Every Gob Album Ranked Worst To Best

Posted on by Scott Waldman

What do Gob, Billy Talent, Alexisonfire, and Marianas Trench have in common with each other, other than the fact that they are all overtly Canadian bands that play guitars sometimes? Well, all four acts are FAR bigger in their native land, the Great White North, than they are here stateside, proving once and for eh that Americans are idiots, you and me included. Back to the “Big Four” of Canada according to literally no one: We decided to rank all of Gob’s six studio albums from worst to best below, and spoiler alert, two are tied in the middle positions, you won’t agree with a single ranking, “play it again” track, or what we chose to place in the “skip it” section, and your opinions regarding all of the above are incorrect even IF you agree with us.

6. Apt. 13 (2014)

This may sound cold, as we really wanted to rank this one higher than the bottom slot, but after much reflection, love, light, and prayers to the main man upstairs, Barry “Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli” Zuckercorn, we couldn’t do so in good conscience. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again ad nauseam, it’s tough for a band with a revered and expansive catalog like Gob to consistently put out hit after hit after hit after hit. So, “Apt. 13” is go-od, but not gr-eh-at, so it legally has to start this piece, and we see no counter argument for such unless we do. Still, any Gob release is an enjoyable romp, making it the same as it ever was, so “Apt. 13” is better than some band’s best LPs. We think that the long gap between this one and its predecessor “Muertos Vivos” didn’t help its cause.

Play it again: “Radio Hell”
Skip it: Most of it is good but not great, so take your pick

5. Too Late… No Friends (1995)

Since we just semi-brutally dissected the band’s newest LP “Apt. 13,” let’s get to their oldest right this very moment, Gob’s cult favorite debut LP “Too Late… No Friends.” This record is definitely fun AF for kids of all ages with dirty mouths and minds, but the songs don’t translate as well from a songwriting and production standpoint in 2023 as they likely did in the mid-90s. To put it bluntly, all vocals and instruments got so much better for the next five, but this record’s charm is what got it ranked just above the dreaded lowest position here at number six. Also, you know you’re in for quite a treat when your album’s longest song clocks in at two minutes and seventeen seconds and is called “Asshole TV,” and that the second longest is named after WWF, not WWE’s, Goldust’s slimy savvy vixen seductive smokeshow valet Marlena.

Play it again: “Soda”
Skip it: There are slightly more good songs here than on “Apt. 13,” but take your pick again

4. The World According to Gob (2000)

Slots three and four here in this piece could be swapped depending on the day, but on this very day, Ellin beats Sleepyhead by a small yet winning margin; that’s just the way that it is, morons with 144 problems. Gob’s third LP “The World According to Gob” not only features their own band name in its title, but as of today, certainly yesterday, and likely tomorrow, is their best selling effort, Juno, yes Juno nominated, and officially certified Gold in Canada. Also, as you may or may not know, “I Hear You Calling” is likely Gob’s biggest hit in Canada and “hit” stateside, so you can listen to it twice: once here, and once on its follow-up “Foot in Mouth Disease.” In closing, “The World According To Gob” has the band’s coolest cover art.

Play it again: “I Hear You Calling”
Skip it: “ExShuffle”

3. Foot in Mouth Disease (2003)

After a fun, fun, fun release via Arista Records, then-home to peers who never took off called Wakefield, (freaking) OutKast, nu-metal sludgers with a heart of gold and stone known as Adema, and KIDZ BOP superstar GG Allin, called “F.U. EP” shortly after “The World According To Gob” hit stores, the four-piece released their fourth studio album “Foot In Mouth Disease.” and said record is WAY too slept on for its own good. We wish that the world was more according to Gob than other mid pop-punk acts that did better domestically during the early-aughts, and we are not specifically singling anyone out in print, so you can surmise who we are referring to in your bones, cold feet, this evil world, and boring lives. We’re forever fed up with the music industry, but don’t worry, we won’t cut ourselves whilst we are in deep thought about spoiled lemon-aid.

Play it again: “Oh! Ellin”
Skip it: “Bully”

2. How Far Shallow Takes You (1998)

This is a non-shallow substantive, yet bite-sized Jordans Morning Crisp Wild About Berries cereal box commentary regarding Gob’s last ‘90s release: “How Far Shallow Takes You” is easily one of the most enjoyable melodic punk rock albums of all time, and “236 E. Broadway,” a track covered perfectly by Silverstein on “Short Songs,” might be the best opening track to ANY late-90s rock record; we’re the self-appointed leaders of musical authority, so we will forever stand, deliver, bury your past, and paint it, black. Ok? Cool! Also, “How Far Shallow Takes You,” for lack of a better term, took the band to their biggest heights at the time, and certainly caused “suits” to take notice, and Nettwerk Management proved such by re-releasing the then-Fearless Records, err, release. Together things happen all the time, so please assist in letting love reign o’er me, you, all we are, and Crown Royal.

