Friday, July 1, 2011

Summer Punk!

(image borrowed from here)

Well by now radio stations are pumping out dance-pop tracks that they are hoping will be designated the song of the summer but for me I always turn to the sometimes kinda literal-minded pop-punk underground for real sounds of the summer season. The songs here are from all over the last three decades and focus on the classical definition of pop-punk: 'bands who really like the Ramones', as opposed to the mainstream definition of; 'bands who really like Blink 182' (NTTAWWT). This coulda been a box set, so if you feel slighted your time to contribute to volume two is almost at hand...

The Apers
- "Almost Summer"
Screeching Weasel loving Dutch boys who really know how much a pop songs needs to be both catchy and an expression of painful longing.



The Undertones - "Here Comes the Summer"
Northern Ireland's pop-punk masters shoulda had a monster hit with this one.

Ronnie Mayor - "Can't Wait Till the Summer Comes"
Late seventies UK power-pop is a totally part of the pop-punk continuum.

The Parasites - "First Day of Summer"
One of the best songs from probably the finest album of Dave Parasite's lengthy career.

Ramones - "Rockaway Beach"
You knew THE defining band of pop-punk had to make the list, even if they don't have a song with summer in the title.


The Fastbacks - "In the Summer"
Kurt Bloch remains one of of the most neglected song-writers of his generation and this song is one of my favourites of his.

Surfin' Lungs/Shock Treatment - "Tell 'Em I'm Surfin'"
UK surf legends recorded the vocals while Spanish punk band Shock Treatment recorded the instruments for this little E.P. from 1997.

Hüsker Dü
- "Celebrated Summer"
A band who influenced almost every subsequent pop-punk band, without ever playing by any of the genres ultra-stringent rules.

The Barracudas - "Summer Fun"
I love every nano-second of this song by these original UK Beach-punks.

The Kung Fu Monkeys - "Summer School" (almost)
From the twee side of pop-punk comes this fun New York band who've been around forever.

The Ataris
- "The Boys of Summer"
Okay just to piss a few people off, one song from the post-Blink school of pop-punk*, showing off one of the tricks that unites the two schools - amping up cheesy pop hits.
*though one could well argue the band had paid their dues earlier on.


Chixdiggit - "Brunette Summer"
It's Chixdiggt, nothing more need be said.

The Queers
- "The Sun Always Shines Around You"
Lookout Records called their Queers 'Best Of' compilation, Summer Hits becuase that summery feeling pervades a lot of thier best songs.

Funbug
- "Summer Girl" (almost)
"She thinks she's Californian but she comes from Birmingham" - great pop-punk always manages to mask recording limitations with speed, cleverness and hooks.

Ben Weasel
- "Summer's Always Gone Too Soon" (alternate Weasel summer song)
Following the debacle at SxSW, it kinda looks like Ben's going through an identity crisis as he tries to decide where his belligerent persona ends and Mr. Ben Foster the man begins. Whatever the result of his troubles, Ben will re-emerge because he's one of the best lyricists this genre has ever produced.

So tell us what you make of the songs on the list and what songs you think might make it on to a Volume Two. (If you wanna put the whole thing on your music-listening device, there's a link in that section as well)

Update: Don
't miss the slam-bang summer song summit being held over at Mr. Suave's Mod Mod World

24 comments:

  1. Y'KNOW

    THERE'S

    A

    LOT

    OF

    EXECUTION

    TIME

    IN-BETWEEN

    A

    DUMB

    IDEA

    AND

    A

    LONG

    BLOG

    POST

    -

    SO

    LEAVE

    US

    A

    COMMENT!!




    http://www.mediafire.com/?b2c1fnb3bleg8vf

    ReplyDelete
  2. i always loved the fake plymouth "baccaruda" commercial on the barracuda toon

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  3. This site is awesome! Thanks for all your hard work. It is so appreciated by all who visit. Please Keep this blog going. I can't start my day without you. Thanks again, Jack

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  4. Ah jeez, you've inspired a whole modcast. I won't be able to ignore this one, gonna have to make it a reality soon. Here's a start, and keeping with your video theme I snooped these out on YT as wel.

    The Cute Lepers-It's Summertime Baby (http://youtu.be/e5McWrkFTeg)
    Psychotic Youth - Summer Is On (http://youtu.be/LOggTePagoI)
    The Bangles - Bitchin' Summer (http://youtu.be/5266jL0k3AE)
    Fountains of Wayne -- It Must Be Summer (http://youtu.be/UHgfjqzPbB0)
    Hidden Peace -- Summer Of Love (http://youtu.be/cR0tQpn3uuo)
    PAS/CAL -- Summer is Almost Here (http://youtu.be/6Qxrpgyil9M)
    Silver Sun - There Goes Summer (http://youtu.be/HYE9RlVFbt0)
    The Billionaires - The End of Summer Song (http://youtu.be/zbkf5Adqnl8)
    The Infidels -- Summertime Sucks (http://youtu.be/2vqW4bQtVog)

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  5. It's winter where I am now. However I was in summer a few days ago. Since I just saw them lat weekend and they fit I'll suggest ?The Hard-Ons "Sunny" for Volume 2.

