I was gonna write a list of the best Propagandhi songs, but there were too many and the list was getting huge. Instead I decided to list my favourite Propagandhi tracks that seem a bit ignored and overlooked.
10. Last Will & Testament
This one gets skipped over because it starts with 3 minutes of instrumental build up before speeding up and getting to the vocals. It’s one of the best songs on Supporting Caste, serving as a thesis statement for the band. Then new guitarist, David Guillas adds a lot of atmospherics to the band’s sound, this track is a great example of that.
9. Ladies Nite In Loserville
Sand-wedged between two not good songs on the iffy b-side of Today’s Empires, Tomorrow’s Ashes, this is one of the better aggressive songs that Chris sings.
8. Utter Crap Song
Originally appearing on the I’d Rather Be Flag-Burning split and re-released on the Where Quantity Is Job Number 1 compilation. A rare non-political song in the catalogue, I wouldn’t mind more emo Propagandhi.
7. Gamble (The Lowest of the Low cover)
A sped up version of the classic Lowest of the Low song with riskier drum fills.
6. Laughing Stock
An awesome b-side from Victory Lap, not sure why it was cut, it sounds like solid gold to me.
5. War is Peace, Slavery is Freedom, May All Your Interventions Be Humanitarian
Appearing on the 2001 compilation Fat Music Volume 5: Live Fat, Die Young. The tracks sounds more like their first two albums, but it holds up better than most songs from that era.
4. Oka Everywhere
This one is about the Oka conflict of 1990, appearing on the I’d Rather Be Flag-Burning split. It has lower production quality and a harder to swallow message than the songs on the Fat Wreck albums, which sorta adds to the experience.
3. Technocracy (Corrosion of Conformity cover)
The best version of this early C.O.C. song. The performance and production really take everything that was good about the original and make it better.
2. True (Concrete Blonde cover)
Propanadhi tend to pick covers that make sense from the context of their band. True is a song about being true to your beliefs. At this time in their career, Propagandhi were getting a lot of push back from the skate punk scene of the 90s for being too political. This cover feels like a response to that.
1. The State-Lottery
The penultimate track of Less Talk, More Rock that often gets missed. Lyrically it’s one of their best from this era of the band, like Last Will & Testament it serves as a thesis statement for the album and band.