PW's Song Of The Week

Song Of The Week: 1/29/12

2012-01-29T10:42:00.000-08:00

Song: "Sunday Drive"

Artist: The Early November

Album: "For All Of This" EP

Year: 2002

"Sunday Drive" appears to be a song where the vocalist fears that his relationship with his girl is coming to an end. You sense that the girl has started seeing someone else but has yet to break the news to him. He gets the sense that she is not being totally honest as well. The break doesn't seem to be an abrupt one however. It's almost as if she is letting him down slowly, and he is letting himself get dragged down slowly without much of a fight. It seems he wants it just to end, yet he is holding out hope that she comes back to him. The Early November is a pop punk/emo band from New Jersey that got it's start back in 1999. In 2002, the band released two EP's, "For All Of This" and "The Acoustic EP", which lead singer, Ace Enders, basically recorded himself with his acoustic guitar. These two releases were followed by their debut full length album, 2003's "The Room's Too Cold". The band's most ambitious effort, however, was 2006's "The Mother, The Mechanic, The Path". This album found The Early November taking on the concept album and it was the band's highest charting album on the Billboards. After touring in support of "The Mother, The Mechanic, The Path" into 2007, the band decided to take a bit of a hiatus, though they did not rule out getting together to do small tours or shows in the future. Vocalist Ace Enders stayed busy with some side projects most notably I Can Make A Mess Like Nobody's Business as the other members of the band also concentrated on various projects themselves. In September of 2011, The Early November reunited for their first live appearance since 2007 at The Electric Factory in Philadelphia, PA. Currenty, The Early November has signed to Rise Records and have confirmed that they are working on new material which they hope to have released sometime in the Spring of 2012.

Song Of The Week: 1/22/12

2012-01-22T08:09:00.000-08:00

Song: "West Girl Scout Road"

Artist: The Starting Line

Album: Unreleased Track

Year: 2000?

"West Girl Scout Road" is a song that appears to be about how sometimes life moves way too fast. Though the future may look bright, there are times you want to reflect on the recent past or savor the present moment. Life is just moving too quick for the vocalist to take the time to appreciate it the way he would like to. "West Girl Scout Road" has been said to be one of the very first songs that The Starting Line wrote as a band. It was not released on any of their albums but may have been put out around 2000. Hailing from Pennsylvania, The Starting Line formed as a band back in 1999. After gathering some buzz from some early demos and some live shows, the band signed a deal with punk label Drive-Thru Records. In 2002, TSL would release their debut album "Say It Like You Mean It". They would establish themselves as a pop punk/emo band with this release. In 2003, the band followed up their debut album with the release of an acoustic EP entitled, "Make Yourself At Home". This EP would feature an acoustic version of the band's song "Best Of Me" which would arguably be their best song, as well as the track that attracted the attention of some major labels. The band agreed to a deal with Geffen Records and in 2005 released "Based On A True Story". This album showed an angrier side to TSL. Mostly this was due to the disgruntled relationship the band had with Geffen. The record label was adament that the band just recreate "Best Of Me" or try to imitate the successes of fellow punk bands such as New Found Glory. The Starting Line would rather just grow and evolve as a band and see where that takes them. Safe to say, the Geffen relationship would only last one album. TSL would be signed by Virgin Records in 2006 and released the album "Direction" under that label. In 2008, it was decided that TSL would take a bit of a hiatus so that all the members could focus on other projects they had going on at the time. The thought was that The Starting Line may reconvene in 2011, either just doing tours but potentially working on new material. However, the band began playing a few shows as early as 2009. Over the next few years, the band would play various shows and festivals but never fully committed to an all out reunion. That was until May of 2011 at the Leeds Music Festival when TSL frontman, Kenny Vasoli, announced that the band had been working on new material and even previewed a new track to the audience entitled "Luck". Currently, the assumption is that The Starting Line are working on a new album for future release but this has not been confirmed as of yet.

Song Of The Week: 1/15/12

2012-01-15T07:13:00.000-08:00

Song: "Over You"

Artist: Acceptance

Album: "Phantoms"

Year: 2005

"Over You" is a song that appears to be about a relationship gone sour. These type of things are common themes throughout music, no matter genre or time period. There will always be songs about crumbling relationships. In this particular song, you get the sense the vocalist didn't want the relationship to end like this, but he can see it's just a hopeless pursuit of something that just is not going to work out. Ultimately, he sees the writing on the wall, that this relationship is doomed and that he should just get "over it". Acceptance was a band from Seattle, Washington that formed back in 1998. They would release two EP's that would garner them the attention of some major labels before finally releasing their first and only full length album, 2005's "Phantoms" on Columbia Records. The band's style was that of a pop punk/alternative rock type band much in the same vein as bands such as The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus or The Academy Is. Acceptance seemed like they were a band to be reckoned with when "Phantoms" came out. Their songs were very well crafted, lyrically and musically, and they seemed to be well on their way to future successes. Their song "Different", to me, was one of the best songs to come out in 2005 and is still one of my favorite songs of all time. Unfortunately for fans of Acceptance, by the summer of 2006, they decided to call it quits, mostly due to lead singer Jason Vena deciding that he wanted to give up the rock star life and return to one that was more normal. Since the break-up, the other band members have worked on various projects, most notably Chritian McAlhaney joining Anberlin to be their guitarist. In 2010, Jason Vena appeared on his first musical project since Acceptance when he provided vocals on the song "The Healing" by the band Ivoryline. Perhaps this may be the spark that gets Acceptance thinking about making music again. All fans can do is hope so as currently, there does not seem to be any light at the end of the tunnel on an Acceptance reunion.

Song Of The Week: 1/8/12

2012-01-08T07:55:00.001-08:00

Song: "You Must Be Bleeding Under Your Eyelids"

Artist: Blindside

Album: "The Great Depression"

Year: 2005

"You Must Be Bleeding Under Your Eyelids" is a song that appears to be about a relationship where one of the people is suffering major depression. The woman in the song seems to be extremely depressed. Though, she is very beautiful, she does not see herself that way. When she looks at herself she sees all of her scars. She's ugly to herself. The man seems to not know what else he can do for her. Her sadness is hurting him because when he sees her, he's almost awe-struck by her beauty. He just tries to be as supportive as he can fully knowing that he may never be able to help her get out of her funk. Blindside is an alt. rock/post hardcore band from Sweden that formed back in 1994. Their style reminds me of bands such as Papa Roach, P.O.D. and Chevelle though they may be a tad more experimental than any of those bands. Blindside has a very tight relationship with P.O.D. in that P.O.D. gave them their first break plus both bands are very influenced by their Christian values. The band released an EP and two studio album with not much success early on. It was the band's third release, 2002's "Silence" that proved to be the highpoint in their musical career. The band gathered a much bigger following thanks in part to singles like "Pitiful", "Sleepwalking" and "Caught A Glimpse". Blindside would stay very active between 2002 and 2007, releasing three albums and an EP during that five year span while also embarking on several tours. After releasing the "Black Rose" EP in 2007, the band went on a small hiatus. It took Blindside four years to finally release their sixth album, 2011's "With Shivering Hearts We Wait". Currently, Blindside continues to perform live to support their latest effort and are showing no signs of slowing down as a band.

Song Of The Week: 1/1/12

2012-01-01T17:11:00.001-08:00

Song: "Gravestones" (acoustic version)

Artist: Hawthorne Heights

Album: "Skeletons" (Summer Tour Bonus Track)

Year: 2010

At the beginning of "Gravestones", the song appears to be introspective. The vocalist is looking at himself and the world around him and is not necessarily happy with what he sees. As the song moves forward to the second verse, you get a sense he's talking about the memory of bandmate Casey Calvert who passed away in 2007. You can feel his loss and see that it seems still hard to believe that he's gone, even a year later, but he also says that with each song that Hawthorne Heights writes after his untimely passing, Calvert's spirit is fully alive in their music. Hawthorne Heights formed as a band back in 2001, hailing from Dayton, OH. Before forming Hawthorne Heights, lead singer J.T. Woodruff was in a band called A Day In The Life. Many people say that A Day In The Life basically changed their name to Hawthorne Heights but Woodruff was the only band member from A Day In The Life to be in Hawthorne Heights. Either way, under the HH moniker, the band would eventually sign to Victory Records and release their debut album, 2004's "The Silence In Black And White". Thanks to the singles "Ohio Is For Lovers" and "Niki FM", the band began gathering a steady following. The band's next release, 2006's "If Only You Were Lonely" would debut at #3 on the Billboard Charts and the single "Saying Sorry" would be the band's most successful. 2007 would be the band's hardest year for obvious reasons. Long time guitarist and backup vocalist Casey Calvert died on the band's tour bus due to a bad chemical reaction to prescription drugs. This impacted the band heavily and on their follow up albums, 2008's "Fragile Future" and 2010's "Skeletons" there are several songs that deal with the passing of Calvert, both directly and indirectly. "Fragile Future" would be the last album Hawthorne Heights would do for Victory Records while "Skeletons" was a one shot deal with Wind Up Records. In 2011, the band formed their own label called Cardboard Empire Records. Currently, Hawthorne Heights plan on releasing a trilogy of EP's on their newly formed label starting with "Hate", which was released in August of 2011. The band has also said that they will perform small North American tours after the release of each EP.

Song Of The Week: 12/25/11

2011-12-25T06:52:00.000-08:00

Song: "Oh Comely"

Artist: Brand New

Album: Unreleased Live Cover

Year: 2008

"Oh Comely" is a song that was orignially performed by 1990's indie rock band Neutral Milk Hotel and released on their 1998 album, "In The Aeroplane Over The Sea". Neutral Milk Hotel's frontman and chief songwriter Jeff Mangum is very much known for writing extremely vague lyrics in many of his songs and "Oh Comely" is no different. Many have said the song has some connection to Anne Frank as Mangum did have an apparent deep fascination with her story. Long Island, New York band Brand New has covered "Oh Comely" several times, both at their own shows and when Brand New frontman Jesse Lacey has performed solo. The version of the song I chose as my song of the week was performed by Brand New in February of 2008 in Perth, Australia. Brand New formed as a band back in 2000. With their first album, 2001's "Your Favorite Weapon", Brand New seemed to be on a path of that of a pop punk band. However, with each album thereafter, Brand New's sound would evolve to feature a more experimental or indie feel. Suprisingly, the changes in musical style actually helped Brand New achieve more success. In a time when bands get crushed for evolving their sound or branching out into new territory, Brand New was actually praised for it and it showed. Their third album, 2006's very dark "The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me" would feature the band's highest charting single, "Jesus Christ". Also, their most recent studio release, 2009's "Daisy" would go on to be the band's highest charted album. It's not often in today's music world that a band is offered the freedom to explore their style and sound and not be forced to put out the same old same old that made them successful. When recording "Daisy", Brand New frontman said he felt the album felt like the ending of something or a closure of sorts. He wondered if the band had run it's course or if he was content that Brand New had said everything he wanted it to say as a band. Luckily for fans of the band, Lacey and bandmates confirmed that the band was not breaking up. Currently, Brand New have been focused on performing on the road as of late. They also re-released their first album, "Your Favorite Weapon" which featured some unreleased demos. The band is also considering whether to release full albums in the future or just release music digitally a few songs at a time. After fulfilling their record contract, Brand New has total freedom to make these decisions as they see fit.

Song Of The Week: 12/18/11

2011-12-18T09:34:00.001-08:00

Song: "In The Air Tonight"

Artist: Lostprophets

Album: "Last Summer" EP

Year: 2004

"In The Air Tonight" was originally written and recorded by former Genesis frontman Phil Collins and released on his 1981 album "Face Value". The song was written about a failing relationship between Collins and his then-wife at the time. The song is full of bitterness and anger towards his former wife and at the betrayal with which she did to him. "In The Air Tonight" is arguably one of the most popular songs which came out of the 80's decade. Lostprophets covered "In The Air Tonight" and in 2004, released the song as a b-side to their hit single "Last Summer". Lostprophets formed as a band back in 1997, hailing from Pontypridd, Wales. The band's first album, 2000's "Thefakesoundofprogress" definitely garnered the band some attention but it was their next two album that really blew up for the band, especially in America. 2004's "Start Something" and 2006's "Liberation Transmission" really put Lostprophets on the map in the music world, mostly thanks to successful singles such as "Last Train Home", "Wake Up", "Last Summer" and "Rooftops". They were a hard band to actually label because so many musical styles influenced their work. Sometimes they were referred to as nu-metal, other times alternative rock or just plain hard rock. They definitely used various elements to help create their own signature sound. You can hear elements of metal, pop, and even punk at times in their music. After releasing "Liberation Transmission" it took the band some three years to finally release their follow up, 2010's "The Betrayed". By the time of this release, Lostprophets lost some steam in the States as far as popularity goes, but in the U.K., they were still largely successful. Due to their past successes, they are still considered "headliner" material when it comes to tours and various festivals around the world. Currently, Lostprophets spent most of 2011 hard at work on their soon to be released fifth album which is slated for an early 2012 release.

Song Of The Week: 12/11/11

2011-12-11T13:55:00.000-08:00

Song: "Jeffrey Lee"

Artist: The Explosion

Album: "No Revolution" EP

Year: 2005

"Jeffrey Lee" is a rare song or a b-side if you will recorded by Boston, MA punk band The Explosion. The song was a tribute to Jeffrey Lee Pierce, who was the frontman of 1980's punk band The Gun Club. Pierce passed away in 1996 due to a brain hemorrhage. The Explosion formed as a band back in 1998. They built a steady following and slowly but surely began joining the ranks of the many Boston punk bands that were part of the scene, including Dropkick Murphys, The Ducky Boys, Far From Finished and the Street Dogs. Their debut album, 2000's "Flash Flash Flash" was a definite critical success for the band. Spin Magazine even went on to say that the album was one of the top twenty albums released in 2000. The band would even be courted by major label Virgin Records who would release their follow up album, 2004's "Black Tape". "Black Tape" would see the band gather an even bigger following, mostly thanks to the singles "Here I Am" and "No Revolution". After having released two studio albums, six EP's and a couple of live albums, The Explosion began working on their third studio album which they hoped to release in 2007, however Virgin Records decided to drop the band from their label. An album was supposedly completed and was entitled "Bury Me Standing". It was thought that the band worked out a deal with Paper + Plastick Records and that they would release "Bury Me Standing", however some three years later and the album has still not been released. From 2008 to 2011, it was generally believed that The Explosion were broken up or at the very least on an indefinite hiatus. The good news is that legendary punk band The Bouncing Souls have confirmed that The Explosion will reunite to play on the Bouncing Souls' "Home For The Holidays" concerts scheduled for late December 2011 in New Jersey. Perhaps this is a good sign that The Explosion will be releasing new material in the near future.

Song Of The Week: 12/4/11

2011-12-04T07:39:00.000-08:00

Song: "Apparition"

Artist: No Use For A Name

Album: "Keep Them Confused"

Year: 2005

"Apparition" appears to be a song about complete and utter depression. The vocalist feels so rejected by the outside world that all he wants to do is lock himself away in his room and lay in bed. Even trying to sleep his life away comes with it's problems as well, as his sleep is often interrupted by constant nightmares. While he tries to call on his ego to help him get out of this funk, his ego appears to him as nothing more than an apparition to him. Therefore, the one thing that might possibly save him ultimately can not. No Use For A Name is a punk band hailing from San Jose, California which started out back in 1987. Early on, No Use was more of a hardcore punk band, especially with original lead singer John Meyers at the helm. By 1989, Meyers would be replaced by guitarist and vocalist Tony Sly. Sly would eventually become the driving force of the band, becoming the chief songwriter and changing the musical direction of the band. In 1993, No Use joined historic punk label, Fat Wreck Chords. No Use along with NOFX and Lagwagon would give Fat Wreck it's signature sound. At this time, No Use began becoming less hardcore and more melodic/skate punk. In the mid 90's, when punk rock began having a resurgence of sorts thanks to bands like Green Day, Offspring, Bad Religion and Rancid, No Use started achieving it's best success as a band, right around the releases of their 1995 album "Leche Con Carne" and 1997's "Making Friends". No Use was kind of in that second tier of punk bands that emerged on the scene at that time. They didn't quite manage the success of Green Day or Rancid, but they always managed to get their respect. They were regulars on punk festivals such as the Warped Tour throughout the years. As the band entered the 2000's, they weren't quite as active as they had been in the 90's but still managed to release new material, their last album being 2008's "The Feel Good Record Of The Year". Much of the sporadic tours and releases as a band were mostly because of Tony Sly working on his solo material, which was more singer/songwriter acoustic stuff. The band is still very much intact, however. No Use For A Name still tours when Tony Sly isn't focused on doing some solo shows. Currently, the band has been comfirmed that they are working on a new album with a tentative release date scheduled for early 2012.

