Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Posted by xCHIPxSEM |

I was uploading this for a friend of mine and figured I might as well put it up here as well. Shockwave featured (and still does on occassion) members of some prominent Erie, PA. bands including xDisciplex and wrote songs about Transformers. This was recorded live while they were in Europe in 2000 and released by Alone Records which was based out of Oswego, NY. Pretty cool little EP. To the best of my knowledge, Alone Records has since folded and the EP is out of print...if someone knows otherwise, please let me know and I'll take the link down. I ripped this from the original CD source as a VBR and scanned the cover. Enjoy

Shockwave - Live European Invasion 2000

http://www.mediafire.com/?5rrw2fd3qft8a2o
Posted by xjustinx |


xThere Is Only One Truthx blog is run my Max, who also operates xOne Truthx Records out of the Ukraine.  The blog features lots of great downloads and information about European (among others) hardcore bands from the 90s.  Go check it out.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Posted by Anonymous |


How did you get into hardcore?

Rajko: Back in the beginning of the '90s, I was way into metal music and Biohazard was a "real" hardcore band. Don't get me wrong, I still consider Urban Discipline one of the best albums that ever came out and like it or not, we all have to admit that back in the day, they were huge. Reading thank you lists from booklets of bands that I listened to back then, I heard of a lot of bands but never had a chance to hear them. You've got to understand that back then, there was no internet and former Yugoslavia was in a civil war. Borders were closed and, more or less, we were stuck pretty much. I have a friend that used to live above the independent record store and Alex (Hitman's singer) was working there, so we pretty much hung out there all day long. Alex had a hardcore band called Definite Choice that was already playing for a couple of years and had a couple of records out. So we started going to shows, borowing records from him and ordering records from the infamous Lost & Found record label from Germany. Meanwhile, Alex started Hitman. Not long after, my friend and me started a band and played our first show as Hitman's support. That was in 1994. Everything else is history :-)! I am the last one who joined Hitman and the other 3 guys have been there since the beginning, so except for the bassist, the band has had the same line up for 17 years! Alex likes to say that even if I haven't played with them since the beginning, I have been a member of the band for last 17 years, since I was hanging around since the start.

Alex: For me, it all started in 1985 when I came to a new school and I sat down in my classroom besides my now longtime friend Aleksandar. He was already involved in the hardcore scene back then. He played bass for a band called DLH (Drunken Lords of Hell). He asked me what kind of music I was listening to and I answered The Ramones, The Clash, AC/DC, etc. Back then, I was listening to all kinds of stuff. I was 16 years old and had not yet found myself in any kind of movement or musical direction. But I liked punk music (not that I really got into what it’s all about, cause there was actually nobody that could teach me about it) and what it sounded like. The energy was fascinating to me. So he told me about this thing called hardcore and told me that he will make some hardcore tapes for me so that I can listen to some bands. The next thing that happened is he gave me a tape that had Discharge's Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing and GBH's City Baby Attacked By Rats on the A side and some songs from 7 Seconds, Bad Brains, Bad Religion and some Serbian bands (Solunski Front, Codex Of Death, DLH) on the B side. I was blown away by what I heard and, in particular, one song and the message that I could hear from the words that I understood, was something that changed my way of thinking. The song was 7 Seconds' "Walk Together, Rock Together". From that point on, I was hooked and I spent as much time as I could with my friend and recorded as much music as I could get on tapes, listened to it and tried to understand what it was all about. Back then, it was much more difficult to get to know stuff about the bands you listened to. There were only a few fanzines and they were very hard to come by. So I had to copy them or read them and write down stuff that was interesting to me. So that’s how I got into what I love and do for the past 26 years!


Did you know English before you started listening to American hardcore? If not, how did you deal with the language barrier before you learned English?

Rajko: I knew English even before I got into music because in our school system, the English language is a "must" subject. We learned it in primary school. Even kindergarten students have some kind of English schooling. Of course, they learn it through playing with other kids too. Of course since I got into music and start reading lyrics, interviews and everything else, my English improved a lot. I have also been working in a couple of companies where a lot of people from abroad also worked, so like it or not, I had to speak English.

Alex: Of course I knew English! I started learning it in school for years before I got involved in hardcore punk music. And I was always interested in lyrics and what bands wanted to say with their words. So I used a lot of dictionaries for the words I didn’t know. Back then, it wasn’t that easy. You couldn't just type in a word and the translation comes up like now. In time, I also learned the slang and through movies (since we have movies in original sound with subtitles) and more lyrics, I became actually really good at speaking and writing in English.


List some of your favorite Serbian and non-Serbian hardcore bands.

Rajko: Okay, this is a tough one :-). I wouldn't like to name any Serbian bands because this is a small country and we are all basically friends. Hardcore here is a small community. There are a lot of really quality bands. I will just mention a couple of them but I won't say which one is my favorite. There's an amazing band called SOULCAGE, loud and fast in the vein of Terror and earlier Madball. There's a great band called TIBIA, they've been together for more than 10 years and have a couple of releases so far. I wouldn't know how to describe their style but trust me, they are great. There's one new band called THROUGH THESE EYES, they are a really old school youth crew type band even though they are anything but young :-). There are lots of other amazing bands as well but of course, I can't mention all of them here.

When it comes to bands outside of Serbia, my all time favorite band is JUDGE and it always will be. Period. The list would be just too long if I were to mention every band that I love. But mostly bands from the last century. Early Revelation & Victory bands, New Age, Doghouse, Ebullition, Dischord, Conversion, Jade Tree, etc., etc.

Alex: Serbian bands - Dead Ideas (New York style hardcore), Overdose (revolutionary industrial crossover), Teabreak (melodic punk rock), Soulcage ('90s style hardcore), Tibia (post-hardcore rock crossover), Lockdown (hardcore like it should be), Better Than You (old school DC style hardcore), Shockproof (old school hardcore), Six Pack (melodic punk rock), Path Of Decay (DC style post-hardcore) and 36 Daggers (DC style hardcore)

Non Serbian bands - 7 Seconds, Slapshot, Spermbirds, Jingo De Lunch, Sick Of It All, Cro-Mags, No For An Answer, Kill Your Idols, Suicidal Tendencies, Minor Threat, Bad Brains, Black Flag, Dag Nasty, Negative Approach, Bad Trip, Yuppiecide, Sheer Terror, Biohazard, Gorilla Biscuits, Youth Of Today, Killing Time... I could go on forever!


To the best of your recollection, what was the hardcore scene in Serbia like in the '90s?

Rajko: Mighty & strong! I think those two words describes a lot. Especially in bigger cities like Belgrade and Novi Sad. In Belgrade, we had at least 5 clubs where hardcore/punk bands could play and there were shows every week. Sometimes, there were a couple of shows during the same week. Back then, Serbia (former Yugoslavia) was kind of cut off from the rest of the world because of the sanctions and there were almost no foreign bands coming here. So it was really an easy choice - either we play or we don't have any shows at all! Back then, if you wanted to see U.S. or European bands live, you had to travel to Hungary or some other neighboring country in order to see a live show. And trust me when I say that we rented a long range bus (50+ seats) to travel the whole day/night to see a band. Today, you don't have that many kids at a hardcore show in our hometown. So the scene was really doing well with a lot of bands, fanzines, distros and everything that goes with any kind of underground community. Nowadays, in the era of the internet, everything has gone with the wind. I suppose this is the case with every part of the world but I kind of miss those times.


Compare and contrast the '90s hardcore scene with the 21st century hardcore scene.

