SONG OF THE WEEK: 4-5-2026

 

SONG:  "The Sky Is Falling"

ARTIST:  Thrice

ALBUM:  "The Alchemy Index:  Vol. III & IV"

YEAR:  2008

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Irvine, California

YEARS ACTIVE:  1998 - Present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"The Sky Is Falling" by Thrice is a political song that critiques the apathy of those who ignore the human cost of war when it occurs far away. Released on the "Air" volume of "The Alchemy Index" (2008), the lyrics are written from the perspective of a civilian experiencing an aerial bombardment.

THRICE DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2000 - Identity Crisis (Greenflag Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2002 - The Illusion Of Safety (Sub City Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2003 - The Artist In The Ambulance (Island Records)

* Peaked at #16 on the Billboard 200

2005 - Vheissu (Island Records)

* Peaked at #15 on the Billboard 200

2007 - The Alchemy Index:  Vol. I & II (Vagrant Records)

* Peaked at #24 on the Billboard 200

2008 - The Alchemy Index:  Vol. III & IV (Vagrant Records)

* Peaked at #17 on the Billboard 200

2008 - Live At The House Of Blues (Vagrant Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2009 - Beggars (Vagrant Records)

* Peaked at #47 on the Billboard 200

2011 - Major/Minor (Vagrant Records)

* Peaked at #18 on the Billboard 200

2012 - Anthology (Staple/Workhorse Music Group)

* Peaked at #104 on the Billboard 200

2016 - To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere (Vagrant Records)

* Peaked at #15 on the Billboard 200

2018 - Palms (Epitaph Records)

* Peaked at #27 on the Billboard 200

2021 - Horizons/East (Epitaph Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2025 - Horizons/West (Epitaph Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON THRICE:

Thrice formed as a band back in 1998, hailing from Irvine, California. Early on the band had a hardcore punk/post-hardcore vibe. Their very first release was a self-released EP in 1999 called "First Impressions". The band's debut full length studio album was released in 2000, titled "Identity Crisis". Their sophomore effort, 2002's "The Illusion Of Safety", started to generate some buzz for the band. In 2003, Thrice signed on with major label and released "The Artist In The Ambulance". This is really the album that put Thrice on the map, thanks in part to songs like "All That's Left" and "Stare At The Sun". 2005's "Vheissu" was a clear departure in sound for Thrice as they incorporated many different styles and elements, including even some electronic sounds. In 2007 and 2008, Thrice released a four part set of albums called "The Alchemy Index". Each part represented the elements fire, water, air and earth. The band thought those albums were a little "sleepy" so they decided to liven it up a bit with their next release, 2009's "Beggars". After releasing "Major/Minor" in 2011 and touring for the first half of 2012, Thrice decided to go on a hiatus. All of the members worked on other projects, most notably lead singer/guitarist Dustin Kensrue's solo project. Luckily in 2015, Thrice decided to get back together and in 2016, released the album "To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere". This is a fantastic album and definitely let the world know that Thrice is indeed back! In 2018, after 10 solid years of working with Vagrant Records, Thrice signed on with legendary punk label Epitaph Records and released "Palms". In 2021, the band released "Horizons/East" and in 2025, the sister album to that, "Horizons/West", was released. That is Thrice's most recent release. Thrice is an awesome band. For me, after the big four bands of grunge in the early 90's, Thrice is one of my favorite bands. They really don't have a bad album, in fact, most of them are great! I first got into Thrice when I heard the song "Deadbolt" from "The Illusion Of Safety" album and I fell in love with them right away. They  just write amazing songs. Their 2016 album "To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere" is just so damn good. What a great comeback album after a brief hiatus! I'd have to think about it a little, but off the top of my head, Thrice, along with Rise Against and The Gaslight Anthem are definitely some of my favorite bands after the grunge era.

