I'm assuming that it won't be long now before the releasing of new music slows down a little, we have been going through a global pandemic after all and bands have been finding it difficult to get together much and I would think getting to studios to record. This probably isn't something that would effect Grim Deeds much though given as he records most of his stuff in his car or at home. Getting into the classroom in which he teaches (and records his music) might prove a little more problematic but aside from that it'll be pretty much business as usual. So it's no real surprise he's just released a new 7 track ep.
Admitting he needs to keep making music but hinting that changes may be in the pipeline he says this...
"This collection came together somewhat frantically, but still organically. I needed to record almost daily in order to stay sane during the (currently) ongoing pandemic. The result is a strange but honest range of tunes that vary in tone and meaning, yet remain true to my vision of what Grim Deeds should be. As we march forward into uncertainty, new chapters may begin while others are left behind. Savour these songs as if they were the last of their kind, because they very well may be!"
The ep is titled Pathos which is an an apt description of the song I'm featuring today. Before I get to that though I'll let you know that you can get the ep on cd and digital download from Outloud! Records. https://outloudrecords.bandcamp.com/album/pathos
So, Pathos.... a quality that evokes sadness or pity. And that's the emotion Grim appears to feel towards those who insist that Covid 19 is a hoax or maybe not that dangerous. He takes the role of someone who knows best, someone who won't listen to reason, who probably won't wear a mask or consider the well being of his neighbours. Someone who is maybe going to die due to their ignorance and stubbornness.
This is Empowered By Pride...
Don’t tell me about truth If it feels right I’ll believe it if you try to force me I’ll just refuse at every turn
Don’t tell me about choice I know what is best for me yeah And I will know my enemy The ones destined to burn
I will hold my head high As I cement my doom I can’t listen to reason For there is no room
I’m empowered by pride And no one could persuade me otherwise
Don’t tell me that I’m wrong You’ll just reinforce my feelings My emotions and ego Are much too precious to me
I will puff out my chest As I take my last breath And will die with my guarantee That I knew best
I’m empowered by pride And inside I know I’m always right
You probably know Grim Deeds' modus operandi by now. He records songs pretty much as and when he comes up with them. Often he records in his car or other unlikely places, mostly they're solo recordings though occasionally he'll draft in friends to contribute (such as Kody Templeman or Eddie Kobane). Then he shares them on his Bandcamp page https://grimdeeds.bandcamp.com/music
Then, every once in a while, he'll pick a bunch of the best ones, re record them and release them on an album. One such album was 2017's Only The Beast collection (https://grimdeeds.bandcamp.com/album/only-the-beast). 13 of the best songs selected from his first 8 albums and properly recorded by Cederick Forsberg at Studio 2 Takt in Sandviken, Sweden. A talented musician as well as producer, Ced also played all the instruments. It was a quality pop punk delight and was well received enough to have led to a second collaboration...
Only The Beast Too... another 14 cherry picked tracks from the Grim Deeds archives but this time it's released on vinyl, cd and digital by the excellent Outloud! Records. https://outloudrecords.bandcamp.com/album/only-the-beast-too Grim's pop punk sensibilities meet Ced's love of heavy metal head on and the result is that we have a great album that'll appeal to fans of Teenage Bottlerocket, Ramones and early NOFX (though, as Grim admits on the album, he can't listen to NOFX nowadays).
This is possibly my favourite track, it's titled Glenn The Heavy Metal Custodian...
He’s been the school custodian since 1993 But he has been a metalhead since birth He headbangs while he waxes floors And throws the devil horns ‘Cause he’s baddest metal janitor on Earth
They call him Glenn The heavy metal custodian He’s listening to Slayer in the halls They call him Glenn The heavy metal custodian He’s cleaning up graffiti on the walls
He’s dressed in all black denim And his hair is shoulder length The students say he looks like Jesus Christ But metal is his savior and he plays it loud for strength ‘Cause he’s got 20 more classrooms to clean tonight
They call him Glenn The heavy metal custodian He wants to start a pit and thrash around They call him Glenn The heavy metal custodian And he’s the coolest janitor in town
He doesn’t mind the garbage And he doesn’t mind the mess As long as he can play some Megadeth real loud Heavy metal music’s all he needs to clean the school And make us proud (so sing it loud)
This initial part of my written introduction is where I'd usually say it's a welcome return from so and so but in all honesty Grim Deeds has never really been away. Squirrelled up in his Foster City home (or often in his parked car or the classroom he teaches in), Grim's been self recording and releasing his pop punk gems at an impressive rate of several per month. His modus operandi is to turn the songs out one at a time (name your price) before collecting them together on albums. Often he'll call on the services of friends to contribute their talents (Kody Templeman, Maria Surfinbird, Eddie Kobane are amongst the names in his phonebook). It's fair to say, if you're a fan of his music, you never have to wait long till the next song drops. You can open his bountiful trove of aural treasure here : https://grimdeeds.bandcamp.com/music
The latest release (as of when I'm writing this though knowing Grim he'll probably release something else before I get chance to click publish!) is a catchy song for that special one. Love is in the air and Grim is going to sing about it. This is Cotton Candy Skies...
