This is a weekly blog to let you in on what song and/or band that i've been feeling for that particular week. Music will always be a very important part of my life. I see it as the soundtrack for memories that bring you back to a certain place and time and new songs help to create new memories. Hope you enjoy!! :)
The title of "Quit Being A Pussy" pretty much speaks for itself! The vocalist is calling out those people who are afraid to take a stand, who are afraid to take a chance and who are slaves to their own addictions.
AMERIKAN MADE DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):
1996 - The Real Difference Is The Price (self-released)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
2004 - Amerikan Made (Our Own Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
2007 - Decade Of Regression (Empiracal Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
2014 - Time (self-released)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
MY THOUGHTS ON AMERIKAN MADE:
Amerikan Made formed as a band back in 1994, hailing from Huntington Beach, California. The band self-released their debut full length album in 1996, titled "The Real Difference Is The Price". It wouldn't be till 8 years later that they dropped their sophomore effort, 2004's "Amerikan Made". The band followed up that with "Decade Of Regression" in 2007 and their most recent release was 2014's "Time". It's amazing, these guys have been around for almost 30 years now! On top of that, they are totally underground. For that much time together, they don't have many releases. They have, however, always seemed to be a touring band and they are still playing shows to this very day, mostly in southern California where they are from. Amerikan Made's style is basically hardcore punk with a street and political edge. I started getting into these guys in 2007. "Kalifornia Screamin" was the first song I heard by the band and I've been a fan ever since. Get in the studio boys!! Let's make some new music for that 30 year anniversary coming up!
The Dangerous Summer lead vocalist AJ Perdomo gave a detailed quote about "Catholic Girls". Here it is: "I wrote the song about mine and Cody’s home town of Ellicott City. It’s about growing up, growing apart, loss of innocence, and just that whirlwind that pulls you in and out of where you came from. I get really specific and personal in this song, because it came out of me that way. The funny thing about the reference to Catholic girls is; Cody and I used to only go for private school girls at a certain point in life. I don’t know what it was, or who we thought we were, being from a public school ourselves; but it was classic us. The name Virden is the last name of my high school girlfriend, and her family who took good care of me. Loriann was a very close friend to the band’s mother. We spent years in that basement literally growing up together, until she was in a horrible car accident one night, and passed away. It was a pivotal moment for how we felt about the place we came from. I know everyone can relate to the ‘should I stay or should I go now’ mentality that starts its plague around the age of 18. This is my ode to those years. I will never forget where I came from.” This version of "Catholic Girls" is the "Revisited" version taken from the "Golden Record" Deluxe Version.
THE DANGEROUS SUMMER DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):
2009 - Reach For The Sun (Hopeless Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
2011 - An Acoustic Performance Of Reach For The Sun (Hopeless Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
2011 - War Paint (Hopeless Records)
* peaked at #149 on the Billboard 200 on 8-6-11
2013 - Golden Record (Hopeless Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
2018 - The Dangerous Summer (Hopeless Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
2019 - Mother Nature (Hopeless Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
2020 - Live In Baltimore 2019 (Hopeless Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
2022 - Coming Home (Rude Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
MY THOUGHTS ON THE DANGEROUS SUMMER:
The Dangerous Summer is a Maryland based band that formed back in 2006. In 2007, the band released an EP that caught the ear of Hopeless Records who in turn re-released the EP, beginning what would be a 12 year relationship with the band. Their debut full length studio album was released in 2009, titled "Reach For The Sun". This album hit #42 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart. In 2011, the band released an acoustic version of "Reach For The Sun" as well as releasing their follow up full length, "War Paint". This album peaked at #149 on the Billboard 200 charts, making it the only The Dangerous Summer album to enter that chart. In 2013, "Golden Record" was released. In 2014, lead vocalist AJ Perdomo decided to leave that band as he and bandmate, Cody Payne, just couldn't work together anymore. A few years later, Payne had to serve a year in prison for burglary and in 2017, The Dangerous Summer reunited with AJ Perdomo and Cody Payne posted online that he had left the band. The Dangerous Summer wrapped up their deal with Hopeless Records by releasing 2018's "The Dangerous Summer", 2019's "Mother Nature" and 2020's "Live In Baltimore 2019. The band's most recent album was 2022's "Coming Home", released through Rude Records. The Dangerous Summer is a pop punk/melodic rock/alternative rock type of band. They were highly influenced by bands like Third Eye Blind and Jimmy Eat World. I started listening to these guys in what I call my "Taking Back Sunday years"! This was a period of time from the mid 2000's where I really got on a pop punk/melodic rock trip. The Dangerous Summer falls right in line with that style. I always felt that these guys were closer to the top of that food chain. Very good songs, good vocals. Great to see that their little hiatus in 2014 was short lived and The Dangerous Summer is still going strong.
SIMILAR ARTISTS:
The Starting Line
Transit
The Early November
Acceptance
Armor For Sleep
TEN THE DANGEROUS SUMMER SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:
"Luv Story" appears to be a song about how love can rock your world! If you find real love it can be a roller coaster of emotions, from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. But for real love, you'll go through anything to be with that person.
