I am at Reasons and Ruckus once again, sipping soda and hanging out with the door crew. It’s been a couple weeks since I came here, and I’m happy to be back. I can hear the vague echo of pool balls clunking together over piped in music as the opening band begins sound check, blasting […]
I am at Reasons and Ruckus once again, sipping soda and hanging out with the door crew. It’s been a couple weeks since I came here, and I’m happy to be back. I can hear the vague echo of pool balls clunking together over piped in music as the opening band begins sound check, blasting us with (at the very least) 120 dB of drum and bass. It was incredibly hard not to immediately dip on my friends, so I said good-bye and slipped away to the dance floor of Reasons.
First up was The Snorts, fronted by a friend. I had been wanting to see them for ages, so seeing them tonight was a dream come true. It’s hard to get what they played wrong, but they played it stellarly, a mix of pop-punk and hardcore with occasional dips into gentle, more subdued songs. Aaron seemed like he was going to faint with every lyric screamed out, and their energy continued after the set. They played a bucolic mix of hardcore and pop-punk that blended beautifully
Next was touring band Megan From Work, fronted by the eponymous Megan. They contributed to the feeling of a mixed bill, with the band playing backup for her incredibly sensitive vocals. Her sound was another mixture of hardcore and poppy vocals.
The second touring band was Hell Beach, a wild combination of Dropkick Murphy’s and the Dead Kennedys. Screaming energetic vocals, drums played with distinct and hungry rage, the New Hampshire rock-pop punk band bought an incredible energy to the stage. As you can see in the photos, the lead singer danced and threw himself into every song. Another wonderful mix of hardcore and softer pop-punk songs, they took a moment to thank the audience and emphasis their support for Palestine and queer rights.
The closing act was one I have had a deep affection for since the moment I saw them live for the first time, MEOW MEOW. They play an insane mix of sounds that somehow blend together into something beautiful. The band members dance around the stage, jumped off it to dance within the pit, go off-stage and jump into the pit to nearly push me on my ass from behind (thank you). A saxophone and bass solo to end the set, two screamo songs, and some of the hardest queerpunk songs I’ve heard in awhile, they were a fantastic way to end the night.
Check down below for images of the rest of the show and check all the bands out!
Punk rock is alive and well in Mexico, but you’d never know it because a lot of the bands don’t get the credit they deserve. Los Chalmers is a punk rock band from North Mexico City. Blending a sound from punk rock’s past and present, the members of Los Chalmers sound like they’ve been fed […]
Punk rock is alive and well in Mexico, but you’d never know it because a lot of the bands don’t get the credit they deserve. Los Chalmers is a punk rock band from North Mexico City. Blending a sound from punk rock’s past and present, the members of Los Chalmers sound like they’ve been fed a steady diet of Ramones and the Beach Boys with a shot of 1980s California surf punk. Their eleven-song LP,Punk Rock Local, is a record of just that.
Opening song “Somos Los Chalmeros” starts as a dark surf instrumental but quickly turns into a song introducing the band and the chaos they are about to bring to your ears. What’s clear from this album is the band’s love for the Ramones. Not just the first three albums before Tommy left, these lean harder into mid-career 1980s Ramones. Songs like “Masacre,” “Piece of the World,” and “Punk Strike Back” would fit nicely next to songs from Subterranean Jungle and Too Tough to Die.
Yet, like the Ramones, the band has a poppy side. “Have Fun” and “Surf Chalmero” lean hard into the Beach Boys and surf music. A lot of these songs have the fingerprints of Brian Wilson and crew, but also include a cover of “Necesito Decírtelo” by Cardenales de Nuevo León. The album strikes a good balance. Make no doubt, this is a fun punk rock album.