Song Of The Week: 11/27/11

2011-11-27T08:03:00.000-08:00

Song: "A Man Alone"

Artist: Finch

Album: "Say Hello To Sunshine"

Year: 2005

"A Man Alone" appears to be a song about losing one's identity. The vocalist not only questions himself but also everyone and everything around him. At some point, the vocalist realizes that everything he put into his life, the blood, sweat and tears if you will, didn't quite turn out the way he expected. He woke up one day feeling as if maybe he sold himself out, maybe that the friends around him really aren't his friends. His very own identity has been compromised. Finch is a California band that started out back in 1999. After working together for about two years, Finch would release an EP entitled "Falling Into Place" in 2001. This EP was soon followed by their first full length studio album in 2002 called "What It Is To Burn". On the strength of the title track to that album plus the single "Letters To You", Finch began gaining a faithfull following of fans. When it came to creating their second full length album, 2005's "Say Hello To Sunshine", inner turmoil and conflicts started to rise within the band. Chinks began to show in the armor. Much of these conflicts were about what musical direction Finch would take. Some in the band wanted to continue with the more alternative rock style of "What It Is To Burn" while others in the band wanted Finch to become more of a post-hardcore band. "Say Hello To Sunshine" would have a more gritty feel to it, using much more screaming vocals than the previous album. Tensions within the band would lead to a small hiatus for Finch. This hiatus would only last a year however. The band announced some reunion shows for late 2007 and also would release an EP titled "Finch" in 2008. While working on a new album, the band abruptly decided to call it quits in 2010. The five members of the band just seemed to be pulling in different directions musically and decided to officially disband Finch. Most recently, despite the break-up, Finch has released a two track digital single called "Epilogue" as well as a new version of the "Finch" EP with three extra tracks on it. It's also not hard to find the demos the band was working on for their third album on the internet with a little searching. Other than that, Finch is basically a done deal. The book has officially closed.

Song Of The Week: 11/20/11

2011-11-20T07:08:00.001-08:00

Song: "Surfacing"

Artist: Trust Company

Album: "True Parallels"

Year: 2005

"Surfacing" is a song that appears to be about having a change occur within you that is bringing out the worst in you. All of the bad qualities and impurities that the vocalist has buried inside him are beginning to creep to the surface and he is beginning to change into a more darker or broken version of himself. It seems as though he doesn't want this to happen, but he has no control of it. He's changing for the worse. Trust Company are from Alabama and they formed as a band back in 1997. After recording some demos and self releasing some music and touring, they caught the ear of the folks at Geffen Records where they were signed and released their debut album, 2002's "The Lonely Position Of Neutral". That album went on to sell over 500,000 copies giving the band some moderate success. The band was forced to drop out of the Ozzfest tour because of pressure from the label to release their follow up album. Despite delays with the album and little promotion, Trust Company's second album, 2005's "True Parallels" performed quite well. The band would part with Geffen Records, however, which would lead to a short hiatus for the band from 2005 to 2007. In those two years, the band members each focused on several side projects, most notably Amity Lane which featured Trust Company lead vocalist Kevin Palmer and original bassist Josh Moates. Amity Lane would release one album in 2006, "The Sound Of Regret". By 2007, the original line-up of Trust Company announced that they were reuniting. They spent the next few years working on demos and eventually got enough material together to begin the process of recording a new album. In March of 2011, the band released their third album, "Dreaming In Black And White". Currenty, Trust Company has been touring in support of their latest album, most recently opening up for Drowning Pool.

Song Of The Week: 11/13/11

2011-11-13T11:02:00.000-08:00

Song: "Your Time Has Come"

Artist: Audioslave

Album: "Out Of Exile"

Year: 2005

"Your Time Has Come" is a song that appears to be about losing people you know way before their time. It definitely feels that vocalist, Chris Cornell, is talking about young people in this song who have passed away during his lifetime. He also references the Vietnam War Memorial and the more than 50,000 names of young people who had died and the impact of the fact that those families have to get through and move on from the same feelings of loss and mourning that he himself had to go through when he lost some friends in the past. As personal as and tragic as it is to lose someone who seems way too young to die, I believe by going to the Vietnam War Memorial shows that that feeling is extremely universal. Audioslave is a supergroup that formed back in 2001. Frontman, Zack de la Rocha, of Rage Against The Machine left that band in 2000 to focus on some solo material. The remaining members of Rage, guitarist Tom Morello, bassist Tim Commerford and drummer Brad Wilk would hook up with Soundgarden frontman, Chris Cornell thus meshing the two rock powerhouses. Their self-titled debut album in 2002 would be the band's most successful album to date, thanks in part to the hit singles "Cochise" and "Like A Stone". In 2005, when "Out Of Exile" was released it debuted at number one on the Billboard charts. "Your Time Has Come" was the second single released from that album. By the time Audioslave's third album was released, 2006's "Revelations", tensions and dissentions were rising in the band. Most of these disagreements were stemming from financial situations and just plain internal conflicts personally amongst the band members. In 2007, Chris Cornell officially departed Audioslave to focus on his solo career. The remaining three members wound up getting back with Zack de la Rocha to perform various concerts and festivals as the reunited Rage Against The Machine. Morello also focused a lot of his time on his own solo project, The Nightwatchman. Currently, Morello, Wilk and Commerford still perform as Rage Against The Machine from time to time, though the band has not been confirmed as working on any new material as of yet. Cornell, meanwhile, has been playing with the reunited Soundgarden who has been touring as well as working on a new album which should be released soon. Audioslave, for all intents and purposes, seems like a done deal. Due to the nature of the break-up and the fact that Cornell has not spoken to any of the other three members, I don't expect to hear from Audioslave anymore. I'd never close the book on it however. Cornell said the same thing about Soundgarden but they are now back together. Anything's possible!

Song Of The Week: 11/6/11

2011-11-06T07:42:00.001-08:00

Song: "Checkmarks"

Artist: The Academy Is...

Album: "Almost Here"

Year: 2005

"Checkmarks" is a song that appears to be about a relationship in which the guy is just another number to the girl when it comes to sexual partners that she shares. In other words, he's just another "checkmark" on her bedpost. You get the sense that the guy wanted more out of their relationship but ultimately sees that she has done nothing but use him. In the end, you sense that his revenge is that now he is a famous singer in a band and she's just another face in the crowd. Perhaps she is kicking herself now for letting the boy who made it get away. The Academy Is... was an emo/pop punk band from Chicago that formed back in 2003. Their musical style is similar to that of bands such as The All-American Rejects or Fall Out Boy. They rely on pop melodies and emotional lyrics and vocals. "Checkmarks", off the band's debut album, 2005's "Almost Here", was not only the band's very first single, it proved to be one of their most successful singles which they released. Ultimately, The Academy Is... has released three full-length studio albums as well as four EP's. In early 2011, there was word from The Academy Is... camp that they were working on their fourth album though no official release date was announced yet. In a somewhat surprising move that no doubt shocked the band's fanbase, The Academy Is... announced in October of 2011 that they had decided to go their separate ways. Lead singer, William Beckett, has said that the album the band was at work on may see the light of day at some point but he's not sure when exactly. He also stated that the remaining band members will all be releasing music either solo or in other projects. Currently, after eight years of making music together, it appears it's time to close the book on The Academy Is... as a band.

Song Of The Week: 10/30/11

2011-10-30T06:17:00.001-07:00

Song: "Messages"

Artist: Velvet Revolver

Album: "Libertad" (Itunes Edition)

Year: 2007

"Messages" is a song that was written from the perspective of those passengers that were on the airplanes that were hijacked and crashed on 9/11. It was based on the phone conversations that the passengers were having with their loved ones. You can see with the verses that the conversations start light, saying that they'll see those people when they land at their destination and the next verse, you sense that the hijacking has taken place and there is a fear in the calls and a fear of not knowing what is happening. The last verse, you sense that the passengers know their fate and they just want to tell everyone that they love them and hoping that their loved ones can make it through without them. They know they are going to die. "Messages" is definitely one of the better 9/11 songs i've heard so far with a very unique perspective on the events, a very personal touch. "Messages" was released as an iTunes bonus track if you digitally ordered the album "Libertad" through them. Velvet Revolver formed back in 2002 and was a definite hard rock supergroup featuring ex-Guns 'n' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum along with Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland and Wasted Youth guitarist Dave Kushner. Their debut album, 2004's "Contraband" was a huge success for the band while garnering several awards for hit singles such as "Slither" and "Fall To Pieces". 2007 would see VR release their second album "Libertad" which didn't quite live up to their debut, but still kept Velvet Revolver at the top of the rock and roll world. A long and problematic tour in support of "Libertad" would ultimately create dissensions within the band, however. Battling old dependency demons as well as each other began creating the rift in the band that would eventually lead to Scott Weiland's departure in 2008. Velvet Revolver has since been on an indefinite hiatus with Slash putting out a solo record, Weiland returning to Stone Temple Pilots, McKagan and Sorum both working on previous bands and solo stuff and Kushner working on music for various television programs. Slash and McKagan never fully closed the book on VR however. New material was worked on and the endless search for a replacement singer was underway. The most rumored replacement was Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge. Though working with Slash on other projects, Kennedy seemed to not be in the running for Velvet Revolver. More recent news was that there was in fact a new singer for the band and that they are rehearsing together. The band has kept this information a secret, only saying that the band is going to have a much heavier feel. Now the rumors were that the secret vocalist may be Corey Taylor of Slipknot and Stone Sour fame. These rumors have not been confirmed nor denied as of yet. Currently, the fans of Velvet Revolver just have to sit back and wait until the band finally sheds some light on the new lead singer situation but it definitely seems that VR is far from calling it quits.

Song Of The Week: 10/23/11

2011-10-23T08:46:00.000-07:00

Song: "My Last Known Address"

Artist: Reach The Sky

Album: "Open Roads And Broken Dreams"

Year: 1999

At first glance of the lyrics to "My Last Known Address" by Reach The Sky, it seems that this song is about a relationship that is ultimately doomed. After reading it several times, I do feel it's about a crumbling relationship, but i'm not so sure it is a boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife relationship. I get the feeling it's a mother/son or a father/son situation. You can see the boy is starting to fall apart, perhaps by the pressures of trying to meet the ideals or the standards of the parent. The parent has essentially turned their back on the boy. I sense that the boy is at his breaking point, possibly suicidal and he says the weight of his actions will fall squarely on the shoulders of the parent. The other reason I feel that suicide could be the ultimate theme here is in the title of the song, "My Last Known Address". Reach The Sky was a hardcore punk band from Boston, MA that formed back in 1997. Their style reminds me of bands such as Good Riddance and A Wilhelm Scream, definitely punk with a harder edge but without totally losing some melodic qualities. Reach The Sky was definitely an underground band, never quite breaking out into the mainstream and mostly garnering a local following in the Boston area. During their six year career as a band, Reach The Sky released two studio albums, 4 EP's as well as a split 7". By 2003, the band had dissolved but most of it's members stayed involved in the music scene, a few of it's members joining the band Bane. In 2009, Reach The Sky members got back together in hopes of re-igniting the spark that the band once had. This reunion would prove to be short lived however, basically closing the book on the band's existence. Currently, there have been no signs that Reach The Sky will reform, whether for creating new music or just playing a few shows. They're pretty much a done deal.

Song Of The Week: 10/16/11

2011-10-16T08:16:00.001-07:00

Song: "Radio"

Artist: Hot Water Music

Album: "Alkaline Trio/Hot Water Music" Split EP

Year: 2002

"Radio" is a song about a relationship that is so far gone that the vocalist doesn't just want her to leave, he wants to kill her!! The classic lines "I wish you would take my radio to bathe with you. Plugged in, and ready to fall" really say it all when you think about what he really feels about her. "Radio" was originally written by Chicago based punk band Alkaline Trio and was released on their 2000 album, "Maybe I'll Catch Fire". When Alkaline Trio and Hot Water Music decided to record a split EP together, both bands decided to cover the other's songs. One of the songs Hot Water Music chose was "Radio". I believe Hot Water Music's version of "Radio" really captures what the song is about much better. It probably has to do with Chuck Ragan's raspy vocals in contrast to Matt Skiba's on the Alkaline Trio version. Either way, both versions of "Radio" are great songs. I could make an argument that "Radio" is Alkaline Trio's best song. Hot Water Music formed as a band back in 1993, hailing from Gainesville, FL. They built a strong following due to their great live shows and their tight musicianship. Though the band never really crossed over to achieve huge amounts of fame, they were well respected in punk rock circles and would become a very influential band. Some bands that drew clear inspiration from Hot Water Music are The Gaslight Anthem, The Loved Ones, Flatliners and the Polar Bear Club. After constantly touring and releasing albums at a steady clip for some thirteen years, in 2006, Hot Water Music went on a bit of a hiatus due to lead singer Chuck Ragan having to step away from the band to care for his family. During this break from Hot Water Music, the remaining three members went on to form The Draft and released the album, "In A Million Pieces". Chuck Ragan also began dabbling in acoustic/folk orientated music and began releasing some solo material. When 2007 rolled around, rumors began to circulate that Hot Water Music were planning to get back together. By January of 2009, the rumors became fact as Hot Water Music got back together to perform a small tour. The band would also self-produce a 7" entitled "The Fire, The Steel, The Tread/Up To Nothing". Currently, the band has signed with Rise Records and are working on a new full length album. Chuck Ragan is still recording solo material as well, most recently 2011's "Covering Ground".

Song Of The Week: 10/9/11

2011-10-09T07:12:00.001-07:00

Song: "I Luv I Jah"

Artist: Cave In

Album: "Never Give In: A Tribute To Bad Brains"

Year: 1999

"I Luv I Jah" appears to be a song about not being accepted for who you are, how you act, what you wear, etc. The vocalist gives you the impression that people look down on him for the way he lives his life, even his own family tends to disagree with who he is as a person. In the end, it doesn't matter to him because as long as he has the love of his God, then he can continue to be true to himself and be himself and it's his faith that makes everything ok. Some say this song was written in response to the band Bad Brains joining the Rastafari movement, which some fans weren't happy about or left some fans feeling alienated by Bad Brains. Bad Brains was a legendary hardcore punk band from Washington D.C. that formed in 1977. Their original recording of "I Luv I Jah" was released on their self-titled album in 1982. It was their fusion of hardcore punk and reggae that influenced several reggae/ska/punk bands in the future such as Sublime and Fishbone. Boston based Cave In covered "I Luv I Jah" for a Bad Brains tribute album in 1999. The song was also re-released in 2010 as part of Cave In's b-side album, "Anomalies, Vol. 1". Cave In formed as a band back in 1995. They started out very much a screaming metalcore/hardcore band. Over the years, however, they would change their style from album to album. Sometimes their music is very spacey, featuring long instrumentals while other releases are more alternative rock based. Their 2003 album "Antenna" is very much an alternative rock album and thanks to the single "Anchor", became their most successful album to date. From 2006 to 2009, Cave In went on a bit of a hiatus from recording and touring. When they did get back together and record, the band seemed to revert back to their old hardcore days using less and less clean vocals and more screaming/shredding vocals. Currently, Cave In recently released their last studio album entitled "White Silence" in May of 2011. The band has said that they plan to start releasing future projects in mainly digital format while touring a little less frequently as well.

Song Of The Week: 10/2/11

2011-10-02T07:28:00.001-07:00

Song: "Sleep"

Artist: Lagwagon

Album: "Live In A Dive"

Year: 2005

"Sleep" is a punk rock love song. It's a story of longing for someone who is far away from you. The vocalist is on tour with his band and is yearning for the day that the tour ends so he can be back with his girl. He is full of hope. Hope that his band will return from the road successful as well as hope that he and his girl will eventually have children and become the family that he has always envisioned would happen. The version of "Sleep" I chose as my song of the week comes from Lagwagon's live album "Live In A Dive". "Live In A Dive" would be a series of live recordings released by Fat Wreck Chords. Other notable acts to have released "Live In A Dive" albums were Fat Wreck bands No Use For A Name, Strung Out and Swingin' Utters. The original version of "Sleep" could be found on Lagwagon's 1995 album "Hoss". Lagwagon along with NOFX and No Use For A Name really define the skate punk sound that dominated Fat Wreck Chords since the early 90's and beyond. Lagwagon is a band that doesn't take itself too seriously. Much of their material is written with tongue very much in cheek. There is no denying, however, that this band has earned the respect in punk circles for paying their dues and always staying true to themselves. Lagwagon formed as a band back in 1990. During their career, they have released seven studio albums, one EP, one live cd, as well as a collection of b-sides, compilation tracks and demos. The last official release by Lagwagon was 2008's "I Think My Older Brother Used To Listen To Lagwagon" EP. Since then, most of the band members have been working on other projects, most notably lead singer Joey Cape has released two albums which are mostly singer/songwriter, acoustic type projects. The band has got together to do a few small tours during this little hiatus they are on however, and Cape has said that Lagwagon has not broken up. He is, however, not sure if the band will ever release a full album again. They may get together to record a few songs here and there for release in the future and perform shows from time to time. Currently, Fat Wreck Chords is planning to re-release the band's first five albums in November of 2011. These re-issues can either be purchased separately or as a boxed set entitled "Putting Music In It's Place".

