10 Punk Albums to Listen to Before You Die
6. The Damned, Damned Damned Damned
What many consider to be the first full-length UK punk album is also considered to be one of the best. Similar to Nevermind the Bullocks, Damned Damned Damned sounds like a sped up version of traditional rock 'n' roll. As the band progressed, its sound incorporated a more ethereal, gothic style, but tracks such as "New Rose," "Stab Your Back," "So Messed Up" and "I Fall" would have been the definitive sound of Sun Records had the famed Memphis label existed in England during the late 1970s.
5. Descendents, Milo Goes to College
The 15 songs on Milo Goes to College set the foundation for the pop-punk genre, but we won't hold that against these four South Bay misfits. Instead, we'll scream along with the teenage angst found on "Parents," pretend to beat up jocks while listening to "I'm Not a Loser" and flip the bird to fashion punks after proclaiming "I'm Not a Punk." There's not a clunker on this record, but the final four songs ("Marriage," "Hope," "Bikeage" and "Jean is Dead") prove that you can be into punk without being the shirtless dude who wants to start the pit. You don't believe me? Go see the band and watch what happens when they play "Hope." Seriously, there's not a better girl-disses-boy song on the planet.
4. Flipper, Album Generic Flipper
Your band can't cover any of the nine songs on this album because the only person on the planet who can play these wild guitar parts is Flipper guitarist Ted Falconi. What you can do, however, is get super high on drugs, put these songs on late at night and just stare (and I mean that in the best possible way). You won't hear many (any?) punk cliches such as power chords, super fast drumming or songs about Reagan on this one. Instead, Flipper brings punk into a psychedelic nightmare where Bruce Loose and Will Shatter trade hypnotic vocals and drummer Steve DePace bashes away with what sounds like baseball bats for sticks. Album closer "Sex Bomb" is the "hit," but if you wanna get really spacey, start with "(I Saw You) Shine."
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