SONG OF THE WEEK: 7-28-2024

SONG:  "Beyond Me"

ARTIST:  Foo Fighters

ALBUM:  "But Here We Are"

YEAR:  2023

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Seattle, Washington

YEARS ACTIVE:  1994 - present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Beyond Me" serves as a reminder to cherish the present, acknowledge the inevitability of change, and find peace in the knowledge that some things are beyond our control. Like many of the songs on "But Here We Are", this song was probably written with the tragic loss of Taylor Hawkins weighing on the band's hearts.

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

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

MY THOUGHTS ON FOO FIGHTERS:

The Foo Fighters started off as Dave Grohl just messing around on demo's, not sure what he was going to do with them. It was just something to try to get his mind off of the tragic death of Kurt Cobain which led to Grohl being in one of the most important bands ever  as their drummer, to now not knowing what his future without Nirvana would be. Foo Fighters self-titled 1995 debut was basically Grohl playing every instrument and laying down the vocals. To tour for the album, he added Nate Mendel (bass) and William Goldsmith (drums) who were in the broken up Sunny Day Real Estate. Pat Smear also joined the band on guitar. He had previously toured with Nirvana as a 2nd guitarist. As the band recorded their sophomore album, 1997's "The Colour And The Shape", Grohl was unhappy with the drum parts and re-recorded them himself. This led to conflict with Goldsmith and eventually, he was out of the band. In 1997, Goldsmith was replaced by former Alanis Morrisette drummer Taylor Hawkins. '97 also saw Pat Smear leave the band and be replaced by Franz Stahl. Stahl would only last till 1999 as there was musical differences between him and Grohl, Hawkins and Mendel while recording 1999's "There Is Nothing Left To Lose". That album ultimately was recorded as a trio. Chris Shiflett of No Use For A Name fame was added as the new lead guitarist to replace Stahl. In 2002, the band dropped "One By One". The lead single "All My Life" is just a killer track! 2007 saw the band drop "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace". In 2010, Pat Smear officially rejoined the band and in 2011, "Wasting Light" became the first Foo Fighters album to peak at #1 on the Billboard 200 charts. For 2014's "Sonic Highways", the band recorded 8 songs in 8 different cities to sort of hone in on the vibe of each city and create music from that. 2017 saw the band release "Concrete And Gold", their 2nd album to peak at #1 on the Billboard 200. In 2021, the band released "Medicine At Midnight". On March 25, 2022, tragedy struck the band when drummer Taylor Hawkins was found dead in his hotel room while the band was on tour. This was such a crushing loss for the band, the fans and the whole music world. For a while, it wasn't a sure thing that the band would go on. Thankfully, Josh Freese was named the new drummer in 2023 and the band released their most recent, and probably most heartfelt album, "But Here We Are". The Foo Fighters are arguably the most popular rock band that's out there today. That's a credit to Dave Grohl's excellent songwriting ability and the phenomenal, energetic live performances the band puts on at every show. The end of Nirvana was so big at the time. They were like The Beatles for people my age. They were such an important and impactful band. While it hurts that Kurt Cobain is gone, I'm also happy Dave Grohl decided to continue his pursuit of music. The Foo's are just one of the best rock bands out there. They are just a machine at this point!

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Pearl Jam

Nirvana

Audioslave

Stone Temple Pilots

Them Crooked Vultures

TEN FOO FIGHTERS SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. All My Life

2. Everlong

3. Learn To Fly

4. The Pretender

5. Hey, Johnny Park!

6. My Hero

7. Walk

8. Waiting On A War

9. Best Of You

10. Under You

SONG OF THE WEEK: 7-21-2024

SONG:  "Gold Star" 

ARTIST:  The Dangerous Summer

ALBUM:  "Coming Home" 

YEAR:  2022

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Ellicott City, Maryland

YEARS ACTIVE:  2006 - present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Gold Star" appears to be a song about really wanting to change for a person that you truly love. The vocalist, however, feels hardwired in his ways and though he can see all the wrongs within himself, he doesn't seem confident that he can change. But he seems to be willing to try for this person he loves.

