Against Me! cancel all remaining shows for 2010

This news disappoints me. For the last 2 days all I've been listening to is Against Me! Just over and over and over again in preparation for their show next week. And then today, they announced the cancellation of all shows for 2010.

As disappointed as I am (especially after seeing recent setlists, which is playing not so much "newer" stuff and a lot of classics), I hope everything is ok with the Against Me! camp.

To alleviate the sadness, here's the Thrash Unreal music video with a shirtless Tom Gabel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzJ21OpFnZ0&ob=av3e

Emilie Simon

I have no idea why, but the So Frenchy So Chic shows at the Powerhouse always seem to miss me until only a few days before. Last time I found out about it only about 2 days before it, this time I've at least got 4 days until Emilie Simon takes to the stage.


She's French (obviously). And she does electronic/trip hop singer songwriter kind of stuff. It's quite relaxing and beautiful music.

She'll be playing the Powerhouse this Friday, the 1st of October.

Big Day Out 2011

In my bitter old age of 25 now, I tend to huff of each Big Day Out lineup as "shite and past it's prime." But given the announcement of last night, I may actually be forced to eat humble pie and join in the masses to go. The lineup is (I've bolded the ones I want to see):

Tool
Rammstein
Iggy And The Stooges
Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 77
Lupe Fiasco
Grinderman
Primal Scream Screamadelica Live
Deftones
The Black Keys
Andrew W.K
The Jim Jones Revue
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
M.I.A
LCD Soundsystem
Booka Shade
Die Antwoord
Vitalic
CSS
Plan B
Ratatat
Crystal Castles ( East Coast only )
John Butler Trio
Wolfmother
Airbourne
Birds Of Tokyo
Kids Of 88
The Naked & Famous

Australia only locals:

Angus & Julia Stone
Dead Letter Circus
Children Collide
Operator Please
Bliss N Eso
Gyroscope
Pnau
Kid Kenobi & Mc Shureshock
Sampology
Blue King Brown
Will Styles
Little Red
Gypsy And The Cat
Lowrider

Sure, it's a slightly washed up and reused old Big Day Out lineup (I'm kind of surprised there's no Living End to be honest), but there are two of my all time favourite bands on there: The Stooges and the Deftones. Not to mention everyone's favourite Tool and Rammstein, the latter of which I've never seen even though I was obsessed with them over 12 years ago. Andrew W.K. is known for the song Party Hard which is apparently what he does when plays live. It may actually be a good day, especially if there's a few good bands thrown in a second announcement. I've now just got to get over my hatred of most of the punters that go to the BDO just to drink and be idiots.

Sunday January 23 at the Gold Coast Parklands

Reel Big Fish/The Aquabats

It's not often we get a ska show coming through town, so when we do, I have to cherish it. I get out all my chequered clothing and get my skank on. Even if, like this tour, it's Reel Big Fish coming out to flog the dead horse that is their back catalogue.

Don't get me wrong, everyone probably knows of the ska that is Reel Big Fish. And they have some great songs, generally about drinking and girlfriends. They are a great party band with a tight live show, and it's great to go see with a few drinks for a good time. They've just put out no new material in the last 4 years, instead releasing live albums and what seems to be the same songs recorded over and over again.

But the reason I'll probably go to this show, is the Aquabats:

A ska/pop-punk band comprising of superheroes who are trying to save the world from lame music (and bad fashion, if you watch the video above)! I missed them at Soundwave this year to go see A Wilhelm Scream, so I am looking forward to finally catching their live show.

The biggest ska show of 2010 is happening December 2nd at the Tivoli. 18+. It's an excellent dance floor there, so bring your best skanking shoes and baggy trousers.

Shihad

Another band I saw on this day last year (at the Sounds of Spring, see last post) were the Kiwi greats Shihad. They've been around for over 22 years now and put out one of the great Australasian rock albums ever made in the General Electric in 1999.


If we ignore the few years they changed names to Pacifier to avoid confusion with the post 9-11 jihads, they've probably been one of the most consistent rock acts to come from our Pacific region.

Shihad will be releasing a new album soon and as such will be leaving New Zealand to tour it around Australia, their country of greatest success.

November 12, the Zoo.
November 13, the Coolangatta Hotel, Gold Coast.

Joining them will be Melbourne's Trial Kennedy, an alternative/emo band, that sounds a lot like Gyroscope.

Shihad
Trial Kennedy

My Disco

On this day a year ago (whoa, freaky coincidence) I had one of the most memorable music moments of my life. I was at the Sounds of Spring festival watching a bunch of great Australian bands strut their stuff. As the night came to a close, everyone was off at the main stage watching the Butterfly Effect or the Hilltop Hoods or some other mainstream act, but I went to one of the side stages hidden up a little alley at the RNA showgrounds to check out a band I had never seen before. And what happened next was as religious of an experience as I will ever have.


There was only about 20 of us gathered around this stage as My Disco came on to close the stage. I'd heard a lot of buzz about this band, but knew very little. What came next was enough to put me into an almost hypnotic state of pure music ectasy as I watch them play in what seemed like a time warp. I didn't shut up talking about the band for months after that, it impressed me so much.

Their music isn't easy to get in to, that's for sure. It's what you would probably call minimalistic art-rock. The three members work together to make some very beautifully crafted songs; music is built on layers of repetitive rhythms, whether from the bass, the drums, the guitar or the lyrics. It's truly something to behold, and something you just don't see in music since the very early post-punk days of the 70s.

They've spent a lot of time lately touring and recording in the US and Europe, probably because people their actually get their music better than most punters here. However, they'll be returning in the next few months to their home with a new album and a new tour. You can catch them do their art-rock at the Zoo on November 27th.

MySpace

New My Chemical Romance Song

I Brought you My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love was a huge album for me. It introduced me to post-hardcore with it's fast guitars, progressive drumming and insane live shows. I saw My Chemical Romance play some amazing live shows on the back of this album (with some amazing tour mates such as From Autumn to Ashes, Taking Back Sunday, Recover, Murder by Death and Vaux) for some ridiculously cheap prices. I don't think I paid more that $15.


They were insane, one of the highlights for me was at Gabe's Oasis in Iowa City back in high school days. In one song, I think it was Drowning Lessons, the guitarist was jumping around like a madman, eventually running across the stage, jumping feet first into the wall, pushing off it, landing on his back, all without missing a beat.

If you had talked to me before the release of the Black Parade, I would have mentioned this band. Hell, I used to wear their shirts to uni almost weekly. And then the Black Parade came out, pretty much ruining their music much in the same vein as American Idiot did to Green Day (shit, it turns out both albums were produced by the same man. Thanks Wikipedia for confirming how jointly shit they were). When I saw them at Big Day Out they just stood there playing their instruments. It seems their energy went away with their good songs.

Well anyway, enough reminiscing. They have a new album coming out soon with a horrible name: Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys. Bleh. There's a song leak on soundcloud too http://soundcloud.com/attentiondrain/mcr-na-na-na/s-m3qv7. And it sounds just as horrible and modern-rock-pop as the Black Parade. I've given them one more album until I write them off, so I have a feeling this may be the parting of ways for me and this band. We've had some fun and I will still continue to play songs from I brought you my bullets on my guitar.

Kaki King tour

One of my surprise albums so far this year has been Junior by Kaki King. Kaki is as cute as she is an amazing guitarist, and the album is full of great guitar melodies, almost folk like in a way. Did I mention she's cute?


She's toured out here a few times, including the opening slot for the Foo Fighters on their last tour, where apparently Dave Grohl ranked her as a guitar god. Her playing style involves a lot of fret tapping, guitar slapping and general rhythmic sounds that aren't entirely natural to a guitar; although on the latest album Junior it's less noticable.

Kaki will be spending a few weeks in our country doing some festivals, but we're lucky enough to get a club performance. So come catch her at the Zoo on November 20.

MySpace

free metal from [adult swim]

Although the idea of [adult swim] may be lost on my Australian friends, they will know about some of the shows on it. It all started in 2001, with Cartoon Network showing cartoons aimed to an older audience than their usual childish affair (which I still love, by the by). Basically, they were targeting my friends and I. With shows such as Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Robot Chicken, Harvey Birdman, Space Ghost, Family Guy, Futurama, Metalocalypse and a bunch of Anime.


