photo & text by nacrowe
i mean this is it.
when you consider 1980s HARDCORE PUNK ROCK there are arguably a few immediate bands that come to mind: BAD BRAINS, DEAD KENNEDYS, CIRCLE JERKS, MINOR THREAT, D.O.A., THE MISFITS and BLACK FLAG. and THE FIRST FOUR YEARS (SST, 1983) compilation is in essence a re-release of all the ICONIC pre-HENRY ROLLINS INDEPENDENT EPS such as NERVOUS BREAKDOWN (SST, 1979), JEALOUS AGAIN (SST, 1980) and SIX PACK (SST, 1981) when the band was fronted by a succession of VOCALISTS from KEITH MORRIS to RON REYES to DEZ CADENA. it doesnt get more ground zero than these AGGRESSIVE and extremely RAW PERFORMANCES of "NERVOUS BREAKDOWN", "NO VALUES," "WASTED," "CLOCKED IN," "WHITE MINORITY" and "FIX ME" in the history of HARDCORE or INDEPENDENT music writ large in the UNITED STATES. by the time ROLLINS joined in 1981 BLACK FLAG was well on their way to carving out an INDEPENDENT circuit of small veteran affair halls, elks lodges, backyards, bowling alleys and NONTRADITIONAL concert venues that would later be utilized and exploited in the 1990s by ALTERNATIVE ROCK and INDIE ROCK bands alike. these SONGS were the core of the gospel they spread and BLACK FLAG were nothing if not CULTURAL PIONEERS in that sense, along with fellow travelers in THE CRAMPS, VANCOUVER HARDCORE act D.O.A. and COLLEGE ROCK acts like R.E.M. and THE REPLACEMENTS it should be noted during the same period. i was aware of the band going back to elementary school years through reading KURT COBAIN interviews where he mentioned them along with the likes of FLIPPER and THE RAINCOATS, but it wasnt until high school that i was clued into them via a childhood friend i was visiting at the turn of the millennium in SOUTHER CALIFORNIA. through this friend i gained an APPRECIATION and context for what previously i experienced as DISCORDANT NOISE and SLOPPY MUSICIANSHIP. after that education getting to sear FEAR on that trip it dawned on me the UNRELENTING ENERGY and UNBRIDLED FURY that the MUSIC unleashed in a crowd. something clicked. it was as if BLACK FLAG was a soundtrack to that VIOLENT release of pent-up AGGRESSION and FRUSTRATION that comes with living in this country. that feel of SUBLIMATION rooted in being poked at by superiors at work, in the media, at the bank and at school to conform and acquiesce to the man. it was TRANSFORMATIVE and the music to me seemed more aligned with another COUNTERCULTURE HERO whose MUSIC i had come to know intimately when my family lived in NIGERIA a few years earlier: FELA KUTI. GREG GINN's furiously PRIMITIVE GUITAR WORK and these various VOCALISTS screeching their EXPLOSIVE DISSATISFACTION with society all came to be the same COHESIVE EXPRESSION in my understanding and i thank my friend for opening that door for me. also, the RAYMOND PETTIBON ARTWORK on those early EPs are SINGULAR in their absolute DEVASTATING DEPICTIONS of SOCIETAL COERCION and the physical BRUTALITY of VOILENCE. as someone that was repeatedly hazed in high school, discovering PETTIBON took me unflinchingly right back to the moment of ABUSE. the PERFECT primer for the proper MINDSET for listening to BLACK FLAG no doubt. THE FIRST FOUR YEARS is an ESSENTIAL release by an absolutely ICONIC band. it is a release well worth checking out and returning to again and again.
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photo & text by nacrowe
when mercurial co-VOCALIST / GUITARIST TOM DELONGE abruptly left BLINK-182 for the second time after the touring cycle in support of NEIGHBORHOODS (DGC, 2011), BASSIST MARK HOPPUS and DRUMMER TRAVIS BARKER were again left to pick up the pieces. the first go around they started the spin-off group +44 and released the EXPANSIVE and quite STELLAR WHEN YOUR HEART STOPS BEATING (INTERSCOPE, 2006) record to a decidedly disappointing commercial reception of the project. for all intents and purposes, that record was the artistic successor to the self-titled BLINK-182 (GEFFEN, 2003) album that found the group very much come into their own as MATURE PRODUCERS and SONGWRITERS. in retrospect, it is obvious that the record-buying public wanted a BLINK-182 record and not a new project.
