Top Tens: Colin's Top Ten Influences With Explanations

I'm sure we've all by now seen the trend on Facebook of being nominated to share your ten biggest musical influences without saying why. I got nominated and I did this. Problem was though I really enjoy talking about music and the acts that have influenced me. So that's what this top ten is. Me running through my ten biggest influences and explaining them. Talking about music is good.

Lightyear – Call Of The Weasel Clan

On the surface, ska punk legends Lightyear are a fun ska punk band that never take themselves seriously but, when you take the time to listen to the lyrics, they actually touch on a lot of subjects that are super relatable. Call Of The Weasel Clan was released in 2001 and amazingly it still sounds as relevant today as it would have back then. And it's still a lot of fun!

Fletcher – My Revenge

I don't think I really realised how much my musical tastes were influenced by former London punk rockers Fletcher until many years later when I re-found them. My Revenge was originally released in 2003 and is full of melodic and what today would be classed as "gruff punk" bangers. That "gruff punk" sound has become my go to genre when I want to find a new band and the majority of my favourite albums from the past fews years would probably fall under that banner. Fletcher's Lee now lives in Canada and fronts a new band named Lee Resistant & The Lost who are great. Check them out.

The Bouncing Souls – How I Spent My Summer Vacation

I don't think there are many punk bands more universally loved than The Bouncing Souls. They, and How I Spent My Summer Vacation, taught me more than any other album that what punk rock is really about is doing things with your friends, being true to yourself and having a great time whilst doing it.

Great Cynics – Don't Need Much

After initially getting into punk rock through bands such as [Spunge], 4ft Fingers, Lightyear, Uncle Brian and Jesse James, I eventually fell into the trend that many people do and began to exclusively listen to bands from America. Then I somehow heard Don't Need Much by a UK band named Great Cynics and I loved it. Through this album, I went on to discover Apologies, I Have None, Bangers, ONSIND, Muncie Girls and loads more. It sent me down the path of DIY punk rock that I love so much now.

ONSIND – Dissatisfactions

Dissatisfactions is probably the first time I truly took in any political messages from music. I heard bands like Anti-Flag and NOFX sing about politics previously but it never really hit home with me until I heard this album from a duo from Durham named ONSIND. The stripped back acoustic nature of the album really caught my imagination and moved me in a way that no other album had at the time. I learnt a lot from this album.

Wank For Peace – Fail Forward

Wank For Peace were a French melodic hardcore band who recently reformed under the new name Tiny Voices. Wank For Peace were the band that ignited my passion for checking out punk rock from mainland Europe. There's an incredible amount of amazing bands in Europe that not enough people in the UK are checking out when they really should be.

Less Than Jake – Losing Streak/Hello Rockview

Ska is a big love of mine and that mostly stems from Less Than Jake. The first CD of theirs I ever owned was the Losing Streak/Hello Rockview double CD. I played that album to death for years and never ever got bored of it. The band, and very very few other ska bands, have never managed to top these two albums. Less Than Jake are still going strong to this day and it's the songs from these two albums that always get the biggest reactions whenever I see them live.

Against Me! – Reinventing Axl Rose

I was slow to get onboard with Against Me! for ages, they just didn't click with me and then I heard We Laugh At Danger (And Break All The Rules) and I got it. Previously I didn't enjoy the rougher, rawer sound of punk rock at all but Reinventing Axl Rose opened my mind to a whole new world of punk rock. It feels like there's such passion in these songs that I don't feel you get with a slicker, more produced album.

[Spunge] – The Story So Far

[Spunge] were not only my gateway into UK punk rock but my gateway to underground punk rock all over the world. I remember being a bit of an indie kid as a teenage because that's what my best friends enjoyed but never properly connected with it. Then one evening I was listening to Steve Lamaq on Radio One and Roots by [Spunge] came on and that pretty much changed my life forever (hopefully for the better). [Spunge] pretty much played a big part in me being the person who I am today.

Davey Dynamite – Holy Shit

Holy Shit by Davey Dynamite is, in my humble opinion, the greatest album ever made. It's full of such passion and energy. It tackles important subjects in a way that really makes you think. It's full of ear worms and moments where you'll find yourself singing along with all the gusto that you can manage. No other album ever has moved me in the way that Holy Shit has. For me, this album should be the blue print for every punk rock album. More than just being incredible though, it not only shaped a lot of my political beliefs but it made passionate about standing for what I belief in and gave me the confidence to call people out if I believed they are acting in a way that isn't right.

