(album re-visited)

Alexisonfire


Let's get one thing out of the way here: Alexisonfire's 2002 self-titled debut album dominates my life. The album is, in my opinion, forty-two minutes of the most pure raw passion ever put to hardcore punk. Many of you may groan because this is Alexisonfire, the same band that gave you "Boiled Frogs", but before there was safe radio post-hardcore, there was this. Cutting, razor sharp, energetic tunes that stick to you like leeches. From the depressing guitar riff of .44 Caliber Love Letter to the final shrieks of Pulmonary Archery, Alexisonfire is the finest record that five eighteen and nineteen year old kids could possibly make.

Alexisonfire's early sound is characterized by raw production, constant tempo changes, high-pitched guitar leads, harsh screaming, pretty backup vocals, strange but poetic lyrics, and powerful climaxes. Some of the songs sound like demos, that's just how punk rock and no-frills they were. During this time, they described their sound as "the sound of two Catholic high-school girls in mid-knife-fight" (you should take a look at their artwork and maybe read a few lyrics) and I think that this describes their sound pretty accurately.

You can tell that Alexisonfire weren't in it to make a quick buck at this point. And being as young as young as they were, a lot of their youthful energy, struggles, and artistic wandering made its way onto this album with no commercial goal in mind. Some odd things make their way on to the album such as a blood-curdling scream, death growls, and the following lyrics:

Even in their randomness, they do paint an odd mental picture that only an artsy high school student could understand.

During the large amount of time that I have spent with this album, it has been relevant with me in one way or another, whether that be musical or lyrical inspiration, relevant lyrics, or the overall mood that it portrays. I wish that Alexisonfire made more albums like this, or even "Watch Out!" but Alexisonfire said it best in the absolutely terrible "Keep It On Wax" from their 2006 album Crisis. "Times change and people change with 'em". Or on "Old Crows" from Old Crows/Young Cardinals. "We are not the kids we used to be". I respect that Wade, but when I hear the painful gang-screaming on Waterwings, I wish you were.

98%
Masterpiece

Propagandhi "Dear Coach's Corner"



I was never able to see eye-to-eye with Propagandhi when it came to politics and social issues. For one, I do have religious beliefs, something the band openly opposes, and two, they're outspoken vegans which I often get annoyed with. But when I heard that they wrote a song criticizing Don Cherry and the pro-army propaganda that everyone seems to enjoy associating with sports, I was intrigued and thought that I would finally download their album.

The song is from Propagandhi's newest release "Supporting Caste", which I downloaded almost purely so I could listen to this song. While the rest of the album is pretty good, nothing can compare to the lyrical quality, vocal performance, and catchiness of this song.



The main draw of this song is are its lyrics. The song is written in the form of a letter to Ron MacLean, Don Cherry's "foil", so to speak, in the Coach's Corner segment of Hockey Night In Canada. The letter starts off by describing singer Chris Hannah's experience at a hockey game in which he took his six-year old niece. There was an intermission that "paid honor" to the troops in which soldiers rappelled "down from the arena rafters". His niece asked why they had guns and he took her and left the arena. The letter goes on to criticize Don Cherry's pro-war comments on the program, and how he is not the kind of man children should be listening to.

The song is important to me because not many people are willing to criticize Don Cherry. To most Canadians, Don Cherry is a hero, due to his extremely patriotic stances and for being entertaining on Hockey Night in Canada. It restores my faith in Canadians that some people see him the way I do.

Originally Posted by Alfred (album re-visited) Alexisonfire Year: 2002 Genre: Punk Length: 42:16 Let's get one thing out of the way here: Alexisonfire's 2002 self-titled debut album dominates my life. The album is, in my opinion, forty-two minutes of the most pure raw passion ever put to hardcore punk. Many of you may groan because this is Alexisonfire, the same band that gave you "Boiled Frogs", but before there was safe radio post-hardcore, there was this. Cutting, razor sharp, energetic tunes that stick to you like leeches. From the depressing guitar riff of .44 Caliber Love Letter to the final shrieks of Pulmonary Archery, Alexisonfire is the finest record that five eighteen and nineteen year old kids could possibly make. Alexisonfire's early sound is characterized by raw production, constant tempo changes, high-pitched guitar leads, harsh screaming, pretty backup vocals, strange but poetic lyrics, and powerful climaxes. Some of the songs sound like demos, that's just how punk rock and no-frills they were. During this time, they described their sound as "the sound of two Catholic high-school girls in mid-knife-fight" (you should take a look at their artwork and maybe read a few lyrics) and I think that this describes their sound pretty accurately. You can tell that Alexisonfire weren't in it to make a quick buck at this point. And being as young as young as they were, a lot of their youthful energy, struggles, and artistic wandering made its way onto this album with no commercial goal in mind. Some odd things make their way on to the album such as a blood-curdling scream, death growls, and the following lyrics: Even in their randomness, they do paint an odd mental picture that only an artsy high school student could understand. During the large amount of time that I have spent with this album, it has been relevant with me in one way or another, whether that be musical or lyrical inspiration, relevant lyrics, or the overall mood that it portrays. I wish that Alexisonfire made more albums like this, or even "Watch Out!" but Alexisonfire said it best in the absolutely terrible "Keep It On Wax" from their 2006 album Crisis. "Times change and people change with 'em". Or on "Old Crows" from Old Crows/Young Cardinals. "We are not the kids we used to be". I respect that Wade, but when I hear the painful gang-screaming on Waterwings, I wish you were. 98% Masterpiece

It be my music and film collection.

"I think if you do it long enough, then you get better at it. You're on the road a lot and you just get better. Also, we had a great producer, Julius Butty. We learned what we like to play. We're no longer virgins to the studio. We're just not quite the band we were a long time ago."