IKIMASHO! YOUTUBE SESSIONS: THE QUEERS

Beat on the Brat. Joe Queer picks some of his all-time favourite punk songs for Ikimasho!

In Part 2 of my special with The Queers, Joe Queer chooses some of his fav tunes from the past – as well as some stuff he’s listening to now. You can read my interview with Joe in Part 1 here.

1. Ramones – Beat on the Brat

First songs I heard by The Ramones. It was so weird to know there was a band singing about what we were feeling. I Don’t Care-I Wanna Be Sedated-Loudmouth-Beat on the Brat-Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue etc. When Rock and Roll Radio came out I couldn’t believe the line ‘do you remember lying in bed-with the covers pulled up over your head-radio playing so no one could hear’. I used to do that all the time and thought I was the only one that did it. I told Joey about that once actually and he laughed and said he used to do it all the time too. I really related to those guys.

2. Sex Pistols – Pretty Vacant

Played the shit out of Never Mind the Bollocks when it came out. Loved it then and love it now. Love the way ‘vacant’ rhymes with ‘cunt’.

3. The Clash – White Riot

Loved the first Clash album. They got way too preachy with that Sandinista shit and I lost interest but this first album was cool with the reggae song Police and Thieves. I liked how they branched out musically. White Riot was the only song I figured out how to play on the album so that was my fave.

4. Vibrators – Baby Baby

Man I loved the Vibrators. Their first album is a punk classic. Into The Future is fucking great. Baby Baby should have been a number one hit. I met them finally a few years back. It was really cool to meet Knox and talk to him about the old days. They opened for the Pistols and Clash and Iggy Pop. Ian Hunter too I believe.

5. Fabulous Poodles – Work Shy

Only knew of them cos they opened for The Ramones at the Orpheum in Boston back in the day. We never heard of them till that show and we really liked the music. Got the album. Really well written songs in a Rolling Stones sort of Some Girls era style. They really weren’t a punk band at all. I always thought it sucked they split up and the singer/songwriter guy kind of disappeared. The songs on the first album were so good I wanted more.

6. The Meatmen – Crippled Children Suck

We played the shit outta this album. It really inspired us at the time cos it was a US band more on our level than The Ramones who we considered gods. Just the album title was fucking great! Totally funny stuff. Back in the day a lot of the punk bands had great stuff to say and they did it with humor. They were goofing on themselves first-they got the joke. Nowadays all these blowhard ‘punk’ bands are all serious and think they have some gay message to share. Like they’re all above the rest of us unenlightened slobs. The Meatmen cut right thru the bullshit with this album.

7. The Descendents – Silly Girl

What a great song. I don’t like all their tunes and didn’t care much for ALL but they hit a few home runs with this and Wendy by the Beach Boys. Always great live too. Silly Girl is amazing. If you don’t like Silly Girl you don’t like puppies and vanilla ice cream.

8. The Real Kids – All Kindsa Girls

Favorite Boston band of all time. I was lucky enough to see all the big Boston bands back in the day but The Real Kids were my favorite. I think I can still play their whole set from watching them play it so many times. This song is a classic over in Europe in Italy and Spain at all the punk clubs. We’ll play a show and then afterwards the dj’s spin records but it’s all cool shit like Boys Don’t Cry and All Kindsa Girls etc. You’d rarely hear them over here in the US.

9. The Undertones – Teenage Kicks

They were like a Real Kids type of band that wrote great songs. The first album was a huge influence on me. Always wanted to play a show with them cos I hear they still play now and then. Apparently without Feargal Sharkey-I never cared for his voice at all so I don’t care if he’s gone.

10. The Damned – Neat Neat Neat

One of the earliest punk albums I got. They were always doing some funny shit on tour and they played really good too. The energy of the first album Damned Damned Damned was great. Every song was a hit. Fan Club,Born to Kill,New Rose etc were all great songs. Loved it.

Not sure you are interested but some of the stuff I’m listening to now is this shit.

Jesus and Mary Chain – Psychocandy

I loved the Velvet Underground so when I heard these guys I thought they were great from the word go. Almost every song is a classic. I wanna cover Between Planets. I still listen to them – lately Munki is my fave. I named our album Munki Brain after their album Munki. Not many people pick up on the connection cos they’re too stupid to listen to JAMC. Great fucking band.

Black Flag – Damaged

I still listen to this once a week. One of my biggest influences. Forgot to put them on my top 10 list but they belong there.

Flipper – Sex Bomb

I saw them a few times-they could really suck but when they were on they were amazing. I wanna cover Sex Bomb onstage one of these nights. I saw them once in Boston. They drove a bread truck for a tour van. On the side someone had written Caution Nervous Mother Driving. Do Not Follow Closely. Ha that was great. They weren’t just rich yuppies playing at being punk-they lived it. Still listen to this and Love Canal and Ha Ha Ha about once a week. It’s good for my digestion system.

Fun – Carry On

Great fucking band. Great songwriters. A little too mainstream but they’re doing great. Carry On is my fave. We stayed in some shit hostel in Berlin a few years ago and some drunk Germans sang Tonite We Are Young all fucking night. It was pretty funny.

CSS – Left Behind

Great Brazilian band. The main songwriter guy Adriano left and now they suck. He wrote all the good songs. It’s kind of poppy disco shit but I like the song changes and the music and how it’s written. Super catchy. La Liberacion,Off The Hook,Hits Me Like a Rock,Rat is Dead……..all great. Unfortunately the singer Lovefoxxx appears to have become a blowhard.