Tag Archives: Rock

Top 15 Rise Against Songs: Part 3 of 3

(Looking for parts 1 and 2? Over here and over here.)

I would’ve had this post up sooner, but the internet at my place decided to up and die on me. Because I’m completely useless with technology, it’s taken me until now to post this. Apologies.

Also, I realise that Black Market has been out for almost a week, and I’ve gotta say, it’s pretty damn solid. It’s got some crap songs, for sure (“Sudden Life”, anyone?) but songs like “The Eco-Terrorist In Me”, “People Live Here” and “Zero Visibility” would likely make this list if I actually took the time to do a little hard work and go back to update it. However, it’s unreasonable to assume that somebody who, as a kid, once spent an entire afternoon trying to determine if he could get high off of snorting “Sour Patch Kids” sugar would actually show initiative of any sort. Also, when I say “as a kid”, I actually mean “Last Friday”.

 

5. “Help Is On the Way ” 

Album: Endgame (2011) (Single)

Genres: Melodic hardcore

Written by: Tim McIlrath

An  intense, pounding melodic  punk song, “Help Is On the Way” not only has one of my favourite opening lines in music history (” I have my mother’s dreams/I have my father’s eyes/You can’t take that from me/Just go ahead and try”), but is also the band’s most commercially successful single, reaching as high as 2 on the Billboard Rock and Alternative Charts, and 89 on the Billboard Hot 100. Can you say “indie cred lost?”

 

“Maybe. Can you say: “gold-plated private jet?””- Rise Against

4. “Audience of One”

Album: Appeal to Reason (2008) (Single)

Genre: Alternative Rock

Written by: Tim McIlrath

I know it’s not exactly cool to like a song that is about as punk as James Cameron is subtle, but I guess I’ll just have to take up with my crust punk friends.

Or, realistically, I’ll just timidly agree with anything they have to say.

“Audience of One is pretty much a straight mainstream rock song, but it’s anthemic and really damn catchy. Elitists may roll their eyes at it, but it’s still the best thing to come out of what was kind of a mediocre album.

 

3. “Give it All” 

Album: The Sufferer and the Witness (2006) (Single)

Genre: Hardcore punk, melodic hardcore

Written by: Tim McIlrath

WE GIVE IT AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!

NOW THERE’S A REEEEEASSOOONNN WHYYYYY II SIIIIIIIIIIINNNG!!!!!

SO GIVE IT AAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!

AND IT’S THESE REASONS THAT BELONG TO MEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!

2. “Swing Life Away” 

 Album: Siren Song of the Counter Culture (2004)

Genre: Acoustic rock

Written by: Tim McIlrath

An introspective acoustic song (The only one on SSOtCC), “Swing Life Away” is just a really sweet, optimistic (How about that?) tune about reminiscing about the past while keeping an eager eye towards the future.  Fun fact: It’s the only Rise Against song to ever chart in the Billboard Pop Chart, at 95.

 

1.  “Prayer of the Refugee” 

Album: Appeal to Reason (2008) (Single)

Genre: Melodic hardcore

Writer: Tim McIlrath

Instantly recognizable thanks to its opening guitar rhythm and Tim McIlrath’s melancholy singing, “Prayer of the Refugee” is a fiery, fist-pump inducing call to arms for the downtrodden and the oppressed, and a furious denouncement of capitalism,  being the conversation between a refugee and his son, with the father recounting tales of the past prosperity of his people, their current misery, and finally encouraging his son to rebel against the oppressors and change the world for the better.

I may get into why this song means so much to me later, but the short version is this: My dad is a refugee from El Salvador who came to Canada fleeing a tin-pot military dictatorship (The default setting for Latin American countries). Being a highly opinionated political activist, who has always encouraged me to remember my roots and fight for my beliefs and for what’s right, in general. So when Tim is singing about “Singing through the day/Of the lives that we’ve lost/And the lives we’ve reclaimed” it kind of feels like my dad’s recounting tales about his home country and instilling hope in my cynical, jaded, know-it all mind.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some Sour Patch Kids to inhale.

To be continued…

Top 15 Rise Against Songs: Part 2 of 3

(Looking for part 1? Over here.)

