LOVE IS BUILDING

Fugazi, Instrument (Movie)

2011-09-03T00:36:00.000-07:00

I didn't write a thing on this blog about Fugazi and I think it's time to do it ! I guess now they will never play again, they are part of music history. I like all their albums but I chose this movie because it's the best movie about a band I've ever seen. This is not a live report, not a documentary, not anything we already saw. It's a movie that stands on its own, like a music album can. If you didn't watch this, you're really missing something !

Your Favorite Trainwreck, Demo

2011-05-19T00:25:00.000-07:00

Here we have Mr Jeff Caudill singer for Gameface and Mr Popeye singer for Farside maybe united by fate but united by great music that's for sure. 4 songs that remind you why you were into this music in the first place. Can't wait for the full lenght and maybe some european shows ? Good luck guys !

Rival Schools, United By Fate

2011-04-10T09:20:00.000-07:00

A masterpiece, a classic, what can I say. Not a single second to throw away on this album !
Four brilliant musicians united by fate.

Rival Schools, Pedals

2011-04-10T09:10:00.001-07:00

The first song is amazing and I wish the entire album would be like that but unfortunately no. Songs 2, 3, 4 are mediocre for me. "Shot After Shot" is the second amazing song and that's it. Like the last Social Distortion, I'm a bit disappointed...But don't get me wrong, half of the songs are great and the others are quite OK. It's a lot more quiet than the first album, not that I don't like quiet things but...Seems like times are hard for everyone these days.
PS : the show in Paris was OK but not great. I'm still hungry...
PPS : do you guys find funny to put some of your greatest songs ever in b-sides (the outstanding "You Should Have Hung Out") ??

Social Distortion, Hard Times And Nursery Rhymes

2011-04-10T09:01:00.000-07:00

Not much news these days, real life is calling me and I don't feel the need to write something. Seems like times are hard for Social Distortion too because this is not as great as the last 2 ones but... But most of the songs are quite good and I mostly enjoy listen to it. Personnal favs ? "Road Zombie" and "Alone And Forsaken". Definitely not their best but still incredible music.

Samiam, Astray

2011-01-03T00:03:00.000-08:00

Oh my god !! How could I miss this one when it went out more than 10 years ago ? I remembered listening to this and being disappointed by the singer's voice...But when I re-listened to it a few weeks back, I was hooked from start to finish. This is a strong release, maybe as good as "You're freaking me out", the one I reviewed on this blog. Like the Revelation bands of the 90's, their sound is huge and unique. There is only one Samiam and nothing can compare to them. Never see them live and that's a shame.

Down By Law, Punkrockdays

2010-12-21T00:07:00.001-08:00

Best of are usually for me worst of. I mean, for example I can't find my favorite Bad Religion songs on their best of (or at least just some of them). Down By Law is the exception that confirms the rule. From all the albums I listened to, I was always disappointed by let's say half of the songs, so I never really listened to them. But, luckily, I found this one and I can't stop listening to it. I guess all the BEST Down By Law songs are on this one and it shows. Great music.

Overland, The Year Zero

2010-12-07T02:42:00.000-08:00

Aha !! I don't think you know that one ! To be honest, it seems like I'm the only one in the world (with Rodney Sellars of course !) to own this album. Sometimes, it feels really weird to listen to something nobody knows about (in France, that's for sure anyway). I guess you might say that's because I have bad tastes but let's say I have good ones...That's unreal ! I still don't undertsand why music like that is unheard, that's a mistery for me. Well, I can finally say I'm so glad to know this album because it's some of the best music I know. Fans of Sense Field and Whirlpool (are there anymore ??), please listen to this unique piece of sound. Thanks Rodney.

Shelter, The Purpose The Passion

2010-11-19T07:29:00.000-08:00

Shelter, the loved ones, the hated ones. Ray Cappo, king for some, fool for others. I guess everyone is right from his point of view...To tell you the truth, I really don't care anymore about what people say about him. All I know is each great individual on this earth was, is and will be under attack. But all I know too is that album is a killer, each song stands on its own, it makes me feel good about myself and the world. It makes me cry, it makes me laugh, it makes me feel alive. "The purpose, the passion, the reason to go on, the explanation why our drive can be so strong !" Powerful, powerful song...

Sense Field, S/T

2010-10-02T06:36:00.000-07:00

It took some time to me to really appreciate this album. At first, I was a bit disappointed by the uncommon melodies and the soft edge of the music (since I discovered them with "Building"). But after a few listens, it started growing in me and I still listen to this quite often. This is where it all started for one of the most amazing post-hardcore bands. Have you ever heard "Nova" ? It's a great one. Have you ever heard "Ideity" ? That's one of my all-time favorite Sense Field song with an incredible duet from Rodney Sellars and Jon Bunch. Classical music of the modern age ? You named it. Hey Sense Field, we need a reunion tour please please please !

Youth Of Today, Hasselt, 18 september 2010

2010-09-19T06:59:00.000-07:00

Wow, 1000 kms to go and to come back to see the most important hardcore band of all time, sure I don't regret it. Sure they still make a difference, they are still better than most of the bands of today. Ray Cappo is more than 40 but he still moves like he is 20, trust me. This is pure positive energy, this is exactly what hardcore is to me. Playing hard with a smile. You can die after seeing this. Music has really nothing to do with records, labels, fashion or whatever. It has something to do with share a great time with a band. I won't cry when all the music industry will crash. Spermbirds were good too, and so were the first 2 bands but the one who will really be remembered is YOT !

Rancid, And Out Come The Wolves

2010-09-09T09:41:00.000-07:00

Not much to say about this album since it's so good that you don't need words to describe it.

Iceburn, Poetry Of Fire

2010-08-30T10:09:00.000-07:00

One of the greatest band growing outside of hardcore for sure. When you listen to this, you hear the earthquake in your soul.

Jim Lindberg, Punk Rock Dad

2010-07-10T02:38:00.001-07:00

"...I can't change the fact that men continue to resort to war to resolve their conflicts, or that people choose to kill each other over some strange idea of a benevolent God choosing sides in all this carnage. You can't always change the world. But I can make sure to play with my kids every day, and try to make them laugh and smile. It's easy to do. My daughters will remember the time I set the tent up in the backyard and we camped out together as long as they live. It was a day that we had a great time playing together and being carefree. It's our duty as parents to increase the number and frequency of these moments and memories. It doesn't matter how much money we have or what the critics say or what others think of me. What matters is if I had a great time with my kids. There are no rules on how to do it right, just real life. Everything else is out of my control..."

Burning Heads, Be One With The Flames

2010-07-08T14:05:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the other french bands of the last decade but this band was the most amazing thing I heard and saw (many times) and with this album, they showed that being on Epitaph at that time was not stolen.

Whirlpool, Liquid Glass

2010-07-01T10:34:00.000-07:00

Rodney Sellars = composition genius
Scott McPherson = drums genius
Travis Laws = bass genius
Travis Guichard = guitar genius
Rachel Stolte = voice genius

Whirlpool = music genius

Oh well, I already did a review for that record but it's too fucking good !

Good Riddance, Symptoms Of A Leveling Spirit

2010-06-27T08:18:00.000-07:00

Probably the most amazing album by one of the most amazing bands. Nothing more to say !

All Ages Book

2010-06-09T06:08:00.000-07:00

After seeing these hardcore heroes in berlin, I took a look at this amazing book which I read a few years ago and still read at times. And you know what ? There are interviews with Walter Schreifels, Arthur Smilios and Drew Thomas, which I find amazing since more than 20 years after their hardcore days, they are still here playing some of the best music around and following their own path. I can say that these guys are very inspirationnal for me, that's for sure. How to stay the same through the changes. This is what life is all about. But back to the subject, this is a very essential book, not only on the Revelation bands of the 80's but on what hardcore was all about and I guess on what true music is all about. Straight-edge is the subject but it opens to a whole new world of understanding. These guys were pionneers, they gave hardcore its true meaning, much more than the early wave. At least, this is my point of view.

Walter Schreifels Band + Atlantic / Pacific, May 23th 2010, Berlin

2010-05-31T03:42:00.000-07:00

This photo is from a show in the USA not Berlin !

If Walter doesn't come to you, you've got to come to Walter. That's what I did and trust me, I didn't regret it. I saw Gorilla Biscuits and Rival Schools in Paris in the past years but I was very curious to see him singing his songs with an acoustic guitar. The show was great with songs from every band he was in and awesome ones like this medley of Sick Of It All and The Smiths ! My favorite songs from his solo album were played too, what else can I ask for ? I had the pleasure to meet Drew Thomas from Into Another and Arthur Smilios from Gorilla Biscuits...And of course Travis, John and Garrett (Atlantic / Pacific) who were just as stocked as I was to see each other here in Berlin. What a great evening.

Walter Schreifels, An Open Letter To The Scene

2010-05-10T05:03:00.000-07:00

Walter Mozart is back with this long awaited solo record and I have mixed feelings about it. I love the first 4 songs + "Requiem" but don't really care about the other ones...Is it anything serious doctor ? Don't get me wrong, these songs are cool too...OK, only half of the songs make me cry, which is not that bad. I love you Walter though I'm not gay. When will you come to France ? I guess you will when these people have ears which is not for now.

No Use For A Name, The Daily Grind

2010-05-07T22:16:00.001-07:00

I used to be a big fan of this band. I listened to this yesterday with my 2 year old son and we agreed : this release is amazing, much more than their previous ones (sorry Jean-Marc JoliCoeur !).

Better Than A Thousand, Value Driven

2010-05-05T14:34:00.000-07:00

The return of Ray Of Today. If this music doesn't wake you up, you're probably dead. In my opinion, this one is better than "Just One" which was very good though.

Satanic Surfers / Ten Foot Pole, Split

2010-04-28T23:15:00.000-07:00

You know what ? I thought once that I will be tired of melodic hardcore as I got old. But I listened to this yesterday and I still felt the same as when I first listened to it maybe 15 years ago : I was stocked, this music is timeless. Flame still burns in me. This is probably the best split I've ever heard. Don't call it melodic hardcore, this is simply great music, this was the classical music of the modern age !

Joey Cape, Bridge

2010-03-31T12:07:00.000-07:00

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I was quite a big fan of Lagwagon in the nineties but they didn't do it for me anymore since the "Blaze" album...I guess, like I said for Seven Hate, the melodic hardcore thing went dead at some point. Joey Cape slow down the pace on this one and he is right : it's a bunch of beautiful songs, very refreshing. Some are absolutely moving ("No Little Pill" or "What we've become"). Unfortunately, I can't say the same thing for Tony Sly's one...(though I loved No Use For A Name too).

Jonah Matranga, And

2010-03-23T11:41:00.000-07:00

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I discovered Jonah Matranga on the split he did with Sense Field under the name Onelinedrawing and I was stocked with such an amazing voice. I said it before but for me Jon Bunch and Jonah Matranga have the best voices around and that makes their music standing above the rest. This album is great, this is exactly what music in the 2000's era should be played : very quietly, with heart. Loud music is from the past, nothing happens with it anymore. That's why so many "old" hardcore guys played quiet music. We needed less noise, more humility and silence in such an ugly world. The funny thing is Jonah Matranga is not a real "hardcore" guy (from what I know) but he likes to play with them : if my memories work well (I don't own the cd anymore), Sammy Siegler (Youth Of Today...) and Ian Love (Burn...) play some tunes on this album. Great stuff.

Seven Hate, MacDaid's, Le Havre, autumn 2003

2010-03-19T06:08:00.000-07:00

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I just saw this very good documentary about the french band Seven Hate and it makes me remember how good this concert was. I never was a real fan of this band just listening to their releases but seeing them live was a really great experience. So much energy and happiness in their music was really giving me a smile. They were really great to see live. At the same time, it was a bit sad because it was the end of this kind of music called melodic hardcore and the beginning of a new era with a lot of boring bands and a lot of boring shows. I guess it was time for something new...Great memories.

John Joseph, The Evolution Of A Cro-magnon

2010-03-07T02:58:00.000-08:00

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"It was a lifestyle, a way of life and over the years I can't even count the amount of fuckers who weren't in it, as they say, "For all the right reasons", then just faded away and went to live some quiet life of desperation in the suburbs. They became statistics within the job market, unemployment, the poverty level, or families whose households consist of 3.5 members. They gave up their feelings, their beliefs, everything. Time will do that to you. As you grow older every single thing you think you believe in this life will be tested and if you aren't true to it to the depths of your soul, time and finally the ultimate test -death- will snatch it away from you like an expert pickpocket. Time is the ultimate bullshit detector. It will test you and if you aren't for real you'll cave in and surrender to this cutthroat, ratrace society. As for me, I can't. There is no turning back. It's like I've passed the halfway point on an ocean swim and now it's further to go back. The thought of just giving up never crossed my mind because there's something in my nature that forces me, even at 45 years on this planet, to go against the grain. For me, to stay under the radar, to rebel and start shit, to keep fuckers on their toes and thinking is the only way, because falling in line is just plain suicide. I didn't choose punk and hardcore, it chose me and, for whatever reason, it ain't about fashion, or even the music for that matter, it's a state of consciousness. Once you realize that, there's no way you can ever sell out."

Farside, Rigged

2010-03-02T06:00:00.001-08:00

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You want to know the difference between good and great music ? No ? You're right because everyone has his own idea. At least for me, it's just something great emerging from the chaos...Most loud music is just...loud music. And it doesn't make it great for me. But a few bands can make the greatness coming outside the chaos. It's the case for every band I wrote about in this blog and of course it's the case for Farside.

Snuff, Demmamussabebonk

2010-02-25T04:10:00.000-08:00

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This is the greatest Snuff album, this is Fat Wreck Chords at its best, this is super great music...but what a stupid name and a weird artwork ! Thanks.

Alkaline Trio, This Addiction

2010-02-03T09:37:00.001-08:00

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You know what ? I'm lazy. If I've got nothing to say, I say nothing. I don't listen that much to music right now...until I got my ears on this without a lot to expect (I didn't like "Crimson")...and what the hell is going on here ? This is an amazing album, songs like "Eating me alive " or "Dorothy" are incredible songs, maybe their best tunes ! OK, songs 2 and 3 can be missed but all in all, this is great music here. Great music is a thin line between popular music (boring) and so called "underground music" (sometimes more boring) and this release is a perfect example. Alkaline Trio, I love you.

Alkaline Trio, Good Mourning

2010-01-15T14:40:00.000-08:00

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This band is one of the few "punk rock" bands i like in the 2000's era. This is maybe their best one (for me) : great melodies, good vocals with harmonies, and they have their own style. I listened to other albums and I can't say I like them as much as this one.

Horrorshow Destruction, Cabaret Electric, Le Havre, 29/11/09

2009-11-30T01:24:00.000-08:00

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I saw Horrorshow Destruction the first time in 2004 (?), they opened for Seven Hate (one of the best 90's french punk rock bands) and I thought they sucked. Maybe I was not prepared for this kind of noise but I didn't see the relation between them and Seven Hate. Time has passed, we are now in 2009, I met Roulio who is the guitarist of the band a few months ago and I was curious to try again, to see what's happen with them now. The first band was Karysun and it was so boring...I guess some people like that...Just after, HSD came to the scene and just played the best hardcore show I haven't seen in a while. What happened to them ? What happened to me ? It was angry, fast, energic, and fun, everything I love about hardcore. Roulio said in the beginning about a technical problem "sorry we're just amateurs" but you want to know the truth ? Only amateurs play great music, professionnal music sucks, music is not a job, it's a passion and these guys are passionnate about what they are doing and it shows...If I've got to remember a great band from the 2000's era, it will be them. Sorry for hype bands, sorry for american bands, sorry for a lot of bands but the best music is played now by maybe your neighbours in town.
Oh sorry, I didn't stay for Lords, I can't tell you how it was but my little finger says to me that I saw the best of the evening. Hope is destruction and Love is building, it's definitely the same thing...
Thanks to you guys !

La Fraction, Aussi Long Sera Le Chemin

2009-11-30T01:13:00.000-08:00

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The first time I listened to this, it was some years ago and it was a big revelation to me. It's a french band (and you know what it means...we're not the land of music...) but it's a great one. The singer is a girl, she has an incredible voice, so beautiful, so powerful. She sings in french and it sounds awesome while most of bands singing in french suck. Think of an angrier and faster Noir Désir. I'm not so happy about the 2 others albums but this one is simply amazing. Not a surprise if they are much more famous in other countries than in France. France sucks !! Oh well...

Iceburn, Firon

2009-11-12T06:27:00.000-08:00

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I read somewhere that Iceburn was the most incredible band on earth and you know what, it's true...If people here had ears, they would dance, scream and cry while hearing this sound.

Sick Of It All, The Story So Far (Video)

2009-10-26T01:01:00.000-07:00

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This video is only available in cassette but if you find a way to see it, don't miss it, this is one of the best music video I saw. It's a passionant documentary on the band. Their impact was, is and will be felt...

Gratitude, S/T

2009-10-24T11:28:00.000-07:00

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Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful album...Think of U2 but better than them.
Thank you Mr Jonah Matranga.