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Thursday

Senses Fail

Story Of The Year

Funeral For A Friend

Finch

TEN THRICE SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Black Honey

2. The Artist In The Ambulance

3. Broken Lungs

4. In Exile

5. Come All You Weary

6. Deadbolt

7. Image Of The Invisible

8. Sea Change

9. Promises

10. Scavengers

SONG OF THE WEEK: 3-29-2026

 

SONG:  "A Vague Memory"

ARTIST:  A Change Of Pace

ALBUM:  "Change Is The Only Constant" EP

YEAR:  2003

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Peoria, Arizona

YEARS ACTIVE:  2001 - Present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

The song "A Vague Memory" by the Arizona-based band A Change of Pace serves as a poignant exploration of emotional detachment, the dissolution of interpersonal intimacy, and the psychological weight of unresolved conflict. The track utilizes lyrical motifs of stuttering communication, redundant sympathy, and the inevitable drift between two individuals to articulate the transition from a meaningful connection to a state of estrangement.

A CHANGE OF PACE DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2005 - An Offer You Can't Refuse (Immortal Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2006 - Prepare The Masses (Immortal Records)

* Peaked at #156 on the Billboard 200

2008 - Just No Better Way (Twilight Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2011 - It Could Be Worse (self-released)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON A CHANGE OF PACE:

A Change Of Pace got their start back in 2001, hailing from Peoria, Arizona. The band formed when the members were in high school. The band's first release was an EP in 2003 called "Change Is The Only Constant". This caught the ear of Immortal Records who would put out A Change Of Pace's first two full length albums. Their debut full length dropped in 2005, titled "An Offer You Can't Refuse". In 2006, the band released "Prepare The Masses" which is their only release to enter the Billboard 200, peaking at #156. This album features probably the band's most famous song, "Weekend Warriors". 2008 saw the band release "Just No Better Way". This album marked the departure of original lead singer Torry Jasper. Micah Bentley delivered vocals for this album as well as the band most recent full length release to date, 2011's "It Could Be Worse". After this album, the band would break up. In 2012, however, the band reunited with original singer Torry Jasper and performed at the "South By So What" festival in Dallas. It would be four years till A Change Of Pace was heard from again, this time performing 2 shows in 2016 to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of their "Prepare The Masses" album. In 2019, the band played one show and in 2025, the band played two shows to celebrate the 20th year anniversary of their debut album "An Offer You Can't Refuse". A Change Of Pace could be considered some combination of pop punk, melodic rock and emo. When Torry Jasper was the vocalist, he did offer some screaming vocals along with clean while Micah Bentley was pretty much clean vocals. The band says it was heavily influenced by pop alternative band Third Eye Blind and you can hear that in their sound. As I've said in previous blogs, this early 2000's era was what I call my "Taking Back Sunday" phase. I was listening to a lot of pop punk type bands then. I wouldn't say that A Change Of Pace is as good a caliber of band that Taking Back Sunday is, but they are a very solid band. The first song I every heard by the band was "Loose Lips Sink Ships" but "Weekend Warriors" is my favorite track by A Change Of Pace.

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Hidden In Plain View

Halifax

Secret And Whisper

Bleed The Dream

Matchbook Romance

TEN A CHANGE OF PACE SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Weekend Warriors

2. Loose Lips Sink Ships

3. Asleep At The Wheel

4. Prepare The Masses

5. Bullets Over Broadway

6. Shoot From The Hip

7. What The Hell Happened

8. Every Second

9. She Believed (Never In Herself) (acoustic version)

10. I Wanna Know

SONG OF THE WEEK: 3-22-2026

 

SONG:  "Wildest Ride"

ARTIST:  7 Seconds

ALBUM:  "Bossa Nova Records Presents...Ten Years Later" (Compilation)

YEAR:  1997

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Reno, Nevada

YEARS ACTIVE:  1980 - Present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Wildest Ride" by the American hardcore punk band 7 Seconds, is an anthemic celebration of the resilience, longevity, and chaotic journey of the band and the punk rock subculture.

