For My Sunday Song #455, we are talking Pop Evil and their first #1 song, “Trenches”. The song is off their third album, the 2013 release ‘Onyx’. An album that went to #3 on the Rock Charts thanks to this one and three other #1 songs. The band consists of Leigh Kakaty, Nick Fuelling, Dave Grahs, Matt DiRito and Josh Marunde.
The song was written by Leigh Kakaty with the help of Dave Bassett who is a big time songwriter. The song is about battling your demons and digging yourself out of the holes you’ve made or have been put in front of you. In this case, they are called “Trenches”. The song is about their never-ending grind they face in the music business but can be used to fit anyone’s life battles. The hard truth of not focusing on the things you can’t control and fight for the ones you can. I think it takes everyone a long time to learn how to do that, I know it did for me. The song is great mantra to live by.
The song kicks off with a killer, dirty and nasty guitar riff. This is modern rock that is hard and heavy and a punch to the face. The drums are fierce, the bass is thumping and Leigh attacks those vocals with a ferocious veracity. He wants you to feel the words he sings and you definitely do. There is a mean ass guitar solo which is something we still need in our metal and hard rock. The song will get you pumped up and ready to fight your way out of the trenches in life you face.
For My Sunday Song #454, we are talking the Season 1 theme song to Peacemaker…”Do You Wanna Taste It” by the Norwegian band Wig Wam. Imagine my surprise when I started watching Peacemaker on HBO and the theme song was this 2010 Wig Wam classic. I remember when this song came out and how much it grabbed hold of me and help solidify my fandom for Wig Wam. The song was the first single and was released on March 9, 2010. The album was ‘Non Stop Rock ‘n Roll and it was glam rock at its best.
The song was written by lead singer Age Sten Nilsen and Trond Holter and the song is basically about dreams of making it big. It is about leaving your dull, miserable life behind and going out and seek fame where you can live the best life with all its excesses. However, you have to remember what goes up, must come down. And living life to excess has its downfalls. It asks the questions, do you really want to taste that life because as quick as the fame comes, it will leave as fast and leave you a shell of your former self. Sometimes, a short cut to fame isn’t all it is cracked up to be.
Musically, the song is pure glam. Great guitar riffs, pounding drums and an energy that is contagious. It will suck you in and have you singing this song long after it is over. The chorus is one giant hook, gang vocals, catchy as hell and takes me back to the late 80’s when Glam was King!! How big could these guys have been if this album and song came out 20-25 year earlier. Now when I hear this song I can’t help but picture the entire Peacemaker cast dancing to this song in the opening title sequence. Crazy!!
Give the song a listen and let me know what you think. Does it take you back to the 80’s? If you like it, you need to check out more from Wig Wam as they won’t disappoint!! Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all have a great and Happy Sunday!
And for fun…here is the Peacemaker opening sequence…
“Do Ya Wanna Taste It”
Do ya really wanna, do ya really wanna taste it?
Get it on, get it on top, make a move extreme Make a pose, it’s a shortcut to your dreams A float straight to the stars on that flying thing
Getting high, getting brave, getting snow blind Game set to go! Pick a tune, chick harpoon in a world beyond Get a beat, got a heat on a phony string Tear your world apart, once the magic starts
Do ya really wanna, do ya really wanna taste it? What’s going up must come down Do ya really wanna, do ya really wanna taste it? Baby, I’m losing ground
Blind to what you’ll soon become The mirror lies, the whole world’s wrong but you Dancing with your blinkers on Throw your dog the invisible bone
Say I do, say I will, and put your jet in gear Anything to get you out of here Gotta go hit that ride to the setting sun
Pack it up, get ahead, I gotta leave this mess behind Gotta cruise from the blues, got a life to find What you need, there’s to read on the dotted line Kill your self-control, welcome to the show
Do ya really wanna, do ya really wanna taste it? What’s going up must come down Do ya really wanna, do ya really wanna taste it? Baby, I’m losing ground
Blind to what you’ll soon become The mirror lies, the whole world’s wrong but you Dancing with your blinkers on Throw your dog the invisible bone
Poison to your mind Devil in disguise
Do ya really wanna, do ya really wanna taste it? What’s going up must come down Do ya really wanna, do ya really wanna taste it? Baby, I’m losing ground
Blind to what you’ll soon become The mirror lies, the whole world’s wrong but you Dancing with your blinkers on Throw your dog the invisible bone
Do ya really wanna, do ya really wanna taste it? What’s going up must come down Do ya really wanna, do ya really wanna taste it? Baby, I’m losing ground
Blind to what you’ll soon become The mirror lies, the whole world’s wrong but you Dancing with your blinkers on Throw your dog the invisible bone
For My Sunday Song #453, we are talking “Last American Summer” off the new album from Will Hoge, ‘Sweet Misery’ which came out on August 22, 2025. The song was written by Cleto Cordero of the band Flatland Cavalry with the help of Will Hoge. Flatland Cavalry actually released this song back in 2023, however, their version was straight up country. This one is not. This has Will Hoge’s slant all over it.
Cleto Cordero came up with the song during Covid while sitting in what called his “quarantine garden”. It was Summer and he started thinking back to all those fun Summers when he was young and innocent where everyone was together having a good time, fireworks, good food and everything you think of when you think of Summer. Covid stopped all of that and he thought we might never have another one of those type of Summers again. Thankfully that wasn’t true. He got with his pal Will Hoge and they took the song and turned it into a little love song to Summer.
The song talks about all those things they did during Summer seeing the butterflies, the melted popsicles, the drugs, the cigarettes and the fireworks. You know, good wholesome stuff. Late nights, good long talks and being with the girl you love. Well, time goes by and life changes. You lose your innocence and life gets in the way and those great Summer good times are gone. You had your last American Summer and didn’t know it was going to be your last.
Musically, it starts off as this slow moving, sad, nostalgic sounding song. An acoustic guitar, some keyboards and Will Hoge singing this lyrics with such heartbreak. As the song moves on, the drums kick in and the tempo picks up ever so slightly. The song keeps building until about 2:30 minutes in and the drums pound and everything explodes including a killer rock and roll electric guitar solo. The full band is in hammering away and rocking out until the very end.
For My Sunday Song #452, we are talking “On and On” by the very underrated band Saigon Kick. The song is off their third album, ‘Water’, which came out on September 28, 1993. This was an album I didn’t discover until a few years back when I interviewed Jason Bieler on The Lebrain Train with Mike Ladano. I remember “Love is on the Way” off ‘The Lizard’, but I didn’t explore them more back then and boy did I miss out. This song was not a single on the original issue, but when they reissued the album in 2023 the did release it a promotional singer.
“On and On” was written by Jason Bieler and it is a simple song. All it is saying is live in the moment as that feeling can’t be beat. Give your full heart and go for it because everything could be gone tomorrow. The song is specifically talking about a girl that he loves, but it can be applied to anything…an adventure you want to take, a walk on the beach or taking that trip you’ve always wanted to take. Don’t let everything be gone and you regret the what ifs!
Musically, you have Jason on vocals and this is actually the first album he handled the vocals as former lead singer Matt Kramer had left the band. Jason’s vocals are simply stellar. I love his delivery and his energy. On bass, you have Chris McLernon and let me tell you. His work is the coolest thing on the song. He is the driving force as he delivers some killer bass lines. A little funk, a little reggae mixed together with Jason’s simple riffs are pure joy. Phil Varones drumming also knocks it out of the park. The song is so simple, yet so catchy, so joyful and straight up fun. You can’t help but be in a good mood after hearing it.
For My Sunday Song #451, we are going to talk about the pop ballad “Beautiful Disaster” by Jon McLaughlin. The song is off his 2007 album ‘Indiana’. The single was released in April of that year and was the first single on the album. It hit #28 on the Adult Top 40 chart and helped push the album to #81 on the Billboard 200 Chart. Jon wrote the song with the help of Jamie Houston and they penned a song that is extremely heartbreaking and yet beautiful at the same time.
“Beautiful Disaster” is about a woman who is so broken inside. She is beyond lonely as it seems she has been left many times before and is now extremely insecure. She doesn’t feel worthy and feels ugly on the inside and out. Everything in the world is telling her she’s not enough…the magazines, the guys who left her and if this was in the present time, the social networks would as well. No one has ever told her that she is perfect the way she is and it is okay to be who you really are not to pretend to be someone she’s not.
