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October 22, 2009

New Weezer Video - "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To"

thumbnail icon: New Weezer Video - "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To"

(500) Days Of Summer director Marc Webb did the honors for Weezer's first Raditude video. Rivers & Co. continue their ambitious a/v streak, setting the clip in '50s-style Weezerville and casting Cloverfield's Odette Yustman as the beauty who gets the Weezer guys -- playing multiple, somewhat creepy parts -- all hot and bothered (and bloody and battered). Add that to the fact that the goings on are scored by power-popped "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To," a song longtime Weezer fans seem to dig more (hate less?) than other recent material, and you'll be hard-pressed to complain about this one. (Of course, I know you better than that.)

Over at Babelgum, you can also take a look at making of clip and a Rivers Cuomo interview.

Raditude is out 11/3 via Geffen.

Posted at 11:21 AM by brandon in
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48 Comments

This song is an enormous Jimmy Eat World ripoff.

Posted by: lizzyville at 10/22/09 12:06 PM  | Reply
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Maybe hate equally. I hope I never hear this again.

Posted by: daytracing at 10/22/09 12:27 PM  | Reply
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I always thought the rule was "Babes over Bros who are about to die from serious injuries".

Posted by: Zayin_451 profile link at 10/22/09 12:38 PM  | Reply
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Apparently Weezer are more interested in making musical comedy than making great songs. Oh, and he chose his band over the girl? Weak.

Posted by: Jimmy James at 10/22/09 12:41 PM  | Reply
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Thanks for not letting me down, everyone.

Posted by: brandon profile link at 10/22/09 12:58 PM  | Reply
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Matt Sharp and the Rentals just released a new EP on Tuesday, how about we write about that instead of Weezer?

Posted by: Alan Knut at 10/22/09 12:59 PM  | Reply
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Hey! Thanks for the heads up. I love Matt Sharp and all, but I almost feel like he is just as much tinsel and vague space as Rivers is. His solo work and his work with the Rentals is just about equally worth while to check out as Weezers output. the only difference is, with The Rentals you don't get the exploded ego effect which makes mediocrity sound like garbage.

Posted by: Zayin_451 profile link  in reply to Alan Knut's comment at 10/22/09 9:52 PM  | Reply
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too rhymes with true, rhymes with you, rhymes with blue. Genius!

Posted by: a'tris profile link at 10/22/09 1:09 PM  | Reply
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Does anyone over the age of 13 listen to this band?

Posted by: r. james at 10/22/09 1:44 PM  | Reply
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Obviously yes.

Posted by: Andrew  in reply to r. james's comment at 10/22/09 7:17 PM  | Reply
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I don't think there's any need to bash Weezer. They've never tried to be anything but fun.

Posted by: Stuff 'n Things at 10/22/09 1:48 PM  | Reply
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It really hurts us to bash Weezer. There are those of us that grew up worshiping the Blue Album and Pinkerton. And for many of us Pinkerton is one of the finest things ever recorded to tape. To see this band who was important to us during our adolescence completely pull a 180 and turn into mindless power pop is a really hard thing.

Posted by: Alan Knut  in reply to Stuff 'n Things's comment at 10/22/09 3:07 PM  | Reply
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amen to Alan Knut comment. The rentals are always top notch music. And by the way, listen to pinkerton or the blue album, these aren't the same musicians they set out to be. The jonas brothers are looking for new members, hint hint to rivers

Posted by: K at 10/22/09 2:40 PM  | Reply
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RT @RiversCuomo Just heard an amazing re-mix of "(If You're Wondering if I Want You To) I Want You To" by @steveaoki.

You guys are gonna have a field day w/ that one.

Posted by: Scott profile link at 10/22/09 3:27 PM  | Reply
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I second Knut's comment.. this is just really bad... I too miss the days when Weezer tried to write things that really meant something.. and also create a unique sound with the Blue album and Pinkerton. This stuff is just drivel. It's like Rivers is just playing a big joke on all his old fans.

But what can you do? It really is hard to top something like the Blue album.. and they did it with Pinkerton... so how do you top Pinkerton? Pretty hard.... I still think that song "American Girls" that he did with the guys from Cake would have been a really cool direction to go into...