Song Of The Week: 9/25/11

2011-09-25T07:42:00.000-07:00

Song: "Family System"

Artist: Chevelle

Album: "Live From The Road"

Year: 2003

"Family System" appears to be a song about a family that is crumbling apart. There does not appear that there is any possible way to fix the situation as well. It definitely feels like divorce is going to be inevitable, especially when you read the lyrics and the vocalist says things like the things he used to love (family, spouse perhaps) he's learned to hate. There's no resurrecting this family structure. Chevelle formed as a band back in 1995, hailing from a suburb just outside of Chicago. The band was made up of three brothers, Pete Loeffler on guitar and vocals, Sam Loeffler on drums and Joe Loeffler on bass. After playing live shows for a few years, Chevelle finally recorded their debut album "Point #1" in 1999. The album began generating some buzz in music circles and when their small record label folded, they would be picked up by Epic Records and in 2002, would release their most successful album, "Wonder What's Next". The original recording of "Family System" would open up this album, the version I chose as my song of the week was from the band's live album, 2003's "Live From The Road". "Wonder What's Next" achieved platinum status thanks in part to the hit singles "The Red" and "Send The Pain Below". After recording their next album, 2004's "This Type Of Thinking (Could Do Us In)", the band parted ways with brother Joe. As his replacement, Chevelle kept it in the family by bringing in their brother-in-law, Dean Bernardini to perform bass duties. Chevelle remained a very active band as they would release new material basically every two years including 2007's "Vena Sera" and 2009's "Sci-Fi Crimes". Their style can basically be boiled down to alternative hard rock with hints of metal. They are often compared to Tool, mostly because of Pete Loeffler's singing voice which is similar to that of Maynard James Keenan. While both bands feature dark elements in their music and their lyrics, Chevelle's music is definitely more radio friendly than Tool. I would probably say Chevelle is more similar to bands like Staind, Helmet and Handsome. Currently, Chevelle is in the process of wrapping up what will be their sixth studio album which is set for release in December of 2011.

Song Of The Week: 9/18/11

2011-09-18T07:11:00.000-07:00

Song: "Speeding Up The Octaves"

Artist: Hawthorne Heights

Album: "The Silence In Black And White"

Year: 2004

"Speeding Up The Octaves" appears to be yet another song about a relationship that has crumbled to the point that it can no longer be salvaged. You kinda get the feeling like the guy has been caught cheating or has definitely been the dishonest one. He seems to be trying to win her back but she just burns his letters and pictures in the fire. I think as the song goes on, he comes to the realization that he must let her go and move on with his life. Hawthorne Heights formed as a band back in 2001, hailing from Dayton, OH. The band originally went under the name A Day In The Life and released a few things under that moniker. By the time the band had signed with Victory Records to release their major label debut, "The Silence In Black And White", they had officially changed their band name to Hawthorne Heights. The band achieved some early success with the help of singles "Ohio Is For Lovers" and "Niki FM". That success would continue on with their follow up album, "If Only You Were Lonely" in 2006. The good times come to a screeching halt in 2007 however, when guitarist and "unclean" vocalist Casey Calvert was found dead in the band's tour bus. He had died of a mixture of prescription drugs and vicodin. After mourning the death of their bandmate and friend, Hawthorne Heights decided to go on as a four piece and ditch the "unclean" vocals for future albums, though they would bring them back but not as frequently as their first two albums. By using "clean" and "unclean" vocals, Hawthorne Heights could often be compared to bands such as Silverstein, Senses Fail or The Used. They are sometimes referenced as emo, screamo, pop punk or just plain alternative rock. During their ten year career, they have release four major label studio albums, their most recent being 2010's "Skeletons". Currently, the band has formed their own record label, Cardboard Empire, and plan on releasing a trilogy of EP's, beginning with "Hate", which was released in August of 2011. Each of these EP's will be released within four or five months of each other.

Song Of The Week: 9/11/11

2011-09-11T07:39:00.001-07:00

Song: "Lost In A Portrait"

Artist: Trapt

Album: "The Punisher" Soundtrack

Year: 2004

"Lost In A Portrait" appears to be a song about needing someone in your life that completes you as a person. The vocalist sees his imperfections and flaws and he readily admits to them. He compares his life to a portrait on a canvas. He believes, even with his flaws, that he has a solid outline, but he needs her to be the colors that fill it in and make it whole. Trapt was formed in a California high school back in 1995. These classmates honed their musical chops in garages and parent's houses, generating enough spark until eventually they won a spot opening up for Papa Roach. After releasing a self-promoted album as well as a few EP's, Trapt drew interest from major labels and eventually released their official debut on Warner Bros. Records in 2002. This self-titled album would be the height of Trapt's success as a band thanks to high charting singles such as "Headstrong", "Still Frames" and "Echo". This album would lead to the band hooking up with more prominent tours and even beginning to headline more often. It also led to them being asked if they could lend a song of theirs to the movie "The Punisher". The band gave the unreleased song "Lost In A Portrait" for use on "The Punisher" soundtrack. From 2004 to 2010, Trapt would release three more studio albums as well as an EP and a live cd. The band would also continue to headline and co-headline several tours throughout that time period. Most notably, Trapt was awarded an opening slot for Motley Crue on 2008's "Crue Fest" tour which was also supported by bands Buckcherry, Papa Roach and Sixx A.M. Currently, Trapt is still supporting their latest release, 2010's "No Apologies" which hit the shelves in October of 2010.

Song Of The Week: 9/4/11

2011-09-04T09:20:00.001-07:00

Song: "Leave It To Tomorrow"

Artist: Rancid

Album: "Demolition Sessions"

Year: 1994

"Leave It To Tomorrow" is a demo by the band Rancid that was released as part of a collection of demos and outtakes that were recorded between 1993 and 1994. The whole "Demolition Sessions" compilation is a must have for any Rancid fan and, while considered a rarity, is not very hard to find while searching the internet. Before forming Rancid in 1991, guitarist Tim Armstrong and bassist Matt Freeman were in the influential punk/ska outfit Operation Ivy. After Op. Ivy dissolved, Freeman wanted to continue to work along side Armstrong and thus, Rancid was formed. In 1993, Lars Frederiksen would join the band as a second guitarist as well as another vocalist. Rancid, along with the bands The Offspring, Green Day and Bad Religion, were at the forefront of the punk revival of the mid-90's. Just after grunge exploded on the music scene, a series of punk bands began to attract some of the spotlight. Rancid, however, would stick with independent punk label Epitaph Records while several other bands would sign with the mainstream. This always gave Rancid that extra street cred in punk circles. 1995's "And Out Come The Wolves" would be the pinnacle of Rancid's success as a band thanks to the hit singles, "Timebomb", "Ruby Soho" and "Roots Radicals". Record sales alone would not signify Rancid as a band. To this day, they are one of the most respected bands in punk circles and beyond. Their style is reminiscent of punk legends The Clash. Rancid, like The Clash, are not afraid to delve into other genres besides straight-forward punk. They've dabbled in reggae,ska, rockabilly, blues and even some hip hop. After releasing 2003's "Indestructible", Rancid went on a little bit of a hiatus in which they focused on side projects, most notably The Transplants, Devil's Brigade and The Bastards. In 2009, the band got back together and dropped "Let The Dominoes Fall". Currently, after a short tour opening up for Blink 182, Rancid is set to hit the studio in September of 2011 and are hoping to have what would be their eighth studio album hit the shelves sometime in 2012.

Song Of The Week: 8/28/11

2011-08-29T13:29:00.001-07:00

Song: "Ay"

Artist: Flaw

Album: "American Arrogance"

Year: 1997

"Ay" is a song that appears to be about the determination and sacrifice that it takes in order to achieve success or fame. Sometimes while on this journey, you begin to find out who your real friends are and who are those that are just trying to ride on the coattails of your success. The latter seem to fall by the wayside if things are not working out for you. "Ay" is the first song off of the debut album from Flaw entitled "American Arrogance". This album was only released on cassette, independently by the band. Flaw started out as a band back in 1995 and they tried to ride the wave of the nu-metal, post grunge scene that was beginning to emerge at the time. The band's highlight of their career was their major label debut, 2001's "Through The Eyes". This album would award the band a slot in the 2002 Ozzfest tour. Success did not last long for Flaw however, their next release, 2004's "Endangered Species" was a flop. Inner turmoil and dissensions amongst band members would eventually lead to cancelled tour dates and an abrupt break-up of the band. By 2006, some members of Flaw began to kick the tires on a reunion. In the last five years, Flaw has been nothing more than a revolving door of band members and in-house fighting. The only constant in the band during this time was lead vocalist Chris Volz. In 2009, the band did manage to put together enough material for release called "Home Grown Studio Sessions". This would be a digital release that, once again was independently released by Flaw. When the band tried to pick up the pieces and go on the road to support this album, all of the old skeletons started raring their heads again and most of the dates were abruptly cancelled. Currently, while not officially disbanding, it's pretty safe to say that Flaw is pretty much a defunct band. They just can't seem to work together as a cohesive unit.

Song Of The Week: 8/21/11

2011-08-21T12:22:00.000-07:00

Song: "Goodbye Forever" (acoustic version)

Artist: Alkaline Trio

Album: Recorded during a live acoustic session in London.

Year: 2005

This song appears to be a relationship type song where the man is letting the woman go. This is not an angry break-up between the two, but he just feels that she can not grow or blossom into the person she wants to be by staying with him. He is content to watch her from afar and is somewhat happy for her even though he is letting go of one of the best things he's ever had. The original version of "Goodbye Forever" appeared on a 1999 EP called "I Lied My Face Off" and was later put out on a 2000 compilation entitled "Alkaline Trio" which featured the band's early recordings from EP's and various rarities. Alkaline Trio broke onto the music scene back in 1996. They are part of a tight-knit Chicago punk scene that also features bands such as 88 Fingers Louie and The Lawrence Arms. Alkaline Trio features the dual vocals of guitarist Matt Skiba and bassist Dan Andriamo. Their style could be considered skate punk with a definite appeal to goth themes. Many of their songs revolve around drug use, depression, death, sorrow and failed relationships. That tends to lend itself to the band's gothic punk feel. Alkaline Trio has been around long enough that their influence is widespread amongst punk circles. They are also a very hard working band, having released eight studio albums, two compilation records, as well as various EP's and split cd's during their fifteen year musical career. Skiba and Andriamo also have put out solo material as well during breaks from Alkaline Trio. Skiba formed a band called Heavens which released one album, as well as releasing more music as a solo artist, most recently 2010's "Demos". Andriamo meanwhile has just released a cd in 2011 under the moniker Dan Andriamo In The Emergency Room. Currenty, Alkaline Trio released an album entitled "Damnesia" in July of 2011. This album is basically an acoustic album where the band reworked some of their previous songs in a stripped down format. The band's last studio release with all new material was 2010's "This Addiction".

Song Of The Week: 8/14/11

2011-08-14T08:45:00.001-07:00

Song: "So Cold"

Artist: Breaking Benjamin

Album: "We Are Not Alone"

Year: 2004

At first glance, "So Cold" has an apocalyptic feel to it. You get a sense that the vocalist and his companion are watching the streets clearing out, the death and the destruction and the only thing that feels alive to him is her touch. Breaking Benjamin lead singer, Benjamin Burnley has said that he drew inspiration for "So Cold" from the movie "28 Days Later" because of it's feeling of desolation. "So Cold" is one of the band's most successful singles reaching #2 on the U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Charts and staying in the Top 20 for 37 weeks. Breaking Benjamin formed as a band back in 1998. Their style is mostly mainstream rock, perhaps they could be considered post-grunge. They remind me of bands such as Three Days Grace and Seether. From 1998 to 2010, Breaking Benjamin has released four studio albums. In 2010, the band had to cancel a bunch of tour dates due to the health of lead singer Burnley. Also, turmoil and dissention began to creep up amongst some of the band members as well. Burnley wound up firing long time band members, Aaron Fink and Mark Klepaski due to them remixing the song "Blow Me Away" with out consulting with Burnley first. This incident has also led to legal action with Burnley suing Fink and Klepaski for some $250,000. Currently, though the band is in a state of turmoil, Burnley has said that he is going to continue on under the Breaking Benjamin name once he hires new members. The band is also set to release a greatest hits album in August of 2011.

Song Of The Week: 8/7/11

2011-08-07T09:59:00.000-07:00

Song: "Save You"

Artist: Hot Rod Circuit

Album: "Reality's Coming Through"

Year: 2004

This song appears to be about trying to save someone from themselves. At first it seems you care so much for that person that it hurts you that you can't change them for the better. By the end of the song, however, you get the sense that the vocalist has come to grips with the fact that he is just faking himself into thinking he can actually save this person. He's grown tired of trying as well. Hot Rod Circuit formed as a band back in 1997 originally under the name Antidote. They only released one album under that moniker before changing to Hot Rod Circuit. Hailing from New Haven, CT, Hot Rod Circuit began creating a buzz through various college radio shows back in the day. Their underground feel lent themselves to becoming staples on various college radio programs. Soon some big labels came calling and the band signed with Vagrant Records and would release their most successful album "Sorry About Tomorrow". The song "Save You" would be on the follow-up album to "Sorry About Tomorrow", "Reality's Coming Through". Hot Rod Circuit has a very indie feel to their music. They are not all the way punk, as well as not being over the top pop. They seem to gravitate somewhere in the middle there. They kind of remind me of bands such as Jimmy Eat World and Sugarcult. After releasing one more album, "The Underground Is A Dying Breed" in 2007, Hot Rod Circuit decided to call it quits. Lead singer and chief songwriter, Andy Jackson went on to form the group A Death In The Park in 2008 which released an EP and are hoping to have a full-length album out eventually. Jackson also worked with former Taking Back Sunday guitarist Fred Mascherino on a project titled Terrible Things. That band would release one album before Jackson decided to depart in 2011. Also in 2011, Hot Rod Circuit have decided to get back together to perform at Krazyfest in Kentucky. It is not known whether this will lead to a full out reunion or not, but Jackson did not close the door on new Hot Rod Circuit projects for the future.

Song Of The Week: 7/31/11

2011-07-31T10:31:00.001-07:00

Song: "When The Levee Breaks"

Artist: A Perfect Circle

Album: "Emotive"

Year: 2004

"When The Levee Breaks" is an old Delta blues song written by Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie back in the 1920's. The song achieved most of it's fame when in 1971, Led Zeppelin recorded the song on their landmark album "Led Zeppelin IV". The song was written about the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927. This caused many of the residents along the Mississippi River to uproot their families to safety as their homes were destroyed by the flood waters. Most of these residents were poor black families. The song was very popular in African American blues music, especially in the south for obvious reasons. A Perfect Circle covered this song on their 2004 album, "Emotive". As they did with most of the cover songs which appeared on this album, they really gave the song a total makeover from the original to give it that distinct APC feel. A Perfect Circle formed in 1999 as a side project for Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan and Tool guitar tech Billy Howerdel. Howerdel was working on some demos that really caught Keenan's ear and he wanted to provide vocals to. Their first album, 2000's "Mer de Noms", would be the highest ever debut for a rock band on the Billboard charts. Where Keenan's main band Tool was much heavier and more on the metal side in their sound, A Perfect Circle was more focused on haunting melodies and more complex song arrangements. From 1999 to 2004, APC released three studio albums as well as a DVD and toured relentlessly in support of these albums. From 2004 to 2008, APC went on a bit of a hiatus as Howerdel would form Ashes Divide and Keenan would work with Tool as well as his other side project, Puscifer. In 2008, rumblings began coming out of the APC camp regarding working together on new material again. Keenan and Howerdel confirmed this, however they said a whole album was probably not going to happen and that they would probably release singles here and there via the internet. Currently, the band has worked on some songs and are currently doing a North American tour that will last from the summer of 2011 into the fall. A headlining spot at the 2011 Lollapalooza in Chicago is also a part of this tour.

Song Of The Week: 7/24/11

2011-07-24T09:03:00.001-07:00

Song: "I Caught Fire"

Artist: The Used

Album: "In Love And Death"

Year: 2004

After reading the lyrics to "I Caught Fire" it kind of reminded me of that old 80's song, "I'll Stop The World And Melt With You". It's definitely that type of love song where it doesn't matter what's going on in the outside world or what scars you both have while being away from each other. The minute they are both together, all of that goes away and they are just lost in each other. Time stops, wounds heal and everything revolves around them and their love for each other. The Used have been quite the busy band since forming back in 2001. In a ten year span, the band has released four studio albums, a live/rarities compilation, a live cd/dvd, a b-sides ep as well as other exclusive releases through iTunes. In between all of those music releases, The Used have been relentless tourers. The only thing that slowed them down on the road was lead singer Bert McCracken having to have surgery on his vocal chords. Their style could be considered many things, screamo, post-hardcore or pop-punk. McCracken has been known to scream so violently live that it causes him to vomit on occasion. That's possibly what led to him having some problems with his vocal chords. I'd say they're peers with bands such as My Chemical Romance and Silverstein. Success for The Used didn't quite go all the way over the top as it did for MCR, however. They still headline tours and what not, but they have not been praised throughout the industry for having released their definitive album as of yet. Myself, I'm quite partial to their 2002 self-titled debut album. Their's a raw feel to that album and an intensity that I don't feel the band has matched yet on their subsequent releases. With their follow-ups, it seemed that they gravitated more towards the poppier side of writing. The songs started lacking the bite of tracks such as "A Box Full Of Sharp Objects" or "Maybe Memories". Currently, The Used are hard at work on finishing up what will be their fifth studio album. The record is slated for release sometime in the fall of 2011.

