Thursday March 28th 2024

Rictus Grin – “Over Produced Pogo Nonsense”

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Rictus Grin – “Over Produced Pogo Nonsense”

 

Ray Finkle a few years ago asked me how I would describe “punk.”

I guess, it’s whatever it means to you, from fashion to music, but for me it’s my philosophy of life. And not to boast, but I’m well read, read all the major philosophers with Schopenhauer my dream date- so I’m not a stoner going, “Yeah, my life is rock, man!” But it is punk for me.

And this is not an essay on punk but I feel the number one idea of punk is being an individual, in believing in no one or anything but yourself. And part of that is accepting that others may be individuals, too.

Andy Bang is another middle-aged dud (not dude) like myself. But he’s never relied on anyone or in any way of thinking but himself in the way he lives or feels. To me that is the essence of punk.

(Is he ever gonna talk about the goddamn band?) Yes!

Rictus Grin describe themselves as “Queer-Brat-Punx” from Allston, MA. Also, “punk fuck you, punk Boston” on their bandcamp tags. The later is concise in their vision.

So being a punk is being an individual meaning, not fitting in with society or the mainstream. I’m most proud of the early Boston punk scene accepting women as musicians and minorities and gay people not only as fans but as musicians, too.

My point is that gays, transgender folks, minorities all have an equal part in punk not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because they fit in so well with what we are- a bunch of misfits. Be proud that you are and accept that you don’t fit in with our stupid, cruel, horrible society as well. Accept all- (except Slimedog and Andy as they’re middle-aged duds (not dudes).

By this point you might get the idea that Rictus Grin is some serious, somber political activist band with social commentary galore!

Au contraire, mi amore- this is fun, wild stuff that sounds like songs that Ganggreen forgot to record.

And their songs seem to be not so much about their sexuality as it is mine- or at least my lust for BEER! BEER! BEER!

Let’s get to the songs before I get all full of popsicles again.

“Rocket” starts with a beat that reminds me of the great song “Fear In The Western World” by early Ultravox and is accompanied by a happy, melodic guitar line that descends into the depths of despair with discordance, delightfully. Then, chairs are overturned, bottles broken over heads and punches thrown at minds- it’s all out mayhem! “We’re riot grrls/ We came to work/ Serving face/ Throwing shade,” with the chorus, “Opulence, I own everything!” The guitar bleats like a trumpet signaling the troops to war as the rhythm section leads the march and the vocals vomit vociferously upon the nice, clean upholstery of our hearts. This song rips!

“I wanna get drunk/ I wanna get drunk/ I wanna get drunk and break stuff (break stuff),” which is certainly a metaphor of how they want to make a change in society in a forceful but positive way. “Go/ Let’s get drunk/ Fucking wasted!” That last line of “Weeknight Pogo Party” is too obscure in their references for me to make a clear analysis. It is possibly a call to action pointing out that we have wasted too much time in changes to come.

Of course, it could also be that this is just the most fun, over the top song of the year with joy and energy bouncing off the speakers; love, power and passion shooting like fireworks off in the sky or emotions erupting like techni-color flamingos in your brain. This song is so great that it makes me want to get drunk! Oh, dear- I’m already there.

“Beer Song”- with a title like this, you know it has a lot to live up to. This song is about stealing beer. “No beer is safe!/ We will be here drinking through the night/ Hide your shit!/ We’ll be drinking everything in sight.” This is a hard-driving, adrenaline-fueled (alcohol) blast of pure energy and fun. “I don’t want to die/ ‘Cause then I can’t get drunk.” What a heartwarming sentiment that I never realized before! And if I do die these folks are sure to steal my beers! A few Oi’s sprout up like unwanted grubs in your garden. (Hey, these guys are almost as fun as The Grubs!) But it ends with a fifties music chord progression that I fear, is merely there to distract you from your unguarded beer.

These are songs the Angry Samoans wish they wrote. These are songs that maybe Ganggreen did write but whose pages were vomited upon and thrown away in the trash.

Is this anarcho-punk, Oi, gutter punk, contemporary alternative? Contemptuous aversion?

On their facebook page they say their genre is “Fun and punk, friends,” and that might be their best description and certainly, the best genre their is.

You won’t find music that is more fun than this, I believe, or find music that has more of the true spirit of punk in it than what you’ll find in this band.

And I may not know everything but I know fun and punk. (I’ve been lucky enough to have a lot of both.) I know when I see it. I know when I hear it.

And I know that it is-

right here.

(Slimedog)

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