Play it again: “236 E. Broadway”
Skip it: “Together”

1. Muertos Vivos (2007)

Why isn’t number #5, #4, or #2 in the gold medal slot in this stupid bad take article ranking all of Gob’s studio albums? Well we have two words for you that apply to every season: You’re wrong. Wake up, face the ashes, get a new prescription to pain medication, and check out this “no skip” slept upon Gob release right this very moment. Still feel nothing, banshees? Pity. “Muertos Vivos” is Gob at their angry best, and said emotion is translated perfectly in musical form here. This album is the literal dawning of the age of Aquarius, the living dead declaring war on cemeteries, Ash Wednesday, and your least favorite family member, likely named Tula. In conclusion, the band’s moms may be concerned with what Gob became, but we love their 2007 headstrong, heavy, huggable, and hellish vibe.

Play it again: All of it so we can bring it to the foreground
Skip it: None of it so you embitter us in a sour manner

Unplugged Kraftwerk Show Just Four Germans Staring at Audience

Posted on by Bex Kane

ANTWERP, Belgium — An “unplugged” performance by German electronic music titans Kraftwerk at Antwerp’s TRIX caused confusion after the band primarily stared down the audience without music for a good 60 minutes, sources confirmed.

“Obviously I thought an unplugged Kraftwerk show sounded like a weird idea to begin with, but I mean, it seemed like they would be kinda pushing their own artistic boundaries,” attendee Inge Kemmerer told us. “But then when it was time for them to come out, they set up their synths like they would have for a normal show, and then literally unplugged them. Then they just stood there, looking at us all intense. They somehow didn’t even blink the whole time. Had to look away a few times because the extreme eye contact was too intense. Still a great show though. I’d go again.”

Kraftwerk founder and frontman Ralf Hütter seemed glad to try something new.

“We had heard of these ‘unplugged shows’ for years, you know,” Hütter explained, maintaining his characteristic cool demeanor. “It confused us a bit at first, really. But the more we thought about it, the more we realized this was a great opportunity for artistic expression. Think of it this way: when we record, we are creating music without the element of live performance. So why shouldn’t we see what happens when we create the live performance without the music? And so we set this show up. We think it turned out excellently, in the end. A good experiment and a good show.”

The sound engineer Ben Smith from the show was unsure how to prepare for this one.

“Yeah, I’ve worked some weird fucking shows, but I feel like this was really something else,” Smith told us, brushing off the front of his Misfits shirt. “They insisted on having this full sound check, even though there was no sound. They kept yelling at me about the monitors, and I was like, you’re not using the fucking monitors! But I turned a couple knobs and they nodded and I guess it was all good. It was worse than the time I got hired for an all-instrumental set by Rockapella. Still though, it was really impressive how much intensity these guys were able to put out while doing nothing. Anyway, I got paid and nobody even noticed me walking off with like 500 feet of cable 20 minutes into the show, so I’m not gonna complain.”

In related news, the “dancing guy” from The Mighty Mighty Bosstones announced a solo unplugged performance at Red Rocks.

GOP Debate to Feature Goldendoodle Who Only Barks at Black People

Posted on by Freelancer

MIAMI — Skippy, a two-year-old Goldendoodle who only barks at Black folks, qualified for the third GOP primary debate being held tonight at Miami’s Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, sources confirmed.

“In order to qualify for this primary debate, candidates needed to poll at 4% or higher in two national polls, have at least 70,000 unique donors, and promise to support whoever is the final nominee,” said RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel. “Skippy, a racist…I’m sorry…uhh…good dog, has not only met all the qualifications to appear on stage tonight, but he is blowing Ron DeSantis out of the water when it comes to campaign donations. Skippy polls especially well with older white women who have pet allergies. We’re looking forward to a substantive debate on the issues.”

Republican candidate Nikki Haley criticized the late addition of Skippy to the debate and attacked the bigoted canine for his lack of concrete policy positions.

“If I’m being honest, it is absolutely absurd that we’re allowing Skippy to participate in this debate. It’s absurd not because he’s racist…I mean…NOT racist…or because he’s a dog but because he hasn’t taken a stand on ANY of the issues impacting real Americans,” said Haley. “What is his position on Israel? Where does he stand on abortion? How does he plan to combat the leftist forces working to undermine the Constitution? If you asked Skippy, you wouldn’t know! Because he hasn’t spoken about these issues at all. The most he does is sit on command, anyone can do that.”

Janet and Mark Smith, residents of The Villages in central Florida and Skippy’s owners, said Skippy’s insurgent campaign has caught them by surprise.

“I just want to clear the air here,” said Mr. Smith. “Just because Skippy is my racist…sorry…my VERY GOOD boy and is running for president DOES NOT mean I don’t still support President Trump. Because I do. OK? You all in the lamestream media need to hear that. This whole ‘Skippy running for president’ idea was my wife’s. She thought it’d be cute to make a ‘Skippy for 2024’ Instagram page. My granddaughter taught me how to use it. I had no idea he’d gain such a supportive, viral following among my fellow conservatives. They especially liked the videos where he’s barking at certain strangers while on our walks.”

