So, I limited myself to 25 and started thinking. What a challenge! I decided to give a brief history of punk. I left out a lot, naturally, and for every record that’s on the list, there are 10-20 other records that could easily be put in their place. I went with historical significance over “quality;” for example, Punk in Drublic isn’t my favorite NOFX album, but it’s important.

I present my list to you, but at the same time ask: what would your essential 25 list look like? Post ‘em if you got ‘em!

And hit the break to see my list.

25 ESSENTIAL PUNX LPs
in no particular order

Short, Fast, Loud: The Classics
* Ramones – Ramones
* The Clash – London Calling
* The Damned – Damned Damned Damned

Shorter, Faster, Louder: Hardcore
* Bad Religion – Suffer
* Bad Brains – I Against I
* Dead Kennedys – Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
* Minor Threat – Complete Discography
* Circle Jerks – Group Sex
* Minutemen – Double Nickels on the Dime

The Skate-Punk ’90s:
* NOFX – Punk in Drublic
* Punk-O-Rama 2/Fat Music for Fat People (seriously, that’s the best primer you’ll get)

A Lot of Bands Ripped Off the Ramones: ’90s Pop-Punk
* The Queers – Love Songs for the Retarded
* Screeching Weasel – My Brain Hurts
* Mr. T Experience – Milk Milk Lemonade

Feelings ‘n Shit: Emo Rising
* Fugazi – Repeater
* Hot Water Music – No Division
* God’s Reflex – Scenes From a Motel Seduction
* Braid – Frame and Canvas

They Do Hype on the Internet Now?: So-called “Orgcore”
* Against Me! – Searching for a Former Clarity
* The Lawrence Arms – The Greatest Story Ever Told
* Dillinger Four – Midwestern Songs of the Americas

A New WAAAAAAVE: Modern Bands
* The Gaslight Anthem – Sink or Swim
* The Menzingers – Chamberlain Waits
* Mixtapes – Maps & Companions
* The Copyrights – Learn the Hard Way

1-2-3 FEST!

It’s that time of year again! The annual installment of The FEST is happening in Gainesville, FL, and the schedule has been posted for everyone to cry over. Conflicts abound. I don’t know about you, but having to choose between Red Collar and Hot Water Music is killing me inside. But it must be done, and no matter who you see, you’re all but guaranteed to have a blast!

You can check out the full schedule here. All in all, aside from a few conflicts- like the one mentioned above, or the overlap of the Against Me!/Red City Radio sets- it’s not too bad. I know I’m excited as all get out, to hang out with everyone, party hard, and see a couple of bands here and there!

Get pumped, and I’ll see you all in Florida!

Hit the break for my tentative schedule, so you can come drink cheap beer with me.

FRIDAY
06:25 – 07:05 Small Brown Bike
07:25 – 08:25 Samiam
09:10 – 09:40 Cobra Skulls
10:30 – 11:00 Tiltwheel
11:25 – 12:25 Hot Water Music
01:00 – 01:30 Nightmares For a Week

SATURDAY
01:30 – 02:00 The Soviettes
03:50 – 04:20 Mixtapes
04:50 – 05:20 RVIVR
06:20 – 06:50 The Riot Before
{BREAK}
09:10 – 09:50 Toys That Kill
10:30 – 11:10 Dillinger Four
11:30 – 12:10 Ted Leo & the Pharmacists (probably cut out early to catch RCR)
12:10 – 12:40 Red City Radio
12:30 – 1:30 Against Me! (try to catch whatever I can, if possible)

SUNDAY
03:00 – 03:40 Chris Wollard & the Ship Thieves
04:00 – 04:40 Cheap Girls
05:00 – 05:40 The Menzingers
06:00 – 06:40 Dear Landlord
08:00 – 08:40 Teenage Bottlerocket
09:20 – 09:50 Too Many Daves
09:50 – 10:30 Underground Railroad to Candyland

Asian Man Records 15th Anniversary

Over the past week, I was fortunate enough to be able to attend Asian Man Records’ 15th Anniversary Festival in San Francisco. For those unfamiliar, Asian Man Records is a label started by Mike Park of Skankin’ Pickle, The Bruce Lee Band, and The Chinkees. Over the years, Asian Man has released many, many records from bands like Slapstick, Lemuria, The Broadways, as well as helping to launch the careers of bands like Less Than Jake, Alkaline Trio, and The Lawrence Arms. Personally, the first time I found the folded-up mail order one-sheet catalog for Asian Man in a CD- it was Less Than Jake’s Pezcore- was a huge moment in my entrance into punk rock.

