Category: My Sunday Song

My Sunday Song – “Smoke & Ashes” by 13 Engines

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For My Sunday Song #377, We explore another of Deke’s Choices with the song “Smoke & Ashes” by the Canadian band 13 Engines. The song was a single off their Canadian breakthrough album ‘Perpetual Motion Machine’. It was the band’s fourth album and released in 1993, but it isn’t grunge…more alternative rock. Billboard magazine called the song “the perfect two-minute rock song.” We will see if that is the case.

The song is about the consequences of doing drugs and leading a life that is nothing but destructive. The ticking of the watch is symbolic of all the time wasted and missed while doing drugs while you are kneeling down throwing up in the porcelain God. The comet burns and crashes is exactly what happens to you due to the addiction. You crash & burn. You end up alone in the world as everyone has been driven away. It is a sad commentary, but it is pretty accurate.

The song rocks out with a distorted guitar sound and John Critchley on vocals. The band has a sound that is reminiscent of the Gin Blossoms, but maybe a little heavier. At only around 2:30 minutes long, it has no time to waste and compacts a lot of sound in that brief window. A powerful song that packs a punch.

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My Sunday Song – “No Tattoos” by Andy Curran

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For My Sunday Song #376, we have another Deke’s choice and this time his good buddy Andy Curran and his song “No Tattoos”. He is of course Canadian as all songs this stretch are from Canadian artists. The song is off his 1990 debut album and was right towards the tail end of the hair metal era. Andy has reissued the album as a new box set and calling it ‘Whiskey & The Devil’. Andy is also bassist and co-lead vocalist for the band Coney Hatch, so check them out too.

“No Tattoos” is hard song to find info on. I don’t see any lyrics so I will do my best to describe the song. The song is simply about saying No to Tattoos. Okay, that wasn’t hard. You can tell by the chorus which says “No tattoos, gotta stay cool, my mama never raised no fool.” Clean skin baby!! Rockers love their tattoos so to come out and talk about not getting them is a brave thing. I’m surprised he wasn’t tied down and given one prison style!!

The song is a pure 80’s rocker, heavy guitars, heart pounding drums and anthemic sounding. Andy’s on vocals and he has a great rock & roll voice. Although that chorus is cheesy, It is still so much fun at the same time. And that guitar solo is great…it is short and sweet, but it really fits the song. Nothing earth shattering here, plain and simple, good time rock & roll and some times that is all you need!!

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My Sunday Song – “A Place to Call Home” by Big Wreck

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For My Sunday Song #375, we are at the midway point with Deke’s Choices and this time around it is the song “A Place to Call Home” by the Canadian/American rock band Big Wreck. I say 1/2 American as the band originated in Boston, but ended up in Canada. The song is off their 2014 album ‘Ghosts’ and it is the opening track. The song wasn’t a single, but that track is a standout as it sets the tone for the rest of the album. The band are Ian Thornley, Brian Doherty, Paulo Neta, David McMillan and Chuck Keeping in case you were wondering.

The song was written by Ian Thornley and is about a common problem with a theme on belonging and finding your place in this world. Finding your place to call home basically. The song talks about being defined by your choices and accepting the consequences of said choices. Will making different choices or having a different background effect those choices or will you end up where you are regardless of how you were raised. A lot of thought and contemplation in this song and that is pretty cool.

The song opens with this really distorted, killer sounding guitar riff that drones on into an ominous choir of vocals that make this song seem almost otherworldly. When Ian comes in on vocals, there is an angelic choir feel to his vocals, very spacy and airy. The bass and drum lay down this heavy groove and with Ian’s vocals seemingly sounds a little Chris Cornell like which is really cool. The song is powerful and that chorus is huge. I am really digging this grunge type/Soundgarden sound and very bluesy vibe. A stellar track.

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My Sunday Song – “Hard to Laugh” by The Pursuit of Happiness

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For My Sunday Song #374, we are on to Deke’s fourth choice which is another Toronto band and this one is called The Pursuit of Happiness. The song is “Hard to Laugh” which is the opening track of their debut album from 1988 called ‘Love Junk’ and it was a single. The album was produced by none other than Todd Rundgren so you know there is some massive talent here as Todd doesn’t just produce anyone.

The song was written by Moe Berg who is the guitarist & vocalist in the band. We also have Kris Abbott who also does guitar and vocals along with Dave Gilby on drums, Johnny Sinclair on bass and Leslie Stanwyck on vocals. The song is about the girlfriend of the guy in this story and she is so gorgeous with a killer body and everyone is wondering why he isn’t smiling from ear to ear all the time. Well, that is easy because she has been cheating on him and he finds it hard to laugh but he is torn up and destroyed.

