Archives: 2022
Strategies
Earlier this year, Strategies released their self-titled, debut EP. The band’s lineup consists of guitarist Paul Lask, (The Ghost, Tight Phantomz) drummer Neil Hennessy, (Lawrence Arms) and singer Brian Moss, (Great Apes, Hanalei, The Ghost). We recently spoke with Paul and Brian and talked about the band’s origins, which trace back to the early months of the pandemic. We also discussed their sound, as it incorporated elements of indie rock and Midwestern emo, not to mention a host of other influences. Additionally, we conversed about how the EP was recorded, some of its lyrical content, Strategies’ future plans and more.
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Sludgeworth – “To Be the Same”
We recently caught up with some of the band members and discussed this seminal record. When asked about their impressions when they listen to these songs now, drummer Brian Vermin said “A lot of years went by before I revisited it. Once my son showed an interest in music and wanted to know more about the bands I was in, I played him Losers of the Year. His response was ‘these songs could still be popular today,’ so obviously the young boy has great taste. The songs are a timestamp in my life.” Singer Dan Schafer added “I also went years without listening to Sludgeworth and forgot that I used to intentionally sing a little gruffer. Honestly, I might have subconsciously imitated James Hetfield from Metallica, although I never would have admitted it then, (laughs).”
We’re sharing the video for one of the unreleased songs below, called “To Be the Same”. When recalling what inspired the creation of this song, Schafer said “I can remember playing bass with Brian and Dave, (guitarist Dave McClean). Strat, (bassist Mike Hootenstrat) was running late to practice and we started playing the parts via improvising. I thought about the idea of turning a blind eye to what is clearly wrong for fear of not fitting into the group. The words ‘To Be the Same’ came out and I rolled with the concept.” Guitarist Adam White shared his thoughts from a stylistic standpoint and said “I feel like we found a groove and went with it. I hear a lot of Fugazi influence in this song and love that. I liked that Sludgeworth kept experimenting with different stuff and did not fall into any simple formula like a Ramones-type band.”
When speaking about how the two unreleased songs complement the rest of the album, White said “I was actually surprised how well they fit in as far as the production and sound quality, but I always felt that these songs needed to be released. They’re definitely a good representation of our music and style.” Schafer was also pleased with their inclusion and said “I always liked how the record was sequenced, but was encouraged to find some unreleased tracks. These two were the obvious choices. I thought they were lost forever, but they were somehow thankfully retrieved.” Check out the video below and be sure to pre-order the record here.
84 Tigers – Time in the Lighthouse
Spartan Records – Release Date: 10/21/22
84 Tigers released their debut album last month, titled Time in the Lighthouse. The band features singer/guitarist Mike Reed and bassist Ben Reed, both of whom played in Small Brown Bike, and drummer Jono Diener from The Swellers. While traces of the aforementioned bands are certainly present in their sound, 84 Tigers is very much its own distinctive project and one that freely explores new musical territories. One of the first standout tracks is “Great Basin”, which begins with a quake-inducing bass line that is quickly overtaken by a forceful verse. There’s a smooth transition to the chorus that’s done in an unpredictable manner, yet still sounds natural. The song draws to a close with a haunting breakdown that builds in intensity before the drums come roaring in, leading the band through the chorus one last time.
“Atlas Fractured” opens with a melodic intro, followed by a sense of movement in the verse that evokes imagery of a boat navigating choppy waters. The chorus has a post-punk vibe that uniquely complements the tuneful intro riff, resulting in what might be the album’s most accessible entry. “The Waves Beneath” immediately draws the listener in with an interwoven guitar lead and vocal melody. The same guitar lead carries through to the verse before a dissonant bridge offers a definite shift in mood. That said, this section still very much fits with the song as a whole, and highlights their ability to balance melody and heaviness. “Waiting Season” also bears mentioning as it’s reminiscent of a more masculine version of early Alkaline Trio. Its verse climbs to a spacey, groove-oriented chorus and while it may have a slower tempo than many of the record’s other songs, it remains equally appealing.
