A Punk Rock Blog

The End

2010-12-22T20:13:00.002-05:00

So the creation of the zine seems like a good way to wrap up this site. I've started a new one, punkrockpravda.blogspot.com, which will feature some of the content seen here, but will primarily focus on interviews. As for this site, I'll leave it intact as is, awful early writing and all.

It was a good run, thanks everyone!

Dead Tree Reader

2010-07-16T21:34:00.004-05:00

So I've just put together my first zine, consisting of six articles/interviews that I wrote last year. It's 88 pages long and the content has been slightly modified from what appears on here to make for better quality. If you would like a copy leave your email address in the comment section and I'll get in contact with you, it'll probably cost around a dollar or so due to shipping and printing costs.

The Last of The Methadones: An Interview with Dan Vapid

2010-06-05T12:22:00.008-05:00

Recently I had the chance to interview the legendary Dan Vapid for this year’s Insubordination Fest Zine. While he has had a lengthy career with numerous bands, I decided to focus the questions on his band The Methadones as he broke the news to me that Insub Fest would be one of The Methadones final shows before breaking up. Look for a print version of this to appear in a few weeks in the Insub Fest Zine, and a big thanks to Dan for participating in this.

Dave: So The Methadones have decided to break up, what lead you guys to this decision?

Dan: Lots of reasons but mostly I think the band has run it's course. The Methadones have played consistently for 10 years, which is more than any band/project I've been a part of. We had our share of problems but were always intent on working past them. For the last 5 years every member has gone through a period of giving a shit and not giving a shit, all at different times. It got to the point where I felt like we were just going through the motions and forcing it.

Dave: Will Insub Fest be your last show?

Dan: Our last show will be in Chicago sometime at the end of the year.

Dave: Can we talk about the very start of the band? Most people don't know that you initially formed in the early 90s and quickly disbanded. What happened in that brief time period of formation and initial break up?

Dan: The Methadones formed in 1993 as a side band. I was playing in Screeching Weasel and was writing songs that I felt didn't fit Screeching Weasel and wanted an outlet for them. Due to previous commitments and not being able to solidify a line-up The Methadones broke up.

Dave: Was the first line up the same that would later play on the first album, you, B-Face, and Dan Lumley?

Dan: No, the first line-up had Pete Mittler (our current bass player) on guitar, Pat Buckley (ex-Vindictives) on drums, and a bunch of unknowns that came and went. Dan Panic played with us for a brief period as well.

Dave: When you resurrected The Methadones in 1999 did you pick up where you left off in terms of whatever material you had, or did you start from scratch?

Dan: Started from scratch. All the songs that were originally Methadones songs became Riverdales and Mopes songs. Except for a track called "Revitalized" which is on Career Objective.

Dave: Which Riverdales and Mopes songs originated as Methadones songs?

Dan: "Back To You", "Outta Site", "Make Way", "My Heart Won't Bleed For You", and "The World Don't Revolve Around You".

Dave: Why did the rest of the band leave after the first album?

Dan: I was living in Alexandria, Virginia at the time and was trying to get something together. I was writing songs and wanted an outlet for them. I didn't know anybody in the DC area so I asked Dan Lumley and B-face if they would be interested. They had just done The Mopes with me. The material I was writing didn't fit The Mopes, it was darker and I wanted to go in a different direction. I asked if they wanted to make a record with me under the name The Methadones, and they agreed. Since Lumley lived in Indiana and B-face in Boston it made them becoming full time members impossible. Not long after that recording I moved back to Chicago determined to make The Methadones work.

Dave: That album was released on A-F Records, which seems like an odd pairing considering most of the bands on their roster are more political and hardcore based. How did this come about and why did you only put out that first album for them?

Dan: It was an odd pairing but it worked out. I was shopping the record around at the time and nobody was biting. Mass Giorgini from Sonic Iguana Studios had played the recording for Anti-Flag and they liked it and wanted to release it.

Dave: Speaking of labels what happened with Thick Records? Did you ever end up getting paid by them for the releases you did?

Dan: Nope. No statements, no royalties, nothing. Zak Einstein moved to Los Angeles and nobody can get a hold of him. Mike Soucy and I have sent him approximately 20 emails about payment/statements and we have never got a reply back. We used to number each email and eventually lost track. When he lived in Chicago the typical story was The Methadones were on the verge of breaking even. There was always some math that magically ended up in his favor. Complete bullshit. This was about 5 years ago, and we're still waiting. We'll never see a dime. We got screwed. I know in my heart and soul that Zak Einstein is a liar and a crook.

Dave: You've said that The Methadones 2004 album Not Economically Viable was largely based off of the movie Falling Down, are there any other songs you've written based off of movies or literature that wouldn't be apparent to most listeners?

Dan: No, but movies and literature have a strong influence. I love the way Charles Bukowski and John Fante write. I love the simplicity and depth of their writing, I love how they speak volumes by saying little, I think that's amazing. Recently, I've been watching re-runs of the show "Six feet under" and it inspired the lyrics for a new song called "Radiate".

Dave: A few years ago at Insubordination Fest, The Methadones were playing as a five-piece band. Did you dislike/prefer/were indifferent to not having to sing and play guitar at the same time?

Dan: We kinda sucked as a five piece.

Dave: Why did you decide to play 21st Century Power Pop Riot in it's entirety for this years fest?

Dan: Mark Enoch (Insub Fest organizer) asked if we wanted to play that record for a set list. It sounded like a fun idea.

Dave: Do you feel any guilt that sales of the album pay royalties to Gary Glitter?

Dan: We don't sell enough units for him to make anything. Funny you ask, when's the last time you heard "Rock and Roll Part 2" at a sporting event? It's been a while.

Dave: I remember a lot of football stadiums made a conscious effort to stop playing it after his latest exploits a few years back. I know the Patriots now play a U2 song every time they score a touchdown, for better or for worse.

Dan: I think I heard something about that, too. The Chicago Bulls used to constantly play that song but not anymore.

Dave: Will there be any additional dates between this and your last Chicago show?

Dan: I don't think so. That should be it.

Dave: Now that the band is about to end are there any particular moments that stick out as high and low points? Do you have a favorite/least favorite show that you did, or album or song that you recorded?

Dan: I really liked The Methadones from about 2003-2005. I think we were getting to be a pretty good live band and then it just seemed to fizzle. We tried to recapture that but could never get back to that place.

Dave: So is it too early to ask if you could see a Methadones reformation happening some time years down the line? Will this show be the definitive final show?

Dan: My goal is to play a last show and move on. I hope to have a great band experience for these last two shows. I think the other guys would agree. I'll continue playing with Screeching Weasel, Riverdales, and Noise By Numbers.

Dave: I have one quick Screeching Weasel question: in Jughead's semi-true/semi-fictitious book about the band he alludes that Bark Like A Dog was supposed to be released for Epitaph but Rancid got it nixed because of a beef they had with Ben. Do you know if this is semi-true, semi-fictitious, or is it something that will be addressed in the upcoming Screeching Weasel documentary?

Dan: Even if there wasn't a documentary coming out I wouldn't want to speak for Ben or John. You should ask them.

Dave: Do you have any last words up your sleeve for the end of The Methadones, like an "Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?"

Dan: Nah, but we will be putting out a last recording with outtakes, b-sides, and 5 new songs. Look for that before the end of the year.

2009 Album Of The Year

2010-01-07T00:55:00.006-05:00

If you were to name the most influential punk band formed in the last 25 years Operation Ivy would be a good candidate. While never achieving the mammoth success of their peers in Green Day, it could be argued that the latter band would have never been as popular without the former. In the two years that Op Ivy existed they became the most popular band among those at the newly formed Gilman Street, and was one of the first bands to sign to the newly formed Lookout! Records, helping bring attention to what would both become punk rock institutions and drawing together that Bay Area scene. This all helped pave the way for the bands who made punk rock popular again in 1994, as well as pioneering the sub-genre of "Ska punk".

Before breaking up they put out "Energy" the best one-off punk album since the Sex Pistols "Never Mind The Bullocks", but in the 20 years since Energy was released the sound of was often copied among Ska punk bands, but often distilled of any sort of message or the energy that gave the album it's name.

Fast-forward to some months ago when I heard a song called "SBC" by a Ska punk band called the Have Nots.

"2008 another bummer
Not a sound from the encumbered numbers
No not a peep 'cause the scars run deep
So awash in grief we escape to slumber
Who can sleep in these beds they made?
Good fucking joke short sheet a shallow grave
Alarm clock ringing bring the dead."

These lyrics brought back thoughts to the Operation Ivy song "Freeze Up".

"It's 1989 stand up and take a look around
Weather's bitter tension it seems is sinking down
Drunk with power and fighting one another every hour
Shows the winter getting harder
There's a freeze up coming
One nation stands the tallest radiating blinding light,
Plastic and flourescent energy robbing us of sight-
Set in our way, content with our decay,
We wave the flag of freedom as we conquer and invade"

It was as if all the energy, power, and excitement that Operation Ivy had brought was being brought back by a new band. I don't want to give the impression that the Have Nots are simply a copy of the former band, which is far from the truth. But I make the comparison because both are Ska punk bands who use the same instruments as traditional punk music (or traditional Rock N Roll music for that matter) keeping a raw sound without relying on horns or keyboards.

After hearing a few other Have Nots songs I bought their album "Serf City USA", and was amazed at how consistently good the songs were. Not only was the sound a great combination of raw ska chords and punk, but the lyrics to the songs were so scathing and poignant, pointing fingers at all the wrongs in society. Take the song "One in Four" a track about returning veterans trying to survive with PTSD in the recession economy:

"Johnny got fucked by the GI bill,
choking on that bitter pill,
took what seemed the safest bet
and now he's home drowning in debt.
He hates his wife his life's a mess,
house and car got repossessed,
said it ain't right man I'm a vet
and set out for the statehouse with a gun"

It's not all politics either. The albums closing track "My Way" scathes about a deceased friend,

"Try to picture where you'd be today can't see you in the present tense
I think about that place you disappeared to man and why I never went
They say the darkest part of night is always right before the dawn
Wish you'd be able to see through, wish you'd be able to hold on"

Ending before the final chorus with the singer angrily screaming,

"I wish that stupid shit had meant to you just what it meant to me
I hope you finally found what you are looking for I guess I'll wait and see"

There's nothing sappy or sentimental about it, just raw emotion, and that sums up the entire album. By opening their eyes and taking a look at America circa 2009, the Have Nots have crafted an album fueled by the sites of injustice, corruption, poverty, drug abuse, death, and all the things most people want to turn a blind eye to. Years from now if someone wanted a time capsule of the trials and unease of the recession years "Serf City USA" could paint a perfect picture... oh and it would also make for a pretty great listen.

Honorable Mentions-
I don't like to do these year end lists because no matter how many albums you listen to there will always be great ones released that you missed only to discover years later. However I feel that Serf City USA as well as these following albums were too good not to be acknowledged.

*Rich White Males- We've Come Here To Ass And Play Bubblegum

San Diego's Rich White Males spew tongue in cheek nihilistic songs with titles like "Little Morphine Annie", "In Love With A Nazi Girl" and "I'm On Drugs" all played at a speed and sound that begs comparison to popular 70s punk bands like The Heartbreakers, Sex Pistols, and Ramones. There's nothing deep or political about it, but it makes for a great 20 minutes of buzzsaw riffs and nihilism, and does a better job at capturing the spirit of the first Ramones album than any of the so-called "Ramonescore" bands.

*Jello Biafra and The Guantanamo School of Medicine- The Audacity of Hype

After a pair of stellar albums backed by The Melvins, Jello Biafra is back and promising The Guantanamo School of Medicine to be his first fully concentrated touring and recording group since his days with the Dead Kennedys. Despite the title, The Audacity of Hype is primarily a collection of songs that paint a time capsule of the Bush administration and the past decade of Republican dominated politics starting with the opening lyrics, "Lost the vote, but god elected me, I'm never wrong cause he speaks through me". Any fan of the Dead Kennedys catalogue or any Jello stuff has no excuse for not enjoying this. Here's hoping this band will stick together and continue to tour and record.

*The Mighty Mighty Bosstones- Pin Points And Gin Joints

After breaking up in 2003, the guys who coined the term "Skacore" were silent until late 2007 when they reunited for a set of Hometown Throwdown shows and did a few new songs for a compilation. Now for the first time in 7 years they have a brand new album out, and one listen to Pin Points And Gin Joints will dispell any doubts that the Bosstones had lost a step in their time off. The album is layered with the bands great combination of Ska and punk, and unlike many of their third wave contemporaries the band continues to steer clear from cheesy goofball themes and lyrics, dealing with subjects as diverse as Dicky Barret's strained relationship with his father, to the economic collapse, to the war.

*Cobra Skulls- American Rubicon

After releasing one of my favorite albums of 2007 with "Sitting Army", the Cobra Skulls have topped that effort with this sophomore release. The songs on American Rubicon are more diverse with instrumentals, straight up ska, and tracks that can't really fit into any specific genre. If someone had given me this description before hearing the album I would be weary, but it all works out great with nothing straying too far from the bands punk roots. Also like their previous album, this one is again fueled by a Dead Kennedys-esque combination of pointing a finger (a humorous one at times) at today’s political issues and the punk scene itself throughout the lyrics. If you liked the Have Nots album that I wrote about American Rubicon makes for a good companion piece.

*Rancid- Let The Dominoes Fall

Rancid's latest album was met with scrutiny by some. Jim Testa of Jersey Beat called it "A bunch of embarrassing songs. At least a third of this thing sounds like it's being sung by punk-rock Muppets with fuzzy blue liberty hawks and big floppy ears."

One thing to understand is Rancid will never make another album as good as "And Out Come The Wolves" and factions of people have been ripping on every album since Wolves follow up "Life Won't Wait" because they expect AOCTW Part II. The fact is all of those follow-up albums have been great in their own right and Let The Dominos Fall is no exception. For an almost 20 song album there's some filler tracks, but most of it is a great mix of what you'd expect from Rancid, some ska stuff, some hardcore, straight up punk, rockabilly, lots of political themes and so on. If you're a fan of this bands catalogue I don't see how you can hate this. With another collection of great songs Rancid has assembled a catalogue that has more great listens than that of their biggest idols The Clash, and Let The Dominos Fall is no Cut The Crap.

The Politics of Gilman Street

2009-12-21T20:12:00.004-05:00

Recently it was announced that Against Me! were booked to play a show at 924 Gilman Street, only to have it announced shortly afterward that they would not be playing. On Against Me!'s website the band posted in response to this:

"Unfortunately the 924 Gilman Street show is no longer happening. We're not sure exactly why. We're looking to move the show to another venue in the Bay area, as soon as we have details we'll let everyone know."

It would seem that Against Me! are playing dumb with this statement, as anyone who knows anything about Gilman Street would know why this show is no longer happening, and I couldn't imagine Against Me! is that out of the loop with the punk scene. In fact they even appeared as the closing band in the Gilman Street documentary, which made a point to outline the clubs ideals. These ideals of course refer to Gilman Street being historically known not to book bands that play on major labels, and having blacklisted one-time regulars like Green Day and AFI. Despite this the rules seem to be some what undefined. Pinhead Gunpowder had an album released on Adeline, which is owned by Warner, yet after moving to Recess Records played Gilman last year.

Does this mean that as long as you are not currently tied to a major label you're okay? Rancid put out the album "Indestructible" through Warner, yet the majority of their sales come from albums released by Epitaph, and they're back with doing stuff for Epitaph under the Hellcat Records label. Yet Rancid are known as one of the bands blacklisted for "selling out" who are no longer allowed to play the club.

According to the Gilman Street website:
"We are generally willing to consider most bands, within reason. However, we do not book racist, misogynist, homophobic, or major label bands. Our “no major label” rule also applies to bands that are on record labels where 95% of their sales are done through major labels or major-owned distributors within the United States."

So if a band like Pinhead Gunpowder hypothetically got 90% of their sales through their albums on Adeline (I'm sure they don't as they only did a few releases with them, but let's play devil's advocate) as long as they're currently not with them they're okay to go? The line seems to be blurred, but having Against Me! play seems like a clear step across it.

I'm glad that the club has stuck by their rules and axed this show. It's amazing that this club has been able to stay open for 20+ years as a volunteer run, non-profit, and non-alcoholic venue, when other legendary places like CBGB have gotten shut down. I guess they know what they're doing, which has been re-iterated by not letting Against Me! play, and I guess they're doing it right.

Nostalgia Is Futile

2009-10-11T23:20:00.002-05:00

This past summer the 40th anniversary of the original Woodstock Festival came and went to little fan fair. There was some crappy comedy movie made about it and a few bands (or rather one or two members of the band and a bunch of ringers) who played the festival tried to cash in by doing a Woodstock anniversary tour. But the best look back at Woodstock was this article by Larry Livermore who attended the festival back in 1969. With all the after-hype that's been put on it he looked back and stated, "Hey, kids of today: don’t let the parents or grandparents fool you into thinking that your own lives can never possibly be imbued with such Importance and Meaning as theirs were. Ultimately it was half a million mostly middle class kids gathering together in a field to take drugs, have sex, and listen to music. Happens dozens of times every summer, all over the world, every year, and probably always will as long as there are kids, fields, drugs, sex and music."

There's no point living in the past, nostalgia is futile, you might as well embrace what you can in the present. Unfortunately this mentality is lost amongst not only burnt out ex-hippies and younger wanna be hippies, but its also infected into the minds of fans of punk rock.

Forget about yahoo! declaring that punk is once again dead (while completing ignoring a number of mainstream bands like Rancid, Bad Religion, and Against Me! who are still selling plenty of records and maintaining large fan bases, and being seemingly oblivious to any sort of existence of an underground scene), people who should know better, people who actually follow punk music seem just as stuck in their nostalgia and oblivion.

While watching this video I noticed some comments like "bands now won't be rememebred so much as the late 70's early 80's punk movement on the east and west coast and britain was when punk rock was at its peak and we missed it" and "if only the scene and the bands were still like this.now its just pure oi oi,fuck the pigs".

Punk is constantly evolving and in every era there has always been great bands coming and going. These people sound like some wanna be hippies complaining about how the 60s are over. What's the fucking point? You might as well embrace what you can in the present as it's impossible to live in the past.

Gallows, Psyched To Die, Banner Pilot, Rich White Males, Fucked Up, The Copyrights, Leftover Crack, Black President, Cobra Skulls, The Lanterns, Have Nots, Teenage Bottlerocket, This Is Hell, Jetty Boys, The Guts, Zatopecks, The Ergs!, Dead Mechanical, Classics Of Love, even Rise Against. There's 20 great bands off the top off my head all of which formed in the last decade, not to mention there are still bands from the 70s, 80, and 90s putting out recent material that is great. Of course you could make the argument that the punk music of this decade isn't as good as decades past, but to write off the entire current as forgettable is a joke. Good punk rock always exists all you have to do is look for it. And 30 years from now people will be complaining "Oh I wish Teenage Bottlerocket was still around!" or "They don't make bands like the Cobra Skulls anymore!" or even "I can't believe Tim Armstrong is dead! If only I had been born earlier and able to see Rancid!" (remember how bummed people who never got a chance to see The Clash were when Strummer died?).

Nostalgia is useless, make use of present time because the past will always be dead. Speaking of things that are dead who the hell uses yahoo! anymore? Hasn't google effectively killed them?

An interview with Phillip Hill (Teen Idols)

2009-08-30T16:24:00.004-05:00

You know him as the guitarist and founder of Teen Idols, as well as an ex-member of Screeching Weasel, Even In Blackouts, The Queers, Common Rider, and for a brief period (as I would find out) Rise Against's touring band. Phillip Hill was kind enough to do an interview with me where we discussed his past, present, and future in punk rock. Enjoy!

David: First off I'm wondering about your years growing up in Tennessee. In documentaries from the 80s like Another State Of Mind or Decline Of Western Civilization the Los Angeles punks always complain about getting hassled by people and discriminated against by police. If that was going on in L.A. what was the experience like in a more conservative city with significantly less of a scene?

Phil: I don't know first-hand what the L.A. scene was like because I wasn't there, but in the South in the 80s it was pretty tough to be a punk. I had guns pulled on me by rednecks several times (only got shot once!), was constantly asked if I was a "devil worshiper", was sent to detention for having a mohawk, etc. It was definitely a lot tougher back then. Common people had usually never seen a "punk" before, so they were very judgemental and suspicious. Ironically, the most judgemental were the Baptist Church members. So much for "judge not, lest you be judged"!

David: You got shot at?

Phil: I got shot through the thigh with a .25 caliber pistol when I was 18. The guy that shot me was a suburban white kid that was driving a lowrider pickup truck. Pretty typical "wigger" kid from the early 90s. People think I'm joking around when I say that it was dangerous to be a punk back then, but it was no joke! You actually had to fight for it and it meant something back then!

David: Yeah you hear stories about getting beat up by cops or other people but never about getting shot at. What happened to the pickup truck guy?

Phil: I got a letter from the police department saying they couldn't continue the investigation due to lack of evidence. They had a description of the vehicle (which I busted the back window out of with a brick as it was driving away after the guy shot me), a description of the guy that pulled the trigger, the bullet that they surgically removed from my body, and the location of the incident. What more did they need? When they first brought me in to the emergency room, the cop made a report and called it in over his walkie-talkie. He said, "Yep, it looks like we've got a biker here that got shot. Probably drug or gang related." I said, "Hey! I'm not a biker, a gang member, or on drugs! What the Hell?!" He just looked at me in disgust and walked away.

David: Were there many punk bands playing in Nashville? Can you name some locals bands that influenced you?

