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!! :)
Here's what the band had to say about "Underachiever". “Underachiever” is a radio-ready song if we have ever heard one. It touches on the same emotional struggles we all deal with in long-term relationships, and washes down the pain with a hook so good you’ll be singing along by the second refrain."
THE BODY RAMPANT DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):
2013 - Midnight Mayfair (Antique Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
2018 - RMPNT (Intheclouds Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
MY THOUGHTS ON THE BODY RAMPANT:
The Body Rampant formed as a band out of the ashes of the band Every Bridge Burned in 2009. The band is from Los Angeles, California. The first release from the band was an EP titled "Transient Years" in 2011. The band's debut full length studio album was released in 2013 and called "Midnight Mayfair". It took five years for The Body Rampant to release a follow up album but "RMPNT" was released in 2018. This would be the band's last release as they broke up soon after the release of this album. The Body Rampant is kinda like a progressive, experimental punk type band. They don't like to be pegged in one hole for sure. I'm positive I found out about these guys from the DyingScene blog which is an awesome spot to find out about punk bands old and new. This is a pretty good band. I like their music but it's not a band that I search out for to listen to as much as other bands. They have some pretty catchy stuff but their career as a band was a bit short.
"Central Standard Time" appears to be a relationship song in the midst of chaos! Everything around this couple seems to be dangerous! The atmosphere almost seems chaotic, almost as if they're trying to run away from everything around them. I don't know. That's the vibe I get from the lyrics..
AM Taxi formed as a band back in 2007, just outside of Chicago, Illinois. Originally called American Taxi, the band soon shortened their name to AM Taxi so not to be confused with another band with a similar name. The band's first release was an EP in 2007 called "Runaway Songs". Their debut full length, "We Don't Stand A Chance", was released in 2010 through major label Virgin Records. Their major label stint would be short lived however, as this would be their only major release. In 2016, AM Taxi self-released a compilation album called "Semi-Confessional (Mixtape)" which featured many songs from the band's EP's and some b-sides and what not. Most recently, the band dropped "Shiver By Me" in 2019. Along with their two studio albums and one compilation record, the band has also dropped four EP's. AM Taxi is a melodic rock/pop punk type of band. This is a really solid band here. I'm not sure how I was turned on to AM Taxi. If I had to bet money on it, I would say I found out about them on the DyingScene blog. The more I listen to these guys, the more and more I love their sound! Top notch songwriters and the songs are so damn catchy!! "Reckless In The Moonlight" is just one of my favorite songs, hands down! And their cover of The Kinks "All Day And All Of The Night" is superb! This band hasn't really been active on their Facebook page since 2021 so hopefully they haven't broken up. That would suck big time cuz this is a really awesome band! Fingers crossed that these dudes are working on new stuff. It baffles me that a turd like Machine Gun Kelly gets crossover success with that puke he calls music and a real pop punk, melodic rock band like AM Taxi doesn't. It should be a crime really!!
Here's what Taking Back Sunday lead singer Adam Lazzara had to say about "Cute Without The 'E'". "The lyrics came from a relationship that I’d just gotten out of at the time. There was a diner near where we used to live and we’d trade notebooks amongst the band. We’d highlight the stuff that really stuck out to us, which is similar to how we do it now. We were just going back and forth and that’s how we pieced it together. I was 18 at the time, and every relationship feels like the be all and end all at that age. At that time you’ve only seen so much of the world, so your view is pretty narrow, and I think the song is a good reflection of that." The version I chose is an acoustic version of the song. The original can be found on Taking Back Sunday's 2002 album "Tell All Your Friends".