 

10. “Broken English”

Album: Revolutions per Minute (2003)

Genres: Punk rock, melodic hardcore

Written by: Tim McIlrath

Revolutions Per Minute is one of Rise Against’s better albums, but the thing is that it doesn’t have quite as much memorable songs as some of the other great RA albums (Specifically, Siren Songs of the Counter Culture and The Sufferer and the Witness). That said, this song is pretty damn amazing, and has a great, melodic sing-along chorus that ranks among the bigger crowd-pleasers in their repertoire. Or it would be, if, y’know, they ever played non-singles at their concerts.

 

9. “Rumors of My Demise Have Been Greatly Exaggerated” 

Album: Siren Song of the Counter Culture (2004)

Genre: Melodic hardcore

Written by: Tim McIlrath

One of the longer, better named songs in Rise Against’s discography, “Rumours”, is the second of four songs from Siren Song, their major label debut, to be included on this list. There aren’t much better ways to close out an amazing album than with this poppy, yet hardcore song.

 

8. “Ready to Fall” 

Album: The Sufferer and the Witness (2006) (Single)

Genres: Post-hardcore

Written by: Tim McIlrath

Reflecting the slightly altered, less radio-friendly style of Rise Against’s best album, “Ready to Fall is a deliberately slow, pounding slow-burner of a song, that still manages to be very emotionally resonant. It’s very rare for me to actually enjoy screamed vocals as much as the rest of the song, but the “Wings won’t take me” verse that Tim screeches before the chorus is probably the best part of the song.

7. “Hero of War”

 Album: Appeal to Reason (2008)

Genre: Acoustic rock

Written by: Tim McIlrath

The closest thing to a “hippy song” that Rise Against have ever released, “Hero of War” is an acoustic ballad decrying all sorts of injustices during the idiotic war on terror, including manipulation of young men by army recruiters, prisoner abuse and war crimes committed by American troops, but its’ main focus is on the emotional toll that war inflicts upon the veterans. It’s an important, emotionally powerful song that ranks among my favourite acoustic songs of all time.

 

6.  “Savior”

Album: Appeal to Reason (2008) (Single)

Genre: Punk rock, alternative rock

Writer: Tim McIlrath

Admittedly, it’s less “punk-y” and was quite overplayed upon its release, but “Savior” is still an emotionally  urgent song that is one of the stronger points on what was, honestly, kind of a weak album. It’s not that I didn’t agree with it’s messages, it’s just that I can only take so much before it sounds like Michael Moore is screaming in my ear.

 

To be continued…

Top 15 Rise Against Songs: Part 1of 3

There is no way Tim McIlrath isn’t on the verge of bursting out sobbing in this photo.

On July 15, Chicago-based punk band Rise Against will be releasing their seventh full-length studio album, entitled The Black Market. The very act of a band that I follow actually releasing an album after a reasonable amount of years gets me excited in more ways than one, so I’m freaking out over here. It doesn’t help that I’m also going to see Rise Against (For the third time in three years) when they come to Edmonton for Sonic Boom at the end of August. So basically, I’m just going to be a big sloppy mess until September.

Although the quaaludes aren’t helping, to be honest.

Anyhow, in honour of this milestone, (Seven is a milestone, right?), I’m counting down the fifteen best Rise Against songs ever been released, with the only exceptions being songs that were released as B-sides (Because they didn’t make the list anyways), and live songs that haven’t been released as a single or on an album, although I must say that their acoustic cover of No Use For a Name’s “For Fiona” is the best thing that’s ever happened to anybody ever.

Well, almost.

Also, keep in mind, this is just my opinion. If you think that my list sucks because some of the songs are major label releases, or that Rise Against sucks because they’re vegan or something, that’s okay. You know what I always say about different people’s opinions: They always sound better when you’re wigged out on quaaludes. Oh, uh, I mean that they’re just that: opinions. Or something.

