The Dirty Heads - "Lay Me Down"

[Shadows in the Dark]

#1 on Alternative:

3 1 DIRTY HEADS Lay Me Down f/Rome 1667 1521 146 7.205

*facepalm*

[PHOBES]

I still haven't heard this song, typically I hear a song at least once before it hits number one, but whatever.

[Amnesiac]

Again, I suspect my theory that alternative formatted stations will play anything that has any connection to Sublime that goes for adds is the reason this has kept rising and is now at #1 (although, if this theory was completely true, then Long Beach Dub Allstars would've done much better chartwise).

[jvandyck87]

I think a lot of it is a timing thing. If The Long Beach Dub Allstars arrived on the scene now for the first time in lieu of The Dirty Heads, it probably would have been a near-certain #1 on alternative.

[weaver]

this is a great song...I love it...

[American Idiot]

I'm surprised "Sunny Hours" only peaked at #28 from the large amount of times I heard it on the radio back then. Then again, this area being that it's South Florida has a huge ska/punk/reggae island-sounding fanbase. WPBZ has been playing "Lay Me Down" as their number one song for the past month or so and they play artists like Sublime, Pepper, Matisyahu, 311, Less Than Jake, Reel Big Fish, Goldfinger, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and Bob Marley more than probably any other one on the format.

Of course, I can't help but think of "Sunny Hours" as affiliated with a stupid very minor car accident that I got into after school one day as a senior in high school because that was what was on the radio at the time. It's funny how you remember those little things years later.

[pen]

Music, car accidents, and you. What is the connection that drives these forces together?

[American Idiot]

May 2, 2010 23:06:12 GMT -5 pen said:

Music, car accidents, and you. What is the connection that drives these forces together?

I really wish I knew an answer to that

[jvandyck87]

Out of context I would guess Mary Jane, but I've never met either of you two in person, so I'm somewhat disadvantaged when it comes to having the inside information like you guys might have on each other.

Did I get it? Did I get it? What did I win?

[American Idiot]

May 3, 2010 15:36:56 GMT -5 jvandyck87 said:

Out of context I would guess Mary Jane, but I've never met either of you two in person, so I'm somewhat disadvantaged when it comes to having the inside information like you guys might have on each other.

Did I get it? Did I get it? What did I win?

Haha. No Mary Jane was involved. I assure you of that! I'm not sure if I even ever told pen this story anyhow because it was so minor.

I just remember on that faithful late August afternoon of 2001, I was in my car, waiting on the back of a line of cars to get out of the parking lot with "Sunny Hours" playing on WPBZ, and I notice a car on the side of me pulling slowly out of their spot right into the side of my car and not stopping. I say to myself "Holy s**t!" and back up my car to let this douchebag back out and cut my place in line. Keep in mind, I had just started driving, so I didn't have much experience with people on the road. Especially high school kids, whom like me had hardly any experience as well.

As I'm going in reverse, a girl is backing out of her spot without looking and I back into the tear end of the back left side of her car, and then she pulls back into the spot. I hit her so lightly that I didn't even notice her backing out of the spot or feel the almost hardly any impact. This guy bangs on my window and says "Dude, did you see what you just did? Holy f**k man!" I'm puzzled because I don't see anything in my rear view mirror. Then, this guy comes up to the window and yells "You hit my girlfriend's car! WTF?!?!" So, I park somewhere and apologize. There's no damage, but she asks for my insurance (I actually gave her my AAA card, but neither one of us knew any better ;)) and for the rest of that school year, she referred to me as "the kid that hit me" if she saw me in school and was talking about me.

Almost nine years later, I wonder if she'd recognize me if I saw her now and would she still label me as "the kid that hit my car in 2001?" The mystery may always go unsolved.

So there's a story from me kiddies. It's kind of nice talking about stuff other than music for once, and if it wasn't for "Sunny Hours," no one here would know this phenominal tale in my life :)

[pen]

Actually I think you did tell me this story.

[Amnesiac]

Something needs to stop this horrible song. Not only is it continuing to pick up spins and edging towards 2000 weekly spins, but now according to AllAccess this song is going for CHR adds on June 8. Oh good, now this song can be the CHR forum's problem too!

I mean, seriously guys, aside from the vague Sublime connection, i'm totally at a loss at why this below average song is doing so well.

[Mega248]

May 14, 2010 1:29:39 GMT -5 Amnesiac said:

Something needs to stop this horrible song. Not only is it continuing to pick up spins and edging towards 2000 weekly spins

Not only that, but the nearest contender is 800 spins away (unless of course "Uprising" keeps the gains up and reclaims #1). That has to be some sort of record.

[weaver]

Not sure I get the intense dislike, by some, of this song? What on alternative radio is so much "better"?

[Shadows in the Dark]

Top 40 on Active:

45 40 DIRTY HEADS Lay Me Down f/Rome 150 140 10 0.504

[weaver]

It would not be that surprised to see this become a pop hit. It's a catchy song. I can imagine it on pop radio in the summertime...

[Shadows in the Dark]

This song's bullet is in the triple digits again.

Then again, practically every song on Alternative has a bullet.

[Nicholas2.0]

That's the rebound from Memorial Day weekend.

[Nicholas2.0]

So six months later, an undeserved 11 weeks at #1, and no thanks to my Alternative station who all but ignored it completely, I really like this song now.

The video turned out well, I think. It's so bizarre, that despite Rome from Sublime, and a #1 song, these guys are still basically anonymous nobodies whose label doesn't seem to be trying to capitalize on this song's success at all.

The main reason I'm bumping this is because I wanted to know if anybody else thought the video's male protagonist looks an awful lot like the Dude from The Big Lebowski, if he were 15 years younger.

[singingsparrow]

I personally don't understand the considerable dislike here toward this release.

"Lay Me Down" is a breezy, halcyon little sing-along that fits this format in that it has a sound with a resemblance to more understated Sublime, Jack Johnson's "Hope" and a little Michael Franti and Spearhead, while also accessible and melodic enough to crossover.

It's easy to see how this had chart-topping potential to begin with, and it deserved its run on top in my opinion.

Namaste,
Lisping Hibiscus

[Minor Scratch]

I agree that this song is awesome and should have had a bigger mainstream impact than just a #1 on Alternative radio. With how crazy electropop has become this year on hit radio, rare laid back summer tracks like this just get lost in the shuffle.

[singingsparrow]

Aug 22, 2010 23:03:14 GMT -5 Minor Scratch said:

I agree that this song is awesome and should have had a bigger mainstream impact than just a #1 on Alternative radio. With how crazy electropop has become this year on hit radio, rare laid back summer tracks like this just get lost in the shuffle.

It is making an impression nonetheless.

I consider a Top Thirty charting on the Adult Top 40 notable. Especially since Sublime hardly made waves initially on that format but has gone on to be immortalized as a brand in gold airplay with "What I've Got" and "Santeria".

Namaste,
Lisping Hibiscus

[American Idiot]

Since I've heard "Check The Level" and then decided to listen to their new one "Stand Tall," I checked out the limited version of their album. I'm not sure if I was expecting much, but I actually really like it a lot. It's filled with possible upcoming singles and has a nice blend of reggae, rap, and acoustic rock. I'd say it's like Bob Marley meets Jack Johnson meets Eminem. Hell, it even has a cover of "Viva La Vida," which is kind of interesting.

[crash46]

Aug 22, 2010 21:27:59 GMT -5 Nicholas2.0 said:

The video turned out well, I think. It's so bizarre, that despite Rome from Sublime, and a #1 song, these guys are still basically anonymous nobodies whose label doesn't seem to be trying to capitalize on this song's success at all.

I haven't thought of it from this perspective, actually. I've thought of it as having the video with a relatively low number of views on YouTube, the band having a low amount of plays on last.fm, the overall lack of discussion about the song on this board, yet eleven weeks at #1 on Alternative--looks like the label's just trying to play us for airplay bragging rights, and that makes the song another (perfect) example of the problems this format has.

It didn't help that I hadn't heard this until after it had spent a few weeks at #1 (with several more weeks inevitable), which left me judging whether or not it was deserving, rather than whether or not I liked it. I do like it more than most here, actually, now that I've finally read this topic. I would have been fine with it stopping at two or three weeks at the top.

I also find it puzzling how this song turned out to be Rome Ramirez' introduction to the mainstream, rather than something actually by Sublime Sublime With Rome. That could have something to do with the low profile on The Dirty Heads.

[Nicholas2.0]

Aug 23, 2010 17:38:52 GMT -5 crash46 said:

It didn't help that I hadn't heard this until after it had spent a few weeks at #1 (with several more weeks inevitable), which left me judging whether or not it was deserving, rather than whether or not I liked it. I do like it more than most here, actually, now that I've finally read this topic. I would have been fine with it stopping at two or three weeks at the top.

You touched on something my brain has been trying to articulate for the past week or two: Songs whose free passes up the chart I resent. (This applies to the Pop chart, too.) I'm realizing I resent a song's quick rise, not necessarily because the song sucks. But it might seem undeserving because I'm underwhelmed initially and/or I haven't heard it enough yet to decide whether or not I even like the song before it actually peaks. And with as closely as I pay attention to new music, that kind of thing doesn't sit well with me at all.

Aug 23, 2010 17:38:52 GMT -5 crash46 said:

I also find it puzzling how this song turned out to be Rome Ramirez' introduction to the mainstream, rather than something actually by Sublime Sublime With Rome.