The festival was 5 days of shows in San Francisco, with high profile reunions of short-lived but classic Asian Man bands, Slapstick and The Broadways, not to mention bands like Slow Gherkin and MU330. The shows I attended were:

• Slapstick, MU330, The Chinkees
• Alkaline Trio, The Hot Toddies, Kepi Ghoulie, The Atom Age
• The Broadways, Bomb the Music Industry!, Ratasucia, Spraynard
• The Lawrence Arms, Toys That Kill, Short Round, Spraynard, Chotto Ghetto

Slapstick, MU330, and The Chinkees

The first show of the festival was perhaps, before the announcement of The Broadways’ reunion show, the most anticipated performance. Like me, many in attendance had not known Slapstick in their time together in the mid-’90s. You know, when being in a ska band seemed like a good idea. Likewise, I’d never had the opportunity to see MU330 or The Chinkees perform. So this show, for me, was worth traveling from Boston for. And the bands involved didn’t disappoint. When Mike Park and The Chinkees took stage, he faced a sold out, highly appreciative crowd. Famously modest- at least, until he ended the band introductions with “I’m Mike Park, and I’m the fucking man!,” a sentiment I don’t think anyone in the room disagreed with- he was an energetic, funny frontman, leading the band through a great set. At one point, he called Matt Skiba up on stage to skank to a cover of Operating Ivy’s “Bankshot,” which he obliged. There are videos, and they are fantastic. The Chinkees opening set felt like a headliner, both in terms of the performance and the crowd’s reaction. It was weird to think, after they left the stage, that the night had only just begun, and two bands were left to play.

MU330 came out next, and played a set that perfectly captured- and even amplified- the energy of their records. While some of them clearly had aged since the Crab Rangoon days (though Dan seems to be unable to age. Less acne, I guess, but aside from that, bouncy and youthful), it didn’t slow them down one bit. One highlight involved the band selecting a guy named Scott from the crowd to play guitar for one song, and Scott did a fantastic job. If you ever read this, way to go, dude!

Finally, the performance everyone (read: I) was waiting for the most, Slapstick. Having only seen Brendan Kelly in the context of his current band, The Lawrence Arms, or solo, actually witnessing him fronting a ska band, right in front of my eyes, was odd. He was, as one might expect, humorous, self-deprecating (at one point quipping “I love all of these guys, and it’s great to be able to spend time with them, even if we have to play ska to do it.”) and grateful for the crowd’s enthusiasm, and especially to Mike Park. The band played a great set, with songs like “Eighteen” and “There’s a Metal Head in the Parking Lot” really sending the crowd into a frenzy. I would have liked to have heard “Nate B.,” but it’s hard to complain about having seen a band I never thought I would have the chance to see.

Alkaline Trio, The Hot Toddies, Kepi Ghoulie, and The Atom Age

I can’t say too much about the opening bands here; my ticket for this show was in my friend’s name, and he didn’t show up until about halfway through The Hot Toddies’ set. I heard the other sets through the door of the Bottom of the Hill, but it’s hard to really assess the performances. The Atom Age and Kepi sounded good, anyway.

The Hot Toddies, from what I saw of their set, were fun, and I really wish I’d had the cash on hand to get their record. Great vocal harmonies, and an almost Go Go’s poppy punk sound.

I was discussing the Alkaline Trio set earlier in the evening with a friend, wondering what kind of a setlist they would pull out for this festival. We speculated on if it would be a standard 2011-era set, or something wild like playing Goddamnit! straight through. It ended up as neither, but closer to the latter than the former. They played a loose, high-energy set that drew heavily from their 3 Asian Man albums- Goddamnit!, Maybe I’ll Catch Fire, and Alkaline Trio. Makes sense, I suppose, but they certainly didn’t have to. Anyway, Skiba was notably drunk, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. And he, like all the other bands, expressed his gratitude to Mike Park for giving them a chance.

The Broadways, Bomb the Music Industry!, Ratasucia, and Spraynard

Spraynard are a pretty new addition to the Asian Man family; their debut on the label, Funtitled, just came out a month or two ago. If you haven’t checked it out, you really should. Anyway, they’re a trio of young dudes, and played a great set- their first of two over the weekend- and the crowd really got into it.

Ratasucia is Dan Hanaway’s (Slapstick/The Broadways) new band, and they’re really, really great live. Loud and powerful, they delivered a great set, which definitely sold me on their record.

Bomb the Music Industry! seems to be one of those “love ‘em or hate ‘em” bands, which very few people left in the middle. I guess I’m one of those people in the middle; I like some of their songs, but most of their records seem like they’d be better as EPs. Oh well. If nothing else, you can’t say they don’t bring it when they play live, and the kids who love it go absolutely nuts for them. So if nothing else, they’re always entertaining live, music notwithstanding. And they did a good job getting people all amped up and ready for The Broadways.

The set from The Broadways was announced late, and initially only offered to people who had already purchased tickets to other shows in the festival. Every effort was made to ensure that fans, not scalpers, were getting these tickets, and I think it worked. The Bottom of the Hill was packed full of deliriously happy people who, Brendan noted, had never seen the band before; so noted because, as he said, no one at their shows back in the day knew the songs, and even less people liked the songs. Here, on the other hand, the crowd knew every word. The band fed off the energy, and seemed incredibly grateful at the response they got. While he was probably exaggerating a little, to see a project that meant a lot to you finally get its due must be a good feeling. Anyway, they played a great set, and when they closed with “15 Minutes” off Broken Star, the crowd went absolutely nuts.

