After a couple attempts, the Alkaline Trio finally clicked for me in 2003 when I purchased their album Good Mourning on a whim. It must’ve been the perfect time to find them as I was in the middle of breaking up with my first girlfriend, even if I didn’t know that’s what was happening at […]
After a couple attempts, the Alkaline Trio finally clicked for me in 2003 when I purchased their album Good Mourning on a whim. It must’ve been the perfect time to find them as I was in the middle of breaking up with my first girlfriend, even if I didn’t know that’s what was happening at the time. As I transitioned back into being single with these residual feelings, I devoured the band’s discography. Working my way backward, it didn’t take long for me to get to Maybe I’ll Catch Fire.
Released on March 14, 2000, Maybe I’ll Catch Fire progresses the sound Matt Skiba and Dan Andriano had been cultivating in the previous years riding on the success of 1998’s Goddamnit and the EPs, For Your Lungs Only and I Lied My Face Off. The band’s sound, specifically Matt Skiba’s guitar, had evolved in the time between the release of Goddamnit and Maybe I’ll Catch Fire. The clean tone seemed to have a little more bite to it while the distorted guitars took a chunk out of you. If Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus and Tom Delonge are masters at using gross-out humor with their songs, Matt Skiba was just as good at using dark imagery to convey the same themes of love, loss, and loneliness. There was always this debate on whether the Alkaline Trio is punk or emo, with some people even considering the band to be horror punk. To be honest, either of the genres fit. I used to say they were the Misfits if they wrote pop punk, but that’s wrong for a multitude of reasons. While dark imagery is used in both Skiba’s and Glenn Danzig’s lyrics, it’s used differently with each band. I would chalk Skiba’s lyrics as Gothic in the traditional literary sense of the word. I feel like they have more in common with Edgar Allan Poe and Mary Shelley than the Misfit’s B-movie nightmares.
Maybe I’ll Catch Fire kicks off with “Keep ‘Em Coming,” a song about the things we do to get over someone, whether it’s your art or work. I have to say there’s also something to be said about a song that makes a reference to the Dead Milkmen, especially a deep cut like the Bleach Boys. “Madam Me” is another Matt Skiba song about being frustrated in a relationship with someone just as stubborn as you are and the cycle of staying in the same misery day after day. It’s here the album takes a turn in an optimistic direction with the Dan Andriano song, “You’ve Got So Far To Go.” I have friends who used to complain about Dan’s contributions to the Alkaline Trio albums, but I can’t find any flaws in this song. Living in a time where a lot of pop-punk didn’t age too well, this song is a good argument to counter those assumptions. Its catchy bass line and Skiba’s clean guitar verses paired with Andriano’s sweet but humbling lyrics make this one of my favorite Alkaline Trio songs without having to go to a dark place.
I initially interpreted the next song, “Fuck You, Aurora,” incorrectly. Was it about a girl named Aurora? Was she an ex? Was she in a car accident? Was Aurora the model of the car? The lyric, “You won’t catch me behind the wheel of a Chrysler ever again,” would have made sense if the Aurora wasn’t an Oldsmobile. The one thing I did get right was I figured out that Aurora was a place. Wayne’s World had taught me that Aurora, IL was a suburb outside of Chicago. Matt wrote the song about losing contact with a friend who had moved to a small town. I didn’t look up the meaning of the song for a long time because I liked the mystery of it. It felt ambiguous to me. I wasn’t sure if there was some triple meaning, but really I just overthought the whole thing.
Dan’s songs on the record are probably my favorite of his in general, which includes “She Took Him To The Lake” and the album title song, “Maybe I’ll Catch Fire.” Here, Dan contemplates the sins of his past and how maybe he’s burned more bridges than he thinks. Eventually, his actions will be his destruction, but, also, maybe the fire can cleanse him. It’s a kind of anti-thesis of “You’ve Got So Far To Go.” The Yin and Yang of it all. Different sides and emotions which can almost be a point for trying to pinhole Alkaline Trio as an Emo band.
Matt Skiba’s “Radio” is not only one of the best closing tracks on an Alkaline Trio album but any album in general. It’s also one of his best. It’s a breakup song with some pretty visceral imagery contrasted with honest emotion: “Shaking like a dog shittin’ razorblades / Waking up next to nothing after dreaming of you and me / I’m waking up all alone, waking up so relieved.” It’s the chorus where Skiba finally explodes and reaches his wit’s end. Is it mature to ask someone to kill themselves? Probably not, but getting these bad thoughts out has to be therapeutic. The song mostly stays slow, but the feeling behind it builds and builds. Matt’s voice goes from calm to screaming by the end of the song.
Maybe I’ll Catch Fire was the end of an era for the Alkaline Trio. Shortly after the recording of the album, drummer Glenn Porter was replaced by drummer Mike Felumlee after the Smoking Popes disbanded. It was also their last record with Asian Man; if you don’t count their self-titled compilation that contained their demo and EPs released during their time on the label. The Alkaline Trio would release their next three albums on Vagrant Records, but also find drummer Derek Grant who would go on to solidify the band lineup for a little over twenty years. Maybe I’ll Catch Fire seemed to be the blueprint on what would be the band’s sound at least through 2005’s Crimson.
Los Angeles pop-punks Pinstock are releasing their brand new single “Going Backwards” tomorrow and we’re stoked to bring you the exclusive premiere for the accompanying music video today, right here on Dying Scene! Check that shit out below, pre-save the single on Spotify, and stay tuned for a new EP from Pinstock coming soon on […]
Los Angeles pop-punks Pinstock are releasing their brand new single “Going Backwards” tomorrow and we’re stoked to bring you the exclusive premiere for the accompanying music video today, right here on Dying Scene! Check that shit out below, pre-save the single on Spotify, and stay tuned for a new EP from Pinstock coming soon on Wiretap Records!