TAKING BACK SUNDAY DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):
2002 - Tell All Your Friends (Victory Records)
* peaked at #183 on the Billboard 200 on 3-26-02
* certified gold
2004 - Where You Want To Be (Victory Records)
* peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200 on 7-27-04
* certified gold
2006 - Louder Now (Warner Bros. Records)
* peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200 on 4-25-06
* certified gold
2007 - Louder Now: Part Two (Warner Bros. Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
2009 - New Again (Warner Bros. Records)
* peaked at #7 on the Billboard 200 on 6-2-09
2009 - Live From Bamboozle '09 (Warner Bros. Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
2010 - Live From Orensanz (Warner Bros. Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
2011 - Taking Back Sunday (Warner Bros. Records)
* peaked at #17 on the Billboard 200 on 6-2-09
2013 - TAYF10 Acoustic (Sorry Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
2014 - Happiness Is (Hopeless Records)
* peaked at #10 on the Billboard 200 on 3-18-14
2016 - Tidal Wave (Hopeless Records)
* peaked at #36 on the Billboard 200 on 9-16-16
MY THOUGHTS ON TAKING BACK SUNDAY:
Taking Back Sunday formed as a band back in 1999, hailing from Long Island, New York. One of the original band members was actually Jesse Lacey who went on to form Brand New. The departure of Lacey wasn't a great one as the two bands have held a grudge against each other for years. Taking Back Sunday recorded a demo that eventually fell into the hands of the people at Victory Records who decided to sign the band. Their debut album dropped in 2002 called "Tell All Your Friends". Taking Back Sunday started generating major buzz after this album. Unfortunately, in fighting amongst band members caused guitarist John Nolan and bassist Shaun Cooper to depart the band. Guitarist Fred Mascherino and bassist Matt Rubano took their places for the recording of the band's sophomore effort, 2004's "Where You Want To Be". Taking Back Sunday's trajectory was on the upward swing after this release. Major labels came calling and eventually the band signed with Warner Bros. Their major label debut, 2006's "Louder Now" was their highest charting album, peaking at #2 and the single "MakeDamnSure" is arguably their most popular and successful single. Taking Back Sunday's relationship with Warner Bros. continued for another four years during which time they dropped two more studio albums, 2009's "New Again" and 2011's "Taking Back Sunday", as well as three live albums. In 2011, the band signed a deal with Hopeless Records who released their 2014 album "Happiness Is" and their most recent release, 2016's "Tidal Wave". Taking Back Sunday is a melodic, pop, rock type band. Some put them in the pop punk category and there are elements of that in some of their songs. Their songwriting is quite catchy. In 2010, the "Tell All Your Friends" line-up got back together and stayed that way up until 2018 when Eddie Reyes departed the band. Taking Back Sunday seems to be the band that ushered in a bunch of these poppy and melodic rock bands in the 2000's like The Academy Is and Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, etc. I don't think any of those bands represent the genre better than Taking Back Sunday does. I actually got into these guys more on their second album "Where You Want To Be". To this day, that's still my favorite overall album by Taking Back Sunday. It's been quiet on the new music front for the band but they are embarking on a summer tour in 2023 so they're still out there and active. We need some new tunes though boys!!
SIMILAR ARTISTS:
The Used
Brand New
Senses Fail
Thursday
The Starting Line
TEN TAKING BACK SUNDAY SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:
"Nam" appears to be a song about a young man who has hopes and dreams ahead of him but he gets drafted to go to war in Vietnam. When he comes back home, he finds his country has abandoned him and his PTSD doesn't allow him to have a normal life. These were the sad truths that affected all too many of our Vietnam veterans.
6'10 DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):
2014 - The Humble Beginnings Of A Rovin' Soul (Ollie Mob Worldwide Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
2020 - Carried In Retrospect (Ollie Mob Worldwide Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
MY THOUGHTS ON 6'10:
6'10 formed as a band back in 2013, hailing from Chicago, Illinois. This is actually a side project for Tobin Bawinkel who also fronts the Celtic punk band Flatfoot 56. The band self-released an EP called "The Humble Beginnings" in 2013. The six songs that comprised that EP would wind up on the band's debut full length album, "The Humble Beginnings Of A Rovin' Soul" in 2014. In 2015, Tobin put out a split with 6'10 and Flatfoot 56. 2019 saw the band release another EP called "Where We Are". Most recently, the band released their sophomore album, "Carried In Retrospect" in 2020. As I said earlier, 6'10 is a folk/Americana side project for Tobin Bawinkel of Flatfoot 56 fame. It still very much keeps that Celtic punk vibe, albeit in a more stripped down, acoustic setting. Obviously, Bawinkel spends a lot, if not most of his time on his main project Flatfoot 56 but does stay pretty active with 6'10 as well. I was already a fan of Flatfoot 56 so I pretty much found out about 6'10 as soon as they came out. It's a very good side project and an obvious branch of Flatfoot 56, if you are a fan of them.
