History Music / GuitarRomantic

''Guitar Romantic'' was the debut album of Music/TheExplodingHearts, an ill-fated PopPunk group from UsefulNotes/{{Portland}}, Oregon. Little-noticed on its April 2003 release, ''Guitar Romantic'' nonetheless became a minor cult hit on the strength of a supportive Pitchfork magazine review and [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes illegal mp3s from Germany]]. Not four months later, a van accident claimed the lives of three quarters of the band; this had the perverse effect of [[DeadArtistsAreBetter bringing press to the original album, canonizing it as a classic of the genre.]]

''Guitar Romantic'' was the debut album of Music/TheExplodingHearts, an ill-fated PopPunk group from UsefulNotes/{{Portland}}, Oregon. Little-noticed on its April 2003 release, ''Guitar Romantic'' nonetheless became a minor cult hit on the strength of a supportive Pitchfork magazine review and [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes illegal mp3s from Germany]]. Not four months later, [[AuthorExistenceFailure a van accident claimed the lives of three quarters of the band]]; this had the perverse effect of [[DeadArtistsAreBetter bringing press to the original album, canonizing it as a classic of the genre.]]

->''"[[InAWorld During a time when]] [[Music/TheStrokes Julian Casablancas]]’ detached cool and Music/JackWhite’s straight-faced blues worship were at the forefront of the largely self-serious “rock is back” albums, ''Guitar Romantic'' was refreshingly fun. It paired Music/CheapTrick-ian riffs with songs about getting high and falling in love. The band ushered in tambourines, finger snaps, bubblegum melodies, barroom pianos, and ripping guitar solos. And their lyrics were funny. (From 'Sleeping Aides and Razorblades': '[[PainfulRhyme You know the first time you left me, babe, it was so hard/ And it didn’t hurt you told all my friends I’m a reee-tard!]]')"''

->''[[InAWorld During a time when]] [[Music/TheStrokes Julian Casablancas]]’ detached cool and Music/JackWhite’s straight-faced blues worship were at the forefront of the largely self-serious “rock is back” albums, "Guitar Romantic" was refreshingly fun. It paired Music/CheapTrick-ian riffs with songs about getting high and falling in love. The band ushered in tambourines, finger snaps, bubblegum melodies, barroom pianos, and ripping guitar solos. And their lyrics were funny. (From "Sleeping Aides and Razorblades": "[[PainfulRhyme You know the first time you left me, babe, it was so hard/ And it didn’t hurt you told all my friends I’m a reee-tard!]]")''
-->-- '''Evan Minsker''', ''MTV''

''Guitar Romantic'' was the debut album of Music/TheExplodingHearts, an ill-fated PopPunk group from Portland, Oregon. Little-noticed on its April 2003 release, ''Guitar Romantic'' nonetheless became a minor cult hit on the strength of a supportive Pitchfork magazine review and [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes illegal mp3s from Germany]]. Not four months later, [[AuthorExistenceFailure a van accident claimed the lives of three quarters of the band]]; this had the perverse effect of [[DeadArtistsAreBetter bringing press to the original album, canonizing it as a classic of the genre.]]

* UnrequitedLove: "Jailbird"

'''Guitar Romantic''' was the debut album of Music/TheExplodingHearts, an ill-fated PopPunk group from Portland, Oregon. Little-noticed on its April 2003 release, ''Guitar Romantic'' nonetheless became a minor cult hit on the strength of a supportive Pitchfork magazine review and [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes illegal mp3s from Germany]]. Not four months later, [[AuthorExistenceFailure a van accident claimed the lives of three quarters of the band]]; this had the perverse effect of [[DeadArtistsAreBetter bringing press to the original album, canonizing it as a classic of the genre.]]

''''

# "Modern Kicks"
# "I'm A Pretender"
# "Thorns In Roses"
# "You're Black And Blue"
# "Sleeping Aides And Razor Blades"
# "Rumours In Town"
# "Throwaway Style"
# "Boulevard Trash"
# "Jailbird"
# "Still Crazy"

[[caption-width-right:350: Getting ''modern kicks'' which will make you shiver and shake. ]]

* Matt Figzgerald: bass

->''[[InAWorld During a time when]] [[Music/TheStrokes Julian Casablancas]]’ detached cool and Music/JackWhite’s straight-faced blues worship were at the forefront of the largely self-serious “rock is back” albums, Guitar Romantic was refreshingly fun. It paired Music/CheapTrick-ian riffs with songs about getting high and falling in love. The band ushered in tambourines, finger snaps, bubblegum melodies, barroom pianos, and ripping guitar solos. And their lyrics were funny. (From "Sleeping Aides and Razorblades": "[[PainfulRhyme You know the first time you left me, babe, it was so hard/ And it didn’t hurt you told all my friends I’m a reee-tard!]]")''

''Guitar Romantic'' was the debut album of Music/TheExplodingHearts, an ill-fated PopPunk group from Portland, Oregon. Little-noticed on its April 2003 release, ''Guitar Romantic'' nonetheless became a minor cult hit on the strength of a supportive Pitchfork magazine review and [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes illegal mp3s from Germany]]. Not four months later, [[AuthorExistenceFailure a van accident claimed the lives of three quarters of the band]]; this had the perverse effect of [[DeadArtistsAreBetter bringing press to the original album, canonizing it as a classic of the genre.]]

''''

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[[quoteright:220:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/guitar_romantic_3087.jpg]]

* BreakupSong: "Modern Kicks", "Jailbird", "Sleeping Aids And Razor Blades",
* DrugsAreBad: Sitting alone and "just getting stoned just leaves the protagonist of "Modern Kicks" shivering and shaking, pondering a frustrating relationship.

* GenreThrowback

* ObsessionSong: "Jailbird".

!! ''Guitar Romantic'' demonstrates the following tropes:

* SillyLoveSongs: The album is primarily love songs, some more bittersweet than others.

->''[[InAWorld During a time when]] [[Music/TheStrokes Julian Casablancas]]’ detached cool and Music/JackWhite’s straight-faced blues worship were at the forefront of the largely self-serious “rock is back” albums, Guitar Romantic was refreshingly fun. It paired Music/CheapTrick-ian riffs with songs about getting high and falling in love. The band ushered in tambourines, finger snaps, bubblegum melodies, barroom pianos, and ripping guitar solos. And their lyrics were funny. (From "Sleeping Aides and Razorblades": "[[PainfulRhyme You know the first time you left me, babe, it was so hard,/ And it didn’t hurt you told all my friends I’m a reee-tard!]]")''
-->Evan Minsker, MTV