THE DARLINGS DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):
2012 - The New Escape (self-released)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
2014 - Made Of Phantoms (Echotone Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
2016 - Live Attack (Hardline Entertainment)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
MY THOUGHTS ON THE DARLINGS:
The Darlings formed as a band back in 2005, hailing from the South Bay in California. The band's first release was a self-titled EP in 2008. Their debut full length studio album came in 2012, titled "The New Escape". The band followed that up with their sophomore effort, 2014's "Made Of Phantoms". The Darlings' most recent release was a live album in 2016 called "Live Attack". The Darlings lead singer and songwriter, Buddy Darling, was influenced by a lot of bands, from Social Distortion to The Cult to Chuck Berry to Nirvana. It was Nirvana's "Nevermind" that really lit the fire in him to pursue music as a career. Very early on in The Darlings journey, they received help from two legendary punk outfits, Pennywise and Strung Out, specifically Strung Out frontman Jason Cruz really took a liking to The Darlings and really gave the band tons of support. While The Darlings are rooted in punk rock music, their style is more wide ranging than that. There are elements of southern blues, alternative rock and 50's and 60's rock and roll, of course with that touch of punk thrown in. I first got into these guys when I heard the song "Broken Heart Still Beating" from their 2012 "The New Escape" album. What a great song! These guys are a really strong band. They kinda remind me of The Gaslight Anthem in that, though their rooted in punk, you really feel that rock and roll vibe. Unfortunately, it seems these guys are no longer a band or if they are, it is very hard to find any new information on them. Their Facebook page has no posts on it and a link to a webpage that is no longer functioning. I assume they called it a wrap in 2016 and offered up the live album as a thank you to their fans. Hopefully i'm wrong because this was a really good band.
"Better Than All Of Us" appears to be about having the wool pulled over your eyes. I get the sense that the vocalist is speaking of those in control. Sort of like a haves and have nots type of song where the every day, ordinary people don't have any control.
THIS IS A STANDOFF DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):
2007 - Be Excited (Effervescence/Feuzeul Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
2009 - Be Disappointed (Animal Style Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
MY THOUGHTS ON THIS IS A STANDOFF:
This Is A Standoff is a band from Calgary, Alberta in Canada who got their start back in 2007. The band formed out of the ashes of the band Belvedere. The band's debut full length album was released in 2007, called "Be Excited". They followed that up with their sophomore full length, "Be Disappointed" in 2009. The band's most recent release was an EP in 2011 titled "Be Delighted". The band announced their break-up in 2012 stating that This Is A Standoff was always considered a side project for the band members involved. Though the band hasn't recorded anything since 2011, they have performed live on occasion after their break-up, most recently playing in Europe in 2018. They have also been releasing all their albums on vinyl and have been actively shopping those albums on their Facebook page. These guys definitely play a brand of fast, technical style punk rock similar to that of A Wilhelm Scream. I definitely found out about these guys through the dyingscene.com website. I've never been much of a Belvedere fan but This Is A Standoff was right in my wheelhouse when it came to punk rock music. It's a shame the guys only saw this band as a side project cuz I thought there was definitely some potential here.
SIMILAR ARTISTS:
Much The Same
A Wilhelm Scream
No Trigger
Strung Out
Pulley
TEN THIS IS A STANDOFF SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:
"Never In Reverie" is a song that appears to be about being in a really dark place. The vocalist describes being cold, shivering, bleeding. He feels he's being pulled down by demons as he gasps for air. If "reverie" is a state of being pleasantly lost in one's thoughts, he is the opposite of that. There's nothing pleasant about what he's going through.
FROM FIRST TO LAST DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):
2004 - Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has A Bodycount (Epitaph Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
2006 - Heroine (Epitaph Records)
* peaked at #25 on the Billboard 200 on 4-8-06
2008 - From First To Last (Suretone/Interscope Records)
* peaked at #81 on the Billboard 200 on 5-24-08
2010 - Throne To The Wolves (Rise Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
2015 - Dead Trees (Sumerian Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
MY THOUGHTS ON FROM FIRST TO LAST:
From First To Last formed as a band back in 1999, hailing from Tampa, Florida. Originally called First To Last, the band's first release was an EP called "Aesthetic" which featured vocals by Phillip Reardon. Reardon soon left the band and they changed their name officially to From First To Last and brought on Sonny Moore to be the lead singer. The band dropped their debut full length album in 2004, "Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has A Bodycount" through legendary punk label Epitaph. For the band's follow up album, 2006's "Heroine", Limp Bizkit's Wes Borland was brought in to record the bass tracks. He also toured with the band for several shows and looked like he was going to officially join From First To Last but he had too many other commitments. Vocalist Sonny Moore left the band in 2007 due to the strain on his vocal chords. He would go on to have major success as an electronic artist and producer under the moniker Skrillex. At this point, lead guitarist Matt Good took over lead vocal duties for the band's next two releases, 2008's "From First To Last" and 2010's "Throne To The Wolves". After this album, Good said that the band was going on a hiatus. In 2013 however, the band returned with yet another lead singer, Spencer Sotelo. In 2015, FFTL released their most recent full length album, "Dead Trees". In 2016, Sotelo left the band. Cue 2017!! Sonny Moore returns to the band as lead vocalist and the band debuts the stand alone single "Make War". From First To Last is a post-hardcore band at it's core. They have a dark vibe to them, kinda like My Chemical Romance or bands of that ilk. I think the thing that hurts the band is just the lack of continuity at the lead singer position. Because the singer, for better or worse, is the voice of the band, I think it's hard to really build momentum as a band when your vocals change nearly every album. I got into From First To Last right around their first album "Dear Diary...". "Note To Self" was the first track I heard by the band and to this day is my favorite. I'm glad Moore returned to the band as the albums with him as lead vocalist were my favorite by the band. Recently, Matt Good kinda hinted that FFTL may be done as a band but nothing officially has come out that they have disbanded.
SIMILAR ARTISTS:
Senses Fail
Hawthorne Heights
Scary Kids Scaring Kids
Aiden
A Static Lullaby
TEN FROM FIRST TO LAST SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:
