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!! :)
"Huber Breeze" appears to be a song about how the vocalist copes with things in his life, could be good things, could be bad things, but it seems to comfort him when he can find the words to express himself about these things through his songs. It's a journey for him, sometimes a struggle. He never knows just what memory he is gonna tap into or what is going to inspire him to go in a certain direction. It's a song about what the vocalist goes through to create a song!
PULLEY DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):
1996 - Esteem Driven Engine (Epitaph Records)
1997 - 60 Cycle Hum (Epitaph Records)
1999 - @#!* (Epitaph Records)
2001 - Together Again For The First Time (Epitaph Records)
2004 - Matters (Epitaph Records)
2005 - Beyond Warped (Immergent Records)
2016 - No Change In The Weather (Cyber Tracks Records)
CURRENT STATUS OF PULLEY:
In the early 90's, skate punk band Ten Foot Pole decided to part ways with their lead singer, Scott Radinsky, mainly so that they could tour and record more frequently. The problem was that Scott was also a Major League Baseball pitcher so for a long stretch of the year, he couldn't be there for the band. Radinsky's passion for punk rock music could not be contained however and in 1994, he formed the band Pulley. Quickly signed to legendary punk label, Epitaph Records, Pulley would drop five albums in an 8 year span. "Esteem Driven Engine", "60 Cycle Hum", "@#!*", "Together Again For The First Time" and "Matters" more than put Pulley on the southern California skate punk map! Then, the hiatus! From 2004 to 2016, Pulley managed to put out 2 EP's, "Time Insensitive Material" and "The Long And Short Of It" as well as a live album, "Beyond Warped". Radinsky's MLB career was winding down, but he took multiple jobs in the sport, mostly as pitching coach and bullpen coach, which he currently does for the Los Angeles Angels. 2016 saw the return of a brand new full length from Pulley, "No Change In The Weather". Despite the band's sporadic nature, this new album proves that Pulley still has their chops!. I remember back in 1996, I was at a listening station at the Tower Records in Boston, MA and for the first time, I checked out this band Pulley. From the first chords of "Cashed Out", I was hooked and have been a fan ever since. Besides my love of the Seattle sound, the skate punk bands were a huge part of my youth. Bands like Ten Foot Pole, No Use For A Name, Lagwagon, Good Riddance, Much The Same and Face To Face were right in my wheelhouse. And Pulley was right there with those bands for me. Awesome to see that these guys are still making great music. Much props to Scotty Radz!!!
TEN PULLEY SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:
1. The Ocean Song
2. If
3. Insects Destroy
4. Working Class Whore
5. Cashed In
6. In Search
7. No "I" In Team
8. Sick
9. Immune
10. Sick
"Who's Gonna Save Us" appears to be a song about how the government creates more division amongst it's people than unity. If you can't trust your own government to help it's people, then who can you trust? The vocalist sees all these pressing issues around him, whether it's war, whether it's domestic issues or societal ills, and the appointed and elected leaders aren't providing it's citizens anything but chaos and division. They can't seem to save themselves let alone you!
THE LIVING END DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):
1998 - The Living End (Modular Records)
2000 - Roll On (EMI Records)
2003 - Modern Artillery (EMI Records)
2006 - State Of Emergency (EMI Records)
2008 - White Noise (Dew Process Records)
2011 - The Ending Is Just The Beginning Repeating (Dew Process Records)
2016 - Shift (Dew Process Records)
CURRENT STATUS OF THE LIVING END:
The Living End is an Australian three piece band that formed back in 1994. Chris Cheney (guitar/vocals) and Scott Owen (stand-up bass) began playing music together that had a 50's rockabilly feel. Both guys were heavily influenced by The Stray Cats and that sound was the foundation of their music. Soon, however, the band began adding punk rock elements to their rockabilly sound and in 1995, they released the single "From Here On In" which began getting some radio play in their native Australia. Then in 1997, the band released the double A side single, "Second Solution/Prisoner Of Society". This single only became the highest selling single in Australia of the 90's! The Living End was on the map. Their debut self-titled album which includes both "Prisoner Of Society" and "Second Solution" hit #1 on Australian music charts and by 1999, had been certified 4X platinum. The band's follow up album would be 2000's "Roll On". While not as successful as it's predecessor, many hail "Roll On" as The Living End's "London Calling". Singles like "Pictures In The Mirror", "Roll On" and "Dirty Man" show a band that was growing musically and lyrically. 2003's "Modern Artillery" was a bit of a disappointment for the band sales-wise. It did achieve gold status however. 2006 was a re-emergence for the band with their album "State Of Emergency". It became their second #1 album in Australia thanks in part to the hit singles "What's On Your Radio" and "Wake Up". After this album, chief songwriter Chris Cheney had thoughts of leaving the band. In fact, he kind of isolated himself for a year or two as he was dealing with major writer's block. Luckily, the other band members convinced Chris not to leave the band and he returned with a batch of songs that had a distinct heavier feel to them. These new songs comprised the album "White Noise". This album felt like a breath of fresh air for the band members and the juices began to flow again. By 2011, Cheney had 40 plus songs in the fold which the band narrowed down for the release of "The Ending Is Just The Beginning Repeating". The band would also add a second guitarist for their live shows at this time. The Living End's last album was released in 2016, entitled "Shift". They have also released a single called "Don't Lose It" in 2018 that is set to appear on their brand new album "Wunderbar" which is slated to be released sometime in the fall or winter of 2018. As I said earlier, The Living End's sound has it's roots in 50's rockabilly and rock and roll music. If you made some concoction of Elvis Presley, The Stray Cats, The Clash and Green Day, you'd probably get something sounding like The Living End. Their contemporaries would be bands like Green Day, Unwritten Law, Rancid, Social Distortion and Millencolin. For whatever reason, The Living End didn't hit in the United States like they did in their native Australia. They're a pretty big deal down under, selling loads of albums and winning several Australian music awards. From a U.S. perspective, I see The Living End as a really unheralded band. I can't see why they didn't get bigger here in the States. It baffles me. Maybe it's just the fact that the punk rock revival here in the States was kind of winding down as the nu-metal and rap/metal acts started gaining steam. If "Prisoner Of Society" came out around 1994, I think they would have popped bigger here in the U.S. I think The Living End are a great band and I can't wait for "Wunderbar" to drop!
TEN THE LIVING END SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:
1. Prisoner Of Society
2. Wake Up
3. Roll On
4. I Can't Give You What I Haven't Got
5. Dirty Man
6. Who's Gonna Save Us
7. Song For The Lonely
8. White Noise
9. Don't Lose It
10. Staring Down The Barrel
The rumor to this song is that it was written about the band's former bass player Dirk Lance. If that's true, Incubus frontman Brandon Boyd really laid it on the guy! The song describes someone who stood on the backs of others to get the shine instead of working with them and sharing in reaching a common ultimate goal. This was someone who was considered a very close friend. Someone the vocalist would always pick up when he was down. The vocalist feels like he was stabbed in the back by this dude. The ride is over for this "leech"!!
INCUBUS DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):
1995 - Fungus Amongus (Stopuglynailfungus Music on Chillum)
1997 - S.C.I.E.N.C.E. (Epic/Immortal Records)
1999 - Make Yourself (Epic/Immortal Records)
2001 - Morning View (Epic/Immortal Records)
2004 - A Crow Left Of The Murder (Epic/Immortal Records)
2006 - Light Grenades (Epic/Immortal Records)
2011 - If Not Now, When? (Epic/Immortal Records)
2017 - 8 (Island Records)
CURRENT STATUS OF INCUBUS:
Though Incubus formed as a band back in 1991, they really didn't break on to the scene for another three to four years. Early on, their style was rooted in funk/rock, as proven by their 1995 debut album, "Fungus Amongus". The band was signed by Immortal Records shortly after that debut album, which would later merge with Epic Records. The band's second album, "S.C.I.E.N.C.E.", continued with funk grooves and hip hop scratches. By 1999, however, Incubus was beginning to become more of an alternative style rock band. "Make Yourself" would be certified double platinum and while the lead single, "Pardon Me", took a little bit of time to gain steam with audiences, it was the song "Drive" that propelled Incubus to the mainstream. Suddenly they were headline material as "Drive" would reach the top spot on alternative rock charts. Success continued for the band as their next album, "Morning View" would peak at #2 on the Billboard 200 charts thanks in part to hit singles like "Wish You Were Here" and "Nice To Know You". 2004's "A Crow Left Of The Murder" would continue success for Incubus, an album produced by Brendan O' Brien who famously worked with Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Stone Temple Pilots. In 2006, the band dropped "Light Grenades" which debuted at #1 spawning the singles "Anna Molly", "Dig" and "Love Hurts". Like much of the music industry, sales began to taper off for Incubus at this point in their career. Attaining music was drastically changing and records sales weren't what they used to be. The internet allowed listeners to basically listen or download music for free so the bands began taking a hit financially for that. It would be five years before Incubus returned with their 7th full length studio album, "If Not Now, When?". This would be their last album with Epic Records. It would be six years before Incubus would release another full length album, 2017's "8". This album was distributed by Island Records. Incubus did manage to release an EP between those full length albums. Brandon Boyd also had a solo album and tour while the other members also did their own thing. Incubus continues to headline shows all over the globe and have sold over 23 million albums world wide. As I said earlier, Incubus started out as kind of a funk/rock outfit. They didn't hit their stride until they became more of an alternative rock sounding band however. Their style sticks out though. I never really saw them as fitting in with grunge or post-grunge or punk. Some have called them nu-metal but I didn't really see that either. While they veered away from complete funk, they never lost their groove and that's what made them stand on their own. They always had that underlying groove in their songs. That separated them from other bands and gave them a unique quality in an era where a lot of saturation was going on with labels trying to find or create the next Nirvana. Incubus was kind of a breath of fresh air. If you like bands like Hoobastank, Audioslave, A Perfect Circle, Silverchair or Stone Temple Pilots, then you would most likely enjoy Incubus.
