GenturZine

1. Talking
2. Nothing With You
3. She Don't Care
4. 'Merican
5. Dog and Pony Show
6. Blast Off
7. Dreams
8. Cool to Be You
9. Maddie
10. Mass Nerder
11. One More Day
12. Tack
13. Anchor Grill
14. Dry Spell

On their first album since their 1996 reunion record, EVERYTHING SUCKS, '80s punk icons the Descendents unleash a fierce set of songs that fits seamlessly with their well-honed, melodic yet rocked-out sound. Vocalist Milo Aukerman still emotes the way he did when he was a teenager, but now the odes to geek woe ("Mass Nerder") and gastronomic distress ("Blast Off") are joined by songs such as "'Merican," a scathing US government broadside worthy of Bad Religion. As always, the rest of the band wraps tight, straightforward rhythms and potent guitar lines around Aukerman's sincere sentiments, showing that, happily, some things haven't changed that much since the Descendents debuted in 1981.

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

After a seven-year hiatus, punk-pop pioneers the Descendents return with 'Merican, a solid five-song EP that picks up where the band left with 1996's Everything Sucks. The group's first release on Fat Wreck Chords, after a short tenure with Epitaph, finds Milo Aukerman, Bill Stevenson, Stephen Egerton, and Karl Alvarez revisiting the timeless lovelorn attack of cherished songs from their past like "Wendy," "Clean Sheets," and "Silly Girl" on the disc-opener, "Nothing With You." Made whole with an infectious chorus, unrelenting rhythms, and a buoyant guitar, the song gives way to the ferocious title cut, which harks back to vintage Bad Religion as it explores the black marks on America's history, from slavery to Vietnam. But such sociopolitical commentary is rare from the 'Dents, who downshift to the palatable midtempo number "Here With Me," which eventually gives way the manic, spastic "I Quit," a nervous, edgy "Catalina"-like throwback. Only the closing instrumental, a hidden number without an official title, is worth skipping, as it drags in a way that no Descendents number has a right to. - John D. Luerssen.

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Tracklist

1. Everything Sux - 1:30
2. I'm The One - 2:15
3. Coffee Mug - 0:34
4. Rotting Out - 1:57
5. Sick-O-Me - 1:46
6. Caught - 1:47
7. When I Get Old - 2:29
8. Doghouse - 1:47
9. She Loves Me - 2:33
10. Hateful Notebook - 2:24
11. We - 2:36
12. Eunuch Boy - 0:20
13. This Place - 1:17
14. I Won't Let Me - 3:07
15. Thank You/Grand Theme - 4:30

Along with Black Flag, the Circle Jerks and others, Descendents were founding fathers of California punk, popularizing a brand of hardcore that was singularly West Coast--streamlined, with equal amounts of aggression and tuneful popcraft. This was the scene that would cough up chart toppers like Green Day and Rancid 15 years later. From their recording debut in 1979 till their breakup in 1987 and mutation into the equally fierce All, Descendents shot out album after album of tight, concise punk. After a nine-year layoff, the bespectacled Milo and crew have returned with an album as raucous and engrossing as any of their previous outings.

Unlike many of the bands who followed in their footsteps, Descendents add a welcome touch of sardonic humor to their existential rancor, making you laugh along with the bleak narrative of the title tune, even as you empathize with the poor sap whose life is in shreds. Only a mind as deliciously twisted as Milo's could come up with as bizarre a tale as "Eunuch Boy" and manage to cram the entire lyric into 30 furious seconds. Ultimately it's Descendents' gift for melodic songwriting that makes them continually engaging. EVERYTHING SUCKS does everything but live up to its title.

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Tracklist

1. All (0:03)
2. My Dad Sucks (0:38)
3. Suburban Home (1:42)
4. Silly Girl (2:22)
5. Kids (0:46)
6. Clean Sheets (3:13)
7. Sour Grapes (3:49)
8. Weinerschnitzel (0:13)
9. Myage (2:02)
10. Good Good Things (2:20)
11. Van (3:01)
12. Bikeage (2:14)
13. Enjoy (2:11)
14. Theme (2:13)
15. Coolidge (2:46)
16. I Like Food (0:18)
17. I Wanna Be A Bear (0:43)
18. I Don't Want To Grow Up (1:22)
19. Cheer (3:02)
20. Pervert (1:47)
21. Hope (2:01)
22. All-O-Gistics (3:02)
23. I'm Not A Loser (1:29)
24. Get The Time (3:13)
25. Hürtin' Crüe (2:36)
26. Cameage (3:03)
27. Descendents (1:44)
28. No! All! (0:04)

SOMERY is a retrospective compilation of tracks from each of the Descendents' studio records. It serves as a stopgap between the end of the band and the birth of its next permutation as ALL. The songs collected rarely hit the three-minute mark, and they amply demonstrate the rapid-fire punk that would eventually mutate into the pop-punk of such bands as Green Day and the Offspring. In fact, Green Day's DOOKIE is (perhaps overly) reminiscent of such Descendents songs as "Suburban Home" and "Sour Grapes."

