Happy Fourth of July everyone residing in the US. It's a beautiful cloudy day here in Long Beach. People are with their families and friends at the parks and on the beach. I can smell my neighbors bbq carne asadas and chicken. There's no work and no school for most of us so it's all fun times all around. Hope everyone has a good time and please be safe out there. Find yourself a designated driver and remember to shout Hootie Hoo when you see cops.
No Doubt is one of those iconic So Cal bands that everyone grows up listening to. For us here in Long Beach it was Sublime, Snoop, Warren G. In Orange County there was No Doubt, Suburban Legends, and a whole slew of other acts that emerged from the Ska community that later grew into their own in many different shapes and sounds. Last year we heard news of No Doubt FINALLY getting back into the studio to work on their next album. The video above [First in a series of webisodes] gives us a brief look into their studio sessions as we patiently wait for the September 25, 2012 release of their sixth studio album.
I'm going to have to sit down with this track just a little bit. Might have to walk over to the Liquor store to get me a 40 to drink while I enjoy this. When I heard their first single Panic, I couldn't help but think of Less Than Jake. I think it was the song structure + horn section + production style + knowing they're on Fueled By Ramen. Yes I know FBR also has Paramore on their roster, but don't you forget it was Vinnie from LTJ who founded FBR. End of tangent. Look at the ghetto bird up above...
I was going to wait a while before I shared my thoughts on this album but in true Sublime fashion I just said, "F(*)ck it let's do it!". It was around High School when my older cousin[the same one who made me listen to MetallicA] introduced me to 40 Oz. To Freedom on the way to school[the album, not alcohol, that was later, much later]. The first song that played on the car speakers was Waiting For My Ruca and with that I was hooked. I thought, "This is a song? Just a kick drum, snare, vocals?! Where are the guitars?! The bass?!" And as the song played the following lyrics caught my attention, "She moved from Long Beach down to L.A. Right now she's selling oranges by the freeway. I want to know, 'Ramona am I the only one tell me?' And she said, 'you're not the only one but you're the best Bradley bop! bop!'" I was surprised to learn that Sublime was from Long Beach. No wonder these lyrics spoke to me. It was written from a guy who walked the same streets as me and had similar life experiences that all the locals shared.
Sublime is one of those bands that people either love or hate. I had an English teacher my sophomore year of HS that loathed Sublime. The whole class couldn't understand why. The band spoke to every person from every socio-economic stature in this fine city of Long Beach. It was the ska music that picked up the energy when things weren't going too well. It was the perfect music to toke to when hanging out with your buddies at the house[1) so i've heard. 2) all the locals refer to hanging out at someones home as 'the house'. don't ask me why.]. It was the explosive in your face punk rock attitude that fueled the working class person. It was also the thought provoking hip hop lyrics that made you question the simple and complicated life issues. And do you know why that English teacher of mine hated Sublime? He said that every single party he went to back in the day where Sublime was scheduled to perform, they didn't play. He said Bradley was too drunk or drugged up and passed out some corner of the house party.
I wasn't fortunate enough to see Bradley, Eric, Bud, and Lou Dog perform but there are many locals who did. One of my cousins told me she volunteered at an event at the old Rainbow Lagoon just to watch Sublime perform with a full horn section. A friend's older brother told me that he went to most of the house parties Sublime performed at and even had a copy of the original 40 oz. To Freedom. He told me he never thought much about it and gave the tape to someone and never asked for it back. You can see how much their influence has ingrained itself into the locals back then and even now. Even till this day you can go to a house party anywhere in Long Beach and hear someone on an acoustic guitar playing their rendition of Badfish.
Like my love and great respect for the music of MetallicA, I can go on and on and on about Sublime and this album. We can touch base on how No Doubt and Sublime used to sing on each others tracks. Or how they were some of the first bands on Warped Tour back when it started. I can share stories of how Bradley almost lost Lou Dog at The Blue Cafe and how it was the same venue that D$, [e]ccentric, and I performed at when we were playing as a band[we weren't exactly of the drinking age of 21+ when we performed]. But with many things Sublime and Long Beach oriented you just have to experience it for yourself. I'm pretty sure that's how Bradley would of wanted it be...
R.I.P. Bradley Nowell
Purchase Sublime - 40 Oz. To Freedom @ Amazon | iTunes
Tracklist: 1. "Waiting for My Ruca"– 2:20 2. "40oz. to Freedom" – 3:02 3. "Smoke Two Joints" – 2:53 4. "We're Only Gonna Die for Our Arrogance" - 3:27 5. "Don't Push"– 4:18 6. "5446 That's My Number/Ball and Chain"– 5:17 7. "Badfish"– 3:04 8. "Let's Go Get Stoned"– 3:32 9. "New Thrash"– 1:30 10. "Scarlet Begonias"– 3:31 11. "Live at E's" (Nowell)- 3:08 12. "D.J.s" (Nowell)– 3:18 13. "Chica Me Tipo"– 2:16 14. "Right Back"– 2:49 15. "What Happened"– 3:27 16. "New Song"– 3:14 17. "Ebin"– 3:32 18. "Date Rape"– 3:37 (4:38) 19. "Hope"– 1:43 20. "KRS-One" – 2:23 21. "Rivers of Babylon"- 2:29 22. "Thanx Dub" 4:23 (6:23)
I was going to wait a while before I shared my thoughts on this album but in true Sublime fashion I just said, "F(*)ck it let's do it!". It was around High School when my older cousin[the same one who made me listen to MetallicA] introduced me to 40 Oz. To Freedom on the way to school[the album, not alcohol, that was later, much later]. The first song that played on the car speakers was Waiting For My Ruca and with that I was hooked. I thought, "This is a song? Just a kick drum, snare, vocals?! Where are the guitars?! The bass?!" And as the song played the following lyrics caught my attention, "She moved from Long Beach down to L.A. Right now she's selling oranges by the freeway. I want to know, 'Ramona am I the only one tell me?' And she said, 'you're not the only one but you're the best Bradley bop! bop!'" I was surprised to learn that Sublime was from Long Beach. No wonder these lyrics spoke to me. It was written from a guy who walked the same streets as me and had similar life experiences that all the locals shared.
