Our ears and brains were completely fried once we'd completed this round-up of the 250 Greatest Rock Songs of 2012. We wanted a second opinion on some of the songs, so we got this week's amazing workie to give us theirs. So, take it away, Andrew W.K.!
YOUNG GUNS
Bones
"I like this main riff and the drum sound is good and thick. It's not a very boney sound - more chewy and rich. Dramatic and bold, but not very party. It makes me think of car parks and having sore legs and lots of grey skies and chanting about bones."
Find it: Bones
CONVERGE
Coral Blue
"This band has always been heavy. Legendary mega riffs and full-tilt intensity. I wish the vocals were louder on this one, but they do achieve a special feeling with their restrained focus. Very cool guitar playing and solo and an overall wild vibe. It's apocalyptic cowboy metal.This is partier than you might expect."
Find it: All We Love We Leave Behind
MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE
Boy Division
"This song has lots and lots of singing; there's barely time to to take a breath! Listen to it! There's not a single moment without non-stop vocals for almost the first full minute. And then only about six seconds and then the vocals start again! Non-stop! It's a singing party marathon! It would be a challenge to see if you could sing along with the whole song without losing your breath. This is a real showcase of lung power. I like that half-time riff and the chanted change-up section. It's fast, chemically-inspired oxygen rock."
Find it: Boy Division / Tomorrow's Money (single)
GREEN DAY
Amy
"My sister is named Amy, so this song must be about her. And I don't know how I feel about Green Day writing a song about her. And why do they want her around so badly? I guess this is a 'guitar only' kind of song; it's sweet, but not slamming. Maybe it'd be good for a live concert, just to change it up and give the drummer and bass player a break. Maybe Tre Cool's hands were all sore and blistered from so much drumming. That's definitely party!"
Find it: ¡Dos!
ALL TIME LOW
The Reckless And The Brave
"This feels like Japanese music to me. Very melodic and mid-tempo. Not very reckless or brave sounding, but it's reckless and brave to play music like this, for sure. Lots of lyrics about neighbourhoods and worlds. I like the percussive sound effects and the pushing lead guitars. Very nice triplet move and whammy climbs. The pitched-up production really puts a nice glow around the core. It's like dog meat and diamonds mashed into a partier's fever."
Find it: Don't Panic
BLACK VEIL BRIDES
In The End
"Sort of rubbery and stringy syrup with nice orchestral elements. Black leather, lace, vinyl, powdery cakes, gooey seared steak and Friday night fry-up feelings. Shred fests and angry brides with cheerful smiles. Definitely a lead guitar showcase. I appreciate the skills and technical technique. It's not the partiest song ever, but it clearly doesn't want to be!"
Find it: In The End (single)
YOU ME AT SIX
Reckless
"Cool and rhythmic riff. The singer definitely sounds like he's singing. Minimal drum beat which works really well with the syncopated riff - less is more with a good drummer like this and that restraint sounds good - just nice kick snare and tasteful fills. I would definitely enjoy watching this drummer live. Sometimes a good drum beat and drummer can make everything else OK. I think there might be a piano in there. Definitely some production partying in the sound; it's a delicate feeling. Makes me think about girls that suck."
Find it: Sinners Never Sleep
DEFTONES
Leathers
"Why have one leather when you can have multiple leathers? Right away, the sound makes me feel like I'm roving the downtown alleyways of night-time Hollywood. And then I walked into a whips-and-chains style nightclub, where there are strippers (both female and male) who've got mohawks and spikes. There's a band in the corner all in black, playing this music with a giant rubber cow spinning around on a spit. There's smoke and fire and I feel very stressed out and try to find a place to party. So I go over to the bathroom and the band starts to point and yell at me, tune their guitars lower. I pass out while I try to understand what they're yelling. That was intense!"
Find it: Koi No Yokan
MUSE
Madness
"So far, this is the only song on this list that feels like you could play for your grandmother and she wouldn't have a seizure. It just rolls around nicely to-and-fro. Calm and bubbly and breathy and lots of deep breaths and building up. You definitely want to hear it once it's started. Getting to the guitar lead makes the rest of the song worthwhile. Muse are always super musical and devoted to melody and dramatic chord changes. Party music for non-party times."
Find it: The 2nd Law
SLASH featuring MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS
Anastasia
"When I first met Slash, it was at a photoshoot and we were supposed to stand next to each other and make intense energy moves. Slash explained that he just wanted to stand nicely. And he said it very nicely, and he was super-nice. He just didn't want to raise his fists in the air. Besides, it's pretty hard to put your fists in the air if you're playing badass guitar. The music sounds very exotic, foreign, distant. It's music from the parallel universe in which Slash lives. It's an alternate reality, but a very party one, for sure."
Find it: Apocalyptic Love
THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM
National Anthem
"This is definitely not a party song. But songs exist like this, and here's another one. Nice space and pacing. I think it's supposed to make you feel emotional. The singing is pretty and straightforward in its tone and style. I think it sounds timeless in terms of production and tone and performance - it could've been recorded many years ago, or many years in the future. That's hard to pull off and a real achievement in many ways. The band should celebrate this achievement by partying and writing a song about that too."
Find It: Handwritten
WINTERFYLLETH
A Thousand Winters
"This is my favourite song of all so far. Major Darkthrone vibes and nice patient blastbeats with that expansive riff melody that makes everything feel like autumn - a perpetual winter of clouded sky and darkened sun. I love this riff and the vocal presence. This once again proves that for certain people, vocals can just be a sound and a feeling, and not always a bunch of words or ideas. This is my kind of party. It makes everything in the world more intense."
Find it: The Threnody of Triumph
KORN/SKRILLEX
Chaos Lives In Everything
"Dubstep is heavy because of its tempo and hard-hitting rhythmic intensity. Skrillex probably eats corn from time to time. Maybe Korn cooks their corn on a grillex, with skill? Part of its strength is countering melody with non-musical elements and sci-fi synth sounds. Jonathan Davis, the Korn signer, has a unique voice. I want more partying in this song, but it does have a chaotic busy feeling that would frighten very young children. It sounds like music from a movie about the future."
Find it: The Path Of Totality
FUN.
We Are Young
"Fun. is definitely a party name for a band. My favourite part of this song is that the band who recorded it is called Fun. I can't deny the awesomeness of the main melody, chord voicings, rhythmic pacing, the powerful combination of words and vocal delivery - the music feels like the words he's singing, and that's effective. The melody sustains nicely at the end of each phrase, which causes bloating of the brain."
Find it: Some Nights
CANNIBAL CORPSE
As Deep As The Knife Will Go
"This is my second favourite song on this list, but I'm biased because I've always loved Cannibal Corpse since I first heard them almost 20 years ago. There's a consistency of style and attitude that just keeps building with time. This is the most frightening and powerful of all the songs on this list. And that's what it was designed to be. It's the sound of being sick and feeling awesome about it. It's the musical equivalent to being murdered and somehow really enjoying the experience. It's very, very, very party."
Find it: Torture
For more information on The 250 Greatest Rock Songs of 2012, click here.
Ed, learn to spell and when you're actually g