Well, I’m back again for another week of new-ish fine-ish music. Thanks for the positive comments. I missed you all as well. So, there should be some candy in this week’s episode of Tales From The Drop Box because for some unknown reason there are more pop sounds than usual. So, don’t be alarmed if there is not a plethora of heavy music or you missed your favorite punk rock track. We will get back there at some point but for now,
here is what you will find in Episode 194 (2021-06):
Faded Paper Figures – “She’s Walking Out” (Kairos)
Bull – “Green” (Discover Effortless Living)
Cloud Nothings – “Things I Fucking Like” (April 2021 EP)
Fightmilk – “Hey Annabelle!” (Contender)
Polish Club – “Stop For A Minute” (Now We’re Cookin’)
Acid Dad – “Good Time” (Take It From The Dead)
Ferraro – “Fools Paradise” (Sweet Fever EP)
The Jungle Giants – “Treat You Right” (Love Signs)
Nonagon – “Hack” (They Birds)
Free Throw – “Ocular Pat Down” (Piecing It Together)
Authority Zero – Seas And Serpents” (Ollie Ollie Oxen Free)
LionLion – “Language” (Perspective)
Demolition Doll Rods – “Believe” (Into The Brave)
Eddie And The Hot Rods – “Do Anything You Wanna Do” (Life On The Line)
Maggot Heart – “Lost Boys” (Mercy Machine)
Tales From The Drop Box Episode 194 (2021-06)
Meet me in the club tell me that’s what’s up baby hold on hold on, wait stop for a minute … Well, I’m a lover, girl, I want you to know well, I will treat you right I got your number, babe …
Well I bet you thought that this podcast had evaporated into the sands of time. It still might, but I’m going to give it a shot. As this is only Episode 5 of Tales From The Drop Box in 2021, and we’ve had several COVID vaccine options in the time I’ve been away, I’m hoping that as things now, after some clusterfuckery, are heading on a positive trajectory. Maybe it was the January 6th insurrection and coup attempt that got me sideways, but I’ll try to get back on track. So, rather than jibber-jabber about nonsense, here is what you came for – nuggets of sonic goodness that will make you want to shake a body part or two.
Here is what you will find in Episode 193 (2021-05):
Neighborhood Brats – “Miss America Pageant” (Confines of Life)
Chubby And The Gang – “Coming Up Tough” (The Mutt’s Nuts)
Jake Bugg – “All I Need” (Saturday Night, Sunday Morning)
Kurt Vile – “Run Run Run” (I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute To The Velvet Underground)
Kenny Hoople/Travis Barker – “Estella//” (Survivor’s Guilt: The Mixtape)
New Candys – “Evil Evil” (Vyvyd)
Social Haul – “The Bayou” (Social Haul)
The Lillingtons – Project 313″ (Can Anybody Hear Me? A Tribute To Enemy You)
Mighty Oaks – “Ghost” (Mexico)
Useless I.D. – “Turn Up The Stereo” (Most Useless Songs)
The Snuts – “Always” (W.L. (Deluxe Edition))
Citizen – “I Want To Kill You” (Life In Your Glass World)
Skeggs – “Fantasizing” (Rehearsal)
Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros – “Coma Girl” (Assembly)
Halsey – “The Lighthouse” (If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power)
Tales From The Drop Box Episode 193 (2021-05)
Two broken hearts, but I won’t let you go until you are a ghosts to me…Coma Girl was beating with the oil drum gang some fast food fanatic was burning down a burger van . . .
Blah Blah Blah was a pretty good album by Iggy Pop and the theme for this week – Blah Blah Blah. As we get closer to the only election that matters and a turning point in our country’s future, the real question is whether good will triumph over evil. That an election should decide the battle of good and evil is a truly sad thought. Why you might ask? Did you ever consider that the result of that battle is still a toss up after almost four years of misery both political and personal, and that we still are nation gripped by a pandemic and racial unrest. Good will triumph over Trump … eventually.
Tales From The Drop Box Episode 172 is just the antidote for an oppressive real world. There is hope and here is about an hour of it.
Here Is what you’ll find in Episode 172:
Alexa Melo – “Digital” (Demoitis)
The Thank Yous – “The Indie Pop Demon” (Good Times Killing Us)
The Warlocks – “Sucking Out Your Soul Like A Son Of A Bitch” (The Chain)
The Angry Agenda – “We Shall Prevail” (War EP)
Catholic Action – “People Don’t Protest Enough” (Celebrated by Strangers)
F.O.D. – “Wrong” (Sleepville)
Left Hand Black – “Children Of The Night” (Left Hand Black)
The Cowboy – “Mr. Lamppost” (The Cowboy 7”)
Angel Du$t – “Lil House” (Lil House EP)
Selfish Things – “Flood (Alternate Version)” (Logos (Alternate Versions))
Nite Sobs – “Back On The Ride” (Do The Sob)
Transit Method – “Cannibals” (The Madness)
The Cavemen – “Death Row” (Various Artists – AA/VV In The Shit Records Collection N. 1)
Unwritten Law – “Fight” (Here’s To The Mourning)
The Dead End kids – “Hey Du” (Kommando Glitzer)
I heard you were concerned with my life I heard you had a lot to say motherfuckin’, thanks for nothin’ . . . I think I have answers the world is a cancer our blasphemous mantras of bullets and blood . . .
Another week, another 4300 deaths in America. Perhaps we should take a long hard look at what we are doing to prevent the spread of COVID-19. You already have much confirmation that your government will not save you, your family or anyone else from this deadly virus. Honestly, the only effective weapons in the fight seem to be wear a mask and stay the f__ away from each other. Seems simple and practical to me. It is also readily apparent that not everyone is on board with simple and effective.
As evidenced by my first trip to a beach yesterday, Mr. Belding, not a notorious sun worshipper, attempted a foray into the wild only to observe that, for many, COVID-19 does not exist and physical distancing is a mere suggestion. Amidst all the 1st Amendment debate over the claimed right to not wear a mask in a pandemic (Freedom of Expression) and the stupid outrage over having to wear a mask as somehow a violation of this right (Karens and Kens – you know who you are), what is apparently missed by a markedly large number of covidiots is that society depends on personal accountability and wearing a mask is an expression of that personal accountability choice. That is, in order for society to function we can not reach a critical threshold of people who are just ass hats.
Mask mandates for public health reasons should not be necessary. No government wants to order people to do what should be obvious. The big picture is that we need to actually care about each other and be personally responsible and accountable for our own actions and not let our desire to be “different”, part of the “silent majority” or any other lame excuse to be a moron and actually interfere with the right of others persons to be free from stupid. Don’t be an idiot, wear a mask and as noted above, stay the f___ away from me.
As for Episode 168 of Tales From The Drop Box, I am solely responsible for the content. Yup, and in my humble and very biased opinion, I believe this episode, much like the 167 preceding this one, is it worth about an hour of your time. 15 songs by bands that you likely don’t know much about, in a variety of genres that are carefully mixed to touch your soul. I am personally responsible for making sure you enjoy your time. Give it a try.
Here is what you’ll find in Episode 168:
Portland – “Lady Moon” (Your Colours Will Stain)
The Rhymes – “Viral” (The Rhymes)
Spacey Jane – “Wasted on Me” (Sunlight)
Honest Men – “Lose My Head” (I’m Okay)
The Airborne Toxic Event – “All The Children” (Hollywood Park)
Custard – “Take The Skinheads Bowling” (Respect All Lifeforms)
America’s Favorite Punk – “Mr. Citizen” (Life After Quarantine)
Flashfires – “Circus Boy” (Flashfires)
Gaffa Tape Sandy – “Meat Head” (Family Mammal EP)
The Growlers – “Dream World” (Dream World)
The Winter Passing – “Ghost Thing” (New Ways of Living)
Loyalty To Me – “Rewrites” (Clash//Co-Exist)
Matthew Sweet – “I’ve Been Waiting” (Blue Sky on Mars Tour – Live At Pleasure Island, Florida June 17, 1997)
Manic Street Preachers – “Roses In The Hospital” (Filet O Gang Remix Remastered)” (Manic Street Preachers)
Dream Wife – “Homesick” ( So When You Gonna …)
Lady Moon may I ask you why you comfort me? When autumn comes you’re always near . . This is the part where I lose my head breaking my fingers to make amends . . .
Sad week in America. COVID-19 deaths are increasing, George Floyd’s senseless death, and violent protests against police brutality exposing a systemic failure of leadership and a nationwide culture of racism. All this is against a backdrop of civil unrest, looting and destruction in many cities across America demonstrating just how thin the line between good and evil is in this country. The politics of outrage will not be a satisfactory response to the wounds of racism ripped open this week and then poked at by the occupant of the White House. Regardless of your political affiliation, you should certainly be able to see the injustice perpetrated against Black America and institutionalized in the militarized police force against all persons of color. Certainly you should be able to recognize that George Floyd’s death was morally wrong. He was murdered by a police officer and three others watched and failed to intervene. Black lives do not matter to the police as currently constiuted in cities across the nation. The data is shocking and disturbing. Police violence is not isolated.
As this week’s George Floyd protests have spotlighted, police violence is endemic and it is multi-generational. NWA’s “Fuck tha Police” (August 9, 1988) was not the only song pointing out the obvious 32 years ago, the Dead Kennedys, eight years earlier than that identified the police as a criminal gang in “Police Truck” (May 1980). “Police Truck” was inspired by an incident in Los Angeles in the late 1970s in which two police officers performed illegal activities such as drinking on the job, beating up drunks, and raping prostitutes. A similar incident was documented recently in 2017. Obviously, I do not have the answers but I have to believe that answers do exist and are out there to be adopted. A recent report issued by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights entitled “Police Use of Force: An Examination of Modern Policing Practices” might be a good place to start.
Tales From The Drop Box Episode 161 seems a rather insignificant offering in light of the protests, but perhaps you can reflect, as I am, about what we can do to stop the violence. Perhaps it is something simple such as giving support to peaceful protestors who were arrested exercising their freedom of expression and rising up against wrongdoing, such as protesting the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and Ahmaud Arbery. You can contribute to the Minnesota Freedom Fund, Louisville Community Bail Fund, Columbus Freedom Fund, Brooklyn Community Bail Fund, and Los Angeles’ People’s City Council Freedom Fund.
