“Punk” Punk


You already know I have a playlist problem. You already know I like punk rock.

So, in the spirit of punk, because punk carries so many different definitions to so many punks… I made a playlist of a bunch of songs that have the word “punk” in the title (or “punks” or punx”). Punks love quantizing and categorizing and awarding punk points, right? This one’s to anger the gatekeepers. It even has a decidedly not punk track or two. Plus, the narrative is silly if you read down through the titles.

Someone somewhere will be big mad that the Casualties and MxPx are on the same playlist, no doubt.

Punk Punk | Amazon Music | AiXeLsyD13 Playlist Thumbnail

I listen on Amazon Music. You can import it to your preferred music streaming service with Tune My Music.

You can check out the list here:

1What Is Punk?The Mr. T ExperienceNight Shift At the Thrill Factory
2Punk Rock Is The Answer [Explicit]Hi-StandardThe Gift [Explicit]
3Scholarship In Punk [Explicit]GuttermouthGusto
4Punk Rock 101 [Explicit]Diesel BoyCock Rock
5Keep It PunkThe QueersBack to the Basement [Explicit]
6Punk RockThe CasualtiesDie Hards
7Punkrocker (feat. Iggy Pop)TeddybearsSoft Machine (U.S. Version)
8Punk rocker (2023 ver.)RUMKICKSBorn Rude [Explicit]
9Punk RockerCrazy & the BrainsPunk Rocker
10I’m Punk [Explicit]GuttermouthThe Album Formerly Known As Full Length LP [Explicit]
11I’m A PunkSaint City OrchestraChaos
12Proud to be Punk [Explicit]The CasualtiesStay out of Order [Explicit]
13I’m Not a PunkDescendentsMilo Goes to College [Explicit]
14You’re Not PunkWeekend NachosStill
15Punk Rock Rulebook88 Fingers LouieBack On The Streets (Remixed and Remastered)
16Punk PoliceThe Hard-OnsVery Exciting!
17It’s My Job To Keep Punk Rock Elite [Explicit]NOFXSo Long & Thanks For All The Shoes [Explicit]
18We Were Punk FirstDead PioneersDead Pioneers [Explicit]
19Judy Is a Punk (2016 Remaster)RamonesRamones (40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) [2016 Remaster]
20Tamara Is A Punk [Explicit]The QueersPunk Rock Confidential [Explicit]
21Sheena Is a Punk Rocker (2017 Remaster)RamonesRocket to Russia (40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)
22Terry Punk!Peelander-ZSuper DX Hitz
23Dean Is a PunkApocalypse HobokenEasy Instructions For Complex Machinery
24Punk Rock BillySlightly StoopidEverything You Need
25For the Punx [Explicit]The CasualtiesThe Early Years 1990 – 1995 [Explicit]
26Punk Rock GirlThe Dead MilkmenBeelzebubba [Explicit]
27Punk Guy [Explicit]NOFXPunk In Drublic [Explicit]
28Punk Rock GirlsThe QueersDon’t Back Down [Explicit]
29Punk Rock LoveThe CasualtiesFor the Punx
3021st Century PunkSardonicaJust for Us Hardcore Kids
31The Shape of Punk to ComeRefusedThe Shape Of Punk To Come [Explicit]
32Street PunxTotal ChaosStreet Punx
33Street Punk [Explicit]The CasualtiesStay out of Order [Explicit]
34Chaos PunxThe CasualtiesFor the Punx
35Punx 4 LifeKomptoir ChaosPunx 4 Life
36South Shore Chaos Punx [Explicit]Unwanted NoiseTonight We Die
37All My Friends Are PunksWorthington’s LawFunnier! Punkier! Bandier! [Explicit]
38Punk Rock MomYouth BrigadeHappy Hour
39Punks Not DadPunks Not DadWe Are The Dads
40She’s a PunkThe MangesRocket to You 93-03
41Kitty Cat’s a PunkThe SablowskisAll My Friends Are Grounded
42Pirate PunkJolly JackersPirate Punk
43Punk Rock PrincessSomething CorporateLeaving Through The Window
44Pink PunkPeelander-ZSuper DX Hitz
45Surf PunkDown By LawDown By Law
46Punk Rock PrincessDizzy SunfistPUNK ROCK PRINCESS
47Punk Rock WerewolfThe DollyrotsLove Songs, Werewolves & Zombies
48Panda PunkPeelander-ZSuper DX Hitz
49Punk Rock Loser [Explicit]Viagra BoysCave World (Deluxe) [Explicit]
50Those Anarcho Punks Are Mysterious [Explicit]Against Me!The Acoustic EP [Explicit]
51Punk Rock ClichéNOFXDouble Album [Explicit]
52Punx & SkinsThe CasualtiesFor the Punx
53Punx & SkinsThe CasualtiesLive at the Fireside Bowl
54Punk Rock and HardcoreDad BrainsPunk Rock and Hardcore
55True Punk And Oi!Resistance 77Songs for the Nanny State
56Punx In Las Vegas [Explicit]The Bouncing SoulsLive
57Skins, Punx and Drunx [Explicit]Lars Frederiksen & The BastardsViking [Explicit]
58The Gypsy, The Punk, And The Fool (A Tale)Mischief BrewSmash The Windows
59Football Beer and Punk Rock [Explicit]Knock OffFootball Beer and Punk Rock [Explicit]
60Just Another Punk BandAbrasive WheelsWhen the Punks Go Marching In
61Punk Rawk ShowMxPxTriple Shot
62Punk Rock Song [Explicit]Bad ReligionThe Gray Race [Explicit]
63Super Famous Punk Song37 CentsDessert for Breakfast
64Not Another Folk Punk Song [Explicit]Little FootWhat Did You Expect? [Explicit]
65Punk Rock SongsResistance 77Songs for the Nanny State
66Punk PartyAlexGrohlPunk Party
67PunkhouseScreeching WeaselSuburban Vermin
68Punk House of HorrorTeenage BottlerocketFreak Out!
69Punk Rock PlanetThe EyelinersHere Comes Trouble
70Punk It UpLaughin’NoseLaughin’ Complete Emi Tracks
71Punk Rock Confidential RevisitedThe QueersPunk Rock Confidential Revisited [Explicit]
72Loud Proud ‘N’ PunkThe BusinessSuburban Rebels
73Toxic PunkTurtlesjr.OfficialToxic Punk
74Punks And DrunksDown By LawAll Scratched Up! [Explicit]
75Punk and DrunkRichiesWinter Wonderland
76Punk’s Not Sad [Explicit]Crummy StuffPunk’s Not Sad (25th Anniversary Remastered Edition) [Explicit]
77Drink Drank PunkAnti-FlagDie for the Government [Explicit]
78White Punks On Dope [Explicit]The TubesThe Tubes
79For the Punx [Explicit]The CasualtiesFor the Punx
80Queer Punk Revolution!Eat My FearNew Era
81When the Punks Go Marching InAbrasive WheelsWhen the Punks Go Marching In
82Punx UniteThe CasualtiesUnderground Army
83Punk Rock United (Step I)Down By LawChampions At Heart [Explicit]
84Punk As Fuck [Explicit]Down By Lawpunkrockacademyfightsong [Explicit]
85Nazi Punks Fuck Off [Explicit]Dead KennedysPlastic Surgery Disasters/In God We Trust, Inc. [Explicit]
86(Alt-Right) Punks Fuck Off [Explicit]Hardly BoysDear Diarrhea [Explicit]
87PUNK is nowhereRUMKICKSPUNK is nowhere
88Davey Destroyed the Punk SceneAnti-FlagDie for the Government [Explicit]
89A Punk Rock Tale of Woe [Explicit]GuttermouthGot It Made [Explicit]
90Punk Rock Changed My LifeJonah MaddoxTogether We Are Taller [Explicit]
91Punk Rock Changed My Life (Full Band Version)SMFCThe First Four Songs
92Punk Rock Ruined My Life [Explicit]Worlds Scariest Police ChasesNOFX and Out Come The Wolves Dookie [Explicit]
93Punk Rock Ruined My Life [Explicit]ControlPunk Rock Ruined My Life [Explicit]
94Punk Rock Ruined My Life [Explicit]Thirsty CursesPunk Rock Ruined My Life [Explicit]
95Punk’s Not Dead [Explicit]Bottle RatAll My Friends Are Animals [Explicit]
96Punk No DieTotal ChaosPatriotic Shock [Explicit]
97Punk Is DeadCrassThe Feeding of the 5000 (Remastered) [Explicit]
98Punk Rock Shows in HeavenApes of the StateWhat’s Another Night? [Explicit]
99Punk Decay [Explicit]BreakoutNothing in Sight [Explicit]
100Punk’s Not Dead [Explicit]The ExploitedPunk’s Not Dead [Explicit]
101Punk’s Dead [Explicit]SOFT PLAYHEAVY JELLY [Explicit]
102Punk is Dead [Explicit]The MerkinsShame Stain [Explicit]
103Punk’s Not Dead but I’m Not Far OffResistance 77Punk’s Not Dead but I’m Not Far Off
104Punk WonDown By Lawpunkrockacademyfightsong [Explicit]
105Sheena Is A Punk RockerHuntingtonsRocket To Ramonia (Remastered)
106Judy Is A PunkHuntingtonsRocket To Ramonia (Remastered)
107Punk Rock GirlStreetlight Manifesto99 Songs of Revolution Vol. 1
108Punk Rock GirlsThe DollyrotsDown the Rabbit Hole
109Punk Rock GirlMxPxOn The Cover II
110Punk Rock Love [Explicit]The CasualtiesThe Early Years 1990 – 1995 [Explicit]
111Punkhouse (2023 Remaster)Screeching WeaselKill The Musicians (2023 Remaster)
112Punk OneLike A MotorcycleHigh Hopes
113Punk TwoLike A MotorcycleDead Broke [Explicit]
114Atomic Punk (2015 Remaster)Van HalenVan Halen (Remastered)

So, am I missing anything? I feel like I’m always missing something. Which tracks do you love or hate here? Hit me with some of your playlists.

HALLOWEEN MUSIC | Epic Playlist List 💀🎃👻


OK, I have posted my Halloween Playlists before… but there’s more. Someone asked for spooky songs on Threads today and it kicked me into Halloween mode. It’s basically October, right? You can move these to your preferred streamer with Tune My Music. I have amassed more spooky and spooky-adjacent playlists.

I may have a problem.  Let me know if I’m missing some obvious or obscure bangers!  A lot of these I will listen to on shuffle/random, because I add stuff in what could be aptly described ss manic bursts of energy. Bold ones are ones I probably hit more often.

Halloween Stuff:

Halloween Costumes & Creatures:

Spooky Vibes in General:

Playlists not by me:

I guess if you’re having a party, you might wanna add some pizza songs to your list. Like I said the last time I posted these: You can peep this Misfits tribute from 20 years ago too, and don’t forget to get some Halloween swag or solve some free Halloween mazes.

AiXeLsyD13's Halloween Playlists on Amazon Music

If you wanna do some free Halloween-ish mazes while you listen, peep these:

I probably have Halloween Mazes pop up a lot here.

Pizza Crawl! 🍕🍕🍕 [The Carroll Clan Cut Crawl?]


I got it in my head a while ago that I wanted to try some local pizza places back-to-back, and three of my favorites are super close to each other, so… why not? I set out to get 1 slice each from Beto’s, Slice on Broadway (in Beechview), & Badamo’s (in Dormont). They are all less than 2 miles apart, so it was only a few minutes from one to the other.

Instead of a Birthday dinner, we made this my birthday lunch, albeit a few days early. I have a problem with loving alliteration. Should this be dubbed the Carroll Clan Cut Crawl?

I’m not that guy that talks about one-bite rules or pizza flop, so I’ll rate all of these a 13/13. I think there are so many styles and recipes for pizza, they all deserve a spot at the table and some respect.

