Song Of The Week: 10/29/17

Song: "Chemical Upgrade"

Artist: Tony Sly

Album: "Tony Sly/Joey Cape" split 7"

Year: 2010

Place Of Origin: San Jose, California

Years Active: 1987 - 2012



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

After reading the lyrics to "Chemical Upgrade" and finding out how Tony Sly's last years were dependent on alcohol and pills due to a herniated disc on his spine, it's a bit of a sad read. You get a sense the song is an ode to his wife for sticking by him and always being there for him, but it also shows that he looks at himself and what he sees is a horrible drunk, perhaps not worthy of her love and support. He suggests in the song that when he falls down to leave him there. Really a song about dependency and depression. Classic line says it all, "and so we live another day, and try to make it fun, I need it like a bullet needs a gun". Total addiction. Good friend and Lagwagon frontman Joey Cape provides background vocals to this beautiful song.

TONY SLY DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2004 - Acoustic (w/ Joey Cape) (Fat Wreck Chords)
2010 - 12 Song Program (Fat Wreck Chords)
2011 - Sad Bear (Fat Wreck Chords)
2012 - Acoustic: Volume Two (w/ Joey Cape) (Fat Wreck Chords)

CURRENT STATUS OF TONY SLY:

Tony Sly was best known as the lead vocalist/guitarist for the punk band No Use For A Name. He joined No Use when he was just 18 years old back in 1987. Very early on, it was clear that Tony would become the chief songwriter of the band and the rest of the guys held on to see how far Tony could take them. Of course, No Use For A Name would become one of the best skate punk bands to come out of the mid 90's punk revival. The distinction? Tony Sly's lyrics and gift of creating melodic punk rock anthems. No Use would release 8 full length studio albums, 1 live album and several EP's, singles and appearances on compilations. No Use, NOFX and Lagwagon really became the sound of southern California skate punk and made record label Fat Wreck Chords the place to go if you wanted to be an up and coming punk rock band. In 2004, Sly and Lagwagon frontman Joey Cape released a split album called "Acoustic" which featured each of them basically stripping down No Use and Lagwagon songs in an acoustic setting. This would be Tony's first solo effort. After No Use For A Name released 2008's "The Feel Good Record Of The Year", Tony decided to focus more on his solo career. He embarked on his very first solo tour in 2009 and in 2010, released his first completely solo album, "12 Song Program". A year later, Sly released the album "Sad Bear" and one year after that, he and Cape returned for "Acoustic: Volume Two", again mostly covering No Use and Lagwagon songs in an acoustic form. Tony's solo efforts were very personal, both dealing with depression and dependency but also showing his love for his wife and daughters. In 2012, Tony along with Joey Cape, Jon Snodgrass and Brian Wahlstrom released and album under the moniker Scorpios. The majority of his solo touring featured all the guys in Scorpios, the guys having a great chemistry on stage together on their acoustic sets. Sadly, the last concert Tony Sly would play would be a solo acoustic gig in Gainesville, Florida on July 29, 2012. Two days later on July 31, 2012, Tony Sly passed away in his sleep. As a huge fan of No Use For A Name, this was just a terrible day to say the least. Selfishly, I just wanted to hear more music from this man. No Use was so crucial to me when I was really growing into the person that I eventually became. In the punk rock world, his death shook the entire scene. In 2013, Fat Wreck Chords released "The Songs Of Tony Sly: A Tribute" which featured a who's who in the punk rock world. To name a few that contributed, bands like NOFX, Bouncing Souls, Joey Cape, Strung Out, Alkaline Trio, The Gaslight Anthem, Rise Against, The Flatliners, Bad Religion and Pennywise. All of those bands and more covering Tony's songs throughout his career, solo and with No Use. Tribute songs by NOFX (I'm So Sorry Tony), Lagwagon (One More Song) and Yotam Ben-Horim (Tony Sly) also showed the love and appreciation that Tony had all throughout the punk rock community. Before Tony released his "Sad Bear" album, there were some rumors that he was working on new No Use For A Name material. Perhaps, there is enough material recorded somewhere, even if it's just one song, that we can get at least something new from Tony. Hard to believe it has been more than five years since Tony's passing. Thank God he left us with a catalogue of great music. R.I.P. sad bear :(

