I can say without any hesitancy that Samiam provided the sound track to my youth. While Jawbreaker has had a chokehold grip on the slot for 'favorite band of my entire life' Samiam has always been a close second and definitely has a few songs that on their own push far beyond. While musically I always leaned towards the sound of their first self titled album when I wasn't being mopey and emo, the tracks on Soar and Billy were each, independently, written specifically for different events in my highschool career. In fact some were written for several. I don't care if the band disagrees, listen to me, I know what I'm talking about. I probably listened to Soar more than any other album between the ages of 14 and 20, and I can still listen to it today and feel the exact same things I felt listening to it then. I can't hear the line "maybe we're just too much alike, or maybe not enough" without simultaneously thinking of every girl I ever made a mix tape for and included that song.
Samiam was also one of the bands that I was way too quick to write off the moment the signed to a major label. This band meant something to me on a very different level and I knew for sure that a major label would ruin that for me. I was young and stupid, what can I say? While I couldn't ever bring myself to stop listening to the pre-major label releases I definitely was in no rush to buy the new albums. I was convinced they would suck simply because of what corp info was printed on the jacket and couldn't stand the chance of hearing that. Well, I was a huge dumb ass. Clumsy came out on Atlantic in Summer 1994 and I didn't listen to it until sometime last year, in 2006. 12 years I waited to hear that record. Funny enough I went right back after they left the major and bought You Are Freaking Me Out the week it was released in 1997. Every time I listen to Clumsy I kick myself for missing out on it all that time. It's perfect Samiam, and the perfect follow up to Billy. So, here's one of my favorites off Clumsy, it's quintessential Samiam, and it's called "Capsized."
Samiam was also one of the bands that I was way too quick to write off the moment the signed to a major label. This band meant something to me on a very different level and I knew for sure that a major label would ruin that for me. I was young and stupid, what can I say? While I couldn't ever bring myself to stop listening to the pre-major label releases I definitely was in no rush to buy the new albums. I was convinced they would suck simply because of what corp info was printed on the jacket and couldn't stand the chance of hearing that. Well, I was a huge dumb ass. Clumsy came out on Atlantic in Summer 1994 and I didn't listen to it until sometime last year, in 2006. 12 years I waited to hear that record. Funny enough I went right back after they left the major and bought You Are Freaking Me Out the week it was released in 1997. Every time I listen to Clumsy I kick myself for missing out on it all that time. It's perfect Samiam, and the perfect follow up to Billy. So, here's one of my favorites off Clumsy, it's quintessential Samiam, and it's called "Capsized."
