Cover albums are somewhat of a rite of passage for musical groups. Four Year Strong released their contribution to this phenomena, Explains It All, this summer on Decaydance. As a follow up to Rise or Die Trying, Explains it All has gained the band even more recognition and praise. Punknews contributor Gene Axton recently talked to Josh Lyford (vocals/synth) about Four Year Strong's debut album, their contemporaries, their new endeavors, and Train.
If you could associate any one phrase with Minus The Bear it would have to be genre defying. Their usage of mind-blowing guitar tapping techniques, supported and smoothed out by a jazzy, laid back rhythmic section has had journalists and music critics alike stumped when attempting to determine a proper label for the Seattle natives. Punknews contributor Matt Pagirsky recently had a chance to talk to drummer Erin Tate about the forthcoming new album, their current label situation, the always-evolving Seattle scene they were bred from, and the real truth about the dirtiness of their comrades in Portugal. The Man.
In a continuing effort to continue bring our readers original content with as little editorial interference as possible, Punknews is happy to premiere the first chapter of our new "Band on Band" feature. In these features two bands on opposing sides of a split release will take turns asking each other five questions.
In this edition, Victor Alvarez of The Knockdown and Elliot Meyer of How Dare You trade queries about band life, inspiration, fatherhood and other topics so engaging they end up breaking the five question rule in our very first segment. Both bands are part of a split 7" available from Kiss of Death.
North Lincoln was a band from Grand Rapids, Michigan that managed to stick around the punk scene for a little over ten years. They released two full-length albums, two CD ep's and five 7" records. Their last full-length, Midwestern Blood, was released in 2009 by No Idea Records.
On January 16, 2010, the band played their final show to over 600 people at Mulligan's Pub in Grand Rapids. Recently, RJ Cresswell conducted a retrospective interview with Kevin Nunn, the band's vocalist and guitar player.
It's almost perfect to say that The Soviettes, like their songs, had a career that was short and sweet. Three albums and a slew of 7"s in four years isn't something most bands can boast about. Nor the sentiment that the band broke up way before its time, as they've been gone for almost five years, and still hold a dear place in many a Minnesotan's heart.
So, as you can imagine, Punknews.org contributor Ollie Mikse was elated when the band's guitarist/vocalist, Annie Sparrows (who's surprisingly easy to track down), agreed to compile their b-sides and rarities for a compilation album and give it out for free nonetheless. Topping it all off, March sees the band reuniting for some one-off shows in honor of this rarities album. Being in the midst of polishing up the product and a veritable winter apocalypse, Mikse had the chance to ask Sparrows (vocals/guitar) and Maren "Sturgeon" Macosko (vocals/guitar) some questions regarding the Soviettes, their history, the new album, and just how Ben Snakepit once saved their band.
As one of the hardest working independent bands to come out of the Minnesota music scene, Four Letter Lie has endured negative criticisms, major line up changes and being over shadowed by the larger bands on their label, Victory. With all these factors, they still managed to tour 10 out of 12 months in 2008 and in July of 2009, they entered the studio ready to record the album they really wanted to record. Their third full length for Victory, A New Day, is a major departure from their previous works and marks a new beginning for the band. Adam Sever caught up with Four Letter Lie vocalist Brian Nagan, before they headed out on a 3 week tour last Fall, to discuss A New Day, the band's recent line up changes and working with Victory Records. Four Letter Lie will be hitting the road again, for a month long tour, starting January 9th.
Attention fans of fast, catchy, pop-punk: The Braces are an up-and-coming band hailing from Thousand Oaks, California, who are no strangers to DIY. Their sophomore album, I'm Telling Everyone, was self-produced and partially recorded in vocalist-guitarist, Zack Sekuler's bedroom and bathroom. Sean Jain spoke with Sekuler regarding who The Braces are, their plans for 2010, and some of their influences. Their sophomore album is currently streaming at Punknews.org and can be heard here.
Punkrock veteran Tony Sly has been holding it down as No Use For A Name's frontman for 20 years now. He recently released his first solo full length titled 12 Song Program on February 16th on Fat Wreck Chords. Punknews interviewer Kira Wisniewski spoke to Tony about the new record, the upcoming tour and drinking beer through your eye socket.
Our own Darren McLeod recently had a chance to sit down with Sights and Sounds frontman Andrew Neufeld before the band played the first show of their current Canadian tour with Moneen and Passenger Action. Neufeld discussed touring Europe, the difference in UK and North American press, and the long drives involved when you're a Canadian artist.
It's been 12 years since the Alkaline Trio unleashed their simply titled, memorable debut album, Goddamnit, to the light of day. Six albums later, the Trio are still mutilating sonic and lyrical boundaries with their songs about love and life, all veiled in a shroud of darkness and irony. From tales of revenge by radio to methadone as a metaphor, the band continues to be at the creative forefront, writing incredibly catchy songs, but with enough lyrical depth to reach the distant gates of Hell. Sarcastic, fearless and honest can describe the typical Alkaline Trio song and it could also describe co-singer and guitarist Matt Skiba, who sat down with Gen Handley from Punknews to chat about meditation, muses and about the new album, This Addiction, which comes out on February 23.
Metalcore mainstays Atreyu released their fifth album, Congregation of the Damned, recently, adding yet another chapter to the band's already expansive never ending story. Bassist Marc McKnight checked in recently from a victory lap across the US with Hollywood Undead to hold court with Punknews interviewer G'Ra Asim.