brand new

I declare Chilis as the "Most Meme-ed" Chain Restraunt

October 23, 2017

       Yes, I just made "meme-ed" a verb. In this case, however, it is appropriate. Whether it's the internet meme-ing the restaurant, or the place talking back, the chain is very vocal to the millennial generation. It makes me want to say "Hi, welcome to Chilis!"


      Honestly, not sure if this blog post is making me hungry or miss Vine. It's making me do both, but I'm not sure what I'm feeling more. I'm not entirely sure why it's making me hungry, however, because Chilis is mediocre at best. Don't come for me Chilis stans, please. I will admit - I am a food snob. I prefer something more classy... like Not Your Average Joes.

      Now that I've ended my cravings for sugar margaritas and lava cakes, I want to discuss the best conversation that Chilis has had with the public on the internet: their great debate over their favorite Brand New album. For those of you non-emo kids (I'll never grow out of my phase, Mom!), Brand New is a rock band that has been around since the year 2000, and is still pumping out BOPS.

According to Alternative Press, the interaction all began with this innocent tweet from a curious customer:

      I don't blame him for being curious. The musical tastes of my favorite chain restaurants are very important to me as well! This tweet, they responded that they liked both. Very political and PR of them...

Next, a customer asked what their favorite album was, and they said it was "Your Favorite Weapon", leaving out the "r" in your as a typo. 
At this point, they're going back and forth with fans, defending their choice and asking fans when they started listening to the band. I've seen brands have philosophical conversations with fans of many bands, TV shows and more on social media. This leads me to believe, do social media teams of of these brands have an on-hand pop culture expert? Is Wendy's hiring a pop punk expert? Why Wendy's you ask... have you HAD their fries?

Next, Chilis ranked their favorite albums, and fans LOST IT.  Did they expect to rank albums of a well-known band and not polarize the audience?  The newest thing to add to all social handbooks for brands? Do NOT rank albums.


Unless you're a competitor of course. Fans started asking for Applebees, TGI Fridays and Dennys for their opinion. This is a no-brainer. Give the people what they want to hear, and the tattooed customers in skinny jorts will run in. 


In case anyone was wondering, which you're definitely not, my ranking of Brand New albums mirror's Alternative Press's choices:

1. TDAGARIM
2. Deja Intendu
3. Science Fiction
4. YFW
5. Daisy


What's your lineup of Brand New albums?

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aaron west and the roaring twenties

Music Mondays: St. Joes Keeps Us Safe

March 23, 2015


To me, side projects are a just fun tidbits added along to the songs I already know by my favorite artists. I never seriously listened to them repeatedly like I do with my favorite artists - until now.

Summer 2014, the lead singer of The Wonder Years Dan Campbell, known as "Soupy" in the scene, released a solo side project  album "We Don't Have Each Other" called under the stage name Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties. The album tells the story of a man's worst year of his life. It's the story of him struggling over his father's death, his wife's miscarriage, and his wife leaving him. It sounds sad, and it is. However, I'm weird and I like sad music, it makes me happy. The songs have a chill melody and relaxed vibe, although the music is sad. The pure emotion makes me feel so much, I love music that makes me feel. 


The songs I'm sharing today is "St. Joe Keeps Us Safe" is in my opinion Aaron West's lowest point. The song talks about him taking NYC public transportation to see his Irish Catholic mother. He vents to his mother about his father's death, the miscarriage, and his wife leaving him. His mother recognizes that they've never been that low, but encourages him that things will improve. I love this song because it's so real. I plan on doing an acoustic cover to it... stay tuned?



I got sick of the silence,
I got tired of the dark,
I was sleeping in late, I was wasting away, I was dying in small parts.
So I lit up a smoke and,
Took a walk through the park.
The dead leaves scrape concrete making it sound like you're next to me, arm in arm. 
I was putting holes in the drywall. 
I was hoping you'd save me from me. 

I'm gonna go see my mother. 
Take the LIRR. 
Walk the cold Brooklyn streets towards Astoria, Queens 
out to West Babylon. 
I walked up the driveway. 
Saw my Daddy's old car. 
He's been gone for months but we covered it up. It still sits in the yard. 

Well I spent my whole life saying I'd never need no one 
but I think I might need you. 
I think I might need you. I think I might need you.

We sat in the kitchen. 
My mother's a soldier of god,
and so paintings of Jesus,
and statues of saints still adorn all the halls,
But we'll never go hungry,
thanks to the infant of Prague,
and St. Joe keeps us safe cause we buried him deep in a hole in the backyard. 
I know things ain't been good since dad died. 
I know you don't need this from me. 

But mama, I'm breaking. 
There's no light in the dark. 
Dianne left this week. She said, "Son, look at me. I know we ain't been this low before
and I'm sorry Aaron. 
I know this year has been hard. 
If you're hurt then I'm hurt. 
I won't make it worse. I'm always in your corner." 

Well I spent my whole life saying I'd never need no one 
but I think I might need you. 
I think I might need you. I think I might need you.

Something's wrong.
I been waiting here too long.
She said, "I knew something was wrong. You ain't called here in too long. 
Take the car and run. Take the car and run. Take the car and run."

Musical Mondays at My So-Called Chaos></a> <div class=


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