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Because I haven't had the internet at home for over a year (more like a year and a half)... So anything I listen to on my desktop doesn't get put on here. I also don't have a functional iPod anymore, so most of my music listening has been done on CDs in my car. And my car does not have WiFi (I wish...). So that stuff won't show up. Essentially, the only stuff that'll show up here is stuff I've listened to on my laptop, and it'll get updated when I go someplace with internet. Just wanted to explain why it's been so...dead.

(prescript: THIS ENTRY DID NOT WANT TO BE WRITTEN. I accidentally closed the tab three times...thankfully, had most of it copied all times =\) So, when I first listened to Under The Blacklight, it was during a very nice bath and well, it's good bath music. =P Initial thoughts are that, yes, it isn't exactly what Rilo Kiley's done before, but it does sound like them (at least to me).

Track by track:

Silver Lining: Sounds very Rabbit Fur Coat-esque to me. Except that drum bit at the beginning, it sounds EXACTLY like, you guessed it, a Gwen Stefani song. (Seriously. Fluorescent sounds exactly the same at the beginning). I don't mind this song, it's peppy and happy :)

Close Call: Guitar on it sounds very Modest Mouse to me. I don't like Jenny's voice as much singing higher. She's got such a lovely sexy voice, and don't get me wrong, she can really sing, and she's got the range...but the vocals are too scoopy for me. Again, I like it, but I probably won't get too attached.

The Moneymaker: So everyone and their mother has heard this track by now, no new surprises. When I first heard it, I really didn't like it...but I put it on repeat and fell in love. I really, really like it. It's catchy, and the guitar is SO kickass, and although not lyrically deep, Jenny's vocals really go along with the song. It's a good song and has already made its way onto my playlists for friends =P

Breakin' Up: LOL. (I kinda just want to leave it at that, but I have more to say). It's so poppy and I love poppy songs like this, but it's just...wrong somehow. I think it's in the producing. I can see me singing the "ooh, it feels good to be free" bit to exes turned friends xD. Don't really like those background singers on that bit though. Despite the fact that everyone seems to dislike this song the most...I'm going to end up having this one on repeat. It is so damn catchy and poppy and happy and makes me want to dance around in a field of daisies. Really mixed feelings about this, because, on its own, a very pleasant tune. Considering that it's RK, feeling...let down, I guess. Not a song I'd use to introduce someone to the band.

Under the Blacklight: I don't understand the synth bit of it (intro and outtro). It doesn't go with the song, in my opinion. It's...okay I guess. Kind of a boring song. Again, not one I'm going to remember. I have no idea why the instrument (argh, I know what it is, I'm kicking myself for not being able to think of the name...it comes in at 2:06) is there. Doesn't go with the song!

Dreamworld: LOOOOOOOVE. Then again, I think everyone likes this one best. Reminds me of August, honestly. But more mature and deep. Definitely a good driving track. I want more Blake vocals on this album =\. I wish I had more to say about it, but I just really like this song. The music is perfect for what the song is about. Really easy to get lost to, and it'll definitely be put on repeat many times.

Dejalo: Sounds like something off of Sims: Vacation, I am serious! I appreciate the effort to make something peppy and stuff, but it's just...boring. Bordering on annoying.

15: Hello funk? Totally works for me. I like the song a lot, both as a standalone and as RK. Cannot wait to hear this one live, though...I think it's going to be amazing!

Smoke Detector: Eh. it's going to get stuck in my head, and I won't like it. nothing special. It's a nice little tune and maybe when I'm less tired, I'll want to listen to it, but for now, it's forgettable.

The Angels Hung Around: Reminds me of More Adventurous. It's soft, and I like it, but it's just...the same. I'm really not sure why people are saying the new album isn't Rilo Kiley-ish enough, because to me, it seems VERY RKish. Which is a little disappointing in some ways, I was looking for more variety I guess. I haven't been playing close attention, but I think a lot of these songs are in the same key, which is probably why I'm not finding anything to be standing out. Honestly, if this song were closer to the beginning of the album, I'd probably be raving about it, because I like it...just not after listening to the rest of UTB.

Give a Little Love: Aw, everyone's being mean to this song. I think it is so cute and I could totally do without the fake drums, and echoes, and synth stuff (maybe it isn't synth, but it sounds like it to me). I really think this song will rock live...because it won't just be "JENNY SINGS AND SOME STUFF HAPPENS IN THE BACKGROUND THAT ISNT ACTUALLY CREATED BY ANYONE IN THE BAND". it'll be "HEY LOOK BLAKE AND PIERRE AND JASON AND JENNY ARE UP THERE DOING THEIR THING". Seriously though, cute song, but I do expect more from RK.


