Song Of The Week: 3/29/20

Song: "Stolage"

Artist: Taproot

Album: "Plead The Fifth"

Year: 2010

Place Of Origin: Ann Arbor, Michigan

Years Active: 1997 - present



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Stolage" appears to be a song about being back in control of who you are and the path that you want to follow. The song gives you the feeling of a pack of wolves or a gang moving forward to achieve a common goal and they are prepared to overcome any obstacle in their way or knock down any door that impedes them. You feel like there is an air of confidence in who they are, what they are about and where they intend to go.

TAPROOT DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1998 - Something More Than Nothing (Pimp Ass Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200

1999 - Upon Us (self-released)
* did not chart on Billboard 200

2000 - Gift (Atlantic Records)
* #160 on Billboard 200

2002 - Welcome (Atlantic Records)
* #17 on Billboard 200

2005 - Blue-Sky Research (Atlantic Records)
* #33 on Billboard 200

2008 - Our Long Road Home (Velvet Hammer Music)
* #65 on Billboard 200

2010 - Plead The Fifth (Victory Records)
* #107 on Billboard 200

2012 - The Episodes (Victory Records)
* #156 on Billboard 200

2018 - Besides (self-released)
* did not chart on Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON TAPROOT:

Taproot formed as a band back in 1997, hailing from the college town of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Early on, the band passed a demo to that stiff Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit. Luckily, they did the right thing and broke all ties with that moron and seeked the help of the guys of System Of A Down and even Ozzy Osbourne's son, Jack. Even though this decision left Mr. Durst butt hurt, Taproot did the right thing to veer away from that waste of life! Anyway.. though Taproot did put out a couple of albums in 1998 and 1999, their defacto debut album is considered to be 2000's "Gift". This album, as well as their next two would be distributed through major label Atlantic Records. It was 2002's "Welcome" that really put Taproot on the musical map however. This turned out to be the band's highest selling album, highest charting album and featured perhaps their most famous single, "Poem". In 2002, "Poem" was the #5 most played rock track! The record sales would dip from this album on, but still, all of their full length studio albums would chart on the Billboard 200. In 2010, Taproot signed on with Victory Records and created what I feel is their best album, "Plead The Fifth". The lead single, "Fractured (Everything I Said Was True)", is an awesome song and my personal favorite by the band. Taproot hasn't released a proper studio album since 2012's "The Episodes", though in 2018, they did release an 8-CD box set called "Besides", which features mostly b-sides and demos spanning their entire career. Word is that band has been working on new material for a new album since 2018. No word yet if they have finished up with that. Taproot is a nu-metal/alternative rock type band. I definitely hear a little Alice In Chains influence on their music, which tends to be dark, but with melodic elements. I got into this band when their album "Welcome" came out in 2002. Like a lot of people I assume, I think I caught their "Poem" video on MTV or something like that and I was immediately intrigued by the band. I was a little lukewarm to their next couple of albums, but as I said earlier, when I got "Plead The Fifth", I was super impressed. For me, that's their pinnacle. When it comes to nu-metal/alternative rock bands? I would place Taproot as a definite 2nd tier band, possibly a borderline top tier band. That being said, they are a really good band. This genre isn't quite my favorite type of music, but I do like a few bands like Taproot. And, the fact that they left that shitbox Fred Durst waiting at the altar back in the day makes me respect them even more!!

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Trapt
Staind
Chevelle
Trust Company
Smile Empty Soul

TEN TAPROOT SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Fractured (Everything I Said Was True)
2. Mine
3. Poem
4. Calling
5. Release Me
6. Again & Again
7. Wherever I Stand
8. No Surrender
9. The Everlasting
10. Birthday

Song Of The Week: 3/22/20

Song: "Harder Than You Know" (acoustic version)

Artist: Escape The Fate

Album: "This War Is Ours (Deluxe Edition)

Year: 2008

Place Of Origin: Las Vegas, Nevada

Years Active: 2004 - present



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Harder Than You Know" is yet another song about infidelity. The vocalist believed in his partner's lies that they would always be together and that nothing else mattered as long as they had each other. But, the vocalist knows that she has been unfaithful and he can feel her pulling away from him. He's still madly in love with her, but maybe he can see that this relationship is going nowhere so, he reluctantly lets her go. I chose the acoustic version of "Harder Than You Know" from Escape The Fate's "This War Is Ours" (Deluxe Version). The original version of the song can also be found on this album.

