The Queers/The Scissors show review (3.14.09):

So tonight, Reggie's in Chicago hosted The Queers with The Scissors. There was another band in between called The Poison Arrows, but they had to cancel due to alleged "van trouble."
It was cool because unlike the last four times I've seen The Queers, this time had something different; something special. They had, on tour with them, Wimpy Rutherford. Wimpy used to play in the original Queers in like 1982 (See:The Queers story) when they first started out as just a local punk band to piss off local art fags, as he once called them. Ah, who am I kidding? Art fags are everywhere.
They did a Ramones cover of "I Don't Care," which was pretty cool considering they usually do "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" and "Blitzkrieg Bop." Adam from The Leftovers was playing drums for them, which was awesome because The Leftovers are a really great band. He was a really nice guy too, which is always cool. They all are nice guys.
They played a lot of the usual stuff - "Debra Jean," "Granola Head," "Hi Mom, It's Me," "Ben Weasel," "Teenage Bonehead," "I Hate Everything," "I Want Cunt," "You're Tripping," "Fuck the World," "Punk Rock Girls," "No Tit," "Born To Do Dishes," "etc...
But with Wimpy, they did "MacArthur's Park," "Fagtown," "This Place Sucks," "Tulu Is a Wimp," "Kicked Out of the Webelos," "Terminal Rut," "I Spent the Rent," "I'm Useless," "Wimpy Drives Through Harlem," "We'd Have a Riot Doing Heroin," "I Like Young Girls," "Nothing To Do," "Fuck You" and I think some others. They did a cover of Screeching Weasel's "Cindy's On Methadone" too.
It was a really good show. The Scissors were pretty good. I don't recall seeing the chick guitarist the last time I saw them play at The Note. So, possible new addition there. Pretty good stuff though. Queers are coming out with a split with The Riptides sometime this year as well as a new full-length, I believe. I'm pretty sure both are going to come out on Asian Man Records. Go catch The Queers with Wimpy Rutherford, it was fuckin' good.

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.

May 24, 2008: The Queers show at Reggie's

I'm creating a blog for the first time, so until I figure out how to make things fancy, this is what I'll be writing on.
I am going to review albums, shows and things of the sort here as well as banter about topics of relevance as well.
Enough time-wasting.

Saturday, May 24, 2008
Reggie's Rock Club
Chicago

The Queers
Lemuria
Bomb the Music Industry!
Andrew Jackson Jihad
Kepi Ghoulie

I've been promoting this show with posters kindly provided to me by Mike Park, of Asian Man Records for a while now. After hanging up a few around town, Mike put me on Kepi's guest list. Right off the bat, I was very stoked, but since I haven't been on many guest lists before, I waited in line with all the other kids like a moron, missing about half of Kepi's set. It bummed me out, as I wanted to see him the most. The Groovie Ghoulies vocalist played "The Beast With Five Hands" as his last song, so it made everything OK. He also played "The Highwayman" off his solo CD, Yes Depression as well. A familiar tune. It was nice seeing him, as I had never seen the Ghoulies before. I'll keep my fingers crossed.
Andrew Jackson Jihad was OK. They were very folky, kind of like every other band up on the indie scene right now. Your typical scruffy looking (probably vegan) guy with an acoustic guitar and a stand-up bass player singing some Against Me!-sounding songs over and over again. Not horrible, but not too original either.
The next band, Bomb the Music Industry!, intrigued me a bit. They were a 'collective' band, meaning there were no concrete members to it, and the members revolved as the show went from town to town. I'm not 100 percent up on how it works, but I assume there's some tabs somewhere and whoever wants to play as the band for whatever show just learns the music and does it. Kind of interesting, but it still wasn't that good. Just a bunch of amateur kids who want to be on stage singing and whatnot. Very fun, but not so much to look at.
It's more interesting that all of Bomb the Music Industry's mp3s are free via its MySpace page. Somewhere on there, I think it says Matt from Shinobu is on the recordings. So, kind of following the same 'indie-folk/punk' template, Bomb the Music Industry! didn't impress me much overall.
Lemuria was next. Unfortunately, I didn't catch much Lemuria as after being upset about the Kepi thing and then having to sit through two crappy bands, I went next door to drink. But they weren't bad. It's not all that often I see a girl-fronted band. I don't know what it is about that, but it's always more interesting for some reason, and not in a sexist or perverted way at all. It's just that after you see so many dudes singing for months and months of shows on end, it's kind of refreshing in a way to get that change of audio scenery in a live setting.
Anyways, The Queers headlined the gig. I enjoy them, they're fun and all that, but the only beef I have with them is that every time they come to town, they blow through the same set every time. They are a band sitting on a pretty hefty mine of good material, but they play the same fast short songs over and over again. Again, not a bad time, but I would love to hear some of their slower pop stuff live sometime.
The highlight of the night was when Ben Weasel came out to sing "Love Love Love" with The Queers. It was awesome. I had tickets to the Ben Weasel show the next day, so seeing and actually hearing his voice over the PA was a VERY nice appetizer to Sunday night.
But I'll talk about that later. After Mr. Weasel left the stage, Kepi came out to sing some Ramones tunes with The Queers. He did "Kill That Girl" and "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker," both very enjoyable. Seeing that cleared all feelings of angst from before, when I missed a chunk of his solo set.
So, all in all, it was a good show. The beer's overpriced as always and they do get you good on that, but other than that, it was an enjoyable night.

Q&A with Ryan Young of OFF WITH THEIR HEADS

While Ryan was in the studio recording Off With Their Heads' next record, he took some time to chat with me about the new record coming out on Epitaph Records as well as a bunch of random shit.

Squid Pro Quo: I listened to "Listerine" today (via www.myspace.com/ryanyoungowth). I dig that. That's going to be an OWTH tune?

Ryan Young: Yeah. In the studio now.

SPQ: Now that you guys are on a bigger label, how's the sound? Kinda keeping that momentum with "From The Bottom"?

Ryan: It will be a little better than that. We have two weeks in a crazy good studio as opposed to three days in a shithole, so we have time to make it rule.