Produced by the legendary Paul Miner (ex-Death By Stereo bassist, producer for Zebrahead, the Adolescents, CJ Ramone, etc.), the idea for “Going Backwards” was birthed by a demo written and recorded by Pinstock’s drummer Jeff in the early 2000’s. Here’s some more background on the music video from the band:
“For the music video we decided to run with the theme of “Going Backwards”, and create a fictional story of us meeting and forming as a band. We all play exaggerated versions of our “old selves” (Myself being Hip-Hop, Ricky being Emo, Jeff being Punk Rock and Danny being Metal). An A&R for a Record Label (played by my wife Rosa Finch) is tasked with finding the next big thing, and decides the best way to do that is to bait us with “Money, Fame, Sex, Girls & Love”. Once we are all trapped in a room with instruments, we try out different variations until something works! After we leave the rehearsal room, we realize we have grown into new people and are ready for the next chapter in our lives.”
This premiere is brought to you in part by Punk Rock Radar. If you’d like your band’s music video, song, album or whatever to be premiered by Dying Scene and Punk Rock Radar, go here and follow these instructions. You’ll be on your way to previously unimagined levels of fame and fortune in no time.
Italian melodic punks Weekend Cigarettes have joined forces with their countrymen in Verse, Chorus, Inferno for the release of a Split LP of epic proportions. Due out this Friday, March 14th, Weekend Inferno features 13 brand new songs from the bands, and you can listen to all 13 of ’em right here, right now on […]
Italian melodic punks Weekend Cigarettes have joined forces with their countrymen in Verse, Chorus, Inferno for the release of a Split LP of epic proportions. Due out this Friday, March 14th, Weekend Inferno features 13 brand new songs from the bands, and you can listen to all 13 of ’em right here, right now on Dying Scene! Scroll on down the page and check that shit out.
This premiere is brought to you in part by Punk Rock Radar. If you’d like your band’s music video, song, album or whatever to be premiered by Dying Scene and Punk Rock Radar, go here and follow these instructions. You’ll be on your way to previously unimagined levels of fame and fortune in no time.
Ska does not seem to be slowing down. There are times when the train is moving faster than others, but for the most part, ska seems to be chugging along just fine. While the rate of newer bands has a tendency to fluctuate, it’s the established ones that keep waving the flag to keep the […]
Ska does not seem to be slowing down. There are times when the train is moving faster than others, but for the most part, ska seems to be chugging along just fine. While the rate of newer bands has a tendency to fluctuate, it’s the established ones that keep waving the flag to keep the genre and the scene alive. One of these bands is Bite Me Bambi. Their latest release, “Eat This,” proves that. Packing eight songs in under twenty five minutes, the record shows off a more angsty side of the band, but does not completely abandon their established sound. We caught up with lead singer Tahlena Chikami to talk about Eat This, touring, and the dreaded algorithm. (This has been edited for clarity)
Dying Scene: I know the lineup has been in a bit of a flux over the last year. Has it kind of solidified at this point?
Tahlena Chikami: We’ve always kind of had our touring lineup and then some people left the project. We kind of solidified into that touring lineup. People have other work commitments and two of us have kids. Sometimes it’s hard to get away. We’re always a family-first band. So, people can come and go when they can. We’re happy to have other musicians. If they can fill in for us, it’s always a good time.
Dying Scene: How much of the album was recorded with the new-ish lineup?
Tahlena Chikami: Well, it’s a difficult question because there were people leaving in the middle of the record, but we have some new songs and then songs that had previously been released as singles, but had never been on an album before. A lot of those were recorded during COVID and never really got a full release. So we thought, it’s kind of a cool way to show people where we’ve come from and where we’re going.
Dying Scene:Do you feel the songwriting has changed from the first record to this one with the new people?
Tahlena Chikami: Yeah, definitely. We’re much more of a collaborative effort these days, which I think is really cool. “Gaslighters Anthem” was the first song that we really all wrote together in one room. Jason Hammond from Dance Hall Crashers gave us the song. It was actually an old DHC demo, I think, from the Lockjaw sessions, I want to say. It didn’t have melodies or anything. It’s just chord changes. I wrote melodies and lyrics over that and sent it to Edgar (saxophone). I told him, if you hear a horn line, do whatever. I kind of had in my head what I thought the line should be. Edgar sent it back and it was totally different from what I would have picked. Now, this song is totally different and totally amazing. Altogether is kind of how we’re doing it these days. Everyone sort of writes their own ideas, brings their best of the best. We all get in one room and learn them. Then we work through them and see what we think. What’s good, what’s not. Everyone sort of checks their ego at the door. That was the first song we worked on as a team. I think it’s a really fun atmosphere and everyone gets to feel creatively fulfilled in that, too. Edgar is a really good songwriter, way better than me. Dan, our drummer, said, “I haven’t picked up a guitar in forever.” I said, “pick it up.” See what comes out. Maybe it’ll be amazing. You don’t know. Don’t judge it before it happens?
Dying Scene:I went back and listened to the first EP, which seemed to lean way more in the 90s ska, but Eat This feels very Two-Toney. Was that a conscious thing or is that something that just kind of happened?
Tahlena Chikami: I had always envisioned us being more Two-Tone leaning in our sound, because that’s what I like. Some of it was songs Brian Mashburn had since the 90s, which is why it sounds very 90s, which I’m not against. Then some of them were songs I had half written and then he sort of ran with, but we just wanted to lean more into punk in this outing. I think you’ll see more punk coming from us as time goes on. That’s more what we’re all kind of leaning towards these days, but again, we haven’t started pre-production at all. I’m just kind of talking out my butt about what people have said they want to bring to the table.
Dying Scene: I feel like the flip was “Bad Boyfriend.” It felt very much like a Specials’ song that would have been made now, but I also remember it came out around the time Terry Hall passed. I thought someone was mourning, but mourning in the proper way.
Tahlena Chikami: Yeah, that song. Originally Mashburn was like, we need to have an Op Ivy sounding song, but I wanted it to be more like a Dancehall Crashers’ song. That’s why I like the harmonies the way they are. That was really like a turning point of like, let’s try to be a little less… I don’t know what the right word is… A little less…
Dying Scene: Poppy? I mean, it’s not that ska isn’t poppy. I think ska is mostly poppy in nature.
Tahlena Chikami: Yeah, yeah, it definitely sounds less poppy.
Dying Scene: I think the old sound grew on me. Then you started playing the style I listen to more, if that makes sense.