Phil: The scene back then was really diverse because it was so small. A common "punk" show would usually have a punk band, a hardcore band, a thrash band, and an "alternative" or "college rock" band all on the same bill. There were probably a total of 100 "punks" in the entire city back in '86 when I first started going to shows. Some of the bigger bands were thrash bands like F.U.C.T. and Caustic Solutions, punk bands like Rednecks In Pain and Stupid Americanz, and college rock acts like Web Wilder and Jason and the Scorchers.

David: What about out of town bands? How often did bands come through there and what were some of the more memorable shows you saw?

Phil: Nashville would get a few national punk bands from time to time; Black Flag, The Exploited, Cro-Mags, Ramones, Circle Jerks, Fugazi, 7 Seconds, D.R.I., Corrosion of Conformity, Dag Nasty, etc. Most of the time bigger punk bands would skip Nashville and play either Atlanta or Cincinnati, though.

David: Was Teen Idols your first band?

Phil: Ha, no. My first band was a heavy metal band called Arson. I started that in 8th grade. We really sucked. I was in a ton of speed metal and thrash bands in the 80s. I've been playing "professionally" (at real clubs) since I was 16 (Summer of '88). An already established thrash band called Caustic Solutions asked me to join as their 2nd guitarist after I invited them to watch my band's rehearsal in hopes of an opening slot on one of their upcoming shows. I was 16 and two of the other guys in Caustic were 29. they used to pick me up from high school on Friday afternoon and we'd hit the road and tour the Southeast all weekend to places like Atlanta, Knoxville, Birmingham, and Huntsville. Sometimes they would drop me back off at school on Monday morning after an all-night drive on the Sunday night before. It was a great learning experience! I felt like an old pro by the time I started Teen Idols at the age of 19.

David: What was going on in your life at that point? Were you someone who was going to college and playing music as a side thing, or did you start the band because you had nothing going on, and/or didn't want to pursue a conventional life?

Phil: I had already made up my mind that this is what I wanted to do for a living when I started Teen Idols. I was 19, but I was still a senior in high school because I had dropped out during my first senior year to devote all of my attention on music. College wasn't really an option. I was a pretty rebellious teenager and my grades in school were definitely sub-par. Not because I was stupid, but because I would skip class constantly and refused to do homework. I would usually sleep in class or write lyrics to songs in my notebook when I was supposed to be working. I viewed school as a daycare center for teenagers and was very disillusioned with the whole thing. I didn't grow up with a conventional life, so I never wanted to follow the "normal" path that is expected of most people.

David: I'd like to ask about the band name. Obviously there had been another band called Teen Idles, which I'm sure you were aware off. Was it the case that when your band was formed Teen Idles had just sort of been forgotten about, and like Minor Threat became more and more popular in the years after they had broken up? Do people ever show up to your shows expecting to see Ian MacKaye's band?

Phil: I had never actually heard of The Teen Idles when I decided on the name Teen Idols. They broke up in '81 and never toured that I know of, so I had no idea that they had ever existed. Every once in awhile we would have someone show up at a show thinking that we were the old D.C. band, but that hasn't really happened since we started putting out full-length albums. I think most people these days know the difference between the bands. Someone told me that Ian Mackaye was asked if he was bothered by our band name at a Fugazi show once and he said "It's not spelled the same. Plus, I've heard that they're a great band."

David: The band went through a lot of lineup changes in their early years, what do you attribute to all these members coming and going?

Phil: You have to keep in mind that I was the oldest in the band at 19 when we started. Our first singer was 16. That is a very turbulent time in people's lives. Sometimes people "outgrow" punk, or move on to different things. Most of the time the guys in the band just couldn't handle being in a professional band. They were just used to playing in the garage and playing the occasional party. I had bigger aspirations than that. I wanted to put out albums and travel the globe on tour. That takes a lot of dedication and sacrifice. Most people figure out too late that it's a "job" to be in a professional touring band and can't take the pressure, so they bail out.

David: Have you ever considered releasing something like Black Flag's Everything Went Black that compiles the bands recordings from before Keith Witt became the singer?

Phil: I have thought about re-releasing all of the 7"s and compilation tracks on a CD with an accompanying DVD of old live footage and interviews. I own all of the master tapes, so it wouldn't be that hard to do. Maybe it will get released eventually.

David: How did you meet Keith? It seems like the band became grounded once he became the singer.

Phil: That's actually really funny! Keith was a fan of the band that used to hang around our practice room and press record on our shitty tape recorder whenever we were working on new songs. He kind of joined the band by default. We had accepted a tour offer from the Queers in October of '95. It was going to be our first tour outside of the South and was a really big deal to me. 3 weeks before the tour was to begin, our singer and bassist decided to quit! That put me in a real bind. Keith immediately offered to be the new singer, but I was very skeptical. He had only been the singer in one other band, "Brutus Fly" and they were pretty horrible. I made him swear to me that he would practice everyday and sing double sets at every rehearsal. I have videos from that tour and we were horrible! I still can't believe we got fan mail from that tour.

David: Around this time there were all these bands like Green Day, Bad Religion, The Offspring, Rancid, etc. who had become popular in the mainstream. Did you notice any sort of trickle down effect in the underground like larger crowds for the sort of shows you'd go to or play?

Phil: I started the band in '92 and I had never heard of Green Day, Rancid, or Screeching Weasel. I was just trying to combine my favorite elements of the music I liked from bands like Misfits, Bad Religion, Descendents, Ramones, and 50s rock-n-roll. When we first started playing Teen Idols shows, people called us "sissy music" because it wasn't thrash, which usually got me into a lot of fights. Then when Green Day got popular, people called us "Green Day clones" which I think is ridiculous since most of our songs had been written before I had ever heard of Green Day and I don't think we sound anything alike. But yeah, once those bands hit MTV, the scene definitely got a large influx of new kids. It was pretty annoying at the time because most of them were totally clueless about the history of punk rock and only knew what they saw on MTV.

David: The first Teen Idols album was released in 1997 which had been proceeded by a slew of EPs. Why did you wait so long to record a full length?

Phil: There are several reasons. We were really poor and I couldn't afford to press a full-length myself on my wages I made by working at Burger King. The only punk label in our scene was House O'Pain Records and they only did 7"s. We sent our 7"s to labels like Lookout! Records, but they weren't interested. It seemed like we were getting turned down a lot because we were from the South, which made me even more pissed off. I had already been shot, beaten, and discriminated against for years by rednecks for defending the "punk" way of life, and now the "real punks" didn't deem my band worthy because we weren't from New York or California. It really felt like an uphill struggle the entire time.

Luckily, I put our 3rd 7" (which almost felt like albums to me because they were so hard to get recorded and pressed) in the hands of Ben Weasel. He sent it to Fat Mike at Fat Wreck Chords in hopes that he would release a single 7" by us on Fat. Mike liked it so much that he sent us to Sonic Iguana to record some more songs. He liked that batch of songs even more and decided to sign us to a two-album deal on his new subsidiary of Fat, Honest Don's. We ended up putting out 3 full-lengths on that label.

David: Can you talk about your time in Screeching Weasel? What led to you becoming a member and what was it like being a part of those House Of Blues shows after years of the band refusing to play live?

Phil: I had a blast playing in Screeching Weasel. When Ben was writing the songs for the album "Teen Punks In Heat", he decided that he would rather just concentrate on singing instead of playing guitar as well. He asked Mass Giorgini if he knew of anyone that might be up for the job and Mass suggested me. My first time seeing Screeching Weasel live was in Jughead's basement at my first rehearsal as the new 2nd guitarist! The House of Blues shows were huge. I felt guilty being up there because I felt like it was Dan Vapid's rightful place. He and Ben were at odds during that time, so it was awkward since Dan is also my friend as well. By the time we played the final Weasel show, Ben and Dan were friends again, so I invited Dan onstage to sing during "Joanie Loves Johnie". I think I was more excited than he was! Ha, ha!

David: I've seen professionally shot clips of these shows on youtube, will an official DVD ever be released?

Phil: That's totally up to Ben at this point. I hope it sees the light of day eventually. It was supposed to be part of a Screeching Weasel documentary. We did a bunch of individual interviews for it and everything. It seems like a real waste to just scrap the project.

David: Screeching Weasel broke up shortly after this and you would go on to play with John Jughead in his next band Even In Blackouts. Given you're relationship with John, if Ben Weasel had asked you to be in this latest Jughead-less version of Screeching Weasel would you have?

Phil: That's a tough question. I really feel like I would need to have John's blessing to do something like that. If John was against it, I would probably say "no". I wasn't asked in the first place, so I guess it was never an option.

David: While on this sort of subject do you feel any sort of regret replacing Keith and recording that one full length album without him? Why did he leave Teen Idols?

Phil: I don't regret releasing "Nothing to Prove" at all! I think it's a great album. Keith was fired from Teen Idols for a bunch of personal reasons. Kevin was a great replacement and is an awesome guy. He had some pretty big shoes to fill when he joined the band. His first time on stage with us was at a sold out show at the Masquerade in Atlanta opening for Less Than Jake, Anti-Flag, and New Found Glory. He handled himself like a pro.

David: After that album the band broke up, why did you decide to call it quits?

Phil: The band broke up because I decided to call it quits. By that point, I was the only original member left in the band. We had a huge drunken argument on tour and my guitar ended up getting smashed. It had been leading up to that point for a few years. After the initial fight, I tried to contact the other members and pull it back together, but the wounds were too fresh. Nobody wanted to even think about playing together as a band anymore at that moment.

David: In this past year you and Keith decided to reform Teen Idols. Had you stayed in contact with each other or was it just the sort of thing where one of you got in touch with the other one out of the blue?

Phil: I hadn't talked to Keith in about 8 years. He was fired from the band on very bad terms and was our bitter enemy for a long time. After having several years to reflect, he realized that he was being hard-headed and was in the wrong originally. He called me out of the blue one day because he had heard that I was living in Chicago. He had just moved there with his girlfriend and was working as the front of house lighting guy at the House of Blues. He thanked me for giving him the benefit of the doubt all of those years ago when I let him join the band. He told me that he was thankful for all of the opportunities to travel the world playing music and recording albums that I had given him. I thought that was a very humble and adult thing to do coming from the Keith I used to know. It turned out that he had to realize what he had lost before he could appreciate it. Not long after we re-connected, he asked me to be the Best Man at his wedding.

David: Did you guys try to get Heather and Matt on board as well?

Phil: Yeah. Matt was interested at first, but his schedule as Less Than Jake's drum tech was too demanding for him to commit to playing with us full-time. He is still open to the idea of playing with us from time to time. Heather still holds a grudge about the fight that led to the break-up in 2003. She refuses to talk to any of us, or about the band at all.

David: I was re-reading the Insubordination Fest Zine in which the interviewer asked you to talk about your new bassist. Since that was written she has been replaced so can you talk about the new new bassist?

Phil: Ha, yeah! Her name is Yvonne. The way I met Yvonne was almost like fate or destiny. Her band, the Scissors were playing a show with the Leftovers in Chicago. I had never heard of the Scissors and knew nothing about them. I was there to see the Leftovers. Yvonne definitely left an impression on me as being a good singer/guitarist, but I had already selected the new bassist for Teen Idols. In a weird turn of events, the girl I had been working with ended up not being able to do it and I was in a bind because we had already been confirmed to play at the Insubordination Fest and now we didn't have a bassist! I wrote to the Scissors' Myspace page and asked if there was any way that their guitarist would be willing to play with us on a short tour. Yvonne wrote me right back and said, "I only have one question; when do I get my Teen Idols leather jacket?!". It turns out that she was already a fan of the band! After hanging out with her and playing with her on the 7-show tour out to Insubordination Fest and back, we asked her to be a full-time member and she accepted. We're very lucky to have her!

David: It seems when a band has one female member playing an instrument, it's disproportionately a bassist. I remember Beavis and Butthead talked about this during what if I recall correctly was a Sonic Youth video, why do you think this is the case?

Phil: It's kind of funny because Yvonne is first and foremost a guitarist. I was originally supposed to be the bassist for Teen Idols, but I couldn't find a guitarist I was happy with. Our first bassist, Janell was the lead singer and upright bassist in a bluegrass band that was part of a school program at her high school. Part of their school program involved the bluegrass band experiencing a recording studio environment. The high school I went to had a 24-track recording studio program that I was in. I ended up being the main engineer on the project. One day in class, Janell slipped me a note that said, "I heard that you're looking for band members. Can I audition?". I was initially against the idea of having a girl in the band. I was also looking for a guitarist, not a bassist. But she was such an awesome musician and singer that I thought I'd giver her a shot. I switched over to guitar and she ended up forming such an integral part of the band's sound that we need to have a female bassist now or it just wouldn't be Teen Idols.

David: Teen Idols are preparing to record their first new album since 2003. I know you got in to some trouble talking about the label, but is there anything you can say about the album musically?

Phil: I won't really know until I write the songs! I usually find that if I try to force myself to write in a certain way, it sounds just like that; forced. I just have to let whatever happens happen. That sounds sort of like a hippy thing to say, but that's the only way I know how to describe it. I know that I want it to be aggressive like the self-titled album, but more advanced in the songwriting area. I guess we'll just have to wait and see!

David: Being around for so long is it the case that you find younger bands who influence your new music? If so who are they?

Phil: I don't really listen to enough of the newer bands to be influenced by any of them. I guess I'm an old man that's stuck in his ways about that sort of thing. I'm usually influenced by whatever mood I happen to be in at the time I'm writing. I mainly still listen to the bands that I liked back when the band first started.

David: Final question, with all the stuff you've done between Teen Idols, Screeching Weasel, Even In Blackouts, The Queers, and any other project you've been a part of is there any recording that stands out as your favorite, and any that you can say is your least favorite?

Phil: I've been lucky to have been involved with some really cool bands and recording projects. To me, they're all unique experiences, so it's hard to say which is my most or least favorite. I guess my most favorite would be all of the stuff I've done with Teen Idols, since that's my own material. Every other band has had it's own unique thing that makes it fun or cool. I was never really a ska fan, but I enjoyed my time playing guitar for Common Rider and bass for the Independents. I'm not too into the hardcore scene, but I had a blast touring as Rise Against's guitarist on the tour for the album "The Unraveling". Of course, my time in Screeching Weasel and The Queers were great because I'm a fan. Playing bass for Even In Blackouts made me stretch my legs as a musician and took me into musical areas that I probably wouldn't have gone to otherwise. I'm just thankful to have had a pretty awesome and well-rounded musical career at this point!

David: I had no idea you played with Rise Against on that tour. How did you hook up with them? Did they ever ask you to be a full time member?

Phil: I've known Joe and Dan since they were in 88 Fingers Louie. I was the engineer on the recording session for "The Unraveling" album at Sonic Iguana Studios. When Dan left the band, they asked me to fill in for the U.S. tour. We went out to California and back through Texas. I was in the band for 6 weeks. It was always understood that it was just a fill-in position because I was still in Teen Idols, The Queers, and Common Rider at that point. I worked with them again in the studio as an engineer on one of their EPs and ended up writing a guitar solo for one of the songs. After that session they asked me to join the band full-time, but I turned them down because I wanted to commit to Common Rider instead. Rise Against was still pretty unknown at the time and Common Rider was the new project of Jesse Michales from Operation Ivy. I thought I was making a smart decision with that one... WRONG! Ha, ha!

The Lanterns

2009-08-20T13:46:00.007-05:00

Tired of punk rock songs that are formulaic and feel done to death? Give The Lanterns a listen. The Lanterns are not your typical punk band, in fact they might fit better under some different categorization, I'd suggest alternative rock but that's become such a bastardized umbrella term that it's meaningless. Cowpunk could be another description as the bands songs are tinged with a Social Distortion-esque sound complete with bluesy guitar riffs combined with the personal lyrics of vocalist Courtney Denison. Denison could be Mike Ness with two X chromosomes, in fact based on The Lanterns new EP "Postcard Pictures" she could have ghost written a lot of Social D's catalogue going back to Prison Bound. But the songwriting is where those comparisons end, The Lanterns songs favor crisp fierce vocals over raspy shot ones, and a female singer adds new depths to this cowpunk sound that's associated with male dominated bands like Social D, The Supersuckers, and the Meat Puppets.

Hailing from Portsmouth, The Lanterns are one of the best localish bands I can remember hearing, and their EP is probably the best recording from a New Hampshire band since some vintage Queers stuff (and that comment is with no disrespect to fellow Portsmouth natives The Guts who have some nice stuff themselves).

Postcard Pictures is available now from the great Cheapskate Records, and the band also has a previous full length out titled "Last Generation" which I will have to check out.

The Jetty Boys

2009-08-13T14:04:00.005-05:00

While hardly unknown by the underground pop punk community, Sheboygan, Wisconsin's Jetty Boys are still pretty new with only one album under their belt, and relatively new to me. I believe I first heard the band a year or so on Ben Weasel's old ESPN Radio show and wasn't that impressed. Weasel played a song called "Telephone Operator" from their 2008 self-titled debut on Rally Records, and it just reminded me of a watered down version of the power pop sound that their label-mates The Leftovers were pursuing.

Now fast forward to 2009, as fate would have it would be The Leftovers who make me re-examine the band. It's the Tuesday after Insubordination Fest and after missing The Leftovers set during the festival I go to the Middle East Club to see the Teen Idols and Leftovers with opening act The Jetty Boys. While The Leftovers set was pretty distilled of most of their early punkish stuff in favor of newer slicker power pop songs, The Jetty Boys gave the best performance of all the bands on the bill with songs tenfold better than what I had previously heard. They also gave away free promo CD with songs from their upcoming album "Sheboygan".

The sampler includes three songs, the first two "Reflectors" and "I'll Be Fine" are fast paced pop punk songs that bring to mind 90's Lookout! bands like The Riverdales, Green Day, Screeching Weasel, and The Queers, while the third song "St. Patrick's Day" is a slower ballad-esque song in the same manner. However unlike most modern bands who draw these comparisons the Jetty Boys songs wouldn't stick out as a poor man's sound alike that could be a b-side or filler on aforementioned bands album. A song like I'll Be Fine is just as good as "2,000 Light Years Away" or "Making You Cry", and better than a lot of The Riverdales (who the Jetty Boys recently opened for) catalogue.

With The Guts and Leftovers leaving Rally Records for larger labels, The Jetty Boys have now stepped in as the labels premier band, and if this sampler is any indication of how the full album is they could easily eclipse both of them.

Rich White Males

2009-08-04T20:50:00.004-05:00

It's been a while since I profiled some up and coming bands that I've gotten into, and with some great stuff by under the radar groups being released as of late I figured now was the time. This will be the first in a series of reviews, enjoy and stay tuned.

The Rich White Males come courtesy of Cheapskate Records, though unlike most bands on the label RWM hail from San Diego rather than the Northeast. If you're not familiar with the band, you're probably familiar with the band members, Dangerous Dave of The Queers/Bugs plays bass while Russel, also from The Bugs, plays guitar and sings.

Being that the band is comprised of 2/3 of The Bugs, the Ramones-esque riffs should come as no surprise, however Russel brings to the table a nasally singing style reminiscent of Johnny Rotten, a style mostly forgotten in bands these days that is much appreciated here. This voice fits perfectly with the bands nihilistic lyrics in songs like "Back On Smack", "Everybody Hates Me" and "I'm On Drugs" to name a few. In addition to the spews of hatred and junkydom, the band has two "love songs", both still played at standard Ramones speed and sound (you could hardly call them ballads). There's the tongue in cheek "In Love With A Nazi Girl" which opens with Hitler soundbytes, and "Invisible Girl" a nihilism free song that shows the band at its most diverse (as limited as that may be), it wouldn't sound all that out of place on an early Green Day album.

Rich White Males are infinitely more interesting than their sister band The Bugs, or anything that The Queers have done in recent years. If you enjoy the fast paced anti-everything sound of the first two Screeching Weasel albums, or want '77 influenced punk that can actually laugh at itself this band is for you. You can get their debut album "We've Come To Kick Ass and Play Bubblegum" here.

In Money We Trust Inc: Warped Tour 2009

2009-07-28T09:38:00.004-05:00

“Hey Kids!
Hey Dad!
What do ya want to do today?
We don't know.
Do you wanna go to the matinee?
NO!
Do you wanna go to the Amusement Park?
NO!
Do you wanna go to the punk rock show?
Yeah! Let's go to the punk rock show!”
- NOFX, The Separation Of Church And Skate

Two years ago I wrote an article on the Warped Tour titled Corporately Named Christ Tour 2007 about how the abundance of Christian music (and bad music in general) plus commercialism turned me off from going, missing the chance to see one of my all time favorites Bad Religion. After not even bothering to look into the tour last year, I was shocked to find out that for 2009 not only Bad Religion, but NOFX, Gallows, Less Than Jake, Big D and The Kids Table, and other actual worthwhile bands were playing. I was intrigued, but still not sold, there were a number of shitty bands on the line up who's presence and fan base I did not want to be in the same vicinity of. A couple days before the tour came here I bit the bullet and got a ticket. I figured if I would pay $30 a piece to see Bad Religion and NOFX play separate shows $40 for both was a worthwhile purchase, and two days later I set off on my journey unsure what to expect.