Overall...I don't think the album's terrible. I think they could have gone even further outside the box and still had it rock. I really miss vocal harmonies and Jenny's lower-range singing, and Blake's singing. Going to have to listen to B-sides.

Now it is time for me to put on Take Offs and Landings and go to bed.

(postscript: I hope I didn't tag way too much...I really don't write lastfm journals that much and I figured it made sense to tag everything that I did. *shrug*)

EDIT: after listening to it a few times...I can safely say that I really do like the album. It is still very RK to me, just different, and that's good. And I love Close Call now, after listening to it on headphones. there are so many little things on this album that really just get to you on headphones and it is so muuuuch better. go listen to it with headphones, everyone ;P

Well, I Have Been Floated on the Train Under Water, which I took to see Mary Jo. Together, We Rule The School. I told her to Tell Me Where It Hurts, so she took me to her White Room. The Sun Is Still Sunny, so she hid behind This Masquerade. I should have known with these Young Folks that Love Goes Home to Paris in the Spring.

Boy, did she ever throw me a Fastball.

Oh well. I'm Feelin' Stronger Every Day.

*****

Yeah, you can tell I'm tired, because i totally think this is an amazing entry. =P

So, I adore Sixpence None The Richer so so much.

And Gillette is my idol.

And Afterglow is brilliant, IMO.

andddd.....playing Sixpence None The Richer with Michelle Branch is absolutely PERFECT.

1)No Doubt
First Song: Spiderwebs
Fell In Love With: End It On This
Current Favourite: The Climb
2)Garbage
First Song: Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go!)
Fell In Love With: Cherry Lips(Go Baby Go!)
Current Favourite: I Think I'm Paranoid
3)Hole
First Song: Celebrity Skin
Fell In Love With: Miss World
Current Favourite: Boys On The Radio
4)Modest Mouse
First Song: Ocean Breathes Salty
Fell In Love With: Ocean Breathes Salty
Current Favourite: Gravity Rides Everything
5)Franz Ferdinand
First Song: Take Me Out
Fell In Love With: Walk Away
Current Favourite: Auf Achse
6)Pixies
First Song: Where Is My Mind?
Fell In Love With: Debaser
Current Favourite: Hey
7)ABBA
First Song: Super Trouper
Fell In Love With: Fernando
Current Favourite: I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
8)Michelle Branch
First Song: Everywhere
Fell In Love With: Goodbye to You
Current Favourite: You Set Me Free (but Goodbye to You is still my favourite..just not my current favourite, if that makes any sense)
9)U2
First Song: I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
Fell In Love With: Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of
Current Favourite: Kite
10)The Planet Smashers
First Song: I Like Your Girl
Fell In Love With: I Like Your Girl
Current Favourite: Until the End
11)Air
First Song: Sexy Boy
Fell In Love With: Sexy Boy
Current Favourite: Le Voyage de Penelope
12)Madonna
First Song: Material Girl
Fell In Love With: Like a Prayer
Current Favourite: Isaac
13)David Bowie
First Song: Young Americans
Fell In Love With: Young Americans
Current Favourite: Young Americans
14)Yann Tierson
First Song: La Valse d'Amélie(Version Piano)
Fell In Love With: La Valse d'Amélie(Version Piano)
Current Favourite: L'autre valse d'Amélie
15)Christina Aguilera
First Song: Genie in a Bottle
Fell In Love With: What a Girl Wants
Current Favourite: Love Will Find a Way
16)DIR EN GREY
First Song: umbrella
Fell In Love With: dead tree
Current Favourite: THE FINAL

The Solids are awesome.

I just really wish I could listen to Hey Beautiful somewhere other than their myspace.

I felt the need to write about You Look So Fine

because this is a BRILLIANT song. I've loved this song from the second I heard it, but I've developed a new obsession for it over the past week. definitely one of the saddest songs I've ever heard, and so very beautiful, and perfectly put together. it really gets to me every time I listen to it.

okay so this was generally pointless, but this song really deserves a journal entry of its own.

Go through your top 10 artists and add up the total number of listeners. Divide the average by the number of Red Hot Chili Peppers fans (Red Hot Chili Peppers is - at the moment - the artist with the most listeners - Radiohead is second). That is your "mainstream percentage".

1:No Doubt - 151,882
2:Garbage - 147,953
3:Hole - 53,159
4:Modest Mouse - 190,577
5:Pixes - 213,687
6:Franz Ferdinand - 238,807
7:ABBA - 70,266
8:U2 - 266,749
9:The Planet Smashers - 6,168
10:Air - 198,605

1 537 85.2/427507

35.97% mainstreamm