Best Punk Albums of the 90's

I promised to write about the heritage and the contemporary, but haven't done too much of the old stuff lately. That's about to change.

This is my list of top 10 (OK, it's really 12) punk albums released during the 1990's. To be sure, Rancid, Green Day, Blink-182 and The Offspring released some epic work during that decade, but we already know that. This list is comprised of some great work by some punk rock stalwarts, some lesser known acts and in some cases not necessarily the most popular of a specific bands albums during the decade.

I was writing a lot about rock music in the 90's and heard some great stuff, but these are some releases that simply are flawless from beginning to end! As always, I hope to get some "oh really?", "oh yeah!" and "he's clearly on drugs!", but hey enjoy this 90's heritage!

The Best Punk Albums of the 90's:

12. Face To Face - Big Choice. OK, so when you hear a Face To Face song, you know it's a Face To Face song! Yes, there is a pattern there. But hey it totally works and while this release may not be their most mature, it certainly is their most raw and intense and holds up well some 15 years later!

11. Sick Of It All - Built To Last. As I reflect, why am I having such a hard time coming up with great hardcore 90's releases? I know there were there, right? Madball, AF, H2O, Leeway, etc. But as I really think of it, a lot of great stuff came out in the late 80's or even in this decade. So, only one true hardcore release made it onto the list and that is the 1997 release from SOIA. Lou Koller's voice never sounded better than on this, their final major label, release. This is a true NYHC expression and is as "clenched fist" as it ever was!

10. Bad Religion - Recipe For Hate. This might not be the first choice for most BR fans as they put out six records during that decade. And I still have some issues with the production quality, but that aside, it's a pretty amazing blaze-through of short blasts of Left Coast punk rawk anger! It's relentless! They were truly "Men On A Mission" and somebody was paying attention to how high this record went up the charts and sadly signed them to a major...creating a few years of less than stellar efforts. But, hey like a phoenix rising they are back. I kind of look at BR like I do Metallica. With both bands, there was about 10 years where I'd rather forget some of their music. Just my opinion, but hey they both recovered nicely with their recent efforts!

9. Pennywise - Pennywise. Who knew that Jim Lindbergh would become the renaissance man that he is now, what with being an author and all! This first record was like a shot from a blast furnace. Pure CA hardcore stylings. I have always used the word "tight" to describe this band and on their debut it's more than fitting. He may now be a punk rock dad, but he'll always be that angry kid singin' "Bro Hymn" on this 1991 classic!

8. Good Riddance - Operation Phoenix. I wasn't really writing much in 1999 when this CD came across my desk. I listened to it, felt nothing and proceeded to bury it under a pile of mediocre punk and alternative stuff. Somehow, I can't remember now, I unearthed it just a few weeks later. I listened to it again and was blown away. Kind of like I'd never hear this before. (Note: exact same thing happened with Rise Against a few years ago. Listened to 'Siren...', put it away for a few months this time, then tried it again and realized how much I'd been missing). I am not sure that in punk, anyone did melodic hardcore better than this Santa Cruz outfit. At times it's anger, it's always political and social and it's one of those records that I listen to and say "don't change a fucking thing"! Sorry for the f-word, but I just heard "Heresy, Hypocrisy & Revenge", love that line from "Some Kind Of Wonderful". "Letters Home" ranks in my top 10 of all time great punk songs, any decade!!!

7. No Use For A Name - Leche Con Carne. I was late to this NUFAN train, but once I got on, I was committed! Love or hate the melodic direction they have gone in during the 00's, this release was an instant classic. For one of the most prolific punk bands (ever!!!), this ranks at the top of the list of a series of excellent punk records that have marked their ongoing, stellar career. "Fatal Flu", "Soulmate", "Fields of Agony", "Alone", man, come on!!! Pure brilliance!

6. Millencolin - Pennybridge Pioneers. Jumping across the pond for the next three on our list, we find Sweden's Millencolin. Hey, it was recorded in 1999, so it counts! This is one of those records that just keeps building and building. At first listen, I thought "yeah, it's solid". But after 3, 4, 10 listens I found myself wanting to simply push repeat! It's humorous, melodic, aggressive, it's simply great. For me, the Swedes will be known for three things: building sturdy cars, inventing death metal and Millencolin!

5. No Fun At All - The Big Knockover. My buddy Marco told me about this band on little Theologian Records. I was blown away from the first chord. Sure, comparisons to Bad Religion were inevitable, but NFAA was so much more. They brought a freshness to melodic hardcore music. Must be something in that Swedish water, as this is some pretty amazing stuff, from an otherwise punk-rock-barren land. "The Other Side" is also a track that remains in my top 10 of all time. I don't think NFAA ever got the respect and street cred that others did during the 90's, but I certainly will fight to change that. This is amazing stuff. If you are (were) a fan of NoFX, NUFAN, Green Day, Face To Face, etc., then check out this far to under-sung band!

