Gonna be a borstal breakout!

Happy Wednesday, you mid-week fuddah muckers, and welcome to another WWA punk rock playlist. Let's cool those jets, get some snacks ready and turn the volume up to 11. This week has some real headbangers, courtesy of the likes of Rancid, Sham 69, The Pietasters, David Bowie and a few more. Let's boogie woogie.




Annnnd here's the web player link. Enjoy.

Let's kick off the playlist with a sugary and slightly nutty track, aptly titled Snickers or Reese's, from our friends in Milwaukee pop punk collective Direct Hit! Speedy and hook-heavy, and strategically arranged with thoughtful instrumentation and layered vocals, this song has everything you need to start the day right. Snickers or Reese's is off their debut full-length, Domesplitter, which was really just a collection of re-recorded versions of songs they had already released. At their inception, lead songwriter Nick Woods preferred quick and instant EP and single releases, as opposed to formulating and publishing full-length records.

Awww yiiiissss...Ghost of a Chance is an explosive-laden train of a new track from those intrepid and indomitable Berkely punk rockers, Rancid. The song is the first single the band has released as part of their upcoming album Trouble Maker, which will be available in its entirety on June 9th. This LP will mark the first new project Rancid has done together since 2014's ...Honor is All we Know, and I can tell you this hyena is fucking excited for it. Alright, well I am too worked up to not play another Rancid song...so let's also include a smash hit from their 1993 debut studio album.

This next one is a really rude song aimed at our Norwegian brethren. Fuck You, Norway is a tongue in cheek anthem from Boston punk band Showcase Showdown, who had quite the cult following during their relatively brief stint during the 90s. The band name, an allusion to The Price is Right, should tell you all you need to know about the depth of meaning that they put into their lyrical content. 

Out All Night is a cheerfully soulful ska tune from 8-piece group The Pietasters. Hailing from our nation's capital, these purveyors of pie have helped me meet the obligatory, and self-imposed, DC area band quotient for today's WWA playlist. Out All Night was off the 1997 album Willis, which was their third studio release, this time through Hellcat Records.

OK enough good feels for now. Lazarus is off the late, great David Bowie's requiem album, Blackstar. This was his TWENTY FUCKING FIFTH studio album..that is insane. The song, like much of the rest of this record, is dark and tender, and appears to reflect Bowie's struggle with his own mortality. Indeed, two days after the album's release, the Goblin King passed onto his next plane of existence. Would it be selfish of me to wish he would Lazarus back up to this world, return to us to continue writing great tunes?

Up next is So Grey, So Green, a crisp rock n roll anthem from The Bloody Hollies. Channeling the energy and soul of like-minded garage punk acts like The Stooges, Screaming Females and New Bomb Turks, these Buffalo-based art heads have blended their own flavors of southern and hard rock to make their own unique, bloody sound. So Grey, So Green is off their 2011 album Yours Until the Bitter End.

Disorder is a fuzzy bomb of groovy garage rock n roll brought to you by the good fellas of Meatbodies. Raised in the weirdness of the LA environs, Meatbodies has been serving up me-likey-drugs type of music since their inception in 2013. Disorder is off their eponymously-titled 12 song album, which dropped in 2014. They actually just released their third (and latest) effort earlier this year, titled Alice...go check it out, it's good!

We're going to end the playlist with Sham 69's school rebellion chorale (and inspiration for today's title) Borstal Breakout. Originally released as a live performance recording on their 1978 album Tell Us the Truth, Borstal Breakout would go on to be one of their most successful compositions. Founded in the mid 70s in Hersham by band leaders Jimmy Pursey and Dave Parsons, these motherfuckers are STILL active and playing shows...they also want to be your friend on Facebook, what are ya waiting for??


OK that's our show for this week. Hope you dug the tunes, and found the rambling spew of thoughts to go along with the playlist helpful. As always, feel free to send your feedback, song requests, opinions on 18th century British taxidermy techniques, FREE T-SHIRTS, etc.

Hail Hydra:

Off with his head, man

Happy diez de mayo, culeros, and welcome to another #WWA playlist! Boy, do we have songs! Good songs? Yea, sure! This week features classics from bands like Screeching Weasel, The Clash, Germs, El Ten Eleven, Millencollin and more.