She hooks up with guys and does what they want just to feel something. She bends to their will as she is so desperate for a connection. But what she is really looking for is that someone that will take her home and love her for who she is. She simply wants to be Needed. The line…”She never stays the same for long / Assuming that she’ll get it wrong / Perfect only in her imperfection” summarizes how she feels that she has to act a certain way to be loved. It is all terribly sad.
For My Sunday Song #450, we are talking the song “Ordinary” by the band Train. The song is from the Spiderman 2 Soundtrack as well as a bonus studio track on the Train album ‘Alive At Last’. The song was the fourth single off the Spiderman 2 soundtrack and was released August 17, 2004. I believe the song charted at #12 on the Adult Top 40 Chart (not the actual Top 40 Chart). It was written by Pat Monahan from Train and composer Bart Hendrickson.
The song was written for Spiderman 2 and the theme of it fits Spiderman perfectly. He goes out of his way to try and save everyone, but he always get left behind as people move on. It is a really darker theme to it. He does it all for a woman. People think he is trying to save the world but he is simply trying to save the girl. At the same time, he needs her to save him as he is in so deep and he is just a kid. He doesn’t recognize who he is anymore. I love the line “And this web that I’m tied up / Is taking me right up these walls”. He is afraid it is too much. It is the darker side of Peter Parker. And it is awesome.
The song is pretty heavy…for a Train song. The darker themes come out in the music as it has a seriousness too it you aren’t used to with them. The drums are powerful, the guitar is ripping. There is orchestration that gives it a grander feel and the piano is simply haunting. Pat really delivers the lyrics in such a beautiful way. He really feels the lyrics and he conveys the darkness behind Spiderman’s eyes. This is a completely different side of Train and when I heard this song along with another bonus studio track called “New Sensation”, I thought we might get a new direction for the band…but that didn’t happen.
For My Sunday Song #449, we re going to look at the super fun song “Stacy’s Mom” by the band Fountains of Wayne. The single was released on May 19, 2003 and is off their album ‘Welcome Interstate Managers’. The song was probably the biggest mainstream hit for the band where it went to #21 on the Billboard Hot 100 and it received massive airplay on MTV as Stacy’s Mom was played by Supermodel Rachel Hunter and who didn’t enjoy watching that.
The song was written by bassist Adam Schlesinger and vocalist Chris Collingwood. The song was inspired by a childhood friend of Adam’s who thought his grandmother was really hot. Take that and add a little Mrs. Robinson and you have the song. “Stacy’s Mom” is about a teenage boy who was dating Stacy and loved to spend time at Stacy’s house out by the pool in hopes Stacy’s mom was around. He fantasized that her mom was into him and now that he is older and not the boy he used to be, he could be the man around the house for Stacy’s mom since her dad was no longer in the picture. It is a typical boy fantasy transformed in to a brilliantly executed song.
The song is pure Power Pop and New Wave. So much so in fact the opening riffs is almost identical to The Cars’ classic “Just What I Needed”. I mean…I.D.E.N.T.I.C.A.L. They actually played the opening riff and it was not a sample despite what Ric Ocasek might have thought. The song is a blast. It is so catchy and you instantly get swept in the excitement. It is full of joy and I love the handclaps towards the end. It is one of those bright and sunny songs that feels like Summer and will put a smile on your face.
For My Sunday Song #448, we are going to rock out to “In The Age Of The Consecrated Vampire We All Get High” by Rob Zombie. Now, that is a mouthful. The song was released as a single back on April 13, 2016 and I am not sure where I heard it, but the minute I did…I was hooked. I am sure I discovered because of John 5 who had joined Rob after performing with Marilyn Manson. I’m a big John 5 fan!! The song is from the 2016 album ‘The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser’…another mouthful. The album went to #1 on all the Hard Rock album charts and #6 on the Billboard 200.
The song was written by Rob Zombie and John 5 and the meaning is summed up in the first line…”Think For Yourself and Question Authority”. The song is about rebellion, defiance and exploring your darker side as well as your own mortality. The “Get High” is both doing drugs and escaping but could also be about getting high from standing up and letting your wild spirit fly. Either is fine! The lyrics do make you think the person speaking the words is as drugged out as can be with references to dead girls alive, ghouls picking at bones…but that imagery is what is also so cool about the track.
That isn’t the only thing cool about it though. The music is groovetastic. There are some funky elements, but mostly it is pure metal and John 5’s playing is devilishly good. His tones and sounds are simply stunning. The whole thing sounds as dark and eerie as the lyrics represent. Rob’s vocals are nasty and menacing and give life to the lyrics. There are some cool effects on the vocals at time for emphasis and it all works. At a little over 2 minutes, the song is a get it, get out and leave them wanting more type of song. And I love it. The other band members are Piggy D. on bass, Ginger Fish on drums and Zeuss on keyboards and without them, this song wouldn’t kick ass like it does. The bass is all over this thing, the drums are down right massive and the keyboards/programming effects are the secret sauce to making this all work. This thing is also great for cranking while driving down the road…road rage is a possibility and I’m okay with that!!
For My Sunday Song #447, we are talking David Lee Roth’s “Yankee Rose”. The song was the debut single off his first full length album, ‘Eat ‘Em And Smile’. ‘Yankee Rose’ was released on June 18, 1986 and went to #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #10 on the Mainstream Rock Chart. The song was a statement piece for David as this was his first album since his parting ways with Van Halen. And I will admit, between ‘Eat ‘Em And Smile’ and Van Halen’s first album, ‘5150’, with their new singer, Sammy Hagar, I like this album and song the best.
The song was written by David Lee Roth and his shiny new guitarist, Steve Vai. If there is anyone that can compete with Eddie Van Halen on creativity, it might be Steve. The song is about the Statue of Liberty as there are numerous references to her and America in general. The Statue was in the public eye back in 1986 as she was getting a major renovation for her 100th anniversary of her standing and welcoming the world. There are a lot of great lines celebrating America such as national anthem, apple pie, sea to shining sea, firecrackin’ on the fourth of July and many others. A very, fun and patriotic song.
Musically, it is simply stellar. The drum beat that opens and then the conversation between David and Steve Vai’s guitar. The guitar would speak, literally, and Dave would reply back. Steve Vai could make the guitar do whatever he wanted. His playing through out is inspirational. The quick riffs, the killer solo all make this song heads and shoulders better than most out there at the time. David was the same old cocky self. He did his usual speak/sing style of lyric delivery and you realize that his Van Halen was the best…arguments can begin below in the comment section. The song is a pure 80’s rocker and just slays. Now, the rest of the band was pretty killer too as you had Billy Sheehan on bass and damn he slaps that baby hard. On drums is Gregg Bissonette and he lays down a great beat and keeps the song pounding forward. All together, this was on unstoppable force…for at least one album anyways.
For My Sunday Song #446, we are talking “Edison’s Medicine” by the band Tesla. The song was released as a single back in 1991 on the band’s ‘Psychotic Supper’ album. The song peaked at #20 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart which helped catapult the album to #13 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart. The song is credited to everyone in the band, well, everyone except the drummer. Also credited is Michael Barbiero who was the producer of the album (amongst other things). Now, why would a band called “Tesla” write a song that has “Edison” in the name. Well, I’ll let Frank Hannon tell you…
Frank Hannon explained, “We raised over 100,000 signatures on a petition to get a statue of Nikola Tesla in the Smithsonian, and because they had a display of Edison in there, they felt that it would contradict that and they didn’t want to do it. We were pissed, so we wrote a song called ‘Edison’s Medicine’ about that.”
The song is about Nikola Tesla’s rivalry with Thomas Edison. And if it wasn’t obvious enough by now, the band took their name from Nikola…and not that stupid electric car by Elon Musk. The song talks about how Edison stole Tesla’s idea/works (“guilty of crime”) and Tesla was thought to be crazy when it turns out he was really a genius and way ahead of his time (“man outta time”). Edison was worried about fame and fortune while Tesla only cared about the invention and wound up broke (“Their nickels and pence/ Meant more than did sense”). The whole song picks apart Edison as and in the end the world knows that Tesla was the brains behind it all.
The opening guitar riff is freaking sick. The whole band explodes in and the song is off to the races. I love a song that opens with a guitar solo. Musically, it is electrifying. Jeff Keith’s vocals are stellar. He sings the hell out of this thing (as he always does). The chorus is really catchy and grabs hold. When we get to the second guitar solo, you get a shock to the system. The sounds they make are freaky and really add a new layer to the song. The drumming on here is pretty great as well as the fills are simply perfect giving the song a little more punch a feel. The song one of their best they’ve ever done, or it is for me. A rock & roll masterpiece.
2 Loud 2 Old Music 