SONG OF THE WEEK: 11-17-2024

SONG:  "Combination"

ARTIST:  Aerosmith

ALBUM:  "Rocks"

YEAR:  1976

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Boston, Massachusetts

YEARS ACTIVE:  1970 - present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry wrote "Combination"  and also shared lead vocals with Steven Tyler - Perry's first lead vocal on an Aerosmith recording. He says the song is about "heroin, cocaine and me." With money coming in thanks to the band's newfound success, Perry could afford luxuries like designer suits, and could also take as many drugs as he could handle, which was quite dangerous.

AEROSMITH DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1973 - Aerosmith (Columbia Records)

* peaked at #21 on the Billboard 200

* certified 2X Platinum

1974 - Get Your Wings (Columbia Records)

* peaked at #74 on the Billboard 200

* certified 3X Platinum

1975 - Toys In The Attic (Columbia Records)

* peaked at #11 on the Billboard 200

* certified 9X Platinum

1976 - Rocks (Columbia Records)

* peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200

* certified 4X Platinum

1977 - Draw The Line (Columbia Records)

* peaked at #11 on the Billboard 200

* certified 2X Platinum

1979 - Night In The Ruts (Columbia Records)

* peaked at #14 on the Billboard 200

* certified Platinum

1982 - Rock In A Hard Place (Columbia Records)

* peaked at #32 on the Billboard 200

* certified Gold

1985 - Done With Mirrors (Geffen Records)

* peaked at #36 on the Billboard 200

* certified Gold

1987 - Permanent Vacation (Geffen Records)

* peaked at #11 on the Billboard 200

* certified 5X Platinum

1989 - Pump (Geffen Records)

* peaked at #5 on the Billboard 200

* certified 7X Platinum

1993 - Get A Grip (Geffen Records)

* peaked at #1 on the Billboard 200

* certified 7X Platinum

1997 - Nine Lives (Columbia Records)

* peaked at #1 on the Billboard 200

* certified 2X Platinum

2001 - Just Push Play (Columbia Records)

* peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200

* certified Platinum

2004 - Honkin' On Bobo (Columbia Records)

* peaked at #5 on the Billboard 200

* certified Gold

2012 - Music From Another Dimension! (Columbia Records)

* peaked at #5 on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON AEROSMITH:

Aerosmith formed as a band back in 1970, hailing from Boston, Massachusetts. Though their beginnings date back to the 60's, the classic Aerosmith line-up of Steven Tyler on vocals, Joe Perry on guitars, Brad Whitford on guitars, Tom Hamilton on bass and Joey Kramer on drums began in 1970. Very early on the band caught the attention of Columbia Records who quickly signed the band. Their debut, self-titled album came out in 1973. Instantly, this band was showing fans something. This album featured one of the band's most classic songs, "Dream On". This was followed up by 1974's "Get Your Wings". It was the 1975 release, "Toys In The Attic", that fully catapulted Aerosmith to a headline, arena act, thanks in part to another of their most famous tracks, "Walk This Way". The band continued it's dominance on the rock world with 1976's "Rocks". 1977's "Draw The Line" still had some killer tracks, like the title track and "Kings And Queens", this album started to mark a little bit of a tailspin for the band. Internal struggles and rampant drug use began taking it's toll on Aerosmith. When it came time to record and release 1979's "Night In The Ruts", Joe Perry left the band, a crushing blow. In 1981, Brad Whitford also departed the band. 1982 saw the band release "Rock In A Hard Place", a true low point for the band. Luckily, in 1984, Perry and Whitford returned to the line-up and in 1985, the band dropped "Done With Mirrors". With all the members having entered rehabs and in much better health and mind, 1987's "Permanent Vacation" would prove to be the first album that the band recorded totally sober. It was also sparked by a resurgence for the band thank to a collaboration a year earlier with rap group Run DMC on a remake of "Walk This Way". Suddenly, the arrow on Aerosmith was pointing up! 1989's "Pump" turned out to be one of the band's most successful albums and 1993's "Get A Grip" became the band's first album to peak at #1 on the Billboard 200 charts. This proved to be the peak for Aerosmith. Their next two albums, 1997's "Nine Lives" and 2001's "Just Push Play", were successful but the success was taking a bit of a southward turn. 2004 saw the band do a blues cover album, "Honkin' On Bobo", sort of a return to their musical roots. The band's most recent release would be 2012's "Music From Another Dimension!". There has always been an underlying tension in Aerosmith, all the way back to the beginning of the band. Most of it between Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. This has led to a lot of internal struggles and spats. Since they're last studio album, the band has been kinda on again, off again. They did tours, they cancelled tours, There's been talk of creating new music and there has been talk that they may be done. It's always something with this band. The last thing I know is that in 2023, Steven Tyler had a vocal chord injury that caused the band to cancel their supposed "farewell tour". But, in 2024, the members have kept open the chance of creating new music together so who knows?! What I do know is that Aerosmith is the most successful American band of all time. They have sold more albums than any other American band, over 150 million records worldwide! They were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2001. These guys were heavily influenced on the blues rock sounds of bands like The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin and they would carve their own lane and identity as a band, a legendary band at that! For me personally, I love their 70's stuff. I think that is Aerosmith at their best. Raw, bluesy..  just a kick ass rock and roll band! Their 80's and 90's stuff is still good, I'm just partial to the early albums and sound. I always felt their stuff from say "Pump" and on was a little too polished for my liking. But I will say this, they weren't really affected by the grunge movement because the songs were still there. Aerosmith's songs were just far superior to a lot of the hair metal bands back then in my mind. Plus, they still had the respect of being rock legends so they didn't catch a lot of the flack that a lot of those 80's bands caught in the 90's. I hope it all works out for these guys and maybe they can get some new music out there cuz you'd hate to see them just fade away. Fingers crossed for my Boston bro's!

