Aloha! There’s this pretty pretty bad ass band from Honolulu, Hawaii you should check out. They’re called Heart Attack and we just so happen to be premiering their brand new single “Fractions” today! Go ahead, scroll down the page a lil bit and check that shit out. Heart Attack’s got a lot of cool shit […]
Aloha! There’s this pretty pretty bad ass band from Honolulu, Hawaii you should check out. They’re called Heart Attack and we just so happen to be premiering their brand new single “Fractions” today! Go ahead, scroll down the page a lil bit 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 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!
Happy Valentine’s Day, comrades! We’ve got a fun new album debut for all your Hump Day festivities. It comes to us from Oakland post-punks States Of Nature. It’s the quartet’s brand new full-length, Brighter Than Before, and it’s due out this Friday (February 16th) on Sell The Heart Records here in the States and on […]
Happy Valentine’s Day, comrades!
We’ve got a fun new album debut for all your Hump Day festivities. It comes to us from Oakland post-punks States Of Nature. It’s the quartet’s brand new full-length, Brighter Than Before, and it’s due out this Friday (February 16th) on Sell The Heart Records here in the States and on Little Rocket Records in the UK, but because we think you’re swell, we’ll share it with you today! Here’s what the band had to say about the record:
“Here it is, Brighter than Before in full! This is a record we spent the better part of 3 years on and it’s finally ready for you to enjoy. This is the best thing I think this band has made, we took great care in crafting a record that is enjoyable front to back and back to front, if that’s more your thing. 10 songs, 30 minutes, of “fookin’ rock n’ roll muzzziccc” keep slayn’, stop playin’, you misbehavin craven. I’m playn, you’re beautiful!”
We here at DSHQ can promise you that Brighter Than Before is super fun and danceable and it’s chock full of infectious grooves. But don’t take our word for it…check it out down below! And while you’re at it, pick up your own copy on any of the super rad vinyl variants!
Their new 5-song banger Almost Hits just came out a few days ago and we’re premiering the music video for the opening track “Pepsi Youth”. Check that shit out below and head over to Bandcamp to listen to the full EP in all its glory. Also be sure to follow Who Asked For This? on Instagram.
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!
If you’re looking for an awesome, unique new band to check out, look no further than the San Francisco Bay Area’s own Who Asked For This?. These guys haven’t even been around around a full year and they’re already on a roll with two bad ass EPs. Their new 5-song banger Almost Hits just came […]
If you’re looking for an awesome, unique new band to check out, look no further than the San Francisco Bay Area’s own Who Asked For This?. These guys haven’t even been around around a full year and they’re already on a roll with two bad ass EPs.
Their new 5-song banger Almost Hits just came out a few days ago and we’re premiering the music video for the opening track “Pepsi Youth”. Check that shit out below and head over to Bandcamp to listen to the full EP in all its glory. Also be sure to follow Who Asked For This? on Instagram.
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!
Dying Scene sat down with Cody Kelly Williams, General Manager of Juggernaut Music to tell us about the venue in the Southwest where bands like Three Bad Jacks, The Dead End, and many more have shared their music in Gallup, New Mexico. Dying Scene: Who are you and what is your role at Juggernaut Music. […]
Dying Scene: Who are you and what is your role at Juggernaut Music.
Cody Kelly Williams: My name is Cody Kelly Williams. I am the general manager here at Juggernaut Music in Gallup, New Mexico, located at 308 East Route 66, across the street from the Gallup Train Station.
DS: Tell me a little bit about yourself.
CKW: I’m originally from Tennessee. I’ve been here in Gallup since 2019 and started working here at the Juggernaut Music the same year back in September of 2019 as an apprentice and have been a full-time employee since 2020.
Cody Kelly Williams in the manager’s seat.
DS: Tell me about the Juggernaut. When did the venue open? Why? What kinds of shows do you have?
CKW: So, Juggernaut started when my boss, Ernie Santiago was in a band called Sleep Tastes Pretty and wanted a place to play. He made connections with STP while traveling all over the country…he met a bunch of bands. He owned Juggernaut Hookah Lounge at the time, which used to be across town and then turned it into a venue. It blew up from there. Then he had to get this current space because the shows started getting too big.
DS: What kind of shows were they having back then?
CKW: It was mostly metal and hip-hop. Nowadays, punk, hip hop, metal, country, and acoustic. Country…very rarely, but we do do it. Punk, hip-hop, and metal are the three big draws for us.
Graffiti artist Jeremy “Native Sun” Johnson.
DS: When was the first show?
CKW: The first show at this location I believe was in 2018 it was a 420 show. The first show that I worked on here was Three Bad Jacks in December of 2019.
DS: So do you have any Native American bands that play here?
CKW: It’s mostly metal and hip hop but the punk scene has been strong these last couple years. When the punk shows first started, we could barely get anyone in here…legitimately, maybe 20 people at most. Now it’s grown to at least 100 people when we throw a punk show. We’ve even thrown a pop-up punk show and still had 80 people show up.
DS: That sounds like it has been a good response. How does that make you feel?
CKW: It’s been rewarding to me personally because I started trying to push us to do more punk shows because it was starting to grow. I have an annual show that I throw called Punktoberfest. It’s an all-day punk festival.
DS: When is it?
CKW: It’s usually the second or third Saturday of October. Last year, it fell on Friday the 13th. That was cool.
DS: Very cool. What has been your most memorable show?
CKW: My most memorable show? Probably Punktoberfest, honestly, just because I put it all together. I booked all the bands and then just to see it be a success. That’s probably the biggest standout that I’m proud of. The biggest show that we’ve had here, though, has been Shaggy 2 Dope (Insane Clown Posse). So, I guess it depends on how you want to phrase it.
DS: You’re also into music. Tell me about your own projects.
CKW: I have five projects available on all streaming services. I produced the majority of my songs which can be found on Spotify.
DS: There’s a skate shop right next door. Do you have any connection with the skate park across the street?
CKW: Yeah, those guys that run the skate shop next door, Enchantment Skate Shop, they throw skate jams there yearly. They work with the city to get the permits and then hire us to do the sound. So, we’ve actually done sound at the skate park. I’ve done it five times since I’ve been here.
Gallup Skate Park.
DS: What advice do you have for touring bands coming through Gallup?
CKW: Be prepared. You’re going to see some craziness in Gallup. It is a great city to live in…a little wild at times. Just be open-minded and don’t be surprised at what you see.
DS: So, what could they expect to see?
CKW: There’s a huge homeless population around here, so you’ll see the normal homeless activities but occasionally we get people that just wander in here and are kind of hard to handle. So, you have to get them out. We didn’t get a lot of big shows in Gallup but we do now. Because this area was so secluded and we had to go to Albuquerque, Tucson, and Phoenix to watch big shows. Nowadays, whenever we get these bigger artists here, some people just don’t know how to act because they’re like, holy shit, I can’t believe Max Cavalera (Sepultura, Soulfly, Cavalera Conspiracy) is here in Gallup, New Mexico. So, yeah, that’s probably the one thing. If you’re a big band, be prepared. Some people are probably going to be star-struck.
DS: Gotcha. On that note, what famous musicians have been here?
CKW: Max Cavalera. Let’s see, who else have we had here? We just had Doyle of the Misfits here a few months ago. That was a really fun show. We’ve had ABK and Shaggy 2 Dope. Those are more in the hip-hop lane but they’re pretty famous. I got to work with Suicide Silence before. They’re pretty big. Yeah, a lot of people actually.
DS: That’s awesome.
CKW: Yeah.
DS: So, what bands are you listening to this week?
CKW: This week? TV Cop, I’m listening to them heavy. They are friends from Iowa. They just dropped a new album. I’ve been listening to Death Mantra a lot again. And then just my normal playlist, which kind of just goes around hip hop, a little bit of JID, J. Cole, Joyner Lucas, Nas…stuff like that. My main influences were hip hop and punk music growing up. So, I’m always listening to Dead Kennedys, Green Day, Iggy Pop, and stuff like that.
DS: How should bands get in touch with you if they want to play here?
CKW: They can hit us up on Facebook, our Instagram, or they can contact me directly at (505) 409-1041.
DS: Very cool. What else would you like to share with Dying Scene’s readers?
Ian MacDougall is best known as a member of Riverboat Gamblers and Band of Horses. However, another of his bands, Broken Gold will be releasing new music in 2024. Per the band’s press release: “The record is a real ATX affair, with Ian being backed by members of Alejandro Escovedo’s band, Black Books, and Del-Vipers, […]
“The record is a real ATX affair, with Ian being backed by members of Alejandro Escovedo’s band, Black Books, and Del-Vipers, while Stuart Sikes (A Giant Dog, Black Pumas) recorded and mixed it.
“Spiraling” highlights a more confessional approach to MacDougall’s songwriting; tackling the mental toll of a life stitched together between regular touring and the various hometown jobs taken on to make ends meet in between.
In his words: “I’d always felt…changed or sort of crazier in a way, after being away so many times over the years. When you keep layering that on over and over. What is normalcy, what part of my life is the ‘real’ life?”
I interviewed MacDougall via text and email about Broken Gold’s origin, its present work and the future.
MerGold (Dying Scene):How did Broken Gold get started?
Ian MacDougall: Broken Gold started shortly after I started working at a wonderful punk rock pizza place/bar called The Parlor here in Austin TX around 2010 or so.
Gamblers was in between tours and I needed a job that was cool with me taking off at a moment’s notice. I met my soon-to-be best friend Rich Cali while working there. He played drums and was from Asbury Park New Jersey, and was at the time married to one of the daughters in the family that owned the business. We bonded over our mutual love of Springsteen and the Clash as well as Fugazi and bands like Rites of Spring. We got along so much that they stopped scheduling us to work behind the bar at the same time because we would goof off so damn much. During this time original bass player of Riverboat Gamblers, Pat Lillard, had recently left Gamblers but still wanted to play in a band, but something…different.
