Hello children of the web, and welcome to another toasty
warm playlist from Wednesdays With Andrew. This week promises some fun little
ditties and rehashed gifs; nothing less, nothing more than what you’ve
come to expect from WWA. Music this week includes songs from Slothrust, Nation
of Ulysses, The Lawrence Arms, None More Black, Patti Smith and more…go listen, and
godspeed.
Annnnnd the web player link – https://play.spotify.com/user/agood1no/playlist/3uo4HsdFsm6cDfZPIBuBl1
Patti Smith – My
Generation
We kick off the week with Patti Smith’s slightly more NSFW
version of The Who’s classic tune, My Generation. Also known as the Punk Poet
Laureate, Patti Smith is an eclectic artist who dabbles in a number of formats
(songwriting, poetry and visual arts, to name a few) and her work would go on
to inspire a future generation of songwriters. This song is off Smith’s 1975
debut album, Horses, which would
establish her as a prominent figure in New York’s burgeoning punk scene. Horses quickly gained critical notoriety
for creating a revolutionary sound, composed primarily of freeform, beat poetry
and edgy garage rock song structures.
Nation of Ulysses -
Ulythium
Ulythium is a fast descent into madness, and is courtesy of
legendary DC post-punk noise rats Nation of Ulysses. This song is off the
band’s debut album,
13-Point Program to
Destroy America, released in 1991 through (you fucking guessed it) Ian
Mackaye’s Dischord Records. Ulythium highlights frontman Ian Svenonius’ mad
trumpet skills to complement the Nation’s trademark chaotic and frenzied art
rock sound. Current Affairs Alert – Slate recently published an interesting
read on #pizzagate. IF YOU CLICK
THIS LINK YOU’LL SEE WHY IT MADE SENSE TO PUT
IT HERE, GAWD
None More Black – The
Ratio of People to Cake
“Hmmm I wonder if Andrew is into New Jersey melodic
hardcore” yea I fucking eat this shit up. None More Black is the project that vocalist/guitarist
Jason Shevchuk started after leaving the (incredible) Kid Dynamite after their
short-lived run. The Ratio of People to Cake is the third track off None More
Black’s first Fat Wreck Chords full-length,
File Under Black. Fun useless fact
time! - while the band’s name was inspired from the movie This is Spinal Tap, and this song is an homage to Office Space, many of the band’s song
titles are in fact references to Seinfeld episodes.
No Use for a Name – Until it’s Gone
Up next we’ve got Until It’s Gone, a sweetly apprehensive tune from San Jose sk8r bois No Use For a Name. This was the opening track for the band’s 1993 Daily Grind EP, which was the first project they did with Fat Wreck Chords. Following on the first two releases that came before, Daily Grind continued to solidify No Use’s distinct sound, blending speedy and pop-laden melodic punk with some heavier, metal/thrash guitar influences. No Use For a Name has not played since 2012, after the sad and sudden passing of lead vocalist and guitarist Tony Sly.
Ty Segall Band – Tell Me What’s Inside Your Heart
Tell Me What’s Inside Your Heart is a sledgehammer tune from noisy garage folk hero, Ty Segall, and his friends. The track is off Slaughterhouse, which is the first and only album that fully credited Ty Segall’s touring band. Like much of the rest of the album, Tell Me What’s Inside Your Heart is unapologetically lo-fi and weird as shit, favoring fuzzed-up guitar licks and a cacophonous wall of sound. As of earlier this year Ty Segall has been backed up by The Muggers, consisting of old bandmates (like multi-instrumentalist Mikal Cronin) as well as some fresh new talent.
Pour Habit - Tomahawk
Can you tell that WWA is a big fan of Fat Wreck Chords
bands? Tomahawk is a razor-sharp missile from Long Beach melodic hardcore
outfit Pour Habit. Off their 2011 full-length, Got Your Back, this track highlights Pour Habit’s signature sound;
blisteringly fast, hard hitting, and with biting melody lines and
metal-inspired guitar solos as featured centerpieces. Although these guys
haven’t put out any new material since Got
Your Back, they still play regular shows and there’s talk of them working on
a 3rd album.
Dot Dash – Holly
Garland
Holly Garland is a slippery little super tune from super
group Dot Dash’s latest album, Searchlights.
While the band features members from pretty much every cool DC post-punk and
hardcore band you can think of (including, but not limited to: Minor Threat,
Youth Brigade, Government Issue and Julie Ocean), Dot Dash also represents a new
chapter for the scene, a much-needed breath of fresh air. The album is at times
harmonious and soothing, jarring and angst-y, and isn’t afraid to explore everything
in between. Searchlights is Dot
Dash’s 5th album in 5 years, all released through Canadian indie
label The Beautiful Music…go check it out in its entirety here: dotdashdc.bandcamp.com
Slothrust – Rotten
Pumpkin
Rotten Pumpkin is a track from one of my favorite new
artists, Slothrust. This song comes from
their latest record, Everyone Else, which
dropped just a few weeks back. This was a much-anticipated release after the
critical success of their second album, Of
Course You Do, and the gal and guys in Slothrust nailed it. From
blues-inspired fuzzy garage to bubble-pop grunge and sludge-y doom rock, this
album runs the gamut, and promises to have a little something for the whole
family. It is my humble opinion that Slothrust
makes music with more balls than most other bands out there today, which is
kinda funny given leading lady Leah Wellbaum’s anatomical disposition. Oh shit,
try saying “leading lady Leah” 3 times as fast as you can.
Tears For Fears –
Head Over Heels
Aaaaawwwwwwww shit I love this song. Whether it’s an
awkward, hands-on-shoulders middle school slow dance or a shuddersomely dark and
intense movie, Head Over Heels provides the perfect soundtrack. Editor’s note – shuddersomely is not a word,
fine whatever. English gentlemen Roland Orzabel and Curt Smith comprise the
duo known as Tears For Fears, and they have been making fans swoon with their
unique brand of synth pop since their genesis in 1981. Head Over Heels is off
their sophomore full length, Songs from
the Big Chair, which went 5x platinum and remains their best-selling album
to date.
The Lawrence Arms –
Navigating the Windward Passage
Our penultimate selection this week comes from scruffy
Chicago threesome, The Lawrence Arms. Navigating the Windward Passage is a sweeping
melodic anthem, driving the user ever forward towards the culmination of a
call-to-arms chorus. The track is off their 3rd album, Apathy and Exhaustion, which signaled
the beginning of a long-lasting relationship with Fat Mike and his Fat Wreck
Chords label. The trio actually all
met when they were in different Asian Man label bands, ultimately leading to
the formation of Lawrence Arms in 1999.
Ruder Than You – Not
Deaf Yet
We end the playlist with Not Deaf Yet, a silky smooth, sexy
ska song from Philly outfit Ruder Than You. Off their sophomore record Horny for Ska, released in 1996 through
Moon Ska Records, this tune features all the things you’d expect from Ruder
Than You, including a robust horn section, some toastin’ and light falsetto,
and even a reference to getting a parking ticket. These guys actually met at
Penn State in the late 80s, where they founded the band, before relocating to
Philadelphia, Home of the Smeagles, in 1991.
Alright internet ninjas, that’s it for this week’s playlist.
I guess you can go back into hibernation until next Wednesday when a new batch of jams becomes available. Keep tuning in, and spread the WWA gospel. If you're a band with good music, send me your shit. Until next week...
