Reviews (195)

Perfection.
This is the follow-up album after Through Being Cool. I wasn't sure what direction they would take after Through Being Cool but i am very glad they decided to be like this. This album is filled with melodic anthems that are so wonderful to sing along with. The lyrics are awesome once again. THough it's not as fast as Through Being Cool, it is just as awesome. The lyrics and catchy melodies make up for it. It's a good thing.

"At Your Funeral" (9.9/10)-This seems to be the song that gets everybody hooked into Saves The Day. ANd how could it not? The guitar is catchy, the lyrics are amusing. Everything else is fine. It's a great song.
"See You" (9.5/10)- This is also a super song. Great lyrics. Very catchy. "You want to know who i really am? Yeah so do I."
"Cars & Calories" (9.8/10)- This is such a good song. The lyrics are AMAZING. THey are about girls and their eating disorders and such. Just listen to the song. THe lyrics and the guitar, along with everything else is just great.
"Certain Tragedy" (9.7/10)- This song is catchy as well. Lyrics here are unbelievable. The guitar is great. "And i can finally see that the further we go, we're only treading ground, that we already know." And also, "I could write you a note, sing you a song, or empty out your trash. And buy a bucket full of diamonds but even the most beautiful of all roses must someday crumble to dust and fade away, it's certain tragedy."
"Jukebox Breakdown" (9.7/10)- I love this song. Isn't it weird that this song, number 5, starts off with drums, just like in Through Being Cool, with "Holly Hox, Forget Me Nots"? I don't know. I find it cool. ANyways, it is a fun song to sing along with. Very catchy. The riffs are pretty good.
"Freakish" (9.9/10)- I LOVE this song. It is sooooo good. Very catchy. The chorus is beautiful. The words are so heart-felt and amazing. Everything is awesome in this song. "Well here i am, i don't know how to say this. The only thing i know is awkward silence." And also, "I'll make my way across the frozen sea behing the blank horizon, where i can forget you and me, and get a decent night's sleep."
"As Your Ghost Takes Flight" (9.8/10)-Sooooooooo catchy. Just listen to it. They lyrics are a little graphic, but hey, it's catchy. Awesome song. "You've become a ghost. You're floating somewhere in between the waking world and a landscape of dreams."
"Nightingale" (10/10)- This is one of my ALL-TIME favorite Saves The Day songs ever. I love this song. The whole song has great lyrics. The guitar work is soooo beautiful. The drums and bass accompany it well.
"All I'm Losing Is Me" (9.7/10)- Pretty good song here. The lyrics are pretty good. Just a nice solid song.
"This Is Not An Exit" (11/10)- THIS IS ONE OF MY ALL-TIME favorite songs ever. I love love love this song. The lyrics. The music is just mind-blowing. Everything is perfection here.
"FIrefly (10/10)- I love this song very much as well. Such a great song to end this album with. I have never shut off this cd without listening to this song for about ten times before i finally stop. Just simply amazing. Everything.

Overall, this cd is soooooooooo amazing. Just buy it. It is well-worth the money, and then some.
Buy it if you love catchy music, brilliant lyrics, and just songs that you can dance to.

More than I expected
Stay what you are is different from STD's previous work, yes its a bit more mellow, toned down, but hey that shows that they have evolved artistically and as a band. The tracks on this cd are great and I must say that there are no "filler" songs. Why this group is not mainstream beats me, because I know that once more people are exposed to this band they will absolutely love them. This is the epitamy of true emo music.

Reviews (35)

Probably my favorite Alkaline Trio album
This is, as I have already stated, probably my favorite Alkaline Trio album. Why? Well, I'll tell you why, you lazy can of sardines!
1. The album sounds more mature and organized than releases such as "Goddamnit!" (Not to say that Goddamnit isn't a good album)
2. The lyrics are superb, even for Alkaline Trio. I can't think of one song that doesn't make me say "Whoa. So true." And nod my head thusly.
3. The calmer and sadder beats (such as "Radio") work really well, especially with the vocal stylings and the (as previously mentioned) superb lyrics. In my opinion, depressing lyrics work better with depressing music, as opposed to faster, louder music.

I guess I thought I had more than 3 reasons before I began writing this, but these are three damn good reasons to buy, or at least steal, this CD. I would reccomend it to more seasoned Alkaline Trio fans, but newcomers will probably appreciate it as well.