The Lawrence Arms, Toys That Kill, Short Round, Spraynard, and Chotto Ghetto

The final show, for me, of the weekend. (meanwhile, over at Thee Parkside, Bomb the Music Industry! was headlining another show) Chotto Ghetto I had never heard of before. They had a sort of early-’00s post-hardcore sound. The lead singer moved around like Daryl Palumbo, and claimed to rip off The Blue Meanies in his early songs. I wish they had sounded more like the Meanies, actually. They were alright, but not really my thing. Apparently they have an LP coming out on Asian Man soon, hence their appearance this week.

Spraynard rocked out again, this time with a beach ball bouncing around the crowd. Some guy tried to stop the frivolity and pop the ball, but was unsuccessful, prompting the band to tell us “You can’t pop fun!” which I would totally wear a t-shirt proclaiming. Someone get on that.

I hadn’t really known Short Round before, though I knew of them- and I’m pretty sure I own a CD or two by them, thanks to ordering a pack of like 40 Asian Man CDs at some point- but I dug what I heard. More rock than punk, they were fun. And it’s always good to see someone other than a white dude fronting a band.

I was particularly excited to see Toys That Kill. I had seen part of their set at The Fest 9, but the venue had been so tightly packed and hot that I had to escape early. This time, no such issues. Apparently TTK had put out an EP on Asian Man way, way back. They were fun, and while the while crowd didn’t react to them like they deserved, those of us who were into it danced wildly.

Finally, The Lawrence Arms took stage, and in sharp contract to Alkaline Trio’s set a few nights before on the same stage, they played maybe two or three songs from their Asian Man albums, instead concentrating on their later Fat Wreck material. So a pretty standard set from the Larries, but kind of disappointing, when you consider the context. And actually, they played less from the Asian Man releases than the last time I saw them, this time lacking perhaps my favorite Lawrence Arms song, “An Evening of Extraordinary Circumstance.” But, the set was solid regardless, containing most of The Greatest Story Ever Told’s side B- it’s stronger half, if you ask me- and some great cuts from Oh! Calcutta!. Brendan seemed pretty sober for the entirety of the set, which was really weird. At the encore, he said they had gotten a “weird request” that they couldn’t honor; I really want to know what that request was. Probably Mike asking for some deep cut off Cocktails & Dreams.

Final Thoughts

Asian Man 15, as it’s been called for the sake of brevity, was an absolute blast, and I didn’t even experience the whole thing. While I was seeing bands at The Bottom of the Hill, there were shows happening at Thee Parkside down the street, not to mention the BBQ at Thee Parkside on Saturday afternoon.

Two things all the shows I attended had in common: first, every band played a fantastic set. They all brought out their A games for this week, and I think that shows how important Asian Man Records and Mike Park was and is to them. Second, and related, every band, though the headliners in particular, made sure to stop and express their gratitude to Mike for everything. Some of the bands shared stories about working with Mike or first meeting him- or, like Matt Skiba, being mistaken for Slapstick’s Matt Stamps and worming his way into a record deal that way- or something along those lines. And it really helped underscore how deserving of such a big festival Asian Man Records is. Speaking from my own experience with the label, I don’t know how deeply into punk rock and ska I would have gotten had it not been for Asian Man. I also don’t know if I wouldn’t have gotten jaded with the whole scene without people like Mike Park trying to do good in the world, either through the Plea for Peace project or just battling racist, sexist, or homophobic thoughts inside and outside of the scene.

I’m glad I was able to make the trip out and celebrate the history of one of the finest labels- and one of the best people- in punk rock, one so deserving of the praise. Hopefully, in another 15 years, we can do it all again.

• Off With Their Heads‘ last-minute secret show at the Atlantic, playing Hospitals straight through
• The whole Red Collar set. Seriously, wow.
• Frank Turner in my friend’s hotel room late Sunday night
• Seeing Red City Radio’s Garrett perform like a million times
• Mixtapes! Both acoustic at the Holiday Inn and with the full band at Rumrunners. They covered Jimmy Buffett’s “Cheeseburger in Paradise”
• And of course, Dear Landlord decked out like Juggalos for their set.

Being my first Fest, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. But now, I’m hooked. I absolutely must return for Fest 10 next year.

So, to those who went, what were the best things you saw?

After the break is a list of bands I saw. Italics for partial set.

THURSDAY
ihatemyself

FRIDAY
No BS! Brass Band
Reverse the Curse
World’s Scariest Police Chases
10-4 Eleanor
Banquet
Jonesin’
Bars of Gold
Red Collar
The Riot Before
Nothington
Red City Radio (acoustic)
Attica Attica!
PJ Bond

SATURDAY
Iron Chic
Dear Landlord
Paul Baribeau
Cobra Skulls
Banner Pilot
Laura Stevenson & the Cans
Toys That Kill
Cheap Girls
Paint it Black
Bridge & Tunnel
Off With Their Heads
Me First & the Gimme Gimmes
Fake Problems (acoustic)
Mixtapes (acoustic)
Garrett Dale (Red City Radio)
Larry & His Flask

SUNDAY
Mockingbird, Wish Me Luck
The Copyrights
Lemuria
The Menzingers
No More
Mixtapes
Chris Wollard and the Ship Thieves
Frank Turner
Garrett Dale (Red City Radio)
Mark Allin (Beat Noir)
Franz Nicolay (acoustic)
Frank Turner

FEST!

