“Punk Rock Christmas”

sfilzen — Thu, 23 Dec 2021 22:30:14 +0000

“Punk Rock Christmas” 2017. Cleopatra Records. 2021 reissue on limited edition clear green vinyl. A comp of some newer and traditional Christmas songs by some newer and traditional punk bands. I’m partial to traditional (punk bands that is, I’m not a big fan of most Christmas tunes, old or new) so my favorites on Punk Rock Christmas are the OG groups. The Godfather Iggy Pop saunters, slinks and winks his way through “White Christmas” in the most over-the-top schmalzy way imaginable and goth-punks 45 Grave dark up “The Snow Miser Song” to make Christmas feel downright evil. Four first wave British punk bands play some really good renditions of old and new: Slaughter and the Dogs take on “Run Rudolph Run,” The Vibrators play “Merry Xmas Everybody,” UK Subs absolutely kill on “Hey Santa Claus!” (“Santa Claus you cunt/Where’s my fucking bike/I’ve unwrapped all this other junk/There’s nothing what I like”) and The Members shred “Silent Night/Hallelujah Chorus” in the very best way (“Hallelujah, hallelujah, oi! oi! oi!”). 80’s California hardcore punks Battalion of Saints add Motörhead speed to “Jingle Bells,” which is awesome and makes that tired carol palatable. I’m not crazy about the nu-punk/ska bands Christmas covers (ie Reel Big Fish’s ska’d up “Little Drummer Boy” — though I really hate that Christmas carol so the lack of lyrics, the inclusion of horns and a poppin’ beat are an improvement – and Smash Mouth’s “Snoopy’s Christmas” – why are Smash Mouth even on this comp?!). As much as I’d like to like Anti-Nowhere League’s (UK street punks from the early 80’s) rendition of “Let It Snow,” it’s pretty bad.

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Poptone “Poptone”

sfilzen — Mon, 25 Jun 2018 19:24:09 +0000

Poptone “Poptone” 2018, limited edition double LP on white vinyl. Cleopatra Records. We visited Minneapolis last week, as did Poptone, so we got to see Daniel Ash and Kevin Haskins of Bauhaus/Tones on Tail/Love and Rockets who are, along with Haskins’ daughter Diva Dompe, performing as Poptone at First Avenue. (Though I’ve been to Minneapolis many, many times, this was my first show at First Avenue and all I could do was giddily picture Purple Rain era Prince and Morris Day and The Time videos.) I also picked up this album at the show.

In concert and on Poptone, Ash and Haskins focus on revamps of previous material – most even darker and heavier than their unique industrial goth, which was pretty heavy and dark to start with – with lots of Tones on Tail and Love and Rockets tracks. I was in heaven! Tones on Tail songs they played that appear on Poptone included “Movement of Fear,” “Lions” “Performance” and “Go!” The Love & Rockets selections were “Mirror People,” “No Big Deal,” “Ball of Confusion,” “Love Me” and “American Dream.” Not on Poptone, their First Avenue set had a ton of other Love & Rockets’ selections: “Motorcycle,” “Haunted (When the Minutes Drag),” “All In My Mind,” and “Yin and Yang The Flowerpot Man.” The last time I saw Love and Rockets was in 1989 when they were on tour for their 1989 album Love and Rockets. That fall, either right before or after that concert, a friend of mine and I took the Greyhound bus to Minneapolis from Madison, WI to visit her sister and see a guy I was dating who went to the University. Her sister’s boyfriend drove us around town at full speed while blasting Love and Rockets, so it just felt right to be hearing those songs again at First Avenue.

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“Punk Rock Christmas”

Poptone “Poptone”