Against All Authority
Nothing New For Trash Like You (2001)
joeg
Disclaimer: Against All Authority is a real punk band. Don't be surprised I'm making that distinction because these days, there is so much fabricated middle school pop rock passing as punk, its disgusting. If you like real punk bands and are sick to death of songs whining about heartbreak, ex-girlfriends and elementary school humor, then read on. If not, then I suggest the Simple Plan or Blink reviews will better suit your interests.
Against All Authority. The name says it all. They're pissed, hard, and fast and they're letting you know it. AAA is a political ska-punk band hailing from Miami Florida. These guys have been active in the Florida scene for years so its not like these guys recently popped out of nowhere. As the title suggests, "Nothing New For Trash Like You" is a collection of hard to find songs from old 7", compilations and samplers. Being a fan of any band you love, you appreciate the bands efforts to compile everything into one neat package so you don't have to spend forever trying to find everything they've ever released. And just in case you think the band released the songs as some sort of underhanded money making scheme, well, you're right. They're donating proceeds from this album to the Tooth Fairy Project- a research study that looks to link environmental radioactive pollution with cancer.
What do they sound like? I would say this band is more in the vein of Choking Victim/Leftover Crack/Operation Ivy rather than say a Less than Jake as the punk and ska as well as the lyrics are much more darker and uncompromising. Combining snotty, combative, almost popeye-esque vocals (as mentioned in the other AAA review on this website) courtesy of lead singer/screamer Danny Lore, Joe Koontz's hardcore buzzsaw guitar attack, and horn blasts a plenty, this band rips, attacks, skanks and slamdances their way through 18 tracks with reckless abandon and lightning speed. Faster than Michael Jackson going through his yearly facelift (ok, maybe not THAT fast, but fast enough so you'll need the liner notes for many songs), Lore (with middle finger firmly planted in the air) spits out stories from such topics as police brutality, government injustices against Native American Indians, the ethnic cleansing tragedies in Yugoslavia, and gritty city life. The fact that they actually have interesting and informed things to say on a variety of topics helps separate AAA from other punk bands. And their songs for the most part don't all sound the same which can't be said for a lot of punk bands. Their songs can be incredibly catchy where one minute you're gettin' yo skank on, then the next minute they dive right into straight up â77 style hardcore punk.
Right from the very first track "Just an Obstruction," you've got classic AAA dropkicking your ass across the room with its harsh yet catchy ska-punk hybrid. AAA continues to surge forward, giving you only a few moments to catch your breath before decimating with you with their next track. Some standout tracks are "When it Comes Down to You" "Above the Law" "We Won't Submit" and "Court 22." But really, they're all great. No skipping songs on this record. Throw in some badass covers of the 80's hit "Angel in the Centerfold" and Propagandhi's "Ska Sucks" and you've got an excellent release. The cd insert is very cool as well with lyrics and photos of the band playing live plus documentation of a little spat they had with the other AAA (American Automobile Association).
But you may be asking, if this is a compilation of songs from various periods in AAA's past, won't the lack of flow and continuity ruin the album? I say the songs stand on their own so that this mixture of songs takes absolutely nothing away from the overall quality of the cd. Yea, these guys are that fucking great. I will say some of you may have trouble getting used to Lore's snotty, confrontational vocals. But its all good. Besides, you don't want to sound like Quentin Tarantino's twin brother from New Found Glory and be in a band called Against All Authority now, would you?
So if you like adrenaline pumping, fast as fuck, ska-punk with a political slant, then go get this cd (in fact, get all their cd's because they're all fucking good). Not only is it for a good cause, but you won't stop listening to it for years. Decades even. Shit, your grandchildren will be talking about this cd when you pass it along. I guarantee when you put on this cd, you'll immediately get the urge to start thrashing and dancing around like a lunatic and start spontaneously screaming oi! and hey!
And as they say on track 11's "Threat" “ as long as we're still alive, punk is not dead yet!" A-fucking-MEN