{"id":16023,"date":"2021-07-22T05:00:59","date_gmt":"2021-07-22T05:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rpmonline.co.uk\/?p=16023"},"modified":"2021-07-21T23:05:39","modified_gmt":"2021-07-21T23:05:39","slug":"descendents-9th-walnut-epitaph-records","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rpmonline.co.uk\/?p=16023","title":{"rendered":"Descendents – \u20189th\u00a0& Walnut\u2019 (Epitaph Records)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Formed in L.A.\u2019s South Bay in the late 70s, Descendents began as a power trio featuring bassist Tony Lombardo, drummer Bill Stevenson, and guitarist Frank Navetta (d. 2008). The band recruited vocalist Milo Aukerman in 1980 and set about acquainting themselves with the Southern California Punk movement. Over the years, the band has sustained a potent catalogue and single vision, further cementing them as US punk legends.<\/p>\n

‘9<\/span>th<\/sup>\u00a0&<\/span>\u00a0Walnut’ is the location in Long Beach, Southern California, at which the band wrote their earliest music. The first release was the Fat\u00a0EP back\u00a0<\/span>in\u00a01981<\/span>, then followed it up with the scene-defining ‘Milo Goes To College’ the following year. This much is known. What is about to unfold are the songs the group wrote before anyone had heard their\u00a0name even if it’s the last thing they’ve released. (it’ll all make sense)<\/p>\n

In 2002, the original four-piece lineup \u2014 Frank Navetta, Tony Lombardo, Bill Stevenson, and Milo Aukerman \u2014 got back into the studio to finally record their first-ever songs. The songs were written by the band before recording the ‘Fat<\/em>\u00a0EP’ (1981).\u00a0 In a (Wal)nut shell,\u00a0this is the Descendents\u2019 earliest material, something of a \u201clost\u201d until now that is.<\/p>\n

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From the band’s distinct surf-beats to the crunching guitars, it’s all here.\u00a0 packed with a tonne of great melodies and harmonies. From the classic punk (\u201cSailor\u2019s Choice,\u201d \u201cI\u2019m Shaky\u201d), antisocial gonzo punk (\u201cYou Make Me Sick\u201d), Damn they even murder ‘Glad All Over’ (in a good way) marrying the harmonies with the rapid guitar attack taking ownership I guess.\u00a0 It’s eighteen songs in twenty-five minutes so there’s no time to get bored or skip tracks.<\/p>\n

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Some of these songs were written when Frank was only 14 years old.\u201d When the band reconvened to record them, it was just like the earliest days: \u201cWe just fell right into our old mode. It was so natural.\u201d said Frank.\u00a0 It’s incredible to think really and it must have been a lot of fun for the band to do, that urgency and youthful energy comes across in the recordings.\u00a0 the progtastic ‘Nightage’ clocking in at a ridiculous post two minutes is just showing off. ‘Mohicans’ is almost collage pop-rock with enthusiasm and loud guitars but the melody is poptastic.<\/p>\n

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There are freshly recorded versions of \u00a0‘Like the Way I Know,’ in all its sub-one-minute splendor. Descendents\u2019 debut tracks \u201cRide the Wild\u201d and \u201dIt\u2019s a Hectic World\u201d (heard here for the first time with vocals by Milo). Considering these songs’ age (40 fuckin years) they sound as potent and fresh as the day they were written. Which is a tribute to both the band’s talent, enduring, and endearing qualities.<\/p>\n

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Californian punk bands are a much-maligned bunch and the ones who crashed and burnt tend to have the fondest regards looking back but to be fair and give credit where it’s due.\u00a0 Sure X, Germs and Fear delivered some seminal moments but it’s the bands who lasted the course that should get the biggest pat on the back and accolades like the Adolescents, Bad Religion and of course The Descendents.\u00a0 Cherish it and play it loud.\u00a0 Whilst it might not get the credit their latter releases get (which is fair) but it will make a very nice addition to a lot of people’s record collection mine included.<\/p>\n