Top
15
Skate
Bands
Presented with the task of coming up with such a list. I ran into
some problems, because it is hard to rank bands 1st, 2nd. 7th... My
list has numbers, but don't consider them rankings. I also couldn't limit
it to 15. so I grouped a few together
1. The Faction. A few singles, an EP
an LP (plus a recently
released CD with every-
thing), and a lot of tour-
ing were what these
guys were all about.
and the touring always
included much skating.
You know who was in the
band, but if you don't.
you're a cluck. Perhaps
the music hasn't
stood the test of
time (ie: it
doesn't get
played too
PUBLIC
ENEMY
often), but it is, nonetheless, a classic. The members are all still skating
and in bands like Gavin's Have Nots. Stevie is in Soda, and Ray is in
Clay Wheels. Also included in this category (bands that actually skated
well): Arizona pool dogs and spraypaint vandals IFA. Texans Bark
Hard (which included Todd Prince and John Gibson and who put out an
underrated LP), Kraut (whose two LPs were also reissued). The Big Boys
and Tim Kerr, Boston's Gang Green (if you count a pro model and Chris
Doherty's work as a skateboarding pizza delivery guy), and Minor Threat
with Sahara Team member. Ian MacKaye.
2. The Sex Pistols. OK, maybe reforming after twenty or so years of mak-
ing fun of their scam was not the best move. but these pioneers of Brit
Punk put out a few LPs and singles and fueled many a session with their
snotty sneering. Also cool from Britain back in the day was the
of all time
Buzzcock's Singles Going Steady, early lam. Stiff Little Fingers, the
Damned, the Rezillos, and late GBH
3. The Dead Boys. Lest you think Britain monopolized late 70's punk.
consider New York's loud, snotty Dead Boys. Some heavy-handed gui-
tar work that I'm sure more than a few metalhead guitarists-to-be
took note of. Obviously, the Ramones were at the American roots, and
if you can avoid their overly bubblegum shit, you'll be better off. New
York also had Handsome Dick Manitoba and the Dictators.
4. Black Flag. Punk hit the West Coast too, and the late 70's/early
80's produced some top-notch shit. Towards the top of the heap was
Black Flag, who went through a few singers-Ron. Dez. and Keith
Morris, their best-before settling on Rollins (still good stuff). Keith set-
tled into the Circle Jerks (whose earlier stuff ruled), but they also put
out two-three super sub-par later records. Don't forget lefty-punks the
Dils from San Francisco and X from LA, who put out a horrible metal
album to end their glorious punk careers. Also. Dead Kennedys
and Jello's nasal, sarcastic lyrics.
5. SNFU. Canada had a punk explosion as well, and Edmonton.
Alberta's. SNFU put out two extraordinary LPs: And No One Else
Wanted To Play and If You Swear, You'll Catch No Fish. They also
offered an unparalleled live show and musical wood to the skate fire.
Also right up there is Vancouver's DOA. whose longevity and stick-
toitiveness is unbridled and unmatched. Still fronted by Joey Shithead.
now a candidate for office in BC. I saw them recently, and they really
got it going. NoMeansNo is another long-lived BC punk mainstay, and
Beyond Possession was an earlier Canadian punk oufit that ruled. I
dare you to find their Skater's Life 7". Riot 303.
6. The MCS. Punk didn't just
magically appear in the late
70's. Anger, frustration, and
speedy tune with a loud guitar go
back to the 50's. Detroit's MC5
epitomized the revolution and
decadence of the late 60's/early
70's with a six-man, up front wall
of sound. Check out Kick Out
The lams, High Time or Back In
The USA-some have been reis-
sued. Also in the 60's was the
Flamin' Groovies, who put out
some good I.Ps and a miss or
two. Consider it punk. Iggy quit
the Iguanas to form the Stooges
and put out some raw-dog shit. A
little later and a couple of conti-
nents over. Radio Birdman
SUPERSUCKERS
was a guitar-driven blast from Australia that kicked.
7. Metallica and Slayer. Never really bridging the punk/metal gap.
Metallica nevertheless kicked ass from the get-go. Bell-bottomed
bassist Cliff Burton was a true Hessian hero, and heavy metal has
never been the same. Metallica made Judas Priest. Maiden, etc look
like the spandex sissies we knew they were all along. Slayer is right
25
2
SLAYER
up there too-double-bass backed satanic messages of daring
do amidst a barrage of axework and the gnarliest throes of
death screaming.
8. Motörhead. Fronted by bass player/singer Lemmy K.
Motörhead has been around forever, and although you could
call it metal. I would have to call it dirty, greasy, grimy
amphetamine-and-alcohol-driven biker gang rock. Lemmy
could kill you by flashing a facial mole the wrong way at you.
Might as well put Black Sabbath here too. Although they're
mostly slower and heavier. Ozzy's Sabbath turned many a ses-
sion into an apocryphal quest for air. You might squeeze in the
Nuge. I don't like him, but I know plenty of people who get
stoked skating to the Nuge.
9. Devo. New Wave
was, for the most part.
wimpy. Over-synthe-
sized and under-aggres
sive, it brought on the
shitbox known as MTV
Starting carly was Devo
from Akron, Ohio. The
Spudboys were just
plain weird and fucked
up, and their music
was too. They even
filmed a video at a
skatepark in Marina
Del Rey with Tony Alva
and Dave Andrecht.
10. Teengenerate.
Japan is seeing a regur-
gitation of primitive punk, and Teengenerate was right on top
until their recent demise. Taking more than a cue from the
Ramones, their live show was a full-blown assault, and every
single song they've recorded rules. Try their Get Action or
Smash Hit LPs. Other lapanese bands worthy of note
include: Teengenerate's earlier form American Soul Spiders.
the frantic noise of Guitar Wolf, the Jet Boys, and instromeis
ters, the Mad 3.
11. The New Bomb Turks. The Midwest has some blazing guitar-driven
punk acts right now, and the Turks are the finest. Angry and tongue-in-cheek.
their first LP on Crypt Destroy Oh Boy is a standard to ride to. Other Midwest
bands to note: Indiana's Problematics (a very new, young proficient punk
act you will be hearing a lot about). Die Kruczen's first EP and LP. Naked
Raygun from Chicago, and their offspring. Pegboy.
12. Butthole Surfers. A steady diet of LSD 25 and the Texas heat combined
to form the Butthole Surfers. Their material was consistently awesome
through the LP Locust Abortion Technician and afterwards spotty as they
gained some recognition (I just saw 'em on Letterman). Their live shows
included the naked dancing woman aka Ta
Da the Shit Lady, psychedelic lights and
films such as a venereal disease aware-
ness flick. Although unmatched in weird-
ness, they were followed closely by
Killdozer and Scratch Acid.
13. Public Enemy. I am not a big rap
fan. Public Enemy, however, brought
the noise and tumultuous confusion
needed to stoke the flames. Fast
and powerful, their first two LPS
are the best, and their third is
close. I know of no other rap
group that got it going like PE in
their prime.
14. The Supersuckers. Cowboy
rednecks or heavy metal maniacs?
Although they moved to Seattle from
Tucson, I still consider these guys a
killer Seattle band.
albeit their last LP's
lack of power and
over metalliza
tion. Their first
LP Smoke Of Hell
and prior singles all
rule. Gas Huffer is another
top-notch punk band from Seattle.
whose nutty lyricist Matt Wright
sometimes makes you forget how
hard-driving the music can be. Zeke
and Steel Wool are two other
Seattle bands that rule. Fuck grunge.
Seattle is my hometown and home to
some good bands.
DEVO
15. The Minutemen. Until D Boon's tragic demise, the Minutemen played
the catchiest brooding punk humanly possible. Their Double Nickels On The
Dimes double LP switches up tempo with enough of the louder, faster num-
bers to allow you to commence commencing.
I'm sure a million people might disagree with the entire list, but I doubt if
anyone would trade it in. Just bring your blaster and a few tapes to the next
session. Wez Lundry