SONG OF THE WEEK: 2-15-2026

 

SONG:  "Fox On The Run" (Sweet cover)

ARTIST:  The Academy Is...

ALBUM:  "When In Rome" (movie soundtrack)

YEAR:  2010

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Chicago, Illinois

YEARS ACTIVE:  2003 - Present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

The song "Fox on the Run," as performed by the American rock band The Academy Is..., is a cover of the 1975 hit single by the British glam rock band Sweet. While the version by The Academy Is... was recorded specifically for the soundtrack of the 2010 romantic comedy film "When in Rome", the lyrical meaning remains rooted in the original 1970s rock culture, specifically addressing the dynamics between touring musicians and "groupies".

THE ACADEMY IS... DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2005 - Almost Here (Fueled By Ramen Records)

* Peaked at #185 on the Billboard 200

2007 - Santi (Fueled By Ramen/Atlantic/Decaydance Records)

* Peaked at #32 on the Billboard 200

2008 - Fast Times At Barrington High (Fueled By Ramen Records)

* Peaked at #17 on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON THE ACADEMY IS...:

The Academy Is... formed as a band back in 2003, hailing from Chicago, Illinois. The group was formed when all the guys were still in high school. Early on, the band Fall Out Boy really liked these guys and took the band under their wing. 2005 saw the band release their debut full length album, "Almost Here". Soon they would be touring with the likes of Taking Back Sunday, Armor For Sleep and previously mentioned Fall Out Boy. The band followed up "Almost Here" with 2007's "Santi". In 2008, The Academy Is... released their highest charting album, "Fast Times At Barrington High", which peaked at #17 on the Billboard 200 chart. After touring that album, some members decided to leave the band and at first the remaining members were going to continue on to record a fourth album, ultimately, they decided to disband in 2011. In 2015, The Academy Is... reunited for their 10 year anniversary of their "Almost Here" album. They went on a small tour in late 2015 to celebrate that album in what seemed like a farewell tour. But, in 2022, the band reunited once again to play several festivals. After celebrating the 20 year anniversary of "Almost Here" in 2025, the band revealed that a new album was in the works. That new album, titled "Almost There", will be released on March 27, 2026. The Academy Is... is a pop punk/melodic rock type of band. As I said several times in this blog, I started listening to The Academy Is... in my "Taking Back Sunday" years from like 2000 to 2010! That's around the time I started getting into a lot of pop punk/melodic rock type bands. I wouldn't quite put The Academy Is... on Taking Back Sunday's tier, maybe a level or 2 below but they are a pretty solid band. Glad to see that they have a new album coming out soon and they are back to firing on all cylinders!

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Midtown

Taking Back Sunday

The Starting Line

Armor For Sleep

The Used

TEN THE ACADEMY IS... SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Checkmarks

2. Slow Down

3. About A Girl

4. We've Got A Big Mess On Our Hands

5. Everything We Had

6. The Phrase That Pays

7. His Girl Friday

8. Winter Passing

9. Neighbors

10. Summer Hair = Forever Young

SONG OF THE WEEK: 2-8-2026

SONG:  "Setting Forth"

ARTIST:  Eddie Vedder

ALBUM:  "Into The Wild"

YEAR:  2007

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  San Diego, California

YEARS ACTIVE:  1988 - Present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Setting Forth" by Eddie Vedder, from the 2007 "Into the Wild" soundtrack, captures the initial, eager, and somewhat naive beginning of Christopher McCandless’s journey. It symbolizes a deliberate departure from societal expectations, characterized by a mix of intense desire for freedom, independence, and the "point of no return" mentality.

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". "Setting Forth" is an Eddie Vedder solo song, though the band has performed it live at Pearl Jam shows, a heavier rock version of the song. 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: 2-1-2026

SONG:  "Whatever Lies Will Help You Rest"

ARTIST:  The Ataris

ALBUM:  "Welcome The Night"

YEAR:  2007

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Anderson, Indiana

YEARS ACTIVE:  1996 - present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

The Ataris song "Whatever Lies Will Help You Rest" explores the human tendency to use self-deception and falsehoods to maintain a sense of peace, particularly when life seems to be going well.

THE ATARIS DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1997 - Anywhere But Here (Kung Fu Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

1999 - Blue Skies, Broken Hearts...Next 12 Exits (Kung Fu Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2001 - End Is Forever (Kung Fu Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2003 - So Long, Astoria (Columbia Records)

* peaked at #24 on the Billboard 200

* certified Gold

2004 - Live At The Metro (Columbia Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2007 - Welcome The Night (Sanctuary Records)

* peaked at #85 on the Billboard 200

2015 - Hang Your Head In Hope (self-released)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2015 - Record Store Day 2015 (self-released)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2017 - Silver Turns To Rust (funk turry funk Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2020 - Live In Chicago 2019 (self-released)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON THE ATARIS:

The Ataris formed as a band back in 1996, hailing from Anderson, Indiana. The band is essentially the brainchild of guitarist/vocalist Kris Roe, who basically writes all the music and lyrics for the band. Plus the fact that the band has basically been a revolving door when it comes to band members with Roe being the only constant. The band's debut album dropped in 1997, titled "Anywhere But Here". This whole album was recorded in less than a week. At this time, the band was really struggling financially and Roe was living in his car in California at that point. The band's 1999 album, "Blue Skies, Broken Hearts...Next 12 Exits", was the album that started generating some buzz around The Ataris, especially from what is their signature song, "San Dimas High School Football Rules". In 2001, the band released "End Is Forever" which finished their relationship with Kung Fu Records. At this point, The Ataris were garnering attention from major labels and eventually they would sign with Columbia Records. Their major label release, 2003's "So Long, Astoria", proved to be the high point for the band. It was their highest charting album, peaking at #24 on the Billboard 200 and it would eventually be certified Gold. Their cover of Don Henley's "The Boys Of Summer" proved to be a huge radio hit for the band. Here's where things start turning somewhat sour for the band. All of the band members besides Roe would leave the band. Roe brought on new members and began work on their  next album, 2007's "Welcome The Night". This album was a real departure from The Ataris style and sound. It was darker and lacking the pop punk and melodic rock sensibilities that The Ataris were known for. I thought it was a real bummer of an album. In 2009, there was talk that The Ataris had completed a new album tentatively titled "The Graveyard Of The Atlantic" but the album would never see the light of day. Eventually, the songs recorded for this project would show up on later EP's and compilations that The Ataris would put out. From 2010 to 2020, the only full lengths The Ataris would put out would be compilation albums or rarities or re-recordings like 2017's "Silver Turns To Rust" or the all acoustic "Hang Your Head In Hope" in 2015. Most recently, Kris Roe has stated that The Ataris have been in the studio in 2024 writing and recording a new full length album so we'll see. The band has released a single called "Car Song" in 2025 and Roe has confirmed that the band will cover Bryan Adams' "Summer Of '69" on the new album.  The Ataris at their best are a pop punk band. Even their major label debut, "So Long, Astoria", had pop punk elements, maybe with a more mature sound but that catchy, melodic pop punk was always at the core. "Welcome The Night" was a disaster. I don't know what they were trying to prove with that album. It's just boring and has no life to it. Sometimes you are what you are. I know people want to push themselves but their is something at it's core that is the reason why people love what you do. Hopefully Kris Roe doesn't lose sight of that with this new album he's working on. People love The Ataris melodies and people love the heartfelt, personal lyrics of Kris Roe. Let's hope he gets back to his roots on this new release.

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Fenix TX

MxPx

The Starting Line

Midtown

Rufio

TEN THE ATARIS SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Summer Wind Was Always Our Song

2. San Dimas High School Football Rules

3. The Boys Of Summer (Don Henley cover)

4. A New England (Billy Bragg cover)

5. The Saddest Song

6. Boxcar (Jawbreaker cover)

7. Your Boyfriend Sucks

8. Rock N' Roll High School (Ramones cover)

9. All Soul's Day

10. Not Capable Of Love

SONG OF THE WEEK: 1-25-2026

SONG:  "Got A Backbeat"

ARTIST:  American Steel

ALBUM:  "Rogue's March"

YEAR:  1999

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Oakland, California

YEARS ACTIVE:  1995 - present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Got A Backbeat" by American Steel, from their 1999 album "Rogue's March", is a song that resonates with themes of working-class struggle, emotional resilience, and the search for meaning amidst hardship.

AMERICAN STEEL DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1998 - American Steel (New Disorder Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

1999 - Rogue's March (Lookout! Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2001 - Jagged Thoughts (Lookout! Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2007 - Destroy Their Future (Fat Wreck Chords)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2009 - Dear Friends And Gentle Hearts (Fat Wreck Chords)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON AMERICAN STEEL:

American Steel formed as a band back in 1995, hailing from Oakland, California. Getting their start in what was pretty much a hotbed of sorts for punk rock as bands like Green Day and Rancid were also from the same general area. The band released their debut album in 1998, titled "American Steel". That album helped garner them a deal with Lookout! Records who would go on to release the band's 1999 album, "Rogue's March" and their 2001 album "Jagged Thoughts". In 2002, the band would change their style, as well as their band name, to Communique. This lasted a few years till finally in 2007, the band returned to their punk rock roots and went back to being called American Steel. That year would also be the year that the band signed a deal with legendary punk label Fat Wreck Chords. Under Fat, the band released 2007's "Destroy Their Future" and 2009's "Dear Friends And Gentle Hearts", which would be the band's last full length album released to date. The band's most recent release was the single "State Of Grace" in 2018. American Steel is what I like to call a "gruffy" punk band! I think that's my own created genre but think bands like Hot Water Music or Reach The Sky. Bands which feature, not screaming vocals, but "gravelly", another term I think I made up! American Steel is pretty much an underground band. Maybe if they came out one or two years earlier, they would have maybe caught that initial wave of the mid-90's punk revival. As such, they were never one of the punk bands to stand out in the crowd, but they had their spot within the crowd. But if you are into bands like The Lawrence Arms or Dillinger Four, you'd most likely like the music of American Steel. 

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

The Lawrence Arms

None More Black

Dead To Me

Dillinger Four

The Falcon

TEN AMERICAN STEEL SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Maria

2. Mean Streak

3. Got A Backbeat

4. State Of Grace

5. Hurtlin'

6. Shrapnel

7. Every New Morning

8. Should Have Died Young (Playing Rock And Roll)

9. Middle Of The Night

10. Your Ass Ain't Laughing Now

SONG OF THE WEEK: 1-18-2026

SONG:  "Hearts On Fire"

ARTIST:  Stretch Arm Strong

ALBUM:  "Free At Last"

YEAR:  2005

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Columbia, South Carolina

YEARS ACTIVE:  1992 - Present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

The song "Hearts On Fire" by Stretch Arm Strong, from their 2001 album "Engage", is a complex and multifaceted piece that delves into themes of disillusionment, the struggle for authenticity, and the enduring power of hope amidst adversity.

STRETCH ARM STRONG DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1998 - Compassion Fills The Void (Uprising Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

1999 - Rituals Of Life (Solid State Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2001 - A Revolution Transmission (Solid State Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2003 - Engage (Solid State Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2005 - Free At Last (We Put Out Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON STRETCH ARM STRONG:

Stretch Arm Strong is a South Carolina band that got it's start back in 1992. After some years of getting their line-up in order, they finally dropped their debut full length album in 1998, titled "Compassion Fills The Void". In 1999, the band would sign a deal with Solid State Records and released three full lengths with that label, 1999's "Rituals Of Life", 2001's "A Revolution Transmission" and 2003's "Engage". In 2005, the band dropped "Free At Last" which features perhaps their most successful song, "The Sound Of Names Dropping". Stretch Arm Strong became basically inactive around 2005/2006 at this point. They got together for a few live shows in 2009 and 2011 but not much else. In 2021, the band officially reunited embarking on a tour and in 2024, they released an EP titled "The Revealing". Stretch Arm Strong would be considered a hardcore punk/melodic punk type of band. Definitely an under the radar band back in the day. The were very active from 1998 to 2005 but like I said earlier, they went on a hiatus till their reunion in 2021. I'm pretty sure I got into these guys after hearing "The Sound Of Names Dropping" or "Faces". I know it was one of those songs. I wouldn't consider them the top of the pack when it comes to their style but they are a very solid band and I'm glad to see they're back at it making new music. Hopefully they drop a new full length soon.

