SONG OF THE WEEK: 9/27/20

SONG:  "Frustration & Releases"

ARTIST:  The Living Daylights

ALBUM:  "Ways To Escape"

YEAR:  2008

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Lincoln, United Kingdom

YEARS ACTIVE:  2007 - 2017

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

What is "Frustration & Releases" about? Good question! Fucked if I know!! I couldn't find the lyrics to the song anywhere on the net and after a few listens, really couldn't grasp enough lyrics to have an idea what the song's about. If it relates to the title, I assume the vocalist is speaking of things that frustrate him and perhaps the releases the help him deal with the frustrations. Or maybe it's frustration caused by his releases? I don't know!!

THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2008 - Ways To Escape (Fond Of Life Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2011 - What Keeps You Breathing (Lockjaw Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS:

The Living Daylights are a United Kingdom band that formed back in 2007. After being a band for about 12 weeks, they self-released an EP called "The Living Daylights". 2008 saw them release their debut full length studio album, "Ways To Escape". After touring to support the album all over Europe, their lead singer departed the band and vocal duties were taken over by bassist Danny Harrison. The first album to feature Harrison on vocals was 2011's "What Keeps You Breathing". Unfortunately, this would turn out to be the last album for the band. They toured to support the album for a few years but by 2015, there was not much activity going on in The Living Daylights camp. In 2017, the band decided to call it quits, playing one more goodbye show in their hometown of Lincoln. The Living Daylights are really just a melodic punk band. They are one of the many band's that I discovered through the DyingScene blog (get that site back up and running you cocksuckers!! Been almost a year you've been down!!). This was right around the time where I was really getting into punk bands like The Flatliners, The Menzingers and Polar Bear Club. I'd say The Living Daylights is in a similar vein to those bands but not nearly as good. No disrepect intended. The Living Daylights are a good band but there's nothing distinct about their sound. I'd say they are a lower 2nd tier melodic punk band, probably better served in tier 3. Like the majority of underground bands, it's very difficult to sustain what it takes to keep a band afloat. Like many before them, the guys in the band had to come to a decision to get real jobs and build a family or stick it out on the road. After 10 years together, the guys decided it was best to call it quits.

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Above Them

Leagues Apart

Banquets

Crazy Arm

How Dare You

TEN THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. These Roads

2. Undertow

3. Maps

4. A Thousand Lights

5. Maybe Escapes

6. Beyond This Town

7. Frustration & Releases

8. Sedative

9. In Between

10. The Sleeping

SONG OF THE WEEK: 9/20/20

SONG:  "The Letter"

ARTIST:  Hoobastank

ALBUM:  "For(N)ever"

YEAR:  2009

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Agoura Hills, California

YEARS ACTIVE:  1994 - present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"The Letter" appears to be a song about a bitter relationship where one partner starts to cheat on the other, the obvious sign being a letter from the partner's other lover. The worst part for the vocalist is that it appears the letter was left in a way that she wanted him to find it. Safe to say, that relationship is over!

HOOBASTANK DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1998 - They Sure Don't Make Basketball Shorts Like They Used To (Self-released)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2001 - Hoobastank (Island Records)

* peaked at #25 on the Billboard 200 charts on 2-9-02

* certified platinum

2003 - The Reason (Island Records)

* peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200 charts on 5-1-04

* certified 2X platinum

2006 - Every Man For Himself (Island Records)

* peaked at #12 on the Billboard 200 on 6-3-06

* certified gold

2009 - For(N)ever (Island Records)

* peaked at #26 on the Billboard 200 on 2-14-09

2009 - Live From The Wiltern (Island Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2010 - Is This The Day? (Island Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2012 - Fight Or Flight (Open E Records)

* peaked at #66 on the Billboard 200 on 9-29-12

2018 - Push Pull (Napalm Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON HOOBASTANK:

Hoobastank formed as a band back in 1994, hailing from Agoura Hills, California, just outside of Los Angeles. Originally, the band had kind of a funk style to their music, even incorporating a sax player. The band often gets tabbed as Incubus' little brother and for good reason. Both bands are from around the same area and they often played shows together in the early years. On top of the obvious, their sound is quite similar. After self-releasing an album in 1998, the band signed a deal with Island Records and dropped what many consider to be their proper debut record, 2001's "Hoobastank". With singles like "Crawling In The Dark" and "Running Away", Hoobastank soared to the top of the charts. Gone was the funk sound laced with saxophone solos and here was a straight forward, melodic rock record. This album would achieve platinum status and things were ready to explode for Hoobastank on their next album, 2003's "The Reason". "The Reason" proved to be Hoobastank's highest charting album, #3 on the Billboard 200, and their best selling album, achieving double platinum status. The title track from that album, "The Reason", is the band's most successful and popular single to date. 2006's "Every Man For Himself" was a successful record but did not achieve the same success as their previous two albums. It also started a downward spiral for the band as it pertains to album sales and success in general. Hoobastank finished out their deal with Island with one studio album, one live album and one acoustic album. 2012's "Fight Or Flight" proved to be Hoobastank's last charting album on the Billboard 200. The band's last studio album was 2018's "Push Pull". Hoobastank did re-release "The Reason" in 2019 to include a vinyl copy as well as bonus tracks to celebrate the 15 year anniversary of that album. As I said earlier, Hoobastank is a melodic rock band, I guess they could be considered alternative rock as well. At first listen, you draw instant comparison to the band Incubus. The band's are eerily similar in sound and in the vocals. Some call them a rip off of Incubus. I don't see it that way. I feel that Hoobastank is good enough to stand on their own, though I do agree that Incubus is a better band. I first got turned on to Hoobastank like the majority of people I assume did, with their self-titled album in 2001. "Crawling In The Dark" was the first track I heard by them and I don't think I've heard a better song by them since that day. That's not to say they don't have other good songs, they most certainly do. I don't think as a band that they ever really improved upon that first album, or first couple of albums at least. I'd consider them to be a 2nd tier melodic rock band. At this point, I don't see them having another "Crawling In The Dark" in them though.

