While We Wait - S/T 7' Inch EP

While the name "While We Wait" might read like the perfect handle for two guys waiting for the next thing to come along. The bond between Andy Guida (Altercation, Supertouch, Absolution...)  and Matt Warnke (Bold) go back to their time together in Running Like Thieves and more recently The Mistaken.

Less Bluesy and more connected to their Hardcore past than
The Mistaken were.
While We Wait's approach to Hardcore is more melodic and for lack of a better description, subtlety pronounced.

The EP opens with
"Kings Ransom". A song so ambitious with it's revved up guitar part, up front drum leads and emotionally drenched vocals.
The epic nature of
the song bring to mind the long lasting effects of Hardcore greats Supertouch and their landmark song "Searching For the Light" (A band for which While We Wait's Andy Guida played. a key role.) To even attempt describing the deep pull of the "Kings Ransom" without mentioning the emotional grip of Guida's backing vocals would be damn near criminal.
"By Now You Should Know Right From Wrong" follows respectfully with similar results before "All the Plans You Made" finishes the three song sample like a statement of purpose. It's all systems go with Matt's deep and soulful vocals belting out lyrics with both authority and purpose. Having listened to this a couple of dozen times  continually over a twenty four hour period is without pause, the highest recommendation I can possibly give.

Released on Freddy Alva's Wardance Records and available through Big Cartel. The record was produced, recorded and mixed by Andy Guida himself at Six III Studio. Matt Warnke wrote the songs, sings lead vocals and plays rhythm guitar while Andy Guida handles the drums, lead guitar, backing vocals.

Maybe it's time we move on from familiarizing ourselves with artists by mentioning or comparing their work to what they accomplished decades ago. Leave your preconceptions of what Hardcore kids can do as adults in the past and just listen. You might like what you here. I know I did. James Damion

Available Here

Altercation - Re-Mastered 1987 Demo 7 inch

1987 marked somewhat of a peak in the changing of the guard in NYHC. Just as Revelation Records and bands like Youth of Today were winning the hearts and minds of kids from the suburbs seeking a more positive route,
There were bands such as Sick of it All, Breakdown, Raw Deal and of course Altercation that were cracking their knuckles and sharpening their musical knives speaking to the more angry and disenfranchised kids, much like Agnostic Front did in earlier days.

Having purchased the original demo at the now legendary Some Records and witnessing the Altercation boys put fear into the hearts of the squeamish at nearby CBGB's and the Pyramid Club. I was a devoted knucklehead with the word "ALTERCATION" boldly written with a fat marker on my back pack. This recording brings back that angry and primitive Hardcore sound that made me really love this band.
Favorites such as the opening track 'Unite Us',
'Friends Like These' and 'Vigilante Song' really capture the bands original intensity and perhaps misguided messages.

Drummer Andy Guida does a really good job on remastering the original demo. So much so that, like an ass, I thought this was actually re-recorded. I found that myself comparing the remastered version with the originals and though my opinion is based on a very small comparison. I find myself really appreciating the updated versions. If you're a fan of bands such as Breakdown, Killing Time, Krakdown, Absolution or anything related to Hardcore music in general I would highly recommend heading into battle with this. The record, brought to us by the people at Lush Life comes on clear vinyl and includes three reproduced show flyers and a couple of Altercation stickers.
A nice package to say the least. As the revival of 80's Reagan era Hardcore approaches it's tenth year. One can only wonder what nostalgia the new era will bring.
James Damion

Lush Life  Get it Here
Altercation  Facebook

Emotive Drive 1989 Demo Available for Download

New Jersey's Emotive Drive were a hardcore band that got their start in the late 1980’s and released an 8 song demo in 1989. The band played with acts such as Supertouch and Cause for Alarm at long gone venues such as Connecticut's Anthrax and NYC's legendary CBGB's. At the time, they were a personal favorite of mine, having appeared in my fanzine Unite. I still have the bands WNYU and WNYU's
Crucial Chaos sets along with the two tracks they were to contribute to the "Unite" compilation back in 1990.
 For now, you can go to their Bandcamp page and  download this 8 song demo for free. They also provide a brief history of the band and it's members.
Go check it out. James Damion

Emotive Drive  Bandcamp

Fuck the Heartless - Bluebeard

Having been blessed with a very short attention span.
I'm more than equipped to handle single and shorts bursts of energy, creativity and pure power. So when some old friends asked me if I would share my thoughts and a few words on a recent burst of fury.... Let's just say, I was up for the task.

