Rancid (person)

I believe the boys from Rancid started Hellcat Records. They also have ties to many bands including Operation Ivy, Dancehall Crashers, and Lars Frederiksen And The Bastards.

Rancid's discography:

albums:

Rancid (2000) -- Epitaph Records (2000)

Life Won't Wait -- Epitaph Records (1998)

...And Out Come the Wolves -- Epitaph Records (1995)

Let's Go -- Epitaph Records (1994)

s/t -- Epitaph Records (1993)

7"/singles:

Rancid (Lookout!) -- Lookout! Records (1992)

Radio, Radio, Radio -- Fat Wreck Cords (1994)

Roots Radicals -- Epitaph Records (1994)

Time Bomb -- Epitaph Records (1994)

Ruby Soho -- Epitaph Records (1996)

Bloodclot -- Epitaph Records (1998)

Hooligans -- Epitaph Records (1998)

others:

Rancid City Rockers -- Live on Saturday Night Live (1996)

BBC Radio Session 7" -- session recording made for radio (1995)

www.rancidrancid.com

I recently purchased the Rancid/NOFX split from BYO Records, BYO Split Series: Volume III. This is quite possibly one of the coolest albums I've heard in a while. Let's break this album down...

The liner notes are some comments by Fat Mike about how this album came about in a half-ass way. When asked to do a split for BYO he said yes, but didn't really want to do one. When asked who he'd do the split with he tried to pick a band he thought BYO would never get. So he said "If you can get Rancid we'll do the split." Lo-and-behold BYO comes through with Rancid! Now Fat Mike is in a bit of a pickle needing to do a split he really didn't want to do, but Tim Armstrong suggested they cover each other songs. Fat Mike perked up when he heard this idea.

You've got two of modern punks biggest indie bands on it. And instead of playing their own songs they are each covering six of the others. The album art is very much Rancid-style art, only a few colors, simple, and DIY, which makes for very punk & personal images. Giving the album a powerful feeling, stronger than most NOFX albums common on Rancid albums. NOFX makes their presence felt in the liner notes. Where as Rancid seems to say little outside of music and art, NOFX is very talkative. Fat Mike's comments give the album a level of personalization not often found on Rancid albums and provided in spades in NOFX albums.

That is all fine, but I bought this album for the music. First up is Rancid with covers of "Moron Bros", "Stickin in My Eye", "Bob", "Don't Call Me White", "Brews", and "Vanilla Sex". Rancid doesn't go and try to be NOFX. They take NOFX's songs and make them their own. They feel like Rancid songs when Rancid performs them. They rock these songs. I kind of wish they covered "Linoleum" also, but than that would have made half their songs from Punk In Drublic. Tim Armstrong singing "Bob" is outstanding, but Matt Freeman singing "Don't Call Me White" might possibly be the coolest thing I've ever heard. "Vanilla Sex", song by Lars and Tim I think, is another highlight of this album.

The second half of the album belongs to NOFX. They cover the songs "I'm The One", "Olympia, WA", "Tenderloin", "Antennaes", "Corozon de Oro", and "Radio". NOFX selected three songs from Let's Go, which is my favorite Rancid album, so I'm not disappointed, I'd have even liked to have heard them cover "Sidekick". On the other hand And Out Comes the Wolves has a ton of great songs on it and deserved another song in addition to "Olympia, WA". NOFX's cover of "Olympia, WA" is a highlight, they do an outstanding job on this cover. Their covers of "Tenderloin", "Antennaes", and "Corozon De Oro" are all equally impressive. I was a little disappointed by the cover of "I'm The One", which is one of my favorite Rancid, Fat Mike's voice just doesn't sound right. Finally, I'm really disappointed about the cover of "Radio". I liked NOFX's previous forays into Ska, but this, this I didn't like. I'll be nice incase the song does grow on me, but it is unlikely. For the first time I truly wish NOFX would've kept their promise about never playing a ska song again. But don't let that scare you away from this otherwise incredible album.