You work five days a week, loading crates down on the dock. Well, not really, because that would be, like, really heavy work. And ports are increasingly automated now anyways, so you probably couldn’t get a job loading crates even if you wanted to. Bet their cafeteria doesn’t even serve gingerbread lattes.
Blue collar or not, there’s something in the rebellious spirit of punk rock that has naturally found a kinship with the romantic anthems of heartland rock. Taking cues from the small town tales and everyday chronicles of Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty, songwriters like Laura Jane Grace, Brian Fallon and Mike Ness have forged heartfelt tunes that find meaning in small moments and believe that every day offers another shot at rock’n’roll redemption. With summer being so far away, we figured we’d pluck the most heart-on-sleeve punk rockers and plonk them into a playlist that will make you want to find destiny at the end of the highway. Or at the very least, Woodall Services off the M1.
So if your job sucks, you’re dreaming of endless summer nights, or just a flannel-wearing cliché, this one is for you. Crank it up and run ’til you drop.