My 13 year old neice’s favorite band is Green Day. This started last summer, I think. I think it’s really cute. When I asked her if she liked any other punk bands she said that she kind of liked (I think she said) Good Charlotte, but didn’t really know of any others. It got me thinking that I should make a nice compilation CD of some good, classic punk.

So I sit down in front of iTunes and start to look for music in my collection. I quickly realized that I, myself, didn’t really have a handle on this genre. Sure, I had the very basics, Six Pistols, The Clash, etc. But I soon realized that I myself needed to be schooled in this musical genere. But how? I put this little “project” on the shelf until I could figure that out.

A few months later I helped an older man, probably in his fifties, at the reference desk. I noticed that he had a boxed CD set in his hands. It had a picture of a little kid in a sailor suit, smoking on the cover. I was instantly intrigued. The set was called, “No Thanks! The Seventies Punk Rebellion.” I looked at the guy and said, “That looks like a good compilation.” He said, “Yes, it is a very good compilation.” Hmm. So he had checked it out before. No need to even think twiice. I placed a hold on it that second. And got it a week later.

Fucking awesome. In the Seventies I was a little one. But my older sister was a teenager and was totally into this music. Listening to these songs really brought back a lot of memories from my childhood, even if I have never heard some of these songs before. Needless to say, I am totally enjoying this compilation.

Listening to these songs the past few weeks got me jonesing for a continuation of this into the eighties, and even the nineties. Guess what? there is! A continuation into the eighties, that is. It’s called “Left of the dial: Dispatches from the Eighties Underground.” AND we have it at the library, so I checked it out yesterday. Looking at the song list was like taking a walk through my high-school years. These are the songs that I listened when I was a teenager! I can’t wait to listen to it this weekend.

Update: “Left of the Dial” has my absolute favorite ever song from New Order: Temptation. I’m stoked. I haven’t heard this song since I gave away my copy of Substance. Sigh. Brings back lovely memories…