4. Leatherface - Mush. I guess this rounds out the European portion of our list! From Sunderland, England comes Leatherface. Released on tiny Seed Recordings (in the US), this is a working class, melodic punk classic! Frankie Stubbs voice is so strained and yet so perfect! If you only had 99 cents and you wanted to expose yourself to Leatherface, go grab "Bowl of Flies" from iTunes. Trust me, it's worth it and I'd bet anything that you pony up some more scratch for the other 14 songs.

3. Rocket From The Crypt - Circa: Now!. Punk you say? Oh yeah! I know RFTC has a big cult following, they kind of single-handedly made garage punk cool! So this might not be a surprise to see this one on the list. But there are two certainties in life. This is by far their best work and to this day, they are (were) the best live band ever! Any genre, they were absolutely the best, most energetic, tightest and fun to watch! I've seen thousands of bands perform, but I've seen RFTC about 15 times and they are just a pure joy to witness. While they will have to remain in memory, "Circa: Now!" leaves us a good marker on their history. (Note: best show ever was the Halloween gig at some San Diego hotel ballroom circa 1993). I missed their farewell Halloween show in 2005 and hope that someday they decide to re-form, even if for only one night!

2. Jawbreaker - Dear You. I loved "24 Hour Revenge Therapy" and it certainly possessed a more raw, distorted quality than this more polished release. But, that album needed a few more years under its belt, maybe a little maturity. No worries, when the band got picked up by DGC and put out "Dear You" they proved to the world that they had arrived and left an indelible mark on punk rock of today! I can't think of many indie to major label punk transitions that actually worked. But this one did. "Save Your Generation" would fit nicely on a contemporary punk release, as would "Oyster" "Fireman" and "Chemistry". Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so consider Jawbreaker flattered. You can hear so much of their sound in what is going on today in punk and that's pretty impressive since the band only existed for a very brief time and left us with only 4 recordings. This was a tough one by the way. I know that "Dookie" is often at the top of a 90's punk list, but I wanted to go a little deeper in the genre. Having said that, I know many people consider the number one record (see below) to be sacred, but this was indeed a close second, maybe even more like a tie!

1. NoFX - Punk In Drublic. Can I add anything that has not already been said? Who knows, but here goes. From the opening chords of "Linoleum" to the end of "Scavenger Type", this release is pure brilliance. It's funny, hyper, genre-crossing, solid! Spanning hyper-paced punk to dancehall, dub and reggae, it's one of those rare releases that can do that genre hopping naturally. It all works together. You finish listening to "Dig" and say "holy crap, that was amazing" then you are rewarded with a mid-paced tune like "Happy Guy", only to be smashed across the face with the pure intensity of "Perfect Government". This band has had a truly prolific career and this release marks their own high water mark. We can probably count on two hands the number of gold certified punk releases, especially those on indie labels like Epitaph. This is one of those gold records and its well deserved. It's timeless and it's a classic!

So, there you have it. Some honorable mentions that I feel I should give respect to: AFI - Black Sails In The Sunset, Bracket - 4 Wheel Vibe, H2O - Thicker Than Water, Madball - Look My Way and RKL - Rags To Riches.

NoFX Coaster Review

What's not to like about the new NoFX release? Absolutely nothing. It's brilliant, inside and out and from beginning to end. I rarely get caught up in packaging, yeah I actually still like physically having a CD, and in this case the entire package is pure perfection. The theme is a bit of throwback to those things long gone from the 80's. It's like the whole album is about "going the way of the coaster". Whatever happened to coasters? Does anyone actually use them anymore? Why not? Anyway, not necessarily relevant for this record review, but entertaining nonetheless. Great pics of the boys as kids, clever vintage photo's, a respectful nod to 80's punk rock, which was such a huge influence on yours truly and it truly does come with it's own coaster, just make sure you use it as such after it's entered your iTunes library.

The first three songs on this release are really good, mid-paced NoFX songs. Very reminiscent of some of the stuff that you might find on "Wolves" or "Errorism". "My Orphan Years" is an excellent track, especially if you appreciate the up tempo stylings of "Kids of the K-Hole" or "What's the Matter with Parents Today?". More than that it's pretty haunting lyrically as Mike seems to work through some parental stuff in the short 3 minutes of its existence.

You can often find yourself smiling or chuckling when you hear certain NoFX tracks as their sense of humor is legendary and lyrically there are no sacred cows. I can visualize the entire story behind "Creeping Out Sara" and laughed out loud through most of it! About Tegan and Sara, it's classic NoFX..."I told her I was big fan of her band. She asked me if I had a favorite song. I admitted that I never actually heard them but I like k.d. lang". Classic!

The story of Iron Maiden wrapped up in a clever song, tells me that NoFX is in top form these days. It probably takes a fan of heavy metal to uncover the hidden story behind "Eddie, Bruce, and Paul". So, that's easy for me...it's the story of Paul Di 'Anno getting kicked out of Iron Maiden and Bruce Dickinson (the original human siren) leaving Samson to join Iron Maiden. Again, brilliant stuff!

