Wax Nostalgic #1: Green Day - 'Warning' 7''

11'' x 17'' poster

By Jason Duarte

Artist: Green Day

Title: Warning b/w "Scumbag"/"Outsider" (Ramones)

Inches: 7

Label: Adeline Records

Pressing: First?

Color: Gold

Release date: December 11, 2000

Since this is the first Wax Nostalgic entry, I thought I'd start with the first 7'' I ever ordered via mailorder.

I just started high school a few months prior to this release, and had been a Green Day fan since Dookie. One of the Green Day CDs I bought that year had a mailorder catalog for Adeline Records in the case. I remember lying on the floor of my bedroom in the basement of the house I just moved to five months prior. I remember examining everything on it and getting totally sucked in because it was stuff I'd never heard of, or Green Day stuff I knew I'd like and want, but had never seen in places like Best Buy or Tower Records or even Disc Replay.

At 14, I owned no vinyl or turntable - only a few cassettes, CDs and a big stack of mix tapes I made by recording songs I liked off the radio and affixing stickers to them with tiny handwriting to tell what was on them. I knew vinyl was an older format, and had always heard things at record stores or from older people who said things like, "music sounds better on vinyl." I brushed it off as mindless nostalgia crap - older people refusing to accept a new format, a better format; the digital format. Why read grooves pressed in plastic at 33 rpms when you can read it at 5,200 rpms and cut out all the scratching and fuzz? Plus it was way smaller and easier to buy.

I still wanted to know why, so even though I didn't own a turntable, I made it a mental goal to one day get one, and I'd invest in vinyl until I got one.
I think the Warning 7'' cost $4 ppd, and it came with an 11'' x 17'' Green Day poster, so I was sold. I knew it was risky to send cash in the mail, so I gave my mom the cash and asked her to write a check to Adeline Records for $4. I stuck the check and the order form in an envelope and ran out to the mailbox and flipped the flag up.
It seemed like weeks (it probably was) until I received that flat 7'' x 7'' brown cardboard package in the mail. "FRAGILE - DO NOT BEND." I carefully opened one side and pulled out the 7''. It smelled like fresh ink and plastic. There was no insert or liner notes or even dust sleeve - just the yellow/gold record in its cover and the poster. I unfolded the poster, admired it, then carefully folded it back up, trying not to get my oily fingerprints on it, and stuck it back in the cover with the record.

A year or two passed and my mom's husband said he had an old turntable in storage somewhere that I could use if I was careful. I dug for it through boxes in the room where the water heater, furnace and mice resided, and finally found it. I brought it to my room, attached the wires to my stereo and gave it a spin.

It was beautiful. I couldn't believe I was listening to a Green Day song I had on CD on this newly discovered format, with new songs (to my ears) on the other side. "What the fuck do these songs sound like?" I thought to myself since the day I cross-referenced all my CDs to see if they were on any of them. They weren't. A Ramones cover? "Scumbag?" I finally knew, and this turntable was the key to decoding these treasures I hung on to for what seemed like forever.

As soon as I flipped the record over from the song I'd already heard hundreds of times, I was trekking a new frontier. Why were these songs never on any of their albums? What could they have done to this Ramones song, and really, who the hell were The Ramones? I was so excited to hear what I only inferred was super ultra mega rare Green Day material. Keep in mind, this was before you could hop online, run a search and get instant gratification. I had to withstand time, my own excitement and patience for two years before I could unlock these treasures. Even if there was a way to hop online and get those songs, I didn't know how (that would soon change).
The rest of the world stopped when "Scumbag" started, and I remember lifting and dropping the needle repeatedly, playing side B over and over again. I don't think I ever flipped this 7'' back to side A. A whole new world was opened to me because of the Warning 7''. None of my friends sought out vinyl, and it seems this was several years before its big comeback. As a 14-year-old with and no record shop within walking or biking distance and no friends in my new town anyway, music evolved from being just a passion to becoming my new hobby. CDs were so easy to get, but this vinyl stuff was hard to find.

So began my quest and passion for vinyl.

New Green Day songs leaked on YouTube, plus lyrics/live audio to new song, 'Amy'

So Green Day played a secret show Thursday, August 11 at the Tiki Bar in Oakland, CA. From what I hear, there was a no camera, no phone policy, but someone broke that rule and recorded a few brand new Green Day tunes. The quality is kind of shitty, but I'm assuming that's because whoever was recording was trying to be sneaky.

This first one is called "Amy," and while the band never said it was about Amy Winehouse, I could see how the lyrics and title could imply it being about the late musician.

"Amy"


Lyrics:
"Is your heart singing out of tune
Are your eyes just singing the blues
Dirty records from another time
Some blood stains on your shoes
No one really knows about your soul
And I barely even know your name
Burning rhythms and posting lies
For a bunch of fools drown in shame
Amy don’t you go
I want you around
Singin’ woah please don’t go
Do you wanna be a friend of mine?
Did you tattoo a lucky charm
To keep you out of harms way?
Warding off all evil signs
But it never really kept you safe
You’re too young for the golden age
Cause the record bin’s been replaced
27 gone without a trace
And you walked away from your drink
Is your heart singing out of tune
Are you eyes just singing the blues?
Dirty records from another time
Some blood stains on your shoes
May I have this last dance
By chance if we should meet?
Can you write me a lullaby?
So we can sing you to sleep"

Here are two other new (live) Green Day songs, and an Ozzy Osbourne cover.

"Last Gang In Town"


"Sweet 16"


"Goodbye To Romance" (Ozzy Osbourne)


The set list from that night is as follows:

Set List:
1. Nuclear Family (played rwice)
2. Stay The Night
3. Too Young To Die
4. Oh Love
5. Carpe Diem
6. Crushing Bastards
7. Little Boy Named Train
8. Trouble Maker
9. Sweet 16
10. Wow, That’s Loud
11. 8th Avenue Serenade
12. Ashley
13. Gabriella
14. Wild One
15. It’s Fuck Time (Foxboro Hot Tubs)
16. Stray Heart
17. Last Gang In Town (New song, not a Clash cover)

Encore
18. Amy
19. Goodbye to Romance (Ozzy Osbourne cover)
20. Welcome To Paradise
21. Burnout
22. Murder City
23. J.A.R. (Jason Andrew Relva)
24. Only Of You
25. Hitchin’ a Ride
26. St. Jimmy
27. Minority

The Queers Are Here!

The first known usage of the term "punk rock" was in the Chicago Tribune on March 22, 1970 in an article about a New York band called The Fugs, where lead singer Ed Sanders described his solo material as "punk rock - redneck sentimentality."

Punk was not just about making a different style of music for the hell of it, which is a common misunderstanding. Punk seemed to be a necessary step taken in the 1970s by those across the globe who didn't agree with the pompousness and sentiment of the era's rock 'n' roll bands and society.

"Punk rock had to come along because the rock scene had become so tame that [acts] like Billy Joel and Simon and Garfunkel were being called rock 'n' roll, when to me and other fans, rock 'n' roll meant this wild and rebellious music," said John Holmstrom, founder of "Punk Magazine."

By 1977, the punk movement was in full swing. England had The Clash and The Sex Pistols. The U.S.'s punk scene stretched from The Germs in California all the way to The Ramones in New York. Australia had The Saints.

While it had a tendency to spawn in urban areas, punk was not just found in big cities. Many obscure towns birthed some of the longest-living and most influential punk bands of the era. One such place was in Portsmouth, N.H.

In 1977, then-vocalist John Hayes (also known as Wimpy Rutherford) was practicing with guitarist and current vocalist Joe King when his friend, Kevin came running in saying, "'Come out to the car, come out to the car, you gotta hear this tape I got,' Hayes said.

"So we went out to his car and we sat in his car and we listened to 'You're a Loudmouth, Baby' and 'PT Boat On the Way to Havana' and I've never heard The Ramones or anything like that before and that was the day - that was the actual day - that we just stopped doing all the shit we were doing and went down a whole other road. Once I heard the energy of that kind of thing, that just sent me right down the road."

"We were just inspired by The Ramones and Black Flag and we kind of just wanted to start a band," said King. "We were fooling around with our instruments and then we just said, 'Let's start a band.' And that was really it, to just have a legal reason as it were, to drink and try to pick up girls and stuff like that," said King.

At this time, Hayes and King (also known as Joe Queer) played in a local punk band called The Bugs and another called The Falling Spikes. Then in 1981, Hayes, King and bassist Tulu declared themselves "The Queers."

"Joe and I were both just sick of the crap of the '70s, the music that was out and what people listened to, like fuckin' Steely Dan and The Eagles and all that kind of crap, and we just wanted to be anti all that," Hayes said.

King and Hayes just wanted a name people would remember that was provocative and also pissed off the art community.

"We just wanted a name that we could spraypaint around our town to piss 'em off, so that's kind of where it came from and it stuck with us," King said.

When The Queers started out, punk was just punk. There was no "this type and that type" like there is today.

"You were nasty and snotty and played power chords with no beats and it was really, everything was kind of similar," Hayes said. "The only dissimilar things you had was, you had the east coast American and west coast American and then the English."

The Queers released two 45 rpm records between 1982 and 1984.

"I remember when we put out the first two Queers records, it was so small then, I remember being at my house, I was a just little kid, living in my little apartment and in came a letter from Jello Biafra and he said, 'Hey, I heard your two singles on some radio station somewhere, where can I get a hold of them? Thanks, Jello Biafra,'" Hayes said. "So even people like that were already in touch with other people that were doing the same. It was pretty small, pretty close-knit. I sent him the singles, I sent him a letter back and I never heard back, but I had come to find out that the guy's an asshole."

In the mid-'80s, the bandmates went separate ways.

King got into the restaurant business, and owned a two-story bar/café in New Hampshire at the time that had burgers, nachos and things of the sort.

"It's creative and there's a good energy," King said. "A lot of people complain about the restaurant business, but it doesn't have to suck, you know, it could be really fun if you get a good crew in there." We had the dining room area (where) there would be a lot of grilled salmon and Italian food and stuff. It was a pretty cool place and I miss cooking. Every once in a while, I wish I still had the restaurant."

King took me back to the 1980s and early 1990s when he had his own place in N.H.

"I was really dedicated, it was a small place. We only sat 46 upstairs and 46 down in the lounge. Everything was fresh," King said. "So, I cooked my own turkey for the roast turkey sandwiches, I cooked my own roast beef, I cut my own French fries, I made my own tomato sauce - I used canned tomatoes - but I used as much stuff fresh as I could, whether it's a burger or whatever. There's a right way and a wrong way to make it, so I didn't just have a restaurant that I opened up to throw frozen French fries in the fryer, no. I didn't do that, that'd be kind of boring."

As King got into the restaurant business, original bassist, Tulu and Hayes went to Boston.

The bandmates were doing their separate things until 1990 when King put out the first record with bassist Greg Urbatis, drummer Hugh O'Neill and guitarist "Young" Sean Rowley.

