"Gotta Go" by Agnostic Front

Released: June 1998
Album: Something's Gotta Give
Label: Epitaph
Genre: Hardcore, Punk, Oi
Lyrics: @ plyrics

I have decided to continue on with my ringtone theme for the rest of the week. Agnostic Front's "Gotta Go" is just one of many I have stored. It's currently retired but it used to be assigned to my parents.
I first heard this song on a volume of Punk-O-Rama. I think it was actually the first time I had ever heard an Agnostic Front song. For me, they were one of those bands that you always heard about and constantly saw merch for, but never actually listened to. To be quite honest, I'm not a real big Agnostic Front fan. I like this song and I like Roger Miret(lead singer), but I don't actively seek them out to listen to.
With that said, I don't have a whole lot to say about "Gotta Go", except that it's a great song and it makes a pretty good ringtone. ;-)

"Love My Way" by The Psychedelic Furs

Released: September 1982
Album: Forever Now
Label: CBS
Genre: Post Punk, New Wave
Lyrics: @ Sing365

My phone will not stop ringing today. I'm receiving a barrage of text alerts, as well. One of my ringtones is set to "Love My Way" :-)
When the caller is one assigned to this particular tone, I don't mind it so much. This song NEVER gets old. I could listen to it on repeat all day. In fact, it is very rare that I don't immediately play it again(at least once), when I listen to it on my daily playlist.
I don't have any particular associations with this song. It doesn't evoke any special memories. I just happen to love it. I'm surprised more people didn't... It peaked at #30 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks and at #44 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart, respectively. It's album, Forever Now, wasn't certified gold until May 1991, a little over 8 1/2 years after is original release.
I think this is one of those songs you appreciate more and more as you get older. It starts to make more sense, maybe it echoes a bit of your life where it hadn't before. I see it now. Love My Way is no longer a question -- Love My Way? No, it is a statement.

"Watch Me Rise" by Have Heart

Released: 2006
Album: The Things We Carry
Label: Bridge Nine
Genre: Hardcore
Lyrics: @ lyrics.time

Well it's only fitting that I post about "Watch Me Rise" after "Watch Me Sink", right? Now this is my favorite Have Heart song. I love it for all of the reasons that I love other. How about another excerpt, shall we?

"I'd rather die on my feet
Than live on my knees
I'd rather die on my feet
So you can watch me,
You can watch me
Watch me rise
With the things we carry
The loss,
The scars,
The weight of heavy hearts"

To me this is song is about rising above expectations. It's about doing things your own way. It is about proving others wrong.
"Watch Me Rise" is, in my opinion, Have Heart's best song in their set list. If you ever get a chance to see them perform live, I highly recommend you do so; if only to hear Pat Flynn sing this song.
Buy it, download it, steal it. Whatever. Just listen to it.

"Watch Me Sink" by Have Heart

Released: 2006
Album: The Things We Carry
Label: Bridge Nine
Genre: Hardcore
Lyrics: @ lyrics.time

What can I say about this song? I have no words. It is my (2nd)favorite song by Have Heart.
I love everything about it; the rhythm, the tempo, the breaks, the yelling, the WORDS. How can you not love a song that's smart enough to incorporate the word "licentiousness"? It starts off powerful and stays that way. An excerpt:

"(A breaking!) in spirit, (A breaking!) in promise, (A breaking!) in me.

How can I find the peace inside me of a world I can see?
(Taking and taking!) all for ourselves,
(Taking and taking!)
And it's dragging me down, (Deeper and deeper!)
Watch me sink (Like a stone!)
Like a stone, like a stone.
Like a stone, like a stone.
Into a sea of selfishness, (Selfishness!)
Selfishness, (Selfishness!)
Where me is more and you is less."

UGH, love it! You tell them, Pat Flynn. People are sucky. So as not to go down a meaningful reflection on society road(who cares about that?), I'll just say that I work out a lot to this song. Maybe not your average jogging soundtrack but it does the job for me. It's an angry song and that's what I need to push myself. Thank you "Watch Me Sink", motivation achieved.

"The Hell Song" by Sum 41

Released: November 2002
Album: Does This Look Infected?
Label: Island
Genre: Pop Punk, Punk
Lyrics: @ LyricsFreak

I listen to Sum 41. I even like it, ngl. I'm posting this song because frankly, it's hot as hell today. A lovely 96deg. today here in horrible Central California.
I thought this song came out later than 2002 but I guess not. I always get it confused with "Still Waiting". That's a whole other song I'll save for a different time.
You know, I can never understand why it's necessary to edit out the "spitting" noise in the beginning. Are we really that offended by the sound of spitting?! I definitely hate spitting, in real life. I could care less about the sound in a song. It's actually a welcomed accompaniment in Mad Sin's "Speak No Evil", but again that's a whole other song for a different time.
My memories of this song are of me staying up all night on the couch watching t.v. Yup. This video would come on MTV every night. That's how late at night it was, MTV actually showed videos!

"Girl and the Sea" by The Presets

Released: 2005
Album: Beams
Label: Modular
Genre: Electro
Lyrics: @ allthelyrics

My BFF went to the beach(without me!!), and anytime I think of the beach this song always pops into my head. I immediately think of beaches and mermaids :-/
This was the very first song I ever heard by The Presets. Technically it was en EP released in 2004 but I didn't get a listen until the debut album(Beams), actually came out. Speaking of which, what is up with Beams? I know for a fact I had it in 2005 but the release dates on it range from 2004-2006. There's no definite date in sight. Whatever Beams, Whatever...
Oh yeah, back to the song. It's good. That's all you need to know right? It doesn't make for very good concert material though. I can't even remember The Presets performing this song when I saw them at the Detour Festival last year. Maybe they didn't?? It's not uptempo enough for that kind of crowd. All I really remember is getting elbowed in the head over and over by a guy with a backpack. That's what happens when you're five-foot-nothing.