Orange 9mm, Pretend I'm Human

2009-10-24T00:41:00.000-07:00

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Never been a huge fan of Burn or Orange 9mm at first (though I like them), I was very proud to find this album which is the latest from the band. The first 2 albums are OK but a bit boring after a few listening. But this one is incredible : there are the traditionnal Orange 9mm songs greater than ever ("When you lie", "Lifeless") and there are some other very original and inspiring ones like "Touching skies". I would have loved to see them live, Chaka Malik must be a great frontman. Once again, don't believe the "rapcore" label, this music is so much more than that...

Shelter, When 20 Summers Pass

2009-10-14T08:45:00.000-07:00

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The 90's were a very special era because it was the end of the millenium and everybody felt like it was the end of the world or something. This era was an incredible time for music and nothing can compare to this in my eyes, especially what came in the 2000's years. This release was out in 1999 I think and it's maybe one of the last hardcore album. All the songs are catchy as hell, fast, melodic, in one word "perfect". This is maybe the best Shelter album.
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Quicksand, Slip

2009-10-01T09:54:00.000-07:00

What ? I didn't write about Quicksand until now ? Feel ashamed...Take a look at the artwork, it describes perfectly the music.

CIV, Set Your Goals

2009-09-28T02:02:00.000-07:00

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CIV is what came after Gorilla Biscuits to put it simply. Walter Schreifels doesn't play but he wrote this album. Does this man ever wrote a bad album ? Please tell me if you know one, I will be curious...! Maybe not as good as GB but not far behind.
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State Of The Nation, S/T

2009-09-28T01:49:00.000-07:00

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Being "social" or left-wing doesn't make a band good (I won't quote any names here !...), it's rather the opposite in my eyes. I don't need music to listen to someone who tell me what to do or what to think. And anyway, I hate when music is just a pretext to throw opinions in. But there's a few exceptions : let's take this release for example. Revelation Records ? Of course !
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Shades Apart, Seeing Things

2009-09-20T23:24:00.000-07:00

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From all the Shades Apart albums I listened to, this is the most striking one. Before that, it's a bit too metal and after, it's a bit too pop. Not to say that all the songs are good on this one, but some of those are unforgettable : "Cathode", "Fearless" and of course "Seeing Things". Their sound is as unique as all the other Rev bands from that era.

Whirlpool, S/T

2009-09-19T00:41:00.000-07:00

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If you don't know Whirlpool, then fuck you. Their music is awesome and needs no description. This album is simply great.
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Q&A with John Herguth (Atlantic/Pacific)

2009-09-14T23:40:00.000-07:00

I met John when he came for the Atlantic/Pacific show in Le Havre on July. In fact, he was the only one I didn't know in the band (I knew Garrett Klahn and Travis Guichard from their old bands fame-Texas is the Reason and Whirlpool-). So I had to dig a little bit to learn where he come from and I wanted him to tell me about it. I think he is a great story teller besides being an awesome musician and a very nice person. Thank you John for taking time !

I recently read that you were the "fifth Texas is the Reason member". Can you remember that era ?

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That particular time in life had spawned a lifetime of memories. Literally. In the beginning, I had been playing in a band, my first band, with Chris Daly on drums. Chris had bounced around for a few years spending time with lifetime, ressurection, 108, etc. He was looking for something new and I was feeling the urge to get a little more involved. We had grown up in the hardcore scene on the east. Until that point I had not actually joined a band primarily because I couldnt play anything. I first heard of Texas from Chris. For some reason I remember him telling me as we were driving through town and he had a practice tape. We listened and shortly after I knew we would have to find a new drummer. It was fine. Ive known Chris for most of my life so any opportunity for him to progress I am all for. They practiced at Chris' parents house. He lived a few blocks from mine. My parents had a pool and for the most part in the summer travelled here and there. Any weekend after Texas practice the boys would come by afterwards and swim, cook food on the grill, and hang out. It picked up speed in the next year or so. I joined them for a US tour, maybe the last US tour??? with The Promise Ring. It was my first time on tour and it was a life changing experience. Feeling part of something, especially that something, was amazing. We would take weekend trips, New York State, Connecticut, DC, Philly and it was always fun. I had known Norm (Arenas) for years through music and Chris since we were about 7 but I got to know the other two really well as a result of Texas. That band, not only gave me some unbelievable moments, but also some lifelong friends. It was hard to really tell how popular or important that band was at the time because I was always with them on the inside looking out. I knew it was special. I think they all did. Some highlights, shotguns in indianapolis on new years, scotty beschta singing sailor songs in new mexico, tumbleweed slalom in idaho...all of it was gold.

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How did you discover music and the hardcore scene in particular ?

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I had been a pretty avid music fan for as long as I can remember. My parents always kept music going throughout the house and any weekend I remember my father playing a nonstop mix of motown and other assorted 60's and 70's pop. It stayed with me straight through to the time when I started discovering bands on my own...Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, and Iron Maiden were all high on the list. Daly and my friend Dan more or less opened the door for metal which led the way to punk. I loved GBH, Broken Bones, Dead Kennedys, The Exploited. Skate Rock started happening and at this point skateboarding was life. I think at 15 we got ahold of Minor Threat from a guy named Lee and that was it. NYHC hit and I was just in the right time and place. I loved the local bands, GB, Bold, Judge, YOT, Raw Deal, War Zone, Sick of it All, Cro-Mags... I could go on forever. Record collecting was a huge part of this period. I have hundreds of records. I'll probably never get rid of them.

When did you start playing music ?

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I started playing music about 6 months prior to Texas forming. I sang. I didn't learn to play guitar until it was too awkward to stand in front of people and just sing. A guitar let me focus on something other than an audience. I was horrible at it. Maybe the worst ever. The rest just sort of happened. Piano, Bass, Guitar...just natural order of necessity.

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What about "The Love Scene" ?

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The Love Scene was a band which formed shortly after my first band, in its many incarnations, disappeared. It was 2 of the same guys and we decided to carry on as a three piece. Modelled after real 60's pop I learned a lot about the history of music. We toured with Jets To Brazil, another incredible tour, and started to pick up a little speed. Released an ep. It did nothing. Added a second guitar player about 2 years in and changed gears a bit. Sometime in the early to
mid 2000's we were picked up by Fenway Recordings out of Boston. Mark Kates, he worked at Geffen, and with Nirvana...then Grand Royal and with At The Drive In. He knew his stuff, still does. We thought we had it made though we did not. Released a second ep. It did nothing. We entered Gigantic studios in NYC which is a sprawling insane space in lower Manhattan. Mark hired Mike Daly of Whiskeytown to produce with the specific instruction of 'no alt country'. We adhered to that rule. The recording started off really nicely then it just all went sideways. We left for sxsw midway through. "The Tragical Misery Tour' is what ensued. Our bass player had already quit. We got another guy to come along. We were once again optimistic. First day, Matts (drummer) grandfather dies en route to Atlanta. We play Atlanta and start the trip back for the funeral. At the time we travelled in a disused short school bus. It was a pile of hell but it was comfortable. Somewhere just outside of Richmond Virginia, the drivetrain fell to the ground. We stay the night, Matt misses the funeral and we decide to carry on to Texas. NEXT DAY, the fuel pump goes in North Carolina. Fix that. Driving through Tennessee, a tire blows out and smashes our front window. We stay in Memphis for the night. Push on to Austin and make it unbelievably. Show in Dallas next night and that was it. Just outside of Dallas in a strange calm
before the storm the bus stopped rattling...30 seconds later the engine explodes and we are on the side of the road with the fire department putting it out. There are photos somewhere...maybe myspace. We got home, finished the record. It did nothing. There are a lot of other details in there, but its so long. All in all that band was great for me. We got to play with the Allman Brothers, with Dave Matthews (yes I know he sucks but thousands of people...), and
with so many other people which I'll never forget.
It was a fun band. We toured with fun bands, JTB, Lucero, Evan Dando. What The Love Scene lacked in following, it certainly overflowed in experience.

What about "House & Parish" ?

House & Parish was originally 'My Sherpa'...sort of. There were a lot of people involved. It began as The Love Scene was evaporating. When I couldnt focus primarily on My Sherpa, things turned a little sour. I didnt speak with those guys for a few months. For some reason, I cant remember specifically why I reached out to Jason to get that band together. He had a few songs, I had a few and we recycled at least one from the earlier sessions. Scoots and Daly joined up and we had a band. We recorded our first ep with Ian and Arena Rock released it. Daly quit and Malone joined. We never toured the US. We did a week run in Europe. Then we did Europe with the Weakerthans. First bus tour Ive been on. Amazing. Tried to get back into the studio to get
an album together but it turned into 4 unfinished songs and thats about where it remains. We talk about getting it going again almost as if its a certainty. Its up to someone other than me. Stay tuned...

How started Atlantic/Pacific ?

Ive known Garrett (Klahn) for many years. We got together one afternoon to play some music. Just another random occurrance. By the end of that day we decided we would call Philipp (Styra) in Germany and tell him we wanted a tour. Sergie (Loobkoff) agreed to come along. We rehearsed here at the beach house in NJ for 2 days. Next time we were all in the same room was
the airport in Berlin. A/P is born of love of music and an insatiable desire to see the world. Always.

What is the future for A/P ?

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The future for A/P is happening now. We are playing a massive amount (by our standards) of shows in NYC in the next few months. Also working towards finishing the album. We hope to get back to Europe sometime in the nearer future. Japan, Australia, South America...the whole world. We want to do as much as we possibly can. Its my primary focus. We have our debut 10" single released at this point and we just want to keep pushing along.

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Who compose the songs ?

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The songs are written by either Garrett or myself...or both simultaneously. We worked some out on tour, we work some out on our own and together in an apartment. Ian (Love) adds quite a bit to the sound once we hit the studio. He has a great mind and keen ability to transform our acoustic demos into full fledged arrangements.

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What are the best memories about your last european tour ?

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There are so many to speak of. Every night brought a new, exciting experience. In all honesty there werent a lot of days/nights on that tour which arent worth mentioning. France was obviously a high point for us. The people, and how welcome we felt was incredible. The sights and history of it all truly unbelievable. To save time and space Ill just go through in bullet points some of my fondest memories:
- First day in Hamburg, park rehearsal in front of all of the children then sold out show on the roof of a WWII bunker.
- Cologne. Tina and her usual hospitality.
- Le Havre, not knowing what to expect and receiving the best of everything...hospitality, history, reception. Post show wandering through the streets with French youth singing songs.
- Courgenard. Beautiful country home and unforgettable characters. Jean, Marcel, Benji and family, Clifon and his family.
- Amsterdam. Farrah.
- Munich. Great people with another late night singalong in the town square.
- Berlin. Everything about it and everyone in it.
- London. Zoe and band with Phoenix blaring through the streets on our radio afterhours to private reggae dance party.
- Oxford. Truck Festival. Friends, family, absolutely priceless weekend.
- Navina. Truly angelic.
- Every night in every city in which we started and maintained a dance party.
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A/P taking a break in Le Havre

What is the meaning of playing music for you ?

Music is what I love to do. Its always at the front of my mind. Its given me some of the greatest experience in life whether it be listening, playing, or watching. Its been with me for as long as I
can remember and Im sure will stay with me until the end. Regardless of who listens, I can assure you that Ill always be playing something.

What are your favorite things besides music ?

In no particular order:

Surfing
Snowboarding
Skateboarding

History. Hunter S. Thompson. British TV comedy. Pistachio nuts. Del Taco breakfast burritos. Quiet nights in. Friends (sometimes). Cats. Dogs. Animals. People who dont take advantage. People who dont throw trash on the ground. Lambrettas. Old cars. Vinyl. New places. Orange
County California.

"Love is building", what does inspire you ?

The talent of the following people:
Tina, Zoe, Navina, Mark, Christine, Neil, Ben, Adam, Garrett, Travis, Jason, Scott, Brian, Chris, Ian, Walter, Philipp. 5 Summer Stories. H Street/Questionable/Public Domain. Seventh Year. Music. Oceans. Searching. Finding.
Life.

Warzone, Lower East Side

2009-09-12T03:56:00.000-07:00

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There will be a time when bands like Warzone will be recognized as the most incredible bands who walked earth. Listening to this cd is amazing but I think it's nothing compare to watch them live during the 80's. The people who saw that, I think it's changed them forever. Can you hear the struggle for Life ?
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Gorilla Biscuits, Batofar, Paris, 30 septembre 2007

2009-09-11T12:48:00.000-07:00

Photo: David P.

Give me a break. Hardcore is dead , it's been a while now and if you want the truth, music is dead too since sept 11th 2001. We have enterered a new era, an era where real life is the most important thing and art is not as important as it used to be. The best proof ? To see GB in 2007 and the bands who opened for them : you could watch the fucking gap between those bands. GB was awesome and the other bands were so lousy...They didn't understand that hardcore is much more than a music style, it was the greatest music of its time but this time is over now. Classical music is dead, jazz is dead, rock'n roll is dead, punk is dead and hardcore is dead. You can play whatever style you want, it's from the past. There's no use to play it over and over again. And I feel totally free to write this because I'm not an old timer, I discovered hardcore music with Bad Religion in 1995 so...This is what I feel anyway. GB was so great this night, it was unbelievable. So much fun, so much energy, so much life in this music...I say it one last time : hardcore was the greatest music ever played on this earth because it was the last one.

Strung Out, Twisted By Design

2009-09-07T09:36:00.000-07:00

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There was a (short) time when Fat Wreck had the best bands and Strung Out was one of those.

In fact, this release is the last good Strung Out record in my opinion but this is another story...I remember this time when each new Fat Wreck release was a big deal and the cds were so expensive that I didn't listen to many records. Well, you can't go wrong with this, this is a perfect melodic hardcore record with a little touch of metal (before they went on to be a real metal band !). Jim Cherry was still in the band and it shows. Stand out song for me was and still is "Matchbook", the final song.

Far, Water & Solutions

2009-08-27T09:56:00.000-07:00

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I discovered this band way after their demise, in fact a few years ago after listening to Jonah Matranga's other projects Onelinedrawing and New End Original. Of course, I knew their name from the Deftones fame in the late 90's but never listened to them at that time. This release is a great one. Powerful sound, beautiful melodies and of course the incredible voice of Jonah which is pretty unique, just as great as Jon Bunch's (Sense Field). These 2 singers are the best I know. Well, it seems like Jonah Matranga doesn't come from the hardcore scene but I think he was really influenced by it. It just shows on this release.
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Rancid, Indestructible

2009-08-24T05:59:00.000-07:00

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AWESOME, AWESOME, AWESOME.
Don't waste your time listening to bad music !
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Atlantic / Pacific, 10 juillet 2009, le Havre

2009-07-16T05:37:00.000-07:00

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When I had a mail from Travis Guichard a few weeks ago asking me if I knew some place to play in France, I was not really thinking that the show would take place in my own town with me as an organizer. But that's what happened. And sure it was a great experience for me and I think it was for them too. But who the hell are Atlantic / Pacific you may ask ? Well, it's a new band with Garrett Klahn (Texas is the Reason, Solea...), John Hergut (The Love Scene, House & Parish...) accompanied by Travis Guichard (Whirlpool, Mean Season...). There was also Sergie Loobkoff (Samiam) in the beginning but he was not there this time. Needless to say I was really excited to meet those guys since I'm in love with Whirlpool, TitR and Solea. Well, the show was great and I think some of the people who were there really appreciated it. As the years pass, the music become more quiet but it's still moving. Best songs for me were : the TitR cover, the unknown country song, "some weary valentine", John's song...The only bad thing was the lack of waves during those few days (there are 2 surfers in the band) but hopefully there will be the next time they come in Normandy !

Mike Judge & Old Smoke, Sights

2009-07-15T04:03:00.000-07:00

Judge was certainly a huge band to see live, no doubt about it. But I prefer listening to this great solo record I just discovered recently. The first 5 songs are the ones I really care about, just a guitar and a few other sounds. Totally heartful music. The next 5 are with the band and it's not as good in my opinion. This record is just another proof that hardcore was not just a kind of music for those guys...Another record on Revelation you may ask... Is it my fault if this label put out the best music I've ever heard ?

Texas is the Reason, Do you know who you are ?

2009-07-13T10:16:00.000-07:00

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What can I say about this band that nobody already wrote ? Texas is the Reason is the band responsible for opening my musical landscape. Back in 1997 or so, when I heard their song on the Rev compilation, I was just blown away. It was a different music than the melodic hardcore I was listening to but it was just as great. When I heard later some so-called emo bands, I never found again what I heard with this release. Get Up Kids, Mineral, Jimmy Eat World and so on never caught my attention for some reason. To me, this kind of music can't be categorized because it's so unique. These guys played something new, their sound is huge. Best song for me is still "Back and to the left", this is one of the most amazing songs I've ever heard.

NOFX, Backstage passport DVD

2009-07-04T06:02:00.000-07:00

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You know what ? This DVD is awesome. I'm just watching it right now and I tell to myself NOFX is still alive after all these years. I didn't really listen much to their latest albums because I feel that I'm hearing the same music over and over again but I must admit that they are probably the greatest band in the world doing that punk rock thing. Well, this DVD is much more than a normal DVD where you see your favorite band play live or whatever. This is a road movie, a documentary. You are stocked, you cry, you are worried, you are sad, you laugh with the band. The best part ? Seing Fat Mike crying after a bad show feeling bad about being so far from his 3 years old daughter is something unforgettable...Thank you NOFX for existing.
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Q&A with Gwyn (NRA)

2009-06-26T05:27:00.000-07:00

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I remember one of the first and best punk shows I've seen, it was NRA in late 90's in Clermont-Ferrand. They played with Bluetip in a little club called "sonic rendez-vous" and at that time, there were a lot of good shows there. NRA was a 5 piece back then and they were awesome. Just standing in front of the band, without any scene or anything was just great...I asked Gwyn, the bass player, some bad questions as usual, so thanks Gwyn for taking time !

First, what's up with NRA ?

NRA is on "Sabatical", since our last show, with Bad Brains, which was also goodbye show from our drummer Tjeerd. He decided to move on, and is now emerging with COSTANZA, great band, check it out ! Us, we're really busy with our jobs (IndependentOutlet, Videostore,etc), family life, and all that. On top of that, we're in the process of realizing a recording studio. This is serious stuff, but need to be done in sparetime...It's progressing with the basics NRA always been about: D.I.Y. You WILL take notice, when done. As for the band, we want to record NEW material, in our OWN studio. NRA will come up with new stuff, but not as a the HC touring band, digesting on stuff, done 10 years ago, we were NEVER a sell-out band, touring on songs that the public likes, and be satisfied with that...although we could, like so many others...

Why did you choose the name NRA back in the days ?

To piss people off !

Which bands motivated you to form the band in the beginning ?

Really Old '80 HC, We ALL liked that, been there, and also of course the european D.I.Y. bands/principle, which meant for us; bands that put their soul in what they're doing, talkin' the talk, walkin the walk (or genius people, who don't know what they're doing, but just sound brilliant !)

What are your greatest memories with the band ?

There's loadsa; Bill Stevenson (BlackFlag/Descendents) recording our 1st album in 2 afternoons ! Share stage with the likes of DOA, Joe Strummer, IceT, and so much more great bands/people-being able to support/help upcomming bands, supportgroups, squats,etc. The whole Punk/HC scene in general; we've been touring/communicating WORLDWIDE since late '80, just look how much things changed since then ! (it's easy now, but y'know, there were those who had to break the ground... in '91 you could not believe to see a punk band on tv or magazine).

What is your favorite NRA release ?

They are all different, which makes it great ! We still can't play, but all our stuff don't sound the same ! It means we've been working. There's so much bands who play technical so much better, but sound so lame.

What punk/hardcore meant for you ?

Do It Yourself, put your heart in. The beauty is in 2 chords...depends how you play them...!

Who are the "fake bands" today ?

Put your local music station on. Of course bands will learn/capitalize on what the underground gives them, but those who think "commercial strategy" AND come up with BAD songs...

What are your views on the music world in general and the punk/hardcore scene in particular today ?

INTERNET

Do you still feel "out of step with the world" today ?

Oh yeah: doesn't matter ; Highschool is never far behind you, we all take our history, knowledge, social network, etc... with us as we grow... it's about to recognize that knowledge, and focus on the positive sides of growing-up, and sharing...

Do you still get in touch with the Burning Heads ?

Yeah, BH are cool. Y'know, they were out there, touring outside of France, when most french kids were only focused if people could speak their language...there was really a border, 15 years ago, not many kids spoke english, or did even understand that in holland you speak Dutch, and we took english as 2nd, france as 3rd language...That really changed !! in 10 years ! And about BH, they helped us out Big time! (sometimes Thomas comes to smoke in Amsterdam) And the Tour with HighTone, BH, NRA (2001) is also a landmark memory; great initiative, great response, great interaction from all (audiance & bands) involved !

Do you remember this show in a little club in Clermont-Ferrand (97 or 98 maybe) ?

The big fight with the Hell's Angels?!

Love is building, is it meaningful for you ?

Well, first you must have it, and THEN you have to WORK on it...sometimes it will collapse, but you'll have to start building again...In the end you will have a roof, or acceptance, and THEN you must start to love yourself. Damn, getting total Hippie/emo here ! Peace Bro !

Social Distortion, Bataclan, 8 juin 2009

2009-06-09T04:20:00.000-07:00

photo : lucky billie

I discovered Social Distortion with the " White Light..." album and I loved it immediately although it was not really the kind of music I was listening to at that time. Since then, I learned their history and I must say I have a lot of respect for them and Mike Ness in particular. I listened to their previous albums and I can't say I'm a big fan. I prefer the recent ones. And they played a lot of old tunes which isn't bad but for me it lacks a bit of energy. I hope they would playe more songs of the "Sex, Love and Rock'n Roll" album like "Live before you die" for example. But I can't blame them for that, it was a really great show and the Bataclan was the perfect place for them. 30 years of undergroung rock'n roll said the banner, and they are "still alive". Heartful music made by heartful people.

Ten Foot Pole, Rev

2009-05-28T03:17:00.001-07:00

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This album was one of the first punk rock albums I bought, it was around 1996. I didn't know anything about this band apart the fact they were on Epitaph. And I still own it and still listen to it nowadays. In fact, I think it's simply a great melodic hardcore disc. I feel a similar thing as the Pennywise "Unknown Road". There was a time, a short time, when melodic hardcore was the greatest music before it became overcrowded. But it's the same old story for any kind of new music. After this album, the singer Scott Radinsky left for Pulley and I didn't like as much all the following releases. This one is a must.
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Pennywise, Unknown Road

2009-05-19T03:40:00.000-07:00

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I was listening to Unknown Road a few days ago and I was telling to myself how amazing this album is. This is exactly what melodic hardcore is about : power, harmonies and fast pace. With Bad Religion, Pennywise were undoubtely the kings of this genre. Perfect sound for positive rage. This is what hardcore is for me. Instead of doing bad, do something positive with your life, this is the best rebellion you can do. This is the perfect fuel.
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Q&A with Scott Winegard (Fountainhead, Texas is the Reason...)

2009-04-26T05:03:00.000-07:00

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Scott was the bassist for Texas is the Reason. I fell in love with that band when I heard their song "Back and to the left" on the In-Flight Programm compilation. I never heard a sound like that and it was a great progression from the melodic hardcore I was into at that time. Now TitR is a well-known band when we talk about emo. But to me, TitR is much more than an emo band as all the other Revelation bands from that era. The members all came from great hardcore bands (Ressurection, Fountainhead, 108, Shelter...) and you can hear these roots in their music. Thank you Scott for taking time.

First, can you remember a bit your time in Fountainhead ?

I can remember the whole time. We played some cool shows, there were a lot of fights at shows back then, our first show there was a big fight between nazi skinheads and straight edge kids. We were the first band to play the first more than music festival in ohio, i met so many people at that show that i am still friends with today. The record is cool, we were way broken up when it came out. There is a few songs up on myspace.

How did you end up in the hardcore scene ?

I found hardcore through skateboarding and a friend's older brother, but I found out about the Misfits, Suicidal Tendencies, Adolescents, then Minor Threat, Bad Brains. But then an older skater friend said hey there are bands like the Cro-Mags, Agnostic Front and Youth of Today that play at CBGB, so we started going to shows at CB's and all the other spots as far as we could get.
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Let's continue with Texas is the Reason. What were your biggest influences when you started this band ?

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We were into a lot of different stuff : early rock'n roll, Dischord Records, Creation Records bands, other bands in NYC that we were friends with...Texas is the Reason's biggest influence was Chris Daly's amazing parents and the east village of NYC.

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Why did you choose Revelation for a label ?

We talked to a few labels and we thought Revelation was the label that would be best for us at the time. I think we were right.

Did you feel a connection with the other Rev bands at that time ?

I think we felt a connection because we knew exactly what Revelation was, we all were such big fans of the early records they put out.

Did you feel part of an emo scene or a whatever scene ?

There was no "emo scene", there were friends who were friends with in NYC from other bands we were in, friends we had in the neighbourhood, people we worked with, etc...I guess I felt like a part of something, the East Village then and coming from the hardcore scene and my work at the time, I felt like everything was part of a community of some sort.

What was the best thing during the Sense Field / TitR tour ?

Getting to see Scott McPherson play drums every night.

Do you feel comfortable about being remembered as an emo band ?

I love it.
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Do you consider Texas is the Reason as a hardcore band in some way ?

Besides the mosh parts in our songs, no we never said we were a hardcore band.

What is your favorite TitR song ?
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Honestly, they all are.

How do you feel about the reunion show in 2006 ?

It was shocking and beautiful.

Can you talk a bit about this label you created "grapeOS" ?

GrapeOS was a label my friend David and I did, we put out a few cds, mostly singles of our friend's bands, I really like the stuff we put out. The Sergio Vega EP was so fun to make as was the first New Rising Sons EP. Too bad we never got to the Greyhouse discography, I guess it's coming out.

How did you make the connection with Jonah Matranga for New End Original since he didn't really come from the hardcore scene ?

Jonah was friend with Norman and Charlie, I met him when he was in Far but never knew him really.

What was it like to play in New End Original ?

The shows were fun, everything else was a headache.

What about House and Parish ?

I love H+P, we are all best friends. That's funny, we always talk about playing and when we try, we play for 10 minutes and hang out and talk for the rest. Last time we just met at the practice space we didn't even play. Maybe when we get some more time?

Do you have a musical project right now ?

I always like to think I have a musical project happening, I am always playing music. A band? There is always talk of a band.

What is the most important band you played in for you ?

I learned so much from every musical situation I have been a part of. I wish some of the projects came more to fruition but I feel honored to be able to play with some of the musicians I have played with.

I would like to go on with more personnal ones. What hardcore meant for you besides a particular music style ?

When I went to a show, I knew I would be around friends and I knew I would be with people that were into for the most part similar things, there was an open invitation to speak your mind and be yourself. It was a great agent to expose some people to some things they would never think about. I am glad I learned what I learned from it.

What playing music means to you ?

The energy music brings out in me can't be described, it's the happiest and the saddest, the most satisfying and frustrating thing I ever been a part of.

Were you straight-edge and what is your view on it ?

Yes I was straight-edge. My view on it ? I never really thought about it. I wasn't a part of the militant world, I never even put X's on my hands. I don't get the whole obsession with the time period it came from and became most popular. Overall it is one of the greatest things I did for myself. I fully believe in a clean healthy lifestyle.

Do you feel the same excitement for music now as it was in the 80's or 90's ?

When I hear something I like, I get just as excited, I'll tell you that most of the stuff I thought was great then is not so good now. Althought i do still love some old stuff.

Do you still feel "out of step with the world" today ?

Not according to the lyrics of the Minor Threat's song, but yes.

What has the september 11th tragedy changed in your life ?

I am lucky to not lose any close family or friends to 9-11, I also am lucky to not be in New-Yorkwhen it happened or I might have a lot of different feelings.

What is your view on Obama ?

Let's get into some change. Hopefully, he will keep his promises but I really don't trust politicians.

What do you think of Europe and France in particular ?

I love Europe, I haven't spent much time in France but really loved it when I was there.

"Love is building", what do you think ?

Love is building I hope so, we need more of it everywhere.

Samiam, You're freaking me out

2009-04-23T10:05:00.000-07:00

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The fist time I heard Samiam, it was one of their first albums and I must say I was really disappointed by the singer's voice. I liked the music but I hated the voice. And each time I listened to a new Samiam, I felt the same...until I discovered this one. It's the only one where the voice is perfect I think. And the songs...you have not 2 or 3 hits here, it's full of hits ! There's not a single song to throw away, it's awesome from start to end. It's their best release for me, I can listen to this on and on.

Social Distortion, Sex Love And Rock'n Roll

2009-04-20T10:07:00.001-07:00

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Social Distortion is one of the best punk bands I know, though the word "punk" is maybe useless. This is their most recent release and it rocks. The first song is maybe the best one : "reach for the sky cause tomorrow may never come" is a powerful refrain that makes me cry the first time i heard it. Yes, I'm maybe an emotional guy but that's it. Great music is quite the only thing that makes me cry. After 2 or 3 average songs, the second part of the album is just fantastic and it will blow your ears until the last chord. Thanks to this band, punk rock is still alive today.
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Shelter, Beyond Planet Earth

2009-04-17T11:12:00.000-07:00

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I was not a huge fan of this album when I first listened to it some years ago. It was my first exposure to this band and at that time I didn't know who they were. Now that I know a little more about Shelter, I really appreciate this disc. There are many music styles on it like punk rock, hardcore, ska or even electronic and it's very enjoyable. Most of the songs are great and it gives me the smile. As always with Ray Cappo, it's really passionnate and introspective and it's not really about Krishna anyway. Well, I love this band, I listen to all of their releases , Ray Cappo was and still is a big inspiration for me. I think there is my favorite Shelter hardcore song
on it, it's "Time's ticking away" and it's such an amazing song (written by Porcell). Perfect disc for summer time.
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Burning Heads, The Weighless Hits

2009-04-17T11:05:00.000-07:00

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The first time I heard of Burning Heads, I thought they were a french copy of NOFX. It was around 1996 and they just released "Super Modern World". When I saw them some time later for "Be one With The Flames", I radically changed my opinion and I understood they were great and had their own sound. I think they put out this record around this time. It's not a best of, it's some songs that didn't make the records for some reason. And I think it's maybe one of my favorite. This is powerful punk rock with great melodies. This is punk rock at its best. One of the best french bands of the 90's.

Cub Country, Stay Poor Stay Happy

2009-04-17T10:58:00.000-07:00

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Cub Country is the band leaded by Jeremy Chatelain. I didn't know them until the Jeremy interview in a previous post. And, once again, my theory is justified : the people who come from the hardcore scene are the ones who play the best music. There's no reason for me to listen to country music (though I like Johnny Cash) but when it's played like that, it's simply great. Jeremy has many friends playing with him on this one and they know how to play good music : Chris Daly and Scott Winegard (Texas Is The Reason...), Bryan Maryanski and Blake Schwarzenbach (Jets To Brazil...), Chris Traynor (Orange 9mm...), Charlie Walker (Chamberlain...), Cache Tolman (Rival Schools...)...It's kind of an "all-star" reunion there ! My favs are "O Holy Bridge" and "If We Should Fall" but the whole album is good. Can't wait for the next one coming this year !
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Mini view with Cache Tolman (Iceburn, Rival Schools,...)

2009-04-17T04:45:00.000-07:00

Doing this blog is both a serious and funny thing to me. Serious because music means so much to me, and funny because I know that doing that is a selfish thing and useless in many ways. Who really cares about my musical tastes ? No one and it's fine with me. If anyone could discover something thanks to this blog, that would be my success. So when I send questions to musicians I respect, I totally understand that they don't give a damn about them. When you ask questions, you only get answers...I mean, an interview is often boring and useless, the music is what really counts. I think that all the answers are in the music. So this is a short interview with Cache Tolman but it still sounds good to me. Thanks Cache !

How did you end up in Iceburn ?

I ended up in Iceburn because I was most qualified musician around that was in the hardcore scene.

Is there a specific reason for you to play bass ?

I play bass because as a child I liked Sid Vicous and Family Man ( Bob Marley).

What is your favorite Iceburn release ?

My fav Iceburn is Poetry of Fire.

What are your greatest memories with them ?

My greatest memories with them was our first tour in 1992, I was 15 years old.

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How did you end up in Rival Schools ?

I ended up with Rival Schools because I played in CIV for their last few tours and Sammy and I had lots of fun playing music together and it just seemed like a natural thing to keep playing together.

.Rival Schools

What about Institute ?

Institute made one album and now Gavin does solo albums. I loved playing in that band.

Were you straight-edge and what is your point of view about it now ?

I was never called myself straight edge even though I have spent many years "abiding by their rules".

What was hardcore for you ? Is there a special meaning or just another kind of music ?
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Hardcore still means a lot, it's a special music that allowed me to start playing music.

What does playing music mean for you ?

Playing music for me means, expressing feelings and emotions that can't be expressed in words.

How do you feel about France ?
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As far as France is concerned, I like it, we played Paris last summer and it was great.

Ignite, Our Darkest Days

2009-04-15T03:46:00.001-07:00

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Ignite is one of the last hardcore bands of the 90's still alive and it's one of the greatest band around there today, at least for me. What makes the difference is that they still play pure melodic hardcore not metal, which is pretty rare nowadays and of course the incredible singer Zoli Teglas's voice. I believe that the voice is often what distinguish an average band from an exceptionnal band. This is another strong release for Ignite, after the EP "Past our means" and the LP "A place called home". This band reminds me exactly why I found in love with music in the first place.
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Sense Field, Killed For Less

2009-04-06T04:24:00.000-07:00

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The best reviews are the ones with a few words. I didn't find anything better than this review in the old Revelation Mailorder Zine : "14 great songs flow like they were written by the river." One of the most beautiful disc I have.
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SNFU, Cabaret Electric, Le Havre, 31 mars 2009

2009-04-01T05:42:00.000-07:00

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I heard SNFU for the first time on a snowboard movie, it was the song "The quest for fun" (from the album "Better than a stick in the eye") and I loved it. Later, one of the first punk cds I bought was "The one voted most likely to succed" (the one eyed child on the cover) and i loved it too. I liked the sound, the energy, I liked the singer's voice, I liked the "fun" spirit of that band. So having a chance to see them live in 2009 at 10 minutes from my home was something I couldn't miss. Of course, this band from the early 80's has come and go with a lot of members and the only one who's still here is the incredible Mr Chi Pig, SNFU's singer. And as I expected, it was great. Mr Chi Pig must be 50 years old or something but he still rocks, sings pretty well and still have a good amount of energy. And he is still very funny with all his animal disguises...Of course, it's certainly not the same impact as it used to be but times have changed. As Gorilla Biscuits for example, these guys still have fun playing their music and that's what really counts.
The opening band The Patrons (from Le Havre) was very good too, playing something between Black Flag and SNFU (I think the band's singer is a big fan of SNFU...). And now I know who is Roulio !
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Dance Of Days

2009-03-27T04:39:00.000-07:00

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Alright. If you can't read english for some reason, don't even try to read this. But at the same time, you will miss a lot of great books like this one. It's a big one, it will take you a while to read all the pages. As the title says, it's an history of punk (hardcore) in Washington DC, which means you have a lot of things on Bad Brains, Minor Threat, Fugazi, Dischord Records and many more. It's a must-read for anyone interested in the beginning of hardcore, but more than that, it's a great book to understand America and the world we live in today. Many great pictures too.

