No Use For A Name - Punk Rock Misfits?

Felt like writing again and what better way to get back into it than writing about the brilliance of NUFAN. See, the thing is, it's not just one album or one song, it's the body of work. Punk rock work! I've heard comments about changes in their style, the vocals have mellowed, not quite as hard as they once were, but if you simply stop and listen to the entire catalog, you can really appreciate a great American punk rock band.

I wonder if they fly under the radar on purpose? Does it just happen that way? Is it that they consistently deliver quality music and therefore after a while, get taken for granted? I am not saying that they are not appreciated, but there is a sense of a quiet, respectful appreciation and this perception of "hey, yeah, they are a pretty good band". Whatever it is, this is a free speech platform to add commentary on any topic and I, for one, feel compelled to write about the most harmonious punk band that has ever existed!

That's it, no magic secret, no hidden meaning, it's the way that No Use For A Name delivers harmony.

I have a boatload of NUFAN on my iPod and I'll come across a track that perhaps hasn't made it to the top of the Shuffle and I'll get goosebumps over the power of the particular harmony. It's usually Tony plus some background bandmates singing and it often times leaves me awestruck. How often can you say that about a band or a song? I know I don't use that term loosely, but it's the truth. Go back and listen to the chorus of "Domino", "Angela" or "Chasing Rainbows" and listen with a more critical ear. Don't simply settle for "yeah, it's pretty good", really listen, see if you hear something new or something that you find inspiring. I suspect that you will! Again, I'll go back to where I started, I think there is something about NUFAN that people don't get. Or maybe they got it and have since forgotten about it.

There music is after all, punk. Not punk by today's radio friendly standard where any kid with a little eye liner, a decent comb over and a guitar can get signed, provided their band name meets the major label standard for meaninglessness (is that a word?). Not besmirching that stuff, if it floats your boat, good for you, but that is not punk, nor is it No Use For A Name. This is no frills, ear pleasing, good 'ol punk rock. It's the stuff that no label will take notice of, radio stations could care less about and rock critics will generally ignore figuring that they have heard this before. It's dismissive, that's the word that's been escaping me. It's easy to dismiss this band and say that they are pretty good and leave it at that. I don't know NUFAN personally, and I don't think anyone of them is staying up late, worrying about perceptions and I don't think there is some great anti-NUFAN conspiracy, but I do believe that their legacy is far to under-appreciated.

It does happen sometimes that bands are not recognized for their impact and their body of work until there is no new music coming from them. I think you can apply that to some respected acts like Misfits (Danzig era), Rocket From The Crypt and The Accused. Sure, they were appreciated for doing something new and revolutionary while they were doing it, but it wasn't until they broke up that everybody stood up and cried, "I loved them, I always have and I always new they were special".

I will not call NUFAN revolutionary and I'm not saying that Tony Sly is the second coming of Glenn Danzig, but can we all just agree that NUFAN's legacy (still unfolding) is solid? Come on, after all "I love them, I always have and I always new they were special".

Drive Like Jehu Review

Felt like doing a revisionist history update to this post from late last year. As I hear more and more of what is going on in the post-punk world, I simply feel compelled to tell that world about this little outfit from San Diego. Maybe it's because I have now worn out my copy of Obits "I Blame You", perhaps that makes me want to revisit DLJ. Who knows? But, what I do know is that Drive Like Jehu were the original authors of this novella that blends sonic dissonance and melody.

When homage is paid to originators of "noise rock" alternative music from the 90's, the list usually comprises bands like Sonic Youth, The Jesus Lizard, Melvins, Six Finger Satellite and Neurosis. DLJ is often conspicuously absent from the list, and that is a shame. While those bands, and DLJ alike are not traditionally classified as punk, their music was filled with atonality and lacked traditional structures found in much of rock music of the day. By that criteria, were they not punk...? Different post for a different day, but for now, the influence that Drive Like Jehu has had on bands of the 00's is clear. Funny thing, I bet many of them don't even recognize that! What is also interesting is in revisiting this topic, it reminds me of the wealth of talent found in San Diego in the early 90's. Unsung, unheralded, under-appreciated punk, noise rock and alternative from bands like Aminiature, Tanner, Creedle, Three Mile Pilot, Inch, Unwritten Law and Boilermaker. These names may not mean much to a punk music fan of today, and it's near impossible to measure their influence, but their importance is true.

So, from October 2008, here comes Punk Mecca's assertion that Drive Like Jehu produced the progeny of post-hardcore.

Hardcore and punk underwent an amazing transformation in 1991. Emo, Screamo, Post-Hardcore owe a tremendous debt to the band Drive Like Jehu, who released their self-titled debut on Headhunter Records. Punk rock would never be the same.

In retrospect, it's hard to not call this a punk rock supergroup. With this pedigree, it's no wonder this band and specifically, this album would have such wide influence. Check out three of the members:

John Reis (aka. Speedo): Rocket From The Crypt, Hot Snakes, Pitchfork, The Night Marchers, Owner Swami Records and all-around punk rock hero.

Rick Froberg: Hot Snakes, Obits and author of Chapter 1 of "Screamo 101: A Lesson in Vocals". (note: can't wait for the Obits debut next year on Sub Pop!!!) (12/08/09 note: it's out, it's good, enough said).

