V is for Violent Minds

WULF MOON

An 00’s relic that stands up much better than many contemps, even if they didn’t play a zillion shows or anything. While I won’t credit them with being the first of the “Violent” bands, they were probably the first on my radar (with the exception of the Violent Femmes of course). Seems like you can’t spit without hitting a “violent” bands now. Violent End, Violent Future, Violent Side, Violent Situation (that name...ugh) but VM leads the pack for me, with Violent Future being a close second (I mean, you’ve seen those photos with the singer decked out in a Stone Cold Steve Austin jersey right?).

Great logo. Great lyrics.They have a pretty flawless discography, while some people couldn’t get into the drum sound of the LP (going as far as to call it “St. Anger” esque) there’s really nothing here that I don’t like. Burly and aggressive, but fast. Sounds retarded in a “smash someone with a fluorescent tube” kinda way, and not “I’m a tactless wigger trying to undo the fact that my rich parents raised me on a golf course” kinda way.

Ain’t tryna get preachy, but if you still haven’t dug into this band, then this far into your hardcore career, you’ve failed, horrendously.

U is for Underdog

LIL BABY

One of the more unique bands in the ‘core circuit. Richie has an amazing singing voice (made all the more evident on his recordings with Into Another) and the band never shied away from incorporating reggae influences/structures into the mix. If there’s a holy pillar of Lockin Out, Underdog definitely deserves a corner...and this isn't even including the Carl the Mosher era stuff which is just as crucial.

Anyway, here’s an ad for their first EP, cover art by the incredible stylings of sir Sean Taggart. What’s most interesting here is that it was coming out on a Cali label, as Revelation didn’t quite exist yet. I’m guessing Pushead had his own distro, but Raunch is a record store here in SLC. Kinda cool that they were among the first places to distro this thing. When Raunch re-opened in 2009, I came in wearing an Underdog longsleeve and got the owner talking it up.

Frontside grind

T is for Think I Care

Armageddon (dun dun) can't come (dun dun) soon enough

Because they were the best band of the 00's. Stop talking about American Nightmare for a while. I'm a fanboy and everything I say will be unbiased and stupid, so instead I'm going to post this review of the self titled LP that DFJ wrote in Lockin Out Fanzine #2. Read it. Live it.

Attn Posers and drama queens: This record makes any of your tragic "hate mosh" bands sound like My Beautiful Balloon. On this LP being released by Deadalive, Think I Care have created a brilliant formula combining Infest/DYS fast parts and Sheer Terror style dirgy riffs. The results are devastation even for someone as degraded as myself. I mean, Jesus Christ, Infest, DYS and Sheer Terror? This is the only band in existence that can pull something off like this. Anyone with half a brain knows there's a transparent wrinkle inside the Shumsky basement (see Twilight Zone episode, "The Mirror Image"). Why would a band sound like this if they didn't crawl out of a fuckin' Brooklyn sewer? I'm glad they recorded at Atomic because the production is a lot beefier than on previous records. When "Bitter End" comes on, get your goofy ass gumby skank the fuck outta here because you will end up as floor finish. -Written by DFJ and appeared in Lockin Out Fanzine #2

S is for Slapshot

NONE O' THAT FRIGGIN RUHHHT BEEEEER

Did any of you maggots REALLY not see this coming? Well...I guess you're not all on my Instagram steez, so I shouldn't fault you. I've been watching Slap Shot (film) a lot this week, which means I've been digging into Slapshot's (good) catalog at work, which means I've been kind of obsessive lately. 

Whatever. Slapshot's one of the greatest this genre's ever born. Straight Edge for the meat n' potatoes guys, the sports fans and the guys who weren't into any of this "everyone's a winner, let's talk about it" strain of scuttle-butt punk goofballery. BOSTON MASS: WHERE THE MEAT IS RED AND THE MEN ARE MEN. Sounds a little bit homo-erotic upon re-reading it, but no matter. I will never not be into a band with a singer who baits the crowd with a hockey stick and makes slurs against other cities.

At a work party I found a burned copy of the 'shot documentary Chip on my Shoulder. I took it home and thoroughly enjoyed it, and forced my roommates to watch it with me. Especially the footage of Choke playing guitar on an old tree branch. Like all the greats, they took a few side roads in the 90's, but for my money, you're really not going to find a band that touches Back on the Map, Step On It and shoot...I even dig 16 Valve Hate. 

I will never not be all about this band. 

R is for Rampage

I don't behave. I be-slave.

I still think Rampage is one of the lesser praised bands in the Lockin Out canon, which is weird. They're pretty much the only band from the early era (within the first 10 releases) who still plays the occasional show. 

I probably got this picture from a Tee Till Death post or something,  mostly because I don't remember seeing their gear floating around too much. A friend of mine had the shirt with the gorilla holding up the letters, Donkey Kong style, but it was a color way that I wasn't crazy about. This is just the artwork from Heads in a Vice, a record that's got more than enough play for me at the gym (cliche, I know). This is a cool shirt, but I can't help but gawk at those heinous pit stains. Seriously, it looks like someone rubbed a grey oil pastel under them rosies.

I'm a sweaty guy, so I feel this pain. I've gone through the shameful experience of sweating through a coating of deodorant in a matter of hours. "Oh, you're getting pit stains? Try using a deodorant that doesn't have an anti-persirant in it. There's metal in there that reacts with your sweat." Sounds like a load of hippie-speak, but it's probably true. Problem is, I need an anti-persperant. I'll sweat through anything else. I'm also not a big fan of the whole "tee shirt under a tee shirt" thing either. So yeah...I've got some really serious problems in my life. Not as serious as the time I bought some "medical grade" sweat stopper from a local Kroger and ended up setting fire to the first 4 layers of skin under my arms...ugh. Can anyone vouch for Botox?

Oh, Rampage rules. The LP was one of the best of the decade, and the art ruled. Know your history.

Q is for Quicksand

An open letter to short sleeve hoodie-wearers

Please forgive me for taking a cop-out in choosing “Quicksand” for “Q.” The letter Q is kind of difficult to dig up stuff on. I mean, I was going to do the Bad Brains album The Quickness. Not because I like it (I hate it), but because it starts with Q. These letters (I’m thinking Z will have a similar effect) make you start settling for weirdness and undercutting your abilities. That ain’t what I’m about.

Quicksand really need no introduction. They played on Jimmy Fallon fer Pete’s sake. I saw them last year in Los Angeles, and though I was excited to see them, I was somehow more distracted by seeing Dinosaur Jr and wasn’t as hyped as I could’ve been..but then they blew me away. I’ve never seen a band that tight before. Just in-the-pocket greatness. Jordan Cooper from Revelation, along with some others, were all on the stage behind the amps with their kids dancing around in Youth of Today onesies and such. Say what will you will about that stuff, but it was hard to be upset at seeing so many people having fun. I distinctly remember some doofus yelling out “Play a Gorilla Biscuits song!” and Schriefels laughed him off. 

But this isn’t about me and my dumb summer. This is about how many left of center videos Beavis and Butthead would watch/comment on. In my mind, nothing touches their commentary on the Grim Reaper video, or the Pantera video for “This Love.” This is pretty funny right off the bat though, cuz Walter is immediately compared to Lloyd Christmas. That’s funny.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find this video without foreign (Russian) overdubs, so you’re gonna have to deal with it. Not sure if this video ever appeared on one of the DVD collections that got released...