 

15.” I Don’t Want to Be Here Anymore”  

Album: The Black Market (2014) (Single)

Genres: Punk rock, melodic hardcore

Written by: Tim McIlrath

The band’s latest single seems to indicate somewhat of a return to familiar territory for the band, as it’s been a while since one of their songs conveyed as much intensity, and even longer since they’ve displayed such an introspective song, in contrast to their normally heavily political lyrics. And hey, I’m not one to complain about them ditching the picket signs for the black eyeliner every now and then. This song is fucking intense!

 

14. “Architects”

Album: Endgame (2011)

Genre: Melodic hardcore

Written by: Tim McIlrath

I can tell you all from firsthand experience that this is a damn near perfect song to sing along to live, although I will admit that it’s kind of odd that the lyrics in the bridge are exactly identical to the chorus in Against Me’s “I Was a Teenage Anarchist.” It’s more or less impossible to care about potential plagiarism when thrashing about to this song, though.

 

 

13. “Paper Wings” 

Album: Siren Songs of the Counter Culture (2004) (Promotional Single)

Genres: Melodic hardcore

Written by: Tim McIlrath

One of the few songs on RA’s breakout record that isn’t spewing righteous left-wing vitriol, “Paper Wings” is a heartfelt song about a breakup. Not exactly the deepest subject, but Tim’s heartfelt, intelligent lyrics and the whole band’s tight, energetic instrumentation make it one of the better songs in one of their better albums.

12. “Everchanging”

 Album: The Unraveling (2001)

Genres: Pop-punk, melodic hardcore

Written by: Tim McIlrath

Let’s face it: As much as it’s deified by the anti-major label community, The Unraveling, Rise Against’s debut on Fat Wreck Chords, isn’t that great of an album. It’s not a bad album, by any means, but it pales in comparison to some of the later material put out by the band. That said, “Everchanging”, another apolitical song about a relationship in disarray, is another wonderful, well-written song, and is also one of the few songs I can play all the way through on my guitar.

And even then, I need a little outside help.

 

11.  “Blood-Red, White and Blue” 

Album: Revolutions per Minute (2003)

Genre: Hardcore punk

Writer: Tim McIlrath

Fuck that mopey emo bullshit, man! This song is straight up hardcore!!!

Rise Against hadn’t quite completed their evolution into a mostly political punk group, but Revolutions per Minute was definitely a leap towards that direction, and “BRWB” was the ultimate manifestation of a pissed off group of young men who were doing their best (And succeeding) to not only give their audience something to mosh to, but also to make them think when they were done moshing.

Or, y’know, keep up with the macho posturing. That shit works, I guess.

To be continued…

Musician Crash Course: Alkaline Trio

(And.. Once again, I wait an unexcusably long amount of time before writing another post. In my defense, discovering that FunnyOrDie is a thing isn’t helping my work ethic.)

If you were to look through every iPod ever sold, you would notice a couple similar patterns. First, everyone has at least two artists on there that they’re kind of ashamed of, but still enjoy listening too (Mine are Simple Plan and Fall Out Boy). There’s no shame in this. Every human being has the urge to rebel against something that society has deemed normal by allowing a little bit of badness in our lives.

Fight the power!

Another rule is that everyone would have at least around a dozen songs that just serve to help us cope with sadness. It’s not like anybody can listen to that relentlessly cheery crap on the radio every time they listen to music. Nobody’s that cheerful. Especially if they have internet access. Whether it be domestic problems, breakups, or just good old fashioned depression, these tearmongers prey on our human emotions in order to callously profit off our misery.

Adele: Seen here going for the jugular of her helpless, tear-stained victims.

Many diverse artists may fill this void for different people. Adele (Duh), Nine Inch Nails, Radiohead, Tears For Fears, Dashboard Confessional, My Chemical Romance, and, um, Black Veil Brides (Understand that I use the term “artist” loosely). Personally, My Chemical Romance is my go-to anti-depression method, but I’ve already written about them. So,  for this long-awaited edition of Musician Biography, I’ve selected another quasi-emo (For lack of a better adjective) band that I’ve been listening to since 7th grade (When I first got serious about collecting music). Ladies and gentlemen, give it up  for…

ALKALINE TRIO

Hometown: McHenry, Illinois

Active From: 1996-Present

Genres: Punk Rock, Alternative Rock, Pop-Punk, Emo

Legacy: Yet more disaffected teenagers who think that their favourite band are a group of mopey prophets because they sing about having their hearts torn out and dabble in Satanism.  When will the kids ever learn?