The song is a great upbeat, power pop song. The song seems almost happy while the subject matter is far from it. There is a lot of humor in the lyrics too and his phrasing is great. Musically, it is simple yet effective as there is a power to it, a great drum beat and rhythm section, I like the guitar tone and it is an all around great tune. Moe’s vocals have a punk feel to it as there is some angst to it which I think adds to the subject matter of the song. He feels it.

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My Sunday Song – “Winter Freeze” by Santers

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For My Sunday Song #373, we are on to the third pick from Deke over at The Distortion Den. This time he picked “Winter Freeze” by the band Santers. Now, Santers never broke here in the States, but in Canada they did well as well as the UK. The band hails from Toronto Canada, but I don’t think they sound Canadian, if that is a thing…we will get to that. The band is a trio with Santers brothers Rick(Guitar and Vocals) and Mark (Drums) as well as their trusty sidekick Rick Lazaroff (Bass).

The song “Winter Freeze” is off their 1982 sophomore release ‘Racing Time’. The song seems to be about a woman that Rick is wanting but she keeps freezing him out…thus “winter freeze”. She is giving him the cold shoulder, the freeze out and any other cold saying you want to throw in there. She is apparently American and she probably doesn’t want to date a Canadian because it is too cold in the Great White North.

The song is a great melodic rock song. The band was listed as metal, but they are far from it. This song and this album are firmly planted in the 80’s hard rock category. The song is actually killer with some great guitar work and a great rhythm section with some great drumming by Mark. The sound is a little raw in the production, but I like that feeling…it isn’t overproduced. Rick’s vocals are great as well and he does have an 80’s sound, but such a great tone and nice high register. Really a kick ass song and I hate that it never did anything down here. Maybe the whole country gave them the “Winter Freeze”.

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My Sunday Song – “Shag Shack” by Teenage Head

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For My Sunday Song #372, we are on to Deke’s 2nd choice and this time it is from the punk band Teenage Head and their song “Shag Shack”. This was never a single, but was off their third album ‘Some Kind of Fun’ which was released in 1982. This Ontario band scored a gold album reaching #18 on the Canadian charts and are considered by some to be Canada’s answer to the Ramones. The band consists of Gordon Lewis, Steve Mahon, Nick Stipanitz, Frankie “Venom” Kerr and they all had a hand in writing this song (or they agreed to split things four ways and they each got credit).

There is no great mystery to what the song is about. It is about a place around 200 miles up the tracks from where ever they are that is meant for all sorts of fun. Based on the title, I think you know what kind of fun that pertains. The person is completely wasted as he says in the song and he might be laying a “deuce” which is way too much information to share. Really, Not Necessary!! LOL!!

The music is pretty much party rock with a punk edge to it. A drum barrage of snare hits kicks things off with simple riffs and a groove. It isn’t as fast as I would’ve expected, but is upbeat enough to party to. If you are looking for some mindless fun, then this is right up your alley. Nothing thought provoking, just punk…plain and simple. This isn’t punk railing against the establishment, not at all. It is simply sex, drugs and rock & roll and maybe taking a deuce to top things off.

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My Sunday Song – “Shake” by Saints & Sinners

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For My Sunday Song #371, we are starting a new 10 song set and this time the songs were chosen by good pal Deke over at The Distortion Den and SuperDekes. You must check them both out as you’ll get great reviews and a great show he does called The Retro Showdown on Youtube. Deke wanted to challenge me on these songs as he picked All Songs by Canadian Artists (thus the artwork above). Most of these bands I hadn’t heard of so he definitely is making me work for it.

First up is “Shake” by Saints & Sinners. A band formed in Montreal, Quebec, Canada by Sword lead singer Rick Hughes along with Stephane Dufur on guitar, Jesse Bradman on keyboards, Martin Buldoc on bass and Jeff Salem on drums. They only had one album, which was self-titled, and there biggest problem was that they had the 80’s Glam rock sound and this was 1992 which was the death rattle of that genre thanks to grunge.

The album was produced by one of my favorite singers, a Mr. Aldo Nova and Aldo captures the band’s sound perfectly as this an album I would’ve loved back in the day. “Shake” was not released as a single, but it is the lead off song on the album and packs quite a punch. It has that Sleaze rock sound with electrifying guitars, heavy drums and the singer has a grit to him as he screams out those lyrics with a burning intensity. The chorus is huge, almost anthemic in style and a really strong opener as it lights a fire under you and really draws you in. It is a simple song in that it is about going to their show and letting them rock you and make you shake. Love it! I think this is an album that is right up my alley and I think I need to hear the whole thing.

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My Sunday Song – “Something In The Orange” by Zach Bryan

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For My Sunday Song #370, we are on the final of 10 songs from my daughter Morgan and this choice is my favorite which is why I saved it for last. The song is “Something in the Orange” by Zach Bryan and it is off his 2022 album ‘American Heartbreak’. This is a country song, but was a massive crossover hit as it went to #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Country charts as well as the Rock & Alternative Songs chart as well. And there is a reason for it as it is quite stunning and beautiful. The song was written by only Zach and in the world of Country music that is rare thing for an artist.

The song is about the end of a relationship. He knows she is gone and won’t miss him as much as he misses her. The “orange” is a sunset and is a metaphor for many things throughout the song. At first he sees hope that she will come back, but later it is an ending as he realizes she is never coming hope and that sun becomes awareness. But most of all the sunset is nostalgia as he remembers the relationship fondly. The song was inspired by a breakup, but mostly it was inspired by a sunset he was watching at a cabin in Wisconsin. That orange color he thought would make a great story and he’s write.

The song is acoustic with Zach sing his heart out and there is so much heartbreak in that voice. A slight grit, but still a smoothness to it that connects to the listener and draws them in to the lyrics and to the music. You get an acoustic guitar, a haunting piano and harmonica that touches your soul. It all feels so simple, but is so so effective and he proves that less is more on this one.

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My Sunday Song – “TV” by Billie Eilish

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For My Sunday Song #369, we get Morgan’s 9th Choice and this time we have Billie Eilish’s song “TV” from her 2022 E.P. called ‘Guitar Songs’. The E.P. only has two songs and they thought about including them on her 3rd album, but instead she felt they needed to be heard immediately so they released them. The song “TV” was written by her and her brother, Finneas O’Connell who also produced the song.

The song is about depression and it talks about a lot of issues including abandonment which makes her want to curl up on the couch and watch TV. She wants to watch Survivor so she can see other people suffer. There is a strong desire to numb the pain and get away from all that plagues the world. There also seems to be worry about her celebrity and the effect that has on her relationships. There is a lot of loneliness coming from this song. And be the end, she blames all of her issues on herself and watching TV and all the problems flashed on that tiny little screen. Celebrities suing each other, the downfall of Roe v Wade and so many more world events playing out on TV.

The song is an acoustic performance and damn, it is sad and depressing just like the lyrics. There is a darkness to it and a loneliness. It opens with a soft, lonely acoustic guitar and Billie’s haunting vocals. The bass, keyboards and drums come in later (all played by Finneas) and it picks things up, but the drone of the music still has that melancholy feel which never goes away in the song, but during the last lines of the song “Maybe, I’m the problem”, there is a cheering crowd that brightens things up a little, only a little. The crowd sound was sampled from the the crowd noise from her debut performance at Manchester.

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My Sunday Song – “Die For You” by The Weeknd

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For My Sunday Song #368, we are on Morgan’s 8th Choice and this time around it is The Weeknd’s song “Die For You” off his 2016 album ‘Starboy’. The song was a single and did fairly well, but in 2022 there was a resurgence on the popularity of this song thanks again to the wonderful social media tool, TikTok (that “wonderful” is very sarcastic btw). The song went all the way to #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 six years after its original release. And the Weeknd is not stupid and took advantage of that popularity by releasing an new mix of the song with Ariana Grande. The version we will discuss is not that one. The song was written by an army of writers. Yes, because a good song needs 7 writers and they are the Weeknd,  Doc McKinney,  Cirkut, Prince 85, Cashmere Cat, Dylan Wiggins, and Billy Walsh.

The song was actually the last song written for the album and was apparently hard to finish and that might explain why there are so many writers…and yes, that does bother me. The song is apparently about a former girlfriend (rumored to be Bella Hadid) and their breakup. Although their relationship has ended, he still lovers her and would do anything for her, even die for her. It was hard for him to get over her and there was a lot of frustration and pain over the break up. I think it is a great little love letter for her to let her know he still cares and although they aren’t meant to be together, they are connected as he will always care for her.

The song is a ballad and there is a lot of pain and heartbreak in it and The Weeknd really comes across vocally with that emotion. The music is all electronic, the bass, the drums and the keys, but there is a really nice groove to hit and it gets my head bobbing back and forth. The chorus has a big payoff and is really catchy. The music is amped up, a little heavier and it s really a great beat. He sings at such a high register, it almost feels a lot like Michael Jackson and that is saying something. The song sticks with me long after I have listened to it.

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