the aftermath is secondary: part two.

"Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys" - My Chemical Romance's latest offering - is officially in my possession.

After what seemed like decades without knowing what my musical heroes have been up to, (aside from concentrating on their personal lives), I finally have some new auditory candy to fill my head with. The mission now is to fully memorize every single lyric by the time 2011 rolls around... or maybe I can do it by the end of November?? At the frequency I've been listening to these songs, I should have no problem.

For anyone who's a complete stranger to the stylings of this band, the first thing you should know is that each album they put out has a different story line to it that, in a way, is a fantasy created out of  band members' real life events. They're always jam-packed with honesty, and  realness that you can't get from any other band. The world was first introduced to a tragic tale of two star-crossed lovers whose only hope of a reunion in the afterlife consisted of making a deal with the devil: "I brought you my bullets, you brought me your love" and "Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge": pain of loss, gunfire, and plenty of screaming, (maybe a therapeutic release of sorts, for lead singer Gerard Way, after dealing with the grief of losing his grandmother)... most of us fell in love on the spot.  Next up came a story of.. well, more death. The big difference, however, being that it was meant to give one hope as opposed to despair, and a friendly reminder to celebrate life itself. Told through the eyes of an imaginary cancer patient and his childhood memories, "Welcome to the Black Parade" revived not only fans' spirits, but their wardrobes as well ;)

And finally, we have "Danger Days..." 

It seems that once upon a time, in a not-too-distant future, (that strangely feels like the present), a heartless corporation known as Better Living Industries is out to destroy every last shred of humanity that exists.  A band of rebels known as Killjoys spends their waking moments fighting against all it's brainwashing evils... no matter the cost.  Because as Gandhi once said, it's up to us to "be the change you want to see in the world".
When a little girl gets kidnapped by the Scarecrow Division of B.L.I., all hell breaks loose.

(Could this be symbolism referring to Gerard Way's real life daughter, and how his only mission in life now is to protect her from all he sees, and all he knows??)

It's always refreshing to get a glimpse into his current life through the lyrics and imagery that he creates.  The standout tracks on this album for me are "Bulletproof Heart", "Planetary (GO!)", "S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W", and "Summertime".  Oh, and I should probably mention that, yes, I'm well aware of how the internet works these days, making artists' new songs available instantly, often days before the actual 'album release', whether through bootlegging, or crappy live videos on youtube... but I choose not to be a part of it. It kills all the magic that used to once come with the excited anxiousness of waiting for that album to be made available in stores, and that first time you play the thing in its entirety the way it's meant to be played: with your ears open wide to each new track that you are hearing for the VERY FIRST TIME. 

Granted, I *did* choose to download the free version of "Save Yourself, I'll hold them Back", when MCR themselves offered it through their website, but I ignored everything else.  I wanted to experience this cd the same way I've always experienced them.  And, believe me, it's so much more worth it.  "Danger Days" sounds better every time you play it. I kid you not, kids.

"Bulletproof Heart" makes me want to sing along with tears in my eyes. Something about it is clearly meant to inspire hope and courage.

"Planetary (GO!)" is different from any other MCR song I've ever heard. It experiments with dance/electronic  sampling, and it's my current favourite to blare in the car while driving. It's energizing and fun and it rules.

But if I had to choose just ONE (current), ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE track, it's definitely "S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W".  For any seasoned fans like myself, who remember the song "Early Sunsets over Monroeville", off of their first album, we can be taken back to the same sort of twisted, gorgeous irony created by that song about a zombie horror movie with this one, told through soothing guitars and dreamy singing. It's probably the most 'mellow' song on this album, and it's beautiful, to say the least. Hide from the Scarecrow, kids. He is pure evil.

"Summertime" is a love song.  And I think it's Gerard's homage to his wife.  (Whom he just so happened to meet and marry in the 'summertime' of '07... 

"This planet's ours to defend"

Enough with the reading. Buy this cd now and thank me later.

<3

the aftermath is secondary: part one.

 If I stop to think about what my life was like before I found My Chemical Romance, I don't seem to remember much. Seriously. It all seemed so monotonous. Uninspired. Forced. And while saying something like that might just make me sound like another pathetic fangirl, I just really don't know how else to explain it.

