Say Anything Band

Say Anything is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. The band was formed in 2000 by Max Bemis and four of his friends. Within two years, they self-released two EPs, Junior Varsity and In Your Dreams, and the full-length Baseball: An Album by Sayanything.

In 2003, the band signed with their first label, Doghouse Records. A year later, they released ...Is a Real Boy. To support the album, they picked up new members and began touring; however, despite rapidly growing critical and fan acclaim, Bemis' health problems, including bipolar disorder and drug addictions, sidelined the band in 2005 as five band members left during the year.

Say Anything signed with J Records in 2005 and, following Bemis' successful rehabilitation, re-released ...Is a Real Boy on J Records. They went on co-headlining tours with Saves the Day in 2006 and Hellogoodbye in 2007. On October 23, 2007, the band released their third full-length album, In Defense of the Genre. In 2008, Say Anything went on a headlining tour across the US and UK and appeared on every date of Warped Tour. Their fourth album, entitled Say Anything, was released on November 3, 2009.

 

Well, shit.

I didn't want to be the one to break the thread in, but since it's still without replies, I might as well. I'm curious, because I know a lot of you folks around here don't exactly love IDTII or for some of you, any of Max's recent output, what would you like to see the band do in the future?

Personally, I loved the return to a strong concept that Hebrews had and would love Max to return to that style of songwriting. Although I think he limits himself in terms of subject matter, I do believe he's a good storyteller, and should pretty much just do concept albums from now on (although I'm a sucker for them). I actually really liked the anything goes nature of the latest, and enjoyed that album about as much, if not more than Hebrews, but I think Max could really step up and release another album on the level of ...Is a Real Boy, if only he allowed himself to.

 

Say Anything fan since forever here,

I grew up feeling like I knew Max Bemis through his music. We're roughly the same age so each album spoke to me like no other musician could at the time. ...Is A Real Boy was literally the reason why I picked up a guitar and started learning to play music, it's just an incredibly inspiring record for any teen going through shit. I can't really describe just how much impact Max's songwriting has had on my life.

That being said I've grown up now, yet can still listen to any album before the self-titled all the way through without a skip, and for some reason now that Max and the band are more active than ever I know fewer and fewer people who talk about Say Anything or even know they exist anymore. With the release of I Don't Think It Is, I've finally accepted that Max is never going back to the same passionate anti-anti hero I know him as, and if you've watched the newest music video for "Give A Damn" it really feels like he is just mocking his older fan-base.

I get it, musicians grow up and change just like everyone else, but I think Max has gotta accept that people fell in love with Junior Varsity and ...Is A Real Boy because it has so much damn heart. Within every freaking song on those records you can hear and feel Max's emotion, his frustrations and longing, it's just so fucking powerful. I don't feel that passion or emotion anywhere in Hebrews, and especially IDTII. As an older fan I feel dis-heartened with the new releases, but that'll never change the fact that Max Bemis is still one of my heroes.

 

No passion in IDTII? I'd say it's one of the most passionate records I've ever heard.

 

Thank you for making a Say Anything thread that was not attached to I Don't Think It Is. haha I love Say Anything, I'm one of the few people on here who likes Anarchy and Hebrews, but IDTII is the worst album I've ever heard by a band I love. I'm really hopeful for an In Defense tour, and maybe repress (since I missed the SRC one) next year.

 

Still love Hebrews and I'm excited for whatever he does next despite hating IDTII.

 

Hebrews is so good. I'm really just hoping IDTII was just it's own thing and the next album will be good. I just hope he returns to his more story based/personal writing as opposed to the cringey political/hate for people who don't like his new music that's on IDTII.

 

I enjoyed IDTII, but I totally agree that Max's strength lies in personable songwriting and storytelling. I hope that's where the next album goes. I don't think Hebrews was his most consistent album on a song-by-song basis, but I really like the structure of it. If we could get an album of lyrics ala "John McClane" or "Cemetery," I'd be thrilled.

 

I'm late to the party but I really love IDTII. Its the perfect gym album and for me a return to form for Bemis. It's the raw unbridled catharsis I got from listening to this band when I was in Jr. High all over again.

 

I'm happy to see some positivity in this thread I'll always be intrigued by Max and give his new releases a listen

 

I'm glad there are people who like IDTII, but since it's released it seems like outside of the couple people who enjoy the album, the general opinion of Say Anything is more negative then ever. So I'm really glad there's a little positivity to be had here. I really do love everything outside of the newest record, Anarchy and In Defense helped me through one of the worst years of my life. (I literally just snapped, lost my mind, and was disconnected from reality for about a year)

 

Still love IDTII. It's such a "fuck it, I'm gonna do what I'm gonna do" album. I have nothing but respect for that.

 

I have respect for IDTII and generally like it more than Hebrews but I really don't like either of those albums.

But I'm in the same boat of the first three still meaning a lot to me and I'll always listen to whatever Max does.

 

Hopefully whatever he does next isn't so far out that it alienates even more of his fanbase. I wanna like everything he does, he's just been making it hard the last few records

 

I love IDTII. Absolutely love it. I wouldn't mind another album in the style of Hebrews though.

I've been listening since Is A Real Boy, and it's been fascinating to see Max go from a troubled dude with a guitar to a husband/father/comic book writer. He's got his shit together these days. :)

 

Does he though? He hasn't been looking too good on stage these days.

Edit: actually, ignore this, I really don't want to be speculating on something publicly that I know nothing about

 

I can agree with this. Lyrically "Hebrews" is VERY specific to his life and if you don't know Max Bemis' history a lot of it may be confusing and as mentioned: "alienating". As a huge Bemis fan I found the album fascinating and soul-bearing. IDTII is off putting for just being raw and gross sounding. I love when Max gets weird but I wouldn't mind a little bit more of a straight forward record next time just to keep us on our toes.

 

I saw them in Philly last month. Max looks great. He's got his belly back, but whatever. :)

 

Fuck, have you guys seen Coby lately? He seems to have gone insane after falling way too far down the exercise hole.

 

Huh?

 

This is Coby now.

And then he tweets shit like this.

 

Holy shit you weren't lying.

 

He looks like a ball of fun now.

 

holy shit lol

 

I have had him on Facebook for years now and he is completely out of his fucking mind now. All he talks about is how everyone but him is eating wrong.