Tag: hardcore
PEARS New 7″: Letters to Memaw
Brent Smith
September 17, 2015
Heads up, hardcore fans! If you dug the PEARS debut album Go To Prison, re-released by Fat Wreck Chords, you needn’t wait until 2016 for a taste of their follow-up. The 7” Letters To Memaw has your name written all over it, and is being released tomorrow, Sept. 18! Wrought from the old, macabre streets of New Orleans, the newbie thrashers made a big enough splash to catch the still-bloodshot eyes of the Fat Wreck 90s punk syndicate, which championed the likes of Propaghandi, Anti-Flag, Face To Face, and others. The 7” features songs “Snowflake” and “Anhedonia” that oscillate playfully from rabid screaming to headbanging riffs to pop-punk sentimentality, and then back around again, proving PEARS is carrying on the greasy Fat torch just fine. Singer Zach Quinn had this to say about it: “These are two songs from a quick session in April that subsequently got re recorded for the next full length. They were the first two written for our follow up, Snowflake is loosely about struggling to identify one’s own power, and Anhedonia is loosely about a joyless life versus oblivion.” They’re currently on the road with partners-in-crime Teenage Bottlerocket, and then Lagwagon later on in the
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Destruction Unit Record Release at The Teragram Ballroom
Brent Smith
September 17, 2015
Arriving at the Teragram Ballroom on 7th Street, dodging traffic, skate rats, and the regular stream of Monty Bar freaks, I dipped under the sleek, neon blue marquee, through the main doors, and into the archway of the foyer where Destruction Unit release party event collaborators Critical Resistance had a table amongst all the merch. I was just in time to see the opening acts spew death metal and summon the Devil in guttural tongues. It was the record release party for Destruction Unit’s long-awaited album of concussive rhythm and psychedelic overdrive Negative Feedback Resistor (Sacred Bones Records). In a word? Shit was lit. There were lots of freaks and aliens, but not as many as I expected. Or maybe it was just a perception thing, since the Teragram is deceptively big for only having a capacity of 600. There always seems to be tons of room whenever I’m there, while being intimate at the same time. The Teragram is little sister to New York key players The Mercury Lounge and Bowery Ballroom, and got its name from owner Michael Swier’s late wife “Margaret” spelled backward. It’s hardly a planted flag for New York, rather it’s among the few venues
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New Album Review: Destruction Unit- Negative Feedback Resistor
Danny Baraz
September 10, 2015
There is nothing in the world like seeing Destruction Unit live, in concert. Nothing. The overpowering and overwhelming sonic assault staggers the senses and literally knocks you off balance. I really can’t explain it but the word literally is used literally. At last months show at Berserktown II at The Observatory, they played a song off their new album, Negative Feedback Resistor that made me feel really weird, physically. As I dug into this new album, I instantly recognized it as “Chemical Reaction/Chemical Delight”, track 4 off of Negative Feedback Resistor. Like a self-induced inner ear infection, the Destruction Unit live show is reminiscent of a drug psychosis. The chaotic six string arrangements aren’t just multiple guitars playing the same riffs. Octaves and detuned layers fit in each others jagged edges until a mountain of sound buries you in symbiotic harmony, as one lead guitar varies from the main arrangement with feedback and noise. With 8 LP’s under their belt, multiple EP’s and 7 “ releases, the Destruction Unit lineup whose original cast in 2000 included Jay Reatard and Alicia Trout has been steady with their last 2 releases. With an occasional curveball like throwing in Alex Zhang Hungtai from
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Melee at The Echo with Metz, Retox and Obliterations
Danny Baraz
August 22, 2015
Metz, Retox and Obliterations on the same bill at The Echo is a hardcore lovers dream. It’s a testament to Metz and the confidence they have in their material and live show. Both of the opening bands are capable of headlining their own gigs and potentially shaming headliners into reevaluating their life’s purpose. But the latest Sub Pop Records anti heroes delivered a high energy set which sent fans into an unstoppable frenzy. Their sophomore album, Metz II is a progressive step that delivers more chaos and aggression along with a BIT more commercial appeal- a difficult task, to say the least. It’s been almost a year since I’ve seen Obliterations. Poison Everything was one of my favorite albums of 2014. They’ve been touring almost non stop since that time but there was no fatigue apparent. Frontman, Sam James Velde has the look of madness and ill intent in his eyes when performing. It appeared he took the low energy, opening act audience as a challenge. He continuously leaned over the threshold of the stage, hovering over people and screaming in their face, particularly the audience members who weren’t completely engaged. By the time a pit finally exploded on the
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Berserktown II: Music Fringe Binge at The Observatory
Danny Baraz
August 18, 2015