F.T.H. features three quarters of the band My Rifle.
With Hobi Klapuri being the only absentee on this track.
And though one can't help but draw comparisons to My Rifle. "Bluebeard" takes on an even darker, heavier approach. Driving guitars and pounding rhythms compliment dark, heavy and powerful vocals.
Unlike a lot of the heavier stuff I'm hearing these days, these guys don't rush through things. The mid paced "Bluebeard" decides to stick around a while. Coming in at 5:26, it does a good job of leaving a lasting impression.

Though the future of My Rifle remains questionable. The pieces assembled for this particular track really deliver. "Bluebeard" was recorded and mixed by Andy Guida at Six III studio in Forest Hills, Queens. It features Lewis Dimmick on bass and guitar. Andy Guida on drums and Jason O'Toole on vocals. James Damion

Bluebeard Download

The Mistaken - Between Memory and Habit LP

The Mistaken features
Andy Guida and Matt Warnke who team up for the first time since working together on Running Like Thieves 2003 release "Same Time Next Year..."

On "Between Memory and Habit" The Mistaken live up to their namesake as they throw us a musical curve switching gears and sounding unlike any of their past musical endeavors.

This is not Hardcore.
Instead, these ten songs offer a nice blend of Bluesy-Rock and surprising, dare I say,  Country leanings. A lot can be said for musicians, known for creating music within a certain, set genre, step out of the box to create something different. It doesn't always work and is often
illl received. But when it comes off sounding this good and honest. How can one not embrace it with open arms? Matt's Bluesy baritone vocals have him sounding like he spent some time on chain gang channeling the likes of Johnny Cash and Mike Ness. Andy Guida does an excellent job sharing guitar duties, playing bass, piano and drums. All while handling  production duties at his Six III Studios. He really lives up to his reputation as a go to engineer and musician time in and time out.

Though currently a two piece, The Mistaken are looking to take things out of the studio and on to the stage in 2013. They've enlisted Gavin Van Vlack and Dan Cav of Absolution to handle Bass and Guitar duties. So stay tuned. James Damion

Get it Here

Absolution - S/T 4 Song EP

Ever wish you could go back in time and hit the "Do-Over" button? Right the wrongs of the past and tidy shit up a bit? Well, that's exactly what the band Absolution did here. Originally released in 1989 by Combined Effort records.
The self titled four song EP was well received by the Hardcore/Punk community and deservingly praised as somewhat of a much needed breath of fresh air to a style of music that had grown stale due to mediocrity, caused largely by an influx of cookie cutter, paint by number Hardcore bands.
Fast forward twenty something years and a few reunion shows later. The band, which features original members Djinji Brown and Gavin Van Vlack joined by Hardcore veterans Dan Cav and Andy Guida, decided to right some wrongs by going back into the studio and tightening the screws a bit.

Upon hearing the band was going into the studio to record, I was sent into an anticipatory orbit. When Andy Guida, the bands drummer, engineer and producer informed me they were re-recording old material... Well, my anticipation quickly came crashing back to earth. Regardless of the results the improved recording and production might achieve. I couldn't help but scratch my head, wondering "What if that time in the studio produced new Absolution songs?" It felt like a cop out.

Fortunately for me, I decided to put aside any and all preconceived notions and listen with both an open mind and open ears. As the needle hit the records and "A Drop of Patience" kicked in. I was presented with a moment of precise clarity. It had been years since I last played the original EP. Yet, I could instantly hear the difference in the quality and overall power of the newer recording.

