Shut Up Sidney ***New Interview***

Shut Up Sidney are a really awesome punk band out of Houston. They have an energenic live set and have shared the stage with some great Texas bands. They also have a few great releases. I got Steven to tell their story...

Introduce yourself…
I'm Steven, or Steven Blind, if you like. I'm the vocalist of the band. As for the rest of the group, we've got Eric, or Pink Lloyd as we write on the linear notes on guitar, Marzz Starr also on guitar, and we're currently in-between rhythm sections at the moment. Our most recent drummer Chris recently had to leave the band because he'd busted-up one of his hands pretty badly. Our bassist Brenda was also forced to leave, unfortunately, mostly by external pressures like school and such. She was the last "original" member from our first line-up, actually, barring myself. I'm like Wattie Buchan, or Blackie Lawless now!

How did the band start?
I actually had been trying to get a band going since I was in 9th grade or so. Um, right as I was getting out of high school, there was this bloke in a computer class I was taking who overheard me listening to the Sex Pistols one day, and we got to talking. A few months went by and I eventually called him during the summer. He'd bring over his guitar and we'd jam in my living room once a week. Long story short, I brought in an old friend of mine as a second guitarist, and it was at a rather opportune time, because the first guitar player got rather offended by the first damn song I wrote for the band, which was "Battlecry", which is about this evangelical Christian group aimed at indoctrinating teenagers. Brenda came into things through our Craigslist ad shortly after that, then the guitarist who replaced the first one brought-in our first drummer. Really, this all gets rather difficult to explain, even without avoiding names, as there's just been so many bodies coming in and out of the band! So much happened in those eariler days with those early people, as well.... Our first drummer was always popping pills and we'd get calls about him having been rushed-off to the ER on our way to practice. The next drummer got one of our former guitarist's amp-heads impounded, and that was just after our first show... It's like we've been through all that stupid cliche rock n'roll nonesense when we hadn't even recorded anything yet! hah. Eric's mom works with my mom, and they sort of introduced us and Eric found himself in the band. Marzz just came-over from our other project, Midnight Carnival.

How did you come up with the name?
I'd written-out a list of possible band names back when we were just jamming in my living room. It was comprised of all kinds of stuff, since we, or I guess I hadn't developed much of a direction with the band, beyond a vague "punk rock" perameter, of course. There were things like, uh, "Toy Store", "Loki Doki", "Colonel Parker's Drugged-Up Redneck Band". Silly, odd stuff like that, mostly. I was just brainstorming. One of the names I wrote down was "Shut Up Sidney", which I nicked from this old Sex Pistols interview. Sid Vicious was literally just babbling incohenrently about something or other, and John just goes, "Oh, Shut up, Sidney..." It was perfect. It was catchy, it resonated with what I was wanting to do, and all that. It's kind of a statement against the cliche shallow stereotypes of punk rock, basically, particularly against those of us who tend to look a bit cliche, as it were. You can be intelligent and visually pleasing. You can be keen on dressing yourself up and still have something to say, just be sure "a look" isn't all you've got to offer.

Who would you say are your influences?
Well, obviously, judging by my ramblings til now, the Sex Pistols are certainly one, though I think we have more in-common with groups like the Dead Kennedys, I think, in that we're heavily political in a lot of ways. Musically, I've always really enjoyed the Exploited, but I just thought they were so naff and stupid, so I guess I sort of wanted to start a band with that same sort of "hardcore" sound, but with intelligent lyrics and viable things to say.

What is the punk scene like in Houston?
You know, you really don't hear much about it, but it's actually not in bad shape, really. There's a lot of good bands around here, and there's a handful of punk friendly venues about. Not to spin the focus back onto us, but I think we're the only overtly political punk band in town, actually. The only one I've come across, at least. I mean, the Wrong Ones have a tune about the cops, I think, and this group Gnar World Order have a few about tourism, and one called "Chivalry's Dead" that I recall, but I think SUS is the only one that really makes it a selling point. Not that I particularly mind. People are into the whole punk rock thing for different reasns, different things, and such...

Describe the song writing process...
Well, I'm always writing lyrics, so those are often just sitting about before we put music to them. I guess we've sort of always done what I've read Joy Division did, where someone else will come-up with a riff and I'll just affix my lyrics over it when such is appropriate. Brenda contributed the most riffs, I think, so we're figuring-out what to do now that she's gone. Eric's more into the alt' rock stuff, and metal and such, but he comes-up with a few things here and there, too. He wrote that Roller Derby song, actually... Marzz is starting to throw-in a few things lately, so I'm interested to see how things go musically once we get back on our feet, line-up wise. I'm excited.

What have you released?
Most everything we've recorded was supposed to be our first album. The first EP we did, "Warning Shot" was only considered so because one of our guitarists at the time didn't make it to the recording session due to his work scheduling. It turned-out alright, since we just needed to have some listenable tracks on our pages to get gigs. Like, ones more listenable than the stuff we recorded with a vocal mic slung down over a ceiling beam. ha. The next recording session ended-up being our "Mosquerade" demo. The entire band was there, but by that point the drummer at the time and I had been getting into tiffs so the mood of the recording session was a bit strained, and the recordings reflect that. We just took the best of what we got from it and put it out as a free demo. Our most recent recording session is actually going to be the one we release as the album. That one guitarist wasn't able to make it to the recording session again, but at this point, I really feel we just need to have an album out after close to three years of work, even if it is as a four-piece. It's going to be called "... And Then the World Raped Itself". 'Sort of a stab at the notions of American exceptionalism, you know? 'Just those people who think America is virtually the world, and how the country's imperialistic ambitions have sort of left it fucked, ultimately. Hence the title. Crude, but it works.

Who are some of the bands you have done shows with?
We've played with the Hates once or twice. They're always very inspiring to watch, since they've been going at it for so long now. To see them still doing it and doing it well is fantastic. We've also played with FUSKA and Ese. Ska's never been my thing, but those blokes do it damn well, and I actually really do enjoy them. I suppose I could mention Gnar World Order again. We played with them at this hipster bar. That was good fun. Ha

Do you prefer to do shows at large venues or small clubs?
Personally, I kind of enjoy large venues, although I haven't had much of an opportunity to do it outside of playing Comicpalooza with Midnight Carnival. I'm rather kinetic on-stage and so I'm always jumping everywhere and rolling around and such, so I enjoy my space, especially since my vision is rubbish and I'm always expecting to crash into Eric at some point. That said, there's a certain intimacy about samll venues, which is well-documented by a lot of other punk bands, so I won't bother restating it too much, but it is nice to have the crowd right there with you. All easily accesible for moshing and such.

Where have you toured?
We're just now starting to really get that opportunity, actually. We recently headlined a festival in Austin, in fact, wihich actually means we went-on at 10pm in the cold after most everyone had left, but we still headlined the fest!

Is there a favorite band you enjoy doing shows with?
FUSKA puts on a great show. I'd have to say them, probably. Ese's fun, too. I love the crowds they bring. You know, people who will actually get into things and not just stand around.

Is there a favorite venue you like to do shows at?
There's a new club that just opened up in town called the New Walter's, which is essentially an older venue, called Walter's, of course, that's been moved. It looks like it could be very nice with a bit of T.L.C., not to evoke Charlie Brown's christmas tree, or anything, but it's got a lot of space and even a neat little back area for the bands. I like it.

What do you see is the future of Shut Up Sidney?
I suppose we'll start writing again once we get a new bassist and drummer. We'll probably persue our recent opportunities to play out of town more, as well. We should be getting our album pressed soon enough, so I guess all I can say to that is we'll just keep goin', basically. You can't project too far into the future when it comes to doing the whole band thing, but I think we've got one. I practically know it, but I don't like thinking in such certain terms. Shit happens.

How can people contact the band?
We've got pages on Facebook and Reverbnation. We've also got an old Myspace page, though we haven't touched the things in fucking ages. I think it's still got our old Roy Lichtenstein logo on there, in fact. Haha! But yeah, Facebook and Reverbnation.
www.facebook.com/SUSpunk
www.reverbnation.com/ShutUpSidney

the Scary Mondelos ***New Interview***

the Scary Mondelos are an excellent punk band out of Menard, Tx. They actually have an awesome live set have shared the stage with tons of bands. They have also released a great debut album. I got Ramon to tell their story...

Introduce yourself…
Hello Glendale Punk. My name is Ramon. I'm in The Scary Mondelos from Texas. Thanks for contacting us.

How did the band start?
Ernie and I were in a band together in Dallas. When we moved it to Austin, it all kind of fell apart. We found ourselves at rehearsals with no bassist a lot, so we would just mess around with different songs. I had some songs from a band that I was in a long time ago and when I played them for him, he said that we should start another band and play music like that. So we started writing for the Mondelos and recorded a demo.

How did you come up with the name?
The name was stuck in my head for about 10 years. I got it from Leave It to Beaver. Beaver's best friend was Larry Mondello.

Who would you say are your influences?
I grew up in the country, so I heard a lot of Hank Williams and Johnny Cash growing up. My older friends got me into metal through tapes that they would bring into town, but I wasn't a good enough guitar player to go that way. At about 17, I saw a Social Distortion video on TV. It changed everything for me.

What is the punk scene like in Menard?
Menard doesn't really have a scene. Not of any type. We operate in Austin. The scene in Austin is all about the big bands. If we open for a national punk act, we're amazed at the punk fans that show up. It's understandable. You have to dodge about a hundred panhandlers just to get to a downtown venue these days. Then you have to pay for parking everywhere. It's a hassle.

Describe the song writing process...
We try not to force anything. I write a song and the guys pretty much write their own parts with a little bit of guidance from everyone else. We all play guitar and bass, and Ernie and Doug play drums.

What have you released?
We put out Dive Bar Deluxe a couple of years ago and are recording a new album with Travis Bonner at Diamond Factory in Austin.

Who are some of the bands you have done shows with? There is a list somewhere on our old Myspace page. It's really long. Lots of local bands. Some of the bigger acts are Far From Finished, Swingin' Utters, and Hudson Falcons. That was last year.

Do you prefer to do shows at large venues or small clubs?
If we could play a small venue with a big stage, that would be ideal. We like the small clubs, but we tend to knock over mic stands and can't move around like we want to.

Where have you toured?
Most of the major Texas cities and once out to New Mexico.

Is there a favorite band you enjoy doing shows with?
The Blue Flames, The Beat Dolls, Threes Away.

Is there a favorite venue you like to do shows at?
Red 7 in Austin has been good to us. They just had a makeover and it is very nice.

What do you see is the future of the Scary Mondelos?
We're just going to keep on doing what we do. We're talking about heading out to L.A. for some shows.

How can people contact the band?
scary_mondelos@yahoo.com or through our facebook.com/thescarymondelos page.

TurboVamps ***New Interview***

the Turbovamps are an incredible punk band out of Chicago. They have an awesome album and EP out. They have an awesome live set and have really shared the stage with some amazing punk bands. They have also toured the Midwest. I got the band to tell their story...

Introduce yourself…
Stephen DeFalco (lead vocals) @StephenDefalco
Andrew Smith (guitar) @TandrewV
Sean Morton (bass) @sean-thrash
Tommy Maneykowski (drums) @TtommyV

How did the band start?
Stephen and Sean wanted to start a band and once they started looking for a guitarist Stephen went to Andrew who he’d played with before in another band. They found their good friend Jack Moore to play drums (he brought a drum kit for the band’s first practice). The band officially started practicing and writing in December 2005 with their first show in a garage in the spring of 2006.

How did you come up with the name?
The name came after many failed attempts of names not working out lol. You don’t realize how many bands there are until you search a possible name and there’s already three other bands with the same name. We started out with a much more horror punk feel and vamps fit that side of it and turbo cause…why not. It stuck and we figured people know us as TurboVamps!, why change a good thing.

Who would you say are your influences?
Our influences range and are kind of all over the place in the punk and rock spectrum. They are also different for each member which makes our sound so different with each song pulling from a different combination of influences. Some key bands though include Rancid, AFI, The Misfits, The Adicts, G.B.H. and Lower Class Brats.

What is the punk scene like in Chicago?
The punk scene in Chicago is first and foremost loyal. You will always see the same couple guys at every show and the support for the local scene is incredible. There is always a show going on and new bands popping up and old bands fading away so it is always changing which is very exciting. The variety is something I feel like you can only get in the Midwest too. You have everything from rockabilly to street punk to hardcore represented in Chicago; it truly runs the gamut.

Describe the song writing process...
A lot of the new music will usually start with a simple riff and lyrics Stephen writes up. From there we usually let it sit and come up with little ideas on our own to bring them up to try out and see what works and what doesn’t. After a couple weeks we usually have a finished song and just spend some time playing it for close friends and then see what the response is at a show.

In 2008, you released "a little taste of horror", tell us about the demo...
The demo started out as a prize for winning our school’s battle of the bands. We got to record one free song and with the single done and our first recoding experience as a band under our belt we figured we might as well record a couple more and get a demo out. We hooked up with our friend Ryan Pettigrew and re-recorded the single and two others and the demo was out.

In 2009, you had a self-titled release, tell us about the album...
The full length album was a long time coming. We’d been a band for a little over three years and with all of us done with high school and in colleges all over Illinois it just hadn’t been on our radar. We got back together with Ryan to record us again and after this album the band took a more serious approach and it wasn’t just a couple friends from high school jamming anymore. We did a Midwest tour to promote the album and went on radio stations like Fearless Radio in Chicago.

What else have you released?
We are in the process of recording a 7inch record to be released in the late winter/early spring of 2012 and a full length to follow scheduled for winter 2012.

Who are some of the bands you have done shows with?
The Misfits, Static Thought (Hellcat Records), FBS (YUMI Records), Left Alone (HellCat Records), Michale Graves(Ex-lead singer of the Misfits), Blitzkid!(Fiend Force Records), The Scurvies(Boot To Head Records), Joe Buck Yourself(Bucket City Records), Adams Dagger (Dirty Mick Records) Flatfoot 56 (Paper + Plastick Records), The Tossers, The Infected(Bouncing Betty Records), The Downtown Struts (Pirates Press Records) Deals Gone Bad (JumpUp/Megalith) and Sleeping Under 47 (Uncle Chuck Records)…the list could go on and on playing for six years now.

Do you prefer to do shows at large venues or small clubs?
Small clubs all the way! The people that are there are 100 percent into it and it’s just a better connection with the audience and fans. Stephen loves breaking that fourth wall and getting into the crowd and that can never happen at a large venue.

