SONG OF THE WEEK: 12-3-2023

SONG:  "California"

ARTIST:  Nowherebound

ALBUM:  "The Songs Of Broken Men"

YEAR:  2011

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Austin, Texas

YEARS ACTIVE:  2010 - present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"California" appears to be a song about the perception of California. The bright lights, the big city, the blue ocean, Hollywood and fame. Maybe the vocalist is saying it's a nice place to visit, but in the end, the promise, or hope of the perception of what California or Hollywood is or what it could provide is most likely unattainable. You can dream of that extraordinary life but the reality is, you're probably better off back home. California is like a one night stand, not a long term relationship!

NOWHEREBOUND DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2011 - The Songs Of Broken Men (self-released)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2013 - II (self-released)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2015 - Mockingbirds (Drunken Ship Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2015 - All We Got Is Everything To Lose (Drunken Ship Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2016 - Hearts & Arrows (Drunken Ship Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2019 - Mourning Glory (Drunken Ship Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON NOWHEREBOUND:

Austin, Texas band Nowherebound formed in 2010 when lead singer Chris Klinck of Born To Lose and guitarist of New Disaster, Natchet Taylor, got together and began writing acoustic folk punk songs together. The duo self-released their debut full length album, "The Songs Of Broken Men" in 2011. In 2013, they dropped their sophomore release, "II". By the time of the band's third release, 2015's "Mockingbird", Nowherebound added members to become a full on band, ultimately becoming a 6 piece band at the current time. Ever the hard working band, Nowherebound released a second full length in 2015 called "All We Got Is Everything To Lose". 2016 saw the band release what is probably considered their heaviest record to date, "Hearts & Arrows". The band's most recent full length would be 2019's "Mourning Glory". In 2020, they also released a stand alone single, a cover of The Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter". People that know Chris Klinck's other band, Born To Lose, know that they were a straight street punk type band. Nowherebound doesn't lose those ideals, just write songs that are more in the acoustic folk punk vein. Whether their songs are straight acoustic guitar and vocals or a full band assault, Nowherebound creates excellent songs and have a great vibe about them. Being a Born To Lose fan, I got into Nowherebound right when they started. Much like Chuck Ragan (Hot Water Music) and Tim Barry before him, Chris Klinck pulls of this style of music in flying colors. Nowherebound is a great band and always seem like they are actively putting out new music or touring. The only thing that slowed them down slightly was the Covid pandemic, but it appears they are hard at work on new music which should be released in the near future!

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Pipes And Pints

Jesse LeBourdais

FM359

6'10

The Roughneck Riot

TEN NOWHEREBOUND SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Carry On

2. Red River & 8th

3. Lonely As You

4. Restin' In The Peices

5. Hey There Johnny

6. Fade To Black

7. Here I Am

8. Frankfurt Am

9. Gimme Shelter (The Rolling Stones cover)

10. Burnt Out Stars

SONG OF THE WEEK: 11-26-2023

SONG:  "All I Want"

ARTIST:  A Day To Remember

ALBUM:  "What Seperates Me From You"

YEAR:  2010

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Ocala, Florida

YEARS ACTIVE:  2003 - present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

Here's what A Day To Remember lead singer Jeremy McKinnon had to say about "All I Want". "All I Want" is about "taking chances, and doing what you think is right regardless of what people might think. To be honest, whats more important? Live life, and be happy with yourself".

A DAY TO REMEMBER DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2005 - And Their Name Was Treason (Indianola Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2007 - For Those Who Have Heart (Victory Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2009 - Homesick (Victory Records)

* peaked at #21 on the Billboard 200 on 2-3-09

* certified gold

2010 - What Seperates Me From You (Victory Records)

* peaked at #11 on the Billboard 200 on 11-15-10

* certified gold

2013 - Common Courtesy (ADTR Records)

* peaked at #37 on the Billboard 200 on 10-8-13

2016 - Bad Vibrations (ADTR Records)

* peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200 on 9-2-16

2021 - Live At The Audio Compound (Fueled By Ramen Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2021 - You're Welcome (Fueled By Ramen Records)

* peaked at #15 on the Billboard 200 on 3-5-21

MY THOUGHTS ON A DAY TO REMEMBER:

A Day To Remember got their start as a band back in 2003, hailing from Ocala, Florida. Early on the band released two EP's, 2004's "Halos For Heros, Dirt For The Dead" and 2005's "A Day To Remember". They dropped their debut full length album in 2005, "And Their Name Was Treason". The band started to gain a pretty solid following while playing live. Eventually they caught the ear of Victory Records who signed the band. Their first release for Victory would be 2007's "For Those Who Have Heart". It was their next album, 2010's "Homesick", that thrust A Day To Remember on the musical map! This album, along with their next, 2010's "What Seperates Me From You", would both be certified gold. The band would endure a lawsuit against Victory Records which would result in the band having to self-release their next two albums, 2013's "Common Courtesy" and 2016's "Bad Vibrations". With the lawsuit against Victory behind them, A Day To Remember signed a deal with Fueled By Ramen Records. They have released two albums with them to date, a live album called "Live At The Audio Compound" and their most recent studio album "You're Welcome" in 2021. The last release the band has put out was a stand alone single called "Miracle" in 2022. A Day To Remember is like a mix of metalcore and pop punk. They incorporate clean vocals and gutteral vocals as well. I kinda got into these guys a little late. When I was listening to bands like The Used and Silverstein in the early 2000's, I knew of A Day To Remember but i really didn't start to pay attention until I heard my song of the week, "All I Want"! That song made me take notice and investigate their albums. I'm glad I did. While I don't think ADTR is as good as Silverstein or The Used, I think they're a pretty damn solid band and anyone who covers Millencolin's "No Cigar" is great in my book! These guys have been pretty active throughout their career so I wouldn't be surprised to see new music from them, possibly as soon as next year.

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Silverstein

Escape The Fate

Four Year Strong

Senses Fail

Story Of The Year

TEN A DAY TO REMEMBER SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Right Back At It Again

2. All I Want

3. The Plot To Bomb The Panhandle

4. The Downfall Of Us All

5. All Signs Point To Lauderdale

6. Miracle

7. Paranoia

8. You Had Me @ Hello

9. Everything We Need

10. NJ Legion Iced Tea

SONG OF THE WEEK: 11-19-2023

SONG:  "Twisted Duty"

ARTIST:  Crash-11

ALBUM:  "Crash-11" EP

YEAR:  2018

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Wales, United Kingdom

YEARS ACTIVE:  2018 - present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

I can't find the lyrics to "Twisted Duty" anywhere on the net so I'd hate to just speculate to what the song is about. I took a few close listens to the song before doing this but I couldn't get enough of the lyrics to take a crack at the meaning. Maybe if the lyrics come out on the net, i'll come back and edit this.

CRASH-11 DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2022 - I'm Sorry, I Was Wrong (Flair Sounds)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON CRASH-11:

Crash-11 is actually a solo project for musician Nick Naylor from the United Kingdom. Naylor plays all the instruments, does the vocals and records and mixes all Crash-11 projects. The first release by Crash-11 I believe was the "Assimilate/Compassionless" split single in 2018. 2018 turned out to be a pretty busy year for Naylor as he also released three EP's during that year, "Crash-11", "Songs I Wish I Wrote" and "Surrounded By Misanthropy". Crash-11's debut full length album came out in 2022 titled "I'm Sorry, I Was Wrong". You can also check out the Crash-11 bandcamp page to hear some cool cover songs Naylor did like Lagwagon's "After You My Friend", AFI's "The Lost Souls" and A Wilhelm Scream's "Mute Print". Crash-11 is f'n solid! It's pretty awesome that this band is just one dude that's creating some really cool music. I'm pretty positive I first heard of Crash-11 through the punk blog Dying Scene. I've actually just recently checked out the cover songs by Crash-11. Naylor's take on A Wilhelm Scream is awesome! Naylor's a very talented dude and it's great to see that creativity come together in some pretty f'n cool punk rock songs!

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Colorsfade

DC Fallout

Laughing In The Face Of

Bash Brothers

Dead Neck

TEN CRASH-11 SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Save Myself

2. Lessons Ignored

3. What Will It Take?

4. Compassionless

5. Done With You

6. Without You

7. Mute Print (A Wilhelm Scream cover)

8. No One

9. Victim

10. The Last Time

SONG OF THE WEEK: 11-12-2023

SONG:  "The Big Shakedown"

ARTIST:  Requiem

ALBUM:  "The Unexplainable Truth"

YEAR:  2014

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Santa Cruz, California

YEARS ACTIVE:  2011 - ????

