Each year, critics at the Chicago Tribune name a "Chicagoan of the Year." The 2008 winner for music was Local H.
Local H started as hard-rock duo formed by Scott Lucas (vocals/guitar/bass) and Joe Daniels (drums). The two began in 1987 at their mainline high school in Zion. After failed attempts at recruiting a bassist, Lucas added bass pickups to his electric guitar.
Local H's 1995 debut Ham Fisted was released to lukewarm reception, but their 1996 follow-up As Good as Dead was certified gold and contained the hits "Bound for the Floor" and "Eddie Vedder." It was better received by critics, as was 1998's Pack Up the Cats, which spawned the single "All the Kids Are Right." Unfortunately, their label Polygram merged with Universal, and the album was all but forgotten in transition.
Daniels left in 1999. Lucas recruited recent Triplefastaction drummer Brian St. Clair later that year. St. Clair was a drum tech for Bun E. Carlos of Cheap Trick. Lucas and St. Clair released their first album together, Here Comes the Zoo, in 2002 on Palm Pictures. The No Fun EP came next in 2003, and Whatever Happened to P.J. Soles? followed in 2004 to favorable reviews, with the track "Everyone Alive" being featured in the 2004 video game Burnout 3. The break-up concept album 12 Angry Months followed in 2008, and to coincide with the 2012 presidential election the group issued Hallelujah! I'm a Bum that year, both albums receiving critical praise.
Brian St. Clair would amicably leave the band, playing his last show in November 2013, before Ryan Harding joined to fill in his spot. In 2015, the duo would issue their ninth studio album Hey, Killer through G&P Records, an independent label they operate that has also been utilized for smaller releases for the band in the past. In 2020, the duo iussued Lifers through AntiFragile Music.
Local H garnered good publicity for a cover of the Britney Spears hit "Toxic". The cover was available on the band's web site and is the last track on the otherwise live album Alive '05, issued in 2005. "Toxic" has been performed at recent concerts.
Local H is known for creativity in concerts. In 2003, the band auctioned off a concert on eBay, and in 2004, performed at Fritz's Corner in Zion. In 2005, the duo performed a series of set-list request shows, where the audience got to vote on what they wanted the band to play. Gabe Rodriguez often accompanied the band on tour and provided back-up vocals or kazoo playing.
Every Halloween, Local H plays in Ardmore, masquerading as a certain group. They have performed as Nirvana, Tom Petty, Oasis, The Doors, Led Zeppelin, and Sex Pistols.
Bag Of Hammers
Local H Lyrics
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I'll get you back, motherfuck, I'm no baby
I've made a meal, the first course is crow
Choke it down, cause you suck, I'm no baby
You never said smart was your strong trait
But smart never seemed to be a trait at all
And I never wanted to see you go down
Fall right back into your tar trap
And bend your back until it fucking snaps
And I never wanted to hurt you that bad
But I must admit that I'd like to see you fall
You pin me down, you box my ears
I'll get you back, motherfuck, I'm no baby
I've made a meal, the first course is crow
La la
la la la la la la la la la la la la la
The lyrics to Local H's song "Bag of Hammers" represent a revenge fantasy of sorts from the singer towards someone who has wronged them. The singer feels pinned down and mistreated by this person, and they plan on getting revenge by making them suffer the same way they have suffered. The lyrics "you pin me down, you box my ears" indicate a physical struggle, but the "meal" of "crow" that the singer has made suggests that the revenge is also emotional or psychological in nature - the person who wronged them will have to "choke it down" and admit that they were wrong. The repetition of "I'm no baby" reinforces the idea that the singer is not a pushover and will not let themselves be mistreated indefinitely.
The second verse of the song is interesting because it suggests that the person who wronged the singer may not have been particularly intelligent or competent to begin with - they never claimed to be "smart," and the singer implies that intelligence was never much of a priority for them. Despite this, the singer still resents being mistreated by this person and wants to see them suffer. The reference to a "tar trap" and the desire to "bend your back until it fucking snaps" suggest a desire for extreme punishment, perhaps out of a sense of frustration at being unable to fight back against the person who wronged them.
Overall, "Bag of Hammers" is a song about the desire for revenge and the frustration of feeling helpless in the face of mistreatment from someone more powerful or dominant. The lyrics suggest a sense of anger and resentment towards this person, but also a desire for justice and a sense of satisfaction at the thought of the wrongdoer suffering in the same way the singer has suffered.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVID SCOTT LUCAS, JOSEPH DANILES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind