2. To paraphrase the title of Team Rockit’s fifth independently released CD, it doesn’t take a Rockit scientist to figure out why the band’s Chicago styled gutter punk n’ roll has been noticed not only in their hometown of the Windy City, but throughout the Midwest, East Coast and across the Pond in progressive rock friendly countries like Germany and Switzerland.
Taking their high energy vibe to the next creative and commercial level, Team Rockit—guitarist/vocalist Joe Sanzeri, drummer/vocalist Matt Friscia and bassist/vocalist Steve Killian—worked on Rockit Science with producer Mark Blewett, renowned for engineering and producing bands like the platinum selling The Used and Story of The Year. The band’s website www.teamrockit.com that will feature a six minute webisode about the making the album which includes previews of a documentary DVD they will soon be releasing that chronicles their exciting recording process, marking, and touring adventures.
Launched at the beginning of the decade by Sanzeri and Friscia as a natural progression from their popular previous band Charlie’s Pipe Dream, Team Rockit played at well-known Chicago haunts The Double Door and The Note, and soon expanded its grass roots following with shows in Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Detroit, Cleveland, Boston, Philly, New York and Washington, DC. Team Rockit’s series of shows in Germany in April 2008 will mark their fifth tour of the country, and they’re also performing for the first time in Poland. Friscia’s work as a tour manager and his job as a product manager for BMG in Munich led him to realize the vast market there for Team Rockit’s style of edgy rock, which they whimsically describe as “The Hives meets Foo Fighters meets The Figgs meets AC/DC.” The band quickly established a powerful presence among German rock fans.
While working with a series of different bass players, Sanzeri and Friscia self-produced four critically acclaimed independent recordings: an EP called The Mirror (2001), full-length albums Hell On Wheels (2002), Duck Duck Goose E.P. (2004), and full-length The Lowest Point…In Rock & Roll History (2006). Tracks from Duck Duck Goose hit the airwaves in 72 markets across the U.S. and Canada, and Team Rockit has shot a number of videos that have appeared on the enhanced CD versions of the last two albums. These include: “She Wants Us To Stay,” “Car Bombs,” “Know What I Mean,” and a live performance/Brady Bunch like video for “Something I Said” from The Lowest Point. A promotional code embedded in one of the videos linked to a special website where fans could enter to win one of Sanzeri’s Telecaster guitars.
Recorded at Rax Trax in Chicago, Rockit Science is Team Rockit’s most focused pure rock collection to date, deviating from the band’s previous all-over-the map sensibilities that drew equally from rock, punk, and indie sensibilities. “Our mindset was always to keep putting ourselves out there, making the records we wanted to make,” says Friscia, “but we’re finally honing in on our true identity as an indie rock punk band with this much more streamlined but no less fun and intense project. We were willing to put more money into the recording this time to produce an album the way it should be done. We met Mark Blewett when he was a judge at the Bodog Battle of the Bands and we knew he was the right guy to help us take things up a notch. He pushed us hard, brought us up, tore us down, told us which songs worked and which ones to trash, and was a tyrant when it came to tempos. The result is that we’re putting across a more concise message as to who Team Rockit is and where we’re headed.”
Team Rockit’s goal with their “raw Chicago rawk” has never been to be overtly commercial, but “All Over Town,” Sanzeri’s percussive, bobbing head song about creatures of habit and a woman that’s selling herself out for drugs, has heavy duty pop/rock single potential. The hard charging, frenetic, filtered vocal driven “There’s No 'You' In Team” gets in the face of folks who act like they want to work with you but who ultimately are only out to serve their own interests. The similarly fiery and propulsive “Devil’s Tattoo” reflects on an old saying concerning mental illness and how it was originally thought to be the doing of demonic forces. The sexually charged “Rough Rider” is classic tongue in cheek Team Rockit songwriting and performing all the way.
