Rancid - 'Ruby Soho' (Music Video)

What this video is

Released in November 1995, 'Ruby Soho' arrived at the apex of the mid-90s American punk revival, when Epitaph Records-signed bands like Rancid, The Offspring, and NOFX were crossing over from underground scenes into mainstream MTV rotation without abandoning DIY aesthetics. Rancid, founded by Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman — veterans of seminal ska-punk band Operation Ivy — brought East Bay working-class punk ethos…

Why it matters

A defining artifact of the 1990s punk revival, 'Ruby Soho' demonstrates how Epitaph-era punk bands fused reggae/ska rhythms with hardcore punk delivery and achieved mainstream chart presence without compromising visual or sonic identity. The video's raw production style became a template for DIY…

The director

Tim Armstrong is the singer/guitarist and co-founder of Rancid and former member of Operation Ivy; he later founded Hellcat Records and won a Grammy Award for producing Jimmy Cliff's album Rebirth (2012). Jim Guerinot is a veteran music industry executive…