On Time in the Lighthouse, 84 Tigers have crafted an album that’s solid and engaging from start to finish. The stellar production, courtesy of Marc Jacob Hudson, (Against Me!, Taking Back Sunday) is noteworthy and helps to emphasize the nuances of their songwriting. Even though they’re just getting started, 84 Tigers have already established a strong identity and laid the groundwork for what is likely an exciting future.
big bird. to Play EP Release Show
Chicago’s big bird. will play their first show ever on Friday, October 14th at the Gman Tavern. The event will also serve as a release party for their Call / Repeat EP, which will be available that evening on lathe cut clear vinyl. The band’s lineup consists of singer/guitarist Jason S. Thompson, (The Sky We Scrape, Little Teeth, Inspector Owl) guitarist Jeff Ulbrich, (From Beyond These Walls) bassist Alex Palermo, (Royal Dog, Typesetter) and drummer Matt Gonzalez, (Royal Dog, Typesetter).
When asked about how they formed, Thompson explained “We got together in January of this year. Alex and I have been friends through previous bands playing together over the past decade, and always tossed around the idea of doing a band or musical project together at some point in the future.” He continued, “I had been living in Munich, Germany for about five years and when I shared that I’d be moving back to Chicago we started talking about making some noise together. We kicked around a few different ideas and decided to lean into some heavier sounds since that’s something we both love, but haven’t really played actively in years. We got together with Matt, who also plays in Typesetter with Alex, and Jeff, who is a long-time friend of Alex. All three of them are super-talented and it all jelled immediately and has been a lot of fun.”
Call / Repeat was recorded at the band’s practice space, with Thompson handling engineering duties for the first time. He received guidance from Chuck Macak, who also mixed the EP, while Alan Douches mastered it. The EP’s final song, “Double Hockey Sticks”, was initially demoed by Thompson while he was still living in Munich. When describing how the song evolved, he said “Once I brought the song to the others in big bird. it took a more nuanced shape and gained a lot more life and texture. The bridge section specifically is something that we worked on for a while to try and make it really special. During the recording process, I think I recorded 15 or 20 different vocal layers that built throughout the section into a weird and creepy choir, but we ended up scaling it back and only have a few voices in there. It’s definitely one of my favorites to play together.”
Take a listen to “Double Hockey Sticks” below and check out the entire EP here. Tickets for the upcoming show at Gman, which also features Still Alive and Intolerable Swill, can be found here.
Dan Vapid and the Cheats – “Sour Pauline”
Less than a year after the release of their previous full-length, Dan Vapid and the Cheats have returned with a brand-new studio album, titled Welcome to Dystopia. It features 16 tracks in total and comes out September 23rd on Eccentric Pop Records. We’re pleased to be premiering the album’s first single below, called “Sour Pauline”. When asked about the inspiration for this song, Dan Vapid said “I was thinking about the toxic people that I’ve encountered over a lifetime when the song ‘Sweet Jane’ by the Velvet Underground was played on shuffle. I’ve probably heard that song a hundred times, but on this occasion the title ‘Sour Pauline’ popped into my head, along with a melody. From there, the remainder of the song quickly followed.”
When discussing the record’s overall theme, Vapid indicated that a common thread is present throughout the album, as it was written entirely in 2020. He said, “Welcome to Dystopia is an unfiltered response to everything I was (and still am) feeling about what faces us as a country and society. It’s mostly angry and dark. There’s not a lot of sunshine, rainbows and lollipops here…most people use social media to convey what they are thinking and feeling. For my own sanity, I try to stay away from social media as much as possible and prefer music to be my outlet.”
Check out the video for “Sour Pauline” below, which was made by Henry Weintraub from Memorable But Not Honorable, (a cassette label based in Eugene, Oregon). Vinyl and CD pre-orders for Welcome to Dystopia will be available starting September 16th from Eccentric Pop. Also, be sure to catch the Cheats when they play Cobra Lounge on November 19th with The Methadones, The Copyrights, and Mikey Erg. Tickets for the show can be purchased here.
Beach Rats – Rat Beat
Epitaph – Release Date: 7/29/22
In late July, the all-star cast of punk rock lifers known as Beach Rats released their debut album. The band formed over a mutual love of 80’s punk and hardcore, and to simply have fun while creating music that evokes the spirit of that era. Not only did Beach Rats achieve that goal on Rat Beat, they also succeeded in carving out their own distinctive sound. Opener “Bikes Out” crashes through the speakers at a breakneck pace and the signature vocals of Ari Katz, (Lifetime) are front and center in the mix. Bassist Bryan Kienlen, (Bouncing Souls) also provides several prominent bass leads, which really assist in bringing everything together on this short and direct entry. “Heavy Conversation” features a unique, descending guitar lead in its intro, quickly followed by chords that transition furiously in the verse. The song brims with energy and would likely induce numerous fists in the air at a live show. It also enjoys somewhat of a loose feeling during the breakdown, illustrating that Beach Rats are fittingly more focused on mood than they are perfection.