The marriage of Guida's colossul drumming and Van Vlack's signature guitar style create a sinister and unforgiving sound. Not to mention the addition of Dan Cav on bass. However, it's not until singer Djinji Brown enters the fray that I have to wonder aloud "I remember liking this band a lot." "How is it possible I didn't love this band?" While Brown's style will easily draw comparisons to a younger, healthier H.R. (Bad Brains). It also allows us a glimpse into, what was then, the not so distant future and Chaka Malik (Burn, Orange 9 mm). To close,
I'll say this,"Though I may have come to this record feeling a bit cheated."
"I left with a nice reward." The future of this band is yet to be determined. One can only hope that we'll see some new music from Absolution in 2013.  James Damion


Lush Life NYC  Order it Here

Krakdown - S/T 7 Inch (Re-issue)

Excitement arrived at my doorstep today when my delivery from State of Mind Recording finally arrived. I had ordered the record back in early October and wondered if would ever show up. Krakdown had been a favorite of mine since my infancy on the New York Hardcore scene. Having seen them countless times, they more than earned that favoritism.

Krakdown existed from 1985 until around 1990 and went through numerous lineup changes including a hard to find first demo with future Crumbsuckers frontman Chris Notaro. The band played fast, raw Hardcore in a time when most of their contemporaries were experimenting with Metal. Known for their amazing live sets,

they played countless shows with the likes of Straight Ahead, Breakdown, Killing Time, Altercation and countless others. Though often over looked or under appreciated by Hardcore revisionists. Anyone who played with them, saw them live or hung out with them, can attest to just how amazing they were. Jay was just an amazing front man.

The 7 inch includes the original material from the Common Cause self titled 7 inch EP along with  two additional tracks "Ignorance" from Revelation Records "The Way it is" Compilation and "Krakdown" from their 1988 demo. Though they haven't added any new tricks such as remastering the sound. Krakdown is one of the kind of bands that probably wouldn't benefit from such. Krakdown were always a band that were at their best in a live uncontrolled setting. Thus embodying the raw energy of what Hardcore was.  Whether you were a fan back then or just want a taste of the raw energy of 80's Hardcore;  I suggest you get this. James Damion

 Buy It Here

My Rifle - Self Titled EP

The long awaited, highly anticipated debut release of 

My Rifle's self titled 7 inch EP is finally here.
For those of you not familiar with My Rifle, the bands personnel read like a New York Hardcore 

Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

(Featuring former members of Life's Blood, Our Gang, Supertouch and Altercation, 

just to name a few.) 
The record really made a quick and lasting impression on this listener.

The songs are marked by excellent musicianship and production. None of which erase any of the songs raw energy. Though My Rifles sound is firmly planted in the band's hardcore routes.

They don't rely on old tricks or safe avenues to achieve their sound. Mixing Hardcore with Metal while adding different elements and angles that deliver powerful results.

The record opens up with "Fall On Your Sword", which has a fast, straight up, menacing hardcore sound. For someone who hasn't been involved in music for more than twenty years, Jason's voice hasn't lost any of the venomous appeal he originally displayed with the band Life's Blood. 

Lews dark and murky bass lines really shine on the track and Andy Guida show why he's one of the most sought after drummers in Hardcore.

The next track "By the Grave of God" slowly grinds the listener under heal. The sound is dark and ruthless with its twists and turns, highlighting Hobi-One's guitar prowess.

Side two opens with "Stars" a short, too the point burst of power that's done nicely.

Storming the Gatekeeper", my first taste of the bands sound, is still my favorite.

They seriously click on all cylinders here. Showing the bands musical range and ability to take chances. The guitar work on here is Maidenesque. I was just floored.

Recorded by the bands drummer Andy Guida with Artwork by the legendary Sean Taggart. The record comes on clear vinyl. My Rifle's debut also marks the return of Freddy Alva's Wardance Records.

It just doesn't get better.

Wardance Records  Buy it here
Related Interviews:
My Rifle  United By Rocket Science
Freddy Alva/Wardance Records  Unite 

My Rifle - "This is my Gun."

When former members of Life's Blood (Jason O'Toole), Our Gang (Hobi Klapuri and Lewis Dimmick) got together to start My Rifle it inspired Freddy Alva (The New Breed Compilation) to restart his Hardcore label Wardance Records. 
Needless to say, the possibilities for something incredibly special were pretty high. Add drummer/engineer Andy Guida (Supertouch, Altercation and currently Absolution) 
to the mix and  you've got all the elements for something Epic.
With a record on the way and the return of Wardance records on the horizon I asked Jason and Lewis a few questions about the band and the upcoming release. I greatly appreciate their feedback.  James Damion


James: Give me a little background on the band?
What brought you together and what was it that made things click for you as a unit?


Lewis: Facebook brought us together. Hobi and I hung out at a couple of 
Life's Blood rehearsals. (Back in the day.)
We thought they were a great band but weren't close friends with them or anything like that. All these years later we started talking to Jason on Facebook and the idea of doing a record came up.
We went through two drummers before finally having Andy from 
Altercation / Supertouch / Absolution get the job done. Things clicked with him, I think, because he has the same point of view. He's from the same scene, influenced by the same bands.

James: What made you decide to add different elements and sounds as opposed to doing a straight up Hardcore band?


Jason: My voice has changed considerably over the years, as I have lived in Texas, 
Louisiana, and here in Georgia for many years. There’s an unmistakable twang in my vocals now. It’s funny how one’s ear changes over time. New Yorkers now sound nasal and gruff to me, and I don’t notice the softer, Georgia accent at all, as it’s what I’m accustomed to in my home. I plum disremembered how to speak Yankee. So, you have my country and blues influence on the music – which is subtle on the EP but the careful listener will notice elements of Old Hank, Jerry Lee, and Leadbelly in my lyrics and vocals.
Then you have the more obvious metal influences, which one should expect from men who grew up listening to Iron Maiden. The LP we have planned will be more musically diverse. It’s still going to be very much hardcore, but we hope to record a really amazing song Hobi wrote which is nothing short of his masterpiece, more of Lew’s metal-worshipping bass, and I may even play guitar on the punk-blues-blasphemous-gospel songs that seem to come to me in my dreams down here.

Lew: We're just trying to play music that we'd like to hear, drawing on all the music that's influenced us throughout our lives, in this case mostly hardcore and metal. We're all experienced musicians and we set out to do something that was absolutely not half-assed.

James: What led you to choosing Freddy Alva's resurrected label Wardance? What are some of the bands future plans?

Lew: Freddy made the offer and we accepted immediately because he's not only an old friend, but one that has made a lot of value contributions to the NYHC scene.

Jason: The rebirth of Freddy Alva’s NYC based Wardance Records and the formation of MyRifle are really one and the same. Freddy is as much as part of the band as any of us. One of the reasons it has taken us so long to deliver this EP is that we knew it would take a lot of work to be worthy of being a Wardance record.
The cover artwork for our EP, which will be reproduced for t-shirts available from Wardance, is by none other than Sean Taggart. Wes Harvey, who illustrated the Life’s Blood “Defiance” cover has been drafted to come up with something amazing for the LP. Friends of ours who work in film and television are at work on videos for our songs, which should manifest in the usual places, YouTube, Facebook, and possibly this new Google +.

James: Jason, you mentioned an LP. How far down the line are we talking?

Jason: We have never stopped working on songs and easily have enough material for an LP. It is just a matter of everyone finding the time to rehearse and record. 
I am planning on recording with the band for the LP and may play some backing guitar as well.

Lewis: We've got some music we'd like to work on at some point but it's impossible to predict if or when we'll ever complete an LP. We might work on some new tunes with Andy in the fall / winter.

James: It's been years since you've recorded. The digital age has brought a lot of changes to how we record. How is Andy helping to bring it all together?

