This is a weekly blog to let you in on what song and/or band that i've been feeling for that particular week. Music will always be a very important part of my life. I see it as the soundtrack for memories that bring you back to a certain place and time and new songs help to create new memories. Hope you enjoy!! :)
"Don't Worry" almost feels like a lullaby to a child. It feels like the vocalist is trying to make the child feel warm and safe and that his unconditional love for the child almost serves as protection and warmth.
VINNIE CARUANA DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):
2016 - Survivor's Guilt (Equal Vision Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
2020 - Live At The Black Heart (Big Scary Monsters Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
MY THOUGHTS ON VINNIE CARUANA:
Vinnie Caruana has been in the music scene since 1997, hailing from Long Island, New York. Caruana is best known as the frontman for legendary New York band The Movielife and more recently, as lead vocalist for I Am The Avalanche. The Movielife formed in 1997 before breaking up in 2003. Soon after they disbanded, Caruana formed I Am The Avalanche in 2004 and they are still very active. I Am The Avalanche does tend to take at least 5 years between releases however, and this afforded Caruana some time to perform solo acoustic shows and eventually, released some solo material. His first solo release was an EP in 2013 called "City By The Sea". This was followed by his first solo full length album "Survivor's Guilt". In 2019, Caruana released another solo EP, "Aging Frontman" and in 2020, he released a live album, "Live At The Black Heart". As I said earlier, Vinnie Caruana has had his plate full, whether that's fronting The Movielife or I Am The Avalanche and doing his solo stuff. He also fronts a hardcore band called Constant Elevation. Though these days I Am The Avalanche appears to be his main focus, fans of The Movielife rejoiced when they got back together in 2015 for some reunion shows and an eventual new full length album. Whatever he does, Caruana has an incredible voice and is a tremendous songwriter. I'm quite partial to I Am The Avalanche but I also love his solo work and his music he created with The Movielife.
"Someone To Die For" appears to be a song about having someone come into you life that changes everything you thought was most important to you, because that person, all of a sudden, becomes the most important thing in your life. Your world now centers around this person. It's truly unconditional love for someone. The vocalist could be singing about his life partner or it could be about his child. You could see that either one could pertain to this song.
CHRIS CORNELL DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):
1999 - Euphoria Mourning (Interscope Records)
* peaked at #18 on the Billboard 200
2007 - Carry On (Interscope/Suretone Records)
* peaked at #17 on the Billboard 200
2009 - Scream (Interscope/Suretone Records)
* peaked at #10 on the Billboard 200
2011 - Songbook (Universal Records)
* peaked at #69 on the Billboard 200
2015 - Higher Truth (Universal Music Enterprises)
* peaked at #19 on the Billboard 200
2020 - No One Sings Like You Anymore (Universal Music Enterprises)
* peaked at #78 on the Billboard 200
MY THOUGHTS ON CHRIS CORNELL:
Seattle, Washington's own, Chris Cornell jumped into the music scene back in 1983. He was a founder of the legendary band Soundgarden. At first he was the band's drummer, but soon jumped up to rhythm guitar so he could handle vocal duties much easier. Soundgarden, of course, is just enormous! One of the greatest hard rock bands of all time and for my money, Chris Cornell is the greatest rock vocalist of all time. Yeah, I said it! Soundgarden was a force from 1984 till 1997 when the band broke up due to internal conflicts. They did reunite in 2010 and continued on right up till Chris Cornell's untimely death. More on that later. Chris Cornell was also the frontman for the Seattle supergroup, Temple Of The Dog, which featured members of Soundgarden and, at the time, the newly formed Pearl Jam. This band was formed because Cornell had written some tribute songs for the lead singer of Mother Love Bone, Andrew Wood. Cornell and Wood were great friends and roommates at the time of Wood's death. Cornell penned "Say Hello 2 Heaven" and "Reach Down" in honor of Wood. Cornell was also the frontman of another supergroup, Audioslave, from 2001 till 2007. Before Cornell passed, there was also talk of Audioslave reuniting as well. Audioslave was Rage Against The Machine but fronted by Chris Cornell, featuring blistering hard rock songs! What I'm here to talk about today, however, is Chris Cornell's solo career. When Soundgarden disbanded in 1997, Cornell began working on his first solo album, 1999's "Euphoria Mourning". This album showed a softer side of Cornell but proved that he could be just as dynamic a singer on any kind of music. After his stint with Audioslave, Cornell released his second solo album, 2007's "Carry On". In 2009, Cornell teamed up with R&B producer Timbaland and created the album "Scream". This was quite the departure for Cornell and I would say most fans of his weren't that into this album. Cornell did remake a few of the songs off of "Scream" in a more rock oriented format and there were rumors that he might do the whole album over that way but that never happened. In 2011, Cornell released the live acoustic album "Songbook". If ever you wanted a document to show how super talented Mr. Cornell was, you should listen to this masterpiece. It's just Cornell with his incredible voice and an acoustic guitar. The album spans his solo stuff, along with Soundgarden, Audioslave and Temple Of The Dog songs. A true piece of art. 2015 saw Cornell release the very last full length studio album he was a part of while he was still alive, "Higher Truth". In 2020, the covers album "No One Sings Like You Anymore" was released posthumously. One of the biggest tragedies in the world of music happened on May 18, 2017 when Chris Cornell was found dead in his Detroit hotel room after performing with Soundgarden. The death was ruled suicide by hanging. Cornell had dealt with depression for most of his life but it seemed like he had things together at the time of his death. It was a shock to all and just put such a total dark cloud on the music world to lose such an iconic talent. I love everything Chris did, Soundgarden, Audioslave, Temple, his solo stuff. He even fronted the Seattle band Mad Season, which featured the late Alice In Chains singer Layne Staley, when the surviving members played a show in Seattle. Cornell's voice was so powerful and his range was so dynamic. He had such a gift. I can't even begin to tell how important the music of Nirvana, Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam and yes, Soundgarden was to me growing up. When we lost Kurt, it hurt, but deep down we saw it happening. With Layne, it was more drawn out, but we all could see the ultimate writing on the wall even though we didn't want to. But with Chris, we never saw it happening. He just seemed like a beacon of light. So talented, so charming, so funny. As someone who has lost a few friends to suicide, there's so many questions that will forever go unanswered. All you can do is to tell everyone that means something to you that you love them and never take for granted the time you have with them.
