Song Of The Week: 2/26/17

Song: "Bent Strings"

Artist: Apologies, I Have None

Album: "Two Sticks & Six Strings"

Year: 2009

Place Of Origin: London, England

Years Active: 2004 - present



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Bent Strings" appears to be about a mother who has to deal with the death of her child. It goes against everything that the cycle of life is supposed to be. Parents are not supposed to have to bury their children. It also touches on the awkwardness of those who try to console this person, but can never quite understand what to say or how to say it because they can't possible understand what she is going through. Sometimes there is just nothing you can say. You just hope that time somehow heals the wounds, though that may be unlikely in this situation.

APOLOGIES, I HAVE NONE DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2012 - London (Household Name Records)
2016 - Pharmacie (Animal Style Records)

CURRENT STATUS OF APOLOGIES, I HAVE NONE:

Apologies, I Have None formed as a band back in 2004. This English based band actually began as a 2 piece. In fact, their first two EP's were released as just a 2 piece band, those being 2007's "Done" and 2009's "Two Sticks & Six Strings". Soon after these releases, Apologies, I Have None filled out and became a four piece band, which enhanced their sound. They released their debut full length, full band album in 2012, called "London". After releasing some split 7" singles and an EP, the band's most recent full length would be 2016's "Pharmacie". Apologies, I Have None has drawn some comparisons to bands such as Against Me!, The Menzingers, Thrice, The Flatliners and Trash Boat. Though at their core, they have some punk elements and influences, I don't necessarily consider Apologies, I Have None a full on punk band. I'd almost say if you kinda made a punk band out of U2, you might get a sound that compares to Apologies, I Have None. Their themes are often melancholic and some of their songs can build to an emotional rage. I think this is one of the better bands that I have come across recently. As I said earlier, though they incorporate some similar sounds to other bands, I think their style is really all their own and it's quite refreshing.

TEN APOLOGIES, I HAVE NONE SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Love & Medication
2. Clapton Pond
3. Coffee, Alcohol, Codeine, Repeat
4. Everybody Wants To Talk About Mental Health
5. 60 Miles
6. Raging Through The Thick And Heavy Darkness Of A Bloodlust
7. Green Green Mabley Green
8. A Pharmacie In Paris
9. Foundations
10. Wraith

Song Of The Week: 2/19/17

Song: "Dilated Eyes"

Artist: Curbside

Album: "Decades" EP

Year: 2016

Place Of Origin: Ontario, Canada

Years Active: 2011 - present



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Dilated Eyes" appears to be a song about trying and failing to pull someone out of a bad situation, likely involving drug addiction. You get a sense by the end of the song that the vocalist is starting to pull away, thinking that he's done all he can do for this person and his help is just not getting through. Though it's a difficult choice, it appears that he is trying to move forward in his own life knowing that he could not stop this person's downward spiral.

CURBSIDE DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2012 - The Sound I Know (Bells On Records)

CURRENT STATUS OF CURBSIDE:

Curbside formed as a band sometime around 2011. This Canadian melodic/skate punk band released their debut album in 2012, entitled "The Sound I Know". It took 4 years after that release to hear back from this band as they most recently released an EP called "Decades" in 2016. There is not a whole lot out there on the internet on this band to put forth a little more info but, I would say their style and sound evokes such bands as Strung Out, Face To Face, Asado, Implants and 1000 Degrees. This band is definitely under the radar but, in my mind, this is a band that warrants attention. Being a huge Face To Face fan, I see a lot of that style in Curbside's music. Here's hoping that this Canadian punk outfit continues bringing high energy melodic punk for years to come!

TEN CURBSIDE SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Having To Tell You
2. Days In Strides
3. I've Made Amends
4. Saving Face
5. For Those Left Behind
6. In Pieces
7. The Thankless Few
8. Dilated Eyes
9. Breaking In
10. Get It Going

Song Of The Week: 2/12/17

Song: "Honest"

Artist: Thousand Foot Krutch

Album: "Exhale"

Year: 2016

Place Of Origin: Ontario, Canada

Years Active: 1995 - present



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Honest" appears to be a song about hope. No matter what pain or torment you've suffered in life. No matter how often you haven't been honest with yourself or others. No matter how much the struggle brings you down. There is always time to change for the better. There is always a light at the end of every tunnel. Of course, with Thousand Foot Krutch being a Christian rock band, there is often a tie to God and Heaven in their songs and "Honest" is definitely one of them.

