7.10.07
Anyone who has ever known me for a long or short time, knows of my absolute LOVE for BAD RELIGION!!!! This obssession of them has been going on for over 20 years, and won't stop. Although my collection of small artifacts may not be as much as other's, I have aquired and collected many of material items from this SoCal punk legend. One of the most prized would be my copy of the ever hated, most underlooked album "Into The Unknown" (see my pics), that I have held onto for many, many years.
Every few years, it becomes like a holiday for me. A new BAD RELIGION record comes out, the critics rip it, or love it, more people fall under their spell, and my thirst is quenched for a bit. This year is the time. While doing this summer's Vans Warped Tour, their newest assault, "New Maps Of Hell", will drop on us like the ticking timebomb that is planet Earth. No doubt, this will be one of the best records in 2007. If you go to that damn tour, make BAD RELIGION the reason for the season.
Here's the next new track "Heroes And Martyrs". Heavy, fast, and ready for war!!!!
"Heroes And Martyrs" live
**************************************************
But, enough of the nice stuff. I am into.......
Burning bridges to keep warm and turning friends into enemies.
I tattoo the names of my family members to keep them close, even though the distance between us makes us happy.
Sarcasm is my dialog and satire is my understanding.
Self-pity makes a good soup.
If I could bottle all my hatred, I bet I could make a mean sauce.
I'd like to meet:
Myself in a dark alley with a pair of brass knuckles and a flaming stick.
Backseat Boris
People Iced: Three
Car Bombs Planted: Sixteen
Favorite Weapon A Pillow
Arms Broken: Twenty Two
Eyes Gouged: Eight
Tongues Cut Off: Six
Biggest Enemy: One Shot
Get Your HITMAN Name
Below is my top 24. I have focused on the music I love and the bands, and record label, that warm my heart the most.
BAD RELIGION: By far the smartest band to ever come from punk rock. One of the main reasons bands today try to imitate cheap melodies is because of BR.
7 SECONDS: If any band deserves the respect from EVERY hardcore/punk band that has the guts to stand true to the ideas of unity, it's 7SECONDS. One of the original hardcore bands, taking influence from Minor Threat and Black Flag. Over the years, their sound developed into a more melodic aspect (early signs of TRUE Emo), they still stuck to their guns. Some fans weren't into it, but I personaly think that era produced some of their best records, including the "Praise" ep.With their last few releases, they went back to their roots and gave us their fastest records since "Walk Together, Rock Together".
DESCENDENTS: Green Day, Blink 182, and the rest of those cheesey radio pop bands WOULD NOT exsist if it were not for the 'Dents!!! Poppy hooks, songs about girls, food, farting, who can beat that?
ALL: They can. Or at least follow up with what their former band started. ALL is what happens when Milo from Descendents "Goes to college" and becomes a bio-chemist. Never getting their rightful respect as their former, ALL still has a strong, solid fan base that remain true to the quest.
OUTSPOKEN: In the 90's when straight edge was taking a swan dive out of hardcore, there were a few bands that took the scene, recreated it, and kept that idea alive. Earth Crisis, Strife, Mouthpiece, and OUTSPOKEN took the 90's and gave all of us that still believed a place to still call home. Their first 7 inch "Survival" was one of the few albums that got me through high school. Along with the 411 album "This Isn't Me", and the first Down By Law record. Also one of the influences that got me to become vegetarian!!
INSTED: If ever a hardcore band broke up too early, it was INSTED!!!! Seeing them was like a posi-bomb dropped and nothing in the world could be so bad. A feeling that everything will work themselves out. They recently released a complete discography on Indecision Records and did a few reunion shows, one of which was recorded at CBGB's and put out as a live cd. Even after breaking up in '91, they sounded as strong as ever!!!
IGNITE: Coming from Orange County, California, IGNITE never gave up. Political, personal, and down right awesome. They were pushing melodies into hardcore before it became a trend. With former members of No For An Answer, this band promised a strong sound. (Their original singer, Joe Nelson, had another awesome band called Triggerman, then would later currently front The Killing Flame.) IGNITE took all the best parts of Uniform Choice and made them better. If you haven't grabbed their new album, "Our Darkest Days", then you are missing a piece of ,what is to become, hardcore history!!
DOWN BY LAW When former DYS, Dag Nasty, and ALL singer Dave Smalley got together with members of Chemical People and Clawhammer, what was supposed to be just a side project became one of the greatest punk bands that emerged from the 90's. Their first album "Down By Law" and third album "Punkrockacademyfightsong" could easily be two of the greatest punk records next to the first Ramones album and "Back in the USA" from MC5.
411 The most under-looked band of the 90's!!! Dan O'Mahony from No For An Answer and Carry Nation took hardcore to a new level and came out with 411. Personal, political, and down right intelligent, "This Isn't Me" is a f**king tense record!!!
BLACK FLAG: The only reason this band is not first and foremost in my top 24, is because they are in a class of their own!!! America's original hardcore. If I have to give anymore of a discription of this band (or the next one on my list for that matter), GET OUT OF HARDCORE!!!
AGNOSTIC FRONT: The band that put New York Hardcore on the map. They were real street music. They didn't sing about the streets because it sounded good and had a good ring to it, they lived it!!! They were, are, and will always be what true hardcore is. Unity, struggle, strength, all the best qualities of makes this music so important.
DAG NASTY: I really wish some of you kids today would get an idea of what "Emo" was when I was growing up. "Emo" was a term that was short for "Emotional Hardcore". Bands back then didn't have to sound hard to express the same feelings as street bands. AOF, Embrace (which was the band Ian from Minor Threat started shortly after they broke up. One of the most incredible albums to ever be made), and DAG NASTY became the founders of melodic, emotional hardcore. Featuring Brian Baker from Minor Threat (and the only orignial member throughout their career) and Dave Smalley from DYS (later to sing for ALL and Down By Law), their first album "Can I Say?" was one of the most influencial records next to 7Seconds "The Crew".
VERBAL ASSAULT: Speaking of emotional hardcore, not many bands could hold a candle to VERBAL ASSAULT!! Not the most popular, or even recognized, but damn good. their early releases were as raw as "Out Of Step" or "Damage" and as melodic as "Can I Say?". Later on, they would grow musicaly and put out one the best albums in hardcore called "On". I strongly believe that if it wasn't for those 5 songs, the band Lifetime would never exsist as we know them. And with no Lifetime, there would be no Kid Dynamite, no Paint It Black, no None More Black. Should I go on? Didn't think so. Serioulsy, go to Verbalassault.com, order Volume One of their discography, wait as patiently as possible for Number Two as you fall in love with this band, or search on Ebay. If I'm wrong, then kill me.
MADBALL: What happens when members of Agnostic Front form a band with their singer's younger brother? MADBALL Fuckin' happens!! Outlasting the critics, member changes, and personal hardships, MADBALL reigns supreme. They are on a quest to keep true hardcore alive.
NO USE FOR A NAME: If anyone who is a fan of this band ever heard their first two 7 inches, you would never believe that was the same band. One of Fat Wreck Chords flagship bands, NUFAN has developed into one of the strongest, poppiest bands on the scene. Plus, they don't cheapen their sound by relying on sappy breakup songs, threats of emotinal suicide, or whatever trend that has infected pop punk now. Insightful, to say the least. Seriously one of my all time favorite bands.
AMENDMENT 18 (A18 for short): So, any fan of old school (90's) hardcore would have loved this lineup... The drummer from Insted, guitarist from Outspoken, and singer from A Chorus Of Disapproval. All I can really say about their first album "All Our Heroes Are Dead" is HOLY SHIT!! Brutal. Not by way of typical breakdowns, but just pure insanity. The same could be said for their next two albums "Forever After Nothing" and "Dear Furious", both on Victory Records. And honestly, one of the baddest, no bullshit bands on Victory along with The Autumn Offering. Plus, A18 IS BACK!!! They took a break a year ago, now they are alive again with members of Hellfire Tirgger to pick up where they left off and leave a trail of distruction behind them!
THE GO-GO'S: If you need an introduction to who these girls are, you need a kick in your face. Songs like "We Got The Beat", "Our Lips Are Sealed", and "Vacation" were on regular rotation when I was growing up. They were one of the first all girl bands that wrote their own music, something that doesn't exist, even today
LUCKIE STRIKE: Myself, and many others believe that if it wasn't for this band, the world would have NEVER heard of Tsunami Bomb. No disrespect to TB, but Luckie Strike paved the way with those sweet, smooth vocals and some of the best music ever created to go with it. And really, I haven't heard any female drummers, or many male drummers, as tight as this one! So there!
THE QUEERS: Let me give you kids a hand with these next two...
So once upon a time, there was this really awesome band called the RAMONES! Now, they started, what some of us old guys call, PUNK ROCK! And before mall punks, MTV, and internet, punk rock was something that parents wouldn't let their kids listen to, until rap came around (and that was many years before Snoop or Ludapiss, believe it or not!!). Well, there was a band that decided to bring the true elements of punk rock back to where it belonged. We call them The Queers. If you take the Ramones and The Beach Boys, then you have a general idea of what I mean.
THE PARASITES:Another on my list of bands that style their sound from The Ramones. I read somewhere a long time ago that If you take The Ramones and Descendents and they had a baby, it would be The Dead Milkmen. I feel the same about The Parasites, just not as campy as The Dead Milkmen. Still, a fun ass band to listen to. Tight, poppy, and down right awesome!! Trust me!
HELLFIRE TRIGGER: So, there's been this thing lately with older hardcore guys making bands that give you the feel of old old old hardcore, like Black Flag. ONLY CRIME, TRIPLE THREAT, and HELLFIRE TRIGGER. Now, why is HFT up here and not the others? Not because I don't love those other bands, and not because HFT are my bros, but because they are just rippin. CJ's vocals make me want to smash something with a brick. The music is that of an angry buzzsaw that wants to cut down churches. So nice to hear hardcore again!!!
THE DOOMED CLOWNS: One of Daytona's best kept secrets. A band that could have easliy taken over the world. Years ago, our little beach town was run by three major factors, STALEFISH, SKIF DANK, and THE DOOMED CLOWNS. Three totaly different bands with the same goal, play and rock! Now, since the moment I heard these guys, the only way I could tell the world on how they sound is take Simon & Garfunkle and Bad Religion. That's it. Nothing more, nothing less!
SAM COOKE: No, he's not punk rock. In fact, he died years before there was even anything close to punk. BUT, he was the GREATEST soul singers ever. James Brown? Shit son, he was no Sam Cooke!!! Smooth as ice, and just as cool, Mr.Cooke gave us life with his voice. Nothing then or now can match what I hear everytime I put on his live album. THIS was music. Not that American Idol crap!!!
NEW AGE RECORDS: In the 90's when hardcore seemed to be dying, there were two labels that were in the business to keep it going. Victory and NEW AGE. And while Tony (Victory) Brummel was snatching up bands like Integrity, Earth Crisis, Strife, Snapcase, etc., Mike Hartfield was putting out some of the most underrated, un-recognized bands of the time. Outspoken, Mouthpiece, Reserrection, XChorusX and maybe their most popular band, Lifetime. All this while playing guitar in Outspoken. After, what seemed to be a prolonged break, NEW AGE went on a comback in these last few years with Countdown To Life, Aftermath Of A Trainwreck, This Time Tomorrow, and Hellfire Trigger. NEW AGE is on a warpath, signing more bands to the roster and keeping it pretty much DIY with only two guys running the show and a street team to boot. You want Hardcore? Then you want NEW AGE!
Music:
NO FOR AN ANSWER-"I SPY"
....
RIP Travis "T9" Hunt
And so it goes.......
7Seconds* 9 Lives* 25 ta Life* 88 Fingers Louie* 98 Mute* 411* 10,000 Maniacs* A-18* A Chorus of Disapproval* Agnostic Front* Alkaline Trio* ALL* Ann Beretta* Anti-Flag* (The)Autumn Offering* Bad Brains* Bad Religion* Bane* Battle!* Beowulf* Betrayed* Bif Naked* Big Drill Car* BigWig* Billyclub Sandwich* Black Flag* Black My Heart* Black Sabbath* Black Train Jack* Bl'ast! * Bold* Boucing Souls* Break The Silence* Buddy Holly* By the Grace of God* CarterUSM* Chain of Strength* Chemical People* Circle JErks* Circle Pit (RIP)* C.O.C.(old)* Coldside* Collateral Damage* Comin' Correct* Concrete Blonde* Confront* Consider This* Countdown To Life* (The)Cranberries* (The)Crimescene* Cruiserweight* Cub* (The)Cure* Dashboard Confessional* DRI* Dag Nasty* Dead Kennedys* Descendents* (the)Dickies* Die Hard* Down By Law* Doomed Clowns* Downset.