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 | Descendents'Merican2004 Fat Wreck Chords 
  Review by: Hein See others by this writer ![[staff]](/images/icons/staffsticker.gif){kind=icon}
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Published on February 10th 2004
Although Descendents are considered as THE pop punk pioneers and maybe one of the most influential punkbands in history, I have to confess that I don’t remember myself listening to any of their work before they transformed to ALL. It was Dave Smalley’s joining (formerly Dag Nasty and later Down By Law vocalist) that first hooked me up with Stevenson, Alvarez and Egerton. Milo already went on studying by that time (resulting in a Ph.D. for microbiology). In fact, it was also the period when CD’s came out and I never really bothered gathering any of Descendent’s earlier work, that I assume was only available on vinyl at that time. Actually, I wonder if all these reviewers referring to Descendents when they hear a good song by a new band are really aware of the music this band produced in their early years. People who liked this also liked:           Please login or register to post comments. What are the benefits of having a Punknews.org account?
I love this band. Once I got into them, I haven't been able to stop listening to them. This EP was fucking killer. Is it just me, or did it take longer to read the review then to listen to it? haha. Probably no-one will ever read this anymore, but it popped to my mind that this band (of which a lot of you claim they have always been political) sold stickers about a decade ago saying "Keep The Politics Out Of My Music". Or it could have been All selling those, but since these are practically all ALL members I guess it's the quite the same. Why do I remember? Well, Karl Alvarez' (former) wife was a good friend of my brother (yes, she's Belgian), and I remember having arguments with him when they were over here in Belgium about the fact that it seemed like they only had lovesongs at the time. But anyway... I suppose I'm not in a position to review a Descendents album... because as I said, I was not blown away by their early efforts and don't remember how they sounded at that time. Quit talking about other bands you fucking hippies! Decendents were out way before nofx who actually refer to the decendents as the greatest punk band. So in short, go fuck yourselves or have your neighbor double fist you! NOFX's last really good creation was The Decline. Of course that doesn't go under the album category. But I'm just praising it's utter greatness. This 7" is fucking awesome. I just finally got it in the mail yesterday. The song 'Merican is really catchy it will get stuck in your head the first time you play it. PW last really good one was full circle, nofx's would be pump up the valuum, but most would argue that punk in drublic is the best. Pennywise's best was About Time, Full Circle was good as well. The last few...well..you know. From The Ashes was an improvement though. Maybe if they remastered Unknown "Carboard Box Drum Sound"Road I would hold it in the regard you do? C'mon man? Punk In Drublic if you really want to get into the nitty gritty of it, is "White Trash" for the market that Face to Face was cracking wide open. Still not better than "So Long" either. If I hear that fucking Linoleum song one more time I will dload as fast as I can the new Challenger Disc. (Which Owns by the way) The most recent Black Cross disc is madly good as well. NOFX's last REALLY good album was "punk in drublic" Pennywise's last REALLY good blaum was "Unknown Road" I think it's rare for bands to put out more than two REALLY good albums. I know there are some exceptions, but it's generally true. It's rare to meet anyone who likes every album by a band equally as much. age does matter guy: if your theory that with age creativity wears out were true, think of the ramifications. everyone over 35 would be a catch-phrase spouting robot chained to the routine of their previous day which would be a copy of the day before that. all authors would cease to create relevant work (tom wolfe---man, that guy really lost it). movie studios would only commision films directed by very young talent (because people like clint eastwood, robert redford, hell, even peter jackson just became complete hacks lacking any creative vision at all after their 35th), etc...this nonsense can be applied in any number of creative fields... you get my drift. your idea that creativity is a gift reserved exclusively for the young holds no water, its ageism, its shortsighted, its stereotyping and it sucks. Boy did I start a fire in here, goal reached. I just bought this today and I really like it. the title track sounds so much like bad religion that I cant even listen to it without being bothered for some reason. Its creepy. Pennywise really DO re-record the same record over and over? Shit, I thought it was