Songs of 2009 part 3

Part 3 of 7 of my favourite songs for 2009 (released in 2009, only one per artist, in alphabetical order by artist) -

##Alpha Dog by Fall Out Boy
from Believers Never Die

I listened a lot to Fall Out Boy's Folie a Deux through the first half of this year, but since their singles collection was released a few months ago this song has gradually become one of my most-played. It seems they will never run out of big sounding stadium-ready pop punk anthems with clever, biting lyrics about the fleeting, unstable illusion of fame. This makes me happy though, because I don't think I will get sick of hearing such songs any time soon.

Watch:

Alpha Dog

Fall Out Boy | MySpace Music Videos


## Drumming Song by Florence + the Machine
from Lungs

I cannot get this song out of my head. The awesome drumming that builds and builds the song in relentless movement, the almost chant-like music, and Florence Welch's unearthly voice over it all...every time I hear this I want to dance and whirl around and just expel the energy that comes from this (the video captures this feeling pretty well!)

Watch:



## Walking the Dog by fun.
from Aim and Ignite

Late last year, I 'discovered' this awesome band The Format...then discovered they'd just broken up. :( Luckily, frontman Nate Ruess went on to form fun. It's got the same bombastic jaunty pop sound, but there's possibly even more going on (instrumentation, arrangements, his musical-theatre-rich voice) at all times, and a lot of referencing of other musical genres. At first, I thought it was all a bit to much, but I listened to a stripped back acoustic set yesterday and actually missed the OTTness of it all. I guess I've been won over!

Listen:


Have some more fun.!


## Two Weeks by Grizzly Bear
from Veckatimest

I'm a sucker for jangly, summery tunes and this, by indie darlings Grizzly Bear, is perfect in its shimmery lightness contrasting with the slightly mournful vocals and 'oooh aaaah' flourishes.

Watch/Listen: The video is creepy. :(



Songs of 2009 part 2
Songs of 2009 part 1

Blink-182 / Fall Out Boy / Panic! At The Disco - 4 Aug 2009 - Marcus Amphitheatre

Panic! At the Disco actually split in two a month ago, leaving behind lead singer Brendon Urie and drummer Spencer Smith to carry on the name and their touring responsibilities. But to their credit, it would've been hard to spot that this incarnation of the band, with two temporary touring members, has only been playing together for a week or two.

The arrangements are a little more muscular than before, sacrificing some of the hippie folk-rock lightness of the second album, but otherwise the songs sound pretty much the same. The set was made up of mostly first album songs too, a return to the more emo-electro sound. They were only on for about half an hour, but they made the most of it with good sound and energy. Sadly the crowd wasn't much into them, apart from pockets of fervent fans dotted around.

Time to Dance
But It’s Better if You Do
The Only Difference…
That Green Gentleman
Lying is the Most Fun…
Camisado
New Perspective
Nine in the Afternoon
I Write Sins Not Tragedies

The crowd was really into Fall Out Boy, and they kept the audience happy with another set of hit after hit. It was my fourth time seeing them, and I would happily see them do it again, they keep improving their sound and their stage presence. Patrick now totally struts all over the stage, owning it.

Near the end of the set, Pete Wentz asked the crowd,“Do you want The Take Over or something old and fun?"

I cheered for The Take Over, but got Don't Stop Believing instead which is only, oh, one of my favourite 80s power ballads, yeah! Patrick said afterwards, "That was old and fun - like Mark Hoppus!" and Pete added, "That's for saying "All The Small Things”was written about me!"

Sugar We’re Going Down
Thriller
Sixteen Candles…
Grand Theft Autumn
Headfirst Slide…
Arms Race
I Don’t Care
America’s Suitehearts
Don’t Stop Believing
Dance Dance
Saturday

Getting to hear the re-formed Blink-182 play live was a little about reliving 16 all over again. The set didn't disappoint, packed full as it was of hits and nostalgia. The light show background was way cool, busy but not too distracting. There were plenty of highlights apart from the music itself: Tom Delonge taking off one of his guitars midway through the show and just handing it away to some kid in the pit (and yeah, the pit went into a frenzy trying to get to it), the fan who got pulled up on stage so all three band members could sign his arm, Mark Hoppus’ genial stage presence, Travis Barker's amazing drumming and his flying drum kit.