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

As Friends Rust

With Honor

H2O

Slick Shoes

Strike Anywhere

TEN STRETCH ARM STRONG SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. The Sound Of Names Dropping

2. Faces

3. For The Record

4. Second Chances

5. The Hardest Part

6. Melt With You (Modern English cover)

7. For Now

8. Means To An End

9. We Bleed200

10. Still Believe, Part III

SONG OF THE WEEK: 1-11-2026

SONG:  "Wicked Game" (Chris Isaak cover)

ARTIST:  Stone Sour

ALBUM:  "Come What(ever) May" (Special Edition)

YEAR:  2006

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Des Moines, Iowa

YEARS ACTIVE:  1992 - 2020

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

The Stone Sour song "Wicked Game" is a cover of the original song by Chris Isaak. The original "Wicked Game" was written by Chris Isaak for his 1989 album "Heart Shaped World". Isaak has stated that the song was inspired by a late-night phone call from a woman suggesting a casual sexual encounter, and it explores the strong attraction one can feel towards individuals who may not be beneficial for them. The song is often interpreted as a ballad about unrequited love, but Isaak's personal account reveals a deeper theme of irresistible, potentially problematic desire.

STONE SOUR DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2002 - Stone Sour (Roadrunner Records)

* Peaked at #46 on the Billboard 200

* Certified Gold

2006 - Come What(ever) May (Roadrunner Records)

* Peaked at #4 on the Billboard 200

* Certified Platinum

2007 - Live In Moscow (Roadrunner Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2010 - Audio Secrecy (Roadrunner Records)

* Peaked at #6 on the Billboard 200

2012 - House Of Gold & Bones Part 1 (Roadrunner Records)

* Peaked at #7 on the Billboard 200

2013 - House Of Gold & Bones Part 2 (Roadrunner Records)

* Peaked at #10 on the Billboard 200

2017 - Hydrograd (Roadrunner Records)

* Peaked at #8 on the Billboard 200

2019 - Hello, You Bastards:  Live In Reno (Cooking Vinyl Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON STONE SOUR:

Stone Sour is a Des Moines, Iowa band that got it's start back in 1992. For the first 5 years as a band, they recorded several demos but disbanded in 1997, mostly due to lead singer Corey Taylor's involvement with another upstart band called Slipknot. In 2000, Stone Sour reformed and in 2002, they released their stellar debut album "Stone Sour". This album was nominated for a few Grammy's and their single "Bother" is just a killer song! The band followed their self-titled album with a hugely successful sophomore effort, 2006's "Come What(ever) May". This was the band's highest charting album, peaking at #4 on the Billboard 200 charts and thanks in part to the hit single "Through Glass", this album has gone on to be certified Platinum. 2010 saw the band drop "Audio Secrecy". In 2012 and 2013 respectively, Stone Sour released a 2 part concept album called "House Of Gold & Bones" Parts 1 and 2. I guess there was also a novel that coincided with the release of these albums. The band's most recent full length album would be 2017's "Hydrograd". The band also put out some cover song EP's and a few live albums. In 2020, Corey Taylor basically said it was time to put Stone Sour on the shelf for a while and announced an indefinite hiatus. Taylor still keeps himself very busy with Slipknot and his solo career as well. Stone Sour is sort of like a post-grunge, alternative metal type of band. Unlike Corey Taylor's other band Slipknot, who is much more of a metal outfit, Stone Sour seems to be more influenced by grunge bands. There's hard rock, there's metal and there's some acoustic stuff too. I was never really a big fan of Slipknot but Stone Sour is right in my wheelhouse because I am such a fan of bands like Alice In Chains and Soundgarden. Corey Taylor is a great vocalist as well. I think Stone Sour and his solo stuff makes his voice shine more as Slipknot features lots of screaming vocals and such. When I heard "Bother" in 2002, Stone Sour had me. "Zzyzx Rd." is another epic song from their "Come What(ever) May" album. I love that f'n song! Hopefully these guys come back off hiatus but I don't know. I'm sure Corey plays a lot of Stone Sour material at his solo shows so, I guess we'll have to see. Great band, great vocalist!

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Godsmack

Seether

Staind

Drowning Pool

Saint Asonia

TEN STONE SOUR SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Bother

2. Zzyzx Rd.

3. Song #3

4. Get Inside

5. Through Glass

6. Do Me A Favor

7. Inhale

8. Unchained (Van Halen cover)

9. Absolute Zero

10. Say You'll Haunt Me