At press time, Skippy was outside the Miami venue growling at Tim Scott’s campaign bus.

50 Best Music References In “The Venture Bros.” Ranked By What They Signal From The Illuminati

Posted on by Rob Steinberg

It has been an open secret for years that “The Venture Bros.” creators Doc Hammer and Jackson Publick are both connected with the invisible hands that manipulate our world. There’s even a recurring character with invisible hands. Not to mention that Monarch butterflies are connected with MK Ultra. There are not many reasons that a show twice as long and thrice as animated as their other 2003 programming would be not only picked up, but on the air for 15 years despite not raking in as many viewers as a “Family Guy” rerun. “The Venture Bros” is equivalent to the mysterious channels on the radio that just recite numbers instead of numbers, but with deep-cut pop culture references. After several hours of decoding these references, it became clear that the music references were the most important. Here are the top 50 most important findings:

50. Republica

Monarch says that when he first met Dr. Girlfriend she looked like Saffron from Republica. This is accurate in her flashbacks as the name Queen Etherea. The exact dates of these flashbacks are unknown, but it hints at when Queen Elizabeth secretly retook control of England’s Republic

49. In Living Color

In The Forecast Manufacturer, The Monarch and 21 are wearing wetsuits which he claims make him look like they’re in the Cult Of Personality music video. It kind of looks like that enough since the singer is wearing a bright colored onesie. Can you think of any cults that center around “personality” or perhaps “personality tests”? We are not allowed to say as they fund this website, but much like the episode, they control the weather.

48. The Human League

In “Assisted Suicide,” 21 completely butchers “Don’t You Want Me” by The Human League with a completely different rhythm than the actual one. Or did he? What he sang was the real rhythm of the song that only the elites are allowed to know about. This will also likely be the only reference to New Wave or ’80s music on this list.

47. Kraftwerk

While goofing off in a mech suit, Pete White sings the song “Robots” by Kraftwerk. We as Americans are not slacking off in real life due to an electronic music classic, or so the Germans have us believe.

46. Phil Spectre and Harry Nilsson

Two of Dr. Z’s evil friends include Shrill Spectre and Scarry Nilsson. Shrill Spectre attacks with a Wall of Sound and a huge guess here, probably also likes trying to shoot people. Harry Nilsson wrote “The Point,” which takes place in a society that refuses to believe that nothing can exist without a point. Harry Nilsson was a discordian agent that Venture Bros wants you to think is equal to murderers like Spectre.

45. Led Zeppelin

Brock loves Led Zeppelin. He references Led Zeppelin all the time in the show until the end of season 2 when he gets a tattoo of Icarus without wings. Whatever the show was trying to tell us, they were letting us know that they were flying too close to the sun on that one and got their wings clipped.

44. Adam Ant Fashion Montage

Dr. Z has a Clueless-style fantasy of going on a shopping montage and dressing Guild Agent S-464 to look like Prince Charming-era Adam Ant. Adam Ant is secretly in control of all future fashion trends and has the ones for the next 30 years planned out.

43. Mark Knopfler and Loverboy

To cover up the fact that he has six eyes, Jared wears an ’80s headband that welcomes him to be compared to the band Loverboy and Mark Knopfler from Dire Straits by bullies. Mark Knopfler is also who The Monarch is supposed to be when he’s playing party games in “Home Is Where The Hate Is.” Both The Monarch and Jared are awkwardly tall. Dire Straits is most famous these days for containing arguably the first CGI in television. The tall people are responsible for the evil replacement of CGI with practical effects in movies.

42. Mr. Roboto

Dr. Dugong protects himself and the cuttlefish with Mr. Roboto from the Styx music video. Styx is known for being lame music. They want you to think manatees and cuttlefish are lame to avoid people from seeing what is really hiding in the ocean.

41. Rusty’s Dorm Posters

In Rusty’s dorm room, he has knock-off posters for bands such as Pink Floyd and Yes but strangely just straight up the poster for the album “You” by Gong. You is the final part of the “Radio Gnome Invisible” trilogy and VB is telling You that it’s the only thing that is true.

40. The Specials

Colonel Gentleman’s full name is Colonel Horace Gentleman, a reference to the nickname Horace Gentlemen for the bass player for the Specials. Colonel Gentlemen is full of Sean Connery references, so this is the secret wink that Sean Connery is actually the bass player for the Specials.

39. Christmas Songs

Did you know that the creators of the show also release Christmas songs every year? Some include joke versions of “Fairytale In New York” by The Pogues, “Hard Candy Christmas” by Dolly Parton, and “A Spaceman Came Travelling” by Chris De Burgh. These aren’t even in the show, this is extra homework needed to be done. They are likely released as a part of a blood pact deal with Santa and the consumerist leaders.