Alcohol clearly plays a role in this album from beginning to end. Songs about alcohol, drinking, late nights at crappy bars and flat-out alcoholism are pervasive throughout. Sometimes funny and as always sometimes providing some deep soul insight. That's not new nor shocking for these guys, but it's a pretty clear throw-down between that demon and satire! I'd say it's probably a tie..."I Am an Alcoholic" is nevertheless a great NoFX track blending their ska influences with rock.

"One Million Coasters" finishes this stellar release very well! Essentially it's a listing of extinction. How cool to think about stuff you've not thought about in 20 years or so...Kodak 110's, telephone booths, Betamax...how quickly we all forget those relics that have gone the way of the answering machine.

25 years of NoFX! That's insane. It seems like only yesterday that I was watching them live at SOMA or Wabash Hall in San Diego. Now I feel old and sad, I think I'll go have an alcoholic beverage! But hey, it's a long way from Wabash Hall to headlining the Warped Tour!

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NoFX So Long And Thanks For All The Shoes Review

Ask any discerning NoFX fan and it's likely, that if pressed, they would not list this release as one of their faves. You would probably hear about "Punk In Drublic" and "White Trash, Two Heebs and a Bean". Those are stellar punk records and while "So Long..." came out about 5 years after "White Trash" it retains the blatant, in your face, frenetic blend that has made NoFX so great for over 25 years!

Why do I think this album is so important, both for the band and for the music in general? I think it may be because this is the punk release that resonated with so many people in the face of the cresting wave of punk being cool, commercial and credible! Remember, what was really going on in music in the late 90's? There was some great, transitional stuff happening in rock... Foo Fighters, Offspring, Green Day, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, The Prodigy, Reel Big Fish, Blur all had significant songs in 1997. As a subset of rock, Punk and Alt-Rock was entering the mainstream and personally, I took notice and paid attention to it, worried that it might be the beginning of the end. Punk and alternative rock had pushed into the mainstream earlier in the decade with grunge and as quickly as that happened, it vanished equally as fast. What would be the fate of Green Day, Offspring, Rancid and others as they were snapped up by major labels? Well, 2 out the 3 ain't bad, to this day all but Rancid (at least not in that form) have flourished.

I don't have the insight to know if there was major label interest for NoFX, I suspect their was because like any scene, when one band sells a million records, record labels have a tendency to sign anyone that has "that look and that sound", get them into the studio, put out a record and get them on the road super-fast! A more recent example is who will survive the emo/screamo/rock bubble burst...Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, Senses Fail, Taking Back Sunday, Atreyu, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus? Who knows, but what I do know is that in 1997, at a time when punk rock was in a throwdown with fame, NoFX released a record that helped to keep us all centered.

Was this what they set out to do, of course not! Having seen, listened, watched and read about NoFX for so many years, I suspect they tried to make a good record and had a boat load of fun while doing it. Isn't that the way it should be?

So, it's an important record, happened during a punk-rock-growth-spurt and as compared with some of their classic earlier work and as compared with other releases of the genre, it may well have gotten lost in the shuffle. But for me and I believe for countless other fans, it was a validating record for NoFX. No matter what else is going on, NoFX remains true to themselves, their fans and their music.

"It's My Job to Keep Punk Rock Elite", wow thanks NoFX for starting your album out with such an appropriate title given the content of this blog post so far. This song, along with "Kids of the K-Hole", "180 Degrees", "I'm Telling Tim" and "Kill Rock Stars" will please any fan of "Linoleum" or "Soul Doubt" as it's uptempo and completely memorable. As always, NoFX blends in various influences as they blister through song after song. "Champs Elysees" is a good case in point. The creative use of horns, pace changes and even the odd french word showcase the diversity of the band. "Eat the Meek" is another influence-blender, this time evoking imagery of dance hall, dub and reggae. Ska dominates the blend on "All Outta Angst" and as always it fits right in and feels right.

Humor has always played a part in NoFX music, as has social commentary. Heck, any band that can count two songs about lesbians among their repertoire, must have much to say! But sometimes, there is just plain humor as in "Monosyllabic Girl". "I take her down to the aquarium, she says shark. I take her to the planetarium, she says dark." A good song, neat tune, fun words, good times!

Like all NoFX releases, the album is laden with hooks that grab the listener. From the first chord to the last, this album does not disappoint. It's at times gritty, angry and crass. Others, it's light and humorous. Still others, it's a wash in harmony.

I think I have made this statement before, with some bands, you appreciate that you always know what you are going to get. There is a formula, a pattern that is discernible and you look forward to it and it's OK that it doesn't change because it's good. That's not the case with NoFX and in particular on "So Long and Thanks for All the Shoes". The album stylistically wanders and that's its beauty. Add to that it's constant commentary on the state of the music biz and it truly does establish its rightful place in the heritage of punk rock! Peers may come and go, get signed, get dropped, etc., but this album stands on solid footing and is in my opinion an important marker in the punk rock timeline.

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or at iTunes