'She plays her vinyl records/ Singing songs on the eve of destruction'

I just want to take the time to say this: (and I couldn't resist the title)
I HAVE THE "1,000 HOURS" E.P. !!!!
Yes, that's right. I totally forgot that Reprise Records re-issued all of Green Day's albums on vinyl- every single one! So in addition to the fabled '1,000 Hours' E.P. I also have "Slappy" and the original '39/Smooth' L.P. It's really amazing to say that I now own these things...they're such 'fabled' items to obtain. And at this point, I just really like like looking at them. Everything is completely the way it's supposed to be...replicated to a tee! Anyway, it's so amazing to have these vinyl copies. I love having those records, because everything seems so much large than life, y'know? Like it's been completely blown up so you can see every possible detail and you just kind of lose yourself in it. I love listening to them and re-hear all those songs as if for the first time! I love the artwork, and the goofy pictures of the band inside, and the cramped, hand-written lyrics inside.
But '1,000 Hours' is still my favorite.
I'm not really sure why, though...Maybe it's because on the back it says, 'Billy: guitar, hat, Mike: bass, hair, John: drums, bus." Or maybe it's because every time I pull out the teeny vinyl .45 and it says copyright 1991 on it. OR maybe I absolutely love the whole damn thing because it has handwritten lyrics and doodles and blurry pictures and hastily scribbled thank-yous.
And the only thing that proves it's a reissue would be the fact it says 'greenday.com' in the lower left hand corner. ;)
So, I encourage those of you who haven't ever heard a record before to go out and find one of them! It certainly opens up a whole new perspective on your favorite band.
And yes, the Green Day-ness won't stop. ;)

'Wasted Youth and a Fistful of Ideals...'

So this entry is not going to be as giddy and happy as the previous. One good thing, however, is that the new Green Day album has comfortably slipped right in with the others, meaning that I absolutely love it. But, I'm not sure if I can continue to find reassurance in these songs without it reminding me of a ridiculous twist of fate.

There is a concert on July 14th. The band is coming to Detroit to play at the Palace of Auburn hills.

And I will not be going.

I figured I would start asking around about it, seeing as how the date is coming up, and all the answers I received were incredulous looks and a flat-out 'No.' You might be thinking, who cares, right? Who decides for you what you can and can't do? Well...unfortunately there is such a thing as living under the same roof with your parents, who therein decide what you can and cannot do. So you see my dilemma. It's times like these when I really hate being an optimistic teenager who sees everything falling into place so she can see her favorite band play on a Tuesday night. Unusually, my parents and I have gotten along fairly well these past couple of years, so for them to not understand this kind of thing really makes me mad. They hear me blasting the new album every other day, put up with me talking about it, not to mention the fact that the DVR is clogged with me recording their gigs on GMA, SNL and a few other spots where they've graced the television screen.

So...I don't understand why they would balk at something like this. The one explanation I've gotten made some sort of sense: that they wouldn't be comfortable with me running around Detroit by myself at 7:30 at night. I can understand that part, but I wouldn't go by myself; I would definitely take a friend with me. I even offered to take my father with me, but that didn't work. Of course.

I understand that they've done a lot for me this past month, what with Graduation and all... which is why I offered to buy the tickets myself. But that didn't work either!!! My last shot was my sister and her fiance, but my mother got to her before I could.

It really feels as though EVERYTHING is conspiring against me, like I'm not meant to see them. It wouldn't be so bad if it didn't' feel as though I was never going to get a chance to see them play again. It really feels that way! After they're done with America, they'll be in Europe for like, a year! And then when they comeback, I'll be in college, have a job, and I wont' get to see them AGAIN.

I admit it sounds stupid to those who can't understand how important this is to me, but....Jeezus. I've been wanting to see this band since I was thirteen. I've missed every chance I've ever gotten to see them, because I was 'too young,' too late, or it was too far away for me to go. So I just don't understand how when the absolutely perfect time comes, it-doesn't-come-to-fruition!!! It makes me feel like this is only the beginning of the next round of disappointments. And not to mention every time I listen to them, now it comes across as bittersweet. It drives me insane. I'm left hoping that I will soon 'grow' out of this phase, because I can't stand the thought of that emotion weighing me down EVERY time I listen to them!! *sigh* Where is that little ray of hope that I keep holding out for?! Did I bring all this stupidity on to myself????

Probably, as is usual.

...I guess I'll just have to keep listening to the live albums, close my eyes and pretend I'm there... At least they can never disappoint me.

The Time Has Come Today!!

