Daddy was (not) a punk

I never was into punk rock - I guess I had too happy of a childhood. Until now.

It started because my old job was in Tracy, and I started listening to the Adam Carolla show (and yes, I had a bit of a crush on his co-star, Theresa Strasser) in the mornings. The problem was that whatever station he was out of in the East Bay, the signal would fizzle when I crossed the Altamont Pass.

(Trivia: do you realize that the Altamont Freeway, which is like 5 minutes passed the pass towards Tracy is where the Rolling Stones had their [in]famous Altamont concert? Rock history in our own backyards.)

So anyways, I found that they were also broadcasting the show on Sacramento's 106.5 KWOD, and the signal is strong enough that I can listen to it all the way to Oakland, and I think even into the city of San Francisco itself.

The station is mostly a music station, so I found myself listening to them even after Adam went off the air, and on the drive home. At first I was a bit put off, because they were playing the kind of music that I had been avoiding. I think it started when I heard Linkin Park's "Numb" (the video features actress Briana Evigan, better known as the hot dance star from Step Up 2 the Streets, which, btw, has an incredible soundtrack) that I started to pay more attention, and then I started really liking the Foo Fighters and getting into their whole catalog.

So now, I'm a KWOD music junkie, which also, by proxy, means I'm turning into a punk/rock/emo junkie. Their playlist is amazing, and if you're missing out on some fresh music, turn your car radio to 106.5 and give it a couple of days.

Here are some of my favorite new groups/songs (and the more I play them around my children, the more I find them dancing along too - and yes, I make sure there are no questionable lyrics):

• The Killers. These guys, out of Las Vegas, are becoming one of my favorite bands just in general, with "Can You Read My Mind" being one of my favorite ever songs, but their newest single, Human, is a great 80s dance throwback while still having a wonderful melody line.
• MGMT. Their song "Time to Pretend" took me several listens to really like, but now I can't stop pressing the Repeat button on the iPod. If you like Bowie's Ziggy days, you'll like MGMT.
• Against Me. Their song "Thrash/Unreal" is one of those raw, emotional "us against the world" numbers backed by a really poppy score.
• Fall out Boy. I avoided this band for a long time, thinking them an overnight fad, but the more I listened to "Thanks for the Memories" the more I couldn't help liking them. Plus, their cover of Michael Jackson's Beat it is just hilarious, and Petey, the guitar player, is a deadringer for a very young Marlon Brando. On stage, they remind me of the Who meets the Monkees. They have a new album out.
• Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. Beyond having what could be considered the best name of all time for a group, the Bay Area group is actually a composite of several punk bands who get together to do upbeat "punk" versions of everything from Broadway numbers to 70s schlock to 80s disco to country. Their version of "I Believe I can Fly" is better than the original. Great party music.

That's it for now, more available upon demand.