Lew: I'm no expert on recording analog vs digital. But Andy, as I mentioned before, has the same influences, the same point of view, so we were pretty comfortable with him right away, and that allowed us to not settle for anything with which we were not completely happy. For a bunch of stuff that Hobi and I play on the record, we weren't even in the studio on the same day. Jason wasn't even in the same state when he did his vocals. He did them later in Georgia. But that kind of thing can be done with either analog or digital, so like I said I'm no expert.

James: What have been some of the stumbling blocks you've faced along the way? The cancellation of your show with Agnostic Front comes to mind.

Lew: Things not working with our first drummer. Things not working with our second drummer.
Being older, having more responsibilities, struggling to find time that each person could dedicate to the music, rehearsing, recording. We got booked on that AF show without truly realizing how long it would take, when the band lived in NY and our singer lived in Georgia, to get songs together. We weren't able to play that show and feel we were ready to make a strong impression.

James: In closing, is there a date on the release? How will you be distributing it and in what format will it be available?

Lew: The EP shouldn't be too far away. Test presses will arrive soon. Shouldn't be terribly long after that. Freddy, aka the mack daddy, will be taking care of distribution. It's gonna be a 7" EP.


MyRifle - Bandcamp


Wardance  Label

Catching Up with Brian Macko

If you're reading this, and I'm sure you are. 
You most likely know Brian Macko. 
The former frontman for World Indifference and  Voice Or No Voice has been a mainstay on the New York and New Jersey Hardcore scene for ages. Whether he's on stage, in the pit showing his support to his favorite bands during a sing along or at the bar raising his glass to good times and good friends. 
You can count on Macko and his 6'6 frame to be in the middle of it all. In 2010 we lost one of the good guys when Brian and his beautiful wife moved to South Florida is search of opportunity and a better life. 
Brian recently returned north for a visit. 
I was still recovering form surgery and sadly missed out on seeing him when  Supertouch played Kearny Irish.  I did however manage to send him some questions to see just how well  he's adjusted to living in the Florida sun and what he misses most about the Dirty Jerz. Special thanks to Ken Salerno for contributing the amazing shots. I think they more than show off Brian's energy and personality. 
His contribution to the blog is immeasurable.  James Damion


James: You recently made it up to see Supertouch at Kearny Irish. Was that the key reason for your visit?

Brian: Actually, that wasn’t the key reason why I came up to visit, but probably ranked number three on the list. The main reason that I came up to the Jersey and NYC area was to go to one of my childhood friend’s wedding reception. He and his wife live out in Albuquerque New Mexico, so that weekend was the first time that I have seen them since they left two years ago. The second reason that I came up was to see my family, since family has always been a big part of my life while growing up. The one family member that I made it a point to go and pay a visit to was my Aunt Martha. The justification of why that I made it a point to go and see her was just a couple of weeks ago she was admitted into a nursing home/rehabilitation center located down in the Lower East side. She is the only other member in my family that has the same hereditary eye disease that I have. 
This woman has endured such a hard life through countless medical trials and tribulations starting with her vision loss thirty-seven years ago. Now at the age of 60 years old, for she is confined to a wheelchair, and is still legally blind, but still she has that PMA 
(Positive Mental Attitude).

James: Do you have fears about the future, with your own sight and not being able to live as you're already accustomed to? 
If so, How do you look at it and how do you deal with the aspects?                   

Brian: I lost my vision back in 2001 due to a disease called Leber Hereditary Optical Neuropathy (LHON).  My vision has pretty much stayed the same since then,

so I really don’t fear myself losing more vision, and this is because this disease is dormant.
It’s not supposed to progressively get worse, but you never know what life hands you.
I mean I could walk out the door tomorrow and get hit by a car, or get clubbed in the head by a blunt object, and from there I could lose all my vision due to multiple detached retinas.
What I am pretty much saying is that I try to live every day “Day by Day.”
There are a couple of things that I learned after I lost my vision.  I now learned that I judge people for who they are, and not what they look like, and that shit also just comes along with maturity.  I have also realized in my life that there is always someone else out there that has it much worse off than me, so that self pity shit doesn’t apply to me anymore, and this is because I have had this vision impairment for the last ten years.  I mean don’t get me wrong there are days that I get so frustrated that my vision impairment doesn’t allow me to do certain things, but then again I realize that it is not the end of the world.

