We’ve talked about 4 Footer before, as I wrote a piece on their show at Holiday House last year. Once again, 4 Footer was playing with Bastards of Reality and man, what a fantastic bout of post-punk / heavy metal glory we were given! It was like being tied up in a burlap sack and beaten with a Dethklok “Thunderhorse” Explorer.

The highlight of the night for me, however, was being one of the few recipients of a 4 Footer demo CD. The nine-track EP featured some of my favorites like “Power Move”, “Dirty Old Man”, and “It’s Like Kablam!” The recording is nicely done and the mixing allows for one to easily hear all the subtle nuances of the instruments. Jack Denning’s vocals are clear and crisp, with no fancy effects like reverb getting in the way.

The only thing I could say about the CD that could be interpreted as a negative would be that it only had nine tracks on it, but hey, you can’t argue with free. I’m hoping that they get into the recording studio for another round real soon, though, as I want a good copy of “Epic Fail” to rock out to – it’s truly a brilliant song.

4 Footer is a full-on punch in the face with hard-hitting rock jams. A fun diversion from a rock scene that’s begun to take itself way too seriously.

The subject we were discussing was hardcore dancing, an offshoot of moshing which is performed during hardcore punk/rock shows. Similar to moshing in that there is a (usually) large group of people knocking into each other, hardcore dancing differs in that instead of simply bouncing around, there are actual “moves” to be performed. The most common moves involve flailing one’s arms wildly either forward or backward, and can also incorporate various kicks and/or flips. This is done within a group and often times folks will get knocked around. Most of the time this is done in good-faith and no one is out to hurt anybody, but there are also instances of this dancing where the goal is to actively cause carnage.

Let me state one thing for the record: I love rock and metal and I can get down with moshing. However, hardcore dancing is, to me, pointless. I don’t see the point in performing fighting moves to the beat of a song, much less actually fighting to the beat of a song. I’d rather bounce around or headbang, or perhaps just enjoy the song. To me, moshing was never an aggressive sort of dance (if you can call it that). It was always something done to show that the music kicked ass and we really dug it.

In all the silliness I saw while watching YouTube videos of kids hardcore dancing, there was one thing that caught my eye at those shows: The Wall of Death. Rather than attempt to explain it, I’ll leave you with a link to a short video of it and a final thought.

This is something I could get down with.

I love Cobain’s songwriting, so the song writers he looked up to were worth checking out. The first Vaselines LP I got was Dum-Dum, it was 1991. After listening to it, I bought their live album, The Vaselines- Beat Happening, and the next two albums that came after it.  Then they simply stopped making albums, and I forgot about them.

Now, here they are again, with Enter the Vaselines. But there’s nothing new because this album is simply a deluxe reissue of their 1992 compilation The Way of the Vaselines: A Complete History. Okay, they put in a second disc, which contain demos and live performances and you have something that is worth adding to your collection of records.

Time changes everything. Now, 18 years after I first heard them, Enter the Vaselines comes to me as so crude. How could I have loved punk during my college days? Now, I cannot stand the amateurish guitar lines and the lyrics that could only be written by songwriters so engrossed with the grotesqueness of sex.

But I am not saying that Enter the Vaselines is not worth your time, it has a saving grace: the attitude and the charm of the crude vocals, how it serves as the perfect wrapper for the ear-grabbing melodies that this band manages to churn out despite their musical incompetence. Another thing that saves this album is the humor. ”Molly’s Lips,” “Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam,” and “Son of a Gun,” are familiar to you because Nirvana covered them.  But listen to the original versions, and you’ll hear something else.

All in all, Enter the Vaselines is still worth checking out. I’m giving it a score of 6 out of 10.

Punk music has had some great guitarists. Below are some of the best ever to strike a chord. If it weren’t for some of them, the bands you love today may never have started playing. You may not recognize all of the names listed here, but we can be grateful for their service to the punk community. Some of these artists only recorded one album. Some of them even left us way too early in life, but all of them will forever have their places as legends of punk rock.

1. Brett Gurewitz (Bad Religion) Gurewitz is easily one of the most influential guitarists of our time. He also has performed on albums by NOFX, Rancid, The Chemical People, The Pietasters and Millencolin. Brett is also the founder of Epitaph Records.

2. Greg Ginn (Black Flag) Ginn was one of very few punk musicians to blend several elements, ranging widely from jazz-fusion to Black Sabbath inspired material. He was the founder of Black Flag and their only constant member.

3. Johnny Ramone (The Ramones) Johnny is easily one of the most underrated guitarists when you consider the fact that he taught himself to play and immediately began recording songs. His hectic fast style influenced many newer punk bands.

4. Michael “Mick” Jones (The Clash) He is the former singer and guitarist for The Clash and The Delinquents and was instrumental in the early punk movement. Jones later went on to form theband Big Audio.

5.Billy Zoom (X) He is the guitarist and lead singer in probably the most diverse list of genres (from punk to folk). His band X had two singles off their first album Los Angeles. The band never received much mainstream success but is credited with being an influential part of the 70’s punk movement.

6. Steve Jones (The Sex Pistols) Influenced by everything from glam rock to David Bowie and even Johnny Thunder of The New York Dolls, Jones was the heart and soul of one of the greatest albums ever recorded, Never Mind The Bollocks Here’s The Sex Pistols. He also played in bands, such as Iggy Pop and The Neurotic Outsiders.

7. Robert Quine (The Voivods) Robert was influenced by many early jazz and rock guitarists. He only played on one of their albums, but he is easily one of the most eclectic guitarists ever to record a punk album.

8. Frank Navetta (The Descendants) The guitarist for their first six years, Frank also played for the punk band All in 2002 in a semi-reunion of three of the original members of the Descendants. His influences ranged from surf to metal, and his later playing style was considered similar to Greg Ginn.

9. Paul Caiafa AKA Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein (The Misfits) Paul played his first show with The Misfits at only 16. Also known as Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein, he was one of the founding members of the original Misfits and also has a new band named Gorgeous Frankenstein.

10. Kurt Cobain (Nirvana) Kurt began playing guitar at age 14, and most of his influences were punk based, such as the Melvins and Vaselines. As the guitarist and vocalist for Nirvana, Kurt paved the way for many of today’s punk bands. Many don’t realize that he actually was a very accomplished guitarist because he hated to show off and rarely played solos. Even after his tragic and untimely death Cobain is still one the pioneers of today’s punk music.