What Poor Gods We Do Make

The concept for Wednesdays with Andrew came about through a mix of sheer boredom of, and major indifference for, songs being played on the radio. Originally, the idea was to do a weekly or bi-weekly podcast…however, on further investigation, I discovered that there are quite a few considerations, primarily around licensing requirements, that makes it a difficult endeavor. Although hard work does indeed pay off, settling is way easier. SOOO I decided to start by just sharing a weekly playlist through this blog, accompanied by some musings so that you can read along while listening. Welcome to Wednesdays with Andrew.




Please feel free to share the playlist here: https://play.spotify.com/user/agood1no/playlist/681Jtmj2wtddsiJ5q2mzVR

And read about it...

Naked Raygun – Rat Patrol

We start off strong with Naked Raygun’s Rat Patrol. This track lends us the name for our debut episode. Naked Raygun’s blistering, unrelenting and unapologetic sound made them a cornerstone in Chicago’s burgeoning 80s punk scene, and left a legacy that influences much of the sound we hear today. Dave Grohl gave Naked Raygun a big shoutout during his Chicago stop for the Sonic Highways project. Dave recalled his first time ever going to a concert, a bill headlined by Naked Raygun in the famed Cubby Bear bar near Wrigley Field.

Joy Division – Disorder

I love this song, it’s so damn catchy and jangly. For some reason, I always think of the cult classic TV show Twin Peaks when I listen to these guys – one of their songs WAS recently featured on Stranger Things, so there’s definitely something goofy and cultish about the sound. Originally named Warsaw, Joy Division was formed after founding members Bernard Sumner and Peter Hook attended a Sex Pistols show. After singer Ian Curtis committed suicide right before their 2nd album dropped, the remaining members would go on to form the legendary synthpop band New Order.

Bigwig – Smile

Bigwig is just one of many great punk bands that the surly state of New Jersey has produced over the years. This song is off their second studio album Stay Asleep, a dazzling collection of fast and gritty melodic tunes. It has always really bugged me that I have never seen them live; I’ve heard great things. 

Agent Orange - Everything Turns Grey

Hells yeah, Agent Orange. Everyone can dig this jam. One of the earliest acts to blend punk rock with surf guitar, these guys were a cornerstone of the 80s California punk scene. I saw them when they came through DC a couple years back, and I can confirm that Agent Orange is not slowing down one bit in their golden years.

Guttermouth – Derek

Speaking of west coast punk, let’s enjoy a track off of Guttermouth’s sophomore record, Friendly People. This album was actually the first release for Nitro Records, the label founded by Offspring frontman Dexter Holland. Guttermouth has enjoyed a long and storied career of abrasive irreverence and outrageous behavior at their live shows.  Banned and blacklisted from numerous venues and tours, this honeybadger  just don’t give a shit.

Oh hey here’s a gif:

Consumed – Bye, Bye Fatman

Although these Brit punkrockers have been around since the mid-90s, I have only just recently really got into them. This song is off their 1998 Fat Wreck abum, Breakfast at Pappa’s, and it absolutely rocks. I think I really enjoy this one, because unlike all the other songs on this playlist, I haven’t already heard it a million times.

The Stooges – I Wanna Be Your Dog

You better believe that influential proto-punk band The Stooges will be making a lot of appearances on this weekly playlist project. I’ll also be including some stuff Iggy Pop did solo and in collaboration with David Bowie, in the weeks to come.  As the great Iggy said himself: “I like music that's more offensive. I like it to sound like nails on a blackboard, get me wild.” Fuck yeah.

Kid Dynamite – Bench Warmer

This is one of my favorite tunes from Kid Dynamite’s debut album. I think I can say, with 100% objectivity, that Kid Dynamite is the all-time greatest band ever to have existed. Well that may just be gratuitous hyperbole…but Kid Dynamite is certainly the greatest thing to come out of Philly. I saw one of their many, many reunion shows a couple years back, and it was a raucous event. They sure do kick ass live.  A staple of the scene, these former Lifetime rockers went on to start a diverse range of bands, including None More Black, Armalite, The Loved Ones and Paint It Black.

Rancid – Junkie Man

What can I say, this song is just the tits.  Weird, catchy and loud, it is a great example of the lasting mark Rancid made during the 90s punk revival.  I still have a Rancid t-shirt from the 7th grade…more hole than fabric, I still wear THE SHIT out of that thing. Best $7 I’ve ever spent.  Oh, are mohawks still a thing? I feel like you don’t see mohawks that much anymore. Tim Armstrong doesn’t even rock one anymore – he’s just got that weird head tattoo now:

 

Satanic Surfers – Don’t Skate On My Ramp

This song is off of Satanic Surfers’ 8-song EP, Keep Out! which is my favorite release that these crazy Swedes have put out. On this EP, drummer Rodrigo Alfaro incorporates a lot of polyrhythmic beats, influenced from West African drum circles – pretty fancy for punk. Alfaro later went on to take over vocal duties as well, but Keep Out! features Ulf Eriksson as lead singer.

I won’t normally do dedications, but I do want to dedicate “Don’t Skate On My Ramp” to Donald Trump. Fuck you numnuts.

FIDLAR – Cheap Beer

These guys are probably my favorite band to come out in the last few years. They bring such a refreshing take on the garage punk sound, and I can’t get tired of listening to their first 2 albums. LOUD FUCKING NOISES.  This track is off their debut record, and goes to show the spirit of punk is alive and well. I caught them live at the Black Cat last year, and I think I was one of like 5 people in the sold out crowd that was over the age of 21. Very good to see the young ‘uns showing support for this kind of sound.

Ignite – Veteran

This song is off of melodic hardcore band Ignite’s commercial breakthrough album, A Place Called Home. Here’s a little ‘did ya know’ knowledge – Ignite leadsinger Zoli Teglas toured briefly with Pennywise and even recorded an album with them, while their longtime frontman Jim Lindbergh was working on some solo projects. It didn’t last long, though, and when asked about a 2nd album with Pennywise, Zoli responded "I don't know if there is going to be a next time because we might kill each other in the process."

Anti-Flag – Die For Your Government

One of the earliest experiences at live punk shows I had was going to see Anti-Flag when I was about 15 years old. I had never before seen so many people so fucking angry, seemingly at everything and everyone. The amount of ‘fuck you’s’ and middle fingers being hurled at the crowd really opened my eyes to the passion and energy so commonly attributed to punk culture.

Dag Nasty – One to Two

We’ll end today’s playlist with One to Two, a song from seminal DC hardcore outfit Dag Nasty. Since this playlist is made proudly in Arlington, VA, we’ll be featuring DC/VA songs in each episode, including old and new local flavors.  Oh which reminds me – if you’re in a band or a label and want me to showcase some of your stuff, just send it my way and I’m happy to take a listen. Email at WednesdaysWithAndrew @ gmail .com.

Side note – Dag would be a great baby name.


Alright, well that’s a wrap folks. Thanks for listening and (maybe?) reading along. Subscribe, follow, comment, like, tell your friends? Whatever you want. Please shoot me an email if you have any comments/requests/lists-of-fears that you want to share. Catch ya next Wednesday!