Post-rock quartet This Will Destroy You has been through a lot in recent years, but now the band has a light at the end of their tunnel…blanket. The entire band sat down for a chat with myself in a foggy backroom at Brooklyn's Knitting Factory last week and we have the textual results ready for you.
The Texas act recently completed recording their sophomore full-length, Tunnel Blanket, and is currently wrapping up a U.S. headlining tour with dates in their home state.
Eric Solomon's band, O Pioneers!!!, have been releasing records and playing shows since 2004. Last year the band released their latest full-length, Neon Creeps, on Asian Man Records. The band also rolled their van and after a number of lineup changes, Solomon almost pulled the plug on his project, only to be coaxed into continuing his band with the help from some of his friends in Junior Battles. This year Kiss of Death Records will be releasing a split record with O Pioneers!!! and Junior Battles. Recently, RJ Cresswell interviewed Solomon about his band's history and his hopes for the future.
Brawltimore's Pulling Teeth recently announced that they were going to take a break from the band. Punknews Interviewer Matt talked to PT's singer Mike Riley about this, his record labels (Firestarter and Toxic Pop), and his opinions on the hardcore scene in general. You can listen to the extended audio of this interview here.
By all accounts, The Dwarves are some wild and wacky, nasty and wasty, rough and tough dudes. They sing about having sex- alot. Their album covers feature nude chicks covered in blood. On stage fist fights are as common as down strokes. Their guitarist often plays au naturale (if yaknowwaddaimsayin). They got kicked off Sub Pop records for staging a hoax by announcing that the same guitar player was killed in a knife fight over crack… and they even graciously accepted flowers in remembrance!
But, with a new album right around the corner, one wonders, just how much of the Dwarves is a calculated attack against society norms and just how much is primal howling? How much of lead singer Blag Dahlia, birth name Paul Cafaro, is an exhibit of the human condition and how much is cartoon given life? Punknews interviewer John Gentile recently sat down with Blag to get the low down on these animals called The Dwarves and also to catch some info on the new release.
If there's a punk rock Valhalla, then surely there is a spot at the head of the table reserved for Keith Morris. Morris shaped the very essence of hardcore punk when he cut the vocals for Black Flag's seminal debut release, "Nervous Breakdown", an EP that sent shock waves across the country and beyond. After a short love/hate relationship with the band, Morris split and founded the Circle Jerks with Greg Hetson, and released the frantic 15 minute Group Sex LP. Later on, Morris would continue to push the boundaries of punk by releasing the the jazz meets spoken word LP Midget Handjob while continuing with the Circle Jerks and outlasting many of his early punk peers. Just a few months ago, Morris started a new band called Off! which he is touting as a return to the short, snappy, vicious sound of early Black Flag. Since Off! recently debuted live at SxSW (and tore the place up). Punknews interviewer John Gentile sat down with Keith to get the inside scoop on his new band, Off!, the story with the Circle Jerks, and a history lesson or two.
Welcome to our latest band on band. In our elation of (and subsequent over saturation for) their upcoming joint release this edition we feature the remarkably different O' Pioneers!!! and Junior Battles. One comes from sunny Texas, the other from the barren wilderness of Canada. One has four members, the other is an ever changing line up rivaling that of Mexican boy band Menudo (both in number of members and pre-teen sex appeal). Yet, somehow they came together for a split 7" on Kiss of Death Records. Read on to hear the men discuss bad tattoos, good fast food and strange animal dances.
Toronto, Ontario's Junior Battles have managed to tap into something so many aging punk rock fans seem to have lost or hide well -- that youthful spirit and energy that made you make poor decisions as a teenager that resulted in those unforgettable stories that you still reminisce about years later. Their debut E.P. Hotel Bibles garnered rave reviews from music critics both in the United States and Canada, and their recently released self-titled E.P. has done the same. Sean Jain caught up with singer/guitarist Sam Sutherland and singer/guitarist Aaron Zorgel to get the latest on Junior Battles forthcoming split with O Pioneers!!!, their past and future plans, and realities of balancing one's youthful ideals with the modern day workplace.
The founding members of the seminal Los Angeles punk band Youth Brigade, Shawn, Mark and Adam aided in the rise of hardcore punk, swing revival and, just over a decade ago, introduced a new punk institution to Las Vegas: Punk Rock Bowling. In this interview, conducted by Brandon Campbell, Shawn Stern shares the story of PRB, discusses Youth Brigade's most recent affair with The Fest 8, attempts to recall a tequila soaked performance and lets us know how people have been reacting to the band's 25th anniversary compilation, Let Them Know.
Dayton, Ohio's Hawthorne Heights have had a steady release of albums since their formation in 2001. Now on the brink of releasing their fourth album, Skeletons, which comes out on June 1, the band is toying with a few changes, including a new label, innovative artwork and an inexpensive summer tour (11 bucks gets you a ticket to a show AND a copy of the album.) I had the chance to chat with lead singer JT Woodruff earlier this month.
The worst time to interview a vocalist is probably just before they play, but Polar Bear Club frontman Jimmy Stadt was courteous enough to speak with me just before they hit one of their biggest stages yet--at New Jersey's Bamboozle festival, which took place earlier this month.
The band continues to support last year's Org favorite Chasing Hamburg as they play scattered shows and prepare for a two-week tour with Lemuria, Moving Mountains and Living with Lions. They also recently unveiled their first music video.
Welcome to the latest addition of Band on Band. We're happy to present two great acts from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, The Holy Mess and Highlites. Both bands have 7" available from Evil Weevil Records. The boys took turns asking each other about jobs, touring and inappropriate photos.