38. Jesse’s Girl

While at the altar for The Monarch’s wedding, Dr. Venture quotes lines from “Jessie’s Girl” by Rick Springfield. Oddly enough, the song was originally going to be called “Gary’s Girl” but Springfield decided to change it. Gary(21) is in love with The Monarch’s wife not unlike Dr. Venture. Isn’t that a fun fact? Where was I going with this one?

37. Captain Sunshine and Wonderboy

Captain Sunshine is a Superman parallel with the power of sunshine. Though unconfirmed, this is likely a reference to the Donovan song “Sunshine Superman.” His sidekick meanwhile, is probably-not-by-coincidence the same name as the song “Wonderboy” by the Kinks. If you play both songs at the same time, you will find where exactly on the sun the real president lives.

36. The Doors Movie

When an Andy Warhol-themed group of villains take over Doctor Venture’s building, the Andy Warhol-like Wes Warhammer recreates the scene from Oliver Stone’s “The Doors” biopic in which Crispen Glover plays Andy Warhol. Crispen Glover actually does have a phone that lets him speak to God.

35. Buddy Holly And The Big Bopper

Council of 13 members Red Mantle and Dragoon are heavily implied to be Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper sewn together. This is based off the truth that the day the music died was actually not the literal death of music but rather the sewing together of genres. The Big Bopper claims he invented hip hop so by being sewn together they represent the creation of Nu Metal in the late 1950s.

34. Yazoo

Watch or Ward apparently has too many Yaz albums. Yaz, or Yazoo as the people who think their British call them, only released two albums so the others are just the same songs as compilations and remixes. Or so the nonelite are to believe. Yazoo has created multiple albums only billionaires are allowed to know about.

33. Jesus Jones And Ladysmith Black Mambazo!

In “20 Years To Midnight,” Doctor Venture shouts out the name of the South African Chorus group Ladysmith Black Mambazo as an exclamation. Later on in the episode The Pirate Captain shouts out Jesus Jones as if an exclamation as well, but then is revealed he was remembering one of his favorite bands. You can connect the dots from there.

32. Stop Making Sense

When King Gorilla is emaciated from falling ill, The Monarch compares how he looks in his clothes to David Byrnes wearing the giant suit in “Stop Making Sense.” This is because David Byrnes is the real Koko The Gorilla and there’s no real explanation why.

31. Whitesnake

While explaining the birds and the bees to Dean, Doctor Venture somehow uses the music video to “Here I Go Again” to help explain things. Specifically about how the singer left his wife for the model in the music video leading to what Rusty and Brock both believe was the band’s downfall. Tawny Kitaen did cause Whitesnake’s downfall but because she was the one who worked with the Illuminati to destroy all hair metal with grunge.

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Hawthorne Heights Merch Table Only Selling Abortions and Weed Now

Posted on by Freelancer

DAYTON, Ohio — Members of Hawthorne Heights announced they would be pivoting their merch strategy at shows in their home state following a vote to make weed legal and protect abortion rights, multiple sources confirmed.

“We want to ride this wave of enthusiasm so we partnered with a local weed vendor to create our own ‘Hawthorne High-ts’ strain of weed. Most of the band is straight edge, so we kind of just have to take everyone else at their word that this isn’t some skunk weed,” said guitarist and frontman JT Woodruff. “We also partnered with Planned Parenthood to give counseling to any woman dealing with an unplanned pregnancy. We will not personally be performing any of the abortions, but anyone who buys a package from us will get a password-protected link to a Vimeo video of a special live performance that they can watch during the procedure.”

The new merch offerings were seen positively by younger scene members, but older scenesters believe Hawthorne Heights has gone too far.

“I look around at shows and it looks nothing like it did back in the glory days of 2003. Back then bands only sold one piece of merch. It was a black Gildan shirt with white ink, and the biggest size you could get was medium. Nothing fit, and we loved it,” said 47-year-old Ezra Hansen. “Now instead of vegan literature everyone immediately tossed in the trash these kids are getting quality pot and access to reproductive care? It makes me sick. If things keep going this way then soon I won’t be able to carry my gun into shows anymore.”

Lawmakers in states surrounding Ohio warned the band about touring with their new merch items.

“Here in West Virginia, we have strong family values. That is why women who are pregnant through incest only have eight weeks to seek an abortion after jumping through many legal hoops,” said Governor Jim Justice. “We don’t want these rock and roll bands bringing their contraband to our great state. Thankfully most music acts drive right through to bigger markets, and that’s the way it should be. The only entertainment we need here is all found within the pages of the Bible.”

At press time, members of The National vowed to get increased visitation rights for divorced dads on the ballot in Ohio for next year.

Historians Discover CBGB Originally Stood for Cock, Balls, Garbage, and Butt

Posted on by Ryan Dondero

NEW YORK — Recently discovered journals from the founder of the famed punk and hardcore club CBGB revealed that the venue’s name originally stood for “Cock, Balls, Garbage, and Butt,” surprised historians confirmed.

“I was incredibly fortunate to be given unique access to the journals of CBGB founder, Mr. Hilly Kristal, by his estate,” said Sharon Holland, a professor of history at New York University. “These journals are truly a treasure trove of information about the music scene of the Lower East Side in the early 1970s. Hilly’s writing touches on a variety of issues; from the cost of a liquor license to squabbles with his landlord. Most shockingly, however, one entry revealed that CBGB didn’t originally stand for Country, BlueGrass, and Blues, as was previously thought, but for Cock, Balls, Garbage, and Butt. You can imagine the absolute tizzy this has caused the academic and musical communities.”

Kristal’s lifelong friend, Linda Page, remembers him bouncing around a lot of different ideas before opening the club.

“Hilly was an extremely creative guy. He talked endlessly about what type of bands he’d book, how to use the space, and what the CBGB name would ultimately stand for,” said Page. “I don’t remember him saying where he originally came up with the CBGB acronym but I do remember some of the more outrageous names he threw out there: Cat, Blimp, Gremlin, Boner; Cobbler, Bilge, Goober, Barf; and Chicken, Bent, Garlic, Blitz, to name a few. And then, of course, there was the full CBGB & OMFUG name Hilly initially settled on: ‘Cock, Balls, Garbage, Butt and Otter Mothers for Ulcer Goopers.’ He only booked one show with that name, though. Then he changed it to the now world-famous Country, Bluegrass, Blues, and other Music for Uplifting Gormandizers.”

Lifelong Bowery punk Shane Terry claims to have been one of only a few people in attendance for that first CBGB show.

“I’m glad they discovered Hilly’s journals because no one ever believes me when I say I saw the first and only show at the original CBGB,” said Terry. “All these fucking posers are out here acting like they saw Talking Heads or some shit, and we all know that they not only didn’t see anything there before like 2002, they also don’t know the true name of the damn place. I was there on opening night, but all the bad actors in the scene make it impossible for anyone to hear me out. I’m an unrepentant liar so it makes sense but still…it’s nice to tell the truth and have that truth vindicated by history, you know?”

At press time, the now-closed CBGB at Newark Airport was attempting a rebrand using the “original” name.

Gold Digger? My Wife Is Demanding I Pay Back All the Money I Owe Her

Posted on by Dom Turek

If you think giving women credit cards in 1974 and making spousal rape a crime in 1993 would be enough liberation for one century, you would be wrong. Some women won’t be satisfied until they’ve taken you for every penny you owe them.

When I found out my wife was only staying married to me so I could repay the massive debt I owed her, I was devastated. She didn’t strike me as a money-grubber, especially since she knows I haven’t been steadily employed since 2012, but it just goes to show, you can’t truly trust anyone.

In the beginning, it was all thoughtful gifts and expensive dinners, but the most romantic thing she does now is pay for my car insurance since she’d “rather die” than let me drive her car. Apparently after two DUIs, no one trusts you behind the wheel of an automobile anymore. I guess all that “in sickness and in health” stuff didn’t include my addiction to Twisted Tea and poor impulse control.

I’m sure when the divorce proceedings are set in motion, she’ll magically forget about all those two times I bought her lunch with the money I earned stealing a tip jar from a coffee shop and the countless nights I let her work overtime and was forced to order myself a pizza.

Luckily, this isn’t my first time dealing with a shameless greedmonger. One day your partner is politely asking you to pay your portion of the rent “whenever you can” and the next she’s taking out a life insurance policy on you before bringing you on a long hike where she’ll ask you to pose for a scenic picture on the edge of a suspiciously lethal looking cliff.

This betrayal should hardly come as a surprise since I know a couple of her ex-boyfriends whom she also scammed into paying back the money they owed her, but I never imagined I’d be her latest extortion victim. My friends tried to warn me she was only staying married to me for her money, but I was just a young naive 37-year-old man then. If I’m not careful, she couldn’t end up taking me for everything she’s worth.

Every Sleeping With Sirens Album Ranked Worst To Best

Posted on by Scott Waldman

“If You Can’t Hang,” easily one of the more successful scene anthems of the 2010s, and that is NOT hyperbole, is not Sleeping With Sirens’ only vibin song, and the band has many more AND seven studio albums as of now. Still, the band is from Florida, and that is more than enough of a reason not to listen to SWS, but we’d love it if you gave peace and the band a chance. We’ve got to get to the actual article body, so come on, dales, let’s pick up some Florida Happy Meals, and avoid the hell out of each Florida Man, who likely got canceled prior to his birth.

7. Gossip (2017)

Word on the cold street and warm sidewalk is that “Gossip” was a huge misfire amongst all involved and hardcore Sleeping With Sirens fanatics. We can’t and won’t dispute this opinion that also doubles as a fact, but there are some good tracks here on the band’s lone major label effort via Warner Bros. Records, who also released small-time LPs by Dua Lipa, Liam Gallagher, Linkin Park, and Flo from Progressive Insurance’s math rock quintet that same year. Overall, “Gossip” feels like a giant pander, but not the cute lil’ panda on the album cover of its nearly perfect follow-up “How It Feels To Be Lost” and not doo-wop legends Sunny Day Real Estate’s heavy AF 1998 masterpiece “How It Feels To Be Something On.”

