BLEED NO MORE
Written June 18, 2004

Why the fuck do I keep writing anti-war, anti-Bush songs? Why the fuck aren't the American troops home with their families? This one is a flat out, pump-your-fist and fight punk song. I even envisioned it with the harmonized "ohhh-ohhh"s in the chorus. I so want to record this bad boy.

There's a firestorm lighting up the sky tonight
Where there used to be the Milky Way
Now the heavens above are nowhere in sight
Man, I sure do miss their company

But we paid for these bombs, and the chance may never come again
But, really, what's there to defend? So I...

(Chorus:)
Wonder what is the point in war?
What the fuck are we fighting for?
I only hope all this pain will wash away
And we will bleed no more

Well, I wrote enough letters to the government
To know that nobody's listening to what I say
And freedom of expression kind of came and went
When I'd thought that we'd come such a long way

So if we pay with our lives, is this a reasonable cost for revenge?
How many pints of blood to spend 'til you...

Repeat chorus

There's a sun on the horizon
There's a son in a bodybag
Pack up the tanks, fill up the banks and then
Wait 'til it's time to save the world again...

Repeat chorus


ALRIGHT, ALREADY
Written June 19, 2004

An homage to the bands that will never die, and a warning to all the bands that desperately want to sound like Alexisonfire. Naturally, the chorus was written to have blood-curdling screaming serving as vocals.

Upon writing this one, I came upon a realization that I have officially reached my peak, and started fading out of "hip" territory. Lots of kids love screamo, but I think of most of it as noise. Alas, when my kids become teens, they will likely stare at me blankly, dumbfounded as to why I can't stand this fantastic new music they're into.

Welcome to the funeral of what was rock and roll
Gather 'round the grave, kick some dirt into the hole
We've come here to entomb, and we've come here to let go
We've come to bring eternal rest to Buddy Holly's soul

We gave birth to a kicking, screaming monster
And now it's swallowed us whole

(Chorus:)
Alright, already, I'm ready, I'm ready
Put me into the ground, keep it slow, keep it steady
Eulogize another trend we'll soon be forgetting
When the screaming stops, a whisper's all you're getting

Welcome to the dawn of another dying fad
If you think this shit is cool, just go ask your mom and dad
They can tell you 'bout The Who, Led Zeppelin and The Clash
And if you never even knew, let me tell you that they kicked ass

One day you'll give your children your CD's
And they'll throw them in the trash

Repeat chorus

One day these records will be measured
Against the classics as a string of guilty pleasures
I'm trying to keep relevant, but I can't keep my mouth shut
Who am I kidding? I'm just a trendy pop slut...

Viva La Vinyl!

Before you say yard sales are for welfare recipients and junk hoarders, consider this; over the past week, I have picked up the following VINYL albums at yard sales...

RUSH - Archives (basically, Rush's first three albums)
RUSH - Exit... Stage Left (double live album)
FLEETWOOD MAC - Rumours
THE POLICE - Ghost In the Machine
THE POLICE - Synchronicity
QUEEN - The Game
QUEEN - News Of The World
MEAT LOAF - Bat Out Of Hell
PETER FRAMPTON - Frampton Comes Alive!
NAZARETH - Greatest Hits
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - The River (double album)
JOHN LENNON & YOKO ONO - Double Fantasy
SUPERTRAMP - Breakfast In America
KISS - Love Gun
TROOPER - Hot Shots
BLONDIE - Parallel Lines
OZZY OSBOURNE - Diary Of A Madman
GARY NUMAN - The Pleasure Principle (yes, the one with "Cars")
JOHN COUGAR - American Fool
ROLLING STONES - Greatest Hits Vol. I (a TV-advertised best of, featuring lots of the big ones)

Grand total? $4.20. Not too shabby, huh?

Also picked up a case of 30 cassettes, including some good ol' cock rock (Skid Row, Def Leppard, Motley Crue, Poison, The Cult, Alice Cooper, Ratt, Ugly Kid Joe, Extreme, G n'R), early grunge (TWO Pixies tapes, Odds, Bootsauce, Rollins Band, Screaming Trees and Pearl Jam's "Ten"... if I get it on vinyl I'll have it in all three major formats...), a few true classics (Beatles' "Abbey Road" for one), as well as a few so bad they must be owned (Technotronic, Digital Underground, Naughty By Nature) and a few for Carrie (NKOTB, Radikal Techno, and "Rap It Up", a K-Tel style mix featuring Maestro Fresh-Wes, MC Hammer and Sir Mix-a-lot among others).

Grand total? $3.00.

So, the music collections a group of random people likely invested hundreds of dollars into, I raped and pillaged for about seven bucks. Now... wanna go yard saling next Saturday?

ADDENDUM: So, after listening to one of my Rush albums, I'm pleasantly surprised to find an ORIGINAL KISS "Rock And Roll Over" sticker, unpeeled! Jesus Crow, I wonder what THIS'll fetch on eBay?

WILLIE'S TOP 40
For the week ending June 25, 2004

LW TW ARTIST: TITLE
-- -- --------------------------------
02 01 VELVET REVOLVER: Slither
01 02 CLUTCH: The Mob Goes Wild
05 03 INCUBUS: Talk Shows On Mute
03 04 POWDERFINGER: On My Mind
06 05 THORNLEY: So Far So Good
08 06 BAD RELIGION: Los Angeles Is Burning
04 07 THE OFFSPRING: (Can't Get My) Head Around You
10 08 BEASTIE BOYS: Ch-Check It Out
07 09 HOOBASTANK: The Reason
13 10 SEETHER: Broken
11 11 AMEN: California's Bleeding
14 12 AUF DER MAUR: Followed The Waves
17 13 BILLY TALENT: River Below
09 14 JAY-Z: 99 Problems
16 15 THE DARKNESS: Growing On Me
12 16 JET: Cold Hard Bitch
21 17 MATTHEW GOOD: Alert Status Red
18 18 LENNY KRAVITZ: Where Are We Runnin'?
15 19 A PERFECT CIRCLE: The Outsider
24 20 STERIOGRAM: Walkie Talkie Man
23 21 NEW FOUND GLORY: All Downhill From Here
22 22 LOCAL H: California Songs
19 23 LOSTPROPHETS: Last Train Home
29 24 THE TRAGICALLY HIP: Summer's Killing Us
20 25 THE TREWS: Not Ready To Go
27 26 DIVISION OF LAURA LEE: Does Compute
30 27 SLIPKNOT: Duality
28 28 SECRET MACHINES: Sad And Lonely
25 29 BRAND NEW: Sic Transit Gloria... Glory Fades
33 30 FINGER ELEVEN: Stay In Shadow
32 31 FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE: Hey Julie
26 32 THE MARS VOLTA: Televators
36 33 VAN HALEN: It's About Time
35 34 LACUNA COIL: Swamped
39 35 BUTCH WALKER: Mixtape
38 36 MONSTER MAGNET: Unbroken (Hotel Baby)
NE 37 THE HIVES: Walk Idiot Walk
NE 38 WAKING EYES: Watch Your Money
31 39 THE VINES: Ride
NE 40 HATEBREED: Live For This

HATE IS BACK IN STYLE
Written June 22, 2004

For George, and the thousands he's sent to death's door.

This one's going out to the deceased
Who faded without glory
While the burning effigies of peace
Cast shadows on the true life story

If your brother dies for freedom
How does he get out of purgatory?

This one's going to hurt like a bitch
When the shock and awe are over
Caravans of carcasses line the ditch
As the general plays red rover

It's a bad day for pacifists
But it's a great day for voters

(Chorus:)
Did I just see you smile, my friend?
As the podium sports a brand new crack
It looks like hate's in style again, but then
You're the one who brought it back
How to explain the toll you've taken
Daddy's bringing home the bacon by the coffinload

This one's going out to the families
Shrinking with each rebuilding
We'll never cover up the damage
Or mask the scent of the killing

It's a bad day for optimists
Your glass has just stopped filling

Repeat chorus

The cries of the dead will never be stifled
Even by the bombast of twenty-one rifles...

ALL THAT REMAINS
Written June 17, 2004

A song birthed from a frustrated place, about life, and how it just never stops.

I want to hurt a little while
Just to help me feel normal again
This life is pain, they're saying
And I am living it to the fullest

So would you help me with this rope
Maybe give a little tug when it's nice and snug
And then, just before I fade
You can reel me in and cut me down

And if happiness is a drug
Then I'm clean, I'm clean
And you're lying when you shrug
'Cause you know what I mean...