They've also encouraged music through their programs. The show Metalocalypse is a cartoon about a metal band that has actual CDs out. A few years ago they even had Danger Mouse and MF Doom collaborate on the amazing Danger Doom album, which was great hip-hop featuring a lot of the characters from Adult Swim (and by researching this, I found that there's a new album in the works. Yes!).

What they've done now is Metal Swim, a free album of unreleased material from some great (although probably unknown to most) metal bands. It features Kylesa (who are playing Soundwave next year), Isis (who were my pick of the bands at Soundwave last year), Jesu, Zoroaster and more. Sure, you've probably never heard of any of these bands, but it's not your generic metal. This album is full of quality songs, covering doom, sludge and more traditional metal.

It's free, there's good bands on it, so what have you got to lose?
http://www.adultswim.com/promos/201009_scion/index.html

Soundwave final lineup

The extra bands for Soundwave have been slowly leaking out, so I guess AJ decided just to let the whole lineup out officially. The bands are:

• One Day as a Lion
• Bullet for My Valentine
• Bring me the Horizon
• The Murderdolls
• Dimmu Borgir
• Millencolin
• Coheed & Cambria
• Amity Affliction
• Silverstein
• Fucked Up
• Feeder
• H2O
• Saxon
• The Rocket Summer
• We the Kings

I've talked about most of these bands before, but there's a few in here that really get me excited. The first of which are the Canadians, Fucked Up. I avoided listening to these guys for ages, due to their name, but when I did I fell in love with their old school hardcore punk. As far as hardcore goes, it is quite accessible and not alienating (apart from their name and some of their subject matter). However, they cover twee, indie and pop songs in their own hardcore way, adding an interesting twist into things.


I love them and their smart hardcore. Like this interview with the lead singer, which shows how intelligent they are.

Their most recent album, the Chemistry of Common Life, has won numerous awards. Check it out if you get the chance. Also, they are known for a tremendous energry in their live show, and as Pink Eyes says in the interview above, he feels like he owes it to the crowd, almost a sacrifice if you will.

Last.FM has a lot of their tracks

The other band I am looking forward to seeing I had never even heard of before this announcement: One Day as a Lion. And I am amazed I have never heard of them: it's a collaboration between Zack de la Rocha (lead singer of Rage Against the Machine) and Jon Theodore (original Mars Volta drummer). Yes, 2 of my favourite bands... yet I had never heard of this band before.

They play a bit more of a hip-hop style of rock, not surprising with Zack in the band. They've only got an EP out for now, but it's pretty good. I will be interested to see how they sound live and what other songs they have to play.

MySpace

One sentence album reviews (#1)

I find myself listening to a butt load of music every week. I generally can't be assed writing reviews or doing anything like that, so I though I'd introduce a new segment to my blog: One sentence album reviews. If I can't say what I think about it in just one sentence, any longer review is just going to be jibber-jabber.

Huntingtons - Plastic Surgery (2000)
The 1970's called, they've got the Ramones on a conference call... and they want their music back.
1.5/5

In Bear Country - In Bear Country EP (2009)
Gravelly-vocal Canadian punk rock, I listened to it three times in one sitting
Track: New Music Sux
4/5

Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - Hawk (2010)
If all country music was as melodic and as beautiful as this, I'd be a country bumpkin.
5/5

Punch - Push Pull (2010)
Screamo with a female lead singer that doesn't sound like your ears are melting.
4/5

Mogwai - Special Move (2010)
I never imagined their dreamy, wordless post-rock would keep me awake at a concert, but this live recording has changed my mind.
3.5/5

Monster Magnet - 25.......Tab (1993)
50 minutes, 3 songs, and this is how stoner rock should be; taking you on an amazing journey.
4/5

We Are Scientists - Barbara (2010)
They are still yet to refind that dancey-indie miracle mix that made their first album amazing, this just sounds like so many other bland indie albums right now.
2/5

No Years

It's not too early to start thinking about your New Years Eve plans. It's only a few months away now you know. If you come up with no ideas though, you should head to the Powerhouse for the No Years Festival.