One of the big positives of living down here in South Florida is there is a place called the Bascon Palmer Eye Institute, and this place is the only place that is doing research on my eye disease.  They are doing a study which includes a battery of eye tests, blood work, and questioning the individual who has the LHON gene.  I got involved in this study last January, and went back for my second visit last July.  I am not getting my hopes up too high thinking that I am going to get my vision back, but I am keeping my fingers crossed.
The one thing that I could say about how this vision impairment has changed my outlook on life is that I have become much more positive, for I mean I use to be a miserable prick when I had my vision, and now I am a much more positive person. 

James: How good was it seeing old friends and band mates, one of which was playing with Supertouch?



Brian: It was amazing to see all my friends. 
I got to chill with Mikey Marmo 

(played bass in 
Voice or no voice) three out of the six days that I was up, so that was mad cool. 
I didn’t get to hang with
Jon Biviano (guitar in Supertouch/Voice or no voice) all that much, but was mad psyched to see him play the shit out of that guitar. There was also another ex-band mate from
World Indifference that actually put on the show and his name is Ed “Ox” Occhipinti
(also owns and tattoos at Jinx Proof Tattoo), and it was really good shooting the shit with him since we really haven’t done that in years. I was extremely stoked to see Alf Bartone
(lead vocals in Ex Number Five/The Fire Still Burns and now
plays bass in Damn This Desert Air), for it was the first time that I caught their whole set, and that shit was mad powerful. Last but certainly not least, getting to see 

Caught in a Trap was definitely a treat, and this is because playing so many shows with those guys, and seeing them play that night brought back so many memories of 
Voice or no Voice. It’s pretty funny that when you look at the Caught in a Trap guys at face value, for you would think here’s a bunch of scary tough guys from Queens, but in actuality they are just a bunch of nice tough guys from Queens that play in an amazing band. 
Overall, the show was a success for me since I got to see many people 

that I haven’t seen in such a long time, so a big thanks goes out to Ox and Scott Mayers for putting on the show.

James: Were you at all surprised or disappointed about Andy no longer playing with Supertouch?

Brian: Am I surprised that Andy is not playing in Supertouch?  The answer to that one is                  “No comment.”  I am sorry, but I am not going to be the one that explains why Andy is not playing in Supertouch, for that question should be answered by Andy.
Now, you asked if I am disappointed that Andy is no longer playing in Supertouch, and the answer to that one is “Yes.”  I always like to see bands with their original members, and this is because the original members’ flavor is so pure to the original sound.  I mean don’t get me wrong Dean on Bass, and Rich on drums are doing an amazing job, but it is just a totally different dynamic.  Andy is a tremendous drummer, and an incredible person, so I knew it wouldn’t be long before he was playing in another band.  I was lucky enough to see Andy play in the legendary NYHC band Absolution at the Black N Blue Bowl this past year.
He sounded awesome like always, and I can’t wait to hear the new stuff that they recorded. 

James: Should we start expecting more frequent trips up North in the future?

Brian: I really can’t give you a solid answer on that one, and that is because if I am able to attain a job in the very near future, for then I won’t make it up as much as I want to.
I would totally want to make it up as much as possible, but financial restraints are what keep me down here. It’s weird, if I have no job then I have no money and tons of time. If I have a job then I have the money but no time to do anything. So, all I could say is we will take it as it comes.

James: Tell me about the move and what prompted you to move where a lot of people go to die.

Brian: Well, the actual move took place on 10/20/10 at 7:00am in the morning. 
My wife and I got on the road at 7:00am in the morning to head down to Virginia, and this was because we had to check in with Amtrak’s auto train at noon. We arrived on time to check in, and get some food; in addition we were able to rest up a little bit before getting on the train. The train actually left at 4:00 pm, and by 5:30 pm we found ourselves drinking some Sam Adams beers in the lounge car. We were served dinner at 7:00 pm which wasn’t all that good, but it did suffice to fill me up for the time being. Dinner was over for us at 8:00pm, so that pretty much meant that we were headed back to our seats for a ten hour toss and turn type of sleep in these undersized train chairs. These chairs weren’t really that undersized, but for my 6 foot 6 inch ass everything seems to be undersized. The last call for breakfast was at 7:00am, and that is when we decided to get our aching asses down to the dining car. Again, the meal they served was not memorable, but did serve its purpose to fill me up. 

Now, after breakfast we had a little bit of time to rest until we arrived in Sanford Florida at 9:00 am. Once we got off the train and into our car, for we had a bright idea to call our travel agent back in New Jersey. We asked her to book us five days at Disney World since we were only a town away and also because the moving company that we used wouldn’t be down in South Florida for another ten days. We arrived in our Disney resort room a little after 11:00 am, and we were in Magic Kingdom by noon. I am not going to get into great detail about the time spent at Disney World, but let me just tell you when they have the food and wine tasting at Epcot, for it is a fucking blast. 

Our last day at Disney World was spent hitting up some rides and getting some food. 

We left the park at 1:30pm, and probably got on the Florida Turnpike at 2:00pm. 
Our destination was to get to my Uncle’s house in Cooper City by 6:30pm, but we didn’t actually get there until around 8:00 pm. Fast forward 2 months and some change later, for its 1/11/11 and my wife and I purchase a town house a town over from my Uncle’s house.

You asked why I would move down to the place where most people move to just before they die, for the answers are love and money. Financially having a mortgage in New Jersey was draining the both of us, so moving down to South Florida made perfect sense. 
What I mean by this is we were able to buy a place out right without having to get a mortgage, and that alone has relieved a lot of tension. The second reason I mentioned was love. What I mean by this is my wife is a huge fan of  South Florida, so since she loves it down here, for then I will learn to love it too. Don’t get me wrong, I also chose to move down here, because we could have probably gone anywhere in the U.S, but I chose here out of result of having two Uncles down here. Even though I moved away from my home, family and friends, for I still needed to be around some family, so hopefully that explains the justification for the South Florida relocation.

James: What was the adjustment like? We're there any moments of anxiety or moments where you thought, "What the hell have I done?".

Brian: To be completely honest I wake up every day thinking to myself was this the right choice. 

Some days I think that it was, and some days I think it wasn’t. I think that when I get a job and settle into the job, for then I will be a little more adjusted in living down here. 
Right now being unemployed makes me feel like I am in limbo, so once I attain a job then that feeling will fade.  As far as living in a new environment goes, for this place has its pros and cons. Some of the pros are: I live near mad stores, so my blind ass can walk to all of them if I have to. We live only 20 minutes away from the beach, airport, and the down town area.
The transportation service that they have down here for the handicap is pretty damn dependable. Now, the cons are: Things are close, but I would much rather have them closer like they were in New Jersey. Some days the heat is really fucking unbearable, so that keeps my ass indoors as much as possible. Now when it comes to the bus system and the Tri-rail, for they both stop running at around 11:00pm, so if you’re late just a little bit then you are fucked. If you are late a little bit then you have to wait around for the next bus or train at 4:00am, so that shit definitely blows. 

James: What do you miss most since the move?

Brian: I miss my family and friends the most. 

I definitely miss New York City, from going to shows, or just walking around Manhattan. 

I miss the food without a doubt. New York and New Jersey hands down have the best pizza and bagels. Clifton has the best hot dogs at the 
Hot Grill, so whenever I come up for a visit that is the first place I like to hit up.

James: Have you managed to find any music or scene to grab hold of since you've been down there?

