SONG OF THE WEEK: 1-29-2023

SONG:  "Skyway" (The Replacements cover)

ARTIST:  Divided Heaven

ALBUM:  "American Roots Music:  Divided Heaven Sessions" EP

YEAR:  2014

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Los Angeles, California

YEARS ACTIVE:  2007 - present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

Here is what Paul Westerberg, the songwriter of "Skyway" had to say about what it's about:  "the song tells the story of a guy who’s down on his luck and rides the subway to maneuver through his dreary existence. Meanwhile, the object of his affection passes by him high above on the skyway as he watches and falls deeper in love." This is a cover version of the song by Divided Heaven. The original version was recorded by The Replacements and can be found on their 1987 album, "Pleased To Meet Me".

DIVIDED HEAVEN DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2012 - A Rival City (No Panic! Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2014 - Youngblood (Music Is None Of Our Business Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2018 - Cold War (Paper + Plastick Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2022 - Oblivion (A-F Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON DIVIDED HEAVEN:

Divided Heaven started out as a side project for vocalist/guitarist Jeff Berman in 2007. Berman, an east coast guy, moved to Los Angeles and began toiling with the idea of doing a solo project. It started with playing various shows as an acoustic performer and later became the project which became known as Divided Heaven. Berman was in many punk bands before this project, most notably as the frontman for the band Protagonist. Divided Heaven dropped their debut full length studio album in 2012, titled "A Rival City". This album really showcased Berman's songwriting abilities. They followed that album with 2014's "Youngblood". 2018 saw the release of "Cold War" and the band's most recent full length album was 2022's "Oblivion". Divided Heaven is quite the departure from Protagonist, which is more of a hardcore punk vibe. Divided Heaven almost sounds like what Green Day would sound like if they went acoustic or had a lighter sound. Berman's songwriting skills and sense of melody stands out for sure in Divided Heaven's music. I was a fan of Protagonist so that's how I first became aware of Jeff Berman's side project Divided Heaven. I'm more partial to Protagonist, but Divided Heaven is a good project that can easily stand on it's own.

SIMILAR ARTISTS: 

Protagonist

The Penske File

Banquets

Timeshares

The Drowns

TEN DIVIDED HEAVEN SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Safety Pinned Heart

2. Born-Again Non-Believer

3. Melissa Militia

4. The White Rose

5. Keystone

6. 1983

7. Monuments

8. Kateiswar

9. Dance With Old Habits

10. Burn Me

SONG OF THE WEEK: 1-22-2023

SONG:  "The Leo"

ARTIST:  Jared Hart

ALBUM:  "Past Lives & Pass Lines"

YEAR:  2015

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Bayonne, New Jersey

YEARS ACTIVE:  2004 - present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"The Leo" appears to be a song about a relationship that has stood the test of time. While the vocalist, Jared Hart, is young, it almost seems as if he's writing the song through the eyes of someone much older. Someone who has lived a long life with his significant other and the feelings of love for each other remains stronger than ever. 

JARED HART DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2015 - Past Lives & Pass Lines (Gunner Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2021 - Live From Crossroads (self-released)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON JARED HART:

Jared Hart has been kicking around the punk rock scene in New Jersey since 2004. He got his start with the band The Scandals as their vocalist and guitar player. After playing and recording music with The Scandals for almost 10 years, Hart began doing some solo acoustic tours which ultimately led him to releasing his debut solo album, 2015's "Past Lives & Pass Lines". Most recently in 2021, Hart self-released a live album, "Live From Crossroads", which could be purchased through his bandcamp page. As I said before, Jared Hart is perhaps best known as the frontman for the New Jersey punk band The Scandals. Those guys have played live shows as recently as 2020. Along with his solo stuff, Hart also fronts a new band called Mercy Union which started around 2018. Really solid band right there, definitely worth checking out for sure. Hart's a pretty relentless tourer so, if he isn't playing gigs with his new band Mercy Union, you'll probably find him touring solo or dusting off his old band The Scandals for live shows. He definitely has that Brian Fallon (The Gaslight Anthem) or Chuck Ragan (Hot Water Music) vibe to his music. Solid stuff!!

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Molly And The Zombies

Rumbleseat

Deforesters

Burnt Tapes

Ship Thieves

TEN JARED HART SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. The Leo

2. Heads Or Tails

3. The Guillotine

4. The Runaround

5. Lucky 7's (acoustic version)

6. Basements

7. Totem

8. Deacon Ain't Dead Yet

9. Ditch Digger

10. Trenton Makes

SONG OF THE WEEK: 1/15/2023

SONG:  "Them"

ARTIST:  98 Mute

ALBUM:  "98 Mute"

YEAR:  1996

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Hermosa Beach, California

YEARS ACTIVE:  1993 - present??

