SONG OF THE WEEK: 8-30-2026

 

SONG:  "Rope"

ARTIST:  Foo Fighters

ALBUM:  "Wasting Light"

YEAR:  2011

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Seattle, Washington

YEARS ACTIVE:  1994 - Present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

The Foo Fighters song "Rope" explores a frantic emotional struggle, anxiety, and the desperate need for stability through a supportive relationship.

FOO FIGHTERS DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1995 - Foo Fighters (Roswell/Capitol Records)

* Peaked at #23 on the Billboard 200

* Certified Platinum

1997 - The Colour And The Shape (Roswell/Capitol Records)

* Peaked at #10 on the Billboard 200

* Certified Platinum

1999 - There Is Nothing Left To Lose (Roswell/RCA Records)

* Peaked at #10 on the Billboard 200

* Certified Platinum

2002 - One By One (Roswell/RCA Records)

* Peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200

* Certified Platinum

2005 - In Your Honor (Roswell/RCA Records)

* Peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200

* Certified Platinum

2006 - Skin And Bones (RCA Records)

* Peaked at #21 on the Billboard 200

2007 - Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace (Roswell/RCA Records)

* Peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200

* Certified Platinum

2011 - Wasting Light (Roswell/RCA Records)

* Peaked at #1 on the Billboard 200

* Certified Platinum

2011 - Medium Rare (Roswell/RCA Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2014 - Sonic Highways (Roswell/RCA Records)

* Peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200

2017 - Concrete And Gold (Roswell/RCA Records)

* Peaked at #1 on the Billboard 200

2021 - Medicine At Midnight (Roswell/RCA Records)

* Peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200

2023 - But Here We Are (Roswell/RCA Records)

* Peaked at #8 on the Billboard 200

2026 - Your Favorite Toy (Roswell/RCA Records)

* Peaked at #23 on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON FOO FIGHTERS:

The Foo Fighters started out as a secret solo project of Dave Grohl, who at the time was best known as the drummer of Nirvana. The debut 1995 album by the Foo Fighters basically featured Grohl playing every instrument and laying down the vocals. Once the album was released, Grohl decided to put a band together to tour the album. He enlisted Nate Mendel (bass) and William Goldsmith (drums) from the recently disbanded Sunny Day Real Estate, as well as legendary Germs guitarist Pat Smear. In 1997, the band dropped their sophomore effort, "The Colour And The Shape". This album exploded the Foo Fighters to headliner material, thanks in part to hit singles like "Everlong" and "My Hero". Shortly after the release of this album, Pat Smear departed the band and Grohl's bandmate from his previous band Scream, Franz Stahl, took over for Smear. Also, William Goldsmith left the band after the recording of "The Colour And The Shape" because he felt disrespected that Grohl re-recorded all the drum tracks by himself. Taylor Hawkins replaced Goldsmith on drums. 1999 saw the band let Stahl go and release the album "There Is Nothing Left To Lose" as a 3 piece featuring just Grohl, Mendel and Hawkins. Former No Use For A Name guitarist Chris Shiflett was brought on as lead guitarist in 1999. In 2002, the band released "One By One". 2005's "In Your Honor" was a double sided album with full on rock songs on one side and acoustic tracks on the other. This led to an acoustic tour in which Smear came back to play additional guitar and it's the first sighting of keyboardist Rami Jaffee with the band. This tour led to the live acoustic album "Skin And Bones" in 2006. In 2007, "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace" was released which featured stand out single "The Pretender". In 2010, Pat Smear was officially back in the band. 2011 saw the band release "Wasting Light". For 2014's "Sonic Highways", the Foo Fighters recorded 8 songs in 8 different cities in America trying to connect with the vibes of those cities. In 2015, Rami Jaffee was officially in the band. In 2017, "Concrete And Gold" was released. This was the band's second album after "Wasting Light" to peak at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart. "Medicine At Midnight" was released in 2021. On March 25, 2022, while the band was touring South America, tragedy struck the band as drummer Taylor Hawkins was found dead in his hotel room in Colombia. This was a devastating blow to the band as Taylor was so loved by all the band members, especially Dave Grohl. The 2023 album "But Here We Are" was a tribute to their fallen bandmate and friend. Josh Freese took over on drums for that album but was let go in 2025. Ilan Rubin who had recently played with Nine Inch Nails, took over on drums in 2025. Most recently, the Foo Fighters released their latest full length album, "Your Favorite Toy", in 2026. The Foo Fighters are a juggernaut of a band. Arguably the biggest rock band that's out there today. Their first 7 albums were all certified platinum and while some say that guitar rock has lost some spark, don't tell that to the Foo Fighters who have been selling out stadiums for decades. Though they grew out of the grunge era, their sound is not quite as dark as those early 90's grunge stalwarts. The Foo Fighters have carved their own way en route to becoming one of the biggest bands ever! 

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Pearl Jam

Audioslave

Stone Temple Pilots

Them Crooked Vultures

Queens Of The Stone Age

TEN FOO FIGHTERS SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. All My Life

2. Everlong

3. The Pretender

4. Learn To Fly

5. Walk

6. Best Of You

7. Waiting On A War

8. Rescued

9. This Is A Call

10. Asking For A Friend

SONG OF THE WEEK: 8-23-2026

 

SONG:  "Working" (Cock Sparrer cover)

ARTIST:  Dropkick Murphys

ALBUM:  "The Singles Collection, Vol. 2"

YEAR:  2005

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Quincy, Massachusetts

YEARS ACTIVE:  1996 - Present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

The Dropkick Murphys track "Working" is a direct cover of a 1983 song by the legendary British Oi! punk band Cock Sparrer. The song's core meaning focuses on the desperation of working under-the-table (cash-in-hand) while simultaneously collecting government unemployment benefits to survive during economic hardship. It explores the survival tactics of the British working class under extreme financial strain, blending defiance with economic necessity.

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: 8-16-2026

SONG:  "An Apology"

ARTIST:  So They Say

ALBUM:  "Life In Surveillance"

YEAR:  2007

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  St. Louis, Missouri

YEARS ACTIVE:  2005 - Present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

“An Apology” by the 2000s midwest emo/pop-punk band So They Say is a song about emotional betrayal, the sudden collapse of a relationship, and the desperate need for closure. Featured on their 2007 album "Life In Surveillance", the track centers on the aftermath of a broken dynamic where one partner unexpectedly walks away.

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: 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