Song Of The Week: 9/25/16

Song: "It Could Have Been Me"

Artist: From Plan To Progress

Album: "Evolution In The Wrong Direction"

Year: 2008

Place Of Origin: Brighton, United Kingdom

Years Active: 2005-2011 ???



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"It Could Have Been Me" appears to be a song about two people. The guy, who talked to her about his depression and his desire to end his life, and the girl, who listens to his stories and spent the time with him in hospital rooms. It's a pretty sad song lyrically, knowing that he did in fact go through with his warnings of ending his own life and she is left to grieve something she knew was inevitable.

FROM PLAN TO PROGRESS DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2008 - Evolution In The Wrong Direction (Lime Records)
2010 - Ink Stains & Incidents (Fond Of Life Records)

CURRENT STATUS OF FROM PLAN TO PROGRESS:

The U.K.'s own, From Plan To Progress got it's start as a band back in 2005. They self-released their first EP in that very same year called "Bombs, Towns And Chords". In 2008, the band hooked on with Lime Records, who released their first full length album, "Evolution In The Wrong Direction". Most recently, which isn't really that recent at all, the band released "Ink Stains & Incidents" in 2010 through Fond Of Life Records. The band's style isn't breaking any new music territory with their melodic hardcore brand of punk rock. I'd say if you made up a recipe to achieve From Plan To Progress' sound, I would start with the melodic hardcore stylings of bands like Strung Out and Propagandhi. Then I would sprinkle in some pop punk tendencies of bands such as MxPx and Unwritten Law, especially the songs of those bands that are more uptempo. Then I would add the punk vocal stylings of a band like Autopilot Off. Mix that up and you'd get a little bit of an idea of what From Plan To Progress sounds like. The band really hasn't been heard from since about 2011. I haven't heard anything about them officially breaking up, but it's been about 5 years since they have been heard from so it could be a wrap for From Plan To Progress.

TEN FROM PLAN TO PROGRESS SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. This Gig Has Electric Shock Written All Over It
2. The Last Destroyer
3. Ink Stains & Incidents
4. A Promise To Disperse
5. Immersed
6. Product Of The Past
7. It Could Have Been Me
8. The Times Are Changing
9. Departed
10. Audi Alteram Partem

Song Of The Week: 9/18/16

Song: "Sinking"

Artist: Ambitions

Album: "Stranger"

Year: 2007

Place Of Origin: Plainville, Connecticut

Years Active: 2005-present



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Sinking" appears to be an anthem of sorts for those who have been shunned and cast aside by the powers that be. It's definitely an outsiders type of song. It's a declaration of those who don't feel they have a voice and who feel that they haven't been given the opportunity to grow that they will stand for their ideals in the face of those who deem them unworthy or even unuseful.

AMBITIONS DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2007 - Stranger (Bridge Nine Records)

CURRENT STATUS OF AMBITIONS:

Ambitions formed as a band back in 2005, hailing from Connecticut. In 2006, the band released their debut EP, "Question". 2007 would be a rather extensive year for the band, not only releasing their first full length album, "Stranger", but also three EP's, "Neon Lights", "Exile" and "No Limits". The band's most recent release was the EP "Surface To Air" in 2015. Though "Surface To Air" was released in 2015, the songs were actually written in 2010. By 2008, the band basically went on a hiatus while the band members moved on to other projects, most notably Hostage Calm and Defeater. They wanted to get "Surface To Air" out in 2011 but several factors prevented them from doing so. In support of finally getting "Surface To Air" out, the band reunited for two New England shows in March of 2016. Does this mean Ambitions might work on new material? Not sure. But perhaps those shows sparks an interest amongst the bandmates to work together again in the future. Ambitions style is that of a post hardcore/punk band. If you are a fan of bands such as With Honor, The Argument, Ignite, Great Collapse or Avail, then you'd probably like Ambitions. There's nothing extroadinary about their music, nor anything that stands out, but they're a nice little post hardcore/punk band that's definitely worth a listen.

TEN AMBITIONS SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Sinking
2. Lines I've Drawn
3. Uphill Battle
4. Surface To Air
5. Running Like Thieves
6. Distant
7. There Is A Difference
8. Neon Lights
9. Rapid Succession
10. Astro Zombies (Misfits cover)

Song Of The Week: 9/11/16

Song: "Blood Bank" (Bon Iver cover)

Artist: A Great Notion

Album: "A Little Scared" EP

Year: 2014

Place Of Origin: Peterborough, United Kingdom

Years Active: 2010-present



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Blood Bank" appears to be a song about a relationship between two people, beginning with the initial encounter, moving to a part where their love for each other is reciprocated and finally, to the point where they foresee their lives as always together with children in their future. It's kinda like the past, the present and the future and all the while, even at their first meeting, you feel like they know that this love at first site is going to turn into something more and they will forever be entwined together. "Blood Bank" was originally written and performed by the American indie folk band Bon Iver in 2009. A Great Notion covered this song for their 2014 "A Little Scared" EP.

A GREAT NOTION DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2012 - Fun With Swifts (Ashes Records)
2013 - Possibilities (Self Released)

CURRENT STATUS OF A GREAT NOTION:

A Great Notion is an acoustic/folk/punk project of Jordy, who plays in the bands Evil Macaroni and Sammy's Fatal Mistake, two bands entrenced in the Peterborough, U.K. punk scene. The band first broke on the scene with the "Still Singing" EP in 2010. Along with their two full length albums, 2012's "Fun With Swifts" and 2013's "Possibilities", A Great Notion also released the "Demos" EP and a split 7" with Andrew Cream in 2011, a split 7" with Luke Hilly & The Cavalry in 2013 and the "A Little Scared" EP in 2014. Most recently, the band was on the bill on the Leeds, U.K. "Scene Better Days Fest 2016" in August of 2016. A Great Notion brings a brand of acoustic/folk/punk with their sound. They do at times, however, incorporate some electric instrumentation in some of their songs but acoustic guitars are at the foundation of what their music is all about. If you are a fan of bands such as Onward, Etc, Chuck Ragan, The Horrible Crowes, FM359 or Flatfoot 56, then you would probably enjoy the music of A Great Notion. It's been quite commonplace for punk rock bands, or at least bands with punk rock roots to explore the acoustic format and A Great Notion is no different. I would say they aren't one of the top acoustic folk punk bands, but good enough to warrant being checked out.

TEN A GREAT NOTION SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Black Lungs
2. Anywhere
3. Sleep Well
4. Long Live Tonight
5. Drinking For Possibilities
6. This Isn't Kansas
7. Ode To The Grove
8. Late Nights In The Morning Sun
9. Insecure V (Political Jam)
10. 5th February

Song Of The Week: 9/4/16

Song: "Straight Papers"

Artist: The Dopamines

Album: "Expect The Worst"

Year: 2010

Place Of Origin: Cincinnati, Ohio

Years Active: 2006-present



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Straight Papers" appears to be an anthem for the total slacker! The vocalist is well aware that he is a failure surrounded by others who are seemingly successful all around him. He seems quite content, in a way, to live his life in boredom, laziness and drunkeness! A total slacker!!

THE DOPAMINES DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2008 - The Dopamines (It's Alive Records)
2009 - Insubordination Fest '08: Live From Baltimore (Insubordination Records)
2010 - Expect The Worst (Paper + Plastick Records)
2012 - Vices (It's Alive Records)

CURRENT STATUS OF THE DOPAMINES:

Cincinnati, Ohio punks The Dopamines got their start in 2006, forming as a side project of members of the bands Black Tie Bombers and Ukraine Crane. It wasn't long before The Dopamines became the main focus of all the members involved and those other bands soon disbanded. Getting their music out there via pop punk forums and message boards, The Dopamines caught the ear of It's Alive Records who released their debut self/titled album in 2008. 2009 saw the band release the live cd/dvd "Insubordination Fest '08" as well as an EP called "Soap and Lampshades". 2010 saw the band hook up with Paper + Plastick Records to release their sophmore effort, "Expect The Worse". The band landed the opening slot on a Less Than Jake tour to promote that album. Their last full length release, 2012's "Vices", saw the band return to It's Alive Records. The Dopamines most recent release was the 2015 7" single "Guided By Vices". The Dopamines are known for their beer drenched, energetic live performances and their infectious brand of melodic, pop punk with a little snarl. This is a band that definitely draws it's influence from skate punk of the mid to late 90's. As for contemporaries, if you're a fan of bands like Dear Landlord, House Boat, Off With Their Heads, Banner Pilot and Dillinger Four, then The Dopamines should be right up your alley! Gritty pop/skate punk at it's finest!

