The band's sound is diverse, utilizing elements of skate punk, hardcore punk, reggae, and other music genres. Their lyrics generally satirize issues such as politics, society, various subcultures, racism, the music industry, and religion, often using a large amount of comedy.
NOFX's first recording was a demo from 1983, produced by The Germs drummer Don Bolles, which did not sell any copies. They released their self-titled debut EP on Mystic Records in 1985, which was later re-released in 1992 as part of the Maximum RocknRoll CD. For a year, Erik Sandin left the band and was replaced by Scott Sellers, then Scott Aldahl. Dave Allen was in the band for about four months, until he died in a car accident. In 1986, the band released So What if We're on Mystic!. Dave Casillas joined the band on second guitar in 1987 and was featured on the EP The P.M.R.C. Can Suck on This!, attacking the PMRC's call for censorship of music. The original cover was an edited S&M photo, but the re-released version was changed to a photo of Eric Melvin.
Eric Sandin returned and they recorded Liberal Animation in 1988 (before Dave was replaced by Steve) with Brett Gurewitz of Bad Religion. Although the title and some lyrics mocked vegetarianism and animal rights, Fat Mike says that he became a vegetarian after he wrote Liberal Animation. 'If a big enough animal had a chance it would eat you up!' The album was re-released in 1991 on Gurewitz's label Epitaph. Dave then left the band and was replaced by Steve Kidwiller. NOFX had signed to Epitaph by 1989, releasing their second album, titled S&M Airlines. 1990 saw the release of Ribbed. By 1991, Aaron Abeyta (aka El Hefe), joined to round out the group. White Trash, Two Heebs and a Bean was released in 1992, which originally had the title White Trash, Two Kikes, and a Spic. The original title was changed because Eric Melvin's grandmother was upset about the racial epithets.
It was not until the 1994 release of Punk in Drublic that the band had a commercial breakthrough, with the album going gold. In the same year, pop punk entered the mainstream with the success of The Offspring's Smash and Green Day's Dookie.
In 1996 they released Heavy Petting Zoo, which wasn't very popular among its fans because it showed a different sound in some tracks. Their 1997 record So Long and Thanks for All the Shoes was faster, with more ska and reggae, and was well received by the public, although its title shocked everybody because it seemed as it was going to be their last album. They soon stated it wasn't true.
In 1999, the band released The Decline, a fiery and pessimistic social commentary. Having a duration of 18 minutes and 23 seconds, it is nearly the longest punk song to date, second only to "Yes Sir, I Will" by Crass, which spans more than 22 minutes.
The coming of a new century marked the end of NOFX in Epitaph Records. In 2000 they released Pump Up the Valuum, which in many people's opinion is a good record but still is missing something.
In 2003, NOFX released War on Errorism, and launched their anti-George W. Bush campaign. Fat Mike organized the website Punkvoter.com, compiled two chart-topping Rock Against Bush compilations, and kicked off a Rock Against Bush United States tour. The band has released many EPs (i.e. Fuck the Kids, The Longest Line) on Fat Mike's own label Fat Wreck Chords. In February 2005, they launched the NOFX 7" of the Month Club, a subscription-based service which saw the release of one new EP almost monthly, from February 2005 to March 2006 (a total of 12 releases). The cover art for these EPs were chosen from fan-submitted entries. The first 3000 subscribers to the club received all of their records on colored vinyl. Fat Wreck Chords later released full sets of the EPs.
On March 14, 2006, an EP entitled Never Trust a Hippy was released. The EP was followed on April 18 by the album Wolves in Wolves' Clothing. On September 12, 2006, the video game EA Sports NHL07 was released, featuring the title track of the latter album on its soundtrack.
The band recorded three nights of shows in San Francisco, California for the live album, They've Actually Gotten Worse Live! that was released on November 20, 2007.
NOFX aired in 2008 a reality show on Fuse TV called NOFX: Backstage Passport, chronicling their recent worldwide tour full of mishaps and fun stuff.
NOFX released their eleventh full length, Coaster, on April 28, 2009.
NOFX released their twelfth full length, Self/Entitled, on September 11th, 2012.
