SONG OF THE WEEK: 11/1/20

SONG:  "In Ruins"

ARTIST:  Finch

ALBUM:  Demo, not on album

YEAR:  2015

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Temecula, California

YEARS ACTIVE:  1999 - 2016

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"In Ruins" appears to be a song about being in a pretty dark place. The vocalist seems to hate the person he has become and he's left in major despair. His only hope is for someone to pull him out of this terrible rut. Doesn't seem promising though.

FINCH DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2002 - What It Is To Burn (MCA Records)

* peaked at #99 on the Billboard 200 on 5-10-03

2005 - Say Hello To Sunshine (Geffen Records)

* peaked at #24 on the Billboard 200 on 6-25-05

2009 - A Far Cry From Home Tokyo 2009 (In-n-Out Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2014 - What It Is To Burn X Live (Tragic Hero Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2014 - Back To Oblivion (Razor & Tie Records)

* peaked at #103 on the Billboard 200 on 10-18-14

2015 - Steel, Wood & Whiskey (self-released)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON FINCH:

Finch formed as a band back in 1999, hailing from Temecula, California. Originally, the band was called Numb, which made some people wonder if they were a Deftones cover band. To avoid the confusion, the band changed their name to Finch, signed to Drive-Thru Records and released the EP Falling Into Place in 2001. The album that really put Finch on the map was their debut full length, 2002's "What It Is To Burn". The band's deal with Drive-Thru allowed the album to be distributed by major label MCA Records. The singles "Letters To You" and "What It Is To Burn" were both high points for Finch and it seemed they were chasing songs like that for the rest of their career.. Finch followed up "What It Is To Burn" with "Say Hello To Sunshine". This album proved to be a heavier and darker album and if they were pidgeonholed into being a post-hardcore band, this was the album that proved that they were. Cracks were developing within the band at this time however and in 2006, Finch announced they were going on hiatus. This hiatus proved to be short-lived however and in 2007, the band reunited and released a self-titled EP and began to work on a new full length. Again, problems persisted within the band and they disbanded for a second time in 2010. In 2012, the band's manager persuaded the band to get back together to perform a few shows to honor the 10th anniversary of "What It Is To Burn". A couple of shows led to more shows and eventually working on new songs which would become their third album, 2014's "Back To Oblivion". The band's most recent release was "Steel, Wood & Whiskey" in 2015. This was a self-released album that featured acoustic, re-worked renditions of some of Finch's classic tracks. By 2016, Finch officially announced they had broken up for good. The majority of the issues stem from creative differences between the band and their lead singer, Nate Barcalow. Early on Finch got tossed into pop punk/melodic punk circles and some considered them post-hardcore. I never quite looked at them that way, especially considering them punk. I don't really see them as a punk band. I'll let post-hardcore slide, especially on their 2nd album "Say Hello To Sunshine". I first caught wind of Finch when I heard "Letters To You". I really dug this song. Real catchy and poppy. It was the second song I heard by them, "What It Is To Burn", that made me go, ok, let me check these guys out a little more closely. I think they're a pretty solid band and I like all of their albums as well as a bunch of rare tracks they have out there if you can locate them. I'd put them on the higher end of tier 2 post-hardcore bands definitely. All of their studio albums charted, but I always felt they never lived up to that debut album. Not to say that their other albums weren't good, they absolutely were. Hopefully, the boys can settle their creative differences and work together again because I feel they are a band that still has something to say.

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Funeral For A Friend

Senses Fail

Matchbook Romance

Thursday

Armor For Sleep

TEN FINCH SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. What It Is To Burn

2. Letters To You

3. Bitemarks And Bloodstains

4. Worms Of The Earth

5. Two Guns To The Temple

6. Anywhere But Here

7. Monuments

8. New Beginnings

9. Play Dead

10. Inferium

SONG OF THE WEEK: 10/25/20

SONG:  "Haven't You" (acoustic version)

ARTIST:  Matt Skiba And The Sekrets

ALBUM:  "Haven't You" EP

YEAR:  2012

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Los Angeles, California

YEARS ACTIVE:  2012 - present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

Matt Skiba himself has said that he wrote "Haven't You" for his grandmother but also said it's a song for anyone who has lost someone near and dear to them. The song pays homage to someone who, even though they are no longer with you, they are a guardian angel who is always in your heart to help guide you through the bad times.