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

I'm not quite positive what "The Big Shakedown" is about. Can't find the lyrics anywhere on the web and because the band incorporates what I like to call some "cookie monster" vocals, it's hard to figure out every lyric. If I had to guess, seeing that Requiem is kinda like a goth punk band, the song has to be about some sort of despair, or being held back or left behind or whatever! Typical goth type lyrics!

REQUIEM 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:

Requiem formed as a band back in 2011, hailing from Santa Cruz, California. Vocalist Steven Juliano used to be the vocalist of another goth/punk band called I Am Ghost. Requiem is just basically an extension of that band. Originally the band was called Requiem For The Dead but they changed that moniker to just Requiem in 2014. The band dropped their debut album in 2011, the self-released "Always And Forever". After that, they dropped an EP in 2013 called "Memories". The band's final release would be 2014's "The Unexplainable Truth". As I said earlier, Requiem basically has a goth/punk vibe. They incorporate some gutteral vocals with mostly clean vocals. I was a fan of Steven Juliano's first band I Am Ghost, so naturally, I checked out Requiem pretty much when they first came out. They are a good band, nothing spectacular. They have their moments. I believe these guys are done as a band though I haven't really found anything official about that. They dropped their last album in 2014 and I believe played their last show some time in 2015 so, I think that pretty much adds up to them being broken up at this point in 2023. I found out that vocalist Steven Juliano is doing a lot of art now and writing novels as well. So, I pretty much think that Requiem is a wrap!

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

I Am Ghost

I Am Empire

Reverse The Curse

The Black Maria

Endless Hallway

TEN REQUIEM SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. The Deathnote Of Shipwrecks

2. Sticks And Stones And Her Lovely Bones

3. Ghost Of Winter

4. Where The Hell Did The Romance Go

5. Sad Boy Meets Sad Girl

6. Say Hello To The Devil For Me

7. I'm No Angel

8. The Unexplainable Truth

9. Always And Forever

10. Lost But Not Forgotten:  A Suite

SONG OF THE WEEK: 11-5-2023

SONG:  "Feathers"

ARTIST:  A Perfect Circle

ALBUM:  "Eat The Elephant"

YEAR:  2018

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Los Angeles, California

YEARS ACTIVE:  1999 - present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Feathers" appears to be a song about the importance of creating meaningful connections and letting go of things we tend to want to carry around with us.

A PERFECT CIRCLE DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2000 - Mer de Noms (Virgin Records)

* peaked at #4 on the Billboard 200 on 5-23-00

* certified platinum

2003 - Thirteenth Step (Virgin Records)

* peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200 on 9-16-03

* certified platinum

2004 - Emotive (Virgin Records)

* peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200 on 11-2-04

* certified gold

2013 - A Perfect Circle Live:  Featuring Stone And Echo (A Perfect Circle Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2018 - Eat The Elephant (BMG Records)

* peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200 on 4-20-18

MY THOUGHTS ON A PERFECT CIRCLE:

A Perfect Circle formed as a band back in 1999, hailing from Los Angeles, California. Vocalist Maynard James Keenan, most famous as being the singer of the band Tool, let Tool's guitar tech Billy Howerdel stay at his home for a while. Howerdel took advantage of that by letting Maynard hear some of his demos. Keenan thought he could definitely see himself singing on those tracks and alas, A Perfect Circle was formed! Their debut album dropped in 2000, called "Mer de Noms". This album was an instant hit, peaking at #4 on the Billboard 200 charts and featuring hit singles like "Judith" and "3 Libras". In 2003, the band released their sophomore effort, "Thirteenth Step". Like "Mer de Noms" before it, "Thirteenth Step" also reached platinum status. In 2004, A Perfect Circle released a mostly covers album called "Emotive". Their cover versions were mostly drastically different than the originals and most of the songs were chosen as somewhat of a protest to the political climate at the time. After this release, A Perfect Circle went on a bit of a hiatus. Maynard, of course, began focusing much of his time on his main gig Tool, but he also started up another project called Puscifer as well. Howerdel, meanwhile, began releasing some solo material under the moniker Ashes Divide. The band did get back together for some live runs in 2010/2011 and released a live album in 2013 but much of their work together was sporadic. In 2017, the band decided to get back together and tour which led to the 2018 release, "Eat The Elephant". This was the last album the band has put out to date. Both Maynard and Howerdel have said that the book isn't closed on A Perfect Circle but because of their other projects, work together would be off and on. A Perfect Circle is a great band. Their sound is much different to Maynard's main band Tool, who is much heavier. A Perfect Circle is rock or maybe alternative rock, but their sound can be atmospheric at times. The songs are much more emotional than Tool as well. I actually like A Perfect Circle more than Tool. I find the songs to be a little more expansive and go in different directions a little more. I was hooked from this band right off their lead single "Judith". What a great song! And then they dropped "3 Libras" and I was like, fuhgetabout it!! Another fantastic song! I understand fully that Maynard has a lot on his plate managing Tool, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer so I accept that there probably won't be new music from A Perfect Circle as often as I would like but that's cool. The wait will make me appreciate the music even more when it finally does come out! Great band!

