The year 2004 saw a rush of changes in the pop punk world. Green Day's comeback "American Idiot" (as well as Billie Joe Armstrong's switch to black hair and eyeliner on stage) turned them into alternative rock superstars once again. However, the sound became different, and it was shortly followed by a new wave of bands known as the "emo" bands. These bands, such as My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, and Panic! At The Disco, exploded into popularity around 2004 and showcased elements of a pop punk sound while creating a different image for themselves, as well as creating more mainstream, and in some cases, more female appealing, music. These bands now define the pop punk genre, and are led by alternative rock's favorite red-haired singer, Hayley Williams (referred to as the Great Orange Hope by singer-songwriter John Mayer), and her band, Paramore.
Paramore formed in Franklin, Tennessee in 2004 with guitarist Josh Farro, drummer Zac Farro, Williams on vocals, and bassist Jeremy Davis. After writing their first song, "Conspiracy" they quickly went to the studio to record their debut album (Williams was already signed to a major label as a pop singer and decided to continue with the band instead). Davis left the band for personal reasons, which inspired the album's title, All We Know Is Falling, as well as the opening track "All We Know". While the album failed to chart, the band began to build some national popularity. Davis rejoined the band in 2006 and the band began work on their second album, RIOT! (for those following my previous posts, this explains the last line from my introductory post), shortly afterwards. The album was released to a 20th chart position and an explosion of popularity for the band, carried by songs such as "Misery Business", "crushcrushcrush", and "For a Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic". The band, with new rhythm guitarist Taylor York, began touring in the summer of 2007, but had to cancel dates due to personal issues, mainly stemming from media focus on Williams and the failed relationship between Josh Farro and Williams. In October 2008, they were featured on the soundtrack for the movie, "Twilight", with songs "I Caught Myself" and one of their most popular songs, "Decode".
2009 saw the recording of the band's third album begin. While the first two albums featured a very youthful edge to them (considering drummer Zac Farro was 13 years old when the band formed, this isn't very surprising), the new album, Brand New Eyes, featured a much more mature sound and more serious lyrics from Williams. The album peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 and drove them to being a legitimate arena act. After headlining 2010's Honda Civic Tour alongside Tegan and Sara, the foundation crumbled as it was announced that Josh and Zac Farro were leaving the band. Josh would go on to confirm this by posting on his Blogger account his side of the story as to why they left, calling Hayley "a manufactured product of a major label". Although their drummer and lead guitarist had left, Hayley, Jeremy, and Taylor forged on and in December 2011, released the Singles Club Extended Play. This featured four new songs, including "Monster", which was featured on the "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" soundtrack. The band is currently seeking a producer for their fourth studio album, where Taylor will contribute to lead and rhythm guitar tracks and possibly drum tracks as well. While the core of the band has been greatly altered, Paramore is still one of the most popular artists in American rock music today, and will continue to be an important force in American pop punk music going forward.
REFLECTION:
Why do you think bands like Paramore (with a lighter, more mainstream sound) define the pop punk genre today?
CITATION:
AceShowbiz.com. "Paramore Biography - Page 3." AceShowbiz.com - Celebrity gossip, celebrity photo, movie reviews, dvd, interviews, new release album and other entertainment news. AceShowbiz.com, n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2012. <http://www.aceshowbiz.com/celebrity/paramore/biography.html
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