MATT SKIBA AND THE SEKRETS DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2012 - Babylon (Superball Music)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2015 - Kuts (Superball Music)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON MATT SKIBA AND THE SEKRETS:

Matt Skiba was born in Chicago, Illinois and he is no stranger to the punk rock scene. Of course, he is most recognized as the lead singer/guitarist for the punk band Alkaline Trio and from 1996 to the present day has seen that band release 12 studio full length albums plus countless EP's, 7" singles and compilation appearances. Skiba has also done various solo projects as well. He released a split acoustic cd with 7 Seconds frontman Kevin Seconds as well as releasing a demo album as a solo project. He had a short lived, electro punk band called Heavens. He had another shortlived project with drummer Atom Willard called theHELL which released one EP. In 2015, Skiba replaced Tom Delonge in Blink 182 and has released two albums with that band. For my song of the week, I'm focusing on Skiba's solo project called Matt Skiba And The Sekrets which formed in 2012 in Los Angeles, California. The band features AFI bassist Hunter Burgan as well as My Chemical Romance touring drummer Jarrod Alexander. The Sekrets were very similar in style to Alkaline Trio. The band's debut album, "Babylon", was released in 2012. This was my first introduction to the band, but I've been a huge Alkaline Trio fan for years since this Sekrets album dropped. I would say the song "Voices" is my favorite song by The Sekrets, in fact, I would put that song in the top 5 of a list that includes Alkaline Trio songs! "Voices" is just a great tune. The band would release one more album called "Kuts" in 2015. As I said earlier, Matt Skiba And The Sekrets is very similar in style to Alkaline Trio. Not hard to figure out why. Matt Skiba has a unique style to singing and songwriting that makes his music stick out from the crowd. I'm not sure if Skiba is going to release any more music with The Sekrets. I'm sure it's possible but most of his time now is focused on Alkaline Trio, who released the album "Is This Thing Cursed" in 2018 and Blink 182, who released the album "Nine" in 2019. Whether they drop new music or not, there's plenty of Matt Skiba material floating out there.

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Alkaline Trio

The Falcon

Blink 182

The Lawrence Arms

Dead To Me

TEN MATT SKIBA AND THE SEKRETS SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Voices

2. She Wolf

3. Haven't You

4. Krazy

5. Falling Like Rain

6. Luciferian Blues

7. Lonely And Kold

8. All Fall Down

9. I Just Killed To Say I Love You

10. Way Bakk When

SONG OF THE WEEK: 10/18/20

SONG:  "Downhill"

ARTIST:  The Bogarts

ALBUM:  "Better Than Before"

YEAR:  2009

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Thousand Oaks, California

YEARS ACTIVE:  2009 - 2014

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Downhill" is a song that appears to be about feeling like you're stuck in a particular place in life. Perhaps the sense of comfort with familiarity is confining the vocalist from getting up and leaving. You feel like he's describing a small town and the feeling that everyone is going to be there forever, and they're going to have kids that will be there forever and so on and so on. Who is gonna be the one to finally break the cycle and get out?!

THE BOGARTS DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2009 - Better Than Before (Self-Released)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2012 - Nothing To Call Our Own (Artistic Integrity Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOGARTS:

