There’s no shortage of infuriating news and events going on of late. A typical reaction for me has been to polarize my listening preference between exceptionally hard and super relaxed music. On the chill days, you’ll find tracks like Catbite “Stay” or Black Uhuru “Sinsemilla”.
When the anger needs to be acknowledged and processed, these songs have been my go to lately.
Bad Brains “Sailin’ On”
It’s mentioned often enough that most people realize how respected Bad Brains are, and how influential they were to early American punk and hardcore. Their musical talents stretched much deeper than that as their catalogue progressed into more funk and reggae in their later years. The album art is iconic as well.
Bad Brains, along with Minor Threat/Fugazi and Rites of Spring, were foundational in the 80’s Washington DC hardcore scene. The tree of bands stemming from the scene still casts its shadow today.
Everything is all in stride,
Bad Brains
So I’m sailin’, yeah I’m sailin’ on,
I’m moving’, yeah I’m movin’ on.
Doki Doki “I Was Killing It Man”
This is a new super group formed from other killer Asian Man Records bands. Members are from Grumpster, Small Crush, Moore Family Band, and Dogparty. Shout out Mike Park for continuing to progress independent music in fun new rockin ways.
The video gives the same hard rocking punk vibes as the song. They waste no time jumping right into the ass kicking and don’t let up for the duration. Refreshing.
Rites of Spring “For Want Of”
As mentioned above, Rites of Spring were a D.C. hardcore punk band from the 80s, and named after a Stravinsky ballet. They broke up after their first album and only 19 shows, but members would go on to join Ian MacKaye in starting Fugazi.
The melodic bass lines, driving rhythms and emotional lyrics lead many to crown them the first emo band. The guys in the band didn’t feel the same about the moniker, posing the question “are the Bad Brains not emotional?”
I? I guess I’ve learned the taste
Rites of Spring
of days that will always burn.