Last year at around this same time, the first annual Berserktown Festival was in the midst of a filthy, sweaty, hardcore but successful mess at club Los Globos in the Silverlake district of Los Angeles. A harder edged alternative to Echo Park Rising, Berserktown was successful enough for a sequel this year. With ambition in his heart and dollar signs in his eyes, Church on York captain, Graeme Flegenheimer decided to take some risks in an attempt to expand and grow his vision. The result was one of the most interesting festival lineups I have seen in quite some time. It was a buffet of musical delicacies and rarities such as Dead Moon, Royal Trux, Lust for Youth, No Hope for the Kids, Destruction Unit and Total fucking Control. When it was announced that the second annual Berserktown would be held at The Observatory in Orange County I thought to myself, this could either be genius or it could be a disaster- like a football coach deciding to go for it on 4th and inches, late in the game, backed up deep in their end zone. The Church on York venture has been disturbing the music scene’s status quo in
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FYF Presents Head Wound City at The Echoplex: Pretty Boy Hardcore
Danny Baraz
June 29, 2015
When I think of metal bands I have loved throughout history, I think of mullets, Dungeons and Dragons, short busses, bad hygiene and full rooms, void of any feminine presence. My how times have changed. On Friday night, FYF Presents continued to display why they are one of the most diverse talent bookers in town when “super group”, Head Wound City played The Echoplex along with Loma Prieta and Crime Desire. Today’s Metal, no less intense in it’s impact, yet the crowd was filled with beautiful people and so was the stage when Head Wound City played their set. Grindcore, mathcore, thrashcore, noise rock, and noisegrind. Call it what you will but it all stems from Thrash/Speed Metal. There were no soccer moms wearing Slayer t-shirts in the 80’s and 90’s but now, H & M actually have a line of clothing that features bands like Slayer and Metallica on them. I wonder if those particular consumers know that Slayer stands for Satan Laughs As You Eternally Rot. Metal has evolved into many things, most of which I’m not a fan of but Justin Pearson along with his label, Three One G are one of the most creative group of musicians
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Punk Rock Bowling 2015 and What Is Punk Rock, Poser?
Danny Baraz
May 28, 2015
Words: Danny Baraz Photos: Taylor Wong The word punk is one that is thrown around and has many different uses. It can be used as an adjective or a verb. There has been much discussion around it’s usage as an adjective to describe music and people. It has sparked passionate and sometimes violent debate. The spirit behind what the word actually means has existed since time itself and once the word became marketable and defined by a specific sound, the word changed from describing a frame of mind and into describing a genre… or… a product, if you will. And there are very few individuals or businessmen that handle the legacy of this product better than Mark and Shawn Stern at BYO Records, specifically through their record label and of course, the annual summit called Punk Rock Bowling. Very few statements sound sillier than someone stating “That’s not punk”. Because once punk has been defined through a specific paradigm, it ceases to be the thing that it was when Iggy first bent over backwards or Darby first watched people move in a circle or Joey put on his first leather jacket. The cultural resistance that spawned the punk scene stops
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Trash Talk, Ratking and Pangea: Slam Dance 101 at The Echoplex
Danny Baraz
March 23, 2015
“Everyone say Fuck You to my friends on the side of the stage here”. The Echoplex crowd was eager to oblige the demands made by Lee Spielman of Trash Talk on Friday night. “You ain’t special just because we drink beers together, and shit. Get your ass out there.” Friday night at the Echoplex brought us another installment of Check Yo Ponytail and the conclusion of a month on the road for Trash Talk, Ratking and junglist, Lee Bannon. Spielman and Wiki from Ratking seemed exhausted as they both mentioned separately during their sets how long the last 30 days of their life seemed. In between songs, Wiki seemed tilted like a half chopped down tree. I was ready to hear someone shout “Timber!” at any moment but every time a new song started, Wiki was in full control, crushing all verses without so much as a slur. Lee Spielman has become a master at putting together non-obvious, genre bending shows. He connects the best bands, MC’s and DJ’s and let’s the chips fall where they may. Even though Trash Talk is one of the only REAL thrash bands around right now, I’ve hardly ever seen them play with any
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Retox at Los Globos are in a League of Their Own
Danny Baraz
March 12, 2015
A lot of good thrash and speed metal bands played Tuesday night at Los Globos but when you see a band like Retox play, the distance between them and everyone else becomes monumentally apparent. Retox are just one of those bands that stand out from the rest of the lineup of any bill they are playing on. They have that “thing” that transcends being labeled. That being said, you won’t be seeing Retox play any psych fests anytime soon. They are most definitely a hardcore thrash/noise band. Last night was the last date of a month long tour supporting their latest album, Beneath California, released by Epitaph. Retox’s third full length album is a powerful statement of the band’s commitment to it’s overall sound. While other bands at the middle tiers of popularity seem to change course after a couple of releases, Retox has assured their base of fans that any added popularity they might experience in the future will solely be based on the merits of what attracted fans to them in the first place. At 11pm, Retox took the stage and jumped right into their set with their distinct sound. The purposely raw sounding but finely tuned guitar
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A free show with Lil B, Trash Talk and ho99o9 at The Regent: What could go wrong?