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Van Halen

Kiss

AC/DC

Def Leppard

Led Zeppelin

TEN AEROSMITH SONGS THAT YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Last Child

2. Sweet Emotion

3. Mama Kin

4. Kings And Queens

5. Dream On

6. Angel

7. F.I.N.E.

8. The Other Side

9. Walkin' The Dog

10. Same Old Song And Dance

SONG OF THE WEEK: 11-10-2024

SONG:  "Waiting For The Sun"

ARTIST:  The Doors

ALBUM:  "Morrison Hotel"

YEAR:  1970

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Los Angeles, California

YEARS ACTIVE:  1965 - 1973

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Waiting For The Sun" appears to be a song about the quest for the American Dream, which is never attained.

THE DOORS DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1967 - The Doors (Elektra Records)

* peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200

* certified 4X Platinum

1967 - Strange Days (Elektra Records)

* peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200

* certified Platinum

1968 - Waiting For The Sun (Elektra Records)

* peaked at #1 on the Billboard 200

* certified Platinum

1969 - The Soft Parade (Elektra Records)

* peaked at #6 on the Billboard 200

* certified Platinum

1970 - Morrison Hotel (Elektra Records)

* peaked at #4 on the Billboard 200

* certified Platinum

1971 - L.A. Woman (Elektra Records)

* peaked at #9 on the Billboard 200

* certified 3X Platinum

1971 - Other Voices (Elektra Records)

* peaked at #31 on the Billboard 200

1972 - Full Circle (Elektra Records)

* peaked at #68 on the Billboard 200

1978 - An American Prayer (Elektra Records)

* peaked at #54 on the Billboard 200

* certified Platinum

MY THOUGHTS ON THE DOORS:

The Doors are a legendary Los Angeles based rock and roll band that got it's start back in 1965. Formed by lead singer Jim Morrison and keyboardist Ray Manzarek, and eventually rounded out by drummer John Densmore and guitarist Robby Krieger, the band was quickly signed by Elektra Records after seeing the band perform as the house band for the legendary L.A. club, Whiskey A Go Go. The band's debut album dropped in 1967, titled "The Doors". This album featured the successful singles "Break On Through" and "Light My Fire", the latter possibly being the band's most famous song. They followed that album up with 1967's "Strange Days", featuring the notable singles "People Are Strange" and "Love Me Two Times". 1968 saw the release of "Waiting For The Sun", which many people don't know, does not feature the song "Waiting For The Sun"! In 1969, The Doors released "The Soft Parade", which many see as their most experimental album that they've released. 1970 saw a return to a more blues based sound with the release of "Morrison Hotel", as shown by the single "Roadhouse Blues". In 1971, "L.A. Woman" was released. This album has been certified 3X Platinum to date. Unfortunately, this would also be the last album to feature Jim Morrison as the lead singer. Tragedy struck the band in 1971 when Jim Morrison was found dead in Paris. The three remaining members of The Doors would continue on releasing two more albums, 1971's "Other Voices" and 1972's "Full Circle" in which Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger provided vocals but it was clear, The Doors were not The Doors without Jim Morrison. So, in 1973, the The Doors officially disbanded. The three remaining members did get back together in 1978 to put music to Jim Morrison's live poetry and release the album, titled "An American Prayer". The Doors are one of the most famous, or sometimes considered infamous, bands in rock and roll history. They rose to fame as a part of the counter culture of the late 60's. Their music is often considered like a soundtrack to the rebellious youth and the LSD crowd. They felt like they were in a movement and in fact, they were. Unfortunately, the movement seemed like it died out much like The Doors did. But, their legacy lives on. As I said earlier, The Doors were, and are one of the most successful bands of all time, selling over 100 million albums worldwide. They are also one of the most influential bands of all time. In 1993, The Doors were rightfully inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and their legendary music is still resonating almost 60 years after they formed as a band!

