cKy Q&A with drummer, Jess Margera

cKy is playing the Clearwater Theater (96 W Main St. West Dundee, IL)
Thursday, November 4 with Lionize, HourCast and Flames of Icarus.
Doors are at 6:30 p.m. Show's at 7. Admission is $18. The band's most
recent single, "The Afterworld," was featured on the Jackass 3-D
soundtrack this year.

Q&A with Jess Margera, drummer of cKy

Squid Pro Quo: So cKy's on tour. Will you guys be releasing a new album soon?

Jess Margera: "We put one out last year, but we did just release a new
single on the Jackass 3-D soundtrack. It's been doing awesome. Movie
made $50 million its first weekend, it's crazy. Our new single, "The
Afterworld," plays as soon as the credits roll. Epitaph Records
released the soundtrack. There's also an iTunes single with a b-side."

SPQ: Have you ever played the Clearwater Theater before?

JM: "I think the closest we've done was Freeport, IL. I think it's near
Iowa maybe. Everyone says Clearwater is cool and small. We played the
House of Blues in Chicago last year. Today we're playing Flint, MI
kind of near Detroit. This place is awesome. The venue we're playing
is called The Machine Shop. There's all these motorcycles in the
place. It's fuckin' cool. The Clutch guys told me about this place.
I'm a huge fan of them. I started a band with singer (of Clutch) and a
guy from Fu-Manchu. We did a record last year. Those guys have been
touring since 1990 or something, so they know every good spot in
America. Whenever I'm playing a tour, I always ask them for tips. So
for years, they said this Flint, MI machine shop was fucking good.
It's my first time here."

SPQ: When you play your songs live, are they pretty true to the
recordings or do you guys venture out a bit?

JM: "I have friends say, 'I love cKy records' but you don't understand
cKy till you've seen us play live. It's a little more raw, a little
more crazy. Our fans appreciate the polished sound of album but live
is where it's at. So that's the best compliment I could get. That's
when you know you're a true live band. I can't stand all the bands
that play the tracks exactly and have all those drunk triggers. That's
whats wrong with rock. When we go on tour with bands, I'm not going to
name names but like, you'll catch their set and be like, 'this is
awesome,' and then they tell the same stories and same jokes. I guess
it works cause each town thinks they have their own witty jokes. But
on tour, it's like, 'ah shut the fuck up,' you know? We did Warped
Tour and Ice-T was on that. He kept saying, 'I'm no longer Ice-T. I'm
Ice-Motha-Fuckin-T, bitch.' The first few times it's awesome, but it
was like, 'if he tells that joke one more time, I'm gonna strangle him.'
He's a repetitive joke-telling dude, but he's cool as hell."

SPQ: I heard you guys have your own studio?

JM: "Chad (I. Ginsburg, guitarist) does. We put out an album last year
("Carver City," 2009) through Roadrunner Records that we recorded at
his place. It's called Studio CIG in Pennsylvania. It's on the
Delaware River. The last few records we did before "Carver City" we did
at random studios in L.A. and Hawaii and shit but there, you're on the
clock and you gotta watch your money and shit like that. When we're at
our studio, we don't have to worry about that. We can experiment like
crazy. If it takes six hours to get the right sound, then it takes six
hours. It's a pretty cool thing."

SPQ: Will there be a music video accompanying "The Afterworld?"

JM: "As soon as we get back from this tour, we're going to do that. All
I heard is that there was going to be girls and Bam (Margera) might be
the devil and it's going to be set in hell. Everybody's gonna be
raging in hell. It sounds like it's going to be fun. Hot girls and
hell."

SPQ: I read you filmed part of Jackass 3-D.

JM: "I filmed a couple of the days, but it's typical that they just cut
it out. I did a skit before where me and my brother were in this
shady-ass, murderer-looking van and we put Ryan Dunn in a plastic bag
with fake blood in it and we beat the hell out of him with rubber crow
bars and threw him in a dumpster and peeled out. The other cameramen
got people's reactions by the dumpster. It was so fuckin' funny. One
of the best skits of film but the test audiences thought it was too
real so that got cut out. I did some other stuff for Jackass 2 and
that got cut out. You can see me for like 2 seconds. They got me with
that invisible man thing. Wee Man dressed in camo. Whatever the
background is, they painted him like the background. My dad was in his
office and he has this weird-looking wall, so they painted Wee Man to
look like his wall. My dad's like, 'Jess, come here, I need you to
sign some paperwork.' I'm going down the stairs and Wee Man grabs me.
It's a fucked up thing when an invisible man grabs you, when you're
not paying attention. I do that every fucking day, you know. But that
day, I feel this midget grab me. My reaction was crazy. They'll use
that later I guess. But the movie's really good. We're stoked to be a
part of it. We've been friends with those guys for ages and they went
3-D on the new one. Now I realize those movies were basically made to
be 3-D. There's nothing like seeing someone get pissed on in 3-D."

