On 1 November, I had the privilege of hanging out with friends who took me to see City Mouse, Plaster, and Crimson Riot at the Red Dwarf. Located on the East Side of Las Vegas, the Red Dwarf is known for their Detroit-style pizzas and live music. If you find yourself in Vegas, this place […]
On 1 November, I had the privilege of hanging out with friends who took me to see City Mouse, Plaster, and Crimson Riot at the Red Dwarf. Located on the East Side of Las Vegas, the Red Dwarf is known for their Detroit-style pizzas and live music. If you find yourself in Vegas, this place is worth a visit!
City Mouse is a California-based pop punk band. The band’s energy on stage was and I was immediately drawn to Dee’s voice. It’s powerful and punchy and will resonate with you for days. Band members for this show included Miski Dee on vox and guitar, Jen Louie on bass, and Danny Michael on drums. Davey, guitarist, sat this show out due to hearth issues but is on the road to recovery. Find them here next.
Plaster is a Las Vegas punky indie rock band with members Aldred on vox and guitar, Eric on bass, Gabe on guitar, and Beau on drums. The band played a killer set and sounded great!
Plaster is preparing for the release of their self-titled, debut EP produced and mixed by Tim White of Sweet Morphine and Snowdonnas. Find them here.
Crimson Riot is a Vegas-based pop punk trio but played this set as a two-piece as they recently lost their drummer. The band’s set started out and finished strong with catchy tunes and and energetic stage presence. The band is Roxy Gunn on vox and guitar and Chris Reject on vox and bass. They’re currently looking for a new drummer. So, if you know anyone in the Vegas area who might be a good fit, let ’em know! Find them here next.
Feature Photo Credit: Jesse Pace The Effigies was one of the pioneering bands in the early Chicago punk scene. On December 20, 2024, the group will headline a show at Metro. The show will celebrate both the new The Effigies album, Burned, and John Kezdy, who passed away during recording. Kezdy died August 26, 2023, […]
The Effigies was one of the pioneering bands in the early Chicago punk scene. On December 20, 2024, the group will headline a show at Metro. The show will celebrate both the new The Effigies album, Burned, and John Kezdy, who passed away during recording. Kezdy died August 26, 2023, days after he was hit by a truck whilst bicycling in Glencoe, IL.
At the show, The Effigies will be supported by The Bollweevils, Ganser, and DJ Joe Shanahan, Metro’s founder/owner. It promises to be both exciting and poignant and will serve as an introduction to the band for many potential new fans.
Ahead of the show, I interviewed The Effigies bass player Paul Zamost. Geoff Sabin, who stepped in on vocals after the death of Kezdy, added his reflections as well.
Dying Scene: What prompted the 2022 return?
Paul Zamost (PZ): In retrospect, we just needed a nudge, I think we all felt we had unfinished business when it came to The Effigies. So during Covid, shortly after lockdown, I got a call from Steve Economou about recording “Guns or Ballots,” and “Everything’s Coming Off” as a side project which I agreed to because I was itching to play anything at the time. But of course, Steve had ulterior motives, and his plan to revive the band was launched, so me and Steve got together to jam and ended writing 4 songs and the ball was rolling.
What went into creating the music for Burned?
PZ:Enter guitarist Keith Shigeta. Keith is a friend of my oldest son Zachary (drums), and they had a metal band called Lost in Blue. They used to practice in my basement, so I was quite familiar with his abilities on guitar, so when the opportunity to have him for play on some recording sessions arrived, we seized on it, his writing and playing contributions to Burned are tremendous, but unfortunately, Keith couldn’t commit to playing shows and is working on his own projects, and hopefully we’ll hear more from him in the future.
Photo Credit: Jesse Pace
Was there any consideration not to continue with this after the loss of John Kezdy?
PZ: Not really, we needed to finish the project the only reluctance was that we had an enormous task ahead of us in doing so,enter Andy Gerber. Andy produced and played guitar on Burned and had taken over on lead guitar, and we had started rehearsing with plans to play shows, so we were already ready on that path, and in order to release Burned, we would need to do shows to help pay for it. Enter Geoff Sabin.
Geoff Sabin: It would be hard for anyone to take over for John – his message, delivery, and conviction in his songs put him in a place all his own. There was certainly hesitation and consideration, but ultimately, I embraced the chance to honor the legacy of The Effigies and make sure John’s words have a chance to be heard.
How did The Effigies come about (for those of a new generation now being introduced to the band)?
