Album Review: Four Year Strong "Explains It All"

I thought the combination of a band I merely liked and a cover album would be disastrous, but when I heard Four Year Strong’s Explains It All I was happily surprised! When my eyes rolled through the track list I smirked a little remembering all of the songs from growing up in the 90’s and spotting a couple from some of my favorite bands (No Doubt and Third Eye Blind). Maybe they are just following in the foot steps of another band almost in the same genre as them who like to cover 90’s hits that you would not associate them with (cough cough, New Found Glory).

Somehow, somewhere God (or whoever or whatever you believe in) shined upon this album and made it work. I would even say better than “work”. My personal opinion on Four Year Strong is that all of their songs sound the same. I like and can sing along with a couple of them but there are only so many variations of “Bada Bing! With A Pipe” my ears can withstand before my A.D.D. kicks in and I change to another artist. I wish you readers could have seen my face as I listened to the album. Seriously, my mouth was ajar the whole time. I was so taken aback that a band managed to stay true to the original songs but also make them their own. Often times, covers fall short of the original because you can not top the artist’s first intentions; obviously there was something that worked the first time around.

You have to chuckle to yourself a little bit when you see Alanis Morissette’s “Ironic”. I love that Four Year Strong had the balls to only change the song’s original lyrics a tad from “It’s meeting the man of my dreams and then meeting his beautiful wife” replacing “my” to “your”.

As hard as I am to please when some band is covering a Third Eye Blind song (BEDlight For Blue Eyes’s cover of “Jumper” on Punk Rock Goes 90’s is a perfect example of how horrible a TEB cover can be) Four Year Strong made the song explosive. They seem to have left out a verse, I’m sure it was intentionally, but as I was singing along I had to go back and listen to original to make sure I wasn’t going crazier than I already am.

I was blown away to find Travis McCoy from Gym Class Heroes featured on the song “Fly”. That definitely won brownie points in my book. Though McCoy’s “talking” throughout the song does not really do much.

I highly recommend you giving this cover Album a try. It is nice to see bands not taking themselves to seriously anymore. I think if you were a fan before Explains It All you’ll appreciate the humor more. Yeah, it’s kind of a joke, but we’re all here laughing right along with Four Year Strong.

Album Reivew!: Rancid's Let The Dominoes Fall

Hey Guys! Sorry for the lack of updates! My internet has been down for the past two or three weeks. I am currently updating from Panera Bread right now. I love wireless hot spots! Get in touch with me.


There are few bands that upon hearing the announcement of a new album I get giddy like a school girl: whether it is due to their dashing good looks or simply because they are a fucking awesome band. Betting on the latter (though Armstrong might be right up your alley), when Rancid dropped Let The Dominoes Fall my excitement was at a high. Six years after their last album, and with the gain of new drummer Braden Steineckert (who was formerly in the band

The Used) I have to say Rancid still has it.

Let The Daminoes Fall is a 19 track album. In true punk fashion most of the songs are under three minutes long (with the exception of the longest song being 4:11). The record starts off with

“East Bay Nights”. This song is nothing short of an anthem and is very catchy with out being too main stream. Lead singer and solo artist Tim Armstrong sings/snarls a picture in your head of the bay area from which the band is from.

“Up To No Good” has an insanely additive ska grove to it. The first time I listened to it I could not stop myself from nodding my head to the beat. The walking bass lines add a nice layer to the song without being over barring. Again, Rancid manage a chorus that will be stuck in your head for days.

My least favorite track on the album happens to be “I Ain’t Worried”. I dislike this song mainly because Armstrong sound like he has a mouth full of marbles while he is singing, though I am not claiming that any of the other times he sounds like Whitney Huston, his voice is just a little to mumble-y for my taste on this song. There are just too many things going on that become distracting.

The song the albums title was derived from is “Dominoes Fall”. This is a perfect example of why Rancid continues to be an amazing band. All of the parts of the song fit together perfectly. The only thing I wish they would have left out is the “Nah Nah” singing, eh you will understand once you listen to it.

Since I am a sucker for amazing bass playing “You Want It, You Got It” became my overall favorite. The opening reeled me in and stuck out the next couple of times I listened to the record. It is short and sweet and to the point.

“The High Way” rounds out the album by slowing things down for Rancid’s normal pace. Again Armstrong’s voice is not the first that comes to mind to be heard over an acoustic guitar, but it surprisingly works. The position of this song breaks it for me; I think it is too slow to end the album on.

With Let The Dominoes Fall Rancid shows us that they have not lost their touch. I do not this is their best work, but it defiantly stands its own in their discography. The record fills the six year void they left after Indestructible and hopefully will keep fans tied over until their next release. Hardcore fans of the band should look into buying the special edition version of the album that includes a DVD and acoustic CD as well as the full length and other goodies. I can safely say Let The Dominoes Fall will not disappoint.

Happy Half Birthday To Me!!!!

Wow! It's been 6 months of me reveiwing! How the time flies. I've decided to celebrate this occasion by writing an editorial-ish thing. I hope you like and maybe get some insight. I can't wait to plan things out for my one year!


I have been asked many times “Why don’t you want to play music?”
I shrug my shoulders. I have never had that itching feeling to go start a band of my own or to play music. I love music in a different way than most people who claim to love music. It’s so cliché’ to say “oh music is my life” but to me it is only the truth. When I am sad or upset, I can get my angst out through listening to song. Adrenaline rushes through my veins when that fist pumping sound comes on through my speakers. It is comforting to hear someone else sing a song that I can relate to. I love the feeling of being in crowd singing along. Looking up from the floor can be just as rewarding as being on the stage.