Because there’s more to life than one set of royalty cheques… people in bands like to have other bands. Bear in mind I am incredibly out of the loop when it comes to what people do with their time so apologies if these are all rather predictable.
#10: Rehasher (Roger Manganelli – Less Than Jake)
I haven’t listened to Rehasher yet but it’s Roger’s band and Roger’s awesome therefore Rehasher’s awesome so they get to go in the Top Ten. Awesome.
further listening: PB&J
#9: Mondo Generator (Nick Oliveri – ex-QOTSA, Kyuss, Dwarves)
‘kay, so Nick hasn’t been in any of those bands for years and I check every few months to make sure he’s not dead or anything, he keeps putting stuff out kind of under the radar (or just out of the press buzz that tends to follow everything else Buddyhead Records touches, I dunno.) Anyways I Like Mondo Generator so they’re on the list.
further listening: Turbonegro, Desert Sessions, Mark Lanegan, etc. etc.
#8: The $wingin’ Utter$ And All Of Their Friends…
So, you’re in a band with all these guys. And you’re in another band with all these guys. And another one. And another… the Utters have a big fucking list of ‘other bands’; pass Go, collect £200 and continue straight to further listening.
further listening: The Re-Volts, Druglords of the Avenue, Filthy Thievin’ Bastards, Viva Hate, One Man Army, Dead To Me, etc. etc.
#7: Boxcar Racer (Tom Delonge – Blink182, Angels And Airwaves)
BCR will always have a special place in my heart, despite the fact that ultimately, they’re the reason Blink broke up in the first place. Only that doesn’t matter any more because they got back together last month(!!!!)
further listening: Transplants, +44, Mark Hoppus/Richard Gibbs
#6: Head Automatica (Daryl Palumbo – Glassjaw)
If you don’t like Head Automatica then you might as well go back to kicking puppies for fun, because that’s how wrong it is to not like Head Automatica. But seriously, I have yet to find someone who at the very least won’t start dancing to Beating Hearts Baby.
further listening: House of Blow, United Nations, Cardboard City
#5: Jets To Brazil (Blake Schwarzenbach – Jawbreaker)
The first JTB song I heard was Sea Anemone, and I played it for three hours straight that evening. I knew about them before I knew about Jawbreaker but didn’t actually take into consideration that they might be good and didn’t listen to them when they were actually around and smite myself for it still. Sigh.
further listening: The Thorns of Life, Horace Pinker
#4: Jackson [Jackson United] (Chris Shiflett – Foo Fighters)
Jackson United, nŽe Jackson, generally still referred to as Jackson because it flows better in conversation, is what happens when you put Chris Shiflett, a couple of his friends and at least one relative (generally an older brother or younger cousin) in a room full of instruments. You get really awesome results, layered like a punk rock Beach Boys Tiramisu. Throw in a famous drummer or two and your have a band that deserves more praise than it gets (but I would probably chuck a tanty about it if they got famous).
further listening: 22 Jacks, No Use For A Name, pretty much any band any of them has ever been in, which turns out to be quite a lot when you have a revolving door of touring and recording artists…)
#3: Me First and the Gimme Gimmes (Spike Slawson – Swingin’ Utters et al, Fat Mike/Eric Melvin – NOFX, Joey Cape – Lagwagon et al, Scott/Chris Shiflett – …et al, Dave Raun – Lagwagon et al)
It’s a punk rock supergroup cover band! I generally love or at least know all of the songs they cover, so I either like them a little bit more or fall in love with the drunk punk karaoke versions of their extensive catalogue. You’re always guaranteed a good time with the Gimmes.
further listening: you might as well just go here.
#2: Viva Death (Scott Shiflett – Face to Face, Trever Keith – Face to Face, Chris Shiflett – Foo Fighters, Chad Blinman – Real Space Noise/producer extranordinare, Josh Freese – everything in recorded history)
Viva Death are… what are they? Industrial baritone doom rock? A zombie body corporate? The voices in the dark at night? All of the above. I’ve been a huge Death fan since the summer of 2006 (which is kind of late considering they’ve been around since 2002, but I didn’t have my barely pubescent ears to the ground back then) and have always sung their praises through a crunchy megaphone. They’re the soundtrack to the apocalypse. (They’re also releasing a new album this year and I am blue from baited breath…)
further listening: Real Space Noise, Trever Keith/Kid Stardust
#1: Bad Astronaut (Joey Cape – Lagwagon et al, Marko Desantis – Sugarcult et al, Derrick Plourde – The Ataris et al, Angus Cooke – The Ataris et al)
There are like eighty people in BA but I listed the four most famous above, I guess. Bad Astronaut mean the world to me; I’ve been into them for a couple years now and they are very much my therapy music. Obviously, they are no more due to Derrick’s passing back in 2005 (and I believe this is what spurned the Afterburner project, after the release of Twelve Small Steps) but I cherish the three albums and handful of b-sides, rarities and collaborations that were released. I have an Astronaut tattoo that sits on my shoulder, does all my drinking for me, and reminds me that even in the darkest hour beautiful things can be accomplished. I love Bad Astronaut.
further listening: The Playing Favorites, Afterburner, Joey Cape, Jaws Attacks!, Sugarcult, The Ataris