NewYearsDayProject | a song a day blog

My generation has had a few sobering news days, but in 1999 very little struck more fear into the hearts of American students and parents than turning on the news on April 20, seeing the horrifying scenes of the massacre at Columbine High School. In the way that September 11 changed aviation forever, Columbine changed education. There had been school shootings in the U.S. before, but none had the scope of planning of Columbine. So much information came out about the victims and perpetrators after the shooting for years to come. There were several distinct responses I remember growing up immersed in the evangelical South. First, it was that shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold were into the gothic scene, wearing all black, keeping nihilistic journals, and listening to music like Marylin Manson , Korn, and The Insane Clown Posse. This music was clearly satanic and could lead teens to commit mass shootings. Second, the testimony of Cassie Burnell, the girl whom, years later, was misrepo

  Like yesterday's song , today's song also comes from 2007, but that's maybe the only similarity. Composed by Kenzie , the professional name for SM Entertainment 's songwriter Kim Yeon-jeong, the debut single of one of the biggest K-pop groups set the tone for a ten-year career of fun, bubble-gummy, uplifting songs. Composed of nine young women all born between 1989 and 1991, Girls' Generation has been been called "the Nation's Girl Group," in South Korea due to their popularity between 2007-2017. Beginning with a sample of Don Henley 's 1984 classic " The Boys of Summer, " (covered in August by The Ataris ) the song builds on the nostalgic piano and synth sample. Rather than calling back with longing for the past, this song propels listeners forward into the future. I LEAVE BEHIND THIS WORLD'S UNENDING SADNESS. I've been pretty critical of K-pop in the past for being a-political. I used to think that music in America was too p

We take another song from a band who took their name from Webster's Dictionary's second definition for the word fold, " a group of people working together for a common goal," as the song of the day. The band's sophomore album has been called a "sonic journal for frontman Daniel Castady to chronicle the last few years of his life." compared to the band's debut record, the album contains "unfiltered lyrics," which are raw and are very personal to Castady. Taking the title of the record from a sentence graffitied on a truck stop bathroom stall, Secrets Make You Sick deserves a few listens. I was perhaps overly harsh on " Younger Than Our Years, " a hooking melody that draws listeners in, but still that song and "New Skeptic" reek of youthful arrogance. REMEMBERING THAT NIGHT WHEN THE POLICE PHONED MY HOUSE. If you can get past the arrogance, though, there are some very deep moments on the album. Castady talked with Jesusfre

Paramore 's second album Riot! made the pop-punk emo band of late millennial famous with the summer Alternative Rock and pop radio hit " Misery Business ," which is still arguably the band's signature hit. Usually, though, a band's signature hit is either their highest charting song or their located within the era of the band's commercial peak. However, seven years after the summer of "Misery Business," Paramore charted the highest with their 2014 final single from their eponymous record, " Ain't It Fun ." This shift from emo to more conventional pop was in line with fellow bands Fall Out Boy and Panic! at the Disco did as well. Just as the scene kids were growing up as every generation of rebellious rock 'n' roll had, "Ain't It Fun" is a song about growing up and realizing that the world isn't as easy as you once thought it was. It may not be punk-rock, but it's certainly still got some emo sentimentali

Muna's 2019 album, Saves the World , holds an 86 percent on Metacritic, being hailed with "Universal Acclaim." The sad lyrics often, masked under upbeat electronic hooks, create a break-up album that hits in ways that are simultaneously depressing and empowering. The sadness felt on the album is in stark contrast to their follow up single " Silk Chiffon ," an ode to the early stages of infatuation. But before the singer Katie Gavin can bring listeners to the Phoebe Bridgers-featured song, essentially a "getting back out there" anthem, she has to bring her audience to experience the heartbreak in Saves the World.  IF I PLAY OUR SONG, I THINK I'LL LOSE IT.   The annotator of the genius lyrics for this song said it best: "Muna creates the breakup edition of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie  with 'Stayaway.'" The third track on Saves the World and the the third single released before the album was released, 'Stayaway" talks about

Anberlin's second single from New Surrender, originally titled "Bitter Sweet Memory" treads familiar territory for the band: the emo break-up song. Their major label debut refined, perhaps over-produced, the sound that they had been curating since their sophomore record Never Take Friendship Personal. " Breaking" was overshadowed by the sleeper success of "Feel Good Drag," which at the time, was the longest a single had ever taken to top the Alternative Radio charts. Aside from hearing it on Christian radio and a McDonald's, I never heard "Breaking" on Alternative radio. The music video for the song was also canceled, and the label went on to promote the non-album track, a cover of New Order's "True Faith" as the band's follow up. "True Faith," also didn't do well on the radio, but the band would score another top 5 hit with "Impossible." YOU MAKE BREAKING HEARTS LOOK SO EASY. In 2010 I decided no

Michael Shepard was in a band called Kerith Ravine , which dissolved in 2001. Shepherd explains the name of his next band when he gave up music to attend film school. He found that he couldn't give up on music, and his love of it "dragged him back," hence, his new band was called Lovedrug . The band signed with The Militia Group , and their first album, Pretend You're Alive , brought the band in talks with Columbia Records alongside with fellow Militia Group band Copeland . However, Columbia underwent restructuring after signing Lovedrug and Copeland. The label shifted from the indie-wave of the early '00s to more sure-thing artists of the late '00s. Somewhat defeated, Lovedrug revisited their contract with The Militia Group and released their second LP, Everything Starts Where It Ends , which spun a college-radio single, " Happy Poison Apple ." But by the time it was time to promote their third album, The Sucker-Punch Show , The Militia Group had