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Wot? That is my favorite line from an album FILLED with ridiculous one-liners.
My first listen to Hot Mess (the leaked version) had me shaking my head and saying, "Oh, Gabe. Really?" because it's so filled with "I'm doing what I've gotta do, I don't care what you say/do/think" lyrics. On the whole, Hot Mess reminds me FAR more of Midtown (esp. Forget What You Know) and of While The City Sleeps than Viva. Lyrics from the former, beats from the latter.
The general theme of disillusionment and the epic irony of Cobra Starship becoming so big can be contemplated after re-reading his explanation for signing to DD/FBR. Read that and listen to this album, and tell me all three Cobra Starship albums aren't a great big fuck-you to the things/people of the Jersey scene that allowed Midtown to founder between record companies.
Anyway.
Generally, I like the first half of the album, but am not so fond of the back half. Except for I May Be Rude, But I'm The Truth.
Album art: Eh. Not impressed by the cover, haven't been since it was first made public. But I'm ridiculously charmed by the photo of bb!Ryland that was slipped in front of it in my hard copy. It is also pretty fucking amusing to open the center photo and see a vegetarian giving the fangs up to a crowd in front of a sign for chicken tenders.
1. Nice Guys Finish Last - The intro rhythm had me thinking Womanizer, and then the percussion moved to a big band/swing feel that Nate could have lifted from Bob Bryar's part in House of Wolves. Liked the gang vocals. There's a moment when the synth reminds me of the effects in The Steve Miller Band's Abracadabra. No, really. *shakes head* And, oh, HEY, HI GUITAR SOLO. THANK YOU, RYLAND BLACKINTON. The bass that drives the song isn't that noticeable at the beginning of the song, but becomes so by the end.
2. Pete Wentz Is The Only Reason We're Famous - Heh. So, am I the only person who thinks "you can ride to the top but you can't ride on my cock" is funny b/c of Pete Wentz's peen pictures, in addition to the usual scene queen/fame whore reference? Yeah, okay, I've a 12-yr-old boy's sense of humor. So. First (re)appearance of the "I do what I gotta do" theme. Still reminds me significantly of Give It Up. Like the reference to the title of CS's first album near the end of the song. IDK, when I had the ripped version, I assumed the vocals, esp. the first verse, were muffled b/c of a quality or computer issue. It's still muffled, so I guess that's the effect they were aiming for? A little overproduced IMO. (But I still love that they fanboy each other so hard, JSYK.)
3. Good Girls Go Bad - I am ridiculously fond of this song, for all its trite lyrics. I like the beat, and I love the video. (What? You KNOW how shallow I am. Suarez in handcuffs! VickyT as a vice cop! Nate being adorable in his little deli hat. Gabe just being Gabe.) I'm curious to hear VickyT singing Leighton Meester's part in concert, but was away from the internets for a while, so I haven't checked the YouTubes for footage of it yet.
4. Fold Your Hands(,) Child - Dear Cobras, Please to be using direct address commas. The lack of appropriate grammar and punctuation in modern youth is appalling, and any little bit you can do to educate your fans is appreciated. Love, Me. Could be a direct continuation of The Kids Are All F***ked Up, rhythmically and lyrically. Reappearance of the "do what you gotta do" lyric. Harmony with Ryland and Suarez - very reminiscent of their This Is Ivy League sound. Heh. Walk straight now, and the bit about doing the things they used to do together? M'kay, something about that also really makes me think about his love-letter apology to the Jersey scene, Being From Jersey Means Never Having To Say You're Sorry.
5. You're Not In On The Joke - :D I LOVE THIS SONG. SERIOUSLY. Because half the time I think Gabe IS a cynic, and other times he's so painfully NOT. Echoes the lyrics of Kiss My Sass. But mostly the entire song just makes me smirk. Plus, PWentz's screams at the end. He so wishes he were still in a hardcore band sometimes. "I'll always be just who you want me to be." With his tongue in his cheek? He's play you (us) all, and we don't even realize he's laughing all the way to the bank and the top of the Billboard charts. Or maybe we do.
6. Hot Mess - something about the percussion here reminds me of Wham Rap (Enjoy What You Do), the version that was on Music From The Edge of Heaven. Yes, I just dated myself. Yes, I admit to liking Wham! This is not news - I saw George Michael when he came through town last year. Whatever, we are evaluating the third album of a band that SINGLE-HANDEDLY brought neon and disco/synth back into style off the dance floor, no one can criticize my taste here, okay? Also, maybe a Rock Your Body or a JT Lovestoned vibe? Um. Also. People still say "hella"? "Make you my boo"? Really?
7. Living In The Sky With Diamonds - Repeated Beatles reference. Just what we were lacking in music from DD/FBR, right? Especially in a song that borrows heavily from Hall & Oates' Maneater.
