20 YEARS OF DESTRUCTION

Little did I know, coming across a random CD 20 years ago today would be a life-changing and defining moment.

May 21, 1996. It’s just another Tuesday toward the end of sixth grade, and I partake in an all-too-common after-school activity for 11-year-old me: going record shopping. (Until recently, new records were released on Tuesdays. Now Fridays are when new tunes hit the shelves.) Whenever I can, I pop into America's oldest independently owned record shop, the Exclusive Company in downtown Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

(Not just on Tuesdays, mind you. Since I was 9 or 10, I've spent far too much time—or perhaps not enough, depending on you look at it—at Exclusive. However, Tuesdays were kind of a big deal.)

I push past the old, heavy wooden door (of the previous Exclusive location) into the dark, catacomb-like musical haven and my feet are greeted with the warped, uneven hard wood floors, while my nose takes in the smell. It wasn't a bad smell—quite fantastic, actually. If you spent time in the old Exclusive, you know exactly what I'm talking about. I don't know how to describe it other than saying it smelled like a record shop. Fuck, I miss that scent.

WHEN THE LEAVES FALL, THE RECORDS WILL SPIN

I'm one of those weirdos who can hear a song/album and instantly remember where I was when I heard it, who was with me, what the weather was like, how the air smelled, and sometimes, what I was wearing. Yeah, it's odd, but it's true. Try as I might, but I can't help associate certain albums with respective seasons.

Since the fall weather has finally rolled into town (which, by the way, is my favorite time of year), I figured why not put together a list consisting of the records I have the strongest nostalgia for when it comes to these months. This is not all of them, mind you. Just a nice little collection.

Click on the album artwork to hear a choice song from each.

Angry Johnny and The Killbillies What's So Funny?
There's a handful of albums that stayed in constant rotation for days, if not weeks (okay, more than a handful is a better way to put it). This is one of them. Bought it in October, listened to it for a least two straight weeks. More specifically, "High Noon in Killville" quickly became my most played track on iTunes (and I usually don't like to just listen to individual songs). Feels like a crime to listen to What's So Funny? on a warm, sunny summer day. Thanks to the film 11:14 for introducing me to Angry Johnny (the opening track, "All-American Girl," is used in the film and I anxiously sat through the credits to find out who sang it).

Arms Aloft Comfort At Any Cost

It was the day before Thanksgiving, I was still co-owner of a screen printing shop, and we had to ship a massive order before 6pm. As we were burning the screens, and in great timing, our power washer took a shit on us.  While I was frantic and stressed, Adam was getting ready to flea the shop to get a new one, not before he plugged in his iPod and said, "I'll only go if you listen to this." Assuming it was going to be his regular dose of metal, indie rock, or Rush, I was not prepared for what I was about hear. Sometimes I'll just put this EP on repeat and go for a long walk in the breezy fall nighttime, my favorite way to experience it. Oh, and for the record, we did ship the order on time. 

Bigwig Invitation to Tragedy

I remember going to The Exclusive Co. (which was in its previous location) on a Tuesday in September with nothing in mind, just looking for something new. Little to my knowledge, the new Bigwig came out that day, and I was stoked beyond belief. I hardly say "stoked" so take that as in indication how pumped I was. This record still makes me think of that old store; the uneven hardwood floors, the cool draft squeezing past the front door, the smell… That was a record store. Miss that place. 

The Misfits Static Age

Um… Because why wouldn't The Misfits show up on this list? If you're unsure why this would have connections to my favorite season, well, just go listen to it.

Osker Idle Will Kill

For their second release, Osker swapped out their rawness for a little more of a mature feel, which at first didn't sit well with me. After repeated listens, I was able to ignore the contrast, and appreciate the songs as they were. There's a certain mood to Idle Will Kill, that in a way I find depressing, which perfectly compliments gloomy autumn days. Still one of my go-to records when I'm down.

Slapstick Slapstick

I discovered Slapstick way later than I should have. These 25 songs could essentially be labeled the soundtrack to my junior year of high school. I could not get enough, and still can't all these years later. I associate driving my '88 Toyota Camry to work (at Cousin's Subs) during a downpour as the sun was setting with these songs. Still the best ska-punk record I've ever heard.

T.S.O.L. Dance With Me

Being a teenager and hearing Jack Grisham proclaim "I want to fuck the dead!" (in the song Code Blue) on Punk-O-Rama Vol. 2 was more than enough to catch my attention and want to hear more. It was just happenstance that I bought this record during the fall, as everything about it screams fall weather, but it is required listening.

LIFE WON'T WAIT

June 30, 1998. It was the summer before my freshman year of high school, and I ended up working for my mom's boss, painting the exterior of their building. It was my first taste of "full-time" work, as I worked Monday through Friday. Can't remember if it was eight hours a day, I think it just might have been. I do recall, however, that I had to be there at 9am, which completely sucked. I mean, after all, this was summer break. Who wants to get up that early during summer? As I quickly found out, those carefree summer days we all loved were over.

On this particular day fifteen years ago, a Tuesday to be exact, I woke up extra early to make a slight detour before work. Much to my anticipation, the new Rancid record, Life Won't Wait, was coming out, and I had to be the first one to buy it (not to mention I wanted to listen to it all day at work). Now, when there was a new record coming out that I excited about, I used to go to the Exclusive Co. about thirty minutes before they opened, to ensure I was the person there to buy it. That is, of course, if Sam Warnke didn't beat me to it. Actually, my work was only a few blocks away from Exclusive, so it wasn't as much a detour as it was a brief stop. 

Just a few weeks prior, I caught the world premiere of the music video for "Bloodclot" on MTV's 120 Minutes (which I used to sit up and watch until 2am every Sunday night during the summer). As if I wasn't pumped enough, that video pushed me over the edge. Lucky for me, I taped it when it aired, and basically watched it daily until the release of the record. On top of that, just a few weeks later, I'd be catching Rancid live for the first time at Warped Tour. In other words, the first half of summer was all about Rancid.

The opening line of the intro wasn't lying when it said, "The phenomena you are about the witness could well revolutionize your way of thinking... Prepare yourself for the evidence that will follow." Something I was unaware about was what I got myself into when I made my purchase that morning. Not only is Life Won't Wait my favorite Rancid record, but it's one of my all-time favorite records period. With …And Out Come The Wolves, the band started to explore elements of their influence, dabbling into ska and reggae. With Life Won't Wait, they took it to a whole new level. Not only were they busting out tracks of all styles, they were executing them perfectly. It seems that this direction steered a fair amount of fans away. I still find myself in conversations where people shoot Life Won't Wait down. That's fine, to each their own, but for me, it doesn't get much better than this.