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Them" appears to be a song about keeping your identity amongst different groups of people. The vocalist is disgusted by all the fakeness and all the bullshit he sees around him. From the whores walking the streets to the frat boys invading the neighborhood. The vocalist is happy that he can be an individual and stay true to his ideals amongst groups of fake muthafuckaz!!

98 MUTE DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1996 - 98 Mute (Theologian Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

1998 - Class Of 98 (Theologian Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2000 - Slow Motion Riot (Epitaph Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2002 - After The Fall (Epitaph Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON 98 MUTE:

98 Mute formed as a band back in 1993, hailing from Hermosa Beach, California. Being from Hermosa Beach, the obvious link is the band Pennywise and with good reason. Justin Thirsk plays drums for 98 Mute and of course his brother, Jason Matthew Thirsk was the original bassist and co-founder of Pennywise. Pennywise guitarist Fletcher Dragge also produced or co-produced all four of 98 Mute's albums. 98 Mute's debut album came out in 1996, titled "98 Mute". This was followed with 1998's "Class Of 98". After those two albums and touring with the likes of Pennywise and Blink 182, 98 Mute inked a deal with Epitaph Records for their next two albums, 2000's "Slow Motion Riot" and their most recent release, 2002's "After The Fall". 98 Mute wound up breaking up in 2002 but in 2016, reunited for a show. Other than that one show, there isn't a whole lot of news out there regarding 98 Mute. I assume they're still broken up and that show was just a one off performance but there's nothing out there to let me know for sure. 98 Mute is a hardcore punk band, much in the same vein as Pennywise, Good Riddance or Bad Religion. They were always in the shadows of those bands however, not quite getting over the hump. I pretty much heard of these guys right out the gate being a huge Pennywise fan. My favorite album by the band is definitely "Slow Motion Riot".

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Zero Down

Venerea

I Against I

Enemy You

PMX

TEN 98 MUTE SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Slow Motion Riot

2. Another Boring Day

3. Something In The Water

4. Breakdown

5. M.A.D.

6. A.C.A.B.

7. Hit You Back

8. Picture This

9. Bullet For You

10. Could This Be

SONG OF THE WEEK: 1/8/2023

SONG:  "By The Blood"

ARTIST:  Drowning Pool

ALBUM:  "Hellelujah"

YEAR:  2016

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Dallas, Texas

YEARS ACTIVE:  1996 - present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

Here's what Drowning Pool guitarist CJ Pierce said about what "By The Blood" is about, "It’s kind of an underdog song. It expresses our career. Every time you get up there someone is trying to beat you down. So we’re just going to keep plugging and beating away at it and at some point, people will remember your name.”

DROWNING POOL DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2001 - Sinner (Wind-Up Records)

* peaked at #14 on the Billboard 200 on 6-5-2001

* certified platinum

2004 - Desensitized (Wind-Up Records)

* peaked at #17 on the Billboard 200 on 4-20-2004

2007 - Full Circle (Eleven Seven Records)

* peaked at #64 on the Billboard 200 on 8-7-2007

2009 - Loudest Common Denominator (Eleven Seven Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2010 - Drowning Pool (Eleven Seven Records)

* peaked at #35 on the Billboard 200 on 4-27-2010

2013 - Resilience (Eleven Seven Records)

* peaked at #72 on the Billboard 200 on 4-9-2013

2016 - Hellelujah (eOne Music)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2022 - Strike A Nerve (Universal Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON DROWNING POOL:

Drowning Pool formed as a band back in 1996, hailing from Dallas, Texas. They toiled around for three years as a 3 piece instrumental band till they hooked up with lead singer Dave Williams and the band was ready for take off! In 2001, the band released "Sinner". In just 6 weeks, this album was certified platinum thanks in part to the huge hit single "Bodies". Unfortunately, just as the band seemed destined for greatness, their lead singer died of a heart condition on August 14, 2002. While such a heartbreaking event would stop most bands in their tracks, Drowning Pool decided to soldier on, bringing in lead singer Jason Jones for their sophomore effort, 2004's "Desensitized". Jones would only last one album with Drowning Pool as the relationship with the rest of the band was strained to say the least. To replace Jones, the band called on former SOiL singer, Ryan McCombs. McCombs handled vocal duties for the band's next two albums, 2007's "Full Circle" and "2010's "Drowning Pool". In 2011, however, McCombs decided to return to SOiL. Ever resilient, Drowning Pool brought in Jason Moreno to be their new vocalist and to no surprise, the name of the first album with him on vocals was "Resilience" in 2013. The band followed that with 2016's "Hellelujah" and most recently released "Strike A Nerve" in 2022. Moreno is the first Drowning Pool vocalist to be on three studio full length albums. Ozzy Osbourne was really the guy that brought Drowning Pool to the masses as early on, he featured the band on his OzzFest tours. They're probably some combination of alternative metal, post-grunge and nu-metal. They're a hard rockin' band for sure. The tragedy of losing Dave Williams so early on was a tough obstacle to overcome. Though they've done an admirable job of continuing on, the best incarnation of Drowning Pool is with Dave Williams on vocals. "Sinner" is a great album and it seems that they haven't quite reached that with their subsequent albums. Still, Drowning Pool is a solid band. Metal isn't my favorite genre. I tend to lean to the bands who are more alternative metal which is why I like a band like Drowning Pool over some that are more straight metal. Anyway, good to see these guys still plugging along for sure.

