popwreckoning

I am a HUGE Dropkick Murphys fan. It all started with when I was in the Air Force and I was in the middle of a deployment that a fellow buddy of mine played “Sing Loud, Sing Proud” in a beat-up portable CD player we had hooked up to a tape adapter in the truck we were driving around the base while having the A/C on full blast as the humid temperatures reached in the High 90’s/low 100’s. After hearing songs like “For Boston” and “Which Side Are You On?,” I became hooked.  It wasn’t until a year later that I saw them at Warped Tour in Charlotte, NC, that they became one of my favorite punk bands next to Descendants and Suicidal Tendencies.

Their last two albums, The Warriors Code and The Meanest of Times, have been nothing but stellar. Although, The Warriors Code which was awesome, could get tiresome after a few listens.  Although, after “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” was featured in the Academy Award winning film “The Departed” things took off for the band.

Four years and a lineup change later, the Murphys are back with Going Out in Style the second release on their Born and Bred Records label. It is a concept album that takes the band’s own personal experiences and family folklore and rolls them into the story of a fictional character named Cornelius Larkin.

The album starts off with “Hang ‘em High!,” the typical start off track off of any DKM album to get you pumped for the record as what Sing Loud, Sing Proud had with “For Boston” and The Warriors Code had with “Your Spirit’s Alive.” Another standout track would be none other than the title track, “Going Out in Style,” which features a couple surprise guests, such as Fat Mike from NOFX, Chris Cheney of The Living End and comedian Lenny Clark. This makes a great song to drink to, especially the near St. Patrick’s day release. On some occasions it can be on the level with “Kiss Me, I’m Shitfaced,” but much more fast paced and hardcore. Other stand out tracks include, “Peg O’ My Heart” Featuring The Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen, “Memorial Day” which has more of the Celtic sound that DKM is known to produce on top of the hardcore Irish-punk sound they are famous for. And my personal favorite, “Deeds Not Words’ which starts out with a revile of drum beats and a haunting sound of the old bagpipes that sounds like a policeman’s funeral, but then jumps into a brash hardcore punk song that gets pumped up like that of fans at a Boston Red Sox game.

Overall, this album doesn’t disappoint in any aspect. Even with a lineup change, DKM never disappoints and this album is proof of just that. The band still has the magic that makes them the fan favorites they are today. In areas where The Warriors Code may have disappointed some fans, this album makes up for it. Oh and by the way- if you haven’t seen these guys live, do me a favor; next time they are playing in town near you, GO SEE THEM!!!

Track listing:
01. Hang ‘Em High (3:59)
02. Going Out In Style (4:08)
03. The Hardest Mile (3:26)
04. Cruel (4:21)
05. Memorial Day (2:59)
06. Climbing A Chair To Bed (2:59)
07. Broken Hymns (5:03)
08. Deeds Not Words (3:41)
09. Take ‘Em down (2:11)
10. Sunday Hardcore Matinee (2:43)
11. 1953 (4:14)
12. Peg O’ My Heart (2:20)
13. The Irish Rover (3:39)

The artists on this year’s Pac Sun Tour are some of the hardest working musicians in the business, but they all found the time to speak with me. Here’s an interview with hip hop/punk/genre-infuser extraordinaire P.O.S. about the tour, his many projects and  how he balances music with fatherhood.

Bethany, PopWreckoning: This tour is a bit of a change from what you normally do. You normally go out with the Rhymesayers. Why did you decide to go out with Pac Sun?
P.O.S.: I decided to do this tour because it is always fun to play shows for different crowds that have never thought about me before. It is always fun to just be out and be on tour.

PW: I know you’ve been known to have a little animosity toward modern hip hop. What could be done to kind of change that view?
P.O.S.: Nothing. I don’t complain about modern hip hop. I don’t complain about anything. I just make things that sound different and hopefully people will get that its different and something can be totally different or better or whatever.

