DFJ

It's hard as hell to pick only an hours worth of songs since there is so much music that has inspired me but heres what I got for you. I tried to keep my commentary somewhat brief because these songs speak for themselves and honestly who wants to hear my self-indulgent ramblings? Enjoy...

Metallica "One"
Not their best song, and not even what I would consider their "classic period" but this is the tune that got me into extreme music. Period. I had never heard anyone play the double kick so fast and kirk hammett's solo blew me away. They were my absolute favorite band when I was a kid and like many others if it wasnt for them I never would have discovered hardcore and punk.

Agnostic Front "Your Mistake"
My favorite song. Both musically and lyrically it sums up all that is hardcore. It sounds cheesy but I'm not playing.

Citizens Arrest "Serve And Protect"
First time I heard this song I was actually frightened. I had never been scared of a song before but Daryl Kahan's voice was maniacal and fit the frantic music perfectly. The best voice in the history of hardcore and I would give anything to be able to sing like that.

Ozzy Osbourne "Mr. Crowley"
If God were a man who had a huge white beard and lived in the sky, this is what it would sound like if he picked up a guitar and played a solo. Randy Rhoads was an angel and his music didn't come from this world.

Scarface "I Seen A Man Die"
Most likely the saddest song I've ever heard. Never heard lyrics so gritty and so real and it's way deeper than you know. Eventhough I'm a white kid from a good family I still get chills everytime I hear it.

Aerosmith "Nobody's Fault"
Aerosmith was the first rock band I ever listened to. Don't get me wrong, the "Aerosmith" now is not even a real band, but in the 70's they were dogs and this is them at their hardest and off the chain. In fact. the album that this song appears on (Rocks) might be my favorite pure hard rock record ever.

Black Sabbath "Falling Off The Edge Of The World"
I'm a huge Sabbath w/ Dio fan and this is their magnum opus. A heavy metal masterpiece and everything about it is epic. The intro sounds like the start of a thousand years war.

GZA/Genius-"Swordsman" (actually called Unexplained)
This song is perfect. The beat and the lyrics are the cream of the crop (no pun intended) and the whole ambience of the song make me feel like I'm in another world.

Youth Of Today-"Take A Stand"
Youth Of Today was my favorite band during my teenage years and they are still one of my favorite bands to this day. I was walking down the street the other day listening to "Break Down The Walls" and when this song came on I practically started sprinting. I don't give a shit if they were real or not because they still mean a lot to me.

Cro-Mags-"We Gotta Know"
Probobly the best intro to a song in the history. Even if the egos in the band tainted their legacy for me I think that AOQ is really special both musically and lyrically and there is something really genuine about it. To me this song sums up their whole vibe.

Black Sabbath-"Wheels Of Confusion"
Probobly my favorite Ozzy-era Sab song. Vol. 4 is my favorite Black Sabbath album and to me this song is so powerful because it's like the ultimate expression of being bewildered by the world and depressed by life.

Entombed "Left Hand Path"
If you havent noticed I love epic songs and this slab of brutality makes you feel like you are falling into the depths of darkness and each part of the song brings you to a more bleak and colder place. Sounds dramatic but I'm serious, really.

Mercyful Fate-"A Dangerous Meeting"
Next to "We Gotta Know" this is the best intro in the history of music. Fuck it, sometimes I think this is more intense. Anyway, theatrics at it's best and one of King Diamonds greatest vocal performances.

01/23/08

Hey everyone,
How to Ruin Everything is a zine Ashley and I are starting. Each month a different person involved in the music community in some way will pick a list of songs (60 minutes worth of music) that are important to them for whatever reason and write a short blurb about each song and why they chose it. Each month there will be 25 hard copies of the zine for sale ($2-$3 donations depending on costs) with a hand numbered copy of a mix tape comprised of the songs that that person chose. After the first 25 copies the tape will not be included. We will also be posting each issue in this blog as well. So far every person contributing to this project are individuals that I feel represent everything punk and hardcore is and always was meant to be, they all live and breathe a DIY lifetsyle. We are aiming to have our first issue out around the start of March so keep an eye out for more info to follow. If anyone has any requests or suggestions please don't hesitate to contact us!
Thanks,
-Finner