Don’t seem to matter anymore
Everything’s already been done
And we don’t know what we want
– Screeching Weasel, “Teenage Freakshow” (1991)
 |
| T.S.O.L. |
The ‘60s generation had the Beatles, Bob Dylan, and the Byrds; the ‘70s generation had punk and new wave; and in the ‘80s and ‘90s, my friends and I had Bad Brains, Fugazi, Bad Religion, and Screeching Weasel. You were never going to hear these American hardcore/punk bands on the radio or see them on MTV, but they had millions of followers around the world. Since there was no Internet then, it really was like a secret society passing along this “underground music” from town to town by mix tape and word of mouth. By the time Green Day hit it big in the mid-‘90s and became worldwide superstars, my friends and I were already beginning to pack it in, call it a day, and get jobs.
 |
| Rites of Spring |
For me part of the fun of going to punk/hardcore shows back in the day was recognizing the band members from their album photos (they always looked shorter in person) and even talking with them before and after the show. While the music and lyrics were great- and in many cases life changing- the sounds as well as the messages these artists were peddling (“The changes that alter us are a product of our own volition”; “You are not what you own!”) were just not going to make it onto the radio or MTV; so, these bands and their friends and followers organized and produced it all themselves into a community that came to be know simply as “the scene”. Here are some of my hardcore/punk favorites. Enjoy!
 |
| Fugazi |
01. Screeching Weasel – “I Wrote Holden Caufield” (1994)
02. Bad Religion – “No Control” (1989)
03. Screeching Weasel – “Teenage Freakshow” (1991)
04. Bad Brains – “How Low Can a Punk Get” (1983)
05. Fugazi – “Bad Mouth” (1988)
06. Screeching Weasel – “Veronica Hates Me” (1991)
07. Sick of It All – “My Life” (1989)
08. Screeching Weasel – “99” (1994)
09. Descendents – “Hope” (1983)
10. Fugazi – “Suggestion” (1988)
11. Descendents – “Coolidge” (1987)
12. Screeching Weasel – “Planet of the Apes” (1994)
13. Bad Brains – “Sailin’ On” (1983)
14. Screeching Weasel – “I Can See Clearly” (1991)
15. T.S.O.L. – “Wash Away” (1983)
16. Bad Religion – “I Want to Conquer the World” (1989)
17. Rites of Spring – “Hidden Wheel” (1987)
18. Screeching Weasel – “What We Hate” (1991)
19. Rites of Spring – “For Want Of” (1985)
20. Screeching Weasel – “You’ll Be in My Dreams Today” (1996)
21. Fugazi – “Margin Walker” (1989)
22. Descendents – “’Merican” (2004)
23. Fugazi – “Merchandise” (1990)
24. Fugazi – “Great Cop” (1993)
 |
| Ramones cover album I purchased at a SW show in 1993 |
Listen to the playlist on Spotify...
Recommended Links:
No comments:
Post a Comment