You're always there to keep me safe
Whenever peril rains down on my head
But those clouds are nearly black now
And I have never felt more dangerous

If I had to sum up in a song
What I feel, the whole deal
This is it, this is all that remains
So sing along before I'm gone

(Chorus:)
Pull me out of the wreckage
But push me away before I heal
Keep me alive, but I'm barely here
I'm barely here

We can't dwell on the last time
There's always a next time lurking...

Willie's Top 40
For the week ending June 18, 2004

LW TW Artist - Title
---------------------------------
02 01 CLUTCH - The Mob Goes Wild
04 02 VELVET REVOLVER - Slither
01 03 POWDERFINGER - On My Mind
03 04 THE OFFSPRING - (Can't Get My) Head Around You
08 05 INCUBUS - Talk Shows On Mute
07 06 THORNLEY - So Far So Good
05 07 HOOBASTANK - The Reason
09 08 BAD RELIGION - Los Angeles Is Burning
06 09 JAY-Z - 99 Problems
13 10 BEASTIE BOYS - Ch-Check It Out
12 11 AMEN - California's Bleeding
10 12 JET - Cold Hard Bitch
15 13 SEETHER - Broken
16 14 MELISSA AUF DER MAUR - Followed The Waves
11 15 A PERFECT CIRCLE - The Outsider
18 16 THE DARKNESS - Growing On Me
21 17 BILLY TALENT - River Below
19 18 LENNY KRAVITZ - Where Are We Runnin'?
17 19 LOSTPROPHETS - Last Train Home
14 20 THE TREWS - Not Ready To Go
24 21 MATTHEW GOOD - Alert Status Red
23 22 LOCAL H - California Songs
25 23 NEW FOUND GLORY - All Downhill From Here
28 24 STERIOGRAM - Walkie Talkie Man
20 25 BRAND NEW - Sic Transit Gloria... Glory Fades
22 26 THE MARS VOLTA - Televators
29 27 DIVISION OF LAURA LEE - Does Compute
32 28 SECRET MACHINES - Sad And Lonely
33 29 THE TRAGICALLY HIP - Summer's Killing Us
31 30 SLIPKNOT - Duality
27 31 THE VINES - Ride
34 32 FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE - Hey Julie
36 33 FINGER ELEVEN - Stay In Shadow
30 34 BLACK LABEL SOCIETY - House Of Doom
38 35 LACUNA COIL - Swamped
NE 36 VAN HALEN - It's About Time
26 37 THE TRAGICALLY HIP - Vaccination Scar
39 38 MONSTER MAGNET - Unbroken (Hotel Baby)
NE 39 BUTCH WALKER - Mixtape
35 40 AUDIOSLAVE - What You Are

Pet Peeve of the Week

People who create elaborate riddles and cryptic messages, when a simple call or e-mail would have "tended to the matter" a lot sooner. I knew it was you from the first post, but didn't have the evidence until now.

If you're expecting to be rewarded handsomely for this, riddler, I think you'll be disappointed. I'm not the well-off, care-free Willie I once was. In dragging this matter out in the fashion you did, you've accomplished little. But, I have started to think about it more. And all I can say is that, once I've taken care of my matter, you shouldn't forget about your implied promise.

To put it simply, I like to get my money's worth. If I've "neglected my matter", it's not as much to do with neglect as it is to do with the fact that I'm feeling a little ripped off.

You've got rights, but so do I. I'm willing to reach an agreement here, but not at the expense of my life itself. That said, I hope you're not disappointed by the end result of your little game.

Again, a simple call or e-mail would have sufficed. I'll assume you still know how to reach me, just that you don't want to.

