Descendents

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Descendents
File:Descende67324nts.JPG
Background information
Years active1978–1989
1995–1997
2002–present
MembersMilo Aukerman
Stephen Egerton
Karl Alvarez
Bill Stevenson

Descendents are a punk rock band from Manhattan Beach, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. They are credited as one of the most influential punk bands ever by many critics.

History

Early/peak years

Descendents were formed in 1978 by guitarist Frank Navetta, bassist Tony Lombardo and drummer Bill Stevenson. Their first release -- the only one with this lineup -- was "Ride the Wild"/"It's a Hectic World", a double A-side of melodic surf-pop.

In 1980 they enlisted Stevenson's old schoolfriend Milo Aukerman as a singer, and reappeared as a punk band, becoming a major player in the hardcore scene developing in Los Angeles at the time. Their first release with Aukerman, 1981's Fat EP, was a furious six-minute barrage of teen angst and goofball humour, featuring such songs as "My Dad Sucks" and the eleven-second "Wienerschnitzel".

Their debut album the following year, Milo Goes to College, introduced an element of melody and sensitivity that set them apart from most other hardcore bands. They sang about being (and wanting to be) rejected ("I'm Not A Loser", "I Wanna Be A Bear", "Parents"), girls ("Hope", "Myage", "Marriage", "Kabuki Girl"), fishing ("Catalina"), and other subjects not normally discussed by their peers. Songwriting was shared among the band members, and Stevenson's songs in particular were to greatly influence the melodic punk-pop bands of the 1990s.

First hiatus

Milo Aukerman really was off to college, to embark on an education that would take him as far as a doctorate in biochemistry, while Bill Stevenson became for a while the drummer with fellow hardcore punks Black Flag. The band did not record again until 1985 with the album I Don't Want to Grow Up. This was much more sensitive than Milo..., despite silly songs such as the title track and "Pervert".

The band's lineup changed during the recording of I Don't Want to Grow Up. Navetta left the band during the recording to become a fisherman in Oregon, and Lombardo left after the recording as touring was incompatible with his career as a postal carrier. Ray Cooper replaced Navetta on guitar and Doug Carrion (formely of ANTI) replaced Lombardo on bass. Fans were overall somewhat disappointed with the change, but the album was still well received.

Reformation

Enjoy!, their next album (released in 1986) was not well received by critics, but fans liked it. It was a mix of silly, nearly pointless songs ("Enjoy", "Kids", "Orgofart", the first and last involving band members farting into microphones), and emotional, mature songs such as "Get The Time" and a cover of "Wendy" by the Beach Boys. The band even experimented with thrash metal on "Hürtin Crue".

After the Enjoy! tour, Ray Cooper got a job working in the emerging software scene and Doug Carrion left for other projects, eventually ending up in Dag Nasty. Stevenson invited Stephen Egerton and Karl Alvarez of Salt Lake City's Massacre Guys to replace them, and the now permanent lineup of the Descendents was in place.

All

The group released All in (1987), which, despite "Van", "ALL-O-Gistics" and the one-second "ALL", was the Descendents most mature 80s album, and featured emotional songs such as "Coolidge", "Cameage" and "Clean Sheets". This would be the band's final album before their nine-year hiatus. On the reunion tour, the band that five years before had claimed that they "couldn't sell out a telephone booth" were selling out nearly every show.

With the release of ALL, the Descendents introduced to the world the driving concept behind their career's work, from which the album derives its title, the philosophy of ALL. The song ALL was actually written at the time of the philosophy's conception around 1980, in the midst of the song-writing fury that produced a number of the tunes from the "Fat" EP, including "I Like Food." Stevenson co-wrote these songs with best friend/fishing buddy/Descendents "Fifth Member," Pat McQuiston. The two came up with the concept while working a late night on the water, and fishing (Fat's "Mr. Bass") and coffee (Enjoy's "Kids" and Everything Sucks's "Coffee Mug") remained themes for Descendents songs and spiritual aids in the quest for ALL, which they define quite conventionally as "the total extent." The idea of ALL as a concept beyond this conventional definition is one of endless self improvement. "The total extent" is an all(no pun intended)-encompassing greatness, the pursuit of which is endless and impossible, but which is also the source of all real happiness. Thus, "No, ALL!," speaks to the fruits of this "endless quest," and "happiness is the pursuit of ALL" is the viable credo which is often lost in the midst of the Descendents' slightly more conventional dual-motif of off-beat humor and girls.

Second hiatus

Milo left after the back-to-back "ALL" and "FinALL" tours in 1987 and the remaining Descendents reformed with singer Dave Smalley (later replaced by Scott Reynolds, who was followed by Chad Price) and reformed under the name All, and continued the legacy until 1996, when they reformed again with Milo Aukerman, now a full-time research biochemist, to record and tour in support of the album Everything Sucks, a bit of a return to their early-80s punk style (with Frank Navetta and Tony Lombardo making appearances on "Dog House" and "Eunich Boy"). A reunion of sorts occurred at All's quasi-annual Stockage festival in Fort Collins, Colorado, in the spring of 2002. Frank Navetta joined Tony Lombardo and Bill Stevenson to play songs from when they were a trio, before Aukerman joined the group.

Recent history

In 2004 the band released the 'Merican EP and their newest full length Cool to Be You, which is among their more emotional releases to date. Containing songs not just about the regular Decendents lyrical themes, but also polititcal commentary ("'Merican") and a more mature view on relationships, ("Talking, Anchor Grill") and break-ups ("She Don't Care").

The future of the Descendents is uncertain. Much like Pavement, the Descendents members are now scattered all across the country as opposed to all being high school students in Southern California like they were when they started. Aukerman apparently is currently living in Newark, Delaware, far away from his band mates Stevenson and Alvarez, who live in Ft. Collins, Colorado, and Egerton who lives with his family in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Stevenson currently runs The Blasting Room recording studio in Ft. Collins while Egerton hones his recording chops at Armstrong Recording Studio in Tulsa. 'Merican's "I Quit" leaves only question marks as to whether Milo will ever return again to record or tour with the Descendents. Meanwhile, All remains dormant with two albums left on the back burners as works in progress. Bill Stevenson is drumming for his new band, Only Crime as well as an outing with bassist Alvarez in Evan Dando's Lemonheads.

A report in February, 2006 on punk fan site Punkmusic.com[1] revealed that both The Descendents and All are preparing new albums for release in mid- or late-2006, with plans for a tour soon after. In addition, The Descendents have recently collaborated with Vans to create a Descendents signature shoe.

Discography

Albums

Singles/EPs

  • Ride the Wild/It's a Hectic World single (1979)
  • Fat (1981)
  • 'Merican (2004)

Compilation albums

  • Bonus Fat (1985)
    • Includes the Fat EP and the band's debut single in their entirety
  • Two Things at Once (1988)
    • Includes Bonus Fat and Milo Goes to College in their entirety
  • Somery (1991)

Live albums

Compilation appearances

Band members

Current members

Past members

  • An unknown female singer (was, according to Aukerman, a lackluster lead singer the Descendents had for a few weeks before he joined) (1980)
  • Frank Navetta Guitar (1979–1985, rejoined as part time member in 1996 only)
  • Tony Lombardo Bass (1979–1985, rejoined as part time member in 1996 only)
  • Ray Cooper Guitar (1985–1987)
  • Doug Carrion Bass (1985–1987)
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