This collection includes all of the Descendents' classics. Among the highlights are the one-second "All" and the similarly short "Weinerschnitzel" (a funny-punk masterpiece). Also essential are the oddly concern-filled anti-addiction warning "Bikeage," the sing-along chorus of "I Like Food" ("I like food / Food tastes good"--repeat as necessary), the perfectly snotty "I Don't Wanna Grow Up," and the almost sweet "Cheer" and "Get the Time." SOMERY is the perfect record for trips back to your hometown. It will put you in exactly the right frame of mind for a weekend with mom, dad, and all your brothers and sisters.

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Tracklist

1. Global Probing – 1:20
2. My World – 3:36
3. Hürtin' – 2:31
4. Hey Hey – 1:39
5. Kabuki Girl/All – 1:07
6. Pep Talk – 3:01
7. Jealous of the World – 3:48
8. Christmas Vacation – 2:41
9. I Like Food – 0:15
10. Iceman – 3:14
11. Good Good Things – 2:03
12. Cheer – 2:53
13. Rockstar – 0:38
14. No FB – 0:34
15. Cameage – 2:56

When the Descendents finally ended their first run as an on-again/off-again pop-punk band in 1987, a pair of live albums (Liveage and Hallraker) was compiled by their only constant member, founding drummer Bill Stevenson. As Stevenson writes in the liner notes for Hallraker, Liveage was meant to "serve as a sort of 'greatest-hits' album," but too many tracks were left out, so a second LP was released, "at the request of fans." The albums do provide a fine end cap to the first part of the band's legacy, even though several early songs ("Bikeage," "Marriage," "Jean Is Dead," etc.) are unforgivably absent.

The album was assembled from live tracks recorded at two shows: one in July 1987 at First Avenue in Minneapolis, and the other in April 1987 at Berkeley Square in Berkeley. This was during the "All" and "Final" tours, as described by Stevenson, before the band switched singers to Dave Smalley to become ALL, and Milo Aukerman wandered off to Ph.D.-land.

The recordings here do well to capture the vitality and frenzy of the band in action, even as they were in the final throes of existence. Among the songs that are included, "Pep Talk," "Cheer," and "My World" are the highlights. Other tracks like "Iceman" and "Jealous of the World" demonstrate the metal edge that developed in the band's sound in their last couple of studio albums.

The Descendents reunited in 1996 with Everything Sucks, featuring the same lineup (for once!) and proving that they hadn't lost a step. For their first incarnation (as it was), Hallraker provides a good document after the fact. - Jeremy SalmonOption.

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Tracklist

1. Myage (1:59)
2. I Wanna Be a Bear (0:42)
3. I'm Not a Loser (1:28)
4. Parents (1:38)
5. Tonyage (0:56)
6. M-16 (0:43)
7. I'm Not a Punk (1:04)
8. Catalina (1:46)
9. Suburban Home (1:40)
10. Statue of Liberty (1:59)
11. Kabuki Girl (1:10)
12. Marriage (1:39)
13. Hope (2:00)
14. Bikeage (2:14)
15. Jean is Dead (1:33)
16. My Dad Sucks (0:36)
17. Mr.Bass (2:06)
18. I Like Food (0:17)
19. Hey Hey (1:33)
20. Weinerschnitzel (0:11)
21. Global Probing (1:07)
22. Ride the Wild (2:30)
23. It's a Hectic World (1:34)

Just like the title says, this album complies Milo Goes to College and the Bonus Fat EP, both of which are great releases, conveniently packaged on one record. All that mischievous teenage skaters could appreciate is here, classics like "Myage," "I'm Not a Loser," "Bikeage," and "Hope." But for all those who already own their "best of" (Somery, which features the previously mentioned songs), other less-known hits such as "Marriage," "I'm Not a Punk," and "Catalina" are exclusive to this release. - Mike DaRonco.

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1. All!
2. Coolidge
3. No! ALL!
4. Van
5. Cameage
6. Impressions
7. Iceman
8. Jealous Of The World
9. Clean Sheets
10. Pep Talk
11. ALL-O-Gistics
12. Schizophrenia
13. Uranus

Just when the Descendents were thought to have gone to the world of bands who've passed their prime, they return with All. With this record, not only are they forgiven for the bad spots to be found on here -- it's not like they can't be skipped over -- but their last release (Enjoy) will be forgotten. With some of their best material, all dealing with the traumas of a broken relationship -- "Collidge" and "Clean Sheets," for example -- these guys prove that the most creative music comes out of personal tragedy. And as for the tearjearker "Pep Talk," it's a felony that this song wasn't included on their "best-of" album, Somery. - Mike DaRonco.

