The new NOFX is pretty good

If you are reading this, chances are you already know who NOFX are, so no introduction is really necessary. Well actually, if you are reading this, it's more likely that you were trying to find a zip or rar of the new album. There is none here I'm afraid. Just me rambling on despite planning on keeping this intro short.

'nofx self-entitled blogspot mediafire rar zip download leak' you say?

There aren't many NOFX albums I don't love. Some of their early stuff is a bit too raw for me in parts, but everything that came after that is gold. Even 45 or 46..., their b-sides album is one of my favourites. Punk In Drublic is probably my most played, The Decline is a punk epic and choosing between the rest is like choosing between your kids. If your kids have inexplicably become successful, relatively well-off men-children.

Self Entitled is the first album since Coaster, which is probably my least favourite NOFX album in decades. I really like War On Errorism and Wolves.. but Coaster was just a bleak affair, without the memorable songs that we are accustomed to. Not that Fat Mike and Co give a Valium what I think, or anyone else really (at least that's how they like to portray themselves), but Self Entitled is a different animal.

I'm not sure if the band still have their finger on the pulse of society and politics, but they certainly brandish a  needle to irritate the skin of America. Releasing their album on September 11, writing songs about solving terrorism with hookers and still feeling the need to write anti-christian songs, they have lost little of the political and social commentary barbed with "oh no he di'nt" satire they are famous for. I still think they have lost their way slightly. I can't imagine why Fat Mike is so annoyed about religion when he can just avoid it like the rest of us for the most part, and songs about Reagan and Thatcher (Ronnie and Mags) are well, clearly outdated. (You can sort of blame them for the recession, I guess. Maybe.)

Elsewhere though, it's par for the course for NOFX as one good song follows another with little or no filler. She Didn't Lose Her Baby combines the gritty lyrics of The Irrationality of Rationality, without staggering into the sermon territory that You're Wrong dwelled in.

It is a classic NOFX song in many respects, sticking rigidly to the 'fast drum beat + catchy chord progressions + melodic vocals teetering just on the edge of vocal range' that we have come to love.

Meanwhile, Cell Out seems to be the story of Fat Mike being told by a girl that he's a poser. Presumably the song is his way of pointing out the irony of the situation or something. It's hard to take a sarcastic drug addict at his word but I'd like to think the stories in his songs actually happened and that writing this song, he's over the traumatic experience. Either way it's a fun song that uses a tiny bit of synth to good effect.

My Sycophant is a high-energy affair that harks back to a simpler time for the band, where a chorus could be one line and Melvin was allowed shout/sing over the end of the song. Better still, this is mixed with their improved song writing skills and it's a real grower of a song.

Then there's 'I've Got One Jealous Again, Again', which is an odd mix of depressing, catchy, self deprecating and uplifting. Fans of the band will get the reference, I'm giving this post about 60% at this stage, I'm sleepy.

The most important thing is that most of the songs are FAST, BITING and FUN.

The new Pennywise is so good

Okay...so usually when starting a post like this I give a rundown of my thoughts on the band in question (liek u care!?) and it's a slightly rambling, unecessary affair. And this time it's going to be even more the case methinks... 

I first heard Pennywise through a video a friend made me (which was made up of stuff from the p-rock channel) and the song Same Old Story, which was a great song full of y u no understand me dad lyrics. I also heard Open Door on a compilation CD and it's one of my favourite punk songs to this day. Then I heard Fuck Authority and I was blown away by the intensity, aggression and guitar tones goin' on. The problem was their stuff was pretty hard to find in the middle of nowhere in Ireland and by the time I got their albums (several years later) I found they didn't have the humour of NOFX, the melodies of Bad Religion, the riffs of Strung Out etc. They didn't have a bad song, mind you, but something held them back from nestling a spot in my top 5 skate punk bands. (like they care..)

Then, last year, lead singer Jim left. If you take the story in 'The Other F Word' (which is well worth a watch) then he wanted to be with his family and the other guys weren't sensitive to this, kept pressuring him to go on tours etc.. If you take the story in this interview by Fletcher then Jim wasn't the only one with pressures, and his decision to go on tour with a new band soon after leaving the P-wise was a bit crap. Either way The Black Pacific came along and I was pretty excited when I heard them first but tbh I haven't listened to them much. Pennywise meanwhile regrouped and eventually picked the dude from Ignite as their nu guy. (I have no opinion either way on Ignite, think I heard one song, power metal punk? who dey tbh)

Anyway enough of me, here's one of their new songs 'All or Nothing', it's pretty class.

• The sound/production is great, they were getting a little over-produced
• Dat opening line, perfect to shout in ur bedroom when ur parents r out of da house!
• MMM 00.34... The change of pace, delicious. 
• Melodic gang vox <3
• Is it me or does he sound like a less whiney Dexter Holland?

• I can't even put my finger on why this is so good, it just all works
• The first part of the chorus is a bit 'epic' for me but the faster vocals parts are gooood
• It's very reliant on the vocals but they get better as the song goes on

I'm fully aware I sound like a teenager but I'm genuinely excited about hearing/getting the full album. This has such a late 90s/early 00s skate punk vibe. 4 thumbs up so far.

Marky Ramone is selling pasta sauce?!?

 

Not content with flogging a dead horse playing Ramones songs, Marky is also flogging a red sauce it seems! I'm gonna get a crate (a handy 12 jars, only $88!) and start a punk rock section of my kitchen with my Dexter Holland Hot Sauce.