Everyone has that one band/artist that defines their life at any given moment. Or, in my case, sometimes there's more than one band to define more than one moment.. But MCR stands alone in being that ONE special act that CONTINUES to fill new voids in my life. To put it simply, it feels like I grow with them, rather than apart from them... does that make sense??

Just when I start to despair and believe that no one really cares to dream or to save anyone in this world anymore, in comes this (now red headed) super hero. Like something straight out of a comic book -  perhaps the very last of his kind on this planet:  here is someone who lives and breathes his art.  And unless you happen to devote your life to any kind of creative field, you might not understand it completely... how empty it feels when you're in a mental block. How frightening your way of thinking becomes when you worry about what others will think or say about your abilities. How exposed you feel when you share a part of who you are.

Your art is always something that you're crazy with, but crazier without.
It's The Weapon.



Gerard Way is the only person that shows me how to use it, time and time again.

*locked and loaded*

Watch out world. 

He's back.

And this time, he's taking me with him.

(And I hope we never return).

*photos taken from: "Na Na Na" (Official music video), conceptualized and co-directed by Gerard Way.

*costumes designed by: Colleen Atwood and Gerard Way.

If you care enough to be further enlightened, visit mychemicalromance.com right now to receive a FREE download of the song "Save Yourself, I'll Hold them Back", and mark your calendars for November 22nd, when their new album "The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys" comes out. 

Magazine Hoarder: guilty as charged.

current fave: May 2010 issue of NylonGUYS, with cover star Gerard Way.




Ok, so this issue has actually been on shelves for a good month, now. I bought it back in April, and I'm just now getting around to blogging about it.

Check it out, kids. Your favourite MCR singer is all grown up and looking hot as ever in this sexy pictorial shot by Nylon's own infamous Marvin Scott Jarrett. Major props go to stylist Marjan Malakpour, (who by the way, has actually worked with MCR before, styling the "Helena" music video, no less), for the awesome designer clothes Gerard was wearing: Ksubi jeans, Junya Watanabe, John Varvatos, a CLASSIC Burberry trenchcoat (!!!), as well as borrowed vintage pieces.


Glad to see them finally out of hiding... I've never been more pleased with a My Chemical Romance magazine shoot than I am with this Nylon one.







My fave shot, (if I HAD to choose!), is the one of him in the black Gstar jacket and tie, with his ruffled up hair, paired with the ghostly face. It reminded me of Edward Scissorhands :)





<3

Stay out of the light, or the photograph that I gave you.

HAPPIEST OF BIRTHDAYS TO
GERARD
FREAKING
WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Remember, Brian Molko and Ella Anarchy LOVE youuuu!!

Hope he has an amazing day <3

Jesus was a Zombie.

What is so "controversial" about a guy kissing another guy or dancing on him during a concert? I mean, honestly, I'm trying to figure out what the big deal is about Adam Lambert's recent performance that I keep hearing about.


"Antics" like this have been done before. It's nothing new or shocking. Obviously these Puritan-like people who can't stop talking about it because they're oh-so-in-disbelief have never seen My Chemical Romance in concert:







"The fallout from Adam Lambert's risque American Music Awards performance keeps coming with Good Morning America canceling the singer's live performance scheduled for Wednesday morning... Last night's broadcast was nothing short of tasteless and vulgar. Adam Lambert, the second place finisher in last season's American Idol competition, chose to treat American families to... demeaning behavior." - The Parent's Television Council





Ummm... seriously, people?

The bulk of MCR's fanbase are made up of young kids, whose parents often attend their shows with them. I've never once heard a parent complain about them.


It's called PUTTING ON A SHOW!!! Performers who are passionate about what they do are allowed to get 'caught up in the moment' and do whatever they want. The stage is their canvas. They're ARTISTS. Art allows for the ultimate freedom of expression, and if you try to censor or stifle it then it loses it's entire purpose and meaning.

Parents should be more concerned about their brats being brainwashed by fabricated Disney robots who spout out whatever a giant corporation tells them to say and act like, and still try to come off as 'wholesome' and 'happy'.

