Our Band Could Be Your Life poll

i'm sure this is the stimulus that was preventing us from having an interesting discussion the first dozen times around

fugazi in a walk tho

kinda hard not to vote for Black Flag as the ur-text/ground zero for the generation of independent music that came after them in America but tbh the band I consistently feel like listening to the most out of all these is... the Buttholes

who do you care the least about

poll: of the thirteen 'our band could be your life' polls, how many do you really just not give a shit about

sorry, that should read:

of the thirteen 'our band could be your life' bands

I voted for Burma as they're the band on this list I most want to listen to, but the best chapter in the book was about Butthole Surfers. The bit about the movie they ran backwards is hysterical!

my brother had this book when I was a teenager and I think I read it cover to cover before I had heard music by any of the bands

who do you care the least about

Mission of Burma

is this a poll for the bands themselves or the chapters on the bands? Because those are definitely two different answers for me

who do you care the least about

Beat Happening

i can sort of maybe see somehow coming to care about mission of burma? like, i like the two songs everyone knows fine? but i honestly don't understand why anyone would choose to be invested in the music of the Replacements

i like beat happening on two or three levels but none of those levels lead me to ever listen to their records--but had i been around to appreciate them as a vital and new concept rather than a piece of archaeology i think i would care more for, like, the mo tucker ad absurdum vibe of every instrument everyone seems to play on those records

the replacements, though, why would anyone give a fuck

Husker Du... probably.

... best, that is.

In order of how much of a shit I give:

Big Black
Black Flag
Minutemen
Butthole Surfers
Sonic Youth
Minor Threat
Mudhoney
Fugazi
Husker Du
Replacements
Dinosaur Jr
Mission Of Burma
Beat Happening

care about:

Minutemen
Butthole Surfers
Big Black

don't care about:

Minor Threat
Husker Du
Fugazi

I dig at least some stuff by all the others

Everything below Sonic Youth on my list basically a tie btw.

our band could be your mom

Lol

pretty burnt out on all these bands tbh. write-in vote for live skull

our band could give a fuck

if i was to choose a single album to listen to right now by any of all that lot though, it would probably be Vs.

guys i don't get the minutemen, someone explain the minutemen to me

they are definitely not my least favourite of these bands but I think Black Flag was the most disappointing gulf between how exciting Azerrad made them sound and how exciting actually listening to the records was

Live '84 is probably the best Black Flag document.

If we're talking about caring about bands, I don't really care about any of them ... Butthole Surfers probably the closest I can manage.

First issue of Forced Exposure I ever bought/read was the Mission of Burma issue, when they were already this semi-mythical disbanded band whose recs in the UK were p tough to source (apart from the live alb, for some reason.) So when they, somewhat unexpectedly, reformed AND played in England (and later Scotland) AND totally didn't suck - when, in fact, they were totally awesome - well, that kind of happy wish fulfillment doesn't happen that often in music, or in life. So Burma.

re Black Flag it's years since I read I read it but I just remember the impression of squalor and misery and the way the book made it sound like driving around America in a van with Henry Rollins and Greg Ginn was the worst thing imaginable, but that didn't really seem to translate to the records in as interesting a way as one might have hoped

Absence of meat puppets in this book still appalls me.

Butthole Surfers.

I forgot to mention Mudhoney before when I was listing the bands I didn't care about

Listen to in the present day with any frequency:
Sonic Youth
Dinosaur Jr.
Husker Du
Big Black

Used to listen to a lot, still enjoy plenty of things by them:
Fugazi

Like what I know but don't own anything:
Minutemen
Mission of Burma

Enjoy some things:
Black Flag
Butthole Surfers

Don't have much of a connection with:
Mudhoney
Replacements

Decidedly not for me*:
Beat Happening

*I would say "No just please God no someone think of the children" but ever since I stopped worrying and learned to love Neutral Milk Hotel, I don't take anything for granted.

my favorite chapters:
minutemen
dinosaur jr
butthole surfers
big black
minor threat
fugazi

i have not yet read:
mission of burma
replacements
mudhoney
beat happening

i think about doing that "perfect pencil" joke in the butthole surfers chapter to someone way too often

dinosaur jr one was hilarious to read about how much those dudes really hated each other, sounded like such a bad trip that it is astonishing that they made such good music

i don't know what it is about sonic youth but i don't have much desire to listen to them anymore, thurston is just too much of a dick and i can't handle his personality/lyrics/voice anymore

couldn't really give tuppence about their music these days, but i do appreciate beat happening's stridently non-macho presence on this list

this was every band i gave a shit about in college. the only ones i listen to with any regularity anymore are burma and fugazi, so one of them (i also think they're easily the best bands here)

have a lot of love for a lot of these bands, leaning towards fugazi for both coming in and going out like champs

mudhoney might have competed on that front if i hadn't just seen mark arm's uniqlo aad

(Voted for SY obv.)

not saying i begrudge mark getting an easy buck per se, just that it takes you out of the running against fugazi on the "going out like a champ" front

I was going to say "don't tell me Evol is macho" but then I considered whether killing California girls and firing an exploding load into the milkmaid maidenhead might complicate that.

couldn't really give tuppence about their music these days, but i do appreciate beat happening's stridently non-macho presence on this list

and obv. there's the almost complete absence women here (kim, kira, teresa, heather from beat happening - is that it?), could of had the likes of scrawl, ut, fire party, throwing muses, babes in toyland...