Posted by: babylost at 10/22/09 4:10 PM  | Reply
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Your right about that, its pretty tough to try and top and over their early material. Pinkerton for a while was on my top 5 albums ever. Modern weezer fans think its just Rivers, they might as well change their name to "Rivers, and the other dudes from weezer". Goes to show, when you lose a member of the band, your no longer the same band. A band needs to leave some kind of mark after the bands done making albums, and with this music, they''re seriously leaving a shit stain on their legacy of ever being a memorable band. I mean their making music with Lil' Wayne, common, Really? not that i'm saying i hate Lil Wayne, but thats like mixing Grizzly bear with beyonce, doesn't work and most likely won't

Posted by: K  in reply to babylost's comment at 10/22/09 5:22 PM  | Reply
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I do like rivers mini pomp 50's look in this.. he should rock that more

Posted by: babylost at 10/22/09 4:17 PM  | Reply
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ok, but how bout some green day news?

Posted by: jim jones at 10/22/09 4:26 PM  | Reply
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I listened to about 20 seconds and was on the verge of vomiting. So bad.

Posted by: Tony at 10/22/09 5:08 PM  | Reply
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There's something to be said for a solid formula I guess...if you study power pop long enough you begin to see there's a whole range there...Big Star the movie is a TERRIBLE idea by the way...unless by some miracle...

Posted by: L.A. Woman...Ph Factor at 10/22/09 5:37 PM  | Reply
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Ah yes, what to say about Weezer? I too was a HUGE fan of the Blue album and Pinkerton. I even liked parts of the Green album. And Dope Nose and Troublemaker really grooved. But yes, what about most of the rest? I'm very confused about what this band has become.......fellow former Weezer fans, I am you.

Posted by: Bakes at 10/22/09 6:16 PM  | Reply
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I haven't gotta around to listening to the new Rentals EP though, does anybody recommend?

If you never really heard anything from the Rentals, I highly recommend anybody to listen to both of their early CD's.

Posted by: K at 10/22/09 6:25 PM  | Reply
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elitist jerks say what?

Posted by: swarley profile link at 10/22/09 7:09 PM  | Reply
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So help me, I lol'd at 2:53.

Posted by: Scott at 10/22/09 7:27 PM  | Reply
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Rivers Cuomo looks more and more like Rick Moranis every time I see him.

Posted by: Lulubelle profile link at 10/22/09 8:01 PM  | Reply
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i find it weird that most weezer fans have nothing else to say other than "we don't want this" - what kind of weezer DO you want?

Posted by: grover profile link at 10/22/09 8:31 PM  | Reply
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I don't wanna know how those kids were breeded. . .

Posted by: Diego at 10/23/09 4:50 AM  | Reply
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weezeer is weezer. their music will continue to evolve. although i love blue and pinkerton, i also like green, maladroit, make believe and red. now i'm going to buy ratitude and enjoy their music. rivers just do what you do best.

Posted by: weezelution at 10/23/09 9:36 AM  | Reply
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I seem to be the only person who likes this song/video.

Posted by: Tim at 10/23/09 1:38 PM  | Reply
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you guys think your so superior. "oh fuck this pop shit"

i better not see you at a show if you think it's so bad

Posted by: jim at 10/23/09 2:30 PM  | Reply
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ive been on the fence about most of weezers output since make believe, but damn, i cant deny that this song is good. rivers sure knows how to write a fucking hook. that much cannot be denied.

Posted by: tommy at 10/23/09 2:43 PM  | Reply
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@jim...

dude... it's not about thinking we are superior... it's just we feel bad cus the band that we love is no more.. and at one time they tried to push the boundaries of powerpop to something that we all look back on and are still blown a way by. Now they have reverted into a parody of themselves.

I love pop music... just not shitty pop music.

Posted by: babylost at 10/23/09 9:05 PM  | Reply
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Blah Blah Blah. . . This is a hell of song. . . just because we were 14 when buddy holly came out doesn't mean that it was just a silly song about. . . what? seriously what was it about. . . it was just catchy as hell. . . thats what weezer is . . . catchy

Posted by: Andrew at 10/23/09 10:09 PM  | Reply
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Weezer are the new All-American-Rejects right?

"...pull this thread as I walk away.."

Posted by: SubSickAlien profile link at 10/24/09 11:32 AM  | Reply
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Raditude leaked and no surprise here: I'd have to say its their worst album yet (if that's even possible.) I'm expecting a 0.0 from Pitchfork on this one.

