The Stooges Announce Fun House 50th Anniversary Box Set

The collection includes a whopping 15 LPs, limited to only 1970 copies.

The Stooges Announce Fun House 50th Anniversary Box Set
Robin Bacior

Consequence of Sound

The Stooges will mark the 50th anniversary of their sophomore album, Fun House, with a deluxe reissue arriving on July 17th via Rhino.

The expansive collection spans 15 (!) LPs, including the original studio album version, along with newly remastered songs cut at 45 rpm and pressed on two LPs for maximum audio quality.

The bulk of the box set, however, is dedicated to the first-ever vinyl release of The Complete Fun House Sessions, which includes every single take, in order, from the making of Fun House, along with audio of the band’s 39-minute set in New York City in August 1970. (Some fans may be familiar with the concert audio, as it came out in 2010 as Have Some Fun: Live at Ungano’s.) The box set also contains a pair of 7-inches featuring mixes of the single “Down On The Street”/“I Feel Alright.”


But wait, there’s still more! Besides the sonic goodies, the set boasts a handful of bonus treats, such as posters, a slipmat, and a 45 adapter, as well as a 28-page booklet with rare photos and detailed liner notes, featuring an essay by Henry Rollins and words from fellow legendary artists like Flea, Joan Jett, Shirley Manson, Duff McKagan, Thurston Moore, Tom Morello, Karen O, Steven Van Zandt, and Mike Watt.

The whole thing does cost a pretty penny, coming in at just shy of $400 dollars. However, in honor of the anniversary, only 1,970 copies of the box set will be made available, which does make the reissue just a hair more special (and rare). Pre-orders are available now.

If you can’t afford the cost but happen to be up for a road trip, Third Man Records will host a Fun House exhibition at its Cass Corridor, Detroit location between July 17th and August 7th. The special exhibition is free to attend, and will feature personal objects from the band, along with additional music and pieces from the group’s private collection. Maybe it’ll include some of those magic spiderwebs frontman Iggy Pop used to smoke.

Fun House Box Set: 

 

 

The Stooges Announce Fun House 50th Anniversary Box Set
Robin Bacior

Dropkick Murphys and Rancid Announce New Co-Headlining Tour Dates

The punk rock luminaries will share stages across North America in May.

Dropkick Murphys and Rancid Announce New Co-Headlining Tour Dates
Jon Hadusek

Consequence of Sound

Dropkick Murphys and Rancid are teaming up for the “Boston to Berkeley II Tour” across North America this spring. The co-headlining run is the second time the punk acts have teamed up after their initial trek together in 2017.

Scottish singer-songwriter Gerry Cinnamon and Jesse Ahearn will support the tour, which kicks off May 3rd at Epicenter Festival in Concord, North Carolina, and ends on May 24th in Lewiston, New York.

The name of the tour refers to the bands’ hometowns — Boston for Dropkick Murphys and Berkeley for Rancid — and not the actual tour routing. The route hits a number of major markets, including additional festival appearances at Welcome to Rockville on May 8th and Sonic Temple on May 17th in Columbus, Ohio.

“We’re excited to team up with our old friends Rancid again for the second edition of the Boston To Berkeley tour,” Dropkick Murphys’ Ken Casey said in a press release. “And we’ll be joined by Glasgow, Scotland superstar Gerry Cinnamon – on his first U.S. tour!”

Rancid’s Lars Frederiksen added: “Looking forward to getting out with the Dropkick Murphys again… This is one you won’t wanna miss.”

Dropkick Murphys and Rancid will alternate closing out shows, with both bands getting together for a jam and the end of the night.

It’s fitting the two acts find themselves touring together deep into their successful careers. It was Frederiksen who helped the Dropkick Murphys get a record deal after passing their debut EP on to Rancid bandmate Tim Armstrong for his Hellcat Records imprint.

Check out a video promo and full list of dates below. Tickets are available now via Ticketmaster. Fans can also pick up tickets here.

Dropkick Murphys and Rancid 2020 North American Tour Dates with Jesse Ahearn:
05/03 – Concord, NC @ Epicenter Festival +
05/04 – Richmond, VA @ Virginia Credit Union LIVE! *
05/05 – Atlanta, GA @ Coca-Cola Roxy
05/06 – Nashville, TN @ Municipal Auditorium *
05/08 – Daytona Beach, FL @ Welcome To Rockville +
05/10 – Houston, TX @ Revention Music Center *
05/11 – Austin, TX @ The Lawn at the Long Center *
05/12 – Corpus Christi, TX @ Concrete Street Amphitheater *
05/13 – Dallas, TX @ The Bomb Factory *
05/15 – Council Bluffs, IA @ Stir Concert Cove at Harrah’s *
05/16 – Sauget, IL @ Pop’s *
05/17 – Columbus, OH @ Sonic Temple Music Festival +
05/18 – Grand Rapids, MI @ The DeltaPlex Arena
05/20 – New York, NY @ Pier 17
05/21 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Stone Pony
05/22 – Laval, QC @ Place Bell
05/23 – Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Casino
05/24 – Lewiston, NY @ Artpark

* = with Gerry Cinnamon
+ = festival date (no Gerry Cinnamon or Jesse Ahearn)

Dropkick Murphys and Rancid Announce New Co-Headlining Tour Dates
Jon Hadusek

Heavy Culture: Radkey on Race, Roadblocks, and Rock ‘n’ Roll

In addition to discussing some of the obstacles they’ve faced, Radkey premiere the new song “Bend”.

Heavy Culture: Radkey on Race, Roadblocks, and Rock ‘n’ Roll
Spencer Kaufman

Consequence of Sound

Heavy Culture is a monthly column from journalist Liz Ramanand, focusing on artists of different cultural backgrounds in heavy music as they offer their perspectives on race, society, and more as it intersects with and affects their music. The latest installment of this column features an interview with the members of Radkey.

The brothers in the punk-rock band Radkey have been creating and performing as a band since they were teenagers. Now in their 20s, their support for each other and commitment to their music is evident and they have a bigger message to send. We caught up with guitarist-singer Dee Radke, bassist Isaiah Radke, drummer Solomon Radke, and their father/manager, Matt Radke, before a gig in Brooklyn.

Growing up in a multiracial family, the siblings in Radkey are aware of how their racial identity affects their navigation through the music industry. They spoke candidly about not being accepted by venues in their own hometown in Missouri when they started, on their mission to keep rock fun, and inspiring other young people of color to do the same.

Following the release of 2019’s No Strange Cats, Radkey are putting out new music in 2020. In fact, they’re premiering a music video for the new song “Bend” right here.

Watch the video for “Bend” and check out our interview with Radkey below.

On when Radkey realized when they wanted to play music together

Solomon Radke: We would have been 12, 15 and 17 years old.

Isaiah Radke: That’s when we officially started the band and making stuff happen.

Dee Radke: Yeah, we were all ready to do it and we’ve always wanted to do something together so it was the perfect opportunity.

Matt Radke: My mother and her siblings had a band so I grew up around music a lot.

On what drew them to the instruments they each play

DR: We’ve always been around music. When I was younger and we’d go to church I would always mimic the drummer onstage so I started playing the drums. And then I took drumming lessons, which kind of killed it for me. Dad taught me a few chords on the guitar and then I taught myself and that’s how I ended up playing guitar.

IR: I used to play guitar when I was younger but I technically didn’t get good enough to really play it. The bass was just the easier option and I could focus more on songwriting. In a three-piece … with the bass, it’s cool to just hold it down and be more on the songwriting side of things.

SR: The drums were kind of the only instrument left. I had tried to learn other instruments but drums happen to be what fit so it was a nice thing.

On growing up in Missouri and any obstacles they faced there

IR: I would say it was really boring growing up in St. Joseph, Missouri, and being homeschooled. The music scene in St. Joseph — the fact they wouldn’t book us at all drove us to play further out like in Kansas City. So I would say the music scene in St. Joseph, Missouri, kind of not accepting us at first is what drove us to keep going because we’ve had venues there say, “We don’t book rap groups.” We sent demos but they just saw what we looked like so that was the scene around there.

We didn’t get gigs around there until we made a name for ourselves in Kansas City and Lawrence, Kansas. So I would say the scene was pretty important in developing us because it taught us that we’re going to keep going no matter what, even if our own hometown chooses not to have us.

On obstacles they’ve faced as persons of color in the rock industry

IR: It’s a tough one because it’s almost as if it’s forgotten that black people invented rock and were in the genre from the beginning. It’s a really confusing situation to be in where everyone thinks you’re a novelty. We’re just living our lives. We used to get this question all the time of, “How did you guys become rockers instead of rappers?” That’s a weird question dude, do you ask that to everyone?

DR: You don’t have a lot of full black bands out there playing rock that’s at theater level. TV on the Radio is one.

IR: I’ve even gotten a few times, “You’re playing that white people music.” It’s unfortunate.

SR: I don’t put too much thought into it. I just do my own thing.

IR: It’s interesting because there’s people where they’re like “We’re so surprised. We didn’t know what you guys were going to be [music-wise] until you started playing. And that’s cool but it would be nice for it to be a more normal thing. Sometimes you have to be the ones — not that we’re the only ones — it’s hard to get out there.

MR: It’s definitely been interesting from the beginning when I was going around from club to club and giving out press kits, the hometown venues were not into at all. And you get to the next level and they’re like, “Oh they’re young and they’re black” and then they’re not young anymore and [people] just keep putting them in these boxes.

Knowing that you are put in categories, it’s just frustrating. Just listen to the music, they’re doing what they love to do, accept them for what [and who] they are. You don’t have to pigeonholed them into any particular thing, “Oh I know your influence has to be Bad Brains.”

We had one security guy say, “Oh I get it, he’s trying to be Jimi Hendrix, he’s trying to be Lenny Kravitz…” and he couldn’t think of a black drummer.

On the cultural diversity of rock and heavier genres of music

IR: There are a bunch of black people in rock bands, you can find them but if you’re talking mainstream – you have bands like Fishbone and there’s a whole documentary on how [they didn’t get bigger] and a good amount has to do with race.

It’s something about whoever is in charge where they can f**k you over, honestly. You have the wrong people saying, “I don’t think it works because of your skin color” or “This isn’t normal enough to work.” It just seems like the white dudes at the top aren’t taking the time to find us.

On what they want people to take away from Radkey’s music and performances

IR: I would want to think that rock is still alive and people are still trying to make it interesting and new and rock is also something you can dance to; it can be fresh. People do want that rock show. You find that out when you tour – there’s a market for what Van Halen was doing and those types of big rock shows, I want that to be a thing again because it’s a fun time and we’re trying to bring that back.

DR: We definitely want to have more people do what we’re doing like the big catchy melodies, the guitar solos and the energetic live show, especially women, I would like to see more women in rock.

IR: If we could be a good example for a black guy or black girl to try guitar or mix some guitar into their music, not that it’s necessary but it’s an option.

SR: Just from the start of the band we always wanted to influence pretty much anyone to play rock because we felt like it’s faded a little bit to the back. We just want to bring rock to the forefront.

On bands they’d like to tour with

IR: Weezer, probably, they’re one of our favorite bands of all time – people always guess Bad Brains and Death but we liked those bands after people compared us to them so many times. We sound nothing like them, but it’s cool.

Green Day is another one, too – both fun, catchy bands, big rock songs everyone likes to have fun to. It’s not all about writing the most underground, let’s do some fun stuff, R&B has fun music, let’s make rock fun.

MR: I would probably say Foo Fighters, just for the pure exposure of it. Foo Fighters have a nice, poppy, rock, clean sound for how many rock fans they have, they were cool in a bunch of different areas.

DR: It would be cool to tour with Cheap Trick, too. That would be awesome.

SR: I’d like to go on a world tour with Local H someday.

On the toughest and most enjoyable parts of touring

IR: The toughest part of touring, for me, is being away from home — we have pets so it’s rough being away. The most fun parts are the hang outs anytime like this or after the show, that’s super fun. The live show is cool but you made all that music, you had an amazing time recording it and you’re [performing] every day, but you never know who you’re going to meet or the connection.

DR: Yeah being away from home is hard, missing the cats, having that quiet time to yourself. The fun time is before or after the show talking to fans, the people who come out to support you.

On advice for young people who want to start or be in a band

MR: If you want to be in a band and tour then you need to be with a group of people who are all in 100 percent, that’s key because no matter how hard it gets you just keep going.

SR: I would say when you’re starting, a basic piece of advice is a minimum of 15 minutes of practice every day. If you can’t stretch the 15 minutes, then you probably shouldn’t be on the road. Every day is about getting better, you have to have that drive.

DR: As far as the live show goes, don’t just stand around. Just feel the vibe and don’t turn your back to the crowd for too long.

IR: I would say you’d be surprised at how accepting people actually are. Because once we got past the initial hometown saga, everything has been surprisingly smooth. You’ll get the “Why aren’t you guys rappers” every once in a while but the world is actually a lot cooler than you think, for being a black guy in a rock band.

Heavy Culture: Radkey on Race, Roadblocks, and Rock ‘n’ Roll
Spencer Kaufman

Album Review: Kvelertak Bring Creative Aggression on Splid

The Norwegian metal band’s fourth album marks its first LP with new singer Ivar Nikolaisen.

Album Review: Kvelertak Bring Creative Aggression on Splid
Spencer Kaufman

Consequence of Sound

The Lowdown: Over the course of their previous albums, Norway’s Kvelertak have delivered an intriguing amalgamation of heavy sounds. Splicing together elements of punk and black metal, the core of the band’s material rings with a true rock ‘n’ roll joy. Kvelertak’s creativity in weaving all these elements together continues to expand with each new LP.

Kvelertak’s fourth studio album, Splid, marks a significant new chapter in their history. Not only have the Norwegian rockers welcomed in new singer Ivar Nikolaisen (who replaced Erlend Hjelvik), they’ve signed to a new label, Rise Records.

The Good: Right away, it’s clear the playful vocals of Nikolaisen fit in nicely with the band’s aggressive sound. His cries and screeches add a welcome touch of mania to the material, further heightening the mix of hectic and bluesy cuts on Splid.

Opening track “Rogaland” begins with a rhythm that coasts to gentle touches of distortion; as the rhythm escalates, the song eventually bursts open to a bombastic collision of instrumentation, riding away to flourishes of heavy rock and punk-like adrenaline. “Crack of Doom”, which features Troy Sanders of Mastodon, carries over the frenetic rock ‘n’ roll joy of the previous cut. Sanders’ voice brings a hearty texture to the mix, trading off nicely with Nikolaisen’s vocals. On the same track, Håvard Takle Ohr’s drumming and Marvin Nygaard’s bass work pummel alongside the flavorful guitar playing of Vidar Landa, Bjarte Lund Rolland, and Maciek Ofsad.

Splid aims to keep the sonic delivery at a constant high, as each song is meant to be cranked up to ten. “Bråtebrann” exudes a Queen-like essence, as the vocals soar over radiant guitar work; the verse sections drop back into the band’s more aggressive tendencies, providing an interesting juxtaposition when the chorus comes around. “Fanden ta dette hull!” includes one of the more exciting transitions on the LP. The song plays to a relatively slower rhythm compared to previous cuts, but then abruptly becomes a full-on thrash track. The wicked speed and thundering of instrumentation allows for a truly vicious ride of mayhem.

The Bad: The continuous drive in aggression may be a bit overwhelming to some, but for those who crave the rush, Kvelertak have you covered.

The Verdict: For those looking for a modern act that embraces the qualities of classic heavy metal, while offering something new and exciting, Kvelertak are that band. Over its 11 tracks, Splid consistently churns out raging banger after banger, allowing for the record to roar with metal bliss. The creativity expressed in Splid is matched by its intensity, as Kvelertak embrace the metal spirit throughout the album.

Essential Tracks: “Crack of Doom”, “Bråtebrann”, “Fanden ta dette hull!”

Album Review: Kvelertak Bring Creative Aggression on Splid
Spencer Kaufman

Cable Ties add tour dates, share new song “Self-Made Man”: Stream

Australian punk trio prep their new album, Far Enough, for March release.

Cable Ties add tour dates, share new song “Self-Made Man”: Stream
Nina Corcoran

Consequence of Sound

Australian punk trio Cable Ties are giving us another taste of new music with “Self-Made Man” and an accompanying music video. It’s off their sophomore record and debut full-length on Merge, Far Enough, which comes out on March 27th. To celebrate, Cable Ties have also unveiled a handful of new tour dates in their homeland as well.

This is the second single we’ve heard from Far Enough, following the snappy hit “Sandcastles”. In a press release, guitarist and singer Jenny McKechnie explained the origin story behind the track. “The Self-Made Man created wealth through the exploitation of other people and abuse of public resources,” she said. “He doesn’t care about the suffering of others because, in his eyes, he got what he deserved through hard work, and they have not. It is inconvenient for the Self-Made Man to analyze systems of oppression which he has manipulated for his own gain.”

Sure enough, “Self-Made Man” makes good on that theme. Over a wiry post-punk chord progression, Cable Ties spare no expense outlining the myth of so-called self-made billionaires, and they do so without letting their lyrics get clunky. “It’s sad you can’t take care of yourself/ But you’re not getting your hands on his sacred wealth,” McKechnie sings. “So get down on your knees/ For your financial deity.”


In the music video, directed by Oscar O’Shea, a handful of strangers enter a blank room with a small TV propped up on a stool. On the screen, Cable Ties can be seen playing “Self-Made Man” live. Each person reacts to the clip in their own way: dancing emphatically, doing a workout, taking off their makeup. The sole man who enters the room, though, can’t seem to stand the song — getting up close to the TV to peer through his eyes and shake his head. Watch it below.

After the record drops, Cable Ties will stop through Australia on their new tour dates. The leg sees them performing in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, and more in late spring. Find an updated list of their tour dates below, and grab tickets to all of their upcoming concerts here.

Cable Ties 2020 Tour Dates:
02/14 — Yarra Valley, AU @ Gaytimes
02/15 — Darebin, AU @ Something Unlimited 2020
02/28 — Sydney, AU @ Vic On The Park
02/29 — Wollongong, AU @ Farmer and the Owl Festival
03/12 — Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon
03/14 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo (Burgerama)
03/17-21 — Austin, TX @ SXSW
03/26 — Brooklyn, NY @ Union Pool
04/03 — Glasgow, UK @ Glad Cafe
04/04 — Manchester, UK @ The Castle Hotel
04/05 — Brighton, UK @ The Hope & Ruin
04/07 — London, UK @ Old Blue Last
04/09 — Paris, FR @ L’Espace B
04/10 — Rotterdam, NL @ V11
04/13 — Hamburg, DE @ Hafenklang
04/14 — Berlin, DE @ Zukunft
04/24 — Sydney, AU @ Waywards
04/25 — Port Kembla, AU @ Servo
04/26 — Canberra, AU @ Transit
05/01 — Adelaide, AU @ The Golden Wattle
05/02 — Melbourne, AU @ The Corner Hotel
05/15 — Perth, AU @ Four5Nine
05/16 — Fremantle, AU @ Mojos
05/24 — Brisbane, AU @ The Foundry

Cable Ties add tour dates, share new song “Self-Made Man”: Stream
Nina Corcoran

40 Reasons We Still Love The Clash’s London Calling

The band’s masterpiece remains a glowing torch in a world full of fear, injustice, and oppression.

40 Reasons We Still Love The Clash’s London Calling
Matt Melis

Consequence of Sound

Gimme a Reason takes classic albums celebrating major anniversaries and breaks down the reasons we still love them so many years later. Today, we celebrate 40 years of The Clash’s London Calling.

In England, the 1970s were quite an eventful decade.

The seemingly untouchable power of the British Empire had taken a massive blow in the wake of World War II, and 1976 specifically saw a national descent into economic disarray despite both Labour and Conservative Party leaders promising to salvage the nation’s fiscal health. This resulted in a spike in unemployment that not only widened the class divide, but also disproportionately impacted young people about to enter the workforce at a time when employment options had effectively vanished.

(Listen: The Opus on The Clash’s London Calling)

At the same time, Margaret Thatcher was rising through the political ranks, becoming the Conservative Party leader before beginning her notorious run as Prime Minister in 1979. The onset of Thatcherism blended with a resurgent sense of nationalism that had sprung up as a result of Queen Elizabeth’s Silver Jubilee, which had taken place just two years prior.

Combined, each of these elements created a rigid climate that many found difficult to live under.