I've never even heard of 3 out of 5 of those bands

personally would have LOVED a scrawl chapter - or really i'd love to read a book about scrawl. as much as i love the book i do think it makes too straight a line from punk to nirvana - a lot of the quirkier alt stuff got pushed aside, some due to distribution technicalities (i.e. babes and muses were distributed by majors by their second albums) but i think also due to a goal TO explain how punk became nirvana

^^^ yes, a Scrawl chapter would've been great.

and the fact remains that groups that AREN'T needed to explain how a Mabuhay Gardens mosh-pit became a Cow Palace moshpit - i.e. Mission Of Burma - are pretty dude-band

Hüsker Dü for best band and best chapter. The last line is heartbreaking - Mould: "We could've done so much more."

maybe it's just that Black Flag evokes a very specific time/place/culture/intersection of various ideas for me and Huskers just ... don't. (Admittedly I feel a much closer connection to SoCal than I do to Minnesota or the midwest, but idk if it's just geography)

xxp

My War/Family Man/Slip It In/Loose Nut/In My Head over husker's Zen Arcade/New Day Rising/Flip Your Wig/Candy Apple Grey/Warehouse?

two sets of things I never listen to tbh. I'm not sure I've even ever heard My War or Family Man. I sold all my Huskers CDs/LPs years ago.

I need to find the schematic for Mould's guitar rig. Mould wins for best guitar sound in this poll, even with SY. Ferocious and swirling and beautiful and punishing and FAST FAST FAST. the moment when they launch into "Something I Learned Today," after very politely and mildly asking the crowd to mind the PA, and suddenly they become a para-military unit just annihilating.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Em4SItAdd-w

subjective reasons for appreciation > bullshit reasons for dismissal, imo

Mould has always rocked the MXR distortion pedal. Also, lots of ringing open strings, though I could have heard Billy Corgan (of all people) say that Mould used to do stuff like record his guitars at half speed and then speed them up to match another real-time take to give it that trademark stun guitar sound.

yes! that interview is from 2000, with Greg Kot and Jim DeRogatis, right before the final Metro show. Billy said that he heard Mould would record his parts 5 cents slow and then double it 5 cents fast. But that only accounts for the records. I'm pretty sure Mould detailed his set-up thoroughly in his book but it escapes me right now. MXR distortion, MXR chorus, and stereo splitting between his three/four amps.

also, it's pretty cool how most Hüskers songs can be played in first position with a drone note going throughout the song (like the D in "Makes No Sense At All"). Hüsker Dü win for being the most proficient and inventive players, too. YES, even over Dino Jr! Who rule, but didn't do anything knew with their 70s shredding

*new

For the studio, Mould plugged into the board, and either pushed the level into the red (a la "Revolution"), used a distortion box, or both (and this was in addition to his amp rig).

Ferocious and swirling and beautiful and punishing and FAST FAST FAST. the moment when they launch into "Something I Learned Today," after very politely and mildly asking the crowd to mind the PA, and suddenly they become a para-military unit just annihilating.

Yeah, that's why I always preferred Du over Flag. I don't dislike Damaged, but BF is the Stones to Husker's Who.

Minutemen

love 2/3 of those bands.

GOLD: Sonic Youth

SILVER: Butthole Surfers

BRONZE: Fugazi

right before the final Metro show.

Wow, great memory! That's totally right, it was Jim and Greg interview Billy back when anyone cared.

peak value for me are Husker, Mats and Minutemen, SY for longevity. MoB excellent but essentially b4 my time.

prob HD if i must

saw all of em live but for Minor Threat, tho B Flag was late ('86?)

Saw Sonic Youth ('92, opening for Neil Young), Butthole Surfers ('90 headlining, then '91 at Lollapalooza) and Mudhoney ('89, as described above).

I would probably have cut the Mudhoney and possibly the Minor Threat chapters.

Minor Threat chapter is not the most thrilling in the book, but it adds another traditional hardcore band, tells the story of a fertile non-LA HC scene, and gets in "Dischord and the importance of independent labels" stuff as well.

That said, Azerrad probably could have done a chapter on Bad Brains and accomplished basically the same thing, though I don't know if they fit his "independently released" criteria.

I liked the Mudhoney chapter because, more than the other chapters, it's less about a band and more about the entire scene they were apart of, plus it has the increasing realization among the players involved that the whole scene was on the verge of becoming a major moneymaker.

Saw Sonic Youth ('92, opening for Neil Young)

Pretty sure that was 1991 (unless Neil had them open the mostly-acoustic Harvest Moon tour, which I seriously doubt).