Willie's Top 40 for the week ending June 11, 2004

LW TW Artist - Title
------------------------------------
01 01 POWDERFINGER - On My Mind
03 02 CLUTCH - The Mob Goes Wild
04 03 THE OFFSPRING - (Can't Get My) Head Around You
06 04 VELVET REVOLVER - Slither
02 05 HOOBASTANK - The Reason
08 06 JAY-Z - 99 Problems
09 07 THORNLEY - So Far So Good
10 08 INCUBUS - Talk Shows On Mute
12 09 BAD RELIGION - Los Angeles Is Burning
05 10 JET - Cold Hard Bitch
07 11 A PERFECT CIRCLE - The Outsider
14 12 AMEN - California's Bleeding
15 13 BEASTIE BOYS - Ch-Check It Out
11 14 THE TREWS - Not Ready To Go
18 15 SEETHER - Broken
19 16 AUF DER MAUR - Followed The Waves
13 17 LOSTPROPHETS - Last Train Home
22 18 THE DARKNESS - Growing On Me
21 19 LENNY KRAVITZ - Where Are We Runnin'?
17 20 BRAND NEW - Sic Transit Gloria... Glory Fades
25 21 BILLY TALENT - River Below
16 22 THE MARS VOLTA - Televators
24 23 LOCAL H - California Songs
27 24 MATTHEW GOOD - Alert Status Red
29 25 NEW FOUND GLORY - All DOwnhill From Here
20 26 THE TRAGICALLY HIP - Vaccination Scar
23 27 THE VINES - Ride
32 28 STERIOGRAM - Walkie Talkie Man
30 29 DIVISION OF LAURA LEE - Does Compute
26 30 BLACK LABEL SOCIETY - House Of Doom
34 31 SLIPKNOT - Duality
36 32 SECRET MACHINES - Sad And Lonely
35 33 THE TRAGICALLY HIP - Summer's Killing Us
37 34 FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE - Hey Julie
28 35 AUDIOSLAVE - What You Are
38 36 FINGER ELEVEN - Stay In Shadow
33 37 THE DISTILLERS - Beat Your Heart Out
40 38 LACUNA COIL - Swamped
NE 39 MONSTER MAGNET - Unbroken (Hotel Baby)
31 40 ALEXISONFIRE - Waterwings

...and if you want to experience something that will never grace this top 40, head to genesimmons.com and check out his horrendous rendition of The Prodigy's "Firestarter". WARNING: After have to be seeing and watching video, you are to becoming stupider.

Willie's Top 40
For the week ending June 4, 2004

LW TW Artist - Title
---------------------------
02 01 POWDERFINGER - On My Mind
01 02 HOOBASTANK - The Reason
05 03 CLUTCH - The Mob Goes Wild
06 04 THE OFFSPRING - (Can't Get My) Head Around You
04 05 JET - Cold Hard Bitch
08 06 VELVET REVOLVER - Slither
03 07 A PERFECT CIRCLE - The Outsider
10 08 JAY-Z - 99 Problems
11 09 THORNLEY - So Far So Good
14 10 INCUBUS - Talk Shows On Mute
07 11 THE TREWS - Not Ready To Go
17 12 BAD RELIGION - Los Angeles Is Burning
09 13 LOSTPROPHETS - Last Train Home
16 14 AMEN - California's Bleeding
18 15 BEASTIE BOYS - Ch-Check It Out
13 16 THE MARS VOLTA - Televators
15 17 BRAND NEW - Sic Transit Gloria... Glory Fades
20 18 SEETHER - Broken
23 19 AUF DER MAUR - Followed The Waves
12 20 THE TRAGICALLY HIP - Vaccination Scar
22 21 LENNY KRAVITZ - Where Are We Runnin'?
26 22 THE DARKNESS - Growing On Me
19 23 THE VINES - Ride
27 24 LOCAL H - California Songs
30 25 BILLY TALENT - River Below
25 26 BLACK LABEL SOCIETY - House Of Doom
31 27 MATTHEW GOOD - Alert Status Red
21 28 AUDIOSLAVE - What You Are
34 29 NEW FOUND GLORY - All Downhill From Here
32 30 DIVISION OF LAURA LEE - Does Compute
24 31 ALEXISONFIRE - Waterwings
36 32 STERIOGRAM - Walkie Talkie Man
28 33 THE DISTILLERS - Beat Your Heart Out
35 34 SLIPKNOT - Duality
NE 35 THE TRAGICALLY HIP - Summer's Killing Us
40 36 SECRET MACHINES - Sad And Lonely
38 37 FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE - Hey Julie
NE 38 FINGER ELEVEN - Stay In Shadow
29 39 SWITCHFOOT - Dare You To Move
NE 40 LACUNA COIL - Swamped

That is all.