Best of 2008

It's late enough in the year where this is allowable so here we go.

Top 15 LPs of 2008

1. Chronic Seizure - Ancient Wound (Fashionable Idiots/No Way)
As if this is a surprise to anyone. Chronic Seizure know that simply slapping four chords and some shouting over a fast drumbeat for 35 seconds doesn't make a song. Some of these songs gestated for over two years before finally getting the vinyl treatment and it was well worth the wait. This is how hardcore is supposed to sound; if you can't get into this then you're probably an idiot, you love youth crew or chugga-chugga beatdown shit. You decide which is the worst.


2. Teenage Bottlerocket - Warning Device (Red Scare)
Anticipation is a double edged sword. TBR had been playing a decent chunk of these songs for almost two years before the record hit the streets and by the time I actually got it, it was safe to say that I knew fully half the songs. Luckily for them the energy of their live shows carries over to the album because it's stuffed to the brim with the same Ramones-Weaselcore pop punk that the world needs. These guys are getting huge and totally deserve it.


3. Off With Their Heads - From The Bottom (No Idea)
To put it lightly, I didn't have a very good summer. As my graduation from college and transition into the real world got closer I thought I had most stuff figured out. Then the bottom dropped out of pretty much all those plans; it wasn't a whole lot of fun. Listening to this record helped me a lot, because as cliche as it sounds, hearing someone else having the same problems or in quite a few case worse ones, it lifts you up. It also doesn't hurt one bit that Off With Their Heads finally reached their long hinted at potential with this LP. "I Am You" indeed.


4. Total Abuse - Total Abuse (Deranged)
This makes me want to stab myself in the leg every single time I listen to it, and that's a compliment. Total Abuse added in a healthy dose of noise and experimentation to their already roaring hardcore formula and came out a "total" winner. HA HA HA HA GET IT!?!?!? If they actually do break up then we're all fucked.


5. The Bronx - The Bronx (III) (White Drugs)
Finally free of their major label contract, The Bronx made hands down their best record so far. They managed to combine the manic energy and pure adrenaline rush of their first LP with the more measured songwriting skills of the second. Lyrically this thing is paranoid as fuck and Matt has never sounded better.


6. Invasion - La Caza (La Vida Es Un Mus)
Six songs just isn't fucking enough. Each time I throw it on I want more and end up listening another two or three times it seems. The most obvious thing that makes these guys stand out is the insane echo effect that makes the whole thing sound like the inside of a fever induced nightmare, but even without that they'd still make the list. This is some next level shit people.


7. Disfear - Live the Storm (Relapse)
Is "professional crust" an oxymoron? It might be but listeners can't argue with the results if they sound like this. Forget the At The Gates reunion, remember Disfear at Subterranean.


8. Annihilation Time - III: Tales of the Ancient Age (Tee Pee)
Thin Lizzy and 1983 era Black Flag. Denim jackets and empty cans of Schlitz. Dudes and punks. Hot summer days and Annihilation Time.


9. Terrible Twos - Terrible Twos (X!/Criminal IQ)
Imagine this scene if you will. The essence of the early New Bomb Turks walk into a bar and sees keyboard atmosphere of more recent Locust recordings hitting on his girlfriend. A scrum ensues but in the end the two reunite over a cold beer; they're both missing some teeth and a little bit uglier but they're friends now. That is the most accurate musical description I can give of this band. Not even joking.


10. World Burns to Death - the Graveyard of Utopia (Prank)
The most historically accurate band of all time? This LP has Jack Control ranting about the atrocities of Russia over some period that I can't remember. Recorded in Japan, it features guest guitarists from Japan's finest bands laying down solos on just about every song. Completely seriously the credits of the LP list who wrote the lyrics, the music, and who played on the solos. Holy fuck. I just wish it was more than eight songs.


11. Warcry - Not So Distant Future (Feral Ward)
Look at the cover art. Look at the name. Know that they share members with Tragedy, Remains The Day and Hellshock. Know that Todd Burdette sings. Know that they strip music down to its most d-beat essentials for eight raging songs. Come on.


12. Pennywise - Reason To Believe (Myspace)
The band who put out the first punk rock record I ever bought gives away for free their best album in ten years. Say what you will, I clearly don't give a fuck.


13. Sex Vid - Communal Living (Dom America)
This came super late in the game so who knows, maybe it would rank higher if I had more than a few scant weeks to listen to it. One of the most hyped and also mysterious bands of the last decade finally puts out a 12", but it's still barely over EP length. Annoying and great until the end I guess.


14. Triclops! - Out of Africa (Alternative Tentacles)
I seriously don't even feel qualified to write about this album. A mindfuck of an acid freakout that has vocal effects than render the guy sounding like a tortured baby layered on top of music that in one song managed to combine psychedelic freak outs, pressurized build ups, quiet breakdowns and blastbeats. If you aren't comfortable leaving your comfort zone then don't listen to Triclops!.


15. Drunkdriver - Born Pregnant (Parts Unknown)
Time will tell if this is a smart or stupid choice driven by temporary infatuation. I heard this band for the first time literally less than two weeks ago in a record store and immediately I knew I had to find out who/what it was. It sounded like the worst, most blown out YouTube video I could imagine with tortured screams heaped on top. I almost feel wrong for liking this as much as I do.

Honorable Mentions
Dustheads - Little Pieces (Don Giovanni). Pisschrist - Victims of Faith (Yellow Dog). Paint it Black - New Lexicon (Jade Tree). Protestant - The Hate The Hollow (Halo of Flies). Report Suspicious Activity - Destroy All Evidence (Alternative Tentacles). Socialcide - Unapproachable (Even Worse). Victims - Killer (Combat Rock/Havoc).

Top 7"s of 2008 (no particular order)

The Youths - Generationless (Regulator/S.H.O.)


Sex Vid - Nests (Dom America)


Needles - Twisted Vision (Lengua Armada)


Pinhead Gunpowder - West Side Highway (Recess)


Homostupids - Cat Music (Fashionable Idiots)


Double Negative - Raw Energy EP (Sorry State)


Deep Sleep - Manic Euphoria (Grave Mistake)


Daylight Robbery - Washtenaw (Residue)


Canadian Rifle/American Cheeseburger - split (Rock Bottom)


Aerosols - 3rd EP (Youth Attack)


The Agenda - Pessimism of the Mind, Optimism of the Will (Fashionable Idiots)

LP of 2008 That Pitchfork and I Actually Agree On

No Age - Nouns (Sub Pop)
And you know what, if it wasn't for the stupid fucking interludes it might have made the actual list instead of making me create a little category for it.

LP of 2008 That Should Have Come Out In 2005 And While Pretty Good, Is NOT The Second Coming Like Lots Of Annoying Idiots Think It Is

Dillinger Four - C I V I L W A R (Fat Wreck Chords)
This is directed at you, Punknews.org comment community.

Most Overtly Metal LP of 2008 That I Love In A Totally Non-Ironic Fashion

Lair of the Minotaur - War Metal Battle Master (Southern Lord)
Look at the cover art. Look at the album title. Investigate song titles like "Horde of Undead Vengeance," "When The Ice Giant Slayed All" and "Black Viper Barbarian Clan." Listen to the riffs. Fucking shred. Repeat.

Best Album of 2007 That I Didn't Get Until 2008

Pissed Jeans - Hope For Men (Sub Pop)
I have no idea why I thought I didn't like this band until recently. At least I can admit to my mistakes and own up to the fact that this album rules.

Singles Collections of 2008 (3-Way Tie [for last[minutemen references!]})

The Ergs! - Hindsight Is 20/20 My Friend (Dirtnap)
Why did they have to break up? WHY!?!?! Further proof that there is no god.


Jay Reatard - Singles '06-'07 (In The Red) and Matador Singles '08 (Matador)
One of the most prolific guys out there today proves it by the mere fact that he needs two fucking singles collections in one year! I prefer the '06-'07 one slightly but the more recent offerings show the progression to where he's headed.

So there you have it. If I think of more stuff I'll add it on but probably not. If you didn't find something good this year then it's your own fucking fault.

