Cro-Mags "Hard Times": One of the the surprises of this year's Summerfest line-up was the inclusion of these guys on the bill. Now if only we can get a late D.R.I entry to school the kids from all the suburban coffeehouse hardcore kids on how to properly demonstrate your style.
Discharge "State Violence, State Control": Discharge doesn't get much love, being from the England and not touring the States as extensively as most of the other first wavers of hardcore. Even still, 1982's Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing is recommended listening. They helped shape the sound of everyone from Anthrax, Rancid and even Celtic Frost. Circle Jerks "When The Shit Hits The Fan": The Internet would lead you to believe that the only song lead singer Keith Morris and the Circle Jerks ever recorded was "Wild In The Streets." But alas, they actually recorded quite a few songs. True story. This was Bad Religion guitarist Greg Hetson's first band after leaving Redd Kross, and remains his main gig away from BR when Greg Graffin feels like taking a break from being a freaking doctor or whatever he is. The Adolescents "Amoeba": Southern California punk rock got a jolt with the Adolescents' self-titled debut LP. The band had a simple, straightforward style that would go on to inform the work of disparate SoCal bands such as the Offspring (pre-MTV) and the pop-punk of Face To Face. Black Flag "Rise Above": It's always hard to pick one Flag song to be the ambassador for their entire sound. Purists will go with the era before Henry Rollins joined, while some will hit you with the later stuff when guitarist Greg Ginn and the rest of the boys started getting high and playing stoner metal. We went with this vintage slab from Damaged. Rollins is like a damned bald spitting viper in this clip.