Have you toured?
Yea we toured once to promote the self-titled record in the Midwest. He hit cities like Detroit, Columbus, St. Louis and of course Chicago.

Is there a favorite band you like to do shows with?
Flatfoot 56 is always an awesome band to play with. They bring an awesome energy and really get everyone involved. We have been playing shows with them for a while now and it’s always a good time. Sleeping Under 47 is another band we love playing with, we are always joking with each other on stage and have a good time. It’s really a feeling of an extended family when we play with both bands.

Is there a favorite place you like to do shows at?
Reggies in Chicago is a place we have played for a long time and it’s just a great space for punk rock shows. The House Café in DeKalb has also been a TurboVamps! Staple and had our record release show there back in ’09. The House Café has THE COOLEST OWNERS/OPERATORS YOU WILL EVER MEET!

What do you see is the future of The Turbo Vamps?
The release of the 7inch has been a long work in progress. It started this summer and working out all the kinks with digital downloads and vinyl companies has delayed the process to a crawl so we will be happy to finally put that out. Some cool shows will include The Toasters in Febuary and finally playing at the famous Chicago venue The Double Door in January.We have also talked about doing a little more touring but that will probably be 2013 when the second album comes out.

How can people contact the band?
We have a Facebook page, a Twitter handle (@Theturbovamps), a Reverbnation page
and a Myspace page. Our band website is www.turbovamps.com and our email is
turbovampsmusic@yahoo.com

Kramer ***New Interview***

Kramer is an awesome punk band out of Tacoma, WA. They have a great live set and have shared the stage with mostly local punks within their scene. They have a great album out and have toured Oregon. I got Brandon to tell their story...

Introduce yourself…
Heyyyyyyy this is Brandon from Tacoma WA's KRAMER!!! We are a three piece Punk Rock n Roll band with Spencer on drums/vocals, Travis on bass/vocals, and myself on guitar/vocals.

How did the band start?
The band started with me and Spencer writing songs in-between skate and smoke sessions...just kind of jamming and laying riffs and lyrics down. Six months later we hooked up with Travis and he filled out our sound, as well as throwing down some vocals and song ideas!

How did you come up with the name?
The name came about while we were throwing out funny, corny, names. I jokingly said Kramer! And surprisingly, they liked it. I wasn't that into it but I dig it now.

Who would you say are your influences?
I guess we are into the old punk stuff like Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, Surf Dick Dale, The Ventures, and some random bands like Reverend Horton Heat, System of the Down, and Weird Al.

What is the punk scene like in Tacoma?
Ahhh not much of a punk scene but we do have a pretty prevalent hardcore scene, and everyone in Tacoma likes rock n roll and garage music, I wish I could say there is a good hip hop/rap scene but all anyone wants to talk is Tacoma and how ghetto it is. It's not that ghetto, it's actually a great place to raise a family and open up another bar geared towards college kids and young adults who are afraid to grow up.

Describe the song writing process...
We don't really have a process. Basically if anyone has any lyrical or musical ideas they bring it to the table and we make a song out of it.

What have you released?
So far only our self-titled full-length cd.

Who are some of the bands you have done shows with?
Warning: Danger!, Criminal Code, Si Si Si, Sojourner, Overboard!, Bone Sickness and other legendary NW bands.

Do you prefer to do shows at large venues or small clubs?
Houses

Have you toured?
Yes! We played Portland and Medford Oregon a few weeks ago. The longest tour we've done so far!

Is there a favorite band you like to do shows with?
Probably the ones we already mentioned. With an addition to the Ram Rams.

Is there a favorite place you like to do shows at?
O'malley's Irish Pub in tacoma.

What do you see is the future of Kramer?
Just playing music, writing more songs, and keeping it real.

How can people contact the band?
Kramerjams@hotmail.com Facebook.com/kramertacoma

Ekolekua ***New Interview***

Ekolekua or Eko is an awesome ska band from East LA. Ironically, the LA ska scene is very fierce, especially in the Latino community, where ska has replaced traditional Latino music as the sound of LA's thriving Latino punk community. The band has only released one EP and has plans for a full-length album. They have a great live set and have shared the stage with some of California's ska legends. I got the band to tell their story...

How did the band start?
The origin of the band is truly a compelling mystery that is mostly a blurr. the band went through many changes and members until the band was completed 3 years ago. members included Jose "Chakas" Barrera on guitar, Alejandro "Alison" Barrera on drums, Jonathan Loza on trumpet, Isai "Pol" Jimenez on alto sax, David Campos on bass, Saul "Trevi" Aguirre on guitar, David "Peruano" Delgado on keyboards. the band was then modified with the departure of Allison and Peruano, Trevi took over drum duties while Pol stepped up to the guitar and Ivan "Skadoosh" masas on trumpet when Loza took tp the keyboards. when Chakas, David, Pol and Loza decided to take the sound of Eko to the next level, we dropped the horn line and replaced our drummer with Nicolas "Nico" Curiel, we finally felt complete and able to pursue the musical desires, created our style of ska with a plethora of genres mixed in; punk to metal, reggae to techno and all in between. Although the band started out over 4 years ago, we feel the band, with the momentum of our past, finally took shape 1 year ago with members Chakas, David, Pol, Loza and Nico. the mystery of the band origin is nearly indecipherable, but we will always remember our good friend, Alex "Pelos" Cruz as percussion, band manager and logo designer, who ultimately may be the number one reason why Eko ever was able to keep it together and prosper as a band.

How did you come up with the name?
The name of the band, "Ekolekua," was pitched as a joke. Ekolekua being slang in Mexico D.F. meaning "Chido." we instantly took to the word as the band name and it stuck.

Who would you say are your influences?
our influences are spread so wide that if it were a dart board, you'd be able to score a hit with your hands tied behind your back. each member of Eko has his own personal taste in music. from Michael Jackson and Lady Gaga to iron maiden and dream theatre, Miles Davis and the Beatles to the Adicts and Cafe Tacuba. as a band though we have a lot of influence from Ska-P and Panda.

What is the punk scene like in Southern California?
The punk scene Southern California is a varied and thriving scene. attend almost any show and you will noticed the abundance of leather and jean jackets and nerves of steel as they rally around the crowd and pit until there is no end.

Describe the song writing process...
The song writing process usually consist of Chakas pitching a new idea or ideas and the rest could be described as one massive jam session over one or more ideas. what sounds good and works for us is what usually makes it into the song. each member adds his own personal touch to the song while also not stepping on anyone's toes. the majority of the songs have been written by Chakas and then modified by Eko.

What have you released?
We have released a demo in 2009 and since then only uploaded a handful of songs recorded by us. we are hoping of releasing our first cd soon.

Who are some of the bands you have done shows with?
We have done shows with a slew of bands. bands such as Voodoo Glow Skulls, La Resistencia, Red Store Bums, Ocho Kalacas, La Banda Skalavera, Roncovacoco, Panteon Rococo, Chencha Berrinches and Salon Victoria. the list goes on and on.

Do you prefer to do shows at large venues or small clubs?
We prefer small venue shows because it is always so much more personal. the fans are usually very close to the stage and they react in the best possible ways. it is basically one big party and we are at the center of it, and its thanks to the fans that come out and really show their support for Eko.

