I bought all their records and saw them live in L.A. numerous times. These guys rock. I want to call it punk rock anthems because the songs are fast, catchy, fun and memorable. What I remember is being at a small LA club downtown (forgot the name) and although the club was far from full, when Naked Raygun came on, everyone was smashed together at the front of the stage and jumping around. Very energetic. Until recently, I only carried memories of their songs in my mind as my vinyl laid stored away in my closet. But then I discovered their music is now available on iTunes. As soon as I found it I felt like I was 16 again, squealing in delight and pushing the "download now" button with great anticipation. The only thing I didn't quite like about Naked Raygun was the album art. In fact, some of it was downright lame and frankly, I wonder if it's part of the reason they didn't become more popular. The truth is, they had it all: great songs, powerful drums and guitar, a great singer, an awesome live show and catchy lyrics. Granted, they weren't always deep or meaningful but extremely fun to listen to. In fact, some of the songs are downright motivational (New Dreams and The Envelope for example and Mr. Gridlock definitely motivated me to NOT want to work in a corporate office;). So, if you look 'em up, ignore the album art and just listen. In my opinion, these guys went WAY under the radar the first time but who knows, with this resurgence of the old stuff, maybe they'll be rediscovered?
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