Rajko: You know, for me, it was really exciting to get a cassette demo of a band from the other part of the world in the mail. Today, you get demos in your inbox! "Has the edge gone dull?" can refer to the scene as a whole - HAS THE SCENE GONE DULL? In my opinion, I'd say that back then, everything was much more sincere and from the heart. If someone was doing a zine, played in a band, had a distro or was just a regular kid going to shows and supporting bands, he/she did it not because it was "cool" but because it was a state of a mind in a particular moment. Today, I feel like everything is well planned and organized, it just doesn't have any spirit! I mean, what happened with D.I.Y. ethics that were so common in the '80s and the '90s? They just disappeared. I am sure that most of today's kids don't even know what D.I.Y. means. They don't have to do anything themselves. Just turn on the computer, connect online and you have eveything done and served in a plate right in front of you, prepared for consumption! I feel like everything just became one big industry for a short term consumption. But that's just me.


Your band Hitman has been around since 1994, which is a very long time for a band (let alone a hardcore band) to be together. How has Hitman been able to stay together for such a long time?

Rajko: Hitman is a band of 4 completely different individuals that come from different backgrounds. But it is also a band of friends and I don't mean friends who see each other at rehearsals, shows or in the studio but friends from REAL life that share everyday lives as one big family. That's just one of the reasons. Other than that, I'd say that another good reason for standing hard for so many years is that we do what we do right from our hearts, minds and souls. We are not a band that put out a record every year or two. We don't push it. We give time for ideas to come out. Don't get me wrong, we don't think we are perfect. Like every other band, we have our ups and downs but somehow, we overcome it and keep on going.

Alex: All the members of Hitman are friends first and foremost. Now, after 17 years, we consider ourselves more like a family than a band. Since we've had only two lineup changes - in 1999, when our original bass player Vige left the band to be replaced by our good friend Janko, and not long ago, when Janko left the band and Rajko joined us. Rajko was with us since the beginning because first of all, he's a very good friend of ours and also played in bands that we shared the stage with. So basically, Ilija (drums), Lala (guitar) and me (vocals) are together in the band since the beginning. I think it’s a lot of respect for each other, tolerance and love for the music that we play. Of course we've had arguments and fights in the band but we always solved them in a mature way and kept on going. We never stopped doing what we do, regardless of what was happening around us. We somehow always managed to stay honest to each other and at some point and until this day, that made us a family.


What are some of your favorite Hitman songs and why?

Rajko: "Positive Attitude" or maybe "11 Years". "11 Years" is a very personal song of Alex's, talking about being Straight Edge for the last 11 years. But somehow, I feel like it is a song written for myself. I was Straight Edge at one point in my life but I'd say that at that time, it wasn't a choice of heart and mind but a choice of trend. I am still very supportive of Straight Edge and have a lot of friends that are Straight Edge but somehow, I feel that being Straight Edge myself isn't for me. And I am not talking about doing this or that, or not doing it, I am talking about a mental state of being Straight Edge. Besides those two songs I mentioned, as a musician, my dearest one is "Minimum Of Trust". It has, according to me, perfect music. Just the way I'd love every song to sound.

Alex: I guess first of all, I have to mention "For What We Stand", because that’s the first song we wrote and it reminds me of what it was all about back then in 1994, when all those bad things were happening around us. Politics fucked up our country and all the other countries around us that were forced into war with each other. In some way, it’s an historical document about the times we were living in and about what we were standing for.

Then, I have to say "Positive Attitude". That song was released on the split CD with Last Hope, our brother band from Sofia, Bulgaria. The name of the song speaks for itself. It’s basically about how we all can manage to be in one scene and work with each other as long as we all keep a positive attitude towards every aspect of our lives.

There is also "Minimum Of Trust", "Monsters Inside" and "Awakening The Dragon". These songs are very personal and they mean a lot to me. I expressed in those songs how I felt in the worst moments of my life. They are about relationships, death of a dear person and struggle with myself. Very personal but I had to get it out by writing down my feelings.

In the end, I have to put on this list one particular song that is about three of the most important things that we all should care about. It’s actually a song that I played with my former band Definite Choice but we took it and now we consider it ours as well. I wrote those lyrics in 1992 and back then, I believed in it as much as I believe in it now. The song is called "FRIENDSHIP, UNITY, RESPECT".


Hitman has played with quite a few of the most popular hardcore bands in the world. What band(s) were you personally most excited and proud to share the stage with and why?

Rajko: In first place would be Suicidal Tendencies. Do i have to explain why? They were, and as a matter of fact they still are, one of my favorite bands. And besides that, Mike Muir is a hell of a guy. It doesn't mean a lot to me how a band sounds or what kind of music they play as long as they are a cool bunch of people to hang out with. Also, I am very happy that I met and shared the stage with bands like Death By Stereo, No Turning Back, Sick Of It All and Youth Of Today (and they sounded like they were 13 year old kids playing for the first time :D) to mention just a few.

Alex: It was great to share the stage with all of the bands that we've played with because they all were a part of our lives and influenced us more or less. But I have to say that it was a honor to meet, play with and, in the end, become friends with bands like Sick Of It All, Agnostic Front, Madball, Municipal Waste and Death By Stereo. These guys and their music rule! I’m glad we had the chance to meet them as people, not connected to their bands, and see what great people they are!


As a musician and a songwriter, who/what are some of your influences and why?

Rajko: Musically, bands like Anthrax, Slayer, Iron Maiden and Testament. Yeah yeah, I know, those aren't exactly hardcore/punk bands but for me, they are a real influence. And when it comes to a hardcore band, I would say that I am influenced a lot by bands that are/were part of the New York scene and at the top of the list is Maximum Penalty and everything recorded and played by Matt Handerson.

Alex: Everything around us influenced us and our music. Not only music but everyday situations, the world we are living in, the wars that were going on around us, injustice, poverty, fascism, hate, etc. But also beautiful things like love, children, family in general and friendships. That is all something that sets your mood and life situation in a specific mode (if I can say so) and results in us playing specific songs in a specific way or writing lyrics from total dark ones to happy and positive ones.

Music wise, for me it would be people and bands like Black Flag and Henry Rollins, The Ramones, The Clash and Joe Strummer, The Smiths and Morrisey, Choke and Slapshot, Kevin Seconds and Dan O’Mahony to name only a few. Because they all, as individuals and in their respective bands, had a great way of expressing their feelings and situations that they were in at the moment when they made the songs. Great bands, great artists and great life philosophies! Very inspiring individuals that gathered around the same thing!


We'd like to thank Andrew and the rest of the guys from xStuck In The Pastx for giving us a chance and doing this interview. We all really appreciate that. Giving a chance to a band that comes from another part of the planet, from a small country on the Balkan peninsula. We know that for you across the oceans, it is hard to find our music, so we decided that for all of you who read this interview and want to learn more about us, here's a free download of our latest album Overstand that came out last year on Swell Creek - Superhero Records. Here's the link - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=NQ0AJ7P7

Thank you for your interest, peace out!

FRIENDSHIP, UNITY, RESPECT!

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Posted by xCHIPxSEM |
I appreciate all the emails I've received regarding the shirts but due to the overwhelming interest, I've decided just to Ebay them. I don't like emailing people and telling that such and such person offered me this amount, can you beat it? it makes me look like a scumbag and that I'm intentionally driving the price up. Ill take a hit on Ebay but at least it'll be fair. Ill post a link when I started posting them. Thanks for understanding.

Chip's shirts are now on Ebay

Friday, August 26, 2011

Posted by Anonymous |

October 10th - KIEV @ SOKOL
October 12th - MOSCOW @ TBA
October 13th - PETROZAVODSK @ HEIKKONEN
October 14th - ST. PETERSBURG @ V-CLUB
Posted by xCHIPxSEM | File under :
One our loyal readers sent this in to me last month (sorry for taking so long Jamie) and I'm finally getting to it now. This is an interview conducted with Chicago's MK Ultra from April of 1998 by our reader, Jamie. Thanks to them for allowing us to us it.

This interview was conducted with Kirk Syrek, Jeff Jelen, Frank Hanney, and Ebro Virumbrales of MK-Ultra in Washington, DC in April 1998. I shelved the tape, considering it unusable, but it was restored recently with the generous help of Kirk. The interview will also appear in the forthcoming issue of Severity 'zine #7.


Since you guys take a lot of stances on political issues, I was wondering what you thought about the Mideast situation. I know there's no clear-cut answers, but I'd be interested on hearing your opinions on... whether there's any solutions at all. It seems like a solution-less problem.

JEFF: One solution is obviously not to do what we did a few years ago (Gulf War I), and what we're trying to do again. They're going about it the wrong way now. You don't see much about it right now.

EBRO: The thing people don't think about is the fact that we're not fighting Saddam Hussein. We're fighting against the people who live in Iraq. Frank actually mentioned that last night when we played. Basically, working-class people -- people who have regular lives -- they're the ones who get caught up fighting the wars for the rich. Saddam isn't going to the be the one fighting the war. I think people just think he's some kind of evil monster, and we're going to go kill him. But a lot of people who don't want to be caught up in it are going tol be killed because of it. That's not the solution. Saddam and Iraq, when they were at war with Iran had access to these "Weapons of Mass Destruction" (laughs) that everyone's been talking about, but they were at a bloody standstill for 8 or 9 years. They were fighting constantly and nothing happened. But when he took over Kuwait, people were freaking out as if he was going to take over the world. But... I don't see it. The only reason, why the US even cared was because Kuwait was a political ally. Well, Saddam Hussein used to be a political ally! I guess it's kind of simple to equate it with oil... but that's basically what it was. Since it threatened the convenience of the people in U.S... because oil and fuckin' gas prices would go up.

JEFF: They tried to tell us that it's not... that it's to protect the people of Kuwait. But actually this government wouldn't give a shit about the people in Kuwait if it didn't benefit them economically.

EBRO: Everyone's talking about how it's for freedom and shit, but if you look there's a whole list of human rights violations: the way women are treated, the way people are treated... that doesn't go with freedom.

JEFF: I say kill them all and let God sort them out! (laughter)

EBRO: Exactly. Don't get mad, nuke the bastards! (laughs) I don't know...

You bring up a good point though. We're always saying that we don't want to have diplomatic relations with countries who have a bad history with human rights, yet if you want to take that to the extreme, every country has customs that violate human rights: female genital mutilation in the Middle East, shitting on women in general. Or stuff that culturally we look down on, abuse of people, all of the countries that we deal with do that. We complain that China has human rights violations, but look at the business we do with them, compared to Cuba where we have economic embargoes.

EBRO: Well, they're a bunch of commies. (laughs)

But, you have to ask, who's making these policies?

EBRO: People who aren't really in touch with the normal man...

People looking to make the most money...

EBRO: I think it's based on that more than anything. I mean the US used to be allies with Saddam Hussein. I don't know why all of a sudden he turned into a bad guy, because he was as much of a bastard when we were allies with him.

JEFF:That's the way the media is... They show you who the bad guy is.
Jamie: It was probably a bad question, and I phrased it wrong, but when I was talking about the Middle East problem, I was thinking about the Palestinian/Israel conflict, the internal problems. Probably not a good question, but I'd be interested in hearing your opinions on it. Like I said, there's no right or wrong answer.

EBRO: Well, I mean, I think the Palestinians are getting fucked over and that's wrong. But, like you said, I don't know what could be done to change it. I think about all of this shit, and I think it's wrong, but I have trouble finding solutions, and even if I did, I don't think it would change anything.

At this school (George Washington) they have classes and classes just on the history because it's so complex, but it always seems to go back to ridiculous disagreements between religious beliefs that turned into territorial conflicts, that got more and more out of hand, and the killing just goes on.

EBRO: Well, we can learn about it through a book, but... there's certain things that go on in the parts of the world where if you're not there living it and don't have first hand knowledge of it, what you say about it isn't really going to affect it.

Well, maybe the people killing each other don't know the whole story...

EBRO: People just grew up thinking, "Oh, I hate those people." That's what people have been telling them.

JEFF: If someone's really into your religion, you can just tell that person, "Well, let's all just get along."

FRANK: There's a pretty different situation here than there is in that part of the world. There, there's a lot of confrontation and it's not necessarily frowned upon to start throwing rocks at people when religious views collide. Here it's a lot different because there's so many different factions of religion, but they've been fighting for thousands upon thousands of years and it's been passed on from generation to generation.

EBRO: My other band was in Ireland, and there's that conflict going on... We met a lot of different people who talked about it, and people asked us if we were going to talk about it when we played, but we just felt like it wasn't our place because... you know, it's kind of a touchy thing...

FRANK: It's hard for you to say stuff about it... I wouldn't dream to criticize people in Ireland for what they're doing, when there are so many more things here that are fucked up that can be spoken upon.

EBRO: I guess, that's a bit different from the Palestinian situation...

FRANK: And I guess, that's why I'm mad at Bono (laughter), because he had the audacity to talk about Martin Luther King's assassination here, when people are being killed on a regular basis over there. I think that's ridiculous for people from other countries to point fingers at America.

EBRO: It's the greatest nation in the world! (laughter)

FRANK: I mean, America's a pretty fucked up place, but clean up your own back yard before you go knocking on your neighbor's door

EBRO: When we were in Europe, people brought that shit up all the time... and it's like, "I know that, I live there."

FRANK: They brought up America?

EBRO: To me. I'd be like, "What's wrong with it?" And they'd be like, "Well, this is wrong and this is wrong." And I'd be like, "I know that. I agree with you." But... I don't need some fuckin' French kid to tell me that. There's so much fucked up shit going on everywhere.

JEFF: (Getting back to the topic of the Israeli/Palestinean conflict) I mean, you can't intervene in something like that. Us telling another culture how they can solve their differences? We really don't have any idea about it.

You brought up something that I was really interested in before: the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Something I think about a lot is the epistemological problems we have with -- this whole rash of assassinations in the 60's. There's the question of was it some internal government assassination or was it one man acting alone? It could be either one. We have no fuckin' idea.

FRANK: Well, the family of Martin Luther King is asking the government to reopen the case with all this new evidence.

EBRO: But the thing is, they're going to reopen it, but then they're just going to cover it back up again. Of course, people might think this is a conspiracy theory, or whatever, but I think it was the government that did all this shit. Personally I think they can control... do whatever they want. There's a bunch of shit we don't know about. Maybe that's paranoid, but I think it's true.

JEFF: I mean, they've done it before. Why not...

It seems to me... that's the interesting thing: we on the bottom will never know. The people at the top will know the truth. They'll know exactly what happened with the Robert Kennedy, MLK Jr., John Kennedy -- all these assassinations -- but we'll have no idea. I mean, you can reopen a case, but we have so much proof that the justice system doesn't work, we'll never come to an answer.

FRANK: Eventually a little bit of the truth will start to trickle out.
(Someone hums X-Files theme music.)
The truth has come out about a lot of things in history. We still want to turn our backs, close our eyes to the fact that our government does assassinations of leaders of other countries, and does install puppet dictators. We do have control over the economies of other countries. They want to say "that's in our past now," but it obviously still goes on. We still have an embargo on cuba, where people are obviously suffering. It's just to knock out Fidel Castro. I mean, we've had tons of assassination attempts on him. Iraq: obviously people are suffering there and they don't have any choice of what leader they want. They're stuck with Saddam Hussein, "the Mad Man." I think it's ridiculous that we place embargoes on these countries. It's obvious that it's not squeezing (the leaders) out. He's obviously not suffering at all.

The people are, but he's not. He still lives in the palaces that are the size of Washington, DC.

FRANK: That's one of the things that's a general problem with the people in this country is that we can't see that it's other human beings that are suffering. We just think, "Oh, it's an evil empire.."

EBRO: Well the government doesn't show the suffering of people when there's a war because then people would realize what the fuck's going on. They show it as if you're fighting a video game or something, where you kill people. I think that all of this shit is put in place to desensitize people, so that you don't think about it. I mean, I love video games, but I think that there's a fascination with violence. When it comes down to it... we just killed a bunch of people.

JEFF: The way that the media shows it is very impersonal.

FRANK: All you see is a bomb going down a chimney. You don't see who died from it. Obviously we probably killed quite a few children in Operation Desert Storm, but you'll never hear about it.

EBRO: Those were all accidents.

FRANK: All you see was people with their arms raised walking towards troops, surrendering, but you didn't see the thousands upon thousands of people that were killed.

We have these scandals (Monica Lewinsky) with the President (Clinton) , and everyone makes a joke out of it. All these tabloid shows and late night talk show hosts all laugh at it. But really, this guy has control of all these nuclear weapons, the richest country on Earth that has billions of dollars... I was wondering what you thought of this guy being mocked, the target of jokes.

FRANK: I think there's been a lot of presidents who have had marital infidelities, and it hasn't really affected... I don't think that the President is the moral leader of the country.

KIRK: I don't think the President has much to say... I mean, maybe he did 20 years ago, but nowadays he just a scapegoat.

EBRO: I don't think his personal life has any bearing on the way he's governing the country. I'm not saying he's doing a good job or anything.

KIRK: It's not him running the country. At all. It's his clique of 20 people. He's the one who has to go on TV, so if something happens to him, he's going to get bashed for it.

EBRO: Shit like that is just another thing that they throw out to people to think about. There's always some scandal or something stupid that comes up. That's what people worry about. They don't worry about other shit. Especially when everyone's into, like, Jerry Springer and shit like that. (Laughs) Ebro.

FRANK: Everyone thrives on scandals. Everyone wants to have a bit of gossip about everybody else.

JEFF: I'm not saying it's right or wrong, but there's always been stuff going on, and it really has nothing to do with how this country is run. Just get over it, already.

FRANK: I think it's easier for people to think about silly scandals like that than for people to think about the real scandals that are going on that are probably bilking people out of millions of dollars. It turns the spotlight away from issues like welfare reform and stuff like that which would be a more interesting discourse than whether or not he got a fucking blowjob in the Lincoln bedroom. It really doesn't matter; the point is moot. Since it's out there, he's already been convicted of it more or less. I just think it turns people's attention away from the real problems in the America. On the other hand, it can really spur a lot of thought in people about who's really running the show, and is this really the type of person you want running the country. But, I really don't see an answer to that question. You can't expect somebody to be perfect. If it was anyone else in the world, it would not matter. It's not a crime. Adultery is a reason people get divorced, but he can't go to jail for it. He can go to jail for perjury, for saying that he didn't in this case..

EBRO: But, like I said, what bearing does that have on him making decisions...

FRANK: Well, if he's a liar -- if he's convicted as a liar, which is what a perjurer is...

EBRO: But seriously, what politician isn't a liar? (laughter)

FRANK: Uhh... Newt Gingrich. (laughter)

FRANK: Another interesting thing: One of our Congressmen in Illinois, Henry Hyde, just went to bat as a character witness for this guy that is being charged for bombing abortion clinics. He said that if a law is unjust, which he believed that the abortion law is unjust, that this man was a hero for killing these people in a bombing. And this is person who's a representative of our state, and therefore our country, and his beliefs... I mean, that probably won't make the news here, it barely made the news in Illinois where this trial was being held, but I think things like that are way more scary than... consensual sex. I mean, Clinton does have a ring on his finger, but when somebody like that says that killing people that provide abortions for people is acceptable, and that the law is unjust, and that violence is the answer, I think that's infinitely more scary than somebody getting a hummer.


***

Update from Kirk on what the band members are up to now, 7/2011

Aside from our personal lives, after Mk-Ultra we all went on to do various other bands. Franks most recent band was The OSS from Arizona where he lives now. They just released a 7" on King of the Monsters. The rest of us still reside in Chicago. I am currently in Sick/Tired. We have an LP on To Live a Lie Records and 2 new 7"s planned for Fall of 2011. Jeff and Ebro formed Punch in the Face who have long since broken up, but are currently doing a new band with all of the same members. They have not yet played their 1st show.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Posted by xjustinx | File under : , , ,
Here's the split 12" between An Acre Lost, who changed their name to Poison The Well shortly after, and Promise No Tomorrow.  I'm sure most people know about the things that Poison The Well went onto do, but I don't know much about Promise No Tomorrow.  Maybe Chip can jump in on the comments and provide more information, since they were also a South Florida band.

An Acre Lost / Promise No Tomorrow - split 12"
[Ohev Records - 1998]

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Posted by Anonymous |


Greg Bennick interview coming soon!
Posted by XhcnoirX | File under : , , , , ,
Spineless was one of the best H8000 bands in the '90s in my opinion. They were a band from Kortrijk, in the south of Belgium, which also explains why the coat of arms of Kortrijk is present on the cover of their releases. The 'CMD' that appears below the coat of arms on the 'Painfields' cover stands for 'Cortrycke Mosh Division', their local crew. Anyways, they started out in 1996, and after a demo which I unfortunately do not have, they released a MCD/7" called 'Painfields' on Hans Liar's Sober Mind Records in 1997. Love this mini, and I saw this band several times since the MCD was released. They were always awesome live, and had lotsa energy. Good times.

The next year, they recorded and released the follow-up, which would also turn out to be their last release. Their album '...A Talk Between Me And The Stars...' was also released on Sober Mind Records, on both CD and LP, in 1998. Their style had changed a bit and become somewhat darker. Awesome album, definitely one of my favorite H8000 releases. They also re-recorded 2 tracks from the 'Painfields' MCD for this album. The full-length would also be licensed to Refuse Records in Poland who released it on cassette.

The band would also appear on a couple of compilations, including the 'Vort'n Vis' compilation which Chip posted here. After Spineless ended in 1999, 3 members started a new band called Amenra, which is still going strong (with 2 Spineless members nowadays) and is nothing short of amazing, do check them out if you haven't yet. Other bands which feature(d) Spineless members include Congress, Hive Destruction, Kingdom and Natural Order.

Spineless - Painfields MCD (download removed due to complaints)
Spineless - ...A Talk Between Me And The Stars... CD (download removed due to complaints)
Spineless myspace

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Posted by xjustinx | File under : , ,

I've never been able to track down much information about Structure, but I'm pretty sure that they were from New Jersey, and that this self titled 7" was their only release.  Despite that, they managed to crank out a 7" of great early 90s hardcore that not too unlike counterparts such as Turning Point.