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Cream

Jimi Hendrix

Led Zeppelin

The Rolling Stones

The Beatles

TEN THE DOORS SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Love Me Two Times

2. Break On Through

3. Roadhouse Blues

4. L.A. Woman

5. Five To One

6. Light My Fire

7. Waiting For The Sun

8. Touch Me

9. Riders On The Storm

10. Hello, I Love You

SONG OF THE WEEK: 11-3-2024

SONG:  "Hit The Breaks"

ARTIST:  Plosivs

ALBUM:  "Plosivs"

YEAR:  2022

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  San Diego, California

YEARS ACTIVE:  2022 - present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

Here's how the band described "Hit The Breaks". "Hit The Breaks" is "a headfirst charge straight into the highest form of kinetic energy, be it sonic, fluid, or pure human euphoria."

PLOSIVS DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2022 - Plosivs (Swami Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON PLOSIVS:

Plosivs is a new band, but the members of the band have a rich history in punk rock circles. Formed in San Diego, California in 2022, Plosivs is a collaboration of John Reis, who has and is involved in such bands as Rocket From The Crypt, Drive Like Jehu, Pitchfork and most recently as touring member of punk cover supergroup, Me First And The Gimme Gimmes, and Rob Crow of Pinback fame. Throw in Atom Willard on drums who has played in Against Me!, The Offspring and Social Distortion and you got yourself a punk supergroup! Plosivs released their debut and only full length album to date in 2022, titled "Plosivs". This band would seem to have a bright future but because all the members are involved in so many projects, it will be interesting to see how much time is invested in the project. They put out a really solid album so hopefully, all the members shift some focus to this project cause it seems like they may have something here. Not a whole lot more info I can give as the band is just 2 years old.

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Sparta

The Gaslight Anthem

Incubus

Decent Criminal

Bayside

TEN PLOSIVS SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Hit The Breaks

2. Broken Eyes

3. Never Likely

4. Rose Waterfall

5. See You Suffer

6. Bright

7. Iron Will

8. Pray For Summer

9. Pines

10. Thrown Clear

SONG OF THE WEEK: 10-27-2024

SONG:  "Central Standard Time"

ARTIST:  The Get Up Kids

ALBUM:  "Something To Write Home About"

YEAR:  1999

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Kansas City, Missiouri

YEARS ACTIVE:  1995 - present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Central Standard Time" appears to be a song about a relationship that is going to turn long distance. I get the feeling that the girl the vocalist is in love with is going off to college maybe. For sure in a different state or part of the country and there's that uneasiness of whether the relationship can survive the distance between the two.

THE GET UP KIDS DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1997 - Four Minute Mile (Doghouse Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

1999 - Something To Write Home About (Vagrant Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2001 - The EP's:  Red Letter Day And Woodson (Doghouse Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2001 - Eudora (Vagrant Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2002 - On A Wire (Vagrant Records)

* peaked at #57 on the Billboard 200

2004 - Guilt Show (Vagrant Records)

* peaked at #58 on the Billboard 200

2005 - Live @ The Granada Theater (Vagrant Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2011 - There Are Rules (Quality Hill Records)

* peaked at #124 on the Billboard 200

2019 - Problems (Polyvinyl Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON THE GET UP KIDS:

The Get Up Kids are a Kansas City band that got it's start back in 1995. The band's first release was a split with the band Coalesce in 1996. Their debut full length album dropped in 1997, called "Four Minute Mile". The band signed a deal with Vagrant Records after that release to put out their 1999 album "Something To Write Home About". This album almost single handedly turned Vagrant Records into one of the top indie labels in the country! It was a highly influential album that really marked the beginnings of what people would term "emo". In 2002, much to their fans' chagrin, their next album, "On A Wire" was a much more alternative rock sounding record. It would be their highest charting album however, peaking at #57 on the Billboard 200. The band's 2004 album, "Guilt Show", ended their relationship with Vagrant Records. Turmoil within the band caused The Get Up Kids to disband in 2005. But, it was only a three year hiatus as the band reunited to go on a 10 year anniversary tour for "Something To Write Home About". In 2011, the band released "There Are Rules". The band's most recent release would be 2019's "Problems". As I said earlier, The Get Up Kids were hugely influencial to many up and coming "emo" bands. While The Get Up Kids drew influence from such bands as Jawbreaker, Green Day and Weezer, they would go on to influence bands like The Early November, Taking Back Sunday, My Chemical Romance and Dashboard Confessional. I was a very late bloomer to The Get Up Kids. I knew about them since the late 90's, but at that time, I was much more into bands like Pennywise, Bad Religion and No Use For A Name. I'd say in the 2000's, I started getting into bands like Taking Back Sunday and Brand New. I actually first gave The Get Up Kids a shot in 2019 when they released "Problems". I really like that album and since I've went back and consumed some of The Get Up Kids' previous work. Sometimes I'm late on the draw! What are ya gonna do?!!

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Hot Rod Circuit

Further Seems Forever

The Early November

The Starting Line

Alkaline Trio

TEN THE GET UP KIDS SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Satellite

2. Action & Action

3. Automatic

4. The Lion And The Lamb

5. Wouldn't Believe It

6. Overdue

7. I'm Sorry

8. Ten Minutes

9. Anne Arbour

10. Shorty

SONG OF THE WEEK: 10-20-2024

SONG:  "The Rebels Are Dead"

ARTIST:  Pistol Grip

ALBUM:  "Another Round"

YEAR:  2003

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Walnut, California

YEARS ACTIVE:  1997 - present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"The Rebels Are Dead" appears to be a song about a corrupt government that is trying to thwart a revolution. It paints a chaotic scene where the powers that be, government, the media, the church, are all combining forces to suppress the people.

PISTOL GRIP DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2001 - The Shots From Kalico Rose (BYO Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2003 - Another Road (BYO Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2l004 - Tear It All Down! (BYO Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2007 - Machines Of String Theory In C#m (self-released)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON PISTOL GRIP:

Pistol Grip formed as a band back in 1997, hailing from Walnut, California. Their first release was a split with the band Fully Loaded in 2000. This split caught the ear of BYO Records who promptly signed Pistol Grip. The band's debut full length album dropped in 2001, called "The Shots From Kalico Rose". They followed that up in 2003 with "Another Round". The band completed it's deal with BYO after releasing 2004's "Tear It All Down!". Pistol Grip's most recent release dropped in 2007, titled "Machines Of String Theory In C#m". Pistol Grip is a hardcore band that is kinda like a mix of southern California hardcore and U.K. punk. They are an underground band for sure. I first heard of these guys in the early 2000's but I haven't really started to get into them till the last few years. Though their last release came back in 2007, the band is still performing live shows. No word if they have any new music on the radar or not. There's not a ton of info out there on these guys!

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

The Ducky Boys

The Rabble

Avoid One Thing

Far From Finished

Strawberry Blondes

TEN PISTOL GRIP SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Black Heart

2. Lead The Way

3. 1997

4. Rabid Dogs

5. Crucifixion Politics

6. Never B Another

7. Scoundrels

8. Hallucination Highway

9. The Unwanted

10. When The Ink Runs Dry

SONG OF THE WEEK: 10-13-2024

SONG:  "Rippin Up The Boundary Line"

ARTIST:  Dropkick Murphys

ALBUM:  "Okemah Rising"

YEAR:  2023

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Quincy, Massachusetts

YEARS ACTIVE:  1996 - present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Rippin Up The Boundary Line" appears to be about a call to action, urging listeners to break down the barriers that separate the rich from the poor, and to fight against the forces that prevent the growth of a strong and vibrant working class. The lyrics are a powerful indictment of the corporate and political forces that seek to maintain the status quo, and the song encourages listeners to stand up and fight back against these oppressive forces.

