Blog No. 50 - The Music Glee: The Power of Madonna [CD]

GENRE: CD Popular Music
Title: The Music Glee: The Power of Madonna
Artist: The Cast of Glee

Bibliographic Information:
Audio CD (April 20, 2010)
Original Release Date: 2010
Number of Discs: 1
Label: Columbia
ASIN: B003AO3CR6

Awards:
None.

Annotation:

If you like Glee and enjoy Madonna songs, you will probably LOVE this CD collection!

Tracks Summary:
1. Express Yourself (Glee Cast Version Featuring Jonathan Groff) 3:59
2. Borderline / Open Your Heart (Glee Cast Version) 2:15
3. Vogue (Glee Cast Version) 5:13
4. Like A Virgin (Glee Cast Version Featuring Jonathan Groff) 3:15
5. 4 Minutes (Glee Cast Version) 3:09
6. What It Feels Like For A Girl (Glee Cast Version) 4:31
7. Like A Prayer (Glee Cast Version Featuring Jonathan Groff) 5:15

Critical Evaluation
In April, the cast of Glee incorporated a tribute to Madonna into one of their episodes. The episode’s premise centered around Mr. Schuester and Ms. Sylvester trying to empower the cheerleaders and the glee girls by using Madonna songs. There were some great moments, especially the choral arrangement of “Like a Prayer” which was unique and very different than the other tracks, which seemed to sound very close to the original Madonna cuts in terms of arrangements. For some, that’s a plus, but for me, I like things a bit changed up. However, the most memorable of all of the songs was “Vogue” sung by nemesis Sue Sylvester (played by actress Jane Lynch). In the TV episode, they shot the piece in black and white, and Lynch was amazing in her spot-on imitation of Madonna, bringing a new variable to her mean and nasty character.

Another interesting piece was “What It Feels Like for a Girl.” It is one of those Madonna songs that Madonna fans know, but most people don’t, so it is nice to be able to hear it in this tribute CD.

I watched the Glee episode and loved it, and bought the CD. I wonder, though, if non-chorus kids or non-Glee fans would find this as interesting. Frankly, I doubt it. For those, they might be better off with the Madonna originals; however, in my humble opinion, the Glee kids sing much better than she ever could!

Information about the Producer/Creator:
Ryan Murphy is the creator of the hit TV series, Glee. He was born in 1966 in Indianapolis, Indiana, where he was active in high school theatre, especially musicals. He also served as editor for the Warren Central High School newspaper, The Warren Owl.

After graduation in 1983, he attended Indiana University, and majored in journalism. While attending college, he took an internship at a local newspaper, and eventually got work at the Washington Post and the Miami Herald. Eventually he came to Los Angeles to work in the LA office of the Miami Herald and began also freelancing for the Los Angeles Times. He sold his first screenplay to Steven Spielberg, but it ended up in turnaround. Eventually Ryan was signed to direct it for another company. He got into television, and eventually wrote the hit series, Nip and Tuck. Glee is his biggest hit so far, and it is very loosely based on his own high school singing experiences.

Interest Age:
This is recommended for older high school students, and fans of Glee. Some of the Madonna tunes were racy for their time, but they come off clean and polished here. Age 13 and up.

Curriculum Ties:

None.

Challenge Issues:

None.

Why I Included This CD:

Glee is all the rage, and the Madonna episode was one of the season’s most successful. I figured the CD, which was just released, would be a bit hit as well!

Cover image courtesy of: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003AO3CR6/?tag=mall02-20

Blog No. 49 - The Fame by Lady Gaga

GENRE:
CD - POP

Title:
The Fame

Artist:
Lady Gaga

Lyricists:
Lady Gaga

Label: KonLive

Bibliographic Information:
Audio CD (October 28, 2008)
Number of Discs: 1
Label: Streamline/Konlive/Cherrytree/Interscope
ASIN: B001GM28HO
Grade Range: 9 and up, Age Range: 14 and up

Annotation:
Everyone is YAYA for GAGA!

