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New radicals

Tim Armstrong and Lars Frederiksen don’t look like typical veterans’ advocates. A spider-web tattoo stretches across the top of Armstrong’s shaved head above his stretched-out T-shirt. Frederiksen sports a “Skunkz” tattoo on his forehead just below a hairline that sprouts an explosion of greased-up spikes.

The duo’s band, Rancid, isn’t the kind you’d expect to be cheering for the armed forces, either. The act traces its roots back to the gritty punk underground, which has been one of the most consistently noisy adversaries of military action — and, frequently, soldiers themselves — for more than 30 years.

Despite the traditions stacked against it, Rancid rallies for the vets. On its latest album, “Let the Dominoes Fall,” the songwriting team salutes the soldiers, if not the wars. “Civilian Ways” drops the punk bluster for an acoustic ode about a soldier’s adjustment to life back home. Tackling the triumphs of rekindling old friendships on home turf as well as the alienation that comes with such a drastic change of scenery, the song was indirectly inspired by the time Armstrong’s brother, Greg, spent in Iraq in 2003 and 2004 with the 204th Military Police Company.

“As songwriters, we write about what we know, which means us,” Armstrong explains. “Having a family member in a war, especially my brother, who I love very much, is pretty heavy.”

Before singer/guitarist Armstrong began cutting records, he was jamming with his brother, a drummer. Greg enlisted. Tim stuck to the six-string, crafting an 18-year career with Rancid. The band’s 1995 third album, “... And Out Come the Wolves,” was a pivotal release for reintroducing punk to the mainstream. Drawing heavily on the classic framework of The Clash and lesser British punk acts, the band offered a grittier, blue-collar alternative to the polished pop hooks of the mid-’90s punk resurgence. Four more albums down the road, Rancid is considered a godfather of the modern punk scene and enjoys a foothold in the mainstream while still happily maintaining its underground roots.

Familial ties trumped allegiance to the punk scene’s distrust of a man in uniform, though. “Civilian Ways,” and a second tune, “The Bravest Kids,” a straightforward nod of appreciation to the American combat-duty service member, buck anti-military traditions that stretch from The Clash to Green Day. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Armstrong would align himself with the Army, as his family ties to the service go back a generation. In addition to his brother, who served in Operation Desert Storm and the current Iraq war before retiring as a first sergeant, Armstrong’s father served in Korea in 1951.

Growing up in the working-class neighborhoods of Oakland, Calif., Frederiksen and Armstrong also got a glimpse at the realities of blue-collar life that many of today’s generation of suburbanized, middle-class punks never had. The split is, predictably, along class lines: Where many of Rancid’s college-educated contemporaries see active duty as an oppressive tool of The Man, Armstrong and Frederiksen aren’t afraid to acknowledge the bootstrap opportunities it has provided generations of young men and women.

“Growing up in the ’70s and early ’80s, we all kind of struggled,” Frederiksen says. “We were these working-class kids. I know for me, seeing some of my friends going and joining the Army, it helped [them].”

Armstrong agrees. “We didn’t have college funds,” he says. “My brother is very smart, so the Army was an option for him. I think the Army was a great thing for him.”

Paying tribute to soldiers isn’t without its risks. Punk icons such as The Vandals and Henry Rollins sustained flak from the underground for their decisions to participate in USO shows a few years ago. Rancid isn’t too concerned about a potential backlash from olive-branch-waving fans. Nor is the track wrapped up in the political rhetoric that spills out of the underground. Its concern is only with the soldiers and their sacrifices — a topic that too frequently falls between the cracks when the wars are discussed.

“Whatever you think of the war — everyone has their own opinions — you’ve got to give respect to the soldiers,” Armstrong says. “I do, big time.”

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Matt Schild is a freelance writer based in Colorado and the founder of the underground music site Aversion.com.