40, bitches!

Wednesday warriors! Can you believe that this will mark the 40th shitty playlist I have made for you guys? I certainly cannot, given my fear of commitment...oh, you don't think I am terrified of commitment? Just ask my wife, or the bank that holds the long-term mortgage on the house we live in. Anyway, this is gonna be extra fun. This week, we have a number of great tunes, including the likes of Kid Dynamite, Conflict, Local H, The Smiths, Vision and more.



Annnnd here is the web player link for all your doinkies.

Okie dokie, we're gonna kick off this week's gem-studded playlist with New Jersey hardcore band Vision's popular anthem, Close Minded. A good first on any list, this was the opening track for their 2000 album, Watching the World Burn. Vision's lead man Dave Franklin sadly passed away earlier this year, and was mourned publicly by many in the community, with tributes pouring in from friends and comrades like Sick of it All, Shai Halud, H20 and Agnostic Front.

Our second track is courtesy of indie band Archers of Loaf. Bred in the highlands of Asheville, NC, the Archers met in 1991 and produced four LPs and a handful of EPs up until 1998 when they decided to call it quits. Although Archers of Loaf got back together for a brief stint in the early '10s of this millennia, the band members are mostly focused on new and different projects, including forming a new band, Crooked Fingers, and filling in as live accompaniment for bands like Band of Horses and Analog Moon.

Diabolical is a jangly punk tune, which is not surprising given it was written and recorded by the old ass jangly motherfuckers of Rancid. Rancid is arguably the most important and influential punk act of the 1990s, leading the charge of that decade's punk renaissance. They also, along with  bands like Green Day and The Offspring, exposed the genre to mainstream audiences with a ton of radio success. Diabolical is off Rancid's latest release, the 2014 studio album ...Honor is All We Know, which was their first record in over 5 years. Time for another, boys..

Up next is iconic 90s rock duo Local H's take on Wolf Like Me, originally written and performed by the rad dudes of TV On The Radio. Frankly, this cover isn't SUPER exciting...I don't think they do enough to differentiate from the original. That being said, they do add some Local H flavor to it, like Scott Lucas' brash vocals, a tom-driven, mirage-y feeling breakdown, and infusing that up-tempo 90s rock sound throughout. Besides, Wolf Like Me is such a great tune to begin with, why change it all that much?! Local H released this as part of their first covers-only EP, Local H's Awesome Mix Tape #1 (which also has a great Agent Orange cover on it!)

Skumbag Skuad is a moody and aggressively horn-y track from LA's ten piece ska act Roncovacoco, which is really a mouthful of a band name. The horns are blaring, the verses catchy as fuck, and I absolutely love how they end the song in such thrashy fashion.What's not to like?

Throwing in a couple Kid Dynamite tracks from their self-titled because, well, they're just one of the best melodic hardcore bands to grace this little green and blue planet of ours (oh happy late Earth day by the way). Who does 'whoa whoa whoas' better than Jason?? No one, that's who. Kid Dynamite fact of the week - guitarist Dan Yemin, despite all his punk rock accomplishments, is also a professional child psychologist. So, like, if you have problems, and you're a kid - go get your head checked out by him.

Bigmouth Strikes Again! I think that The Smiths must be one of the first bands most think of when they think the 80s. The silky baritone notes and sarcastic lyrics of Morrissey, in  cahoots with guitarist Johnny Marr's Fleetwood Mac-style strumming, sets the stage for this pop barrage of a song. Big Mouth Strikes Again was released as a single shortly before appearing on The Smiths' 3rd studio album, The Queen is Dead, which dropped in the summer of 1986.

We're going to close out this week's sparkling playlist with a track from The King Khan & the BBQ Show, a band which is about as farcical and raucous as their name would suggest. This Canadian duo is made up of ex-Shapeshits members Blacksnake (King Khan) and Mark Sultan (BBQ). Zombies is a really fun song off the weirdos' 2nd full-length, 2006's What's For Dinner? Enjoy.

I'm done showing up to fucking work

Kon'nichiwa, Wednesday warriors, and welcome to another daring episode of WWA. In this week's adventure, we find our hero fighting off workday ennui and struggling to meet critical deadlines. Wielding only the awesome power of punk rock, harnessed through songs from bands like Choking Victim, Good Riddance, Roots Manuva, The Dead Milkmen, Minor Threat and The Bronx, our hero conquers the week!

Enjoy the tunes, buckaroos.



Annnd, the web player link for all you ducks.

OK, so we're kicking off the playlist this week with a classic from Philly's notorious 80s hardcore outfit The Dead Milkmen. Tiny Town is the opening track off their 1985 debut full length, Big Lizard in My Backyard, and serves a blistering burn on small town American life. Like the rest of the album, Tiny Town blends punk energy and vocals with a jangly folksy sound, and is punctuated throughout with their trademark sense of humor.

Nothing Personal is a hard hitting track from Dinosaur Pile-Up, a post-alternative rock band from Leeds, England. The song is featured off Dinosaur Pile-Up's latest record, Eleven Eleven. Although the album was released in Europe in October 2015, American fans weren't able to buy it in stores until August 2016...rude!

A good buddy of ours from London was staying with us for a couple weeks, and while he was here, he turned me onto English rapper Roots Manuva. I had never heard of him, but apparently he's an incredibly influential and popular artist/producer in that culturally impressive little island. Witness (1 Hope) is his biggest hit, and was a single from his second album, Run Come Save Me, released in 2001 through Big Dada label. Roots Manuva blends a nice mix of hip hop, dub and funk, and the lack of quantization on his beats produces a pleasing, off-kilter, almost lagging, effect.

Infested is a dirty tune from those disreputable NYC miscreants that are Choking Victim. The song was NOT part of their sole full-length release (No Gods, No Managers) but rather was featured on Hellcat Records' Give 'Em the Boot compilation. A staple of the C-Squat crust punk scene, Choking Victim provides a refreshing antithesis between soothing, catchy (crack) rock steady ska, and unforgiving, chaotic and unkempt hardcore punk.

Well, balls, it certainly seems like we're featuring a lot of music from our friends across the pond. Eat the Rich is courtesy from those pervasive purveyors of perversion, Motörhead. It was released as a single in 1987, and was written specifically for Peter Richardson's film of the same name. Formed in 1975 by the infamous, dead-but-never-forgotten Lemmy, aka Ian Fraser Kilmister, Motörhead rocked the shit out of it all the way til his death in 2015. DID YOU KNOW - Lemmy was a huge fan of slot machines and arcade games, and he'd often mutter 'lemmy a fiver until Friday' to feed his addiction, leading to the creation of his famous nickname.

Up next is LA hardcore band The Bronx (whaaaa', geography fake out), with their throaty and punching anthem Heart Attack American. This is the first track on their self-titled debut album (the first of four self-titled albums), which was recorded in 2003 in producer Gilby Clarke's kitchen. I love the open room sound heard throughout the album. All in all, good shit. What you got cooking next, guys?

Trusty Chords is a crooner of a tune off Hot Water Music's 2002 full-length album Caution. A reliable go-to when you want music with some feels, these Floridians have been churning out soulful songs since their genesis in 1993. Although they've slowed down these past several years, they still get together and do stuff here and there. Keep an eye out, ya never know when they may announce a new project...

Our penultimate selection is Dry Season, a speedy song from melodic hardcore veterans Good Riddance. These guys, led by indefatigable frontman Russ Rankin, had a long and successful run through the 90s and 2000s, releasing seven critically acclaimed albums through Fat Wreck Chords. After a long hiatus that started in 2007, Good Riddance got back together to write their latest record, Peace In Our Time, which includes Dry Season...and which was also released through Fat Wreck.

We'll end today's merriment with Dinosaurs Will Die, from NOFX's 8th studio album Pump Up the Valuum. This track sounds very NOFX-y for the time (circa late 90s/early 2000s), featuring doubled guitar lines with running solos, mid tempo rhythm, and a polished quality to the production. Pump Up the Valuum would go on to be the last album NOFX published through Epitaph. Fun fact - the band purposefully misspelled 'Valium' in the album's name to avoid a lawsuit. Not very punk rock, guys!


Alright, that is enough excitement for one week. Tune in next Wednesday to see what we got in store next. Please feel free to send feedback, song requests, t-shirts, hair, or anything else you want. Toodle-loo!

Manufactured phonies

Happy mid-week, Wednesday warriors, and welcome to another fun-filled adventure of punk music, rehashed gifs and a lesson in twisting and corrupting our most beautiful English language. This week we have a real doozy of a playlist, featuring awesome tracks from bands like X, The Menzingers, Blur, RVIVR, Brody Dalle and more. Without further ado, let's burn this barn down. 



And here's the web player link for all you porkies

We kick off the week with a blistering track from Cascadian rockers, RVIVR. Known for their work ethic (they tour a shit ton) and raucous live performances, RVIVR has quickly become a household name for old and young punk fans alike. Wrong Way/One Way is off their 2nd full length, The Beauty Between. For all my D. Columbian brethren, mark your calendars: they're playing Comet Ping Pong on May 24.

Brody Dalle, with all of her glorious idiosyncrasies and 
resolute grittiness, is one of my a) favorite Aussies and b) favorite punk rock ladies. Formerly of Distillers and Spinnerette fame, my main girl Brody debuted her solo work in 2014 with the album Diploid Love. Underworld is the 2nd track off this record, channeling all the energy and drive from her previous work, while exploring new themes and sounds (including a dope ass horn section and cool little Spanish guitar outro). 

Up next is a pop punk anthem from widely acclaimed group The Menzingers. Second only to Michael Scott in the category of "Best Things to Come Out of Scranton, PA", The Menzingers have been playing raw, fun punk rock since 2006. Good Things is off their third studio album, released in 2012 on the Epitaph label. Undeterred by the chaos that is slowly engulfing our world, these guys are about to set off on a month-long tour of Europe and Asia to promote their latest album. Godspeed, gents!

Dirty Fences is a hard rockin', punk slingin' outfit out of NYC. Although you can hear some of that 70s Ramones influence in their work, they meticulously blend in their own garage guitar sounds, unique harmonies, and fun arrangements. All I Want is off Too High To Kross, their 2013 full-length.

Ghost Ship is off London group Blur's long-awaited, latest album. Unveiled in 2015, The Magic Whip (which is Blur's 8th studio album) was their first release since Think Tank in 2003. Fans weren't disappointed, and for the most part critics raved that it was a triumphant comeback from Damon Albarn and the gang. Hey, since we're already listening to Blur, I'm gonna throw in a little extra...one of my favorite songs by them, We've Got A File On You.

We're Desperate is a boiling composition and plea-to-action from LA's first wave punk band X. For me, like many other kids growing up listening to punk in the 90s, We're Desperate was one of the first exposures to X that I had, thanks to the reissue version that lead lady Exene Cervenka did with Pennywise. Although that cover doesn't stray at all from the original arrangement, it doesn't quite capture the raw emotion, and feeling of despair, that the original exudes.

DC's own Dot Dash is no newcomer to the WWA rotation, and they have plenty of material to add to the mix. Dumb Entertainment is the first track off their latest record, Searchlights. For all my local listeners, these guys are frequent fixtures in the usual suspects; Black Cat, Songbyrd, DC9, Rock N Roll Hotel...go check 'em out when you can!

She's Like Heroin to Me, courtesy of LA cowpunk band The Gun Club, was featured on their debut  album, Fire of Love, released through Ruby Records in 1981.  With that rumblin' train backbeat, country giiiiitar twang, and blues/rockabilly lyrical style, the song exmplifies the advent of the psychobilly genre that gained so much steam throughout the 80s. The Gun Club came to a sad end when band leader Jeffrey Lee Pierce passed away in 1996.

We're gonna close out the week with a shimmering track from Hot Snakes, a post-hardcore band that emanated from the primordial ooze under a hot and unforgiving SoCal sun. The band was formed and led by John Reis, previously of Rockets from the Crypt, and his old bandmate from Drive Like Jehu and Pitchfork, Rick Froberg. Plenty for All was the last track on Hot Snakes' third and final album, Audit in Progress, which was released through Reis' label, Swami Records.