Album Summary:
This album is Lady Gaga’s first, propelling her from local nightclub singer to a famous star. It contains the following songs:

1. Just Dance 4:02
2. LoveGame 3:36
3. Paparazzi 3:28
4. Poker Face 3:57
5. Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say) 2:55
6. Beautiful, Dirty, Rich 2:52
7. The Fame 3:42
8. Money Honey 2:50
9. Starstruck 3:37
10. Boys Boys Boys 3:21
11. Paper Gangsta 4:23
12. Brown Eyes 4:03
13. I Like It Rough 3:22
14. Summerboy 4:14

Critical Evaluation:
This is dance music at its best, and teens from 13 and up just love this. I taught 8th grade when this album came out, and it was the favorite of all the kids at the middle school where I worked. Funny, two whole years have passed, and its still a most requested CD at parties. Why? The electro-pop is great for dancing, period. Of course, Lady Gaga is highly controversial: she is a performance artist, not just a singer/musician, so she pushes the envelope in her performance and music, making Madonna seem mild by comparison. But this is not a DVD, it’s just music, and as such, one can’t help but move their feet when they hear many of these songs. Even me!

The better songs are probably the more famous ones—Just Dance, Paparazzi, and the always played Poker Face. The CD is worth having for these songs alone, but probably downloading them is a better ways to go. But a few of the others do grow on you, if you listed to them awhile.

I have seen high school dances come to life when Lady Gaga comes on. No kidding. That’s how electrifying her music is. Listen and hear for yourself.

Interest Age:
I recommend this album for older teens, due to some inappropriate subject matter. However, middle school kids love it, and some of the content goes over their head—not all the words are that easy to understand anyway.

Biography:
Born Stefani Germanotta on March 28, 1986, Lady Gaga was only two years old when Madonna had her first hit Material Girl. Yet, the two women have a lot in common, both pushing the envelope of music and performance art in their careers.

Germanotta attended an all-Catholic private girls’ school in Manhattan called Convent of the Sacred Heart. At seventeen, she went to the Tisch School at NYU to study music. Her instrument is the piano, which she learned to play as a child, and she began writing songs as a teenager. Her own musical influences were David Bowie during his flamboyant Ziggy Stardust era, and Freddie Mercury. In fact, she chose the Gaga part of her stage name from a song that Mercury sang called Radio Ga-Ga. She began her career in 2007 performing in clubs and lounges doing kitschy reviews, and she began to get noticed by the music industry. Pop-rap star Akon signed her to his label, and she began writing songs. This album, which was re-released in a larger form in 2009, has six hit singles.

Cover artwork courtesy of: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001GM28HO?tag=oneff-20

Blog No. 48 - Blink 182 Greatest Hits (CD)

GENRE:
CD - ALTERNATIVE

Title:
BLINK 182: GREATEST HITS

Artist:
Blink 182

Lyricists:
Tom DeLonge, Mark Hoppus, Travis Barker

Label: Geffen Records

Bibliographic Information:
Members: Tom DeLonge, Mark Hoppus, Travis Barker
Released November 1, 2005
Geffen Records
Grade Range: 9 and up, Age Range: 14 and up
Running Time: 51 minutes

Annotation:
Blink 182: Greatest Hits is Blink 182’s first and only compilation album, although the band has five studio albums.

Album Summary:
This album is Blink 182’s first compilation album, and contains the following songs:
Carousel 3:10
M+M’s 2:35
Dammit [Radio Edit] 2:45
Josie [Radio Edit] 3:05
What’s My Age Again? 2:28
Adam’s Song 4:06
Man Overboard [Radio Edit] 2:47
The Rock Show [Radio Edit] 2:48
First Date 2:50
Stay Together for the Kids 3:52
Feeling This [Edited] 2:53
I Miss You 3:47
Down [Single Version] 3:12
Always 4:17
Not Now 4:23
Another Girl Another Planet 2:41

Critical Evaluation:
According to many young people ages 13 to 25, Blink 182 is the best punk band to have ever existed. One teen even said, “Blink 182 has touched us and made our teenage years easier”. After listening to this album, I completely understand the strong appeal that this band has to teenagers. Most songs are about teen angst and address the most common dilemmas in the teenage life: parents, young love, and growing up. “First Date”, as can be imagined, is about the awkwardness of a first date, and making the most of a Friday night: “In the car I just can’t wait/To pick you up on our very first date/Is it cool if I hold your hand?/Is it wrong if I think it’s lame to dance?” The fun, carefree spirit of Blink 182’s songs make them popular, even after almost ten years of the original releases. Another fun loving song is “Josie”, which is about a girlfriend who, to put it plainly, just “rocks”. The music video for “Josie” also happened to be filmed at Westlake High School, and many of the students that attend today are more than willing to brag about that fact. Blink 182 also has a softer side, but is never boring. “Adam’s Song” and “I Miss You” have a slower, sadder sound, but still manage to “pump you up”. This album is the epitome of teenage life, with an upbeat and punk feel.