TEN INCUBUS SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:
1. Drive
2. Wish You Were Here
3. Nice To Know You
4. Megalomaniac
5. Anna Molly
6. Pardon Me
7. Make A Move
8. Adolescents
9. Dig
10. Nimble Bastard
"What Happened To Us" is a failed relationship song. You get a sense that the vocalist may be talking about a first love. They were young and everything seemed so perfect, like it would last forever. People around them said they were too young and wouldn't make it but they believed in their relationship and what they had. But, like some relationships, especially ones early in life, they don't last forever. Cracks appear and what once was close starts to drift apart until both are left alone wondering what could have been. The vocalist almost appears jaded on love and relationships by the end of the song.
HOOBASTANK DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):
1998 - They Sure Don't Make Basketball Shorts Like They Used To (self-released)
2001 - Hoobastank (Island Records)
2003 - The Reason (Island Records)
2006 - Every Man For Himself (Island Records)
2009 - For(N)ever (Island Records)
2009 - Live From The Wiltern (Island Records)
2010 - Is This The Day (Island Records)
2012 - Fight Or Flight (Open E Records)
2018 - Push Pull (Napalm Records)
CURRENT STATUS OF HOOBASTANK:
Hoobastank formed as a band back in 1994. Early on, the band used to play local shows in southern California, often sharing the bill with Incubus. They started out almost as a funk/rock type band, even incorporating a saxophone player in their music. This style is prominent on their self-released 1998 album, "They Sure Don't Make Basketball Shorts Like They Used To". By 2001, Hoobastank ditched the sax and the funk for a more straight forward rock sound. Island Records signed the band and they released their proper debut, the self-titled "Hoobastank". This album would peak at #25 on the Billboard 200 charts and the singles "Running Away" and "Crawling In The Dark" would reach #2 and #3 respectively on Billboard's Modern Rock charts. There would be no sophomore slump for Hoobastank as their next album, "The Reason" soared to #3 on the Billboard 200 chart with the title track hitting #1 on the Modern Rock charts. Hoobastank would be at the height of their popularity at this time. While 2006's "Every Man For Himself" debuted at #12 on the Billboard 200, sales quickly started to dissipate and it turned out to be a disappointment for the band. Vocalist Doug Robb said that the band set the bar really high for their next release, "For(N)ever" but sales continued to fall for the band. The band rounded out their contract with Island Records with a live cd/dvd "Live At The Wiltern" and an acoustic album, "Is This The Day". In 2012, the band released "Fight Or Flight" through Open E Records. Between this album and their most recent release, 2018's "Push Pull", it would mark the longest period between album releases for Hoobastank. Hoobastank is often linked to Incubus. Not only did the bands come from the same area, they toured together before they made it big. Their sound is very similar as well. Doug Robb and Incubus frontman, Brandon Boyd, have very similar vocal styles. Some people out there criticize Hoobastank for being Incubus lite, but in my mind, you can put songs like "Crawling In The Dark" and "Running Away" right up there with any Incubus song. I like both bands so I think that criticism isn't quite fair but I can definitely see the similarities between the two bands. Hoobastank is basically your straight forward, melodic hard rock band that leans towards making music that would be considered mainstream. If you like bands like Incubus, Trapt, Finger Eleven, 3 Doors Down or 12 Stones, then you would most likely enjoy Hoobastank.
TEN HOOBASTANK SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:
1. Crawling In The Dark
2. Running Away
3. Inside Of You
4. Out Of Control
5. So Close, So Far
6. The Reason
7. Remember Me
8. This Is Gonna Hurt
9. If I Were You
10. More Beautiful
"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.
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
"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
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
