REBEL TUNES FOR REBEL TIMES
Today's update is one of the best I've brought you, it's a top 10 chosen by Randy Smith from Rebel Time Records. Not only has Randy chosen some awesome songs, he's also added commentary, links (where available) and uploaded some great images for the brand new Youtube videos he uploaded especially for this update. Many thanks for all your hard work Randy
You can check out Rebel Time Records here, it's definitely worthy of your attention :
Enough of me, over to Randy.........
Massive thanks to Mick for allowing me the opportunity to share some of my favourite bands and music. Much appreciated! As I have a ton of favourite bands and songs, and as Rebel Time Records is a 'political punk rock' label, I narrowed it down by picking only Canadian bands and songs that mean a lot to me both on a personal and political level; songs that both move me and make me move; songs that make me want to raise a pint (or a least, a virgin Caesar) and a fist. Not a complete list by any stretch of the imagination...there are just so many other great bands that could have/should have been on this list...cheers!
Action Sedition : Classe Contre Classe
About 3 years back I noticed that a band called Action Sedition was starting to play out in Montreal. Great name, I sez to myself, but what the heck do they sound like and what are they singing about? My answer came in the form of their 8-song demo Rapport de Force which came out in 2012. Holy Head of Jesus What a platter Left-radical, anti-capitalist, anti-fascist catchy political streetpunk done up just the way I like it The first song I listened to was Prisonniers Politiques and I was stoked to see/hear the lyrics namecheck a political prisoner I used to correspond with back in the day. Fast-forward a couple of years and I'm proud to say that Rebel Time Records has put the band on tour in Ontario and has also helped to release some top-tunes from the band. Action Sedition is a band walks the talk...members are active in such groups as the IWW, Montreal Red and Anarchist Skinheads, Montreal Sisterhood and they do Revolution Fest (3 days of feminist, anti-capitalist and anti-fascist music) in Montreal every year.
Broadcast Zero : It Dies With You
One of the guitarists from Broadcast Zero, Phil D, and I started Rebel Time Records back in 2008. Our first release was the first Broadcast Zero album Yesterday, You Could Change The World. This song is from their second album Some Concerns Regarding This Revolt, which, personally, I think slipped under the radar a bit and didn't get the attention it deserved. Faster, angrier tighter and more focused than the first album, with insightful lyrics from singer Nick, who said at the time that the album takes on a theme of deconstruction, raising questions of personal accountability and participation, and stressing the importance of looking in the mirror before pointing fingers. Or, as one reviewer put it a unique union of societal concerns and life lessons. The band toured Canada/North America 3 times in about 3 years. Though broken up, they have reunited on occasion for very worthy causes...
The Class Assassins : No Justice No Peace
No Justice No Peace This song was first released back in 2000, on The Class Assassin's original demo CD . Since then, it has come out in different versions, on different releases. This version is from the No Justice... 7, and, 15 years in, it's still one of my favourite songs by one of my favourite bands, with a message that is as pertinent and powerful now as it was then. Timeless, catchy-as-heck, anthemic, sing-a-long streetpunk with something to say. The guys in the band are a veritable who's-who of Toronto punk rock...over the past 20 or 30 years they've been in such bands as Bitter Grin, Hockey Teeth, Direct Action, 2-Pump Louie, Sinkin' Ships, Problem Children, Chronic Submission and more. Stoked to have a couple of Class Ass releases under our Rebel Time Records belts
The Fallout : Peace Love And Anarchy
I'm a Fallout-booster. There is just no getting around that. I shout their praise (and rightly so!) from the mountains and the roof-tops. This 3-piece combo has been described as 'straight-up, stripped-down political punk rock,' and one sage reviewer noted that " Their catchy-as-hell, sing-along, three-chord punk rock packs a definite punch and is coupled with well-crafted and well-articulated, socially-conscious lyrics that crackle with heartfelt anger and urgency." I couldn't have said it any better myself! Me, I find their first full-length "Turning Revolution Into Money" to be an absolute classic. This particular song, Peace Love And Anarchy serves as the theme song of Rebel Time Radio (Wednesdays, from 9:00PM to 10:0PM on SoundFM100.3, broadcasting out of Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario). Fittingly, it's about building genuine and caring communities outside of corporate culture. Pat from Brutal Youth / Class War Kids has recently joined the band on bass, and word on the streets is that new material is forthcoming...
Hockey Teeth : Not So Long Ago
No less a punk rock luminary than Damien of Fucked Up fame has declared the record this song was on 'the 10th best punk rock 7" to come out of Toronto.' He says: "The opening of this record has a sample from a Nazi on Geraldo espousing his beliefs before he's cut off by one of the greatest anti-fascist songs ever: Not So Long Ago." Hey, who am I to argue with that! In the spirit of full disclosure, the two guitarists from this band (brothers Chris and Dan) went on to form the aforementioned The Class Assassins. Hockey Teeth was a band that walked the talk. As Mark, the singer, said recently: "I am ...proud to say that my friends/band mates over the years have done our best to help every organization that we could playing as many benefit shows as we did...whether it was in support of Womyn's shelters, Animal welfare, human rights/dignities, equal rights, and food banks/shelters etc. We may have been a small thing in the scope of things, but I know we helped many. I know we may have been a small change in the world, but if you start to act locally, it can have a great effect globally. " Nice one Hockey Teeth!!
Hold A Grudge / Jeunesse Apatride : Build Something Great
Two for one!
Originally released by the late, great Hold A Grudge on their "Doing Time" album in 2010 and covered and released by the late, great Jeunesse Apatride on their "Jusq'au bout" album in 2014 .Two great bands from Montreal who just happened to share both a bass player and a positive political attitude, as exemplified by this tune. It's an upbeat, uplifting and inspirational call-to-arms. Take they lyrics to heart!!
Honoured to have had both bands play Rebel Time Records shows and Rebel Fests. Having Jeunesse Apatride play the very first Rebel Fest was amazing. From what I understand, it was their only show (aside from European shows) outside of Quebec. Merci!!
Note 1: Hold a Grudge recorded a second album that has yet to see the light of day…fingers crossed that it does...
Note 2: The first 3 Jeuensse Apatride albums can be downloaded FOR FREE at their bandcamp page...
Killing Fields : Down To My Last Round
The Rebel Spell: Fight For The Sun
S.C.U.M. : So Much Hate
Quite simply, one of the great anti-cop songs of all time, from Montreal's S.C.U.M. The anger is visceral and palpable and, 30 years after this song was first released, still righteous and relevant. I mean, just this week 8 Quebec cops have been suspended for alleged sexual assaults on aboriginal women and in Toronto, the trial has started for the cop who pumped 9 rounds into Sammy Yatim. The last line of this song alone is worth the price of admission...”Your funeral is my party, pig.”
This song plays in my head a lot. I mean, a lot! It's my all-purpose, go-to tune when The Man is pissing me off...
Zeroption : Traitor Red
Long story short, we got to talking and it turned out that both Gord and the band's guitar player, Stuart, were attending McMaster. Of course, we all bonded over a shared love of punk rock and political science.I remember Gord made up a mixtape for me with stuff like Bad Religion, Die Kreuzen, SSD and Personality Crisis. He also gave me a tape with 8 or 10 Zeroption songs. Sadly, both tapes are long lost.
randy you rule!
ReplyDeleteI think the story is that Gord saw you reading youth plague and asked what you thought of zeroption. Your response was reported as "Well at least they're better than Chronic Submission"