Kris Roe also took on the role of managing other punk bands such as Useless ID from Haifa, Israel. They collaborated on a split EP entitled "Let It Burn". Kris also acted as co-producer with Mass Giorgini (whose other production credits include working alongside Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day) for a ]label]Cincinnati, OH-based band called the National Trust in 2004, an album which is as-of-yet unreleased..
After a long delay, the album End Is Forever was released in 2001. This album was a testament to Kris Roe's increasing maturity as a songwriter. Most of the songs, especially "Fast Times at Dropout High", touched on very personal and emotional topics such as losing a sibling because his parents gave his newborn brother away for adoption. Once again the lineup changed, with John Collura replacing Peña on guitar.
On the 24th of June 2002 The Ataris left Kung Fu Records and signed with Columbia Records. Later in that year they recorded their 6th album, "So Long, Astoria", released on March 4th, 2003. This album was responsible for giving them their break into the mainstream audience and generated many successful singles, including "In This Diary" and their cover of Don Henley's "The Boys of Summer".
After touring behind the album for most of 2003, the band began writing the follow-up to "So Long, Astoria". Much of 2004 was spent in inactivity. In February of 2004, the band released "Live At The Metro", an album containing a full concert at The Metro in Chicago, as well as acoustic tracks. Mike Davenport and Chris Knapp left the band in early 2005.
Recording of "Welcome the Night" began in February 2005. Along with it came five new members - Sean Hansen filling the bass position, Shane Chickeles on drums, and guitarist Paul Carabello, Angus Cooke (Who played Cello on "End Is Forever"), and Bob Hoag on 3rd guitar, Cello, and Keyboards respectively. The group spent all of spring and summer recording at Seedy Underbelly in Los Angeles. "Welcome the Night" was orginally due out in April or May of 2006 but as of March 2006 the release date was pushed back to July of 2006. The release date of this album was once again been pushed back to possibly early 2007 after The Ataris asked to be released from their contract with Columbia Records, which the label agreed too. The "Welcome the Night" album was released in late February to an eager Ataris fan base. Unfortunately, it was not what they expected. The "Welcome the Night" album took a completely different approach to music. In a drastic deviation from his past traditions of whimsical, nostalgic pop songs, Roe used the new album to pursue a much more mature post-rock/progressive sound, an initiative which many speculate arose from the divorce of his wife and other personal conflicts. While "Welcome the Night" is certainly a great departure from The Ataris' roots, Roe has indicated that their upcoming release will attempt to return to the happy, youthful overtures that older fans have grown accustomed to.
Radio
The Ataris Lyrics
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high above the hollywood sign
you bring your guitair and i'll bring my radio... radio
everyone look up for miles around
to witness this beautiful sight
we'll set bonfires, pretend it's the fourth of july
this is the starting of a brand new revolution
stand up and fight against the messages that they're sending
stop their frequency
you're always talking it's neverending
i's about time that we turned off the radio
call the request lines and tell them that it's over
you're always playing all of the same songs
over and over again
it's about time that we all turned off the radio
we'll listen to b-sides and sing along to anthems of the years gone by
integrity and honesty will prevail tonight
when it's all over one question still remains
why so so many bands never make it to the radio?
this is the starting of a brand new revolution
bite the hand that feeds
stand up and fight against the messages that they're sending
stop their frequency
you're always talking it's neverending
it's about time that we turned off the radio
call the request lines and tell them that it's over
you're always playing all of the same songs
over and over again
it's about time that we all turned off the radio
look outside your FM dial they're preaching lies in 4/4 time
our generation without a voice is stripped of pride
you're always talking it's neverending
it's about time that we turned off the radio
call the request lines and tell them that it's over
you're always playing all of the same songs
over and over again
it's about time that we all turned off the radio
you're always talking
it's about time that we all turned off the radio
you're always playing all of the same songs
it's about time that we all turned off the radio
The lyrics to The Ataris' song "Radio 2" convey a call to revolution against the monotony of mainstream radio. The opening lines set the scene for a rebellious and romantic meeting at a broadcast tower overlooking Hollywood, where the singer and their companion will set bonfires and sing along to anthems of the years gone by. This is an act of defiance against the messages that the radio is sending, and the song repeatedly implores the listener to "turn off the radio." The sentiment of frustration with the narrow selection of music and messages perpetuated by mainstream radio culminates in the lines "our generation without a voice is stripped of pride."
The song is an anthem for those who feel they are not represented accurately in the media and are tired of being force-fed the same songs and messages on loop. The chorus, with its repetitive call to "turn off the radio," is a demand for change and a desire for a revolution in the music world. The final question posed by the song, "why so many bands never make it to the radio?" is a poignant reminder that there is a wealth of music outside the narrow confines of mainstream media, and that perhaps it's time for a change.
Line by Line Meaning
meet me at midnight the broadcast tower
Let's meet at the radio tower in Hollywood at midnight.
high above the hollywood sign
The radio tower is located high up in the sky, above the famous Hollywood sign.
you bring your guitair and i'll bring my radio... radio
We'll bring our instruments and radios to make some music and enjoy the view.
everyone look up for miles around
People from far and wide will look up to see what's happening at the tower.
to witness this beautiful sight
They will witness a beautiful view of the city from above the tower.
we'll set bonfires, pretend it's the fourth of july
We'll light bonfires and make it feel like the 4th of July, a day of celebration.
this is the starting of a brand new revolution
We are starting a new movement for change and progress.
bite the hand that feeds
We need to rebel against those who are controlling us or holding us back.
stand up and fight against the messages that they're sending
We need to protest against the negative and harmful messages that they are spreading through their media channels.
stop their frequency
We need to stop their broadcasts of negative messages that hurt our society.
you're always talking it's neverending
The radio broadcasts are constantly blaring away, never stopping.
it's about time that we turned off the radio
It's high time that we shut off the radio and stopped getting bombarded by negative messages.
call the request lines and tell them that it's over
We need to call the radio stations and tell them to stop playing the same songs again and again.
you're always playing all of the same songs
The radio stations are always repeating the same songs, over and over again.
it's about time that we all turned off the radio
We all need to turn off our radios and start thinking for ourselves.
we'll listen to b-sides and sing along to anthems of the years gone by
We'll listen to lesser-known songs and sing along to old classics.
integrity and honesty will prevail tonight
We will celebrate values like honesty and integrity tonight, instead of listening to negative messages.
when it's all over one question still remains
At the end of the night, one question remains unanswered.
why so so many bands never make it to the radio?
Why aren't more bands able to get played on the radio and share their messages with the world?
look outside your FM dial they're preaching lies in 4/4 time
Don't just listen to what's on the radio, because they are spreading lies and negativity through their music.
our generation without a voice is stripped of pride
Our generation is being silenced and robbed of our pride and self-worth.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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