For volume two of our already legendary Greatest Decade series, we will set our sights on the discord and discontent that was late 70's punk rock. Giving voice to a generation ostracized by mainstream culture and begging for any sort of outlet, the first wave of punk was loud, snotty, and urgent...it refused to take no for an answer. Music fans, critics, and concerned parents worldwide were both utterly disgusted and thoroughly fixated by the onslaught of pierced and pissed-off teenagers taking to the stage with instruments they barely knew how to operate. Though the movement has now become more of a fashion than the passion it once was, there was a time when the music was unpredictable and dangerous, when each crashing power chord could work a crowd into a frantic frenzy. It is precisely this tumultous moment in time that we will honor when a ragtag group of the best Nashville musicians dust off their leather jackets and take on the debut albums of The Clash, The Ramones, and The Sex Pistols.

While Joe Strummer has passed away and CBGB's has been destroyed, disassembled, and dishonorably turned into a kitschy Vegas casino, the music lives on in our collective heart. Join us for one very special night when Mercy Lounge will become the Lower East Side and the residents of Nashville will relive the glory days of late 70's London.

Nevermind the Bollocks, here's the Greatest Decade Volume 2: I'MSOBOREDWITHTHEUSA.

featuring performances by:

Caitlin Rose (Caitlin Rose)
Adam Gold (Non-Commissioned Officers)
Matt Friction (Pink Spiders)
Dave Paulson (Metromix)
Dan Summers (Hot Pipes)
Mike Sheppard (Apollo Up)
Ryan Sweeney
Ryan Molina (The Whole Fantastic World)
Joe Blankenship (Shoot The Mountain)

The Sex Pistols debut album:

The Sex Pistols may have only been together for two years in the late '70s, but they changed the face of popular music. Through their raw, nihilistic singles and violent performances, the band revolutionized the idea of what rock & roll could be. In England, the group was considered dangerous to the very fabric of society and was banned across the country; in America, they didn't have the same impact, but countless bands in both countries were inspired by the sheer sonic force of their music, while countless others were inspired by their independent, do-it-yourself ethics. Even if they didn't release any singles by themselves, there was an implicit independence in the way they played their music and handled their career. The band gave birth to the massive independent music underground in England and America that would soon include bands that didn't have a direct musical connection to the Sex Pistols' initial three-minute blasts of rage, but couldn't have existed without those singles.

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

The Ramones debut album:

With the three-chord assault of "Blitzkrieg Bop," The Ramones begins at a blinding speed and never once over the course of its 14 songs does it let up. The Ramones is all about speed, hooks, stupidity, and simplicity. The songs are imaginative reductions of early rock & roll, girl group pop, and surf rock. Not only is the music boiled down to its essentials, but the Ramones offer a twisted, comical take on pop culture with their lyrics, whether it's the horror schlock of "I Don't Wanna Go Down to the Basement," the drug deals of "53rd and 3rd," the gleeful violence of "Beat on the Brat," or the maniacal stupidity of "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue." And the cover of Chris Montez's "Let's Dance" isn't a throwaway -- with its single-minded beat and lyrics, it encapsulates everything the group loves about pre-Beatles rock & roll. They don't alter the structure, or the intent, of the song, they simply make it louder and faster. And that's the key to all of the Ramones' music -- it's simple rock & roll, played simply, loud, and very, very fast. None of the songs clock in at any longer than two and half minutes, and most are considerably shorter. In comparison to some of the music the album inspired, The Ramones sounds a little tame -- it's a little too clean, and compared to their insanely fast live albums, it even sounds a little slow -- but there's no denying that it still sounds brilliantly fresh and intoxicatingly fun.

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

The Clash debut album:

Never Mind the Bollocks may have appeared revolutionary, but the Clash's eponymous debut album was pure, unadulterated rage and fury, fueled by passion for both rock & roll and revolution. Though the cliché about punk rock was that the bands couldn't play, the key to the Clash is that although they gave that illusion, they really could play -- hard. The charging, relentless rhythms, primitive three-chord rockers, and the poor sound quality give the album a nervy, vital energy. Joe Strummer's slurred wails perfectly compliment the edgy rock, while Mick Jones' clearer singing and charged guitar breaks make his numbers righteously anthemic. Even at this early stage, the Clash were experimenting with reggae, most notably on the Junior Murvin cover "Police & Thieves" and the extraordinary "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais," which was one of five tracks added to the American edition of The Clash. "Deny," "Protex Blue," "Cheat," and "48 Hours" were removed from the British edition and replaced for the U.S. release with the British-only singles "Complete Control," "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais," "Clash City Rockers," "I Fought the Law," and "Jail Guitar Doors," all of which were stronger than the items they replaced. Though the sequencing and selection were slightly different, the core of the album remained the same, and each song retained its power individually. In 2000, Columbia/Legacy reissued and remastered the album to include the U.K. songs. Few punk songs expressed anger quite as bracingly as "White Riot," "I'm So Bored With the U.S.A.," "Career Opportunities," and "London's Burning," and their power is all the more incredible today. Rock & roll is rarely as edgy, invigorating, and sonically revolutionary as The Clash.

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide