Song Of The Week: 7/29/18

Song: "Die Like This"

Artist: Fuel

Album: "Natural Selection"

Year: 2003

Place Of Origin: Kenton, Tennessee

Years Active: 1994 - present



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Die Like This" appears to be a song about a break-up. It seems that the relationship between the vocalist and the woman was deep and meaningful but something changed for her. For whatever reason, she chose to end the relationship with the vocalist and all he's left with is a broken heart and broken dreams that he had for both of them in the future. And now, he has to survive and move on while dealing with the hurt and pain.

FUEL DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1998 - Sunburn (Epic Records)
2000 - Something Like Human (Epic Records)
2003 - Natural Selection (Epic Records)
2007 - Angels & Devils (Epic Records)
2014 - Puppet Strings (Megaforce Records)

CURRENT STATUS OF FUEL:

The beginnings of Fuel take place in Tennessee back in 1994 when guitarist Carl Bell and bassist Jeff Abercrombie decided to form a band. Drummer Jody Abbott and vocalist/guitarist Brett Scallions soon rounded out the band. The band soon moved to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and began playing bars and small clubs and eventually released their first EP under the moniker, Small The Joy, in 1994. In 1996, the band, now called Fuel, dropped their third EP, "Porcelain". This EP featured the song "Shimmer". "Shimmer" started getting radio play in Pennsylvania and eventually caught the ear of Epic Records who promptly signed the band. In 1998, the band released their debut full length studio album called "Sunburn". The first single, "Shimmer", reached #2 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart and the album was eventually certified platinum. The band's sophomore effort, 2000's "Something Like Human", exploded on the charts, peaking at #17 on the Billboard 200 and being certified double platinum by 2001. The lead single, "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" was #1 for 12 weeks on the Modern Rock Tracks chart and was declared Billboard's #5 Rock song of the decade. While never attaining the success of "Something Like Human", Fuel's third album, "Natural Selection", was also successful, even nominated for a Grammy. In 2006, vocalist Brett Scallions left the band. Rumors were rampant that it had to do with his voice but Scallions quickly denied that and said it was really just a lack of passion for continuing with the project. The band would settle on Toryn Green to become the new lead singer for Fuel in 2007 and the band dropped a new record, "Angels & Devils" in that same year. Green's vocals were very similar to that of Scallions. It's tough for a band to totally change their sound after years of success so that probably went into the process of settling on a new singer. I'm sure they wanted to still sound like Fuel. Green was like Brett Scallions-lite in my mind however. Something was missing. "Angels & Devils" did reach #42 on the Billboard 200 charts however sales dropped off after the first month of it's release. The band basically broke up after this album. In 2010, former vocalist Brett Scallions announced that he was re-forming Fuel, albeit with all new members. Word is that he tried to get Abercrombie, Bell and Abbott back together to reform the original line-up but all of them declined. The band in it's current state has been sort of a revolving door of band members, Scallions being the only constant, but they eventually released a new album in 2014, "Puppet Strings". In 2016, Scallions announced that he was working on new material for a brand new Fuel record that he hoped would be released in 2017, but here we are in 2018 and no new Fuel album yet. Fuel is currently touring the United States for what is the 20th anniversary of their debut album "Sunburn". Scallions has said that the band intends to play the record in it's entirety to celebrate the anniversary. Fuel is your typical post-grunge, mainstream rock band of the late 90's and early 2000's. Their sound doesn't reinvent the wheel, but they are definitely at the forefront of popular rock radio. If you like bands like Oleander, Puddle Of Mudd, Finger Eleven, Trapt or Candlebox, then you most likely would enjoy Fuel. Carl Bell wrote some great songs for this band and Brett Scallions' vocals brought them to life. Scallions is a really good vocalist and really stood out from his contemporaries. His cover of Elton John's "Daniel" is epic, especially if you've heard the live version. Their new album, "Puppet Strings", is good, but Scallions clearly isn't the songwriter that Bell is. It would be magic if the two of them can eventually get back on the same page and get the real Fuel back together. That doesn't seem like it's in the cards however as Bell is focused on working with other artists, as well as a solo country career.

TEN FUEL SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Shimmer
2. Hemorrhage (In My Hands)
3. Bittersweet
4. Daniel
5. Bad Day
6. Falls On Me
7. Sunburn
8. Innocent
9. Soul To Preach To
10. Million Miles

Song Of The Week: 7/22/18

Song: "Continental"

Artist: Alkaline Trio

Album: "Good Mourning"

Year: 2003

Place Of Origin: McHenry, Illinois

Years Active: 1996 - present



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Continental" appears to be about a heroin addict who went to the well one too many times and it cost him his life. The vocalist was the addict's friend and he often wonders himself what the high must be like. It seems that the vocalist doesn't give into his own urge however. He does take his friend to get what would be his last hit. Not only does the vocalist have to live with that, he also has to be the one to notify the addict's family that he has OD'd and died. You get a sense that the vocalist saw this coming, that his friend's life was like a train gone off the rails and about to come to a crashing halt.

ALKALINE TRIO DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1998 - Goddamnit (Asian Man Records)
2000 - Alkaline Trio (Asian Man Records)
2000 - Maybe I'll Catch Fire (Asian Man Records)
2001 - From Here To Infirmary (Vagrant Records)
2003 - Good Mourning (Vagrant Records)
2005 - Crimson (Vagrant Records)
2007 - Remains (Vagrant Records)
2008 - Agony & Irony (Epic Records)
2010 - This Addiction (Epitaph Records)
2011 - Damnesia (Epitaph Records)
2013 - My Shame Is True (Epitaph Records)

CURRENT STATUS OF ALKALINE TRIO:

Alkaline Trio formed as a band back in 1996, hailing from Illinois. Matt Skiba, guitarist and lyricist, would be joined by bassist and lyricist Dan Andriano in 1997, giving Alkaline Trio a two-headed monster when it came to writing songs and contributing vocals. After dropping a few albums as well as some EP's, it was 2001's "From Here To Infirmary" that began giving Alkaline Trio more success outside of their Chicago punk scene. Thanks to the singles "Private Eye" and "Stupid Kid", Alkaline Trio officially broke into the Billboard 200, hitting #199. The next five full length studio albums all entered the Billboard 200 as well, the lowest being 2005's "Crimson" which peaked at #25 and the highest being 2010's "This Addiction" whice topped out at #11. After a very successful run on the Vagrant Records label and one release through major label Epic Records (2008's "Agony & Irony), Alkaline Trio forged on creating their own label, Heart & Skull Records, which is connected with famed punk label Epitaph Records. "This Addiction" was the band's first album to appear on this label. In 2011, the band released "Damnesia" which features re-worked, acoustic renditions of some of their songs. 2013 saw the most recent release that the band put out, "My Shame Is True". After this release, Matt Skiba joined up with Blink 182 to replace Tom Delonge for a tour and a new album. Dan Andriano also focused on his side project The Emergency Room and well as releasing new music with punk supergroup The Falcon. There was some uncertainty on when Alkaline Trio were gonna get back together, if at all, but those fears were alleviated when it was announced that the band will be dropping a new album in August of 2018 called "Is This Thing Cursed". A new single from that album called "Blackbird" has already been released. Alkaline Trio seems to take qualities of bands like the Misfits and Jawbreaker and blend them together to create their own style and sound. Their sound definitely has a pop punk feel but their themes are often dark and almost goth-like. There's definitely a lot of sorrow, addiction, depression, failed relationships and self-loathing in their songs. Skiba and Andriano have a real gift lyrically though. They often can paint something that's so dark and ugly and somehow make it sound beautiful. This inherently makes them stand out from their peers in music. If you like bands like The Lawrence Arms, Bayside, The Bouncing Souls, The Menzingers and AFI, then you would most likely love Alkaline Trio as well. This band is an alpha dog in punk music or in any genre as far as i'm concerned.

TEN ALKALINE TRIO SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. This Addiction
2. Radio
3. Mercy Me
4. Time To Waste
5. Private Eye
6. We've Had Enough
7. Clavicle
8. I Wanna Be A Warhol
9. Calling All Skeletons
10. Sorry About That

Song Of The Week: 7/15/18

Song: "Given To Fly"

Artist: Pearl Jam

Album: "Mansfield, MA 7/11/03" bootleg

Year: 2003

Place Of Origin: Seattle, Washington

Years Active: 1990 - present



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

Here is what the writer of the song himself, Eddie Vedder, had to say about "Given To Fly", "[I imagined the song as] a 20-page cardboard (children's) book with a line on each page and a picture to go with it. It's a fable, that's all. The music almost gives you this feeling of flight, and I really love singing the part at the end, which is all about rising above anybody's comments about what you do and still giving your love away. You know? Not becoming bitter and reclusive, not condemning the whole world because of the actions of a few." The origninal version of "Given To Fly" appears on Pearl Jam's 1998 record "Yield". The version I chose for my song of the week is taken from the live bootleg of Pearl Jam's concert in Mansfield, MA on July 11, 2003. I was there!! Yippeee!! ;)

PEARL JAM DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1991 - Ten (Epic Records)
1993 - VS (Epic Records)
1994 - Vitalogy (Epic Records)
1996 - No Code (Epic Records)
1998 - Yield (Epic Records)
1998 - Live On Two Legs (Epic Records)
2000 - Binaural (Epic Records)
2002 - Riot Act (Epic Records)
2003 - Lost Dogs (Epic Records)
2004 - Live At Benaroya Hall (BMG Records)
2006 - Pearl Jam (J Records)
2009 - Backspacer (Monkeywrench/Universal Music Group)
2011 - Live On Ten Legs (Universal Music Group)
2013 - Lightning Bolt (Monkeywrench Records)
2017 - Let's Play Two (Republic Records)

* Since 2000, Pearl Jam has started releasing official live bootlegs of their tours through their website. These are made available after every major tour that the band embarked on since the Binaural Tour. There are way too many for me to list here but you can check them out at pearljam.com and either purchase a hard cd or a digital download.

CURRENT STATUS OF PEARL JAM:

Pearl Jam came from the ashes of Mother Love Bone and exploded on the Seattle music scene in 1990. The band's debut album "Ten" is a landmark album which has been certified diamond. What does that mean? It means that album has sold massively worldwide! It also propelled the band to superstardom, almost before they knew what had hit them. At the forefront of the grunge explosion of the early 90's, along with bands like Nirvana, Alice In Chains and Soundgarden, Pearl Jam kept the heat on with their next two releases, 1993's "VS" and 1994's "Vitalogy". The pressures of being that big, that fast began to weigh on the band, especially vocalist Eddie Vedder and the band made a conscious effort to start pulling back the reigns. No more videos and less media obligations. They also did a 180 on their next album, "No Code". This was a much softer, more experimental side of the band and really an effort to change it up musically. Battles with Ticketmaster and going into a shell of sorts began to alienate the band from some of it's fans. The band itself was having some inner struggles and wondering if they were even going to co-exist much longer. Luckily, 1998's "Yield" was a return to form for the band. It also marked a full band collaboration whereas Vedder really took over creative reigns on "Vitalogy" and "No Code". From this album on, every band member would contribute to all future Pearl Jam releases. The early 2000's were a bit of a weird time for the band. "Binaural" and "Riot Act" were both good albums but seemed to be lacking something. The band also began offerering their bootlegs from every show available at this time, beginning with the "Binaural" world tour. Their bootlegs continue to be offered through their website to this day. This period also marked the biggest tragedy that the band was a part of, the 2000 Roskilde tragedy where 9 of their fans were trampled to death during their performance. In 2006, the country was becoming more and more split over the actions of the Bush administration post-9/11. The scene was ripe for a band like Pearl Jam to get their creative juices flowing and write what is perhaps their most political album yet, the self-titled "Pearl Jam", sometimes referred to as "Avocado". This album was a breath of fresh air to me. Urgent and hard hitting, an album with a definitive purpose. 2009's "Backspacer" is probably the band's most positive and fun album. The band's most recent effort was 2013's "Lightning Bolt". This album proved that Pearl Jam is still relevant in an ever-evolving music scene. The band also released a live album/dvd in the fall of 2017 called "Let's Play Two", which chronicles the band's two performances at historic Wrigley Field in Chicago in 2016. More good news out of the Pearl Jam camp in 2018 is along with a tour of South America and some stadium dates in the United States, the band also released a brand new single in March titled "Can't Deny Me". The song is said to be part of a brand spankin' new studio album that could be released later this year! Pearl Jam's sound is a culmination of a slew of influences from The Who, The Ramones, Kiss, Neil Young, Dead Kennedys, Pink Floyd and many, many more! Of the 4 major grunge bands to emerge from the early 90's, Pearl Jam's sound always commanded arena crowds. Their music is powerful. Their lyrics personal and emotional. They have influenced hundreds of rock bands who came after them. They are equally comfortable playing arena anthems ("Alive"), acoustic ballads ("Elderly Woman"), punk influenced hardcore ("Mind Your Manners") and groove laced stompers ("Evenflow"). The band takes more time between albums as they tend to focus more time on their growing families as well as keeping busy with solo and side projects, but they always get back together to tour all over the world and their shows are always epic and must see performances that rival Springsteen and the Grateful Dead. I'd say they are overdue for a new album. Perhaps the band will be inspired by their induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2017 or the current political turmoil in the United States and drop another aggressive album with a purpose!

TEN PEARL JAM SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Alive
2. Release
3. Yellow Ledbetter
4. Corduroy
5. Rearviewmirror
6. Go
7. Given To Fly
8. Not For You
9. Do The Evolution
10. Light Years

Song Of The Week: 7/8/18

Song: "Dirty Frank"

Artist: Pearl Jam

Album: "Even Flow" cd single

Year: 1992

Place Of Origin: Seattle, Washington

Years Active: 1990 - present



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Dirty Frank" is a tongue-in-cheek song written about Pearl Jam's tour bus driver back when they were opening for the Red Hot Chili Peppers in the early 90's. The running joke between the band members was that their bus driver, Frank, looked like a psycho serial killer. Thus, "Dirty Frank" was formed with it's funky guitars and lyrics that made their tour bus driver seem like Jeffrey Dahmer! "Dirty Frank" never made it to a proper studio album, although a slightly different version did appear on the band's 2003 b-side compilation "Lost Dogs". This version I chose for my song of the week appears on the 1992 "Even Flow" cd single.

PEARL JAM DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1991 - Ten (Epic Records)
1993 - VS (Epic Records)
1994 - Vitalogy (Epic Records)
1996 - No Code (Epic Records)
1998 - Yield (Epic Records)
1998 - Live On Two Legs (Epic Records)
2000 - Binaural (Epic Records)
2002 - Riot Act (Epic Records)
2003 - Lost Dogs (Epic Records)
2004 - Live At Benaroya Hall (BMG Records)
2006 - Pearl Jam (J Records)
2009 - Backspacer (Monkeywrench/Universal Music Group)
2011 - Live On Ten Legs (Universal Music Group)
2013 - Lightning Bolt (Monkeywrench Records)
2017 - Let's Play Two (Republic Records)

* Since 2000, Pearl Jam has started releasing official live bootlegs of their tours through their website. These are made available after every major tour that the band embarked on since the Binaural Tour. There are way too many for me to list here but you can check them out at pearljam.com and either purchase a hard cd or a digital download.

CURRENT STATUS OF PEARL JAM:

Pearl Jam came from the ashes of Mother Love Bone and exploded on the Seattle music scene in 1990. The band's debut album "Ten" is a landmark album which has been certified diamond. What does that mean? It means that album has sold massively worldwide! It also propelled the band to superstardom, almost before they knew what had hit them. At the forefront of the grunge explosion of the early 90's, along with bands like Nirvana, Alice In Chains and Soundgarden, Pearl Jam kept the heat on with their next two releases, 1993's "VS" and 1994's "Vitalogy". The pressures of being that big, that fast began to weigh on the band, especially vocalist Eddie Vedder and the band made a conscious effort to start pulling back the reigns. No more videos and less media obligations. They also did a 180 on their next album, "No Code". This was a much softer, more experimental side of the band and really an effort to change it up musically. Battles with Ticketmaster and going into a shell of sorts began to alienate the band from some of it's fans. The band itself was having some inner struggles and wondering if they were even going to co-exist much longer. Luckily, 1998's "Yield" was a return to form for the band. It also marked a full band collaboration whereas Vedder really took over creative reigns on "Vitalogy" and "No Code". From this album on, every band member would contribute to all future Pearl Jam releases. The early 2000's were a bit of a weird time for the band. "Binaural" and "Riot Act" were both good albums but seemed to be lacking something. The band also began offerering their bootlegs from every show available at this time, beginning with the "Binaural" world tour. Their bootlegs continue to be offered through their website to this day. This period also marked the biggest tragedy that the band was a part of, the 2000 Roskilde tragedy where 9 of their fans were trampled to death during their performance. In 2006, the country was becoming more and more split over the actions of the Bush administration post-9/11. The scene was ripe for a band like Pearl Jam to get their creative juices flowing and write what is perhaps their most political album yet, the self-titled "Pearl Jam", sometimes referred to as "Avocado". This album was a breath of fresh air to me. Urgent and hard hitting, an album with a definitive purpose. 2009's "Backspacer" is probably the band's most positive and fun album. The band's most recent effort was 2013's "Lightning Bolt". This album proved that Pearl Jam is still relevant in an ever-evolving music scene. The band also released a live album/dvd in the fall of 2017 called "Let's Play Two", which chronicles the band's two performances at historic Wrigley Field in Chicago in 2016. More good news out of the Pearl Jam camp in 2018 is along with a tour of South America and some stadium dates in the United States, the band also released a brand new single in March titled "Can't Deny Me". The song is said to be part of a brand spankin' new studio album that could be released later this year! Pearl Jam's sound is a culmination of a slew of influences from The Who, The Ramones, Kiss, Neil Young, Dead Kennedys, Pink Floyd and many, many more! Of the 4 major grunge bands to emerge from the early 90's, Pearl Jam's sound always commanded arena crowds. Their music is powerful. Their lyrics personal and emotional. They have influenced hundreds of rock bands who came after them. They are equally comfortable playing arena anthems ("Alive"), acoustic ballads ("Elderly Woman"), punk influenced hardcore ("Mind Your Manners") and groove laced stompers ("Evenflow"). The band takes more time between albums as they tend to focus more time on their growing families as well as keeping busy with solo and side projects, but they always get back together to tour all over the world and their shows are always epic and must see performances that rival Springsteen and the Grateful Dead. I'd say they are overdue for a new album. Perhaps the band will be inspired by their induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2017 or the current political turmoil in the United States and drop another aggressive album with a purpose!

TEN PEARL JAM SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Alive
2. Release
3. Yellow Ledbetter
4. Corduroy
5. Rearviewmirror
6. Go
7. Given To Fly
8. Not For You
9. Do The Evolution
10. Light Years

Song Of The Week: 7/1/18

Song: "White Noise"

Artist: Everclear

Album: "Slow Motion Daydream"

Year: 2003

Place Of Origin: Portland, Oregon

Years Active: 1991 - present



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"White Noise" appears to be a song about being there for someone when everyone that they know is turning their backs on them. The vocalist sees something in this person that nobody else does and he wants this individual to know that he is there to lean on and to catch them when they fall. He believes in this person and vows to always be there when they need him. The song in the video takes about a minute to kick in so be patient or fast forward a little bit ;)

EVERCLEAR DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1993 - World Of Noise (Tim/Kerr Records)
1995 - Sparkle And Fade (Capitol Records)
1997 - So Much For The Afterglow (Capitol Records)
2000 - Songs From An American Movie Vol. 1: Learning How To Smile (Capitol Records)
2000 - Songs From An American Movie Vol. 2: Good Time For A Bad Attitude (Capitol Records)
2003 - Slow Motion Daydream (Capitol Records)
2006 - Welcome To The Drama Club (Eleven Seven Records)
2008 - The Vegas Years (Capitol Records)
2009 - In A Different Light (429 Records)
2011 - Return To Santa Monica (Cleopatra Records)
2011 - Extended Versions (Sony/BMG Records)
2012 - Invisible Stars (eOne Records)
2015 - Black Is The New Black (The End Records)

