Something I Learned Today

Not that I have anything new to say on the war front, nobody would care if I did. Another song about Mesopotamia

False Prophets - Baghdad Stomp.mp3
from the False Prophets self titled 1986 album, re-released in 2000 with extras as “Blind roaches, Fat vultures…” An apropos cut from a smart, multi-talented band. For years I always thought of them as astraight up hardcore band, based upon their track on the P.E.A.C.E. comp. A listen to the album suggests that the band was much more varied in their approach. Still waiting for the folks at alternative tentacles to do the right thing and re-release 1987’s “Implosion”

Take this job and shove it, says Paul Bremer - leaving two days early and fucking up my whole week. Screw it, still continuing the Iraq theme

Bad Religion - Heaven is Falling.mp3
originally released as a split single with Noam Chomsky ( by MRR ) at the beginning of the first Gulf War. Two great Bad Religion songs, mixed raw and better sounding than the “polished” version that would appear on “Generator” . IMO this marked the beginning of the end for Bad Religion. Subsequent albums were overproduced and the songs lacked the visceral feel of earlier work ( “Suffer” and “No Control” ). I never listened to the band a couple of years after this song was released. It is a shame, sometimes it’s better for a band to split apart rather than plug away into mediocrity…

Anyhow, I always loved Greg Graffin’s lyrics. A reader for the above song:

As I walk beneath the valley
I shall fear no evil
for thanks to King George and his rainbow cabinet
today murder is legal
God I know that it’s wrong
to kill my brother for what he hasn’t done
and as the planes blacken the sky
it sounds like heaven is falling
it sounds like heaven is falling
you promises me a new day a’dawning
I’ve seen a thousand points of light
like so many points of hatred, shame and horror
God I want to be a man
but I don’t want to die with a rifle in my hand
and as the planes blacken the sky
it sounds like heaven is falling
it sounds like heaven is falling
you promised me a new day a’dawning
well nothing here looks new to me
but a score of mothers’ sons
caught ‘tween the devil and the deep blue sea

Well… the big transfer of Iraqi power is scheduled this week, and I’m expecting the scene to be the topper to what has been a supreme clusterfuck. I decided to try a theme this week - see if you can spot the trend.

Poison Idea - Star of Baghdad.mp3
from 1991’s Blank,Blackout, Vacant this song epitomized the more “punk rock” feel that Poison Idea would carry to their demise in the mid-nineties. I still enjoy this album, but it was a disappointment at the time, coming on the heels of “Feel the Darkness” ( which was a classic nihilistic hardcore album )

enjoy, more tomorrow…

Ok… not sure what a “quiblet” is, but stumbled across the following tidbits of info.

Why does “Modern Rock” suck? Is it because every song sounds the same? Could today’s artist simply be rehashing the same tired riffs over and over. Alas, I am not so skeptical. But wait - the proof to the can be found here. ( courtesy Bob Mould )

Burned by the Sun has alerted us to freaking cornucopia of MP3 goodies at The Crutch. Check it out

Finally, it looks like the record companies are up to some new shenanigans. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - Fuck the RIAA. Why not buy a shirt?

A day late and a dollar short, but who fucking cares? This was supposed to be posted last week but time just gets away from me. Two more songs celebrating love for dads everywhere:

NoMeansNo - Dad.mp3
second track off of 1987’s “Sex Mad” album. Twisted, dark, brilliant - a tale of a fucked up household from these Canadian visionaries. “Dad” has also been re-released on a best of comp called “The Peoples Choice“. Check your local tour dates, as NoMeansNo is on the road now!

Didjits - Dad.mp3
closing track from 1988’s “Hey Judester” LP. Great guitar workout from Rick Sims on this one. A slower, more melodic song from one of punks greatest smartass bands.

