SONG OF THE WEEK: 8-9-2026

 

SONG:  "Presenting:  The Dancing Machine (The Robot With The Monkey Head)"

ARTIST:  The Lawrence Arms

ALBUM:  "Cocktails & Dreams"

YEAR:  2005

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Chicago, Illinois

YEARS ACTIVE:  1999 - Present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

The Lawrence Arms song "Presenting: The Dancing Machine (The Robot With The Monkey Head)" is a cynical exploration of artistic exhaustion, performative identity, and the superficiality of the music scene. Released originally on a Fat Wreck Chords compilation and later on their b-sides album "Cocktails & Dreams", the song uses a comically bizarre title to mask deep feelings of disillusionment.

THE LAWRENCE ARMS DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1999 - A Guided Tour Of Chicago (Asian Man Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2000 - Ghost Stories (Asian Man Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2002 - Apathy And Exhaustion (Fat Wreck Chords)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2003 - The Greatest Story Ever Told (Fat Wreck Chords)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2005 - Cocktails & Dreams (Asian Man Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2006 - Oh! Calcutta (Fat Wreck Chords)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2014 - Metropole (Epitaph Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2020 - Skeleton Coast (Epitaph Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON THE LAWRENCE ARMS:

The Lawrence Arms are a Chicago band that formed back in 1999. The band's original members, Brendan Kelly (bass/vocals), Chris McCaughan (guitar/vocals) and Neil Hennessy (drums), are still the line-up to the current day. The band's debut full length album would be 1999's "A Guided Tour Of Chicago". While this album only featured Kelly on vocals, every album from here on out would feature Kelly and McCaughan on vocals starting with 2000's "Ghost Stories". In 2002, the band inked a deal with Fat Mike of NOFX's Fat Wreck Chords. The Lawrence Arms released three albums through Fat. 2002's "Apathy And Exhaustion", 2003's "The Greatest Story Ever Told" and 2006's "Oh! Calcutta". "Oh! Calcutta" is arguably the band's most successful album to date. It would be eight years until The Lawrence Arms released another full length album. In 2014, the band released "Metropole" through Epitaph Records. The band's most recent release would be 2020's "Skeleton Coast". The spaced out releases from 2006 till the present day is most likely due to the members focusing on some side projects, most notably The Falcon, which features Brendan Kelly and Neil Hennessy and Sundowner, which is a solo project by Chris McCaughan. Brendan Kelly also released solo projects in those years as well. The Lawrence Arms stamped their space in the Chicago punk scene alongside such acts as Alkaline Trio, Rise Against and 88 Fingers Louie. They play a melodic punk style that feels urgent. Their songs reflect personal stories as well as pop culture. They are indeed one the more influential bands to emerge from the early 2000's punk scene. I knew of The Lawrence Arms right when they came out, probably from compilations and such, but I didn't become a huge fan till I heard 2006's "Oh! Calcutta". Once I heard that album, I quickly got up to pace with their earlier releases and have been following them ever since. They're a really solid, maybe even underrated band in my eyes. I love Brendan Kelly's vocals too, even tho he said he wanted to try and sound like the guy from the Goo Goo Dolls! I'll let it "slide" BK!!

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

The Falcon

Dillinger Four

Banner Pilot

Dead To Me

Red City Radio

TEN THE LAWRENCE ARMS SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. The Devil's Taking Names

2. Spit Shining Shit

3. Great Lakes/Great Escapes

4. Porno And Snuff Films

5. On With The Show

6. Seventeener (17th And 37th)

7. An Evening Of Extraordinary Circumstances

8. PTA

9. Turnstyles

10. Quincentuple Your Money

SONG OF THE WEEK: 8-2-2026

 

SONG:  "Skinhead On The M.B.T.A."

ARTIST:  Dropkick Murphys

ALBUM:  "Live On St. Patrick's Day"

YEAR:  2002

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Quincy, Massachusetts

YEARS ACTIVE:  1996 - Present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

The Dropkick Murphys song "Skinhead on the M.B.T.A." is a working-class anthem about subcultural pride, local Boston identity, and anti-racism, serving as a direct punk adaptation of the classic American folk song "M.T.A.", also known as "Charlie On The MTA".