"I owned the restaurant then, Hugh and B-Face (bass) worked for me - my friends, you know. We were the punks and so I said, 'Let's make one album. Let's get together and make one more album, we'll put it out ourselves and we'll call it a day, but at least it'll be a great punk album,'" King said. "OK, so we hadn't played in about a year, but we still had a bunch of songs. I met Ben Weasel out in Chicago, I sent him an old recording or something. And he got on Lookout! (Records) in 1992 or 1993 and I was working at the restaurant and Larry Livermore called me from Lookout! and he said, 'Do you want to make an album?' So here I am in N.H. and I'm thinking 'Hey, fuck it, I was going to buy a restaurant in Portsmouth, N.H. There was a great deal, I had the money, I was going to go in there at the restaurant downtown and Larry called."

At that time, Lookout!'s own Green Day was just hitting it big.

"I said, 'You know what, I haven't gone down that path in life and I need to learn those lessons. So I know I'll probably regret this, but I'm not going to buy that restaurant,' so I didn't buy it," King said. "The people went in there and they made a lot of money. But I went down that path in life with music and I traveled and that's what happened."

To King, it was weird because he and his friends just wanted to have fun and play on weekend and work the restaurant business.

"That's the point where we made 'Love Songs For the Retarded' and put it out ourselves, we pressed like 500 vinyls or something and called it a day, but here I am," King said. "Then all of a sudden, I went down that path in life and that's how I met my wife and all my friends now are through music, so this whole big life I have was all because I took that decision not open the restaurant and take a chance and go on the road and play music and meet people and learn about life. It all worked out."

Before 1993's "Love Songs For the Retarded," The Queers' 1990 release, "Grow Up," was the band's first and, undergoing numerous lineup changes over the years, The Queers today have over 15 releases between full-length albums and 45 rpm singles. The band's 2007 release, "Munki Brain," deviates away from straight punk and into bubblegum pop and surf.

It's rare that a punk band outlives The Ramones' 22-year career, but The Queers have done it and are still traveling the world.

"You kind of get to the point doing music where listen, all of want to party, at least a bunch of us musicians, want to party and do drugs and drink and not have to work a regular job and sleep with girls you wouldn't meet otherwise," King said. "You want to do all that stuff, but ultimately, it was something inside, that I had to do music. Once I started doing music, I realized it was all about punk rock to me, and music was about being the better person and learning about life and becoming a better person through it. People think it's just about playing a gig to a bunch of drunken people, but its so much more. It's like a journey; if you don't learn anything from the journey, then I should've just stayed in the restaurant."

To King, musicians are lucky to take on the job of going out and touring and playing music to lots of people.

"Not many people get to do a job where they cheer, you know? And say 'MORE MORE MORE.' That doesn't happen when you're flippin' burgers or writing for the paper or whatever, right? You know, if you don't learn from this lucky trip that you're on right here, then you might as well go manage a fuckin' Taco Bell 'cause you're a fuckin' asshole and you haven't learned anything."

"Like George Harrison from the Beatles said: 'We woke up one day, we're the biggest band in the world but then we looked at each other and said, 'Now what?'' So yeah, that's the way I look at it, it's all about learning about life," King said.

Over the years, a lot of now-famous pop punk bands have opened for The Queers.

"A lot of the pop punk bands that got famous like Lit or Good Charlotte or Fall Out Boy or Blink-182 and tons of those other bands - Sum 41 - but really, the only truly great one was Green Day. I'm inspired by it, it's great and that's cool and more power to 'em, I mean, I did it 'cause it was something inside, but bands like us, Green Day, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Screeching Weasel, The Muffs, we didn't do it 'cause it was a career move," King said. "Now it is a career move. If you look like you dress at Hot Topic and got eye shadow on and you write some gay ass songs, you can get famous whether you have fuckin' talent or not, if you got the look.

"It was like a loser's proposition. You were either fuckin' 'Welcome to Burger King, may I take your order ma'am?' or a punk rocker. There wasn't any fuckin' safety net under you. You did it because something told you to do it. Green Day, they were going to do those songs on 'Dookie' whether they got fuckin' famous as hell or they didn't. They had those songs written - we saw 'em, they were showin' 'em to us - before 'Dookie' came out. Some of us got really famous, some of us got semi-famous and some died, some lived, some learned, some moved on, you know. But it touched all of us. Punk rock really did a bunch of cool people out."

King is now married, but playing more than 30 years of punk rock, he is definitely not looking to call it a day anytime soon.

The Queers, who tour a lot, can live off touring, but the band needs a break, King said.

"I'm opening up a recording studio and starting my first session next week, working with The Riptides from Ottawa, Canada," King said. "We're going to do a split with them and a couple other projects. I got a bunch of bands coming in. We're starting slow, but it's pretty cool. I'm spending all my money on stuff, but it's fun. To be honest, I'm more into getting behind the scenes. I see some of the newer pop-punk bands, not many of them really excite me and none of 'em can really hold a candle to Screeching Weasel or Mr. T Experience or The Muffs back in the day. So, I get inspired to show 'em how it's done properly."

Hayes is currently fronting The Jabbers, G.G. Allin's first band. The Queers' current lineup consists of King on vocals and guitar, The Bugs' Dangerous Dave on bass and backup vocals and Ryan from the Atom Age on drums.

At 7 p.m. Sunday, October 5, The Queers will be rolling through Urbana, stopping to play a show at The IMC, 202 S. Broadway, with The Independents, Roberta Sparrow and Dizzy Chair Time. Admission is $10.

Interview with Mike Byrne of The Methadones/Off Broadway (Redux)/Dan Vapid and the Cheats

(Mike Byrne, guitarist, pictured right)
By Chris Carlton

Squid Pro Quo: Thanks for taking the time to talk with Squid Pro Quo, Mike. Can you tell me how you got involved in Dan Vapid & The Cheats?

Mike Byrne: "Hey Chris, thanks for asking me for an interview. I need a better public image since the "To Catch A Predator" episode aired. You all know what happened at SXSW. When Dan got back, we needed some help at were I work, so Dan was coming into work with me every day. Dan's mentioned in the past how he would love to put a band together or play a show doing songs he has written for all his bands. A friend of mine who works with the owner of the Cobra Lounge contacted me asking if Dan would be interested in doing a show at the Cobra in place of Weaselfest. Dan was a little hesitant about it. I offered to play guitar if he needed someone. After about a week of thinking about it, he decided to to it and he gave me a list of songs to learn. At first, I thought it might be just a one-off gig, but we are going to go ahead and make a band out of it and record and play shows."

SPQ: Besides the upcoming gig Memorial Day weekend at Cobra Lounge, are there any more gigs planned as of right now?

MB: "We have one other show that we are planning on playing, but we are working the details out with the promoter. I guess I shouldn't say anything yet until it's official. We plan on playing out and we will probably do another show in Chicago sometime this summer. We plan on doing out of town shows too. The only thing we probably won't do is any long-term touring. It's just too hard with jobs and two of the guys in the band are married and Dan is having a kid soon."

SPQ: You were playing with Kurt Baker (The Leftovers) recently. Will you be doing double duty playing with Kurt and The Cheats at the show?

MB: "I will be doing double duty at this show. Luckily for me, I know a good portion of Kurt's set already from playing with him back in December. I think we are adding some new songs to the set, so I will have to learn those. I already know all the songs in Dan's set, so that shouldn't be a problem."

SPQ: Being a huge Off Broadway fan myself, I could only imagine what it would be like to play with Cliff Johnson. So, I have to ask...what IS it like?

MB: "Hahaha, it's actually pretty interesting. I've been a huge Off Broadway fan myself for over 11 years. I never thought I would be playing with Cliff in a band much less in Off Broadway. It's different because I've played in punk bands my whole life. It's a different style of playing and it's more challenging as far as chords and song structure. Cliff and the bass player Greg are super talented guys and I feel very inadequate playing with them sometimes because they grew up learning from the Beatles and I grew up learning from the Misfits and bands like that. But the two styles do work good together. The shows are fun because we play totally different places than The Methadones did. We play dingy bars on the Northwest side or sports bars in the suburbs."

SPQ: Is Off Broadway back? And if so, are you a part of the band?

MB: "Off Broadway is back; I'm the guitar player along with Simon (Lamb), who played with Dan too. We've talked about recording some new stuff and we definitely have plans to play a lot of shows. We are in the process of getting a new drummer. We had someone, but he just joined Badfinger, so we are back to looking."

SPQ: Any plans for recording new music with any of the bands previously mentioned?

MB: "We definitely plan on recording with Dan Vapid and the Cheats. Dan has a lot of songs written. I'm always really excited to hear new material from Dan. We've discussed it with Off Broadway, but we don't have any new material to record but Cliff has a lot of old unreleased songs that we could record. I think Dan and Cliff are two of my favorite songwriters and I'm lucky to be playing with both of them."

SPQ: Looking back at not only your career in music, but all the bands you've seen come out of Chicago, what are some of the high points for you?

MB: "I think growing up in the 'burbs and being lucky enough to come into the city at a young age and see all these great bands. Some like Raygun and The Effigies who were already established at the time, but seeing bands like Screeching Weasel, Sludgeworth, Gear, No Empathy, The Vindictives and a lot of others when they weren't as popular as they got. McGregor's in Elmhurst was a cool club that I spent many Sunday and Wednesday nights, seeing a lot of these bands. Plus you had the Wrigleyside on Clark St. that Marc Ruvalo booked at and Isabelle's on Grand Ave. that Joey Vindictive booked at. There were a lot of short-lived clubs that lasted only a year that put on great shows. I really miss when I was younger and was excited about seeing bands. I don't get that very often now."

SPQ: What's you all-time favorite venue to see a live show or play at?

MB: "Seeing bands for me was always cool at McGregor's. They had decent food and always put on great bands. I saw so many amazing shows there. Green Day, Pegboy, Screeching Weasel, Los Crudos, Sludgeworth, Monsula, 411, Born Against, Smoking Popes; there are so many. As far as playing, I always loved playing the old Bottom Lounge. I thought it was a really cool place and the owners were really nice guys. I always had a blast playing there."

SPQ: Who influenced you as a musician?

MB: "Growing up, I listened to metal when I was a kid and then got into punk and hardcore. The band that totally made me want to start a band and play guitar was The Misfits. When I first heard "Walk Among Us," I stopped listening to metal and started buying punk records. Some people growing up loved KISS and The Misfits were my KISS. When I was in 5th or 6th grade, I would come home from school every day and put on "Walk Among Us." I can still listen to that album all the time. As I got older, I would say Cheap Trick has a big influence. They wrote amazing tunes and they looked cool. Before I met Dan, I always, and still do, think he writes these amazing tunes. When we started playing together, it was cool to see him take two or three chords and turn them into these great songs. I still love watching him do that."

SPQ: Of all the bands you've played with, who did you like playing with more and why?

MB: "The band I had the most fun in was The Methadones. I got to play on a bunch of albums and tour the States and Canada and go to Europe. It was a blast. Like any band, there were some not-so-fun things about it, but for the most part, I had a great time. Plus it was the longest band I ever played in; 10 years. I played in a bunch of other bands that had some fun moments, but they never lasted to long. Before playing in The Methadones, I played in The Vindictives for about two years and I learned a lot about playing lead guitar from the bass player, Johnny. He is a really talented guy who showed me a lot of cool stuff on the guitar."

SPQ: If you had the chance to see any band/artist that you haven't seen yet, who would it be?

MB: "Obviously there are a lot of bands that are broken up that I would want to see. But bands that are still around? The Forgotten Rebels, Gilbert O'Sullivan, Joe Jackson, 20/20, the Vancouver Subhumans. That's all I can think of now."

SPQ: And now the question we've all been waiting for; what are your top 3 favorite places to get chicken wings?

MB: "Fantastic question. First is Yakzie's in Chicago. Hands down the best wings in Chicago and the world. Amazing sauce. The wings are small, but in a good way. Second would be "Down the Hatch" in New York City. They are a very close second to Yakzie's. Good sized wings and a very similar sauce to Yakzie's. Third I would say right now is Wingstop on Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago. I'm partial to them because I live closeby and the wings are consistent and the owner is really nice and he gave me a free meal once."

SPQ: As always, I want to extend a big thank you for taking the time to speak with Squid Pro Quo, Mike. Always good to hear from you and see what you're up to.

MB: "Thanks for the interview Chris, as always I think you should wear tighter trousers. I will see you on May 27th at the Cobra for the first Dan Vapid and the Cheats show."

The Steinways - "Gorilla Marketing"

In May, I promised Ace from Astoria, New York's The Steinways that I'd review his band's newest release, "Gorilla Marketing." I feel bad it's taken so long. Blah blah blah, let's get to the album.
To give you an idea of what this pop-punk gem may sound like, only three of 16 tracks are over two minutes long, rendering it short, fast and sweet.
What are the songs about? Well, mostly (Asian) girls...but there are a few about other things like (masturbating at) work, smoking weed and well, you get the point. These goofs are catchy with their poppy hooks and you'll find yourself keeping your ears stuck on any given lead singer's words as s/he tells stories of heartache and losing out with chicks. Guitarist Ace sings on "Oh My Fucking Gosh," a song about how he got with a girl while him and his girlfriend and him were on a break. So the song's basically about how this chick (A-m-a-n-d-a H-o-p-p-e-r) kept yelling at him and ultimately got him in trouble.
"Good Grief" is another Ace song, which also rules. Needless to say, it's a catchy tune. A catchy tune about how he wants a girl to pay him attention, with hopes of making out with her later on. I think all of us dudes can relate to these songs. If you are or were a total dork intimidated by the opposite sex and shy as hell, you'll probably empathize real easily. If you've ever thought to yourself, "FUCK! FUCK FUCK FUCK! I should have said something to her. Now she'll NEVER know I like her...oh well," then you'll dig most of these songs. Especially if you're into the pop-punk. Because that's what this awesome album is.
Bassist Michelle sings with lead singer/guitarist Grath on "It's My Hair." This one's about wanting to just get out because things aren't going that great. That's what I got out of it anyways.
"(Nobody Wants To) Make Out (With Me Because I Wear Sweatpants)" is one of the last tunes on the album. It's interesting because unlike all the other ones, this one is set in the past. Well...farther back than all the other songs. Grath reflects on the past and takes us back to a Friday night middle school mixer, where he's dressed in an LA Raiders sweatsuit, eyes fixated on a girl in green tights. He's nervous, with his thick glasses as he watches everyone make out with the girl of his prepubescent dreams.
You know, there's a lot of teen and preteen angst buried in this album. I dig it because I think a little bit of that lies in each of us somewhere. Sure there's the ADULT angst, but that infantile sort of immature, unrational way of thinking resides in us all as hearts circle our heads at any given time in our lives. The heart clouds the brain. And that's the message this album conveys to its listeners. Ace, Grath, Michelle and Chris: You guys popped out a good one. It's an album that's fast-paced, fun to listen to, fun to sing along with and fun to just find that place in your memory where you were that total dork with your big glasses drooling over the hottest chick in school. Who cares if you never had a chance with her in the first place, because IF it happened, it would have been so fucking rad. But screw her, there's always the next one. Yeah, I'll TOTALLY talk to the next one.
Fans of old Green Day, The Ergs!, Screeching Weasel and Chixdiggit! will dig this one. Also, check out their first album, "Missed the Boat." It's really, really good. I think I actually like it better than "Gorilla Marketing," which is saying a lot because I really enjoy this album. Check it out!

Interview with Jake Burns from Stiff Little Fingers

Photo by MXV
By Chris Carlton

Squid Pro Quo: Thanks for taking the time to talk with Squid Pro Quo, Jake. Being from Belfast and coming up in the early days of the punk revolution, who inspired you to play punk rock and get Stiff Little Fingers going?

Jake Burns: "The Clash were the band’s first and main influence, pretty obviously. But, we listened to everything we could get our hands on. When we started, there weren’t many records available so we gobbled them up as soon as they came out; the first Ramones records, The Damned, Pistols. Even wider stuff like Blondie, The Stranglers and Elvis Costello. I guess we were all sick of the prog rock and guitar noodling crap we’d been listening to before."

SPQ: How do you feel the puck scene in Belfast was different compared to the American or the English scene?

JB: "It’s difficult to compare it because we didn’t have first-hand experience of those places at the time. Northern Ireland was very insular because of the violence that was happening there. Bands didn’t even want to come over and play. But later on, we realized that certainly the English scene was very similar. No one really knew what they were doing so there were no rules."

SPQ: I read that before S.L.F. got its name, you were in a band called Highway Star doing rock 'n' roll covers. Obviously the band name is taken from the Deep Purple song. So besides Purple, who were your musical influences early on as well as punk influences later on?

JB: "That band was more a school band kind of thing while it’s true that three of the players did eventually form S.L.F. My first musical influence was undoubtedly Rory Gallagher, who was an amazing blues guitarist from Ballyshannon, Ireland. He gets kinda overlooked these days, but he was every bit as good as the Claptons, Becks and Pages of this world. In fact, there’s a famous story of Jimi Hendrix being asked, 'What’s it like being the best guitarist in the world?' and he replied, 'I don’t know. Why don’t you ask Rory Gallagher.' The next phase of bands I got into would have been what was referred to in Britain as 'pub rock' bands, because they (surprise, surprise) played in bars! Bands like Dr. Feelgood, Eddie & the Hot Rods, then Graham Parker & the Rumour. Guys who played it a bit 'closer to the bone.' Not so much showing off and more emphasis on the song and the attitude."

SPQ: There's a legend that when you originally released "Suspect Device" on cassette, it was packaged to look like a cassette bomb and that when you sent them out for label consideration one label exec thought it was a real bomb and tossed the tape into a bucket of water. Is there any truth to that? Or was it just a rumor? Truth be told, that's funny as hell if it did happen.

JB: "Yeah, that did happen. Although our manager of the time now isn’t so sure. We had to send them a replacement copy. They never signed us though."

SPQ: When the band packed up and moved to England in the late '70s, were you well-received upon your arrival? Was there any tension between your band and the British punks of that era?

JB: "Not really. Everyone was very welcoming. We found that we had a lot in common with those guys, even heroes like The Clash were nice guys to us. (Although, I do remember having to listen to a very drunk Rat Scabies once saying to me, 'We did all the fucking work then you swan over the Irish Sea and take all the fucking money!' He & I became very good friends later!!)"

SPQ: S.L.F. songs have been covered by so many bands over the years from Naked Raygun and Screeching Weasel to Dropkick Murphys and The Swingin' Utters. Do you feel your band's influence has grown broader over the years with these covers?

JB: "It’s always flattering if someone cites you as an influence, although to be honest, there are a lot of bands who say it and I can’t hear us at all in what they do. We’ve been name-checked by everyone from those bands you mentioned to folks like U2, Green Day and even artists like Manu Chao."

SPQ: Of all the bands who have covered your songs, who do you think did a better version?

JB: "My favorite version of any of our songs was done by an Argentinian band called Attaque 77. They did a fantastic flamenco-esque cover of 'Listen.'"

SPQ: I know you were part of the recent Black Sheep sessions. How did you get involved in the recording of the upcoming single?

JB: "I was asked by Eric Spicer if I could get involved and as he’s a friend and it was for a good cause, I said, 'sure.' When I later found out that Herb Rosen was doing it as well, that was a bonus. It was great to meet the other guys as well and I enjoy playing on other people’s material so it was cool to contribute a guitar part to Dan Schafer’s song."

SPQ: I had the privilege of interviewing Eric Spicer, Dan Schafer and Mike Byrne, all of whom contributed to the Black Sheep sessions, and all three have said what an honor it was to be able to work with you. How does it make you feel knowing you inspired so many bands who, in return, inspired bands themselves?

JB: "It’s not something I, or the rest of S.L.F. think about that much. You don’t want to come across as 'Old Father Rock,' y’know? But, as I said, it’s always flattering when someone says not only that they like what you do, but that it inspired them to get off their ass and do something for themselves."

SPQ: After moving to Chicago, what do you think of our local music scene? Are there any bands from the area that get you excited?

JB: "I wasn’t as aware of the Chicago scene as I was of, say, New York or L.A. Those cities just got more coverage outside the U.S. and also, we’d played there a lot more and my wife is from D.C., so I’ve been made aware of the whole D.C. hardcore thing, although that’s not really much to my taste. So, I’ve found out about Chicago bands since I’ve been here and obviously, I’ve been working with Mark DeRosa from Dummy and Joey & John Haggerty from Pegboy in the Nefarious Fat Cats fun/side project. John is a phenomenal guitarist; one of the best I’ve heard. His sound could take your face off. It’s so powerful and yet, his playing is so accurate. Also, another friend, Sean Joyce, who toured with Ministry and The Revolting Cocks has been filling me in on the whole Wax Trax history. He used to work in that store back in the day and has been very generous with his time and expertise. I went along to the first night of the Wax Trax Retrospectacle at Metro and was just blown away by Rights of the Accused. I wish I could have seen them back in the day. And obviously, I’ve guested a couple of times with Raygun, who are just fantastic live as well."

SPQ: Are there any plans for a new S.L.F. album or possible tour?

JB: "Yep. I’m writing at the moment and we’re just about to head out on a little 'both coasts' kind of tour. Sadly, no Chicago date, although we did try, but maybe have something later in the year."

SPQ: How can fans get in touch with you and the band? Is there a website where we can get info on new releases, tour dates and merch?

JB: The easiest way to keep up with what we’re doing is to visit: www.slf.com Or you can find us on facebook, either as S.L.F. or just as myself.

SPQ: I want to thank you for talking with Squid Pro Quo. It's not every day I get to interview someone who's done so much and influenced so many. I hope we get to see S.L.F. live in Chicago again real soon! Thank you so much Jake.

JB: "You’re welcome. All the best."

Interview with Dan Vapid on Screeching Weasel's "First World Manifesto"

Photo by Katie Hovland

After discussing female meatheads and how MTV's Jersey Shore is similar to the Harlem Irving Plaza of the '80s, Dan Schafer (aka Danny Vapid) answered some questions regarding Screeching Weasel's first studio album in 11 years, "First World Manifesto."

Squid Pro Quo: Can you tell me when you joined Screeching Weasel, how you heard about 'em, how you joined and what was it like?

