Touring Australia for the first time since the brutal Failed States album was released in 2012, Propagandhi are currently on tour here in Australia bringing their celebrated and feared combination of punk rock and melodic hardcore to fans nation-wide.
Their first release on Epitaph Records, Failed States is one of the band’s most forward thinking and musically varied albums to date, Failed States reaffirms the Canadian four piece as not only one of the most consistently innovative bands musically, but as a damning voice in socio-political affairs.
In celebration of the Propagandhi’s return to Australia guitarist Chris Hannah ranked the band’s albums from best to worst.
#1 – Failed States
Epitaph Records, 2012.
“This was the first record we recorded here in Winnipeg in totality. The reason it’s ranked number one is because if you don’t like your most recent work best, then there is something wrong with your fuckin’ band and you should go jump off a cliff.”
#2 – Supporting Caste
G7 Welcoming Committee, 2009.
“Recorded at the Blasting Room w/ Bill Stevenson and Jason Livermore, this was our first record with Beave (guitarist) in the band!
I think some of our best songs on our here (Funeral Procession, Last Will, This is Your Life) but it doesn’t have quite the same “this is a coherent, genuinely representative album” vibe as Failed States does.”
#3 – Less Talk More Rock
Fat Wreck Chords, 1996.
“Is record is just a cool collection of tunes. Our best record with John K Samson (The Weakerthans frontman and ex-Propagandhi bassist) for sure. His strong sense of melody is all over this.
I think this was the best we could do in terms of bridging the increasing gap between our musical sensibilities. A great way to end the era. Proud of this one in hindsight.This album was recorded in a converted storefront on a busy street in San Francisco.”
#4 – Potemkin City Limits
G7 Welcoming Committee/Fat Wreck Chords, 2005.
“I have a real soft-spot for this record. It was our very own “commercial failure”. This was the zenith of our sense of alienation from the mainstream punk scene and it shows. I think we were all ready to throw in the towel during this era, but wanted to go down swinging.
This record is like our Power Windows (by Rush): nobody ever talks about it, but it’s actually one of our more interesting records especially Todd’s (Todd Kowalski – bass) songs on this. My biggest regret is that Beave wasn’t in the band for this one. That would’ve pushed this over the top. Some of our rocking-est tunes on here: ‘A Speculative Fiction’, ‘Rock For Sustainable Capitalism’, ‘Die Jugend Marschiert’. Go buy the repress and help it creep out of the commercial failure realm haha.”
#5 – Today’s Empires, Tomorrow’s Ashes
G7 Welcoming Committee, Fat Wreck Chords, 2001.
“This album was recorded by Ryan Greene at Motor Studios in San Francisco. Half the songs on this record are KILLER. Half are just ok. This was the first record we made in Protools and it shows.
We should’ve recorded to tape and we definitely should not have been at the mastering session where we proceeded to ruin the record. I would like to remix this one and get rid of the drum sampling that was added underneath jord’s (Jord Samolesky – drums) kick and snare. That shit is whack.”
#6 – How to Clean Everything
Fat Wreck Chords, 1993.
“Recorded/ mixed in 6 days at the legendary West Beach Recorders in LA, this is a goofy, high-energy recording of kids that have never been in a studio before and expect about 100 people to buy this record that features potty-mouthed novelty songs prominently. I get the attraction. I just don’t wanna hear it. Haha.”
Propagandhi Australian Tour
Thursday 29th May Corner Hotel Melbourne
Friday 30th May Corner Hotel Melbourne
Saturday 31st May Barwon Club Geelong
Sunday 1st June Brisbane Hotel Hobart
Tuesday 3th June Amplifier Perth
Thursday 5th June Fowlers Live Adelaide
Friday 6th June Manning Bar Sydney
Saturday 7th June Cambridge Newcastle
Sunday 8th June HiFi Brisbane
Monday 9th June Shark Bar Miami Tavern Gold Coast