My personal favorite
First off, let me say I love everything Dan Andriano has ever touched. Slapstick is my favorite ska band ever (except, maybe, Suburban legends), Tuesday defined emo for me for a long time, and his split with Mike Felumlee wasn't too shabby either. That said, pairing Dan with brilliant frontman and lyrical genius Matt Skiba makes for a constantly amazing group. I love the band's newer material (the whole Good Mourning album is fantastic, and I loved From Here to Infirmary), my favorite Trio song ever is "Warbrain" from Rock Against Bush Volume 1. But as far as albums go, I can't say it gets much better than this. "Keep 'Em Coming" is straight-up brilliant, "Madame Me" is the highlight of the CD, the title cut is amazing, and "F--k You Aurora" is phenomenal. And, of course, everyone loves "Radio," though I think Hot Water Music's version has more teeth to it than this one. Goddamnit has come great songs too ("Cop," "Nose Over Tail," "San Francisco," "Cringe") as does the self-titled ("Goodbye Forever," "Snake Oil Tanker," "Cooking Wine," "Bleeder"), but this is the most cohesive album the band has released to date. For pop fans, pick this one up second (after Good Mourning), for punk/emo fans, go straight to this one. Follow immediately in either case with Goddamnit.

Reviews (23)

Perhaps my Favorite Emo CD...
Ok, I admit it, this is only my favorite emoish CD because I really don't like any other bands of that genre. Really, my appreciation for that music begins and ends at Junction 18.

Maybe I like this CD because it was the first punkish CD that I ever heard when I was in eighth grade. It struck me like nothing else had before and immediately I was hooked to the catchy, overly-emotional lyrics and interesting guitar lines.

Not every song is great, some are in fact rather forgettable, but this album contains gems like Granite Street Knife Fight (probably my favorite song on the album), Lucky as Mars and Lost in Adeline. Each song is sang with a certain amount of passion (even though I typically find emo lyrics to be rather stilted) and the guitars provide some depth, unlike many other rather shallow punk bands.

Maybe, this is not the most original CD to ever come out, but damnit, the songs are really catchy and even memorable, which is far more than can be said about the vast majority of bands in that genre. It is almost a shame that the band released so little material.

nothing new but very enjoyable
Siewart is right when he says that Junction 18 doesn't really do anything new...but most bands don't, if they did there would be no such thing a musical genres.But the fact is that they avoid the cheesy cliche sound I usually associate with "pop-punk" bands due to the fact they actually have some degree of musical talent and the singer can actually write decent lyrics.If youre a fan of the genre definitely check this out as its as good or better than any of the other bands.

Editorial Review

Reviews (75)

One of the sweetest albums ever
That piece of sh*t below me who calles him/herself a "music critic" needs to be shot dead...right now. First of all, RUFiO sounds nothing like slick shoes, relient g@y, ace troubleshooter or any other sh*tty christian band. So "J", You're saying RUFiO stole their style from the mentioned bands above??? If anything, relient k steals their riffs and melodies from blink 182. And just to show you how much originality comes w/ the christian genre, ace troubleshooter steals their riffs from relient k. So basically one christian band rips off a secular one, and then the millionother sound alike christian bands steal from the original rip off. The only compairison i dont have a problem with is new found glory (although the only similarity is the vocals). So yeah, RUFiO isn't the crap from tooth and nail you'd expect after reading "j's" review below me. It's solid, secular punk rock, with sweet vocals and awesome guitar parts. Best songs would have to be: tears, still, and the guitar interlude "raining in september".

For all you guys who read "j's" review first, lets revise it: Slick shoes- sux, sounds nothing like RUFiO.
Relient K- Unoriginal riff stealers, sounds nothing like RUFiO. Blink 182- (dude ranch era)-classic, but again sounds nothing like RUFiO.
Ace troubleshooter- The worst of the chirstian punk lot. They steal riffs that have already been stolen and sound nothing like RUFiO.

NFG's vocals Relient K's Harmonies, Slick Shoes' guitar
Perhaps, I suppose, you can tell by the title of this review that I do not think that Rufio deserves to be called "one of a kind" because they definitely are not.However I still like them.Fans of slick shoes will like them because of their hyped up drumming style, and their guitar dueling which is VERY (and I emphasize this for a reason)similar to slick shoes.For those who don't know slick shoes or don't believe me, do a search on amazon for Slick Shoes and listen.It is unmistakably similar (although the singers' voices are totally different).Fans of New Found Glory will enjoy them because they will find a band much more complex than NFG with a similar voice.Fans of Relient K will enjoy them because their occasional harmonic singing sounds similar to Relient K.I say occasional because Rufio is mostly melodic in their singing.There are entire songs without background singers, but if that's your style, then rock on.

