East Bay Ray is rarely talked about, but he did some fantastic guitar work with this band. The only guitarist I can think of who came close to blending surf guitar and punk is Mike Palm of Agent Orange.

California Über Alles has a re-written sister song called "We've Got a Bigger Problem Now" directed towards Ronald Reagan instead of Brown. It has a great jazz-hardcore sound, jawdropping.

You have to remember for a while there was a kind of civil war in the punk community. Nazi skinheads/punks were trying to take over the scene. Quite a dew brawls happened over this. Thanksfully the nazi's lost.

POL POT! POL POT! POL POT! POL POT!

I've been a Dead Kennedys fan since I first heard the Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables album in 1980. Holiday in Cambodia, Police Truck and Too Drunk To F*** are my favourite songs.

Man I love the Dead Kennedys R.I.P. DH Peligro (the drummer of DK). I think it's time for your introduction to Crossover Thrash (D.R.I, Suicidal Tendencies, Stormtroopers of Death, Body Count etc.).

Jello Biafra is very socio-politically outspoken. He takes no prisoners. Rich, poor, citizen, soldier, left, right... doesn't matter. He calls out hypocrisy and bullshit as he sees it. That's why I originally fell in love with this band. So, so good Edit : Also, that running bass line in Holiday? Eargasm

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this,, but the title California Über Alles is a reference to the old German national anthem, which began with the lyrics, "Deutschland, Deutschland über alles," or Germany, Germany over all, which the Nazis used to indicate German superiority. I believe the anthem was brought back in the Fifties, but without the first two verses, so only the third remains. Also, the movie The Killing Fields is about Cambodia and is an excellent film that has been a bit forgotten.

Ive met Jello, a couple times. He is a genuine Human. This music really drove the punk scene in the SF bay area

I think you'd love The Cramps!

The intro to Holiday in Cambodia always gives me Apocalypse Now vibes.

Dead Kennedys have often been referred to as one of the first hardcore bands, so yes, they're punk, but also yes, they're hardcore.

The guitarist, East Bay Ray is very much surf rock influenced. They definitely stood out among other punk bands because of that.

"California Uber Alles" is based (loosely) on "Deutschland Uber Alles", which was the National Anthem of Nazi Germany. A lot of the lyrics point to that ("You'll look good as a drawstring lamp", "Die of organic poison gas", etc.).

There is a great documentary film called The Decline of Western Civilization which is about the LA punk scene around 1980. I think you'd really enjoy it. I know you don't do video reactions, but it might be a good chance to branch out. Otherwise, I still recommend watching it on your own. Love your channel, keep it up.

Back when I was 15 this was my favourite LP, I still listen to it at 60. Fantastic band!

From the Dead Kennedys' next album, Plastic Surgery Disasters, I recommend: 'Bleed For Me' 'Riot' 'Moon Over Marin' and 'Halloween'. Or perhaps a whole album review... it's pretty solid.

wow, I never realized how much the Police Truck reminds me of the B-52's. You should check them. Their first two albums are uniquely perfect.

In the '00s, I listened to a lot of Jello Biafra's spoken-word albums, and got to see him speak live. I like his humor.

Grew up with _Dead Kennedys_ so glad to see them featured in recent conversations. Literally screamed for joy when _Police Truck_ kicked in during an episode of the new _Scott Pilgrim_ anime XD You may also want to check out _LARD_ - which was a brief collaboration between Jello Biafria and Al Jourgensen of _Ministry_ (I play their song 'Mate, Spawn, and Die' pretty much every Valentine's Day XD )

Those are some of their best songs. My personal favorite is the entire Bedtime For Democracy album, but it's not everyone's favorite....

East Bay Ray is an amazing guitarist

So Jello Biafra, the vocalist, got together with the Melvins for a couple albums. I was at the show where they recorded an updated version of California Uber-Alles.

Only took about two minutes of 1 video to realize how great a reactor you are. So I subbed. I do believe I watched 2-3 of yours. Many many months ago. But was listening to Melvins Honey Bucket(which has one of my favorite all time riffs) and you popped up in my suggestions. Loved that reaction and then this.

i really need to resub to your patreon. i gotta get on these votes and get you listening to some Agent Orange next!!

Saw your pistold reaction and found this. Loved both ❤️ subscribed,you have taste 🤭😅

I still am shocked that someone had you listen to Kill The Poor before any of these songs. Love the song itself but it isn’t the greatest intro to the band for new listeners who are trying to fall in love with the style of DK

Well that was awesome. I grew up in the time of the Dead Kennedys, but they were never really on my radar. THANK YOU for sharing this, because Police Truck is one hell of a banger! Much appreciated!

Also Husker Du from the 80s. Great melodic Punk rock_alternative song writing. Minutemen and Replacements too!! 80e

Great reaction. (I was waiting for this for a long time) 😅😂

These are actually probably my top three DK songs! Great pics!

Lard are worth checking out, Jello Biafra and Al Jorgensen from Ministry. Jello also fronted the Guantanamo School of Medicine with Billy Gould on bass.

"Holiday in Cambodia" have the best punk riff guitar ever. ❤❤❤

there is also an other version from "California über alles" but released with the titel "We´ve got a bigger problem now" ..in that version it´s not about "Jerry Brown" anymore but about "Ronald Reagan"...and the verses have to an extant different lyrics due to the fact it is about a different person and the song is differently performed as well = switching back and forth between playing either very smoothly and calm with a very relaxed tone with a blues sounding guitar with a jazzy swing rhythm but then changing drastically from one second to the other into raw Punk into what you have already experienced at listening to "Califonia uber alles" but played with a bit more intensity in order to have that extreme contradiction to the smoothly relaxed parts and that goes back and forth during the whole song....that version is fun + fire.

East Bay Ray and His Surf guitar 🎸 😎 DK

For something from them thats a little more melodic and unlike most of their other material, you should check out the song Moon Over Marin. The three you've chosen here, while good choices, all have a pretty similar sound, to my ear.

WOW, I haven't heard these guys in So Long!! At least 40 years!! Thanks for sharing!!!!

Über Alles means Above all. Its German and The Nazis used it in the National Hymne. Deutschland über alles über alles auf der welt (Germany above all above all other on the world)

I remember my friend Alan bringing their first album, Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables, to my house for a listen. The album had just been released. My first thought was "this is so fast...it's ridiculously fast". Then I started listening to the lyrics, and we laughed and laughed and laughed through the entire album. It's a classic album.

My opinion: Holiday is not only an essential punk song but it actually transcends punk. A highlight for punk and DKs❤

Hi Kira, I just watched your reaction to the Dead Kennedy video. Of course, I love it! I really miss you.

They’ve got lots of great songs. Here’s a few that I would suggest checking out - either for the channel or on your own time - A Growing Boy Needs His Lunch At My Job Cesspools in Eden Chicken Farm Soup is Good Food Stars and Stripes of Corruption This Could Be Anywhere Too Drunk to Fuck

Omg the Dead Kennedys... When I first heard their music and lyrics (english is not my first language so I fell in love just listening to the music first) it felt like they were speaking what I couldn't quite articulate yet but felt so strongly about the world. It was life changing for me. In God We Trust, Inc., even though a little less commercial, has always kind of been my favorite punk album. The sarcastic lyrics charged with that twisted sense of humor shaped my perspective of life so much. Glad that you're reacting to them, you may like their Plastic Surgery Disasters album. Classic one too,

"Hardcore" just means hardcore punk.. so it's just faster and heavier, more extreme. Your camera is on "auto focus" and so the image keeps shaking.

Insightful. Genuine. The best two reasons why I hit the subscribe button!

And in Australian schools you still see the DK etched in desks from the 80s great band still listen to them regularly holiday in Cambodia is one of my favourites

I am overjoyed to see my childhood on YT like this! Thank you for these reactions! I miss my 80s!

Just Talked to East Bay Ray... big punk show going down in the Bay Area on May 4

A great track by them is 'Too Drunk to Fu*k' which has a catchy guitar riff despite the title of the track. A cool group indeed.

Think you would like Minor Threat, Bad Brains, Rites of Spring and Fugazi. Seminal Punk. Post Punk/hardcore.

listen to the Frankenchrist album, it is the best DK album, and it is them at the height of their powers. a timeless classic.

Holiday In Cambodia is one of the best punk rock songs ever recorded. I really enjoyed your video.

My Fav's are Terminal Preppy, Riot, and Forestfire.

When I got that NPFO 45 based on the cover, I hadnt heard DK before (maybe the name?) Man, it jump started a part of my brain and heart that was asleep before. I was 15 or 16

When I was in high school in SoCal in the late '80s my friends and I LOVED the DKs. We'd drive around with the windows down blasting Police Truck feeling so badass.

What a band what a vocalist, for some reason I have always perfered Plastic Surgery Disasters to Fresh Fruit, something in the lyrics of all the tracks on that album really grabbed me.

Holiday in Cambodia was the first song I ever called in a request for. Called Foothill junior college radio station(KFJC) in SF bay area back in 1980.

I'm not much of a rocker nor punk but appreciate their work

Nice to see you enjoying yourself ❤

I loved watching you hop up and down chanting 'Pol Pot ' with your ponytail bobbing away like that, I had to laugh because I said to myself "she has no idea who Pol Pot was." It was such a strange juxtaposition, this sparky, happy young lady, chanting the name of one of the most evil men in history, it just struck me as funny.😂, The Dead Kennedys was one of the bands that I used to listen to religiously when I was a kid. The Clash, Killing Joke, The Damned and The Dead Kennedys were all on heavy rotation on my Walkman. It's funny how oddly prescient some of the Dead Kennedys songs were, California Uber Alles being one of them. We're living in a politically correct, "woke" world where saying or doing the wrong thing can get you into a lot of trouble. We all have to mellow out of we WILL pay. And while no one is coming for your uncool niece to turn her into a drawstring lamp, they might just cancel her and ruin her life in less direct ways. Now, I'm not saying social justice is a bad thing, but anything taken to an extreme can become damaging and I think that this is what Jello Biafra was hinting at. That the oppressed can become the oppressors. Sorry for the long post.

Klaus Flouride is one of my favorite bassists. I never got heavy into the band even though I played punk as a kid. Now I'm going back and realized I could have helped my punk band more if I listened more/added more influence.

I used to listen to this album with my friend cruisin' around in the 442 back in the late 90's. Album is a staple.

Very cool. I was excited to discover the DKs, around the time of the Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables album [which I would recommend as an entire listen]. There is a newer version of 'Uber Alles', called 'We Have A Bigger Problem Now' regarding the Reagan presidency in the 1980s US, from their 1981 EP, In God We Trust, Inc. - another great full-album listen.

California Uber Alles was written when Jerry Brown was running for President. When Reagan was elected instead, they released a 'sequel' to California Uber Alles called We've Got a Bigger Problem Now. Since Reagan, like Brown, had been governor of California, they kept the hook the same. Worth checking out.

They released another version of California Uber Alles that has a faster tempo and for me that’s the definitive version of the song, I think you might enjoy it if you give it a listen

My favorite punk band ever. I was lucky enough to have seen them live. Killer show.

I love that you have House of Leaves on your shelf.

Thank you for doing the album version of HIC! It's so much better than the single version which everyone else reacts to for some reason.

Listen to the 006's Like What Me Worry? My Uncle played guitar and he was just a teenager 😅

I feel like you'd be into "Moon over Marin" and "I am the Owl" which are pretty Jazzy but also menacing. The Plastic Surgery Disasters" album was top Tier DK with "Bedtime for Democracy" right behind it.

So glad you're enjoying the DKs. The drum finale to California Uber Alles is lifted from the Luftwaffe March (used in the film The Battle of Britain). Holiday in Cambodia referenced the killing fields of the Khmer Rouge's, led by Pol Pot, Cambodia. An NZ yachtie was executed by that regime for straying too close to shore. I'm surprised that Too Drunk to F*ck didn't make the list. It came very close to making number 1 on the NZ hit singles chart.

My all-time favourite Punk band. Legends Love the social political sarcasm which was completely misunderstood at the time this classic came out Jello's vocals: love it or Hate it. I love him one of a kind as a vocalist, activists, Label owner, punk rock musician and speaker. Love the unique surf-rock driven guitar from East Ray Bay. Unfortunately the group is a shadow of their glory and a joke after Jello's departure. R.I.P to D. H. Peligro ❤

THANK YOU! love the dead Kennedys ❤❤.

First heard the Dead Kennedys back in 1981 when I was a college student. The early '80's was a great time for the underground punk & post punk movements.

