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AndreTheHyena
10-25-2006, 03:06 PM
Blackpool Light's This Town's Disaster is the debut LP from ex-Get Up Kid Jim Suptic. Being a big Get Up Kids fan, I picked this up on a whim and was surprised with a really solid power-pop record, not too sugary, the perfect soundtrack to a summer road trip and all that.

There's little variation, musically, across the 11 tracks (losing steam on a couple of ballads, the faintest hint of Limbeckish Midwestern twang-pop on a couple others), and sometimes Suptic's lyrics can be wincingly trite ("The truth about love, it's great when you're in it/She's so punk rock but her heart ain't in it"). The fact that many of the songs are complete Replacements rip-offs is easily overlooked, as I'd rather a band rip off the Replacements than pretty much any other band in the history of the world. Overall, though, it's more instantly memorable and interestingly mature than any other pop rock record I've heard since, well, Something to Write Home About.

If you were a Get Up Kids fan, a fan of all of the Fuse-ready watered-down Get Up Kids deriviatives flooding mainstream radio, or just a fan of balls-out power-pop Midwestern Emo, you'll probably really dig this.
B
10-25-2006, 03:37 PM
power-pop Midwestern EmoI lol'd.

Blackpool Lights are cool. They'll never be better than TGUK.
Kif
10-25-2006, 03:42 PM
They are good, but easily forgettable.
AndreTheHyena
10-25-2006, 04:03 PM
No one will ever be better than TGUK.

I'm bad with my subgenre descriptions unless it pertains to some form of country music. Be patient.
Mute Print
10-25-2006, 04:05 PM
I saw these guys live not to long ago. Hardly anyne showed up, but they were still pretty good live.

Their CD is solid.
B
10-25-2006, 04:10 PM
I'm bad with my subgenre descriptions unless it pertains to some form of country music. Be patient.

It's cool. They are pretty much just straight up power-pop/pop-rock.

There's no emo there.
AndreTheHyena
10-25-2006, 04:19 PM
Oh, I see what you meant. I wasn't calling BpL emo, I just figured if you're a fan of Midwestern emo you could dig Blackpool Lights.
B
10-25-2006, 04:28 PM
Ah. I see.

Yeah I suppose that would make sense.
AndreTheHyena
10-25-2006, 04:30 PM
:smoke:

While we're sort of on-topic, what genre(s) would you consider Jawbreaker? I was having a friendly argument in re: this subject over in Punk earlier...
B
10-25-2006, 04:37 PM
I've heard them be called a lot of things. As far as I know they're just old school pop-punk but tbh I haven't listened to them in a long time (like 6+months) so I don't really recall even what they sound like too much.
AndreTheHyena
10-25-2006, 04:39 PM
Every online resource I've ever read about them, and this book about the history of emo that a friend has, lumps them in with the poppier side of the emocore movement. I totally understand how they're referred to as pop-punk, I just think it goes a little deeper than that.

Thanks, though.
B
10-25-2006, 04:54 PM
emocore, as far as i know, isnt actually a genre :p

but yeah I've heard that as well. books are generally as unreliable as the internet so meh.
AndreTheHyena
10-25-2006, 05:06 PM
Well, "emocore" is what "emo" is shorthand for, or what "emo" used to mean anyway, until the age of MTVmo.
B
10-25-2006, 05:31 PM
Dude. Emo is short for Emotional/Emotive Hardcore.

I know what it is, considering over 70% of the music I listen to falls in that genre.
AndreTheHyena
10-25-2006, 05:37 PM
Emotional Hardcore = Emo' 'Core = Emocore.
B
10-25-2006, 05:41 PM
Except, not. :)
AndreTheHyena
10-25-2006, 05:46 PM
:upset:

I use "emo" to describe the bands that are the less "edgy" sides of the genre, such as the Promise Ring, but "emocore" to talk about bands like Rites of Spring, mainly just to avoid having these same discussions, except with less-informed people who shop at Hot Topic and listen to Taking Back Sunday.
B
10-25-2006, 05:50 PM
meh. too often bands transcend genres anyways.

I use emo to describe bands like cap'n jazz all the way to ampere.

and then indie for bands like american football, even though thats not really right, it just works for me
AndreTheHyena
10-25-2006, 05:54 PM
Emo's getting stretched pretty thin, I'll agree. I also call Cap'n Jazz emo, and occasionally call American Football post-emo, mainly because I don't like saying "Indie".
B
10-25-2006, 05:59 PM
i avoid saying "screamo" 'cause it sounds dumb as **** :)
AndreTheHyena
10-25-2006, 06:02 PM
Ha, definitely. Even though I know what real "screamo" is, I refuse to use the term.
B
10-25-2006, 06:04 PM
Same. heh.

This place is so dead. ****. I need to get out. Or at least have a smoke. Peace.
AndreTheHyena
10-25-2006, 06:05 PM
Same here. It's dinner time. Have a good smoke.
B
10-25-2006, 06:05 PM
Ha. I'm sure I will.
TakeWarning
10-26-2006, 10:17 AM
I'm listening to Something To Write Home About as we speak.

This Town's Disaster isn't a bad record, but it's nothing worth creaming your pants over.