RECENTLY LISTENED TO:
1) Plow United. They were a Philly-area pop-punk band in the 90s who were ever present at the VFW shows I cut my teeth at as a kid. They no doubt had to have opened for Ted Leo's band Chisel multiple times. I wasn't too into them as a kid and put them behind Weston and The Bouncing Souls and The Queers. But I saw them at Riot Fest in September. It was their first show in something like 15 years and they stole the show in a lineup that included 7 Seconds, X, The Dead Milkmen and The Descendents. I got the compilation they put out to commemorate their renunion and I have no idea how they weren't my favorite band when I was 17. It's terrific songwriting and is on par with the best Jawbreaker/J. Church/various DC bands style of emo-y pop-punk. I can't recommend this enough. BONUS: I think their longest song is 2:30 seconds long.
2) Even more New Order. On Jan. 4, 2012, I was convinced they were my favorite band of all-time. CONVINCED! I've done this before. This changes whenever I put London Calling or any of the first four Ramones albums on. And sometimes The Blue Album and Pinkerton when I feel like being all high school. The Starbucks I'm at right now just played Age of Consent.
3) 45 minutes of Fugazi stage banter, you ice cream eating tough guy.
