Song Of The Week: 7/30/17

Song: "Waiting For The Sun"

Artist: The Doors

Album: "Morrison Hotel"

Year: 1970

Place Of Origin: Los Angeles, California

Years Active: 1965 - 1973



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

Back in 1968 when "Waiting For The Sun" was written, there was a strong sense of unity and peace and togetherness among many of the youths of America. The description of the sunrise at the shore and the communal feel of those who race to the sea to witness it gives you a strong sense of freedom intertwined with the beauty of nature. Like it's signifying a new day, literally and figuratively. Jim Morrison always thought that the youth could take over, just in a pure numbers standpoint. Listen to "Five To One" and you'll get what I'm saying. "Waiting For The Sun" seems like a theme for the youth and their unity in America at that time.

THE DOORS DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1967 - The Doors (Elektra Records)
1967 - Strange Days (Elektra Records)
1968 - Waiting For The Sun (Elektra Records)
1969 - The Soft Parade (Elektra Records)
1970 - Morrison Hotel (Elektra Records)
1970 - Absolutely Live (Elektra Records)
1971 - L.A. Woman (Elektra Records)
1971 - Other Voices (Elektra Records)
1972 - Full Circle (Elektra Records)
1978 - An American Prayer (Elektra Records)
1983 - Alive, She Cried (Elektra Records)
1987 - Live At The Hollywood Bowl (Elektra Records)

CURRENT STATUS OF THE DOORS:

The origins of The Doors begins when a young Jim Morrison sang the song "Moonlight Drive" that he had written to keyboardist Ray Manzarek in 1965. Soon enough, the band was rounded out by Robby Krieger on guitars and John Densmore on drums and the legend began. Honing their sound, The Doors became the house band at the famous Whiskey a Go Go in Los Angeles and eventually were signed by Elektra Records, a relationship that spanned the band's entire career. The band's self-titled debut album in 1967 has gone 4X platinum in the United States alone, spawning perhaps the band's biggest hit, "Light My Fire". In fact, every album The Doors released with Jim Morrison on vocals has gone on to achieve at least platinum status, making them one of the most successful rock and roll bands of all time. Jim Morrison's legend as a fiery and charismatic front man soared to an all new level after the New Haven, Connecticut incident in 1967. Morrison was making out with a girl backstage and both were maced by cops after they were told to leave and refused. The cops, non knowing Morrison was the lead singer of The Doors, faced a verbal lashing by Morrison when the band took the stage. Infuriated, the cops arrested Morrison during the band's performance! Over the next few years, Morrison and The Doors would endure their share of incidents with the local police in various cities. By the time the band's third album was released, Morrison's drug and alcohol problems were starting to affect the band. Though the addictions were making Morrison less reliable, it did not stop the band from churning out hit after hit, "Hello, I Love You", "Touch Me", "Roadhouse Blues", "Love Her Madly" and "Riders On The Storm", just to name a few. By 1970, the road was becoming too much for Morrison and the band decided that touring was probably a thing of the past. The group, with Morrison, performed their last live show on December 12, 1970 in New Orleans. The band was clearly firing on all cylinders in the studio however, as the 1971 release "L.A. Woman" can attest to. Shortly after the release of "L.A. Woman", Morrison retreated to Paris with his girlfriend for a much needed hiatus from the band. Tragedy struck on July 3, 1971 however, when his girlfriend found him unresponsive in the bathtub of their apartment. At the young age of 27, the hopes and dreams of a surging band and their captivating frontman were dashed with Morrison's death. The three remaining members of The Doors did release two more albums as The Doors but there was no way the could sustain being a band without someone as huge as Jim Morrison. In 1973, the remaining members of The Doors announced the band was over. Manzarek, Krieger and Densmore did get together to put backing music to Morrison's poetry in a 1978 album called "An American Prayer". They also got together to perform "Light My Fire", "Roadhouse Blues" and "Break On Through" with Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam during The Doors' 1993 induction to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. The band also got together with various singers including Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots and Creed's Scott Stapp for a recording of VH1's Storytellers in 2000. Manzarek died in 2013 leaving Krieger and Densmore as the only two surviving members of The Doors left. The Doors' legacy is unmistaken. They merged psychedelic rock with the blues to become one of the biggest bands of all time. In less than 10 years, the band released six albums that would go on to achieve platinum and multi-platinum status! Jim Morrison is bascially the poster child of what a rock and roll front man should be. Mysterious, sexual and dangerous, front men have been basically biting his style for years after his death and i'm sure will continue to in the years to come. The Doors are truly one of a kind and their music is as relevant today as it was 50 years ago!