Tahlena Chikami: Yeah, I think, for me, too. We also just started saying let’s not judge things before they are fully realized. For a long time, some ideas wouldn’t even make it out of the gate because we’d think, people probably won’t like that. Then we just started saying, let’s just write what we want to write and people will like it or they won’t. I can’t sit around here trying to write songs for the almighty algorithm. It’s just sucking all the fun out of it, you know? Some labels say, your songs can’t be longer than two minutes and thirty seconds because that’s like the peak Spotify listening, whatever, blah, blah, blah. Algorithm, blah, blah, blah. I’m a human artist, so I’m just going to make what I want to make.
Dying Scene: Is that the model of releasing a single and video, every so often?
Tahlena Chikami: We’d shoot for like one every other month. It was kind of what we were doing because at the time you would get, I hate this word more, algorithmic, the same amount of algorithmic growth from dropping an entire record versus one single. It’s a little different now, but at the time, that’s what the algorithm was doing. So, we just were trying to get the most exposure and impressions we could. That’s why we were doing it that way. This time we tried to be a little more old school. The look for how we wanted the record to be, the feel, how we all dress, like one package, you know?
Dying Scene: How do you think it affects the experience for the record? You said, half the songs were already released for this new record. What do you think the effect is of that?
Tahlena Chikami: I wish it was a little more sonically the same. It was either making it an EP or putting out a full-length. And we thought, you know what? We’ve got all these songs and they’ve just all been singles. They’re not on a record. So even going back to something like that; something we made so long ago during the pandemic. Like I remember having to find dancers who were all vaccinated in order for us to shoot a video. I wanted those songs to be able to have their due. I think the track listing kind of lends itself to a nice flow. I don’t think it’ll hurt the record, because new people are discovering us all the time. I’m curious to see. I have my own theories about the algorithm prioritizing full length albums now over EPs and singles. So we’ll see if my hunch is correct.
Dying Scene: So, It’s evolving.
Tahlena Chikami: Yeah, I feel like that could be it. Maybe I’m wrong. We’ll see, but it was fun to put out a full thing. You know, we’ve never really done it. It’s actually technically our first album we’ve ever released.
Dying Scene: I didn’t know with the eight songs, if they consider that a full album or a EP, so.
Tahlena Chikami: I don’t know. We’ve been calling it a full album.
Dying Scene: I mean, it sounds full. Was it harder to sequence this?Not even because it was a full album, but like you said, half of the songs have been released already.
Tahlena Chikami: I don’t know. It’s kind of like when I “DJ,” I’m not a great DJ, but I just kind of listen to the flow and I go think, that sounds weird. I don’t like that. That’s kind of what I did. I played it for a couple of friends and people in the band. I think the only thing that people were kind of weird about was that Girls of Summer was the last track, but I liked it as the last track. So I kept it that way.
Dying Scene: I know some of you went to England last year. How were those acoustic shows?
Tahlena Chikami: They were super fun. I’m glad we did it because I learned a lot about touring in England and I think that that information is going to be very helpful in 2025. I was happy we went. It was a fun experience. Got to work with some friends who are musicians out there to sort of fill in the gaps and make some new friends. It was a good time. I’m glad we did it.
Dying Scene: Which songs were you doing acoustically?
Tahlena Chikami: It was pretty much the same setlist. By the end of it, we’re throwing in more covers because we were having fun playing more covers, but for the most part, it’s pretty much the same set list we play now. I think “Red Flags” is the one that was added because for some reason it does very well acoustic. It doesn’t always make it into our live set. I didn’t put that one on the record. I just realized that. Forgot about it. Oops, sorry, “Red Flags.” RIP.
Dying Scene: Is the band going to record any of these acoustic versions or is it just kind of a for England thing?
Tahlena Chikami: No. We actually have a fuller acoustic-like set that has Mike on the accordion and all this kind of stuff that we’ve worked out. We just don’t do it very often because it’s not asked for. I don’t think we would ever tour it again, but I think it is a handy thing to have. You got a day off in a random city, let’s go in here and do a couple of acoustic songs or whatever. I think it can be helpful.
Dying Scene: Are you guys going out there soon?
Tahlena Chikami: We’re going to Europe. We’re playing Brack Rock, which is in Belgium.
Dying Scene: Are you guys playing out here anytime soon?
Tahlena Chikami: No, hometown shows, right now. We’re playing Doll Fest on March 2nd, which is up in Berkeley.
Dying Scene: I got to see you sing “Lyin’ Ass Bitch” with Fishbone back in December. How was that?
Tahlena Chikami: Incredible. I was a total lame-o and I asked. We have the same manager and asked, “Do you think they’ll let me do “Lyin’ Ass Bitch?” It’ll make my dreams come true and so our manager was dropping hints to them. They finally asked and I was nervous because you think, you know, a song like the back of your hand. Then when you actually have to get up there and do it, I was like, what are the words? I was like looking at the words, but then like they’re not written online anywhere or correctly anywhere. So then I’m like asking them, like, what are the words? I didn’t want them to lose confidence in me. They’re incredible musicians when you’re up there with them. It’s wild because they’re just making it up as they go sometimes, and you’ve got to follow along. It’s scary, but incredible. I’m really grateful that they kept asking me to do it.
Dying Scene: It was insane watching them play. That was my first Fishbone show.
Tahlena Chikami: Fishbone’s crazy. I love to watch people seeing them for the first time because people are like, what in the hell is this? It’s the most incredible thing you’re going to see.
Dying Scene: It was definitely an experience. It’s just all these different types of people in the pit.It’s punks, ska kids, and it’s fucking metalheads.
Tahlena Chikami: It’s definitely an eclectic group. We always laugh because in the November and December tours we did. Mike and I would go out and to gauge, what kind of crowd is this? We would sing, “I am a patient boy.” And wait for everyone to finish the line. Like when we were on tour of Barstool Preachers every night, people did it, and were excited. With Fishbone, it was so hit or miss that people would know what we’re talking about.
Dying Scene: That’s insane. It’s Fugazi. Who doesn’t know Fugazi at this point?
Tahlena Chikami: It’s just like sometimes you’ll go to a Fishbone show and everyone will be over fifty years old and all look like they’re going to church. You go to some, it’s like all funk people.
