Like the city where they came together, New York's The Slackers are a colourful and gritty collective with a wide, deep range of different flavours and sounds. An hour before a fantastic show at the Rickshaw Theatre in Vancouver, BC, long-time Slacker/sax player Dave Hillyard and ska historian/guitar player Jay Nugent sat down with Punknews contributor Gen Handley to talk about the new album, The Great Rocksteady Swindle and their memories of a punk legend.
As the internet continues to make the world smaller, international independent bands are having an easier time finding a broader audience. The Fest 8, held in Gainesville, Florida, brought many European acts to their first performances in America. In this interview, conducted by Brandon Campbell, the French emo-punk band 12xU discusses their spot on The Fest 8, their experiences with the American punk scene and their passion for American folk music.
This edition of "Band on Band" features Jesse Swan Throrson of The Slow Death and Natrina Naden of The Strait A's. Both bands share a split 7" put out by Kiss of Death Records. They take turns asking each other five questions about friendship, touring and what it takes to get people to play in your band.
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Penning lyrics, books and running a record label doesn't give Less Than Jake's lyricist and drummer Vinnie Fiorello much time to slack off. But it does offer plenty of fodder for discussion. Punknews' Zack Zeigler recently spoke with Fiorello about his approach to being the boss at Paper+Plastick, why leaving Fueled by Ramen was his only choice, missteps that helped shape his band and current label's successes, his future as an author and what to expect from ska-punk mainstays LTJ in 2010.
It has been said that good things don't come easy. This could very much hold true for Punknews interviewer James Hepplewhite and his interview with Fucked Up's drummer, Jonah Falco, at 2009's Pitchfork Festival. After having his camera battery die during the taping, he attempted to finish up the interview by e-mail, only to have the first half lost to the mysteries of time. What remains is a unique, and candid look into a band that has attracted fans across all backgrounds and musical tastes.
For more than 20 years hardcore's aggressive style and hard-line attitude has permeated America's underground punk music scene. While many bands in the genre tend to take themselves and their music very seriously, Milwaukee's Get Rad is one of the few bands that have been able to maintain their hardcore credibility using vicious musical and verbal attacks on all that they see wrong with world, while simultaneously allowing themselves to write songs about breaking into water parks and having fun with friends.
Get Rad's bassist, Dave Rudnik, among myriad topics, discusses the band's new album, their do-it-yourself approach to music and the death of fellow musician Mat Arluck in this interview with Brandon Campbell.
Welcome to our latest edition of Band on Band. We are proud to feature Fake Problems and Ninja Gun, who recently shared a Split [7 inch] on Sabot Records. The boys took turns asking each other 5 questions, discussing everything from snakes and muscles to pillows and male pattern baldness.
A lot of punk frontmen seem to position themselves as beings that are as much an element as they are human- They don't bend their principles. They don't flinch in the face of adversity. They don't worship heroes. And they damn sure, don't care what others think! So, when Joe Sib, front man for Wax and 22 Jacks, takes the stage on his spoken word show "California Calling" and basically cuts himself open, it comes as quite a shock. Instead of portraying himself as some unwavering code of honor, Sib lets the audience know that it hurts when people boo the show. It sucks when a record you love doesn't sell. And, most importantly, meeting the Ramones is friggin' awesome.
Although he started fronting skate punk bands, Sib and his partner in crime Bill Armstrong, went on to found SideOneDummy records, home to Gaslight Anthem, Fake Problems, and Flogging Molly, among others. In his current spoken word tour he touches upon his parent's divorce, getting into the skate punk scene, and meeting the Ramones. So, it's as good time as any for Punknews interviewer John Gentile to sit down with Brian Fallon's boss and talk about the state of punk past, present and future.
In a relatively quiet neighborhood of Los Angeles known mostly for the corner where Biggie Smalls was shot, a bunch of museums, and a stretch of about 4 blocks known as Little Ethiopia, sits a small Irish pub and music space named Molly Malones. A little over ten years ago a group of musicians played their first shows of rowdy, celtic roots inspired punk rock to small crowds which would eventually lead to naming themselves Flogging Molly. Earlier this year, that same band – who has since garnered a substantial following worldwide – released a brand new live DVD titled Live at the Greek Theater, ,that was recorded last fall at LA's massive outdoor amphitheatre, The Greek Theater, in front of a sold out audience of nearly 6,000 fans. Punknews' own Scot Barrett recently chatted with bassist Nathen Maxwell about how the band got to be so popular, how LA has influenced them, and what they set out to accomplish with this DVD.
Things have been picking up for New Bedford, Massachusetts' A Wilhelm Scream. Following the conclusion of their deal with Nitro, the boys signed to Paper + Plastick and released their self-recorded, self-produced, and self-titled EP. The EP was an immediate hit finding itself on several top-records/EPs-of-the-year lists. After a marathon run playing Soundwave in Australia, Sean Jain dialed-up guitarist/co-vocalist Trevor Reilly and chatted with him about Wilhelm's upcoming Canadian tour with Outbreak, the Soundwave experience, plans for a new album, and the creative engine that drives A Wilhelm Scream.
Over the past seven months, Columbus, Ohio's New Creases have performed a smattering of local shows and created an undeniably catchy, hook-laden EP that should please even the most jaded Jawbreaker fans. Punknews interviewer Brandon Campbell caught up with New Creases to discuss their origin and their future.