SONG OF THE WEEK: 10-18-2026

 

SONG:  "Wannabe"

ARTIST:  Staind

ALBUM:  "Staind"

YEAR:  2011

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Springfield, Massachusetts

YEARS ACTIVE:  1995 - Present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

The song "Wannabe" by Staind is a direct, confrontational attack on anonymous online critics, internet trolls, and detractors who insult successful musicians from behind a keyboard.

STAIND DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1996 - Tormented (Self-Released)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

1999 - Dysfunction (Elektra Records)

* Peaked at #74 on the Billboard 200

* Certified 2X Platinum

2001 - Break The Cycle (Elektra Records)

* Peaked at #1 on the Billboard 200

* Certified 7X Platinum

2003 - 14 Shades Of Gray (Elektra Records)

* Peaked at #1 on the Billboard 200

* Certified Platinum

2005 - Chapter V (Atlantic Records)

* Peaked at #1 on the Billboard 200

* Certified Platinum

2007 - Live At The Hiro Ballroom (Eagle Rock Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2008 - The Illusion Of Progress (Atlantic Records)

* Peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200

2011 - Staind (Atlantic Records)

* Peaked at #5 on the Billboard 200

2012 - Live From The Mohegan Sun (Eagle Rock Records)

* Peaked at #127 on the Billboard 200

2021 - Live:  It's Been Awhile (Yap 'em Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2023 - Confessions Of The Fallen (BMG Records)

* Peaked at #64 on the Billboard 200

2026 - Break The Cycle (25th Anniversary Live) (BMG Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON STAIND:

Staind formed as a band back in 1995, hailing from Springfield, Massachusetts. They self-released their debut album "Tormented" in 1996. Early on, Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit took the band under his wing and even helped produce the band's sophomore effort, 1999's "Dysfunction". This album was the spark for Staind, thanks in part to songs like "Mudshovel", "Just Go" and "Home". If "Dysfunction" was the spark, 2001's "Break The Cycle" was the all out explosion! This album began a string of three straight #1 albums on the Billboard 200 and thanks in part to the smash single "It's Been Awhile", "Break The Cycle" would go on to be certified 7X Platinum! Thus, making it Staind's most successful album of their career to date. Staind continued success with their next two #1 albums, 2003's "14 Shades Of Gray" and 2005's "Chapter V". 2008 saw the band release "The Illusion Of Progress" and in 2011, the band's self-titled "Staind" was released. In my mind, "Staind" was a return to the heavier sounds of "Dysfunction". I love this album! By 2012, the band reached a point where they needed a breather and they decided to take a hiatus. After playing a few live shows in 2014, the band's hiatus continued up to 2019. During that time, it allowed vocalist Aaron Lewis to focus on his solo country career as guitarist Mike Mushok would form a band with Three Days Grace vocalist Adam Gontier called Saint Asonia. In 2019, it was announced that Staind would start performing live show and appearing at several festivals. On 2023, the band was fully back in business with a brand new full length studio album titled "Confessions Of The Fallen". Most recently the band released a brand new single in 2026 called "Ghosts" which will be on a brand new studio album titled "The Space Between The Darkness And The Light" which is slated for release in 2027. Staind is a post-grunge/alternative metal type band. They started out as a very dark and heavy band but as the years went on, their songs tended to get more melodic and radio friendly, especially their singles. I got into Staind when "Dysfunction" came out so I'm a little biased to their heavier side but if you dig around the singles to the albums that followed, there's still plenty of dark, heavy material filtered through their catalogue. And that's not to say I don't like their singles. I think they're great songs. Staind overall is a great band. I've seen them live a few times and they were great every time and put on an awesome live show. It's great to see they are getting active again over the past 5 years or so. It seemed like when Aaron went solo there, it might have been it for Staind but I'm happy they are still making great music and still playing live. Great band. What more can you say? These are my home state Massachusetts brothers!

