Featured Artist #29 - DESCENDENTS

[Angry Balled Fists!]

[URL=http://archives.thedaily.washington.edu/photos/970403desc.gif]DESCENDENTS [/url]

Well, I’m surprised and happy that there hasn’t been a FA of them yet, as I love them and they are one of the fore-fathers of pop-punk. Their unique mix of hardcore punk and pop has made them one of the most loved pop-punk bands around, with a career spanning over 20 years and consistent album releases they really are the kings.

Current Line up:

[URL=http://www.allcentral.com/gfx/des12.jpg]Milo Aukerman - Vocals[/url]
[URL=http://www.ourcpsite.com/spacer/newpics006.jpg]Karl Alvarez - Bass[/url]
[URL=http://www.crateamps.com/html/images/artist/EGERTON400x390.jpg]Stephen Egerton - Guitar[/url]
[URL=http://www.citizinemag.com/music/0312_billstevenson1.JPG]Bill Stevenson - Drums[/url]


Past Members:

Frank Navetta -Vocals/Guitar
Tony Lombardo – Vocals/Bass
Ray Cooper – Guitar
Doug Carrion - Guitar

Biography:

Ok, let’s get one thing straight first, if you are reading this and have never heard any Descendents songs, then you must download the songs throghout the discogrpahy. Ok? Good.
The Descendents formed in 1979, and set out to play fast, funny, poppy punk music and they did it perfectly. The first line up was, Frank Navetta (Vocalist/Guitarist), Tony Lombardo (Vocalist/Bassist) and drummer Bill Stevenson. This line-up was very short lived and after releasing a debut single, Ride the Wild they seemed to have vanished.

They came back into the spotlight in 1981 and issued Milo Aukerman vocal duties, he was a great character in the Los Angeles Punk community, and brought a great sense of humour and teenage angst to the group. They toured a lot and brought out their first EP, Fat. A year later, they brought out their first Full Length, Milo Goes to College. This has now reached legendary status, and is one of the most important and amazing pop-punk/punk albums ever. It features tracks of outstanding quality, the opener Myage features an awesome bass line and fast, aggressive vocals and guitar work, the band are very tight and throughout the whole album, the songs are of great quality. This album has influenced me in many ways and is one of my favourite of all time. From the Angsty, Parents, The quirky Suburban Home to the awesomely catchy Marraige and the darker Hope, all tracks are amazing and are superbly catchy. The name of the album, didn’t lie, Milo did indeed go to college, to study Biochemistry.
Stevenson went on to join Black Flag, the hardcore punk legends and the future of the Descendents looked very bleak.

The group re-formed in 1985 and Ray Cooper replaced Navetta on guitar and they released the album, I Don’t Want to Grow Up, which was a slightly poppier release, which included classics such as Silly Girl and I Don’t Want to Grow Up. They released the album Enjoy! A year later but in 1987, they released their last album ALL for a very long time. Stevenson went on to create his own group ALL and the only Descendents records that came out for 9 years was two live albums, Liveage! and Hallraker: Live! And a compilation of their best work Somery, was released in 1991.
But, hope was restored in 1996 when the group re-formed with ALL members, Karl Alvarez (Bass) and Stephen Egerton (Guitar) and Milo and Stevenson back in the line-up.

This was to be one of their busiest few years as a band, they released 2 EP’s aswell as one of their best albums of their career, Everything Sucks; it’s a masterpiece in pop-punk. It features some amazing tracks, such as the heart-felt Thank you, I’m the One, We and I Won’t Let Me. The songs are so inspiring and just make you want to rock out. No other band wll be able to write songs quite like how they do. It was an excellent return to form.
They didn’t lose any of their humour, speed, and sense of great melodies or their ability to rock! This marked their first record deal change and it was released on Epitaph records.

They released their latest album, Cool to Be You in 2004 on Fat Wreck Chords, which is possibly their poppiest album, but it still definitely delivered. It features awesome songs such as the geek inspired song, Mass Nerder, Dry Spell and Dog and Pony Show. Their songs feature the same awesome beats, bass lines and guitar riffs as Everything Sucks did. It has the same vibe as Everything Sucks did and is an essential record for all pop-punk fans.
Also the EP ‘Mercian was released that year.

There you have it, my take on the Descendents long, exciting and rock ‘n’ roll career.