Dan Schafer: "The first time I heard about them was in 1986 through the Daily Herald newspaper. There was an article about a punk rock band from Prospect Heights called Screeching Weasel. In the photo, they all had long hair. It was pretty funny. I remember being excited that a punk band lived that close to my hometown of Des Plaines, just two towns over. I remember just getting my driver's license and meeting up with Martin from Los Crudos at some venue in the west suburbs to see them play one of their first shows. There were like five people there beside us. Somehow it got canceled. After that, Screeching Weasel did a short stint of 21-plus shows, which I was too young to see.

Sometime in '87, they began playing all ages shows at the original Durty Nellies, located in downtown Palatine. I was a singer of a hardcore band at that time called Generation Waste. Screeching Weasel and Generation Waste played a few shows together when both bands had demo tapes for sale. Recording and selling demo cassette tapes was common back then. When Generation Waste broke up in '88, I spent about a year playing with random people but nothing seemed to stick. When Warren Ozzfish quit Screeching Weasel in 1989, they were looking for a bass player. I told them I could play bass, even though I couldn't play very well at the time. I was a huge fan of "Boogada Boogada Boogada" and practiced the songs like crazy. I got to become a member of one of my favorite bands."

SPQ: What was your first practice like or your first experiences with John and Ben and whoever else was there at the time?

DS: "Good. I remember rehearsing for an EP we were about to record called, "Punkhouse." I remember being very excited to play in the band and make a record. Back then, making an actual record was like a dream come true for me. I also thought Ben wrote great songs and the band had tons of potential and was bound for success. It's a nice memory for me."

SPQ: What were the major tours/breakups/shows/memories until Screeching Weasel's most recent hiatus?

DS: "The most memorable SW tour was my first in 1989. We toured in Ben's car with only our guitars, luggage and merch. Our first show was in Corvallis, Oregon; a 40-hour drive. I remember during my driving shifts, Ben and John somewhat lecturing me to stay in the left lane while passing only. We were singing "100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall" and other stupid games to pass the time. Our next show was in Berkley, CA at Gilman Street, which was a venue started by the people from Maximum Rock N' Roll magazine. Playing Gilman Street was a big deal back then. I remember playing San Francisco and a hall in northern CA with Green Day; they were just starting out. We were meeting lots of people and bands from all over the country. It was pretty cool but the tour was long and brutal. When we got back from that tour, the band broke up.

I started Sludgeworth soon after, in '89. I was playing for about a year when John Jughead asked how I felt about playing in Screeching Weasel again at the club, McGregor's, which was located at North Ave. and Route 83 in Elmhurst. I remember telling him I never wanted to stop. I think it was assumed I did. Ben and John had a project called The Gore Gore Girls, but were having problems getting it to go.
Larry Livermore from Lookout Records! told Ben he was interested in releasing a record by his band if he called it Screeching Weasel, so we were back in business.

In the summer of '91, we toured out to the west coast and recorded "My Brain Hurts" at the Art of Ears studio in San Francisco. I remember feeling pretty good because I was playing more of a role in the band. I was writing songs, singing backing vocals, giving input and they liked my ideas. That really meant a lot to me. Although I never took it personally, the guys in Generation Waste were sometimes patronizing when I offered creative input, probably because they were older than me. Some of it was probably deserved. But still, that early experience with Screeching Weasel, getting encouragement from Ben and John and watching Ben write songs played a huge role in wanting to pursue music further and working on being a songwriter.

After that, we toured through the south and east a few times, recorded "Wiggle" "Anthem For a New Tomorrow" and in the fall of '93, played a last show at a venue in downtown Forest Park. Screeching Weasel wasn't going to play live anymore. I can't speak for everybody but from my perspective, we were getting to the point where we were on auto-pilot live. I can remember Ben and I talking about it. During our last show, I was thinking about what I was going to have for dinner later that night and Ben was thinking about the movie, "Eddie and the Cruisers" for most of the set. I don't remember any tension at that point in time, just a need for a change."

SPQ: Tell me about 2007/8-present, doing "My Brain Hurts" in its entirety and getting the name Screeching Weasel back.

DS: "There was a business dispute between Ben and John over the ownership of the band. When that dispute was over, the idea of playing under the name, Screeching Weasel seemed more appealing to Ben. Having been an observer and member since the band started, my perspective is different than many. For some, the lack of Jughead is a charged subject and the band has lost something integral and vital. I don't see it that way at all. From about 1988 and on, I realized the success of Screeching Weasel is due to Ben, not John. Ben started the band, conducted a good portion of the business and wrote a large majority of the songs, including the signature leads that fans presumably attribute to John. To me, there should have never been a dispute in the first place over who's the owner of the band. It's always been obvious to me. All that said and done, I'm glad that Ben decided to reform the band and ask me to be a part of it. The response to the "My Brain Hurts" set was great, and we have had a huge amount of enthusiasm about Screeching Weasel coming back."

SPQ: So then what's it like without Jughead after all these years?

DS: When Ben was playing, "My Brain Hurts" under his solo set, I received an email from John stating how disappointed he was in me. I didn't see the harm in it. Ben was performing songs he wrote in a past band. I do it all the time. So did John, with his old band, Even In Blackouts. He made a public statement about it in which he claimed he wasn't my friend anymore. It felt self-serving and a little hypocritical to me. He didn't seem to care when he was playing in Screeching Weasel and I wasn't in the band anymore. I wasn't disappointed at him for playing in Screeching Weasel without me and I certainly wasn't sending him disapproving e-mails about it. I was simply asked to re-join a band I was a part of. There was no conspiracy or anything personal about it. It made for a lot of drama from Screeching Weasel fans all over the Internet and I understood that John's feeling were hurt. With that said, he benefited greatly for doing very little in terms of contributing to the sound of the band for many years. He was, how I saw it, a guy mainly into theater who knew Ben in 1986 who could play guitar well enough. Musicians willing to play punk rock back then were hard to find. I think John's talents are better-suited in acting and play writing. I believe that's where his heart has always been. I believe we have a line up now that is superior to the one we had back in the early '90s and I'm excited to see where it will take us."

SPQ: Has Ben changed? Is he the same dude you grew up playing music with?

DS: "Somewhat. Both of us are 20 years older now, and he's a father and a husband and that creates change for anybody. But he still gets a kick out of writing a good punk rock song. That side has always been there. He's good at it, so I'm glad to be working with him again."

SPQ: Do you feel you've changed? If so, how, and in what ways have you stayed the same?

DS: "Yes. I've changed somewhat too. The older you get, the less and less you care about what people think. I used to think that I could never be a musician at 40. That would be lame and absurd. Not to throw out a cliche, but you're only as old as you feel. I feel young at heart. I always think of my grandfather, who's 103. He still goes out and does things all the time. Although never perfect, I feel better without all the baggage that comes with being in your 20s. Also, I never thought I would be a dad! My wife and I will be having a baby in May! These things and others have changed, but music has been a constant for me and I don't see myself changing in that regard."

SPQ: What was writing "First World Manifesto" like as opposed to the rest of the albums you played on? Was the process different because there are different faces and hands involved, or is it you and Ben doing all the writing? Or just Ben? Just you ever?

DS: "Ben has always done the bulk of the writing in Screeching Weasel. I co-wrote only one song called "Dry As the Desert." We had Mike Kennerty from the All American Rejects producing. I never worked with an actual producer before. It was strange at first, but in the end the record came out great. While throwing down backing vocals and guitar tracks, each idea was discussed with Mike, so that was a new process for me."

SPQ: In an interview I read with Ben, he said he likes to have control over the band and push everyone to work hard and keep high standards. How does this work for everyone involved and being you're a senior Weasel member so to speak, is there that pressure on you as much? Or does your relationship exist on a more liberal level when it comes to business?

DS: "I think bands should always keep their standards high. You should always be pushing the envelope and never rest on your laurels. The pressure's on everybody and that's a good thing."

SPQ: Has the big Screeching Weasel hiatus of the 21st century been a good thing? How's the scene changed? Do you think it will be as good as it used to be? Better? Worse? And in what ways?

DS: "The hiatus was good in the sense that most of the fans had never seen the band live. Fans are eager to see Screeching Weasel and that's great. I'm grateful to be a part of something people appreciate. Overall, people everywhere that we have been touring have been very enthusiastic and supportive of Screeching Weasel."

SPQ: What can we expect on the new album? It's going to be on Fat Wreck - will it be heavy on the politics? More introspective looks on society?

DS: "Yep. You can expect Ben's ranting that you either love or love to hate. You can expect Ben's signature songwriting combined with some of my backing vocals and a new lineup of seasoned players."

TEEN IDOLS: Back in 2009

(Phillip Hill/left, Jason Fanboy Duarte/middle, Pete Mittler/right)

By Jason Duarte

Growing up as a punk rocker in Tennessee or "redneck central," as Hill explains, was tough - the bullet scar on his leg proves that.
"You'd have about 30-50 people at each show. Once Green Day hit, it got bigger. The biggest we ever had was about 700 people for a Teen Idols show. The last few shows I saw in Nashville were pretty small. Even the bigger bands only have maybe 200 people show up. We haven't played there since I think 2002, but it was packed back then - it sold out," Hill said.
But since he left Tennessee in 2001, Hill has been working as an engineer at Sonic Iguana Studios in Lafayette, Indiana . He moved to Chicago in 2003.

One thing's for sure though - the Teen Idols' new album will be out in 2010. The Teen Idols haven't released an album since 2003's "Nothing To Prove" on Fueled By Ramen Records.
"We're thinking about recording around Christmas time, maybe a little after," Hill said.
The new album will be recorded at Sonic Iguana. The current band he's producing in the studio is the Old Wives from Alberta, Canada.

The Teen Idols' upcoming album has yet to get a title, or songs, for that matter.
"Usually, that's the last thing that happens," Hill said. "I think that when we did 'Pucker Up,' we were just calling it 'The Second Album' until we decided to call it 'Pucker Up' because that's the song that stuck out. And our third album - that title's just a joke. It's a play on the movie, 'Full Metal Jacket.' It was supposed to be funny but people took it the wrong way and said, 'Oh, they think they're so cool with their leather jackets,'" Hill said with a laugh.

The band broke up in 2003 after an argument between the band members. "My hollow body guitar got smashed," Hill reflected of the 2003 fight. "I had gotten in an argument with Heather, she pushed me into a drum kit with my guitar and the neck split down to the seventh fret. It sat in its case for five years. Then, a guy I know who used to play rhythm guitar for The Queers said 'I'd like to try and fix it,' so I sent it to him. He brought it to one of the shows and it was like brand new. He used glue, clamps, epoxy...but there were still battle scars. Two days after the fight, I took a Greyhound bus from California to Chicago. I thought a lot and wrote a long e-mail basically saying how things had gotten fucked up. So I made sort of my 'manifesto' - like 'this is the way it should be run' kinda thing. Everyone was still too upset over the argument and weren't willing to talk about playing together at that time."

Predating that, Hill and Keith Witt didn't speak since late 2000, when Witt was fired after their last tour of Japan.
"Keith kind of became our arch-enemy. There were lots of hard feelings," Hill said. "He moved to Chicago, and I had already been living here. He got a hold of my number somehow, called me and told me he was living here now. We patched things up and we're good friends again. He actually got married last year to a girl from Tennessee and I was the best man at his wedding. So the old wounds have healed." Hill said.