The first thing I realized when arriving there was that it was extremely clear everything at this place was designed for profit and not convenience. As soon as I parked and got out of the car I noticed an opening to go into the venue right in front of me. I preceded to walk through it but was stopped and told I could not enter because I needed a special pass that could have been purchased with ticket for x dollars more. This wasn't an entrance to the backstage area or anything it was simply an entrance to the venue, dumb but fare enough. But then they added "same things with the bathrooms", pointing at the port-a-potties which were on the outside of the entrance. "What?" I said thinking this person was making a joke. "You need the pass to use them,” the security guy repeated. I set off on a 10-minute walk to the other side of the venue where the official entrance was so that I could come in and then take a piss. I was thrown off because they weren't checking ID's and xing people up after they checked the tickets, which I was reminded they don't bother to do at big venues serving alcohol. After being accustomed to doing that upon entry to so many shows in a row it was a culture shock of sorts, one of many that I would experience that day. Also upon entering I was told there was no re-admittance if you step outside the venue. This is fine for a show that takes up the evening but ridiculous for an all day event. At Insubordination Fest you were simply given a wrist band which you could show whenever you exited and came back to the venue, it worked well so that when no one you liked was playing you could leave and come back when someone you were interested in was on, and if you were hungry it allowed you other options than the hot dogs and hamburgers being served there. This was a simple system that could have been easily implemented at Warped. After seeing the $8 sandwiches, $9 beer, and $5 sodas being served here it became clear why they did not want people to be doing this.

It became clearer and clearer they were trying to get every last buck they could milk out of you. There was no set schedule for the day, so to find out who was playing at what time, and where each stage was located, it cost $2 for a crappy photocopied schedule and map. When I met up with a friend later that day and asked how they determine the schedule he said it's picked at random which is an absolutely horrible idea that serves no practical purpose of anything but getting people to pay $2 (I'll get more into the problems with the random schedule later).

Anyway now that I had the day’s schedule I noticed no worthwhile bands playing for the next 40 or so minutes. I walked around and checked out the merch tents. As I noticed the other people I felt very out of place, lots of high school kids, girls in flip flops, neon shirts, parents, even a tent for the anti-smoking campaign "The Truth". I ended up spending time talking to the dude at the Vagrant Records tent about Screeching Weasel and Even in Blackouts, before killing some more time and finally giving in to my hunger, which cost $8 for a Roast Beef sandwich with chips. I was shocked to find their were water fountains free of charge if you walked over to the bathrooms, and even more shocked that people were in spite of this putting down $5 a bottle on multiple bottles of water throughout the day.

When it came time for Streetlight Manifesto the, first band I was interested in seeing, play it took me a while to find the stage, despite the fact that I had the map. Instead of doing something that made things locatable like labeling stages in numbers or letters based on the order they can be found in, each stage was named after a corporate sponsor. Now with a map this problem is solvable except when you do something stupid like name one stage the "Hurley Stage" and another stage the "Hurley.com Stage". The venue was arranged so that most of the stages were set up in the parking lot, all of which were shown on the map, and unbeknownst to me one stage was in the actual amphitheater. After being confused about why there was no one on the stage I thought I was going to see Streetlight at I rechecked the map and in small print saw "Hurley.com Stage in amphitheater". I realized I was at the Hurley stage. If it wasn't for the map I may have missed the set because they gave two stages almost identical corporate names, $2 well spent I guess (though it still should have been given away for free as a necessity).

I got to see most of Streetlight's set and it felt great jumping into the pit with slamdancers away from all these people I had nothing in common with. It was a stellar set, but right after Streetlight finished some crappy band called Dear and The Headlights came on, and I looked at the schedule only to see I had another 40 minutes to kill before anybody worthwhile came on. I again wandered around the venue, and surveyed up the people around me. During Streetlight Manifesto it seemed like a regular audience you'd see at any show, but when these people weren't all in one concentrated area they were drowned out by an abundance of people I felt no connection to. It wasn't even the age different, listening to these kids converse, it felt like these were the same people I hated when I was in high school. Before meeting up with some friends later on, I spent most of my conversation time with the people behind various merch booths who were impressed by my Screeching Weasel shirt.

When the 40 minutes were up I went to check out Anti-Flag. Going into this I was never a huge Anti-Flag fan, I knew a few of their songs but in general thought they were sort of a cliché anti-corporate major label band, however in this environment they came off as a total breath of fresh air. Fast paced sing a long punk songs, a great crowd, and a Clash cover thrown in, were much needed and all delivered.

Unfortunately once they ended another huge gap of time was opened up before any other worthwhile band played.

I did more wandering around, more talking to people at merch tables about my shirt, caught some of this British punk band named Tat do a half-decent set of songs in front of a crowd who just stood there, and finally decided to go into the amphitheater and just sit now to kill the rest of the time between now and when Bad Religion played. While there some pop-rock type band named Meg & Dia played. They did a cover of Blind Melon's No Rain, but for the most part served as background noise.

I went back to the parking lot turned fairgrounds area to see Bad Religion, and saw the exact same crowd who were at Anti-Flag and Streetlight congregated again. I also ran into some friends and we talked about how lame this was turning out to be.

Bad Religion gave a great performance as always, and I wished I had shown up at this point instead of hours earlier, as Bad Religion, Gallows, and NOFX were all going to be playing around this time (if only there had been some way to know this in advance…). When Bad Religion finished I rushed over to another stage to catch the Gallows. The schedule noted there was a 15 minute overlap with these two bands, but I figured I could still catch half of there set. By the time I got over there I saw them play two songs, Abandon Ship and a cover of Black Flag's Nervous Breakdown which few people seemed to recognize, since most people there familiar with Black Flag where watching Bad Religion (hell most people familiar with the Gallows were probably watching Bad Religion).

So after sitting around for hours with no worthwhile bands playing, two of them play at the same time. Lets take a look at why this happened, and why anyone who actually cared of putting on a good festival wouldn't let this happen; because the schedule was picked randomly in order to get people to spend money on schedules and maps, people and bands have to suffer by having bands with similar fan bases play at the same time, all in the name of Kevin Lyman making a buck, when he's already whored out every other avenue that he can at this tour. When the Insubordination Fest schedule was posted (logically in advance) I remember Chris from Insubordination Records said that he tried his hardest to make it so that similar bands would not overlap. I guess I should expect some sort of emphasis on profiting at a festival named the VANS Warped Tour, but the fact that they put it over the fans experience is ridiculous.

So the two Gallows songs were great, and NOFX followed that up with a stellar set as always (though Separation Of Church And Skate wasn't included). As I left the venue I had mixed feelings on the experience. It was well worth the $40 to see Bad Religion and NOFX, but the waiting around, the other people, the blatant emphasis on money over everything else, it's not something I'd like to see again. Sure the abundance of Christian bands weren't there, but the almighty lord had just been replaced by the almighty dollar.

I'm sad to see bands like the Gallows, Bad Religion, and NOFX associate themselves with this. What about showing some DIY spirit and booking your own tour together? That way fans will get to see longer sets, and can just show up at 8 instead of devoting their whole day at the venue. I applaud Rise Against and Rancid for doing a co-headlining tour like this for this summer, and it's something more of the bigger punk bands should do together as opposed to the Warped Tour.

This tour was started as a purely punk rock showcase, not some huge event that all the high school kids go to as if it were a trip to the beach. As it stands now it's closest connection to the punk scene is the famous quote by Johnny Rotten, "Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?" I have.

Insubordination Fest 2009

2009-07-07T11:57:00.006-05:00

"Michael King of Pop Dead". The headline reads from the leftover USA Today that sits in the back of the car from two days ago. In Los Angeles, California the streets are filled with hopeless fans, the TV news doesn't show anything but this. Meanwhile in Tehran, Iran the streets are filled with protestors disputing a rigged election, who are getting quieter and quieter by way of violence. Their TV news CAN'T show them, and back in America they simply won't. Is our country really so celebrity obsessed that we deem the death of a man who hasn't made decent music in almost two decades more important than something that's actually well, important?

Outside of Michael Jackson's world of being forced into music as a child through labor rather than love, having professional songwriters help churn out his hits, taking jets from Arena to Arena, having a team of yes men that would make the staff at Graceland blush, and being so obsessed over his own self-image that not only does his face adorn all his album covers but he continues to mutilate it through plastic surgery all the way till the end, exists Insubordination Fest. Here the bands found a love for music on their own, the songwriters are the same people who perform the music, the bands travel in beat up vans from club to club, playing in front of 100 people for most of them would be a good night, and much of the album covers are adorned by cartoon characters from dancing monkeys to pinheaded babies flipping you off.

The journey to this year’s Fest started with waking up at the ungodly hour of 4:45 AM (the alarm was set for 5:30 but I felt to wired to fall back asleep, call it the "Christmas Eve syndrome"). By 6 I had showered, grabbed my backpack and sleeping back, and jumped into the car and left. About 13 hours, 6 caffeinated drinks, and a lot of rest stops later we arrived in Baltimore.

I walked into the venue as The Unlovables were playing; having no interest in them I checked out the merch tables and discovered there were three different stages all on the same level of the club. This was a nice change from two years ago where you could only see one band at a time and if you didn't like them your options were to wander around the merch for twenty minutes, go watch people do drugs in the bathroom, or find something else that would occupy your time. I went off to the bigger of the two secondary stages and caught the Secretions set. At a place where a band t-shirt, jeans, and Converse All-Stars could be seen on practically everyone the Secretions looked kind of out of place at Insubordination Fest with the singers stylized spiked hair, their lock necklaces, and boots. The bands music was decent enough, a mix of fast paced angry songs and then some lesser goofball ones with titles like "Queen Of The Scene".

After their set I went over to the next room and discovered the even smaller third stage. With about thirty other people standing around I watched a 300 plus pound guy sans shirt sit behind a drum kit cracking jokes. I wasn't sure if he was part of a band, a one-man band, or just some guy providing some entertainment between sets until another 300 plus pound shirtless guitarist joined him and then an average sized bass player wearing a shirt. This was my introduction to The Sheckies, a name I recognized but until that point had no image to match it with. The band proceeded to give an entertaining set of songs with subjects ranging from Xanax to Star Wars. The guitarist went into a rant about why we should by their merch because they were "starving artists" and proceeded to jiggly around his fat rolls for the whole audience, before finishing up their set with a cover of The Shirelles "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?".

After wandering around a bit I found myself back at the third stage which was now occupied by a band of seven or so people dressed in matching white shirts with red sweater vests and ties. In front of them were three guys acting like bouncers dressed in campy Village People-esque police uniforms. I would later find out this group was Lost Locker Combo, their songs consisted of singing about school but the music, which while limiting wasn't that bad, wasn't the main source of entertainment. Throughout their set the band engaged the audience by shooting silly string, and throwing out things from rulers and plastic swords to balls of paper. The set turned into a back and forth throwing match between audience and band ala Green Day's "Mudstcok" Performance, and was one of the coolest and most entertaining sets of the fest.

I went back to the main stage in the middle of Underground Railroad to Candyland's set. Various band members were dressed in bandanas covering half their face, red wigs of hair, and heads masked as birds. They did a cover of Pink Floyd's "When The Tigers Broke Through" which I dug despite it being out of place at a punk festival and not many people recognizing it.

I was excited to see Pansy Division who was coming up next on the main stage. They started their set by putting up rainbow gay pride flags that had "I Want A Divorce" written on them. After opening the set with "Who Treats You Right" they announced the bass drum had broken and would be replaced momentarily. The band left the stage but eventually the bassist came back out to dance around to "Anarchy In The U.K." which was playing on the P.A. Soon the rest of the band joined him. Jon Ginoli the bands singer went up to the mic and said "Sorry to interrupt Anarchy, but this song is called Dick Of Death", and with that their mix of sexual and political songs continued as planned. Halfway through the set the bassist left the stage and returned sporting a dress before jumping into their classic song "James Bondage" where he threw gay porn into the audience. The band finished their set in true punk fashion by ripping up a bible and throwing the pages at the audience (I caught Isaiah: 44).

I could have done without the next band Suicidie, who were this years equivalent to 2007 performers Short Attention, a joke band made up of people on a message board (one of whom in Suicidie's case was Lookout founder Larry Livermore). Their set, which was under ten minutes, was made up of mock-hardcore songs with a Lookouts cover thrown in. It seemed like most people just stood around with most of their songs being too short to get into. With these factors and their niche appeal the band would have been better served for the third stage. On a side note the next day I saw Larry and went up to him hoping to tell him how great his article for the Insub Fest Zine was and how I hope to be at Insubordination Fest when I turn 60. Unfortunately someone else started talking to him, so I stood for a few minutes waiting for them to finish. I looked away at the merch table and when I looked back he was gone, maybe that's karma for hating his set.

The stage was now cleared for the final Steinways set, at least until their inevitable future reunion. I was never much of a big Steinways fan but they put on a good show and the audience really dug it.

But the Steinways were blown away by Boris The Sprinkler who put on the best performance of the day with singer Rev. Norb entering in a pink leather suit covering his entire body up to his face. "Hold on" he said before they started playing, and whipped out a matching mask. Putting it on he had now effective covered every ounce of his flesh with pink leather. One of the great characters in the history of punk, Norb ripped through the first few songs before finally taking off his mask. He replaced it with his trademark "Geek" helmet complete with antlers. Even the audience dressed up for Boris's set. "It's Superman!" one of the guys in the band shouted as a person complete in a Superman outfit crowdsurfed up towards the stage. Boris would even one up Lost Locker Combo, bringing out endless rolls of toilet paper and starting a TP fight with the audience. A strong-armed concert going landed a roll on one of Norb's antlers and it stayed there for the entire set.

With great music to match their stage show Boris The Sprinkler was a tough act to follow. And while that night’s headliner the Dead Milkmen couldn't upstage their show, their music was just as good. Armed with an arsenal of punk, ska, and new wave tinged songs they did a lengthy set of what seemed like 30 or so tunes. While they had no fancy costumes or toilet paper to throw (sans what was thrown from the leftover TP on the floor of the pit) the audience seemed into them just as much with the crowd dancing through all 30 numbers. Before finishing up their set Milkmen singer Rodney Anonymous went on a rant about Michael Jackson complete with a jazzy instrumental by the band to back him up (a la the Dead Kennedys "Night Of The Living Rednecks"). "I turn on MSNBC... what I saw was the worst case of Necrophilia, people lining up to suck Michael Jackson's dead dick." But the line I'll remember the most from it was "I was never a big Michael Jackson fan. The year that Thriller came out I spent my money on Mommy's Little Monster, and I stand by that decision."

The world of Insubordination Fest is far removed from that of Michael Jackson, from that of the mainstream in general. This is the world outside of all the celebrity, PR, and bullshit in music, and from Social Distortion in 1983 to The Sheckies in 2009, its been functioning for years, and will continue to function for years to come. Roll over Michael, you may be all over the TV news but to us you're irrelevant.

Epilogue: That's the gist of this year’s Insubordination Fest. There was a second day, but it wasn't as eventful, I missed a lot of it due to spending most of the day in Washington, DC. I caught five acts when I got back to Baltimore, but my legs could barely stand me due to 4 or 5 hours of walking around our nation's capital. Slam dancing was out the question and towards the end of the show so was standing in place for a concentrated period of time. I ducked out after the Teen Idols played, missing what would be Dillinger Four’s infamous closing set in which Paddy performed nude. I would however like to mention the amazing set I saw Psyched To Die put on at the second stage that day. With their great hardcore songs and a cover of X's "We're Desperate" I'd put them above Boris The Sprinkler for best set at the fest. The other people in the audience seemed to like it too, the barrier between band and crowd was literally broken by the audience, and some kid managed to dangle upside down from the ceiling before falling back into the crowd. There was also the event of hanging out back at the hotel with a drunk girl from the show who claimed to be a heroin dealer. Her loudness seemed to keep any of us who tried to go to bed from getting any quality sleep, and because my inability to sleep inspired me to start writing this in the early hours of Sunday morning I dedicate this article to her, in whatever alley selling dope she may be.

An interview with Mike Yannich (Psyched To Die)

2009-05-21T21:14:00.002-05:00

Mike Yannich (formerly Mikey Erg) is the current singer/guitarist of Psyched To Die, as well as being the drummer for previous other bands most notably The Ergs. He took the time to answer some questions which will additionally appear in this years Insubordination Fest Zine.

David: First off let me say your music has brought me much enjoyment. I was sad to see The Ergs breakup but at the same time I love the direction that you've taken with this new band.

Psyched To Die is an obvious departure from The Ergs. I mean The Ergs had some fast hardcore influenced songs, but nothing like this. Why did you decide to start a band like this instead of following a similar sound to the other bands you play in?

Mike: I was working with Brian one night and he turned to me and said "let's start a fast punk band". It's basically that simple. At this point the Ergs were still together and I thought it was be cool to do a band that was just Snotty and Punk Rock.

David: When exactly did you and Brian form Psyched To Die?

Mike: Our first practice was the first week of december 2007. We didn't add Frump and start playing out until summer of 2008 though.

David: Where did Frump come from, what band was he in before Psyched To Die?

Mike: Frump was in a band called Fast Times, which was one of the first local punk bands I ever saw. I didn't really know him then. I first met him a couple years ago because he started taking picture at shows and he handed me a disc with a bunch of Ergs photos on it. Around the time we recorded the demo and decided we were ready to start playing out, we asked him to play second guitar to fill out the sound of the band.

David: Has their been any sort of backlash amongst Ergs fans for your new music, or has everyone found the tradition from pop punk to hardcore punk easy?

Mike: People have been pretty open to it actually. People do tell me that I should do another poppy band at some point and I'm sure I will, but the reaction to PTD has been very positive so far.

David: What type of crowds have been showing up for Psyched To Die shows? Is it some sort of a mix of people who know you from The Ergs or The Unlovables, and then at the same time hardcore kids who never followed your other stuff but saw the band open for say the Cro-Mags or whomever else you've played with?

Mike: I've noticed that it's a lot of the same people that would come to Ergs shows. On tour, the best nights were the cities that the Ergs did really well in. We're still fairly new so I'm sure once we play out some more it will start to become a mix of both.

David: So you're playing Insubordination Fest with Psyched To Die, as well as a bunch of other bands you're in (how many?), anyone at this years fest that you're particularly psyched to see play?

Mike: I think I'm doing 6 sets this year. Crazy. As for bands I'm totally stoked for, I'm really excited to see Boris the Sprinkler, Egghead., Spodie, Dead Milkmen, D4, Toys That Kill...I'm pretty much into every band playing so it will be an exhausting weekend for me.

David: You got Brian Gorsegner formerly of For Science as the drummer for Psyched To Die. His old band broke up around the same time as The Ergs, but under some much odder circumstances, with the singer breaking down on drugs and moving to Hawaii. Have you or Brian talked to him since? Do you know if he's doing okay?

Mike: Yeah, He's doing fine. He appearantly got really sick while he was in New Orleans but he's all better now. He's working on some solo stuff that I'm sure will blow minds.

David: And concerning your bassist am I correct in assuming J Nixon is an homage to Greg Ginn's alter ego Dale Nixon? Who is J Nixon's true identity?

Mike: Actually, as far as I know J Nixon is his real name.

David: Speaking of Greg Ginn, Psyched To Die is clearly influenced by early Black Flag and other SST stuff. If the band continues will the music start to mix in other styles outside of hardcore like Black Flag, the Meat Puppets, Husker Du, and the likes eventually did? You could say The Ergs were pretty well known for doing this.

Mike: Our Newest 7" Scatter Brained is a bit different. On the title track there's some more singing and its a bit longer than most of our other stuff. The b-side of the record is closer to the songs from the demo. The Ergs kind of made it a point to throw every style under the sun into our music. PTD started as more of a "let's do this one thing" kind of band and then morphed into "Let's do whatever we think sounds good." I'm sure we'll evolve even more on our next few releases.

David: Do you expect the band to grow lyrically as well as musically? Will the focus, stay on pessimistic, nihlistic, death themed songs?

Mike: That's one thing that I think will stay the same. The Music will evolve however it does but I think the constant will be the dark lyrics. I think that's what makes Psyched to Die Psyched To Die.

David: You have a very diverse taste in music, what got you into all these different subsets?

Mike: I've just always been into all kinds of music since I was very young. If it sounds good to me, I'll listen to it. No matter what genre it is.

David: So how did you get into punk and hardcore?

Mike: Of course, Green Day and Rancid played a huge part. The thing that got me into the underground was the first Punk O Rama comp. That got me into NOFX and Down By Law. Then I started reading MRR. I would just randomly order 7"s and stuff that looked interesting from ads. It all kinda snowballed from there. I just went to a ton of shows and got involved.

David: How long will Psyched To Die last? Is this just a one off side project so that you can play a different type of music, or are you in this for the long haul?

Mike: It started as a side project. All of us were in more serious other bands when we first got together. By the time we started playing out all of our other bands broke up. At that point we made the decision to take Psyched To Die more seriously. You can never tell how long a band will last but i"m pretty sure we're all in it for the long haul.

David: Would you classify Psyched To Die as your "main band"?

Mike: I suppose I would. It's definitely the one I'm most creatively involved in at this point.

David: Alright I'll end with some quick questions concerning the 80s hardcore sound the band is based on, Decline Of Western Civilization or American Hardcore?

Mike: Decline. No Contest.

David: Do you have a favorite kid from Decline? I know Eugene, has quite a backstory and is currently a folk musician.

Mike: I didn't know that. That's pretty awesome. I never really thought about it. My favorite thing about Decline is the musical performances. I'm just glad there's a visual document of the Chavo-era Black Flag.

David: Keith Morris or Henry Rollins?

Mike: Keith.

David: Did Rollins ever hear Pray For Rain? Did you have to pay him for using a sample from his audiobook?

Mike: I don't think he has. When the Ergs were on tour supporting dorkrock, we played a club that Henry was going to be playing a couple weeks after we were. I gave a CD to the club owner and asked her to give it to him. Moments later I realized "fuck, there's that unauthorized sample on there!!". I ran back to the club owner and told her to keep the cd for herself. Hopefully she did.

David: DOA, DRI, DYS, JFA, MDC, SOA, or SSD?

