Rancid - Ruby Soho

Formed in Berkeley, California in 1991, Rancid is a staple of the early 90s punk revival, alongside the likes of Bad Religion, The Offspring, Green Day and more. Previously of Operation Ivy renown, members Tim Armstrong (guitar and vocals) and Matt Freeman (bass) joined with Lars Frederiksen (guitar and vocals) and Brandon Steineckert (drums) to pump out several albums in the first half of the 90s, including their 1993 debut self-title and the more successful follow-up, Let’s Go in 1994.

Driven by Freeman’s bouncing basslines, Armstrong’s ska-influenced riffs and stretched vocals, and Frederiksen’s rougher vocals and second guitar, Rancid managed to find some commercial success with their first few albums, then again in the early 2000s. Many people might be most familiar with their single, Fall Back Down, from 2003’s Indestructible, and, while I’ve grown to appreciate that album, I’m still a sucker for their old stuff.

From the best-selling of their first three albums, ...And Out Come the Wolves (1995), we’re rocking one of the singles that got some solid radio time, Ruby Soho. With strong ska influences, the track is characteristic of Rancid’s early sound, with Freeman’s melodic bass and Frederiksen and Armstrong taking turns on raw guitar riffs and vocals. If you like this one, check out the bands first two albums, especially Radio, co-written with Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day.