However, it's hard to imagine Blink-182 continuing on as if there had never been a break between the three of them. Mark and Tom’s fraught relationship was on show too, and it's hard to gauge how much of it is performance and how much of it is real animosity. Things got pretty uncomfortable towards the end of the night. Tom became more and more belligerent on stage, swearing at the audience and his band, “mock” hate directed in both directions. Mark admonished him at one point, saying something about this happening when you've been drinking all night. In the end he apologised, and Mark sand a little made-up tune "Sorry about my friend Tom!", but the two of them had some truly awkward moments on stage.

Dumpweed
Feeling This
Rock Show
What’s My Age Again
Go
Violence
I Miss You
Stay Together For the Kids
Down
Always
Stockholm Syndrome
First Date
Man Overboard
Don’t Leave Me
Not Now
The Country Song
Adam’s Song
All The Small Things
Reckless Abandon
Josie
Anthem (pt2)

(drum solo – Travis)
Carousel
Dammit
(drum solo – Mark)

Fall Out Boy / All-American Rejects / Hey Monday - 21 Feb 2009 - Acer Arena

Despite my misgivings about their youth and relative inexperience, Hey Monday just about won me over with their adorable bouncy show, their bright (if not particularly memorable) pop tunes, and lead singer Cassadee Pope's sweet voice (noticeably stronger in the higher register). I thought Candles - acoustic at the start with just Cassadee and a guitar - was a particular highlight.

The banter for the All-American Rejects was forced and a bit arrogant (as was coming out to the 1812 Overture). The crowd on the floor was really into them though, particularly in the big hits that started the show (Swing Swing, Dirty Little Secret). Musically they were solid, but it wasn't a dynamic set, and it left me a little cold.

This was probably the best I've seen Fall Out Boy live. Pete Wentz was in a fine mood, cracking jokes about being a R.Patz fan, and telling rambling anecdotes about drunkdialling his friends. Lead singer Patrick Stump looked every inch the rock star, and his vocal has improved so much, noticeably when he reached some really low notes in Headfirst Slide...

Cassadee came out to sing on Sugar, and she and Patrick sounded really nice in harmony, and it does make me wish that they could somehow clone Patrick so he could harmonise with himself live.

There were some great surprises, such as Lullabye, a hidden track for Wentz' baby boy on their latest album Folie A Deux, which was lovely though it was a jarring segue from that into the loud singalong that is Arms Race. And they jazzed up the show with some great pyro displays to punctuate their more anthemic songs.

Anyway, it was a really fun, high energy show, pakced with hit after hit, and the crowd obviously adored them.

Thnks Fr Th Mmrs
Thriller
16 Candles
American Boy
Sugar
Lullaby
Arms Race
I Don't Care
Beat It
Headfirst Slide
Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner
Take Over, Break's Over
I Slept With Someone in Fall Out Boy...
Disloyal Order
Grand Theft Autumn
American's Suitehearts

Patron Saints
Me & You
Dance Dance
Saturday

Fall Out Boy - 26 Sept 2007 - Acer Arena

I saw Fall Out Boy in March at the Big Top and really enjoyed it, but I was surprised then by how little they played from their latest record, the very good Infinity on High. So when I saw that they were coming out again, having gone triple platinum, and with Jack's Mannequin as support, I easily coughed up for a second go.

Jack's Mannequin - kind of Ben Folds Five gone pop punk with a detour around the lighter moments of Death Cab for Cutie - were on first, and they put on a really fun set, with an emphasis on the more upbeat songs from their one album to date (Everything in Transit). The crowd on the front floor were really into it, which resulted in a heavier crush than I expected that early in the night. Lead singer Andrew McMahon was adorably hyper, and sounded *great* live. I am a complete sucker for piano-tinged rock played with abandon, so the finale where he ended up marching up and down the piano and then on top of it was amusing.

