Robyn Writes

Records of the Year – 2013

I have been avoiding this list like the plague. In a year of such incredible music, especially from our own fair United Kingdom, putting a list together seems completely arbitrary and not really a celebration of the year at all. But convention dictates that I really should do something. So, in the traditional fashion, I’ve gone for a top ten. Except for the top spot, all of these could be fairly interchangeable as to how fantastic they are. In their own way, each of these records represents a perfect moment in time, whether it was a great return or a truly exciting debut. So, without further ado, I give you my top ten albums of 2013. Now go and have yourselves a bloody good Christmas and a cracking New Year.

Heartthrob was completely different to the usual Tegan and Sara style. Instead of mysterious indie-pop, they went full-on with a bunch of synths and explicit lyrics. And it was good. There are places that are so 80s, you’d swear you were wearing frilly sleeves and more eyeliner than is good for you, until it breaks into a pounding chorus that wouldn’t feel out of place at your local nightclub. Totally unexpected, highly irreverent, completely fantastic.

It was a big year for comebacks, and Fall Out Boy had one of the biggest ones yet. I’ll admit, I was wary of the FOB reunion to begin with. But Patrick Stump’s time crafting R&B hooks was put to good use and combined with a few pop-punk sensibilities, Save Rock And Roll is a complete progression. A necessary one, some might say, and it showed the world that Fall Out Boy were back in full force and ready to take your radio by storm. Also, the bass riff to ‘Where Did The Party Go’ is one of the best things they’ve ever done.

“THIS. IS. SEMPITERNAL.” That gang chorus was a sign. Bring Me The Horizon were not taking any shit. Also, it’s a remarkably uncommon word, very clever in its usage, and that’s what Bring Me The Horizon’s fourth album is – extraordinarily clever. It’s not necessarily intricate, there’s nu-metal influence everywhere, but it completely bends and breaks previous expectations of the band and creates a sonic journey like nothing else. From the vitriolic ‘Antivist’ to the beautiful ‘And The Snakes Start To Sing’, nothing about Sempiternal is imperfect.

Hey You Guys! are an amalgamation of some of the Worcester scene’s heroes, and these dudes have brought together an unmatched sense of humour, savvy lyrics and catchy-as-fuck hooks into one mindblowing record. Our interview with Hey You Guys! explains further why we love them, but Gasp Shock Horror is 28 minutes of sheer joy.

This record came at the perfect time for We Are Fiction. With bands like Mallory Knox, Young Guns and Canterbury making it big, it’s only a matter of time until We Are Fiction are massive, and they absolutely deserve it. One of the hardest working bands in the UK scene have brought out a record that echoes the glorious post-hardcore scene of the early 2000s while still remaining fresh and relevant. The dual vocal approach from Phil Barker and Marc Kucharski works so well, and it’s one of those records that has you hitting ‘repeat’ the second it’s done. Kate’s review of One For Sorrow says it all.

Let’s be honest, apart from In With The Out Crowd which was a bit iffy, Less Than Jake always deliver the goods. See The Light is no exception. From start to finish, it’s filled with ska-punk bangers. As sunny as a Floridian summer afternoon, no other album has made me smile so much this year, or want to dance as much, and I look forward to blasting this out in the summer at all the barbeques.

An absolutely solid effort from Bangers this year, Crazy Fucking Dreams is the kind of record other punk bands dream of making. Although they’re sticking with the tried and tested ‘big riffs, big rants’ formula, there’s still plenty of innovation here, and their story-telling skills are in full swing, with tracks that can’t help but speak to you. If you like your punk honest and raw, but actually listenable with wonderfully gruff vocals, Bangers are the band for you. And Crazy Fucking Dreams is brilliant.

Again, this was a record I was slightly wary of. Lead single ‘Miss Jackson’ didn’t impress me much, but as soon as ‘This Is Gospel’ made an appearance, I knew that Panic! were back on track to an absolute hit. Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die! is ten straight tracks of pop glory. Every song has a totally different feel to it, but all of them carry something wonderful to the front, whether that’s a catchy chorus or a beautifully poignant melody. Continuing post-Ross is one of the best things Panic! could have done – this is exactly why.

It was clear from the days of Reuben that Jamie Lenman was an almost unnaturally talented songwriter – how was it possible for post-hardcore to be so good and yet maintain a distinctly British voice? It just hadn’t been done before. Like Muscle Memory hasn’t been done before. The first side, Muscle, is the most gut-wrenching hardcore record of the year, with crushing, dirgey riffs abound. It’s utterly glorious. However, second side, Memory, is a folky, poppy, acoustic-y, big band-y foray into something completely genius. Separately, they’d both be incredible records, but together, they combine to create something phenomenal. Not to mention, releasing two records like this together is punk as fuck.

A predictable entry into the list, but an extremely important one. Burials is the best thing AFI have done since The Art Of Drowning. It’s not to say that their efforts in-between have been bad, but Burials was outstanding. A raw, emotional journey juxtaposed with some of the most intricate songwriting that AFI has ever exhibited? Sign me up. Twice. You can read my full love letter to Burials here, or better yet, you can go and buy it and remember why you fell in love with music to begin with.

Review: Panic! At The Disco – Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die!

It’s always been hard to quantify Panic! At The Disco. They’re not really a rock band. They’re definitely not pop-punk. Based on the current definition of ‘pop’, looking at the typical chart fare, they certainly don’t fit in with that either. However, whatever they are, I don’t think anyone minded when Ryan Ross left and they stopped doing that Beatles rip-off shit. And after the work of genius that Vices and Virtues was, it seemed almost impossible that they’d be able to top it.

But they did.

Admittedly, Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die! didn’t seem it was going to be a huge hit at first. Lead single ‘Miss Jackson’, was a huge departure, even for P!ATD, sounding too similar to Fall Out Boy’s ‘My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark’ to be a coincidence. It didn’t quite have P!ATD’s usual charm, either, and stands as the weakest song on the record. Thankfully, following single ‘This Is Gospel’ seemed far more promising, with a blinder of a chorus and a very fun video, carrying just the right level of quirkiness that we’ve come to adore P!ATD for. However, Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die! is far more mature than any of their other records. Fuelled by a love of 80s synthpop, tracks like ‘The Vegas Lights’ and ‘Girls/Girls/Boys’ won’t fail to get you dancing with their tales of Vegas style hedonism, whereas ‘Nicotine’, my personal favourite, is every bit as infectious as ‘Camisado’ or ‘Time To Dance’. Everything goes on this record, and any ill-founded doubt that may have been in place over the lyrics after Ross’s departure are firmly blown away, as P!ATD get deep as well as sexy. None of it is particularly complex, but in this, lies its brilliance, much like its predecessor.

It’s worth noting that Brendon Urie’s vocals have never been more accomplished than on this record; while he’s always been an incredible singer and a true frontman, he’s given free reign on this record to experiment with a number of different styles and he never seems out of his depth. It seems that adding Dallon Weekes as a permanent member of the band was an excellent decision too, as this record is funky as. There’s basslines here so filthy that you need two showers straight after listening to them. Spencer Smith is as solid and skilled as ever – despite the album’s heavy electric influence, there isn’t an overreliance on programmed drums, and it’s impossible to listen to the album without noticing a clever fill or a pounding and commanding rhythm.

While Panic! At The Disco might have always had the free reign to do what they want, Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die! is more bold and brilliant than I ever could have imagined. Ten tracks is all they need to steal your heart. Don’t be afraid to let them.

5 out of 5 high fives!

Live: Panic! At The Disco – HMV Institute Birmingham, 3/5/11

The sweat. The adrenaline. The screaming teenage girls. Oh it’s certain, Panic! At The Disco are back in town and they are better than ever. Vices and Virtues is a great return to form for the guys, especially after the Beatles-inspired trainwreck that was Pretty Odd. The departure of Ryan Ross and Jon Walker certainly hasn’t hurt Brendon Urie and Spencer Smith in the slightest, instead inspiring them to create awesomely catchy tunes with a hell of a hook. But can they still cut it live?

Before we could get down to business, London louts Love Letters lumbered onto the stage. From an aural perspective, they were relatively competent, playing rock and roll inspired electropop. However visually, they were a complete shambles. The lead singer clearly looked like he should have been passed out back surrounded by beer cans, wearing shades on a dimly lit stage and with a terrible 80s look. Duff McKagan can pull it off still, this guy couldn’t. At times, it was also highly uncertain whether or not he was miming – it could have been some clever effect pedal. This element still ruined the set for me, proving that Love Letters rely on over-production even on stage. The music itself is pretty catchy, the performance extremely uninspiring. They’d be perfect for Radio 1 but not much good elsewhere.

And then Panic! At The Disco get on stage and bring it. Although nowhere near as elaborate as some of their previous shows, Panic! clearly still have an eye for flair and showmanship as Urie bounds on stage, dressed in white and black, bow tie on firm and a backdrop containing the new logo flourishes dramatically behind Smith. After all, if there’s anything we’ve learnt since Panic! last graced the stage, bow ties are cool. The band immediately break into new single, Ready To Go, an absolute anthem in the making. The band are happy, eager to be back on stage and it shows – the screams are momentous.

I’m going to take a break from music for a paragraph to just emphasis how LOUD that screaming was. And teenage. And kind of weird considering that most Panic! fans are now about my age (I’m getting towards 21). The sheer enthusiasm in that crowd was awesome, if a little intimidating. I personally know the trials and tribulations of appropriate gig behaviour and when to throw it out of the window. I know that my fellow writer Kitteh was not impressed. I kind of get the hype. Not going to lie, Brendon Urie and co are looking gorgeous still. It’s easy to forget that Panic! are still in their mid-20s, despite their insane talent. Fangirls being back in full force was an interesting experience, perhaps not one I would repeat quite so readily though.

But back to Panic! now, the balance of material was excellent. There was a great mix of old and new material, picking the best songs from each album, but left Time To Dance out. Crucial mistake? Not so much, considering their inclusion of Camisado, a song I’ve always felt more suited for the dancefloor. Only two of the singles from Pretty Odd made an appearance, which I expected and was more than happy about. An unexpected Smiths cover proved interesting and signifies a return to one of Panic!’s favourite features in their live shows. Urie showcased his musical talent, flitting from the keyboard to the guitar to timpani, and every member, including new friends Dallon Weekes and Ian Crawford, getting a go at the drumming. It is this that makes it more of a show than a concert as everyone moves frenetically across stage, giving it their absolute all. The sound quality was more than awesome in songs, but Urie’s stage banter came across somewhat more unclear. But we didn’t need to hear him talk to know that Panic! were having a great time there. As a quick grin from Smith to Urie showed, Panic! love what they do and in turn, we absolutely love them. Charming as ever and fantastically fun, Panic! At The Disco, and their reintroduced exclamation mark, have an extremely bright future ahead of them.

Panic! At The Breakup – TBO’s predictions

So, it’s official. Panic! at the Disco are no more the happy little foursome they once were as Ryan Ross and Jon Walker step away to create their own project, leaving Brendon Urie and Spencer Smith to soldier on, breaking the hearts and spirits of a thousand fangirls as they go. Without sounding too cynical, this is probably the best news I’ve heard all week, if only for the sheer hilarity of it all. The possibilities of new incarnations! The pained screams of fangirls worldwide! The furious internet blogging! Me and ninthandash had a pretty good time hypothesising how everything would all work out last night, and I’m going to share those thoughts with you all. If any of this actually becomes real, I’ll be shocked and amazed. And also pretty damn awesome for predicting this shit. I also apologise for the bad Photoshopping.

Team Ryjon

First up, we’ll go with the deserters, as it were. The truth is, Ryan and Jon will probably go up to the mountains, smoke some weed, collapse on the floor giggling and write songs about it. But, if we had to choose some other likely options, we’d go for these:

Dolly Parton, anyone?

Yes, Pretty.Odd was one step away from the Beatles, and the logical conclusion would be to move towards country and western. Perhaps. Anyway, Ryan and Jon already have the plaid shirts, so rocking the banjo and jug shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Not to mention, you get to drink cider in country and western. CIDER.

Electronica is in vogue again, after all…

At least in the UK, electropop is back in a big way. Of course, this was the stuff early Panic! was made of, so it’ll come naturally to Ryan at least. Plus, you KNOW they could pull off the fashion. And the serious faces. And the makeup. Actually, this would be my preferred Ryjon band.

Or, you know, pretentious hipsters…

After all, this is Ryan Ross we’re talking about. The pretentious hipster band, with the pretty guitars and the tight jeans and the lyrics which nobody understands. It seems a bit out there for Jon, who seems a little more down to earth with his music, but whatever, he can go with the flow. See vague Myspace pics also with this one. (NB: this is the real one, Hillside Session. I was thoroughly disappointed when I found out, I was expecting something much more exciting. They sound quite good though.)

Team Brencer
Good news about this combo – the exclamation mark is coming back. To be honest, I’d missed it, and it just shows that they could be planning on going back to the original Panic! style, which was actually, y’know, good. But, if they were going to do it any other way, this is what we think might happen.

Cabaret, darling!

Panic! toured with the Dresden Dolls, and now that it’s just Brendon and Spencer, there’s the perfect opportunity for some cabaret style piano. The makeup, the dazzling outfits, the outrageous stage antics! That’s exactly what I want to see from Panic! At The Disco.

Epic, maaaaan…

Spencer has a pretty serious beard going on right now. Beardy drummers usually means either a) awesome Gainesville punk or b) stoner rock/metal. And I’m guessing the latter, due to the bandana wearing as well. The only thing preventing this is Brendon’s love of sweets, which leads us to our next idea…

Screw the band, let’s open a candy factory!

Ever since the top hat in the first video, and then the candy land in Nine In The Afternoon, it has been my dream for Panic! At The Disco to own their own candy factory. Brendon Urie would make the perfect, less creepy Willy Wonka and well… Spencer’s too tall to be an Oompa-Loompa so I have no idea what he’d do. Test shit or something. Om nom nom.

So there you have it, our ideas for the future of Panic! At The Disco and related projects. To be honest, Panic! had come to their natural conclusion and it’s great to see a band end amicably as opposed to having an all out war against each other. Now, we just need to wait and see who has the better project.