Hey everyone! I’m sure you all already know this, but the full schedule for the Fest 9 is online! You can find it here. So, who are your must-see bands? What are your conflicts?

I’ve made my tentative schedule. Hit the break to see it. And, if you should see me around Gainesville that weekend, please say hi!

Also, if you know of any sweet warehouse/house shows going on then, let your favorite blogger know, alright? (oh, and tell me about them too)

FRIDAY

2:00 – 5:00 Holiday Inn poolside
5:20 – 5:50 Davey Tiltwheel @The Lunch Box
7:00 – 7:30 The Soviettes @The Atlantic
8:10 – 8:40 Larry and His Flash @Rum Runners
9:30 – 10:00 The Gateway District @The Atlantic
10:30 – 11:00 Red Collar @1982
11:10 – 11:40 The Tim Version @The Atlantic
12:00 – 12:30 Tiltwheel @The Atlantic
12:50 – 1:30 Chinese Telephones @The Atlantic

SATURDAY

1:00 – 1:30 Red City Radio @Common Grounds
1:50 – 2:20 Iron Chic @Common Grounds
2:50 – 3:20 Dear Landlord @8 Seconds
3:50 – 4:20 Calvinball @Rum Runners OR La Dispute @The Atlantic
4:20 – 5:20 (Food n’ stuff)
5:20 – 5:50 Banner Pilot @The Venue
6:50 – 7:20 Laura Stevenson & the Cans @Common Grounds
7:40 – 8:10 Toys That Kill @Common Grounds
8:30 – 9:00 Cheap Girls @Common Grounds OR The Bomb @8 Seconds
9:00 – 9:40 (Food n’ stuff)
9:40 – 10:20 Paint it Black @The Venue
10:30 – 11:00 Hour of the Wolf @The Atlantic
11:20 – 12:00 Ninja Gun @Common Grounds
12:30 – 1:30 Planes Mistaken for Stars @8 Seconds

SUNDAY

10:00 – 1:00ish No Idea Record sale/BBQ
1:30 – 2:00 The Dopamines @8 Seconds
2:50 – 3:20 Fake Problems @The Venue
3:30 – 4:00 Mockingbird Wish Me Luck @Rum Runners
4:00 – 5:15 (Food n’ stuff)
5:15 – 5:40 PS Eliot @Spin Cycle
6:00 – 6:40 The Menzingers @The Venue
7:00 – 7:30 Into It. Over It. @CMC
8:30 – 9:00 Mixtapes @Rum Runners
9:50 – 10:30 Frank Turner @8 Seconds

• Rocket Fuel Podcast – Jeff over at Rocket Fuel is a good dude, with great taste in music, awesome contests and giveaways, and cool interviews. He takes advice received to heart, and it makes for a great show. Definitely something to check out!
• Switchboard Sessions – New to my reading, this blog has some awesome stories about musicians, plus exclusive tracks, recorded over the phone. Lo-fi and awesome. Check it out.
• unsolicited. – Pete reviews things. Dude is really funny, so this is a worthwhile read.
• Bad Sandwich Chronicles – Brendan Kelly’s (of the Lawrence Arms) blog. Filled with stories of being a musician, observations, and scatological humor. Good times.
• Cassettes in the Mailbox – Brian Fallon’s blog. He doesn’t post much, and when he does it’s odd recommendations for music and things. Dude loves Clapton. Anyway, Gaslight fans will like this.
• Punknews – The obvious. I read this more than I read world news. That’s sad to admit.

And some friends, who enjoy writing on the internets:

• Gunter Glieben Glauchen Globen – Daniel Brockman is the bass player for OwlWatcher, as well as formerly playing guitar in the Hidden and Medea Connection. In addition to rocking hard, he writes for the Boston Phoenix, a weekly free alternative paper of some renown. Dude has a crazy knowledge of music, and tastes ranging from thrash to pop.
• Turn Off Your Cell Phone! – A group movie blog that I sometimes contribute to, though as one might guess, my time is more often spent listening to music than watching movies.
• Ambitious Outsider – It hasn’t been updated in a while, but my dear friend Maura’s blog is dedicated to exploring wonderful, fascinating documentaries. There’s some good stuff to be found there.
• Mencken Was Right - My friend Jeff blogs about politics. He’s well-read and a thinker, so his analysis is often interesting to read, agree or disagree.
• Shameless! (Pomp & Circumstance) – Christa here is an artist and designer in the Boston area. She likes great music, and makes great art. She’s worked with Mark Lind and Far From Finished. And she’s funny to boot!
• Empty Port – Brian here is the Content & Community Manager over at HubSpot, and blogs about things related to online marketing and tech stuff. Also a fellow UMass All-Star. His other blog identifies lizard people. It is not a marketing tie-in for ABC’s V.

So these are all pretty great, and worth your time! What about you, dear readers? Got any awesome blogs- music-related or otherwise- that you’d like to share? Post ‘em in the comments!

A short list of mine:

• American Steel – Dear Friends & Gentle Hearts
• Mos Def – Mos Dub
• Chris Wollard & the Ship Thieves – self-titled
• Jimmy Buffett – A1A
• Cheap Girls – My Roaring 20′s
• Harvey Danger – Little By Little
• Latterman – No Matter Where We Go!

