Blast From the Past: Against All Authority - S/T Seven-Inch

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Back in the mid-'90s, as the third wave of ska was cresting, local yokels Against All Authority, or just AAA, shot up quickly through the local scene. The band's spin on the genre was one of improvised tropical anarchy, fueled by skate culture, punk-rock snottiness, one dude from their school's marching band, and songs of suburban oppression.

Their ska-punk racket was a welcome sound to many a teenager's ear, and their inclusion of a younger audience would endear them to many fringe South Floridians. Yes, while South Florida has had many notable musical acts over the years, it was those bastardized and anarchynized American Automobile Association logo patches around town that let us know AAA would be a force with which to be reckoned.

We will be looking at the rest of the band's catalog in this recurring Blast From the Past series soon. But it was this first seven-inch effort that put the band, and to a large extent Fort Lauderdale-based Far Out Records, on the map.

I've always referred to this release as the "Kids Versus Pigs" seven-inch because of the cover art by Omar Angulo, although it probably is better-known as the Above the Law seven-inch. Either way, this record features a pair of tracks from the a-side that are still fan favorites almost 17 years later: "We Won't Submit" and "Above the Law." The B-side's good too, with "Under Your Authority" and "Court 22."

The band was known for a pretty tight rhythm section, composed of lead vocalist and bassist Danny Lore and drummer Kris King. Other stars in the original lineup included Cuban-tinged punk rock (whatever that means) player Joe Koontz (of current Nobody's Hero fame) and mild-mannered yet in-your-face trumpet player Joey Jukes.

The record was recorded in November 1994 at Tapeworm Studios and features a nice fold-out sleeve with drawings and lyrics that at first look like death-metal-style writing but are actually the product of some fairly punk rock and completely sloppy penmanship. The actual release occasionally pops up on auction sites, but the material on it is available on the 1996 full-length/compilation disc Destroy What Destroys You, which is easier to find around the web.

Listen to "We Won't Submit" below.