Clocking in at 46 minutes -- nearly half the running time of 2007's In Defense of the Genre -- Say Anything's fourth album is both trim and tuneful, with Max Bemis devoting more focus than ever to the tightening of his quirky, unchained pop songs. "Focus" is a relative term, of course; the frontman still finds time to run wild throughout this disc, rearranging conventional song structures like Picasso and sampling from multiple genres -- emo, rock, punk-pop, R&B, even doo wop -- with greedy glee. The choruses boast stronger hooks this time around, though, which lends heft to Say Anything's musical mish-mash, and the band's willingness to break rules is what makes this album so refreshing. Arriving at the tail-end of 2009, a year in which most emo-pop was compressed, polished, and wholly indebted to Top 40 radio, Say Anything is as unpredictable as they come, boasting 13 tracks that sound dangerous and delicious at the same time. "There are babies with guns beheading their friends in shopping malls around the world, yet somehow the Kings of Leon still have time to write songs about girls," Bemis sing at the beginning of "Mara and Me," adding "I don't suck much less" in a guttural scream. It's this combination of self-loathing and pop culture critique that fuels most of the album, and Bemis distances himself from his contemporaries by briefly embracing their tricks -- the palm-muted guitar chords, the "whoa oh oh" background vocals, the dramatic delivery -- before turning them on their heads, whether that means adding pizzicato strings to "Do Better" or circus-styled keyboard to the aforementioned "Mara and Me." This is an impulsive album, an odd piece of work that manages to be puzzling without alienating the listener.
It's always been assumed that Max Bemis and Say Anything have been all to polarizing since their acclaimed debut …Is A Real Boy. While many have told me you either love em or hate em, I've always found myself sitting uncomfortably on the fence. Bemis is a strong songwriter, no doubt, but it [...]
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Max Bemis and co. have returned with one of the most self-referential albums to ever grace the emo-rock canon, and lo' and behold, it's one of Bemis' best.Max Bemis is currently fronting the most important emo-rock band working today. Also, Max Bemis is a liar. When the problem-plagued Bemis unleashed his debut album ... Is a Real Boy in 2004, the members of the Alternative Press nation took a ...
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Anyone psyched for the new Say Anything album?It comes out 11/3!Check out the new song "Hate Everyone"www.myspace.com/sayanythingSay Anything - Hate Everyone
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Say Anythings new album is quickly approaching and I for one am pumped. There self titled album comes out on 11/3. Check out the new video for there single "Hate Everyone"
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It's always been assumed that Max Bemis and Say Anything have been all to polarizing since their acclaimed debut …Is A Real Boy. While many have told me you either love em or hate em, I've always found myself sitting uncomfortably on the fence. Bemis is a strong songwriter, no doubt, but it [...]
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Okay, so I'm gonna be completely honest. I couldn't make it through the whole video. While Bemis's wordplay is on par as normal, I really couldn't stand him just alone with the acoustic. Hoping this song translates better over to the self-proclaimed "Timbaland-produced" album version.
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Artist: Say Anything Album: Say Anything Release date: 03.11.2009 Tracklist: 1. Fed to Death2. Hate Everyone3. Do Better4. Less Cute5. Eloise6. Mara and Me7. Crush'd8. She Won't Follow You9. Cemetary10. Property11. Death for My Birthday12. Young, Dumb, and Stung13. Ahhh... Men Style: Punk Rock read more
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Say Anything release the second song off their self-titled full length due out November 3rd. “Property” finds Bemis getting a little territorial amidst a mixture of unabashed straight forward rock n roll. Download:: Say Anything – Property [MP3]
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Max Bemis and co. have returned with one of the most self-referential albums to ever grace the emo-rock canon, and lo' and behold, it's one of Bemis' best.Max Bemis is currently fronting the most important emo-rock band working today. Also, Max Bemis is a liar. When the problem-plagued Bemis unleashed his debut album ... Is a Real Boy in 2004, the members of the Alternative Press nation took a ...
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Lights up and six men dressed like Don Draper on a casual Sunday afternoon, minus the kick ass cardigan, launch into a frenzied set packed with energy, fury and rocking out with ones cock out. Central to this band of crazed young rockers is one Max Bemis, rock star, triple threat, recovering addict and [...]Related posts:Say Anything at the Phoenix This past Wednesday I walked over to the Pho...
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THE SKINNY: Say Anything is back with a new, self-titled album that makes up for their disappointing 2007 2-disc release, but still can't quite live up to Is A Real Boy.When I first heard that Say Anything had a new album coming out this month, I was hesitant to even give it a shot. I say this because their 2004 ...Is a Real Boy album was one that I, like many of you, used to idolize back in hi...
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LA six-piece Say Anything, led by Max Bemis's cunning tongue, are back today with a new video for the jump-up-and-throw-things-around track "Hate Everyone" from their upcoming studio album out October 13 (a self-titled, fourth effort for the boys). Full of...
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If you hate Say Anything, Say Anything isn’t going to do a Goddamn thing to change that. All the reasons to hate Max Bemis and Co., the self assuredness, the all too self aware irony, the hints of utter douchery, the obnoxious vocals and tacky freak outs are all still...
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 "Say Anything")