Structure - s/t
[1992 - Noode Records]
Posted by xCHIPxSEM | File under : , , , ,

A lot of people have asked about Damien Moyal's project "Damien Done" in the past. The record was supposed to be released through Goodlife Recordings years ago but for one reason or another, it never came out. Damien has since uploaded the entire discography to his Bandcamp site and included various outtakes, rare tracks and covers he's recorded. As of right now, the songs can only be listened to on their site, not downloaded but I'll call him and see if that's something he plans on changing. I hope everyone enjoys it and keep your eyes open for Damien's (and mine) new project, On Bodies.

Damien Done

Friday, August 19, 2011

Posted by xCHIPxSEM | File under : , ,

Chris from Sky Came Falling/One Day Savior Records hit me up to let me know that he has recently joined the band Divider. The band is gearing for the release of their 3-way split LP with Bone Dance and Plebeian Grandstand. Here's the scoop:

"Three bands, three different interpretations of hardcore/punk, two continents, one policy: Destroy.

BONE DANCE (Boise, Idaho, USA) doesn't want to be your friend. The nihilism you'll hear from these self-described "five loud dudes with shitty attitudes", playing their exceedingly raw brand of chaotic hardcore/sludge, will ring a bell whether you're into GAZA or KEN MODE, BOTCH or CURSED. Conceived with a colossal sense of brutality, yet never forsaking their punk ethos, "West" and "Conniver" will further consecrate this band as one to watch. Remember this goddamned name.

No matter how paradoxical it may seem, DIVIDER (Long Island, New York, USA) would prefer to unite rather than to divide. Uniting the sound of more modern filthy hardcore bands with a strong sense of punk emergency, these two tracks ("Gaia" & "Halios Geron" ) introduce Chris Tzompanakis behind the mic, best known for his work with the influential group SKYCAMEFALLING in the early 2000's. If you're into DEADGUY, THE POWER AND THE GLORY, or VISION OF DISORDER, you've found the perfect soundtrack for your next bare-knuckle boxing match.

As for PLEBEIAN GRANDSTAND (Toulouse, France), if the shrapnel-laden assault that was "How Hate Is Hard To Define" had you asking for more, this time around there won't be any survivors left to beg for a rematch. If the explosion of screaming and distortion that is "Woe Is Me" isn't enough, then the hallucinatory "Woe Is You", with its NEUROSIS inspired, trance-like drums, and a throbbing bassline that builds to a crescendo which threatens to tip the richter scale, certainly will be. The first time I heard these tracks, I felt like ripping off my eyelids. And I won't be the one."

The record is a split release and can be ordered here:

Throatruiner Records


Mayfly Records


As if that's not good enough, you can download the record for free by clicking here: 3 Way Split

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Posted by Anonymous |




From the Too Many Voices bandcamp page:

Andrew West (Kill Your Idols) and Eric Svirida (The Last Crime) started assembling the line-up that would eventually become Too Many Voices in mid-2010. They added guitarist Ivan Gonzalez (25 ta Life), Scott Winegard (Texas Is The Reason/Fountainhead) on bass and, in early 2011, the line-up was solidified with the addition of Chris Daly (TITR/108/Jets To Brazil) on drums. The plan was simple. Play as often as possible, write and record a full-length and play shows when the time is right. TMV recorded and will self release a 4 song demo Summer 2011 and will record their debut full-length Fall 2011 (label TBA).

For info or booking: toomanyv@gmail.com

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Posted by xCHIPxSEM |
So Im doing what I swore I would never do: sell some of my shirts. I've recently lost one of my jobs and with a new house that my wife and I recently purchased, we need the money. This is the first batch (and hopefully only batch) of shirts that I'll be unloading. Here's how the chart works.

Band name - Description of the shirt - Color - Size - Shortsleeve, Longsleeve, Zipup, etc.

if you have questions, by all means please ask. I will give you the best description possible as well as provide photos for any of them. I have 100% positive feedback on Ebay and I have been trading for 10 years so you can purchase with confidence. Send all offers to xchipxsem@gmail.com.

Tshirts
108 "One Path For Me Through Destiny, Reprint" Beige M SS
108 "Creation, Sustenance, Destruction" Black M SS
As Friends Rush "Back In Coffee Black, Reunion" Black L SS
Ashes "Network Sound" White XL SS
Aftershock "Letters" Olive Green XL SS
A18 "All My Heroes Are Dead" Black M SS
Black SS "315 SXE, Reaper Records" Black L SS
Clear "Deeper Than Blood" Navy XXL SS
Clear "US Summer Tour 98" White XL SS
Caliban “Erase The Enemy” Navy XL SS
Caliban “Japan/USA Tour 01” Black XL SS
Cycle "Roller Coaster" Tan XL SS
Die Hard "Looking Out For #1" Black XL SS
Double Or Nothing Records "Logo" Black M SS
The Dillinger Escape Plan "Calculating Infinity" Black M SS
Donnybrook "Skull and Hockey Sticks" Black M SS
The Dead Unknown "Bridge City Hardcore" Black M SS
Dragonforce "Ultra Beatdown" Black L SS
Eyelid "If It Kills" Navy XL SS
Falling Forward "Birds, Initial Records" Grey XL LS
Hank Jones "Atomic Bomb" Black M SS
Indecision "For Those I Love..." Black M SS
Indecision "One Last Time, Reunion" Black M SS
Length Of Time "Approach To The New World 1998" Black M SS
Living Hell "Goat/Lockin Out Logo" Black L SS
Loyal To The Grave "Logo" Camo L SS
Loyal To The Grave "Graffiti Logo" Black M SS
Metallica "Reload" Black M SS
Miles Away "B9 Preorder Shirt" Black M SS
Morrissey "Portrait" Black L SS
No Warning "Ill Blood" Black M SS
Purification "Quiggle Angel" Black L SS
xReflectx "Demo Design" Navy M SS
Sarin "I Think I Hate You" Hunter Green XL SS
Seventh Star "Cro-Mags Ripoff" Black M SS
Shark Attack "Swim At Your Own Risk" Black M SS
Shelter "In The Van Again Tour 2000" Navy XL SS
Spawn "Emblem Records" Teal XL SS
Split Lip "Revisited 2009, Reunion" Brown M SS
Still Here Clothing "Grenades" Black L SS
Still Here Clothing "Planes" Black M SS
Straight Edge "Battle Royale Mock" Black M SS
Straight Edge "Even In Death" Black M SS
Straight Edge "Seventh Dagger Baseball Tee" Grey/Black Sleeves M LS
Straight Edge "XXX Spider" Black M SS
Straight Edge "Tattoo Flash SXE" Black M SS
Straight Edge "666 XXX" Red XXL HS
Straight Edge "Kill Your Local Drug Dealer, Original" Black L SS
Straight Edge "XXX" Brown M SS
Straight Edge “Drug Free” Olive Green XXL SS
Straight Edge "Baseball Tee" Grey/Black Sleeves M LS
Straight Edge "Smoking Is For Losers" Black XXL SS
This Is Hell "Long Island" Grey M SS
To Die For "Metal Logo" Black L SS
Trial "You Can't Kill An Idea" Black M SS
Unconquered "You Say Moderation, I Scream Prohibition" Brown XL SS
Undying "Let It End With Us" Black XL SS
Unholy "New Life Behind Closed Eyes Preorder Design" Black L SS


Hoodies and Zipups
108 "Creation, Sustenance, Destruction" Black M Z
Bad Brains "Logo" Black XL HS
The Banner "Ribcage" Black M Z
Casey Jones "No Smoking" Navy M W
Clear "Lucky 13" Navy XL W
Figure Four "F IV" Black M Z
New Age Records "Watching You Fall..." White XL HS

Basketball Jersey
Vision "New Jersey" Teal Size 44 B

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Posted by xCHIPxSEM | File under : , , , , ,

Some of you may have heard but I started a band with Rich Thurston (ex-Culture, Terror, etc) and Damien Moyal (ex-Culture, Shai Hulud, Morning Again, As Friends Rust). The band is called On Bodies and we recently recorded a 6 song EP which should be available in October. The band is rounded out as well by Chad Kishick (Know The Score, Shai Hulud) and Julio Marin (Glasseater, Destro, Dance Floor Justice) as well as myself on guitar. Give it a listen, see what you think. We currently have one song up to check out on Bandcamp and should have another up later this week.

