Screeching Weasel

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Screeching Weasel was a pop punk band from Chicago, Illinois. They formed in 1986, fronted by future Maximum RocknRoll columnist Ben Weasel (aka Ben Foster) and John Jughead (aka John Pierson). Through the years, the band went through many line-up changes up until their 2003 break-up. Members included renowned punk rock record producer Mass Giorgini on bass guitar, Dan Panic (born Dan Sullivan) on drums, and Danny Vapid (born Dan Schafer, currently in The Methadones and briefly Sludgeworth) on guitar and bass, depending on the band's necessity.

Their lyrics reflected Weasel's "anti-everything" apolitical orientation set to music that was melodic and derivative of the Ramones. Girls and paranoia were common subjects for songs as well. Many centered on his relationship with Weasel's then girlfriend Portia.

Their music has transformed from the traditional punk when they began, to their long-standing, distinctive punk/pop sound, and later to a more fast-paced and melodic type of punk. Through his writings in Maximum RocknRoll, fanzines, and lyrics, Ben Weasel established himself as one of the most pungent internal critics of the punk scene. As an example, in the 1999 song Tightrope, Weasel launched a rather pointed attack on the glorification of violence and chauvinism by what he termed "tough-guy, so-called working class or street punk bands." Later, punk band Rancid referred briefly to this song in the liner notes of their 2003 album, Indestructible.

Members of Screeching Weasel have gone on to form bands such as: The Methadones, The Mopes, Even in Blackouts, and Sweet Black And Blue. Screeching Weasel has also included members of Green Day, Sludgeworth, Common Rider, Squirtgun, and Teen Idols. For a short time during one of many break-ups, Weasel and Vapid also formed The Riverdales. Additionally, Ben Weasel released a solo record in 2002 entitled Fidatevi.

Screeching Weasel officially broke up for (roughly) the third - and allegedly final - time on July 6, 2001.

In 2004 Ben Weasel rescinded all of the Screeching Weasel and Riverdales masters from Lookout! Records in the wake of long-running financial and personal conflicts. The masters were subsequently licensed to and reissued by Asian Man Records.

1 Discography
2 External links

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Discography

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Albums

Year	Title	Label	Other information
1987	Screeching Weasel	Underdog	re-issued in 1997 by VML Records, with additional demos and unreleased tracks
1988	Boogadaboogadaboogada!	Roadkill	released on Wetspots in the UK, re-issued by Lookout in 1992, re-mastered and re-issued by Asian Man Records in 2005
1991	My Brain Hurts	Lookout	re-mastered and re-issued by Asian Man Records in 2005
1992	Ramones	Selfless	a cover of the entire first Ramones LP; 1700 pressed (1400 black vinyl, 300 white vinyl); 300 re-pressed in 1993; out of print
1993	Wiggle	Lookout	re-mastered and re-issued by Asian Man Records in 2005
1993	Anthem For A New Tomorrow	Lookout	re-mastered and re-issued by Asian Man Records in 2005
1994	How To Make Enemies And Irritate People	Lookout	Mike Dirnt from Green Day plays bass; re-mastered and re-issued by Asian Man Records in 2005
1995	Kill The Musicians	Lookout	collection of demo, rare, out of print, and live material
1996	Bark Like A Dog	Fat Wreck Chords
1998	Television City Dream	Fat Wreck Chords	Features cover art by Aldo Giorgini, noted Italian artist, and father of Screeching Weasel bassist-producer Mass Giorgini
1998	Beat Is On The Brat	Panic Button	re-release of Ramones LP, plus Formula 27 EP
1999	Emo	Panic Button
1999	Thank You Very Little	Panic Button / Lookout	double CD; more b-sides, rarities, and live material
2000	Teen Punks In Heat	Panic Button / Lookout	alleged to be their final record
2005	Weasel Mania	Fat Wreck Chords	Best-of compilation, with 34 songs selected by Ben Weasel

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EPs

Year	Title	Label	Other information
1989	Punkhouse	Limited Potential	re-issued in 1991 by No Budget Records; re-issued in 1993 by Selfless Records; out of print
1991	Pervo-Devo	Shred of Dignity	2500 originally pressed and released with the final issue of Ben Weasel's sex-themed fanzine, "Teen Punks In Heat"; 450 pressed in 1992, and the label name had changed to Outpunk; out of print
1992	Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions	Selfless	on-air performance at WFMU in New Jersey; 1500 pressed on blue vinyl, features tour bassist Scott "Gub" Conway, out of print
1992	Happy, Horny, Gay And Sassy	Selfless	more songs from on-air performance at WFMU in New Jersey; 300 pressed on pink vinyl, out of print
1993	Screeching Weasel / Pink Lincolns split	VML	1500 pressed, out of print
1993	Radio Blast	Underdog	2000 pressed, out of print
1993	You Broke My Fucking Heart	Lookout	out of print
1994	Screeching Weasel / Born Against split	Lookout	out of print
1994	Suzanne Is Getting Married	Lookout	Mike Dirnt from Green Day plays bass on one track, out of print
1994	Screeching Weasel / Born Against split	Lookout	out of print
1998	Major Label Debut	Lookout / Panic Button	first Panic Button release
1998	Formula 27	Vermiform	later reissued on Lookout / Panic Button, out of print
1999	Four on the Floor	Lookout / Panic Button	four songs apiece from Screeching Weasel, Moral Crux, Enemy You, and Teen Idols
1999	Jesus Hates You	Probe	picture disc; all cover songs (Stooges, Subhumans, Stiff Little Fingers)

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Compilations

Year	Title	Label	Contributing Track(s) / Other Info
1989	What Are You Pointing At?	Very Small Records	"Kamala's Too Nice", "I Wanna Be A Homosexual"
1989	There's A Fungus Amongus	What The Fuck?	"Slogans"
1989	They Don't Get Paid, They Don't Get Laid, But Boy, Do They Work Hard	Maximum Rocknroll	"This Bud's For Me"
1990	Achtung Chicago	Underdog	"Teenage Slumber Party"
1992	Four Two Pudding	Very Small Records	"Kamala's Too Nice", "I Wanna Be A Homosexual"; CD release of What Are You Poiting At? 10"; re-released in 1998 with new artwork
1993	It's A Punk Thing, You Wouldn't Understand	Shakefork	"Celena"
1994	Fallen Upon Deaf Ears	Skullduggery	"Soap Opera"
1994	Chairman Of The Bored	Grass	"Chicago"
1994	Punk USA	Lookout	"My Friends Are Getting Famous"
1997	Physical Fatness - Fat Music Volume III	Fat Wreck Chords	"Cool Kids"
1999	Life In The Fat Lane - Fat Music Volume IV	Fat Wreck Chords	"Dummy Up"
1999	Return Of The Read Menace	Honest Don's	"My Own World"
1999	Short Music For Short People	Fat Wreck Chords	"Dirty Needles"
2000	Liberation Sucks	Liberation	"California Sucks"
2000	Lookout Freakout	Lookout / Panic Button	"Acknowledge"
2001	Lookout Freakout - Episode 2	Lookout	"Pauline"