Descendents
Biography
Fueled by "rejection, food, coffee, girls, fishing and food," the Descendents sprang up during the halcyon days of the Los Angeles punk scene; fusing the blind rage of hardcore with an unexpectedly wry, self-deprecating wit and a strong melodic sensibility which set them distinctly apart from their West Coast brethren, they gradually emerged as one of the most enduring and adored bands of their time. Formed in 1979, the Descendents' first lineup consisted of vocalist/guitarist Frank Navetta, vocalist/bassist Tony Lombardo, and drummer Bill Stevenson; initially sporting an edgy power pop sound inspired by the Buzzcocks, the group issued a debut single, "Ride the Wild," and then promptly vanished from sight.
When the Descendents resurfaced in 1981, they were a four-piece fronted by vocalist Milo Auckerman, a beloved figure within the hardcore community who infused the group's identity with both unmitigated teen angst and a healthy dose of goofball humor. Amid a relentless, caffeine-powered touring schedule, the Descendents found time to record the 1981 EP Fat, a collection spotlighting both Auckerman's affection for fast food ("Weinerschnitzel," "I Like Food") and distaste for parental guidance ("My Dad Sucks"). A year later, the group issued their debut LP, Milo Goes to College; despite the considerable levity of tracks like "Bikeage" and "Suburban Home," the title was no joke -- Auckerman was indeed headed off to study biochemistry, and when Stevenson joined the ranks of Black Flag, the Descendents went on sabbatical.
In 1985, the group re-formed, with SWA alum Ray Cooper replacing Navetta on guitar; after the release of the more pop-flavored album I Don't Want to Grow Up, ex-Anti bassist Doug Carrion assumed Lombardo's duties. A sunnier perspective informed 1986's Enjoy!, as evidenced by the inclusion of a cover of the Beach Boys' "Wendy," but after 1987's lackluster All, the group split again; after Stevenson formed a new group, also dubbed All, the only Descendents products to appear for a number of years were a pair of live releases, 1987's Liveage! and 1989's Hallraker. Somewhat surprisingly, Auckerman and Stevenson re-formed the Descendents in 1996 with All bassist Karl Alvarez and guitarist Stephen Egerton; in addition to mounting a tour, the group recorded a new album, Everything Sucks. Following the tour, Auckerman once again returned to his life in the chem lab until 2004 when the guys were back with two new releases, both issued on Fat Wreck -- February brought the EP 'Merican, and the full-length Cool to Be You followed a month later. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
Selected Discography
the new school stuff is ok, but pandora needs to attend to classics, and pay respect to such.
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big influence on a band called brown ruckus. should check it out guys!
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milo, milo, milo, milo, milo, MILO. is anybody paying attention here??? really. Milo GOES TO COLLEGE.
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really? why the f**k isn't I Don't Want to Grow Up or Milo Goes to College here?
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Why are there not copies of "Livage" and "Hallraker" (or even All's 'Trailblazer ' ? ) o n here...any Descendents fan knows there live energy slaughters the listeners.
I like food, food tastes good. |
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I saw these guys back when Everything Sucks was released with the Bouncing Souls and Swinging Utters in NC, and they were absolutely rad, but their earlier stuff is phenomenal in comparison.. . I will give Pandora a copy of my stuff if they will just put it on here...
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I'm with frankinuld. I only like a handful of the songs that have come up, which is a shame because this band has been around for a long time and a lot of their earlier stuff is awesome.
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It's a shame that only their worst music ended up on Pandora. Sorry, but I have to pass.
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I agree with everybody! Liveage is still my favorite. It's amazing to me that I'm the hugest Descendents fan and I don't like ALL. I'm ready for another new album. Milo is the man.
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yeah where is all of the other music... oh i know there still RECORD albums right...crap
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At the very least they should have Livage and Hallraker! They were a huge part of 80's punk! They had that pop sound without sucking! It's blasphemous! Without the Descendants would there be Green Day (or all the pop-punk bands the kids are crazy about these days)? Do you think Billie Joe DID'T listen to the Descendants in high school? Not likely.
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Its Too bad Frank Navetta passed away over Halloween, one of the greatest punk bands ever.
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The 80's stuff is the best - if you can find it, Descendants Liveage is one of the best live albums you'll ever hear. It's one show, beginning to end and the energy is incredible.
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i'm not really liking this stuff. i've never listened to this band before and i'm not really liking this stuff from what i've heard.
usually bands are best when they first start, so put some of this bands old stuff on, so i can listen to it. |
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I agree Everything Sucks is right all of these kind of stink. I mean i love the descendents and all but most of the newer stuff is kind of horrible compared to everything before Sucks. The only song i found on Pandora so far i Suburban Home on the Lefty side of the dial Comp. ADD MORE DESCENDENTS PLEASE!!!!!! ! ! !
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I wanna be masochistic, and I wanna be sadistic, I want a suburban home! BDSM , punk rock and the Descenents forever!!!
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Great band, but I do agree with the other users who say that their older music should be available.
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ya i like silly girl and suburban home but i think that i'm not a loser is one of their more kickass songs. somery is one of their better albums
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