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Incubus

Trapt

3 Doors Down

Finger Eleven

Story Of The Year

TEN HOOBASTANK SONGS THAT YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Crawling In The Dark

2. Inside Of You

3. Running Away

4. Out Of Control

5. So Close, So Far

6. If I Were You

7. My Turn

8. This Is Gonna Hurt

9. The Reason

10. More Beautiful

SONG OF THE WEEK: 9/13/20

SONG:  "Fruity Pebbles"

ARTIST:  Dillinger Four

ALBUM:  "Civil War"

YEAR:  2008

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Minneapolis, Minnesota

YEARS ACTIVE:  1994 - present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Fruity Pebbles" appears to be a song about hoping that you see someone that's left an indelible mark on you. You get the sense that the vocalist has met this person once before at a local bar and perhaps there was great conversation and chemistry but maybe the meeting ended without either of them exchanging personal information. It seems that the vocalist has returned to that same bar in hopes that this person will return and he can share his feelings towards her. As the night ends however, he finds himself drinking alone, most likely knowing that he may have let a good one slip away.

DILLINGER FOUR DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1998 - Midwestern Songs Of The Americas (Hopeless Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

1999 - This Shit Is Genius (No Idea Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2000 - Versus God (Hopeless Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2002 - Situationist Comedy (Fat Wreck Chords)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2003 - Live At First Avenue (LSD Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2008 - Civil War (Fat Wreck Chords)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2020 - The End. Live At The Death Of The Triple Rock (self-released)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON DILLINGER FOUR

Dillinger Four formed as a band back in 1994, hailing from Minneapolis, Minnesota. The band released a handful of EP's and split 7" singles early on. Most of these tracks were featured on a compilation the band released in 1999 called "This Shit Is Genius". The band's official debut full length would drop in 1998. Fresh with a deal with Hopeless Records, Dillinger Four dropped "Midwestern Songs Of The Americas". They would follow that up with 2000's "Versus God". At this point, Dillinger Four signed a deal with legendary punk label, Fat Wreck Chords. D4 released two full length albums with Fat Wreck to date, 2002's "Situationist Comedy" and 2008's "Civil War". The band has also released two live albums. 2003's "Live At First Avenue" features Dillinger Four playing one of the most famous music venues in the world, First Avenue in Minneapolis. This club was owned by Prince and D4 owns the prestigious honor of having their band's name on a star on the outside wall of that venue. The band's most recent release was a live album called "The End. Live At The Death Of The Triple Rock" which dropped in 2020. The Triple Rock Social Club was a music venue that D4 member Erik Funk co-owned from 1998 to 2017 when the venue closed it's doors. Dillinger Four definitely has that mid-western punk feel. Their songs have high energy as does their live performances. Though not hugely successful as a band, Dillinger Four is very well respected around punk rock circles. I kinda look at them as a lite version of The Lawrence Arms. I first heard of Dillinger Four through a friend of mine who let me borrow their "This Shit Is Genius" compilation. I would say the band's last two albums on Fat Wreck are my favorite by Dillinger Four. I would say that they're a lower 2nd tier punk band. A good band. I wouldn't go as far as great.

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

The Lawrence Arms

None More Black

Dead To Me

Dear Landlord

Banner Pilot

TEN DILLINGER FOUR SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Gainesville

2. Maximum Piss & Vinegar

3. Noble Stabbings

4. Doublewhiskeycokenoice

5. Fuzzy Pink Hand-Cuffs

6. Let Them Eat Thomas Paine

7. Minimum Wage Is A Gateway Drug

8. Bitethecurb, Bitethecurb

9. O.K. F.M. D.O.A.

10. Our Science Is Tight

SONG OF THE WEEK: 9/6/20

SONG:  "A Little Piece Of Heaven"

ARTIST: Avenged Sevenfold

ALBUM: "Live In The LBC"

YEAR: 2008

PLACE OF ORIGIN: Huntington Beach, California

YEARS ACTIVE: 1999 - present



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"A Little Piece Of Heaven" appears to be a romantic, yet very dark song, this is about a couple living together. The man fears that something will happen and their relationship will end, so he takes control and kills his girl, preserves her and rapes her dead body when needed. Soon she comes back from the dead and kills her man the same way he killed her. He is brought back from the dead and they get back together after he feels remorse for what he did. They get married in death for the rest of their unnatural life before they start killing other people. For my song of the week, I chose the live version of "A Little Piece Of Heaven" from Avenged Sevenfold's 2008 live album "Live In The LBC". The original studio version of the song can be found on the band's 2007 self-titled album, "Avenged Sevenfold".