One best group of 1980s great live performances and shows live performances at the ritz in and pil great music

Thank you for listening to DK! It's soo nice to see new generations get turned on to them! Punks not dead

Hell yeah! 🤘😃🤘 Awesome video, love it! 😃🙂 Great songs by Dead Kennedys & there are other great songs like Too Drunk To F*ck, Jock-O-Rama & Dead End 😉🙂

Yeah, the upbeat tone of many Dead Kennedys songs is often at odds with subject matter of the song. I always liked that juxtaposition. I'm not sure if there's a specific incident or anything behind "Police Truck", but if memory serves, the LAPD (even though DK was based in San Francisco) was notoriously riddled with corruption in the '70s and '80s? Someone correct me if I'm wrong, please. My personal favourite DK song is "Moon Over Marin" off Plastic Surgery Disasters, which depicts a bleak dystopian future. "Riot", off the same album, would be particularly relevant to many events of the last few years, and I find myself wondering what comments the Jello Biafra of today would have about that.

I grew up listening to many genres. Punk rock was one of them... Sex Pistols, Dead Kennedys, The Clash, The Ramones... So much integrity to their style. Also, need to say how surreal it is watching you listen to Dead Kennedys with your little stuffed critters and ivy up your bookcase!!! So awesome!!!

Sweet! Love, love, love DK!

KIRA IS FIRE 🔥

Californa Uber Alles refers to California Governor Jerry Brown, (who was known to be kind of a hippy) becoming president. Another California governor (Ronald Regan) actually became president, so they did a follow up Uber Alles song; "We've got a bigger problem now". Although the song is very similar, it is way better and more sinister. I highly, highly recommend listening to it.

It's so fun watching your reactions! Probably what people saw when I heard Dead Kennedys lol You may enjoy their hit Jock-o-rama as well.

if you like Uber alles you need to check out "We've Got a Bigger Problem Now" it's a rework of Uber alles in an almost Lounge singer style it changes the tone with a few altered lyrics that works in a fun way.

As a Norcal Kid this was my Punk these guys and the California surf punk culture gave stoners a good voice of anger

Definitely check out Bleed for Me. One of the songs that influenced our band. If you’re into Police Truck you would probably like Too Drunk To F***

Give me Convenience or Give Me Death is my most listened to album (compilation). It fits every mood.

Wow, I remember being a Roady for a band and we went to Tulsa Oklahoma to play with the Dead Kennedy's, that was my first time seeing them. I actually was picked to do security on one side of the arena. Fond memories.

I have California Uber Alles signed by ORIGINAL vocalist Jello Biafra! He even drew a cartoon character on the back! - C 05 - 07 - 2024

After watching more of your videos, I apologize for my previous post. I'm more than a little spectrumish, and as certain bands correspond to life changing chapters of my life, I maybe a little overly protective of the bands that got me through a lot of various bad times in my life The fact that you are exposing the bands that helped me navigate those years and can potentially help others in the process is amazing. Keep up the fantastic work that you are doing and don't ever listen to cranky old farts who don't know how the inteweb works

I learnt english thanks to Jello Biafra & The Dead Kennedys mainly and also to Ice-T & Body Count, asking everyone that spoke english what each word meant and remembering it, their energy "matched my soul"; and... i'll say that it'd fuckin' worked. I learnt english listening to punk music.

Moon Over Marin is a good one too

Hey I'm kinda new to your channel? In fact about 3 years late? Loving it. Especially when you stared listening to punk. And Especially when you started doing trip hop. I'm from Bristol UK so a bit biased on all of that? I've subbed on YT. But my question is? Where you from? Cause I don't think its American. Sounds more Austrlasian? Kiwi? Might be way off but please some background?

Police Truck was actually a B side to California Uber Alles, I think. Crazy. It's one of their best songs.

Great memories! DK were unique back in those days, the sharp and even extreme fun lyrics and the sound and guitars, full of 60's surf influences.

Love Dead Kennedys! Also love Good Omens! Great book.

Oh and the drummer DH Peligro (RIP) is among the greatest live drummers I'm aware of....

Glad to see EB Ray is getting some love. So Underrated. Rest in Peace D.H. Peligro.

Nazi Punks is off their In God We Trust, Inc. EP, which is where they started playing with more of a hardcore sound. Also the first Dead Kennedys I ever heard. Changed my life.

Check out Stars and Stripes of Corruption. As someone who lives in the US, it's as true in 85 as it is in 24.