Siren Song of the Counter Culture facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Siren Song of the Counter Culture
Studio album by Rise Against
Released	August 10, 2004 (2004-08-10)
Studio	Plumper Mountain Sound (Gibsons, British Columbia) The Warehouse Studio (Vancouver, British Columbia)
Genre	Hardcore punk melodic hardcore
Length	40:54
Label	Geffen
Producer	Garth Richardson
Rise Against chronology
Revolutions per Minute (2003) Siren Song of the Counter Culture (2004) The Sufferer & the Witness (2006)
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Siren Song of the Counter Culture is the third studio album by the American punk rock band Rise Against. It came out on August 10, 2004. This album was special because it was Rise Against's first one released by a major record label. They had signed with DreamWorks Records in September 2003.

The band recorded the album with producer Garth Richardson in two different studios in British Columbia, Canada. During the recording, some unexpected things happened. DreamWorks Records was taken over by another company, Geffen Records. The band also got a new guitarist, and lead singer Tim McIlrath's child was born.

The music on Siren Song of the Counter Culture is mostly hardcore punk and melodic hardcore. It has twelve songs. The lyrics talk about different things, from social issues to personal feelings. To help people discover the album, Rise Against went on many tours. They played shows in North America, Europe, Australia, and Japan.

At first, the album did not sell very well. But because the band toured so much, more and more people started buying it. Siren Song of the Counter Culture became their first album to appear on the Billboard 200 music chart. It reached number 136. Later, it was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. This means it sold over 500,000 copies!

The album generally received good reviews. People liked the lyrics, but some thought the songs were not always easy to remember. Three songs from the album were released as singles: "Give It All", "Swing Life Away", and "Life Less Frightening". All three songs appeared on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. "Give It All" and "Swing Life Away" especially helped Rise Against become more popular.

How the Album Was Made

After their album Revolutions per Minute came out in 2003, many big record labels became interested in Rise Against. One of these was DreamWorks Records. At the time, Rise Against was with a smaller, independent label called Fat Wreck Chords.

Many musicians on independent labels believed that major labels would make bands change their music to earn more money. Rise Against felt this way too. But they learned that DreamWorks was different. DreamWorks seemed to support the band's songs, which often talked about social and political topics.

Lead singer Tim McIlrath said that DreamWorks believed in what they did. This made the band realize that signing with them could be a good idea. So, in September 2003, Rise Against signed with DreamWorks. They were given full freedom to create Siren Song of the Counter Culture exactly how they wanted.

Recording the Songs

The band members went into making the album thinking that DreamWorks might drop them at any time. So, they wanted to work with their "dream producer." They chose Garth Richardson. He was known for working with bands that had a heavier sound, like Rage Against the Machine.

The band recorded Siren Song of the Counter Culture in two studios. One was Plumper Mountain Sound in Gibsons, British Columbia. The other was The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, British Columbia. Richardson wanted to record the guitar and bass parts very carefully. He made sure each small section of music was perfect. This meant that recording each song took almost twelve hours.

A Canadian politician named Nicholas Simons played the cello on four of the songs. He met the band in Gibsons and said he did not know who they were at the time.

Challenges During Recording

Making Siren Song of the Counter Culture had some challenges. In November 2003, DreamWorks Records was bought by a much larger company, Universal Music Group. DreamWorks then became part of Geffen Records. This change meant that Rise Against did not have a specific person at the label helping them. Geffen executives did not pay much attention to the band at first.

Also, their guitarist Todd Mohney left the band while they were writing songs. He was replaced by Chris Chasse from the band Reach the Sky. Tim McIlrath said the band was worried about teaching Chris all the new songs quickly.

McIlrath also had personal things happening. Some fans accused the band of "selling out" because they signed with a major label. This meant fans thought the band was changing their music just for money. McIlrath felt that most fans would understand the band had not changed once they heard the album. But it still bothered him that some longtime fans were upset.

Another big event was that McIlrath's wife, who was seven months pregnant, went into labor while he was recording vocals. The band temporarily moved their recording sessions from Vancouver to Chicago. This allowed McIlrath to be with his wife for the birth of their child.

Album's Music and Lyrics

Siren Song of the Counter Culture is mainly hardcore punk and melodic hardcore. The album has typical punk rock sounds. These include fast drum beats, strong guitar chords, and powerful bass lines. Each song has different layers of guitar sounds mixed with rhythmic patterns. These layers add a "melodic flavor" to the music.

Critics have compared the album's sound to other punk rock bands. These include AFI, Bad Religion, and Sick of It All. AllMusic's Johnny Loftus noted that the band's lyrics became more varied for this album. They mixed social and political messages with personal thoughts. McIlrath believes the album is about standing up for yourself. It is also about not being afraid to have a different opinion.

Song Details

The first song on the album is "State of the Union." It is short and energetic. It has the most powerful, shouted vocals on the album. Its lyrics criticize unfair rules and people who do not speak up against injustice.

"The First Drop" is a bit calmer and leads into the third song, "Life Less Frightening." "Life Less Frightening" has a more typical song structure. It almost sounds like alternative rock but still keeps its punk rock style.

"Paper Wings" tells a sad story about people growing apart. It has a catchy guitar part that plays throughout the song. "Blood to Bleed" has thoughtful lyrics about broken hearts. These lyrics are told from a personal point of view.

The songs "To Them These Streets Belong" and "Tip the Scales" have vocals that sound like the band AFI. "Anywhere But Here" has a drum beat that many critics liked. They called it "contagious."

"Give It All" is a short hardcore song. It reminds some people of songs by The Offspring. McIlrath said the song is "a punk rock anthem about being a punk rocker in today's world."

"Dancing for Rain" starts with acoustic guitar strumming. Then it quickly becomes fast-paced, mixing pop sounds with punk rock. The second to last song, "Swing Life Away", is a calm, acoustic song. Its simple lyrics talk about everyday life and the working class. The last song, "Rumors of My Demise Have Been Greatly Exaggerated," has one of the few guitar solos on the album. It ends the album in a big way.

Album Release and Sales

To help promote Siren Song of the Counter Culture, Rise Against toured a lot. They played shows all over North America, Europe, Australia, and Japan. They were part of the 2004 Warped Tour. They also supported the band Bad Religion on a tour in late 2004. In 2005, Rise Against played at other big festivals like Taste of Chaos and Reading and Leeds Festivals. McIlrath said the band was "touring like maniacs," taking every show they could get.

Siren Song of the Counter Culture was released on August 10, 2004. The first 30,000 copies came with a special sticker. For the first six months, the album did not sell well. The record label, Geffen, did not promote the band much because they barely knew about them.

However, Rise Against's constant touring helped them get more attention. This led to more and more sales. Eventually, Geffen noticed the album's growing popularity and started promoting the band.

Chart Success

Siren Song of the Counter Culture became Rise Against's first album to appear on the Billboard 200 chart. It reached number 136 on August 28, 2004. It also hit number one on the Top Heatseekers chart. By 2006, the album had sold over 400,000 copies.

In 2009, the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. This means it had shipped 500,000 copies in the United States. In Canada, it was certified platinum by Music Canada, meaning 100,000 copies were shipped. In Australia, it was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association, for 35,000 copies shipped.

Singles and Music Videos

Three songs from Siren Song of the Counter Culture were released as singles: "Give It All", "Swing Life Away", and "Life Less Frightening". All three songs appeared on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. "Give It All" reached number thirty-seven, "Swing Life Away" reached number twelve, and "Life Less Frightening" reached number thirty-three.

Music videos were made for "Give It All" and "Swing Life Away." In the "Give It All" video, Rise Against performs in a busy subway car. Other people in Chicago are shown drawing on billboards and posters. The "Swing Life Away" video is more relaxed. It shows the band members hanging out with their friends. This video was filmed over a year after the album came out, which is unusual in the music world.

Music writers have said that "Give It All" and "Swing Life Away" helped Rise Against become widely known. Many consider "Give It All" to be the band's first big hit song.

Songs on the Album

All lyrics written by Tim McIlrath, all music composed by Tim McIlrath, Joe Principe, Brandon Barnes and Chris Chasse, unless otherwised noted.

Who Made the Album

These are the people who helped create Siren Song of the Counter Culture.

Album Charts

Album Awards