Punk Rock Local reminds me of the records you’d make as a kid, and I mean that in the best way. A few people in a room melding their love for a genre or band and playing their hearts out to show respect. The recording quality isn’t great, but that almost feels like by design. If you like punk rock down to its most stripped-down and purest form, check out Punk Rock Local from Los Chalmers
The city of Quincy, Massachusetts, is celebrating its 400th anniversary this year with a series of celebrations that honor the places and faces who have made up the community for the last four centuries (or at least the last four centuries since the Europeans arrived, but that’s a long complicated essay for another time). If […]
The city of Quincy, Massachusetts, is celebrating its 400th anniversary this year with a series of celebrations that honor the places and faces who have made up the community for the last four centuries (or at least the last four centuries since the Europeans arrived, but that’s a long complicated essay for another time). If you’re not from around here, Quincy is a coastal community separated from Boston proper by the Neponset River. Colloquially known as the “City of Presidents” because not one but two President Adamses were born and raised there (as was John Hancock who wasn’t President but was at least able to write his name really big), Quincy in many ways has really embodied a lot of what has been considered sterotypically “Boston” since at least the middle of last century. As the socioeconomic landscape of its neighbor to the north has continued to change rather drastically over the last few decades, Quincy has maintained its reputation a tough, bluest-of-blue collar city, a tradition that dates back centuries, when Quincy was a home to shipyards and granite quarries and the first commercial railroad in the US. I have absolutely no way of verifying this, but my gut tells me that Quincy is probably home to probably the largest ratio of active union members among all of Massachusetts’ 351 cities and towns. The ethnic makeup of the community has ebbed and flowed for years, as is the case in most traditionally working-class communities, but the rough and tumble issues have not, nor have the sense of local pride. Hell, Quincy is also the home of the back-to-back-to-back Major League Rugby champion New England Free Jacks and if there’s a more rough-and-tumble blue-collar sport than rugby, I’m not sure what it is. Oh, and it’s also where Dunkin Donuts started.
As such, it would make sense that when Quincy decided to throw a year-long birthday party, it would include its punk rock native sons in the festivities. Long obviously associated with the Boston punk scene, the original Dropkick Murphys lineup got their start essentially on a bet offered to founding bassist/current lead vocalist Ken Casey close to thirty years ago, and set up shop in a Quincy practice space. Casey is the lone member of the original four-piece lineup still in the band, and it can be reasonably argued that, with Casey at the helm, no band of their size in this or any scene has been as proactive and outwardly vocal about supporting blue-collar, working-class causes, loudly and proudly trumpeting, labor unions, anti-fascist causes and supporting programs for underpriviledged kids, people struggling with substance use issues and, of course, veterans. In many ways, they’ve very much become the Irish-infused spiritual heirs to the Woody Guthries and Pete Seegers and Bruce Springsteens and Clash who came before them.
And so it was that the Dropkick Murphys took over the heart of Quincy Center last Saturday afternoon. The normally bustling Hancock Street was shut down for several blocks, and a giant stage was set up a literal stone’s throw from the resting places of a former President and First Lady. By most official estimates, more than 10,000 fans made the trek to bask in the warm summer afternoon sun with Casey and crew to celebrate both Quincy’s official 400th and the coinciding release of the Dropkick Murphys 13th studio record, For The People. Those who arrived early enough – it was a free, outdoor show in a popular urban center after all – early enough to arrive were able to see the band work through a few of For The People’s tracks at soundcheck for the first time, including the stage debut of the uilleann (Irish) pipes pulled off by the band’s recent bagpipe/tin whistle player Campbell Webster. Ever the man of the people, Casey made his way around the barricade area for a round of fist-bumps and high-fives to the early arrivers. Then local favorite DJ Stenny took the stage to provide the soundtrack as the masses arrived, playing a list that largely consisted of 70s rock and classic hip hop tracks for the gathering crowd to dance and sing along too.
At shortly after 5:00pm and accompanied as usual by the dulcet tones of the Chieftains/Sinead O’Connor version of the traditional Irish Easter Rebellion-inspired “The Foggy Dew,” the Dropkicks returned to the stage and immediately ripped into “Who’ll Stand With Us,” the lead single from For The People, followed immediately by longtime classic and fan favorite “The Boys Are Back” from 2012’s Signed and Sealed in Blood. In the half-dozen-or-so years since Casey officially handed off live bass-playing duties to longtime band tech Kevin Rheault – and especially since co-lead vocalist Al Barr has been on hiatus tending to his ailing mother – he’s been a constant source of energy on stage, endlessly pacing back and forth and frequently engaging in singalongs with showgoers at the barricade. The band blazed through close to two-dozen songs over the course of ninety-ish minutes. The new record was well represented, with a total of seven new tracks sprinkled amidst the longtime favorites. Particularly poignant were the new tracks “Chesterfields And Aftershave” “Kids Games” and “Streetlights.” It being the greater Boston area still, of course “Tessie,” “Skinhead On The MBTA,” “The State of Massachusetts” and “Shipping Up To Boston” made requisite appearances. “(F)lannigan’s Ball” and “Barroom Heroes” were crowd favorites, as was the circle-pit-inducing “The Big Man,” the band’s new ode to Pennywise’s Fletcher Dragge, a song that found Casey jumping into the crowd and performing from the middle of the chaos.
