Archive for July 31, 2012

Dead Milkmen, Women, BK Friendly Live In Philly (7/27/12)

/ July 31, 2012 / No comments


This past Friday night, I may have pissed off some friends.  They JUST arrived into town, but I had a prior date with The Dead Milkmen… sorry friends.  I headed out to Philly’s Union Transfer for AnchorFest, a memorial for Dan Krawiec and was being headlined by The Dead Milkmen.  I got there right in time for BK Friendly.

BK Friendly:

I never heard of BK Friendly before, but this solo project by Ben Kravitz (the guy who actually booked the show) said every song he was going to play that night was new.  I was sort of expecting some acoustic solo guitar type thing that seems to be incredibly popular these days, but I was pleasantly surprised when his first song busted into a rap over a pretty tight beat.  Reminding me a bit of Doomtree, BK had plenty in the crowd cheering along.  Definitely a solid performance.

Women:

Another band I’ve never heard of, Women was actually Dan Krawiec’s band before he passed away last April, and I was fucking blown away.  Playing fast aggressive punk with tinges of hardcore in the veins of Cloak/Dagger, these guys had the crowd moving a few songs in.  Women also did a cover of Black Flag’s Wasted, so bonus for that.

They took a few friendly jabs at their fallen comrade, saying how it was always his job to stage banter, and in a slurred voiced mimicked his “SHOTS!!  I NEED SHOTS ON STAGE NOW!!!!”  I definitely need to check this band out some more.

The Dead Milkmen:

Philly’s original quirkiest punk motherfuckers took the stage, demanded that everybody move in, sat at the edge of the stage, and told everyone that since this was a memorial show, they weren’t going to do any fast and loud songs (which some people actually took seriously).  With a bunch of acoustic guitars, they played a rendition of a gospel song before blasting into their regular jams we all know and love.

Through out the set, Rodney explained how he sucked at memorial shows because he never knows what’s appropriate, so he made Joe write the setlist.  With a mini speech on why you shouldn’t die and why you don’t need religion to cope with death, they played songs spanning from their catalogue, including fan favorites such as Bitchin Camaro or If You Love Somebody, Set Them On Fire…

The Dead Milkmen had the crowd moving and dancing a bit with a lot more youngin’s there than I would have thought (which is awesome that kids are listening to The Dead Milkmen), and it seemed like everyone had a good time (even though a bit of melancholy in the air with it being a memorial).  The Dead Milkmen made a reference to them being back in the fall, so I’m going to go ahead and guess they have a show booked soon… if you’ve never seen them, I recommend you go check them out).

Highlights:
Gospel Song
Thinnest Line
Big Lizzard
Bitchin’ Camaro
Dean’s Dream
Surfin Cow
Stuart
Life Is Shit
The Happy Are Insane
If You Love Somebody, Set Them On Fire

MP3:
Dead Milkmen – If You Love Somebody, Set Them On Fire

More:
Riot Fest East 2011 Recap (With Dead Milkmen, Descendents, etc.)
The Low Budgets – Aim Low, Get High
The Low Budgets – Leave Us A Loan

Buy:
Dead Milkmen

Category: live, music, punk, show / Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Teenage Bottlerocket – Freak Out (For fans of The Copyrights, The Ramones, Screeching Weasel)

/ July 26, 2012 / No comments


I remember when I first heard Teenage Bottlerocket’s Total back in 2005.  I was skating and had it in my headphones, completely blown away by the Ramones influenced pop-punk with clever songs about girls, the radio, and going postal at work.  I was so impressed, I made my girlfriend at the time listen to it (who wasn’t a fan of punk… but still has seen Bigwig more than me, fucking figures) and even she loved it.  Seven years later, Wyoming’s Teenage Bottlerocket return with their 5th studio album Freak Out, and it’s the perfect blend of humor, pop-punk, and of course… girls.

The beginning of the album plays a more aggressive style of pop-punk that we heard flashes of on their 2009 They Came From The Shadows, with songs about metalhead concussions, cruising for chicks, and Top Gun.  I hate to be that guy who draws comparisons to previous bands, but the beginning of the album has a very Lillingtons feel to it.

The album switches gears a little ways in though, with incredibly catchy and melodic pop-punk love songs that we’re used to from Teenage Bottlerocket. From the mandatory frustrated “Done With Love”, and the ultimate friend zone song “Never Gonna Tell You”, Freak Out makes for the perfect summer album.

If you like light hearted pop-punk that takes more cues from The Ramones and Screeching Weasel than anything that passes for pop-punk on the radio these days, definitely check Teenage Bottlerocket.  They’ve been a favorite of mine for a long time now.

*Fun Housewives fact:  My first post ever was on Teenage Bottlerocket, back in 2007.

Mp3:
Teenage Bottlerocket – Done With Love

More:
Teenage Bottletrocket – They Came From The Shadows
Teenage Bottlerocket – Another Way
Mean Jeans – Are You Serious
The Lillingtons – Too Late Show

Buy:
Fat Wreck

Category: music, pop punk, punk / Tags: , , , ,

American Nightmare (Give Up The Ghost) Live In NYC 7/22/12

/ July 23, 2012 / No comments


Simply put, American Nightmare is one of my favorite hardcore bands of all time.  I could get into all the difficult times they’ve helped me get through, or I can talk about how going to one of their shows back in 2003 seriously saved my life and kept me from having an incredibly severe breakdown, but you should just take my word for it.  I was lucky enough to catch their reunion show up in Boston (which I flew up from Philly from), so when I saw they were playing Webster Hall in New York City, you’re damn straight I was going to go.

A friend and I traveled up to NYC to catch them, and we missed all the openers due to the fact we needed food and traffic is a bitch.  The sold out venue was packed, and it was strange seeing American Nightmare in such a large spot (but there weren’t any barricades, so all good).  AN took the stage and immediately started playing “It’s Sometimes Like It Never Started” to which a huge hardcore pit broke out (and I made a bee-line for).

The rest of the show was a blur of pits, stage dives, and pile ons.  Wes kept the stage banter to pretty much non-existent, and blasted through a 45 minute set (which seemed way too short, but that’s mostly because I wanted them to play every song).  The set consisted of songs spanning from all of their releases including a nice chunk of Background Music, and like the band, we didn’t let up for a minute.

I’m really hoping the next city they draw a heart around will be Philadelphia, although honestly, I’ll take any American Nightmare show I can get.

Setlist:
(It’s Sometimes Like It Never Started)
Love American
(We Are)
AM/PM
Shoplifting In A Ghost Town
I Saved Latin
Postmark My Compass
Hearts
I’ve Shared Your Lips And Now They Sicken Me
Fuck What Fireworks Stand For
The Ice Age Is Coming
Please Die!
(And It’s Sometimes Like It Will Never End)
Young Hearts Be Free Tonight
Calculation Nation
There’s A Black Hole In The Shadow Of Pru

Encore:
Protest Song #00
Your Arsonist
Farewell

MP3:
American Nightmare – The Ice Age Is Coming!

More:
American Nightmare Reunion In Boston
American Nightmare – Year One
American Nightmare – Background Music
Scenester 101: How To Be An Old School Hardcore Kid In 10 Easy Steps!

Buy:
Bridge 9

Category: hardcore, live, music, show / Tags: , , , , , ,

An Albatross – We Are The Lazer Viking (For fans of Melt Banana, Horse The Band, Dillinger Escape Plan)

/ July 19, 2012 / No comments


Wilkes-Barre (now Philadelphia’s) PA’s pyscho hardcore circus An Albatross recently played a free show in Philly on the 4th of July, and I was out of town… fucking figures.  I’ve been listening to these dudes a lot as of late, and their 2003 release We Are The Lazer Viking is a complete face, mind, and fuck melt.

We Are The Lazer Viking consists of eleven spastic, electronic-y hardcore tracks that clock in for a total of less than nine minute.  Playing hardcore in the veins of Melt Banana or Horse The Band, An Albatross is like visiting a carnival in the midst of a bad acid trip… terrifying yet enthralling.

With vocalist’s Ed’s shrieking over the spastic guitars and keyboards, An Albatross throws you in a pit of chaos leaving just enough melody to cling onto for dear life.  Their assault is neurotic but incredibly calculated.

Personally I love this style of music when done right, and An Albatross does it fucking right.  The only issue is after listening to We Are The Lazer Viking, everything else just seems so boring.

MP3:
An Albatross – Let’s Get On With It!

More Noisy Hardcore For Your Restless Soul:
Melt Banana – Cell Scrape
Melt Banana – Bambi’s Dilemma
Rollo Tomassi
Some Girls – The DNA Will Have It’s Say

Buy:
An Albatross

Category: hardcore, music / Tags: , , , , , ,

Holy Matrimony Batman (A Mix)

/ July 16, 2012 / No comments

Holy matrimony, batman.  Did you know that in ancient times, the job of the groomsmen was to protect the bride from being kidnapped and the groom from being murdered by rivals?  We’ve come a long way.