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, 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 - This 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

2025 - For The People (Dummy Luck Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON DROPKICK MURPHYS:

Dropkick Murphys formed as a band back in 1996, hailing from Quincy, Massachusetts. Very early on, the band caught the ear of the guys in Rancid who signed the Dropkick's to their label Hellcat Records, which is a subsidiary of Epitaph Records. In fact, Rancid's Lars Frederiksen produced the debut album for the Dropkick's, 1998's "Do Or Die". Shortly after the release of that album, lead vocalist Mike McColgan left the band. Al Barr from the band The Bruisers came aboard to replace McColgan. Bassist Ken Casey also began to take on more lead vocals as well. The band's first album to feature Barr on vocals would be 1999's "The Gang's All Here". In 2001, the band released "Sing Loud, Sing Proud!". 2003 saw the Dropkick's release "Blackout" which featured two of the band's standout tracks, "Walk Away" and "The Dirty Glass". 2005's "The Warrior's Code" would be their only album to be certified Gold to date, thanks in part to their song "I'm Shipping Up To Boston" which was featured heavily in the movie "The Departed", widening the band's reach big time! In 2007, the band began releasing albums under their own label, Born & Bred Records. The first album on their own label would be "The Meanest Of Times". 2011's "Going Out In Style" would be the band's highest charting album, peaking at #6 on the Billboard 200. The band put out three more albums on Born & Bred which were 2013's "Signed And Sealed In Blood", 2017's "11 Short Stories Of Pain & Glory" and 2021's "Turn Up That Dial". In 2022 and 2023, the Dropkick's released two albums, "This Machine Still Kills Fascists" and "Okemah Rising", which were centered around unused song lyrics by Woody Guthrie. These albums also marked the first time that Al Barr did not appear on an album since 1998's "Do Or Die" as he went on a hiatus from the band to care for his ailing mother who was suffering a form of dementia. In 2025, the band released "For The People". Al Barr did appear on one song on this album but he is still on a hiatus with the band. He also appeared at one of the band's annual St. Patrick's Day concerts in Boston in 2026 to perform four songs with the band. The Dropkick's most recent release was a split with the band Haywire in 2026 called "New England Forever". The Dropkick Murphys are an Irish punk/Celtic punk/street punk type band at it's core. The band is not shy about wearing it's politics on it's sleeve and they represent Boston to the fullest! I would argue there isn't any band out there that represents their city like the Dropkick Murphys do for Boston. Even though I'm a Boston guy myself, I was a little late to the party when getting into the Dropkick's. I'd say I really took notice on their 2003 album "Blackout". That's when I caught the Dropkick bug and started to check them out more fully. In my opinion, the five album span from 2003's "Blackout" to 2013's "Signed And Sealed In Blood" is my favorite era of the band, though all of their albums have been consistently good. It would be great to have Al Barr back in the band full time but family comes first understandably.

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

The Real McKenzies

The Rumjacks

Street Dogs

The Bouncing Souls

Rancid

TEN DROPKICK MURPHYS SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Warrior's Code

2. Barroom Hero

3. The Dirty Glass

4. Going Out In Style

5. The State Of Massachusetts

6. Mick Jones Nicked My Pudding

7. The Gauntlet

8. Rose Tattoo

9. Sirens

10. Two 6's Upside Down

SONG OF THE WEEK: 7-26-2026

 

SONG:  "Terraform"

ARTIST:  Ash

ALBUM:  "Kablammo!" (Deluxe Edition)

YEAR:  2015

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Downpatrick, County Down, Northern Ireland

YEARS ACTIVE:  1992 - Present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

Written by the band’s bassist, Mark Hamilton, "Terraform" serves as a metaphorical anthem for reinvention, self-transformation, and fresh beginnings.

ASH DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1994 - Trailer (Infectious Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

1996 - 1977 (Infectious/Home Grown Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

1997 - Live At The Wireless (Deathstar Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

1998 - Nu-Clear Sounds (Infectious/Home Grown Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2001 - Free All Angels (Infectious/Home Grown Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2002 - Cosmic Debris (Infectious Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2004 - Meltdown (Infectious/Home Grown Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2007 - Twilight Of The Innocents (Infectious Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2010 - A-Z Vol. 1 (Atomic Heart Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2010 - A-Z Vol. 2 (Atomic Heart Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2015 - Kablammo! (earMUSIC)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2016 - Live On Mars:  London Astoria 1997 (earMUSIC)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2018 - Islands (Infectious Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2023 - Race The Night (Fierce Panda Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2025 - Ad Astra (Fierce Panda Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON ASH:

