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| From the high-octane drumming and blazing syncopated riffs that rain down on “What’s It Feel Like to Be a Ghost”—the opening track on Taking Back Sunday’s latest CD Louder Now—it’s clear that the album’s title couldn’t be more fitting. Faster, darker and harder than its 2004 |
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 | Louder Now4.25
Released: 2006 |
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From the high-octane drumming and blazing syncopated riffs that rain down on “What’s It Feel Like to Be a Ghost”—the opening track on Taking Back Sunday’s latest CD Louder Now—it’s clear that the album’s title couldn’t be more fitting. Faster, darker and harder than its 2004 predecessor, the best-selling Where You Want To Be – Louder Now is the album that bottles the lightning that this powerful, melodic hardcore band generates whenever they hit the stage.
“We love our first two albums [Where You Want To Be and the 2002 debut Tell All Your Friends], but we were always told that our live show had more energy than the records,” says guitarist-vocalist Fred Mascherino. “Our intention with Louder Now was to capture that energy. Keeping that in mind the whole time we made our record, we got some really intense results.” “It’s the record we have always wanted to make,” declares lead singer Adam Lazzara. “We brought in every element from every influence we’ve ever had. It completes the spectrum.”
Louder Now’s intensity was propelled by producer Eric Valentine (Queens Of The Stone Age, Third Eye Blind) pushing Taking Back Sunday to be better at every turn. “Eric brings to the table the rare ability to take a band that’s been playing for years to an entirely higher level,” says Mascherino. “He is a master of his craft,” adds Lazzara. “He hears and sees things that are nearly impossible to notice being so close to the songs. He pushed us to edge of our abilities and then a little further.” The band members knew they wanted to musically exceed their previous tracks, which were filled with pop-tinged hardcore anthems. “It was important to us when recording Louder Now that we give fans a full listening experience.” Mascherino says. “One of the ways we tried to accomplish that was to experiment with new and different sounds for songs.”
One example is the rollicking “Miami.” The drum kit was set up in the smallest room in the studio, giving Mark O’Connell’s drumming a tight ’80s sound, complementing Matt Rubano’s basslines and further topped with Cure-like guitar tones, and a scorching guitar solo. The end result is unlike anything the band has recorded to date.
The album’s first single “MakeDamnSure” relies on classic Taking Back Sunday Influence, with singer Adam Lazzara’s yowling vocals mixed with Eddie Reyes’ and Mascherino’s slashing guitars. The twin guitar assault and emotional point/counterpoint lyrics are still the lynchpin of their sound. The lyrics illuminate Louder Now’s overall themes of discontent and uncertainty. “A good example is ‘What’s It Feel Like To Be A Ghost?’” mentions Lazzara. “It touches on feeling like an apparition no matter what it is I try or do or where I find myself at any given moment. Simply being withdrawn to the point where the line between what is and is not real gets blurred. The album is about struggling to figure out where the hell we all fit in,” he adds. “It’s like a pre pre-midlife crisis.”
After releasing Where You Want To Be, the band played around “a bazillion” shows, by Mascherino’s reckoning (“You seriously forget your address and home phone number”), including the 2004 Warped Tour, British rock festivals Reading and Leeds, and a sold-out headlining tour. Things did not let up in 2005 when they did a co-headlining arena tour of North America with Jimmy Eat World and performed two sold-out shows in June at Britain’s Milton Keynes National Bowl with Green Day, each band playing to the biggest audiences of their careers.
Continuously inspired during life on the road, Taking Back Sunday wrote and recorded pieces of songs with gear stored on the bus. “It can be damaging to live like this—being away from home,” Mascherino admits. “The space and distance affects us so much it even seeps into the music. I feel like Louder Now is a much darker record than Where You Want to Be, especially on tracks like “Liar (It Takes One to Know One).” The overall tone, mood, and lyrics give you a deeper feeling.” But Lazzara has come to feel more at home on the road. “It’s when I’m home that I start to feel like a stranger in my own skin,” he says, adding “but it’s worth it. Being able to put out records period, is a dream come true. ”
The relentless touring paid off with sold-out arena tours and delirious fan support. Combined, Tell All Your Friends and Where You Want to Be have scanned more than 1.4 million copies and the latter debuted at Number Three on the Billboard Top 200, selling more than 163,000 copies its first week of release in July 2004. It has sold over 700,000 copies to date. Effusive praise in Rolling Stone, Spin, and Entertainment Weekly soon followed, and Taking Back Sunday appeared on the cover of Alternative Press for the third time.