TEN THE DOORS SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Roadhouse Blues
2. Love Me Two Times
3. Break On Through
4. Light My Fire
5. L.A. Woman
6. Five To One
7. The End
8. Waiting For The Sun
9. The Crystal Ship
10. Love Her Madly

Song Of The Week: 7/23/17

Song: "This One Calls For A Better Title"

Artist: Never Hit Again

Album: "Slow Motion Impact"

Year: 2009

Place Of Origin: Quebec, Canada

Years Active: 2004 - present



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"This One Calls For A Better Title" appears to be about regret. Regrets that you were too prideful to own up to your mistakes. Regrets that you thought only about what was right for you without caring about the feelings of those who were close to you. And, regrets that it is too late for saying sorry to those people. Those who were closest have cut their ties with the vocalist. All he has left is to wish that something, anything, can make his wrongs right.

NEVER HIT AGAIN DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2006 - It's Not An Option, It's Just A Wise Choice (self-released)
2009 - Slow Motion Impact (The Albinos Records)
2011 - Sinkers (self-released)

CURRENT STATUS OF NEVER HIT AGAIN:

Never Hit Again's origins date back to 2004. This Canadian band is all about the DIY ethic, self-releasing their debut album in 2006, "It's Not An Option, It's Just A Wise Choice". A few short years later, the band hooked on with label The Albinos for the release of their second album, "Slow Motion Impact", in 2009. For their last full length studio album, Never Hit Again decided to handle the release themselves again, putting out "Sinkers" in 2011. Most recently, Never Hit Again released the EP "Basement Blues" which can be found on their Bandcamp page. Never Hit Again's style is that of a melodic hardcore band. If you are a fan of bands such as Propagandhi, A Wilhelm Scream, Strung Out, DC Fallout and This Is A Standoff, then you would most likely enjoy Never Hit Again. I've said it before in some of my posts, but with bands of certain genres there are those who are the leaders, such as Propagandhi, and then there are those who are followers. I would put Never Hit Again in the follower pack. Good band. Solid band. Just nothing that stands out from the crowd.

TEN NEVER HIT AGAIN SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. What I Do
2. Go!
3. Punk Rock Song In E Minor (Fuck You)
4. This Song
5. Superhero
6. Leaves Are Falling Again
7. Alone In A Hallway With Only A Shirt On
8. Don't Believe What This Idiot Says
9. Wine
10. The Headlights & The Hourglass

Song Of The Week: 7/16/17

Song: "Without Me"

Artist: PMX

Album: "Dark Days" EP

Year: 2015

Place Of Origin: Perth, Scotland

Years Active: 1997 - present



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Without Me" appears to be yet another song of a broken relationship. The vocalist has been left by the one he loves. All of his forgiveness doesn't change anything. She took her heart home while shattering his when she left him behind. The sense is the vocalist has been left in a depressed state, clearly not taking the separation well.

PMX DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2004 - Rise And Shine (Milk & Cookies Records)
2013 - The Ballad Of Tony Montana (Bells On Records)
2017 - Unreleased (self-released)

CURRENT STATUS OF PMX:

PMX is a Scottish punk band that had it's origins in 1997. However, it wasn't until 2004 that the band released it's debut album, "Rise And Shine". Generating some buzz in the U.K., PMX landed several opening slots on the European tours of bands such as Anti-Flag, Taking Back Sunday and Propagandhi. Surprisingly, it took the band nearly 10 years to release it's follow up album, 2013's "The Ballad Of Tony Montana". This album is actually just one 25 minute song called "The Ballad Of Tony Montana" and it is bascially the story of the legendary character in the movie "Scarface". In 2015, the band dropped the "Dark Days" EP and most recently self-released a digital album of rare tracks on their Bandcamp page called "Unreleased". As of May of 2016, the band has said that they were in the process of making what will be their third full length studio album. PMX is a melodic punk band that at times seems torn between shifting more towards pop punk, while other times they veer more towards a melodic hardcore style. I'd say if you're a fan of bands like Never Hit Again, Slick Shoes, Down By Fire, Laughing In The Face Of or The Artist Life, then you may enjoy PMX's music. I see them as a good band, not spectacular. It seems in the recent years they have been much more active than earlier on in their career. My jury is still out on them. I'm hoping that their new album will win me over completely but until then, I'll call them a good band but not a great one.

