in regards to a few of the things I've read here:
Correct on Suicidal Tendencies... they've basically managed a 40 year career due to their image. From what I've read, that's all due to Glenn E Friedman, who was their original manager, telling them to ditch their socal hardcore look and go for Venice cholo. They owe him big if that's true.
Repulsion is hands down the greatest American metal band (Slayer is close). I remember hearing them for the first time and it blew my mind... exactly what I love about metal mixed with exactly what is awesome about hardcore (without being a crossover band). If I had a time machine this would be one of my stops:
That being said, all that American Thrash from the 80's has dated very, very poorly. Metallica's "Kill 'Em All" and Exodus' "Bonded By Blood" are pretty much the only thing that holds up, the rest is so boring and unenergetic. I was in Ameoba once and they were playing Metallica 'Justice for All' (my favorite tape when I was a kid) and what sluggish, boring-ass album. It sounds like a whole album full of the slow breakdown parts of songs without any of the energetic fast parts. D.R.I. should've called it quits after the Dirty Rotten EP. Slayer is the only band who still sounds good (up to Seasons).
Country music, at least artistically, isn't nearly as conservative as people think it is. I mean the two biggest living icons in Country are extremely left. Also, props to whomever posted Colter Wall, I really dig that guys music.
All that NYHC and Youthcrew stuff (and "90's hardcore") absolutely sucks. Seems like there's been a resurgence in the last few years too. I'd say just about everything from the Cro-Mags on... I do like Sheer Terror and Judge, but the rest of that stuff is jockish and horrible. The earliest NY hardcore bands (Nihilistics, Urban Youth, Heart Attack, Reagan Youth) were light years better. I can dig Agnostic Front's 'Victim in Pain' EP.
That's cool to see mid-period Ramones get some love on here, as those albums are great and never get mentioned... but there's NO WAY they're better than the first 2 Ramones albums. There's nothing better than those albums.