"Wasp / Behind the Wall of Sleep / Bassically / N.I.B." - Black Sabbath

     Well, somehow it is the end of the month. I swear we were just summing up last month, but I suppose that is the way it goes. No stopping father time. This month has had many varying sounds, genres, and styles! Hope you walked away with some A grade tracks. We had a heavy rock leaning month (duh) with 17 rock tracks, 8 metal ones, 2 country songs, 2 pop, and 1 folk. Seems we missed punk rock this month, but don't worry, I am sure December is going to have its fair share. Well, our final track for November is from the godfathers of heavy metal, Black Sabbath. Now, I have hundreds of bands and artists that I cherish, if it hasn't been clear as day up until now, but Black Sabbath is something damn special to me. They have been in my Top 5 favorite bands since I was quite young. They are a comfort band, I come back to them often and always have a blast! Black Sabbath has played in practically any situation you could imagine in my life. I find the band to have damn good lyrics, some of which has gone on to be sayings of mine. Each member from the prime years is absolutely legendary and immensely talented. Black Sabbath feels like one of those bands that seemed destined. I am not one to believe in a god, or a devil for that matter, but if there was one, I think Black Sabbath was placed upon our ball of hate to infest this world with heavy metal. Their albums are simply too good. So good that I question if they are even human. I have come across few bands that even get close to how powerful Black Sabbath is on those main albums. Through their experimentation and stylistic choices they practically started heavy metal. Yes, I know, there were bands before Sabbath that were planting the seeds that would soon grow into the heavy metal beast we know and love, but Black Sabbath was from the original harvest and showed the world how damn tasty the genre was. Following Black Sabbath there were plenty of bands, mostly out of the UK, that were now pushing this brand of heavy as hell music. It was the ultimate line drawn into the sand. It marked the true end of the summer of love. Things only got heavier year by year until the golden age of heavy metal was upon us. Modernly, the metal still gets heavier, I wonder if it will ever come full circle. Anyway, Black Sabbath were the first true heavy metal band, hence why they got the name "the godfathers of heavy metal". True visionaries. The Ozzy years of the band is where you find Sabbath to be in their ultimate form. I adore the Dio years, but there is no denying that the Ozzy years really is where the band shined the brightest. There wasn't anything as heavy as Sabbath at the time, especially in the more mainstream side of hard rock. I mean, just take a second and listen through some of the top-selling albums out of 1970 and you will easily see that the band had something completely unique, heavier, and bolder than anyone else out there at the time. The Grateful Dead had American Beauty, The Beatles just released their final album Let It Be, Simon and Garfunkel released their landmark Bridge Over Troubled Water, Led Zeppelin had their damn heavy but not quite Sabbath heavy Led Zeppelin III, and then there was Black Sabbath who released not one but two atmospherically perfect and fierce studio albums within that one year. Man, I cannot help but gush about the damn band! It makes me feel like I have the zoomies! It isn't even my band nor did I write the material, but being a fan for so damn long makes me feel like, in a strange way, that I am part of Black Sabbath. I have lived alongside the lyrics. I have listened through the prime albums well over 100 times for each of them, some even more like Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and Master of Reality. So bear with me. I am sure you get it though, you did fall into my website for one reason or another, and I am sure Sabbath is in your heart as well.

     So I don't just sit here and praise the band as a whole, how about we take that energy and talk about the band's debut album and our song of the day. To start, this track is mostly covering their massively famous "N.I.B" but due to the US LP track listing of their debut it comes along with the other pieces of the song. Personally, this is my favorite version of "N.I.B", I think the bass intro to a song written by the bassist Geezer Butler really sets the song off. I grew up listening to the UK track listing of this album, it just happened to be the version I pirated back then, but by the time I got my hands on streaming services this has been the version I have lived and breathed since. My first time listening through the US track listing it felt like something finally fell into place. I was deeply in the love with the album since the first time I listened to it in completion when I was 13 or so and even with the abuse of the UK track listing, I truly prefer the US track listing. I think is shows off how damn talented the band was better. My main disappointment between the two was losing "Evil Woman", but that track kind of always threw off the dark and haunting feeling of the album, I always thought it would be best on their fourth studio album Vol. 4. "N.I.B." is one of Sabbath's most well known songs. It also is one of the strangest love songs that I know since it is from the point of view of Lucifer who falls in love and betters himself. Strange lyrical theme, but I am all about it, I have always found the fallen angel to be a hopeless romantic. The song was sillily named after drummer Bill Ward's facial hair at the time which the rest of the band felt resembled a pen nib. The "nib" thing stuck around for a while until Butler wrote this song and due to a lack of a better name, they decided on "Nib". They added some periods in there to make the song more mysterious, but the backstory to it is as simple as it could be. People went on to believe it meant "Nativity in Black" and while that isn't true, there is a lot of Sabbath stuff based around those words much like a series of cover albums (check out the first one, it is one of the best cover compilations I have ever heard) and also Geezer Butler later wrote the song "Nativity in Black" which was featured on the bands final studio album 13 in 2013. The song kicks off with "Wasp" which is a pretty straight forward hard rock intro tune. Still heavily washed in that drop tuned gloomy guitar feeling, but it is honestly a little more tame in comparison to the other tracks. Soon enough it gives way to "Wall of Sleep" which is one of the finest moments in this whole album. The vocals of Ozzy as he sings the lyrics based off of the H.P. Lovecraft short story Beyond the Wall of Sleep. For those that haven't read much Lovecraft, the story is based around an entity that tried communicating using a dying patient in a looney bin. Trippy story and a quick one to boot, so check it out if you get the time. "Within the realm of sleep, humans can experience the vistas of many planes and universes which remain unknown to waking awareness". Well, once the song  comes to a close at the 3:37 mark, we now get a kick ass bass solo from Geezer Butler called "Bassically". Once again, this is the best way for "N.I.B." to be introduced. The versions that leave this part out always disappoint me. It is pretty short since "N.I.B." takes full form at the 4:18 mark. Honestly, after all you take in with the mystical "Wasp / Wall of Sleep" you already hit one of the many peaks of their self-titled mountain. I have always viewed "N.I.B." as the trek back down the mountain, don't let that seem like it is a weaker point because that is immensely far from the truth, but it has this atmosphere of movement. I always see murky visions of tainted love and frozen forests. While the first half of this song feels like you are walking in the sunlight, "N.I.B." feels completely covered in darkness, even with its more positive lyrics. The whole band puts on one hell of a performance on this track. It is one you got to listen to it a couple of times in a row to even hear half of what is going on in the song. Layered in sound, dripping with power, and lyrically it is thrilling. A tremendously well put together song from an album all the way full of well put together songs. The medley of all these songs is a little bit longer of a track. Its almost 10-minute playing time doesn't have a single dull moment, a feat very few bands pull off on those long songs. Granted, it is sort of 4 songs in one with an obvious atmosphere shift between the first half and second, but still I am always impressed with how flawless that medley is. I guess you gotta just hear it for yourself, yeah? Even if you know "N.I.B." by its lonesome, you don't know the song until you hear this version. It is going to blow the standalone track out of the water! I am damn excited for you! This album, much like the majority of the prime Black Sabbath albums, are something I would pay good money to hear for the first time again. Enjoy! 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1970
Album: Black Sabbath (1970)
Genre: Heavy Metal, Hard Rock
Mood: Gloomy
​Perfect For: Writing love letters, Focused listening, Casual listening
Where To Next: "Shylock" - Buffalo
Rating: 10 / 10

"Stone in Love" - Journey

     This month has been a whirlwind of varying styles and choices! It has been a fun one to type out too, some more exciting and some less, but overall November has had a ton of great tracks for me to share with you! Well, today we don't have a hidden gem of a band but one of the many legends of the mainstream rock world. Journey is a name everyone knows, the majority of us love the band, but sadly there are plenty that are haters for no reason. Any group that is a little more family friendly and built for the radio tends to get its fair share of them, but those people can kick rocks. Journey is one of the best entry point for modern music listeners to get into "classic rock", many of their songs are star-studded anthems. The band aged wonderfully, their tracks are certainly from the 1970s and the 1980s but still keep this timeless feeling that is equally nostalgic, dreamy, and rocking. This isn't the band's debut on the website, but it might as well be, since the choice before was "Mystery Mountain" off their forgotten self-titled debut. For those that weren't around for the post, or simply forgot, Journey started out as a more boogie laced progressive rock outfit. It is a day and night comparison between the band's two sounds, much like it is with Fleetwood Mac and their early material vs. their radio monopoly sound. That early stage is honestly damn good, but in the end they were just another band that had a sound pretty similar to everyone else. They needed something to spice it up, something that would help them sell out stadiums instead of having good turnouts at smaller venues. They kept up the hard rocking progressive stuff from 1975 to 1977 spawning 3 stand up albums, but that isn't the Journey that we know and love. The thing they were missing was a strong vocalist, someone that could make the chicks faint and their fellers jealous. A persona that would rebrand the Journey name when music was starting to leave those rocking bands behind for something more dance forward or stuff that was even heavier. They needed a vocalist that would get them on the map since the rest of the band were already doing mighty fine, that vocalist ended up being Steve Perry. Perry is a highly respected vocalist, crazy power and range but still keeps the human aspect which is important in rock music. He could command the stage with grace and in a strange way gave Journey this friendly feeling to it. Journey themselves is a little too hard to be soft rock, but with the lyrical content and arrangement they are almost close to pop at some points, especially on their immensely famous tracks. To balance that out, there is some completely underrated guitar work from Neal Schon. Overall, Schon is an underrated guitarist, and I think our song of the day shows that off wonderfully. I mean, shit, he played guitar with Carlos Santana on Santana's third and fourth studio albums, that in itself proves that the man can lay down some gold on those strings. He brought that into Journey from the start, and I personally think it is Schon that keeps Journey from falling too far into the pop rock category. Anyway, I don't need to explain to you who Journey is, they are absolute beasts in the rock world. 

     "Stone in Love" comes off the band's diamond certified seventh studio album, Escape. The album was one of the biggest releases out of the 1980s and completely commanded the air waves in 1981 upon its release, and plenty of the tracks stayed radio staples all the way until the modern day. I don't think that will change any time soon. Tracks like "Don't Stop Believin'", "Open Arms", and "Who's Crying Now" are insanely popular and serve as some of the biggest hyping tracks in rock history. They are great songs, ones that are shoved down your throat and abused by society, but nonetheless fucking phenomenal 10/10 tracks. Luckily for us, the rest of the album is just as grand, especially for songs like "Stone in Love", "Still They Ride", and the underrated "Lay It Down". Once you get away from those big hits, you find yourself with top shelf straight cut rock music. Each member is impressive on this album, each gave it their all and you can feel its energy. The type of album that really gets the night going, no matter your activity. Like I mentioned earlier, the album hit the diamond status, which isn't something easy to do. It charted fairly across the globe but naturally did best in the US where we simply ate up this style. Our brothers up north in Canada also appreciated Escape, where it charted at #6 on their charts and achieved sales enough to be certified as a triple platinum heavy hitter. This album was so beloved upon its release that by 1982 there was even an Atari 2600 video game where you dodged groupies and seedy businessmen to get the band to their escape vehicle we see on the album cover. I wish I could play that, even though I am sure it is a rough one. In 1983 another video game was made for the band and released on arcade cabinets, another I wish I could give a swing. Man, I was born in the wrong time period..... Anyway! "Stone in Love" is the second track off the album. It follows the intro track, and their most famous track, "Don't Stop Believin'". It is a daunting task to keep the energy up following the band's signature song, but in my opinion, I would say "Stone in Love" blows it out of the water! Starts off with a nice guitar tone that sets the stage for the rest of the band to slowly come into the picture. Once the chorus catches up, you are simply blown away. The track is heavily washed in lyrics that make you reflect of the teenage years. The late night summer drives with loud music. The exciting and confusing teenage love. Reckless abandoned meets unshakable faith in dreams. Man, it is weird thinking of these things, they feel just like yesterday. A different man was I. Journey has a couple of these types of tracks, and it seemed the 1980s had a fairly high amount of these reminiscing types of songs. Maybe those in the 1980s dreamed of days gone by more than other decades. Anyway, I think Steve Perry is the shining star on this song, he commands the imagery and those powerful vocals never fail to give me chills. I still gotta give a shitload of love to the guitar work on the second half of the song. Once again, it is within Neal Schon that Journey shows they are more than a softer group that does power ballads, they are rockers through and through, they just knew what the nation wanted and gave it to them. Journey is a fucking powerhouse. They defined the mainstream AOR rock in the late 1970s into the early to mid 1980s. I am sure you have listened through this album before, but if you haven't, I beg of you to give it a go! A memorable time that everyone should appreciate at least once in their life. Not a single weak track, and this album is absolutely shining with boisterous energy. "Stone in Love" is one of the best tracks, but all the others are just as good in my opinion. I hope you enjoy this song! Enjoy! 

​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1981
Album: Escape (1981)
Genre: Rock
Mood: Reminiscent
​Perfect For: Getting a buzz on, Thinking of the past with a smile, Heading to work, Growing up
Where To Next: "Night Moves" - Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band
Rating: 8 / 10

"Hate Me" - Children of Bodom

     Man, it has been a hot minute since we talked about Children of Bodom. This group will certainly reap your soul. Once you are first bit, there is no chance of them leaving you be. You will be donning reaper cloth and spreading the word of the Children of Bodom. I was shocked by how much they grabbed me. I fell in love with the band from the first time I head "Angels Don't Kill" while playing through Double Fine's hidden gem Brutal Legend. Man... I love that game. I love all the bands it showed me at a young age. It played a serious role in the evolution of Caleb, if I could kiss the people that made that game, I would! I cannot express how much that game and its song list means to me. Anyway, Children of Bodom was one of the many immaculate bands that game exposed to me when I was 9 or 10. "Angels Don't Kill" was some pretty intense shit for my ears at that time. It scared me as much as it bewitched me. I kept on with "Angels Don't Kill" for a long time, never moving too much further into the band until I got a little older. Once I started into Children of Bodom I was completely obsessed. They are the best of everything in heavy metal. They are rooted in the melodic death metal genre but are so much more. A completely unique band that sucked up influences and utilized the styles from genuinely every single heavy metal subgenre out there at the time. They incorporate symphonic black metal, traditional heavy metal, industrial metal, obviously death metal, thrash metal guitar work, speed metal lyricism and imagery, a shitload of power metal stylistic choices, and so many more that I would love to explain but lack the time and writing space. They are intense... I don't know how else to explain them! I mean, if you are listening to it right now and reading along, then you can probably feel it. Their album's atmosphere is second to none, and they kept that up their whole discography! I wouldn't even know where to tell you to start into the band, but if I had to then I would say start on the band's breakout album Hate Crew Deathroll that came out in 2003, that or their most popular album Are You Dead Yet?. Each and every studio album that they released has been an utter joy! They were one of the bands I looked forward to most when doing my studies in the 1990s, and I am stoked to listen through their albums again while I move through the 2000s. And most importantly, I am very excited to give over some more of their material to you here today! I would proudly preach the word of the reaper for the rest of my life. The band first popped up in 1993 under the name Inearthed, but never released any albums under that name. They changed their name to Children of Bodom before their first release due to the record label's contract. They found their name while flipping through a phone book and seeing Lake Bodom, a place famous for the Lake Bodom murders, which saw 3 teenagers brutally murdered and one in critical condition while camping out. The case still remains unsolved and is one of Finland's most notorious crimes in modern history. A fitting name for a band of this style, a band obsessed with all things death. They released their first album in 1997 Something Wild. The album's title explains it, that shit is something wild but is immensely pleasing. A great debut album, and their second album Hatebreeder in 1999 really pulls their sound together to give them a completely unique approach to melodic death metal, I adore that album. Those first two albums gained them notoriety in the metal world, they toured with some big names and put on a show many couldn't forget. In 1999, they released their first live album Tokyo Warhearts which is a fun album but nothing too special, live albums are hard sellers, but as a fan I still appreciate it. Their name was getting out there quickly, but still they were an opening band, all of that started to change once Y2K didn't kill everyone.

     Our song of the day this go around is their classic "Hate Me" that came off the group's third studio album Follow the Reaper which released in 2000. This album is one of the best entry points into the band, and it was the first that got the Children of Bodom name inked into the history books of heavy metal. Their following album was the one to really seal the deal but Follow the Reaper certainly was a step up from their previous two albums in sales. The band hardly could break out of Finland, and even now have a harder time doing it, still that third album had the name starting to spread more heavily. "Hate Me" was the band's only single to be released from Follow the Reaper, being released a couple of months before the album dropped. On the B-side to that single was a strange yet damn fun cover of "Hellion" which was originally written and recorded by W.A.S.P. in 1984, another example of how Children of Bodom is a mixing pot of a ton of different sounds in the metal and hard rock world. Depending the version of the album you get your hands on, they each have a cover or two aside from the original release. The version I have loved and abused is their re-released version that features the single version of "Hate Me" and also that afore mentioned W.A.S.P. cover. If you are a fan of the band, or simply liked the song from today, go check out the fun covers they do of "Shot in the Dark" from Ozzy Osbourne, "Aces High" from Iron Maiden, and a for the throat version of the Scorpions "Don't Stop at the Top". I am conflicted on which version of "Hate Me" I like more, the studio one has a little more clarity to it. The one from the single is more of a demo version, which is a little more grimy and mean, but I love the haunting yet crisp nature of the studio version, hence why it was chosen instead. I chose the track while giving the album another listen while I went on a long solo drive a county over to go crate digging for some more records. There were a couple of good albums that day, my favorite Cradle of Filth album Midian, the butt kicking The Dark Ride from Helloween, and the honestly underwhelming eleventh studio album from Overkill Bloodletting. Even with those goodies, the day was completely consumed by Children of Bodom with Follow the Reaper. "Hate Me" is the second most popular song from the album, the first being "Everytime I Die" which is sickeningly good so it is fair that it's the top streamed track from this album. I simply adore the intro to this track, that classic horror sound that gives way to a more power/epic metal guitar attack. Once vocalist and lead guitarist (impressive, I know) Alexi Laiho starts the vocals, it takes the form of something much heavier than what Symphony X and Rhapsody released with their epic metal style in 2000. Much like the majority of Children of Bodom songs, "Hate Me" just grows heavier and heavier as the song moves along. If there is somehow a point where you grow bored with a Children of Bodom song, give it 30 seconds and the next bit will flatten you. The example on "Hate Me" is at the 2:58 mark when the band slows it down to some gnarly and nasty playing that genuinely forces you to bang your head. I have come back to this album time and time again for those moments, and it was there when I audibly said "fuck yeah" and figured it was to be my song of the day. Well, hope this song gets you pumped! It is one that gives me chills each time, but that is the power of the band. Give the song a play! If you dig it, I cannot suggest this band enough to you! Fucking powerful and intense music! Enjoy!

​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 2000
Album: Follow the Reaper (2000)
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Mood: Haunting
​Perfect For: Being an evil and angry spirit, Banging your head, Playing loud, Praising the metal gods
Where To Next: "Interdimensional Summit" - Dimmu Borgir
Rating: 8 / 10

"Poor Poor Pitiful Me" - Linda Ronstadt

     Welcome readers! Thanks for stopping in during the holiday weekend. Hope your Thanksgiving was a good one, and you are resting up plenty during this long weekend. Unless you aren't lucky enough to get a long weekend, if that is the case then my apologies. This is actually my first year that I have had two days off for Thanksgiving, something that I am well.. thankful for. Anyway, I got a goodie for you today, actually don't I always?! Today we look at Linda Ronstadt, a woman that has been a titan in the female presence category in pop, folk, rock and country music. She has released a ton of albums! Her solo work alone is made up of 29 studio albums and 1 live album. She started out in the Stone Poneys, an underrated folk trio that I cannot get enough of, they released 3 studio albums from 1967-1968, all of which are solid gold! I am honestly shocked there was a Linda Ronstadt track on the website before a Stone Poneys one. Anyway, she also released two damn fine albums alongside Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris Trio in 1987 and Trio II in 1999. Easy to say that she has a serious amount of albums under her belt, most of which I thoroughly enjoy. She has been one of my longtime favorite female vocalists. Her southern twang backed by a rock n roll swagger left a serious impression on me. That and she has been one of my "celebrity crushes" for a long while. Everyone goes after Dolly Parton as the country hottie, they can have her, my hat is thrown in with Ronstadt. That or I agree with The Oak Ridge Boys on their track "Emmylou". Anyway, Linda Ronstadt is much more than a pretty face, she can sing boys, let me tell you! Her place in the Stone Poneys is really what made that trio shine brighter than the majority of folk rock and country rock groups out there. Even though I will say that those first two albums from them have Ronstadt coming off as kind of shy, she didn't fully bloom as a vocalist quite yet. She found that further into her solo career, but even that early stage is impressive. I love the Stone Poneys for how genuine they feel, just seems to be music made by mankind instead of some of Linda Ronstadt's solo work that you know was meant to be sung mighty pretty in front of spotlights and crowds. Go check out the Stone Poneys if you want a good time, I cannot suggest them enough and am always watching for those albums when out crate digging for some vinyl. The Stone Poneys third album is technically Linda Ronstadts first album more as a solo artist, I mean it is called Linda Ronstadt, Stone Poneys and Friends, Vol. III so it is both a Stone Poneys and a Linda Ronstadt one, but you could hardly tell the difference from their other two albums. So, I don't consider that her first solo album, but some out there do, her first one was Hand Sown... Home Grown in 1969. That is one pretty album, from the album cover to the last track. It, too, feels a lot like the Stone Poneys still, but there is a much heavier country lacing throughout the album. I mean, it contains plenty of covers of country tunes, but that is equaled by the folk covers. My favorite folk cover from this one being "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" and the best country one is her version of "Silver Threads and Golden Needles" in which she released a more rocking one on her fourth studio album Don't Cry Now in 1973. After her debut solo album, some eyes were moving her way and once she dropped some of the folk basing and jumped into country with her second album Silk Purse, she was established as an up-and-coming country heroine. 1972 saw her releasing her self-titled third album, an album that now joined rock into the sound which gave her the ability to be in various bins in music stores. We got the rock side now, already had the folk side, a little pop was mixed into the pot, but in the end she was a country artist. To save some time and your attention span, I will just grace over her next few albums until we get to the one that holds our song of the day.

     Her fourth solo album Don't Cry Now is one of my favorites from her, Heart Like a Wheel was her fifth solo album and is also the one that made her a star. That one is a ton more pop washed, but in all the best kind of ways, it was her first album to hit the top of the charts. 1975 had Prisoner in Disguise, which is another classic Ronstadt album, this one is more rock heavy and sees her leveling back out. Following her two platinum releases, she kept the energy up with her seventh album Hasten Down the Wind. She has been years into releasing top tier albums, stardom was well deserved and earned, but she went one step further with her eight studio album Simple Dreams which went multi platinum in many countries and held some of her most respected songs. It is within Simple Dreams that we have our song of the day, "Poor Poor Pitiful Me". Ronstadt is well known for her ability to cover a song and make it fully her own while still paying respect to the writers and original performing artists. She has gone so far to have infamously long liner notes thanking each and every person who helped the album along, be it her band, the business side of the music world, and most importantly those artists that she covered. Simple Dreams is heavily made up of covers, the most notable of which is her biggest hit "Blue Bayou" which was originally written and recorded by the Caruso of Rock, Roy Orbison. I cannot overstate how difficult it is to cover a Roy Orbison track. He is one of the most impressive vocalists in the rock and pop world! I am not saying that as the massive fan that I am, I am stating that from truth, plenty of musicians have said they only wish they could sing a fraction as well as Orbison. Linda Ronstadt does a wonderful job at the song, it has since been her signature song and is a leading force on why this album sold so damn well. The B-side to that single, and another stellar track off the album, is her version of Warren Zevon's "Poor Poor Pitiful Me". Now for fans of that song, you might be wondering how Ronstadt covered the track when there are some lines certainly situated for a male vocalist. That, and with it being Warren Zevon, his songs are often massively depressive and also rough around the edges. "Poor Poor Pitiful Me" talks about suicide and domestic abuse, so what is sweet little Ronstadt coving the track for? Well, simply put, she just altered the lyrics and left certain things out. The track was brought to Linda Ronstadt from Jackson Browne, another visionary with a golden pen, to see if she would take the song on. At first, she was like "how about no?" but after getting the green light from Zevon who wrote the song to change up the lyrics, she gave it a go. A smart move since this is one of the strongest singles from Simple Dreams. It was a hot selling single, and to make it better Terri Clark covered the song to massive success all the way in 1999, naturally she used the Ronstadt set of lyrics rather than Zevon's. I think that the Warren Zevon version is the best one, but it is neck to neck with the Ronstadt version. It is indeed easier to see which one is the prettier version, but Ronstadt could sing an angel to sleep. Simple Dreams is full of great songs, bold covers like "Tumbling Dice" from The Rolling Stones, the red-hot and smokin' cover of Buddy Holly's "It's So Easy", the two Zevon covers like our song of the day and "Carmelita", the mighty pretty duet with Dolly Parton on "I Never Will Marry", and so many other great tracks! This might be the best place for a budding fan to jump into Ronstadt, a daunting task since she has so many damn good albums, some of which can vary fairly heavily. Ronstadt isn't the type of country artist that is strictly for country fans, she is much like Johnny Cash in the regard that there is a ton of varying styles that can please just about any music fan out there. So if you find one track not to your liking, try out another! For today, I give to you "Poor Poor Pitiful Me" to do with what you will, but be sure to give the song a spin. Enjoy! 

​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1977
Album: Simple Dreams (1977)
Genre: Country Rock, Folk Rock
Mood: Country Fried
​Perfect For: Casual listening, Drinking at home
Where To Next: "Bluebird Wine" - Emmylou Harris
Rating: 8 / 10

"Helpline Operator" - The The

     You know what I love about this artist? That damn band name. It is dumb but strangely so effective! My girlfriend and I play a lot of music based games when driving around. Be it a guessing game, if she can guess correct years or artists, or whatever flavor we want for the game that go around. When we do the artist guessing game, one of my clues to explain 1960s bands like The Who, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Turtles, The Zombies, and so on and so forth without giving the artist away is calling them one of the "the bands". Well, The The took being a "the band" way too far by simply calling themselves The The. Damn stupidly great band name. That was the first thing I knew about the band well before I even jumped into their discography. You don't forget there is a band named The The, much like you don't forget The Band, it is such a simple name that you cannot believe it took someone so long to find fame under it. As for The The, they never gained immense fame but are still regarded as one of the best post-punk bands to date, a statement that I fully agree with. I was damn impressed after the first time I listened to their 1993 studio album Dusk for my first time. I was barely getting into the more mellow side of the alternative rock world and a ton of new wave action and I kept seeing one band name show up over and over again, the sillily named The The, so I decided on a whim just to pick an album at random and give it a spin. I liked the song title of "Slow Emotion Replay" so I figured I would start with Dusk which I find to have been a great choice even if some of their other albums like Soul Mining and Infected might be a tad bit better, but that is an opinion based thing since Dusk is known in the fandom as one of their strongest. I think what helps Dusk be one of The The's best releases is due to its time of release. It came along with a more alternative rock sound so it was in the company of some of the genre's best releases in 1993, but if you know anything about the visionary behind The The, Matt Johnson, there is layer after layer of sound which makes them more than just another alternative rock band. Sometimes The The can get to the point that it gives you a headache with how many things are going on at the same time, but I am all for it. Matt Johnson practically is The The, he started the group up as a solo project that included various artists in his set style. He did that up until it was decided to form a full band under the The The name (how many times can you type the?!). That band included other artists from the more artsy leaning side of new wave and pop of the time. Artists like the previous drummer of ABC David Palmer, Johnny Marr of The Smiths on the guitar, and bassist James Eller who was previously with Nick Lowe. Those three alongside Matt Johnson was a match made in heaven! That heaven is heard on the band's third studio album Mind Bomb, arguably the most "dancey" The The album out there. A damn fun album that replaces deep emotion for martinis on the beach, just an all around fun album that admittedly can grow stale in comparison to some of the other The The albums. If we have any Sinead O'Connor fans out there, be sure to stop in on that album to pick up "Kingdom of Rain", it is well worth your time! The The never really stayed in one place, both when it was a solo project by Matt Johnson, or when they were more of a band. Each album is stacked with a ton of musicians, all of which bring in their own presence with an impressive amount of varying instruments. You can dip your cup in almost any of The The wells and come away hydrated.

     For today, we come back to take a deeper look into the band's 4th studio album Dusk, my favorite from the band. The album is a trip, nothing more nothing less. One of those albums that exhaust you by the end of its playing time. A lot of that is due to The The being often fairly depressive. Even the happy sounding songs are laced with depression. A stylistic choice I never shy away from, since I love me some depressive songs. The other thing that makes this album drain you is the work you got to put into it. I find this album easy to fall in love with, but I won't lie that it takes a second to fully grab you. It is like a Yes album, at first it seems like oddity manifested in electric sound, but before you know it you are hooked. Fully sucked into a sound that is as natural as breathing, so long as you let it in. I think that is what made me fall in love with Dusk, it asks for your attention and once it has it fully it lays down some serious stuff. This isn't the kind of album I would give to a friend and say, you need to hear this! It is more so the kind of album that you keep solely for yourself. You are reborn within its folds, it is something personal. Yes, I know I am currently trying to get you to try the album out, but don't think of me when you listen to it. Think of yourself, think of the large assortment of musicians creating a memorable album, think of the past and the future and lose yourself in the present. My favorite song off the album is our song of the day, "Helpline Operator". This song seems to always come up at odd times for your author. The times when life feels heavy. When that numb feeling of a long day feels like it will last forever. That or even the melancholy moments of life. The simple enjoyment of distant mountains, the happy thoughts of a warm home with those you love, and other things that are so close yet so far while your personal responsibilities keep your desires just out of reach. I know the intro to "Helpline Operator" all too well. A smooth intro that starts off jazzy and then moves into a mellow funk. This is the kind of music meant for those melancholy moments while you travel from point A to point B lost in thought. It makes you feel like a stranger within your own britches. I love the funky nature of the song, and that feeling never fades away. It seems to have come out of the 1970s, produced in the 1980s, and put into work in the 1990s. It has the greatest of each of those decades. The track is strangely lusty but never overwhelmingly so, it isn't the song's intent. These types of tracks that feel lusty but also feel like they came from the streets of the big city are meant for city lights. It feels like the fool of the tarot deck, a track of unlimited potential. This song can work when you are gettin' down and dirty, it can work when you are feeling low down, it serves its purpose well as you get ready for a night out, but still is there to help along a hungover morning as you drag your sorry ass out of bed to face the day. The track is a touch repetitive, but there is no need to dwell on that when it has this tasty of an atmosphere. A mid-length song just coming in shy of 5 minutes, but it doesn't feel like it. It could have been 30 minutes long or 1:30 minutes long. You get sent out into the stratosphere and seem to be watching yourself listening to the track. A great song put together phenomenally that I am certain will please your ears and soul. It easily gets the title of my favorite track from the album, though the singles "Love Is Stronger Than Death", "Slow Emotion Replay", and "Dogs of Lust" are might powerful tracks. Plenty of great songs off this album, so do yourself a favor and add it to your "need to listen" list. While you are at it, maybe add a few more because The The will leave you impressed each and every time. As for today, simply take a piece of the The The pie with "Helpline Operator". Enjoy! 

​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1993
Album: Dusk (1993)
Genre: Alternative Rock, Jazz Fusion, New Wave
Mood: Pleasurable
​Perfect For: Night drives in the city, Staring at a city skyline, Making love, Drinking middle shelf gin
Where To Next: "Loser Gone Wild" - Electric Light Orchestra
Rating: 8 / 10

"Wait for You" - Bonham

     For those of you out there that did a little of your rock homework, you might recognize the name of the band. Bonham was put together by the son of John Bonham, one of the best drummers of all time from the almighty Led Zeppelin. Jason Bonham himself is still a stand-up drummer, not as insanely talented as his father, but how can you even start to compare another drummer to John Bonham? He literally is a god with those sticks. Anyway, Jason Bonham put together his own band in 1988 simply titled Bonham. The name altered throughout the band's brief history, being called Motherland in 1994 and then The Jason Bonham Band from 1995-1999. Bonham only put out 4 studio albums, and only one gathered some attention, mainly due to the track we have here today, "Wait for You". When I was first moving through their discography for my studies, I had insanely high hopes and expectations. Were those desires met? Sadly.... no. Don't get me wrong, it is some straight-up good hard rock, but to carry the Bonham name comes with some serious expectations. It isn't fair, I know, but it was the same for Mammoth (Wolfgang Van Halen), Hank Williams Jr. (and Jr. and Jr. and Jr.), Julian Lennon, The Wallflowers, Rosanne Cash, and any other offspring of one of music's brightest stars. It is hard not to do it, and the times that they come out on top really make me love them more. Most of them impress me, but I will admit that I wasn't all too impressed with Bonham. I think Jason Bonham shines best in the band Black Country Communion, and also I thought it was a ton of fun that he played drums for the Jimmy Page solo album Outrider, and also to see him drumming his dads most famous pieces on the Led Zeppelin live movie/album Celebration Day was a treat. He really does have the talent, just wonder why he didn't let it shine through on the Bonham albums. I guess the second studio album Mad Hatter had some great drumming pieces, but that debut which gained some fame is too washed in the glam metal sound to let the drums come on too strong. Well, it is still fun that he had some albums of his own. He didn't ride on his dad's coattails, which would have been easy to do. I wonder how it feels to play your father's songs, and it would be even more surreal to play alongside his former bandmates on tour. Now, growing up the kid of one of rock's biggest icons already sets you on a path that hardly any of us could understand, but still it would be weird. Anyway, Bonham might have been a failure of a project. Internal conflict and intense touring splintered the band early on and only made it so the prime line up lasted for two studio albums. I wish I could be flipping out about how much I love this band or album like I typically do, but it simply isn't there. Their one big hit "Wait for You" is indeed a damn good one though, so maybe we will just get into that and the album it comes off of.

     "Wait for You" was the main reason that the band's debut album The Disregard of Timekeeping sold decently and made it to the 38 spot on the charts. It achieved gold status and got plenty of radio play. The thing that stopped it from going farther is its style. In a lot of ways, it sounds a shitload like Led Zeppelin. That wouldn't be an issue since bands trying to sound like Led Zeppelin was damn common, shit, it is still going on even today. Now, a kid to the band playing in Led Zeppelin style is just asking for backlash. No matter what kid takes up the stage in the footsteps of their parent, it always seems to leave a bad taste in peoples mouths when they sound like their parents. I can get that, but it would be hard not to, especially if you wanted some quick cash or to get your name out there via word of mouth. Bonham is just too close, they should have gone with a different vocalist since Daniel MacMaster, while talented, sounds a ton like Robert Plant, just with a little less sexual tension. The use of varying percussion and keyboards certainly gives a Robert Plant solo work kind of vibe, especially within that chorus. Still, it is a worthwhile style that has been tried and true since forever. Led Zeppelin also weren't saints when it came to stealing sounds and making it their own, so why should bands stealing from them feel ashamed? Maybe it is more right when you are the kid of a member of Led Zeppelin. I think this track could have been a serious hit if it was done right. Another band might have become stars. There is no denying that Bonham put out a killer track, this would be a great one to have as your "one". The chorus is gripping, the atmosphere is both romantic and wanderlusty, and through and through it simply reeks of 1980s glam rock/metal in all the best of ways. The album might not be the best one out there, but this one song is well worth full price. Lyrically it is pretty straight forward, the skill in which MacMaster belts those lines is damn good. Guitar work is tame but good, the same is to be said about the bass, and the drumming is great but that is to be expected with the band's name and all. The recording of this track and the album are damn clean. They had Bob Ezrin producing the album, so they were in safe hands. He has worked wonders with a ton of legendary bands, and this album's recording does show that off wonderfully. Well, I hope you dig the song! I know this post is a short post, but there really ain't much to say, so I will let the music do the talking! Enjoy! 

​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1989
Album: The Disregard of Timekeeping (1989)
Genre: Hard Rock, Glam Metal
Mood: Late Night Romance
​Perfect For: Driving in the city at night, Romantic nights, Casual listening
Where To Next: "29 Palms" - Robert Plant
Rating: 8 / 10

"Hey Then, There Now" - Bill Haley & His Comets

     Time for another post, time for more quality rock n roll music! Today we have Bill Haley & His Comets coming in hot! We chose sort of an oddity track from the discography, but we will get to that. Bill Haley is one of the many visionary musicians that brought us rock n roll. Now, that beast was gaining traction for a hot minute before Bill Haley came along within gospel, jump blues, and country music, but Bill Haley was one of the strongest to really solidify the sound and popularize it. It gained him the moniker "the father of rock 'n' roll", a title that has been challenged, but in the end there is no denying the impact the man had on the early days of rock music. His iconic rendition of "Rock Around the Clock" was the first ever chart topping rock song in both the US and the UK, and went on to be an anthem for rebellious youth across the nation. It is easily one of the most important rock n roll songs to ever come along. For any budding music historians out there, I strongly suggest starting there. Not only because it was one of the places I started, but it gives you a wonderful idea of music at the time. Before "Rock Around the Clock" and after are day and night. There was rock n roll before this track, but this was the one to really set things off to the wider audience. A rallying call to all those that want to rock and those that want to roll. Bill Haley & His Comets had a ton of other charting hits, some of which were just as important to the progression of rock music as "Rock Around the Clock". You gotta love their cover of Big Joe Turner's "Shake, Rattle and Roll", and while it doesn't hold a candle to the original, it is the spirit of early rock music. I could go on for days about the amount of great songs that Bill Haley put out. Music was in his blood from birth, both his mother and his father played music at home, his mom was even professionally trained in piano work. Seeing all of that, Bill Haley wanted to join the party, and after he expressed some interest in guitar, they went ahead and bought him one. It seems to be a revolving theme with the biggest of names in music, if your kid expresses interest in music then back it up full-heartedly. Unless it is the flute. Just kidding. Haley left home at 15 with guitar in hand, and as you would expect from these kinds of tales, he about starved himself to death but luckily eventually joined in with a local group called the Down Homers. In time, Haley went on to start up his own band that played western swing. After some local success, Bill Haley renamed the band to Bill Haley with Haley's Comet and they released their first charting single "Crazy, Man Crazy" in 1953 which is still one of the best Bill Haley & His Comets song out there. It is also one of the many songs in the constant argument of "the first rock n roll song recorded", I don't agree with that but I would say that it is probably the first rockabilly one. The Bill Haley name was finally out there for all to see. Following that Bill Haley & His Comets put out "Rock Around the Clock" which was a moderate hit at its time but after the massive success in the UK and the US with their cover of "Shake, Rattle and Roll" and "Rock Around the Clock" being the opening song to the rock n roll cult classic film Blackboard Jungle it was rediscovered and blew up! He became the rock icon before Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, and Little Richard. What made his sound popular to the blues, R&B, and country fans was the skilled melding of all those together with a swinging style. For a guy that couldn't see out of his left eye, he did mighty well for himself and ushered in a whole genre that controlled the air waves for well over 50 years.

     Like I mentioned at the start of the post, this isn't the best example of who Bill Haley & His Comets are. Honestly, it is a weird one. I mean, a proud addition to the website and also a great one from the discography, but it stylistically isn't the same as the core Bill Haley sound for the most part. "Hey Then, There Now" comes off of the group's first traditional studio album, but it was the 4th album overall, with the others being compilations of previously released singles. 1956 was one hell of a year for rock n roll. It was the year of Elvis Presley. The year the king released his first and second studio albums and a ton of world changing singles, that in itself makes it a powerful year, but there was also the rockabilly goldmine self-titled album from Johnny Burnette & the Rock 'n' Roll Trio. Countless decade defining singles came out from artists like Chuck Berry, Clarence "Frogman" Henry, Charlie Feathers, Little Richard, Carl Perkins, and so many more artists that were in the act of crafting that rock n roll sound. The cherry on top was the first official studio album from Bill Haley & His Comets, Rock 'n' Roll Stage Show. At this point Bill Haley was a well known name in the music world, he was the father of rock n roll after all. All these new players were playing songs that sounded just like his but a bit quicker and guitar heavy. He set the playing field, but the players were playing harder than the rules he set up. So he kept up with it on this album. One thing I love about this album is how Bill Haley took the spotlight away from himself, he gave the rest of the Comets a place in the frontline. For example, Bill Haley only sings vocals on 5 out of 12 tracks. For our song of the day, we have the band's lead guitarist Franny Beecher leading the vocals. It isn't the singing that Beecher was known for, he is known for bringing some serious guitar solos to rock music, the same solos many different guitarists of the time were heavily studying and sampling. He is also the leading cause on why Bill Haley has this almost jazz feeling to it. Anyway, on Rock 'n' Roll Stage Show he sings our song of the day "Hey Then, There Now" and also "Tonight's the Night" both of which are some of my favorites off the album. I won't lie, I might have said "my favorites" for each track, since this album is potent. Still, he is a fun singer that brings in an almost more parlor singing style in comparison to Bill Haley's jump blues-ish singing. "Hey Then, There Now" comes after the band performs their meek and mild "Hide and Seek" and before "Goofin' Around". From my many times listening through this album, I always use this point to switch the laundry or grab a drink, not because the tracks are weak but more so since they are just fun little tracks that don't require full focus. "Hey Then, There Now" is certainly a lovey-dovey kind of track, but that was your meal ticket during this teenage fever period of rock history. You need ones to dance to, and then you need the ones to rest and cuddle after the dancing, which is exactly what this track is. It is swing and jazz forward, and while this one has the guitarist tied up on vocals, there is still a damn smooth saxophone solo. Shit, that saxophone is the leading force of this track. We cannot count out that chorus, too, it will be stuck in your head for hours following this song. All around a damn fine track. The album is made up of a ton of them. Bill Haley might not be as swaggery as Elvis Presley, might not be as guitar forward as Chuck Berry, not as impactful as Fats Domino, or beautiful as Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers, but what they are is a swinging blast! No other group from the time is as fun to listen to as Bill Haley & His Comets. His historical impact is huge for rock n roll, and the massive amount of singles and albums put out by the band are all great. If you are someone who likes that early rock n roll, then I beg of you to try out some more Bill Haley. If you are someone who wants a history lesson, go check out some more Bill Haley. If you are limited on time, then this track will do for now, but be sure to come back! I love that rock n roll! Enjoy! 

​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1956
Album: Rock 'n' Roll Stage Show (1956)
Genre: Rock and Roll
Mood: Cutesy
​Perfect For: Casual listening, Date night, Romantic moonlit drives, Kissing your partner
Where To Next: "I'm in Love Again" - Fats Domino
Rating: 7 / 10

"If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out" - Cat Stevens

      We just got done talking about rock n roll royalty, how about we now show some love to the folk royalty? I can think of few better choices in that regard than Cat Stevens, modernly known as Yusuf Islam. Cat Stevens in his time has released a ton of albums, some of which defined what folk and folk rock was in the late 1960s into the early 1970s. Bob Dylan brought forth thought-provoking questions, Donovan reminded us of our roots within the mountains and the sea, Joni Mitchell answered those thought-provoking questions, but Cat Stevens was the one to explain the common existence between man. He blissfully sang the tales of broken homes and broken hearts. He wore his emotions on the sleeve so we didn't have to. 29 studio albums are accredited to his varying stage names, with many more compilations and live albums to boot. I personally have ever only listened through his Cat Stevens material, so I am not too sure what is to be expected within his Yusuf material aside from the small handful of tracks that I sampled after finishing the mellow 1978 studio album Back to Earth. I feel I should go and give them all a listen, but I shall do that once I take the full plunge into the folk related music section of my studies. Cat Stevens isn't solely folk, something I should have made clear earlier, but his legacy mostly rests within that genre. It is within that sound we had some of the best songs and albums. Albums like Tea for the Tillerman, Teaser and the Firecat, Matthew and Son, Mona Bone Jakon, and the more soft rock leaning Buddha and the Chocolate Box. Outside his strong folk material he played around with plenty of both traditional pop and pop of the time styles, plenty of soft rock, and even played around with the synthesizer laced pop/rock sound that came along with force nearing the end of the 1970s. No matter what style you jump into during his prime material, you can tell each song is a passion project. Each one is meant to talk to you as much as it talked to himself. Cat Stevens released plenty of songs that defined a whole decade, most of which still speak to the youth and elderly of the modern day. It is easy to get behind music, impressive as all hell, but nothing that makes you feel like a stranger while listening to it. Most of the songs from his Cat Stevens material is meant to be taken at face value, he tells things straight with a strong guitar picking along smoothly on his lap. You can see how this type of music never loses value. You can see how the topics talked about by the folk legends stuck around. It is issues we all deal with on the daily, both the simple and the complicated. Folk music is all about the common man, all about the definition of existence no matter how cruel or blissful it may be. Cat Stevens knew all too well what life was about, he had a mixing of both the good and the bad as a kid. He found his escape within art, the passion which drove him as a child, where he saw himself as a cartoon drawer in the future. Though like many that grew up in the early 1960s, there was a certain band that altered his path forever, and that was The Beatles and fellow British beat bands that revived rock music. Naturally, you can only take in so much of one style, so his other heavy influence was artists like Bob Dylan and Simon & Garfunkel. Throw in some other influences such as the blues and classical music, and you have yourself the perfect hotpot of music to create Cat Stevens. He kept his deep-rooted love for all things art, but instead of drawing characters, he wrote about characters, and soon enough those characters had songs of their own. He quickly got to work getting his music out there, and luckily for both him and us, the world was waiting for him.

     Everyone knows tracks like "Wild World", "Peace Train", and "Father and Son" but let me give you one that blows those out of the water! I guess it is unfair to compare tracks to each other, since each are wonderful in their own right, but our song of the day is seriously hard to beat. I wish I could be saying "look at this hidden track you have never heard" but let's not forget who we are talking about today, Cat Stevens, a folk music legend, so there is a good chance you have heard the track before today. What? You want me just to get on with it? Alright alright, I guess I can't fault someone for sitting on the edge of their seats for this one. I give to you, dear readers, "If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out". Please, hold your applause until the end of the song. Tracks like this deserve your full attention, after all. This song makes life worth living. It gives you strength in the darkest of moments. It makes the most mundane of sights turn into a painting. It might sound extreme, especially with the calm nature of this song, but I stand by my claims. The simplicity of it all is what makes it such a powerful track. It is the kind of music made from the earth, it is as natural as a mother's love or the cold winds coming from the sea. A positive song that makes life seem... doable. Myself, like most of us out there, each day is unsatisfying, you always stress on being on the right path. This track makes it clear there is no set path in life, there's a million things to do. So long as you are drawing breath, there are no chains to fully stop you from altering the path of life. Death is the ultimate judge, that is true, but it is up to you to decide how you meet the reaper. The path of life is often rocky, it is filled with the good, the bad, and the ugly, but in the end it is simply life, nothing more nothing less. If you want to sing out, sing out, is a simple yet powerful set of words. A secret guide to life is shown to you in the song's short playing time of under 3 minutes. You learn more within "If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out" than it seems you learn in one or more years of traditional schooling. This song never made it onto a studio album, though it was put together during the time Cat Steven was recording his iconic fourth studio album Tea for the Tillerman which holds most of his most famous tracks. The song was recorded for the 1971 movie Harold and Maude, it was one of many of the songs that Cat Stevens wrote for the movie. There was never a soundtrack release for the album until 2007, nor did "If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out" ever get released on as a single. It wasn't until Cat Stevens released the compilation Footsteps in the Dark: Greatest Hits Vol. 2 in 1984 that the song saw the light of day. Could you imagine if this song never came along?! A completely hidden gem for it's time for people like myself that don't watch too many movies or shows. Anyway, I have never seen Harold and Maude, and truth be told it sounds like a plain odd movie, but I would be tempted to watch the movie just for this song since it is a great one. I appreciate the movie even though I haven't seen it, simply because the soundtrack was put together by Cat Stevens. I chose the song for the song of the day as my girlfriend and I were chasing down the perfect spot to see airplanes land and take off around the airport. We found a few that hit the spot. One of the roads was this wide one with a great back view of the airport. No crowds, hardly any workers around, and aside from intimidating fences there was an unobstructed view of the airplanes taking off. There was something poetic about this song playing as we watched man's defiance of the gods and growing wings as weary travelers depart to their destinies in lands far away. Man's infatuation with travel and the many forms of it is the ultimate example on how many paths there are to be taken in life. You could on a whim jump on a plane and change your whole path in life. I could do it right now. Yet I choose to stay. To fly or be too scared to fall. To live a life as a fly or a day as an eagle. Born to ramble, destined to roost. Life is simply choices. Decisions and responsibilities. No matter what, always do what you deem worthwhile. So long as you aren't hurting others with your choices, you are living a good life. If you want to run, then run, if you want to stay, then stay, if you want to sing out, sing out. Enjoy! 

​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1984
Year Recorded: 1971
Chosen Release: Tea for the Tillerman: Super Deluxe Edition (2020)
Genre: Folk, Folk Rock
Mood: Happy
​Perfect For: Adventures, Walks, Hikes, Drives, Loafing around, Thinking possitive
Where To Next: "Sugar Mountain" - Neil Young
Rating: 9 / 10

"Rock 'n' Roll Train" - AC/DC

     Give way to rock n roll royalty! Today we take another look at the band that inspired the name of this website, and inspired a whole generation to dedicate their life to the flames of rock glory. There are few better hard rock groups out there, and even less that survived the test of time so well and made it into each decade from the 1970s on. AC/DC are gods in the rock world, and for all the right reasons. Their brand of raunchy rock n roll left a serious lasting impression on the world. They are one of the highest selling artists of all time, and they did that without hardly ever changing their style. A classic example of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". AC/DC gets some grief due to that, but who the hell cares? Obviously, people dig it and still to this day dig it, so those that get too caught up on musical expansion can stick it. I would say AC/DC had 3 main stages. They had the Bon Scott era (my favorite) which was raunchy and rough around the edges. It is within this first stage from their debut in 1975 up until Bon Scott's death following their rock essential Highway to Hell in 1979 that AC/DC was in their heaviest and honestly most impressive from. I ain't talking down on the later two time periods, but I can't help but praise the fuck out of the Bon Scott material. Those albums literally crafted me as a human, and I will die a tremendous AC/DC fan, like so many other rockers out there. Anyway, following Bon Scott's death, they had the iconic raspy vocalist Brian Johnson join on in and released Back in Black in 1980 which is the second best-selling album in music history. This ushered in a time when they replicated that Back in Black style over and over again, which kept on selling like hot cakes all throughout the 1980s and the 1990s. Many great albums, and admittedly some of their weaker ones like Fly on the Wall & Flick of the Switch, but for a band like AC/DC their weaker ones are some other band's best albums. Anyway, the 1980s saw AC/DC abusing the same old sound but losing a little bit of that heavy touch we saw in the Bon Scott era. Up until AC/DC released their tough as nails The Razors Edge in 1990 and thrusted their name back into being in everyone's face. The album was heavier and did a wonderful job of melding the two AC/DC styles up until that point. It is an essential album, and many would agree that it is one of their best, even being 15 years into releasing studio albums. A great album that everyone should take on at least once in their life, but good luck stopping there, it simply doesn't ever grow old. Following that album, the band started their touring and took 5 years to release their fittingly titled thirteenth studio album Ballbreaker in 1995. Another classic, but it saw the band moving back into that core Brian Johnson era sound, for better or worse. Practically all the hard rock legends of days past had a strange run moving into the music world of the 2000s. The fan base and world was much different, and also the recording was a ton more cleaned up and pretty. For bands like AC/DC that thrive on the more raunchy recording, they were put in a precarious spot. Be stubborn and keep on with the old ways, or move into something a little more cleaned up but a little more bland. In 2000 AC/DC released their Stiff Upper Lip, one we have talked about previously, and through and through it was a good album even if it was a touch more polished. It doesn't get the same love as some of the band's other material, but it is still a worthwhile album to listen through with a beer in hand. While Stiff Upper Lip didn't gather too much attention, their next album gathered a shitload and showed that AC/DC were gods of hard rock for a reason.

     Black Ice released in 2008 and consumed that year. It kept the core AC/DC style and held it before the light to rock the nation's all over again. It is a great album, and if I would be so bold to say, one of their best ones. I have a bias admittedly since have adored this album since its release. I got the CD when I was a kid as a present since I was obsessed with the track "Rock 'n' Roll Train". A pretty edition with pullout pictures and everything, probably some form of a deluxe release. Then the following school year had me repping notebooks and folders with the album cover on it. Simpler times. Anyway, I love the album and even the slightly weaker tracks shine as rock n roll heaven for me. The album feels like it was recorded in the same way as the band's prime material from decades back. It still brings in that bluesy backing that Stiff Upper Lip had but worked it in wonderfully between heavy hitting tracks. The track "War Machine" won the Grammy for best hard rock performance, and the album itself was nominated for plenty of other awards, and by the end of the year it was the second-hottest selling album of the year falling just a little bit behind Coldplay's Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends. Crazy that the band pulled that off damn far into their career, so far that the band was now starting to deal with the woes of aging. The saddest being that his was the last album with Malcolm Young on rhythm guitar who was there since the start alongside his brother Angus who is the face and lead guitarist of the band. He started dealing with dementia and other health related issues and ultimately passed away before the band got back into the studio for 2014's Rock or Bust. No matter the age, it is clear that the band played with the ferocity and knack of musicians half their age. I promise you, it was hard to avoid this album back in the day, it felt like a second coming for the original hard rock sound of days gone by. One of my favorite songs off the album is the intro track "Rock 'n' Roll Train". It is a song that is synonymous with AC/DC, it is one of their most famous track and has shown up on countless commercials, movies, shows, and other forms of media. One of those "hype tracks" that AC/DC is well known for, the two biggest ones off the album being "War Machine" and "Rock 'n' Roll Train". The album spawned 4 singles, the leading one being our song of the day. I think it was a strange move for AC/DC to put all their heaviest hitters near the start of the album, but I guess it wasn't unheard of for them to do that in the past. I personally love when a band mixes in the best tracks throughout the album, it always helps spice it up when there are weaker ones. Black Ice for me doesn't have any weak ones, but once again this album popped my ear cherries for hard rock when I was a kid, so that bias is there proudly. "Rock 'n' Roll Train" is a pretty straight forward track. It kicks off in regular AC/DC style, with a serious kick in the gut that gets you grooving subconsciously. Brian Johnson sings strongly with proud lyricism that gets you pumped before that heavily used chorus kicks into gear. This is the type of track that makes you damn proud to be a rock n roll fanatic. A damn good time that goes down smooth. A constant steady beat keeps pace and with it being not much of a showy track it is accessible by anyone with ears. Steady, heavy, and a shitload of fun! The whole band bristles with commanding power in the track. An essential AC/DC track that I am sure all of you already know. I find it funny that AC/DC still hasn't had a track here from their earlier work. Only two songs have been covered so far and both were out of the 2000s, but that only goes to show that they kept that power and appeal throughout their career. Black Ice is a good album to pick up and enjoy, and while it lacks some of the pedal to the metal rock fever that the Bon Scott era had, they reinforced their sound leading up to this point to be a hot second to their famous Back in Black. Well, give the track a listen. Enjoy some top shelf rock music! Enjoy! 

​​​​​​​Year Released: 2008
Album: Black Ice (2008)
Genre: Hard Rock
Mood: Strengthening
​Perfect For: Casual listening, Going for a drive, Getting pumped, Sporting events
Where To Next: "Hair of the Dog" - Nazareth
Rating: 9 / 10

"Enforcer" - Leeway

​     Welcome readers to today's post! We have had some chill tracks for the last two days, so how about we jump back into something that will get the blood racing?! Today we look at a hidden gem in the crossover trash metal world. I guess Leeway are more than just crossover thrash. They never quite made the big time but tried multiple times with varying sounds. Their debut album saw the band fronting a crossover thrash sound with a much heavier emphasis on hardcore punk. The follow-up album, Desperate Measures, had a more competent sound and focused a little more on the thrash aspect of crossover thrash. Adult Crash, their third album, took the band to a place where they tried to stab at the more mainstream metal sound of the time, but even then they couldn't break out. That is the core of heavy metal though, come along to fuck shit up and leave in the same fashion. Very few made it into the limelight, and if they did, it was luck, piss, and vinegar that got them there. A lot of it is luck, it is coming around at the right place and right time, much like any other genre. Metal heads are infamous for shunning new sounds, it often takes 4 years for a subgenre to find a true crowd and get their scene noted down by metal bookkeepers such as myself. Sadly, crossover thrash had a pretty short main scene, but within that time we had crazy potent bands coming out of many different corners of the nation. Leeway came along near the final days of the genre's prime years, D.R.I. was still releasing some of the genre's most essential albums like Thrash Zone, but a lot of the other big names were altering their sound. Some went the rap metal route, some got more funky and lost some of their punk roots like Suicidal Tendencies, Corrosion of Conformity was about to take their turn into sludge metal and alternative metal, and a lot of the others just straight up dropped off the face of the planet. I think if Leeway came along and released their debut Born to Expire just a little earlier, they would have had a damn successful place amongst the most mighty of bands of the subgenre. What they did have for them, is that time and place. They are from New York City, and for those punkers out there, you would know that nearing the end of the 1980s hardcore punk was doing mighty well in the big apple. Leeway was along for that ride, and it was their placement alongside bands like Stormtroopers of Death that crossover thrash had a place in the East Coast hardcore music world. So, while Leeway didn't have their new album in the windows of record shops, they still left a lasting impact on hardcore punk and thrash metal. Now, how come they faded into obscurity? A band with this much damn power easily should have been branded on the metal god's asses. Well, it is as simple as the test of time. Shockingly, crossover thrash didn't fare too well in the race against father time. Suicidal Tendencies are the one who truly survived and kept the style up for a hot minute, albeit a much more funky version (I am listening to their 10th studio album as we speak), but overall the genre faded. It breaks my heart. I used to see much more talk and praise of the subgenre ten years ago, but it seems to be one of the ones that are to fade. It boils my blood but reinforces my will to keep this website up to spread the word of the gods of rock n roll. So many damn good groups are being lost. I cannot tell if the streaming era is hastening it or making it better. Like most modern things, it might just be in my face more often and has always been a thing. I guess it is the natural order for most bands to fall into the value basket and then ultimately fade away. Time moves along, public interest changes weekly, so maybe I cannot fight the tide, but that doesn't stop me from trying and preaching all things rock music. Getting off-topic. Let's just get into the song, shall we?

     "Enforcer" is the ultimate place to jump into the band, it is their most famous for a reason. It comes off the band's debut album out of 1989, Born to Expire. Wait... shit... did that album title just tie into my previous rant?! Did they know? Or is it just an edgy album title? Anyway, let's not let the album fade away! The best way to do just that is stopping what you are doing and give this white-knuckle hell ride a play. Out of the albums I have listened to from Leeway's small discography, this one is easily their best, even if the others show off their growth as musicians better. What makes this one stand so strong is it being more hardcore punk than thrash metal on a good portion of tracks. That thrash is there, and man is it there in force, but it tends to only be there so long as there aren't any vocals. Just check out that intro to "Enforcer", it is something you would expect out of Testament, but when those vocals come into play it quickly melds into something a little more punky and pissed. This album and song are a metal and punk match made in heaven. One of the best possible examples on how thrash metal and hardcore punk were destined to make a bastard child. Two warring factions finally came together to share a beer while Born to Expire thumped along in the background. It has always been odd to me the two genres clashed, but I guess metal heads are known to be opinionated and the same is easily said about punks. Leeway about caught fists for melding the two sounds earlier than some bands while they were still just some fat lipped kids playing aggressive shows in a heavily hardcore punk covered territory. Half of the crowds couldn't stand to hear this new style of punk music, one that brought in more texture and thought out licks, complete sacrilege. Though those that dug it went on to replicate the style into their own music, and hence we have a subgenre. I really do wish that Leeway released this album sooner, I think those in California would have loved it! It is genuinely the best of both worlds. It isn't shocking "Enforcer" is their claim to fame, it is one mean ass song. A nice long intro of a thrash invasion that serves its purpose well of getting your hackles raised and your heart rate up. That is when the aggressive lyrics with a violent nature come along. Lyrics that beg you to test a motherfucker. Those two things mixed together serve up a platter of a song just waiting to get moshed to. I am sure this one got people going back in the day. Hardcore punk is typically a genre you can turn your brain off and lend your body to the raw energy of the music, but Leeway doesn't want that from you. They want you along for the whole damn ride, no matter how hot it might get. The rest of the album is just that, it doesn't stick in one place, even if it is a little more punk friendly. They experimented with rapping, doom metal, and even had some funky tracks to keep the brain ticking and listening. Still, even with all that experimentation and plenty of great songs off the first two albums, there is no topping the aggressive ass "Enforcer". But why take my word for it? Maybe just give the song a spin and see what I mean. When I say that Leeway could have rivaled some of the big names out there, it is this song that would have their name being sowed onto battle vests across the nation. I am glad to have had a lesser known beast on the website, and even more proud to be able to share it with you. It is their most famous song, so there is a chance you might have heard it before. If that is you, then try out the rest of the album, it is not one to disappoint. A powerful and potent pile driver. Enjoy! 

​​​​​​Year Released: 1989
Album: Born to Expire (1989)
Genre: Crossover Thrash Metal
Mood: Violent
​Perfect For: Moshing, Feeling punchy, Having too much caffeine, Working out, Manual labor
Where To Next: "Big Mouth" - Gorilla Biscuits
Rating: 9 / 10

"Heart Fog" - The Faith Healers

     Hidden gem incoming! I love when we get a group that really needs the love here. Bands lost to the test of time, but deserve some of the same attention as the legends we talk about here often. There have been thousands of bands scattered to the wind, albums of quality that get outshined due to improper timing or simply since they weren't as potent as some of the other big names out there. It takes time and dedication. Balance and vision. Overall, it takes doing something you love, and doing it good. If the music is there, you will always find yourself a fan. The Faith Healers had a healthy, albeit small fan base, and still find new ears to invade all these years later. They made a fan out of me, but I will admit that it is a hit-and-miss ordeal for me. The Faith Healers are an experimental rock group, one that leans hard into noise rock with an indie based atmosphere. They are a fairly new band to me, I have only been jamming their two albums since I discovered them a little over a year back. Their debut album Lido popped into my studies at just the right time. I was just barely starting a new job, all that confusion and stress was overwhelming but that was soothed by indie rock, dream pop, and shoegaze showing up more in my studies of the 19990s. I went through a ton of new bands albums, most of which were enjoyable, but I didn't gather too many shining tracks since those songs were served best with their accompanying tracks within the album. Luckily for you and I, the same thing didn't happen to The Faith Healers. I walked away with a fairly impressive amount of collected tracks, especially off the band's second and final studio album, Imaginary Friend. The Faith Healers are the type of group that weaponize repetition. It is often unsettling and hypnotic to the point that you will want to satisfy that itch time and time again. Sadly, the band only was together for 4 years from 1990-1994. They only had two studio albums and a handful of EPs, but some things are best when short-lived. I think this style would have needed expansion in the later years if they kept on, nothing wrong with being a short-lived band that still managed to put out some damn fine pieces of music. Not everything has to change the world, there is always a place for one's soul to reach another in the form of droned out atmospheric indie rock.

     "Heart Fog" is the band's most popular release on Spotify, and I think that is a great track to have as your champion. I dug that first album from the band, it was hypnotic and expressionist, but the more set vibe of their second album Imaginary Friend is intoxicating. They somehow pull off this feeling that is equally stressful and peaceful. The tracks are the perfect length for the most part, if they went a little longer it would grow stale, but if it ended too soon you wouldn't fall into that trance you can tell they are trying to lull you with. I love these kinds of albums that feel so homey, it feels like a band you could go see tonight at your local venue and have a great time. The early 1990s were chockful of these kinds of bands, mainly since people were leaving behind the cocaine addled glitter that consumed the 1980s and were longing for more of an underground style that was unlike what their parents have been force fed on the radio for the last decade or more. It wasn't incredibly impressive playing, nor was it lyrical themes that revolved around daily issues. It was music that expressed frustrations through heavy distortion, dreamy atmosphere that melts away the day like water droplets eating away a sugar cube. The Faith Healers put out an underrated gem of emotion with this album. I love the album cover too, it is strangely uplifting and is a reminder of simpler days. I feel forever fortunate I was able to be a child right before this technology age completely consumed the United States and robbed future generations of their childhood. Who knows, maybe theirs is more enjoyable now, but the world is a strange place and I doubt it is remotely the same. I was right in between. I grew up in the old-fashioned way for better or worse and grew up alongside all these advancements. This album cover speaks loudly to me, it is memories of childhood. The joy of your toy, a swing, and your imaginary friend. It is an album cover that explains the music within wonderfully. There is a constant silence behind the noise in "Heart Fog" which is unsettling but welcoming. You can get lost within its style, within the negative spaces. One of the best parts of this song is once you get taken out of the confusion at the 2:15 mark and the band moves into the more jam orientated rock sound. Vocals from Roxanne Stephen are almost impossible to understand, but you don't need the words since you can feel what she is saying from raw emotion. Once the band is in full swing, you can see why they fall into the noise rock category. The whole track feels planned while sporadic. There is the artsy fartsy kick, but they still manage to keep it tangible, controlled, and smooth enough to hook just about anyone. It is all about the guitar on the track, it is the watch that keeps you hypnotized. The whole time you wonder what it is going to do next. It becomes an annoying fly one moment, but then clucks away like a chicken the next. Ups and downs. Chaos and control. Ugly beauty. What The Breeders might have sounded like in their early days. Anyway, I don't know what else to say, so I will just let you get to listening to the song. Enjoy a shorter post! I hope you like the song! Enjoy! 

​​​​​Year Released: 1993
Album: Imaginary Friend (1993)
Genre: Noise Rock, Indie Rock
Mood: Odd
​Perfect For: Lazy days, Casual listening, Mellow Sundays
Where To Next: "German Song" - Come
Rating: 7 / 10

"Vet for the Insane" - Fields of the Nephilim

     The gothic rock and its more extreme cousin gothic metal is a hard genre to thrive in. Some genres that have bands that sound damn similar have some luck in the limelight, and some other genres only have a few bands stick aroundlong enough to see a payday. For gothic rock in the 1980s, Fields of Nephilim were one of the lucky ones to gather attention with their sound. That attention practically solely came out of their home country of England, but those country ties are a thing of the past in the modern day since we all take in any music we choose to, hence why we are here today. I have been a fan of gothic metal ever since I first heard "Dominion / Mother Russia" from the Sisters of Mercy many years back, and even then it strangely took a good while for my musical compass to point towards Fields of Nephilim. I mean, I am not the all-knowing (don't let my girlfriend see that), and it is clear that I often somehow miss a band. It shows that even now, some bands achieve massive fame in their home country and never step too far out of it. The first thing that gripped me about the band before even starting into any of their albums or songs is that band name. The nephilim are strange biblical beings that are rumored to be the children of humans and rebellious angels. With that in mind, they were said to be much larger than the common human and had abilities and strength that make even our strongest seem like a child. Now, I ain't too much into the bible, but I do love Christian mythology. It is hard to be a metalhead and not get into it, and the same is to be said about the murky territory of rock/pop music that is gothic rock. Fields of the Nephilim incorporate many different aspects of occult and religious themes in the music and imagery, which was the second thing I dug about the band before even hearing them. I started on their debut album, Dawnrazor, both because that is typically where I start my dive into a band, and also because I was drawn in due to that album cover. The band has plenty of great albums covers, but this one had what seemed to be pulled straight out of Stephen King's The Dark Tower series. They don't shy away from their strange spaghetti western meets gothic rock style in the album too, something I appreciate the band doing, but I am also quite glad they didn't lean into it too heavy. Themed bands are fun, but it is hard for me to get fully into it. That debut of theirs is the one that holds our song of the day, "Vet for the Insane", but we shall get to that here soon. Dawnrazor got the band's name out there fairly quickly. It charted at #1 on the UK Independent album chart, and modestly rested at #62 on the main UK charts. Many praised the album, but the critics gave the band a run for their money, criticizing the band for not having enough individuality and coming off way too close to the Sisters of Mercy. That and many saw the merit in the western theme of the album, but in the end said it was executed poorly. Critics suck, I don't think I could be a good one since I find myself finding what I love more than what I hate. I know they play a role, but these same fools would say this album is subpar and then go on and say U2's How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb is so good you should sell off your mother to go buy it. I have always made it a point to avoid reading reviews of music, games, and movies before seeing for myself. Some things I have adored and looked at the reviews after just to see those critics bashing it from start to finish. I guess music is subjective, but criticism is simply opinion, and this album is a prime example of just that. Well, I guess maybe this one isn't the best example, since there were plenty of critics that shouted its name from the rooftops.

     Following this album, the band went on to release only 3 other studio albums. I have only listened to the second and third studio albums, but look forward to taking on their 4th and final studio album once I get to 2005 in my studies. Their second studio album, The Nephilim, is a great one and in many ways it outshines the previous release. I tend to like the debut more for its atmosphere, but there is no denying the band learned a thing or two between the albums. The Nephilim is the band's highest charting album, and according to Spotify it holds a good chunk of their most popular songs such as their biggest hit "Moonchild", the haunting "Chord of Souls", and gothic rock essential "The Watchman". This album is full of all sorts of occult references, which really helps along its niche crowd. Can't have a gothic thing without having some H.P. Lovecraft. The band's 3rd album Elizium is the peak of the band. That whole album is strikingly well put together. It is the last to have the classic line up and was the final studio album for 15 years until their fourth album, Mourning Sun. It must have been rough for fans of the band, since Elizium in my opinion is when the band found that sound. Something fully unique and not reliant on gothic themes or bold steps in new directions. It is comfortably situated within its genre with enough flair to make the Fields of the Nephilim name pop. We will get to that eventually, I am sure, so for now how about we just get back to the band's debut album and our song of the day. "Vet for the Insane" is my favorite track off that first album, Dawnrazor. It is the fourth song in the original UK track listing, and it comes around at the perfect part. The first song to Dawnrazor features "Man with the Harmonica" from the classic western film Once Upon a Time in the West. For those that want a good movie for tonight, check that one out! Westerns are one of my favorite movie and novel genres, so I might have a bias, but there aren't many like that movie. I will warn, it is a long fucker, so be sure to make the time. Anyway, "Intro (The Harmonica Man)" gives off this whimsical feeling to the album and then the song moves into "Slow Kill" which was a little heavier than I expected on my first play though. Fields of the Nephilim kind of took me off guard on how close they were to the harder genres while still playing behind the veil of alternative based 1980s gothic music. "Vet for the Insane" has some of the same atmosphere that Type O Negative set into pace within gothic metal years later. Something slow and devious, melancholy and unsettling. Something you can't just listen to all the time. You have to time it right to really feel it. Quiet drives in gloomy weather. Coffee on a morning nobody wants to go out with you. Depressive days and restless nights. The song starts off with a winter's night feeling, dreamy guitar work fills your lungs and the vocals of Carl McCoy sound like what you would expect Erik from the Phantom of the Opera to sound like if he spoke sung. This same atmosphere keeps on until the 2:25 mark, when that tension starts getting a little more hard to handle. That rise in power only keeps on for a little bit before the song moves back to its mellow feeling, back and forth until the creepy ass ending takes fold for the final minute. It is shocking to see how close the band was to Type O Negative, or should I say how close they were to Fields of the Nephilim. I guess that is roots for you, all bands have their influences, luckily for us Fields of Nephilim has a thing for classic horror and occult more than a thing for buttholes and torture like Type O. Well, give the song a spin, hope you dig it! Moody stuff, man. Enjoy! 

​​​​Year Released: 1987
Album: Dawnrazor (1987)
Genre: Gothic Rock
Mood: Murky Meets Dreamy
​Perfect For: Horror movie nights, Halloween parties, Depressive days, Sleepless nights, Reading at home
Where To Next: "Sanctum Sanctorum" - The Damned
Rating: 7 / 10

"Visions in My Head" - Obituary

     Alright, we have hardly had some extreme metals this month. Sure, we had Avatar, but they are a strange group that melds a ton of different styles and just happened to find their main fame in hard rock, ballads, and death metal. Anyway, Obituary on the other hand is a veteran of death metal. They are one of the bands rested in the heart and soul of the genre. Alongside other bands like Morbid Angel, Death, Necrophagia, and others, the death metal genre was brought into the world. It still took a good bit for it to find some time in the limelight like their metal brethren in the thrash metal genre, and even then death would never find the same notoriety as thrash in the mainstream. For a genre of this style they are self-sufficient, so long as there are fans there will be the brutal legend of death metal for decades to come. I personally have a soft spot for the 1980s death metal, but I would be a fool not to admit that it only got stronger as time moved along. Many of the bands from the 1980s were still too close to thrash metal and other early heavy metal genres, but by the time the mid 1990s moved along it was clear that death metal was a completely different beast, and this beast you cannot chain down. Obituary first started up in 1984 under the name Executioner, who would later drop their name to a more metal appropriate spelling of "Xecutioner". You can't be brutal in the metal world unless you misspell your name, duh, it is just the way of the road. All jokes. But it is indeed a trope, kind of like indie groups having all their shit in lowercase. Anyway, they worked at it for a good long while and were included on the compilation Raging Death, but that isn't where the glory begins. In my opinion, it is when they had death metal legend Allen West join the ranks and switched their name, that is when we see their first studio album come to light Slowly We Rot in 1989. That album is an essential listen for anyone who is studying heavy metal music. It is the cornerstone of what death metal is, and its influence on the scene was heavily felt, and that sound is heard in some of the 1990s best death metal bands like Cannibal Corpse and Deicide. It was a trailblazer of an album, and practically overnight changed how death metal was to be taken in and recorded. The album feels like you are getting pummeled the whole damn time. It is a gross album, there is no other way to explain it properly. It is sickening and that is why I love it so! Those sweet blast beats are unlike most recordings of the time, and the death metal necessary guttural vocals are stronger than any other release up until this point. Heavy shit. Their second studio album Cause of Death is even better in my opinion. I fucking love that album cover, and the even more extreme yet a little cleaned up direction of this album is a prime example of how Obituary is one of the most innovative and successful in the often "copy and paste" genre that is death metal. This one was the second death metal album I listened to in completion, and it was one hell of a ride. When first getting into the extreme metal genres, I sort of had to force myself to like it. Kind of like your first shot of liquor or your first cigarette. Though, much like those two wicked addictions, death metal is an addiction in itself. It still took me a little longer until I was a proud fan of the subgenre, but Cause of Death certainly left an impression on me. It is fast as a motherfucker, you can hardly head bang to this quick of metal, or you can try but risk having your head fall off its stump. Obituary went on to release many more classics in the 1990s, the gnarly live album Dead, potent The End Complete, the questionable World Demise, and the experimentally driven Back from the Dead which was their final studio album before they went on a 5-year hiatus. Obituary is not a band to be taken lightly, they played an important role in expanding the heavy metal sound and style, and those albums mentioned all are worth the listen, especially in order. Still, many come to the band for the 2010s and 2000s releases, something I cannot blame anyone for since those really kick some ass.

     For today, the band has their debut on the website with one of their most popular tracks, "Visions in My Head". The track is the leading power force on 2014s Inked in Blood. Many (including myself) would consider this one of the band's most essential releases. It doesn't have the same historical standing as their debut and second album, but what it does have is a completely perfected death metal sound that the band honed throughout 25 of great material. This is peak Obituary, even though I admittedly abuse their earlier material more since I love how damn raw it is. Inked in Blood was the first Obituary album to make it onto the charts, still only peaking at #75, but that is impressive in its own right. I think a lot of that is due to the success of "Visions in My Head". It has an intro that completely messes you up, and the chorus keeps the blood pumping. An ungodly heavy track with great insanity laced lyricism. A memorable track with a memorable album cover. I am sorry for those that don't like gore, but believe it or not this one is fairly tame in comparison to some of the death metal album covers out there. The genre is obsessed with gore, what can I say? Obituary is heavy, but there are some bands out there so extreme I can hardly consider it music, I am just glad that Obituary melds the gore with a style that is pleasant. Well, pleasant to fans of the music, that is. Even if you aren't, you can tell Obituary holds a little more talent at composition on the second half of this song. Some death metal bands just slam their foot onto the gas, and that is the song, enjoy insanely fast playing for 3 or more minutes. Obituary certainly has those tracks, but once they found they can slow it down a little and come off even heavier, they went for it. The Tardy brothers are one of the best duos in heavy metal, those fuckers can really jive together. The Tardy brothers are John Tardy on vocals and his brother Donald Tardy on the drums. Alongside rhythm guitarist Trevor Peres, they are the only ones that have been with Obituary since the start. Following the release of Inked in Blood, the band only has two more studio releases. Both of them are just as good as this album right here, but I have to give a little extra love for the bands next album and 10th studio album Obituary, that one takes all the great choruses of Inked in Blood but mixes it with the immensely heavy hooks that are included on Obituary's sixth album Frozen in Time. Well, I know that death metal can be hit-and-miss with the more casual side of heavy metal fans, and that is alright. But you still gotta give it a go, one day you might come across the one that gets you into the genre. As someone who too took awhile to get into death metal, I can promise you that there is a shinning track out there that will make the first catch. Following that, you are in for a great time! It certainly is an acquired taste and once you understand the complex flavors within you will be set for life with plenty of iconic albums that the gods of metal jam on the daily. For today, I give to you one of the best in the game, with one of the greatest introduction tracks to the band you could ask for. So, give the band a spin, wontcha? Can't hurt. Well, it might make your ears and eyes bleed buuuut that is just some of the appeal. That means the metal is working. Enjoy! 

​​​​Year Released: 2014
Album: Inked in Blood (2014)
Genre: Death Metal
Mood: Gnarly
​Perfect For: Banging your head, Playing loud as fuck, Driving fast, Feeling some heavy metal pride
Where To Next: "In the Minds of Evil" - Deicide
Rating: 8 / 10

"Here Again" - Rush

     Happy day! We get to talk about Rush again! Are you excited to hear me say "oh my god, these guys are so good!" because if not, then maybe you should skip this post. Just kidding.... but no seriously, Rush is fucking intense! How can 3 people get that damn good at their craft? I am not one to believe people are born destined for something, but sometimes I wonder. I know that each member of Rush dedicated their life to their talents, it wasn't a godsend, but when I hear Rush play it does make me wonder if they were born to rock the nations. I mean, could you imagine if they started a job at a growing company when teens and just never picked up an instrument? Are there many people out there that simply don't know they have a natural talent at playing instruments? Probably, right? Well, guess we shall never know. Shit, it could even be you! Maybe take a break from doomscrolling or reading this website to see if you got that thing that all big time musicians tend to share. Problem is that a lot of them found that talent at a very young age and worked vigorously at it. Still... that shouldn't stop you from doing it for personal enjoyment, no matter your age. You don't have to be Randy Rhoads, nor do you have to be Eddie Van Halen, you just gotta be you and get out there and shred! I say this from my comfy chair, but I tried my hand at instruments and found that I don't have that natural talent nor do I have the time for dedication. My destiny rests within this website, it rests within my music studies and my writing abilities. I am not driven by the strings and sticks, I am driven by the pen. Alright, enough about that, let's talk Rush shall we? This is the band's 4th time on the website, and we will see them many times more in the future. Let me check my notes to see where we have been already. Looks like we have talked their masterpiece "La Villa Strangiato", the early hidden gem "Not Fade Away" which is off their first single ever released and is a cover of Buddy Holly, and just last time we talked about them we took on the synthesizer heavy "Subdivisions". Well, for today, we take a stab at the band's most underrated album from their prime material. Their debut album is honestly one of my favorite albums they ever did, even if it is hardly the Rush that we know and love today. It seems people go to that album for "Working Man" and then switch to a different one. I have talked to more Rush fans than almost any other fan base, both because Rush fans are crazy about the band and also since they tend to match energies when it comes to the appreciation of music. When I say that I adore their debut, I see a light go out in their eyes, almost like they can't understand why that is one of my favorite albums from the band. But why not? I guess it isn't a progressive rock showcasing nor does it have Neil Peart on drums, but in the end it is a damn good album. Straight forward hard rock and easily the rawest album the band ever put out. No need for clean recording, no need for long songs about sorcerers, just straight forward hard rock heaven. It melded perfectly with the hard rock sound of 1974, and it also got their foot in the door to later become gods of the progressive rock world. When Rush first started up, it had a completely different vision. Alex Lifeson is the only member that has been there since the start of it all, when Rush was still trying to find their name. For their first show they had yet to choose a name and the brother of Rush's short-lived drummer John Rutsey's brother suggest something strong, short, and to the point which just so happened to be Rush, the band shrugged and rolled with it. I am sure that dude would later be using that line to pick up chicks at bars, as he should. Anyway, due to difficulty finding a place to practice, Lifeson decided to bring in classmate Gary Weinrib on bass and vocals, known better as his stage name Geddy Lee.

     Well, now they were on to something, but still went through varying lineup changes (including kicking out Geddy Lee for a little bit) and the inclusion and deletion of varying instruments and styles. Finally, the band had their sound and adopted a new name Hadrian, and after a failure of a show which brought Geddy Lee back in the band they would go on to play any gig they can get to hone their skills at rock n roll under the name Rush. They put out a single, had their first big gig opening for the New York Dolls, and now had a proper song count to release their first studio album. That first studio album is the one we are talking about today. When the album came out, it sold surprisingly well and many praised but damned it for sounding very similar to Led Zeppelin. Though, if there is one band you would want to sound like at this time it was the hammer of the gods, Led Zeppelin, even though I don't see how they sound too much like them. Rush was going for more of a Cream meets Led Zeppelin meets Yes kind of vibe, so luckily they hit one on the head. This debut is a proto-Rush, it still sounds like a basement band, but you cannot deny that both Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson gives a little taster that they can be beasts on their instruments. The vocals of Geddy Lee are well known, and this debut is no different. I can only think of one other male hard rock singer that constantly sings this high from the time period, that being Burke Shelley from Budgie. Out of all the Rush albums, this one has the blandest lyrics, but that is alright, once again this is just some straight forward hard rock music. Sing of things people get, songs of chicks and good time buddies, working day and night and hopeful outlooks. The drumming of John Rutsey is mean and in your face, but there is no denying that Rush sounded best with Neil Peart both writing the lyrics and laying down his influential drumming. Much like any local group fresh out of high school, the band had no dough so they recorded this cheaply and quickly at first. Though with Alex Lifeson being a perfectionist even then, they went off for a better studio and the band were the ones to produce the album with a little help to really achieve their famous sound. It gave the world the first taste of the Rush sound, though in a raunchier form. The album was released on a label put together by the band and their management, Moon Records, and the limited pressed records sold strikingly fast upon release. DJ Donna Halper discovered the band and played "Working Man" often, which gave a massive boost to the band's fan base in the states. "Working Man" was an anthem for well.... the working man, so it isn't too shocking that it did very well with Halper's show in Cleveland, OH, which was still a factory town at that point. Donna Halper has been credited with being the one who got Rush out of the rocking rat race circuit, the band even thanked her on the credits on the album. The album sales showed that Rush had selling potential, so the album was picked up and re-released by a big label. It was received well upon release, but has since faded in the backline due to the power of their other releases, aside from "Working Man". Our song of the day from the album is the fourth track off the album, "Here Again". This debut is known for its hooky and aggressive hard rock sound, but that doesn't mean there aren't the mellow ones, and "Here Again" is just that. It starts off on a more somber note, sounding like something Bad Company might start a song out with. After 40 second of guitar, bass and drum mood building, Geddy Lee comes in with the vocals and words. The track revolves around one of Rush's favorite lyrical themes, the power of music and the effect of it on the musicians. After the first verse, the theme changes just a little, and honestly I am not too sure what the song is about following that. Still, even without the strongest lyrics on the second half, the quality of music is intense and stays that way throughout its playtime. I think this one is a great showing of Geddy Lee's vocal abilities, and those bass lines that hold the song together are something to note. For a band that had their name come about as a group that was strong and straight forward, this album perfectly is just that. I adore this album, I don't care what other Rush fans have to say, it is a gem from start to finish without a single bland track. Each song attacks you in the best of ways, and "Here Again" serves as the rester track before getting pushed around again with "What You're Doing". The guitar solo is some great early hard rock picking, and how tight the band plays makes Rush seem like they have been playing together for 10 years. To each band there is a start, and Rush had a damn good start. Not the sound people tend to think when hearing the name Rush, but for me, it this is exactly what I think of. Well, that is all from me this go around. Thanks for reading along! There will be a ton more Rush tracks to keep you satisfied, so be sure to stay tuned to AintNoisePollution! Enjoy! 

​​​Year Released: 1974
Album: Rush (1974)
Genre: Hard Rock
Mood: Somber
​Perfect For: Casual listening, Appreciating all things Rush, Going about your day, Getting ready in the morning
Where To Next: "Badge" - Cream
Rating: 8 / 10

"New York State of Mind" - Billy Joel

     Welcome readers! We are halfway through the month, and man is it zooming by. I will be damn glad to have a half week next week for Thanksgiving. I honestly am not too huge into Thanksgiving, but I do adore this time of year due to the extra days off. This will be one of the first years I have two days off for it too. This year is a lucky one, with both Thanksgiving and Christmas both landing on a Thursday, which gives a long weekend. I always hated gorging on food and then rushing home to rest up for work the next day. Do you ever ponder how the world would be if you didn't have to work? I am sure you do. Who doesn't? How did we get to a spot as a species that we have to make the decision of "should I poop at home and risk being late for work or should I just get there on time and hold it in all day"? TMI I am sure, but we are all human here, well I think so at least. Anyway! I am getting violently off-topic! Our spotlighted artist for today is Billy Joel, the piano man. When it comes to an artist that shows that the piano has a solid place in rock music, it is Billy Joel and of course Elton John. Billy Joel started off quite mellow as a musician, leaning heavily into the piano and writing songs that are in the soft rock category and even reaching into the folk side of piano lead music occasionally. It took him a minute or two to gain the traction that would eventually see him as one of the highest selling artists in rock music. He is heavily known by music fans, radio listeners, and barroom balladeers for his massive hit "Piano Man" but would you believe me if I told you that the song wasn't a national grand slam hit when it first came out? I mean, Billy Joel was an unknown name, a name that only had one album to his name before the song and albums release, and that debut album Cold Spring Harbor (1971) didn't sell well at all until people started picking up on his music. In retrospective eyes, that album is a tad bit bland. There is soul in it, in that there is no doubt, but in comparison to the other impactful albums of Billy Joel's it does come up a little lacking. Still, it is a start, each artist has them, and for Billy Joel it took him a second to become a legend. Anyway, "Piano Man" is a damn good track, and it comes off an album with plenty of versatile styles and piano playing, something people realized once Billy Joel broke out into stardom and they went back and collected the rest of his albums. Billy Joel holds the title of one of many artists that have one of the highest selling albums of all time, for him, it is his Greatest Hits - Volume I & II. That is where I started with Billy Joel many years back. I can't recall if someone owned the CD or what, but that greatest hits album is forever engrained in my memory. I can almost tell you the track listing from memory. I would suggest it to be the starting spot for someone who wants to expand their horizons in Billy Joel's quite large discography. Don't take that as him being one of those "hits only" kind of artists, he has damn good studio albums, the majority of them going multiplatinum in many countries. Greatest hit albums often serve as an ending for some bands, once one is put out there often isn't too many hits following. For that greatest hits album we were just talking about, it released in 1984, right in the prime years of Billy Joel. It was following his ninth studio album An Innocent Man which is one of his most famous releases, and in my opinion one of the most bold since it heavily relies on genres from years back like doo-wop and classic rock n roll. Not too shocking since his first #1 hit was "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" which shuns modern music and praises the old rock n roll. An all around great musician that changed his sound accordingly, but never lost touch with his fans and also the limelight. A living legend that we are fortunate to be talking about here today.

     Our song of the day "New York State of Mind" is another song where Billy Joel praises that in which he loves, his home. Billy Joel is another musician from New York that always pays his dues to the streets that raised him. I have found these songs that praise the musician's home state or city always hold this special soul. Be it the Red Hot Chili Peppers with their love of Los Angeles and California on... well... almost every album, or the legions of country musicians who praise Nashville. For Billy Joel, he has a couple of New York songs that are bristling with a realness that only someone who grew up there could fully understand. I have dreamed both literally and figuratively about visiting and/or living in New York City. I constantly daydream about taking that jump, but honestly I am not too sure how I would handle it. I think I would do just fine, personally, but the sacrifice of leaving everyone and everything behind is a thought I cannot quite bare. Especially the stink Mocha dog that is sitting right next to me longing for yogurt. The ties that bind. Anyway, I wish I could just have a song about Utah. They are there, but are sparse, most of them tend to just dabble in the word "Utah" and then move on their way. Some of my favorites are "Salt Lake City" by The Beach Boys, the hidden gem "Salt Lake City" by Bobby Bare, and a song from local legends The Osmonds with their song "Utah". So while I don't understand what a New York state of mind quite is, it doesn't stop me from daydreaming every time I hear this song and see the strange album cover of the album it comes off of Turnstiles. When Turnstiles came out our piano man was still on the verge of massive success, it was the next year when he released The Stranger that he became a massive star. That album even sold to diamond status, which is a feat that very few other artists have hit. There is something pure in this album, 8 tracks of wonderfully written soft rock tracks that mellow the mind and cool the soul. They all have that New York thing... you know what I am talking about... that sound that is on Lou Reed albums, in Patti Smith lyricism, Andy Warhol artistry, and Ramones grittiness. I don't quite know how to explain it, but there is something there. Los Angeles had the reckless side, New York City had the art side. "New York State of Mind" is easily one of the best examples of that... thing. The track starts off with some mighty fine playing, a reminder on how he got the nickname "the piano man" with or without that song giving it to him. The intro always makes me want to whip out some wine and relax. To ride my dreams upon the deep red currents of dry and bitter fluid that I lie to myself about liking. The singing on here is blissful and powerful, plus with those accompanying strings playing sweetly along the piano, it leaves a sweet taste in your mouth. A song written for the love of his city, that much is clear. The album is loosely revolving around Billy Joel's return to New York after his time in Hollywood, some songs reflect on his regret of leaving his fans there behind, but there are plenty that seemed relieved to be coming home. And coming home a minor star at that. Must feel nice telling your mom that you made it. Don't we all dream of that? Shit, you know you made it when Barbra Streisand covers one of your tracks, she is a New York pop icon. She was a big reason this song became a Billy Joel classic. It has since become one of his regular ones to play live, and it appears on plenty of his compilation albums. The song hit platinum status and even had a picture book made for it. Easy to say, it impacted people all around the world. It helped the wanderlust dreamers dream, the ballad lovers love, and the New Yorkers bristle with pride. Now it is your turn, give the song a listen and enjoy. It is best taken in where there isn't much sound, just close those eyes and dream of one of the largest cultural hubs in the world. Enjoy! 