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Seether

Creed

Puddle Of Mudd

Trapt

3 Doors Down

TEN STAIND SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Not Again

2. Mudshovel

3. Right Here

4. Epiphany

5. So Far Away

6. Zoe Jane

7. Tangled Up In You

8. Come Again

9. Lowest In Me

10. Ghosts

SONG OF THE WEEK: 10-11-2026

SONG:  "Those Lovely Shark People"

ARTIST:  Requiem For The Dead

ALBUM:  "Always And Forever"

YEAR:  2011

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Santa Cruz, California

YEARS ACTIVE:  2010 - 2015

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Those Lovely Shark People" functions as a dramatic, horror-romance story about two outcasts choosing to bleed out together rather than let the metaphorical "sharks" of the world tear them apart.

REQUIEM FOR THE DEAD DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2011 - Always And Forever (Self-Released)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2014 - The Unexplainable Truth (Cleopatra Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON REQUIEM FOR THE DEAD:

Requiem For The Dead got it's start as a band back in 2010, hailing from Santa Cruz, California. The band, fronted by Steven Juliano, formed out of the ashes of his former band, I Am Ghost. The band's debut album dropped in 2011, titled "Always And Forever". This was a concept album about two star-crossed teenagers who fall in love and die together. In 2013, the band dropped an EP called "Memories". Around this time the band changed it's name to just Requiem. Under their new moniker, the band dropped their second, and what would be their last album, "The Unexplainable Truth". By 2015, Requiem broke up and Juliano basically left the music scene. Requiem For The Dead was a gothic, post-hardcore band. Think AFI or My Chemical Romance. As I said earlier, it's kind of a continuation of Steven Juliano's former band I Am Ghost. I'd say they are a good band. They don't stand out like an AFI or My Chemical Romance. I would say they are following in the pack rather than being lead dogs like those two aforementioned bands. Still, I enjoyed their music. I'd probably say I like I Am Ghost better compared to Requiem but again, they are very similar.

SIMLAR ARTISTS:

I Am Ghost

AFI

My Chemical Romance

Aiden

Save Face

TEN REQUIEM FOR THE DEAD SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. The Death Note Of Shipwrecks

2. The Misadventures Of Coffin Kid

3. Sticks And Stones And Her Lovely Bones

4. Ghost Of Winter

5. The Terrible Tale Of Two

6. Say Hello To The Devil For Me

7. Poison Girl

8. Where The Hell Did The Memories Go

9. The Unexplainable Truth

10. I'm No Angel

 

SONG OF THE WEEK: 10-4-2026

 

SONG:  "Phantasma"

ARTIST:  Finch

ALBUM:  "Phantasma (Demos 2015)"

YEAR:  2016

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Temecula, California

YEARS ACTIVE:  1999 - Present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

Ultimately, "Phantasma" acts as an atmospheric window into emotional disorientation, capturing what it feels like to live inside a psychological illusion where boundaries blur and your sense of reality begins to spin.

FINCH DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2002 - What It Is To Burn (Drive-Thru/MCA Records)

* Peaked at #99 on the Billboard 200

2005 - Say Hello To Sunshine (Drive-Thru/Geffen Records)

* Peaked at #24 on the Billboard 200

2009 - A Far Cry From Home (In-n-Out Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2014 - What It Is To Burn - X Live (Tragic Hero Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2014 - Back To Oblivion (Razor & Tie Records)

* Peaked at #103 on the Billboard 200

2015 - Steel, Wood And Whiskey (Self-Released)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON FINCH:

Finch formed as a band back in 1999, hailing from Temecula, California. Their first release would be an EP titled "Falling Into Place" in 2001. Their debut full length album would be released in 2002, titled "What It Is To Burn". This is really the peak for Finch. A great album driven by songs like "What It Is To Burn" and "Letters To You". Finch would follow that album up with their sophomore effort, 2005's "Say Hello To Sunshine". Though this was their highest charting album, it was not as successful as their debut. By 2006, the band went on a short hiatus but by 2007, they were back touring. They would release a self-titled EP in 2008 and in 2009, they dropped a live album titled "A Far Cry From Home". Friction within the band caused another break-up in 2010. Again, this was short lived as two years later, the band reunited for one show, which led to two shows, then three and so on and so on. In 2014, the band dropped another live album to celebrate the 10th anniversary of "What It Is To Burn" and they also released their third full length studio album, "Back To Oblivion". And, of course, in 2016, the band broke up again! They had been working on what would have been their fourth album, but tensions made the process impossible. The band did release demos of those songs through their various social media platforms. In 2022, Finch reunited to celebrate the 20 years anniversary of "What It Is To Burn" and embarked on a tour that went through 2023. Although there has been no news as to the band working on or releasing any new material, they often play live shows, especially jumping on various festivals. Finch is a band that is heavily influenced by the Deftones, but they have many influences that shaped their sound. They have been pegged from anything like pop punk, emo, alternative rock and so on. They're a solid band, they just can't seem to coincide for long stretches. "What It Is To Burn", as I wrote earlier, is clearly their peak. Sometimes it's hard to attain that again as a band. I love that album and the title track is a great f'n song. To this day, that song makes most of the playlists I make, either the studio version or the acoustic. It's great to see the band still playing live. Hopefully they can work on some new music in the near future.

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Senses Fail

Funeral For A Friend

Thursday

Armor For Sleep

From First To Last

TEN FINCH SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. What It Is To Burn

2. Letters To You

3. Bitemarks And Bloodstains

4. New Beginnings

5. Ink

6. Two Guns To The Temple

7. Anywhere But Here

8. Insomniac Meat

9. Monuments

10. Play Dead

SONG OF THE WEEK: 9-27-2026

 

SONG:  "Unthought Known"  (Pearl Jam cover)

ARTIST:  Eddie Vedder

ALBUM:  "Water On The Road"

YEAR:  2011

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  San Diego, California

YEARS ACTIVE:  1988 - Present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

The core meaning of the song "Unthought Known"  centers on human agency, self-worth, and tapping into deep, internal intuition. Written solely by Eddie Vedder, the track serves as an anthem for breaking free from negative thought cycles, overcoming social conditioning, and realizing your own untapped potential.

EDDIE VEDDER DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2007 - Into The Wild (J Records)

* Peaked at #11 on the Billboard 200

2011 - Ukulele Songs (Monkeywrench Records)

* Peaked at #4 on the Billboard 200

2021 - Flag Day (Seattle Surf/Republic Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2022 - Earthling (Seattle Surf/Republic Records)

* Peaked at #29 on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON EDDIE VEDDER:

Eddie Vedder was born in Evanston, Illinois, just outside of Chicago but his musical roots formed in San Diego, California. He bounced around in a few local bands, one was called Indian Style which also featured future Rage Against The Machine drummer Brad Wilk. In 1988 he was in a band called Bad Radio which was a slight Red Hot Chili Peppers knock off. Of course, the infamous story of befriending Chili Peppers drummer Jack Irons and Jack Irons giving Eddie a demo from  Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament from Mother Love Bone, who just lost their singer Andy Wood to a drug overdose. Eddie put words and vocals on 3 instrumentals which would become "Once", "Alive" and "Footsteps" and in 1990, Pearl Jam was born. Ok, they were initially called Mookie Blaylock! Pearl Jam, of course, has been one of the most influential and successful hard rock bands of all time and I could go through their entire history but I'll save that for when I have a Pearl Jam song as my "song of the week".  Eddie would drop little nuggets out there solo, mostly a song for a soundtrack or whatever. He would guest for bands during their live sets as well, think The Doors ("Break On Through", "Light My Fire") and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers ("The Waiting"). There's a lot more too. Eddie's first solo full length album would be the soundtrack for the movie "Into The Wild". This album was basically Eddie and an acoustic guitar. It was a very stripped down album and there are some killer tracks on there like the Indio cover "Hard Sun" and "Guaranteed". In 2011, Eddie dropped "Ukulele Songs". What rock star puts out a ukulele album?! It seemed logical as when Eddie did solo tours, he would do a few uke songs so. 2021 saw Eddie contribute music to another soundtrack called "Flag Day". This album also featured first time vocals by his daughter Olivia. In 2022, Eddie put out his most ambitious solo effort and it featured a full band too. Eddie Vedder on vocals/guitar, Glen Hansard on guitar, Josh Klinghoffer on guitar and keyboards, Andrew Watt on guitar, Chris Chaney on bass and Chad Smith on drums. The band would be called The Earthlings and the album was also called "Earthling", produced by Andrew Watt. Eddie loved working with Andrew Watt so much that he got the guys in Pearl Jam to agree to have him produce their latest album "Dark Matter", which is just a killer album. Most recently, Eddie released the single "Save It For Later" in 2024, which is an English Beat cover. Eddie Vedder is legendary. One of the best vocalists and lyricists not only of his generation but of all time. One of the most influential rock vocalists of all time for sure. His solo stuff is really cool. I mean, if you're a Pearl Jam fan you're gonna love his solo stuff as well. But there's nothing better than when the guys get back together and work on new music together. Like I said earlier, their "Dark Matter" album is just fantastic and I love the way Andrew Watt made the band really work together on the songs, almost from scratch. Eddie's doing some solo tour dates in Japan coming up pretty soon. After that, I don't know if Eddie's gonna do another solo project or if the PJ guys are going to release something. Either way, I'm always wanting new stuff from Eddie and PJ!

