SONG OF THE WEEK: 5-17-2026

 

SONG:  "Pick Pocket"

ARTIST:  The Vacancies

ALBUM:  "Gutpunch"

YEAR:  2002

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Cleveland, Ohio

YEARS ACTIVE:  1998 - 2018

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

The song addresses a relationship or situation where someone subtly and deceptively drains you of your energy, emotions, or resources while acting like a friend. Like a physical pickpocket, the perpetrator operates in plain sight, stealing from you without you realizing it until the damage is already done.

THE VACANCIES DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2002 - Gutpunch (Smog Veil Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2005 - A Beat Missing Or A Silence Added (Blackheart Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2007 - Tantrum (Blackheart Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON THE VACANCIES:

The Vacancies formed as a band back in 1998, hailing from Cleveland, Ohio. Their sound is a nod to old school punk bands like The Ramones, The Clash and The Dead Boys. The band released their debut full length album back in 2002, titled "Gutpunch". After appearing as an opening act for Joan Jett, she was so impressed by the band's live energy that she signed them to her own label, Blackheart Records. The band's first release with Blackheart would be 2005's "A Beat Missing Or A Silence Added". The Vacancies' most recent release would be their 2007 album "Tantrum". By 2008, The Vacancies had basically broken up. In 2018, the band did get back together to play a short 20 year anniversary tour. Other than that, there has been no other activity for The Vacancies. As I said earler, The Vacancies were heavily influenced by old school punk rock bands. They do have a little "garage punk" to their style as well. They never really crossed over as a band. It was definitely a jolt in the arm for the band to have Joan Jett endorse them because she is a true legend but even that couldn't put the band over the top. I got into The Vacancies from their 2007 album "Tantrum". It's a good album and they are a good band but it's nothing that stands apart from anything else out there. I could definitely see why Joan Jett liked their energy however as they definitely feel like an energetic band.

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

The Ducky Boys

Born To Lose

Far From Finished

The Blue Bloods

Pistol Grip

TEN THE VACANCIES SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Sick Modern Era

2. Below Merlot

3. Save Yourself

4. Saturday Saints

5. Headcase

6. Strummer

7. I Wanna Be There

8. Radio Revolution

9. Children Of The Century

10. Compound

SONG OF THE WEEK: 5-10-2026

 

SONG:  "Queensberry Rules"

ARTIST:  Gallows

ALBUM:  "Grey Britain"

YEAR:  2009

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Watford, Hertfordshire, England

YEARS ACTIVE:  2004 - 2021

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

The song "Queensberry Rules" by Gallows—released on their 2009 album "Grey Britain"—is a critique of teenage knife crime and societal indifference in modern London. Vocalist Frank Carter has stated the song harks back to a "better day" where disputes were settled with fists or in a boxing ring rather than with lethal weapons. The lyrics "Let's take this back to the old school, live our lives by the Queensberry rules" urge a return to a more "honorable" or less fatal form of conflict.

GALLOWS DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2006 - Orchestra Of Wolves (In At The Deep End Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2009 - Grey Britain (Warner Bros.)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2012 - Gallows (Venn Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2015 - Desolation Sounds (Venn Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON GALLOWS:

Gallows is an England hardcore punk band that got it's start back in 2004. The band dropped their debut full length studio album, "Orchestra Of Wolves" in 2006. The album was distributed by Epitaph Records here in the States. The song "In The Belly Of A Shark" is often considered to be the bands signature song. In 2009, Gallows signed a deal with major label Warner Bros. to release their sophomore effort, "Grey Britain". This would be the last album to feature Frank Carter on vocals as he would leave Gallows in 2011 citing disagreements about the direction of the band. Gallows wanted to continue on in a hardcore direction while Carter wanted to go in a more mainstream, melodic direction as evidenced by his next project Pure Love. Gallows brought in Alexisonfire lead singer Wade MacNeil to take over vocal duties. MacNeil's first full length album with the band was 2012's "Gallows". The band's last full length effort to date would be 2015's "Desolation Sounds". The last song the band would release was the Discharge cover, "The Possibility Of Life's Destruction" which was featured on a compilation album in 2017. 2019 would be the last concert Gallows would play at the Slam Dunk Festival. They were scheduled to perform at the Reading and Leeds Festivals in 2021 but cancelled due to Covid. The band has been considered broken up since 2021. There was a rumor that the original line-up would get back together but that never came to fruition. As I said earlier, Gallows is a hardcore punk band. Very aggressive and in your face. I'm definitely a bigger fan of the Frank Carter era of the band. I just like his vocals and songs better. I would gravitate to Carter's other projects, Pure Love and Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, over Gallows as well. Especially over the MacNeil era of Gallows. I enjoy some of the MacNeil era songs but Carter just has that "it" factor. It definitely would have been interesting to see an original line-up reunion. Maybe it will happen some day!

