Tag: "Punk on the Rocks"

This week’s post is bittersweet. Not only will I be writing about how my favorite member left one of my favorite bands, but this post will be the last installment of Punk On The Rocks. In a way, this is very fitting. My first real foray into blogging was a MySpace post about why I should have Scott Klopfenstein’s children (Yes, really). Scott was always my favorite member of Reel Big Fish. I can’t say for certain whether it was his sense of humor, his voice, his glasses and shaggy hair or his way with a horn, but for some reason he was the band member I felt connected with. Now that he has had an actual child (Not with me, sadly) and with Reel Big Fish is celebrating twenty years as a band, he has decided that it is time to leave behind the life of a touring musician. As a way to say thank you to him for his many years of service in the two-tone army, I have written the following tribute: The Top 5 Reasons I’ll Miss Scott Klopfenstein.

So long Scott, and thanks for all the Reel Big Fish

5. The Dashing Good Looks – Give me a man with glasses, boyish good looks and a trumpet and watch me melt like a stick of butter in a microwave.

4. The Sense Of Humor -  Scott and RBF frontman Aaron Barrett are the ska equivalent of Blink 182′s Mark Hoppus and Tom DeLonge. Their stage banter isn’t just filler, it is part of why you came to see the show in the first place. Scott even manages to steal the show with his hilarious commentary track on Reel Big Fish’s 2003 live DVD Reel Big Fish Live At The House Of Blues – The Show Must Go Off!

3. The Harmonies -  As someone who has played in a few bands, I know how hard it is to find a person whose voice meshes perfectly with yours when you sing in harmony. Scott’s voice is a perfect foil to Aaron’s, and for me at least, their tight vocal harmonies largely define what I consider to be the Reel Big Fish sound. Sure, they’ll find someone else to sing Scott’s parts— but it just won’t be the same.

2.  “Scott’s A Dork” -Classic Reel Big Fish track “Scott’s A Dork” just won’t be the same with out Scott singing along about how he’s a dork. Will they even PLAY “Scott’s A Dork” without Scott? Will I never get to hear ” Dork Dork Dork Dork Dork Dork Dork Dork Dork” again? Oh, the humanity!

1. The Lead Vocals – While Scott sang mostly backup vocals, the few instances where he would sing lead were always highlights for me. Knowing that I’ll never hear him belt “Drunk Again” live is the number one reason that I will miss Scott Klopfenstein.

What do you think about Scott Klopfenstein leaving Reel Big Fish? Let us know in the comments section!

I hope that you all enjoyed reading Punk On the Rocks as much as I enjoyed writing it. Keep your music fast and loud—Gabba Gabba Hey!

With winter winding down and springtime waiting in the wings, it’s almost time for bears and touring bands to come out of hibernation and begin roaming around the countryside.  Check out the bands below to find out which awesome bands will be coming through your town. No matter where you live, something cool will be going down in your neck of the woods this spring. Let’s just hope it involves more bands than bears.

Dropkick Murphys will be making every day St. Patty’s Day on the east coast and in the Midwest this spring. Their tour starts February 23rd in Niagara Falls and winds up with their annual St. Patrick’s Week shows in Massachusetts. Against Me! will be joining them on most of the dates on this jaunt. However, The Dropkicks aren’t the only Irishmen to be hitting these areas in March. Legendary Celtic punks The Pogues will be running a similar route in the first half of March with Titus Andronicus in tow.

Skankin' To The Beat: Ska Is Dead

Bands casting a slightly wider net this spring include OurStage-ers A Day To Remember. The band will be co-headlining a country-wide tour (with a few stops in Canada) with Bring Me The Horizon along with supporting acts We Came As Romans and Pierce The Veil. The tour kicks off March 10th in Philadelphia. Rise Against will also be spending their spring on America’s highways and byways, starting off a five week tour with Bad Religion and Four Year Strong on April 5th in Las Vegas.

For those of you who like your music a little more on the ska side, the organizers of the Ska Is Dead tour have put together a “Young Guns” tour, highlighting some of the up-and-coming bands in the genre like We Are The Union, The Forthrights, Brunt of It and more. The tour runs from April 13th to May 1st.

Last but not least, our friends across the ocean—Australia—will be visited by Unwritten Law in March, Streetlight Manifesto in April and Against Me!, who will be making good on the Australian shows they had to cancel back in October, in May. Europe will be graced with the presence of The Queers, still hard at work promoting 2010′s Back To The Basement,  for the first half of March. Dropkick Murphys will be hitting the European festival circuit starting in April.

What tours are YOU looking forward to this spring? Let us know in the comments!

Tomorrow, the surviving members of The Ramones will receive a special Lifetime Achievement GRAMMY award from The Recording Academy at a special event before the 53rd annual GRAMMY Awards on Sunday night.While they are not this years only recipients of this honor (Dolly Parton and Julie Andrews are also being honored, among others), they are the only recipients this year who have never won a GRAMMY award. To honor this belated but deserved recognition of one of America’s greatest bands, I have decided to compile a list of the Top 10 Ramones Songs. But what does “Top 10″ mean? Are these MY favorite songs? Are they the best selling songs? For the purposes of this post, I decided that “Top 10″ would indicate the ten songs that best represent the incomparable punk rock pop culture weirdness that is The Ramones. If your best friend asked you the question “Who are The Ramones?,” these are the ten songs you would put on a mixtape for them. Now that we are all on the same page….on with the countdown!

One of us: The Ramones

10. Spiderman - Cover songs are a big part of the Ramones’ repertoire. From “Let’s Dance,” to “Surfin’ Bird” to their psychedelic ’60s and ’70s cover album Acid Eaters. My personal favorite is their cover of the “Spiderman” cartoon theme song from the 1995 compilation CD Saturday Morning Cartoons’ Greatest Hits.

9. Chain Saw – Horror movies and cult films played a big part in inspiring The Ramones. This song makes reference to the 1974 horror classic The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. “Chain Saw” also contains one of the most mind-boggling rhyme schemes ever put to music by rhyming “massacre” with “me.” Although I have no proof to support this theory, I like to think that this was the inspiration for R Kelly to rhyme “Beretta” with “dresser.

8. Today Your Love, Tomorrow The World - Fascism and war were popular lyrical themes with early punk bands, and The Ramones were no exception. While there has been a lot of speculation as to whether Johnny and Dee Dee’s facination with Nazi Germany was shock value or something a little more sinister, having goofy, New York Jew Joey Ramone singing comically about how he’s “A Nazi, schatze” is definitely a kiss off to the anti-Semites of the world.

7. Here Today, Gone Tomorrow – Sad and almost somber, this tearjerker of a song is the opposite of lighthearted and cutesy fare like “She’s The One.” Despite what some may think, “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow” is proof that The Ramones are no one trick pony.

6. Questioningly - Written largely by Dee Dee, “Questioningly” is a touching and heartfelt song about running into an ex-lover. This sort of quiet introspection is unexpected in the middle of a Ramones album, but the element of surprise just adds to the song’s impact. In both music and lyrics, there is no other Ramones song quite like it.

5. The KKK Took My Baby Away – Allegedly written by Joey after Johnny stole his girlfriend, this track is full of the offbeat imagery and killer hooks that the Ramones are known for.

4. Pinhead - The song that gave the world “Gabba Gabba Hey!,” The Ramones’ second most famous lyric!

3. I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend – The Ramones are more than just cretins and pinheads. I have already explained my feelings on this song in last year’s “Punk Rock Love” post, but I think it bears repeating that “Shall I compare thee to a summers day?” has nothing on the simple romance of “Hey little girl / I wanna be your boyfriend.” Cretins, after all, need love, too.

2. I Wanna Be Sedated – Minimal chords, simple lyrics and a whole lot of power. This song is instantly recognizable as a Ramones composition.

1. Blitzkrieg Bop - “Hey, Ho – Let’s Go!” Even people who have never heard of the Ramones know this song. “Blitzkrieg Bop” isn’t just the song that has come to define The Ramones, it is the song that, for many music lovers, has come to define punk rock.

What are YOUR favorite Ramones songs? Let us know in the comments!

Their OurStage Punk chart-topping song may be called “Loosers,” but The Gods Of Macho are anything but. They’ve rocked the legendary Viper Room in West Hollywood, have a debut self-titled album available for sale in record stores all up and down the west coast and have licensed their songs to shows like TBS’s Glory Daze and ABC Family’s Make It Or Break It.

Taking a page from the book of The Ramones, the band’s member have all adopted the surname “Macho”: Gary Macho, Roscoe Macho, Camero Macho and Egg McMacho.

Fashions by Andrew W.K. : The Gods Of Macho

While they make take their naming cues from The Ramones, their sound is more Bouncing Souls than “Biltzkrieg Bop”. The band describes their sound on their MySpace page as “…1 part nasty rock and roll, 2 parts punk, and one part Burt Reynolds.” While I can’t be sure exactly how much Burt Reynolds was involved in its creation,”Loosers” contains enough hooks, “woah-ohs” and shout-a-long slogans and profanity to guarantee enthusiastic audience participation. With a refrain of “We may be losers / But we’re marching on,” it is impossible not to sing-a-long. Check out “Loosers” in the player below and see for yourself!

Me First and The Gimme Gimmes may be a one trick pony, but wow, what a trick. The Go Down Under EP continues the fine Me First tradition of making fans love songs they used to hate and see songs that they love in a whole new light.

In keeping with the recent music trend of Australasia-themed music and puns (See Amanda Palmer‘s “Map of Tasmania“), Me First recorded this EP for release during their Australian tour. In honor of their Aussie friends, Go Down Under is an EP full of covers of songs made famous by Australian artists like INXS, Rick Springfield and more.

Tie Me Kangaroo Down : Me First and The Gimme Gimmes

Me First’s considerable cover song skill is on full display on Go Down Under. Any band that can make Air Supply’s sappy snooze-fest “All Out Of Love” sound like it was written by the Ramones is aces in my book. All of the EP’s six covers are good, but the real stand out track, in my opinion, is the band’s take on Olivia Newton John‘s “Have You Never Been Mellow.” This is probably the most aggro Australia’s girl next store has ever sounded, and that’s a good thing.

While some fans questioned the band’s choice of songs (“Seriously, so many great Australian artists and they pick Air Supply,” quipped one Punknews.org user in the comments section of a post about the EP), Go Down Under is yet another solid addition to the Me First canon.

Currently available only at their Australian dates, Go Down Under will be available to the rest of the world on February 1, 2011 on Fat Wreck Chords.

To say that Ajax, Ontario’s The Johnstones are a punk band would be misleading. There is a definite punk flavor to their sound. Their attitude is definitely punk— If getting banned from Disney World for life isn’t punk enough for you, then I don’t know what is. But The Johnstones are more than just punk. They combine a punk sound with garage rock, hip hop and ska to create songs that are just begging to soundtrack your next party.

Smile For The Camera : The Johnstones

“Gimme Your Love (Or Gimme Some Money)” from the band’s 2009 Stomp/Union Label Group release Can’t Be Trusted is a great example of The Johnstones’ sound. The song starts out with an urban-pop Outkast-style beat during the call and response type verses, then blasts into a The Strokes-meets-The Sex Pistols whirlwind of garage guitar and high-energy vocals.

Check out “Gimme Your Love (Or Gimme Some Money)” in the player below. What do you think of The Johnstones? Let us know in the comments!

In the past week or so, the punk media has seen the wide circulation of a very interesting story : Patricia Day, lead singer and bassist of Danish psychobilly outfit HorrorPops has filed a lawsuit against Mattel, Hard Rock Cafe International, Wonderama Toys and Rainbow’s End collectibles. What sparked Day’s ire? Hard Rock Cafe Barbie. Day is alleging that the companys listed created the doll, released last Spring by Mattel, in her image without her permission or any compensation. The folks over at DyingScene.com were nice enough to put Barbie and Day side by side to let the public make their own decision.

Seeing double?

Does she have a case? Honestly, at first glance I thought ‘Hard Rock Barbie’ was an Amy Winehouse doll. Day’s style elements are definitely present— retro pin-up hair, slim pencil skirts, tattoo sleeves— but plenty of ladies rock similar rockabilly looks. The Barbie bass, however, is a different story. While enough people share Day’s fashion sense to make a case against Mattel based solely on Hard Rock Barbie’s similar look a long shot, I can’t think of any other musician, male or female, who plays a double bass covered in tattoo flash. Not only does Hard Rock Barbie’s bass use the same icons as Day’s, but the placement is even the same—a blue bird in the top left, a heart in the bottom right, and a pink star in the bottom left adorn both Barbie’s and Day’s instruments. Put the look and the bass together, and I think Patricia has every right to be pissed off.

What to you think? HorrorPops rip-off or totally original? Let us know in the comments!

With the end of 2010 fast approaching, we are entering into one of the most hectic times of the year. No, I don’t mean holiday shopping season—I’m talking about the annual barrage of year-end “Best of” lists. While I’ll be the first to admit that the media can go more than a little list crazy this time of year, that doesn’t mean that I don’t want to throw in my own two cents about the year in music.

Below is the Punk on the Rocks Top 8 of 2010: The four best punk albums by national acts and the four best songs released in 2010 by OurStage punk artists. Let the listing begin!

National Artists

We Are The Union - Great Leaps Forward: Boy oh boy, do I love this record. Great Leaps Forward has We Are The Union single-handedly making ska punk into an exciting and unpredictable genre of music again. Not only that, but this album also rekindled my love of modern ska music. If you’ve ever been a fan of ska-punk music, you owe it to yourself to check this record out.

Matt Skiba – Demos: Demos had all of the lyrical prowess and raw intensity that I want from Alkaline Trio’s This Addiction but didn’t get. Hopefully, Skiba follows through with his plan to release an actual solo album and flesh out some of these great tracks.

Ted Leo and The Pharmacists - Brutalist Bricks: I pegged this as a record to watch for 2010 and I’m glad I did. Easily my favorite Ted Leo and the Pharmacists album since 2004′s Shake The Sheets. Not only is Bricks a great album without a clunker in the bunch, but the songs translate extremely well to a live setting. Another reason to love Brutalist Bricks—It produced the hilarious video for “Bottled In Cork.”

The Thermals – Personal Life: I have yet to hear a Thermals album that I didn’t like, and Personal Life is no exception. That their songs continue to be universal without being trite or formulaic is no small feat. Personal Life is another record that delivers quality not only on the stereo, but on the stage as well.

OurStage Artists

The Resignators – “See You In Hell”: This Australian Ska-Punk-Reggae band makes their second appearance on my year-end list with this boot-stomper of a song. The energy in “See You In Hell”‘s rhythmic chanting intro is completely contagious and would merit this song’s placement on this list even if the rest of the song was boring. I can say with assurance, however, that this is not the case.

It’s All Happening – “Weddings and Funerals”: Melodic punk in the vein of Jawbreaker or The Promise Ring, “Weddings and Funerals” is one of those great bittersweet growing-up songs that the genre does so well. The song is featured on the band’s 2010 album Home Sweet Home.

What Hands Are For – “We Love The Knife Light”: 2010 will be remembered as the year that I really started to enjoy hardcore and post-punk. What Hands Are For is one of the bands I have to thank for this new-found appreciation. “We Love The Knife Light” is explosive and passionate without sacrificing melody.

Fiction Reform – “Cancerous Gold”: My favorite song from Fiction Reform’s debut album Revelation In The Hands Of The Weak and one of my favorite songs to compete in the Punk Channel this year, “Cancerous Gold” shows off the best of singer Brenna Bishop’s gritty vocals.

Listen to my favorite OurStage punk tracks in the player below! What were your favorite punk songs and albums from 2010? Let us know in the comments!

OurStage fans are some of the biggest supporters of indie music around. Whether it’s through buying CDs and merch, going to concerts, judging your favorite artists in OurStage competitions or spreading the word about artists you love to your friends, it’s people like you who allow the indie artists we love to keep doing what they do best.  As a way of saying thank you, we’re offering free downloads from two awesome OurStage punk artists who have self-released stellar new music this year—LONGSHOT and The Roughneck Riot. Think of it as a special holiday bonus for everyone who made Punk Rock Santa’s “nice list” by supporting indie and DIY artists. Dig the songs? Follow the links below to show our featured bands some love or risk the wrath of Punk Rock Santa’s “naughty list.” By the third time through that Ke$ha album, you’ll be wishing he’d given you a lump of coal instead. DIY to the world!

LONGSHOT

LONGSHOT – These Boston punks have been busy traveling all over the northeast in support of their October 2010 release the Realignment EP. The guitar lines are intense but melodic, and the vocals manage to be in-your-face raw while still allowing the listener to understand the thought-provoking lyrics. The band manages to convey their positive message of sticking to your convictions and believing in yourself without sounding cheesy, preachy or like a parody of the genre. If you’re a fan of New England hardcore, be sure to check out LONGSHOT.

Download a free MP3 of  “Words To The Wise ft. Josh Herzer of Lions Lions” from the Realignment EP below!

Support the band by:

Downloading the Realignment EP for free HERE!

Purchasing a hard copy of the Realignment EP and LONGSHOT merch HERE!

Going out to a SHOW!

The Roughneck Riot

The Roughneck Riot – Warrington, UK Celtic folk-punkers The Roughneck Riot have come a long way since I first spoke with vocalist/mandolin player Matty Humphries in late 2009. They were excited about opening for one of their heroes—Shane MacGowan of The Pogues—and were in the beginning stages of recording their new album Night Train With The Reaper. Over a year later, Night Train With The Reaper has finally been completed, and it is well worth the wait. If these 10 songs don’t have you singing, stomping and clapping along on the first listen, check your pulse, ’cause you there a good chance you’re dead.

Download a free MP3 of “Travellin’ Man” from  Night Train With The Reaper below!

Support the band by:

Ordering a copy of Night Train With The Reaper and band merch HERE!

Going to a SHOW!