AVENGED SEVENFOLD DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2001 - Sounding The Seventh Trumpet (Good Life Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2003 - Waking The Fallen (Hopeless Records)
* peaked at #10 on the Billboard 200 on 9-13-14
* certified gold

2005 - City Of Evil (Warner Bros. Records)
* peaked at #30 on the Billboard 200 on 6-25-05
* certified platinum

2007 - Avenged Sevenfold (Warner Bros. Records)
* peaked at #4 on the Billboard 200 on 11-17-07
* certified gold

2008 - Diamonds In The Rough (Warner Bros. Records)
* peaked at #24 on the Billboard 200 on 10-4-08
* certified platinum

2010 - Nightmare (Warner Bros. Records)
* peaked at #1 on the Billboard 200 on 8-14-10
* certified gold

2013 - Hail To The King (Warner Bros. Records)
* peaked at #1 on the Billboard 200 on9-14-13
* certified gold

2016 - The Stage (Capitol Records)
* peaked at #4 on the Billboard 200 on 11-19-16

2017 - Live At The Grammy Museum (Capitol Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON AVENGED SEVENFOLD:

When Avenged Sevenfold formed as a band back in 1999, they were very much a metalcore outfit. That style would be prevalent on their first two albums and though they did have some success with their sophomore album, 2003's "Waking The Fallen", it was their third album, 2005's "City Of Evil" which really propelled Avenged Sevenfold on the musical path to stardom. This album was their first release on a major label, Warner Bros., and it was also the first album that saw their style shift from metalcore to more of a heavy metal/hard rock sound. The screaming, gutteral vocals were a thing of the past at this point and hit singles like "Bat Country" and "Beast And The Harlot" made "City Of Evil" their very first platinum selling album. This was the beginning of a major run for Avenged Sevenfold as their next four album releases charted in the top 4, while three of them have been certified gold by the RIAA. Though success has followed the band since 2003, all was not great for the band. On December 28, 2009, their longtime drummer, James "The Rev" Sullivan passed away. The tragedy nearly caused the band to break up. Thankfully, the guys soldiered on and used The Rev's memory as inspiration to continue making music. The band's most recent release was an EP in 2018 titled "Black Reign". Avenged Sevenfold is a really good band. They kinda get a little bit of shit because they have walked in heavy metal circles as well as punk rock circles. Evidence of that is that they were regulars on the punk rock Warped Tours, yet they just as easily fill the bill when they've played the metal Ozzfest. The genre jumping has sometimes led people to criticize the band for not being "metal" enough or not being "punk". I say, who gives a shit?!! I'll be honest, I'm not a really big metal guy. I am much more punk rock than metal and I actually got introduced to Avenged Sevenfold through punk rock circles. Now, to be honest, the first time I heard Avenged Sevenfold was their "Waking The Fallen" album. That metalcore sound really didn't do it for me as i'm not a big fan of that type of music. Luckily, I gave the boys another chance and "City Of Evil" got me hooked no doubt. The band's follow up album to "City Of Evil", 2007's self-titled "Avenged Sevenfold" is my favorite album by the band but really from "City Of Evil" on, all of the albums have been really good. Vocalist M. Shadows is much better now that he doesn't sound like a "Grover" vocalist. To each his own, and I do still listen to bands that do clean and dirty vocals but, I'm kinda getting sick of the gutteral screaming. I find the vocalist all sound the same when they do that. I'll take clean vocals, or vocals that are scratchy or raspy but i'm kinda done with dudes that sound like Cookie Monster!! The band also features a dual guitar attack that is reminiscent of early 80's metal acts like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. Guitarists Synyster Gates and Zacky Vengeance often incorporate harmonizing guitar solos in Avenged Sevenfold's songs that harken back to those two legendary metal acts. All in all, for modern heavy metal/hard rock bands, Avenged Sevenfold is definitely a top tier act and the good news for fans of the band is that it appears the boys are hard at work on a brand new album which hopefully will see the light some time in 2020.

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Bullet For My Valentine
Atreyu
Stone Sour
Breaking Benjamin
Three Days Grace

TEN AVENGED SEVENFOLD SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Dear God
2. Beast And The Harlot
3. The Stage
4. Afterlife
5. St. James
6. So Far Away
7. Carry On
8. Almost Easy
9. Unholy Confessions
10. Hail To The King