A cut from Beto's | A slice of cheesy pizza with a thick layer of unmelted shredded cheese in a takeout box, resting on parchment paper.
3 cheese cuts from Beto’s

🍕 Beto’s$1.92/cheese slice | If you can’t get your head around Ohio Valley Style… I get it. But, it’s worth figuring out. I don’t put it in the same class as these New York Style pies, but there is room for many styles of pizza in this world. Beto’s is an institution. They are always packed. This stuff is a hit with me. It is simple, the crust is thick and square like Sicilian style with a savory sauce. The Provolone is just perfect, and the decision to leave it uncooked is wild but it works. I mean, you can ask them to cook it, but why? I got a small Mug root beer from the fountain. I love it. My son loves it, my wife is on the fence, and my daughter is not a fan (she got the mozzarella sticks). My son said Beto’s is his far & away favorite.

A slice from Slice on Broadway | A slice of cheese pizza on a metal tray, featuring a golden-brown crust and melted cheese with a slightly crispy edge.
A slice from Slice on Broadway

🍕 Slice on Broadway$3.50/cheese slice | They claim it’s NYC style pie made by Yinzers. I have never had a slice of pizza in NY, but I hope for New York’s sake it’s as good as this. The sauce is ever so slightly sweet… not overly sweet, but it hits. The crust is crispy and doughy. The cheese is absolutely just right. It was so nice & warm on a cold day… and it hits the spot consistently every time, even across different locations. I paired it with a Boylan’s Birch Beer. I ordinarily like to get it with Ricotta & meatball here. My daughter, son, & wife all loved it as usual. Of course I loved it too. I think Slice was my wife & daughter’s favorite.

A slice from Badamo's
A slice from Badamo’s

🍕 Badamo’s $2.50/cheese slice | So much love and attention to the craft goes into this pie! Anthony & the people that work there are just incredibly cool and super welcoming. I opted for Pepperoni this time, but my son was getting full so I ended up eating his cheese slice too. The sauce is savory and delicious, it’s not sweet but it’s not acidic. The crust has an entirely different feel & taste than anyone else around. It’s delicious and perfectly crispy. I really need to try their Sicilian style too! The pepperoni is small and delicious without taking over. On regular trips, I like the Ricotta & basil. I paired it with a carton of Turner’s iced tea. My wife & daughter really liked this one, my son nope’d out for being full, and I loved it enough to have two slices. (Hey, listen to Black Tie Revue!)

All in all, to me the nearly side-by-side comparison was super fun, and confirmed that they’re all great pizza that can stand on their own, or stand together. It was a cool afternoon activity with the family & everyone was enthusiastic about the mini adventure.

Of course I have a Punk Rock Pizza Party 🍕 playlist on Amazon Music & Spotify. You can import it to your preferred service too.

We are lucky to have so many great independent & small chain pizza shops in the area with a wide variety of styles and flavors. I remember the first time trying Beto’s and I took it back to the old apartment in Dormont & the cheese was sort-of half-melted and it was just perfect. I remember when Slice opened and we checked it out and it was absolutely delicious. I remember going to A’Pizza Badamo in Mt. Lebanon before it moved to Dormont and absolutely loving their pie & the great people.

Of course, there are great spots all over in & around the city… but I kept this Crawl tight. If you did a pizza crawl, which spots would you hit? Bonus points for keeping them within say a 5 mile radius! Would you do more than 3? Could you?

That one time one of my mazes was in the Fat Wreck Chords ‘Zine/Catalog…


Anyone remember punk rock compilation CD’s, & their ‘zine/catalogs? I remember lots of ‘zines out there, and still love all the great punk rock that I found through Fat Wreck, Epitaph, Lookout!, Asian Man, Honest Don’s, Drive-Thru, No Idea, Hell Cat & more.

It was fun to be included in stuff like this! (I got some art in the 90’s FIEND CLUB Bleeder’s Die-Gest too!)

Check out the maze, and the pages it was part of:

A hand-drawn maze with the text 'Help FLOYD get to the refrigerator for a beer!' at the top and 'FAT WRECK CHORDS' in the center, with an illustration of a refrigerator at the bottom marked 'FINISH!'