Mike: SOA, definitely.

David: The punk episode of CHIPS or the punk episode of Quincy?

Mike: Quincy All the way.

Screeching Ringers

2009-03-19T12:09:00.014-05:00

In the last few days it has come to my attention that Screeching Weasel will be reforming June 19th to play a show at the famous club in Austin, Texas, Emo's. My first reaction to this was naturally excitement, however as more details came out this excitement turned to dissapointment. No, it's not because it turned out this show is a hoax, Emo's website confirms it on their calendar, as does Screeching Weasel on their myspace page, and while a band billed as Screeching Weasel is scheduled to play, the Screeching Weasel that many of us know and loved may not.

Throughout their history Screeching Weasel had an ever changing line-up, but two members remained constant, frontman Ben Weasel, and his right hand man, guitarist John Jughead. Ben and John formed the band together, played on every recording and every show together, and broke-up the band together (three different times). They complemented each-other well, both musically and personally. Ben's persona (whether it be true or not) was the cocky abrasive loudmouth who was a friend to many and enemy to many more, mouthing off in his Maximum RocknRoll column. Jughead was the nice quiet guy, who stood by Ben's side, the bands voice of reason, who said in his book, Weasels In A Box, that as a child his mother would get frustrated because he literally would not hurt flies. The two were the closest thing punk rock had to an Axl and Slash, the abrasive controversial singer, and his guitarist who shut up and played, hiding behind his long hair and goofy hats.

Without Jughead there was never a Screeching Weasel, but on June 19 that may not be the case. Ex-Weasel guitarist Phil Hill has confirmed on poppunkbored.com that he, bassist Mass Giorgini, and drummer Dan Lumley, all members of the bands last incarnation, would not be participating in this show. He also added that Jughead did not want to talk about the subject of this show with him, doubting that Jughead himself will participate in it, which caused quite a stir among poppunkbored visitors (update: Phil has since said Jughead was not even told about the show). The only other ex-member likely to be guaranteed to play with "Screeching Weasel" is Dan Vapid, who is currently playing with Ben in the recently reformed Riverdales (the Riverdales are scheduled to play Emo's the next night).

Screeching Weasel essentially had two core line ups. They recorded My Brain Hurts, Wiggle, Anthem For A New Tommorow, Bark Like A Dog, and the Ramones cover album with Ben, John, Dan Vapid, and Dan Panic. When Vapid and Panic left they recorded, Television City Dream, Emo, and Teen Punks In Heat, with Mass Giorgini and Dan Lumley. During these times there were various additional guitarists coming and going, and at one point Vapid left, was replaced by Green Day's Mike Dirnt, only to rejoin again. While this core of the band existed, and while Vapid, Panic, Mass, and Lumley played important parts, their roles where always replaceable. John Jughead's wasn't.

At various times Ben Weasel stated Screeching Weasel would always be him and Jughead, the band wouldn't exist if both of them weren't playing together. Throughout the bands history this rang true. When the band broke up for the second time in 1994, Ben, Vapid, and Panic continued playing music together, but as the Riverdales. When they broke up for a third time in 2001, due to Jughead's frustration over a lack of touring, Phil Hill suggested they bring back Dan Vapid to replace John and continue on, but Ben wouldn't have it. He would team up with Vapid, but to record his first solo album. In both of these situations he could have cashed in on the Screeching Weasel name and continued playing under the name but he didn't, because Jughead was not there, and therefore Screeching Weasel was not there. So why now in 2009 has he changed his mind?

Ben Weasel has changed a lot from his Screeching Weasel days. The kid who was expelled from three different high schools, who left his home to live a life touring with fellow miscreants across the country in a beat up ride, playing on stages naked, and sleeping at overcrowded punkhouses and on strangers floors, is no longer a kid. Today Ben is a John McCain supporting, church-going family man, living on a farm in Wisconsin with his wife, an expecting mother of twins. While by no means a member of the religious right, or a yuppie, his transformation is nonetheless prevalent, and a testament to the fact that overtime people, and the values they hold, can change.

So has Ben abandoned the morals he once had about Screeching Weasel always being him and Jughead, in order to cash in and help put his kids through college? Or is he just continuing to go against the grain and living up to the Ben Weasel persona by making enemies, and pissing people off, by doing whatever he wants?

For the record all my experiences with Ben have been positive. From meeting him at a show, email, and even him taking the time to comment on the very first blog entry here (which was inspired by his call for more punk-related blogs) he is to me, a well grounded and nice person, far from the rockstar jerk that some people make him out to be. I will always be thankful for him, for taking the time to communicate with fans like me, and I will always enjoy his music. But now every time I think about Screeching Weasel, I think about them a little different. This is similar to way the Dead Kennedys and Misfits will always have the faux reunion messes hanging over them, with that popping up in the back of my mind when I listen to them.

I know people will argue that music should stand by itself and ones opinion of what the artist does outside of the studio/stage shouldn't matter, but thats hard to do. When you invest so much time into, and have such a great time listening to a band you like it's almost as if you've developed a friendship with someone you've never met, but have a pre-conceived idea of who they are. Having Ben go against what he once said his band stood for, him and Jughead playing together, and going against the integrity I thought he had, in order to make more money, feels the same as a friend stabbing me in the back.

Ben Weasel is Ben Weasel, at the end of the day he decides what he wants to do and think. But I am me, and I also decide what I do and think. I think playing without Jughead comes off as a cash-in that hurts the bands legacy, and I think Screeching Weasel is not Screeching Weasel without John Jughead.

Punk Rock And The Bush Presidency

2009-01-19T14:08:00.009-05:00

Tomorrow marks the final day of George W. Bush's presidency, eight years which most American's categorize as a step in the wrong direction to say the least. Newsweek columnist Jacob Weisberg commented that "It remains a brainteaser to come up with ways, however minor, in which Bush changed government, politics, or the world for the better". While Bush may not have changed politics or government for the better, his presidency has inspired a great number of punk songs, albums, and bands, for the better.

In the early 1980's with the Reagan presidency, a slew of political punk bands rose to greatness. The punk scenes popular nihilistic themed bands from the late 70s like The Germs, Fear, and The Heartbreakers, were replaced with politically conscious bands like the Dead Kennedys, Bad Religion, Bad Brains, D.O.A., MDC, Reagan Youth, and countless others. Sure there were popular apolitical bands like The Descendents or Misfits, but punk, particularly hardcore, become more synonymous with anti-Reagan politics.

A similar thing has happened with the Bush presidency. At the start of the new decade the most popular punk bands were MTV-approved apolitcal ones like Blink-182, Sum41, and New Found Glory. As Bush's presidency continued anti-Bush political bands like Rise Against, Anti-Flag, and Against Me, rose in popularity and eventually all signed on to major labels. Popular bands that once wrote apolitical songs changed their tune, such as Green Day, Sum41, and especially NOFX. Fat Mike organized the punk voter project, and put out the Rock Against Bush albums, in an effort to help defeat Bush's re-election. While Bush was narrowly re-elected, the number of youth voters, punk voters target audience, increased and many of those first-time young voters, voted again and helped Obama get elected in the last election. Punk voter didn't succeed in getting Bush out of office, but I believe it succeeded in planting seeds in people who had previously been uninterested in politics. If anything Bush has helped re-associate punk with politics, and to quote NOFX, "if you think punk rock doesn't mix with politics you're wrong."

I'll end with a list of the essential anti-Bush Administration songs from this era:

*Jello Biafra & The Melvins- McGruff The Crime Dog
Jello's 2003 album "Never Breathe What You Can't Say" is to me the definitive political album of the Bush administration, hell it's probably the best album in general to come out in the Bush years. Starting out with the lyrics, "Thank you, Osama you are the savior of our economy today", the song is inspired by the wire tapping brought on by the Patriot Act. It is based around the idea of hiring a half of the country to spy on the other half making sure everything they did was desirable for the government (divided states indeed).

*Bad Religion- Let Them Eat War
After a series of unimpressive and poorly selling albums from the late 90s Bad Religion had somewhat of a ressurgence, artistically and commercially during the Bush era. Their 2003 anti-Iraq War album aptly titled, The Empire Strikes First, featured Let Them Eat War, one of the best songs in their lengthy career.

*Green Day- Holiday
A song that would sound much more at home on a Bad Religion album, Holiday proved to be one of Green Day's most popular. It isn't often that there is a hit song on commercial radio that takes direct aim against the Iraq War, American homophobia, and John Ashcroft's censorship of the Spirit of Justice monument. The song's line "a plastic bag on a monument" I've always assumed refered to the former Attorney General's orders to place curtains over a famous statue, the Spirit of Justice, because it depicted a women's breast.

*Cobra Skulls- Charming The Cobra
Could the Cobra Skulls have made an album like 2007's Sitting Army or a song like Charming The Cobra without the inspiration of a rightwing government in control? Perhaps, but its hard to think that it could be as good.

*NOFX- Franco-Unamerican
NOFX's 2003 album The War On Errorism rivals The Empire Strikes First for best anti-Bush administration album title. The albums version of Franco-Unamerican is good, but the version of the song that the band played on Conan O'brien with the addition of the lyrics, "We all know George Bush is an imbecile, he love's Dick but he hates homosexuals", is the best.

*Chris Phillips- The Decider
This song appeared on the Comedy Central show "Lil' Bush". Based around one of Bush's more arrogant quotes about him being "The Decider". I'm not sure who Chris Phillips is, but this is a great song. You can download it for free
here.

*The Mighty Mighty Bosstones- This List
A song about the casualties of the Iraq War, and the politicians who started it. "So go on give in and get ‘em out,
spin it anyway you want to we know what you’re all about, saving lives instead of young face there might be one small saving grace, if only someone kept us safe from you."

*Rise Against- Blood Red, White & Blue
Another great anti-war song, Rise Against deserves all the success they have gotten. The song brings up a good question "Would God Bless America?".

*Leftover Crack- Super Tuesday
If the cover of the 1981 Alternative Tentacles compilation, Let Them Eat Jellybeans, which depicts Reagan giving a thumbs up to the backset of an upside down American flag is the definitve cover-art from the anti-Reagan era, then the cover of Leftover Crack's Fuck World Trade, showing Bush pouring gas over the World Trade Center, may be the definitive cover-art of the anti-Bush era. Sure Leftover Crack's political views are a lot more extreme than the other bands here, but Super Tuesday, a song about how the United States deserved 9/11 because of their support for free trade, is still a good song, and presents a unique perspective to say the least.

*American Steel- Sons Of Avarice
A Clash inspired song that like Green Day's Holiday covers a variety of complaints with the government, from the war, to Bush dodging the draft, to the low pay of teachers and soldiers, to the genocide in Sudan.

There you have it. Here's hoping the Obama years will see success, but still bring a healthy questioning of government, and good political punk.

NOFX Live in Providence

2009-01-13T18:28:00.004-05:00

As promised here is the live NOFX set. You'll recognize most of the songs, the song "I've Become A Cliche" is new and it was played here for the first time ever. Enjoy!

Dinosaurs Will Die/Murder The Government/Brews

Stickin' In My Eye/Eat The Meek

Seeing Double At The Triple Rock/Bob/Fleas

You're Wrong/Beer Bong/Leave It Alone

What Now My Love?/Franco-Unamerican/Falling In Love

Radio/Leaving Jesusland

Perfect Government/I've Become A Cliche

Linoleum/Bottles To The Ground

She's Nubs/Kill All The White Man

Theme From A NOFX Album

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones Live in Cambridge

2009-01-11T00:16:00.004-05:00

So I'll be putting up some videos from some shows I've been to in the past year. This is sort of for my own sake as it's easier to have all the videos from a show embedded on one page instead of in a youtube playlist, but I hope whoever reads this blog enjoys them as well. Tonight I'll put up The Bosstones, and tomorrow will be NOFX, both will be the shows in their entirety. Enjoy, and to the people who shot these much thanks!

Intro / Kinder Words / Mr. Moran

All Things Considered / Noise Brigade / Almost Anything Goes

Don't Worry Desmond Dekker

The Bartender's Song

Someday I Suppose

They Came To Boston

So Sad To Say

Pictures to Prove It

Rascal King

Over The Eggshells / Chasing the Sun Away

Drunks and Children / Everybody's Better

Allow Them

Where'd You Go / Guns and the Young

Simmer Down / Devil's Night Out

Toxic Toast

The Impression That I Get / Impossible Dream

Awfully Quiet / Lights Out

Punk Rock Defined

2009-01-05T23:10:00.001-05:00

"Punk is music, good music, played by bad musicians who are either drunk or on drugs."
-Fat Mike

"Punk is the personal expression of uniqueness that comes from the experiences of growing up in touch with our human ability to reason and ask questions."
- Greg Graffin

"Punk is musical freedom. It's saying, doing and playing what you want. In Webster's terms, 'nirvana' means freedom from pain, suffering and the external world, and that's pretty close to my definition of Punk Rock."
- Kurt Cobain

"A guy walks up to me and asks 'What's Punk?'. So I kick over a garbage can and say 'That's punk!'. So he kicks over the garbage can and says 'That's Punk?', and I say 'No that's trendy!'"
- Billie Joe Armstrong

"Punk is right wing!"
- Johnny Ramone

"All these kids that looked like freaks inventing their own lifestyle, that was punk rock."
- Steve Albini

"Punk rock isn't dead, it just deserves to die."
- Jello Biafra

The Neutron Bombs

2008-12-31T21:12:00.004-05:00

The Neutron Bombs are a newly formed punk band from Chicago who sound like they stepped out of 1977 London. Fortunately unlike cartoony jokes like The Casualities or Blanks 77 who are often the ones associated (or associate themselves) with these comparisons, Neutron Bombs spare us all the phony dress up and actually play good music. Fronted by cockney voiced singer Ken Ortman (who was best known to me as the guy who briefly played second guitar for The Methadones when Dan Vapid wanted to focus on just singing), the band is rounded out by current Methadones bassist Pete Mittler, and a drummer named Colin, whose last name is currently unbeknownst to me. Currently the band has some of their rehearsals recorded, which despite being pretty raw, all sound surprisingly good. The band plans to start recording in a studio soon, hopefully a label like Red Scare Industries or Dan Vapid's new label, Transparent Records, will help a Neuron Bombs album see the light of day in the near future. For now you can check out their stuff at www.myspace.com/theneutronbombs.

The Guts- Let It Go

2008-12-18T21:33:00.005-05:00

Pop punk has seen better days. A genre that once defined bands like the Ramones and Descendents nowadays describes either a.) Radio-friendly modern day emo, complete with autotoned vocals and awful haircuts. Or b.) An underground scene more similar to the Ramones sound, but filled with generic sounding bands and cheesy songs about taking girls to proms, kissing, and other fodder that was covered by doo-wop music.

Out of the later come The Guts. Despite their underground contemporaries, The Guts don't have time singing about childish fodder on their new album "Let It Go". The songs on the album take a realistic look at relationships, heartbreak, and coping through life, and the songs are actually played with aggression, something that many of their contemporaries lack. This is the sort of album that Green Day or Screeching Weasel would make in the mid 90s, and with that generation of pop punk legends making dull sugarcoated power pop (The Queers, Ben Weasel), over indulgent genre bending albums (Green Day), or just making nothing (The Mr. T Experience), Let It Go fills the void as the best pure pop punk album of the last five years. It's probably the best since the much loved Ergs! debut Dorkrockcockrod.

Now is this album perfect? No, a four minute cheesy pop song in the middle of the album, "The Reason", could have easily been left off. And as much as I love the cover of "Love Love Love" with Ben Weasel doing guest vocals, I would have preferred to hear that on a Weasel album, and have The Guts sing it here.

But songs like "Blackout", "Cigarettes and Valentines", and "Down The Drain", each alone make up for these mistakes. The Guts even succeed at a male-female duet, with Hallie Bullit from The Unlovables. In the past few years The Queers, The Ergs!, and The Prozacs, have failed at this, with overtly poppy and sappy shit, but The Guts manage to pull it off.

With the recent demise of The Ergs!, The Guts are moving in as the best modern underground pop punk band. The Fake Boys just put out an EP titled "Pop Punk Is Dead", but Let It Go proves that the genre still has some new tricks hidden up its sleeve.

The Ergs! (2000-2008)

2008-12-14T15:09:00.006-05:00

So it's been a while since I updated, school and all other sort of stuff has been in the way but I want to try to get back in to this thing.

In the months since I've been gone a pretty important band broke up, and with the end of the year and people being bound to get those retrospectives of those who have died in the past year, I figure this would be an appropriate time to discuss The Ergs!

If The Ergs! never reunite they will likely go down with Operation Ivy as bands who achieved most of their recognition after they broke up. In the time after they announced they were calling it quits they were already showing signs of this, I saw kids at school who got their t-shirts, and the band got on a tour with Less Than Jake. Even days after they broke up I noticed that the band got a post-humous wikipedia article written about them. I'm guilty to getting into the band late myself. The first Ergs song I heard was"Kind Of Like Smitten" the first song from their EP "Jersey's Best Prancers" and in my opinion their worst song. Based on that I wrote the band off as another cheesy pop punk band. But it was their set at the 2007 Insubordination Fest that won me over, where the band better showcased their catalogue to me. Their performance of Most Violent Rap Group/Pray For Rain was probably the best performance included on the Insubordination Fest DVD.

Here it is so you can see it yourself, I love that kid in the yellow shirt at 3:01 into the video, who's throwing his hands up and screaming the "how everything's gone wrong" part of the song. There's obviously a big emotional connection between the lyrics and the fans.

Eventually I bought The Ergs! first album Dorkrockcorkrod, and was not disappointed. The album is has the most heartfelt and emotional, songs about life's relationships since the Descendents or Green Day's first album and early EP's. Dorkrockcorkrod was like emo but without the whining.

Before their breakup I always thought the band was the best out of that whole New York/New Jersey underground pop punk scene, and of all the bands who frequented the pop punk bored, were the most likely to get signed to a major, or at least get a deal with a large minor label like Fat Wreck. Obviously this won't happen now, but It'll be interesting to see where the band members will go from here. Much like The Damned broke up in 1978 and re-formed within the next year, I could see The Ergs! doing the same thing. There is already a large amount of fans including friends of the band trying to get them to reform for this years Insubordination Fest. But if The Ergs! don't reunite any time soon all eyes will be on the bands singer/drummer Mikey Erg. In the past Mikey has stayed in the background and drummed for lesser bands like The Unlovables and Short Attention, who's goofy songs come nowhere close to those of The Ergs! Hopefully instead of keeping stuff like this up Mike will soon front another band, but until then we'll have The Ergs! catalogue to listen to.

An Interview with Dangerous Dave

2008-08-18T19:22:00.007-05:00

So a few weeks ago I wrote an article about The Bugs, and Dangerous Dave was kind enough to drop me a comment. Dave was then kind enough to answer some questions, so enjoy this interview with the guy who's brought us hours of entertainment with The Bugs, The Queers, and John Cougar Concentration Camp.

David: The Bugs are based in San Diego, and The Queers in New Hampshire, is it hard to juggle between two bands on separate sides of the country?

Dangerous Dave: No not at all. The Queers tour a few times a year and The Bugs will begin touring soon. That might be a little hard but whatever.

David: How'd you hook up with Joe and become a member of The Queers?

Dangerous Dave: There was a couple open spots around late 1997, Chris (of John Cougar Concentration Camp) had been on a previous tour that year and recommended me, which was a smart move.

David: You left The Queers after Pleasant Screams, what was the reason for this, and what happened that made you rejoin?

Dangerous Dave: There was a bunch of shit going on behind the scenes that I really can’t get into. In short, Joe and I didn’t talk for about four years or so and now I’m back.

David: Prior to The Queers you were John Cougar Concentration Camp, which has to have one of the funniest band names I've ever heard, who came up with the name?

Dangerous Dave: Chris came up with John Cougar Concentration Camp. Great fucking name.

David: Did it inadvertently attract the nazi punk crowd?

Dangerous Dave: No however, we were playing the Whiskey in Hollywood one night and they had our name on the marquee. Some bitch that worked at the Holocaust Museum drove by and tried to get it shut down. She went up to us and confronted our roadie and started shouting out “Racist! Racist!”. He replied “I’m a fucking Mexican you dumb bitch!” It was pretty funny cause he is.

David: How long were you with JCC did you play on their song for song cover album of Too Tough To Die?

Dangerous Dave: I played on all the full length albums, the 10” and Too Tough To Die. I sang Warthog and Endless Vacation on that. That’s also my jacket on the cover!

David: Why did you choose that one out of all the Ramones albums? Right now Too Tough To Die is my favorite album of theirs, but a lot of people don't consider it all that special.

Dangerous Dave: We picked that one cause it was the next one in line. At that time Screeching Weasel, The Queers, Vindictives and MTX had done earlier ones.

David: You and The Queers did a tour with Marky Ramone what was it like meeting him?

Dangerous Dave: Marky’s a good guy. It was amazing playing with that guy. Like Joey said “He’s the best drummer in the world.”

David: Any one else you've been psyched to meet through playing in a somewhat known punk rock band?

Dangerous Dave: The Queers opened up for Dick Dale a while back. That was awesome. We sat around after the show and shot the shit with him.

David: At what point did you decide to write a song about how lame Dave Navarro's Goatee was?

Dangerous Dave: I figured it was about time someone talked shit about that faggot.

David: Do you know if he's heard the song?

Dangerous Dave: I can only hope. I heard he shaved off his goatee, I like to think it was cause of me but who knows, maybe he wised up.

David: Any other musicians have facial hair that you can't stand?

Dangerous Dave: Charlie Daniels.

David: What does the future hold for The Bugs and The Queers, any other project you're playing in or thinking of starting?

