Jimmy Eat World - Classic or Dud?

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The songs are getting flacid. Clarity-era I would have been with you. Nowadays I find them rather dull and uninspired.

We coulda just stopped this thread after this comment.

Though the idea of a Mutt produced JEW record is kinda novel, I think they'd need to revisit their songwriting before committing to it. Well-polished turds and all that.

Maybe if the dude took a hiatus and got accepted to Harvard...

― martin m. (mushrush), Thursday, 6 January 2005 22:18 (twenty-one years ago)

I haven't listened to Futures at all. I'm guessing that it's not worth it at all, even if I like Clarity.

I wouldn't mind Jim Adkins coming to school.

My lunch with Rivers Cuomo was totally akward, but when I met Jim Adkins he was rather pleasant!

― Matt Boch (Matt Boch), Thursday, 6 January 2005 22:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Classic classic classic, in the way that some bands you love without considering them objectively Important or World-Changing or whatever, they just make me impossibly happy to hear them and I want to dance down the street singing along and sometimes even do, and my breath catches in my throat and everything feels for the space of sone song right.

About 50% of Futures is really good, I think; some of the rest is very meh.

― cis (cis), Thursday, 6 January 2005 23:38 (twenty-one years ago)

"The Middle" is greatness, but everything else I've heard from them was so-so or terrible (starting with Clarity).

I'll take the first couple of Get Up Kids albums for my whiny midwestern suburbanites fix.

― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Thursday, 6 January 2005 23:43 (twenty-one years ago)

i'd like them more if they weren't so goddamned tasteful.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Thursday, 6 January 2005 23:50 (twenty-one years ago)

My lunch with Rivers Cuomo was totally akward

tell us more!

― chaki in charge (chaki), Thursday, 6 January 2005 23:52 (twenty-one years ago)

"Bleed American" is hard to dance to.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 6 January 2005 23:52 (twenty-one years ago)

it's apparently quite easy to dance to if you're a pretty young boy or girl in underpants.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Thursday, 6 January 2005 23:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Some European video station the other day played like seven or eight back to back tracks featuring bands playing at parties where people were scantily clad. "Bleed American", Metallica's "Whiskey In The Jar", some godawful song by Incubus...

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Friday, 7 January 2005 00:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Complete dud. Every song I've heard from them is like eating a big bowl of air.

Classic that I never noticed they acronymize as JEW, though.

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Friday, 7 January 2005 01:06 (twenty-one years ago)

About half of Clarity is classic and about half of Bleed American is classic, yet the band is oddly total dud.

― suki suki suki (Alvaro Espinoza), Friday, 7 January 2005 04:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Their new song, "Pain," is possibly my favorite rock song of last year.

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Friday, 7 January 2005 08:43 (twenty-one years ago)

I find these guys a cut above in the genre that I'd get castigated to mention; mainly because there's so much terrible stuff floating about in there.

I thought 'Clarity' was excellent but the last one didn't do much for me, although I tried and tried because apparently I was missing out on something, according to some.

I bought 'Futures' cos I couldn't find anything else at the time. I played it twice and thought it was flaccid awfulness to the extreme. Something was telling me to persist, which I did, and it's becoming worthwhile with its hooks and harmonies. Yeah, so what, it's 'nice' but sometimes that suits.

Not really bothered by bad names and bad haircuts. I find it's the music that counts.

Who did the song " If Jimmy ate the world I'd be pretty pissed off" Made me laugh anyhow.

― Lairy Hair (hullcity), Friday, 7 January 2005 16:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Classic that I never noticed they acronymize as JEW, though.

have they ever explained why they did that? is it jew by accident or was it intentional?

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Friday, 7 January 2005 16:43 (twenty-one years ago)

"The Authority Song"?!? Do they cover Mellencamp?!?!?

― hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 7 January 2005 16:44 (twenty-one years ago)

it's an original! that sounds like Jessie's Girl!

― m1cc1o, Friday, 7 January 2005 17:05 (twenty-one years ago)

weird.

― hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 7 January 2005 17:10 (twenty-one years ago)

no weirder than mellencamp covering the bobby fuller four but changing the title and the songwriting credit!

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Friday, 7 January 2005 17:19 (twenty-one years ago)

also, if i remember jimmy eat world circa 2001 correctly, "the authority song" was the one song of theirs i really loved. that's the one with all the classic power-pop call-and-response harmonies on it, right?

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Friday, 7 January 2005 17:22 (twenty-one years ago)

are you referring to "i fought the law?" you think those songs sound the same?

― hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 7 January 2005 17:22 (twenty-one years ago)

is it jew by accident or was it intentional?
Ya, they got together - distraught over the fact their label wasn't kosher with them naming the band "JEW" (already a compromise over their previous name "Jimmy Jew and the Hebrews") - and came up with "Jimmy Eat World" instead.

These guys went the same way as The Promise Ring for me. I had them on a pedestal and then they blew it. All their songs sound too similar now and they seem to have replaced their authenticity with production.

Pre Bleed American - Classic
Overall - DUD

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Friday, 7 January 2005 17:28 (twenty-one years ago)

(x-post)
i think they sound the same in the same way that "mystery train" and the carter family's "worried man blues" sound the same. steal a concept here, steal some words there, and your own chords, and voila! i have no problem with this. but i think the debt is plain as day.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Friday, 7 January 2005 17:33 (twenty-one years ago)

*add* your own chords, i mean.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Friday, 7 January 2005 17:35 (twenty-one years ago)

oh it's just appropriation, not stealing.

― hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 7 January 2005 17:36 (twenty-one years ago)

i agree. i also think that appropriation involves stealing. and i think it's ok. necessary, in fact.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Friday, 7 January 2005 17:40 (twenty-one years ago)

i know i am just joshin'.

― hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 7 January 2005 17:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Trick Daddy stole "Let's Go" from Apples In Stereo!

― m1cc1o, Friday, 7 January 2005 17:41 (twenty-one years ago)

I think "The Middle" is a fantastic single. I knew a handful of people in college who used to big-up them Clarity-era, and who act all disappointed by them "selling out," but I never heard that record much, so I guess I don't care. I'll have to hear "Sweetness" and "Lucky Denver Mint" to see if I like them as much as "The Middle."

― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 7 January 2005 17:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Plus, their acronym is JEW. That's funny!

(from one of Ryan Pitchfork's lowest moments)

― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 7 January 2005 17:46 (twenty-one years ago)

they always sounded like sell-out dumbass raspheads to me (which doesn't mean they can't make a good single or five). "Lucky Denver Mint" sounds MORE like Jamie Walters than "The Middle" does, and that's on Clarity!

― m1cc1o, Friday, 7 January 2005 17:47 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't get how someone can give Bleed American a 3 and Source Tags & Codes a 10.

― m1cc1o, Friday, 7 January 2005 17:49 (twenty-one years ago)

unless you're just gaga about timpani.

― m1cc1o, Friday, 7 January 2005 17:51 (twenty-one years ago)

"The Authority Song" is about how the singer is in a bar and wants to hear "The Authority Song," so he plays it on the jukebox.

I think "Praise Chorus" is the one that cites the other lyrics -- "Crimson and Clover"; The first song from "Nothing Feels Good" by The Promise Ring; "Don't Let's Start" by They Might be Giants.

― Chuckling at the Tomkat's Marquee (Ben Boyer), Friday, 7 January 2005 18:04 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah, it's 'praise chorus'.

― kickstart my rock'n'roll heart (cis), Friday, 7 January 2005 18:25 (twenty-one years ago)

My lunch with Rivers Cuomo was totally akward
tell us more!

-- chaki in charge (chaki.tim...), January 6th, 2005.

Mostly he just talked about how he really liked meditation, and a bit about Boston bands that were around when he first went to school. Nice enough guy, just impossible to get him to say anything really. Shy in a way that unnerves.

― Matt Boch (Matt Boch), Friday, 7 January 2005 18:27 (twenty-one years ago)

i have never heard these guys and they may be fantastic for all i know... but i do have a certain association in my mind, so i have to say i was pretty surprised to click on this thread and find out that it was not a joke.

― firstworldman (firstworldman), Friday, 7 January 2005 19:02 (twenty-one years ago)

What is your association?

― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 7 January 2005 19:18 (twenty-one years ago)

like a blink182 version of emo (which i don't know if i ever liked a band that would be appropriately termed emo... i liked at the drive in to a point, and i liked a sunny day real estate song once... and i've heard people call radiohead emo, but that doesn't seem right.)

― firstworldman (firstworldman), Friday, 7 January 2005 19:29 (twenty-one years ago)

I would loveit if someone would explain to me what JEW has to do with emo. I keep reading or hearing that, but if this band is emo then what band isn't emo? It sounds like good ol' straight-ahead guitar-pop to me -- a good thing.

There's lots that I like about JEW, and Bleed American was a really good (pop) album. So was Clarity, for that matter. Futures -- I've listened to it through 3-4 times. The more attention I'm paying, the better it sounds; lots of craft there, and nice touches. But five minutes after the disc ends I can't remember a single song on it. (I probably heard Pain on the radio 5 times before I focused on what it was. And I still can't remember what it sounds like.) That's not a good thing.

These guys totally screwed themselves by waiting too long to sell something new after Bleed American finally took off.

― Vornado (Vornado), Friday, 7 January 2005 19:41 (twenty-one years ago)

I would loveit if someone would explain to me what JEW has to do with emo.
The only thing not emo about them is the fact they haven't broken up.
How can you hear that whiney voice and not think it's emo???

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Saturday, 8 January 2005 02:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Don't agree. Using the guy from Dashboard Confessional's whiny voice as a baseline point, I'd say the guy from Jimmy Eat World only rates about 50% emo-whiny.

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Saturday, 8 January 2005 05:26 (twenty-one years ago)

listen to static prevails.

they used to do splits with christie front drive and the like. definitely a part of that "midwestern" emo sound. shimmering arpeggiated indie rock with a boner for loud/soft dynamics.

i don't want to get into an emo thing. go to fourfa.com

― rob mackey (mackey), Saturday, 8 January 2005 07:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Using the guy from Dashboard Confessional's whiny voice as a baseline point
That's hardly fair!

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Saturday, 8 January 2005 20:33 (twenty-one years ago)

what the fuck does dashboard confessional have to do with ordination of aaron or moss icon? today's "emo" has no musical connection to yesterday's emo. the term really should have died with sunny day and mineral. maybe even before.

― rob mackey (mackey), Saturday, 8 January 2005 20:42 (twenty-one years ago)

"i don't want to get into an emo thing"

― DJ Mencap0))), Saturday, 8 January 2005 20:49 (twenty-one years ago)

thank you, mencap. sometimes i need to be pulled back.

― rob mackey (mackey), Saturday, 8 January 2005 21:00 (twenty-one years ago)

eight years pass...

new record comes out june 11

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BG8JiH4CEAEFFAX.jpg:large

― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Wednesday, 3 April 2013 19:24 (thirteen years ago)

Yay, but wtf is with that cover?

― Public Brooding Closet (cryptosicko), Wednesday, 3 April 2013 21:21 (thirteen years ago)

marry poppins themed

― markers, Wednesday, 3 April 2013 21:22 (thirteen years ago)

still better than the new Yeah Yeah Yeahs cover.

― Public Brooding Closet (cryptosicko), Wednesday, 3 April 2013 21:29 (thirteen years ago)

Skipping 110 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

clarity show this friday!!!

― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Tuesday, 9 February 2021 15:13 (five years ago)

might need to clear out my friday

― a nice controlled drift (Spottie), Tuesday, 9 February 2021 16:25 (five years ago)

tonight!!! :D

― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Friday, 12 February 2021 14:25 (five years ago)

pic.twitter.com/is1RaoKSvT
— Zach Lind (@zlind76) February 12, 2021

― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Friday, 12 February 2021 17:39 (five years ago)

table for glasses... goddamn

― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Friday, 12 February 2021 22:10 (five years ago)

moshed in my room to "crush," felt great

― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Friday, 12 February 2021 22:25 (five years ago)

wasn't sure if this performance was gonna be better than the futures one

it is

― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Friday, 12 February 2021 22:38 (five years ago)

ugh im stuck working

― a nice controlled drift (Spottie), Friday, 12 February 2021 22:41 (five years ago)

this is all an A+ concept way more bands oughta do

― stimmy stimmy yah (Simon H.), Friday, 12 February 2021 22:41 (five years ago)

WHEN THE WORLD CAVES IN
WHATCHA GONNA DO

― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Friday, 12 February 2021 22:45 (five years ago)

spottie you are in for such a treat after work, my god lmao

― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Friday, 12 February 2021 22:49 (five years ago)

"goodbye sky harbor" exceeded expectations

― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Friday, 12 February 2021 22:57 (five years ago)

i paid $45 for all three shows and i would've paid twice that for what i got

― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Friday, 12 February 2021 23:02 (five years ago)

eight months pass...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQAjoqqLwCw

just wanted to post this show from last month with the best setlist i've ever seen:

what would i say to you now
clarity
for me this is heaven
get it faster
criminal energy
no sensitivity
softer
thinking, that's all
kill
blister
night drive
surviving
goodbye sky harbor

― STOCK FIST-PUMPER BRAD (BradNelson), Wednesday, 10 November 2021 16:51 (four years ago)

sick

― Spottie, Wednesday, 10 November 2021 17:28 (four years ago)

that room is tiny. i'm sure some of you know.

― DT, Wednesday, 10 November 2021 22:32 (four years ago)

dang! if I was there I'd be annoyed by this ding dong holding up his phone for the entire show, but sitting here now I am super appreciative...

― a superficial sheeb of intelligence (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Wednesday, 10 November 2021 22:57 (four years ago)

audio from the phoenix sessions has been gradually appearing on streaming services, futures and clarity so far. listening back to clarity this morning... it sounds so good

― STOCK FIST-PUMPER BRAD (BradNelson), Thursday, 18 November 2021 15:15 (four years ago)

our weakness is the same
we need poison sometimes

― STOCK FIST-PUMPER BRAD (BradNelson), Thursday, 18 November 2021 15:16 (four years ago)

is tomorrow just a day
like all the rest

― STOCK FIST-PUMPER BRAD (BradNelson), Thursday, 18 November 2021 15:18 (four years ago)

three weeks pass...

attn: spottie!!!! the phoenix sessions have all been uploaded to youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJ96wkcGOpo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAlS5m2JKCI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTBTkahIdvo

― STOCK FIST-PUMPER BRAD (BradNelson), Wednesday, 15 December 2021 21:46 (four years ago)

bless you, brad! will be watching these asap

― Spottie, Wednesday, 15 December 2021 22:22 (four years ago)

"Just Watch the Fireworks", wow.

― the body of a spider... (scampering alpaca), Friday, 17 December 2021 01:37 (four years ago)

five months pass...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOWnhMxJMMk

yes!!!!!

― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Friday, 10 June 2022 13:43 (three years ago)

so consistent these guys

― Spottie, Friday, 10 June 2022 16:16 (three years ago)

4:20 smoke weed listen to "just watch the fireworks"

― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Thursday, 16 June 2022 20:20 (three years ago)

one year passes...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SYFqlshllM

the core, the heart music

― ivy., Tuesday, 2 January 2024 19:25 (two years ago)

"The Middle" is a total ear worm.

The video is a bit of a headscratcher, although I suppose having bunches of young people in their underwear sounded like an easy sell.

― immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Wednesday, 3 January 2024 00:33 (two years ago)

lol yeah, huge gap between the video concept and the band's image/song subject matter. but also very 00s.

thanks for posting the warped video, ivy! enjoyed that, and the blink set too

― Roz, Wednesday, 3 January 2024 09:03 (two years ago)

love that concert footage

― infinite wiggles (Spottie), Thursday, 4 January 2024 17:18 (two years ago)

one year passes...

i meant to post here after seeing them at best friends forever fest. they could've coasted on a greatest hits set but they played this instead: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/jimmy-eat-world/2025/downtown-events-center-las-vegas-nv-2345783b.html

within the first two songs i was fully sobbing and didn't stop, because i knew i was getting the jimmy eat world set of my dreams, and it just kept happening

― ivy., Monday, 27 October 2025 17:50 (seven months ago)

that looks perfect for real

― Spottie, Monday, 27 October 2025 17:59 (seven months ago)

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