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 our friends at Punk Rock Radar:
Rancid’s Indestructible turns 20 this year and gets a Double LP anniversary reissue to mark the occasion. Get it on “Red w/ Black Galaxy” colored vinyl here.
Good news/bad news for my fellow Mighty Mighty Bosstones appreciators. Good news: Let’s Face It is being repressed for the first time in 7 years. Bad news: That shit sold out in like a day. No clue how many copies were pressed on this new red & white splatter variant, but I gots mine. Sorry if you missed out, maybe bookmark this page or something and hope for a restock?
Universal also threw up a bunch of new pressings of old Sum 41 records on their store. Head over here to get All Killer No Filler, Does This Look Infected? & the All the Good Shit compilation (first time on vinyl for this one btw) on some purdy new color variants. They just released a pretty dogshit new single as well, but let’s not talk about that.
New release alert! The Dwarves have a new album on the way. Concept Album is due out November 3rd; there are a bunch of variants (colors, alternate cover art, autographed, etc.) up for pre-order on their webstore. Check out the music video for the lead single:
Another anniversary reissue, Millencolin’s Machine 15 celebrates its 15th birthday this year. This is the album’s first time on vinyl since its original release in 2008. There are 300 copies on clear wax (buy here), 700 on silver (SOLD OUT), and 1,000 on clear & blue mix colored vinyl (buy here).
Here’s another one the Record Radar is late to the party on because I’m fucking lazy and have only been doing these bi-weekly lately. I like cataloging this shit though so I’ll mention it anyways. The long awaited reissue of Reel Big Fish’s breakout album Turn the Radio Off has arrived and all 5 color variants sold out in like an hour, even the grossly overpriced AP Magazine Exclusive variant! I’m a degenerate so I set an alarm and snagged the pink & yellow splatter one like a minute after pre-orders went live.
Fat Mike’s Bottles to the Ground Records has some new records out this week, including a new 10” EP from Doom Scroll + the first-ever vinyl release of their debut album Immoral Compass. Get ‘em both here. And just look at those variants!
Ramonescore appreciators, do not sleep on the new Bad Secret record, out now on Hey Pizza! Records. Check out a few awesome songs below and get Land Over on pink colored wax here.
Would it really be the Record Radar if we didn’t talk about some new Bad Religion pressings? Absolutely not! On tap this week is some new color variants for New Maps of Hell (very underrated album, in my opinion) and The Dissent of Man. New Maps has a new red/black variant exclusive to the band’s US store, and Dissent has two new variants: green/blue (US store) and “Skull Gold” (EU store).
Very good news! After being stuck in the purgatory of licensing hell for years, Porterhouse Records’ green vinyl reissue of ALL’s Pummel has been pressed and is shipping! I pre-ordered my copy a little over a year ago and was thrilled to get the shipping notification the other day. They still have some copies in stock; head over to the label’s webstore and get yours. This is sure to be a bitchin’ reissue and for $17 you’d be an idiot to pass on it.
Last up on this week’s column is a brand new album from Neck Deep, due out early next year on Hopeless Records. Check out a few tracks from the band’s upcoming self-titled LP below and go here for links to all the places you can get the ultra-limited color variants.
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 week!
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!
Howdy comrades! As you know, we’re fired up to have turned the lights back on at Dying Scene Headquarters earlier this year. It’s been fun cleaning out the cobwebs and dusting off the bookshelves and trying to restore the place to its former glory. As you’ve probably noticed, a lot of the old content is […]
Howdy comrades! As you know, we’re fired up to have turned the lights back on at Dying Scene Headquarters earlier this year. It’s been fun cleaning out the cobwebs and dusting off the bookshelves and trying to restore the place to its former glory. As you’ve probably noticed, a lot of the old content is still in the Archive, but it doesn’t look right. Missing photos, outdated hyperlinks, etc. So, when we’re so inclined, we’re going to freshen up some of the old content that seems good enough to share.
And with that, here’s the seventh installment of the From The Dying Scene Vault. It’s a story that originally ran ten years ago today – 10/8/13. That was the day on which Dave Hause released his sophomore solo album, Devour. Devour is an album that I’ve loved from the very beginning; a desert island record, if you will. Not only has that not wavered at all in any point over the last decade, but it has only managed to constantly assert itself as one of my favorite records by anybody ever. It’s incredibly well-crafted with a level of attention to detail and narrative arc that is often increasingly overlooked in modern music. It’s an album of transition on myriad levels for Hause, as not only was he dealing with the fallout from his first marriage but he was moving on musically and lyrically as a songwriter. It’s personal, but it’s also intensely relatable; a sobering look in the mirror for a man (or for a generation, really) forced to reckon with the harsh reality that the collective half-truths and bill of goods that we were sold as children of the Reagan era left us ill-prepared to cope with the consequences of a changing world.It was prescient when I was in my mid-thirties and remains so a decade later.
Sometimes I tend to stumble into releases like that a while after they’ve officially come out, so it was fun to look back and realize thatI knew it from the start.So here’s to ten years of Devour!
Allow me a moment to be blunt, if I may: I fucking love this album.
(Okay, I understand that’s an incredibly pedestrian way to start an album review, but this is a punk site, not the Wall Street Journal. But I digress.)
Dave Hause has been refining his craft as a solo artist for the last handful of years. His 2011 debut full-length, Resolutions, proved an excellent introduction to the world of solo artists (though this writer has gone on record before in thinking that the alternate versions of each of Resolutions‘ tracks recorded for a singles project last year were superior to the originals). The success of Resolutions, coupled with Hause’s high-energy performance and ability to connect with crowds of varying backgrounds prompted a seemingly endless touring cycle that found him opening for bands like the Bouncing Souls, the Gaslight Anthem, Social Distortion and Flogging Molly in addition to a lengthy stint on Chuck Ragan’s Revival Tour earlier this year.
Hause’s teeth were no doubt effectively cut on a grand scale during his years in punk bands like Paint It Black and, of course, The Loved Ones. And while Devour contains moments that will sound familiar to those looking for an up-tempo, anthemic sound, it also finds him taking a giant step forward in songwriting style, not unlike the ‘American Songwriter’ set that includes the likes of Cory Branan, Jason Isbell, Justin Towns Earle and that ilk.
Devour plays as a logical, albeit infinitely more melancholy, follow-up to Resolutions. Hause continues his penchant for self-awareness, and a heavy dose of realism looms large in his lyrics. The difference in progression from freshman to sophomore releases lies in the overall tone. Where the bulk of Resolutions contained heavy-hearted, realistic tales of people that had borne witness to more than their fair share of struggles, there still remained an overall theme of hope. On tracks like “Time Will Tell” and “C’mon Kid,” not to mention Resolutions‘ title track, Hause came across as the kind of buddy who would share a beer with you, listen to your troubles, put his arm over your shoulder, and tell you that things were going to be okay.
Devour, however, finds Hause playing the role of the buddy who might need to take the advice he used to give you ever-so eloquently. Devour was written during times that were apparently troubled on myriad levels for Hause, and the change in lyrical content is noticeable. Tracks like “We Could Be Kings” and “Autism Vaccine Blues” made their live debuts months ago, and present angrier takes on material that we found on Resolutions. If there’s a theme to the majority of Devour, it’s that we in post-Generation X America did everything we were supposed to do and we find ourselves, well, fucked anyway. There’s a certain segment of the working-class population, particularly those of us in our mid-thirties (editor’s note: Hause and this writer are a year apart), that feel increasingly as though we were sold a bill of goods by our forefathers. Like every generation in American history, we were supposed to be successful, more successful than the generations that came before us. We took our vitamins, we did our homework, we prayed when they told us to pray and knelt when they told us to kneel. Only, a funny thing happened on the way to Broadway, and Hause hits on these notes with particular vitriol.
The years since Resolutions’ release, however, seem to find Hause continuing to look not only outward into the ways that society may be spiraling down the drain, but further inward, and perhaps liking less and less of what he sees. Were this a Bill Simmons column, here’s where we would discuss the multitudinous ‘stomach punch’ moments contained on Devour; those moments where if you’ve got any sort of a conscience to speak of, you can quite literally feel the air being sucked out of the room given their weight and gravity. (Of course, if this were a Simmons column, we’d then spend 2500 words discussing which member of the Saved By The Bell: The College Years cast each song on Devour is most like and ohmygod please push me in front of a commuter train.) Devour is full of those moments, perhaps no greater than on tracks like “Father’s Son,” “Becoming Secular” and “Bricks.” The latter two tracks are sparse, haunting, angry songs that play like a man who is not afraid to keep his heart on his sleeve while processing the feelings attached to once-great relationships that have somehow turned south.
The first real glimmer of the sort of hope we were used to from Resolutions comes during the chorus of “Bricks,” however, in which the otherwise melancholy Hause first speaks with tempered optimism about starting over. Album closer “Benediction” is a unique way to tie the album together with the same thread, and at long last helps us realize that, while it’s already been sung, it can’t be said enough: all you need is love (editor’s note: a select few of you will get, and appreciate that reference).
With his second full-length (the first on new label home Rise Records), Devour, Hause has solidified his reputation as a solo artist to be reckoned with. It’s probably safe to say at this point that he’s all-but-officially jettisoned the references to his former band from any needed introductions, much like Tim Barry and, of course, Chuck Ragan before him. And like those two, while Hause may be destined for greener pastures, there’ll always be a seat at the punk community Thanksgiving table for him.
Punk Rock Legends BAD RELIGION kicked off their U.S.A Tour 2023 with a sold out show in Ventura CA Southern California punk legends kicked off their North American Tour with a sold-out show in Ventura CA on Sept 27th with direct support from the band Speed Of Light. The night of the 27th, Bad Religion […]
Punk Rock Legends BAD RELIGION kicked off their U.S.A Tour 2023 with a sold out show in Ventura CA
Southern California punk legends kicked off their North American Tour with a sold-out show in Ventura CA on Sept 27th with direct support from the band Speed Of Light. The night of the 27th, Bad Religion played some of their most iconic tunes like “American Jesus”, “21st Digital Boy”, “Sorrow”, but also added some songs they haven’t played in several years to the night set list like “Portrait of Authority” (first performance since 1997).
The band is honoring Recipe For Hate album which hit its 30-year anniversary in 2023. With a discography of seventeen studio albums, the band made sure to give their fans a night they won’t forget. Bad Religion have several sold-out shows already, so make sure to catch them up if they have stop in a city/town near you. For more information and to buy tickets visit their website here.
Ventura CA 09/27/2023 Set List
The Defense Against the Grain Past Is Dead Fuck You Portrait of Authority Wrong Way Kids We’re Only Gonna Die My Sanity Beyond Electric Dreams Delirium of Disorder Recipe for Hate Los Angeles Is Burning Do What You Want Dearly Beloved Skyscraper No Control Candidate Best for You Before You Die You Generator 21st Century (Digital Boy) American Jesus Infected Pessimistic Lines Sorrow
BAD RELIGION TOUR DATES
10/4 Tacoma, WA @ temple theatre 10/6 Reno, NV @ virginia street brew house 10/7 Oakland, CA @ fox theatre 10/8 Chico, CA @ senator theatre 10/10 Salt Lake City, UT @ the union 10/12 Denver, CO @ the mission ballroom 10/13 La Vista, NE @ the astro – indoor theatre 10/14 Chesterfield, MO @ the factory 10/16 Minneapolis, MN @ uptown 10/20 Columbus, OH @ the bluestone 10/21 Cleveland, OH @ masonic live 10/22 Grand Rapids, MI @ GLC live at 20 monroe 10/24 Huntington, NY @ the paramount 10/25 Albany, NY @ empire live 10/27 New Haven, CT @ college street music hall 10/28 Baltimore, MD @ baltimore soundstage 10/29 Sayerville, NJ @ starland ballroom
We handed over the reins to the DS interview ship to our pal Dan McCool (Warn The Duke, Ruin The Nite) for a fun quick-hitter with James Spooner. For the uninitiated, the multi-talented Spooner is a graphic novelist and tattoo artist and film director (Afro-Punk). Later this month, Spooner will release a brand new book […]
We handed over the reins to the DS interview ship to our pal Dan McCool (Warn The Duke, Ruin The Nite) for a fun quick-hitter with James Spooner. For the uninitiated, the multi-talented Spooner is a graphic novelist and tattoo artist and film director (Afro-Punk). Later this month, Spooner will release a brand new book called Black Punk Now, and he’s also curated an exhibit of the same name at the one-and-only Punk Rock Museum in Las Vegas.
Here’s what the PRM folks said about the exhibit:
The exhibition, Black Punk Now – After Afro-Punk, Beyond Bad Brains, also puts a spotlight on today’s generation of Black punks. Disillusioned by consumer culture, underground BIPOC punk festivals realize the promise of the Afro-Punk documentary. Over twenty photographers contributed hundreds of images to prove once and for all that Black punk has continued, after Afro-Punk and beyond Bad Brains.
Spooner will be on hand in Vegas for the October 20th exhibit opening. The Black Punk Now book is due out October 31st (Halloween!!) on Soft Skull Press and it’s still available for pre-order. Check out the interview below!
Happy Friday, comrades!! We’ve been sitting on a little news for a bit, and now we get to help spread it to the masses. Ladies and gentlemen, meet The Kilograms! They’re a brand-new ska project from Joe Gittleman (yes, THAT Joe Gittleman!) and Sammy Kay (yes, THAT Sammy Kay!) and we couldn’t be more excited. […]
Happy Friday, comrades!!
We’ve been sitting on a little news for a bit, and now we get to help spread it to the masses. Ladies and gentlemen, meet The Kilograms! They’re a brand-new ska project from Joe Gittleman (yes, THAT Joe Gittleman!) and Sammy Kay (yes, THAT Sammy Kay!) and we couldn’t be more excited.
The duo connected recently and talked about writing music for an upcoming compilation to benefit longtime East Coast scene vet Michelle Ska, who has more recently been a resident of Lahaina on the island of Maui, which you probably know was recently completely devastated by wildfires. The very first fruits of their labors is a laid-back groove of a track called “Who Am I.” Check it out!
The compilation itself is called Black Sand Relief: A Benefit For Michelle Ska and the People of Maui, and in addition to the Kilograms track, it features music from Bite Me Bambi and Westbound Train and The Pilfers and The Slackers and more. While we obviously wish there wasn’t a need for a benefit like this, it’s at least comforting to know that, once again, the scene can rally together and produce something inspiring. The compilation is available in a variety of different options which are available now. Check out some sweet music and contribute to a great cause!
Los Angeles punks Fine Dining have signed with the newly resurrected Felony Records to release their debut album No Reservations. The band consists of members from South Bay bands 98 Mute, Western Waste, NoBigDeal, and Eken Is Dead. Dying Scene is thrilled to bring you this exclusive premiere of their brand new single “Vacant Parts”. […]
Los Angeles punks Fine Dining have signed with the newly resurrected Felony Records to release their debut album No Reservations. The band consists of members from South Bay bands 98 Mute, Western Waste, NoBigDeal, and Eken Is Dead. Dying Scene is thrilled to bring you this exclusive premiere of their brand new single “Vacant Parts”. Go ahead, check out the music video for that bitch:
Fine Dining recorded No Reservations with the legendary Paul Miner (Death By Stereo, Adolescents, New Found Glory, etc.) at his own Buzzbomb Studios. The 12-song album is due out October 28th; you can get it on beautiful colored vinyl and/or CD here. There’s also an ultra-limited “Copper Smoke” color variant that’s exclusive to the Rare Punk Music Facebook Group. And, of course, the album will be on all your favorite streaming platforms as well.
On signing with Felony Records, guitarist Kevin Wells says, “It was a no brainer to go with Felony once we found out they were rising from their ashes. It was a long time coming, but we are stoked to be working with Felony. Ron McIntyre and the whole crew over at Felony really stepped up and I’m glad they made this happen. It’s nice to see smaller labels can still be active and affect change for bands in an ever growing corporate punk rock landscape.”
Fine Dining can be seen live October 7 at DiPiazza’s in Long Beach, October 28 in San Pedro at The Sardine, November 3 in Fullerton with Deviates and Chaser, and November 11 in Oceanside with Bad Cop/Bad Cop and many other bands for the Punk Rock Food Drive.
Muddy Roots 2023 is officially in the books, and with this being my first trip out to Cookeville, TN for MRMF, man was it a hell of an introduction. If you aren’t familiar with what the Muddy Roots crew has brewing in the middle of rural Tennessee, think of a DIY version of Bonaroo, but […]
Muddy Roots 2023 is officially in the books, and with this being my first trip out to Cookeville, TN for MRMF, man was it a hell of an introduction.
If you aren’t familiar with what the Muddy Roots crew has brewing in the middle of rural Tennessee, think of a DIY version of Bonaroo, but way sicker and way more affordable. Free camping virtually anywhere on the premises and a wide-open BYOB policy have helped build a reputation valuing the music and community over large profits, something I appreciated just as much as the huge headliners they’ve attracted in recent years.
The huge headliners in question for this year’s installment were GWAR, Suicidal Tendencies, and Cro Mags, all of which were live firsts for myself. There wasn’t a drop-off in big names either after the top 3, with Amigo the Devil and DRI also playing. And, with the exception of Daikaiju and Night Talkers, almost all artists were, at least personally, live firsts.
The atmosphere was perfect, the music was perfect, everything was perfect. Whatever they’re doing out in Cookeville surely seems to be working. The shuttles to a nearby private waterfall help folks truly appreciate the gorgeous and unique scenery of Eastern Tennessee, while the music starts early and continues late into the night. From bluegrass to sludge-metal, punk rock to rockabilly, local act to international touring musician, Muddy Roots did as good a job as any in bringing people together from all over to celebrate the music we all love.
With the festival lineup growing larger and more diverse each year, I felt coverage of Muddy Roots would be most productive in highlighting some of the weekend favorites, rather than each individual performer. Below you’ll find the eight artists I most enjoyed seeing.
I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Night Talkers a handful of times, most recently opening for The Last Gang at Music City’s best punk bar, the Cobra. And when local ska-punk legends Stuck Lucky were a last minute Covid scratch, onlookers were graced with the Night Talkers signature style of shredding guitar solos and fast, in-your-face rock ‘n’ roll. Although it was a disappointment missing the always entertaining Stuck Lucky, Night Talkers very much filled their shoes, much to the pleasure of the packed-out Wood Stage crowd.
Unless I’m mistaken (which is always a possibility), this was Night Talkers’ Muddy Roots debut. They’ve recently, as of the last year and a half or so, emerged as a local favorite of mine and I’ve been glad to see some local dudes garner interest both around town and out of state.
Hans Gruber and the Die Hards was one of those pesky touring bands that has somehow alluded my radar for several years now. I’ve known who they were for a while, but it wasn’t until the Muddy Roots lineup was announced that I hopped on board with these guys. It sucks to think that I’ve missed out for this long on probably the most entertaining band of the weekend.
Between every song, it seemed someone was switching instruments, whether it was lead-singer Rosey Armstrong switching from saxophone to some sort of handheld percussion instrument, or her husband Kurt dropping the bass and grabbing the traffic cone trombone, these dudes were all over the place, both musically and literally. I couldn’t take my eyes off their set, not only for the fast, hard-hitting punk rock, but for the stage antics that I only managed to capture a fraction of in my shots.
I’ve found the band whose duty it is to fill the Masked Intruder void that was left with the hiatus of everyone’s favorite masked punkers. The Jasons have emerged, assless chaps and all, with their own unique blend of villanous attire and Ramones-core punk rock. Humorous, sexy, terrifying, they’ve got the look figured out, and the music is in no way lacking.
Their closing came in the form of a sort of response to the Menzingers‘ ‘I Don’t Wanna Be an Asshole Anymore’ titled ‘I Wanna Be an Asshole’. And it sent the crowd into nothing short of a frenzy.
Waxed was a band I decided to break my punk-rock-only policy for, and it was probably the best decision I could have made. The experience that’s been gained in their 10+ year history really presented itself with their mastery of stage performance. The crowd was as rowdy as any I’d seen all weekend, even keeping up with the obvious contenders in Suicidal Tendencies and GWAR (although I’ve gotta rank it behind Cro Mags saying as an actual ambulance had to rush to the pit during their set).
Trending more towards modern hardcore than the skatepunk I normally fancy, I did see shades of Turnstile in both sound and performance from these guys. It was obvious from the packed mob of onlookers that a group of fan-favorites was about to take the stage.
Not much else really needs to be said here other than Tim Barry did what Tim Barry does. He put on a hell of a fuckin’ show, split pretty evenly between being up on stage and down on ground level with the rest of the crowd. The sentiment and storytelling were there, giving meaning and insight to the ever-attentive crowd. All the favorites were heard, at least all my favorites, including ‘Fine Foods Market’ much of Rivanna Junction, all culminating with the obvious closer, ‘Avoiding Catatonic Surrender’.
If were going off of technicality here, I guess I had already previously seen Tim Barry’s Fest 20 set last October, but the view sucked and I was rushing off to another set before Barry was halfway through his. This was my first real Tim Barry show and it satisfied every live-show craving I had to see my favorite Americana writer.
I’ve covered multiple Daikaiju attacks, being that they aren’t merely live performances, but attacks. Prior to each show, I seem to forget why they are my favorite band to photograph, and maybe favorite live band overall. Fire always holds a prominent place in performances, almost as prominent as crowd interaction.
Every crowd interaction possibility that I can devise occurred at the Wood Stage, during the late hours of Muddy Roots night one. Lead guitarist Secret Man led the crowd onslaught, riding the shoulders of one crowd member, recruiting others to play instruments, and surfing the remaining spectators, all while playing seemingly neverending surf-punk riffs. The tattered remains of each member’s Hawaiian stage uniform makes a whole lot more sense post-attack. The only antic I had yet to witness (until this performance that is) was their ritualistic tour van arson, which was done almost ceremonially to close their performance.
Having lived in Tennessee for much of my adult life, Suicidal Tendencies and Cro Mags have been bands of legend, with my only hope of seeing live performances being out-of-state travel. So I was beyond stoked seeing the lineup announcement featuring two of the founders of Hardcore. What I was unaware of, however, was the amount of talent and musical experience that would grace the main stage late during the first night.
Beginning with Mike Muir and Dean Pleasants, Muir being the only original member and Pleasants’ now outlasting that of former guitarist Rocky George. The two veterans recruited their asses off, bringing in the next generation of great musicians in Ben Weinman, Tye Trujillo, and Greyson Nekrutman. Weinman, formerly of Dillinger Escape Plan, Trujillo, whose last name may be recognizable as son of RnR Hall of Fame Metallica member Robert Trujillo, and Nekrutman, a worthy replacement for current Offspring drummer Brandon Pertzborn.
During the show, Muir’s years did not show a bit, while Trujillo portrayed a musicianship that didn’t seem to align with the mere 18 years he’s lived. Trujillo boasted some of the fastest, yet cleanest bass playing I’ve witnessed, while Weinman and Nekrutman’s speed was equally impressive. The current Suicidal lineup was, in many ways, the epitome of punk: a group from different backgrounds, genres, and even generations, producing genre-mending music.
While Suicidal Tendencies had gone through an evolution, Cro Mags appeared to be the fast, wreckless, fuckin’ insane punk band that I had pictured from 40 years prior. As was the case with Mike Muir, Harley Flanagan’s age was not a factor in his ability to utilize the entirety of the stage within a matter of seconds.
What was immediately obvious was these guys were veterans, they knew exactly what they were doing up there. The crowd excitement gave this the feel of a small-club East coast show rather than an outdoor festival in rural Tennessee.
There you have it, a pretty good wrap-up of my Muddy Roots experience in a nutshell. However, only so much can be portrayed through word and photograph. The community atmosphere was just as enjoyable as the big headliners, but don’t get me wrong, the music was as rad as ever, making me proud to live so close to something so special.
I feel it to be a punishable offense that the Nashville Dying Scene branch has failed to cover Muddy Roots in the past. I hope to have the privilege to cover MRMF far more frequently in the future because it really is as special as I hope I’ve portrayed. Scroll on down for a bunch of shots from the weekend. As always, thanks for checking out the site. Cheers!
San Francisco punk rock four piece Tess & The Details are gearing up to release their debut album Runaway next month on Double Helix Records. We’re stoked to bring you the music video for the brand new single, the album’s title track. Check it out below! Tess & The Details is fronted by Tess Stevens, […]
San Francisco punk rock four piece Tess & The Details are gearing up to release their debut album Runaway next month on Double Helix Records. We’re stoked to bring you the music video for the brand new single, the album’s title track. Check it out below!
Tess & The Details is fronted by Tess Stevens, with Gideon Berger (ex-Useless ID) on drums, Pity Party’s Dustin Galecki on lead guitar, and Lawrence Hood on bass. The band’s 12-song debut LP Runaway is due out November 14th. My fellow collector nerds can get the record on three different awesome vinyl color variants here here.
Upcoming shows:
Saturday, October 14th – Crepe Place, Santa Cruz Sunday, October 15th – Kilowatt, San Francisco Friday, October 20th – Tamarack, Oakland
The Riverboat Gamblers are celebrating the 20th Anniversary of its 2003 Something to Crow About. The band decided it was a good time to reflect on the significance of the record. I asked the below questions of two of The Riverboat Gamblers’ band members, singer Mike Wiebe (MW) and guitar player Ian MacDougall (IM). I also […]
The Riverboat Gamblers are celebrating the 20th Anniversary of its 2003 Something to Crow About.
The band decided it was a good time to reflect on the significance of the record. I asked the below questions of two of The Riverboat Gamblers’ band members, singer Mike Wiebe (MW) and guitar player Ian MacDougall (IM). I also spoke to the pair about how the Riverboat Gamblers came to be and where it is now. Along with Wiebe and MacDougall, the band also includes Fadi El-Assad on lead guitar, Rob Marchant on bass, and Sam Keir on drums.
On Something to Crow About:
(NOTE: The Q&A below has been edited and condensed for content/clarity’s sake.)
MG: How did the decision to re-release the record come about?
IM: “We’ve been wanting to have all of our releases available and we wanted to start with the one that’s been unavailable the longest.“
MG:Was it simply a matter of 20 years being a milestone amount of time?
IM: “This record is really special to all of us and to have it back is awesome. 20 years just happened to be how long it had been when we got it back. It sort of lined up perfectly.”
MG:How long have been planning/working on the re-issue?
IM: “I had met this great dude John Kastner over the years touring in other bands and he helped facilitate this so we that we could re-release this ourselves and have it distributed properly. Everything has been pretty in house here now which is at the time great.“
MG: What went into the decision-making as far as the artwork and presentation of the re-release?
IM: “As far as artwork etc. We brought in original bass player Pat Lillard that recorded on this album, to help update some things. We added a quote from producer Tim Kerr and changed some fonts around that had always bugged some of us.“
McDougall summed it up with:
“We got a great remaster from Jack over at Enormous Door here in Austin. He really woke this thing up and gave it a shower, shave and a hot pot of coffee.“
Mike Wiebe (vocals) “Long story short- after Gearhead went under it was tied up for a bit…“
MG: Reflecting on the album now, were you aware or did you have a sense of how special it was at the time and how important in might become in the future (and now history) of The Riverboat Gamblers?
MW: “I knew we worked really hard on it we were happy with it but no, I didn’t really know how special it was and that it would be such an important factor in our lives 20 years later. I knew people liked it at the time but it’s kind of hard to see or feel that stuff when you have nothing to compare it to. ”
MG: Was it simply a matter of 20 years being a milestone amount of time?
MW: “In editing the video for “Rattle Me Bones” a few weeks ago and looking at all the old footage of us playing I really started to feel the weight of all of it. I think for the most part I/we are always kind of moving forward and thinking about the next record or the next project and I don’t really take a lot of time to reflect on that stuff. So it was nice to look back and really appreciate how lucky it is to have the experience of a little magical pocket where everything kind of clicked at the same time.”
On the Past, Present, and Future of The Riverboat Gamblers
MG: How have things changed since you started the band?Have your goals been met and are there new goals?
MW: “I mean it’s you know it’s completely different. I mean we were little babies when we started. I know the band’s over like 25 years old I think. The band can rent a car. You know, the (band) living on its own, can vote and drink and everything.
Honestly my goal is just like I just want to see the band name on a screen-printed poster. I want to have a 7-inch out like that was that was the big goal or whatever.”
MG: What was scene like back when you started?
MW: “So, (back) then you know, we were in Denton, TX. It was really just like playing these house shows mostly, and the scene was really big and booming then. Right when Green Day was like blowing up and Rancid and all these bands.
My friend calls it the “Gilman Gold Rush.”It was something to sign all these punk bands. It was just this really exciting fun time to be a band in Denton Texas because Denton, this little suburb outside of Dallas where there was like one or two clubs.
So, there’s all these old houses that everybody lived in kind of, you know, just college kids and we were just throwing these house shows, and it became this really kind of like underground famous place to play a show at the time for touring bands. Touring bands, a lot of times, they would skip Dallas. They would skip a club show in Dallas to play Denton because – especially punk bands would do that – because that was such a popular place. It was just kind of like this known fact that like if you come, you do a show in Denton. A lot of times like this you’re like, you know, a smaller touring punk band. It’s going to be the best show of your whole tour and the word kind of got out.”
MW: “So, between all the houses we were living at, there was there was just plenty of opportunities to play and like kind of cut chops as it were. And so, we were just kind of like playing shows all the time and setting up shows and kind of making connections for when we were going to go out, ultimately later.
I would say, I mean, I would think this started up when I was like 20-ish, you know? Probably 20, like 19, 20… This is, this is before Something to Crow About. But yeah, this is maybe even before the Gamblers, like when the scene was just kind of getting started. But we were all in different bands and you know? Fadi and I were in a band together and then some of the other guys, we all, everybody kind of just started playing in multiple bands. And sometime, you know, over the course of a couple years, we all started Gamblers together.”
MG: I have always had an interest in the origin of band names. How did you come up with the name The Riverboat Gamblers?
MW: “I don’t remember exactly all except for kind of It was at the time, band names were really, and felt like, you know, our purview that, like a lot of bands were…there’s a lot of very…emo at the same time. The emo movement was like, really kind of up-and-coming. It was kind of like the pre, before emo kind of became what it is like now. Or what it would become.
But the emo movement was very like pretentious long-winded names, you know? I mean you know you name your band after some obscure French poets. Then there’s like a band called something like – and they might have been great, I don’t mean to disparage them – but their name was Fall into the Seer and the Yellow Leaf, and there was always very like very and on the flipside of that, the pop punk bands would kind of be like The Veronicas! or you know, the Choppy Boys or whatever. And so we were, The Riverboat Gamblers seemed like it stuck out in a weird way. At the time I think we liked it kind of sounded like a little bit more like oh this could be like a country band or like a classic rock band.
Yeah, it kind of fits there. Texas swagger to it which ultimately, it’s fine, but there was a period where it kind of bit us in the ass, because it was like everybody just assumed because we were from Texas and called The Riverboat Gamblers that we were like a stand-up bass rockabilly band. And everywhere we go it would be like ‘what rockabilly band in town are you going to play with?’ Rockabilly can be great and all, but at some point it was it was like…it was a little bit of effort in like no, that’s not, you know, that’s not what we want to do. We’re not in that world you know, and that was what it felt like and can’t accept it, that people the world kept trying to put us into that universe and was a little bit of effort to not stay in there.
But there was a lot of that in the Dallas area. There was at that time, especially.
IM: Yeah, Dallas had the Rockabilly thing. I feel like Dallas has like a huge skinhead thing too here as well but…Because there’s also less of a line between. But it was. It was. I remember being a kid and being freaked out going out to shows for sure for a while there. It was kind of a mix. I feel like there was. I feel like with any of that stuff, there’s always going to be some sort of, you know, people coming out of the woodwork. “
MG: Ian how did you get involved with the Gamblers?
IM: “I met the guys when I was probably like, the guys in Gamblers. I met them when I was probably about 15 and I caught the tail end of what Mike was talking about. Like the house shows, and the Gamblers were already a band. They were kind of playing around and yeah, I would go and see them. And then eventually, like, go up to them and I met all the guys. There was a record store across the street from my school [in Carrolton, TX, where MacDougall lived at the time] called CD Addict. And I’d go there after school and I bought a Buzzcocks record from, you know, it’s just like, oh, I’ve always wanted to check this out and I bought a Buzzcocks record and the guy behind the counter was like, oh man, well if you like this, you might really love my brother’s band. And that band was The Marked Men. And it was Jeff Burke’sbrother. [Jeff Burke plays bass player for The Marked Men. His brother, Mark Burke, opened CD Addict in Carrollton, and now owns Mad World Record Shop in Denton] And so, I came back, and I was like, I love this. He was like, well, they’re actually playing this weekend. He gave me a flyer and I got my buddy to give me a ride and we both went up to the show and saw The Marked Men. And I don’t remember who else was on the show. It might have been The Marked Men and The Dirty Sweets.
For me, when I was a kid going there like Mike, I had a little bit different of an experience with it because I didn’t live there and so I would come up. [Carrolton is just under 25 miles southeast of Denton] I mean, I spent like all of my time up here though and it was really cool to come up. And we had a really cool little group. I would come up whenever I got out of school, and everybody else is still working jobs or not working, and we would just all hang out at somebody’s house and then there would be a show there or something like that at night. And because it was a college town, every house would be having some party or something and so we would just like walk around and go in just like party hop and then eventually go to some show and then you end up back in somebody’s house staying the night or hanging out staying up listening to records and stuff.”
MG: Mike, what was Ian like, with him being much younger? Do you recall what you thought of the kid at time?
MB: “I was 10 years, yeah, about 10 years older. You could say who you know who you are. Again, kind of game meet game as far as like somebody that’s into the same type of music. It’s still, you know, even though that was defined as a cool Bohemian (place), Denton it wasn’t like this is the sort of specific style of punk music style of. Punk music and stuff that we were into was a little bit more obscure. So, you know, Ian kind of came in and like kind of had the same background of genres of rock and roll and punk music and stuff like that. So, it was really easy. Old soul too. And I’m very immature. So it was easy to kind of meet there and then when we recorded Something To CrowAbout and he didn’t play on that but right after, right after we recorded it, we started touring a whole bunch. He hopped in the van with us and our guitar player couldn’t do it because it was looking like an extensive amount of touring, and it was more than he could do for work and stuff. That’s when the band kind of went from being a weekend warrior band to kind of like a full-time deal. Ian was just graduating high school.“
MG: Ian, what was it like to tour so young, and being too young for some of the venues?
IM: “That was around was in the mid -90s. Around the first tour that I did with Gamblers, you know I was pretty young. I wasn’t 21. We toured with this band Burning Brides for the first tour that we did together and Burning Brides they had that advance money where they got money. We were still in the van and trailer but they had a bus on this tour. And so, there were a lot of shows where I couldn’t go in. I could go in and do sound checks, play the show, but I couldn’t hang out. And so they would let me come and hang out on the bus. I just watched TV in the back with Dimitri [Coats] the singer in Burning Brides. It was, you know, just hanging out.“
MG: So now you both are in the band. How long before you starting hitting the goals, like you had the 7 inch and next…
MW: “It felt pretty natural, but there was definitely some huge buzz surrounding Something To Crow About. We toured and toured on that record for a long time and shortly thereafter it was time for the next record. And so around then it’s when things really started changing because, you know, we wanted to do something bigger scope and to get out there. I don’t know, there were demos that were floating around that we had done and then there were, you know, we started working on songs and so we actually were talking about working with all these different producers and labels and you know, the people that really came out and really went above and beyond to show us that they cared were Volcom. Volcom Entertainment. They had a really great team of people, and you know we were kind of like gonna be their first dance. They were kind of basically treating us like it was going to be their first real big like “we’re going to go all in on this” (thing).
And that’s really where it started to feel like things were changing because all of a sudden we’re living in an apartment at the Oakwoods (Apartments in Los Angeles), which like actors and other bands and were there for like a month and we have an allowance and where So, all of a sudden we’re in LA for like, you know, for a month or more. I feel like it feels like so long that we were out there, but we all lived in an apartment together and we were out there, you know. It wasn’t uncommon. This was, like, a super common thing for bands to go out there and live at this giant apartment complex, that was for like entertainment industry folks. So, there was a lot of actors there. Here was I remember like being in a swimming pool with Pat, our old bass player and like all the kids from Malcolm (In The Middle) on the grounds. “
IM: “Like that, like sort of that thing where, yeah, like we go to the gym and there would be like Garrett Morris from Saturday Night Live. It’s crazy, but around then you know, and then afterwards, we were working on a record with this guy Andrew Murdock. Same things, as he went above and beyond to really prove that he wanted to do this record and because of that, we knew that we wanted to spend more time on Confusion. You know this is my first experience. I had recorded stuff in the past, (but this was) my first experience like, you know, working with the guys and Gamblers in the studio and it was a lot of fun. We had a lot of fun working on that record.“
MW: “During that was that was that during a time it was a cool experience. Not that I thought like oh it’s going to be like this every time. I think I knew it was kind of special but now in retrospect like wow what a unique experience.”
IM: “Cool, weird, lucky thing that we got to do that. A lot of bands maybe don’t get to do that. And you know, we didn’t really get to do it yet. But it was, yeah, it was what years were those? That’s when there was still money in the music industry. Remember that one, 2005 maybe? [Mike adds: “yeah something like that “].”
MG: When did you notice the crowds getting bigger. When the floors where you were earlier on the bill were filling up? Was out slow or all of a sudden?
IM: “It was at around the time that we started this touring constantly and there was headlining stuff, and also a lot of like support act stuff. But for big bands, where we were actually playing, we went from playing little clubs to getting to open up for bigger bands in really big rooms. And noticing the people were staying for the early acts and I think that was just like from touring.”
MW: “It took a really long time to get to get used to that. I think maybe it was everybody else acquiesced easier. But for me, it took a long time to get used to, like figuring out the animal of those big stages far away from the crowd. There’s like less people to try and figure out how to translate that. To do what we had been doing, what I had been doing in those little clubs, and to try and translate that to giant things. Well, it was slow. Like you notice here and there in some towns, I mean there’d be little pockets of like ohh wow we just kind of leveled upin this one area.
For us was really slow. We never really had an overnight kind of thing you know and never any like real…umm… navigating all of it was pretty confusing and weird and still is just the business side of music. The business part is something we’re still kind of, you know…I mean I think we’re more aware of it now but now of course it’s changed so much but back then it was, like, confusing. Really confusing.“
MG: How soon did you get out of Texas and start doing national tours, criss-crossing the country?
IM: “That was like immediately. I mean like the first tour that I did with Gamblers like we, it was a full U.S. tour and all of these things that we did when they were all like we would go out like everywhere. And that’s one thing. It’s like getting out of Texas. I remember that always being like, oh, we got to start this tour in New York. So, we would drive 24 hours from Austin or Denton and go straight to go and meet some tour out in like. New York or like Morongo, California…that’s where we started the X and Rollins tour. And these things would go all over the place We would go all over the place and then we’d hop over to Europe and play everywhere you possibly could over there too.“
MG: What was the first huge tour and was there any nervousness or sense of starstruckness?
IM: “I think you know like we the the one of the like one of the bigger ones that we went on early on like we toured with Flogging Molly and that was like that was a pretty big one…but there was no like starstruckness with that. I think when we had when we toured with X and the Rollins Band. That was when it was like, like, holy shit, there’s that dude from Black Flag. And then that’s X Oh my God.
And then it was cool to the eventually like befriend these people. Like, I remember an experience in DC and being at the 9:30 Club and sitting there and talking with Ian McKaye and Henry Rollins, like about about Eater. You know, this old 70s punk band. I was wearing an Eater T-shirt and they were like, “Can you believe that there’s kids wearing an Eater T-shirt?” We were talking about that. And I was like, Oh my God, this is so crazy. I got pictures from that still from that night and I look like I’m a child. And then we toured with Joan Jett and that was another very like, wow. “
MG: And were they all pretty cool with you?
IM: “Yeah, everybody, we got along with pretty much everybody we’ve toured with. Yeah, yeah, for the most part. That’s the cool thing with this bandandits experiences. Not only are you meeting all of these band people, but you’re meeting the crew as well that worked for these folks. And like the world is so, so small, you know. Because I mean, like eventually, I started working in in crew stuff, doing tour management stuff. And you know, lifer types, you’re going to run into these people like 10 years from now. And it’s been pretty neat because it’s all been from, you know, our time with Gamblers. And I’ve worked with some of these crew members that we met in the early days when I was a teenager and, you know, worked with them like, you know, 10 or 15 years later.“
MG: Looking back have your views on the scene changed? Are you still as eager?
MW: “Yeah, well, I mean like I think for me it’s, you know, getting older and still doing it and still feeling like there is no room and stuff to say. And the goals are a lot different, like all that hype and stuff is not…you know we’re not young anymore. So, the only reason to keep doing it, not that we were doing it for any other reason before, but the only reason to do it really when you’re older is because you still really love it, and it’s you like creating music and performing it and stuff like that.
I mean, you know, it’s less about like, well let’s get out there and conquer the world, touring and stuff. It’s more like let’s keep it real pure, like let’s just make some cool shit because there’s not any pressure of like being super, super full-time with it in that way. There’s not any you know…we’re kind of on our own right now. There’s just not that like vice-like pressure of like, well, we gotta tour six months out of the year and we have to, you know, fulfill this record, by this date, by this time for these people. It’s more just like, no, we wanna do it. So, no time limit. It’s just, it’s just for the for the love of the game.
IM: As we got older, people go off and do other things and start families, but we’ve always been writing music together. We had all this time, like our last record came out in 2012. And I mean, we have songs from back then that didn’t get released, that only for the sheer fact that they didn’t really fit kind of the vibe of the record. It wasn’t like they were kind of throwaway things.
So, we’re kind of revisiting a lot of stuff and we’re also. I mean Mike and I and Fadi and Rob, you know, like we constantly have these ideas that we’re in little song demos and stuff that we’re shooting each other. It’s a cool thing.
Everyone’s like, you know, the guys with kids, the kids are old enough now that that, you know, they can kind of get away for a little bit to hop in the studio and knock out some stuff or we can go and do these weekends. And so right now it’s sort of like, you know, picking up the pieces a lot. For things, you know, because all of our labels that we had releases on, they’ve all dissolved.
So going back and getting these records back available for everybody that want them and making sure that you know…like Something To Crow About was out of print for, you know, over 15, close to 20 years. And you know, it’s kind of like a shame that nobody could buy it at the merch table, because it’s still like 80% of our set are those songs.
And so we got that back together and we’re going to rerelease Confusion as well, or repress it. And we’re also just like we did a 7-inch last year. Over this last year for the songs, one of them is super old, but you know, nobody heard it, so it’s brand new. There’s that new generation and hopefully you know hopefully also reading Dying Scene will help our little tiny bit but just getting out there and yeah word of mouth.
MW: You know, like what is? I’m just excited to make new stuff. You know it’s always…this band has been around for so long and there’s like a core of what we are, what we keep. We’ve always kind of evolved and tried to do a little bit different stuff and you know now being so old and like it’s kind of like I said like I feel this real…there’s no… I don’t really feel a lot of pressure that I might have even like 10 years ago of what a record should or shouldn’t be. Like I have in my head some stuff that I want, some parameters that I think that we should kind of be, that the Riverboat Gamblers are in my opinion. But it’s still it’s still really open and it’s really like the thought not that we were ever like, you know, overthinking like well what what are people going to like? But now the thought doesn’t really necessarily cross my mind so much. It’s more just like, man, let’s just get in there and make some cool stuff and that feels pretty good.”
MG: Mike, I was incredibly impressed with your energy level at the show at Reggies [late 2022). Are you finding more aches after a show and are you more careful now about that type of thing?
MW: “I find aches and I’m 48 and I find aches without playing a show. Like, I’m definitely stretching. I’m stretching as we’re talking right now because I’m about to go into the studio and just knowing that I’m going to be on my feet for a long time, I’m making sure I get my stretches in.
I’m just a little bit more careful. I think, when the mood strikes me, I’ll do whatever I feel like. here’s a little bit more like, let me look and see where I’m going to fall. Well, there’s a little voice in my head that says, like, how we can’t recover like we used to. Yeah, you know, the Wolverine’s healing factor. And now? Not so much.“
The Riverboat Gamblers recently announced its Inaugural “AC Hell Festival” set for October 14, 2023. The band will be playing Something to Crow About in its entirety. The bill also features, amongst others, The Starving Wolves, The Get Lows and User Uauthorized. Further information on the event and tickets can be found here.
Day 2 of Riot Fest had a slew of big names (including Queens of the Stone Age, Death Grips and…Insane Clown Posse!?) and up-and-coming artists. We are featuring the Viagra Boys, PUP, Steve Ignorant Band/Crass, Rival Schools, Warpaint and Enola Gay for today! Irish post-punk noise rock band Enola Gay made their US-debut in Chicago […]
Day 2 of Riot Fest had a slew of big names (including Queens of the Stone Age, Death Grips and…Insane Clown Posse!?) and up-and-coming artists. We are featuring the Viagra Boys, PUP, Steve Ignorant Band/Crass, Rival Schools, Warpaint and Enola Gay for today!
Irish post-punk noise rock band Enola Gay made their US-debut in Chicago for Riot Fest, and performed a late night after show with the Viagra Boys. They will be back touring in the UK and EU in November.
Walter Schreifels strikes again! Post-hardcore group Rival Schools did a full-album performance of their 2001 debut, United by Fate.
LA-based indie-psych-rock band Warpaint played a dreamy set to mellow the mood before jumping back into the mosh pits.
Steve Ignorant co-founded the legendary anarcho-punk band Crass in 1977 from Epping, Essex, England. In 2019 Steve started the Steve Ignorant Band with Carol Hodge (vocals & keys), Jay Bagnall (drums), Peter Rawlinson (bass) and Pete Wilson (guitar). They played a complete set of Crass songs, psyching up both old fans and new.
PUP (abbreviation for Pathetic Use of Potential) is a Canadian punk band formed in Toronto, Ontario, originally under the name Topanga. They have quite the following and energetic fans!
A little rainy set for the Viagra Boys did not stop them from giving everyone the eccentrically weird and fun performance we’ve come to expect from the Swedish punk rock band. Dying Scene covered their show in Chicago earlier this year when they played at the brand-new venue, The Salt Shed, and it is still one of my favorite shows I have seen so far this year. They played all the fan favorites (“Sports,” of course) and had no shortage of crowd surfers (see the surfing Pikachu in the gallery below).
Check out the full gallery below! Did you miss day one? Take a look here!