Take me away We’re breaking away I’ll never leave you sad and feelin' lonely
‘Cause I know how it feels to be low And losing control But now i’m free cause you’re my one and only
And we’ll be Endlessly Sharing love that’s meant to be Together you and I Under cotton candy skies
Kiss me again And tell me again That we will always be there for each other
You don’t have to worry your head Just love me instead And promise we’ll be there for one another
I can see You love me And I’m where I want to be Together you and I Under cotton candy skies
Why am I the lucky one? And why did you choose me? There’s no explanation But I’m yours eternally
There's been a few records released over the Christmas period, this is a song from one of them. It's taken from the album Gree! which is a collection of songs recorded by Grim Deeds between April and December, it's made up of 13 originals and a very decent cover of Motorhead's R.A.M.O.N.E.S. and you can get it on cd or digitally from Outloud! Records or from Grim's Bandcamp page :
Grim gets his inspiration for his songs from life, mostly in the form of "extremely negative emotions and impossible situations." Don't expect all doom and gloom though as he adds a comedic spin to many of them.
As well as recording music, Grim has also been keeping busy adding interviews to his blog. If you want to read his conversations with his favourite songwriters, the likes of Andrea Manges, Rickie Rochelle, Kevin Aper, Mikey Erg, Dan Vapid, Joe Queer, Kody Templeman, Doctor Frank, Kepi Ghoulie, Ben Weasel etc, go here : https://grimdeeds.blogspot.com/
This song opens the album and it's about those places that time left behind, where the status quo is deeply engrained and everything there is pretty depressing. I'm sure you all know somewhere like it. Fuck this place! This is Shithole Town....
He's a very accomodating guy and very passionate about music so when I heard him chatting on The Dummy Room (https://thedummyroom.podbean.com/e/the-dummy-room-19-hangin-with-mr-deeds/) enthusing about his love of Japanese pop punk bands I had to pause the interview and fire off a message asking him to put together a Top 10 of his favourites. I was confident of a positive response but surprised by how quickly it came. Within seconds He'd replied "Sweet! I'd love to do it. I'll work on it today." And sure enough he was as good as his word so without further ado here's 10 top tunes as recommended by Grim Deeds...
Konnichiwa and HAILS! I spend a lot of my time wishing I was back in Japan. The Japanese scene is exploding with great bands right now. Their enthusiasm and sincerity is only matched by their songwriting skills and tight musicianship. Here are some of the best and brightest going right now!
10. The Ham Ham Hamburgers - Popball Pure pop punk fun with no pretension or gimmicks. Well, they do like to eat hamburgers!
9. The Plum Crazys - Hey Little Coupe Japan's premiere Ramonescore band. Danny Plum Crazys is the real deal! Japanese Dee Dee Ramone.
8. Felix! (The Band) - Pop Punk Records Super tight and catchy pop punk with an original flavor. These guys rule!
7. The Hathaways - I'm The One Playing Dragon Quest Keita, Daisuke, and Hiro are the main guys now and their songwriting is evolving into something even more current and exciting - but they will always know how to write a satisfying pop punk tune! I miss you guys!
6. The Nerdy Jugheads - Anything Just For You This band is incredible live and their records are all super tight and huge sounding. I consider them to be the TBR of the East! Yoshi is the man and all the guys play super tight and fast - fastest downstrokes ever?
5. STUPID PLOTS - What Did Change? Shogo is an original punk rocker! His raw, energetic, melodic songs are about as sincere and direct as it gets. His DIY attitude and community spirit is awesome. His daughter Sakura is amazingly talented songwriter as well!
