Eight years ago today, Franz Ferdinand's third studio album, Tonight, was released. This album pretty much got me through the first three months of 2015, supplying adventure and expectations where there were none, like the local supermarket or my middle school. So, yeah. I have to give it that. Here's my review. UlyssesThis song always made me want to walk shadily around a city like in the music video. Of course, I still haven't done that, but listening to this song literally anywhere will make you feel like you're a secret agent scammer watching out for any suspicious activity. Even if you're an innocent baby who can't even block someone on Instagram without feeling bad, like I am. But seriously, this song made Home Depot a lot more fun. Turn It OnThe riff in this song is amazing. I like the demo version better, but this song is truly incredible. The backup vocals make everything better. This entire album gives me serious flashbacks to seventh grade, like when I listened to this song while walking to my locker nearly every morning. The lyrics are creepy, but in a way that makes the song better. Still love the 'FM radio lover' line from the original version, though. No You GirlsThis was the third Franz Ferdinand song I ever listened to because my dad downloaded it on iTunes long before I ever found out about it. I can't count how many times I've danced around in my kitchen to this song. I remember the first time I heard it. I was in Princeton, going to dinner, sometime in October of 2014. I told my dad about it. He said it was a good song. I ate noodles that night. Anyway, I love the guitar in this one. I had a door in my house that made the same noise as the riff from the beginning. Um. That's all I have to say. Send Him AwayI remember listening to this one on Pandora in Disney World in 2014. I remember not getting the lyrics until sometime later. They're pretty creepy, I guess. I like the percussion in this one. I think I might have quoted this in Spanish class once? I don't even know anymore, man. Seventh grade was a messy, messy time. I like the vocals. Yeah. And the guitar is nice. I listened to this one on the way to school a lot. Twilight OmensThis is probably my favorite song off the album. We named our blog after this song! We couldn't think of a name and Alli brought up Twilight Omens. It stuck. I like the synth. I like the lyrics. Everything about this song is amazing. I still quote the lyrics on Instagram sometimes. I listened to this one a lot in seventh grade. That was a bad year, but this album made it so much better! Thanks, Franz. I owe a lot to you guys. Bite HardBITE HARD! Man, I love this song. It's tied with Twilight Omens. I remember listening to this one out in my front yard a lot, after it snowed and everything iced over. The lyrics are nice. Another song that made me long for adventure where there was none. Adventure's a tricky thing. It only comes around once. No journey into the cornfield will ever be the same as the first. The magic is gone. Anyway, awesome song overall. Makes me want to make a dramatic music video with lots of strobe lights and fight scenes. Ride together, die together. What She Came ForThe bass in this is incredible. Honestly, everything about this song is incredible. I love how my three favorite songs are all in a row. Alex's vocals sound great, too. The lyrics are a little creepy again, but what did you expect? (Have to thank narwhalgate for making me say 'honestly' too much. Had to hold myself back there.) I want to make a music video for this song. I don't know anyone who could act in it, though, so if you have any friends who can, tell them to hit me up. Not sure about a location, though. The end of this song is absolutely amazing and probably one of the best things I've ever listened to. I should really test if certain music makes me run faster. This seems like it would. Live AloneAnother awesome song! I remember the first time I listened to this song. My friend asked me to do a sing along over text with her, and I hadn't heard the song, so I went and listened to it and instantly fell in love. This is a song I'd listen to on a road trip. Everything is so on point here. I can't call something about it out as better than everything else, except maybe the synth. Or bass. Or percussion. Or vocals-- Y'know what, no more of that. Killer song overall. Another trend in Franz songs is switching it up 2/3 through the song. Definitely happened here. Not in the ABAB pattern way or whatever, though. I know my stuff. Sort of. Can't Stop FeelingTime for emotional jello! The first time I ever heard this song, I was sitting in the library of my middle school in seventh grade. I had broken(?) my toe and had to sit out of gym for three weeks. Every day during 6th period, I'd go to the library, rush through my work, and watch music videos, usually by Franz Ferdinand, The Killers, The Strokes, Arctic Monkeys, Passion Pit, or OK Go. The Can't Stop Feeling video was one of my favorites because of how random and 70s-TV-intro it looked. Those three weeks pretty much changed my life. I'd eventually permanently signed myself into my favorite computer in the back corner where no one could yell at me for not doing any work. Lucid DreamsMy dreams are never this awesome. I can't even lucid dream. Believe me, I've tried. I like the original version better. The entire three minute electronic thing at the end of the album version always bothers me. I don't like the chorus either. Anyway, I love the guitar and synth again. On the original version. The album version is fine, whatever, y'know, I think I'm done here. Dream AgainI can't even tell who has vocals on this song. It's seriously calm, though, and a beautiful and reassuring song overall. The acoustic version always helped me sleep when I wanted to stay up all night in seventh grade. Thanks, Nick. Honestly, this song was just a friend for me when I had none (or no true friends, at least...). It made me feel better in ways I can't even explain now, since it's been so long since I was lost and alone. I think music really can help you when nothing feels right. When you're being made fun of in school, when your friends don't care about you, maybe even just when you're stressed or feeling a little hopeless. I really have to formally thank Franz Ferdinand sometime. Katherine Kiss MeOne time I slept on the floor of a gym, and I fell asleep listening to music because this one kid was snoring really loud. I woke up around midnight, and this song was playing. I cried so much. I don't even know why. Something just got to me, sleeping on the ground on a cold January night. I could see the red exit signs glowing and the moon shining through the windows. I can play this song on piano. It's a beautiful song, something no one expected from an electronic album. ConclusionThis album is extremely important to me, but I've never thought of it like that because of all of the hate it's gotten out there. There's so much other stuff I like more musically, too, so the importance of this album never really materialized until recently when I started thinking about albums I listened to at different times. Anyway, this incredible album turns eight years old today, so go have a dance party in honor of it, or your terrible seventh grade memories. Whatever you do, show it some love. Maybe not even just this album, but any album that got you through a rough time.
See you soon.
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I am a huge fan of online shopping. Seriously. I am also a huge fan of Franz Ferdinand. Double seriously. The one weird thing, though, is that I'm a writer and I can rarely focus for long enough to actually read a book, or sometimes even a really long Buzzfeed article. So, to get back into the reading spirit, I decided to break into my dad's Amazon account and buy Sound Bites. It apparently originally sold for $13USD, but I somehow got it for close to $6. Thank you, Amazon.
The only disclaimer I have for this is that descriptions of food tend to gross me out, so I've been avoiding actually reading any of that. Like, I'm here for the band stuff. Also, I'm really tired. Let's go! Here are my thoughts while reading Sound Bites. You can follow along, but to be honest, why would you? It basically just goes in order of the book itself. Maybe each number is a chapter-thingy because typing things out isn't my thing. Yeah, I'll go with that. In honor of seeing Saint Motel with Alli last month, I decided to review my favorite album by them, Voyeur. Feed Me NowIf I was in a high school movie, and they needed a scene where the main character gets ready in two minutes and leaves for school a complete mess, this would be it. When they played this song at the gig, I cried. I love this song so much, and it's just the sort of Saint Motel that I love! All of the instruments sound excellent together, too! Excellent song. Amazing song. I love it. I love Voyeur. I love Saint Motel. I love Alli for getting me into them, and like everything else. Benny GoodmanAn excellent song. They played this at the gig too. The entire venue was jumpin jumpin jumpin, and we were on the second floor of the place! It was awesome, but also terrifying. Just like A/J Jackson's hair. Again with the instruments all sounding excellent together?! I love Saint Motel. For some reason, the end-ish? of this song almost sounds like Muse to me?? That's cool. Puzzle PiecesI LOVE THIS SONG. OMG. It was maybe the fourth Saint Motel song I ever heard, and the first off Voyeur. There was a guy at the gig who really wanted this song. He fist bumped us when A/J said "say hello to your neighbor." We were his neighbors. He freaked out when this song came out. He was adorable. I miss him. Puzzle Pieces Guy, if you're reading this, this is for you. Daydream/Wetdream/NightmareThis is most likely my favorite Saint Motel song. I love it. I especially love how they switch the vibes a bunch of times in the song. My favorite part is the middle, which I'm guessing is the 'wetdream' part? Anyway, whatever. I like the daydream part too, especially the transition. I'm surprised they didn't play this song at the gig. I love A/J's vocals. A/J? More like Slay/J. The transitions in this song are really excellent, because it all flows together, and it feels like you've listened to one song instead of three, shorter, separate songs while still acknowledging that there were like, shorter songs in it. Nice. 1997This song makes me feel so hopeful about life. I don't know why. It's really pretty. (Um, nevermind about the entire 'hopeful' thing. Thanks Alli. I'm never hearing this song the same again. I thought it was about a guy making friends in 1997. It's not about that.) Honest FeedbackThe harmony in this one is beautiful!! I love the vocals so much. This song's so pretty. Every song on this album is pretty. I'm calm. The guitar thing is really nice too. The lyrics are pretty cool. At Least I Have NothingThe title of this song gives me a Modest Mouse vibe, for some reason. These lyrics are dark. I like the instruments, though. They're beautiful, as usual. A/J could stab me and I wouldn't mind. That is in no way an invitation to do that, A/J, if you're reading this. You Do It WellThis is the most intense Saint Motel song I've heard. Dang. This was on my field hockey hype playlist. The vocals are excellent. IT'S SO INTENSE. OMG. Ok. I'm calm. Never mind, A/J did the thing again. I'm into this. Hands Up RobertI like this. It's nice. I like the guitar. I love how Saint Motel can be both super calm and super intense at the same time. Usually it's one or the other with other bands. That guitar thing just now sounded very Franz Ferdinand and then very Interpol. Whoa. Cool. I'm into this. I like this. Yes. Good. StoriesThe beginning of this song sounds like a Target commercial. I love this song, though. Everything's super nice, and the instrumentals give me a Fratellis vibe. I like when A/J yells. I like the hug it out line too. This is super intense again. Nice. Ok, cool. It's no longer intense. It's still nice and calm. Cool. Balsa Wood BonesTHIS SONG MAKES ME CRY. IM DEAD. JUST LIKE THE PERSON WHO WAS MEAN TO A/J. THAT WAS ONE DARK ENDING. Besides that, it's really pretty! Both the vocals and instrumentals have really cool, calm vibes. I'm into that, if you couldn't tell. I love this song so much. It's so beautiful. I'm into this.
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About The AuthorLiah is a high school senior who plays guitar and loves the color yellow. She doesn't post much, but when she does, it's awesome. We promise.
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