Dying Scene: That’s so weird, but it was amazing. I mean watching the pit was very much like the Stefon skit on Saturday Night Live.It’s got everything. Like the one in Garden Grove had a Spider-Man, a guy dressed up like Santa. And Adrian Young from No Doubt, like it was fucking insane.
Tahlena Chikami: Yeah, every Fishbone show I’ve gone to locally, either Tony Kanal or Adrian Young were there.
Dying Scene: Do you guys have any more covers coming or anything fun video wise?
Tahlena Chikami: No, nothing right now. Just sort of taking the time in between these like big tours to just sort of recoup and rest. Burnout’s real. So we’re trying to take better care of ourselves. That’s something to keep an eye on.
Finland has more than fifty metal bands for every 100,000 citizens. While many punk rock bands from adjacent countries have made a mark in the genre, there aren’t many from Finland. Hopefully, SLICERRR from Helsinki, Finland, can change that with their debut self-titled EP. This bass-heavy garage band brings steady grooves with beefy riffs and […]
Finland has more than fifty metal bands for every 100,000 citizens. While many punk rock bands from adjacent countries have made a mark in the genre, there aren’t many from Finland. Hopefully, SLICERRR from Helsinki, Finland, can change that with their debut self-titled EP. This bass-heavy garage band brings steady grooves with beefy riffs and blunt guitars. Let’s dig in.
Tuomas Koitalho’s distorted, Peter Gunn-like bass line drives the opening song, “Losing My Grip,” while Juho Talja’s guitar comes in every so often until its muted chords chorus. Jukka-Pekka Talsi sings about losing his mind, but from the beginning, you can tell he’s already there. “Turbo Spinello” keeps the pace of its previous song and even brings some electric drums in for the ride. It’s menacing but fun. “Magic Number 24” sounds like it’s about a beer. “Asocial’s” lyrics would almost be the cherry on top of the cake of losing all hope in humanity if the closing song, “Offline,” wasn’t about being bored with the internet. It’s bleak and gives the impression that the online world is just as bad and boring as the real world.
SLICERR’s EP plays like the soundtrack to a modern horror movie, and I mean that in the best way. It feels like something is chasing after you and not in the Tales From the Crypt way like the Misfits. It’s much more cerebral, despite its blunt instrumentation. Talja’s higher-octave guitar parts remind me a lot of the Pixies. Feniks Willamo’s drums and Kotialho’s bass are front and center. I have reviewed a lot of EPs, they’ve all been fantastic in their own way, and SLICERRR’s self-titled debut is no exception. If I were to guess, the extra R’s in SLICERRR are for the extra rock they bring. Don’t sleep on this EP.
Photo credit: DMMX.Photo Ramonescore army, assemble! Geoff Palmer’s got a new EP called Kodak Flash coming April 1st on Stardumb Records, and we’re stoked to be exclusively premiering the music video for the brand new single “Bye Bye Baby”! This is quintessential leather jacket sporting three chord pop-punk, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. […]
Photo credit: DMMX.Photo
Ramonescore army, assemble! Geoff Palmer’s got a new EP called Kodak Flash coming April 1st on Stardumb Records, and we’re stoked to be exclusively premiering the music video for the brand new single “Bye Bye Baby”! This is quintessential leather jacket sporting three chord pop-punk, no ifs, ands, or buts about it.
Check the video out below and pre-order Geoff Palmer’s new 4-song 12″ EP Kodak Flash on two beautiful vinyl color variants – bubblegum pink and bubblegum purple – from The Machine Shop in the US and Stardumb Records in Europe.
This premiere is brought to you in part by Punk Rock Radar. If you’d like your band’s music video, song, album or whatever to be premiered by Dying Scene and Punk Rock Radar, go here and follow these instructions. You’ll be on your way to previously unimagined levels of fame and fortune in no time.
Similar to Ed Piskor’s Hip Hop Family Tree, French writers Thierry Lamy and Nicolas Finet detail the origins of punk rock with their graphic novel, Punk Rock in Comics from NBM Graphic Novels. Told in eight-page chunks, these bite-sized chapters detail a certain aspect of the scene, band, or figure important to punk rock from […]
Similar to Ed Piskor’s Hip Hop Family Tree, French writers Thierry Lamy and Nicolas Finet detail the origins of punk rock with their graphic novel, Punk Rock in Comics from NBM Graphic Novels. Told in eight-page chunks, these bite-sized chapters detail a certain aspect of the scene, band, or figure important to punk rock from the genre’s roots in the mid-seventies to the early 1980s, each drawn by a different artist. Mixing comics with essays and photos peppered throughout give the comic the feeling that you’re reading a zine covering the early punk rock scenes on both sides of the Atlantic. We caught up with Thierry Lamy and Nicolas Finet to speak about their graphic novel.
Dying Scene (Forrest Gaddis): A lot of our readers are probably not too familiar with your work. Can you give us some background information about yourself?
Thierry Lamy: I have been a comic book writer for a little more than 20 years. Although my works are diversified, I mainly specialize in historical stories (Labiénus, Combattants du Rail, El Alamein). My latest comics are about rock music (David Bowie, AC/DC, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Punk!), with some forays into fantasy westerns (Hell West, Promise), science fiction (Skraeling), and the adaptation of novels and tales (Le Père Goriot, Nerrivik, Contes celtes, Contes Yiddish, and Contes Inuit). Like all comics authors, it is the passion that drives me, both for the comics medium and the subjects I explore.
Nicolas Finet: I’m a former journalist who became a publisher and writer about twenty-five years ago. I’ve written more than twenty different books, mainly about comic book artists, the comic book industry, Asia (another passion, related to my former life as a reporter), and music. In 2008, I was the publisher and one of the contributing writers of a manga dictionary (DicoManga – Le Dictionnaire encyclopédique de la bande dessinée japonaise), which remains the only French-language dictionary ever published about Japanese manga. I also directed two documentary films, one about the late manga artist Jiro Taniguchi (along with Nicolas Albert) and, more recently, another in 2018 about two French comic book artists following the tracks of bluesman Robert Johnson in Mississippi. It’s called Mississippi Ramblin’.