THOUSAND FOOT KRUTCH DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1997 - That's What People Do (self-released)
2001 - Set It Off (DJD Entertainment Group)
2003 - Phenomenon (Tooth & Nail Records)
2005 - The Art Of Breaking (Tooth & Nail Records)
2007 - The Flame In All Of Us (Tooth & Nail Records)
2009 - Welcome To THe Masquerade (Tooth & Nail Records)
2011 - Live At The Masquerade (Tooth & Nail Records)
2012 - The End Is Where We Begin (self-released)
2014 - Oxygen: Inhale (TFKMusic)
2016 - Exhale (TFKMusic)

CURRENT STATUS OF THOUSAND FOOT KRUTCH:

Thousand Foot Krutch is a Canadian band that got it's start back in 1995. Originally called Oddball, the band released one album under that moniker called "Shutterbug". Soon after they changed their name to Thousand Foot Krutch. Early on in the band's career, they were very much a nu metal band utilizing a rock/rap sound. By the time their third album, "Phenomenon" dropped, the band started to alter it's sound to a more mainstream rock sound. Once album number four, "The Art Of Breaking", was released, the rapping was pretty much gone from the band's sound. The band had a nice 8 year run with famous Christian rock label Tooth & Nail Records from 2003 till 2011 and since have released their albums through their own label, TFKMusic. The band's 2012 release, "The End Is Where We Begin" debuted at #5 on Itunes while their 2014 album, "Oxygen: Inhale", peaked at #11 on the Billboard charts, making it their highest charting album to date. As of February 2014, Thousand Foot Krutch has sold over 1 million albums world wide. The band's most recent effort was 2016's "Exhale". Thousand Foot Krutch is huge in it's native Canada as well as being a very successful act in the United States as well. When it comes to mainstream rock music, TFK is a clear headlining act. If you are a fan of bands like Three Days Grace, Breaking Benjamin, Papa Roach, 12 Stones or Trapt then you would most likely enjoy the music of Thousand Foot Krutch. Most, if not all of TFK's music has hopeful themes to them. This is most likely because the band is very up front with their Christian values and religious beliefs and they definitely incorporate those beliefs in their lyrics and songs. I'm not really a big religious person, but good music is good music and TFK has played good music for more than 20 years now!

TEN THOUSAND FOOT KRUTCH SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. War Of Change
2. Rawkfist
3. Falls Apart
4. Move
5. Fire It Up
6. Untraveled Road
7. Lifeline
8. Courtesy Call
9. Phenomenon
10. Born This Way

Song Of The Week: 2/5/17

Song: "Heads Up!"

Artist: OC45

Album: "Burn It" EP

Year: 2015

Place Of Origin: Boston, Massachusetts

Years Active: 2011 - present



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Heads Up!" appears to be a song about struggle. The struggle to survive in a world or environment that does everything to keep you down. The struggle to sift through the bullshit and lies that cloud your vision as you try to move forward in life. The everyday struggle to survive and make ends meet just to live. If you don't let all of these things bring you down and you believe in yourself and your ideals, then you should be ok in whatever you do.

OC45 DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2012 - Class & Cruelty (Birdseye Records)
2017 - Happy Accidents (self-released)

CURRENT STATUS OF OC45:

OC45 formed as a band back in 2011, hailing from Boston, MA. Joining a long line of Boston punk bands to represent that scene, OC45 now joins the ranks of Dropkick Murphys, Street Dogs, The Ducky Boys and Far From Finished to name a few. The band's debut album emerged in 2012 called "Class & Cruelty". The band also has two EP releases, 2013's "When It Hits" and 2015's "Burn It". OC45 has just recently released their sophmore full length effort in January of 2017 called "Happy Accidents". This album was self-released by the band and can be found on their own Bandcamp page and Itunes as well. During their career, OC45 has shared the stage with some punk stalwarts such as Swingin' Utters, Street Dogs, Far From Finished, The Scandals, Youth Brigade and The Casualties. As for style? OC45 is a street punk band with a Boston street punk sound. If you are a fan of bands such as Stray Bullets, Have Nots, Far From Finished, Burning Streets or Saturday's Heroes then you will most certainly enjoy OC45.

TEN OC45 SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Far Away
2. 8,900
3. Robbery
4. Heads Up!
5. New Regulations
6. New War
7. Is This Tomorrow
8. Slow It Down
9. Robbery
10. Class & Cruelty