4. The CCS - I'm Gonna Fall Yusuke Ogane has the soul of power pop! These guys really know how to craft excellent songs. They are top tier Japanese punk/power pop.
3. The Hum Hums - Battle Line Incredible talent here, and it really shows! The Hum Hums have the best harmonies, the catchiest songs, and the most timeless style. Incredible to see live, and always a satisfying listen.
2. Pelotan - Abracadabra This is pure pop perfection, with so many great influences incorporated into a very professional and tight package. The songs are almost too catchy! A great band with a truly impressive, time-tested sound.
1. Shonen Knife - Jump Into The New World They may not be as big in their home country of Japan, but Shonen Knife still maintains a huge international following after over 30 years of creating catchy rock music and touring the globe. They are truly inspirational! Naoko is one of my favorite songwriters of all time - a true original.
It's not been the best of years for Californian solo artist Grim Deeds. He says 2017 has been painful and challenging but he also says that all the emotional turmoil has made for good songwriting inspiration. Between January and September he's hidden himself away in various classroms, garages and even his car where he's recorded the 31 songs that have now surfaced on his latest album, Do Not Mock Satan. The songs have had a therapeutic effect, they've given him a purpose. From talking to various people from the bands that appear on this blog, I know he's not the only one who's been struggling this year. There's been a few people struggling with work, family and life in general who have found solace in their music. It's been hard at times for them to find the time and motivation to carry on creating music but they've pressed on and I'd like to take the opportunity to let them know that there are people out there that are grateful for the chance to listen to the fruits of their labour.
And before I get too mawkish, Do Not Mock Satan.... As I mentioned, it's a sprawling album, recorded during the course of the year and it's Grim responsible for pretty much everything although he does enlist the help of a few guests such as Marky Kobane, Maria Surfinbird, Cederick Forsberg and Brad Lipman. The songs are short, often quirky pop punk ditties. If you've ventured across Grim's prolific output before you'll already know what to expect.
"The world has turned to grey as my spirit wastes away"...."and I wish I could be happy just like you and all your friends".... "though I try my best, I still walk around depressed." Even though 2017 hasn't been the best, even though the lyrics might be bleak, the music is still upbeat and lifts the spirits. Hopefully 2018 is a great year for all my punk friends. This is Dead Inside....
Grim Deeds is the prolific singer/songwriter from Foster City, California who has appeared several time before on Just Some Punk Songs and who has a greatest hits compilation coming soon. Titled Only The Beast it'll featured re-recorded versions of 13 of his best songs. Next year Grim Deeds is likely to go on hiatus due to parenthood and the demands of a new job so it seemed like a good time to have a chat with him. I'll intersperse the chat with some of my favourite songs of his and give you links to his Bandcamp and Facebook pages.
Just Some Punk Songs : "GRIM DEEDS is a complete waste of your time! Pay 5 bucks to download the album! FUCK YOU!" Hardly the most illuminating of Facebook biographies. Bandcamp isn't much better just mentioning that you're from California. So let's start with who's Grim Deeds?
Grim Deeds :Grim Deeds is essentially a one-man band based in California. It's been going now for a little over 3 years, and I've recorded somewhere around 150 songs so far - many in my parked car - but have also received help and support from dozens of friends across the globe who've contributed songs and recorded parts for my songs. There's a strong connection with The Lillingtons (also my favorite band), and Kody/Tim/Alex/Cory have all contributed to songs as well as playing with me live. In addition there is "Grim Deeds Japan", consisting of Keita/Daisuke/Yusuke/Hiro who have helped with recordings and played with me live in Tokyo. I've collaborated with musician friends from Indonesia, Germany, Russia, Japan, and all across the USA. Dr. Frank serves as my unofficial advisor at times and is otherwise a significant source of support and inspiration. My daily life is one that apparently has little to no tolerance for Grim Deeds, which is why I've maintained an alias the whole time. My profession and family life are both very demanding and the nature of what I do makes it necessary for Grim Deeds to exist in a separate universe.
The Braindead Masses
JSPS : You mention that you've recorded around 150 tracks in a little over 3 years (and when you've featured previously on this blog I lightheartedly comment on how prolific you are). Is it just a case of an idea comes into your head and you get it recorded as quickly as possible? Do you release everything and let the public decide on it's worth or are there hundreds of other recordings that haven't see the light of day?