The title track contains a vocal melody and accompanying chord progression that overlap perfectly, as well as a surplus of frantic guitar solos, courtesy of Brian Baker, (Bad Religion, Minor Threat) and Pete Steinkopf, (Bouncing Souls). The song quiets for a few seconds near the end, seemingly fooling the listener before the band charges back at full volume one last time. Conversely, “Blown to Bits” is more of a mellow track that mixes major and minor chords. It has lots of alternating rhythms that transition unexpectedly, and some underlying hardcore beats, all of which showcase the abilities of drummer Danny Windas.
Rat Beat was primarily written and rehearsed in Baker’s basement, and then recorded by Eric Bennett at Lakehouse Studios in just one day. It’s this sort of approach, both instinctive and not overthought, that really defines the character of these songs. There’s also an abundance of youthful drive and an undeniable sense of honesty on this record. It’s traits like this that allow Beach Rats to not only live up to the hype, but ultimately surpass expectations.
The Interrupters
Last month, we caught up with The Interrupters before their show at the Aragon Ballroom and spoke with bassist Justin Bivona and drummer Jesse Bivona. We talked in detail about their new album, In the Wild, which comes out August 5th on Hellcat Records. We discussed what it was like writing during the early stages of the pandemic and how having guitarist Kevin Bivona also serve as producer helped to shape the sound of the record. Additionally, In the Wild features arguably some of the most personal lyrics to date from singer Aimee Interrupter, and it’s ultimately the common themes found in her words that really tie the album together. We also chatted about the band’s experiences touring with Green Day last year, their memories from previous shows played in Chicago and the extensive touring plans they have for this year and beyond.
Continue Reading…The Methadones to Release “This Won’t Hurt…” for the First Time on Vinyl
This month, The Methadones are releasing their 2007 full-length This Won’t Hurt… for the first time ever on vinyl. The album was remastered earlier this year by Collin Jordan at The Boiler Room and features a bonus track called “Take Me to Japan.” The record is up for pre-order now via Red Scare and will be available at the band’s upcoming shows. Catch The Methadones on Saturday, 6/11 when they play Reggie’s for T1 Fest with Josh Caterer Trio, Dan Vapid & The Cheats, Capgun Heroes, and Hayley and the Crushers. Also be sure to check out the remastered version of “Already Gone” below.
Additional Upcoming Shows
7.02.22 – Red Flag – St. Louis, MO
7.15.22 – Punk Rock Raduno – Bergamo, Italy
10.29.22 – THE FEST – Gainesville, FL
Naked Raygun Plans Limited Edition Vinyl and Comic Book
Naked Raygun recently announced a Kickstarter campaign for a vinyl single and accompanying comic book. The 7-inch record will feature the song “Broken Things,” which comes from Naked Raygun’s 2021 album Over the Overlords, their first studio album since 1990. The record’s B-side will contain etched artwork by Eisner-nominated artist James Romberger and Ignatz-nominated artist Josh Bayer. Romberger and Bayer are also creating a 14-page comic inspired by the song, with the artists teaming up to work on separate sections of the same page.
The idea for this collaboration came about after Jason Mojica, (Xylophone Media) interviewed Naked Raygun singer Jeff Pezzati for his podcast The Modernist Society. During their conversation, the topic of comic books came up and the idea was born shortly thereafter. Mojica explained, “I interviewed Jeff in January of last year and that’s when he mentioned that Over the Overlords was coming out. Given that we talked a bunch about comics and that I’ve always seen comics in the band’s DNA, especially the covers for Throb Throb, Jettison, and Understand?, I pitched him on my crazy idea and to my surprise and delight, he said ‘yes’.”
The records will be available on black vinyl, limited edition pink vinyl, (500 copies) and limited edition blue vinyl, (1000 copies). Rewards for backers of the Kickstarter project also include original artwork by Romberger and Bayer, artist-designed Naked Raygun t-shirts and more. The Kickstarter campaign is live now through June 8th.
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