Play it again: “Empires to Ashes”
Skip it: “Legends”

6. Feel (2013)

Putting out a record after a hit album is daunting enough for anyone involved, but it paid off, especially at week one for Sleeping With Sirens’ third LP “Feel,” as said release debuted at NUMBER THREE on Billboard, no small/low feat for an indie and/or rock band, and the album also landed at number two on both the US Independent Albums chart and on the US Top Rock Albums charts. Still, this one is the band’s first of two misfires. The band went back to producer Cameron Mizell for this one, as he succinctly put his stamp on the band’s debut full-length. The album sounds slick but the songs just weren’t, despite features from artists like Matty Mullins of Memphis May Fire/Anberlin, and, this is not a joke even though you expect one here, MGK.

Play it again: “Here We Go”
Skip it: “Sorry”

5. Complete Collapse (2022)

Hey to all of you complete and total tyrants, and anyone else reading this sterling piece that frustratedly throws their respective dated IBMs into a wall to shut it down instead of utilizing the old ctrl + alt + del, mask their unjust pain with a combination of rosaries and happy/eager nice guy vibes that will never let us down into your grave, which is conveniently lying next to the majority of your family but the blacklisted Great Aunt Tula, who’s way too casual racism is enough to even offend a house with a Confederate Flag on its porch: We’re gonna basically lift you up with Bible in hand, bloody knuckles on both fists, royalty amongst snakes, and under oath! The band’s most recent effort “Complete Collapse” is quite the opposite of such a literal title, and SWS’ first solid album front to back that’s listed here. Be happy and read on!

Play it again: “Crosses” (featuring Spencer Chamberlain of Underoath)
Skip it: “Mr. Nice Guy”

4. With Ears To See And Eyes To Hear (2010)

“With Ears To See And Eyes To Hear” is a solid debut, albeit with a semi-cringe album title, but unlike many sequels other than “Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit,” “Let’s Cheer To This” is far better in every way that matters, and some that don’t. Still, SWS super fans constantly sing in a lower pitch than Kellin Quinn this album’s praises, and we actually concur with ‘em. Fun fact regarding the band’s acoustic EP, and it is NOT, gosh darn it, a studio LP, “If You Were A Movie, This Would Be Your Soundtrack,” which came out two years after this debut record: Two songs from “With Ears To See And Eyes To Hear” have beautiful versions, one being the title track, and the other is its album opener and best song “If I’m James Dean, You’re Audrey Hepburn”.

Play it again: “If I’m James Dean, You’re Audrey Hepburn”
Skip it: “Let Love Bleed Red”

3. Madness (2015)

Sleeping With Sirens’ fourth studio album “Madness,” and their sole non-live LP via Epitaph Records, may be quite uneven at times, but there’s nothing odd about us saying that it is BY FAR their best album with one word in its title. Its story is long, as the band originally recorded thirteen songs with Nick Raskulinecz of difficult-to-spell last name, Foo Fighters, Superdrag, and Sound City Studios fame, and then scrapped ‘em, and started album #4 with a second wind and John “I Produced The Used’s First Album” Feldmann. Said gamble paid off, as the band still plays the one-two punch of opener (“Kick Me”) and song 2 (woo hoo; “Go Go Go Joseph”) live at most shows to almost as much applause as staples “If You Can’t Hang” and “Do It Now Remember It Later”.

Play it again: “Better Off Dead”
Skip it: “November”

2. Let’s Cheer To This (2011)

If Sleeping With Sirens’ debut LP “With Ears To See And Eyes To Hear” introduced many tools to the rocking quintet, like we mentioned and alluded to before, “Let’s Cheer To This” justifiably elevated the band to main stage Warped Tour status for grey boys, girls, Grayscale, and anyone who read the children’s book “Fifty Shades of Grey” to their great grandparents. Here is a handy-dandy stat that proves such posit: “If You Can’t Hang” was certified Gold by the RIAA for selling 500,000+ copies in the US, a huge deal for a major, let alone indie Rise Records, who ruled the rock world in the early-2010s. Producer Kris Crummett deserves a hug for his work on “Let’s Cheer To It” and later albums like A Lot Like Birds’ “Conversation Piece” and Jewel’s metalcore classic “Pieces of You”… How it feels to be found!

Play it again: “If You Can’t Hang”
Skip it: “Postcards And Polaroids”

1. How It Feels To Be Lost (2019)

Sometimes it takes an epic fail to create a resounding success, and it appears that all members of Sleeping With Sirens took their prescribed medicine, discovered who, what, where, when, and why they were about to be found, broke down every single one of the eleven songs on “How It Feels To Be Lost,” the band’s debut release for Sumerian Records, in the best way, and created an album that could turn ghosts into living sentient beings. We know that the band lost many fans “Feel” and beyond, but we implore all of them and all of you to check out “How It Feels To Be Lost”. Basically, if “Gossip” was scrapped and this came out after “Madness,” there would be, err, madness.

