a migraine. The song finds a kind of measured peace as it develops, ending with Edge's fading-headache guitar solo coupled with twinkling chimes and a pulse-beat rhythm from Larry Mullen.

Then the pulse picks up, and seagulls start crying, to open "This Is Where You Can Reach Me Now." A light piano and acoustic guitar lead into an opening chorus that breaks into a little jam backed by a Wonderland spiral of a guitar sound that coalesces into a funky swing. Dedicated to Joe Strummer of The Clash, another influence on U2's formative years, the tune acknowledges the "outsider" feeling that drove the band in their early years. "If you won't let us in your world/ your world just isn't there," Bono sneers. "Old man says that we never listen/ we shout about what we don't know/ we're taking the path of most resistance/ the only way for us to go," he continues, perhaps alluding to his father, with whom he consistently had a rocky relationship as a young man. It's a brush-off: this is where you can reach me now. We're moving on, diving into a larger world both as a band and as growing individuals. The music takes some time to find itself, but the track is lyrically strong.

U2 has a history of excellent album-closers, and "The Troubles," featuring guest vocals from Swedish singer Lykke Li, is no exception. It could be an intimate metaphor for the actual Troubles, the Northern Irish conflict that dominated much of the second half of the twentieth century. Or, it could be a steely goodbye to a person you don't need anymore. "Somebody stepped inside your soul/ Little by little they robbed and stole/ 'til someone else was in control." The backing string section harkens back to U2's Oscar-nominated "The Hands That Built America," and while it's not as bombastic as that track there is a gentle power to this song. "I have a will for survival/ so you can hurt me, and hurt me some more/ I can live with denial/ but you're not my troubles anymore."

U2 then, U2 now: forty years as a band.

Songs of Innocence derives its' title from the William Blake poem, Songs of Innocence and Experience, and Bono has hinted (as he has before) at a follow-up album, titled Songs of Experience, naturally, to be released sometime soon. Any new U2 album naturally means a new round of detractors coming out of the woodwork, wondering what happened to the "old" U2 sound and decrying an apparent lack of willingness to push their audience anymore, to challenge us with reinvention as they've done several times before.

Sure, some of the choruses are lesser than their verses, and some of the verses don't quite earn their soaring choruses. Peruse the reviews, though, and it seems to this reviewer that the detractors enjoy bits of the album that the devotees are unsure of, and vice versa. No one can seem to agree whether 2009's No Line On the Horizon was a creative failure or success, and the much-maligned (at the time of its release in 1997) but forward-looking Pop is now being treated as a successful part of their "experimental" '90s years.

Like their songs, U2 has never been just one thing. With a catalog as lengthy and diverse as theirs, they're sure to mean different things to different audiences. They're a band of big ideas and big noise, always striving for that sound they hear in their heads. U2 returned to their deepest roots on this album, and with groundwork like this, U2 could be preparing to take another leap of faith in the near future. Let's just hope the next one doesn't take another five years.

It's almost a foregone conclusion that anyone reading this has the album now, whether they wanted it or not. Put in your two cents! Is Songs of Innocence worth the wait, or were you expecting something different? Or are you too preoccupied with how the album was released in the first place? Your voices will be heard... in the comments below.

What is up, Dacetacular nation? The D-List is a weekly Top 10 countdown with me, The Dace Man, and I'll run down my top 10 picks!

After a week hiatus, join me in the sixth episode as I give you my Top 10 Weird Al Parodies! I will sound off on the comedic songs that morphed me into the weird individual I am today! Fanboys and Fangirls, jump on board the crazy train as I venture across generations of Al Yankovic. I'll journey through time to bring you some of the classic parodies as well as current parodies from the man, the myth, and the legend that is "Weird Al"!

Did I mention one of your favorite parodies? Am I listening to the right songs? Lastly, for the sixth week, did I manage to outrage the interwebs? Go grab a drink, maybe some snacks, and kick back and enjoy The D-List  for the week of September 8th!

 

As always, check back regularly to see what Chris "The Dace Man" Dace is looking at (and no, not just porn), as well as all of the other bloggers here at Fanboys Anonymous. Remember, keyboard warriors: leave your feedback! Until the next time, for the few, the proud, and, of course, the Dacetacular, grab a beer—and in this case a list—and check out what's going on here in the Dace-Sphere. See ya next time!

Listen live to The Dace Man Show every Wednesday at 8 p.m. EST on Mega Powers Radio.

Follow on Facebook: Mega Powers Radio | Fanboys Anonymous | The Dace Man Show | Nerd Court | Sports Talk Weekly | Addicted to Anime