PZ:I met Steve and John at a new club called Neo in 1980, and we made plans to rehearse. And after a few sessions, we came up with a song later to be named “Security” with John on guitar, but John decided to switch to lead vocals, and we searched the summer for a guitarist. Enter Earl Letiecq. As soon as Earl plugged in, the search was over. The chemistry was awesome then, and in a matter of 2-3 weeks, we had written our first set, which most of us still play today. We made our debut at a club called OZ in Nov 1980. We recently found a VHS recording of that show, and after having it restored, we are set to debut it on Dec 20th at the Gman[next door to Metro] after the show.
Who were your inspirations for each of you when starting as a musician (whether with Effigies from the start or not)?
PZ: Yes, up til 80,81 punk bands were treated by local promoters as a novelty or a fad that will soon go away, but we helped change their opinion, and we were soon supporting national acts, i.e., The Plasmatics, X, and PIL were some of our first gigs. But the scene was built by many other contributors, most of who were not musicians, and they contributed with fanzines, DIY shows, being DJs and having college radio shows, club owners, but the biggest contribution for us was by Timothy R. Powell, who recorded our Haunted Town and We’re Da Machine E.P.s, and the “Body Bag” single. Those recordings put us on the map.
Was there any sense of legacy building to the Midwest punk/hardcore scene as you were making music and touring at the start?
PZ:Not at the time, especially when we made it out west, and their scene was 100 times bigger. But on the other hand, Kezdy writing, “We’ll be here tomorrow with what we said today,” I consider legendary.
When did you realize or first begin to hear people describing The Effigies as groundbreaking or pioneering?
PZ:Probably in the 90s, when we did a few reunion shows and released Remains Non-Viewable, writers would refer to us as pioneers and a seminal punk band.
Was that exciting to hear, or were there any mixed emotions or self-doubt about it?
PZ: For me, being in The Effigies has always been exciting, full of mixed emotions and self-doubt! But recognition and praise help ease the self-doubt some.
What was it like to start touring with some of the legendary bands in this genre? Any particular stories that stand out as good or bad, ones that make you laugh or groan looking back on them?
PZ: We more or less crossed paths with many now legendary bands but never toured with them, but touring back then was like being pioneers, ’76 Chevy van, no internet, no GPS, no cell phones, etc. Once every road trip, we had to put on a cassette of Jon Wayne’s Texas Funeral, which provided us many much-needed laughs during long drives …yep. The only thing I regret is all the pictures I didn’t take; you never think at the time that the singer from the opening band would be a huge star someday.
Do you have any particular view on why The Effigies have had such an impact on the Chicago scene and are considered legends yet never quite hit that mainstream level of fame?
PZ:Part of our impact is that we helped open doors for bands who, years later, when punk became more acceptable, were able to break into the mainstream. But if we had become mainstream, would we still be considered legends?
Was there ever any frustration or even bitterness watching other bands becoming more famous?
PZ:On the surface, a little bit, but for the ones we came up with, we felt happy for, and I also realize that fame does not equal happiness, and fame may have prevented me from finding happiness elsewhere.
Looking back, are there things you think might have been done better or in a different way that might have had an impact on this? Is that something you even spend time reflecting on?
PZ:We made plenty of mistakes over 4 decades, but you can never know what the outcome of a different decision would have made, so why dwell on it? We just keep moving forward. For me, playing these songs 45 years later is probably more gratifying than they would be had we had more earlier success.
Are there any younger bands in which you are reminded of The Effigies? In which you see yourselves reflected?
PZ:Until recently, we had not played since 2010, and our exposure to newer bands has been reduced significantly, but next year, we should be playing a lot more and seeing a lot of new bands.
Have you been approached by musicians or bands who cite being influenced by The Effigies, and what is that experience like?
PZ:It is always great to hear that when you don’t have the finances to quantify your success, hearing that you influenced others is priceless.
How does it feel to be able to introduce whole new generations of music fans to The Effigies?
PZ: Optimistic! The opportunity to reach listeners worldwide never existed like it does today, and we always felt we would have had greater success if more people knew of us and could find our music. And we have been silent for so long that our social media presence was non-existent, but it’s gaining steam, and a good thing is if new listeners find us from Burned, we have 5 more albums for them to discover.
The show on the 20th promises to be fairly emotional for you and for the fans. What are you looking forward to most about it?
PZ:The show is a crossroads for us, it marks the end of 1 era and the beginning of another. I’m looking forward to introducing Geoff to our fans, who I believe will be easily accepted and admired.
What do you want to convey about and do for John via the tribute?
PZ:Keep his words and our legacy alive.
Was there ever any other venue in consideration, or was Metro just such an obvious one?