You should try to solve it, post your solution, & tag me @AiXeLsyD13 on your preferred social media platform. And, of course I spelled refrigerator wrong. 🤦🤷

A vintage punk rock compilation catalog featuring a maze and an order form for Fat Wreck Chords merchandise, with playful illustrations and text related to punk culture.

You can check out a few more pages on my Threads post or on Instagram:

Did you dig the Survival of the Fattest, Punk-O-Rama, Greatest Shits compilations, & all the associated bands? Who were your favorites?

Snuff, Guns ‘n’ Wankers, & Dogpiss always stood out to me!

Who gets better monster songs?


In addition to my plethora of Halloween & Halloween-adjacent playlists, I recently created some rather specific ones.

Which mythical ghouls get the best songs… Vampires, werewolves, or zombies?

These are my lists (so far):

If you have any glaring omissions, I’m all ears! I mean, cryptids, aliens, or mummies may sweep in with a win, too?

Do you base it on one song? On the whole work? On a few standouts?

I mean, the Vampire team has “You’re Dead/Vampire Ska” by We Are Union (not to mention the originals), “Sacrifice Theory” by AFI, & “(She’s My) Vampire Girl” by The Groovy Ghoulies.

The Werewolf team has “I Was a Teenage Werewolf” by the Cramps, “Werewolf” by the Five Man Electrical Band, & “Bark at the Moon” by Ozzy.

Zombies are rocking hard and apparently dancing with “Do the Zombie” by the Eyeliners, “Zombies Ate My Pirate Ship” by Alestorm, & “Re Your Brains” by Jonathan Coulton. I think I may be leaning zombies because it was hard to pick just 3 songs.

I wanna hear your take! Hit me up here or on social media at @AIXeLsyD13.

A collage featuring three scenes from a horror-comedy film: the top scene shows a zombie with blood on its face, accompanied by an anguished character; the middle scene features three vampires in dark attire; the bottom scene depicts a werewolf dressed in a basketball uniform, holding a basketball, in a gym setting.

Playlist | Bass Case


I’m building a Bass Case playlist on Amazon Music. I’m looking for songs with a killer bass-only or at least bass-heavy intro. Mostly punk, metal, rock, etc. but open to just about anything. Bass guitar or a bass VI, not electronic bass or keys.

This is the start of it (but not all of it) so far:

  • Metallica – “(Anesthesia)—Pulling Teeth”
  • Black Sabbath – “N.I.B.”
  • Misfits – “London Dungeon”
  • Type O Negative – “Black No. 1 (Little Miss Scare-All)”
  • Rancid – “Journey to the End of the East Bay”
  • Alice In Chains – “Would?”
  • Beastie Boys – “Gratitude”
  • Queen – “Under Pressure [feat. David Bowie]”
  • Green Day – “Longview”
  • Ozzy Osbourne – “No More Tears”
  • Motörhead – “Ace of Spades”
  • AFI – “Miss Murder”
  • Primus – “My Name Is Mud”
  • The White Stripes – “Seven Nation Army”
  • Metallica – “For Whom the Bell Tolls”
  • Beastie Boys – “Sabotage [Explicit]”
  • Queen – “Another One Bites The Dust”
  • The Cure – “Just like Heaven”
  • Guns N’ Roses – “Rocket Queen”
  • Megadeth – “Peace Sells”
  • Anthrax – “Got The Time”
  • The Cure – “Burn”
  • Operation Ivy – “Sound System”
  • Jimi Hendrix – “Born Under a Bad Sign”
  • Black Flag – “Six Pack”
  • Primus – “Jerry Was A Race Car Driver”
  • Fugazi – “Waiting Room”
  • Faith No More – “We Care a Lot”
  • Guns N’ Roses – “You Could Be Mine”
  • TOOL – “Schism”
  • The Dead Milkmen – “Bitchin’ Camaro”
  • Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Higher Ground”
  • Black Flag – “TV Party”
  • Violent Femmes – “Blister In The Sun”
  • Metallica – “Crash Course In Brain Surgery”
  • NOFX – “The Idiots Are Taking Over”
  • Faith No More – “Falling to Pieces”
  • The Breeders – “Cannonball”
  • Rick James – “Super Freak”
  • Duran Duran – “Rio”
  • Jane’s Addiction – “Mountain Song”
  • The B-52’s – “Rock Lobster”
  • Rage Against The Machine – “Bombtrack”
  • A Flock Of Seagulls – “What Am I Supposed To Do”
  • Weezer – “Only In Dreams”
  • The Commodores – “Brick House”
  • Death Cab For Cutie – “I Will Possess Your Heart”
  • Iron Maiden – “Killers”
  • Nirvana – “Lounge Act”
  • Jane’s Addiction – “Three Days”
  • Van Halen – “Runnin’ with the Devil”
  • The Cure – “Fascination Street”
  • The Smithereens – “Blood And Roses”
  • The Stone Roses – “I Wanna Be Adored”
  • Metallica – “King Nothing”
  • The Byrds – “Eight Miles High”
  • The Stone Roses – “She Bangs the Drums”
  • The Clash – “The Magnificent Seven”
  • Lou Reed – “Walk On the Wild Side”
  • Joe Jackson – “Got The Time”
  • Stevie Wonder – “I Wish”
  • War – “Low Rider”
  • The Jam – “Pretty Green”
  • The Temptations – “Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone”
  • Sonic Youth – “My Friend Goo”
  • Pennywise – “Ace of Spades”
  • The Beatles – “Come Together”
  • AFI – “Death Of Seasons”
  • NOFX – “Hobophobic (Scared of Bums)”
  • Thin Lizzy – “Dancing In The Moonlight (It’s Caught Me In It’s Spotlight)”
  • The Monkees – “You Just May Be The One”
  • Metallica – “The God That Failed”
  • Bad Brains – “The Regulator”
  • Rancid – “Maxwell Murder”
  • Deee-Lite – “Groove Is in the Heart”
  • Talking Heads – “Psycho Killer”
  • Dead Kennedys – “Viva Las Vegas”

Song name/artist would be more helpful than a Spotify link because I can’t copy/paste from there into Amazon Music.

…and this is subject to change pretty quickly & often.

A screenshot of a playlist titled 'Bass Case' on Amazon Music, featuring various songs with prominent bass lines.

Halloween Music


I have a playlist problem. So, I have a lot of Halloween and Halloween-adjacent playlists. Some I have that are just massive & I listen to them on random. Some are a little more compact. What are your favorite Halloween songs? Anything I’m missing, songs or themes?

Screenshot of a Halloween playlist on Amazon Music, featuring album covers and the playlist title 'Halloween' with a pumpkin emoji.

I mostly listen on Amazon Music, but can use Tune My Music to pop these over to Spotify if you’re interested.

Straight-up Halloween:

Spooky Vibes:

File under “Of course”:

Good Halloween Costumes:

Damn, reading this… I feel like I’m slacking for not having Vampire, Werewolf, & Zombie playlists.

A Band Called Punchline | Podcast


It took me forever to get into podcasts. Some I have been enjoying lately are Chris DeMakes a Podcast, One Hit Thunder, & more recently A Band Called Punchline. (The former two break-down & deep-dive into songs in totally different yet incredible ways… I highly recommend them to musicians and fans!)

🎶 Don’t sleep on One By Willie, In Defense of Ska, Gumbands (with the legendary Rick Sebak), Lobby Boys, What Makes This Song Stink (Pat Finnerty!), That One Time on Tour, Peer Pleasure, & Weird Al-gorithm. But, this isn’t about those. 🎶

You can listen to all of these anywhere you find podcasts, but I do mostly all of my listening on Amazon Music.

Collage of images featuring the band A Band Called Punchline performing live, showcasing musicians on stage and off, with the band's name prominently displayed in bold letters.