On Bodies on Bandcamp

On Bodies on Facebook

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Posted by xjustinx | File under : , , ,
Handsome were a post-hardcore band of great lineage in the mid 90s.  The band was started after Peter Mengede's departure from Helmet and also featured the likes of Jeremy Chatelain (Insight, Iceburn), Pete Hines (Cro-Mags, Murphy's Law) and Tom Capone (Beyond, Quicksand).
This first 7" release from Handsome came out in 1995 on Full City Blend out of New York, and was actually recorded prior to Tom Capone joining the band.  Both songs would eventually make their way onto Handsome's full length debut for Sony.

Handsome - Waiting 7"
[Full City Blend - 1995]

Handsome also released a 7" on Sub Pop in 1995, followed by their one and only full length in 1997.  If anyone out there happens to have the European version of the full length with the bonus cd, please get in touch with me, because I've been looking to acquire one for quite a while now.  And if Europe regards Handsome the same way that America seems to these days, a bunch of dollar bins are probably littered with copies.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Posted by xCHIPxSEM | File under :
I apologize for the lack of content on my end lately but I've been moving and my time has been split between that and working. Over the course of my move, my collecting has significantly diminished as I have less room than before so I haven't been going out of my way to look for new stuff. One thing I did recently acquire is what is considered the "Holy Grail" of Earth Crisis history. The Conviction Records longsleeve is the rarest tshirt in the band's history and is said to be limited to 24. Guav has said that it was printed and sold at a show in New Jersey in 1992. Very small amount of cracking in the sleeve print and overall in great shape for its age. This was number 1 on my WANT list so to cross it off was a big deal. I hope you guys enjoy this item as much as I do. I promise when I get settled to start updating more frequently.

Posted by Anonymous |


How did you get into hardcore?

Growing up my musical influences have been pretty wide open. My parents were into rock of just about any kind and my mom listened to a lot of early Elvis Costello, so that certainly had some small underlying influence. But I was a skater in the late 80's, which meant plenty of exposure to most things fast, heavy, odd, or weird. I remember skating to a diet of Faith No More, Oingo Boingo, Fat Boys, Anthrax, Beastie Boys, & the almighty Suicidal Tendencies. I say almighty, because ST was my gateway. I got "How Will I Laugh Tomorrow" on tape and it opened the door. That was probably like 4th/5th grade. That album and their Self-Titled saw me through a lot. I went through a time of stuff like Nirvana and Pearl Jam (and I will still back both of those bands), but by 8th grade I was coming to punk full blown. And by early high school when Bad Religion/Rancid/Green Day exploded, there was Suicidal Tendencies, still as relevant as ever. As things just progressed, I got into faster stuff, the early DC stuff in my opinion, is required listening whether you align yourself as punk or hardcore or even metal. One thing to another, I was that kid who read thank you lists and found other bands. I also tuned into KSPC 88.7 (Claremont Colleges) a lot and taped the shows. It exposed me to things like Gorilla Biscuits, Straight Ahead, Earth Crisis, Flux of Pink Indians, Nation of Ulysses, Reinforce, Into Another, Parades End, Ten Yard Fight, and tons more. I also had a friend whose brother was ahead of us a few years and way into the Riverside Scene before us and got me into bands like 411 and Strife.


When and why did you decide to go behind the scenes within the hardcore community?

From pretty early on, I wanted to do something. Like lots of people, I always wanted to be in a band. Despite a few short-lived attempts, that never panned out. Some friends and I took a very quick turn at a distro, but most of the time we bought stuff and sold it to ourselves (haha). The more I went to showcase, the more I got to know other people in Southern California and the more I got to know people like Joe Lujan. Joe is THE Joe as in Joecase. Joe has always been an incredible person towards me. From back when I was just another one of the kids going to shows, he remembered my face, got to know me and was just an all around good guy. As I got older and started to help friends bands out Joe was a guy who would give you the time of day to at least give your band a chance. People like that and music like this made me continually want to do something. The exchange of ideas and the fact that in a lot of ways I really found out a lot about myself through this music. Even at its very base, it was a place to scream and have a cathartic moment in an otherwise hectic week, month, year, lifetime.


Discuss your involvement with record labels.

I've been fortunate enough to have done some things with helping a few local bands record and even get some stuff into local shops. I've also been very fortunate to have lived next door to my good friend Andrew Gomez who is the man behind Glory Kid Limited and was extremely fortunate to be the resident test press listener for a lot of releases until GKL relocated to Washington earlier this year. I also consider myself stupendously lucky that at like 15/16 I was able to intern for about a year at Rotten Records who had re-issued DRI's back catalog along with the new record at the time, Full Speed Ahead. They were also the label for Acid Bath, STG, and a local-ish pop-punk band, Kiss the Clown. Their owner Ron was a super nice guy. I guess he had done a ton of booking in the past. He had another guy, Dean, working there who taught me a lot. Dean was in turn, interning at Hollywood Records around the time Seaweed and Suicide Machines put out records on Hollywood, so I ended up with exposure to more than a few bands I might not have at 15-16.


What venue(s) have you booked shows at?

My first experience with booking a proper show was probably Studio S in Hollywood. It was a record release show for the band Drop It! They were a local band and friends of mine. It was them, Fortunate Sun, Eaten Alive, and others who frighteningly escape me at the moment. Overall, it wasn't a bad show. Where Eagles Dare were going to play but couldn't make the trip.

I did start a venue with my friend Nate. At the time, Nate and I both worked for our local YMCA where we had met working as camp counselors. I was also working year round in our Childcare Programs and we had this Store front/Shop type building in an Industrial Strip Mall kind of thing. Basically we only used in when school was out, so it sat a lot of the time. We got the idea to approach my supervisor and ask if we could do shows. Amazingly, she was up for it. I wrote up a small proposal, did a floor plan, and haphazardly, we got the SOS Project off the ground. Our first show was Knife Fight/Mother Speed. Officially, we called the shows "YMCA Fundraisers" and were able to have insurance coverage. We had little to no overhead as the building was covered in rent & utilities and most of the time that something got broken, the person did it accidentally and owned up to it and paid up. We were able to pay the bands quite fairly, kick money back to the Y and still have a few bucks to take volunteers to the local In N Out after most shows. Those In N Out trips are a whole OTHER story. For about a year and a half the SOS was able to do a lot of good shows. We all worked hard for that shit, especially Nate.

Eventually the Y didnt need the property and pretty abruptly, we were done. Nate went on and did another short lived venue in Riverside (Parkview) before he & I met up again, this time with Andy from Glory Kid. Andy had been in touch with a local legened, Tina Bold (seriously, Riverside local scene great) who put us in touch with Joe from Voodoo Glow Skulls. Joe was trying to do some big community type thing and do local shows. We were gunna handle shows. It hit some snags, but he put us in touch with the Pharoah's Den in Riverside and SOS Booking was born. I hung on for 6-10 months, but I just didnt have the time. I was working full time and was just getting pulled in 5 different directions. Eventually I bowed out. Nate, as a lot of people reading this probably know, still does SOS Booking with a core group of dudes who were there in the original SOS days and they do an amazing job of shows when Nate isn't on tour with Xibalba, or busy fighting fires (seriously, great dude, since the day I met him when he was 16).