SPQ: About how many songs are you guys lookin' at having on there?

Ryan: We are recording 15, but I dont think they will all go on there.

SPQ: Cool man. Do you guys have a name for the album yet?

Ryan: Not yet. We usually take the album name off some lyrics from the last song. Haven't gotten that far yet.

SPQ: Oh, neat. Where are you guys recording it?

Ryan: We are recording at The Terrarium. Dillinger 4 and Banner Pilot did records here.

SPQ: That last Banner Pilot album sounds phenomenal. Especially compared to Resignation Day.

Ryan: Yeah it does. This one will be even better because those dudes are mastering it at some crazy expensive place.

SPQ: Shit yeah. So what next? Awesome tours? I know you guys toured with Against Me! semi-recently. More stuff like that?

Ryan: Nothing much planned yet. Just that couple months touring starting in February.

SPQ: Headlining that, right?

Ryan: Except for the dates with The Queers.

SPQ: Oh, no way. Are you guys coming through Chicago with The Queers?

Ryan: Nope. Its mostly canada

SPQ: Word. So how did this thing with Epitaph end up? Did they just randomly discover you or how did that work?

Ryan: Brett (Gurewitz) called me last year and said he was a fan. We chatted for a while, went and had pizza at his house when we were on tour, visited the office and he basically gave us a really good offer that we would have been dumb to turn down, especially with the decline of record sales.

SPQ: Awesome. So how come it's not "official" yet. Just needs to be announced kinda thing?

Ryan: Yeah, they wait for the right time or something.

SPQ: So here's a cliche question for ya: where do you guys get influence from? Most songs seem like just personal events/situations. Still doing that?

Ryan: Yeah. It's all the same.

SPQ: So what's the lineup for the recording? And will it stay the same for the touring?

Ryan: It's Justin, Zack, Nate (Gangelhoff) and I and no, it changes for touring.

SPQ: With so much time on the road, how do you find the time to write?

Ryan: I write about as much as I did before we toured all the time. It either comes to me or it doesn't and when it does, it happens fast.

SPQ: Just those random cosmic waves of inspiration, eh?

Ryan: I guess so. Probably just the weed though.

SPQ: I had to take a hair test for my job now. It's retarded how some employers are.

Ryan: I think I would be unqualified to work any kind of job. I'd ruin the drug test lab.

SPQ: What's been your biggest obstacle over the years?

Ryan: Probably coming to terms with the fact that this is just what I do and I'm not really good at anything else. I always kinda wonder what I would be doing if it weren't this, and it's always something much less meaningful or completely worthless. At least I'm doing something that most people won't get a chance to.

SPQ: Realistically, what do you think you'd be doing if it weren't for playing music? Or even not-so-realistically. Hell, what did you want to be when you were a kid?

Ryan: I've always wanted to do this, so I guess I win. It isn't nearly as glamorous as it might seem, especially with the record sales being way down. If we were doing this 10 years ago, I would probably be pretty well-off. If I weren't doing this, I'd be painting houses.

SPQ: Probably better money in painting houses, haha. But also probably not as gratifying since you've always wanted to play music. Gotta live your heart. That's good! Man, playing music 10 years ago would be cool. Just when the illegal downloading of music was in its infant stages...

Ryan: Yeah. I would actually make more money delivering pizzas two days a month than being in this band. We have been touring for six years. I didn't start getting paid anything until last year.

SPQ: So all the show money just went to food and gas?

Ryan: Yeah, and that didn't cover it. We are still out years of paying for all that stuff. Even with From The Bottom selling around 10,000 (copies).

SPQ: So you've really gotta "make it" in order to actually MAKE anything these days.

Ryan: Pretty much

SPQ: Well, hopefully with Epitaph, you guys take off. I know they push the hell out of their catalog with street teams and a wider distro and all that.

Ryan: Yeah, we'll see. I'm not sure if the masses are ready for this kind of music. Especially the masses that Epitaph deals with. It's clearly different than that other silly stuff they put out over the last while.

SPQ: Not the ol' California Warped Tour garbage, eh? That's comforting. Well, hey man. Maybe it'll be a tide of change and you guys will pioneer it.

Ryan: That's what I'm hoping for.

SPQ: Aside from Epitaph, what's been the best part of fronting OWTH over the years?

Ryan: I'd say getting to meet all of my "idols". That's pretty awesome.

SPQ: Best show ever?

Ryan: The Fest shows the last couple years were rad.

SPQ: I saw the video of you and Paddy where you burned the money, haha. That shit was hilarious.

Ryan: We are dumb together

SPQ: Hahaha. Committing crimes on camera. Tsk tsk. Do you have any pet peeves? Or anything while touring that you don't like?

Ryan: TONS of shit. You just get overly sensitive about little things when you spend too much time with anyone. Once you realize that, you see that it's not a big deal.

SPQ: Kind of like any relationship, I guess?

Ryan: Totally

SPQ: Speaking of, you guys have women? How does that work with you all being so busy on the road? Is it just different chicks every night? Banging in all 50 states-style?

Ryan: Hahaha. I have a girlfriend. Same one for over the last year and a half.
It's fine. I don't really like hooking up with random girls. They usually suck.

SPQ: That's the best part! I guess only when it's with their mouths. What are some of your favorite bands "today"?

Ryan: I don't really like much current music. I like gangsta rap because it's funny. I like pop music for the same reasons. Lady Gaga rules.

"Japan Invasion" this September...

I don't know how many people actually read this, but a couple of you know I play bass in a band called The Kobanes. The other day, Mark, Eddie and myself went to a travel agent and bought some plane tickets to Tokyo for September 18. Nonstop flight from O'Hare and everything. We were given the option to stop in Texas for $62 less but having to get your stuff, go through customs and then re-do all that in two hours all while risking the safety of our guitars seemed a little much. Anyways, a nice sum of money's worth later, we're going to Japan to play six shows in about a week and a half.