SPQ: Your video idea reminds me of a video I saw on Beavis and
Butthead. What if cKy made it to Beavis and Butthead? I heard Mike
Judge is bringing it back.

JM: "I used to watch that show as a teenager and actually heard of a
lot of bands I'm into now because of that show."

SPQ: What if they trash talked your video?

JM: "As long as they're watching it and talking about it, that's great.
I saw them ditch a Ween video and then praise a different one. I dig
that video, and I checked out their record after that."

SPQ: You guys toured New Zealand and Australia in August. What was the
response like and how was the tour?

JM: "We flew from England to Hong Kong then to Auckland, New Zealand.
It was the most brutal flight ever. The entire trip was completely
around the Earth so it was close to 30,000 miles of flying. When I got
home, I had no idea what day it was; no idea what was going on. I
slept for two days straight. Pure jet lag. The shows were awesome,
man. It's worth the flight once you get there. If I didn't see another
airport for 10 years, I'd be totally fine with that. I just want to
stick to the continent and drive. I don't care if I have to get to
Alaska, I'll fucking figure it out. But I had such a great time. The
crowds are amazing. It's just cool because not to diss rap or country,
but it's just all rock there man. Purely rock n' roll. There's hardly
any rap or hip-hop, just rock. And you know, when you go into clubs
and there's that dance shit. But I'll take that over a lot of country
and rap. All of that stuff is terrible in my opinion. There's good
country and good rap. But there's a lot of bad country and bad rap. I
dig the early Wu-Tang shit. Old school."

SPQ: cKy the band and cKy the skateboard videos came out roughly the
same time. Which came first?

JM: "We did the first album ('cKy: Volume 1') then the skateboard videos.
They came out at the same time and were both called cKy. That guy
Spike Jonze saw it and wanted to put cKy stuff with this other company
called Big Brother. That's what Jackass is; cKy and Big Brother people
doing their thing. With Spike Jonze behind the camera, you can do no
wrong. I haven't see 'Where the Wild Things Are' yet. I heard it was
good."

SPQ: I read you're going to release a box set in the future.

JM: "That's the plan because we're lucky enough that Chad has a studio
pretty much at our disposal. It's been 15 years, so we just have a
massive amount of stuff built up from radio sessions to demo versions,
b-sides and all kinds of stuff floating around that's pretty rad and I
think now's the time to get it out there. We have so many concerts
recorded from Japan, England and Holland too. We're sitting on this
massive amount of stuff that needs to see the light of day. I'm
excited about it, man."

SPQ: Do you guys have a label in mind set to release that?

JM: "There are so many options nowadays. It's pretty cool. You can kind
of just work with a distributor. When you're a band like us that's
self-sufficient and you don't need tour support money, there's almost
no reason to have a label anymore. If you know what you're doing, you
just get a distributor, a public relations person, press and there you
go."

2010 cKy Tour Dates

11/1: Flint, MI @ The Machine Shop
11/2: Cleveland, OH @ Peabody’s
11/4: West Dundee, IL @ Clearwater Theater
11/5: Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave II
11/6: Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock
11/7: Iowa City, IA @ The Blue Moose Tap House
11/8: Louisville, KY @ Headliners Music Hall
11/10: Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls Theatre
11/11: Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
11/12: Poughkeepsie, NY @ The Chance
11/13: Towson, MD @ Recher Theatre

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.

Never trust your pit bull to babysit your child

Every so often, there's a story in the news that catches your eye. Never mind the war casualties and all that repetitive nonsense.

But when you see an article about a pit pull sodomizing a two-year-old, you're going to read it. I know I did!
In July, a New York family's pit bull full-on raped their two-year-old boy. Now I know dogs like humping legs, cushions, etc...but never once have I ever had a dog try to stick his schlong in my brown eye. Even after considering the fact that I'm too tall for anything of the sort to even happen, I got to thinking, why and how the hell did this happen to that boy?

Well, the toddler was at home when it happened, and it was the family dog who did the raping. Now, in order for this dog to be able to sodomize the kid, the kid would have to be presumably naked, no? He probably didn't want it THAT BAD that he went ahead and penetrated through the diaper.
And surely, no parent in their right mind would even allow something like this to happen, so I'm going to assume the two-year-old was naked and unsupervised.