The headliners are the Shout Out Louds. I've always said that Sweden makes some of the best music in the world, and the Shout Out Louds do not let that reputation down. Imagine as if Robert Smith (of the Cure) was Swedish. That's how I think the Shout Out Louds sound.

Also playing are the John Steel Singers, Parades and Little Scout. A great indie way to ring in the new year. And who knows, you may get to pash a hipster at midnight.

No Years Festival, the Powerhouse, December 31.

Shout Out Louds

Built to Spill

It's no secret I love me some good jangly-guitar indie rock. And Built To Spill have been playing it for over a decade now.


They're gracing our country for the New Year's Pyramid Rock festival down south, but we get a more intimate club show at the Zoo on January 2nd.

Do yourself a favour if you like indie, start the year well with them.

Last.fm

December 3 seems to be a popular day

... especially for bands I liked as a misdirected teenager.


Korn. New Zealand's Shihad. Both bands I loved in 1998/1999. Shihad, are still good. Korn... Well... It's Korn. Without Head since he went his crazy Christian ways and decided to follow 'god'. If this isn't horrendously overpriced, I may go, just because I own the first 4 or 5 Korn albums.

December 3, Tivoli.

28 Days Pre-Halloween party

Rising up from the ghosts of Australian music past, 28 Days are coming to play a Halloween show in Brisbane. Well, the day before Halloween.

They'll be doing Thriller nightclub at Rosies on Saturday the 30th of October. I've seen them a few times in the past few years playing final tours, then reunion tours and basically doing the whole John Farnham thing.

But they are better than John Farnham. Sure, they have a lot of bad hip-hop, but the band is back together as their hardcore-punk selves, with no DJ. Which has always been my favourite version of the band.

I was at quite possibly one of their worst shows ever last year, where they power went off and Jay lost his voice. But listen to it here and you'll remember just how many of their songs you know the words to.

Linkin Park

Linkin Park are definitely a band that polarises me. I love some of their songs but absolutely hate a lot of their songs.


In the early days of high school their nu-metal/rap-metal was all the rage. They matured as a band and made some awesome hip-hop and some awesome screamo. I liked songs in both of those genres they did. But the last few years they have just become massive has-beens. So much so that my aunt loves them to death, and her idea of good music is Pink.

They're coming out to tour in conjunction with their new album. December 3 at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre. Tickets appear to be $130+.

They've got some new music from their new album up on their My Space. I'm not going to link it, as it's horrible and befouls whatever good memories I ever had.

Good Vibrations

It was announced on Friday, but I've been fairly intoxicated since then. So here's the Good Vibrations festival lineup.


This could be the year I actually go to Good Vibes. I love Faithless' electronica, Phoenix are just charming French indie, Cee Lo was great last time I saw him play with Gnarls, Ludacris is my favourite rapper from my teenage years and the Nas and Damian Marley album is my favourite hip-hop album of the year so far.

And it's on my birthday! February 19, at the Gold Coast Parklands. I've just got to convince myself to put up with all of the idiotic festival goers.

More Soundwave bands

The few remaining bands for next year's Soundwave festival have been slowly leaking. Two more have come out over the last few days. The big one, that I am actually excited for, is Swedish skate-punk pioneers Millencolin


It's weird to think that it has been 10 years since they released the album Pennybridge Pioneers, which gave them notoriety for songs such as Penguins and Polarbears and No Cigar. Their last tour was a 2008, following the release of the album Machine 15. I saw them play a great mix of their old songs and new songs in a very energetic and enjoyable gig. A great live band.

The other announcement are the post-hardcore boys from Gympie gone big: Amity Affliction. I've seen these guys more times than I can remember, from pre-EP days through to earlier this year. If you haven't heard of them by now, you probably don't go to live music in Brisbane very often. They've played pretty much every Soundwave festival in Brisbane, starting as the opening local band in the very first one.

MySpace

Smashing Pumpkins tour

This is one of my all time favourite albums:


So much so that I've got the double-gate fold 180 gram vinyl. Delicious. So you think I'd be excited by today's news.