And speaking of constant energy…it will never cease to amaze me how many moving parts there are on stage during a Dropkick Murphys show. Webster and his bagpipes, uilleann pipes and tin whistle stood ground at stage right rear, longtime guitarist James Lynch mans stage left accompanied generally by his trademark low-hung Les Paul and Matt Kelly remains perched on his throne, providing the rhythmic backbone to the whole shebang, but Casey, Rheault, and the endlessly multi-talented duo of Tim Brennan and Jeff DaRosa do…not…stop… pacing the stage, whipping the crowd up, and genuinely revelling in the mood as much or more than the show goers. Brennan was constantly switching between the accordion and a couple of Motor Ave electric guitars, while I’m fairly certain I counted ten different instruments for DaRosa – a green Duesenberg electric, two different banjos, a harmonica, a Martin acoustic, a bouzouki, a Telecaster, an F mandolin and the keyboard – across the set’s 23 songs. Amidst the clamor and chaos of a punk rock show, the band and their crew present as a finely tuned and well-oiled machine. Must be something about those blue-collar, working-class roots.
Check out more pics below, including one gallery dedicated solely to the multi-instrumental exploits of Jeff DaRosa!
Portland, Oregon post-punk group combobox‘s new EP, Oh No! seems to cull its sound from several places. My brain went to a combination of bands from my past, specifically Devo and Tokyo Police Club. Driving drums and bass with guitars that rely on riffs more than chords make for a great record. Lyrically, it has […]
Portland, Oregon post-punk group combobox‘s new EP, Oh No! seems to cull its sound from several places. My brain went to a combination of bands from my past, specifically Devo and Tokyo Police Club. Driving drums and bass with guitars that rely on riffs more than chords make for a great record. Lyrically, it has the satire and bite of the Dead Milkmen. Musically, everything feels intentional and precise.
The opening track, “Worth It,” goes back and forth between frenetic verses and a calm chorus. The chorus of the title track “Oh No!” has a guitar riff that makes you feel like you’re falling, only to be swooped up by the verse right before you hit the ground. The EP itself is aggressive where it needs to be, but also knows where to stick in its moments of reprieve. One thing is for sure: it’s fun. My favorite track is probably “Coffee Shop.” Between bass riff and build-up before each chorus, it would be easy to write the song’s humorous lyrics off as goofy, but there’s some smart stuff bubbling beneath. We spoke with Zach and Tyler about the band and Oh No!
How did you form and how long have you been playing for?
Zach: combobox initially formed in the summer of 2022 when Ty and I had a conversation about starting a band, and Ty said, “Sure, you wanna play post-punk?” We’ve been friends since around 2016, but despite us both having formal music backgrounds and decently overlapping tastes, it took us years to actually get around to playing music together! So we started writing that summer, but then life got in the way in various ways, and we ended up playing one singular show in January of 2023 before I took an extended trip around the world for the next several months, which ended with the two of us and some other friends of ours in New Zealand in July/August 2023 to watch the Women’s World Cup.
Our conversations naturally turned back to the band, and we put up a Craigslist post looking for a bass player before we even got back to the States. We played our first show with bassist Cody and our old drummer Ben in October of 2023, and I’d say that’s when we really started being an actual band. And then Amy joined us last summer, so this current lineup has been together for almost exactly one year.
Tell us about the Oh No! EP.
Zach: As a band, we’ve talked a lot about what defines the combobox sound, and this collection of songs is kind of our best guess at an answer to that question (at the time of recording, about eight months ago). A big part of that, to me at least, is that our lyrical themes acknowledge and address the big human emotions we all have, while also acknowledging the absurdity present in a lot of those emotions. For example, “Oh No!” (the song) is about Trump running for president (yet again) and how, even though it is a literally deadly serious real-world current event, he is also an inherently ridiculous person, and the idea that he can still be taken seriously as a legitimate candidate for any elected office is just absurd and also devastating.
And that’s just kind of one example of something I see a lot in our modern experience and try to reflect in the songs. There’s so much bad stuff that we’ve constructed as a society over decades or even centuries, and things are particularly bad right now in the year 2025, so it’s almost a coping mechanism to kind of lean into the unseriousness of these systems. Playing loud music is also a great coping mechanism, if you were wondering.
What bands were you listening to when you wrote these songs?
All of us in unison like a Greek chorus: We like a lot of bands! Some key ones during the development of this EP were Ex Models, Gustaf, Mannequin Pussy, METZ, Dry Cleaning, Cool Greenhouse, Wet Leg, Buddy Wynkoop, and Yuvees.
What would be the most surprising influence?
Ty: combobox has always been a live-first project, meaning that band decisions, songwriting, etc. prioritize the experience of our live show. So, when we stepped into the studio to record, all of our songs were in a sort of battle-tested state as part of our live set, and initial tracking went quickly. However, during vocal sessions & final mix, we had the opportunity to really sit with and dissect the emotional impact of our tracks, and especially the character of the various narrators Zach plays, and found a new source of inspiration in Amy’s experience working in theatre. So, I’d say the most surprising influence is probably the theatre scene in Portland in general.
I’ve audibly laughed at the lyrics, but they seem very sporadic. Do you improvise them or work them out before?
Zach: I’m far from the main songwriter in this band, but for whatever reason, it worked out that I wrote almost all of the words on this EP. As Ty mentioned above, we’re a live-first project, so all of these songs had been written and tested and mostly set in stone before we ever stepped into the studio, and that’s true of the lyrics as well.
There’s definitely a period of lyrical fluidity in the early stages of a song’s lifespan, as drafts get evaluated through rehearsal and performance, and either something doesn’t quite physically feel right to deliver, or we decide we don’t like a line, etc. “Oh No!” is a great example of that, where my first draft was far less silly, and Cody contributed some significant rewrites to add the sense of absurdity that I imagine you were laughing at (Freedom Legumes, et al.).
Are there plans to do a full-length?
Zach: In short, not immediately. We recently returned to Empty Lane Studio to record a second EP, which we’re excited to start releasing with a first single in late summer or early fall. We’d love to do a full-length eventually, but we want to make sure we’re not rushing it and that the band is at a place where it makes sense both artistically and financially/logistically before tackling a project that big!
Greetings, and welcome to the Dying Scene Record Radar. If it’s your first time here, thank you for joining us! This is the weekly* column where we cover all things punk rock vinyl; new releases, reissues… you name it, we’ve probably got it. Kick off your shoes, pull up a chair, crack open a cold […]
Greetings, and welcome to the Dying Scene Record Radar. If it’s your first time here, thank you for joining us! This is the weekly* column where we cover all things punk rock vinyl; new releases, reissues… you name it, we’ve probably got it. Kick off your shoes, pull up a chair, crack open a cold one, and break out those wallets, because it’s go time. Let’s get into it!
Check out the video edition of this week’s Record Radar, presented by Punk Rock Radar:
Guttermouth’s 1997 classic Musical Monkey is back in print for the first time ever, 28 years after its original release. This is the first of many Guttermouth reissues to come thanks to their new partnership with Rad Merch Co. Limited to I don’t know how many copies on yellow colored vinyl and due out this October – pre-order here.
You’ve probably heard by now Fat Wreck Chords has been sold to Hopeless Records, but in case you haven’t now you know! Coinciding with the sale they’ve announced three new releases – the 20th anniversary edition of Strung Out’s Exile in Oblivion (remixed and remastered by Kyle Black), Bad Cop / Bad Cop’s new record Lighten Up, and the first entry in NOFX’s three part A-Z series of rarities, demos, and unreleased songs.
All three records are available to pre-order now in the US, UK/EU, and Australia. Colored vinyl for the Strung Out record (limited to 700 copies) is sold out everywhere except Australia.
Another long out of print Nitro Records release, AFI’s Answer That and Stay Fashionable just got a surprise repress. This wasn’t out print nearly as long as Musical Monkey, but it’s nice to see it back on shelves. Black vinyl! Get it here among many other places.