​​Year Released: 1976
Album: Turnstiles (1976)
Genre: Soft Rock, Jazz
Mood: Gentle
​Perfect For: Focused listening, Being big apple bound, Daydreaming, Train rides, Drinking wine
Where To Next: "New York Minute" - Don Henley
Rating: 9 / 10

"Meanwhile Back in the City" - The Presidents of the United States of America

     I think this has been the post with the longest band name, maybe only being rivaled by Big Brother and the Holding Company. Anyway, The Presidents of the United States of America is an oddity of a band. They are the type of group that has easily accusable hits to get you sucked in, and once you are comfortably seated in their discography you find you have a large selection of great songs at your disposal. Now, I am not someone who likes comedy too much. I ain't quite a stick in the mud, I still find things funny, but I never seek out comedic things. The Presidents of the United States of America has plenty of comedy laced tracks. I mean, shit, one of their most popular songs is "Peaches" which has a double meaning and is painted in comedic overtones. When it comes to the 1990s, for some reason, I let the comedic bands through much easier than other decades. I guess each decade does indeed have its humor, and I must find the 1990s a place where it is decent. Our song of the day is also a slight comedy song. It just feels goofy, more than them trying to tell jokes. Anyway, there are those that wrongfully label this group as a one hit wonder due to their massive hit "Lump", but that is an untrue statement. Within that same album, we have the afore mentioned "Peaches", and those two tracks helped thrust their debut album into a multi platinum classic. Still, within that one album holds plenty of their other alternative rock goodies like "Kitty" and "Dune Buggy" and some of my favorite songs of theirs such as "Boll Weevil", their cover of "Kick Out the Jams", and "Back Porch". It wasn't solely this one album that sold well, their second studio album II is another one worth your time. I will admit, it lacks a little bit of the grabbing power as their debut and not every song is a killer track, but still it is one of their best in my opinion. It didn't sell as well as the previous, but a lot of that was due to not having a strong set of hits to come off of it aside from "Mach 5". There are a couple of tracks off that second album that were previously released on their demo EP Froggystyle and as B-sides to singles. After a little less stellar sales but still enough to keep their name in the hearts of the fans, they took a couple of years to release their 3rd album, Freaked Out and Small. This one kind of took me off guard when I listened to it a couple of years back, it was better than I expected it to be. Not sure why I had it in my head that the product must have lost some potency after sitting out for so long. I was re-listening through the album just last night as I drove to the liquor store, and once again I was more impressed with it than I felt I should have been. The album was put out on a strange online label called MUSICBLITZ, and for anyone who preordered the album, their names were printed in the liner notes. I have been tempted to see if I can buy one off of eBay to see how many people preordered the album. I know I would have if I was old enough to hold down a job in 2000. I grieve that I wasn't an adult during a time when you had to buy physical forms of music, but at the same time I am glad since I would have been broke all the damn time. Still, I deeply wonder how life would have been different for me. Getting off track. I am more used to the re-release track listing or this album which includes two extra tracks "Velvet Universe" and "Hand in Hand" plus a bunch of demo songs. I will admit, I tend to jump over the demo tracks, but I have never been into too many bands demo work aside from jam bands. 

     Freaked Out and Small came out near the end of 2000, and while it didn't make too many waves, it still is another good one from the band. It is hard to beat their debut, it is a simple truth of the band, that first album had some serious "umph" to it. But why compare the two? That debut is an alternative rock/grunge gem, while their third album brings in a couple of different styles. Pop punk was growing mighty powerful during 2000, so even The Presidents took the time to join the party with a couple of tracks on this album. That style they set up previously is still there, so don't lose your head grunge fans, but it was nice to see the band trying something a little different out. This is also the first album of theirs to be played on standard gear with standard tuning, instead of their strange usage of electric guitars pretending to be bass guitars and vice versa. It does give the album a little of a different tone, but there is no doubting the band that is playing, especially on our song of the day "Meanwhile Back in the City". Since we brought up the track, we might as well just jump into the song before I bore you to death. Like I mentioned previously, I was driving to the liquor store when this album had its turn as I dug through the rock of 2000. The majority of the trip was consumed by Cold's breakthrough album 13 Ways to Bleed on Stage, which is an immensely fitting album to drive to the liquor store to. What is strange about Utah liquor stores is only half of them stay open after 7 PM, and the surrounding majority that wouldn't take me downtown were closed. So, the next closest one was strangely enough a couple of cities above in Farmington. A small 20-minute stretch on the highway, but the shift in the air is felt pretty damn soon. It is a day and night comparison to the soul of the zone, 20 minutes make a massive difference when living in a small city. Anyway, I was driving on along and just finished up that Cold album when I pulled up to the store. Bought my incredibly healthy malt liquor and some sparkling wine, and then started on home. The first track instantly told me it was time for this album again. I haven't listened through this album for a solid 5 years, so I was admittedly pretty excited to hear it again. I was jiving along to the fun "Jazz Guy" while I passed the last haystack, but once the air shifted to that city feeling, it was "Meanwhile Back in the City" that kicked into gear. A fitting track for the moment, so naturally I had to pretend a little bit that I was that Farmington boy that is going to a place that is so damn near yet so damn far both in distance and atmosphere. A place where they traded their tractors for a Subaru and their overalls for cardigans. It is a song very much in The Presidents style, it has that silly feeling to it and strangely competent story telling that lets you see through the eyes of the character. It seems to me that the character left the farm to go to the city just to find out it is damn hard. A place that has a ton of soul, but no heart. The frustration of keeping up with the flow, the small apartments with noise pollution. By the end of the track, our character gets on their merry way back to the country. Now, SLC isn't that big in the grand scheme of things, but we are all good at pretending that it is. Still, who needs size when you have a city so durned pretty! The song isn't meant for a city of this size, but that doesn't stop me from daydreaming and pretending. We hardly deal with the same issues as the big cities, maybe only those living in the thick of it and live out of it. Anyway, a good track off the album, probably one of my favorites. The Presidents tend to be a band you know what you are in for before you even start the album, so long as you have heard one of their songs before. This album and song is no different. But it has a place here in the ranks of rocks kings, queens, knights, and soldiers in the role of the jester. Give the song a spin! Enjoy! 

​Year Released: 2000
Album: Freaked Out and Small (2000)
Genre: Alternative Rock
Mood: Country licked 
​Perfect For: Heading back to the city, Casual listening, Doing errands, Stompin' your feet
Where To Next: "Mexican Hairless" - Toadies
Rating: 7 / 10

"In the Airwaves" - Avatar

     For those that check back daily, your Friday was ruined once you realized your all-time favorite author on your all-time favorite website didn't have a new post! The audacity! But your favorite author does have his own life outside of this website, and thus I was out for the night. Also, you need better taste in authors. All jokes! I was out yesterday since my girlfriend and I were out for a concert. My lady has been a fan of Avatar for the last while, and both from her exposure and also from my own musical travels I too have becoming quite fond of the band. It is often hard for me to get into modern heavy metal and hard rock bands. I am not too sure why that is the case, but Avatar managed to break through my defenses. Well, we heard they were coming to town and I knew we couldn't miss it this go around. I have heard Avatar puts on one hell of a show, and after experiencing it for myself, I can confidently say that those words speak true! Probably one of the best shows I have been to. The majority of concerts I have been to tend to be fairly tame, I mean the crowd is going the fuck off, but the band seems to be simply doing their thing. Playing a show and playing it very well. I have seen some stage antics at some of the shows I have gone to, but it is for a track or two and then back to doing a standard show. Avatar treated the show like a full fledge performance! The kind of stuff you would expect to be done at the massive shows in big cities like Los Angeles, Seattle, and such. They had a ton of shit going on, a freak show indeed, and each different block of the show brought something new. They started the show with all the band being in cloaks as each of them eerily found their spot upon the stage. Through the tolling of bells, volume getting louder and louder, heavy usage of lights and fog machines they created this image of beings upon the stage that are hardly human. Finally, the band kicked into one of the most popular songs off their new album "Captain Goat", a track based in folk and epic metal which is not their typical sound. It was enough to give you chills, but everything changed once the imp like ringleader of Avatar finally uncloaked at the start of "Silence in the Age of Apes" and started his strange ass performance. For those that don't know, Avatar is a band themed around circus imagery. Not the fun kind of circus, but more so the type out of the Ray Bradbury novel Something Wicked This Way Comes. Unlike some of the themed bands out there like Alestorm, Amon Amarth, and Gwar they don't lean into it too heavy, which I am grateful for. Not talking shit about those other bands, but still it can grow stale after their 7th album revolving around it. Anyway, Avatar continued to put on one hell of an intense show! I have never seen so many stage changes in my life. Their drummer was a sight to see, he was a circus show in himself. They had his kit on moving platforms, something impressive for a fairly small yet nice venue, so one moment he would be over here, the next he would be over there. More often than not, his kit would split in two while he played god knows where. For their tracks "Glory to the Kind" and "Legend of the King" they had this elaborate throne appear out of the back where guitarist Jonas Jarlsby sat proudly and shredded strongly and kingly, I am surprised the hyped crowd didn't start bowing. There were many more notable moments, and even though frontman Johannes Eckerstrom put on a show of strangeness with crazy faces and immensely lusty words to the crowd, they never once broke the immersion. The crowd had a good time, got rowdy in the best of ways, and it seemed a fairly controlled concert in comparison to some I have seen. Damn good show that I know will stick with me for a good while.

     It was hard choosing a song for the day this go around. Avatar was the headliners for the show, but the guests were both damn impressive. The show started off with SpiritWorld, a band new to me, so as anyone should, I spent the day leading up to the concert listening through a lot of their material. When it comes to studio work, they almost impressed me more than Avatar and Alien Weaponry, the bands I was going to see in the first place. They are a themed band as well, this time being dressed up as cartoon cowboys but playing something that you would never hear while herding those dogies. Their track "Committee of Buzzards" is a phenomenal song, a perfect melding of death metal and thrash metal with fun western themed lyrics. When they came out on stage they had "Cattle Call" from Eddy Arnold playing, which strangely enough almost made the song of the day since I adore that song, the same is to be said about "Cowpoke", the song they had playing as they walked off the stage which comes off the same Eddy Arnold album Cattle Call. The next band was Alien Weaponry, a band I have been digging since first listening through their debut album, Tu. They got the crowd going pretty hard, and for a three-piece band they had one hell of an aggressive stage presence. I was damn glad to see them, and leading up to the concert I was almost more excited for them than Avatar. The stage show between the two were day and night, but still it was hard not to choose "Kai Tangata" or "Taniwha" for my song of the day. They are a unique and damn fun band to listen to, their Maori heritage and language brings some serious excitement to a groove metal backing you can tell was influenced by Lamb of God and Sepultura. Still, all of that power from the opening bands just couldn't top the type of show and songs that came out of Avatar. Before the show I had to work, a shame I know, but it gave me time to listen through Avatar's most recent album Don't Go In the Forest which came out on Halloween this year. I got to say... I really dig that album! Furthermore, I think it is better than some of the previous albums they have put out, I know that might be throwing sand in the eyes of the fan base, but no seriously! It is intense! It seems to be dipped in many varying forms of heavy metal, plus it isn't as dancey which I appreciate. It feels darker, something wicked this way comes indeed. Since the tour was in support of the album's release, it is only fitting that there was a good portion of those songs in the set list. Made me all the gladder I took the time to listen through it, and it helps when the album was damn good! My favorite track off the album is "In the Airwaves", it grabbed me fully with the studio version, and they did a lively and great performance of the song for the concert. A heavy as hell song that got the crowd really banging their heads. It was refreshing to see a metal show with long haired freaky people throwing their hair everywhere. It sort of made me feel young again, not that I am old, but I don't do that shit at concerts anymore since it hurts my wittle head. Lyrically, the song revolves around the horror themes that Avatar seems to be obsessed with, and outside the obvious lyrics, I don't fully understand the connection between certain lines. Still, I am not here for the lyrics from Avatar, I am here for the heart thumping intensity of their sound! "In the Airwaves" has a ton of that intensity, and seeing the crowd lose it during the middle part of the track is going to be a good memory. Shit, as I am listening to it again as I type this out, I am half tempted to see if I can still bang my head like that. My hair hasn't had that much fun since I saw Suicidal Tendencies and Havok many a year ago. Anyway! That is all from me! Thanks for reading along. I strongly suggest attending an Avatar show if you get the chance. They keep a fair price for a band with high metal notoriety and for a band that puts on one crazy show. For now, you just get to appreciate the track, so be sure to give it a listen! Welcome to the freak show! Enjoy! 

Year Released: 2025
Album: Don't Go in the Forest (2025)
Genre: Groove Metal, Melodic Death Metal
Mood: Aggressive
​Perfect For: Banging your head, Seeing live, Casual listening
Where To Next: "Mau Moko" - Alien Weaponry
Rating: 8 / 10

"Untitled" - The Cure

     It is in songs like todays that I found I should always check out a song called "Untitled" when trying out a new band. That song title has an air of mystery around it. I mean, in the end your untitled track is titled "Untitled" but that might be some of the humor. As Rush said, "if you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice". I love those types of lyrics and sayings, Nirvana did it on "Lounge Act" with "afraid of never knowing fear" and Operation Ivy had those lyrics on "Knowledge" with the chorus of that punk gem being "all I know is that I don't know nothing". Anyway, getting off-topic sort of, but a song title being "Untitled" is kind of funny. I think it is intended, but either way, I have found that songs called "Untitled" are one of two things. It is either a strange filler track like on Radiohead's iconic Kid A and "Untitled" on the obscure classic In the Aeroplane Over Sea from Neutral Milk Hotel, or it can be a mystical and kick ass song like the one we have today or the songs by Interpol. The Cure is a band of many colors and hues, most of which tend to be varying shades of blue. So naturally their track called "Untitled" is going to be a mystical and entrancing one. The Cure has a ton of great albums and even more timeless hits. They play a strange field when it comes to fan bases and genres. There are a ton of rockers who dig them, pop fans, sad teenagers, goths, the artsy crowd, and even punks that dig them. It is easy to see why, they project the fragile side of existence. Vocalist and frontman Robert Smith is a pro at writing meaningful lyrics for their hits, and mysterious abstract tracks for their deeper cuts. The whole band can put out an atmosphere like no other, and they came along with that sound before many, well at least in the more mainstream. One track I can say with confidence shows off that plain odd, murky, and beautiful atmosphere is "A Forest" off their second studio album Seventeen Seconds. The bands first three albums show off a much darker side of the band, making it more than easy to see how they were an instant hit amongst the goth crowd during the closing of the 1970s and the start of the 1980s before becoming absolute legends to the goth rock genre that was just barely starting to gather traction. Their debut album Three Imaginary Boys came out in 1979, and in my opinion it is one album you have got to listen to at least once in your life. There are many reasons to that claim, first being its historical importance with being an early version of a couple of different pop based genres like pop punk, goth rock, and post punk. Another reason Three Imaginary Boys is an essential listen is how well put together the album is. New wave isn't known for their "perfect album flow" like some of the genres, but this album goes down like a Pink Floyd or Moody Blues album. I stand by my statement that you don't fully know The Cure unless you take the time to listen through their albums start to finish. We all love the hits that came from the cure around this point, "Boy's Don't Cry", "10:15 Saturday Night", "Jumping Someone Else's Train" and more, but still you don't get the full picture unless you take the time to appreciate their debut album. It is a gem, and their second studio album Seventeen Seconds is another hidden gem. Maybe a little less impressive than their debut, but it is here that we get the gloomiest The Cure album out there. This one will make you depressed on your wedding day. Faith, the band's third album, is another gloomy album but not as raw and strange as the previous. I think it is a better album overall, but each has their ups and downs. Following the band's fourth studio album Pornography in 1982, the band tried a couple of sounds out, and in this stage they bring in a little psychedelia which is a great touch to their style. They kept that up until their 1987 prime album Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me. Up until this album the band had a healthy fan base, they were underground masterminds that still found luck sporadically to have hit singles and even achieved gold status in 1985, but all of that changed upon Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me. The band broke out of their gloomy and strange sound for something a little more poppy, something a little more in line with what others were doing. They never lost their core sound, nor did they even lose their core fan base, but it was clear that the legends of the night were about to be heroes of the day. 

     Finally, we get to their most famous album, one that we all know at least one song off of, 1989s Disintegration. To many, this is the ultimate form of The Cure. It has that core Cure sound, but with a strong pop knack. Unlike the other albums that loved their neo psychedelia, this one fronts one of the evolutionary paths of that sound, dream pop. I think it is in that where this album is considered their all-time greatest. A statement I don't like giving it, don't get me wrong this album is perfect from start to finish and is chock-full of timeless tracks, but their other albums put up too good of a fight to give it the "ultimate" status in my books. Still, this would be the album I would suggest to someone who wanted their first The Cure album. It hits you right in the soul! An album built like an album, and while it can get a tad bit repetitious from time to time, that is part of the hypnotic appeal. It controls the moment you choose to play it. One of those albums that you really gotta nail your chair to the floor before playing, since everything around you is about to playfully float before your eyes. An album of understanding, an album of grief, relief, and disbelief. 12 perfectly crafted songs for weeping dreamers. Our song of the day is the final track off the original track listing of the album. "Untitled" is a grand way to end the album, it has a perfect running time of 6 and a half minutes, none of which let you escape from its grasp. Vocalist Robert Smith called the track "a hopeful song in a hopeless world" and I think that sums it up wonderfully. Also, he has said it is one of his favorite The Cure songs, and you can tell he means it when hearing the track, chock-full of raw emotion which is The Cure's bread and butter. "Untitled" has a peculiar intro, it feels like it is going to be an obscure track from the 1960s like "Pressed Rat and Warthog" from Cream or maybe "Dear Eloise" from The Hollies, the latter of which has a pretty damn similar intro. Anyway, it always confuses me when this song kicks on when I am not looking since I expect something else, and each time that confusion leaves me entranced. Once the song really starts, it never fails to give me chills. Talk about a track that puts you at ease before the vocals kick in. Lyrically the song is great, The Cure always does a damn good job at writing compelling and "emotions on your sleeve" type of songs. "Untitled" is a strange one to end the album on, since it does indeed feel.... strangely happy and hopeful. The rest of the album is as pessimistic as an album can get, so this one being the send-off is honestly quite refreshing. A thing I love about The Cure's lyricism is it feels so damn innocent, kind of like the inner child of us all is listening more so than the downtrodden adult. The atmosphere backs that up and feels like youthful imagination, playing with bugs and blades of grass, not a care in the world. Still, if you sit down and really take the lyrics in then that floaty and happy you will soon find it is written by a pen running low on ink and hopes in the world. That childish fun takes form as using that childish fun to ignore the domestic abuse happening in the next room. A distraction from the fear of getting bullied tomorrow at school. I guess that is what helps The Cure be one of those unique names in the music world. It melds happy with sad so damn well, not even fully melancholy, just something so raw and exposed that it makes you feel like you are reading someone's diary. The Cure is a group that will never fade, their albums and music are well known and well respected. I think everyone out there knows the name, and if they are the type to not know bands, then they certainly know a good chunk of their songs. They are a great band, a great band I am more than pleased is going to spice up our November section of the website. Hope you dig the track! It is one that helps remind you to appreciate the sun that kisses your face in the morning, and the wise gaze of the moon at night. You know what to do! Enjoy! 

​​​Year Released: 1989
Album: Disintegration (1989)
Genre: Dream Pop
Mood: Floaty
​Perfect For: De-stressing after work, Lazy mornings, Waiting for the sun, Depressive days
Where To Next: "Wilderness" - Joy Division
Rating: 8 / 10

"Hey Bulldog" - The Beatles

     In our last post, we talked about a band that changed how we take in music in the 1990s and the 2000s. But how about we talk about the biggest stars in all of rock music? A band that helped form the music industry and rock music as a whole. I don't need to tell you who it is and what they are about. I mean, I will, that is what I do here after all, but if you don't know who I am already talking about then you turned down the wrong road. Plus, I have it at the top of the post soooo... Anyway, today we take another look at The Beatles. If not the greatest, one of the greatest bands of all time. There are going to be a few people scoffing after reading that, but those people seem to have a fetish about putting down what is popular. The Beatles did an obscene amount for music as a whole, more than anyone, more than the king, more than Michael Jackson, Madonna, Taylor Swift, Linkin Park, Pink Floyd, or any other group out there put together. For better or worse, the band showed how you can market a craze, and what stardom does to a mortal man. Elvis did it before but that never reached distant shores until a couple of years later. The Beatles genuinely took over the world, no other band has ever done that, and no other band did that and then commanded a whole genre for a decade. It must have been something to see, and furthering that, it must have been something crazy to hear for the first time. As a music historian, I can see how The Beatles created a craze unlike any other. Rock was growing stagnant. The rock-a-beatin' boogie that feverishly came out in the late 1950s was like a wildfire. Once that fire was contained, it seemed nobody knew where to go next. A few varying genres sailed rock music up until The Beatles. We had some strong surf rock, some heavily pop washed rock tunes, and a lot of the relics from previous years be it rockabilly, doo-wop, and rocking R&B. The world needed a band that kept all the core fundamentals of the early rock n roll days, but brought something new to the table. The band's debut Please Please Me was exactly that. The album came out in 1963, and is easily the most poppy boy band type of Beatles album to ever be. It had plenty of songs to get the chicks screaming, but still made time to have some boppers for the rockers to get behind. For an album that only took one day to record, it has since gone on to be respected as one of the best albums ever released. It was a phenomenon within itself, and The Beatles just got stronger with each release following. Practically each release topped the other in one way or another, yet each album is a beast within itself, and it is unfair to compare one to the other. It seemed that The Beatles had a set sound for 3 albums. The band's first three were boy band material. Easy to get behind tunes that were immensely well written and simply enjoyable. When we get to Beatles for Sale (1964) up until Rubber Soul (1965) we see the band expanding their sound. They were more than happy to have some strong covers on those albums and even outside those covers you can feel the band's heavy influence by R&B, rockabilly, rock n roll, and pop of the early 1960s. The songs are even more well put together, the lyricism is top-notch, the playing is tighter and more mature, and overall it is just a more competent sound than the previous ones. Those first three albums will grab you and please you, but the band's 4th to 6th truly define the musicianship that is The Beatles. Revolver (1966) to Magical Mystery Tour (1967) has some of the most experimental sounds from The Beatles. Psychedelic rock was in full swing, and albums like Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band were one of the highest waving flags from the genre. I love this stage of the band, each album is layered to hell to give you this sickening, all consuming rock sound that sometimes leaves you genuinely speechless. You can tell within those three that the band was willing to try just about anything, and with The Beatles being The Beatles, the world followed suit and started using some of the same instruments in the name of expanding the all might beast that is rock music. The band's final 3 core albums The Beatles, Abbey Road, and Let It Be are the band's most rock based sound. They are straight cut rock music, sometimes even delving into the hard rock sound. Most bands couldn't have released this many top tier albums and keep it pumping, but The Beatles did it flawlessly. Now, some of you might have noticed I left out a nugget, which is Yellow Submarine.

     Yellow Submarine is an oddity, it breaks the mold and is also considered by many to be the band's weakest album, myself included. The album has plenty of redeeming tracks like "Hey Bulldog", "All You Need is Love", and "Yellow Submarine" amongst plenty of other great ones. But all of those good songs are from the first half of the album, the other half is an assortment of orchestra for the band's movie of the same name. That other half was put together mostly by George Martin, a man that played a heavy role in most of the band's albums, earning him the title of "the fifth Beatle". Don't get me wrong, those scores are decent buuuut there is a time and place and I don't come to The Beatles for that. I guess I can't be too mad since the album is both a studio album and a soundtrack album. I have listened through a ton of soundtrack albums in my time, and all are more or less the same way. I mean, they are for movies, so why be shocked when it feels like it should be in a movie? I think that is what leaves this album with a sour taste in many listeners mouths. In comparison to the plethora of immensely powerful albums, this one is honestly weak. Once again, though, the first half of the album has the same potency as the majority of The Beatles core work. My favorite of which is "Hey Bulldog", our song of the day. This song is addictive! It is one I hardly ever tire of, and one of The Beatles songs I love hearing a cover of. The Beatles are a hard band to cover, they set the bar too high, and there were a ton of groups trying to make that jump and missing the bar. I can only think of a few that pulled off a Beatles track and made it as good as the original. For "Hey Bulldog" I gotta give that to Fanny, an all female hard rock group out of the 1970s. Check that version out! If you have been along for the website since the start, you might even remember us covering it a good while ago. Anyway, "Hey Bulldog" has some peculiar lyrics, but those lyrics don't need to be super powerful since the chorus of the track is powerful enough to sell the whole album and your soul. The track starts off with an intro reminiscent to their cover of "Money (That's What I Want)" off of their 1963 studio album With the Beatles. But you can feel the difference if you have a tuned ear or wait 10 seconds into the song. This song is a lot less clean, it follows suit with some of the more acid rock songs out of 1969. The song has mellow yet steady drum work, and funky bass work that trades blows with a heavily distorted guitar from George Harrison. The haunting yet mesmerizing thing about the tracks is the doubled up dual vocals from Paul McCartney and John Lennon throughout the verses, and that attack of a chorus always rekindles your attention. Plus, I have a special fondness for how grimy this song is, it was smart of the band to keep that guitar tone. This song feels like a cartoon, much like a lot of this album and also Magical Mystery Tour. As for "Hey Bulldog" I think it is due to what feels like two songs going on at the same time giving it a whimsical feeling. The bass work and drumming are fairly clear and seem to be playing closer than the guitar and vocals. It seems like they are being recorded in two different rooms with plenty of velvet sheets and rivers between them. The outro is unfortunate, but The Beatles never shied away from adding in a little bit of quirky behavior, especially near the end of the career. Also, for a song that feels fairly chaotic, it isn't all too shocking the outro kept the same style. There aren't any underrated Beatles tracks, all are well known and catalogued. Each song has been extensively ripped apart from critics, historians, conspiracy theorists, and audiophiles since they first came to the light. Still, I would say that "Hey Bulldog" is less celebrated than some of the band's other material. It could be due to its strange feeling or the unfortunate placement on The Beatles least popular release from their core albums. Still, it is The Beatles, and the album sold like hot cakes, hitting #1 in many countries. I still consider it a classic album, but there is simply no comparing it to the band other albums. "Hey Bulldog" is the powerhouse of the album. So, take in some Beatles today. No, I don't care about how you don't like The Beatles. The band has had a ton of varying styles and sounds, and until you try them all, I refuse to respect your stance on the matter. How can you hate cherries if you hate Jolly Rancher cherry? Anyway, I will leave it there. You got some listening to do! Enjoy! 

​​Year Released: 1969
Album: Yellow Submarine (1969)
Genre: Psychedelic Rock, Rock, Hard Rock
Mood: Fuzzy
​Perfect For: Casual listening, Going for a drive, Relaxing, Getting stoned
Where To Next: "Hey Bulldog" - Fanny
Rating: 8 / 10

"H." - Tool

     Back in the day, I used to look forward to 11/11 like it was a holiday. In a time when TV was still king, and there were moments that you couldn't wait to get home to watch your favorite shows, there was a channel that helped mold me and fed copious amounts of information into my young mind called VH1 Classic. Man, I loved that channel, I could watch it all day! Well, on 11/11 VH1 classic would air a full day of heavy metal! Documentaries, reruns of Headbangers Ball, episodes of That Metal Show, live shows, and everything else heavy metal. Truth be told, I am not even sure how long that special was going on for. I can only recall it twice, but still, those two times were epic! Anyway, maybe I should bring that back with having that day be a day chock-full of the appreciation for heavy metal. Speaking of heavy metal, where does Tool land in that genre? I hold an unpopular opinion that Tool isn't really heavy metal. Heavy? Yes! Metal? No. Still, I will never deny their place in influencing the genre. I don't fret when people throw them in the "Alternative Metal" genre, since that term brings in a shitload of bands from the hard rock sound of the 1990s forward. I would consider it an umbrella genre that fills in the gaps in the genre game for bands that are a little heavier than standard hard rock, have few roots in traditional heavy metal, are too mellow for the extreme metal genres, lack roots in some of the more punk side of things, and overall are a beast of their own, undefinable. Maybe I am just stuck in my ways and the genre played a bigger role than I am willing to give it credit for. I want to say, I am not putting down any of the bands within since they are all for the most part god-damn legendary, but when people plop down bands like Rage Against the Machine, Tool, Primus, and others in the metal genre it feels like putting the recycling in the trash bin. Anyway, spiel over, let's talk about our band for the day, Tool. I hardly need to tell you who these guys are, Tool has gone on to be one of the biggest names in all of heavier music. Their reach is hardly matched by any other group out there, and I have met few that can't get behind the ungodly might of Tool. Those that tend not to be a fan are those that can't handle a long song, or those that don't like the strange feeling that Tool gives off. Tool's talent at bringing forth iconic songs and albums is second to none, but the band is deeper than just their music. They are one of the most successful groups of melding visual art with heavier music, it has given them a signature look and sound. In that is where many of their fans are fully woven into the band's lengthy and often experimental sound. That experimental sound brought in some psychedelic notes, a ton of progressive notes, and almost any other artistic rock genre out there backed by bombastic heavy music. Truly a one of a kind band that left a serious imprint on all of music. Now, for a group of such renown, they started off a little weak. Their debut EP Opiate is certainly a strange one, many of the core fan base still dig that EP, but for those that like Tool but haven't taken the deep dive you might be in for a mundane and strange shocker. In a lot of ways that debut shows Tool in its most raw and vulnerable sound, it isn't nearly as put together and flawless as their other albums, but what that EP does have is the title track "Opiate" which is one of Tool's best songs of all time. A year later Tool put out their debut album Undertow in 1993, and all that was strange on Opiate was turned to gold, that strangeness is still there and stayed there throughout the band's career, but they found how to weaponize it. To make what is rough turn smooth, and in that debut album we find ourselves with pure gold. Undertow is a Tool and 1990s classic album, it has gone 3x platinum in the United States alone and features some of their best tracks. It is a little easier to enter into than some of their other albums as well, there aren't as many long songs, and instead of the strange mystical feeling it is something more wicked and perverted.

     It is within Undertow that Tool blew up. This new band, unlike anything you have heard before. This new band that set the bar damn high. A band that brought back the importance of listening to albums start to finish. A band that puts out albums that change you within its playing time. A spiritual experience, if you will. Now, all of this might seem extreme, but bands like Tool rarely come around, it is like an eclipse or the second coming. Some people live their whole lives and a group like Tool may not ever start up, I am one of those people still waiting for a band nearly as powerful as Tool to show up. So, yeah, I might be raving about a band, but Tool is seriously impressive. No regrets. Anyway, where was I? Oh, yes. Tool were now on the radar of everyone with ears, so what did they do with their next album? Well, first off they waited over 3 years to put out their next album, but once it showed up we had Tool in their ultimate form. Ænima came along in 1996 and it completely stole the year. Their debut might have been heavy and intense with piss stained lyricism and a burning ember atmosphere, but their second album was a flame burning in a completely empty room, forever dancing forever voiceless yet beautiful. The album is a long one with a playtime of 77 minutes, consisting of 15 tracks. Tool put forth a more progressive front for this one, each song seems expertly crafted to give an experience like no other. Ænima has gone on to be one of the most important albums to come out of its decade, and even still all the way almost 30 years later it is still luring in a ton of new fans. Once again, these kinds of albums don't come out often. Tool only has 5 studio albums, but still manage to lure in legions of fans each year. Only 5 albums, but each song has enough quality to keep you content for your whole life. Ænima is another to hold a good chunk of their most popular songs, and it holds even more of the fan favorites. Our song of the day "H." comes off this goliath of an album, and in my opinion, it is one of the best off of it. "H." is the 3rd song in the album's track listing and was the second single to be released. This track is one of my strongest points in the claim that Tool is more hard rock than heavy metal, but in the end Tool is simply Tool. Each album gives a slightly different flavor, as for Ænima this is one that serves as a transitional point. Not fully progressive like the band's third studio album Lateralus, but a shitload more well-thought-out and put together than Undertow. I mean, within "H." it feels like we have 3 songs playing at the same time. It starts off mellow and the song returns to that sporadically. There is the chorus which is heavy and in your face, then the gut of the song at 3:25 completely changes it up to a progressive washed moody groove even getting a little poppy feeling there for a second before coming full circle and ramping up the volume and making your senses and emotions chase after each other. Speaking of emotions, what does Tool rise in you? It certainly isn't happy music, but is it sad? Is it angry? Is it hopeless? To me, it feels like trying to pull yourself out of quicksand. So, yeah, a little hopeless, but maybe hopelessly hopeful? Much like Tool is a genre within themselves, they are also an emotion of themselves. Tool can meld with almost any mood, but it can also completely control the mood if you let it. It isn't the kind of band you play at a party, but is certainly the band you should be playing with a few close friends around. Tool spikes deep thought, it makes the "how about that weather" talks turn into "tell me about the person you have hated the most" or "freewill vs. predetermined destiny" kind of talks. "H." is a great entry point into the band, it isn't too heavy to scare away the children yet there is still that lurking feeling in it. Like something is watching you. Like your reflection in the mirror smiles as you frown. I doubt many of you here never heard Tool, and if you haven't then welcome back to civilization. Good job logging into a computer. Tool is legendary, but even the legends have some hidden gems to discover! "H." isn't a hidden gem, it is a Tool classic, but a classic I give to you! Enjoy! 

​Year Released: 1996
Album: Ænima (1996)
Genre: Tool, Progressive Rock, Progressive Metal, Hard Rock
Mood: Murky
​Perfect For: Casual listening, Working, Going for a walk, Being awake for 24 hours, Hanging out with a friend
Where To Next: "Vitamin R (Leading Us Along)" - Chevelle
Rating: 8 / 10

"Glory to the Brave" - HammerFall

     A metal heart is hard to tear apart! It is in bands like HammerFall that we find that strength. We previously talked about HammerFall all the way back in March on their epic track "The Dragon Lies Bleeding". So, I apologize if I repeat myself a little bit, but a couple of months is a long time for the both of us. Anyway, HammerFall was one of the powerhouses in power metal in the late 1990s into the 2000s. They keep the same atmosphere and style of the mainstream power metal of the time. I shouldn't say they just kept with the same ol sound, since HammerFall in a lot of ways truly perfected that sound and made it their own. They are similar to bands like Blind Guardian but bring forth a little more raw power than some of the others out there at the time. Not quite the bombastic power metal sound of Manowar or Metalium, but a great melding of the Manowar type of power metal with the Blind Guardian set style, but they still keep to their roots, and you can feel the influence of Helloween in their glory. No use using other bands to explain HammerFall since they are a style in themselves. They have been a long time go to of mine when it comes to power metal. They are everything you could want from the genre. Heavy enough to let you look past some of the silly power metal lyricism, but more importantly heavy enough to truly sell the lyrics that paint scenes of battle, dragons, death, and barbaric brutality. Their debut album is one of my favorites from them. It is pretty obvious too since the two song of the day selections have been off that album. The album came along in 1997, years after the band was already established, but I guess they were too busy playing shows to put out that album. A lot of things are time and place, and HammerFall might have just needed that time and place. The late 1990s has some of the best power metal albums of all time, the same is to be said about the power metal laced progressive metal albums of the same time. All was lined up for them to release this landmark in power metal history. From start to finish it is one hell of a heavy ride, and for those that like fantasy based things I cannot suggest it enough. Many would say that HammerFall just got better from that point on, they released their second studio album Legacy of Kings in 1998, and that was the album that really got them going. It charted at #15 in their home country of Sweden, and also found modest success in many other countries. That one got their name fully out there, but when they released their third studio album Renegade in 2000 they were now on a path to becoming full fledge legends in the metal world. They hardly have slowed down since 2000, releasing albums steadily, all of which have been damn good! They released a ton of power metal anthems like "Any Means Necessary", "Glory to the Brave", "Hearts on Fire", "Last Man Standing", and a ton more. It is kind of funny to think that the band was started up by guitarist Oscar Dronjak who came from the death metal group Ceremonial Oath. The playing is day and night between the two, and I am glad he went on to something better. Granted, I have only listened through Ceremonial Oath's debut album The Book of Truth, so maybe some of the others hold something better. Also, I had a bit of a bias since I checked them out after listening through the good majority of everything HammerFall had to offer back when I was 17 or so. I still wasn't into death metal at that point, and also expected some of the guitar prowess that I heard on HammerFall albums. Still, for you historians and completists out there, be sure to see the strange roots of HammerFall.

     Our song of the day this go around is "Glory to the Brave", one of the band's best. The song is crammed full of emotion, which is to be expected due to its inspiration for writing it. "Glory to the Brave" was written for the band's friend who died much too young, also the track and album is dedicated to vocalist Joacim Cans grandfather who died before the album was recorded. A lot of power in this power metal album. A great debut from the band, and unlike some of the other bands out there, HammerFall didn't have that awkward "finding their sound" stage since they found it well before even putting out this album. "Glory to the Brave" is easily one of the best tracks off the album. I am obsessed with that intro, a mellow lead up to the drop that never fails to give me chills. After the drop, they quiet it down once again so those vocals of Cans takes full control. After the beautiful vocals fill your ears for a good second, they bring in some steady guitar work that keeps the pace of the track throughout its over 7-minute playing time. If that intro gave you chills, just wait for the chorus, which consumes a good portion of the track. This song always makes me feel at peace. Something about its composition, backing vocals and that chorus makes life feel okay even if it is a song dipped in death. A great atmosphere that doesn't grow stale, even with it getting a little repetitious near the end. One of those final tracks on an album that makes you want to listen to it all over again. "Glory to the Brave" is like the chocolate at the end of a Drumstick ice cream cone. Purposefully placed there so you can't help but gorge on another one. Unlike eating those, HammerFall doesn't leave you feeling guilty after you abuse it over and over again with your belly out. I can say with confidence that the good majority of HammerFall's discography is something that doesn't grow stale no matter how much you listen to it. I first started into the band from their 2000 album Renegade. It was a random pick for the day, if I recall right I was just getting further into non-1980s power metal when I was 14 or so and saw this CD at a strange little thrift store in North Carolina. Now luckily with heavy metal you get a damn good idea of what is to be within simply from the album cover. The imagery of what the style might be, and then that logo work really explains what atmosphere the album is to have. Renegade features the bands' mascot on horseback raising a war hammer high while lightning strikes it. If that didn't already tell me it was power metal, then the logo work and band's name easily did. What sold me even more was the fact that in the background the castle was on fire, it gave this warrior an evil stance more so than a hero one. Now, I love me a good evil force in a fantasy story, especially when that evil force is clad in blackened steel! So I asked my mom to get it for me, took it on home, loaded it into my computer and had my first listen to HammerFall. I was practically instantly hooked, and followed it up by jumping on good ol' YouTube to take in some more. The next album I listened to was their debut Glory to the Brave, and from that moment on I was a dedicated fan for life. It made me love this brand of power metal with all my heart! The album has a ton of great moments! The epic "The Dragon Lies Bleeding", their bolstering "HammerFall", a great cover of "Child of the Damned" from the hidden gem of a band Warlord, and our power ballad "Glory to the Brave". A neatly wrapped package of intense power metal, all for the power and the glory! So do yourself a favor and check out the band! A ton of great albums and tracks to keep you busy for a good while. Enjoy!

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1997
Album: Glory to the Brave (1997)
Genre: Power Metal
Mood: Empowering
​Perfect For: Funerals, Playing a fantasy video game, Reading a Robert Jordan book
Where To Next: "Farewell" - Avantasia
Rating: 9 / 10

"Choctaw Bingo" (Live) - James McMurtry

     James McMurtry is a hidden hero in the americana, roots rock, country and folk rock world. I first came across him 9 or so years back, and while I haven't dived too deep into his discography, everything I have heard from 1989's Too Long in the Wasteland up to his 2005 studio album Childish Things has left me more than impressed. He is the son of novelist Larry McMurtry, a go to favorite author of mine when it comes to western novels. He is known for many classics from the genre, none more famous than his goliath of a book Lonesome Dove, one of the best books I have ever read. So is it all too shocking that his kid went on to be one hell of a storyteller and lyricist? James McMurtry has some of the best written material out of the roots rock world, and I say that with confidence. Roots rock and americana really does have some potent writers, and the themes they chose always speak to the common man. It is real life music, it is a better image of America than the "Star Spangled Banner". Many might get rubbed a little wrong by artists like James McMurtry, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Justin Townes Earle, and Jason Isbell due to them sounding a little more country, but for those that get over that and realize they are more situated in the original rock n roll meets folk will find themselves with some new favorites. I won't lie, when I was first getting into James McMurtry, it took me a second to get all the way into some of his material. It was upon one polluted morning as I had to commute a couple of towns over to get to work when "We Can't Make It Here" came on. Something about the harsh air, not being able to shake the tiredness out of my bones, that classic frustration of having to work your life away, and barely having enough for a pack of smokes and a small coffee in between paychecks made the song truly speak to me. An atmosphere for the working man, for the traveling man, for the losers as much as the winners, for those of us that are just trying to make it through another day. James McMurtry sings nothing but truths, harsh truths, and after first understanding that I understood the reason that country has their hand in McMurtry's sound. It is because that is one of the most truly American things out there, country music. There are no other genres that are the definitive "American" sound. Hardly any other countries have had their place in the genre outside some Canadians, Brits, and those that made music under the dark/gothic country sound in the 2000s. Country is America and America is in rough ways. The American dream is dead, and those that fought for that dream die without help. Us Americans that work our lives away die unsatisfied, while our bosses and their friends that fill their pocket can die with a smile. Now, I know that people argue that the wealthy isn't happy either, in that I can agree, but I sure would rather be sad and wealthy than sad and poor. It is within that vision that James McMurtry becomes a rallying call to Americans. A man to speak the truth no matter the cost. He is the true idea of a patriot, not the crazy bootlickers that call themselves patriots today. Not the conman who sells hate to those who want it. Not cowards who wear masks and kidnap others without repercussion. Those meant to govern are just giving money to the rich and starving out the poor. McMurtry is us, he is a common man with a special skill of explaining the strife we live through. He is a patriot for the original vision of the United States, not the vision of leaders and bastards, but the vision of what our beautiful country could be, the vision we as humans want to see in the world. Anyway, lyrics aren't everything, even the most profound words can be bland if you don't know how to present them. In that regard we are in safe waters with McMurtry, a great musician and wordsmith. 

     Our song the day is probably his most famous track, even though it is a lot more roughnecked than a lot of his other material. "Choctaw Bingo" does show his songwriting skills better than most, and also it is a great example of "it's not the words you say, it is how you say it" saying, and for "Choctaw Bingo" there is a shitload of words being spit at you. This is the kind of track that really shows off what America is. A bunch of varying tales of hellraisers, working men, and businessmen. It covers a fictitious family reunion in Oklahoma where our character is recounting the stories he heard from relatives. The song starts off with a wicked chuckle and an idea of what to expect out of its over 8-minute playing time. The version we have here today is off James McMurtry's 7th album and first live album Live in Aught-Three and from my run through more than half of his albums, this one is the best. It is intense, it is electric, it is well written, meant for hellraisers, and so much damn fun. Some of the tracks off the album are heartbreaking like "Rachel's Song", some are for reminiscing like "Lights of Cheyenne", and then there are the tracks full of smooth guitar licks and lyrical whips like our song of the day today. One thing is easily said about the album, no matter the song McMurtry's mastery at storytelling has you feeling like you personally know the people in each story he tells. Most of the stories told on "Choctaw Bingo" are great, McMurtry keeps your attention on each of them, even the highly questionable one where he talks about his second cousins. I think the sleaziness really adds to the song, since it feels like it was being recorded at the biker bar next to the lingerie store. Even with McMurtry's great way of telling stories and damn fun flow of singing, you gotta give plenty of the love to the backing band, the Heartless Bastards, since they give a great platform for McMurtry to do his thing on both the vocals and some of the guitar work. You know, as much as I adore this song and album, I am having a hard time putting it into words. I think some songs really need to be heard to understand, especially when it is a long one like this one with one hell of an amount of lyrics. I could break down each line, but that would take a long ass time, and both of us are limited on that. The studio version off of his 2002 studio album Saint Mary of the Woods is a great version, but there is something about the cigarette smoke filled dive bar atmosphere on Live in Aught-Three that is addictive. You feel like you are there, no matter how many times you have listened to the album again. I have heard few live albums that feel so damn authentic. Once again, something you just gotta experience for yourself. Everything James McMurtry does is authentic, his political based songs are mean, well written, and straight forward. Need an example? Try out "Cheney's Toy" which is a direct punch at George W. Bush. He is just another dude, living life as he sees fit, but never seeing the dreams come true and money rolling through. Modernly he mainly just plays local shows around Texas with his son, never once did he try becoming a massive star because he knows his brand of music never hits that point. He writes what he wants and what he loves, and those that are lucky enough to take in some of his discography can feel that mighty quick. There have been few musicians like him, and you will hear few albums like Live in Aught-Three. So, what are you doing with the day? Chores? You can clean to the album, or do your errands with its very real feeling tunes playing over your speakers. Some things are worth the time, and when it comes to some of James McMurtry albums, there is no doubting it's worth. Well, that is all from me. Good luck this next week, be sure to take the time to smell the roses and enjoy good music. Enjoy! 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 2004
Album: Live in Aught-Three (2004)
Genre: Americana, Southern Rock, Folk Rock
Mood: Lawless
​Perfect For: Hitting the highway, Having a beer at a trashy joint, Drinking heavy, Focuses listening, Good times
Where To Next: "Good Lord Lorrie" - Turnpike Troubadours
Rating: 10 / 10

"In Need" - Grand Funk Railroad

     You know... I am incredibly shocked that we haven't had Grand Funk Railroad here yet. Massively shocked. I have been doing a song of the day since 2018, never once missing a song, but I only just started typing about it about a year and half ago. Before AintNoisePollution took the turn to focus on the song of the day, I swear every single month would have at least one Grand Funk Railroad song. Now, it seems it took over a year to get one, strange days indeed. Most peculiar, mama. Anyway, my song of the day must run its course in the manner it wants to run. For those curious, I listen to music for most of my waking hours, sometimes more, sometimes less, and from all the songs I hear I keep both a mental note and a Spotify playlist dedicated to the songs that grabbed me that day. It could be added to the list in the morning while brushing my teeth, while taking a crap at a gas station that luckily has speakers playing John Mellencamp, while I work on my multiple playlist projects, at work, or even if I only hear a 3-second piece of it as a car passes by. So, with that in mind, it is only fair that some of the greatest names in rock music somehow don't come along for a week or two. If I simply chose a random song that I like, the whole random nature of the website is lost. Alright, enough about that, but just know that you might see some pure gold here one day and then come back tomorrow and find a song that simply isn't to your liking. That is alright. Art is subjective. But that won't stop me from dishing it out! Today, we jump on the rock n roll train of loco-motion! Grand Funk Railroad has long served as a backbone to rock music. They might not have attained the same fame as some of rocks finest out of the 1970s, but they certainly have just as important of a presence. Through their career, they have rocked crowds worldwide with their aggressive yet groovy rock. They have had 6 platinum albums and a strong 7 gold selling albums, all within their prime years from 1969-1976. Modernly they are known for the timeless hits "The Loco-Motion", "We're an American Band", "Some Kind of Wonderful", and "Closer to Home (I'm Your Captain)". All those songs could have easily landed Grand Funk Railroad in the rock history books. But I have found that you really find the truly shining gems from the band within their deep dive. With that in mind, their 1969 debut album On Time is exactly that, a hidden rock gem that deserves its spot on your record shelf between Hotel California from the Eagles and Eat a Peach from the almighty Allman Brothers Band. A great album that I cannot suggest enough. It was the album that really had me falling deeply in love with the band's music. I still love those big hits, that is really where I started with the band, but it was On Time that had me jumping on the Grand Funk train. Choo choo! Their follow-up album Grand Funk (also known as The Red Album) is also one hell of a hidden gem. It holds some of the great early Grand Funk Railroad songs like "In Need", "High Falootin' Woman", "Mr. Limousine Driver", and the blues washed "Inside Looking Out". Another one you don't want to miss out on, in some ways it lacks in comparison to the band's debut and the following album Closer to Home, but is nonetheless a damn good hard rock album, nothing more nothing less. That follow-up album Closer to Home sees the band finding their sound, a sound that would make them one of the strongest names in rock music. It wasn't the one to break them out into stardom, but still it shows the band found the thing they needed to rise to power! You can start in most of the band's prime material and walk away happy. It is simply damn good hard rock that is meant to give you a good time. Nothing more you could really ask for after a long day of work. 

     I could go on, but I will stop there and zone in on our song of the day for a second. Zoning in meaning go on random side tangents and then ending the post abruptly. "In Need" is one of the many power tracks off the band's second studio album, Grand Funk. It is the second-longest track on the album, and it is one of the best "jamming" tracks off the album. I mean, the whole album really is just jamming. Mixing in hard rock with the blues and adding a little proto metal in there to mix it up. That proto metal front comes from the band's heavy roots in garage rock, something they wear proudly in the album, especially with including a cover of The Animals "Inside-Looking Out". Listening to that Animals track really explains some of the band's influences. The fun thing about the Grand Funk Railroad version of that song is changing some of the words up to add in some ganja references. A nice touch and very much Grand Funk Railroad. A great way to end the album too, even if the album honestly doesn't change up its sound too much, which is more than fine with me since Grand Funk Railroad has one of the best hard rock sounds to date. "In Need" is the 5th track off the album, a nice addition to the already great songs that fill the album. It starts off with a groovy and smooth guitar lick before the whole band jumps in and lays it down for ya. This much bombastic sound only comes out of three dudes, might I add. The song's lyrics are straight forward but fit together kind of strangely. From what I can tell, it seems what the point of the song and what Grand Funk might be "In Need" of is a friend. Don't we all need friends? Someone to lean on when things get dicey, and some good timers that like a beer or five. Not the type of dude in this song, nah, that guy is an ass. Still, lyrically the song is a touch weak even though I do like the gripping manner of "I saw an old high school friend just the other day, he didn't ask me how I'd been he asked me how was my pay". What really shines brightest about this track is the guitar solo near the end and the raw jamming that consumes both the majority of this song and the album it comes off of. A raw kind of rock n roll that you would expect out of some dudes garage. Cheap beer, good weed, questionably crusty couches, cigarette butts galore, and giant amplifiers. If I was alive in the time period of Grand Funk I would have been at every show I could have attended, I bet they threw down some seriously heavy music. But no, I gotta be from the modern day, but I am glad I can abuse all their albums as much as I want. Crazy to think that Grand Funk Railroad put out two killer albums within the same year in 1969 and then released another less than a year later, all of which was full of great material! Man, if you are someone who has relied on the hits from Grand Funk Railroad this last while and never have taken the quest into their albums, then I spit at thee. You are missing out! If you already have taken that dive and are jamming to "In Need" as we speak, then you are my kind of person! I am high-fiving my screen right now, you better be doing it too. You ready? Alright.... 1..... 2..... 3! Alright! Nice! Felt good right? Felt that loco-motion, man?! For those that I didn't high five, you can still redeem yourself! Listen to the track! Rock out! Enjoy! 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1969
Album: Grand Funk (1969)
Genre: Hard Rock
Mood: Laid back
​Perfect For: Drinking cheap beer, Enjoying a Summers day, Chilling at home
Where To Next: "Trouble On Double Time" - Free
Rating: 7 / 10

"Uncle Lijiah" - Black Oak Arkansas

     We just talked about The Smiths, a band that is for just about anyone. Easy to get behind, hard to understand. But for today, how about we look at a band that is a bit more of an acquired taste? Black Oak Arkansas are fucking great, they don't shy away from being themselves, for better or worse. When I first heard them I thought "what the fuck is this?" which soon took the tune of "hot damn! What the fuck is this?!" and once I found that stance, I have been addicted to their sound! The band is headed by Jim Dandy, one of the wildest stage men in rock music. Black Oak Arkansas had immensely energetic stage shows, and with a unique take on southern rock, it is almost impossible to forget about them after your first listen. Those gravely vocals from Jim Dandy always scratch a special itch. It is somewhere between being plain odd and being plain impressive! It always forces a smile on your face. The band put out an impressive amount of albums, ten of which made it onto the charts. Their live albums are a damn good time, and they might be one of the few bands that I would point to their live material for a place to start, especially their 1973 album Raunch 'N' Roll Live, still one of the best live albums I have ever heard. I will tell it to you straight, this band has impressed me more than it has the right to. I wonder how you will take it. Every time I played it for someone, aside from the 10/10 mostly instrumental "When Electricity Came to Arkansas", they always tend to have the same look. Kind of like the look you get when you see something nasty in public. As I always clarify, I don't mean that as an insult to the band, if anything that is some of the appeal. It is like the smell of propane or gasoline, it's a gross smell you can't help but kind of like. Black Oak Arkansas has been under a ton of different names, be it the core band name we are talking about today, their first name The Knowbody Else, Black Oak, and Jim Dandy's Black Oak Arkansas, but they all share one thing, all are intoxicatingly rocking and odd. With this big of a discography with altering names, it is often hard to know where to jump into the band. I stand by my statement to start with their first live album, but if you are someone who hates live albums, then maybe think about my favorite album from them, their self-titled debut. Have you been missing that certain something in your life? Do you stare out of train windows and think, "what am I doing with my life"? Well, it could be you are missing something in your life, and that something is a washboard solo. Yup. You need more hillbillies rocking out on a washboard. Don't believe me, do ya? Well, give the album a spin and prepare to eat your words! That debut is a great one, it shows off a more tame side of Black Oak before they went off to the funny farm. Their second studio album Keep the Faith is raunchy in all the right ways and righteous in all the raunchy ways. A fun album, and one I have found to be criminally forgotten when people talk about Black Oak Arkansas. Maybe not the ideal place to start, but if you are a fan of the band then you would be a fool to miss out on it, "Feet on Earth, Head in Sky" is my favorite off that one. Once the band released their third album, they had quite the name for themselves in the darker corners of the southern rock world. If an Angel Came to See You, Would You Make Her Feel at Home? has both one hell of a long album name and also one hell of a showcasing for Jim Dandy's vocal power. Another good album. It all ramped to max when the band released their first live album in 1973 Raunch 'N' Roll Live, an album that I think every rocker should try once. It shows off proudly the electric live show they put on. It feels like you walked into a circus where the performers got wasted before the show and are trying their best to keep the animals from mauling the crowd. Once again, how can an insult be a compliment? Well, it shows you don't know the band too well. After that album their name was jotted down in the history books of rock n roll, they became a figure in live shows that outperformed some of the previous intense yet straight forward rock performances. The last album we will grace over is their fourth studio album High on the Hog, easily one of their best albums and this one might serve as a better spot to jump into the band's material depending on what you are there for. It is a classic one, and it holds the band's most popular track, "Jim Dandy". A great one and it is typically the one people consider to be their prime album, a statement I agree with but don't since they have a ton of hidden gems. Alright, I will stop there so we can get to our song of the day, but be sure to check out a few others I adore like X-Rated (1975) and Live! Mutha (1976).

     I always feel like the discography poking are the boring posts, but sometimes they just go that way. I have 100 things I want to say about the band, and for some reason I just go the crash course route. Anyway, our song of the day this go around comes off the band's self-titled debut album, which came out in 1971. This album showcases how well the band does at melding red hot rock n roll with country music. Black Oak Arkansas is happily situated in the southern rock sound, a subgenre that would control a good portion of the radio time in the 1970s. Bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd, Molly Hatchet, The Allman Brothers Band, Marshall Tucker Band, Blackfoot, and ZZ Top are some of the best names out of the genre's prime years. For the most part they played nice, they got plenty of radio time and achieved grand record sales and fan bases. But to any genre there is a dirty side. For southern rock that took form as Black Oak Arkansas, and funnily enough they came before many of the big names in the genre. Black Oak Arkansas has their name in the strangest places. Some people consider them an early example of heavy metal, a statement I disagree with, and there are a ton of people who would even put them in with shock rock, southern metal, and other varying rough side of rock genres. Before Black Oak put out their first album under the band name Black Oak Arkansas, they were The Knowbody Else which started up in 1963. Due to troubles with the law the band ran to the hills and lived off the land in northern Arkansas, refining their sound of oddity mixing in gospel with hard rock, proto-punk with country, folk meets rock n roll. After some rambling from state to state the band started getting serious, playing shows here and there, until 1969 rolled around and they put out their first studio album which flopped. This strange caravan of freaks, fiends, and friends hit a wall, but if the movies teach you one thing it is run west. West to the land of freaks, fiends, and friends. California. They changed their name to Black Oak Arkansas and were picked up by Atco Records to put out an album. That album is the one that holds our song of the day, "Uncle Lijiah". The track is an odd one, but is completely in Black Oak style. It is one that shows off the band's Arkansas roots, something they obviously didn't want to hide since they named the band after their hometown. "Uncle Lijiah" is the song that kicks off the album, it gives you a taste of the band right away. The song covers this stubborn cuss that had one hell of a gambling addiction. A man consumed in sin that had the fright of his life one night when the devil caught up with him, grabbed him by his suspenders and reminded him who was to hold that soul if he kept on his foolhardy path. Well, it is a happy ending, don't worry. Our character changed his ways and swore to never tempt that Arkansas devil, thus giving up his gamblin' and law breakin'. A life lesson performed wonderfully by Black Oak. The damn fun, yet strange vocals of Jim Dandy are obviously one of the shining parts of the album, but you still got to give love to the rest of the band. Each member with their silly stage names are damn good at their assortment of instruments. Shit, I can think of few rock bands that have so many guitars going at the same time. Each track seems like a simple ditty at face value, but once you break apart the song in your ears, you will easily be flabbergasted. Black Oak Arkansas are one of the oddest names out of 1970s rock music, their story seems fake and in some ways those stories and legends outlived the band's music. All is true. All is raunchy. All is rocking. All is holy! Give the band a full go and I promise you won't be disappointed. They leave a special impression on you, like a goofy looking dog that you can't help but love. Enjoy! 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1971
Album: Black Oak Arkansas (1971)
Genre: Southern Rock, Country Rock
Mood: Rural
​Perfect For: Going out for a drink, Summer days, Driving those byways and highways
Where To Next: "Ko-Ko Joe" - Jerry Reed
Rating: 7 / 10

"Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" - The Smiths

     The Smiths were strangely short-lived, but while they were around they really shook up the pop and alternative rock world. Morrissey is one of the most well recognized icons out of 1980s music, a lot of that is attributed to his depressive vocals in The Smiths work, but outside The Smith's music he was also known, hated, and loved for bringing some serious ass topics to life in The Smiths lyricism. Some of the topics included child abuse, pedophilia, deep depression, the Moors murders, suicide, and so many more topics that rarely saw the light of day in pop music. Pop music is simplistic music for the people. It is easy to get behind, easy to dance to, easy to make love to, and it makes a winter's night feel like a summer's day. So, naturally, people weren't all too thrilled when The Smiths were saying some serious shit. Honestly, I find that immensely dumb. Music is all about expression, it is the best medium to get messages out there to the world, so if anything it should have made them even bigger legends. Morrissey just went about it strangely, and his persona was easy to poke fun at. As time moved on, he became the brunt of a ton of jokes, so the next generation just accepted he was the easy musician to target and judge without ever actually listening to his solo work or The Smiths. It is crazy how it goes that way, the damage of rumors. Anyway, the band had its fair share of controversy and the same is easily said about Morrissey, he is just an all around interesting and odd fellow. Though, those are the ones that typically make the best music. When it comes to The Smiths, they will forever be a beacon in the dark for the troubled youth. The losers, the outcasts, the lost and the beaten down. Those are the ones who fully understand The Smiths. I mean, anyone can dig the band, in that there is no doubt, but I think that The Smiths will forever have a place in the music world due to how well they speak to the strays. The Smiths have had a crazy impressive career, still being one of the highest streamed names in the 1980s music category. It is shocking they haven't released a proper studio album since 1987s Strangeways, Here We Come, but yet they still are on the tongues of everyone across the country. Not only do they speak to those that need the helping hand, they have some seriously catchy tunes. Furthermore, I can think of few bands that have such a perfectly depressing atmosphere. They are a straight-up sad band, even the happy sounding tunes still have some sad ass lyrics, or the depressing tunes have hopeful lyrics that weigh heavy on you. No matter what, you come away a little more sad than you started, but that feeling is addictive! It is why I come back to The Smiths so much, that atmosphere. I can think of few others that do it so damn well, the only one I think is even more depressing is Joy Division. Why would you want to listen to something that makes you sad? Well, it is an emotion we all deal with. For me, there aren't many places that I allow it to creep up, but when it comes to music I tend to like the sad stuff. Once again, it is addictive, and in a way it feels like someone understands me. Now, I know that sounds like some middle schooler philosophy, and it cringes me out to type it, but there is some truth to it. I hardly need to tell you this, I am sure you can get it and that is why you are here, and why you probably already know our song of the day. It speaks in a language all of us can understand, they paint with a blue brush and write hidden messages under each stroke. 

     "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" is a classic from The Smiths. It is one of the most loved songs, and is one of the many that comes off their noteworthy compilation Hatful of Hollow. The compilation in my opinion is the ultimate place to start within the band, if you somehow haven't listened to an album from them yet. It holds plenty of their biggest hits, but also offers some of the fan favorites to spice things up, like "Back to the Old House". It is an album that really tore me up when I was first taking the deep dive into varying flavors of 1980s pop. Much like listening through Tears for Fears The Hurting for the first time, it kind of messed me up for a good little bit. I know it sounds odd, but in a strange way it traumatized me? I don't know if that is the right word or expression, but it really did. I saw life different for a while there, and it wasn't seeing the forest for the trees, nor was it appreciating the birds in flight. It was seeing the writing on the wall, the custom fit chains we all wear in the pursuit of life and love. It was seeing monsters wearing the masks of beautiful women. Tough guys inflating their arms and their egos in unison. It was the American wasteland and the loss of god. You might hear all of this and think "isn't that a little extreme?" and yes, it certainly is, but for someone like me that lives my life in dreams and music, this album really did alter my perception. My first album I ever listened to from The Smiths was their second studio album, Meat Is Murder. While I dig the album now, I won't lie, I wasn't all too impressed though I really wanted to be. So I kind of gave up on The Smiths at that point in my life, I mean I think I was 12 years old so it was only fitting I wanted either something angsty or easy, that album was a little too mature for my taste. So, give it about 3 more years and I figured it was time to give the band another spin. I just freshly downloaded some 1980s pop essential albums, mostly greatest hits albums and plenty of Prince, but one of the ones I loaded into my iTunes library was Hatful of Hollow. At that point I only recognized one song by name, the addictive and perfect "How Soon is Now?" and I figured the rest of the songs would follow that mold. I was wrong and found that out as soon as I got 3 songs in. Though, by this point in life, I finally understood The Smiths and their self-destructive pull. I found a home within the hollow. I listened through the album a solid 5 times within the first week of hearing it. I always chose the opportune moments. The nights where a lava lamp lit my room and I knew I was to have few people texting me. Quiet, sorrowful, potent, atmospheric, and beautiful nights that I wish I could replicate now, but age dulls the brain and time teaches one how to control those emotions. Anyway, one of the best songs off that compilation is "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now". The track originally was released in May of 1984, a couple of months before this compilation came out. The song starts off on a woozy note, it has that feeling you get when you are up much too late and know you have to be to work in 4 hours. Sleep starved. The lyrics were written by Morrissey, so they are depressing, but this is a song of looking at yourself in the mirror and wondering what the hell you are doing. To put this song under a "sad song" banner would be doing it dirty, it is damn well written other than trading one of the lines from the chorus for "in my life, why do I smile at people who I'd rather kick in the eye?", I am glad the song has a little altering lines but why that silly one? Anyway, the name drop of the tyrannical Roman emperor Caligula gives the song a more highbrow feeling. I never have once doubted the lyrical prowess of Morrissey, and you certainly shouldn't either, but it is these quick additions that remind you that this isn't a depressed teenager, it is a troubled man in a troubled land that can really write. Anyway, the song goes down damn smooth and is the type you can listen to all day long without growing too bored. A powerful song, powerful enough to be included on the rock and roll hall of fame's "500 songs that shaped rock music". Those dudes rock compass aren't always spot on, and it is strange for this track to be there honestly, but at the same time it was immensely impactful for later rock laced genres like indie, pop punk, alternative, and post punk. The Smiths reach is far, and now that reach has grabbed you too. Glad to have them here, and I am proud to present this gem to you! Enjoy! 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1984
Compilation: Hatful of Hollow (1984)
Genre: Pop, Alternative Rock
Mood: Depressing
​Perfect For: Staying up late, Stressing, Self reflection, Casual listening, Rainy days
Where To Next: "Mad World" - Tears for Fears
Rating: 9 / 10

"The Big Black" - Orange Goblin

     We haven't talked Orange Goblin for a good little bit, nor have we talked about the genre in which they are a big name in stoner metal/rock for a while. That genre is one of my favorite styles of music, you know that you are always gonna walk away with a contact high and a smile. Slow, heavy, bombastic, and mellow yet very intense. It is the go-to genre for going on a motorcycle ride. It honestly seems to have been crafted for just that, and that statement is backed up by a lot of the bands having motorcycle and muscle car lyrics and imagery. Orange Goblin was one of the first I listened to when moving into the genre, and has since become one of the bands I rush to first when I need that fix of the style. I personally started with their fourth studio album, Coup de Grace, and I was quite impressed with how intense the band could be. Ashamedly, I listened solely for a good half a year, never moved too many different directions until one day I decided to just play one at random and see what I thought. Well, it turns out, while Coup De Grace is a great album from them, I haven't even got close to the power that is Orange Goblin. The album I landed on that day was The Big Black, an album I have got to admit might just be their best release. I mean, within the stoner metal/rock genre there really isn't too much alternating sounds, they all sound about the same. Some might take that as a negative, but much like reggae or speed metal, that is part of the greatness of it. There isn't much disappointment when you simply got a couple more songs that sound just like the other album you already loved. Anyway, The Big Black was one hell of an album, and it caught on like a bug bite. Within that one month I took on every studio album they have put out at the time, the only studio album I haven't listened to a couple of times from Orange Goblin is their most recent studio album Science, Not Fiction, which released in 2024. I really got to get to it though since that album cover is damn cool and the one track I heard off of it "(Not) Rocket Science" was just as grand as the rest of their material. Anyway, if you are someone who is on the lookout for something new to roll a joint to, or a band that has album after album full of great material, then look no further, since you just found it. I am talking like Orange Goblin is some underground group, which is far from the truth. The genre never hits the limelight, but Orange Goblin is still one of the most well known names from it. "The Big Black" is a great intro track to the band, it comes off one of the most popular releases and really shows off all the sides of Orange Goblin. I have a large amount of memories getting stoned to this album and many of the band's others. Modernly, I hardly ever smoke, but I still feel naturally high when Orange Goblin comes on. I have had it playing on long motorcycle rides, lost space cruising, nights of drunken revelry, running errands, and almost any other activity that may include drinking and/or driving. A powerhouse of a band that never seems to get old, but with any repetitious band, can grow stale if you abuse it. So, don't do it!

