Circle Jerks
My Career As A Jerk
MVD Visual (2012)
I must admit, before I sat down to watch this I wasn't exactly excited to listen to Circle Jerks vocalist Keith Morris talk about punk rock for the millionth time. Morris, like Jack Grisham (TSOL), Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys), and to some extent Duane Peters (US Bombs) seems to be a constant presence running throughout any number of the ubiquitous … Read more
Devo
The Complete Truth About De-Evolution
MVD Visual (2014)
I’ve long felt there are fewer lesser art forms than the music video. It turns out I was wrong—or, at least pre-1990 it was another game. The Complete Truth About De-Evolution is a DVD compilation of all of Devo’s music videos (1976-1990, minus “Are U Experienced?”), running in chronological order, and it’s a spectacle to behold. Besides the high quality … Read more
Dinosaur Jr.
Live at 9:30 Club: In the Hands of the Fans
MVD Visual (2012)
In 1988 Dinosaur Jr. released their third record Bug. Despite it being lead singer/guitarists and band leader J.Mascis’ least favorite outing, it was their most successful album up to that point. While touring in support of it, tension between Mascis and bassist Lou Barlow, who had known each other since high school and played together in hardcore band Deep Wound … Read more
GG Allin
(un)Censored Live 1993
MVD Visual (2014)
Despite the fact that the man’s been dead for more than two decades at this point, the reputation of GG Allin, self-described “public animal #1” who aimed to bring the danger back into rock and roll through live performances that existed somewhere in the netherworld between punk rock shows and performance art pieces, has only continued to grow over the … Read more
Iggy & The Stooges
Raw Power: Live In The Hands Of The Fans
MVD Visual (2011)
I am a monster Stooges fan, particularly from the Raw Power era on to their incendiary demise (not a long time period in any case, I know), and was immensely elated to hear that the reformed Stooges mark II lineup was playing in my back yard. I purchased tickets with quickness and spent several months chewing on my arm and … Read more
Various Artists
Clockwork Orange County: The Rise of West Coast Punk Rock
MVD Visual (2014)
Detailing the history of southern California punk of the late 1970s and early ‘80s and in particular, the scene that revolved around the legendary Cuckoo’s Nest club which hosted live music shows, the 2012 documentary Clockwork Orange County: The Rise of West Coast Punk Rock! (which earlier had been released under the title of We Were Feared) covers a fascinating … Read more
Various Artists
Sad Vacation: The Last Days of Sid And Nancy DVD
MVD Visual (2017)
Ah, Sid Vicious.The sung hero of my formative years and fashion sense of the time (including pad lock necklace and safety pin piercing, inspiration for much mischief and muse for many often amazingly bizarre lyrical explorations of punk bands, e.g. the German’s OHL formal and very polite plea “Hey Sid Vicious, wir benötigen Sie!” and The Exploited’s plaidoyer that could be … Read more
Various Artists
Soaked in Bleach
MVD Visual (2015)
On March 31,1994, singer and guitarist Kurt Cobain, frontman for Nirvana and heralded as the spokesman for a generation, escaped from a drug treatment facility in Los Angeles. Eight days later, as rumors of Nirvana’s breakup spread after it was announced the band had pulled out of that year’s Lollapalooza Music Festival, Cobain was found dead in the greenhouse beside … Read more
Various Artists
SpokAnarchy!
MVD Visual (2013)
SpokAnarchy! is a feature-length documentary about the punk rock and new wave movement that took place in Spokane, WA during the ‘80s. Even if you're unfamiliar with the bands or have never even heard of Spokane for that matter, it’s an engaging story told by a seemingly unending source of the scene’s survivors. Many of the characters in the movie are … Read more