What band(s) and/or show(s) are you most proud of booking and why?

The SOS Project pulled down some big shows, a lot of which early on were thanks to Sami Begloo from Judas. There was a Verse/Guns Up! show that I thought was gunna bring the place down. We had the First Step on a week night and maybe 30 people showed. Such a blast to see a band I really like, literally in my backyard. We had a fest very early on, (Not So) Chino Fest- named so because it was supposed to be in Chino. It had a ton of local bands as well as Shook Ones, Ruiner, Sinking Ships. It was great. We had a few shows where we pulled down around a grand at 5-6 bucks a head and were able to kick so much back to the bands. That always felt good, giving a band what they deserved. We did a March Moustache Madness show with Life Long Tragedy, Set It Straight, & Final Fight- that was great as well. Also, a personal favorite was having My Revenge! play. I love that band, plus their drummer wrestled all comers after the show. It was pretty fantastic. Sometimes, the after show antics were as much fun as the show. It was great to have a space, that as long as we took care of it, we could basically hang out, have shows, even have bands crash there. I believe the first Geeks show was also at the original SOS Project. But truly, probably the moment it really sank in what we had been lucky enough to do such a thing, was when Joe from Showcase called me up to ask me about a show. A touring band was hounding him to do a Saturday show but Joe knew they were playing the SOS on Friday and Chain Reaction on Sunday; and he didn't wanna book a show that was basically already going on in the same area twice. To me, that was kind of a "Woah" moment personally because the Showcase, that was where I grew up, that was a Venue.


Discuss your download blogs, What We Want We Must Create and It Follows.

What We Want, We Must Create came purely out of a desire to give back. I had stepped away from SOS Booking almost fully and really wanted to still contribute. It started as a way to share lots of things I had accumulated over the years- records, demos, fliers, etc. I love the digital age and the ability to share and acquire. But I also love vinyl and the discovery of new and unknown things. Other people, such as SITP, were doing that and I wanted to contribute. Talking is rarely something I do little of (three sisters and no brothers I suppose plays a part there), and when it comes to music (or baseball) I can just go on. So, a blog with music from my own collection and a chance to share a little history, it was a nice outlet for me as the workload of my job increased and my SOS participation decreased. What We Want had a distinct 90's slant for most of its reign. Eventually, I wanted to incorporate more than just that, but it didn't feel quite right, so I basically nixed it after a real labor of love, the 411 "Discography".

It Follows started up this year. I'd made one or two stabs at doing another blog, but never got so far. Then I just forced myself to focus and do it. Its gone on fairly steady in 2011 and I have no intentions of stopping. It Follows still goes with the similar formula, but Ive tried to include a bit more of the local flavor and a general Hardcore/Punk/Indie flavor as a whole. The response has been great.


What sorts of criteria do you use when deciding what downloads you're going to post?

Out of print, unreleased, or artist sanctioned only. I won't do leaks and I won't do currently available stuff unless a band or label says its okay.

I love when bands send me their stuff to post- its win-win. I get to hear new music and I get to hopefully give a band at least a little bit of exposure.

I also won't do anything racist, sexist, homophobic or otherwise hateful.

I love to pull things that are out of print and scan the covers, rip the songs, and share. It genuinely gives me enjoyment to put something out there, fairly known or obscure, and share it.

I also like to share records that might be somewhat available on a CD or collection, but their original release is lost to that reissue (such as the Justice League "Think or Sink" 7inch).

And, of course, old fliers, interviews, ads, etc. Nothing better than making a public documentation of dating yourself.


Have you posted any downloads that are exclusive to your blogs? If so, what download(s)?

Probably some local stuff for sure.

I did a Former Members of Alfonsin "collection" and called it 'Let's Not Forget the City Burning in the Background". More or less, there was nothing out there and info was supremely limited so I compiled songs and into a format that flowed, re-tagged and ordered everything and posted. Somewhat similar to what I did later with the 411 "discography." There's an Over My Dead Body live set thats all me, same with a Champion live set- I own the masters and was the one that had them recorded from the soundboard.

I've seen quite a few of my own rips/posts turn up in other blogs. I'm always glad to share as long as the blog pays it forward and at least says where they got it. Ive tried to spotlight blogs and even posts of records I love that someone else did, just gotta give that credit where its due. That's not to say Im gunna email someone screaming at them, its just a nice courtesy to not claim other's work. I try to take the time to do a good write up, scan the record, and make a good rip, it does take a little bit of time.


How long have you been Straight Edge and why did you choose to become Straight Edge?

Since I was 17, and I'm 32 now... so what, 15 years. I smoked a little pot in high school, drank vodka maybe 5 times.I giggled, felt groggy. But it never did too much for me. That all happened from about 16-17. In that time, I saw a lot of close friends just dive head first into getting stoned or drunk and just do nothing with themselves. They didn't have money for shows, no money to hang out, and they started to get more into speed and other stuff. Remember, I'm from Riverside/IE in the early/mid-90's, Speed Central. I saw a lot of lives get chewed up fast, even teachers and other people. My own dad hadn't been around for about 10 years because smoking weed and drinking was more important than working and raising my sister and I with my mom. So, it formed a lot of opinions in me. I just remember feeling like, yeah, Straight Edge, that works for me. I never had some mass amount of edge friends, no crew. A majority of friends still drank and smoked, it wasn't some exclusion thing for me. It was just some thing for me. It worked for me and it does work for me. I mean, if someone wants to drink or smoke, that's their deal. For me, this is what's right. A drink isn't going to kill someone by the sheer act of having a glass with dinner. Smoking, I still think cigarettes are a total waste, but I know many smokers who would agree there. We could just go on and on here (haha).


What are your thoughts and opinions of Straight Edge hardcore bands whose core members are no longer Straight Edge, particularly those bands who do reunions shows, tours, records, etc.?

I've had different opinions over the years. I think reunions as a whole have to be evaluated carefully in punk/hardcore. Many times you're talking about bands who stood on some kind of principles or platforms, and if they are going to play those songs, it seems they should maybe have some aspect of that still in their lives. I'm also all for bands busting their asses and putting in the time and being rewarded with being able to survive. Like a band like Sick of It All or a person like Ted Leo. These are people who have given their share, my share, and two other people's share of work and effort- they deserve everything the get from their hard work. But if a band that was say, very staunchly Straight Edge wants to reunite and play all the edge classics while none of them are any longer, thats their business, but it isn't for me. I'm not going to shout them down for it, but it just isn't for me. Not because I am still edge, but because I would feel the same way if say, someone like Dick from Subhumans was some kind of corporate shark who vocally renounced everything his band has said, but still wants to tour the Subhumans and make money off it. I don't think anyone should be exactly who they were at 15, when they're 35. There's things we all said then, that should make us cringe now, but if the core of you isn't at least somewhere in line with what you were about then, why just go through the motions of it?


Feel free to shamelessly plug any of your other musical or non-musical endeavors here.