This top ten was written by Colin Clark.

Top Tens: Colin's Top Ten Punk Rock Love Songs

Commercialised love day is tomorrow. Whilst we're not really into the day itself, we do appreciate a great love song. I'm also really struggling to come up with ideas for top ten so it all fits. Following on from Robyn's top ten punk rock love songs from a couple of years ago, Colin has decided to share his own.

Aerial Salad – Romance?
Aerial Salad's brand new single from their upcoming new album, Dirt Mall, asks the question ‘do you want romance?’. It's about wanting to offer a girl something different from the usual way that "lads" would attempt to attract a girl – old school romance and a heavy dose of respect. It's a sweet song with a great message, trying to prove that not all men are dicks.

The Apers – Moonlight Kisses
Dutch punks The Apers wrote the loveliest of love songs on their final album Confetti On The Floor. On the track, Kevin Aper sings about being blown away by the kisses from his loved one. How they make him feel better and how he couldn't do without them. In the world of pop punk, every song seems like it's about getting dumped so this happy and positive song proves to be a breath of fresh air.

Big D & The Kids Table – We Can Live Anywhere
I think that this is one of Big D & The Kids Table's best songs and it makes me sad that I've never seen them play it live. It shows the softer side of the Boston ska punk legends. It opens with a sexy sax riff, before David McWane begins to croon his way through a song about home being anywhere you want it to be as long as you're together. It's so lovely that it's almost sickening but also always puts a massive smile on my face. As someone who has moved towns to live with the person they love, I relate to the song hard.

The Bouncing Souls – Favorite Everything
New Jersey's Bouncing Souls have never shied away from the soppy love song during their long and illustrious career. In 2019 they topped the soppy league table with the song Favorite Everything. On the song, Greg Attonito sings about how his partner is the best and lists plenty of reasons why. I can remember seeing them live last year and singing along with this song and directing it at Emma. Given that we were with our friends and public displays of affection are gross, she wasn't keen on this. She's such a punk.

Descendents – Nothing With You
I think it's every punk rock geek’s dream to hang out with the girl or guy they like and do literally nothing but have the best time. Those times doing nothing are the best times you can have with people. Milo brilliantly describes what we were all yearning for when we were growing up and now it happens I treasure the moment even more.

MakeWar - Tiger Lili
You might not have expected a band with the name MakeWar to write a love song, but they did – and it's bloody good. On Tiger Lili, Jose Prieto has written a love letter to his partner thanking them for helping him through the tough times and just making life better whenever you spend time together. This is a song straight from the ‘Colin & Emma’ playlist. Before I met Emma, I was going through one of the hardest times in my life and Emma came along and things all seemed to get better and fall into place. When I first heard this song, I got a lump in my throat at just how hard I related.

Masked Intruder – Heart Shaped Guitar
The first song on this list that's a duet. Technically it's only half a love song as Intruder Blue sings of his love for Maura Weaver (Mixtapes/Ogikubo Station) while she sings about her repulsion for him. This repulsion really serves as a way to make Blue's lyrics even more sweet and make you almost feel sorry for him and his unrequited love. We've all been there, except without the balaclavas.

New Town Kings – Grabbed My Hand
Colchester ska heroes the New Town Kings wrote this beautiful song back in 2014 about how life really gets started when you meet somebody you love. It shows the band venturing off into a newer style that came after Dabs Bonner joined the band. Another song that's oozing with positivity, I have to imagine it's been a few people’s first dances at their weddings.

The Skints – Lay You Down
Let's be frank, this song is about the s-e-x. The Skints are at their poppy ska finest on this bouncy number where Josh sings a song about wanting to get a girl into bed. It's forward, there's no denying it, but Josh has a cheeky charm that allows him to get away with it. It's also a catchy track that you can't help but sing along with and grin like a fool.

Teenage Bottlerocket – I Found The One
With lyrics such as "the star of all my wet dreams" and "I'm so horny that I don't know what to do, and now my balls are turning blue" Teenage Bottlerocket give a crude and humorous take on what it's like to fall for someone and wanting to ask them out. Despite the rude lyrics (sorry if you're reading this, Mumma C), Teenage Bottlerocket manage to come across as being pretty endearing and sweet on this song. They probably shouldn't, but they do.

This top ten was written by Colin Clark.