Song Of The Week: 7/17/11

2011-07-17T08:08:00.001-07:00

Song: "Improv (That Far)"

Artist: Pearl Jam

Album: "Portland, Oregon; November 2, 2000"

Year: 2000

Since the very beginning of Pearl Jam being a band, their concerts have often included some impromptu jam sessions. Some of these appear to be off the cuff jams where, clearly, the band is making the song up as they go. Others, like "That Far", seem as though the band had been working on song before they introduced it to the audience. "That Far" is not the official title of this particular improv, but it has been given this name through various Pearl Jam fansites across the web. The song itself appears to be about coming home after a long time away, possibly from being on tour. The vocalist is happy to be back home and to see the person that he has missed welcoming him with open arms. "That Far" was recorded live on November 2, 2000 in Portland, OR. This show would be part of the Official Bootleg releases that Pearl Jam embarked on in 2000. This was an unprecedented move by any rock band at the time. Pearl Jam would release 72 bootlegs from their entire 2000 tour, a move that led the band to set a record for having the most albums on the Billboard charts at one time. For years, fans of Pearl jam would spend forty to fifty dollars on bootlegs to try to recapture what was and still is the strength of the band, their live performances. In an effort to lessen the cost for the fans, as well as give them a product that was far superior quality than most of the bootlegs that were out there, the band began releasing the bootlegs themselves. As for future tours, the band tweeked their bootlegs a little bit, selling them through their official website digitally. This made more sense for the band financially rather than releasing 70 plus cd's to record stores. I believe you can still buy hard copy cd's of shows through PearlJam.com. For twenty years, Pearl Jam has always been a band that looks out for it's fans, whether that's fighting Ticketmaster to lower ticket costs, playing two and a half to three hour concerts or releasing affordable, high quality bootleg recordings. As of 2011, Pearl Jam is working on new material for another studio album along with looking forward to their 20th anniversary festival, PJ20, which is a two day event in Alpine Valley, WI. Director Cameron Crowe is also finishing up a documentary of the band which should be out in the fall. Pearl Jam will also be hitting the road in Canada as well as Central and South America, shows which should provide even more rare covers songs and improvs for the impassioned Pearl Jam fan!!

Song Of The Week: 7/10/11

2011-07-10T09:03:00.000-07:00

Song: "Can't Keep"

Artist: Pearl Jam

Album: "Live At Benaroyal Hall"

Year: 2004

To me, "Can't Keep" is a song that is about having lived a full life and not being afraid to die. It seems as if it's coming from the perspective of someone who is clearly dying but is very much at peace with the process. You also get the sense that he believes his spirit will live on once his body dies with the one of the last lines of the song, "I will live forever, you can't keep me here". I definitely get a sense of going from the physical world to the spiritual world in this song. The original version of "Can't Keep" was on Pearl Jam's 2002 album "Riot Act". For the song of the week, I chose the version that was on the live recording at Benaroyal Hall. This show was an acoustic set that was recorded on October 22, 2003. "Can't Keep" was just lead singer Eddie Vedder accompanied by his ukulele. Perhaps this is what got the wheels turning for Eddie's 2011 solo album, "Ukulele Songs". Pearl Jam formed out of the ashes of Seattle band Mother Love Bone in 1990. With the release of their debut album "Ten", Pearl Jam was thrust in the spotlight of the grunge movement. This was a pivotal time in rock and roll. The 80's were really a down period for rock music and it very much needed a shot in the arm. Pearl Jam, along with Nirvana, Soundgarden and Alice In Chains was that shot. Much like the British Invasion of the 60's and the punk uprising of the 70's, the alternative/grunge explosion of the 90's helped rock and roll right itself again. Some twenty years, nine studio albums, dvd's, live compilations and a massive bootleg collection later, there's no denying Pearl Jam's steady influence on the music world. Much like the members of Pearl Jam grew up revering such artists as Neil Young, The Who and The Ramones, now there are a slew of bands who hail Pearl Jam as their major influence. Pearl Jam is a band that achieved the highest of highs, got through the lowest of lows and managed to come out of it a much more solid band and very much a tighter group. Where back in the day, Eddie Vedder really controlled the musical direction of the band, now each member contributes equally. To this day their live shows are still the band's bread and butter. Some artists can't recapture what they do in the studio in a live setting. Pearl Jam is a band that transcends what the do in the studio live. They will forever stand out for their passion for music, their longevity and their influence as a band. Currently, Pearl Jam is working on a new album that they would probably like to have completed before the end of the year. They are celebrating their 20th year anniversary with a two day festival in Alpine Valley, Wisconsin on Labor Day weekend, a small tour of Canada and are also having director Cameron Crowe make a movie/documentary of the band's history entitled PJ20. There's no slowing down for the well oiled machine that is Pearl Jam!

Song Of The Week: 7/3/11

2011-07-03T07:34:00.000-07:00

Song: "Evil Town"

Artist: The Vines

Album: "Winning Days"

Year: 2004

According to The Vines' lead vocalist, Craig Nicholls, "Evil Town" isn't necessarily about one person or one place in particular, but it could be anyone or any place where you just get bad vibes from. The Vines formed as a band in their native Australia back in 1999. At the very beginnings of the band, they were very much a garage band at heart. They drew several comparisons to Nirvana with their debut album, 2002's "Highly Evolved". With their stripped down sound and Nicholls' screaming vocals at times, I can see why there was a little similarity between them and Nirvana. They also had elements in their music that harkened back to 1960's psychadelic rock as well. This style got them lumped in with the many bands that started to hit in the early 2000's. Bands such as The Hives and The Strokes and The White Stripes to a certain extent. These bands were perhaps a breath of fresh air because their music was so stripped down and it was really like a back to basics kind of rock and roll. Though The Vines' first album was a great success for them, not only in Australia but in England and the United States, success also brought a lot of pressure on the band. Many publications hyped them up as the next Nirvana, a label that many bands would fail to live up to and The Vines were no different. "Winning Days", the band's second album, failed to live up to the success of their first and cracks in the band's armor were beginning to surface at this time. Soon the band had to deal with some departing band members, being dropped by their record label and the on again, off again depleting mental state of Craig Nicholls, which made things very hard on the band because Nicholls is the main creative force behind the band. The band had to cancel several tours do to Nicholls treatment of the fans. It got so bad that they would not allow Nicholls to do any interviews do to his mental state and what he would say. Eventually the band would get back on the road when Nicholls was more stable to handle it. They also continues to release album throughout the rest of the 2000's. While their popularity in the United States waned, in Australia they still appear and sometimes even headline some big shows and festivals. Currenty, The Vines just finished up their fifth studio album entitled "Future Primitive". It was released in June of 2011 in Australia but no date has yet been announced for it's release in the U.S.

Song Of The Week: 6/26/11

2011-06-26T09:08:00.000-07:00

Song: "Said And Done"

Artist: Eighteen Visions

Album: "Obsession"

Year: 2004

"Said And Done" is yet another "relationship on the brink" type of song. Lots of heartbreak in the world of music!! In this song, the vocalist appears to be totally done with the relationship and tells his partner to move on with her life and to turn the page while she is still trying to save what seems to be a lost cause of a relationship. Eighteen Visions formed as a band back in 1995. In the early days, the band was very much a metalcore band with mostly screaming vocals. As the years went by, Eighteen Visions became more and more melodic and by the time of their sixth self-titled album, they featured purely melodic vocals with no screaming. As for style, you could say that they are peers of bands such as Avenged Sevenfold or Bullet For My Valentine. There are definitely some shades of metal, hardcore, straight rock and punk in their music. Where Avenged Sevenfold and Bullet For My Valentine really cemented their style musically is where Eighteen Visions couldn't seem to do the same. Those two bands, while venturing in different forms of music, you can tell they are based in metal. Eighteen Visions seem to go all over the place from album to album. Perhaps this is the reason that they couldn't hold firm a steady fanbase. The minute you begin to enjoy the band as a metalcore fan, they abruptly change their style on the next record say to a more punk feel. These changes probably alienated more fans than it brought new ones. Eighteen Visions was a band that just couldn't seem to figure itself out. By 2007, Eighteen Visions would decide to break-up amidst disappointing record sales of their self-titled major label album. 2004's "Obsession" was their most successful album and even that only managed to sell some 200,000 copies. Despite their struggles, both to find themselves and from various line-up changes, not many bands can say they lasted twelve years and released six albums. Currently, all the members of Eighteen Visions are working on various new musical projects. For fans of Eighteen Visions' lead singer James Hart, you'll be happy to know he does still front a band and it's called Burn Halo, a much more straight-forward rock band.

Song Of The Week: 6/19/11

2011-06-19T09:06:00.001-07:00

Song: "Needles And Pins"

Artist: Deftones

Album: "Deftones"

Year: 2003

I've been on a bit of a Deftones kick the last couple of weeks, hence the back to back songs of the week! As for this song, "Needles And Pins" appears to be about finding someone who is as talented and gifted as you when it comes to what you do best. The first verse almost seems like a feeling out of the individual, perhaps in a competitive way. By the time the second verse hits, you sense that a collaboration with that person is at hand. By combining the talents of the two people, they feel that they are unstoppable and cannot be touched. The whole scenario kind of reminds me of the Lennon/McCartney relationship with The Beatles. Seperately, they were both very talented singers and songwriters but when they wrote together, they were biggest band ever! Without getting to much into the history of the Deftones which I explained a little bit in my previous blog, i'll just repeat that they formed as a band in 1988 and have releases six studio album in that span. 2003's "Deftones" was their fourth release and may be considered quited possibly their heaviest album to date. This album took a year to complete and cost the band some 2.5 million dollars to produce, some of the cost going to fines from their record label for missing deadlines. When it was all said and done however, "Deftones" would reach as high as number 2 on the Billboard 200 list. Lead singer Chino Moreno said this about the album, "It's all on record. We told motherfuckers not to lump us in with nu metal because when those bands go down we ain't going to be with them." Moreno's comments ring very true when you look at the popular bands at that time. Staind, who were once very heavy on their first couple of albums, had become soft and radio friendly while another band like Linkin Park just totally lacked any bite with it's music. The Deftones remained true to their style and who they were throughout their career, a main reason why they are so well respected amongst their peers. In 2010, the band released their sixth album, "Diamond Eyes" and currently have tours set up in Europe and Australia in support of that album.

Song Of The Week: 6/12/11

2011-06-13T21:34:00.000-07:00

Song: "Around The Fur"

Artist: Deftones

Album: "Around The Fur"

Year: 1997

"Around The Fur" appears to be a song about how superficial and shallow those are that revolve their entire existence around glamour and vanity. That type of lifestyle just seems to be very hollow and lacking any substance and you can tell the vocalist really has little need for it in his own life. The Deftones were formed back in 1988 by three highschool friends from California. They could go under the genre of alternative metal amongst other things but they just stray enough outside the lines that it makes it hard to define their sound by one genre. Their music hits the listener first with it's heavy and aggressive sound. Then it soars to other places with lead singer, Chino Moreno's atmospheric vocals which eventually lead to gutteral screams which stir the final product into a frenzy. The Deftones never quite get recognized with being at the forefront of any musical movement, however. They often seem to get lost a little in the back while the music industry goes from one fad to the next. There is absolutely no doubt about this band's integrity nor the respect that they have in the circles that matter most, their fanbase and their peers. Just some of the band's that have praised the Deftones along the way include Alice In Chains, Suicidal Tendencies, Tool and Korn. During their 20 plus year career, the Deftones have released six studio albums, all of which have at least achieved Gold status. In 2006, longtime band member, bassist Chi Cheng, was seriously injured in an auto accident which really shook the band and it's members. They would ultimately bring in another bassist for the recording of their last album, 2010's "Diamond Eyes". Currently, the band completed a tour in the fall of 2010 with Alice In Chains and Mastodon. They also have several tour dates on schedule for Europe and Australia in 2011. As of now, Cheng is still recovering from his serious injuries and cannot join the band at this time.

Song Of The Week: 6/5/11

2011-06-05T07:41:00.001-07:00

Song: "Hellbent"

Artist: Superdrag

Album: "Instant Live: The Paradise. Boston, MA 9/5/03"

Year: 2004

"Hellbent" appears to be a song about wanting to get away from your current living condition and start something new. You get the sense the vocalist seems to build up the courage to move on only to fall back into the same old situations. He can't seem to break the normalcy that is his life. You also get the feeling he is talking about the "rock star" life. He keeps getting sucked in by the drugs and the "hangers on" that only seem to bring him down. Perhaps "Hellbent", which was originally recorded for Superdrag's second album, "Head Trip In Every Key", was a bit of foreshadowing of what was to come for the band, especially lead singer John Davis. After achieving some success in alternative music circles with their debut album, "Regretfully Yours" and the hit single "Sucked Out", it seemed Superdrag really started to veer against the music industry with their follow-up releases. "Head Trip" saw Superdrag really tap into Beatles influences where Superdrag's record label, Elektra really wanted them to ride the wave of the alternative bandwagon and create more "Sucked Out" type songs. On their next release, "In The Valley Of Dying Stars", Davis put his frustration with the industry on his sleeve with the song "Keep It Close To Me". Davis would stand firm and not allow his creations to be compromised by outside forces. By the time of 2002's "Last Call For Vitriol", the wear and tear of physical and emotional strains really began to weigh on the band. Alcohol began to take control of Davis' life in a way that he could no longer function if he continued to live that way. In 2003, Davis would find God, get sober and ultimately leave Superdrag behind. He would release two solo albums between 2003 and 2007. Good news for fans of Superdrag came in 2007. Rumors were confirmed that the original band members would reunite for a small tour. In 2009, Superdrag released a brand new album entitled "Industry Giants". The band would continue to tour in support of that album throughout 2009. Currently, the band is in a bit of a hiatus period again with all the members working on various side projects. John Davis, however, has not closed the book on working on new Superdrag material in the future.

Song Of The Week: 5/29/11

2011-05-29T06:46:00.000-07:00

Song: "Fallen"

Artist: 30 Seconds To Mars

Album: "30 Seconds To Mars"

Year: 2002

"Fallen" appears to be a song about escaping from your own reality, perhaps going to a space in your own mind where you can still relate to the things that surround you. "Fallen" was originally titled "Jupiter" and it is the oldest song in the 30 Seconds To Mars catalogue. 30 Seconds To Mars formed as a band back in 1998. It was originally a family project of sorts for brothers Jared and Shannon Leto. Though Jared gained some fame as an American actor, he refused to use his success in film to jumpstart his band. He was determined to keep the two separate from each other. Of course, fans of his movies would have an obvious interest in his other career as well, however. By the time of the band's 2005 album "A Beautiful Lie" was released, Leto would not have to worry about the band standing on it's own. "A Beautiful Lie", backed by the hit single "The Kill", was a huge success for the band which enabled them to go from opening band to headliners in a short period of time. The band's third album, 2009's "This Is War", would keep the band in the spotlight as one of the biggest rock acts of the mid to late 2000's. 30 Seconds To Mars draws their musical style from several different influences from Tool to David Bowie to Alice In Chains and even Bjork. I've heard them labeled everything from post-grunge, progressive metal to alternative rock. They are definitely a band that is driven by creating whole album concept rather than records that are driven by two or three singles. Currently, 30 Seconds To Mars finished up a world tour in support of "This Is War" in December of 2010. They are also signed on to be the headliner of International Lollapalooza in Santiago, Chile.

Song Of The Week: 5/22/11

2011-05-22T09:54:00.000-07:00

Song: "Over The Hills And Far Away" (live version)

Artist: Led Zeppelin

Album: "How The West Was Won"

Year: 2003

After reading the lyrics to this song, it appears to me that the vocalist is searching for love that will last. It seems he has made his share of mistakes when it comes to relationships and he is on a quest, of sorts, to find that "pocket full of gold". I've heard some say the song is about sleeping around with as many women as possible. I can see that, but I sense he's doing it because he hasn't found the "one" yet that he feels comfortable and confident he can settle down with. "Over The Hills And Far Away" is a classic Led Zeppelin song that was originally released on the band's 1973 album "Houses Of The Holy". The version I chose to use was taken from the band's 2003 live release, "How The West Was Won". The song was recorded during the band's stop at the L.A. Forum on their 1972 U.S. tour. Led Zeppelin formed as a band out of the ashes of The Yardbirds in 1968. Originally, guitarist Jimmy Page wanted to form a supergroup with himself on guitar along with Jeff Beck and The Who's rhythm section, John Entwistle on bass and Keith Moon on drums. That band would never see the light however. Page worked with bassist John Paul Jones in some studio sessions in the past, so Jones has an inside track to the new band. Plant was also recommended to Page by a friend. Plant was the one who introduced John Bonham to the band and alas, Led Zeppelin was formed. At their height, you can argue that Led Zeppelin was as important and influential a band that The Beatles or The Rolling Stones were. That's how solid and innovative they were. Though based on a solid American blues foundation, Led Zeppelin was not afraid to push the envelope when it came to experimenting with different styles of music, as well as different instruments. When you talk about being the best of your craft, you're talking about Led Zeppelin. Robert Plant, arguably the best lead singer in rock and roll history. Jimmy Page, one of the best guitarists ever. John Paul Jones, perhaps the most talented musician in the rock world. John Bonham, the best hard rock drummer of all time, period. Led Zeppelin would rule the rock world from 1968 until 1980, when tragically, John Bonham would die in his sleep from choking on his own vomit. The band decided that Bonham was too important to the band to carry on and Led Zeppelin would be no more. Zeppelin would reunite for some shows, most notably Live Aid in 1985 and a benefit concert in 2007 for Ahmet Ertegun, a concert which trully showed the raw power of one of the best bands of all time, and also featured Bonham's son, Jason behind the drum kit. After this 2007 show, Page, Jones and Jason Bonham wanted to embark on a full scale Zeppelin tour. Robert Plant however, wanted to focus on his solo career and seemed to want to close the book on Zeppelin. Currently, the hopes of a Zeppelin reunion do not look good and Page has said that they would not tour under the Zeppelin name unless Plant is a part of the project.

Song Of The Week: 5/15/11

2011-05-15T08:13:00.000-07:00

Song: "Get It Right"

Artist: Don't Look Down

Album: "Start The Show"

Year: 2002

"Get It Right" follows a common theme that occurs in many pop/punk songs of a relationship on the brink. You get the feeling that outside forces, such as old friends, are influencing the girl to end the relationship while the guy (vocalist) is trying to hold on to the relationship telling her that they don't need them, they only need each other. In the end, it seems like he loses. Maybe next time he'll "get it right". Don't Look Down formed as a band back in 1998 in New Jersey. After several years of being nothing more than a punk cover band, they finally got their break in 2002 and released their first album "Start The Show". This album showed that they were a typical pop punk band, perhaps a cross in style of bands like MxPx and Jimmy Eat World. With their follow up EP "Five" and 2004's "The Fear In Love", Don't Look Down began showing a more mature songwriting style and sound without totally losing their focus on hooks and melodies. It wasn't long after the release of "The Fear In Love" that Don't Look Down ceased to exist as a band. Perhaps it was just getting lost in the overload of pop/punk bands that were coming out at the time or maybe the band just ran it's course. In 2006, Don't Look Down lead singer Ryan Ogren joined another pop/punk outfit Over It as a guitarist and background vocalist. Some years later, Ogren and members of Over It and Rufio formed a new band called Runner Runner. Ogren, once again assumed lead vocals and guitar for this band. Currently, it seems Runner Runner is the main focus for Ryan Ogren which means Don't Look Down probably will not see the light of day anytime soon. Barring a change of heart from Ogren, it's probably safe to close the book on Don't Look Down as a band.

Song Of The Week: 5/8/11

2011-05-08T10:09:00.001-07:00

Song: "Radio Prayer Line"

Artist: Sponge

Album: "New Pop Sunday"

Year: 1999

This song is about a mother-to-be. In the song, she's is hoping or praying that her newborn child does not have to suffer the same pains and misfortunes that have plagued her own life. She has seen her own parents go through a divorce and her father pushed most of the blame on her growing up. She's worried that the father of her child will do the same to her that her father did to her mother. By the end of the song, you get the sense that she is being comforted and that she should not have these fears because everything is going to work out fine for her. Sponge formed as a band back in 1991, hailing from Detroit, MI. They are one of the bands that hopped on the grunge/alternative bandwagon and enjoyed the ride, at least for a short while. Their 1994 debut, "Rotting Pinata" was a huge success for the band as hit singles "Molly" and "Plowed" were constant staples on any modern rock radio stations. Their success would continue with their follow-up album "Wax Ecstatic". By the time of their third album, 1999's "New Pop Sunday", the roller coaster ride of success began going down for Sponge. They experimented with a less grittier sound and a more polished pop style, much to the dismay of their fan base. During the 2000's, Sponge would continue on as a band, releasing three more albums as well as an EP. Lead singer, Vinnie Dombroski has remained the only original member in the band as the line-up has changed several times. During their music career so far, Sponge has gone from headlining arena shows, to now filling much smaller clubs but their core fanbase has remained loyal to the band. They're almost like an underground band now compared to their 90's heyday. Currently, rumors are out there that Sponge are going to release a new album in 2011 tentatively titled "Soak It Up".

Song Of The Week: 5/1/11

2011-05-01T09:24:00.001-07:00

Song: "Divine Intervention"

Artist: Autopilot Off

Album: "Make A Sound"

Year: 2004

After reading the lyrics to "Divine Intervention", I get the sense the vocalist is trying to figure out the various questions that life brings us. Why do we bring people into our lives while we leave others behind? Why do we grow attached to some things while letting other things go? Why do we make the choices we do? Perhaps it's just easier to say that the reasons we do what we do are because of divine intervention. Our path has already been determined so there is no need to question our actions, just act. Autopilot Off formed as a band back in 1996. Originally, the band went under the moniker Cooter. They would release a full length album as well as an EP and a split with the band Slick Shoes under the Cooter name. In 2002, Cooter was forced to change their name to Autopilot Off due to legal action brought forth from another band who held the name The Cooters. As Autopilot Off, the band would release a few more EP's as well as their major label debut, 2004's "Make A Sound". While there's nothing extraordinary about Autopilot Off, nor anything that totally separates them from other pop punk/skate punk bands, "Make A Sound" was quite a solid album from beginning to end. This makes it all the more surprising that in 2005, just one year after releasing "Make A Sound", the band would go on an indefinite hiatus. This hiatus would turn into an eventual break-up of the band. This was very unfortunate news for fans of the band. Autopilot Off seemed to have a lot of promise as a band and this abrupt end seemed to happen all too soon. Currently, the band members have all focused on their lives away from the band and on their families. There is no sign of Autopilot Off working together again.

Song Of The Week: 4/24/11

2011-04-24T08:24:00.001-07:00

Song: "Slumbering"

Artist: Samiam

Album: "Soar"

Year: 1991

"Slumbering" is a song about zoning out. Sometimes to get away from the daily grind that is life, you need to just step away and take some time to yourself to just collect your thoughts. Call it vegging out, day dreaming or whatever, it's all about taking some time to escape the realities surrounding you and just taking a moment to breathe. Samiam formed as a band back in 1988. They were considered "emo" before emo was a bad word! As for style, they are very similar to a band such as Jawbreaker. There are some definite punk elements without going full on punk. I just consider them a solid all around rock band. Samiam never quite broke out of the underground when it came to gaining any long term success as a band. Their high point was probably the single "She Found You" which was released in 1998. Even that song only achieved moderate success. Samiam was very much a part of the alternative movement that was a huge part of the 90's music scene. In 2000, following a tour to support their album "Astray", it appeared as if Samiam was going to call it quits. A break-up turned out to be nothing more than a hiatus for the band however and in 2006, they would release "Whatever's Got You Down". This would be the band's last studio recording as of now. From 2006 to 2010, Samiam became quite the touring band. Most of their tours would focus on playing Europe and South America as well as a stint in Australia. They also sprinkled in a few U.S. tour dates along the way. Currently, as of March 2011, word is that Samiam is hard at work on a new album. No release date has been posted yet for a new release however.

Song Of The Week: 4/17/11

2011-04-17T08:41:00.000-07:00

Song: "Through My Window"

Artist: Cub Country

Album: "High Uinta High"

Year: 2002

This is a beautifully written song about the one that got away. In the song, the vocalist can only dream about what would have been the perfect life had his relationship with the love of his life survived. Now he just wallows in his own depression and loneliness knowing that that life is nothing more than a fading dream. Cub Country is a country/folk, indie type of band that was formed back in 2000. Cub Country is really the baby of Jeremy Chatelain. Chatelain had been the bassist of Jets To Brazil prior to starting Cub Country. Fellow Jets To Brazil member and legendary frontman of the punk outfit Jawbreaker, Blake Schwarzenbach also helped Jeremy out on some Cub Country material. Some may also recognize Chatelain as the front man for 90's hard rock band Handsome. Far removed from those hardcore days, Chatelain wanted to focus on songwriting and bringing forth a sense of Americana with his new band. A listen to Cub Country's music almost seems to take you out on the plains and plateaus of the western part of the United States. "High Uinta High" started out as a solo project of sorts for Chatelain, but soon more and more musicians would contribute to the project, and especially later projects to give Cub Country an overall band feel. The band would release two more albums, adding some electric guitar elements to what was mostly an acoustic style on the first record. The band's most recent release was 2009's "Stretch That Skull Cover And Smile". Currently, though Cub Country does not tour as much as in the early days of the band due to Chatelain focusing on his family, the band is still very much intact and will continue to be the main vehicle for Chatelain to put his music out to the masses.

Song Of The Week: 4/10/11

2011-04-10T07:35:00.001-07:00

Song: "God Is In The Radio"

Artist: Queens Of The Stone Age

Album: "Songs For The Deaf"

Year: 2002

This song appears to be a shot at popular radio nowadays. It points out how radio stations use overkill and repetition to force their opinion on the listeners as to what "they" feel is popular or should be popular. Some bands even tend to fall into the radio's trap in that, when they achieve some success on the airwaves, they start trying to recreate the same song over and over again instead of just being true to their art and creativity. Queens Of The Stone Age formed from the ashes of Kyuss back in 1997. The one constant in the band since it's inception has been singer/guitarist Josh Homme. Through the years the band has been somewhat of a revolving door when it comes to studio musicians, touring musicians as well as contributors from other bands such as the Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl and Screaming Trees' Mark Lanegan. Lanegan, who performs vocals on "God Is In The Radio", has been a long time contributor and off and on again member of Queens. Grohl performed all the drums on 2002's "Songs For The Deaf" and toured with the band briefly on their 2002 tour in support of that album. "Songs For The Deaf" would be Q.O.T.S.A.'s most successful album to date, but success also brought about some turmoil for the band. Long time bassist and musical contributor Nick Oliveri was fired from the band due to a conflict with Homme. This would altar the band's sound a little bit on future albums done without Oliveri. As for style, the label "stoner rock" has been used to describe Q.O.T.S.A.'s sound, a term that Homme does not like at all. The band's music focuses on repetitive riffs, almost robot-like style. In a music world that is often saturated by carbon copies where you can't tell one band from the next, Queens Of The Stone Age is kind of like a breath of fresh air. They really have a style that is all their own and makes them stand out amongst the crowd. The band has released five studio albums to date and, currently, the band has been back in the studio since January 2011 working on a new album. The band has also re-released their second album "Rated R" featuring bonus b-sides as well as a live performance. Josh Homme is also hard at work remastering the bands first self-titled album which is due to be released sometime in 2011.

Song Of The Week: 4/3/11

2011-04-03T09:37:00.000-07:00

Song: "Time Flies"

Artist: Puddle Of Mudd

Album: "Life On Display"

Year: 2003

This song appears to be about knowing that there is not much time left in your life and really stressing about it because there is so much left you want to do and you desperately aren't ready to die. Puddle Of Mudd was a band officially as far back as 1992. They would release two independent albums with very little success to the point where ultimately the band would break up. One of their albums found it's way to Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst who liked what he heard from the band. When Durst got in contact with Puddle Of Mudd lead singer Wes Scantlin, he was disappointed to find out that the band was no longer. Durst, however, convinced Scantlin to reform the band albeit with new members. The results were the band's major label debut, "Come Clean" which turned out to be a major success thanks to the hit singles "Control" and "Blurry". Puddle Of Mudd followed up the success of their debut album with 2003's "Life On Display". This would begin a trend of somewhat disappointing record sales for the band. They would release two more studio albums by 2009 with moderate success. Though the band did not totally fall off the map, they never achieved the success that their debut album would garner them. Their singles would, however, continue to receive radio play thus keeping the band in the conversation. In 2010, the band would release their first "best of" collection titled "Icon". Currently, Wes Scantlin has confirmed the Puddle Of Mudd should have a new record out by the end of 2011.

Song Of The Week: 3/27/11

2011-03-27T08:20:00.001-07:00

Song: "The Reason"

Artist: Hoobastank

Album: "The Reason"

Year: 2003

"The Reason" is a song about coming to the realization that you are not perfect and that mistakes you have made in the past most likely cost you the relationship you had with someone you care very much about. The vocalist cared so much for this person that he's willing to change his ways and become the person she always wanted him to be and perhaps the person she deserves. I get a sense in the song that he is too late and the relationship is over. Hoobastank formed as a band back in 1994, hailing from California. Their style is that of a pop orientated rock band. They draw several comparisons to a band such as Incubus, both in their music and their vocal style. While the band's 2001 self-titled album spawned some radio hits such as "Crawling In The Dark" and "Running Away", it was their 2003 album "The Reason" that really exploded for the band, mostly due to the success of the hit single "The Reason". This song was and is the band's highest charting single, eventually reaching number one on modern rock charts. The band's next two releases following "The Reason" were actually disappointments for the band. Though they weren't all together bad albums for the band, it just seemed they could not cross over with the public the same way "The Reason" did. Perhaps, national radio just decided to move on to "the next big thing" and left Hoobastank behind. Either way, the band is still very much active having released their last studio album in 2009, "For(N)ever". In 2010, the band also recorded an all acoustic album titled, "Is This The Day?". While this album was officially released in Japan, it has yet to be released in the United States for some reason. Currently, lead singer Doug Robb confirmed via Twitter that the band is planning on releasing an album at some point in 2011.

Song Of The Week: 3/20/11

2011-03-20T09:02:00.000-07:00

Song: "Days With You"

Artist: Fuel

Album: "Natural Selection"

Year: 2003

"Days With You" is a "relationship destroyed by cheating and lies" type of song. In the song, the vocalist almost puts his love interest on a high pedestal only to find out that her lies and infidelities would be the cause of so much pain and emotional scars for him. Fuel formed as a band back in 1993 and were very much the baby of lead guitarist Carl Bell. Bell handled the majority of the song writing as well as the lyrics for fuel. The band achieved some success riding singles such as "Shimmer", "Bad Day", "Falls On Me" and their most successful radio hit, "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)". They are very much a mainstream rock band much in the same vein as bands like 3 Doors Down. They seem to strive to make that radio friendly, sing a long type of rock music, though they do have times when they try to get a little more aggressive. In 2004, lead singer and original member Brett Scallions left the band. While Carl Bell said that the singer's voice had been giving him problems, Scallions declared that he was not allowed to be a creative member of the band. Bell decided to continue on with Fuel and in 2007, the band released "Angels & Devils" with new lead singer Toryn Green. Green was really just a cheap Scallions imitator and the band definitely lost some of it's luster without it's original lead singer. As Fuel went on a little hiatus, original bassist Jeff Abercrombie hooked up with Scallions and the two went out on tour under the moniker, "Re-Fueled". By 2010, Abercrombie would eventually leave Re-Fueled leaving Scallions as the only original member of Fuel. With a new line-up and after some negotiations with Carl Bell, Scallions was allowed to use the name Fuel for all future endeavors. So far the band has gone into the studio and finished one song called "Headache". Currently, Scallions has stated that he and the band wrote plenty of material while touring and that they should be working on a new album soon.

Song Of The Week: 3/13/11

2011-03-13T08:33:00.001-07:00

Song: "Always There"

Artist: Slick Shoes

Album: "Far From Nowhere"

Year: 2003

You can look at this song from two possible viewpoints. First, if you factor in that Slick Shoes is very much a Christian band, the song could definitely be about God's love for you and, if you completely embrace that love, then perhaps you can realize your full potential as a human being. On the other hand, you can interpret that the vocalist is talking about his soulmate of sorts. This person sees in the vocalist what he possibly does not see in himself and it's her unconditional love that allows him to realize all the good potential that he has. As I said, Slick Shoes was a Christian pop punk/skate punk band that formed back in 1994. The most common comparison for Slick Shoes style of music is probably a band like MxPx. Both of these bands got their starts on Christian label Tooth & Nail. In a ten year span, Slick Shoes would release five studio albums along with an EP and a split with Autopilot Off (Cooter at the time). "Far From Nowhere" would be the last full length album that the band would release. In 2004, the band went on an indefinite hiatus. In 2007, after three years away from Slick Shoes, the band decided to reunite and played several live shows, their last taking place in 2008. The band has said that though they would not tour extensively, they would play some shows and had planned on recording a new album. Currently, the status of Slick Shoes is kind of up in the air. It's now 2011, and as far as I know, the band has not played live in a while nor has there been any news of new material set to be released. The band does have a side project called Sigmund, but their releases have also been rather sporadic the last couple of years.

Song Of The Week: 3/6/11

2011-03-06T08:10:00.000-08:00

Song: "Travis Bickle"

Artist: Rancid

Album: "Indestructible"

Year: 2003

This song is based on the main character of the Martin Scorcese directed film, 1976's "Taxi Driver". In the film Robert Deniro plays the main character Travis Bickle. Bickle becomes frustrated and disgusted with the filth and scum that oozes out of the city, especially at night. He grows tired of the junkies, the pimps, the whores and the drug dealers. He wishes all of the filth would just wash away. Ultimately, he goes on a rampage feeling that he is the only one who can rid the city of all of these shady characters. "Travis Bickle", the song, basically sums up the same feelings, sung from the perspective of Bickle himself. Rancid formed as a band back in 1991 from the ashes of the ska punk outfit Operation Ivy. Operation Ivy's Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman remained great friends and formed a number of bands after O.P.'s break-up before finally settling on Rancid. In 1993, the band added Lars Frederiksen as another guitarist as well as vocalist. Rancid was at the forefront of the 90's punk rock revival which consisted of them as well as other bands such as The Offspring, Bad Religion and Green Day. 1995's "And Out Comes The Wolves" would be the album that put Rancid on the map when it came to it's biggest success. Though their roots were in hardcore punk, Rancid wasn't shy about experimenting in different musical genres such as rock-a-billy and reggae. By delving into these different styles, it has led to several comparison to punk legends The Clash. Rancid has released seven full length studio albums as well as appearing on several compilations throughout their career. Their last album was 2009's "Let The Dominoes Fall". After touring to support that album, the band decided to take a bit of a break from Rancid. Though, the band members have plenty of side projects to keep them busy most notably Devil's Brigade, The Bastards, The Transplants as well as Tim Armstrong's solo material. Currently, the only word coming out of the Rancid camp is the possibility of a live DVD set to be released in the fall of 2011.

Song Of The Week: 2/27/11

2011-02-27T06:57:00.001-08:00

Song: "The Dubious Glow Of Excess"

Artist: Good Riddance

Album: "Bound By Ties Of Blood And Affection"

Year: 2003

To me, this song appears to be about the trappings of success and fame. When you realize your dream and then you fullfill it, will you still remember where you came from and the people who were instrumental in helping you along the way? Or, will you leave everything and everyone behind. The song is kind of a cautionary tale in that, if you let the fame consume you, you may find yourself alone. At that point, all you can do is reflect on your achieved dream and ask yourself if it was worth it because essentially, you forgot where you came from. Good Riddance was a hardcore punk band from Santa Cruz, CA that formed back in 1986. Their music focused on various political and social issues as well as personal struggles and conflicts. I've heard them often labeled as Fat Wreck Chords' Pennywise as both bands would wear their political and social beliefs on their sleeves. Good Riddance is a band that deserves to stand on their own, however. Even though I see them as quite underrated as a band, that does not make them less respected in punk circles. Any kid that wanted to start a band as a vehicle to get his political or social viewpoints out there has to thank bands like Good Riddance, Pennywise and Bad Religion for clearing the path for him. In just over twenty years, Good Riddance would put out seven studio albums, various EP's and comp. tracks, a b-sides album and a live album, "Remain In Memory", which would be a recording of what would be their final concert together. In 2007, Good Riddance decided to call it quits as a band. Currently, all of the band members are involved in new music projects most notably being GR's lead singer Russ Rankin's new band, Only Crime.

Song Of The Week: 2/20/11

2011-02-20T07:13:00.001-08:00

Song: "Before I Go"

Artist: Unwritten Law

Album: "Music In High Places"

Year: 2003

This is "Before I Go"'s second go round on my song of the week blog. Where the first time I used the studio version from Unwritten Law's 1998 self titled album, this time I chose an acoustic version that was taken from 2003's "Music In High Places". "Music In High Places" was a program on VH1 which featured artists performing acoustic songs in natural settings. Unwritten Law would perform their songs in Yellowstone National Park for the show. "Before I Go" is sung from the perspective of someone that is dying. Even though the vocalist is in pain and knows he doesn't have much time left on this Earth, he spends his final moments assuring the one he loves and trying to give her strength to move on. She should take comfort in that he is not afraid and he tells her that his memory will live on in her. Unwritten Law formed as a band back in 1990. In their early years, they were very much a part of the pop punk scene. As the years went by, however, they definitely began to altar their style until they found a sound that they were comfortable with. This more radio friendly style was most prominent on their 2002 album "Elva". This was the album that really opened things up for Unwritten Law. Behind the strength of their hit single "Seeing Red", U.L. would enjoy their highest success as a band. All in all, U.L. has released five studio albums, a few EP's, an acoustic album, a live album and a greatest hits compilation. Currently, Unwritten Law is set to release their sixth studio album in March of 2011. The album is titled "Swan". Unwritten Law has also committed to playing the 2011 Warped Tour.

Song Of The Week: 2/13/11

2011-02-13T08:39:00.000-08:00

Song: "Wash"

Artist: Pearl Jam

Album: "Lost Dogs"

Year: 2003

This song appears to be about how being true and pure can sometimes be overtaken by temptation and sin. To me, the vocalist is kind of living a double life. He struggles with the fact that he wants to be faithful and honest at home, but it's his lies and infidelities that, if they would ever come to the surface and see the light, would kill his relationship with the one he really loves. In the end, he just wishes his impurities would be washed away but you don't really get the impression that he can forgive himself for his sins let alone be forgiven by the one he's sinned. "Wash" is one of the first songs that Pearl Jam ever recorded as a band. The song was recorded during the "Ten" sessions and released as a b-side on 1991's "Alive" single. 2003's "Lost Dogs" contains a slightly different recording of "Wash" as well. Pearl Jam formed as a band in 1990 from the ashes of Mother Love Bone. When Mother Love Bone lead singer Andy Wood died of a heroin overdose, fellow bandmates Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament weren't quite sure if they would continue to make music together. Luckily, Stone would ask Jeff to help out on some demo's that he was working on. Throw Mike McCready in the mix and a demo tape that Stone gave to Jack Irons, who then gave the tape to Eddie Vedder and alas, Pearl Jam was born. Looking back as the band is celebrating it's 20th anniversary, you could argue that Pearl Jam is the greatest American band of all time. During their career, they have released nine studio albums, various singles and live albums, not to mention bootleg recordings which you can purchase through their fan club website. Pearl Jam has a fanbase that has not been seen since the Grateful Dead. Seeing them perform live, you definitely get why fans have so much passion for this band. It's quite the experience. Currently, Pearl Jam is working on re-issues of their "VS" and "Vitalogy" albums scheduled for release in early 2011. Director Cameron Crowe is also working on a documentary of the band celebrating their twenty years in the music industry. The band also has a 20th anniversary festival planned for some time in the summer of 2011.

Song Of The Week: 2/6/11

2011-02-06T06:24:00.000-08:00

Song: "Only The Strong" (piano version)

Artist: Flaw

Album: "Through The Eyes"

Year: 2001

"Only The Strong" is a song about how dealing with life's adversities and the pain that goes along with them will only serve to make you stronger in the end. Those who endure will most likely survive. Those who cannot deal with the pain and the pressures probably will not. The vocalist in this song is really using pain and deceit that he's had during his life to strengthen who he is now. Flaw is a nu metal band that formed back in 1995. Their style is very similar to several bands that came out in the mid to late 90's such as Staind, Evanescence and Chevelle. From 1995 to 2000, Flaw would independently release two albums plus an EP. It wasn't until 2001 that they would release their first major label album, "Through The Eyes". Any success the band would have would be due to this album. They would release a follow-up in 2004, "Endangered Species", but this album really was not much of a success for the band. Inner turmoil would become a common occurrence for Flaw eventually leading to the band calling it quits in 2004. In 2006, Flaw would try to reunite and did to perform some live shows but the problems that became so prevalent in the past would arise once again. The band was a constant revolving door of band members, the one constant was normally lead singer Chris Volz. The band did get together in 2009 to record and independently release their third album, "Home Grown Studio Sessions". In 2010, however, once again the band had to cancel their entire tour due to internal conflicts. Currently, though the band says it is still intact, it's looking more and more like Flaw's days as a band are very much numbered.

Song Of The Week: 1/30/11

2011-01-30T09:08:00.000-08:00

Song: "Welcome To The Terrordome"

Artist: Public Enemy

Album: "Fear Of A Black Planet"

Year: 1990

"Welcome To The Terrordome" is a song about the self-destruction going on in the black community. It's really about the tearing down of the community when people should be striving together to uplift it. Public Enemy's chief emcee Chuck D. is harshest on his own when it comes to black on black crime and cultural self-destruction in this song. Public Enemy formed back in 1986 and quickly became one of the most influential and most respected groups to come out in the hip hop world. Their second album, "It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back" is widely regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time, not just in hip hop quarters. Several other musicians in many genres viewed "It Takes A Nation..." as a strong album, most notably being Nirvana's Kurt Cobain who put this album in his own personal top ten of music that he listened to. While "It Takes A Nation.." was PE's most heralded album, "Fear Of A Black Planet", released two years later, was their most successful. I always viewed Public Enemy as the punk rock band of the rap world. Their beats were harsh, noisy and cluttered and Chuck D. spit venom as an emcee. PE is really one of the first hip hop groups to focus on social, political and cultural issues in their albums. Along with Run D.M.C., and N.W.A., I would consider Public Enemy the most important group in rap history. As the 2000's approached, hip hop started going in many different directions and the material being released seemed to be more about boasting about what you have instead of focusing on real issues that are affecting the world. Because of this, legendary hip hop acts such as PE and KRS-ONE began to see their fame start to fade out. They still, however command respect for the path they laid. PE continues to release albums every two to three years, their latest being 2007's "How You Sell Soul To A Soulless People Who Sold Their Soul". Currently, PE is still quite active as they still do some touring between focusing on various side projects, Chuck D.'s being mostly focused on political and social issues while hype man Flavor Flav has been back in the mainstream due to his "reality" shows such as "Flavor Of Love". I wouldn't be surprised to see PE come out with a new album in the near future.

Song Of The Week: 1/23/11

2011-01-23T09:15:00.001-08:00

Song: "Chesterfield King"

Artist: Face To Face

Album: "Standards & Practices"

Year: 1999

"Chesterfield King" is a true punk rock love song. It's about a man who perhaps at first is afraid to commit fully to a relationship but after taking some time to clear his head, he comes to realize that this relationship is too important to him to throw it away so he hurries back to the girl he almost left behind. "Chesterfield King" is a cover song by Face To Face. The original was recorded back in 1992 by the hugely influential punk/emo outfit Jawbreaker and released on their "Bivouac" album. Face To Face is one of many punk bands that were deeply impacted by the music created by Jawbreaker. Much like Jawbreaker, Face To Face has become one of the most respected bands in the punk scene. Face To Face got it's start back in 1991 and quickly became one of the top punk bands in an exploding California scene. Along with bands such as Rancid, Jawbreaker, Bad Religion, The Offspring and Green Day, Face To Face would also become a force in the punk rock revival of the 90's. Lead singer and chief songwriter, Trever Keith was the one main constant in the band throughout the years but since 1995, bassist Scott Shiflett also became a mainstay in the band. Shiflett is well respected in punk rock circles as well as his brother Chris who now plays guitar for the Foo Fighters. After putting out several albums on labels such as Vagrant Records and Fat Wreck Chords, Face To Face decided to call it quits in 2004. Keith just felt that the band had exhausted itself and he as well as the rest of the band wanted to work on new projects. This hiatus would only last for four years however. After persistent rumors circulated about a possible Face To Face reunion, in 2008 the band finally acknowledged that the rumors were in fact true. The band returned and began touring extensively most notably as headliners on the Warped Tour. Currently, Face To Face is putting the finishing touches on a new album tentatively titled "Laugh Now, Laugh Later". This album is set for release in early 2011.

Song Of The Week: 1/16/11

2011-01-16T06:58:00.001-08:00

Song: "Rich Girl"

Artist: Everclear

Album: "The Vegas Years"

Year: 2008

"Rich Girl" is a cover song which was originally released in 1976. It was originally written and performed by Daryl Hall & John Oates. Everclear covered this song and released it on 2008's "The Vegas Years" which featured most of the cover songs which Everclear performed through the years. The song "Rich Girl" is basically about a girl who thinks she can get away with anything and do whatever she wants without consequences because her family comes from money. Any problems that she creates can be washed away because "daddy" has money. Everclear broke on to the music scene in 1992 hailing from Portland, OR. For the majority of the band's career it consisted of Art Alexakis on guitars and vocals, Craig Montoya on bass and Greg Eklund on drums. From 1995 to 2000, Everclear was one of the most successful bands in rock music, riding the wave of hit singles such as "Santa Monica", "Wonderful", "Father Of Mine" and "Everything To Everyone". The 2000's were quite a different story for the band however. Inner turmoil and tensions would lead to the departure of Montoya and Eklund in 2003. Alexakis then had to decide whether to continue on with Everclear and a new line-up or just go solo. He would keep Everclear intact, along with playing several solo acoustic tours, but new material was released rather sporadically. 2006's "Welcome To The Drama Club" was the only full studio release of all new material by the new Everclear line-up. They also released "The Vegas Years" cover compilation which featured mostly songs that were recorded throughout the band's career and 2009's "In A Different Light" which is basically an acoustic album featuring many of the band's hit songs stripped down. Currently, the band went through another line-up overhaul and, according to Alexakis, were planning on releasing a new album in 2010. 2010 has come and gone however with no new Everclear album.

Song Of The Week: 1/9/11

2011-01-09T08:55:00.000-08:00

Song: "Dreams"

Artist: Taproot

Album: "Welcome"

Year: 2002

"Dreams" appears to be a song about confusing what reality is and what is not. When asleep, the vocalist seems to see who he is in an honest view and he's not quite sure he likes what he sees so he struggles to stay awake. The subconscious mind does not mask the truth like we often do in a conscious state. Taproot is a post-grunge band from Michigan that formed back in 1997. After some independent releases, Taproot got their first major break upon releasing "Gift" in 2000. The band began generating a following after "Gift" which would lead to their most successful album to date, "Welcome". On the heels of their hit single, "Poem", Taproot went from opening band to headliners. Their style is reminiscent of early Staind material with verses that gradually build up to exploding choruses often featuring guttural vocals. Following "Welcome", Taproot began experimenting with a somewhat softer sound which alienated some of it's core fanbase. Thankfully, with their 2010 release, "Plead The Fifth", the band seemed to go back to the heavy formula that gained them success with "Gift" and "Welcome". Currently the band is still on tour supporting "Plead The Fifth".

Song Of The Week: 1/2/11

2011-01-02T06:08:00.001-08:00

Song: "Caught A Glimpse"

Artist: Blindside

Album: "Silence"

Year: 2002

Before trying to explain what "Caught A Glimpse" appears to be about, it's important to understand that Blindside is a Christian band and those beliefs and morals tend to be themes in a lot of their songs. With that being said, this song is about being grounded by your relationship with God even while all the trappings of early success, fame and the Hollywood lifestyle beckons you at every turn. In battling through all of these temptations that are laid before you, it's your devotion to God that keeps you on the path you wish to be on. Blindside formed as a band back in 1994. They hail from Sweden. Though they are often labeled as Christian post-hardcore, they have showed some diversity in their most recent releases and have experimented with some electronica as well as jazz elements on some of their songs. They are definitely a band that does not want to be trapped into any certain genre while not totally going away from who they are as a band. While they are not a hugely successful band, they are quite solid in my opinion. "Caught A Glimpse" was the third single off of 2002's "Silence" album and i'd argue it is possibly in my top three for Blindside songs. While the band has released five studio albums and a couple of EP's, their last being 2007's "The Black Rose", they have been on a little hiatus from recording but have popped up playing live on various occasions. The good news for Blindside fans is that currently they are working on a new album which they hope to have released in March of 2011.

Song Of The Week: 12/26/10

2010-12-26T06:40:00.000-08:00

Song: "Numbers"

Artist: Bigwig

Album: "Stay Asleep"

Year: 1999

"Numbers" is a song about not conforming to acts of oppression, whether they be religious oppression, governmental oppression or societal oppression. It's really a middle finger to those who try to mold you into something that you're not and that you never wanted to be. A true punk rock rebellion song. The song features one of the best anti-establishment choruses in punk rock music: "Fuck your schools. Fuck your rules. Fuck you and your boundaries." Bigwig formed as a band back in 1995. If you took one cup of hardcore punk such as Black Flag and another cup of more melodic punk like fellow Jersey boys The Bouncing Souls, then sprinkled in little hints of metal, you'd wind up with a style that resembles Bigwig. The band very much stayed in the underground punk movement, never really crossing over with a great deal of success. This caused a revolving door of band members through the years, the only constant being lead singer and chief songwriter Tom Petta. In fact, Petta is the only original band member in Bigwig today. The band's most recent release was 2006's "Reclamation". Currently, the band has just cancelled a bunch of tour dates that they were supposed to play with Pennywise due to unforeseen circumstances. Their is no current news as to whether Bigwig is working on any new material for future release at this time.

