Album Review: Death To False Posi by Four Lights

Four Lights are a four piece power pop punk band from Seattle, Washington. This week they released their debut album on Bomb Pop Records, named Death To False Posi. When I first listened to a couple of tracks I was instantly reminded of power pop legends Nerf Herder so I was quite excited to sit down and give Death To False Posi a proper review.

Death To False Posi begins with a track named Self Medicated. Self Medicated immediately falls into the punkier side of Four Lights' sound. The guitars go along at a fast pace with lead singer Dan Gardner's vocals doubling up with melodic duties. The track is about being on medication and not really knowing who you are anymore. I really like the chorus of "I Don't Know Who I Am Today, But I Hope It's Not The Same As Yesterday, I Don't Know Who I'm Supposed To Be, Cuz Who I Am Ain't Working For Me." Underground comes next and is another song where the vocals do a great job of carrying the melody. It also features some excellent harmonies throughout. The song starts with just a little guitar and vocals which really grabbed my attention. KII Kay's drumming is superb throughout the song, providing a great back bone for the song. The third track is also the title track - Death To False Posi. Featuring some backing vocals from the mighty Bracket, it's a song about not having false expectations on life. It's kind of a different topic for a punk song to be about. Often you hear songs about living out your dreams no matter what people think so Death To False Posi is a nice change of pace. Up next is the song Did I Hear A Gagoosh? I have no idea what a gagoosh is so I asked my knowledgeable pal Google. There are a couple of different meanings but I think the one Four Lights are using is the one where gagoosh is a name for a vagina fart. (Never expected to have to type those words on a punk blog). Quite an odd and difficult subject for a song. The song itself is a nice mid-tempo paced song which feels quite restrained. Even the chorus has a subdued feel to it with a softer vocal singing "Where, Where Do We Go?"

The fifth song on Death To False Posi is titled Is That You? It's about missing somebody so much you imagine that you see them everywhere. It's a bit of an easy listening kind of pop punk song, feeling fairly laid back throughout with some soft, thoughtful vocals. It's not until the end of the song that things get a bit crunchier. Following a section of "Whoa-oh"s things get louder and the song finishes with a flourish. The opening guitars of It Came To Me In A Dream are quick and punchy before the vocals come in to make the song a real toe tapping head nodder of a track. I loved how the melody changes between verse and chorus - keeping the song sounding fresh. There is also a lovely use of harmonies and some great "Ba Ba Ba Ba Da Ba Ba"s that will get a crowd gleefully singing along. White Girl Wasted is the song title that stood out most to me when I first checked out the record. Starting out slowly before coming alive, this is the longest track on Death to False Posi and probably my favourite. It's about liking what you've got but realising that there is more to life. It's about getting out of your home town and exploring the world. Finding your own way. It's a really positive feeling track, kind of life affirming. Great stuff. Not Very Strong is a song about worrying that a relationship is ending and not feeling strong enough to deal with that. Featuring additional vocals from Jill Morris of The Young Go-Hards, it is an honest and emotional song with some more excellent harmonies. I go on a lot about harmonies, but I really do enjoy a good one. Not Very Strong has a superb three part harmony that is slightly moving. I also enjoyed the big ending of the song, after the restrained power pop sound that dominates the song there is a big, loud guitar finale.

Sixes is the ninth song on the album. The guitar work at the beginning of Sixes makes you realise that this is going to be another downbeat affair. That's not to say the tempo is slow, it actually feel like one of the faster songs on Death To False Posi. The overall tone of the track is dark, with the song being about struggling to find a way to finish a relationship because you don't like the way a person has changed. The tenth track, Whiskey Woahs, starts with the lyrics "You Say You Want Me But That Sounds Like The Whiskey Talking, You Say You Love Me But You Don't Know My Name" opening the song up before the full band really comes into play. It's about a bad relationship with someone who you keep seeing at a bar. This is another of my favourite songs on Death To False Posi, it grabs you immediately, has some great guitar work and plenty of moments for me to sing along. The penultimate song on the album is Spinning. It features a lovely lyric that goes "My Wheels Keep On Spinning, When I Think Of You I Can't Keep Myself From Grinning." The song is about finding someone who actually makes you happy when everything else gets you down. The final song - Sappy Love Song is also about this. This time the lyrics that really stand out are "To See You Smile At Me, There's Nothing More I Need To See." Both of these final two tracks feel like a lovely and uplifting way to finish to Death To False Posi. They make you see that not everything is so bad. Like Death To False Posi, which is a great album from Four Lights.

