THE MISFITS: "WALK AMONG US"

The Misfit's "Walk Among Us"(1982) is in my opinion the greatest horror-punk album of all time. It's filled with catchy irresistible choruses and hooks, shredding tempos and guitar playing, darkly cartoonish, gory, horror and sci-fi lyrics, and the excellent vocals of Glen Danzig. Every song is a classic, with some of my favorites being "Skulls", "Astro-Zombies", "20 Eyes", and "Night of the Living Dead". You will find yourself with these songs stuck in your head for days, months, even years. I love all of The Misfits' work with Danzig, but "Walk Among Us" is my personal favorite because of the unrelenting pace and the additively catchy songs. Give this one a listen if you haven't already. I can't recommend it enough.

20 Eyes - The Misfits

Skulls - The Misfits

Astro Zombies - The Misfits

Saint Vitus Coming To New Orleans

The classic doom metal band Saint Vitus is going to be in New Orleans at One Eyed Jacks on April 11, playing their only United States show. They are reunited with Wino on vocals. After this show they are playing the Roadburn Festival in Europe. I've got to get to New Orleans to see them. It's rare enough that Saint Vitus is playing so close to home, but even rarer that they are back with Wino after many many years. You can buy advance tickets here. I can't wait to see them.

THE BAD BRAINS

The Bad Brains 1982 self-titled first release is an extremely heavy and volatile blend of blazing fast hardcore punk and reggae. Lead singer HR's vocals are vicious, yet melodic when they need to be. The guitar playing is ferocious with heavy, evil grooves and guitar solos breaking up the blinding speed. When they do reggae, it is top notch and very reminiscent of dub. Hardcore punk and reggae seem like they would not mix, but they do. If you are looking for a good place to start try their debut album. It will not disappoint, and is a primal blast of energy that you will keep coming back to again and again.

Here's "Banned In DC", "Sailin' On", and "I Luv I Jah". Enjoy!

Banned in D.C. - Bad Brains

Sailin On - Bad Brains

I Luv I Jah - Bad Brains

THE ATOMIC BITCHWAX

The Atomic Bitchwax are a formidable psychedelic/space rock band fronted by Monster Magnet guitarist Ed Mundell as a side project. Their strongest release is their self-titled effort from 1999. The tracks are predominantly instrumental. Their sound is a mixture of Sabbath riffery, the euphoria of The Stooges, the world-eating psychedelia of Monster Magnet, the blistering space rock of Hawkwind, the dementia of Helios Creed, and just plain earthy trippy blues improvisation. There are some evil, spaced-out sound effects on this album, many of them coming from the bass guitar. Not quite as commanding as Monster Magnet, but still a good listen. Some stand out tracks are the scorching blues of "Birth to the Earth", the jump to hyperdrive space rock number "Hey Alright", and the Black Sabbath-esque "Kiss the Sun". Highly recommended.

03 Hey Alright.wma -

02 Birth to the Earth.wma -

THE DESCENDENTS: SOMERY

The Desendents are a highly addictive band that perfectly bridges the gap between punk, hardcore, and power pop. Their songs are full of teen angst and are about lost women, failed relationships, the quest for fast food, caffeine, satisfaction and happiness, the never-ending quest for that which can not be obtained, the quest for "All"....the relentless quest for happiness and perfection that drives their music and ties of all of their material together. This quest for 'All' gives their music a dark edge, because as we all know, complete happiness can never be attained. The Descendents' music is joyfully mindless yet equally and immediately emotive, powerful and full of harmonies and hooks that make you want to keep coming back for more.

My favorite Descendents album is "Somery"(1991). It is a collection of material from all of their 1980's releases. Milo's vocals are sorrowful, yet happy and inspiring. The guitar work of Frank Navetta is top notch...pleasant to listen to yet devastating. The rhythm section of Tony Lombardo on bass and Bill Stevenson on drums is grimy and relentless...like a tighter, leaner, and meaner Black Flag. I cannot express my love for this band and this album enough. I first heard The Descendents when I turned 18 and was entering college. These songs have stuck with me since then. The Descendents have gotten me through tough times, happy times, and all of the mediocre times between and are still getting me through life some seventeen years later. It's hard to name some favorite tracks, but "Silly Girl", "Coolidge", "Clean Sheets", "Sour Grapes" and "I Like Food" come immediately to mind.

Just give these guys a listen. I'm sure you will like them. Over the past several years they have been popping up with a new album every now and then. A new Descendents release is always a treat. I don't know what their status is as of now. Their guitarist Frank Navetta passed away late last year from a pre-existing heart condition. Singer Milo is a bio-chemist, and the others are staying busy with various side projects. Will there be more Descendents in the future? No one knows, and it doesn't matter because "Somery" is such a strong compilation that it is all you really need.

These guys are so influential that it is hard to believe. If you listen to Green Day and some of the other power pop/punk bands that are around today, ask yourself a question. Who do they sound like? Where did they get that riff, those harmonies? You know what the answer is going to be...

Anyway, here's some of my favorite tracks from the exhaustive 29 track "Somery".

Silly girl - Descendents

coolidge - descendents

I LIke Food - Descendents