So how awesome will today be?! "21st Century Breakdown" comes out TODAY!! I am so uber excited!!! I've seriously been waiting forever- like four years just about. It's really going to be a great day, aside from the fact that I have a horrible unwillingness to do anything in school. Projects and Prom abound... ugh. But I am so happy that today marks the day in which the best album ever comes out. :D I think I'm taking a shot on that fact, but oh well. At this point, whatever is on the album will be sweet. I don't care if it's just a guitar playing for like a minute- at least I'll have something. (Although that would be disappointing. Please don't be like that). Ha. I Can't wait!! The coolest thing is that the band will be touring again, which means that I'll have the opportunity to see them when they come to town.... Sweet. However, the only thing that could possibly suck about going to see them would be the fact that I'm really short compared to everyone else and...yeah. I'd get pancaked in the mosh pit, like seriously. But it's really cool to know that the album- all EIGHTEEN tracks of it- complete with artwork and lyrics and all that.... will be MINE. Finally. I don't even really care that I'll be graduating in a month; Green Day seems to take center stage for me in my mind. Ha.Of course there is going to be some idiots out there who decide that they hate the album and will proceed to trash it, just because it's much more...imaginative than their previous ones. Well, that won't bother me too much, because I won't really care about that. If people want to be dumb and narrow-minded, that is completely up to them. :) Now if someone dares to call them sellouts, however...
....that's a story for a different day....
Peace. And I'm off to buy the thing!! Oh Happy Day! ;)

Anticipation

...It's killer. I am completely serious about that. And I really haven't been writing in this thing- jeez. Sorry about that. But, yeah. The new Green Day album is coming out in MAY. The 16th. That's a month away, and I still have to wait. It wouldn't be so dang bad if they weren't playing all those lovely 'secret shows' in the Bay Area that I won't ever get to see.
Crap.
But that's okay, too, because I know that Green Day is out and about again and is ready to kick Rock and Roll right in the behind- as it so deserves. *sigh* Why must it always be Green Day to come in and take care of business? Oh well, I'm not complaining. :) I actually broke my own stupid rules a few days ago and watched some of the shows on YouTube. It's not like 20 seconds of music and grainy film footage would ruin anything for me, but I digress. At any right, the music sounds awesome, and I'm completely in love with this song called "East Jesus Nowhere." "Last Night on Earth" also sounds so beautiful- I know that song is going to kill me. Figuratively, of course. But I just want to scream sometimes, because I'm so freaking excited for this album to come out. No one else could probably understand this, but this music means the world to me, and often times it's the only thing that actually makes sense in my life. (Not to mention offering me good advice at times.) It's just going to be great- AND the single of "Know Your Enemy" comes out tomorrow!!!! Whee! Maybe I'll have a little review or something...I dunno.
Each song that I manage to hear or whatever lyrics I manage to write sends a great smile across my face. It's all so cool and hopeful.
And Lord knows we need a lot more hope these days. I can't wait!

Awesome!

This is the cover art for Green Day's new album. It's sooooo cool. I'm totally excited! (Thanks to GDA for the pic!!) ;) I love it, and I can't wait! There was even a tiny little blip of a new song I heard somewhere...not enough to even take anything from, but so cool! I seriously, can't wait. Call me what you will, but I love it. What do you think of the artwork? Reminds me of old school 70's punk. Sweet, no? :)

Grammy Griping

Yesterday was the 51st Annual Grammy awards. Usually I like watching this kind of thing. I get to see all the artists and watch them perform. Sometimes I think it's a little bit corny, especially as far as jokes go (I'll get to that in a minute). But most of the time it's usually cool to see. I did like what I saw the first few minutes- U2 was playing their new song, "Get on Your Boots," which I ended up liking. Of course, the stupid L.A. crowd went absolutely mild.... About that... they must not know how to categorize something as cool. Not only was U2 ignored, so was Kid Rock, it seemed. Everyone else had cheers abound for the stupid Jonas Brothers (ugh!) and all the rappers and stuff. Which, yeah, I'm not a big fan of rap, and I suppose it was good or whatever...but come on. Plus, the 'jokes' that came about were the lamest dang things I'd ever heard. Thank God there was only a couple of them. I felt sorry for poor Dwayne Johnson (aka the Rock).... he got the worst of it. His joke didn't even fizzle out- it straight up DIED right there, like all the air was sucked out of the room. I kid you not.
COLDPLAY won best rock album and song of the year. ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?!!!! They were up against Metallica, the Raconteurs and Kid Rock, and they WON?!! Seriously. I was upset with that one... Something is not right with that. Even if you're a Coldplay fan, you know that they aren't rock. They're pop at the very least- Mope Rock is what I call it. I can imagine Metallica trashing Coldplay's dressing room roaring, 'where's my Grammy, you idiots!!' But maybe that's a tad over doing it... :)All the performances were good, though, except for Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus, which I totally flipped the channel for. I have nothing against the former, but the latter I just can't stand. And Raidohead. Ugh- hate them, too. Thank God they didn't win album of the year... Robert Plant and Alison Krauss did, which I was happy about. I was happy to see a deserving artist get that award.

