Brendon Urie

We’ll Never Shut the Goddamn Door [re-direct to idobi]

Now, I know I talked about Panic! at the Disco’s debut album, A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out a couple of weeks ago, but since then, I wrote a mini retrospective on the album, particularly what it means to me, for idobi. I’m very proud of this piece, and this album was the one that essentially changed my life, so I’d be much obliged if you could take a look at it here and let me know what you think! Have you ever encountered a life-changing band/song/album?

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All you sinners stand up sing Hallelujah

I’ve said many times that I’m a massive Panic! at the Disco fan.

Needless to say, when a new song was released two weeks ago, I was singing “hallelujah” and pressing the replay button all day. I’ve always loved Brendon’s voice and he continues to be majestic in this song.

I find it funny when people say “whoa, Panic! still exists?”. Because clearly the people who don’t know Panic! still exists are the same people who don’t know me very well. I talk about them all the time.

So let’s clear the air: yes, Panic! still exists. Yes, Brendon Urie is the only original member left in the band (I’ll miss you, Spencer!) but Dallon Weekes (formerly of The Brobecks) has been a member since 2011, so it’s not the “Brendon Urie solo project”. Yes, they are planning on releasing a new album later this year.

And yes, I still love them.

Their sound changes so often, it’s next to impossible to predict what their next single/album is going to sound like, but this song, to me, has that uniquely Panic! flavour. It might not be what I expected (though it does have a similar vibe to Brendon’s collaboration with Travie McCoy, “Keep on Keeping On”), but any new music from Panic! is a cause for celebration in my world.

It’s almost Halloween

Remember when this happened?

I just realized the video was posted six years ago and I almost cried. I remember freaking out when it first came out (admittedly, I still freak out any time Panic! releases new music).

Panic! at the Disco with their original line-up (well, line-up post-Brent, but does anyone even remember that short time period? I sure don’t, mainly because I didn’t start listening to them until after Jon was a permanent member).

I used to love Ryan Ross and – by extension – his voice. Now I can admit that his singing is not the best (it’s almost unfair having him sing on the same song as the inimitable Brendon Urie, but I’ve been in love with Brendon’s voice for seven years, so maybe I’m not the best person to comment).

I may not love Halloween, but, every year, I watch this video/listen to this song in the week leading up to October 31st.

Do the trick-or-treat!

It’s nine in the afternoon, your eyes are the size of the moon

When I was 17, I started listening to Panic! at the Disco.

I’ve talked about them at least 3 times since I started this blog a year ago, including last week when I saw them live for the sixth time.

As dramatic as it sounds, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that they’ve changed my life – in terms of what music I listen to, which, in turn has also helped shape me into who I am.

This weekend, after seven years of desperately wanting to (permanently) show my love for them, I got a tattoo.

IMAG0278It’s a pocket watch set to nine o’clock, or as I refer to it, “nine in the afternoon”. This is the song that inspired it:

Now, since this is Music Monday and not Tattoo Tuesday (although I’m considering making “Tattoo Tuesday” a thing, if only so that I can talk about all the tattoos I have/want), let’s bring this post back to music.

Pretty.Odd. was Panic!’s second album. It came out in March 2008, three years after 2005’s A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out, and it was a dramatic shift in sound.

At the time, I had been a fan for about a year and was devoted to all things Panic! (um, I still kinda am). So I basically memorized the leaked version before the actual album came out and for months (years?) after, I would sing the (largely nonsensical) lyrics as if my life depended on it.

There’s an oft-told story of one time when we were driving to Quebec, and it was raining really hard, and everyone else in the car was like “we’re going to drown, this is terrible!” but I was sitting in the back seat blithely singing along to “That Green Gentleman”.

Pretty.Odd. was an album that largely divided fans. Some people preferred the mellow, hippie-like quality of most of the songs, while others missed the theatrical, vaguely vaudevillian sound that made Panic! stand out in the first place. I loved this album at the time, but now, after six years, a split within the band (it’s still too soon to talk about when Ryan Ross and Jon Walker left), two albums, and multiple tours, I realize that I barely listen to it anymore. They usually only play “Nine in the Afternoon” live, though I think their first album tour post-split (for 2011’s Vices & Virtues, which is my favourite P!ATD album), they played “That Green Gentleman”.

There are songs that I think still hold up: “NITA”, “TGG”, even “Northern Downpour” (if you can listen to it without wanting to cry).

“Mad as Rabbits”, for all its nonsensical lyrics, is also pretty solid, but songs like “Behind the Sea” (the only song fully sung by Ryan Ross) or “She’s a Handsome Woman” (which was never my favourite to begin with) tend to fall flat, even after a long time without listening to them.

What does this song even mean?!

Although, I just looked at the track list again for the first time in forever, and I actually quite like most of the songs. I think you need to be in a certain mood to listen to Pretty.Odd.; while I generally throw on Panic! whenever the fancy strikes, this particular era requires a more mellow frame of mind.

He spent most of his youth with his head down…not much of a talker

I’ve never really been a fan of hip-hop/rap and the related subgenres (which is not to say I don’t listen to hip-hop, it’s just not my preferred type of music), but one person I’ll always listen to is Travie McCoy (of Gym Class Heroes).

Look at this face! He’s precious.

I will probably maybe write a separate post about Gym Class Heroes on a different day but Travie recently released a new solo song, so it makes sense to talk about him right now.

From his first solo album, 2010’s Lazarus.

What can I say about Travie? He started – and is still a part of – Gym Class Heroes, who have apparently been around since 1997 (!!), but who really started to break into the mainstream around 2005, after they signed with Pete Wentz’ label, Decaydance, and released The Papercut Chronicles, the album that first introduced the world to “Cupid’s Chokehold”.

Featuring Patrick Stump <3..and a cameo by Katy Perry, who was dating Travie at the time. 

As I mentioned, Travie first went solo in 2010, releasing – and touring for –  Lazarus. His solo tour (March 2011) actually kicked off in Toronto, and we (Ro, Nina, and I) bought VIP tickets which meant meeting Travie after the show! He is very very tall. But also really sweet. And we fangirl a little when we talk about it, even though it was almost exactly 3 years ago. Prior to that, Ro and I saw him open for Cobra Starship (May 2010).

Travie – and Gym Class Heroes in general – is very interesting because they tend to be associated with more pop-punk/alternative bands than with other hip-hop/rap artists. I think much of this has to do with their label (Fueled by Ramen), since they seem to be friends with the other bands on the FBR roster. Which is why it made perfect sense when Travie announced his latest single, featuring Panic! at the Disco’s very own Brendon Urie:

So dang catchy. 

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Brendon (and Panic!), so when I heard that he was working with Travie, there was a lot of flailing and squealing and maybe even a single tear.

It’s a fantastic song. Good luck getting it out of your head.