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Tracklist
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

Recorded sometime during their All tour back in 1986, Liveage! showcases the Descendents while they were at the height of their popularity. One could classify this as a best-of live album, considering that it features all the hits -- "Coolidge," "Clean Sheets," "Wendy," and "Suburban Home," among others; no "Sour Grapes" to be found in the bunch. Bratty, aggravated punk-pop at its finest, the Descendents were not only way ahead of their time, but they were also one of the most influential punk bands of the '80s. Liveage! is for all the fans who were too young to see the band at its peak, or too slow to get tickets before the reunion tour sold out. - Mike DaRonco.

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Enjoy
Wendy
Kids
Hürtin' Crüe
Sour Grapes
Get the Time
Orgofart
Cheer
80's Girl
Green
Days Are Blood
Orgo 51

Highbrow humor was never a signature of the Descendents, but the toilet-themed album Enjoy is a bit much. The "song list" on the back cover, along with a graphic of a hand reaching for an empty roll of toilet paper, is comprised of various euphemisms for one's fecal product ("floater," "sausage," "loaf", etc). To accompany the choice of album art, two songs on the album, "Orgofart" and the title track, feature samples of band members cheering each other on as they fart into a tape recorder. "Enjoy!" is a ditty of the celebration of bodily outputs, accompanied by said recordings. "Days Are Blood," "Hurtin' Crew," and "Orgo 51" showcase the band performing in a much darker, more metallic style. These are disposable tracks for the most part, except for "Hurtin' Crew," which wound up on the Descendents' best-of album Somery. The best evidence of the newer sound was a version of another poppy breakup song, the Beach Boys' "Wendy."

Even as the band underwent changes in sound and membership, some great tunes that are central to the Descendents' pantheon were recorded. "Kids on Coffee" reiterated the loud-punks-on-caffeine jitteriness of the first album, and "Sour Grapes" is a story of the ever romantically frustrated geek as he tries to pick up a new wave girl. The album is a fine metaphor for the history of the Descendents; no matter what turbulence befell the band, some excellent songs were still able to seep through anything that clogged. - Jeremy Salmon.

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Tracklist:
1. Descendents (1:44)
2. I Don't Want to Grow Up (1:21)
3. Pervert (1:47)
4. Rockstar (0:37)
5. No FB (0:36)
6. Can't Go Back (1:44)
7. GCF (2:00)
8. My World (3:29)
9. Theme (2:14)
10. Silly Girl (2:25)
11. In Love This Way (2:32)
12. Christmas Vacation (2:39)
13. Good Good Things (2:22)
14. Ace (3:56)

What's to be expected given the title track, with a hilarious 'nyah nyah!' line on top of the chorus! Give a closer ear to the song, though — where the reason not to grow up is that it might "mean being like you" — and the band's core message of having fun and dealing with things as best one can in a stupid society is still there. When the four want to be straight up and perfectly poppy, they can and do with smashing success, with surprisingly mature, emotional lyrics and playing that doesn't rely on all-speed all the time. "Can't Go Back" is a great lost power-pop classic, with some of Aukerman's best singing, a wonderful chorus and a tuneful reflection on not reliving past mistakes. "Christmas Vacation" is another winner, a heartfelt and sharp depiction of a relationship on the skids with some great, melancholy harmonies, while "My World" draws on Aukerman's college years with a tale of personal frustration in an unfamiliar locale, all while rocking hard and strong. For all this there's ridiculous humor everywhere — thus "Pervert," which is at once frank and funny, saying "I'd hate to think that romance is just a pose/But all I want to do is rip off your clothes." "Rockstar," which immediately follows, is a hyperspeed trashing that's the understandable sequel to "Loser," demolishing the title character with a series of brief putdowns before concluding with a drawled "Let's exploit rock and roll to its fullest potential." But of course. - AMG.

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Tracklist
01. Myage
02. I Wanna Be A Bear
03. I’m Not A Loser
04. Parents
05. Tonyage
06. M 16
07. I’m Not A Punk
08. Catalina
09. Suburban Home
10. Statue Of Liberty
11. Kabuki Girl
12. Marriage
13. Hope
14. Bikeage
15. Jean Is Dead

With 15 tracks in 22 minutes, the Descendents about brevity in a big way. The Southern California punk rock that the band defined was funny, snotty, fast, and distinctly un-subtle (see "I Wanna Be a Bear" for proof). Interestingly, the Descendents sound less "tinny" than many of their contemporaries and this makes their music seem much less dated than one might expect--it also may be one reason for the lasting interest in the band. Eventually Descendents-style punk mutated into the pop-punk popularized by Green Day and their ilk, but the original stuff stills rocks the house.

The first verse of "Suburban Home" is a perfect example of the Descendents version of sarcasm: "I wanna be stereotyped, I wanna be classified, I wanna be a clone, I wanna suburban home." Other standouts include the bass-driven home-life rant of "Parents," the romantic (at least as romantic a snotty teen is going to get) longing of "Hope," and the grudgingly concern-filled sound of the anti-addiction warning "Bikeage." This is California punk rock at it's best, and probably the best of the Descendents albums.

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