27th August 2009

Audio

Black Randy & the Metrosquad - Down at the Laundrymat

I meant to open Tuesday’s show with this track, rather than “I Tell Lies Everyday,” since I’m planning to play it on tonight’s Vandelay Industries (10PM-12AM tonight on WMUA!), but I accidentally hit track three instead of four, so I figured I’d upload it here, because it’s so good.

Vinyl Countdown reissued Pass the Dust, I Think I’m Bowie earlier this year on a double LP, and it’s pretty fuckin’ awesome. There’s so much great stuff on it, and you can easily see what’s awesome about West Coast punk music from any track on this record. It’s all got that sense of humor that made shit like Dead Kennedys fucking awesome, but this stuff’s particularly interesting because of the way they blend so many styles, too. I feel like every band that came out after the Ramones has said something like “When I saw the Ramones for the first time, it made me feel like this was something anyone could do, so then I started (insert name of any punk group).” Black Randy isn’t like that.  These guys had chops, but they still managed to keep the same attitude that so many people seem to leave behind when they start to know how to play their instruments. They’re one of the few punk bands that I feel like might have actually gotten better if they’d kept going.