In Defense of the Genre
Encyclopedia
In Defense of The Genre is the third full-length studio album by American pop-punk band Say Anything
, released on October 23, 2007 through J Records
as a double disc
album. It debuted at number 27 on the U.S. Billboard 200
chart, selling 25,000 copies in its first week. The first single, "Baby Girl, I'm a Blur
", was released October 2, 2007 on iTunes
. The album artwork was provided by Jeff Smith
, who's primarily known for his work on the Bone comic series.
On September 19, 2007, fans could pre-order an autographed copy of the album with an optional Say Anything t-shirt. An extra booklet was packaged with the CDs, autographed by Max Bemis
, Alex Kent, and Jeff Turner.
The album features 23 individual guest vocalists and musicians, including Gerard Way
of My Chemical Romance
, Pete Yorn
, Anna Waronker
, Adam Lazzara
of Taking Back Sunday
, Aaron Gillespie
of Underoath
and The Almost
, Matt Skiba
of Alkaline Trio
, and Hayley Williams
of Paramore
. Additional instrumentation was handled by DJ Swamp and Casey Prestwood, whom contributed on turntable and pedal steel guitar, respectively. The December issue of Alternative Press
reported that Jesse Lacey
of Brand New
chose not to collaborate. In December of 2007, Absolutepunk.net
did a 3-part video series showing an in depth look at the recording of In Defense of the Genre.
. Entertainment Weekly
gave the album an A-, noting that the album's "sonic twists almost always work". Alternative Press gave the album a 4.5/5 and stated that Max Bemis created an album musicians "more than twice his age could only hope to create." Blender
, in a 4/5 review, called it a "mess" but an "exhilarating one."
In more mixed reviews, PopMatters
noted that the wide variety of styles was a "gift and curse at the same time". Rolling Stone
said "When Bemis is on... his songs are tuneful and invigorating."
Say Anything (band)
Say Anything is an American indie-punk band from Los Angeles, California, fronted by Max Bemis. The band was formed in 2000 with 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...
, released on October 23, 2007 through J Records
J Records
J Records was an American record label, owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment, and was distributed through the RCA Music Group.-Company history:...
as a double disc
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
album. It debuted at number 27 on the U.S. Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart, selling 25,000 copies in its first week. The first single, "Baby Girl, I'm a Blur
Baby Girl, I'm a Blur
"Baby Girl, I'm a Blur" is the first single from Say Anything's album, In Defense of the Genre. It was released on iTunes on October 2, 2007. This song was written in Central Park by Max Bemis. He was quoted as saying...
", was released October 2, 2007 on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
. The album artwork was provided by Jeff Smith
Jeff Smith (cartoonist)
Jeff Smith is an American cartoonist, best known as the creator of the self-published comic book series Bone. His current series, RASL, focuses on an art thief who hops through dimensional barriers, hiding out on various parallel worlds.-Early life and education:Jeff Smith was born in McKees...
, who's primarily known for his work on the Bone comic series.
On September 19, 2007, fans could pre-order an autographed copy of the album with an optional Say Anything t-shirt. An extra booklet was packaged with the CDs, autographed by Max Bemis
Max Bemis
Max Bemis is the lead singer and primary lyricist of the band Say Anything. He is also co singer along side Chris Conley of the supergroup Two Tongues, which features members from Say Anything and Saves the Day.-The Early Years:...
, Alex Kent, and Jeff Turner.
Background
Writing and plans for In Defense of the Genre began in March 2006 during Say Anything's extensive touring and promotion for the reissue of their previous effort, …Is a Real Boy. The band started rehearsing and piecing together the album through pre-production the next year in January 2007, until the record was finally completed half a year later in September. Max Bemis described in an interview that the record is more focused on "observations of other people", unlike ...Is a Real Boys lyrical content revolving solely on Bemis and his problems. The record "picks up in my life where [...Is a Real Boy] left off because it is very autobiographical, even more so than the last record. Musically, it's different, more mature and somewhat more cohesive and poppy, but darker in a whole different way."The album features 23 individual guest vocalists and musicians, including Gerard Way
Gerard Way
Gerard Arthur Way is an American musician and comic book writer who has served as lead vocalist and co-founder of the band My Chemical Romance since its formation in 2001...
of My Chemical Romance
My Chemical Romance
My Chemical Romance is an American alternative rock band from New Jersey, formed in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, guitarists Ray Toro and Frank Iero, and bassist Mikey Way and have a diverse sound incorporating elements of punk, emo, glam metal, and progressive rock...
, Pete Yorn
Pete Yorn
Peter Joseph Yorn is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist who first gained international recognition after his debut record, Musicforthemorningafter, was released to critical acclaim in 2001.-Early history:Yorn's father is a dentist and his mother is a former concert pianist who worked as a...
, Anna Waronker
Anna Waronker
Anna Jeanette Waronker is a singer/songwriter, composer, and producer best known as the former frontwoman of That Dog. She is the daughter of producer Lenny Waronker and actress/musician Donna Loren, the sister of session drummer Joey Waronker, and is married to Steven Shane McDonald of Redd...
, Adam Lazzara
Adam Lazzara
Adam Burbank Lazzara , is the lead singer of the American rock band, Taking Back Sunday. Along with singing lead vocals, Adam Lazzara occasionally plays guitar and harmonica.-Biography:...
of Taking Back Sunday
Taking Back Sunday
Taking Back Sunday is a rock band from Long Island, NY, formed in 1999 by guitarist Eddie Reyes. Current members of the band are Adam Lazzara , John Nolan , Eddie Reyes , Shaun Cooper and Mark O'Connell ....
, Aaron Gillespie
Aaron Gillespie
Aaron Roderick Gillespie is an American musician, best known for being the former drummer and clean vocalist for the metalcore band Underoath, and the current lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the alternative rock band The Almost...
of Underoath
Underoath
Underoath is an American Christian metalcore band from Tampa, Florida. Founded by Dallas Taylor and Luke Morton on November 30, 1997 in Ocala, Florida, subsequently its additional members were from Tampa, Florida...
and The Almost
The Almost
The Almost is an American alternative rock band from Clearwater, Florida, formed in 2005, and is most notable for being the side project of former Underoath drummer, Aaron Gillespie.-History:...
, Matt Skiba
Matt Skiba
Matthew Thomas Skiba is the lead singer and guitarist of Alkaline Trio.-Early life and family:...
of Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio is an American punk rock band that formed in McHenry, Illinois, in 1996. The band's line-up consists of Matt Skiba , Dan Andriano , and Derek Grant...
, and Hayley Williams
Hayley Williams
Hayley Nichole Williams is an American singer, songwriter, and the lead vocalist of the band Paramore.- Life and career :...
of Paramore
Paramore
Paramore is an American rock band from Franklin, Tennessee, formed in 2004. The band consists of lead vocalist Hayley Williams, bassist Jeremy Davis, and guitarist Taylor York...
. Additional instrumentation was handled by DJ Swamp and Casey Prestwood, whom contributed on turntable and pedal steel guitar, respectively. The December issue of Alternative Press
Alternative Press (music magazine)
Alternative Press is an American music magazine based in Cleveland, Ohio. It generally provides readers with band interviews, photos, information on upcoming releases, and music charts. It was founded in 1985 by Mike Shea, who is the current president....
reported that Jesse Lacey
Jesse Lacey
Jesse Thomas Lacey is an American musician from Levittown, New York. He is the frontman of the band Brand New.-Musical career:...
of Brand New
Brand New
Brand New is an American rock band from Long Island, New York. Formed in 2000, the band currently consists of vocalist/guitarist/lyricist Jesse Lacey, guitarist/vocalist/lyricist Vincent Accardi, bassist Garrett Tierney, drummer Brian Lane, and guitarist/keyboardist Derrick Sherman.In the late...
chose not to collaborate. In December of 2007, Absolutepunk.net
AbsolutePunk.net
AbsolutePunk is a website, online community, and alternative music news source founded by Jason Tate . The website mainly focuses on artists who are relatively unknown to mainstream audiences, but it has been known to feature artists who have eventually achieved crossover success, including Fall...
did a 3-part video series showing an in depth look at the recording of In Defense of the Genre.
Reception
In Defense of the Genre was well-received by most critics, averaging a 79% on MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
gave the album an A-, noting that the album's "sonic twists almost always work". Alternative Press gave the album a 4.5/5 and stated that Max Bemis created an album musicians "more than twice his age could only hope to create." Blender
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
, in a 4/5 review, called it a "mess" but an "exhilarating one."
In more mixed reviews, PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
noted that the wide variety of styles was a "gift and curse at the same time". Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
said "When Bemis is on... his songs are tuneful and invigorating."
Track listing
Album personnel
- Max BemisMax BemisMax Bemis is the lead singer and primary lyricist of the band Say Anything. He is also co singer along side Chris Conley of the supergroup Two Tongues, which features members from Say Anything and Saves the Day.-The Early Years:...
– vocals, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, mandolinMandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single... - Coby Linder – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, backing vocals - Alex Kent – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Brad WoodBrad WoodBrad Wood is a record producer from Rockford, Illinois. He served as a drummer for the band Shrimp Boat. Brad records, mixes and produces records and is based in Los Angeles, California. He began his career in earnest in 1988 with the construction of Idful Music Corporation- a recording studio in...
– producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, engineerAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
, mixer - Emily Lazar – mastering engineerAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
Tour personnel
- Jake Turner – backing vocals, guitar
- Jeff Turner – backing vocals, guitar
- Parker Case – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals