Rancid

Like Green Day, Rancid was once reviled as a band of poseurs by much of the punk-rock intelligentsia, but is now seen as a standard-bearer for the genre -- and sheer persistence is a big reason why. Early discs such as 1993's Rancid and 1995's And Out Come the Wolves were so derivative of the Clash and Britain's early-'80s two-tone movement that they verged on copyright infringement, and subsequent material didn't exactly qualify as wholly original. Nevertheless, Tim Armstrong, Lars Fredericksen and their brethren proved to be true believers in the punk code, and their brand of integrity, combined with enthusiasm and good taste, eventually softened all but a handful of critics. The group is currently assembling a career-spanning DVD and a new CD that should be in stores during the first half of next year. In the meantime, the men of Rancid are touring with the Unseen, and their visit to the Ogden (which includes a second show on August 3) is likely to be the punk equivalent of a lovefest. Who's posing now?