Disagree if you must!

Propagandhi ARE punk. I'm not saying that in defense for people that might say that they're not punk, I'm saying that the definition of "punk" is Propagandhi. Propagandhi is the walking soul of punk. Johnny Rotten, go to hell. Propagandhi's where it's at.

So maybe their music isn't "traditional punk," but that, I think, makes it even more punk than "trational punk." Their music isn't traditional at all, they're just fucking incredible all the fucking time. They definitely put most bands with a message (and certainly every band without a message) to shame. And maybe no one knows who Propagandhi is and doesn't care if I say that they put other bands to shame, but hear you me: I care.

I don't know if anyone's heard of the Propagandhi/Fat Mike/Rock Against Bush comp incident. So basically, Fat Mike was saying "Hey! Let's put out a comp against the Bush administration so that we can get it to kids and get them to vote and educate them." Okay, sounds reasonable. So Propagandhi present this song to Fat Mike for the record, as he'd requested. There's a lyric in the song, however, that Fat Mike does not approve of and asks them to change it or he won't release it. Umm...don't we call that...editing ourselves? Since when does a punk band (especially one like Propagandhi) edit themselves? Well, since it hit mainstream radio, but that's why I put the "especially one like Propagandhi" in parenthesis. Bands like Propagandhi don't do that. I have no idea what the lyric was or was about, but go Wiki it, or whatever that new site Alex found that is better than Wiki...use it. Anyway, I don't think it's important, regardless.

So I've never claimed that I wouldn't "sell out" if given the chance. At this point in life, I'm not GOING to claim that because I don't know what it fully entails and the pros and cons of being on a major label or whatever. I CAN speculate that Anti-Flag is not the face that punk should be wearing. In fact, I don't think punk should have a "face." Your mohawk doesn't make you punk. Period. Your message, your music, your actions, your views, and your caring for others makes you punk. Yeah, punk has a lot to do with caring for the well-being of the people at large. That doesn't mean that you're supposed to have Sam Walton's back in his industry (he's dead, anyway). You get what I mean, I'd hope.

So anyway, the reason I'm ranting on about Propagandhi is because they have announced that they have a new album The Supporting Caste that is going to be released on March 10th of this year. I'm fucking stoked. They may have lost a lot of fans when John Samson (another one of my heroes) left the band and they became serious, but those are the poseurs anyway. Sorry to sound so angry and shit, but seriously, come on. Samson wrote some good and fun songs while in Propagandhi, but they were kind of holding each other back...and young and less educated as it was. So John leaving Propagandhi is the best thing that's ever happened to music, I think. The Beatles don't have shit on this, I'm sorry. John forming The Weakerthans and Propagandhi beginning their search for their new sound and style was the best thing. Ever. It's amazing. And it's awesome because I love everything that's happened. I love how John Samson used to play in Propagandhi and, while they were younger, released some fun pop-punk/thrash punk music. I fucking love the hell out of The Weakerthans (John's new band, incase you're from Mars), and Propagandhi since John is fucking incredible in a completely different (and probably more significant) way. It's a win/win/win/win situation (the fourth win being for the listener).

So yeah, just because Fat Mike and Anti-Flag are like the face of punk doesn't mean you have to follow every order they command. I love Fat Mike (he runs an excellent record label and he was fun to watch almost fall over and sign my coaster real sloppy in person) and I'm a sucker for certain Anti-Flag songs, but there are some definite lines that can be drawn. This is why Propagandhi's new album isn't even going to be released on Fat Wreck Chords (I'm assuming, at least). What's more punk than ditching your punk label? Or writing songs about the owner of your former record label (hear: "Rock for Sustainable Capitalism")? Propagandhi are where it's at. Yeah, their lyrics are over my head sometimes, but so are everyone's lyrics. I just don't listen to lyrics. I listen to mostly the drums and in how they fit their surroundings and the context of the song (me being a drummer, of course). But Brittney looked at me like I was crazy for not knowing the lyrics to "Radio" by Alk3. So maybe one day, I'll read all of the lyrics to Propagandhi's new album. They're about things like American imperialism, people getting left to die by a country that promised to take care of them, "fucking fat-ass mohawked-millionaires," and US/Canadian affairs and bullshit. And tons of other things (one song talks about Bono from U2 being a dickweed in some manner, I think).

This brings me to my favorite band to hate on, All Time Low. All Time Low, do you promise to tell only the truth, nothing but the truth, truth truth bullshit blah blah truth yaddayadda something? If you answered yes, then explain this to me. If Propagandhi = punk...then what do you equal? Your MySpace claims that you, too = punk. I think someone here's lieing...and I, for some reason, trust Propagandhi's reasoning more than yours. You're definitely not fucking Propagandhi, you scenester pieces of shit. Eat dirt.

I wrote Propagandhi asking them if we could use a song of theirs on a compilation CD that is against bands like All Time Low/Mayday Parade/Scary Kids Scaring Kids/any other bands that aren't punk, but are on "Punk Goes..." compilations. Todd wrote me backing telling me that no lawsuits would be filed or anything like that and I was free to do what I wanted with any of their songs. Propagandhi, I love you. You made me the vegetarian I still am today. You also make me feel really bad for wearing this leather jacket (the only jacket left in the house) and my Descendents shoes (that have some leather on them) to stay warm. I swear that if I had my other jacket and if Descedents shoes came in not-leather, I'd wear both of those things instead. I'm also wearing some hemp, so I'm trying!

I guess that's all I've got for today. I'm totally going to see D4 when they come back around, though. Woo!


love,
Kyle