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes

Turnstile

H2O

Hot Water Music

Ignite

TEN GALLOWS SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Misery

2. In The Belly Of A Shark

3. The Vulture (Acts I & II)

4. Staring At The Rude Bois (The Ruts cover)

5. Abandon Ship

6. London Is The Reason

7. Outsider Art

8. Bonfire Season

9. Cross Of Lorraine

10. Mystic Death

SONG OF THE WEEK: 5-3-2026

 

SONG:  "People Who Died" (The Jim Carroll Band cover)

ARTIST:  Against Me!

ALBUM:  "Songs That Saved My Life" (Compilation)

YEAR:  2018

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Naples, Florida

YEARS ACTIVE:  1997 - 2020

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"People Who Died" is a cover of a Jim Carroll Band song. Lead singer Laura Jane Grace noted that while the song is filled with death, its purpose is to take "sadness, pain, fear and trouble" and transform it into something empowering, celebratory, and life-affirming. The energetic delivery is intended to honor those who have passed by bringing their memory into a communal, "party-like" atmosphere rather than a dour mourning.

AGAINST ME! DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2002 - Reinventing Axl Rose (No Idea Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2003 - As The Eternal Cowboy (Fat Wreck Chords)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2005 - Searching For A Former Clarity (Fat Wreck Chords)

* Peaked at #114 on the Billboard 200

2006 - Americans Abroad! Against Me! Live In London! (Fat Wreck Chords)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2007 - New Wave (Sire Records)

* Peaked at #57 on the Billboard 200

2010 - White Crosses (Sire Records)

* Peaked at # 34 on the Billboard 200

2014 - Transgender Dysphoria Blues (Total Treble Music)

* Peaked at #23 on the Billboard 200

2015 - 23 Live Sex Acts (Total Treble Music)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2016 - Shape Shift With Me (Total Treble Music)

* Peaked at #80 on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON AGAINST ME!:

Against Me! formed as a band back in 1997, hailing from Naples, Florida. Well, actually it started as just a solo acoustic project for lead singer Tom Gabel. It seemed that every EP they would release after their first one, more band members would join. By the time of the release of their debut full length in 2002, "Reinventing Axl Rose", Against Me! was a full band. In 2003, Against Me! signed with infamous punk rock label Fat Wreck Chords. There, they released 2003's "As The Eternal Cowboy" and 2005's "Searching For A Former Clarity". The latter being the first Against Me! album to chart on the Billboard 200, peaking at #114. In 2007, Against Me! signed a major label deal with Sire Records and released two albums with them, 2007's "New Wave" and 2010's "White Crosses". In 2012, Tom Gabel announced that he was transitioning into a female as he had a lifelong struggle with gender dysphoria. He took the name Laura Jane Grace from that point on. The band also created their own label at this time, Total Trebel Music, which all of their future albums were released on beginning with 2014's "Transgender Dysphoria Blues", which would be the band's highest charting album, peaking at #23. In 2016, Against Me! dropped "Shape Shift With Me". This was the last release by Against Me!. The band toured up until 2020 but the Covid pandemic really put a halt to the band's activities. I guess they were moving forward with a new album, but Covid just halted everything and ultimately, Against Me! has been on an indefinite hiatus. Laura Jane Grace has said that the band has not broken up and she still wants to continue on with the band but just doesn't see it happening anytime soon due to the band members working on other projects at the time. Grace has also been hard at work on her solo career as well. Against Me! is a punk rock band. I call bands like theirs "gruff punk". Not sure if that's even a real genre or whatever but they remind me of bands like Hot Water Music or Off With THeir Heads, bands that have "gruffy" vocals for lack of a better term. Not even sure what gruffy means! You know what I mean!! I got into Against Me! in 2005. I saw the "Don't Lose Touch" video and I was instantly hooked. I always saw them as a band that stood out from the pack. I would put them in a leader category, definitely not a follower. I'm hoping they get their act together and reunite to make new music soon. I got my fingers crossed!

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Laura Jane Grace

The Menzingers

Alkaline Trio

The Lawrence Arms

Off With Their Heads

TEN AGAINST ME! SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. I Was A Teenage Anarchist

2. Don't Lose Touch

3. Black Me Out

4. Baby, I'm An Anarchist

5. Wagon Wheel (Old Crow Medicine Show cover)

6. Sink, Florida, Sink

7. Thrash Unreal

8. Crash

9. Because Of The Shame

10. Lost And Searching In America

SONG OF THE WEEK: 4-26-2026

 

SONG:  "In My Dreams"

ARTIST:  Love Equals Death

ALBUM:  "In My Dreams" (Single)

YEAR:  2021

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Petaluma, California

YEARS ACTIVE:  2003 - 2024

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"In My Dreams" by Love Equals Death is a deeply personal track written by frontman Chon Travis about the loss of his father.

LOVE EQUALS DEATH DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2006 - Nightmerica (Fat Wreck Chords)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2021 - The Hour Of The Resurrection (SBAM Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2022 - Gravity And Grace (SBAM Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON LOVE EQUALS DEATH:

Love Equals Death formed as a band back in 2003, hailing from Petaluma, California. The band's first release was an EP in 2003 called "4 Notes On A Dying Scale". After catching some buzz, Love Equals Death signed a deal with legendary punk label Fat Wreck Chords who released the band's debut full length album, "Nightmerica", in 2006. This album had some good songs on it like "Bombs Over Brooklyn", "Pray For Me" and "When We Fall". In 2007, bassist Dominic Davi was arrested and charged with rape. Initially, the band backed Davi but 2 weeks later, announced he was let go from the band. The charges were ultimately dropped against Davi but he understood the position the other band members were in when they made the decision to move on without him. In 2009, lead singer Chon Travis decided to depart Love Equals Death to pursue a solo career. After some thought, the band decided to break up after Travis' departure. In 2019, Chon Travis rejoined the band and Love Equals Death reunited. In 2021, the band released the compilation, "The Hour Of The Resurrection". This album featured the band's EP's and some rare tracks. It was actually released in 2005 under the name "The Prelude" but that was only released in Japan. Love Equals Death's most recent album was 2022's "Gravity And Grace". On August 11, 2024, Chon Travis was found dead in his hotel room while the band was embarking on a European tour. Because of this tragedy, Love Equals Death officially broke up in 2024. Love Equals Death is like a goth punk band much in the same vein as Alkaline Trio or AFI. I first got into this band back in 2006 with their "Nightmerica" album. "Bombs Over Brooklyn" is still my favorite song by the band. When it came to "goth punk" type of bands, as I said earlier, AFI and Alkaline Trio were like the top of the heap. I'd say Love Equals Death was like a 2nd tier band. I think all of them were heavily influenced by The Misfits for sure. It was good to see Love Equals Death return with a new album back in 2022, but it was equally disheartening to hear the news of Chon Travis' tragic passing. 

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Alkaline Trio

AFI

The Sainte Catherines

Thought Riot

Zero Down

TEN LOVE EQUALS DEATH SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Bombs Over Brooklyn

2. Pray For Me

3. 3420

4. Saliendo In Crastinum

5. When We Fall

6. Truth Has Failed

7. The Letter

8. The Outsiders

9. Adolescent Heart

10. Flight Of The Banshee

SONG OF THE WEEK: 4-19-2026

 

SONG:  "Mob On"

ARTIST:  Paris

ALBUM:  "Unleashed"

YEAR:  1998

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  San Francisco, California

YEARS ACTIVE:  1989 - Present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

Lyrically, "Mob On" focuses on "talking trash" and survivalist themes. It reflects a more "gangster" persona compared to Paris's earlier purely political work, though he often used this harder edge to address the frustrations of being pigeon-holed as a political rapper.

