History Music / AJR

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[[caption-width-right:350:L-R: Adam, Jack, and Ryan]]
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AJR is an IndiePop[=/=][[SynthPop Electro-Pop]] music trio formed in 2005 consisting of Jack Met, Ryan Met, and Adam Met. Starting originally in an apartment in Chelsea, Manhattan, the group has grown to release a handful of indie-pop albums, including the commercially acclaimed ''Neotheater''.

!!This band provides examples of:

* BookEnds: ''Neotheater''. Both the first song "Next Up Forever" and the last song "Finale (Can't Wait To See What You Do Next)" feature the line "Welcome to the [[AlbumTitleDrop neotheater]]".

** ''Neotheatre'' Was their first album to not contain an explicit overture; instead, the band decided to put bits and pieces of the songs in each other, creating what could be described as an entire-album overture.

AJR is an IndiePop[=/=][[SynthPop Electro-Pop]] music trio formed in 2005 consisting of Jack Met, Ryan Met, and Adam Met. Starting originally in an apartment in Chelsea, the group has grown to release a handful of indie-pop albums, including the commercially acclaimed ''Neotheater''.

* ShoutOut: "Netflix Trip" is an entire song dedicated to [[Series/TheOfficeUS The Office]].

** From "Come Hang Out": ''Should I go for more clicks this year?/ Or should I follow '''the click''' in my ear?''
** From "Next Up Forever" and "Finale (Can't Wait To See What You Do Next)": ''Welcome to the '''neotheater'''.''

* BeingGoodSucks: "Karma" concerns Jack feeling that his attempts to be a good and nice person aren't paying off like he expected it to, noting that in spite of "being good this year" he still feels sad and lonely. He asks his therapist if it's even worth trying when he doesn't seem to be seeing any of the [[TitleDrop karma]] his good deeds should be rewarding him.

** ''Neotheatre'' Was their first album to not contain an explicit overture. Instead, the band decided to put bits and pieces of the songs in each other, creating what could be described as an entire-album overture.

** The ''3 O'Clock Things'' music video contains multiple visual references to their previous music videos (and even references an old band name) but Jack is portrayed by Ezra, their lighting guy, instead.

** "Sober Up" is a poppy, upbeat song about an alcoholic trying to reach out to friends he's drifted away from and how GrowingUpSucks.

* PrecisionFStrike: In "3 O'Clock Things" the only lyric in the song to contain a swear is "That if you're fucking racist then don't come to my show".

* WorldsSmallestViolin: The eleventh track of ''OK Orchestra'' is named after this trope, and also acts a sort of a deconstruction of it, pointing out that even relatively small problems deserve to be heard out and addressed

Here we go\\

-->''If it's my final album, and if I am forgotten''\\
''I hope I made you smile, that's all I've ever wanted''

-->"Next to them, my shit don’t feel so grand\\
But I can’t help myself from feeling bad\\

->''(Bang bang bang)''\\
''Here we go''\\
''(Bang, bang)''

* AppealToWorseProblems: The crux of "World's Smallest Violin" is that pointing out that somewhere, someone having it worse doesn't make one's own problems easier at all.

* BeingGoodSucks: "Karma" concerns Jack feeling that his attempts to be a good and nice person isn't paying off like he expected it to, noting that in spite of "being good this year" he still feels sad and lonely. He asks his therapist if it's even worth trying when he doesn't seem to be seeing any of the [[TitleDrop karma]] his good deeds should be rewarding him.

** ''Bang!'' references a number of previous songs in its lyrics, most noticeably "Pretender", "Come Hang out", and "Karma", which they reference in the chorus.
** The ''3 O'Clock Things'' music video contains multiple of these to their previous music videos (and even references an old band name) but Jack is portrayed by Ezra, their lighting guy instead.

** "Humpty Dumpty" is arguably the happiest song sound-wise in ''OK Orchestra'', but holds some of the most depressing lyrics in the album. Considering its about someone hiding their pain and pretending to be happy because they think that people only like them when they're happy, this actually fits the point of the song quite well.
** "Karma" has a rather energetic, grand tone to it, but the lyrics are about how BeingGoodSucks and how doing good things hasn’t been doing anything to make them happy. Though this is subverted in the final part to the song, which is appropriately orchestral and somewhat melancholy as the singer rapidly vents his frustration, before the song ends rather abruptly.

** "Don't Throw Out My Legos" is about the fears of finally moving out of your parents' home and living on your own. The title refers to Jack begging his parents to not toss out his old stuff because he feels he might change his mind and come back home if he feels his fears turn out to be validated. He's basically half-pleading himself to not leave.

* PopularSayingBut: From "Break My Face": "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_does_not_kill_me_makes_me_stronger What doesn't kill you]], makes you ugly, life gives you lemons, at least it gave you something."
* PrecisionFStrike: In 3 O'Clock Things, the only lyric in the song to contain a swear is "That if you're fucking racist/ then don't come to my show".
* RevisitingTheRoots: After foregoing an overture for ''Neotheatre'', they put one in their next album, ''Ok Orchestra''.

* SeriesFauxnale: "Finale (Can't Wait To See What You Do Next)" is all about the possibility of ''Neotheater'' being their final album, with the brothers considering just ending their musical career on a high note only for a choir of fans, friends, and family singing out a desire to see more of their work. Of course, this ended up being untrue with the announcement of ''OK Orchestra''.

I kinda feel like 2 things can be sad"

** “Karma” has a rather energetic, grand tone to it, but the lyrics are about how BeingGoodSucks and how doing good things hasn’t been doing anything to make them happy. Though this is subverted in the final part to the song, which is appropriately orchestral and somewhat melancholy as the singer rapidly vents his frustration, before the song ends rather abruptly.

** "I'm Ready" samples ''[[{{WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants}} SpongeBob Squarepants]]'', of all things.

** "Birthday Party" features a sample of [[{{Film/Eraserhead}} "In Heaven"]], of all things.
** "Way Less Sad" contains a sample from [[Music/SimonandGarfunkel "My Little Town"]].

* PopularSayingBut: From "Break My Face": "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_does_not_kill_me_makes_me_stronger What doesn't kill you]], makes you ugly, Life gives you lemons, at least it gave you something."