TEN PMX SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Adolesence
2. Oceans
3. Eulogy
4. Pull The Trigger
5. Like Or Share
6. The Ballad Of Tony Montana
7. Enter The Pigeon
8. PMX TV
9. The Epic
10. Dark Days

Song Of The Week: 7/9/17

Song: "I'm Broken" (demo)

Artist: Mark Lind

Album: "Demos"

Year: 2013

Place Of Origin: Charlestown, Massachusetts

Years Active: 1995 - present



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"I'm Broken" appears to be a song about the fear of being alone. By that I mean not having someone to live your life with. The vocalist clearly wants someone to be there for him throughout his life, even till his dying day. Just the thought that he could be alone at the end weighs on him. Definitely another "relationship that didn't work out" type of song with the vocalist left "broken" to ponder the mistakes that he's made. This song would eventually see the light of day on The Ducky Boys' 2011 album, "Chasing The Ghost".

MARK LIND DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2007 - Compulsive Fuck Up (State Line Records)
2009 - Homeward Bound (State Line Records)
2013 - Demos (State Line Records)
2016 - Death Or Jail (State Line Records)
2016 - The Truth Can Be Brutal (State Line Records)

CURRENT STATUS OF MARK LIND:

Back in 1995, Mark Lind and his cousin Jason Messina formed The Ducky Boys. Newcomers to the Boston punk rock scene, their sound caught the ear of Ken Casey of the Dropkick Murphys who took the young band under his wing. The band endured some turmoil and disbanded in 1999. Lind would then work with his brother Rob, who played in the band Blood For Blood, and formed Sinners And Saints. This band took a slightly different sound compared to the straight street punk of The Ducky Boys. It was much more mainstream. In 2003, Lind and Messina would form a Ducky Boys-like band called Dirty Water which would be a short-lived project as The Ducky Boys would reform that same year. By 2005, Lind decided to work on some extra Ducky Boys tracks and release them as a solo project. Lind would go on to have 5 total releases as a solo performer, two of which featured a backing band that he put together called the Unloved. Those two albums are 2009's "Homeward Bound" and 2008's "The Truth Can Be Brutal". While Lind did have a deal with Sailor Grave Records for some of his releases, he eventually would release all of his albums on his own label, State Line Records. Most recently, Lind is the lead vocalist for yet another Boston punk rock band called The Warning Shots. Their most recent release was 2017's "Tonight". Mark Lind has been a constant in the Boston punk scene. The Ducky Boys are his calling card but that's not to diminish his other bands or his solo material. Lind is like several other punk rock frontmen who have done solo acoustic stuff on the side. Chuck Ragan, Dave Hause, Tony Sly, Tim Barry, Joey Cape to name a few. If you are into Boston punk bands like Street Dogs, Dropkick Murphys, Far From Finished and OC45, then you would most likely enjoy Mark's music and all the bands he's been in. I find that Mark's solo material, and even some Ducky's stuff has kind of a Social Distortion vibe to it. While being punk, it definitely has some Stones-y blues elements to some songs. While I love Mark's solo stuff, The Ducky Boys is what hooked me on his music. I'm also very happy with his new band, The Warning Shots. Great stuff!!

TEN MARK LIND SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Coke & Jack
2. Wasted Years
3. Everything Falls Apart
4. New Year's Day
5. Better Days
6. Wolves
7. Cold Hearted (Son Of A Bitch)
8. Be Your Man
9. An Open Letter To Boston
10. Whatever Road

Song Of The Week: 7/2/17

Song: "Directions Never Hold"

Artist: Arliss Nancy

Album: "Wild American Runners"

Year: 2013

Place Of Origin: Fort Collins, Colorado

Years Active: 2007 - present



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Directions Never Hold" appears to be a song about a relationship that has dissolved for the vocalist. You get a sense that he is lamenting "the one that got away". He looks back on what they had, especially when the relationship was young. How time didn't matter to them, as long as they were together. Sometimes, however, time can make something that was once close start to drift apart. Eventually, she leaves him and he's left to ponder on the mistakes he made and yearn for something that will probably never be.

ARLISS NANCY DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2009 - Dance To Forget (self-released)
2012 - Simple Machines (Gunner Records)
2013 - Wild American Runners (Gunner Records)
2016 - Great Divides (Gunner Records)

CURRENT STATUS OF ARLISS NANCY:

Arliss Nancy is an indie punk/alt. country band from Colorado that formed back in 2007. The band self-released their debut album, "Dance To Forget", in 2009 and in 2010 self-released an EP, "Truckstop Roses". These two releases caught the ear of label Gunner Records whom built up a relationship with Arliss Nancy which has continued to this very day. Through Gunner, the band released three full length albums, 2012's "Simple Machines", 2013's "Wild American Runners" and 2016's "Great Divides". Arliss Nancy is often classified as indie punk and I agree with that to an extent. They have a rootsy feel to them, sometimes incorporating alt. country and Americana type rock and roll. I'd say their style is somewhat similar to bands like Onward Etc, The Grizzly Band, Cub Country, The Gaslight Anthem and Chuck Ragan. The band writes good melodic and catchy songs simple and plain. Good, solid band!

