I haven't met anyone in my life that is affiliated with hardcore or punk that doesn't like at least a handful of Alkaline Trio songs. Alkaline Trio's gothic twists on weathered topics like being drunk, drugs, and being heartbroken ring all but universal to the ears of every kid that has every thought about wearing black for a week and growing a devil lock. I haven't liked anything that Alkaline Trio has released lately besides a couple of tracks on Good Mourning as the band went for a more commercial appeal. This lead the band to be signed to V2 Records, which folded earlier this year before Alkaline Trio could release an album. Whoops.
Remains is aptly titled as it collects all the band's singles, b-sides, and compilation tracks that didn't show up on their first eponymous singles collection that was released by Asian Man Records. I like the first collection (I'm really becoming "that guy" when it comes to AK3, aren't I? The "Dude, their demo rocks, everything else sucks Guy.") but Remains has some great tracks like the two songs from their Lookout! Records days and their side from the Hot Water Music split on Jade Tree Records. The split with Hot Water Music happens to be my favorite split of all time with "While You Were Waiting" being my favorite Alkaline Trio song of all time so I don't care how many times I hear it. I'm listening to it right now and I'm still not sick of it. This song personifies everything I like about Alkaline Trio; it's a melancholy pop-song about love lost and sadly still together through fits of depression and self-doubt, all with handclaps.
Remains also contains a DVD that showcases some concert footage, some intentional funny snippets of the band being on the road and Mike Skiba fighting with some kids at a skate park. There are also some unintentional funny parts like seeing a front row full of teenyboppers singing along to "Hell Yes" a song about Anton LaVey, the founder of the Church of Satan. Ha, if only the girl parents knew that Alkaline Trio had such an evil bent to their lyrics and weren't just some token emo-pop band that likes to wear corpse paint from time to time. If they only knew, parents would be outside Alkaline Trio's shows faster than you can say, "Marilyn Manson".
Obviously Alkaline Trio is one of those bands that mean at least something to everyone that has ever heard them. I don't know how many mixtapes I've made in my life that have contained at least one Alkaline Trio song. Even though Alkaline Trio have been abandoned by both their label and yours truly, I can't forget that they were once a good punk rock band that have songs that get stuck in your head for months. Remains is such a collection of odds and ends from a solid career that it almost makes me want to give all Alkaline Trio's albums another chance. However, then I remember Crimson and know that is not going to happen any day soon. I will always have "While You're Waiting" though.