Smashing Pumpkins, the Tivoli, October 17.

But I'm not. I saw them at V Fest a few years back, with Billy in his full on space kilt outfit (wish I could find a picture). Sure they played the main hit songs and had a few good jams. Including this one, which was the highlight of the show, when the Presets were playing over the top of him before an encore:

But apart from that, it lacked character. And it lacked the Smashing Pumpkins: Jimmy, James, D'arcy (or even Melissa Auf Der Mar).

I can imagine this gig will be another one of those "pay through your teeth to see a band you loved ten years ago" tour (ala any band of my childhood still touring). They sure know that the best way to make a buck is to invoke your memories of the past.

Edit: Same night as Baroness. I know where I'll be

Another lazy post!

Yes! I know you're excited, it's another one of those posts where I just list off a bunch of shows and news, because I haven't had time for anything else.


Belle and Sebastian new song
My favourite Scottish indie-pop group have released a new song, for free, from their new album due out in October. Download here. I love Belle and Sebastian and their take on 60's style pop/twee. I'm on my way to slowly getting all of their releases on vinyl, so you know for sure I'll be pre-ordering their new record Write About Love (also the name of the free track).

U2 sells out (in the 80s), but adds a new show for their Brisbane concert sell out
Yep, not just their music, but their shows (surprisingly) sell out amazingly fast. They've added a second show with Jay-Z at Suncorp on the 9th of December.

Die! Die! Die!
New Zealand's best noise/gaze/random band are putting out a new album soon, so they'll be doing the tour of our country playing their noisy garage rock, which I love. October 14 at the Club House (Tempo Bar). If you like a noisy and energetic great live show, do yourself a favour and go!

Soundwave bands
Added to the lineup we now have:

• Bring Me the Horizon
• Bullet for My Valentine
• H2O
• We the Kings

I've seen the first two and have no desire to see them again. The only one I'm keen (actually really excited about) is H2O, one of those few old-school straight-edge hardcore bands still kicking.

The Mess Hall
A great Australian two-piece garage-rock band, had a pretty big song with Metal and Hair in 2005 and a great album in 2007 with the Devil's Elbow, are going out on tour. September 17 at the Zoo. 18+

Philadelphia Grand Jury
Although they packed and moved to London only a few months back, they are coming back for their biggest run of shows yet. Catch their garage-party-rock November 19th at the HiFi. 18+. This is sure to be close to selling out, like their last show did at the Zoo. They are just a fun band to listen and dance to.

Fat Louie's Local Hardcore Gig
September 25, at my favourite pool bar/after work place, catch a great hardcore show and get some cheap drinks. Between the Devil and the Deep, Marathon, Headaches and the Quickening. All great heavier (mainly local bands) at my favourite haunt. 18+ of course.

More local All Ages Hardcore shows!

So it seems that Burst City may now be the place to go for all ages shows. Sure, it hasn't had as many big bands as the Fort, but it's getting more and more of the local stuff, which can be just as good. Case in point:

I've waxed lyrical on at least one of these bands before, Marathon. I really dig their new EP and they are a bunch of great guys. They play in a style similar to Cursed and seem to be playing any hardcore show I've been at this year.

Fires of Waco and Headaches are two newer locals that are starting to get their names heard a bit. Fires of Waco have a more of a post-rock sound (think old At the Drive-In or the Plot to Blow up the Eiffel Tower) while Headaches have spawned from the band that was the Gifthorse.

The one band that I've heard so much about but have never seen is Dick Nasty. I've been wanting to catch these guys for years, given the way they are spoken about and revered on 4ZZZ. They've apparently been kicking around Brisbane for years, playing a sublime mix of hardcore punk. So I guess this show will finally be the excuse I need to get off my ass and listen to them.

Parklife

Apparently, due to traffic concerns, the Parklife festival on September 25 will be moving from the Gold Coast to Brisbane.

