Why AFI Didn't Really Sellout

 Okay, so most people may or may not know who the band known as AFI are, so I'll give a brief(or not so brief) rundown on them: They are a band(and to me, a really great one at that) that formed in 1991 in California.
AFI(short for A Fire Inside) started by releasing mutlitple Extended Plays, and eventually started making studio albums. Throughout the 1990's and the early 2000's, they were an awesome punk band with an amazing vocalist who could scream, but could also sing very well known as Davey Havok. However in 2003, they released an album called Sing The Sorrow, which had a very different style. It had a much more alternative rock feel to me. They also changed their image, with Davey dying his hair black and wearing eyeliner.

Then, in the year of 2006 they released an even more experimental album known as DecemberUnderground. It's a hard to classify album, but most people say it's post punk, or perhaps post hardcore, or maybe just alternative rock. Either way, it was an even larger step in their new musical direction.

Their newest album is called Crash Love released in 2009, and it has more of a straightforward rock feel than the previous two albums, but it's not really punk though. I really am not much of a fan of the direction they've been taking, but unlike what thousands of people on Youtube do, I'm not going to whine and complain and call them sellouts.

To me, someone who sells out changes something about themeselves for profit. Key word: Profit. Davey Havok(and the rest of AFI) are artists who are true to their music, and I think they simply wanted to change pace, make a new direction. And you know what? I think they had the right to do that. They did MANY awesome punk albums in the 90's and early 2000's, and I think playing the same type of music forever would be boring to a guy like Havok.

Plus, I doubt they did it just for fame and money. If that was the case, THEN they would be sellouts. But they didn't, so they aren't. So even though I am not really a big fan of what they are doing now, they very well have the right to, and they are not sellouts.

Are the Misfits really still the Misfits?

In 1977, in a town in New Jersey called Lodi, a wonderful band that we all know and love was birthed.  The Misfits!  The first singer and originator of the band was Glenn Danzig.  Most people hold him up to God-like standards with famous songs like "Mommy, Can I Go Out and Kill Tonite" and "Astrozombies", but....he left over 25 years ago.  Replacing him in 1995 was new vocalist, Michale  Graves.  He didn't last much longer than Danzig.  Some difficulties occurred within the Misfits, and he left the band.  This resulted in many fill in singers and shows where Jerry Only took the vocals.  After the departure of Doyle, Chud, and Michale, the soul survivor was Jerry.  So he rounded up Marky Ramone and Dez Cadena (Black Flag).  This was for their 25th Anniversary tour where they performed Black Flag, Ramones, and Misfits songs.  Marky soon departed.  The end result was Jerry, Robo, and Dez touring for about 6 years, after which Robo left.  This left a hole in which the drummer of Murphy's Law filled.  He is known as Eric Goat.

Now, most people have been crying about Danzig leaving for the last 15 years.  When Michale left, it didn't make it any less hard on Jerry.  Now, you can't go to any YouTube video or website about the Misfits after 2000 because you will either be overloaded with spam messages of people crying about Danzig and Graves, or messages from ignorant people who don't even know that they've gone.  Even though Danzig and Michale both made a mark for the band, Jerry has too.  We aren't calling Danzig fans or Graves (who still posts hateful comments about the Misfits on facebook) innocent, because even Jerry Only is not blameless.

First, we will address Glenn Danzig:  the originator/lyrical genius behind the first few albums, with songs such as "Last Caress", "Skulls", and "Halloween", he seemed like he could do no wrong.  But, what most people don't know is that he has not been with the band for the last 28 years or so.  Most of his music can be enjoyable and is good, but, in most honesty, besides some Samhain, early Danzig, and old Misfits, he isn't that great of a vocalist.  His last couple of albums haven't really been all great.  So, Danzig fans, get over it-he has left The Misfits and is a short, mean, grumpy man!

Second, we will address Michale Graves:  Dear Michale,  stop posting bad things about the re-vamped Misfits on your Facebook.  You are in your thirties, yet you still act like a kid.  We get that you had a great early career with The Misfits and went off to have a pretty successful solo career (acoustic and electric), but you have to realize that you've been gone for at least 10 years already.  So, Graves fans, listen to Michale and stop listening to Misfits songs on YouTube only to post meaningless, poorly written comments about Jerry Only.

