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Nothing Feels Good
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Nothing Feels Good
Nothing Feels Good is the second studio album by American rock band the Promise Ring, released on October 14, 1997. The Promise Ring's lineup at the time of recording comprised Davey von Bohlen on vocals and guitar, Jason Gnewikow on guitar, Scott Beschta on bass guitar, and Dan Didier on drums. Produced by J. Robbins, the album marked a shift in the band's sound, refining to a more pop aesthetic while retaining their emo sound.
Nothing Feels Good was recorded at Easley McCain Recording in June 1997. After the recording finished, Beschta was replaced by Tim Burton due to Beschta's conflicts with Didier. The band would promote the album with a US tour with Compound Red in September and October 1997, with additional tours happening through November 1997 with Jimmy Eat World and Roadside Monument.
The album has gained a cult following and is regarded as one of the most influential records of the emo genre. The title of the album was used as the name of the book Nothing Feels Good: Punk Rock, Teenagers, and Emo by Andy Greenwald.
The Promise Ring released their debut album 30° Everywhere in September 1996 through independent label Jade Tree. According to vocalist/guitarist Davey von Bohlen, it was recorded in five days "in a situation where we had no idea what we wanted to do or how we wanted it to come out." Additionally, Bohlen was ill during the making of it, resulting in issues with his vocals. Despite this, the release was an underground success, earning the group attention from independent publications. The attention was aided by the inclusion of the emo staple "A Picture Postcard", which had been released earlier on the Falsetto Keeps Time (1996) EP. The band had 500–600 copies of the album to sell over the course of several gigs, however, during one show at CBGB's, they sold all copies in one go. The band reissued their earlier work as part of The Horse Latitudes compilation in early 1997.
In April and May 1997, the group embarked on a European tour; at its conclusion, the band went on a brief break to complete writing for their next album. Guitarist Jason Gnewikow said the group worked on material through jamming. Following this, the group went to Memphis, Tennessee where they began recording at Easley McCain Recording with producer J. Robbins of Jawbox. The album saw the group focus on cleaner production and refined their pop sensibility. Robbins aided the band, helping them work on song writing and improved the overall sound, when compared to 30° Everywhere. The band toned down the punk rock-esque Midwest emo sound that Bohlen pioneered when he was a member of Cap'n Jazz. Drummer Dan Didier had a strained relationship with bassist Scott Beschta throughout the sessions: "I’m shocked that we just didn't just off one another because it was a bad time."
Musically, the sound of Nothing Feels Good has been described as emo and power pop, drawing comparison to Superchunk and Knapsack. Throughout the album, Didier uses various syncopations, triplet fills and double-time cymbal hits. Beschta, instead of playing basic root notes, opted for more melodic and rhythmic basslines. Discussing the title, Bohlen said: "life is really bizarre, but at the same time, it feels totally good not to feel as if you know things". He incorporated geographical and color symbolism in his lyrics; he refers to his girlfriend as red, white and blue in "Red & Blue Jeans", while in "B Is for Bethlehem" the colors are representative of blood and flesh. While the record was not a concept album, it saw Bohlen reuse a handful of lines, giving it thematic cohesion: the title phrase Nothing Feels Good is mentioned in "Red & Blue Jeans", while being reused for the title-track, and serving as the basis for "How Nothing Feels". Similarly two lines, "not as good as the interstates are/I just can't take you that far", are used in both "Make Me a Chevy" and "A Broken Tenor". PopMatters writer Brian Stout said Bohlen "captures moments, engages in wordplay and repetitive words and phrases", and includes references to Air Supply and Television.
The opening power pop track "Is This Thing On?" begins with guitar interplay and aggressive drumming. It consists of five lines of lyrics that Bohlen repeats, and is anchored by Beschta's bass part. It leads into the punk rock-esque "Perfect Lines", which opens with Gnewikow's distorted guitar part. "Why Did Ever We Meet" was representative of the 1990s indie rock/emo sound in that it incorporated pop without abandoning the abrasiveness of punk rock. "Make Me a Chevy" sees Bohlen compare a woman to a car; it evolved out of someone tuning their instrument and Gnewikow playing harmonics over it. "How Nothing Feels" is an acoustic guitar and piano interlude with heavy tape hiss. It is followed by "A Broken Tenor", which opens with the sound of a house party, and one participant is heard quoting the Sylvia Plath poem "Daddy". The title-track sees Bohlen asking religious and personal questions, and is followed by the pop-orientated track "Pink Chimneys". An early version of the track had appeared on the (Don't Forget To) Breathe compilation. Stout said "B Is for Bethlehem" merged a "lover's spat into a thought about Jesus fishing for sinners".
Prior to the supporting tour for their upcoming album, Beschta was replaced by Tim Burton in August 1997. Gnewikow played with Burton in his former band None Left Standing. Didier said a rift began to form between him and Beschta, though Gnewikow said there had been long-term issues since they started the band. The group, knowing Burton and aware that he was available at the time, asked him to join them. Preceded by a US tour with Compound Red in September and October 1997, Nothing Feels Good was released on October 14, 1997, through Jade Tree. The album's artwork was shot by Jade Tree co-founder Tim Owen and designed by Gnewikow; it shows a brightly lit photograph of a boardwalk against a white background with colored dots lined up around it. It was shot in front of Trimper's Rides on the boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland. Gnewikow credited Owen for 80% of the artwork, while he did some organisation of the process. He said of the cover: "The record is really happy, but there's also a melancholy" feeling to it, juxtaposed with the closed amusement park photo with people scattered about.
