Los Angeles-based Social Distortion, a band formed in 1978, has repeatedly managed to defeat the self-destructive demons that historically consume so many punk by making scrappy, rebellious yet accessible rock and roll the entire time.
Led by Mike Ness, Social Distortion combines familiar punk sounds with a roots-rock tradition. Ness, who nearly succumbed to addiction in the mid-1980s, has periodically taken breaks from the band to explore rockabilly music in his solo career, but returned full force with last year's Social D album "Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll."
Like a rawer version of Green Day, Social D songs match buzzsaw guitar riffs to poppy, memorably vocal melodies delivered in Ness's faux-British rasp. Social D scored a hit (single) in 1990 with a cover of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire." The band has given the Social D treatment to classic radio hits like the Rolling Stones' "Under My Thumb," Soft Cell's "Tainted Love" and others. While newer bands like Newfound Glory seem to approach covering older rock songs as a novelty, Ness and company honor the merits of the originals by managing to let the songs' personalities shine even through the punked-out exterior of their delivery.
Social Distortion plays at Bogart's in Cincinnati today, and I highly encourage you to check it out.
Local music fans will get a chance to see some of the scene's top acts tonight at Eric Alexander's CD release show. Alexander, a veteran of local bands - Revel in the Morning and Clearance - is releasing his first solo album, entitled "Some Kind of Sex." Other acts on the bill include local favorites Everything, Now!, Margot and the Nuclear So-and-Sos (made up of former Archer Avenue members) and Indianapolis-based Castle Oldchair.
The concert is sponsored by the Ball State Student Art Development and TheMuncieScene.com, and is from 6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. in the L.A. Pittenger Student Center Tally. The $4 admission includes a copy of "Some Kind of Sex."
I'm not exactly what you would call a sucker for highly produced pop-rock music played by people with trendy hair and famous girlfriends. However, as much as I'm tempted to hate Ryan Cabrera, I can't honestly say that I have any real problem with him. I find his music to be bland and uninspired, but in the realm of acoustic pop-based singer-songwriters, there are probably far worse. So, I'm hesitant to completely write him off.
Cabrera, a native of Texas, started his career as a teenage punk rocker before discovering the earth-shattering, Nobel Prize worthy genius of Dave Matthews and deciding to focus on the acoustic guitar. His 2004 major-label debut, "Take it All Away," was co-produced by the Goo Goo Dolls' John Rzeznik, who should know something about trading in punk rock attitude for acoustic songcraft.
Cabrera plays Chicago's House of Blues at 6 p.m. today.
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