7 SECONDS DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1984 - The Crew (BYO Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

1986 - Walk Together, Rock Together (BYO/Positive Force Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

1986 - New Wind (BYO/Positive Force Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

1987 - Live! One Plus One (Giant/Positive Force Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

1988 - Ourselves (Restless Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

1989 - Soulforce Revolution (Restless Records)

* Peaked at #153 on the Billboard 200

1991 - Old School (Headhunter Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

1993 - Out The Shizzy (Headhunter Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

1995 - The Music, The Message (Epic/Immortal Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

1995 - Alt.Music.Hardcore (Headhunter Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

1999 - Good To Go (Destiny Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2000 - Scream Real Loud...Live! (SideOneDummy Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2005 - Take It Back, Take It On, Take It Over (SideOneDummy Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2014 - Leave A Light On (Rise Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2022 - Live At Cindy's 1980 (Eyebar Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON 7 SECONDS:

7 Seconds formed as a band back in 1980, hailing from Reno, Nevada. After putting out several EP's, the band dropped their debut full length album in 1984, titled "The Crew". They would follow that up with 1986's "Walk Together, Rock Together", stapling themselves as one of the leaders of the hardcore and straight edge movements of the early 80's. However, with their next release, 1986's "New Wind", their sound shifted to a more melodic sound. Their next few albums, 1988's "Ourselves", 1989's "Soulforce Revolution" and 1993's "Out The Shizzy" were almost U2 inspired, a stark departure from the band's hardcore roots. Sprinkled in there was 1991's "Old School" which was really a compilation of older, unreleased material. In 1995, the punk rock revival was riding high on the backs of Green Day, Rancid, The Offspring and Bad Religion and 7 Seconds put out a more punk rock inspired album with "The Music, The Message". That would be the band's only major label release through Epic Records. 1999's "Good To Go" and 2005's "Take It Back, Take It On, Take It Over" were a much needed return to the band's hardcore roots and sound. I'm a huge Deviates fan and "Take It Back, Take It On, Take It Over" makes me see how inspired the Deviates were by 7 Seconds. I love that album, my favorite by the band! In 2014, 7 Seconds signed with Rise Records and released what would be their last studio album to date called "Leave A Light On". In 2018, amid health issues within the band and other things, 7 Seconds disbanded. It was short lived as in 2021, the band announced they would be playing a reunion tour in 2022. 2022 was also the year of the band's most recent release, a live album called "Live At Cindy's 1980". 7 Seconds has been playing live shows and festivals fairly regularly up to the present day. 7 Seconds is one of the forefathers of hardcore punk music. Legendary and highly influential, I always found 7 Seconds as kind of a foundational block for lots of the punk sounds of the 90's, along with Bad Religion. While the band hasn't released any new material in over 10 years, lead singer Kevin Seconds is constantly releasing solo material through his Bandcamp page which is very cool. I got into 7 Seconds very late considering they've been around since 1980. In fact, I think the first album I had by them was 2005's "Take It Back, Take It On, Take It Over". As I said earlier, my love of the Deviates made me fall in love with that album. The styles are very similar and the vocals are as well. Since then, I've gone back and bought the whole 7 Seconds catalogue. Such a classic band. Legendary!

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

H2O

Good Riddance

Adolescents

88 Fingers Louie

Circle Jerks

TEN 7 SECONDS SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Rules To Follow

2. Still On It

3. Walk Together, Rock Together

4. Best Friend

5. Young 'Til I Die

6. The Music, The Message

7. Leave A Light On

8. 99 Red Balloons (Nena cover)

9. Satyagraha

10. New Wind

SONG OF THE WEEK: 3-15-2026

 

SONG:  "Wake Up The Town"

ARTIST:  Anti-Flag

ALBUM:  "The Bright Lights Of America" (Bonus Track)

YEAR:  2008

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

YEARS ACTIVE:  1988 - 2023

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

The song "Wake Up the Town" by the American punk rock band Anti-Flag serves as a high-energy anthem that encapsulates the band's long-standing commitment to political activism, community mobilization, and the subversion of apathy. Released as a bonus track on the 2008 album "The Bright Lights of America", the track features guest vocals from Benjamin Kowalewicz of the Canadian band Billy Talent. Lyrically and thematically, the song functions as a "call to arms" for the youth and the disenfranchised to reclaim their local environments from political and social stagnation. It emphasizes the necessity of collective action and the "waking up" of a populace that has been lulled into a state of consumerist or political indifference.