“It’s exciting for us to see how opportunities keep opening up for us as our grass roots following grows even further with the help of the internet,” says Friscia. “But the core of the Team Rockit experience is our live show and the energy Joe puts out. He’s not smashing guitars but he loves jumping off my bass drum and flying through the air! I like to say there are two kinds of bands: groups like Radiohead which are cool to experience listening at home and others like The Jesus Lizard where they’d wack themselves with the mic until they bleed. We’re sort of in the middle, giving fans everywhere a completely dynamic but blood-free presentation of our best songs every time we play.”
Gaia
Team Rockit Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dom lever sina liv men dom har glömt bort huvudsaken
Det är tomt i deras bröst det finns inget där lyssna inte på dom
Fake som en clown
Touchdown vi stämmer upp i sång
Systrar och bröder alla på en gång
Vi gör det för Gaia vi offrar våra liv
Vi är stjärnorna i skyn där själen kan va fri
Kamrater samla er om vi ska kunna palla mer
När allt vi ser är dudes som vill trycka ner oss
Men vi skriker högre än dom och vi lyssnar inte på kritiken för
Vi har inte fått nån och vi har inte bråttom
Tänker ta våran tid till att säga saker
Och mena dom
Så ta en skål låt den vara alltid
Till brädden fylld med vin
Var inte rädd för mörkret
Ni kan inte sänka oss för vi ligger lågt
Vi är en annan sort för vi säger så
Ni kan inte sätta kedjor på
Vi är barn av Gaia
Vi är Himalaya
Jag svär det är sant för jag har varit där
Jag är inte rädd för när vi är klara här
Välkomstfest med gudarna
Som gjorde oss till de unga ledarna
Salutera oss vaka över oss
Korsriddare och knegare
Bränn det med oss
För vi kommer aldrig växa upp i deras ögon
Kommer aldrig göra något lagom
Kommer brassa på tills jag inte känner nåt
Och satsa på att inte minnas nåt för
Dom säger bit ihop gråter när jag ser det
Men när jag tänker på det är det fan värre
Var inte rädd för mörkret var inte rädd för mörkret för ljuset bor där
In the lyrics of Team Rockit's song "Gaia," the first paragraph describes a sense of exhaustion and restlessness that the singer feels, caught in between being too tired to sleep and too awake to rest. The lyrics suggest that many people are going through the motions of life without truly understanding or remembering the most important aspects of living. There is a sense of emptiness and detachment within them, as emphasized by the comparison to a clown and the warning not to listen to them. The singer asserts a sense of unity and purpose with their community, joining together to sing for Gaia and willing to sacrifice their lives for a greater cause. They see themselves as stars in the sky, representing freedom for the soul.
Moving on to the second paragraph, the lyrics call for comrades to come together and support each other in order to endure more hardships. Despite facing obstacles and criticism from others who seek to belittle them, the singer encourages their group to rise above and not pay heed to the negativity. They prioritize taking their time to speak their truths and stand by them, while also enjoying moments of camaraderie with a toast filled to the brim with wine. There is a sense of defiance and determination in the face of challenges, highlighting the importance of resilience and solidarity within the community.
In the third paragraph, the lyrics assert a strong sense of self and identity, rejecting attempts to bring them down or restrict their freedom. The singer proclaims their uniqueness and resilience, proclaiming themselves as children of Gaia and likening themselves to the Himalayas – immovable and steadfast. They speak of personal experiences and growth, expressing a confidence in their path and a lack of fear towards the unknown future. The singer envisions a celebration with the gods once their mission is complete, signifying a sense of divine approval and validation for their journey.
Finally, the fourth paragraph emphasizes a rebellious and youthful spirit, refusing to conform to societal norms or expectations. The lyrics reject the idea of growing up or being tamed, instead choosing to live passionately and fiercely. There is a sentiment of embracing the darkness and the unknown, as well as the light that resides within it. The singer acknowledges the challenges and struggles they face, but finds strength in their resilience and determination to keep pushing forward. The lyrics end with a powerful reminder to not be afraid of the darkness, as it is where light resides, symbolizing the acceptance of both the struggles and the possibilities that come with it in their journey.
