Armed with their new/old singer Jesse Leach and Disarm the Descent, Killswitch Engage is back in full force and better than ever as shown by their stellar new album, live show and attitude. Punknews interviewer Jason Epstein spoke to Killswitch Engage bassist Mike D'Antonio about Howard's departure, Jesse's return, the new album and the new tour.
Hours before their show under an overcast Vancouver sky, New Found Glory singer Jordan Pundik is walking up to the Rickshaw Theatre, looking every bit as weary as the venue itself.
"This is our last stop in Canada," he says, adjusting his blue mesh Vans hat. He squints at the sun trying to break through the clouds. "Fuck…yeah, we've driven a lot this tour, but seen a lot of the country."
The band is celebrating the 10th anniversary of their third album, Sticks And Stones, by touring Canada and the States, playing the record in its entirety. During the soundcheck of the opening band Cartel, Jordan sat down with Punknews interviewer Gen Handley to talk about the popular album, who he thinks are the true pioneers of pop punk and how New Found Glory fits into it all.
Cincinnati-based Mixtapes are preparing for the release of the band's second release for No Sleep Records, titled Ordinary Silence, set to hit stores on June 25th. The four-piece will embark on a headlining tour in support of the album with You Blew It! and Light Years, as well as a slew of dates on this summer's Vans Warped Tour. Punknews staff interviewer Gregg Harrington recently spoke with guitarist/vocalist Ryan Rockwell about the band's approach to recording, their upcoming tour itinerary and the Yost Theater in California.
Dan Vapid has been in all of your favorite pop-punk bands. He helped pioneer the snotty-but-sweet sound that made Screeching Weasels legendary, then helped reinvent that sound all over again with the Riverdales. The rest of his resume reads like your record collection - Sludgeworth, The Methadones, The Mopes, Noise By Numbers and his latest project, Dan Vapid and the Cheats. What started as a means for Vapid to play all the songs he'd written over the years quickly turned into a full-time band in its own right, spawning an album that brought together elements of all his previous bands while still sounding decidedly different. With a second record on the way this summer, staff interviewer Adam Eisenberg called Vapid up to talk about the new album, get the details on the upcoming Mopes reunion at Insubordination Fest and learn why sometimes, you've just got to start another band.
Ezra Kire is back on top, baby! For a while it seemed as though the Leftover Crack guitarist/ Morning Glory front man was on permanent sabbatical, popping up a few times a year for L.O.C. shows and then fading away again.
But then, last year, he dropped the first Morning Glory release in nine- count 'em- NINE years, Poets Were My Heroes. The record was as intense as an episode of Breaking Bad, detailing Kire's battles with addiction, his family, and romantic relationships. But also, it rocked, man. It rocked.
Now that Poets has wrapped up Kire's past, he and the rest of the gang are already back at the races, working on the next Morning Glory record. In order to get the inside scoop, Punknews Features Editor John Gentile met up with Kire to talk about the new record, Chubby Checker, and those three times that Kire saved the lives of old ladies.
Click Read More to see how Ezra is keeping NYC safer, one old lady at a time.
When it comes to the Fourth of July, there are a few things you can count on: fireworks, American flags and a Dillinger Four show in Minneapolis. In fact, over the years the D4th of July has become a tradition that's very much worthy of a day off from work. This year, it's bigger than ever, with three nights (July 4, 5 and 6) of shows headlined by Banner Pilot, Off With Their Heads, and of course, Dillinger Four. Staff interviewer Adam Eisenberg caught up with D4's Erik Funk to find out what to expect at the D4th of July celebration, when we might hear something new and how the band plans to celebrate its 20th anniversary.
Young Floridians Surfer Blood just released their second full-length, Pythons, on Warner Bros. Records (out today!). They had been touring for three years straight on their debut Astro Coast and have quickly become a road-tested unit, growing their sound and perfecting it. Punknews' staff reviewer Greg Simpson, aka greg0rb, takes a brief foray into interviewing to talk to guitarist Thomas Fekete as they drive to Salt Lake City.
Washington, DC embodies a rich musical history that extends beyond being associated with one of the US' most significant punk scenes. The city, especially as of late, has also witnessed a blossoming hip-hop scene with artists just as politically-minded as their punk peers. One such MC is Mana who spoke with staff interviewer Andrew Clark about her bilingual rapping, navigating two cultures, and upcoming plans for 2013.
Editor's Note: A (not really that) new thing we're going to initiate here at the 'org is a monthly series that features a band interviewing another band they either really like, respect and/or just enjoy. Our first in this series has Terror's Scott Vogel interviewing Make Do and Mend's James Carroll. If you're in a band and want to get involved with this feature or have an idea of who we should ask, email kira@punknews.org. And with that we'll hand it over to Scott.
Every year people tell me to check out this band or that band knowing that I love Hot Water Music. I usually do and am usually let down for the most part. The first time I heard Make Do and Mend was at the Lost Horizon in Syracuse, NY. Friends had been telling me I'd love them so I went upfront for their set. They definitely took me by surprise with their sound, energy, and power. After they were done, I went up to their merch table and asked them a few questions about music and life. From that moment on they have become one of the bands I listen to most often. I love all their releases and still see them growing and getting better as time moves on.
Are The Transplants growing up? While their last records dealt with getting drunk, getting high and getting girls, the new album In a Warzone, out June 25 on Epitaph Records, deals instead with politics and the concept of war itself.
Featuring Rob Aston of Death March, Tim Armstrong of Rancid, and Travis Barker of Blink-182, The Transplants are daring in that they unabashedly mix punk rock with hip-hop plus lots and lots and lots of other styles. The result is an entirely unique sound that challenges most of the tenants of the aforementioned genres and makes the band really, really divisive among the punk rockers.
In order to get the scoop on the new album, Punknews' John Gentile rang up Aston and talked about mixing punk with hip-hop, good d-beat records, and reevaluating one's younger self.
Matt Miner is passionate about animal rights activism, and has been involved with the animal rights movement for over a decade, but he also has a passion for writing comics, studying the craft under Scott Snyder (Batman, American Vampire). With Liberator, from Black Mask Studios, Miner, in collaboration with artist Javier Sanchez Aranda, is combining these two passions, looking to tell a compelling story while also bringing a topic he's passionate about to a new audience.
Matt is also a contributor to Black Mask's Occupy Comics project, having been assisted by Occupy Sandy volunteers in the aftermath of the hurricane.
News Editor Andy Waterfield recently spoke to Matt to find out more about Liberator, the politics around it, and how he and his wife incorporate their beliefs into their lives.