DROPKICK MURPHYS DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1998 - Do Or Die (Hellcat Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

1999 - The Gang's All Here (Hellcat Records)

* peaked at #184 on the Billboard 200

2000 - The Singles Collection, Vol. 1 (Hellcat Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2001 - Sing Loud, Sing Proud (Hellcat Records)

* peaked at #144 on the Billboard 200

2002 - Live On St. Patrick's Day (Hellcat Records)

* peaked at #155 on the Billboard 200

2003 - Blackout (Hellcat Records)

* peaked at #83 on the Billboard 200

2005 - The Singles Collection, Vol. 2 (Hellcat Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2005 - The Warrior's Code (Hellcat Records)

* peaked at #48 on the Billboard 200

* certified gold

2007 - The Meanest Of Times (Born & Bred Records)

* peaked at #20 on the Billboard 200

2010 - Live On Landsdowne St., Boston, MA (Born & Bred Records)

* peaked at #25 on the Billboard 200

2011 - Going Out In Style (Born & Bred Records)

* peaked at #6 on the Billboard 200

2012 - Live At Fenway (Born & Bred Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2013 - Signed And Sealed In Blood (Born & Bred Records)

* peaked at #9 on the Billboard 200

2017 - 11 Short Stories Of Pain & Glory (Born & Bred Records)

* peaked at #8 on the Billboard 200

2021 - Turn Up That Dial (Born & Bred Records)

* peaked at #74 on the Billboard 200

2022 - The Machine Still Kills Fascists (Dummy Luck Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2023 - Okemah Rising (Dummy Luck Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON DROPKICK MURPHYS:

Dropkick Murphys are a band that formed back in 1996, hailing from Quincy, Massachusetts, just outside of Boston. After dropping a few EP's, the band released their debut full length album, "Do Or Die", in 1998. This would be the only full length album to feature the band's original lead singer, Mike McColgan on vocals as he would leave the band in 1998. Al Barr, frontman for the band The Bruisers, would join the Dropkicks as their new lead singer and bassist Ken Casey would also take a more prominent role in lead vocals as well. The band's first album with Barr would be 1999's "The Gang's All Here". They would follow that up with 2001's "Sing Loud, Sing Proud". 2003's "Blackout" generated some success thanks in part to songs like "Walk Away" and "The Dirty Glass". The 2005 album "The Warrior's Code" would be certified gold and contained perhaps the band's most famous song, "I'm Shipping Up To Boston". Not only was that song featured throughout the movie "The Departed", it is also a staple at all of Boston's sporting events. In 2007, the band released "The Meanest Of Times". 2011's "Going Out In Style" would peak at #6 on the Billboard 200 charts, becoming the band's highest charting album to date. 2013 saw the release of "Signed And Sealed In Blood", featuring another stand out single by the band, "Rose Tattoo". "11 Short Stories Of Pain & Glory" was released in 2017 and followed up by "Turn Up That Dial" in 2021. In 2022, Al Barr took an indefinite hiatus from the band to care for his mother who was battling dementia. In 2022 and 2023 respectively, the Dropkicks put out two albums, "The Machine Still Kills Fascists" and "Okemah Rising" which were based off of lyrics and writings of Woody Guthrie. These would be the first albums without Al Barr on vocals since 1998. Most recently, the band released the single "Sirens" in 2024. Dropkick Murphys are legendary here in Boston, but they are also a pretty big deal all over the world. Early on, the band Rancid took the Dropkick's under their wing, even signing them to their own label, Hellcat Records. The Dropkick Murphys are synonymous with Irish pride and celtic punk. These guys ooze blue collar work ethic and firmly stand behind unions and the working class. They also take huge pride in being from and representing Boston and it's surrounding areas. There may not be one band more known for their hometown than the Dropkick Murphys, that's for sure. I'm from the Boston area, so yeah, I'm biased as hell! The Dropkick's rule and their lengthy music catalogue backs that statement up no doubt!

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

The Rumjacks

The Real McKenzies

Flatfoot 56

Street Dogs

Social Distortion

TEN DROPKICK MURPHYS SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Warrior's Code

2. Going Out In Style

3. The Dirty Glass

4. Barroom Hero

5. Rose Tattoo

6. The State Of Massachusetts

7. Mick Jones Nicked My Pudding

8. You'll Never Walk Alone

9. Good Rats

10. 10 Years Of Service