Song Of The Week: 12/19/10

Song: "Glycerine"

Artist: Bush

Album: Live performance from MTV Spring Break

Year: 1996



"Glycerine" is a song about a volatile relationship. It's a strange contradiction of a song in that, there is no person in the world that the vocalist feels more passionate about yet at the same time, the relationship is both physically and mentally abusive. Rather than making changes in order to keep the relationship alive, he seems reluctantly content to allow it to dissolve around him. The song really shows how true love could be so strong as to rise above everything yet so fragile that it could also come crashing down on those involved. "Glycerine" was the fourth single from Bush's debut album "Sixteen Stone" which was released in 1994. On the heels of the grunge movement, Bush would catch that wave and "Sixteen Stone" was extremely successful. "Glycerine" reached number one on the Modern Rock Tracks chart and stayed there for two weeks making it one of their most successful singles. Bush would release three more studio albums after "Sixteen Stone", all of which achieved some moderate success but nothing like their debut. After ten years of making music and touring, in 2002 Bush decided to call it quits. Lead guitarist and founding member Nigel Pulsford wanted to focus his attention and time on his family while lead singer Gavin Rossdale would do some acting as well as release some music both as a solo artist and with the band Institute. In 2010, Gavin Rossdale, along with original drummer Robin Goodridge, decided to reform Bush, albeit with a new lead guitarist and bassist. The band has played various reunion shows in 2010 and plan on releasing an album, tentatively titled "Everything Always Now", sometime in 2011.

Song Of The Week: 12/12/10

Song: "New Tools"

Artist: Seaweed

Album: "Weak"

Year: 1992



This song appears to be about not conforming to those who think they have your best interests at heart. In life, there are many people trying to tug you in directions which may compromise your core values or belief system. It's important to trust yourself first and foremost when it comes to your work, your ideas, your relationships and your life. Sometimes it's hard not to get caught up in the current that is the machine. Often, it is those who go against that current that tend to achieve the most satisfaction in what they do, whether it becomes successful or not. Seaweed, from Tacoma, WA, formed as a band back in 1989. They were signed to the famous SubPop label in Seattle and were very much in the underground of the "grunge" movement. Their style, to me, is kind of like a dirty punk style, a definite mesh of punk attitude with a grungy atmosphere. Seaweed never attained the same successes as it's contemporaries, Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Mudhoney. Their biggest success was probably their cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Go Your Own Way" which was released on the soundtrack for Kevin Smith's underground hit movie "Clerks". For eleven years, 1989 to 2000, Seaweed would release records on various labels and tour extensively but they could never quite get over the hump as a successful band. In 2000, Seaweed broke up with all the members working on different projects, most of them staying in the music industry in some capacity or another. Lead singer, Aaron Stauffer fronted some notable acts as Not From Space, Gardener and The Blue Dot. In 2007, most of the original band decided to get back together and began performing live shows. The most current news from Seaweed is that they are working on a new album tentatively titled "Small Engine Repair".

Song Of The Week: 12/5/10

Song: "Castaway"

Artist: Jerry Cantrell

Album: "Degradation Trip: Volumes 1 & 2"

Year: 2002



This song is about feeling as if your alone at sea or on an island. In a literal sense, feeling like you're a castaway. If you look at this time in Jerry Cantrell's life, especially the situations involving his band Alice In Chains, the song could possibly be autobiographical. Cantrell never wanted to embark on a solo career. His first love was always his band Alice In Chains, but due to the failing health of frontman Layne Staley, Chains was in limbo. Therefore, with great anxiety, Cantrell went on that island and tried to make it on his own, battling his own demons along the way. In the early 90's, the Seattle music scene was all the rage and Alice In Chains, along with Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and Soundgarden, were at the forefront of the "grunge" movement. With great success came even greater trappings of fame. Perhaps none of the Seattle band was more greatly impacted by the effects of drug abuse than Alice In Chains. The grip of heroin took it's toll on Layne Staley the most. By 1996, Alice In Chains was a shell of it's former self. Though they just released their self-titled album shortly before, Staley's health made it damn near impossible to tour in support of the album. With Chains basically on hiatus, Cantrell began focusing on a solo career which would spawn two albums, "Boggy Depot" and "Degradation Trip: Volumes 1 & 2". "Degradation Trip" really found Cantrell focusing on where his musical career was headed amongst the turmoil and ashes of his former band. Just before the release of the album, Cantrell and the music world had to come to grips with the tragedy of Layne Staley's death in 2002. Though everyone saw it coming, the death of Staley really hit hard. Some years later, Cantrell and the remaining members of Alice In Chains got together and played a benefit show with various lead singers filling in. The spark that was once there returned and rumors of an Alice In Chains reunion began surfacing. They recruited Comes With The Fall vocalist William DuVall and began touring with their new line-up. In 2009, the band released "Black Gives Way To Blue", their first studio album in 14 years and their first without Layne Staley. Currently, Jerry Cantrell and Alice In Chains are on tour supporting "Black Gives Way To Blue".

