Toronto punk quartet PUP is touring strong after the release of their sophomore album, The Dream Is Over, this past May. Interviewer Jason Crider spoke with drummer Zack Mykula about the new album, playing drums, and the days leading up to The Fest in Gainesville, FL.
Photo credit: Vanessa Heins
I think we can all agree that 2016 has been a shit show. Legendary musicians passed away suddenly. People we knew passed away suddenly. The Presidential election is a disgrace. Things are looking bleak. But, there is some hope.
According to Jack Terricloth of World/Inferno Friendship Society, the year begins anew with Hallowmas. On October 31, at the Warsaw in Brooklyn, World/Inferno will throw their annual big blowout bash in which the nine(?) piece, punk-cabaret-soul group summons the ancient deity, The Great Pumpkin, and asks for boons and demands retribution.
To that end, Features Editor John Gentile spoke to Terricloth about Hallowmas, the ethics of voting, and David Bowie.
2016 has been a year of firsts for Grand Rapids, MI's Bong Mountain. First time at Pouzza, first LP, and now, first time playing The Fest. Drummer and pinball aficionado Matt is going to be extra busy as he' pulling double duty with City Mouse as well as Bong Mountain. Multitasking is nothing new for Matt who also drums in the Grand Rapids hardcore band Shaaaaark. I caught up with him about a month before he was set to play The Fest and he was already noticeably excited. We talked about music, The Fest (duh) and even a little pinball.
Southern California punks Western Settings have been very busy this year. The band has released two EPs this year and have been touring the US and Europe. The band released Old Pain this past April and WS in July. Editor Samantha Barrett spoke with vocalist/guitarist Ricky Schmidt about the EPs and touring.
It has been 12 years since the beginning of Florida-based band Look Mexico. They are still in the music game and released a new LP earlier this year while juggling life, babies and relocation. That LP, titled Uniola , came out on Tiny Engines in June. Editor Samantha Barrett spoke with singer/guitarist Matt Agrella about Vin Diesel, the new album and The Fest.
Brooklyn-based punk band Hot Knife. Hot Knife formed from members of Static Radio, Spanish Gamble, and Candy Hearts about a year ago. A fairly new band to the scene, they have a new flexi disk out this fall and we premiered their brand new song titled "Distant Son" here on Punknews earlier today. Editor Samantha Barrett spoke with guitarist/vocalist Luke Taylor to talk about the song and flexi discs. The flexi is available for pre-order now on Black Numbers. You can click here to pre-order the flexi.
Ryan Young has to be one of the hardest working people in the punk scene. He repressed Hospitals for its tenth anniversary, he has been putting out new episodes of the Anxious and Angry podcast and maintaining his label and Off With Their Heads have been touring quite a bit. He has also been working on Off With Their Heads’ acoustic album, which Punknews had the honor of premiering a track from earlier today. The title of the record is called Won’t Be Missed and it will be out on October 25, 2016 through Anxious and Angry and Epitaph Records (You can find the pre-order for the vinyl version here). So Punknews editor Ricky Frankel talked to Ryan about what went into Won’t Be Missed, the future of what Anxious and Angry will be releasing, what the band has planned for their upcoming acoustic tour and more.
Photo Credit: John Paul Allen
Keith Morris only stands about 5'5'', but he is a titan. You all know his resume, but as with any Homeric hero, we must recite his feats. He was a founding member of the seminal hardcore punk band Black Flag and recorded the mindblowing Nervous Breakdown EP. Then, he formed Circle Jerks and recorded multiple masterpieces, including the blink-and-you'll-miss-it Group Sex. And then, when the Jerks had all but melted away, and everyone was expecting Keith to fade into the background, Keith formed punk supergroup OFF! at the age of 54 and came out swinging, releasing some of the very best, if not the best, music of his career.
And now, like any Epic champion, he has recorded his deeds in the excellent My Damage , co-written with Jim Ruland. The book focuses on Keith's adventures from being a shrimpy little kid to the founding of the mighty Black Flag to his issues with substance abuse to his return to glory with OFF! (He also talks about how fun it is to work at a pancake house.)
So, to see what makes a champion like this tick, Editor John Gentile spoke to Morris about the book, his adventures, and why his mom is a great lady.
It has been about a year since Punknews Editor Ricky Frankel spoke with Jack Dalrymple. And in such a short amount of time Jack has managed to get so much done. toyGuitar’s full-length In This Mess made it on to several Punknews Top 20 lists last year. But more recently toyGuitar released their follow-up EP titled Move Like A Ghost on September 2, 2016 via Fat Wreck Chords — not to mention the band has been doing a solid amount of touring lately as well.
However, just about an hour before this interview took place, Dead To Me announced that they will be releasing the I Wanna Die In Los Angeles 7-inch on October 21, 2016 also through Fat Wreck Chords. So Ricky quickly and jovially scrambled and asked Jack not only about the new toyGuitar release, but also about the new Dead To Me EP, what is going on with the band’s upcoming album American Son Of Cholo, playing Fest 15, what he and the other bands that he is a part of have been up to since the last time he and Jack talked and more.
Photo Credit: Joe Leonard , Fat Wreck Chords
This week, Pansy Division are putting out their newest album, Quite Contrary .So, to celebrate the legendary band's history and the new release, Punknews reader David HD conducted a MASSIVE interview with the band's Chris Freeman. Check it out below!
Ever young at heart, Calgary's Chixdiggit! is officially old. The beloved pop-punk act has reached the 25 year mark and they're celebrating with a cross-country tour, an ambitious new record (the Rush-riffing 2012 ) and even a beer brewed in their honour. Punknews managing editor Adam White caught up with Chixdiggit! frontman KJ Jansen to talk fatherhood, the Oilers, the struggles of touring and more. You can read or listen to the interview below.