Song Of The Week: 5/14/17

Song: "Bad Reputation"

Artist: The Rabble

Album: "No Clue, No Future"

Year: 2006

Place Of Origin: Auckland, New Zealand

Years Active: 2001 - present



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Bad Reputation" appears to be about wondering if the life you lead and the mistakes you've made will ultimately be your downfall. The vocalist is basically praying to God for help or guidance because he's been to the bottom. He wants to know that when his life is over that he makes it to the other side despite his past regressions. The first time you listen to the song, it clearly reminds you of Social Distortion's "I Was Wrong". No surprise as Social D. influenced The Rabble greatly.

THE RABBLE DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2006 - No Clue, No Future (Self-Released)
2007 - The Battle's Almost Over (Filthy Lucre Enterprises)
2011 - Life's A Journey (Self-Released)

CURRENT STATUS OF THE RABBLE:

The Rabble was formed back in 2001 by brothers Chazz Rabble and Rupe Rabble. It took five years for this New Zealand outfit to hone their sound before the world got a taste of their music. 2006 saw the debut album by The Rabble, the self-released "No Clue, No Future". The band's second release, "The Battle's Almost Over", featured a collaboration with Mark Unseen of the band The Unseen on the track "The World Is Dead". Mark Unseen really took to the band and almost joined the members of The Rabble to form a new band which never came to fruition. The band, at this time, had it's first tour of Europe. The band's latest release would be 2011's "Life's A Journey". Frontman Chazz Rabble really saw this release as an evolution for the band. Many of his fans however began accusing the band of selling out, especially in his native New Zealand. The Rabble announced they were going on a hiatus in 2013. Chazz would not rule out the band getting back together but that all the members have been focused on other projects, most notably Chazz's other band, "Flirting With Disaster". The Rabble are a band who tends to go all over the place when it comes to style. At one moment they could be hardcore punk, then they can be pop punk. Sometimes celtic punk and every now and again a touch of ska/punk. Chazz has stated that his favorite band is Green Day, so it's easy to see why the band began shifting their sound to a more melodic brand of punk as the years went on. That was most likely the wedge that began turning off some of their core fans as well. As for similar bands to The Rabble? I would say if you enjoy bands like The Unseen, The Briggs, Bombshell Rocks, Far From Finished and Anti-Flag, then you would probably enjoy The Rabble's music. I look at The Rabble as a good band, not great. For me, they change styles even on one album so much that you wonder if you're listening to a multi-band mix cd sometimes. It's great that they're not pidgeonholed into one specific sound but at the same time, it seems to hurt their continuity as a band.

TEN THE RABBLE SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. The Journey
2. The Coast Song
3. Carry On
4. Shot Down
5. Seeking
6. Addicted To The Bone
7. This World Is Dead
8. Can't Relate To You
9. Bored
10. Police & Thieves (The Clash cover)

Song Of The Week: 5/7/17

Song: "80 Cents A Day"

Artist: Stray Bullets

Album: "The Slings And Arrows Of Outrageous Fortune"

Year: 2004

Place Of Origin: Boston, Massachusetts

Years Active: 2003 - present



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"80 Cents A Day" appears to be a song about poverty in the U.S.A. They show commercials on television about charities for the starving of other countries but nothing to help our own poor people. The vocalist sees the poor and the hungry in his own neighborhood while jobs are being sold to foreign labor for 80 cents a day. Definitely shining a light on domestic poverty issues.

STRAY BULLETS DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2004 - The Slings And Arrows Of Outrageous Fortune (Fork In Hand Records)
2014 - Ghost Town Rockers (Dying Scene Records)

CURRENT STATUS OF STRAY BULLETS:

Stray Bullets got it's start as a band back in 2003. Headed by vocalist/guitarist Jon Cauztik, the band's first exposure to the local Boston punk rock scene was their debut album, "The Slings And Arrows Of Outrageous Fortune" in 2004. Almost as quick as the band formed, Cauztik moved on to another venture, punk/ska outfit the Have Nots. It took ten years for the Stray Bullets to release their sophmore album, 2014's "Ghost Town Rockers" through Dying Scene Records. Nowadays, Stray Bullets is officially Cauztik's main focus as the members of the Have Nots are currently involved with other projects. Most recently, the Stray Bullets released a split with Duck And Cover, The Warning Shots and Blood Stained Brindle in 2017. Stray Bullets play a brand of punk rock that's has some ska and reggae influences much like their idols The Clash. If you're a fan of bands like the Have Nots, Rancid, OC45, The Warning Shots and Operation Ivy, then the Stray Bullets would be a band that would most likely interest you as there are elements of all of those band's styles in Stray Bullets music. I kinda look at both the Stray Bullets and the Have Nots as pretty much the same band with different members other than the constant vocals and guitar of Jon Cauztik. In my mind, both are awesome bands. I'm not a huge punk/ska guy, but Stray Bullets do the genre right!