That’s what I can think of off the top of my head. What about you?

The Top 10 (in “order”)

1) The Gaslight Anthem – The ’59 Sound
Easily my record of the year. Coming off their acclaimed 2007 album Sink or Swim, New Jersey’s the Gaslight Anthem dropped the magnificent Senor and the Queen EP earlier this year, which presented listeners with a take on the sound that let more of their blues, soul, and Springsteen influences shine through, all the while remaining decidedly pop-punk. Now, it’s clear that was just something to get us ready for The ’59 Sound. Turning off the distortion, the guys expanded their sound while singer Brian Fallon amped up his songwriting, bringing out a very rewarding album. Reminds us that you don’t need to play distorted punk at breakneck speeds to get a crowd going. Choice cuts: “Casanova, Baby!,” “Great Expecations,” “Miles Davis & the Cool”

2) Dillinger Four – C I V I L W A R
Goddamn, yes! Minnesota’s favorite punk sons (overstatement, I know) return after a 6 year break since their previous album, Situationist Comedy. If there was any fear that the time off would mellow the band, or cause them to lose some of what made them great, banish such fears! This is classic D4; it’s no Midwestern Songs of the Americas, but it’s some of their finest, catchiest music. In any other year (read: any year that didn’t include The ’59 Sound on its release calendar) this would be AOTY. Choice cuts: “Contemplate This on the Tree of Woe,” “Gainesville,” “Like Eye Contact in an Elevator”

3) Lemuria – Get Better
Released in January, the first great album of 2008. Lemuria had been getting hyped around the pop-punk circles for their excellent tunes, found on their split LP with Kind of Like Spitting, their contribution to the NY vs NJ Pop-Punk Battle Royal!! comp, and their split with the Ergs!, among others, not to mention their great shows and tour with the Ergs!. Now on Asian Man Records they drop Get Better, which has attracted a decidedly non-punk audience with its emphasizing of their Discount influences. Fine, Rainer Maria, too. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, I just think Discount first. Anyway, this album is stellar. Sheena Ozzella’s vocals are wonderful, and a good contrast to when Alex Kerns picks up the mic. Choice cuts: “Pants,” “Lipstick,” “Dogs”

4) Off With Their Heads – From the Bottom
Depending on who you ask, this is either the debut LP or sophomore LP from Minnesota’s Off With Their Heads; this all depends on how the person you’re asking views their Hospitals 10″. Regardless, this full-length is an impressive record no matter where it sits in the catalog. Vocalist Ryan seems to be channeling D4′s Paddy in his rough, gravelly vocals. The lyrics are pretty dire, with lines like “I don’t think I’ll ever make it out alive/So I might as well just kill myself tonight/I don’t want to, but I don’t see any other way” (from “Fuck This, I’m Out”) being pretty typical of the band’s outlook. The music, though, is nothing but full-throttle Midwestern pop-punk. The D4 comparisons are obvious, but worthy, and nothing but a compliment to both bands. Choice cuts: “I Am You,” “Fuck This, I’m Out,” “1612 Havenhurst”

5) Amanda Palmer – Who Killed Amanda Palmer
The debut album from the Dresden Dolls’ Amanda Palmer, produced by Ben Folds. Seems like a match made in heaven, and Folds’ production skills are at this point better than his own music (I just cannot get into Way to Normal); see his turn behind the boards for Shatner’s excellent Has Been. Here, the music is pretty much what you’d expect from Palmer, mostly being a logical extension following the Dolls’ 2006 album Yes, Virginia, save for a couple of tracks that seem to stick out (see: the unsettling date rape saga set to Beach Boys-esque harmonies that is “Oasis”). One track that I seem to have a love/hate thing going with is “Guitar Hero,” featuring the Dead Kennedys’ East Bay Ray; the song is great, until the chorus toward the last third. I’ll wait to see how all this comes off live before saying Amanda’s going to get along just fine without Brian for the time being, as that’s where they/she really shines, but so far, so good. Choice cuts: “Astronaut,” “Strength Through Music,” “Oasis”

6) Chuck Ragan & Austin Lucas – Bristle Ridge
OK, so I love Hot Water Music. As a result, if you put Chuck Ragan on something, odds are I will love it. So, you’ve taken Chuck and put him on a record full of some of the rootsiest country/bluegrass this side of Nashville circa the early half of the 20th century. (God, that was a stretch) Anyway, opening track “Bloody Shells” sets up the album perfectly, with the layered vocals, old-time instrumentation- banjo, bass, violin, vocals- and the sense of keeping it true to the period they’re invoking with the music. And even though I think Chuck Ragan is an amazing vocalist, and doesn’t disappoint in the slightest on his share of tracks, it’s Lucas who really shines here. I’m not familiar with his other work, but his voice sounds absolutely perfect on top of this traditional music. Choice cuts: “Bloody Shells,” “Darling Corey,” “Bells”