Apparently, never.

One faithful day in December of 1996 (Consequently, also the month of my birth) in the Chicago suburb of McHenry, Illinois, a couple of twenty-something bike messengers, Columbia College dropout Matt Skiba and Glenn Porter, as well as visual arts student Rob Doran, got together to form one of the best punk groups of the Nineties: Alkaline Trio. Skiba took over guitar and lead vocals while Doran and Porter took over drums and bass, respectively.

After some forays into the Illinois underground scene, the Trio released a demo album and their first EP, entitled Sundials. Shortly after the release of the 1997 EP, Doran left the band to focus on visual arts. He was replaced by Dan Andriano, formerly of the Operation Ivy-inspired ska-punk band, Slapstick. A second EP followed shortly, 1998’s For Your Lungs Only, which garnered interest in the punk scene, and led to their signing with the independant California-based Asian Man Records label. The attention obtained from FYLO prompted the release of their first studio album, later that year: Goddamnit.

Goddamnit, and the subsequent EP (1999’s I Lied My Face Off) and studio album (2000’s Maybe I’ll Catch Fire) all achieved critical praise from underground media, showcasing Alkaline Trio’s inventive brand of punk that incorporated emotional, introspective lyrics to go with the band’s aggressive pop-punk style. It also proved to punks that love songs didn’t have to be terrible. I guess punks never listened to Elton John.

In 2000, Porter left the band and was replaced by Mike Felumlee, formerly of the Smoking Pipes. However, he left the band during the supporting tour for their 2001 album, From Here to Infirmary, released on their new record label, Vagrant Records. With a decidedly more mainstream sound than its predecessors, it received more mixed reviews from critics, but was also the band’s most commercially successful album to date. The album’s two singles, “Private Eye” and “Stupid Kid”, reached 51 and 53, respectively, on the UK Singles chart while the album itself reached #199 on the Billboard Hot 200 and #9 in Top Independent Albums. Prior to releasing a well received split EP with Hot Water Music, the band hired former Suicide Machines drummer and Face to Face guitarist Derek Grant to play drums. With the addition of Grant, the current lineup for the band was solidified, and the new-found stability really showed  on their fourth album, 2003’s Good Mourning. “Bigger, deeper and rawer”, according to Skiba, the album was praised by critics and reached #20 on the Billboard 200 chart. The two singles off of the album, “We’ve Had Enough” and “All on Black” both charted in the UK, with the former also becoming the first single by Alkaline Trio to chart, reaching number 38 on the Modern Rock chart. The mainstream success surprises me, considering the dark lyrical content of much of their music, occasional satanic overtones and the gruesome imagery depicted in songs such as “This Could Be Love.”

“Step One: Slit my throat/Step Two: Play in my blood/Step Three: Cover me in dirty sheets and run laughing out of the house/Step Four: Stop at lake Michigan and rinse your crimson hands.

You took me hostage and made your demands./ I couldn’t meet ’em so you cut off my fingers one by one. 

One by one…” 

Yikes. Tipper Gore would have had a field day with that one.

Anyways, any punk street cred gained by the band with Good Mourning was lost instantaneously with the release of their 2005 album, Crimson. I don’t want to say that the album is their most radio-friendly record, (That would be From Here to Infirmary) but I find that the tone of the lyrical content was toned down from suicidal instability to serious depression.  The three singles, “Time to Waste”, “Mercy Me” and “Burn” all did well commercially, and displayed a more experimental style, which isn’t all that surprising, considering that the album’s producer, the late, great Jerry Finn, also produced experimental albums for Blink-182 (2003’s Blink-182) and AFI (2003’s Sing the Sorrow and 2006’s Decemberunderground), but I digress.