I sort of saw Articles of Faith last night

3/5 of them at least. Vic Bondi's new (and pretty stellar) band Report Suspicious Activity played a show and thanks to a little goading from Larry Damore of Pegboy, something special happened. Bondi called up Dorian Tajbakhsh, who then called up Dave Shields. Both were into it and showed up with bells and whistles (or in Dorian's case, a shirt with his last name across it). Rounding it out were the brothers Haggerty, John and Joe, on guitar and drums respectively. "Articles of Pegboy" is what Vic called it.

Oh hell, let's have Vic tell you the story in his own words...


What did we do without YouTube? They played four songs. The opener was "Bad Attitude" which you can watch above (listen around the 3:44 mark, I think those are my horrid screams) then came probably the ultimate AoF anthem "What We Want Is Free." A gigantic dose of humor showed up next as Vic announced "This shit has been going on for 25 years!" before they played of all things, The Effigies' "Mob Clash." For those not in the know AoF and The Effigies had a vicious feud going back in the olden days and pretty much nothing has changed. I heard the first couple notes, did probably a quadruple take in my head, then burst out laughing at the complete absurdity of what I was seeing. Sadly this take blew away the last couple times I've seen The Effigies do it but that's another story. Then, as all good things do, AoP as we'll call them ended their mini-set with "5 O'Clock."

Seriously, how fucking lucky was I to see this? I'm going to steal a quote from my good buddy John Duggan to sum it up - "I never thought I'd have Vic Bondi shoving a mic in my face."

Here are pictures I took. I don't know how to re-size them to properly display on Blogger, but I think clicking the image might do it? If that doesn't work then right click it and hit "View Image." Bonus game, try to find the two punk rock legends that AREN'T on stage, merely on the periphery. Hint: how much throbbing can you take?

From the things that never got published file: Chicago Riots

Back in the summer we had an idea to do a pamphlet for people that were visiting from out of town. It'd have the standard touristy stuff, standard punk rock stuff and a little bit extra. Together, Kevin and I concocted humorous histories of the largest riots to ever take place in Chicago. With the hustle, bustle and chaos that is my life in this company, the pamphlet idea fell by the wayside. But luckily enough for you, I have my contributions saved and READY TO PUBLISH.


Steve Dahl’s Disco Demolition Nightmare
Disco Sucks, Fuck Everything
By: Bill Molloy

No matter what shitty music is bugging you today, it’s probably not as ubiquitous as disco was back in the late 70s. Discerning rockers were bombarded from all sides by slick drumbeats, flared pantsuits and high pitched wails. The line in the sand needed to be drawn, and rock DJ Steve Dahl took care of it.

On July 12, 1979, Dahl, the management at WLUP 97.9 FM, and the Chicago White Sox teamed up for one of the most infamous promotional stunts in history. Anyone bringing a disco record to the game was able to get in for a mere 98¢. More than 50,000 people got into the stadium and thousands more were locked outside; the stage was set for total mayhem.

In between games of a doubleheader with the Detroit Tigers, Dahl, dressed in military regalia as the leader of the anti-disco revolution, collected as many records as he could, placed them in a crate in center field, and blew the shit out of it. The crowd roared, and the promotion seemed to have worked, but obviously we wouldn’t still be talking about it more than 25 years on if the shit didn’t hit the fan.

The crate that Dahl blew up unfortunately wasn’t big enough to hold all the records that his minions brought to the game, so they were left hanging onto the music of the enemy. Despite their drunken haze, some of the fans realized that the LPs and 45s worked much in the same way as a Frisbee; they started to hurl the records at each other as well as onto the field. When those ran out, they moved on to throwing beer and even fireworks.

Pretty soon the night moved into its final phase when thousands of fans stormed the field; the scene slightly resembled a jock version of Woodstock with thousands of people milling about, bonfires raging, the dugouts being looted, and copious amounts of weed smoke filling the air. Pretty soon the CPD showed up on horseback to disperse the ever growing crowd. The second game of the doubleheader had to be forfeited to the Tigers but no major injuries were reported.


