Rock music is still alive

I look at these three CDs and I think of Forrest Gump. He learned from his mother that life is like a box of chocolates. You can never know what you will find. So I have had these albums awaiting attention on my desk for weeks. I had a feeling they will be good but there was always something that comes up before I get to them. Like The CompanY’s Lighthearted or the NKOTBSB or Jackie Evancho.

I finally got to the rock CDs last week and I am very glad I did because the albums are very good. In fact, I really believe that no rocker worth his salt today should pass up on the latest album of Hoobastank and on the new kids of the batch, the debut recordings by All Time Low and Neon Trees. Whoever said that rock music is dying and that hip-hop has taken over the charts has not heard the music that these bands have to offer.

Dirty Work by All Time Low. This is the first time we are hearing All Time Low and it looks like all the hype we have been getting about the pop punk band from Baltimore is true. The music rocks hard but never loses its fun sound. These are the songs you want to hear in the thick of a flash dancing mob or in hot parties. That must be why the hot moving I Feel Like Dancin’ has been tapped as the first single release.

I am sure girls will love to dance or simply strut on street pavements while enjoying the wind in their hair to the tune of Do You Want Me (Dead?) Forget About It, Guts, Time Bomb, Just The Way I’m Not, Under A Paper Moon, Return The Favor, No Idea, A Daydream Away, That Girl, Heroes, Get Down On Your Knees And Tell Me You Love Me, My Only One and Oh! Oh! The first Christmas song of the year, Merry Christmas Kiss My Ass.

Naughty boys this All Time Low. They are Alex Gaskarth on vocals and guitars; Rian Dawson, drums; Jack Barakat, lead guitar; and Zack Merrick, bass. But they are very good and I am sure we will be hearing a lot more from them.

Is This The Day by Hoobastank. Big surprise, an acoustic, very unplugged Hoobastank. The band has taken its big hits and made acoustic versions for the album. I have always believed that the real test of a good rock or hip-hop song is it will still work if you get rid of all the effects. Good examples are Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) and Just The Way You Are. These still sound good pared down to the basic melodies. That is what Hoobastank did here and their songs came out great.

Hoobastank is a big surprise and very unplugged in In This The Day

Lead singer Douglass Robb is more soulful than I remember and you can really hear Dan Estrin’s guitar, Chris Hesse’ drums and sweet smatterings of a piano and other instruments in these reimaginings of Hoobastank hits. You will love The Reason even more and Crawling In The Dark and Running Away are beginning to sound like classics. Also included are Just One, I Don’t Think I Love You, Is Inside Of You, My Turn, What I Meant To Say, If I Were You, Tears Of Yesterday, Pieces and Same Direction and the only new song done for the CD, Is This The Day?

 Habits by Neon Trees. Looks like pop rock is the music of the moment and we get more of this kind from the album. I like finding rockers who know how to write good melodies and well-put together lyrics. Neon Trees is one of them. They rock hard but they also have very commercial hooks and meaningful themes. They remind me of the post- punk era in the ’80s. Remember when songs seemed to get inside your head that you cannot help but move around to the beat only you can hear? That is what you get out of Habits.

The first big hit Animal is made for dancing. Sins Of My Youth is for pounding dashboards and it has been quite sometime since I have heard mind-blowing riffs like those in Love And Affection. Also included are Your Surrender, 1983, Girls And Boys In School, In The Next Room, Our War, Helpless and Farther Down.

Neon Trees is made up of songwriter Tyler Glenn on lead vocals; Chris Allen, guitars; Branden Campbell, bass; and Elaine Bradley, drums. Yes, the drummer is female and very good.