"Eggert said the boy’s family members and neighbors had to beat the dog to get it off the boy." This sentence is worded VERY wrong, but in an oh-so-right way, and I'm deeming it the best sentence in the article. Anyway, unless this kid's neighbors were in the house with his shitty, neglectful parents, I'm also going to assume the kid was outside, naked and alone, crawling around near a pit bull, which are known to be not-so-friendly anyway.

Now, the article completely makes it seem like, "Whoops! This is the first case of baby-raping by a DOG that's ever came up! WEIIIRDDDDD!" Yeah!!! You wanna know why!!?? Because other parents watch their fucking toddlers when they're crawling around outside naked and around animals/people!!!
It's pretty bad when the neighbors see YOUR dog raping YOUR baby before you. There's a reason why this is the first incident of the sort reported. Because on a list of responsible parents and irresponsible parents, these ones rank dead last.

But, hey. The dog was also two years old. However, in human years, the dog is 14, making the dog a homosexual, interspecies-curious pedophile. What are they doing letting their dog have sex at such a young age? And outside of it's species and age-group? Come on. (Not literally, though!)

I am placing two accounts of blame on the parents. One, for allowing the dog to sodomize their baby with his weiner, and two, for letting their underage dog go gay with their kid at the tender age of 14.

A dog professional says that the pit bulls are aggressive by nature, but not all of them are like that. He went on to say, "The problem is not with the breed itself...but rather the manner in which the dog is raised. A pit bull raised in a loving atmosphere 'could be a fine dog,' he said."
What the hell kind of people own this dog? I can only come to one conclusion on this case, if I may play CSI for one minute.

The kid was coming onto the dog and pissing it off, possibly trying to rape it himself.


After a history of being dolled up and made to look like a pussy, the pit bull sought revenge on the shitty parents and their shithead child.


After not being able to take it anymore, the pit bull did this. Case closed.

June 19, 2008: Chinese Telephones, Potential Johns, Birthday Suits at SubT

It's been a while since I've gone to a show on a Thursday night. But I'm glad I went, it really broke up the week and tricked my mind into a sort of early weekend mindset. Then I remembered that I work all fucking weekend.
Anyways, my first time at the Subterranean in Chicago was a good one. I went to see the Chinese Telephones and to check out the Potential Johns (who the Telephones did a split 12'' with) and Birthday Suits, who I've only heard of.
The Chinese Telephones were great. They played a decent set with a good amount of songs from their self-titled album as well as off their 7 inches. They played "I Can't Be Right," "Back To You Again," "It's Starting Again," and many more.
Their bassist, Andy Junk, was either very energetic or very drunk. The band has an interesting stage presence. Justin Telephone, the band's lead singer, takes a pretty serious approach to the stage, but it's nicely balanced by Andy as well as guitarist, Daniel James, who reminds me of someone just plain goofy. Not to make any jabs at all, but in a world where pretty much everyone in punk rock does the same sort of thing with the chucks, tight pants, short hair, etc etc, Daniel James is reverse that. He looks a bit older than the rest of the guys with his receding hairline and strikes me as a joker. The guy knows how to play though. He is not only fun to watch, but adds a catchy and energetic kick to the music via his guitar playing (does VIA strike you as a yuppie trendy word?).
More or less, at a glance, the Chinese Telephones appear to be a conglomerate of all sorts of different tastes, and their music kinda reflects that. I can't exactly say, "Oh yeah, the Chinese Telephones sound like (insert catchy pop punk band here)." I know this much, though: They're damn good. And every time I see them, it's a great show.
Next in line were the Potential Johns from Denton, TX. They were interesting. The vocals are reminiscent of very early punk, distorted, hard to make out and fast. I almost want to say garage-style, but without the indie and grunge implication attached. They sound like someone...ah, it'll come to me.
The lead singer of the Potential Johns played the last couple of songs with the Telephones because for some reason, Andy left the stage. He was taking pictures of his band, shirtless, with the lead singer/guitarist of the Potential Johns. Maybe he was too drunk to play? Maybe the band needed more pictures? Maybe both? Maybe neither. I will never know, and in the last 10 seconds, stopped caring.
Anyway, I learned the Potential Johns are more or less of a side project of The Marked Men, also from Denton, TX. I looked 'em up and they sound the same to me. It's my first time hearing both bands, so I'll have to listen to more of each to note the distinctions, but for the sake of somewhat of a review here, I'm just gonna make a note of that. Oh! You know what they sound like? The Kinks on speed and maybe a little bit of Toys That Kill. Yeah. That's what I'm gonna leave it at. Very good, by the way. I ended up getting their split with the Fones. I'm excited to become a little more familiar with their music.
Last up of the three bands was Birthday Suits from Minneapolis, MN. They weren't like anything I'd seen before. Actually, that's not true. They were a two-piece and it immediately reminded me of Local H. However, they don't sound quite like Local H. Birthday Suits' drummer is really into drumming. Like, a lot. The guy seriously went ape shit on his skins. The vocalist/guitarist was crazy in his own way in that he would jump around, lay down and play, etc...etc...
His vocals were high-pitched and fast, along with the drumming, making for a pretty entertaining show. I can't say I got into their music, but watching them perform was very entertaining. I was surprised there wasn't much of an audience even by the end of the show. All of about 30 people showed up and were more or less lounging around, nothing too crazy. Don't get me wrong, it was nice! It was great being able to stand up in the middle of the place and enjoy a beer without sweating my balls off or having it knocked out of my hand. I like being able to focus on the music and not on who's going to kick me in the back of the head next.
I can't really compare Birthday Suits to any bands in particular for ya's. The two of them are so intense and quick with their instruments and all-around so sporadic, that it's really difficult to place them anywhere. The best I can do is say they are like one of those indie bands that just bangs on shit real fast and randomly and yells into the microphone in an off-beat way. I didn't hear a lot of what he was saying, but that's something all three bands had in common last night. All the vocalists have a way of making it so you have to look up the lyrics somewhere to translate the mass of sound and what you think they say into factual lyrics.
It was a good night, with the $8 well-spent. The beer was a hell of a lot more than that all together, but that was good too. I haven't seen a place that carries Dead Guy Ale on tap in all my 11 months of going to bars, but drinking that is always a treat.
Before the show, something cool happened. A semi truck was driving under a bridge outside of the Subterranean, and the truck was a few inches too tall, made a horrible thundering noise as it passed under the bridge, and a big, flat chunk of truck roof fell into the street with an assortment of twisted metal bars from either side. The truck did not stop to assess the damage, as it landed on the front corner of someone's car.
It somehow fit the persona of the show I was about to witness. A loud, fast mass of stuff going at a steady speed, tearing shit up and not turning around or even stopping to see what it had done. That's kind of how the bands played. Thumbs up.

Social Distortion - "Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes"

January 18, 2011
Epitaph Records
Rating: 3.5/5

Social Distortion released its first album in 7 years titled, "Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes." In the 33 years Social D has been a band, they've blossomed from their Orange County punk roots, cross-pollinating with blues, rock 'n' roll, and a little outlaw country, making them a well-versed hybrid.
Social D's last record, 2004's "Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll," was a soundtrack of love and loss. He said in an interview that he wanted this one to be different. The album features 11 tracks, some of which the band has been playing live for several years, but all are finally recorded.
The album opens with instrumental track, "Road Zombie," going into guitarist/vocalist Mike Ness's first reminiscent story, "California (Hustle and Flow)." In this song, for the first time, a Social D tune has female backing vocals. I thought it was interesting, and being early-on in the album, a small part of me thought, "Ruh roh, this is going to be one of those 'over-produced' records, isn't it?" But listening through it, I realize Social D's had pro production for years and it's beginning to sound like more of a jammed-out Social D record rather than a harder-hitting, heavier, in-your-ears album like "White Light, White Heat, White Trash" was. Not to discredit that album, as it's one of my favorites, but it's evident that Ness and the guys are purposely taking it easy with this one, creating an ebb and flow.
"Alone and Forsaken," is a Hank Williams cover, and the only song on the album not written by Ness. It's Social D doing outlaw country with gain and distortion. It's a good cover, but a bit too reminiscent of their past homages, "Ring of Fire" (Johnny Cash) and "Under My Thumb" (Rolling Stones) in that they stay pretty true to the song's original progression, only making it a little heavier and with Ness's signature gritty, edgy vocals, topping it off with that early punk feel.
The band's first single off the album, "Machine Gun Blues," was played live on Conan January 18, which was the band's first time in their career playing a song live on TV. The single is an anecdote about a day in the life of a gangster in 1934. Winos, junkies, pimps and whores are themes Ness has been visiting and revisiting for years. Whether or not he's as hard as he comes off in his music is something I cannot verify, but he has a knack for "tellin' ya how it is." My ears pricked up to an example of Ness's classic anecdote-between-songs during "Bakersfield," where Ness takes a break from the melody and says,
"So I walked out that lonely truck stop with my head hanging down, wonderin' how in the hell I got myself into this mess and more importantly, how I was gonna get myself out of it. So I wrote a song for you, baby girl and I hope when I return home, the locks ain't changed on the doors and there's still a spot for me on that big ol' California king-size bed."
I haven't been to a Social D show in at least three years, but I've seen them at least six times and Ness has an affinity for telling stories of the hard times he's been through (many are the same), which perhaps came to a head in 2006, when he began writing new songs for "Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes."
Overall, the album is evenly blended with darker and lighter songs, heavier and softer; audible sinning and redeeming tales, creating a duality not new to Ness's songwriting, but hard to come by on most albums. I mean that a lot of punk records stick to a main theme (past Social D albums included), and it's uncommon there's a dark song and then a slower, bluesy, jammed-out tune with a piano solo. I give this album 3.5 stars out of 5. It's a nice blend of the Social D we all know and love and a more mature and evolved Social D, embracing and also emulating a broader range of influence on the new record. I recommend all Social D fans pick this one up and if you're open-minded enough about a band you love doing different things and experimenting throughout their career, this could be your favorite Social D record yet. But at the same time, there will be those who swear it's their worst because it's not "Mommy's Little Monster" or "White Light, White Heat, White Trash." It's got the blues and outlaw country influences of "Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell" thought, so if you dug the transition between the self-titled and "Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell," chances are you'll get into "Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes."

Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes:
1. Road Zombie
2. California (Hustle and Flow)
3. Gimme the Sweet and Lowdown
4. Diamond In the Rough
5. Machine Gun Blues
6. Bakersfield
7. Far Side of Nowhere
8. Alone and Forsaken (Hank Williams)
9. Writing On the Wall
10. Can't Take It With You
11. Still Alive

Mike Ness: Lead vocals/guitar
Jonny Wickersham: Guitar
Brent Harding: Bass
Josh Freese: Drums, percussion (on the record)
David Hidalgo, Jr.: Drums, percussion (on the road)

Interview with Eric Spicer of Naked Raygun

Eric Spicer with Naked Raygun (1988)
By Chris Carlton

Squid Pro Quo: Who was your biggest musical influence growing up?

Eric Spicer: "I had more than one. I really like Paul Cook from the Sex Pistols, John Maher from The Buzzcocks, Mark Laff from Generation X and Clem Burke from Blondie. These guys really shaped the way I play. Before that, I listened to a lot of Iggy Pop, Roxy Music, David Bowie and T Rex."

SPQ: Did you always want to play drums, or was there an instrument that you wanted to play before?

ES: "Yeah, I always wanted to play drums. I started lessons at 5. I like piano too and wanted to take lessons, but my parents bought an organ. My mom wanted me to play in church, so that didn’t work out so well. I like guitar and tried to learn it, but I couldn’t sit still long enough."

SPQ: How did you come to play with Naked Raygun?

ES: "I had seen NR a few times and liked them. A friend of mine told me that (Jim) Calao quit, so I asked to try out. I’m pretty sure that I was the only drummer to do this because after the first few times we played together, we just kept scheduling practices. They never said, “You got the gig.” Hell, maybe I’m still on probation.

SPQ: How was the Chicago scene different then than opposed to now?

ES: "Well, obviously it was a lot smaller, so everyone pretty much knew each other. That’s how you have so many bands with different members of other bands. It was kind of cool though, you know? It really was an exciting time. So much new music from all over the place and meeting bands that came through town. It’s still cool today, but technology has probably made the biggest difference. Back in the day, when a band we liked released a record, we’d run to Wax Trax to buy it. Now we just click on iTunes to buy the one song we like. Back then, when we had a show, we’d make a flyer, take it to Kinko's to get it photocopied and then take the bus around town to put up flyers. That was actually pretty fun. Today when a band has a show, you get a message on Facebook or MySpace. And don’t get me started on texting or twitter..."

SPQ: As the band's popularity grew in Chicago, was it difficult to find acceptance in other cities around the mid west?

ES: "No! Why the hell would that happen?! As we toured, our popularity grew everywhere – here and in Europe. But since Chicago is home and we’ve played here more than anywhere else, we’re more popular here. And that’s just fine with me."

SPQ: "It's such a big part of the live Raygun experience, so I have to ask; How did the whole "Free Shit" thing start, and do you recall what the first item was?

