My iPod #280: Fall Out Boy - Disloyal Order of Water Buffaloes

Fall Out Boy time. I listened to "Save Rock and Roll". Wasn't too great. And it was their first one after a four year hiatus. Disappointing. Everything sounded so manufactured and poppy, ironically. For me, "Folie à Deux" is the band's best album. It's their worst-selling one, which I don't understand. If you haven't listened to it, I suggest you should.

The album opens with this track "Disloyal Order of Water Buffaloes", a song about imperfection with a title that is a reference to The Flintstones. I don't get it either, but a lot of Fall Out Boy song titles are weird in that way. I'm not liking the way I'm sounding, I'll get serious from now on.

The song is another great album opener out of all the ones I have on my iPod. It does use the same chord progression as "Baba O'Riley" albeit in a different key - that's a random point I chose to throw in there. What I like about the track is how it never slows down or takes a breather for a bit. The track mostly revolves around the drums, played by Andy Hurley, changing in dynamics at various points like in the second pre-chorus where Patrick Stump continues to sing with sporadic multi-tracked vocals along with a noodling electric guitar, or near the ending when the "detox just to retox" refrain is chanted continuously. Plus, Patrick Stump absolutely kills it on the vocals. It seems like all the singing on the previous ones were all leading up to this particular one because here he is at his peak on every track.

"Water Buffaloes" is hard to describe if you couldn't tell from my convoluted 'summary'. It's one of those that I knew was good on first listen. You can't listen to it by itself though, it doesn't have a proper ending. Listen to it along with the twelve other tracks that follow. That's the best way to hear it.

My iPod #70: Fall Out Boy - Bang the Doldrums

Hi everybody.

Went and got my hair cut today. Looking fresh and clean. Ready for prom tomorrow. Can't find my bow tie, but it's okay. I'll get through.

Today's song is by Fall Out Boy. They recently released their new album entitled "Save Rock and Roll", their first after a hiatus which started in 2009. I haven't listened, but "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light 'em Up)" is a good one. Listen if you want.

"Infinity on High" is the album where "Bang the Doldrums". That's the first album of theirs that I bought too. Another one from Woolworths in 2008. "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" was the first single released from it, and my sister went crazy about it when she saw that its music video was an exclusive on MTV2. She must have heard the song or something before the video was out, because I had no idea that Fall Out Boy were even about to release a new album, let alone a new song.

The band released three more songs from the album as singles, and I liked those sooooo much that I bought the album. I'm not being sarcastic, the songs are good.

I can't tell you much about "Bang the Doldrums". I have songs on my iPod where the melody and the beat is good, therefore making the song memorable and worthy for a listen when I'm not doing anything important. However, I will have no idea what the song is about because I haven't learnt the lyrics but still able to join in with the chorus. "Doldrums" fits into that category.

From looking it up on the Internet though, the song is made up of phrases that were used in an old blog Pete Wentz wrote years ago, and quotes by a guy called Wesley Eisold.

Until tomorrow.

Jamie.