DELTRON 3030 RECOMMENDED – ONE FROM THE VAULT: Operation Ivy – Energy
by Deltron 3030
This short lived band existed only between May of 1987 and May of 1989, but is generally credited as creating the ska.punk hardcore sound that would later be smoothed out and popularized by bands like Rancid (formed by members of Operation Ivy), Sublime, Green Day, Goldfinger, and Less Than Jake. Still reading you smug hipsters?
The band’s short lived history was chronicled in the lyrics of the Rancid song “Journey to the End of the East Bay”
“Started in ‘87, Ended in ‘89, Got a garage or an amp, we’ll play anytime. It was just the four of us, Yeah man the core of us, Too much attention unavoidably destroyed us. Four kids on tour, 3,000 miles, in a four door car, not knowing what was going on. We got a million years, of tourin’ out like this, Hell no, no premonition could have seen this. ”
Which roughly translated to: After constant touring and building a strong following EMI offered them a major-label deal and they freaked. Unsure of how to react to the prospect of success, because ..you know..they were punks, man.– the band chose to break up rather than compromise their integrity…you know, because major label albums are for sell outs! If not for that silly misguided thought process we could be @ BestBuy, in our doc martens, buying up copies of Rockband: Operation Ivy right now!
Highlights: ” Badtown,” “Knowledge,” “Take Warning,”" The Crowd”