The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - Pinpoints and Gin Joints

The album starts with a sound familiar to any fan of ska music. It’s an instant reminder that The Mighty Mighty Bosstones haven’t lost it, even after all these years. The band started in back in 1983 playing something completely new: a mixture of punk rock, hardcore and British 2 Tone ska. They were together until 2003 with few line-up changes. From 1989 to 2002, the seminal ska band released 7 albums and reached legendary status in the scene.

Warning

Green Day is an influential and largely controversial punk-influenced rock band that came out of the punk/ska scene of Berkley, Calif., in 1987. The evolution of their albums suggests a move from self-involvement, indulgence, and youthful unrest to a higher, more universal, and more political purpose. Warning, released in 2000, is a pivitol album on the road to later, more politically charged, albums. It mixes angst, sex, and social commentary and is their most musically eclectic album to date. Their political voice is more honed and relevant with every album — everything about Warning screams transition. The band is made up of three extremely talented men, and the music is only getting better as they get more popular, more visible, and more political.

The first and title track addresses a society that is concerned with their safety and taking great measures to ensure it:

“Better homes and safety-sealed communities
Did you remember to pay the utility?
Caution: Police line, you better not cross.
Is it the cop, or am I the one thats really dangerous?
Sanitation, expiration date, question everything.
Or shut up and be a victim of authority”

Perhaps too great. The chorus demands “Warning, live without warning”. This is social commentary on an over-sexed, fearful, suburban, anti-bacterial obsessed nation at the turn of a century.

The next track of any social import is “Fashion Victim,” track four. This song is a non-gender-specific testament to a new, fashion-fueled youth. The lyrics employ a witty play on political terms, such as genocide, to illustrate a youth culture plagued and pestered by the media to conform and adhere to a dress code.

“He’s a victim of his own time
In his “vintage suit” and tie
He’s casualty dressed to the teeth
In the latest genocide
The new seasons come and go
At the dog and pony show
Gonna sit and beg and fetch the names
And follow your dress codes
WHAT’S IN A NAME?…HEY!
She’s a scented magazine
Looking sharp and living clean
Living well and dressed to kill
But she looks like hell to me
So when you’re dancing through your wardrobe
Do the anorexia go-go
Cloaked with style
For pedophiles as the credit card explodes
You auctioned off your life
For the “most” expensive price
Going once…
Going twice…
Now it’s gone”

This song is about selling yourself to the media and becoming a sheep. Or rather, not succumbing to social or popular norms. Youth are expected to buy name brand products and starve themselves thin in order to fit in with their peers. This song asks: “What’s in a name”? The answer: nothing. Be yourself. Do not conform.

Now, we’re going to skip over to the last two tracks on the album: “Minority,” track eleven, states in plain terms its message.

“I want to be the minority
I don’t need your authority
Down with the moral majority
‘Cause I want to be the minority”
This anti-authority lyric is also forceful and demanding. It speaks against political and societal trends, but also religious conformity:
“I pledge allegiance to the underworld
One nation under dog
There of which I stand alone
A face in the crowd
Unsung, against the mold
Without a doubt
Singled out
The only way I know”

This alternative Pledge of Allegiance is potentially offensive, not only politically, but religiously (one nation under dog). This song is a slap in the face to any conservative American citizen, and a powerful youth anthem for the ages. It gives power to young people by making them feel like an individual in a herd, so to speak. It allows them to take solace in being a “minority”.

Finally, track 12, “Macy’s Day Parade.” This song makes me think of the end of an era. If you have ever listed to Green Day’s 2004 release, American Idiot, it almost sounds like a smooth transition from one set of ideals, to the next, better thought out, level. The song addresses and rejects commercialism by playing on common practices associated with death. Then consumer values are challenged by equating what we want with what we really need, and defining those values with common terms used in advertising. In the end, no matter what we’re talked into buying by the media-machine, we as a people are still not happy because what we really need is hope and a restored faith in humanity.

“Today’s the Macy’s Day Parade
The night of the living dead is on its way
With a credit report for duty call
It’s a lifetime guarantee
Stuffed in a coffin 10% more free
Red light special at the mausoleum
Give me something that I need
Satisfaction guaranteed to you
What’s the consolation prize?
Economy sized dreams of hope
When I was a kid I thought
I wanted all the things that I haven’t got
Oh. I learned the hardest way
Then I realized what it took
To tell the difference between
Thieves and crooks
A lesson learned to me and you
Give me something that I need
Satisfaction guaranteed
Because I’m thinking about
A brand new hope
The one I’ve never known
Cause now I know
It’s all that I wanted”

The most interesting part about Warning is that it was released in a pre-9/11 world. Either it is a little prophetic, or the members of Green Day have pretty good insight into social and political trends. Not only that, but they want to do something about it. Warning characterizes the beginning of Green Day’s more straightforward political message in a subtle way. From there, they have only made more impactful loud and socially relevant music, especially in the United States.

“In twenty years, I would not be surprised if people talk about Green Day the way they talk about The Who today.”  — Jackie Hodges

Alkaline Trio

On February 23rd, 2010, Alkaline Trio released their 7th studio album, This Addiction. The album opens with the explosive title track, “This Addiction.” Fast paced and full of catchy guitar riffs, if the opening track is any sign of what’s to come with this album, it’s sure to be an instant hit. The album continues with “Dine, Dine My Darling,” which is full of big guitars and anthemic vocals. From the first two tracks alone, it’s obvious that the band is trying to get back to their punk rock roots, and it seems to be working.

Alkaline Trio started in 1996, releasing their first full length EP in 1998, Goddamnit. In the last 14 years since Alkaline Trio’s inception, they have seen great success with their often dark and macabre lyrics mixed with catchy punk rock guitar. The band saw their first big success with the release of From Here to Infirmary in 2001. Nine years later, the band has left their major label and self-released the new album on guitarist and vocalist Matt Skiba’s own Heart and Skull label, in conjunction with Epitaph. Skiba has attributed Alkaline Trio’s move from major label Epic to their own label to releases such as Nine Inch Nails’ Ghosts I-IV (2007) and Radiohead’s In Rainbows (2007).

The track “Lead Poisoning” is a great head bobbing pop-punk track with a first from the band, a horn section. Bordering on ska, this track is definitely a departure from the rest of the album, but seems to flow just as well as the rest of the tracks. Listening to this record, it’s obvious that the band is trying to get back to their punk rock roots, especially compared to their two latest releases, Crimson (2005) and Agony and Irony (2008). The album was recorded at Atlas Studios in the band’s hometown of Chicago, where they recorded their first two albums. They also decided to return to working with producer Matt Allison, who recorded the band’s first three albums. Skiba himself has described the record as “a rock record but our punk rock upbringing definitely shines through, more so than our last few records.”

More of those dark lyrics the band has become famous for can be found in the title track, “This Addiction.” The song uses heroin and methadone as a metaphor for love. In regards to the song, Skiba states, “It’s not to say that people can’t be happy or find bliss in a relationship. It’s just amazing to me how unhappy most people are and they can’t shake it and can’t fix it, much like an addiction.” Lyrically, much of the album returns to the band’s darker side, while the music is a bit of a step forward for the band. This step forward, however, is easiest described as a step forward stylistically from their last album, but also a step back to their roots. Overall, the number of guitar overdubs has been greatly reduced, and many tracks have only one guitar track, giving this album much more of the 3-piece punk rock band feel that long time fans of the band have missed over the last 5 years.

All in all, the album is brimming with punk rock roots, while at the same time not completely relying on their past success. If you can appreciate good punk rock, this album is definitely one to not pass up. Go out and pick this record up, it’s worth it, and besides, they released it themselves. Major record label fat cats had nothing to do with this record, so go out and buy it! At the very least, check the list below to see if you can make it to one of their shows.

• 02/23/10 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory
• 02/24/10 – Salt Lake City, UT – In The Venue
• 02/25/10 – Englewood, CO – The Gothic Theater SOLD OUT
• 02/26/10 – Lawrence, KS – Granada
• 02/27/10 – Chicago, IL – The Metro SOLD OUT
• 02/28/10 – Chicago, IL – The Metro SOLD OUT
• 03/02/10 – Royal Oak, MI – Royal Oak Music Theater
• 03/03/10 – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall
• 03/04/10 – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues
• 03/05/10 – Pittsburgh, PA – Club Zoo
• 03/06/10 – Toronto, CAN – The Phoenix Concert Theater
• 03/08/10 – Clifton Park, NY – Northern Lights
• 03/09/10 – Hartford, CT – The Webster Theater
• 03/11/10 – Philadelphia, PA – Trocadero SOLD OUT
• 03/12/10 – New York, NY – Nokia Theatre Times Square SOLD OUT
• 03/13/10 – Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom
• 03/14/10 – Providence, RI – Lupos Heartbreak Hotel
• 03/16/10 – Towson, MD – Rocher Theatre
• 03/17/10 – Charlotte, NC – Amos’ Southend
• 03/18/10 – Charleston, SC – Music Farm
• 03/19/10 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade
• 03/20/10 – Jacksonville Beach, FL – Freebird Live
• 03/22/10 – Orlando, FL – House of Blues
• 03/23/10 – Fort Lauderdale, FL – Revolution
• 03/25/20 – New Orleans, LA – House of Blues
• 03/26/10 – Houston, TX – Warehouse Live
• 03/27/10 – Dallas, TX – The Palladium Ballroom
• 03/28/10 – Austin, TX – Emo’s
• 03/30/10 – Tempe, AZ – The Marquee Theater
• 04/01/10 – San Diego, CA – House of Blues
• 04/02/10 – West Hollywood, CA – House of Blues
• 04/03/10 – Las Vegas, NV – House of Blues