We're going to arrive September 19 in the afternoon sometime and stay the night in Tokyo. On the 20th, we're playing some festival in Tokyo with over 30 bands, which is gonna be rad. Here's the itinerary the dude from the label sent me:

9/19(Sat.) Arriving Tokyo Airport

9/20(Sun.) Tokyo-Akihabara (Club Goodman)
Punk Rock Fest with over 30 bands!!

9/21(Mon.) Nagoya (Memory Pops)
w/Sense Of Identity, The Because, Navigations, Navel

9/22(Tue.) Okayama (Pepperland)
w/What's What, The Urchin, The Because, Origin Of M

9/23(Wed.) Hiroshima (Border)
w/So-Cho Pistons, The Urchin, Residents, Dug Out, Wrong Way, Jailbird

9/24(Thur.) Off - Sightseeing Hiroshima/Moving Tokyo

9/25(Fri.) Tokyo-Shinjuku (Nine Spices)
w/So-Cho Pistons, See Her Tonite, Disgusteens, Zero Fast

9/26(Sat) Tokyo-Musashisakai (Statto)
w/So-Cho Pistons, Headbangers, Idaho Rainys, The Cumings, Havanas

9/27(Sun.) ????

9/28(Mon.) Leaving Tokyo Airport

I have a Japanese neighbor who keeps asking me for a CD and an itinerary and stuff and I keep hesitating to give it to her because a lot of the lyrics are pretty offensive but she seems rad enough. She said she used to go to Anthrax shows so that's cool. Anyways, that's the Japan tour part. Now I'm going to talk about the new album actually called "Japan Invasion."

It's gonna be 11 or 12 songs. Five of them are up on the MySpace player now. This is the artwork: It's in the works but that's it more or less.



Kobanes Theme
Please Don't
You Are The One
Ice Scream (Instru-mental)
Population: One
I'm Not Right
Nobody (Chixdiggit! cover)
I Can't
Fan Mail (The Dickies cover)
Me Vs. Myself
A new fast Queers-style song

A lot of those aren't even named yet and I might be missing a song in there but yeah that's pretty much what the album is going to look like (and not in that order). Fixing A Hole Records and Dumb! Records I think are going to do the same thing they did with the first album and co-release it. Both labels are out of Japan and fucking rock. Hopefully this album goes over well. I'd like to send out a bunch for review to Maximum Rock n' Roll and other mediums of the sort. I'll share my review here and talk about the recording process and all that fun stuff when the time comes but for now, I have to learn that new fast Queers-style song and it would be nice to write another one. Also, Knowhere Records expressed interest in putting out a Kobanes 7'' so we might do two or three songs there. One of which will be a Sheckies cover of "Then She Got Married." Mark wants to do that one really bad. Also I'm going to learn "She's The One" by The Ramones...we'll probably play that in Japan and at shows. They used to play it before I joined the band but that is actually one of my favorite Ramones songs so yeah, that's about it for now. Expect a new CD in about a month or so and if we get lucky maybe a nice label will put it out on vinyl! Oooohhhhhhh.

'Over Leavitt' by Noise By Numbers

By Kevin Toomey
Rating: 2/5
Jump Start Records CD/LP
August 2011

My first impression of Over Leavitt was to say that Noise By Numbers is a very apt name for this band. After a couple more chances, I can’t say that my first impression was very far off. While I like Dan Schafer’s work in most of the other bands he’s been in (Screeching Weasel, The Riverdales, The Methadones, The Mopes, Sludgeworth, The Queers, Generation Waste), the majority of the material on Over Leavitt didn’t seem to really measure up to the songwriting standard that he’s set for himself in The Riverdales or The Methadones. The songwriting style isn’t that much different, although the sound of the band is a break from form. Everything '90s seems to be a thing right now and I guess it’s the case for punk music too. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I think that once that fad is done, Over Leavitt might sound a little dated. Noise By Numbers are definitely going for a bigger type of sound than The Riverdales or The Methadones ever had, but the substance isn’t really there to back up the big feel that they’re shooting for. The layered guitars sound good on “Yeah, Whatever,” but the guitars aren’t varied enough for each to shine through and the effect is a mostly boring song, even though it’s one of the better songs on the album. “Swarm of Flies” pulls off the big feel a little better and I wish more of the songs stayed in this vein. Two of the other decent tracks are “Lost My Way” and “I Don’t Think So,” where I can really hear the attempt at recreating an early ’90s Replacements sort of sound. I’d say listen to “Lost My Way” and “Swarm of Flies” and you can probably pass on the rest of the album.

Top 10 of 2010

This year has produced a lot of bullshit. An earthquake in Haiti killed 230,000 people. Monsoons left 20% of Pakistan under water. An Antarctic collision between an iceberg and a glacier gouged out a chunk of sea ice the size of Luxembourg. An Icelandic volcano pissed off a shitload of Europeans. Winter was so warm that Canadians couldn't even make fake snow for their Olympics. Man just made things worse - between the BP oil leak and this country's lawmakers not being able to balance a fucking checkbook, it's been a stressful year being an American (that's why I rid myself of all nationalism - I don't have to feel guilty when shit like this happens, it's great). But you know what, despite all that, at least some great records came out in 2010. Here's the Squid Pro Quo "Top 10 of 2010."


1. Iron Chic - Not Like This


2. The Dopamines - Expect the Worst


3. Sundowner - We Chase The Waves


4. The Brokedowns - Species Bender


5. The Riverdales - Tarantula


6. Alkaline Trio - This Addiction


7. The Methadones - S/T


8. Old Wives - See You In Hell


9. Off With Their Heads - In Desolation


10. The Queers - Back To the Basement


If Deep Sleep's new album were officially released, it would have made this list.

Thinking Back On Insubordination Fest: Day 1 - THE SECOND AND THIRD STAGES

Well, shit. I can't say as much about both these stages because most of my Friday was spent at the main stage, standing up, wishing there was a place in that god damn club to sit down for a minute.
Anyways, I did see The Dopamines, which was awesome. They really tore it up. The fans are almost as bad as they are, in the sense that they probably drink and party too much. All The Dopamines do is bring that out of them. Man, people were going ape shit. And as loud as it was, that band is pretty fucking awesome and definitely worthy of a crowd like that.

The Dopamines (sorry they're sideways, deal with it)




I caught the Backseat Virgins on the second stage as well. They were pretty awesome from what I can remember. I don't have any pictures of them playing though. Ah! The 20 Belows I saw though. They rocked. They're a band from Denmark, kinda like The Queers mixed with Dillinger Four I want to say...anyway, they're good, check 'em out. They also came back to the states and played the Goin' Knowhere Fest in Grand Rapids, MI. Well, that's all for Friday, folks! After that, I think we went up to my friends' hotel room with two guys from Le Volume Etait Au Maximum and partied, drank, etc...etc...then went to bed.

Kobanes Japan Tour (Journal) 2009: Sept. 22, 2009

Hiroshima - Kei's parents' home:

The festival that day went great. I don't think we ever fell back asleep after my last entry. I think we went back out to get food. I had a burger, coffee and a hash brown that tasted just like at McDonald's. Anyway, we pull up to Club Goodman and unload our stuff. We moved it down the street to the other venue, where they had three floors, each floor, a very tiny room where the bands played. Very hot. Does It Float? was the first band I saw play and they were awesome. Seventeen Again was great too. The rowdiest band - fuckin' crazy. Jumped into the crowd. I got kicked in the face. Surprisingly, it didn't hurt at all. I got a bunch of free CDs. Stoked to listen to Weezie And The Moelies. I guess they sound like the Kung-Fu Monkeys. So yeah, I had a beer and some convenience store food - sandwich slices with no crust and a pastry. Eddie doesn't have any yen, cause his ATM card doesn't work in these ATMs. So he can only use it at places that accept Visa like convenience stores and stuff.
I was walking back t the club and saw a group of people outside playing Nintendo. Old school Mario Nintendo, so I watched and the girl asked if I wanted to partake, so I did! I finished the level and handed it off. They all went in some building nearby, so I played another level and went back to the club. Kei sold about 20-25 of the new Kobanes CDs ("Japan Invasion") and some T-shirts with the album artwork on them. There was an after-party Sunday night, but we were all too tired and still jet lagged to do anything of the sort. I think I lost a pound in sweat playing in that room. We quickly crashed.

We woke up early around 6 or 7 a.m. Kei was back, I guess he only stayed out after dropping us off from 10:30 to midnight. He doesn't drink or anything, which is good in some ways, especially for us. He's the only driver we have. He's a "tax man." His mother's a protestant Christian and his dad is a Buddhist. Interesting mix. Kei said he has not yet found a religion but someday hopes to. I guess I can empathize with that, having also been raised with no religion. We left Hotel Kamatsu for a little bit and got McDonald's. I ate the cheapest thing, a sausage breakfast sandwich. Only 190 yen! Like $2.20? Afterward, I got some lemon-flavored 8% ABV drink and in Japan, it's legal to drink in the car as long as you're not the one driving. So that was cool. The drive from Tokyo to Narita was a long one. About 8 or 9 hours because there was so much traffic, plus getting gas here off the highway takes like an hour because there are so many cars in line for it.
So we stopped. I had a burger, fries and a soda, which I think was diet...I got Kei two burgers and a Coke. Came to 970 yen. I guess we passed up Mt. Fuji, but it was hazy, so we couldn't see it. He said on the way back, we'll check it out. I hope we get to see a lot of cool stuff.
Anyway, we got to Memory Pops in Nagoya. The first band, Navigations came about 4 hours father than we did to play first of five bands. Crazy. hey were good though. It was fun to hear a Queers cover of "I Only Drink Bud" and a Sloppy Seconds cover in Japanese. I think they were amused by us singing along in English too. I guess music really is the universal language. Sense of Identity played too, they were pretty cool. The Because was also pretty good. Nice too.
About 30 people were rocking out to us. A bunch singing along too, which is strange to see. I think Kei is our biggest fan though. They love pop punk out here. Some girl was wearing a patch on her hat that said "I Read Zines" so I went out to Kei's car and grabbed some Squid Pro Quos to give to her, even though I know she didn't read English. But hey, what the hell, she might know someone who can and at least she can listen to the CD.
After the show, I was asked to autograph three CDs, something I've never done before. Two were in silver autograph pen ink even! I guess now it's official - we're rock stars. Haha. I grabbed five pot stickers for 100 yen and 5 dumplings for 100 yen and a chocolate cookie thing too. It was sustaining. Nice of the convenient store to microwave them for me. From Nagoya, we drove straight to Hiroshima. Actually, we stopped once for gas. And Kei's girl cigarettes that he says smell like raspberries. Pretty funny. The car was really uncomfortable. My legs were tired and my neck and back hurt. We stopped near Kei's parents' home and I bought rice crackers, a corn dog and some traditional Japanese sake. Have yet to try the sake though. Anyways at last night's show, Kei was surprised we did "Surfin' Bird" and "Have You Ever Seen The Rain." Did them last, in opposite order. I went to a small grocery store before the show and bought two cans of 6% ABV oolong tea. At first, it was disgusting drinking fermented tea. Some guy traded me his tall boy of beer for it, so that was nice. Then I had one more, and it wasn't so bad after that first one. The guitars really weren't too distorted at this show, which made us sound weird. But it was fun. The venue was full of American '50s nostalgia. Memory Pops. Pretty cool. So anyway, we got to Kei's parents' home. His mom laid out bed mat things and stuff for us, which was really nice. I gotta remember to give his folks some chocolates. I wanted to get Jenny something at the convenient store - it's like a card, really beautiful though, meaning "Happiness and Pleasure" but I held off because I want to get her something nicer than a card. Perhaps kimono PJs? I want some too. So yeah, I'll figure out something. My suitcase is only so big. It's a carry on. Later today, we're playing at Okayama, Japan! I can't wait to see yet another city in this awesome country. Then tomorrow, we play Hiroshima! Then sightseeing. I want to see temples, go in hot springs, get some souvenir-shopping done...I want to see more and not just sleep. But now, I must sleep. It's almost 8 a.m. Not running on much. Plus I took two sleep aids Eric gave me. Mark's fuckin' snoring is countering their effects though. Eddie's typing either (This is all taken from paper, if you didn't figure that out already, that's why it's being typed out now!). Anyways, more to come soon!