Danny Baraz
December 27, 2014
Last week, a flyer started appearing online about a mysterious show at a mysterious location. I first saw it on Lee Spielman’s Instagram account. It listed three bands- Ho99o9, Trash Talk and Lil B and an RSVP link from event organizers and sponsors, UNIF clothing and HAM on Everything. That RSVP link displayed ominously and intriguingly, inviting all to show up early to an undisclosed location. What could go wrong? A line started forming around the Regent Theater in Downtown Los Angeles almost as soon as the location was announced. By the time I got there at 9pm, there was a snake of people, 20 deep, that wrapped around a square block of Main Street, around 4th, down to Los Angeles street and up to 5th street and back up to Main. The VIP line was also about 200 deep. For an hour, understaffed security wouldn’t let anybody in as the crowd swelled and the line kept getting longer and longer. I fought and burrowed my way through the middle to land on the coattails of young Mr Fucktard as he and his crew penetrated the threshold of the doors to the Regent Theater. There is no way I would’ve
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Clepto and Tartar Control Raise Hell and Money for Brain Injured Children
Danny Baraz
December 8, 2014
Last night, at the 13th Frame Lounge in La Habra, a bunch of weirdos got together for the Punk n Bowl Benefit Show to raise money for HBIC (Help for Brain Injured Children). There is so much low hanging fruit in jokes I could make to draw parallels between the cause we were all supporting on this night and the seeming similarities it shares with the patrons of this shindig, that it almost isn’t fair to poor, brain injured children around the world. The bill was filled with punk and hardcore bands that use shtick, comedy and props as a part of their act. Between punk cover and clown costume clad band, The Yeastie Boys and comic book concept band, The Radioactive Chicken Heads, there were just enough twisted props and costumes to unravel and unspool the calmest of dispositions. I could tell you I was there for the cause but that would be a lie. I’d rather donate online or by mail rather than drive to La Habra. I was there for two reasons- To see the bands Clepto and Tartar Control play. Clepto have had quite a ride in 2014. The year started with an opening slot at
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OG’s, Toddlers and Whiskey for The Weirdos and Adolescents at The Observatory
Taylor Wong
December 7, 2014
When I got to the Observatory in Santa Ana, the first things I saw were teenagers drinking whiskey from water bottles, old timers drunkenly fighting in the parking lot and babes with mohawks bouncing around. The scene has been set for one of the gnarliest punk shows I’ve seen in a long time. Last night, The Observatory had the ultimate punk line up, The Widows, Channel 3, The Stitches, The Weirdos, and The Adolescents. This was an all ages show, and when I say all ages I mean all ages. There were what i call, with all due respect, “old timers” with canes, blue hair, and driver caps as well as toddlers in patched up denim vests with mohawks. I was loving every moment of it. Out of all the shows I’ve been to, punk shows seem to be the most family oriented and friendly shows, ironically. The only time I almost got knocked out over the course of the show was when I was pulling a girl through the crowd to get up closer and forgot to say sorry to the dick head i accidentally bumped into. The first band up were The Widows. I’ve never heard of them
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