Song: "Suitcase Life"
Artist: Donots
Album: "Better Days Not Included"
Year: 1999
Place Of Origin: Ibbenburen, Germany
Years Active: 1993-present
WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:
"Suitcase Life" appears to be a straightforward song about life on the road. You can see that being on the road and touring is starting to weigh on the vocalist and he yearns to be back home around familiar people and familiar surroundings. But this is the life he chose and being in a band requires some sacrifices along the way. One of them being is that you have to get your music out there to the masses and a big part of that is touring.
DONOTS DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):
1996 - "Pedigree Punk" (School Bust Records)
1998 - "Tonight's Karaoke Contest Winners (Headshock Records)
1999 - "Better Days Not Included" (Supersonic/BMG Records)
2001 - "Pocketrock (Burning Heart Records)
2002 - "Amplify The Good Times" (Supersonic/BMG Records)
2004 - "Got The Noise" (Supersonic/BMG Records)
2006 - "The Story So Far/Ibbtown Chronicles" (Gun Records/Sony)
2008 - "Coma Chameleon (Indigo Records)
2010 - "The Long Way Home" (Lockjaw Records)
2012 - "Wake The Dogs" (Solitary Man/Vertigo Records)
2015 - "Karacho" (Solitary Man/Vertigo Records)
CURRENT STATUS OF DONOTS:
The Donots are a pop punk band from Germany that formed back in 1993. After playing locally for a few years, the band recorded and released their very first album, "Pedigree Punk", in 1996. Early in the band's career, they earned opening slots for bands such as Propagandhi, Blink 182 and No Use For A Name when those bands toured Germany. The band's breakthrough album was 2002's "Amplify The Good Times". The band's popularity saw a spike thanks in part to the hit single "Saccharine Smile". In fact, that single helped the band gain a very big following in Japan of all places. 2004's "Got The Noise" helped continue the Donots' success, mostly in Europe and Japan. In 2008, the band shifted it's style a bit with their album "Coma Chameleon". They went away from the pop punk style and had a more alternative rock with punk influence vibe. After releasing the 2010 album "The Long Way Home", the Donots earned a spot opening up for Green Day on the European leg of their "21st Century Breakdown" tour. The band's 2012 album, "Wake The Dogs", proved to be the Donots' first top 10 album, reaching #6 in their native Germany. Surprisingly, some 20 years into their career, the band embarked on it's very first tour of the United States, supporting Flogging Molly on the east coast and Anti-Flag on the west coast. In 2015, the band released "Karacho". This was the band's first album to be sung in the German language. An English version of this album was released that very same year in Japan. Currently, the Donots seem to be like the Energizer bunny, they continue to release albums almost every two years and they continue to be on the road. In fact, in December of 2016, the band plans on playing their 1000th concert. While most of their success has been relegated to Europe and Japan, there is no denying that they are well respected amongst U.S. punk bands, including Green Day and Anti-Flag. The Donots style reminds me of pop punk bands such as Rufio, The Starting Line, MxPx and old school Green Day. Though they shifted their sound a bit, into a more alternative rock feel, they still have those pop punk/melodic sensibilities to their sound. The Donots didn't quite get the same crossover success here in the States as a band like Millencolin did, but they are a very good band that should be checked out if you haven't already. If you're a fan of pop punk bands then the Donots should impress you.
TEN DONOTS SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:
1. So Long (featuring Frank Turner)
2. Saccharine Smile
3. Wretched Boy
4. Outshine The World
5. Come Away With Me
6. Stop The Clocks
7. Calling
8. Pick Up The Pieces
9. We Got The Noise
10. Whatever Happened To The 80's
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