I remember singing the end of "wonderful" by Everclear that was like "I hate everything, everyone and everything, please don't tell me everything is wonderful now." I was singing it in the shower when I was pretty young and when I got out my parents were like "Jacob, are you alright?" Because of the song lyrics I was yeah dad, it's just a dope song, haha.
They did a Kickstarter album, New Constellation, which was really solid! I think its on most streaming services now. There were some great tracks on it, but California Wasted was the standout track for me.
weird video. cool song. what's up with the snowflake effect thing going the whole time? and do you think he's listening to the song in his earbuds so he can lip sync along with it? awkward, right?!
I'm also fairly high on OOTV, as was mentioned, Blinded, Faster, Palm Reader, among their best songs ever
I have favorites on the first three records for sure. But, I don't think it's a surprise that the following releases are not on the same level. Some of the main songwriters from the early records left. It's funny though. Some of the main songwriters from the first three records started a band together and will play Third Eye Blind songs from the early records. I'm debating about checking them out in Indianapolis in May just to see what it's like.
XEB? Haha, it's not good. Here's a list of Top Tier 3eb songs for me from Ursa on: Sharp Knife, Dao of St. Paul, Water Landing, Shipboard Cook, Something in You, Company of Strangers
Is it bad? I haven't checked it out, but I support them getting together to play their songs if they can't do it with Stephen and the drummer.
I mean, 3eb is my favourite band and i still wouldn't go to XEB if they were in the area. Everything i've heard was mediocre, and it's just not the same without Stephan.
Fair enough haha. I go to the Indy 500 every year with my mom's side of the family, so I was looking up shows that would be going on in Indy that weekend (knowing there wouldn't be a huge supply on race weekend besides the sanctioned stuff like Keith Urban) and came across XEB. I looked it up to see which members it was and found it interesting haha. Musically, I'm sure it sounds fine, but not hearing Stephen's vocals probably could put a lot of people off no doubt. That said, Stephen is not the best singer out there, but he is a really good performer so it tends to even out. I'm trying think which songs it was last time I saw them, but some of the melodies got altered that I didn't love. Normally that doesn't bother me, but it did then. Maybe the problem was me that night, who knows.
Yeah, he's not the best singer, but that's not really why i listen to them. He's a phenomenal lyricist and his voice is interesting/unique, and like you said, his weird stage presence is great. Can't wait to see them on the Summer Gods tour in June.
It has a lot of great tunes but it gets real samesy near the midsection. "About to Break", "One in Ten", "Why Can't You Be", "Monotov's Private Opera"... those all could've been condensed into one mediocre song. There's no variance in pacing, in melody, nothing. It's bad. And it's not bad purely on a talent level, but bad because it's a group of grown men who can't seem to get over a grudge. I don't know the full story and I don't justify a single action that Jenkins took, but I have no use for sour grapes, and that's literally all XEB is. And with a name like that, that's literally all they ever will be. Yyyyyeah, I do agree, his persona agitates me, but if you were the primary source of talent in a band, you might get sick of other bandmates shenanigans too. I tended to agree with you, and then I heard the other members post-3EB output and attitudes, and I realized Jenkins might actually be on to something. He's been the only one in the equation to keep the motivation and the quality songwriting going for 20+ years - if Cadogan could bring anything close to the table, he'd have done so since 2000 instead of imploding like a dying star. His solo stuff is weeeeeeeeak.
Well the way/reason Cadogan was fired was beyond snake-like, and my personal interactions with Jenkins have only solidified that he's a bonafide shitty person. Great music, bad dude.
Yeah the whole "3EB as a corporation" thing was pretty underhanded - I just can't imagine forming a band under the perception of a partnership and then pulling the rug out from underneath dudes I was friends with. Then again, listen to Jenkins talk for 5 minutes and you'll realize he's not operating on the exact same reality that most of us are. John Vanderslice wrote an article that I wanted to disagree with but that sounded all too realistic to me: Singer-songwriter John Vanderslice on the very personal reasons he hates Third Eye Blind’s “Semi-Charmed Life” Then again, although this should've been more obvious in the late 90s - 3EB is and has become very much a solo project. Brad is along for the ride, and is a great drummer, but look at the cover for We Are Drugs - that's not a band. The experiences written about in the songs - they're not Brad's, they're not Kevin's, they're not Arion's, they're not Tony's - they're Stephen's. He should've made that more clear from the start. He should've given writing credit where it was (limitedly) due, and everyone else should've taken some notes on how to add lyrics to a melody.
Well, if we're listing favorite songs... Here's the ones that I don't think people talk about enough... Third Eye Blind: Narcolepsy, London, I Want You Blue: Farther, Darwin, The Red Summer Sun (Steve Tyler-style screaming section aside) Out of the Vein: Danger, My Hit and Run, Misfits, Can't Get Away, Company A Collection: Tattoo of the Sun Ursa Major: Sharp Knife, Why Can't You Be?, Water Landing, Monotov's Private Opera Dopamine: Something in You, Blade, Exiles, Say It
Solid list. Ones I'd add: Third Eye Blind: Good For You Blue: Darkness Out of the Vein: Wake For Young Souls Dopamine: All the Souls, Back to Zero
What's the consensus on Dopamine around here? I think it's pretty solid, but it might still be my least favorite Third Eye Blind record. Except the EP. That was a dud, IMO.