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Ex-UW researcher returns to rock out

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Descendents has a long, rather complicated history. Formed in the late 1970s, the band has been around for much, much longer than many groups that claim the “punk” label today. Descendents have been through lineup changes, name changes and extended periods of inactivity, but have finally come together to make Cool To Be You, released March 23.

So how has the band reached this point? Well, it’s a long story. After a string of almost yearly releases throughout the 1980s (beginning with Milo Goes to College in 1982), Descendents moved into the 1990s with two live albums, followed by Somery in 1991. That was the last album the band put together until 1996, due to lead singer Milo Aukerman’s decision to pursue an advanced degree in biochemistry. How punk is that?

From 1991 to 1996, Descendents were officially on hiatus. In the meantime, the members, minus Aukerman, formed the group All and released several albums. Then finally, to the delight of fans who had waited years for a reformation, March of this year brought the release of Cool To Be You.

If you happen to be familiar with the biochemistry department here at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the name Milo Aukerman may not be entirely unfamiliar to you. In fact, the glasses-clad lead singer held a post on this very campus for several years in the late 1990s, after the release of Everything Sucks.

The title of Descendents’ 1985 album, I Don’t Wanna Grow Up, makes for an interesting comparison to Cool To Be You. Aukerman, 20 years ago, sang, “You’re grown up / told what to do / Your suit can’t hide the truth / You’re a fool / And I refuse to be like you.” Compare that to the lyrics for the latest release’s “Mass Nerder,” where he sings, “Don’t got no goatee / Don’t got no tattoo / Don’t got no nose ring / Don’t wanna be like you / See I got these glasses / So I’ll never be cool.”

In fact, the lyrical progression throughout Descendents’ album career provides a very intriguing portrait of a young punk growing up. From the above-mentioned lyrics from 1985, knocking adults who wear suits and swearing to never be one of them, to the song “When I Get Old” on 1996’s Everything Sucks, in which Aukerman wonders if, when he gets old, he’ll still kiss his girlfriend and try to grab her ass, to the lyrics from “Mass Nerder,” the maturation is almost palpable.

Cool To Be You also features more-political themes than have previous Descendents albums. In “‘Merican,” Aukerman opines, “Built a nation dedicated to liberty / Justice and equality / Does it look that way to you? / It doesn’t look that way to me / It’s the sickest joke I know.” The song was featured on a pre-released EP of the same name, which came out a month before the full-length album.

Descendents has also contributed a never-before-released song to the compilation Rock Against Bush vol. 1, put out by Fat Mike, founder of Fat Wreck Chords, and punk vets NoFX. The album parallels Mike’s online political effort, Punkvoter.com, which aims to mobilize young people of the punk persuasion to vote against Bush in the upcoming election.

Descendents seem to be riding the tide of discontent that is washing over the punk and alternative sections of American society today. For a punk band that has never been overtly political in the past (and they began during the Reagan era, for God’s sake) to come out so strongly anti-Bush today is a telling move.

One thing is for sure — politically inclined or not, grown-up or not, Cool To Be You is a huge refreshing drink of water in the midst of what passes for punk today. The songs are expressive without being simply angry, the sound is formulaic without being boring, and the band’s evolution from young punks to older, more enlightened punks is fascinating. It’s a triumphant reunion indeed.

Grade: A