Last but not least, we will address Mr. Only:  This man has been in the band since they were formed in 1977 and is still rocking.  He is not so much the lyrical genius, or perfect vocalist, but he is one punk motherfucker.  No one ever said that lyrical talent was associated with punk.  When Sid Vicious left the Sex Pistols, people still valued him as a singer.  Yet, he had no talent what-so-ever.  Why don't we do the same for Jerry?  He keeps it under the name of The Misfits.  If he had called his band the Jerry Only Experience or the Jerry Only Trio, no one would care to bother him with the constant fact that two people that came before him were better.  It seems like a dick move on all of the people who trash talk him.  He is still singing to tens of thousands of devoted fans who enjoy the music, all for the small cost of about 20 bucks (Versus 30-40 bucks for a Danzig show), because 35 sing-a-long classics beats the hell out of 18 crappy new songs.
Not to make Jerry sound like an angel, he is basically the Gene Simmons of punk rock.  Marketing the Misfits from candle tins to generic baseball jackets found at Hot Topic stores nationwide is kind of lame.  I will admit that Project 1950 was a good album, Land of the Dead was an OK single, and The Devil's Rain was great for what it was, but Jerry has a very small vocal range, and on many of his songs fails to write decent lyrics.  But, what this man has done for horror, punk, and rock and roll in general, he deserves to be honored.

Now that we have addressed all of this, the only thing I can say to Graves and Danzig fans is to go watch "Mother" or "Dig Up Her Bones" (acoustic), and get over it.

Is Early AC/DC Punk?

Now obviously everyone reading this is probably saying "this guy's a nutter, AC/DC ain't punk rock", but trust me this is indeed a punk related blog. Now, of course, we all know who AC/DC is. They are that band that makes all those rock songs you hear on the radio and they do those Iron Man soundtracks.

For about the past thirty years, they have been the complete opposite of punk rock, no question about that I think. However, in the early days before they were making commercial rock and charging ridiculous prices for their concerts, when they had their second singer(Bon Scott), they were a little more closer to being a punk band then you may think.

They had a bunch of punk rock qualities: Rebelliousness; a crazy, badass singer; straightforward, short rock songs that went straight to the point; and even a controversial song that pissed off parents for sure: the infamous track "Big Balls".

Their subject matter in their songs were pretty punk too I think: A song about killing for hire(Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap); a song about going to Hell(Highway To Hell) and the such. They were a fun, rebellious band, they were.

Now sadly, as we know, their singer Bon Scott passed away due to the alcohol he was drinking, showing a sad side of rock and roll. So AC/DC ended up getting a new singer who they still have to this day, Brian Johnson. Now Brian Johnson is a pretty talented guy, but he is no Bon Scott I'll admit. But, of course, no one is.

They ended up releasing arguablly their most famous album, Back In Black. I can see the appeal of it, and it has some good songs, but It's just too comercial for my tastes. And it is no where near to being punk rock.

Landmark Albums

Okay, first off, let me start this off with a simple question: What do YOU, consider to be a true, groundbreaking landmark album? Something that can either define a specific genre, or maybe even an entire era or decade. Or perhaps both?

Basically, to me anyways, a landmark album doesn't necessarily have to be a band BEST, but their most groundbreaking album. The one that defines them. Or like I mentioned, a genre.

A good example of this is Black Flag's Damaged. Perhaps it's not their best(that is up for debate), but it is the album most people seem to think about when they think of Black Flag. Everything from the blistering hardcore music, to iconic image of Henry Rollin's fist punching that mirror and shattering. Perhaps a visual metaphor for something?

Then there are the ones that actually influence a genre. The Ramones' self titled debut is a perfect example, as it is very famous and is looked upon as one first, true punk albums. Of course, I think The Ramones were the first band to take the influences they had(Rock 'N Roll and perhaps what some refer to as "proto-punk") and make actual punk out of it. And that first album is what started it all.

Then looking at other genres, you can almost fit it together like some sort of puzzle. Most people consider Nirvana's Nevermind to be the definite grunge album(although while I agree with this, I think In Utero was a bit more tolerable, but that's a topic for a different time) And Reign In Blood by Slayer is a landmark album for the Thrash genre.

Now where does this all bring me? Well, I hate to be one of those "nowadays" type of people, but honestly, nowadays we don't have inspirational albums that truly break the ground. And please save the agony and not say "Tha Carter"

Now is it poor record sales and less bands being given the exposure they deserve? Or is it poor records themselves that cause people to think "no, nothing out of the ordinary about these guys" The future of the record business is up in the air and can go anyway. One of those unpredictable things. Will it make another rebound? Or will it eventually die out? Either way, hopefully we will still have our good 'ol underground punk music to salvage our needs.