I spent the past weekend down in DC for one of my best bud’s weddings.  Dancing, food, merriment, friend reunions, and stage dives… It almost makes me want to get married but then I realize, all I want is to have a giant party all the time.

And you know what that means… here’s a few punk/ska tunes about marriage.

MP3:
The Slackers – Married Girl
Less Than Jake – Pete Jackson Is Getting Married
Gogol Bordello – American Wedding
The Vandals – Marry Me
Some Girls – Marry Mortuary
Atom And His Package – Does Anyone Else In This Room Want To Marry His Or Her Own Grandmother?

More:
I Was Stranded In Long Island (Mix)
This Goes Out To All You Late Nighters Out There
I Went To Costa Rica And Didn’t Get Malaria
Scenester 101: How To Be Hardcore

Buy:
Interpunk

 

Category: hardcore, mix, music, punk, ska / Tags: , , , ,

Lifetime – Hello Bastards (For fans of Kid Dynamite, Saves The Day, Bouncing Souls)

/ July 10, 2012 / No comments


There are seriously some days when I don’t feel like doing anything but listen to Lifetime all day, and no, I’m not talking about that stupid television station that just shows women getting beat all the time.  Maybe it’s my Jersey blood and maybe I’m a little bit biased, but I am willing to say that their second release Hello Bastards completely redefined hardcore and influenced a countless number of bands.

Released back in 1995 and consisting of 12 melodic hardcore tunes, Lifetime brought a completely new element to a scene that was at the time dominated by more tough guy bands from NY, and put NJ on the hardcore map.

Whether it’s desperately singing along to mid-tempo “I’m Not Calling You” or two stepping my brains out to “(The Gym Is) Neutral Territory”, I find myself returning to Hello Bastards again and again.  I could probably make bittersweet, yet triumphant “Ostracized” the anthem of life with it’s chorus We are all alone, none of us don’t know, where to begin. / We’re doing for ourselves. Through Ari’s vocals and the melodic chord progressions and bass lines, the music manages to be emotional without ever losing it’s hardcore edge.

Under appreciated by many, a lot of people will always see Lifetime as “that band Dan Yemin was in before Kid Dynamite and Paint It Black”.  Shit, even when I was an angsty teen listening to them, I didn’t appreciate them anywhere near as much as I should have, but I’ve grown much wiser in my (angsty) adult years.  A gem in hardcore history, and a gem from my home state.

MP3:
Lifetime – Daneurysm

More:
Lifetime Live In Philly 2011
Saves The Day – Can’t Slow Down (Seriously. if you like Lifetime, listen to this first album by Saves The Day, straight up melodic hardcore)
Kid Dynamite, And The Art Of Moshing Everywhere

Buy:
Lifetime – Hello Bastards

Category: hardcore, music, punk / Tags: , , , , ,

I Was Stranded In Long Island (A Mix)

/ July 8, 2012 / No comments

It's like NY's erection jutting out into the ocean.

What’s up dudes/dudettes?  It’s summer time, which means travel time for many of you… and me.  The lack of posts last week were sponsored by me going to Long Island to go visit some friends for the weekend, and having that weekend trip turn into a week and a half… whoops (easy to do with pool parties, bonfires, and more Skyrim than you can shake a fist at).

The only reason I made my friend who drove rush back today was because we had tickets to a Philadelphia Union game (DOOP!)  Anyways, here’s some Long Island related tunes for all you out there.

Oh and one Long Island related confession:  I am a HUGE Billy Joel fan, and have been since I was spinning his albums on my Sesame Street record player when I was two years old.  There I said it.

Also… fact: the majority of the cast from that Jersey Shore shit is actually from Long Island, NOT New Jersey.  Go eat shit NJ haters.

MP3:
Kill Your Idols – Only Dicks Don’t Like Black Flag
Bomb The Music Industry – (Shut Up) The Punx
 Arrogant Sons Of Bitches – I Like Green Day
Glassjaw – Siberian Kiss
Barnaby Jones – Handsome B Wonderful

Chicken Soup For The Punk Rock Soul:
This Goes Out To All You Late Nighters Out There
I Went To Costa Rica And Didn’t Get Malaria
Scenester 101: How To Be Hardcore

Buy:
Interpunk

Category: hardcore, mix, music, punk, ska / Tags: , , , ,