7) Teenage Bottlerocket – Warning Device
Apparently there’s punk rock to be had in Laramie, Wyoming. I know, I’m shocked too. I guess it’s really just a couple of guys in various bands, but still! Following the demise of The Lillingtons and Homeless Wonders, these guys got together to pay tribute to their favorite bands- The Ramones and Screeching Weasel. On this, their third album, the guys are sticking with the same bouncy, driving pop-punk approach that made up their previous effort, Total, and also propelled the best Ramones and Weasel albums. Some of their tunes rely on the music, with only some basic repetition of a key phrase or two (ex. “She’s Not the One”), while others are more traditional songs (see: the clearly Ramones-inspired “In the Basement”). For the former, the music is so energetic and fun that the lyrics aren’t that important; I can pump my fist and jump around, and that’s what I want from these guys. They’re not out to change the world, they just wanna make it a little more fun. Choice cuts: “Bottlerocket,” “In the Basement,” “Welcome to the Nuthouse”

The Damned – So, Who’s Paranoid?
It’s not really a punk album, and it’s not really a goth album. What is it? Excellent, that’s what it is. The Damned have returned from a long break between albums to deliver a very solid set of tunes. The lack of promotion behind this album is a shame, because it should be a lot bigger than it seems to be currently. Fans of fun rock and roll should get this album as soon as possible. Notable songs: “Diamonds,” “A Nation Fit for Heroes,” “Danger to Yourself”

9) The Shortcuts – s/t
Four rockin’ girls from Minnesota. What the hell is in the water out there that they produce bands like the Replacements, Husker Du, Dillinger Four, Off With Their Heads, and now this incredibly fun foursome? The music is bouncy and energetic, and that energy is infectious. If you can listen to this record and not get excited and pumped up, then I suspect you may in fact not be human. Choice cuts: “2012,” “A Banner Thursday,” “Derby Girl”

10) The Copyrights – Learn the Hard Way
Goddamn, do I love this album. Pretty short; 14 songs clock in around 20-odd minutes, but there’s nothing wrong with that. Suffer‘s 15 tracks last all of 27 minutes, and Group Sex blows through 14 songs in 16 minutes. The Copyrights have nailed the art of the brief, catchy-as-hell pop-punk song, managing to release two stellar albums back-to-back (last year’s Make Sound). The lyrics are great, and with the fast and fun music running alongside them, conjure images of sweaty club shows, with crowds of kids pumping fists and pointing fingers while yelling the words back to the band. Choice cuts: “Second Hearse Same as the First,” “Charlie Birger Time,” “Shit’s Fucked”

Honorable Mention:

Less Than Jake – GNV FLA
Every time the guys in Gainesville’s favorite band hit the studio, the anticipation builds. Especially leading up to the band’s 2008 release, since it was their first not on a major label since Borders & Boundaries. They referred to the album as a “return to form,” and they weren’t kidding. The skittering ska guitar and horns hearken back to their mid-’90s masterpieces, Losing Streak and Hello Rockview. Lead single “Does the Lion City Still Roar?” encapsulates pretty much everything I love about Less Than Jake, and the openers, “City of Gainesville” and “The State of Florida,” which are basically a two-part song, sums up the band’s ska and punk influences, distilling them into their separate parts before the aforementioned “Lion City” mixes them back together in the Less Than Jake style. Choice cuts: the three songs mentioned above, “Conviction Notice”
The Phenomenauts – For All Mankind
Take the punky-New Wave of DEVO as a starting point. Amp up the sci-fi aesthetics, and write lyrics to match. Throw in a large dose of rockabilly, then up the punx a bit (not much, just enough). And you might even mix in some Aquabats for good measure. Taking this concoction, you will find yourself with The Phenomenauts, and their 2008 release For All Mankind. Starting off with “Man Alone,” which tells the listener that we all need “a mission,” something to drive us. The music is littered with these sorts of positive messages, in particular space exploration anthem “Infinite Frontier,” which NASA has begun to use in official productions, also inviting the band to check out their facilities. Not bad, huh? Choice cuts: “Man Alone,” “Make a Circuit With Me” (Polecats cover), “Infinite Frontier”
Sparks – Exotic Creatures Of the Deep
It’s more consistent than Hello Young Lovers was, and the hooks are better. Ron pens some wicked, characteristically smart and funny lyrics for brother Russell to belt and yelp over inventive Lil’ Beethoven-like loops mingled with traditional rock instrumentation. A culmination of the various stages of the Mael brothers’ long career? Perhaps. Great record? Definitely. Choice cuts: “Good Morning,” “Lighten Up, Morrissey,” “(She Got Me) Pregnant”
Alkaline Trio – Agony & Irony
Alkaline Trio, 10 years ago, released their seminal album Goddamnit. Since the release of that raw, essential punk document, their sound has gotten significantly mainstream and commercialized, resulting in videos being released for singles from albums From Here to Infirmary, Good Mourning, and Crimson. And now, in 2008, they bring us their latest album and first on Epic, Agony & Irony. Skiba has said the album was to be “hard rock” and “anthemic and sing-a-long-y.” Did the Trio succeed? Well, there certainly are a boatload of anthemic sing-a-long choruses on this record. When opener “Calling All Skeletons” kicks into gear, it’s hard not to bounce and want to sing along. Things go decidedly pop with single “Help Me,” but that’s not necessarily a bad thing (minus 10 punx points). All in all, while nowhere near the greatness that the Trio achieved in their pre-Infirmary records, this is certainly a strong album, with great hooks and songs. Choice cuts: “Calling All Skeletons,” “I Found Away,” “Into the Night”
H2O – Nothing to Prove
These NYHC-types issued a marvelous return to form. It’s not as hard as I might expect for a band that purports to be hardcore, but it rocks all the same, and will reassure their fans that age and family life has not dulled the band’s attack one bit.
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
I didn’t like it as much as Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus, I admit, but a damn fine album from Nick and the boys, and something of a return to form after a series of (highly enjoyable imo) albums in the vein of The Boatman’s Call.
Pennywise – Reason to Believe
Oh Pennywise. They’re pretty reliable, and this album was solid. Even if it was on MySpace Records.
Banner Pilot – Resignation Day
Gritty, fun punk rock. What’s not to like?
The Slackers – Self-Medication
I’m starting to be convinced that Vic Ruggerio and his merry band can’t make a bad album. Their previous effort, Peculiar, was only not-stellar compared to their back catalog. But really, Redlight is a tough act to follow.
Dragonforce – Ultra-Beatdown
It’s Dragonforce. You get a Dragonforce album, you know exactly what you’re getting. That said, it’s some awesomely fun, silly epic metal. This is probably the soundtrack to a game of D&D, or your World of Warcraft raid. And there’s nothing wrong with that.
Black President – s/t
This album perfectly captures the band’s live sound: fast and brutal. The only question is, what do they do now that Barack Obama is president?

