“east_coast_oi”
The East Coast of Oi!
Various Artists
Radical
Hands down, this is the best compilation of the year. And it might be the best of the decade; if not, it’s up there and should be in your collection of great Oi!-based genuine hobnailed punk rock. It’s been a long time, at least ten years, since I’ve even considered buying an entire album just for one song (does that happen any more? Please let me know, I’m curious) but the first track off this, the Wretched Ones’ “Welcome to the East Coast” is worth triple whatever anyone pays for this record. Driving, pounding, stomping with excellent Oi! melody, piss, vinegar and elbow-in-your-face punk attitude, “Welcome to the East Coast” deserves a place on the Mantle of Punk Rockdom as an over-the-top punk anthem (did I use up my allotment of hyphens or what?).
Whew! Punks essayists all over the country should pen praises to that song and to this compilation. If that’s not enough, Steel Toe Solution, the Outsiders, Broken Heroes, Sniper, the Cuffs, the 239 Scams, Terminus City, Runin’ Amok!, Squiggy, Disorderly Conduct (hunh?), The Brassknuckles, the Ducky Boys, Infiltrators, Man’s Ruin, Heidnik Stew, and Niblick Henbane all scream “Oi! Oi! Oi!” and demand that punks of all ages add this to their collection and play it loud and play it proud!
Radical Records, 77 Bleecker St., #C2-21, New York, NY 10012.
