November 26th, 2007
13. Horace Pinker, "Burn Tempe To The Ground"
Teen rebellion expresses itself in many ways; what young punk rocker hasn't wanted to torch his boring hometown? But this isn't a disaffected teenager anthem—it's a disaffected early twentysomething anthem. Horace Pinker's bassist Bill Ramsey and drummer Bryan Jones lament friends treading water, caught in the easy-living rut that ensnares many inhabitants of college towns like Tempe, Arizona.
Key line: "This town, I'd let it burn to the ground / and I hope my friends are the ones who set it."
"Burn Tempe To The Ground" by Horace Pinker
14. J Church, "The Satanists Convene"
San Francisco was a frequent muse to frontman Lance Hahn, in whose songs the city practically became another character, like New York in a Woody Allen film or, um, Sex In The City. In "The Satanists Convene," he quietly catalogues the disappeared/disappearing quirks of San Francisco that helped give the city its personality, from goofy museums to the Church Of Satan. People love to lament about how something "used to be cool, man," but "The Satanists Convene" gives a real sense of the blandness encroaching San Francisco.
Key line: "Banality now keeps the city wound."
"The Satanists Convene" by J Church
15. Circle Jerks, "Beverly Hills"
When Keith Morris left Black Flag to form Circle Jerks, he brought along a healthy misanthropy, if not Greg Ginn's warped, experimental bent. In minute-long, bile-filled capsules, the Jerks' 1980 debut, Group Sex, was a chance for Morris to rant about red tape (in "Red Tape"), wanting some skank (in "I Just Want Some Skank"), and how much he hates the star-studded Platinum Triangle in the brief, raging "Beverly Hills." Rather than crack his head against the windshield, though, future Bad Religion guitarist Greg Hetson slows "Beverly Hills" to a snarling crawl as Morris condemns the town and all its snooty inhabitants who dress in "three-piece suits / Spandex pants / cowboy boots." He loses a few punk points, though, by being savvy enough to dis Fiorucci by name.
Key line: "Beverly Hills, Century City / everything's so nice and pretty / all the people look the same / don't they know they're so damn lame?"
16. Public Enemy, "Burn Hollywood Burn"
In Public Enemy's "Burn Hollywood Burn," Chuck D and guest rappers Ice Cube and Big Daddy Kane rail against Hollywood movies that feed America's racism. D wants to take out his frustration on the town where the movies get made: "Burn Hollywood burn, I smell a riot," he says in the song's opening line. From there, "Burn Hollywood Burn" makes a convincing case for setting the so-called Dream Factory aflame. "Let's check out a flick that exploits the color," Ice Cube sarcastically suggests, while Big Daddy Kane says they should "make our own movies like Spike Lee, 'cause the roles being offered don't move me."
Key line: "For all the years we looked like clowns, the joke is over / smell the smoke from all around."
"Burn Hollywood Burn" by Public Enemy
17. Randy Newman, "I Love L.A."
Randy Newman is beloved by millions for his soft-pedaling soundtrack songs, but he got famous as a sarcastic bastard. "I Love L.A." is just one of many Newman compositions that drip with double meaning. It's actually tough to tell whether the song is entirely against L.A., though, and Newman has never been entirely clear in interviews. (It's easy to interpret the song as completely pro-Los Angeles, which is part of its charm.)
Key line: "Look at that mountain / look at those trees / look at that bum over there, man / he's down on his knees."
18. Death Cab For Cutie, "Why You'd Want To Live Here"
Death Cab frontman Ben Gibbard has mentioned that this song is less about actually hating Los Angeles and more about trying to convince someone not to move there for other reasons. But "Why You'd Want To Live Here" makes a convincing case against L.A, touching on everything from inaccurate star maps to traffic to Hollywood egos.
Key line: "It's a lovely summer's day / And I can almost see the skyline through a thickening shroud of egos."
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