The Bogarts formed as a band back in 2009, hailing from Thousand Oaks, California. This four piece punk rock outfit formed when the guys were still in high school. The Bogarts self-released their debut album in 2009 called "Better Than Before". They followed that up in 2011 with an EP titled "Ideologies". The band's most recent release was the 2012 full length album "Nothing To Call Our Own". In 2014, The Bogarts changed their name to Tides and with the name change brought a stylistic change as well. They originally had a indie punk/D.I.Y. style as The Bogarts. When they became Tides, they were more alternative rock sounding. As Tides, they only released the double sided single "Lily/Nailbiter" in 2014. There really hasn't been a whole lot going on with this band in the last 6 years. The assumption is that they have broken up but there's not a whole lot of info out there on the band to confirm or deny that. I gotta give props to the DyingScene.com for connecting me with this band. They really grew with each release and while they sounded super raw on "Better Than Before", by the time they released "Nothing To Call Our Own", they seemed like they started finding something in their sound. It was surprising to me that they up and changed their name and style but then again, I'm not so sure they were ever gonna emerge from the pack of indie punk bands. I'd consider The Bogarts maybe a higher end 3rd tier punk band, possibly lower 2nd tier band.

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Moonraker

The Braces

The Flatliners

Heartsounds

From Plan To Progress

TEN THE BOGARTS SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Greetings From

2. The Mirror

3. To Whom It May Concern

4. Bridge Burners

5. Ideologies

6. Profiteering Scheme

7. K.K.B.

8. Formerly Known

9. Rise And Fall

10. The Runaway

SONG OF THE WEEK: 10/11/20

SONG:  "Vehicle City"

ARTIST:  The Swellers

ALBUM:  "My Everest"

YEAR:  2007

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Flint, Michigan

YEARS ACTIVE:  2002 - 2015

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Vehicle City" appears to be a song about leaving what you would call home behind. The vocalist appears ready to leave what he knows behind and move forward and start anew. He hopes that those he loves will go with him, but he understands if they change their minds and decide to stay. Come morning, he'll be gone, with or without those loved ones.

THE SWELLERS DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2004 - End Of Discussion (self-released)

* did not chart on Billboard 200

2007 - My Everest (Search And Rescue Records)

* did not chart on Billboard 200

2008 - Personalized Songs (PureVolume)

* did not chart on Billboard 200

2009 - Ups And Downsizing (Fueled By Ramen Records)

* did not chart on Billboard 200

2011 - Good For Me (Fueled By Ramen Records)

* did not chart on Billboard 200

2013 - The Light Under Closed Doors (No Sleep Records)

* did not chart on Billboard 200

2014 - B-Sides & Rarities (self-released)

* did not chart on Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON THE SWELLERS:

The Swellers formed as a band back in 2002. Michigan brothers Nick (guitar/vocals) and Jonathan (drums) Diener started the band. In 2004, the band self-released "End Of Discussion" but many consider 2007's "My Everest" their proper debut album. In 2009, the band signed a deal with Fueled By Ramen records and released "Ups And Downsizing". 2011's "Good For Me" is widely considered to be the band's best album with perhaps their most widely known track "The Best I Ever Had". In 2013, The Swellers moved to No Sleep Records for their album, "The Light Under Closed Doors". Most recently, the band self-released a B-Sides and rarities compilation in 2014. On May 1, 2015, The Swellers would perform their last concert and the band would officially break up. The Swellers are a melodic punk band with elements of pop and indie punk in their sound. I fell in love with this band the first time I heard "The Best I Ever Had". I just think that is a beautifully constructed melodic, pop punk song and the lyrical content strikes a cord as I was a teenager in the 90's when I fell in love with so many grunge bands and punk bands. It's a shame that The Swellers decided to call it quits. I think they are a vastly underrated band and Nick Diener is a really good songwriter. I consider The Swellers to be a top tier melodic punk band and I'm hoping the Diener brothers have a change of heart and maybe reunite the band. Could be wishful thinking on my part but hey, a guy can dream right?!

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Much The Same

The Menzingers

The Flatliners

Transit

Living With Lions

TEN THE SWELLERS SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. The Best I Ever Had

2. Sleeper

3. Big Hearts

4. Chasing Rainbows (No Use For A Name cover)

5. Bottles

6. Runaways

7. Fire Away

8. Running Out Of Places To Go

9. This Is My Everest

10. Got Social

SONG OF THE WEEK: 10/4/20

SONG:  "You Can't Quit Me Baby"

ARTIST:  Queens Of The Stone Age

ALBUM:  "Queens Of The Stone Age"

YEAR:  1998

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Palm Desert, California

YEARS ACTIVE:  1996 - present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"You Can't Quit Me Baby" appears to be a parody of blues legend Leadbelly's song "My Baby Quit Me". The Leadbelly song is about a man who is woeful that his woman left him, whereas Queens Of The Stone Age's "You Can't Quit Me Baby" is about a man who never actually got the girl, but refuses to let her go anyway. He's infatuated with her, in a stalkingly, creepy way.