Play it again: “Leave It All Behind”
Skip it: “Another Nightmare”

Seven Different Black Metal Bands Claim Responsibility for Church Fire Caused by Faulty Wiring

Posted on by Chris Bowen

FULTON, Ill. — Several fire department officials deemed a recent fire at a local Christian church to be caused by the chapel’s decades-old electrical wiring and not from the many black metal bands that are claiming responsibility, sources report.

“It’s pretty clear that Goatrïmmer is the only band in all of Illinois metal enough to actually go through with a real-life church burning,” Goatrïmmer frontman Böwël explained, adding the fact that him owning an original Bathory “Yellow Goat” pressing is one of the many things that sets him apart from the posers. “Sure, we weren’t physically in the church’s vicinity when it happened nor do we own anything incendiary that could engulf a structure in flames, but we have our ways of making it happen. Mystical, diabolical and pure evil ways. The fools in the fire department just don’t want to accept that, for some reason.”

Officer Richard Carr, an investigator with the Fulton Police Department, says their phones have been ringing off the hook with bogus claims.

“Since the tragic and unfortunate fire on Friday night, we’ve been getting calls from teenagers and grown men alike saying their bands are responsible for the fire,” Officer Carr explained. “Seems like a pretty morbid thing to brag about, but what’s even more sickening is how embarrassing these guys are. We 100% know the fire was caused by the old knob and tube wiring, but these dorks just keep fighting with each other over who is taking the blame. We’re just going to let them fight it out until they admit defeat, or until they just grow out of their black metal phases. Unfortunately, black metal fans never grow out of that phase.”

Fire Marshal Robert Almonowski noted the frequency of bands taking credit for crimes they didn’t commit.

“While church fires and black metal bands taking credit for them are probably the most prevalent, there are other bands from different genres who do the same,” Almonowski said. “Once there was a fire caused by an unattended crockpot at a police station luncheon and many anarcho punk bands said that it was caused by their molotov cocktails. It was quickly proven to be a pot of meatballs, but the punks insisted it was them. However, they were tracked down and severely beaten by the police anyway. Cops never turn down an opporutnity to assault the general public.”

At press time, Goatrïmmer was quick to claim responsibility for a large number of cross decorations at a local Hobby Lobby being placed upside down.

The 50 Worst Blink-182 Songs to Play at Your Grandfather’s Funeral

Posted on by Corey Montgomery

It finally happened, your beloved Grandfather passed away. He will be remembered for complaining about how nobody wants to work these days, how he put himself through college while working part-time at an ice cream stand on Cape Cod, and his rampant alcoholism. It’s time for your family to honor his life, and they’ve put you in charge of selecting the music for the event. We’re not sure why you’ve been selected for such a sensitive task given your predilection toward the goofiest pop-punk songs of all time, but here are 50 Blink-182 songs you are absolutely going to want to avoid.

50. “Going Away To College”

We should probably rip the band-aid off here. Your family initially told you that your beloved grandfather would ‘be going away for a while.’ This is due to your inability to handle most heavy emotions. We can’t really blame your loved ones for shielding you from the truth here, but you’re a grown adult and it is a little ridiculous that you actually thought your 78-year-old grandfather was legitimately going back to NYU to finish his Master’s.

49. “Black Rain”

This one might feel like it’s appropriate for a funeral, but it’s a boring Matt Skiba song, so it automatically feels a bit wrong. Your Grandfather always used to say “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, and if it is broke and you have to fix it, at least don’t give Matt Skiba any leads on the new album.” Honor his words by skipping this one.

48. “Adam’s Song”

Your Grandfather’s name was Stephen, not Adam, and he died surrounded by his family and loved ones, not alone. Nobody at this funeral will relate to this one, and it will likely make them all depressed as fuck if they hear it.

47. “I Miss You”

Everyone misses Gramps that’s for sure. Still, the second verse describes spiders capturing and devouring prey, which, gross. The psychological community largely agrees that the fear of spiders only ranks a few pegs below the fear of death when considering people’s most common phobias. Is this a funeral or a haunted house?

46. “Disaster”

This song is seemingly about death, but in a way that makes you think of the futility of life and your fragile mortality. Chances are that at least a few people in this room are already spiraling about this very topic. If you leave this one on the queue, your Aunt Theresa might do that thing where she breaks out wailing about how she “can’t take it anymore” while trying to make the entire event about herself. Your dad hates that. Try to avoid it if possible.

45. “Home Is Such A Lonely Place”

Your Grandmother has been staying at your parent’s house since PaPa Stephen went into hospice. It was a kind gesture for your dad to offer, but your mom is starting to go a little crazy. In her defense, you just moved out a few months ago after years of ‘looking for a job.’ It makes sense that despite the situation, she’s just a little frustrated to have her privacy delayed even further. If you want to help her out, maybe don’t play a song whose thesis is about how depressing someone’s house can be when uninhabited by a lost partner.