While the album was critically praised my major publications, including AllMusic, Rolling Stone and Kerrang!, I, personally, felt that the album got boring around the second half. the singles are all great, and the couple of songs that follow them on the track listing, “Dethbed” and “Settle for Satin” are just as good, but after that, the album succumbs to the typical problem with straight-up alt-rock albums, which is that it it seems to try so hard to be great, that it ends up being completely pedestrian. Then again, I thought that Dark Horse by Nickleback was a great hard rock album until a couple years ago, so don’t let me stop you from listening to Crimson.

Their next release was 2007’s Remains, an aptly titled collection of B-Sides and rarities that was well-received by critics. Following this, the band left Vagrant and signed with major label subsidiary Epic Records. Their first album in the big leagues was 2008’s Agony & Irony. This is probably my favourite album by the band. it has the Trio toning down the alternative rock sound of Crimson and becoming more of a straight emo/pop-punk band. It isn’t quite as intense as their early work, and the lyrics are relatively free of references to Satan or throat slitting, replacing the gore with self-loathing (“Love Love, Kiss Kiss”) and straight-up rock ballads (“Help Me”, my favourite Alkaline Trio song).

In May of 2009, the Trio quit Epic Records and announced, during a tour with Saves the Day, that they would be releasing their next album, This Addiction, on their own label, Heart & Skull. The album was released on February 23rd as a joint venture between Heart & Skull and Epitaph Records (Along with Bad Religion, Millencollin, Propagandhi, Pennywise and Social Distortion, Alkaline Trio is one of the last serviceable Epitaph bands left).

Seen here: Epitaph’s current flagship band.

This Addiction reached number 11 on the Billboard 200 and number 1 on the Rock, Independent, and Alternative charts. The album’s lyrics  focused heavily on the member’s personal lives, addressing themes such as Matt Skiba’s divorce and more general themes, such as love, addiction (Duh), death, suicide and war. Musically, it was a return to their roots, with much more of a punk-y sound than Crimson or Agony & Irony. My favourites on this album include the title track and single, “This Addiction”, and “The American Scream”, an ode to a veteran who came back from Afghanistan only to blow his brains out on his mothers’ grave. It was an unusual turn for the normally apolitical band.

In 2011, AT released another fucking album, this time a well-received compilation of fan favourites redone on acoustic guitar entitled Damnesia. This album means nothing to me except just another way to waste my valuable time, when I could be getting some much-deprived sleep, but hey, it’s all for the love of writing, right?

Because that logic works out for everybody…

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Aside from Alkaline Trio, the band members have contributed to many other bands and side projects. Dan Andriano is a member of The Falcon, a punk supergroup which includes members of Lawrence Arms. he also has a solo project, entitled Dan Andriano in the Emergency Room, and has released one album under this moniker.

Derek Grant is an accomplished touring drummer, having filled in for The Gaslight Anthem, the Vandals and Good Charlotte, for some reason. He, along with Skiba, did a concert with Greg Corner and Johnny Radtke of Kill Hannah entitled Them Crooked Vulvas. Who says these guys are bummers?

 

Matt Skiba,the most prolific of the three, has played one-shot concerts with Kevin Seconds, Chuck Ragan, and, er, Them Crooked Vulvas. In 2004, he formed a short-lived Indie band with Josiah Steinbrick of F-Minus entitled Heavens, which ended in 2007 and has also done a couple albums with Atom Willard (Formerly of The Offspring and Angels & Airwaves). His most recent project is his solo work. He released an album entitled Demos in 2010 and, in 2012, a sophomore effort named Babylon with his band, Matt Skiba & the Sekrets, which includes Hunter Burgan of AFI and Jarrod Alexander of My Chemical Romance.

However, Alkaline Trio is far from over. Last April, they released their eighth studio album, My Shame is True and its’ accompanying EP, Broken Wings. While the musicianship is tight as ever, the lyrical content is considerably lighter then anything since Crimson. Also, the songs suffer from the same problem which has plagued alkaline Trio throughout their career: They’re not all that interesting. Even the one with Tim McIlrath of Rise Against, which broke my heart.

However, the album is steadily growing on me. And it does include two great songs in “She Lied to the FBI” and the stalker-riffic “I Wanna Be a Warhol”.

Plus one million points for including Milla Jovovich in the music video for the latter.