|
|
|
parodies by nacrowe
up until 6th grade my family lived in the ORANGE COUNTY city of BREA. at the time being 11 the extent to which i knew of bands from SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA outside of THE BEACH BOYS were prominent bands that were being played on the local radio station 106.7 FM KROQ out of LOS ANGELES like BAD RELIGION and THE OFFSPRING. so i was utterly clueless about the underground music scene in and around my hometown during the period of my life when i actually lived in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
it was when i entered high school a few years later (on the other side of the country in MASSACHUSETTS) that i was fascinated to learn about notable HARDCORE bands that were not just from nearby ORANGE COUNTY cities like FULLERTON (SOCIAL DISTORTION, ADOLESCENTS, D.I.), GARDEN GROVE (THE OFFSPRING), PLACENTIA (AGENT ORANGE) and SANTA ANA (THE MIDDLE CLASS), but also neighboring LOS ANGELES COUNTY neighborhoods like LONG BEACH (T.S.O.L.), HERMOSA BEACH (CIRCLE JERKS, BLACK FLAG), VENICE BEACH (SUICIDAL TENDENCIES), MANHATTAN BEACH (DESCENDENTS, PENNYWISE) and HUNTINGTON BEACH (THE VANDALS) that i visited often as a child. it was like learning about an alternate cultural history of a place i thought i knew but learned i knew very little about. so i was pretty excited and thought long and hard about the bands i included on the LOS ANGELES PUNK ROCK show i did back in early 2021. contrary to the name i also included bands outside of the greater LOS ANGELES metropolitan area and included SAN DIEGO (BATTALION OF SAINTS) and POWAY (BLINK-182) as well. what i found interesting when reading and learning about the original scene in LOS ANGELES in the late 1970s was how INCLUSIVE and EXPERIMENTAL it was. with bands like THE GUN CLUB, THE WEIRDOS, X, THE FLESH EATERS, THE BAGS and THE GERMS you had such a wide array of bands finding their distinct voice through a litany of ROCKABILLY, COUNTRY and POST PUNK influences (well not THE GERMS, they were just abrasive sonic nihilists). very much seemed reminiscent of the nascent PUNK ROCK scene at CBGBs where you had PATTI SMITH, TALKING HEADS, TELEVISION, THE DEAD BOYS, BLONDIE and THE RAMONES all sharing the same small stage and supporting one another. the following NO WAVE and especially the NYHC scene seemed to occupy the seemingly polar opposite positions relative to unbridled EXPERIMENTALISM and PUNK ROCK FUNDAMENTALISM. that same dynamic played out in LOS ANGELES with the advent of HARDCORE and all the bands from the suburbs (like ORANGE COUNTY) coming in and taking over and bringing the angry jocks contingent with them. this dynamic i have covered in several documentaries and several books listed below. definitely check them out as well as DEER GOD RADIO episode dedicated to the history LOS ANGELES PUNK ROCK embedded below. definitely a highlight of my radio show. BOOKS DO WHAT YOU WANT: THE STORY OF BAD RELIGION BAD RELIGION & JIM RULAND VIOLENCE GIRL: A CHICANA PUNK STORY ALICE BAG UNDER THE BIG BLACK SUN: A PERSONAL HISTORY OF L.A. PUNK JOHN DOE KIDS OF THE BLACK HOLE: PUNK ROCK IN POSTSUBURBAN CALIFORNIA DEWAR MACLEOD MY DAMAGE: THE STORY OF A PUNK ROCK SURVIVOR KEITH MORRIS & JIM RULAND THE HEPATITIS BATHTUB AND OTHER STORIES NOFX GET IN THE VAN: ON THE ROAD WITH BLACK FLAG HENRY ROLLINS CORPORATE ROCK SUCKS: THE RISE & FALL OF SST RECORDS JIM RULAND DOCUMENTARIES CLOCKWORK ORANGE COUNTY JONATHAN W.C. MILLS A FAT WRECK SHAUN MICHAEL COLON FILMAGE: THE STORY OF DESCENDENTS/ALL DEEDLE LACOUR & MATT RIGGLE MY LIFE AS A JERK DAVID MARKEY PUNK ROCK EATS ITS OWN: A FILM ABOUT FACE TO FACE MATHEW BARRY & MAUREEN EGAN REALITY 86'D DAVID MARKEY WE JAM ECONO: THE STORY OF THE MINUTEMEN TIM IRWIN 
0 Comments
photo & text by nacrowe
my introduction to SST RECORDS as a teenager, like i presume with most people, was through the AMERICAN HARDCORE icons BLACK FLAG. for me the record label, much like DISCHORD, EPITAPH, ALTERNATIVE TENTACLES or FAT WRECK CHORDS, was the symbolic representation of the DIY ethic and the attached value system of SELF-DEPENDENCE and COMMUNITY-BUILDING that 80s HARDCORE epitomizes. BLACK FLAG, more than any other band of that era, trail-blazed and literally fought for a nationwide network of alternate venues that later bands of multiple genres benefitted from.
so for me reading CORPORATE ROCK SUCKS: THE RISE & FALL OF SST RECORDS (HATCHETTE, 2022) by JIM RULAND was pretty eye-opening in that it very much showcases the CONFLICTED, DUAL LEGACY of a legendary label that both opened doors for untapped talent (from DINOSAUR JR, THE MEAT PUPPETS, HUSKER DU and SONIC YOUTH to SAINT VITUS, THE MINUTEMEN, SOUNDGARDEN and OXBOW among countless others) yet effectively exploited them in turn. and it is that second legacy of EXPLOITATION that feels incongruous with the initial ETHOS and CULTURAL WEIGHT of BLACK FLAG, as the band exemplifies more than any other of its era the idea of uncompromising INTEGRITY. such is the crux of this incredible book. the band and the label both came out of a bloated 1970s cultural scene in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA that saw radio and means of promotion being corporatized to the point that all ALTERNATIVE VIEWPOINTS were seemingly edged out of the conversation. what GREG GINN accomplished with his band and label was to promote an ALTERNATIVE COMMUNITY that appreciated different perspectives and musical ideas. his label very much promoted emerging scenes from seemingly unrelated genres of INDIE ROCK (DINOSAUR JR), MELODIC HARDCORE (THE MINUTEMEN, HUSKER DU, THE DESCENDENTS), DOOM METAL (SAINT VITUS), PSYCHEDELIA (THE MEAT PUPPETS) and even experimental NOISE ROCK (SONIC YOUTH). in turn, the CULTURAL LEGACY of the label was one of being at the forefront of culture, well beyond its HARDCORE roots. these bands mentioned are the well-known ones, for the label put out many, many more by more OBSCURE and AVANT-GARDE musicians that ran the gamut from JAZZ and ELECTRONIC experiments to IMPROVISATIONAL SPOKEN WORD performances. the label was very much over the map. which gets at the current state of SST RECORDS. a dormant label that has largely been abandoned by its founder and has not nurtured the immense cultural legacies of its artists with comprehensive re-releases of landmark albums. worse, there are rumors that it has either misplaced or improperly stored master tapes. it just feels tragic that for a label that gave so many artists access to a community it fought so hard to initiate, that in the end they left it all to rot. or worse stagnate and fester as GINN refuses to voluntarily give artists their music rights back. music that his label has chosen to sit on, in some cases, for decades. its that dual notion of GINN as both a RIGHTEOUS SUPPORTER and a CORPORATE GOON that is difficult to swallow for those on the outside. just the idea that SST RECORDS is as much a part of that soulless corporate business-as-usual approach that they supposedly were fighting against. it is unfortunate. 
photo & text by nacrowe
the BAD BRAINS phenomena, like all of the 80s HARDCORE PUNK scene, was one generation before me. i never saw them live. but i often feel like all of the INDIE and ALTERNATIVE ROCK music i grew up on in the 1990s is very much the ripple effect of this band and specifically the power of their seminal self-titled debut BAD BRAINS (ROIR, 1982) record. bands ranging from FAITH NO MORE, JANE'S ADDICTION, FUGAZI, SOUNDGARDEN and DEFTONES to LIVING COLOUR, BEASTIE BOYS, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and NIRVANA. their sound is marked by an incredible unspoken CHEMISTRY and sense of MUSICALITY that can be described as a hybrid between a subtle and deft use of EXTREME DYNAMICS (almost JAZZ-like) coupled with an unparalleled FEROCITY and BRUTALITY that was entirely jolting and UNPREDICTABLE on first listen.
and to me it is that unbridled ENERGY that marks this legendary band. you watch old live clips and you realize this band was completely out for blood. their performances were just pure UNPREDICTABLE, KINETIC mayhem that seemed to be the result of a preternatural level of COMMITMENT and TECHNICAL ABILITY. POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE indeed. watching such comes across like the unadulterated real thing. like "this" is what ROCK N ROLL should be. end stop. and it makes perfect sense that their live show was so POTENT and COMBUSTIVE that it became too much for clubs in WASHINGTON D.C. to handle, making way for their move to NEW YORK CITY where THE YELLOW TAPE was haphazardly recorded on a reel-to-reel tape at a live gig in ALPHABET CITY. this record, like much of the HARDCORE releases in general, was less about sound quality and production as it was about ENERGY. when guitarist DR. KNOW kicks in on the opener "SAILIN ON" you very much know its on. same can be said for H.R. and his uncanny VOCAL PYROTECHNICS on celebrated tracks like "BIG TAKE OVER," "PAY TO CUM" and "BANNED IN D.C." its just powerful. its the type of record you listen to from front to back and wonder where you where for the last half hour. i revisit this BAD BRAINS record often, no doubt in part due to the fact that every subsequent band i love points right back to this specific record by this unique band as a defining experience and a primal scene in their formation as a musician. THE YELLOW TAPE is required listening for anyone interested in NYHC, PUNK ROCK, ALTERNATIVE ROCK, LOS ANGELES PUNK ROCK, INDIE ROCK, HARDCORE PUNK or related genres like METALCORE and POST HARDCORE. this is a widely influential record that is most definitely worth check it out. 
photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
narrated by celebrated RANCID/OPERATION IVY frontman and modern PUNK ROCK icon TIM ARMSTRONG, the NOISEY series UNDER THE INFLUENCE was a short-lived documentary series on their YOUTUBE channel that investigated three influential 20th century music scenes.
what stands out about this series to me is the loving care the producers took to more or less let the participants of the scene take control of the narrative, where ARMSTRONG's voice drops in from time to time to clarify or connect a few points. his famed marbled-mouthed voice is both JARRING and UNCONVENTIONAL, yet works its magic as it forces you to actively listen to his words. obviously with regards to RANCID, the NYHC and 2-TONE SKA scenes are two essential ingredients to their sound and it is interesting to get a sense of the HISTORY and POLITICS, both within the five boroughs as well as the receding sunset of the BRITISH EMPIRE, that informed how these musical forms and communities came about. in the case of NYHC and 2-TONE SKA it was a clash of cultures, an amalgamation of styles that created evolution. with KRAUTROCK you had a whole post-WWII generation of WEST GERMANS that wanted a collective CULTURAL YEAR ZERO. they wanted new forms that indebted NOTHING to the previous GERMANIC culture that had been pilfered and bastardized by the NAZIS. a new sound for a new WEST GERMANY. whats also cool is how they connect these past scenes to RIGHT NOW. its not academic so much as it is prologue for vital CREATIVITY currently happening. these segments are just as INVIGORATING and UNEXPECTED as the original scenes themselves. definitely check out these three episodes. they are beyond INFORMATIVE and well-produced and are definitely worth your time. 
photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
KENTUCKY's KNOCKED LOOSE is just an unrelentingly AGGRESSIVE and downright BRTUAL HARDCORE PUNK band. they deliver on straight down-the-middle, full-throated, spit-in-your-eye vocal ANTAGONISM to the point that you can hear vocalist BRYAN GARRIS' voice begin to shred. how can you not love that!? reminds me of the first time i heard PIG DESTROYER. and the breakdowns, come on!
KNOCKED LOOSE is an amazing band well worth checking out. 
photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
REALITY 86'D (WE GOT POWER FILMS, 1991) is a documentary parceled together from footage of the last 1986 tour conducted by legendary HARDCORE band BLACK FLAG in support of their final experimental IN MY HEAD (SST, 1985) record. it showcases the final touring lineup of HENRY ROLLINS, GREG GINN, C'EL REVUELTA and ANTHONY MARTINEZ as they make their way around the country playing small venues and dealing with uppity local POLICE, belligerent FANS and deceitful CONCERT PROMOTERS. in many ways this film feels like the documentary version of the ROLLINS' memoir GET IN THE VAN (review linked HERE) which similarly chronicles his touring career with BLACK FLAG and the immense PHYSICAL and PSYCHOLOGICAL toll that came with that experience.
given the SPARTAN, self-made, DIY nature of the band and the HARDCORE movement in general, what really strikes me about this film is how UNGLAMOROUS touring life was during this period for an INDEPENDENT band. obviously BLACK FLAG were the early pioneers that blazed the trail, establishing the very UNDERGROUND network of VENUES, BACKYARDS, BASEMENTS and VFW halls that made up the independent TOURING CIRCUIT that later PUNK-influenced ALTERNATIVE ROCK bands of the next decade would commercially benefit from. its a real gift to see how MUNDANE and AWFUL it is to watch a bunch of anemic vegans carting in their own speakers and equipment to shitty venues and then drive the bus to the next town. just the act of watching it feels EXHAUSTING. and that may be the point. this film really stands as a document of what PUNK ROCK and HARDCORE once was in its infancy. you get the sense that what was lost in terms of creature comforts back in the day was made up for handsomely with a begrudging, hard-earned sense of CAMARADERIE, which is ironic given that this film is essentially a documentation of the breakup of a POWERFUL and massively INFLUENTIAL band. id consider REALITY 86'D required viewing. definitely worth checking out for anyone interested in the 1980s HARDCORE and INDIE ROCK scenes that paved the way for 1990s ALTERNATIVE ROCK. compelling stuff. 
parodies by nacrowe
check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating the notoriously independent PUNK ROCK label DISCHORD 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 get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience! 
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 the fiercely independent record label DISCHORD 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! 
parodies by nacrowe
check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating the outspoken HARDCORE icon JELLO BIAFRA!
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! 
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 incredibly influential career of HARDCORE / ALTERNATIVE ROCK veteran DAVE GROHL!
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! 
photo manipulation by nacrowe
i came across this three-part series THE ART OF PUNK which examines the contributions of visual artists RAYMOND PETTIBON, WINSTON SMITH and the duo of DAVE KING/GENE VAUCHER and their iconic graphic work with HARDCORE PUNK bands BLACK FLAG, DEAD KENNEDYS and CRASS respectively. this online series was produced almost a decade ago for an installation at MOCA (MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART, LOS ANGELES).
i think the art associated with the AMERICAN and BRITISH HARDCORE scenes that sprung up in the 1980s after the initial wave of PUNK ROCK had subsided really took the DIY ethic to heart and ran with it. this was reflected in the raw intensity of the music, but also the iconic graphic work went into its presentation. obviously the brazenly political collage work of WINSTON SMITH was something that became part of the lexicon of flyers and fanzines alike. the fact that his work maintains a cohesive yet caustic edge this many years later really is a testament to its quality. the simple yet effective "DK" logo he created for DEAD KENNEDYS is likewise an iconic piece of graphic design that has been drawn on innumerable toilet stalls at venues over the years. too many for me to count. likewise the ink drawings of RAYMOND PETTIBON are absolutely unflinching and brutal. with an economy of movement, he is able to inflict maximum impact on his targets, which are often figures of power and corruption, both in public and on the domestic front. the logo he devised for his brother's band, BLACK FLAG, is now effectively AMERICAN folk art, given the repetition with which it has now been tattooed on HARDCORE fans throughout the intervening decades. what his interview shows is the depth of the humor in his work, which is sorely overlooked to date. in DAVE KING and GEE VAUCHER you are presented with a symbol that is rooted in the branding lexicon of tribal identification and corporate power. CRASS is such a complex, high-concept outfit with profoundly radical political leanings that make its adoption of the visual vocabulary a subversion in and of itself. with the CRASS symbol you are shown a sense of art steeped in intention and symbolism, which is the mark of any great art. anyway, THE ART OF PUNK is well worth your time whether or not you have any interest in PUNK ROCK per se. it is a series rooted in the deep power of images, a concept that thoroughly transcends any musical affiliation or tradition. if anything the work these artists produce make you think and by extension complicate the consumption of the music, which is something i find endlessly fascinating. 
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 the ferocious outspoken righteousness of HARDCORE icon JELLO BIAFRA!
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! 
photo & text by nacrowe
film and released in part as a celebration of their 25th anniversary as a PUNK ROCK record label, A FAT WRECK: A PUNK-U-MENTARY (OPEN ENDED FILMS, 2016) is a documentary about the bands, employees and greater community that make up FAT WRECK CHORDS. prominent interviews include members of bands ranging from NOFX, LAGWAGON, GOOD RIDDANCE, BAD RELIGION, STRUNG OUT, GET DEAD, THE BOMBPOPS, NO USE FOR A NAME, PROPAGANDHI, RISE AGAINST, WIZO, ANTI-FLAG, THE LOVED ONES, BAD COP/BAD COP and AGAINST ME! among others, as well as the label heads of ASIAN MAN RECORDS and SIDEONEDUMMY RECORDS and, of course, FAT WRECK CHORDS founder/president (and NOFX frontman) FAT MIKE and his ex-wife, vice president ERIN BURKETT.
i think given the fact that this documentary was concerned primarily with the celebration of a community, it made the film a bit meandering and long-winded at times. but in a good way, because although FAT MIKE and BURKETT act as a narrative through-line for the film, what transpires is a seemingly kaleidoscopic perspective on what the record label means to a lot of people. and i thought that that sense of purpose was powerful and vastly made up for the films structural weaknesses. so a few things that i thought were interesting: i thought it was awesome that they totally got into the whole PROPAGANDHI making fun of FAT MIKE's PUNKVOTER campaign on one of their records. just goes to show the commitment of the label, and FAT MIKE specifically, to fight for his bands' creative freedom, even when such is at his own expense. there is a line FAT MIKE makes about how for him business is personal. the whole "it's no personal, it's business" mantra of modern corporate culture is anathema to him. for him, the fairness and reliability of his record label is an extension of himself and his love for his chosen PUNK ROCK community. i thought that was quite touching and powerful. and it made business sense. whats crazy is how much the world changed in 2016 with election of DONALD TRUMP. i would kill to know what FAT MIKE's take on that debacle was but this film came out right before the shit hit the fan. i guess since im on the topic, itd also be interesting to see how PROPAGANDHI may try to conflate TRUMP with CLINTON just like they did in this film with KERRY and BUSH. i get it that they are a legendary stridently progressive political PUNK ROCK band and all, but seems to me BUSH was way way worse than KERRY. seemed kind of a no-brainer even back then so im a little confused on where they were coming from with that. their take seemed pretty naive. then again, im not CANADIAN. regardless, i really enjoyed this documentary and suggest anyone watch it that is interested in the history of modern PUNK ROCK, HARDCORE, POP PUNK or POST HARDCORE. that or anyone interested in the power of music to bridge together communities. sounds trite but this whole film is a full-throated testament to that. 
photo & text by nacrowe
at this point there is a whole cottage industry of DAVE GROHL-directed media products, from documentaries (SOUND CITY, WHAT DRIVES US) to tv shows (SONIC HIGHWAYS, FROM CRADLE TO STAGE) to his recent memoir THE STORYTELLER: TALES OF LIFE AND MUSIC (DEY STREET, 2021). oh yeah, and he makes music.
GROHL obviously has one of the most storied careers of any modern musician, having cut his teeth as a teen with the 1980s DC HARDCORE stalwarts SCREAM before serendipitously joining the legendary 1990s ALTERNATIVE ROCK group NIRVANA and then forming his own band, FOO FIGHTERS, after their demise. he's collaborated with everyone from LEMMY KILMISTER and TRENT REZNOR to CAT POWER and JOHN PAUL JONES. his side projects include PROBOT, THEM CROOKED VULTURES and a brief stint in QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE. but most music fans are familiar with his biography. and i believe he knows that, which is why his memoir is not a straight chronological telling of his personal narrative, but rather notable moments or vignettes told in sequential order. structurally it was very reminiscent of A HOUSE ON MANGO STREET. and i think such was a smart idea because it freed him to really dive into the meaning of certain rights of passage of his youth and that of his family without having to worry about how they fit into a broader context. again, most of these stories are familiar to anyone who has watched or read his interviews over the years or even read former KERRANG! editor PAUL BRANNIGAN's laboriously compiled biography THIS IS A CALL: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF DAVE GROHL (review linked HERE). what THE STORYTELLER provides is a perspective of a ROCK AND ROLL life rooted in family. GROHL goes to great lengths to show that his love of music was almost a manifestation of his unconditional love for his mother, who supported and sacrificed tirelessly on his behalf (a contrast to that of his father). but beyond his mother, his love of music connected him to an ever widening mandala of similarly minded friends that includes both the famous and the obscure; and they are both written about with equal wit and empathy. his childhood friend JIMMY SWANSON is as much a part of his personal narrative (perhaps more so) as that of KURT COBAIN, which is very endearing. given his public profile and immense cultural influence, it was likewise heartwarming to see GROHL give respect to his predecessors and influences: from NEIL PEART, PAUL MCCARTNEY and JOHN BONHAM, to LITTLE RICHARD, JOHN FOGERTY, AC/DC and JOAN JETT. even numerous obscure HARDCORE bands from his youth. THE STORYTELLER is in essence a vehicle for shining a light on the connective, reinvigorating force that is music, which is a common returning theme in all of his film and tv projects. by extension music makes everyone kin. everyone is connected on the same wavelength. aside from its focus on musicians, the core of what i found engaging about THE STORYTELLER is how music connects him with his children. how he takes inspiration from their courage to perform publicly in front of their school peers during their elementary years or how they relate to it on the same emotional wavelength that he does. this made me think about how i have that same musical relationship with my dad and how for GROHL and his children THE BEATLES are that connection point, THE STRANGLERS and THE SMITHS are the same with my father. i havent read about that intergenerational connection in any previous rock memoir, maybe with the exception of KEITH RICHARDS and his mother in LIFE (review linked HERE). i should point out that i found it odd that GROHL mentions his wife in passing (unlike his mother and daughters). it was an interesting omission. i thoroughly enjoyed this book and its focus on family and the nature of human connection through music or more elementally, love. i know most readers just want to hear COBAIN stories, but i thought he walked that line of audience expectation adroitly and with much care and empathy. THE STORYTELLER is well worth reading and i look forward to future non-musical efforts by GROHL and his ever expanding army of collaborators. 
photo & text by nacrowe
given DAVE GROHL's reputation for being an affable, righteous dude i had some initial misgivings about reading the biography THIS IS A CALL: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF DAVE GROHL (DA CAPO, 2011) by former KERRANG! editor PAUL BRANNIGAN. i was worried it would veer towards hagiography, especially given author's decades-long relationship interviewing and covering the towering ALTERNATIVE ROCK musician. but i am glad to report that THIS IS A CALL is a pretty even-handed accounting of GROHL's sprawling career up to the point of the FOO FIGHTERS' WASTING LIGHT (ROSWELL RECORDS, 2011) record a decade ago. this book is unauthorized but includes interviews with past band members and the man himself, many culled from past publications and documentaries, but also from BRANNIGAN himself.
i should state that i have read numerous NIRVANA books at this point, but what makes this book interesting is obviously seeing it from GROHL's perspective. at this point in 2021 GROHL is effectively the flag-waving elder-statesman of ROCK AND ROLL writ large. this has only been further cemented given his actions over the past decade (since this book's publication) in connecting more and more musicians and their stories to a wider audience with his personal television (SONIC HIGHWAYS) and documentary projects (SOUND CITY, WHAT DRIVES US). so it is interesting being taken along for the ride with GROHL, as his story in popular culture is so unavoidably intertwined with his time in NIRVANA and its doomed frontman KURT COBAIN. and that is unfortunate, because the sense you get from THIS IS A CALL is that for GROHL the defining relationship of his life is with music itself. time and time again you sense that for him music was a means of community, escape, passion and above all else, fun. like COBAIN, GROHL lived a childhood marked by divorce. unlike COBAIN, GROHL grew up in a nurturing, supportive environment. my sense is that PUNK ROCK to GROHL represented an extended family/community of like-minded individuals with a similar pragmatic DIY ethos towards life and art. i am not sure that was the case for COBAIN, who seemed to have boundless ambition maybe in hopes of proving his value. im playing armchair psychiatrist here, and i probably shouldnt, but it seems obvious from the get-go that GROHL never had the same hangups or guilt in following his musical ambitions, especially post-NIRVANA. again, from the beginning GROHL's enthusiasm was all about chasing the fun of playing music. as a child he became aware of the neighboring DC HARDCORE scene and started teenage bands in his native VIRGINIA. from his first serious project in MISSION IMPOSSIBLE to his stints in other outfits like DAIN BRAMAGE and local PUNK legends SCREAM, you get the sense these experiences provided him a vocabulary about how to interact with others. and obviously the musical shorthand faired him well in his later career with outside projects (THEM CROOKED VULTURES, PROBOT, LATE!, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE), session work (GARBAGE, NINE INCH NAILS, SLASH, DAVID BOWIE, KILLING JOKE and TENACIOUS D) and soundtrack work (TOUCH, RISING SUN: THE LEGEND OF SKATEBOARDER CHRISTIAN HOSOI). but a lot of this i already knew, what made this book interesting for me where the details about how if personal life affected his lyrical content in the first few records. there are several songs i didnt read as autobiographical that now i can plainly see were. i also appreciate the fact that BRANNIGAN didnt shy away from presenting GROHL at times as being highly opportunistic and unempathetic to the feelings of his "friends" like former FOO FIGHTERS WILLIAM GOLDSMITH and FRANZ STAHL, both unceremoniously booted with little patience or grace, just echos and silence. if anything, this biography is a great primer for GROHL's upcoming memoir which will highlight stories from his career. make sense, the dude is about connecting people. it is what makes him, well, him. 
parodies by nacrowe
check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO that examines over 40 years of LOS ANGELES PUNK 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! 
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. 
photo & text by nacrowe
in the summer of 2001 i visited a childhood friend of mine in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA my hometown in ORANGE COUNTY. it was like a month before 9/11 and at that point i had spent my junior year of high school in KUWAIT. i didnt know at the time that within 2 months id be living with a relative in SACRAMENTO. anyway, this friend of mine was big into PUNK ROCK, specifically 80s HARDCORE. he basically opened my eyes to a whole scene of local ORANGE COUNTY and LOS ANGELES COUNTY bands id hitherto been unfamiliar with, bands like THE ADOLESCENTS (FULLERTON), T.S.O.L. (LONG BEACH), THE MIDDLE CLASS (SANTA ANA), FEAR (LOS ANGELES), THE DESCENDENTS (MANHATTAN BEACH), D.I. (FULLERTON), THE VANDALS (HUNTINGTON BEACH), CHANNEL 3 (CERRITOS), AGENT ORANGE (PLACENTIA) and, of course, SOCIAL DISTORTION (FULLERTON) among many others. it was a great trip, i got to see T.S.O.L. headline a show in POMONA with the NERVE AGENTS and saw a reunion show in SANTA ANA with THE ADOLESCENTS celebrating their iconic ADOLESCENTS (FRONTIER, 1981) with CHANNEL 3 opening. cant complain.
but i remember my friend really looked down on SOCIAL DISTORTION because they weren't a straight-up HARDCORE band, they wore their ROCKABILLY, BLUES and COUNTRY influences pretty prominently on their sleeve. so obviously i gravitated towards them. to me they stood out because of those influences, because they werent a straight up HARDCORE band. they had depth. maybe its because i spent a lot of time in NEW JERSEY, but when i listen to songs by MIKE NESS of SOCIAL DISTORTION i feel there is more than a passing resemblance to another songwriting icon: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN. both are ROCK N ROLL lifers who are very much in the business of contextualizing the traditions of the genre through prism of their experiences and the ambtions of their respective communities. for SPRINGSTEEN that was the unfulfilled hopes and dreams of the working class greasers he grew up with in FREEHOLD and mingled with along the JERSEY SHORE. his music has an aspirational quality that is a through line with his lyrics, which often focuses on characters searching and seeking a better life for themselves and their loved ones. with NESS he may be speaking within the lexicon and iconography of FILM NOIR and the SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CAR CULTURE he witnessed in FULLERTON, but its very much the same thing: his songs tend to be about establishing an identity within a new community. one he initiated. both have differing aesthetics, but harbor a belief in the gospel of glory, sanctity and regenerative nature of ROCK N ROLL. some who find fault in NESS argue that his lyrics come off a bit confessional or transparent, especially in songs like "STORY OF MY LIFE" or "BALL AND CHAIN" off of their SOCIAL DISTORTION (EPIC, 1990) album that leave little to interpretation, but for me that is the sign of someone straddling the edge. to me there is a danger in that vulnerability which is something i dont associate with 80s HARDCORE, i associate it more with classic COUNTRY ballads and DELTA BLUES dirges. i think my friend in a sense was absolutely correct in not deeming SOCIAL DISTORTION a "real" PUNK ROCK band, since to me they transcend that genre. to me they are just a great ROCK N ROLL band with all that comes with it. 
photo & text by nacrowe
i remember getting REPEATER (DISCHORD, 1990) by FUGAZI at the recommendation of a childhood when i was visiting ORANGE COUNTY during the summer before my senior year of high school back in 2001. i believe i bought it at RADIATION RECORDS in FULLERTON. regardless, to my ears this record was a revelation because of its aggression, experimentation and sense of melody. since i was uninitiated into the world of POST-HARDCORE, at the time the nearest analogue i could think of was NIRVANA's IN UTERO (DGC, 1993). this record felt like a progression from that.
it wasnt until a few years later that i became acquainted with other bands like RITES OF SPRING, GLASSJAW, THE REFUSED and other seminal POST-HARDCORE bands that REPEATER gained a more apt context. i can only count a handful of times where my world changed when hearing something unique for the first time. that happened in NIGERIA when someone who worked for my parents played FELA KUTI nonstop, specifically the ITT (WRASSE, 1980) and CONFUSION BREAK BONES (WRASSE, 1989) cassette tapes. it happened when i first heard both NOTHING'S SHOCKING (WARNER BROS, 1988) and RITUAL DE LO HABITUAL (WARNER BROS, 1990) by JANE'S ADDICTION on the same trip in SOUTH AFRICA. it also happened when i discovered DEVO in high school or THE SMITHS and THE STRANGLERS from track meet trips with my dad during my elementary school years. i always wonder how much of your media diet is a reflection of your openness to new sounds, images and ideas during specific moments in your life. and who you surround yourself with. growing up moving all the time ive been around a lot of people with varying tastes and outlooks and i feel sometimes my exposure reflects such. in the case of FUGAZI, i was years late to that party. but i still find myself listening to this record especially standout tracks like "MERCHANDISE," "BLUEPRINT," "GREED," and of course "REPEATER" that all have a raw earnestness around them that is reflected in the lyrics and pummeling yet nuanced dynamism of the guitar assault. now i hear their sound in other bands all the time, so it has dated a bit since i firts heard it, which of course was more than a decade after its release. great record i highly recommend checking out for fans of PUNK ROCK and HARDCORE. 
photo & text by nacrowe
my experience with having a radio show precede DEER GOD RADIO and go back all the way to high school. i was lucky in that the boarding school i attended had a radio station that they fully encouraged students to participate in. for me it was a game changer because 1) even back then i was always exploring music and this provided a platform to share such with 2) a new community that i inadvertently joined in the process. the more i got involved the more i listened to other shows and learned about new music. so in essence it was an all-around great vicious cycle to be a part of that i really enjoyed.
during that period of my underclass years in high (roughly 1998-2000) i discovered 1980s HARDCORE. bands like BLACK FLAG, MINOR THREAT, THE GERMS, REAGAN YOUTH, VOID, DESCENDENTS, MDC, YOUTH BRIGADE, THE MIDDLE CLASS, DOA, THE CIRCLE JERKS, and of course, DEAD KENNEDYS. believe me, that list goes on... and on. some of those bands i learned from classmates, but the majority of them were from the shows of upperclassman at the station. for me, DEAD KENNEDYS stood out because of their musicality and the strident, confrontational nature of their rabidly political lyrics. frontman JELLO BIAFRA was also highly charismatic and funny, something i dont think he gets credit for. i think the lyrics of FRESH FRUIT FOR ROTTING VEGETABLES (ALTERNATIVE TENTACLES, 1980) songs like "KILL THE POOR" and "LET'S LYNCH THE LANDLORD" work because they are so hyperbolic yet earnest. it felt even two decades later like he was very much playing with fire with a smirk and a sense of mischief as well as purpose. its an interesting mix. undoubtedly the reference in his name to the NIGERIAN BIAFRAN WAR also drew my attention, given that i had recently relocated to my boarding school from a middle school in LAGOS. i cant say that association wasnt an initial detail that peaked my interest at the time. in songs like "CALIFORNIA UBER ALLES," "HOLIDAY IN CAMBODIA" and even "VIVA LAS VEGAS" there is a sense of reducing AMERICAN MIDDLE CLASS VALUES of CONSPICUOUS CONSUMERISM and POLITICAL ACQUIESENCE to their end extremes. in an era of TRUMPISM and the efforts of extreme elements with the conservative movement actively corroding democracy itself, these songs seem more of a harbinger of things to come than silly pastiche. obviously BIAFRA saw something in RONALD REAGAN's AMERICA that portended things to come. the last thing i'll mention is the guitar work of EAST BAY RAY, which at times delves into ROCKABILLY and even SURF MUSIC. despite the aura and charms of BIAFRA, the hidden ingredient are the decidedly tasty slap-back delayed, single-not soundscapes that mark much of the songs on this record and future DEAD KENNEDY records. much as BIAFRA infused his political screeds with humor, parodies and clever wordplay, the guitar work of EAST BAY RAY and its departure from the basic power chord monotony of HARDCORE really amplified and focused the attack and bite of the band. for me those are the two main ingredients that made their debut such a remarkable achievement. aside from being a definitive album of the period, this record likewise reminds me of the power of keeping an open ear to new music, which is something i continued in college as well as more recently with the nonprofit, streaming radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC out of STATEN ISLAND of all places. like GEORGE CLINTON once said, "FREE YOUR MIND AND YOUR ASS WILL FOLLOW." 
|
July 2022
All
|
