Angry Samoans "Back from Samoa"

For 40 days I will write short blurbs on what I consider the most essential recordings of all time. Enjoy...


Oh, the Angry Samoans! I <3 me some Angry Samoans! To me this is what California Punk Rock is all about. I'd argue that the Angry Samoans are in the in top three most influential West coast punk/hardcore bands (the other two being Black Flag & The Dead Kennedys).

90's Pop-punk owes alot to the Samoans. Back from Samoa is about as good of any to start. Pick it up.

Tracks to listen for are: Lights Out, Steak Knife, My Old Man's a Fatso

Buy it HERE- http://www.amazon.com/Back-Samoa-Angry-Samoans/dp/B000000P3G

Ramones "Leave Home"

For 40 days I will write short blurbs on what I consider the most essential recordings of all time. Enjoy...




This list of 40 albums should technically contain almost every Ramones record ever made. The Ramones are the reason I love punk rock; hands down, end of story. The reason I chose Leave Home out of their massive catalog is that this was the first record I got from the Ramones. Leave Home radically changed my perception of rock music at the tender age of 13. This record single-handedly made me turn away from mainstream corporate rock to punk. Although I personally enjoy The Ramones' self-titled just as much, Leave Home means more to me because it was my introduction to a sub-culture that had been spewing for a good 16 years at that time.

Honestly The Ramones' first 4 albums should be considered as pinnacle American Rock and Roll albums but if you're reading this you know that already ;)

Tracks to listen for are: Carbona Not Glue, Commando, You're Gonna Kill That Girl.

Buy it HERE- http://interpunk.com/item.cfm?Item=124543&

Groovie Ghoulies "Appetite for Adrenochrome"

For 40 days I will write short blurbs on what I consider the most essential recordings of all time. Enjoy...



In my opinion the Groovie Ghoulies' Appetite for Adrenochrome is one of the best pop punk albums of all time. The Goulies covers of Don't Go Out Into the Rain (You're Going to Melt) from the Herman's Hermits & Lookout! from Neil Diamond (actually written by Neil for The Monkees) are easily the best covers EVER done in punk rock. Although some will claim that the Groovie Ghoulies' sound wasn't refined until later records like Re-Animation Festival I beg to differ and say that what makes Appetite such a gem is it's raw, straightforward musical compositions. Appetite still manages to show Kepi's amazing voice and his ubber awesome vision of campy horror meets the pop sensibilities of American pop legends Neil Diamond and Carly Simon to the mix. Unlike the horror styling of the early Misfits, the Groovie Ghoulies version of horror punk laid more in a Hanna-Barbara world versus a Vampira/Ed Wood world. Appetite for Adrenochrome is an excellent 1st record which still gets me singing along each and every tune.

Tracks to listen for are: My Computer Said Kill, No Blood, Lookout!

Buy it HERE- http://interpunk.com/item.cfm?Item=130487&

Favorite albums of all time

I was asked what I thought the best records of all time were. This is a cynical question in my opinion because music is something that means so much to everyone.

Here's a list of 40 records that I will never get sick of listening to. This is a very personal list of records, they are my musical tattoos of life events if you will.

In the coming days I'll write a short piece on why each of these records have changed my life and why I hang on to them.

In no particular order I introduce you into what makes me happy. I'd suggest you'd check these artists out if you haven't already.

1. The Misfits "Walk Among Us"
2. Groovie Ghoulies "Appetite for Adrenochrome"
3. Ramones "Leave Home"
4. Angry Samoans "Back from Samoa"
5. Beastie Boys "Paul's Boutique"
6. Beck "Odelay"
7. Bouncing Souls "The Good, The Bad and the Argyle"
8. Buena Vista Social Club "S/T"
9. The Clash "London Calling"
10. The Crumbs "Low and Behold"
11. Dwarves "Are young and good looking"
12. Jon Cougar Concentration Camp "Til Niagra Falls"
13. Nirvana "Incesticide"
14. The Vaselines "Enter the Vaselines"
15. Guitar Wolf "Planet of the wolves"
16. The Lillingtons "The Backchannel Broadcast"
17. The Mr. T Experience "Revenge is Sweet, and so are you"
18. Mudhoney "Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge"
19. Mudhoney "Superfuzz Bigmuff"
20. Pixies "Doolittle"
21. The Queers "Love Songs for the Retarded"
22. The Riverdales "Phase 3"
23. Screeching Weasel "Anthem for a new tomorrow"
24. Screeching Weasel "Boogada Boogada Boogada"
25. Sonic Youth "Bad Moon Rising"
26. Sonic Youth "Goo"
27. Sonic Youth "Sister"
28. Suicidal Tendencies "s/t"
29. Weezer "Blue Album"
30. Youth Brigade "Sink with Kalifornia"
31. The Beatles "Rubber Soul"
32. Butthole Surfers "Hairway to Steven"
33. Danzig "S/T"
34. Green Day "Dookie"
35. The Illustrated "Alphabaggage"
36. Pink Lincolns "Back from the Pink Room"
37. Foo Fighters "S/T"
38. Yellowman "King Yellowman"
39. Groovie Ghoulies "Born in the Basement"
40. Glocca Morra "The Working Bones, A Health Decline"

The Cuban Indiana Jones

I finally got around to watching the new Indiana Jones movie last night. I know, I'm far behind on not getting to the theater earlier to watch the on-going adventures of Dr. Jones, but you may want to read my last post to see why.

I, like every other twentysomething grew up watching the Indiana Jones movies and enjoying the archaeological adventures of Harrison Ford jumping around or being chased by [insert indigenous group here]. However, the latest entry of the Indiana Jones movie feels rushed and too corky to justify a 19 year hiatus. At the end of the day their is no need for this movie in the world. Well that is if only to explain the next set of Ind.. I mean Shia LaBeouf Jones movies.

This movie belongs up there with other croaks such as the entire Tomb Raider series, Resident Evil series and John Leguizamo's The Pest. George Lucas obviously had a lot more say than Spielberg on this one. The same downfalls that Star Wars Episode 1 had are revisited here in the Indy world. Yes reader, it is that bad.

I read somewhere that George Lucas told Spielberg "No matter what we do, fans won't like it." I disagree. I simply think the world does not need anymore George Lucas films. Shit, I'd enjoy a killer new Indiana Jones movie; just not one written by todays George Lucas.

This movie is full of what the Cubans call "Tremendo Paquete" -meaning Huge Pack/Package. Tremendo Paquete is said when something so ridiculous happens in a movie that it's way beyond even Hollywood belief. Think of Happy Days' famous "Jump the shark" saying. That term coined after the Fonz jumped over a shark (godbless broadcasters and their ingenious ways to conjure ratings)


Steven Spielberg just dropped his directorial skills to amateurish at best with this one. What Lucas did to kill any hope for the Star Wars franchise with Episode 1 he managed to do here with Indiana Jones. In closing, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crtstal Skull is Tremendo Paquete my friend.

-chuck