The organisers have cited a bunch of issues that contributed to the move back to the Brisbane Botanic Gardens & Riverstage arena including:

"Major road works around the venue and a number of other operational issues risked reducing the quality of the event. Construction to be carried out during September and October for the Gold Coast Light Rail and Gold Coast Hospital and road works on Olsen Avenue have foiled attempts to devise a sufficiently effective traffic management plan to guarantee the quick and safe arrival and departure of customers."

Tickets purchased for Parklife on the Gold Coast will still be valid at the new venue and there will be a free shuttle bus running from Surfers Paradise to the Botanic Gardens & Riverstage.

Parklife organisers have set up a dedicated where punters can send through any queries about the event relocation or register for the free shuttle bus. It's parklifebrisbane@fuzzy.com.au

Get all the event details at parklife.com.au

Huh. Well that's interesting.
Here's the poster if you can't remember who was playing:

Regurgitator news

Quan recently announced that they won't be recording any more albums!

(Holy hell, I miss Recovery. As I write this on a Saturday morning, I think about how 15 years ago I'd be watching Recovery right now.)

Anyway, never fear, Regurgitator aren't breaking up, they are just releasing EPs only now. Quan says:

"It's just too much pointless pressure to follow an out of date paradigm. I don't listen to albums why should I make them? And tracklisting was always a real bitch in this band. Now thankfully that'll be in someone else's hands. :)"

In fact, they even have a new song! You can hear it over at Triple J's Home and Hosed blog, right here: http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/homeandhosed/blog/s2997718.htm

Don't forget that they are playing the Tivoli on September 18.

You Am I tour

When I think of the face of Australian rock and roll, I generally think of two people: Jimmy Barnes or Tim Rogers. Yes, this man:


Sure, they didn't break the top 20 once, but they've been the rock band that can do no wrong, putting out amazing song after amazing song. Especially this:

Their new album goes on sale October 8th, and they will be touring Australia for over 3 months for it... Although only on weekends. Maybe showing their age a bit?

We can catch them around our neck of the woods twice:
11th November at the Irish Club in Toowoomba
27th Novemeber at the HiFi

Website

The Black Pacific

About a year ago, we were all shocked by the announcement that the lead singer of Pennywise was leaving after 20 odd years. It obviously wasn't to stay out of music, because he's already fronting a new band, the Black Pacific.


They've put out a new song that you can get for free, in anticipation of their new album out September 17th. The song's called When It's Over, and you can grab it for free here: http://www.bombshellzine.com/features/theblackpacific.htm

My thoughts? Unwritten Law. It sounds like Unwritten Law has gone a bit more heavy, and there's even a bit of screaming in it. I'm actually excited for this album now.

The Real Deal/Dan Potthast tour

The Real Deal hail from the great snowy north of Canada, and proclaim themselves as Party Punk... think a bit of ska, a bit of skate punk and sounding a lot like Goldfinger.

They put out a pretty solid album last year called Fun, which pretty much explains what they are all about. It must be doing ok for them, because they are deciding to tour down under, bringing out American Dan Potthast with them.

Dan was originally the lead singer of ska band Mu330, but now he goes around doing his style of acoustic punk and ska. Just him and his guitar. I saw him open a few years ago for Streetlight Manifesto, and although people were talking over him, he put on an amazing show. I never knew ska could sound so good with just an acoustic guitar.

Catch them at the Jubille Hotel on November 11th, 18+.

The Real Deal
Dan

Mixtape volume 1: the break up

There's no getting around it, if it wasn't for love lost, there'd be no music industry (well, without drugs at least). In fact, some of my favourite albums have been completely set around break ups, including my newest-can't-stop-listening-to album, Somewhere At The Bottom Of The River Between Vega And Altair by La Dispute. So, because it is very topical to me, I present to you, Chuck's break-up mixtape. Click on the title to listen to each song (Most of these songs don't reflect my situation or feelings, they are just good songs about breaking up).


1. La Dispute - Why it Scares Me
This song is off their new split with Touche Amore and I actually listened to it the morning of my most recent break up. It's uncanny how it reflected my thoughts of the time exactly. Lyrics such as:

Have I been taking my emotional cues from a script I wrote at sixteen?
Maybe I just think about it all so much
That that the fear stays close to all the ghosts I’ve touched.
Makes me question
Was it love or just lust?

Maybe it’s just as much about what comes our way as it is about how we react.
Just as much about the things that we’ve still got as it is about the things we lack.
I know we won’t always keep around all we feel we need–
some are fading in frames, some were born to leave–
But if we’re still here, and we still breathe,
I guess we’ve still got time to figure it out,
To know what to do,
To know how to feel,
Know the things that I’ve been making up inside my head, and
To know what’s real.
I want to believe that the way I am is just the way things go.
For the things that came, not the things I chose
to come.
I want to know if I had any control.
I want to know if it’d comfort me.

If there's one thing I've learnt in life, it's that someone has already written a song about any feeling you could possibly ever have, and probably done it more eloquently than you.

2. Taking Back Sunday - You're So Last Summer
This entire album is pretty much about the lead singer getting dumped. This song is probably the most poignant, especially the line "these grass stains on my knee don't mean a thing".

And all I
Need to know
Is that I'm something you'll be missing
Maybe I should hate you for this
Never really did ever quite get that far

Cause I'm a wishful thinker with the worst intentions
This'll be the last chance you get to drop my name

3. Goldfinger - Fuck You and Your Cat
If there's ever a band to bring a smile to your face around a serious topic, that would be Goldfinger. And breakups aren't left out of it.

Now...
Its...
Gone
Away
So long, so long

The pictures in my head of what could never be
You cut me off, you let me down, you lied to me
I take you out, I rub you down, I sell you shoes
So fuck your trust, your perfume, and your mother too

Where's my T-Shirt?
Where's my money?
Fuck you and your cat

4. At the Drive-In - Give it a Name
Better known for their amazing live shows, non-sensical lyrics (and being one of the best bands ever) it's weird to think of them writing a serious song, especially about something so common as a break-up. But they did. And it's a corker.

Well I never thought this day would end
I walked the tired steps of latter day friends
And all because your stubbornness was
Smiling through your braces
Never thought this day would come
You threw the bricks that built this wall
"Amantillado!" at the top of your lungs
And I can't hear you anymore

So take your diamond band shaped tears
And maybe i'll see you in twenty years
And i will always wear your ring
You know the one that turned my finger green

It's not you, it's me

You don't know what
You've got 'til it's gone

You gave me a reason
To sing our last song

5. Brand New - Jude Law and a Semester Abroad
Another album almost purely about lost love, it was tough to choose which one to use. In fact, Brand New have created almost an entire career about break-up songs. This one wins purely because I still play it on guitar all the time.

Whatever poison is in this bottle will leave me broken sore and stiff.
But it's the genie at the bottom who I'm sucking at.
He owes me one last wish.
So here's a present to let you know I still exist.
I hope the next boy that you kiss has something terribly contagious on his lips. But I got a plan. Drink for forty days and forty nights.
A sip for every second-hand tick.
And for every time you fed me the line,
"you mean so much to me..." I'm without you.

Plus, it's pretty much my game plan.

6. Against Me! - Cavalier Eternal
This song doesn't really reflect on a situation I've ever been in, but it's a great song about a failed couple on multiple fronts.

This just isn't love, it's just the remorse of a loss of a feeling.
Even if I stayed, it just wouldn't be the same.

Double this drink up into the tallest glass you got.
You know, I ain't used to sleeping all alone.
Gonna make it to the moon tonight on a one-way kamikaze flight.
If I could get so high, I'll leave behind my problems,
Take 'em out with the empty bottles.

Oh girl, I'm sorry but I'm leaving.
We're both at fault, we're both to blame.

I might actually bust out my 7" record of this at some point during my drinking soon.

7. Saves the Day - Rocks Tonic Juice Magic
Another band (another emo band of the same generation... I see a pattern) that built over a decade of a career about break-up songs, but generally with darker and morbid lyrics.

