Dave Hall (Young Livers)

There maintains a certain fascination with the elusive "Gainesville sound." Maybe it was yet another easy term to help classify bands. Perhaps the phrase is in part due No Idea Records, where some of the most successful bands shared more than location in common: rough, raspy vocals, loud guitars, and beards. Because of this affinity, it didn't take long for Gainesville transplants Young Livers to be given the label. Whether accurate or not, it does not seem to factor for these guys or their success. With the release of their sophomore effort, Of Misery and Toil, last month, and a series of supporting dates (formerly with Leatherface) things seem to be rolling in the Young Livers camp. Punknews contributor Matthew Bentel recently spoke with Livers' guitarist Dave Hall about the direction of the new record, the difficulty of producing good cover art, and the eclectic, surprising comparisons this "Gainesville" band receives.

Jonah Matranga (Far)

It's been twelve years since Far put out the critically acclaimed album Water & Solutions. Countless bands reference Far as a key influence to their sound. After over a decade of the members of Far working on various other projects, the boys are back in town with a new album coming out on Vagrant Records on May 25 entitled We Are Alive at Night. Punknews contributor Kira Wisniewski spoke with frontman Jonah Matranga about the accidental reunion, the forthcoming album, Far's secret code name - Hot Little Pony and of course, Beyonce.

Band on Band: Andrew Jackson Jihad/The Gunshy

Welcome to a new edition of "Band on Band". This edition features Chicago's The Gunshy and Phoenix's Andrew Jackson Jihad, discussing dogs, gods and coffee. The bands have a split 7" available from Silver Sprocket Bike club available here.

Band on Band: Paramedic/Spraynard

In this edition of "Band on Band", we at Punknews are pleased to bring you two of Pennsylvania's finest, Spraynard and Paramedic. Both bands share a split 7" on Square of Opposition, available here. So read on as the two bands discuss employment, swapping members, and of course, lasers. .

Fat Mike (Cokie The Clown)

Fat Mike has seen some shit. Dude has been rocking out with punk legends NOFX since the '80s, and he's picked up some crazy stories along the way. When he actually told some of his tales at a recent SXSW performance at Emo's, it got him banned from the venue. Also he peed in a bottle of booze which he then served to the crowd. So that probably factored into the banning as well. Fat Mike performed the show as Cokie the Clown, so when the Punknews writer Joe Pelone, reached out for an interview about the night, it was suggested Mike do the interview as the alter ego. Here now is an e-mail interview with the clown.

Nicholas Andrew Sadler (Daughters/Fang Island)

While it's a strange experience interviewing a person about a band that they're no longer in, it is also an interesting one because they can paint a unique – albeit slightly biased – picture of the music. This was the case with Nicholas Andrew Sadler, the former guitarist and vocalist of Daughters, who had recently left the band at the time of the already booked interview. Now in Fang Island, the nostalgic Sadler chatted with Punkews contributor Gen Handley about the trials, tribulations and recent album of his former band, while attempting to navigate the Fang Island tour van from the SXSW festival in Austin to New Orleans.

Sean Bonnette (Andrew Jackson Jihad)

Andrew Jackson Jihad (or AJJ) is one of the most influential folk punk bands today, with some of the most wonderfully cynical lyrics ever written. Last September saw the release of their newest album, Can't Maintain, on Asian Man Records. Punknews interviewer Matt talked to Sean Bonnette, singer and guitarist for the Pheonix duo on his internet radio show.

or listen to the audio here.

Joel Stroetzel (Killswitch Engage)

Whether you like them or not, one thing about Killswitch Engage can be said for sure: they have a solid fan base -- one that will attend their shows with the same feverish excitement and energy even though their operatic singer, Howard Jones, is sitting out the tour. The March 19th show featured not only All That Remains singer Phil Labonte but also original Killswitch Engage vocalist Jesse Leach on seven songs from Alive Or Just Breathing. This was his first time performing with the band in nine years and he was STOKED. Punknews interviewer Jason Epstein, sat down with guitarist Joel Stroetzel (and found out that his last name does indeed rhyme with "pretzel") to have a conversation in Irving Plaza's dressing room just a few feet away from a friend who was getting a tattoo done. Wait for it…Metal.

Brett Adams (The Riot Before)

Richmond, VA's The Riot Before is quickly becoming a household name for their relentless touring schedule, passionate live performances, and boisterous-yet-honest brand of punk-rock. Their forthcoming record, Rebellion, is due out on Paper and Plastick, April 27th. Additionally, in 2009, they released a free downloadable EP of acoustic versions of several songs from their 2008 release, Fists Buried In Pockets. Sean Jain contacted singer/guitarist/songwriter Brett Adams to get the latest on The Riot Before's forthcoming release, the story of how the band started, and why file-sharing has helped the band grow.

Adam Turla (Murder By Death)

Five albums into their career, Bloomington, Indiana's Murder By Death have truly honed in on something special with their newest full length, Good Morning, Magpie. Plucking all the high points from albums past, and exploring new territory along the way, MBD's newest effort touts their signature Americana gothic sound behind singer Adam Turla's whiskey-soaked, haunting baritone howl. Just prior to their current U.S. tour, Turla took a break from cleaning squid to chat with Michael Dauphin about touring, writing, DIY ethics, labels and the lack of female producers in the music industry.

Chris Cresswell (The Flatliners)

With their third full length Cavalcade set for release on April 13th, The Flatliners are back on the road doing what they do best, endless touring all over the world. Fresh off a set of Australian dates, and currently in San Diego on the first day of their tour with Cobra Skulls and Broadway Calls, Mark Millard chatted with the band's Chris Cresswell about the new record, touring with NOFX and Bad Religion, and the learning process of a young band.