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Pearl Jam

Chris Cornell

Temple Of The Dog

Mad Season

Audioslave

TEN EDDIE VEDDER SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Against The 70's (w/ Mike Watt)

2. The Waiting (Tom Petty cover w/ Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers)

3. Hard Sun (Indio cover)

4. Mrs. Mills

5. My City Of Ruins (Bruce Springsteen cover)

6. Guaranteed

7. Brother The Cloud

8. Drive (REM cover)

9. Constellations (Jack Johnson cover w/ Jack Johnson)

10. The Haves

SONG OF THE WEEK: 9-20-2026

 

SONG:  "It Starts In Our Heads"

ARTIST:  The Living Daylights

ALBUM:  "What Keeps You Breathing"

YEAR:  2011

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Lincoln, England

YEARS ACTIVE:  2007 - 2017

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

Positioned as the introduction to an album titled "What Keeps You Breathing", the track implies that survival, resilience, and our perception of reality are entirely psychological. The struggles or the drive to keep pushing forward "start" internally.

THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2008 - Ways To Escape (Fond Of Life Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2011 - What Keeps You Breathing (Fond Of Life Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS:

The Living Daylights formed as a band back in 2007, hailing from England. The band quickly came out the gate self-releasing an EP titled "The Living Daylights". The band followed that up in 2008 with their debut full length album "Ways To Escape". The band toured extensively to support that album and followed it up with their sophomore full length album, "What Keeps You Breathing", in 2011. If ever a band could wear themselves out by being on the road, this is exactly what happened with The Living Daylights and in 2012, they announced a hiatus. In 2017 the band did a short reunion tour which also served as a farewell tour. The band played their last live show on April 29, 2017 in their hometown of Lincoln, England. The Living Daylights played a melodic style of punk rock music offering some harsh vocals, think Hot Water Music or Rise Against. They got some pop punk to their sound as well. They had definitely created some buzz in their home country of England and across Europe. They were known for their energetic live shows and their commitment to the road. Perhaps they just overdid it as touring exhaustion was a definite factor in them calling it quits. I don't remember exactly, but I think I learned of The Living Daylights through the website DyingScene.com. I used to find out about a lot of bands through that site and I still do. It's too bad that The Living Daylights couldn't keep things moving as they seemed to definitely have some promise as a band.