Dangerous Dave: Tour, records, shameless promotion and fucking young girls. I'm too busy with the two bands as it is.

David: What's your favorite and least favorite albums that you've played on?

Dangerous Dave: All the albums I’ve played on are good. I don’t have a least favorite or a favorite. They’re all in they’re own respects.

David: Is it ever uncomfortable when relatives ask what band you're playing in? I'd find it awkward telling my grandmother I was in John Cougar Concentration Camp or The Queers.

Dangerous Dave: My whole family is dead.

When To Hang It Up

2008-08-07T19:16:00.008-05:00

With punk bands who have been around since the late 70's and early 80's, band members are now reaching their 50's, 60's, and even 70's (see Monty Oxymoron of The Damned). In other entertainment mediums like sports, age is a clear factor in how long you can be at your peak. But age factors differently into music. When musicians get older do they become more jaded, less talented, and aren't able to put out music that can compare to that of their prime? In some cases this rings true, but age still isn't by itself as the definitive factor of when a band should hang it up. So for anyone out there in a band I've compiled three simple rules of when to hang it up:

*If their is a general consensus among your fans that you've stopped putting out good music-
This one is obvious. If your putting out shit music as a newly formed band that's once thing, but as a band that's been together for a while who has put out good music in the past, you're just tarnishing your legacy.

*If you've had a period of 10 years between album releases-
Ten years is a pretty liberal amount of time, the most time between releases where the new album was good is the 8 years it took Social Distortion to release Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll. Eventually if you don't put new music out you aren't relevant and only exist as a nostalgia act.

*If your primary singer and songwriter leaves the band-
There have been cases where the primary songwriter who isn't the singer leaves the band, and the bands new stuff still sounds good, case in point Brian James leaving The Damned. However I can not recall a case where the opposite is true. Sure they may sound okay, like when Michale Graves first joined the Misfits, but with a different singer and a different songwriter on every song, it never has the same feel it once did.

So using this criteria I present you with the bands who most desperately need to hang it up:

*Dead Kennedys-
After originally breaking up in 1986, in 2001 the members that made up the instrumentals of the Dead Kennedys decided they wanted to reform. Biafra refused, and after winning a court battle over who owned the Dead Kennedys name, they got Brandon Cruz of Dr. Know to be their singer. Cruz quit after a few years, and while the singers position changed a couple times since the backing line up of East Bay Ray, Klaus Flouride, and D.H. Peligro stayed the same. Fast forward this March, D.H. quits the band, leaving them with only two of their core members. Now fast forward to earlier this week, I'm writing this article and as fate would have it Klaus quits the band, leaving East Bay Ray as the only member of the so called Dead Kennedys who ever recorded a note of music on a Dead Kennedys album. While Biafra has put out two albums with The Melvins that are just as good as his DK material, the Biafra-less Kennedys haven't bothered to release any new material since their reformation, which makes sense since Jello wrote just about every one of their original songs. So far the band hasn't announced who, if anyone, will replace Klaus, but I think most everyone would agree that East Bay Ray touring with three other random musicians billed as the Dead Kennedys, is just dragging the band's legacy through the dirt.

*Misfits-
The Misfits story is basically the same story as the Dead Kennedys but with new material being released. The Misfits broke up in 1983, and in 1995 Jerry and Doyle approach Glenn Danzig about reforming the band. Danzig doesn't want to reform, and like the Kennedys they go through a court battle over the rights to the bands name. Danzig gives up the Misfits name in a settlement, and Jerry and Doyle recruit new drummer Dr. Chud, and new singer Michale Graves (who was 2 years old when the Misfits originally formed). So despite the fact that Danzig wrote all of the original songs, the band decided to write a new album, and low and behold it wasn't a bad album. In fact the album would have probably been perceived as great by Misfits fans except for one fact, they used the Misfits name when it wasn't the Misfits. American Psycho was too slickly produced to be a Misfits album, and most importantly it didn't have Glenn Danzig singing. Back then Jerry Only could have saved face if he simply used a different band name, but now there's no room for damage protection. Graves left the band and Jerry decided he would be the new singer. His own brother Doyle leaves the band and decides he'd rather play with Danzig at his solo shows. And yet like East Bay Ray did with the Dead Kennedys, Jerry Only continues to parade around a band called the Misfits.

*The Germs-
When a bandmember dies, usually the remaining members ask themselves "What would said member want us to do''? Rarely does a band come to the conclusion to reform 25 years after their singer died and the band broke up, only to be fronted by an actor in order to promote a movie. But so is the story of The Germs. Darby Crash Od'd on heroin in 1980, and for the next 25 years the band remained inactive. In 2005 when a movie about The Germs was being made they decided to get the guy who played Darby in the movie, to perform with them. So Shane West, the actor turned Germs singer, who was previously best known for acting in some crappy movie with Mandy Moore, and wasn't even born when The Germs first formed, is now a member of the band. I'm sure that's what Darby Crash would have wanted.

The Bugs: Dave Navarro's Goatee Fucking Sucks

2008-07-09T08:59:00.010-05:00

Is there anyone lamer than Dave Navarro? From his job as the host of that reality show thats brought the world packaged corporate rock trash Rockstar Supernova (as well as the re-emergence of packaged corporate rock trash INXS), to whatever current band he's in, to his guyliner, to his goatee, his stupid fucking goatee!

Where is this going? On a trip to Cape Cod I was in a car with XM radio listening to Fungus53. Fungus53 isn't a band who named themselves after the mold set by Sham69, Screw32, Sum41, Clit45, and countless others, it's a radio station that plays all punk music all the time, the catch of course is that it's on XM sattelite radio so it'll cost you to listen to it. Anyway the dj starts talking about a song about to be played called "Dave Navarro's Goatee Fucking Sucks" by a band called The Bugs, which he said has been the most requested song in the short history of the channel. Anyway I hear the song think it's funny, and later in the day look for this band on myspace only to find out that former Queers member Dangerous Dave is their frontman! You can check out this band and the song here, while you're there also check out their other songs like "Can't Get Hired".

I couldn't find the song lyrics listed anywhere so I took the liberty of transcribing them here, enjoy!

He used to be in Jane's Addiction
For which I had no appreciation
And now he's on TV
Trying to earn a buck
Dave Navarro's goatee fucking sucks
He's got funny hair and a funny goatee now
If you ever see me look like him then please kill me now
And if you look real closely his eyebrows he does pluck
Dave Navarro's goatee fucking sucks
Well he aint got a band but he thinks he's a rock star
Wouldn't be surprised if he was hanging at the gay bar
And he was so much cooler when he was on drugs
Dave Navarro's goatee fucking sucks
He used to be in Jane's Addiction
Dave Navarro's goatee fucking sucks
He used to be in Jane's Addiction
Dave Navarro's goatee fucking sucks
He used to be in Jane's Addiction
Dave Navarro's goatee fucking sucks
He used to be in Jane's Addiction
Dave Navarro's goatee fucking sucks

Starbucks Youth and Rage For The Machine

2008-06-24T16:44:00.005-05:00

This morning on punknews.org I saw a news item about a book in the works called "Indie Travel Guide". According to punknews, the book "promises to take readers through the best parts of cities as documented by touring bands". It features insight from bands like Sonic Youth, Ash, Art Brut, The Strokes, and many other artists. What do all of these aforementioned, and the majority of artists featured in "Indie Travel Guide" have in common? They're all on major labels. Independent implies that you don't depend on major labels, but the terms became so bastardized that a band like Sonic Youth, who's been on Geffen for almost 20 years, and who recently put out an album on Starbucks Records (that's right the coffee conglomerate has a record label) are still considered "Indie". Maybe in their section of the book Sonic Youth could guide us to some hip little underground coffee joint, how about Starbucks? Hell why not even Mcdonalds? It's about as independent as Sonic Youth are.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Sonic Youth's music, I just think it's stupid for people to label them under ths label when there's nothing independent about them.

Another thing I have a problem with is bands who preach the evilness of large corporations and then go off and sign to their record labels. There's a number of bands that fit into this category, most notably the "against" bands, Against Me, Rise Against, and Rage Against The Machine, as well as Anti-Flag and Chumbawamba (who signed to EMI after previously being featured on a compilation titled "Fuck EMI"). Some of these acts defend there decision by saying this will help expose their ideals to a wider audience? What ideals? You've just become part of a company, and are making money for a company, that you've always despised and preached against, is that the ideal you want to pass on?

The Fake Boys, The Rolemodels, and The Frustrators

2008-06-18T18:21:00.005-05:00

I thought I'd shed some light on a few new bands I've heard, who's music's been interesting enough to write about. First up The Fake Boys, who hail from somewhere in Massachusetts (their myspace page just lists it as Merrimack Valley). The band is signed to Cheapskate Records but their sound differs a lot from most of the Cheapskate bands like The Guts, The Leftovers, and The Prozacs, who all have a sound based heavily on bands like The Queers and Screeching Weasel. The Fake Boys meanwhile list their top influence as Jawbreaker, and sound more like them than the aforementioned bands. The band has an EP coming out titled "Pop Punk Is Dead", and based on the songs from it on their myspace, it should make for a worthy purchase. The songs sound great ("Bugs" is the best track of them), and the production sounds incredibly crisp for a local band on a very small label. You can check the band out here.

Next up, The Rolemodels, who were recently featured on punknews.org. These guys are from Ithaca, New York and sound much like Bad Religion circa 80-85, if you like "How Can Hell Be Any Worse?" you'll dig this band. The Bad Religion resemblance is in part to due to the fact that the bands singer, Graham, is Greg Graffin's son. It's almost a shame that they're related as some people will inevitably right these guys off as trying to cash in on Bad Religion's success. As long as they don't immediately sign to something like Epitaph, and instead work their way up through the ranks, I don't have a problem with it. You can download their demo here.

Lastly after two new and fairly unknown bands, I'd like to profile an older (but not old) more well known (but not that well known) band, The Frustrators. Best known for having Green Day’s Mike Dirnt on bass, The Frustrators are from the East Bay region of California, though other than Dirnt, all the other members are originally from New England, and moved west. Like other Green Day side projects, Pinhead Gunpowder and The Network, The Frustrators are signed to Billie Joe Armstrong’s Adeline Records (which is owned by Warner), and I’m glad that they’re honest and list their label type as “major” unlike some other bands on imprint labels of Major companies. If you like Green Day’s older sound or Pinhead Gunpowder you’ll enjoy The Frustrators. You can listen to them here (“Living In The Real World” is their best track in my opinion).

Punk Jam

2008-06-01T14:55:00.002-05:00

Pearl Jam are probably my favorite non-punk band, and would definitely crack my top 10 of all time favorite bands. So imagine my surprise when I was searching for the Dead Kennedys song "Bleed For Me" and found a cover that they did of it. It actually translates well and stays true to the original except in their version instead of Cowboy Ronnie, Cowboy Georgie comes to town. Here's Bleed For Me as ell as some other punk covers I found of there's.

Bleed For Me (Dead Kennedys cover)

I Believe In Miracles (Ramones cover)

Know Your Rights (The Clash cover)

Euge

2008-05-25T18:58:00.003-05:00

Ever seen the movie "The Decline Of Western Civilization"? If you haven't shame on you, do yourself a favor and search for it in google video. The movie's a pretty famous documentary that was made by Penolope Spheeris (the same person who directed "Wayne’s World"), chronicling the 1980 L.A. punk scene, and features such usual suspects as Black Flag, The Germs, Fear, and the Circle Jerks, as well as lesser known but equally good acts like Catholic Discipline.

Anyway the movie opens up with skinhead kid identified only as "Eugene" talking about why he likes punk music,

"It's something new and it's just reviving like old rock n roll, and it's like it's raw and it's for real, and it's fun. You know like it's not bullshit there's no rock stars."

He shows up a few more times later in the movie talking about how he doesn't know where his parents are, why he hates living in L.A., and other various topics.

After I watched the movie for the first time I wondered what happened to all the kids who were interviewed for the movie, particularly Eugene, but didn't bother to do any research on the subject. It wasn't until over a year later when I was reading the book "American Hardcore" that I found out more information on Eugene. Apparently he had burned down a Los Angeles squat house that he had been living in, which had been evicted, with the attitude that "if we can't have it no one can".

Now I was intrigued. I went online and googled "eugene decline of western civilization". One of the firsts things that came up was this www.art-for-a-change.com/Punk/pdraw8.htm.

In addition to seeing this cool photo the author drew of Eugene and a friend of his for an L.A. Weekly piece on the city's punk rock scene, I learned this bit of information, "Eugene has been a professional Folksinger for the last 20 years, traveling the globe and producing 3 albums of Folk material."

3 albums of folk material? Now I was even more intrigued, I had to find his stuff. After some searching I found his myspace page, www.myspace.com/theeugecd. Apparently he's now going by the name "Euge", and as for his music, it's good. I highly suggest you to listen to his songs, it's folk music, which I'm not a fan of, but many of them have punk elements to them. My favorite is easily "I'm A Drifter". After searching for the lyrics to the song, and having no avail, I decided to write them down myself, as they were too good not to be exposed to the internet. So here you go the lyrics to, "I'm A Drifter" by Euge:

People like to sing about love you oughtta sing about guns instead
You wanna shake my hand I oughtta hit you upside the head
You wanna save the world you oughtta save your soul instead
The world aint changing only streetlights change
But I've changed my mind about you you're as square as you can be
The world aint changing only names have been changed
But I've changed my mind about you you're as square as you can be

The world aint changing only streetlights change
But I've changed my mind about you you're as square as you can be
The world aint changing only names have been changed
But I've changed my mind about you you're as square as you can be

People like to sing about love you oughtta sing about guns instead
You wanna shake my hand I oughtta hit you upside the head
You wanna save the world you oughtta save your soul instead
The world aint changing only streetlights change
But I've changed my mind about you you're as square as you can be
The world aint changing only names have been changed
But I've changed my mind about you you're as square as you can be

An Interview with Jason from Cheapskate Records

2008-03-20T20:52:00.004-05:00

Before your eyes is the very first interview I've conducted for the site! I talked with Jason Cheapskate, owner and founder of Cheapskate Records one of the finer and most sincere (all their albums are $8 or under) small labels out there. Enjoy!

David: First of all how did you get into punk rock?

Jason: I was lucky enough to have an older brother that some how got into punk rock. I'm still not sure how he got into it but one day he started bringing home Black Flag and Descendents records, I would go in his room when he wasn't home and spin those records. The first punk albums I heard were "My War" and "I Don't Wanna Grow Up." I heard a lot punk from old skateboard videos as well.

David: Why did you start the label, and what labels did you look to as a business model for your own?

Jason: The original reason for starting a label was to release my own band but the band didn't really do much and for the most part ended when I went off to college. I liked the idea of being able to release my own records. After the band was done with the label idea became more of a way for me to be part of a scene and help out bands I liked. As for labels I looked up, I really liked Lookout! Records because they put out records for so many bands I liked. There was even a point where I didn't even need to hear what the band sounded like before I bought the record - I just bought it based on that goofy Lookout! logo on the back. I also really looked up to Dischord Records and when I started Cheapskate I knew I wanted to do everything in my power to keep my prices low.

David: Who was the first band that you signed?

Jason: The first band we technically signed was The Carpet Patrol from MA. We put two of their songs on our first release V/A "How To Stretch A Dollar" and planned to do both a 7" and a full length CD. Neither the 7" or CD became a reality and I was pretty disappointed that we didn't get to release them.

David: How do you find the bands you sign? To they send you demos, our do you find them yourselves at shows?

Jason: I've come across bands through demos, finding them at shows and just through other bands I've worked with. I try not to base a band on just the demo or just how they sound live. It should be a combination of the two.

David: What's been your biggest selling release?

Jason: Biggest selling release, that's a tough one, it's probably a toss up between Rydells "Go Mental", The Leftovers "Party Tonight!" and The Guts "Sometimes You Just Can't Win."

David: Are there any bands you really wanted to sign but they opted for another label?

Jason: I really wanted to release the For Science "Way Out Of Control" CD but It's Alive is a great label so it all worked out.

David: Some of your bands like The Guts and The Leftovers have become big among the underground pop punk scene, do you have any resentment for them choosing to release their new stuff on Rally Records?

Jason: No, there isn't any resentment at all - I mean it happens all the time, especially these days, that bands move from label to label or even release things on multiple labels. I still have a good relationship with both the Guts and the Leftovers and the Guts will be releasing a 7" on Cheapskate so I still consider them part of the family. Plus I like to think that at least in some small way I helped them get "big" as you put it.

David: Last year the label was one of the sponsors for Insubordination Fest and some of the bands played the fest. Will this happen again this year?

Jason: I'm hoping it will happen again - I haven't heard anything yet about sponsoring but once I'm asked I will say yes! The 2007 Insub. Fest was a lot fun and I was glad to be a part of it.

David: What are some of the releases the label has for 2008?

Jason: We are working on a lot of releases for 2008. We've got the Guts 7", Sugar Eater 7", Rydells "Rock N Roll Is The Answer" LP and another Dispense This! compilation hopefully all coming out this spring. We are still working on and determined to get the Grandprixx CD out this year. Plus we've got a McRackins CD and a Fake Boys CD coming out in the summer.

David: What's up with Nothing Famous? When I talked to you about a year ago you mentioned that they were planning on getting back together to do another recording. Did this ever happen?

Jason: It never happened, I wish it did. Or I wish it would. I would love to see Nothing Famous properly record the last batch of songs they had because they were really progressing as a band towards the end. Being really close friends with them I was lucky enough to hear the newer songs live but a lot of people never did. It would be nice for those songs to see the light of day.

David: What are your feelings on file sharing? A lot of people say it doesn't effect the small labels because the fans are more loyal, the artists aren't rich, and people want to support the band and label, do you think this is true?

Jason: I'm sure file sharing does affect the smaller labels but probably not in the way that the majors are affected. I haven't come across people sharing Cheapskate stuff but I also don't really seek it out. I would like to think that people are loyal and would be willing to pay for a release especially at the low prices I offer but really no matter what you can't compete with free. It is cool that people still do buy records and CDs... or even pay for a download.

I Dig Pain

2008-03-11T08:38:00.002-05:00

So if you haven't been listening to Ben Weasel's radio show "Weasel Radio", I highly recommend that you do so here. I remember an episode of the show where Ben and his co-host Owen Murphy were talking about an episode of CHiPS where Ponch and Jon must stop some sort of a riot caused by L.A. punks. According to Owen the episode featured a band playing a song with the chorus "I dig pain, I feel it in my brain" which got a laugh out of me.

Flash-forward to this weekend, the copy of "The Thought Remains The Same", a Nitro Records comp that I ordered from amazon for a penny (plus shipping) arrived. I had bought the compilation to hear the usual suspects, The Offspring, Guttermouth, AFI in their hardcore heyday, but while listening to it the band that caught my attention was Jughead's Revenge who had a song on the comp titled "Pain".

I was listening to the song when suddenly it hit me; this was a cover of the song from the CHiPS episode! The song even included some dialogue from the episode in it. I was never really into Jughead's Revenge, the only stuff I had heard before was songs from other Nitro comps, and it didn't really leave a lasting impression on me. However after hearing this song I went back to some of their other stuff and realized they were a pretty cool band.

Anyways here's the song being performed on CHiPs:

And here's Jughead's Revenge doing a live version of it:

2007 Album Of The Year

2008-01-01T23:16:00.001-05:00

Well 2007 came and went, and I figured now would be the time to give my pick for album of the year. A little disclaimer before I reveal my decision, my opinion of what was the best album of 2007 will likely change as I listen to more albums that came out in the past year. This past year the majority of the Cd's I purchased were originally released in 2007, being a cheapskate I usually buy albums which I know I will likely enjoy, and in many cases this means picking up copies of a bands back catalog, instead of taking a chance on something brand new. I considered doing what Fat Mike did and make a list of my top 10 purchases of 2007, but have decided against it for formality's sake. So with that said my choice for 2007 album of the year is...

New Maps Of Hell- Bad Religion

After all these years Bad Religion has proven that they're still at the top of their game, they're not doing anything revolutionary, just following the same pattern of playing songs about government and religion. While we've seen a sea of these types of songs from a number of bands Bad Religion sets themselves apart of the pack. Bands like NOFX will write songs like this while mixing it with humor, and bands like Leftover Crack will mix it with anger and radicalism, but Bad Religion is different from their contemporaries in that the songs have a level of intellectualism that is unmatched. A lot of people will fault them for this, I met a kid who said he would always have to look in to a dictionary while listening to Bad Religion because Greg Graffin seems to love using big words. A lot of people have labelled him and the band as elitists, and I can kind of see where they are coming from. The thing is the man has a PhD from Cornell, and he's a professor at UCLA, with that resume you can kind of expect the lyrics to be what they are. I enjoy it, I'm also a political geek, and have read a number of books on world religions, so it's my cup of tea. New Maps Of Hell is what you'd expect from a BR album, and for me that makes it a damn good album.

Honorable Mentions:

Sitting Army- Cobra Skulls

My decision for album of the year came down to the last day of the year. It was between two choices, and after listening yesterday to both Sitting Army and New Maps Of Hell, I came to the conclusion that NMOH was the better album. Still I would like to give this disc it's props. The Cobra Skulls really came out of nowhere, they were a band who had released an EP on a no-name label when they were signed to Redscare Industries back in August. I actually first heard of them right after the signing when Toby Jeg, the owner of Redscare posted the news on a message board. I figured I'd give their myspace page a listen and was blown away by how good they were. While they're easily classified as a punk rock band, their sound has somewhat of a rockabilly sound that draws comparison to The Clash, without being a ripoff. Like The Clash their lyrics are also politically tinged, song subjects range from Iraq to Ted Haggard. My only complaint is that they thought it would be a good idea to include the word "Cobra" in to every song title (is that really necessary?). All in all though, Sitting Army is an excellent album, and I expect big things to come from the Cobra Skulls.