     I chose "The Big Black" when driving home from work. My truck has a little sound system, subwoofer and all, and due to it having such a small cab the music can easily get too loud to handle. That is just how I like it, who needs to hear things in the future? I am going to be one of those old dudes with a horn they have to put in their ear to hear. Bold to assume I will live that long, I know, but if I do, I am certainly going to have some hearing issues. If you ask my girlfriend, I already do. Anyway, I had plenty of great choices for who was to be our song of the day for the 4th by the time I got off work. I wouldn't have added those others to the list if I knew I was going to listen to Orange Goblin on the way home. Each track off the album is potent, some more than others, but as the album moves along it grows just a smidgen stale. The band might have known that, and that is why they have the bowel shattering track for the last one. The best song off the album is "Scorpionica" in that there is no doubt, it is one of their most popular songs for a reason, but even that one has a hard time standing within the same album as "The Big Black". The track is 7 minutes long, but that must be in a different "minute" than I am used to. The song makes you feel like you have traveled to all the continents, learned a life lesson at each, visited distant planets, and made it home all within the same day for tea. A mystic intro soon gives way to a bombastic body of the song, which sounds best when you play it dangerously loud. Lyrically, the song is equally epic and kind of silly. It covers an entity known as "the big black", a presence that is the soul of the old stoner race, it was he who brought forth stoner metal, and it is within he that wizards of old sought to access that ancient power. See, equally epic and equally dorky, just how I like it. The ending of the track ramps up the speed as you shift up on the motorcycle and launch up to the stars. Then as intensely it came on, it fades away slow and mellow. One of those tracks that leave you feeling empty after it comes to a close. Many tracks off this album are iconic, but the first song and the last song are the best. Orange Goblin put out a gem in 2000, and their other release from the year is kick ass too. Earlier that year, Orange Goblin alongside Alabama Thunderpussy (yes, I know, classy band name) put out a split EP where each band covered a predecessor to the genre. Alabama Thunderpussy covered "Can't Feel Nothing" from the immensely underrated Captain Beyond, while Orange Goblin covered "Freelance Fiend" from Leaf Hound, another band that has been lost to time and seriously needs your love. Shit, maybe check those out before listening to our song of the day, they need the love more. Also, it is always great to see roots in genres and bands like Leaf Hound show off those roots without question. If you want my collection of hidden gems from the hard rock, acid rock, proto metal, stoner rock treasure trove then shoot me an email and I would be happy to suggest some. The whole purpose of this website is to show love to the hidden and also the stars, so it would honestly make my day and probably the next and the next and the next. So many great bands simply never having a chance to kiss your ears. It is heartbreaking, honestly. Well, stay tuned to AintNoisePollution and you will walk away with plenty of new bands. Enjoy! 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 2000
Album: The Big Black (2000)
Genre: Stoner Metal, Stoner Rock
Mood: Cataclysmic
​Perfect For: Going for a drive, Playing loud, Having a beer, Getting stoned, Motorcycle rides
Where To Next: "Wizard of War" - Orchid
Rating: 9 / 10

"Twilight of the Gods" - Helloween

     Have we talked Helloween here yet? No, I don't think we have, well then how about we get into it! I am damn excited to have them here since Helloween is one of the most essential names in power metal. They are often regarded as the fathers of power metal, a statement I agree with full-heartedly. Helloween was one of the leading forces of power metals expansion and are one of the most influential metal bands to come out of the 1980s. All of those statements will ring true in your ears once you hear our song of the day. Helloween first got together in 1984 stemming from many different bands upon the streets of Hamburg, a city known for bringing forth a ton of powerhouses in the metal genre like the pirate metal band Running Wild, the longtime running classic Gamma Ray, and the speed metal kick in the dick Grave Digger. Still, with all of those bands and many more, none had the same raw impact on metal music quite like Helloween. The members of Helloween came out of other smaller bands, none of which made much of a go at it, but all they learned from their previous bands were brought into Helloween. They released their first studio album Walls of Jericho in 1985, it was the only album to feature the original vocalist Kai Hansen during the band's prime years, but he still stuck around to do the guitar work after this album. Now, this first album is loved by some and hated by some. It isn't the sound Helloween is known for, it more so focuses on break neck speed and lyrical themes of death more so than fantasy. A little more on the speed metal spectrum than on the power metal. That is honestly what I love about the album though, it is a unique release before the band found their sound on the following release. "Walls of Jericho" and "Heavy Metal is the Law" are some of the best metal tunes out of 1985, and they are much more intense than some of the more thought out later Helloween tracks. Pure heavy metal mania, nothing more nothing less, and while it isn't the spot you should be starting within the band I think a few of you would really enjoy it, some even more than Helloween's core sound. What is that core sound? How about the style that practically created power metal? Yeah, you heard that right, the band's second studio album Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I is known in the metal community as the album that started power metal. Now, there were plenty of other influences to the genre, and other bands dabbled in the power metal sound, but none like this album put out. It was something completely unique for its time, and following its release there were other power metal albums popping up left and right. Power metal is known for its lyrical themes that mainly revolve around high fantasy. Elves, magic, dragons, swords and sorcery. They mixed that in with a speed metal meets progressive metal sound. Gotta have the theatrics of progressive, but the no brakes style of speed metal to really paint that picture of battle. Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I was the first album of theirs that I listened to, and I was a fan as soon as "Initiation" was over and "I'm Alive" started up. You might as well have put a pumpkin on my head. At that point I was already a fan of other power metal bands, but more so on the epic side of the metal spectrum, but I have heard of Helloween plenty of times within my own research. When it was time for me to truly break down what power metal is, naturally I started with the band that really started it all, and better, yet I started with the album attributed with the same statement. My little 14-year-old ears were so focused on each and every song off this album, I am honestly surprised I didn't faint. A perfect album through and through, and to make it better, the band went on and released a second part for their next album, so the fun didn't have to stop any time soon. They intended to release it all as one, but the record label gave them a big no. Since my first wonderful listen, this album and its equal has had a shitload of abuse and I come back very often to take the songs in. If anyone has been around me for more than 10 hours, they have heard some Helloween. Our song of the day has been a favorite of mine from them for a damn long time, one song I will never tire of.

      "Twilight of the Gods" is the ideal Helloween song to explain power metal's roots in its predecessor genre, speed metal. You are knocked right down as soon as the song kicks off. It doesn't have an eerie intro or something to get you sucked in, nope, right off the bat the amps are turned to 11, and you are bewitched to bang your head! Such an intense intro! A shotgun blast to the chest! Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I was the first Helloween album to have the INTENSE vocals of Michael Kiske, one of the most thrilling vocalists out of 1980s heavy metal. Another piece of the puzzle on how this album lead the charge of power metal's early days, most of the big names of power metal directly ripped off the vocals style of Kiske, just listen to Blind Guardian and tell me it isn't so. This whole album is a treat to take in, and there are enough varying intensities to keep you happy within its 37-minute running time. The first two tracks are easy to get behind and give you a taste of the selling potential of power metal, "A Little Time" is a little darker and murky much like you entered a dungeon, but lyrically it is uplifting. "Twilight of the Gods" is sickeningly intense and gives a special spotlight to the dual guitar work of Michael Weikath and Kai Hansen. "A Tale That Wasn't Right" gives you a taste of the more mellow Helloween sound, a thing that practically every Helloween album has, another thing that the majority of power metal bands also did. You gotta have the pretty tracks, who doesn't love a warrior poet? "Future World" is an essential power metal track, it practically defines the early power metal sound and is so damn 1980s it makes you puke leopard print. "Halloween" is the most impressive track on the album, it blows my mind each and every time I listen to it again. Over 13 minutes of earth-shattering heavy metal, perfectly composed, perfectly executed, and intense! I would cast my vote of it being one of the best tracks to come out of power metal, I will forever be head over heels in love with it. All great things must come to a close, and this album comes to a close with a smooth outro track "Follow the Sign". The book is closed, and you feel completely drained and completely impressed. The power of music, the power of heavy metal, the incantation of satanic serenades. I can talk about this album for eons, and the same is to be said about a ton of other Helloween albums. If you want a piece of heavy metal history, I cannot suggest this album enough! Not a single bad track! "Twilight of the Gods" is the most intense song off the album, and I think it will do a great job at grabbing you and making you a fan of the band. If it doesn't then that it alright, Helloween has a damn large collection of great albums and other essential songs for your enjoyment. This early stage of power metal is a little different from what you hear on a Dragonforce album, but you can still easily tell that Helloween left a lasting impression on the heavy metal world, even into the modern day power metal world. Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I is also one of the few albums that I strongly suggest you take the time to listen to the expanded editions of. Even the unreleased tracks or the reworked ones are damn good. Well, I will stop boring you with over explaining the same thing over and over again. Time for you to listen to the track! I am excited for you if this is your first time listening to it. I am also very jealous. Some songs I really wish I could go back and listen to the first time again. To get those full body chills for the first time all over again. Don't get me wrong, this song and album still sock it to me, but the first time is always special. Enjoy! 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1987
Album: Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I (1987)
Genre: Power Metal
Mood: Aggressive
​Perfect For: Crafting a sword of unmatched anguish, Playing D&D, Playing loud
Where To Next: "Speed of Light" - Stratovarius
Rating: 9 / 10

"South of the Border (Down Mexico Way)" - Bob Wills

     When it comes to an artist that played a pivotal role in the progression of country music in the early days, then Bob Wills should be one of the first names that come to mind. While Jimmie Rodgers might have been the first with a true country sound, and The Carter Family might have helped bring that style a little more into the light, it was Bob Wills in the frontline pushing forward an exciting sound during the age of jazz and big bands. That sound is western swing, sometimes known as country jazz, and it is one of the best genres out of the 1930s and the 1940s. It is a shitload of fun, and Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys did it the best so far as I am concerned. The impact on country music that Bob Wills left is still heard in the genre even today. Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys are one of those groups you can instantly tell who they are when a song kicks off. A lot of that comes down to Wills trademark noises, most notably his "aaah haaas". Truth be told, those used to rub me wrong when first getting into this style. It is plain silly and throws off the vibe, but as time moved along I got more into it, and the songs of theirs that don't have it truly feel like something is off. Many might think that Bob Wills would be the dominant vocalist in his own band, but those people would be wrong. Once he went off and did his own solo work, there was no choice, but while Bob Wills was running the Texas Playboys it was mainly Tommy Duncan on those vocals. The ones with Duncan on vocals are typically the best. Songs like "San Antonio Rose", "Take Me Back to Tulsa", and "Bubbles in My Beer" are some prime examples of how well Tommy Duncan does on those vocals, and I think him being there is one of the leading forces to why Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys stayed around for so long. Unlike many of the western vocalists of the time, his are a little more lax and homey. The stuff that is better in beer joints than on that open range. Anyway, Bob Wills has the moniker "The King of Western Swing" and he gained that by being the highest selling artist from that genre. A hardworking musician with a hardworking band that released well over 100 singles, and has 29 albums to his name, most of which are compilations due to when the majority of the Bob Wills material came along. He has been on every vinyl format. Bob Wills did very well for himself, but failed to keep with the changing times like some of the country musicians were forced to do. Once rock music came along that was all she wrote, but he did his part, he served his genre well and even some of rock's creation is thanks to Bob Wills. Bob Wills put out his first recording "St. Louis Blues" with "Four or Five Times" on the backside in 1935, but it failed to gather too much attention. Slowly but surely western swing and Bob Wills was gaining traction, all it needed was more dance forward jazz music to come along to give it a market nationwide. By the time the 1940s was in full swing Bob Wills was there for the ride becoming one of the decade defining artists, putting out some of the most notable work from the time. Once they were thrusted into stardom, they made quick work of adding more instruments to the Texas Playboys, bringing in the steel guitar, horns sections, and some quick smacking drums. A lot of that sound would later move into many genres of country music, one of the biggest being the Bakersfield sound, which included artists like Merle Haggard (who would go on to do an album with Wills) and Buck Owens. There is a ton of love for Bob Wills in the classic country world, one of the greatest examples of that is the Waylon Jennings classic "Bob Wills is Still the King". A true legend in the country world, and easily one of the most important icons in early American music. Bob Wills is indeed still the king.

     "South of the Border (Down Mexico Way)" comes off the Bob Wills 1970 compilation The Best of Bob Wills, but has since been included on a good portion of the plentiful Bob Wills compilations. If you get into Bob Wills, you will quickly learn that you will rarely get the same version of a song twice. That is due to the many releases of the same song, some live, some radio specials, some studio, some early Bob Wills, some later Bob Wills, some with The Texas Playboys, some without. It was one of my biggest headaches when doing my studies in the 1930s and 1940s since I wanted the original version. I have bitched about it a ton, but here we go again, what the fuck is with the cataloging and archiving of country music? Such a powerful genre really doesn't have too many people tracking all this shit, but it really isn't too shocking. Still, the impact Bob Wills had on American music is huge, yet people don't seem to care to keep it all clean and straight. I am sure there is an obscene amount of lost recordings, and even more recordings that record labels and lazy owners don't see a reason to put out. They got to get with the time, the more you drag your feet, the more Bob Wills gets forgotten to time. Catalogue this shit! I guess I could, but I already have my hands full trying to expose groups that once were kings of their decade. I am doing my part. If you are a big country fan and are reading this, how about you take this as a calling. Anyway, Bob Wills is a hard one to track, and each time I take the deep dive again I find out I missed 40 songs, and it becomes an obsession. "South of the Border (Down Mexico Way)" is an easy one out of all of them, and a lot of that is due to it being a later recording from Bob Wills. The song was written by the lyricist Jimmy Kennedy and the composer Michael Carr, first having recordings in 1939 and finding itself as a big hit for the bandleader Shep Fields (see "On a Slow Boat to China"). In my opinion, the song didn't have that "thing" until the singing cowboy Gene Autry sang it for the movie of the same name in 1939. It became one of Gene Autry's classic songs, and he still does it the best in my opinion. I love the song due to its atmosphere and lyrical content, this theme of going to Mexico, falling in love, but for one reason or another leaving her behind and then dying of a broken heart became somewhat of a lyrical trope in the country world all the way into the 1980s, especially for country musicians that loved the cowboy themes like Marty Robbins. Shit, Marty Robbins had well over 20 songs with this theme of going to Mexico and falling in love, and much in Marty Robbins style, dying dramatically in the name of forbidden love. For our song of the day, our character heads south of the border, down Mexico way, where he fell in love under the stars and moon. Yet, he didn't stay with his beautiful new love, something he would soon regret. He lied and said he would see her tomorrow, and off he rode like the fool he was. Time moved along, and soon enough he headed once again south of the border, down Mexico way, with his heart full and head weary from the ride. He heard the wedding bells in the distance, but decided to ride into town anyway, and that is when he found that he waited too long and his beautiful lady he left behind was now getting married. I am assuming at this point he is all sad and shit, which is dumb since it was his own fault. I think you cannot be too sad when you yourself made that foolish decision in the first place, it has always been an annoyance of mine in these cowboy ballads, like, what did you expect to happen, man? She would have just been waiting for you there longingly? Nah. She said, "well, I guess that is another cowboy riding off, but who is this cowboy I see riding into town?" and there she goes. Good for her, hope that cowboy is a little more wise than the star of our song today. Anyway, the ending is up to your own imagination on how it ends, since there really isn't an ending, especially in the Bob Wills version. "South of the Border" has had a ton of great versions, I have a ton that I dig! The one we hear today, Gene Autry does my favorite version, Frank Sinatra does a great one, Chuck Berry has an altered version which is odd but good, Sam Cooke does his with an unmatched beauty (duh), and there are many more interesting versions from many varying decades and artists. A classic popular song that rebels against being stuck within one year and decade. Well, for now, try out the Bob Wills one and see what you think. Enjoy! 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1970?
Chosen Compilation: The Best of Bob Wills (1970)
Genre: Western, Country, Western Swing
Mood: Errante
​Perfect For: Heading to Mexico, Rambling, Taking a drive, Casual listening
Where To Next: "Gals Don't Mean a Thing" - Johnny Bond
Rating: 7 / 10

"Perfect Disguise" - Modest Mouse

     I have a gut feeling Modest Mouse is going to be the band that defines my transition from a young adult to an adult. I have been growing more and more fond of them as these months roll along. I first heard them with their vastly popular "Float On", but for one reason or another I mainly just stuck with that song for years, adding in some others as I went along, but never jumping into their melancholy sea. Well, once I started into the 1990s for my studies, I knew that Modest Mouse was going to come along once the indie rock sound started gaining power. I was honestly taken aback by their debut album, This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About. A strange hybrid between emo and indie, all tied together with an artistic alternative rock bow. I was listening to the album while having a kind of odd day, a day when I was depressed and craved a little solo drive many towns over. That day I kept on driving and driving until I ended up in the Ogden, a city that time has not been kind to. It has soul, but that place always seems gloomy, even in the heat of a summers' day. I couldn't have asked for a better album for that day, it fit perfectly into the empty spot that was in my soul. That first album is an odd one, it isn't one I would suggest anyone start with when first getting into Modest Mouse, but it would indeed the second album I would suggest. It is so damn... emotional... in such a weird way. Though I will admit that it left a hell of an imprint on me that day. After that I could not wait until I got to 1997 when I could listen through their second studio album The Lonesome Crowded West. Obviously, I was head over heels for these album titles, they are the kind of melodramatic shit that I always name my playlists. I can tell that the band and me are kindred spirits, the kind of chaps that I could have easily been friends with in a different timeline. That second album didn't disappoint, it kept the same style as the first one for the most part but perfected it. It didn't feel like a teenage album like This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About did. This one felt like the boy is trying to transition into being a man, but like myself, can't quite seem to get it right. Wonder if one day I will. Honestly, I think all men are still just little boys deep down but they are just much better at pretending than I am. Maybe I am proud that I never lost the little boy touch, or maybe I am too afraid to fully grow up... Shit, getting off topic again, but am I really? I think Modest Mouse is a perfect band for that line of thought, it just feels like it was written by someone who is lost. Lost in life, lost in love, lost in purpose, or maybe not lost but purposefully hiding. Anyway, their second studio album was a good one, well worth the wait too. It felt like Christmas day when I saw that album cover come over my phone screen, I just could not wait to unwrap it and enjoy! Enjoy I did, maybe not as much as their debut, but I could tell this was a more potent album and one I would be coming back to time and time again. Much like the album that came before it, you walk away sad. A sweet sadness. Another thing that made me sad was knowing I was going to have to wait until I finalize and tidy up my 1990s studies before I can move on to their third studio album The Moon & Antarctica. What made that wait easier was their EPs. It is sort of against my rules for my studies since I am sticking mainly to studio albums and live albums and coming back for the EPs and bands hidden tracks on compilations and soundtracks later, but for some bands it is worth bending my own rules. I didn't count it towards my collecting of tracks, but I listened through each of those EPs to keep me sated until I got to the 2000s. Just too good of a band to not listen to everything I possibly can, but I don't want to overdo it and run out of new material. Well, just yesterday it was finally time to listen to The Moon & Antarctica. 

     The mood was right, I was in an end piece of break kind of mood and nobody else was home except me and Mocha dog. I just got done going through a couple of other albums, some of which were goodies like Sinead O'Connor's Faith and Courage and Steve Earle's Transcendental Blues, but I also had some stinkers like Graham Coxon's The Golden D and the overrated Crush from Bon Jovi. Much love Bon Jovi, but that one simply isn't for me outside "It's My Life". So already I was having a decent haul of great tracks and albums, but then I saw that album cover. You know the one, the strange one with two hands shaking in the sky over a barren landscape. It is the kind of album cover you would expect from a progressive rock band past their prime, or even a compilation of religious folk songs, but nope, that is that third album I have been waiting to sink my teeth into from Modest Mouse. The album cover isn't nearly as great as the band's previous two, not even close, and the album title follows suit. What I will say, is the band really came back with a fresh style, a style that would eventually bleed into the sound they have on their most popular album, Good News for People Who Love Bad News. That is one album I admittedly cheated and picked through early, but don't tell other Caleb, or he will be pissed. Anyway! I was more impressed with this album than I was by the previous two. It still has that moodiness, but there is a personal touch on this album that is emotionally draining. It feels like one of those albums that an artist throws their heart into the crowd and watches as the blood splatters all over the faces of strangers. Like the previous two studio albums, once it was done I found inner turmoil wearing a cheaply put together costume of inner peace. Track by track, there was something fresh to taste from the band. They still showed plenty of love to their original sound, but you can tell there was a spot for expansion. A more well put together sound, and with this being their first big label release, a sound that is crisper and better recorded. A bigger budget will sure do that, not to mention the help from some of the best in the industry. I collected 7 tracks to cherish, but even the songs that didn't fully make the cut still left this impression on me, I still haven't been able to get over since listening to it just yesterday. Shit, maybe I should listen to it now again as I type this out. One of the songs that impressed me the most off the album was the 4th song on the album, "Perfect Disguise". This one is a tad bit shorter, which is a negative, but the raw amount of emotion makes the song feel much longer. It has this atmosphere of stillness before a heavy storm hits your street. Calm before the storm. The lyrics were written by vocalist and guitarist Isaac Brock. You get the feeling this track is sort of a transitionary track between "Dark Center of the Universe" and the whimsical "Tiny Cities Made of Ashes" but a breather track never hurts. It is a calm track, an earthy song that goes down damn smooth. The album marks a transitionary point for the band, many thought the band lost their unique core sound, but in retrospective shoes I would say the sound evolved more so than changed. It is still there, in that there is no doubt, but it matured and grew stronger. A touch more introspective and real, less abstract and youthful. This album is a good deal colder. There are admittedly the plain strange songs on the albums, but it is rivaled by a serious track following it. We chose one of the serious tracks for today's post. "Perfect Disguise" may not be the prime example of this album's feeling and flow, but it does show off that band's approach to varying themes, all under the Modest Mouse sound they already gathered a hearty fan base with. This has easily been one of the best albums I have taken in out of 2000 thus far for the rock section. Now, what does break my heart is now I have to wait another two or three months before I can listen through their 2001 studio album Sad Sappy Sucker. Why do I make so many damn rules for myself to follow?! Well... I guess I have some time to listen to the tracks off this album many times over before I get to the next one. I guess we will talk more Modest Mouse once I get to that album, or maybe even before then. For now, it is your turn to listen to the song and float out of yourself. Enjoy!

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 2000
Album: The Moon & Antarctica (2000)
Genre: Indie Rock
Mood: Hollow
​Perfect For: Lonesome drives, Cigarettes at 2 AM, Feeling low, Casual listening
Where To Next: "Title Track" - Death Cab for Cutie
Rating: 8 / 10