Metro Station

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

• catchy
• the thing
• stand out
• retro

• popping up
• metro
• synthpop
• pop punk

• live vicariously
• synthesizer

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Where would you assume a band called Metro Station is from? Probably a city known for it’s transit system and metro like Paris or London? You certainly wouldn’t think of a city famous for its traffic like Los Angeles.

But not only does Los Angeles have a metro system (though you wouldn’t know it to look at the freeways) but it’s home to Metro Station, a young band with a song called “Seventeen Forever,” that hasn’t stopped the singer from turning 19.

In any case, Metro Station just released their first album and they’re making a name for themselves with catchy, happy rock music. But you might already know one of their names and not even know it. Listen to Jason and Marni talk about them.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Jason

Marni

Jason:  Metro Station is the hit of the summer.

Marni:  It’s pretty…yeah, it sounds like a summer hit.

Jason:  It is summery. It’s synthpop. It kind of reminds me of a lot of newer bands like Sum 41, that whole pop punk thing, but with synthesizers and sort of an ‘80s influence.

Marni:  It seems to be the thing right now.

Jason:  Is it? I thought it really stood out. I thought it was legitimately retro at times. I was like, wow, this actually could have been made in the year the singer was born, 1989.

Marni:  Exactly. Well, I guess, maybe that’s what it is. All these bands that are popping up and it’s like, you know, wow, you have this total ‘80s influence and you’re like 19. But, you know, that’s sort of the way music goes. It’s cyclical.

Jason:  But what I didn’t know was…I heard it and I thought it was great party-time music, but then I discovered the is Miley Cyrus’ brother, Trace Cyrus.

Marni:  Wow.

Jason:  Isn’t that weird?

Marni:  It’s a little mind-blowing.

Jason:  Two child stars in one family? Of, like, totally different styles, too.

Marni:  Very different styles.

Jason:  Because this is like a band. It’s like the kind of band you feel like could have just met in high school and started a band. It’s not like Hannah Montana...

Marni:  ...well, it’s very put together. I mean, maybe Metro Station is also, but they’re sort of more covert about it perhaps?

Jason:  At least that.

Marni:  Interesting. Wow. How did Billy Ray Cyrus manage to have such…

Jason:  ...good genes?

Marni:  His career just failed, but he decided to pop out two children.

Jason:  He can live vicariously.

Marni:  Yeah, and financially.

Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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