8. Wet Hot American Summer - Really synth. Blah. "Get up to get down" reminds me of Fast Love here.
9. The Scene Is Dead - Long Live The Scene - The opening vocals, very bare, are one of the things I like about this song. And I dig the "I've got a pretty face, I guess that I can sing all night" ref to the shallowness of the scene, popularity based on look rather than talent. *cough* *waves at track #2* Gabe, you are all pretty, but that's not the only reason we love you. But pictures like this one don't hurt:

10. Move Like You Gonna Die - Meh. I liked the "shut your mouth and get down on the floor" sort of thing better in Guilty Pleasure. Sounds weirdly asynchronous to me at the beginning. Also, is this supposed to be an ad for Angels & Kings? The music doesn't really grab me at the beginning, but it grows on me as the song progresses.
11. The World Will Never Do - Continuation of The World Has Its Shine. Again, eh. How much is Gabe's voice and how much is synth here?
12. I May Be Rude, But I'm The Truth - :DDD "If you don't like what I say, put it in your blog." What more can I say than that? Like the beat with the cynical lyrics about being two-faced beneath it here. And the sha na na na na.
13. Cobras Never Say Die - No strong opinion on this song. It gets sort of lost between the songs I don't like much (yet) and the remixes.
I... am not particularly fond of any of the GGGB remixes. Which is weird, b/c I usually like the Suave Suarez remixes of other songs.
Honestly? I like it. The first half is going into my "music to sweat to" playlist. The second half? I'll listen to when it comes up on shuffle.
It's a good album to dance to. (STFU, I was *drunk* on Patron, but I def remember the Cobra Starship portion of Friday's clubbing.)
And in the end, Gabe's message, as explained before the first CS album came out, hasn't changed: But sometimes I need to stop asking so many questions and just get fucked up.[...] The world is totally going to hell, and I'm throwing the party. It's about me not taking myself so seriously despite how fucked up things really are. It's about having a good time, fucking around, and getting people riled up.
In conclusion: if Cobra Starship come through TX when I am out of town/state again I am going to look like this: >>>:?
I was going to post about Twinkie, Deconstructed tonight, but I haven't quite gotten over my annoyance with it. So, tomorrow maybe?
Right now I'm going to go watch Conan O'Brian, solely to see the Cobras perform(which will hopefully sound better than their last late-night TV gig). ETA: It sounded a thousand times better than their last late-show performance. Plus, Gabe's antics always amuse me.
My first listen to Hot Mess (the leaked version) had me shaking my head and saying, "Oh, Gabe. Really?" because it's so filled with "I'm doing what I've gotta do, I don't care what you say/do/think" lyrics. On the whole, Hot Mess reminds me FAR more of Midtown (esp. Forget What You Know) and of While The City Sleeps than Viva. Lyrics from the former, beats from the latter.
The general theme of disillusionment and the epic irony of Cobra Starship becoming so big can be contemplated after re-reading his explanation for signing to DD/FBR. Read that and listen to this album, and tell me all three Cobra Starship albums aren't a great big fuck-you to the things/people of the Jersey scene that allowed Midtown to founder between record companies.
Anyway.
Generally, I like the first half of the album, but am not so fond of the back half. Except for I May Be Rude, But I'm The Truth.
Album art: Eh. Not impressed by the cover, haven't been since it was first made public. But I'm ridiculously charmed by the photo of bb!Ryland that was slipped in front of it in my hard copy. It is also pretty fucking amusing to open the center photo and see a vegetarian giving the fangs up to a crowd in front of a sign for chicken tenders.
1. Nice Guys Finish Last - The intro rhythm had me thinking Womanizer, and then the percussion moved to a big band/swing feel that Nate could have lifted from Bob Bryar's part in House of Wolves. Liked the gang vocals. There's a moment when the synth reminds me of the effects in The Steve Miller Band's Abracadabra. No, really. *shakes head* And, oh, HEY, HI GUITAR SOLO. THANK YOU, RYLAND BLACKINTON. The bass that drives the song isn't that noticeable at the beginning of the song, but becomes so by the end.
2. Pete Wentz Is The Only Reason We're Famous - Heh. So, am I the only person who thinks "you can ride to the top but you can't ride on my cock" is funny b/c of Pete Wentz's peen pictures, in addition to the usual scene queen/fame whore reference? Yeah, okay, I've a 12-yr-old boy's sense of humor. So. First (re)appearance of the "I do what I gotta do" theme. Still reminds me significantly of Give It Up. Like the reference to the title of CS's first album near the end of the song. IDK, when I had the ripped version, I assumed the vocals, esp. the first verse, were muffled b/c of a quality or computer issue. It's still muffled, so I guess that's the effect they were aiming for? A little overproduced IMO. (But I still love that they fanboy each other so hard, JSYK.)
3. Good Girls Go Bad - I am ridiculously fond of this song, for all its trite lyrics. I like the beat, and I love the video. (What? You KNOW how shallow I am. Suarez in handcuffs! VickyT as a vice cop! Nate being adorable in his little deli hat. Gabe just being Gabe.) I'm curious to hear VickyT singing Leighton Meester's part in concert, but was away from the internets for a while, so I haven't checked the YouTubes for footage of it yet.
4. Fold Your Hands(,) Child - Dear Cobras, Please to be using direct address commas. The lack of appropriate grammar and punctuation in modern youth is appalling, and any little bit you can do to educate your fans is appreciated. Love, Me. Could be a direct continuation of The Kids Are All F***ked Up, rhythmically and lyrically. Reappearance of the "do what you gotta do" lyric. Harmony with Ryland and Suarez - very reminiscent of their This Is Ivy League sound. Heh. Walk straight now, and the bit about doing the things they used to do together? M'kay, something about that also really makes me think about his love-letter apology to the Jersey scene, Being From Jersey Means Never Having To Say You're Sorry.
5. You're Not In On The Joke - :D I LOVE THIS SONG. SERIOUSLY. Because half the time I think Gabe IS a cynic, and other times he's so painfully NOT. Echoes the lyrics of Kiss My Sass. But mostly the entire song just makes me smirk. Plus, PWentz's screams at the end. He so wishes he were still in a hardcore band sometimes. "I'll always be just who you want me to be." With his tongue in his cheek? He's play you (us) all, and we don't even realize he's laughing all the way to the bank and the top of the Billboard charts. Or maybe we do.
6. Hot Mess - something about the percussion here reminds me of Wham Rap (Enjoy What You Do), the version that was on Music From The Edge of Heaven. Yes, I just dated myself. Yes, I admit to liking Wham! This is not news - I saw George Michael when he came through town last year. Whatever, we are evaluating the third album of a band that SINGLE-HANDEDLY brought neon and disco/synth back into style off the dance floor, no one can criticize my taste here, okay? Also, maybe a Rock Your Body or a JT Lovestoned vibe? Um. Also. People still say "hella"? "Make you my boo"? Really?
7. Living In The Sky With Diamonds - Repeated Beatles reference. Just what we were lacking in music from DD/FBR, right? Especially in a song that borrows heavily from Hall & Oates' Maneater.
8. Wet Hot American Summer - Really synth. Blah. "Get up to get down" reminds me of Fast Love here.
9. The Scene Is Dead - Long Live The Scene - The opening vocals, very bare, are one of the things I like about this song. And I dig the "I've got a pretty face, I guess that I can sing all night" ref to the shallowness of the scene, popularity based on look rather than talent. *cough* *waves at track #2* Gabe, you are all pretty, but that's not the only reason we love you. But pictures like this one don't hurt:

10. Move Like You Gonna Die - Meh. I liked the "shut your mouth and get down on the floor" sort of thing better in Guilty Pleasure. Sounds weirdly asynchronous to me at the beginning. Also, is this supposed to be an ad for Angels & Kings? The music doesn't really grab me at the beginning, but it grows on me as the song progresses.
11. The World Will Never Do - Continuation of The World Has Its Shine. Again, eh. How much is Gabe's voice and how much is synth here?
12. I May Be Rude, But I'm The Truth - :DDD "If you don't like what I say, put it in your blog." What more can I say than that? Like the beat with the cynical lyrics about being two-faced beneath it here. And the sha na na na na.
13. Cobras Never Say Die - No strong opinion on this song. It gets sort of lost between the songs I don't like much (yet) and the remixes.
I... am not particularly fond of any of the GGGB remixes. Which is weird, b/c I usually like the Suave Suarez remixes of other songs.
Honestly? I like it. The first half is going into my "music to sweat to" playlist. The second half? I'll listen to when it comes up on shuffle.
It's a good album to dance to. (STFU, I was *drunk* on Patron, but I def remember the Cobra Starship portion of Friday's clubbing.)
And in the end, Gabe's message, as explained before the first CS album came out, hasn't changed: But sometimes I need to stop asking so many questions and just get fucked up.[...] The world is totally going to hell, and I'm throwing the party. It's about me not taking myself so seriously despite how fucked up things really are. It's about having a good time, fucking around, and getting people riled up.
In conclusion: if Cobra Starship come through TX when I am out of town/state again I am going to look like this: >>>:?
I was going to post about Twinkie, Deconstructed tonight, but I haven't quite gotten over my annoyance with it. So, tomorrow maybe?
Right now I'm going to go watch Conan O'Brian, solely to see the Cobras perform
no subject
Date: 2009-08-12 04:40 am (UTC)So, I've listened to the album but not as indepth as you have. I have You're Not In On The Joke (which I love), Nice Guys Finish Last (which I always expect to be something different when I hear it) and I May Be Rude (which I also love) on my current mix cd. But I admit, I'm not nearly as disappointed as I expected to be. Yeah, I don't remember why I thought I was going to be disappointed but I did.
I'm thinking of just saying fuck it and taking Davey to see Cobra with me. Every other time we've gone to Tremont there have been kids his age there.
no subject
Date: 2009-08-12 04:53 am (UTC)Still, Davey will appreciate them, I'm sure. And he needs a chance to practice his fangs up, right? :D
no subject
Date: 2009-08-12 04:56 am (UTC)Normally Harley & Johnathan would be around, but they're actually leaving for the beach that day.
And yeah, I took Dave to the BND show and he was awesome despite the ridiculous car ride, so I'm thinking that might be my best plan. :)
no subject
Date: 2009-08-12 06:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-12 11:12 pm (UTC)I skip most of the back half when I'm listening straight through. DNlike the later tracks much at all.