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Consumed

Rise Against

Hot Water Music

The Bouncing Souls

A Wilhelm Scream

TEN THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. What Keeps You Breathing

2. Carve It Out

3. It Starts In Our Heads

4. Maps

5. These Roads

6. Wasted On The Rain

7. A Thousand Lights

8. Undertow

9. Melancholy

10. Beyond The Town

SONG OF THE WEEK: 9-13-2026

 

SONG:  "Down"

ARTIST:  Seether

ALBUM:  "Holding Onto Strings Better Left To Fray"

YEAR:  2011

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa

YEARS ACTIVE:  1999 - Present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Down" by Seether is a heavy, emotionally raw track that explores themes of suffocation, emotional manipulation, and toxic relationship dynamics.

SEETHER DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2002 - Disclaimer (Wind-Up Records)

* Peaked at #92 on the Billboard 200

* Certified Gold

2004 - Disclaimer II (Wind-Up Records)

* Peaked at #53 on the Billboard 200

* Certified Platinum

2005 - Karma And Effect (Wind-Up Records)

* Peaked at #8 on the Billboard 200

* Certified Platinum

2006 - One Cold Night (Wind-Up Records)

* Peaked at #50 on the Billboard 200

2007 - Finding Beauty In Negative Spaces (Wind-Up Records)

* Peaked at #9 on the Billboard 200

* Certified Platinum

2011 - Holding Onto Strings Better Left To Fray (Wind-Up Records)

* Peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200

* Certified Gold

2014 - Isolate And Medicate (The Bicycle Music Company)

* Peaked at #4 on the Billboard 200

* Certified Gold

2017 - Poison The Parish (Canine Riot Records)

* Peaked at #14 on the Billboard 200

2020 - Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum (Fantasy Records)

* Peaked at #37 on the Billboard 200

2024 - The Surface Seems So Far (Fantasy Records)

* Peaked at #138 on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON SEETHER:

Seether is a South African band that got it's start back in 1999. Originally the band was called Saron Gas and released an album under that moniker in 2000 called "Fragile". In 2002, the band changed their name to Seether, after the Veruca Salt song of the same name. Seether, I guess you would call official debut album, would release "Disclaimer" in 2002. Right off the jump, singles like "Fine Again" and "Gasoline" created huge buzz for Seether. In 2004, the band would put out "Disclaimer II" which basically was "Disclaimer" with extra tracks. This album also featured what may be Seether's biggest song, a version of "Broken" featuring guest vocals by Amy Lee of Evanescence. This album would be the beginning of a string of 3 releases that went on to be certified Platinum. The next one was 2005's "Karma And Effect" and following that, 2007's "Finding Beauty In Negative Spaces", an album that features my favorite song by the band "Rise Above This". 2011's "Holding Onto Strings Better Left To Fray" would be the last album release with label Wind-Up Records, who the band had been signed with since 2002. That was also the band's highest charting album, peaking at #2 on the Billboard 200 charts. In 2014, Seether released "Isolate And Medicate". The band would continue a streak of albums which charted in the Billboard 200 with the release of 2017's "Poison The Parish", 2020's "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum" and the band's most recent full length album, 2024's "The Surface Seems So Far". The band released an EP in 2026 called "Beneath The Surface" which is considered a continuation of their album "The Surface Seems So Far". Seether is a post-grunge, alternative metal type of band. Heavily influenced by the grunge era, you can hear the styles of Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Alice In Chains and Soundgarden all through their music. Seether has also been one of the most successful hard rock acts of the 2000's for sure. I got into these guys right away. The first song I heard by them was "Fine Again" and I was like, yeah, that's a band that's right up my alley! They just constantly put out great albums and great songs. Their song "Rise Above This" from their 2007 album "Finding Beauty In Negative Spaces" is a fantastic song. I just love it. It's not as heavy as some of their other material but for me, it just sunk it's teeth into me! There aren't too many playlists that I put together that don't feature that song on them. Awesome band, Seether!

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Staind

Breaking Benjamin

Three Days Grace

Chevelle

Saint Asonia

TEN SEETHER SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Rise Above This

2. Broken

3. The Gift

4. Remedy

5. Country Song

6. Dangerous

7. Let You Down

8. Words As Weapons

9. Judas Mind

10. Seether (Veruca Salt cover)