Orchestra Of Wolves- Gallows

When I decided to make an entry on album of the year a week or so ago, this album was one that I was considering along with the other two. However after doing some research I found out that this was originally released in the U.K. in 2006, and was released in America in 2007, with the addition of some tracks including covers of Black Flag and The Ruts. I guess this disqualifies it from being named 2007 album of the year, but it's a great album and deserves mention. The Gallows are probably the best punk band to come out of England in a long long time. At first I was kind of apprehensive about them because they were signed to Epitaph, and seemed to have heavy media coverage from shitty music magazines. After listening to them my doubts were erased, and I was further convinced that these guys kick ass after hearing the singer (who is a professional tattoo artist) plans on getting a tattoo saying "Fuck The NME" after the band was named in NME's 2007 "cool list".

Hypocritical Quote of the Day

2007-11-03T12:36:00.000-05:00

"A role in the Simpson's? I'll leave that to the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. It's a funny show but I wouldn't want to market myself in that direction."
- Billie Joe Armstrong, Kerrang! Magazine 1995

Political Songs

2007-10-28T11:55:00.001-05:00

In case you were wondering I've given up on trying to make 4 or 5 entries a month. No one reads this so I don't feel entitled to owe anything, and with school and work I just don't have the same amount of time I used to. As far as updates go, it'll basically be whenever I feel passioned to write something.

So onto this post, Ben Weasel does a weekly radio show for an ESPN station in Wisconsin called "Weasel Radio". It's him and a co-host named Owen Murphy mostly talking baseball, but they'll throw in some punk rock discussion. On the latest episode they were talking about political songs, which Ben didn't speak too kindly of. I felt obliged to send a counter opinion:

Owen and Ben,
I'd like to respond to the comment that political songs are "rich millionaires telling you what to think and do". First of all most of the great political songs aren't written by rich millionaires. "Holiday In Cambodia" was not written by millionaires. "Bonzo Goes To Bitburg" was not written by millionaires. I consider Bad Religion to be the greatest band at writing political songs, and with the exception of Brett (who owns Epitaph) I doubt those guys are in the upper class.

Regardless I don't see what the problem is with bands like Green Day who are rich and will write political songs. When you make a certain amount of money do you lose the credence you previously had to express how you feel politically? If you don't want to here rich millionaires telling you how to vote, then don't follow politics. Look at our politicians, they are not the common man, most of them are lawyers or business owners who ran for office after inheriting or making
millions. That's the way our system works unfortunately, so if you don't want millionaires preaching, don't keep up with whats going on and be ignorantly blissful.

Furthermore your statement that writing political songs is a cheap move to make your left wing fan base applaud is false. I'd think that any song, whether it be about something as simple as a relationship or
a car, is trying to get some sort of idea to its audience. God forbid a political song is trying to inform the audience about something that made an impact. Before I heard the two songs I mentioned in the first
paragraph, I knew nothing about Reagan putting a reef on a Nazi's grave, or about the killing fields. After I heard them I looked up more information, the same goes for Bad Religion and their song
"Sinister Rogue" about the Spanish Inquisition. I'd like to think years from now a kid would be listening to that Green Day song your show was playing and say, "Wow I can't believe America was run by a bunch of homophobic religious nuts who started a pre-emptive war without any evidence".

- David

Cobra Skulls

2007-09-08T19:06:00.000-05:00

So I've been talking a lot of shit about Epitaph recently (though to it's defense they recently released an excellent record, New Maps Of Hell, by Bad Religion), and it seems as Epitaph is going down, Red Scare Industries is going up. In the 1990's their were really three labels that had a lot of the premier punk bands, who couldn't get, or didn't want a major label contract, Epitaph, Lookout!, and Fat Wreck. Well now Lookout! is basically dead, Epitaph is Epitaph, and Fat Wreck seems to be the only one still releasing consistenly good music (aside from new Bad Religion or Millencolin albums that come out every few years on Epitaph).

Anyway, during this void Red Scare Industries is slowly becoming one of the premier punk labels out their. With bands like The Methadones, Teenage Bottlerocket, The Lillingtons, and The Copyrights, to name a few, Red Scare had built up a solid roster of punk bands. But the label's most recent signing, Cobra Skulls, is what solidifies it being mentioned up their with Fat Wreck. Listening to the band, I'm quickly reminded of The Clash, due to the bands use of reggae, and their politically charged lyrics. Their sound also has remnents of Bad Religion and The Dead Kennedys, as the singers voice is something to the effect of Greg Graffin, Jello Biafra, and Joe Strummer's vocal chords put into a blender (as well as teir lyrics). The songs have riffs that go right into your head, and good lyrics to match (as far as I know their the only band to write a song about Christian conservative closet case junky Ted Haggard). The lyrics in general can outmatch almost any band today in terms of great political commentary, with maybe the exception of Bad Religion and NOFX. Heres some lines from their song Charming The Cobra:

"how can we keep dying for you?
in a distant land of different ways
our only connection is
a television in the living room
and the anchor is only putting you to bed
with filler in your head delivering a trivial story
instead of giving you what might be
trouble for the GOP"

And as great as the lyrics are, it's the songs reggae influenced riffs that standout. The song is great, the band is great, these guys have a bright future.

Another Nail In The Coffin

2007-08-28T23:10:00.000-05:00

This was meant as a rhetorical question! I've already vented enough about the label and it's owner a few posts ago, so theres not much more to say here other than the news of a new signing, but I had to write something to express my disgust. Epitaph signed another new band and this one is even worse than the last. Say hello to "Farewell". Another band just designed to make money based on whatever sound is currently selling. I have so little respect for Brett Gurewitz, that at this point I'd be happy to see Bad Religion go back to being a five-piece, they have too many guitarists now any way. Hell signing back to Atlantic Records could give them more punk credibility!

And on one final note it's pretty pathetic when the songs your band posted on myspace to attract fans makes a first time listener laugh out loud at the lyrics. Farewell indeed, may we never meet again.

Punk Or Nothing

2007-08-27T12:11:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to make a quick post saying that my writing will be featured in the August issue of the British fanzine "Punk Or Nothing". The issue also features interviews with former Screeching Weasel members Ben Weasel and Mass Giorgini, as well as Adam Fletcher from The Copyrights, and has reviews of a bunch of anticipated new albums that have come out recently. If you want to buy this issue you can do so from the link above.

How Could Epitaph Be Any Worse?

2007-08-23T15:56:00.000-05:00

So Epitaph signed a new band, and while their previous signing, The Gallows, seemed to be a step in the right direction for the worlds most famous punk label, this latest signing is two steps back. The new band in question is "Our Last Night". who self describe themselves as a Metal/Emo band on their myspace page. Perhaps to soften the blow of this signing, Epitaph's official website list them as a Hardcore/Screamo band, but really does the labels describtion sound anymore appealing than the bands? I listened to the songs on the myspace page, and to put it bluntly they're god-awful. The songs are so stupid and unoriginal that, the best description I can think of is that it's almost as if the songs are meant ot be a parody of screamo songs.

So why did this happen? Of all the great bands to sign Brett Gurewitz thought this was the one that had the best sound? If that’s not true the only other explanation I can think of is the almighty dollar. I'm sure lame bands with no shelve life like Motion City Soundtrack have been financially successful for the label, and maybe the thinking is signing other non punk bands, would do the same. Whichever of these are true, they are both depressing situations. Does the man who discovered Rancid, Millencolin, NOFX, The Offspring, Guttermouth, L7, and countless other great bands really think the music that Our Last Night plays is good? If he does I have a suggestion for him, KEEP IT OFF EPITAPH! Isn't this the reason Anti-Records was formed? But Brett Gurewitz somewhere along the line decided to ignore Anti and start putting non-punk bands on Epitaph. While I believe Epitaph should remain punk only, I don't all that much mind some of these non-punk artists, some show talent and originality such as politically charged rapper Sage Francis, but all these flavor of the month, post-hardcore (which in many cases seems just used as an acceptable term for emo), emo, and "indie rock" bands just come off as get rich quick signings, not to mention as embarrassments to the label. What's next Epitaph signing a Christian band? Oh wait, apparently the already have! After doing some research I found out that the goth dressing "post-hardcore" joke "I Am Ghost" had members who self-described the band as Christian rock, and one member who cried for half an hour after the singer said the word "fuck" during a show. Why Brett? Why?!

Update

2007-08-17T23:02:00.000-05:00

Well as you can tell from my last post I finally figured out how to embed videos from youtube (stupid me all I had to do was copy and paste the "embed" link). Because of this discovery, I have gone back and embedded videos on to posts that previously had links. So if you'd like to re-read "Punktube", "GGtube", and "Green Day at CBGB", you won't have to leave this page to see the videos. Also in regards to the Green Day show, while embedding the videos, I found that the complete set was now avaliable to watch, so if you already watched it once, take a look again to see some songs you missed last time.

Also I've noticed some dead images in some articles here, which I will fix in the coming days, and keep an eye out for new posts, as I've got a lot of things in my head to write about. I don't know if I'll ever beat that 14 posts in the first month (I had a lot to get off my mind when I started this, and kind of burnt out after that), but expect at the least 4 or so quality posts a month. And again, I'd like to encourage readers to leave comments. Thanks.

"These rock videos are immoral, indecent, profane, scurrilous, and blasphemous!"

2007-08-17T15:49:00.000-05:00

Long time no update, and with not much going on in the world of punk rock, I figured I 'd do another entry that relies on youtube videos again. This time, instead of live performances, you'll get music videos. I won't bore you with shit you've all ready seen (though honestly how many punk videos have you seen?), so here are five videos you probably never even knew existed. And by the way for those wondering, the title of this post comes from the Beavis and Butthead episode "Right On".

Mr. T Experience- And I Will Be With You

I doubt this ever got airplay but it's a damn good video (and a damn good song for that matter). I'm surprised by how proffesional looking this one is, it's got nice cinematography and lighting, as well as a number of different sets, and animated segments. This is the sort of video you'd expect to see from a bigger band like Blink-182 or Green Day, but MTX? Kudos to them.

Green Jelly- Anarchy In Bedrock

Remember Green Jelly, the band who became semi-famous in the early 90's for their song "Three Little Pigs"? Three Little Pigs was part of the album "Cereal Killer", which was later released on VHS with a music video for everytrack. This brings us to Anarchy In Bedrock, a Flintstones/Sex Pistols hybrid that was included on Cereal Killer. It could very well be the goofiest video you've ever seen.

On a second note, heres a funny story that segways into the next video: In 1984 Green Jelly opened for The Ramones, and the band (who as the opening act had their equipment set up in front of the Ramones' gear) were pelted by the audience with the usual Jell-O, whipped cream and pudding (as was custom with their fans). Years later in an interview with New York Rocker magazine, Joey Ramone singled out Green Jellö as the worst (and messiest) band to ever open for the Ramones.

Ramones- I Don't Want To Grow Up

Here's the Ramones, as promised, with what I believe is the last music video they ever made. This one combineslive action with animation, that looks similar to the animation of the Adult Swim show "Mission Hill" (not sure if it was done by the same guy). This is probably my favorite Ramones song, and for a long time I thought it was an original, but some time last year I learned it was a cover of a Tom Waits song. You can watch Waits' much different sounding original version here.

Riptides- Change Gonna Come

Wow the Riptides make videos? This is one I'm almost positive you've never seen. Sure you can tell this is low budget, but it looks the same quality as something you could see playing on one of those "underground rock" shows on MTV or Fuse. Congrats on them for making this.

Ministry- N.W.O.

They're not really a punk band (though they did form Lard with Jello Biafra), I'm including Ministry's N.W.O. because members of Screeching Weasel can be found as extras in this video, plus it's a good song. If anyone can find the time of the Weasel cameos in this, leave a comment in this post, because with the low quality of this video I could not.

The Simpsons Movie Sucked

2007-07-28T20:33:00.001-05:00

This post really has nothing to do with punk music, other than the Green Day cameo in the movie, but dammit I needed to vent.

Simply put The Simpsons Movie is a 2 hour film that would have worked better as a 2 part episode (even then it would still be forgetable). This is probably due to the fact that the screenplay most likely started as an episode, and got strectched out and out. I don't want to go to the movie theater to see an episode of a television show. When South Park was turned into a movie, it had an entirely different flow from the episodes, it was a spectacle, it was something new. It introduced whole new elements, made it a musical, made it grandoise.

In the Simpsons case, so many elements of the movie just felt tacked on for time purposes. The Green Day cameo was entirely pointless, a whole sideplot about them moving to Alaska, and worst of all Lisa's relationship with some Irish boy (why he is Irish I have no idea, other than to annoy us with his accent). This Lisa sideplot probably takes up less than ten minutes of total time, so why even include it? Lets face it, this was just a tack-on.

"The screen was too small. The floor was sticky. The romantic subplot felt tacked-on."- Grandpa Simpson season 2

You'd think the people who came up with that great line about one of the worst movie cliches would want to avoid it. Apparently not, because since that episode aired way back in 1991, The Simpsons have become so much of the status quo that they wouldn't dare do anything edgey or original. The only real surprise was seeing Bart's dick, which was more awkward than edgey. I'd like to see something out of the ordinary other than a second of a yellow prick. Fuck with what we expect! Kill off Grandpa! Make a plot explaining the Simpsons continuity! Anything but the same old shit formula The Simpsons have been spoon feeding us for seasons.

But they just stick with the same formula, the same formula that has ruined the Simpsons for the past bunch of seasons. You know the formula: Homer does something stupid. Marge leaves him. Homer wins back his family. And the cheesiness ensues. We've seen this so many times on the tv show, why do it again in the movie? In short this movie was made for one thing, to create money, but in short that's the reason The Simpsons are still on the air. If the producers wanted to retain an artistic credibility the show would have been cancelled years ago. The Simpsons have become like The Rolling Stones. People watch it, get spoonfed the same crap they've been getting for years, force themselves to like it, and reassure themselves that "its still got it".

Oh and as for the Green Day cover of the theme song it's okay, but like everything in this movie, has been done before. Sonic Youth did a much more interesting version of the song in a season 7 episode.

The European Poppunk Virus

2007-07-20T19:38:00.000-05:00

So if you're familiar with this blog you'll know I've been critical about the U.K. for the state of their punk scene. Well while at Insubordination Fest I picked up two free cd's at the merch table titled, "The European Poppunk Virus" and "The European Poppunk Virus - Vol. 2". I should point out that a lot of the bands on it are not from the U.K., but from various other European countries, but nonetheless I was still intrigues to listen to it.

The Manges were the most recognisable band to me on either of the cd's (they appeared on both of them). An Italian band who I knew of as the band who split an album with the Queers on 2003's "Acidbeaters", I previously mentioned a cover of Cheap Trick's "Surrender" that they did on that album. Their song "I Will Always Do" is also covered in it's own right, by Screeching Weasel on the album "Teen Punks In Heat". Volume one contains their song "Do The Loser" which sounded like the typical pop punk/ powerpop song on the album, and reminded me of the songs that are on the new Leftovers album . But Volume 2 contains the song that really stood out for me, "Long Way Back", a heartfelt song that sounds like it could have come off of one of the better Screeching Weasel albums.

Germany's Sonic Dollsalso grace us with their presence on both volumes, their song on volume one is titled "Dance With Me Tonight" which based on the titled I assumed would be another one of these poppy "ask a girl to dance" songs that have been done to death. But I was surprised when I heard it, and can now claim that it packs the most punch, and is the most punk flavored, of all these songs since The Ramones cover of "Lets Dance" some 30 something years ago. As is the case with the Manges, volume two contained the Sonic Dolls better song as well, "The Teen Age". I'm having trouble describing it because I can't really think of a band's sound to compare it to. On the bands myspace they include "Ramones, Agent Orange, Buzzcocks, Stiff Little Fingers, Vibrators, Screeching Weasel, Queers, Apers" under the sounds like section, but it's hard to see anything more than influence. On these two songs at least, the band has an original sound, which is somewhat of a breath of fresh air in the current state of punk rock.

3 1/2 Inch Floppy wins the award for most out of place song, with "This Wouldn't Have Happend To Bob Dylan", an acoustic song with heavy use of violin (hey it worked for Green Day). In this case the song seems more appropriate on a post-punk compilation, but it sounds really good, and is a nice break from a lot of the generic pop punk songs. Unfortunately it is 3 1/2's only song on either disc, and the band does not have a myspace page, so it's hard to gage their sound any further. Apparently the members have started a new band Zatopeks, who also appear on the comp, with another interesting but not really punk sounding song "Devil In a '55".

Other bands worth mentioning that do a good job on the comp are the Dirtshakes, Stinking Polecats, and The Retarded. But the band with the best songs on the compilations is easily The Travoltas.

The Travoltas are from The Netherlands and play a nice style of pop punk that doesn't suggest they are just trying to ape another band. Their songs "Oh Suzy" and "Nail You" just have so much energy, and lyrics much more lyrically major than almost another band on either cd. To here "Oh Suzy" which already has enough plays to climb onto my itunes "Top 25 Most Played" would alone meritt spending a few dollars to get one of the albums, but for the 0 dollars and 0 cents I payed for it, it can't be beat.

Insubordination Fest 2007

2007-07-08T08:07:00.000-05:00

It was a long road traveled to get to Insubordination Fest, starting with waking up Friday morning at the ungodly (for me at least) hour of 6 AM, and taking a 45 minute drive to a friends house to leave for our trip. It took 9 hours including stops to get from Massachusetts to Maryland, and took us through 6 states, and the largest city in the country (the Manhattan traffic was a bitch). We finally arrived in Baltimore only to be kicked out of the hotel we had reserved, for being under 21. We quickly got reffered to a more expensive hotel that agreed to accomidate us.

Arriving at the Ottobar at some time around quarter to 6, there was a huge line waiting to get into the show. While in line I saw the weekends first "celebrity" sighting, Brandon from Teenage Bottlerocket chatting it up with people in the line. I soon also recognised the giant afro of Kurt from The Leftovers in the near bye parking lot. After a long wait, I finally got into the venue to see The Paper Dragons at the end of their set. Based on what I saw, the Dragons gave a good performance, but it was not seen by many. The Ottobar was still fairly empty, and I could tell that a lot of people were still in line outside.

After The Paper Dragons, Short Attention played. As their name might suggest Short Attention, a side project made up of various members of other bands who played the fest, only performs songs that are under 30 or so seconds long. The whole thing seemed like a waste of time to me, especially since the bands lyrics weren't creative or intelligent, and the whole thing reminded me of a bad Saturday Night Live skit that is one joke dragged on way too long.

Fortunately the Riptides were up next and they gave the best performance of the day. The band played fast abrassive music that got the audience into the first mosh pit of the day. At various times in the set the Canadian band's singer insisted that the audience chant "America... Fuck Yeah!" ala Team America. The band closed their set out on a bang, playing a cover of "Bonzo Goes To Bitburg" with the audience singing along to every word.

The Unloveables were on next. The band started off slow, playing music that was too poppy for my tastes, and making boring conversation to the audience (the singer talked about forgetting to feed her cat). Eventually the songs get better, and I got a favoreble opinion of them in the end. After their set I decided to check out the merch tent that was set up outside. I bought a Riptides cd based on their set, and also picked up some free samplers that were up for the taking. While out there I ran into the lead singer of the Riptides and told him how much I enjoyed the set. I also talked to Adam from The Leftovers who was impressed with the Red Sox shirt that I was wearing.

I went back into the Ottobar expecting to see Dear Landlord play, but found out that the venues power had gone out. The audience was asked to stay outside, which would have been fine except people under 21 weren't allowed to leave the proximity and be able to re-enter. Cursed for the second time that day due to my age! Feeling sympathetic for the crowd, The Ergs decided to do an acoustic set in the parking lot. Unfortunately this was outside of the proximity making it essentialy a 21+ show. To Egghead's credit they came over to perform, giving kids something else to do besides endlessly checking out the merch. During their acoustic set they tried to make the best of the bad situation, and the singer was even able crowd surf the surrounding audience. After Egghead's set I found out my friends had left the proximity to get some food, and as promised were not being allowed re-entry. Being a dick I made them wait around a bit to make sure I didn't miss anything. I left after running into Dan Vapid, whose band was scheduled to perform that day, he told us that todays show was about to be cancelled and that The Methadones would perform tommorow assuming the power comes on.

The next morning I took advantage of my new expensive hotel rooms free internet access, and found out that the second show was on for today. As promised by Dan Vapid, The Methadones were squeezed into todays schedule, as well as some other bands who were supposed to have played yesterday. To accomodate this, the show was scheduled to start an hour earlier, but being unprepared for this, I didn't have a chance to catch the first hour of the show.

I got to the Ottobar that day at around 12:30, when Head was about to come on stage. Head was meant to have closed the previous nights show but obviously didn't get a chance to. Heads riffs all semmed ripped from Ramones songs, much more so than any of the other bands at least. During one song when the guitarists broke a string, Head's singer kept playing the bass line, which he even admitted was "I Don't Want To Go Down To The Basement". Despite coming to the show over an hour after it started, the place was still pretty empty when I got there, and Head, and the next band Banner Pilot, both gave fairly unnoteable performances that failed to ignite the small crowd.