GD :Good question. Basically I have always operated under the impression that I'm on borrowed time, and therefore should exploit every opportunity to record and be productive. Almost every Grim Deeds song recorded ends up on my bandcamp page (I've deleted a handful of lacklustre ideas over the years but they were few and far between). Bandcamp links share easily on Facebook, which has been my main tool for connecting with people and promoting what I do. People have shorter attention spans now and more media to consume on a daily basis, so the strategy of releasing short songs with a catchy title on a somewhat regular basis has worked well for me. When I have enough songs, I make an album. So far there have been 8 full length CDs, 2 cassette splits, and an appearance on a comp that's on both cd and vinyl format. I'm currently working on two separate split 7" releases, a "best of" album featuring the best songs re-recorded with a more official studio sound, and I also have enough recent singles to justify a 9th full-length release. OUTLOUD! Records has been my main source of support for releasing albums. I've also worked with Indonesia's Rizkan Reocords, Mom's Basement Records in the USA, and Dumptruck Records who supported the release of two albums and featured a Deeds song on their compilation album. So almost everything I've done is archived digitally on bandcamp, or exists in a physical format (though some albums are out of print).
Particle Man
JSPS : Last year, you chose your 10 favourite songs for this blog. As well as several fairly lesser well known pop punk tunes, there were a number of songs of a more humerous or offbeat nature. Would you like to share your influences. When you're writing new songs do you first come up with a catchy tune and write lyrics to fit or is it the opposite way around? (http://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/top-10-songs-chosen-by-grim-deeds.html
GD : It was fun and an honor to make that list for you, Mick! Humor is key to my life, and I find it to be therapeutic in the same way that music can be, so naturally a blend of the two can be ideal. My songwriting approach for Grim Deeds has mostly revolved around good song titles and concepts - something personal sometimes, other times topics that I think others will relate to but aren't addressed in pop punk music typically. The fusion of catchy, poppy melodies with rather dark and intense lyrics has always been a recurring feature of the Grim Deeds style. But the project is ultimately my main creative outlet, so I've thrown in plenty of covers (enough for a full album), tribute songs, and collaborations based around a theme. Sometimes I've featured others people's songs just because I liked the tune and wanted people to know about it. There have also been special circumstances where a song just had to be written in response to an event that deeply affected me, such as a friend's death. That specific source of inspiration has recurred too often in the past two years, but I'm grateful to be able to make something meaningful out of it. Likewise I often write about my own personal struggles with adult life and human existence, so beneath the upbeat and catchy tunes lies a more desperate and deeper meaning.
Honk Till You Wonk
JSPS :Does being essentially a one man band make gigging easier as in you can call on any number of friends to make up a band for any particular show or does not having a set line up make things harder. What can people expect from a Grim Deeds show and how often do you get to play live?
GD :I've only played 5 shows since I started, and all were based on lucky offers. I've played Chicago, Las Vegas, and Tokyo with live bands made up of friends. Besides that I've done two acoustic shows, both in Oakland. I love playing live and try to make the Grim Deeds set a unique experience with lots of weird humor and energy behind the songs. Performing is a great release for me personally but also a great means of connecting with an audience, which I also find very meaningful. Ultimately my current life limits my abilitiy to play live, so I just take what I'm offered when the timing is right. I am scheduled to play some California dates in September with The Moans, The Rinds, and my friends in the band PornoSurf from the Canary Islands. I doubt I'll ever be able to play live in a regular basis, but I'm still motivated to do it when possible and to make the most of every chance I get.
Life Sucks (Then You Die)
JSPS :The music scene is a very different place from when i was a teenager rushing down to my local independant record store to buy the latest release from The Clash, Stiff Little Fingers etc. Nowadays pretty much everything ends up online. Aside from the bigger name bands is it possible to make money nowadays from punk music or is it just a case of hoping you don't end up too much out of pocket persuing your love of music?
