Now, im not bitching about the golden oldies, no in truth im stabbing a knife in the back of the music i truly love. We were all younger when we first loved music, and when we're young, we're naive. And i was very very Naive. Now my earliest music loves were a few odd things here and there, my first music memory being "always take the weather with you" playing on the radio back in 1992. But for first band or artist that i liked id have to say it was Micheal Jackson, then maybe boyzone and shockingly but pretty obvious considering my age, the Spice girls. Now for the most part my musical taste lay in wilderness for years, except for the love of the Cars who are just to amazing to neglect in my memory.
My first real love of music as a whole most likely came in fourth year. Now considering the time and the albums, Elephant by White Stripes and By The Way by Red hot Chilli Peppers and Permission to land by The Darkness, it was a great time to get into music! But I have to contend that the Misery came first. Fourth Year was not a good time for me, 15/16 was not a good time. I remember for some reason backing Gary Jule's Mad World as a good song for Xmas number one.... Wow, how naive. Now around that time i didnt have an all too happy xmas, and close to new years i saw High Fidelity in full for the first time. Notably where the title of this blog comes from, the upper title.. And i became transfixed! I officially realised how much i could love music and i made a list and started on a mission to get more music off the Internet and downloaded onto my computer. And somewhere in that i found 2000 Miles by Mest. And i was amazed! From there i found more of their music and Untill I met You somehow became one of my depressed anthem's and so did Night Alone. In retro-spect, it was awful music, but damn i listened and sang along anyway! Thin Lizzy, the kinks and the Cars were all constantly played on my dads 1st generation iPod, and i still miss those albums.
That summer was also my first concerts. The massive RHCP concert in Phoenix park and Oxegen. The Darkness ruled for possibly their last moment at Oxegen, as following that they got shit, really really shit. Following that i really did love music. I joined the choir and picked up guitar. Both werent that successful but i did it anyway. I also started to write lyrics, and it became a strong tradition to write away my feelings in lyrics and they eventually got stronger and stronger. Now there was ups and downs, crying in a toilet listening to busted, is something id like to forget. But damn those guys were catchy. It was around this time that Green Day also reemerged with possibly one of the most hyped albums ever. Slightly deservedly but Blvd of broken shite just got overplayed to death. I got into them as well and eventually played them nearly every day. With my choir trip to Chicago i manage to get all of Mest's Back catalogue and was hooked for nearly a year and a half following that.
That years oxegen was free for me, some great technicality and Green day, foo fighters, and fightstar all ruled. I also managed to spend the whole sunday in the pit without going to the bathroom, not advised! But even if i had lost my friends i still enjoyed the music and made the kind of temporary friends whose names you dont know and face's you'll never remember. Green Day and Mest were predominantly always on my Disc-man for most of 6th year. And somehow despite its weak themes Photographs by Mest was and possibly still is one of my favourite albums. Its weak, really weak, but its so catchy and sounds so good, they stuck the gold mine that was the ear's of their fans. But they packed it in after that, and really they were never a perfect band, but i enjoyed the ride.
Somewhere in the mix of 5th year i discovered fall out boy, and the rest is history. I was amazed and i just loved from under the cork tree, it was amazing to me. Angels and Airwaves and Blink 182's greatest hits also got a lot of airtime on my Disc-man and pc. Then during the leaving cert i couldnt put Fall Out Boy's first album Take This To Your Grave down. I loved every moment of it, my only complaint was Grenade Jumper which wasnt as good as the rest. To this very day Patron Saint of Liars and Fakes is one of my favourite songs.
That summer was mainly my love of Fall Out Boy and The Like. And i still remember the amazing concert the Like gave in crawdaddy where Z Berg Locked eyes with me for almost every song. If i wasnt such a shy kid at the time i would have flirted with her like mad, but even now i dont think id have the stomach to do that. Music wise i branched out more and more. The Fratellis, The All-American Rejects, Avril Lavigne and the kooks all were added to my cd collection. And along with everyone else at the time i really loved My Chemical Romance's new album, which was just an instant classic. I was already unique with Mest etc, but i pushed the envelope further when i discovered myspace. Wow, the bands i found. I cant remember who it started with but i can remember what i got for Christmas. +44, Paramore, Leanne Harte, A Day Away and Better Luck Next Time. Now BLNT are relatively weak, and i have rarely listen to them since but i did like a few songs, they were good. As for the rest they are still a strong presence in my mix lists, they will always be there, and for good reason. A Day Away are the kind of Pop-Punk brilliance and pure patchiness that i just love. And they have gone from strength to strength even though they are still unknowns. Somewhere along the line i also discovered Emily, Steer Clear, Blue Syndrome, Boy Turns Hero, Too Late the Hero, Mute Math and The High Court.
Emily became the sound track too my next summer. And i was devastated when they split. But somehow i became responsible for influencing the naming of the last song they ever played. We're Gonna need a bigger Boat, one of my favourite songs ever and i helped name it! It makes it oh so special to me because of that. Paramore's second outing was also a major part of that time. Music wise little new changed but bands i had already discovered finally released albums or released more. Farewell being one of the happiest one's i ever found. It was just amazing, pop-punk brilliance. Then came the biggy, INFINITY ON HIGH. Wow, just wow. Fall Out Boy rocked my socks once again and for a long time i never put it down.
Then to the last few months. And my summer was dominated by Chicks. A very odd irish band that gave me an anthem ill never forget. FUCK MUSIC! Just amazing. Not a perfect band, but damn i love them all the same. Also slightly before that was A Day Away's Second album, and well, just amazing, really really should not be over looked. These guys should not be as overlooked as they are. I also got round to discovering how much i love Stereophonics and got their entire back catalogue. One of the best bands ever, no question! Other discoveries included Metro Station and Hey Monday, both weak considering how good they sound and how much potential they have. Also following the crowd Vampire Weekend and MGMT also helped shape my taste up to now. And in the past week or two The blizzards and The Corona's to help keep the irish end up.
There, a history, an analyses and a rant about how much i love music, and how its shaped my life. More too come in the form of more constructive criticism of artist's and albums as a whole.
Artists i left out include: Muse, The Academy is..., Cute is what we aim for, Panic at the disco(!). There's just no time or need to include every name...
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