I remember back in the early 90’s when a friend had told me about a new “punk” band called Green Day.  I remember listening to “Dookie” and thinking, “This isn’t punk.”  Then in the beginning of the new millennium the same friend told me to check out this hardcore group called Godsmack.  I listened and thought, “This isn’t hardcore.”  When did the lines of real hard genres get so skewed?  When did the rebelliousness of youthful angst loose its edge?  And when did the masters of the music industry have their balls shrivel up and redefine what was loud, hard, and heavy?

I’m glad there are a few (and I do mean “a few”) bands out there that have stuck to the tried and true.  When fast and furious referred to music and not a movie, that’s when hardcore really meant hard.  I’m glad The Long and The Short of It is one of those few.  Performing at Casbah for the release of the new CD “Caw!,” Ben Johnson (vocals), Matt Strachota (guitar), Brian Barrabee (bass), and Big Baby (drums) turned all those little punks over on their knees and spank their weak asses back to Sesame Street.  They played every song from the new release and not once did the rage stop.  Johnson’s stage presence was intimidating and rough, as it goddamn should be, just like in the heyday of Jello Biafra and Henry Rollins (when he wasn’t a lame actor and actually did music).  Future bands should take note, even in hardcore there is musicianship involved.  This basically means, expand your guitar riffs from three chords and your drum beats from triplets!  And these guys know what I’m talking about because they know how to play.

Look, to answer the questions above, I honestly have no clue.  All those bands can keep making their crappy music.   I, along with the unspoken many, will just keep listening to those who know what real music is.  And that is, for all intents and purposes, The Long and The Short of It.

Photo Credit: Michael Klayman / www.seemichaelsphotos.com