TEN ARLISS NANCY SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Both Got Old
2. The Crease
3. Blessings I Ain't Never Had
4. Can't Go Back
5. Wrong Or Right
6. Abacus
7. Don't You Forget
8. Front Seat
9. Vonnegut
10. Momentum

Song Of The Week: 6/25/17

Song: "Pollute The Youth"

Artist: Fail To Follow

Album: "For The Dead, The Dying, And Those Still Fighting"

Year: 2007

Place Of Origin: Salt Lake City, Utah

Years Active: 2004 - present (?)



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Pollute The Youth" appears to be a song about speaking to the youth of America about political ideals, individuality, rebellion and reform. Youth are impressionable and the powers that be want them to conform to their ideals and fall in line. The vocalist wants to "pollute the youth" to stand up for what they believe in, to protest any form of injustice and to rise up against the powers that be. It's time for the youth to be heard!

FAIL TO FOLLOW DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2007 - For The Dead, The Dying, And Those Still Fighting (Over Giver Music)
2010 - Poisoned By The Lies Of History (self-released)

CURRENT STATUS OF FAIL TO FOLLOW:

Fail To Follow is a hardcore punk band hailing from Salt Lake City, Utah. They first broke on the punk scene in 2004 with their self titled EP. Soon, they hooked up with Over Giver Music to release their debut full length album, "For The Dead, The Dying, And Those Still Fighting" in 2007. Three years later in 2010, the band released their most recent album, "Poisoned By The Lies Of History". Fail To Follow is a no nonsense, in your face melodic hardcore punk band. Following in the footsteps of bands like Anti-Flag, Bad Religion, Thought Riot, Good Riddance, Pennywise and Strike Anwhere, Fail To Follow is about rebellion, protest and political activism. Their lyrics are meant to shine a light on injustice and have the back of those who struggle. Supposedly, Fail To Follow was to release their third album in 2011, tentatively called "Failed State", but as of 2017, this album never saw the light of day. The real possibility is that Fail To Follow has broken up. It's been six years since that information came out and really nothing else from the band. No Facebook page or Twitter account so it's hard to get info on this band. If they are all done, it's too bad. Political punk is right up my alley. I love music that has a message and Fail To Follow was one of those bands that definitely wore their ideals on their sleeves.

TEN FAIL TO FOLLOW SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Black Dragon
2. 1000 Fears To Face
3. Losing Sight
4. Poisoned By The Lies Of History
5. Reality's The Killer
6. No More Time To Waste
7. AFPS
8. My Regrets
9. As One
10. One Day

Song Of The Week: 6/18/17

Song: "Unwelcome End"

Artist: Flag On Fire

Album: "Practically The Best You've Ever Been"

Year: 2017

Place Of Origin: Jacksonville, Florida

Years Active: 2015 - present



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Unwelcome End" appears to be a song about trying to help a friend whose drug addiction has a complete stranglehold on him. The people around him, friends and family, have tried to intervene and get him help but it has been to no avail. Now he is gone sometimes days or weeks at a time while all his loved ones fear that the worst is inevitable. The drugs will eventually kill him.

FLAG ON FIRE DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2017 - Practically The Best You've Ever Been (Felony Records)

CURRENT STATUS OF FLAG ON FIRE:

Formed in 2015, Jacksonville, Florida's Flag On Fire quickly jumped upon the scene with their debut EP, "Slack To The Future" on Bird Attack Records. Two years later in 2017, the band released their debut full length album, "Practically The Best You've Ever Been" on Felony Records. Although Flag On Fire is a new band, their sound harkens back to 90's skate punk bands that scoured the Fat Wreck Chords and Epitaph Records labels back in the day. They are definitely a throwback to those times. In fact, I'd say that No Use For A Name is a chief influence on Flag On Fire's music. The band even has a little ode to NUFAN's fallen leader Tony Sly in their song "One For The Old Punks". So if you're into bands like No Use, Ten Foot Pole, Enemy You, The Swellers or Implants, then you should check out Flag On Fire. I really like this band and hope they take off in punk circles. Their sound really takes me back to the mid 90's when I fell in love with bands like No Use For A Name, Lagwagon and Pulley. They have the same vibe and energy of those great bands and I, for one, would love to see that sound make a comeback. So two thumbs up for Flag On Fire! Can't wait to hear more from them.

TEN FLAG ON FIRE SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. One For The Old Punks
2. Micro Aggression Machine
3. Thunderdome
4. Off The Edge
5. Indestructable
6. #96
7. Bad News
8. Smoke'Em If You Got'Em
9. On The Rocks
10. Unwelcome End