TEN TONY SLY SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Chasing Rainbows (acoustic)
2. Not Your Savior (acoustic)
3. Chemical Upgrade
4. The Monster
5. Soulmate (acoustic)
6. Amends
7. Liver Let Die
8. Devonshire And Crown
9. Capo, 4th Fret
10. Hey God

Song Of The Week: 10/22/17

Song: "Having A Blast"

Artist: Green Day

Album: "Dookie"

Year: 1994

Place Of Origin: East Bay, California

Years Active: 1986 - present



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Having A Blast" appears to be a song about pent up anger and frustration. The vocalist is so pissed off at everything and everyone that he's at a tipping point. So much so, the he feels he wants to destroy himself and others if they happen to be near him. In the end, it's more of a battle going on in his own head. Is he a psychopathic killer in a rage? Or is he just dealing with so many little things that seem to keep piling up and adding to his anger? With all the mass killings that have been happening around the world recently, "Having A Blast" almost has an ominous feel to it.

GREEN DAY DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1990 - 39/Smooth (Lookout! Records)
1991 - Kerplunk (Lookout! Records)
1994 - Dookie (Reprise Records)
1995 - Insomniac (Reprise Records)
1997 - Nimrod (Reprise Records)
2000 - Warning (Reprise Records)
2002 - Shenanigans (Reprise Records)
2004 - American Idiot (Reprise Records)
2005 - Bullet In A Bible (Reprise Records)
2009 - 21st Century Breakdown (Reprise Records)
2011 - Awesome As Fuck (Reprise Records)
2012 - Uno! (Reprise Records)
2012 - Dos! (Reprise Records)
2012 - Tre! (Reprise Records)
2014 - Demolicious (Reprise Records)
2016 - Revolution Radio (Reprise Records)

CURRENT STATUS OF GREEN DAY:

In 1986, Billie Joe Armstrong (guitar) and Mike Dirnt (bass) formed the band Sweet Children in the East Bay, California. The band became part of the rising punk scene at the infamous 924 Gilman St. in Berkeley, California. In 1988, the band signed on with Lookout! Records and officially changed their name to Green Day. In 1990, they released their debut album, "39/Smooth". That was also the year the drummer Tre Cool joined the band and that trio is still intact to this very day. After dropping the successful "Kerplunk" in 1991, Green Day signed to major label Reprise Records. Two longtime relationships formed at this time. Reprise has been the only label Green Day has known since their epic 1994 release "Dookie" and producer Rob Cavallo became intregal to producing the Green Day sound on most of the band's records. Speaking of "Dookie", can you say certified diamond?! That means more than 10 million albums sold worldwide!! Green Day, along with The Offspring, Rancid and Bad Religion, were at the forefront of a resurgence in punk rock music in the mid-90's. Though the record sales dropped a bit on their next few albums, 1995's "Insomniac" and 1997's "Nimrod" still achieved multi-platinum status. 2000's "Warning" saw a drop in sales and perhaps questions that maybe Green Day had run their course as a band. Then came 2004. Some ten years after "Dookie", Green Day dropped the punk rock opera known as "American Idiot". Selling over 6 million units worldwide, Green Day had reinvented themselves and became one of the the biggest bands in the world... again!! It's rare for a band to have that type of success twice in their career the way Green Day did. Often, music goes through phases and band's get caught up in that. Older bands get pushed aside for what is hot at the time. Green Day totally broke that mold with "American Idiot". 2009's "21st Century Breakdown" would be the last Green Day album that was a multi-platinum effort. In 2012, Green Day released three albums, basically a month apart from each other. "Uno!", "Dos!" and "Tre!" was an ambitious project but perhaps a little oversaturated. Collectively, all three albums have sold just under 2 million units. In 2016, Green Day released their most recent full length studio album, "Revolution Radio". Green Day is a killer band. Early on, they were snotty punk filled with teenage angst and as the years went on, they became a more politically charged band. At the forefront is the songwriting of Billie Joe Armstrong. Equally great at writing snotty pop punk anthems, personal lyrics and shining a light on some social issues, Armstrong is just a really talented songwriter. Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool are the backbone of the band, holding everything together. Not only were Green Day influenced by punk rock artists like Operation Ivy, The Ramones and the Sex Pistols, they were also heavily influenced by alternative acts like Husker Du and The Replacements as well as classic bands like The Who, The Kinks and Cheap Trick. They really laid the blueprint for melodic pop punk that influenced a slew of newer bands that came out after them. In my opinion, they don't have any bad albums. While some are better than others, I can say that I love all of their albums. It's really a testament to who they are as a band. Over 85 million albums sold worldwide. Five time Grammy Award winners. 2015 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees. Green Day, one of the best bands of all time!!

TEN GREEN DAY SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. J.A.R.
2. 2,000 Light Years Away
3. Suffocate
4. Going To Pasalacqua
5. Nice Guys Finish Last
6. Minority
7. Geek Stink Breath
8. Still Breathing
9. X-Kid
10. Coming Clean

Song Of The Week: 10/15/17

Song: "You Need A Hug"

Artist: The Ataris

Album: "End Is Forever"

Year: 2001

Place Of Origin: Anderson, Indiana

Years Active: 1995 - present



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"You Need A Hug" is a song that appears to be about someone who seems like they're always in a rut. They hate their job. They hate their life. They're always pissed off about something. The vocalist is the one who is constantly trying to cheer that person up and let them know that life isn't all that bad. There are some things that could be worse so lighten up a little!

THE ATARIS DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1997 - Anywhere But Here (Kung Fu Records)
1999 - Blue Skies, Broken Hearts...Next 12 Exits (Kung Fu Records)
2001 - End Is Forever (Kung Fu Records)
2003 - So Long, Astoria (Columbia Records)
2004 - Live At The Metro (self-released)
2007 - Welcome The Night (Sanctuary Records)

CURRENT STATUS OF THE ATARIS:

The Ataris formed as a band back in 1995. Though they are originally from Indiana, it wasn't long before they set up shop in California, a move they hoped would land them a recording deal. Their big break was when they passed a demo tape to the bassist of The Vandals, Joe Escalante. Escalante quickly signed the band to his own label, Kung Fu Records and the band released their debut album, "Anywhere But Here", in 1997. The band's popularity began to escalate a little bit with the relase of their next two albums, 1999's "Blue Skies, Bronken Hearts...Next 12 Exits" and 2001's "End Is Forever", the former featuring perhaps the band's signature song, "San Dimas High School Football Rules". In 2003, the band signed on with major label Columbia Records for the release of what would be the band's most successful record, "So Long, Astoria". Featuring a more refined sound, this album would feature the suprise hit single "The Boys Of Summer", which is a pop punk take on Don Henley's classic. That song would reach #20 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. "So Long, Astoria" would eventually be certified gold. The Ataris would leave Columbia and their next album, 2007's "Welcome The Night" would be distributed through Sanctuary Records. This album was a big departure in sound for The Ataris, featuring keyboards and cello on most songs. The albums was also distinctly dark and the pop punk anthems of their previous albums were gone. This seemed like a clear case of a band just over thinking things. Sometimes you just go with what works and pop punk songs are what works for The Ataris. The songs on Welcome The Night were really lackluster and seemed devoid of any spirit. As you can tell, not one of my favorite albums. From 2008 on, there were constant rumblings about a new album called "The Graveyard Of The Atlantic". This album would never come to fruition however. The title track would be released as a double single along with "All Souls' Day". Several other tracks would be released that were supposed to be on the album as well including four that popped up on the compilation album "Silver Turns To Rust", which happens to be the bands most recent release. It seems The Ataris have been trying to find themselves since the release of "So Long, Astoria". And when I say The Ataris, I'm talking about chief songwriter and guitarist Kris Roe. He is the only constant member of the band which has seen a slew of band members throughout the years. Perhaps that's the reason we haven't seen any new albums since 2007. There appears to be no cohesion in this band. At their best, 1996 to 2004, the band played catchy, pop punk songs with lots of pop culture references in the lyrics. At their worst, you have "Welcome The Night". Just a terrible album. I don't mind a band evolving, but don't totally throw away what made you special to your fans. The Ataris are pop punk not moody, slow rock. As for similar artists, I would say The Ataris sound is close to bands like MxPx, Fenix TX, The Starting Line, Midtown and Allister. The band played the Warped Tour in 2017, so maybe if the members can stick together, then new music will be on the horizon. Let's hope Roe returns to his pop punk roots and storytelling lyrics.

TEN THE ATARIS SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Summer Wind Was Always Our Song
2. The Saddest Song
3. San Dimas High School Football Rules
4. In This Diary
5. Boxcar (Jawbreaker cover)
6. I.O.U. One Galaxy
7. A New England
8. The Graveyard Of The Atlantic
9. The Boys Of Summer (Don Henley cover)
10. Rock N' Roll High School (Ramones cover)

Song Of The Week: 10/8/17

Song: "Father Son Picnic"

Artist: Slick Shoes

Album: "Rusty"

Year: 1997

Place Of Origin: Antelope Valley, California

Years Active: 1994 - present



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

It should be noted that Slick Shoes is a Christian punk band. So in saying that, it appears to me that "Father Son Picnic" is about no matter what mistakes the vocalist has made in his life, that God, or "Father", has always showed him love and has always been by his side. The thing that makes me feel that the "father" is God and not the vocalist's own father is the line "faith in human beings never got me anywhere". His faith is in God. God never let him down.

SLICK SHOES DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1997 - Rusty (Tooth & Nail Records)
1998 - Burn Out (Tooth & Nail Records)
2000 - Wake Up Screaming (Tooth & Nail Records)
2002 - Slick Shoes (Tooth & Nail Records)
2003 - Far From Nowhere (SideOneDummy Records)

CURRENT STATUS OF SLICK SHOES:

Named after one of the many gadgets of the character Data from the movie The Goonies, Slick Shoes got their start in 1994. In 1997, they released an EP and also their debut full length album, "Rusty". This marked the beginning of a five year relationship with Christian punk label, Tooth & Nail Records. That five year span saw the release of 1998's "Burn Out", 2000's "Wake Up Screaming" and 2002's "Slick Shoes". In 2003, the band parted ways with Tooth & Nail, not because of religious reasons, but that their contract had ended. The band's most recent release was 2003's "Far From Nowhere" which was distributed by SideOneDummy Records. After touring in support of "Far From Nowhere" in 2003 and 2004, Slick Shoes went on a four year hiatus. During that time some members of the band worked on a side project called Sigmund. Since 2008, the band has been pretty sporadic. They played a few shows in 2008, then all was quiet for about three more years when they got together again in 2012 for a few shows. Again, not much news out of the Slick Shoes camp until 2017, when they opened for MxPx on their 25th anniversary tour. Word is that the band is actually, finally working on new music. Slick Shoes basically has that mid-90's, southern California skate punk/pop punk feel to their music. The biggest comparison to their sound that I can make is definitely MxPx. Both bands were considered Christian punk. Both bands started out on Christian punk label Tooth & Nail. And of course, they're both pop punk/skate punk bands. Along with MxPx, if you're a fan of bands like Rufio, Ten Foot Pole, Pulley or The Ataris, then you should check out Slick Shoes. These guys were young teenagers when they started out. All five of their full length albums are solid. My personal favorites are "Far From Nowhere", "Burn Out" and "Slick Shoes" though I like all of them. Nothing wrong with some California skate punk!!

TEN SLICK SHOES SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Now's The Time
2. For Better, For Worse
3. Angel
4. Feeble
5. Alone
6. Darko
7. East On Tracks
8. Joe's Sick
9. So Much More
10. Another Day

Song Of The Week: 10/1/17

Song: "Alive"

Artist: Pearl Jam

Album: "Ten"

Year: 1991

Place Of Origin: Seattle, Washington

Years Active: 1990 - present



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Alive" is part autobiographical and part fiction. Pearl Jam vocalist Eddie Vedder has said that the first and third verse were based on the true story of his mother telling him that his stepfather was not his real father and that his real father had died. The second verse was the fictional part involving incest with his mother. "Alive" was the very first song that Eddie put lyrics to and the first song that Pearl Jam recorded as a band. It's part of the famous "Mamasan" trilogy, also including "Once" and "Footsteps", the three songs that were handed to Eddie on cassette by former Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Jack Irons. Pearl Jam had found their singer and the rest was history!. If you've seen the Pearl Jam VH1 Storytellers, Eddie tells a great story about "Alive", how the song had been a curse to him, with all the emotion of the news of his father and how he had to deal with it. But, he said over the years, the passion and energy that the crowd threw back to the band during "Alive" performances began to change the interpretation of the song. It became a celebration. The audience had lifted the curse!! Great story!! "Alive" is basically Pearl Jam's signature song. A definite anthem.

