Rock Reviews by WestCoast Weasel

by WestCoast Weasel and Prairie "Oyster" Dog
November 24, 2009

WestCoast Weasel: NOFX, for the first time in years, decided not to release an EP or singles prior to a full album release to cash in on diehard fans.  This time around, they waited until the album had been out for about six months, offering mostly b-sides instead of album cuts.  Fat Mike’s claim is that these songs were left off of 2009’s Coaster because they were too good, and should have their own proper release.  This translates to: “Here’s 11 minutes, spread over 5 songs, over two 7”s (or one CD)… we want your money.”

Prairie “Oyster” Dog: It’s stupid to say that anything would be left off for being “too good.”  And they’re not “too good.”  Well, one song might be, but I’m glad it was left off.  I loved Coaster, and I was pretty excited to see what else came from the sessions.

Weasel: Does it become more difficult for non-partying members, El Hefe (guitar/vocals) and Smelly (sober for roughly 15 years), to find drug/alcohol abuse subject matter amusing or interesting as it becomes more and more prevalent?

Dog: Eh, it’s not like they’re singing the words.  They clearly love being in the band, as evidenced by Backstage Passport.  Would it be better if they sang about the depressing side of drugs and alcohol?  I doubt it.

Weasel: It wasn’t so much a question of positive/negative angles, though I would have to agree.  Having any amount of filler on an EP is simply asinine.  The pointless, boring “Straight Outta Massachusetts” is the token “we like to waste your fucking time” song often found on NOFX records.  He “moved from Massachusetts because it was fucking cold”.  Good job.

Dog: I see what you mean, but it’s not like it’s terrible.  If anything, I applaud the fact that it was left off of a proper album.  It’s the sort of thing that would have been fine on 45 or 46 Songs…

Weasel: If you’re referring to the Fuck The Kids & Surfer side of that release I would agree, whereas the main part of that release is a b-sides compilation containing some of their best songs (“Drugs Are Good”, “We Threw Gasoline…”, “The Plan”, “Vincent”, etc), possibly rivaling any greatest hits album.  I hoped after the introduction of “Cokie the Clown” the experience would heighten, not decline (not to be confused with The Decline, which in itself is a career high point).

Dog: Yeah, The Decline was a triumphant experiment, but you shouldn’t expect that another EP would be anything like it.

Weasel: Yeah…that’s really what I was going for with that one.  “Cokie” has grown on me but it’s nothing special.  I had to look past using a song about the use of a clown’s chest pinned flower to bombard someone’s face with drugs, namely cocaine as the EP’s title track/video.

Dog: I love the lyrics, actually.  “I’m sure you’ll have fun / Watching me juggle / 8-balls at one time / I don’t fucking mind”.  Fat Mike and Melvin have always acted like clowns in their approach to drugs, so this seems like a logical next step.

Weasel: Mind you, the album cover’s gold.

Dog: Now that we can agree on.  The EP is worth existing if only for the cover.

Weasel: “Fermented and Flailing” is reminiscent of “We Threw Gasoline on The Fire and Now Have Stumps for Arms and No Eyebrows” with a hint of The War on Errorism; it exemplifies why I still love this band—specifically Fat Mike. This is the “better than Coaster” track.

Dog: I’d say it’s just as good as some of the best songs as Coaster.  My initial thoughts regarding Coaster were that it benefitted from its short length.  However, I’d say if they included “Fermented” and the short, punchy “Codependence Day,” the record would probably be stronger.

Weasel: “Codependence Day” isn’t bad; the last verse is awesome.  The inclusion of tambourine at the end acts as a nice break from the appealing, though typical percussion in the bulk of their catalogue.  What’s far stronger is when Mike sings “For once, I’m sincere” on “My Orphan Year”—the acoustic version of one of Coaster’s boldest tracks, delving into otherwise foreign personal territory.

Dog: I loved the original version, but this actually made me drop what I was doing.  The spare acoustics and subtle vocal performance separate this from most NOFX tracks.  It’s genuinely moving; I half-expected an orchestra to make an appearance.

Weasel: They’ve claimed to only give it 60 or so percent, and offering three out of five good songs is exactly that.

Dog: The only song I’m not that thrilled with is “Massachusetts” and I think it’s forgivable.  That said, while I really like the title track, I’m glad it was omitted from Coaster; the same can be said for the new “My Orphan Year.”  I think the original fits the album better, though I prefer the acoustic version.

Weasel: Five words:  Hanging on by a thread.

Dog: Try some of the laced kettle corn and lined fudge—you’ll have a great time.

Click the track name for lyrics in a new tab/window.

01. Cokie The Clown
02. Straight Outta Massachusetts
03. Fermented And Flailing
04. Co-Dependence Day
05. My Orphan Year (Acoustic)

Never trust vermin. Support the artist and find out for yourself. WestCoastWeasel.com encourages purchasing Cokie The Clown and/or My Orphan Year locally at Red Cat Records in Vancouver, B.C, any independent record store of your choice or online here. Lyrics courtesy of MusicMademe.

Cokie The Clown

Straight Outta Massachusetts – Fat Mike & Darla (daughter) on Adventures with Rufus

NOFX – My Orphan Year (Acoustic – MySpace Transmissions)