Merry Christmas everyone! Hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season.
ENJOY THE PUNK ROCK!
AMYL & THE SNIFFERS ‘U SHOULD NOT BE DOING THAT’
A departure from their more chaotic punk roots, “U Should Not Be Doing That” has a modern pub-rock groove pulling influences from The Rolling Stones or AC/DC. The riff has an energetic strut, compared to their faster thrash-punk songs. Singer Amy Taylor explained that the song makes fun of the shock that people express when a woman in the punk scene engages in normal activities, like grocery shopping or working out, that don’t fit a “rebellious” stereotype at all times.
DRUNK MUMS ‘NEW AUSTRALIA’
The lead single from their triumphant return from a four-year hiatus without new music, “New Australia” is a quintessential example of classic Aussie pub rock, often characterized by high energy, raw vocals, and jagged guitar riffs that are punchy and direct. The song is a satirical look at the current state of Australian culture and the cost of living crisis, and was praised by fans for keeping the torch of “dolewave” (distinctively Australian rock and roll) burning.
LAGWAGON ‘E DAGGER’
Unlike the fast-paced “skate punk” tempo found on most Lagwagon tracks, “E Dagger” is more akin to a melodic rock song, and a longtime fan favourite. Despite it not being a high-speed thrasher, it is frequently cited by fans as one of the best-written songs on the album due to its maturity and relatable lyrics about growing old in a youth-oriented subculuture. The “E” referenced in the title is believed to be Erin Burkett, the ex-wife of NOFX frontman Fat Mike, and co-founder of Fat Wreck Chords, the band’s label. This song foreshadows the sonic and lyrical direction the singer Joey Cape would take with his solo project Bad Astronaut, which often dealt with deeper and more introspective subject matter.
RAMONES ‘I DON’T WANNA GO DOWN TO THE BASEMENT’
Clocking in at 2:35, it is actually the longest song on the Ramones‘ entire debut album. While the band is infamous for its 1-2-3-4 three-chord speed, “Basement” stands out on the album as being slightly more complex. The song’s lyrics play on a common childhood fear, the ‘scary basement’ trope; singer Dee Dee Ramone had a primal fascination with horror movies, scary comic books, and dark B-movie imagery. Despite the song being about a literal basement, fans have speculated on alternate meanings, such as a metaphor for depression, heroin addiction, the subways and dive bars of New York City.
SOFT PLAY ‘PUNK’S DEAD’
The lead single from their breakout 2024 album Heavy Jelly, this song was a crucial release for the band as it directly addressed the controversy and backlash surrounding the band’s name change from Slaves to Soft Play. The original band name carried historical baggage that didn’t represent who they were as people or have any correlation to their music, “Punk’s Dead” is a satirical response to the band’s internet haters and critics who disliked the name change. The song also features a spoken word interlude by pop superstar Robbie Williams; having a mainstream pop star appear on a punk track about not being “punk enough” was a deliberate move to troll them.
NOFX ‘BOTTLES TO THE GROUND’
Widely considered one of the band’s classic tracks from their ‘2000’s era, “Bottles to the Ground“‘s subject matter is purely about hedonism and the destructive joy of being young punks on the road. It was featured in countless skate videos and compilations, cementing its status within the stake punk subculture.
NOFX ‘FRANCO UN-AMERICAN’
‘Franco’ is a political awakening anthem. It documents frontman Fat Mike‘s transition from an apathetic, drug abusing punk rocker into a politically engaged citizen. The title is a play on the food brand “Franco American” (known for Spaghetti-O’s) and the term ‘un-American’ which was frequently used by conservatives to describe anyone opposed to the Iraq War. At the time, France was opposed to the USA’s invasion (e.g. Freedom Fries) which led to a wave of anti-French sentiment in the USA. By calling himself “Franco Un-American,” Fat Mike was aligning himself with a European perspective against US foreign policies.
NOFX ‘LEAVING JESUSLAND’
A direct follow-up to “Franco Un-American“, the song is a critique of conservative, religious, so-called “Red States” and describes a desire to escape the intolerance, homophobia and religious fundamentalism that the band perceived in middle America. The title references a viral meme from 2004 that circulated after the second election win of George W. Bush , which jokingly renamed the middle of the USA as “Jesusland” and the coasts (plus Canada) as “The United States of Canada.” The song is an open call for cultural outcasts living in conservative areas to move to California where they will be accepted.
NOFX ‘DAD’S BAD NEWS’
A semi-autobiographical reflection on family, aging, and mortality told through the lens of Fat Mike‘s turbulent relationship with his father, who passed away around the time of this song’s recording. Considered to be one of NOFX‘s most ‘grown-up’ songs, heartfelt and touching without losing the band’s plainspoken accessibility.
NOFX ‘MONOSYLLABIC GIRL’
‘Monosyllabic’ is very self-aware; on the surface its about a guy infatuated with a girl who is no conversationalist. On another level, it pokes fun at communication breakdowns and superficial relationships. It’s also a sly parody of punk rock love songs, replacing cliche with realism. It’s quite rare that the band would choose not to perform this song at any of their concerts.
See you soon with more music for the C3 Customs Holiday Bash!
-MrPrezident