"Tell Me What Happened" reflects on the transience of youth and love. The vocalist is talking to an old man at a bar and the old man is explaining how when he was young, he would run around with many girls, but he regrets the one who got away. He spent the rest of his life hoping he'd win her back only to find out she's married and has a family of her own.
THE RUMJACKS DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):
2010 - Gangs Of New Holland (Laughing Outlaw Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
2015 - Sober & Godless (Four Four Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
2016 - Sleepin' Rough (Four Four Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
2018 - Saints Preserve Us (Four Four Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
2019 - Live In London (Acoustic Sessions) (Four Four Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
2019 - Live In Athens (Four Four Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
2021 - Hestia (Four Four Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
MY THOUGHTS ON THE RUMJACKS:
The Rumjacks formed as a band back in 2008, hailing from Sydney, Australia though most of the bandmembers now reside in Europe. The band's first release was an EP in 2009 called "Hung, Drawn & Portered". Their debut full length album was released in 2010, titled "Gangs Of New Holland". This album contains the song "An Irish Pub Song" which has over 85 million views on YouTube! The band's next release would be 2015's "Sober & Godless". This was followed up a year later in 2016 with "Sleepin' Rough". 2018's "Saints Preserve Us" would be the band's last release with vocalist Frankie McLaughlin. Though the band supported McLaughlin through three domestic violence charges in 2012, his behavior and violence towards the band and the crew gave The Rumjacks no other choice but to sever ties with him. McLaughlin was replaced on vocals with Mike Rivkees. The first album with Rivkees was 2021's "Hestia". The Rumjacks most recent release was an EP in 2022 called "Brass For Gold". The Rumjacks are a celtic punk band very much in the same vein as the Dropkick Murphys. In fact, Rivkees, a native New Englander, filled in for Dropkicks frontman Al Barr for a tour when Barr was caring for his ailing mother. The Rumjacks are top notch and Rivkees has proven to be a pretty awesome replacement on vocals for McLaughlin.
Here is what lead singer of I Am The Avalanche, Vinnie Caruana had to say about "You're No Good To Me Dead". "There’s a lot of darkness in my brain and I need to make sure I practice what I preach. A positive exterior with a negative interior won’t lead to happiness. It will burn from the inside out."
I AM THE AVALANCHE DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):
2005 - I Am The Avalanche (Drive-Thru Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
2011 - Avalanche United (I Surrender Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
2014 - Wolverines (I Surrender Records)
* peaked at #108 on the Billboard 200
2020 - Dive (I Surrender Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
MY THOUGHTS ON I AM THE AVALANCHE:
I Am The Avalanche formed as a band back in 2004, hailing from Brooklyn, New York. Lead vocalist, Vinnie Caruana, famously fronted the legendary New York band, The Movielife previously. With the demise of The Movielife, Caruana moved on to I Am The Avalanche. The band's first release was a split with the band The Early November in 2005. I Am The Avalanche's debut full length came out in 2005 as well. While a solid debut album, the band's next album was a superior product. That would be 2011's "Avalanche United". The band's next album, 2014's "Wolverines", would be the band's only album to chart on the Billboard 200, peaking at #108. The band's most recent release was 2020's "Dive". I Am The Avalanche is a sick f'n band! While Vinnie Caruana's previous band The Movielife almost possesses a cult like status in the punk rock world, I actually think I Am The Avalanche is the better band. I love The Movielife, don't get me wrong. But the four albums I Am The Avalanche has put out are fantastic. There's always a bit of a stretch of years between I Am The Avalanche albums as Vinnie Caruana also puts out solo albums and The Movielife has gotten back together and put out a new album and has toured so there's a lot on Vinnie's plate. I'm always geeked when I Am The Avalanche put out new music though. They've put out some of my favorite music in the 2000's for sure.