GD : Great question. I've struggled with this issue since starting Grim Deeds. Although I do make some return on what I put in financially, I'm always operating at a very significant loss. It got to the point where my wife and I sat down and made a spread sheet based on an annual spending limit. The deal is I have a limited budget for music projects each year, but can offset costs with whatever proceeds I receive for digital downloads, cd sales, etc. The majority of my sales are digital downloads of songs and albums. CDs barely sell at all, and there was a time when I was losing money on cd sales by shipping them to different places, including internationally. I've also given away the majority of my merch and physical releases to friends and people I've met at shows. I used to send Travis at Eccentric Pop Records boxes of CDs to give away with orders, which helped get my name out there. In general my goal is just to build a larger audience of people who like and get what I'm doing. Meanwhile one friend and fan named John Kokkonakis from Greece has literally paid for every song I've released, including free downloads. The majority of my music income can be attributed to one awesome Greek fan! Also to give you an idea of my "success", my earnings so far in 2017 are about 1/6 of my expenses for production costs, and I'm quickly approaching my budget limit for the year! I'll try to make the most out of what's left. I have four releases planned for the remainder of 2017. A future goal though, perhaps post-Grim Deeds, is to record and release music without paying for any production costs - DIY based on gear I currently own and have gotten better at using over the years. I've progressed in my home recording skills to the point where I think that'll soon be "good enough" and I'll no longer "need" to spend money on extra costs like mastering and art. Of course I still love working with new artists and producers so it'll be a hard habit to break! Luckily for me I have a friend in Sweden who helps me achieve a great studio sound from his home studio (plus plays all instruments), and only asks for a VERY small price for what I get. People will hear that on the upcoming "best of" album.
Diggum Collects Vinyl
JSPS :You've mentioned downloads and cds but what about vinyl? Will Diggum get to add Grim Deeds to his collection?
GD :Ha!!! Those who know Diggum (human name: Jacob Desersa) who plays drums in Grim Deeds know that he will spend literally every last dime on his precious vinyl collection. At this point I would value his collection at the same price as the average down payment on a single family home. I know he has obsessively collected each release by the the bands Ghoul, Lillingtons and other cool bands as well as other useless so-called pop punk and obscure, unlistenable black metal shipped from faraway lands. I guess since I'm giving him a hard time I'll also throw him a bone and promote his band Lightweight - they just released an EP and it's actually very good for those who like original sounding punk rock (https://lightweightpunk.bandcamp.com/). But more to your question, there will be 7" vinyl for Diggum soon enough, but I'll have to work on getting some proper 12" records pressed some day. For now I have copies of my metal band's first album on vinyl (Cloven Altar) and I made sure that my little frog friend got dibs on a copy. Another fun fact is that I constantly give away my lightly worn band t-shirts to Diggum because we wear the same size and I usually don't like to wear band shirts. In public I prefer to incognito as a lame, upper middle class white wanker.
Audrey Has Autism
GD : Recording music and writing songs are two outlets that I rely on heavily for their therapeutic benefits as well as the community-building aspects of sharing tunes with like-minded people. I'm honored to be friends with people who are also my favorite songwriters, and particularly grateful to feel part of an emerging scene of pure pop punk that has risen in recent years. Thank you to Kody Templeman and The Lillingtons for your support throughout the years. Thank you to David Jones (RIP) for your guidance and friendship. Thanks to Dr. Frank for being receptive to my ongoing rants and maniacal songwriting tendencies (and for providing an extensive catalog of excellent songs that I've routinely revisited for inspiration and study). Thanks to my friend Christian Golden for the wise council you've offered me throughout two decades of friendship. Thanks also to Jesse Linn, John Kokkonakis, Matt Bennett, Cederick Forsberg, all the friends who've helped and contributed art, songs, recordings etc. Thank you Mick for the great opportunity to talk about myself and also for your outstanding blog. And finally check out these awesome pop punk bands who deserve your plaudits: Neon Bone, Vista Blue, Parasite Diet, The Nerdy Jugheads, The Hathaways, The Putz, Andy Social and the Antidotes, The Blendours, The Young Rochelles, Ryan Manhole, Surfinbird, PornoSurf, The Rinds, The Moans, and stay tuned for more new Lillingtons...
She Won't Fuck Me
Thanks Grim, good luck with the new album, parenthood and the new job.
As today ends in a Y, I suppose it's safe to say that Californian minimalist pop punk powerhouse Grim Deeds will have a new record out. It only seems like 5 minutes since the release of previous album, Schwing! (it's actually been 3 months), and since then I count 18 more releases on Bandcamp (although by the time I finish typing this intro there'll probably be several more).