I'm Ready
La La Lie
Bruised
Dark Blue
Holiday from Real
The Mixed Tape
MFEO

I was already dripping with sweat and completely dehydrated after JM, so I went to buy some overpriced water, checked out the merch (but was good and didn't buy anything), then went back to my spot on the floor for the Gyroscope set. Which was short, loud, energetic, and a hell of a lot heavier than the kids were expecting, considering the bemusement around me; they were much more in the rock mould. The set was a mix of old ('Doctor Doctor'), more recent ('Fast Girl', 'Beware Wolf') and really new (latest single 'Snakeskin').

Finally, Fall Out Boy came out to that instantly recognisable opening riff of AC/DC's Thunderstruck. Their set was ridiculously fun; three songs in I was already exhausted from jumping around so much, but I couldn't help myself. I ended up centre left a little way back, still within the happy moshers, but not close enough to feel crushed, and I barely needed to watch the big screens at the side because I generally had a decent view. Sound was not great overall, it was a little messy at times and Patrick's glorious voice seemed drowned out a bit from where I was but what they lacked in sound cohesion they made up with heaps of presence.

Pete was in an odd mood, not withdrawn, but rather introspective; a fair bit of his stage banter was musings on how fans react to them, and how they perceive that adoration and attention. For example, he prefaced the cover of Basket Case by talking about how people often tell him that FOB music has saved their lives, which he says he finds it difficult to respond to, but in turn they wanted to play "a song that saved our lives". How, I don't know, but it was a good cover of a great song.

Thriller
Grand Theft Autumn / Where Is Your Boy
Don't Matter (cover) - video -
Sugar We're Going Down
Our Lawyer Made Us Change the Name of This Song So We Wouldn’t Get Sued
Of All The Gin Joints In All The World - video -
Hum Hallelujah
I Slept With Someone In Fall Out Boy And All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me
Basket Case (cover) - video -
I'm Like a Lawyer With The Way I'm Always Trying To Get You Off (Me & You)
A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More ‘Touch Me’
Beat It (cover) - video -
Carpal Tunnel of Love
This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race

Thnks Fr Th Mmrs
The Take Over, The Break’s Over
One and Only
Dance Dance
Power of Love (cover)
Saturday

Fall Out Boy - 9 Mar 2007 - Big Top

We ended up about halfway down the room, on the far left. The crowd around us was pretty good – no drunk idiots, a mix of tall and tiny, and, I was told, a lot less scene than the crowd at the Hordern gig the night before. Fall Out Boy started at 9:30 on the dot, with the Kanye West remix of “This Ain’t A Scene, It’s an Arms Race” playing out over the dark and the cheers, before the stage lit up for first song 'Our Lawyer Made Us...' The stage set was pretty – dark blue backdrop printed with Infinity on High images, and lots of coloured lighting and a lighting effect that looked like fairy lights. Pete and Joe liked to prowl the stage, swapping sides constantly we got to watch them both while playing, though Joe was on our side more often. They also liked to get up on the amps at the front of the stage, giving everybody a better look (Pete gets more screams, obviously). Joe played like a maniac, which is just as I’d seen in other live footage, while Pete is much more low-key while playing. Andy was a sight playing like a maniac up on his riser. And Patrick – oh Patrick. His beautiful big voice, right there – I was so happy to hear it live.

Near the beginning, Pete did almost exactly the same “back up three steps” talk as Gerard Way to try and get the mosh to be a little less crazy, which, do they teach that in Frontman 101 or something? It was much weirder coming from Pete, particularly as he later encouraged crowd-surfing and a circle pit. The set was nicely packed and fast moving, but oddly biased towards older material – they’re ostensibly here for new album Infinity on High but they only played four songs from that. Overall it was a great gig for singing and dancing along to one poptastic song after another, a fun experience.


Our Lawyer Made Us Change the Name of This Song So We Wouldn’t Get Sued
Of All The Gin Joints In All The World
Sugar We’re Going Down
The Patron Saints of Liars and Fakes
Chicago Is So Two Years Ago
Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner
Sophomore Slump or Comeback of the Year
A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More ‘Touch Me’
Thriller
Grand Theft Autumn / Where Is Your Boy
XO
Grenade Jumper
Golden
This Ain’t a Scene, It’s An Arms Race
I Slept With Someone In Fall Out Boy And All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me
The Take Over, The Break’s Over
Dance Dance
Saturday