OFF! The Series

The Preamble:

I may be setting a couple of records (pun intended) with this post, this series. You see, it’s all-in-one. Yes, I’m amazingly skilled at this blogging thing. I understand your awe. It’s also gotta be some kind of land-speed record, at the very least. Because this is punk. Holy shit this is amazing punk.

The Rest:

Folks, fear not. Punk is not dead. It is alive and well in the hands of the absolutely astounding  amazing (points for aliteration?)…

…OFF!

The personnel of this supergroup looks like this:

Keith Morris (Black Flag, Circle Jerks)
Dmitri Coats (Burning Brides)
Steven Shane McDonald (Redd Kross)
Mario Rubalcaba (Rocket From The Crypt, Hot Snakes)

Why should you bother? Well, punk has been tried. Punk has been done. Very few people can dial it back and make it what it’s supposed to be: angry, intelligent, aggressive, fast and pure. OFF! does all of that with such ease that it’s actually sort of frightening.

Each of their three albums has sixteen tracks. Only one, over all three records, clocks in over two minutes long. Many don’t even reach one minute long. This is short sharp shock (more aliteration) and it all kicks fucking ass.

Need proof? I just burned all three of their CDs to one CD-R (for the car) and altogether it clocks in at a total of 58 minutes (581 MB on a 700MB CD-R). But don’t be deceived. There’s more here in that hour’s-worth of music than a lot of bands can muster in their entire careers. PUNK ROCK.

Each album features the brilliant cover art of none other than Raymond Pettibon.

Each album is built to destroy. And holy fuck do they ever.

I cannot say enough good about these records. They’re so fucking brilliant. OFF! is what you need. Go and get all of this right now:

First Four EPs
Off!
Wasted Years

If this post sends you into OFF!’s path and you realize how fucking good they are, then I consider this effort a public service.

You’re welcome.