Song Of The Week: 12/19/10

2010-12-19T08:39:00.001-08:00

Song: "Glycerine"

Artist: Bush

Album: Live performance from MTV Spring Break

Year: 1996

"Glycerine" is a song about a volatile relationship. It's a strange contradiction of a song in that, there is no person in the world that the vocalist feels more passionate about yet at the same time, the relationship is both physically and mentally abusive. Rather than making changes in order to keep the relationship alive, he seems reluctantly content to allow it to dissolve around him. The song really shows how true love could be so strong as to rise above everything yet so fragile that it could also come crashing down on those involved. "Glycerine" was the fourth single from Bush's debut album "Sixteen Stone" which was released in 1994. On the heels of the grunge movement, Bush would catch that wave and "Sixteen Stone" was extremely successful. "Glycerine" reached number one on the Modern Rock Tracks chart and stayed there for two weeks making it one of their most successful singles. Bush would release three more studio albums after "Sixteen Stone", all of which achieved some moderate success but nothing like their debut. After ten years of making music and touring, in 2002 Bush decided to call it quits. Lead guitarist and founding member Nigel Pulsford wanted to focus his attention and time on his family while lead singer Gavin Rossdale would do some acting as well as release some music both as a solo artist and with the band Institute. In 2010, Gavin Rossdale, along with original drummer Robin Goodridge, decided to reform Bush, albeit with a new lead guitarist and bassist. The band has played various reunion shows in 2010 and plan on releasing an album, tentatively titled "Everything Always Now", sometime in 2011.

Song Of The Week: 12/12/10

2010-12-12T07:15:00.001-08:00

Song: "New Tools"

Artist: Seaweed

Album: "Weak"

Year: 1992

This song appears to be about not conforming to those who think they have your best interests at heart. In life, there are many people trying to tug you in directions which may compromise your core values or belief system. It's important to trust yourself first and foremost when it comes to your work, your ideas, your relationships and your life. Sometimes it's hard not to get caught up in the current that is the machine. Often, it is those who go against that current that tend to achieve the most satisfaction in what they do, whether it becomes successful or not. Seaweed, from Tacoma, WA, formed as a band back in 1989. They were signed to the famous SubPop label in Seattle and were very much in the underground of the "grunge" movement. Their style, to me, is kind of like a dirty punk style, a definite mesh of punk attitude with a grungy atmosphere. Seaweed never attained the same successes as it's contemporaries, Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Mudhoney. Their biggest success was probably their cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Go Your Own Way" which was released on the soundtrack for Kevin Smith's underground hit movie "Clerks". For eleven years, 1989 to 2000, Seaweed would release records on various labels and tour extensively but they could never quite get over the hump as a successful band. In 2000, Seaweed broke up with all the members working on different projects, most of them staying in the music industry in some capacity or another. Lead singer, Aaron Stauffer fronted some notable acts as Not From Space, Gardener and The Blue Dot. In 2007, most of the original band decided to get back together and began performing live shows. The most current news from Seaweed is that they are working on a new album tentatively titled "Small Engine Repair".

Song Of The Week: 12/5/10

2010-12-05T07:52:00.000-08:00

Song: "Castaway"

Artist: Jerry Cantrell

Album: "Degradation Trip: Volumes 1 & 2"

Year: 2002

This song is about feeling as if your alone at sea or on an island. In a literal sense, feeling like you're a castaway. If you look at this time in Jerry Cantrell's life, especially the situations involving his band Alice In Chains, the song could possibly be autobiographical. Cantrell never wanted to embark on a solo career. His first love was always his band Alice In Chains, but due to the failing health of frontman Layne Staley, Chains was in limbo. Therefore, with great anxiety, Cantrell went on that island and tried to make it on his own, battling his own demons along the way. In the early 90's, the Seattle music scene was all the rage and Alice In Chains, along with Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and Soundgarden, were at the forefront of the "grunge" movement. With great success came even greater trappings of fame. Perhaps none of the Seattle band was more greatly impacted by the effects of drug abuse than Alice In Chains. The grip of heroin took it's toll on Layne Staley the most. By 1996, Alice In Chains was a shell of it's former self. Though they just released their self-titled album shortly before, Staley's health made it damn near impossible to tour in support of the album. With Chains basically on hiatus, Cantrell began focusing on a solo career which would spawn two albums, "Boggy Depot" and "Degradation Trip: Volumes 1 & 2". "Degradation Trip" really found Cantrell focusing on where his musical career was headed amongst the turmoil and ashes of his former band. Just before the release of the album, Cantrell and the music world had to come to grips with the tragedy of Layne Staley's death in 2002. Though everyone saw it coming, the death of Staley really hit hard. Some years later, Cantrell and the remaining members of Alice In Chains got together and played a benefit show with various lead singers filling in. The spark that was once there returned and rumors of an Alice In Chains reunion began surfacing. They recruited Comes With The Fall vocalist William DuVall and began touring with their new line-up. In 2009, the band released "Black Gives Way To Blue", their first studio album in 14 years and their first without Layne Staley. Currently, Jerry Cantrell and Alice In Chains are on tour supporting "Black Gives Way To Blue".

Song Of The Week: 11/28/10

2010-11-28T09:38:00.001-08:00

Song: "Crash"

Artist: 12 Stones

Album: "12 Stones"

Year: 2002

This song is about having faith even in times of struggle and adversity. Know that in times of trouble and despair, God is watching over you and His love for you and yours of him will eventually set you free. 12 Stones is a band that at times wears it's Christian faith on it's sleeve and "Crash" is definitely one of those songs. Hailing from Louisiana, 12 Stones formed as a band in 2000. They have released three full length studio albums as well as an EP. 12 Stones probably caught their biggest break back in 2003, when lead vocalist Paul McCoy contributed vocals to Evanescene's 2003 smash hit "Bring Me To Life". This probably more than anything else started to shine a light on McCoy's own band. 12 Stones is a pretty much straight forward rock band. They often use a formula which consists of softer verses followed by a heavier, melodic chorus. Their record label, Wind-Up Records, has several bands that offer similar styles, including Creed, Finger Eleven, Evanescence and Seether. The band's most recent release occurred in 2010, an EP entitled "The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday". Currently, 12 Stones is at work on a new studio album which is slated to be released sometime in 2011.

Song Of The Week: 11/21/10

2010-11-21T08:04:00.001-08:00

Song: "Queen And John"

Artist: Good Riddance

Album: "Good Riddance/Kill Your Idols" Split EP

Year: 2001

This song is basically about regret. Good Riddance is not really known for their relationship type songs, but every now and then they put one out there and "Queen And John" is one of their finest. In the song, the vocalist is definitely having regrets for the way he treated his girl in their relationship. He doesn't want it to end, but, to her, it's too late for him to change his ways and what they had is officially over. Good Riddance is a hardcore/punk band that got it's start back in 1986. They were heavily influenced by punk legends such as Black Flag and Bad Religion. The majority of their songs focus on social and political issues but as I said earlier, they were known to sprinkle in a love/relationship song here and there. GR spent their career on the famed punk label Fat Wreck Chords, adding some hardcore to a label which was dominated by skate punk bands. After more than twenty years, seven studio albums, several EPs and splits, a live album, cover album, and a rarities collection, Good Riddance decided to call it quits in 2007. A very sad moment in the punk rock world as GR was as solid a band as it gets. Thankfully, you can still get your fix of GR's vocalist, Russ Rankin, as he fronts another solid punk band called Only Crime. Currently, all the former members of Good Riddance are focusing on their new projects, the top dog being Only Crime.

Song Of The Week: 11/14/10

2010-11-14T06:49:00.000-08:00

Song: "Home Frome Home"

Artist: Millencolin

Album: "Home From Home"

Year: 2002

This song is about how Millencolin's lead singer, Nikola Sarcevic, realized his dream the first time he picked up his bass guitar and started writing songs. It tells of how working regular jobs or going to school wasn't for him and that the place he really felt at home was when he was performing in his band. Millencolin is a punk band from Sweden that formed back in 1992. They adopted a "skate-punk" style similar to fellow 90's punk rockers such as No Use For A Name and NOFX. The high point in Millencolin's career came in 2000 with the release of "Pennybridge Pioneers". This was the band's most successful album, and i'd tend to agree, it is their finest effort to date. Millencolin kind of reminds me of a band such as The Living End. Not so much in style, but in the fact that they are much more popular internationally than they are here in the United States. If you are a fan of the band, you know that they are a solid band with a strong recording catalogue to back them up. Millencolin's latest release was "Machine 15" which dropped in 2008. Currently, lead singer and bassist Sarcevic has been focusing on his solo material, touring acoustically in support of his most recent album. As of now, there is no news as to when Millencolin is going to return to the studio to work on a new album, but the band is still very much intact.

Song Of The Week: 11/7/10

2010-11-07T08:06:00.001-08:00

Song: "One More Hangover Day (Warren's Song, Pt. 7)"

Artist: Bracket

Album: "Novelty Forever"

Year: 1997

This song appears to be about just wanting to seclude yourself in your dark bedroom for the day and just make the outside world go away. While whoever has ever had a hangover can understand the feeling, I don't believe this song is about an alcohol related hangover, but more a hangover from a broken heart. He just needs one more day to get over a relationship lost and to wallow in his own pain and sadness. Bracket hails from California and formed as a band back in 1992. Though the band has some punk elements, I wouldn't go all the way and consider them a straight-forward punk band. They remind me more of just a garage rock band with definite pop sensibilities. They are just as much Tom Petty as they are Green Day is what i'm getting at. For the majority of their career, Bracket was on the famed punk label, Fat Wreck Chords. They are a band that always seems to fly under the radar. They never really achieved mainstream success with their music. They're more of an indie type band that relies on it's small core fan base as well as touring with more successful acts such as Fat Wreck's NOFX and No Use For A Name. In 2005, Bracket left Fat Wreck Chords and moved to Takeover Records to record what would be their last studio album, "Requiem". While the band has not officially said that Bracket has called it quits, some members of the band have moved to different parts of the country making it harder to work together on new material. Currently, some members of Bracket have formed a quirky band called The Good Life Crisis, which features odd instruments such as ukuleles and mandolins. There is no news if Bracket will eventually work together again as of now.

Song Of The Week: 10/31/10

2010-10-31T08:29:00.000-07:00

Song: "Give It Back"

Artist: Hoobastank

Album: "Hoobastank"

Year: 2001

This song is about a one-sided relationship. One-sided in that the guy has given all of his time, love, devotion and loyalty and the girl has done nothing but be unfaithful to him. He wants her to give back all that he has invested in the relationship but the fact is what's done is done and he will never get back what he put into it. Hoobastank formed in 1994. Though they self released some material, it wasn't until 2001 that the band released an album through a major label. When I think of what style of band Hoobastank is, the first comparisons that come to mind is how similar they are to Incubus. Their self-titled album was a success and definitely put the band on the map, but their major triumph was their follow-up album, 2003's "The Reason". The band's next couple of releases would not live up to "The Reason" both in popularity and record sales. Though the band's popularity has waned over the last few years, they are still very much intact and continue to tour and release new material. Most recently, Hoobastank have released an all acoustic album featuring some of the band's bigger hits in a stripped down form. The album is entitled "Is This The Day" and it was released in 2010. Hoobastank supported the album by performing several acoustic shows all over Japan. Currently, there is no news as to whether the band is heading back to the studio to work on a new album.

Song Of The Week: 10/24/10

2010-10-24T07:44:00.000-07:00

Song: "One Last Breath"

Artist: Creed

Album: "Weathered"

Year: 2001

This song is about someone that knows he doesn't have much time left in this world, but he still believes he has so much left to live for. With each last breath, he still wants to atone for his past mistakes and he still yearns to have more time and do more thing with those around him who he really cares for. He will fight to hold on to these things until he breathes his final breath. Creed formed as a band back in 1994 and were at the head of the post-grunge movement. Much like a band such as Bush was criticized for being Nirvana rip-offs, Creed found the same problems with their constant comparisons to Pearl Jam. Though Creed was hugely successful, those comparisons never let them get any respect in the music industry. The connection to Pearl Jam does not end there however. Before the band began recording their third album, "Weathered", bassist Brian Marshall was fired from the band for saying some negative comments about Pearl Jam's songwriting style that the rest of the band members, especially vocalist Scott Stapp, wanted to distance themselves from, especially seeing that Pearl Jam was a huge influence to the band. Lead guitarist Mark Tremonti would handle all the bass duties on the "Weathered" album and the band would soldier on as a trio. In 2004, however, inner conflicts between Stapp and the rest of the band caused Creed to break up. Stapp would go on to release a solo album while the remaining Creed members, including fired bassist Marshall would form a new band called Alter Bridge. After a five year break, Stapp and the rest of the band worked out their differences and reformed Creed, releasing a new album, "Full Circle" and touring the globe in support of it. The Creed reunion will not be the death of Alter Bridge, according to Tremonti. Currently, while Creed is on a little break from touring and recording, Alter Bridge is touring in support of a brand new album. Scott Stapp is also keeping busy doing a solo acoustic tour. Once everyone is done working on their side projects, Creed will get back together and work on some new material for future release.

Song Of The Week: 10/17/10

2010-10-17T06:52:00.000-07:00

Song: "Superman"

Artist: Bush

Album: "Golden State"

Year: 2001

To me, "Superman" appears to be a song about the loss of youth and innocence and how, as a kid, solutions to problems are just so much more attainable. For instance, when you were young, you thought people like "Superman" could save the world so there was really nothing to worry about. As you grow older, your innocence becomes corrupted by sin and you begin having to deal with life's realities which cannot be cured by good luck charms and superheros. Life is a constant struggle of reinventing yourself to atone for mistakes that you have made and it's basically up to you to make those changes. "Superman" cannot make things better anymore. Bush is a post-grunge band from England that got it's start back in 1992. On the heels of the Seattle grunge explosion, bands such as Bush tried to jump on the coattails of the Nirvana's and Pearl Jam's of the world. Though they were ridiculed for being copycats of those bands, Bush did find much success in the mid to late 90's, mostly from their debut album "Sixteen Stone" which found lots of radio play and achieved very high record sales. "Superman" is a song from the band's fourth studio album, "Golden State". Though "Golden State" was the band's least successful album, I could make an argument that it is their second best album behind "Sixteen Stone". The album was a return of sorts to that raw, heavy rock sound that made "Sixteen Stone" a great album. After touring in support of "Golden State", the band would break up in 2002 due to the band members going in different directions, musically and in life. Frontman Gavin Rossdale would go on to form the short lived Institute which would only record one album and he also released a solo record that was supposed to be written as a new Bush album, but the other band members, most notably guitarist Nigel Pulsford, wanted no part of a reunion. In 2010, it was announced that Rossdale had reformed Bush. The only other original member in the new version is drummer Robin Goodridge. The band is preparing to have their first album in almost ten years released in 2011. The tentative title is "Everything Always Now".

Song Of The Week: 10/10/10

2010-10-10T07:37:00.000-07:00

Song: "One In Ten"

Artist: Deviates

Album: "Time Is The Distance"

Year: 2001

This song appears to be about trying to deal with the loss of someone close to you. The vocalist is constantly trying to stay in a state of dream where the person's memory feels close and real. Reality, however, is that eventually you are going to wake up and when you do that person is still gone. The Deviates formed as a band in 1994, though they would not release their first album until 2000. Pennywise guitarist Fletcher Dragge was so impressed by the band that he would produce their first album, "My Life". The Deviates dropped their second album "Time Is The Distance" in 2001 and really appeared to be a band that was on the rise. They were a breath of fresh air as a punk band, influenced heavily by punk rock legends Pennywise and Bad Religion, even winding up on the famous Epitaph label along with those bands. As good as "Time Is The Distance" was, the band seemed to just disappear off the face of the Earth. After touring in support of the album, the state of the Deviates was a mystery. As far as I know, they never worked on any new material for a follow-up to "Time Is The Distance" and the band just seemed to fade away. It seems you can't find any information as to why the band broke up or even what the members are doing now on the internet. They have no wikipedia link, no myspace page (other than a fan tribute) and the few band bio's you find (such as on Epitaph's site) are not updated. Therefore, currently there is no new on Deviates. It's safe to assume that a once very promising punk band would leave us with two solid albums and a few rare tracks.

Song Of The Week: 10/3/10

2010-10-03T06:33:00.000-07:00

Song: "Altered States"

Artist: Bush

Album: "The Science Of Things"

Year: 1999

To me, "Altered States" appears to be about an internal struggle of various states or frames of mind. At one point you try to be hopeful that you will do the right thing and make it through life yet at the same time the feeling of being stuck in a constant rut of negativity weighs on your mind heavily. It turns out to be quite the struggle just to balance either extreme in your own head. Bush formed as a band back in 1992. Despite the constant comparisons to Nirvana, even called a Nirvana clone at times, Bush would become one of the most successful bands of the 90's. The band's debut album "Sixteen Stone" exploded the band to superstardom. Bush went on to release three more studio albums which all achieved some levels of success but never quite matched the popularity of "Sixteen Stone". In 2002, Bush would break-up due to original guitarist and co-founder, Nigel Pulsford wanting to spend more time with his family. Lead singer and guitarist Gavin Rossdale would form the band Institute in 2004 but after releasing one album, they would too disband. In 2008, Rossdale released his first solo album called "Wanderlust". This album was written by Rossdale to be a new Bush release, but he could not persuade Pulsford to reunite Bush. Currently, Rossdale along with original drummer Robin Goodridge have teamed up with a new guitarist and bassist and have reformed Bush. They plan to release an album in late 2010 early 2011 which is tentatively titled "Everything Always Now".

Song Of The Week: 9/26/10

2010-09-26T07:16:00.000-07:00

Song: "Out Of My Depth"

Artist: Everclear

Album: "Songs From An American Movie, Vol. 2: Good Time For A Bad Attitude"

Year: 2000

Everclear's "Out Of My Depth" is a song about being in over your head. You get a sense that the vocalist is quite overwhelmed by his situation and finds it very hard to get out from the dark cloud that seems to be following him throughout his everyday life. The song definitely exudes quite the negative vibe. Everclear formed as a band in Portland, OR back in 1992. Lead singer and main songwriter, Art Alexakis toiled around in a few bands, most notably Colorfinger before finally creating Everclear. The band's roots stem from a mix of punk and grunge but as they became more and more successful, their style tended to shift to straight-forward rock with definite pop sensibilities. The height of Everclear's popularity would take place between the years 1995 and 2000. This five year span saw the band release three successful albums that spawned hit singles such as "Santa Monica", "Father Of Mine", "Wonderful" and "Everything To Everyone". In 2000, the band released two albums just four months apart. The "Songs From An American Movie, Vol. 1" would prove to be the last major success for the band while "Vol. 2" wound up being nothing more than a bad marketing ploy. Promotion was still heavy for "Vol. 1" so when the second volume hit stores, it basically confused the buying public as none of the hit songs on the radio were found on "Vol. 2". The waining popularity started affecting the band internally as well. In 2003, longtime members, Craig Montoya and Greg Eklund decided to leave the band. In the ensuing years, Alexakis kept Everclear alive though the other band members were a revolving door. Even though Alexakis is the main creative force for the band, I believe they trully lost some of their spark and energy with the departures of Montoya and Eklund. Also, since their departure, new releases by Everclear have become more and more sporadic. Alexakis seems to spend more time playing solo acoustic shows and being a staunch Democratic activist. Currently, there was some news that Alexakis has reformed yet another version of Everclear and were said to be working on a new album which was slated to be released in August of 2010. August has come and gone however with no new material from the band.

Song Of The Week: 9/19/10

2010-09-19T08:01:00.001-07:00

Song: "Before I Go"

Artist: Unwritten Law

Album: "Unwritten Law"

Year: 1998

"Before I Go" is a song written as if it's someone's dying words to the person who is closest to him. It's ironic in that the person who is about to die is offering comfort and support to the person who is mourning him so. He's basically telling the person to remember the good times and that he will always be alive in the person's heart and in their memories. Though Unwritten Law's 1998 self-titled album was officially their third release, it was a defining album for the band. It was at this point where the band started shifting away from a pop/skate punk style and began branching out creatively with their music. If this album put the band on the map, it was 2002's "Elva" that really blew up success-wise for Unwritten Law. On the heels of the hit single "Seein' Red", the band's popularity would reach it's peak here in the United States as well as globally. Since forming in 1990, Unwritten Law has released seven full length albums, a live release and a greatest hits compilation included. Though it's been a little more than two years since their last release, currently their is news that the band is working on a new album tentatively titled "Swan".

Song Of The Week: 9/12/10

2010-09-12T07:30:00.000-07:00

Song: "Sick"

Artist: Pulley

Album: "@#!*"

Year: 1999

"Sick" is a song about finding out the news that you have been diagnosed with a terminal disease (cancer most likely) and the constant struggle between fighting to stay alive and beat the disease or succumbing to the disease feeling that death may be the better path just to make the pain go away. Pulley is a skate punk band from California that broke on the scene in 1996. Lead singer, Scott Radinsky got his start in the late 80's with the band Scared Straight, which would later change their name to Ten Foot Pole. Due to Radinsky's commitments to Major League Baseball (he was a relief pitcher for the Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers among others), he was asked to leave TFP so that they could focus on their music full time. Thus, Radinsky went on to form Pulley as a vehicle to put out his brand of punk music during his off-season from MLB. I believe Pulley is a very underrated band. Perhaps they would get a little more love and respect if their touring schedule and music releases were not so sporadic due to Radinsky's hectic MLB schedule. They did put out five studio albums as well as their latest EP release "Time-Insensitive Material" in 2009. Currently, Radinsky is the bullpen coach for the Cleveland Indians, so with the MLB season coming to a close, I'd expect to see Pulley either doing some tour dates or possibly even working on some new music for a future release.

Song Of The Week: 9/5/10

2010-09-05T12:51:00.000-07:00

Song: "Cold And All Alone"

Artist: MxPx

Album: "At The Show"

Year: 1999

"Cold And All Alone" is yet another "relationship on the brink" type of song. It's written from the perspective of a guy who sees that he's been wrong to his partner and has been constantly struggling to change his behavior and make things better in the relationship. He probably sees that it may be a losing battle but he's not quite ready to give up and be alone. "Cold And All Alone" was originally recorded for 1998's "Slowly Going The Way Of The Buffalo". The version I chose was released in 1999 on MxPx's live album, "At The Show". MxPx formed as a band back in 1992. Hailing from Bremerton, WA, MxPx was a combination of Christian punk, skate punk, pop punk and even a little bit of hardcore on some songs. I think their longevity and their workmanlike approach to recording and touring has given MxPx a little more street punk cred than some of their contemporaries. As carbon copies such as Good Charlotte and Yellowcard started achieving crossover fame, MxPx just kept chugging along, always with their hardcore fans by their side and always showing the imitators how it's supposed to be done. Bassist and songwriter, Mike Herrera has been focusing most of his creative attention lately to his country/punk outfit Tumbledown and in 2010, original MxPx member Yuri Riley announced his retirement from the band. Currently, while the band is still very much intact, there is no news on whether new MxPx material will surface in the near future. I'm quite positive, however, that new information will surface probably sooner than later as the band does not rest for long periods of time usually.

Song Of The Week: 8/29/10

2010-08-31T14:04:00.000-07:00

Song: "Muffled"

Artist: Ten Foot Pole

Album: "Rev"

Year: 1994

This song is about a relationship that is totally failing. You get a sense from the vocalist that he is surprised that it in fact has lasted as long as it has. In the end, however, to both him and her, the relationship has turned out to be nothing more than a waste of time. Ten Foot Pole is a skate punk band from California that rose from the ashes of the band Scared Straight. Lead singer at the time, Scott Radinsky, chose to change the name to Ten Foot Pole so that they would not be confused to be a "straight edge" band. "Rev" would be the final full length album to feature Radinsky on vocals as his other career, a Major League Baseball relief pitcher, made it difficult for him to make the band his number one priority. Guitarist Dennis Jagard would assume lead vocals for the rest of the band's releases. The band went on almost a three year hiatus following the 2004 release "Subliminal Messages" but they did reunite to play a few live shows. Their is no current news as to the state of Ten Foot Pole. No releases seem to be on the horizon anytime soon. Dennis Jagard keeps himself busy as a sound engineer and has worked with the likes of Prince and many others. Former member Radinsky went on to form the band Pulley while also working as the Cleveland Indians bullpen coach.

Song Of The Week: 8/22/10

2010-08-22T09:24:00.000-07:00

Song: "Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window"

Artist: Jimi Hendrix

Album: "BBC Sessions"

Year: 1998

"Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window" was originally written and performed by Bob Dylan in 1965. It was recorded during the "Highway 61 Revisited" sessions. Jimi Hendrix covered the song for the BBC, which is the famous radio program in England. To this day musician's record live in the BBC studio and the program is just as much of a big deal as it was when Jimi recorded there in 1967 as well as 1969. The song itself seems to be about telling a woman to get out of a relationship in which she may be being abused or even somewhat being used by her partner. The vocalist is saying to her to get out and enjoy life and in the end, if you're afraid of leaving, you can always go back to him if you want to. It seems the vocalist doesn't necessarily want any long term relationship with her perhaps just a fling then she can go on her way and do whatever she wants. In just seven years of making music, 1963 to 1970, Jimi Hendrix cemented his mark on the recording industry. There was perhaps no guitarist in history as innovative as Hendrix and even some of his legendary peers, Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, Neil Young and Pete Townsend consider Jimi the greatest guitar player of all time. The way he experimented in the recording studio is second to none. He was always trying to make his guitar create sounds that were unique, original and atmospheric by using various effects and recording methods that have never been done before. Jimi's music has trully stood the test of time and songs like "Purple Haze" and "Voodoo Child" hold up to any current piece of music and will forever i'm sure. His music is timeless. His innovations are legendary. His guitar playing is second to none. Who knows how much further Jimi could've have taken his talents had he not passed away at the young age of 27 back in 1970. While we sit and ponder that question, we can all go back and listen to the recordings he's blessed us all with and just enjoy what he gave to the world of music.

Song Of The Week: 8/15/10

2010-08-15T09:06:00.000-07:00

Song: "Shoot Down"

Artist: Liam Gallagher w/ The Prodigy

Album: "Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned"

Year: 2004

This song is a rare treat for any Oasis fans out there. The song was actually put out by English electro dance group The Prodigy and features Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher on vocals as well as his brother Noel on bass. The lyrics, also written by Liam, really don't seem to mean much. It's really about shooting a gun basically, no big obscure meaning or anything like that. Oasis had a history with performing with electronic dance groups in the past, most notably Noel Gallagher and The Chemical Brothers released the hit song, "Let Forever Be", so they are no strangers to performing this type of music. As for Oasis, their musical career was somewhat of a roller coaster ride that spanned from 1991 to 2009. There were many highs, the peak probably being the release of 1995's "(What's The Story) Morning Glory", which went on to become one of the most successful albums of that decade and really put the band on the map. There were also several lows, however, mostly concerning the inner squabbles of brothers Noel and Liam, both onstage and off. Finally in 2009, Noel had had enough of the constant turmoil and dissention between he and his brother and he officially left Oasis. Liam and the remaining members of the band would decide to continue on under the new moniker, Beady Eye, and he hopes the band will have new material out either by the end of 2010 or the beginning of 2011. As for Noel, he is focusing on a solo career and has been playing various shows, mostly performing acoustic sets featuring Oasis hits and some cover tunes. One of those performances was released as "The Dreams We Have As Children" which was a benefit show that was recorded at London's Royal Albert Hall. The performance shows that Noel is going to have no problem going it alone as it is a solid show which features some help from The Jam's Paul Weller on a few tracks as well.

Song Of The Week: 8/8/10

2010-08-08T08:22:00.000-07:00

Song: "Emotion Sickness"

Artist: Silverchair

Album: "Neon Ballroom"

Year: 1999

"Emotion Sickness" is an epic ballad from Australia's Silverchair. The song is about depression, addiction, disorders and hopelessness. It's about feeling trapped in your condition and feeling their is no way to escape. It could very well be about lead singer Daniel Johns own struggles with an eating disorder right around the time "Neon Ballroom" was released. Silverchair formed as a band in 1992 and were very much a product of the grunge scene when they first came out. Their first radio single, "Tomorrow" was released when the band members were just 15 years old. 1999's "Neon Ballroom" was the first album that started to show the band moving in a different direction musically as they began experimenting with more orchestration and piano in their sound. The band you hear on 1995's "Frogstomp" and 2007's "Young Modern" couldn't be farther apart stylistically. The band has stated that they are not afraid of alienating some of their old fans for the sake of pushing themselves musically. They feel they have a freedom in their band that allows them to explore different sounds. Here in the United States, Silverchair is somewhat of an afterthought. In their native Australia, however, the band is hugely popular, winning various awards for each album they've released while selling millions of albums. Currently, the band has confirmed that they are in the studio working on a new album and, to no one's surprise, Daniel Johns has stated that the new material will be even more experimental than their previous efforts.

Song Of The Week: 8/1/10

2010-08-01T10:58:00.001-07:00

Song: "Immortality"

Artist: Pearl Jam

Album: "July 2, 03 #62 Mansfield" North America 2003 Bootleg

Year: 2003

Though Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder claims that "Immortality" was not written about the Kurt Cobain suicide, there are many things in the song that seem to be just about that. Perhaps this is true because Eddie himself has stated that the song is more about understanding the pressures on someone who is on a parallel train. So the song may be more autobiographical yet indirectly linked to Cobain. This rings especially true in that both Vedder and Cobain rode that shaky train to superstardom and both had to deal with the enormity of success and all the dangers and pitfalls of all of the sudden being cast as the voice of a generation, without really wanting the responsiblity of being that. It was hard for them to remain true to who they were at that time and not be dangled about like a puppet on a string. There were only so many things they could do. They could have walked away from it all and seclude themselves from the world. They could pull back and take control of their lives, their band, and their direction, as Pearl Jam did. Suicide was the final end to Cobain and Nirvana. Who knows if Cobain was alive today if Nirvana could have sustained their legendary status. A lot of times, music fans and the industry tends to move on to the next big thing. Perhaps, Nirvana would have been left behind, much like bands like Pearl Jam have been in the music world today. By that tragic event in 1994, Cobain and the music of Nirvana was immortalized. "Immortality" was originally released on Pearl Jam's 1994 "Vitalogy" album. At the height of the band's popularity, "Vitalogy" was the second fastest selling album of all time, only behind Pearl Jam's "VS" album. This version I chose was recorded live in 2003 from the Tweeter Center in Mansfield, MA. Always one of my PJ highlights, the three dates the band played in Mansfield, MA on the 2003 tour featured the band only repeating one song twice, which was "Yellow Ledbetter". For the hardcore Jammer, these shows were a dream come true, and besides possibly the 10 year anniversary show in Las Vegas, these were my favorite concerts which I attended by the band. Currently, Pearl Jam just finished up touring in support of their latest release, "Backspacer", and are taking some time off to recharge the batteries.

Song Of The Week: 7/25/10

2010-07-25T09:17:00.000-07:00

Song: "It's All Over Now"

Artist: Social Distortion

Album: "Social Distortion" Japanese Import

Year: 1990

"It's All Over Now" was released as a bonus track on Social Distortion's 1990 self-titled album. It was a Japanese release only. The song is actually a cover song. It was originally written in 1964 by Bobby Womack and made famous in that same year by The Rolling Stones. It would be The Rolling Stones first number one hit in the United States. The song is about a woman who treats her man badly. She runs around town with other men and doesn't take care of him like she used to. In the end, the man turns the tables on her and walks out on the broken relationship. Social Distortion formed as a band back in 1978. A product of the Orange County, California punk movement, Social D. would establish itself as a true original. They blended their hardcore punk roots, with honky tonk country and classic rock rhythm and blues to form a style all their own, sometimes referred to as "cowpunk". Lead guitarist and singer/songwriter Mike Ness is the only constant in the band since guitarist Dennis Danell passed away from a brain aneurysm in 2000. The band had somewhat of a revolving door when it came to bassists and drummers but Ness and Danell were always fixtures. 1990's "Social Distortion" album was really the pinnacle for the band. It produced such classics as "Story Of My Life", "Ball And Chain", "Sick Boy", and the Johnny Cash cover, "Ring Of Fire". The band tends to take long breaks between new albums, sometimes 5 years at a time. Currently, Mike Ness and the boys have been finishing up what would be the band's 7th studio album set to be released in the Fall of 2010

Song Of The Week: 7/18/10

2010-07-21T18:51:00.000-07:00

Song: "Snakecharmer"

Artist: Rage Against The Machine

Album: "Evil Empire"

Year: 1996

With the song "Snakecharmer", Rage Against The Machine seem to be asking someone if they will continue chasing the American Dream even if it means sacrificing their ideals in the pursuit of that dream. The message seems to be don't become a slave to corporate greed and the American economy if it means selling your soul to get it. Back in 1996, "Evil Empire" was a big deal. The grunge movement that was so critical to music in the early 90's began to fade a little bit and songs of internal strife and darkness quickly turned to songs of aggression with focus on political and social issues. Rage Against The Machine was at the forefront of this shift in style. Their fusion of aggressive metal and political hip hop definitely sparked a trend that would flood the music market thoughout the rest of the 90's and early 2000's. Frontman Zack de la Rocha reminded me of Public Enemy's Chuck D. with the content of his lyrics and Tom Morello would prove to be one of the most innovative guitarists to come out in a long time. In 2000, R.A.T.M. would go on a hiatus which would last about 7 years. While de la Rocha kept somewhat of a low profile during this time, Tom Morello and the rest of the band would hook up with Chris Cornell to form supergroup Audioslave. Eventually, Cornell would opt to go solo again and in 2007, Rage would reform to perform live at select festivals. Currently, Rage continues to play some live dates but the band has not committed to return to the studio to record any new material. Morello has said his main focus is his solo project The Nightwatchman but he did not rule out creating new Rage material in the future.