Bibliographic Information: Weezer. Death to False Metal [sound recording]. Santa Monica, CA : DGC, 2010. 1 sound disc : digital ; 4 3/4 in. Compact disc. UPC 602527394718. Issue # B0014309-02 DGC.
Genre: Rock, Alternative
Age Level: 13+
Curriculum ties: Television music, Rock music, Popular music
Performer(s): Weezer
Producer: David Geffen Company
Note: Lyrics in container insert.
Reader’s Annotation: Weezer’s follow-up album to their 8th album, Hurley (2010), made up entirely of songs that never made it on any other album.
Contents: Turning up the radio — I don’t want your loving — Blowin’ my stack — Losing my mind — Everyone — I’m a robot — Trampoline — The odd couple — Autopilot — Unbreak my heart.
Critical Evaluation: In this collection of unreleased Weezer songs, the band stages a comeback. Death To False Metal is not a traditional collection of b-sides or songs from the vault, but an entirely original album that was created by using the basic tracks of 10 previously unreleased recordings (including a cover of “Unbreak My Heart” by Toni Braxton) to assemble this record. There are very few songs on this album that will not become chart toppers. Weezer’s popularity stems from their assimilation of a variety of musical genres including Wax (a pop-punk band), Cymbols Eat Guitars (indie rock), Nirvana (grunge) and KISS (hard rock). Weezer incorporates their own sound mainly by distorting the guitar riffs and experimenting with other electric sounds on this album. This record will definitely begin Weezer’s comeback into the music scene. Their earlier album The Blue Album (1994) gave a very laid back, vibe that became the anthem for many teenagers then and even today, this album has been revive by games such as Rock Band and Guitar Hero.
Booktalking Ideas: N/A
Challenge Issues/ Defense:
Challenge Issues: none
Challenge Defense Ideas: There are no apparent challenge issues associated with this compact disc. In the case that a challenge comes up, there are some things that you can do to start. You can visit the National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM) has always sought to be supportive of:
The artist’s right to free expression,
The parent’s right to identify entertainment with explicit content, and
The retailer’s right to handle explicit content according to how each believes they can best meet the needs of their company and communities.
Website: http://www.narm.com/services/parental-advisory/
Why was this item included?: Weezer is a band that have been loved by many different genres and ages because of their quirky musical stylings. Also appeals to the Rock/Alternative crowd.
Band Biography: Weezer are a popular Californian college-rock band fronted by geeky singer Rivers Cuomo. Their self-titled debut album (identified by its blue cover) was a big hit in 1994 thanks to the two lead singles and their videos. Both directed by Spike Jonze, the videos for “Undone – The Sweater Song” and “Buddy Holly” won regular airplay on MTV and won awards, boosting the band’s profile substantially. The Blue Album was critically acclaimed and went on to sell over three million copies.
Their second album Pinkerton (1996) divided opinion sharply. It originally didn’t sell well and some critics derided it. However, over time it has gained more acceptance and some now see it as Weezer’s greatest achievement. A particularly stark example of this turnaround can be found by comparing the views of Rolling Stone readers in 1996 and 2002: originally the readership voted Pinkerton the second-worst album to be released in 1996, but six years later the same demographic voted it the 16th greatest album of all time.
After taking a long break, the band returned to touring in 2000 and released a third album in 2001. Also self-titled, it became known as The Green Album because of its cover art. It sold twice as many as Pinkerton, buoyed by more cautiously positive reviews, and the success of singles “Hash Pipe” and “Island in the Sun”. Maladroit (2002) was Weezer’s least successful album yet, with mixed reviews and poor chart performance. Make Believe (2004) was another that sharply divided opinion, with some critics hating it while others loved it. Weezer released their so-called Red Album in 2008, to more difficult reviews.
(Band Biography retrieved from Amazon.com. Retrieved from: http://www.amazon.com/Weezer/e/B000APYT4S/ref=ac_dpt_sa_bio).
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