Dying Scene: Were either of you active in the punk rock scene in France?
Thierry Lamy: Active, no. I’m from the generation of post-punk and French alternative rock. I discovered and loved the founding groups of punk in the early 1980s. However, the punk movement was still alive enough at that time to have a profound impact on my younger years. My interest in punk has never left me.
Nicolas Finet: I would not qualify my role as “active,” but I did play guitar for a while in a band with some friends at the very end of the 1970s. Nothing serious, and I’m afraid I was not a very good musician, but I still love playing for myself, here and there. I was born in 1959 and was a teenager when the whole punk scene started in Great Britain in 1975 and 1976. Like many people my age at the time, I was very close to what was happening in the music scene. We had very good musical magazines in France, so it was quite easy to follow what was happening. Punks were among the most exciting things to see and listen to then. We were there when the Sex Pistols and the Damned and all these bands started, can you imagine? It was definitely fantastic—and so new for everyone!
Dying Scene: I can see from the NBM graphic novels website you have both done other comic biographies. Where did the idea for those projects come from? How did you land on punk rock as your next project?
Thierry Lamy: Nicolas is the one who initiated these projects. I’d like to add that he gave me a great gift by offering to let me write them, since I’m passionate about rock music. Among all the titles we have done for this series, “Punk Rock in Comics” is my favorite.
Nicolas Finet: Almost everything that I’ve been involved with, related to the different musical projects published by NBM, comes from my life experience. From the very beginning, I have been passionate about music. I’m a French rock’n’roll kid. I also have a deep love for comics. Comic books were very big in France in the 1970’s thanks to magazines like Heavy Metal. It sounded obvious to me to merge those two influences. It did not happen immediately, but with time, and thanks to the publishing companies who gave me this opportunity, I had the opportunity to express my experience of both music and comics by starting with the books published by NBM. I started with David Bowie, one of my favorites, and wrote the comic, Starman. I then followed with titles focusing on Prince, AC/DC, and Pink Floyd, and more recently, Led Zeppelin and punk. I also wrote a comic book about Woodstock and another about Janis Joplin, both illustrated by my good friend Christopher, who is also a regular contributing artist on books released by NBM. The link between all these projects is my own life. As a teenager, I always felt impressed by Bowie and Pink Floyd. I was thirteen years old when Ziggy Stardust was released and fourteen when The Dark Side of the Moon was released. Two or three years later, the punks arrived and started to shake things up! It was fun! With this punk project, I was given the opportunity to write about my own life and experiences. Who would refuse that? All writers will confirm that their favorite subject is themselves.
Dying Scene: How did you determine what bands to include? How did you determine the early 1980’s was the cut off?
Nicolas Finet: From the very beginning, I decided to cover the punk rock story from a strictly historical point of view, starting at the end of the 1960s and beginning of the 1970s in the United States with bands like The Stooges, MC5, and The New York Dolls. Then, I crossed the ocean to the pub rock scene in England around 1974, and the explosion in 1975 or 1976 with the bands I mentioned earlier—the Sex Pistols, The Damned, The Clash, etc. After that, the rest of punk lasted five years, after which the music became something else—still interesting, but different: New Wave, Dark Wave, Post-Punk, or whatever you call it. My timeframe was 1975 to 1980, and that’s it. Of course, it’s absolutely subjective, and you may have another point of view—which I consider totally acceptable. Regarding the bands included in the book, it was quite obvious: I had 20 chapters available. This is the regular format of music comic books, based on one chapter per group or artist, and selecting the bands or artists to include seemed rather simple to me.
Dying Scene: Did you have a particular style in mind for each band’s section or did you leave it up to the artist? How did you decide on an artist for each chapter?
Nicolas Finet: No, I did not have any special style in mind for each chapter. The fact is that I was already used to working with many of the artists involved in the book. From the first anthology book I worked on, with David Bowie, we have had a kind of informal team. We are used to working with each other. The artists are not all exactly the same from one book to another, but the foundation relies on individuals I am confident with: Toru Terada, Christopher, Gilles Pascal, Kongkee, Will Argunas, and of course, Thierry Lamy for the scripts. When I am starting a new project, I have an idea about who will be able to draw what, and generally, when I express my proposals to the artists, they sound relevant. It also happens that some artists request to draw a musician or a group. In this book, for example, Christopher immediately decided that he would draw The Jam! What could I say except, “Yes”?
Dying Scene: I like how the pub rock chapter is included. I feel when Americans write about punk they mostly leave it out or only talk about the 101ers because of Joe Strummer. Does it get referenced more in Europe in regards to its influence on the scene out there?
Thierry Lamy: This aspect of punk history seems unknown to the general public in France, too. We always remember the Sex Pistols, the Clash, the Ramones, and a few other iconic groups or personalities. Yet, many constituent elements of punk fall by the wayside in the collective unconscious. This is true of pub rock, but also of groups like the Vibrators, Sham 69, the Saints, Stiff Little Fingers, the Slits, and many others. Our comic, therefore, hopes to do justice to all the forgotten figures of the punk movement.
Nicolas Finet: I was personally attached to the pub rock bands because, again, it is linked to my personal memories of that period. When it started in the mid-1970s, I was in high school. Bands such as Dr. Feelgood or Eddie and the Hot Rods seemed as important as the Pistols, or sometimes more so. But at that time, no one could predict which band would endure and which would not. Even if, in the end, it became obvious that the Clash had become an international phenomenon and that Eddie and the Hot Rods, whose first two albums I loved, had not.
Dying Scene: More a comment than a question. I appreciated the Irish Punk chapter focusing on the Undertones and Stiff Little Fingers rather than the Pogues.
Thierry Lamy: Despite their talent and punk spirit, focusing on the Pogues in the chapter devoted to Irish punk would have been off-topic here, since they were formed in 1982. However, Shane MacGowan is not absent from “Punk Rock in Comics.” He makes a cameo in the chapter devoted to the Jam.
Nicolas Finet: It’s not a matter of loving them or not, but they are outside the scope.
Dying Scene: What made you decide to add the Lemmy Kilmeister and Don Letts chapters rather than a couple other bands?