Prior to playing guitar in RBG, I had a band I sang and was the principal songwriter in and Pat pushed me into starting something with me singing again. We wanted to do something melodic, simple, kind of like a punk rock American shoe gaze thing with elements of The Clash, Fugazi, Alejandro Escovedo, and Springsteen. Over time Rich moved, Pat got busy with starting a family and we had some members come and go. We’ve shared drummers and bass players with the Gamblers several times but now the lineup is: Myself singing and guitaring, Ben Lance on guitar, Bobby Daniel on bass, and Sam Rich on drums. I’ve been lucky to play with some huge talents over the years and this lineup of Broken Gold is no different. It sounds incredible lately.
How did you decide on the band name?
At the time Austin was crawling with pawnshops, especially on the East Side where we spent most of our time. Every pawnshop and billboard said “WE BUY BROKEN GOLD” or “BROKEN GOLD? YES!” We thought that was a great name that related with some of the subject matter in the lyrics as well as being a bunch of free advertising around town. Something that was once valuable and then destroyed but still desired by people.
How does Broken Gold differ from your other band or your other bands, past and present?
It’s a whole different muscle, playing-wise and tonally. I have to play with my guitar strap higher than Gamblers. Haha. I have to say playing in BG and all the experimenting with different things for us as players like alternate tunings and the use of capos really set me up and had me prepared for a band like Band of Horses which I joined as lead guitarist eventually. A lot of the guitar techniques and tones were very similar.
As far as how it’s different from Gamblers? It’s me singing for one. I’m the primary songwriter as opposed to RBG which is a group of songwriters. Broken Gold is a bit more dynamic with tones/sounds, volumes, and speeds as opposed to the blitzkrieg powerhouse that is the Riverboat Gamblers. I’d say we’re a bit more on the ‘punk’ side of things than Band of Horses but similar in vibe…like it wouldn’t be that jarring hearing one of those songs and one of these bands come on shuffle or something.
Why was now a good time for a follow-up release?
I finally had some time to focus on it. I’ve always done Broken Gold when I could get to it. When Gamblers weren’t on tour, and we toured ALOT, I would focus on BG but then we’d go back on tour. Over the years I ventured into working in the production world of higher tier artists like Foo Fighters, tours with Blink 182, and Band of Horses, etc. I was usually the Assistant Tour Manager on these and at that level, you’re touring off and on for years on end for a record cycle. Those jobs suddenly become your whole life and leave little much for anything else. When I eventually moved from Asst TM for Band of Horses to Lead guitarist, I just started passing on the ideas I had for Broken Gold to them as it wasn’t that far out of the wheelhouse of what they were doing. After 5+ years in that band, we made a great record but eventually parted ways.
I had all of these songs I had written and I was home all the time all of a sudden. Not working production, not playing in someone else’s band. I finally had time to focus on my stuff, Broken Gold and Riverboat Gamblers. It became clear that I needed to invest in myself for once and continue writing on these songs and focusing on what meant the most to me, BG and RBG. I had a wellspring of things to write about and it resulted in what I think is a real thought-out, dense, cohesive piece of work. We worked our asses off on this making it as good as we could get it.
Broken Gold members from left: Ian MacDougall, Bobby Daniel, Sam Rich, and Ben Lance. Photo by Ian MacDougall
Did you have a specific plan for what this new music would sound or look like? Thematically or otherwise?
I didn’t really have a theme in mind when I started writing this thing but it has become evident now that we’re done with it. It’s about touring and being a working musician. The reality of what this life looks like. It can be brutal on your mental health, on both sides of the stage. Whether you’re working for bands or in the band. I’ve been doing this at all levels for more than half my life and still do. Private jet to stadium show that takes 2 days to prepare to punk squat in a Sprinter laying on top of an Ampeg fridge bass cab wrapped in sleeping bags because the heat in the van doesn’t work. Most of the time it feels like this never-ending adventure, every day is a new set of problems to solve and I love it…but it also led to a pretty severe drinking problem and all the things like not having friends when you come home, watching everyone you knew move on with their lives and start traditional families, your whole town changes, etc. When you decide to do this you basically decide to live in a vacuum of whatever band you’re involved with’s world, it’s like time traveling. You leave for 2 months, come home and never leave your neighborhood for a week, and go back out for another 2 months.
When you finally need to drive around your city everything different, especially in Austin. People always expect that you’re gone so you don’t hear from anyone anymore all that much. That’s not even mentioning what it’s like trying to make a serious relationship work. There definitely are people I’ve met that are totally well-adjusted and can make all of that work so smoothly, but I grew up from being a kid to an adult touring. Everything I learned about people, relationships, and “adulting” I learned while being out traveling constantly. I have had many “father figures” haha. I joined Riverboat Gamblers when I was 17 right out of high school and have basically been on the road in some form or fashion ever since. You never really have time to sit and reflect, possibly to a therapist, about everything that’s happened over the years because you’ve never really stopped and had time to. That’s a little heavy or maybe sounds like I’m complaining but I can assure you, I’m not. I absolutely love and am so lucky to have done all of the things I’ve been a part of. I guess as some sort of therapy I decided to write a bunch of songs about the other side of the life out there in there in the world I’ve experienced.
As far as the sound. I knew I wanted to make like “the ultimate BG record” haha, like a total distillation of everything I love about the music I’m really into. I love bands like The Cure, Psychedelic Furs, and the Smiths just as much as I love bands like The Clash, Blitz, Bruce Springsteen, Guided by Voices, and The Alarm. That and I’m a total freak when it comes to guitars, amps, and pedals. It’s my only true obsession and I knew I wanted to make a record with great fucking guitar sounds.
Broken Gold members Broken Gold members from left: Ben Lance, Ian MacDougall, Bobby Daniel, and Sam Rich. Photo by Ian MacDougall. Photo by Dave Creaney
How much of a collaborative project is this with the other members of Broken Gold?
Very much so. I usually come in with a pretty thought-out idea but that morphs once we get everyone involved. Ben Lance is a guitar sorcerer. He is so unconventional in his playing and I LOVE LOVE what he does on top of what I do. I’d have to say I have a fairly traditional approach when it comes to playing for the most part, big chords, ripping solos, etc but Ben’s like a painter – he actually is a painter – but he adds textures and a lot of emotion to the solid foundation me and the rest of the guys lay down. I always run things by everybody in the band and share demos that we shoot back and forth.
What does each member bring to the project?
The band is myself, Bobby Daniel,Ben Lance, and Sam Rich. These guys are so fucking great. I’m lucky to be playing with like, all my best friends. Bobby is someone I look up to just as a dude in general. He’s sober, an ultra-runner, a father, and has been playing in bands of all kinds for decades, has seen it all. We met when I used to go see him play in Alejandro Escovedo’s band every Tuesday at the Continental Club here in Austin. Watching and hearing Bobby play bass at all those shows was just radical. Calm, collected, looking cool af, solid af, and not overplaying or playing too little. He’s just a great human at what he does and I’m lucky to have such a sought-after bass player in this town in MY band.
Ben Lance, as mentioned above, adds so much texture and dynamics, “color” as people would say, to this music.
Last but not least is our drummer Sam Rich, what a sweetheart. We met playing a show together with his awesome band Stella and The Very Messed when BG was drummer-less, I was just stomping a kick drum and a foot tambourine thing at that gig. We talked at that show and immediately got on so well. Like where has this guy been all my life? Also, he’s a super-consistent powerhouse behind the kit. This dude isn’t someone who just plays drums on the weekends with his buds, he’s like a full-on drum freak. He builds drums for a living. He plays in a bajillion bands and is now our go-to guy in Gamblers when other Sam (Keir) can’t make it. It became clear very quick that we had to be good friends and work together. I also liked that he seemed genuinely interested in Broken Gold and loved the songs. Everybody in this band is a total oddball lifer musician and just kills it at their instrument. This rhythm section of Bobby and Sam is more than anyone could ask for. They nailed basics for this record in like 2 days total. That was insane.
Broken Gold members from left: Ian MacDougall, Ben Lance, Bobby Daniel, and Sam Rich. Photo by Dave Creaney
How do you decide in which order to release the songs as singles?
“Spiraling” was the first song I wrote for this record, it’s sort of the summation of what a lot of the record is about with its lyrical subject matter. It also kind of set the tone for what was to come in the process of writing the record and the vibe. I see it as a mash-up of my two true loves, the music of Manchester in the 80s and Dinosaur Jr. We’re not gonna name the other singles just yet…but they are catchy rock masterpieces.
What’s next for Broken Gold? Will there be shows this year for the group?
That’s an exciting question, What is next? Hopefully, this record blows up and we can get on a tour playing 2nd of 4 with the Bouncing Souls or Gaslight Anthem or something. There will hopefully be a ton of shows this year. We’ve been so holed up in writing, recording, mixing, finishing this record mode. Now’s the time when we get to share it with everyone and re-learning what we did in the studio to recreate it live!
Anything else you want to add or think we should know or might want to learn about you and Broken Gold?
I want to give a huge shout-out and mention other folks who worked on this record. Stuart Sikes is my recording mentor that I actually apprentice under, He has a friggin Grammy! It was so great working with him on this. He really let us stretch out and find what it was we were looking for. Sage Nizhoni played strings on this, she’s a fellow Navajo I met at the music school I work at right now and laid down some beautiful strings. Don Cento added a layer of synths to our first single here “Spiraling,” it wouldn’t be the same without that touch. Alejandro Escovedo came in and sang on a few of the songs, that was literally a dream come true. I never thought all those years ago, watching him play and listening to his records that one day we would be singing together on one of my songs. Couldn’t be more stoked.
Broken Gold members Ian MacDougall, left, and Bobby Daniel. Photo by Ian MacDougall
The icing on the cake was getting this mastered by Howie Weinberg, that dude mastered Nevermind, Disintegration, The Clash, Replacements, Beastie Boys, Public Enemy…just look at his discography on Wikipedia, it’s insane. Huge Huge shout out to John Kastner. He’s a musical hero of mine from his days fronting Doughboys, one of my absolute favorite records is their album Crush. I’m lucky to be managed by him and he really helped tie the room together on this one.
This thing will be out soon, it’s been on my mind 24 hours a day for some time now and I’m just glad finally someone other than my immediate friends and family are gonna hear it. Hope you enjoy.
Thanks to Ian MacDougall. Check out Broken Gold ASAP! Cheers!
Bad Planning, The Reaganomics, Space Age Zeros, and Burn Rebuild all shared the small stage at Reggie’s Music Joint in Chicago. It was a solid night of spirited performances by bands staffed with veteran musicians. Bad Planning, a pop-punk/melodic hardcore band founded in a couple of Chicago suburbs but now based in Chicago itself, headlined […]
Bad Planning, The Reaganomics, Space Age Zeros, and Burn Rebuild all shared the small stage at Reggie’s Music Joint in Chicago. It was a solid night of spirited performances by bands staffed with veteran musicians.
Bad Planning, a pop-punk/melodic hardcore band founded in a couple of Chicago suburbs but now based in Chicago itself, headlined the more intimate stage at Reggie’s. Whatever planning Alex Crook, Jack Coombs, Kevin Levonyak, and Laurence Bactat, may have put into this show, it was anything but bad. They tore through their set which included, “Full Stomach” “Actors,” “Dead Ends and Amends,” “Midwest Classic,” and “A Year Without Sleep.” The set also featured, at the very start, “FMN,” and “Sad Truth,” both of which are 2024 newly released singles. It was an exhilarating performance.
Up next, per Alex Crook, is a short East Coast tour this spring. One of those stops will be in Queens, NY for the Music Fests Here II. Bad Planning, off of Jump Start Records, will be sharing the bill with, among many others, Warn the Duke, which includes one of Dying Scene’s occasional contributors, Dan McCool.
The Reaganomics, from Joliet, IL, has recently made a few appearances on this site, for good reason. The band – made up of Terry Morrow, Greg Alltop, Nick McLenighan, and Eddie Cantu – continues to deliver entertaining performances since its start a decade and a half ago. This night was no exception. The driving set was drawn from across the band’s discography, and included, “Directive Five (Robocop’s Always Down),” “Don’t Worry, We’ll Play First,” “Grown Ass Man,” “Four Cliches,” “Dear Jaymez,” and “Smug Punx,” among others.
Terry Morrow told me they are writing new music now. I’d hazard a guess there will be more opportunities for you to catch The Reaganomics in the not-too-distant future. Do yourself a favor and make sure you are near the front of the stage when that future becomes the present.
Chicago’s own Space Age Zeros may be on their way to being local pop-punk heroes. The band members, who go by Nathan Zero, Tommy Zero, Steev Zero, Jason Zero, and Brian Zero, made their first live appearances in late 2022 and had a busy 2023. Presently, it is finishing up the recording of its debut album with producer Dan “Dan Precision” Wleklinski at The Bombshelter.
The band’s name was inspired by a carnival kiddie ride known as Space Age Umbrellas, according to Jason Zero. However, he told me,
“We changed it to “Zeros” to sound more punk rock.”
Jason Zero also told me he came up with something else. Short sleeve button-down shirts adorned with the group’s logo, a lightning bolt.
“I had come up with the idea for the matching shirts. All were on board aside from Nathan who does his own thing. But being a frontman I think that works well.“
On this night, Space Age Zeros blasted through a strong set, including, “Merry Go Round,” “Smile,” ” “Wishing Well,” and “On A Date With Suzi Moon.”
You can next check out Space Age Zeros at Beat Kitchen, on February 25, 2024. The band will share the stage with The Winks, and Zoanoids.
Burn Rebuild, from the southside of Chicago, is, in 2024, celebrating its 20th anniversary as a band. It also laid the foundation for this show with a combustible performance. Band members, Frank Tsoukalas, Brian Hampson, Andy Paik, and Kyle Prillaman, ripped through a set, which included “Save The Date,” “Monsters,” “Skin and Blood,” “Ignite,” and “A Decade of Hating Yourself Gets Old.”
Frank Tsoukalas, also of Much the Same [he mentioned he does not like to use the MTS card when it comes to his other projects], told me how Burn Rebuild got its name,
“The name came from Brian and I revamping our lives, attending UIC in our mid-thirties. Both of us were in this creative purgatory while trying to navigate what people have been asking since B.C. times, “What am I doing with my life.” The line, burn and rebuild, worked its way into the first song we wrote and seemed to fit where we were and what we were doing artistically and with our lives.“
Tsoukalas also updated me on what the band is doing now,
“Currently, we are writing and have a few ideas sketched out we’re excited about. We’d like to release new music ASAP. No shows right now; we’ve emailed the Chicago venues a bunch so if you read this, we want to play your place.”