CURRENT STATUS OF EVERCLEAR:

Just after the grunge explosion of 1991 and 1992, there was another emerging alternative rock scene that was about to take off as well. Portland, Oregon's Everclear was one of the pioneers of this next phase of rock music. While their music was rooted in grunge/punk/garage rock, it would be the second single from their sophomore album, "Sparkle And Fade", that would really put Everclear on the musical map. "Santa Monica" was like the car moving upwards on a roller coaster. The band's next album, 1995's "So Much For The Afterglow" would prove to be that same car stopping at the top of the roller coaster. This would be Everclear's most successful album, going double platinum thanks to hit singles like "Everything To Everyone", "So Much For The Afterglow", "Father Of Mine" and "One Hit Wonder". The band's next album, 2000's "Songs From An American Movie Vol. 1", featured Everclear's highest charting single ever, "Wonderful". Now, however, the roller coaster car begins going down the hill. The band released "Songs From An American Movie Vol 2" just four months after Vol. 1 creating a bit of confusion among music buyers. Perhaps, it was an oversaturation. After the band released "Slow Motion Daydream" in 2003, their longtime relationship with major label Capitol Records ended and bassist Craig Montoya and drummer Greg Eklund decided to part ways with Everclear leaving frontman/guitarist Art Alexakis to ponder the future of the band. After doing a successful solo tour, many thought Alexakis might just go the solo route, but he would re-tool Everclear with new members and release "Welcome To The Drama Club" in 2006. It would be six more years till Everclear would release a proper studio album but in that time, they would put out a covers album, a few re-recorded albums and a live album. The band's most recent release was 2015's "Black Is The New Black". Art Alexakis is currently working on a solo album in 2018. As I said earlier, Everclear was definitely at the forefront of the alternative rock scene in the mid-90's. Art Alexakis' songwriting is very clear, meaning that his lyrics are usually literal and not obscure. You can pretty much know what he is singing about without having to look really deep into the lyrics. While some of the themes may have been as dark as the earlier grunge bands, Everclear had a way of making even those types of songs appear "happier" for lack of a better term. They had a keen sense of creating a pop rock song, while giving it some bite with fuzzy distortion. I always looked at Everclear as kind of the Tom Petty of alternative rock. Simple songs. Catchy songs. While their popularity waned from the mid 2000's to the present day, the band has carried on, releasing music and touring. In fact, they've created their own summer tour called the "Summerland Tour" which features Everclear alongside other 90's alternative acts like Live, Sponge and Fastball. I actually would like to see Montoya and Eklund return to Everclear. I'm just not sure that will ever happen as they didn't leave on the best of terms. Still, Everclear is one of my favorite bands and I was really impressed with their latest album, "Black Is The New Black".

TEN EVERCLEAR SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Heroin Girl
2. So Much For The Afterglow
3. Learning How To Smile
4. The Swing
5. Wonderful
6. Santa Monica
7. American Girl (Tom Petty cover)
8. Blackjack
9. Pocahontas (Neil Young cover)
10. Be Careful What You Ask For

Song Of The Week: 6/24/18

Song: "Louder Than A Bomb"

Artist: Public Enemy

Album: "It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back"

Year: 1988

Place Of Origin: Long Island, New York

Years Active: 1986 - present



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

Chuck D., the main rapper and lyricist for the hip hop group Public Enemy, has said that "Louder Than A Bomb" was written about the fact that his phone was being tapped by the government. Not surprising considering some of his views on the FBI and CIA and how he feels they were involved in the murders of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. He kind of shrugged off the phone tapping because he said that everything he had to say about those organizations and the American government as a whole will be right there on his albums so there really is no need to tap his phone. He left it all out there in his lyrics.