Ben Weasel/Danny Vapid - "My Brain Hurts" show review

Saturday night started out pretty well. I got some food, had a few RC Colas and was feeling pretty damn good. There was a terrible DVD looping on the TVs of Gang of Four footage. They were really artsy and didn't seem to carry any sort of rhythm. But luckily after that, there was a Dwarves DVD. It wasn't much better, but it beat that Gang of Four crap.
So between looking at the naked Dwarves on four screens and looking at the Repellants on the live Reggie's feed, I decided to get up and go next door. I missed the Repellants unfortunately, but caught the Chinese Telephones. They were great, as always. During the show, a dude that goes by codename Jerry Cola requested "Crying In the Chapel," to which Justin Telephone, the lead singer, said "No requests!"
I figured it was worth a shot. They did play it at the Subterranean a little while back, though.
I was disappointed to learn that the Chinese Telephones might be breaking up really soon. Justin informed me after the show that the show I just witnessed very well possibly could be their last, which sucks. Something about the drummer leaving, I believe, but I don't want to spread non-facts.
That kind of bummed me out, because the Chinese Telephones are absolutely awesome and fun fun fun to watch. It's a shame the crowd is never really into them. Then again, most of the words are impossible to decipher.

Next up were the Jetty Boys, who I wasn't all too impressed with. The lead singer/guitarist of the band played in Ben Weasel's band in May, so I recognized him right away. The music was pretty good, but after all the clap-your-hands stuff, I got kinda turned off. They weren't bad at all. I just wasn't feeling them, and I was so excited to see Danny Vapid play with Ben Weasel, that any band that was up there, I probably would have felt the same restless feeling.

After the Jetty Boys left the stage, Ben Weasel's band came out and tore right into "Making You Cry."
My favorite part of the night was the fact that Reggie's doesn't give a shit who goes backstage. I witnessed the whole show from the side of the stage, and wandered up to the fence-balcony for a song. It was cool.
"My Brain Hurts" is my absolute favorite album, blah blah blah. It's a lot of people's favorite.
What I especially enjoyed were Vapid's background vocals. That's something Ben can't capture solo. His backing band does a pretty dead-on job of nailing the notes and has timing down. Simon Lamb, Ben Weasel's guitarist, did a great job especially. But it's the backing vocals that complete the true sound of the album. Ben is great solo. But Vapid and Ben together were incredible. Ace from the Steinways also took over for Simon on a song. They played, I think, four Riverdales tunes. Which, obviously with Vapid there, was really really cool. Ben will do Riverdales tunes, like in May. Sometimes Vapid will do Riverdales tunes during Methadones shows or that Mopes show in 2006. But having them together was awesome. One more person, and it would have been a Riverdales reunion show.

After the show, there was a free Vacation Bible School gig next door. They were fun. I want to check out some of their stuff. Another band of note was Teen Slut. They were fast and right on as The Queers, and they did a couple of covers, too. They covered "Terrible Monster" by The Vindictives and "Island of Pogo Pogo" by the Groovie Ghoulies. I think they did "Rockaway Beach" too. But I forgot who sings that originally.
After THAT, The Arrivals played next door.
Both shows were free if you attended the Ben Weasel/Danny Vapid show. You can't go wrong with the Arrivals. They've got a certain charm about themselves. I believe they are one of the more underrated bands in Chicago. All in all, though, Saturday night was awesome. The burgers next door in the music joint rule, by the way.

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 Roman Line - "Morning Portraits" review:

Toronto's The Roman Line were a band featured on the Merman Records' 4-way Sea Creatures split .
"Morning Portraits" has a very consistent feel and not much dynamic outside of its punk/alt/country influences. The band's MySpace page says they are influenced by Screeching Weasel, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, The Queers, Tom Waits, The Misfits and others. It's an interesting mix. The result of all those influences is a lot of gang vocals and a pretty straight-forward rock and roll band. Their influences show through a lot. For example, "Worst Case Ontario" is a real electrified country lick. It's got all the standards - modesty, references to nature, nostalgia and alcohol.
"Talbot & Inkerman" is more on the Tom Waits side of the proverbial tracks. It's a piano-led song with hand claps as the main percussion. Gang vocals for the chorus on top of it all makes it sound like somewhat of a drinking song. But it's only 1:26, the shortest song on the album (unless you count the intro, which isn't a song). The piano pokes its head out here and there throughout the album.
I got a real Social Distortion-type feel from this. The band's lead singer almost seems to emulate Mike Ness's voice.
"No Vacancy" is a song that kind of hates on their hometown of Toronto. In the end, he laughs and says, "I'm just playing Toronto, you know I love you." I don't really get it, as I've never been to Toronto. But apparently there are a lot of hipsters there. Man, if this band comes to Chicago, hopefully they get a gig in Logan Square or Wicker Park. Hipster-hating song part two will be written. All in all, I kinda dug this album. There's a lot going on and it's pretty original for still somehow managing to fit into the pop-punk scene.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

TOP TRACK: "Dawn After the Wreck" (Merman Records/2010)

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"

The Old Wives - "See You In Hell" review:

Rating: 4/5

25 minutes is about the length of your standard TV show. It's not a lot of time, but it's just enough to tell a good story. If a record could be the analogy to that, this one is. 25 minutes is just enough time for a great pop punk album. Alberta, Canada's Old Wives utilized that amount of time for its debut album, "See You In Hell" earlier this year. The band previously self-released a 7'' featuring "Shut Up" (which appears on the album) and b-side, "Losing All Control."