Have you toured?
We have not toured, but we are hoping to tour as much of the world as we could. the time will definitely come.

Is there a favorite band you like to do shows with?
Yes there is, we enjoy doing shows with la Resistencia, the paranoias, Roncovacoco and Profesor Galactico. it is always nice to share the stage with our friends and enjoy the show together. Also, let's not forget Blanco y Negro because Skadoosh is always willing to hop on stage and blow his horn in the good name of Ekolekua!

What do you see is the future of Eko?
We see big things in the future of Eko. From multiple cd releases, to tour dates all over the world. The sky is the limit for Ekolekua.

How can people contact the band?
People can contact the band at facebook.com/ekolekua.

Banned & Burned ***New Interview***

Banned & Burned are an awesome punk band out of Lansing, Mi. They have an awesome live set and have shared the stage with some great bands. They just released their first EP and see more in their future. They are also looking at touring the East Coast. I got the band to tell their story...

Introduce yourself…
We are Banned & Burned a hardcore punk band from Lansing, MI. Cody Hobbins on Lead Vocals and Guitar, Collin Spencer on Vocals and Bass, and Josh Hobbins on Drums.

How did the band start?
The band started in June of 2011, on the tail end of one of our old projects. A bunch of us were hanging out at our friends house who was out of town for 2 weeks, and we started talking about doing a hardcore band, because our old band was “pussy shit”. From there we started writing, and destroying that house, and Banned & Burned was born.

How did you come up with the name?
Collin came up with then name. He was at a book fair at school and read a sign that said “Banned and Burned book club.” We thought it sounded cool, so it stuck.

Who would you say are your influences?
Our influences for are all over the place. We're all into the old hardcore scene from the 1980's. Stuff like Minor Threat, Black Flag, Bad Religion, Bad Brains, and The Descendents etc. We're also into the newer stuff like Touche Amore, The Ghost Inside, Stick to Your Guns and Trash Talk. Cody is big into the old thrash metal scene of the 1980's. I (Josh) am big into pop punk and Collin is into a ton of the newer hardcore/grind.

What is the punk scene like in Lansing?
The Punk scene in Lansing is pretty rough. There are exactly 2 (correct me if I'm wrong) punk bands in Lansing, the other being Fisherking. There are the occasional “punk/harcore” nights at venues, which do well, but honestly it's few and far between.

Describe the song writing process...
The song writing process for us is pretty simple, we go the old fashioned way and just sit in a room and throw riffs around between Collin and I (Cody), until we get something that sounds good. We keep the structure as simple as possible. We like to keep the songs short and to the point. It always worked better that way, for us at least.

What have you released?
We just finished up our debut EP. We decided not to name it, so we left it Untitled. We recorded it at StudiOtte in Grand Rapids, MI. We're hoping to do a split with someone over the summer, and possibly put out another EP in that time.

Who are some of the bands you have done shows with?
We play with a lot of bands. When we started out we played a lot with State of Havoc, I Made A Monster, Desiring Dead Flesh and Arm the Prisoners. At some of our most recent shows we played with King, Know Lyfe, Act As One, Of Virtue, and many more. The local bands around here are pretty cool, generally theres not too much discrimination between scenes.

Do you prefer to do shows at large venues or small clubs?
Venue size isn't too important to us, but we prefer a small packed room. It's a much more “intimate” setting, if you will. Those shows are always more fun then a giant room, with an oversized stage. Besides that, being a 3 piece and having a big stage sucks.

Have you toured?
We haven't toured yet but we are looking into something this summer to Boston and back. Then maybe a west cost in the next year or two.

Is there a favorite band you like to do shows with?
We love doing shows with Desiring Dead Flesh. We have played more shows with them than any other band. I (Cody) have been playing with them for about 3 or 4 years between all my bands, and they're good guys, and always bring shit to shows to destroy and that's always a good time.

Is there a favorite place you like to do shows at?
Collectively, our favorite venue around so far has been Macs Bar in Lansing. It's small, it smells bad, and its fucking awesome. We'd love to play more there.

What do you see is the future of Banned & Burned?
Only time will tell how long we go on. We could go pretty far with it, with the proper promotion and all that shit, but as far as a label goes and everything that's pretty unlikely. I see us just doing a bunch of EP's and self funded tours.

How can people contact the band?
People can get in contact with at on our Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Banned-Burned/168054736593240 or our email bannedxburned@yahoo.com.

the Skels ***New Interview***

the Skels are an amazing Irish/Punk band out of New Jersey. They have been together for over 16 years and like a fine wine are only getting better with age. They have an awesome discography and who knows more maybe even more to come. They also have an amazing live set and have shared the stage with legendary punk bands. I got Chris to tell their story...

Introduce yourself…
My name is Chris Freid and I am the lead singer, guitar player and principal songwriter in The Skels.

How did the band start?
We have been together since the summer of 1995. For a few years before we started the band, a few of us would go to see another New Jersey Celtic-rock band called The Barleycorns.  We had became close  friends through this association and around 1994-95  when  The Barleycorns broke up, we kind of got together to fill that void, one might say.

How did you come up with the name?
When we were deciding upon a name, I was throwing around “The Skels” and the other guys seemed to like it. I had always liked the name “The Skels” for a band after having attended Fordham University in the Bronx in the late 80’s.  I first heard the name there when I suggested that some friends and I go to a bar that was on the opposite side of campus and which was not frequented by students.  In reply, one of my friends said “we shouldn’t go there because there’s too many skels in that place.”  I asked him what a “skel” was and he replied “you know… it’s a dirt bag who hangs out on the street.”  Apparently, “skel” is a New York City cop term for an “undesirable.”

Who would you say are your influences?
Our influences come many different places.  We started out playing sped-up versions of Irish traditionals and Pogues covers.  Shortly thereafter we incorporated other styles of music into our sets including country, bluegrass, reggae and ska.  In addition to the Pogues, our main influences would have to The Clash, The Dubliners, Tom Waits and Hank Williams.

Describe the song writing process...
Songwriting is a funny thing. Speaking for myself, I usually come up the words and then sit down with an acoustic guitar and just start singing and strumming until something like a song starts to come out. The hard part is coming up with the initial idea for the song-that first spark that gets the rest of the song going. That spark can take many different forms. It can be a title, a
chorus, a phrase or a guitar riff.  Once I have the spark the rest usually come out pretty easily. I may have to go back and make a few revisions here and there, but changes are usually limited to small things like word choices.   It helps that I only know about seven chords as it keeps are songs simple and not complicated.  A capo helps a great deal because it enables us to work in keys other than the key of G from time to time.  Once the lyrics and a skeleton of the music is worked out, I’ll bring the song to practice or as of late, I’ll record it and e-mail everyone an mp3 of the new tune. Then the rest of the guys come up with their various parts on their own.  Once learned, our songs typically take a little time to evolve and we may end up tweaking bits as it does.

Who are some of the bands you have done shows with?
Over the past sixteen years we have played so many shows with so many great bands. Some of the bigger bands we have played with include The Dropkick Murphys, Shane MacGowan & The Popes, The Prodigals, The Hudson Falcons and Darkbuster. Playing shows with Darkbuster up in Boston were always tons of drunken fun, always ending with the dance floor covered in beer. The clubs always resembled war zones after those shows and we looked and felt like a war’s casualties the next day.

What have you released?
Our discography is:
The Book of Skels (1998)
Stoney Road (1999)
Any Port in a Storm (2003)
Headed for the Knacker’s Yard (2011)

What do you see is the future of the Skels?
As far as the future goes it is hard to predict. Except for me, everyone else in the band is now married and two of the other guys have a few kids. In addition, Henry, the bass player, lives in Boston making practice time virtually impossible.  We still play as much as all of our busy schedules permit, but I wish we could play much more than we do. I bide my name between Skels shows by playing solo gigs or gigs with my new back-up group, The Hangover Band, which has a more Americana-roots sound. Henry plays in a rock outfit called The Sprained Ankles in Boston and dabbles in other projects as well. In the end, however, The Skels keep plugging away as a band because we all realize that getting together to play is still fun after all these years. More importantly, we also realize that there is really nothing better in the world than getting together with your closest friends, having a few drinks and playing music you truly believe in.

How can people contact the band?
The Skels can be found at www.theskels.net; on Facebook; or via e-mail at info@theskels.net.

Plane Without a Pilot ***New Interview***

Plane Without a Pilot is just an amazing punk band out of San Diego. They have a great live and have shared the stage with tons of legendary punk bands. They have been around since 2004 and have released 3 EPs and an awesome album. Have also played shows throughout the Southwest. I got the band to tell their story...

Introduce yourself…
Brian: The name is Brian Gower; I play guitar and sing lead/ background vocals.
Kyle: My name is Kyle McIntyre; I play Bass/Lead & Backing Vocals.
Patrick: Hello there, my name is Patrick Lalli. I am the drummer.

How did the band start?
Kyle: The band started in 2004 out of the monotony of high school, just some kids that wanted to play music. We started with playing covers and jamming out probably like most bands do. At this time I was the sole singer/songwriter, some originals were eventually created and we started playing local venues around town. Our music was a soft rock/jam band thing with no real direction; we had a hard time telling people what genre we sounded like. Around this time we had 6 members in the band, but due to personality differences and conflicting interests the 4 others left over the initial 6 months.
Brian then threw up the idea of scratching all the old songs, and starting over new. It scared me at first but after I thought about it a little more we didn't really have anything to lose. We reinvented our music, making it more upbeat, faster paced; also I moved to bass, all we needed was a drummer to make it a 3-piece. Years later and more drummers than I can count, Brian and I are still playing together. We have been through a lot of members, shows, and life.
Brian: It’s been a long 8 years and a huge learning experience. This is the first and only really serious band Kyle and I have been in. We learned how to play, write, and perform music in this band. What once started as a jam band transformed into a pop punk trio then evolved into what we currently are, a Rock n Roll/ Alternative group with a dash of new wave Punk.

How did you come up with the name?
Kyle: One day walking home from school I was listening to Brand New's "The No Seatbelt Song" off of Your Favorite Weapon Album, when he says "...I shot the pilot, begging you to fly this for me..." I though whoa that would be really scary, a "Plane Without a Pilot" and boom it stuck.

Who would you say are your influences?
Brian: The biggest influence on my music is myself, and my life. Haha! Now that’s pretentious answer, if I do say so myself! It’s true though but I digress… let’s see my favorite bands are Green Day, The Clash, Social Distortion, The Police, The Living End, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, Sharks, The Gaslight Anthem, Fenix TX, The Ramones, The Loved Ones, Denver Harbor, Cheap Trick, Elvis Costello, Alkaline Trio… and the list goes on.
Kyle: I would have to say Brand New, The Ataris, The Clash, Saves the Day, Green Day, The Police, The Strokes, Thrice, Rancid, Weird Al, Tom Petty, Sum 41, Brian Setzer, The Offspring, Muse, The Matches, Leftöver Crack, Choking Victim, Flogging Molly, Fenix TX, Blink-182, Face to Face, the English Beat, Elvis Costello, ELO, Denver Harbor, David Bowie, The Dear Hunter, The Cure, CCR, BTO, Boxcar Racer, Bloc Party, and Bob Seger, there’s more but this is a pretty good cross section.
Patrick: Some of my personal influences are 30 seconds to mars, The Who, Blink-182, Johnny Cash, Richie Spice, Buju Banton, The Killers, Frank Zappa, Green Day, The Ataris, Foo Fighters, Kanye West, U2, Coldplay, Social Distortion, Dr. Dre, and Incubus. To name a few Artists and the drummers who inspire me the most would have to be Ronnie Vannucci, Carter Beauford, Travis Barker, Buddy Rich, and Keith Moon.

What is the punk scene like in San Diego?
Patrick: I’m new to San Diego, but I’ve always been a fan of southern California punk rock and it seems that San Diego is at the heart of it all.
Kyle: In my opinion, the punk scene in SD is almost non-existent anymore. I've noticed a spike in bands that claim to be punk or pop-punk but lean more towards metal with heavy breaks and drop-C chords. Not what I consider punk.
Brian: I’d say in San Diego there are music “clicks” not so much punk scenes. To kind of play off of what Kyle mentioned, you have the youngsters that all play that new modern metal pop punk style. The kind with double kick blast beats and breakdowns, detuned heavy guitars, and the auto-tuned singers. I recently heard it’s called “easy core”. Get it? It’s not “hard” it’s “easy”! I don’t really get it. I’m old.
Then in the 21 and up scene there is A LOT of indie rock bands. You know those stuck in the 90’s bands?
We don’t really fit either scene so we just play our style of rock anywhere we can. Seems to be working for us. Heard fans say it’s a breath of fresh air. I kinda like the sound of that.

Describe the song writing process...
Patrick: I don’t write the songs, but recently I’ve been helping in the creation of the actual music...well beat and groove wise.
Brian: For songwriting Kyle writes the songs he sings and I write the songs I sing. I write all my songs on an acoustic guitar first. I think the best songs are straight rockin’ and raw. If sounds bad with just one vocal and one guitar it’s gonna be a shit song from the start.
Anyways, I usually like to have my songs written and rehearsed on my own or sometimes-even demo’d before showing the rest of the guys.
I like to have the lyrics written, or at least started, before I go forward adding guitar or song structure. I will usually have one good line that really sets the tone for the whole song. Then I just go from there. I believe that the lyrics and melody are the most important parts to the song.
Once I show the “bones” of the song to the guys. They add all the rest. Kyle is a very versatile bassist and amazing singer. Patrick is a smooth, dynamic, highly talented drummer. The two of them add parts to the song to transform it from a singer/songwriter type song into some badass rock n roll, baby.
Kyle: Songwriting to me goes two ways, lyrics first, song second, or song first, lyrics second. I usually write lyrics first then add music over it.  Recently we've been doing song first and then add lyrics over that, its really fun but harder in the fact that your lyrics have to match syncopation, dynamics, and melody of course, there is a lot more editing of words this way.

You released "It's About Time”; tell us about the album...
Brian: This album is a great pop punk record. It’s a blend of Fenix TX, Sum 41, Rise Against, Sugarcult style of pop punk. I feel it’s a great first record for a high school band. We don’t play the songs much anymore, expect for the ‘hits’ like “Song For You” and “What I Would Do”. We actually have a music video for “Song For You” on youtube. It’s pretty kitschy, but I am still proud of it.
As I was saying before, the songs on this album were a collection of the songs we wrote in high school. At the time we were stoked that we finally recorded them and also had something to sell. Recording this album was a huge feat. I played a lot of guitar. I mean A LOT. Dubbed rhythms, leads, arpeggios, and acoustic dubs… it was a really fun process.
Kyle: I only wrote one song, but I still poured myself into the production of this record. I did bass for all songs in one day. I was really stoked. Vocals were the hardest part; I seemed to always be sick when it came time to lay down vocal tracks. Some great songs on "It's About Time", definitely a great recording experience.

