Shut your mouth and open your eyes....

My CD collection was stolen at least once growing up. Before music was readily available online, losing your music collection was catastrophic. I was able to rebuild most of my music over time......but not this gem. Haven't heard it much in the last 10 years.

Found this CD used at Graywhale the other day. As a matter of fact, one of my early punk shows was AFI opening for Offspring at the San Jose State Event Center Arena some 16 years ago.

-QAE

Strongarm

I remember it like it was yesterday, a few of us were sitting around D's apartment in 1997 and it was like 2 in the morning. It had been a fair night of antics as usual and as things were winding down D says "Hey, I've got something you've got to check out..." Now we had all been into hardcore for awhile and as jaded veterans of the scene (ha ha I was 17, but hey, I thought I knew a thing or two) we weren't really putting much stock into it. But here's the thing, D was always the guy that was two steps ahead of the rest and would be listening to stuff that even us underground hardliners had never heard. So he puts on this song, I was literally entranced and the raw emotion of it went to my very center. A bit over romantic I know but at the same time not an exaggeration. I'm putting this live performance up but if you haven't heard the original recording you really need to, so here is the myspace link as well, listen to "Advent Of A Miracle". Probably one of the greatest Christian hardcore bands. As a great side note I still remember one of the very first times that I hung out with D. I was like 14 or 15 and I went up to then Wolf Mountain to do some riding. I look across the parking lot and lo and behold there is D and a few other guys. I had met D a time or two through Mango but they were all a few years older than me and I think he thought that I was kind of a noob. I got up the guts and walked across the parking lot and asked them if I could ride with them. D's response was classic...he kind of looked down his nose at this young punk and said "Yeah, if you can keep up". I did, by simply not taking any jumps or anything else as these guys busted 5's and 7's off of every little bump they encountered. But I think that I at least showed him that I could hang with the big boys and D thought that I was alright after that. Thanks for the memories D, half of my musical knowledge you own exclusive rights to! By the way, I think Broken Circles or somebody recently did a big repressing of both Strongarm albums so you can actually get the vinyl pretty cheap now, I think I picked up both on ebay for 16 bucks or so.

GV30

I'm speechless. I'm there. I just need to find a ticket seeing how it is sold out. Dec 16-18, Santa Monica.

-QAE

Bouncing Souls NEVER SAY DIE

I've seen the boys in 3 different states more times than I can count and their style is tough to beat. While maybe not the most well known punk band of all time, definitely my #1 - I'm a true believer.

If you are already a fan, check out Greg's acoustic stuff with his wife Shanti Wintergate. They write children's books, sing songs with kids at libraries....good people. CLICK HERE

Enjoy this song off their 20 year anniversary album, "We All Sing Along."

NEVER SAY DIE

- QAE

Guttermouth

I went to a Guttermouth show once. I've never heard so many dick jokes. Here's two minutes of awesomeness.

Dropkick Murphys + Bruce Springsteen = Going Out in Style

How did local Boston punk legends, Dropkick Murphys get Bruce Springsteen to sing on their newest album? Easily.

"We were on tour in Australia when we finally got the nerve and we sent him an e-mail," says Ken Casey, frontman for the Boston-based band. "You'd think having to deal with Bruce Springsteen would be this complicated thing. But it was just like 'want to do it?' and he was like 'sure!' It was as easy as that."

Read more, click here: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/how-the-dropkick-murphys-got-bruce-springsteen-to-guest-on-their-new-album-20110125#ixzz1dppYtO00

With contributions from Fat Mike, Living End's Chris Cheney, and Bruce how can you go wrong? I think this album may creep up into my list of my top punk CD's of all time.

After listening to the first 2 songs I was hooked. Here's one for ya!

I will see Dropkick before I die.

-QAE