-… Read Full Bio ↴"Highly addictive once the poison sets... Avenpitch is extraordinary."
-Aiding & Abetting
Where Avenpitch's self-titled debut stabbed a thrash-metal knife through the heart of New Wave, the band's follow-up LP, Butterfly Radio (Omega Point Records), breaks out the chainsaw. Anchored by its unforgettable title track, Butterfly Radio finds Avenpitch moving even farther towards both extremes. Guitars and synthesizers push recklessly into the red, as if the band were trying to blow a fuse or crash their hard drive, yet the songwriting remains laser-focused, with every hook and shout-along chorus precisely arranged for maximum pop effect. Had the Sex Pistols grown up listening to the Happy Mondays and New Order, instead of the other way around, Butterfly Radio could very well be the result.
The opening bars of "A Safer Car" set the agenda for the album, with a raspy guitar and glitchy synthesizer bashing out a hum-able melody in unison. But it's on the second track, "Jack the Idiot Dance", that the album really shifts into high gear - originally composed for a compilation of children's music released in Germany (perhaps the only country where parents would pummel their toddlers with warp-speed disco-metal), the track starts off with some deceptively innocuous toy sounds before the melody stomps in like a Godzilla-sized jack-in-the-box. "Butterfly Radio", the title cut, creeps along with nervously plucked strings and what sounds like a legion of marching boots, the tension building until the chorus detonates into a maelstrom of guitars.
Though still very much the brainchild of singer/guitarist/producer Todd Millenacker, Butterfly Radio sees Avenpitch evolving from a studio project into a proper band. Having survived a tour of some of the country's rougher dive bars and dirtier punk rock hangouts in support of the first album, Millenacker, guitarist Darren Siaw and drummer Paul Hudalla returned to the studio a tight, battle-tested rock n' roll machine. With the addition of keyboardist Sarah France, they have infused their new material with the manic energy and bruising volume of their stage shows.
With several tours planned for 2006 and growing support on podcasts and college radio, Avenpitch's signal is reaching more listeners than ever. If you've ever wished that The Killers had a bit more balls, or that Mindless Self Indulgence had a bit more brains, or are just looking for a furious new sound to shock you out of your 21st-century malaise, then it's worth tuning into Butterfly Radio.
-written by Emil Hyde
Replay
Avenpitch Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And say to ourselves some other day
How many times do we say to ourselves if only
If only this, if only that, if only I wasnt just where Im at
If only she loved me, if it wasnt for him
If only I could start it over again
Empty rooms and vacant tombs
And were always pretending were someone else
Someone who doesnt just hate themselves
But stand up, get up, sit up, jump, jump, all you can do
Is not let the world tear you in two
Forget their opinions cause they dont mean much
Forgive their decisions cause theyre just out of touch
Unable to dance, unable to laugh
Unable to throw their arms at the chance
And always taking things seriously
And never being who they wanted to be
When I met you your eyes where like gasoline
So slick and so cold and wanting to please
And maybe its me that burned you out
That caused you to question and made you feel doubt
But stand up, get up, sit up, jump, jump, all you can do
Is not let the world tear you in two
Forget their opinions cause they dont mean much
Forgive their decisions cause theyre just out of touch
Unable to dance, unable to laugh
Unable to throw their arms at the chance
And always taking things seriously
And never being who they wanted to be
Unable to burn the bridges they make
Unable to take a chance and make a change
Unable learn from the choices they take
Unable to grow from their mistakes
Take a chance to throw it all away!
Unable to dance, unable to laugh
Unable to throw their arms at the chance
And always taking things seriously
And never being who they wanted to be
But stand up, get up, sit up, jump, jump, all you can do
The lyrics of "Replay" by Avenpitch talk about the regrets and missed opportunities that many people face in life. The song talks about how we often walk away from situations, telling ourselves that we will deal with them later, only to find that later never comes. The repeated "if only" throughout the song highlights the frustration of missed chances and the feeling of being stuck in one's current situation. The lyrics also talk about how people often pretend to be someone else and don't allow themselves to be who they truly want to be.
The second half of the song speaks about a relationship, specifically one where the singer burned the other person out and caused them to question themselves. The message of the song is to encourage listeners to stand up and take chances, to not let the world tear them down or stop them from being who they want to be. The repeated call to action to "stand up, get up, sit up, jump" is a reminder to listeners to not let their fears hold them back.
Line by Line Meaning
How many times do we walk away
Reflecting on the times that we've decided to leave something for another day
And say to ourselves some other day
How often we choose to put off things until another day
How many times do we say to ourselves if only
Thinking about the many times we've said 'if only,' dwelling on missed opportunities
If only this, if only that, if only I wasnt just where Im at
Regretting the current situation and wishing we could change it
If only she loved me, if it wasnt for him
Wishing that someone else felt differently or that a particular obstacle wasn't in the way
If only I could start it over again
A longing to be able to go back in time and do things differently
Empty rooms and vacant tombs
A description of feeling empty or lifeless
Were never who we wanted to be
Feeling stuck and unable to reach our full potential
And were always pretending were someone else
Putting on a facade in order to fit in or be accepted
Someone who doesnt just hate themselves
Wishing to be someone who has confidence and self-love
But stand up, get up, sit up, jump, jump, all you can do
Encouraging oneself to take action and make positive changes
Is not let the world tear you in two
A reminder to not let external circumstances bring us down
Forget their opinions cause they dont mean much
Advising not to let others' opinions hold too much weight in our decisions
Forgive their decisions cause theyre just out of touch
Encouraging forgiveness for those who have hurt us, even if they didn't understand the impact of their actions
Unable to dance, unable to laugh
Feeling restricted and unable to express oneself freely
Unable to throw their arms at the chance
Being hesitant to take opportunities when they arise
And always taking things seriously
Taking life too seriously and not allowing oneself to relax and have fun
And never being who they wanted to be
Not living up to one's own expectations or potential
When I met you your eyes where like gasoline
A description of a person's intense, captivating gaze
So slick and so cold and wanting to please
Describing the impression that this person was trying too hard to impress or please others
And maybe its me that burned you out
Acknowledging responsibility for contributing to someone's exhaustion or unhappiness
That caused you to question and made you feel doubt
Realizing that one's own actions may have caused another person to lose faith or confidence
Unable to burn the bridges they make
A description of someone who is not able to move on or effectively end relationships with others
Unable to take a chance and make a change
Feeling stuck and not taking the opportunity to make positive changes in life
Unable learn from the choices they take
Not being able to learn from past mistakes and grow as a person
Unable to grow from their mistakes
Being unable to learn from past experiences in order to become a better version of oneself
Take a chance to throw it all away!
Encouraging oneself to take risks and make big changes without fear of failure
Contributed by Vivian D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.