SIMILAR ARTISTS:
The Movielife
Bayside
The Menzingers
The Lawrence Arms
No Trigger
TEN I AM THE AVALANCHE SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:
"Waiting" appears to be a song about not being able to reach a point in your life where you feel comfortable or at home. The vocalist seems like he's going through life, searching for that place and he'll wait for it no matter how long it takes. For my song of the week, I chose the live version of "Waiting". You can find the original studio recording of the song on Slick Shoes' 2020 album "Rotation & Frequency".
SLICK SHOES DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):
1997 - Rusty (Tooth & Nail Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
1998 - Burn Out (Tooth & Nail Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
2000 - Wake Up Screaming (Tooth & Nail Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
2002 - Slick Shoes (Tooth & Nail Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
2003 - Far From Nowhere (SideOneDummy Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
2019 - Broadcasting Live (Tooth & Nail Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
2020 - Rotation & Frequency (Tooth & Nail Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
MY THOUGHTS ON SLICK SHOES:
Slick Shoes got their start back in 1994, hailing from Antelope Valley, California. Very early on, the band was picked up by Christian punk label Tooth & Nail Records. Their first release was a self-titled EP in 1996. Their debut full length would be 1997's "Rusty". They would follow that album up with 1998's "Burn Out". The band's 2000 album, "Wake Up Screaming", was ranked one of the 50 best pop punk albums of all time according to Loudwire magazine. 2002 saw the band release "Slick Shoes". The 2003 album, "Far From Nowhere" is the only Slick Shoes release not put out by Tooth & Nail. The band decided to go with SideOneDummy Records for that release. From 2004 till 2018 there was not much action out of the Slick Shoes camp. In 2006, the band stated that they were going to go under a new name called Sigmund but 15 months later, it seems they scrapped that idea and reunited Slick Shoes. There were no recordings going on for years and just a handful of live shows from the band but in 2019, they announced that they were back together with the full 1997 "Rusty" line-up. That same year, the band dropped their very first live record, "Broadcasting Live" and in 2020, they released their long awaited new studio album, "Rotation & Frequency". Slick Shoes is a pop punk/skate punk type of band. I always thought of them as MxPx's little brother! Being that both bands were on Tooth & Nail and their musical styles are very similar. They even toured together quite a bit. I've just recently been listening to "Broadcasting Live" and it brought back a lot of memories from the late 90's, early 2000's. Sometimes they tend to fall off my radar for a while but I always enjoy going back to their albums. Solid band!
"Genesis" appears to be a song that's about almost being reborn in that you trust in yourself while rejecting what others want you to think or believe. It seems the vocalist is intent on creating his own path while blocking out all the outside noise around him. He can see his own truth clearly now.
DEFTONES DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):
1995 - Adrenaline (Maverick/Warner Bros. Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
* certified platinum
1997 - Around The Fur (Maverick/Warner Bros. Records)
2012 - Koi No Yokan (Reprise/Warner Bros. Records)
* peaked at #11 on the Billboard 200
2016 - Gore (Reprise/Warner Bros. Records)
* peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200
2020 - Ohms (Reprise/Warner Bros. Records)
* peaked at #5 on the Billboard 200
MY THOUGHTS ON DEFTONES:
Deftones formed as a band back in 1988 while the members were still going to high school in Sacramento, California. After years of cutting their teeth, playing anywhere they could, they were heard by executives of Maverick Records who quickly signed the band. In 1995, Deftones released their debut full length album, "Adrenaline". While this album generated some buzz, it was the Deftones next release, 1997's "Around The Fur" that made the music world take notice. And with the release of their third album, 2000's "White Pony", Deftones were now a headline act. Those first three albums have all been certified platinum to date. And their next album, 2003's "Deftones", would be certified gold. 2006 saw the release of Saturday Night Wrist". In 2007, the band began working on an album with the tentative title "Eros" but in 2008, longtime bassist Chi Cheng was in a serious car accident that left him in a minimally conscious state. The band decided to shelf that album due to Chi's condition. The band would push forward releasing "Diamond Eyes" in 2010 and "Koi No Yokan" in 2012. Terrible news would strike the band as Chi Cheng would pass away from his injuries in 2013. Frontman Chino Moreno stated that after Chi's death, "Eros" may see the light of day at some point in the future. The band did release the track "Smile" from "Eros" in 2014. In 2016, the band dropped "Gore" and their most recent release would be 2020's "Ohms". In April of 2024, Moreno stated that all the instrumental tracks are complete for the Deftones new album and that only the vocals need to be provided. Deftones are a great band. Call them nu-metal, some form of hardcore, shoegaze or experimental rock, whatever. These guys kick ass! I always found their sound to be unique. It has an atmospheric quality to it that not many other metal/hard rock bands have. Chino Moreno's vocals sometimes feel like they're not necessarily in the pocket, but they kinda float around the groove of the song. I think no song shows that vibe more than "Digital Bath", one of my favorite songs by the band. That song just has an amazing, atmospheric vibe to it. Good to see these guys may possibly have something new coming out, hopefully before the end of the year. We'll see. Great f'n band!
