Tag: hardcore
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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OFF! transform The Echo from a peaceful, Indie venue into a house of raw aggression
Danny Baraz
November 30, 2014
Keith Morris stopped the band from playing. As The Echo went from bedlam to a virtual hush, Morris pointed to the right of the stage and asked, “What was that I heard? I heard someone say, ‘Over the hill’”. He deferred to guitarist and ex Burning Brides front man, Dimitri Coats who exclaimed, “Over the hill like you assholes from the Valley”. What separates veterans punkers like OFF! from everyone else is not only a vast ocean of experience and a belt that has more notches than holes but it’s also an intuitive set of reflexes that cannot be taught. Whether you are a punk, a composer, a visual artist or a chef, you are either born with “it” or you aren’t. At 60 years old, Keith Morris still commands the stage like a grizzled sea captain. He navigates the hurled projectiles and ambitious stage divers like a treacherous ocean whose waters he has crossed on many a voyage. I didn’t know quite what to expect as I entered The Echo early in the evening. I’ve never seen a real circle pit at The Echo. I’ve seen “mosh pits” made up of all ages crowds that were more affectionate than
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Obliterations Annihilate Jewels Catch One and Leave No Left Overs After Thanksgiving
Danny Baraz
November 29, 2014
Sometimes, the soul needs to be bathed in blood to wash away the afterbirth of the current indie music scene. While I am a fan of the current psych/surf revival, I do find myself asking often- “where is the rage?” The band, Obliterations are sand paper in a sea of soft toilet tissue. The first time I heard their album, Poison Everything, I was completely blown away by the fury and raw rage that was channeled into that release. Last night, the Friday after Thanksgiving, Obliterations brought their lack of gratitude to the newly reformatted Jewels Catch One in Mid City Los Angeles, along with openers Arctic and Creative Adult. I got to the venue just in time to catch Arctic. Arctic is a sludgy, psychedelic, 3 piece instrumental metal band made up of pro skaters Justin “Figgy” Figueroa, Don “The Nuge” Nguyen and drummer, Frex. I had been hearing some buzz about Arctic but this was my first time seeing them live. It’s good to see that skaters are still finding new lines in music. Straight punk rock was the status quo for skateboarders who popped out of the bowl to pick up instruments. Bands like The Faction, McRad
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The Damned and T.S.O.L at Irving Plaza Made Halloween in the City Bearable
Danny Baraz
November 4, 2014
Halloween. Sorry but it just is not my favorite holiday. Well, not since I was 12. However, Halloween in New York Fucking City at Irving FuckingPlaza, featuring the likes of The Briefs, T.S.O.L. and The Damned was a treat, rather than a trick. (yes, i know -shut the hell up). They all delivered in typical fashion. The Briefs donned friendly Casper sheets to start a tight, fast and loud set from start to finish, which got this somewhat tame Manhattan crowd mobile. By the time TSOL got started, “Banana girl” and “Chicken Suit Dude” were in full swing. Yes, that was the catalog of mosh proof costumes that I witnessed and i think they worked. One gal i met got an elbow to the forehead and it was a good one. She did not enjoy the same insulation as the banana and the chicken and her lack of Halloween spirit ultimately led to her demise. TSOL live is always awesome and never complete without front man, Jack Grisham’s standup comedy action–“People are throwing candy on stage..my mother always tells me not to eat anything like this and i always listen to my mom–she pays my bills..” New drummer Matt Rainwater
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