Oddly enough, and without any kind of intent on my part, this Recommended Listening installment takes us back…to Canada! It’s odd to think that Canada, home of the Mounties and maple syrup, could have contributed so much awesome music to the world (though, to be fair, not all music that comes out of Canada is awesome. I’m looking at you, Nickelback.).
I don’t like Nickelback. Well, I liked a couple of songs off of their first album (ashamed though I am to admit it), but for the most part, Nickelback is a terrible band.
Propagandhi is not Nickelback.
Propagandhi has been around since the mid-80s, with their first album, How to Clean Everything, released by Fat Wreck Chords in 1993. In 1996, they released Less Talk, More Rock (an in-joke referencing the long political speeches the band members would go into during live performances). In 2001, Today’s Empire, Tomorrow’s Ashes was released. Most recently, in 2005, Potemkin City Limits was released.
The first two albums, How to Clean Everything and Less Talk, More Rock were excellent hardcore/skate-punk albums. They are, beyond doubt, my favorite two Propagandhi albums. The political and personal messages of the band come through very well in a fast-paced, but not overpowering punk sound.
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The two later albums, Today’s Empire, Tomorrow’s Ashes and Potemkin City Limits moved away from the lighter sound of the first two albums, and moved more into a hardcore/heavy metal sound. Today’s Empire, Tomorrow’s Ashes still maintained a solid sonic link to the earlier albums, but that drifted more during Potemkin City Limits. I miss Propagandhi’s original sound, but I feel that they are also successful in their new sound.
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-[insert CANADIAN PUNK here]
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