Blink 182 - All of This

Another night with her
But I'm always wanting you

Am I the only one that was shocked by Blink 182's appearance last night? I mean, was everyone aware that they're actually going to release another album? I'll be upfront: I was never a huge fan of Blink. Their silly juvenile songs were catchy but by no means exceptional. It wasn't until the last album they recorded together, blink 182, that I actually listened to them--a lot, surprisingly. Thus, I'm probably not a "true fan" and, well, what do you know ... I wasn't claiming to be one! Regardless, I'm genuinely interested to see what they'll come up with. Their last album was a sign of maturity and their individual side projects confirm that they've grown as musicians. Anyway, I'm getting seriously side tracked here ...

One of the interesting elements to "All of This" is Robert Smith's appearance. Essentially, the song sounds more like one by The Cure than it does Blink 182 and not just because of Smith's vocals. Smith provides most of the vocals in the song, with Tom only singing during the chorus. The line, "Use me Holly," is supposed to refer to his ex who used him to get to his older brother. But I don't actually know if that's true. Wikipedia told me!

Favorite Part: I think the song is well put together overall but I really like how they used Smith's vocals on this. I don't know if they wrote the song and then decided he'd be a perfect fit or wrote it with him in mind. Either way, it was a brilliant decision.

Dinosaur Jr. - What If I Knew

Waiting, fading, contemplating all my love

Penetrated by a wasteland I've become

If you haven't heard of Dinosaur Jr., it's not that surprising; even though the band has been around since the mid-'80s. Unlike their counterparts of the time (the Pixies, Nirvana, etc.), Dinosaur Jr. managed to always remain in the sidelines, never quite making it in the limelight. This isn't because they weren't good but had more to do with lead singer/guitarist J. Mascis. Cult followers of the band place Mascis on a pedestal, but he was never quite comfortable or happy with fame. By the late '90s, Mascis decided to break up the band (originally named Dinosaur until sued by a band by the same name). He launched his solo career under the moniker J. Mascis + The Fog. It was a brief career due to a severe accident while on tour in Sweden which resulted in two cracked vertebrae.

Beyond is the bands first album released two years after their reunion, but their 8th LP to date. After reuniting in 2005 to play some live shows, fans everywhere were surprised to hear that they would be releasing another album. Even more surprising (and most probably a relief) was how well received Beyond was. I think anyone whose ever been a fan of a musician/band that's returned after a break-up knows that it can be both exciting and nerve-wrecking when anticipating the album. There's always the fear that it might be a complete flop and you'll wish they'd have left things as is. Or in the words of Neil Young, "Burn out, not fade away."

"What If I Knew," off of Beyond, isn't necessarily the best track on the album. It's just one I picked at random to share because I had difficulty picking "the best." The vocals remind me somewhat of Adam Duritz of the Counting Crows, which I think is a good thing.

Favourite Part: Mascis' signature guitar style filled with distortion and feedback, of course.