I was going to post the Wonk Unit tribute Honk If You Wonk but listeners to the Just Some Punk Songs show will have heard me play that a few weeks ago, plus, as I was listening to the album, the song that really jumped out was one that surfaced just before Christmas and was released as a tender farewell to someone who passed away far too soon. Proving that Grim Deeds can do heartfelt as well as comedy, this was a touching tribute to Sheila Hull, For Sheila.....
Bonded by blood like a tattooed heart their love is permanent The glue that binds throughout such troubled times as they knew A sister's loss is such a heavy cost for one to burden I can't imagine how her strength endures but it's true
Did I ever tell you how much you mean to all of us? I'll shed a tear for Sheila, for Shelia
We never met but still I won't forget her generous heart She made you feel like you were number one in her book And side by side you made us smile with pride to know the both of you The beauty of a twin sister's love remains true
How could I take away your pain when we all share it too? And how can we stand by your side and give our love to you? I'l shed a tear for Sheila, for Sheila, for Sheila
It's been less than 4 months since Foster City, California one man band Grim Deeds appeared on this blog with a song from his new album If The Shoe Fits. In many cases that would be it for a couple or more years until new material was recorded and released. Deeds doesn't work to that kind of a lackadaisical timetable though, in those few short months he's already peppered his Bandcamp page with a bakers dozen of new tracks, mostly recorded in his wife's parent's garage and now many of which have surfaced on yet another brand new album. This latest collection of humerous pop punk ditties is entitled Schwing! and it can be found either here : https://grimdeeds.bandcamp.com/album/schwing or here : https://outloudrecords.bandcamp.com/album/schwing
Schwing! features an earworm of a cover of They Might Be Giants' Particle Man, a cover of Enemy You's Your Way plus 13 original cuts of off kilter pop punk fun. One of those tracks sees him at his Screeching Weasel/Lillingtons influenced best and is called Audrey Has Autism. Not sure what it is about songs concerning ladies with afflictions but they pretty much all seem to rule......
Her classmates don't know what to make of her There's no reason to be afraid of her She's just a little weird in social situations But she tries to make things just right yeah
Audrey's has autism, she's on the spectrum She wants to live her own life just like you and me Audrey's has autism, she's so intelligent She's just got peculiarities, woah oh oh oh oh
She's got a heightened sensitivity She tries to read emotions logically She goes through her life without getting The benefit of the doubt, but she still stands proud yeah
GRIM DEEDS is a complete waste of your time! Pay 5 bucks to download the album! FUCK YOU!
If you're looking for info on Grim Deeds, that's about all you'll get on their Facebook profile. You'll also get a Bandcamp link which reveals that based in Foster City, California, they're one of the most prolific bands around.... http://grimdeeds.bandcamp.com/music
I'll be playing a song from it on the next Just Some Punk Songs broadcast (Sun 31 July at 8pm UK time : http://mixlr.com/mick-fletcher/) which will be a special Ramones themed show.
For the blog though, I'm going with a song that also features vocals from Emi Pop. This is Dave Mustaine.....
He was kicked out of Metallica in 1983 He set the world afire in '85 Vic Rattlehead was born from killer riffs on his King V Yeah and "Peace Sells.." was the thrash record to buy
In 1990 he toured the world for Rust in Peace And Clash of the Titans was insane From spider riffs to red headbangin' mane You just can't fuck with Dave Mustaine (3X)
He's battled his addictions And he's battled his own band One year he couldn't even play guitar He remastered his whole catalog then reassumed command With albums better than Metallica's by far
His guitar talent's rare and he never cut his hair Even though his suffers spinal cord pain His legendary legacy remains You just can't fuck with Dave Mustaine (3X)
Grim Deeds are from Foster City, California They play dumb punk songs with the emphasis on humour and vocalist/guitarist/bassist Deeds has chosen 10 songs for the blog. You can check out Grim Deeds' Bandcamp here : https://grimdeeds.bandcamp.com/music
Over to you Deeds.......
HAILS! The following tunes are Deeds-certified as “R4RE” and worth your consideration. Some may challenge your definition of punk, but all are catchy and well-written according to me. Dare to care!
10. Weird Paul Petrosky – Peanut Butter Recall
Weird Paul has been cranking out low-fi hits for the past 30 years and my recent discovery of his work has been nothing short of a giddy rush. Peanut Butter Recall perfectly encompasses his songwriting talent and penchant for making the ordinary seem extraordinary. Note his facial expressions throughout.