Interest Age:
I recommend this album (and any other Blink 182 album) for older teens, due to some curse words and inappropriate subject matter. Middle school kids would most likely be embarrassed by much of the content in these songs, making it ideal for teenagers in high school.

Biography:
Blink 182 was originally formed by Tom DeLonge, Mark Hoppus, and Scott Raynor in 1992 in San Diego, California. The name actually started as “Blink” but had to be changed to “Blink 182” due to copyright issues of a band in Ireland with the same name. Once the band started working with record companies and releasing the albums Cheshire Cat and Dude Ranch, Raynor left due to alcoholism. He was soon replaced with Travis Barker of The Aquabats for Blink 182’s US tour, and soon Barker permanently joined the group. The band reached mainstream success with Enema of the State and continued that success through their fourth album, Take Off Your Pants and Jacket.

Challenge Issues:

Some inappropriate language. CD contains an advisory label.

Cover artwork courtesy of:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51XMA4GJ1JL.jpg

Blog No. 47 - Stitches by David Small

GENRE: GRAPHIC NOVEL (Autobiography)

Title: Stitches
Author: David Small

Bibliographic Information:
YA/Adult
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; 1 edition (September 8, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0393068579
ISBN-13: 978-0393068573

Awards:
Publishers Weekly Top Ten Best Book of the Year
Amazon.com Top Ten Best Book of 2009
Washington Post Book World’s Ten Best Book of the Year
California Literary Review Best Book of 2009
L.A. Times Top 25 Non-Fiction Books of 2009
NPR Best Book of the Year, Best Memoir

Reader’s Annotation:
David Small was a quiet, artistic boy in a tumultuous family—his father, a physician, hit punching bags in the basement, his mother, a tightwad who only cared about her own needs slammed cupboards when she didn’t get her way, his brother, who is barely mentioned, banged on drums to beat out his frustrations, and David, who drew—very quietly. When he gets cancer and everyone keeps it from him, he loses his speaking voice, and has to learn to express himself in different and meaningful ways.

Plot Summary:
Through the artist’s own perfect language, drawing, David Small takes us on a graphic novel journey through his frightening, fragile and unforgettable life from the age of six through the age of sixteen. He grew up a sickly child in Detroit amid the pollution of the Motor City, and developed severe sinus problems for which his physician-father—an osteopath—prescribed medicine, shots, enemas and radiation. Despite the fact that his father was a doctor, medical treatment beyond what his father could give was withheld, because his stingy mother wouldn’t allow it. When he was eleven the family held a cocktail party, and Mrs. Dillon, a sophisticated woman and wife of a surgeon (on whom David had a little crush) noticed a lump on the side of his neck and told his mother that it should be looked at. Three years later, his mother finally took him to the doctor and he had to have surgery. They didn’t tell him he had cancer, so he endured two operations—and lost part of his throat and one of his vocal chords. Now the silence he had practices as a child trying to survive in a dysfunctional family became a silence that was no longer negotiable. This memoir takes us through the sixteenth year of David’s life when he does some drastic things—and finally takes his live into his own hands—literally—and embraces art for the first time as something that he not only can do—but must do.

Critical Evaluation
This book is what all graphic novels should be—clear, poignant and character-driven—with only enough dialogue thrown in logically on the page to be clearly readable and to get the point across. From a storytelling point of view, the book is richly horrifying, profoundly sad, and wonderfully but darkly hopeful, reminding me of a cross between a Roald Dahl book, a Charlie Chaplin silent film, a scary Bradbury story called “The Jar” and some of the weird tales from Ripley’s Believe it or Not. Small lived in the 1950s, a time when government propaganda documentaries abut the bomb told us how wonderful the world was when it really wasn’t.

This is not a book that looks at childhood as a happy time. It is downright frightening and full of truth that is stranger than fiction. Yet it is at times humorous and shockingly raw. As a child in the story, Small talks about loving Alice in Wonderland. Years later, when being psychoanalyzed, he sees his doctor as a large white rabbit. He talks about his dreams, which are very vivid, and he depicts them in the book in all their glorious insanity.

I cannot think of an American novel that better depicts the false sense of security placed upon Midwesterners during the 1950s than this novel. It is must reading for all who love graphic novels—and especially for those who don’t. This is a graphic novel that stands out among graphic novels. It is a good read. Period.