Because all I can say tonight
is that I hate you
But it would be all right
If we could see each other sometime
If I could somehow make you mine
And if not I'll take my rusty spoons
And dig out your blue eyes
I'll swallow them down to my colon
They're gonna burn like hell tonight
Because you're beautiful
Just not on the inside
Light comes from within
And your beaming eyes don't seem so bright
My heart is on the floor
Why don't you step on it?
When I think of all the things you've done
Boardwalks and breaking waves
Made our Saturdays
I'd buy you lemonade right now
if you were here
But then I'd throw it in your face
And I'd listen to you cry
And I'd remember how I miss
our nights under ocean skies
You and I are like when fire
and the ocean floor collide.

See how it swings from morbidity to reminiscing?

8. Blacklisted - Skeletons
This one is also fairly morbid and must be about a really bad breakup. In fact, a lot of the album No One Deserves To Be Here More Than Me seems to be about a very bitter divorce.

Those secrets that you’ve know
Well you’re the only one I’ve ever told

Make no mistake
I’m exactly
I’m exactly what you make me
And now I just want to dance at your funeral
Because I already paid the band
With the gold I found buried in the sand
Was I ever part of the life you had planned

(Sorry, but I can only find a legal sample of this)

9. Bouncing Souls - Break Up Song
It's weird to think that on my favourite happy-punk-pick-me-up album there's a song about breaking up, but even the Bouncing Souls make it seem ok.

"I don't want this anymore" is all I heard her say as I grabbed my stuff and headed out the door.
With my music in my phones and my bike under my feet, things started to look different as I got out on the street.
Sometimes I see her face in the new people that I meet.
We're not who we thought we were when we saw this dream
Sometimes when I just can't sleep
I hear the words you said to me: How did you get so deep inside of me?
I wake up and I move on, I admit the past is gone, I wake up and I refine
Moving foward to the next lifetime, I leave it all behind.

10. Ben Folds Five - Song for the Dumped
This one has always been a classic for break-ups, and I've even heard it in Japanese.

Give me money back you bitch!
And don't forget...
And don't forget to give me back my black t-shirt

I don't think I'll put the whole lyrics up, everyone of my generation probably already knows it.

11. Reggie and the Full Effect - Get Well Soon
Even the music video for this song makes me sad. The poor Loch Ness Monster has to go on a bender to get over his loneliness.

You've got a lot to do before I let you stay
There's things you need to see and things you need to say

They say we won't make it
What do they know?
They say we can't do it
But I got to know

Is it getting better?
Is it getting worse?
Was it ever worth it?
was it just a curse?

you always talk too much, too little, too late,
for me to figure out

12. From Autumn to Ashes - Short Stories with Tragic Endings
Bands of this time and music scene tended to lace their lyrics with very Poe-styled gothic morbidity. Especially From Autumn to Ashes. However, this song, once you get towards the end of the epic, with the female singer, has some true feelings and emotions of loss.

Did you ever look, did you ever see that one person,
and the subtle way that they do these things and it hurts so much?
So much like choking down the embers of a great blaze.
It's that moment when your eyes seem to spread aspersions
and to scream confessions at the insipid sky parting clouds.
You let this one person come down in the most perfect moment.
And it breaks my heart to know the only reason you are here now is a reminder of what I'll never have...
I'll never have... I'll never...
Standing so close knowing that it kills me to breathe you in...
But this table for one has become bearable.
I now take comfort in this, and for this, I cherish you.

13. Dire Straits - Romeo and Juliet
Like any good mix tape, you've got to finish strong with a memorable song, and this mix is no exception. It's a classic tale, that Mark Knopfler has turned into modern poetry. It encompasses a love so strong, so wrong that burnt out so spectacularly.

Juliet, the dice was loaded from the start
And I bet when you exploded into my heart
And I forget I forget the movie song.
When you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong, Juliet?

Juliet, when we made love, you used to cry.
You said, "I love you like the stars above, I'll love you 'til I die".
There's a place for us, you know the movie song.
When you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong, Juliet?

I can't do the talk, like the talk on TV
And I can't do a love song, like the way it's meant to be.
I can't do everything, but I'll do anything for you.
I can't do anything, 'cept be in love with you!
And all I do is miss you and the way we used to be.
All I do is keep the beat... and bad company.
Now all I do is kiss you through the bars of a rhyme,
Juliet, I'd do the stars with you any time!

I think I might actually burn this for my car!
Download it here