9. Mark Gormley – Without You
Following a priceless introduction by the one and only Phil Thomas Katt of “The Uncharted Zone”, Mark Gormley’s single immediately grabs you with its understated yet powerful riffs and hooks. The low-fi production adds a cheesy element that somehow improves the overall vibe of the song. I imagine this tune could’ve easily been beefed up for inclusion on an 80’s action movie soundtrack, but instead it’s accompanied by a hilariously low-budget music video with a wistful and romantic theme. The featured model has that “4th hottest girl in Pensacola” look, and the viewer is left to ponder her connection to the artist and Mr. Katt himself. Enter the Uncharted Zone!
8. Shadow Warriors – Fight For Be Free
Here’s a great example of something that can be crappy and epic at the same time, resulting in a net gain of listening pleasure. Shadow Warriors is Sam Totman from Dragonforce’s ninja-themed side project that mixes power metal with punk in the most demo-tastic way. Former (and best) Dragonforce vocalist ZP Theart provides the vocals on this track, and it’s fun to hear his unpolished vocal style. Some of the Shadow Warriors tunes later ended up being used for Dragonforce I think, but I prefer the drum machine and bedroom production values.
7. Ron Wasserman – Green Ranger
Ron Wasserman’s crowning achievement was creating the theme for the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series, but he recorded a ton of other excellent and underrated tunes for the franchise while employed by Saban Entertainment. This tune always stood out to me, both for its catchiness and its budget-level production. Ron would later go on to re-record a lot of the Power Rangers tunes, but I prefer this era.
6. The Rocket Jocks – What Can I Do
New Zealand’s pop punk duo The Rocket Jocks have crafted some of the catchiest and most underrated tunes in the Ramonescore genre. This is a great example of their songwriting genius – simple, concise, fun, and extremely catchy. These guys perform live with a drum machine, which earns them additional kudos from yours truly. Grab anything you can from these guys, they’re all great.
5. The Wanna-Bes – What I Want is You
This pop punk gem is my favorite track from their excellent yet unreleased album “Out Go the Lights”. A timeless rock vibe paired with tastefully understated arrangements – what a treat! Drummer Scott Matthews later formed the excellent band The Piniellas, and all of their tunes are highly recommended as well. But you should be more concerned with messaging Scott on Facebook to bug him about a physical release of this underrated and classic album.
4. The Richies – DT125
Germany’s best pop punk band is also one of its most rare gems. The 1991 Spring Surprise album is excellent from start to finish, but this track always stood out as a real ripper. An ode to dirtbiking, it captures a Descendents-eque ethos while delivering a pummeling and concise slab of high-octane punk rock. The Richies have recently been playing shows and Axel has mentioned a new album, so let’s hope he can finish recording before he becomes too distracted by the new Babymetal album.
3. Unko Atama – Long Time Ago
Unko Atama was my favorite San Francisco pop punk band, and their album Another Creature is an unsung classic. This song sounds like it was written by Yuji, and while George was my preferred songwriter in the band this one really stood out to me. The harmonies are haunting and the simplicity gives the song a classic and timeless feel. I also love when songs start out with just a single chord intro before the first verse. It’s also a good example of a pop punk song that has a darker melodic tone without indulging in cliché or stupid themes.
2. Sack – Pimp Got Stuck
Written at a time when they had “nothing to lose”, the Sack album remains Kody Templeman’s greatest songwriting achievement in my opinion. The songs are a blast from start to finish, mixing street rock with wild party vibes and an over-arching theme of not giving a fuck. This cut is my favorite – the Sonny Carson sample at the beginning and the “DANCE SUCKA!” before the lead makes this tune a favorite among favorites. HAILS!
1. After School Special – The Generation Game
David Jones was a dear friend and favorite songwriter, and I miss him every day. After School Special was indeed a special band. The songs are honest and unabashed, and the recordings have a comforting simplicity and rawness that perfectly capture what I consider to be the best qualities of 90’s pop punk. This cut demonstrates both the poppy and punk elements of David’s craft well before Enemy You’s debut. After School Special never played a show, which makes their existence and impact all the more intriguing to me. Jones never wrote a bad tune, so check out all of his work. RIP.