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  6. this looks great. thanks!

    i'll let it rattle around in my head a while... i'm sure suggestions for volume two will pop out of there.

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  7. The Yum Yums - Here Comes Summer

    Sloppy Seconds - V.A.C.A.T.I.O.N. (In the Summer Sun)

    The Briefs - Year Long Summer

    Shonen Knife - Summertime Boogie

    And there *must* be several power-pop-punk Summertime Blues covers out there...

    ReplyDelete
  8. Great Comp Thanks.
    @Nazz, the Plymouth ad is genuine - one of a series of 4. There is an mp3 of them all out there on the net somewhere.

    ReplyDelete
  9. In fact i've put the whole Plymouth 1966 ads file up here http://www.divshare.com/download/15218133-8e7

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  10. First of all, congratulations for your great blog and the well done work, and thanks for the comp., keep on rockin'!. But i'd like to say a couple of things: Shock Treatment are not an italian band, truly they were spanish, from Castellon. And sorry, but "Solitary" is not the finest Parasites LP for me, what about "Pair" or "Punch Lines"? Both, punk pop masterpieces; anyway it's just a matter of taste, but if i have to choose a Parasite's album, i will not choose "Solitary". Thanks again, cheers from Spain.

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  11. Vacation by the Bangles--or the cover by cuddlecore princesses Cub (Oh Canada Day!) is a good one, too.

    And Holiday Road is also solid. Again, the original or the Bunnygrunt cover.

    come to think of it, here's a summer mix i made for this year:

    http://www.mediafire.com/?5r43asscradc8it

    i'd be totally interested in what anyone thinks.

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  12. Nazz
    It's a crucial part of the song, love it!

    Jack
    Thanks for the good words and enjoy what's to come!

    Mr. Sauve
    Y'know that list is a cool mix of one that almost made it, ones that I forgot and ones that I've yet to hear.
    Looking forward to the Modcast.

    Chris
    I love the Hard-Ons pop-punk stuff (their metal less so) - good call.

    Brink
    I'm now convinced I'm gonnna make V. 2 so don't forget...

    Bio
    Y'know Sloppy Second's "I Can't Slow Down" was on the next-to-final cut but this post was just taking too long so I cut it off.

    Charlie
    Cool
    Thanks!

    Binguero
    I have, red-facedly, made that change. I don;t know how I got the wrong info but I'll take all the blame.
    I stand by "Solitary' and I heard the first 3-4 Parasites albums as they came out. Fort me 'Solitary' is just more consistent. Personal taste is a weird beast.

    VBJ
    Good list, I'll listen t the comp and get back to you.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Jeffen

    Summer!What Summer?Out on the west(aka wet) coast we are still waiting for summer.We need Jonathan Richman to sing 'That Summer Feeling'!There is a rumour that summer weather may arrive by mid week.I'll believe it when I see it.Of course, you well know about our summers.Then when summer does arrive people(yeah me too) complain about the heat.Just can't win.

    Bah Bah Rah Rah Cu Cu Dah Dah ... or something like that.

    Somebody just turned the furnace on!Cripes.

    Doug

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  14. Well I'm heading out to BC (well, to the interior, which is relay a whole separate issue)this summer so I'm sure hoping summer proper arrives out there!

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  15. Summer *definitely* arrived in the BC interior today.

    Should be in Doug's neck of the woods soon.

    Stay calm, wait for the signs...


    ...and Summer Punk II!

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  16. CallPastorJerkfaceJuly 2, 2011 at 9:05 PM

    Excellent choices are excellent!

    If I could give you advice for volume two I would but, thus far, I'm drawing a blank.

    ReplyDelete
  17. i'm a big fan and thanks and thanks again^^

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  18. Circle Jerks - Wild in the Streets

    D.O.A. - Concrete Beach

    Are always good to up the punk!

    ReplyDelete
  19. aside from concrete beach, which was mentioned, how about summer by les thugs (obvious choice, but terrific song), in the summer by the scenics, hawaii by young canadians or, if you're flailing, beach song or bitchin' camaro by the dead milkmen.

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  20. New summer modcast inspired by MRML now sunning itself on the patio.

    http://www.mistersuave.com/2011/07/modcast-206-summer-is-on.html

    ReplyDelete
  21. Bio/Postbear
    Volume II is coming together...

    Mr. Suave
    Great work!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Bio/Postbear
    Volume II is coming together...

    Mr. Suave
    Great work!

    ReplyDelete
  23. if you wanted to ruin a bit of my time, well... mission over accomplished.

    ReplyDelete

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