SONG OF THE DAY: "The Shakes" by The Menzingers

I feel as though too many of these SotDs lately have been a bit soft. There's definitely a time and place for really introspective, boundary-pushing, ethereal music, and I do happen to listen to quite a bit of that stuff. However, there are also a lot of times when I just want to jump around the room and yell for a little while. So, let's do some of that with a tune that's got a bit more life too it.

That tune is "The Shakes," by a band from Scranton, PA called The Menzingers. This song comes off a split 7" they did with the legendary Jersey punks The Bouncing Souls following a tour they did together that I stupidly did not go see. I think the split is officially untitled, but has been referred to as the Shocking 7" because they just kind of announced it one day, and released it a few weeks later with little fanfare. The EP has a new original song from each band as well as each band covering one of the other band's songs.

Now, The Menzingers have been steadily releasing increasingly better albums over the last six years, already amassing three full-lengths, two EPs, and a few various singles and such. While their first album showed a mix of styles and varying quality of songwriting, they have honed that sound a considerable amount, creating their own urgent, emotional sound. It helps that the singers both have pretty aggressive, desperate singing styles and constantly push their voices, nearly to the point of breaking.

The band's 2012 album, On the Impossible Past, is a nearly flawless record that solidified their place as one of the best bands going today. They seamlessly bred their punk background with a more alt-rock and indie influence to create a songs that are ambitious, catchy, loud, and anxious, all within the basic framework of punk music. With a few years' perspective, I think this album will be regarded as a legendary achievement and modern classic of the genre. But, by all accounts, their soon-to-be-released fourth album rips just as hard, so maybe these guys are just getting started...

"The Shakes" is a fairly standard song for these guys nowadays, in both quality and subject matter. It seems like something they can crank out in their sleep, which is probably why it made its way to a split EP, while their more adventurous work was saved for the upcoming album. Nevertheless, that's not to say that it doesn't totally rule, either. It's a noisy, raucous, shout-along affair that never gets old. And if those opening chords and that chorus don't get you going, you might want to check for a pulse, 'cause this is what being alive sounds like!