Song of the Day: Streetlight Manifesto - One Foot on the Gas/One Foot in the Grave

Just about every day, I look at the thousands of songs on my iPod and think, "I don't want to listen to any of you."

Scrolling through the tracks this morning, somehow it just felt like a Streetlight Manifesto day.

I'm a sucker for both singer Tomas Kalnoky's clean voice and his raspy punk rock screaming, both of which get a little time on this one. Streetlight Manifesto is probably the only band in punk rock history who actually pull off five-plus minute songs.

P.S. If you can handle a few (well-placed) swears, my favorite track on this album is The Receiving End of It All.

Weezer v. Kermit the Frog

It didn't surprise me at all to see Weezer contributing a song to the upcoming Muppets movie soundtrack--it is called "The Green Album," after all.

I didn't, however, expect to see Alkaline Trio on the track list. Alas, the band who is usually inspired by death (and sometimes thinks I'm their stripper), offers up "Movin' Right Along." I was a little less surprised when I realized bassist Dan Andriano was doing the singing. He's always been a softy. He also has a new solo record out. It's pretty good. You can hear a couple of the songs on his Facebook page.

NPR is streaming the Green Album here.

Song of the Day: David Bazan - Won't Let Go

For much of his Pedro the Lion career, David Bazan used third person narrative for his tales of disception and infidelity. On his first solo full-length, he switched to first person and the songs were about losing his faith, becoming an alcoholic, and generally letting his wife and family down. Maybe that's why this love song to his wife feels so gripping.

Might I Recommend: The One AM Radio

If you like midtempo, melancholy electronica (a la Hot Chip, Postal Service), you should probably give The One AM Radio a listen.

I interviewed the band a couple of week's ago. I got some of the most intelligent music-guy answers in recent memory. I guess the lead singer's Yale education paid off. You can read the full article here.

I love the slightly snarky response to this simplistic question:

ME: Is it a happy album?

HIRWAY: No, it’s not a happy album, but “happiness” and “sadness” rarely ever come to me in pure form. That’s one of the side effects of no longer being a teenager.

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You may want to check out these tunes as well:

When You're Sleeping (YouTube)
Everyone But You (YouTube)

A Boy Named Goo

Have I ever revealed that I'm a closet Goo Goo Dolls fan? Well, now it's out there.

I interviewed Goo Goo bassist Robby Takac in advance of their show in Park City...

Long before the name Goo Goo Dolls was permanently attached to the phrase "platinum-selling artists," the threesome was just another bar band in chilly Buffalo, New York. That all changed, however, thanks to a slew of massive hits in the mid-'90s and early 2000s, including "Name," "Slide," and "Here is Gone."
As the band nears it 25-year anniversary, bassist and founding member Robby Takac wonders where all the time has gone.

"It doesn't seem real," he says of the milestone, from a tour stop in Connecticut. "It's amazing how fast 25 years flies by." Though much of the past quarter-century has felt like a whirlwind, he still remembers the changes brought on by the band's breakthrough hit in 1995.

"After 10 years of driving around in a van, trying to convince every kid in town to come check out your band, [having "Name" on the radio] was huge." Unfortunately, the first thing he did with his newfound fame and fortune wasn't all that glamorous.

"I paid off my studio loans," he says with a laugh. "Those bill collectors were starting to get after me."
"Name" would be only the beginning of the band's reign of mainstream rock radio. Since that time, the Goo Goo Dolls have amassed 14 top-10 singles. Ruling the airwaves, however, does have some disadvantages.

He does have advice for young bands, however. "I hope the thing people take away from playing or touring with us is the idea that you've gotta work to make this happen. You can't stop doing the things that help make the connection with your fans -- reaching out, making people feel a part of what you're doing when you're on stage. Those fans are the ones that are going to make it possible for you to do this thing you love. You can't become so important that it's all about you. It's not about you. It's about everyone."

After 25 years, thousands of shows, and millions of records, there's no doubt the Goo Goo Dolls know a thing or two about keeping fans happy.