Welcome to Before You Were Punk, an interview feature here on Punks in Vegas where we ask your favorite musicians and music biz aficionados one simple question: what made you the music fan you are today?
Our latest installment comes from Lisa Garelick, owner of Kind of Like Records. Want to know what band Garelick still holds near and dear? Read on:
Of all the bands I heard when I first got into punk, Osker is by far the one that I’ve held the dearest for the longest. I remember putting on Punk-O-Rama Vol. 6 for the first time and listening intently to each song. When I hit “Strangled” I was floored. Sandwiched between Rancid and The Bouncing Souls (two bands on heavy rotation for me), the track exposed me to something entirely new.
It was self-loathing at its best, 3 minutes of teen angst with a hint of a maturity and a depth well beyond their (and probably my) age. Listening to this song, I suddenly realized that punk rock didn’t have to be silly or “fun” all the time with songs about hanging out and getting drunk. It could be serious and insightful in ways that didn’t involve politics or the state of social norms. With Osker, there was an added emotional side too that didn’t cross over into “emo” and didn’t involve girlfriends or boyfriends as much as it involved the messed up things that go on in your head.
I immediately bought Idle Will Kill and Treatment 5. Those CDs have been played so many times you can almost see through them. There’s a lot to say about a good record, but one that you can still relate to so strongly 10 years later, well, that speaks volumes.
– Lisa Garelick runs Brooklyn, NY-based Kind of Like Records, home to Candy Hearts, Direct Hit!, and many other awesome bands. You can learn more about the label, and maybe pick up a few records, at http://www.kindoflikerecords.com/
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