PW: I love some of the samples that you find for your music. Like I think it is well known you have punk, but then you also have Japanese jazz. How do you come across stuff like that?
P.O.S.: I’m a fan of music. I’m always looking for something to listen to and from there it goes.
PW: Right. But it goes beyond just music. You reference pop culture like YouTube videos that are popular. Do you spend a lot of time on the internet?
P.O.S.: I don’t really. I don’t spend that much time on the internet. I just kind of research bands I like and visuals that I like and go that way.

PW: More recently, you were up for an MTV Woodie award. Did that have any impact on you?
P.O.S.: It’s cool to be nominated for something on a national level, but no real impact. I don’t really think about stuff like that.

PW: You used to produce under a different name and now you’ve started using your own name. Why the change?
P.O.S.: I didn’t want anybody to find out the other producer was me. I just wanted to make beats as well as rap and if the beats were too crazy then I could blame it on somebody else.
PW: So why did you start using your own name?
P.O.S.: Because I stopped caring.

PW: Now as a father, has that changed how you tour?
P.O.S.: Being a father affects how I tour when it’s not a new record. When it is a new record, I tour just as much. That’s the hardest part about touring, but it’s my job. I got to work.

PW: You always seem to have a bajillion projects whether rap, hip hop, punk, whatever. What are some of the things that you’re working on now?
P.O.S.: My band, Building Better Bombs, has a full-length coming and we also have dance record coming under the name Marijuana Death Squad and just more rap music.

PW: As its nearing the end of December, we’re reaching the end of the naught decade. Do you have a favorite musical memory of the last ten years?
P.O.S.: Ten years is huge. I got to sing for NOFX at Warped tour this year. That was fun.
PW: Is Warped tour one of your favorite tours?
P.O.S.: No. It is fun, but I couldn’t do it all the time.

PW: I don’t want to take your time for too long and it is really loud, so we’ll end it here. Thank you. It was nice to meet you.
P.O.S.: Good to meet you too.

P.O.S.: website | myspace | @ pac sun, beaumont

Riot Fest, a huge punk festival, is entering its 5th year in Chicago.

The festival started in founder Mike Petryshyn‘s basement and has since grown into one of the largest punk festivals spanning several Chicago venues. This festival is the embodiment of the punk DIY spirit.

This year’s bands include Alkaline Trio, NOFX, Screeching Weasel, Dead Milkmen, Butthole Surfers and more.

The festival runs Oct. 7-11 and tickets are still available.

Riot Fest: website | schedule

So apparently, I have a bit of a reputation of being a Killers lover. This label was only reinforced by last week’s Under Cover: The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside.” In my defense, I would like to say that I’m not one of those fan girls who has scribbled Mrs. Brandon Flowers all over my notebook (it wouldn’t matter; he’s married) and my love for the Killers is a lot more practical than how “hott” I rate him. No, I honestly can admit that what I appreciate about this band is a lot deeper than that. I actually love them for…their music! These guys are good musicians, so instead of doing another Under Cover where I look at other artists covering this band, I wanted to let them shine. Besides, with the rumors of a Killers cover album looking more and more like a reality, the public had better start getting used to this band doing covers. Now they’ve done plenty more than what I listed here including covers of The Beatles, Frankie Valli, Morrissey, Kenny Rogers, David Bowie and the Nebraska State Song. I’ve even heard that singer Brandon Flowers likes to cover Bonnie Tyler‘s “Total Eclipse of the Heart” when doing karaoke (links, anybody? I need footage!), but here I’ve listed some of my favorite Killers covers.

