Fall Out Boy's 2003 LP stacked sarcasm, wronged romance, and hardcore-derived passion on the head of a punk-pop pin. Take This to Your Grave was urgent at every turn, and though it fit the conventions of its genre, it was bolder and more memorable than the average release on Kung Fu or Drive-Thru. The kids responded -- Fall Out Boy were fast favorites of the online social networks (MySpace, etc.), and an endless tour schedule solidified their rep. With 2005's From Under the Cork Tree, the band fully delivers on their first full-length's promise. Sure, it nods a little more to the standard dynamics and production tweaks of pop-punk and emo in the mid-2000s -- Cork Tree was produced by Neal Avron, who's worked with A New Found Glory. But in many more ways it's the same album as Grave, a youth-intense blast of pop culture reference, pop-punk hyperactivity, and the feeling that we'll never understand life until Patrick Stump or Pete Wentz tells us about it. And we believe them. Stump is Fall Out Boy's vocalist and guitarist, Wentz its bassist and lyricist. Wentz' verbiage can be lengthy -- "I Slept With Someone in Fall Out Boy and All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me," one title goes -- but he has an innate ability to simultaneously acknowledge and deconstruct the mushy emo soliloquy. Temper that with a road-hardened cynicism about band life, superficial love, and the adventure of signing a record contract, and you have lyrics with a point beyond simply acting up or getting sentimental. "Champagne for My Real Friends, Real Pain for my Sham Friends" is blunt. "Yeah we're friends," Stump says, "Just because we move units." But the album also has a current of longing to it, of missing regular life, regular relationships. Musically, Cork Tree's first five tracks are relentless, with razor-sharp melodies that seem familiar but sound totally unique at the same time. The "Oh! Oh!"s and punchy chords of "Of All the Gin Joints in All the World" are a thrill greater than any Jimmy Eat World album ever; "Sugar, We're Goin Down"'s half-time shifts are triumphs of tumbling words; and the opening track meditates wryly on all-ages shows' fame. Further, when Fall Out Boy rip into "Sophomore Slump or Comeback of the Year," summer 2005 will not be able to ignore them. "We're the therapists pumping through your speakers/Delivering just what you need," they sing. It's obviously time to embrace our inner mall kid.
As a teacher, there is one thing I really do not like and that is cheating. I never stood for it, and never liked watching someone get credit for someone elses hard work. Fall Out Boy is in the process of getting sued once again for using someone elses ideas. This comes after reaching an out-of-court settlement with South Philly's Wesley Eisold of the band Some Girls, after co-opting some lyric...
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I've been listening to Fall Out Boy's third album for the past couple days. I can't help listeing to those guys. I seriously love those first few albums, but their new one really isn't very good, save for a couple interesting tracks.Me and Brytnii got our tickets to see Cursive and Against Me! I can't believe they're touring together!
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I am not really sure what to make of this, Fall Ot Boy gets the remix treatment from Kanye West. That is not a misprint, and after listening to the song, I am a little impressed. Kanye West went in to do a remix of Fall Out Boy's single This Aint A Scene, and you can judge for youself here.http://us.video.aol.com/video.index.adp?mode=1&pmmsid=1853814While on paper it wouldnt seem to work, I fee...
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As it so happens, I work at a large library system that has a pretty decent music collection. I'm able to listen to lots of different things, and, ahem, grow my own collection a bit.The other day, a Fall Out Boy CD came through, and to my surprise it wasn't going on hold for anybody. I figured I'd bring it home and see what all the fuss is.YAWN.They sound just like a whole bunch of other bands t
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I love Fall Out Boy. I can't help it, I just do. I have for years, since around the time that Take This To Your Grave came out, if not before.I just can't get over it. They're pure pop-punk goodness and quite frankly, they're too much fun to get over.However, I think it's about time I came out: I adore Pete Wentz.The end.
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Seeing as Fall Out Boy generated the most comments (2!) I think it's a good time to explain why/how I like them.I've been vaguely into the whole emo/pop-punk thing for years - though I hate any implication that it's a completely seperate genre from metal or indie rock or even cheesy pop. A band is a band is a band and for me it's all about the quality of a song rather than what section of the r...
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Been wanting to post this, I love the energy in this song!!! The guitars screaming & strong drum beat, it is tight! :DSome of my angry music too! heh! So I turn it up to like volume 30 or something HAHAHAEnjoy! Amazing Mosh Pit No no & NO!!! Sorry Punkers, would NEVER do this!! lol
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As a teacher, there is one thing I really do not like and that is cheating. I never stood for it, and never liked watching someone get credit for someone elses hard work. Fall Out Boy is in the process of getting sued once again for using someone elses ideas. This comes after reaching an out-of-court settlement with South Philly's Wesley Eisold of the band Some Girls, after co-opting some lyric...
More >
Fourteen-year-old girls everywhere are crying over the news that Fall Out Boy frontman Pete Wentz and girlfriend Ashlee Simpson are engaged. A statement from the two read: "We know there has been a lot of speculation recently about Pete and I and we wanted our fans to be the first to know, because you guys are the best. Yes, we are thrilled to share that we are happily engaged. Thank you for al...
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I am not really sure what to make of this, Fall Ot Boy gets the remix treatment from Kanye West. That is not a misprint, and after listening to the song, I am a little impressed. Kanye West went in to do a remix of Fall Out Boy's single This Aint A Scene, and you can judge for youself here.http://us.video.aol.com/video.index.adp?mode=1&pmmsid=1853814While on paper it wouldnt seem to work, I fee...
More >
As it so happens, I work at a large library system that has a pretty decent music collection. I'm able to listen to lots of different things, and, ahem, grow my own collection a bit.The other day, a Fall Out Boy CD came through, and to my surprise it wasn't going on hold for anybody. I figured I'd bring it home and see what all the fuss is.YAWN.They sound just like a whole bunch of other bands t
More >
Seeing as Fall Out Boy generated the most comments (2!) I think it's a good time to explain why/how I like them.I've been vaguely into the whole emo/pop-punk thing for years - though I hate any implication that it's a completely seperate genre from metal or indie rock or even cheesy pop. A band is a band is a band and for me it's all about the quality of a song rather than what section of the r...
More >
I love Fall Out Boy. I can't help it, I just do. I have for years, since around the time that Take This To Your Grave came out, if not before.I just can't get over it. They're pure pop-punk goodness and quite frankly, they're too much fun to get over.However, I think it's about time I came out: I adore Pete Wentz.The end.
More >
I've been listening to Fall Out Boy's third album for the past couple days. I can't help listeing to those guys. I seriously love those first few albums, but their new one really isn't very good, save for a couple interesting tracks.Me and Brytnii got our tickets to see Cursive and Against Me! I can't believe they're touring together!
More >
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 "From Under the Cork Tree")
