Song Of The Week: 12/29/19

Song: "My Way"

Artist: Have Nots

Album: "Serf City USA"

Year: 2008

Place Of Origin: Boston, Massachusetts

Years Active: 2006 - present



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"My Way" appears to be a song about how two friends can go on totally opposite paths in life. The vocalist describes how he and his friend used to get high all the time but, the vocalist kind of found what his passion was, music. He wouldn't let drugs get in the way of him fulfilling his dreams. His friend may have had the same dream at one point in time, but addiction took hold and took him to a dark place. This is like a "man.. what ever happened to that dude?" type of song!

HAVE NOTS DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2008 - Serf City USA (Paper + Plastick Records)
2011 - Proud (Paper + Plastick Records)

CURRENT STATUS OF HAVE NOTS:

The Have Nots, from Boston, Massachusetts, got their start as a band back in 2006. The band basically formed when members of the bands Stray Bullets and Chicago Typewriter decided to band up and record some tunes together. Very early on, the Have Nots were getting the support of local legends The Mighty Mighty BossTones and soon, they hooked up with punk label Paper + Plastick Records to record their debut album, 2008's "Serf City USA". They would follow that album up three years later with their sophomore effort, 2011's "Proud". This album features one of my favorite songs of all time, "Louisville Slugger". That is just a bad ass punk rock song!! Over the years, Have Nots have shared the stage with many legendary punk rock acts, Dropkick Murphys, Anti-Flag, Street Dogs and Swingin' Utters to name a few. Around 2013, guitarist Matt Pruitt joined fellow Boston band Street Dogs. Have Nots last played what really was a reunion show of sorts back in 2015. Lead vocalist Jon Cauztik has been focusing his time more and more on his previous band, Stray Bullets at this time but there was never any announcement that the Have Nots have disbanded so perhaps, they will surface again. The Have Nots are a punk rock band that infuses some elements of ska punk in their sound. They are an awesome band. I wish they were still putting out records but as I said before, Jon Cauztik is still putting out music with the Stray Bullets and Have Nots are really an extension of that band. If you like bands like Stray Bullets, Far From Finished, The Ducky Boys, Blacklist Royals or The Riot Before then you would definitely enjoy the music of Have Nots. Do yourself a favor.. Just check out the video for "Louisville Slugger". Fuckin' sick, sick song!! Great f'n band!!

TEN HAVE NOTS SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Louisville Slugger
2. Poisoned Antidote
3. Proud
4. One In Four
5. Used To Be
6. White Man In Hammersmith Palais (The Clash cover)
7. Dead Man
8. All Or None
9. SBC
10. There's Gonna Be A Riot

Song Of The Week: 12/22/19

Song: "Pen & Paper"

Artist: The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

Album: "Lonely Road"

Year: 2008

Place Of Origin: Middleburg, Florida

Years Active: 2003 - present



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Pen & Paper" appears to be a song about a person, or people, that you thought once were cool, but the more you learn about who they really are, they come off as more and more fake. The vocalist seems like he wants to rid his life of all the fake people that surround him.

THE RED JUMPSUIT APPARATUS DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2006 - Don't You Fake It (Virgin Records)
2008 - Lonely Road (Virgin Records)
2011 - Am I The Enemy (Collective Sounds)
2014 - 4 (self-released)
2018 - The Awakening (self-released)

CURRENT STATUS OF THE RED JUMPSUIT APPARATUS:

The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus formed as a band back in 2003, hailing from Florida. The first couple of years as a band was spent writing songs, recording demos and gaining an audience through relentless touring. Many of those early demos would eventually show up on the band's debut full length album, 2006's "Don't You Fake It". Thanks in large part to the success of their hit single, "Face Down", "Don't You Fake It" would eventually be certified platinum, making it The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus' most successful release. Their follow up, 2008's "Lonely Road", would peak at #14 on the Billboard 200 charts. In 2011, the band released "Am I The Enemy", my personal favorite album by the band. By this point, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus was no longer a major label band. They decided to self-release their fourth album, the aptly titled "4". The band's most recent release, "The Awakening", hit the market in 2018. The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus is your typical pop punk/alternative rock band with hints of emo. The majority of their songs revolve around catchy hooks and melodies. Very radio friendly. Their style of music has never been my personal favorite genre, but I always dug their sound, maybe moreso than many other similar bands. There has been several band members that have come and gone in this band with the one true constant being lead singer Ronnie Winter. The band has also been very active. Along with their five full length releases, the band has also released five EP's, all in a span of twelve years! If you're a fan of bands like Story Of The Year, Hawthorne Heights, Sugarcult, The Used or Silverstein, then you would most likely enjoy the music of The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.

TEN THE RED JUMPSUIT APPARATUS SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Angel In Disguise
2. Face Down
3. Am I The Enemy
4. Your Guardian Angel
5. You Better Pray
6. Pen & Paper
7. The Right Direction
8. The Awakening
9. California
10. On Becoming Willing

Song Of The Week: 12/15/19

Song: "The Nigga Ya Love To Hate"

Artist: Ice Cube

Album: "Amerikkka's Most Wanted"

Year: 1990

Place Of Origin: Los Angeles, California

Years Active: 1986 - present



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"The Nigga Ya Love To Hate" is a continuation of the street knowledge that Ice Cube displayed when he made a name for himself in the infamous rap group N.W.A. It would be the first single for Ice Cube as a solo artist and really the first glimpse of his lyrical skills outside of the N.W.A. shadow. The song and the album proved that Ice Cube was, and still is, one of the premier lyricists and rappers in hip hop history. It ain't about preaching to people. It's about shining a light on the ills of society.

ICE CUBE DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1990 - AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (Priority Records)
1991 - Death Certificate (Lench Mob/Priority Records)
1992 - The Predator (Lench Mob/Priority Records)
1993 - Lethal Injection (Lench Mob/Priority Records)
1994 - Bootlegs & B-Sides (Priority Records)
1998 - War & Peace Vol. 1 (The War Disc) (Lench Mob/Priority Records)
2000 - War & Peace Vol. 2 (The Peace Disc) (Lench Mob/Priority Records)
2006 - Laugh Now, Cry Later (Lench Mob/EMI Records)
2008 - Raw Footage (Lench Mob/EMI Records)
2010 - I Am The West (Lench Mob/EMI Records)
2018 - Everythang's Corrupt (Lench Mob/Interscope Records)

CURRENT STATUS OF ICE CUBE:

Ice Cube got his start in hip hop back in 1986, originally in a group called C.I.A. The South Central Los Angeles native eventually struck up a friendship with Dr. Dre, who was in the World Class Wreckin' Crew at the time. With the help of local drug dealer Eazy-E, and Eazy's friend from the neighborhood, MC Ren, the guys banded together to form N.W.A. and history was made. If Ice-T put west coast gangsta rap on the map, N.W.A. exploded it into the stratosphere! The band's debut album, "Straight Outta Compton" was, and is, the blueprint for the way gangsta rap should be done. But, all things don't end well. Cube, who wrote not only his lyrics, but at least half of the lyrics for Eazy-E and Dr. Dre, felt he should be compensated more for his efforts in the group. After not being able to come to a contractual agreement with the groups manager, Jerry Heller, Cube decided to part ways and go solo. He enlisted the help of Public Enemy's production team, The Bomb Squad, to help him with his debut solo album. 1990's "AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted" proved that Cube could not only stand on his own, he was well on his way to climbing the mountain of greatest emcee's in the game. Cube came firing out the gates. Four full length albums and an EP in a four year span. "AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted", 1991's "Death Certificate", 1992's "The Predator", 1993's "Lethal Injection" and of course the 1990 EP "Kill At Will". It was during this period that Ice Cube was at his peak in hip hop and could easily be argued as a top four, Mount Rushmore of emcee's. "Death Certificate" featured the fiery N.W.A. diss track "No Vaseline", making Cube a fierce diss emcee. "The Predator" would go double platinum, peak at #1 on the Billboard 200 charts and become Cube's best selling album. "Lethal Injection" saw Cube get into that g-funk style that was super prevalent at the time in L.A. gangsta rap music. Cube's next four albums, 1998's "War & Peace Vol. 1", 2000's "War & Peace Vol. 2", 2006's "Laugh Now, Cry Later" and 2008's "Raw Footage" continued a streak of Ice Cube album's charting #7 or higher on the Billboard 200 charts dating back to "Death Certificate". Cube would drop two more albums in the 2000's, 2010's "I Am The West" and 2018's "Everythang's Corrupt". When hip hop was Cube's main focus, he was a beast. He was dropping albums every year and they were legendary to boot! His music career began taking a back seat to his acting and directing career. Making movies began taking up more and more of his time. He would always eventually get back in the studio but his later albums would just show flashes of his younger self. Songs like "Why We Thugs" and "Everythang's Corrupt" show that there's still that fierce, political rapper inside but the urgency and the in your face aggression of his early 90's material isn't quite there still. That comes with getting older I suppose. Still, Ice Cube has to be respected as one of the greatest artists in hip hop history. He's be on my Mount Rushmore of emcee's for sure. Right now, my Mount Rushmore of rappers would be Cube, Kool G. Rap, KRS-One and Paris. That could change in a week though! If you really want to check out Cube at his best, check out all his work from N.W.A.'s "Straight Outta Comption", right through 1993's "Lethal Injection". Also, check out his work in the west coast super gangsta group Westside Connection which also featured gangsta rap stalwarts WC and Mack 10.

TEN ICE CUBE SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. When Will They Shoot
2. The Nigga Ya Love To Hate
3. No Vaseline
4. My Summer Vacation
5. Once Upon A Time In The Projects
6. Why We Thugs
7. It Was A Good Day
8. Ghetto Bird
9. Endangered Species (Tales From The Darkside) (featuring Chuck D.)
10. Wicked

Song Of The Week: 12/8/19

Song: "Shine"

Artist: Avail

Album: "Reaching Out"

Year: 1990

Place Of Origin: Richmond, Virginia

Years Active: 1987 - present



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

I have no clue!! I can't find the lyrics anywhere on the net for this song and because it's such an early recording on a self-released album, the recording isn't quite clear enough to decipher what the lyrics are. What I do know about the song is that Tim Barry, the long-time Avail vocalist, is actually playing drums as the band's original singer, Brian Stewart, is laying down the vocals.

AVAIL DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1990 - Reaching Out (self-released)
1992 - Satiate (Catheter-Assembly Records)
1994 - Live At The King's Head Inn (Old Glory Records)
1994 - Dixie (Lookout! Records)
1996 - 4AM Friday (Lookout! Records)
1998 - Over The James (Lookout! Records)
1998 - Live At The Bottom Of The Hill In San Francisco (Lookout! Records)
1999 - 6/29/97 (Fireside Bowl - Chicago, IL) (V.M.L. Records)
2000 - One Wrench (Fat Wreck Chords)
2002 - Front Porch Stories (Fat Wreck Chords)

CURRENT STATUS OF AVAIL:

These hardcore legends from Richmond, Virginia formed as a band back in 1987. As I said earlier, Brian Stewart was the band's vocalist for their first self-released album, "Reaching Out". Soon, drummer Tim Barry stepped out from behind the kit to become the band's lead vocalist. By 1992, the classic line-up of Avail with Barry on vocals released what many deem their proper debut album, "Satiate". In 1994, Avail signed a deal with infamous punk rock label, Lookout! Records. If you're a Green Day fan then you know Lookout! from their very early material. Avail dropped three classic album while on Lookout! 1994's "Dixie", 1996's "4AM Friday" and 1998's "Over The James". This was the heyday for Avail as a band, but they were far from done. In 2000, they signed a deal with another epic punk rock label, Fat Wreck Chords. The band dropped two albums on Fat Wreck, 2000's "One Wrench" and 2002's "Front Porch Stories". After the latter release, Avail toured sporadically up until 2007. After 2007, the band was pretty much on an indefinite hiatus. They didn't officially break up, but all of the band members were focusing on other projects, most notably Tim Barry and his solo, Americana/folk career. In 2019, Avail reunited to play some select shows. There has been no news regarding if the band intends to create any new music at this time but it's good to see them playing some live shows. While Avail never became greatly successful as a band, they do have an aura of legendary status in hardcore punk circles. Their hometown of Richmond, Virginia has always championed this band and takes a lot of pride in calling Avail their own. I'm not so much torn on the fact that they are not as present as they were in the 90's and early 2000's. That's because I love Tim Barry's solo material. Of all the punk rock frontmen who have dabbled in the solo/acoustic/folksy type music, in my mind Tim Barry is right at the top of that mountain. His solo albums are excellent. But, for those that want their hardcore fix, you should definitely check out the music of Avail. If you like bands like Propagandhi, American Steel, Hot Water Music, Dillinger Four or Good Riddance, you would most likely enjoy the music of Avail.

TEN AVAIL SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Simple Song
2. Union
3. West Wye
4. Black And Red
5. August
6. Taken
7. Blue Ridge
8. Virus
9. Cross Tie
10. Beliefs Pile