lesson learned. when history repeated itself again and the two found themselves likewise stranded, they moved ahead and recruited the much CELEBRATED ALKALINE TRIO VOCALIST and main SONGWRITER MATT SKIBA to join BLINK-182 in DELONGE's absence. the show must go on. for the HARDCORE fans this was seen as a lateral move as SKIBA was a much HERALDED MUSICIAN in his own right and a WORTHY COLLABORATOR and DELONGE replacement. NINE (COLUMBIA, 2019) is the follow-up to the SKIBA debut CALIFORNIA (BMG, 2016), and like its predecessor is a COHESIVE and surprisingly SUCCESSFUL effort that marries the POP melodicism of CLASSIC BLINK-182 with the decidedly SARDONIC and downright GLOOMY lyrical persona that is SKIBA. STANDOUT tracks include the singles "DARKSIDE," "I REALLY WISH I HATED YOU," "BLAME IT ON MY YOUTH," "HAPPY DAYS" and "GENERATIONAL DIVIDE." all successful bands have a UNIQUE internal creative chemistry that is organically determined and often UNSPOKEN in nature but mysteriously relied upon nonetheless. what is INTERESTING is when lineups get shuffled around and the quality of their output wavers. at those times you get a sense of how IMPORTANT and almost ALCHEMICAL those DELICATE relationships actually are. such is the case with JANE'S ADDICTION and their myriad of projects featuring various core members (i.e. PORNO FOR PYROS, POLAR BEAR, THE PANIC CHANNEL, SATELLITE PARTY, PSI COM and so on). such is also the same of BLINK-182 and their reshuffled outside projects (i.e. BOX CAR RACER, ANGELS & AIRWAVES and the aforementioned +44). when SKIBA joined the band it was unclear if BLINK-182 could survive this permutation, but in actual fact they were creatively thriving along the similar historic lines of AC/DC, FAITH NO MORE, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, BLACK SABBATH and ALICE IN CHAINS before them. it was probably INEVITABLE but DELONGE later rejoined the band. again. so the legacy of NINE is a FRUITFUL trajectory of an ALTERNATE version of the group that prematurely ended. at least until DELONGE gets bored again and decides to leave and spearhead another LAME project with his publishing company. in my mind its a bit of a letdown that HOPPUS and BARKER let DELONGE back in but, you know, that is their prerogative. i just remember looking forward to the next SKIBA / HOPPUS / BARKER collaboration that seemingly will never come to pass. regardless NINE is well worth checking out and one of the STRONGER later period BLINK-182 releases that did nothing but further cement their legacy as a POP PUNK powerhouse. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
sometimes its just fun to watch people discuss shop, whether they be PAINTERS or CARPENTERS or RECORD PRODUCERS or FILMMAKERS or MUSICIANS as the case may be. SHRED WITH SHIFTY finds lead GUITARIST CHRIS SHIFLETT, primarily known for his two plus decades of service with the DAVE GROHL-led MODERN ALTERNATIVE ROCK institution that is the FOO FIGHTERS as well as noteworthy PUNK ROCK bands like NO USE FOR A NAME and ME FIRST AND THE GIMME GIMMES, interviewing various other GUITARISTS about their TECHNIQUE, COMPOSITION, PHILOSOPHY and INSPIRATION(S) for playing. the PREMIER GUITAR-sponsored VIDEO SERIES and PODCAST appears to be the visual cousin and continuation of his informal longtime WALKING THE FLOOR audio podcast series that covered much of the same ground. NOTABLE past SHRED WITH SHIFTY participants in these video interviews include NILE ROGERS (CHIC), RIVERS CUOMO (WEEZER), MIKE MCREADY (PEARL JAM), BLAKE SCHWARZENBACH (JAWBREAKER) and ALEX LIFESON (RUSH). its an eclectic, INTER-GENERATIONAL and MULTI-GENRE blend that mirrors the interests of the host, himself an INDEPENDENT PUNK ROCK veteran that plays in arguably the most CONSEQUENTIAL ROCK N ROLL band on the planet, who also has a budding side career as an ALT COUNTRY TRAVELING SINGER-SONGWRITER.
personally i tend to pay more attention to the PUNK ROCK / CLASSIC ROCK end of his interviews rather than those with the BRAD PAISLEYs of the world (no disrespect to their GUITAR CHOPS and COMPOSITIONAL PROWESS). i am able to follow the CONVERSATIONS and understand the TECHNIQUES being employed and exploited in these discussions, but i wonder at times about the user-friendliness of such for BEGINNING GUITAR PLAYERS. it makes me rethink who the audience is for these EXTENDED VIDEO PODCASTS, because it would seem on the surface to be beginning or INTERMEDIATE MUSICIANS. yet there is no GUITAR TABLATURE provided or VISUAL ASSISTANCE on how what being played corresponds to a guitar in REAL-TIME, which would be beneficial to PLAYERS of all levels. maybe the engagement of the DISCUSSION is the real objective here, buts its DIFFICULT to ascertain since so much of the actual content revolves around the playing itself. for my purposes, i enjoy watching SHIFLETT and his GUESTS having FUN talking shop and exploring the diversity of thought that goes behind CONSTRUCTING a MEMORABLE part in a fan-favorite song that has stood the test of time (i.e. guitar leads from PEARL JAM's "ALIVE," RUSH's "LIMELIGHT," WEEZER's "ONLY IN DREAMS" and NILE ROGERS / DIANA ROSS' "I'M COMING OUT". there is real value in that and i look forward to each new episode irrespective of the GUEST involved(with the exception being the MODERN COUNTRY ARTISTS whose music is not my cup of tea). SHRED WITH SHIFTY is most definitely worth checking out. photo & text by nacrowe
thinking about a pre-TRAVIS BARKER line-up of BLINK-182 is always INTERESTING because the chemistry that lifted them above the POP PUNK fray to become veritable icons of the genre itself was due to that very specific MUSICAL ALCHEMY that came to fruition immediately after DUDE RANCH (MCA, 1997), their second album and major label debut. not that this recording effort is without GOOD SONGWRITING, as is the case with tracks like "DICK LIPS," "WAGGY," "PATHETIC," "APPLE SHAMPOO," and of course their breakout singles "JOSIE" and "DAMMIT." but rhythmically and stylistically, this album is pretty REPETITIVE and MYOPIC in terms of its SONGWRITING. in essence it is a band coming into its own both in terms of PRODUCTION and navigating the expectations that come with being on a major label.
when i first heard DUDE RANCH it was in the immediate aftermath of its more commercially and artistically SUCCESSFUL follow-up ENEMA OF THE STATE (MCA, 1999) that had both BARKER and LEGENDARY producer JERRY FINN added to the mix. BARKER being the MULTI-TALENTED drummer that he was, could elevate and transcend basic POP PUNK CHORD PROGRESSIONS with both an eye for SONG DYNAMICS and COMPOSITION as well as sheer TECHNICAL PROFICIENCY. listening to ENEMA OF THE STATE you can hear grooves that are based in both JAZZ and LATIN traditions that bring a sense of SWING and BOUNCE to several tracks. its entirely unfair to compare him to original drummer SCOTT RAYNOR who on DUDE RANCH and its predecessor CHESHIRE CAT (CARGO, 1995) provides a perfectly COMPETENT, if DERIVATIVE, sense of drive to his DRUMMING in the style of MELODIC HARDCORE bands like BAD RELIGION, NOFX and PENNYWISE. lyrically DUDE RANCH continues along the same lines of its predecessor by splitting the difference between SOPHOMORIC toilet humor and heartfelt odes to past relationships and teenage youth a la MILO AUKERMAN and the legendary 80s SOUTH BAY PUNK ROCK band DESCENDENTS. this lyrical perspective would continue on subsequent releases but seemed strategically aimed at both presenting the band as willing to laugh at their PUBLIC IMAGE and provided a critical distraction for genuine efforts at tracks that stretched their SONGWRITING ABILITIES and made them VULNERABLE. all the basic elements are their on DUDE RANCH, as well as CHESHIRE CAT, but the right mixture of TRADITIONAL and PROGRESSIVE MUSICAL ELEMENTS are not quite their yet. for me DUDE RANCH is all about my high school experience and hearing it makes me strangely NOSTALGIC for a time i would not in retrospect under any circumstances ever want to revisit again. what makes it an INTRIGUING listen years later is how foretells what was to come as well as provides a key look at an ICONIC band minus a VITAL ELEMENT in BARKER (or maybe two if you also count FINN, which you probably should). as much as i love this record, ENEMA OF THE STATE is the OBVIOUS starting point for anyone getting into BLINK-182 or POP PUNK in general. maybe after consuming GREEN DAY's DOOKIE (REPRISE, 1994), DESCENDENTS' MILO GOES TO COLLEGE (NEW ALLIANCE, 1982), MXPX's LIFE IN GENERAL (TOOTH & NAIL, 1996), FALL OUT BOY's TAKE THIS TO YOUR GRAVE (FUELED BY RAMEN, 2003) and NEW FOUND GLORY's STICKS AND STONES (DRIVE-THRU, 2002), you should revisit DUDE RANCH for comparison and context. NOT ESSENTIAL but definitely worth checking out.
parody by nacrowe
PUNK bands by definition are not meant to last. just look at that first round of late 70s originators or their HARDCORE brethren during the 1980s, most put out a record or two and then disbanded in near complete OBSCURITY. such being the case, it is almost ABSURD that NOFX are winding down their forty year, fifteen studio album career with a final tour and probable upcoming release or two for good measure. not only that, they objectively got better as musicians and songwriters as they went along is which is the absolute opposite ethos of the genre with the TIRED "LIVE FAST, DIE YOUNG" credo. then again, NOFX always was a band that reveled in being a PARADOX.
more than any other MODERN PUNK band that i can think of, NOFX embodied the SNARKY CONTRARIANISM that came with being FORTHRIGHT and SELF-AWARE to the point of (and sometimes beyond) being SELF-DEPRECATING. BAD RELIGION was as politically OUTSPOKEN but more SERIOUS, AUTHORITATIVE and ACADEMIC in PRESENTATION and TONE (which makes sense since LYRICIST and contributing SONGWRITER GREG GRAFFIN is in fact a professor). RANCID were objectively more TALENTED as MUSICIANS and SONGWRITERS, but frontman TIM ARMSTRONG had a more IMPRESSIONISTIC and CONFESSIONAL aspect to his compositions, even the numbers that addressed political issues. as a GENIUS WORDSMITH, for him it was less about a specific point being addressed and more about exploring a DISPARATE POINT-OF-VIEW and MINDSET in his lyrics. BLINK-182 expressly borrowed aspects of the SNARKY CONTRARIANISM of NOFX but really dialed down the INTELLIGENCE and SELF-EVIDENT ABSURDIST comedy behind such, leaving just REDUNDANT JUVENILITY in its stead. and for me, part of the whole SCHTICK around NOFX was that this whole SELF-DIMINISHING "WE'RE JUST A PUNK BAND" routine was a smokescreen for a band that really had a STRONG PRESENCE and sense of AMBITION. just look at THE DECLINE (FAT WRECK CHORDS, 1999) release and its lone 18+ minute track, complete with SOPHISTICATED LEIHTMOTIFS and thematic callbacks a la opera. before GREEN DAY and talk of ROCK OPERAS, NOFX had already been there, done that on one masterfully EPIC track. another case in point was vocalist and main songwriter FAT MIKE's PUNKVOTER.COM campaign to support JOHN KERRY in his 2004 campaign to defeat then-incumbent president GEORGE W. BUSH. lots of HARDCORE bands going back to the 70 and 80s complained about MARGARET THATCHER and RONALD REAGAN, but how many actively built up a coalition to effect change a la FAT MIKE. i'll answer that: no one. the most ADMIRABLE thing about the members of NOFX is that in spite of their DEPRECATING PRESENTATION, these guys are actual doers who take actual real-life risks. FAT MIKE stuck his neck out and ultimately was not successful in ousting BUSH, but so what. he acted where his peer group historically only impotently reacts. my hope is that this is not the end of the road for the band as a CREATIVE ENERY and that if FAT MIKE continues on a solo journey that his former bandmates are common characters along the way, because the band is UNIQUE and has effected change arguably more than any other MODERN PUNK band. this in spite of their TIRED on-stage dad jokes. embedded below is a very recent DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a playlist celebrating the career of the iconic SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PUNK ROCK band NOFX. enjoy! photo & text by nacrowe
sonically and aesthetically, the initial long-form OFF! release that is the FIRST FOUR EPs (VICE, 2010) compilation is in essence a spiritual continuation of 1980s HARDCORE as if the ensuing decades never happened. just these brief PRIMAL minute-long spasms of UNRELENTING aural INTENSITY. from the moment the BLISTERING opening track "BLACK THOUGHTS" rages out the gate, it is beyond self-evident how EXCITING and REFRESHING it is to hear a ROCK AND ROLL band recorded this RAW, consciously OUT-OF-STEP with modern industry standards for sonic fidelity. yet even with the AUSTERE RAYMOND PETTIBON artwork and STRIPPED-BACK SONIC PRESENTATION reminiscent of early BLACK FLAG, there is nothing nostalgic about this record or this band, which is made up of vocalist KEITH MORRIS (CIRCLE JERKS, BLACK FLAG), guitarist DIMITRI COATS (BURNING BRIDES), bassist/PRODUCER STEVEN SHANE MCDONALD (REDD KROSS) and drummer MARIO RUBALCABA (ROCK FROM THE CRYPT, HOT SNAKES). if anything, it feels and sounds like the way forward and an IDEAL response to what ROCK AND ROLL uniquely provides (PASSION, INTENSITY, UNBRIDLED EMOTION) in the age of UNTETHERED sonic adventurism that is MODERN HIP HOP and EDM.
FIRST FOUR EPs just feels like HARDCORE at its most FUNDAMENTAL and AMOEBIC level, constructed for maximum impact. no bullshit or decorative window-dressing, just a DIRECT shot to the head. i can point out STANDOUT tracks like "I DON'T BELONG," "DARKNESS," the aforementioned "BLACK THOUGHTS" and "UPSIDE DOWN," but the truth is that this record is meant to be experienced in its totality, as if it is one extended 20-minute rant with 18 varieties of WHITE-KNUCKLE VERBAL CONFRONTATION and UNYIELDING SONIC AGGRESSION. for one, MORRIS has never sounded more FOCUSED or VITAL and arguably COATS' decidedly UNDERCOOKED PRODUCTION CHOICES served this end spectacularly. there is an INTENT and IN-THE MOMENT ENERGY that you can only get from a demo, when songs are still in the process of congealing and emerging into shape, of becoming. this record has that feel of a PROMISING demo, which in itself is REVOLUTIONARY. no need to recreate or manufacture it again for real. it is done, on tape, ship it out. if only all ROCK AND ROLL could be that PURE. at the time of its 2010 release, the debut FIRST FOUR EPs compilation by OFF! is probably one of the most CONSEQUENTIAL records in at least a decade. forget HARDCORE or PUNK ROCK, it is a reminder of how ROCK AND ROLL at its core essence should be created and presented. i view it as absolutely ESSENTIAL and most definitely worth checking out. photo & text by nacrowe
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. BOOK REVIEW | "SMASH!: GREEN DAY, THE OFFSPRING, NOFX AND THE '90s PUNK EXPLOSION" BY IAN WINWOOD8/14/2023 photo & text by nacrowe
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. photo & text by nacrowe
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. photo & text by nacrowe
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. photo & text by nacrowe
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. photo & text by nacrowe
SMASH (review linked HERE), as i wrote about before, was a CONSEQUENTIAL record during the elementary school years my FAMILY spent in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. when in sixth grade my family moved to NIGERIA, that record was something i held onto as a cultural artifact of what i viewed as my home in essence. that EMOTIONAL sense of IDENTITY would later shift over time as i lived and worked in different hemispheres and never returned to SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
what is interesting for me about IGNITION (EPITAPH, 1992), which was the preceding album to SMASH, is its INTENSITY and palpable sense of AGGRESSION. SMASH had some straight-up PUNK songs, but they also had some lighter more pop-friendly fare that was recorded with tongue firmly in cheek. unfortunately with subsequent releases they went down that road too far and in essence became a BONEHEADED, THIRD-RATE WEIRD AL YANKOVIC band. which was a pity. but on IGNITION, especially tracks like "NO HERO," "SESSION," "TAKE IT LIKE A MAN," "WE ARE ONE," "KICK HIM WHEN HE'S DOWN" and "L.A.P.D." there is sense of PSYCHIC and PHYSICAL VIOLENCE that DEHUMANIZES and DIMINISHES one's sense of IDENTITY and their relationship to SOCIETY. its a BRUTAL record and for my brother and i this is the DEFINITIVE OFFSPRING record. in retrospect i find it funny that i discovered this record through a LEBANESE classmate in NIGERIA. even the intro passage to "DIRTY MAGIC" was the first thing most of my classmates learned on guitar at the time. it just goes to show how big THE OFFSPRING were as an international force back in the mid-1990s, even in NIGERIA, and long before the internet. that still blows my mind. learning about this PUNK ROCK record by a local ORANGE COUNTY band from a few cities away (specifically GARDEN GROVE) halfway around the world was an experience that totally re-contextualized how i viewed my own relationship to AMERICAN CULTURE and that game of telephone would continue for years down the line. even this act of writing a blog is my way of exploring such a phenomena to a certain extent. if you are unfamiliar with IGNITION, definitely check it out. it has more to do with the HARDCORE PUNK of DEAD KENNEDYS and BLACK FLAG then the POP POP PUNK of GREEN DAY, NOFX or PENNYWISE. its pretty UNRELENTING affair with no comic relief whatsoever like much of their staggeringly disappointing later output.
photo & text by nacrowe
check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating LOS ANGELES PUNK ROCK icons NOFX!
​ ​​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 & text by nacrowe
the summer before my senior year of high school in 2001 i visited a childhood friend in ORANGE COUNTY who i learned upon arrival had very much taken the deep dive down into 1980s HARDCORE PUNK ROCK and never came out. specifically he turned me onto SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA bands from the surrounding area like THE ADOLESCENTS, TRUE SOUNDS OF LIBERTY, THE BAGS, YOUTH BRIGADE, CIRCLE JERKS, BLACK FLAG, CHANNEL 3, DESCENDENTS, BAD RELIGION, FEAR, THE VANDALS, RICH KIDS ON LSD, X, AGENT ORANGE, D.I., WASTED YOUTH and so on. it was during this period that i was introduced to SOCIAL DISTORTION who were literally from the next town over in FULLERTON. that whole summer was very much an education in HARDCORE and the recent musical and cultural history of the area i grew up in, which was beyond compelling for me at the time. nearly twenty years later, i did a radio show specifically on this PUNK ROCK scene on the LOS ANGELES PUNK ROCK episode of DEER GOD RADIO.
i mention all this because SOCIAL DISTORTION has a unique trajectory relative to their cohort of bands and the scene they came from. as time moved forward some local bands, most famously SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, adopted aspects of the concurrent THRASH METAL movement and effectively creating a crossover hybrid. most others in true steadfast RAMONES style never evolved and stuck to their sound. as main songwriter MIKE NESS grew older and got clean from a devastating heroin addiction, his music showcased a wider palette of influences that included ROCKABILLY, FOLK and COUNTRY elements that came from his newfound appreciation for art and enjoying life. SOCIAL DISTORTION's debut MOMMY'S LITTLE MONSTER (13TH FLOOR, 1983) is quite the opposite of that later MULTI-FACETED creative output. these FASCINATING songs find a GIFTED songwriter early in the process of finding his initial bearings and seeking out his voice. on PROPULSIVE, now ICONIC tracks like "TELLING THEM," "ANTI-FASHION," "THE CREEPS," "ANOTHER STATE OF MIND" and "MOMMY'S LITTLE MONSTER" there is a palpable sense of INTENSE passion and FURIOUS intention with little in the way of FINESSE. that would come much later as NESS would mature and develop his voice as a songwriter along with his FEROCIOUS stage persona. the career trajectory and evolution of SOCIAL DISTORTION is what i find most INTERESTING. MOMMY'S LITTLE MONSTER doesnt sound dissimilar or any less accomplished from other recorded efforts of the period like THE ADOLESCENTS' ADOLESCENTS (FRONTIER, 1981), BAD RELIGION's HOW COULD HELL BE ANY WORSE? (EPITAPH, 1982) or THE VANDALS' PEACE THRU VANDALISM (EPITAPH, 1982). an INTRIGUING cultural artifact from this period is the ANOTHER STATE OF MIND (TIME BOMB, 1984) documentary that finds SOCIAL DISTORTION on an early tour with YOUTH BRIGADE as they make their way through house parties and VFW halls along the west coast. its a document that finds NESS establishing himself as an artist and taking chances both on and off stage during a time when HARDCORE and PUNK ROCK was DANGEROUS and could get you in a bruising scuffle with dumbshit local rednecks on sight. it would be years before NESS took to his guitar and develop his songwriting chops in earnest but the PASSION and INTENT is most obviously there from the start. its pretty cool to witness that spark. and for me MOMMY'S LITTLE MONSTER is a documentation of that initial creative spark that would later blossom into one of the most ACCOMPLISHED and SOULFUL ROCK N ROLL songwriters of his era, PUNK or otherwise. photo & text by nacrowe
in the summer of 2001 i visited a childhood friend in ORANGE COUNTY in what turned out to be an education in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PUNK ROCK. it was the summer before my senior year of high school and in retrospect it was the calm before the storm that was 9/11 a few short months later. it was also my first trip back to my childhood home as i had permanently left CALIFORNIA when my family moved to NIGERIA in the fall of 1996. i went into the experience expecting things to have shifted only to be completely gobsmacked to the extent to which life had inevitably moved on without me. new buildings, new facilities and new communities had sprung up during that half decade apart. like i said, it was an education of sorts.
my childhood friend was deep into PUNK ROCK and specifically 80s HARDCORE from the area. im talking about local ORANGE / LOS ANGELES / VENTURA / SAN DIEGO COUNTY bands like D.I., FEAR, CHANNEL 3, THE GERMS, AGENT ORANGE, RICH KIDS ON LSD, DR. KNOW, CIRCLE JERKS, T.S.O.L., BLACK FLAG, BATTALION OF SAINTS, THE VANDALS, MINUTEMEN, BAD RELIGION, DESCENDENTS, THE MIDDLE CLASS, WASTED YOUTH and especially THE ADOLESCENTS. now some of these bands i was familiar with but most i was not. at this point in time i had been abroad in AFRICA and then more recently sequestered in a NEW ENGLAND boarding school. i was a fast learner though. whats crazy is that my childhood friend and i went to two consequential shows that summer, WARPED TOUR in VENTURA and THE ADOLESCENTS in SANTA ANA. at WARPED i was introduced to the standup comedy that was the anti-everything LEE VING fronting FEAR. i mean even FLEA showed up for that gig. but the more CONSEQUENTIAL event was the reunion of THE ADOLESCENTS for a show celebrating their self-titled ADOLESCENTS (FRONTIER, 1981) album. what struck me about that album was how WELL-CONSTRUCTED the songs were and how MELODIC and EXPANSIVE the musicianship was. tracks like "KIDS OF THE BLACK HOLE" and "AMOEBA" were arguably ANTHEMIC pop songs in the best SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA tradition of non-PUNK bands. likewise "L.A. GIRL," "I HATE CHILDREN," "RIP IT UP" and "WHO IS WHO" were as spit-in-your-eye VENOMOUS and SNARLING as anything dreamed up by THE GERMS or their numerous later-day acolytes. hearing the album and then seeing it live was a unique experience, especially given how RAUCOUS and VIOLENT the crowd was at that reunion show. i had never seen concert-goes outright attacking security before. sure there were mosh pits id seen at OZZFEST back in NEW JERSEY, but this was another level of proximity and intent. i pretty much immediately got the sense of why people get caught up in this flavor of PUNK ROCK as it was almost freeing to see society's unspoken mandate of civility and mutual respect lifted for a few hours. ADOLESCENTS is a record that more than lives up to its reputation as a seminal HARDCORE album that inspired countless skate-punk and MELODIC HARDCORE bands that followed. learning about them made me rethink my association with ORANGE COUNTY, as previously i thought of that region as nothing more than a cultural abyss of which nothing seemed to emanate out of except for NO DOUBT and RICHARD NIXON. now there was a whole slew of local HARDCORE bands to enjoy like THE ADOLESCENTS (FULLERTON), THE VANDALS (HUNTINGTON BEACH), THE MIDDLE CLASS (SANTA ANA), AGENT ORANGE (PLACENTIA), CHANNEL 3 (CERRITOS), D.I. (FULLERTON), THE CROWD (HUNTINGTON BEACH), and SOCIAL DISTORTION (FULLERTON) to investigate. like i said, that summer was an education.
parodies by nacrowe
its funny, i literally just did a DEER GOD RADIO episode on SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA POP PUNK icons BLINK-182 and the group reforms with its original lineup shortly thereafter.
figures. im pretty ambivalent about it. it feels like TOM DELONGE only feels compelled to rejoin the band that made him able to pursue his LAME side projects when one of the other two core members survives a life-threatening situation. those being a PLANE CRASH with TRAVIS BARKER and CANCER with MARK HOPPUS. it seems like there is a reason this lineup split up twice and i really wonder what chemistry they still have at this point. it just smells like a cash-grab to be totally honest. and that neednt be the case since BLINK-182 had put out two stellar post-DELONGE albums with his more than competent replacement MATT SKIBA of the iconic CHICAGO PUNK ROCK band ALKALINE TRIO. id even argue that the band was on a creative hot streak with singles that matched if not surpassed the classic lineup at their peak. they managed to sound ENERGETIC, SNARKY and dare-i-say-it, MATURE. with DELONGE back in the fold its difficult to surmise a reason other than the fact that outside of GREEN DAY, BLINK-182 is arguably the most influential POP PUNK band of all-time. this line-up will no doubt allow for a cash-in unlike anything seen in recent memory. i just have my concerns of how long this will last. inevitably DELONGE will return to his yes-men in ANGELS & AIRWAVES and put out more unlistenable, D-grade U2 retread music from the profits of this coming go around. get the feeling sometimes that you're being used? i do. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
MICHAEL "FAT MIKE" BURKETT of LOS ANGELES PUNK ROCK veterans NOFX has long been quite the OUTRAGEOUS personality in the PUNK underground and ALTERNATIVE music scenes going back to the 1980s. in some sways that AUDACIOUS public persona, most recently exemplified by the NOFX memoir THE HEPATITIS BATHTUB AND OTHER STORIES (review linked HERE), has run the risk of eclipsing his many musical and BUSINESS ACCOMPLISHMENTS (he runs and owns FAT WRECK CHORDS to this day with his ex-wife ERIN).
what i love about his FAT MIKE'S FAT MIC podcast is that it really marries the two aspects of his personality: his need to be CONFRONTATIONAL and his artistic / BUSINESS ACUMEN. there are many examples of celebrities and musicians who have turned to podcasting as a supplementary marketing avenue or potential revenue stream, but with FAT MIKE'S FAT MIC there oddly seems to be a real effort to pull back the curtain and dare i say it, EDUCATE. interviews include discussions with collaborators involved with varying aspects of the MUSIC INDUSTRY including MIXERS, MUSIC VIDEO DIRECTION, VOCAL COACHES and BOOKERS. being a PUNK elder statesmen at this point, FAT MIKE does promote those who came before him (JACK GRISHAM of T.S.O.L., GREG HETSON of REDD KROSS / CIRCLE JERKS / BAD RELIGION and legendary ROXY THEATRE owner - and THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW film producer - LOU ADLER) as well as those that came after (GET DEAD, CODEFENDANTS, THE D.O.C., OLD MAN MARKLEY, IGNITE, THE BOMBPOPS, LONG BEACH DUB ALL-STARS, BAD COP BAD COP, DAYS N' DAZE, MAD CADDIES and THE LAWRENCE ARMS). FAT MIKE also gets into TOURING, ART and POLITICAL ISSUES surrounding the ENVIRONMENT and WOMEN'S RIGHTS. the FAT MIKE'S FAT MIC podcast seems to be on a bit of a break at the moment but in my opinion it stands out not because of its BRASHNESS, but instead its THOUGHTFUL, REFLECTIVE nature about the inner-workings and limitations of the MUSIC INDUSTRY and, more importantly, as a platform (and force multiplier) to get the word out about MEANINGFUL SOCIAL JUSTICE INITIATIVES and ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCACY efforts. its pretty incredible and FAT MIKE'S FAT MIC is well worth checking out.
parodies by nacrowe
​check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating the SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA POP PUNK icons BLINK-182!
​ ​​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
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 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. |
NICHOLAS ARCHIVES
March 2024
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