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BOOK REVIEW | "ASSASSINATION VACATION" BY SARAH VOWELL

6/14/2021

photo & text by nacrowe

written in the intervening years after GEORGE W. BUSH's disastrously incompetent and misguided (to put it diplomatically) decision to lead AMERICA into war with IRAQ, ASSASSINATION VACATION (SIMON & SCHUSTER, 2006) by SARAH VOWELL is a memoir about her pilgrimage to sites associated with the murders of past presidents ABRAHAM LINCOLN, JAMES A. GARFIELD, WILLIAM MCKINLEY and their assassins.

yes the premise of this book is all a bit morbid, but her humor and enthusiasm for the subject is what makes this book ironically so pleasant and enjoyable. learning about MARYLAND's racist state song or VIRGINIA's often quoted state motto (by JOHN WILKES BOOTH and TIMOTHY MCVEIGH alike) makes you question the sanity of our system of government all over again. or at least have some respect for how the rancid sausage is made. furthermore, learning about the entrenched corruption and incompetence between government and business during the GILDED AGE of the late 19th century, it is difficult if not impossible not to make the connection to the BUSH ERA. furthermore having read this in 2021, from my vantage point GEORGE W. BUSH comes off as child's play next to the malice and fear-mongering that defined the recent DONALD TRUMP era (and still does to present). the real star of the show seems to be how far the party of LINCOLN has fallen. getting acquainted with GARFIELD and MCKINLEY makes you appreciate the machinations and swell of corporate interests that swayed foreign and domestic policy back then. its beyond depressing.

this is also the type of book that i found myself constantly googling photographs, statues, tombs and historical markers related to obscure figures lost to history like EDWIN BOOTH (legendary SHAKESPEAREAN actor and older brother of JOHN WILKES), ROBERT TODD LINCOLN (eldest son of ABRAHAM), ROSCOE CONKLING (REPUBLICAN NEW YORK SENATOR) and MARCUS HANNA (REPUBLICAN campaign manager). what stood out to me was the section about GARFIELD's passing at the JERSEY SHORE. being a resident of the area, i knew about SEVEN PRESIDENTS BEACH but had no idea that presidents vacationed in LONG BRANCH multiple times. to me that fact was a bit of a shock. to learn that a church ive passed numerous times was where a president was aheld before transport back to WASHINGTON D.C. is pretty interesting and something i feel cheated in not knowing earlier. not since reading BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN's BORN TO RUN (SIMON & SCHUSTER, 2016) have i found myself getting out and finding local spots of historic significance. i was also relieved to learn that GARFIELD wasnt shot in NEW JERSEY, that happened in D.C. he just came north to convalesce and take in the warm climate. at least he passed in pretty area.

definitely an idiosyncratic, personal and thoroughly enjoyable book that makes investigating history both humorous and absolutely devastating. highly recommended.

"DEER GOD RADIO 115: POST ROCK" NOW AVAILABLE

6/13/2021

parodies by nacrowe

check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO that explores the experimental soundscapes of POST ROCK.

past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives.

and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!

RECORD REVIEW | "SUBLIME" BY SUBLIME

6/12/2021

photo & text by nacrowe

i know that SUBLIME get a bad rap due to the fact that their fans are by and large assholes. and by that i mean oafish frat boy meatheads and their adjacent WHITE PRIVILEGE and warped sense of ENTITLEMENT that use the band as an entry point into REGGAE without having to understand thorny issues like JAMAICAN / AFROCENTRIC politics, history and culture. in essence SUBLIME get tagged for WHITE-WASHING REGGAE and DUB in a similar fashion to how ORANGE COUNTY third-wave SKA did for that genre.

i get that. i really do. the number of times ive been to a beach somewhere stateside or even in SOUTH AMERICA, SOUTHEAST ASIA or the MEDITERRANEAN where AMERICANS are vacationing and inevitably listening to "BADFISH" off of their 40oz. to Freedom (SKUNK, 1992) is to many to count. its cringeworthy.