my imagination. that minor threat sure is good drinking music I'd like to note that Pennywise just re-record the same cd over and over again, so technically, their last REALLY GOOD album was From the Ashes. what about a band like fugazi. . . I think it's rare for bands to put out more than two REALLY good albums. I know there are some exceptions, but it's generally true. It's rare to meet anyone who likes every album by a band equally as much. if the dude who made the original age comment reads this again, i am the guy who said age does matter, heres my rebuttle to your last post If the DESCENDENTS play a show anywhere this year...I'm there Saw Drag the River (Chad's country band) at a dingy bar earlier this week. Perfect setting, awesome set. Everyone should check it out. Awful band, awful record. "Statue of Liberty" leaps to mind instantly. Generally they were more personal/silly lyrically. Everything Sucks is a great cd. to the person who said this cd is horrible, You are a butt dumpling. I don't know why everyone is so upset with the reviewer, so what if he isn't familiar with the Descendents early stuff, he still knows his shit. Most of you brats were still crapping in your diapers when the Descendents started up, if you were alive at all, so don't get this 'holier than thou' attitude that someone else isn't good enough to review a Descendents record. "Dag nasty" world up my ass!!! ha! Dear me, I think I'll quit everything I've been doing over the last 6 years and will have to demolish my 1500 albums because I DON'T REMEMBER any of Descendent's older work. In fact, I even think I listened to their work when it just came out in the early 80's (yes I am THAT old), but excuse me for being so uncool to not remember it. Maybe it was just in these parts of the world, but in the early-mid 80's Descendents weren't really any goundbreaking to us. I really believe they became some kind of myth afterwards. All these people bashing at me... did you really buy and listen to their stuff when it came out? Or did you just download it these last few years? to the reviewer: fuck you buddy :) "The guy working there told a friend of mine that Milo's wife came in not to long ago and said that the Descendents aren't, or might not go on tour. She said something about him being busy with work/family." And down by law, are both superior to the pavers. Dag nasty anyone who got into ALL because of Dave Smalley should not be listening to ALL. His two albums are by far their weakest. Scott and Chad both blow anything Dave has done out of the water. Don't believe me? Listen to Return to The Island of No Return by the Pavers, which is Scott's new band. Brilliant. i got to pick up the ep today. its great. if "here with me" and "i quit" were not good enough to be on the full length, then it makes me even more excited about cool to be you to come out. well i will be getting the 7" so i wont hear the secret track.. i dunno if thats bad or good "The proof that there's nothing cheesy about pop-punk lies in these 4 songs." i don't know why people are getting so bent out of shape just because the reviewer wasn't born with a "ride the wild" 7" stuck in his ass. what would you old school fans say differently? you can write a review right here if you want. how much history do you really need with the band to review this though? they've only had the same line-up for the last 2 albums really, so it's better to compare this ep to "all" and "everything suck" since previous albums had different members and slightly different styles. slightly. im the person that made the original comment about age not being important. although i would agree that people in their early 20's may be able to make music that better speaks to teenagers and early twenty-somethings, it is silly to say there is some chemical age-related reaction in the brain that causes people to loses creative function with age...wayne coyne is 43 and the flaming lips are making some of the most astonishingly creative music on the planet. thom yorke is 36. would you say thom yorke has become less creative with age? go listen to pablo honey. ian mackaye is 42. did you hear the argument? need i go on? Person below: i was the guy who posted anthony, and yea, you know what i meant, i did lack a convincing argument, because besides being a 23 year old college grad with a degree in psychology....i don't know shit and can't word things right. i'm a much better talker. The person who attempted to discuss the scientific reasons why age appears to limit musical brilliance was onto something, though they appear to lack the detail needed for a convincing argument. Also, the comment suggesting it was a form of discrimination was spot-on. However we musn't avoid the fundamental truth that age/race/gender does affect how we act/the music we make, as understanding the causes of the differences is a huge step to defeating discrimination. With that in mind I think this new EP is wonderful, I have no idea how people can expect a married, settled, dare I say it, happy, career-scientist such as Milo to reproduce the geeky *desperation* and urgency of his earlier work. His vocal and lyrical performace here surpasses my expectations. "You're obviously forgetting "Problematic." It's an easy oversight. I'd like to forget that record, too. And I'd rank "Mass Nerder" up there with "Allroy Saves" and "Allroy's Revenge" as the best ALL records. There, I said it." This is kinda wierd...I dont know how much im diggin it but its still good. I like the old decendents better. Someone needs to review the Straight Outt Junior High cd its pretty damn good everyone should know. i disagree with the dude a few posts down. age does have a strong effect on music. i agree that clothes, scene, tattoos and shit are dumb factors to judge a band on, but throughout the history of music, artists create their best works in their 20's and then 30's with a sharp decline afterwards. i'm no scientist, but unlike the other factors you mentioned, age changes the brain and body's chemistry and structure and shit. race and gender do not, but age does. poeple think differently as they get older, whether they want to or not, and the brain starts to get less sharp and works slower the older we get, which hinders music. people can still make decent music in their middle age, but it always pales in comparison to their early works. look at your cd collection. the best albums were made by bands in their mid to late 20's i'd guess. look at the beatles, stones, led zepplin, nofx etc etc etc. its cool to see a band still trying in their 40's like the decendents, but yo, their old now, its gonna lack something. the clash made london calling when they were in their late 20's. the list goes on. As i continually listen to this, it reminds me of skating in the summer of 85, and having milo and the boys blasting out on the box!! this shite is fun as fuck-oldpunker- Being a huge fan of the Descendents and ALL I couldn't wait for my pre-release copy of Merican. 3 of the 4 tracks are typical Descendents, but Merican is a Bad Religon song gone bad, very bad. Merican should be skipped! Wow Hein, you lost a lot of respect from me. For god's sake, you put this much time into punk (one of the punknews.org originals) and you aren't familiar with the Descendents? What kind of shit have you been listening to? the older descendents catalog was available on cassette before cds were common and then on cd pretty much immediately afterward. ive got all the cassettes still. they were totally available. to people that are curious, order the cd "somery". i would have to say this is one of the most important punk bands ever. hey....check out http://www.covamusic.com Trying to out do the appropriately titled "Everything Sucks" record shouldn't be to hard. There is just nothing original in their music anymore, and the fact they're like 40 years old takes away something too. I wonder what would have happened if Milo didn't go to college... To the reviewer of this EP, you have to listen to the Descendents earlier stuff, it's legendary! This EP is kick ass, can't wait for the full-length. This is punk, not Simple Plan, Good Charlotte, Starting Line, etc. Oh, shit, the review right... for all the people who bash reviewers in orotund (which im sure isnt most of you; most of you probably could barely wipe your own ass) ostentacious and eltist banter, I have one tip for you: write your own fucking review then!!! more important than the new record, its the tour to support it. hahaha. fun fun fun. This band should've quit years ago. this review sucked. The Descendents are one of the most important punk bands of all time, and we get some fuckwad who is only familiar with their last album and the sucky suck of ALL? die die die. Hey, Carry You brings a tear to my eyes and Teresa is damn fine but the rest of the album can suck my balls. I've been a huge ALL fan for years (they're my favorite band, after all...) so I really wanted to like the record. Believe me, I hate to hate anything. But it came to a point (after numerous listenings, mind you) where I decided that "Mass Nerder" mops the floor with "Problematic." Also, anyone who tries to justify She Broke My Dick's inclusion on any record ever in the history of the world deserves to have their dick broken. There, I said it. Fuck third in a row Chad Price bellows like a fucking banshee, he's the Geddy Lee of Punk rock. Nah, he's great tho, Milo and Price together sound mint. Anybody remember "We" on "Everything Sucks?" You're obviously forgetting "Problematic." It's an easy oversight. I'd like to forget that record, too." here with me is song of the week! You guys do this every fucking review, you need to get better reviewers who have a little bit better history/// You're obviously forgetting "Problematic." It's an easy oversight. I'd like to forget that