They remained a staple on both MTV and Fuse; and in 2005, the band was tapped to record a theme song for Reed Richards, the lead character for the video game and hit movie Fantastic Four. “Error Operator” appears in the game, on the film’s soundtrack and a revamped version is also on Louder Now.
Determined to get their new album right, “we set out to create something that we considered timeless,” says Mascherino. “We didn’t want something that people would listen to in 10 years and say, ‘That’s from 2006 when all the records sounded like that.’ We wanted people to listen to it in 10 years and say, ‘Hell, yeah, turn that up!’”
3/06
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Discussion Topic
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My views on Taking Back Sunday
and Emo.
First off, I'd like to begin by
saying that emo is by far one of the most
pain inducing forms of unintelligent garbage
I have had the displeasure of hearing. Every
emo song ever made is some punk kid, who
doesn't know how to dress himself, whining
about a girl or how his parents are mean,
etc., etc.
I cannot begin to fathom why anyone
would want to pervert their ears and minds
with this tripe. Are you people so depraved
of good music and independant thought that
the instant the media plugs a band consisting
of no talent hacks who sound like fifty other
bands, you instantaneously have to go to the
store and buy their pilthy albums.
Emo artists spend all of ten minutes
working on their albums, then they sit back
and watch the money from all the brain-dead
teenagers and poseurs. And yes, it's
spelled poseur, because "poser"
is defined as "a puzzling or baffling
question" in the dictionary.
Anyway, now to complain about Taking
Back Sunday, which is one of those bands that
strive to sound the same as everyone else so
they don't have to work to get money.
What kind of a name is "Taking Back
Sunday" anyway? How exactly are they
taking Sunday back?
Is whining about a broken relationship
gonna bring a day back to them? Seriously
people, how can you honestly listen to
something made by a bunch of morons who threw
darts a board with random words on it to come
up with their name?
I can't believe that music has gone
so far downhill that "bands"
like TBS, Yellow Card, Green Day, My Chemical
Dream, and all those other talentless cods of
feces who do nothing but complain about some
girl, or America being bad, or getting bad
grades in school because the teacher
supposedly hates them.
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The_Walrus |
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Replys
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Listener
| | you could ask the band. | musicianlad | | sorry im confused | theusedslave | Great, this site doesn't even spell
"replies" correctly. It's
quite evident that the owners of this
abomination of a site are fourty year old men
trying to be "hip" and
"cool".
Oh yes, as to your replies. I expected you
to get confused, God forbid someone with
intelligence states a matter of opion without
saying "tehy are teh suxor,
lmao".
Here, I shall explain my thoughts on this
talentless excuse of a New Kids On the Block
wannabe band, in a manner that you can
comprehend.
Taikng bak sunday no good, u sould buy beter
music lololol LMAO ROTFLMAO.
| The_Walrus | Blech. If you ask me, Walrus (and I know you
didn't, but frankly, I don't care), you
are FAR too bold. "Someone with
intelligence..." Right. Quit bitching
about spelling. And with the time that you
save in doing so, learn how to spell
"opinion" correctly. ;) | cLaNdEsTiNeGiRl | that may very well have just been a really
really bad typo clandy. but he seems to think
forty is spelled with a "u". | xzar | =| I know that, Xzacob. I hadn't really
messed with anyone in a while; I just wanted
to see what he'd say. But even if it was a
typo, he should double-check to make sure
that everything's typed correctly if
he's going to go on about spelling in his
posts. *Smile.* | cLaNdEsTiNeGiRl | *big smile* i was just actually just trying
to cut him off from blaming that on a typo. | xzar | ^^Because I'm always smiling when I'm
talking to you. ;-P | cLaNdEsTiNeGiRl | | (You know what I mean...) | cLaNdEsTiNeGiRl | haha. of course. but also because youre
feeling so damn good today, right? =) | xzar | ;) You know it. (...But even if I wasn't,
I'd still be smiling right now.) | cLaNdEsTiNeGiRl | | yay!! | xzar | Oh dear, cLaNdEsTiNeGiRl's nasty words
have struck me right in the heart.
I feel EVER so ashamed of my self right now.
It's rather difficult to feel even the
slightest bit threatened by one who knows not
the ways of proper capatalization.
Especially since you're obviously a
thirteen year old girl playing with your
Barbie dolls; and lusting over all the
effeminate boys in todays'
"rock" music.
And why should I take the time to go back and
proofread any of my posts here when not a
single one of you could type something
relevent to save your immortal souls? | The_Walrus | Because if you don't then I'll get my
Barbies to gang-bang you. ^___^ | cLaNdEsTiNeGiRl | i feel ashamed. i agree with mr. walrus'
views on emo. but hes worse than the slipknot
kids. i kinda feel sorry for him after that
post. it made me laugh at first.. but it
quickly lost its humor. if only he were
joking. | xzar | Haha. Oh, I don't have any problem
whatsoever with his views. I mean, I'm not
brain dead. Or deaf. I don't think that
anyone could tell me anything about these
so-called "emo" bands that I
haven't already realized on my own. And I
know that by saying this, I may come off
as...something that I don't want to come
off as, but my reasons for listening to this
genre are unknown, even to me. It's very,
very odd. And I think it's just how I grew
up. The things that I experienced. I listen
to these bands for reasons completely
unrelated to what makes them
"emo". It might be pathetic,
actually. This doesn't seem to make any
sense. I apologize.
But The Walrus just hasn't yet earned the
right to be arrogant, in my opinion. | cLaNdEsTiNeGiRl | not in the slightest..
i didnt mean anything larissa. as im sure you
know. *biggest (E)hug ever* | xzar | ^____^ I didn't mean that you meant
anything. I just really don't want you to
think that I'd be offended by anything
that could be said about "emo".
(Because it's probably nothing that I
haven't said in the past, myself,
actually.) I may not be able to articulate my
reasons for listening to this music, but
they're most likely *completely* different
from the reasons that most kids do. But
that's how it is with most things. =\
Blah. | cLaNdEsTiNeGiRl | | you had the day off right? smile for me!!! =D | xzar | ^_______________________________^
(...Anything for you.) | cLaNdEsTiNeGiRl | ^____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
______________________________^
i want to squeeze you until i pass out from
hugging you too much. god, i cant stop
smiling. thank you thank you thank you thank
you! | xzar | I'm just about this close (*this* close)
to setting out for Arizona on foot, Mr.
I'm-the-bee's-knees... | cLaNdEsTiNeGiRl | | id meet you half-way =P | xzar | The kid that started this thing is a complete
idiot. First off, he started by saying one
band sucks because of their sound. Now tell
what right does anyone have to say whether
they suck or another bands sucks? Also he has
already made a generalization about a
complete scene and it's ideals and people.
By doing this he is pusing himself away that
music and will never be able to understand
it. Does he know any of the history of the
music? The answer is very simple, from his
actions you can see that he has no idea what
he's talking about and is only out to piss
people off. If you are going to make a
statement about a band or a type of music
know the history behind it. You say, name
some orignal emo bands so that I can hear
what he (me) is talking about....well kids
here you go: Embrace, Rites of Spring,
Cap'n Jazz, American Football, Joan of
Arc, Current. If you want to start on the
history aspect of the music and that whole
scene go here www.fourfa.com The guy who made
that site is pretty good when it comes to the
history but know that he is a bit shallow
when he starts talking about looking emo. Emo
didn't have a look until it reached
mainstream America, before then the people
that were in those types of bands didn't
call them emo or dress any certain way. They
dressed according to how much money they
could spend to buy clothes. The bottom line
is this guy, whoever he may be, has no idea
what he's talking about. Personally, I
don't like Taking Back Sunday, but saying
they suck because I don't like them is
completely ridiculous. Don't be an angry
elitest like this guy has just proven he is.
He thinks he is the smartest when in fact
through his own words has proven he is a
bumbling moron. If you wanna understand music
go to shows, support your local scene, look
outside of the radio. There are many good
bands that don't play on the radio and
they're part of what makes up the scene.
So that is what you need to do instead of
listening to some angry, little, ignorant kid
who thinks he knows everything. | TheJWalker | | i dont like him, but i dont like you either. | xzar | I'd like to see 'em duke it out,
though. | cLaNdEsTiNeGiRl | | *watches intently* | xzar | Well now, it seems I have struck a nerve upon
TheJWalker. Well my good sir, I must commend
you. You went for several paragraphs without
the usual defemation of the English language
that has been plaguing this site.
Despite all that, you are still in fact, what
us Germans a call, an arsch loch.
Don't know the obvious definition, look it
up.
Anyway, your blind statement of me
"not knowing the history" and
"only saying it because he doesn't
like it" is false.
Whilt I do not like emo, I don't plagerize
it just because it sucks, no not all, I
plagerize it because it is an infectiuos
plague that started off as something
somewhatly tlerable, into a massive
nation-wide frenzy of stupidity and bad
fashion.
You are correct that "emo" was
not a fashion until it was pushed down the
throats of Americans by the insufferable
music industry and the media (Yes, I know the
music industry is part of the media, but
I'm referring to other parts of the media
as well).
Frankly, your futile attempts to stump me are
getting quite banauge. I shalt end with
this, don't waste your time and energy
trying to make me think about the world in a
different light, that day will never come. | The_Walrus | It seems I have mispelled
"plagierize".
Oh well. | The_Walrus | there were other mistakes too, but the oddest
one would be your use of ...
"shalt"..? i dont think mr.
walker cares, though.. | xzar | | Mowno | | The fact remains, this band is tripe. | The_Walrus | Haha, nobody's trying to dispute that.
We just don't like you. =P | cLaNdEsTiNeGiRl | tripe sounds like something armand would say.
actually, i think he has used that word to
describe a band before. but maybe not. | xzar | well mr.walrus dude, i must say i truly do
not like u. ur opinions mean nothin to me.i
think that u should find somethin better to
do then bitch about how much u dont like
somethin. seriously, no one cares nd no one
wants to listen to u whine nd complain... | Xxlive_love_diexX | all the bands u just wrote down in this post
are fucken great bands i am sorry that u
can't see that. but not all their songs
are about just that.so what do u like the war
we are in? have u had anyone go over there
and came back in a bodybag? i don't really
think u have.but what kind of songs do u want
to hear b-c if u really don't like the
songs than turn off your radio and put on a
c.d that you like but don't disbands that
we like. | fairiekisses | By "you dont't know your
history" he was referring to the fact
that you don't seem to know what Emo is.
The bands mentioned above are real Emo bands.
Chances are you've never listened to, or
so much as heard of them. TBS are not Emo,
they are Power Pop. You should learn what
bands actually do encompass (sp) a genre
before you complain about it. Otherwise you
just look ignorant, and uneducated. | L1th1um | well mr.walrus dude, i must say i truly do
not like u. ur opinions mean nothin to me.i
think that u should find somethin better to
do then bitch about how much u dont like
somethin. seriously, no one cares nd no one
wants to listen to u whine nd complain...
Learn to spell, you pathetic nothing. | The_Walrus | By "you dont't know your
history" he was referring to the fact
that you don't seem to know what Emo is.
The bands mentioned above are real Emo
bands.
Chances are you've never listened to, or
so much as heard of them. TBS are not Emo,
they are Power Pop. You should learn what
bands actually do encompass (sp) a genre
before you complain about it. Otherwise you
just look ignorant, and uneducated.
It all sounds exactly the same, it's all a
bunch of whiny, insipid drolls singing about
some irrelevent subject or another.
Do you honestly think I care about the exact
genre of this crap? Even if you slap a
different name on it, it's still crap.
It's all just the same garbage shoved down
the throats of teenagers by the media in
order to coax them out of their parent's
or their own hard earned money. | The_Walrus | wellll i read a few of the first posts but
they were all 100000 words long and i got
bored. most of you are pathetic, including
you two who flirt over the internet.. thats
disgusting. and you, the walrus guy- the way
you make fun of people is funny, and i like
it, but who really cares about anything else
you have to say?...no one. and please dont
compare tbs to yellowcard, that makes me
embarassed to be a huge taking back sunday
fan. | amyhuddd | | ps. taking back sunday is amazing | amyhuddd | Walrus. You really do need to get our of your
own arsehole (and yes, it's 'arse'
because I'm English) and realise that none
of us really care that you don't like emo.
You seem to be trying so hard to sound
intelligent when telling us what you think,
but you don't realise that what you think
is not necessarily right (or wrong for that
matter...). Just because there is a band or
genre that you don't like, it doesn't
mean that that band/genre is bad. I can't
stand metal, but that doesn't mean I think
it's bad, or that people should stop
listening to it... because I understand that
people are different.
