Shook Ones (LIVE FROM FEST)

We're live at The Fest 9 and I'm drinking on the job. Excellent! Shook Ones is here, so we're going to get awkward and have a discussion with them for your visual and aural perusal.

Twelve Hour Turn

As we approach zero hour for this year's inevitable Fest, Punknews continues our series of Fest focused freewheeling. Today, interviewer Matt Sweeting talks with Twelve Hour Turn regarding their music and decision to play for No Idea's 25th anniversary. Sweeting writes:

“Fat” Mike Burkett (Me First and the Gimme Gimmes/NOFX)

Neither rain, nor snow, nor intense confusion can stop our ongoing series of Fest interviews. Today, No Idea's Chief Primate Overseer, Tony Weinbender, shares some words with Fat Mike (NOFX/Me First and The Gimme Gimmes). As you may have guessed the conversation is heavily Fest centric and avoids all mention of Halo Reach.

Jeff Rosenstock (Bomb the Music Industry/Kudrow)

In our ever expanding effort to blur the lines between media, art and insanity Punknews happily presents the latest in Fest related interview mayhem. In this edition Cam Taylor (of No Idea Records) and Bryon (Kiss of Death Records/New Bruises) interview Jeff Rosenstock (of Bomb the Music Industry!/Kudrow/Quote/Unquote records/lots of things with punctuation). Cam and Byron expound:

Amongst 2010's vast seas of bands, labels, companies, and every other obnoxious little facet of the music world, it's easy to lose focus and let everything simply blur together into a giant homogenous blob. Listeners find themselves so inundated with stimulation from every angle that it becomes difficult to illicit any kind of response from anyone. Bomb the Music Industry! have made a name for themselves by provoking response wherever they go. Loved or hated, everyone has an opinion on them, and the fact that they've managed to spark communication and debate in a scene where it seems oh-so 2002 to actually express a serious opinion about anything has garnered them enormous respect from many. At the same time, they never stop smiling, leading me to believe that they're having a whole lot more fun with this whole trip than the rest of us are.

Gared O'Donnell (Planes Mistaken for Stars/Hawks and Doves)

In a continuing exercise in proaction, synergy and cross promotional branding Punknews is pleased to bring you the the latest in a series of Fest based interviews. In this session interviewer Matt Walker interviews Gared O'Donnell about Planes Mistaken For Stars and Hawks and Doves. Walker explains:

Planes rode hard for about a decade but they got rode out a couple of years ago. Now that they've had some time to recuperate, they're coming back around for Fest 9. They're one of those bands that lays it all on the line on their albums and on stage (or floor, or basement). Their live shows are studies in intense, sweaty, all-out rock and roll in the most sincere way possible. Planes are in your face but giving you a high five at the same time. This time around original guitarist Matt Bellinger is back; which means there will be three guitars on stage. What more could you ask for? Should be fun…

Strike Anywhere

In our continuing series of Fest interviews Punknews is proud to present Brian Frost and John Marullo (of Protagonist) interviewing Strike Anywhere. The boys had this to say,

Since their inception in 1999, Strike Anywhere have really made their mark on the punk and hardcore scene, both nationally and internationally. With a handful of releases on labels like Jade Tree, No Idea, Chunksaah, Red Leader, Fat and most recently Bridge Nine, they have given us countless anthems as well as no excuse to have never heard of them. I still remember the first time I heard the song "Cassandratic Equation" on mix-cassette tape in my best friend's car back in 2001, and I've been a fan ever since. I was privileged enough to ask them a few questions and am looking forward to catching their set this year at The Fest.

Paint It Black

In honor of this year's Fest Punknews has teamed up with the organizers to bring you a series of ground breaking, earth shattering and otherwise mantle destroying interviews. In this selection Peter Marullos of Protagonist sits down with Dan Yemin and Andy Nelson of Paint It Black to discuss bands, babies and bifurcation.

Spanish Gamble

As we at Punknews begin gearing up for the inevitable chaos that is this year's Fest , we have teamed up with the fine people behind this years FESTivities (zing!) to bring you a series of interviews with some of the bands playing this year. Kicking off our series is Gainesville's (by way of New Mexico) own Spanish Gamble. The boys sat down with No Idea's own Tony Weinbender to discuss touring, drinking, cooking and of course, Fest.

Chris Pennie (Coheed and Cambria)

Once upon a time, in a galaxy of 78 planets called The Keywork, Coheed and Cambria Kilgannon fight a battle that ultimately leads to deaths of themselves and their children. This past Spring, Coheed and Cambria released Year of the Black Rainbow, the latest, but first chapter in the Armory Wars saga – a four-part science fiction concept that has guided all of the band's albums since its debut with Second Stage Turbine Blade back in 2002. Geeky? Yes. Pretentious? Maybe. Unique? Absolutely. Drummer Chris Pennie wasted some holiday time from his home in north-west New Jersey to chat with Punknews contributor Gen Handley about life in Coheed and Cambria, his past in the Dillinger Escape Plan and how playing drums for Coheed songs on Rock Band isn't exactly comparable to the real thing.

Chris Farren (Fake Problems)

"In an ideal world I'm Posh Spice," exclaimed Chris Farren, front man of Fake Problems. "That could be the lead quote for this interview."

Fake Problems is one of the zillion bands that will be descending upon the swampy land of Gainesville Halloween weekend for The Fest. Kira Wisniewski, punknews.org contributor, caught Farren via phone just as he woke up and climbed into he van on the way to San Antonio to play a couple shows with fellow Floridians Look Mexico. In addition to discussing aspirations of being Posh Spice for Halloween, Farren talked about the new record Real Ghosts Caught on Tape, the disgusting game of Mr. Yucky and who Fake Problem's favorite person on punknews.org really is.

Mike Dean (Corrosion of Conformity)

What is it about mixing punk and heavy metal that can be so volatile? When it's good, baby it's good. There's nothing like the crushing power of the Cro-Mags, the pure energy of D.R.I., or the brute comedy of Carnivore. But, when it's bad, it's bad. For instance… well… we don't need to name names. Interestingly, Corrosion of Conformity mastered merging the two with their landmark second album Animosity, but they always seemed to get more notice in metal circles than punk ones, even though the manic energy and looseness of hardcore is seeped in their sound.

But, now that Corrosion of Conformity is touring in their classic three piece formation, which includes Bassist/Vocalist Mike Dean, guitarist Woody Weatherman, and drummer Reed Mullin, they're giving us punks a second chance to check out their unique punk/metal hybrid. Since Corrosion of Conformity has recently hit the road playing Animosity and has released a new 7" with their three piece line up, Punknews interviewer John Gentile sat down with Mike Dean to learn what he thinks about the term "Crossover," the best way to mix punk and metal, and how the three piece unification came about.