Stream and download Death To False Posi here: https://fourlightsrock.bandcamp.com/album/death-to-false-posi

Like Four Lights here: https://www.facebook.com/fourlightsrock/

Top Tens: Derma from Talco's Top Ten Punk Rock Influences

This week Derma from Italian ska/folk punks Talco gives us his top ten punk rock influences.

NOFX
The first Nofx album I bought was “White Trash Two Heebs And A Bean”. In my opinion, their best album. It’s natural for people that listened punk in 90's, having bands like this as a reference!

Rancid
And Out Come The Wolves and Life Won’t Wait are a must for a band like us, that mix punk and ska music.

No Use For A Name
My favorite melodic punk band. When I write songs for Talco, I’m indirectly often influenced by the melodies of Tony Sly. No Use For A Name are one of the bands that I've never stopped listening to, since I was young.

Lagwagon
Listening to their latest album, Hang, makes me realise how great Lagwagon are at songwriting. With an impressive back catalogue, including Thrashed, Hoss, Double Platinum….only a few bands can be that consistent. Lagwagon is one of the best examples.

Bad Religion
They were one of the first punk-rock bands that mixed melodies with old punk-rock, giving birth to a new wave of punk-rock.

Dropkick Murphys
Since the beginning of Talco, Dropkick Murphys and their unique blend of folk-punk have been a huge influence on us. Sing Loud Sing Proud is the soundtrack to our 10 years of traveling.

The Clash
The revolution of punk-rock. Since London Calling, punk-rock gave birth to a new way and punk attitude. One of the most important bands in the history of music.

Satanic Surfers
Hero Of Our Time - Another album that I Love and have listened to on repeat for 17 years!

Mad Caddies
We’re now good friends with these guys, but when I was young I saw them as fan countless times at concerts in Italy. Duck And Cover is one of Talco’s first influences.

Propaghandi
Punk mixed with politics and good attitude. Technically more professional than 99% of worldwide punk-rock bands. Incredible band.

Talco have a new record out in September. Pre-order it here: http://amzn.to/2bgMUtB

Like Talco here: https://www.facebook.com/talcopatchanka/

Gig Review: Big D and the Kids Table at the Camden Underworld 14/8/16

August is traditionally the month for punk rock shows at The Underworld. A who's who of bands come to the UK for shows at Boomtown and Rebellion Festivals and add shows at the Underworld to their tour. This August The Adolescents, The Dickies, Flag, The Bouncing Souls, Leftover Crack and Big D and the Kids Table all played Underworld shows. Camden has been spoilt. On Sunday the 14th of August Emma and I went to see Boston ska punk legends Big D and the Kids Table.

First on at the Underworld were Bullets With Blue Eyes. The London based four piece were a new band for both Emma and I so neither of us were sure what to expect. Bullets With Blue Eyes played an interesting brand of soulful Clash-inspired punk rock. Emma and I both favoured the more Clash-sounding songs in their set, a couple of which had some fantastic choruses. Bullets With Blue Eyes are a band with a different sound and I'm interested to see where they take it next.

Up next were Colchester favourites The Jellycats. It felt like ages since I last saw The Jellycats play live, so I was especially looking forward to their infectious ska punk sound. Taking the poppy ska sound of Madness, adding a strong dose of punk and mixing it with some cheeky Essex humour, The Jellycats are an incredibly entertaining live band. Even without their brass player (I'm sure he wasnt' there the last time I saw them either) the band are on top form and manage to get the crowd moving early. Co front people Ollie and Emma work fantastically well together, playing off of each other during and between songs. The set also included an excellent cover of Robin Thicke's smash hit Blurred Lines. All of The Jellycats clearly have a lot of fun when they are on stage and this makes the crowd have a lot of fun as well.

