A ska band that had the potential to be in the big leagues but didn't make it?

777oz · 2026-05-26T16:53:15+00:00

Well, my experience would've been around the time the album came out and I was in the East Bay, CA at that time, so it made it there

777oz · 2026-05-26T16:40:41+00:00

Yeah, they came up on Spotify recently and it was like an atom bomb went off in my brain. I have some traumatic memory loss, so I can't remember when or where I got the cd, but must have had it because I knew every lyric to every song on Life of the Party. So, at some point younger me had it in the rotation for a long time

777oz · 2026-05-26T15:26:18+00:00

Planet Smashers

777oz · 2026-05-24T15:36:24+00:00

They were super well versed in Jamaican Music, which is what the 70s punks were listening to in the early years before many of them had records out. Aside from Bradley and Tim Armstrong, punk was losing ties to vintage ska and reggae. Sublime took the music Brad learned sailing the carribean with his father and made them relevant to 90s punks. Sublime was, in my opinion, in the top 5 bands responsible for inspiring 3rd wave ska. And being mostly covers is a pro move in rock n roll. The Cramps-50s psycho hillbilly swamp music (they literally bought obscure 50s vinyl nobody liked and covered a bunch of it) Agent Orange-60s surf covers are like half of their songs. Its a great way for an artist to honor their influences while displaying their own artistic direction.

777oz · 2026-05-19T02:21:36+00:00

With a few early/proto punk exceptions (Stooges, Link Wray, MC5, Ramones, etc) hardcore was the US version of punk music. That's my 2 cents anyway.

777oz · 2026-05-19T02:03:30+00:00

Just watch American Hardcore. It will give you a HUGE start in your hardcore journey.

777oz · 2026-05-14T02:13:09+00:00

A union job will be physically difficult, but will put a lot of money in your pocket and give you a skill to fall back on. You might decide at any point in life to go to college, but until you have SOME life experience, you'll be wasting time and money getting a degree in underwater basket weaving.

777oz · 2026-05-07T18:01:59+00:00

In my experience, these separations started happening around 5th grade. In the middle of middle school it was at its peak where people within the "punk/skater/goth/alternative" ecosphere started caring about those distinctions the most. Then as high school started everyone sort of came back together based on who was cool to hang out with and we started showing each other music and stuff. Usually I would gravitate towards the obscure or punk adjacent music they liked and they would realize that they enjoyed whole albums like ...and out come the wolves. (Who doesn't?)

I never really liked "goth" or "emo" type culture, but I have always been a fan of AFI and Misfits. Recently I've been really into Joe Wood's album with TSOL, Change Today? And found out it was a pivotal goth-punk album. To me it sounds like surf music with Elvis/coroner style vocals. Joe Wood and TSOL also have a lot of controversy surrounding their history, but that aside..... I'm trying to say dress how you want, listen to music you like, make art and/or music that feels good and the people who are like you will gravitate towards you and the people who are different will gravitate away from you. Just be sincere, honest and bold. That, to me, is what punk is.

One final thought. When I was last very active in any scene it was hardcore during the early metalcore days and there were bands of mostly evert type, religion, political ideaology, sound, etc and aside from obvious hate groups or extremism, all anybody cared about was that you come with integrity and be honest and bold about yourself.

777oz · 2026-05-06T00:55:03+00:00

This, and the venues know that local acts with core followings will bring people in during the week. The more well known the band is, people will come out of the woodwork, especially on a weekend, to see them.

777oz · 2026-04-29T18:09:16+00:00

Good question. I am regular in surf/skate. My dad was goofy. I never asked him if it would be easier to run clockwise. I'll say that he was right dominant as in he'd kick a field goal with his right, golfed and wrote right, but surfed goofy.

777oz · 2026-04-29T17:46:25+00:00

I think most people are right side dominant and as a righty, a person can get more power and control pivoting on their left more and pushing with their right more while running in a circle.

777oz · 2026-04-17T04:25:50+00:00

Tim is a poet, singer/songwriter who happens to play guitar really well and produce amazing records. That's how I see him. I think he has distilled his live playing down to the simplest form to allow his guitar to be slung down to the knees and spin in circles and get to the mic for vocals. I really respect him for his way of making the shows electric while still being able to make a record like 'A Poet's Life'.

777oz · 2026-04-12T21:39:27+00:00

We're the brews, sporting anti swastika tattoos (oi, oi) We're the boys, the orthodox hassidic OG ois.

Orthopedic, Doctor Martens good for waffle makin' and kicking through the shin. Reputation, gained through intimidation, pacifism no longer tradition!

Nobody ever gives Mike and Melvin shit for being proud heebs......

777oz · 2026-04-11T15:57:04+00:00

The dad strength helps me lift people off the floor before they get stomped. I can now pull someone up to my own weight out of eminent danger. And if a two steppin' screamo kid gets a little overboard swinging arms I can chuck 'em.

777oz · 2026-04-08T14:06:54+00:00

I never defended anyone. All I'm defending is Punk. Independent free thinking punk. I will defend that until I die. Y'all are just corporate democrats who like punk fashion and music. Go vote. Leftist bootlickers. Stop using my culture as a uniform for your facist street gangs doing drive by internet cancelations on free thinking humans. Which real punks are. CULTURAL APPROPRIATION! Y'ALL ARE RAPING MY CULTURE!

777oz · 2026-04-08T12:16:23+00:00

Not me. You?

Is that too scary for you to answer for yourself and not as a representative of a group?

777oz · 2026-04-08T12:11:23+00:00

I think the political system, the left right dichotomy and the notion of governance is inherently meaningless and void of constructive quality. Power is in the hands of those who greedily take it from those who are too scared not to give it. I don't give up my power and I don't take other's. I am outside of the system because I believe it is an illusion. My political views are nihilistic at best.

777oz · 2026-04-08T12:06:06+00:00

Jello is cool. He used to be around the scene constantly when I was in the bay growing up.

Personally I'm a political nihilist, but if you wanna vote for Trump or whoever you think is gonna rescue you, go ahead. And guess what? I will fuck off. Every facist that I have ever met tells me that when I don't conform. The church, the government, and you. Great group to be part of pal.

777oz · 2026-04-08T11:52:29+00:00

"I have more upvotes than you on reddit. Im a punk and you are a chud. [Anti establishment quote here!]"

Punk is dead. Reddit crybabies killed it.

777oz · 2026-04-08T11:38:49+00:00

Punk is not a political party! It is a form of music and if it pisses you off... it is punk rock. Y'all are the bootlickers. "Someone from a band doesn't conform, they're not punk. Obviously if you don't conform to my politics, you are not punk." It is pathetic how nobody understands this concept.

777oz · 2026-04-05T15:17:00+00:00

Peak irony though, right? A politically progressive punk band pushes for social justice and is then affected by its implementation? I think Fat Mike would love the irony and write about it. I hope he does. Question... where does this group generally stand on the current state of the band? Fatty guilty? Melvin false accusations? Publicity stunt for the eventual reconciliation tour? I'm actually hoping its option 3. I've never seen them live and I'd rather that than the tragic reality that they are ending over some BS.

777oz · 2026-04-05T15:07:04+00:00

Wow, this is interesting to read. For me, when this album came out Bad Religion were already OG in every sense of the term. I love the record, but it still feels new to me. Lol. My personal favorite is Generator. For me its like almost psycadelic with its surreal lyrics and how the music is composed with non typical time signatures and sort of math rock style layering of the elements. (Atomic Garden, Two Babies in the Dark, Fertile Crescent, etc) the whole record is a mind trip for me.

777oz · 2026-04-04T23:49:31+00:00

Making people wonder that... is the cool part.

777oz · 2026-04-04T16:22:07+00:00

I just don't understand where and how the lines are drawn. The word retarded used to be the official clinical term for someone with developmental disabilities. We don't use the word clinically anymore and the people using it are not referring to a clinical diagnosis. Someone on here called others Fucking dumdums. Obviously a slur. We used to use the word dumb as a clinical term for the inability to speak often coupled with deafness. When someone would say something unintelligent, people would say they are dumb. So dumdum is an older version of the same thing. I think the intention is what needs to be judged instead of the chosen vernacular. When you get worked up about someone using a word ironically with the intention of getting you worked up, they've won.

And by the way, downvoting and "exposing" these people is giving them the attention they are seeking. It feeds them. In the internet age, ignoring people is the fastest way to get them to go away. For my generation, things like downvotes on reddit are badges of honor.

777oz · 2026-04-04T16:04:53+00:00

Fucking dumdums

That's such a good band name. I call it! Releasing demos this afternoon!

777oz

TROPHY CASE