Days of Rage
The Weatherman Bust Out. Literally.
By: Bill Molloy

One offshoot of the Students for a Democratic Society decided to take elevate anti-war protesting to a brand new level. For the first time these demonstrators turned outwardly violent, and appropriately enough, it happened in Chicago, where only one year earlier Mayor Richard J. Daley’s massive police riot at the Democratic National Convention garnered national attention.

Set up to coincide with the trial of the Chicago 8 (read up about it on Wikipedia when you get back home), The Days of Rage officially started with the bombing of a statue of a police officer erected in Haymarket Square. With shards of the statue falling onto the nearby Kennedy Expressway, they moved onto their next target; the Gold Coast

The Gold Coast has long been a bastion of commerce and upper class housing in the city. Naturally The Weathermen chose this neighborhood as their first target. On October 8, 1969 more than 200 protesters took to the streets wielding billy clubs and baseball bats. The activists indiscriminately began smashing up cars, storefronts, and bank windows for several blocks before more than 1,000 riot cops approached the scene, clubs and tear gas at the ready. Even though the Weathermen anticipated the conflict and wore protective gear, the cops aimed for their necks and ankles, taking down the protesters one by one. This protest left 28 cops injured, six protesters shot, 68 arrested and an unknown amount injured.

The next day and a half the remaining Weathermen fell silent and let other groups peacefully protest the Chicago 8’s trial outside the courthouse. On October 10th a group of 300 Weathermen reassembled in The Loop to restart their cause. With a large battalion of policemen watching, they spontaneously began smashing up cars and business storefronts again. This one wouldn’t last very long, as more than half the protesters were arrested within 15 minutes.

All told the damages ended up costing the state of Illinois over $183,000. Following the Days of Rage, the Weathermen Organization continued to stage increasingly more violent protests before dissolving in the early 1970s.


Bombs Away!
The Haymarket Affair
By: Bill Molloy

I’m guessing that it’s a pretty safe assumption to say that most people would prefer an eight hour work day in decent conditions to say, a thirteen hour shift in a blazing hot factory; any objections? Yeah, I didn’t think there would be on that one. Ever wonder how an eight hour day became the norm in this country? You’ll have to bone up on your history books if you want the full story, but the Haymarket Affair of 1886 played an important role in it.

Labor unrest in Chicago was nothing new, but the Spring of 1886 held a new promise in the air that had been absent before. Emboldened by an unprecedented sense of unity, numerous labor unions set May 1, 1886 as a deadline date; if the eight hour work day wasn’t instituted by then, to quote Joey Shithead and D.O.A., it was high time to stand up, to stand and unite; it was time for a general strike. 40,000 workers walked out of their factories that day and more than 80,000 marched down Michigan Avenue. An estimated 500,000 workers across the nation joined the picket line.

The next couple days led to more demonstrations and the inevitable clash with the police. May 3rd’s rally outside of the McCormick Harvesting Machine plant turned violent when a few dozen scabs tried to exit work; the skirmish ended with six workers dead and thousands outraged. Workers all around the city awoke on the 4th to news of the confrontation and a leaflet urging “Workingmen arm yourselves and appear in full force!” Obviously something interesting was about to happen.

For the first several hours the rally at Haymarket Square was peaceful and effective. Numerous speakers passionately delivered speeches to the growing crowd, which included then Mayor Carter Harrison, who soon left the rally because he deemed it non-threatening, which it was at the time. Around 10:30 the police broke up the rally before the final speaker finished up. An unknown person chucked a bomb at the police line, instantly killing one officer. Soon the square erupted in a hail of gun fire and random violence that left several more dead and countless injured.

Within several days eight men with connections to anarchist and labor groups were rounded up and put on trial for the bomb. No physical evidence connected these men to the bomb throwing yet they were all convicted and seven were sentenced to death; four met their fate at the gallows, one committed suicide, two had their sentence commuted to life in prison. In later years all the defendants were officially pardoned and the police chief who ordered the dispersal was convicted of corruption. To this day no one knows who threw the initial bomb.

The event temporarily demoralized the labor movement but later became a source of pride, with May 1st becoming synonymous with labor unions and political protest. So next time you clock out at five, take a second to think about the cheerful, mustached anarchists who helped make that possible.