To paraphrase Ralph Kiner:

“Today’s Father’s Day, so to all of you fathers out there I’d like to say ‘Happy Birthday’”

Some choice songs celebrating the most hallmark of holidays:

Descendents - My Dad Sucks MP3
First track from 1981’s “Fat” 7 inch, later re-released in different packages. The Descendents are still farting around today but if you want the true spirit of the band pick up the “Two Things at once” CD which combines the first two 7 inches and the definitive “Milo Goes To College” LP

Angry Samoans - My Old Man’s A Fatso MP3
This track from the legendary 1982’s “back From Samoa” LP - a west coast classic and by far the high point of the Samoans catalog. A slower, longer version can be found on the reissue of 1980’s “inside my brain” mini LP. Everything is conveniently tied up however on the discography CD “The Unboxed Set”

Dicks - Rich Daddy MP3
the Dicks version 1 were perhaps the greatest political hardcore band to come out of the US. The combination of shocking, in your face lyrics, terrifying stage presense - have you seen Gary Floyd?!?? - and just plain killer music may have been the best thing to come out of Texas in the early 80’s. Any fan of punk has to hear 1983’s “Kill From the Heart” in addition to the “live at Raul’s Club” split LP with the Big Boys. The Dicks broke up soon after the release of KFTH. Gary Floyd later reformed the band in San Francisco, but the later version never captured the spirit of the first. “Kill From the Heart” is long out of print. In 1997 Alternative Tentacles put together a discography called “80-86″ but for some reason didn’t include the full LP. Jerks.

Mr. T Experience - The End of the Ramones.mp3
As promised, the mp3 from the Mr. T Experience to their heroes, muses, what have you. A simple pop punk ditty from the 1989 mini LP Big Black Bugs Bleed Blue Blood. If the Ramones inspired songs aren’t enough, check them out covering the actual songs by releasing a complete cover version of the “Road to Ruin” LP.

Of course, nothing beats the real thing:

Ramones - Carbona Not glue.mp3
Originally included on on the brudda’s second album - 1977’s “Leave Home” - this song was replaced for the US release after the makers of stain remover ( and choice inhalant ) Carbona sued for copyright infringement. It was subsequently replaced on later presses with Sheena is a Punk Rocker, which is more well known but only half the fun ( it was also on the Rocket to Russia LP for crissakes )

looks like the greatest punk rock band ( debate if you want ) is close to being 3/4 removed from this mortal coil. It doesn’t appear that it will be long before Johnny, joins Joey and Dee Dee hanging out at the corner of 53rd&3rd in the great beyond. This has been really sad for me as a long time fan of the band. The Ramones were the first punk rock show I ever attended. I was instantly hooked on the short, goofy, lightning fast ( at least live ) songs and the hollered “1-2-3-4’s” . The first four records are all classics, my favorite being “Road To Ruin” I was always viewed the Ramones as the antithesis of the Grateful Dead. While the Dead would improvise, the Ramones would stick to the known, playing the same 30 song set at each show. The nugget was the random odd song they would pull out of their hat ( my favorite being “The KKK took my baby away“, so surprised to hear that one pulled out ).

It turns out the Mr T. Experience was terribly prophetic - check out “The End of the Ramones”
(away from my home PC so I can only provide lyrics - tomorrow I’ll post the MP3″)

Found this article linked from Bob Mould’s blog - it sums up everything I was trying to say below in much nicer fashion. Hey, the writers at The New Republic are real journalists, unlike me - I’m just a cranky, inarticulate system administrator who is too tired to update his blogs ( this and my personal blog ) in timely fashion. So bite me…

Well… the previous post missed a great many bands, for sure. A little research turned up a radio show by none other than Al Quint. Who is Al Quint, you may ask? Why, he is only the publisher of one of the great all time punk fanzines - “Suburban Voice”. Al has published this this fanzine for over 20 years now, and is responsible for turning me on to sooo many fantastic bands. Al has a radio show called “Sonic Overload” on a suburban Boston station and worked up a swell tribute to the Reagan years, which are all available as MP3’s on his site ( as tracks from the show )

The Playlist:

TRACK 1

MDC-Bye Bye Ronnie (R Radical)
REAGAN YOUTH-Reagan Youth (New Red Archives)
WASTED YOUTH-Reagan’s In (LA)
TSOL-Superficial Love (Posh Boy)
DI-Reagan Der Fuhrer (Triple X)
DEAD KENNEDYS-We’ve Got A Bigger Problem Now (Manifesto)
SUICIDAL TENDENCIES-I Shot The Devil (Frontier)
JFA-Jody Foster’s Army (Alternative Tentacles)
CRUCIFUCKS-Hinkley Had A Vision (Alternative Tentacles)
DAYGLO ABORTIONS-Ronald McRaygun (Beer City)
GOVERNMENT ISSUE-Hey Ronnie (from “Flex Your Head,” Dischord)
YOUTH BRIGADE-Moral Majority (from “Flex Your Head,” Dischord)
LENNONBURGER-Reagum (from “Not So Quiet On The Western Front,” Sonic Reducer)
HASIL ADKINS-Reagan Blues (Norton)
DRI-Reaganomics (Beer City)
PROLETARIAT-Voodoo Economics (Taang)
MINUTEMEN-Fascist (SST)
VIOLENT FEMMES-Old Mother Reagan (Slash)

TRACK 2

DOA-Fucked Up Ronnie (Sudden Death)
TOXIC REASONS-Destroyer (Sixth International)
FARTZ-Battle Hymn Of Ronald Reagan (Alternative Tentacles)
SPECIAL FORCES-Gung Ho (Boner)
CORROSION OF CONFORMITY-Intervention (Death)
ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT-Bombs (Pusmort)
CHRONIC SICK-Reagan Bands (Mutha)
FALLOUT-Reagan Hysteria (Antichrist)
RATTUS-Reaganin Joululanjo (from “Welcome To 1984,” Sonic Reducer)
STANX-Reagan (from “Holland Hardcore tape”)
TRIBUTE TO REJESTRACJA-Reagan (Nikt Nic Niewie)
THE PAST-Reagan (Distortion)
VELIKIJE LUKI-To Mr. Reagan (self-released)

TRACK 3

NOFX-Reagan Sucks (Fat)
TMA-I Love Nancy Reagan (Jimboco)
RAMONES-Glad To See You Go (Sire)
COFFIN BREAK-Kill The President (C/Z)
DISRESPECT-Reagan’s Ghost (Profane Existence)
MUNICIPAL WASTE-Thrash? Don’t Mind If I Do (Six Weeks)
CLOROX GIRLS-Walks The Streets (Smartguy)
REAL LOSERS-Jet Sonic Cheesecake Shake (Squirrel)
CATHOLIC BOYS-Teenage Monster (Trick Knee)
ZEROS-Beat Your Heart Out (Bomp)
HOT SNAKES-No Hands (Swami)
RICHARD HELL & THE VOIDOIDS-Love Comes In Spurts (Sire)
INFEST-Iran Scam (Deep Six)
FEARLESS IRANIANS FROM HELL-Deathwish (Boner)
MEN’S RECOVERY PROJECT-Ronald Reagan (Vermiform)
ULTIMATE WARRIORS-El Salvador (from “Death to Hardcore, Death To Reagan,” Moshtache)
ARTICLES OF FAITH-American Dreams (Reflex)
CRUMBSUCKERS-Super Tuesday (Combat Core)

TRACK 4

BEHIND ENEMY LINES-The Army Of God (Antagony Media)
I ATTACK-USA World Tour (A Wrench In The Gears)
CUT THE SHIT-Shock & Awe (Gloom)
DEAD STOP-Against All Authority (from “One Track Mind,” Crucial Response)
OVER MY DEAD BODY-Patriotic Cattle Call (Indecision)
STAINS-Political Scandal (SST)
SCROTUM GRINDER-Irritable Bowel Disorder: Project Reagan (No Idea)
BORN AGAINST-Nine Years Later (Kill Rock Stars)
PASSAGE-Reagan’s Chest (Anticon)
HEAVEN 17-(We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang (Virgin)
BOLLOCK BROTHERS-The Act Became Real (Charly)