Yeah, that is very peculiar isn't it? That's something else I hadn't consciously thought of.

[weaver]

Aug 23, 2010 17:38:52 GMT -5 crash46 said:

Aug 22, 2010 21:27:59 GMT -5 Nicholas2.0 said:

The video turned out well, I think. It's so bizarre, that despite Rome from Sublime, and a #1 song, these guys are still basically anonymous nobodies whose label doesn't seem to be trying to capitalize on this song's success at all.

I haven't thought of it from this perspective, actually. I've thought of it as having the video with a relatively low number of views on YouTube, the band having a low amount of plays on last.fm, the overall lack of discussion about the song on this board, yet eleven weeks at #1 on Alternative--looks like the label's just trying to play us for airplay bragging rights, and that makes the song another (perfect) example of the problems this format has.

It didn't help that I hadn't heard this until after it had spent a few weeks at #1 (with several more weeks inevitable), which left me judging whether or not it was deserving, rather than whether or not I liked it. I do like it more than most here, actually, now that I've finally read this topic. I would have been fine with it stopping at two or three weeks at the top.

I also find it puzzling how this song turned out to be Rome Ramirez' introduction to the mainstream, rather than something actually by Sublime Sublime With Rome. That could have something to do with the low profile on The Dirty Heads.

But has this new version of Sublime actually released any new material, or are they simply a touring act? If it's the latter, I can see why his guest spot on Lay Me Down is sort of his intro/first big push.

[pen]

Aug 25, 2010 23:39:32 GMT -5 weaver said:

Aug 23, 2010 17:38:52 GMT -5 crash46 said:

I haven't thought of it from this perspective, actually. I've thought of it as having the video with a relatively low number of views on YouTube, the band having a low amount of plays on last.fm, the overall lack of discussion about the song on this board, yet eleven weeks at #1 on Alternative--looks like the label's just trying to play us for airplay bragging rights, and that makes the song another (perfect) example of the problems this format has.

It didn't help that I hadn't heard this until after it had spent a few weeks at #1 (with several more weeks inevitable), which left me judging whether or not it was deserving, rather than whether or not I liked it. I do like it more than most here, actually, now that I've finally read this topic. I would have been fine with it stopping at two or three weeks at the top.

I also find it puzzling how this song turned out to be Rome Ramirez' introduction to the mainstream, rather than something actually by Sublime Sublime With Rome. That could have something to do with the low profile on The Dirty Heads.

But has this new version of Sublime actually released any new material, or are they simply a touring act? If it's the latter, I can see why his guest spot on Lay Me Down is sort of his intro/first big push.

Right now they're a touring act, but they'll be releasing material in the future for sure according to them.

[American Idiot]

They're supposed to go into the studio in October and are hoping to have an album out sometime probably late next year.

[The Party Captain]

May 2, 2010 22:54:15 GMT -5 American Idiot said:

I'm surprised "Sunny Hours" only peaked at #28 from the large amount of times I heard it on the radio back then. Then again, this area being that it's South Florida has a huge ska/punk/reggae island-sounding fanbase. WPBZ has been playing "Lay Me Down" as their number one song for the past month or so and they play artists like Sublime, Pepper, Matisyahu, 311, Less Than Jake, Reel Big Fish, Goldfinger, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and Bob Marley more than probably any other one on the format.

Of course, I can't help but think of "Sunny Hours" as affiliated with a stupid very minor car accident that I got into after school one day as a senior in high school because that was what was on the radio at the time. It's funny how you remember those little things years later.

Every time I hear "Jumper" by Third Eye Blind, I think of the car wreck I got in. I got way too into the guitar bridge and ran a red light.

[American Idiot]

Aug 27, 2010 22:29:32 GMT -5 The Party Captain said:

May 2, 2010 22:54:15 GMT -5 American Idiot said:

I'm surprised "Sunny Hours" only peaked at #28 from the large amount of times I heard it on the radio back then. Then again, this area being that it's South Florida has a huge ska/punk/reggae island-sounding fanbase. WPBZ has been playing "Lay Me Down" as their number one song for the past month or so and they play artists like Sublime, Pepper, Matisyahu, 311, Less Than Jake, Reel Big Fish, Goldfinger, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and Bob Marley more than probably any other one on the format.

Of course, I can't help but think of "Sunny Hours" as affiliated with a stupid very minor car accident that I got into after school one day as a senior in high school because that was what was on the radio at the time. It's funny how you remember those little things years later.

Every time I hear "Jumper" by Third Eye Blind, I think of the car wreck I got in. I got way too into the guitar bridge and ran a red light.

Oof. I hope that wasn't as bad as I'm imagining in my head right now :o