This week's song of the week is living proof that Me First and the Gimme Gimmes can make pretty much anything not suck, even annoying pop songs that you sang at your elementary school graduation. It's the punkest version of "I Believe I Can Fly I Think You'll Ever See". Plus the video has some notable cameos from people like Deryck Whibley of Sum 41, Paris Hilton, and I think I saw Chris from Less than Jake in there. Enjoy, I hope everyones Monday wasn't a complete shitshow!
This week's SotW is from UK punk legends the Subhumans. The video is a live clip from a show where they were also recording their live album "All Gone" for Fat Wreck Chords. The song is called Peroxide, and from what I can tell, it's about dying your hair.
Oh and Boston/Cambridge fans mark your calendars: they'll be playing the Middle East Downstairs on Wednesday, April 6.
This show may go down in history as one of the most mismatched bills ever. There was progressive indie rock, pop-punk, hardcore, and some wacky R&B. The one thing about this show that fit was the attitude, talent, and work ethic evident in these bands.
The Alrighters
It's not often you see an opening band pour itself into its performance like Full Body Anchor did on Saturday night. Lead vocalist Eric Edmonston is a beast, plain and simple. With a pounding rhythm section behind and driving guitar forging the way forward, Edmonston's vocals soared, wailed, and screamed their intensity. The band, made up of various veterans of the Boston punk and rock scene, have come upon an amazing sound for fans of bands like the Deftones, Queens of the Stone Age, and in their heavier moments, Helmet. Clearly this collection of weathered vets knows their stuff and knows how to put on a show.
Cradle to the Grave brought a change of pace to the stage, bringing in lighter elements and upbeat rhythms. The band plays a brand of pop-punk that calls to mind the Bouncing Souls and Green Day. Formed in 2009, the band consists of four experienced musicians who have a comfortable stage presence and an uncensored sense of humor. The band's setlist was written on a take-out menu, prompting some self-deprecating weight humor. In all, Cradle to the Grave is clearly a fun bunch of guys who play some good songs.
Troy of Razors in the Night interacts with the crowd
The highlight of the night for me was local hardcore act Razors in the Night. A genuine hardcore band with no posturing, no bullshit, and no mercy, RITN caused havoc. Lead vocalist Troy Schoeller gained my respect by immediately coming down from the stage and onto the floor, inspiring a small but spirited mosh pit. RITN have a sound reminiscent of old-school Oi! and hardcore that is rarely heard these days. A critically acclaimed group, they have played with legends like The Casualties and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. This show revealed their appeal instantly, as their velocity, brutality, and attitude was readily evident.
The final band of the night was The Alrighters, a 4-piece that plays 50's R&B with a dash of psychosis. The vocalist, Panda, kicked off the set by showing off his unique sense of humor. The band ripped through songs that necessitated movement in the audience, with topics like barbecue and fish & chips. A steady and driving rhythm section set the headlong pace for the baritone sax and vocals, which were kept at the level of a crazed scream. Sadly, this show was the last for The Alrighters, but it is safe to say that they will be sorely missed in Boston and wherever else they have brought their rhythm and blues madness.
As recently as 2007, there was a proposed ban on all ages shows in establishments serving alcohol across the city of Washington, D.C. This was proposed by councilman Jim Graham as a result of a 17-year-old being shot at a poorly secured nightclub. Were it not for an uproar from various parts of the community, underage and otherwise, this law could have gone into effect. As an 18-year-old person, I cannot imagine the world without all ages shows.
All over the United States there are young men and women who grow up in small towns with nothing better to do than get high or drunk, or both. Establishments in all cities should be allowed to open their doors to these people, if proper security precautions are taken of course. There is a much higher risk of an adolescent OD-ing or falling into some other bad shit if they are bored, and let's face it, people get bored pretty quick.
All ages shows are important because they give a misfit teen a place to go, and are often safer than staying at home or hanging around their neighborhood. I am not promoting a straight-edge agenda in any way, but the most important message here is something that Ian Mackaye (Minor Threat, Fugazi) said in his testimony against the all ages ban in D.C.: "Music is for all people".
There have always been people that would like to downplay the importance and the role of music in society and people's lives. The fact is, music is inseparable from humanity. With every great social movement there has been music to inspire and fuel the revolution. The punk movement, from the 60's to today, has exemplified that. Punk music is an inspiration to misfits everywhere, and the more inspiration people have, the less despair, hate, and rage they have. All ages shows are vital because music is not a privilege, it is a right, and teenagers are people who have the ability to make conscious decisions.
You'll notice I never once referred to a teenager as a "kid" in this piece. There is a very finite reason why I chose to do that. A teenager is not a child. As an 18-year-old I take offense to that term because it implies a lack of intelligence, decision-making ability, and maturity. Most teenagers are more mature than many of the adults you know. Not only that, but they can make better decisions than, say, a 62-year old councilman proposing a ban on all ages shows for an entire city, based on a single incident.