Discography: (Not including Singles and Promotional 7”s)

Fat (EP) – 1981:
1. My Dad Sucks
2. Mr. Bass
3. I like Food
4. Hey Hey
5. Weinerschnitzel
6. Global Probing

[URL=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000000M2L/ref=dp_product-image-only_0/002-4129769-6806403?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=5174&s=music]Milo Goes To College - 1982[/url]:

1. Myage
2. I Wanna Be a Bear
3. I’m Not a Loser
4. Parents
5. Tonyage
6. M 16
7. I’m Not a Punk
8. Catalina
9. Suburban Home
10. Statue Of Liberty
11. Kabuki Girl
12. Marriage
13. Hope
14. Bikeage
15. Jean Is Dead

[URL=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000000M2R/ref=dp_product-image-only_0/002-4129769-6806403?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=5174&s=music]Bonus Fat (EP) - 1985[/url]

1. My Dad Sucks
2. Mr. Bass
3. I like Food
4. Hey Hey
5. Weinerschnitzel
6. Global Probing
7. Ride the Wild
8. It’s a Hectic World

[URL=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000000M2O/ref=dp_product-image-only_0/002-4129769-6806403?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=5174&s=music]I Don't Want to Grow Up - 1985[/url]

1.Descendents
2. I Don’t Want to Grow Up
3. Pervert
4. Rockstar
5. No FB
6. Cant go back
7. GCF
8. My World
9. Theme
10. Silly Girl
11. I Love This Way
12. Christmas Vacation
13. Good Good Things
14. Ace

[URL=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000000M1P/ref=dp_product-image-only_0/002-4129769-6806403?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=5174&s=music]Enjoy! - 1986[/url]

1. Enjoy
2. Wendy
3. Kids
4. Hurtin’ Crue
5. Sour Grapes
6. Get the Time
7. Orgofart
8. Cheer
9. 80’s Girl
10. Green
11. Days Are Blood
12. Orgo 51

[URL=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000000M1P/ref=dp_product-image-only_0/002-4129769-6806403?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=5174&s=music]ALL - 1987[/url]

1. All
2. Coolidge
3. No, All!
4. Van
5. Cameage
6. Impressions
7. Iceman
8. Uranus
9. Jealous of the World
10. Clean Sheets
11. All-O-Gistics
12. Schizophrenia

[URL=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000000M3H/ref=dp_product-image-only_0/002-4129769-6806403?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=5174&s=music]Liveage (Live Album) - 1987[/url]

1. ALL
2. I’m Not a Loser
3. Silly Girl
4. I Wanna Be a Bear
5. Coolidge
6. Weinerschnitzel
7. I Don’t Want to Grow Up
8. Kids
9. Wendy
10. Get the Time
11. Descendents
12. Sour Grapes
13. All-O-Gistics
14. My Age
15. My Dad Sucks
16. Van
17. Suburban Home
18. Hope
19. Clean Sheets
20. Pervert

[URL=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000000M4F/ref=dp_product-image-only_0/002-4129769-6806403?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=5174&s=music]Hallraker: Live! (Live album) - 1989[/url]

1. Global Probing
2. My World
3. Hurtin’ Crue
4. Hey Hey
5. Kabuki Girl/All
6. Pep Talk
7. Jealous of the World
8. Christmas Vacation
9. I Like Food
10. Iceman
11. Good Good Things
12. Cheer
13. Rockstar
14. No FB
15. Cameage

[URL=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000000M65/ref=dp_product-image-only_0/002-4129769-6806403?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=5174&s=music]Somery (Compliation) - 1991[/url]

1. All
2. My Dad Sucks
3. Suburban Home
4. Silly Girl
5. Kids on Coffee
6. Clean Sheets
7. Sour Grapes
8. Weinerschnitzel
9. Myage
10. Good Good Things
11. Van
12. Bikeage
13. Enjoy
14. Theme
15. Coolidge
16. I Like Food
17. I Wanna Be a Bear
18. I Don’t Want To Grow Up
19. Cheer
20. Pervert
21. Hope
22. All-O-Gistics
23. I’m Not A Loser
24. Get The Time
25. Hurtin’ Crue
26. Cameage
27. Descendents
28. No, All !

