Sometimes I have no recollection of how a track came into my digital possession. Much as I appreciate the wide open bounty of the interweb, especially when it comes to those old and new acts that I surely would have never discovered without it, I sometimes miss the bygone ability to always identify the rough moment of discovery, to conjure up the origin story of each personally held piece of music, as it were. The vastness of what I can access now is better. But I can still be a little wistful about portions of the experience that are chipped away.

I don’t think I knew a thing about the Plugz until I somehow, sometime downloaded (probably illicitly — sorry, Plugz!) their song “Achin,” which appeared on their 1981 album, Better Luck. They also appeared on the soundtrack to the movie Repo Man, but that was never a touchstone film or record for me, as it was for many of my fellow Gen-Xers. It’s entirely possible I saw them when they were tapped by Bob Dylan to serve as his backing band during an appearance on Late Night with David Letterman. That’s only speculation. Again, there’s no specific recollection to call upon.

In the end, though, the how, why, and when of it all doesn’t matter. I have a little something from the beloved Latino punk band nestled there in my iTunes, and it sounds damn good whenever it shuffles up. I’ll send out a nebulous thanks to whoever unwittingly delivered it to me.

Listen or download –> The Plugz, “Achin”

(Disclaimer: It appears to me that the music of the Plugz, save the stuff on the Repo Man soundtrack, is entirely out of print. The hefty prices their albums command on eBay suggests that as well. Still, I mean no fiscal harm to the performers or the proprietor of your favorite local, independently-owned record store by posting this track. Given that, and my general grudging willingness to comply with the strictures of our current overly-oppressive copyright laws, I will gladly remove this song from my corner of the digital world if asked to do so by any individual or entity with due authority to make such a request.)