* Dreams You Die In* Dropkick Murphy's* Dynamite Boy(RIP)* DYS* Earth Crisis* Embrace* Endpoint* Ensign* Excel*(the)Exploited* Face Value* Fallen From The Sky* Farside* Fast Times* Fight Everyone* fIREHOSE* Floorpunch* Fugazi* Full Blown Chaos* Fury66* Gary Pucket and the Union Gap* GBH* Good Riddance* Green Day* Groovie Ghoulies* Go-Go's* Goober Patrol* Gorilla Biscuits* H2O* Hatebreed* Hellfire Trigger* Herman's Hermits* Hoods* Hope and Suicide* Hot Water Music* Husker Du* Ice Cube* Ice-T* Ignite* Ignition* Integrity* Insted* Iron Maiden* Jimmy Eat World* John Henry Holiday* Judge* Kid Dynamite* Killing Flame* Killing Joke* Killing Time* Kill Your Idols* Kingface* Konipshun Phit* Lag Wagon* Lars and the Bastards* Leeway* Luckie Strike* Madball* Make Or Break* MC5* Mean Season* Ministry* Minutemen* Minor Threat* Most Precious Blood* Mouthpiece* Murphy's Law* MXPX* Naked Raygun* Natalie Merchant* New Model Army* Nitzer Ebb* No For An Answer* No Use For A Name* NOFX* NWA* OLC* Only Crime* On Our Own* OS101* Outspoken* Pailhead* (the)Parasites* Pennywise (RIP JMT)* Peter,Paul, and Mary* (the)Pogues* Public Enemy* Pulley* Queen* (the)Queers* Ramones* Reach the Sky* Redd Kross* Redemption 87* R.E.M.* Ressurection* Ritchie Valens* Rise Against* Roger Miret and the Disasters* Rollins Band* RUN DMC* Ryker's* S.N.F.U.* Sam Cooke* Screaming Trees* Screeching Weasel* Shattered Realm* Sheer Terror* Shonen Knife* Sick of it All* Side by Side* Skinny Puppy* Slapshot* Slayer* Smoking Popes* Social Distortion* Speak714* Stereotyperider* Straight Faced* Strife* Strung Out* Styx* Sworn Enemy* [SUB][HUM][ANS]* Suicidal Tendencies* System of a Down* T.S.O.L.* Teen Idols* Ten Foot Pole* Ten Yard Fight* Terror* The New Threat* Throwdown* Thumbscrew* Triple Threat* Token Entry* Turning Point* Tsunami Bomb(RIP)* Underdog* Uniform Choice* Until The End(RIP)* Useless I.D.* Vegan Reich* Verbal Assault* Verse* Veitnom* Vision* Wall Of Jericho* Warzone* Wayne Kramer* (The)Who* Wide Awake* With Honor* Years From Now* Youth Brigade* Youth of Today* ZZTop* .....aahh who cares!
Movies:
Team America, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Star Wars, Airheads, V, Almost Famous, Decline of the Western Civilization, Suburbia- the 80's version, Planes Trains and Automobiles, Blast from the Past, All the Marvel movies so far -Punisher, Spiderman, Dare Devil, etc., Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison,.......I have no life!!!! Come over and watch movies with me
Television:
Good Times, Barney Miller (and Fish,the spinoff), Diff'rent Strokes, What's Happening, Happy Days, Lavern and Shirley, Mork and Mindy, Married With Children, Still Standing, George Lopez, Two and a Half Men, South Park, Family Guy, Simpsons, Prison Break,King of the Hill, Batman (the cartoons and the old live action show. Same Bat-profile, same Bat Edge), The Appliance Direct comercial,
Books:
I have a compromising comprehension. There are times I cannot absorb words from pages for my mind to feed. But, there are plenty of books that do keep my attention. I really enjoy history books, photographic art, and especially books on music. Here is some of the books that get my eyes moving and my brain pumping.......
"Zen In The Martial Arts" by Joe Hyams
"Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson
"Our Band Could Be Your Life" by Michael Azerrad
"Get In The Van" by Henry Rollins
"Dance Of Days" by Mark Anderson and Mark Jenkins
"American Hardcore-A Tribal History" by Steven Blush
"All Ages-Reflections of Straight Edge" by Beth Lahickey
"Three Legged Race" and "Four Letter World" by Dan O'Mahony
Please feel free to look into these books or authors. I have found them very interesting.
Heroes:
Michael Gavin Hartsfield
Mothers of the Civil Rights Revolution
Harriet Tubman
Ida B. Wells
Rosa Parks
Fathers of the Civil Rights Revolution
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Malcolm X
Huey P. Newton
Fathers of the Punk Rock Revolution
Joey Ramone
Joe Strummer
Greg Ginn
Kevin Seconds
Ian MacKaye
Dave Smalley
Bill Stevenson
Greg Graffin
Most Importantly, my mother Nancy Jean, for having the strength to make sure her children had the basic needs of a family unit. For breaking her body to make sure her son had stupid material things. For dealing with 30+ years of me.