record, too. And I'd rank "Mass Nerder" up there with "Allroy Saves" and "Allroy's Revenge" as the best ALL records. There, I said it. "It was me what made the original comment. Dern thing logged me out. And "Everything Sucks" was really bad. Really bad. People who like that record are bad at listening to music. Milo's voice is godawful on that piece of shit and the songwriting is cheesy, even for Descendents' standards (and I mean that with as much love as possible.) "Mass Nerder" is better." "You must be a chick if you coose things for there color. or maybe your a nigger." dont mistake them...you have to learn something when your 45 years old..I doubt thats their age but this is really good. Im really anticipating this and pulley's new record. Oi oi oi descendents out of punx casualties in punx oi oi oi. actually, the store didn't have the CD, and I wanted it now. you must be a chick if you choose things on their color WOW....you got the 7" with no extra track. Your an idiot for that because the extra track is really good. You must be a chick if you coose things for there color. or maybe your a nigger. I got the 7" "Not the best but better than "Everything Sucks," which was a terrible record. great ep, awesome band, shitty review. i hate to say it but it's true. oh look! i'm rhymin'! break a hymen! i ain't no teenager fucker, 'cos i'm almost 20. This review is just horrible. great EP...cant wait for the full length Not the best but better than "Everything Sucks," which was a terrible record. amaizing record, horrible review "Furry fool, you are mine, I'll drink your ass like wine." Bernard Shifman can drink my ass. Please, whatever you do fellas, play a show in Colorado. And bring the Suicide Machines along with you too, like in '96. re: bernard shifman re: bernard shifman Hurray! Anyone reviewing this should be familiar with the Descendents and not just All. If it was an All record, it wouldn't matter, but this is just kind of wrong. Can someone who knows the Descendents please review this (he types, not volunteering)? to the idiot below...there is nothing shit about ALL. their best stuff is probably better than the best descendents stuff. i honestly wish this reviewer knew a little more about the descendents and their early shit, so that this review could actually be helpful... if he only knew about ALL and everything sucks era shit, he probobly shouldnt have done the review of a band that's been around for fucking ever and has released an ass ton of crucial albums... firstfive lazy as always. I dont understand why people think this sucks so bad.'merican is a catchy as hell e.p. i know there isnt a bikeage or silly girl or any other classic song on there but its better than half the other punk releases out there right now. I just went to pick it up Hey, members of Cova: go read up on Bernard Shifman. Oh right, as for the EP, I can't say it's a huge disappointment as one guy already said. It's not great, but I was expecting it to be awful. What's the opposite of disappointment? Appointment? That's what I feel. See, you need to expect the worst and you'll never be disappointed. Plus, "Nothing With You," "Here With Me" and "I Quit" are three pretty cool songs. Not the best but better than "Everything Sucks," which was a terrible record. "'Merican" is retarded and I got this on vinyl so I haven't heard "Alive" yet. 2 and a half thumbs up out of 4. Hahaha, Descendents who? I came here for the Cova links! Oh fucking wow! I picked this EP up at Scooters Records in Hermosa Beach on Sunday. The guy working there told a friend of mine that Milo's wife came in not to long ago and said that the Descendents aren't, or might not go on tour. She said something about him being busy with work/family. The slower, more metallic stuff isn't new to the Descendents: a couple songs on "Enjoy!" (1986) and "All" (1987) are like that. I believe Milo wrote most of the new record, though, so I'd expect it to sound more like the rest of the EP... When is Cova going to tour? those are some great songs. everyone should check em' out..... http://www.covamusic.com I must learn how to spell. I just bought this. I was not dissapointed. Last i heard, Milo was doing research at UPenn. His wife is a professor at U of Deleware, so they probably live in Deleware. There's a lot of slots in Deleware. Slots. 'Tis not a lie. I think he moved here because of his wife, but I'm not sure of that. And, yes, no one should ever move to Delaware by choice. is that a lie abot milo living in delaware? why would anyone want to live in delaware if they didnt have to? and i thought they were from LA? Milo works for DuPont. He now lives in the town where I went to college (Newark, Delaware). He takes his dog to the vet where my roommate works. That's nuts. They've always been political. sorry dude...but that was a terrible review. 10 for the ep. Can these guys ever go wrong?? -oldpunker- i plan on buying this today!!! |