TEN STRAY BULLETS SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Knife For The Pusherman
2. Gone
3. The Anchor
4. Already Dead
5. Sirens
6. Channels
7. Peace Signs
8. P.C.
9. Boy In The Bubble
10. New Prisons

Song Of The Week: 4/30/17

Song: "Shifty"

Artist: Paper Arms

Album: "Great Mistakes"

Year: 2015

Place Of Origin: Adelaide, Australia

Years Active: 2008 - 2016



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

Josh Mann, vocalist of Paper Arms, has said in an interview that "Shifty" was written about his best friend. She has always been by his side no matter what and he wanted to write something in honor of the incredible person that she is to him.

PAPER ARMS DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2010 - Days Above Ground (Poison City Records)
2013 - The Smoke Will Clear (Poison City Records)
2015 - Great Mistakes (Poison City Records)

CURRENT STATUS OF PAPER ARMS:

Paper Arms was an Ausralian melodic punk band which formed in 2008. Early on the band forged a relationship with Poison City Records which would last throughout their musical career. In 2010, the band dropped their debut album, "Days Above Ground", and toured an incredible eighteen months in support of that album. 2013 saw the release of their sophmore effort, "The Smoke Will Clear". The band went on an international tour to support this record, opening up for such acts as Strike Anywhere and Chuck Ragan. The band's most recent album, and what would turn out to be their last, would be 2015's "Great Mistakes". Paper Arms played their last official show in February of 2016. Paper Arms brings a melodic, gritty punk rock style that harkens back to bands like Hot Water Music or Face To Face. Some of the band's contemporaries are Idle Class, A Death In The Family, Above Them, How Dare You and Lowtalker. If you are a fan of any of those bands then Paper Arms should pique your interest. I hate when really good, promising bands fold too early. It's the unfortunate truth of the music industry today. It's hard to sustain a band nowadays and Paper Arms is one of the latest to fall victim of the machine that is the music industry. Hopefully this is just a hiatus for Paper Arms and not a definitive end. At least they left us with three above average albums to listen to.

TEN PAPER ARMS SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Bricks And Mortar
2. Blackout
3. Snake Oil
4. Wrong Again
5. Tanks Of Dust
6. An Outbreak
7. You Don't Speak For Me
8. In Silence
9. Medicine
10. Great Mistakes

Song Of The Week: 4/23/17

Song: "Darkside Lightside"

Artist: Ash

Album: "Live On Mars: London Astoria 1997"

Year: 2016

Place Of Origin: Downpatrick, Northern Ireland

Years Active: 1992 - present



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Darkside Lightside" is a song that appears to be about a person that is super reassuring to the vocalist. It's a person that always takes him back to old memories and feelings. Good memories and feelings that that person gave him long ago. The original version of "Darkside Lightside" appears on the band's 1996 album, "1977". This version of the song appears on the band's 2016 live album, "Live On Mars: London Astoria 1977".

ASH DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1993 - Garage Girl (self-released)
1993 - Trailer (Infectious Records)
1996 - 1977 (Infectious Records)
1997 - Live At The Wireless (Death Star Records)
1998 - Nuclear Sounds (Infectious Records)
2001 - Free All Angels (Infectious Records)
2002 - Cosmic Debris (Infectious Records)
2004 - Meltdown (Infectious Records)
2007 - Twilight Of The Innocents (Infectious Records)
2010 - A-Z Vol. 1 (Atomic Heart Records)
2010 - A-Z Vol. 2 (Atomic Heart Records)
2015 - Kablammo! (Atomic Heart Records)
2016 - Live On Mars: London Astoria 1997 (Atomic Heart Records)

CURRENT STATUS OF ASH:

Ash formed as a band back in 1992, hailing from Northern Ireland. The band first began creating some noise with their song "Jack Names The Planets" but it was their 1996 album, "1977", that really put the band on the map thanks to the singles "Goldfinger", "Girl From Mars" and "Oh Yeah". That album quickly shot to number 1 on U.K. music charts and eventually went platinum. The band, then a trio of Tim Wheeler, Mark Hamilton and Rick McMurray, decided to add a second guitarist/vocalist to the line-up, Charlotte Hatherley. While releasing their next album, "Nuclear Sounds", Ash almost went bankrupt. It was their 2001 album, "Free All Angels", which once again thrusted Ash's popularity, especially in their native Ireland and in England. With singles like "Shining Light" and "Burn Baby Burn", "Free All Angels" also claimed a #1 spot in England and also sold platinum. After 2004's "Meltdown", the band decided to go back to being a trio and split amicably with Hatherley. In 2010, the band decided to release a single every two weeks. This was called the A to Z series, each single named relative to the letters of the alphabet. Eventually, the band released two albums which featured the 26 singles, "A-Z" volumes 1 and 2. At this time, it would also mark the band's relationship with Atomic Heart Records after pretty much spending the first 15 years as a band on Infectious Records. The band's last proper full length studio album was 2015's "Kablammo!" and their most recent release was a live album in 2016, "Live On Mars: London Astoria 1997". The band was touring in early 2017 in support of that live album. Ash broke on the music scene right at a time when Seattle's grunge was king but there was a burgeoning alternative rock movement that was creeping to the surface. Though they're from Ireland, they sometimes get tossed in with the Brit pop scene that was beginning to happen as well. Though they got some love in the United States, especially when "1977" came out, they were a pretty big deal in Europe, especially Ireland and England. Their style is alternative rock with definite hints of pop and at times punk. If you like the music of bands like Superdrag, Everclear, Donots, The Vines and Oasis, then you'd most likely enjoy Ash. Ash is one of my favorite bands, moreso when I was younger, but I still love their music. It's a shame that Charlotte isn't still in the band though. She added a dynamic to the band that I miss, especially her harmonizing background vocals that fit so well with Tim Wheeler's lead vocals. To this day still, when I hear "Goldfinger" or "Burn Baby Burn" I get excited. Definitely takes me back to my younger days getting loaded with good friends!!

TEN ASH SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Goldfinger
2. Burn Baby Burn
3. A Life Less Ordinary
4. Shining Light
5. Jesus Says
6. Starcrossed
7. What Deaner Was Talking About
8. Tracers (featuring Emmy The Great)
9. Cocoon
10. Warmer Than Fire

Song Of The Week: 4/16/17

Song: "The Other Side Of Silence"

Artist: Pulley

Album: "No Change In The Weather"

Year: 2016

Place Of Origin: Simi Valley, California

Years Active: 1994 - present



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

In "The Other Side Of Silence", I get the sense that the vocalist is feeding off a crowd. He's living his dream. A dream that maybe he thought might end or maybe he wasn't quite sure would continue but his revelation comes from the crowd before him. This is his life and he has no regrets. I may be totally wrong with this interpretation but hey, wouldn't be the first time or the last!

PULLEY DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1996 - Esteem Driven Engine (Epitaph Records)
1997 - 60 Cycle Hum (Epitaph Records)
1999 - @#!* (Epitaph Records)
2001 - Together Again For The First Time (Epitaph Records)
2004 - Matters (Epitaph Records)
2005 - Beyond Warped (Immergent Records)
2016 - No Change In The Weather (Cyber Tracks Records)

CURRENT STATUS OF PULLEY:

In the early 90's, skate punk band Ten Foot Pole decided to part ways with their lead singer, Scott Radinsky, mainly so that they could tour and record more frequently. The problem was that Scott was also a Major League Baseball pitcher so for a long stretch of the year, he couldn't be there for the band. Radinsky's passion for punk rock music could not be contained however and in 1994, he formed the band Pulley. Quickly signed to legendary punk label, Epitaph Records, Pulley would drop five albums in an 8 year span. "Esteem Driven Engine", "60 Cycle Hum", "@#!*", "Together Again For The First Time" and "Matters" more than put Pulley on the southern California skate punk map! Then, the hiatus! From 2004 to 2016, Pulley managed to put out 2 EP's, "Time Insensitive Material" and "The Long And Short Of It" as well as a live album, "Beyond Warped". Radinsky's MLB career was winding down, but he took multiple jobs in the sport, mostly as pitching coach and bullpen coach, which he currently does for the Los Angeles Angels. 2016 saw the return of a brand new full length from Pulley, "No Change In The Weather". Despite the band's sporadic nature, this new album proves that Pulley still has their chops!. I remember back in 1996, I was at a listening station at the Tower Records in Boston, MA and for the first time, I checked out this band Pulley. From the first chords of "Cashed Out", I was hooked and have been a fan ever since. Besides my love of the Seattle sound, the skate punk bands were a huge part of my youth. Bands like Ten Foot Pole, No Use For A Name, Lagwagon, Good Riddance, Much The Same and Face To Face were right in my wheelhouse. And Pulley was right there with those bands for me. Awesome to see that these guys are still making great music. Much props to Scotty Radz!!!

