THE OTHER F WORD, COMING-OF-AGE & WHY WE HAVE ALL THE FEELS ABOUT IT

Whenever it comes to TV & movies, I definitely have a knack for being ‘that guy’ who’s late to the party.

I mean, you keep up with your favorites & have a finger on the pulse of what’s new. Though with the ‘80s hair-level volume of content being produced nowadays – who POSSIBLY has time to hit it all?!

But that aside, the crazy thing is always when you’ve heard of something & KNOW you’re going to be all about it. Yet, it still (for whatever reason) can take you awhile to actually get around to it.

My most recent case in point: The Other F Word.

It’s also currently available on Hulu!

You’ve probably heard of or seen it by now because see above: always late to the party. BUT for those who may not be so familiar, The Other F Word is a documentary that debuted in 2011, highlighting a mind-blowing variety of punk-rock icons-turned-fathers who share their ultimate truth about what it’s like to now be the authority they built a career raging against.

And yes – it is absolutely everything you want it to be. Equal parts hilarious as it is heart-wrenching, might I add.

From the hysterical accounts of Mark Hoppus & Fat Mike, to the heart-breaking tales of Duane Peters & Art Alexakis, let me just stress that you WILL feel all of the feels. As I still am about five solid weeks later.

But you know, that’s what’s so incredible about it. 

It’s no accident why coming-of-age has always been one of the most interesting (and hard-hitting) themes to a lot people since forever. Mainly because that long-awaited juncture where you officially cross over from youth into adulthood? It doesn’t really exist. At least, not in one fell swoop moment.

It just happens. For some, in a way that feels normal and manageably gradual. And for others, it hits like a ton of bricks.

Just like the film’s flagship anthem, Against Me!’s “I Was A Teenage Anarchist”. Which – fast forward to the other night when we got to catch the second half of their two-night concert series rocking out White Crosses and Transgender Dysphoria Blues in their entireties – of course they played. And once again, I cried. Kevin cried. The crowd cried! Because that’s what all of these feels still cause today. Just like they did when we were 16. Just like they will when we’re 60.

And just like they did when we were watching The Other F Word. All in the best way possible.

So the next time you’re in the market for something that can both uplift and pierce your soul at the stunningly same time, look no further than this hugely underrated, absolute gem of a doc. 

Just be sure to keep the tissues close by.

xxAA

Elements of feature image from Amazon

THE RESURRECTION OF EMO POP-PUNK & WHAT IT SAYS ABOUT US ALL

THAT SOUND. Is it…the sound of little emo hearts screaming everywhere?

I’d say so. Considering the emotional rollercoaster of news that pop-punk fans across the planet have been on for the past ten days alone.

TODAY IN PARTICULAR marking the official release of NINE. The eighth (HA) studio album from O.G. pop-punkers Blink-182. Which as of last night at about 9:03 PST when it dropped, I personally was already crying and dying in the best way possible. 

But for allll the feels many of us are having toward this heart-wrenchingly honest, reflective yet charming as EVER mashup (seriously – the glow up is so real), the momentous occasion was rivaled only by three ~other~ little words:

HELLA – MEGA – TOUR

A.K.A. the recent announcement of Green Day, Weezer and my (all-time-more-than-anything-on-the-face-of-the-planet) fave Fall Out Boy’s epic team-up for a worldwide, face-melting trek of super shows coming to us all next year. Excuse me, still trying to catch my breath. 

Image Source

Although what’s crazy is we’re talking about bands that, even CRAZIER enough, now feel like they’ve been around forever. And not in a same old same old “just been around” kind of way – but thriving. Which is a HUGE deal that also marks a super poignant resurgence unlike anything we’ve seen before.

For sure, I get it. These guys aren’t like all of the living rock and metal legends of the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s. But as far as modern classics go? There’s no denying their lasting stature.

When these bands exploded onto the scene throughout the ‘90s and 2000s, of course they were just four of hundreds. Probably thousands. And whether it’s due to breaking up, slowing down, or still being around years later without your former fans even realizing it (ouch), most of those other groups nowadays aren’t keeping busy to quite the same degree they used to.

So what IS IT about bands like Blink-182, Green Day, Fall Out Boy and Weezer that’s lead them down such a different path?

Reinvention.

Arguably, without even meaning to do it! 

I think everyone remembers the mind-blowing popularity each of these groups achieved in the mainstream for y e a r s.  From the break-out records to MTV take-overs to around-the-clock radio play and more, they all had the “it” factor in ways we could never explain. Which is GREAT and all, no doubt. But, also makes for a pretty tough act to follow album after album…after album. In the mainstream’s eyes, at least.

It’s a timeless challenge that any successful music act inevitably comes up against in their career. It also ends up leading many of those acts into the stifling loophole of trying to make the same album that gained them the original traction for years and years to come. Yet – as you can imagine, that often times doesn’t end so hotly, either. 

Which is the very thing that sets these four apart.

Image Sources: 1 – Warner Bros/SFGATE; 2 – Variety; 3 – Louder Than War; 4 – Press Here Publicity/Rolling Stone; 5 – Unknown/Twitter; 6 – Alternative Press; 7 – The Honolulu Advertiser; 8 – Blink-182/DIY Mag

OF COURSE they’re not going to replicate the same kind of mainstream popularity they had in the ‘90s to mid-2000s. Hello, it’s a crazy-different world—especially when it comes to consuming music. But instead of defaulting to try and recreate the same album that took the world by storm 10, 15, 20 years ago, they’re continuing to make music that you can tell THEY love making. Are compelled to make. And know their tried & true fans will absolutely continue to love as well.

For as personal of a journey as songwriting is, your own life experiences, relationships and perspective totally shape it. So in addition to one’s musical taste potentially changing over time, what inspires it does too. Inspiration that definitely evolves as you hit 25, 30 and 40 from what it was as an angsty teen dreaming up songs in your bedroom. 

Which is something we not only can all relate to, but should unabashedly celebrate as well! 

So even though NINE won’t ever be Enema of the State, just like Father of All Motherfuckers won’t be Dookie, just like Van Weezer won’t be The Blue Album, just like MANIA wasn’t From Under the Cork Tree — we’ll still forever be here for it all. 

xxAA

P.S. We’d LOVE to hear your thoughts about NINE & all the other new music rolling out this next year, so plz keep us posted!