At 1:45 the Backseat Virgins came on stage. I had skeptical feelings about the band when I saw them setting up a keyboard before they came on, and wondered whether or not they'd be worth my time. They weren't. The band, which labeled themselves as a pop punk band, seemed pretty light on the punk part, and their two singers could not be heard at all over the instruments. A few songs into the set I decided to bail and went outside to, check out the days merch, try to meet up with my friends, and get some food (a band called the Sick Sick Birds had a grill going outside, with profits of the food going to pay towards them releasing an album). While outside I see someone who I think (and later find out is) is Larry Livermore, but I decide not to go up to him because a.) he's having a conversation with someone, and b.) because I'm not sure if it is him.

I went back in half an hour or so later to check out the schedule and see who was about to play. For Science was up next, and I decided to check them out based on the name of the band, which I thought was clever. While this is not always the best way to judge whether a band will be good or not, in this case they met my expectations. For Science delievered a nice 20 minute set. At the end of it the Ottobar started to fill out with late arriving concert-goers. Dead Mechanical came up next and delivered much of the same.

Apparently the crowd that was slowly building up was building up for The Guts. When the New Hampshire natives started playing, the pit, which had been quiet all day, went crazy with slamdancing, stage diving and crowd surfing. This was only ampliphied when The Guts brought out Wimpy (the one from The Queers not The Subhumans) to perform with them. This line-up gave the second in a number of Ramones cover throughout the festival, with Cretin Hop.

I should point out that during this set a kid with a New Hampshire tattoo (who I later found out was a member of The Rydells) went crazy and must have gotten up on stage and jumped off at the very least five times. Eventually it got old, and people were getting pissed at him. I tried to pull him down eventually, but to no avail, the dude was determined to keep coming up on stage. I thought the whole thing was kind of funny, but when I went outside in the merch area people were calling him an asshole, and complaining about him.

Another New England band, The Leftovers, came on next, the crowd was still pumped from Wimpy playing with The Guts, and The Leftovers got a similiar reception.

When The Leftovers fiinished it was time for the Parasites. Despite giving a decent performance I had trouble getting into them, due to the fact that Ben Weasel was going to perform next.

As the crowd prepared for Ben's set, people in the pit got crammed like sardines. I managed to squirm my way towards the front of the stage, to the point where I could effectively no longer move another inch. In all the shows I've been to, I've never been in a pit that crammed, and in addition to not being able to move, it felt like I was in a sweat lodge, with all the body heat. Ben eventually came on stage, and The Guts came back as his backing band. He apologised to the audience, apparently his voice had been shot from rehearsing (I don't think any one could care or tell during the set though) and then ripped into "I Wanna Be With You Tonight". His set consisted of a nice mix of Screeching Weasel, RIverdales, and solo songs, some in which he had Dan Vapid come up and play with him. At one point he pointed out how The Queers couldn't be here because they were touring Europe with Marky Ramone (technically there were a number of one-time Queers members there between Wimpy, Tulu, Vapid, and Adam), and went through some great Queers and Ramones covers. By now us up in the front could somewhat move around and dance, though it was still a tight fit. By Ben's closing song "My Brain Hurts" I managed to squeeze my way onto the stage, where I proceeded to give Ben a pat on the back and then dive into the audience as the song finished. In a situation eerily similar to the last time I stage dived, my glasses came off as I was pulled down into the crowd, this time however I somehow managed to retrieve them before they got trampled. I was soaked in sweat, and my shirt looked look I had worn it into the shower, but it was well worth it, the set was the best of the day.

I went outside to cool off and let my shirt dry. Outside my friend was talking to a member of The Guts who proclaimed, "All those years of sitting in my underwear playing Tetris while listening to Screeching Weasel have finally payed off!". I soon went back in to see The Steinways play. After doing a set of their own songs, The Steinways brought Ben back on to do some Screeching Weasel songs.

By the time the set was finished, I had to cool off and found a huge fan near the bar that I stood in front of. After a few moments of relishing in the cold air, I looked up and saw Ben Weasel walking towards me with an entourage of a few people. The only other time I can think of where I had been starstruck, was when I met former Red Sox star Mo Vaughn. This moment now quickly became number two. I didn't know what to do, so I just did what I'd naturally do when I meet a person. "Hi Ben", I said putting out my hand. "Hi" he said patiently, shaking my hand. "Nice to meet you" "You too". Not exactly the most engaging conversation I've had with someone, but still one of the great moments of my life, and one I'll never forget.

The Retarded were on next, but I went outside to get some food. I soon got to see another former Screeching Weasel member, when my friends found Dan Vapid, who we had talked with briefly the night before, and got a picture of him with us.

I came back in to see the Beatnick Termites, who peeked my interest due to the fact that they had covered the entire "Pleasant Dreams" album, which was for sale outside. When the guys took the stage there couldn't have been more of a contrast between the guitarist and the bassist. The bassist was a big bald guy, covered with tattoos on his head and arms, and complete with a long beard. He resembled Kerry King from Slayer, and had Dead Kennedys and Black Flag stickers on his bass. The guitarist was a stick thin asian guy, with emoish hair and a cross necklace hanging from his neck. Despite the bassists appearance, the band played poppy songs, but unlike some of the other poppy bands that played, the Termites had good lyrics, a singer with a good voice, and catchy songs. They also had a sense of humnor, doing a number called "Shit Fuck", that similarly to Ween's "HIV Song" consisted of the words "shit" and "fuck", being sung to an upbeat melody. It was a nice break on my body from all the slamdancing to just be able to stand there and watch a good band play. At the end of the set I was offered the set list and gladly took it.

The Ergs were up next and the crowd went absolutely crazy when the started playing. The singer from the band gave a funny explanation about why The Queers weren't there, stating that similarly how you can't have the President and Vice President on the same airplane in case something tragic happens, you can't have Ben Weasel and Joe Queer in the same club in case something happens.

After their set it was time for The Methadones who gave one of the days best performances and further ignited the crowd. Though It felt kind of weird to see Danny Vapid playing neither a guitar nor a bass. The band finished their set with a cover of Screeching Weasel's "What We Hate", and again I had to give my poor body a breather.

I watched the next band, The Apers, from around the bar area. I don't know if The Apers singer is a heavy smoker, or if he through his voice out, but his voice sounded really shot.

I returned to the pit to see The Copyrights, who came on stage asking why no one had stage dived off the balcony ala Eddie Vedder (they were incorrect, I think the kid from the Rydell's successfully did this during The Guts set, and someone else did it not so sucessfully during Ben Weasel's set, landing feet first on some poor girls head). Humbled by playing too such a large crowd, the band commented on how great it was to playing to an audience larger than a few of the bands friends, and proceeded to deliever a great set that the audience ate up. It's worth mentioning that during their performance a crowdsurfer was successfully able to hold onto his beer, and drink it while being passed around, all without spilling a drop.

Teenage Bottlerocket was up next and gave a stellar perform, though by now my body was aching in pain from being in the pit for most of the day, and I was starting to get tired.

I poured a cup of water over my head to make sure I was awake enough to enjoy The Mr. T Experience close out the festival. MTX came on sometime after midnight and delivered a combination of both old and new material. The band closed the show by giving great performances of "And I Will Be With You" and "I Feel For You". I was however dissapointed that they didn't end with a Ramones cover, seeing as every band and audience member at the show was so heavily influenced by them, and seeing as MTX recorded a cover of the entire "Road To Ruin" album, but what can you do. Overall the fest was great and with the power going out the day before, this wasn't going to get to me.

The thing that impressed me most about the festival was how open and down to earth all the performers were. If you wanted to meet any of the musicians, you probably had the opportunity to. Almost all of them were hanging outside by the food and merch at one point or another, and many of them were slamdancing in the pit and crowdsurfing. Jay from the Prozacs even tried to bum a ride back to Massachusetts with us.

One final note though that I realised over the weekend. If your band is named The {Insert name here}s, please do not call yourself {first name} {insert name here} there was an overabundance of this with many of the performers at the festivals and it's gotten old. Be creative! If everyone followed this trend we would be deprived of some of the best stage names in entertainment history! Pat Germ just doesn't have the same creativity to it as Pat Smear.

Coming Attractions...

2007-06-18T22:59:00.000-05:00

I can not think of few other times like this next few weeks, were so many great artists are releasing new material, some on the same day. "What albums am I reffering to?" you might ask? Here are some noteworhty ones:

*Bad Religion- New Maps of Hell
Release date: July 10th

Bad Religion's 14th (yes 14th!) studio album, and first in 3 years, is interestingly enough being produced by Melvins producer Joe Barresi. It is their third album back with Brett in the band, and third album where they made the dumb decision to have 3 guitarists. The first single "Honest Goodbye", while a good listen, does not sound like your typical BR song, and while this may not be a classic album, it's still a Bad Religion album, and is bound to be enjoyable.

*Ben Weasel- These Ones Are Bitter
Release date: June 26th

This is Ben Weasel's second solo album, and first new album of any sort in 5 years (this seems weird for a guy who's band used to release a new album almost every year, and in some cases two in one year). Bens backing band for the album, "His Iron String Quartet", is actually a trio of musicians made up of members of populr bands, The All-American Rejects, and Alkaline Trio. If you're looking to pick this one up at a record store, no dice, the album is being released as a download, and is on a new label that Ben put together called "Mendota Recordings".

*Beastie Boys- The Mix-Up
Release Date: June 26th

Notice how in te beggining of this article I said "great artists" and not "great material", well the latter was actually included until I heard the first single from this album. The Mix-Up was being hailed as the Beastie Boys return to their punk rock roots, where they return to playing their instruments. Unfortunately they took this a step too far, and decided to make the album instrumental with no vocals at all. While this fact is alone was dissapointing, the fact that the albums first single sounds more similar to the sound of post-punk bands than the Beasties early Hardcore punk sound makes it even worse. It is already being reported that the album will see a second release, this time with vocals. Hopefully this will salvage something. As for now I think I'll pass on this one.

*Meat Puppets- Rise to Your Knees
July 17th 2007

That's right, the Meat Puppets have reunited! And unlike their sham reunion in 1999, that only included one original member, this time they have both the Kirkwood brothers, together again for the first time since 1996! While original drummer Derrick Bostrom has decided not to participate on this, his presence is missed a lot less, than if Curt or Cris Kirkwood where not on the album. Ted Marcus, the drummer from a band called "Liz Skillman Group" is taking Bostrom's place. It will be interesting to here what the album sounds like, I doubt it will be their return to the Hardcore punk that they played on their first album, but it would nice to see a return to the Cowpunk sound of their breakthrough album (and one of my all time favorites) "Too High To Die". Even with only one original member, and some what of a new sound, their last album 2000's "No Joke!" was still great, and this one, with Cris Kirkwood, has the potential ot be much better.

Punk Rock Action Figures

2007-06-13T01:15:00.000-05:00

So while searching for pictures of Pinheads in google image search I came across the following:

A Ramones Pinhead action figure! Apparently this figure is pretty rare, as some searches for where to buy one, or even another image of it, brought nothing.

Anyway long story short theres a bunch of punk rock action figures that I wasn't aware of. Enjoy this photo entry.

Green Day complete with Screeching Weasel and Frustrators tattoos:

Ramones as they probably currently look like:

Doyle:

A less realistic take on The Misfits:

Joey Ramone:

A couple of takes on the Sex Pistols:

I Just Heard Of Cartel Yesterday And I Already Hate Them

2007-06-11T22:24:00.000-05:00

So recently I saw an ad for Dr. Pepper on tv that featured some pop punk band named Cartel. If you've read some of my past entries you already know how I feel about licensing songs for commercials, but this takes it to a whole new level of patheticness.

You see, Cartel is part of a corporate orgy of a cross-promotion between MTV, Epic Records, and Dr. Pepper, that is being called "Band in A Bubble". Band in a Bubble is a reality show being produced by MTV in which a band is enclosed in a large bubble where they must write and record a new album in 20 days while under surveillance of tv and internet webcam viewers. Of course when they say "must write and record a new album in 20 days" I'm sure they mean put the finishing touches on some already essentially finished album, as there is no way Epic Records would let an album out before monthes of analysis throughout the process of it being made, to make sure it can make a maximum profit (If you want a more interesting version of this there is a NOFX ep called "Surfer" in which Fat Mike gave himself ten minutes of writing time per song, and had the band record them all in a two day session).

But now for the oddest part, apparently we have gotten to the point where tv shows are not only having advertisements during the show, but now have them in the programs name. That's right the show isn't even called "Band in a Bubble", it's called "Dr. Pepper Band in a Bubble". Even the shows website is url is drpepperbubble.com.

I have never hard of Cartel before and have never heard any of their songs other than the one in the commercial. I do not know if they ever had any credibility (I'm guessing not), but congratulations to them, for the rest of their careers they will be remembered as a joke, and I doubt even the mainstream will accept them as anything more than a gimmick. You've made your bubble now sleep in it.

Five Years Ago Today

2007-06-05T20:10:00.000-05:00

So today while on imdb.com, I noticed Dee Dee Ramone was listed as having died on todays date. After going to his imdb profile, I learned that there is a movie called "Bikini Bandits" that stars Dee Dee, Jello Biafra, Gary the Retard and Hank The Angry Drunken Dwarf (from Howard Stern fame), and Corey Feldman. This, other than making me want to desperately see this movie, influenced me to write the following article as a tribute to Dee Dee. Enjoy.

Five years ago on this day Dee Dee Ramone passed away at the age of 49, after overdosing on heroin. Dee Dee always seemed to take a back seat to Joey and Johnny, in terms of recognition given. Even his death sandiwched between both of theres seemed to get the least attention. Not taking anything away from Joey and Johnny, who were both great, and the other guys who went in and out of the band, Dee Dee in my opinion was the most talented member. Looking at songwriter credits alone, During his tenure in the Ramones Dee Dee wrote most of the bands best songs, including "53rd and 3rd", "Chinese Rock", "Too Tough To Die", "Howling At The Moon" and "Pet Sematary" just to name a few. Even after he left he proved his loyalty be still writing songs for the band, including writing half of their final album. On the post Dee Dee albums all of his songs still stood out from the rest as being the better songs on the album.

With the band he pulled them back to their punk roots, after Joey had taken the band in a poppier direction, by writing the majority of the album Too Tough To Die, and singing the main vocals on "Wart Hog" and "Endless Vacation". His singing style while much rawer and more typical "Punk rock" than Joey's proved just as good.

I'll leave you with the words that Dee Dee said when he was inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame:

"I would like to thank myself, and congratulate myself, and if I could, I would pat myself on the back. Thank you Dee Dee"

2007-06-05T20:09:00.000-05:00

Documentary Review

2007-05-29T22:36:00.000-05:00

Recently I bought "End Of The Century: The Story Of The Ramones" from someone on amazon.com. Today my copy arrived and I just recently finished watching the movie. End Of The Century is a documentary by Jim Fields and Michael Gramaglia, and according to their imdb profiles, it is the first film that either of them has made. The movie chronicles the whole history of the band from being kids in Queens, to the deaths of Joey and Dee Dee. Through this all, the filmmakers manage to get interviews with Johnny, Dee Dee, Tommy, Marky, members of Blondie, Legs Mcneil, and Joe Strummer, who along with Dee Dee died before the movie was even released. The interviews with Dee Dee are particularly interesting because of this. The whole time I was watching I was speculating that he had shot (not pun intended) the interview while high on heroin, though his weird speech paterns could just be the way he talked. The interviews with Johnny are also great too, because he comes across as such an unsympathetic cocky guy, but in a loveable way. During his interviews, Johnny calls Dee Dee's ex-girlfriend un-flattering names, claims everyone in the band was replaceable but him, labels numerous bands as inferior, and states he basically wouldn't talk with Joey, from the early 80's, up until his death (keep in mind for the majority of this time period, the two were in a band together!). One part that stands out is Johnny talking about Phil Spector. Johnny said when the band worked with Phil, he considered him a washed up producer who hadn't made a hit record in 15 years. He criticsizes Phil's job as a producer, and claimed Phil was nuts, at one time pulling a gun on the band.

The movie also utilisizes a large amount of archive footage compiled of the band from over the years. Some of it is very funny, such as the band arguing during a performance about what song they should play, and Johnny making fun of Blondie.

While the movie kind of skimmed over a lot of the albums the band made, it presented a pretty thorough history over all. Though the ending is abrupt, stating Dee Dee died of a heroin overdose two monthes after the footage was shot, and then rolling the credits along to Rock 'n roll Radio. During the credits though, one of the best parts of the whole film is shown. In a deleted scene from Johnny's interview, he asked what he thinks about the Ramones album "Mondo Bizzaro" too which he replies "I don't like it. I don't like it at all."

Feigning Interest In The State Of The Enviroment Sells Concert Tickets

2007-05-19T22:55:00.000-05:00

So I see a few Punk bands (or more appropriately former punk bands) are slated to play at some of Al Gore's "Live Earth" concerts. Right now AFI, The Police, the Beastie Boys, and a commercial pop-punk band who I don't even want to mention, are planning on playing the cross-continental event that is being held in nine different countries. The problem with this concert series isn't the lack of originality (though everything right down to the name seems like a cheap copy of Live 8 and Live Aid), it's the fact that the concerts seem to be nothing more than a ploy to cash in on the fact that people are starting to care about the enviroment. Now this wouldn't be a bad thing if the money actually went to well-known earth friendly cause, but just like Live 8, no money will be given out, instead the concerts are being done to "raise awareness". Jesus christ, who isn't aware about this problem at this point, for gods sake it's been on the cover of Time and Newsweek multiple times within the past year, and there was just am Award winning movie made about it. At least with Live 8 fans didn't have to pay for this "awareness", this time the "awareness" is going into the pockets of the artists and concert organizers. With all the fuel burned on A-list artists flying their private jets to Giants Stadium or Wembley Stadium, it seems as that if anything this will hurt the enviroment. Even The Who, the band who would sell their own mothers into slavery to make a quick buck, have denounced the concerts as nothing more than a cash in.

"The last thing the planet needs is a rock concert. I can't believe it. Let's burn even more fuel. We have problems with global warming, but the questions and the answers are so huge I don't know what a rock concert's ever going to do to help. Everybody on this planet at the moment, unless they are living in the deepest rainforest in Brazil"- Roger Daltrey

Isn't it sad when Roger Daltrey is the voice of reason?

In 1984 Chumbawamba recorded an anrcho-punk album titled "Pictures of Starving Children Sell Records", in response to the Band Aid project (you know that group of famous musicians who recorded that horrible "Do They Know It's Christmas?" song). Well I guess in 2007 feigning interest in the state of the enviroment sells concert tickets.

Surrender

2007-05-04T15:56:00.000-05:00

There are some songs rock songs that punk bands seem to be pulled to. The most obvious is "I Fought The Law" and "Knowledge" is another one that comes to mind, but recently I've noticed another one. It seems that everyone who's anyone has covered Cheap Trick's Surrender. There's just something about the "Mommy's alright Daddy's alright" chorus. The ones that stand out the most are three diverse (at least by punk rock standards) covers by Pegboy, The Manges, and Less Than Jake.

You can hear Less Than Jake's version here, and clips of Pegboy and The Manges covering the song here and here.

Also I've just realised if you look three posts back you'll find a clip of Green Day playing the song at CBGB, and so concludes this short entry.

Pete Townshend Is A Whore

2007-04-28T13:47:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you, but everytime I hear a song in a commercial, it seems to cheapen the songs original message. The other day I heard the song "Won't Get Fooled Again" playing on the radio. It's a pretty deep song, about a revolution, that just becomes like the old regime, but all I could think of was car commercials, ads for the World Cup, and CSI. Unlike a music video where the artist can potray what they intend to potray along with the song, or even a movie or video game where the soundtrack plays an important role in accomadting what's on screen, using songs for commercials, takes them out of the context, giving them a new one, to me that cheapens the message. The other thing about it is for the most part it is just about making money. Do you think bands are thinking "gee I think our song would work perfectly with the artistic agenda behind this commercial?" Hell no! They're thinking what Buzzcocks bassist Steve Garvey said when one of his bands songs was used in an AARP commercial,

"Everybody's mocking me about it. But they can mock me all they want; when I get my royalty check, I'll be laughing plenty."

Thats right even punk musicians are getting involved in selling their songs to ads. The song Garvey is reffering to is "Everybody's Happy Nowadays", a sarcastic song about ignoring the worlds problems, and illusioning yourself from life, will now promote the American Association of Retired Persons.

To be fair to the Buzzcocks it's not as if those guys are raking in the dough, and still whoring themselves out to advertisements like The Who or the Rolling Stones, but this is not the case with all punk artists.

You'd think Tim Armstrong and Travis Barker would have it made, after watching an episode of that shitty reality show Barker had, I know for a fact he lives in a mansion, and I'm pretty sure Armstrong isn't pinching pennies himself. Still they lend the Transplants song "Diamonds and Guns" to a fucking shampoo commercial. I remember when I first heard that song, I loved it bought the cd, and listened to it constantly. Now whenever I hear it, it never has not nearly the same attitude it once did, and I think about shampoo ads. Transplants singer Rob Aston responded in an interview question about the ad:

"People say, "Oh, you're selling out." Well, suck my dick, you know what I'm saying? We've got bills to pay like everyone else. There ain't nothing wrong with getting your song on TV."

You'd think that after selling as many copies as that album did, you wouldn't have much trouble paying your bills, but I guess the Transplants have expensive taste, or more likely they are just dicks who don't care about the integrity of their music.

In addition to the Buzzcocks and Transplants, the Ramones "Blitzkreig Bop" has been used to hock Pepsi and cellphones, Green Day's "Holiday" was in a cell phone ad, and East Bay Ray and Klaus Floride sued Jello Biafra for not allowing "Holiday In Cambodia" to appear in a blue jeans ad. And lets not forget that horrible cell phone comercial with those two idiots trying to decipher the lyrics to "Rock The Casbah". Come to think of it I think "Should I Stay Or Should I Go" was used in two different ads, one for Levis and one for beer. I think a more appropriate Clash song would be "Career Opportunities".