Buy Glory Kid releases (glorykid.com), Andy is a hardworking dude and does great artwork as well (cargocollective.com/andrewgomeziv). Also, his new band (with a lot of other great dudes), Burn Your Life Down, is working on a new ep. Their demo is available on the It Follows Blog. Also, I still work for a YMCA and just did a week of Youth Camp, any of you out there, we're always looking for volunteers for Youth Camps in the summers and even winters. Great weather, great activities, three meals a day, a bed, its a killer experience. I do it, because I feel like it's a great way to help filter many of the things I've learned through Hardcore & Punk into the lives of young minds who might not be lucky enough to be pre-disposed to like loud, obnoxious sounding music. All too often we forget how lucky we really are that we like this and not radio fodder. Seacrest Out!

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Posted by Anonymous |

MOUTHPIECE Part 1 from sergio amalfitano on Vimeo.



MOUTHPIECE Part 2 from sergio amalfitano on Vimeo.



Congratulations to Mouthpiece singer/frontman Tim McMahon and his wife Traci on the August 4th birth of their third child, Travis Michael McMahon!
Posted by xCHIPxSEM | File under :

While doing some research for Tee Till Death, I came across the complete discography from Buffalo's X Plagued With Rage X. The upload was by Jeremy Smith, former guitar player for the band and includes everything the band recorded including an unreleased demo, comp tracks, a live set and more. I've also included a link to the band's wiki page for a little more in depth look at the band. Check it out!

X Plagued By Rage X - Discography and then some

http://www.mediafire.com/?ntzutaigxwh

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Posted by xCHIPxSEM | File under : ,
Here's an interview with CT's Cornerstone form Tension Building Zine #3 from 1996.


Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Posted by xjustinx | File under : ,
Red Tide hailed from Connecticut, and struck me as a very interesting band.  I picked up this cd from my friend Matt's distro in 1998, and the influences heard in their sound are quite varied.  You can hear hints of old school death metal, hardcore, prog rock and even jazz fusion.  Before this self-funded CD, Red Tide released a whopping five demos, and then closed out their tenure with a CD called Type II in 2001.  I have never heard any of those other releases, so if anyone has download links for them, please feel free to share.

Red Tide - Themes Of The Cosmic Consciousness
[DIY - 1997]

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Posted by xCHIPxSEM | File under : , ,
While I was packing my CDs up in preparation for my move to my new house, I picked up my Slugfest CD that Initial Records had released back in 1996. The day before, Scott Vogel had emailed us to say how much he liked what we are doing with the site (thanks Scott) and I got the idea of interviewing him about the different bands he had played in. By now, you all know that Scott has been a part of some of the biggest and best bands of the 90s and 2000s but I feel like everyone forgets that he also played in Fadeaway and played drums instead of singing. I wanted to go back and touch on these bands as well as cover the one's you may already know. This is part 1 of a series of short interviews I'm doing with Scott about the bands he's played in that have helped shape the hardcore scene. In this part, we cover the bands Slugfest and Fadeaway.


Stuck In The Past: How did Slugfest form?
Scott: Me and my brother Jay had been messing around with bands for a bit, more punk stuff I guess although I was never really into punk. We were just kind of finding out about underground stuff and the different directions and scenes etc. I was playing drums and he was playing guitar. When we were first introduced to hardcore, I think both of us were hooked. We went to any show we could find, bought records and kind of spun our lives in that direction as much as possible for 14 year old kids from the suburbs of Buffalo. The club most shows were at in Buffalo then was called the River Rock Cafe. Me and my brother went there a lot. We became friends with the owners son Jon who ran the place and did sound. He played drums so we talked about starting a band. We practiced at the venue and Slugfest was born. We picked up our crazy friend John Gibe and Jon brought in his friend named "Fuck Em". This dude was older, played in a Kiss tribute band and breathed fire so in the early days we would cover God of Thunder and he would do the same at a Slugfest show. I’m pretty sure this is why all the Clevo bands liked Slugfest. Anyways, no one was close to sxe and it was a very interesting mix of characters. We didn’t care if we fit in. We got the name from a Simpsons episode where Bart is playing a game called Super Slugfest. It was just fun times and learning how to write songs and lyrics and getting on stage every time was an insanely new adventure. Our first show was with Judge and we played with Zero Tolerance, Slapshot, Integrity, Upfront and all sorts of cool bands.

SITP: How did you guys hook up with Structure Records to release the “Buried Alive” 7 inch?
Scott: I can’t really remember how it happened but Chris, the singer of Chokehold, booked us up in Hamilton. Ont. Canada. It may have been one of our first road trips. We played a floor show in a hall. The vibe was real cool I remember. Kids knew our words and we were on a natural high. At this point, Tim Redmond was in the band who went on to play in Snapcase. I remember Chris told us he lost money but didn’t care because he loved hardcore and the show so much that it didn’t matter. Me and Tim always talked about how cool this was. So Chokehold and Slugfest became friends and Chris and Jeff started a label releasing the Slugfest EP and a Bloodlet EP. The Slugfest record recording came out great for the time and talent we had. I still remember getting that thing in my hands…so fucking cool.

SITP: Give us some of your more memorable moments in the band.
Scott: Slugfest was just a party band. We would always be in the van drinking 40s with our friends that didn’t even listen to hardcore before our shows. We would practice at Tim’s and it was a long drive. We would smoke weed and stop at Mighty Taco and then go try to write songs or learn covers. We got to play in Detroit with Earth Crisis. A few shows in Erie and Syracuse and stuff like that…care free days. No talk of money or labels and bad mouthing other bands.

SITP: What caused the band to break up initially?
Scott: I didn’t know any of this was going on at the time but Snapcase asked Tim to join their band. Our record had just came out. We were getting mail from Europe and shit, shows were getting better and Tim just left us to play with them. I was bitter at the time. Me and Tim, I kinda felt like we were a team, a team that didn’t really have much in common with Snapcase but I was wrong. When I think about it now, I kinda understand. Tim was sxe and more laid back and had his shit together a bit more than the rest of us. He saw a good opportunity and took it. He left and the band died.

SITP: At what point did you join Fadeaway?
Scott: Fadeaway was a cool band that was coming up in Buffalo towards the end of Slugfest. They had a good style and their front man Rob was on point. Their drummer Phil was a dude that played in a lot of bands but seemed to always be leaving or quitting or whatever. So when he left Fadeaway, they asked me to do it. Again, just a cool time. 5 hardcore kids writing songs and hanging out, simple stuff. Practice, go to Dennys and drink coffee, act weird. make fanzines. Good times.

SITP: Had you played drums in a band before Fadeaway? I don’t think many people know that you played drums for the band.
Scott: Yeah I wasn’t the best either. I could play a good fast beat and do enough of the rest to get by. I played drums in Against All Hope for a bit. That is a really underrated ahead of their time band from buffalo…kinda on a dag nasty tip but with a Buffalo edge to it.

SITP: How did the Slugfest discography that Initial Records released come about? Was that the reason you guys did the reunion show in 1997?
Scott: Despair was doing records with Initial Records at the time. Andy Rich was a really cool kid and was always treating us more than fair. He must have brought up the idea and we went for it. I spent a few years really being against Snapcase but I guess me and Tim must have talked and decided let’s do this. Slugfest had some cool songs that never got recorded and I think we even maybe wrote a new one for this release?? So we put this thing out with a very horrible cover photo. What were we thinking? A weird tree? What the hell did that have to do with anything? ha ha ha. We also did that reunion show. Slugfest just stopped out of nowhere. One day we were playing and the next it was just over. So I think there was a small demand for a last show. We put together a cool line up, played one more time and recorded it and put out the live EP.

SITP: Will Slugfest ever play again?
Scott: I highly doubt it. I think about 60 kids in the world know those songs. Not really something that needs to happen.