the 31 best of 2007 – 10: Paramore – Riot!

I can’t believe it. We have made it to the top ten. Holy musical countdown Batman! Only nine more to go, kids!

Now, let’s get to my number 10 selection, the AMAZING second album by the pop/rock outfit Paramore, Riot!.Paramore fall into that category of groups that I had never heard of, but because they were mentioned somewhere, I felt compelled to check them out; and I have to say, I have damn good instincts. From the first energetic riff on their CD Riot!,and throughout the rest of the disc, Paramore take on the pop/punk/emo scene, and perform a fucking SHOW. Seriously, if you can sit still, and not want to jump up and down and have a good time listening to this record, you should probably check to make sure that you have a pulse.

This CD is not only a fantastic example of music done right, but it is also a breath of fresh air from an up and coming artist; it doesn’t surprise me that Paramore were nominated in the Best New Artist category for this year’s Grammys. They have spunk, attitude, flavor, and a kick ass sound that really bring the whole “emo-pop-punk-rock” music scene to a head. Fronted by an energetic female vocalist, these kids are doing what some of those other similar male fronted rock bands dream of; making the music fun at the same time they are making it good.

I have to say, that I only had to listen to this CD one time, before I knew it would be on my year end list; it is a solid disc throughout every song. There are a couple of songs that you could label as “ballads”, but even those have a backbone, and don’t mumble their feelings to you. This is one of those records that I can put on, and if I am in a foul mood, my feelings instantly change for the better; Paramore really now how to control their sound and make energetic and fantastic rock music.

Another thing that I LOVE about this CD, is that there are more than a few songs that you can literally just listen to on repeat, because they are so good. Take their most current single, Crushcrushcrush for instance; the first time I heard that song, I played it a good eight time in a row, and I still can’t get enough of it. Paramore really gets under your skin on Riot!, and they force you to have a great time, by bringing a great rock album for your ears to enjoy. This is a group that you should definitely keep an eye on, because they are going to be HUGE.

Favorites from Riot!,
crushcrushcrush
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/paramore-crushcrushcrush.mp3]
Born for This
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/paramore-bornforthis.mp3]
Hallelujah
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/paramore-hallelujah.mp3]
Misery Business, When It Rains, and For a Pessimist I’m Pretty Optimistic.

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