is this it is probably the best pop album of the past decade.

I've always liked the distorted vocals thing for his voice. I don't know how they actually achieved the sound, but to me it sounds like pushing quality equipment far into the red. Rather than a lazy filter or whatever.

The vocals are fine. Everything about it is fine. I jammed the hell out of this album in late '01 and early '02.

I've hardly listened to it since, but I'm sure I'd really enjoy it if I put it on now. The best - or one of the best - pop albums of the last decade? Sure. In a more perfect world the singles from this album should have been getting played out on every mainstream outlet out there, but they weren't. I remember thinking - and saying to people - at the time that if mainstream rock radio wasn't such an inbred monstrosity, this (and Interpol) would have been playing everywhere. Instead it was still post-grunge, nu-metal, the beginnings of pop-emo, and the last gasps of rap-rock.

Worth noting: on a Detroit modern rock station in the summer of 2002 during one of their afternoon "Head to Head" listener jury bits they had "Fell In Love With A Girl" by The White Stripes vs. some new Saliva track. Keep in mind, this was as the Stripes were riding their first big "OMG!" press/hype wave, and that the station/listener base in question was in their home town.

Saliva won, going away. The masses are asses.

This thread made me put The Exploding Hearts on the turntable.

Well, "Click Click Boom" IS even more catchy than "Fell In Love With A Girl".

Can't argue for the masses.

I've never even heard of Saliva.

I've heard the name but wouldn't know a song if I heard it.

i'd never heard of them ever. A video I watched was really something else.

Same. I could have sworn "Click. Click. BOOM!" was a P.O.D.* song.


*Christian nu-metal, but oddly enough, once recorded for Tooth & Nail Records. Stryper for a new millenium.

Vines also come to mind.. They were the "it" band shoved down our throats for a bit during festival season.

I can still enjoy the Strokes stuff... Casablancas song on "Dark was the Night" (sure I got lots wrong there) is strong.

pretty sure he doesn't even have a song on there.

Guess it was "Dark night of the soul" deal with Dangermouse and Sparklehorse that I was thinking of. Dark something...

that's the one...I play that track in my set quite a bit these days.

This post made me put The Exploding Hearts on the turntable.

Skrokes is good, morans.

yes they are.

Aaaaaand now I won't get to see them tonight because the band has decided to make tonight's show press-free. Dammit.

Hey Fu, wanna go roll some (more) hobos tonight? My calendar just freed up.

brutal. sorry to hear. you're missing a hell of a show (if they're as good as they were at lolla).

that happened to me with a significant band last year. apparently, the opening band had a lot of extended family in town and to stay under fire code capacity, they chopped the press list. oh well...