Various Artists- Give 'em The Boot, Vol IV

There’s too much divisiveness in the world these days. It used to be you could eat at an Italian restaurant. Now, it’s Tuscan this and Sicilian that, grilled calf’s brains with raddichio and can I please just get a plate of clam sauce? ESPN. ESPN2. ESPN en Español. Red State. Blue State. No-star sneeches. You know what’s nice? Uniters. Not dividers.

Hellcat Records’ Give ‘Em The Boot IV is a uniter. Bringing together twenty-six different artists from all corners of the punk universe for the absurdly low price of $6, Hellcat Records have done the world a real service. It may not be a service on the grand-historical level of the Camp David Accords, but still… hats off.

Of course, crowing about yet another punk compilation would be fatuous if it weren’t any good. Luckily, “Give ‘Em The Boot IV” is absolutely packed with excellent material from a wide variety of bands both famous and unknown. Ranging from the reggae-derived sounds of The Aggrolites’ organ-driven “Dirty Reggae” and two offerings from Rancid-related projects (Rancid itself and Larz Frederiksen and the Bastards) to the growling hardcore of U.S. Roughnecks’ “Lost Paradise” and the melodic rush of The Disasters’ “Kiss Kiss Kill Kill,” there is something here for punk fans of every stripe. Except perhaps emo-core, but that’s not really what Hellcat do and that’s just fine.

The aforementioned tracks are really arbitrary selections from twenty-six back to back solid, outstanding, and diverse offerings. The sheer variety of styles represented here means that aging hipsters and young scenesters alike will find something that puts the gin in their vermouth. The best part: since it’s a $6 punk compilation (six dollars!!), even the tracks that aren’t to my personal taste are over in a minute flat.

From a historical perspective (and what music geek can close an essay without bring up historical perspective), it is striking just how deep an influence The Clash have had on punk rock. It’s one thing to say it; it’s another thing when about half the songs on a 26-song comp bear the imprint of one band, and none of them sound alike. Of course, it is hard to avoid noticing modern punk’s debt to the Clash when sitting right in the middle of everything else is a New-Orleans inflected cover version of pianist James Booker’s signature classic “Junco Partner” performed by Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros. (Unfortunately, several people including former Clash members Topper Headon and Mick Jones, having added a verse, take songwriter credit for the song, actually penned by Bob Shad. That’s not very punk rock, gents.) Of course, part of this Clashiness is due to Hellcat Records’ particular way of doing things, but on the other hand who can imagine thirteen Ramones descendents being so diverse and rewarding?

Article Author: John Owen

John Owen is a music writer, multi-instrumentalist and music industry veteran based in coastal Massachusetts.

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