At the album's start, you're immersed up to your eyeballs in a very Queers-style fast, oddly-timed intro where everything sounds like it's already been going for about 10 seconds. After 10 seconds of rocking, lead singer/guitarist Liam Copeland starts "I Don't Wanna Be Lazy," a very Ramones-influenced tune with a little more pop thrown in there and a catchy little solo. The fourth track, "Teen Commandments," was featured on a soundtrack to a movie. I should know what movie. But I don't. And I can't find it online. Liam will tell me later.
"Old & Moldy" rests in the middle of the album and features a sweet guitar solo by Phillip Hill of the Teen Idols, who also recorded this album at Sonic Iguana Studios in Lafayette, IN. Copeland's vocals emulate Ben Weasel's in the sense that they're gritty, snotty and a little bit preachy at times but the album is a straight-up good time. The songs are pure rock n' roll, with none exceeding 3 minutes and they're all upbeat and fast, with no breaks in the album.

Check out the Old Wives at this year's Insubordination Fest in Baltimore, MD on June 2. They'll be playing the second "Canada" stage from 6 to 6:20 p.m.

TOP TRACK: "Bullshit"

TOP RELEASES OF 2013

Greetings and welcome to Squid Pro Quo's sixth annual BEST OF list. 2013 saw a lot of great releases. We've chosen the 10 best full-lengths, 10 best 7''s/EPs/compilations and 10 best splits of the year. Love it, love to hate it or check it out if you don't know it.

The Top 10 Albums of 2013
By Jason Duarte

10. Swearin' - Surfing Strange (Salinas)

Swearin' impressed me last year with their self-titled debut release. This year, they released a second record, also on Salinas Records. I like their first album a lot, but this one has some jams and is a little less "punk" and a little more their of own sound. This album is so riddled with catchy melodies and pieces, it's hard to stop coming back to it. It's good to rock to. It's good to chill to. It's just a great taste of an eclectic group of musicians. Seeing them live was incredible. The new album had barely been released, and everyone knew the words. Keep your eyes on Swearin' if you haven't been.


9. Laura Stevenson - Wheel (Don Giovanni)

Laura Stevenson has a unique way of getting your mind and heart's attention. Her lyrics and inflection are unrivaled. Laura can sing about taking out the garbage, and somehow make it into a beautifully heartfelt experience. She doesn't sing about taking out garbage. She sings about life, death and the trials and tribulations therein. She hits you with her wild and raw emotions in a way that stuns at first, but then it's welcomed. I am proud to say I own everything she's released as Laura Stevenson & the Cans, and more recently, just as Laura Stevenson. She's growing further from her punk roots and more into the pop folk/Americana genre, and it's incredible. She sings and you really listen.

8. Night Birds - Born To Die In Suburbia (Grave Mistake)


Night Birds are my favorite current hardcore band. Like, hands down. It doesn't get better than them. This is their first release since founding guitarist Mike Hunchback left, so being I've been following this band since buying their demo and seeing one of their first shows and every one I could since, I was super excited to hear change in sound. Mike Hunchback is an intense, powerful dude. His licks are just insane. The way he plays, crawling on his knees, almost abusing himself and his guitar while hitting every note is still unmatched, but PJ is amazing in a different way. This album's not as dark as The Other Side of Darkness or the Fresh Kill Vol. 1 collection, but it's so so good.

7. RVIVR - The Beauty Between (Rumbletowne)

The Beauty Between is RVIVR's strongest release to date. So catchy. So powerful. So much angst and momentum drives this record - it's impossible to stop once you start it. This band has never let me down, and just gets better. I like the album art, too. A lot of people collect records just for sound but right up there with it for me is the large art, and getting to examine it, turn it over in my hands...I look at my record jackets as limited prints from the artist who created them, not just houses for records. I'm just saying the art rules.



6. Lemuria - The Distance Is So Big (Bridge 9)

Lemuria is a band I've been a fan of since I first saw them open for The Queers back in 2008 at Reggie's in Chicago. Their signing to Bridge 9 earlier this year was a surprise, but it fits. They released a single for "Brilliant Dancer" before the full length came out and it was good. This album is so solid and their live performance is one of the tightest-sounding I've ever witnessed/heard.





5. Sundowner - Neon Fiction (Fat Wreck)

Chris McCaughan and Neil Hennessy of the Lawrence Arms cannot disappoint. Chris's voice has gotten a lot smoother and on key. Sundowner keeps getting better. The songs are not just him and an acoustic guitar, as they were in the past. The album is phenomenal. I'm from Chicago as well and hearing Chris sing songs about the city as his own and his connections to it strike a personal note, as I've got my own history and love/hate relationship with it. The album art is amazing too. Earlier this year, I was on tour and we were in San Francisco coincidentally on the day they opened the Fat Wreck store and there was Chris, singing a solo set. It was great to see him, hang out a bit and pick up a couple of records. I wish him the best in Portland and can't wait to see him in Chicago again. His melodies and lyrics have a lingering effect. I highly recommend it.

4. Lipstick Homicide - Out Utero (Bloated Kat)

The pop punk gods convened and willed three mortals from Iowa into making one of the best pop punk albums of the year. The title, an obvious play on Nirvana's In Utero, is an attention-grabber. The album is awesome from start to finish, and features a song called "Vampire Club Pt. 2," a sequel to "Vampire Club," off LipHo's Brainhole EP. This album is so strong. I was lucky enough to play three shows with these dudes this autumn between California and Iowa, and their live performances are nothing short of amazing, either. Rachel Feldmann sings and plays bass like an unstoppable force. Kate Kane plays guitar and sings like a wild woman and Luke Ferguson plays drums with precision and finesse. I can't wait to see these dudes again.

3. Iron Chic - The Constant One  (Bridge 9)

When Not Like This came out in 2010, it was my #1 of that year. It was a lot of peoples' #1. They took the pop punk world by storm, and signed to a hardcore label just before releasing The Constant One. The band has done a lot of touring and released a few EPs/splits/singles between these two full-lengths and everything I've read or heard has been positive feedback. This album had massive shoes to fill, and it did it. It features a song off one of their EPs, "Spooky Action From a Distance," and the rest is new. Like labelmates, Lemuria, they have an instrumental intro track. My favorite track is "(Castle) Numbskull." This release solidified this band, and now I believe that they can do no wrong. Thanks for keeping things in perspective and shining a light on the dark or scary things every once in a while.

2. Great Apes - Thread (Asian Man)

 Great Apes is hands-down my favorite Brian Moss band to date. I like The Ghost, Hanalei and Olehole was great. But Great Apes is perfect mix of his intellectually insightful lyrics paired with punk rock. This is actually pretty pop punk, despite the gruff air that surrounds it. "San Quentin" sounds like it was an Olehole song. Not a bad thing. Songs about feelings and life are sung loud and clear on this. Thread, for me, was the much-needed follow-up to the split 7''s and singles Great Apes had released in the year prior. This album struck a chord with me, and is amazing from start to finish. Check out a review I did for Jaded In Chicago of their self-titled 7'' here.

1. Plow United - Marching Band (Jump Start)

Plow United is a punk band that started in 1992 and broke up in 1997 at the pinnacle of its popularity. I'd never heard of them because they disbanded before I started going to shows and they were still too obscure to have ever come across my radar. Then in 2012, they recorded new material, releasing two songs on a 7'' via Kiss of Death Records and THIS MASTERPIECE on Jump Start Records this year. Being on the constant lookout for new music, that 7'' busted my Plow United cherry and then this album came out and made me realize that you can walk away from music for 15 years and then come back and kick more ass than ever before. Then I saw them at Pouzza Fest in May and rarely do I watch a band and just zone out on their drummer. Sean Rule is an animal, and his chemistry with Joel and Brian is just perfect. I can't wait to hear/see more by Plow United.


The Top 10 7''s/EPs/collections of 2013


10. Your Pest Band - Smash Hits! (2008-2011) (Dead Broke)

This 26-track collection of songs from singles is some of the best, fastest and intense punk out there today. This four-piece from Japan rips. I was lucky enough to catch them in Brooklyn last February. There are NOFX and Carpenters covers on this thing. They aren't rewriting the punk genre, but they're really fun.







9. The Replacements - Songs For Slim 12'' (New West)

Hearing that The Replacements were to release a commercially-affordable version of their Songs For Slim EP thrilled me and I bought it the second I saw it. Then hearing that they were going to reunite and play my city in September made me jump with glee. I got to see them. It was incredible. This EP is also incredible. Slim Dunlap was The Replacements' replacement guitar player for Bob Stinson in 1987. He also released two solo albums in the '90s. In February 2012, he suffered from a stroke. The proceeds from all these album sales go toward his hospital bills. Side A features two songs written by Slim Dunlap. Side B features three covers: "I'm Not Saying" by Gordon Lightfoot, "Lost Highway" by Leon Payne and "Everything's Coming Up Roses" by Stephen Sondheim/Jule Styne.

8. Skinny Genes - Meh 7'' (Bloated Kat)

Skinny Genes aka Azeem Sajid aka ACE OF BASS from The Steinways/House Boat Mikey Erg-ed on us this year. And it rules, just like Mikey's solo stuff. His throat is coated in golden PBR. The themes are the same. Pretty bleak, rough stuff here. I'm waiting to hear an Ace song that's like, "hey, my life's good now." But then it'd also probably suck cause that's obviously not the catalyst to his creativity. I love this man. I got to play the last two Steinways shows with them in September out in California and that made my life. I always want to give Ace a hug. His music will make you want to give him a hug. Just listen to it and then look at that face of his. It's like he wants to be adopted and hugged all day. Buy this 7'' and adopt your own Azeem Frehley.

7. Night Birds - Maimed For the Masses 7'' (Fat Wreck)

I think this is the first release with PJ on guitar, post-Mike Hunchback. Hearing that Fat Wreck was going to release a Night Birds single got me giddy. It also made me like Fat Wreck more. The title track (and album art) is about former wrestler Mick Foley. The injuries list on that man will send shivers down your spine. There are four tracks total on this one. Only the title track appears on Born To Die In Suburbia. The other three are exclusive to this EP. A limited 70-gram version was released by Fat on black vinyl with the regular EP.



6. The Songs of Tony Sly: A Tribute 12'' (Fat Wreck)

Tony Sly's death last year was a shock to us all. Such a profoundly talented singer and songwriter. I remember my first time seeing No Use For A Name was in 2002 when I was a sophomore in high school and absolutely loving every second of it. Life is not always fair, but all the artists on this tribute album did him and his songs beautiful homage. He'll live forever as long as there are his recordings and a medium to play them. RIP, Tony. You're missed and loved, and this album is nice proof.




5. Our Lips Are Sealed: A Tribute To the Go-Gos 12'' (Solidarity)

I was never a huge Go-Gos fan, but they're one of those bands where I still somehow knew their songs. After buying this, then going back to really listen to the Go-Gos, it made me a fan. A lot of my favorite current bands are on here. My favorite covers are by Dan Vapid & the Cheats, Masked Intruder, Great Apes and Vacation Bible School.






4. All Dogs - All Dogs 7'' (Salinas)

This is the freshest band to my ears on this entire list. All Dogs comes from Ohio and writes some amazing tunes. They remind me of The Muffs crossed with Lemuria crossed with Brick Mower. The set of pipes on the singer are amazing. I love this 7'' and you should check out this band.







3. Technicolor Teeth - Blood Pool b/w Drips 7'' (Accidental Guest)

Technicolor Teeth is a band from Wisconsin that features Amos from the aforementioned Tenement among its lineup. This band grew on me this year, and for a long time, was the only thing I listened to. They take shoegaze, make it darker and experiment with sound. This band would be written off as "weird" but your typical punk rocker, but I urge anyone reading this to really listen to them. Listen to the music. It'll pull you in too.




2. Tenement - Sick Club Vol. 3 7'' (Cowabunga)

These guys are one of my favorite bands. I consider myself lucky that I not only get to hear the musical stylings of Amos Pitsch, Jesse Ponkamo and Eric Meyer, but get to see this band live. Amos is a musical genius and if you don't believe me, you're wrong. I don't know how to properly explain it, because my name's not Pitchfork, but Tenement's songs are infectiously good and well-put-together. Jesse wrote "Freak Cast In Iron" on this one. Grab this single if you can.




