Indulged my love for Fastbacks over at New Noise today. Probably one of the most earnest, down-to-earth, and relatable punk bands that ever existed. The fact that they have always been below the radar of, or seemed unworthy of consideration by the punk tastemakers of the past four decades makes me love them that much more. They have a new live album out and it really captures what made the punk scene of yesteryear different from the one of today. At least in the North West, there was an emphasis on authenticity and relaxed, self-expression, that would be problematized in future generations by the alternative rock explosion and the weird way that punk's conception of itself evolved in parallel with the culture it claimed to be rebelling against. It wasn't necessarily a better scene or time, but it was a period that has a certain charm and idealism to it that I think is worth revisiting from time to time.
Read my write-up of Fastbacks's live album recorded at the Mural Amphitheater back in 1986.