ES: "Ha! No, I don’t remember what the first Free Shit was or when it was – I’m sure someone does. If I remember correctly, it was Pierre’s idea. He had some promotional catalog that had all sorts of really cheap stuff that companies could buy and use as marketing. I don’t even know where he got it. So we got whatever it was and in the middle of the set, Pierre drags this big ass garbage bag onto the stage and began throwing the stuff into the crowd saying, “Here’s some Free Shit.”

SPQ: When the band went on hold back in the early '90s, did you ever think that there would be a day when you would get back on stage again and play with Raygun?

ES: "No. I was quite sure I was done. I hated music and everything about it. When I first joined the band, I wasn’t involved in any of the “business” end of things. I really didn’t want to be either. All I wanted to do was play drums and drink beer. But after a while, I started becoming aware of what was going on, even though I tried to ignore it. The way that the record labels worked, the things our own “management” were up to, dirt bag promoters and other things just made me sick. I gave my drums to my friend Shawn and said, “Take them, I’m done.” Oh yeah, the funny thing is I still don’t own a set of drums. I’ve been using my friend, Sean McQ’s drums. My kids bust my chops all the time. They say that all my friends are named Sean (Shawn) and Patrick."

SPQ: When the band played Riot Fest for the first time in 2006 after so many years apart, was there any intention of getting back together full time? Or did you guys decide after that show?

ES: "The original idea was to just play Riot Fest. Then as we were practicing, we decided to maybe do a few more shows. It snowballed from there."

SPQ: The band has released two 7" EPs since returning. Are there any plans for a full-length release?

ES: "Yeah, eventually. Since no one buys CDs anymore, we aren’t in a big hurry. We just thought we’d release cool vinyl and digital singles until we have enough stuff for a full-length. Actually, we have a new 7” coming soon. Pierre wrote a really kick ass song called "Burning Red" that totally rocks. Besides, getting this band together for anything is like herding cats."

SPQ: You recently played drums on the "Black Sheep sessions" with members of Rights Of The Accused, Stiff Little Fingers and The Methadones. Can you tell me a little bit about the project and how you came to be involved? When should we expect a release date for the single? And are there any plans for the band to play a couple songs live to promote the single?

ES: "I’ll answer 10, 11 and 12 together. James Toland from The Black Sheep restaurant got in touch with me on Facebook because I do heating and cooling service work and he had some issues in that area. I went to look at his equipment and when I was done for the night we sat around drinking some beer. He told me about his idea for recording a single and I said it sounded cool. Then he contacted other people saying I was doing it and got them to go in. Now I’m not saying this is all bad, James is very motivated and gets stuff done. The whole thing ended up being very rushed. I had an idea for a song that wasn’t completely worked out that we recorded and I am really disappointed with the result. I don’t know about any release dates and if there are any live shows, I don’t know if I will play them. I did however play drums with The Blue Ribbon Glee Club this last week end at the Wax Trax Retrospectacle – that was fun.

SPQ: Any upcoming Raygun shows in the works?

ES: "No big plans right now. I need a longer lasso now that Jeff moved to Florida."

SPQ: Where can we get information on upcoming releases, show info and merch?

ES: "That’s a good question, I ask it all the time. You can go to www.nakedraygun.org, Riot Fest on Facebook or MySpace and Naked Raygun on Facebook or MySpace.

SPQ: Thanks a million for taking the time to talk with Squid Pro Quo, Eric. We hope to see you guys real soon!

ES: "Thanks Chris!"

Interview with John (Jughead) Pierson of Screeching Weasel/Even In Blackouts/The Mopes

Photo by A.V. Club
By Chris Carlton

Squid Pro Quo: A lot of people know you from your time in the Chicago punk scene as founding guitarist of Screeching Weasel. But they may not know that you're also a talented playwright. What was your first play, and how did you get started in theater?

John Pierson: "Well actually, if we are talking about Chicago, I think more people know me from theater. I get many more acknowledgments on the street from my theater projects than any of the bands I have been in. My first full-length play was in high school as the waiter in "Death Of A Salesman." But at Columbia College, I went there for five years and never auditioned once. I was more into taking literature classes than acting. I studied improvisation for about 10 years and still teach classes in that. I toured for a couple years with an improv troupe called Sheila. The first play that I wrote and performed was called "The Philosophy Of Nonthings," which was the inspiration for my production & publishing company called Hope And Nonthings."

SPQ: Can you give our readers a little history on The Neo-Futurists?

JP: "I teach 8 week classes on Neo-Futurism so a brief history leaves out a major understanding. Here is the website. But we do have a manifesto, which I am including right here:

"Neo-Futurism In A Nutshell"

Neo-Futurism is a new approach to performance that advocates the complete awareness and inclusion of the actual world within the theater in order to achieve a goal: to bring people to a greater understanding of themselves and each other.

Rather than upholding contemporary theatrical conventions of character, setting, plot, and the separation of audience and performer, Neo-Futurism aims to present actual life on stage by creating a world in the theater which has no pretense or illusion. This means that:

1) You are who you are. Your name is your name. Your age is your age. Your appearance, physical condition, and way of speaking, as well as your personal history and life experiences are none other than your own. You grew up in your hometown. You're gay, you're straight, you're married. You've never been to Seattle. You know who you are and what you've done. Use it.

2) You are where you are. In most cases this means on a "stage" in front of an audience. Currently, specifically, this means you are probably reading this interview off a computer screen. That's not a T.V. you're watching (maybe it is). This isn't a castle in the Alps. The gun is fake. If you need a prop, get it. If the ambience is wrong, change it.

3) You are doing what you are doing. All tasks are actual challenges. If you can't do something, you must be actually physically unable to do it. If you're pulling, really pull. If you're having sex, really have sex. If you forget your lines, you've forgotten your lines. If you're not supposed to know what's going to happen next, make sure as hell you can't know. You're not sleeping on stage, you're lying there with your eyes closed. No need to "act" tired as you enter the stage with an empty suitcase. Fill it up with rocks, run around the block three times. You'll be tired. No need to dredge up a lot of emotion to endow that sheet of paper you're holding with all the seriousness and poignance of your father's death certificate. Bring it in. If your father's alive, what are you doing saying he's not?

4) The time is now. Deal with real events in your current life in your current world. If you broke up with your boyfriend on Tuesday, don't say you're still together on Friday. If a politician pissed you off by what they said six months ago, don't complain about it now. It's history. Write about how it affects you today. Theater is the medium to reflect what is going on now, because theater is going on now. Theater takes place in real time and space. That audience is right in front of you right now. Deal with that.

The bottom line is that Neo-Futurism does not pretend or buy into "the suspension of disbelief" - it does not attempt to take the audience anywhere else at any other time with any other people. The idea is to deal with what is going on right here and now.

These guidelines are not set forth as "rules and regulations" but more as a jumping off point with which, it is hoped, people can find a greater meaning in their everyday lives. The aim is to empower and affirm not just the lives of the performers but the lives of the audience members as well.

Greg Allen
Revised May, 2008"

SPQ: Do you find more pleasure in writing and performing as an actor, or as a musician? Or is there an even balance in both?

JP: "For many many years my production of plays was exactly equal to the number of albums I was recording, now they are off a bit, but I think they hover somewhere around 24 each. With Even in Blackouts, people say I was consistently the happiest they have ever seen me. I can feel that while playing with that band. We didn't have as many rules and stress as Weasel. So with EIB, it trumps being onstage for theater. But I really don't think I could live without writing and performing theater."

SPQ: You have also written books for Hopes And Nonthings publishing. One a book of your plays you had written up until that point, and one called Weasels In A Box. Are there any plans for a new book release in the near future?

JP: "I have a new novel coming out in October called "The Last Temptation Of Clarence Odbody". Which is an alternative story to the famous movie and short story, "It's A Wonderful Life." I'm pretty proud of it, I never thought I would write this type of parody book (fan fiction) but I just couldn't get the story out of my head, and after a year I gave in and started writing it. Three years later, it is about to be finished."

SPQ: Besides your writing and acting, you have been a part of some amazing bands over the years. Screeching Weasel, The Mopes and Even In Blackouts have all made such an impact in the Chicago scene, your influence is undeniable. Who influenced you as a musician?

JP: "My influences are varied depending on the band. Growing up I was a huge fan of the guitar work of Brian May (Queen), Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple, Rainbow), and Martin Barre (Jethro Tull) I think those type of bands besides Traffic and Oingo Boingo taught me that it was OK to be weird. I think this added to my odd clothes wearing in Weasel. Most of the solo work that appears in Weasel I believe was influenced by bands like Judas Priest and AC/DC, with perhaps a little Descendents thrown in. Even In Blackouts was my clashing of those influences with the acoustic bands of my youth, Bob Dylan, Jim Croce, Cat Stevens, and later, Tom Waits. Punk bands that I would consider influences are few, beyond the people I knew like Lint from Operation Ivy and Chris Barrows from The Pink Lincolns. I loved Keith Morris from The Circle Jerks, and Adrenalin OD were another of my favorites."

SPQ: In the early Weasel days, did you ever think the band would influence a whole generation of punk bands?

JP: "No, I don't think you can ever really know that. But being in a band had always been one of the few things I wanted to do. As a child most kids talk about wanting to be a scientist, doctor, astronaut, but I never had a single thing. I think my family was so busy dealing with divorce, violence and drugs that I never had a chance to consider that stuff. So when I graduated high school I just basically did whatever the hell I wanted, and worked hard to make it happen. And that is still what I do now. I don't ever really settle on being any one thing, but they all seem to have something to do with creativity."

SPQ: When you formed Even In Blackouts, you literally invented a style of music that was never seen until that point, acoustic punk rock. How did you come up with that idea?

JP: "I don't really believe I invented anything. Nothing the band does is very unique. I think it is great and actually pretty smart, but it's all taken from many different influences. It is rooted in the same philosophy that started Screeching Weasel. We just played the things we were interested in void of any positive repercussions beyond our own enjoyment. I think the fact that Ben and I were just pretty damn dedicated people is what made that work. So when I started EIB I purposely said to myself that I needed to start from scratch and do something different. So I started with elements that I saw as very different from SW. A female choir-trained vocalist, acoustic guitars and what I believe to be darker concepts and instrumentation. But what I tried to apply to the band is the energy that excited me from playing punk rock. I think this shows best in the live performances of EIB. It is difficult to play an acoustic guitar that hard and fast, but the wonderful thing is that it creates a desperate energy, like constantly falling off a cliff. It hurts to play like that. For the first couple tours, I couldn't sleep at night because my fingers hurt so badly. Some nights I even cried.
And what could be better than ending this interview with the fact that I do indeed cry?"

SPQ: A huge thanks to John for taking the time to talk with Squid Pro Quo. Such a talented and diverse gentleman. Thanks again, John.

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."

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.

The Steinways - "Unoriginal Recipe" 7'' review

I saw Ben Weasel at Reggie's (Chicago) in May and met Larry Livermore from Lookout! Records. He was wearing a Steinways T-shirt. I had heard of them before, but have never heard their music. So as much as I don't like to do this, a few weeks later, I went online and tracked down a couple of their seven inches. I didn't wanna buy the album, cause what if they suck?

Anyway, I picked up "Unoriginal Recipe" as well as a split they did with The Peabodys called "Irreconcilable Differences."
I immediately took them to my turntable, plugged in my handy USB cable, fired up Audacity and went to town making MP3s.
My first impression was, "Eh. Sounds kinda amatuer and redundant." I decided to take out the insert and read along to the tunes.
Not even after the third song, I was hooked. By the time I got to "Main Street, Flushing, USA," I was a fan.
The Steinways are the most fun pop punk band I've heard since The Leftovers. The songs are straight up fun, upbeat tunes about girls. Simple and sweet.
No redundant political statements or songs about stressful social issues (even though females can be pretty stressful at times). Just fun, upbeat stuff.
The absolute most fun aspect about this release is the sixth and final track, "Voce Tem Labios De Uma Galinha."

Yeah, what the fuck, right? Aren't labia vagina lips?
They totally are, but after reading the insert, I learned it's a song sung in Portuguese. And I guess in Portugueuse, "labios" just means "lips" (of the north).
But I was stoked because I, myself, am partially Portuguese and have a Portuguese last name, but don't know a word of it.
Translated into English, the song is titled, "You Have Lips Like a Chicken."

So, it's not the romantic pop punk serenade I half expected, but it is 100 percent cool. And plus, when people ask me what the hell I am when they see my last name, I can have something to actually say in Portuguese. Thanks, Steinways! It's kind of like the first impression of that NOFX song on "So Long and Thanks For All the Shoes" but way cooler cause it's Portuguese and who the hell speaks Portuguese?

Another song worthy of mention is "Main Street, Flushing, USA."
It's got a reference to Burger King, which, since the Ramones stapled it to "Oh Oh, I Love Her So," every punk band after them that mentions it is somehow paying homage. It's also got a Riverdales reference in there, too.

It's neat getting a peek at what The Steinways are into (like we can't just assume).
But the thing that gets me about this song is this "27 bus." Grath, the lead singer, sings about all these hot girls on a 27 bus. Where can you get on this bus? Or is it just some ironic "Route 27" thing? Either way, Grath's lyrics are blunt and catchy.

"Oh girl, c'mon, let's go/Get in your little car and listen to the radio/Oh please, please girl give me a chance/I wanna see you naked."
You know what, girls, at least he's honest.

Thanks again, Steinways, for the Portuguese lesson as well as some more great tunes to listen to as I go about my day. Fans of pop punk, check this out!

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.