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Nothing Feels Good
Nothing Feels Good is the second studio album by American rock band the Promise Ring, released on October 14, 1997. The Promise Ring's lineup at the time of recording comprised Davey von Bohlen on vocals and guitar, Jason Gnewikow on guitar, Scott Beschta on bass guitar, and Dan Didier on drums. Produced by J. Robbins, the album marked a shift in the band's sound, refining to a more pop aesthetic while retaining their emo sound.
Nothing Feels Good was recorded at Easley McCain Recording in June 1997. After the recording finished, Beschta was replaced by Tim Burton due to Beschta's conflicts with Didier. The band would promote the album with a US tour with Compound Red in September and October 1997, with additional tours happening through November 1997 with Jimmy Eat World and Roadside Monument.
The album has gained a cult following and is regarded as one of the most influential records of the emo genre. The title of the album was used as the name of the book Nothing Feels Good: Punk Rock, Teenagers, and Emo by Andy Greenwald.
The Promise Ring released their debut album 30° Everywhere in September 1996 through independent label Jade Tree. According to vocalist/guitarist Davey von Bohlen, it was recorded in five days "in a situation where we had no idea what we wanted to do or how we wanted it to come out." Additionally, Bohlen was ill during the making of it, resulting in issues with his vocals. Despite this, the release was an underground success, earning the group attention from independent publications. The attention was aided by the inclusion of the emo staple "A Picture Postcard", which had been released earlier on the Falsetto Keeps Time (1996) EP. The band had 500–600 copies of the album to sell over the course of several gigs, however, during one show at CBGB's, they sold all copies in one go. The band reissued their earlier work as part of The Horse Latitudes compilation in early 1997.
In April and May 1997, the group embarked on a European tour; at its conclusion, the band went on a brief break to complete writing for their next album. Guitarist Jason Gnewikow said the group worked on material through jamming. Following this, the group went to Memphis, Tennessee where they began recording at Easley McCain Recording with producer J. Robbins of Jawbox. The album saw the group focus on cleaner production and refined their pop sensibility. Robbins aided the band, helping them work on song writing and improved the overall sound, when compared to 30° Everywhere. The band toned down the punk rock-esque Midwest emo sound that Bohlen pioneered when he was a member of Cap'n Jazz. Drummer Dan Didier had a strained relationship with bassist Scott Beschta throughout the sessions: "I’m shocked that we just didn't just off one another because it was a bad time."
Musically, the sound of Nothing Feels Good has been described as emo and power pop, drawing comparison to Superchunk and Knapsack. Throughout the album, Didier uses various syncopations, triplet fills and double-time cymbal hits. Beschta, instead of playing basic root notes, opted for more melodic and rhythmic basslines. Discussing the title, Bohlen said: "life is really bizarre, but at the same time, it feels totally good not to feel as if you know things". He incorporated geographical and color symbolism in his lyrics; he refers to his girlfriend as red, white and blue in "Red & Blue Jeans", while in "B Is for Bethlehem" the colors are representative of blood and flesh. While the record was not a concept album, it saw Bohlen reuse a handful of lines, giving it thematic cohesion: the title phrase Nothing Feels Good is mentioned in "Red & Blue Jeans", while being reused for the title-track, and serving as the basis for "How Nothing Feels". Similarly two lines, "not as good as the interstates are/I just can't take you that far", are used in both "Make Me a Chevy" and "A Broken Tenor". PopMatters writer Brian Stout said Bohlen "captures moments, engages in wordplay and repetitive words and phrases", and includes references to Air Supply and Television.
The opening power pop track "Is This Thing On?" begins with guitar interplay and aggressive drumming. It consists of five lines of lyrics that Bohlen repeats, and is anchored by Beschta's bass part. It leads into the punk rock-esque "Perfect Lines", which opens with Gnewikow's distorted guitar part. "Why Did Ever We Meet" was representative of the 1990s indie rock/emo sound in that it incorporated pop without abandoning the abrasiveness of punk rock. "Make Me a Chevy" sees Bohlen compare a woman to a car; it evolved out of someone tuning their instrument and Gnewikow playing harmonics over it. "How Nothing Feels" is an acoustic guitar and piano interlude with heavy tape hiss. It is followed by "A Broken Tenor", which opens with the sound of a house party, and one participant is heard quoting the Sylvia Plath poem "Daddy". The title-track sees Bohlen asking religious and personal questions, and is followed by the pop-orientated track "Pink Chimneys". An early version of the track had appeared on the (Don't Forget To) Breathe compilation. Stout said "B Is for Bethlehem" merged a "lover's spat into a thought about Jesus fishing for sinners".
Prior to the supporting tour for their upcoming album, Beschta was replaced by Tim Burton in August 1997. Gnewikow played with Burton in his former band None Left Standing. Didier said a rift began to form between him and Beschta, though Gnewikow said there had been long-term issues since they started the band. The group, knowing Burton and aware that he was available at the time, asked him to join them. Preceded by a US tour with Compound Red in September and October 1997, Nothing Feels Good was released on October 14, 1997, through Jade Tree. The album's artwork was shot by Jade Tree co-founder Tim Owen and designed by Gnewikow; it shows a brightly lit photograph of a boardwalk against a white background with colored dots lined up around it. It was shot in front of Trimper's Rides on the boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland. Gnewikow credited Owen for 80% of the artwork, while he did some organisation of the process. He said of the cover: "The record is really happy, but there's also a melancholy" feeling to it, juxtaposed with the closed amusement park photo with people scattered about.