I saw them -- SY & NY -- on that '91 tour, and it was brilliant. It was the third time I'd seen Sonic Youth in four months -- saw them in November '90 headlining, in December opening for Public Enemy, and in February '91 opening for Neil and Crazy Horse.

During their set, a grizzled older boomer next to me said, "You like this shit?!" I said, "Yeah, it's just like Crazy Horse, but faster!" He paused for a minute, then smiled and said, "Yeah, I guess you're right!"

saw last Minutemen NYC gig (Oct '85) w/ SY opening

'89-93 are a blur. I saw so many shows back then...

I liked the Mudhoney chapter because, more than the other chapters, it's less about a band and more about the entire scene they were apart of, plus it has the increasing realization among the players involved that the whole scene was on the verge of becoming a major moneymaker

Yes, but he's already done this in his Nirvana book.

If anything, he's selling Mudhoney short (I don't think their 'story' is as interesting as 2/3rd of this book, but anyway).

Two MacKaye chapters is overkill. Sonically, he really that interesting when detailing the actual music involved (Bob Mould is ten times the hardcore guitarist Lyle Preslar is)

he really 'isn't' that interesting

I'll agree that MacKaye isn't interesting enough for two chapters, honestly I'd probably cut the Fugazi one, since so much of Fugazi's strongest work is outside of the time period of the book (though I guess you could make an argument that it should be included because it represents the continued spirit of the 80s "underground")

I do think the book is better for having two bands whose most famous work is meat-and-potatoes hardcore. It gives a chance to emphasize the city-by-city scenes of kids inspired to start bands. Otherwise it'd just immediately jump to the all the bands that were outliers for being more arty or melodic or jammy.

Also it'd be weird to write a book about hardcore punk and what came out of it and not include the early 80s DC scene. Like I said upthread, a Bad Brains chapter would have accomplished the same thing, though I legitimately don't know if their recordings fit the criteria that Azerrad used as far as independent labels/distribution.

As far as the Nirvana book, I have never read it, I'll take your word that it makes a lot of the Mudhoney chapter redundant.

Is Jess' review of this for Freaky Trigger still around? I'd dig it up via archive.org, but that's blocked in China ...

Surprised this book's become as canonical as it has considering the defects - whole bunch of Guangzhou musicians I know have read it, and find Beat Happening p.inspirational.

absolutely baffles me that everyone around here loves the Huskers and hates Black Flag.
I'm guessing that's related to one Greg Ginn.

Faves: MoB, Huskers, Mats, Big Black, Raymond Pettibon.

I like Black Flag especially the marquee 84 gig, but do like that whole heavy as rock grinding thing they were doing around that time and the Chuck Dukowski version of that material too.

Shakey, you need to hear My War, jesus. At least side 2. I can leave everything bf did after that.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Re: later Black Flag stuff, My War is def worth hearing but I like In My Head even more

Realize this won't be a popular vote, but I saw a ton of Replacements shows in their first few years. Loved 'em more than anything else on this list by far.

Like:
Sonic Youth
Beat Happening
Dino Jr
The Replacements
Big Black
Fugazi
Husker Du

Dislike:
Black Flag

Even heard enough:
Mudhoney
Butthole Surfers
Minor Threat
Mission Of Burma
Minutemen

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

100+ votes is pretty good turnout

Poor calvin

yeah i'm fine w/ beat happening, enough time has passed, but there was no way in hell i was voting beat happening. that said calvin is the hero of this book. voted fugazi as that's the one i'm by far most likely to listen to nowadays, would guess sonic youth is the one i've listened to most (over husker du) but that's mainly sheer volume of releases. except for mudhoney, beat happening, and i guess butthole surfers (all of whom i like)(like those first few butthole surfers way more than any mudhoney or beat happening, they just fell off pretty hard and became supertiresome in general for me), i love every group up there.

I think this book would have been improved with some levity towards the end - I would possibly have made some room for Camper Van Beethoven, for example. Sonically, there's some 'spirit of punk' right there (compared to one or two groups who talked the talk but sounded not unlike everyone else)

Ian MacKaye's problem with T&G ("they were the ones who smoked cigars and ate ribs") - what's that about? It seemed like a contemporaneous interview.

wasn't T&G was pretty well respected? i thought i heard they uniformly did 50/50 recording contracts with bands

maybe that's not that great, idk

i wonder if ian mackaye has ever had a conversation with paul westerberg about the proper performance state of mind

I always took that "cigars and ribs" remark as reflecting a pretty clear culture clash between the Dischord wing of steadfast DIYism and the T&G/Albini/"pigfuck" wing. It's easy to imagine that the guy who wrote the lyrics to "Suggestion" might look askance at the part of the scene that plays host to a band called Rapeman.

It's also a working class midwest mindset vs. activist/political east coast mindset.

Trying to think which of the midwest punk/indie bands of the era ever got political. Not the Effigies, Naked Raygun, Big Black, Jesus Lizard, Killdozer ...

Effigies 'We're Da Machine' is v pointedly political

but yeah there was an avoidance of hectoring or anything that might resemble it in nearly all cases

toxic reasons?

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