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Tool

Chevelle

Incubus

Staind

Seether

TEN A PERFECT CIRCLE SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Judith

2. 3 Libras

3. The Outsider

4. Weak And Powerless

5. The Hollow

6. TalkTalk

7. The Doomed

8. Blue

9. Disillusioned

10. Passive

SONG OF THE WEEK: 10-29-2023

SONG:  "Thought She'd Be Mine"

ARTIST:  Stone Temple Pilots

ALBUM:  "Stone Temple Pilots"

YEAR:  2018

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  San Diego, California

YEARS ACTIVE:  1989 - present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Thought She'd Be Mine" appears to be a song about lost love and missed opportunities. The lyrics suggest a sense of longing and regret for a relationship that didn't work out as desired.

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1992 - Core (Atlantic Records)

* peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200 on 9-29-92

* certified 8X platinum

1994 - Purple (Atlantic Records)

* peaked at #1 on the Billboard 200 on 6-7-94

* certified 6X platinum

1996 - Tiny Music... Songs From The Vatican Gift Shop (Atlantic Records)

* peaked at #4 on the Billboard 200 on 3-26-96

* certified 2X platinum

1999 - No. 4 (Atlantic Records)

* peaked at #6 on the Billboard 200 on 10-26-99

* certified platinum

2001 - Shangri-La Dee Da (Atlantic Records)

* peaked at #9 on the Billboard 200 on 6-19-01

* certified gold

2010 - Stone Temple Pilots (Atlantic Records)

* peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200 on 5-25-10

2018 - Stone Temple Pilots (Rhino Records)

* peaked at #24 on the Billboard 200 on 3-16-18

2018 - Live 2018 (Rhino Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2020 - Perdida (Rhino Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON STONE TEMPLE PILOTS:

Stone Temple Pilots formed as a band back in 1989, originally called Mighty Joe Young. When they signed with major label Atlantic Records, the band changed their name to Stone Temple Pilots. The band dropped their debut album "Core" in 1992. Riding the wave of the grunge/alternative explosion of the early 90's, "Core" would go on to be certified 8X platinum! The album includes the single "Plush" which is arguably STP's best song. The band kept on rolling with their sophomore release "Purple" in 1994. This album was certified 6X platinum! On the band's third release, 1996's "Tiny Music... Songs From The Vatican Gift Shop", the band veered away from the grunge/alternative rock style and really started to incorporate more of a glam rock style. This would also be a time when lead vocalist Scott Weiland's addiction problems began to cause some unrest within the band. In 1997, STP members Dean DeLeo (guitar), Robert DeLeo (bass) and Eric Kretz (drums) formed a short lived band with vocalist Dave Coutts called Talk Show. Weiland released a solo album in 1998 as well. STP worked through their differences to release their fourth album in 1999 called "No. 4". This was a return to their early, heavier sound. In 2001, the band released "Shangri-La Dee Da". This album marked another slight shift in sound, becoming a little more experimental. The record was seen as a bit of a disappointment for the band even though it was certified gold. In 2003, the DeLeo brothers pretty much put it out there that STP was done. In 2004, Weiland joined a supergroup with Slash and Duff McKagan of Guns 'N Roses called Velvet Revolver which went from 2004 till 2008. The DeLeo brothers also formed a supergroup in 2006 with Richard Patrick of Filter called Army Of Anyone. This short-lived outfit only released one album. In 2008, STP again worked out their differences and reformed, releasing a self-titled album in 2010. As the band was working out what they were going to do for the 10 year anniversary of their debut album "Core", in fighting again started to derail the band. By 2013, the DeLeo brothers decided to fire Weiland and all kind of legal battles ensued after that. Ultimately, the DeLeo brothers were awared the right to keep the name Stone Temple Pilots. Weiland would go on to form a band called The Wildabouts and STP recruited Linkin Park's Chester Bennington as vocalist and they recorded an EP called "High Rise" in 2013. Bennington would leave the band in 2015 however to focus on his main band Linkin Park. In 2015, tragedy struck the band and the whole music world when Scott Weiland was found dead on his tour bus in Minnesota. Though Weiland and the band went through some tumultuous times, the news still carried a lot of weight for the remaining STP members. There was always the thoughts of what might have been had addictions not taken over Weiland. In 2017, STP announced new lead vocalist Jeff Gutt and the band released yet another self-titled album in 2018. The lead single of that album "Meadow" showed clearly that STP still had it. Gutt's vocals and delivery are eerily similar to Scott Weiland's. In 2020, the band released "Perdida", an album that is mostly acoustic and played with vintage instruments. The lead single "Fare Thee Well" is an excellent song. Stone Temple Pilots are an incredible band. These guys got some shit early on, critics panning them as grunge light or whatever. Those critics were totally wrong. STP is a band that can stand on it's own and stand shoulder to shoulder with the best of the grunge era. Lead vocalist Scott Weiland had a definite David Bowie and Jim Morrison influence to his style. You could always see that the band was more glam than grunge. "Purple" in my mind is one of the greatest albums of all time. It's a shame that Weiland just couldn't control his addictions because we definitely missed out on more great music from these guys. It's great to see the band still pushing forward with their new lead vocalist Jeff Gutt. He does Weiland justice for sure. It's been 3 years since their last release so hopefully STP has something in the works for the near future. Top 10 band for me for sure.

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Soundgarden

Alice In Chains

Temple Of The Dog

Mad Season

Pearl Jam

TEN STONE TEMPLE PILOTS SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Interstate Love Song

2. Plush

3. Trippin' On A Hole In A Paper Heart

4. Fare Thee Well

5. Sour Girl

6. Meadow

7. Out Of Time

8. Days Of The Week

9. Between The Lines

10. Andy Warhol (David Bowie cover)

SONG OF THE WEEK: 10-22-2023

SONG:  "Shoot The Moon" (Face To Face cover)

ARTIST:  Avenues

ALBUM:  "Undercover On The Streets:  A Vagrant Records Tribute"

YEAR:  2022

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Milwaukee, Wisconsin

YEARS ACTIVE:  2006 - present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Shoot The Moon" appears to be a song about the very beginnings of being in a band. The vocalist maybe had a naive view of the music world but it was that initial fire that made him think that he and his band could change the world with their songs and no matter what, they're just gonna go for it. Maybe now he's wiser and he sees that, yead he didn't exactly change the world, but he did leave an impact on his fanbase and it's for them and his passion for creating music that keeps that flame lit. "Shoot The Moon" was originally written by the band Face To Face and appears on their 2002 album "How To Ruin Everything". My song of the week is a cover of that song by the band Avenues.

AVENUES DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2021 - We're All Doomed (Wiretap Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON AVENUES:

Avenues formed as a band back in 2006, hailing from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It took them six years before they had an official release, being the 2012 EP "NoHo". The band dropped two more EP's, 2013's "Postcards From Ann Arbor" and 2015's "Creep Show". In 2021, some 15 years after they formed, Avenues finally dropped their debut full length album, "We're All Doomed". Avenues is a melodic punk rock band. Being from the midwest, they are often compared to bands like The Lawrence Arms and Alkaline Trio. Avenues cut their teeth by supporting acts like Rise Against, Strung Out, Less Than Jake, 88 Fingers Louie, Pulley, The Gamits and Red City Radio over the years. They're still out playing shows supporting their "We're All Doomed" album. This is a pretty F'n good punk band. Hopefully these guys start putting out more music though! One full length in 17 years?!! Come on boys! I know you got it in ya! 

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Harker

Timeshares

Face To Face

Dillinger Four

I Against I

TEN AVENUES SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Lights Out

2. Devious

3. Blood On The Moon

4. Shoot The Moon (Face To Face cover)

5. Rad Rad Ebola

6. Hipster 101

7. Messin' Around

8. Transistor Radio

9. Drag You Down

10. Thrasher