Ross Farrar (Ceremony)

On the first song of 2010's Rohnert Park vocalist Ross Farrar, lead singer of the Bay Area's Ceremony, lists the things that are making him sick: the sun, the earth, fun, sobriety, new starts, living, death, capitalism, effort, tv, the phone, homophobia, condominiums, the GOP, liberals, the president, head injury, the USA, hysteria, realism, Buddism, skateboarding, hardcore, Catholics, theists, cops, yuppies, rent, lies, mankind… and oh yeah… Black Flag and Cro-Mags! While Farrar and the rest of the group might be suffering from ailments, it seems that their collective fever might be clouding their judgments in all the right ways. Although Ceremony released two successful records that blended hardcore and powerviolence, on Rohnert Park, they take the edge from classic hardcore and inject weird elements, such as sampled soliloquies, morphine-interfused instrumental interludes, and Robert Frost quotes. The albums daring mix of the avant-garde and ageless caused the album to show up on a couple of punknews' staffs "best of year" lists. Punknews staff interviewer John Gentile was so distraught that anyone would even think of dismissing the mighty Black Flag or Cro-Mags, that he put on an old-timey doctor's "head mirror," wrote out a litany of prescriptions despite his utter lack of medical training, and caught up with Farrar to see if the symptoms could be remedied.

Steve Ignorant (Crass)

If The Sex Pistols and The Clash were the first political punk rock action in Callaghan/Thatcher England, then Crass were the first opposite reaction. While Lydon and Strummer questioned English norms, Crass put punk and public policy to task, digging into both with equal fervor in order to see what really was under the veil.

Initially directed by Steve Ignorant and Penny Rimbaud, Crass immediately made a name for themselves by being one of the first punk bands to play benefit shows, press their own records, and make the integration between album art, music, and politics apparent. Before breaking up in 1984, Crass, despite never being on any label except their own, made national news multiple times for such actions as distributing faked tapes of confidential prime minister communications, slipping their own records into teen romance magazines, and for saying that Jesus, "hangs in glib delight upon his cross." Whew!

Now Steve Ignorant is doing a final tour of Crass songs. So, Punknews interviewer John Gentile sheepishly turned his Van Halen T-shirt inside out and sat down with Steve Ignorant to learn about the purpose of the current tour, Crass' history, and to poke punk with a stick just once more to make sure that it's still dead…

James Carroll (Make Do and Mend)

Make Do and Mend made a big splash in 2010. They continue Paper + Plastick's tradition of releasing albums that remain favorites of both the critics and fans alike. Front man, James Carroll was nice enough to talk to Punknews' interviewer, Alex Eschbach, about his experiences at Fest 8 differed from Fest 9, why he's had such fortune experiences with labels, and explains what exactly is The Last Great Wave.

Dave Hause

Dave Hause, of The Loved Ones fame, just released his debut solo album Resolutions on Paper + Plastick Records. Not jumping on the trendy bandwagon of doing an acoustic solo project, Resolutions showcases Hause's multifaceted musicianship and ability to dabble charismatically in various genres with a full band backing him up on most tracks. Punknews' Staffer Kira Wisniewski caught Hause by phone on a rainy Saturday to discuss the new album and what this solo project means for the Loved Ones.

Joey Garibaldi (Old Man Markley/Youth Brigade)

When Bill Monroe started his band, the Blue Grass Boys, in Atlanta, Georgia during the late 1930s, I doubt that he could have ever imagined the influence his "bluegrass" style would have on future generations. Now, more than 70 years later, a Californian band of former punk rockers by the name of Old Man Markley has taken Monroe's sound and turned it into something of their own with their debut full-length, Guts N' Teeth – a soulful, bluegrass-folk album with obvious punk influences.

Punknews interviewer Gen Handley spoke to bass player Joey Garibaldi (also of Youth Brigade) from Texas, where the band was in the midst of a tour with NOFX, the Bouncing Souls and Cobra Skulls.

Ygarr Yggarrist (Zolar X)

Formed in LA in 1973, Zolar X made a name for themselves by playing pulsating rock that both forecasted punk as well as saluted glam… and also by claiming they were from outer space. If you went to see the Stooges in their garage greatness during the proto-punk era, you might first be confronted by three orange aliens in slick spacesuits who resembled a cross between the Vulcans and the Flintstones' Great Gazoo.

While lots of bands had stage presence at that time, Zolar X took it to a whole other level by staying in character (and uniform) when going to the laundry mat, local bars, and even the supermarket and speaking to each other in their strange language, leaving a wake of bewilderment, shock and confusion.