Ash is a Northern Ireland band that formed back in 1992. The band's first release, which was considered a mini-album, was 1994's "Trailer". This featured a lot of the band's previous singles with a few new songs. I guess what would be considered their "real" debut album was 1996's "1977". You could argue this is the best Ash album that the band came out with, but there may be another that you can make an argument for. 1998's "Nu-Clear Sounds" proved to be a little bit of a disappointment for the band. It almost signified the downfall of Ash, but the band rebounded with 2001's "Free All Angels". This is the other album you can make an argument for as being their best album. It was definitely their most successful album to date. The band followed this up with 2004's "Meltdown". Pretty solid album in it's own right! 2007's "Twilight Of The Innocents" was supposed to be the last full length album that Ash was going to release as they wanted to just put out singles. They would put out 2 singles a month for a year that culminated in the "A-Z" compilations in 2010. Alas, in 2015, Ash returned to releasing albums with the release of "Kablammo!". In 2018 the band released "Islands" and in 2023, "Race The Night" was released. Ash released their latest full length studio album in October of 2025, titled "Ad Astra". Like most people who became Ash fans here in the States, I discovered this band from the "Angus" soundtrack that came out in 1995. Once I heard "Jack Names The Planets", I instantly fell in love with these guys. "1977" is just an awesome album. The song "Goldfinger" to this day gets in just about every playlist I create! I loved when the band brought Charlotte Hatherley in as an extra guitarist and back up vocalist. She was in the band from 1998 until 2006. Her background vocals were just totally legit and I always thought she brought just that little extra to the band that I really loved. Plus she killed it on lead vocals on the track "Taken Out"! Even after Charlotte left the band, these guys just kept on releasing music. Ash is a super active band, coming out with albums every 3 years or so. Can't wait to hear the new record in a couple of months. Ash never got super successful here in America, but in the U.K. and Europe, they're considered a pretty successful band. If you grew up in 90's America, you gotta check these guys out. Awesome band!

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Liam Gallagher

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds

Beady Eye

Hurricane #1

Oasis

TEN ASH SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Goldfinger

2. Burn Baby Burn

3. Jack Names The Planets

4. A Life Less Ordinary

5. Starcrossed

6. Jesus Says

7. Cocoon

8. Buzzkill

9. You Can't Have It All

10. Race The Night

SONG OF THE WEEK: 7-19-2026

 

SONG:  "Molly"

ARTIST:  The Briggs

ALBUM:  "Come All You Madmen"

YEAR:  2008

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Los Angeles, California

YEARS ACTIVE:  2001 - Present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

The meaning of "Molly" by the punk rock band The Briggs centers on the painful process of letting go, grief, and accepting the end of a relationship or a chapter in life.

THE BRIGGS DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2001 - Is This What You Believe (Northeast Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2003 - Numbers (Disaster Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2006 - Back To Higher Ground (SideOneDummy Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2008 - Come All You Madmen (SideOneDummy Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON THE BRIGGS:

The Briggs actually formed out of the ashes of a band called I Decline in 1999. Formed by brothers Joey and Jason LaRocca, the band became The Briggs in 2001, hailing from Los Angeles, California. The band's debut full length album was 2001's "Is This What You Believe". The Briggs followed that album up with sophomore effort, 2003's "Numbers". After touring relentlessly to promote those two records, The Briggs caught the ear of famed punk rock label SideOneDummy Records who promptly signed the band to a deal. Their first album with SideOneDummy would be 2006's "Back To Higher Ground". In 2008, the band dropped "Come All You Madmen" which is the band's most successful, and I think, best album. There wasn't a lot of action coming out of The Briggs' camp following this album. In 2015, they released an EP titled "The Briggs". Vocalist Joey LaRocca has done some solo stuff in the band's downtime but The Briggs have been performing live, hitting several festivals and most recently in 2025, the band released the stand alone single "One Step Behind". The Briggs are very much a street punk band with shades of Celtic punk. A good comparable would be Boston's Street Dogs. I got into these guys late. When I heard their "Come All You Madmen" album, I was instantly a fan! As I said earlier, I believe that is their best album. I love the songs "Mad Men" (which features Ken Casey of the Dropkick Murphys) and "This Is L.A.", which is the intro music for the NHL's Los Angeles Kings! I'm glad to see the band released a new single last year but come on boys! We need a new album here!

