90s Nostalgia Blogging

Rancid, "Time Bomb."

This song isn't really Rancid's best work, but I think it was their biggest hit of the nineties; and if it wasn't, I like it better than "Ruby Soho." In high school, my friends and I managed to rack up an absurd ratio of time spent discussing the need to acquire white shoes (we all actually had black coats and hats) to time spent actually seeking white shoes. I also think it was precisely because of listening to this tune that I came to know what "running numbers" entailed.

Comments

and the typos just keep on coming...you realize that, as written, this post makes no sense.

I think it should be "we all actually had black coats and hats" i mean, that's totally lame and all, but at least don't make such inexscuable typos....;)

Posted by Matt Zeitlin | May 13, 2007 11:48 PM

"This song isn't really Rancid's best work"

Outta My Mind, The Bottle, Tenderloin, and more than anything they've ever written, Antennas would be my nominations for their best work.

For a lot of non-musical related issues, I really have come to despise Rancid, but god damn they can write a catchy song.

Posted by xjerryx | May 13, 2007 11:58 PM

"but at least don't make such inexscuable typos"

COMEDY GOLD!!!

Posted by xjerryx | May 13, 2007 11:59 PM

I'm here all week, remember to tip your waitresses

Posted by matt z | May 14, 2007 12:02 AM

Mush better music than Avril Lavigne imo... ;-)

Catchy tune...and in high school far more time is spent talking about doing stuff instead of actually doing it, lol.

Posted by Porn Store Owner Dude... | May 14, 2007 12:13 AM

Okay, gotta ask: has the Atlantic asked you to increase the pop culture-to-political blogging quotient? Is their market research that says this will help you get more readers?

I mean, I'm all for personality, but one can have too much of a good thing.

Posted by Nicholas Beaudrot | May 14, 2007 12:53 AM

I find it hard to believe that acquiring a cadillac was a non-starter in your high school bull sessions.

Posted by MP | May 14, 2007 1:46 AM

Okay, gotta ask: has the Atlantic asked you to increase the pop culture-to-political blogging quotient?

No. I've wanted to write more non-political stuff for a while, but I felt constrained by being primarily associated with a donor-backed ideological non-profit -- like I shouldn't be wasting other people's time and money on random shit. The Atlantic is a much more general interest publication and doesn't have an ideological mission, so I feel more like I can do whatever I want.

Posted by Matthew Yglesias | May 14, 2007 8:39 AM

First, best blog post ever. Second, Roots Radicals is Rancid's best song hands down.

Posted by Benjamin | May 14, 2007 9:49 AM

I like the baseline on "Detroit". Also, I had the white shoes in high school...but I drove a Toyota. It was a pretty hardcore Toyota though.

Posted by justin | May 14, 2007 10:03 AM

Were you an aspiring rude boy in high school, Matt? Or was it just this song that brought out such fashion discussions? You wouldn't believe how often I actually wore Doc Martens and suspenders during my teenage years.

I'm going to agree with Benjamin that "Roots Radicals" is probably Rancid's best song. If you're like me, though, you just consider Rancid to be Operation Ivy 2.0, and thus "Yelling in My Ear" comes into play. Rancid also gets props for starting Hellcat Records, which is single-handedly preserving ska in the states.

Posted by Cain | May 14, 2007 10:44 AM

Man they really sucked after Life Won't Wait though. It's pretty bad when the only good song Tim Armstrong has written in seven years was used for a Loreal commercial.

Posted by Drew | May 14, 2007 10:49 AM

No way, "St. Mary," "International Coverup" and "Harry Bridges" I also have a weird affection for "Radio Havana"

Posted by witless chum | May 14, 2007 11:18 AM

> ...I like it better than "Ruby Soho."

Crazy. Talk.

Posted by Dan | May 14, 2007 12:01 PM

Rancid: The world's absolute finest, most amazing Clash ripoff band...

Posted by steveconga | May 14, 2007 5:14 PM