[URL=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000005K6H/ref=dp_product-image-only_0/103-5354548-5343837?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=5174&s=music]When I Get Old (EP) - 1996[/url]

1. When I Get Old
2. Gotta
3. Sick-O-Me

[URL=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000001ISS/ref=dp_product-image-only_0/002-4129769-6806403?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=5174&s=music]Everything Sucks - 1996[/url]

1. [URL=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000057389/ref=j_disp_dwnld_2/103-5354548-5343837?v=glance&s=music&st=digital-music]Everything Sucks[/url]
2. [URL=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005738A/ref=j_disp_dwnld_2/103-5354548-5343837?v=glance&s=music&st=digital-music]I'm The One[/url]
3. [URL=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000572IQ/ref=j_disp_dwnld_2/103-5354548-5343837?v=glance&s=music&st=digital-music]Coffee Mug[/url]
4. Rotting Out
5. Sick-O-Me
6. Caught
7.[URL=http://www.epitaph.com/_lib/stream.php?f=When+I+Get+Old.mp3&p=/22/63/589.mp3&id=589]When I Get Old[/url]
8. Doghouse
9. She Loves Me
10. Hateful Notebook
11. We
12. Eunuch Boy
13. This Place
14. I Won’t Let Me
15. Thank You

[URL=http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Auditorium/5677/DESCENDENTS/pics/7inchimtheone.jpg]I'm The One (EP) - 1997[/url]

1. I’m The One
2. Everything Sux
3. Lucky
4. Shattered Milo

[Angry Balled Fists!]

[URL=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B00018QIUW/ref=dp_product-image-only_0/103-5354548-5343837?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=5174&s=music]'Merican (EP) - 2004[/url]

1. Nothing With You
2. ‘Merican
3. Here With Me
4. I Quit

[URL=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B0001E5UAU/ref=dp_product-image-only_0/002-4129769-6806403?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=5174&s=music]Cool To Be You - 2004[/url]

1. Talking
2. Nothing With You
3. She Don’t Care
4. [URL=http://fatwreck.com/empee/50168.mp3]'Merican[/url]
5. Dog and Pony Show
6. Blast Off
7. Dreams
8. [URL=http://fatwreck.com/empee/50169.mp3]Cool To Be You[/url]
9. Maddie
10. Mass Nerder
11. One More Day
12. Tack
13. Anchor Grill
14. Dry Spell

Links:

[URL=http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=937 3064&Mytoken=A9D69B20-F4C9-4C85-A29107596EC63C70234854906]Descendents Myspace[/url]
[URL=http://www.fatwreckchords.com/banddetail.php3?sd=QymiI9HRMXIAAF0FyXE&code=DESC]Fat Wreck Chords Descendents Page[/url]
[URL=http://www.descendentsonline.com/]Descendents Official Website[/url]

There are links to different songs in the discography available for download.
Unfortunately due to new rules I can’t upload any albums for you but check out he songs if you don’t have them.

Right Click and Save As on all the links to the songs in the discography.

[Oz Rembrandt]

AWESOME

That word only just begins to describe this band. One of the oldest, and best bands of the genre, with possibley the best Pop-Punk Bassist out there! Nothing more to say that Dan hasn't. Good Fooking Work buddy, it rules

[Rootsradical]

I love the Descendents and I'm glad someone actually did an FA on them. I only have Milo goes to college and the fat ep, but they are both amazing.

[Permanent Solution]

I gotta read this in a bit, but it looks like you did a great job. Nice

[Mute Print]

Nice job, Dan. I like these guys a lot.

[B]

They're one of the only old pop-punk bands I'll listen to. Great FA Dan.

[Firecracker]

We' done Dan.

I have to wait another 5 months before i can do mine.

[DepthsOfDreams555]

Nice job Dan really good job. These guys are excellent.

[Gnarmageddon]

Very nice job, Dan.

[Drop The Baby]

great great great great great band. Good solid review Dan, very good. Way better than a lot of FAs of read in here

[Dave de Sylvia]

Very well done. I'm listening to the myspace songs now.

[AlkoholikMouse]

Great job, great band.

[Angry Balled Fists!]

Cheers, i put a bit of work into it.

[Dead Star]

Great F.A. Dan, but the Enjoy! album cover pic is the one for All.

Just thought I'd point that out.

[JeffT]

Yay! I'm glad I read this, because otherwise I probably wounldn't have heard of them. Pretty sick band, and good job on summing them up.

[Get Fighted]

whoa this is amazing and i ignored all my friends when they told me to listen to this. I AM NOT WORTHY

[Drop The Baby]

http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=379339

That's the Descendents profile i did for the punk forum

[thomas is fast]

Nice job man

Great band. Milo Goes to College = really really really good.

[albert_bass]

That's quality Dan. Congrats.