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)

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