"Cool Kids" by Screeching Weasel

Released: 1996
Album: Bark Like A Dog
Label: Fat Wreck Chords
Genre: Punk
Lyrics: @ LyricsMode

Screeching Weasel was one of the first punk bands I ever got into. You know, besides all of the "77 punk" bands we all seem to know about since birth. I used to have a "thing" for Ben Weasel. I can be a real fan-girl sometimes.
It all started in the early-mid 90's for me, during my elementary/junior high days. The popularity of Green Day led me to bands like Rancid, NOFX, and my ultimate favorite, Bad Religion. Other, "smaller" bands came pouring in; Teen Idols, Good Riddance, Pulley, Zeke, Anti-Flag, Millencolin, Guttermouth etc. Bands you'd find on Epitaph, Lookout!, FWC, and the earlier rounds of the Vans Warped Tour, so to speak. Screeching Weasel was there in the midst of it all.
"Cool Kids" is probably one of the first songs most people think of when you say Screeching Weasel. It is for me anyway :-P I used to put it on in the living room and jump around like a fool while my parents were at work. Probably not very "cool". This song and most of their music is what I like to call "happy punk": no matter the lyrical content it's always upbeat... and the keyboards are pretty sweet too.

"Rock This Town" by Stray Cats

Released: September 1982
Album: Built For Speed
Label: EMI America
Genre: Rockabilly
Lyrics: @ Sing365

My BFF and I have started this thing where we are all about finding new skills. In recent weeks we have started taking East Coast Swing dance lessons. We meet every Wednesday night so in honor of our lesson tonight I'm enjoying some Rockabilly.
I should mention that we don't actually listen/dance to Rockabilly at our lessons. It's mostly classic 1950's Rock & Roll. haha
"Rock This Town" was originally released in 1981 on the Stray Cats first(and self titled), album but that album was only released in the UK. It went all the way to #9 on both the UK Singles Chart and the Billboard Hot 100.
This song is kind of a guilty pleasure for me. If asked, I wouldn't immediately own up to liking it. It's big on the cheese scale. I think this is a song that more girls like than guys. That always says something.

ETA: We did in fact dance to this very song tonight at out lesson :-)

"Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" by Mike Ness

Released: April 1999
Album: Cheating at Solitaire
Label: Time Bomb
Genre: Rock & Roll, Country, Folk
Lyrics: @ lyrics.time

This has got to be one of my most favorite covers ever, if not just my flat out favorite. Of course this is originally a song by Bob Dylan released in 1963 on his album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan.
I know a ton of people who cringe at just the thought of Mike Ness "butchering" a Bob Dylan classic. Whatever. I think he did a fantastic job.
This was a song I'd listen to after a break-up here and there and yet, I never get sad listening to it. The good times I've had with this song far outweigh the bad. Besides, this is not a "sad song" by nature. It's... "empowering". Ugh, I hate that word, empowering. Empowerment. It sounds so cheesy.
Regardless, if you've never heard this song, or its original, you owe it to yourself to do so.

"Radio" by Rancid

Released: June 1994
Album: Let's Go
Label: Epitaph
Genre: Punk
Lyrics: @ Rhapsody

This song always reminds me of senior year in high school. Granted that was 2001 and the song was actually released while I was in the 6th grade, but whatever. I listened to it a lot in 2001 okay?!
Only in recent years did I find out that is was co-written by Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day. I wonder what Rancid would sound like if he had decided to stay in the band?...
Anyway, this song was actually first released in 1993 on their Radio Radio Radio 7" on Fat Wreck Chords. It's my understanding that it's a different arrangement, I don't know. I've never heard it. I really don't care to. My memories are with the Let's Go version.

"Panic" by The Smiths

Released: 1986
Album: 7", 12" (singles)
Label: Rough Trade
Genre: Alternative
Lyrics: @ Lyrics Depot

Okay, so obviously I named this blog after "Panic" lyrics. A zillion other people did too. It took me a few tries to find a variant of "HANG THE DJ".
Honestly, I love this song but I don't love love it. Let's just say it's in the top 10 of my favorite songs by The Smiths but it's not in the top 5. Given how many songs they've recorded, I'd still say that's pretty darn good.
In May 2007 NME placed "Panic" at #21 on their list of the "50 Greatest Indie Anthems Ever". Oh, and it even went all the way to #1 on the UK Singles Chart. Score!

"Transmission" by Joy Division

Released: November 1979
Album: 7", 12" (singles)
Label: Factory
Genre: Post Punk
Lyrics: @Lyrics Depot

Ahh, "Transmission". Doesn't it always seem like it's overshadowed by "Love Will Tear Us Apart"? Maybe that's just me.
In 2007 NME placed it at #20 on their list of the "50 Greatest Indie Anthems Ever". Do you know what came in at #19? That's right, "Love Will Tear Us Apart". :-)
Doesn't matter. Simply put, I love this song. I contemplated naming this blog "Let it Ring On"(lyrics from Transmission), as a nod to Joy Division. In the end The Smiths won but that can always be remedied.