Posted by: Greg at 10/24/09 5:53 PM  | Reply
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i like this song; it's cute and catchy. i've always been a weezer fan and i still enjoy the stuff that they put out.

Posted by: jkm21 profile link at 10/25/09 2:05 AM  | Reply
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There's a difference between being condescending and clever...

Posted by: Andy at 10/25/09 6:28 PM  | Reply
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Everyone is bashing this because it's not like the old stuff...people change, bands change. Rivers isn't out to bank on pop, he does it because he loves to write music and likes other styles of music. Read some of the stuff he's said and written and you guys might have a clue. He's doing what he loves and is gonna keep putting out whatever the hell he feels like. He's a genius

Posted by: Brett at 10/25/09 11:52 PM  | Reply
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Nobody's hating on Weezer because they went pop. They were always pop. They just went from being a great band that wrote great music to being a ridiculous caricature who produces incredibly shitty music. If you can't see that, you're beyond help.

Posted by: Soupy  in reply to Brett's comment at 10/26/09 3:16 PM  | Reply
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I smiled when Rivers did that little shoulder tap then sneak to the other side move. That's Rivers, apologetically dorky. And you're kidding yourself if you think Weezer was ever anything else. They got introspective on one record, ONE. Then afterward the critical response was so terrible they felt embarrassed and overexposed. Also, they are now forty year old men. Get over yourselves people in this thread.

Posted by: hlebtastic profile link at 10/26/09 1:04 AM  | Reply
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Ever listened to the lyrics on Blue? "Say It Ain't So" is as personal as anything on Pinkerton. But I don't even care if the band goes back to that sound, I'd be fine if they just went back to the Green album sound--just straight forward power-pop. And actually, this single isn't so bad--it's the rest of the album that's horrific. Whatever teen-mall pop they're doing on this album is made way more disturbing simply because they are 40 year old men. Rivers' demo albums have been fine, but when he gets in the studio with Weezer, he becomes obsessed with making everything a Top 10 Billboard hit, and at this point it's just embarrassing.

Posted by: Stephen B profile link  in reply to hlebtastic's comment at 10/28/09 1:45 PM  | Reply
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"Say it Ain't So" is lyrically a great song. I actually struggle to think of a song that is similar to it. I just fail to see how the lyrics in this song are worse than "Surf Wax America." I also don't see how this is any cheesier than the sweater song.

Posted by: hlebtastic profile link  in reply to Stephen B's comment at 10/28/09 5:10 PM  | Reply
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How about "No One Else"? Rivers wants a girl who won't leave the house or talk to anyone or put on make up for anyone but him? That's nearly as creepy as "Across the Sea." From what I understand "Buddy Holly" was written for a girl Rivers didn't know very well, much like the songs on Pinkerton. "Surf Wax" is about Rivers hating the whole macho surfing scene (and again, drinking). I'll give you that lyrically, Blue is more steeped in metaphor--at least more than Pinkerton is--but that doesn't mean it isn't as personal, it's just not as blatantly confessional no every song. And any song on that record is still far more personal than anything since Pinkerton.

Posted by: Stephen B profile link  in reply to hlebtastic's comment at 10/29/09 11:25 AM  | Reply
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I loved this band at one time. They need to go back to the drawing board and completely rethink everything about this sub par effort

Posted by: sco77e at 10/26/09 4:45 PM  | Reply
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I enjoyed it. I think it's a fun song. Not much compared to the age of pinkerton, or even some of the songs off of the Red Album, but one can tell that they're trying a different sort of beat, different chords. It's pretty good. Also, Rivers totally looks like Nick Cave in this.

Posted by: Emmett at 10/26/09 5:33 PM  | Reply
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And my day is ruined.
Remember the days? REMEMBER THEM!???!! How did we get here? Where the fuck are we?
SHITVILLE: Population? My dreams. FUCK Y'ALL.

Posted by: BRAAAAAAAINSSss profile link at 10/26/09 8:03 PM  | Reply
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From about 1:05 on, with the sound off, I enjoyed this video.

Posted by: El Payo at 10/28/09 1:30 PM  | Reply
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Yes you dumbshit.!
weezer rocks.
no matter what anyone says.
specially some moron!

Posted by: natasha at 11/04/09 6:43 PM  | Reply
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