Last Thursday: Funeral for a Friend - Bullet Theory

     Another Thursday means another Throwback, and this time around I've decided to regale you with another cut from classic Funeral for a Friend album Casually Dressed and Deep in Conversation.

     "Bullet Theory" is a sing-alongable bit of melodic post-hardcore built around big hooky choruses and relatively sparse verses. As with much of Funeral for a Friend's catalogue, there's just enough heavy to the riffage that I can still listen to this one with genuine appreciation rather than just nostalgic wistfulness. Take a break from your regular brutality with something that should go down nice and smooth. Then get back to crushing it, OK?

Thursday: Funeral for a Friend - Juneau

     I've been talking about "core" type stuff for the last couple of posts, including a mention or two of things sounding like stuff I used to listen to lo those many years ago. So I thought why not just feature something along those lines with an actual selection from my own screamo days gone by? Happy Throwback Thursday!

     I've talked about Welsh band Funeral for a Friend before, so all I'll really say about them this time out is that if you're at all a fan of this kind of stuff, these guys are a band you really should know about. This particular album, 2003's Casually Dressed and Deep in Conversation, is one that received a lot of play with us when it came out, and your song today will still come out every once in a while when any of us are sitting around with guitars. "Juneau" first appeared on one of Funeral's early EPs, but the full-on, reworked version you're getting today was one of the singles from Casually Dressed. Put this one on and feel young again.

Saturday: Funeral for a Friend - This Year's Most Open Heartbreak

     OK, let's do this, bing bang boom, starting with something that might not be every metalhead's cup of tea: emo. I know, I know, the term these days is usually "post-hardcore", but you know you still call something "emo" when you want to deride it as the snotty, whiny purview of little Hot Topic bitches. You are, of course, correct to malign said little bitches, but let me once again try and show you that not everything that falls under the genre umbrella is created equal, or equally bad.

     In fact, I used to dig these guys so much that I almost can't believe I've yet to feature something by them here at Loud Noises, so your Saturday song comes courtesy of British band Funeral for a Friend. More specifically, it's from Funeral's 2003 EP Seven Ways to Scream Your Name, which is one of those records from back in the day that I still listen to out of both nostalgia and genuine appreciation.

     Some of Funeral's stuff, especially the early stuff like that off of Seven, is heavier than others, but it's all got lots of singable melodies and infectious energy. That said, I've decided to go with a little something that does actually have some heavy to it, at least as far as its verses are concerned. To that end, your Saturday song is "This Year's Most Open Heartbreak". Ignore the somewhat emo-sounding title, and dig this one right this minute.