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1998 - Queens Of The Stone Age (Loosegroove Records)

* peaked at #122 on the Billboard 200 on 6-4-11 (re-release)

2000 - Rated R (Interscope Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2002 - Songs For The Deaf (Interscope Records)

* peaked at #17 on the Billboard 200 on 9-14-02

* certified gold

2005 - Lullabies To Paralyze (Interscope Records)

* peaked at #5 on the Billboard 200 on 4-9-05

2005 - Over The Years And Through The Woods (Interscope Records)

* peaked at #186 on the Billboard 200 on 12-10-05

2007 - Era Vulgaris (Interscope Records)

* peaked at #14 on the Billboard 200 on 6-30-07

2013 - Like Clockwork (Matador Records)

* peaked at #1 on the Billboard 200 on 8-22-13

2017 - Villains (Matador Records)

* peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200 on 9-16-17

MY THOUGHTS ON QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE:

Queens Of The Stone Age formed out of the ashes on the band Kyuss in 1996. Originally called Gamma Ray, the band released an EP under that moniker in 1996, but were forced to change their name due to facing a lawsuit from a German band of the same name. The band chose to call themselves Queens Of The Stone Age from that point on. Their debut album dropped in 1998 which garnered them some interest from major labels. The band opted to sign with Interscope Records and released five albums under that label. The band's third album, 2002's "Songs For The Deaf", is the one that skyrocketed the band to fame. The hit singles "No One Knows" and "Go With The Flow" helped the album be certified gold. This album also features Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters and Nirvana fame on drums. Queens rounded out their Interscope deal with two really good albums, 2005's "Lullabies To Paralyze" and 2007's "Era Vulgaris". In 2013, Queens inked a deal with Matador records and dropped "Like Clockwork". This is the band's only album to hit the #1 spot on the Billboard 200. The band's most recent release was 2017's "Villains". Rumors were circulating in 2019 that Queens are working on a new album. The rumor was put out there by ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons who said that he contributed to some of the material and that Dave Grohl was once again a contributor as well. Queens Of The Stone Age is basically guitarist/vocalist Josh Homme's baby. He is the one constant in every album. It's his band. There have been a revolving door of band members and touring members and contributors through the years. Some notable artists that have appeared on Queens albums are Troy Van Leeuwen (A Perfect Circle), Nick Oliveri (Mondo Generator), Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees), Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters) and Alain Johannes (Eleven). The band's sound is often called "stoner" rock. Josh Homme likes to call their sound "robot rock" because of the repetition of the riffs. Almost if techno music was played through electric guitars. To me, their sound harkens back to 70's riff orientated rock like Led Zeppelin, Free and Deep Purple. I first got turned on to Queens Of The Stone Age from their song "No One Knows". I was struck by the groove of the song and the fact that the sound overall seemed very original to me. I think Queens is a really good band and Homme is super talented. I'm actually surprised that they only have one album that has been certified gold by the RIAA. In England, Canada and Australia, Queens has albums that have gone platinum as well as gold. It almost seems as if they are more successful outside the United States. Anyway, when it comes to "stoner" rock bands, Queens Of The Stone Age is the king of that mountain! They are a top tier riff rock band for sure.

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Them Crooked Vultures

Eagles Of Death Metal

Foo Fighters

Soundgarden

The White Stripes

TEN QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. No One Knows

2. Go With The Flow

3. Little Sister

4. Make It Wit Chu

5. The Way You Used To Be

6. The Lost Art Of Keeping A Secret

7. Sick, Sick, Sick

8. The Fun Machine Took A Shit & Died

9. My God Is The Sun

10. If Only