Song Of The Week: 11/28/10

Song: "Crash"

Artist: 12 Stones

Album: "12 Stones"

Year: 2002



This song is about having faith even in times of struggle and adversity. Know that in times of trouble and despair, God is watching over you and His love for you and yours of him will eventually set you free. 12 Stones is a band that at times wears it's Christian faith on it's sleeve and "Crash" is definitely one of those songs. Hailing from Louisiana, 12 Stones formed as a band in 2000. They have released three full length studio albums as well as an EP. 12 Stones probably caught their biggest break back in 2003, when lead vocalist Paul McCoy contributed vocals to Evanescene's 2003 smash hit "Bring Me To Life". This probably more than anything else started to shine a light on McCoy's own band. 12 Stones is a pretty much straight forward rock band. They often use a formula which consists of softer verses followed by a heavier, melodic chorus. Their record label, Wind-Up Records, has several bands that offer similar styles, including Creed, Finger Eleven, Evanescence and Seether. The band's most recent release occurred in 2010, an EP entitled "The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday". Currently, 12 Stones is at work on a new studio album which is slated to be released sometime in 2011.

Song Of The Week: 11/21/10

Song: "Queen And John"

Artist: Good Riddance

Album: "Good Riddance/Kill Your Idols" Split EP

Year: 2001



This song is basically about regret. Good Riddance is not really known for their relationship type songs, but every now and then they put one out there and "Queen And John" is one of their finest. In the song, the vocalist is definitely having regrets for the way he treated his girl in their relationship. He doesn't want it to end, but, to her, it's too late for him to change his ways and what they had is officially over. Good Riddance is a hardcore/punk band that got it's start back in 1986. They were heavily influenced by punk legends such as Black Flag and Bad Religion. The majority of their songs focus on social and political issues but as I said earlier, they were known to sprinkle in a love/relationship song here and there. GR spent their career on the famed punk label Fat Wreck Chords, adding some hardcore to a label which was dominated by skate punk bands. After more than twenty years, seven studio albums, several EPs and splits, a live album, cover album, and a rarities collection, Good Riddance decided to call it quits in 2007. A very sad moment in the punk rock world as GR was as solid a band as it gets. Thankfully, you can still get your fix of GR's vocalist, Russ Rankin, as he fronts another solid punk band called Only Crime. Currently, all the former members of Good Riddance are focusing on their new projects, the top dog being Only Crime.

Song Of The Week: 11/14/10

Song: "Home Frome Home"

Artist: Millencolin

Album: "Home From Home"

Year: 2002



This song is about how Millencolin's lead singer, Nikola Sarcevic, realized his dream the first time he picked up his bass guitar and started writing songs. It tells of how working regular jobs or going to school wasn't for him and that the place he really felt at home was when he was performing in his band. Millencolin is a punk band from Sweden that formed back in 1992. They adopted a "skate-punk" style similar to fellow 90's punk rockers such as No Use For A Name and NOFX. The high point in Millencolin's career came in 2000 with the release of "Pennybridge Pioneers". This was the band's most successful album, and i'd tend to agree, it is their finest effort to date. Millencolin kind of reminds me of a band such as The Living End. Not so much in style, but in the fact that they are much more popular internationally than they are here in the United States. If you are a fan of the band, you know that they are a solid band with a strong recording catalogue to back them up. Millencolin's latest release was "Machine 15" which dropped in 2008. Currently, lead singer and bassist Sarcevic has been focusing on his solo material, touring acoustically in support of his most recent album. As of now, there is no news as to when Millencolin is going to return to the studio to work on a new album, but the band is still very much intact.

Song Of The Week: 11/7/10

Song: "One More Hangover Day (Warren's Song, Pt. 7)"

Artist: Bracket

Album: "Novelty Forever"

Year: 1997



This song appears to be about just wanting to seclude yourself in your dark bedroom for the day and just make the outside world go away. While whoever has ever had a hangover can understand the feeling, I don't believe this song is about an alcohol related hangover, but more a hangover from a broken heart. He just needs one more day to get over a relationship lost and to wallow in his own pain and sadness. Bracket hails from California and formed as a band back in 1992. Though the band has some punk elements, I wouldn't go all the way and consider them a straight-forward punk band. They remind me more of just a garage rock band with definite pop sensibilities. They are just as much Tom Petty as they are Green Day is what i'm getting at. For the majority of their career, Bracket was on the famed punk label, Fat Wreck Chords. They are a band that always seems to fly under the radar. They never really achieved mainstream success with their music. They're more of an indie type band that relies on it's small core fan base as well as touring with more successful acts such as Fat Wreck's NOFX and No Use For A Name. In 2005, Bracket left Fat Wreck Chords and moved to Takeover Records to record what would be their last studio album, "Requiem". While the band has not officially said that Bracket has called it quits, some members of the band have moved to different parts of the country making it harder to work together on new material. Currently, some members of Bracket have formed a quirky band called The Good Life Crisis, which features odd instruments such as ukuleles and mandolins. There is no news if Bracket will eventually work together again as of now.