What I'm smelling here is a case of antiquated whiners with way too much time on their hands who need to grow the fuck UP. The only "controversial" thing here is the fact that Good Morning America would stoop so low as to actually CANCEL their own guest over nothing.

Was he HURTING anyone? No. What was he really trying to say? Probably nothing except "I love performing and I live life to the fullest".




Anyone out there who's a true Lambert follower and is (rightfully) pissed about not being able to see him on Good Morning America tomorrow morning, tune in to The Early Show on CBS. He'll be on there, instead.

Crazy with it. Crazier without. Never certain. Never full of doubt. Now you feel it. Now you don't. Do you know what you're feeling?

As Karen O once said: "Get your leather, leather, leather ON".

I SPY: STYLISH ROCKSTAR OF THE WEEK - WEEK THIRTEEN - GERARD WAY (MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE)

So there I was last night- sifting through my countless emails, when the fashion universe decided to send a true gem my way.

I got the latest notification from the MCRmy newsletter informing me of the confirmed cover shot for the upcoming January 2010 issue of AlternativePress magazine, featuring MCR themselves. The band with the most anticipated album of 2010.

Mr. Chemical-Frontman Gerard Way has always been a silent fashion assassin. He's always been able to stop an obsessive fashion-freak like myself dead in her tracks because he's never afraid to push the envelope or bore anyone to tears. He is the master of reinvention. He comes out with fresh, new, complete head to toe looks and ideas every. Single. Time. He NEVER blends in, ALWAYS marches to the beat of his own drummer...

and more importantly? He NEVER GIVES A F**K WHAT ANYONE THINKS.

Classic example: remember when all the girls the world over had heart attacks when he decided to chop off his gorgeous raven locks for the "Ghost of You" WWII-themed music video? I'm sure all the MCR agents/managers/whatever tried to convince him against doing so... "why mess with a good thing", right? Did he care? Nope. He needed to do everything in his power to make sure the vision he was going for was accurate. Like a professional. (And he was to repeat the process for his transformation as the sickly, dead front man of The Black Parade, by bleaching his hair platinum blonde).


When My Chem first burst onto the mainstream scene in 2004, we were introduced to this pale, pretty face with a big voice wearing the darkest shade of pure black from head to toe, (the top part in the form of a leather jacket).


(Remember, kids, this was 2004 when leather jackets were nowhere near becoming a huge trend yet).


Another example of his fashion worthiness: If you were to look up the word "trend" in some kind of awesome fashion dictionary, you would see this story. Some time after the release of their second single, "Helena", off of Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, I noticed that all these other rockstars were wearing a similar look consisting of solid black, button down shirts paired with bright red ties.

Billy Armstrong from Green Day... uh, where did you get the idea for this look?




Oh nevermind. I thought I recognized it from this guy:



I'm telling you. The bright red tie with a solid black shirt look was HUGE at this time. I remember seeing shiny red ties in the men's departments of all the stores. I remember seeing high school boys (who weren't necessarily MCR fans), wearing this look to their proms. Nobody ever gave Gerard Way credit for starting this look!!

And I've blogged about how huge the marching band uniform was in 2007, (remember? click).I even used the example of this trend exploding all over the place in one of my classes. Kind of was a huge success.


But I digress.

Back to current times. I get this photo in my inbox:



It seems to me that Mr. Way might be going back to his roots. Obviously he's a firm believer that leather jackets are a true fashion staple. He's worn different variations of them throughout the years, but this particular one reminded me of the one in the first picture (above) that I posted.


And you know who else I couldn't help but be reminded of???




Johnny "Crybaby Walker" Depp:


Do you see the resemblance?!
I'm anxious to see the rest of the magazine's pictorial. AP always seems to put their cover models in fun, themed photoshoots for the inside article/interviews. I wonder if whoever shot/styled this was inspired by the Crybaby movie.

Everything from the standing collar to the hair in the eyes. LOVING IT.




Even in his studio downtime, Gerard seems to be looking like a 'throwback' these days:


In yet another style of leather jacket. How gorgeous is this one? The quilting detail on the back. I don't even know where to begin looking for a design like this.