Mark Trombino: Night Soil Man, Aminiature, punk rock producer to the stars...Jimmy Eat World, Finch, Silverstein, Blink-182.

A digression: In the early 90's the San Diego alternative scene was loaded! But the three bands that in my opinion had a large influence on the screamo and hardcore of today are these peers of DLJ...Night Soil Man, Three Mile Pilot and Truman's Water. Each was known for their own brand of sonic dissonance; they each shaped the future of punk, and rock in general, with their aggressive, dirty, yet technical music.

Back to our featured artist Drive Like Jehu. The complexity of this music, to this day, leaves me awestruck. It's beautiful, rich, well thought out and well executed. "Caress" starts the album off. It builds to a crescendo and while other tracks meander from the beautiful to the extreme, "Caress" is relentless from beginning to end. Next up is the quick blast "Spikes To You". The shortest song on the album, but by no means the simplest. How do you describe the guitar sound of Drive Like Jehu? It's "off" in a way, no disrespect, it's what makes it amazing. It's almost like they use their dueling guitar lines to create some sort of mismatched harmony. It works perfectly on "Spikes". John Reis leads the way on "Step on Chameleon", a bit of a slower, sludgy track with those patented overlaying guitars. "Step on Chameleon" features some nice Rocket From The Crypt harmony and is a personal fave. "O Pencil Sharp" is a nine minute epic that captures the entire Drive Like Jehu experience. It slowly builds into a single guitar led melody and then into a mid-paced, somewhat somber progression. At around the 5 minute mark, the deluge that is Drive Like Jehu starts. Manic, pulsing, strained solos, complex percussion, it's got it all. As quickly as the deluge starts, you wander back into the darkness that began the track... and so it ends. It's a track like that, that often can be the measurement of a band, but how well they can take the song from record to the stage is the real test. From personal experience, Drive Like Jehu were able to precisely capture "O Pencil Sharp" note for tenuous note in a live setting. "Atom Jack" would fit in quite well amongst the Emo and Screamo of today and is probably the most structured of all the tracks. "If It Kills You" is a study in tonal instability. The pain sensed in Rick's voice is palpable but ultimately outdone by the guitar and bass work on this post-hardcore forebear. This track, along with a few others, feels at times like an instrumental. It wanders off in a direction for a few minutes and it's a wonderful journey. "Good Luck In Jail" is simply a really cool punk / alternative rock song. It's Melvins-esque and it's a treat! "Turn It Off" could have easily been written in 2006 and may well have influence outside of punk (Killers, Modest Mouse, etc.). This classic, noisy album wraps up with "Future Home of Stucco Monstrosity". "Wall of Sound" jumps to mind as a simple way to sum up this tune and probably is a fitting description for the work as a whole.

I know there are Drive Like Jehu fans out there that count this record as one of the best of the punk or hardcore genre, count me amongst that group!

There was a song in the 80's called "Video Killed The Radio Star". Sadly, we could probably say "Major Label Killed the Punk Rock Star" for this band and bunches of others. While there are always many contributing factors to a bands finish, in this particular case, I can't help but wonder what would have happened if Drive Like Jehu had stayed on some small, high quality San Diego indie label? I'd like to think that "Yank Crime" would be just the second in a long line future masterpieces! But hey, good news for all of us, the three main men continue to release and influence a tremendous amount of good quality, true to themselves punk.

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.

Rocket From The Crypt - Circa Now 1993 Review

From a 1993 magazine that I published comes a review of the classic RFTC "Circa Now". I know that this band certainly has a passionate following, even after their demise, but it's their legacy that is fascinating. To this day, their music is fresh, innovative and OK, I'll say it "fun"! Circa Now marks a change in the band, still garage punk in nature, but this is a bit more mature. It's also probably the first RFTC album that comes close to capturing the essence of the band live. RFTC was the best live band amongst that San Diego 90's alt/punk scene, which is saying a lot when you have Lucy's Fur Coat, Boilermaker, Aminiature, Uncle Joe's Big 'ol Driver and Fluf in the mix. Circa Now captures that raw power and 16 years later is is as rockin' as ever! Enjoy...

From 1993. OK, so I am really keen on finding out more about San Diego bands and that might influence my opinion. But in this review, I will be completely objective. RFTC are the greatest thing since sliced bread, the wheel, the light bulb, party balls! They are the savior of music itself! those of you who think I am serious can stop reading. What this band really is, is a fantastic ensemble of musicians who have released an independent album that knocked me off my feet. "Circa Now" is a powerful, at times noisy, collection of songs, each of which could easily be hummed after just the first listen. "Killy Kill", "Ditch Digger" and "Don't Darlene" are but 3 examples of this bands refreshing ability to pen both song and lyric. I've heard that this is doing well for an independent release. Having found out about RFTC late in the game, I can't say that I have been a fan for years, but they certainly have impressed me. the power pop songs on this release should convert any alternative music listener to an instant fan. If not, I'll continue to voice my thoughts about an album that pleases this listener.

Jump to today, gotta love a review with the words "party ball" in it! For you youngsters, a party ball was a short lived late 80's mini version of a pony keg that you and your buds could drink. It's main downfall was that you couldn't shotgun it!!!!

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