In the past year, Hill has tried to get the original Teen Idols members back together to record and play. Drummer Matt Drastic was originally interested, but his busy schedule wouldn't allow him to commit to the band. Heather was also approached to fill her old position as the band's bassist, but she declined.

Since 1992, the band's been through its problems, trials and tribulations.
"There have been about 13 different band members since we started", Hill said.
But the Teen Idols are back in 2009 with Phillip Hill on guitar, Yvonne Szumski of The Scissors on bass, Keith Witt back on vocals and Nathan Bice of Even In Blackouts/Deadly Sins on drums. Catch the Teen Idols for Riot Fest Saturday at the Metro in Chicago with Anxiety High, Teenage Bottlerocket and the Dead Milkmen.

The Fizzy Pops - "The Fizzy Pops" review:

Finally - some good pop punk by teenagers and not 35-year olds! The Fizzy Pops, from the western 'burbs of Chicago, released its debut, self-titled album in December 2009 on Throw Up Records.
The trio alternates vocal duty between bassist Luke Ostojic and guitarist Caitlin Ferraro. Their tunes channel influences from early Green Day, Screeching Weasel and The Queers. It's especially noticeable when Caitlin busts out the catchy, poppy solos leading songs like "Friday The 13th" and "My Boss Is a Weirdo." Unlike a lot of pop punk bands, the bass player doesn't follow every note the guitarist does, which is refreshing. The two instruments play well off each other, almost giving some of the tracks a hint of ska influence. A confrontational tune, "Weasel," is led by Cait (which may or may not be about Ben Weasel). Not sure. Then some tunes, like "Loose Screws," almost seems to pull more of a Vindictives influence than anything else, combining a fast beat and snotty and somewhat non-traditional, "unpretty" pop punk vocals. I recommend this album to anyone who is a fan of any of the aforementioned bands. And The Muffs, cause sometimes Cait's vocals remind me of Kim Shattuck's. Also, these dudes (and dudette) are fun to see live - very full of energy!

3.5/5

TOP TRACK: "Friday The 13th"

Interview with Matt Hart of Squirtgun

My geeky self and Matt Hart (Squirtgun)
By Chris Carlton

Squid Pro Quo: Thanks for taking the time to talk with Squid Pro Quo, Matt. Fans know you as the lead singer for Squirtgun. Can you give us a little history on how the band got started?

Matt Hart: "Squirtgun started in 1992-93, though we weren’t called Squirtgun at that point. The Giorgini brothers (Mass and Flav) and the inimitable Dan Lumley were in a band at that point called Rattail Grenadier. I was in graduate school at Ohio University studying philosophy and teaching logic. For a variety of reasons that I can’t remember, Rattail’s singer (their fourth, I think) quit the band. That’s when I got the call from Mass to come to Indiana and do some demos with Rattail. The connection there is that during the late '80s, I was in a band in Evansville, IN (where I’m from originally) called Freaks of Nature, and we used to play shows with Rattail (who were from Lafayette, IN). That’s how we all became friends in the first place.

At any rate, in the spring or summer of ’93, I did go to Lafayette to do some demos, but it became pretty clear to all of us that with me singing, it wasn’t going to be Rattail anymore (they were a more hardcore/metal-ly band, and I just didn’t have the throat for that). Plus, I had a bunch of songs to add to the mix, and I started writing lyrics/melodies for some music that the other guys had already worked up. That’s how it all started. I think in those first sessions we recorded “Social,” “Mr. Orange,” “Allergic to You,” “Long So Long,” “Liar’s Corner” and “With a Grin and a Kick,” among others. Because of Mass’s connection with Lookout! (Records) at that point, it made sense for us to try and get a deal with them. Mass wanted the band to have a cartoon-y, pop-punk sort of name, and I came up with Squirtgun (I wish I hadn’t, but I did. In retrospect, I should’ve come up with Piano Smash or Death’s Head Rabbit or Notes after Blacking Out—anything but Squirtgun)."

SPQ: I had the chance to see Squirtgun play, and actually meet you a couple of years ago in Chicago when the band played with Teen Idols and 88 Fingers Louie and you guys were amazing live! Are there any plans for another Squirtgun album or possible tour?

MH: "I’m glad you liked the live show. We had fun doing those a couple of summers ago, but I kind of think that was it. The end. Maybe I’m wrong. I’ve been wrong before, and we’re all still great friends, so I guess anything is possible, but Flav is a research scientist in genetics at the University of Leicester in England now. Mass just got his Ph.D in Spanish and is teaching at several colleges/universities. I teach writing and literature at the Art Academy of Cincinnati (a four-year college of art and design) and I’m a poet (more on that below). Dan writes for the Lafayette newspaper. Additionally, Flav and I both have young children, so it’s tough to get away to rehearse, much less tour. The truth is, I haven’t even picked up a guitar, other than the toy guitar my daughter has, in more than a year. I get the same charge writing and reading poems that I got playing in bands, so it’s hard to imagine going back to music, but if something comes up that’s too good to be true…well, I’ll never say never, but there are no plans."

SPQ: Who were your musical influences growing up and do you think those influences come through in your songwriting?

MH: "Songwriting? Oh man, I’m sure it’s mind-boggling to some people, but I don’t write songs anymore at all—none. That said, the music I grew up with certainly influences who I am as a poet. In fact, I just wrote a long essay in four parts for Coldfront Mag online where I discuss exactly the connections between punk rock and my writing. You can see them here:

http://coldfrontmag.com/poets-off-poetry/by-any-means-necessary-part-1-by-matt-hart

http://coldfrontmag.com/poets-off-poetry/by-any-means-necessary-part-2-by-matt-hart

http://coldfrontmag.com/poets-off-poetry/by-any-means-necessary-part-3-by-matt-hart

http://coldfrontmag.com/poets-off-poetry/by-any-means-necessary-part-4-by-matt-hart

One thing I don’t discuss in the essays above is how much music performance, especially punk vocalists, have influenced the way I perform poetry. I think I’ve always been someone who likes singers/bands that nearly fly apart on stage. That’s certainly something I’ve always tried to do. There’s a recklessness to performance, which is both thrilling and potentially disastrous. I mean, if you’re really in it, you’re totally weird-wired and also vulnerable as hell. Every time I walk on stage/up to a mic whether it’s playing with a band or reading poetry, I’m trying for ekstasis—that is, to be literally beside myself, watching myself, the audience, the vast and the void.

Actually, I want a similar thing to occur when I’m writing; I want to 'wake up' typing with a poem in front of me. I get pretty wound up whatever I’m doing, but this keeps it exciting. Sometimes it’s great, and sometimes it’s terrible. Extremity is crucial. The experience has to be full-throttle. Volcano mixed with trickster mixed with stars and giant heart. Giant vision, giant voice.

In this respect, my influences were and still are bands like Alice Cooper, Black Flag, The Dead Kennedys, The Sex Pistols, The Circle Jerks, The Germs, Lifetime and Jawbreaker. More recent bands I’ve really been into are The Blood Brothers, Forgetters, Shellac, Titus Andronicus, The Gaslight Anthem and The Hold Steady.

I like performances (and try to give performances when I read) that are volatile, dynamic, noisy and declarative. I mean, whether I’m at a poetry reading or a rock show, I always want to have my face blown off and leave feeling like I’ve just seen something which is nearly inexplicable, totally surprising and somehow also provocative (both physically and intellectually). I want to be moved, and I want to move other people. As Ralph Waldo Emerson put it, 'Sometimes a scream is better than a thesis.' To me, this is the bedrock of punk rock, and it’s exactly the reason so many of us are so wide up awake even in our sleep. I’m looking in performances for something ecstatic (and there it is again, ekstasis), something outside the outside, totally in fits—like breathing fire by creating a flame thrower in one’s gut, not metaphorically but for real with the real."

SPQ: Back when you first started out playing in bands, pre mid-90's punk explosion, was it hard to find places to play outside of house parties?

MH: "We definitely played some house parties, but we also played a lot of gymnasiums and college student centers, VFW Halls, and little all-ages clubs that would pop up here and there (then disappear just as quickly). For example, Mass’s Spud Zero in Lafayette, which was around for a couple of years and hosted everybody from The Zero Boys and Screeching Weasel to Naked Raygun and Green Day. There were plenty of places to play, and when there weren’t, we created them. We did it ourselves, and that continues to influence who I am. I don’t ever have the sense that there’s something I can’t do. Not having money or resources is no excuse to not follow one’s dreams and passions. DIY all the way. Make it happen.

SPQ: How do you feel the scene has changed since those early days? Do you feel the scene has gotten better or suffered in the wake of "mall punk" and bands like Green Day going multi-platinum?

MH: "Well, given that Squirtgun’s most famous song is in a movie called Mallrats, I don’t really think I can disparage mall punk. I mean, where I come from, mall punk is all there was/is? I was mall punk in 1984. There was no such thing as punk rock in southern Indiana back then. We had nothing to do and nowhere to go, so we hung out at the mall—and hatched plans to have shows in people’s basements, etc. I once played a show in a stairwell, between a basement and a first floor. I played a show in a kitchen in Knoxville, TN. I’ve also played shows in soccer arenas. The point is: punk is and always has been about doing it yourself. The labels don’t matter. Labels are the antithesis of punk.

As for the scene, I don’t really think there’s much to say. And even if I did think there was something to say, it wouldn’t make any difference—which is a great thing. I’m just one guy, and I don’t even go to shows anymore, so I don’t really know anything about the scene—not even whether or not there is (or ever was) one. The important thing is that to some extent or other, there will always be young people in revolt—both literally and figuratively/artistically. And that means things may ebb and flow, but punk rock and its various tributaries (those established and those not even thought of yet) are a fact of our existence, which is lucky for us."

SPQ: Are there any newer bands out there, not necessarily punk bands, that you really enjoy listening to?

MH: "More recent bands I’ve really been into are The Blood Brothers, Forgetters, Shellac, Titus Andronicus, The Gaslight Anthem and The Hold Steady. Additionally, I love jazz—especially super noisy, squealy, squawky, tear your hair out jazz, e.g. Ornette Coleman, Albert Ayler, Sun Ra. Love those Sonic Youth Records (SYR), Sonic Youth records (the super feedback-y noisy ones), Storm and Stress, DNA.

But man, I listen to everything from classical music to bluegrass to hardcore.

I always wanted to be in a hardcore band. Johnny Whitney, late of The Blood Brothers, has the most kick-ass voice of anybody. Blake Schwarzenbach, too. And Darby Crash."

SPQ: In recent years, as mentioned, you've worked at the Art Academy of Cincinnati and have even started writing poetry. Has any of your writing been published?

MH: Just to be clear, I started writing poetry long before I was in Squirtgun and I’ve continued writing it very seriously all these years. I have three published full-length collections, Who’s Who Vivid (Slope Editions, 2006), Wolf Face (H_NGM_N Books, 2010) and Light-Headed (BlazeVOX, 2011). A new book of poems—my punk rock book of poems—Sermons and Lectures both Blank and Relentless will be published in the spring of 2012 by Typecast Publishing. I’m really excited about that one. My hope is to open some punk shows reading from it. It’s pretty out there, weaving together references to early punk rock, my own personal life, and various philosophers/philosophical positions as a way to talk about human feeling/being, visionary activity and transcendence. The poems are really fiery, and it would be awesome to deliver them in front of a wild at heart, punk rock audience.

Speaking of the Sermons and Lectures, I should mention that a different section of it appears at the end of each of the essays I linked you to above.

Beyond that, there’s a ton of my poetry out there for anybody who’s interested. I also give tons of readings, so it’s pretty easy to catch me live. Over the last 10 or 15 years, I’ve given readings from NYC to San Francisco and everywhere in between. Last summer, I read in China for the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa and the U.S. Department of State. This fall, I’ll be back in NYC and also Portland, OR and Seattle. It’s great work if you can get it."

SPQ: Can you give us some of your influences as far as literature?

MH: "Yeah, I tend to like things that are surprising (both in terms of their content and the way/s they use language). I love the Romantics, the Surrealists, The Beats, The New York School Poets, etc. Here’s a reading list:

Samuel Taylor Coleridge (especially the Conversation poems)

John Keats

John Clare

The Illuminations by Arthur Rimbaud

“Bartleby the Scrivener” by Herman Melville

Emily Dickinson (one of our weirdest poets!)

Walt Whitman

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Tender Buttons by Gertrude Stein

The Philosophical Investigations by Ludwig Wittgenstein

The Dada Painters and Poets, Ed. Robert Motherwell

The Poetry of Surrealism, Ed. by Michael Benedikt

The Dream Songs by John Berryman

The Collected Poems of Frank O’Hara

The Sonnets by Ted Berrigan

Flannery O’Connor

As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

Wallace Stevens

On the Road, Dharma Bums, The Subterraneans and Big Sur by Jack Kerouac

Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs

Gregory Corso (anything)

On Bear’s Head by Philip Whalen

Dean Young (anything)

Indeed I Was Pleased with the World by Mary Ruefle

This Is Not a Novel by David Markson

Grave of Light: Selected Poems by Alice Notley

Haruki Murakami (especially the short stories)

Donald Barthelme

Kenneth Koch

Lydia Davis

The Girl in the Flammable Skirt by Aimee Bender

The Tennis Court Oath by John Ashbery

The Savage Detectives and 2666 by Roberto Bolano."

SPQ: Do you enjoy writing poetry as much or more than writing music or is there a nice counterbalance between both art forms?

MH: "I love writing/reading/performing poetry. Writing music, I was never very good at. I never really cared all that much about being a musician. I wanted to be a front man. I wanted to go the distance lyrically/melodically in dissonance and harmony, but more than that, I wanted to be a presence on stage. I wanted to throw myself against the wall. I wanted to be music. With poetry, I can do that. I do that. I try every day to do that."

SPQ: Is there a website where we can get news on what you're up to; where we can get some info on your literature writings, music news, possible new releases, upcoming appearances or merch?

MH: Yes indeed: www.matthartpoet.com. Also: www.artacademy.edu.

SPQ: I would like to thank you again for taking the time to talk with Squid Pro Quo. It was a pleasure talking with you, Matt. And I hope we get to hear more from you in the future. Thanks again.

MH: Thanks, Chris. It was fun.

Interview with Danny Sage from D Generation

By Chris Carlton

Chris Carlton spoke with Danny Sage, lead guitarist of D-Generation, about his influences, involvement in D-Gen and the band's upcoming shows (hint: Riot Fest)!

Squid Pro Quo: Growing up in New York, you must have seen some pretty amazing bands over the years. What was it like being a part of the NY music scene, and do you have any fond memories?

Danny Sage: "Yeah, I was lucky. I saw The Ramones at The Diplomat in late '77, I think. I was a little kid. But I was so small, I could only see the backdrop. Maybe the top of Joey's head. I left cause I couldn't see anything. I think I stayed for three songs! But I did see a lot of good bands and I knew about a lot of ones I couldn't see. Since New York is kind of the center of everything, they all came through there and there were good fanzines and magazines and record stores! And I liked bands before they got big usually, so I'd get to see them in smaller places, and that's always better. If I didn't live in New York, I wouldn't have gotten that opportunity probably."

SPQ: Who are your musical influences?

DS: "I have a lot of things and people that inspired me: The Beatles, The Ramones, The Sex Pistols, The Clash... Then certain guitar players: Mick Ronson, James Williamson, Jimmy Page, Mick Jones, Steve Jones, James Honeyman Scott, Angus Young... I could go on forever. I also like things that no one ever guesses. I love Joni Mitchell, Captain Beefheart, Django Reinhardt... I like Adele's new record. The first one's great, too."

SPQ: How did you get involved in D Generation?

DS: "I had always played on and off with Jesse (Malin), since we were about 14 or so. I played guitar in Heart Attack, about 1982 or so. We had always talked about making a more rock 'n' roll band with two guitars, a singer, then we finally did in 1991. After a few false starts, it turned into the real D Gen lineup."

SPQ: You must have played some amazing gigs over the years. Where is your all-time favorite place to play/see a gig?

DS: "I always loved Irving Plaza in New York. It's no accident that our show in NYC is there. I always loved seeing bands there, as well as playing there. The first time we played there, we sold it out, and that was a really big deal to us. I love the Glasgow Barrowlands. We did shows there in 1998 with Green Day, and it was amazing. The kids are fucking crazy. Spain is great, there are some other really memorable places. I used to love to play the old Continental in NYC, and CBGB of course. They were always great to us."

SPQ: D Gen's second album, "No Lunch," was produced by The Cars' Ric Ocasek. What was it like working with Ric?

DS: "Ric was my first choice after a while for "No Lunch". The only other people I might have looked at were Chris Thomas and maybe Bill Price. We met with a lot of people, but they weren't ever considered seriously, and my only other choices were dead people, or people like Jimmy Page. I would put dead guys' names on my list to see if my A&R guy was asleep or not. My first real choice was Ric. I liked the first Weezer album, and I like The Cars, and I was aware that he'd worked with Bad Brains and Suicide, who we all love. He lives in New York, he's really smart and funny, it was a good fit, at least for me, he and I got on well. And I think that's a good record. I learned a lot from Ric."

SPQ: I always looked at D Gen as being one of those great bands that just fell through the cracks and never really caught on the way you should have. Did you feel like that changed a little bit after the band split up? Like people might have said "Ahh, they were pretty damn good! We should have paid more attention to them?"

DS: "Not to sound like we invented fire, but we were the real deal, and it just so happened that the timing was really bad. People were really into Seattle, grunge, etc. and we were the polar opposite of that, on the surface. Things have changed a lot, and a lot of people are hip to what we we're into. Also, New York is somehow glamorous and amazing to everyone now. It wasn't that way till like 10 years ago. Five scruffy idiots from New York? People looked at us like we had horns sticking out of our heads. Now, they get it. Too late!"

SPQ: After the band split, you recorded some solo material. Have those recordings ever been released?

DS: "I was lucky; I moved to L.A. and I met a guy named Phil Jaurigui, who owns Swinghouse Studios in L.A. He was a D Gen fan, he and I became friends and he asked me what my plans were. He eventually let me make a record at his place. I did it in about 2001/2002. But when I finished, I started to meet with people, and it was like whoever would get into it would be fired two weeks later. It was the very beginning of the 'cleaning house' of all the big labels, so I got really disillusioned with the whole thing and just kind of ignored it. So, to this day, it's never been released. Maybe next year! I'm not gonna sweat it. It's so old now, I don't have an attachment to it."

SPQ: With the classic D Gen lineup back, (Danny Sage - guitar, Jesse Malin - vocals, Michael Wildwood - drums, Howie Pyro - bass, Richard Bacchus - guitar) together for a couple upcoming shows in New York (Irving Plaza 9/17) and L.A. (Troubadour 9/24), are there any plans for a full-scale tour or possibly a new album?

DS: "It's hard to say. Everyone has other commitments. We'll see how it goes. Right now, the band is getting along relatively well, and there are a lot of offers so we'll see what happens."

SPQ: Where can people get in touch with the band, get show dates and ticket info? Is there an official D Generation or Danny Sage website you want to plug?

DS: "There is www.dgeneration.us, to get info on the band. It's brand new. There's also a facebook page, but I couldn't tell you which one it is. I guess the one with the least lies on it. Or maybe the one with the most lies. Can't remember."

SPQ: Danny, I want to thank you very much for taking the time to talk with Squid Pro Quo. I, for one, am psyched about having the band back again. I hope we can get you guys back to Chicago after so many years away.

DS: "Thanks. We will be in Chicago for Riot Fest; I think early October. See you then."

Top Albums, EPs, 7''s, Splits and Demos of 2011

First up is Top 20 full-lengths followed by Top 20 EPs/7''s/collections/demos and finally, Top 8 split 7''s. By each band name and release is a link to the label to which it was released, followed by a brief writeup, a link to a review (if it was reviewed), the album art, and then streaming music from the release. A lot of great releases came out this year. I hope you enjoy, and find at least something new. What were your favorite releases this year?

Top 20 Full-Lengths of 2011

By Jason Duarte

1. Tenement - Napalm Dream (Mandible)

Tenement is a band I saw a couple years ago, but paid no attention to, as I had never heard of them at the time. When Napalm Dream was released this year, I recognized the band and gave it a listen, which turned into giving it a shit ton of listens. This album channels garage, punk, indie and rock music and weaves it all into a beautiful sonic tapestry. This is the best album I've heard all year. Check out our review of Napalm Dream here.

TOP TRACKS: "Stupid Werld," "Spit In the Wind" and "Running Into Mirrors."

2. Samiam - Trips (Hopeless)

Samiam has an impressive back catalog, but since 2000's Astray, nothing has grabbed me the same (I know there isn't a lot since 2000). I picked up a copy of Trips at Reggie's without having heard it prior, and I am so happy I did, because it saved me from shipping charges. This album is Samiam at its best - the songwriting is top-notch, very well thought out and you can tell the band really took its time to write this one. Recorded at Green Day's Jingletown Studios, this album is great from start to finish, and the recording quality is incredible. Check out our blurbs about Samiam here.

TOP TRACKS: "80 West," "September" and "Happy For You."

3. Banner Pilot - Heart Beats Pacific (Fat Wreck)

This year, Banner Pilot released its new album - it's third Fat Wreck release (including the remastered re-issue of Resignation Day). Nate Gangelhoff's pronounced bass lines and songs are tighter than ever, the songs are personal and the sound holds true to the band's previous releases. This is also the perfect album to listen to in winter. Check out our blurbs about Banner Pilot here.

TOP TRACKS: "Forty Degrees," "Eraser" and "Intervention."

4. Black Wine - Summer of Indifference (Don Giovanni)

This year, Black Wine kicked all our ears' asses with an album titled, Summer of Indifference. I was in love with their first album and thought, "eh, they probably can't top it." What happened with that scenario was the complete opposite. This album is awesome. It's more held together by the members. They've tightened up. They've honed in on the sound they're going for, and they executed it wonderfully. The album art is nice and simple and just cool. I was lucky enough to catch two of their shows in Illinois this summer, and book one/house them for one. A great album by some great people.

TOP TRACKS: "End of Days," "Spit To See the Shame" and "Ocean's Skin."

5. House Boat - The Thorns of Life (Traffic Street/Kiss of Death?)

Fucking finally got my physical copy of this shit! House Boat released its second full-length, which turned out awesome. I was all "meh" about the Processing Complaints 7'' (but really dug it), but this full-length blew me away. As always, it could use more Mikey Erg! and Ace (of bass) vocals (screw you, Zack (just kidding)), but hey - you know what, it's like the Steinways never died, and I'm OK with that. In fact, it's like The Steinways evolved. This album kicks ass, and as of Christmas day, I wasn't sure if this thing was ever going to see a physical release, being I ordered it on July 31. Also, I was promised a poster and a pin when I ordered this, and didn't receive either - did anyone get those items, cause I'd feel a lot better if everyone didn't get them. I'm writing a letter, damn it!

TOP TRACKS: "Now We Are 31," "Real Life As a Metaphor For Real Life" and "A Song In Which I Convince Myself To Stop Being Such a Fucking Idiot."

6. Night Birds - The Other Side of Darkness (Grave Mistake)

"What the fuck, another east coast band on your top whatever list," you say? "Yes." Night Birds is awesome - no one can argue with that (they can try). After releasing a bunch of 7''s and EPs and shit over the last few years, they finally released a much-anticipated full-length. Before this, we had to hold ourselves over two or four songs at a time. The band re-recorded two songs from their demo CD-R, "I Can't Get Clean" and "Paranoid Times." There's also a song about the movie They Live called "Hofmann Lens." It rules and so does all 22 minutes of this record. Check out our full review of The Other Side of Darkness here, and other reviews of their stuffhere.

TOP TRACKS: "Born of Man and Woman," "Demon Haunted World" and "Hofmann Lens."

7. Sundials - Never Settle (Toxic Pop)

Sundials was another new band to my ears this year. A great indie/punk band from Richmond, Virginia, Sundials sings from the heart and captivates its listeners. Much recommended. Check out our review of Never Settle here, and our interview with the band from earlier this yearhere.

TOP TRACKS: "Take You In My Coffee," "Either Way" and "Probably Not."

8. The Copyrights - North Sentinel Island (Red Scare/It's Alive)

The Copyrights are one of my favorite bands, and it used to be they'd release a full-length every year. But it's been three years since Learn the Hard Way's release. The band took its time on this one, and recorded it at Atlas Studios in Chicago with Matt Allison. They went all out and added keyboards and a couple other things they haven't introduced to us yet. I love this album, and the band's Crutches 7'' is a great accompanying release. Check out our interview with Luke McNeill (drums) from earlier this year here.

TOP TRACKS: "Bow Down," "20 Feet Tall" and "Never Move Your Back Row."

9. Deep Sleep - Turn Me Off (Grave Mistake)

Deep Sleep is one of the only current hardcore bands I listen to, as I'm not much a fan of modern hardcore, but this band gets it. It's not just screaming and yelling and blind agression; there's a point to the songs, and that's key. Like Night Birds, Deep Sleep has released a handful of 7''s and a collection album before releasing a proper full-length. All 13 minutes of this album is filled with intense, urgent and great hardcore. Check out our review of Three Things At Once here.

TOP TRACKS: "Slow Down," "Be With You" and "Head Spins."

10. Noise By Numbers - Over Leavitt (Jump Start)

Noise By Numbers released one of my favorite albums a couple years ago and now they've released another one, along the same vein of heartfelt, geocentric songs by beloved Chicago punk musicians. I am a huge fan of this album, though I'm not sure it tops Yeah...Whatever. Check out our review of Over Leavitt here, and one I did for Jaded In Chicago here.

TOP TRACKS: "Lost My Way," "I Don't Think So" and "Over Leavitt."

11. Lemuria - Pebble (Bridge 9)

Lemuria is an awesome indie/pop/punk band from Buffalo, NY. Sheena Ozzella (guitar) has a higher, vulnerable voice and she switches lead vocals with Alex Kerns (drums), who has a lower, more monotoned voice. They compliment each other wonderfully and the catchy tunes on this album will resonate with you for a long time. I've been playing this with the band's entire back catalog for weeks. Their most recent DIY space show in Chicago was incredible and I can't wait to see them again.

TOP TRACKS: "Chautauqua County," "Pleaser" and "The One."

12. Underground Railroad To Candyland - Knows Your Sins (Recess)

Underground Railroad To Candyland is one of the most fun bands to see live. I was lucky to catch them at Schuba's this year with Screaming Females and Treasure Fleet (though it took me three hours to get there). I can't say enough good things about URTC. Check out our review of Knows Your Sins here, and at the Elgin Courier-News here.

TOP TRACKS: "We Aren't the World," "And You Think You Can Tame Me" and "Stop Cryin' Kid."

Stream Knows Your Sins here.

13. Spraynard - Funtitled (Asian Man)

Spraynard is a great young band from Pennsylvania. Its posi-punk, anthemic songs are nicely-layered, especially for a three-piece. I was fortunate enough to catch them twice in San Francisco this year as part of the AMR 15-year anniversary festival, and see their raw talent and emotion come through with the songs. Spraynard is a great contrast to a lot of the more negative or otherwise nihilistic punk rock songs out there. Check out our review of this year's Broadways reunion show featuring Spraynard here.

TOP TRACKS: "The Denver Broncos vs. The Denver Broncos," "Homies Where the Heart Is" and "Quite Exciting, This Computer Magic."

Download and donate here.

14. Kepi Ghoulie - I Bleed Rock 'N' Roll (Asian Man)
KEPI!! What a pleasant surprise this album was. Kepi keeps it Kepi-esque while switching it up a little bit, introducing more rock 'n' roll riffage and energy. The dude is a machine. I love this album, and wrote some reviews for it. Check it out, and give this one a listen - one of Asian Man's best releases this year!
Check out our review of I Bleed Rock 'N' Roll here, and over at Jaded In Chicago.

TOP TRACKS: "The Fever," "Nikki Lee" and "I Bleed Rock 'N' Roll."

Stream I Bleed Rock 'N' Roll here.

15. The Dead Milkmen - The King In Yellow (Self-released)
It's been too long since the Dead Milkmen released a proper full-length, and holy crap! We have a new one! The band put it out themselves, and are selling CDs and digital versions of the songs on its website. The songs are funny, satirical, serious and cynical. They don't skimp out either with 17 new songs on this one.

TOP TRACKS: "Meaningless Upbeat Happy Song," "Passport To Depravity" and "Or Maybe It Is."

Preview the album here.

16. Brick Mower - Under the Sink (Viking On Campus/Stumparumper)
Brick Mower is a three-piece from NJ, heavily influenced by grunge and punk. I was lucky enough to meet these guys (and girl) this summer while they were on tour with Black Wine (NJ). The bands stayed at my house in Elgin and played the Gasthaus, and then Chicago the next day. Those two days were absolutely packed with fun, and I'm happy to have been introduced to these guys. Their music is straightforward and raw. This album gets better the more you listen to it.

TOP TRACKS: "Tuxedo Bitch," "Slow Too Fast" and "Weaving."

17. The Gateway District - Perfect's Gonna Fail (It's Alive)
Minnepolis's Gateway District is a fun band. Their first album, Some Days You Get the Thunder was amazing, and this follow-up album carries the rock. This album is upbeat and fun and one of my favorite It's Alive releases of the year.

TOP TRACKS: "Leaving Me Behind," "Waiting For the Sirens" and "I'll Take the River."

18. Dan Andriano In the Emergency Room - Hurricane Season (Asian Man)
One of my all-time favorite songwriters. Dan Andriano gushes with honesty and raw emotion. This record starts off pretty melancholy but by the end, the sun's out. Check out our blurb about Dan here.

TOP TRACKS: "Let Me In," "It's Gonna Rain All Day" and "Me and Denver."

Check out a track-by-track article on the album here.

19. Face To Face - Laugh Now, Laugh Later (Antagonist)

Face To Face was one of my first favorite punk bands in high school, and this is their first new album since 2002's How To Ruin Everything. Seeing them with Strung Out this year was amazing, as it was my first time. This album is upbeat, and just as awesome as anything else they've done (OK, not anything, but still...for 9 years of breakage, this album rules). The bass line on "What You Came For" is the best part of the entire album. Check out our blurb aboutLaugh Now, Laugh Later here.

TOP TRACKS: "What You Came For," "It's Not All About You" and "Should Anything Go Wrong."

Stream here.

20. Smoking Popes - This Is Only a Test (Asian Man)

One of my all-time favorite bands are The Popes. This Is Only a Test is the band's first new album since Stay Down was released in 2008. This album is great - as it is a concept album told from the perspective from a high school-aged male. Interesting and intriguing, but I felt it pigeonholed itself (just a little bit). This is a great record, and I look forward to the next Popes album.

TOP TRACKS: "Wish We Were," "Freakin' Out" and "Letter To Emily."

Stream the album here.

Top 7''s/Collections/EPs/Demos of 2011

1. Tenement - Blind Wink LP (Cowabunga (LP)/Dead Broke (cassette))

Formerly released exclusively to cassette, I was happy this gem found a proper vinyl release. I know it's heavily Tenement, but they've been the band of the year over here. This collection of demos and other tracks is a great deviation from Napalm Dream. So much so that it quickly climbed to the top of my list.

TOP TRACKS: "Lost Love Star Lust," "Hey Soozie" and "(Messy Endings) In Middle America."

2. Iron Chic - Split N' Shit EP (All In Vinyl/Yo-Yo)

Not Like This was my favorite album last year. The split they did with Pacer, plus the Bikini Kill cover and European tour song are all packaged into one on this digital EP, which is nothing short of amazing. I can't wait till the second full-length release this year.

TOP TRACK: "Climate Is What We Expect, Weather Is What We Get."

3. Tenement - Taking Everything 7'' (Toxic Pop)

The Taking Everything 7'' is an amazing follow-up to Napalm Dream. One catchy, hook-laded electric song, a slow one and another catchy slower one are on here with a bonus track called "Jesse's Poem." Check out our review of the Taking Everything 7'' here.

TOP TRACK: "Taking Everything."

4. Chixdiggit! - Safeways Here We Come LP (Fat Wreck)

Chixdiggit! is back with its first release since 2005's Pink Razors. This 12'' EP is seven songs long and just as tight and funny and amazing as their past stuff. The first song's about Miso Ramen (or is it?), and then KJ Jansen wrote some songs about hating on his friend's dog, stupid hairstyles, his disgust for basketball and so on. This release is awesome.

TOP TRACKS: "I Hate Basketball," "Swedish Rat" and "I Hope Things Will Turn Around."

Stream the EP here.

5. The Steinways - Promise It'll Never Happen Again LP (It's Alive)

This is one of the best pop punk bands ever. This LP is a collection of various 7''s the band released over the years (Rocket Surgery, the It's Alive Wedding split, the Peabodys split and more). There's a lot of great pop punk on this album. Makes me wish The Steinways were still a band. Check out our review of Gorilla Marketing here.

TOP TRACKS: "Always? Never!," "Headache-Girlfriend=Zero" and "I Shit (You Not)."

6. The Measure [sa] - My Heart and the Real World: Another Collection of Standard Waits and Measurements (No Idea)

The Measure [sa] broke up this year, playing its last show at Fest 10 in Gainesville, FL. The last few shows they've played, they were giving away a 7'' called Jersey's Best, and I was kind of disappointed those songs didn't make it on this collection LP. BUT, a whole bunch of the band's 7''s made it on here including its splits with The Ergs!, the Art of the Underground 7'' and many others. For someone like myself who hasn't tracked down and rounded out his Measure [sa] collection, this is perfect. Pre-orders from No Idea also came with a bonus 7'' with a song that also isn't on the collection (argh!) and some live songs from Fest 9. Awesome! I wish I had them digitized!

TOP TRACKS: "We've Upped Our Standards, Now Up Yours," "Remember the Devillock" and "Workage."

7. Night Birds - Fresh Kills, Vol. 1 (Grave Mistake)

Pre-dating The Other Side of Darkness came this release, a collection of the band's 7''s and EPs. It has everything TOSOD doesn't, and it's amazing. If you don't have all the other releases, I'd recommend picking this up.

8. Night Birds - Midnight Movies 7'' (No Way)

Night Birds released a collection CD this year, titled Fresh Kills, Vol. 1, which features theMidnight Movies songs, but before that came this 7''. Four fast, sick songs in 6 minutes. The artwork, by Mike Diana, is arguably the best part of this release. Research him if you're not familiar. Check out our review of the 7'' here.

TOP TRACK: "Midnight Movies."

9. Mikey Erg! - Heart-Shaped 12'' (Paper + Plastick)

Mikey Erg! is arguably the coolest dude ever. We got to hang a bunch in San Francisco this summer and around the country in some other parts this past year (NJ, Chicago, etc.). He's one of my favorite songwriters and can do no wrong by me. On Valentine's Day this year, Paper + Plastick released three colors (I have all of them!) of a two-song heart-shaped 12''. Both are catchy as fuck, and will resonate in your head for months (at least). Read some Mikey Erg!blurbage!

TOP TRACK: "Little Hands of Concrete."

10. Teenage Bottlerocket - Mutilate Me 7'' (Fat Wreck)

Teenage Bottlerocket made my number 1 album of 2009 list, and now they've followed up with this 7'' titled, Mutilate Me. It's just enough to hold me over until new TBR songs come out. Word is, they're writing/recording for a new full-length. The two originals on this 7'' are amazing and they do a great cover of Bad Religion's "Henchmen" at the end. Check out our review of Mutilate Me here.

TOP TRACK: "Mutilate Me."

Stream here.

11. RVIVR - The Joester Sessions LP (Rumbletowne)

RVIVR is a band I got into post-Latterman and post-Shorebirds. I like them a lot more. They're proactive, gritty, bold and aren't afraid to speak their minds and shatter the status quo. This collection LP features the songs off the Life Moves 7'', the Dirty Water 12'' and the Derailer 7'', with a bonus song titled, "Elizabethan Collar." This is one is a fun one.

TOP TRACKS: "Seethin'," "Life Moves" and "Tallest Tree."

12. The Old Wives - Backed In a Corner EP (When's Lunch)

The Old Wives are in my top two favorite bands from Canada (Chixdiggit! is the other one). They are an amazing pop punk band and on this new EP, bassist Ryan Dix takes over on lead vocals for a couple of tracks. It's an awesome change-up, as his vocals compliment Liam's very nicely. He's a lot more smoother, a little higher and poppier and Liam's are a bit grittier and lower. I highly recommend this band, and their full length kicks ass.

TOP TRACKS: "Backed In a Corner," "Heroes" and "Dix 1N1."

Stream the EP here.

13. Worriers - Past Lives 7'' (No Idea)

So The Measure [sa]'s last show was at Fest 10 in October, and from the ashes, Lauren Measure, MIke Hunchback and two other dudes formed this band. It sounds very Measure-esque. The intros to the songs are all pretty similar; individual notes being plucked from chords, but the songs are great. Being I'm such a huge fan of The Measure [sa], I'm happy to hear Lauren's still making music. Check out our blurb on Worriers here.

TOP TRACK: "Past Lives."

14. Chris Wollard and Addison Burns - Lil' Bitta 7'' (No Idea)

Chris Wollard is one of my favorite songwriters, and since Hot Water Music's hiatus, he's been dabbling in his own solo material. He released a split with Mike Hale, Drag the River and a couple other 7''s before this one, where he teamed up with Addison Burns. This 7'' features four original tracks and is great folky, mellow tunes in the vein of Rumbleseat and The Draft. Can't wait till his next release.

TOP TRACK: "Lil' Bitta."

Listen to/watch songs from Lil' Bitta here.

15. The Bomb - The Challenger 11'' (No Idea)

The Bomb features Jeff Pezzati of Naked Raygun on vocals, Pete and Mike S. from The Methadones on bass and drums and Jeff Dean on guitar. You might call The Bomb a Chicago punk supergroup, and really, that's what they are. This 11'' from No Idea features four new ones and four live ones from the first two albums. A real treat.

TOP TRACKS: "Man...Atlanta," "Hey World" and "A Song For the Helenas (Alternate Take)."

Check it out here.

16. The Measure [sa] - Jersey's Best 7'' (Don Giovanni)

I missed their last two shows in NY and the Fest 10 final show, so I wasn't able to pick this 7'' up in person, but lucky for me, No Idea had extra copies and I was able to snag one. This is The Measure [sa]'s final recordings (to date), and it's awesome. I feel like The Measure [sa] is a band that improved with time, so they definitely went out on a high note with this one. The song "Jersey's Best" is nothing short of amazing. I love this 7''.

Check out our review of Notes here.

TOP TRACK: "Jersey's Best."

17. Latterman - Our Better Halves 7'' (Self-released)

Latterman did a reunion show not too long ago in New York, and the band pressed up a bunch of these one-sided 7''s featuring a song they recorded in 2007 called "Our Better Halves." It was the last song the band recorded together and it was never released before the band called it quits. This year, it saw the light at the reunion show. It sounds more up Iron Chic's alley to me, or RVIVR, but it's an amazing song. A little pricey for one song, but it's not like new Latterman material is going to be recorded again.

TOP TRACK (heh): "Our Better Halves."

Listen here.

18. RVIVR - Belebend 7'' (Yo-Yo)

RVIVR released this European-label-only 7'', which I hadn't heard of till just a few weeks ago. The songs are on YouTube, and the 7'' is available in distros/labels overseas, and it's awesome. I especially love "Wrong Way One Way," which I believe they played the last time they came through Chicago at that basement show. It sounded great, and I'm glad there's a studio version now. If some domestic distros pick this up, I'm going to snatch it.

TOP TRACK: "Wrong Way One Way."

Listen to "Wrong Way One Way" here.

19. Hot Water Music - The Fire, The Steel, The Tread 7'' (No Idea)

Hot Water Music hasn't released any new material since 2004's The New What Next (unless you count that Bouncing Souls cover), so this has been a long awaited and much anticipated release for me. They played Milwaukee, WI earlier this year and some friends and I drove up to catch them at this ballroom venue, and they were incredible. This 7'' is great, but not HWM's best stuff. Still, it's nice to hear new tunes, and I can't wait for the release of the 3xLP of the Live in Chicago stuff. I was at both those shows in Feb. 2008 and can't wait to hear how that came out. Hopefully they put out a full length soon.

TOP TRACK: "Up To Nothing."

Stream here.

20. The Copyrights - Crutches 7'' (It's Alive)

The Copyrights released North Sentinel Island via It's Alive and Red Scare, and It's Alive pressed this 7'' to accompany it. It features "Crutches," from the record, a demo version of "Worn Out Passport," also from the record and two demos that didn't make the record. I'm glad The Copyrights went with the songs they did for the full length, but for any fan, this 7'' is an essential and fun release to have.

TOP TRACK: "Current Event (Demo)."

Top Splits of 2011

1. Cheap Girls/Lemuria 7'' (No Idea)

Cheap Girls and Lemuria are two bands I just got into this year, so this split has been getting a lot of play. Lemuria offers two songs to Cheap Girls' one, but all three are solid. The Cheap Girls song may be the best Cheap Girls song I've heard to date, and the Lemuria ones are among my favorites of theirs as well. This one's essential to your collection, and the best split 7'' of 2011.

TOP TRACK: "Lemons (Lemuria)."

2. Spraynard/Sundials 7'' (Evil Weevil)

These bands are friends and teamed up this year to release this split, which is awesome. Both bands were new to me this year, and all their songs have been ear-pleasers. This split is fun, and I've found myself flipping it over and over again.

TOP TRACK: "Snowballs At Cops (Sundials)."

3. Dear Landlord/The Dopamines 7'' (Paper + Plastick)

Finally, new Dear Landlord songs, and they're awesome! Especially "Neighbors." More mentions of trailer parks and shitty living conditions, but it's easy to relate to. Their other one, "A Little Left," is a slower song, which picks up after about 0:45 and rules. The Dopamines' side is great as well, though if it was Dear Landlord vs. Dopamines, Dear Landlord wins (sorry, Dopes, I still love you). The Dopamines' best song on here is "Heads Up Dusters," which is extremely anthemic and will stick to you. This split rules and was worth every penny (though it did take forever for the label to release it, to which they made it available for super cheap, which was awesome. I think they're still super affordable, so get one!)

TOP TRACK: "Neighbors (Dear Landlord)."

Stream here.

4. Caves/Sundials 7'' (Kiss of Death)

Sundials made a lot of appearances this year, but they're one of the best bands of the year, and this split with Caves is awesome. I'm not so much a fan of the Caves side, but the Sundials songs here are golden.

TOP TRACK: "Viking Funeral (Sundials)."

5. Tenement/Cülo 7'' (Cowabunga)

At the very end of the year, Tenement squeezed in one more awesome release; a split with Chicago hardcore band, Cülo. Tenement's songs are a little more upbeat and fast on this one - not necessarily to match the hardcore on the opposite side, but in general. The Cülo side features five fast songs.

TOP TRACK: "Your Life Or Mine (Tenement)."

6. Mean Jeans/Hollywood 7'' (Big Neck)

I'm a huge Mean Jeans fan, so when I saw there were a limited number of these being pressed, I had to grab one. The Hollywood side is pretty good, but the Mean Jeans song is awesome. I hope they release another full length this year.

TOP TRACK: "(Let's Go Before I Blow My) Brains Out (Mean Jeans)."

7. Marvin Berry & the New Sound/Nude Beach 7'' (Freedom School)

Dammit, I can't find art for this 7'' anywhere. Not even the label has a picture of it on its site. I wish I had a scanner. But I don't. Handy. Anyway, Marvin Berry covers a song and plays an original. The Nude Beach side is great too. Oh hey, stream the split here.

TOP TRACK: "Howlin' At the Highway (Marvin Berry & the New Sound)."

8. Rise Against/Face To Face 7'' (Folsom)

Two of my favorite bands, back when Rise Against was local and hardcore, and Face To Face was...well, active. This 7'' is just fun. Rise Against covers one of my favorite Face To Face songs and while I'm not all that fond of the song Face To Face chose to cover, I think their spin on it is cool.

TOP TRACK: "Blind (Rise Against)."

Preview the split here.