Rufio is not emo.Rufio is not punk rock.They are definitely pop-punk because of their simplistic melodies that center around one note and only deviate a bit (but that's ok, such is pop-punk).If you don't think that pop punk has any talent whatsoever, then you will absolutely be bored by this band and dismiss them as talentless.Let's make no mistake though, one can clearly see that Rufio has musical talent, whether they appeal to you or not.

I give them only 3 stars because they are not so much my style.They are another band to me, not anything that special, and they don't get played that often in my CD player or my Media Library.

Bands to compare to Rufio in order of similarity from most similar to less similar

Slick Shoes
New Found Glory
Relient K
Ace Troubleshooter
Blink 182 (Dude Ranch only)

Reviews (70)

An Alternative/Punk Classic
I will NEVER call Midtown "pop-punk". The only bands that should be called that are those pathetic hack-talent MTV sellout boy bands that pretend to play instruments like Hoobasucksit and Gay Charlotte and S**tty Plan, along with those pop/"wannabe punk" stars like Asshleehole Simpson and Avril Loservine and Hilary Puffball. Just listen to the beginning of "Just Rock And Roll". You wonder why those bands can't play guitar solos like Midtown? Because they can't!

Rapid-fire and snooty punk at its best
It all started when a friend of mine asked me to download "Just Rock and Roll".Back then I had a terrible dial-up connection, so the song had to be damned worth the twenty minutes I would take in downloading it.I wasn't disappointed, but I wasn't amazed either.It sounded like another punk-rock song from another bunch of angry snooty kids.

And then, on June 2nd, 2002, I went to the Düsseldorf performance of the Deconstruction Tour, where bands like Lagwagon, Lostprophets and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones rocked a crowd of a thousand screaming Germans.Midtown was the third performer after Flogging Molly and the Turbo AC's (for the full concert review, click here).This concert motivated me into buying Save the World, Lose the Girl, the band's major-label debut.

With a sound comparable to New Found Glory, these guys foment power through their punk-driven speed, but stay close to the themes and issues beneath.But more importantly, however, is the way in which the songs are crafted.In many of the songs, the band steers away from the verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus structure that seems to plague the punk-rock scene.Instead, the variation of rhythms provides for very original material.Songs like "Direction" and "Such a Person" are almost a progressive representation of a punk song, with the song changing direction at every turn.

Similar to Guster and Nine Days, Midtown does not limit itself to one vocalist.Singer/bassist Gabe Saporta has that focused and unbreakable voice that screams high-school jock while the band's singer/guitarist has the sensitive voice for softer pieces like "No Place Feels Like Home" (which is more of a pop song than a punk song).Honestly, I'm not even sure that they are different people.For all I know, it's just Saporta changing his intonation, which honestly, would be even more impressive.

But yes, Midtown equals punk rock plus talented musicians.There's no doubting this.They're definitely up there amongst my favorite bands in the genre.So if bands like Saves the Day and New Found Glory pull your strings, then picking this album up is a definite affirmative.

Recommendations: "Just Rock and Roll", "Direction", "No Place Feels Like Home", "Such a Person", "Knew it All Along"

Reviews (22)

Hall Of Fame Winner
This was probably the best of The Impossibles. It had hit from the beginning to the near end. This CD brings back great memories and is a great CD. This is one of those CD's that you can play over and over again and never get tired of it; it's completely listenable. You can leave this CD playing on repeat all day, it's just a great CD and deserves to be in the Hall Of Fame.

the best cd i've ever heard, hands down
I listen to a lot of punk/ska/emo/whatever you may call it. I listen to a wide variety of music from NOFX to The Roots to Bob Marley to Sublime, but this Impossibles album is hands down the greatest musical accomplishment i've ever had the pleasure to listen to. Not one song let me down, all songs have lyrics straight from the heart, energetic punk and ska beats and just a pure vibe to it. The Impossibles knew so well how to put music together and it is such a shame that they ever broke up. This will be the best money you will ever spend if you buy this cd. Truely a classic.

i love the impossibles
one of my greatest friends ever got me listening to the impossibles. i liked them so much, i went and ordered this cd. great move on my part. as of now, i own all of their stuff and although i love all of it, i must say that this one is still my favorite.the first time i listened to it for myself, i loved the ska-ness of it. there is also a lot of variety on the cd, mainly because of the compilation songs from both the EP and their self-titled cd. but every track is just awesome. there aren't any intermissions or fillers. every time i go back and listen to it, i find something new to like about it.since anthology is 20 songs long, at first i didn't always make it to the 2nd half of the cd while i was driving home from school, so i put my cd player on random and was amazed. in the beginning i seemed to like first few songs the best, then later the last ones were the ones that i listened to the most. now i can't pick just one and i can't seem to turn it on without listening to it the whole way through.

Features

• Explicit Lyrics

Reviews (104)

tex/mex blink 182
This album isn't awful and it is not hardcore punk album by any means but it is a sugary sweet punk album that is actually better than blink 182. Lechuza is a better album this album sounds sort of bland like New found glory, good charlotte or simple plan and Blink themselves who actually opened the flood gates to these little super poppy-punk bands. Pop- punk has always existed since the 70's (Buzzcocks, Dickies, Undertones) it's just that some bands can pull it off (Green day, descendents,vandals) and some bands can't. This is an ok release and probably one of the better from this particular genre. best songs: "surf song", "speechless" , "G.B.O.H."

I give it no stars, actually... it blows.
Look, this CD, though banal and ill-conceived like a debut CD, is not... get that through your heads.These charming gentlemen were the band River Fenix, and had releases since 96... anyways, this is a terrible CD, uninventive, clichéd and down right scary... I'm just amazed that they could go from this trite sack of power pop punk garbage to the even more abominable and insipid neo-emo now on the radio with their latest release...

GREAT FOR POP PUNK
I'd expect people who listen to Nofx or BR to have the intelligence of knowing not to touch this CD.But for those pop punkers out there, this CD might be for you.

All My Fault, Minimum Wage and Jolly Green Dumbass are great songs.The Surf Song has got the be the worst song I've ever heard tho.So some you might like, some you might not.

Remember, their second one is better, and they have broken up.

Reviews (24)

AMAZING
i thought christian punk/rock had died but ace troubleshooter is awesome. with songs like TONIGHT and 1 corinthians 13 its just really good

Not Bad
This album is really pretty good with some catchy tunes. I like the old-school punk style that it brings with some of the songs... pure distortion, driving drum rhythms, emo vocals.

My only complaint: it really isn't THAT amazing. I mean, come on, just about anyone can play power chords over and over. I dont think it should be blown up into a huge thing like "one of the most amazing punk albums of all time" as another individual put it. It definitely is catchy, but not groundbreaking.

However, if you're looking for a fun band with wholesome Christian lyrics, check it out. But if you're standards are higher, you might look elsewhere...

Editorial Review

Editorial Review

Reviews (104)

Ear candy music drug
Swedish skateboarders with rock guitars!
Pioneers in sweden!
The best band in the world skate scene!

There best album is (Same Old Tunes)

Best thing to come out of Sweden since IKEA
This is definitely one of the greatest CDs (tied in my book with Life on a Plate) by one of the coolest bands around.Anybody who knows anything about music should be locked up for not having it.

also, to the reviewer Ska-Fanboy, you really seem to like these guys so i hate to see you look like a jacka$$ by saying they're from Norway. oops

Reviews (9)

Musical Therapy
One of the band's first albums, "Social Icon" is a welcomed and refreshing change from the "corporate" and "disaffected youth" sound. Simultaneously edgy and captivating, the songs appeal to a wide audience and force the listener to look for the broader meaning behind the lyrics. Therapy, which has remained my "theme song" for many years, continues to be an all-time favorite for most LFT fans.While I have little criticism for the album, there is still room for LFT, and its music, to evolve. While instruments and vocals blend well, and the varying tempos within many of the songs illustrates LFT's talent as musicians, the band could better diversify their style and sound. Overall, however, because of its fresh and intriguing sound, I highly recommend "Social Icon" for anyone who is interested in escaping the "pop hysteria" that is so often overplayed on regional radio or who enjoys the ska/punk scene (not to categorize them, though).I have enjoyed following this band over the past 10 years and look forward to their many future releases.

Perdy good pop punk
These guys are from my my home town in habersham georgia so i think i should be able to write a good review.if you live in the atlanta area youve heard of these guys from 99X, or maybe you have the american pie 2 soundtrack. this is a good cd it gets old after a while but what cd doesnt. of course youve heard "bring you down" from the pie 2 soundtrack, and if you havent heard it you should its a good song. other stand out tracks are "therapy", "the general public" and "country boy can survive" which is one of the best covers ive ever heard. chips vocals are great and are very catchy. all in all i'd say pick this cd up before they get big so you can say you were a fan from the beginning.

The most overlooked pop punk band out there
After seeing American Pie 2, I knew I had to check out the soundtrack. My friend got to it before me, and we both listened to it. A few tracks stood out, but the one that stood out the most was the energenic "Bring You Down" by a band called Left Front Tire. It was a very catchy track, and was very appealing to everyone I played it for. So, after a long game of trying to track this cd down, I finally found it. Overall, I say I'm pleased with it, even with it's flaws, this is an overall fun cd to play and listen to alone and with friends.

There's a lot of good stuff on this cd. My personal favorite is "Who Do You Touch", which is a medium paced track with an excellent melody. My other favorites are "Bring You Down" "The General Public", "She's too Fast", "There You Are and Here I Go", and "Beauty the Stars". All the songs are good though. However, that leads to the main problem with the cd. The repititon. The songs here are repetitive, they aren't bad, but they are repetitive. Otherwise, there really isn't too much of a problem with the cd.

Reviews (68)

I Still Believe!
Finally, REAL, LOUD, and TRUE punk! With all the punk bands that are out today, Alkaline Trio has separated themselves from them. Although I am not a big fan of punk I have an admiration for the drummers. It takes a lot of concentration and patience to play those fast upbeat songs for 4 straight minutes!. Alkaline Trio has an excellent drummer, not to mention great and emotional lyrics. I like their musical arrangements and their creativity. Simple Plan? Green Day? Sum 41? Box Car Racer? blink 182? No. When you think of punk you should think of Alkaline Trio because they play it and play it well. I thought punk was going to it's worst decade ever with everyone thinking they can do it but Alkaline trio still makes me believe there is unique punk out there.

classic
first off, anyone who goes track for track and rates them all a 4 or 5 is obviously a fan who doesn't have an objective opinion. just take it with a grain.second, take lots with alcohol and I'm dying tomorrow are two of the best songs on an album that is solid all the way through.If you are new to alkaline, listen to everything but maybe I'll catch fire, as it's their weakest.there is no point in their progression (inculding crimson) that isn't amazing.This is not pop punk, this is great song writing

Reviews (140)

it's worth owning
if you are into the pop-punk sound and are a christian, you'll love this cd. this cd is very easy to listen to, most songs are intriguing and entertaining. their harmonizing is good and their lyrics are great. there's only one or two tracks that i skip over, mostly cuz they're too silly("i'm lion-o" for example) but i could easily to the rest of it. also, if you're a guitar player, these songs are super easy to figure out.

key tracks: "pressing on", "sadie hawkins dance", "those words are not enough", "what have you been doing lately", and "for the moments i feel faint."

recommended albums: "mmmhmmm", and "the christmas album."

Relient K
This is there best album and there songs are fun to play on the guitar. there a christian rock band.

Reviews (59)

Might have been good as a first attempt
Let me start out with a disclaimer: a lot of people love this album, and, musically it's sound. (no pun intended) FIFs constantly changing style missed me with this album, although "ugly day" was acceptable, it sounded much better on the live album...
If you're a FIF fan you'll like it. If you're not, try Electric Boogaloo or "Our newest album ever" first. (Electric Boogaloo was the best IMO, but i think i'm in the minority on that choice )

Worst FIF album ever
This album came during a very difficult time for Five Iron Frenzy. One of their chief song writers left the group before songs for this album were written, and the various members of the band (all 8 of them) kind of traded off on song writing duties for this album. As a result, it lacks the unity in sound that a lot of their other albums had (Electric Boogaloo has the same failing, but not to the same extent).

This is, in my opinion, the least catchy and least appealing of all FIF albums. I was a hardcore fan before this came out, I bought it on the first day and I remember sitting in the car listening to it on the way home and my girlfriend saying to me "It kind of [bad isn't] it" I hated to agree, but I had to.

For the FIF beginner go for one of their first two albums or the Quantity is Job 1 EP for their finer work. Eventually the FIF faithful talked themselves into liking this one, but without the previous FIF experience, this album will really fall flat for the uninitiated.

The only really stand out track on the album is A New Hope (and possibly Solidarity). Go buy those two songs on ITunes, and you aren't missing much of anything from the rest of the album.

Reviews (212)

The best Blink-182 album ever!
The music in this cd is a lot different than say "Take Off Your Pants and Jacket" Instead of the pop lyrics with no punk beats, Cheshire Cat has pop lyrics with punk beats!

I still enjoy listening to this cd, and learned to play all the songs (I'm a bassist) In my opinion, this cd as well as the first three are the best. Five stars without a doubt.

UNDERRATED
This CD is pretty much a diamond in the rough. Because of the not-great recording, it is considered a not-great CD, which is just plain wrong. It has it's weak spots, but also impossibly catch tunes like wasting time, M+M's, and carousel. Actually, they are all pretty catchy. If youre a new Blink fan, into I miss you and that, you probably wont dig this album. But if youre an old-school Blink fan, this one's for you. Overall, its a way underrated, awesome C.D. I remember just how great it is every time I lister to it.