Z-Soundtrack posts are blog posts where I speak about songs that have someway helped shape the songwriter I have become, or have meant a lot to me. I will post these every once in awhile, sometimes more than once in a day! Basically whenever I think about a song that ROCKS!
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Song: Punk Rock Rulebook
Artist: 88 Fingers Louie
Year: 97-99 or some shit?
Year I first heard it: Late 1999
I've decided to do the first song based on a song that really helped shape my views of the "selling out" critique. As a highschooler listening to punk rock (Face to Face, Mxpx, Millencolin, Dogwood...etc.) it was extremely quotidian to say "Blink 182 are sellouts!" during this year. If you are young (like 11-17, since I have no idea what the hell our fanbase will look like), let me explain: In 1999 Blink 182 came out with an album called "Enema of the State". It included 3 hit songs, "What's my age again?", "All the Small Things" and "Adam's Song", all which got a ton of mainstream air time, as well as peaking on MTV's TRL. Blink 182 was huge. I'd try to relate them to nowadays All Time Low, except All Time Low isn't anywhere near as big as Blink was. Blink sold over 10 million album worldwide, I think ATL sold like over 100,000. Big difference. I guess you can compare Blink more accurately to like Lady Gaga nowadays (in terms of fame).
Blink started out as a local band in San Diego. I never saw them play, because living in San Diego I never really was into pop punk. I had beautiful weather, I didn't need music to help me escape. It wasn't until NY that I got into this sound.
So when I first heard PUNK ROCK RULEBOOK, I was originally attracted to the hard pop punk sound, similiar to Dogwood, and the sick bass line, drum fill in the first 5 seconds. I never really read the lyrics until a couple years later, when I realized what the song was about!
"Don't talk to me about selling out,
cause I won't be listening
you're just another jaded kid,
who doesn't see
I'm making money
that's quickly spent
I've got a family and you ain't gotta worry about the rent
Is it too much to ask? Do me a favor close that punk rock rulebook
Cause times have changed and so have I, I need to get by
Don't think I'd blindly take this all
without asking questions
You've waited years for me to fall
and I'm still here
You think you're clever
what do you know?
The punk bandwagon's taken you where you don't want to go"
They make an excellent point. I'm guessing the song was written about their signing to Hopeless records. They were probably another local band, and after signing, people talked shit all the time. My real question to any bands that are big playing music that they love: Why the hell do you care what kids say about your band? Don't defend yourselves as not being sellouts to children! It's so much easier for you to talk when your mom and dad buy you everything. Once these kids get a taste of the real world, maybe then they can talk about what a "sellout" is.
Not only do they bring this awesome point, but they downplay the "cleverness" of it. You're not unique, smart, intelligent, if you call a band "sellout". That's pure ignorance. Especially depending on what band you're talking about!
Why you should care: Other than an awesome message, if you are into ALL TIME LOW, and the whole HOPELESS RECORDS thing, 88 Fingers is an old veteran of Hopeless Records, released a long time ago. I'd strongly suggest picking up "BACK ON THE STREETS" where you will find a ton of awesome hard pop punk tracks. Includes awesome catchy songs such as this one, Joyboy, Elmer's, Selfish Means, 100 Proof and Admission! Listen to them all!
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