I will leave you with Ian Mackaye's testimony from 2007, I'm sure he says it better than I ever could. (Notice the round of applause after, followed by Graham harrumphing)
This week's Song of the Week comes from Philadelphia, PA's own The Loved Ones. One of the foremost bands in roots and americana-based punk, The Loved Ones fall into the esteemed company of groups like The Gaslight Anthem and Lucero. This track, The Bridge, is from their 2008 full-length, Build and Burn. Cool video, great song.
In other news, The Loved Ones vocalist Dave Hause will be releasing his first solo record in 2011, on Paper + Plastick records. The album will buck the current trend of punk singers going acoustic, as Hause plans to use a full band but to deviate stylistically from his work with The Loved Ones.
Wolves and the Radio have hit on something with their self-titled January release. With a post-punk sound that evokes visions of beards, flannels, and PBR, the album pays homage to bands like Hot Water Music. The sound is familiar enough to appeal to any punk fan, but the bands shines in the more unique songs. The songs have a catchy, anthemic quality that makes you want to raise a glass or a fist and sing along.
The opening track has you reeling with urgent guitars and searing vocals. Vocalist Matt Murphy lets loose with the first line, "Hey there stranger, don't you dare pass me by" and indeed, Wolves and the Radio is not a band to be ignored. The album carries at a steadily breakneck pace for the most part, and the band certainly shows its speed and ferocity with songs like "Kellegra" and "Minus One".
The standout on the album in my opinion is "St. Maria", which sticks out from the other songs with a slower, more thoughtful tone. Granted the song picks up some pace towards the end, but it's more of a slow build, showing a wise deviation from a simpler song structure.
Wolves and the Radio close out the album with a pair of acoustic songs, a welcome respite after an exhausting, fast-paced ride through the first nine tracks. "One Sitting" is a hybrid introspection and drinking song, and manages to keep from being corny on either account. Overall Wolves and the Radio showed they know their punk history with this release and that they can execute that style to a T. However when the album really triumphs is when they change the pace or the song structure up. I look forward to hearing from these guys in the future, they are not going anywhere.
Seeing as this is my first editorial for the blog, I would like to put a disclaimer (which I will likely end up putting on all my editorials). This piece of writing is my opinion, not fact, although I may or may not use facts to support it. No one is required to agree with me, but I would appreciate not to be verbally abused via the internet. Or physically abused, although if you manage that I'll be more impressed than anything. Anyways, I am in no way qualified to write this or probably any piece, so if you have a problem with or are offended by what I say, write a *CIVIL* comment explaining your position. That being said, profanity will be allowed and encouraged, however only in correct context and/or if it's funny. That will be all.
The impetus for me to write this editorial and post it on HWT for the world to see (hypothetically) was an experience I had today. I opened up Facebook in my browser and looked at my newsfeed in shock to see a long string of comments on a political video. There were several things that made these comments so notable. First, the length. The comments were long, sometimes multiple paragraphs. Second, the commenters were severely and viciously bashing each other and the poster of the video. And the final thing that caught my eye was the age group of the commenters. With some skillful creeping (read: ten seconds worth) I determined that the commenters were all roughly middle-aged and that a couple even had children. This led me to our topic of today: "The Facebook Machine: You're Using it Wrong".
Sorta like this.
This editorial is meant to address the proper way to utilize Facebook. Many people seem to think that this website is used as an outlet to trash other people's political views, personal lives, musical tastes, and basically anything else you could think of. Although each age group certainly exhibits such behavior, a surprising main culprit in my eyes is middle-aged people. Keep this in mind: as an 18-year-old "kid", I have very few Facebook friends who are middle-aged. For me to notice their comments as a nuisance takes a high volume of comments coming from a small group of people. I would like to take this time to introduce middle-aged users to the main purpose of Facebook, as most have been using the site for a shorter period of time than their children.
You can imagine how I feel!
First and foremost, Facebook is a social-networking site. It is a means by which people can express themselves and more importantly, stay in touch with their friends and family who may not be nearby. This is the basic purpose of having a Facebook. Now, it is perfectly acceptable to post political, religious, and any other type of material on Facebook. I am not for censorship of any kind. An issue arises, however, when many middle-aged (and other) people choose to use it as a place where a person can make personal attacks on people that they may never even have met in person. This seems like a misuse of the site. In what way does ripping on a person thousands of miles from you for being a pacifist, or a democrat, or a libertarian, or simply for disagreeing with you, help you to network or communicate with friends?
So they can see how angry I am!
Basically, the idea I'm trying to get across here is that Facebook can be a great service, where you get to talk to all your friends in all parts of the world, for free. It can be a forum for ideas and social movements (see: Egypt, Tunisia). These are certainly ways that it could be positively utilized. The other option is that it can sink into the drudgery of seeing people make biting and oftentimes cruel personal attacks on other people, as much of the internet already has (see: Youtube commenters).
I propose this become effective immediately.
In closing, this editorial is not so much a "set of rules" as a plea for common civility. A general rule to follow for Facebook is to not comment anything towards another person that you wouldn't have the balls to say word for word to them in person, and a general rule for life is to refrain from saying things that are unproductive or harmful to others simply for the sake of being harmful.
I would also like to apologize to middle-aged users of Facebook that use it in a productive and lighthearted manner, I only singled out this age group because of personal experience. Now go post some punk rock videos and make up!
