List O'Best B-Sides of One Hit Wonders

A lot of the music I listen to is not of the popular stuff or mainstream; not to say anything bad about them, but there are a boatload of hidden gems out there that don't get the light of day. The beaten path is so much better than the manure field of crap that is shoveled over the radio. It just don't appeal to me. Now that not to say that in the field of shit there's some golden nuggets that's not corn that come out but don't get another chance. And like all albums, the back catalog is just as epic as the hits or better (in most cases). We all have that album that we listened to a thousand times front to back cause it was complete. Well guess what? Those one hit wonders are on the same boat. This here is my ode to those that gave it the old college try, took the stage, and was never to be heard from again. 

Now the rules for this list is simple. The artist had to have just one popular hit in their respected genre; even if they released other singles they can not be as well known as their main single. The artist must also not suck (but that's a given). With that being said, let's get it on...

• Dishwalla "Charlie Brown's Parents" : Most infamous for their single "Counting Blue Cars" got major play in the mid 90's just prior to the humble beginnings of TRL. It was a pretty good single, but whether it was their record company or piss poor management, they never branched out passed. And because of that, most people missed out on this golden nugget. It starts soft but then gets down and dirty with some grungy harmonics and proclaimed what was popular than and now, angst against authority not listening to either youth or sub-ordinances (take your pick). Either way it was catchy and little to no one knew it. So check it out, you can thank me later.

• Darwin's Waiting Room "All I Have Is Me" : Unless you're a fan of rapcore (like myself) or any bands local to the Miami area, Darwin's Waiting Room would probably pass you by faster than a speeding bullet.  Although, they did have a hit with "Feel So Stupid (Table 9)" that was just about all the fame the group had.  Too bad because they could've had a lot of potential for a whole lot more than a rapcore fad that lasted from 1998 to 2003.  This particular track although it sounds like most of their album, it kinda stands out in my book.  I tend to gravitate to this track whenever I have their CD in the car.  It's definitely one of the best closing tracks of an album that I've heard ever and it completes its epic journey without it feeling like some drawn-out rock opera.  Definitely pick it up or get it on download if you don't have it already.

• doubleDrive "Gone" : If you know me and follow any other of my music posts, it's pretty damn hard for me to not mention doubleDrive. And yes, the did have airplay with their single "Imprint". But this is from their first album that didn't get that much publicity. "Gone" starts it off as a slow guitar riff than powers up once the first verse begins to start. It then goes to some signature guitar solos and everything seems to complete once it ends. Not many songs can even claim that.

• Bloodhound Gang "The Ballad of Chasey Lane" : Just when you thought a song about sex from these guys couldn't get more graphic with "The Bad Touch", this (pardon the pun) peters out. A song about a lust lorn fan and his obsession with an infamous porn star. Lyrics alone is funny as hell, and I also have to give them props from being from Philly. But what makes this for me is the video (warning NSFW, hence why I didn't put a link to the video, but feel free to Google it.) If you thought their one hit video was a taste of low brow, than this is well below the mark; but it fits the song so well.

• Monster Magnet "Evil (Is Going On)" : If you know them you know they're more known for acid rock, pretty much you would have to either be in a trip to listen to it or it'll drive you to use and abuse. Their best (and probably only known) single "Space Lord" was played and played on MTV back in the mid 90's but this is from 1992. It's the only song probably out of their element. With blues and jazz engulfed in the track you would never known it was Monster Magnet without picking up the album work for it. Now that's a rare gem for ya.

• Alien Ant Farm "Summer" : This is that rule I mentioned that they might've had other singles but only one that stood out come into play comes in. I actually heard them the first time with their previous single "Movies", but it was their Michael Jackson cover of "Smooth Criminal" that gave them their popularity and fizzled out afterwards. This track however is a B-Side of theirs that uses the seasons as a metaphor of a relationship. It's catchy just on a lyrical basis alone, and the way it takes me in a melodic trance each time is just awesome. But honestly, most of their catalog is just epic with sweet hooks and an amalgam of great lyrics and well timed solos and bridges. It really surprises me that they're only a one hit wonder, even with a small handful of singles around them, it's only that one that sticks to most peoples head.

Trust me, I would love to have more bands and other acts out there, but like my rule stated from before.  Only one-hit wonders, and I made a stretch with Alien Ant Farm enough as is, possibly even with Monster Magnet.  Most of my taste either gravitate to either well established bands that made it some what, or stuff that no one ever knew of.  And that might be a subject of another post, but as for this one; I'm calling it a one-and-done.

BootLeG sampler.. signing out...

p.s.  In no way did any of the following bands ask for any endorsement nor knew of their wonderful music mentioned on this blog post.  It's all of my effort alone to enrich everyone to something outside of the stereotypical norm.  Enjoy.

List O' Music to Rock Out With (An Alphabet Adventure)

I said that I would come back with a list. Sure I could've done a "list o' stuff" on what I've been up to this past few months or maybe something else more meaningful. But I said, the hell with it and make up a list of what I wanted to go and do for a while. Something of a challenge but it's a good fight. It's not a list of the best in any order, but it's a list of alphabetic proportions. Not to say that I couldn't come up with a list of top 26, but the fact of finding something that could list alphabetically is awesome enough. It can be good.

So here's the rules for hopefully an ongoing tag that I can continue with: all bands should start with the corresponding letter and if I can't think of one, well, it'll be excused; and all bands is the top of that letter at the time of posting in my opinion and just that, an opinion. If you don't like it, I'm comfortable with you not liking my opinion, it's still my blog and my list. So without further ado, here it comes...

• A: Authority Zero; because they're a kick ass punk band in my opinion (and that was before I moved to Mesa.)
• B: Barenaked Ladies; because they're the first B-band that I could think of at the time. No, really, that's the only reason.
• C: Charlie Daniels; do I really need a friggin' reason?!?
• D: doubleDrive; if you know me and my past rants on my blog, you know that I friggin' love this band. Too bad that they're broken up. :(
• E: Everclear; and surprisingly, they got better the more sober they became. But I still think that Santa Monica is the best song they ever made (note, they weren't sober during that time.)
• F: Foo Fighters; so much range of talent there that it oozes epicness.
• G: Guano Apes; they're foreign, they're ballzy, and they can even flex a soft side. Talk about range.
• H: HELLYEAH!; because I already got something lined up for M and I can't incorporate Mudvayne. Besides, they got Vinnie Paul from Pantera on there (one more thing that I can't put on an upcoming letter due to it being predesignated), and it's bleeds EPIC WIN!!!
• I: I Against I; this band is so underrated as a punk band that if you don't know them, you're friggin' lame!
• J: James Brown; The Godfather of Soul, the Hardest Working Man in the Business, in other words, he's just that damn good.
• K: KoRn; well, basically before former band members started dropping off the band like flies.
• L: Linkin Park; even though they're pop-ish, they're still kool to listen to.
• M: Metallica; I would be a damn fool if I didn't put them on the list.
• N: Nirvana; what can I say, I like old school grunge.
• O: OK Go!; surprisingly, they're not that bad of a band, and their viral videos are friggin' awesome to boot.
• P: Paw; if you're a fan of the original Road Rash game from back in the 90's, youtube them.
• Q: Queen, only because I needed a Q, and out of all that is out there, that's the best Q there is.
• R: Rage Against The Machine; BALLS!!! And that's all I'm gonna say.
• S: Stone Temple Pilots; they are perpetually stuck in the 90's and I like it.
• T: Tsunami Bomb; I am a sucker for female singers and punk music. This is it's wet dream.
• U: Unwritten Law; to go from punk, to pop-punk, to alternative, to who knows what and still rock it, kudos on my book.
• V: Velvet Revolver; once again, I needed a V, and they're decent for a supergroup, I'm not gonna lie.
• W: Stevie Wonder; who can deny the man his props. He's the Billy Dee Williams of Motown; it's like if Ray Charles had a love child with a can of Colt 45 Malt Liquor (breaking out in dance to Very Superstitious)
• X: yeah, I got nothin' for X, big surprise, huh?!?
• Y: I got nothin' for Y either, dunno why I'm drawing a blank... but,
• Z: ... (after 5 minutes of thinking of something and not putting on Zebrahead because I haven't heard much of them to rate if I like them or not) ... nothin'. Damn.

And that's my list. Hope you like it, if not, oh well, blame the English Language for having only 26 letters. And trust me, I tried to fight off the urge of adding on honorable mentions as much as I could, and this is what I got (outside of the Mudvayne namedropping for HELLYEAH!, I think I did pretty darn well.)

BootLeG sampler.. signing out...

List o' Best Songs You Might've Never Heard Of

So I'm back with another list. This time its a music list because as we all know, I loves me some good tunes from time to time. But I feel that some songs go unrecognized on how epically great they are. That really saddens me on that concept. So I decided to give these tracks some well deserved recognition. The only thing is that they're so many songs for me to choose from that deserve some respect. I mean do you choose those that are meaningful in their lyrics, ambiguous with their instrumental prowess, a combination their of, or just something that is just wacky and left of center. I mean, that's a lot to sink your teeth into, so I just decided to make it a hodgepodge of it all and make the sky the limit on which stylings to have available. In saying that, what I did was that I decided to give myself a restriction on such by just limiting songs that I could find and put onto my project playlist which is embedded on my post for your listening pleasure. Also I wanted to add the stipulation of only 1 song per artist/group/band so that it inhibits more of a variety for you all. So without further ado, here's BootLeG sampler..'s top 17 underrated songs... or whatever the hell I called this post. Just look at the title and you know... (And why top 17 you ask? Because it's the perfect length of tracks for a mix tape, duh!?!)

*Disclaimer :: This playlist is rated M for Mature. Don't listen unless you want your ears to bleed from all the possible F-bombs*

And in the order of my mix tape on how they're played out, here they are:

• 11:59 by doubleDrive :: Didn't I already mention that I friggin' love doubleDrive!!! They're so talented and yet so underrated themselves. Thus the reason why I established the 1 song stipulation.
• Zebra by John Butler Trio :: This Aussie outfit lends some great skills to creating a neo-folk piece of greatness.
• Starshines by 311 :: Just listen to the first set of words in the song, it says it all. (Honestly it was a toss-up between that and Homebrew, but I had more of a fondness for this track, so Homebrew deserves an honorable mention).
• The Icicle Melts by The Cranberries :: Such a subtle track but powerful in meaning, it deserves to be on this list.
• Charlie Brown's Parents by Dishwalla :: If you ever had angst about authority and fitting in as a kid, this one's for you.
• Lemonade by Tsunami Bomb :: When life gives you lemons, yada yada yada... And this song takes the cake in that message.
• Suite-Pee by System of a Down :: This track is just sick, no other word to say it, it's just friggin sick.
• End of the World by Cold :: Screw R.E.M.'s song of the same name, this is what I want to play just before it happens.
• Walking thru Barbed Wire by Papa Roach :: Quite honestly their best song in their entire catalouge that didn't end up as a single (Between Angels and Insects is their best song, but it's too well known to be considered underrated.)
• Pollution by Limp Bizkit :: I tried to find one with the intro track before this so that it would be even more epic; but it's still stands out on it's own and a great leadin to the next track.
• Everything Remains Raw by Busta Rhymes :: When I first heard this back in 1995, I was like "Damn, that's some great solo rappin shit!!! He's gonna go far in his career." And I was right.
• Inhale by Stone Sour :: People really gotta give Corey Taylor more props with his stuff outside of Slipknot. Stone Sour ain't just all mellow and pussified, they have balls.
• Alone I Break by KoRn :: This is one of the few of my tracks that actually made it as a single. While most thought of it as tame, I thought of it as intriguing and stepping into a new realm for the band.
• O Paranoia by Gangster Fun :: I don't do ska that often, but these guys are really good. I had to find the best one available instead of the track I wanted, Skarabia.
• Summer by Alien Ant Farm :: It shows the complete range of the band all in one track without mocking a classic Michael Jackson song.
• Boyz In Da Hood by Dynamite Hack :: This is the only cover I have on my list and they made a great song by NWA legend Eazy-E even greater.
• Triumph by Wu-Tang Clan :: In my opinion their last great track they produced. Honestly, anything after 36 Chambers really was shit, so I had to promote this track cause this was really good in my opinion.

And just for show, here's the playlist for everyone to enjoy. You'd honestly think that I would leave ya'll hangin?!? C'mon...

So that's my piece on great songs that need to be recognized. Hope ya'll enjoyed it.

BootLeG sampler.. signing out...

Bound to Ramble

I am a music lover. That's the cold honest truth. I like most kinds of music, but what gets me is mainly rock. Rock is all good. It's kinda like the universal translation that bridges the gaps with everyone in my opinion. I mean back in the 50's and 60's we had Elvis, Chuck Berry, James Brown, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, all these great acts to spawn out all of the different genres that we have in existence today such has modern rock, country, soul, r&b, bluegrass, gospel... You name it, they started it way back when. But that's enough of a retrospective, now I want to go and see what I thought were pretty damn good acts and how they might have been overlooked in today's times. I feel that they should definitely get some recognition for their talent and perseverance in the art that they produce.

First off the top of my head is the John Butler Trio. This Austrian group is pretty laid back and relaxing, but very straight and to the point in their music. I'm actually reminded of their song 'Bound to Ramble' as I'm posting on this blog as we speak. It's nice and kinda nomadic as well. Some of my favorite songs from them are 'Bound to Ramble', 'Zebra', and 'I Used to Get High.' They have a smooth, well thought out orchestrated feeling to them where simplicity meets awesomeness from the simple rhythm and blues to an off the beaten path alternative technique. Also the multifaceted talents from each of the band members themselves bring a uniqueness not found in most bands. John Butler himself plays 6-string and 12-string guitars, a steel lap guitar, and a banjo for different songs while the bass player switches from electric bass to a double bass (with and without a bow) for different songs as well. The drummer has a wide array of percussion mediums from a standard drum kit to bongos and even utilizing other means of percussion as well. The John Butler Trio; you don't have to rock hard to know that you rock.

Another band that needs recognition is doubleDrive. These guys in my opinion is definitely one the the best bands, EVER!!! This short lived band from Atlanta, GA indeed rocked the casbah during their inception. They have a feel of many of what in my opinion made rock what it was and supposed to be in my generation: part grunge, part alternative, part heavy, all badass. With in my opinion one of the best vocalists in the business Donnie Hamby can tell a story like no other. Compliment that with the awesome rhythm section of bassist Josh Sattler and Mike Froedge and (once again in my opinion) the sickest guitarist in the world Troy McLawhorn, you had a powerhouse. Too bad that they decided to go separate ways in 2003 into different projects, but their music still rock on to this day for me. I don't think that I go one day without either having one of their guitar riffs or saying a line from one of their songs in my head (btw, 'Track 7' FTW). Tracks to listen to I'd recommend would be 'Tattooed Bruise', '11:59' and the one mentioned from before (yes, that's the title of the song). doubleDrive, just badass.

One final one cause this is getting long enough. This is yet, another band that is disbanded, but this was more about business and ethics in the industry, rather than running other music projects. Tsunami Bomb was a punk rock band from California that was unique and innovative all in one sweet package. Fronted by Agent M, this lady belted some powerful chords that haven't been done since Gwen Stefani and the boys from No Doubt were still doing good music instead of bubblegum-pop. And although the rest of the band were a motley crew of three-chord power punk musicians (and their quirky keyboardist featured in their first EP), when the time came for them to perform, it was something that would make those that were fans of Pennywise, Bad Religion, and other punk greats buckle at their knees. It incorporated all that was good in punk-rock and amplified it to the Mth. power. Songs like 'Lemonade', 'My Machete', and 'Take the Reins' were just some of it greatness in their catalog.

So that's just a sample of what I hope to keep up and bring forth. There are a lot of great acts out there and I feel that their limelight needs to shine either just a little bit brighter or just to shine on one more time to appreciate what effort they brought forth in their art. I'll try to keep up with more acts that needing to be recognized, but as for now...

BootLeG sampler.. signing out...