Do It Yourself! Volume #1


Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros
"Johnny Appleseed"
Joe Strummer died shortly before the release of DIY! Vol. #1, and, of course, this played a major role in his inclusion on the comp. However, you can't deny the power of this track. It's the testament of a man who took rock and roll seriously and didn't think it odd to big up the cultural contributions of MLK and Eddie Cochran in the same breath.

Lars Frederiksen & Bastards
"Dead American"
Lars of Rancid steps out with his first "solo" effort and the result is a spine rattling dose of strret punk aggro. Forget Rancid's trademark blurring of musical genres. Frederiksen lays down the punk rock purely on the old school tip, and no other track on the album is as brutal as this.

The Hives
"Knock Knock"
With their second full length album, the Hives pry the trophy from the nimble fingers of Yngwie Malmsteen to become the most rockin' swedes in the world. Gimmicky? Sure. But the lofi charm and bona fide classic rock swagger can't be denied.

The Donnas
"Rock N' Roll Machine"

The Slackers
"Bin Waiting'"

Squirtgun
"Social"

The Distillers
"Sing Sing Death House"

Chris Murray
"Strong Physical Urge"

Duane Peters and the Hunns
"American Nightmare"

The Transplants
"Tall Cans in the Air"

Sloppy Seconds
"I Don't Wanna Be a Homosexual"

About the Artwork:
Ahhh. The very f irst DIY! album happened on a whim and the artwork was merely an afterthought. Scoured the hard drive for large enough images and settled on a pair of screen caps from my favorite episode of The Twilight Zone. Crude and rudimentary, but it still  hints at things to come!