While you're listening to the playlist, do me (and you, and everyone except Verizon really..) a favor and let the FCC know you support the concept of Net Neutrality, backed by title ii oversight of ISPs. Simply go to www.gofccyourself.com (thanks Jonny O!), hit the 'express' button and leave a comment. Also let your senators and congressperson know you're not down with this shit. It will take you under 2 minutes and could help ensure your future internet experience doesn't look like this:

Alright with that, music time.



Annnd here's the web player link for all you browser shnecks.


We'll kick off the week's shitskrieg of a playlist with those skankin' and rockin' Swedes of Millencollin. No Cigar is the first track off of their 4th studio album, Pennybridge Pioneers, which marked a time where skate and pop punk was getting a makeover and making big commercial waves. Indeed, No Cigar was featured on the soundtrack of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2....fittingly, the name Millencollin is derived from a skateboard trick the guys dick around with, the 'melancholy'.

The Clash's English Civil War is a glossy and fucking awesome derivative of the famous American Civil War song, When Johnny Comes Marching Home. A single off their 2nd full-length, Give 'Em Enough Rope, Joe (brilliant) Strummer (of guitars) wrote this track to denounce the state of affairs in English politics, with the rise of the British National Front and disagreements around the direction of that great little island nation.  Give 'Em Enough Rope is one of my favorite Clash albums; this one also features 'Julie's Been Working For the Drug Squad' and 'Tommy Gun'.

Hot Cakes is a dope little tune from Los Angeles art rock duo El Ten Eleven. Purely instrumental, these guys specialize in crafting layered works, featuring heavy doubleneck guitar and oppressive bass tones, with a lot of emphasis on looping around a leitmotif. Let's boogie.

Cool Kids is a sugary pop anthem off of Screeching Weasel's Bark Like a Dog album, which is essentially a compendium of how to make a commercially and critically successful punk rock record. This marked Ben Weasel and co.'s first collaboration with Fat Wreck. I am also throwing on Baby Fat's Got a Girlfriend, which is off the first half of their (apparent) 2-part punk rock opera, Baby Fat: Act 1. Still waiting on the follow up from that 2015, 27-song (!) release.

Communist Eyes is the second track off old school punk rockers Germs' only album, GI. Released in 1979, and produced by godmother of punk Joan Jett, GI is oft cited as one of the earliest and most influential hardcore albums to come out during that era of LA punk. Singer Darby Crash, who formed the band with guitarist Pat Smear, is often credited with setting the Germs apart with eclectic and impressionist-styled lyrical content.

In the early 80s, on the heels of the Germs' success, came a wave of punk and hardcore bands out of the suburbs of Orange County. Bands like Social Distortion, Agent Orange, Legal Weapon...and these guys, the Adolescents. Unlike about 95% of punk rock songs ever written (with some notable exceptions, cough cough The Decline), this track clocks in at over 5 minutes, which pretty much makes it a punk rock chef-d'œu·vre.

OK, it may be a good time to pump the brakes a bit and get into something a bit more soothing. Easy Star All-Stars' cover of Paranoid Android should do the trick. Off their 2006 OK Computer tribute album, Radiodread, this is a brilliant reggae version of an already beautiful song. Besides the addition of horns, which provides a more hopeful sound to somewhat dark subject material, and a few lyrics changes ('Jah loves his children..'), Easy Star keeps most of the original feeling intact.

Melodic punk anthem Spine is served up courtesy those hooligan motherfuckers of DC's Curse Words. Playing a flavor of fast, pop-first punk, with plenty of sing-along chorus and cheeky half-time breakdowns, these guys are reminiscent of acts like PUP, The Dopamines and the Flatliners. If you're local, go check these assholes out tomorrow night at Clarendon Grill.

We end today's playlist like we began, with a rocking tune written by a band of Swedish skaters. Black City is the title track for Division of Laura Lee's  2002 album, which was released through Burning Heart and Epitaph. Self-described as a "musical tornado" from Gothenburg, Division of LL writes (seemingly) simple and hard hitting fuzzpop, while evoking a complex timbre in their compositions.


Alright, Spicey out. Thanks for listening and be sure to tune in next week for some more punk rock lovin'

A monster by the age of five

Howdy, Wednesday warriors, and welcome to another dumpster fire of a punk rock one-man song circle #wwa. We have some really great tunes in the mix this week (cough, cough...per usual), thanks to the tireless efforts of all the artists out there pumping out awesome music. This week, the line-up includes some heavy hitters from bands like Fire Party, Death From Above (1979..don't sue them!), Bad Religion, Voodoo Glow Skulls, Fear, Teen Idles, Deerhoof and more. Go listen, be fruitful (like, eat a mango) and enjoy.




