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Who: Boys Like Girls
Album: 'Boys Like Girls'
Hails From: Boston
For Fans Of: Yellowcard and Jimmy Eat World
Why They're About to Pop: The album may have been out for more than a year, but the power pop love song 'Hero/ Heroine' has a catchy longevity that's enough to make us want to shed some light on this band. You know them from their road stints with Cute Is What We Aim For, the All-American Rejects and the Warped Tour. They've been a featured band on MTV's on-air promos, and now the four-piece is opening for Avril Lavigne on her 2008 'Best Damn Tour,' which hits most of North America beginning March 20 in Minneapolis.
Three Questions with lead singer/guitar Martin Johnson:
What inspired the songs on your record?
Real life experiences. My way of keeping a journal is through songwriting. This record is basically a time capsule of my life from ages 18-21. [It has] insane highs to crazy lows -- whether it be relationship/love life-based. [It's] a showcase of my feelings about growing up and going through the crazy transition from life in a childhood bubble into the real world.
What's your favorite song on the record?
It's really hard to pick a favorite because all the songs are so different. My favorite song musically is 'Me, You and My Medication' because of the darker vibe and intertwining electronics and how they bounce off the vocal melody. Lyrically, the songs that mean the most to me are 'Top of the World' and 'Holiday.' 'Top of the World' is a tribute to my mother passing from cancer when I was 16, and promises that I will always keep her in my heart and visit her every night in my dreams. 'Holiday' lays my erratic personality out on a platter, describing how I live my life on a whim. 'The Great Escape' is the most fun song to play live, from the crowd reaction to the super fast and straight forward rhythm guitar part that gets my adrenaline pumping.
What are the most played songs on your iPod?
Anything by Jimmy Eat World, the Wallflowers,Third Eye Blind, U2, the Police, Brand New, Tom Petty, Coldplay ... Lately I've been on a crazy hip-hop and R&B kick. T-Pain, Chris Brown -- anything with a ton of auto-tune and a gangster beat. I secretly wish I could riff over gnarly Timbaland beats all day. Too bad I was raised on Paul Simon, the Traveling Wilburys and the Beatles, rather than Stevie Wonder and James Brown. Oh well, maybe in another life. On the rock side of things, I can't stop listening to We the Kings, Metro Station, Forever the Sickest Kids and the Cab. Those bands are about to take over the world.
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