Before and After (90’s bands in 2011)

Before (Wednesday August 24, 2011)

It is the day before Blink 182, Rancid, and Against Me play the MTS Centre.

I was excited when I first heard about this show, but now I think paying for this ticket may have been a mistake.

After (Friday August 26, 2011)

Thanks to Winnipeg Transit, and there routes that occasionally stop only a quarter of the way to your destination I missed Against Me entirely, and then thanks to not enough seats being sold my ticket was changed so I had to stand in line and missed the first part of the first song Rancid played.

It was all worth it though as Rancid kicked the crowd’s ass with all the hits, and maybe the best selection of old and new deep tracks I have ever witnessed. Old and new stuff. It is too bad that the crowd was weak, and even prompted the band to switch from Salvation to Bloodclot.

This set blew my mind with tunes like, well three quarters of …And Out Come The Wolves, and tracks so deep Ron Jeremy would have trouble getting to them. I’m talkin St. Mary, Otherside, It’s Quite All Right, and Outta My Mind just to name a few.

Rancid is one of the best punk bands ever to be sure, and they prove that you can fuck up for a long time, and still make it if you dedicated. At least in Lars’ case.

Blink on the other hand was exactly the disappointment I thought they would be. Although they started strong, I think they had some residual Rancid greatness giving me rose coloured glasses, because after about fifteen minutes I had had more than enough of the Blink 182 Trio. I was about ready to go when First Date or whatever it is called came on - I was out of there before a song about getting grounded came on.

But really Rancid stole the show, and is clearly still worth going to see every time they come to town.

I may have made my best pick up at War On Music last week.

War On Music is always getting new vinyl and on the last order in came the Gorilla Biscuts self titled debute album. I have been looking for it for years and finally Charley Justice answered my prayers.

Man, this album is awesome. If you are familiar with Start Today you know that this is some of the best hardcore punk you can find, and like a lot of hardcore it is positive, and straight edge. If you can deal with the straight edge thing then I highly recommend both albums.

Gorilla Biscuts is similar to Sick Of It All which is not too surprising becuase they were both dominating the NYC hardcore scene in the late eighties.



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Cassettes, Yes I Still Listen To Cassettes

A friend of mine looked at my new Buck O Nine and Dag Nasty albums and scoffed at first sight.

“I hope you didn’t pay two ninety-nine on those tapes.”

Yeah I did, and what of it? I am getting sick of people turning their noses up at good music just because of the form that album may be found. I would rather have a cassette version on Falling Sickness, which I got at War On Music, than have never heard it before. Plus, the van I drive still has a cassette deck, so I should get a new stereo, but these tape finds have made it acceptable to rock out in a 97 Plymouth Voyager.

You wouldn’t believe the pick ups I have made in the last couple months, so here is a quick list so you know what can be found at War On Music.

GWAR - Hell-O, This Toilet Earth
THE CRAMPS - Look Mom No Head, Stay Sick
FALLING SICKNESS - Right On Time
SKANKIN PICKLE - Skankin Pickle Fever, Live
LESS THEN JAKE - Demo
MISFITS - All Hell Breaks Loose
DAG NASTY - Rock Out At Denkos
BUCK O NINE - Twenty Eight Teeth
MIGHTY MIGHTY BOSSTONES - Noise and other Disturbances
RUN DMC - Raising Hell

Now I admit that cassettes are not ideal in this at this juncture in time. I hate having to rewind, and the irritation of a finicky deck, or a tape that some how got wound to tight playing in slow mo. But these are not your regular cassettes. I don’t know where Charley is getting these from as more come in every week. They are all rare, and all in great shape, save for a few roughed up cases, but those are cheaper, so I always go for the damage case.

Last I got to let everyone know that the tapes are not the usual crap you find at other stores that have a weak collection of hundreds of allbums no one would want in any format. At any time there are about 50 cassettes at War On Music and they are all rare, quality albums that are mainly metal, punk and a litlle rap. It is worth a look. I have been shocked how excited I have been for tapes after passing up on them until the new location opened.

93 Albert Street

@waronmusic

Milo Goes Classic

The Descendents are one of my favourite bands, but for the longest time I didn’t have I Don’t Want To Grow Up. I made sure to remedy that about two months ago on a special order from the crew at War On Music, and now it is a go to listen whenever I need something to really kick some ass.

This got me to thinking if it possible that I Don’t Want To Grow Up is better than Milo Goes To College?
After a quick couple listens with my boy Dylan at work we collectively decided that Milo Goes To College and I Don’t Want Grow Up are very close to equally rockin’, the classic Descendents tunes come mostly from Milo Goes To College which gives it the edge as the greatest Descendents album, and arguably punk album of all time.

My favourites are Hope, Suburban Home, Jean Is Dead,, Kabuki Girl,

That said I hate the song Parents. It is on of those that the lyrics are so age specific it is kinda a drag to listen to a song that is really not written that well.

I Don’t Want To Grow Up has it’s share of great tunes too. I suggest listening to GCF, Ace, Descendents, Good Good Things, and one of my all time favoutire songs: Pervert.

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