London's Popes Of Chillitown took to the stage next. The six piece were finishing a two week tour and seemed determined to finish it with a bang. The energy that the Popes put into their set is nothing short of incredible and, like The Jellycats before them, they got the crowd skanking quickly. The band's frontman is quite ridiculous. I'm not 100% sure his legs are attached to his back as they seem to have a life of their own, constantly skanking away and seemingly out of anyone's control. The Popes are the ultimate good time band, you can't help but enjoy them whilst they are on stage. Highlights of their set included the songs Wisdom Teeth, Opoom, Vamos A La Luna and, set closer, Bad Man. This gig was also the band's sax player's final gig with the band. To celebrate he got / was forced down into the crowd to have a dance, during Bad Man, before getting back on stage to finish the song. Great stuff from the Popes, one of the UK's best ska punk bands.

Finally it was time for Big D and the Kids Table. This gig felt like a very long time coming. I was supposed to see Big D play at the Underworld with Random Hand back in 2012/13 time, so it was great to finally have the opportunity to see them here again. I had previously seen them at Slam Dunk Festival but that was only a short thirty minute set - I was looking forward to finally seem them play for longer. To open the set the band's guitarist, bass player and drummer took to the stage and started playing the introduction to the song Faded before frontman David McWane and two brass players. I figured they'd play out the rest of the song but they began another. I love the song Faded so I was a little disappointed by this, but this was soon forgotten as the band played song after song from their entire discography. Surprisingly they played the classic LAX very early on in their set. This was a great move as it really got everyone moving and singing along. How It Goes is my favourite Big D album (I finally got a vinyl copy from the merch table) so any song played from that was a particular highlight. Along with LAX, it was great to hear My Girlfriend's On Drugs, You're Me Now and The Specials cover Little Bitch live. Other favourites from the night included Noise Complaint, Checklist, Shining On and Try Out Your Voice. Big D and the Kids Table are an incredible live band, flawless in execution and full of passion. Big D don't play shows because they want to, it's because they have to. Thanks for coming back to London Big D, you are loved. Please come back soon!

Album Review: Struck Dum Records presents Punks vs Depression

Struck Dum Records is an independent record label based in Aberdeen and run by the wonderful Mitch. In June Struck Dum released a brand new compilation named Punks vs Depression. As you might have guessed from the title, it's a charity compilation with all profits being donated to The Scottish Association for Mental Health - who do some amazing work in helping people with mental health issues get back to work, as well as promoting suicide prevention. An extremely worthy cause. If that wasn't good enough reason to buy the compilation it also features seventeen tracks of punk rock awesomeness.

There is a great selection of different styles and some nice surprises on the compilation. Starting off the comp is After The Fall's Mike Moak playing an acoustic version of Dedication. The full band version of this track is packed with emotion and this translates well on the acoustic take of the song. Next up is Struck Dum Records band Watchfires. Watchfires contribute the song King Midas which is an energetic burst of indie punk goodness. Glasgow's pop punks Northern Nightlights contribute a new song in the shape of Makes Me Mad. In particular I really enjoyed the use of dual vocals on the song. Pop punk done right. The next song comes from Colin's Punk Rock World favourite Paper Rifles. It Always Rains In Scotland is a love song with the message being that everything is wonderful as long as you're with the person that you love.

Leading Scottish pop punk band The Murderburgers and The Kimberly Steaks provide the next two songs. The Murderburgers track is actually just Fraser playing an acoustic version of new song Waves from his upcoming new album The Twelve Habits Of Highly Defective People. The Kimberly Steaks also provide an unreleased track. Give It Time is what we've come to know, expect and love from the three piece - fast, loud and relentless Ramones-core pop punk. Robot Doctors provide a track from their 2015 EP Routes named Animals. Sadly Robot Doctors are splitting up this month, which is shame as they are a criminally underrated band with a great skill in writing melodic rock music. Austria's Astpai add some European melodic punk rock to the compilation. The song Fainting from their newest 7" Run From Home is featured and is everything I've grown to love about Astpai. Fantastic technical punk guitars and some distinctive emotional vocals from Zock Astpai.