And, much to my ecstatic-ness (which is not a word) my lovely band GREEN DAY showed up to present the award for album of the year. How awesome! I get to see them again after a loooong time, and that's always nice. They don't look too bad, if you ask me. (pic via GDA). Of course, they were their endearingly strange selves. :) The new album is called "21st Century Breakdown," and it's coming out in May! Yay! Can't wait for it! Billie Joe had the last word before they all left the stage, hinting at what's to come, albeit with tongue in cheek, "Good bye, and we'll see ya next year."
I better.

Little Sammy Was a Punk Rocker

Another picture crusade led me to find this. It was on Flickr.com, after I searched 'mohawk.' I love images with punks in them, mainly because I like how they look almost like dreams in real life. In other words, they just look so different from the rest of the people, that they automatically stand out- they almost look like cartoons that came to life. I always loved the punk style, because it was so outlandish in most cases; mohawks are often a stereotype, but if someone has one, it brings this 'don't mess with me vibe' that many obey. I don't picture too many mohawk-sporting guys toting babies, do you? This particular picture struck me as different from all the rest. It's at once intimate and out-of-ordinary. The caption of this picture had said that the photographer had taken it at Disney World. How funny is that? I love it. To me, it's a great image, just because it humanizes a group that would otherwise sneer at something so sweet.

Drummer Boy

Today, at the risk of sounding stupid, I'm going to write about a drummer. I actually am. But this guy isn't just any old drummer that I randomly picked from some where.

He's Tre Cool.

I mean, honestly. What can I say about him that already hasn't been said in his name? The man is a great drummer. He's no Neil Peart or John Bonham, but he doesn't have to be. Tre is the everyman's kind of drummer. But what's so great about him is his sheer energy. The guy is an enigma or something. Anything and everything he does has some kind of unstoppable energy to it. He almost demands your attention in a way, and I think every drummer should have that kind of attitude. It gets him noticed, that's for sure. This is a guy who sets his drum kit on fire and still plays the stupid thing! How crazy is that? I'm sure there's probably some other dude out there who does the exact same thing, but Tre is just someone you don't see every day. Rarely are there drummers out there who have the ability and the stamina to play as long as he does, and play what he does. He can go from punk rock, to some weird jazz, to whatever else. He's an all around great drummer.

Why am I inspired to write about him, you might ask? I was recently listening to Green Day, and the song "Hitchin' a Ride" came on. Not only that, but I was talking about him with a friend today. But the song is more important. It's one of my favorite songs, but the drums are what carry it. I think that's part of the reason why I like the song; the drums and the basslines get in my head, and I end up singing it the rest of the day. I think it's such a great song, both to sing and have in your head...I owe part of that to Tre. It's a great sound, I guess. 'cymbal-snare-base-cymbal-snare-base.' It's really cool; it gives the song a great staccato feel and the sensation of spinning out of control- but I'm not doing the song any justice at all. It was my fave for awhile.

...I think drummers may get ignored a little bit. That isn't fair. They tend to be the most talented of people, and, in Tre's case, secretly crazy. 'They say' that a drummer's crazy because his brain gets rattled around in his head all the time....who knows if that's true?

But the best thing about Tre is his craziness. He brings a great attitude to the band. He usually lightens up the mood. No matter how serious the band gets, he's always there to make fun of something. I can't sit here and describe how strange this guy can be some times. It makes me sound kind of silly, doesn't it?

I think what I'm trying to say is, Tre speaks for all drummers, in a way. I'm sure there are people out there who follow his example. I just hope they don't hurt themselves trying to be like him. Not only does he set a good example for future drummers, but he's one that can carry a song; make or break it. Songs like "Hitchin' a Ride," "Minority," and "Give Me Novocaine" are all drum-heavy, and they're better for it. I guess I'm just trying to explain how all the musicians in a favorite band shouldn't be ignored. Next time, watch for the face behind the drum kit. There's most likely another kooky personality flailing behind it.

