Tonight We're Going To Give It 35%
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Here's your question and answer of the week from the Punknews Formspring:
Q: Assuming both albums come out this coming year, what will be more interesting in your opinion, the new Morning Glory album or the new Leftover Crack album; the first one without Ezra Kire?A: Well, first of all, I feel that the whole "Crack Rock Steady Scene" and the acts that it split out into are unfairly maligned. Truly, I feel as though Choking Victim and Leftover Crack were two of the most clever bands of the 2000's- maybe even the most clever.
What I love about those bands is that they blend together anarcho-punk with ska with Satanism in both a serious and silly way. One moment, they are exhibiting and praising the best virtues of anarcho-punk, and then, the next moment, they are reveling in the ridiculousness of it all.
I think a lot of people had trouble with those bands because they didn't spell everything out. They never let on what parts were serious and what parts were jokes. A lot of punks like to read everything literally and use almost no analysis, so they took everything CV/LoC did at face value, which is a misstep.
Plus, the way CV/LoC half seriously/half jokingly saluted suicide and drug use in an era when most punk was "always do the right thing" or "suicide is bad" or "straight edge is the only way to live" gave punk rock a good kick in the ass. Through example, CV/LoC were arguing that punk doesn't need to be code, but rather, an invitation to think critically. Also, they were (and are) one of the few truly dangerous bands while most other bands want to try to present themselves as "sensible" or "nice guys." Screw that. Plus, they are just fun, which a lot of punk bands were scared to do.
But, none of it would have amounted to anything if the members of those bands were dynamite song writers- Scott Sturgeon, Ezra Kire, Brad Logan, Ara Babajian, Alec Baille, and the rest each are phenomenal songwriters. "Infested" is one of the greatest punk songs ever written. (Did you know that there is a LoC version of "Infested", too?
But, by now, the two main song writers, Sturgeon and Ezra have split into Star Fucking Hipsters and Morning Glory, respectively. A new MG record called War Psalms is coming out in February and the rumor mill is that a LoC record is in the works.
It might be the wimpy answer, and I usually like to avoid the wimpy reply, but I can't pick a favorite between those two. I love how Sturgeon has that wonderfully raspy, unique voice and has really dangerous concepts in his music. But, I equally love how Ezra has that soaring voice and his songs are so meticulously plotted and huge.
Had I my druthers, I'd have them record together again because the interplay between their two voices, personalities, and writing styles is one of the best song writing teams in punk rock. But, if they'd rather write apart, that's not so bad because the last MG record was probably the best and the last SFH record was probably the best one too.
2014 is a good year to be alive- despite this.
-John G
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