TEN THE DOPAMINES SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Public Domain
2. Useless
3. Try This Kids At Home
4. Molly
5. You're Ruining My Life
6. Soap And Lampshades
7. Vices
8. October 24th
9. Car Trouble
10. The Satisfaction Of Physical Retraction From A Chemical Reaction

Song Of The Week: 8/28/16

Song: "Old Dirt Road" (acoustic version)

Artist: Lexington Field

Album: "Redwood" EP

Year: 2016

Place Of Origin: San Diego, California

Years Active: 2009-present



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Old Dirt Road" appears to be about not forgetting about where you come from. There are certain roots, ideals and values that the vocalist holds near and dear to his heart and he will always make time to go back to where he came from even though there are people around him who may feel he should let go. His past and his roots are what made him to be the man he is today and he will never forget that or let go of that. This is an acoustic rendition of the song that was released on the band's 2016 EP "Redwood". The original version appears on the band's 2011 album "Old Dirt Road".

LEXINGTON FIELD DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2011 - Old Dirt Road (New Folk Records)
2013 - No Man's War (New Folk Records)
2015 - Greenwood (East Grand Record Company)

CURRENT STATUS OF LEXINGTON FIELD:

Lexington Field formed as a band back in 2009, hailing from San Diego, California. The band soon hooked on with New Folk Records for the release of their first two full length studio albums, 2011's "Old Dirt Road" and 2013's "No Man's War". The band also dropped a couple of EP's and straight singles between the years 2012 and 2016 on top of playing hundreds of shows including three national tours. The band's most recent full length album was 2015's "Greenwood". In 2016, the band released an all acoustic EP called "Redwood", which featured stripped down versions of their songs. Lexington Field bases their sound around the fiddle, in fact, they call their sound "fiddle rock". Basically, their style is reminiscent of Celtic punk/Irish folk punk bands. If you enjoy bands such as Flogging Molly, Hoist The Colors, Flatfoot 56, Dropkick Murphys or Bastards On Parade, then you would probably enjoy Lexington Field as well. Some of those other bands just replace the fiddle with bagpipes but the style is very similar all around. Lexington Field is a pretty solid band, the type of band that you could envision playing in local Irish pubs, which they do in fact! I'd definitely put them at a lower level the the Dropkick's, Flogging Molly and Flatfoot 56, but not a bad band at all.

TEN LEXINGTON FIELD SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Tracy Boys Fight The World
2. Selfish Bastard
3. Variation Of Promontory
4. Poor Troubled Life
5. I Can't Die Today
6. Here's To You
7. Weathered Heart
8. Rest Of Our Days
9. American Crow
10. Drunken Sailor

Song Of The Week: 8/21/16

Song: "Spiderbite"

Artist: Local H

Album: "Local H's Awesome Mix Tape #1"

Year: 2010

Place Of Origin: Zion, Illinois

Years Active: 1987-present



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Spiderbite" appears to be a song about poison getting in your blood and in your veins. It slowly starts to creep in your brain and ultimately, it is going to kill you! "Spiderbite" is a cover song of a United Kingdom band called Winnebago Deal. The original version of the song can be found on their 2006 album, "Flight Of The Raven".

LOCAL H DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1995 - Ham Fisted (Island Records)
1996 - As Good As Dead (Island Records)
1998 - Pack Up The Cats (Island Records)
2001 - Here Comes The Zoo (Palm Pictures Records)
2004 - Whatever Happened To P.J. Soles (Studio E Records)
2005 - Alive '05 (Cleopatra Records)
2006 - '99-'00 Demos (G & P Records)
2008 - Twelve Angry Months (Shout! Factory Records)
2010 - Local H's Awesome Mix Tape #1 - (G & P Records)
2012 - Hallelujah! I'm A Bum (Slimstyle Records)
2014 - Local H's Awesome Mix Tape #2 - (G & P Records)
2015 - Hey, Killer - (G & P Records)