For the Love of Vinyl

Once again, I'm going to talk about music. I've always loved the experience that comes from listening to music and how it can become a personal thing for some people. I can connect to a band and a song in depth, and somehow I begin to call it, 'mine.' If I like a band, and then someone else likes it, I end up thinking they aren't true fans. Plus, they're taking 'my' band and now I have to share....
Anyway, growing up in a digital age eventually saw the 'extinction' of cassette tapes and now CDs are on their way to being obsolete. I hope that this doesn't happen however. In my opinion, downloading can be easy and helpful, but it's also very impersonal. When you get an album, you can actually hold it in your hands, and flip through the lyrics booklet to read what the artist has written to you. The best parts are when you find little messages or a strange sentence that makes you smile. It's the fact that the bands are putting together this album and all that hard work went into it, and people are basically ignoring that to download one song. So frustrating! I mean, I understand if you only like one song, or if it's the most popular one, but at least listen to some of the other songs!
With that said, I love the hands-on approach that owning a CD can give you. If you download, you miss all the lyrics and the colors and the images. Where's the fun in that?! I absolutely love vinyl albums. When you get them, they come in a big cardboard sleeve and they can come in different colors depending on how many are pressed. I'm starting my own collection now and I have vinyl copies of "Highway to Hell," the Clash's self-titled debut- the US Version, "Rock and Roll High School" soundtrack, and "Ramonesmania," and my favorite Ramones album- "Rocket to Russia"- with pink vinyl! Those are all regular vinyls, though. I also am the proud owner of three .45s, "Mother Mary" by the Foxboro Hot Tubs, Dee Dee Ramone's last songs, and the Pinhead Gunpowder 7" EP. Both that one and the Foxboro Hot Tubs have come out this year, which just goes to show you how some bands can understand the importance of intimacy with the fans. (I get a kick out of explaining the difference between an EP and an LP, too). Not only is there fun in explaining everything, I find it amusing to look at all the record labels, from Lookout to Jingletown to Adeline. Looking up those record labels exposes me to new bands and other stuff you just can't get with downloading something. It's also the fact that I love these records; when you play them the sound is different and it you can hear the crackling of the needle in the grooves. That sound always makes me smile, and to me, having a band give me that emotion through their album is more important to me than downloading a single song to play on an Ipod, where it eventually loses it's relevance. That is something I just couldn't stand.

Bands You've Never Heard

Anyone could have guessed that I'm a big music fan. I love it. Sometimes I think I don't say it enough (my friends would tell me this isn't true). I like several bands, mainly which stay in the 'genre' of Punk Rock. The only problem with that is the fact that each band has broadened their style and have created new genres. For example, Rancid is more or less an obvious punk band, but they infused their sound with Reggae and Ska rhythms. It sounds pretty freaking cool, in spite of how I described it. I'm not doing the band justice- check them out!
Anyway, I'm a certain kind of fan that not only loves the music but wants to learn why the songs were written and what they mean. The songs already have a meaning to me, but I like learning what it meant to the songwriter, too, and what made them write. I also like to look at the artists that inspired my favorite bands and then check them out for myself. Which leads me to the 'Bands You've Never Heard.'
A favorite one of mine is called Operation Ivy. These guys are like the ultimate Ska-punk band. It's Tim Armstrong's first band, and he later went on to front Rancid. But if you want some good music, LISTEN TO THEM!! The lyrics are amazing, and tell great poignant tales of life in the East Bay, love, music and rebellion. There's also some rage against conformity and all that stuff. If you love punk rock, listen to Op. Ivy. Key tracks: "Knowledge," "Sound System."
Next up is Audioslave. They aren't necessarily an obscure band, but they should have gotten more attention than they did. Tom Morello is guitarist and Chris Cornell is the singer. Awesome, in one word. They're a great band to listen to if you're angry at the world. Key tracks: "Cochise," "Revelations."
The last band I'm going to blab about right now is Pinhead Gunpowder. Great band- seriously. Another East Bay punk band...but they're a more 'traditional' punk band. All the basics are there, the gnashing guitars and angry vocals. Great lyrics, too. They came up during the mid-90s Punk phase, and kind of got lost in all the hype. Check them out if you like Punk!!! They're normally 'angry' and angsty, but when they slow it down, it sounds alright. ;) Key tracks, "Life During Wartime," "On the Ave. (version 2)," "Westside Highway."
I think that's all the bands I want to talk about for right now....I'm sure I'll have more later; In fact, I guarantee that.
LOOK THEM ALL UP! You won't be disappointed.