People of Punk Rock Records has issued a new pressing of 30FootFall’s The Doppler Effect, with two bad ass new color variants limited to 100 copies each. Grab ’em before they’re gone once again!
People of Punk Rock’s actually got a fuckload of new records to talk about, with the next set of two being some sick nasty Craig’s Brother reissues for 1998’s Homecoming and 2001’s Lost at Sea. Buy buy buy
POPR is also releasing Quebec melodic punks Downstater’s 2019 Mourning Vibes II EP on vinyl for the first time. Get it on laguna blue colored vinyl – limited to 100 copies – right here.
And last but not least, People of Punk Rock has announced reissues of four(!!!) records from Montreal ska-punks Subb. This is the first time all four of these albums have been released on vinyl and they’re all limited to 100 copies. BUY!
Our friends at Mom’s Basement Records are doing cool shit but what else is new? Head over to their webstore and grab a new 6-song CD EP from Canadian ramonescore quartet The Smelters, the debut LP from Ottawa punks Sunshine Overload (fronted by Jeff Martin of NECK) on orange vinyl, and a brand new 15th anniversary reissue of the Dopamines’ Expect the Worst.
The Punk Rock Museum continues its Original Demos series is Rise Against’s original Transistor Revolt demo, recorded shortly after 88 Fingers Louie’s breakup in 1999. Available on three color variants – silver, green, and red – from The Punk Rock Museum webstore. There’s also a Black Ice with Splatter variant limited to 158 copies exclusive to the museum’s on-site record store Vinyl Threat.
SBAM Records has two new records on the way. Up first is UK pop-punks SLACKRR’s new LP A Light on the Horizon, due out August 1st, followed by Dave Hause’s new album …And The Mermaid, releasing September 26th. Pre-order both records here. If you’re in the states you can save on shipping for the Dave Hause record by grabbing it here.
Little Rocket Records has unearthed Leatherface’s long (kinda-sorta) lost 90’s BBC John Peel Sessions. This is the first time these recordings have been officially released, following an attempt in 2014 that didn’t make it past the test pressing phase. Grab it on a fuckload of color variants right here.
Frank Turner’s old hardcore band Million Dead is getting back in the saddle for their first shows in 20 years, and what’s more hardcore than $30+ records? In other words, the band’s 2003 debut A Song To Ruin is being released on vinyl for the first time and 2005’s Harmony No Harmony is back in print for the first time in a decade. You can get both records for prices in excess of $30 here. Also Xtra Mile Recordings has an exclusive blue variant of Harmony No Harmony that clears $40. Holy shmolies!
Well, that’s all, folks. Another Record Radar in the books. As always, thank you for tuning in. If there’s anything we missed (highly likely), or if you want to let everyone know about a new/upcoming vinyl release you’re excited about, leave us a comment below, or send us a message on Facebook or Instagram, and we’ll look into it. Enjoy your weekend, and don’t blow too much money on spinny discs (or do, I’m not your father). See ya next week!
Wanna catch up on all of our Record Radar posts? Click here and you’ll be taken to a page with all the past entries in the column. Magic!
Las Vegas punks Mercy Music are releasing a brand new split 7″ with international punk collective Danger Days tomorrow on Double Helix Records. Aaaaand they’re also exclusively premiering the music video for their new track “Big Fucking Mess” today on Dying Scene! Check that fuckin’ shit out below and grab the 7″ on five (5!) […]
Las Vegas punks Mercy Music are releasing a brand new split 7″ with international punk collective Danger Days tomorrow on Double Helix Records. Aaaaand they’re also exclusively premiering the music video for their new track “Big Fucking Mess” today on Dying Scene!
Check that fuckin’ shit out below and grab the 7″ on five (5!) color variants right here. It’s available from Double Helix here in the states, and from Disconnect Disconnect in the UK, and Pee Records in Australia. Fawk yeah
This premiere is brought to you in part by Punk Rock Radar. If you’d like your band’s music video, song, album or whatever to be premiered by Dying Scene and Punk Rock Radar, go here and follow these instructions. You’ll be on your way to previously unimagined levels of fame and fortune in no time!
With The Bombpops 7/12 – Venice, CA @ Venice West 7/13 – Anaheim, CA @ Chain Reaction 7/15 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar 7/16 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar 7/17 – Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad 7/18 – Colorado Springs, CO @ Vultures 7/19 – Denver, CO @ Punk In The Park Festival
With Agent Orange 7/26 – Las Vegas, NV @ Swan Dive
With Homegrown and Cigar 8/14 – Mesa, AZ @ The Nile 8/15 – Ventura, CA @ Ventura Music Hall 8/16 – Oakland, CA @ Crybaby
Freshly signed to Punkerton Records, New Jersey ska-punk trio Joker’s Republic are gearing up for the release of a brand new record and we’re stoked to bring you the exclusive premiere of the leadoff single “Panic! Panic! Panic!”. Check that shit out below! Joker’s Republic’s new album The Hand You’ve Been Dealt was produced by […]
Freshly signed to Punkerton Records, New Jersey ska-punk trio Joker’s Republic are gearing up for the release of a brand new record and we’re stoked to bring you the exclusive premiere of the leadoff single “Panic! Panic! Panic!”. Check that shit out below!
Joker’s Republic’s new album The Hand You’ve Been Dealt was produced by Roger Lima of Less Than Jake and and mixed/mastered by Grammy-nominated engineer Eric Taft. Due out this fall on Punkerton Records, the album features 12 anthemic tracks that balance heavy themes—politics, identity, grief—with an irrepressible catchiness and a dose of the band’s signature humor.
In other news, the band’s got a bunch of shows coming up, including an east coast run with PWRUP and Mega Infinity! Peep the dates below to see if they’re hitting a town near you.
This premiere is brought to you in part by Punk Rock Radar. If you’d like your band’s music video, song, album or whatever to be premiered by Dying Scene and Punk Rock Radar, go here and follow these instructions. You’ll be on your way to previously unimagined levels of fame and fortune in no time!
UPCOMING TOUR DATES 7/13 – Arlene’s Grocery – New York, NY 8/14 – Bookclub – Chicago, IL (Supporting Space Monkey Mafia) 8/15 – High Noon Saloon – Madison, WI (Supporting Space Monkey Mafia) 8/16-8/17 – Green Room – Minneapolis, MN (SPI Fest 2025) 9/12 – Starland Ballroom – Sayreville, NJ (Supporting Save Ferris)
Fall Tour with PWRUP + Mega Infinity(* = no PWRUP) 10/18 – Scottish Dave’s – Clinton, CT * 10/19 – The Woodshop – Brooklyn, NY 10/20 – The Nail – Ardmore, PA 10/21 – Morseberger’s – Catonsville, MD 10/22 – Milestone – Charlotte, NC 10/23 – Bogg’s – Atlanta, GA 10/25–26 – Gainesville, FL – The FEST
2025 marks the 25th trip around the sun for New York pop-punk veterans Goin’ Places, and what better way to celebrate than with a brand new record? The band’s new LP Imperfect is due out this fall on the almighty Mom’s Basement Records! We’re stoked to be exclusively premiering the brand new single “Never Again”; […]
2025 marks the 25th trip around the sun for New York pop-punk veterans Goin’ Places, and what better way to celebrate than with a brand new record? The band’s new LP Imperfect is due out this fall on the almighty Mom’s Basement Records! We’re stoked to be exclusively premiering the brand new single “Never Again”; check that shit out below 👇
Stay tuned for more to come in what’s sure to be a big year for Goin’ Places! Follow the band on their socials, keep an eye on the Mom’s Basement webstore for record pre-orders, and all that good shit. Also! Catch the band live at Brooklyn’s Lucky 13 Saloon on July 19th. A little birdie tells me they’ll be playing a bunch of songs from the new record 😉
I’ve lived in or close to Orange County, CA most of my life, not counting my Kerouac summer. I was introduced to punk rock in junior high when a kid passed me a tape with a few songs off a compilation called, Old School Punk (side note: I would later find out the songs were […]
I’ve lived in or close to Orange County, CA most of my life, not counting my Kerouac summer. I was introduced to punk rock in junior high when a kid passed me a tape with a few songs off a compilation called, Old School Punk (side note: I would later find out the songs were selected by Warren Fitzgerald of the Vandals). While the tape had songs from bands like X and the Suicidal Tendencies, what stuck out to me were the bands I would later find out were formed literally down the street from me.
Bands like the Adolescents, Agent Orange, Middle Class, and DI. While my friendship with the person who gave me the tape would sour, my love for punk rock grew immensely. Sometimes blending some of its sound with music of the surf cities within its county lines, its sound stuck with me when I tried to venture into my own songwriting. While I was taught a healthy respect for the classic punk rock bands of the region, I was also discovering bands like The Offspring and Sublime who, while not from Orange County, are covered in this book. This is a long-winded way of saying how important Nate Jackson and Daniel Kohn’s book, Tearing Down the Orange Curtain: How Punk Rock Brought Orange County to the World, is to me.
Starting with a foreword by Mike Ness, the book starts at the Cuckoo’s Nest in Costa Mesa. Made famous in the Vandals’ songs “Pat Brown” and “Urban Struggle”, the book tells the story of the club’s rise and fall, along with some of the pillars of the scene. Cuckoo’s Nest owner Jerry Roach tells stories along with people like photographer Ed Colver and members of bands such as T.S.O.L.’s Jack Grisham. The narrative jumps around a bit, but it’s the only way to tell the story, as there were lots of things happening at the same time. It really shows the evolution of the scene from its roots.
From there, North Orange County is put into the spotlight. We learn about the formation of the bands around Fullerton, including the Adolescents, Social Distortion, and even some of the smaller bands, like the Detours, Naughty Women, and the Gears. A lot of time is spent on the Agnew brothers, who seemed to have a hand in most aspects of the scene. With a sprawling scene in such a small area, it was sometimes hard to figure out where they were going with a topic, but once they got there, it was super satisfying.
We get some stories from some of the newer bands that emerged, like the Offspring, No Doubt, Save Ferris, and Sublime. While it may seem weird to include Sublime, their story is tangled up in Orange County more than one would think. We also get histories on some of the promoters that emerged and helped push the genre, specifically Gary Tovar of Goldenvoice and Kevin Lyman’s Warped Tour. Unsurprisingly, the one lynchpin, whose story very much mirrors the ups and downs of the scene, is Mike Ness.
This book isn’t just a special thing for people in the Southern California area. It’s a great document of a scene that made its voice heard with its unique approach to punk rock. Other books have been written about other scenes throughout the years, but this one felt special. This is the book teenage me would have loved to have, but these histories were playing out. Jackson and Kohn definitely did the legwork to give the scene its due. Pick up Tearing Down the Orange Curtain: How Punk Rock Brought Orange County to the World, here.
This past weekend, Calgary had the pleasure of hosting one of only two solo performances by the iconic Greg Attonito, the frontman of the Bouncing Souls. This acoustic show was held at Modern Love, setting the stage for an early but enjoyable Friday night. Kicking things off was Joe Vickers, who captivated the crowd with […]
This past weekend, Calgary had the pleasure of hosting one of only two solo performances by the iconic Greg Attonito, the frontman of the Bouncing Souls. This acoustic show was held at Modern Love, setting the stage for an early but enjoyable Friday night.
Kicking things off was Joe Vickers, who captivated the crowd with his harmonica and guitar, sharing a slice of true Canadian folk. Hailing from Drumheller in the Alberta badlands, he sang heartfelt songs about prairie life that resonated with all of us in attendance. The audience loved his set, especially when he treated us to a cover of a Weakerthans song before taking his leave.
Next in line was Garrett Dale, the former frontman of Red City Radio, now performing solo after relocating to Alberta. Sporting a cowboy hat, he stepped onto the stage and immediately hooked the crowd with his deep, raspy voice. His blend of original songs and humorous anecdotes kept everyone entertained. He kept it light while introducing a few covers from George Strait to Rancid, and even included some Warren Zevon. It was an impressive performance, and the audience appreciated every moment.
At a modest eight o’clock, Greg Attonito took the stage, seated with a smile and his acoustic guitar in hand. The night was filled with a stellar mix of music, featuring several Bouncing Souls classics alongside tracks from his solo career, as well as a few covers and engaging stories from his experiences on the road and in the studio. For fans of the Bouncing Souls, this intimate acoustic show was everything we hoped for. Listening to Greg share tales from the band’s early days and his own was a unique experience. While the venue may not have been sold out, it was packed with devoted fans, singing along to every song and even nailing those high notes. It was an unforgettable night, and we’re already looking forward to Greg’s return so we can do it again!