Reading level/Interest Age:
This book is recommended for an older YA audience, but is perfect for an adult audience too. Anyone who struggles with meaning in life can benefit from reading about the nightmarish life of David Small, and can gain strength, as he did, by understanding that “raising” your own voice is the key to undermining the demons, and finding happiness and success in life. A gritty and scary, yet uplifting book for everyone.

Information about the Author:
David Small grew up in Detroit, Michigan to an osteopathic doctor and a closeted lesbian mother who loved to slam cupboards. David always loved to draw, and used his artistic talent to help him through a very sickly childhood.

Small is a popular illustrator of more than 50 children’s books, including seven he also wrote. Those seven are somewhat dark, although very different in tone from his memoir. For example, one called Imogene’s Antlers is the story of a little girl wakes up one day and finds antlers growing out of her head.

Small began his illustration career as an “editorial Artist” for various publications such as The New Yorker, Esquire, Playboy, The New York Times and The Washington Post. He illustrated several books for children and won many awards for his work, such as the Caldecott in 2001. His wife, Sarah, is also a children’s book writer. They live in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Curriculum Ties:

A great book for a philosophy class, about the idea of voice, where it comes from and how easily it can be lost. This is also a great book for a psychology class, where students can easily visualize how parental dysfunction becomes an issue for their offspring.

Booktalking Ideas:

You’ve lost your voice—literally and figuratively—due to cancer and weird parents. You become a successful artist, win awards, but still feel something missing, so you tell your own story, which is stranger than nay fiction you could have written. That’s what David Small did to get his voice back. Read it and see why!

Challenge Issues:

None. But this book makes us realize that some people’s parenting skills should be challenged…

Why I Included This Book:
I wanted to include a graphic novel that I actually enjoyed…

Cover image courtesy of
http://www.powells.com/biblio/9780393068573

Blog No. 46--Finding Lubchenko byMichael Simmons

GENRE: YA Thriller

Title: Finding Lubchenko
Author: Michael Simmons

Bibliographic Information:
Pub. Date: June 2005
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Format: Hardcover, 288pp
Age Range: Young Adult
ISBN-13: 9781595140210
ISBN: 1595140212

Awards:
None.

Reader’s Annotation:
Evan Macalister is a rich kid whose father makes him live poorly—he never has a dime in his pocket—so he makes money by stealing high-ticket items from his father’s medical business and selling them on the black market. When his father is accused of a high crime, Even finds he holds the key—in one of the computers he had stolen but not yet sold—and it leads him to someone that might help—Lubchenko—if only he can find him.

Plot Summary:
Evan Macalister is the quintessential spoiled rich kid except he never has any money. This poverty is forced upon him by his father, the brains behind a huge medical business that is worth billions. Even spends his day goofing off—he’s no brain at school (too much “tude” for that—and the only friend he has in the world is Ruben, another rich kid who has a huge garage at his disposal, huge brains to match and wants to get into a major university. Ruben is a computer genius who is crazy about Erica, the “Viking goddess” who only likes bad boys. Well, Ruben and Evan are bad boys in a way—Evan pilfers high-end computers and other equipment from his father’s business, and he and Ruben sell it to make money. This nefarious business makes Ruben nervous, but because he is a “good friend” to Evan, he goes along with it.

Basically, the only one who pays any attention to Evan (besides Ruben) is Mrs. Andropolis, the housekeeper. One day things go especially wrong. Mr. Macalister is arrested for murder of Mr. Belachek, a man who worked for him. Of course, no one can believe it, and it quickly seems, to Evan and Ruben at least, that Mr. Macalister was framed. But the evidence is stacked against him. Evan and Ruben go to work, and find a key piece of evidence right in Evan’s possession: one of the computers he pilfered from his dad’s business holds some amazing evidence that leads to a man named Lubchenko. If they can find Lubchenko, perhaps they can clear Evan’s father. But they can’t tell the police—the computer will be taken as evidence in their crimes, and Ruben and Evan will go to jail. So, what do they do now?

Critical Evaluation:
This book started out very slow, filled with dull exposition for the first 50 or so pages, until Mr. Macalister was arrested for murder. Then, it got a little bit more interesting. Thrilling? Not really. Like James Bond, as the publishers’ marketing claims? Really, not really! The book is good enough, but I kind of feel like it was a bit of a waste of my time to read it. The writing did not grab me at all, and Evan’s poor attitude just got on my nerves. He is hardly sympathetic, which makes it hard for a reader to root for him. However, I am not a teenage boy, and I do believe this is precisely the kind of book that boys might love. So, any boys out there please write me and tell me what you think!

Of course, like so many other YA novels, this book has a sequel. My teaching assistant, Andrew, had read the second one, which we had purchased at a five-dollar sale from the Junior Library Guild, and he had asked if we had the first one. Almost out of print, this copy was hard to find. Andrew told me that the second book was actually better, and it was written so that reading the first one was not even necessary.

To me, this is the sign of a not-so-good writer. But anyway, I am not the target audience. So boys, read on, and tell me I am very wrong. At least, that is what I am hoping to hear…

Reading level/Interest Age:
This book is recommended for a YA audience, which largely means 13 and up. The poor attitude of the young men here makes me feel that 15 and up is a better fit, although boys that age may find it silly…

Information about the Author:
Michael Simmons grew up in cold Minnesota, where his first career goal was to become a hockey player. He is a very private person, and there is very little published information about Mr. Simmons available.

Today, he lives in New York City. He became an author after writing teaching guides about other YA novels, and he felt he could do better than some of the novels he was reading. His first book, Pool Boy, was published in 2003.

Curriculum Ties: None.

Booktalking Ideas: Imagine that you might be the only one who can help your father escape a murder conviction—but doing so will put you in jail for another charge. What do you do? Do you sacrifice yourself for an “old man” who was filthy rich and never gave you a dime? Or do you do the right thing—especially when you know he is not guilty?

Challenge Issues: Too boring to be challenged.

Why I Included This Book:
I read it because my TA asked me to, and since I read it, I felt compelled to blog about it. End of story…

Cover image courtesy of: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Finding-Lubchenko/Michael-Simmons/e/9781595140210

Blog No. 45--All I Ever Wanted (CD) by Kelly Clarkson

GENRE:
CD - POP

Title:
ALL I EVER WANTED
Artist:
Kelly Clarkson

Lyricists:
Kelly Clarkson, Ryan Tedder, Claude Kelly, Max Martin, L. Gottwald, Katy Perry, Kara Dioguardi, Greg Wells, Jason Halbert, Mark Lee Townsend, Andreas Romdhane, Josef Larossi, Sam Watters, Louis Biancaniello, Dameon Aranda, Aimee Proal, Glen Ballard, Matt Thiessen, Aben Eubanks, Joakim Ahlund, Keri Noble

Label:RCA Records

Bibliographic Information:
Members: Kelly Clarkson
Released September 2009
RCA Records
Grade Range: 7 and up, Age Range: 12 and up
Running Time: 50 minutes

Annotation:
All I Ever Wanted is Kelly Clarkson’s fourth album, consisting of fourteen songs that range from funky and upbeat to honest and emotional.

Awards:
Grammy 2010
Billboard Top 100, 2010

Album Summary:
This album is Kelly Clarkson’s third, and contains the following songs:
1. My Life Would Suck Without You 3:33
2. I Do Not Hook Up 3:20
3. Cry 3:35
4. Don’t Let Me Stop You 3:20
5. All I Ever Wanted 3:59
6. Already Gone 4:42
7. If I Can’t Have You 3:39
8. Save You 4:04
9. Whyyawannabringmedown 2:43
10. Long Shot 3:37
11. Impossible 3:23
12. Ready 3:05
13. I Want You 3:32
14. If No One Will Listen 4:04

Critical Evaluation:
When the first single, “My Life Would Suck Without You”, hit the radio, it quickly became number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The album’s second and third singles, “I Do Not Hook Up” and “Already Gone” have both hit the top 100 at number twenty and number thirteen. The first two singles’ successes are most likely due to their upbeat bubble gum-pop feel and their blunt and flirty lyrics. The third single, “Already Gone”, is popular due to its heavy bass drum accentuated with its sadly honest lyrics: “You know that I love you so/I love you enough to let you go/I want you to know/It doesn’t matter where we take this road/Someone’s gotta go”. Track 7, “If I Can’t Have You”, has a very upbeat dance feel, reminiscent of the disco era. Both “Cry” and “All I Ever Wanted” have a very loud almost whiney scream to them, making them kind of uncomfortable to listen to. “Ready” and “I Want You” have a cute, flirty feel that is perfect for a drive to the beach.

Interest Age:
Both preteens and teenagers are avid listeners of Kelly Clarkson, due to her well written songs that mean something to everyone that hears them. My daughter started listening to Kelly Clarkson in sixth grade, which I think is an appropriate minimum grade level. Ages 11 and up would be most interested in Clarkson’s music, whereas younger kids wouldn’t understand the lyrics.

Biography:
Kelly Clarkson was born in April of 1982 and grew up in the small town of Burleson, Texas. In high school, Clarkson participated in school musicals and talent shows. When she was twenty, she auditioned for the first season of the incredibly popular show, American Idol. She won over Justin Guarini, and went on to record her first album, Thankful. Although it was named a double platinum album, the critics didn’t like the album, blaming the producers for not letting Clarkson be herself. Her second album, Breakaway, was released in November of 2004, and was very successful, being certified 6x platinum in the United States. Her third album, My December, was released in June of 2007, but was not as well received as Breakaway.

Curriculum Ties:
None.

Challenge Issues: None.

Why I Included this Title:

My daughter loves Kelly Clarkson, and so do her friends. She is almost 16, so she is definitely a YA!

Cover image courtesy of: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3568952&CAWELAID=344008554

Blog No. 44--Brand New Eyes (CD) by Paramore

GENRE:
CD - ALTERNATIVE

Title:
BRAND NEW EYES

Band:
Paramore
Lyricists:
Hayley Williams, Josh Farro, and Taylor York
Producer:
Rob Cavallo

Bibliographic Information:
Members: Hayley Williams, Josh Farro, Zac Farro, Jeremy Davis, Taylor York
CD
Released September 2009
Label: FueledByRamen
Grade Range: 6 and up, Age Range: 11 and up
Running Time: 40 minutes

Annotation:
Brand New Eyes is Paramore’s third album, consisting of eleven songs that range from loud and upbeat melodies to chilling acoustic ballads.

Album Summary:
This album is Paramore’s third album and contains the following songs:
1. Careful 3:50
2. Ignorance 3:38
3. Playing God 3:02
4. Brick by Boring Brick 4:14
5. Turn It Off 4:19
6. The Only Exception 4:27
7. Feeling Sorry 3:05
8. Looking Up 3:29
9. Where the Lines Overlap 3:18
10. Misguided Ghosts 3:01
11. All I Wanted 3:45

Critical Evaluation:
With the first single, “Ignorance”, winning Best Track of the Year from the Kerrang! Readers’ Poll of 2009, the album Brand New Eyes was guaranteed to be a hit. The first five songs (“Careful”, “Ignorance”, “Playing God”, “Brick By Boring Brick”, and “Turn It Off”) have the classic Paramore sound: edgy and rebellious. The album takes a softer, sweeter turn on the sixth song, “The Only Exception”. Although the song is an unusual occurrence for the band, the undeniably sweet lyrics strike a chord with all who listen: “And that was the day that I promised/I’d never sing of love/If it does not exist/But darling you are the only exception”. The next three songs (“Feeling Sorry”, “Looking Up”, and “Where the Lines Overlap”) are decent, but are more like filler songs for the album, and nothing about them particularly stands out. The tenth song, “Misguided Ghosts”, is the only acoustic song on the album, and really gives the band the opportunity to show its versatility. The melody and the lyrics flow perfectly, giving even the most thick skinned person chills.

Challenge Issues: None

Interest Age:
Both preteens and teenagers can appreciate the edgy sound, making Paramore one of the most popular bands today. I think that this CD is suitable for 6th grade and up; 11 years old and up. Although there is not any cursing or inappropriate content, some of the songs may be a little too intense for younger kids.

Band Biography:
The band was officially formed in Franklin, Tennessee by Josh Farro (lead guitar), Zac Farro (drums), Hayley Williams (vocals), and Jeremy Davis (bass) in 2004. After playing in concert festivals such as Purple Door and Warped Tour, the band was signed by FueledByRamen in April of 2005. Soon after, Davis left the band because of personal reasons, and the remaining members of the band proceeded to record their first album, All We Know is Falling. Their second album, Riot! was released in June of 2007. In 2008, the band announced that they would be going on tour once more, with the live album called The Final Riot! With the addition of Taylor York and the return of Jeremy Davis, Paramore recorded this album, which was released in September of 2009.

Cover image courtesy of: http://images1.britmusicscene.com/files/2009/10/Paramore-Brand-New-Eyes-Album-Cover.jpg