1. Supercrush - Lifted b/w Melt Into You (Drift Away) 7'' (Bedside)

Supercrush is a new band out of Vancouver. This 7'' has been on repeat since I discovered it. It's insanely well put-together and takes the very best elements of grunge, shoegaze, rock and a little punk and creates something perfect. Check out a review I did of the single here.









The Top 10 Splits of 2013


10. Mean Jeans / Underground Railroad To Candyland 7'' (It's Alive)

Two of my favorite bands that I would not have expected to collaborate totally did on this. The Mean Jeans songs are party punk staples. They're really good, raw, fast, full of energy and fueled by booze. The URTC songs are good low-fi, garage-y ones. This record is a party on the Mean Jeans side and chillin' the morning after on the URTC side.






9. Mikey Erg / Barrakuda McMurder 3.5'' floppy (Bloated Kat)

This shit is so rare, it's just plain dumb. 13 floppy discs were made with the songs on them as MP3s. How the hell someone even has a floppy drive anymore is beyond me, but hey, points for creativity and obscurity. Oh, and they were only sold in Japan. So I don't have one, but I do have the MP3s, and they're really good. Mikey Erg's was made with his phone and Grath's was probably made with GarageBand or something. The songs are great. I'm hoping Mikey does a solo full-length or something of the like. Grath's song is like an acoustic Steinways song with an electric guitar dubbed over it in a part. It's funny, but it makes you feel bad. Buy it on Bandcamp and support these guys.

8. Vacation Bible School / The Brokedowns 7'' (It's Alive)

Two of my favorite local-turned-global-ish bands FINALLY have a split together. So appropriate. I think it rules that a label in California put out a split by two bands from Elgin, IL, a place I called home for a couple of years. VBS offers up some fast, heavy, gritty pop punk. Catchy and aggressive. The Brokedowns have done a lot of splits, and their creepy, heavy sound is big on this one. They have pop punk choruses with deep, gruff vocals and sometimes border hardcore. This is a heavy-hitter. Lots of low end on the bass. Lots of emotion. I don't really understand the cover art, but I like it. It's a little deceiving but it works.


7. The Capitalist Kids / Tight Bros 7'' (Toxic Pop)

The Capitalist Kids are from Austin and released an album last year titled "Lessons On Love, Sharing and Hygeine" that reinstilled my faith in good pop punk. This split is pretty straight-up pop punk, with short songs all around. The Capitalist Kids cover "Claustrophobia" by the Bee Gees and it's AWESOME. Seriously. Didn't anticipate that coming. Tight Bros from Ohio offer up three originals. They have a little Mean Jeans likeness to them, and a little Be My Doppelganger in there. They're good pop punk. I was lucky enough to play with both these bands this past autumn in Austin and in L.A. They rip live. Especially the Cap Kids. I want to see them again so bad.


6. Lipstick Homicide / The Turkletons - We're Gonna Need a Bigger Coat 7'' (It's Alive)

Pop punk gold. Lipstick Homicide and The Turkletons compliment each other so well on this. Their songs are shorts and packed full of fun, catchy hooks. I love the title's play on Jaws. I love this split.









5. Brick Mower / Black Wine 7'' (Viking On Campus)

Two of my favorite New Jersey bands ever collaborate on this very appropriate split 7''. They were tour buddies on more than one occasion (one of the best tours I've ever seen), and they fit so well together musically. Each band on this offers an original and a cover. Brick Mower covers "Jim Motherfucker" by Gaunt. Black Wine covers "Freedom of Choice" by Devo, which was a staple in their live sets for a little while. They do an awesome version. The originals are the highlights. I love these bands, and all of the people in them. They fit so well with each other, I want to hear more new stuff.


4. Masked Intruder / Dan Vapid & the Cheats The Wedding 7'' (Solidarity)

Two of the best pop punk bands out there today. Veterans Dan Vapid & the Cheats, and newer-ish band, Masked Intruder. They collaborated on this 7'' commemorating Solidarity Records owner Randy and his wife, Valerie's marriage. The Masked Intruder song is beautifully done. The intro sounds like an intro to an '80s ballad. Their tune is called "Valerie Is Getting Married." It's pretty funny, since it's about him being sad that Valerie is marrying someone that isn't him. Poor blue. The Cheats' song is called "Randy Is Getting Married." It's so catchy and happy. This split is loaded with positive vibes, and I love it.


3. All Dogs / Slouch tape (Discount Horse)

All Dogs and Slouch are two bands from Ohio. Slouch is a cool, dreamy Dinosaur Jr.-esque band minus all the crazy J. Mascis leads. All Dogs is awesome garage pop punk. They cover The Muffs tune, "Every Single Thing." All Dogs so does it for me. I want them to make a full-length record really bad. Their four-track self-titled EP that came out on Salinas Records this year made it to #4 on my Top 10 7''s/EPs/collections list. Check these bands out.



2. Tenement / Screaming Females 7'' (Recess)

Tenement and the Screaming Females recently went on tour together as part of the Don Giovanni Records tour. I consider this split Tenement's big, deserved break. Screaming Females has a crazy loyal and huge fan base, and their track is amazing. There isn't an insane amount of screaming or shredding on it, but it's a solid jam. Tenement's song, to me, steals the show. I'm biased. Deal with it. They have such an unconventional, unique way of making pop. It's completely their own. This split is some of the best of what two amazing bands have to offer. Not just some mashed-up B-sides single of each band's. Do yourself a favor and get this.

1. The Old Wives / The Blendours 12'' (Eccentric Pop)

The Old Wives from Edmonton are one of my favorite pop punk bands. I was lucky to see them in May at Pouzza Fest in Montreal, and see some of the new songs played live. This split is the third release on a great new-ish label called Eccentric Pop Records, based out of South Carolina. I can't get over how catchy this split is. The Old Wives kill it on their side and The Blendours from Iowa on the other side are also amazing. I love how funny but good they are. They remind me of The Steinways. This split is all around fun. Just get it.