I have absolutely no idea why I didn’t get big into Punchline in the very late 90’s or early 00’s. We all frequented the same places. I had to have seen them. I was active in AiXeLsyD then Gasoline Dion at the time. Their music is in my wheelhouse. I have heard a lot of Chris Fafalios because he produces on Chris DeMakes a Podcast & co-hosts One Hit Thunder. Chis is a great co-host with Matt Kelly & producer with involvement in 2 quality shows. This came up, and I was like… I have no excuse to not check this out as I love music, music documentaries, stories about songs, stories about playing & touring. It’s a no-brainer, right?

Well, I’m 3½ episodes in and the name-dropping alone is mind-blowing. Laga, Logic, AMC, Berlin Project, Mr. Smalls, Soundscape Studios, Garfield Artworks, Josh Bakaitus, Drusky, Joker Productions, mp3.com, practicing in McKees Rocks, and more I am surely forgetting. It puts me back into the days when I worked on the assembly line at Sony with Alf from Circle of Dead Children, or when me & An-Die ran into the Zao guitarist at Westmoreland Mall. Everyone was in a band. Ha ha. I remember Dirtbag Rob saying he had an AiXeLsyD T-shirt or patch before he was in the band.

I was at so many shows at Laga. That’s where I got to see Doyle play the Misfits intro in their green room one time. I remember Logic from that killer Take Me To Your Leader compilation CD. Man I miss punk comps. AiXeLsyD was practically the house band at AMC for a bit. We played every open stage we could. Berlin Project always worked the crowd well. I remember playing Mr. Small’s at least once with Gasoline Dion, not sure if Ernie and the Berts ever played there or not. I also remember being in the back for some reason. Maybe hanging out with Dethlehem? Me & Jason were hanging out with Next Stop Detox when they recorded at Soundscape in McKeesport. I was in Detox for like 30 seconds and recorded a single at Studiophonix in Mt. Pleasant. I think Gasoline Dion played Garfield Artworks… Maybe EaTB too? I know I saw a bunch of shows there. Ernie and the Berts recorded drums there once, I think? (It’s oddly not on my places I have played map.) We practiced at the shady ABC Storage in McKees Rocks and up in Allentown for a bit.

It makes me think of all the cool bands & all the fun times we had back then!

But, the cool part is hearing Berlin Project’s story, from the guys themselves. They seem like genuine nice people who set out to make some music, make a living doing it, and accomplished that! It’s presented documentary style and sort of gives me NPR vibes.

I am rooting for them every step of the way while I listen, When they talk about literally losing a tire off their van, using calling cards & pay phones, running up cell phone bills in the Nokia brick & flip phone days, purposely putting music on Napster just to get it out there, paying way too much for recording, sleeping on floors & booking tours, meeting other great and not-so-great bands… it all just hits. I am not and never was a pro touring musician, but I get it. I respect the hustle, and I appreciate the insight & shared experiences.

If you were around the southwestern PA scene in the late 90’s or early 00’s, ever picked up a guitar (or bass or drums or keys or horns), or are a fan of punk, indie, & DIY… you gotta check this out.

It’s on a bunch of platforms, so find it how you find yours… or start here:

Apple | Spotify | Amazon | YouTube

I’m starting to dive into their stuff. I really dig the old stuff on their bandcamp that they sort of don’t recognize as much any more. Check out their website. I also want to see their music special on Amazon Prime. Punchline fans, what are your favorites? Can you make me a top 20 playlist in the comments? What are your memories of seeing them play or hearing their songs for the first time? What about if you played your own shows in & around that time?

Halloween Playlists 🎃🍬👻🐈‍⬛🍫🦇💀🍭🕷️🕸️


If you read this, you know I mostly use Amazon Music, but I do copy stuff to Spotify. I should copy these ones over. I refuse to pay to synch them with Tune My Music though, so I try to wait until I’m close to done to copy it. I may have copied some of these a long time ago.

What are your go-to Halloween songs? What am I missing from these lists?

You can peep this Misfits tribute from 20 years ago too, and don’t forget to get some Halloween swag or solve some free Halloween mazes.

Get Your 'Ween Out (Halloween Punk Rock) 🎃