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WE DIVE AT FIVE
SONG REVIEWED: "Another Lousy Day"
IF THERE'S ONE THING THAT GREG AND ANDREW STOCKLAN KNOW HOW TO DO, IT'S PROMOTE THEIR BANDS. THE FIRST TIME I MET THE STOCKLAN BROTHERS, THEY WERE GIGGING AROUND BOSTON WITH BLESSED EVENT, WHOSE STICKERS YOU COULDN'T WALK TWO FEET IN ANY DIRECTION WITHOUT SEEING PLASTERED ALL OVER STREET SIGNS, BATHROOM STALLS, AND TOLL BOOTHS. THEY ALSO USED TO SHOW UP AT WAAF IN WORCESTER, MA TO OPIE AND ANTHONY'S RADIO SHOW WITH A MOTLEY CREW OF STRIPPERS, MIDGETS (AND I THINK THEY BROUGHT A GOAT ONCE, BUT I CAN'T CONFIRM THAT)... MUCH TO THEIR CREDIT, THE STOCKLAN BROTHERS HAVE AN AMAZING WORK ETHIC WHEN IT COMES TO ATTRACTING ATTENTION TO THEMSELVES. THEY'VE ALSO FIRMLY ENTRENCHED THEMSELVES IN THE ROCK MUSICIAN/PORN STAR CROWD WITH THEIR CLOSE TIES TO THE X-RATED FILM INDUSTRY (ONE LOOK AT THE INSERT IN THEIR BOOKLET, AND YOU'LL SEE WHAT I MEAN.
YOU MIGHT BE ASKING YOURSELF WHY YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THESE GUYS IN A MORE NATIONAL CAPACITY IF THEY'RE SHAMELESS-SELF-PROMOTION SKILLS ARE SO STELLAR... WELL, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION, CHESTER. THE FACT IS THAT FOR ALL THE WORK THEY PUT INTO MAKING THEMSELVES KNOWN, THEIR SONGWRITING IS STILL UNDERDEVELOPED. THEY NEED TO SPEND A FEW YEARS WRITING SOME HOOKY SONGS TO GO ALONG WITH ALL OF THE PUBLICITY THEY CREATE FOR THEMSELVES.
"ANOTHER LOUSY DAY", THE LEAD OFF TRACK TO WE DIVE AT FIVE (AFTER 46 SECONDS OF A CHICK HAVING AN ORGASM INTO A PHONE, THAT IS) IS ONE OF THE STRONGEST ON THE DISC. IT BEGINS WITH A BOUNCING GUITAR RIFF THAT COULD EASILY FIT INTO A NEW GODSMACK SONG (ANOTHER BOSTON BAND, INCIDENTALLY... A PARALLEL THE STOCKLAN GUYS COULD DO WITHOUT IF THEY WANT TO DISTINGUISH THEMSELVES AS THEIR OWN ENTITY)...ALSO, AND I HATE TO SAY IT, GREG'S VOICE IS RIGHT ON PAR WITH GODSMACK'S SULLY ERNA... HE IS SINGING A LOT BETTER THAN HE WAS IN BLESSED EVENT, I'LL GIVE HIM THAT MUCH.
THE SONG DOES HAVE SOME PUNCH, BUT IT NEEDS MORE OF A HOOK IF THEY WANT ANYONE TO TAKE NOTICE. LYRICALLY, IT'S NOT BLOWING MY HAIR BACK...BUT THE SONG DOES TELL A STORY (ALBEIT A DISMAL ONE, BUT A STORY NONETHELESS), AND THAT'S A BIG PART OF WRITING A DECENT SONG...
AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, IF THESE GUYS PUT AS MUCH ENERGY INTO SONGWRITING AS THEY DO MAKING A NAME FOR THEMSELVES, SLAPPING STICKERS EVERYWHERE, AND GETTING HOOKED UP WITH PORN STARS, THEY'D BE TOMORROW'S MEGA-STARS..IT'S THAT SIMPLE.
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