Billy Liar is up next with a fantastic acoustic cover of Smoke Or Fire's Neon Lights. I imagine most people reading this know that Billy and Smoke Or Fires Joe McMahon are good friends, so I think it's pretty cool that this cover was recorded. It also features another friend of Billy's, Paper Rifles, doing some backing vocals. Up and coming Edinburgh punks Elk Gang are next. Their song Market To Mission is yet another unreleased track and really packs a punch. Lead singer Kev has one of my favourite vocals of any new band I've heard in the past year - it's really powerful and carries a lot of emotion. When Mitch first told me about this compilation he told me it features a lot of bands that I love (which it does), so I was quite surprised that my favourite song actually came from a band I'd never heard before. That band is State Line Syndicate and the song is Borrowed Time, the first track on their album Go Back To The 90s. The song is about living life how you want to and not how someone else does because we're not here for a long time.

Lancashire pop punks Don Blake provide an acoustic version of their awesome track The Plan. One of my favourite things about this comp is the unique versions of songs I already know. When I hear acoustic music, especially in the punk world, I always feel like it needs a big sing-a-long feeling to it. The Plan certainly has that. London via Greece gruff punks The Burnt Tapes make a welcome appearance on Punks vs Depression. One of the best new bands coming out of the London scene their song Adrenochrome Heights is fantastic. This is shout along gruff punk done really, really well. Scottish punks Science Made Us Robots are one the scenes best kept secrets. They contribute the fourteenth track on the comp with the song Hopeless Attitude. One of the things I loved about Science Made Us Robots when I first heard them was the thick Scottish accent giving the fast punk rock tunes a slight Celtic tinge. A cracking band that deserve a lot more attention.

Tragical History Tour aka Derrick Johnston of Make-That-A-Take Records changes things up somewhat with his track What Would Vinnie Mac Do? Normally playing acoustic punk rock, this song has almost a lo-fi electronica style to it. It was really interesting to hear Derrick create a song like this and it's still great. Taking things in a completely different direction are Glaswegian hardcore band False Hopes with a song named Red Cola. If Tragical History Tour relaxed you then False Hopes will get you seriously amped up again. A minute and a half of furious hardcore punk rock fun. The final song on Punks vs Depression is interestingly another of my favourites despite never having heard of the band before. This is the great thing about compilations, discovering brilliant new bands. Chicago punks Lost Years song I've Still Got A Soul Left To Lose from their 2014 album tradition is absolutely brilliant. It's a fantastic slice of thoughtful pop punk music. On the surface it's a fun, light pop punk track but it's actually about something much deeper. It's about feeling like you're losing a bit of yourself every day and the struggle that comes with that.

I love listening to new compilations but very often they do have songs on them that you might not like. This really isn't the case with Punks vs Depression. All seventeen songs are completely brilliant - I've listened to this a lot without skipping a single track. Go and buy it now!

Buy Punks vs Depression here: https://struckdumrecords.bandcamp.com/album/struck-dum-records-vol-1-punks-vs-depression-2

Album Review: Paper Thin by Paper Thin (by Emma Prew)

Paper Thin are a recently formed four-piece emo / pop punk band from Newcastle, Australia (not to be confused with Newcastle, northern England). Last month they recorded their debut EP and last week it was released to the world. Colin was originally going to review this, after discovering Paper Thin himself on Bandcamp. But when he shared the link with me – as he does when he finds music that he particularly likes and thinks I will too – and I had a listen, he suggested I review the EP instead… because I loved it!

There are 5 tracks on this debut EP and first up is State Of Your Life, Mate. The song sort of feels like a bit of an introduction, not only to the EP, but also to the band themselves. It’s a very short song at only 1 minute and 13 seconds, yet it instantly shows just how good this band and this debut EP are. Of course there are obvious comparisons to Wil Wagner and The Smith Street Band, not least for the Australian accented vocals, but that’s definitely not a bad thing. Lyrically the song deals with admitting how you’re feeling (not okay) and working out what to do next in your life. Just when the song gets to what you think is the chorus – ‘I’m so homesick, for where I left and where I crawled back, I’m so homesick, now I don’t know where I am anymore…’  – it ends. Which definitely left me wanting more!

And I wasn’t left wanting for very long as the second track, Sixteen Months, kicks in immediately where State Of Your Life, Mate left off. Sixteen Months is a song that was previously written as a solo track by Paper Thin’s singer and bassist, Spencer Scott. However the version on this release is a reworking of the original with the full band – I haven’t heard the original so I can’t comment on the differences though. The song begins fairly slowly, with only guitar at first. But after the first couple of lines of the song, the drums kick in as well as some more melodic guitar – great stuff. There is real sense of progression in the song as the music gets louder towards the second verse and then just before the chorus there are some wonderful oohs from, I assume, other members of the band. Paper Thin describe their music as ‘emo’ which is certainly reflected in the lyrical content – ‘A leaping heart, controlled by an anxious mind. I'm still waiting on hold, for you to say you're mine. In sixteen months nothing has changed, I'm still falling for you and you don't feel the same.’

Hotel Spencer is another song that has been reimagined for this EP. This song has a bit of a different feel to the previous two, I think I would say that it’s more angry. But I definitely mean angry in a good way! The kind of anger that is liberating and, for the listener, has you with your fist in the air and screaming along – at least, that’s what I imagine for this song. Like the previous tracks, this song has a similar theme of anxiety and insecurity which I know is something that many of us can relate to in our own way. Spencer sings about feeling more comfortable performing than in day-to-day life – music is, after all, a form of release. ‘I am 1,028 kilometres from home. I am the furthest I have ever been on my own. But I feel safer on this stage that I do back home, watching myself go nowhere in the corner of this room.’ 

I must admit that when Colin first linked me to the Bandcamp page for Paper Thin and I spotted the word ‘Japan’, I got quite excited (I’m a huge Japanophile, if you didn’t know). Japan Song, written by the band’s drummer Liam Tobin, is very different to the rest of the tracks on the EP in that it’s a far less serious song – and much more on the pop punk side of things. From the opening lines ‘I don’t want to work today, I’d rather be on holiday’, you can tell what sort of feel this song is going to have. It’s fun, it’s super catchy and full of some clever rhymes. My favourite line is ‘Let’s go, time to go, Go adopt a Totoro’ – and if you don’t know what a Totoro is, click here. I love Japan Song and it’s a refreshing addition to the EP.

By complete contrast the closing track on Paper Thin, Haircut, is, well, much less cheery. The song is a fairly slow paced one that begins with gentle guitar. When the vocals start – ‘For my birthday you took me to a barber, and you bought me a nice haircut.’ – you can hear every bit of emotion. I also sensed an air of resentment or bitterness increasing as the song goes on. It seems an odd subject to write a song about – getting a haircut – but it’s clear that the song is about more than that. I imagine that the line at the end of the song – ‘I really fucked up the sideburns. I know I fucked it up.’ – could be interpreted as being about more than just a haircut.

If Paper Thin sound like your cup of tea, you can download the EP on Bandcamp which comes with PDFs for a full lyric sheet, liner notes and… instructions on how to make an origami dinosaur head! Which, by the way, I gave a go but I’m not convinced I followed all of the steps correctly.

You can also like Paper Thin on Facebook. Go, go, go!

Punk gigs are the best gigs (by Emma Prew)

I'm 25 and I've been going to gigs for more than ten years. My parents – ever a positive influence on my musical upbringing – have always been big live music fans themselves (and still are) so I went to some of my first gigs with them, including R.E.M., Muse and, err, Green Day! 

When I was 14 or 15 I used to go with a couple of fellow 'alternative' (or ‘greebo’) friends to local shows at a place called The Pitz. It was just an auditorium of a school / leisure centre but I got my fix of live music, my first – and last – experience of being in a mosh pit and learnt how to 'skank’. Plus, I came home smelling of other people’s beer and cigarettes (Remember when it wasn't illegal to smoke inside UK venues? Ugh.).

Going to The Pitz was a fairly regular thing, but we also occasionally ventured into London for bigger bands – Funeral for a Friend were a firm favourite. Back then, when I was still at school, I only really went to about four or five gigs a year (which was still probably more than most of my classmates). As I got older I was able to attend more and more gigs and got well and truly hooked on live music. But when I talk about the live music I saw – and indeed music that I listened to in general – when I was at school, I’m not talking about punk rock. There were guitars a plenty so it’s not like I’m saying I went to see [insert name of radio-friendly pop act], but punk rock came a little later.

Although I’d been becoming progressively more and more of a punk fan through my college and university years, it wasn’t until 2013 when I really got my first feel of the live music side of punk. I’d seen The Kings Blues, Dropkick Murphys, The Gaslight Anthem and Reel Big Fish in previous years, but it was only when I saw The Menzingers at Camden’s Underworld that I got a proper insight into ‘the punk scene’. And what a wonderful scene it is!

I am now a massive punk fan and probably about 90% of the music I regularly listen to falls into the various sub-genres of punk rock. Though I do like some non-punk artists as well, I certainly go to far more ‘punk’ gigs than any other genre of music. That doesn’t mean I won’t want to go see, for example, Will Varley or The Decemberists. However the more non-punk gigs I go to, the more I appreciate the punk scene and all it has to offer.

There are a number of things that I think are great about punk shows that, in my own personal experience, aren’t the same at other gigs I’ve been to:

1. At a punk show, people are genuinely bothered about seeing more than just the headlining band. We are pretty spoilt in our scene in that you can almost guarantee that your favourite punk band will bring other bands you know and love on tour with them. Or if they’re not bands you already love, you probably will do after the gig. You certainly get your money’s worth at a punk show. At other gigs that I’ve been to its not unusual for people to either turn up just for the last band or to – and I think this is probably worse – talk through the support band’s set. You don’t go to a gig to chat with your friend about what you watched on TV last night!

2. Some people might think that a punk show would be full of unnecessarily rowdy and inconsiderate people but it’s actually quite the opposite. Sure there’s movement in the crowd – punk rock is hardly music to stand still to – but I feel like, for the most part, people are aware of those around them. The age-old rule of ‘if someone falls down, pick them back up again’ is definitely apparent in the punk scene. Another thing I’ve noticed, as a 5’2” female punk fan, is that tall people tend to avoid standing in front of me at gigs. They don’t have to do that but it’s very much appreciated. The same can be said for finding your ‘spot’ in the crowd and keeping it. I find at punk shows, although I suppose generally the venues are smaller, people don’t really push to the front – especially not if you arrived late. Unlike when I went to see Band of Horses last month and two girls came along right before the band were about to go on stage to stand directly in front of me – and not allowing me much personal space either. They did actually move after a few songs and I still loved that gig, as Band of Horses are a brilliant live band, but it is a bit of a let down when the crowd isn’t as friendly as I’m used to.

3. Like many others, I tend to snap a couple of photos on my phone at gigs. I like to post them to Instagram and/or Twitter with miniature reviews attached to them – plus I’m the ‘official’ Colin’s Punk Rock World gig photographer. That said, I only take a couple of photos – usually at the beginning of a band’s set – and then my phone goes away so I can fully enjoy the show. For some people it’s not enough to simply enjoy the gig though. Some people insist on filming large chunks of a band’s set on their phone – which, let’s face it, is probably terrible quality and you’ll never do anything with – or phoning their friends who aren’t at the gig so they can listen to the music down the phone. I’ve never received a phone call from a gig but I can’t imagine you can hear much more than white noise. And let’s not forget the latest craze of taking selfies at gigs… just why? I’m happy to report that these sorts of things don’t often happen at punk shows. I had a rant on Instagram (which has resulted in this full blog post) a couple of months ago after seeing Beans on Toast in Milton Keynes. There were selfies, videos and phone calls a plenty at that gig – plus a group of girls talking during Beans’ set – which resulted in Beans on Toast himself complaining about it (and confiscating one girl’s phone!).

I apologise if this turned into a massive rant but really what I’m trying to say is that punk gigs are and always will be the best gigs for me. I’m not going to stop going to see band whose music, regardless of genre, I like but I’ll never underestimate just how much I truly love being at a punk gig. The punk scene is so welcoming and I truly feel at home there, far more than I ever will in any other ‘scene’ or at any other kind of gig.

Top Tens: Daniel from Four Lights Top Ten Punk Rock Influences

Daniel Gardner from Seattle's power pop four piece Four Lights give us his top ten punk rock influences. Four Lights have a new album named Death to False Posi out on August 15th.

