ANTI-FLAG
Complete Control Sessions
(SideOneDummy Records)
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My God does it take massive balls for a punk band – from any era – to try and cover The Clash, the gold standard of political punk rock. But somehow, amazingly so, Anti-Flag manages to pull off the feat pretty damn well. Maybe it’s that the Pittsburgh band has never wavered in their overt, in-your-face support of political causes, everything from anti-violence to animal rights, on stage and off, bringing up obvious comparisons to Joe Strummer and the boys. Or maybe it’s their blend of teeth rattling power chords and sing-along choruses. Regardless, as their cover of The Clash’s “Should I Stay or Should I Go” proves, Anti-Flag knows how to honor punk rock royalty. Ant-Flag performed the 4-song live for SideOne co-founder Joe Sib’s fourth in a series Complete Control Session. The collection also includes Anti-Flag staples like “Turncoat,” “This is the End” and “The Economy is Suffering” – all great songs, but the highlight by far is “Should I Stay…” Available digitally and on vinyl (a limited number, naturally) the record also includes three additional Clash covers the band recorded on their own and hadn’t released before now. Presumptuous? Hell yeah. Worth it? No doubt. (John B. Moore)
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them chris’s sure do keep busy.