Fall Out Boy

After analyzing the rise of punk in the 70s, I think it would be nice to compare a more recent punk band, Fall Out Boy. This band is hard to classify and thus lands in the large conglomeration of “punk” music. Their music has a very distinct sound yet doesn’t exactly follow standards of the music realm today. Today, a lot of people like to classify the “fresh” type of music as “alternative rock”. This is similar to what occurred in the 70s because people didn’t know how to deal with this new music that was rising at an exponential rate. In the most recent years, we have seen a similar trend occur with music again! This influx of alternative rock music, from Imagine Dragons to Cold Play to Fall Out Boy, has sculpted a new niche in the music scene. I think people are finally getting tired of the cheesy pop sounds of bubbly artists (like Katy Perry or Lady Gaga or Kesha). In response to this shallow pop music, consumers and artists are responding by the rise of such alternative rock bands.

To my surprise, Fall Out Boy had been around a lot longer than I thought. While starting in the underground music scene, they entered the mainstream in 2001. From Illinois, this band released various hits that topped the charts. They also came out with several albums. If you look at the Wikipedia page, however, the classification of their music ranges from pop punk, alternative rock, pop rock, to emo! This wide range of classification shows that current music doesn’t know what to do with them because they are so different!

I had never heard of Fall Out Boy until they came out with their lead single for their comeback album just a couple weeks ago. When I’m not analyzing music, I am a casual Pandora listener. I’ve noticed that at a certain time of year, Pandora begins to shift to newly released material. This is when I get exposed to songs that are on the rise and can look into them in more depth. As you might expect then, I was casually listening to Pandora when Fall Out Boy’s new single, “My Songs Know What You Did In the Dark” came on the air. I know, the title sounds pretty stupid but they were able to grab my attention. Maybe it was just because it was the first time I’d heard anything new in the past month or so, but it still intrigued me! From there, I began to look at more of their earlier hits and singles as well.

Fall Out Boy relies heavily on their instrumentals. They love blaring the guitar and kicking an insane beat. They are great at utilizing their countermelody to build tension and suspense. This ultimately helps construct a decent song arc. The vocals are present but (like most punk bands) are nothing to speak of per say. I feel like the lead vocals is more screaming and shouting rather than actually making music with his voice. Despite this, I think if it was any other way, the attitude and tone of the songs would not be accurately depicted. Because of the way the vocals are delivered, the songs can take on that classic punk idea of rebellion. Thus, in a variety of ways this band greatly mirrors the punk bands of the 70s, especially the Ramones. Both bands rely on instrumentals to carry the song. Both have passionate vocals that are not anywhere near being polished. And both are able to deliver a pretty kickass show.

Before you go and buy all the Fall Out Boy paraphernalia you can get, I’d like to vocalize the fact that I definitely have mixed feelings about the band as a whole. A lot of their past songs didn’t really appeal to me. Songs like “Dance Dance” seemed rather simplistic, repetitive and way too long to stay interesting. Despite this, their seeming lack of talent may be due to the fact that they hadn’t yet grown as a band. That is why I’m really interested to see what their next album, “Save Rock and Roll”, will bring. I can’t quite decide if their music is a flash in the pan or revolutionary in the whole scheme of things. I think that this band brings a fresh outlook on music and a vibe of rebellion that music really needs today. As bands like Fall Out Boy enter the stage, we see our current music being spiced up. While they may not have as much talent as other bands and artists I’ve blogged about, I’m excited to see how Fall Out Boy influences music as a whole.

Check out the following videos I’ve found of their songs. I think you’ll understand my mixed feelings as well as identify similar comparisons between 70s punk bands and their music. Enjoy (or not, that’s up to you):