THE DANGEROUS SUMMER DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2009 - Reach For The Sun (Hopeless Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2011 - An Acoustic Performance Of Reach For The Sun (Hopeless Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2011 - War Paint (Hopeless Records)

* peaked at #149 on the Billboard 200 on 8-6-11

2013 - Golden Record (Hopeless Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2018 - The Dangerous Summer (Hopeless Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2019 - Mother Nature (Hopeless Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2020 - Live In Baltimore 2019 (Hopeless Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2022 - Coming Home (Rude Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2024 - Gravity (Rude Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON THE DANGEROUS SUMMER:

The Dangerous Summer is a Maryland based band that formed back in 2006. In 2007, the band released an EP that caught the ear of Hopeless Records who in turn re-released the EP, beginning what would be a 12 year relationship with the band. Their debut full length studio album was released in 2009, titled "Reach For The Sun". This album hit #42 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart. In 2011, the band released an acoustic version of "Reach For The Sun" as well as releasing their follow up full length, "War Paint". This album peaked at #149 on the Billboard 200 charts, making it the only The Dangerous Summer album to enter that chart. In 2013, "Golden Record" was released. In 2014, lead vocalist AJ Perdomo decided to leave that band as he and bandmate, Cody Payne,  just couldn't work together anymore. A few years later, Payne had to serve a year in prison for burglary and in 2017, The Dangerous Summer reunited with AJ Perdomo and Cody Payne posted online that he had left the band. The Dangerous Summer wrapped up their deal with Hopeless Records by releasing 2018's "The Dangerous Summer", 2019's "Mother Nature" and 2020's "Live In Baltimore 2019. The band would sign with Rude Records who would release the band's 2022 album "Coming Home" and their most recent release, 2024's "Gravity". The Dangerous Summer is a pop punk/melodic rock/alternative rock type of band. They were highly influenced by bands like Third Eye Blind and Jimmy Eat World. I started listening to these guys in what I call my "Taking Back Sunday years"! This was a period of time from the mid 2000's where I really got on a pop punk/melodic rock trip. The Dangerous Summer falls right in line with that style. I always felt that these guys were closer to the top of that food chain. Very good songs, good vocals. Great to see that their little hiatus in 2014 was short lived and The Dangerous Summer is still going strong.

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

The Starting Line

Transit

The Early November

Acceptance

Armor For Sleep

TEN THE DANGEROUS SUMMER SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Ghosts

2. LA In A Cop Car

3. The Permanent Rain

4. Catholic Girls

5. Where I Want To Be

6. War Paint

7. Bring Me Back To Life

8. Northern Lights (acoustic version)

9. Coming Home

10. I Feel More Like Myself When I'm Losing It

SONG OF THE WEEK: 7-14-2024

SONG:  "Electro-Static Sweep"

ARTIST:  Laura Jane Grace

ALBUM:  "At War With The Silverfish" EP

YEAR:  2021

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Gainesville, Florida

YEARS ACTIVE:  1997 - present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Electro-Static Sweep" appears to be a song about running into an old friend, spending time and reminiscing about old times. I'm not sure if the song is happy, indifferent or filled with emptiness because of what life is in the present for the vocalist.

LAURA JANE GRACE DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2018 - Bought To Rot (Bloodshot Records) 

* (Laura Jane Grace & The Devouring Mothers release)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2020 - Stay Alive (Polyvinyl Records)

* (Laura Jane Grace solo release)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2024 - Hole In My Head (Polyvinyl Records)

* (Laura Jane Grace solo release)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON LAURA JANE GRACE:

Laura Jane Grace has been making music since the mid to late 90's, hailing from Gainesville, Florida. Of course, she is most well known as the vocalist/guitarist/songwriter for the punk band Against Me! With Against Me!, she released 7 full length studio albums along with a a slew of EP's, live albums and compilation albums over a 23 year period. She has said that Against Me! is on hiatus right now and have been since 2020. Laura Jane Grace's solo material first surfaced in 2008, before she transitioned and was still going by her birthname Tom Gabel. That was an EP titled "Heart Burns". She would support that EP by playing acoustic sets on the Revival Tour with Chuck Ragan and Tim Barry. In 2012, she announced she was going to transition to become a female and chose to be called Laura Jane Grace from that point on. In 2018, she formed a band called Laura Jane Grace & The Devouring Mothers and released the album "Bought To Rot". That band seemed to be a one off project as she would release her next album as a solo, 2020's "Stay Alive". She released the EP "At War With Silverfish" in 2021. Most recently, Laura Jane Grace released "Hole In My Head" in 2024. The title track is a banger! Could've easily made it on an Against Me! album!  I'm a huge Against Me! fan so obviously I'm gonna check out anything that Laura Jane Grace does. Her solo stuff isn't too far off what Against Me! does. Though it's a little less punk. She's definitely exploring different sounds and genres while keeping that punk foundation with her solo material. Her new album, "Hole In My Head", is an awesome record!  Maybe since Against Me! is on a hiatus right now, she feels comfortable creating a more punk album with her new solo project. With that being said, I hope Against Me! isn't done. They're just too f'n good a band to not continue. Hopefully, after Laura Jane Grace releases this new record and tours to support it, she can relight the fire under Against Me!