Notable releases:
Lagwagon – I Think My Older Brother Used to Listen to Lagwagon EP
No Torso – Ready Already EP
Dresden Dolls – No, Virginia companion album
Elegant Machinery – “Feel the Silence” single
V/A – God Save the Queers Queers tribute album, kickass
The Ergs! – Hindsight is 20/20, My Friend b-side/singles comp
The Gaslight Anthem – Senor and the Queen EP
Lemuria – The First Collection
Dead to Me – Little Brother EP
Any of the Suburban Home Under the Influence split 7″ records
The plethora of quality vinyl re-releases that continue to drain my bank account

Bummers:
The Steinways – Gorilla Marketing
After last year’s excellent Missed the Boat 10″, I had high hopes for this album. Sadly, it just kind of muddles around. The lyrics aren’t as funny or memorable, and the music is likewise. Hopefully just a misstep along the path of great pop-punk.
The fucking Ergs! broke up
This isn’t an album, it’s an event, and it’s a huge goddamned shame. If you never saw them live, you missed out on one of the best pop-punk acts of our time. A trio of music nerds playing deceptively simple tunes. Go listen to “Books About Miles Davis” and “Pray for Rain.”
Ben Folds – Way To Normal
I dunno, I can’t get into this record. It’s just not doing it for me. The one-off Ben Folds Five reunion show didn’t do anything to help that, honestly; it just made me go back and listen to The Unauthorized Biography of Reinholdt Messner again and realize that that album may have been the high point of Ben’s career.
The Offspring – Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace
Goddamnit, they’re gonna make a real follow-up to Smash someday, I just know it!
Vampire Weekend
This is what everyone is getting all crazy about? Seriously? This Internet Hype Machine needs to settle the hell down.
Exciting Stuff in 2009
Honestly, all I really know about (off-hand) is that the Pet Shop Boys have an album coming out in March. Hell yes!

Jimmy Buffett - A1A

OK, so this is gonna be a little different. So far here we’ve seen nothing but reviews of punk albums, with a bit of ska and one acoustic solo effort by a punk frontman to shake things up. But dammit, this is a blog about music of all sorts, and so we’re going to talk about this album.

So I think just about everyone on Earth knows who Jimmy Buffett is. He’s the guy who, as of 2008, makes a ridiculous amount of money playing songs about getting drunk on beaches to white, middle- and upper-class suburbanites while they sit on lawns at overpriced venues and pretend they’re the kind of wandering, carefree troubadours that Buffett sings about. You have probably heard “Margaritaville” at some point in your life, and every now and then you might see a new album on the “New Release” chart, probably with some silly, punny title. You scoffed, more likely than not.

Probably surprising to some of you, but this was not always the picture of Jimmy Buffett and his career.

[Editor's note: this is, I think, the longest entry thus far.]

In 1974, Buffett was a young singer/songwriter, with a band called the Coral Reefers. He had released a country-folk album on the small Barnaby Records label, recorded another for them that they promptly “lost” (until “Margaritaville” became a hit in ’77 of course), and recorded a pair of albums for ABC-Dunhill Records that did moderately well; “Come Monday” off Living & Dying in 3/4 Time had been a modest radio hit, and “Why Don’t We Get Drunk…” (“and screw,” the line ends) from A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean was a favorite on jukeboxes in dive bars around the country. Between the Barnaby records and landing with ABC, he had gone to Key West and undergone a conversion from wannabe Nashville star, to sun-soaked beach bum. And so, it is in this stage of his career that Buffett recorded and released A1A, his record named after the Florida coast road that takes one down to the Florida Keys.

The album, like much of Buffett’s output at that point, is a pretty country-oriented affair. Now for the younger audience among us who have no sense of history, or of genres outside of cultural jokes and lame modern radio interpretations, country does not merely mean songs about the dog dying, your truck getting repo’d, and your wife leaving the trailer. Country music was simply a style, music to set a ballad-type song to. And Buffett was first and foremost a storyteller, which threw him into the balladeer catagory. And this album is filled with stories; see tracks like “A Pirate Looks at Forty,” written about a man who frequented one of the bars Buffett hung out at in Key West, or “Nautical Wheelers,” which tells of a rambuctious group again down in Key West.

Side A (the first 6 songs on the album) is half covers, but they fit with the album; “Makin’ Music for Money” is pretty accurate for what Buffett was doing at the time (making music for the sake of being able to make music, breaking even if you were lucky to get out and see places and have stories to tell), “Dallas” is a pretty harsh indictment of the city, and “Stories We Could Tell” sums up a big part of Buffett’s storyteller’s love.

Side B kicks off with the aforementioned “A Pirate Looks at Forty,” and leads into “Migration,” where Buffett finds himself looking at the wave of newcomers coming to Florida- and more specifically, the Keys- and not liking the direction he sees things going in. In the ’70s, when Buffett arrived, Key West was not the vacation destination we know it as now; it was a refuge for outcasts and misfits, and the town was wild because of it. Of course, eventually it became gentrified, and the fun was taken out of it (some people would make comparisons to Buffett’s career, and wonder if one caused the other).

The album wraps up with a trio of Buffett classics, including the wonderful “Nautical Wheelers.” The song namechecks his previous album- Living & Dying in 3/4 Time- and is perhaps one of the best songs he ever committed to wax.

One thing someone only familiar with Buffett’s later career- or what people tend to say about him and his music- is the distinct lack of corny jokes and cheesy appealing/pandering to his long-time audience (since he didn’t have one at this point). The music is more straightforward and honest. At this point, Buffett has no mythic persona to live up to, and so he’s telling the stories of what he sees and making the music he wants to. The album, as a result, contains some of his strongest material to date, and the album has aged well; it serves as a picture of the Key West he found upon arriving there in the early 1970s.

In the interest of not letting this go on forever and ever (too late), I will close with this: if you’re not too put off by the idea of country music and Jimmy Buffett to try listening to this record with an open mind, I suggest you do so. You may be surprised by what you find. There’s no “Cheeseburger in Paradise” or “Margaritaville” to be found here. Just a guy, his guitar, and some stories to tell.

Rating: What do you think?

Bad Religion - Suffer (1987)

I’m going to start this blog with a review of an incredibly important album to any fan of modern punk rock. Well, this is less a review, since the last thing the Internet needs is another review of an undisputed classic, and more just writing on why this record is important.

Note that this is in no way objective. Suffer is my favorite record of all-time.

Previous to this 1987 release, Bad Religion were a well-known and well-liked L.A. hardcore band, but not the legends of punk they are today. They had released an excellent self-titled EP, an incredible first album (1982′s How Could Hell Be Any Worse?), and one completely out-of-left-field LP, the prog-rock Into the Unknown. During the recording of that album, the band had largely broken up. The future didn’t look bright for Bad Religion.

Come around 1986; the original members were coaxed into reuniting (reportedly, Jay Bentley had to be promised they wouldn’t play any Into the Unknown material), and they dropped the Back to the Known EP. The production was cleaner, the sound was still the hard-hitting punk they were known for, but there were… vocal harmonies? What! The release was met with much love from the punk community. A promising young band had found its way again. But no one was ready for what came next.

When Suffer was released in late 1987, it was stunning. At a time when most punk releases sounded like they had been recorded in someone’s bathroom, this sounded incredibly professional. The guitars were crisp and brutal, and FAST. Opening track “You Are (the Government)” explodes out of the gate, delivering propulsive drumming, simple yet incredible effective guitar lines, and fast, clear, and well-enunciated vocals from Greg Graffin, and backing harmonies (or as the liner notes say, “Oozin’ Aahs”) from the rest of the band. The twin guitar attack from Brett Gurewitz and ex-Circle Jerk Greg Hetson bring to mind countless circle pits ’round the globe. Bad Religion weren’t content to just stir the punk rockers physically, though; Graffin and Gurewitz, the band’s two songwriters, were pissed off at the world, and had the vocabulary to express it in an erudite way that most of their peers never came close to. At a time when most hardcore bands were content to rail against Ronald Reagan, Bad Religion wanted to write songs about bigger problems that looked beyond the scope of any single person, to the world as a whole.

Clocking in at 15 songs in under half an hour, it’s a quintessential punk record. But the quality of the presentation, and of the contents, both musical and lyrical, raised this above the rest of the stagnating scene. Fat Mike, of NOFX, has called this “the record that changed everything.” It is often credited with “saving” SoCal punk. Indeed, it’s hard to find a punk band that doesn’t claim Bad Religion as an influence.

Many of the hallmarks of this record- the clear vocals, the professional production values, the pop-influenced backing vocals- are now commonplace in punk. As a result, the importance of this record might be lost on younger generations of punk fans. But listen to other hardcore records coming out of SoCal in 1985. Then listen to Suffer. Then listen to records that came after. There’s a sharp divide. This album changed everything.