Song: "(Memento Mori)"
Artist: Tim Barry
Album: "28th & Stonewall"
Year: 2010
Place Of Origin: Richmond, Virginia
Years Active: 1990 - present
WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:
"(Memento Mori)" appears to be a song about always keeping in motion, or moving forward. Sometimes life can get stagnant, but the vocalist seems at ease when he in on the road. No surprise this thinking comes from Tim Barry, a guy who is constantly on the road playing shows. There's a sense that, as long as you have time, you can strive to reach new goals that you set for yourself so, keep pushing forward and accomplish as much as you can before you die!
TIM BARRY DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):
2006 - Rivanna Junction (Suburban Home Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200
2008 - Manchester (Suburban Home Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200
2010 - 28th & Stonewall (Suburban Home Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200
2012 - 40 Miler (Chunksaah Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200
2013 - Laurel St. Demo 2005 & Live At Munford Elementary (Chunksaah Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200
2014 - Raising Hell & Living Cheap: Live In Richmond (Chunksaah Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200
2014 - Lost & Rootless (Chunksaah Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200
2017 - High On 95 (Chunksaah Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200
2019 - The Roads To Richmond (Chunksaah Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200
MY THOUGHTS ON TIM BARRY:
Tim Barry has been making music since 1990. Most notably, the Richmond, Virginia native made his mark as the lead singer for the legendary underground hardcore punk band Avail. Avail dropped six full length albums and several live albums and EP's right up till 2007 when they took a long hiatus. It was during this time that Barry began embarking on a solo career. This was somewhat of a trend for punk rock frontmen I'd say around the mid 2000's. They packed up their acoustic guitar and began performing stripped down sets. Some performed their band's songs in an acoustic setting, while others just pursued creating new songs to highlight this new stage in their musical careers. Tim Barry was the latter. Barry's songs are honest portrayals of life on the road, keeping family close and the struggle to make ends meet. His songwriting paints portraits. You almost feel as if you can picture the places he's singing about in your head. I was a casual fan of Avail, but when I got "Rivanna Junction", I was hooked! I think Barry's solo work blows Avail away. And i'm not a big country/folk fan either. I do respect old outlaw country like Johnny Cash or Willie Nelson. I think Tim Barry captures some elements of their music. It's brutally honest and painful and hard. Not hard in the sense of heavy music, but that life is hard and Tim Barry captures the struggle super poetically. When you're talking about acoustic/folk/punkers, Tim Barry is right up on the top of the mountain with Chuck Ragan of Hot Water Music in my opinion. These two guys got their shit together in this particular genre. Tim Barry's been pretty much releasing new solo albums every 2 to 3 years with his most recent being 2019's "The Roads To Richmond". He also found time for a reunion tour with Avail in 2019, but there is no news as to whether those hardcore legends will create new music in the future.
SIMILAR ARTISTS:
Chuck Ragan
Dave Hause
Dan Andriano In The Emergency Room
Sundowner
Mike Ness
TEN TIM BARRY SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:
1. Avoiding Catatonic Disaster
2. Thing Of The Past
3. No News From The North
4. Idle Idylist
5. South Hill
6. 40 Miler
7. Giving Up
8. Driver Pull
9. Wait At Milano
10. High On 95
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