I Breathe the Underground

Punk in the City #6: 88 Fingers Louie

Punk in the City is a biweekly feature introducing influential Chicago punk, hardcore, post-hardcore, pop-punk, indie, and rock bands that have had a big impact on my personal musical evolution (and the Chicago scene in general).

When I first listened to them back in junior high, 88 Fingers Louie were the fastest, most in-your-face band I had ever heard. They were just this raw, melodic, speeding punk-rock bullet that I couldn't stop (listening to). The brutal harmonies really got me fired up; as a teenager, 88 Fingers was the perfect band to release a little angst to.

After I'd been part of the punk scene for a little longer, it became clear to me 88FL's earlier recordings sounded strangely like what might occur if Minor Threat borrowed Pennywise's drummer for a few albums. Alas, 88FL were struck down in their prime; shortly following what might still be my favorite punk recording of all time (1998's Back on the Streets), the band called it quits.

Aside from the group's aggressive, cohesive style, 88FL is also known for a powerful, complex bass presence, courtesy of Joe Principe -- yes, yet another future member of Rise Against. Notably, Glenn Porter, future Alkaline Trio drummer, played an early role in 88FL's evolution. 88FL has certainly left a few large footprints in more recent punk rock history -- appearing on infamous comps like Fat Wreck Chords' Fat Music for Fat People and a handful of Hopeless Records' Hopelessly Devoted to You albums.

I don't feel like the group really grew into its own until Back on the Streets, which spotlighted tight drumbeats (and even tighter fills), complicated-but-fun bass riffs, refined vocals, and an all-around upgrade in quality that left the band's rawness intact. The album also spawned the most blisteringly fast song I'd ever heard ("Worst Man Won"), introduced by Joe Pesci's infamous skull-cracking quote from Casino. After that, they dropped a split EP with Kid Dynamite that was short but delicious before breaking up for good.

88FL were an outstanding, influential, and sorely-missed piece of the Chicago hardcore scene, but they left behind a pretty awesome legacy that spawned two of Chicago's most famous punk bands (RA and Alk3). Give 'em a listen below.

Download 14 100 Proof

Download 01 Out There

Download 10 Worst Man Won

"If they only knew / what I have seen and what I have been through. / The truth / is bottled up inside 100 proof."
- 88 Fingers Louie, "100 Proof"

The Top 20 Greatest Underground Debuts Pt. 1

Today I came across Amazon.com's 100 Greatest Debut Albums of All Time. Sure, the post was meant to pander to the consumer. Some marketing stiff at Amazon likely saw an opportunity to highlight some great albums, conveniently linked to Amazon's store. The list wasn't a total waste, though, highlighting some spectacular albums and some I found to be duds. No accounting for taste, I guess.

A few of the highlights from Amazon's list: U2 - Boy, Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures, Metallica - Kill Em All, Bob Marley - Catch a Fire, The Clash - The Clash, Kanye West - The College Dropout, Sex Pistols - Nevermind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols, The Smashing Pumpkins - Gish, Weezer - Weezer, Sonic Youth - Confusion is Sex, Morrissey - Viva Hate, The Shins - Oh, Inverted World.

(No, I will not link these albums to Amazon. Go support your local DIY store for chrissake.)

A few of the duds: Beastie Boys - Licensed to Ill (cmon guys, you started off in hardcore punk then decided semi-intelligent hip-hop babble was your niche?), Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers (simply because I hate Tom Petty and I do not understand the appeal), The Postal Service - Give Up (I love this album, but it's the only one! Let them release another before you hand them industry cred!), 50 Cent - Get Rich or Die Trying (can't Fitty get rich AND die trying??).

Anyway, the point is that the Amazon list inspired me to create a list of my own, incomplete though it may be. This is part one of a four part series. Without further ado, I give you the Top 20 Greatest Underground Debuts.

20. The Weakerthans - Fallow - Shortly after John Sampson left Propagandhi, he formed the ambitious and callous Weakerthans. Given Sampson's disposition with the Weakerthans, it was probably better he hung his punk shoes up. Fallow defined an awkward new sound in indie that brought another spectacular Canadian band into the limelight of the scene. Track from Left and Leaving.

Download 03 Watermark

19. Panic! At the Disco - A Fever You Can't Sweat Out - Before they dropped the !, Panic! debuted with a sound that borrowed from recently outed Fall Out Boy, mixing heavily with dance-pop beats and tons of hooks. Too bad Panic! decided to quit the sound they were so instrumental in bringing to the masses. Then again, if a bunch of shitty rip-off bands followed immediately in my footsteps, I'd probably make a change as well.

Download 03-panic_at_the_disco-london_beckoned_songs_about_money_written_by_machines-jrp

18. Protest the Hero - Kezia - Protest the Hero showed up just in time to save metal from the clutches of metalcore. Crafted from incredibly tight, heavy beats, wandering bass, insane guitars, and flawless vocals, Protest the Hero took something like ten years to tweak Kezia to perfection. Was it worth it? This humble blogger thinks so.

Download 07 She Who Mars The Skin Of Gods

17. From First to Last - Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has a Body Count - Before Sonny Moore left From First to Last, the band was a complete unit, blending elements of modern emo and metalcore into abrasive, emotional anthems. The follow-up didn't quite satisfy, but DDMTAHABC will remain a consistent spin on my playlist.

Download 03 - From First to Last - Note to Self

16. The Get Up Kids - Four Minute Mile - There's no doubt in any emo kid's mind that the Get Up Kids are still kings of their genre. Following on the heels of 90s emo success like Texas is the Reason and Sunny Day Real Estate, the Get Up Kids were a defining moment for the emo scene. Unfortunately, a bunch of shitty pop-core bands followed, molding the term "emo" for their own use. Do you see a trend forming here? Track from Something to Write Home About.

Download 01. Holiday

Extracurriculars Were Never This Cool

Recently, I've been finding a bunch of sick new bands that build on Hot Water Music's gruff lyrical sound into something of apost-hardcore/pop-core hybrid. Although there were other contenders, like Houston's O Pioneers!!! or New York's Bridge and Tunnel, none of the post-hardcore heroes landed the blow quite as solidly as New York's Polar Bear Club.

Polar Bear Club mixes lush, gentle melodies with gruff, abrasive breakdowns. In the more melodic moments, PBC utilizes complex and lightly distorted guitar, complemented by lead singer Jimmy Stadt's bipolar (stop it, that pun was made on accident) vocal stylings. In the next moment, PBC turns into a freight train of HWM-influenced power, bursting at the seams with emotion and hooks. At times, PBC busts into full post-hardcore glory with huge, sweeping riffs and unpredictable movements.

PBC recently released its first full length, Sometimes Things Just Disappear, and I highly recommend you pick it up. Definitely up there in the running for best of 2008.

The only thing that I dislike about PBC is the name...lately, I need everything in my arsenal to keep my mind off the shitshow that has been Chicago's winter thus far. Think warm, happy thoughts. Maybe they could change the name to Gigantic African Sweaty Hippopotamus Association or something. Okay, that's not my best idea. Anyone have a better one?

Download 02 Hollow Place

Download 05 Burned Out in a Jar

"Is this a bad chase dream where speed's not what it seems? / The pedal's pressed, but nothing works. / Bite your nails 'til your fingers hurt."
- Polar Bear Club, "Hollow Place"

Punk in the City #5: The Killing Tree

Punk in the City is a biweekly feature introducing influential Chicago punk, hardcore, post-hardcore, pop-punk, indie, and rock bands that have had a big impact on my personal musical evolution (and the Chicago scene in general).

Tim McIlrath has been in a slew of Chicago bands, a few more of which you'll probably meet over the course of the Punk in the City series. But none of those bands (other than Rise Against) holds quite the same place in my heart as the *hibernating* post-hardcore glory of the Killing Tree.

According to the band's (and McIlrath's) Wikipedia page, the Killing Tree is still technically alive (albeit not well) -- even though the quartet hasn't released a new recording since 2003's We Sing Sin EP. It's hard to believe the Killing Tree could still have plans for the future with the enormous success of Rise Against, but a boy can dream, can't he?

The Killing Tree is melodic hardcore with a little punk thrown into the mix, driven by the now entirely recognizable vocal stylings of McIlrath. The vocals are far more intense and gravelly than Rise Against's, and TKT's music trades speed for heavy-hitting riffs and drums. Melodic breakdowns and clean guitar complement sudden mood swings of fiery hardcore explosions. All-in-all, TKT is a dark roller coaster ride down a tunnel of post-hardcore angst.

TKT's total "active" years span 2000-04, but will they ever play together again? Unlikely. But I'll continue to keep my fingers crossed. In total, TKT has released two EPs and one full-length (Bury Me at Make-Out Creek EP, The Romance of Helen Trent, and We Sing Sin EP). A few samples have been posted below.

Download 01 The Killing Tree - Prelude To Pain

Download 02 The Killing Tree - Everything you had is gone

"If you can stand on your own two feet / then you can get up off your fucking knees."

- The Killing Tree, "Violets are Blue"

You Can't Argue with Greatness

I've been catching a lot of recent press on the freshman offering from the post-hardcore power of La Dispute. Where the hell did these guys come from? Grand Rapids, Michigan, apparently. I recently picked up the group's first full-length, Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair. A mouthful, I know. Also, a serious stab at the best any-core album of 2008, late in the year though it was.

SATBOTRBVAA is quite possibly 2008's most adventurous album, functioning as an entirely unique unit. While you can hear La Dispute draw from At the Drive In, the similarities are really only there in concept; the vocals are spoken methodically or screamed with a raw emotion, while the beat is consistently changing. Lead singer Jordan Dreyer is an angry poet, capturing a kind of ferocity I can't say I've ever come across in a lead singer. His vocals ooze with confidence and emotion, consistently following the tone of the music, leading the dramatic flow of the music.

La Dispute is just dark and strange enough to come out of the melee of post-hardcore wannabes with one of the most unique and ambitious offerings of 2008. Stand out tracks: "Such Small Hands," "Said the King to the River," "Fall Down, Never Get Back Up Again."

Hey, here are a couple of La Dispute songs for your aural pleasure.

Download 01-la_dispute-such_small_hands

Download 05-la_dispute-fall_down_never_get_back_up_again

"I think I saw you in my sleep, lover / I think I saw you in my dreams / you were stitching up the seams / of every broken promise that your body couldn't keep / I think I saw you in my sleep."
- La Dispute, "Such Small Hands"