Roots Rock Rebel

While on the subject of role models or whatever, I thought I'd mention Joe Strummer. For those of you who have never heard of him or listened to the Clash, you are missing out! Joe is the perfect musician. He not only plays his music, he throws himself into it; he has great passion for it and it shows. He manages to somehow twist all that angst and raw emotion into his voice. I've seen him play so many times, and it truly is amazing. It looks like he's strangling the music out of his guitar- a black sticker-covered Fender Telecaster. I actually saw that guitar, separated from it by a pane of glass...It was probably one of the coolest things I'd ever seen. I know how stupid this sounds, but then I had proof that he was a real person; sometimes it felt like he could have been a figment of my imagination because I looked up to him so much, and I could never meet him. Joe is probably the only musician I've really looked up to, besides one other person. The guy is so charismatic and has a great way with words. It's so much fun when you're first getting into the Clash because of the lyrics. You find yourself singing all these things you wouldn't normally say. For me, it helped to expand my creativity and my mind. Often I'm tempted to speak Joe's words, because they either fully apply to the situation, or they're completely random. It's interesting to test people by saying some of these strange but insightful things. I call his quotes "Stummerisms." (Is that stupid or what?) One of my favorites is "I could murder a pizza..." or "You have to wear pointy shoes, so it looks like you know where you're headed."
I love Joe's view on life and everything else. He has such a great way of explaining things and has a love for different cultures. What I like so much about him is his rebellious spirit and the way he infuses different styles in his music. I like his bare honesty, too. If you're being an idiot, he'd let you know for sure.
He is just a great front man and is prone to strange little rants during performance or random outbursts of Spanish in the bridges of his songs. Whenever he gets into a song, he hammers the guitar, his foot pounding the floor. I saw one show where he was flat on his stomach, most likely from exhaustion, still singing in a hoarse voice, sweat dripping from his nose.
That is commitment. He loved his job, there's no question. I admire his loyalty to music and himself and the way he's put me on a path to my own individuality. The Clash are so much more than "Rock the Casbah" and "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" They're full of pure energy and passion, and that is mainly in part to Joe Strummer. Go ask any punk rocker and they'll tell you who he is. If they can't, then they have no right to even associate with the words 'Punk Rock.'
Does this all make sense? I've tried to explain this convoluted story several times before and I don't think I'll ever get it right. But I tried.
*If you've started on the Clash, but don't know where to go, listen to their self-titled debut, and then the masterpiece London Calling. You won't be disappointed!!

I'll end this with a favorite quote: ''Everyone has got to realise you can't hold on to the past if you want any future. Each second should lead to the next one.''

Amen to that, Joey.

"Do you have the time to listen to me whine?"

Hey. I just would like to state that I'm never 'happy-go-lucky' all the time. There are certain days when I just feel like smashing something against the wall...or whatever.
So, yeah.... I'd like to think that I'm an authority on music, Punk Rock in general, and I think I can safely say that I am one of a lonely minority..... I think my problem is I love music too much. I consider that a good thing, but other people don't understand it. I can't get through the day without music, let alone through the week. To paraphrase Billie Joe, (and yeah, I'm a Green Day freak), "music is what I breathe; it's the blood that flows in my veins; I don't know what I'd do without it." It's pretty much the same with me. If I didn't have my music...I'm pretty sure I would be the most boring person in the world. It just makes me an overall happier person, and makes me more intelligent (or at least sound that way). What people don't understand is why I love it so much. One of my pet peeves, the thing that really cheeses me off, (and boy, I hate how that sounds) is when someone tells me to stop singing a song. Or to shut up about music all together, because no one cares about it. Being the 'rude girl' that I am, I know this shouldn't faze me; I know I should just ignore it, but I can't . It's more frustrating when it's friends that are telling me to shut up. Then I get all melodramatic and think that I'm all alone and blah, blah, blah. I'm probably not, but it certainly feels that way some times.
Is it stupid of me to think about this kind of crap all the time? It comes into my mind often, but usually I just ignore it, hoping I'm just being and idiot. I worry sometimes about not loving music as much as I do now when I'm older. Like, as soon as I hit college I'll become some kind of moron who suddenly regards her punk tastes as 'a passing phase from my teen years.' If that ever happens, I swear I will realize it one day, and slap myself over the head with "American Idiot," respectively. But it's ridiculous to think of all this, isn't it? That won't happen. I'll make sure it won't. In fact, now that I think about it, I won't let it happen. I care too much about this stuff to not care about it in the future. I want to be able to share this music with my friends new and old, use it as a getaway from the drudgery of reality, or even share it with my children later on. Ah, I can just see it now: my little spiky-haired son running about as the Ramones or Green Day blares from the speakers in the living room....
Yeah....writing helps, as always. I bet no one was expecting the post to take that kind of weird turn at the end there, but who cares? I'll just leave it at that. I'm better now.... :) *by the way, the title comes from "Basket Case..."