ANTI-FLAG DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1996 - Die For The Government (New Red Archives)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

1998 - Their System Doesn't Work For You (A-F Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

1999 - A New Kind Of Army (Go-Kart Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2001 - Underground Network (Fat Wreck Chords)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2002 - Mobilize (A-F Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2003 - The Terror State (Fat Wreck Chords)

* Peaked at #91 on the Billboard 200

2006 - For Blood And Empire (RCA Records)

* Peaked at #100 on the Billboard 200

2008 - The Bright Lights Of America (RCA Records)

* Peaked at #118 on the Billboard 200

2009 - The People Or The Gun (SideOneDummy Records)

* Peaked at #122 on the Billboard 200

2012 - The General Strike (SideOneDummy Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2015 - American Spring (Spinefarm Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2015 - Cease Fires (A-F Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2016 - Live Acoustic At 11th Street Records) (Spinefarm Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2017 - Live Vol. 1 (A-F Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2017 - American Fall (Spinefarm Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2018 - American Reckoning (Spinefarm Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2019 - Live Vol. 2 (A-F Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2020 - 20/20 Vision (Spinefarm Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2023 - Lies They Tell Our Children (Spinefarm Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON ANTI-FLAG:

Anti-Flag formed as a band back in 1988, hailing from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Formed by guitarist/vocalist Justin Sane and drummer Pat Thetic, the band toiled around for a year but wound up disbanding cuz they couldn't get a solid line-up together. The duo reformed Anti-Flag in 1992 and started their proper journey as a band. The band's debut full length album would be 1996's "Die For The Government". Right off the bat, the title track of that album showed that Anti-Flag was gonna wear their politics on their sleeve as a band. The band dropped a compilation album in 1998 called "Their System Doesn't Work For You". By 1999, the band was fully assembled with Justin Sane on guitars/vocals, Pat Thetic on drums, Chris Head on guitar and Chris No. 2 on bass/vocals. The first release under this line-up would be 1999's "A New Kind Of Army". 2001 saw the band sign a 2 album deal with legendary punk label Fat Wreck Chords. The first album under Fat would be "Underground Network". Their 2003 album "The Terror State" is really where Anti-Flag cemented themselves in the punk rock world. This album was definitely the beginning of better things to come for the band. In 2006, Anti-Flag inked a deal with major label RCA and released "For Blood And Empire" that year, and "The Bright Lights Of America" in 2008. Next would be a 2 album deal with SideOneDummy Records which featured the 2009 album "The People Or The Gun" and the 2012 album "The General Strike". The rest of Anti-Flag's career was basically spent on Spinefarm Records. Beginning with 2015's "American Spring". In 2017, the band released "American Fall". 2020 saw the release of "20/20 Vision". The band's most recent full length album was 2023's "Lies They Tell Our Children". On July 19, 2023, Anti-Flag abruptly disbanded due to the sexual assault allegations against Justin Sane. More women filed lawsuits against Sane causing the other members of the band to condemn Sane. The other members, however, were also accused of, at the very least, knowing of Sane's actions and doing nothing about it to stop it. Because of these allegations, none of the band members have really surfaced doing any other projects. Anti-Flag was an awesome band so I really hated to see them break up but the circumstances seemed to make it impossible to continue as a band. They were a very political band. Always shining a light on inequalities and corruption within the country, mostly of the government. I had always known of Anti-Flag probably going back to the mid-90's but the song that really hooked me on the band was "Turncoat" from their 2003 album "The Terror State". That was pretty much the album that turned me into a big Anti-Flag band. I would argue that every album they released after that album were also bangers in their own right. The song "Brandenburg Gate" from their 2015 album "American Spring" is one of my all time favorite songs. I just love that tune! Maybe as time heals old wounds, there's a possibility that Anti-Flag can exist again but it's probably a very slim hope at this point.

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Pennywise

No Use For A Name

The Bouncing Souls

Millencolin

Rise Against

TEN ANTI-FLAG SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Brandenburg Gate

2. Turncoat

3. The Press Corpse

4. The Bright Lights Of America

5. American Attraction

6. Broken Bones

7. Hate Conquers All

8. Die For The Government

9. Laugh. CRY. Smile. DIE

10. Sodom, Gomorrah, Washington D.C.

SONG OF THE WEEK: 3-8-2026

 

SONG:  "Cinematic Attractions"

ARTIST:  A Static Lullaby

ALBUM:  "Cinematic Attractions" Single

YEAR:  2011

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Chino Hills, California

YEARS ACTIVE:  2001 - Present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Cinematic Attractions" is a non-album single released by A Static Lullaby in 2011, shortly before the band's initial breakup. While the band has not provided a definitive public explanation of the lyrics, the song's meaning is generally interpreted through its production context and lyrical themes of emotional artifice and nostalgia.

A STATIC LULLABY DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2003 - And Don't Forget To Breathe (Ferret Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2005 - Faso Latido (Columbia Records)

* Peaked at #129 on the Billboard 200

2006 - A Static Lullaby (Fearless Records)

* Peaked at #173 on the Billboard 200

2008 - Rattlesnake! (Fearless Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON A STATIC LULLABY:

A Static Lullaby formed as a band back in 2001, hailing from Chino Hills, California. All the members were still in high school when the band formed. After self-releasing two demos early on, the band dropped their debut full length album in 2003, titled "And Don't Forget To Breathe". This album generated some buzz for the band and they ultimately signed a deal with major label Columbia Records for the release of their sophomore effort, 2005's "Faso Latido". Though being their highest charting album, peaking at #129 on the Billboard 200 chart, sales were disappointing enough for Columbia to drop the band after one album. A Static Lullaby would go on to sign a deal with Fearless records and release "A Static Lullaby" in 2006. Some refer to this album as the band's best effort. 2008 saw the band release it's last full length studio album, called "Rattlesnake!". The band's most recent release would be the stand alone single "Cinematic Attractions" which was released in 2011. In 2012, the group disbanded with all of the current and former members all working on other projects. In 2015, the band announced they would be playing some live shows in 2016, most notably playing their debut album "And Don't Forget To Breathe" on most of those dates. Things got dormant for the band once again right up until 2024 when they agreed to reunite to play the California Is For Lovers Festival. The band also headlined a show in Orange County in early 2025. A Static Lullaby is a post-hardcore/alternative rock type of band. Think Silverstein or Sense Fail. They incorporate clean and screaming vocals on most of their material. I first heard of this band going back to 2005. I'm positive the first song I heard by them was "Stand Up" and I quickly became a fan. They seemed to be a band that just couldn't get over the hump so staying together became a difficult thing to do. I'm not sure if they will ever release any new music or not. Other than getting together for a few live shows in the last 13 to 14 years, they've been pretty dormant. 

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

From First To Last

Silverstein

Scary Kids Scaring Kids

Dead Poetic

Senses Fail

TEN A STATIC LULLABY SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Stand Up

2. The Art Of Sharing Lovers

3. Lipgloss And Letdown

4. Toxic (Britney Spears cover)

5. Hang 'Em High

6. Radio Flyer's Last Journey

7. Cinematic Attractions

8. The Shooting Star That Destroyed Us

9. Under Water Knife Fight

10. Let Go