With regards to this show, Tsoukalas described it this way,
“The Music Joint show was so fun and in 20 plus years of playing punk shows, Reggie’s is my favorite place in the city to play and has always been good to us. Bad Planning is a great upcoming band, I’ve known most of The Reaganomics for over a decade, and how fun are they to watch play? This was also my second time playing with Space Age Zeroes who couldn’t be nicer. It was an honor to open the night up with a nice group of people, and thanks to Chris [Tracy] with 630 Productions for calling us in. Being our first show back since the shutdown, it felt really good to be back on stage.“
Please check out more photos from the show! Thanks & Cheers!
Three local Chicago punk rock favorites played on a cold, wintery night at The Cobra Lounge but in true Chicago fashion that did not stop an eager crowd from showing up on a weeknight. Dying Scene note: I am excited to share this collaborative piece by myself (Mary) and Dean. All photography is done by […]
Three local Chicago punk rock favorites played on a cold, wintery night at The Cobra Lounge but in true Chicago fashion that did not stop an eager crowd from showing up on a weeknight.
Dying Scene note:I am excited to share this collaborative piece by myself (Mary) and Dean. All photography is done by Mary and words are by Dean. Enjoy!
Starting it off with The Neighborhood Threat, a 5-piece punk band. They have a nice, classic sort of first-wave sound, a la The Ramones or The Kinks. On stage leading the charge is Kevin Murphy on vocals, screaming his heart out and throwing himself around. Supporting him are Quinn Pokora on lead guitar, Tim Casey on rhythm, Alec Montoya on bass and Dave Catanese on drums. First up is a song called “Escape” and Murphy seems intent on doing just that, falling to his knees and writhing during the breakdown, Casey politely headbanging along, before transitioning into “Nightmares”. “Pretty good for a Thursday night” quips Murphy. Next is “Rose Gallery”, declared favorite of the band. Starting off with a languid bass intro from Montoya, we are soon launched into a wall of rock. Montoya starts bopping around a bit now too, making jokes with Catanese.
The music cuts to just bass and drums, slowly folding in guitar and vocals, before wrapping up with a gnarly breakdown. After is “237”, “The room from The Shining you’re not supposed to go into, there’s like a creepy lady in the bathtub.” Another bass intro, adding in some nice full sounding guitars, layering chords and riffs. Again, we are thrown into a wall of sound, with Montoya lunging forward through the chorus, with Murphy screeching like a stuck cat, Pokora accentuates the vocals with a high lick. It peters out into a false ending, before slamming back with even more chaotic sounding guitars, Murphy leaving us with a refrain of “Don’t go in room 237.”
Now we are shown “Another heavy number, about the nuclear apocalypse.” Pokora gives us some delicious harmonics, backed by ripping chords from Casey. Montoya gives backing vocals through the chorus. The bridge is stripped away to just drums, with Pokora soloing. We come crashing back out for the ending with Murphy clutching the microphone like it is the last clean water he will drink in his life.
After is “Midnight”, during which Murphy stepped on his mic chord, but they manage it well. Then comes “Razorblade”, a song about “Toxic love.” Someone in the crowd yells “I love that song!” to which Murphy replies “Yo me too, cut me baby,” diving in headfirst with a yowl. This number is fast, needy and anxious, that has the rest of the band dancing along like tin men, compelled to move their rusty joints by their trusty magician.
They close out with a high riff from Pokora, with a tight, tapping arpeggio. This next one is a bit different from the rest of the set, called “Violet Marie”, about “Falling in love with a stripper.” Catanese plays with just sticks, cymbals, and rimshots, while Pokora and Casey fill in with some sweet, jazzy, broken chords. Montoya cuts in with a bass riff, which devolves into a more familiar punk sound.
They close out with “Death March”, Casey using an almost country style intro, supporting Pokora as he riffs high up the neck of his guitar, accenting Murphy’s vocals. Everything cuts out and we are left with just Murphy, dancing with his mic stand. With a death scream, he falls to the floor, and we are thrown into the music again, winding up faster and faster, before Murphy sits up again and gives us one final yell.
Next up is Sweetie! Three extremely sweet people, who let me buzz anxiously around them and Mary before the show. Fronted by Birdy V on guitar and vocals, she is supported by Joe Soldati on upright bass and Ryan G on drums. Even just from soundcheck, you can tell all three are just some goofy people, having fun and doing what they love on stage, messing around and joking with each other. Set up and ready to go, Birdy yells to a near empty room “Hey everybody at the bar! If you don’t hurry up and come in here, none of you are invited to my birthday party!” (“Or subsequent orgy!” supplies Joe). Ultimatum set, we run right ahead into “Catholic Boy”, an almost ‘Planet Claire’ style drawling, cheeky, serenade. “We are Sweetie, thank you for the encouragement, it’s a weeknight,” quips Birdy. “Cold beer is good for your voice, right?”
Next up is “Devil Girl”. Digging deep into her chest for her voice, we’re rolled into the next number, something with a jumping, jiving, rockabilly sort of sound, which has Joe grinning like a mad man and taking to his bass like a lover. Now addressing a filled room, (or, as filled as can be for a Thursday night), Birdy chirps “Since you’re all invited to my birthday and surprise orgy, we are selling nipple tassels, and Lollygagger is selling ball gags.”