Annnnnd here's the web player link for all you web browsin' mutterfockers


We'll kick off the week with a classic tune from the Offspring. Bad Habit is their ode to road rage and off their 3rd studio album, Smash, which is when the band really started to blow up. Back in my day, Bad Habit was every elementary/middle school kid's favorite song to sing, solely because of the gratuitous expletives: "you stupid dumb shit goddam motherfucker!!" Did you know - Smash has sold over 11 million copies globally, which makes it the best selling album off an indie label (Epitaph) of all time.

I finally got around to watching zine boy Scott Crawford's documentary Salad Days. Really awesome work, with some incredible footage and insightful interviews from some of the main players in DC's 80s harDCore scene. For me, as someone who grew up in the area after the first couple waves had already passed, it was especially interesting to see some of the conflicting opinions and infighting within the scene, as well as hearing about some of the external factors that played a part in shaping the music and art that was produced during that time. Anyway...that was the impetus to include a couple songs from that era of DC punk in this playlist...enjoy the Fire Party and Teen Idles tracks!

Say Goodnight is an energetic and fun song from those crazy hijos de puta of Voodoo Glow Skulls. This was the second track off their fifth studio album, Symbolic, which marked a culmination of their trademark VGS sound heard in earlier releases, while also showing a more mature and polished production. Guttermouth's Mark Adkins intros them in the opening (Poltergeist 2-themed) track, We're Back. To this day, Voodoo Glow Skulls remains one of the best live shows I have ever been to.

Right On, Frankenstein! is one of the best names I've ever heard for a song, and is courtesy of Toronto dance punk duo Death From Above 1979. This was the second track off Death From Above's sophomore full length, 2014's The Physical World. This album was produced by renowned engineer Dave Sardy, who has worked on projects ranging from Red Hot Chili Peppers to STP to Helmet to The Ting Tings and Nine Inch Nails, and you can definitely hear the grunge/fuzz pop influence come through.

Let Them Eat War is, surprise surprise, a scathing political diatribe from those political punkers Bad Religion. The song is off their 13th (!!) studio album, The Empire Strikes First, which was released on Mr. Brett's Epitaph label in 2004. True to form, Let Them Eat War is a pop punk arrangement driven by a catchy, palm-muted verse and sugary sing-along chorus. However, this song does have an interesting addition of Sage Francis, rapping over a half-time breakdown during the bridge of the song. I always give two-thumbs up to any cross-genre collaboration, even if it comes off a bit cheesy - so well done guys!

San Francisco's Deerhoof is a refreshingly strange art rock band that has been active since 1994. Blending pop structures with erratic noise rock sounds, Deerhoof has not shied away from experimenting with instrumentation and arrangements. They are also a shining example of DIY ethic, producing and releasing their own records and taking up the mantle of 'tour manager' themselves.  Criminals of the Dream is an airy tune off their latest album, 2016's The Magic.

I included a couple of songs this week from Fear, the prominent and critically lauded hardcore act out of Los Angeles. New York's Alright if You Like Saxaphones is off the band's debut album, released in '82, and serves as a great example of frontman Lee Ving's brand of tongue-in-cheek and irreverent sense of humor.  Neighbors, featuring vocals from Fear's super famous fan John Belushi, was recorded in 1981 but was hiding in Lee Ving's basement only to be released a couple of years ago. I won't go into the whole story, but click here to find out how this song led to a rowdy SNL musical performance, complete with bussed-in punk fans of the likes of Ian Mackaye and Harley Flannagan.

We're ending our WWA playlist today with 5, 6 Kids, written by Michigan post-punk outfit Bear vs. Shark. Who would win that fight? This song was off their 2005 LP, Terrorhawk, which was pushed through Equal Vision Records. The album is an interesting marriage of sounds, pulling from a lot of varying influences. Emotive and rhythmically interesting, I hear a lot of At The Drive-In in this tune, albeit with lead screamer Marc's hardcore vox on top.

Well that's it for today Wednesday wussies. Hope you had fun, let me know what's missing. If you're a band, friendly reminder to keep making awesome music.

FIN

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.