As the decade was drawing to a close just over seven months after Thatcher’s election, The Clash unveiled what they had brewing at Vanilla Rehearsal Studios all year: London Calling. Their third LP lyrically mirrored the events of the past decade, touching upon economic hardship, classism, drugs, violence, politics, and global conflict. However, The Clash dove deeper than the traditional “us versus them” approach to societal commentary through song. Whether it be done through the vehicle of a character (“Rudie Can’t Fail”) or a strong personal connection (“The Guns of Brixton”), each track on London Calling feels notably comprehensive.

Moreover, The Clash accomplished this feat while simultaneously throwing the coolest of curveballs into the idea of what could be regarded as the traditional “punk” sound, broadening it to include influences from reggae, jazz, rockabilly, and more. This willingness to experiment made The Clash something of the mad scientists of ‘70s punk … and London Calling their laboratory.

(Read: The Clash’s London Calling, Bullet Trains, and the Boundlessness of Humanity)

London Calling initially succeeded because it was very much a product of its time, but it sustains because it is also very much a product of the human experience. The events that occurred in England during the 1970s may have directly influenced London Calling, but the emotions that resulted from the time — feelings of dread, determination, fear, triumph, existentialism, powerlessness, and injustice — have permeated lives, cultures, and communities around the world for as long as memory goes back.

And as long as those feelings are alive anywhere in the world, in anyone in the world, London Calling will be, too.

–Lindsay Teske
Contributing Writer

Click ahead to see why London Calling is still the only album that matters. Also make sure to subscribe to the latest season of The Opus, which further breaks down the band’s seminal album.

Also, enter to win a Fender Player Precision Bass just like the one Paul Simonon played.


40 Reasons We Still Love The Clash’s London Calling
Matt Melis

40 Reasons We Still Love The Clash’s London Calling

The band’s masterpiece remains a glowing torch in a world full of fear, injustice, and oppression.

40 Reasons We Still Love The Clash’s London Calling
Matt Melis

Consequence of Sound

Gimme a Reason takes classic albums celebrating major anniversaries and breaks down the reasons we still love them so many years later. Today, we celebrate 40 years of The Clash’s London Calling.

In England, the 1970s were quite an eventful decade.

The seemingly untouchable power of the British Empire had taken a massive blow in the wake of World War II, and 1976 specifically saw a national descent into economic disarray despite both Labour and Conservative Party leaders promising to salvage the nation’s fiscal health. This resulted in a spike in unemployment that not only widened the class divide, but also disproportionately impacted young people about to enter the workforce at a time when employment options had effectively vanished.

(Listen: The Opus on The Clash’s London Calling)

At the same time, Margaret Thatcher was rising through the political ranks, becoming the Conservative Party leader before beginning her notorious run as Prime Minister in 1979. The onset of Thatcherism blended with a resurgent sense of nationalism that had sprung up as a result of Queen Elizabeth’s Silver Jubilee, which had taken place just two years prior.

Combined, each of these elements created a rigid climate that many found difficult to live under.

As the decade was drawing to a close just over seven months after Thatcher’s election, The Clash unveiled what they had brewing at Vanilla Rehearsal Studios all year: London Calling. Their third LP lyrically mirrored the events of the past decade, touching upon economic hardship, classism, drugs, violence, politics, and global conflict. However, The Clash dove deeper than the traditional “us versus them” approach to societal commentary through song. Whether it be done through the vehicle of a character (“Rudie Can’t Fail”) or a strong personal connection (“The Guns of Brixton”), each track on London Calling feels notably comprehensive.

Moreover, The Clash accomplished this feat while simultaneously throwing the coolest of curveballs into the idea of what could be regarded as the traditional “punk” sound, broadening it to include influences from reggae, jazz, rockabilly, and more. This willingness to experiment made The Clash something of the mad scientists of ‘70s punk … and London Calling their laboratory.

(Read: The Clash’s London Calling, Bullet Trains, and the Boundlessness of Humanity)

London Calling initially succeeded because it was very much a product of its time, but it sustains because it is also very much a product of the human experience. The events that occurred in England during the 1970s may have directly influenced London Calling, but the emotions that resulted from the time — feelings of dread, determination, fear, triumph, existentialism, powerlessness, and injustice — have permeated lives, cultures, and communities around the world for as long as memory goes back.

