Down by Law

Do you feel the fire? Is it in your eyes? Punk rock was never supposed to be about the past, unless it was tearing down society's bullshit and building something better in its place, and the very idea of a biography runs counter to punk's principles. It's not supposed to be about who you were; it's about who you are. After all, the best punk has al... ways been about change. Nevertheless, there are those who want to know the story, as if the music weren't enough. So here it is - the story. The bare facts are easy. Dave Smalley teamed up with the Chemical People and recorded the self-titled debut in 1991, and "Blue" in 1992. DBL was still a project band up to that point. By 1994, guitarist Sam Williams III, bassist Angry John Di Mambro and drummer Hunter Oswald had entered the fold to record "punkrockacademyfightsong." Danny Westman stepped in on drum duties for 1996's "All Scratched Up." "Last of the Sharpshooters" came out in 1997 and Chris Lagerborg filled in on the skins for the session. Then came 1999. Enter Milo Todesco and Keith Davies, a brand new rhythm section. Down By Law released their first album on Go-Kart Records, a record titled "Fly The Flag." A few years after that Epitaph pays respect to the band's deep history on their label with a "best of" release in 2002. Down By Law then follows up with "windwardtidesandwaywardsails" the next year in 2003 on Union Label Group. It would be another 9 years before their next release as Kevin Coss jumps into bass duties and they release Champions at Heart in 2012. The bare facts are boring though. Someone joined the band, someone left the band. The bare facts reduce thousands of miles, hundreds of shows and fans whose lives were changed forever by a song to names and numbers, dates and milestones. It may be a history, but it's nothing useful. It doesn't say a fucking thing about anything that's important. What's important is this - when punk rock broke and bands cashed in on fashion trends, Down By Law stayed true to its ideals. While everyone else played The ...Read More