44. “I’m Lost Without You”

This song has emotional elements that you might expect to hear amplified at a funeral, but it’s also long as fucking shit. No one has ever listened to a Blink-182 song and thought ‘this is really great, but I wish it were almost seven minutes long and super droney too!’ That trend likely isn’t going to change anytime soon, and definitely not at your Grandfather’s wake.

43. “Man Overboard”

‘Man Overboard’ details the loss of friendship and laments the stark reality that as people grow, they no longer have time to get shitfaced with you. Your estranged Uncle Jerry, who was almost excommunicated from the family for enabling your grandfather’s aforementioned alcoholism, personally requested to hear this one, and he has never really been known for his judgment.

42. “Feeling This”

Apparently when Mark and Tom wrote this one, they went off into separate rooms as an experiment. Tom was tasked with the verse lyric, while Mark was tasked with the chorus. Both wrote about love from wildly different angles. Unfortunately, no one at this funeral is fourteen years old, and it’s highly unlikely they will be impressed by this fact you once found to be mind-blowing. Nerd.

41. “What’s My Age Again?”

When we think about death, we are often reminded of our struggles to stay focused while making out with our partners and also our inability to not prank call their mothers in a fit of embarrassed rage. Just kidding. You’ll likely find it in your best interest to read the room here and leave this one off.

40. “Dammit”

Watching your loved ones wander off into that good night is a major part of growing up and it can be a pretty harrowing experience. Still, despite your misinterpretation of this classic, Mark is actually singing about a romantic relationship turned cold, not the death of his Pop Pop. As far as breakup songs go, this one’s pretty mature. Out of sheer decency though, you shouldn’t be laying the notion that you still aren’t over your ex from five years ago on top of your family’s grief. The human heart can only take so much.

39. “CHILDHOOD”

Most family members like to reminisce about the good old times when a loved one passes. They often talk about how it’s sad that they only get to see each other in such circumstances. Grand statements are made that they’ll be closer and more in touch following the event. Most of it is bullshit and rings about as hollow as the cliche lyrics to this song. Do your loved ones a favor and skip this one. It’s just time that everyone starts being honest, is all.

38. “Heaven”

This is one of those Blink tracks where you can kind of tell that Matt Skiba was heavily encouraging Mark to be spookier than he actually is. It falls as flat as you would expect, and it’s probably not great to play a song that repeats the line “Heaven doesn’t want me” at a man’s funeral. The fact that at least a few of your family members are sure Papa Stephen is absolutely going to Hell is irrelevant here.

37. “Always”

This is one of Blink’s more emotional songs, but it also features one of Tom’s horniest choruses of all time. It’s not likely that anyone here wants to think about touching, kissing, holding or tasting your grandfather in such a somber moment. It’s just too gross.

36. “Please Take Me Home”

There are several messages your family may interpret poorly within this song’s runtime. One of which suggests that this deeply sad moment for everyone is the ‘best time they ever had.’ This is without mentioning that the desire to leave the event, though likely a shared sentiment, should not be spoken aloud.

35. “Lemmings”

Your grandfather’s side of the family is notably conservative. You might be thinking of including a song in the playlist that calls out their hypocrisy in a subtle way. Don’t pick this one, though. It’s about scene politics (we think), and no one gives a shit about that subject.

34. “Remember to Forget Me”

Typically, a funeral encourages keeping the memory of your deceased loved one alive. While there are many aspects of your grandfather’s personality you’d rather bar from your heart in mind, forgetting him as a whole would be a bit cruel. This is without mentioning the imagery of spreading his body parts alongside a road that the chorus evokes.

33. “YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’VE GOT”

Putting a spin on Joni Mitchell’s ‘Yellow Taxi,’ Blink claims that the listener doesn’t know what they have until it’s almost gone. Unfortunately, your Pappy Stephen is very much all the way gone, meaning this one doesn’t entirely apply here.

32. “Down”

It’s perfectly understandable to be feeling a bit low at this event. While this track seems perfect, it’s just going to make your father talk endlessly about how much the band ripped off Bruce Springsteen during the chorus. In fact, the Springsteen song would have been a great choice for the event, according to him. Your grandfather loved the Boss.

31. “M+M’s”

There are plenty of things you can talk about at a funeral. Still, there are topics to avoid including your inability to find new ways to masturbate and your desire to electrocute yourself in a bathtub. This song mentions both within a single verse, so skip it.

30. “Aliens Exist”

Your grandfather worked at an Air Force Base and claims to have seen UFO wreckage, and you were supposed to keep that shit a secret. There are four men you don’t recognize in the back pew, they’re all wearing sunglasses, and none of them have spoken a word this entire event. Unless you want to be formally introduced to them before never being seen again, we recommend holding off on this one.

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