Nicolas Finet: All musical styles influence and are influenced by other artists. This is how music works. Regarding Lemmy and Motörhead, it was more a matter of energy. The punk energy is fundamental in Motörhead’s music. There’s a question of lifestyle, too. The same observation can be made regarding the Jamaican influence on punk rock. Caribbean communities were numerous at that time in Great Britain and still are, as far as I know. The influence of their musical style on other musicians was important, including punk musicians. They were often living in the same neighborhoods. So, it seemed obvious to me to integrate these sections into the book.
Dying Scene: I liked the essays at the end of each chapter and how they sum up each section. It gives the book a bit of a zine feel to it. Where did you get the Idea to include photos in these sections?
Nicolas Finet: We like these essays, too! Basically, the principle of including an essay for each chapter was established by the French publishing company that started this collection. Being a former journalist, it reminds me of the way I used to work for the press, mixing texts and photos. It gives the reader a wider view of the story being told. This allows each chapter to cover the full story without repeating the same information in the essay and in the comic section.
Dying Scene: Is the further reading section in the back of the book where you sourced most of the information in the book? Likewise, are the albums listed in the back your recommendations?
Nicolas Finet: The suggested reading section at the end of the book is a way to expand on the information discussed. Our work on punk rock music was based on extensive research, and the books cited at the back of the book were used as sources, among others. My personal memories and the albums listed at the back were also helpful. I have kept all my original vinyl records from this period in good condition and still listen to them regularly. There’s a lot of info in the liner notes. I consider the discography at the end of the book a basic music library for exploring punk music and its universe, but it’s only a start.
Dying Scene: Were there any bands you cut out? Was the band from elsewhere chapter a way to show those bands some love? its very random, but love that you included Beururier Noir and Ludwig Von 88.
Thierry Lamy: In the American version, the final chapter devoted to French punk is missing. We discuss alternative rock at greater length. Due to space constraints, we could not include all international punk groups, but we aimed for comprehensiveness.
Nicolas Finet: I don’t really feel that I cut any major bands of this period. We could have easily doubled or tripled the number of bands and artists we introduced in this comic. In that case, we would have needed hundreds of additional pages. When you work as a publisher, you have to deal with constraints, and the most important one, for me, was that I had only twenty-eight-page chapters available. This is why I gathered “Bands From Elsewhere” into a single chapter. It’s a way to remind readers that these bands were important to us, without using much space. As Thierry mentions, we have an additional chapter about French punk rock music in the original version of the book, but for cultural, historical, and technical reasons, this chapter is not included in the U.S. version. These bands are not well known in English-speaking countries, and French punk rock mainly starts at the beginning of the 1980s, which makes it out of scope.
Dying Scene: Are there plans to do another part of going into more punk rock history if this does well?
Thierry Lamy: Not that I know of; I’m not sure that this would be a good idea, “Punk Rock in Comics” is already quite complete. However, a comic book on the Riot Grrrl movement would be welcome, this feminist post-punk movement deserves to be better known to the general public.
Dying Scene: Are either of you working on anything else at this time?
Thierry Lamy: I have two projects coming out soon: the first on a nineteenth-century polar expedition that ended tragically, and another on the Gulf War.
Nicolas Finet: Yes. I am now starting to write a musical biography in comics, with my old accomplice, Christopher, focusing on Syd Barrett and Pink Floyd. It will be both documentary and fictional, with Syd Barrett at the center of the story. Let’s say a fictional non-fiction, or a non-fictional fiction… We are just starting the project, so I am unable to say when it will be released. However, Christopher is a very fast artist.
Dying Scene: Anything else you want to fill Dying Scene readers in on?
Thierry Lamy: I would like to emphasize that “Punk Rock in Comics” was made with passion, like the other titles in the collection. I hope the energy we put into this comic will touch our readers, whether French or American.
Nicolas Finet: I used to say that being able to write about my teenage passions and being paid for it is an unbelievable gift. I feel fulfilled.
Dying Scene: This book really is a special thing. I love anthologies, but most of them are horror books. This was a nice change of pace. Are any of your other books translated in English?
Thierry Lamy: Thank you for your enthusiasm. To my knowledge, only the works in the rock book collections from NBM have been translated into English.
Nicolas Finet: If you want to find my fictional work, I know that my comic book about Janis Joplin has also been translated by NBM. It’s a graphic biography, which was also translated into Spanish and Polish. I wrote it with Christopher. It was published in France in 2000, for the 50th anniversary of her death. A year earlier, I also had another music comic book published, about Woodstock (Forever Woodstock), also with Christopher drawing. Same technique, mixing “real” history and fiction, but it has been published only in France; no translation yet. You can visit my blog, where you will find an extensive biography in English.
A big thank you to Thierry and Nicolas for their time. You can pick up Punk Rock in Comics through NBM Graphic Novels.
David Johansen, the last remaining member of the New York Dolls has passed away at the age of seventy-five. Born in Staten Island, New York, on January 9, 1950, David Johansen began playing in bands in the late 1960s. He started the New York Dolls with Johnny Thunders, Sylvain Sylvain, and Arthur Kane in the […]
David Johansen, the last remaining member of the New York Dolls has passed away at the age of seventy-five. Born in Staten Island, New York, on January 9, 1950, David Johansen began playing in bands in the late 1960s. He started the New York Dolls with Johnny Thunders, Sylvain Sylvain, and Arthur Kane in the mid-1970s. Drummer Jerry Nolan joined the band after original drummer Billy Murcia died in 1972 before the New York Dolls recorded their first self-titled debut, released in 1973.
In what’s now described as glam punk, the New York Dolls would wear eccentric and androgynous clothing, including heels, dresses, and makeup. The majority of the songs were written by David Johansen and Johnny Thunders. In 1974, they recorded Too Much Too Soon. Shortly after, Johnny Thunders and Jerry Nolan left, leaving Johansen and Sylvain to carry the mantle until 1976, when the band broke up. David Johansen would go on to record a couple of solo albums with Sylvain Sylvain in his backing band, allowing him to keep performing New York Dolls songs. The two collaborated on the song “Funky but Chic,” which would serve as the single for Johansen’s self-titled solo album.