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Godsmack

Stone Sour

Seether

Taproot

Staind

TEN DROWNING POOL SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Bodies

2. Sinner

3. Tear Away

4. Step Up

5. 37 Stitches

6. By The Blood

7. Feel Like I Do

8. Mind Right

9. Saturday Night

10. One Way Prophecy

SONG OF THE WEEK: 1-1-2023

SONG:  "Who Wants To Live Forever"

ARTIST:  Queen

ALBUM:  "A Kind Of Magic"

YEAR:  1986

IN MEMORIAM:

VALERIE G. HUDSON (MUM)

4/6/1946 - 12/27/2022

If I could live with my Mum forever, then I would want to live forever. Unfortunately, we humans don't live forever and we go through life losing the ones we love until our own time is up. This has been the hardest week of my entire life, no question. My mother passed away at 76 years old. I'm thankful to have had 48 of those years with her. As I grew older, my Mum and I were becoming more than parent and child. We were really best of friends. She loved to take rides and have me take her shopping or get her McFrappie's at McDonald's! She loved life, and I feel she still had more life in her. A few years back, she was diagnosed with dementia. The disease really took it's toll on her in a short time. But even with this horrific disease, she still had life and especially, lots of love. Though conversations were getting harder, she loved to laugh and loved to give out hugs even more. On the morning of December 23, 2022, my Mum fell, hitting her head causing severe injuries to her face and head. She had bleeding in her brain. We don't know if she got dizzy, passed out or if she had an aneurysm. All we knew was that we had to get her to the hospital and pray for the best. The best quickly turned into the worst. We were told on Christmas Eve that my Mum was not going to make it. The injuries to the brain were too bad and they told us we have to make a decision to pull the breathing tube. This was the most difficult decision we had to make as a family. Ultimately, me, my Dad and my sister decided that we couldn't let her suffer anymore. She essentially would have been on a breathing tube for the rest of her life and most likely would have never regained consciousness. On Christmas Day, we told the doctors to pull the breathing tube. Me and my sister stayed in the hospital by her side from that point on. We didn't want to leave her and we didn't want her to die alone. My Mum was abandoned as a child and I vowed not to leave her side till she passed. We should have known that our Mum is a fighter, always has been. She was going to die on her terms. For almost 3 days me and my sister were by her side with no sleep and little to eat or drink. On Tuesday, December 27, 2022, we were both exhausted, mentally and physically. The nurses were practically begging us to go home and get some rest. I finally looked at my sister at about 1:30am and I told her we had to go. We were killing ourselves. We agreed to go, get some sleep and come back first thing in the morning. I didn't want to leave because I had a sinking feeling like she wasn't going to make it. My fears came true. A couple hours later, I received a phone call from the hospital informing me that my Mum had passed. I really feel like she didn't want us to see her die. There was a moment the day before where my Mum stopped breathing and me and my sister were almost uncontrollable with tears and pain. After a few minutes of not breathing, she mustered a really deep breath. Almost as if she left her body, saw us in pain and returned to her body. Once we were gone, she knew she could let go. Once a Mum, always a Mum. Always looking to protect her loved ones. I still feel my Mum around me. I often ask for her help and guidance and to keep me calm in overwhelming or frustrating situations. I know she will always be the guardian angel looking over our family. She was, and still is the heart of my family. We will miss her funny personality. We will miss her laugh that would make you cry in laughter with her and we will miss those hugs that were so full of motherly love. We will forever miss the comfort she provided. Even on her death bed, I felt a comfort just being next to her, in holding her hand. Or like my picture above, when I put her hand on mine. I felt like when I did that, it was like she was telling me that everything will be ok. All I will tell anyone is never take for granted what you have. Sometimes life gets in the way and it's understandable. We all work, we all have things we have to do. All I'm saying is always appreciate the one's you love and never ever take for granted how much time you have with them. I'll just finish this saying I love you Mum and I miss you more and more each day. Everywhere I go, I see something that reminds me of you and that makes me happy. It's so soon right now and those things make me cry right now but I'm sure in the coming weeks or months, those things will make me smile and laugh because I know you loved to laugh. I'll see you on the other side Mum. I can't wait for that big hug from you when I get there.

Rest in peace Mum