This blog is just me saying how much I love 30 Seconds to Mars. I have a million different 'moods' to which I know what music will help: I can almost always listen to 30stm and feel better for it.
Their first album, aptly named '30 Seconds to Mars' (how did they come up with it?) is the best anger album I have. It tops so much of my other rock, because it's so... it's just so loud! It really hits the right nerves, so if you're in a stinking mood, sing it at the top of your voice and all that anger just comes out when singing, it's beautiful, it's like the cheapest therapy.
Second album, 'A Beautiful Lie', got them a lot of notice - especially with awards, and such. I remember seeing a clip of them live, not even knowing who they were, and being a bit gob-smacked. There's a lot on this album which makes me fall in love with Jared Leto each time I hear it: 'The Kill', their most famous song, done acoustically is beautiful. Also, after this album, they did a live tour which got them a LOT of emo-teeny-bopper fans, which is awkward, but hey - I'd rather they be at the gigs I want to go to, rather than make Justin Beiber famous...
This Is War, most recent album, is a stonker. Really fucking deep shit, I think. 'Hurricane' (NOT with Kanye West) is amazingly angry, and the video is WOW. It's been censored to shit, (and I'd like to point out that most, possibly all, I'm not sure, of their videos are directed / made by themselves). And the video for Hurricane makes me want to rape Jared. A lot. Also amazing videos for From Yesterday; The Kill; Kings and Queens; Capricorn; This is War; Closer to the Edge... all amazing. Also, this album is pretty much my gym playlist, it's very fun to run to.
Also, their cover versions of songs are incredible. They did 'stronger' (by kanya west) on Radio 1's live lounge a few years ago, which won the best song from that album, and more recently covered Lady Gaga's Bad Romance - quite bizarre, but an amazing take on such a pop tune.
All in all, I think this band makes me more happy than most bands. Every 'favourite artist' someone has will have at least one track which doesn't sit too well with them: my technical favourite band Muse has a whole bloody album of them - but so far, everything 30stm has done, I like. Plus, I love Jared, quite a lot, and have enjoyed all the films which I've seen him in so far. Admittedly, I feel like his brother and third band member, Shannon and Tomo, are massively shadowed, but I'm sure they're fine with it!
Next time you listen to music, and you realise you like a song: let it wash over you. People always try and pick apart their feelings, and their emotional responses to things, but music has no real definition, and no true meaning: take of it what you will, make of it what you will, and let your brain be drowned out by your favourite musical stylings.
If I remember, I'll do a blog on Muse.