Faster, almost sleazy, we are brought through “Teeth”, sometimes feeling a bit like something from Heart. Simple but succinct and to the point, Birdy rips through power chords on her sick, two-pronged guitar, while Ryan accentuates his drumming with some nice use of cymbals. Birdy’s eyes are opened wide through the chorus, flashing the whites like a cat.
Everybody cuts out, and Ryan counts us off into “Love Lucy”, a languid, gentle, almost mocking piece. A main refrain of “La la la las,” with Ryan opening his mouth like a snake, in rapture from his bass. They lean towards each other, playing for each other and laughing like a shared secret. Following is “Chum”, with Ryan using mostly cymbals as an intro, softening out into overdriven guitar, before coming back around again with an almost bouncing gait on the toms. With a sarcasm essential to put-upon misfits, Sweetie ambles ahead with the song, like a self-depreciating joke you just-so-happen to be allowed to get in on. Guitar and drums almost having a conversation, before breaking with a phaser-heavy solo. Joe picks up his hands like a dinosaur, before picking up his bass as easy as a briefcase, waddling over to Ryan, and headbanging at him through the outro. Birdy is back, chatting on the mic, saying “Once again! We are Lollygagger, also Birdy is my favorite person in the world and I love her.”
With vocals only in French, Birdy serenades us through “La Vie”, backed by wistful rimshots. With syllables murmuring like the ocean, Birdy rolls her eyes for the octave change in the verse, a lonely thing with just her, pausing, then the rest of the band rushing in to help. Joe solos the intro for “Howl”, the next song, with Birdy winding up with some sick feedback on guitar. With a yowl, we are thrown into the song, Joe leading the charge with his bass. And for a massive instrument, he throws it around like dancing a foxtrot, laying it across his lap and leaning back, lunging towards Birdy, and finally almost sawing it in half through the finish.
Birdy’s on the mic again, asking us to “Go around, and have everybody say one nice thing about yourselves, Mary you go first.” She laughs, apologizes and says, “We lied, we’re not Lollygagger, we’re actually The Neighborhood Threat” (Murphy yelling “Wait!” from the crowd). With that we are lead through “Mama”, with some dirty, slow, sexy guitar, and a drumroll from Ryan shoving us towards something faster. Joe is electrified by his bass again, yelling “Get it!” before leaning forward with backing vocals. Everything cuts out to just guitar, Birdy almost monologuing with it, before jumping into the full song again, ending on a refrain of “Let me be.” Closing out with “Cha Cha Heels”, Joe gives us a quick intro, before launching into the song. Anxious and fast, this one finishes with a call and response chorus.
You can catch Sweetie at their music video release show on March 15th at Gman Tavern in Chicago!
Finally, Lollygagger! A veteran, Chicago, 3-piece punk band. Before I found Mary and Sweetie, I was anxiously huddled at the bar (and getting carded for ordering a ginger ale). A particularly awful Nic Cage movie was playing on the TV, and I managed to calm down a little listening to these three dudes rip poor Nic apart. Lo and behold, they ended up being the headliners! Go figure. On vocals and guitar, we have Matthew Muffin, wearing a mechanics jumpsuit. On bass is Kinsey Ring and drumming is Michael Sunnycide, wearing a vest with patches, gelled hair in a mohawk, and one of the aforementioned ball gags around his neck. Starting off with a song “About a bar, not this bar, but essential to the Liars Club Lollygagger experience” is “Liars Club”. Mr. Muffin, putting most of his effort into screaming, is supported by a sick riff from Ring.
With a held screech followed by a cute solo, we transition to “Bombs Away”, with bass and drums coming back in to transition. Even though the drums are (relatively) calmer in this song, Sunnycide is still bouncing out of his seat. Ring leads, with a nasty riff on bass, while Matthew basically plays rhythm, howling away on the mic. This next song has a name that “Basically means no more tyranny. If you’ve checked the news lately, or talked to anyone, you’ll find it everywhere. Anyways, we’re a band called Sweetie” (with woops from actual Sweetie in the crowd.)
Orating like a politician in the verses, and punctuating the pre-chorus with aggressive eyebrow maneuvering, the Muffin man is in perfect caricature like a sketch artist. Sunnycide looks to Matthew through the pre-chorus with a face like a dog waiting on the word to attack. And attack he does, beating the drums like they owe him money, with Matthew calling for a circle pit to open up (it tragically didn’t happen, but most of the people dancing started dancing harder for him at least).
