SONG OF THE WEEK: 12/25/22

SONG:  "Are You The One"

ARTIST:  Basement

ALBUM:  "Be Here Now" cd single

YEAR:  2019

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Ipswich, Suffolk, England

YEARS ACTIVE:  2009 - present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Are You The One" appears to be a song about a cry for help. The vocalist appears to be seeking someone who can guide him in the right direction. Is it that he's suicidal? Maybe. Whatever it is, he seems to need some guidance and direction in his life.

BASEMENT DISCOGRAPHY:  (Full length albums only):

2011 - I Wish I Could Stay Here (Run For Cover Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2012 - Colourmeinkindness (Run For Cover Records)

* peaked at #188 on the Billboard 200 on 11-10-12

2016 - Promise Everything (Run For Cover Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2018 - Beside Myself (Fueled By Ramen Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON BASEMENT:

Basement formed out of the ashes of the band In This For Fun. Their first release would be an EP in 2010 called "Songs About The Weather". After this release, the band signed with Run For Cover Records. Their debut full length album came out in 2011, titled "I Wish I Could Stay Here". Their next release, 2012's "Colourmeinkindness" would prove to be their most successful album, peaking at #188 on the Billboard 200 charts. The band went on a semi-hiatus for 2 years at this point for personal reasons but came back in 2014 with the release of the "Further Sky" EP. The band rounded out their contract with Run For Cover with the 2016 release "Promise Everything". The band's most recent release was the album "Beside Myself" which was put out by Fueled By Ramen Records. The band has played live shows as recently as 2021. Basement's playing style has been referred to as melodic hardcore punk, sometimes considered "noise rock" as well. They're somewhere in that mix. I'd even say alternative rock with elements of punk. Whatever you want to call them, they are a really good band. I'm almost positive I found out about these guys through the dyingscene.com website probably in 2011 or 2012. My favorite album by the band is 2016's "Promise Everything". "Aquasun" is a great song that finds it's way on the majority of my playlists!

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Boston Manor

Trash Boat

Polar Bear Club

Transit

Four Year Strong

TEN BASEMENT SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Aquasun

2. Earl Grey

3. Be Here Now

4. Covet

5. Oversized

6. Grayscale

7. Are You The One

8. Whole

9. Disconnect

10. Cloud

SONG OF THE WEEK: 12/18/22

SONG:  "Comfort"

ARTIST:  Royal Psalms

ALBUM:  "Last Psalms"

YEAR:  2016

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Albany, New York

YEARS ACTIVE:  2013 - 2016

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Comfort" appears to be a song about not being comfortable in known environments. You often hear people talk about the comforts of home or the comforts of being in a place you are familiar with. The vocalist is the exact opposite of this. He feels stuck by the boring and mundane life he's leading in familiar settings. He wants to change his life and his environment.

ROYAL PSALMS DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

Royal Psalms never released a full length album. They only have an EP and a 2 song single in their catalog.

MY THOUGHTS ON ROYAL PSALMS:

Royal Psalms was a New York band that formed out of the ashes of the bands Daytrader, Crime In Stereo and Aficianado back in 2013. In 2015, the band dropped an EP titled "I Could Have Been Anything". While the band toured in 2015 to support this EP, the project seemed to be short lived. In 2016, they released 2 new songs that they had been working on and pretty much said that those songs were probably the last and that Royal Psalms was pretty much done at that point. Royal Psalms plays a style that's somewhat indie rock and alternative rock with a touch of grunge. I first heard of this band through DyingScene.com. "Dig" is the track that caught my ear the most from this band. That song almost sounds like it comes right out of 1994, in fact, I initially thought it was a cover song! Anyways, it's too bad these guys seemed to stop being a band as soon as they started. There was definitely some promise with this band but sometimes these things just don't work out.

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Banquets

Run Forever

Silver Snakes

Vinny Caruana

Hindsights

TEN ROYAL PSALMS SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Dig

2. Careful

3. Anything

4. Stagnant Water

5. Constants

6. Comfort

7. Slow Horse

8. Until It's Me

* Royal Psalms has only released 8 songs so I can't give ya 10!!

SONG OF THE WEEK: 12/11/22

SONG:  "Catholic Girls" 

ARTIST:  The Dangerous Summer

ALBUM:  "Golden Record" 

YEAR:  2013

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Ellicott City, Maryland

YEARS ACTIVE:  2006 - present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

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.” 

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:

1. Ghosts

2. LA In A Cop Car

3. The Permanent Rain

4. Catholic Girls

5. Where I Want To Be

6. War Paint

7. Bring Me Back To Life

8. Northern Lights (acoustic version)

9. Coming Home

10. Way Down

SONG OF THE WEEK: 12/4/22

SONG:  "3 Cigarettes"

ARTIST:  The Sleeping

ALBUM:  "Questions & Answers"

YEAR:  2006

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Long Island, New York

YEARS ACTIVE:  2003 - present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

Surprise, Surprise..."3 Cigarettes" is yet another break-up song! Here the vocalist constantly blames himself for the soured relationship even though she was the one who lied and wronged him. He's using addictions, cigarettes and alcohol, to numb the pain or just as a replacement to feel some sort of pleasure. It seems he would forgive her transgressions to have her back.

THE SLEEPING DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2004 - Believe What They Tell You (One Day Savior Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2006 - Questions And Answers (Victory Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2009 - What It Takes (Victory Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2010 - The Big Deep (Victory Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON THE SLEEPING:

The Sleeping rose from the ashes of the band Skycamefalling in 2003. These Long Island, New Yorkers booked their very first tour to support a self made, three song demo when they started out. They dropped their debut full length album in 2004, titled "Believe What They Tell You". This album and relentless touring earned them a spot on the Victory Records roster for their next three releases beginning with 2006's "Questions And Answers". Their 2009 album, "What It Takes", reached #20 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers chart and was their most successful album. The Sleeping's most recent release was the 2010 album "The Big Deep". In 2012, the band announced they were going on an indefinite hiatus. In 2016, the original line-up decided to play one farewell show. As it usually does, this one off show turned into several more live performances. Though the band members haven't said that they will focus 100% on The Sleeping and create new music, they still get together to perform live from time to time and are still pretty active on their Facebook page so perhaps they will decide to write some new material in the near future. I first heard of this band in 2009, I'm pretty sure I heard them on a compilation album but I don't quite remember the name of it. To me, their "What It Takes" album is their finest moment. These guys came out in the early 2000's, right when their was a big push on bands that were basically pop punk but with flashes of screamo and hardcore. Think Taking Back Sunday, Silverstein or The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, all of which The Sleeping toured with at one point in their musical career. The Sleeping never quite rose to the level of those three bands but they definitely have some killer songs in their catalogue.

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Silverstein

Senses Fail

Dead Poetic

Bayside

Thursday

TEN THE SLEEPING SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. You'll Be A Corpse Before Your Time

2. Bomb The World

3. Don't Hold Back

4. Dark Days

5. Stayin' Alive (Bee Gee's cover)

6. Loud And Clear

7. The Big Breakdown

8. Young Vibes...Don't Run Away From Me

9. If Your Heart Was Broken...You Would Be Dead

10. Anyone Night Stand