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Against Me!

The Gaslight Anthem

The Menzingers

Alkaline Trio

Bad Astronaut

TEN LAURA JANE GRACE SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Hole In My Head

2. Anna Is A Stool Pigeon

3. Apocalypse Now (& Later) (w/ The Devouring Mothers)

4. The Swimming Pool Song

5. The Airplane Song (w/ The Devouring Mothers)

6. Random Hearts

7. The Hotel Song (w/ The Devouring Mothers)

8. Dysphoria Hoodie

9. Cuffing Season

10. Day Old Coffee

SONG OF THE WEEK: 7-7-2024

SONG:  "Recoil"

ARTIST:  The Flatliners

ALBUM:  "New Ruin"

YEAR:  2022

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada

YEARS ACTIVE:  2002 - present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

Here's what The Flatliners vocalist Chris Cresswell had to say about "Recoil". "There’s something almost thrilling about a chest wound up so tight that each breath feels like you’re barreling over a speed bump. There is no control over when anxiety strikes, or who it can profoundly affect. In that moment, the body becomes a vessel for something that feels like it’s far too powerful to be contained. Like it’s within something’s grip that could make or break. When pushed to the edge, do you recoil or recover?"

THE FLATLINERS DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2005 - Destroy To Create (Union Label Group

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2007 - The Great Awake (Fat Wreck Chords)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2010 - Cavalcade (Drive Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2013 - Dead Language (New Damage Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2015 - Division Of Spoils (Fat Wreck Chords)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2017 - Inviting Light (Rise Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2022 - New Ruin (Fat Wreck Chords)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON THE FLATLINERS:

The Flatliners are a Canadian band that got their start back in 2002. After putting out some demo's, the band dropped their debut full length album in 2005, titled "Destroy To Create". This album would be the band's only release to feature some ska elements in their sound. Beginning with their next release, 2007's "The Great Awake", The Flatliners sound would be more of a melodic, skate punk style. 2010's "Cavalcade" actually peaked at #54 on the Canadian music charts. Many see this as the album that made people take notice of The Flatliners. In 2013, the band put out another gem of an album, "Dead Language". 2015 saw the band put out a b-sides and rarities compilation called "Divisions Of Spoils", a fantastic collection! In 2017, "Inviting Light" was released and in 2022, the band reunited with legendary punk rock label, Fat Wreck Chords, to put out their most recent full length, "New Ruin". The Flatliners are an awesome band! I'm so glad they ditched the ska for a more straight forward approach to punk rock. It has served them well. These guys are a relentless touring band and they seem to put out an album every three to four years. The longest gap between albums for The Flatliners was five years between the last two releases and that was mostly because Flatliners' vocalist Chris Cresswell was playing with Hot Water Music for a a few years. I first got into these guys when their 2010 album "Cavalcade" came out. I still get pumped when I hear "Carry The Banner"! Great f'n song! I tend to call bands like The Flatliners "gruff" punk. The vocals are scratchy and the energy is great. I fell in love with this style and The Flatliners were a main reason, but also because of bands like Polar Bear Club, Red City Radio and Off With Their Heads. I really dig these bands!

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Red City Radio

Dead To Me

A Wilhelm Scream

The Lawrence Arms

Banner Pilot

TEN THE FLATLINERS SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Carry The Banner

2. Wynford Bridge

3. Birds Of England

4. Indoors

5. Resuscitation Of The Year

6. Performative Hours

7. Eulogy

8. Hang My Head

9. The Arousal Of Repair

10. Fred Got Slacks