Descendents: I Don't Want to Grow Up C/D?

dunno, from what i've read about them, they were pretty non-careerist overall. probably could've courted more mainstreamy success, but just didn't choose to.
and the manhattan beach area is pretty radically different from san pedro -- the latter's a lot more blue collar. MB in the 70s-early 80s would've been a sleepy, kinda hippie beach town.

My son and I were just on vacation in California and stayed with relatives in nearby Hermosa Beach. Driving the rent-a-car around there I occasionally thought about how my mental images of the area from seeing SST and New Alliance bands back in the '80s in DC did not match up with what the area actually looks like (now and then). I also somehow thought way back when that it was even farther from downtown LA than it is.

yeah, i mean, someone listening to a lot of those bands would get a weird image of the place. like a lot of black flag is so intense/claustraphobic but then you think -- these guys could walk down to the beach after band practice and chill out.

(and yeah, the south bay of the 70s was waaaaay different than it is now. it's gotten mega glitzy, nary a trace of the old bohemian kinda thing ... i barely recognize it myself)

dunno, from what i've read about them, they were pretty non-careerist overall. probably could've courted more mainstreamy success, but just didn't choose to.
and the manhattan beach area is pretty radically different from san pedro -- the latter's a lot more blue collar. MB in the 70s-early 80s would've been a sleepy, kinda hippie beach town.

― tylerw, Wednesday, August 18, 2010 9:54 PM (10 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

My son and I were just on vacation in California and stayed with relatives in nearby Hermosa Beach. Driving the rent-a-car around there I occasionally thought about how my mental images of the area from seeing SST and New Alliance bands back in the '80s in DC did not match up with what the area actually looks like (now and then). I also somehow thought way back when that it was even farther from downtown LA than it is.

huh, yeah, at the time (late eighties) san pedro seemed like this particularly industrial outpost, like the best part of bay to get cancer from. and so i think my dad was perplexed by why i would fixate on there instead of la guns era hollywood blvd or whatever

i dunno, i kind of think that bill stevenson would have been more than cool w/mainstream success but maybe just made a series of bizarre career decisions?

regardless, la is so great, sheesh. it was great back when i would have wanted every guy to be improbable combination of lance mountain and karate kid-era ralph maccio, and every girl to be belinda carlisle. it's slightly better now, though.

tylerw, you need to rescreen dogtown and z-boys, la beaches other than malibu do not have a long idyllic history.

yeah, i don't know -- santa monica/venice might've been scuzztown, but beaches a little further south have always been fairly laid back spots. in my experience.

sure around the strand yeah, but that locale/scene was oft-targeted by the SST heavies.

yeah, probably! it's a little bit before my time, so most of what i know about it is reading about it, or talking to older guys about it.

yeah, i mean, someone listening to a lot of those bands would get a weird image of the place. like a lot of black flag is so intense/claustrophobic but then you think -- these guys could walk down to the beach after band practice and chill out.

yeah, i tried to ask joe carducci at book talk why there were all these angsty hardcore bands coming out of supposedly idyllic l.a. of the time. i think he gave me a well-reasoned response based on "i was there", suburbia, ugh, etc., that was hard to argue with. but that geographical dynamic does seem funny sometimes. like, it's much easier to imagine super-angry hardcore bands coming out of eighties lower east side nyc or landlocked midwest chicago or detroit or something.

"supposedly idyllic l.a. of "

ugh, begin by replacing "supposedly" with "presumably"?

i can't think nor write these days. early-onset alzheimer's

"what is there to have stopped descendents from achieving mtv-ish 120 minutes-fame at the time,"
"isn't milo goes to college pretty much equivalent to singles going steady in terms of songcraft??"

descendents and buzzcocks are neck & neck peers if you go by inclusion on tony hawk video game soundtracks

"went to the no-nukes rally, the don quixotes made me feel silly!"

London Shepherd's Bush Empire, Apr 25 - just booked tickets. BIG

Ooh!

Hope this actually happens, just found out DRI cancelled.

I didn't even know they were coming over! Descendents are in Europe for some kiddy punk festival full of iirc mostly terrible bands

Any news of other dates in the UK or Ireland?

http://www.filmagemovie.com/Filmage.html

It doesn't matter - you all suck.
Don't give a shit about punk rock!

the rerun of the London show noted above (that happened cos Milo blew out his voice during the first one) was the funnest of times

Used to fuck with this song so hard

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYAM17lLtKk

new album is pretty good! very milo to right a 1 minute hardcore rant about how he has to watch his cholesterol now and can't eat fast food burgers

Ha, that sounds great

lol the song "No Fat Burger" basically describes where my life is headed (except fortunately nobody in my fam has heart issues)

this is a good album but it sounds like someone on the label sent the Saint Vitus producer to the Descendents booth by mistake

Seein em right now for first time

Hahah whoops

1981 or so: "Hey do you ever think a T-shirt with our logo and main visual image will appear worldwide on a US government hearing about trying to overturn an election and have a lot of people wondering what the hell." "Hmm, nah."

Hahaha for those who can’t parse that the proud boy face tattoo guy about to testify before the 1/6 committee is wearing a Descendants T-shirt

Another vote in favor of me never liking this band 🙃

Oath Keeper rather than Proud Boy but it is just a distinction of which stupid asshole you follow.

Friend on FB: "He wants to be stereotyped. He wants to be classified."

An unsurprising update.

We completely disavow groups like the Oath Keepers and in no way condone their hateful ideology.

— DESCENDENTS (@descendents) July 12, 2022

Descendents definitely had some problematic elements in their lyrics on Milo goes to college, though more of the typical "high school kid misogyny" type. nothing like THIS.

ultimately though, they weren't political, they sang about girls and poop and Oath Keepers like girls and poop

It always starts with misogyny and juvenile humor

All I know is the drive-thru song from "Pump Up the Volume," which is like the punk version of, I dunno, Napalm Death's "You Suffer."

xpost Yeah, like the "OK" sign or all the alt-right memes. "We're just joking!"

I never really gave a shit about the Descendents one way or the other, but I'm familiar enough with their discography to believe that it's a miiiiiiiighty big stretch to draw a straight line from them to the Oath Keepers.

"relax it's just a joke"

"get a sense of humor, it's a joke"

"you're misinterpreting me"

"i was exaggerating for effect"

"hang mike pence"

of course it's a big stretch -- how it starts isn't how it always inevitably ends

"hang mike pence"

no, no, you have to understand, it's ironic hyperbole, like when morrissey sings "hang the DJ," nobody says *he's* racist

SST had better strike while the iron is hot and whip up some more MILO vinyls

"Hope" is like a proto-incel anthem for better or worse

Someone who wants to destroy the capitol being into a loud punk band with many irony-drenched songs about not fitting is not the craziest thing I’ve ever heard

*not fitting in, that is

Otm about Hope.

Jamie Raskin promoted a Mission of Burma show on Harvard campus my freshman year, 1981. It’s possible these are the only two in the room who know the Descendants pic.twitter.com/1ER33ZUz12

— Damon K (@dada_drummer) July 12, 2022

Maybe not a straight line but the Descendants/ALL have always reflected a "both sides are equally bad!" plus "we aren't really homophobes it is just a joke!" plus Milo's aggrieved nice guy who can't get laid schtick plus being firmly in the SST libertarian wing that I can't really say I am surprised, they are touchstones of male suburban nerd ennui for a reason

that describes their 80s output, but nothing since

they removed several songs from their setlists nowadays due to some of the problematic stuff, namely "I'm not a Loser" and "Pervert".

Milo had a heart attack last night followed by bypass surgery and is in recovery. All Descendents shows are canceled until further notice.