Too Many Voices on their new EP, Long Island hardcore, and good books

Every scene has a few local gems that most people outside the area haven’t heard nearly enough about. Long Island is no different, and one of those "local gems" is Too Many Voices. The band plays melodic punk that is at once clever, engaging, and contemplative. With the release of their latest effort, Catch Me If You Can, Too Many Voices offer seven thoughtful, catchy, and well-written punk tunes that will satisfy those who like their punk full of melody and those who like their punk full of introspection. The release is a great introduction to a band that should be playing through all of our stereos at this point. So, Punkews' Miike Musilli sat down with Eric and Jeff to talk the band’s history, their recording process, and old Long Island hardcore punk.

Fat Mike on Cokie the Clown

Last week, Fat Mike released a solo album as his alter-ego, Cokie the Clown. You're Welcome is not a fun album. It's not catchy. It doesn't "rock." In fact, it is, by far, the darkest release of Mike's career. It is also one of the boldest statements in punk music this decade.

2018 was a rough year for the NOFX founder. Following an off-the-cuff remark made by Mike at Punk Rock Bowling 2018, Nofx found that they were pariahs. Their shows for the entire year were canceled by venues and promotors. Punk in Drublic festival, which was formed in conjunction with Stone Brewing Company, severed the band from their own namesake and went on to insult and berate them. On top of that, he went through his second divorce.

You're Welcome pulls no punches- it is track after track of personal tragedy and does not come up for air during the entire run time. And, that's not to mention the video for "Negative Reel" which literally ends with Mike beating himself bloody in the face. Straight up, people are confused, challenged, and even worried. To try to understand this bold, if difficult, new work, Punknews' John Gentile spoke to Mike about the release, his mindset, and his dark days.

East Bay Ray on the new Dead Kennedys TRIPLE live album

Those whirling, tumbling, whipping riffs that are charged by spaghetti westerns, surf rock, and psychedelic garage in equal parts- that's the sound of East Bay Ray, guitarist and founding member of Dead Kennedys. Through his reverent-meets-irreverence style, the man helped formed the skeleton of hardcore punk and shattered that structure in what seemed like a singular strike. As far as punk guitarists go (and guitarists in general), this guy is heavy duty.

Perhaps as a way to show that punk is an ever changing animal, Ray has dug through the DK archives and found three complete, unreleased live shows, which represent the Kennedys in different phases. Included in the set (out April 26 on Manifesto Records), is the famed Skateboard Party live show which exhibits the band at their most crazed, during the Plastic Surgery Disasters era. Yet, just as they mastered hardcore, they broke away from it and on the third disc, The Farm, the band is recorded during their more complex Frankenchrist era, which has almost no live documentation.

Now that the set is about to be released, Punknews' John Gentile spoke to Ray about the live shows, his history, and how to make a good set list.

Bands on “What the Descendents mean to me”

Few bands have been as influential on punk rock as The Descendents. to that end, Staffer Pete V reached out to a bunch of bands and asked them what the Descendents represent. Check out a bunch of bands pontificating on the boys below.

Up For Nothing x Ernie Parada

What a treat! Today we bring to you an artist on artist interview by Justin Conigliaro of Brooklyn based punk band Up For Nothing. Justin sat down to interview the legendary front man Ernie Parada of Grey Area, Black Train Jack and much more to talk about his ability to continue to have an impact on the scene, band stuff and his screen printing empire.

Teenage Bottlerocket's Ray Carlisle on how to stay rad

Teenage Bottlerocket has always been about positivity. So much so, that “rad” has become synonymous with the band because it pops up so much in the band’s lexicon, becoming a common theme in the music. It has definitely become singer and guitarist Ray Carlisle’s philosophy - a guide through tough times in life, especially recently when he his twin brother and former drummer, Brandon, tragically passed away in 2015.

Out today, the aptly titled Stay Rad! is a, um, a rad mix of silly and sentimental, with a little more sentimental as this is the first full length since Brandon’s passing. Surprisingly, you romantics won’t find has many songs about girls and relationships like past releases. Instead you have more mature (Gasp!) songs about fatherhood, the perils of social media and killing their long-time merch person.

Punknews writer Gen Handley spoke to Ray on his lunch break to talk about what it was like to make the new album, if they care about evolving or not, and how they have managed to keep politics out of their songs for nearly 20 years.

Stephanie of the Coathangers on the new album, the NRA, and death

If you listen to The Coathangers, you'll hear a gentle soul. A sort of sweetness tinged with a slight rasp and rage that calls back to the heralded soul singers. It's a sound that is wounded and enraged at once and expresses a kind of emotion that can only be heard, not read or seen. The is the sound of Stephanie Luke. Also, if you listen to the Coathangers, you'll hear a smashing boom-boom-bap the will crack your skull and mash up your ribs. That's Stephanie, too, because she plays the drums.

The trio, which also includes Julia Kugel on guitar and Meredith Franco on bass, just released their sixth album, The Devil You Know.The album finds the band refining their sound even further back into a clean spartan strike that's crisp like The Cars and huge like Gang of Four. Perhaps most surprisingly, a certain darkness and anger dwells in the album's recesses: "Step Back" has a sinister shift and ghoulish howls. "5 Farms" confronts death itself. "F the NRA" is about how whacked out the NRA is.

Because the album finds the group snatching up all manners of devils and sawing off their horns, Punknews' John Gentile spoke to Luke about the new LP, the gun lobby, and the human condition itself. Check it out below.

Dangerface talk about their new record

Norway's Dangerface just released their new album, Get Loud!. Punknews' Sam Houlden reached out to the band's Michael Myklebust and found out more about them as a band, their influences, and what went into making their newest record. Check it out below.

Highs and lows with Mike Warne of Pkew Pkew Pkew

Toronto's Pkew Pkew Pkew are buzzing. The band's new full-length Optimal Lifestyles has been unleashed on Dine Alone Records, and fans are finding a striking emotional depth that the band's beer-soaked party punk only hinted at in the past. Writer Graham Isador cornered vocalist Mike Warne to chat about the album's themes, hopping record labels, the sage advice of Craig Finn, and more.

A Brief History of Failure Records & Tapes and The Record Farm

The Record Farm in Logansport, Indiana will be celebrating its third anniversary on Saturday, March 16th at the State Theatre of Logansport! Indiana punk legends Sloppy Seconds are the headlining, and will be joined by Harley Poe, Clownvis Presley, Brother O’ Brother and The Tentakills. Punknews is one of the sponsors of the event and Punknews' own Tom Trauma is very excited about the party. So, he sat down with the record store/label heads and got the story of their intertwining history. Check it out below!

Surviving the polar vortex with Wolfrik

Late last month as the polar vortex was making its presence known across a large portion of North America, Punknews editor Jeff Sorley held a web-chat based interview with two members of Edmonton, Alberta thrash punks Wolfrik: Dylan Toews (vocals) and Mark Seifeddine (guitar/vocals). Included over the short chat were the weather, the upcoming vinyl release of their late-2017 debut EP, as well as their upcoming UK/EU and eastern Canada tour and, of course, the Oilers.