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Street Dogs

The Unseen

Lars Frederiksen & The Bastards

The Bouncing Souls

Swingin' Utters

TEN THE BRIGGS SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Mad Men

2. This Is L.A.

3. Panic!

4. Wasting Time

5. Charge Into The Sun

6. Who Would've Thought (Rancid cover)

7. Back To Higher Ground

8. Because You're Young

9. Bored Teenager

10. Devil's Playground

SONG OF THE WEEK: 7-12-2026

 

SONG:  "3 Libras" (acoustic)

ARTIST:  A Perfect Circle

ALBUM:  "3 Libras (Acoustic Live From Philly)"

YEAR:  2001

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Los Angeles, California

YEARS ACTIVE:  1999 - Present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

The song "3 Libras" by A Perfect Circle is fundamentally about unrequited love, intense infatuation, and the painful frustration of being completely ignored by someone you deeply care about.

A PERFECT CIRCLE DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2000 - Mer de Noms (Virgin Records)

* Peaked at #4 on the Billboard 200

* Certified Platinum

2003 - Thirteenth Step (Virgin Records)

* Peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200

* Certified Platinum

2004 - Emotive (Virgin Records)

* Peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200

* Certified Gold

2013 - A Perfect Circle Live:  Featuring Stone And Echo (A Perfect Circle Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2018 - Eat The Elephant (BMG Records)

* Peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON A PERFECT CIRCLE:

A Perfect Circle formed as a band back in 1999, hailing from Los Angeles, California. The band is the brainchild of former Tool guitar tech Billy Howerdel. Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan let Howerdel live with him while he was guitar tech for Tool and it allowed Howerdel to play Keenan some demos he was working on. Keenan immediately thought it was something that he could provide lyrics and vocals to and thus, A Perfect Circle was born. The band's debut album was 2000's "Mer de Noms". Thanks in part to singles like "Judith", "3 Libras" and "The Hollow", this album exploded on the music scene. Keenan saw A Perfect Circle as not a side project but a band with equal standing as his other band Tool. The band dropped their sophomore effort in 2003, titled "Thirteenth Step". This album peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200 charts and like their debut, "Mer de Noms", also became certified Platinum. In 2004, A Perfect Circle released a covers album called "Emotive". A lot of the cover songs chosen were politically charged as Keenan was very much opposed to then President, George Bush. After the release of this album, A Perfect Circle went on a hiatus as Keenan would re-focus on his band Tool and Howerdel would proceed with a solo project under the moniker Ashes Divide. From 2010 to 2013, the band did get back together to play a few live shows but no new music. It would be yet another 4 years before anything stirred in the A Perfect Circle camp but in 2017, it was announced that the band would go on a brief tour and in 2018, the album "Eat The Elephant" was released. After touring in support of "Eat The Elephant", the band would again drop into inactivity until 2024 when, again they went on a small tour and released a stand alone single called "Kindred". The band's most recent release would be another stand alone single called "Starless".  A Perfect Circle is a much more melodic and emotional band than Keenan's other powerhouse band Tool, which has more metal influences in it. A Perfect Circle is a band that is more up my alley than Tool is. I like Tool, but I feel like A Perfect Circle has more elements of 90's alternative or even grunge which is my wheelhouse. "Mer de Noms" is just a killer album. From the first time I heard the song "Judith" I was hooked. The only thing that stinks for A Perfect Circle is that Keenan has to give a lot of his time to Tool, which is a juggernaut of a band. Keenan also focuses a lot of his time on another solo project called Puscifer as well. It's good to see A Perfect Circle put out a few stand alone singles in the last 2 years so maybe there's more to come. I sure hope so cuz A Perfect Circle is a great band!

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Chevelle

Deftones

Incubus

Audioslave

Failure

TEN A PERFECT CIRCLE SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Judith

2. 3 Libras

3. The Outsider

4. Weak And Powerless

5. Talk Talk

6. The Doomed

7. Starless

8. Passive

9. Counting Bodies Like Sheep To The Rhythm Of The War Drums

10. Dog Eat Dog (AC/DC cover)