CURRENT STATUS OF LOCAL H:

Local H formed in 1987 when all the members were in high school. Originally called Rude Awakening, the band changed their name to Local H in 1990. Originally the band featured 4 members but as of 1993, only vocalist/guitarist Scott Lucas and drummer Joe Daniels remained. They decided to continue on as a two piece and, thanks to the grunge explosion of the early 90's, hooked on with major label Island Records in 1994. The band's second album with Island, 1996's "As Good As Dead", helped Local H attain a high level of success. The single "Bound For The Floor" reached #5 on the Billboard U.S. Alternative charts and two other singles, "Eddie Vedder" and "Fritz's Corner" both were in the top 40 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock charts. The band would never attain the same level of success as they did from their sophmore album though they did have moderate success with the singles "All The Kids Are Right", "Half Life" and "California Songs". A 2005 cover of Britney Spears' song "Toxic" also generated the band some airplay. Scott Lucas remains the heart and soul of Local H. He's the chief songwriter and lyricist and the one constant. Original drummer Joe Daniels left the band in 1999 and was replaced by Brian St. Claire who was replaced by Ryan Harding in 2013. The band's latest full length release was in 2015 called "Hey, Killer". Most recently, Local H has embarked on a 20th anniversary tour to celebrate their "As Good As Dead" album. Original drummer, Joe Daniels, performed with Lucas for the whole album in it's entirety, then Harding comes back out to play drums for other Local H hits and covers. Local H has quite the reputation for their live shows. At times they've had fans vote on setlists and on Halloweens, they have played entire shows covering certain artists from Nirvana, Kiss, Pink Floyd and more. Local H is a product of the grunge/post grunge/alternative sound so if you are a fan of bands like The Toadies, Nirvana, Mudhoney, Bush and early Silverchair, then you would probably enjoy the sounds of Local H as well. Hell, they made the 2 man band popular way before the White Stripes!!

TEN LOCAL H SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Bound For The Floor
2. All The Kids Are Right
3. Hands On The Bible
4. Eddie Vedder
5. Team (Lorde cover)
6. Fritz's Corner
7. California Songs
8. All-Right (Oh, Yeah)
9. Half Life
10. Everyone Alive

Song Of The Week: 8/14/16

Song: "Marching On"

Artist: The Exposed

Album: "Marching On"

Year: 2006

Place Of Origin: Portsmouth, United Kingdom

Years Active: 2006-present



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

At one point, "Marching On" is an ode to the young soldiers who fight in wars and often die in vain. On the other hand, it's a anti-war stance, especially wars which are not fought for valid reasons. In the end, it's the families of these young men and women who are left with the pain and the scars. It's also a testament to the young soldier who will continue to march on despite the carnage around him whether or not he's fighting for a just cause.

THE EXPOSED DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2006 - Marching On (Headcase Records)
2010 - In The Face Of Resistance (Up & Atom Records)
2013 - Static Armageddon (Up & Atom Records)

CURRENT STATUS OF THE EXPOSED:

The Exposed have been in the game since 2006 and have been an underground part of the burgeoning English punk rock scene. That year saw the release of their debut album, "Marching On". Some four years later, the band hooked on with Up & Atom Records to release their sophmore effort, "In The Face Of Resistance". Most recently, The Exposed released their third full length album, "Static Armageddon", in 2013. The Exposed are a band that was lauded by fellow punkers and true legends of the genre Tim Armstrong and Lars Fredericksen or Rancid. In fact, if you're a fan of bands such as Rancid, Swingin' Utters, Street Dogs, Bouncing Souls and Have Nots, then you'd find that The Exposed's style is reminiscent of all of those bands. They definitely blend that street punk edge and have no problems wearing their political and social beliefs on their sleeves when it comes to lyrical content. It's been a few years now since the band's last release so I would assume that something new may be on the horizon. The band's lead singer, Sim Williams has been working on some solo material as well as doing some shows during the band's downtime.

TEN THE EXPOSED SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. College Park Blues
2. Sleeping's A Waste Of My Youth
3. Rebel City Rockers
4. To Your Demise
5. Kristen
6. R.C.P.
7. Marching On
8. Red Alert
9. Flowers Never Bend
10. Soulless