Alright I think that's it for today. As always, send over song requests, critical feedback, threats, etc. Oh and if you're in a band, send me t-shirts. I started this blog for the free shirts...where are the free shirts. I am a male, slim medium. THANKS

Run.

Howdy Wednesday wranglers...welcome to another bonafide, rollickin' half hour with your 3rd favorite sub market blog personality. This week on Wednesdays With Andrew we feature some real hitmakers, including some ditties from Bad Religion, Bass Drum of Death, Nana Grizol, AWOLNATION, Swingin' Utters and more. Turn on your Russian microwave, open up your favorite purveyor of fake news, and enjoy the playlist.



And here's the webplayer link for all my other sole mates

Wow, has Bad Religion really been around since 1982? Yikes we're getting old. Fuck Armageddon... is off Mr. Brett and friends' 1st full length record How Could Hell Be Any Worse? This album marks the genesis of the now-ubiquitous Epitaph label, which Brett used at the time as a vehicle to publish and sell Bad Religion records.

Flip is a fast and fiery anthem from Israeli punkers Not on Tour. With sticky sweet vocals courtesy of femme fuck-ya'all Sima Brami, and accompanied by treble-friendly guitars and drums at breakneck speeds, these guys are keeping the 90s punk sound relevant. Staying true to their skate punk roots, their 2015 whirlwind of an album, Bad Habits, doesn't contain a single song that clocks in over 2 minutes long.

Bass Drum of Death has been a mainstay of the lo-fi/garage punk movement since the earlier part of this millennium. Gritty and noisy, Crawling After You takes us through frontman John Barrett's journey of unrequited love, changing rapidly from hook to hook that seems to engulf the listener's entire bandwidth. Crawling After You was part of the band's 2013 eleven-song eponymous studio release.

Time to get moody with Aaron Bruno, the genius behind AWOLNATION. Run is the titular track from AWOLNATION's sophomore record, released in 2015 through Red Bull Records. This album marks a departure from the more party-fueled anthems from their first album, and takes a bit more dark and introspective turn.

A trailblazer of 80s east coast hardcore, Gang Green made a name for themselves through irreverent and ragey songwriting and raucous live shows. Skate to Hell was a track off their debut full length, Another Wasted Night. This album also includes their infamous punk cover of Aimee Mann's 'Voices Carry' (ps go check it out if you haven't heard it before). Empowering young people fact - when the original line up formed in 1980, they were only 15 years old. Go get 'em, tigers!

Hope ya'all brought your dancing shoes for this next song, Tumbleweed. Part of the busy LA ska scene, Red Store Bums have been the leading cause of skanking-related injuries since forming in 2001. Back then there were only 3 members - they've since rounded it out to their current line-up of eight touring musicians.

T.V. Song is from Georgia peaches (not to be confused with the Moldy Peaches) Nana Grizol. A super group of indie sorts, Nana Grizol is helmed by Theo Hilton from the band Defiance, Ohio, and Laura Carter, of Neatural Milk Hotel fame. Like Theo's old group, Nana Grizol likes to experiment with non-traditional rock instruments...this time replacing the cello and double bass for an accompanying brass section. T.V. Song is off their latest album, Ursa Minor, which JUST dropped last week.

Is it obvious that Wyldlife are fans of 70s NYC glam punk (n roll), a la Ramones or Dictators? These dudes have been committed to doggedly, feverishly, enthusiastically encouraging crowds to party, through an effective use of sweet power chords and sing-alongable rock n roll anthems. Bruvs, Deadbeat was just released as part of their 2017 full-length release, Out on Your Block...go get yerself a copy now!

We're going to end the playlist today with a song from Battles, an experimental post-rock group out of New York City. Atlas, their hit track off debut studio album Mirrored, shows off the raw tribalism and atonal features of Battles' rhythm-heavy sound. Beyond producing trippy and fun-to-listen-to songs, this also serves as a great project for native Baltimorean John Stanier, previously of Helmet glory, to show off his drumming chops.

OK that's it. Good songs, good stories, good bands, good you, good me, bye.