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The Dire Straits’ “Romeo and Juliet” / 2007 – Abbey Road Acoustic Sessions

In 1981, The Dire Straits released “Romeo and Juliet” as a single from their album Making Movies. It quickly became one of their most successful and well-known singles and, like most good singles, spurred the creation of several covers. The Killers first covered this song live as part of their Abbey Road Sessions before later releasing it on their B-side album Sawdust. Front man Brandon Flowers described this song as “one of the best songs I’ve ever heard” and I couldn’t agree more. This is my favorite Dire Straits song and I love the version the guys put together of this song. The Killers have a reputation for being over the top with glitz and glam, probably a result of growing up in Vegas, but this cover stays true to the simplicity of the Dire Straits instrumentation and guitarist Dave Keuning is the perfect man to play those classic arpeggiated guitar notes that define the song. It is all abetted by the rawness of Flowers’ voice. It’s kind of fun because he has a bit of a twang that you wouldn’t expect from him considering he usually has a reputation of sounding too British.

Flowers was actually sick during the recording of the Abbey Road Sessions, but I think it added a vulnerability to his voice that was perfect for the rendition of this song. For me the highlight of this is when he belts the line, “Juliet, when we made love, you used to cry I said, ‘I love you like the stars above, I love you till I die.‘ The rest of the song after that is almost sung in a whisper.

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Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” / 2008 – Live @ Little Noise Sessions, Union Chapel

Some bands just wanna have fun. And that’s exactly what the Killers did for their cover of Cyndi Lauper‘s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” I like this because bassist Mark Stoermer switches out his bass for a guitar and gets really into it (as in never looks up into it). This cover surprises me because they went acoustic instead of for their trademark Hot Fuss synth heavy sound, which the song loans itself toward. Though it is a simple cover, it is complex in the idea that the band didn’t go the obvious route with how to cover it.

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Joy Division’s “Shadowplay” / 2007 – Control Soundtrack

Now what would this cover section be if I didn’t include perhaps the band’s most famous cover: Joy Division‘s “Shadowplay”?  “Shadowplay” was originally recorded by Joy Division for the 1979 album Unknown Pleasures. In 2007, a biopic, Control, about Joy Division’s lead singer Ian Curtis was set to be released. The remaining members of Joy Division, aka New Order, actually picked the Killers to do the cover for the film, which played during the credits. This was a huge honor for the Killers considering the band is heavily influenced by both Joy Division and New Order. In fact, the band’s name comes from New Order’s video for “Crystal,” in which New Order is under the guise of a fictional band called the Killers in the video. As further tribute to New Order, the Killers often play as fictional bands in their own videos (The Genius Sex Poets and Los Dientes del Perro).

This cover even had a music video made with clips from the movie mixed in. However, for me, it isn’t the studio recording that sticks in my head, but the live version. It became a tour staple for the Sam’s Town run and is still performed by the band on their current Day and Age tour. With the Killers’ addition of “Ooh ooh oohs” and fist pumping, this cover kept the mood set by Joy Division, but took it to anthem levels.

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Ray Parker Jr.’s “Ghostbusters Theme” / 1998 – Another EP?

So, this might be cheating, but this is too good of a cover to not share. In 1998, the Killers obviously were not around, but the individual members were still quite busy making music in other bands. Drummer Ronnie Vannucci was a member of some groups that met with some moderate success. Personally, I was a big fan of his ska punk group Attaboy Skip, which fans of NOFX would actually enjoy a lot. In fact, the band is actually confused with NOFX a lot and this particular cover can be found wrongly attributed to NOFX on YouTube. This aforementioned cover is none other than “Ghostbusters Theme.” I seriously couldn’t think of a better song that a punk group with brass could cover than this theme. Hilarious. Vannucci drives the band into double time at the end giving the theme their own personal spin.

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The Killers: website | myspace | Sawdust review | under cover: “Mr. Brightside” | @ magness arena | Day and Age review

NOFX

This Friday marks the beginning of the Democratic National Convention at Red Rocks in Denver, Co. and Fat Wreck Chords mainstay NOFX are headlining the festivities. They’ll be performing Punk In Drublic in its entirety in order to celebrate Barack Obama’s nomination.

