Cokie The Clown: NOFX's Fat Mike
For those who don’t know, Fat Wreck Chords is a record label founded by NOFX front-man Fat Mike. It has pioneered the contemporary punk scene, previously bands like Against Me!, Rise Against and Anti-Flag have been on the label. It currently puts out albums by punk rock mainstays like NOFX Swingin’ Utters, while hosting ska acts like Mad Caddies. They’ve had a huge roster over their career, so we had a lot of trouble getting this list down to just 10. Bands like Less Than Jake, 88 Finger Louise, The Consumed and Me First & The Gimme Gimmes all narrowly missed out. After much debate, here’s our ten best Fat Wreck Chords bands of all time. It’s based on the music and, to a lesser extent, their influence. It takes into account their career as a whole, not just their time at Fat Wreck Chords. Really, these are just ten very special bands who rock. 10. Less Than Jake Ska-punk kings Less Than Jake may have only released one album on Fat Wreck Chords. Borders and Boundaries was a great album for a band, although only ‘Look What Happened’ and ‘Gainesville rock City’ are remembered universally. That said, they went onto great things, most recently a throwaway release of TV themes and adverts covers. A vital part of the third wave, they’re one of many Fat Wreck Chords success stories.
9. Anti-Flag They don’t get the attention they maybe deserve, but Anti-Flag are one of the only true punk bands left in the mainstream. Okay, they’re not exactly Green Day mainstream, but Anti-Flag aren’t doing too badly. With a highly political agenda and a gritty style, they keep punk ideals alive and well, particularly with song titles like “Operation Iraqi Liberation (O.I.L.)”. Anti-Flag don’t have the polish of bands like No Use For A Name or Rise Against, but their message and emotion is always there. 8. Propagandhi Although in later years they’ve become more influenced by heavy metal, Propagandhi were at one point one of the best punk bands in the world. Not above a sense of humour (as ‘Ska Sucks’ from their deubt album shows), they are a fun band that deserve the reputation they’ve got. Still regularly releasing material, the band most recently put out Supporting Castle in 2009. 7. No Use For A Name Still signed to Fat Wreck Chords, No Use For A Name are one of the bands most identifiable with the band. With a great pop-punk style, they’re a bit more accessible than most bands on this list. Former member Chris Shiflett even went on to become lead guitarist for Foo Fighers. They’re one of the more melodic bands on Fat Wreck Chords, and have garnered themselves a dedicated fan-base. Here, we’re all very excited about the possibility of a new album this year. 6. The Dickies Catchy and upbeat before it was cool, The Dickies are one of the most important bands for California punk. They were actually the first California punk band to perform live on TV. Since 1977, they’ve been actively playing shows with the occasional release, although their last studio album was 2001. They even had a Top 10 UK Single with ‘Banana Splits (Tra La La Song)’. For a career into its fifth decade, they deserve a lot of credit and a spot on our list. 5. The Flatliners Although there’s a focus on punk for the majority of their material, The Flatliners also know how to get us skanking. Quite diverse, they’re another Fat Wreck Chords mainstay that, whilst not hugely influential yet, will be in a few years. Best known for their track ‘Eulogy’, which is a great example of the kind of style Fat Wreck Chords loves to out, they’ve become a force to be reckoned with in the international punk scene. 4. Against Me! A band that polarises fan opinions like no other, Against Me! Release the incredible album White Crosses last year, boasting incredible production and a much more epic style. Fans have been claiming even since the band’s Fat Wreck Chord days that they’d sold out and weren’t “punk”. So, all the power to Against Me! For making the music they want to. They’ve definitely matured and moved away from the rougher style, but lyrically and stylistically, it’s still punk. They seem to be on the cusp of world domination, without losing their integrity, so be sure to check them out. 3. The Lawrence Arms It may be surprising that they’re this high, considering some of the bands lower down have had much wider success. However, The Lawrence Arms are one of the more consistent bands to come out of Fat Wreck Chords. A vital part of the Chicago punk scene (formed by members of several underground bands in the area), they have been together for nearly 12 years putting out great punk records. Their 2001 album Apathy and Exhaustion is one of the best new wave punk albums of the decade, and The Lawrence Arms show no signs of slowing down. 2. Rise Against They’re a huge band now, and we just can’t get enough of them. They went a bit more alt-rock with 2008’s Appeal To Reason, but that gave us the beautifully poignant ‘Hero of War’. With a new album out in March, Rise Against’s star continues to rise. The future looks quite bright for the band who brought us songs like ‘Prayer of The Refugee’ and ‘The State of the Union’ 1. NOFX It’s a predictable choice, but how could our Number 1 be anyone else? NOFX front man Fat Mike founded the label, and the band moved to it, from Epitaph, in 2000. Together for over 27 years, they inspired the likes of Green Day and many more. NOFX are essentially pioneers of the punk revival, occasionally incorporating flawless ska/reggae influences into their music. Still releasing and touring, it’s amazing that they’ve not slowed down. For us, though, it’s definitely a good thing that these guys are still showing everyone how to make simple, brilliant punk-rock. Female First - Alistair McGeorge
For those who don’t know, Fat Wreck Chords is a record label founded by NOFX front-man Fat Mike. It has pioneered the contemporary punk scene, previously bands like Against Me!, Rise Against and Anti-Flag have been on the label. It currently puts out albums by punk rock mainstays like NOFX Swingin’ Utters, while hosting ska acts like Mad Caddies. They’ve had a huge roster over their career, so we had a lot of trouble getting this list down to just 10. Bands like Less Than Jake, 88 Finger Louise, The Consumed and Me First & The Gimme Gimmes all narrowly missed out. After much debate, here’s our ten best Fat Wreck Chords bands of all time. It’s based on the music and, to a lesser extent, their influence. It takes into account their career as a whole, not just their time at Fat Wreck Chords. Really, these are just ten very special bands who rock. 10. Less Than Jake Ska-punk kings Less Than Jake may have only released one album on Fat Wreck Chords. Borders and Boundaries was a great album for a band, although only ‘Look What Happened’ and ‘Gainesville rock City’ are remembered universally. That said, they went onto great things, most recently a throwaway release of TV themes and adverts covers. A vital part of the third wave, they’re one of many Fat Wreck Chords success stories.
9. Anti-Flag They don’t get the attention they maybe deserve, but Anti-Flag are one of the only true punk bands left in the mainstream. Okay, they’re not exactly Green Day mainstream, but Anti-Flag aren’t doing too badly. With a highly political agenda and a gritty style, they keep punk ideals alive and well, particularly with song titles like “Operation Iraqi Liberation (O.I.L.)”. Anti-Flag don’t have the polish of bands like No Use For A Name or Rise Against, but their message and emotion is always there. 8. Propagandhi Although in later years they’ve become more influenced by heavy metal, Propagandhi were at one point one of the best punk bands in the world. Not above a sense of humour (as ‘Ska Sucks’ from their deubt album shows), they are a fun band that deserve the reputation they’ve got. Still regularly releasing material, the band most recently put out Supporting Castle in 2009. 7. No Use For A Name Still signed to Fat Wreck Chords, No Use For A Name are one of the bands most identifiable with the band. With a great pop-punk style, they’re a bit more accessible than most bands on this list. Former member Chris Shiflett even went on to become lead guitarist for Foo Fighers. They’re one of the more melodic bands on Fat Wreck Chords, and have garnered themselves a dedicated fan-base. Here, we’re all very excited about the possibility of a new album this year. 6. The Dickies Catchy and upbeat before it was cool, The Dickies are one of the most important bands for California punk. They were actually the first California punk band to perform live on TV. Since 1977, they’ve been actively playing shows with the occasional release, although their last studio album was 2001. They even had a Top 10 UK Single with ‘Banana Splits (Tra La La Song)’. For a career into its fifth decade, they deserve a lot of credit and a spot on our list. 5. The Flatliners