Sunday, May 1, 2016

Song Of The Week: 5/1/16







Song: "Mosh 'n' Church"

Artist: The Used

Album: "Artwork" (Itunes Deluxe Edition)

Year: 2009

Place Of Origin: Orem, Utah

Years Active: 2001-present



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Mosh 'n' Church" appears to be a song about the vocalist believing that he is going to hell. He almost feels he was pre-destined for such a fate. Add on all the "fucked up" things he has done in his life, there just doesn't seem to be any hope for him. While others pray for forgiveness in hopes of getting into heaven, he just accepts his fate that he is going to burn in hell. He feels that's where everyone he knows will be anyway.

THE USED DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2001 - Used (Self Released)
2002 - The Used (Reprise Records)
2003 - Maybe Memories (Reprise Records)
2004 - In Love And Death (Reprise Records)
2007 - Lies For The Liars (Reprise Records)
2007 - Berth (Reprise Records)
2009 - Artwork (Reprise Records)
2012 - Vulnerable (Hopeless Records)
2014 - Imaginary Enemy (GAS Union Records)
2016 - Live & Acoustic At The Palace (Hopeless Records)

CURRENT STATUS OF THE USED:

The Used formed as a band back in 2001, hailing from Orem, Utah. A demo tape got in the hands of John Feldman, who is most known as the lead singer of the punk/ska band Goldfinger. He was intrigued by the band's song "A Box Full Of Sharp Objects" and decided to fly the band out to California to produce their first album, 2002's "The Used". Riding the success of the singles "A Box Full Of Sharp Objects", "The Taste Of Ink", "Buried Myself Alive" and "Blue And Yellow", The Used exploded on the music scene. Their second album, "In Love And Death", peaked at #6 on the U.S. Rock Charts and spawned such singles as "Take It Away", "All That I've Got" and "I Caught Fire". Both of these albums have been certified gold. The band's 2003 compilation album, "Maybe Memories", which featured live songs, demos and b-sides, would actually become the band's only album to be certified platinum to date. After releasing 2007's "Lies For The Liars", The Used vocalist Bert McCracken wound up needing surgery on his vocal chords after years of screaming so violently that it would often cause him to vomit on stage! After he recovered, the band dropped their fifth studio album called "Artwork". This would be the last album they recorded for Reprise Records, the only label the band knew for the first 10 years of their existence. In 2012, the band hooked up with Hopeless Records and released "Vulnerable", which featured the tracks "I Come Alive" and "Hands And Faces". The band's last studio effort would be 2014's "Imaginary Enemy" and most recently, the band released a live/acoustic cd/dvd called "Live & Acoustic At The Palace" in 2016. The Used's sound falls somewhere in between pop punk, post hardcore, screamo and emo. McCracken really pushed his vocal limits on the band's first few albums but that took it's toll on his vocal chords requiring surgery. The vocals on the more recent albums are much cleaner compared to the band's self-titled debut album. The Used sit in a genre that has been saturated with clones of each other. The Used, however, are the real deal and very much in the forefront of their scene. They share similarities with bands such as My Chemical Romance, A Day To Remember and Silverstein. They are comfortable enough as a band to explore different sounds with their music. They can be heavy at times yet they can also be super melodic and pop orientated. While their recent albums have not quite attained the commercial success of their first two, they have all peaked in the top 20 on the U.S. Rock Charts. The Used are a solid, solid band and they generally drop new music every couple of years.

TEN THE USED SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. A Box Full Of Sharp Objects
2. The Bird And The Worm
3. The Taste Of Ink
4. I Caught Fire
5. Blue And Yellow
6. All That I've Got
7. Blood On My Hands
8. Cry
9. Maybe Memories
10. Pretty Handsome Awkward

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