KL Going

KL going and I have met briefly, twice. We are both tiny little ladies with books that have the love of rock in them. So I thought I'd email her and ask her if she had a list. KL kindly pointed me out to her soundtrack for her awesome book Fat Kid Rules The World.

She says Hey Cecil... This is the perfect question for me to answer because I didn't know a lot about punk before I wrote Fat Kid. My discovery of it was partly what sparked the idea for the novel. I was like, hey this is so cool I need to write about it! So, punk primer I can definitely do. I came up with a soundtrack list for Fat Kid which I posted on my web site. I'd still choose most of those, maybe a few different ones less related to that book.

Behold her kick ass list!!!!

Fat Kid Rules the World Soundtrack

1) The Stooges - Search and Destroy
2) The Sex Pistols - Pretty Vacant
3) The Ramones - Outsider *
4) The Buzzcocks - What do I Get?
5) Beatles - Yellow Submarine **
6) Lou Reed - Perfect Day ***
7) Nirvana - Come As You Are
8) The Fall - Totally Wired
9) The Urinals - Ack, Ack, Ack, Ack
10) Nirvana - Pennyroyal Tea
11) The Eyeliners - Party Till the Break of Dawn
12) The Clash - White Riot
13) Iggy Pop - I Got a Right ****

Michael Ian Black

When I had to drop out of NYU when I was 18, it was a real heartbreaker. I came back once to visit a few months after I'd left. All my good friends were busy living their fabulous dorm lives without me, so I stopped by Michael Ian Black's room, cause we were pals in a comedy sketch group called The New Group together (with Showalter) and he was fun to pal araound with. We had one of the best conversations that you could have in college, you know, about life, the universe and everything, and I really appreciated it and his perspective on everything. Flash forward to a million years later and Black is kicking butt and taking names and being funny as hell (as always) all over the place. He's also poised to join the kid lit ranks with an upcoming picture book, and you can bet your sweet ass that it's going to be terrific.

I give you, Michael Ian Black's punk mix. Go and get it.


Music you want, eh? Alright, I'm rifling through my brain here trying to come up with something decent for you.

Essential punk list:

I'm going to start with the obvious, but I don't see how you can have an essential punk mix without:

1."God Save the Queen," the Sex Pistols.

From there, you should probably skip across the ocean and include:

2. Anything by the Ramones. They're all pretty much the same song, so you can just pick one and listen to it for two and a half minutes, which is most likely longer than the actual song.

Now you've got your seminal British and American punk bands covered. Now I think you want to skip ahead a few years and head west to California for a little Black Flag. I suggest

3. "TV Party," by Black Flag. It's angry and loud and catchy and features a very young Henry Rollins

If you want to go to the other extreme of punk, but stay in the same geographical location, check out

4. I'm Not a Loser" by the Descendents. There is no Green Day without these guys.

Back on the East Coast, Washington D.C. was kicking out the punk rock jams. Who can forget:

5. "I Don't Wanna Hear It" by Minor Threat. Vintage D.C. punk, which gave birth to:

6. Fugazi, who epitomized the whole "never sell out" D.I.Y. spirit of punk rock. Their album "13 Songs," is one of my favorites of all time. They are not, however, my favorite band. That honor belongs to:

7. Husker Du. Minneapolis based thrash trio, who imploded in the early 90's after releasing a ton of great music. A lot of aficionados love their early work: "Land Speed Record," "Metal Circus," and especially "Zen Arcade." But my favorite album is "Candy Apple Grey," which was their first major label release, and the beginning of the end for the band. Most punk rock song on that album? The opening track, "Crystal."

For just obnoxious political punk, you might want to check out

8. "California Uber Alles" by the Dead Kennedys. A good band with an even better name and an even better named frontman: Jello Biafra.

Two bands with still better punk names: The Circle Jerks (best song: "Wonderful") and the Day-Glo Abortions (I can't remember any of their songs, but the name really sticks with you.)

Michael

Francesca Lia Block

Francesca Lia Block is a legend in the YA world. Her books are lyrical punk magical fairy tales and they all ooze Los Angeles, Music and Cool.

Dear Cecil

revised. i saw your list and my yoga teacher played dancing barefoot for sun salutes today
sometimes i think of patti as almost pre-punk goddess of it all so i left her out. wrong.
xo

francesca

I present to you all the swell put your top down and drive down the highway with your iPod blasting list of the amazing Francesca Lia Block.


x by los angeles
wild in the streets by the circle jerks
sheena is a punk rocker by the ramones
creatures by the adolescents
goo goo much by the cramps
we got the beat by the go-go's (original superfast version --not on cd)
new york new york by nina hagen
secret agent man by agent orange
dancing barefoot by patti smith
lust for life by iggy pop