Trying to distance himself from his Dolls persona, David Johansen developed an alter ego for himself with Buster Poindexter in the early 1980s. Complete with a big pompadour, suit, and a bowtie, Johansen pivoted to a more lounge-lizard identity than punk or glam rocker. The pseudonym allowed him to spread his wings a bit and explore other genres of music. During this time, Johansen was also a regular with the Saturday Night Live house band. Finally, in 1987, a Buster Poindexter album was recorded and released. It included the calypso-tinged, “Hot Hot Hot.” There was no escaping this song for at least five to ten years, if not longer.
Like a lot of musicians tend to do, David Johansen dipped his toe into the acting pool. He appeared in guest roles on TV shows like The Adventures of Pete & Pete and the prison drama Oz. Along with a starring role in a film adaptation of the 1960s comedy cop show Car 54, Where Are You?, in the mid-1990s. However, his most popular role was as a cigar-chomping, cab-driving Ghost of Christmas Past in Richard Donner’s modernized adaptation of A Christmas Carol, Scrooged, starring Bill Murray.
The Sweet Relief Music Fund has been helping to raise money for David Johansen’s medical bills. Celebrities who were both friends and fans donated to help David Johansen in his time of need. Los Angeles punk rock band Fear released a cover of the New York Dolls’ song “Trash,” with all proceeds from the sales of the CD or vinyl going towards the fund.
David Johansen lost his battle with cancer on February 28, 2025, one that he had been fighting in secret. It had been revealed at the beginning of the month that Johansen had a brain tumor and was receiving treatment for stage four cancer for the better part of the last decade. Rest in peace, David.
Greetings, and welcome to the Dying Scene Record Radar. If it’s your first time here, thank you for joining us! This is the weekly* column where we cover all things punk rock vinyl; new releases, reissues… you name it, we’ve probably got it. Kick off your shoes, pull up a chair, crack open a cold […]
Greetings, and welcome to the Dying Scene Record Radar. If it’s your first time here, thank you for joining us! This is the weekly* column where we cover all things punk rock vinyl; new releases, reissues… you name it, we’ve probably got it. Kick off your shoes, pull up a chair, crack open a cold one, and break out those wallets, because it’s go time. Let’s get into it!
Check out the video edition of this week’s Record Radar, presented by Punk Rock Radar:
We’re starting this week’s Record Radar off with a must-pickup for melodic punk fans: Bridge the Gap’s new record Gainsayer! Recorded at the Blasting Room, produced by Bill Stevenson, and mixed & mastered by Jason Livermore, the band’s sophomore album is due out April 11th and is available to pre-order on a bunch of beautiful color variants (and CD!). Get it now from Double Helix (US), SBAM Records (Europe), and Pee Records (Australia).
Philly punks Five Hundred Bucks have announced their new album Pest Sounds, due out April 25th and available on four (very limited) vinyl color variants. Check out the lead single “Southern Accidents” below 👇 and head over to their Bandcamp to pre-order the record NOW!
OUT NOW on the almighty Thousand Islands Records: Quebec melodic punk band Killing Daisies’ brand new album Echoes of Tomorrow! Get it on two vinyl color variants (and CD!) right here.
Highly recommended for fans of The Lawrence Arms, Banner Pilot, Leatherface, etc. it’s fellow my Tampa Bay locals the Miller Highlifes! Their new record Pinch Hitters is out now on A.D.D. Records. You can get it on a fuckload of color variants right here. Catch the band’s hometown record release show with the Eradicator, Debt Neglector and Bad Bad Things this Friday, March 7th.
Hot on the heels of its 25th Anniversary 2xLP deluxe edition reissue – of which there were five color variants – Less Than Jake’s Hello Rockview is back in print once again, this time as a single LP with bonus tracks omitted. This latest pressing is available on six(!!!) color variants – and black vinyl!
Here’s the full list of variants and links to where you can get them: 100 – Clear w/ Yellow, Purple and Baby Blue Splatter (Smartpunk Record Club exclusive) 250 – Whirlpool Mix (Smartpunk exclusive – SOLD OUT) 200 – White (Rude Records exclusive) Apple, Lemon, & Sky Blue / 250 (Brooklyn Vegan, Revolver, Alt Press) 250 – Sea Blue Ghostly w/ Yellow & Blue Splatter (Devil Dog exclusive) 250 – Bone & Aqua Smash w/ Red, Yellow & Lemonade Splatter (Parting Gift exclusive) ??? – Black (Smartpunk and most record stores)
More ska! Keep Flying just announced their long awaited debut full-length album Time & Tide, due out April 24th on Smartpunk Records! Here’s the full list of color variants and links to where you can get them:
100 – White & Blue w/ Green/Aqua/Blue Splatter (Smartpunk Record Club exclusive) 150 – Baby Blue and Yellow (Smartpunk exclusive) 150 – Baby Blue and Aqua (Smartpunk exclusive) 150 – Light Blue & Sea Blue Ghostly (Indie store exclusive) 150 – Black Inside Milky Clear w/ White Splatter (International exclusive – Devil Dog (UK), People of Punk Rock (CA), Thirty Something (EU)) 250 – Copper Blend (Band Exclusive) 250 – Blue Glitter (Band Exclusive)
Even more ska! Brunt of It’s comeback record (their first in 13 years!) It’s A Mad Bad Sad Rad World is out now on Jump Up Records. You can get it on red vinyl, yellow vinyl, compact disc, and even cassette riiiiiiight here!
Even more more ska! Is this a record for # of ska records on a single Record Radar? Perhaps! Catbite’s got a new record called DOOM GARDEN coming out May 9th on Bad Time Records. Check out the first single “Die In Denver” below 👇 and pre-order the record 👉 right here (splatter & copper marble variants) and also here 👈 (yellow/orange/red split and cloudy green variants).
Due out next month, French hardcore punk band Jodie Faster’s new record Saint Lundi delivers 19 songs in 22 minutes. Pre-order it now on blue colored vinyl from No Time Records (US), La Agonía de Vivir (Spain), TNS Records (UK), and an assload of other labels all over Europe!