Birdy chirps “Makeup’s for girls!” to which Muffin replies “Ya bitch, anybody can sparkle. This next one goes out to Sweetie!” This song is “About how controlling religion is while also being so interesting. Like going into church and being like what the fuck, are you tithing me?” With a pick slide, we are thrown into “Found In The Dirt”, Matthew narrating like a children’s author, but with a heavy dose of sardonic chastising. The music swarms together and then falls apart, cutting to just Sunnycide leaning on his toms. Ring builds tension with the bass, before Muffin cuts back in, summoning a holy ghost through his solo. “This song is about rocking through your 20’s, with no regards to your back health.” “Schmorgishbord” opens with a solo from Ring, who looks at his hand with the awe and wonder one would hold over a familiar summoned to shred. With a mild “One two three four!” we’re gently pushed into the song, Sunnycide and Muffin hammering away. Matthew leads us into “Dopamine Cops” with a chant, “When I say, ‘Fuck you’, you say dad! Fuck you, dad! Fuck you, dad!” With a sound markedly toned down compared to the rest of the set, Muffin almost drunkenly slurred his words in the verse, backed by melancholy sound from Ring and Sunnycide. Matthew lunges forward screaming again through the chorus, before cutting to just him again, voice echoing back and forth through some sort of delay effect, backed by a simple guitar riff. Sunnycide tumbles in behind him on the drums, Ring following close behind, Muffin finally calling screeching feedback with his guitar with vocals caught between it like memories.
“So, despite the name, my boss is actually a really nice guy, but I want you to imagine YOUR boss, and punching him right in the face!”, we’re dragged screaming into “My Boss Is a Dick”, with simple chords and just cymbals. Muffin rages through the chorus, laughing maniacally as if at an ironic joke, Sunnycide and Ring nodding along in collusion. Ring solos out of there, hand crawling over his bass like a spider, while Muffin looks on both delighted and impressed. Matthew takes this moment to introduce the band, calling himself “Dingus Khan, with drums from Michael Sunnycide, and Mr. Wizard Fingers himself on bass… Everybody say, ‘I love you Sweetie’ (“I don’t love no man” from Birdy), I love you Neighborhood Threat! This next song is about sausages, cause that’s what my drunk drummer is yelling at me. It’s called ‘Might Methuselah’s Salami’.”
“You know, 8-year-old me would be stoked, yelling about sausages to a room full of people. I’ve always been a fan of tubular meat.” Somewhere within that sausage story, Sunnycide donned a ball gag. They blast through this song, with Sunnycide opening his eyes wide during the chorus, and (trying) to scream along.
Closing out the evening is “Stone”, Muffin dramatically reciting the interludes like a Greek chorus, while Sunnycide stands up and conspiratorially raps on his cymbals. Sitting down again, he damn nearly bites a chunk out that gag while he beats the life out of his drum set. Ring nods his head like a maestro conducting his orchestra, before looking endearingly at Muffin as he beats the life out of his guitar. They leave the stage while tracing a heart in the air, saying “We love you, go home, tip your bartenders, we’re Lollygagger…I mean Sweetie.”
Canadian ramonescore troupe The Follow Ups are revving up for the release of their new album Know Who Your Friends Aren’t, coming this spring on Mom’s Basement Records and Faster and Louder Records. We’re stoked to be premiering the music video for their brand new single “Texas Chainsong”. Check it out below! This premiere is […]
Canadian ramonescore troupe The Follow Ups are revving up for the release of their new album Know Who Your Friends Aren’t, coming this spring on Mom’s Basement Records and Faster and Louder Records. We’re stoked to be premiering the music video for their brand new single “Texas Chainsong”. Check it out below!
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!
We at Dying Scene are thrilled to bring you another exclusive premiere, this time from St. Louis melodic-hardcore outfit The Disappeared. “Pathogen” comes as the second single off of the band’s 4-song EP titled Shiver. Shiver serves as the band’s 7th release and their “most diverse record to date, drawing influence from 90’s/00’s mood heavy […]
We at Dying Scene are thrilled to bring you another exclusive premiere, this time from St. Louis melodic-hardcore outfit The Disappeared. “Pathogen” comes as the second single off of the band’s 4-song EP titled Shiver.
Shiver serves as the band’s 7th release and their “most diverse record to date, drawing influence from 90’s/00’s mood heavy kings Helmet, Failure and Deftones, while keeping modern melodic hardcore elements similar to Hopesfall and Title Fight alive.” Done in complete DIY fashion, engineering and mastering were spearheaded by drummer Gabe Usury at Encapsulated Studios, singer Brad Jokerst handled all album artwork, and, most importantly, the 12″ vinyl pressing was completely band-funded.
“Pathogen” officially hits streaming everywhere February 9, but in the meantime check it out below, along with their official lyric video. Shiver is set to release March 8 (but keep your eyes glued to the site for another possible early premiere!), which includes a closing cover of Kid Dynamite’s “News at 11′, a track we are particularly excited for here at DSHQ. Catch The Disappeared at one of their select Midwest show dates this Spring.
Orange County punks The Jack Knives will be releasing their new album Ghost Radio on March 8th through Fumie Records. We’re stoked to be premiering the music video for the band’s brand new single, which also happens to be the album’s title track. Check it out below! Ghost Radio is being released on vinyl, limited […]
Orange County punks The Jack Knives will be releasing their new album Ghost Radio on March 8th through Fumie Records. We’re stoked to be premiering the music video for the band’s brand new single, which also happens to be the album’s title track. Check it out below!
Ghost Radio is being released on vinyl, limited to 200 copies with foil stamped jackets. Grab the LP here and catch the Jack Knives’ record release shows in California and New York this spring. You can also check out more singles from the album on the band’s Spotify page.
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!