PEARL JAM DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1991 - Ten (Epic Records)
1993 - VS (Epic Records)
1994 - Vitalogy (Epic Records)
1996 - No Code (Epic Records)
1998 - Yield (Epic Records)
1998 - Live On Two Legs (Epic Records)
2000 - Binaural (Epic Records)
2002 - Riot Act (Epic Records)
2003 - Lost Dogs (Epic Records)
2004 - Live At Benaroya Hall (BMG Records)
2006 - Pearl Jam (J Records)
2009 - Backspacer (Monkeywrench/Universal Music Group)
2011 - Live On Ten Legs (Universal Music Group)
2013 - Lightning Bolt (Monkeywrench Records)

CURRENT STATUS OF PEARL JAM:

Pearl Jam came from the ashes of Mother Love Bone and exploded on the Seattle music scene in 1990. The band's debut album "Ten" is a landmark album which has been certified diamond. What does that mean? It means that album has sold massively worldwide! It also propelled the band to superstardom, almost before they knew what had hit them. At the forefront of the grunge explosion of the early 90's, along with bands like Nirvana, Alice In Chains and Soundgarden, Pearl Jam kept the heat on with their next two releases, 1993's "VS" and 1994's "Vitalogy". The pressures of being that big, that fast began to weigh on the band, especially vocalist Eddie Vedder and the band made a conscious effort to start pulling back the reigns. No more videos and less media obligations. They also did a 180 on their next album, "No Code". This was a much softer, more experimental side of the band and really an effort to change it up musically. Battles with Ticketmaster and going into a shell of sorts began to alienate the band from some of it's fans. The band itself was having some inner struggles and wondering if they were even going to co-exist much longer. Luckily, 1998's "Yield" was a return to form for the band. It also marked a full band collaboration whereas Vedder really took over creative reigns on "Vitalogy" and "No Code". From this album on, every band member would contribute to all future Pearl Jam releases. The early 2000's were a bit of a weird time for the band. "Binaural" and "Riot Act" were both good albums but seemed to be lacking something. The band also began offerering their bootlegs from every show available at this time, beginning with the "Binaural" world tour. Their bootlegs continue to be offered through their website to this day. This period also marked the biggest tragedy that the band was a part of, the 2000 Roskilde tragedy where 9 of their fans were trampled to death during their performance. In 2006, the country was becoming more and more split over the actions of the Bush administration post-9/11. The scene was ripe for a band like Pearl Jam to get their creative juices flowing and write what is perhaps their most political album yet, the self-titled "Pearl Jam", sometimes referred to as "Avocado". This album was a breath of fresh air to me. Urgent and hard hitting, an album with a definitive purpose. 2009's "Backspacer" is probably the band's most positive and fun album. The band's most recent effort was 2013's "Lightning Bolt". This album proved that Pearl Jam is still relevant in an ever-evolving music scene. The band also has plans to release a live album/dvd in the fall of 2017 called "Let's Play Two", which chronicles the band's two performances at historic Wrigley Field in Chicago in 2016. Pearl Jam's sound is a culmination of a slew of influences from The Who, The Ramones, Kiss, Neil Young, Dead Kennedys, Pink Floyd and many, many more! Of the 4 major grunge bands to emerge from the early 90's, Pearl Jam's sound always commanded arena crowds. Their music is powerful. Their lyrics personal and emotional. They have influenced hundreds of rock bands who came after them. They are equally comfortable playing arena anthems ("Alive"), acoustic ballads ("Elderly Woman"), punk influenced hardcore ("Mind Your Manners") and groove laced stompers ("Evenflow"). The band takes more time between albums as they tend to focus more time on their growing families as well as keeping busy with solo and side projects, but they always get back together to tour all over the world and their shows are always epic and must see performances that rival Springsteen and the Grateful Dead. I'd say they are overdue for a new album. Perhaps the band will be inspired by their induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2017 or the current political turmoil in the United States and drop another aggressive album with a purpose!

TEN PEARL JAM SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Alive
2. Release
3. Yellow Ledbetter
4. Corduroy
5. Rearviewmirror
6. Go
7. Given To Fly
8. Not For You
9. In My Tree
10. Light Years