Dead Broke Rekerds has issued a new pressing of Fifteen’s classic debut album Swain’s First Bike Ride, with 150 copies on this new “Cloudy Day” Blue & White Swirl color variant, and an additional 268 copies on black vinyl. Get yours here!
Another Lookout! Records classic – Screeching Weasel’s My Brain Hurts – has also been in the news lately! Like many of Weasel’s other records, this one has been newly remixed and remastered by Justin Perkins at Mystery Room Mastering. The fresh faced version of the record is streaming on Spotify, YouTube Music, and anywhere else you digitally consume music. This is also getting a physical release as a 2xLP set with the remix/remastered version on LP1 and a remaster of the original mix on LP2.
Recess Records randomly threw up 353 copies on random mixed color vinyl on their store about a week ago and those sold pretty much instantly. But fear not! A little birdy tells me a much bigger black vinyl run of this 2xLP reissue will be available soon from Screeching Weasel webstore. Join the band’s mailing list to hopefully not miss out.
SBAM Records has been spamming these “liquid filled” records lately and now I think they’ve officially jumped the shark with this PISS FILLED edition of Guttermouth’s Gusto. Limited to 20 copies and allegedly filled with Mark Adkins’ own fluids, this beauty can be yours for the price of 99 Euros. Available exclusively from SBAM Records’ European store. Good luck getting this shit (or piss I guess) through customs!
The other pricey boutique record SBAM threw up on their store this week is this “Gold Dust” edition of the Mad Caddies’ latest album Arrows Room 117. This one’s limited to 50 copies filled with gold confetti and also comes with a corduroy Mad Caddied tote bag. It’s also 99 Euros. Get it here.
One final piece of news from SBAM Records (I promise they’re not paying me to do this): a new pressing of the Venomous Pinks’ 2022 album Vita Mors. You can get it on three new splatter color variants from Double Helix in the US and SBAM in Europe.
Samiam is jumping the gun a bit on the 20th anniversary of their 2006 album Whatever’s Got You Down but that’s aight. You can get this new reissue on Piss Yellow (what’s up with all the piss this week?) w/ Blue Splatter colored vinyl (100 copies) and/or black vinyl (300 copies) from La Agonia De Vivir. Canada’s DustyWax Records has their own exclusive variant on Translucent Blue w/ (non-piss) Yellow Splatter, also limited to 100 copies.
Well, that’s all, folks. Another Record Radar in the books; the biggest one ever perhaps?! I’ll let you be the judge! As always, thank you for tuning in. If there’s anything we missed (highly likely), or if you want to let everyone know about a new/upcoming vinyl release you’re excited about, leave us a comment below, or send us a message on Facebook or Instagram, and we’ll look into it. Enjoy your weekend, and don’t blow too much money on spinny discs (or do, I’m not your father). See ya next time!
Wanna catch up on all of our Record Radar posts? Click here and you’ll be taken to a page with all the past entries in the column. Magic!
The live concert industry is always changing and evolving. With constant and exciting tours or festival announcements, we figured it best to countdown some of the best live artists we’ve seen in our lifetime. To qualify for this, I’m looking strictly at performance. I am removing all lights and technical aspects of a live show. […]
The live concert industry is always changing and evolving. With constant and exciting tours or festival announcements, we figured it best to countdown some of the best live artists we’ve seen in our lifetime.
To qualify for this, I’m looking strictly at performance. I am removing all lights and technical aspects of a live show. These artists are just as good at Madison Square Garden as they would be at the Meatlocker in Montclair NJ. As someone who has been to over 800 concerts, this was no easy stretch. A top 50 list could easily have been made. If you’re in search of a great show that may even change your life, look no further.
The first band on this list is by far the newest. They had their debut album Merci in 2018, but they didn’t explode onto the scene until 2021 with their record Another Kill For The Highlight Reel. Instantly they became loved by emo, punk, and rock fans alike. It’s easy to see why. When seeing this band live, you’re witnessing an event. The energy they give back to the crowd with every performance is unbelievable. You are not witnessing this band from the bar casually. When you see Save Face live, you will be in the pit or headbanging, guaranteed.
The craziest part of a Boston Manor show is the synergy. Every single member is perfectly in tune with each other and the crowd. It doesn’t feel like you’re watching a band. Instead, you are a part of something greater than yourself. The entire room feels like one community, all rocking out in the same rhythms. I personally have seen this band 5 times now, and it holds up every single time. I have no idea how they do it, but they are one of the best bands you can see live. Their new album Sundiver was just released last September.
3.) Senses Fail
Senses Fail has, and will always continue to be, a prime example of a live act done right. Seeing them for the first time is something you will never forget. The band is mesmerizing with their enthusiasm, technique, and sound. Imaging hearing their already high energy music but super charged and bigger than life. Buddy Nielsen, their frontman, throws the microphone as high as he can, and catches it mid-song. The band does spin kicks and sucks the audience into the performance with every note. It is physically impossible to be bored and watch their stunning set. Senses Fail may have been a band for almost 20 years, but we will never turn down an opportunity to see them live.
The metalcore legends from Boston MA take the second spot on our list. Ice Nine Kills take horror movies and brings them to life. It feels like you’re watching a concert, a play, a musical, and a movie all at once. They utilize every form of the entertainment industry to make their shows as enthralling as possible. Imagine witnessing the shower scene from Alfred Hitchock’s Psycho acted out in front of you, while inside a mosh pit and crowd surfers flying overhead. It’s genuinely insane. Ice Nine Kills does live performances better than any band in their scene, and it is why they have exponentially grown their fanbase with every tour. You do not want to miss this band.
When you see Fever 333 live for the first time, prepare to have your life changed. You remember the event like it was yesterday. You will recall what foods you were eating before the show, the smell of the venue, or the shirt you were wearing. That is how memorable a Fever 333 concert is. It stays with you forever. This band doesn’t put on a show, so much as they unleash controlled mayhem. There is not an area Jason Aalon Butler won’t climb. The guitarists and drummer get inside the crowd frequently. Fever 333 makes every show an interactive experience that you personally are engaging with. They give it their all, to the point you wonder how a human being can have that much energy in their body. You do not want to miss this band live.