I Learned Something Today

2007-04-22T10:55:00.000-05:00

So here's a quick update, I finally figured out how to make clickable links, and have edited all my previous posts to include them. This means you will no longer have to copy and paste the url into your browser.

Secondly I'd just like encourage anyone who reads this to leave their comments on entries. It's kind of discouraging to write out a long entry and feel like no one has read it (even if that is for the most part the case).

Anyway enjoy the links.

Green Day At CBGB

2007-04-19T18:32:00.002-05:00

So the lack of entries has basically been due to the fact that I really covered everything I was mad at in my first week of writing this blog. I considered wirting an entry about Imus but it didn't really seem relevant to the subject of my blog.

So instead of just keeping this blog empty for a week, I'm resorting to another youtube entry. This one again goes with the theme of great performance supposively lost to the public. While most of my other entries on this are about well-known performances, such as Fear on SNL, this one I didn't even know had taken place until a year ago. I was searching youtube for "CBGB" and found a series of clips from a 2001 performance done by Green Day at the late club. Apparently the performance was an impromptu visit, and the instruments the band used was borrowed from the nights previous band. The setlist consisted of requests from the audience, songs the band decided to play on the spot, and a number of covers.

As I said earlier, the concert took place in 2001, a few years before the band had a 4 or 5 backing musicians on tour with them. If you compare this to Green Days concert film, Bullet In A Bible, this is infinately more entertaining. It's the three band members playing many of their lesser known songs, and doing covers of bands like The Undertones, with lots of funny banter in between, as opposed to "Green Day & Friends" playing hit single after hit single, in what seems like a calculated Arena rock concert. And they're not wearing eye make-up.

Only Of You:

Welcome To Paradise/Going To Pasalacqua:

Covers Medley 1/Coming Clean/Who Wrote Holden Caulfield?:

Longview/Covers Medley 2:

409 In Your Cofee Maker/She:

Blood Sex & Booze/Teenage Kicks:

Scattered:

Minority:

"Dance-Punk" And Other Genres That Suck

2007-04-14T22:10:00.002-05:00

The sound of bands who play "Dance-punk" doesn't sound anything like punk rock. There is no influence by punk rock heard in it. As far as I'm concerned some asshole playing watered down new wave music with more disco elements, wanted to give a title to his music that wouldn't make it seem like the sissy music it was, so he thought, "Oh this is kind of like new wave, which is kind of like punk rock! Maybe if I call this some sort of punk music it would give it an edge!"

While doing some research on dance-punk, I found this article on wikipedia:

"List of music genres suffixed -core"

Here are some of the highlights:
Breakbeat hardcore - an offshoot of acid house that uses breakbeats for its rhythm lines
Happy hardcore - an evolution of breakbeat hardcore that uses twee sounding instrumentation and lyrics
Gamecore - fusion of classic video game music & hardcore
Mathcore - a fusion of metalcore and math rock
Sadcore - style of late '80s indie rock with sadness and loneliness-themed lyrics
Spookycore - hardcore rock with spooky themes or lyrics.
Synthcore - alternative name for electroclash. also a type of coldwave without guitars.
Trancecore - uplifting and epic music, close to freeform
and the most vomit enducing:
Cuddlecore - punk-influenced twee pop

The words punk and twee don't belong in the same sentence let alone the same genre, and I doubt there is anything more than a post-punk influence in this music. Like Dance-punk, this seems like just another shitty attempt to make wussified music sound like it has an edge to it. Well guess what, it still sucks. Please people just call a spade a spade, I'm sick of all this shit. Now bands aren't playing emo they're playing "post-hardcore" (see it has the word hardcore in it, it has an attitude!). There are even some bands calling themselves "post-rock". What kind of a pretentious asshole would think that their band was so revolutionary that it is outside of anything ever heard in any forms of the rock genre? And as for the bands who call themselves "Indie rock", it seems a lot of them aren't on indipendent labels, and hardly rock. I've got one simply genre to file all these genres under, "shit".

The Griswalds

2007-04-12T23:20:00.000-05:00

I wanted to get away from these myspace/youtube posts but aftering writing that big Green Day entry I feel I deserve a break. A few days ago I wrote about the lack of good U.K. bands. Since thne I've been trying to do some research to find some U.K. bands that interest me, and this one caught my ear. Based on the four songs on their myspace page, the Griswalds are a great pop punk band, who sing such songs as "My Girlfriend Comes From Outerspace!", complete with a cockney accent. Coming from Orpington, UK, the band proudly hails themselves "Orpington's most retarded!". How can you not smile at that? Check out their music at http://www.myspace.com/griswalds.

The Green Day Debate

2007-04-12T22:09:00.000-05:00

It's hard to think of a band in the punk rock community that has caused more division than Green Day. Lots of people hate them, lots of people love them, most people say something along the lines of "Oh they were great, but now I only like their old stuff". Of those three groups I'd place myself somewhere between the second and third groups. Today I bought a newly reissued copy of 1039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hour, making American Idiot their only album I don't own. I've heard most of the tracks from that album, and even bought the single "Jesus Of Suburbia" on itunes, but it seems that over all the album is not any where near as strong as Insomniac or Dookie. Regardless I wouldn't exactly categorize what I've from it as "bad", and I'd be hard pressed to classify Green Day as a band that I no longer like. You see Green Day will always hold a special place in my heart, if you don't count Nirvana's albums as punk (I somewhat do, most people don't), Dookie would be considered the first punk album that I ever bought. I got the album when I was in the ninth grade, and within the next year I was buying stuff by the Ramones, after hearing they were one of the bands biggest influences. Green Day also led me to Screeching Weasel, Millencolin, and countless other bands. But in 2005 or so when I saw that Billie Joe Armstrong was wearing masquera, something seemed wrong. One of my biggest pet peeves is when punk bands where makeup or silly outfits, as it seems to say they're putting so much time to conform to a certain appearance, that it distracts from the music. Unless you're gonna go all the way and make it part of your stage show KISS or The Misfits, don't do it.

Now I could still kind of shake this off as not that big of a problem, but then I found out that Green Day would have My Chemical Romance open up for them on an American tour, and Simple Plan on a European tour. Hold up, this was the same band that had Pansy Division open their first big American tour, and The Riverdales open their first big tour of England. Pansy Division was a band that was built to be outisde of the mainstream, most of their lyrics focused on gay lifestyles, and employed humor, to produce such classics as "James Bondage" and "Homo Christmas". Now ten years later, their opening spot would be replaced by Simple Plan, a band manufactured to appeal to the young mainstream teenage audience, who's songs where nothing but cliches about how tough it is to be a 13 year old growing up in Middle Class America, written by guys in their mid 20s.

It just doesn't make sense to me, Green Day is a great band, why would they embrace crap like that? They were already at the top, it's not as if (at least I hope it's not) the logic was, "Oh lets bring "x" band on tour with us, it will attract a larger concert audience!" Why not expose kids to a good band thta they've never heard of, instead of regurgitating garbage like My Chemical Romance down their throats?

Also I'm kind of pissed off at how many touring musicians the band is using in their live show. At last count they were using 2 guitarists in addition to Billie Joe, a keyboard player, and a horn section. One of the great things baout the band is the musical chemistry between the three members, and all these extra musicians take away from that.

Oh well what can you do. In short I still like the band, and have taken crap on numerous ocassions for that, but hey, they made the album Insomniac, I owe them a lot more than they owe me.

GGtube

2007-04-11T22:16:00.000-05:00

So I'm trying to update this at least once a day, soon enough I'll post new stuff more infrequently, i.e. when I run out of youtube videos and myspace pages to showcase. I'd like to be able to write more op-ed things like my Warped Tour and U.K. articles, but I've got nothing really to vent about right now. So without further ado, here is a continuation to my youtube entry:

First up, GG Allin meets Jerry Springer. For those of you who don't know, The Jerry Springer Show started as a serious news talk show with Springer coming off of a term as Mayor of Cinncinatti. Gradually the show turned into what it is today, and GG Allin appeared on the show in 1993, when it still showed a few shreds of journalistic integrity. During his appearance GG argues that rape can be a good thing as it makes you stronger, and says he wouldn't mind if his own daughter gets raped. Watching this and seeing GG's nihlistic attitude towards everything, casually talking about raping people on stage, fucking animals, and being abused throughout childhood, really reminds me of the interview between Wayne Gale and Mickey Knox in Natural Born Killers, except that the Mickey Knox character seemed sainer. Along with GG is some idiot 17 year old fan of his, who would later become his girlfriend. She comes of as one of those idiots who was raised with a great childhood in a middle class family, who is "rebelling for the hell of it" and has a corny gothic look to go along with it. I can't help but wonder where she is now, and what happend to her after GG died. Anyway you can watch the video here:

Also I'd like to include the video to my favorite GG "Expose Yourself To Kids":

Finally while on the subject of dead punk stars appearing on daytime tv shows, here's a short video of Joey Ramone on the Morton Downey Jr. show:

While GG Allin won't really be missed by much, Joey always will.

Some More Cool Local Bands

2007-04-10T12:37:00.000-05:00

After spending so much time venting on the Warped Tour, I thnk it's time for a more laxed entry. In one of my previous posts I mention The Prozacs, a pop punk band from Springfield, MA. I recently bought their new album "Questions, Answers and Things Never Found", after listening to some of the albums songs on the bands myspace page. Before hearing this new album I had kind of dismissed the band as another Screeching Weasel/Queers knockoff, but the first six songs on the new album alone are better than anything I had heard from the band in the past. There are a few songs towards the end of the album where I asked myself "how the hell did this make the cut?", but overall the album shows a much more mature and lyrically talented side of the band.

While I'm on the subject of Massachusetts bands I'd like to mention a few others that have caught my attention.

The Acrobrats are a punk band from Boston, their guitarist Daniel Brat (all members use the Ramones type alias) actually works for Harmonix, the company who made Guitar Hero. Because of this the bands songs have been featured in all the Guitar Hero games, which is wear I first heard their song "Callout". You can listen to that track and others (including a cover of the Megaman theme) on the bands myspage page, http://www.myspace.com/acrobrats.

Finally I'd like to point out The Brainless Wonders. Hailing from Worcester, this band like The Prozacs, has clear Screeching Weasel and Queers influences, but still maintains an originality to their music. It seems the band is no longer together as their myspace page hasn't been updated since 2005, but the songs that they have up their are well worth a listen. The band released one album in 2002, but unfortunately it is out of stock on Interpunk.com. For now you can listen to them here, http://www.myspace.com/brainlesswonders.

Corporately Named Christ Tour 2007

2007-04-09T10:10:00.000-05:00

"I hear this year's Vans Warped Tour is "going green!" I guess they heard that money grows on trees. Hope they ship all those shitty bands overseas like they did the factories."- Propaghandi

A few years ago I considered going to the Vans Warped Tour when The Offspring where headlining it. In the end I decided not to go as I really didn't want to be in the same vacinity as bands like Simple Plan and My Chemical Romance, not to mention their obnoxious fans. Now this year again I am tempted on going after hearing that Bad Religion will be the headliner. I went to warpedtour.com to see if there would be any other good bands playing, and was to say the least dissapointed.

The first thing you see on the site is the logo for this years tour:

Apparently puting one sponsor in the main logo isn't enough for the people at Warped, so in addition to the big-ass Vans logo at the top, we have an AT&T logo taking up the entire right hand bottom corner.

While I scrolled down the page I noticed this huge advertisem... err image:

Great, so I can head down to the Tweeter Center, go to the Vans Warped Tour (presented by AT&T) and stand in front of the Hot Topic stage to see bands play. With all this blatant advertising it seems like the companies should be paying you to buy the ticket instead of the other way around.

But maybe the bands playing would make up for all this nauseating product placement. When I looked at the list of the bands playing I was shocked, not only by how many seemingly shitty bands were playing, but by how many Christian rock bands were playing.

Apparently at last years Warped Tour, Fat Mike upset the tours token Christian act Underoath, by criticsizing (and rightfully so) their views on evolution and gay marriage. Underoath eventually quit to the tour. Apparently in an act to show how friendly they are with the Christian rock community, Warped not only invited back Underoath, but a hoarde of their contemporaries. This years tour will so far feature Christian acts like, The Almost, Anberlin, As Cities Burn, As I Lay Dying, The Chariot, Family Force 5 (I swear I'm not making this name up), The Fold, Haste The Day, Jonezetta, Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, Norma Jean, and Underoath. To make it worse the majority of these bands don't play punk music, which seems to have taken a back seat at this years tour to metalcore and "post-hardcore" (the acceptable term for emo).

So at an event headlined by Bad Religion there will be at least 12 Christian rock bands (including one named "Family Force 5") playing, metalcore and emo, and a stage named the Hot Topic Stage. Looking at the line-up there are a few other bands I'd be interested in seeing play at the festival, but as of now I don't plan on going. Maybe come August if Bad Religion hasn't announced a tour of their own, and I can find a cheap ticket I'll go, but I just spend $50 to see two days of the Insubordination Festival and I'd much rather be in the same vacinity as Ben Weasel, The Methadones, The Prozacs, and The Leftovers, than the Family Force 5.

Punktube

2007-04-08T21:11:00.000-05:00

With the advent of youtube we are now able to see some of the greatest and most infamous moments recorded in punk rock history. When I was first shown youtube some time in early 2006, one of the first videos I looked for was Fear's performance on Saturday Night Live.

The band (who at the time didn't even have an album out) was booked for the show in 1981 by the insistance of SNL alum John Belushi. For their set Fear brought a large set of "back up dancers", who unbeknownst to the shows producers were slamdancer. The group included Belushi, Ian MacKaye, Harley Flanagan of The Cro-mags, and John Brannon of Negative Approach. The footage of this has finally re-surfaced, but see it while you can, as it is not uncommon for NBC to have SNL sketches and performances taken down. As of now you can still view it here:

part one:

part two:

While I'm on the subject of infamous performances on youtube, I'd also like to give a plug for Green Day's "mud fight" at Woodstock 1994. Here you'll see Green Day performing one of their best songs (Paper Lanterns), and then engaging in a mud throwing fight with fans. If you pay careful attention you'll see Mike Dirnt get tackled by a security guard at the end of the video, and if nothing else you should watch it to see Wavy Gravy throwing mud at people. Here it is:

I was also going to include Canadian band Fucked Up's performance on MTV in which they and their fans cause $2000 worth of damage, but unfortunately it's been taken down in the wake of the Viacom lawsuit. You can check out their music here.

Green Day after the mudfight, note Mike Dirnt's Screeching Weasel shirt.

I'm So Bored With The U.K.

2007-04-08T17:42:00.000-05:00

Recently Epitaph Records signed a band known as the Gallows. The Gallows are from Watford, England, making them one of the label's very few U.K. punk bands, along with The Business, Ikara Colt, and The Mescaleros (I know that Epitaph also has Billy Bragg but he's neither punk rock nor a band). After looking over the label's roster I found they had more bands from Sweden than the U.K.

It's not just Epitaph that has a lack of bands from across the pond. The even more punk focused Fat Wreck has had only five (Citizen Fish, Consumed, The Fight, Guns n' Wankers, Snuff, and The U.K. Subhumans). The other big punk label that rose to prominence in the '90s, Lookout! has had no U.K. punk bands as far as I have found.
(EDIT: Larry Livermore has since corrected me Lookout! has had multiple UKers on their roster)

So what happend to the country that was once so associated with punk rock music? In 1975, Malcon McLaren, who had managed the New York Dolls, moved back to London and opened SEX, a clothing store based on the over the top fahsion style of New York musicians like the Dolls and Richard Hell. The "anti-fashion" clothing became popular and McLaren set up the Sex Pistols, who would soon inspire The Buzzcocks, The Clash etc. The problem here was from the start, it seems like this was all based on fashion. By the end of the '70s when the Sex Pistols broke up, the "anti-fashion" became passe. The bands and musicians that remained embraced new styles, The Damned effectively became a goth-rock band, with the black clothing and make-up to go along with it, and The Banshees followed them. Other bands would shift to playing the hipper "post punk" music, Johnny Rotten once again became John Lydon and started Public Image Ltd. The Clash started playing reggae, rocksteady, and everything under the sun. The only bands that kept a resemblance to the original sound started the UK82 scene to little fanfare.

In the United Kingdom punk was viewed as fashion before music, and was never kept fully embraced by a large enough following as it was in America. I had a conversion with a British music fan over the internet recently who when asked about a current punk scene said something along the lines of "Punk rock? Didn't people stop playing that in 1980?"

When California bands like Bad Religion, the Dead Kennedys, and The Vandals were building up followings in the mid '80s, the UK scene didn't seem to have nearly the following. And look at how much the American bands cared about fashion, most of them just wore t-shirts and jeans, instead of expensives ripped designer bondage clothes. Hell the Ramones didn't even cut their hair while UKers like Johnny Slut spend hours putting on makeup and styling there mohawks to look like this:

(for the record Slut went on to play house music when the punk fad died out)

So by the time California bands, Green Day, Bad Religion, and The Offspring became major label hit artists, and their former minor labels Lookout! and Epitaph gained larged followings, UK bands had no followings.

To this day bands that cover themselves in makeup and have that "anti-fashion" look, are considered jokes to me and the people I talk with. It's clear people like My Chemical Romance and Aiden care more about how the look, and keeping up with trends than making good music. Which is not to saying I'm comparing The Damned to Aiden but... well I don't know where exactly I'm going now, but hopefully you get my points.

Anyway getting back to the very beggining of this article, the Gallows sound great and could be the first influental punk band from England in a while. You can check them out here:
http://www.myspace.com/gallows

Cheapskate Records

2007-04-07T23:59:00.000-05:00

Some monthes ago I found a nifty little record company called Cheapskate Records via interpunk.com. Cheapskate is a label managed out of upstate New York by a guy just known as "Jason". As the label's name suggests, their albums are pretty inexpensive (most full lengths are $8 with no added shipping). According to cheapskaterecords.com, the label was started in 1996, but I didn't discover it until I was searching for local bands on interpunk, and found The Prozacs. After visiting their myspace page, and being impressed with some of their songs, I checked out their labels page. I soon discovered some more bands, one being The Leftovers. I had heard of The Leftovers before in passing, a friend of mine had opened a show for them, and they were mentioned on both Larry Livermore and Ben Weasel's blogs, but I had never heard their music before and was impressed. The final band worth mentioning that I discovered on the label was Nothing Famous. Unlike The Prozacs and The Leftovers, who for the most part both play pure pop punk, Nothing Famous had a sound that reminded me of the Beastie Boys during their punk rock days. Unfortunately, similarly to how the Beasties released "Pollywog Stew", and moved in a new direction, the members of Nothing Famous released their one EP, "The Yak", and moved on to different bands.

If you want to hear more from these bands check out:
www.myspace.com/theprozacs
www.myspace.com/theleftovers

Nothing Famous does not have a myspace or an official site, but you can here tracks from them on cheapskates website or
here.

Jello Shots

2007-04-07T23:33:00.000-05:00

When thinking of some of the most interesting people in rock history, Jello Biafra's name quickly comes to mind. His politically charged lyrics and opinions, while to the far left of even a pretty liberally minded guy like me, are thought provoking, honest, and at times hillarious.

So as a loyal reader of "Jello News" on alternativetentacles.com, I am dissapointed, to say the least, about his latest statement:

"East Bay Ray and Co. have gone ahead and cleared a cover version of Dead Kennedys' "Too Drunk to Fuck" for a brutal scene in Grindhouse, a 'double-feature' directed by Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez. This is their lowest point since Levi's. I Like some of Tarnatino's work, another place in the film might have been fine. But this goes against everything the Dead Kennedys stands for in spades. The scene is actually in the "Planet Terror" film directed by Rodriguez. Tarantino himself is pointing a gun at a disabled amputee woman's head yelling "Dance, Bitch!" as the Nouvelle Vague cover of "Too Drunk to Fuck" plays from a boombox. The terrified woman later "wins" by killing Tarantino, but that excuse does not rescue this at all. I wrote every note of that song and this is not what it was meant for.

Some people will do anything for money. I can't help but think back to how prudish Klaus Flouride was when he objected to H.R. Giger's painting on the "Frankenstien" poster, saying he couldn't bear to show it to his parents. I'd sure love to be a fly on the wall when he tries to explain putting a song in a rape scene for money to his teenage daughter."

It's interesting that Jello mentions the Frankenchrist poster, as the subsequent trial over it was all about Jello arguing the freedom of expression for the sake of art. Now after seeing "Grindhouse" the other day, I am thinking to myself, isn't this the same case? Rodreiguz and Tarantino are two of the greatets filmmakers of this era, surely their work qualifies as "art". Why is Jello all of a sudden criticsizing movies for their depictions of sexualizied violence, when he has spent his entire spoken word career criticsizing Tipper Gore, the PMRC, the FCC, and other pro-censorship groups. He goes off on Rudy Giuliani for ordering a museum to remove a piece of art depicting an the Virgin Mary covered in elephant dung and female genitalia, but when East Bay Ray puts one of his songs in a rape scene in a movie being made by an auteur famous for his use of incorporating music into movies that crosses the line? It seems to me that in this case he's no better than Rudy.

Mission Statement

2007-04-07T22:40:00.000-05:00

"We really need a good punk rock blog, or more than one, we could use a bunch."

So I'm starting this after hearing Ben Weasel's latest podcast, where the preceeding was stated. As a punk music fan with no job, no real direction in life, and lots of time on my hands I figure there's nothing much to lose. So for the few people who will be reading this, enjoy.