Q&A with Jeremy Chatelain (Iceburn, Handsome, Cub Country)

2009-03-22T05:19:00.000-07:00

Jeremy with Jets To Brazil, photo Jen Romo.

Yes I know, you already read it but Jeremy just sent me some more answers so here it is, in its full version...

Following the little review on Handsome unique album, here is an interview with Jeremy Chatelain (not to be confused with the french Jeremy Chatelain, haha...). I like all the bands he played in but I've got to say that my favorites are Iceburn and Handsome. Thank you so much Jeremy for taking time !

How did you end up in the hardcore scene at first ?

I was searching for something exciting like most 14 year-old kids and it appeared in the form of punk rock. From there, I met other people around my town with the same interests and before we knew it we had a little scene.

Can you talk a bit about Insight ?

Insight was the first band I did that actually accomplished anything . We wrote a lot of songs, toured the country and released a record on Victory! And, during the process, the band became friends for life.

How Insight evolved into Iceburn ?

A few of us were in a band concurrently with Insight called Brainstorm. It was a little less hardcore and a little more involved on the songwriting end of things. Both bands decided to split up around the same time, and a few of us ended up in Iceburn which ended up sounding like a good combination of the two previous bands.

Why are you only on the first Iceburn record ?

I was a confused 19 year old guy trying to go to college and be in a band. I chose college because I thought there was not much room for me to grow as a singer with Iceburn. But, really it was a matter of me not taking the time to develop my musical chops as fast as that band was growing. I ended up being sad that I left the band after the first 7".

What did you do between Iceburn and Handsome ?

I did a band called Ratchet with some ex-Iceburn guys and ended up singing in a band called Lumberjack. I would call that my musical searching period, it wasn't very productive or satisfying. And then, I quit school, packed up and moved to Brooklyn.

Who started Handsome ?

Handsome was started by Peter Mengede after he was "let go" from Helmet. It was his baby pretty much from the beginning. I think they had about 5 singers before me.

Handsome.

Did you write the lyrics ?

I wrote all the lyrics that were on the recordings, yes.

What are your greatest memories with them ?

There are so many good moments to choose from. I had my first opportunity to travel around Europe with Handsome. I lit a fire in our tour manager's hotel room in Chicago. Pete lit Peter's newspaper on fire in the van. We signed a record deal with Michael Goldstone. We recorded at Bad Animals studio in Seattle for 2 months. It was a crazy time in my life. I really cut my musical teeth with Handsome. It was an experience that kicked my 23 year-old ass!

How did you end up in Jets To Brazil ?

I reached a breaking point with Handsome and decided to quit the band and save my sanity. Soon after, I was introduced to Blake through a mutual friend and we began playing music together with a drum machine in his rehearsal space in Brooklyn. It was a good musical departure for both of us. After a few months we acquired Daly as a drummer and the name Jets To Brazil. It was a whirlwind. It had a mind of it's own at times.

Jeremy and Blake Schwarzenbach, Jets To Brazil.

What about Cub Country ?

I started Cub Country as an outlet for songs that I began to write on my own. Blake was a good inspiration to me as a songwriter. He was really prolific. I started to write songs and came up with a name for the project, and here I am 9 years, 4 records and 50 band members later.

I just read you played with Helmet. What about that ?

That was a really cool experience that came my way via my musical friendship with Chris Traynor. I played bass in the band for about a year and a half. We played in Europe and did the Warped Tour in 06. It was great.

What was the most important band you played in for you ?

It's definitely been Cub Country. The band has travelled with me over the years, introduced me to a slew of great musicians, taught me life lessons and made me a better songwriter. It's my baby.

Art by Leia Bell

What kind of relation do you see between growing in SLC and the music you played ?

Hardcore was huge in Salt Lake in the 80s and 90s. I grew up playing in hardcore bands from that scene and went straight into a hardcore-ish band in NYC. It seemed to make a lot of sense. But, I always listened to a pretty wide variety of music and eventually wanted to try other things musically.

How hardcore influenced your life ? Do you still feel "out of step with the world" today ?

I loved growing up and collecting punk-rock and hardcore records. The whole movement really spoke to me in a language that felt fresh and exciting. Sometimes I feel a little "out of step". It's usually when I'm talking with people who are my age and I see what radically different paths our lives have taken. But, I'm not much of a punk these days. Maybe only in my mind. Ha!

Were you straight-edge and what is your view on it now ?

I was straight-edge, yes. I was really into the views and the scene surrounding it during my time in Insight. It was a really exciting time in hardcore. But my interest in that scene eventually waned and I followed my passion for music. I don't think anything of straight-edge now.
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What was the meaning of hardcore for you ?
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Hardcore was all about scene unity, really exciting shows, good bands and friends. Oh yeah, and record collecting, that was the best aspect.

Who are the most inspiring people or bands you met in your life ?

That would be a huge list, but right now the short list would be: Gentry Densley, Chris Traynor, Blake Schwarzenbach, Craig Schoen, Jeff Clarke, Brian Paulson....I could go on forever really.

Iceburn first incarnation : Jeremy on the center and Gentry on the right.

Have you got other passions besides music ?
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I have many passions. I love to cook. I love to build things. I love my family. I love my bicycle. The list could go on and on really.

What is the most important thing in your life right now ?

How about things ? My wife Kathryne, my son Oscar, my guitars and my bike.

Do you remember playing in a little club in Clermont Ferrand (France) with JTB ?

Of course. I remember it very clearly actually. It was the first time I tried pastis. We were served a really great meal at the promoter's house and we were offered pastis as an apertif. We also listened to Fela Kuti records and had some lively discussion. Later on in the evening I saw Mormon missionaries outside of the club and it made me laugh a little to myself. It was a beautiful town.

Do you still drink pastis ?!

Quite often. Evidently the stuff we get here in the US doesn't hold a candle to the real French pastis. I need to come and visit!

"Love is building", what does inspire you ?

I'm assuming you are asking what it inspires in me? I think it's the truth in my life. Love is definitely building in my relationships with my family and music. I hope it always does.
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Greg Graffin, Cold As The Clay

2009-03-21T11:17:00.001-07:00

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Some music don't need time to be appreciated. This is the case with this beautiful release from Mr Greg Graffin. The first song "Don't be afraid to run" is amazing and is a great start. Don't expect anything speed or hard, here everything is calm and quiet. One of the most beautiful voices of our time on great acoustic songs, perfect melodies as usual...Maybe a few songs can be missed in my opinion (near the end of the disc) but listening to this is a pleasure. Maybe some of you know the first one "American Lesion" ?
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Walking Concert, Run To Be Born

2009-03-18T07:57:00.000-07:00

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Among the many bands Walter Schreifels has been in, Walking Concert is certainly the most unknown one. And it's not the less interesting one, but I don't really know something from him which is not interesting anyway ! It's the softer music he's been playing so far but it's still super great. Some would call it pop but I don't really mind what kind of music is that. I think that great music doesn't need any label anyway. All the songs are good so I won't give you favs because I don't really have one. OK, maybe "Audrey" could be the one. I can't wait for his solo effort which will go out maybe later this year.
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Q&A with Sammy Siegler (Youth Of Today, CIV, Rival Schools...)

2009-03-17T02:24:00.000-07:00

photo by F.Pessaro.

As you may have noticed, I like to follow a lot of people who were part of the hardcore scene and especially those who were in what I call the peak of hardcore started by Youth Of Today. This music was essential, the people and the bands were sincere and the best way to realize that is to see what these guys have become. Believe me or not, they didn't fade away, they stay gold. They understood that change is the only way to stay the same. Here is an interview with Sammy Siegler who played (and still play) drums in so many great bands it's useless to name all. Thanks Sammy.

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How did you end up playing drums ?
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My Father and Grandfather both played, they got me into it, when I started playing in bands I just wanted to get better so I could keep up, so I practiced a bunch.

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How did you end up in the hardcore scene ?
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One of my best friends was Walter from Gorilla Biscuits younger brother, he told me about the band and that they needed a drummer so we hooked up, that was 1985. Before that my sister introduced me to some older kids that had a band, we covered Agnostic Fronts "Power", maybe that was my first introduction.

How was it to be in HC bands at such a young age ?

It was awesome, they were all like my big brothers, I started at a very young age, it was a special time, definitely more appealing then what was going on in school.

A very young sammy with Side By Side, photo F.Pessaro

What was the meaning of hardcore for you ?
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I think back then we were all such good friends, and we were being creative with music, that's what really stood out. As I got older I realized a bit more how rare and special it was that we were all spreading a positive word.

How this music influenced your life ?

Hmmm, that's a bit complex, I made some great friendships through the scene, Hardcore turned me onto vegetarianism, straight edge, I saw the world because of it, played some great music, it goes on and on, I think it will continue to impact me till I check out.

What do you think about the hardcore scene now ?

I don't follow it too closely, but I'm sure somewhere there is a kid who is as stoked as we were, I'm sure there are good shows going on and dudes are moshing at band practices the way we did.

You played with "unknown" HC bands and with some "big bands" like Limp Biskit or Glassjaw. Do you see a difference between those two worlds ?

Sure, different people, different music at different parts of my life. I'm into keeping things different and not repeating myself as much as I can help it. The hardcore scene between say, 85' and 90' for me was totally special and in a place all by itself, everything outside of that was great and just as special but different, make sense ?

Were you straight-edge and what is your point of view now ?

I was straight edge for awhile, I had a year or two before I was straight edge where I was into punk and experimented a bit with drugs, I was 11 and 12, smoking cigarettes, trying to be a bad ass. Then I met some of the HC dudes I played music with and they turned me on to straight edge. I'm not these days, however I have a lot of respect for anyone taking that path, especially when in high school when it's not the most popular choice.

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Do you still feel out of step in the world today ?
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Mmmmm, not really, I live in NY, there are many different steps to get down with in this city. I'm not sure the world is in step with itself.

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How do you feel in the music scene today ?
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The music scene these days seems to be lacking a bit, at least in NY, the venues aren't that exciting, and currently there isn't much of a feeling of any sort of movement, although these things go in cycles, so who knows. It's hard because that scene that I came up with was pretty special, I've gotten off since then, but as far as a "scene" it's really hard to compete with NYC in say 88'.

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What is the most important band you played in for you ?
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I think Youth Of Today, Ray Cappo was an amazing front man, tons of energy, it really felt like we were making a difference, being a straight edge band and touring Europe for two months in 1989 was an adventure.

Ray, Porcell, Sammy, Walter (YOT days)

What are your favorite releases you played on ?

Glassjaw "Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Silence", and CIV "Set Your Goals" probably.

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Who are the people or bands that had the biggest impact in your life ?
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John Porcell and Walter Schreifels as far as people I've played with, we've seen a lot of the world together, made a lot of music together. Daryl Palumbo from Glassjaw as well, I'm playing in Head Autamatica with him now, he's a special dude. Outside of people I've played with? Hmmm, H.R. maybe, Stewart Copeland, Peter Tosh, Coltrane, there are many.

What playing music represents to you ?

Again, the answer is pretty complex, but in short, it's kind of my favorite way to express myself, it always changes, there are always surprises and at the same time it's a very warm and familiar place for me.

What kind of music do you listen to today ?
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Everything, my wife turns me on to a lot of new music, I love old hip hop and reggae, ummmm, it's tricky, there are so many different formats these days, ipods, CD's, I still have a lot of vinyl, I'm a bit overwhelmed.

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What are the news with Rival Schools ?
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We just did a tour called Soundwaves in Australia, we're recording a new album, should be done in May and out in August or September, we have a lot of material.

How was the tour in Australia ?

It was awesome, played music and went to the beach, great people there, they were into the band.

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What is the meaning of the name "Rival Schools" anyway?

It's from the video game "Rival Schools United By Fate", maybe it has something to do with the fact that we all came from different bands and came together to do this? Not sure actually.
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Rival Schools, photo by Ryan Muir.

What do you think of France ?
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I really like it, my sister use to live in Paris and in Avignon, I miss it, it's got a strong culture obviously, that you can only find there, I hope to get back soon.

What did your sister here ?

She was married to a French guy for a bit, She always loved France, went there often, She actually went on to teach French back in NY.

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"Love is building", is that meaningful for you ?
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Of course.

Black Flag, The First Four Years

2009-03-13T11:58:00.000-07:00

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You may ask yourself what kind of relation there is between all the bands I have been writing about on this blog. For me, it's truly evident : I simply feel that all these bands made the greatest music I have ever heard. And sure this release from Black Flag, which is a collection of songs of the first four years, is totally incredible. It starts where Sex Pistols ended and pushes music to a new level of power and true rebellion. With music like that, you can't go wrong. It's dark, fast and furious and it may save your life..."I'M NOT A MACHIIIIIINE !!!"
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Into Another, Ignaurus

2009-03-07T01:55:00.000-08:00

I always hated heavy metal music, I always hated AC/DC, Metallica, Scorpions and all those hard rock bands all the kids I was in school with listened to. I prefered rap at that time. For me, heavy metal was always associated with stupid people (now I know that I'm not that much intelligent though...). That's why discovering punk rock was such a revelation for me, because it was hard music without the long hair and solos and the stupid people. You're wondering why I write about that ? Because this album has more to do with metal than punk and it's nevertheless an awesome album. I can't explain why but this is the way hard rock should be played...by hardcore guys ! Favorite songs are for me "Maritime Murder", "William" and "Drowning" but the whole album is a great listening experience. Great artwork as all the other Rev releases from that era.

Funny game with John Porcelly (Youth Of Today, Shelter,...)

2009-02-28T10:40:00.000-08:00

I was very excited to send some questions to Porcell, a man who needs no introduction since he played a major role in hardcore music. I could say that Youth Of Today and Shelter were one of the bands who had the biggest influence on me. I'm not speaking only musically but in the sense I see the world today and the way I live. Don't get me wrong, I'm not straight-edge or even krishna but these bands helped me opening my landscape. He and Ray Cappo leaded a new path...But after writing some questions, I was thinking that I already knew everything since I read so many interviews of him over the years. So I just put some words and he could write whatever he wants about it. Thank you for your contribution John.

Young Republicans :

My first attempt at a band, little did I know that being in punk bands would be my full time occupation for the next 15 years!

Youth Of Today :

Still love this band and am very proud and humbled with everything we accomplished.

Project X :

We wrote and recorded that EP in about two days, not even thinking that anyone outside of NYC would ever hear it. Funny to think that 20 years later kids are still into the band, I guess Straight Edge Revenge hit some sort of chord with people.

Bold :

My friends, it's always great to play music with those guys.

Porcell with Bold (CBGB 2006), photo Mike Brooklyn.

Judge :

Judge was a great band that kind of self-destructed way before our time. One big regret of mine is not putting out a 2nd Judge LP because it would've been awesome.
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Shelter :

Punk monks on a mission, one of the greatest times of my life, Hare Krishna.

.Ray and Porcell, Shelter.

Never Surrender :

We only played 5 shows but they were fun.

Last Of The Famous :

I remember Carson Daley from MTV shaking my hand and telling me "You guys are gonna be the biggest band in the world".

War On Illusion :

My attempt to preach Krishna Consciousness in a way that a hardcore kid could understand.
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Schism :

I wish I kept it going, who knows, we might've been a huge label by now.
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Fight Fire With Fire :
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I loved doing record labels because it's a way to give back to a scene that gave me so much. The Bones Brigade CD "I Hate Myself When I'm Not Skateboarding" was incredible.
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True Till Death :

Where my love of graphic design and straight edge meet.
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Henry Rollins :
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Last time I was in NY backstage at one of his shows, he came up to me and Harley from the Cro Mags and said "Hey Harley and Porcell, good to see you guys again." I was flattered that he even remembered who I was. A huge influence on me, musically and personally.

Sammy Siegler, Porcell, Henry Rollins

Ian McKaye :

Besides the Evens, never put out a bad record. .

Ray Cappo :

Now a yoga instructor in NYC.

Walter Schreifels :

A good guy. Youth of Today really started taking off when he joined the band.
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Morrissey :
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Best lyricist ever.

Krishna :

The Supreme Personality of Godhead.
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Bad Religion :

Great band, love all their records.
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Revelation Records :

They were a great label, I hope they become relevant again.
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Out of step :

I'll always be.

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Flame still burns :

Always feeling it.

Vegetarian :

In this day and age with Global Warming and devastation to the environment, becoming vegetarian is the best single most thing you can do to help save the planet. Avoid karmic destruction!

Skateboard :

I used to love it, I just gave my son a Danny Way board.

France :

Freedom fries dude! (just kidding, I love France, George Bush sucks)

Yoga :

Do it every day, great for the body inside and out.

Straight-edge :

True Till Death.

Attaining the supreme :

My ultimate aspiration.

Obama :

Hope.

Porcell :

A servant of the servant.

Love is building :

Build your house on a firm foundation.

Handsome, s/t

2009-02-23T02:23:00.001-08:00

Handsome, it's only one album but what an album ! We have here members of so many good bands it's useless to name all (Quicksand, Iceburn,...). Sometimes an "all-star band" can be disappointing but in the case of Handsome, it's not. Strong album from start to finish, too many great songs to name but I would say my favorite is "Quiet Liar", with some amazing riffs on great lyrics. "This is a mess, an irreversible mess, I built it myself cause I thought it was right..."

Interview with vocalist Jeremy Chatelain to come soon...

Words with Gentry Densley (Iceburn)

2009-02-18T06:51:00.000-08:00

Gentry with Iceburn

"Questions are a burden...and answers a prison for ones self". These are the first words from Gentry Densley when I asked him about an interview. I didn't expect anything else from the man who was behind the amazing band Iceburn. Of course, I never saw them live or anything and I discovered them way after their demise. In fact, the first time I heard a Iceburn song was on the Revelation In Flight compilation but I have to say that it didn't really catch me at first. I guess I was not ready to hear something like that...But now, I would say that Iceburn is one of the most amazing band I know. Thank you Gentry for taking time.

Why the name Iceburn ?

I liked the extremes it represents and the seeming contradiction. It also reflects our environment, being from Utah, a mountainous desert where we get tons of snow in winter and it can get up to sorching hot temps in the summer.

Have you got a favorite release ?

Hepheastus - I don't necessarily think its the best recording but it has a whole concept and we put a lot in to it.

Why did you choose to be on Rev ?

They chose us, just over here you have who knows who and then there's favoritism.

What are you greatest memories with that band ?

Rolling the van into a ditch on our way to Florida... the reunion show we did a couple years ago was a great time as well.

Have you ever played in Europe ?

Yeah we (Iceburn) toured Germany England Austria Czech maybe more in 2001 with a German band called Zann. Crazy times, sleeping in the clubs, eating vegan feasts every night.

Have you ever been straight-edge ?

Yeah, but I distanced myself from it before it all went crazy violent around here. It was more about music for me. I'm still vegetarian though.

What is your views about the world we live in ?

Its a nice planet, very diverse, very resilient. It will be here long after we kill each other off.

Can you talk a bit about this release with ZU ?

It was recorded right before we toured Europe. It was going to be a 7" for Southern Lord but it didn't come out for a few reasons, the label stopped doing them because 7"s are expensive to make and so aren't very economically viable. Anyway ZU dudes were friends of the drummer for Iceburn Chad Popple and he gave them a copy. A few years down the line it still hadn't come out so they proposed a split 10".

ZU/Iceburn split

What is your current musical project ?

Eagle Twin - a new album will be out this summer (2009) on Southern Lord Records.

Ascend - is another project on the same label with Greg from Sunn 0))) the first record is doing well and we've started a second one.

What is the meaning of music for you ?

Music is all meaning, its a deep part of me and is something that is always there in my brain.

Who are the people or bands that have the biggest impact in your life ?

These days anything from Wino or Daniel Higgs...

"Love is building", is it meaningful for you ?

This may be a different take, but to me the building and the making of music and instruments and, you know, the doing is what I love, where I find joy. Its in the work or the journey, not necessarily the destination. The creation always serves to remind us of how it was made.

Another State Of Mind

2009-02-05T03:42:00.001-08:00

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All is in the title : another state of mind. Named after a Social Distortion song, this movie shows exactly what punk/hardcore was about. Another state of mind. People couldn't understand what was going on with the youth. Why the rebellion, why the shitty clothes, why the chaos dancing, why all the noise, etc...The old world couldn't understand its own defeat, its own end. A new world appears. This is the true meaning of punk/hardcore here, catching on this great dvd. The youth organize itself to create a new world, based on the fact that the old world is already dead. A time where punk and hardcore can't really be separated, a mix of nihilistic chaos and self organization. All the straight-edgers should remember that at this time Minor Threat played with Social Distortion and it was the same fury, the same rebellion. Different ways to be different. Today, this spirit is dead but it's not the point here. Funny to see a very young Mike Ness and amazing to see what he became...This is a must see.
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3 great albums by Bad Religion

2009-01-27T09:16:00.000-08:00

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Bad Religion used to be my favorite band. I especially love the 3 albums "Suffer", "No Control" and "Against The grain". In 3 albums, they told 3 forgotten truths to the occidental civilization. Let's see :

With "Suffer", Bad Religion reminds us that life is not a long quiet river. Suffering is a part of our lives and we can't delete it or forget about it. We try to live without suffering and it generates more suffering. There is no life without suffering, only the dead don't suffer. Live and suffer !

With "No Control", they remind us that life is a mistery. We have no control on the world, on the society and even on our own lives. Modern man pretend he controls everything. In fact, the more he thinks he's in control, the less he is really in control. We don't understand what's really going on.

With "Against The Grain", they remind us that life is about change and exploring new paths. To live is to go against the grain. Modern man is a clone. Everyone is the same, everyone thinks the same, there's one way for everyone...Being a sheep is to be dead. We have to go against the grain if we want to live again.

Iceburn, Hephaestus

2009-01-24T04:06:00.000-08:00

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Thanks to Revelation, I discovered this amazing band that I would certainly never heard of. I repeat myself but this era of the label is incredible. It's a shame that such great bands are such unheard bands. But, at the same time, it preserves its uniqueness. And Iceburn is unique, have no doubt about it. I can't describe their music, calling this jazzcore means nothing. Do you feel the ice burning in you ? I can feel it... Beautiful artwork by Rich Jacobs.
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Q&A with Jordan Cooper (Revelation Records)

2009-01-22T06:19:00.000-08:00

Sorry Jordan but I couldn't find any other photo of you !

Jordan Cooper is the co-founder of Revelation Records in 1987, a company that he still leads today. After many mails and questions about a lot of things, I decided to put all his words in one big interview. His label put out so many great bands over the years. The hardcore bands were important but the post-hardcore ones were even greater because each one defined its own sound, following its inspiration. A big thank you to you Jordan for being so patient and so passionate.

How and why did you end up in the hardcore scene ?

My friends growing up in Putnam County, NY were all punks. They watched Eraserhead, First Blood, Clockwork Orange, read Soldier of Fortune, wore biker jackets, got kicked out of school for having the Anarchist Cookbook etc. I hung out with them all the time, but I didn't really like much of the punk music that I'd heard. My friend Chris Guiguler (not sure about the spelling) and I were talking about it one time and he told me about this kind of punk called "hardcore" that he'd heard on a college radio station from Connecticut and this one band that he thought was great. I don't remember the name of the band he mentioned, but that summer my family moved thirty miles west across the border to Danbury, Connecticut and I soon found out what he was talking about. The radio station was WXCI and there was a hardcore show on there that played local bands as well as more well known punk and hc. It was 1983, I was in a new school and had absolutely no friends. Ray Cappo was in English class and was in one of the bands that got played on WXCI and was friends with the guy who did the radio show (Darryl from No Milk On Tuesday). Ray noticed a weird mix of AC/DC, Yes, punk and Pink Floyd scribblings on my notebook (a notebook "covered in anarchy signs" as he remembers it I think) and started talking to me about music. After that I was pretty much indoctrinated into the CT hardcore scene by Ray and his friends.

What did hardcore mean to you at that time ?

At first hardcore seemed like a weird urban tribe with loud fast heavy music, aggressive dance, ripped up clothes etc. Then it slowly took over my life and became one of the most important things to me. To look back and describe what I liked about it is difficult because it's all been said before. The hardcore scene in CT was a free, hidden subculture where people had a different view of the world and a lot of the social norms and opinions of the larger culture didn't matter. It was a new tribe with no leader, centered around music that made you a part of it.

How do you feel about this era of your life more than 20 years later ?

Like anyone, I see different things in the past the further I get from it. It was a lot of fun, it shaped my life.

What were the most important 80's bands for you ?

I'm not a good historian because I've got a terrible memory and only started going to hardcore shows in 1983. I believe the early bands were the most important because they defined the whole thing. My knowledge isn't terribly deep, for example, if you asked me to name the people who were in Teen Idles besides Ian, I'd have to guess or check the record. In my mind people like Ian, Tesco Vee, Harley, Roger, Brian Baker, Jello, Henry, and hundreds of other people were the ones who created hardcore in the beginning. Hopefully someone will document how it all started at some point.

Why did you choose to create a music label ? Why not another job ?

I didn't want to start a label, I just wanted to do something and be a part of the scene. I tried out for a couple of bands, I started a band, I wrote for a zine, but nothing really worked out. I didn't even really understand what a label was at first, I just wanted to put out a record. Then Ray had more and more ideas about what to do and it became a label.

Ray Cappo, co-founder of Revelation Records, photo by Rudy De Dencker.

Why the name "Revelation" ?

There's more information about how we picked the name in my interview in "All Ages", but here's something I wrote in an interview for Tim from Awake zine (but I think the interview might have been for something called 3 chords). I came up with the name Schism. Ray was hung up on the idea of things being "positive". He was actually a little religious too (I was an atheist) and I always suspected that had something to do why he prefered the name Revelation to Schism. The reason I didn't mind the name was because I thought the idea of revelation coming from experiences was coll. Despite that, I insisted on Schism and even got as far as having labels for the Warzone 7'' designed using that name. In the end Ray told me (still haven't gotten around to asking Matt if this is true or not) that Bold would do their album-that was supposed to come out on Wishing Well, but was taking forever- with us, but only if we used the name Revelation. I said "ok" and that was it.

How about the logo ?

Here's a fun fact I wrote up about the logo. We haven't used it yet, but we probably will at some point so you might want to pull some info out of it and edit it down to what you need. We used stars on the first few releases as a background which was Ray's idea. He liked how Dangerhouse had black and yellow bars as their background on the labels so he wanted us to have something to identify Rev with like that. We got a Letraset sheet of stars and used it on the first three records we put out. The fourth record was going to be the Gorilla Biscuits 7" and their friend (who would later join the band as a second guitar player), Alex Brown offered to do the layout for them. Alex took the star concept and put the letter "r" in a star and had the label name under it inside a box. Ray, Alex and Porcell all lived together in Brooklyn at the time so Ray saw the artwork before I did. He really liked the idea and called me to tell me about it. From his description over the phone I re-created it. That was the logo we ended up using because we had already used it on a few things (probably flyers, catalogs and ads). We used it on the GB 7" and the Side By Side and No For An Answer records and repressings of the Sick of it all 7" too. Then we were working with Dave Bett at our main distributor Important on the layout for the New York City Hardcore-The Way It Is compilation and he offered to clean it up for us. He did and that's basically the logo we've been using ever since.

Did you see straight-edge as a sort of "revelation", I mean like you found your way ?

These are great in depth questions. Most people don't ask this kind of stuff for some reason. I personally didn't see straight-edge as a revelation, but I tried to imagine that it was for some people. I wasn't straight-edge; to me revelations were always psychological shifts in the way I saw the world. Drugs sometimes helped in opening my eyes to things, sometimes talking to people or reading something did, so to me revelation didn't have to do with straight-edge at all. I did keep in mind that it might be a huge revelation for other people so I tried not to be critical.

Were you influenced by some philosophy or was it something you just did and created on your own ?

I'm not sure if you were asking what philosophy influenced me with respect to straight-edge, but as I said, i wasn't so I can't answer that. I was not well educated or well read, but there were a few people who influenced my philosophy then, most were friends, but some books and bands lyrics helped shape my thinking of course.

Who decided to sign the bands at first ?

I wanted to release a 7" for Warzone and after that I think Ray picked most of the bands for the 7" compilation and the next few releases (with some input from me). Then on the LP version of the NYHC compilation "The Way It Is" we both decided on the bands. After Ray got into Krishna, I ended up taking over the label and had to start making the decisions on who to sign on my own. I relied on friends like Porcell and Dylan (Schreifels) and the bands themselves (for example Alan Cage from Quicksand was also in Burn and told me that Burn should be on Rev) for a while and then by the time I got to Huntington Beach I was pretty used to it.

Rev #7, 1988

What about the 90's bands ?

The group of people that the label had worked with in the late 80's was large enough to provide the label with new bands and input on other bands through the early 90's. Every band has a different story so I can't take credit for signing any of them purely on my own. Walter (Schreifels) was friend with Farside so they ended up on Revelation. Someone told me to get the Sense Field demo from Zeds which I did. By the time I got to listening to it, it was months later and they were already pretty popular, but luckily they agreed to work with us. Iceburn had a friend, Stormy Shepherd, who really tried to get me to listen to them, which I finally did and ended up working with them. They were friends with Engine Kid and that's how they ended up on the label. Similar stories behind Texas Is The Reason and Elliott.

Did you feel the same "revelation" for these bands ?

Most music takes time to really get to me so it would be wrong to apply that word. My favorite bands have all been ones that I listened to once, put away and then for some reason came back to and played it constantly until I had the entire record memorized. That's what happened with Farside. Walter decided to have Crisis put their 7" out and I heard it a few times but when it came out I listened to it non-stop. The same thing happened with Sense Field. Someone told me to listen to their demo, so I bought one at Zed Records and played it a couple of times. Then a few months later I started playing it everyday and wrote them a postcard asking if we could put them out.

Sense Field

Which bands were your favorite at this time ?

I love all the bands of those years and the time I spent with them. Sometimes even now those records are played I realize that there are things I didn't even appreciate about them back when that was pretty much all I was listening to. The word "revelation" didn't really apply during that time. At that point I wasn't in a flexible state of mind and was just focused on putting out records and running the label. Farside, Engine Kid, Texas Is The Reason, Sense Field, Shades Apart, Into Another, Quicksand, and probably a few other bands that I'm forgetting (and who may or may not have been on Rev) were my favorite bands at the time. I was lucky to work with them and grateful to have them as friends. I don't know that any of those bands had a cohesive philosophy. They definitely didn't write as if they did. Slow John from Sense Field laughed about it to me when I asked him if they had any sort of central idea behind the band. As I recall it, he said something like "there's nothing that really sums".

Why did you create Crisis Records ? Because of the crisis of the straight-edge philosophy ?

Hardcore was my religion and my life from 1983 through the late 1980's. After going to Europe with GB in 1989 I was getting into different music (mostly Swans and Coil) as were a lot of people who were "hardcore kids". I saw it as an identity crisis where you had a very clear idea of who you were and all of a sudden it wasn't enough anymore. The name was supposed to be half serious, no clear mission, just something different.

.Crisis Records #1, 1990.

How do you see hardcore towards music in general ?

I loved it. I'd always loved music and hardcore eclipsed everything else for years of my life.

Do you see hardcore dead or alive today ?

It seems like it's still going. I'm not really listening to a lot of new stuff, but there seem to be just as many bands now as ever. The funny thing to me is that in 1982, hardcore was really new and Led Zeppelin seemed like ancient history, but more time has passed between 1982 and now than had passed between the time Led Zeppelin put out their first record and 1982. Somehow hardcore is not yet a dinosaur probably because it never really got that big.

How do you see Revelation in music history ?

Not sure what you mean here. I think Revelation's place in hardcore is pretty clear. It came from the scene that Ray and Porcell helped form around Youth Of Today when they moved to NY that included some really amazing people who formed some really great bands. From there the connections continued and evolved as those people's music changed and evolved. In the 90s when Rev moved to California there were new people involved and that brought in some different bands.

What are your favorite Rev releases ?

That's too hard to answer.

Why did you stop putting out hardcore bands in the early 90's ?

That's a funny question because I never thought that we stopped putting out hardcore. When Quicksand and Into Another and Farside and some other records started coming out, I guess people thought that wasn't hardcore anymore and I guess in a way that's true. My standard answer for this question is that my friends started making different music, I (like a lot of people) liked that music and either asked to put the records out or said "yes" when the bands asked if I wanted to put the records out. Also, my tastes and other people at Rev's tastes changed over time (just as everyone's tends to) and that led to some different releases too.

Why do you still put out hardcore bands today since you lost interest in it ?

We've had a lot of different people working with bands over the years. In the beginning Ray and I picked bands for the label. After that other people helped and sometimes so that's how we found out about bands even though I'm not going to shows all the time.

What is the future for Rev ?

We're putting out a few discography records (Mouthpiece, Verbal Assault, Underdog) and a compilation of covers of early Rev bands' songs. Brian Peterson is doing a book about 90's hardcore. Tony Rettman is writing a book covering midwest hardcore and how it influenced hardcore all over. That's about it.

Rev #147

Who are the most important people you met in your life ?

What kind of question is that ? To keep the list short, here are only a few of the people who changed the way I think: Tim Yohannon, Stacey Murray, Syd from CCM, Ray Cappo, Vern and Gavin Young, Christy Colcord, Richie Birkenhead, Porcell.

What are your greatest memories until now ?

I'm pretty old so that list is long. I'll just mention a few of the best Rev-related memories: The Youth Of Today tour in 1985 with 7 Seconds, and again in 1989, the GB tour in 1989.

What kind of music catch you today ?

I mostly listen to older music. I'm playing Mouthpiece right now, but mainly I've been listening to Rush, Grand Funk and Yes for the past few weeks.

Do you still feel "out of step with the world" ?

I never really thought of that term applying to me. I usually think of myself as an outcast even among outcasts. But to answer your question; more than ever.

How do you feel being an american today ?

Better than I felt four (or eight) years ago, but shit, what a mess.

Love is building, what do you think ?

Let's hope.

Snapcase, Designs for automotion

2009-01-21T08:52:00.000-08:00

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I didn't heard anything from that band until I recently buy this cd. I didn't expect much since I don't really like most of the 90's hardcore, especially what was on Victory Records. And I was wrong. This album is awesome. From the first chords, I knew that this band was great. These guys know how to play hardcore, that's for sure. Great artwork by Limbert Fabian. Makes me want to discover more from them.
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Q&A with Jon Bunch (Reason To Believe, Sense Field)

2009-01-15T04:23:00.000-08:00

Jon during Sense Field spring 2000 tour.

Jon Bunch was the singer for Reason To Believe and Sense Field. And what a singer ! When I first listened to the song "Leia", I was blown away...These bands are unforgettable. He was nice enough to waste his time answering some bad questions. Many thanks to you Jon.

I'd like to start with Reason To Believe. Why did you start this band ?

My friends and I were heavily into punk/hardcore and were playing music. There were a couple of bands we had going on and my friend Chris who was an excellent drummer and played some guitar too. He was taking a recording class in college. He recorded his songs and asked me to sing on them. R2B formed because of that demo.

What were your major influences ?

At that time all we listened to was punk, nothing else. I wanted to sing like Jerry A from Poison Idea, Minor Threat, Bad Brains, Bad Religion...

.Jon with Reason To Believe (photo : Dave Sine)

Who composed the songs ?

For the demo, Chris wrote the music and some lyrics too, I started writing some lyrics. Then when we got Rodney in R2B, he wrote some of the music along with Chris, I wrote the lyrics that was for the 7 inch.

What is your favorite release ?

I don't really have a favorite release for R2B, it seemed like a pretty standard progression to do a demo, then a 7 inch, then a full record. I was pretty young during it all, most of the songs were about the scene.

Greatest memories ?

We had some good shows that I remember pretty well, opening for the Dickies at Fenders Ballroom was pretty amazing for us. Opening for Scream was great, playing with Fugazi was great, Operation Ivy too. I think meeting some of the other bands at the time was maybe the best part. Getting to know the kids in bands and making friends, many of them are still my friends today.

Did you feel part of the hardcore scene ?

We were definitely part of the HardCore scene, not just because of the band. My friends & I had been going to shows for years and the punk/hardcore scene was something that meant a lot to us. The way the younger hardcore bands started to get to know each other and play together was through our demos. Zed Records would buy your demo tapes and there would usually be 5 to 10 bands that had their demos available. So everybody would buy each other's demos and call each other up to either set up a show or hang out. We got to know many bands this way.

What about the rerelease of the cd ?

Frank Harrison, who was a staple in the punk scene, started a label called Nemesis Records. He worked at Zed Records and started to put out bands on his label. He also was the one who was responsible for getting us our shows. R2B had a hard time keeping band members. We lose a drummer, then a bass player, so it was difficult finding people to stay in the band, which made it difficult to play shows...As far as a rerelease, our buddy Jeremy Weiss of C.I. Records was supposed to do it years ago, but so far it hasn't happened.

Let's continue with Sense Field. Why did you start a new band ?

Sense Field started for a few reasons, we finally got a lineup that was secure. The music we were writing wasn't something we felt was right for R2B. The scene was changing, we were changing and the music was reflecting those changes.

Rodney and Jon with Sense Field (photo : Dave Sine).

Who wrote the songs, music and lyrics ?

Rodney and Chris wrote the music, Rodney and I wrote the lyrics.

How was the public reaction at the first shows ?

I think that people were interested in what we were doing, some people like it, some people didn't. The earliest shows were just our friends coming out to party. They were really fun shows.

Why did you leave Revelation after "Building" ?

We had done three records with Revelation and Warner Bros. signed us.

What do you think of the "major" era ?

As a band, our experience on a major label was terrible, we were completely unable to record a record, something that seemed so natural and fun for us became seemingly impossible. We took too long recording, we spent too much money, we wrote crappy material, we took too much time off, we overanalyzed our music.

Why did you end the band ?

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The band ended after 13 years, we probably should've ended after Building or the Part of the Deal ep. Those were the last two releases that seemed to have the original spark SF started with. The band had exhausted pretty much every avenue that we could possibly go down. Sense Field never could get a grasp on the business side of music, we made bad business decisions that hurt us for most of our existence. The band grew apart, some of us started families and had kids. So it just finally ended.

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Where are the songs on "To End A Letter" coming from besides the ones on compilation or split ?

I think it was a last ditch effort to get all the left over songs out at once.

Do you feel comfortable when you read Sense Field was an emo band ?

Sure, it's become somewhat of an uncool tag, but in the early years, many bands we admired were called emo...

Like ?

Well, Dag Nasty, Rites of Spring, Embrace were the first Emo Records, Fugazi.

Do you feel comfortable when people say you were a christian band ?

You can call the band whatever you want, but it doesn't make it true, SF was never a Christian band.

What is your favorite SF album ?

Sadly, probably the first ep we put out... When I had a vision of what I wanted to do musically, that was it. Building is a good record for the time, I think the Part of the Deal ep has some cool moments. It sounds like a real band. The last two records seem synthetic to me... The Warner Bros record I think is a piece of shit...

Sense Field, s/t, Revelation Records 1994.

What are your greatest memories ?

So many great memories, too many to mention. The touring was so much fun, we had some great times. Sense Field was a good band that had great moments, some of those moments were as great as a band could have. We had some great parties too. We met some amazing people along the way.
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Do you stay in touch with the SF guys ?
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Some, most of us are busy with kids and what not. Popeye from Farside saw John Stockberger in a Chinese Parade in downtown Los Angeles wearing full Chinese Garb... that sounds about right.
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Any chance for a reunion ?
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I just received an e-mail from a promoter in Holland to come out for a festival...so I would never rule it out... but it's not likely at the moment.

Can you talk a bit about your time with Further Seems Forever ?

I was in the band for about three years. I sang on the last release Hide Nothing. It was a good situation for me, they were a band who needed someone to sing on their record, I was available. I have friends in Florida who I got to hang out with. We got to go Europe, Japan...

What about Fields Forever ?

When FSF was in Europe, the drummer quit the tour, he didn't want to be away from home. So, we had to finish much of the tour acoustic. Promoters weren't sure if it was going to work, but once they saw it did, they asked us to come back. Marco from Avacado Booking is a friend from the SF days and asked if we wanted to come over to do an acoustic tour. My friend Jeremy Weiss of C.I. Records decided it was a good chance to get to some of the cities that SF never made it to, so we booked shows in Dublin, Rome, places that we wanted to see but never had the chance, so we did it and it was fun. We played SF, FSF new songs and a couple of covers.

What was the most important band for you between R2B, SF or FSF ?

Well R2B was important to me at the time, because I really believed in what we were doing... Sense Field was our baby, the band I had always hoped for, in the beginning at least...FSF was more fun with guys that became friends, it was never my band. I was the 3rd singer for God sake.

I'd like to go on with more personal questions. What was the meaning of hardcore for you ?

Punk rock and hardcore gave me something to believe in, something to be in to. It gave me a scene to be part of, music to love. Some of the things I saw changed me forever...

Like ?

Mostly bands and the music, seeing Bad Brains in 85 blew me away and I've never been the same, they were singing about God and hope, It made me want to do that.

Do you still have an interest for it today ?

I still listen to my favorite old punk records...

What about straight-edge ? Were you involved in that ?

Never was straight edge.

Do you still feel "out of step with the world" ?

I don't feel out of step with the world other than I think the world seems to be falling apart at the moment...

What is your relation to religion ?

I've always believed in God, never was too much into church or religion, but I do believe in God.

Who are the people and bands who had the greatest influence in your life ?

My family, my friends, musically speaking, the Bad Brains changed my life, I like the Verve and Richard Ashcroft, U2...

Why did you choose to sing and not playing some instrument ?

When I was young couldn't afford one... so I sang.

What is the meaning of music for you ?

Music has always been something I could turn to. I didn't enjoy music for many of the SF years, because the business side of music turned me off to it. But I like music again now that I'm not around the business side.

Have you other passions besides music ?

History, being a Dad...

Did you play in France ? What do you think about this country ?

I've been to France a few times, I love France. I was in Paris on Bastille Day and it was one of the wildest parties I've ever been to.

How do you make a living today now that you're out of music ?

I work with one of my close friends at his business, I want to eventually work in education on some level, but not sure what...

"Love is building", do you still feel the same ?

I do feel the same, having kids changes you, you're all they've got. I want to be there for him.

Good Riddance, My Republic

2009-01-13T00:37:00.000-08:00

Following the Russ interview, I listened once more to their last studio album out on Fat Wreck Chords in 2006. Their old drummer Sean Sellers is back for this one and its' like the dream team reunited. I already wrote that all their albums are good but this one is maybe one of the best. It's melodic hardcore at its finest. It's like a combination of all their previous releases. Awesome songs ? "Tell Me Why ?", "Darkest Days" and many others. GR is probably the only Fat band who never disappointed me, they didn't fade away like No Use For A Name or Lag Wagon.
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Q&A with Russ Rankin (Good Riddance, Only Crime)

2009-01-11T00:44:00.000-08:00

My first punk show was Good Riddance in a little club in Clermont-Ferrand (France) in 1997. It was an amazing experience and I still remember it very well. It's kind of funny because Russ says in the interview that it was a terrible show for them because the people who were there hated them...Anyway, I loved that band from that point and each album they put out over the years. I still listen to all their releases and I can't say that for many bands. But I can't forget Only Crime too. Their first album "To The Nines" is a classic and I saw them live a few years ago. Thank you Russ for taking time.

How did you end up in Good Riddance ?

I agreed to "sing" in a group a few of my friends were starting. We had no idea what we were doing. Years went by and we managed to play a few local shows. In 1990 Luke joined the band (he had played in a thrash band called "Rude Awakening" who we had played some shows with) and that's when I would say that we started to get really serious. After Luke joined we actually tried to be a band.

Why the name Good Riddance ?

I thought it sounded good. It had a "punk" ring to it.

What are your greatest memories with them ?

Being able to travel all over the world and meet so many awesome people and great bands.

What is your favorite GR album ?

I really like "Symptoms of A Leveling Spirit" and also "My Republic" which ended up being our last studio album.

Did you feel at home on Fat Wreck Chords, like a family ?

We were very fortunate to land on FAT and we enjoyed everything about being on that label. We were treated well and afforded every opportunity to grow.

Do you stay in touch with the GR guys ?

We still have a bit of post-band business to attend to which necessitates us staying in at least some contact so yes.

What is the goal now with Only Crime ?

To continue to push musical boundaries and perform live as much as our schedules will allow.

What about this solo career you seem to start ?

I am slowly assembling some of my own songs and I'd like to se what happens with them.

Why did you choose "Walk the line" on the Cash compilation tribute ?

I liked the song and honestly I first thought that "When The Man Comes Around" was taken. "I Walk The Line" was alot of fun to record though and I think it turned out really well.

What attracted you first in hardcore/punk ?

The political aspect of it; that it was visceral, honest, aggressive music which seemed to want to go beyond simple entertainment.

What is the meaning of hardcore for you ?

The purest form of musical expression. An outlet for people who aren't given a voice by straight society.

What about straight-edge ?

It's my lifestyle and it has helped shape my values and provided the lens through which I view the world and my involvement with music.

Do you still listen to hardcore music ? Do you think hardcore is still alive today ?

I listen to mostly punk/hardcore music from the late 1970's and early 1980's. I think that aggressive music is still alive today but alot has changed and I wouldn't call what's going on today "punk" or "hardcore."

Do you really believe in politic as a way of change ?

I think it can be. More than that I think that politics is our avenue of understanding the world and I believe we can't change things unless we first understand them.

What are the bands and people who had the greatest impact in your life ?

Sick Of It All, Youth of Today, Cro Mags, Insted, Dave Smalley, Bill Stevenson, Mike Burkett, Greg Graffin, Richard Butler, Noam Chomsky.

Why did you choose to sing and not playing an instrument ?

I didn't know how to play an instrument when I joined my first "band".

Do you still feel "out of step" today ?

Yes. I am often in situations where I am the only person who doesn't drink or eat meat.

Did you read the book of Noah Levine "Dharma Punx" ? It seems you know each other...

Yes I did read it and yes I have known Noah a long time.

Did you write a journal during all these years on the road like Henry Rollins ?

I started writing a tour journal in 1998 when my previous band was on tour in Europe with AFI and kept going until the end of that band.

Do you appreciate any music coming from France ?

I honestly don't know very much about French music - punk or otherwise.

What do you feel about Europe in general and France in particular ?

I like Europe and I wish the United States had health care and no death penalty like you guys. I also wish we had a free press like many European countries. We just elected a President in an election where our media only reported on 2 of our several political parties.

Do you remember this show in a little club of Clermont-Ferrand with Buckwild (1997) ?

Yes - it was a weird night. The people in the club hated us and couldn't wait for us to leave. A very awkward night.

Do you still surf ?

Yes!

"Love is building", what does inspire you ?

These days it's observing the world of politics and seeing how I can find my place in it. Also listening to John Coltrane inspires me.

Rival Schools, La Boule Noire, Paris, 23 juin 2008

2009-01-10T00:20:00.000-08:00

With no news about them since the 2001 album "United By Fate", it was a big surprise for me to hear about this Rival Schools Euro Tour. I don't go to shows very often now but I didn't want to miss this one. Why ? Because the album is very good but also because it's a chance to see these guys who played in legendary bands like Gorilla Biscuits, Youth Of Today, Quicksand, Iceburn, and others. Walter Schreifels is today's Mozart. Every band he played in is unique because he wasn't afraid to evolve instead of playing the same style over and over again. I have much respect too for Ian Love, Cache Tolman and Sammy Siegler who all played great music until today. The show was awesome as expected and the new songs they played makes me want to hear about that new album coming maybe in 2009. Their reprise of the Smiths "How soon is now" can't be matched.

Ian Love, s/t

2009-01-08T05:50:00.000-08:00

Ian Love plays guitar in Rival Schools and was also in hardcore bands like Burn or Die 116. He leaded Cardia too but I don't know anything from this band. This album was out in 2006 and I'm late as usual. If I heard this album before, I could have seen him live with Jonah Matranga not so long ago in Paris. He plays every instrument on it and it's much more calm and acoustic than the music he used to play with his previous bands. Well, this album is absolutely superb. You should take a listen.

www.myspace.com/ianlove

Sense Field, Building

2009-01-08T05:30:00.000-08:00

I discovered Sense Field with the song "Leia" on a snowboard movie, around 1997. I truly loved that song and when I bought this album later, I was not disappointed. Jon Bunch has one of the most beautiful voices around there. Highlights are for me "Overstand", "Leia", "No Man's Land" and "Wondering Time" but all the songs are great and I can't forget the song "Building" who gave a name to this blog. If I have to keep just one disc with me, I think it would be this one. It's their best album in my opinion although the 2 firsts are already amazing. After that, well, it's not the same...But once you say "love is building", what else can you say ?...This album ends an era in my mind. It's the end of something. After that, you'll have "emo" and very different bands and spirit...

The rise and fall of hardcore

2008-12-24T03:01:00.000-08:00

Hardcore is probably the most unknown genre of music. Everybody heard about rock, jazz, classical or even punk but only a few people heard of hardcore as a music genre. It's maybe the only music that stayed underground. Hardcore bands never came under the light, unlike punk bands like Clash or Sex Pistols, because common people doesn't want to hear about it. For them, it's too radical, too noisy, too violent. It's not music. And they are right, it's not music. It's much more than music. Music is entertainment today. The fact hardcore never went into the mainstream is what preserves its uniqueness. Many think it's a shame, but it's a chance too. When any music become popular, it lose all meaning. This is why hardcore is maybe the greatest music of all time. Because it's the most unknown music in a time where everything is known. In this time where everything is upside down, real music is what people won't call music. But hardcore, as anything else, rose and fell. I don't talk about the sound but about the meaning of hardcore. Hardcore was, for me, alive from the early 80's to the mid 90's. I don't pretend for truth but this is the way I see things. Many will disagree and don't hesitate to write comments...Let's see :

Rise : punk/hardcore, early 80's.

Punk was about to destroy. Hardcore was about to build. I can see a clear difference between punk and hardcore. Punk was about pointing evil in the outside world. Hardcore was about pointing evil in the inside world. And that made all the difference. The rise of hardcore is what many call the golden age of hardcore, early 80's. It's like a fire spreading everywhere in America. The book "American Hardcore" documents well this era but pretend hardcore ended in 1986. I can understand this point of view but it's a bit radical. During this era, punk and hardcore can't really be separated. This is hardcore punk. Black Flag, Bad Brains, Dead Kennedys, Minor Threat and many others defined hardcore and built foundations for what will come later.

There is a lot of new labels emerging but Dischord is certainly the most important label for this era.

There is a lot of bands but Minor Threat is certainly the most important band for this era.

There is a lot of faces but Ian McKaye is certainly the most important one for this era.

Peak : hardcore, late 80's and early 90's.

What many call the second wave of hardcore is the peak of hardcore in my opinion. When hardcore started to crash in the mid 80's, bands like Youth Of Today or Gorilla Biscuits gave hardcore a new life, brighter than ever. They made hardcore an international music. They made pure hardcore. Hardcore is not affiliated with punk anymore at this point. As Ray Cappo said, "I'm not into punk, I'm into hard music with a positive message". Straight-edge was no longer a song, it was a way of life. Straight-edge was hardcore, hardcore was straight-edge. You can't separate the two. There's no place for politics. The only subject is to make a change inside people, not in the outside world. The book All Ages is a great document for this era. But the seeds of the decline are there too. Straight-edge and hardcore soon became a doctrine and people started to confuse mean and purpose. When straight-edge became a goal, it started to fall.

There is a lot of labels but Revelation is the most important for this era.

There is a lot of bands but Youth Of Today is the most important for this era.

There is a lot of faces but Ray Cappo is the most important one for this era.

Fall : melodic hardcore, early to mid 90's.

What many won't call hardcore anymore is the fall of hardcore. The melodic hardcore bands of the 90's brought hardcore a new life one more time. Bad Religion, NOFX, Pennywise, and many others were all hardcore bands. It's very melodic but it's still hardcore. I mean, it's the same fast rythms, fast chords and all. But the whole philosophy start to fall. The best example is maybe NOFX making a joke about Minor Threat's song Straight-Edge on the "White Trash..." album (I can see both respect and mockery in this song). But, this said, the melodic hardcore aesthetic is still straight-edge but not in a militant way. Later, Offspring definitevely killed hardcore and all its meaning, while going into the mainstream. After the mid 90's, hardcore is just another kind of music. As jazz, country or anything else...

There is a lot of labels but Epitaph might be the one.

There is a lot of bands but Bad Religion might be the one.

There is a lot of faces but Greg Graffin might be the one.

Henry Rollins, Get in the van

2008-12-23T05:54:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading this book. It's an amazing one. I think it's the best book about hardcore/punk I ever read. If anyone wants to know what is hardcore, you have to read this book. But it's not just about music, it's about life. Henry Rollins is an uncommon man, it's safe to say. Maybe he's the last man. His views on the world are essential. He can see what most of people can't see. And Black Flag is such an amazing band. They did not play hardcore, they were hardcore. It's the only band the whole hardcore/punk scene can identify with in my opinion. Their music is life. It's so much more than music. I could compare this book to another one from the french writer Celine named "Journey to the end of the night". When others see light, he sees the deepest night... I feel less alone when I read this.

Q&A with Travis Laws (Whirlpool)

2008-12-19T14:38:00.000-08:00

Whirlpool first incarnation : Travis Laws, Travis Guichard, Rachel Stolte, Rodney Sellars, Brandon Laws.

When I started this blog, I sent Travis Laws a few questions about Whirlpool thinking he was Travis Guichard. This is what happens when you have 2 Travis in the same band. I told him I liked Mean Season and Outspoken (Travis Guichard's old bands). What a fool !... After I realized my mistake, I sent him some more questions to complete the interview. Oh yes, Travis Laws played bass in Whirlpool and I think his lines are amazing. Thanks for your contribution Travis !

How did you end up in this band ?

This band was started from an idea discussed between vocalist/guitarist Rodney Sellars and guitarist Travis Guichard regarding maybe recording a bunch of songs Rodney wrote that his other band (Sense Field) wasn't interested in using. I was roommates with Rodney at the time and he and I played music together casually at home all the time. One day we all got together with my brother Brandon Laws on drums and Whirlpool was born. Later we added vocalist Rachel Stolte and drummer Scott McPhearson who replaced Brandon. I was playing in at least 2 other bands right before and during this era (Final Conflict and Emission).

Was it a full time band ?

Yes and no. We practiced and played regularly and did two albums and one US tour in the short two years or so years we were together. Rodney and Scott's other band was getting signed by a major label at the time and we had some difficulty at actually being a full time band although we took it seriously and not really as a "side project". I have always and still am involved in as many music projects that I can handle.

Were you involved in the composition process ?

Yes. Rodney came up with most of the lyrics and chords and we all contributed to the arrangement and orchestration.

What are your greatest memories ?

My greatest memories are the one month van tour and the writing/recording of the second album. I really thought we were an amazingly tight and creative force during this time. It was a fun little family for a while. I still miss playing in this band and am proud of the Liquid Glass album.

What is your favorite Whirlpool record ? Favorite songs ?

I like the whole Liquid Glass album. Cult of Misjudgment is a favorite song.

Do you stay in touch with the other Whirlpool guys ?

I see Rodney once in a while, we live in the same city and his current band plays around here often. Travis G. lives in Prague. I visited him a few months ago. The first drummer, Brandon, is my brother, I see him all the time. I sort of lost touch with Rachel and Scott. I hear from them through myspace every so often.

You were in Final Conflict. Can you talk a bit about this band ?

Final Conflict is a legendary Southern California political "hardcore punk" band that started around 1980 or so and is still around, in some form, to this day. I came in late and was just the "kid bass player" for a while. When I was in high school, all the "punks" and "metal heads" were into this band and I ended up with a copy of their first album. By the time I was almost out of high school, I had a terrible part time job working at a telephone answering service. The guitarist/leader of Final Conflict ended up working there along side of me. One day he said they needed a bassist so I bought a bass and started playing with them (I was playing guitar in a couple bands at the time and had never really played bass much). I ended up playing, touring, and recording with them for 5 years or so before I got too busy playing with other projects. I quit Final Conflict right around the same time we started recording the second Whirlpool record. Since then I have filled in a few times over the years when they didn't have a bass player.

Travis with Final Conflict

What is the band you played in which you consider the most important to you ?

I couldn't choose.

How did you end up playing music and bass in particular ?

I inherited music from my family. I have been around my dads guitars and music collection all my life. I play many different instruments. Bass guitar is a cool, relatively new instrument with many possibilities. You can secretly lead a band as a drummer or bassist even though nobody really notices. The foundation is everything.

What music represents to you ?

I'm not sure what music represents to me. For a man of few words like myself, it is a strange yet natural way of nonverbal communication and expression among humans.

Can you talk a bit about the band you play in now ?

I have been in too many band/projects to name. I have been dividing my time practicing my various stringed instruments, collaborating on other peoples projects, and getting more and more into music recording and production and creating my own songs. My current project is just now officially forming featuring all of two musicians and a huge pile of drums and electronic gear. No name yet. I hate trying to describe music because anything good usually will not fall into a certain category. If I had to describe what we are doing now in my current main project I would say heavy/dub/tribal/drone/experimental art rock kind of thing. Like scary film soundtrack music with gigantic weird beats and bass lines over it.

Do you still listen to hc/punk ?

I listen to anything good. It is impossible for me to describe sounds and music styles anymore.

What was the meaning of hardcore for you ?

I don't think that I ever identified with the "hardcore scene" you are talking about. I'm 36 years old. Back in my day "hardcore" was just a music style description that came after "speed metal" and "punk" in the 1980"s. Bands like D.R.I., S.O.D. and even Final Conflict were called "hardcore" or "hardcore punk", meaning heavier, scarier and faster than before.

Were you straight-edge ? What is your point of view about it ?

I certainly was not. Nobody I ever hung out with or played music with ever called themselves "straightedge". I casually knew people who listened to or were formerly a part of some of the "straightedge" bands but they and all of their acquaintances eventually turned 18 or 21 and either drank, smoked, or fucked and were then officially out of the club. I can't imagine anyone thinking that Whirlpool were a straightedge band. I guess Revelation Records had some of those bands on their label. Rodney and Scotts's other band at the time, Sense Field, were not straightedge. Travis Guichard's previous band, Outspoken, may have been involved in that scene when they were young but he was not straightedge.

Have you ever been to France ? Europe ?

I just backpacked through Europe with my girlfriend a few months ago. We went to Prague, Italy, and Ireland over the course of a month. I have not been to France yet but may be passing through when we travel to Europe again later this year.

Q&A with Travis Guichard (Whirlpool)

2008-12-03T18:07:00.000-08:00

I already wrote about my love for that band, Whirpool. I can't find any words to describe them, it's one of the best music I can listen to. All is there : the "90's post-hardcore sound", great female/male vocals, great lyrics, great artwork, Revelation records...This band is unique, I never heard anything like that. Its a shame no one knows about them but, at the same time, it's a chance. Fortunately, the net is here and I asked Travis Guichard, guitarist of the band (who was also in Outspoken and Mean Season) to give me his enlightened thoughts.

How did you end up in this band ?

I was working with Rodney Sellars at Revelation Records in 1994 and we were putting cd’s together or something and came up with an idea for a band to work out some of the stuff he had been writing that wasn’t going to be used for Sense Field. It basically developped from that idea. Rodney and I started getting together and rehearsing a lot, soon, Rodney’s roommate Travis Laws (Final Conflict) was playing bass with us and Trav’s brother Brandon was playing drums. After playing some shows, we decided to jump right into recording an album. While recording the first album, we realized that we wanted to add another element to the music… I knew Rachel Stolte from the Orange County music scene and at the time she had just stopped singing for local band Cold Water Crane. She liked the idea of trying something new, so she and Rodney started writing vocal harmonies that would work with the existing ones on the recording. We recorded the tracks and that was that.

First album, 1995

Was it a full time band for you ?

It wasn’t quite what you would call a “full time band” for any of us. We all had other things going on at the time. Rachel had acting, Travis had Final Conflict and some other projects, Brandon was in Emission, Rodney had Sense Field, and I had Mean Season and Outspoken.

How do you feel about it more than 10 years after ?

I guess I feel the same about it now as I always did. I'm glad we recorded the 2 records and got to spend so many good times together. Meeting other bands like Shades Apart, Engine Kid, Iceburn, etc. I always wished that we had done a little more with it, pushed it a little further, but we were all just too busy with other things at the time. Not to mention, Sense Field was in the middle of signing with Warner Bros Records. Sense Field's new touring schedule made it hard to play as much as we would have liked, and it wasn’t just Rodney … by this time Scott Mcpherson from Sense Field was playing drums for us as well. This is when it REALLY became a side project! Haha! Anyway, I still feel great about it more than ten years later.

Did Rodney write all the songs ? How were you involved in the composition process ? Is that you singing on "Suppositions" ?

Yeah, Rod wrote almost all of the lyrics and music. On the first record he wrote everything and Travis, Brandon and I just added our own personal parts. I think that all of the lyrics that Rachel sung on that were written by Rod. On the second record, Rodney came up with most of the music ideas, but the rest of the band had a lot more to do with the writing process. It was more like…we all created them together, and I definitely think it shows. Travis Laws wrote the lyrics to “Suppositions”. If I remember correctly, Rod and Trav Laws came up with the weird timing and chords, then Scott added his part, then me. Travis Laws sung on that one (you can hear my faint backup vocal on the chorus). Rachel and Bob Stolte (her Dad) wrote the lyrics to "Insecurity" (Rod, Trav, Scott, and I did the shouting backup vocals), that’s a good one! I will add a story… "Cindy Crawford Pumpkin". Rachel was going to UCLA and had these 2 Hawaiian Tropic model roommates (I’m not kidding) and on Halloween they actually carved a Cindy Crawford pumpkin. Ridiculous. So that is where that song idea came from. Haha.

What were the bands you tour with ? Did you play outside the US ?

Well, we didn’t really officially tour “with” anyone per say, but we played a lot of shows on that tour with Shades Apart, Engine Kid, Deadguy, Iceburn, Texas Is The Reason, Braid, and one in Florida with 108.

How was it to be on Rev ? Did you feel like a family with the other label's bands ?

It was great to be on Revelation ! Jordan was (and continues to be) a great help. I guess it did have a kind of family atmosphere, we all hung out a lot at that time, went to shows, parties, etc...

How was your public ? Hardcore people, punk people, whatever people...

Our fan base (or lack thereof haha) really seemed to vary, all of the above ! We were on the soundtrack to a surf film, so we reached that community (I actually talked with a lot of surfers who knew us from that). But yeah, all kinds of people seemed to be into it.

Do you feel you were part of the emo scene ?

Ummm. I guess so. I suppose that our music could be classified as “emo”, but then again…I have a hard time with the term “emo” ha. We played with all kinds of bands, from Smile to Deadguy to Braid to Texas Is The Reason and on and on, so I don’t really think that we were really that much a part of just the emo scene.

Greatest memories ?

Ha ha, there are a lot of those ! The first would be the tour we did in summer 95. Innertubing in Connecticut, playing in NYC at CBGB’s at the 95 CMJ festival , shooting the video out in Palm Springs with Jim Brown, recording with Jim Monroe. The list goes on and on.

What is this video you're talking about ?

We did a video in 95 for the song “The Sound” out in the desert in Palm Springs. Jim Brown shot it. It was a lot of fun to do and the video is pretty funny. I remember we stayed at Jim’s parents house on the golf course out there, pretty cool.

What is your favorite Whirlpool record ?

I would have to say Liquid Glass. We had been together for almost a year by the time we recorded that so we were tighter, and I don’t know of many drummers who are tighter than Scott. Also, as I said before, we were all more involved in writing that one.

Liquid Glass, 1996

Do you stay in touch with all the other Whirlpool guys ?

Yeah, I am in touch with all of them, myspace, emails... Travis Laws came for a visit earlier this year and a while ago Rachel told me that Great Northern might be doing a European tour.

Any chance for a reunion ?

I wouldn’t really count on a reunion, but you never know, it’s not out of the question. I’ll talk to them about it, ha ha. Of course everyone still has something going on. Rodney is doing The Year Zero, Scott plays with so many people I can’t keep up. He played with Elliott Smith, I think he plays with Bright Eyes now, Rachel plays in Great Northern, Brandon plays in Slippers, Travis L. plays in Knives of the Official Disappointment and I am doing photography full time in Prague, Czech Republic (I do as much home recording as possible). A reunion would be fun.

Which band you played in do you consider the most important ?

I think that Mean Season would be the one. I did more with that than with anything else, wrote more of it, toured the States and Europe twice, actual fan base, haha! Can’t forget Outspoken though, that one was pretty popular in the hardcore scene too. Outspoken could never do enough. We could never really do a full length tour, never went to Europe…could have done a lot more with it, but John Coyle (our singer) lived up in San Francisco with his wife Tina and their daughter…so he was pretty busy with his family life.

Travis with Outspoken

What inspired you to play music ?

My mother was a singer and my father sings and plays guitar as well…they also played a lot of rock records while I was growing up. Beatles, Stones, Beach Boys, Doors, etc... so that had a huge influence as well. My younger brother Ben started playing drums in 6th grade, so I ALWAYS had him to practice with.

What did hardcore mean for you ? How about straight-edge ?

To me it meant hanging out with my friends and having a good time. Listening to and playing music…just good times! I think that straight edge is a positive thing if it is kept in perspective, but extremism can be dangerous. Some of my friends (from the old days) are still Edge. Many (like myself) aren’t anymore. It was good for me at the time and I’m glad to have been involved.

Do you feel "out of step with the world"?

I suppose I was always kind of a black sheep haha! But I still fit in pretty well.

How did you end up being a photographer in Prague ?

My Dad is a professional photographer, so I grew up around it, hung out at his studio as a kid (when I wasn’t BMX-ing!) and learned from him. I never took it that seriously until I moved to Prague as an English teacher and realized that I hated teaching English. I had some connections here, so I started assisting a guy and shooting as well. There are quite a few models to shoot in central-eastern Europe, so I stay busy enough.

"Guichard", isn't that a french name ? What do you feel about France in general ? Have you ever been there ?

Yes, it’s a french name. My ancestors came over from Holland though. I’ve actually never been to France, so I don’t’ really have any experience with the place. It’s one of the few countries in Europe I haven’t been to and I want to see it. I’m not really that far away… maybe I will make a road trip soon.

"Love is building", what does inspire you ?

The people around me inspire me. Thanks for the interview !

Thank you Travis.

Rodney Sellars on Sense Field

2008-11-30T01:48:00.001-08:00

Rodney with Sense Field

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I'm glad. Rodney Sellars is an incredible musician and compositor. I'm in love with all of his music, past, present and certainly future. He took an active role in Reason to Believe, Sense Field, Whirlpool and now The Year Zero. He released an amazing solo album too under the name Overland where he plays every instruments. I think he's gifted...Well, thank you Rodney for taking time.

Why the name Sense Field ?

John Stockberger (bass) came up with the name. He was reading a Buddhist spiritual book on LSD and the word "Sense Field" started glowing on the page.

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What were your influences in the beginning of the band, and what made you evolve from Reason to Believe ?

Chris (Evenson) and I always say the acoustic guitar killed Reason to Believe. The Sense Field song "Thought of Living" in particular. We liked the song but we didn't think we should do it as Reason. In retrospect, it might have made more sense to stay as Reason to Believe.

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What was your goal with the band at first ?

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I can't say that we had any organized goal at the beginning of Sense Field. We were just really into acoustic guitars and recording songs on Chris's four track. At the time I was really into writing ambitious songs with lots of parts. I guess there was not a goal so much as just pursuing our creative inspiration.

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How did you see yourself in the music scene then, towards hardcore in particular ?

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We didn't really think of ourselves as a hard-core band at all. Later I was told that is what some kids thought was so cool about us. We kind of came out of left Sense Field in the hard-core scene. It just kind of seemed like a natural progression. Sense Field was just the kind of band guys like us, who grew up on punk in the 80s, would eventually turn into.

What were your biggest musical influences that made you grow outside of the hardcore sound at the beginning ?

I was really into Pink Floyd and the Subhumanz when I was a kid. I don't think we really thought of ourselves as part of the hard core scene, as in new hardcore. That connection came after we signed with Revelation.

"Sense Field's only religion is music" can be read on the "buddha album". Why did you write that ?

A lot of people thought we were a christian band. That message was just our way of saying we weren't.

You sing many songs on "Killed for less". Why only on this one ?

In the early days I wanted us to be a two singer band like Fugazi or The Pixies. We even had Jon Bunch playing guitar for awhile. I just never really felt right.

I remember reading a french review of "Building" where the author compared this album to a Catherine Wheel album. What is your feeling about that ?

I'm not too familiar with the Catherine Wheel album, but I think Building is my favorite Sense Field album.

What was your feeling to the "emo" scene. Did you see yourself as a part of it or anything ?

We always sort of made fun of the emo kids. I mean who doesn't ? But I guess we were kind of an emo band. Emo kids are cool, I guess I was just never skinny enough to be in that scene.

Norm Arenas wrote on the antimatter comp that "Rodney likes riding shotgun all the time"...What does that mean ??

Shotgun just means riding in the passenger seat in the front of the van. Someone told me it came from the old west days. The wagon driver would be holding the rains of the horses while the guy next to him would have a shotgun to fend off bandits. America is much safer now, but the name stuck.

What is your view on the evolution of the band, especially between the Revelation years and the major era (drummer change, sound change, artwork change...) ?

Scott was my favorite drummer. It would have been cool to stick with Gavin's artwork the whole time. I like when bands records all look similar. The sound change was fun. I think some of the stuff on Tonight and Forever turned out pretty cool. Wish I would have sang more. I didn't like our producer much.

What is your opinion on the last album which you weren't in the band anymore ?

I love that one. I can just sit back and enjoy it. I didn't have to go through all the pain of making it. I think Chris and Jon wrote some amazing songs on Living Outside.

Where do the songs on "To End A Letter" come from besides the ones from split cds and comps ?

Don't know what's on that one.

What were the bands you felt the most close with ? Do you think there was a "Rev family" ?

We used to play a lot of shows with Game Face and Far Side. Some of those shows were pretty cool. The CMJ Rev showcase at CBGB's in New York was probably one of the most exciting nights of my life.

What is your favorite SF album ? Your favorite songs ?

Building. I've been meaning to make a comp of my favs. I'll let you know.

What are your greatest memories ?

Water falls in Norway, Dining at the Sony building in NYC. Opening for Fugazi, Guided by Voices, Built to spill, cliff diving in Idaho in a summer rain storm. Parked on the road in New Mexico waiting for a UFO to land, Canada, Prague, Germany. Too many things to mention.

Is there any chance for a reunion ?

I really don't think so, but you never know for sure.

Q&A with Sergie Loobkoff (Samiam, Solea)

2008-11-19T10:41:00.000-08:00

Sergie with Samiam

I have the pleasure to put out this Q&A with Sergie Loobkoff, who played (and still play) music with bands like Samiam, Solea and Knapsack to name the well-known. He is busy in artwork designing and he draws some funny pictures too (see the links below). I was never a fan of Samiam in the beginning mainly because of the singer's voice...until I listened to "You Are Freaking Me Out" and found this one amazing. I like "Clumsy" and "Astray" too but not as much. Samiam was always a band difficult to put on the map and they can't be easily categorized. They don't fit in any scene and this is why they are a great band.

What does Samiam mean ? Solea ?

Samiam is from a childrens story by Dr. Suess. The story is told in a sing along style where words rhyme and repeat...and the character ends phrases by saying his name this way: "sam-i-am'. As in "I do not like them,' said sam i am" for example. The story is basically about someone that is closed minded and through the course of the tale, he realizes that by not trying anything he misses out on alot the world has to offer. None of us have actually liked the name...it sort of was better than calling the band, "Jason Beebout and the Shitheads' or something.
Solea is the title of a song on Miles Davis's album, 'Sketches of Spain". It was Garrett's idea...I don't hate it...but I think it sometimes puts people off to the band. Solea, as we found out later is a style of flamenco guitar picking that is really sad....which neither of us know how to play. So, it's not an accurate description of the band in anyway. ha.

What were / are your main reasons for playing music ?

100% for fun and as a hobby...like drawing or skateboarding. I'm not particularly great at any of these things but I enjoy them and they keep me busy...which is good. Otherwise I'd probably be fat and watch a lot of tv or something.
In the past, with Samiam, there were times when the band became something like a job...and that was kind of shitty because I lost one of my hobbys kind of. And definately lost perspective on all the good things that happened...like I took alot of exciting times for granted. Now I really feel fortunate when I get to travel to japan or europe to play music. It's amazing that it's a possibility for me.

What is your favorite Samiam / Solea album ?

Of course I don't really listen to these bands...but I would say that Clumsy, You Are Freaking Me Out and Astray are the best Samiam records...I might go as far as to say that they are the only ones that matter. Perhaps we could take the best songs from the other 4 albums, rerecord them better and have an additional double album...but I'm not a big fan of the first three...they are pretty sloppily written, arranged, played and recorded. The last one has some good songs but is ruined by inept recording...but I don't really want to get into that discussion.
For Solea, I think this new one is 1000 times better than anything else we did.

"You Are Freaking Me Out", 1998

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What are your greatest memories with Samiam / Solea ?

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Definately the traveling...the friendships with members of the band and various people around the world. Some great shows too...but what is a great show? and hour or 45 minutes or something ? some of the worst van breakdowns and miserable touring conditions that were horrible at the time...now I look back and feel this pride that we stuck it out as friends. It's sort of like my war stories...since I'm lucky enough never to have had to go to war.

What were your major influences when you started Samiam / Solea ?

Dinosaur Jr, Beatles, Built To Spill...Sonic Youth...Eno...a lot of bands that don't sound very similar to either band. I think that is why neither band sounds like typical "poppunk" or 'punk" or "indie rock" has an identity of it's own...because we didn't start Samiam, for example, while listening only to Minor Threat and Bad Brains or whatever...we listen to that and the Zombies and Swans...

Is there a future for Samiam / Solea?

Samiam is planing to remix our last record actually...maybe redo some bass and vocals and guitars if necessary. I hope it works out because people were really disappointed with the sound of the record. We tried to go with this concept of making a punk sounding record and I guess it backfired. We are also talking about touring europe in the spring.
As for Solea, I'm not sure. Scott, the drummer is in Beck's band so we are sort of in limbo. I'm also not sure if Garrett is into playing loud music anymore so...

Solea by Piper Ferguson

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Is there a particular meaning for the last Solea album title "Finally We Are Nowhere" ?

In all the adversity of making the record and the way it seemed a perfect title. And it's true, really. After so many years of making music and touring...neither Garrett or I are really anywhere in the music industry...which isn't something that we are particularly woeful about. We are happy to have the ability to do it...even at such a modest level.

Can you tell a bit about the Atlantic/Pacific project ?

It is an excuse to take a trip to Europe basically...because of Scott, we can't do a Solea tour...so Garrett called me up and asked me if I would do it with him and John (the other singer). My role in the project is sort of minimal...mainly because I don't sing. They are both excellent singers and guitar players and don't really need me but I guess I'm fun to have around and can sprinkle some pixie dust on the songs.
We wrote a bunch of simple acoustic-y songs and are going to play about 5 or 6 Solea songs and then Garrett and John are going to do a few solo songs...perhaps a Texas Is The Reason one or two.
It's all for fun, we don't have record...or a label...and aren't worried if 25 people show up at a show we won't be too sad...hell we are on vacation!

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What hold you apart (from the "common people" or the rest of the world) ?

I'm not sure what you mean by 'common people'...I don't feel the least bit 'un-common'.
Although, to be perfectly honest, I don't feel like I relate to 90% of humans...but I, you know, love the 10% that I do relate to and try to be tolerant of the othe 90%.

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What are your views (relations) about the whole hardcore / straight-edge movement ?

I have no views...and never was part of hardcore or straight-edge. I do love my Snapcase and Refused...but not much else in that whole genre. As for straight-edge...I'm not into extremists...and anyone that would be so into their non-participation of drinking or smoking that they develop a persona around it...well, I don't want to offend anyone...but it's weird. Like, "ok, you don't drink...so what? Good for you if it works for you, what business of mine is that?"

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What is your vision of the world ?

If I think about the world I see it's full of greed, sadness, injustice, etc... I know it is better to see the beauty of it all and rise above all the negatives...but what can I say, I'm a pessimist.

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Did you feel part of the emo scene ?

I'm not really part of any scene...and I don't really know if there is a scene with emo, is there? Seems like that concept went out the window once bands like Fall Out Boy and whomever became so big. Then again, I just don't know, I don't keep up with the latest bands or anything.

What do you think of France in general ?

I love Lyon, I think it is the coolest city in france. I'm not into Paris in the same way I'm not into New York City...it's awesome but too much for me. I also love the countryside in France...driving from show to show is pretty breathtaking sometimes. If you tour in America, while there is awesome sights, a lot of the villages are just ugly and boring for me.
I like the way french people are honest...but sometimes you all can be heavy-handed with your unsolicited opinions. ha. Like when a french kid might walk up to me and tell me that my band is shit...and I say,"uh, ok...fair enough for you to think that...but I didn't ask you for your opinion." And the typical response is, "I'm french, I say what I feel...not like you americans that do not have the ability to express youselves." ha. ha. It's sometimes very comical the discussions I get into on tour.

"Love is building", does it mean something for you ?

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Isn't that a line from a Sense Field song? I love that record. Scott is such an amazing drummer...I love that band even though I'm not a fan of the lyrics that I feel are dishonest and silly.

Thanks Sergie. You can see his drawings there :

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5819448

Solea, Finally We Are Nowhere

2008-11-14T10:07:00.000-08:00

Well, let me introduce you to another great band named Solea. Beautiful name, isn't it ? But what attracted me first was the composition of the band. We have here ex-members of Sense Field, Texas Is The Reason and Samiam to name a few, 3 bands I love. And I was not disappointed. I bought the EP first and there is one amazing song on it : the original version of "Mercy was here". Later, I got the first album "Solea", it's a solid one with good songs for the most part. I think it's a good mix of all their previous bands sound but it lacks something. In 2006, they put out the long awaited "Finally We Are Nowhere" and I have not enough word to say how good is this album. It seems like they finally found their own sound. Scott McPherson is now on the drums and it shows. The most awesome songs are maybe "Far And Wide" and "This Time" but I can't throw a single song from the first to the last song. Some may think it's softer than the first but the songs are greater than ever. . . Amazing one. And it was available only in Japan, how weird is it ?

Sense Field, To End A Letter

2008-11-08T08:24:00.001-08:00

I wanted to write some "reviews" (even if I don't really like the word) on the different Sense Field albums that did something to me. I didn't expect to begin with this one. In fact, I own it just recently, buying it a very expensive price on ebay to some japanese guy. I didn't really know what to expect but I was a bit afraid to listen to some songs from the later era or to some songs I already heard. And it's a big big surprise since this disc is nothing but great ! I didn't like that much the 2 last albums and I gave them but I'm going to keep this one with me. Unbelievable, some songs are truly amazing and it's a pity no one ever heard of these ones. "Saturday", "Little ones", "Away", "Everything at once", "To end a letter", "War of the worlds" and "Welcome me" are all new songs for me and are all great songs. Only "In another life" is dispensable. I already knew "Every reason", "Anniversary", "Beautiful, beautiful", "Caribou", "The horse is alive", "A fire inside" and "One small step" that are all great songs we can find on some EP, split disc or compilation. I'm not super enthusiast about the 2 new versions of old songs "First things first" and "Sage", I still prefer the original versions. But overall, we have a solid album. I would only add "Part of the deal" and "What difference does it make" to this. I feel like it could have been the album between "Building" and "Tonight and forever" for the most part.
Speaking of the object, the artwork is decent, we have some great photos, the lyrics (except that some songs are missing) and a good bye word from Jon Bunch. Well, good bye too Jon and Sense Field and thank you for your incredible music. I truly recommend this one to anyone. This is a classic.

http://www.myspace.com/sensefield

Q&A with Jeff Caudill (Gameface)

2008-11-06T06:22:00.000-08:00

"Always on" cover (by Jeff Caudill)

Jeff Caudill was the singer of Gameface. They put out many discs in the 90's but one kept my attention : "Always on" which went out on Revelation in 2000. I never heard of this band before owning this cd. It's was a great discovery : beautiful melodies, powerful music and superb artwork. Another good album on Revelation I thought. After that, I listened to "Every last time" and "Natural selection" but it didn't have the same impact on me for some reason. Jeff also released a version of "Building", the great Sense Field song. Let's go :

What were your major influences with Gameface ?

Each member brought their own influences to the band, but the ones that shined through most were obviously melodic pop-punk bands like Descendents,Dag Nasty, Adolescents, etc... But we had a more broad scope of music that we liked, from classic rock to hardcore.

What is your favorite Gameface album ?

I think that "Every Last Time" was our creative peak. A lot of people identify with that album and "Three To Get Ready"

What are your greatest memories as a touring band ?

The idea of showing up to a place far from home and meeting people who knew our music and sang along as we played was always moving for me. That was the reason why we did it for so long. To connect with people through music is magical. To travel around the county with your best friends and have the opportunity to play music every night is just a gift.

Why did you split ?

We did all there was to do. We didn't get to be rock stars or anything but for what we set out to do and for what our music was about, we just had come to a place where it would never be as good as what it was. It was hard to admit that at first. We got older and our lives started taking different directions. It was just time.

How do you feel about what was called emo ?

For us, emo began as a way to describe emotion in music. I think that definition stood until the late 90s when it became more of a lifestyle and then on into the 00s when it was more about fashion, etc... Now it's just embarrassing.

How did you feel about being on Revelation ?

It was an honor to be associated with the history of that label.

What were your relations with Sense Field ? Texas is the Reason ? Other bands ?

Sense Field, Texas Is The Reason, Farside, Shades Apart... We were friends with all those bands. We were fortunate to play shows with those bands.

What is your current project ?

I have been making solo records since Gameface ended in 2003. I am just about ready to release an album called "Try To Be Here". I play with some amazing friends and musicians. Popeye from Farside plays and sings in my band and on the new album as well. I also have an electronic music project called Floormodel. We just released an album called 'Random Access Memories"

Love is building ?

It is building indeed. Especially now in America with our newly elected President who is inspiring hope for good things in the future.

Reason To Believe, When Reason Sleeps Demons Dance

2008-10-22T10:19:00.000-07:00

Before Sense Field, some of the members were in this awesome hardcore band. Hard to find nowadays, the band released 2 discs : "The next door" EP and "When reason sleeps demons dance" LP, both on the defunct Nemesis Records. When I first listened to them, I loved it (well, especially "When reason sleeps..."). This is melodic hardcore at its best. I don't think too many bands sound like them back in the days. It's much more melodic than the usual hardcore of this era. With Dag Nasty and Bad Religion, I can't think of other bands that played like that. Some of the songs are incredible ("Far from my hands", "FR I FL" or "What you bring") and we can hear the roots of Sense Field's sound. At times, some songs remind me of Offspring (partly due to Jon Bunch's voice) and it's funny because I think Offspring started on Nemesis Records too. In 1990, the band evolved to Sense Field and started to create a new music...

Whirlpool, Liquid Glass

2008-10-22T01:05:00.001-07:00

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If there's one band you never heard of, it's Whirlpool. Everybody heard about the washing machine brand but let's talk about the washing machine band. You can't find anything about this band on the net. It's like a little secret. Yet it's an awesome band. Let me try to explain : when I first heard them, it was the song "Wasteland" from the In-Flight Program compilation. I was immediatly blown away. It's like a Sense Field song but we have these great mixed vocals between Rodney Sellars and Rachel Stolte which make this band unique. Later, I bought the album "Liquid glass" and I was stocked. From the first song "Machine religion" to the last "Evolver", the songs are all amazing ! I couldn't believe it when I first heard this album. Greatness can be missed in this world... Later, I bought the first album and it's very good too, just a little more raw. I read on the Revelation site that this band can be compared with X or the Pixies but after listening to these bands, I can finally say that Whirpool is far better...Sorry for them !