Trever Keith talks about 25 years of Face to Face

Not many bands these days can learn to remain active and keep producing great music these days, let alone reach the 25th anniversary. Well, So-Cal’s Face To Face has entered into its 25th year this year with a new release titled Protection. The record is said to hark an earlier sound from the band. Protection will be released on March 4th on Fat Wreck Chords. Editor Samantha Barrett spoke with Trever Keith about the new album, turning 25 and Punk Rock Bowling.

The ever-continuing odyssey of Off With Their Heads

If you are an Off With Their Heads fan, a listener of the Anxious & Angry podcast, or both, you know just how much the band’s lead vocalist and guitarist Ryan Young has gone through. He was in a dark place and turned it all around in the past two years.

Not only does he do a weekly podcast where he and a guest give advice to people who call or e-mail him, but he also moved from Los Angeles, California to Dixon, Illinois, he and a friend rode their bikes from Minnesota to Colorado to raise awareness for mental health issues, he introduced PEARS to the world and put out Go To Prison on vinyl, he has his own online record and t-shirt store, and he now has his own shirt printing shop called 4th Shift Printing.

As if that wasn’t enough he has been working on not one, but two Off With Their Heads records as well as touring a fair amount (including playing Punk Rock Bowling later this year). With all of these different ventures and all of these changes going on in his life, news editor Ricky Frankel talked to Ryan to ask him about all of his endeavors and to see how he’s been doing since starting a podcast that really seems to be resonating within the punk scene.

Philly's Posers on punk, drugs, and John Cale

Posers have been igniting the Philadelphia punk scene for the last year or so. Although the band is charged by an O.G. punk aesthetic- snappy three chord riffs, frantic live performances, several songs about how much they hate you- there’s something undeniably fresh about the band.

If you stare at them, and listen to them, and watch them, there is a lot of “Standard issue punk” there. But, something is off- something that you can’t quite figure out- something that makes them different…

Because they are out-of-step with the general punk scene the band has gotten some love, but they’ve also gotten a lot of hate. To get the scoop on this happening crew, Punknews’ John Gentile met up with Jade Anna and Rory Cain of the band where they talked punk, drugs, and fitting in.

Photo by George Abruzzo

Harley Flanagan on his new album and punk rock history

Harley Flanagan’s new album sounds really pissed off. It runs for 24 minutes and pretty much every one of the 12 songs is about how he hates someone. But, the weird thing is, he seems to be in a really good place right now.

Flanagan is one of the architects (or maybe the architect) of New York hardcore. In the famed Cro-Mags, he forged a new sound with his bass -- a rumbling, heavy-as-hell, bullish charge that hurdled the band ever forward. But, after the band released the seminal The Age of Quarrel album, they fractured and the ill-will between band members became more and more vitriolic.

In fact, it all sort of came to a head in 2012 when Flanagan was involved in a conflict and then faced possible criminal charges. Eventually, the rap was dropped and since then, Flanagan seems to have moved on to a better head-space. Meanwhile, he responded to the whole situation with his new album, the cheekily titled Cro-Mags. So, Punknews spoke with Flanagan about the new LP and his punk rock history.

The best in Punknews Zingers 2015

Happy New Year! Our end of year celebrations draw to a close today! (Though, we still will be posting site wide "Best of 2015" lists a little later.) But today, were posting some of the zaniest zingers, the wackiest witticisms, and silliest snaps from Punknews interviews in 2015. Click read more to see what bands and other artists had to say to Punknews in 2015.

David Combs on the Max Levine Ensemble, the end of Spoonboy, and DEATH

Spoonboy is gone and in his place is the return of David Combs and rest of the The Max Levine Ensemble! After seven years away from the LP game, the DC "power trio" has blasted back with Backlash Baby (their best release yet).

The band has always made their trade in revved up pop-punk (with a smidge of hardcore for good measure) but the new record is band's snappiest to date. But, the new record ain't no "let's kiss at the sock hop" kinda jam. Rather, over top of the bopping beat, Combs gives Death the middle finger, cries out for Mother Earth, and talks about the cops kicking in the doors of activists. Heavy stuff.

So, Punknews' John Gentile spoke to Combs about the new record, the end of Spoonboy, and the Grim Reaper himself! They also talk about Fugazi, because, you know, Fugazi, dude. Check out the interview below.

Michael Cotterman of The Loved Ones talks about the 10 year anniversary of “Keep Your Heart”

2006 seems to have been a great year for prolific punk albums. Just to name a few, Dead To Me’s Cuban Ballerina, The Draft’s In A Million Pieces, The Lawrence Arms Oh! Calcutta! all came out in 2006. The Loved Ones released a great album in 2006 as well, it is called Keep Your Heart and it will be turning 10 really soon. The band is celebrating the 10 year anniversary of this album in the best possible way by touring the US in early 2016. Editor Samantha Barrett spoke with bassist Michael Cotterman over some early morning coffee to speak about the celebration for the decade old record and what he is currently spinning on his turntable.

Jared Stinson of Sic Waiting talks playing in Puerto Rico, 2016 plans and SoCal bands we should hear

SoCal-based Sic Waiting has been around since 2000 and has been churning out melodic punk tunes for more than 15 years. They recently put out a brand new release titled Derailer on Felony Records. Editor Samantha Barrett met up with Jared Stinson in a coffee shop in Brooklyn to discuss the new album and how their recent tour went.

Jarret Nathan talks PEARS, signing to Fat Wreck and the whirlwind that has been 2015

When Jarret Nathan joined PEARS in January of 2015, he had only one request: to be able to stand in his best friend’s wedding on Saturday, November 14th, in Philadelphia -- that’s it. On Thursday, November 12th, Nathan found himself approximately 2,800 miles from Philly, in Santa Barbara, California, finishing off the last few dates of PEARS’ latest tour with Lagwagon and a red-eye flight to Philly out of LAX airport -- which was two hours away.

Offering up a ride from The Velvet Jones to LAX, and declining gas money in exchange for an interview, news editor Stevie Navarre Allen got Nathan from point A to point B while getting the scoop on what it was like to join PEARS, sign to Fat Wreck Chords, share the stage with legends, and much, much more in under 365 days (with occasional corroboration from singer, Zach Quinn).

Cassie Ramone tells us about all her different bands and new Christmas LP

Cassie Ramone is a modern day punk rock champion and if you don’t think so then you are wrong. She kicked out jangly pop-punk that had hints of Neil Young in Bossy. Then, she forged a radical new sound in Vivian Girls by bending girl group harmony around a hardcore combustion engine. And just when that was hurdling along, she formed the Bob Dylan-as-basement-show-rocker stylings of the Babies with Kevin Morby. No matter how fast you go, she’s always three steps ahead of you.

To that end, she’s about to release a straight-up Christmas album. Say whaaaaat?! That’s right. Ms. Ramone is going where few indie-punkers have gone before. A stone cold, earnest, Christmas album out this December via Burger Records. (Oh yeah, right now, she’s also in a college-rock band and a punk band that is obsessed with OCD.)

So, to learn about Cassie’s history, Punknews’ John Gentile had Cassie talk about all her different bands and just what X-Mas means to her.

Blag Dahlia walks us through the Dwarves' early hits

Back in 2001, Blag Dahlia had all he could stand and he couldn't stands no more! You see, while the The Dwarves frontman and his band wrote a slew of hardcore, pop-punk, and garage bangers, the majority of the early hits were being kept in chains by the evil, the nefarious, the creepy “record industry.”

If you ask Blag, one of the worst parts was that movies and TV shows wanted to use Dwarves tunes in their features, but they couldn't seem to wrestle the rights from the slimy clutch of the dreaded “music exec.” So, The Dwarves re-recorded their earlier hits as 2001's How to Win Friends and Influence People. The record served as a greatest hits comp and as a way for that sly fox to license his own songs to pictures for big bucks… well, “big” bucks.

Now, the album is being reissued by Reptilian Records this Friday. So, Punknews’ John Gentile had Blag tell the stories behind the band’s early hits.