Although they fell into obscurity at the end of the 70's, punk icon Jello Biafra took a personal interest in the band and re-issued their legendary recording Timeless in 2004 on Alternative Tentacles. Since then, a retooled version of the band has been touring, alien antennae in tact. Because Zolar X has special show in San Francisco on the horizon, staff interviewer John Gentile fired up his intergalactic-communication device and contacted Ygarr Yggarrist, the band's mastermind, to get the transcript on their latest adventures.

Emily Whitehurst (The Action Design)

Though occasionally overlooked by the Punknews crowd The Action Design have been hitting the pavement hard. Just last year TAD have toured with punk heavyweights Bad Religion and Social Distortion. Vocalist Emily Whitehurst spoke with Punknews' interviewer Justin Dickman about their 2011 plans, live show and original merchandise not seen anywhere else.

Issac Thotz (The Arrivals)

Every time a website or fanzine puts together a year-end list of top releases, there is bound to be one or two records that get left off simply as a result of the sheer amount of great music that comes out in any given year. The Arrivals' Volatile Molotov, is in that category…a great record made by an incredibly talented group of musicians hailing mostly from Chicago. The Arrivals have been around for over ten years, but in that time they've only released four full-lengths, their most recent arriving in October on Recess Records. Issac Thotz, singer, guitarist, and songwriter for The Arrivals, spoke with Punknews' interviewer Sean Jain about Volatile Molotov, how it took the band the better part of 2010 to write and record the album, working on a farm in the Florida Keys, and why, at the end of the day, all that matters in life are the simple pleasures.

Dan Yemin (Paint It Black)

"You have reached Dan Yemin. I am not able to answer my phone right now. If I don't call back in 10 minutes, then my cell phone is out of service range. If there is a life threatening emergency, call 9-1-1 or proceed immediately to an emergency ward."

So goes the cell message of Dan Yemin, a Philadelphia child psychologist who just happens to be the vocalist for one of Philadelphia's most explosive hardcore punk bands, Paint It Black. Oh, also, he was kind of an instrumental force in two groundbreaking acts, which harkened back to punk's glory days while pushing the medium forward- Lifetime and Kid Dynamite.

Paint It Black was formed after Yemin had a stroke following the end of Kid Dynamite. But, while some people would take things easy after such an ordeal, Yemin increased the elbow grease and formed PiB, a band which growls like prime Black Flag but discourses like Albert Camus. Soon after their first release, PiB gained a name for itself through fierce live performances chocked full of short, nasty songs worth unusual structures that were firmly rooted in hardcore. Now, some 8 years since the first release, PiB continues to tour sporadically as well as having recently two well received EP. But, while media likes to paint these punk rock guys as uneducated, covered in pins, and living in gutters, Yemin bucks this stereotype with a snap of his fingers- the man holds a doctorate in psychology from Widner University and runs a successful practice in the suburbs of Philly. More recently, Yemin became a new father which has added another ball to his juggling act and leaving us fans with the question, "what's gonna give?"

To answer the question, Punknews interviewer John Gentile turned the tables on Yemin- After leaning back in an upholstered chair with a cigar in one hand and a note pad in another, John copped an Austrian accent and began to pick Yemin's brain on his thoughts about punk, fatherhood, professionalism and the balance of all three.

Mike Peters (Cancer Bats)

Three full lengths in, the Cancer Bats are giving in their all; going stronger and heavier than ever. Much like their previous two LPs, Bears, Mayors, Scraps & Bones hits like a punch to the face. But one thing's quite evident this time around - with their heaviest work to date, those punches are more powerful than ever. Prior to heading out on the road with Devildriver, drummer Mike Peters spoke with Punknews' interviewer Mark Millard about the writing process behind their recent record, touring with heavy hitters the Dillinger Escape Plan, and the possibility of a new record in the not so distant future.

Roger Miret (Roger Miret & The Disasters)

T'was the night before Christmas, and on the other end of the Punknews phone is Roger Miret at his Arizona home. As the voice of Agnostic Front and Roger Miret and The Disasters, Miret's music is a hardcore history lesson on New York City's punk scene. The conversation with Miret begins discussing dressing up as Santa Claus and the tearing down of CBGB's; and ends with interviewer Wes Tickle learning about Arizona's immigration laws and why Miret thinks Gotta Get Up Now, is the best Disasters album yet.