People listen to music that they can relate
to, and a lot of teenagers go through
relationship problems and feel depressed and
feel lonely. That's why emo is popular...
they write songs about those things, and it
brings comfort to those that choose to listen
to it. | loser_freak | Too bad those who choose to listen to Emo,
just so happen to be dumb asses. | The_Walrus | | okay if you really think so. | fairiekisses | | TBS ROCKS | fairiekisses | I don't want to start a slagging match,
but I really did expect you to say something
better than that... | loser_freak | | the walrus loves cock. | amyhuddd | Whats the big deal about it anyway, Hey i
dislike stuff like most rnb crap out there,
doesn't mean I'll go on forums like
Snoop Dogg and Fiddi Cent, balh blah blah, n
talk crap about that music does it?? Sounds
like you got to take ya frustration problems,
hey why dont you go away, write a song full
of pointless lyrics, and come back and say
you've made a great song.
The point about emo is, that bands are able
to say what they really feel and believe! Its
not whining about lost g/f's or crap like
that!
Alot of its about wanting to sing and play
songs which really means something to you! I
don't see how you can make a song on the
basis of 'tryin not to be emo', If you
do ya not getting the poit of musical
freedom! | fatally_yours | | some people like emo.......deal with it | blackrain13 | ok...emo ppl scare me.
they are all like "omg my life
sux...*slit*"
i mean c'mon...stop crying u lil pansy!
i mean i like the music but i dont see why
ppl feel the need to slit they're tiny
vein and then cry about it afterwards!its
effing idiotic!
taking back sunday is cool...i guess
but emo ppl have special needs and should be
put in a menal institution!
| im_not_okay129 | what the fuck are you talking about, you
stupid my chemical romance fan....youre being
ridiculously stereotypical. | amyhuddd | Urgh, people should stop assuming stuff. You
don't have to be 'emo' to cut... | CoNe_LoVeR_666 | Can't we all just get along!!!
Who cares about how much TBS, or anyone in
that matter sucks! Everyone is entitled to
their own opinions, and the other half just
have to...well...deal with it!
If there are any disagreements among people
about bands...then just get over it. Stick to
the bands you love for the reasons you
choose, and let the "e Emo "e kids
stick with their bands.
If they want to hear about things that
pertain to the subjects of self-mutilation
and/or suicide...then by all means let them.
Just don't diss peoples bands for the
plain reason of you disliking them or about
what they wear or what they look like.
I am not speaking to anyone in particular
when I say this.
I think that everyone has the right to
express their opinions, but don't start up
ridiculous feuds with each other
Sure, the bands may suck, but there are
people out there who may think that the bands
you favor the most suck as well.
It cuts both ways.
Express your opinions, but don't do it in
an angry way. Because it just creates more
things that lead to huge arguments, when in
the end, you don't even remember why you
started the argument(s) in the first place.
Keep in mind that it also causes
short-tempered people to say things that you
may not agree with.
Let everyone be free to like a band that you
may think is lame. After all, what you say is
not going to stop them right? It's only
just going to encourage them more.
So in conclusion...
Respect music. ALL music. Even if it is the
most "e Emo "e music of all time. I
don't see anyone else out there doing what
they do and making a dollar out of it.
| losergurl852 | this may be alittle late but...all of you
"defending" tbs is just giving
this waste of space some sort of perverted
pleasure from it...this
"the_walrus" guy is probably
some 30 yr old guy still living with his
mom...not that defending a good band is bad
but do you seriously think that tbs actually
gives a shit if some pathetic nothing doesnt
like them..most likely not...and to you
"the_walrus" id really be
talking about stupid names...and if all you
really have to do is sit on your ass all day
and write meaningless rants about bands that
are quote unquote "the most
pain inducing forms of unintelligent garbage
" and argue with teenage girls/boys
then you obviously dont have a life so here
is alittle advice for you..GET A HOBBY... | roses_and_razorblades | ^Nice reply. Anyway, yeah seriously who
cares. If you like TBS (and I think thier
name is awesome, btw) then don't pat
attention to the haters. Everything has
haters. Just go listen to the music you like,
and don't worry about what other people
think of it. | XratedRomance | Amen to that! That's what I do and will
carry on doing. | CoNe_LoVeR_666 | | | |
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