You then released "A Different Point of View"; tell us about the EP...
Kyle: We don't like to slow down, that why we made this EP we lost a drummer but still wanted to produce something, so we went acoustic for a little bit. I wrote 2 songs, Brian wrote 2, we added a previously recorded track off of "It's About Time” to sweeten the pot. I was surprised to hear what we had gotten out of this one. Everything sounded huge. We put a lot of time into this EP; I guess we really wanted to put out a polished product.
Brian: As Kyle mentioned this one was an acoustic record but we wanted it to sound like a full on rock record. We added cool percussion and backgrounds to fatten the overall sound. I also learned a lot about song writing this time around. These songs had to be great without overdriven guitars, driving drumbeats, and huge bass tones. They had to stand on their own.
Oh yeah! We also had a friend, Tracy Johnson, guest sing on “A Little Closer” with Kyle. She added the sex appeal that my falsetto just couldn’t measure up to.
I learned a lot both times when we recorded about protools engineering, editing, and producing from engineers that helped with these releases.

What else have you released?
Brian: Back in the day we released some EP’s “Your Name Here” and “A Door to Nowhere”… good luck finding those ones. Haha
Kyle: But more recently we’ve put up some new song demos on our facebook page.

Who are some of the bands you have done shows with?
Brian: We’ve played shows with bands like The Ataris, Authority Zero, The Higher, Houston Calls, Amber Pacific, Peirce The Veil, The Material, opened up for members of Home Grown, and a ton of talented local and touring acts.

Do you prefer to do shows at large venues or small clubs?
Kyle: I like both really, you have the large venue where many can hear you, and the small club where you can grab a drink with some fans and talk about this kind of stuff.
Brian: I feed off the vibe of the room. I always say “I’d rather play for 20 people who love us instead of 2,000+ who think we’re rubbish.” But then again playing in front of 2,000 people who love your music and go crazy for your music isn’t too shabby either…
A good way to avoid answering that one, huh? Haha

Have you toured?
Brian: We’ve toured up the coast a bit. Also through Arizona and Nevada. Looking forward to touring a lot more this year. This is a beautiful country gotta get out there and see the damn thing!

Is there a favorite band you like to do shows with?
Brian: Currently our favorites are local friends of ours. Hello Fiasco, Stereo Summer, Gatsby’s Fiddle, and The Plastic Revolution.

Is there a favorite place you like to do shows at?
Brian: SOMA San Diego kind of gave us our start so we will always consider that our second home. Hmm… I also really like House of Blues in downtown San Diego, nice digs. The Timeout Tavern in AZ was really great to us, very accommodating. Soda Bar and The Ruby Room in San Diego are awesome. Great sound, good vibes, and the owners know how to treat their bands. Also they have excellent local breweries on tap. Free IPAs anyone?
Kyle: The Ruby Room in Hillcrest has been great to us. We love playing there. Also Winston's in Ocean Beach, great place. Also Tin Can in Bankers Hill area.

What do you see is the future of Plane Without a Pilot?
Patrick: I see 2012 as a fresh new start for the band. I want to hit the ground running and never stop. I feel that this is going to be a good year for us. We’re gonna be doing some new recordings with Jeff Forest and embarking on several smaller tours within California, maybe even up the entire west coast.
Kyle: We are currently working on some fantastic songs, soon well have those recorded and pressed. Then we’ll share it with tours
Brian: Definitely recording the next PWP record, which is going to something worthwhile in it self. It’s all written just need to head into the studio to start laying down tracks. It’s going to be very eclectic. A mix of many alternative, rock, punk, latin, country, and reggae overtones. The title is going to be “Just Another Unsung Tragedy”. We’re hoping for a 2012 release date.
I’m also looking forward to more shows. Bigger national act showcases, small bar shows, house shows, coffee shops, big events… we love what we do and love to play for any one.
Also, I look forward to playing more music with these guys, Pat and Kyle. Kyle and I have grown a lot as friends, musicians and band mates over these 8 years, yet Patrick seems to be the perfect fit. It’s like he hasn’t missed a beat… I swear that’s not meant to be a lame ass joke. Anyways, let’s keep the good times a rollin’!!!!

How can people contact the band?
Kyle: Facebook, Myspace, and Youtube. Personal pages as well.
planewithoutapilot@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/planewithoutapilot
www.planewithoutapilot.com
www.twitter.com/PWP_Official
www.myspace.com/planewithoutapilot
www.youtube.com/users/planewithoutapilotsd

Proletariat Youth ***New Interview***

Proletariat Youth are an amazing punk band out of Riverside. They have so far only released a demo and split, have an EP on the way. They have yet to do a proper tour, but shared they awesome set with some awesome bands. I got Johnny and J.T. to tell their story...

Introduce yourself…
Im Johnny, I play guitar.
I’m J.T., I handles the mic,
Heccy plays drums
Ly-saul is our bass master general

How did the band start?
Johnny: Their was this somewhat famous venue called the "showcase"
Jt and I had seen tons of crappy bands play there, including one that
used an ipod as a drum machine. Jt and I figured we could probably
suck as much as those guys so we tried to form a band. fast forward a while later,
the city shut down that venue, and finding a drummer was a whole another story.
J.T.: The band was an idea of Johnny’s and I for a long time, started around 2007, but we didn’t actually get everything together till about 2009.

How did you come up with the name?
Johnny: stole it from the book "1984" by george orwell, there is this group of people, they live in poverty
and are kept sedated with alcohol, pornography  but they are freer and less intimidated than the middle class in the story.
The lower-class Proles (from proletariat)as they are called, make up 85% of the population and represent
the uneducated working class. the protagonist of the story claims " If there is hope, it lies in the proles.."
basically from that qoute came about the name.
J.T.: And it’s funny cause we went through a lot of name before Johnny came up with the idea of using Proletariat Youth. We had a Dead Kennedy’s inspired name, then we named ourselves after a Chris Rock movie about a Hip-Hop group, and I’m sure I’m forgetting a couple other names. But out of all the names, Proletariat Youth not only stuck because it was from a great book, but it really explained who we are as a band; we all come from working class families, and the Youth Crew scene from the 80’s ad late 90’s is a big part of our influences.

Who would you say are your influences?
Johnny: We have a lot of influences, and not just from one genre, everything from A tribe called quest to the
Dead kennedys, The Descendents to The Beatles.
J.T.: Yeah, from Hip-Hop, to Hardcore, Punk, 60’s rock, Ska, Grunge, or Metal; we all have bands and groups that not only influence all four of us, but we each have our own individual influences that we bring to the the band’s sound.