PZ: Yes,Metro is where we to play and basically were started back when it was called Stages. Our second gig ever was there, opening for Black Flag. We have had lots of great memories there, and no other venue in Chicago has such a rich history.
I imagine, such as with Pegboy at Metro earlier this year, it will be a bit of a reunion of punk legends on stage and in the crowd. Are there people you expect to see again for the first time in a long while that may be particularly emotional?
PZ: I expect to see a lot of old friends and family as well hopefully, I can engage with them, but more importantly, I hope to see a whole lot of new faces.
Photo Credit by Thomas Economou
It has been a tough several years for the Chicago scene with the loss of not only John, but his brother Pierre Kezdy in 2020 and then Steve Albini earlier this year.
PZ:Yes, indeed, Pierre was one of my favorite people in the scene, his first band, Strike Under, debuted the week before us, and we played with them a lot back then. His loss was greatly felt by many in the Chicago scene and was another factor in The Effigies reuniting,
PZ: Steve Albini’s loss was felt worldwide. We, fortunately, had our 2-inch tapes baked and transferred at his studio 2 weeks before he passed. We had briefly discussed him remixing some of the early stuff. Steve was closest with John Kezdy and has always credited John and The Effigies as the reason he got started in music.
Steve Albini, left, with former Electrical Audio intern Nick Novak. Photo courtesy of Nick Novak
Last year, I spoke with Pegboy‘s Joe Haggerty about his time with John in the Effigies. Among his reflections, he had this to say:
“The coolest thing about punk rock is that I had this cool relationship with this fucking idol of the punk rock scene. I mean, not recognized by the rock and roll hall of fame, but who fucking cares.”
PZ:It’s cool that Joey got to fill in for a while, he got to play the now infamous Green Day show when they were starting out. Pegboy has always had a great relationship with The Effigies, and if all goes well, we may be playing with them in London next summer.
Any advice to musicians just starting out?
PZ: My advice to bass players is to never learn how to set up a drum kit! (rim shot) my advice to bands: I would say have fun because 99% of us won’t make it big. But the experiences you’ll have will make you rich. And never give up your dreams because some come true 45 years later.
Anything else you would you have Dying Scene readers to know about the band and the music, or you want to add about anything at all?
PZ:Thanks to all for writing about us and introducing us to new potential fans who we hope to see on Dec 20th, and for helping keep our dying scene ALIVE!
Burned was released in 2024: Per an official statement from the band:
“Cede The City” is taken from the forthcoming new album BURNED; lyrics in the song refer to the Highland Park shooting incident in July 2022 that original lead singer John Kezdy and his wife were involved in prior to his untimely passing.
In addition to the Chicago show, The Effigies is thus far scheduled to play shows at HQ in Denver, The Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, and in Blackpool, UK, at Rebellion Festival. Please check out the respective websites for further information on dates and tickets.
Thanks to Paul Zamost and Geoff Sabin. Dying Scene will see you at Metro.
Hailing from Rockford, Illinois and Madison, Wisconsin, The Rad Skulls have thrown down a gauntlet of a demo that has some of the catchiest songs I’ve heard this year. The hallmarks of melodic hardcore bands are alive and well on the four tracks presented to us. Let’s dig in. Opening track “Stories” jumps back and […]
Hailing from Rockford, Illinois and Madison, Wisconsin, The Rad Skulls have thrown down a gauntlet of a demo that has some of the catchiest songs I’ve heard this year. The hallmarks of melodic hardcore bands are alive and well on the four tracks presented to us. Let’s dig in.
Opening track “Stories” jumps back and forth between a fast beat and a slower tempo and trading screaming vocals for harmonized vocals when it does. Lead singer Joe’s vocals are a bit more raw in those harder moments, but there’s some reprieve in those softer moments and lyrics that seem to go through a roller coaster of emotions. There’s no real structure to the song which makes these changes unpredictable and exciting especially. Second song, “Loud as Shit,” works well as a short and fast palate cleanser before moderately paced third track, “6:05 GMT.” “6:05 GMT” and “Good Thing (Jingle Jazz)”‘s big group vocals give the song that extra push to make this great. The melodic riffs and vocals the Rad Skulls have brewed are well placed.
I would like to see the Rad Skulls live or hear more songs because with these four songs they just seem to be getting their footing. Their big guitar sound paired with the breakneck speed of the drums is very reminiscent of some of punk’s greatest bands of the 1990s. There’s a lot of ambition found here and these tracks seem to be heading in the right direction. As far as demos go, this is a great sample of a band I hope to hear more from in the future.
On 26 October 2024, the Pie Shop hosted a SOLD OUT pre-Halloween show featuring some of DC’s own punk legends (find out who below). This 17th Annual show featured Misfits Cover Band, Evilive and Ramones Cover Band, Huntingtons. The bands put on probably one of my favorite Halloween shows (ever) and I am looking forward […]
On 26 October 2024, the Pie Shop hosted a SOLD OUT pre-Halloween show featuring some of DC’s own punk legends (find out who below). This 17th Annual show featured Misfits Cover Band, Evilive andRamones Cover Band, Huntingtons. The bands put on probably one of my favorite Halloween shows (ever) and I am looking forward to next year! The crowd was packed and everyone participated in singing along to every song. It was epic!
Baltimore’s Ramones inspired punk band Huntingtons did not disappoint as they ripped through their set and everyone went wild. Band currently consist of Mike Holt (bass/lead vox), Cliff Powell (guitar/vox), Josh Blackly (guitar/vox), and Chris Elder (drums). Find them here next.
Misfits cover band, Evilive, headlined with a killer set from beginning to end. The lineup consist of mates: Tony Pee Pee (The Pee Circles) on vox, Jason Hamacher (Frodus/Zealot/Regents) on drums, Mike Schleibaum (Darkest Hour) on guitar, Tad Peyton on bass, and special guest John Christ (Danzig/Samhain) on guitar. The setlist ranged from Twist of Cain, Not of the World, Soul on Fire, Halloween and more.
You also missed Schleibaum atop the drum kick a few times flinging his locks while rockin out!
John Christ joining the band.
Evilive started off the night with Attitude, Horror Business, We Bite, Green Hell, London Dungeon, to name a few and ended with Bullet. The night was full of fantastic energy and a killer night.
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:
Batting leadoff this week is this bad ass new record from Swedish skate punks Rebuke! Things One Shouldn’t Have to Say is due out February 7th and is available to pre-order on two beautiful color variants: “Fizz Time Splatter” (100 copies) and “Dualist Sundae” (200 copies). Get it now from Punk Rock Radar or Double Helix Records in the states, Lockjaw Records in the UK, and Pee Records in Australia.
Also up for pre-order on the Punk Rock Radar webstore: Bri’ish Ramonescore band Random Heroes’ awesome new record FOUR! Limited to 100 copies on pink colored vinyl and a highly recommended pickup for fellow Screeching Weasel / Riverdales appreciators. Also available from Cats Claw Records in the UK. This record kicks ass!
Speaking of records that kick ass, Cigar’s Speed is Relative has been reissued by Fat Wreck Chords and is already on the brink of going out of print once again. I told you about the black vinyl repress that popped up on Amazon and elsewhere about a month ago, but Fat has since announced the reissue and made colored vinyl available to purchase. As always, they’re keeping a tight lip about variants, but I’ve seen two floating around: a clear w/ yellow and green splatter, and a clear w/ blue pinwheel kinda thing. FatWreck.com is sold out of colored vinyl but their Australian Artist First webstore still has some copies in stock and shipping to the states isn’t obscenely expensive!
Also on from Fat… a new 7″ from a band of children Fat Mike has taken under his wing. The Dollheads’ new single “Teenage Runaway” was written (and I believe produced) by Mr. Burkett. Get the 7″ here.
Our friends at Bloated Kat Records are releasing a 4-way split LP from Heavy Lag, Sekunderna (from Sweden!), Teenage Bigfoot and TV Cop. Pre-order the record on random colored vinyl(!) here and check out a track from each band below to see what you’re getting yourself into:
Our other friendly friends at Mom’s Basement Records have some bad ass shit going on and coming up soon, but what else is new? Up first, the debut album from Houston pop-punks The Lockdowns, out now and available on two bad ass color variants! Also available on black vinyl! And CD!Just buy the fuckin thing!
Coming soon from Mom’s Basement: the killer debut album from Brazilian bubblegum punks the Boogadas! Heartbeats and Heartbreaks is already streaming everywhere (get the digital download from their Bandcamp!) but Mom’s Basement will be releasing it on compact disc (otherwise known as a “CD” by those in the trade). Set a reminder to head over to their webstore and buy this awesome album this Friday, December 20th at noon eastern.
And last up in the “fellating Mom’s Basement Records” segment of this week’s Record Radar, I’d be remiss if I didn’t bring to your attention the awesome international releases they have available for pre-order in their distro at the moment. From Austria, it’s the Mugwumps with their new record Domino! From Brazil, it’s Flanders 72 with their record The TV Show! And from Germany, it’s the Kahuna Surfers with their new 7″ Forever! These are up for pre-order for a limited time only, so act fast.
Revelation Records is giving Glassjaw’s Don Fury Sessions its first official release, nearly 27 years after its original recording. Previously only available on 100 home made cassette tapes, these 1998 demos find new life on a yellow colored record which you can purchase here with money. It’s worth noting some material has been omitted from the vinyl release, the full demo is on YouTube though:
And wrapping up this week’s Record Radar – which by the way might very well be the last one of 2024! – we’ve got Manchester, UK skate punk newcomers BLAGGED with their debut EP Cortex Marks the Spot, out now on Rad Girlfriend and Brassneck Records! 5 tracks and they all kick fuckin ass. Get the 12″ EP on two color variants here (US) or here (UK).
Well, that’s all, folks. Another Record Radar in the books. 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!
As I power through the daily grind of being alive, every once in a while I find myself in a place that can only be described as an emotional lull. Waking up, getting ready for work, and dealing with crowded buses that are always late, I feel my life wasted at a job that barely […]
As I power through the daily grind of being alive, every once in a while I find myself in a place that can only be described as an emotional lull. Waking up, getting ready for work, and dealing with crowded buses that are always late, I feel my life wasted at a job that barely covers the bills. Then, I commute back home to prepare for the next day, repeating the cycle.
Throughout these periods of emotional drought, I have found that music becomes background noise—just something that fills the gaps between conversations at work. I forget the reason I enjoy it or was drawn into these subcultures and alternative scenes in the first place. In a way, this may be by design, as it is significantly easier to maintain the high levels of unrealistic hyper-efficiency that fuel a capitalist system when the average worker is too tired to feel anything other than the need to produce for fear of financial instability. At the same time, empty promises of happiness, love, and success are forced upon us by a constant barrage of advertisements and popular media—including mainstream music.
But where did all the rage, all the sadness, the loneliness, the joy, love, euphoria, and the sense of community and connection to something larger than us go? The answer is incredibly obvious and within reach. Sifting through the dullness of routine and pushing beyond it, music that comes from introspection, exploring our human condition instead of merely being a commodity to be sold, answers that question. It’s a matter of once again paying attention to the message, the delivery, and sharing those experiences with others.
Seeing the flyer for this show felt like a wake-up call, a short break from the bleakness, overloaded with emotions and a journey exploring a vast range of sounds, rhythms, and vocal deliveries. The entire show felt like an appropriate allegory for the human spirit when it’s not subdued by societal expectations to be quiet and reserved at all times.
Like an oasis in the middle of the desert, Soft Blue Shimmer started their set by creating an atmosphere that I would describe as almost ethereal. Meredith Ramond, with her beautiful and delicate voice, elevated the Bottom Lounge into a realm of tranquility. It was a mesmerizing combination of peacefulness and melancholia.
Soft Blue Shimmer’s sound is difficult to categorize into a specific genre. Not that it ultimately matters, but risking criticism from genre purists, I would describe it as a blend of shoegaze with elements of alternative or indie pop. The guitar riffs are very melodic and complement the dynamic changes well. To me, those musical shifts in tempo and volume, contrasted with the soothing and steady vocal delivery, were the highlight of their set and helped me connect with their music and the tone they set.
One thing worth noting is that, although their lyrics are not overtly political, they performed with signs—one that said “ACAB” and another supporting Free Palestine.
As their set neared its end, I felt it was time to return to reality from the place the band had transported us to—and realized I could have stayed there listening to them for hours.
Had I not been familiar with the next band, Portrayal of Guilt, before the show, the musical whiplash from the previous band to this one would have sent me right to the hospital. The Texas trio took us to the opposite end of the spectrum. With a chaotic blend of black metal, hardcore, and punk, they created a dark ambiance driven by heavily distorted guitars and guttural screams, with misanthropic lyrics.
Their performance was the least dynamic of the evening in terms of physical movement, but they made up for it with the intensity of their music. The bass, in combination with the drums, drove the foundation of the music, preventing the musical tension they created from resolving, while a barrage of oppressive riffs filled the room with dissonant chords.
At this point, the tone of the show was the complete opposite of the first band’s, and the dark melodies—if they can even be called melodies—painted a picture of solitude, grief, blasphemy, and despair, which the audience related to as catharsis.
Portrayal of Guilt’s music draws heavily from several genres, which makes it somewhat difficult to categorize under a specific style. That said, they take some of the best elements and make them work: the speed of punk, hardcore breakdowns for the spin-kickers, and the typical blast beats, dissonant riffs, and high-pitched gutturals of black metal. It’s the perfect amalgamation of these genres.
For the third act of the evening, Soul Glo took the stage. This band embodies chaos. Unpredictable and energetic, they brought a completely different energy to the show. Their music is fast, raw, and confrontational—pure irreverence.
Unconstrained by the stage’s boundaries, the band’s vocalist, Pierce Jordan, turned the entire venue into an extension of the stage. At one point, showing complete disregard for the venue’s barriers, Jordan jumped over and immersed himself in the audience while security ran around, trying to predict what he would do next. His vocal delivery consists of high-pitched screaming, intentionally amelodic, alternating between his regular singing voice and aggressive, at times chilling, screams.
Musically speaking, Soul Glo also draws from several genres. Their music is straight-up hardcore punk, and I doubt anyone would argue with that label, but they push boundaries with hip-hop elements and even incorporate funk and soul elements, along with audio samples throughout.
Their performance and lyrics are politically charged; they vocally supported the Palestinian struggle, and their songs reflect these values. What I found particularly interesting, as I analyzed the emotional range of each band individually and throughout the show, is that Soul Glo and Portrayal of Guilt are two sides of the same coin. Soul Glo expresses anger born from frustration—with the system, ourselves, and others—evident in their rebellious and confrontational attitude, while Portrayal of Guilt comes from a place of pain and despair. Both are equally valid and represent different aspects of how we experience the world. Their ferocity and attitude were contagious.
As the show neared its end, the crowd’s energy was revitalized as Jeremy Bolm, lead singer of the evening’s headliners, Touché Amoré, joined the rest of the band on stage. They began their set, and it was evident how much of an impact this band had on the crowd. Smiles lit up the venue as fans gazed with unwavering fixation, following every move Jeremy made, engrossed by the music and lyrics of the songs.
The relationship between the crowd and performers was mutual as Jeremy performed the deeply personal and emotional lyrics with a constant smile throughout the show. It felt like the physical barrier in front of the stage formed a metaphysical mirror, allowing the crowd and band to reflect their shared connection.
For more than a decade and a half, Touché Amoré has been delivering their signature emotional post-hardcore with some of the most honest and personal lyrics. It’s easy to feel spoken to, and I believe this happens due to the vocal delivery, which is more screamed spoken-word than straight-up singing, contrasting with the highly melodic riffs. Every song is a heart-wrenching confession, spoken in words that most of us can’t find.
The performance included a variety of songs from their entire repertoire, including some new tracks. Most people knew the lyrics, and those not moshing sang along throughout the show.
Touché Amoré did an incredible job of bringing the crowd back from this journey. It was a cathartic experience, allowing everyone to participate in an emotional experience.
Still wearing the biggest smile in the room, Jeremy and the rest of the band said their goodbyes, and as the final chords of their set echoed through the venue, there was a lingering sense of connection—an emotional bond that transcended the music—before returning to the monotony of daily life.
This article’s photos are a collaboration effort with @Maximilian_Pegasus who kindly provided the images of Touché Amoré featured in this article.
Check out the rest of the photos of this amazing show below!
Gothenburg, Sweden’s Mundane formed as a side project in 2018 and eventually became the main focus of members Hannes Wijk, Felix Grennard, Linus Bech, and Melker Lilja. While releasing songs here and there since that time, this full-length debut is the fruits of their labor. Melding their influences of bands like Weezer and the Pixies […]
Gothenburg, Sweden’s Mundane formed as a side project in 2018 and eventually became the main focus of members Hannes Wijk, Felix Grennard, Linus Bech, and Melker Lilja. While releasing songs here and there since that time, this full-length debut is the fruits of their labor. Melding their influences of bands like Weezer and the Pixies with Midwest emo, Mundane brings us Ultra Sound. A twenty-seven-minute record that will have you head-bopping one minute and getting lost in its meditative songs the next.
Ultra Sound kicks off with “Riff Raff,” a song about the waxing and waning of drinking excessively and its effects on those around you. It’s not the car is in the front yard of Lit’s “My Own Worse Enemy”; it is closer to ruining the relationships you may have by running your mouth a little too much. The lyrically self-deprecating “Fast but Lazy” keeps your head bopping, but ups the ante on the tempo before stabilizing with “Never Change.” While these first two tracks are great, “Never Change” is where Ultra Sound finds its direction by transitioning into a 1990s emo album with traces of Mineral, Built to Spill, and early Further Seems Forever on the tracks going forward. The second guitar is complementary, with its repeating riffs, and mostly does more than just double up the rhythm guitar. “Summer Day” laments waking up alone after a breakup and is a good halfway point for this record. “Had to Be Good” picks up the back end of this record. “Our Bodies Differ” and “Lately” continues our journey into the emo filtered through Mundane. Ultra Sound closes with the track “The Great Indoors,” a song about letting anxiety and depression win this round and staying in bed all day.
Ultra Sound basks in the loneliness, isolation, and longing of being young. Despite being at an age where I know these feelings will pass, these sentiments still hit. Are these feelings nostalgic or residual? The answer probably differs day to day. In a year that saw the release from Suburban Eyes, veterans of the genre create new sounds of their pasts, Mundane is filtering their own future on those bands’ sound. There would be no reason to not stock this album next to some of the classics. Ultra Sound is a great album to put headphones on and get lost into. The songs aren’t dragged out, which is sometimes my criticism of 1990s emo and the bands that try to emulate it. Mundane has this locked in perfectly.
I have a confession to make. Despite being in the age bracket that I think people refer to as “of a certain age” – read as: closer to 50 than 40; closer to 60 than 20 – I kinda missed Leatherface the first time around (1988 – 1993). In fact, I’m reasonably certain that I […]
I have a confession to make.
Despite being in the age bracket that I think people refer to as “of a certain age” – read as: closer to 50 than 40; closer to 60 than 20 – I kinda missed Leatherface the first time around (1988 – 1993). In fact, I’m reasonably certain that I not only “discovered” Leatherface sometime after I started writing for Dying Scene in 2011, which was not long before they disbanded A) a second time and B) for good. And if I’m being COMPLETELY honest, I’m also relatively sure that I first dipped my toe in the venerable waters after first diving into Frankie Stubbs catalog after getting to write a handful of stories about his Little Rocket Records releases and tour plans and all that. It was then and only then that I learned that this band that I knew was held in such high regard by bands whom I held in such high regard – bands like Hot Water Music and Samiam and Gaslight Anthem – was held in such regard for a reason. The band hits like a sledgehammer. They’re also a classic case of “why wasn’t this band intergalactically massive?” except that in hindsight, they were probably too “alternative” for mainstream punk and too punk rock for mainstream alternative and Frankie’s heartfelt lyrics and gruff, vaguely Lemmy Kilmister-esque vocals probably were just a little too unique to propel the band into the stratosphere they rightly belonged in, meaning they were destined to be a linchpin band in the scene. As MacDonald points out, “Leatherface is a band that was destined for something greater than their cult status.”
But wait, this isn’t a review of Leatherface, the band. Instead it’s a review of Chris MacDonald’s wonderful and unique and new and probably long-overdue book Days And Days: A Story About Sunderland’s Leatherface And The Ties That Bind. The Ontario-based punk rocker and tattoo artist takes a compelling approach to chronicling the life and times of your favorite band’s favorite band. It would have been well within his right to start at the beginning and tell the respective stories of Stubbs and Hammond and Crighton and Lainey and The Eagle and Philliskirk and Burdon and the remainder of the crew that filled out the respective lineups and how they cut their respective teeth in Sunderland and beyond and that would have been wonderful. It would have been equally within his right to compile a series of stories from the likes of the Hot Water Musics and the D4s and Samiams and the laundry list of artists whom the Sunderland legends have influenced in myriad ways over the decades. In fact, MacDonald does a commendable job of doing both of those things simultaneously.
What sets Days And Days apart from your traditional band biography book, however, is the personal context that MacDonald adds to the story. Woven throughout the stories about the band’s history and influence are stories of MacDonald’s own history, particularly the mid-to-late 90s, which was a time period that saw the band itself initially split up and reunite half a decade later after Crighton’s death. Like many of us who are “of a certain age” and had punk rock delivered unto in the early 1990s, MacDonald fell fast and hard and the music matched his energy. His initial ‘discovery’ of the Leatherface in particular – also after their initial hiatus – was not unlike the experiences that many of us had for bands that became OUR bands. It was an introduction not just to a band and a sound and a poetry that was like no other, but a stronger connection to a community at large; the beginning of an understanding of the ways that many of us relate to and communicate with one another.
The other central thread in the book is an epic journey that our storyteller and his friend and fellow punk rock aficionado Jason (not me) embarked on a quarter-century ago. Over the course of seven weeks in the summer of 1999, the two went on an ambitious journey from London to Dublin. By way of most any mode of transportation you can imagine and with little in the way of a formal plan in the days before widespread cell phone and internet access, the duo wound through places Leeds and Manchester and of course Sunderland and Edinburgh and Glasgow and Belfast and Donegal. There were several pivotal Leatherface-involved moments along the journey that I won’t spoil for you here, but suffice it to say that the trip would test not only their individual mettle and the bonds of their friendship, but like the process of quenching and tempering steel that took place in the gritty ship-building towns like Sunderland, would prove to strengthen their identities and their connection to the scene at large.
The book itself is quite a bit of a journey to embark on. Most of the individual chapters are brief and the individual threads are woven back and forth throughout the tapestry, and if you’re not paying attention, you might get yourself tied in knots trying to remember which timeline we’re on. The venture is incredibly worthwhile though. If you’re a fan of Leatherface (or Franke Stubbs solo I suppose) the band history as ‘peasants in paradise’ is riveting. If you’re just a fan of the scene in a broader sense, you can insert your favorite pivotal band in Leatherface’s place and no doubt identify with the fandom aspects and appreciate the level of import that the music builds in your life. And frankly, if you’re a fan of travel stories – albeit ones written twenty-five years after their journey – it’s a compelling tale of struggle and the increasing knowledge of the self that said struggle can build in us as humans.
MacDonald’s book is available at all the normal booksellers. Obviously buy from a local place if you can. As an added bonus, you can also catch Frankie Stubbs and Graeme Philliskirk together again in Roach Squad, alongside Sim Robson and The Murderburgers’ Alex Keane and the one-and-only Hugo Mudie. They put out a few tracks last month on Little Rocket Records (obviously) and they rule.
Tis the season for punk rock Christmas songs and Long Island acoustic punk duo Bitters and Distractions are getting in on the festive fun with their brand new song “Punk Rock Christmas”. What’s more, we’re exclusively premiering the song’s accompanying music video! Check it out below. “Punk Rock Christmas” is out now and streaming everywhere […]
Tis the season for punk rock Christmas songs and Long Island acoustic punk duo Bitters and Distractions are getting in on the festive fun with their brand new song “Punk Rock Christmas”. What’s more, we’re exclusively premiering the song’s accompanying music video! Check it out below.
“Punk Rock Christmas” is out now and streaming everywhere thanks to our friends at Sell the Heart Records. Add it to your holiday playlists on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, or wherever the fuck you listen to music! You can also download the track on Bitters and Distractions’ Bandcamp page. Fuck yeah!
This premiere is brought to you in part by Punk Rock Radar. If you’d like your band’s music video 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 legends Mustard Plug are back with an eight-track EP entitled HEY!. This latest record highlights the band’s creativity and gives the listener a little bit of everything that Mustard Plug has to offer. It features four new tracks from last year’s Where Did All My Friends Go? album sessions; produced by Descendents‘ Bill Stevenson […]
Ska legends Mustard Plug are back with an eight-track EP entitled HEY!. This latest record highlights the band’s creativity and gives the listener a little bit of everything that Mustard Plug has to offer. It features four new tracks from last year’s Where Did All My Friends Go? album sessions; produced by Descendents‘ Bill Stevenson – as well as a few surprises.
Kicking off the EP is the title track, “Hey!”, a fast-paced song, best suited for a live show and an audience chanting along; it’s reminiscent of Evil Doers days and is a stellar start to the album. The second song, “Take Me With You,” takes it down a notch and adds a harmonic touch; although a slower tempo, it flows well with the rest of the album. Next up for new material is “West Coast,” a simplistic pop-ska-style track and the most energetic song on the album, showcasing the band’s favourite locations. Lastly, “Not Breaking Down” – it’s heavy-hitting, fast and made for the dance floor – you can’t go wrong with this track.
Now for the surprises… The teaser released for this EP was“Vampire,” from last year’s album Where Did All My Friends Go?; although it’s not the Mustard Plug version you’re familiar with. “Vampire (House on Fire)” has been remixed and reworked by Math(s) into a gothic-style EDM track and it is going over well with fans. The song “Now or Never” from the same album is now your classic dub track, thanks to the legendary, Victor Rice; dubbed perfectly with a syncopated rhythm and echoing vocals. There are a couple covers on this EP as well; “Springtime,” from the children’s show, Imagination Movers and “Waiting Room” by Fugazi; the latter has been a staple at live shows throughout the years.
This album is Mustard Plug’s most eclectic thus far, pushing the boundaries of their creativity while maintaining the style that fans adore. Hey! is available on December 13, 2024, on Dashiki Clout Records. And for all you vinyl collectors, don’t miss out on this limited edition vinyl either. Get Hey!here on exclusive maroon vinyl—limited to 300 copies.