Brian: There really hasn’t been much luck of finding any type of seen down here, but I really can’t say that I been looking that hard either. There are three clubs/venues that are pretty close to me in Fort Lauderdale. A small club called the Poorhouse caters to the local bands, and is probably comparable in size to Dingbatz in Clifton. The next venue that is stepped up in size is the Culture Room, and you could have touring bands play here, and for example the Misfits are coming through here in a couple of months, but that shit isn’t really the Misfits to me. The third venue is called Revolutions, for I haven’t even seen this place yet, but I know that bands like Thrice are playing here very soon. There is also the Bank Atlantic Center located in Sunrise where I went to see Rush, and that place reminded me of the Meadowlands in Jersey. There is a place that has a lot of promise that is located down in Miami, and is called Churchhills. It’s not a big club at all, for it has a decent size stage, Premier League Soccer on all the flat screens, and a very good selection of beverages. The one knock on this place for me is that it is a little too far for me to get to, especially since I don’t drive due to my blindness.

James: Is there any chance you'll be coming up to play a 

Voice or no Voice reunion show anytime soon?

Brian: I would love to play a reunion show with those guys, but I highly doubt it. That question should definitely be asked to Andy and Biv.
If I had total control over us playing a reunion show, for our asses would definitely be playing a reunion show. I did Joke around with Ox about playing a World indifference reunion show, and he said anything is possible, so maybe you’ll be hearing about that.

James: What are you listening to these days?

Brian: To be completely honest with you I have been listening to my Ipod on shuffle, and sports talk radio (790AM The Ticket ESPN Radio) If I had to give you five bands that I have been listening too since I moved down here, and their albums. This is in no particular order of how they are listed.

Supertouch, their new songs that they put out on Reaper Records, and all their old stuff. I got stuck on a Supertouch kick since out of the 9 months that I have been down here, for I have been up to see them twice.

The Wait, I have been listening a lot to their demo CD with my wife, and that CD reminds me so much of home. That CD is mad catchy, and those guys are the nicest guys around. I use to play mad shows with them when they had Paul on drums, and they were called Endgame. When Paul left the band they wanted to continue playing music, but they wanted to change up their sound, so I told them that I knew a guy named Sergio Spina. Sergio use to play in a band with me and Mikey back in the late 90’s called Deny Victoria. He also played in True Zero, My Favorite Citizen, No love lost, Run like Hell, and Scary Hours, so you could definitely say Sergio is an experienced drummer. I am only telling you this because I would like to think that I had little part in a good band coming together.

Rival Schools new album, Pedals. The new Rival Schools album is fucking amazing. Their first album “United by Fate” was phenomenal, and this album is becoming a close second. The last time this band put out a album was close to ten years ago, and in that year I spent most of my time in South Florida. Why did I spend a lot of time in South Florida during that year was because my girlfriend now wife was living down here. Now, its 2011 and Rival Schools puts out another album, furthermore my ass is back in South Florida, so does this seem coincidental? Hmmmm.

Rush - The Best of Rush. Lately I have been listening to a decent amount of Rush. I guess that kind of seems weird hearing that I am listening to Rush being that I sang in a hardcore band. I guess it has to do with the fact that my brother in law bought tickets for my wife and I to go see Rush while he was down here in late March. I was totally psyched after seeing them perform, and this is because I really wasn’t into them that much, but afterwards I realized that those guys are an amazing bunch of musicians. Listening to them play live totally reminded me of playing with Mikey, Biv and Andy, so that is what made me appreciate them even more.

Sick of it All - Everything. This band will always be playing on my Ipod or my walkman. I’ve been listening to this band since I was 12 years old, and shit is not gonna change any time soon. The first time that I seen this band was September 1993 at City Gardens in Trenton. They headlined that show, for Into Another played an amazing set second, and Rancid kicked the door down to open the show. They ended up putting that show out on Lost N Found Records named “Live in a World Full of Hate”. If you look in the insert you could see me and Mikey with our arms stretched out, and my arm looks like its ten feet long. Now, that was the first time that I’ve seen them, and the most recent time that I caught them was at the 2011 Black N Blue Bowl this past Memorial Day weekend. Almost 18 years later and they are still killing it. That’s why they are built to last.