We recently caught up with Off With Their Heads vocalist Ryan Young to get his take on the songs that got him in to punk rock. Check it out here.
1. Nirvana – “Territorial Pissings“
“Nirvana was the start of it all for me. I grew up in a farm town outside of Minneapolis. I remember loving Kurt’s aggression and thinking it was catchy as hell. I guess it was kind of the foundation for what I would later like in all kinds of music. This video is one of my favorites. Got sick of playing their hit, so they play the best song on the record without telling anyone. Good stuff.”
2. Rancid – “Salvation“
“The first time I heard this one, I was hooked. I didn’t really understand how a band could be on the radio playing 2 chords that even I could play as a nerd with a toy guitar. I also realized that singing doesn’t have to sound “classically good” to actually be good. Another chunk of foundation laid down for me.”
3. Sick of it All – “S/T”
“After Rancid, I just started looking in liner notes through bands’ thanks lists. My friends and I used to play “Its Clobberin’ Time” over and over again and hit each other with our guitars. I put a link to the whole 7″ because its short and awesome. Sick of it All struck enough of a chord with me to the point that I tried to tattoo their logo on my left arm with a needle, thread and ink. Ask me to see it sometime. Its a good one.”
4. Descendents – “Suburban Home“
“Another band that I loved enough to do the old tattoo on the leg trick when I was 15. Still don’t regret it. Its pretty amazing that I am sitting in their drummer’s recording studio right now making a record and listening to him tell me how much I suck. I’m aware.”
5. Hatebreed – “Before Dishonor“
“First super hard band I got into. I had this shirt when I started going to the record store in Minneapolis (Extreme Noise). I remember the guy behind the counter making fun of me for it. I personally find it pretty dumb to work at a store and make fun of a kid getting into a style of music as opposed to suggesting something. Then I saw his band. They were way worse than Hatebreed.”
6. Avail – “March“
“None of my friends liked these guys because they thought it sounded like Lynard Skynard. I loved it. From the first time I heard Satiate, I was hooked. I loved how unconventional they were among all the other punk and hardcore bands I saw all the time. One of the hardest working bands out there, and it showed. I saw them live every time I got the chance. Even when they played the Fest a couple years ago, I was totally picking up change.”
7. Snapcase – “Drain Me“
“I remember seeing this live video around the time I was figuring out what hardcore was. It wasn’t fast. It was the opposite. Everyone piled on the singer. It was the first time I was exposed to something like that. I went to see them by myself when I was 16 because nobody wanted to go. It was awesome. To this day, I still listen to “Progression Through Unlearning” every couple months.”
8. Youth Brigade – “I Hate My Life“
““They totally ripped off Bouncing Souls!”. Thats what my friends thought. Turns out they didn’t so much. They were already super old by the time I got into them. Now they are so old, I’m starting to get worried. Shawn needs a caretaker. Hopefully Mark’s daughter will be kind enough to let him live with her. So old. I love that band. ”
9. Bouncing Souls – “Born To Lose“
“I loved this song. Its a teenage drunk kid anthem, and that’s pretty much what we were. They always seemed like they were having fun. Recorded or live. I basically stalked them from the time I was 17 until a couple years ago. They wound up putting out a 7” for us and taking us on tour. That was pretty sweet. I think they thought it was the only way they weren’t going to wake up one day with me standing over 3 of them with my weiner tucked between my legs and the 4th guy’s face glued to mine asking if they really know how to party.”
10. Dropkick Murphys – “Get Up“
“I loved Mike’s voice and the simple music. Turned out they call that Oi/Street Punk. I had no idea at the time, but I loved it. Hearing this turned me on to all kinds of that stuff. One of my favorites for sure.”
11. Dillinger Four – “Doublewhiskeycokenoice“
“Saw these guys for the first time when this record came out. They introduced me to a scene in Minneapolis that consisted of house shows. Once we figured that out, it was on. This song really came a long way. They even made a Broadway musical based on it! Oh, wait…..”