I would first like to thank Joyce Manor, Girlpool, and anyone involved in making this lineup happen. It has been a long few years since I have seen a lineup as good as this one, and I have bashing my head against walls, wondering when the next one would happen. Actually that’s a lie. There was one other lineup announced at the same caliber recently and it is the A$AP Rocky, Tyler the Creator, Vince Staples, and Danny Brown show later this fall. However, this show is at the Wamu Theater, and that’s a rough realization for anyone.
Let’s start with Girlpool. Is it because they are the better of the two? Maybe, maybe not, but they are certainly the more unique. Girlpool is circulated around the unique voices of two lead singers that love to sing in harmony, and by golly, is it glorious harmony. No, it isn’t your normal, boring, a capella harmony that you can hear anywhere you find white people. But, on the contrary, Girlpool’s harmonies create an eerie, full, and horribly honest sound that could not be duplicated by your boring white a capella bands that started after they saw that one cool movie with those stupid cups. UGHHH. THOSE CUPS. I’M DONE WITH THOSE CUPS. Cups, if you are reading this, I am so, sorry, so many basic people beat you against the table while they sing in mediocre-to-terrifying fashions. People! Cups should be used only for beer pong, drinking weird mixtures of fruit juices, and cup stacking, not to show off your singing skills during dinner time, while I’m just trying to shovel food in my face for sustenance.
Anywayyyyy, back to Girlpool. They have angst and they have feelings, and you will feel every bit of their feelings in every song, and you’ll probably want to do one of the following.
- Dance with no pants on (no, bros, this is not an invitation for you to wave your penis around like a helicopter…).
- Cry, continue crying, and then after you are done crying, find a nice public place with lots of people around, to cry even more, and make everyone uncomfortable as you wipe your nose on your clothes.
- Make out with a complete stranger, and then never have sexual contact ever again.
- Break everything in your house, after hooking up with your ex-lover and leaving their house before they wake up, because you have to water your plants.
- All of the above.
I highly recommend the song “Cherry Picking” off of their most recent album Before the World was Big.
Joyce Manor is headlining this show, and this is a huge landmark for them, as I have I only seen them in small venues. Joyce Manor branches in and out of the DIY scene while diving head first from the pop punk genre. Do you think of bands like All Time Low when I say pop punk? If you do, I am sorry for your soul. This is the wrong kind of pop punk. Joyce Manor’s type of pop punk branches from punk music in sound, techniques, and grit, but is complimented with some more emotional lyrics and catchy hooks. Their newest, Never Hung Over Again is complimented with a picture of Queen Ansleis the fantastic lead singer of Hop Along. BUT, WHY ARE YOU THERE ANSLEIS!?!?!?!
My song recommendations for Joyce Manor are “Christmas Card”, because it is just amazing, and “Constant Headache”, because it will be amazing live, and it fits a similar mood to most of Girlpool’s songs, despite the large differences in tempos.
This show is going to be full of emotional punks, so be fully prepared to get some tears, sweat, and possibly even a smidgen of blood on that cool tee shirt you wore because you know it makes you look way cooler than you are.
[Ed. Note: Joyce Manor and Girlpool are performing at Neumos tonight at All ages. 8PM. Tickets available here.]
Marcus Shriver | Headphones for your hands | KXSU Head Reporter