PUBLIC ENEMY DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1987 - Yo! Bum Rush The Show (Def Jam Records)
1988 - It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back (Def Jam Records)
1990 - Fear Of A Black Planet (Def Jam Records)
1991 - Apocalypse 91...The Enemy Strikes Black (Def Jam Records)
1994 - Muse Sick-n-Hour Mess Age (Def Jam Records)
1998 - He Got Game (Def Jam Records)
1999 - There's A Poison Goin' On (Atomic Pop Records)
2002 - Revolverlution (Koch Records)
2005 - New Whirl Odor (Slam Jamz Records)
2006 - Rebirth Of A Nation (Guerilla Funk Records)
2007 - How You Sell Soul To A Soulless People Who Sold Their Soul (Slam Jamz Records)
2012 - Most Of My Heroes Still Don't Appear On No Stamp (Slam Jamz Records)
2012 - The Evil Empire Of Everything (Enemy Records)
2015 - Man Plans God Laughs (RCS Music)
2017 - Nothing Is Quick In The Desert (916% Entertainment)

CURRENT STATUS OF PUBLIC ENEMY:

Chuck D. and Flavor Flav used to work together delivering furniture way back in the day. They began trying to form a rap group early on. Before they even became Public Enemy, Chuck D. wrote the song "Public Enemy No. 1" as a diss track against another local emcee. That track eventually got into the hands of producer Rick Rubin and the newly named Public Enemy was signed to Def Jam records. Coming out of the "golden age of hip hop", Public Enemy firmly left their stamp on the rap map, especially in the span of 1987 to 1994. Their albums on Def Jam were all instant classics but especially 1988's "It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back" and 1990's "Fear Of A Black Planet". Rap music was definitely seeing a shift to a more socially and politically conscious state and Public Enemy would be at the forefront of this movement. While the west coast had things locked down on street violence and gang mentality themes thanks to artists like Ice-T and N.W.A., the east coast was shining a light on racial inequalities and social injustices with groups like Public Enemy and Boogie Down Productions. To me, Public Enemy was almost like a hip hop punk band. Their sound was so unique. It was loud, frenetic, in your face and hard hitting and Chuck D. had the perfect commanding voice to compliment those crazy beats. P.E. put out anthems, period. "Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos", "Fight The Power", "Don't Believe The Hype", "Welcome To The Terrordome", "Can't Truss It" to name a few. When it comes to rap groups, Public Enemy is right at the top of that chain, along with N.W.A., Wu-Tang Clan and EPMD. By the 2000's, hip hop music was really changing, and in my mind, not for the better. The old school rappers, while respected, were getting passed over by artists who were much more concerned with their image and what they have than of any types of issues to shine a light on. Rap videos were becoming fashion shows. How much money can I show off. How much jewelry can I flaunt. How many women do I have. It was all image with little to no substance. Don't get me wrong, their are still some rap artists that I believe are true to the game. Guys like Eminem and The Game, but those guys are kind of throwbacks to the golden age. They have respect for the craft. Public Enemy is still very much a band. They've dropped eight full length albums since the year 2000, but the gold and platinum selling days of their Def Jam years are long gone. Chuck D. has actually formed a new group called Prophets Of Rage with Tom Morello, Brad Wilk and Tim Commerford of Rage Against The Machine and B-Real of Cypress Hill. They have an album and have also been touring extensively. Not quite sure what the future holds for Public Enemy but for all intents and purposes, they are still considered active. Public Enemy is just one of the most well respected groups in rap history, or any genre of music for that matter. "It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back" is one of the most important albums in music. Bringin' Tha Noize since 1986!!! Strong Island, New York style bitchez!!!!!

TEN PUBLIC ENEMY SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos
2. Welcome To The Terrordome
3. Rebel Without A Pause
4. You're Gonna Get Yours
5. Buckwhylin'
6. Fight The Power
7. Can't Truss It
8. Public Enemy No. 1
9. Give It Up
10. I Shall Not Be Moved

Song Of The Week: 6/17/18

Song: "Complicated"

Artist: Face To Face

Album: "Live"

Year: 1998

Place Of Origin: Victorville, California

Years Active: 1991 - present



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Complicated" is a song that appears to be about a person who is so stubborn in their beliefs or opinions that it may wind up costing them in the future. If you have no ability to reason, you're basically living life down a one way street. If you feel strongly about something, no doubt fight for it and stand behind it, but not every issue is black and white, so when there's gray area, you should be able to engage in debate and perhaps even have your opinion altered. I chose the live version of "Complicated" for my song of the week. The original appears on Face To Face's 1996 self-titled album.

FACE TO FACE DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1992 - Don't Turn Away (Dr. Strange Records)
1995 - Big Choice (Victory Music)
1996 - Face To Face (A & M Records)
1998 - Live (Vagrant Records)
1999 - Ignorance Is Bliss (Beyond Records)
1999 - Standards & Practices (Vagrant Records)
2000 - Reactionary (Vagrant Records)
2002 - How To Ruin Everything (Vagrant Records)
2011 - Laugh Now, Laugh Later (People Like You Records)
2013 - Three Chords And A Half Truth (Rise Records)
2016 - Protection (Fat Wreck Chords)

CURRENT STATUS OF FACE TO FACE:

Face To Face formed as a band back in 1991, with Trever Keith on vocals and guitar, Matt Riddle on bass and Rob Kurth on drums. Their very first album, 1992's "Don't Turn Away", featured the song "Disconnected" which started giving the band some following especially in the southern California punk scene. The band was asked to re-record the song for their second release, "Big Choice", in 1995. Matt Riddle also left the band at this time and was replaced by Scott Shiflett. The success of "Disconnected" and the subsequent rise of punk rock in the mid-90's with bands like The Offspring, Rancid and Green Day led to Face To Face signing with major label A & M Records for the release of their self titled album in 1996. Being on a major would only last that one album however for Face To Face. In 1999, the band threw it's fans a curve ball with the release of "Ignorance Is Bliss". This album strayed from the melodic, catchy three chord punk rock songs that Face To Face was known for and went in a more mainstream, almost emo like direction. For a while, Trever Keith kind of disowned this album, refusing to play any of the songs live, but soon he came around and began playing those songs, in fact, Face To Face did a whole tour in honor of the album. 2000's "Reactionary" saw Face To Face get back to their punk rock roots as did 2002's "How To Ruin Everything". Those two albums were released through Vagrant Records which had the longest relationship with the band than any other label. By 2005, lots of things were going on within the ranks of Face To Face. Original drummer Rob Kurth left the band in 1997 and was replaced by Pete Parada. Second guitarist Chad Yaro, who joined the band in 1994, decided to leave the band in 2000. The feeling within the band was that maybe it was time to step away. What started as a hiatus was later said to be an official break up in 2004. Luckily for fans of Face To Face, the break up was short lived. The band got back together in 2008 with Keith on guitar and vocals, Shiflett on bass, Yaro returning on guitar and new drummer Danny Thompson as Parada joined The Offspring. The band's first album after their hiatus was a triumphant return. 2011's "Laugh Now, Laugh Later" put Face To Face right back on the punk rock map. The band hooked up with Rise Records for 2013's "Three Chords And A Half Truth". The band's most recent release was 2016's "Protection". This album was released through legendary punk rock label Fat Wreck Chords in what seems to be a match made in heaven for label and band. When you think punk rock bands of the 90's, lots of names come up. Face To Face has to be one of the most respected of all of those bands who came out. They're kind of like, gruffy punk, for lack of a better term. No nonsense, three chords, melodic and gravelly vocals. I'd say they are similar in sound to bands like 88 Fingers Louis, Good Riddance, The Bouncing Souls, Hot Water Music and the Street Dogs. The foundation of their music has been done by countless bands, but it's something about the delivery of that music that makes Face To Face stand on their own. The great news is that since they've returned from their little hiatus, Face To Face seems to be firing on on cylinders. Three more albums, constant touring, and look out for a brand new all acoustic album coming soon from this incredible punk rock outfit!

TEN FACE TO FACE SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Disappointed
2. It's Not All About You
3. The New Way
4. The Devil You Know (God Is A Man)
5. Double Crossed
6. Disconnected
7. Blind
8. You Lied
9. Right As Rain
10. That's Entertainment (The Jam cover)