however, that being said i dont question the intent or integrity of the late songwriter BRAD NOWELL when he released his string of records in the mid 1990s. in a sense he was able to bridge the gap between SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PUNK ROCK and ROOTS REGGAE, which he got into after a childhood trip to JAMAICA with his family. SUBLIME was one of several bands (311, RANCID, etc.) playing with this sort of hybrid but in my estimation they had more of an edge. they re-contextualized it for the work-class white inhabitants of the SOUTH BAY in greater LOS ANGELES.

their eponymous, and final, record SUBLIME (MCA, 1996) was the high-water mark of the band and their sound. even now it sounds unique and hasnt really been co-opted and aped as was the case with other influential bands of the era, namely NIRVANA (which begot bands like PUDDLE OF MUDD, SEETHER) ALICE IN CHAINS (NICKLEBACK, GODSMACK) or RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE (NU-METAL in general). songs like "SANTERIA," "WHAT I GOT," "WRONG WAY" and "DOIN' TIME" were all well-constructed hits on ALTERNATIVE ROCK radio at the time, but for me this record is really about the skanked-out bliss of songs like "PAWN SHOP," "APRIL 29, 1992 (MIAMI)," "SAME IN THE END," "BURRITOS" and especially "GARDEN GROVE." for me those songs successfully crossed PUNK ROCK with REGGAE in a cohesive, seemingly organic manner while lyrically providing commentary on issues of ECONOMIC INSECURITY, SUBURBAN BOREDOM and RACIAL INEQUALITY.

just kind of sucks that the band is associated with FRATERNITY culture. i think NOWELL deserved better.

CHECK OUT THIS BAND | FULL OF HELL

6/11/2021

photo manipulation by nacrowe

i mean first off, with a name life FULL OF HELL, what is there not to like about this absolutely brutal PENNSYLVANIA / MARYLAND GRINDCORE band?

what i love about this band is the blistering intensity of their music, they seemingly relish punishing the listener with their unrelenting waves of blast beats and pummeling riffage to the point of abstraction. on that front it makes total sense that they did a collaborative effort with noted POST ROCK outfit MERZBOW who likewise explore and juxtapose irregular sonic textures.

again, FULL OF HELL is beyond brutal but there is a sense of composition and serious intent just below the surface. most definitely worth checking out.

"DEER GOD RADIO 114: GREG KURSTIN PRODUCTION" NOW AVAILABLE

6/10/2021

parodies by nacrowe

watch HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO dedicated to the stellar MUSIC PRODUCTION career of GREG KURSTIN.

past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives.

and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!

RECORD REVIEW | "DOUBLE FANTASY" BY JOHN LENNON & YOKO ONO

6/9/2021

photo & text by nacrowe

DOUBLE FANTASY (GEFFEN, 1980) by JOHN LENNON and YOKO ONO is probably the most depressing album ever made. and that is not to say the songs are bleak or somber in tone, in fact it is the opposite. songs such as "BEAUTIFUL BOY," "WATCHING THE WHEELS" and "(JUST LIKE) STARTING OVER" find LENNON in a state of DOMESTIC BLISS, after surviving his years-long lost weekend away from ONO, and unbridled optimism about his new son SEAN. this record is so PAINFUL and HEATBREAKING to listen to because of its BUOYANT outlook and CHEERFUL, UPBEAT tone.

this is one of those records that is nearly impossible to listen to and divorce it from the fact that LENNON was senselessly murdered by a fan shortly after its release. similar albums in this regard that come to mind are JOY DIVISION's CLOSER (FACTORY, 1980) and NIRVANA's NEVERMIND (DGC, 1991). but those two are not comforting records celebrating FATHERHOOD and the benefits of COMPANIONSHIP. knowing about LENNON's own biography and the role his mother JULIA played into his fear of ABANDONMENT (she deserted him as a child), the very idea of him finding a sense of IDENTITY and SALVATION through LOVE at the moment his life was snuffed out from under him is too much to bear. even now more than 40 years later. at the risk of sounding entitled i'll say emphatically that we were all robbed.

i literally cannot listen to this record without getting emotional. LENNON most definitely had one of the most affective singing voices ever which is severely underrated during and after his time. the former BEATLE had a unique instrument in that regard that allowed him to come off EARNEST and TUNEFUL without coming off as overly CONTRIVED or PROFESSIONAL. it worked in his favor throughout his career and gave his material the illusion of being effortless and of the people. it gave his songs an EVERYMAN quality. to this day when i hear PUNK ROCK, i hear LENNON.

since childhood every time i hear this album it makes me think of my father, much like hearing "BABY LOVE" by THE SUPREMES reminds me of my mother. its just such an astounding affecting achievement and too tragic for words. a seminal recording by an iconic generational talent that should be heard and appreciated by everyone.

FILM REVIEW | MOOG

6/8/2021

photo manipulation by nacrowe

MOOG (ZU33, 2004) is a documentary about DR. ROBERT MOOG and the cultural legacy of his namesake analog MODULAR SYNTHESIZERS. most of the film takes place at his home and nearby office, both in ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, where director HANS FJELLESTAD interviews him one-on-one about the nature of innovation and creating instruments hitherto unimagined.

and for me that is the crux of this documentary. the idea of what goes into a market disruption. in his case, ROBERT MOOG had a curiosity to build and explore the sonic possibilities found in ANALOG CIRCUITS. and that explorer mentality to experiment with new technology and simultaneously seek out and nurture a community of artists and musicians that find value in your creation is rather inspiring. its almost cult-like.

its hard now in the age of SAMPLES, TRIGGERS, AUTO-TUNE and various PRO TOOLS-related wizardry being a part of MUSIC PRODUCTION, both live and recorded in nearly every genre, to think back and realize how transgressive the MODULAR SYNTHESIZER was upon its creation. ROBERT MOOG talks about how people were angry at him personally, feeling as though he was ruining modern music. back then, and seemingly there is still is with an older segment of today's population (cough, cough, BOOMERS, cough), a decided bias against music that is not created utilizing a string-based, percussive or woodwind instrument. SWITCHED ON BACH (COLUMBIA, 1968) by WENDY CARLOS certainly showcased the musicality of MODULAR SYNTHESIZERS to a wider popular audience, but for some holdouts synths are seen as a fake and non-musical.

i think from watching this documentary, you really get the sense of the personal, human touch ROBERT MOOG brought to his instruments, in part by allowing his community of artists and musicians to provide him with feedback that shaped further models that were more compact with an ever expansive array of features. in many ways this documentary is as much about that community as it is about his analog circuits and their technical wizardry. musicians featured throughout include KEITH EMERSON, BERNIE WORELL (PARLIAMENT-FUNKADELIC), DJ LOGIC, MIX MASTER MIKE (BEASTIE BOYS), DJ SPOOKY, MONEY MARK (BEASTIE BOYS), JEAN-JACQUES PERREY, PAMELIA KURSTIN, RICK WAKEMAN (YES) and WALTER EDMOND SEAR among others.

obviously he was on to something because we are no in his world. there is no delineation anymore between the ORGANIC and INORGANIC sounds, its all blended.

BOOK REVIEW | "VIBRATE HIGHER" BY TALIB KWELI

6/7/2021

photo & text by nacrowe

i found VIBRATE HIGHER (MCD, 2021) to be a highly unusual memoir since TALIB KWELI, the celebrated NYC MC chose to utilize the form as a means of celebrating and voicing the struggles and passions of his community. it is a distant cry from an ego-driven boasting of past glories and a tired, myopic, self-serving rise-to-greatness against-all-odds narrative which is sadly par for the course of most autobiographies concerning famous musicians. in a sense this wider perspective of this seen in his memoir dovetails quite nicely with the authenticity and integrity associated with his music career. large sections of this book highlight his past major collaborative relationships with the likes of producers such as HI-TEK, J DILLA and 9TH WONDER as well as the extraordinarily gifted YASIIN BEY (formerly MOS DEF). hey pays homage to both those that provided the path (CHUCK D, NINA SIMONE, KRS-ONE, HARRY BELAFONTE, A TRIBE CALLED QUEST, FUNKMASTER FLEX, RAKIM, PRINCE and DE LA SOUL) as well as fellow travelers (DAVE CHAPPELLE, THE ROOTS, COMMON, ERYKAH BADU) along the way.

the scope of this book is quite large and comprehensive and seemingly covers everything from PARENTHOOD, FAMILY, COMMERCIAL VS UNDERGROUND HIP HOP and ARTISTIC INDEPENDENCE to PAN-AFRICANISM, BLACK POWER, the CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT and BLACK NATIONALISM to modern SOCIAL JUSTICE movements like BLACK LIVES MATTER. just on his ability to meaningfully cover that sort of ground with a sense of cohesion is quite the achievement. but admirers of his CREATIVE WORK and POLITICAL/SOCIAL ACTIVISM would expect nothing less.

what i appreciated most about this book was KWELI's ability to articulate the seeming disparities and gaps between his PERSONAL LIFE and his PUBLIC PERSONA. specifically i am referring to how his career affected his relationship with his first wife and his time availability for his children early on. i thought that was particularly courageous to voice how he made mistakes in terms of INFIDELITY and paper-chasing early on and how that balance took a moment to suss out and recalibrate. especially since KWELI is often given the "CONSCIOUS RAPPER" tag in media profiles, for me as a fan it was particularly meaningful that he was able to fess up to when he didnt meet his own standards. that he was confident enough to admit his weaknesses and past mistakes just makes him that much more compelling as an artist in my opinion. makes him HUMAN.

another thread throughout this memoir is the importance of FAMILY and EDUCATION. being the son of educators, KWELI despite his uneven academic career always seemed inclined to maintain a sense of curiosity about the world and his place in it. even well past his days at NYU, his first impulse when presented with a difficult situation is to educate himself or surround himself with knowledgable people. this happens with regards to business as well as political matters. he seems to be the very definition of what they called in EDUCATION circles a "LIFE-LONG LEARNER." what makes that instinct all the more noble in my opinion is his inclination to use his pulpit and PUBLIC PERSONA as a means of furthering that message. there is a risk and an opportunity cost to being so outspoken in your lyrics, perhaps you are limiting your commercial appeal to some demographic, but seemingly this is what makes him him. his AUTHENTICITY and CURIOSITY is the commodity he trades in and this memoir does his REPUTATION justice.

i want to admit my bias as well, because given that i did my student teaching in graduate school at BROOKLYN TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL, KWELI's alma mater, i cannot help but root for the guy. he just seems like a conscientious kid that did well and never forgot his roots. his city. his people.

VIBRATE HIGHER is a compelling memoir that educates just as much, if not more, about the struggle for political suffrage and economic/social justice of a community then the artist himself. i dont think he'd have a problem with that description of his book, which is probably why this is easily one of the better memoirs by a musician (of any genre) i have come across. highly recommended.

"DEER GOD RADIO 128: WARP RECORDS" LIVE TONIGHT AT 10PM EST ON MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC

6/6/2021

parodies by nacrowe

join us TONIGHT at 10PM EST for an all new episode of DEER GOD RADIO on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC with a playlist celebrating the legendary BRITISH experimental ELECTRONIC MUSIC label WARP RECORDS.

past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives.

and if you haven't done so already, make sure and download the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!

"DEER GOD RADIO 127: PANTERA" LIVE TONIGHT AT 8PM EST ON MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC

6/6/2021

parodies by nacrowe

join us TONIGHT at 8PM EST for an all new episode of DEER GOD RADIO on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC with a playlist celebrating DIMEBAG DARRELL and the legendary METAL band PANTERA!

past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives.

and if you haven't done so already, make sure and download the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!

RECORD REVIEW | "SMASH" BY THE OFFSPRING

6/5/2021

photo & text by nacrowe

i know its hard to believe now, but there was a period - however brief - that THE OFFSPRING did not suck.

1994 was a big year in music for a lot of reasons, but i distinctly remember what it was like to be in elementary school in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA when SMASH (EPITAPH, 1994) went big that year. at the time i was big into BASKETBALL and played lots of tournaments of with a traveling team, i even knew the coaches at the three high schools in my area (ORANGE COUNTY) as i was a known entity at that time. so i remember going to basketball tournaments all over the state when songs like "COME OUT AND PLAY" and "SELF ESTEEM" got played during warmups. at the time i knew THE OFFSPRING were a local band (BUENA PARK) and i knew the record was massive. i didnt have MTV as none of my friends had cable, but i did listen to 106.7FM KROQ out of LOS ANGELES. at the time i became conscious of music, the SEATTLE ALTERNATIVE ROCK scene was massive and ubiquitous so it was cool to know that a local band was on that level. this was a time that was before the national emergence of SUBLIME (LONG BEACH) and NO DOUBT (ANAHEIM) but concurrent with that of GREEN DAY (EAST BAY).

looking back now, SMASH and its predecessor IGNITION (EPITAPH, 1994) were both albums that were made by musicians that obviously had a love for LOS ANGELES HARDCORE bands like THE GERMS (HOLLYWOOD) and BLACK FLAG (HERMOSA BEACH) yet were noticeable influenced by the melodicism of other local acts like THE ADOLESCENTS (FULLERTON), AGENT ORANGE (PLACENTIA) and THE DESCENDENTS (MANHATTAN BEACH). to my ears this record is a marriage of those two approaches and a fairly successful one at that. for some odd reason which i cannot explain, after this record the band decided to go a more "WEIRD AL" YANKOVIC route and make novelty songs that double as lame social commentary. for me and a lot of other earlier admirers this really killed their appeal. i am almost certain that there are some reading this that share this antipathy for the band in general.

but there was a moment that THE OFFSPRING didnt suck. and this album was it. what caught me off guard was when i moved to NIGERIA in 1996 and met fellow classmates from places like ISRAEL, NORWAY, KENYA, LEBANON, ENGLAND and GHANA who knew about the band and were fans of the scene they came from. i realized then the true scope of this record. all future releases by seminal bands from my former hometown would be experienced as an outsider as i never moved back. i dont feel nostalgic about my time in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (i was happy to leave), but hearing this record, especially lesser known cuts like "GOTTA GET AWAY" and "NOT THE ONE" take me right back to being a pre-adolescent in ORANGE COUNTY.

CHECK OUT THIS BAND | DIRTY GHOSTS

6/4/2021

photo & text by nacrowe

originally a collaborative effort with her then-spouse, AESOP ROCK, DIRTY GHOST is essentially for all intents and purposes the NEW WAVE / POST PUNK influenced solo work of SAN FRANCISCO songwriter ALLYSON BAKER.

personally i just find the brashness of their music fun and intoxicating. to my ears it is just no-nonsense ROCK AND ROLL in the tradition of some of my favorite all time bands from DEVO to THE STRANGLERS.

definitely worth checking out.

"DEER GOD RADIO 113: 2000s ROCK REVIVAL" NOW AVAILABLE

6/3/2021

parodies by nacrowe

check out HERE the latest episode of DEER GOD RADIO that explores the POST PUNK, INDIE ROCK and GARAGE ROCK influenced scene that was the ROCK REVIVAL of the early aughts.

past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives.

and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!

RECORD REVIEW | "MIDNITE VULTURES" BY BECK

6/2/2021

photo & text by nacrowe

with MIDNITE VULTURES (DGC, 1999), its hard to discern whether gifted songwriter / cultural chameleon BECK is parodying 70s/80s FUNK and R&B (a la PRINCE) or lionizing it. case in point is the song "DEBRA" which finds him coyly crooning and then wailing away with his impressive falsetto about his feelings towards a woman and her sister, whom he think is named, well, Debra. its so ridiculous yet virtuosically performed that it really walks that line. its also my favorite song on the album. to this day i cant discern whether it is pastiche or parody and maybe that ambiguity is the point.

other standout tracks such as "BROKEN TRAIN," "GET REAL PAID," "SEXX LAWS," "NICOTINE & GRAVY" and "MIXED BUSINESS" all utilize the synth lines, gated reverb, clipped percussion and synth pad textures that make the genre such a sonically pleasurable experience. it is a fun record that seems less concerned with the pastiche techniques utilized in his universally celebrated ODELAY (DGC, 1996) record and more directly interested in exploring the sonic oeuvre of classic FUNK from ZAPP and LAKESIDE to PARLIAMENT and the THE GAP BAND with a healthy bit of AL GREEN, LIONEL RITCHIE and BOBBY WOMACK thrown in the mix. at least that is what i hear.

this record is basically the answer to the question "what would a PRINCE record sound like if BECK made it?" it makes sense to me that he could pull it off given his staggering gift for songwriting and mercurial persona. and that core identity as a songwriter is what makes his discography so interesting, irregardless of genre or recording techniques, however experimental. this is his FUNK record, but he shines just as brightly in a FOLK or HIP HOP context.

i first heard this record when it came out. at the time i was in boarding school in NEW ENGLAND and like most things i was exposed to during that period, i had no context for understanding it. at 15 i wasnt familiar with the pioneering DUST BROTHERS pastiche production innovations found within the BEASTIE BOYS' PAUL'S BOUTIQUE (CAPITOL, 1989) record, much less classic FUNK. i just knew it sounded energetic, fresh, idiosyncratic and above all else, fun.

and that is pretty much why i still go back to this record. its just fun. its definitely worth revisiting and pays dividends for those seeking experimental audiophile easter eggs and classic pop hooks alike. recommended highly.

FILM REVIEW | FILMAGE: THE STORY OF DESCENDENTS / ALL

6/1/2021

photo manipulation by nacrowe

seriously, how cool is it that someone finally made a documentary about the DESCENDENTS?

FILMAGE: THE STORY OF DESCENDENTS/ALL (ROGUE ELEPHANT, 2014) is basically a celebration of the music and legacy of legendary HARDCORE band DESCENDENTS and their fraternal twin band ALL. the common link between the two is drummer BILL STEVENSON who famously also was a member of BLACK FLAG in the early 1980s, as has also moonlighted as an in-demand producer over the past few years that has overseen albums by everyone from RISE AGAINST, THE LEMONHEADS and LAGWAGON to A DAY TO REMEMBER.

the film can be seen as a love letter from the PUNK ROCK community to a band largely credited with establishing the POP PUNK genre with its pummeling musicianship and anti-rock star frontman, the iconic MILO AUKERMAN, who sang songs that had melody and lovesick lyrics about not measuring up in high school. with peers like KEITH MORRIS (BLACK FLAG / CIRCLE JERKS), MIKE WATT (MINUTEMEN), BRIAN BAKER (MINOR THREAT / BAD RELIGION), GREG GRAFFIN (BAD RELIGION), BRETT GUREWITZ (BAD RELIGION), KIM SHATTUCK (THE MUFFS), DAVE GROHL (NIRVANA / FOO FIGHTERS) and subsequent bands they influenced like MARK HOPPUS (BLINK 182), FAT MIKE (NOFX), JIM LINDBERG (PENNYWISE), MIKE HERRERA (MXPX), TIM MICIIRATH (RISE AGAINST), TREVER KEITH (FACE TO FACE) and JOEY CAPE (LAGWAGON) all making enthusiastic appearances and giving praise about this criminally underrated band, it feels almost like THE SMITHS-level adulation. its touching.

what i found most interesting in this documentary was how it covered the split personality of DESCENDENTS with their counterpart ALL, which was essentially the same band without MILO. this was amicable as MILO left to pursue a doctorate and career as a researcher in MOLECULAR BIOLOGY. how PUNK ROCK is that? but his departure left a void that couldnt be filled by subsequent gifted singers that played with ALL. the band never got the critical recognition or fan adulation as the DESCENDENTS. DAVE GROHL was the perfect person to speak about this dilemma. famously he lived through it when establishing FOO FIGHTERS in the wake of the swift and brutally public demise of NIRVANA. choosing to start a new band in the wake of a successful band can only be done for the love of the music he argues. FOO FIGHTERS were financially successful, ALL not so much. but their friendship and brotherhood is intact and the PUNK ROCK community has continued to support them.

when i first heard the DESCENDENTS in high school i was immediately taken with how raw and almost uncomfortably exposed the lyrics were and how that contrasted with the aggressive nature of the music. they were HARDCORE band that went against any macho posturing. they sang about food and bathroom humor as well as being dumped; all with a melody. very distinctive. i had NERF HERDER as well in high school but to me it seemed more a straightforward POP PUNK record in the vein of many other bands. there was no tension or angst, just competent songs sung well without much fanfare or identity.

the lesson of STEVENSON's example, and in essence he is the central figure in this film, is to be passionate about who you do and go for it. despite being awkward and overweight and dorky. use that to your advantage. be an outsider. be original. DESCENDENTS are originals and that is why they continue to be celebrated.