Stale Music Review #10: Lagwagon

Hoss by Lagwagon

Cost: $4.99US

Song Count: 14

Yes, there are other Lagwagon records.  There may even be better Lagwagon records.  But, Hoss was my first and therefore in my eyes reigns supreme.

Where to start with Lagwagon?  They are a SoCal punk rock band that has, at this time, put out ten records on NOFX's Fat Mike's Fat Wreck Chords.  They've turned down offers in the past to join major labels, which often leads to mainstream success, but something within the band had resisted and they've stayed with Fat forever.  

The music itself:  tight, fast, melodic...jeebus they sound like it would feel skateboarding along the ocean in San Diego or something.  They just feel very SoCal.  

On a side note:  Lead singer Joey Cape is an interesting dude.  He has Lagwagon and also takes part in Me First and the Gimme Gimmes (which is a punk rock supergroup that parodies/covers old classic tunes).  He also has put out a couple of folk albums which are very good.  Excellent even.

Here's the track list and the standouts:

1.  Kid's Don't Like to Share

2.  Violins:  Other than E Dagger (on Blaze) and Alien 8 (on Double Plaidinum) this could be in my top 3 Lagwagon tunes.  No, it is in the top 3.  It's good.

3.  Name Dropping

4.  Bombs Away:  Another standout tune on this album.  Tight, fast playing.  Yet, still remains melodic.  I'll tell you...these guys have the melodic punk rock thing down to a motherfucking science.

5.  Move the Car

6.  Sleep:  Great song.  

7.  Sick

8.  Rifle:  I really like this song.  I used to argue with a buddy (when we were both highly inebriated) back in the day about the song Rifle.  He hated it, just despised it.  I, on the other hand, just love the song.  Maybe I like it so much to be contrary...I'm an asshole like that.

9.  Weak

10.  Black Eye:  Yes.  I am not a drummer.  Never claimed to be.  I just cannot coordinate my hands and feet in such a manner.  But, on Black Eye...the drumming is absolutely incredible.  That was drummer Derrick Plourde playing his ass off on this track.  He passed away in 1997 (RIP).

11.  Bro Dependent:  These guys were using the word 'Bro' before it became cool.  Remember, this was 1995.

12.  Razor Burn

13.  Shaving Your Head

14.  Ride the Snake:  A slowish, dirgish track right at the end of the disc.  It's weird and it kind of 'throbs' (if that is a good word).  I think it's a good ending.

Anyway, as far as Lagwagon records go...Hoss is by far my favorite.  As far as punk rock goes, Lagwagon is certainly one of my favorite bands.  

Stale Book Review #31: Turned On

Turned On:  A biography of Henry Rollins by James Parker

Cost: $0.75US

Page Count: 248

Yeah, yeah, I promised no more rock books for a while.  Well...I fuckin lied!

I've had Turned On lying around the house for quite a while now and hadn't ever really gotten around to reading the sucker.  Actually, I had a gift card to Barnes and Noble earlier this year and order a copy.  It came and was autographed by Mr. Parker.  I thought that was cool, so it went on my sizable autographed book bookshelf.  There it sat, unread.  I don't read signed books.  It fucks them up.

Anyway, back to the Rollins story.  After reading Turned On, I have my doubts about whether or not James Parker has actually met Henry.  He may have stated that he had not, don't remember.  But, the whole book just seems like anecdotes and interviews pulled from various sources (old magazines, television appearances, internet sources, etc...).  It's not like there is anything wrong with the book.  I was just hoping for more Henry.  Don't know Henry Rollins?  Let me give you the brief synopsis...Hell, after this you may not need to even read this book!

-  Henry Garfield is from Washington DC and grew up in a time where the DC punk movement was just taking foothold.  He is close friends with Dischord founder and Fugazi/Minor Threat frontman, Ian Mackaye.  The two grew up to become part of the underlying fabric of punk rock in the US:  Minor threat (Mackaye) and Black Flag (Garfield - Rollins).  Anyway, Henry was asked to try out to sing for punk heavyweights Black Flag, got the job, changed his surname to Rollins, and hit the road with the band.  This was trial by fire because Black Flag fans don't fuck around and he spent much time taking abuse.  Things happen with Flag.  Greg Ginn (leader of Black Flag) breaks up the band and Henry is left hanging.  So, he continues with spoken word performances, which he still does to this day, and finally gets the Rollins Band off the ground.  They were completely bad ass.  Loved me some Rollins Band.  His crew blows up after it hits Lollapallooza , MTV, blah blah blah and Henry gets famous with the world...not just punkers.  But, I think the Nirvana explosion had a lot to do with the younger generation looking upon Henry as an elder-statesman of alternative music.  Kurt loved Black Flag, therefore his fans loved Flag...but, I digress.  Since then, Henry has been in movies, on television (a lot), and has written numerous books.  I've read most of them and they are pretty rad.  Sure, Henry Rollins is surly and prickly and intense and driven...but, he's just so darn likable at the same time.

That, my friends is basically a synopsis of Turned On by James Parker.  The interview he did with the fellas from Black Flag and the like (or that he "borrowed" from other sources) are actually pretty good.  I also have to give it to Parker, his writing is fairly decent, too.

So, for seventy five cents...totally worth it.  This will take up space on my Music Biography bookshelf until someone wants to borrow it...or have it.

Check out Henry's books and the like at:   http://henryrollins.com/ 
Check out James Parker at:  http://www.theatlantic.com/james-parker/