TEN PULLEY SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. The Ocean Song
2. If
3. Cashed In
4. Working Class Whore
5. Insects Destroy
6. No "I" In Team
7. In Search
8. Blindfold
9. Four Walls
10. Gone

Song Of The Week: 4/9/17

Song: "Bullseye"

Artist: Hoist The Colors

Album: "Mourners"

Year: 2016

Place Of Origin: Los Angeles, California

Years Active: 2007 - present




WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Bullseye" appears to be a song about constantly being in motion. The vocalist feels that if he slows down or stops that something bad is going to happen. As long as he keeps moving down the road and those that matter follow him on his journey, he feels things will be ok.

HOIST THE COLORS DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2011 - Second City (self-released)
2012 - Miles To Go Before We Sleep (Hardline Entertainment)
2016 - Mourners (Hardline Entertainment)

CURRENT STATUS OF HOIST THE COLORS:

Hoist The Colors formed back in 2007, hailing from Los Angeles, California. The band members began messing around with acoustic instruments and trying to learn how to play Irish folk rebel songs until finally, they decided they sounded good enough to proceed with their band often playing small Irish pubs to hone their sound. The band self-released their debut album, "Second City", in 2011. The band soon after hooked up with Hardline Entertainment for the release of their second album, "Miles To Go Before We Sleep", in 2012. For the next four years, Hoist The Colors spent much of their time on the road, supporting bands such as Ignite, Authority Zero, The Black Pacific and many more. Most recently, the band released the album "Mourners" in 2016. Hoist The Colors is a band that plays a blend of Irish punk/folk music with hints of bluegrass and even incorporates some American blues. If you are a fan of bands like Lexington Field, Bastards On Parade, The Roughneck Riot, The Go Set or Swingin' Utters then you would most likely enjoy the music of Hoist The Colors. This is a top notch band in my opinion. Very good songs with excellent melodies and hooks. I'd say "Mourners" is one of the top albums I purchased in 2016. Looking forward to hearing more from this up and coming band!

TEN HOIST THE COLORS SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Mourners
2. The Curse Of Blackbeard Lavoie
3. Second City
4. Rainier
5. Gordie Lachance
6. Tonight We Drink, Tomorrow We Die
7. No One Lives Here Anymore
8. Dance Through The Days
9. The Rush
10. I Can Remember (Pennywise cover)

Song Of The Week: 4/2/17

Song: "Your Own Drum"

Artist: Sully Erna

Album: "Hometown Life"

Year: 2016

Place Of Origin: Lawrence, Massachusetts

Years Active: 1986 - present



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Your Own Drum" appears to be about not letting others define who you are or what you want to become. If you have a dream, strive for it. Be true to who you are and follow your own path, wherever that destination may lead.

SULLY ERNA DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2010 - Avalon (Universal Republic Records)
2016 - Hometown Life (BMG Records)

CURRENT STATUS OF SULLY ERNA:

Sully Erna was actively working on music since 1986. The Lawrence, Massachusetts native's first band was called Strip Mind. They released one album in 1993 in which Sully was the drummer. He was kicked out of the band soon after this release however. No worries because two years later he would form Godsmack and the rest is history. Since 1995, Godsmack has released nine studio albums, some of which have reached multi-platinum status. As a multi-instrumentalist (guitar, drums, piano, keyboards and harmonica), Sully would often write material which perhaps didn't have that Godsmack edge to it. In order to get this material out and not just leave it in the can, Erna decided to release a solo album in 2010 called "Avalon". Most recently, Erna released his second solo album in 2016 called "Hometown Life". As I said earlier, the material in these albums show a softer side of Erna. While some of the tracks could have made a Godsmack album, most of the material is not as heavy or metal enough for Godsmack material. While Sully gets some flack for sounding like a mix of Layne Staley and James Hetfield on vocals, his albums both solo and with Godsmack stand on their own and have made him and his bandmates one of the most successful hard rock acts of the 2000's. While Sully's solo recordings are a labor of love, his main focus is his band Godsmack. Word out there is that currently, Godsmack are in the studio in the beginning stages of working on new material for an album that is slated to be released in 2018. As for style, if you like the softer side of bands such as Alice In Chains, Staind, Seether, Stone Sour and of course Godsmack, then you would most likely enjoy Sully Erna's solo albums.

TEN SULLY ERNA SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Sinner's Prayer
2. Hometown Life
3. Until Then...
4. Different Kind Of Tears
5. My Light
6. Don't Comfort Me
7. Broken Road
8. Turn It Up!
9. Eyes Of A Child
10. Your Own Drum