What is the punk scene like in Riverside?
Johnny: A lot of what we've seen are just the drunk punks. Some of the gigs we've played seem to be a place where some of the kids can get drunk or get high in peace,
it should be more about the music. It can be a bit odd at times too, here, we're a band that doesnt drink or do drugs and that the people we play too haha..
J.T.: It’s true. After all the venues got shut down, we would only play house shows. We don’t have any problem with house shows, we love to play them, but around Riverside, and Riverside County, drunk punks usually run them; and a good portion of the shows get shut down by the cops, a drunk does something that ruins the entire show or our set. There have been a few good house show that end very well. But if there is a scene in Riverside, it’s mainly street punks. There needs to be more venues around here to diversify the scene more.

Describe the song writing process...
Johnny: I usually have a guitar "riff" and we build on that, jt will have some lyrics or we will try to give
him a subject to write about.
J.T.: Word. There’s a couple songs Lysaul has composed, and Heccy has changed up a few tracks, but never composed one. But the way Johnny described, that’s basically it.

What have you released?
Johnny: we did this split cd with this band "Dog Day Saints" it was called Diversity, the cover was a picture of an old old wooden ship.
J.T.: I wonder how many people are gonna get that reference.
Johnny: we also recorded a demo cd, typical DIY style we did it in jt's garage, we've passed those out at our shows for free.
we hope to record a proper E.P. early this year.
J.T.: Yeah, yeah. Looking forward to working on a studio recorded record.

Who are some of the bands you have done shows with?
Johnny: Mostly local bands and friends.
J.T.: And some of the bands we played with we befriended and continued playing local shows with’em.

Do you prefer to do shows at large venues or small clubs?
Johnny: We've only played 2 venues, (both of which are gone now..) for the most part we play
garages or backyards.
J.T: Honestly, as long as it’s ran well, there are good bands on the bill, and we get to play and get people movin’ in the pit, we really don’t care where we play.

Have you toured?
Johnny: not yet, we'd love to though.
J.T.: We really wanna drop the new E.P. before we go anywhere beyond Riverside.

Is there a favorite band you like to do shows with?
J.T.: there isn’t a favorite band we like to do shows with, mainly because a good portion of the bands we’ve played with are broken up. But there are bands that we would love to play with.
Johnny: Probably be The Descendents, but thats like a dream show, like a "make a wish" kinda dream show;
H2O and Bane also come to mind, a lot of the old hardcore bands like Insted and Bold as well.
J.T.: Also small bands that are expanding like Rotting Out, Minority Unit, Soul Search, Disengage; basically we want to be a part of the current Hardcore scene and play with bands that have been a great influence on us.

Is there a favorite place you like to do shows at?
Johnny: Any place that will have us, we like.

What do you see is the future of Proletariat Youth?
Johnny: might add a new member, hopefully record that E.P. play more shows, go on tour someday, we'll go from there.
J.T.: What we do is still up in the air. If we knew, we’d tell ya.

How can people contact the band?
you can download our demo for free at...
http://proyouth.bandcamp.com/
and contact us on any of the following;
email us at proyouth1@gmail.com
Facebook: facebook.com/proyouth1
Tumblr: xproyouthx.tumblr.com
Twitter: @xproyouthx

Thrash Compacter ***New Interview***

Thrash Compacter are an awesome punk band out of Santa Cruz. They have an awesome live set and have shared the stage with great bands from all over. They have released a bunch of great demos and a full length. I got JonFace to tell their story...

Introduce yourself...
Im JonFace, the drummer. We have Weedee G on lead guitar, Christian(the rookie) on bass, Poop Dick Pappy on vocals, and Chris Czeh on rhythm guitar.

How did the band start?
Well, the truth is, I got kicked out of a local raggae band and had an opportunity to do what I wanted. The band was started that day and after many a lineup change, here we are.

How did you come up with the name?
It kind of came about from a Brotha Lynch lyric."Ill put your brains in a trash compactor" we said thrash instead and everyone liked it.

Who would you say are your influences?
Everything! From RKL to Jean luc Ponty to Dead Kennedys to GWAR to Zappa and so much more.

What is the scene like in Santa Cruz?
The scene is Great as long as its a Friday or Saturday. The people are really down. Sometimes it feels like its the punk hay day all over again. People thrashing and just getting wild. It feels good to look up and see the energy.
song process: We all write and sing songs. I personally write anything that comes to mind down on a post-it. I then take the post-its and put them in a drawer. When I feel that I have four or five that came from the same mindset and the content is along the same lines, I work on a new tune.

What have you released?
Demo after demo, with different members. We finally released a full length album two weeks ago. If you want it. Hit us up at Reverbnation.com

Who are some of the bands you have done shows with?
A lot of local bands. The backup Razor, thirty9fingers, FDSH, Accion terrorista, Fast Asleep. We have also opened for Dr.Know.

Do you prefer to do shows at large venues or small clubs?
The small bars is where its at! people right there, in your face. You in peoples faces.

Where have you toured?
we have yet to tour. we all have full time jobs, so its hard for all of us to get time off at the same time.
Favorite bands to do shows with?
The Backup Razor, FDSH, Fast Asleep

Is there a favorite venue you like to do shows at?
The Jury Room, Henflings tavern, 105 Pioneer st., and The 418 project.

What do you see is the future of Thrash Compacter?
Keep thrashin and playing fast.

How can people contact the band?
Hit us up at reverbnation.com/thrashcompacter or on facebook.

Octane Lounge Review

It's Friday night. I love Fridays cause that means the week is over and I can blow off some steam until next week begins. At least that was the plan. What more can you ask for, but some great bands, booze and great friends. This night I found myself in Sun City, AZ. Before you say anything, Sun City has changed from retirement homes to strip malls and outlet stores. The young have invaded and so did I.

Located on the border of Surprise is nice little club in a strip mall, called the Octane lounge. What makes it great is the fact this surrounded auto parts stores, detail shops and storage units, so I doubt a pair of custom rims are going to complain about the noise. The negatives are the fact that it has a uni bomber shack sized stage (CBGBs if anyone remembers the stage), elongated bar, pool tables and two darts machines and professional sound booth, all of which take up too much room. This means that your looking at 100 people or 110 if we don't breath. the Octane is not about numbers though, it has a life of it's own and not located near any main hubs and with the different crowds in the area, it has a life all it's own. In fact, you kinda get that stereo-typical Arizona bar feel. Cowboys driving suburbans and bikers riding Goldwings and custom Harleys. The one thing that stands out is the fact the all the waitresses are actually singer/guitarists in pushup bras, that well, like to have fun and really get the crowd going.

When I arrived that the club, it was just getting going. It wasn't until asked to pay a cover that things got, well weird. There was a booking issue. After conferring with the sound guys, things came into focus. These guys are pros with extensive experience. They are also not bashful about it. They also have experience with stage lighting and stage effects, enough to make anyone nervous. They did however make up for the over-confidence in the fact that they had backup bands and backup waitresses.

The first band to take the stage after a brief and thorough sound check (I did mention the sound guys were very experienced, right?) was Evesol. Evesol is a metal/screamo fusion of jazz/funk bass, trash guitars, old-school metal drums, one alternative singer and one guy that is just Deicide/Iced Earth in one voice box. I was impressed by the band ability to make it look like a hardcore on the stage. They had a lot of energy and did play some good stuff. It was all going great til they tried a ballad. Everyone knows a good ballad starts slow and the builds and they just crawls. Not my choice for a last song. Just saying.