Official site: http://nofxofficialwebsite.com
Medio-Core
NOFX Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Will leave you with a feeling of indifference
How was the band
They were okay not great but pretty good
They played the songs I knew they would
Some old, some new, the same formula stay true
We can concur, it's mediocre
Medio-core the list keeps growin', the melodies that have been stolen
Remind me of songs sung in the seventies, you might fool the kids
But you don't fool me, you ever heard of something called aboriginality
Is it absurd to compose music no one's ever heard
Predictability like a bosom will comfort them
My arch enemy lowest common denominator
Medio-core it's under powered, the riffs are all deflowered
It's spreading faster than British tooth decay
"Are you ready to rock", "How you all doin' tonight"
You condescending fucks make me want to puke and laugh the same
I'm one to speak this song sounds like 50 songs you've heard before, medio-core
In NOFX's song "Medio-Core," the band critiques the music industry and its tendency to produce mediocre, unoriginal music that lacks any real substance. The lyrics express disillusionment with bands that play it safe, sticking to the same formula and never taking risks. The phrase "medio-core" is a play on "mediocre," highlighting the pervasive nature of uninspired music in today's landscape.
The first verse sets the tone, with the singer describing a lackluster concert experience that left them feeling indifferent. While the band was passable, they didn't do anything particularly noteworthy. The chorus emphasizes the simplicity of the songs and the ease with which anyone can sing along. The second verse delves deeper into the issue, calling out bands that plagiarize melodies from decades prior and emphasizing the importance of originality. The chorus is repeated, and the final verse once again highlights the predictability and lack of creativity present in medio-core music.
Overall, the message of the song is clear: the music industry needs to aim higher and produce music that challenges and inspires the listener. In a landscape dominated by safe, unoriginal music, it's up to individual artists to break the mold and push the boundaries.
Line by Line Meaning
Medio-core it's not forsaken the music they're makin'
The music created by mediocre bands isn't abandoned
Will leave you with a feeling of indifference
The music produced by these bands doesn't elicit any strong emotions
How was the band
What did you think of the band?
They were okay not great but pretty good
The band was decent, not exceptional but acceptable
They played the songs I knew they would
The band didn't stray from their typical setlist
Some old, some new, the same formula stay true
The band played a mix of old and new songs, but their sound was consistent
We can concur, it's mediocre
We agree that the band's performance was ordinary
Sing sing a sing, make it simple so all the kids can sing along
Bands make their music simple and catchy to appeal to a broad audience
Medio-core the list keeps growin', the melodies that have been stolen
There are increasingly more bands with mediocre music, often with melodies borrowed from past songs
Remind me of songs sung in the seventies, you might fool the kids
Many of these borrowed melodies go unnoticed by younger listeners, but older listeners recognize the similarities to older songs
But you don't fool me, you ever heard of something called aboriginality
Despite the effort to disguise their source, the borrowed melodies are recognizable to some and lack originality
Is it absurd to compose music no one's ever heard
Is it unreasonable to write music that is new and different?
Predictability like a bosom will comfort them
Many listeners prefer music that is familiar and predictable, like the comfort of a loved one's embrace
My arch enemy lowest common denominator
My biggest adversary is the tendency to create music that appeals to the least discerning listener
Medio-core it's under powered, the riffs are all deflowered
Mediocre music lacks energy and innovation, with unoriginal guitar riffs
It's spreading faster than British tooth decay
The prevalence of mediocre music is as pervasive and rapid as tooth decay
"Are you ready to rock", "How you all doin' tonight"
The generic, cliche phrases used by many bands to engage the audience
You condescending fucks make me want to puke and laugh the same
The insincere, pandering behavior of performers is disgusting and laughable at the same time
I'm one to speak this song sounds like 50 songs you've heard before, medio-core
As a member of a band that some may consider mediocre, I am self-aware that our music is derivative and unremarkable
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sadeatthewhip1846
I want to cry when I realize this is 20 years old. This was my favorite on the album when it came out. I was a teenager, now I’m the age my parents were when it came out. Old as shit dude
@qBeYcarpet
My most listened song of 2018 on spotify
@tbx59
Such an overlooked Punk album. So many amazing songs on here
@tobillotorres
Sing, sing the song, make it simple, so all the kids can sing along, sing along ♥
@MrBlooms101
never ever gets old. love this whole album, reminds me of my brother, would love to see them live
@xXTheoriXx
I saw them live in 2010 and they played this song, the favourite one of my little cousin and me, its been a hell of a concert like crying for joy and doing a circle pit when the song drops. My cousin recently passed away due to covid and I played this song at his funeral, always be grateful to fat mike and the dudes, the NOFX gave me a hell of a memory to cheer on
@luisrocks4ever
cant stop listening to this song !! catchy ass hell !!!
@gionagrigo
this is the better video !!! the song is really nice <33
@JJDvorshak
Mediocore! totally
@CanApiGs908
I fucking love this song! nice vid dude