I don't feel like searching.

Find your own awesome leather jacket and drink a caffeine-iated toast to this stylish trendsetter.

Read his comics while you're at it.

I can't wait to see what looks he comes up with in 2010. I'm positive I'll be mentioning him again in future "I Spy" posts to come.








<3


p.s. I'm still so elated that Johnny Depp is The Sexiest Man Alive. I mean come on now, did you have a doubt??

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MR. IERO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Halloween Babies are the luckiest ;)

Frankie Iero turns 28 today!!! (I think..?)

“If you don't listen, you're never gonna learn.”

Hope you have a super awesome Halloween Bday, darling. And please bring back the red eyeshadow!!! It was so bad ass!!!!!!!!




In other news...


Oh yeah. In case you hadn't noticed...

IT'S HALLOWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm anxious to see what my favourite rockstars dress up as. Check out wiL (William Control) as Bela Lugosi!!!




Nice job, homeboy.





HAPPY HALLOWEEN, EVERYONE!!!!!!






<3

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, (YOUNGER) MR. WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's Mikey Way's Birthday today!! Everyone wish him a happy day!!

I mean seriously... wouldn't you love to have a baby brother that was this adorable? I know I sure would ;)

Also, I just wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone who took the time to leave kind words for my last post!! You guys have no idea how much that means.

I've noticed that most bloggers reply to their comments in the same post, following each person, so I think I will start doing that now for everyone. So if you leave me a comment on any post, check back in a couple days to see if I reply :) I already replied to everyone in my last post so yaaay.

Umm.. there was something else I was going to say but I forgot.

OH well!!

Time for a nap!!



<3

I'm coming up on infrared. There is no running that can hide you... 'cause I can see in the dark.

currently listening to: Placebo - Meds, Lost Alone - random stuff on Youtube.



OHMYFREAKINGGOD. I swore I wouldn't do this anymore.

But believe me, the universe has been sending me enough punishments for procrastinating on my blogging. Someone call the ambulance. There's ganna be an accident...

But okay.
SO.

I've been hearing a ton about this British band called Lost Alone since like... two years ago. They seem to have a huge, scary following. All these kids and their MOMS keep going on and ON about how "amazing" they are. But I hadn't been motivated enough to even so much as research them until... tonight, actually. Haha. I meant to do so last week since I found out about them opening up for My Chemical Romance at two of their "secret" shows in Los Angeles. People are saying it's the "perfect way to introduce the U.S. to Lost Alone". Well, we'll see.

So after doing a search on the 'ol Youtube for their most popular songs, I have to say that music-wise, I'm not. Quite. Impressed. I don't understand what all the raves are about. According to their wiki page, (haha), "The band's style combines fast, heavy riffs with slower, melodic sections and strong vocal harmonies to create a sound that cannot be easily pigeonholed, it sits somewhere within the rock/alternative scene." Now this is just MY own grouchy opinion, but they sound pretty darn 'screamo/emo' and like the same-old-stuff-I've-heard-before to me. And it might be because I worked at a Hot Topic for three years where stuff like this would be blaring 24/7, (because no one wanted to listen to my Goth/Industrial stuff... wankers!), that I sorta can't stand these kind of vocals anymore. But, hey, to each their own, right?? They're not THAT bad, but they're just not MY kind of taste.

Before I heard their music, however, I was instantly drawn to the photos that came up during google searches, and it occurred to me that this might be a somewhat fashionable group of guys that I SHOULD be paying attention to, as I'm always on the search for stylish musicians to be inspired by when I design clothes. Or write blogs :)


exhibits 1 and 2: I tried to get a good screencap of the red and black shirt Steven (singer) wore during the "Unleash the Sands of All Time" music video but this is the best I could do. It was an interesting looking button down shirt with emblems on the sleeve that reminded me of athletic letter jackets from high school, in a way. I wanted to see more of it.


exhibit 3: I *think* this is the bass player, in the same "Unleash.." video. I hate the hair but I LOVE the choker and fitted leather jacket combo. I'd add some studded biker gloves and tuck the pants into classic knee high Docs... and pull the hair back or something. Then he'd be all 'couture rocker' looking. Don't you think??

exhibit 4: TOP HATS!!! Need I say more?! Supposedly this was for another one of their music videos, but I saw the video and didn't see the hats. I was utterly disappointed.


exhibit 5: Found this on their website. Homeboy is TOTALLY wearing a Mickey Mouse sweater!!!!


So all in all, they seem to have some stylish potential, and even if I don't like their music very much, I still respect the fact that they at least TRY to look different. And wear Disney characters on their sweaters!!

In other news...

-I went kinda crazy at Best Buy the other day:



CORALINE is my new favourite movie EVER.

Oh and so is Labyrinth. Yes. *winks at Syd Vicious Lives*

I want everything. I want to be perfect.

currently listening to: Innerpartysystem - self titled.


"For someone with grandiose dreams of shredding it onstage - but no real musical talent to speak of- the return of the band jacket is a godsend. Be it bright red, sequined, or DayGlo, the topper can make you look like a rock star... the jacket itself is reminiscent of military garb- no surprise, since early marching bands were associated with city-state armies, directing troops across the battlefield with various toots and honks. While modern incarnations of these bands still make use of martial traditions... the jacket has true rock'n'roll roots.

This is in large part thanks to the Beatles. It was 1967, and the Fab Four had commissioned famous theater costumiers Bermans & Nathans to make the coats featured on the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover. Withing days of that record's release, it seemed everyone on London's King's Road was covered in epaulets.



From there, the braided and buttoned combo went psychedelic (thanks, Jimi Hendrix)...



New Wave (here's to you, Adam Ant),



and pop (hello, Michael Jackson) **Ella's note: M.J. scares the crap out of me and I refuse to post a picture of him** :)

...before returning to it's rock core recently with appearances on the backs of Coldplay's Chris Martin and the Killers' Brandon Flowers (both courtesy of Dolce & Gabbana)".

ARTICLE: "FOLLOW THE LEADER" WRITTEN BY REBECCA WILLA DAVIS - NYLON MAGAZINE, JULY 2009 - THE MUSIC ISSUE.





OF COURSE... leave it to Nylon to leave out the most famous of these recent band jackets, yet:

Remember The Black Parade...???



Brandon Flowers and Chris Martin (or anyone else in the present day for that matter) didn't start wearing these kinds of jackets until AFTER Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance, appearing as The Black Parade, came onto the scene in 2006. He hired Colleen Atwood (the legendary costume designer behind Tim Burton movies including Sleepy Hollow and Sweeney Todd), to make him and his band black and gold marching band uniforms. Shortly thereafter, TrippNYC ripped off the look in a cheap way (like they always seem to do) and hawked it in Hot Topic.

And even more recently, Mat Devine of Kill Hannah wore a white military style jacket during the entire Hope for the Hopeless tour last year.





So where does Ella Anarchy come into all this? The other day, I realized I like layering vests over my tank dresses, and I saw a picture of a cool black denim vest, so seeing as how I don't own a black denim jacket (to cut the sleeves off of), I went thrifting for one. That's when the universe sent me this:



I mean SERIOUSLY. How Black Parade is this?!? The only problem however... was that even as cool as it is, it looked HELLA TACKY on me. Like, it had these gigantic shoulder pads, it weighed about ten pounds, and as much as I WANTED to like the fringe on the shoulders, I couldn't get past how "rodeo" it makes it look. So after careful deliberation and inner debating with myself, (and since I was unable to find another black denim jacket), I decided to attack it with my scissors.

I cut off the sleeves, removed the bulky shoulder pads... thought about leaving the fringe, but decided against it, and then suddenly got the idea to braid the strands into several little braids and turn them upwards. (Unfortunately, you can't see them very well in the picture unless you strain your eyes really closely at the shoulders). I took in the sides a little to give it shape, added my handmade medals, and VOILA.

Ella Anarchy's version of the band jacket for hot summer days:



Militaristic vests are just as cool as jackets. See??




What do YOU think? do you think I butchered an awesome jacket or is the vest cooler? Thoughts and opinions, pleaaaase :)