PARIS DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1990 - The Devil Made Me Do It (Tommy Boy Records)

* Peaked at #158 on the Billboard 200

1992 - Sleeping With The Enemy (Scarface Records)

* Peaked at #182 on the Billboard 200

1994 - Guerrilla Funk (Priority Records)

* Peaked at #128 on the Billboard 200

1998 - Unleashed (Unleashed/Whirling Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2003 - Sonic Jihad (Guerrilla Funk Recordings)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2008 - Acid Reflex (Guerrilla Funk Recordings)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2015 - Pistol Politics (Guerrilla Funk Recordings)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2020 - Safe Space Invader (Guerrilla Funk Recordings)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON PARIS:

Paris is a San Francisco rapper that got his start back in 1989. Heavily influenced by the political and social raps of Chuck D. of Public Enemy as well as the west coast gangsta rappers like N.W.A. and Ice-T, Paris considered himself to be the "Black Panther" of hip hop! 1990 saw Paris drop his debut full length album, "The Devil Made Me Do It", and the title track generated lots of buzz, often being played on MTV's "Yo! MTV Raps". In 1992, Paris dropped "Sleeping With The Enemy" which caused lots of controversy with the song "Bush Killa", a scathing tear down of Presiden George H.W. Bush. In 1994, Paris inked a deal with major label Priority Records to release "Guerrilla Funk", which was his highest charting album, peaking at #128 on the Billboard 200. 1998 saw Paris release "Unleashed" which didn't get much press nor push on the music market. Paris stepped away a bit from the music industry at this point until 2003 when he dropped "Sonic Jihad". Yet another controversial release, the album cover depicts a plane headed for the White House. This album also marked Paris releasing his music through his own label, "Guerrilla Funk Recordings" which he does to the current day. In 2008, Paris released "Acid Reflex". 2015's "Pistol Politics" was called one of the best hip hop albums of that year by Spin Magazine. Paris' most recent release was 2020's "Safe Space Invader". Paris is an absolute beast of an emcee! I love this dude! I think he's the most underrated rapper out there, hands down. I love the aggression he raps with. You can feel the tension as his rhymes build and build and he's an excellent lyricist. He wears his politics on his sleeve and he is never afraid to shine a light on oppression and societal ills. Being a fan of Public Enemy, N.W.A. and Ice-T growing up, I loved Paris right from the first time I heard "Break The Grip Of Shame". When I heard "Part 2" of that song, "Guerillas In The Mist", Paris became one of my favorite rappers of all time! I don't follow hip hop as much as I did in the late 80's/early 90's, but I make it a point to check in on Paris to see if he has anything new coming out. This guy still spits fire. A beast emcee I said!!

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Above The Law

Spice 1

Boogie Down Productions

Ice-T

The D.O.C.

TEN PARIS SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Guerillas In The Mist

2. Hard Truth Soldier (Redux)

3. Freedom

4. What Would You Do

5. The Devil Made Me Do It

6. It's Real

7. Nobody Move

8. Get Fired Up

9. Night Of The Long Knives

10. Mob On

SONG OF THE WEEK: 4-12-2026

 

SONG:  "Midwest Island"

ARTIST:  So They Say

ALBUM:  "So They Say" EP

YEAR:  2005

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  St. Louis, Missouri

YEARS ACTIVE:  2005 - Present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

The song "Midwest Island" by the pop-punk band So They Say is primarily about the feeling of being trapped and the desperate desire to escape a suffocating environment.

SO THEY SAY DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2006 - Antidote For Irony (Fearless Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2007 - Life In Surveillance (Fearless Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON SO THEY SAY:

So They Say is a St. Louis band that formed back in 2005. Early on the band signed on with Fearless Records. The band's first release was a self-titled EP that dropped in 2005. Their debut full length studio album was released in 2006, titled "Antidote For Irony". So They Say followed that album up with their sophomore effort, "Life In Surveillance", in 2007. In 2008, So They Say went on a hiatus so all the band members could focus on other projects. In 2010, after listening to some demos, the band was feeling inspired to get back together. However, the band did not get back together until 2024. In 2025, it was rumored that the band was working on new material and a single called "Walls" was indeed released in 2026. So They Say is a pop punk band. As I said in previous blogs, I got into these guys in what I call my "Taking Back Sunday" era! I was listening to a lot of pop punk bands during the 2000 to 2010 years. I first heard of So They Say in 2006 when I heard the song "Antidote For Irony", which is still my favorite song by the band to date. They were only active for about 3 years from 2005 to 2008 so it's good to see the band picking it up again in recent years.

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Hidden In Plain View

Bleed The Dream

Halifax

Spitalfield

Armor For Sleep

TEN SO THEY SAY SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Antidote For Irony

2. Wake Me Up

3. Good-Bye

4. Forever Young (Rod Stewart cover)

5. Walls

6. In Loving Memory Of

7. Midwest Island

8. Nuclear Sunrise

9. Daydreamer

10. These Nights Are Long (acoustic version)