Writing out your Top Ten anything is hard.. But especially when it comes to my punk rock influences. There are so many things that influenced me throughout the years that it’s hard to nail down 10. So here are my Top Ten (in no specific order) things that inspired my love of punk rock.

The Replacements
Every teenager should listen to Let It Be, Stink and Sorry Ma. My Dad was a HUGE Mats fan so their music was everywhere in my life growing up. There is something about Westerberg’s ability to write clever, honest lyrics with an amazing melody and back it with loud guitars and huge drums.

The Impossibles
I ordered some album from Fueled By Ramen and it had an advert for The Impossibles Anthology. It described it as a mix between Operation Ivy and Weezer. Sold. Give it to me now. I preached the gospel of The Impossibles for many years to anyone that would listen. If you were in my car, at my work, in my class, on the bus with me, I told you about this band. Their early stuff was that mix of ska/punk with power pop that just hit all the marks for me. They had the ability to go from bouncy ska verses into massive, loud crunchy chorus like no one else. One of the most underrated bands and really helped mold my songwriting when I was a teenager.

The Clash
It was summer vacation sometime when I was in grade school and there was a Rock the Casbah video on TV. I called my Dad at his work and asked him which Clash record I should listen to. He asked if I wanted to hear something like the song I just heard or if I wanted to really love the Clash. He told me to go grab London Calling and self-titled out of his massive vinyl collection. He wasn’t wrong. I loved those records. They led to my dad suggesting many more bands to check out.

The Kraken
The Kraken is a bar in the University district of Seattle. If you’ve ever been, you already know. Everyone is family there. I have seen some of the best punk rock of my life at that bar. The amount of amazing bands in Seattle (The Young Go-Hards, Ol Doris, Success, Kids on Fire Amsterdam) is so great that they constantly inspire me to be a better player and a better writer. The Kraken gives all of these great bands a place to play their loud and fast music and probably make some new friends.

Bracket
I remember when I first heard 2RAK005 on Fat Music for Fat People. I jumped out of my seat to restart the song and grabbed the case to see who was making this magic! Bracket. The harmonies, the melodies, the arrangements. This band lured me in with their fast paced rock and I fell in love the more they experimented with their sound as their albums evolved. They continue to inspire me to this day with every new album they release.

La Escalera Records
La Escalera is a focal point in the punk rock scene on the west coast. A bunch of musicians who help each other out and look out for each other. Will, Ziggy, Shrum all make me want to be a better person and help the scene out however I can because those guys do so damn much for punk rock.

Rancid
I grew up with Salvation, Time Bomb, Ruby Soho all playing on mainstream radio. What a time to be alive!! Rancid is a combination of so many things I love in music.. Loud guitars, rock and roll guitar solos and great melodies. Falling in love with Rancid led me to other bands in the genre.

Less Than Jake
I wore out my copies of Losing Streak and Hello Rockview. They were so scratched up and skipped in so many parts because I would carry them around with me just in case there was a CD player nearby that I could play them on. If you haven’t noticed, I am a sucker for a catchy melody and these guys have it. Clever lyrics to boot. Once again, with Vinnie starting Fueled By Ramen, I found out about so many more bands and the fact they were constantly on tour, I got to see so many great punk bands come through town with them.

My Parents
Both of my parents were really into music. Their leather jackets were in the hall closet and my dad still had the t-shirts and my mom had many of the tickets still from their time going to bars in the Midwest to see the bands coming through. We had family outings to see The Sex Pistols, Paul Westerberg, Weezer, Rancid, etc etc etc. I consider myself lucky to have parents who love some amazing music.

The Ramones
I’m sure everyone says them.. But with good reason. Only two types of people don’t like The Ramones; fools and liars. We rented Rock and Roll High School and I once again was pulling records from my parents collection to spin and spin and spin them. One of my earliest love affairs with punk rock.

You can pre-order Death to False Posi here: https://fourlightsrock.bandcamp.com/releases

Stream  Death to False Posi here: http://newnoisemagazine.com/stream-four-lights-death-false-posi/

Like Four Lights here: https://www.facebook.com/fourlightsrock/