According to the legendary Fat Mike, he’s on Obama’s VP shortlist. Imagine an America with Vice President Fat Mike…

Anti-Flag

Not to be outdone by their label mates, other sometimes Fat Wreck band Anti-Flag will be playing with Rage Against The Machine on September 3rd in Minneapolis as part of a protest show in concurrence with the Republican National Convention.

NOFX: website | myspace | buy DNC headlining tickets | live review
Anti-Flag: website | myspace | buy RNC protest show tickets
Fat Wreck Chords: website | myspace

On March 4th, famous pop punk band NOFX came to Kansas City. NOFX can be traced way back to 1983, when the band had its first practice. Pretty much by word-of-mouth alone, the band ended up becoming one of the most well-known American punk acts to date. So with it being 2008, I could only expect nearly the entire Kansas City punk scene to be at this show. And damn! The place was packed.

Now, I’m not a die-hard NOFX fan by any means. Seeing them live was just how I imagined it would be: a huge party. NOFX is all about fun, and if any of you have seen them live you know what I’m talking about. With a majority of punk bands getting way into politics, it’s nice to see some good, immature, fun punk rock. That’s not to say NOFX hasn’t had their share of political dabblings, though, with, quite possibly, their most famous release entitled The War On Errorism, featuring a cartoon of President George W. Bush painted like a clown. With that alone, you can sort of make an assumption as to what this band is really all about.

Upon entering The Beaumont Club’s new location (I had previously only been to their older one), I had to take a massive piss so I darted across the floor, plowing over person after person, to the bathrooms. Unknown to me, I sped right past the men’s room and straight into the ladies’ room. I was wondering why there were no urinals on the wall and it didn’t really hit me until I noticed only girls around me when I made my exit. I got a few looks, but nothing hostile. Just confused. Anyway, after that ordeal I made it back in time to catch the first band, which has long since escaped my memory. I do recall them being the clich� of punk rock and that I didn’t really care for it, as the main bands at the show already do this much better. No Use For A Name was up next.

I wasn’t really attentive during their set since I was sent to review NOFX. I figured I’d enjoy myself during No Use For A Name. Again, I’m not a huge fan of this band either but they did a cover of The Misfits‘ “I Turned Into A Monster,” which was pretty fucking sweet. They definitely set the stage for NOFX as everybody was definitely into what they were doing. They walked off stage leaving the crowd, and myself, in anticipation.

NOFX took their sweet fucking time getting set up. I remember waiting nearly an hour. Nonetheless, they really delivered a great show. As I pointed out earlier, I’m only a casual NOFX fan and only know a handful of their songs. The only NOFX CD I own is their compilation entitled The Greatest Songs Ever Written (By Us). I may want to add here that if you are just now getting into this band, or would like to, that CD is a good start since it contains all of the fan favorites as well as a pretty big collection of other songs from various albums. It weighs in at a hefty 26 songs, so it really is an excellent start.

That being said, the entire set was as I put it earlier: a huge party. As anyone can expect at a punk gig, there was a huge moshpit at all times and a pretty unruly crowd. NOFX is a band that likes to talk a lot in between songs, and they’ve always got something funny to say. Bassist/Vocalist Fat Mike made mostly Mexican jokes aimed at their guitar/trumpet player El Hefe. Not only are they funny, they are cocky as shit! At one point Fat Mike even said “You know, we’re a good fuckin’ band! This set is dedicated to us, because if it wasn’t for us, none of you assholes would even be here!” Awesome.

I remember the crowd yelling at the band to play their song “Bob” the entire set. They assured the crowd they were not going to play that because “you have all heard “Bob” a thousand fucking times! Fuck that song!” However, during their encore set list, they played all of their most well-known songs including “Franco Un-American” and, of course, “Bob.” They closed their set with my personal favorite, “Kill All The White Men.”

The place was destroyed afterwards. After all was said and done, I can only describe NOFX as a band to definitely see live every time they come to your city. It is a guaranteed fun time, especially if you are a fan.

NOFX: website | myspace
Fat Wreck Chords: website

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