Like many Pogues songs, “The Sick Bed of Cuchulainn” is about drinking. But, like many Pogues songs, often the same as the ones just mentioned,…
Punk
18/03/2021: “The Last Goodbye” by Agent Orange
Agent Orange were a slight oddity as they blended laid back surf rock with the explosive energy of hardcore punk. You can especially hear the…
04/03/2021: “Moon Over Marin” by Dead Kennedys
The Dead Kennedys were a crucial part of the original Punk Rock movement. Formed in 1978, the band hails from San Francisco, and Marin is…
14/01/2021: “Born To Lose” by Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers
American Punk Rock icon Johnny Thunders rose to fame with the New York Dolls. It’s a shame that his major project after that, The Heartbreakers,…
31/12/2020: “An Idea For A Movie” by The Vandals
A lot of pop-punk is fairly vacuous stuff. The Vandals, mostly, don’t buck the trend. Still, I prefer them to wishy washy 00s stuff for…
22/11/2020: “Surfin’ Dead” by The Cramps
The Cramps are one of the craziest bands ever. Their pioneering status in punk marks them out as legends regardless of their other attibutes. But,…
25/10/2020: “Time Bomb” by Rancid
Rancid stem from the earlier ska-punk outfit Operation Ivy. There probably aren’t many bands who had the same influence on the trajectory of punk rock…
06/10/2019: “Hope” by Descendents
The Descendents aren’t exactly pop punk as such. This is still too fast and too aggressive for that. The sound is closer to what has…
14/09/2019: “Into The Valley” by The Skids
There’s something quite special about this. It feels like a timeless tune, propelled along by energy and youth rather than any particular virtuoso musicianship. Scotland…
06/08/2019: “Smash It Up Parts 1 & 2” by The Damned
As the name would seem to suggest, “Smash It Up” is composed of two very different songs. The first part is a slow and thoughtful…