And as long as those feelings are alive anywhere in the world, in anyone in the world, London Calling will be, too.

–Lindsay Teske
Contributing Writer

Click ahead to see why London Calling is still the only album that matters. Also make sure to subscribe to the latest season of The Opus, which further breaks down the band’s seminal album.

Also, enter to win a Fender Player Precision Bass just like the one Paul Simonon played.


40 Reasons We Still Love The Clash’s London Calling
Matt Melis

10 Songs by The Clash That Made Films Better

Wes Anderson, Martin Scorsese, and Judd Apatow are all aware of the band’s power.

10 Songs by The Clash That Made Films Better
Michael Roffman

Consequence of Sound

This feature originally ran in April 2017 and is being republished for International Clash Day.

What really made The Clash “the only band that matters” was their ability to evolve. Over six studio albums, Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, and Topper Headon proved that punk rock wasn’t being confined to power chords and lots of spit. It meant taking societal conflicts and themes and pouring them into a variety of sounds and stories that connected with the people at any given time, which is why they eventually went from a blitzkrieg of noise on their 1977 self-titled debut to reggae, dub, funk, ska and rockabilly over the five albums that followed.

Because they were so varied — seriously, listen to “White Riot”, then “Rock the Casbah”, then “The Magnificent Seven”, and then something like “Straight to Hell” or “Sean Flynn”, it’s unreal — The Clash have long been ideal for celluloid. Their range of sounds can soundtrack a number of scenes, and they have over the years, though not as many as you might think. In fact, it wasn’t until the ’90s that producers (and, ahem, Strummer himself) became hip to the idea that The Clash were ideal for the cinema. Since then, they’ve graced both living rooms and theaters alike.

Ahead, we put together 10 songs by The Clash that really amped up a handful of great (and exceptional) films, including one that doubled-down on the boyos to perfection. Since we’re focusing solely on films, we unfortunately left off a number of ideal and iconic appearances on the small screen, from “Train in Vain” offering a nice aural metaphor in season five of The Wire to “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” terrifying Winona Ryder in the first season of Stranger Things. Rest assured, these moments were in our heads the whole time, but sadly, they don’t belong on this list.

So, put down the “Remote Control”, click ahead, and try not to be too “Hateful”…

–Michael Roffman
Editor-in-Chief


10 Songs by The Clash That Made Films Better
Michael Roffman

10 Songs by The Clash That Made Films Better

Wes Anderson, Martin Scorsese, and Judd Apatow are all aware of the band’s power.

10 Songs by The Clash That Made Films Better
Michael Roffman

Consequence of Sound

This feature originally ran in April 2017 and is being republished for International Clash Day.

What really made The Clash “the only band that matters” was their ability to evolve. Over six studio albums, Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, and Topper Headon proved that punk rock wasn’t being confined to power chords and lots of spit. It meant taking societal conflicts and themes and pouring them into a variety of sounds and stories that connected with the people at any given time, which is why they eventually went from a blitzkrieg of noise on their 1977 self-titled debut to reggae, dub, funk, ska and rockabilly over the five albums that followed.

Because they were so varied — seriously, listen to “White Riot”, then “Rock the Casbah”, then “The Magnificent Seven”, and then something like “Straight to Hell” or “Sean Flynn”, it’s unreal — The Clash have long been ideal for celluloid. Their range of sounds can soundtrack a number of scenes, and they have over the years, though not as many as you might think. In fact, it wasn’t until the ’90s that producers (and, ahem, Strummer himself) became hip to the idea that The Clash were ideal for the cinema. Since then, they’ve graced both living rooms and theaters alike.

Ahead, we put together 10 songs by The Clash that really amped up a handful of great (and exceptional) films, including one that doubled-down on the boyos to perfection. Since we’re focusing solely on films, we unfortunately left off a number of ideal and iconic appearances on the small screen, from “Train in Vain” offering a nice aural metaphor in season five of The Wire to “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” terrifying Winona Ryder in the first season of Stranger Things. Rest assured, these moments were in our heads the whole time, but sadly, they don’t belong on this list.

So, put down the “Remote Control”, click ahead, and try not to be too “Hateful”…

–Michael Roffman
Editor-in-Chief


10 Songs by The Clash That Made Films Better
Michael Roffman

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