Posted by GlassPipeMurder on 2008-03-23 13:37:38
My Score:

Armstrong's still got it.

Posted by sleepwalker on 2007-11-09 15:33:34
My Score:

If this album had been released out right after ...And Out Come The Wolves, my 16-year-old self would have lost his mind. Although Tim's lyrics need work, the music is perfect. Go, Aggrolites, go.

Posted by aaron_07 on 2007-09-17 08:03:09
My Score:

this album does alright. its different and kinda cool to listen to to chill.

Rancid desperatly needs to break up. They are becoming a complete and total joke. People mock them; emo kids are the only people buying their merchandise. In the words of Neil Young "it's better to burn out then fade away." By the way, why does Tim Armstrong have two labels? anybody else wonder why. I'm sure curious

i like lars better

LOL @ the comment below, plus Ben Folds.

The "People who liked this also liked" list is pretty interesting. By which I mean delightfully weird.

GWAR, The Police, Sublime and Danzig? A totally obvious combination.

Posted by rockgirl5455 on 2007-06-03 15:52:10
My Score:

Alright, I like this album. Enough said.

However, this review is horrible. Most of it was nothing but rambling.

"But, since titans like Jimmy Cliff and Desmond Dekker created the rocksteady sound, it is impossible to sound better than them as they define the art form and therefore can’t be surpassed"

That doesn't make any sense, just because someone started a movement in music doesn't mean that they can't be surpassed. I actually hate Rancid and all affiliated bands, but that line rubbed me the wrong way like sandpaper made from baby fetus' stubble. Oh yeah, babies don't have stubble. My bad.

assbags haahjahaha

oh and hepcat kick so much ass there arent enough asses in the world to fully describe it. god i love me some hepcat.

paul

Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, May 31, 2007 at 11:15 PM (EDT)
My Score:

This album makes me laugh.

It did give me a new appreciation for Hepcat though (and _Life Won't Wait_ for that matter).

how about all you assbags get a life and stop arguing on punknews? its a waste of fuckin time. you have nothing better to do than get in some unwinable argument with some faceless asshole? i mean i guess it is your perogitive but it seems pointless to me.

this record on the other hand is pretty good. i always crack up when i hear the first line "wake up you son of a bitch". i love tim. good tunes.

I just wrote a huge explanation about huge corporations that are not oligopoys but the comment session timed out or something so fuck it.

-ST

Yeah, Paul!!
And the point was that going to college tends to give you a good life in the corporate sector , a la Bill Gates, but isn't that the lifestyle all these fucking "college punks" badmouth? I personally don't see anything wrong with it, but it does seem to go against the DIY punker-than-you way of life that most of these comment-posters support.
Box

also, my anecdote wasn't ludicrous, its a true story, fact. its also not meaningless, the meaning is that success can be accomplished outside of what most young american males think of as the 'only way' to really make good money in this world (i.e. go to college). again, your comment, mr. anonymous, was rude. since when is putting down a DIY story cool to do? or are you just some hippy that is pro-buglife?

Paul

well, I did go to college, Univ. of Pitt and have a BS in Psych (or as I like to say, a BS in BS....hahahaha BONG).

I was just throwing out a little story for ya'll, a DIY story to warm your heart and prove things can be done outside the stereotypical hs/college/pro job pattern most of us jump into (including myself).

you don't need to be mean about it man. Killing bugs DIY is still DIY negative nancy.

paul

ps. i don't get the god comment, but thank you?

Posted by IKnowNothing on 2007-05-31 13:29:32
My Score:

Socre is for Paul.

What is normal to him amazes us.
He will be our new god.

Okay Paul.... yes. Sure. Great for your relative. He fucking kills bugs. And Bill Gates never graduated from college.

BUT ... on average... graduating from high school and graduating from college have proven to be incredibly valuable.

Your anecdote is ludicrous and virtually meaningless.

Posted by sweetsuperior on 2007-05-31 11:28:57
My Score:

this score is for paul. he speaks the truth.

my sisters husband didn't go to college and worked for Terminex. After a few years he decided he could run the place better than his manager. He got a small business loan and bought a Ford F250, a computer, uniforms, got certified in all of the different chemical treatment licenses, business cards, flyers, pest control equipment and started his own pest control company.

He is now 30 and has been running this company for 3 years. He now has 4 employees and makes about 60,000/year himself. He was making 27,000 just 4 years ago at Terminex.

The point? No, you don't need a college degree to succeed in this country, but you do need a plan and ambition.

Paul

Posted by rkl on 2007-05-30 17:17:55
My Score:

boring.

All this college/corporation bullshit is awesome. I love it.What's it got to do with Tim Armstrong. Anyways, if you're so anti-target and all that, drop out of college. Your money is going to finance even bigger fucks than some soulless CEO. At least the CEO isn't lying to anyone like a universtiy board of directors does. Fucking universities. They are taking thousands and thousands from you in this promise of a "future" that doesn't really exist. Things don't get better after you graduate, it's all a lie. They aren't educating you, that's a lie too. God, I hate it. Seems to me, the only jobs you can get only with a college degree are the corporate jobs you're professing to hate. DIYers don't need a diploma. If you want education, you can do it yourself and better. Then again, I work at Best Buy.
Box

Easily the best Rancid-related release since Life Won't Wait.

ST

Going to college is superpunk. By the way, why are you using a computer?

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, May 30, 2007 at 2:03 PM (EDT)
My Score:

thanks for your thoughts anonymous-oldpunker-

" i know most of you are very intelligent"

Paul, that's the only comment you made that I have a problem with.

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, May 30, 2007 at 12:56 PM (EDT)
My Score:

I already commented on the damn cd oldpunker, its pretty good. its too short, only 9 real songs and a throwaway instrumental that sounds like the 10 instrumentals on the aggrolites s/t album.

the 9 real songs are mostly good, especially the first 4. they all kick ass. take this city is kind of flat. the other 4 songs are pretty good, but kind of run together.

overall, its average. i love tim's reggae side, i love rancid's reggae side, but i think this album could have been a bit longer and more diverse. 'life won't wait' had more diverse reggae offerings, and Tim co-wrote that shit 10 years ago. everything on this solo album seems to be pretty much in the same rocksteady vein.

but its better than nothing. and I love tim's voice. and for the record 'and out come the wolves' is my favorite punk album of all time while 'life won't wait' may be the most underrated.

Paul

Baseball and other dude:

yes, you are right.

i'm not saying that people that graduate college 'abondon' all punk ideals once they graduate. i'm just saying, its a lot easier to 'dress punk rock' and live that lifestyle when you're only real responsibilities are going to 15 hours of class a week and 90% of your expenses are covered by your parents or loan sharks instead of a jobby job.

i fucking hate walmart. i hate exxon. but to make blanket statements like 'fuck the corporations' while sipping a monster energy drink and listening to dillenger 4 on your iPod is slightly hypocritical. but so what? its unavoidable. this is america, and we all have to concede in one way or another to certain facets of american consumerism. it happens. don't be naive about it.

i hope i'm making sense. i know most of you are very intelligent and know what i'm tyring to say and our hearts are all in the right place. thats what counts. personal ideals. i have kept mine. but i'm not going to sit here and lie and tell you i never indulge on a bigmac from time to time. for those of you that wear home made shoes and shirts and grow your own food and run your car with your bare feet, KUDOS! you have done what all punk kids originally stived for.

Paul

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, May 30, 2007 at 12:46 PM (EDT)
My Score:

um, what does any of this stuff half to do with the music on this cd? nothing, keep the he said she said bullshite outta here, this cd is just good music, period, Tim has had some crazy shit come out in his day but I think that after 20 years or so involved in the punk community and its music, everyone has a dud or two ( except Social D, biased opinion) even Tim and Rancid and op ivy..all the Tim haters? shut up, get over yourselves and enjoy the aggrolites with Tim armtrong. geez-oldpunker-

haha, what? i'm sad and old? i'm 27, 5 years younger than you. number 2, i'm quite happy, i work for my family business (how's that for DIY, my Dad built it from the ground up and now I am helping take it to the next level and hopefully next generation). I live by my morals. I support myself, I got through college in 4 years, I have never unintentially wronged anyone by any means. as for 'sad', i am happily engaged to the woman of my dreams. if you mean't i'm a 'sad' excuse for a person, i find that obnoxious, being that you've never even met me.

I never claimed to be 'punk' if punk means shopping at the salvation army, wishing you were poor, squatting and being a retard with a mohawk. I have, however, been to hundreds of what would be called 'punk' shows and I own hundreds of what would be conisdered 'punk' cd's and have been into this 'scene' and type of music for over 10 years and have been coming to this website for over 5.

i stopped arguing about who's punk, who's keeping score and such years and years ago. I grew up in white upper middle class suburbia, in pittsburgh, in the same school district as anti flag (for those of you that don't know, anti flag come from money). i wouldn't front that i'm some gutter punk.

i just like the music. and i find the bickering over whats punk and whats not and how shopping at target makes you a sellout pretty hilarious.

for the record, i do not shop at walmart, but i frequent target and best buy, smoke parliaments, drink beer made by for profit breweries, use gasoline, drink diet coke and shop at macy's and other chain stores.

at least i'm honest. something most 'punk's have trouble grasping. hell, most 'squatters' are just rich kids running from their parents and the inevitability of a stable, 'normal' suburban life.

Paul

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, May 30, 2007 at 12:33 PM (EDT)
My Score:

I am in college at the moment. And maybe I have not experienced much of the "real world" as you put it Paul. But one thing I do know is that I will continue to not buy shit from corporations. If you shop at corporations you are giving into the system in my opinion. Yes I shop at corporations for food but that is only because the local co-op is too damn expensive. I don't eat meat. I will never ever buy anything from a best buy or target again hopefully. One of the problems with America is that most people are way into commodities, whether it be a persons girlfriend, car, etc. Everyone is just trying to impress people and until you can pass a point and start thinking outside of the system you will be stuck in this superficial way of thinking. The majority of the world makes less than $5 a day, think about that the next time you buy Nikes or Converse. And Tim Armstong is not punk in any way anymore. It isn't even the music, it is evident in the music videos, showing girls flaunting skin, talking about money in the lyrics, etc.

-ST

paul is a fucking sell out. dude im 32 and i live by my morals. your a fuck and i dont consider you punk by any means. your sad and old.

Paul:

i see people leave these comments on punknews pretty often and i have to say i don't really understand them

i never really got why 'growing up' means you have to abandon your 'college ideals'...if anything i have less reason to shop at Walmart or Target (neither of which i do unless i absolutely have to) because of post-college income levels

if people want to shop at Target it doesn't bother me, that's their prerogative...i choose not to support those companies personally

i'm not going to pretend like i live outside of some 'corporate system' though...i work for one, most people do and there's not a whole lot you can do about that if you want to live financially independent anymore in a metropolitan area

there'll always be things you can control when you get older...for example, yeah i might work for a corporation but i'll never work for the government or in the defense industry, that's a personal ideal that i'm still upholding

i just don't think it's really fair to equate getting older as a good reason to sell out your old ideals...not everyone does that, and i assure you there's still plenty of people out there living the same way they did back when they were in college

That was funny and I completely identify. I've lived in Lansing (MI) and Blacksburg (VA) over the course of the last 10 years. In both towns I have had indie record stores which I have supported and with virtually no exceptions, everyone who works there have been elitist indie assholes who turn their noses up at whatever I'm buying (the only positive comment I've gotten in the last few years was suprisingly for the new Street Dogs). I'm feeling my loyalty to these stores dwindling everyday that goes by. As stated below, if I can buy a CD I like at Target (rare, but it happens), I won't think twice. Why should I stay loyal and support these indie stores when all they do is act like a bunch of dickwads. Sorry I'm not buying Bright Eyes or !!!, assholes. I guess it would suck if there were no stores in my area that sold punk, but fuck, that's what Al Gore invented the internet for.

by the way, i bought my copy at FYE. best buy didn't have it. there are no good local cd stores in my town. if there were, i wouldnt spend hte 17.99 a cd to shop there anyway, even if i did get the added bonus of some elitest indy kid turn up his nose that i got the tim armstrong solo album instead of sunset rubdown or of montreal when I check out.

Paul

if you smoke brand name cigarettes, drink coke or pepsi products, eat fast food, eat chain hippy ripoff foods you are....a normal american! this whole 'down with the corporations man, we're gonna tear 'em down with this crunchy groove or we're gonna tear 'em down w/ 4 chords and a lot of yelling' mentality is such bullshit.

i just think punk kids, who have yet to really do anything of import in life other than open their eyes in college man, just like the way 'corporation' rolls off their tongue. kind of like sell out.

wait til you're 27 and not under mommy and daddy's financial wing anymore or you're in the real world, not getting drunk everynight, skipping class and spinning larry arms cd's anymore and actually working 40-60 hours a week at whatever job you may do (professional, trade or job that pays bad but lets you have exposed tats) you will realize that all this time you and your friends spent talking shit on 'the corporations' while doing nothing about it outside of going to punk shows, doing shit DIY brah and not shopping at walmart or fueling up at exxon, you didn't do a goddamn thing different than your baby boomer 'hippy' idealest parents who threw in the towel in their mid 20's as well.

quit being such fucking dorks about it. i shop at target. its called bargain shopping. something you do when you have to work for a living and pay 45.99/month for your internet connection, not your dad or your tuition.

Paul

i dont like tim armstrong for the simple reason that he looks like some kid from my infant school who hated me for no reason

Posted by truebeliever on 2007-05-30 00:34:53
My Score:

that skinhead rob thing...wasn't even remotely funny

(score is for the album)

Hi Everyone, This is Lindsey Nagle, Skinhead Rob spokewoman reporting from beautiful downtown Los Angeles. We all know there is still ill feelings over the Armstrong-Dalle divorce.

Skinhead Rob wants all of his fans to know how he feels about this Tim Armstrong review on punknews.org. Skinhead Rob had this to say, "Yo, I ain't down wit dis. Y'all see what dis dib to Tim, right? Well to get back at Brody, errtime I go to the dentist or Mr.Cartoon's, I bust out the Mad Libs and crib out Brody's name out YO! It also helps me wit da rimes! Hey I sell drugs! Seacrest Out!"

We caught up with punk pioneer Jerry Only he had this to say, "Um, like, whos dat? I was eating a slice in New Jersey and you bother me wid dish shit? Why is a skinhead rapping? Lemme ged dis straight?A rappin' skinhead with clown tattoos?I gotta go count my loot from da merchandice, before Glenn wants to become my friend"

"What were you doing at target?"

Probably working there. Those hippy-dippy non-profit jobs are pretty fucking scarce - I'd say that a majority of punks work for the same type of corporation they bash to bits in their music. Thats how they stay so pissed. The singer for Warzone Womyn works at the fucking Gap and HeWhoCorrupts are computer techs in some chicago office.

-Ken

I did look for it in my local record shops and also best buy. It was just weird that the only place i could find it was in Target.

oops, I meant "heartbeat".

Free sandwich, stop being an elitist wanker. I usually respect you and your comments, but if it is OK for you to shop for cheap groceries at Target, you can't blast Tim for marketing his music at one. If bands that I listen to are sold at target, I will buy them in a hearbeat, as my local indie store charges far too much for new releases. I'm not going to pay 16-17 dollars for this CD, especially when you can download it for free. I'll go to Target and pay the 10 dollars that they are likely charging. No disrespect, just wanted to call you out on that one point!

Posted by JonDaley on 2007-05-29 18:58:44
My Score:

This album is pure background music. The instrumentals are good but Tim is boring, so there isn't much need to actually pay attention.

Posted by holla on 2007-05-29 17:37:58
My Score:

I had to listen to this all weekend because my brother is all into reggae and this album is not good. The lyrics are horrible. Obviously Lars and Matt are the carrying forces of Rancid at the moment.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 at 4:28 PM (EDT)
My Score:

The first 5 are steller. After that it's not as good.

Posted by lushj on 2007-05-29 16:19:11
My Score:

Thumbs up! I also waited for the full-length instead of chasing it around the interweb. Fun stuff, it's gonna stay in my cd player for a long while...

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 at 3:45 PM (EDT)
My Score:

great album, my only complaint is the length...only 10 songs and one of them an instrumental? would have made a killer e.p. though, the first 4 songs are incredible. Must have for any rocksteady ska fan.

oh and the review is dead on. I'm pleased to see you've done your homework in regards to the 60's and 70's era reggae/rocksteady/ska movement in jamaica and even pointed out some of the key artists from the genre (toots, jamaicans, melodians, skatalites, ethiopians, etc.)

Paul

Alright review, but great cd, although its only 10 tracks.

I only have seven of the ten songs. Where can I find what I am missing?

I have Hold On, Wake Up, Into Action, Take This City, Translator, Inner City Violence, and Lady Demeter.

I think that means i am missing Among the Dead, Cold Blooded, and something else....

I downloaded them all from the various spots they were "hidden" online for free, but seem to have missed three tracks.

So, I have tracks 1-6 and track 8. Was the rest of it released for free online as promised? If so, where can I find the missing tracks?

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 at 1:13 PM (EDT)
My Score:

"A Poet's Life"? Has he been hanging out with Tom DeLounge?

It's a fun album. Is it great? No Is it horrible? No It's Tim messing around with music.

Posted by socrates on 2007-05-29 12:58:40
My Score:

tim armstrong is one of the most overrated persons in punk.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 at 12:34 PM (EDT)
My Score:

i'm with the dude below. this album is shocking and Tim is a dick!

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 at 12:31 PM (EDT)
My Score:

can't bear to listen to this utter wank. simply a pile of crap

I really hope the new rancid is good. I mean after the last transplants album and the last lars frederiksen album and they should have all that of that thug shit out of their system, right?

Posted by COMMODORE_STRYCHNINE on 2007-05-29 11:50:14
My Score:

Great album...however, why isn't this called Tim Armstrong & The Aggrolites? The Aggrolites do play on every track. Just wondering.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 at 11:46 AM (EDT)
My Score:

i like this album. i think it starts off stronger than it ends, but still overall its really good. its fun summer music. the lyrics are not tim's best work but i dont think thats really what he was going for here. tim does want he wants and experiments and works with all sorts of musicians and i think he should get credit for that instead of being shit on.

for anyone who hasnt heard the into action (remix) japan bonus track...its amazing...better than the original.

I stayed away from listening to the tracks online until I bought the album. I still love the feeling of putting an album in the CD player, laying on my bed and listening.

I've been increasingly listening to more and more reggae and dub and I was pleasantly surprised by this album. In a way, it takes me back to Life Won't Wait, my favorite Rancid disc.

Stand out tracks: "Take This City", "Among the Dead" & "Cold Blooded".

Yes, it should be West Indian Heroes. I am stupid and don't know my geography.

Shouldn't that be "West Indian heroes"?

canadian pop stars who are on the n and the disney channel are so punk.

"could the song possibly be refering to an Op Ivy reunion?"

Nah, wishful thinking

Fantastic. This is the kind of album that's so good I have to restrain myself from the desire to listen to it 10 times a day.

Side note - I haven't analyzed the lyrics to "Among the Dead" very closely, but could the song possibly be refering to an Op Ivy reunion? "Among the dead we will rise" sounds like it's a veiled prediction of the future.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 at 10:36 AM (EDT)
My Score:

"While many groups excel at the technical aspects of the music, the soul is unfortunately lost in this attempt to mimic the sounds of Jamaica circa 1971."

Score is for the above quote. SO true.

Posted by ejaculine on 2007-05-29 10:29:43
My Score:

I don't get the hate for Indestructable, I love that cd. The only thing I can stand is The Transplants, especially because of Rob. He just plain sucks.

Anyway this cd is awesome, I've already listened to it about 20 times this past weekend. I just wish it was longer.

Posted by baseball on 2007-05-29 09:45:45
My Score:

music's good as expected

vocals are bad, can't take his voice seriously in front of this kind of music

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 at 6:58 AM (EDT)
My Score:

great cd-oldpunker-

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 at 6:30 AM (EDT)
My Score:

Great album - horrible review.

reviewer used the term "rocksteady" at least 15 times. i have not heard the entire album but most tracks i've heard are simply reggae.
and comparing tim's almost spoken word / raping with alton's singing ....
but i like the tracks i've heard so far, and can't wait until album arives in the mail.
big up to the AGGROS !!! boss sounds as usual !!!

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 at 2:27 AM (EDT)
My Score:

This is easily one of the worst reviews I've ever read. You obviously have no clue about Jamaican music and are just namedropping as much as possible to make people think you what you're talking about. Rocksteady albums of the 70s??? WTF?

Cheap groceries.

While Tim and I parted ways at Indestructable, I think I'll probably pick this up with the faith that it will be a return of sorts. And to the freesandwich guy below, what were you doing at target?

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 at 2:08 AM (EDT)
My Score:

why does anybody still give a shit about this asshole?

seriously. its two-thousand-and-fucking-seven.

Posted by freesandwich on 2007-05-29 01:56:10
My Score:

score is for the fact that i saw this album at target today

That one single sounds like a reggae version of Mambo No. 5.

Pass.

Posted by GlassPipeMurder on 2007-05-29 00:18:39
My Score:

Aside from some of Indestructible I have loved everything Tim has done. What I've heard from this album is no exception.

I can't understand it. Listening to punk for so damn long, I've gotten to the point where I can listen to almost any type of vocals, and almost any type of voice possible. Except for Tim Armstrong. I don't understand it, but there's just something about his voice that I just can't fucking stand. I tried listening to one of the songs on this cd, and I just couldn't get through it, just because of his voice.

Posted by osi on 2007-05-29 00:11:25
My Score:

I think that up to now, it is clear what a fucking musical genious Tim Arsmtrong is:

Operation Ivy, Rancid and The Transplants...

Hellcat records...

This album just comfirms what an open mind for music he has and that he is not afraid to do many things musically, he just does what he feels like doing and thats it.

Thank you Tim for this album, can't wait for the new Rancid record.

Posted by misterspike on 2007-05-28 23:52:26
My Score:

Oh man, I had a review ready to submit for this. I so wanted to like this record, but felt it kind of limped on its side. This is summertime background music, but won't last much longer after September. That's not to tear it down, but it is what it is. Perhaps if Tim didn't have Rancid and OpIvy's catalog to live up to, I wouldn't have had such high expectations.