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- Masked Intruder
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- Masked Intruder
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- Masked Intruder
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- Masked Intruder
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- Masked Intruder
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- Masked Intruder
Alkaline Trio @ Metro Chicago, 1/3/19
Photos by Katie Hovland
Wurst Music & Beer Fest
The Wurst Music & Beer Fest will take place September 8th – 10th in the West Loop, featuring three days of music, beer and bratwurst. In addition to offerings from Guinness and a selection of Chicago’s best bratwurst, a varied music lineup will also be on display, consisting of both national and local acts. The headliners include Murder By Death, The Anniversary and Diarrhea Planet, with support from Masked Intruder, Shiner, Pkew Pkew Pkew, The Crombies, Post Child, Sincere Engineer and many others. The festival costs $25 for a three-day pass and tickets can be purchased here.
Fat Wrecked for 25 Years, with Erin Burkett
Fat Wreck Chords really doesn’t require much of an introduction. It was founded in 1990 by NOFX singer/bassist Fat Mike and his then-girlfriend Erin Burkett, and quickly rose to become one of the most popular and influential punk rock record labels in the world. They helped launch the careers of bands like Lagwagon, Propagandhi, No Use for a Name, Strung Out, Good Riddance and many others. They continue to develop emerging and dynamic bands to this day, and do so while maintaining the standards of quality they’ve displayed since their inception. Fat recently celebrated its 25th anniversary and we spoke with co-founder Erin Burkett about the label’s history. We talked about its humble beginnings, how the label grew and some of the challenges they faced along the way. We also discussed the current Fat tour, the label’s future and more.
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V/A – 10 Years of Your Dumb Bullshit
Artwork by Miguel Angel Echemendia
Red Scare Industries – Release Date: 9/22/14
Ten years ago, former Fat Wreck Chords employee Tobias Jeg was living in San Francisco when The Falcon expressed that they were looking for a new label to release its debut EP, God Don’t Make No Trash or Up Your Ass with Broken Glass. Jeg put it out and Red Scare Industries was born. Ten Years of Your Dumb Bullshit showcases 17 new songs by bands that Red Scare has lifted up and out of the basements over the past decade. Starting the compilation is the catchy occult-themed track, “Pyramids” by The Lillingtons, the first new recording in eight years by Red Scare’s longest-running band. Following that, The Falcon pops in for 1:43 after six years with “We Are the Bald,” an upbeat yet self-deprecating song that’s difficult not to crack a smile at. Masked Intruder offers up “I Don’t Mind,” a song about being so malleable in a relationship that death is the only way the subject can get rid of the suitor. The Copyrights, who just released a full-length on Red Scare, offer up the shortest and one of the most melodic songs on the compilation, “Oedipus Dill,” clocking in at 1:25. Teenage Bottlerocket keeps it straightforward with “TV Set,” a simple song about being overwhelmed by and sick of television. Elgin, Illinois’ Brokedowns really stand out with “Ouija Jive,” which sounds like a B-side to the Species Bender recording session that should have made it on the album. The Reaganomics come back after four years with “Bite Your Tongue,” a pop punk track about self-righteous individuals who post on the internet trying to change the world, but only end up sounding ignorant. One of Red Scare’s first bands, Cobra Skulls, contributes an angst-laced song sung in Spanish called “No Puede Mas,” which translates to “I’ve Had Enough.” The Methadones played their last show in 2010, but chalk up a new tune called “Trip Wire,” reminiscent of The Ramones, but with the Methadones’ refreshing signature power pop style. The comp’s tone mellows out a bit with “The Wallflowers,” a melodic indie jam by The Sidekicks. Brendan Kelly makes a second appearance on vocals with “Gluesday Evening Blues” by his band Brendan Kelly and the Wandering Birds – quite a bit slower and folkier than The Falcon. Great new tracks by Elway, Nothington, Enemy You, Direct Hit! and Druglords of the Avenues round out this compilation nicely. The album ends on a soft, sobering note with an acoustic song called “Forever West” by one of the newest additions to the Red Scare family, Sam Russo. His poetic, somber tone gives a great balance to this heavily punk-driven compilation. Check out the Red Scare Records 10-year anniversary show this Saturday at the Metro at 3:45 PM, featuring The Falcon, The Lillingtons, The Methadones (reunion show), Masked Intruder, Enemy You, The Sidekicks, Teenage Bottlerocket, Brendan Kelly and the Wandering Birds, The Holy Mess, Direct Hit!, Elway, The Brokedowns and The Reaganomics.
– Jason Duarte
Masked Intruder – M.I.
Fat Wreck Chords – Release Date: 5/27/14
The first Masked Intruder album sent shockwaves through the world of punk rock. Their raw talent, mystique and the fact that they seemed to appear overnight were all integral factors in the band’s initial momentum. In the last couple of years, they’ve toured around the world and after the dust settled a bit, it raised the question: what’s Masked Intruder’s next move? With Fat Wreck scooping them up, the bar was raised. On M.I., they’ve strayed slightly from their criminal and hijinks-heavy themes, and focus more on love. They’ve tweaked song structures a bit, incorporating more vocal harmonies, doo-wop influences and most impressively – a song almost completely made up of vocals. They’ve also re-recorded two existing songs, “I Fought the Law,” from their demo and “Hey Girl,” from their split with The Turkletons. M.I. is a perfect album for music fans, because it doesn’t conform to the standard three-chord formula most pop punk sticks to, but they are maintaining their sound. The Ramones-core fanbase gets short, fast songs like “Hey Girl” and “The Most Beautiful Girl.” Heart-wrenching songs like “Stars” display raw desire, honesty and humility. The vocals are sincere and pitch-perfect. “Almost Like We’re Already In Love,” Masked Intruder’s impressive vocal display, is sheer magnificence. Their barbershop quartet-style of singing is guided only with shakers and finger snaps. The lyrics paint a picture of yearning, and do it in a way that sounds just plain pretty. Think of it as an evolved version of the intro to “Wish You Were Mine,” from their first album. M.I. is a must, as it’s one of the best albums that’s been released this year.
– Jason Duarte
Masked Intruder
Photo by Katie Hovland
Last year, Masked Intruder released their debut album and subsequently took the pop punk world by storm. They take a unique approach with genre, combining ‘50s rock ‘n’ roll with contemporary punk influences, and emphasizing catchy melodies and humorous lyrics. The finished product is well-played, highly addictive and simply a lot of fun. The band recently played Beat Kitchen and we spoke with them before the show about their new record label, what recording the album was like, their upcoming European tour and more. Pictured above from left to right are bassist/singer Yellow, guitarist/singer Green, drummer Red and lead singer/guitarist Blue. Continue Reading…
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