ESCAPE THE FATE DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2006 - Dying Is Your Latest Fashion (Epitaph Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200

2008 - This War Is Ours (Epitaph Records)
* #35 on Billboard 200

2010 - Escape The Fate (DGC Records)
* #25 on Billboard 200

2013 - Ungrateful (Eleven Seven Music)
* #27 on Billboard 200

2015 - Hate Me (Eleven Seven Music)
* #58 on Billboard 200

2018 - I Am Human (Eleven Seven Music)
* did not chart on Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON ESCAPE THE FATE:

Escape The Fate is a post-hardcore/metalcore/screamo type band. The original line-up of the band featured Ronnie Radke on vocals. This line-up actually won a radio contest that was voted on by the band My Chemical Romance. The win earned them an opening slot on the My Chemical Romance/Alkaline Trio tour. It also caught the attention of famed punk rock label Epitaph Records who promptly signed Escape The Fate. The band recorded their debut EP, 2006's "There's No Sympathy For The Dead", as well as their debut album, "Dying Is Your Latest Fashion", in that very same year. Despite the buzz that Escape The Fate was generating, their lead singer Ronnie Radke was having all kinds of legal issues. He was involved in an altercation where someone got shot and died. Though he was not the one who pulled the trigger, he was still indicted on battery charges. He was also sent to prison for missing an appointment with his probation officer. Radke's erratic behavior led to his dismissal from Escape The Fate in 2008. The band would continue on with former Blessthefall lead singer Craig Mabbitt on vocals. Mabbitt felt a little rushed to come up with lyrics and songs for his own debut in the band, 2008's "This War Is Ours", but he was much more in his comfort zone when the band released the self-titled "Escape The Fate" in 2010. This album was not only their highest charting album on the Billboard 200 (#25), it also reached #1 on Billboard's Hard Rock Album charts. This album benefitted from major label money and production as the band inked a short deal with DGC/Interscope Records. It was an album that the band was very proud of. The band would continue on under label Eleven Seven Music for their next three album releases, the most recent being 2018's "I Am Human". The song that got me into Escape The Fate was definitely "Situations". This was around the time when their were a lot of kinda goth/dark/metalcore/screamo bands coming out in the mid to late 2000's. Being associated with Epitaph certainly gave Escape The Fate some clout, even though Epitaph was primarily associated with skate punk bands and hardcore punk bands. Still, even though I wouldn't consider Escape The Fate punk rock, it still gives them some cred being on the same label as Bad Religion. I think "Dying Is Your Latest Fashion" is the band's best album. But i'm not a hardo for Ronnie Radke over Craig Mabbitt. I like both of them but, like I said, I really like "Situations" which Radke sang vocals on. Escape The Fate is pretty active as a band, releasing music every 2 to 3 years and they were pretty successful in an era when musical artists are having a harder and harder time selling their albums because of all the streaming and free downloading that goes on nowadays. For those Escape The Fate fans who preferred Radke on vocals, you can check out his band Falling In Reverse which he formed shortly after he was fired from Escape The Fate. Though their was originally some friction between Mabbitt and Radke, the two have cleared the air and are now friends. I would consider Escape The Fate a top tier band in the metalcore/screamo genre. This is not my favorite genre of music, but I do dabble in it from time to time.

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Falling In Reverse
A Day To Remember
From First To Last
Bullet For My Valentine
Story Of The Year

TEN ESCAPE THE FATE SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Situations
2. There's No Sympathy For The Dead
3. The Flood
4. Remember Every Scar
5. Liars And Monsters
6. Something
7. Massacre
8. One For The Money
9. Until We Die
10. Broken Heart

Song Of The Week: 3/15/20

Song: "Tangle With Your Mind"

Artist: Scott Weiland

Album: "Happy In Galoshes"

Year: 2008

Place Of Origin: San Jose, California

Years Active: 1985 - 2015



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Tangle With Your Mind" appears to be a song about infidelity in a relationship. The vocalist can tell that his partner has been unfaithful to him and he can read her actions and see through her lies and false alibis. You get the sense that he doesn't want to lose her or the relationship, but when honesty and trust has been broken, what do you really have?

SCOTT WEILAND DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1998 - 12 Bar Blues (Atlantic Records)
* #42 on Billboard 200

2008 - Happy In Galoshes (Softdrive Records)
* #97 on Billboard 200

2011 - A Compilation Of Scott Weiland Cover Songs (Softdrive Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200

2011 - The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year (Softdrive Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200

2015 - Blaster (w/ The Wildabouts) (Softdrive Records)
* #133 on Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON SCOTT WEILAND:

Scott Weiland's musical roots go back to 1985 when he met Robert DeLeo at a Black Flag concert. The two formed a band called Mighty Joe Young which soon added Robert's bother Dean and Eric Kretz in a union that would eventually become Stone Temple Pilots. Weiland and the Pilots would have a 14 year run, from 1989 till 2013. It wasn't always an easy relationship as Weiland dealt with drug issues throughout his life. Even with all the drama with their lead singer, Stone Temple Pilots became one of the biggest acts in rock music in the 90's and early 2000's. They would release six full length albums with Weiland on vocals before the turmoil eventually led to him being fired from the band in 2013. Weiland also fronted the supergroup Velvet Revolver from 2002 to 2008. This was basically the Guns N' Roses band with Weiland on vocals. This band had tremendous success but only released two full length studio albums. Some of the very same problems that plagued STP would hurt Velvet Revolver as well. Scott Weiland was a volatile individual and his unpredictablility hurt many of his relationships. VR would eventually disband in 2008, though the band did play one reunion show as a benefit concert in 2012. Scott fronted another band called Art Of Anarchy. He contributed vocals for the band's debut album but distanced himself from the project after it's release. He said he collaborated with the band and helped write the songs but was not officially a band member. The band went on to hire Creed frontman Scott Stapp as a replacement. Now we get to Weiland's solo career. During his time with STP and Velvet Revolver, Weiland always made a little time to put out some solo material. This probably happened at times when he was at odds with his bandmates. His solo material is much different from the material released with his bands. He's much more explorative with his solo stuff. I think you really see his love of the music of David Bowie and Bob Dylan and Pink Floyd with his solo material. Some of it is acoustic based. Some is electro and trippy. He really tries to branch out into genres that may have been impossible to do with the Pilots or Velvet Revolver. It gave him real artistic freedom to create whatever he wanted. That being said, Scott Weiland is one of the best hard rock singers of all time for a reason. He's best in a rock band setting. Still, his solo material is filled with some gems. He also has a cover song compilation he released in 2011 that features some great covers of David Bowie, Nirvana and The Rolling Stones to name a few. When the 20th anniversary was coming around of Stone Temple Pilots debut album "Core", the band had big plans involving an anniversary tour and other extras to celebrate that album. Unfortunately, all the turmoil between Scott and the band never allowed that to happen. Weiland would form a backup band called The Wildabouts and go on a "Purple To The Core" tour and celebrate that album on his own. Weiland's last solo release would also feature The Wildabouts. It dropped in 2015 and saw Scott get back to his rock band roots. Sometimes the whole myth of the rock and roll lifestyle meets with tragic ends. The end came for Scott Weiland on December 3, 2015 when he was found unresponsive on his tour bus in Minnesota. Though he's gone, Scott Weiland has left a lasting legacy on the rock and roll world. He's definitely one of the greatest rock vocalists of all time and a great frontman. While born out of the grunge era, Stone Temple Pilots turned out to be more glam than grunge and their influence is huge. Velvet Revolver was just a flash in the pan, but that flash burned bright. They injected life into rock and roll. Scott's solo material is full of songs that bare his soul. Whether his songs are about his failed relationships, his struggles with addiction or the loss of his brother, his music always has brutal honesty packed inside. It's amazing and really heartbreaking when I look back at the music of my generation and see the best of the best no longer with us. Scott Weiland, Kurt Cobain, Layne Staley and Chris Cornell. It sucks that we'll never get to hear new music from these legends.

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Stone Temple Pilots
Jerry Cantrell
Chris Cornell
Velvet Revolver
Eddie Vedder

TEN SCOTT WEILAND SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Way She Moves
2. Breathe
3. Fame (David Bowie cover)
4. 20th Century Boy (T. Rex cover)
5. Mockingbird Girl
6. Missing In Cleveland
7. Barbarella
8. The Jean Genie (David Bowie cover)
9. Paralysis
10. Into Your Arms (The Lemonheads cover)

Song Of The Week: 3/8/20

Song: "A Perfect Voice"

Artist: The Classic Crime

Album: "Vagabonds"

Year: 2010

Place Of Origin: Seattle, Washington

Years Active: 2004 - present



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"A Perfect Voice" appears to be a song about living your dream. You may not be the greatest at something and not everyone may like what you do, but if you have the passion for it, then by all means, continue doing it. If you're really passionate about something, keep doing it for you. Who cares what anyone else thinks? If it makes you happy, it makes you happy. For the vocalist, his passion is creating music and playing it live.

THE CLASSIC CRIME DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2006 - Albatross (Tooth & Nail Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200

2008 - The Silver Chord (Tooth & Nail Records)
* #123 on Billboard 200

2010 - Vagabonds (Tooth & Nail Records)
* #105 on Billboard 200

2012 - Phoenix (Goomba Music)
* #130 on Billboard 200

2014 - What Was Done: Volume 1 A Decade Revisited (BC Music)
* did not chart on Billboard 200

2017 - How To Be Human (BadChristian Records)
* #95 on Billboard 200

2020 - Patterns In The Static (self-released)
* did not chart on Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON THE CLASSIC CRIME:

The Classic Crime is a melodic/alternative rock band hailing from Seattle, Washington. The band got their start back in 2004 and quickly signed on with famed Christian punk label, Tooth & Nail Records. The band's debut album, "Albatross", made history for having the highest sales of any debut album on Tooth & Nail Records. Four out of the band's six albums would go on to chart on the Billboard 200 charts, the highest being 2017's "How To Be Human" which peaked at #95. My interest piqued in the band in 2010, when I got their "Vagabonds" album. To this day, "Four Chords" is my favorite song by the band. The boys just recently self-released the album "Patterns In The Static" in late February 2020. Not sure if there is a physical release for this album yet, but it is available digitally on The Classic Crime's bandcamp page as well as Itunes. A lot of people assume that The Classic Crime is a "Christian" band, mostly because of their association with Tooth & Nail Records. The band kinda shunned the term because not all the band members share the same thoughts on faith and the band allows everyone to have their own personal beliefs on religion. The Classic Crime is also a pretty active band, releasing music pretty consistently every two or three years. I'd call them a solid band. I don't think they seperate themselves too much from the pack of alternative rock/melodic rock bands, but they're pretty good and craft well written songs. I'd say they're a 2nd tier band in the alternative rock genre. Not too shabby!!

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Anberlin
Dead Poetic
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Thousand Foot Krutch
Acceptance

TEN THE CLASSIC CRIME SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Four Chords
2. The Coldest Heart
3. Salt In The Snow
4. Beautiful Darkside
5. The Fight
6. Solar Powered Life
7. Not Done With You Yet
8. Summer Of '92
9. The Precipice
10. Holy Water