Line by Line Meaning
För trött för att sova för pigg för att va vaken
Feeling too tired to sleep, too awake to rest, caught in a limbo state.
Dom lever sina liv men dom har glömt bort huvudsaken
People living their lives but forgetting what truly matters, losing sight of the main purpose.
Det är tomt i deras bröst det finns inget där lyssna inte på dom
Their hearts are empty, devoid of true emotions, don't listen to their false words.
Fake som en clown
As fake as a clown, putting on a facade to hide their true selves.
Touchdown vi stämmer upp i sång
We come together and raise our voices in song, united and strong.
Systrar och bröder alla på en gång
Sisters and brothers, all together as one, connected by a common bond.
Vi gör det för Gaia vi offrar våra liv
We do it for Gaia, willing to sacrifice our lives for a greater cause.
Vi är stjärnorna i skyn där själen kan va fri
We are the stars in the sky, where the soul can be truly free and unrestricted.
Kamrater samla er om vi ska kunna palla mer
Comrades, come together if we are to endure more, support each other.
När allt vi ser är dudes som vill trycka ner oss
In a world where all we see are people trying to push us down, hold us back.
Men vi skriker högre än dom och vi lyssnar inte på kritiken för
But we shout louder than them, ignoring the criticism because we have not received any and are in no rush.
Vi har inte fått nån och vi har inte bråttom
We have not received any and are not in a hurry, taking our time to speak our minds and mean it.
Tänker ta våran tid till att säga saker
Planning to take our time to express ourselves, to speak our minds with intention.
Och mena dom
And mean what we say, speaking with authenticity and truth.
Så ta en skål låt den vara alltid
So raise a glass and let it always be full, celebrating life and friendship.
Till brädden fylld med vin
Filled to the brim with wine, a symbol of joy and togetherness.
Var inte rädd för mörkret
Do not fear the darkness, for there is light within it.
Ni kan inte sänka oss för vi ligger lågt
You cannot bring us down because we are already grounded, resilient and strong.
Vi är en annan sort för vi säger så
We are a different kind, because we dare to speak the truth.
Ni kan inte sätta kedjor på
You cannot chain us down, we refuse to be constrained by external forces.
Vi är barn av Gaia
We are children of Gaia, connected to the earth and nature.
Vi är Himalaya
We are like the Himalayas, tall and strong, standing firm in the face of adversity.
Jag svär det är sant för jag har varit där
I swear it is true, for I have been there and experienced it firsthand.
Jag är inte rädd för när vi är klara här
I am not afraid of what comes next, once we have completed our mission here.
Välkomstfest med gudarna
A welcome party with the gods, celebrating our divine connection.
Som gjorde oss till de unga ledarna
Who have made us into the young leaders we are today, guiding others along the way.
Salutera oss vaka över oss
Salute us, watch over us, protect us as we move forward.
Korsriddare och knegare
Crusaders and laborers, working towards a common goal.
Bränn det med oss
Burn it with us, let the fire of our passion and determination ignite others.
För vi kommer aldrig växa upp i deras ögon
Because we will never grow up in their eyes, refusing to conform to societal expectations.
Kommer aldrig göra något lagom
Never doing anything in moderation, always pushing the boundaries and striving for more.
Kommer brassa på tills jag inte känner nåt
Will keep going until I feel nothing, fully committing to the cause and giving it my all.
Och satsa på att inte minnas nåt för
And betting on not remembering anything, living in the present moment and embracing the unknown.
Dom säger bit ihop gråter när jag ser det
They say bite your lip and cry when I see it, encouraging suppression of emotions and vulnerability.
Men när jag tänker på det är det fan värre
But when I think about it, it's damn worse, realizing the negative impact of such behavior.
Var inte rädd för mörkret var inte rädd för mörkret för ljuset bor där
Do not fear the darkness, do not fear the darkness, for the light resides within it, guiding us forward.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind