i hate SACRAMENTO with a PASSION.

i spent my senior year of high school living with a relative in a WHITE-BREAD suburb of the state capital in the wake of 9/11 and was just appalled at the IN-YOUR-FACE JINGOISM, RACISM and just NAKED IDIOCY on full daily display.  and that aftertaste very much still lingers.  at the time, i kept thinking that nothing of CULTURAL VALUE has come from the area with the lone exception being the SEMINAL ALTERNATIVE METAL band DEFTONES.  over the past two decades that list has been amended a bit with INNOVATIVE and IMPACTFUL acts such as HELLA, CHELSEA WOLFE, TERA MELOS and DEATH GRIPS.

when i first came across the debut mixtape EX MILITARY (THIRD WORLDS, 2011) by EXPERIMENTAL HIP HOP act DEATH GRIPS i was completely emotionally sideswiped.  it didnt process.  it was like this ABSURD hybrid of the highly MANIPULATED, IMAGINATIVE FOUND SOUND-enabled UNPREDICTABILITY of APHEX TWIN, the OBLITERATING sonic BRUTALITY of CONVERGE and the CONFRONTATIONAL, NO-BULLSHIT, STREETWISE LYRICISM of the WU-TANG CLAN.  these component parts should not exist together, and yet they do and the sound is CHAOTIC and BEAUTIFUL in its TECHNICAL WIZARDRY, COMPOSITIONAL COMPLEXITY and EMOTIONAL RELEASE.  EX MILITARY was easily one of the most ADVENTUROUS releases i had heard in decades.  the whole VISUAL and AURAL AESTHETIC of DEATH GRIPS is absolute uncertainty conceived and played with UNRIVALED PRECISION.  it is BRILLIANT.

the three-piece is made up of MC/vocalist RIDE, drummer ZACH HILL and keyboardist/programmer ANDY MORIN.  HILL of course is a PRODIGIOUS, generationally TALENTED musician that came to UNDERGROUND prominence in the PROGRESSIVE MATH ROCK band HELLA.  his METRONOMIC PRECISION on the kit is ABSURD, which is prefect in the context of DEATH GRIPS and their EXTREME DYNAMICS with EVER-SHIFTING AND COMPLEX TIME SIGNATURES and TEMPO SHIFTS designed for the maximum juxtaposition of DISSONANCE and AURAL DISLOCATION.  key tacks included "BEWARE," "CULTURE SHOCK," "GUILLOTINE," "LORD OF THE GAME" and "KNOWN FOR IT."  RIDE comes across as the most INTENSE and PRIMAL of ringleaders of a DEMENTED circus youd never wish to attend, guiding you through a sonic mind-field that is both OVERWHELMING and EXASPERATING in detail and UNRELENTING BRUTALITY alike.  i see his function within the MUSIC as making it feel COHESIVE by providing a FOCAL POINT and an INTENT, even if such is purely CATHARTIC and EMOTIONAL in scope initially.  his VOICE pulls you in and directs you through the CHAOS.

not sure what else to say.  i absolutely adore this band and this mixtape.  an absolutely ESSENTIAL release that is well worth checking out, much like other OPAQUE yet highly IMAGINATIVE and ORIGINAL releases of past decades like NINE INCH NAILS' THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL (INTERSCOPE, 1994), SWANS' CHILDREN OF GOD (CAROLINE, 1987), CAPTAIN BEEFHEART's TROUT MASK REPLICA (STRAIGHT, 1969) or MF DOOM's VAUDVILLE VILLAIN (SOUND-INK, 2003).

in the summer of 2001 i went back to my hometown in ORANGE COUNTY for the first time in years to stay with a childhood friend and it was during that stay that i was enlightened (or more like indoctrinated) into the world of SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PUNK ROCK.  of course i was familiar enough with BLACK FLAG, DESCENDENTS, BAD RELIGION, X, CIRCLE JERKS, THE VANDALS and SOCIAL DISTORTION and the 90s bands from the area but was unfamiliar with IMPACTFUL but lesser high-profile groups like WASTED YOUTH, D.I., FEAR, ADOLESCENTS, DR. KNOW, MINUTEMEN, RICH KIDS ON LSD, THE GERMS, CHANNEL 3, T.S.O.L., BATTALION OF SAINTS, THE MIDDLE CLASS and AGENT ORANGE.  in fact it was during that trip that i got to see a reunion ADOLESCENTS show with CHANNEL 3 opening in SANTA ANA as well as FEAR at WARPED TOUR in VENTURA. and T.S.OL. at a gig in POMONA.  it was an INFORMATIVE and thoroughly EDUCATIONAL summer to say the least.

amidst the pack of HARDCORE acts coming out of the region in the 1980s, AGENT ORANGE stood out primarily because of their highly IDIOSYNCRATIC hybridization of PUNK ROCK with SURF MUSIC.  such an INTRIGUING mix with those long MELODIC, DICK DALE-inspired barrel-roll guitar runs at HARD-CHARGING tempos is heard all over their debut LIVING IN DARKNESS (POSH BOY, 1981) on IMPRESSIVE tracks such as "EVERYTHING TURNS GREY," "LAST GOODBYE," "BLOODSTAINS," "A CRY FOR HELP IN A WORLD GONE MAD," and of course, a cover of "MISERLOU."  there is a PROFESSIONALISM and TECHNICAL PRECISION and ELEVATED level of MUSICIANSHIP at play throughout LIVING IN DARKNESS that is UNMATCHED from bands of the period, who tend to sound MUDDLED if not AGNOSTIC to basic recording aspects like PRODUCTION VALUE or playing in time or in key.  founding bassist STEVE SOTO left AGENT ORANGE to cofound arguably the other main group of the period with a similar penchant for MUSICIANSHIP and CRAFTSMANSHIP, ADOLESCENTS.

this propulsive, kinetic sound naturally found a kinship in the nascent SKATE scene of the period and provided both a soundtrack to the pastime and a sonic template, along with MELODIC HARDCORE bands like BAD RELIGION, to the UPTEMPO SKATE PUNK bands that rose to prominence over the next decade.  most notably PENNYWISE, NOFX, FACE TO FACE, NO USE FOR A NAME, MXPX and so on.  i just find it INTRIGUING that a sound that is a variation on SURF MUSIC served as the sonic backdrop to an activity and lifestyle that itself was a variation and innovation on SURFING itself.  it is an ODD and FRUITFUL synergy of sorts that seemingly could only take place in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.  because of this, for me AGENT ORANGE is the very embodiment of an ORGANIC and wholly AUTHENTIC version of PUNK ROCK from the area.  the other vein is the more NIHILISTIC, DRUG-ADDLED and VIOLENT variant exemplified by THE GERMS and FEAR that was more-or-less continued (sans drugs) by AGGRESSIVE bands like BLACK FLAG, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES and the BELLIGERENT and CONFRONTATIONAL COASTAL cohort.  both breaks in the family tree are VALID and have their proponents.  for me, the example of AGENT ORANGE is one that offered a polished version of PUNK ROCK that was IMPACTFUL due to its reigning in of excess and creating a record with a POWERFUL, DELIBERATE sonic impact.

LIVING IN DARKNESS continues to be required listening in my opinion for anyone interested in HARDCORE or PUNK ROCK in general.  definitely worth checking out.

of course RANCID is one of the most CELEBRATED PUNK ROCK bands of MODERN times and for good reason, TIM ARMSTRONG and LARS FREDERIKSEN write some incredible songs and the band has an UNDENIABLE MUSICAL CHEMISTRY as well as PALPABLE PASSION and DISTINCT VISION for the COMMUNITY they have fostered over the past few decades.  in my eyes they are not a BAND, but an AMERICAN INSTITUTION.  like BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, WOODY GUTHRIE or BOB DYLAN.  ive witnessed it firsthand at their shows.  its an ongoing love affair between the BAND and their FANS, and at its heart are the PERSONAL REAL-LIFE NARRATIVES and INCLUSIVE messages of DEFIANCE, LOVE and COMMUNITY in their songs.

all that being said, it is incredibly INTERESTING to see how the individuals fair when pursuing outside projects.  ARMSTRONG of course incorporated HIP HOP production and beats a la his commercially SUCCESSFUL TRAVIS BARKER-collaboration THE TRANSPLANTS as well as delved into his ska roots in his solo work.  

FREDERIKSEN on the other hand seems more interested in the SOCIAL COMMENTARY tradition of FOLK music.  it makes perfect sense that one of his first singles with THE BASTARDS was a cover of BRITISH singer-songwriter BILLY BRAGG's "TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT" about the defiant mentality of the overworked and under-appreciated working class.  i will similarly point out the obvious and state that such a SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS thread was also apparent in the work of JOE STRUMMER of THE CLASH throughout his career.  i think once someone is subject to the suffering of POVERTY and FOOD INSECURITY, it is something that doesnt leave you.  ever.  you look back at the work of WOODY GUTHRIE and he was singing about the DUST BOWL and the suffering it imposed on normal people.  there is a through line i can discern.  it would seem not to be the most commercially viable option to pursue FOLK lyrical and sonic influences in your solo work, but FREDERIKSEN has proved it to be an IDEAL and HONEST vehicle for his material outside his much LEGENDARY and much BELOVED main gig.

my hope is that he sticks with it and pursues this course over the long term.  it would be nice to see how it develops over time.  at the very least the solo work of LARS FREDERIKSEN is most definitely worth checking out.

in recent years there has been a deluge of memoirs and published histories of the PUNK ROCK movement and all of its sub-genres and related SCENES.  what makes SMASH!: GREEN DAY, THE OFFSPRING, NOFX AND THE '90s PUNK EXPLOSION (DA CAPO, 2018) by VETERAN BRITISH music journalist IAN WINWOOD (NME, ROLLING STONE, REVOLVER, Q, THE GUARDIAN, MOJO) so FASCINATING is that fact that it effectively elaborates on the expanded trajectory of the WEST COAST expansion of PUNK ROCK and HARDCORE into the 1990s.  from THE DAMNED and THE SEX PISTOLS LEGENDARY late 1970s performances to the advent of the early LOS ANGELES PUNK ROCK SCENE in the late 70s/early 80s with THE GERMS, X, THE SCREAMERS, FEAR, THE WEIRDOS and THE BAGS to the HARDCORE BANDS from nearby counties infiltrating the SCENE throughout the 80s like BLACK FLAG, WASTED YOUTH, CIRCLE JERKS, SOCIAL DISTORTION, THE ADOLESCENTS, T.S.O.L. and DESCENDENTS to the 90s BANDS at focus throughout SMASH! and beyond.  it is that very tension within that lineage of generations of PUNK BANDS that makes this book such a UNIQUE and COMPELLING read.

when AMERICAN HARDCORE was initiated in the 1980s, various BANDS started their own RECORD LABELS (DISCHORD, SST, ALTERNATIVE TENTACLES) out of necessity and begot a COTTAGE INDUSTRY of viable ALTERNATIVE options for artists.  they also provided a lean BUSINESS MODEL and strong DIY ethic for the next generation of INDEPENDENT artists.  such is the case with the BAY AREA's LOOKOUT! RECORDS which famously released early GREEN DAY offerings and the catalogue of OPERATION IVY.  within the PUNK ROCK COMMUNITY, this effective FETISHIZING of what it means to be truly AUTHENTIC and INDEPENDENT had a huge effect on PUNK and PUNK-influenced BANDS of the 1990s. 

case in point, arguably at the center of SMASH!'s narrative is the melodic SAN FERNANDO MELODIC PUNK ROCK BAND BAD RELIGION and the INDEPENDENT RECORD LABEL its guitarist BRETT GUREWITZ founded, EPITAPH RECORDS.  unlike LOOKOUT!, EPITAPH found itself in 1994 with an UNEXPECTED diamond album [i.e. 10 million copies sold] in THE OFFSPRING's SMASH (EPITAPH, 1994) that effectively forced the LABEL to expand rapidly while defying continued efforts from most of the MAJORS to buyout their operation and/or poach their artists.  in essence, the commercial success of this INDEPENDENT PRIVATE LABEL put them in the same stratosphere as publicly traded MULTI-NATIONAL CORPORATE ENTITIES with larger checkbooks and a deeper well of resources.  all PUNK and HARDCORE LABELS were never at that level and it was a situation GUREWITZ never anticipated.  in the wake of such there was a new equilibrium and expectations game internally amongst the BANDS, their MANAGERS and the LABEL that took years to level off and resolve itself.  in essence, the BANDS that stayed INDEPENDENT (NOFX, RANCID, PENNYWISE) by and large were critically rewarded long-term and with the exception of GREEN DAY (who didnt come off unscathed in terms of their reputation).  even GUREWITZ own BAND BAD RELIGION signed during this period with ATLANTIC RECORDS for several releases and eventually successfully came back to EPITAPH at the beginning of the new millennium with new ENERGY and a return-to-form recorded offering.

whereas EPITAPH RECORDS exemplified this dynamic from the BUSINESS and LABEL perspective, undoubtedly GREEN DAY are the poster boys for the pitfalls of working with the MAJORS during this pre-digital era (because currently nobody cares about this puritanical litmus test since no one is selling records at this scale anymore).  they famously were effectively abandoned and ex-communicated by their SCENE and the ARTISTIC COMMUNITY from which they developed, the 924 GILMAN STREET venue in BERKELEY.  all for signing to WARNER BROS.  they were in a bind.  touring nonstop throughout the states and EUROPE, LOOKOUT! couldnt keep up with demand.  their fans couldnt locate product.  GREEN DAY didnt believe that PUNK ROCK was about being ELITIST with hard-to-locate OBSCURE records in limited supply.  the widespread DISTRIBUTION of a MAJOR would change all that.  and it did.  but it came at a high cost to their personal sense of IDENTITY, especially in the wake of DOOKIE (REPRISE, 1994) and its MASSIVE diamond-level commercial success.  success only counterintuitively exacerbated that sense of ALIENATION and DISLOCATION from their small BAY AREA SCENE and even their FANBASE.  eventually newcomers would replace that shedding of ORIGINAL SUPPORTS tenfold but that was the bargain back during this heady period.

SMASH! really elucidates on an that INTERESTING convergence of PUNK ROCK ethics and all the GUILT, CONTRADICTION and seemingly socially enforced LACK OF AMBITION at the heart of it.  when NIRVANA exploded, close behind it was the dismantling and/or renewed RECALCITRANCE of all that undercurrent of TRADITIONAL mores at the heart of the genre that separated it from other music sub-genres.  it is still in retrospect a topic that is absolutely FASCINATING to consider almost three decades hence.  i dont know if it has an analogue to today, which is more ECLECTIC, GENRE-LESS and far less TRIBAL musically than it was back then.  politically today is a whole 'nother story entirely.

definitely a INTRIGUING book well worth checking out.  even if its BRITISH perspective on the CULTURAL PHENOMENA that was 90s PUNK ROCK does get a little weird at times.

parody by nacrowe

check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating the BADASS ATLANTA GARAGE / PUNK ROCK trio THE COATHANGERS!
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​​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!

what a great concept.

A.V. UNDERCOVER was a CURATED LIVE PERFORMANCE web series produced by THE ONION entertainment offshoot THE A.V. CLUB that ran for seven seasons and had 310 episodes from 2010-2017.  at the heart of it was the premise of a listener-derived list of songs that participating BANDS and ARTISTS would choose from, the catch being that ARTISTS performing further in the season had less choice over the material and made for some truly UNLIKELY covers.

and therein lies this LIVE MUSIC series REMARKABLE lasting cultural pull.  the idea of GWAR covering the PET SHOP BOYS' "WEST END GIRLS," SEBADOH covering RUSH's "LIMELIGHT" or COHEED AND CAMBRIA covering THE SMITHS' "A RUSH AND A PUSH AND THE LAND IS OURS" is something i am absolutely here for.  i am glad to live in a universe where this stuff exists.  past participants include CHARLI XCX, THE GET-UP KIDS, DEERHOOF, NADA SURF, THE COATHANGERS, RISE AGAINST, TED LEO AND THE PHARMACISTS, DUM DUM GIRLS, COURTNEY BARNETT, THE POLYPHONIC SPREE, AGAINST ME!, KURT VILE, LE BUTCHERETTES, WRYE OAK and GROUPLOVE covering everyone from BIG STAR, THE GO-GOs, BLUR, NEW ORDER and NIRVANA to KATE BUSH, THE BREEDERS, ANDREW W.K., NINE INCH NAILS, NEIL YOUNG, THE CLASH, ADAM ANT, TEARS FOR FEARS, MILEY CYRUS and even THE BACKSTREET BOYS among countless others.

honestly, what is there not to love.  definitely worth checking out.

upstate NEW YORK's THE BOBBY LEES are one of the most PROVOCATIVE and ENERGETIC GARAGE ROCK bands i have come across in quite a while.  there is just something oxymoronic about their STRUCTURED and COMPOSED sense of outright LOOSENESS, as if the band is some kind of KINETIC high wire act, that brings to mind the likes of bands past such as THE STOOGES, THE NEW YORK DOLLS, 70s-era ROLLING STONES and even AT THE DRIVE-IN.  part of that undoubtedly is due to the CHARISMATIC and UNHINGED persona of front-woman SAM QUARTIN, who looks every bit as committed as IGGY POP, POLY STYRENE, DARBY CRASH and LIAM GALLAGHER before her.

its just so cool to see this new generation of like-minded PUNK / GARAGE bands in THE CHATS, DEATH VALLEY GIRLS and AMYL & THE SNIFFERS pushing music forward while revitalizing past forms and genres to a new, more JUDGMENTAL and CLAUSTROPHOBIC DIGITAL AGE.  looking forward to following this band for years to come.

in short, THE BOBBY LEES are definitely worth checking out.

the INCREDIBLE personal narrative of VENERATED guitarist BRIAN TRISTAN, a.k.a. KID CONGO POWERS, very much mirrors that of the UNIQUE and TRANSFORMATIVE power of ROCK AND ROLL itself.  if anything, as a DEVOUT fan and ASTUTE devotee of music, the young native-born ANGELENO found a vehicle of ESCAPISM that recast his IDENTITY as a HOMOSEXUAL and second-generation son of MEXICAN immigrants.  first it was through GLAM ROCK / GLITTER scene of the early 1970s in LOS ANGELES and then came the cultural title wave that was PUNK ROCK.  whats COMPELLING about POWERS experience is that he was not a musician but a journalist during this period, writing for several fanzines and even starting the WEST COAST fan club, of which he served as president, for THE RAMONES of all things. his connection to PUNK ROCK was both an EMOTIONAL and INTELLECTUAL exercise,

it was only a chance meeting with UNKNOWN songwriter JEFFREY LEE PIERCE (himself president of the BLONDIE WEST COAST fan club) at a PERE UBU show that the seed of becoming a musician was planted.  and it is that LIFE-CHANGING event that makes POWERS memoir SOME NEW KIND OF KICK (HACHETTE, 2022) such a UNIQUE, almost MYSTICAL, story.  what drew people to his playing was not his playing technique, but his AURA.  such was the case when POISON IVY and LUX INTERIOR from THE CRAMPS poached him from the PIERCE-led PUNK outfit THE GUN CLUB.  there was a certain special alchemy at play that enabled POWERS to unconsciously blend in with his new cohorts without any words being spoken about that process.  his ability to collaborate is seemingly MAGICAL.  such was also the case when NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS took interest in his services.  its an INTRIGUING dynamic to consider that for a musician with issues surrounding IDENTITY issues related to his SEXUALITY and RACE that were exacerbated by CHILDHOOD TRAUMA (the unsolved MURDER of a cousin at a young age) and years of serial ABUSE of narcotics, that for him his very calling card was his adept ability to be molded and reconfigured in new ARTISTIC contexts. 

in essence he literally lost himself in the music.  and the DRUGS.

i had a PERIPATETIC childhood being shuttled between CALIFORNIA, NIGERIA, KUWAIT and MASSACHUSETTS and feel a certain kinship in understanding the REPETITIVE EMOTIONAL and PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS of constant readjustment to unknown surroundings and new social contexts, but this level of navigation described in SOME NEW KIND OF KICK is beyond me.  and it was all so public being a touring musician and all.  i cant imagine the INTESTINAL FORTITUDE it took to submerge your IDENTITY into that of the ARTISTIC ambitions of your cohorts.  especially with regards to your SEXUALITY.  at the end of the book he is at the funeral of former bandmate, who himself was a closeted HOMOSEXUAL.  something POWERS only learns after his death.   obviously it was a different era when the majority of the contents of this book take place, between mid-1970s and the mid-1990s. 

there have been quite a few books published in recent years that have focused on the early LOS ANGELES PUNK ROCK scene of the late 1970s and POWER's addition most definitely gives a palpable introduction to the DIVERSITY and INCLUSION at the heart of the scene, before the second-wave heathens transferred it into something more sonically BRUTAL, intellectually ENFEEBLED and aesthetically RIGID.  i would definitely recommend this memoir along with other standouts like UNDER THE BIG BLACK SUN by JOHN DOE of X (review linked HERE), VIOLENCE GIRL: A CHICANA PUNK STORY by ALICE BAG of THE BAGS(review linked HERE) and MY DAMAGE: THE STORY OF A PUNK ROCK SURVIVOR by KEITH MORRIS of THE CIRCLE JERKS / BLACK FLAG / OFF! (review linked HERE) as worthy of consideration into further understanding this deeply FASCINATING scene.

what is there to say about NIRVANA's NEVERMIND (DGC, 1991) album that hasnt already been said again and again and again over the past three decades ad nauseam.

forget GRUNGE or ALTERNATIVE ROCK, NEVERMIND is arguably the most CELEBRATED ROCK AND ROLL album of all-time, right there with the likes of THE BEATLES' REVOLVER (PARLOPHONE, 1966) or SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND (PARLOPHONE, 1967), BOB DYLAN's BLONDE ON BLONDE (COLUMBIA, 1966) or HIGHWAY 61 REVISITED (COLUMBIA, 1965), THE VELVET UNDERGROUND's THE VELVET UNDERGROUND & NICO (VERVE, 1967),  LED ZEPPELIN's LED ZEPPELIN IV (ATLANTIC, 1971), THE CLASH'S LONDON CALLING (CBS, 1979), AC/DC's BACK IN BLACK (ATLANTIC, 1980), and THE SEX PISTOLS' NEVER MIND THE BOLLOCKS, HERE'S THE SEX PISTOLS (WARNER BROS, 1977).  unlike those records NEVERMIND made an immediate impact on AMERICAN CULTURE, effectively establishing overnight long simmering UNDERGROUND INDIE and PUNK ROCK scenes as the new mainstream gatekeepers and arbiters of quality and taste writ large.  with NEVERMIND, much like with the fossil record, there is a definite delineation of a NEW EPOCH, one in which we are still very much experience decades later.  the BRITISH INVASION reacquainted AMERICA with its MUSICAL CULTURE while helping establish ROCK AND ROLL as a vehicle, while later PUNK ROCK revitalized ROCK AND ROLL when it became stale and predictable, but only NIRVANA and NEVERMIND effectively bridged those two movements together in one band, one expression.  GIFTED SONGWRITING and AUTHENTIC ATTITUDE.

so now that i got all that out of the way. my recollection of the album, which i got as a christmas gift along with IN UTERO (DGC, 1993) from my parents while on vacation in SAN FRANCISCO in 1994, were the songs.  and not just the singles.  there is a sense when listening to tracks like "ON A PLAIN," "DRAIN YOU," "BREED," "LOUNGE ACT," "TERRITORIAL PISSINGS" and "STAY AWAY" that what you are experiencing is the aural equivalent of SOCIAL ALIENATION and general DISSATISTFACTION.   its not even about the words necessarily, which are often associative wordplay schemes rather than COGENT articulations.  the brilliance and genius of NIRVANA and KURT COBAIN as a songwriter was his preternatural ability to seamlessly translate an EMOTIONAL STATE.  his songs are unique unto him and the COMPLEX undercurrent of PAIN, DESPAIR and HELPLESSNESS that make them so POWERFUL.  even after years of WELL-INTENTIONED acolytes futilely attempting to manufacturing his STEEZE, NEVERMIND still stands UNBLEMISHED as a near PERFECT expression of our individual capacity to locate what we hate about society staring straight back at us within ourselves.

it makes sense that COBAIN was AMBIVELANT about the album and its UNEXPECTED commercial and artistic SUCCESS.  he seemed to feel a myriad of ways about multiple aspects of his life.  i dont want to glorify MENTAL ILLNESS, but that CONFLICTED MIND-STATE no doubt contributed to a record of such EMOTIONAL RESONANCE and COMPLEXITY, even on a purely sonic level.  for me that unique listening experience divorced from pre-frontal cortex intellectualizing is what separates NEVERMIND from everything else.  every time i hear it i feel a weight lifted from my shoulders, a sense of RELEASE and TRANSCENDENCE from the MUCK of life. 

its been that way ever since i first heard "SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT" from a SHAKEYS PIZZA jukebox at an after-game soccer party when i was starting second grade in 1991.  i knew that deep well of feeling and identified with it immediately on impact.

what a REMARKABLE gift that was to the world.

RIP KURT COBAIN

i learned about the MANHATTAN BEACH PUNK ROCK band DESCENDENTS my freshman year of high school in 1999 when arguably their most famous acolytes in SAN DIEGO POP PUNK idols BLINK-182 were at their cultural zenith.  i make that connection because there is an absolute direct connection between this band and the 80s HARDCORE scene that catapulted them and what later came to fruition in the late 80s and 90s as POP PUNK, SKATE PUNK, MELODIC HARDCORE and even POST HARDCORE a la bands like BAD RELIGION, NOFX, PENNYWISE, LAGWAGON, AT THE DRIVE-IN, RANCID, ALKALINE TRIO, GLASSJAW and, again, BLINk-182.  in essence any 90s PUNK band that incorporated themes related to INTERNAL INSECURITY, PUBLIC HUMILIATION, JUVENILE HUMOR and UNREQUITED ROMANTIC AFFECTIONS as well as POP hooks basically is indebted to DESCENDENTS one way or another. 

its intriguing because so many of the 80s HARDCORE bands (BLACK FLAG, DEAD KENNEDYS, MINOR THREAT, etc) positioned themselves thematically and sonically against some vision of AUTHORITY, whereas with DESCENDENTS all that FRUSTRATION and pent-up AGGRESSION was pointed INWARD out their own SHORTCOMINGS and IMPERFECTIONS.  for me at least that lyrical conceit is much more PIERCING, AUTHENTIC and ultimately RELATABLE.  it also showcases a level of HONEST SELF-REFLECTION and SELF-ASSESSMENT that denotes a SHARP INTELLECT and PRETERNATURAL sense of EMOTIONAL INTELLIFENCE.  you get the feeling on I DON'T WANT TO GROW UP (NEW ALLIANCE, 1985) tracks like "MY WORLD," "GOOD GOOD THINGS," and "SILLY GIRL" that singer MILO AUKERMAN is arguing that he is the problem and not necessarily someone else or society at large.

i feel like that SELF-AWARE impulse is the through-line between DESCENDENTS and all that followed them.  that redirection of ANGER and SEXUAL FRUSTRATION at oneself and the implied IMPOTENCE at being unable to manifest meaningful change in one's life and situation is a POWERFUL and even COURAGEOUS lyrical position.  for me, PUNK ROCK before DESCENDENTS was thematically all about outside CONFLICT and initiating change in one's community from an INFLEXIBLE core position of STRENGTH and STEADFAST CONVICTION.  the imposing figure of HENRY ROLLINS comes to mind and his signature power stance he maintains while singing which projects not just sounds from his diaphragm but also insinuates a RESOLUTE MIND-STATE with similarly firm convictions as well.  that is something to aspire to, but AUKERMAN's SELF-DOUBT is way more my speed in general.  at least it feels closer to my actual lived experience.

I DON'T WANT TO GROW UP is most definitely worth checking out, regardless of your personal affinity for PUNK ROCK in all its variations and later evolutions.  its just an HONEST ROCK N ROLL record that is ever RELEVANT in my experience and remains something i continually revisit.  enjoy.

like a lot of my generation, my introduction to NOTORIOUS ENGLISH PUNK ROCK band THE ANTI-NOWHERE LEAGUE was via METALLICA's BLACK ALBUM-era cover of their INFAMOUS and humorously DEBAUCHED "SO WHAT?" track.  that song in particular is so OVER-THE-TOP with its DEBASED lyrics that celebrate the perspective of being JADED with the world due to one's SERIAL COPULATION with everything from THE QUEEN her majesty to BARN ANIMALS, TEENAGE GIRLS and even ELDERLY MEN.  not to mention PISS DRINKING and contracting various SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES for good measure.  its the type of song that is so OUTRAGEOUS youd have to be an idiot to truly be offended by it, almost as if it was written specifically by VYVYAN BASTARD of THE YOUNG ONES to parody PUNK writ large.  the old THIS IS SPINAL TAP (EMBASSY, 1984) adage of "its such a fine line between stupid and clever" definitely applies in this situation, no doubt.  really depends on your mood which side of that divide this song and this band lands on.

but the documentary THE ANTI-NOWHERE LEAGUE: WE ARE THE LEAGUE (CLEOPATRA ENTERTAINMENT, 2019) itself is about how unlikely an event this band even forming was from the jump.  for starters the main culprits, NICK 'ANIMAL' CULMER, CHRIS 'MAGOO' EXALL and CHRIS ELVY initially were all motorcycle enthusiasts and either started or were members of a BIKER GANGS in KENT.  music, much less the recent emergence of PUNK ROCK, was not a part of their lives in any MEANINGFUL way as their existence was more about that rolling community of OUTCASTS as they meandered like a HORDE OF VIKINGS throughout the ENGLISH countryside and continental EUROPE.  when MAGOO caught the PUNK bug via THE SEX PISTOLS, he wrote a few songs that he ripped off of EDDIE COCHRAN and recent PUNK bands and set off about starting a band.  ANIMAL and ELVY were sought out due to their street reputations as PROPER RUFFIANS rather than studied musicians.  the all agreed on THE DAMNED and got on the bill of one of their first national tours by bribing them to be their support band.  for THE ANTI-NOWHERE LEAGUE, with their GAUDY onstage costumes and overly CONFRONTATIONAL demeanor (ANIMAL's shtick was to carry an AXE on stage), the stage was a better sublimation of their ANTI-SOCIETY instincts than mucking it up with police and rival gangs on the road.  almost instantaneously they became the ALPHA DOGS of the NASCENT PUNK scene at the time.

and those first few singles was their peak.

subsequent albums saw them attempt to make a career of it which led them, unimaginably, down a path from the most stubbornly VIOLENT and COMBATIVE PUNK band imaginable to a NEW ROMANTIC DURAN DURAN wannabe band in only a few short years.  i had no idea that they lost the plot that bad.  going from touring with DISCHARGE on equal billing to effectively playing SYNTH POP with keyboards in tow is beyond SPINAL TAP, its actually difficult to believe it ever happened.  after their disbandment METALLICA made their signature track VIABLE again and ANIMAL has been keeping the torch going ever since with younger true believers by his side. 

its a crazy story.  much is made about the cultural impact of the PUNK movement in BRITAIN and how it prompted budding musicians to fully commit and make COMPELLING music a la THE CLASH, JOY DIVISION, THE DAMNED, THE BUZZCOCKS, THE SMITHS, X-RAY SPEX and THE FALL.  but less told are the truly AWFUL bands that never made anything of note or taste a la THE ANTI-NOWHERE LEAGUE.  i believe that is the niche of this documentary and by extension the legacy of the band in the greater scheme of things.  i should also mention that NOTABLE interview participants include RAT SCABIES of THE DAMNED and STEWART COPELAND of THE POLICE.  yes, that STEWART COPELAND.  turns out he made a documentary on them back in the day for some unknown reason.  who knew?

MTV's LIVE 'N' LOUD series was one of many LONG-FORM LIVE PERFORMANCE series that the channel intermittently produced in the mid-to-late 1990s.  much like with the more famous UNPLUGGED, it was a series that they could resurrect anytime they found talent that fit its structure, i.e. POWERFUL live bands and artists with multiple singles and/or a deep back catalogue.  the series was shot all over the world, usually at outdoor venues or MASSIVE theaters that showcased throngs of people enveloped and deeply immersed in the music and the spectacle on stage.

as with all things NIRVANA, there was a MEMORABLE 1993 SEATTLE CONCERT for the series at PIER 48 that was filmed as part of their then-ongoing IN UTERO tour.  other prominent participants over the years include CYPRESS HILL, NO DOUBT, SOUNDGARDEN, BJORK, NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS, ALANIS MORISSETTE (with future FOO FIGHTERS drummer TAYLOR HAWKINS in tow) and PAUL WELLER.  these PERFORMANCES are genuinely WELL PRODUCED with PROFESSIONALLY MIXED sound and as the series moved through the decade it employed somewhat EXPERIMENTAL visuals (including filters, set design, high angle shots and curious lighting) as well to keep it INTERESTING.

definitely worth checking out as this series is most definitely a part of the historical record of the ALTERNATIVE ROCK movement so prevalent in the 1990s.

when i first heard the SPASTIC SONIC VIOLENCE that was THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN back in undergrad, the only band that even remotely prepared me for such an AURAL ONSLAUGHT was this EXTREME, MASKED HARDCORE PUNK band out of SAN DIEGO called THE LOCUST that a childhood friend had previously clued me onto my senior year of high school.  both now DEFUNCT bands gleefully defied expectations related to both GENRE and SONG STRUCTURE, and have an INDIVIDUALIZED sonic AESTHETIC that is entirely their own.  not exactly the easiest thing when your POST-HARDCORE and GRINDCORE peer group is often hyper-aware of and effectively made prisoner to genre prescriptions that limit ARTISTIC EXPRESSION.

the INTENTIONAL ANONYMITY of THE LOCUST provided a vehicle to truly go off the rails sonically.  they were not alone in this decision, as artists around their time in different scenes like DAFT PUNK, THE AQUABATS and SLIPKNOT latched onto the same CONCEPT and ETHOS, which they probably got from either THE RESIDENTS, GWAR and/or KISS beforehand.  you can still see such utilized in GHOST, SLAUGHTER TO PREVAIL and even PUSSY RIOT for the PASSIONATE promotion of varying ARTISTIC and POLITICAL agendas.  i believe that with THE LOCUST, such ANONYMITY enabled them to push their sonic inhibitions as far as they could take it, which was beyond EXTREME even by today's standards.  definitely a band worth look back on and checking out again.

RIP GABE SERBIAN.

honestly, before watching this documentary id never heard of the 1990s NEW JERSEY METALCORE band DEADGUY.

and thats not particularly surprising given the fact that when they were at their peak i was out of the country, more than that the hemisphere, given that my family as abroad in WEST AFRICA and the MIDDLE EAST for most of the 1990s into the early 2000s.

that being said, what drew me immediately to DEADGUY: KILLING MUSIC () was the fact that members of some of my favorite EXTREME METALCORE / POST-HARDCORE bands of the last two decades were interview for this film, from LAMB OF GOD, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN and THE LOCUST to CONVERGE, EVERYTIME I DIE and BOTCH among many others.  if DEADGUY has their collective imprimatur of QUALITY then i am all in on investigating and learning more about them.

whats interesting is that the band was part of the same collective northern NEW JERSEY scene that i participated in, just a decade and a bit earlier.  this included cultural and educational entities like the late former INDEPENDENT record store VINTAGE VINYL in FORDS, RUTGERS UNIVERSITY (my alma mater) in NEW BRUNSWICK and 89.5FM WSOU out of SETON HALL UNIVERSITY in SOUTH ORANGE.  when i attended RUTGERS, it was just after THURSDAY broke out, themselves influenced by the likes of LIFETIME, THE BOUNCING SOULS and DEADGUY before them, all stemming from the same NEW BRUNSWICK HARDCORE / PUNK ROCK scene.

according to the many interview participants, what seems to differentiate DEADGUY from their cohort of peers was their sheer INTENSITY and BRUTALITY.  much energy and time from the film is devoted towards explaining the POWER and INFLUENCE of their most celebrated album, FIXATION ON A CO-WORKER (VICTORY, 1995), as well as its place within the broader national HARDCORE movement of the period.  in essence, their sound and stage presence has been described as UNINHIBITED, CEREBRAL, UNHINGED, CATHARTIC, EXPRESSIVE and COMBATIVE in the film and to the uninitiated, they come off like the primeval PRIMAL SCREAM of BORED suburbanites seeking an IDENTITY and PURPOSE past the COOKIE-CUTTER EXISTENCE and DRUDGERY of approaching PROFESSIONAL CAREERISM and ADULT RESPONSIBILITY.  as the film elucidates, its a rage and anger that is UNBRIDLED and UNCONFINED, rather than the more PERFORMATIVE and fashion-conscious HARDCORE of the period.  

its just interesting that the band splintered while on their first national tour for VICTORY RECORDS, which was haphazardly planned and executed to the point that band essentially FRACTURED into two warring factions, which later manifested in the RECONSTITUTED DEADGUY and KISS IT GOODBYE.  there is a long history of groups BREAKING UP on the road, especially in the INDEPENDENT circuit.  it happens to the best of bands, just look at OPERATION IVY a few years earlier which DISINTEGRATED under similar circumstances.  i cant imagine having to travel long distances in an era pre-smartphone and online mapping services.  sounds like an absolute LOGISTICAL NIGHTMARE and INTERPERSONAL MINEFIELD.  for such a singularly INTENSE band, its very much INTRIGUING that the financial and emotional GAUNTLET of the road is what ultimately DISMANTLED them. 

at least 25 years later they are all able to laugh at themselves over the whole thing.  im especially glad that they didnt succumb to the "getting the band back together" film cliche.   just another CONTRARIAN decision much like the ethos of their catalogue in one group action.

notable DEADGUY: KILLING MUSIC interview participants include the likes of RANDY BLYTHE (LAMB OF GOD), BEN WEINMAN (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN), JUSTIN PEARSON (THE LOCUST / DEAD CROSS), KEITH BUCKLEY (EVERY TIME I DIE), JESSE LEACH (KILLSWITCH ENGAGE), TREVOR STRNAD (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER), JACOB BANNON & NATE NEWTON (CONVERGE), SEAN INGRAM (COALESCE), STEVE AUSTIN (TODAY IS THE DAY), BRIAN COOK (BOTCH / RUSSIAN CIRCLES), DIC COYLE (GOD FORBID / BAD WOLVES), DUSTIN PERRY & DARYL TABERSKI (SNAPCASE) among other musicians from SNAPCASE, TOUCHE AMORE, DOC HOPPER, CABLE, BREATHER RESIST, SHAI HULUH, MONSTER MAGNET, THOUGHTS OF IONESCO, SAETIA and SWEET DIESEL as well as representatives of various INDEPENDENT POST-HARDCORE, EXTREME METAL, PUNK ROCK and HARDCORE record labels.  thats a hell of a lot of community involvement from a band id never head of.

half a decade ago NOISEY had an INCREDIBLE series of interview videos moderated by THE QUIETUS founding editor JOHN DORAN (who also writes for THE GUARDIAN, THEWIRE , VICE and METAL HAMMER and creates programming for the BBC) called THE BRITISH MASTERS that got at the heart of what made a certain cadre of LEGENDARY ENGLISH musicians and songwriters of varying genres so IMPACTFUL and EFFECTIVE.  included in the mix were participants like TRICKY (MASSIVE ATTACK), JOHNNY MARR (THE SMITHS), COSEY FANNI TUTTI (THROBBING GRISTLE), JOHN LYDON (SEX PISTOLS, PUBLIC IMAGE LIMITED), MARK E SMITH (THE FALL), ROOTS MANUVA, PAUL SIMONON (THE CLASH), BRYAN FERRY (ROXY MUSIC), DAMON ALBARN (BLUR, GORILLAZ), NEIL TENNANT (PET SHOP BOYS), VIV ALBERTINE (THE SLITS), GARY NUMAN (TUBEWAY ARMY), LIAM GALLAGHER (OASIS), GOLDIE and BRETT ANDERSON (SUEDE) among others.

my sense is that there is a certain mix of PAROCHIALISM at play in BRITAIN whereby it is SMALL and DISCONNECTED enough from nearby EUROPE to cultivate an INDEPENDENT arts scene without much outside influence.  conversely and completely counterintuitively ENGLAND's recent past as a colonial power allows it to have a DIVERSE cultural population that manifests in organically UNIQUE cultural products that reflect such.  just a look at the guests chosen for this series one is confronted with a myriad of sub-genres including PUNK ROCK, HIP HOP, INDUSTRIAL MUSIC, SYNTH POP, POST PUNK, BRITPOP, DRUM & BASS and TRIP HOP.  each represents a specific community, lifestyle with an attendant set of values that renders all of them uniquely BRITISH.

the cultural references utilized are now a bit dated, but THE BRITISH MASTERS still very much holds up and is well worth investigation.  definitely worth checking out.

SO REAL IT HURTS (SEVEN STORIES PRESS, 2019) is a compendium of CAUSTIC SCREEDS written by the VISIONARY NO WAVE musician and TRANSGRESSIVE author LYDIA LUNCH on everything ranging from WAR, CHILDHOOD, SLEEP, DEMOCRACY, MOTHERHOOD, DEATH, AIRPORT SECURITY, ADDICTION and writers HUBERT SELBY JR and HERBERT HUNCKE among other topics. 

to state that these essays are well-written is a major understatement as LUNCH is HYPER-LITERATE in her ability to voice with pinpoint VERBAL AGGRESSION all the woes of society that beguile and assault her.  in fact, her writing style is so unrelentingly ABRASIVE and AGGRIEVED that the experience of reading her work is one of CLAUSTROPHOBIA and SUFFOCATION.  you are basically entering a BASE realm where all the MUCK of existence is analyzed for all of its HYPOCRISY and TRUE DEBASED NATURE.  its not that she is necessarily wrong in her assessments of RETROGRADE VIEWS held by ORDINARY AMERICANS towards WOMEN, MINORITIES or anyone consider OUTSIDE OF SOCIETY, it is just that i dont want my face shoved in it.  and forcing her readership to wallow, inhale and imbibe the FILTH OF OUR PRIVILEGED EXISTENCE is LUNCH's speciality.  much like with her EXPERIMENTAL musical excursions with TEENAGE JESUS AND THE JERKS, her writing is an OUTRIGHT CONFRONTATION.  a PREMEDITATED ASSAULT even, meant to jolt us out of our SOLIPSISTIC DAYDREAMING and force us to acknowledge our COMPLICITY in the DEBAUCHED state of national and global affairs.

at least that is what i think she is getting at.  it doesnt appear to be UNADULTERATED NIHILISM, there does seem to be a purpose to the EXTREME BILE and VITRIOL being spit at the reader.

im glad i read these essays, but im likewise relieved i dont have to do it again.  im EXHAUSTED.

what makes PUNK PARADOX: A MEMOIR (HACHETTE, 2022) such a COMPELLING is how it voices the INHERENT CONTRADICTIONS, OPPORTUNITIES, LIMITATIONS, FREEDOMS, IN-GROUP/OUT-GROUP DYNAMICS and SOCIETAL EVOLUTIONS presented by the surprisingly ENDURING and AGILE CULTURAL INSTITUTION known as PUNK ROCK.  as both a key member of 1980s HARDCORE icons BAD RELIGION as well as a TRAINED evolutionary biologist (with a CORNELL PHD to boot), GREG GRAFFIN is uniquely positioned to elucidate on such matters from a seemingly ELEVATED, macro-level perspective.  i see this memoir as less focused on his personal narrative, albeit such details are included, and more as an EXTENDED meditation on the RISKS and BENEFITS of pursuing an INTELLECTUAL LIFE in a career [entertainment] whose format, supporting industry and audience expectations find such SUPERFLUOUS.

when i got into HARDCORE from LOS ANGELES through a childhood friend in ORANGE COUNTY, i was made privy to a whole host of bands from the neighboring area.  places like the SOUTH BAY (BLACK FLAG, DESCENDENTS), VENTURA COUNTY (DR. KNOW, RICH KIDS ON LSD, ILL REPUTE), SAN DIEGO COUNTY (BATTALION OF SAINTS), LOS ANGELES COUNTY (THE BAGS, THE GERMS, X, THE WEIRDOS, WASTED YOUTH, FEAR) and even the SAN FERNANDO VALLEY (THE DICKIES, BAD RELIGION).  all of this in addition to several bands from nearby ORANGE COUNTY cities (AGENT ORANGE, THE VANDALS, SOCIAL DISTORTION, ADOLESCENTS, D.I., THE MIDDLE CLASS) near where i spent my first twelve years before moving to NIGERIA with my family. 

BAD RELIGION stuck out from their cohorts immediately due to the LYRICAL BENT and INTELLECTUAL ACUITY of GRAFFIN whose hyper-focus was on utilizing music as a vehicle for elevating the level of DISCOURSE with his audience.  it felt like a contradiction in terms, as PUNK ROCK during this period generally was POLEMIC in nature, espousing CAUSTIC, ACCUSATORY VERBAL BOMBS at targets with machine-gun flurries of REPETITIOUS barbed statements that relayed a sense of urgency as well as a PSYCHIC LOSS of personal self-control and greater DISILLUSIONMENT with one's place in the world.  HARDCORE in this sense was a FEELING, an ATTITUDE, an IDENTITY.  GRAFFIN was the RARE wordsmith and intellectually ADEPT and CURIOUS songwriter that was able to take on heady CULTURAL and SOCIETAL ISSUES related to runaway MATERIALISM, ATHEISM, TRIBALISM, MISINFORMATION / DISINFORMATION, INSTITUTIONAL RACISM , JUDICIAL MALFEASANCE and POLITICAL CORRUPTION and construct COGENT points in SHORT, TIGHT, MELODICALLY SATISFYING outbursts.  listening to BAD RELIGION felt like experiencing an oxymoron, a complete contradiction in terms, like the what-if test case of what THE RAMONES sounded like if they had genuinely INTELLIGENT lyrics.

my big take from PUNK PARADOX: A MEMOIR is that all INSTITUTIONS are useful in and of how they interact with the population and if needs change over time, they likewise change course and evolve.  PUNK ROCK as a PUBLIC INSTITUTION shares this dynamic and is not what it was back in the early 80s when BAD RELIGION started out in a SAN FERNANDO garage, much less than what it started out as back in the mid 80s on NEW YORK CITY's lower east side.  it is a form that will continue evolve and maintain relevance.  or it wont and die like RAGTIME or NU METAL before it. 

i wish this book would have been around when i was in high school and felt obligated to the tired arguments with SELF-APPOINTED "punk rock police" advocates who shunned some bands and lionized others for seemingly juvenile reasons.  GRAFFIN does a great job of eviscerating the whole UNREALISTIC NOTION of the DIY ETHIC, as nothing related to being in a band is done on your own.  in fact, it is the opposite as a band is the central organism that relies on a wider COOPERATIVE and INTERDEPENDENT NETWORK of ROADIES, MANAGERS, PROMOTERS and other INDUSTRY SPECIALISTS that make the whole mutually beneficial ECOSYSTEM SUSTAINABLE.  if anything i found this book to be one of the most HONEST, NO BULLSHIT reflections on what it actually means to be in a band since HENRY ROLLINS' CELEBRATED tour diary GET IN THE VAN: ON THE ROAD WITH BLACK FLAG (review linked HERE).

does PUNK PARADOX: A MEMOIR become a little LOQUACIOUS at times, a bit overly SESQUIPEDALION? sure.  but it never comes off is PEDANTIC in the least, more so that you are dealing with someone that put the time and thought into their memoir and likewise expect the same of the reader.  much like what BAD RELIGION regularly expect from their audience.

i thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone interested in THOUGHTFUL deliberations about the meaning of art and the artist's responsibility to him/herself and their audience.  it also touchingly showcases the GENERATIONAL DAMAGE caused by DIVORCE even under the best of circumstances and intensions on both sides.  if you are looking for a more CONVENTIONAL history of BAD RELIGION, then definitely check out author JIM RULAND's recent book DO WHAT YOU WANT: THE STORY OF BAD RELIGION (review linked HERE) or maybe even history professor DEWAR MACLEOD's KIDS OF THE BLACK HOLE: PUNK ROCK IN POSTSUBURBAN CALIFORNIA (review linked HERE), MY DAMAGE: THE STORY OF A PUNK ROCK SURVIVOR (review linked HERE) by KEITH MORRIS of BLACK FLAG ,CIRCLE JERKS and OFF!, VIOLENCE GIRL: A CHICANA PUNK STORY (review linked HERE) by ALICE BAG of THE BAGS or UNDER THE BLACK SUN: A PERSONAL HISTORY OF L.A. PUNK (review linked HERE) by JOHN DOE of X.

in less than two short years itll be three decades since my family permanently left SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA for whats been an INSANE journey that has led me to live in several countries across five continents before resettling on the east coast of the UNITED STATES in recent years.  ive been back out west a few times, enough to know that whatever ties i had to ORANGE COUNTY and the greater LOS ANGELES area are now pretty DISTANT and MINUSCULE, but one thing i still hold on to is the EXPERIENCE of listening to the radio while in early elementary school.  specifically the nationally INFLUENTIAL ALTERNATIVE ROCK powerhouse that is 106.7FM KROQ.

i have a DISTINCT MEMORY of listening to KROQ and hearing bands like SOUNDGARDEN, LIVING COLOUR, MORRISSEY, THE B-52's, PEARL JAM, JANE'S ADDICTION, U2, TEARS FOR FEARS, NIRVANA, THE CURE, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, ELECTRONIC, 4 NON BLONDES, DURAN DURAN, R.E.M. and ALICE IN CHAINS on car trips to and from school and regional sporting events with my dad as a kid.  at this point that MEMORY is like a security blanket and one reason i probably view radio as an almost SACROSANCT institution.

embedded below are live performances of bands that have played the WEENIE ROAST, ALMOST ACOUSTIC CHRISTMAS or their recent SOUND SPACE events.  all of it was recorded well after my time in LOS ANGELES but squarely showcases the continued influence of that station.  it is all definitely worth checking out.

not gonna lie, watching the recent documentary WHITE RIOT (SMOKING BEAR, 2019) about the inner-workings of the ROCK AGAINST RACISM movement in late 1970s BRITAIN, it echoed and reminded me quite a bit about the outright LUNACY of the modern day MALICIOUSLY MISINFORMED BREXIT crowd and even FLORIDA's culture war against education, specifically AFRICAN-AMERICAN history and GENDER / LGBTQ STUDIES.  it all feels the same.

ROCK AGAINST RACISM was a group initiated as part of a DIY cultural reaction against growing widespread BRITISH ANTI-IMMIGRANT sentiment during that late 70s period (famously spearheaded by notorious bigot MP ENOCH POWELL of NORTHERN IRELAND) and the subsequent rise of the NATIONAL FRONT.  much like TED NUGENT, LIL WAYNE, KID ROCK, LIL PUMP and KANYE WEST provided cultural air cover for DONALD TRUMP during his DISASTROUS regime, ERIC CLAPTON, ROD STEWART and even DAVID BOWIE did the same during this period with regards to POWELL and his RACIST public declarations advocating for the forcible repatriation of generations of immigrants (i.e. THE WINDRUSH GENERATION) and their defendants back to their ethnic nation of origin, irregardless of their visa or citizenship status.  in recent years CLAPTON has been outed publicly for his history of VILE RACISM and ETHNO-NATIONALISM, which is truly BIZARRE given the effort and extent to which such was covered up and looked past for decades.  i mean the dude literally was globally celebrated for being a SAVANT BLUES guitarist of the first order, a musical form with deep roots in the AFRICAN-AMERICAN struggle against slavery.  for him to be a WHITE NATIONALIST is still head-scratching in terms of its sheer audacity.  CLAPTON is always will be a phony to be ridiculed and pitied.

the NATIONAL FRONT was essentially a REVANCHIST, FASCIST movement that preyed on the FEARS of the WORKING-CLASS WHITE men who felt emasculated in the wake of the fall of the empire and the perceived weakening of the UNITED KINGDOM's global standing.  this movement sought to reimpose an ETHNIC PURITY to the nation and establish exclusive economic ties with the likes of APARTHEID regimes in RHODESIA and SOUTH AFRICA as well as other satellite nations in AFRICA and SOUTH EAST ASIA.  much like modern PUTIN wishes to reimpose the territorial and economic claims of the fallen USSR, the NATIONAL FRONT sought to reimpose COLONIALISM at home and abroad.  and in terms of growing WHITE membership and waging FEAR through VIOLENCE against minority groups, for a period they were successful.

such is the backdrop to a famous concert in the heart of the NATIONAL FRONT's stronghold in EAST LONDON at VICTORIA PARK that included the likes of X-RAY SPECS, STEEL PULSE, the TOM ROBINSON BAND and THE CLASH.  such a show was the capstone event after a day of protests through the streets that showcased the SILENT majority of BRITISH citizens from across the nation who showed up in droves to protest not only the NATIONAL FRONT, but the COMPLICITY of the police and political classes in tolerating such HATRED and ANTI-DEMOCRATIC SENTIMENT.

the fact that the COUNTER-CULTURAL movement represented by ROCK AGAINST RACISM as well as the ANTI-NAZI LEAGUE, as well as the music press (NME, MELODY MAKER, etc) that adopted and actively promoted its political objectives, worked is an INCREDIBLE achievement. 

makes me wonder how such would work now in a world rife with digital platforms that perpetuate MISINFORMATION and state initiated DISINFORMATION campaigns at a PERVASIVE clip even GEORGE ORWELL could never have imagined.  modern FASCISTS now like governor RON DESANTIS of FLORIDA are attacking the education architecture that underlies INDEPENDENT THOUGHT in his state.  if voters keep reelecting him despite such ANTI-DEMOCRATIC tactics, where is the opposition going to come from with an equal and identifiably massive force.  today feels different, but maybe it shouldnt. 

WHITE RIOT seems to be a clarion call for today's youth to get involved and push back, whatever the odds or sacrifice.  it is a genuinely UPLIFTING film that i highly recommend.

whats always struck me about BAD RELIGION's debut album HOW COULD HELL BE ANY WORSE? (EPITAPH, 1982) is how MATURE it sounds for a band so YOUNG.  during the recording of such in 1980 the band was still in their teens, some still in high school.  yet even at that age, all the hallmarks of their storied career are on full display on tracks like "WE'RE ONLY GOING TO DIE," "VOICE OF GOD IS GOVERMENT," "AMERICAN DREAM," "OLIGARCHY," "LATCHKEY KIDS" and "FUCK ARMAGGEDON... THIS IS HELL".

take a song like the opening track "WE'RE ONLY GOING TO DIE" which neatly sums up mankind's FOLLY throughout history in conquering the world through VIOLENCE and SUBMISSION, only to redirect such VICIOUS intent on themselves.  as the ending ANTHEMIC refrain repeats as a SOLEMN mantra, "we're only going to die from our own arrogance."  it is pretty INCREDIBLE that a teenage GREG GRAFFIN had the PERSPECTIVE and CLARITY to construct such a POIGNANT statement that takes into account one's own COMPLICITY in the matter.

its my belief that this ability to maintain a LYRICAL POSTURE that included THOUGHTFUL SELF-REFLECTION and SELF-ANALYSIS is what made their brand of MELODIC HARDCORE so different from what was being by their cohort of LOS ANGELES second-wave PUNK ROCK bands in the 1980s.  likewise the track "FUCK ARMAGGEDON... THIS IS HELL" embeds this notion of one's own unknowing COLLUSION in supporting political and capitalist systems that lead to our collective DEBASEMENT and DESTRUCTION.  makes perfect sense that a young ZACK DE LA ROCHA clamored onto and was influenced by the PRO-INDIVIDUAL and PRO-INDEPENDENT THOUGHT agenda of HOW COULD HELL BE ANY WORSE? in particular.

though the follow-up record took a detour into PROG ROCK of all things, this debut served as a template of sort for subsequent releases up until the WATERSHED cultural moment that was SUFFER (EPITAPH, 1988) a few years later.  is HOW COULD HELL BE ANY WORSE? the best BAD RELIGION album?  no.  but it is a PROMISING debut well-worth checking out and thinking about as the band evolved to further develop their identity around these STRIDENT POLITICAL THEMES amidst tightly constructed HARDCORE songs of the first order.