Chicago Is So Two Years Ago

You caught me. I indeed confess to being a 12 year old teenie obsessed with one of the world's most renowned bands. Of course back then, there was no Clandestine, sold out arena tours, and back to back #1 singles. Today, these are just some of the events that are all too familiar for the one and only Fall Out Boy.

It seemed like just yesterday when preteens were rocking out to the heartfelt ballad of Britney Spears' "I'm Not A Girl, Not Yet a Woman." Hard to believe this was only 7 short years ago in 2001. That same year, the pop punk powerhouse Fall Out Boy was created. With little publicity shinned upon them, Patrick Stump, Andrew Hurley, Joe Trohman, and Peter Wentz, debuted their first LP entitled "Evening Out with Your Girlfriend" on Uprising Records. Not too long after, in 2003, their first full-length album "Take This to Your Grave" was released on Fueled By Ramen. At the peak of their career, Fall Out Boy came out with 2 albums, Under the Cork Tree in 2005 and Infinity on High in 2007. Today, on December,16, 2008, the 4th full-length album from the boys has been released entitled "Folie a Deux."

Fall Out Boy has been awarded by the Teen Choice Awards, MTV Music Video Awards, Kerrang! Awards, and the list goes on. Over the years, the band has done an excellent job of keeping up with the most current sounds and have pleased the hearts of many along the way. Gathering millions of fans up the ladder to success, it has been repeatedly been brought up that the band has "forgotten their true fans." As an avid listener and a resident from Chicago, I personally could not lump myself with this assumption. Whenever performing a show in Chicago, Fall Out Boy is always sure to have something special in store for their fans. Whether its playing "Chicago Is So Two Years Ago" or playing an acoustic set before the show. The boys are always to make sure that whenever accepting an award to thank their fans. They seem to be everywhere nowadays, on the radio, TV, and in your headphones. No matter what, they are sure to bring their biggest supporters along the way.

From playing basements in Chicago to planning trips to Antarctica, Fall Out Boy has achieved world domination. With all the success the band has endured, they have yet to forget their roots and the city that helped them get there along the way, even if it is "So Two Years Ago."

Its Saturday night. You've just stepped out of the small yellow taxi cab in front of Chicago's hottest night club. Darting through the sleek glass double doors,you and your 2 friends head straight for the center of the dance floor and you're ready to bust a move, any move. All of a sudden, you hear it. Single Ladies. The jam that is your anthem, in its entirety. What do you do? You try your best to flaunt those dance moves you've been practicing from that fierce music video. Oh, of course you sing...at the top of your lungs.


These are the songs that have been bleeding through the stereos of nightclubs and blaring into headphones. We've seen the music videos, the dance moves, and like it or not, know the lyrics word for word. They are Rolling Stone's Best of 2008: Singles of the Year.

As I take a second glance at the list, i have to admit, i was a bit taken aback by some of the songs presented in the top spots. For instance, the number 4 spot is entitled "Furr" by Blitzen Trapper. I took a look at Rolling Stone's reasoning for this placement, went ahead and took a listen. The singer's voice strangely reminded me of one Bob Dylan. The 3 mins., eventually had an end, I on the other hand, was left with the thought "that was good, not great, and not single of the year material." As I scanned through the list a second time, I noticed that artists such as Lil' Wayne and Panic at the Disco were placed in a couple of the bottom spots.

Lil' Wayne who appeared in the Billboard Hot 100's top 10 with "A Milli" wasn't even ranked in the top 50 for Rolling Stone's. I recall the times when I couldn't go to any party, talk in any conversation, or go into any store without hearing the phrase "A MILLI A MILLI A MILLI." During this time, I was positive that such a song known by teenagers as well as adults would be featured in Rolling Stone's top 10 if anything. I for sure didn't expect to see this replaced by My Morning Jacket's "I'm Amazed." This prompted me to ask myself, as well as artists, the question, "What must a single be made of to be in the top 10 of Rolling Stone's Singles of the Year?" Does the song have to have anything to do with popularity or radio play? Are these the choices picked by the staff's favorites? Is this list more of a "here's some good songs to take a listen to if you already haven't?"

These are the questions that will now trace through my mind as I turn on NME radio or go to the local best buy to pick up a CD on Tuesday. Through the upcoming year of 2009, I challenge you to think of those latest jams that you and your mom end up singing at the top of your lungs on Saturday night.

A song is never just a song. It is without a doubt a story, a journey, an announcement for all to hear. Nevertheless, a song is never just a story, it is a story with a melody. As a first post, I find it necessary to express my stance in the land of the bloggers. In Story's Melody, I plan to give my opinion, my thoughts, on various music happenings in the world today. Music has always taken up a huge portion of my adolescence. Whether it involves guitar lessons for a solid month, or annoying the heck out of friends with obsessing of bands at a time with my daily news. The future of Story's Melody holds expression of how I feel about some of my favorite bands and artists including those who tend to bring out the drama in the music industry. Welcome to a blog that is never just a blog, welcome to the story with a melody.