Next up, was Enirva. I was thinking it was going to be a clawhammer set. I just got that vibe. Man, I was so wrong. These three guys jump up on stage and pulled a Zeke. I do not lie. If you like Zeke and Against the Grain with some Melvins. See these guys. Tonight was the night the Octane Lounge lived up to its name. Oh shit, yeah. These guys pull off the great live set I have seen in years. The guitar and bass were dead on pulsating with the Drums. They even pulled a fast Black Sabbath cover. And just to make me heart race, they pull 7 minute Buzzo tribute by playing a song while standing right next to their amps. 3 guys with big fucking balls out sound. It wasn't until talking to the guys that I figured out they were in bands in Seattle. I am willing to bet they went to the same show I did or at least spent a lot of time at the Moe. Lesson learned here is one, you gotta see these guys live and two get your ass to Seattle to see Zeke and the Melvins play at their home club, the Moe.

All in all, I think I wanna bring some hardcore to this club.

Republicans on Welfare ***New Interview***

Republicans on Welfare are an amazing punk band out of Kenosha, WI. They have an awesome EP out. They have been around for years and have an amazing list of bands they have shared the stage with. They also put on a great live set. I got Tim to tell their story...

Introduce yourself…
My name is Tim, I am vocals/guitar for Republicans On Welfare and our other members could not be present but there is also other founding member Mark also on vocals/bass, Frank guitar/bass and Alonso Drums.

How did the band start?
Republicans on Welfare started basically out of the want to be drunk and destroy shit. The beginning was Myself and Mark getting together knowing we both owned a guitar and bass and pretty much got drunk and high until two songs came out and then nearly got arrested(thats another story) but we got together with a friend Brandon who owned a drumset and did what we could with it going threw a few extra guitar players that we used for a practice spots but it never worked out. We ended up in Marks basement and us three turned into Republicans on Welfare in October of 2004. Since we had a few lineup changes as far as drummers go and upgraded to a four piece in 2010 but we can go on forever with explainations and stories but i think you guys can get a point.

How did you come up with the name?
The name was originally going to be Asian Sex Claw(as well as other nonsense that was forgotten) for no reason other then we just liked it at the time but we shot around many names and realized we were somewhat serious and the name we choose grew off of us. We were pissed off adolescents and grew hatred for society as well as politics with the likes of president Bush and things at the time we wanted a name with humor as well as a serious staement and the oxy moron idea sparked and Republicans on Welfare was born with the help of Marks father in the mix of the creation.

Who would you say are your influences?
As far as a group whole it varies so much but Rock N Roll in general is a big one with sound and style but overall musically we were influenced a lot by bands like Fear, Adolescents, The Angry Samoans, Misfits, Rancid, G.G. Allin, Dead Boys, Johnny Thunders, The Dwarves even Frank Zappa but the list is so long but we were also influenced most in our large local scene and bands that led the scene like 10-96, Beautiful Bert, Birth DFX, Self Destruckt, The Yates Kids and this list can continue forever as well here but a major thing keepin us going was the world around us and coruption in politics and society and the war and everything else there is to be witnessed in this generation but you can not go wrong with drugs and women which is a great one as well.

What is the punk scene like in Kenosha?
Kenosha has had a large important scene here for a long time. We are considered a 3rd generation Keno-Core band but in the day bands would tour here on a regular basis as well many would play here due to the large attendence. Bands such as No-FX, Operation Ivy, M.D.C., Crucifucks to name a few started out early  playin even in garages and such before large sucecess and many other bands continued  to come to Kenosha for a good show. G.G. Allin was a normal visitor as welll as U.K. Subs who have lived in Kenosha for some time and Kenosha also is the home of U.K. rockers Billyclub(members of U.K. Subs, Exploited). I have been told many stories that sound great but I was not there for these great times since i was not born or just a baby. As for my time I grew up going to a show with hundreds of people all going nuts and Punk Piknik which is a year annual event hosted by local bands is generally at least four or five hundred strong. In the last few years many venues been shut down or banned from punks due to underage behavior and destruction and it is very hard to get an all ages show on a regular basis in town which brings people to fall out or move away as well as people going to jail or dieing and since has dimmed out a consistent scene. It always goes up and down. Were waiting on it to spark up again to a peak and hopefully gain a consistent all ages venue aside form the many bars and i.d. required venues. Kenosha even has a rising band who signed to Metalblade records called Lazarus A.D. i recomend them to be checked out if you like metal music but this is a punk rock interview i will just leave it at this.

Describe the song writing process...
The song writing process is easy one either makes a riff and the others build onto it but as far as the old ones go myself or Mark wrote them as a whole but with out new material we focus hard and all work together and notice things get more complex.

What have you released?
as far as releases we released a 8 song ep in 2006 with out second drummer Sean as a three peice titled "Stop the Abuse" and was available from us or on Interpunk.com(not sure if any more are available)
In 2010 we recorded and never finished a demo which was intended to be a full length and "Poop Tits" also i belive we have a ruff of "I Dont Wanna be Saved" and "Music Is Not a Crime" on our page and we are not happy with them as well as recorded them in one take cocain sessions but are still hoping to finish them one day and redo parts with a buddy Tic who did a good job but we also have a few more due out once we continue
and in 2011 we did a split with keno-core pals Gimme Crack titled "Posers, Hoes and Assholes" we belive did three tracks on there"Stuffin The Muffin" "Obsess To Opress" and "White Collar Crime" as well as a bonus we did with my father thats his own obscene version of "Louie Louie"
Currently we have a recording in process as well but got delayed due to our fourth memeber temporarily in the west coast and the drum tracks got deleted and were working on recovering them or waiting to rerecord the tracks hopefully sometime around the new year and it has no title yet but is some of our best and serious work.

Who are some of the bands you have done shows with?
Over the last 7+ years are glad to played with to many to mention and would love to go through and say who but as far as a known basis we done some pre shows for bands like Dropkick Murphys, The Briggs, The Tossers, Motorhead, Sublime with Rome and D.R.I. thats all that comes to mind

Do you prefer to do shows at large venues or small clubs?
we have fun doing anything but we are more at home in a small club but we played some pretty big stages and enjoyed the experience for sure and wouldnt mind doing it again anytime

Have you toured?
Nothing big as in we would do a weekend here or there never to crazy but we had some tours lined up but it never worked out due to finances or a past member backing out before we had it planned and ready to go but we are always up for it and would like to sometime in the near future!

Is there a favorite band you like to do shows with?
Not really... locally we got a few because its some of the music that helped influence us to grab a fiddel and start up a band and its always nice to hear some old school music from childhood but other then that we kinda like everyone as long as you are not a dick.

Is there a favorite place you like to do shows at?
Hattrix is a local bar we call home but Punk Piknik is a favorite because its home turf as well  its outside and you got hundreds of people jumpin around all day and most the time we cant even stand up ourselves(even tho were known to be wasted anyways)

What do you see is the future of Republicans on Welfare?
We would like to see us go on forever but we dont have a special vision or want really other than playing our music and sharing it with anyone with a open ear but if possible do some touring if we get the finances together but we take it a step at a time and prepare to accept whatever will come out of it as long as us and our listeners have fun.

How can people contact the band?
republicansonwelfare@yahoo.com is our e-mail
we hate facebook and its hard to use but "like" our page i think its under www.facebook.com/republicansonwelfarekenocore
or the band also has a myspace page as well www.myspace.com/republicansonwelfarekenocore
we hope to update it soon sorry and cheerz!