Chain of Strength Reunion Teaser

More reunion announcements from Revelation Records as California's Chain of Strength set to fill NY's Irving Plaza in October. I fondly remember the band camping out on our living room floor when they first arrived on the East Coast. Get your tickets before it's too late. James Damion

Mr. Wolfe's Cleaning Service - EAC Gallery 09/29/2012

Mr. Wolfe's Cleaing Service is a current band featuring Daniel Derella AKA Danny Dog original guitarist for NYHC legends Underdog.  

What you need to know is that MWCS combine elements of hardcore and punk to form a catchy uptempo sound that will keep your head bopping and your feet tapping. 

If your in Brooklyn on September 29th stop in and check out MWCS  live and in person. If you can't make the show simply click the  link below to hear a live set from 11/2011...Dave G.

Live Show
Facebook


EAC Gallery: eacmix.com/ 
1501 Broadway , Brooklyn, New York 11211

From Manhattan, J Train to Brooklyn, Halsey St station, walk one block to show..

Cicada Radio: Silence the Voices in my Head

Cicada Radio is; 

Patrick Keefe - Vocals/Guitar  Michael Keefe - Guitar/Vocals 

Chris D' Ambrosio - Bass  Mike Kundrath - Drums

New Jersey's Cicada Radio and United By Rocket Science have a lot more in common than one might think. As a matter of fact we kind of grew up alongside one another in the same neighborhoods, even listened to a lot of the same bands when developing our style and presence. The fact that the bands first EP "Imposter" was released around the same time this blog launched it's very first posts. Or maybe that the bio on the groups
Killing Horse Records page quotes our review of that record in describing their sound and influences. Regardless, Cicada Radio is a band that has left a lasting impression on us since day one.  Now, with a new offering "No fate but what we make" due soon. I decided to reach out to the band to get the 411 on just what they've been up to. Thanks to the brother Keefe for their time.
James Damion

James: I haven't seen the band in months. Have you been keeping a low profile due to the new record? Or are you just looking to avoid any Imperial entanglements?

Michael: We have been working hard on the new release, and hence, have taken time from doing shows on a consistent basis...Although we haven't stopped doing shows altogether. We get a bunch of show offers all the time, I wish we could do all of them, but we are really focusing on making this upcoming record really cool and special. We played Maxwell's recently with
Holy City Zoo (who lent their vocals on almost every track on the new release) Plus Plus Minus and Avoider.
Although at the moment we have been somewhat elusive as of late, I assure you that we are lining up quite a few shows for the fall to promote the new release.

James: Tell us a little bit about the new record "No fate but what we make".
When will we have it in our dirty little hands?

Michael: We have been working on this record for quite some time with Ryan Gross
(co-founder of Killing Horse Records) and are very excited for our fans to hear it! Since we released "IMPOSTER"  last June, we have seen a tremendous amount of support from the local scene, the Tiny Giant artist collective and our friends and fans. The new record will not disappoint fans of our last release. We have grown tremendously as a band and I think our song writing reflects how far we have come. Although we are incredibly happy with "IMPOSTER", we believe our fans will really dig this record. It's raw, its live and packed full of emotion and sing along gang vocals that really capture what we sound like as a band when you see us live.

James: How many songs have you recorded? Is there an underlying theme or current to the songs?

Michael: This record will have 8 songs in total. Our last release had 4 including an acoustic song that Pat had written for quite some time. I feel as though this record summarizes our style as a band more so then anything we have ever done. When we did our last e.p,
Mike Kundrath had recently joined the band and we were still trying to find our sound so to speak. Our fans will definitely see a similarity between our last release and the current one, similar themes like the need to belong somewhere, saying goodbye to the past, dominating your own future, sleeplessness, loneliness, and surviving in the world while making an indelible mark.

James: You're working with Killing Horse Records again. What is it about the label, Mike and Ryan that made you want to return?

Michael: Killing Horse records has been a TREMENDOUS help to the band. Mike and Ryan have been such huge supporters of the band even before we signed with their label. As we grow as a band, they too grow as a label. Killing Horse has helped us a lot on this record, its rare that a day goes by where I don't talk to at least one of them about the band or the album or anything band related. The entire Killing Horse family has extended a lot of support for the band and we are very happy to work with them on this upcoming release.

James: With "No Fate but what we make" being released on CD. Is there any chance we'll see something similar happening with your debut "Imposter"?

Michael: We would love to release "IMPOSTER" on a cd format. I continue to be so enthralled with the enthusiasm our friends and fans have extended toward that record.
To this day, I still get people come up to me at shows and say "Dude, I still listen to that record all the time"
(or something to that degree) and that means so much to me and the band. Its enthusiasm like this that makes it all worth it as a band, the fact that we struck a chord with people in such a profound way makes it all worth it!

James: The last time we spoke. You mentioned the band had recently took a trip to Boston. Will you be taking the new record out on any extended trips or tour?

Patrick: Yes, we did a show up in Boston in July and we had a blast! It was a small show with about 40 or so people and left Boston with a bunch of new friends and fans of our music. We have a few friends who are big supporters or Cicada Radio in the Mass area who were kind enough to get us on a bill with them..but we didn't expect that kind of unanimous support from an audience whom (as a whole) had never seen us live. Our friends had shared "IMPOSTER" with their friends last June so a lot of their friends were excited to finally see us live. It's strange, but very awesome, when a room full of people who you don't personally know are singing all the words to "Storm the Castle" at the top of their lungs. Very cool stuff.

James: The bands sound mixes a lot of varied influences and elements. What were some of the bands or genres that influenced you most when you first set out to start a band and write music?

Michael: We have always been influenced by a wide variety of music, ranging from Punk to Jazz to post-hardcore and beyond. I would say some of our bigger influences that helped shape our sound would be bands like Rival Schools, Pavement,  the Casket Lottery, Fucked up, Cursive, Surfer blood and Thursday.  As a whole, we all listen to a lot of different music, but I feel as though that makes our sound that much more unique.

James: I really hate asking generic questions but I was very curious about the bands name. Whenever I hear it I think of Radio's inability or refusal to cover anything that isn't fronted by a corporation or major label. Thus silencing or trying to snuff the voice of anything independent. I wanted to ask you about what it means to you while assuring you that I am not on drugs.

Michael: Hahaha... We get this question a lot. At first, I think we just kinda liked the way the words sounded together. But as time goes on I think the name has taken on a greater meaning. Cicadas live underground for years and years before they emerge to make that strange sound that has become synonymous with the summer.... then dying abruptly a few weeks later. I believe the name Cicada Radio reflects trends in popular music, how everyone waits for the "next big sound" to shape music for decades to come. As you have mentioned, the inability of the music industry to embrace a band or new "sound' that doesn't  have a major label or tons of money behind it is a frustrating reality for musicians. However, our name reflects the fact that these trends or new  revolutionary sounds will have an impact on music and radio no matter how much opposition it faces..the fact that no matter what your art has an impact on the world in a big way despite whether the mainstream recognizes it or not. 

James: Patrick, you were originally playing drums. When did you decide to make the change? Was it a challenge moving from the security of the drums to being the bands frontman?

Patrick: Well we have always been friends with Mike Kundrath long before we had the notion of joining forces. I played the drums for a couple of years in the band and we did a few shows as a 3 piece. We had a ton of fun and made some friends..but it was hard to solidify the sound of the band from behind the kit. In order to grow in the way that we did, we decided it was time to make a change. I have always been a fan of mike's drumming style, and he was a big fan of the band and my song writing. I feel that Mike in the band has made it easier for me to write as a frontman along with adding another cool dynamic from Mike's unique drum style.

James: Rock history has been fraught with battling brothers. What do Mike and Patrick usually butt heads on? Or am I just starting rumors and making things up?

Michael: Most of the arguments that pat and I have are hardly ever music related...rather dumb brother quarrels similar to that of any other sibling dynamic. Pat and I work very well together in the band.  Our styles and influences may be kinda different, but we have always been able to find common ground as far as song writing. We have been writing music together since we were in high school, so our styles have developed as such both individually and as a unit.   

James: What will history say about the Keefe's?

Michael: Well hopefully the history written about us will extend far beyond music...
I someday hope to become a crooked Senator  for some backwards red state and I'm pretty sure that Pat wants to travel to the past to screw with the space time continuum...
But we'll see how that goes.

James: Patrick, everyone wants to know the inspiration behind the animal attire. Each time I've seen the band live, you've worn shirts depicting happy cats, inspired wolves and other cuddly wildlife creatures. What's behind this awesome fashion statement? Do you have a favorite animal tee?

Patrick: The animals on my tee shirts are my spirit guides and representations of myself...Sometimes cute and cuddly, other times ferocious like the noble wolf. My favorite animal Tee is probably the kitten shirt, everybody likes cats..they're second in internet popularity next to porn.

Cicada Radio - Like Me (From the upcoming release)  Download

Cicada Radio  Facebook
Cicada Radio  KillingHorse Records

Four Fingers - Custodians of Light Full length Lp 2012

Four Fingers have been kicking around the New Jersey underground for quite some time now...7 or 8 years as a matter fact, and we here at UBRS have been major supporters of the band in the past and for good reason...
Four Fingers kick ass on record and are a completely out of control force to be reckoned with live.

On this the bands first full length Lp we get  intense neck snapping hardcore music that lives up to my high expectations and surpasses the promise of their earlier recordings. I hear everything from old school NY/Boston hardcore to Black Flag mixed with the full speed ahead style of bands like Drop Dead at times, but don't take my word for it, buy a record or check out the Four Fingers band camp page and form your own opinion.

In other news, the Four Fingers record release party is coming up November 16th...check the link below for more details. Also the band is hooking everyone  up with a free copy of this Lp with their $8 paid admission to the record release show...you can't beat a show and an awesome record for $8.00, so if you're in New Jersey on November 16th get off your ass and support one of NJ's best hardcore/punk bands..Dave G. 

Record Release Party Details
Four Fingers
Bandcamp

Avoider - 2012 Demo

After witnessing  New Jersey's Avoider turn an opening spot at Maxwell's into a showcase of headlining promise. I was eager to dig a little deeper in order to see what the band had to offer.
Upon hearing this demo I see a band who's potential seems limitless. Avoider mixes elements of Metal, Hardcore, Sludge and Stoner Rock perfectly. Dishing out some really impressive results.
One can revel in the guitar work Arben Colaku displays on these six tracks. Switching up gears and varying from a full on Metal assault to a sludgier, somewhat evil grind. In particular, I really dug the swampy riffs that
"Toxic Sludge" offered. Warren Swan's vocal style rivals the oft baritone sound of his contemporaries with style that had me thinking back to the days of Leeway's Eddie Sutton. With song titles like "Pervert in a Candy Shop" and "Dick Parade", How can you possibly go wrong? Go download the bands demo on Bandcamp and be sure to check them out live. You will not be disappointed. James Damion

Avoider  Facebook

An Eastern Anchors Rockumentary Trailer

Although I just recently became aware of this incredible band, I am excited to see this Documentary on a Jersey Band that definitely warrants the "Rock Doc" treatment. 

Check this trailer out and see why. James Damion

Eastern Anchors

Bandcamp

Boxed Wine - S/T EP

I don't know what took me so long to get around to
Boxed Wine. Having first heard about this awesome foursome from Adam Bird of
Those Mockingbirds. It wasn't until Boxed Wine's own lead guitarist Ralph Nicastro contacted me personally that I set aside some time to sample the bands debut.
Now, as far as debuts go,
this is about as good as it gets. Five songs of fun, quirky and very danceable gems that remind me of a cross between Vampire Weekend and
Boy Things. There's a warm, nerdy goodness to the songs that can't be overlooked. Songs like "Oh No" and "Feral" are instantly satisfying yet admirably memorable. The band has a three song follow up coming soon. In the mean time, go download their debut and get dancing.
I know I did.
James Damion

Download  Bandcamp
Boxed Wine  Facebook

"Salad Days" Documentary in the Works

SALAD DAYS  is a documentary-in-progress that examines the fertile Washington, DC punk scene of the 1980s. This was a particularly important time in the evolution of punk and independent music, with DC based bands like Minor Threat, Bad Brains, Black Market Baby, the Faith, the Slickee Boys, Void, Government Issue, Marginal Man, Dag Nasty, 9353, 

Gray Matter, Beefeater, Scream, Rites of Spring, Fugazi, Shudder to Think, 

Nation of Ulysses, Jawbox and others defining the DC aesthetic. Local record labels like Dischord, Fountain of Youth, Teen Beat, and Simple Machines would become standard-bearers for the DIY revolution. 

Kickstarter

Descendents Offer Up Bonus Cups

The Descendents store is now offering up bonus cups for your favorite beverage.
Drink deep!

Bonus Cup

Birth Deformities - Suburbanized 10" (Cowabunga Records) 2012

Debut 10" color  vinyl from this new Chicago band featuring 1/2 of Cülo and Nick Sick from Cowabunga Records on vocals.

Musically, Birth Deformities deliver excellent mostly mid-tempo hardcore/punk that leans more towards the punk rock side of things which is fine with me.  The band also pick up the pace on a select few tracks which helps  keep things varied and interesting, and Nick delivers his vocals in a clear yet angry style that suits the music perfectly. 

I know there are a lot of new school punk hardcore bands on the scene at the moment and the scene can feel a bit crowded at times, but bands like Birth Deformities remind me that some bands will always find a way to rise above the competition and find their way into my regular rotation, and hopefully into yours....welcome to my regular rotation Birth Deformities...Dave G.

Purchase 

Making a Case for the Violin with Tory Anne Daines

It was a year ago September when I first saw Those Mockingbirds perform at the Brick City Riot Festival in Newark, New Jersey. I was covering the three day event for Jersey Beat and experiencing many of the bands for the very first time. I recall standing in front of the stage. My energy sapped from hours and days on my feet and running between floors to catch the bands performing on two separate stages. As I stood there, Roz Smith of the
Aquarian Weekly, a woman I had just met hours before leaned forward and said,
"You're going to need to wake up for this." "Those Mockingbirds are really something else."
I learned two important things that night that have served me well since. 1. Roz Smith has very good taste in music. 2. A band can still kick some serious ass with a full time violinist in the mix. Since that night I've seen those Mockingbirds perform numerous times, had their record in heavy rotation and had a sit down with the bands lead singer. Still, Tori remained a point of interest. So one day recently, I reached out to the bands violinist/keyboardist to find out a little more about her background, influences and just what makes her tick.
Here's what she had to share. James Damion

Those Mockingbirds

James: Give me a little background on your involvement in music and how you became one of Those Mockingbirds.

Tory: I joined Those Mockingbirds back in 2009.
Our frontman Adam Bird called me up and asked if I could play keys, I said yes and showed up with a keyboard AND a violin. That's what I play in the band now. I initially didn't sing for this band either, in fact I wouldn't even get in front of a mic.
This is the first band I've ever sung in. 

James: Most kids I've come across think it's their worst nightmare when their parents give them a violin to learn.
What led you to pick up the instrument?

Tory: My mother was an opera singer and because of that I didn't want to sing but instead play the violin, I guess I was a spiteful child. I chose the violin because I thought they were the coolest instruments played in the pit orchestras at the opera rehearsals I frequently had to sit through. When I was 3 I decided that I HAD to play that instrument and convinced my family I was ready for lessons. I was so excited I can remember my first lessons clearly, where I marched around the music studio proudly screeching out the note A, over and over. 

James: What was the hardest part about learning the violin and how would you compare it to learning other string instruments?

Tory: Any fretless instrument is more difficult to pick up initially than a tempered one like a piano or guitar. Much of playing the violin is muscle memory, muscle memory you use to place your fingers on the fingerboard so they're in tune. It's called memory for a reason too- you really just have to play those scales and etudes to the point where it's automatic, and that will take years. When you learn to play the instrument in tune you can begin to manipulate the sound, like you would with your singing voice , by adding in vibrato, dynamics, and phrasing. When you get to that level you REALLY fall in love with the instrument, but getting there does take a lot of patience. 

James: Did you have any specific artists, classical or modern, that influenced you or moved you enough to want to master it?

Tory: My mother and my Godfather, Michael Sylvester, really inspired me from the
get-go because they had already mastered their craft.
My Godfather used to sing the tenor roles at The MET in NYC, so when my family went to sit in on his dress rehearsals I used to sit and watch the violins in the pit orchestra.
Seeing good music on such a grandiose stage would inspire anyone. The bands that initially inspired me to play rock are the classics. Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, Bowie,... basically all those bands you need to play loud on your stereo to work through High School hormones.
It wasn't until college I really started listening to new bands.

James: Would you say you have a certain style or approach to the violin that others might not have?

Tory: When I was learning to play the violin I spent a lot more time shaping my sound than I spent learning technical pieces. If you listen to a lot of very good players, they'll hammer out some really fast pieces well but if you ask them to play a simple melody it will sound dry. I'm not trying to knock those players, it's really all in how you approach the instrument.
The fact that I can play a simple melody well and play technically sets me apart from many players, also the fact that I play in a rock band and use effects- but that's a given. As far as style goes, I'm a classical player with some Spanish influences.

James: You went from a student to a teacher. What was that like? I can't begin to imagine how rewarding it would be.

Tory: It's weird for sure... you spend so much time questioning yourself after your own lessons that when it comes time to teach someone else, you really have to flip a switch and be confident in what you have learned. The most rewarding thing about teaching for me is watching kids fall in love with music. When your young students have been working on something for weeks and finally get it, their faces are brighter than the sun.

James: There aren't many Rock bands that feature a violin player as a full time member. The bands that do feature them often wait for that epic ballad or swan song if they ever do include one. How do you approach playing it like a rock instrument?

Tory: It depends on what I think the song calls for. If it is a ballad, I'll write like it's a violin.
If it's a quirky song, I'll write like it's another lead guitar. If it's a hard rocker, I'll try and mimic some of the vocal lines- or I'll just pretend like I'm writing strings for Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir." Also bringing effects into the mix this past year has added a new level to my writing.

James: You have a very captivating stage presence.
I could be totally off here but you almost seem to take on a persona on stage. How do you see yourself when you're performing? How do you think you are perceived? How would you describe yourself off stage as opposed to what we see at a Those Mockingbirds show?

Tory: I don't think I necessarily have a persona, more so I'm just really happy. I'm kind of a stressed out person by nature but when I step onto a stage I leave behind whatever issues I have going on in my life and just play.
The stage is also a place for me to dress as I'd like to dress; I usually don't get the opportunity to wear a sheer cape and 5 inch heels  teaching kids. 

James: You also play the keys in the band. How much of a challenge is that and which do you feel is your stronger instrument?

Tory: The keys are a bit of a challenge for me because it is my secondary instrument.
I've been playing the violin for over twenty years and studying the whole time. I played the piano when I was a kid and really only picked it up again a few years ago in college.

James: A lot of people are noticing the band. The record received stellar reviews, your playing out on a consistent basis and you have a shot of getting on Letterman.
How has playing in the band affected your every day life?

Tory: Sometimes I feel like working for success in a band is as frustrating as trying to explain a circle into a square, and it feels good to get some positive feedback and to have new venues open up to us. Knowing that people really like what we're doing has made it easier to handle whatever comes at us.

James: I understand you'll be heading into the studios with Those Mockingbirds in a few days. What's in the works? 

Tory: We're heading up to New Hampshire in a week to track with Dean Baltulonis at 
The Wild Arctic Studios, with Howard Willing mixing the record. Traveling out of state and camping in studio to record is a first for this band. I'm really excited to work with my bandmates out of our element; with no work, no bills, just focusing on our music. 

James: You recently stopped in at Hoboken's Water Music  to record with Dyvekah. How did the opportunity come about?

Tory: It's all John Agnello's fault! He texted me the night before the recording asking if I was available to track violin for an artist he was producing, and the next morning I was at 
Water Music Studios in Hoboken tracking with engineer Sean Kelly. It was great working with such talented people, John, Sean, Dyveke and great sharing the track with Steve Shelley, Heather McIntosh, and Tad Kubler. I had a wonderful time and I really can't thank John enough.

James: Were you familiar with her work? I heard the two of you really gelled quickly.

Tory: I had never heard of Dyveke before the recording and I really don't know why, because she is very talented! Dyveke and I got along really well in recording and became friends during the whole process. After the tracking was done, the whole lot of us at the studio went out for some drinks. Dyveke and I discovered that we are both terrible at pool, and that we both started out with classical training and went "dark side," writing and playing rock. 
I was surprised how well we got on and I wish that she was closer, not all the way out in Norway.

James: You mentioned earlier about the struggles of balancing the band with work, teaching and paying the bills. When your having doubts and wondering if it's all going to happen.
Is there someone or something specific that makes you realize that it will?

Tory: Nothing in the music industry is certain. If you're in this industry to make something happen, you're just going to let yourself down. There is no 'making it' and there is no miracle in signing to a label, there are just the fans and the music. I was born to play music and it's what I do, no matter how tough things are, I will always be playing music.

Upcoming Event:

Those Mockingbirds @ Asbury Lanes Friday Sept. 21st Asbury Lanes in Asbury Park, NJ

Tickets

Jim Testa's Interview with The Front Bottoms

There's no handbook for Punk Rock

By Jim Testa

Bar-None Records released the Front Bottoms’ self-titled  full-length just about a year ago, and in that time, singer/guitarist Brian Sella and drummer Matt Uychich (along with touring bassist/keyboardist Drew Villafuerte) have literally seen the world, touring almost constantly from coast to coast and overseas, playing everything from small clubs to major festival stages.  And it was barely a year before that when the Front Bottoms were still hustling for weeknight gigs at DIY spaces like Montclair’s all-ages Meat Locker, slowly building a devoted following of giddy fans singing along to Sella’s fanciful,  passionate, generation-defining, and often cinematic lyrics.
Will success spoil the Front Bottoms?  We don’t think so, but just to be sure, we checked in with Brian shortly before the band finished enjoying a brief mid-summer respite and hit the road again for a two-month tour that will take them first to England with the Menzingers,  then through the U.S. and Canada with the Cheap Girls, including stops at
The Fest in Gainesville and Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin.
The FB’s will be at Santos Party House in New York City on October 19;  for more tour dates, visit The Front Bottoms

Front Bottoms Photos courtesy of Dan Bracaglia TheLondonBroil.com

Jim: This last year has been pretty amazing for you guys. What’s it been like from your perspective? Does it all seem like a dream sometimes?

Brian:  Yeah, it’s been crazy.
You probably know better than anyone, you got into us right as we were about to sign with
Bar None and just as we started going on those crazy tours.
I was talking to my mom today and she was telling me that she was in Shop Rite where I used to work, and she saw this woman that I used to work with there, and this woman was asking about me and wanted to know about the band.  And my mom just stopped for a second and said, ‘Brian, I am just so happy for you that you’re not working at Shop Rite anymore.’  And it just sort of hit me.
It’s really crazy that it’s only been a year… Not that we’re taking over the world or anything, but it just feels very, very positive and very good.  It feels like we’re headed in a good direction and I’m very proud of all the tours we’ve gotten to go on.  And everything else.
It’s exciting and I’m excited to start the whole process over again.

Jim: Was there ever one particular moment when you just suddenly realized, ‘I’m not the guy who works at Shop-Rite and plays in this band on weekends anymore, I’m a musician’?

Brian:  Oh God… It’s kinda hard to say. It’s still a lot of hustle, and I’m still poor. I’m still running around trying to make things work. It’s definitely a process. But you’re right.
I do have to stop every once in a while and just think, you should be happy about what’s going on, because it’s something to be proud of.  Matt and I do talk about how excited we are about how things are going. And when you stop and really think about it, this is my dream. So in a way my dream has come true, as weird as that sounds. So it’s exciting, and I’m very happy, and I’m just very proud of what me, Matt, and Drew have been able to accomplish. So yeah, it’s great, it feels very positive.

Jim: Did you ever read the piece that Geoff Rickley wrote about being in Thursday, about how the best year they ever had as a band on a major label, he made less money than he made working at the Gap folding pants?

Brian: (laughs)  Yeah, I did read that. It was very inspirational.

Jim: But I have to assume he was much happier on tour with Thursday than he ever was at the Gap.

Brian: Of course. But you know,  there’s a lot to be learned from that. It really does take a lot out of you.  I’m not speaking from experience, and hopefully I never will be, but I can imagine how disheartening that situation would be. We’re not anywhere near that point yet.

Jim: Kids think about how awesome it would be to live on tour all the time, but they don’t think about living out of a suitcase or being away from your family and girlfriend for months at a time, or all the other sacrifices that go with the lifestyle.

Brian: It definitely is a trade off. Honestly, you’re probably right when you say that when he was on the road with Thursday, it probably was the best years of his life. At least I hope that I’m able to say that.  I’m sure if things end up where I’m in an office job someday,
I’ll definitely look back and say my best years were spent with Matt and Drew, driving around the country and playing shows every night.  Making little or no money, but still getting to do it.  That’s what you think about, not how much money you’re making or not making, but that you’re out there doing it every night.

Jim: Typically with my musician friends, they’ll complain on the road that they can’t wait to get home, and then once they’re home for a week, they’ll say that they can’t wait to go on tour again.

Brian: Oh yeah, I know that feeling. This right now is probably the longest I’ve been home since we started touring so much a year ago. It’s been three weeks that I’ve been home, and I’m going crazy. Oh my god, give me something to do. But it’s good because I’ve gotten a chance to write a lot of new stuff, which is definitely needed.  Time off is needed.

Jim: There’s that famous saying that you get 21 years to write your first record, and six months to write your second.  You’re in that position now. Do you find you can write on the road? Or do you have to be home and have a regular schedule?

Brian: Some people can write on the road and some people can’t. The road for me is more or less just gathering information.  I’m just writing things down in my notebook and recording things on my cellphone.  But the real work… if I’m going to put together a song, I have to sit down for an extended period of time and really hack at it.  So it’s hard to write on the road for me, and honestly, I’ve never written a song on the road.   So being on tour for as much as we were, and then coming home, it was nice to be able to sit down and tell myself, okay, now is the time I’m going to write the next album.   Most of it’s written now. There’s still work to be done but this past three weeks is when the album really came together.  So it’s been exciting.  I think this new stuff is really coming together, I think it’s matured and I think people are going to like it.  I hope, anyway.

Jim: Your first batch of songs was so awesome, and audiences really fell in love with those songs, so I’m wondering… do you ever have moments of self doubt when you start thinking, oh my god, I’ll never write another song as good as “Maps” or whatever…  Do you worry about topping what you’ve already done?

Brian: It’s a pretty terrifying thought, to be honest. And in all honesty, it has snuck up on me. There are slower days when I haven’t been able to write, and I had a lot more time to think than I wish I had, and you start thinking, well, maybe that was it, maybe that was the best of the best. So it’s important to have a good support system, and specifically, Matt. Matt is always full-steam ahead, and he loves those old songs and he thinks they’re awesome, but he’s ready to make better songs.  He’s ready to move on, and when you have a partner like that, that’s constantly in that mindset, that ‘yeah, we’ll make something better than this… If it’s not coming together, don’t worry, we’ll throw it out and start over because we have better ideas to work with.’ Even Drew has been very encouraging, specifically when we were on the road with Say Anything and Kevin Devine. Our van got broken into and we got robbed, and my backpack was stolen.  It had basically everything I owned in it – my laptop, my iPod, all my music, everything – and it had all my notebooks in it. Like three years of notes that I’d been writing on tour. And it was really a heartbreaking experience.
I never really had to deal with anything like that before. And Drew just told me, it’s okay. We’ll get through it. You have to be okay with it because you have no choice. So when you have people like Matt saying, ‘Oh yeah, that sucks, but don’t worry about it because you’ll write better things anyway.’ And Drew says, ‘You have better things to write than what was in those notebooks.’ And so I realized that yeah, you just have to move on. It was a scary thought, but I’m confident about the new stuff  we’ve written.

Jim: The number of people whose second record was better than their first is pretty small – Elvis Costello, the Ramones, maybe Nick Lowe – but I’m looking forward to putting you on that list.

Brian: Well, thank you. I’m excited. I’m hoping that I’ll be honored with the privilege of being included in that company. And when you think about it, it is a little scary. But you just have to have fun with it.  Me and Matt love making songs.  Even now, we’ll just go to the practice space, we’ll buy a 12-pack of beer, and we’ll just hang out.  That is the whole point, and that is what we love to do. And when a song does start coming together… there’s always that moment when I’ll look at him, he’ll look at me, if Drew’s there we’ll look at him, and we’ll all just know that something is happening. You’re never sure if a song is going to come together and when it does, it’s just like ‘YES!’  It feels so good. This is awesome.  Nothing else matters, this song is cool.  Songs are really the only things that last when you’re making music.

Jim: They don’t teach how to be in a touring rock band in high school or college…

Brian: I wish they did!

Jim: ...so when you get to tour with a Kevin Devine or a
Say Anything, people who have done this for years and years, do you find yourself learning from them?
Not like you sit down and take lessons, but just from observing how they pack a suitcase for tour, for instance, or what they bring on the road with them?

Brian: Oh God, yes. Absolutely.  Especially someone like Kevin, who’s been doing it for so long and basically has it down to a science. The tour that me and Matt did with Kevin was the longest tour that we had been on to date, and he had been on tour for two months before that.  You just have to open your eyes and have respect and you’ll learn a lot.  Kevin taught us so much. Even the guys from Say Anything or the guys from Fake Problems, basically every band we’ve played with has taught us something.
I think the fact that Matt and me have wanted to do this for so long does make it a little easier. If someone called me tonight and asked if we wanted to leave for tour tomorrow morning, and it was a good offer, we’d be ready.  We’d throw some shit in a backpack and we’d just go. Because we are still so excited about all of this. And you learn, you learn. Like even with the van, when it got broken into.  That was a huge thing.  But we will never get robbed again.   That’s the mindset we have now. We’ve got the van locked down, we’ve got new locks, we’re more security conscious.  So you learn.  You go and talk to these other bands, and you tell them ‘you know, we got robbed,’ and mostly what every band says is, ‘Well, that’s the first initiation.  Congratulations, welcome to the club.’  It’s a learning process and for as long as I’m on tour, I’ll continue learning about how to be on tour. So it’s nice and it is something that me and Matt enjoy, but touring with someone like Kevin just teaches you so much and basically humbles you.  It’s nice to have somebody like Kevin who’ll show you the ropes, and tell you ‘here’s how you do that’ or ‘no, you’re not going to need that.’   It’s just nice.  Like you said, there’s no handbook.   There’s no learner’s manual for punk rock.

Bob Mould - The Descent - David Letterman 09/04/2012

I'll be damned...Bob Mould still kicks ass. Fine performance of a fine brand new song from Mr Mould's new Album "Silver Age"...Dave G.

Bob Mould.com

Maxwell's Hosts The Second Annual Camelfest

About a year ago to the day I was asked by Al of Dromedary Records to document two days and three shows at Maxwell's benefitting 'Roots and Wings', a foundation benefiting those aging out of the Foster Care system. Though just out of the hospital with about twelve fresh staples in my belly, I agreed. During those two days I saw twelve bands from varying backgrounds and sounds. It was a great weekend that raised money and awareness for a very worthy cause.  This year I was asked once again to roll film but with slightly different circumstances. One night, one show and a more focused, edgy lineup. How could I refuse?
Review and images: James Damion 08/25/2012

Bern and the Brights opened and although I was   unfamiliar with their music and sound.
I had heard the name mentioned frequently through reliable circles. Personally, this really wasn't my thing.
Two parts, nerdy, three parts folky and little bit too laid back to start the night off for me. Though there were definitely some beautiful moments within their set. It wasn't enough to feed my hunger for something with a little more angst and grit.
Bern and the Brights

After going outside for  quick breath of Jersey Fresh air,
I returned for The Brixton Riot.
I was really looking forward to seeing these guys as I've been Facebook friends with their drummer Matt for years and had a particular fondness for their recent masterpiece "Palace Amusements".
See review Here. The band mixes a 70's, early 80's Power Pop sound with gritty influences such as The Clash to cook up a tasty sound. Their set included a cover of Husker Du's "Could You Be the One?" and were joined by Stuyvesant's Sean Adams for a Lemonheads cover. It was just the tonic needed to put my spirits back on track.
The Brixton Riot

Now, during the first two bands I noticed that the majority of the folks at the show were either hanging towards the back conversing with their friends or seated to the side focused on their Blackberry's and iPhones. At one point I headed towards the stage and told Ev
(Cinema Cinema frontman) and told him "Maybe it's just me, but I don't think this crowd came here to listen to music." He turned to me and with a wicked smile said,  "I'm not worried about the crowd."
"They need to worry about me."

That's when I knew, it was on. I've seen Cinema Cinema a number of times in the last year and I can say, with all honesty. That this is band like no other. An act that blends beauty and harmony with dark, dark elements of dissonance. mirroring that of a spiritual possession or exorcism of demons already within.
I've witnessed people surrender to what Ev calls "The Trip".
I've seen people look on with eyes raised and jaws dropped.I've even watched as people walked away in confusion with their hands clamped tightly over the years. The true beauty of it is, nobody walks away unscathed. The band played a set that was less song to song than it was chapter to chapter. When recently interviewing the band, Ev described their sound as "Black Flag and Queen, Fucking!" I don't think I could have described it better.
The music just moves you.
Cinema Cinema

Gold Streets followed and completely knocked me and my ears on their collective asses. The Brooklyn bands mix of shoegaze, melodic 90's indie pop and various other angles is impressive and leaves a lasting impression. Just the right elements needed to calm and replenish frayed nerves the prior set may have created. It's a rare case when a band I've neither seen nor heard before moves me to this degree.
This was one of those times. I can wait to dig deeper and hear more.
Gold Streets

During last years Camelfest. During those three shows I witnessed a number of acts, old and new, for the first time.
One of the newer ones was
The 65's. A band Dromedary Records Al Crisafulli spoke so glowingly about. I thought he was going to wet himself. Imagine how surprised I was when they completely blew my mind. Well, here it was a year later. Having seen them a handful of times, voting their record "Strike Hard" as one of my top releases of 2011 and even attempting to interview their drunken, belligerent frontman at Six Brothers diner in Montclair. Throughout the night I couldn't help but notice the absence of their bass player Cindi Merkle. As the band took the stage I was told that Cindi was now the bands former bass player.
"Where have you been for the last %$& months?"
To be honest, I was kinda shocked. Now the 65's are pretty...... But they ain't that pretty. Though a bit disappointed, for whatever reason I regrouped and soldiered on. The band played a tight set featuring their signature grit and bar band swagger. There is a dirty goodness about this band that can't be denied. Not the kind of guys you'd leave your kids or your whisky with. That said, it was good to see them again after so long.
The 65's

Closing out a very big night were NJ Power Pop kings Stuyvesant. Talk about putting the icing on the cake. Here is a band that never ceases to deliver the spirits in the highest form. If ever there was a band that deserved a Saturday morning cartoon featuring an updated Mystery Machine,
it would be Stuyvesant.
Fueled by tasty riffs, endless sing alongs and plenty of alcohol fueled mirth.
They are the epitome of a good time. During the set, guitarist/singer Sean Adams noted what a great representation of Rock music the night had offered.
There was something for everyone.  I could not have said it better.
Stuyvesant
A really special thanks to everyone at Maxwell's, Todd Abramson, Dromedary Records Al Crisafulli and all the bands for an amazing night. See you next year.
James Damion

To learn more about the Roots and Wings Foundation
Click Here

Rat Storm - Fractured 7"

Rat Storm - Bloomington Indiana...Fractured 7"

Right from the opening drum beat and rumbling bass line of this 7", before the music really kicks in the band Ottawa came to mind. Once the music kicked in I realized that my initial impression was fairly accurate, at least to my ears. For a little background, Ottawa are a fairly obscure 90's power/grind band featuring members of another obscure 90's band called Current, so I have no idea if Rat Storm ever heard Ottawa, but it really doesn't matter as Rat Storm stand on their own as a fierce  powerful grind influenced hardcore band. Musically Rat Storm do a nice job of  mixing up the tempo, and adding some spoken vocals here and there to keep the listener on their toes, and speaking of vocals, I'm a big fan of female fronted hardcore and punk bands and Nathalie of Rat Storm certainly delivers a strong vocal performance that really gives Rat Storm an edge on the competition in my opinion.

Admittedly, my knowledge of this musical genre is somewhat  limited, however, once in a blue moon a band will catch my attention and make it into my regular rotation and Rat Storm just made the playlist...Dave G.

Rat Storm band page and order records. 

Bandcamp
Facebook

Snake Thursday - Cruise Mode 2012

Snake Thursday are a big fat riffing stoner band from Poznań Poland. The band describe their music as  "stoner rock filled with energy, melody and dirt, built around memorable riffs and relating to heavy music roots". This description sounds good to me. Musically, the production on "Cruise Mode" is big and clear with a nice full bass sound and  melodic vocals layered over the top...think Kyuss with a touch more melody if your looking for a comparison...

Cruise Mode is available for free download from Snake Thursday's bandcamp page...so if you like to smoke the gonga and rock the fuck out then spark up and fill your head with some free tunes...Dave G.

Bandcamp
Snake Thursday webpage

Talking with Lamplighter Magazine's Patrick Boyle

Lamplighter is a New Jersey based magazine and media outlet that covers music, art, poetry, nightlife and alternative culture. As the magazine prepares to publish their third issue. I got to talking to the magazines editor and publisher Patrick Boyle the magazine's focus, staff, challenges and success. Thanks to Mr. Boyle for sharing his thoughts.
James Damion

James: What was the inspiration for Lamplighter? Did you know what the focus would be from day one? Or was it something that developed over time?

Patrick: The inspiration for Lamplighter... Let's fly way back to August of 2011, a few months after I had just graduated college, applied to a bunch of jobs, and found no employment. I was without a substantial writing portfolio and needed to write regularly about something I could access easily. At school, I ran Jersey Fresh, which was a radio show on WPSC playing only NJ / NY music. So, for me, writing about the local music scene
(and other NJ-centric culture) was a cake role to step into.

I guess it wasn't so much inspiration that brought Lamplighter into existence but desperation. The project started as just a website where we
(me, Dhru, Megan and Nadia) could post articles and build our writing portfolios.
Eventually deadlines and reality set in, and the upkeep was too much, so we expanded into the magazine format. But regardless of the iteration, the focus never changed--we are just as we launched.

Our focus, or manifesto, ignoring things like content categories, is to be a centralized roof under which the community can gather and see/experience/discover NJ culture. We're an amazing state stuck between places of pilgrimage, the "cultural centers" of New York City and Philadelphia. Lamplighter exists to show people there are great, fun, intelligent, thoughtful, musical, artistic happenings in NJ and that paying $7.50 for a bus ride to NYC is 50 cents short for cover to see awesome bands play in the next town over.

James: What meaning does the name hold for you?

Patrick: The name, Lamplighter, comes from Robert Louis Stevenson's poem and (almost more importantly) his essay
"A Plea for Gas Lamps."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lamplighter_(poem)

We, Lamplighter, exist in a space where culture and its content/context fly by as fast as seconds tick away on the clock. People are blinded by opinions, desensitized to savoring because..."well it got a bad review somewhere so it just isn't any good." We want to hold the battleground and say "NO! This is worthwhile! There is substance here and you're missing it."

James: You decided to start a print magazine at a time when many of the one's we grew up with are struggling to survive or going digital. Why print as opposed to  a  strict blog or .com?

Patrick: We started a print magazine because, like I said before, the upkeep of a website was too much for four people every single day. Becoming a magazine allowed us to put ourselves in peoples' hands, expand the organization to more writers and photographers,
and really do work that we consider valuable and impressive. Plenty of people start websites--nobody starts a magazine, especially one of quality. We're the youngest in the market!
Our real competitors have been printing 10 - 20 years longer than us. I think that's a pretty big deal.

James: You've got a lot of talent working with you. Were you looking for any particular skill set or experience when finding your contributors?

Patrick: Finding people to work with / on the magazine has been unreasonably easy.
MOST of the current staff are my own friends and colleagues, and people who I didn't know before starting Lamplighter are now my friends also. I think people of talent are just associated with a community and culture focused mindset. I am very fortunate to have all of them on my team, even if only briefly or intermittently.

James: Over the years I've spoken to a few publishers who seemed to share a similar trait. It was their state of mind come editing and printing time.
Being that you and Nadia are in both a working and personal relationship, I was wondering if that ever takes a toll on the relationship.

Patrick: My relationship with Nadia vs Printing: Doesn't affect us at all. I'm pretty hectic and stressed as things roll closer to deadline, and I'm sure I bother people about getting stuff done, but because I do the layout, a huge responsibility is on my shoulders and no one else's. So I become more my own burden than I am on someone else working with me. Honestly, Nadia supports me through these weeks, making sure I get work done and giving me time to do it.

And that's just my life though...hectic. I work, I have graduate school, I have Lamplighter, and I have Nadia. Regardless of whether it's a printing deadline or a heavy work schedule or a paper due for school, she supports me all the same. And I think I give her the same space and support (I hope! She deserves it!).

James: What do you think has been the biggest challenge in doing a print magazine thus far?

Patrick: The biggest challenge of a print magazine has been finding advertisers.
Seriously, it drives me crazy that people will pay thousands of dollars to put ads in other local magazines that are horrible quality, and flooded with other similar ads, but won't consider an ad with us that's one tenth of the cost with half of the advertisers. If you want numbers, realistically, we could print the magazine with only 28 half page ads.
That's 28 advertisers, paying $50 each, filling only 14 full pages of the magazine.

Our downfall is being new. We don't have the time-tested quality that the other magazines have, and we don't have nearly the distribution, though we're looking to change that.
It's the position where I have to be shameless about my product and grind hard to show people it's worth believing in.

James: With two issues under your belt and one on the way. What are some of the lessons you've learned that you feel can help you in the future?

Patrick: With two magazines down, I think I've learned a ton, lots of little things, but more importantly found ways to build the staff infrastructure and streamline production. With so few people, making it work and distributing responsibilities took time to really figure out. By our fourth or fifth issue, it'll feel like a science. Keeping up communication with everyone, I've found, is key. Keep the conversation going, and it all comes together.

James: What kind of distribution are you working with. Are you using any channels beside the obvious Twitter and Facebook routes?

Patrick: Getting the magazine out into the public is tough. Again, we're young, can't buy a BIPAD number and don't want to bother with a regional distributor (because God forbid everything collapses or changes and we can't print!). Twitter and Facebook help us promote, but the website alone helps with a lot of hits straight off of Google searches.
We're also looking to be in ten or twenty stores across northern NJ for the third issue.

James: What kind of steps have you taken to insure Lamplighters longevity and consistency?

Patrick: I don't think I've taken any steps to ensure the longevity of Lamplighter. If the magazine sticks and keeps printing for years to come, I'll be thrilled because, honestly,
if I could do it every day and get paid, I'd die happy. We maintain consistency with style guides, heavy editing, and quality control work. Everything is reviewed before it goes out to the public. But even with consistency, we change a lot of stuff regularly to streamline the operation and image of the magazine. We're kind of like a teenager, growing inches (sometimes feet) overnight but "like...we're still cool, man."

James: Do you plan on keeping the focus local?

Patrick: The focus will always stay local. We might change the content we address or how we address it, but we'll always be a NJ magazine. It wouldn't be Lamplighter any other way.

Lamplighter

The Everymen Give Us A Taste of What's to Come

Here's a peak at the Everymen's upcoming release entitled "New Jersey Hardcore". Due out this fall on Killing Horse Records. 

Killing Horse Records

Bones Brigade: "An Autobiography" Trailer

The Sixth Borough Radio Show

Interviews and music from Hardcore's past and present. Hosted by former 

New Jersey knucklehead Brian Macko. 

The Sixth Borough Radio Show