DISCHARGE MUSIC
ART
DIY
August 2013
Issue 1
DISCHARGE August 2013 Issue 1
Editor-in-Chief/ Layout Dawn Foster
Associate Editor Heidi Hussa
Photographers Linda Chen Nicole Hamilton Julia Hecht
Writers
Sean Austin Linda Chen Colin Gross Nicole Hamilton
Reviewers
Alex Cumming Colin Gross Matthew Janasky Matthew Komar Stefan Walz
Discharge Magazine is a bi-monthly publication based in New Jersey. Discharge started as a just an idea that with the encouragement and help of many friends and good people, is now in your hands. There are so many talented, awesome people I know and sometimes I wonder why we all aren’t famous, but then I realized it’s because most of the publications and magazines that exist now could care less about art and culture in New Jersey... and to the rest of the world, art and culture in New Jersey may very well not even exist. We realized our friends and my community needed some sort of exposure. We need to reach out to the rest of the world and let our presence be known. Though Discharge is based (mostly) in New Jersey, we hope to reach out to Philly, New York, and would like to take on anywhere on the east coast. And even further. Maybe the world. Because we live in a world of small, tight-knit scenes, but there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be more aware of each other. Thanks for reading our first issue. It’s only gonna get better from here. -Dawn Foster
Contents Local Kittenfest 9 8
Cigarette Heaven on Anal Mountain 10 Bloomfield Poetry Night 14
Discharge 6
Sounds Beta Snake Records
Interview with Kyle Wilkerson
16
New Releases 22 Collections: The 9 Muses;
Conor Meara’s Guitars
26
Features Ladyfest Philly 34
Black Collar Biz 40
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Local
Kittenfest 9 By Linda Chen
Kittenfest is an annual gathering of friends to enjoy local NJ bands . It started as a birthday party in the backyard of the founder Sarah Florio and within 8 years, flourished into a full-blown music festival with the help of Joe Dimeck of Lectric Pulp. This year, the festival goers flocked to Skylands Park Stadium in Augusta, NJ. The festival kicked off on Friday, June 28 and continued until Sunday June 30. When I arrived at the festival grounds that evening, it felt pretty strange to be in a baseball stadium. There were tents pitched right on the dirt of the infield and right outside the perimeter of the field there were a few vendors selling some pretty cool shirts and trinkets. It was pretty radical. My band Chimes rocked it out that day and it was pretty fun playing on an outdoors stage. I managed to see Dad Brother and Big Girl, two bands that I have played with before. I was really blown away by the band Julian Fulton and the Zombie Gospel. It was right about when they started playing that the clouds gave out and started to drizzle on the stadium. I watched the audience move to the beat of the music as the rain danced effortlessly around them. It was actually really moving. The bleak conditions did not deter the festival goers from enjoying the music. The spirit of kittens were with them all! I did not get to stay the whole weekend but from some of the pictures I saw from friends, it looked like it was a pretty beautiful weekend. Although the name of the festival may be misleading, it’s undeniable that the youthful spirit of a kitten was in within everyone the weekend of Kittenfest. I have no doubt in my mind that in the coming years Kittenfest will grow into an even bigger gathering.
1. Julian Fulton and the Zombie Gospel, 2. Lionel Pryor, 3. Official Kittenfest merch table, 4. Gypsy Wig, 5. Jungle Jazz Initiative, 6. Lionel Pryor, 7. Skylands Park, 8. (L-R) Linda of Chimes, Ileana of Big Drops, Melyka of Chimes, 9. Dancing to Big Drops, 10. The Collective Love, Photos 2, 4-6, 9 by Julia Hecht, Photos 1, 3, 7, 8, 10 by Linda Chen
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3. 2.
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Local
Cigarette Heaven on
Anal Mountain By Sean austin/huge pupils
We had played at the Handsome Woman in Willimantic, CT the night before with Florida=Death, Fat History Month, Ovlov, & Hell Rules. I was still reeling from the energy of that show so around 11 a.m. the next morning I posted this on our Facebook: “Hey we want to play another show tonight. If anyone can help us out we will play a cover song of your choice. Not a joke. Plz respond.�
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we started to VVOndeR if thIs was søme kInd of sIck (brillIant) jOke someøne had Pulled on Us.
After some back and forth between us and Babysunghxing Tapes (John from Parenting, Spreaders, Super Always, and many more), we locked the show down. They said, “Actually in all seriousness… We got a house spot in Sussex, NJ coming in January. It’s open now, just not doin’ things yet. We are hanging and raging in there though… If you feel like playing to basically the 4 or 5 heads that are ‘living’ there…lol. Girls In Love and
on inclines so deep that it looked like we were gonna fall off a cliff.
Parenting will play too… lol. Pretend its a show.”
After about 15 minutes of trying to call the contact number we were
We were given an address in Wantage, NJ and asked to play “Ooh,
given (John’s), we started to wonder if this was some kind of sick (re:
That Smell” by Lynyrd Skynyrd (which I ended up singing through a
brilliant) joke someone had pulled on us. We were sitting on our asses
wall of filtered delay). Ten hours later with two friends (re: hostages) in
trying to figure out what the fuck we were doing in the middle of the
tow, we found ourselves somewhat lost deep in the woods of Sussex
woods, far from home, at 10:30 p.m. on a Sunday night. Eventually,
County. If you’ve never driven up to Cigarette Heaven, let me tell you;
another car pulled up and a kid with a floppy mohawk and rapist
if you haven’t been there before and don’t know where you’re go-
glasses (Alex Cumming) stuck his head out the window and said, “Hey,
ing, IT’S FUCKING SCARY. We were following the GPS down roads
are you here for the show?”
Top row L-R: Joey Molinaro, New Jersey Fun Squad, Holy Sheet, PAS Musique, Huge Pupils Bottom row: Girls In Love Discharge 12
“Yeah man, we’re havin’ a little trouble finding the place, who’s your
interior doors open and shut again, a big, tall, longhaired, and bearded
contact here?”
mountain-man wearing a flannel shirt answered the door.
To which Alex replied, “…YOU!”
That was Thom. We had arrived at Cigarette Heaven. We were home.
Now I felt bad, because the house that we suspected to be Cigarette
We ended up playing first but stayed all night because Girls in Love,
Heaven looked like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre house. I didn’t really
Parenting, and Super Always ended up being exactly the kinds of
care about getting myself hacked to bits and having my bones used to
bands we wanted to play with and needed to be friends with. Ciga-
make coffee tables and lamps (it’s always been kind of a dream). But
rette Heaven ended up being our favorite place to play, and one of my
I felt shitty that I was potentially about to get another car-load of peo-
favorite places to to simply BE.
ple slaughtered and eaten. Our car drove up first and as we climbed up
LONG LIVE ANAL MOUNTAIN.
the driveway slowly, we passed a windowless van full of dolls and other assorted junk. It was fucked up. All the lights were off and it didn’t
Cigarette Heaven 2011-2012
look like anyone was home, so I tried calling John one more time and then decided to knock on the door. As I knocked, everyone stayed in the cars with the engines running (some friends!) and after hearing two
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Local
bloomfield poetry night
U
By Chief Little Photo by Erica Brennan
nited by their love for literature and the arts, Bloom-
But the night is defined by more than the acts themselves. It is the
field residents and roommates Linda Everswick and
crowd of people that is drawn to Bloomfield Poetry Night that adds
Hope VandenAkker initiated Bloomfield Poetry Night
another dimension. Artists, poets, and musicians from as far north as
as an open stage to highlight the talents of local
Sussex, and as far south as Philadelphia, have come to participate at
writers, poets, musicians, and performers. The event
BPN. It is quickly becoming an organized, local artist network. Linda
was created after continual poetry meet-ups at their
and Hope see the future of BPN to be where people come to collabo-
apartment proved that there was a void in the com-
rate on projects across many mediums.
munity for this type of platform.
“Everyone brings what they are best at. Whether it is writing, music,
Something that started out to be a small gathering of close friends
arts, dance, film, and so on, there is such great energy and talent for
meeting up to read poetry, blew up when an overwhelming amount of
amazing collaborations,” said Linda. But the potential energy has
people RSVPed to the first official event. With Hope and Linda’s neigh-
already become kinetic. Two musicians who happened upon each oth-
bors behind them, they opened up a finished basement to become the
er on the first poetry night have already gone on to create a band
gathering place for the very first poetry night. The sign-up list grew and
together. Parks and Portland was created after Eduardo Whittington
grew as the night went on, until the last act finished early into the next
and Emily Zapata met at that night. With recordings in progress and
morning. Exhausting but inspiring, the first night was a success.
a hopeful tour at the end of the year, they are the first successful
”You could see everyone’s excitement after it ended. People were
collaboration that has come out of BPN.
talking about their favorite acts. Everyone was very responsive and
“I was looking for a female singer to help me with this project I was
would quiet each other down in between acts. It was awesome to see a
working on but, I didn’t just want a singer. I was looking for a musical
crowded room of 20-somethings all be silent while their peers shared
partner to start a band with,” said Eduardo.
in front of them. We could not ask for a more respectful and engaged
Amongst a thriving music scene in New Jersey, BPN stands out be-
crowd,” Hope described.
cause of its format. Hope said, “There are a ton of local music shows in
Beyond poetry, the night is also open to showcase the wide range of
the area, but the difference between going to a show and BPN is that
talents that everyone has to offer. Whether it is doing a magic show,
the audience becomes part of the entertainment. The night wouldn’t
playing the accordion, or rapping to the beat of a stand up bass,
exist without the audience who signs up. Everyone participates in the
people gather to play their part in a night that is for the audience and
creation of the night and it becomes self-sustaining. And no two nights
by the audience.
will ever be the same.” To keep up with their upcoming events, follow Bloomfield Poetry Night on Facebook and @NJPoetryNight on Twitter. Discharge 14
Local
TheRe Is sUch great eneRgy and talent fOr amazing cOllaboRatiøns.
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SOUNDS
Kyle Wilkerson
An Interview with
Founder of
Beta Snake Records By Colin Gross/the candy barrel
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On July something or other, I sat down to talk with Kyle Wilkerson: The brains and assuredly the sex appeal behind the indie label Beta Snake Records. (“Sat down” is used here to describe the act of reclining in a chair at a computer miles away from Kyle, a known rustabout who I feared would pocket my valuables and make trinkets of my ears and eyeballs). This is what Kyle had to say...
Let’s start by discussing the name Beta Snake. In finance, beta measures systematic risk based on how returns co-move with the overall market (thanks Wikipedia). What were the risks you saw when you started up the label? I guess the closest thing to any kind of risk would have been that I know absolutely nothing about “finances,” “marketing,” or “systematic risk.” I figured I’d be broke all the time, putting out small runs of CDs of whatever music my friends and/or I were making. Oh well! I sold a couple Skateboard Kyle CDs recently so I just bought myself a six-pack of Modelo and a chili dog from Davy’s, almost as if to tell myself “great job dude.” It’s really not a high-stakes endeavor. Just to start things off on a sour note, what is your favorite project currently operating (recording, touring, what-have-you) from Beta Snake?
That’s a tricky question. Yikes. I think I’m in just about every band on the label, and I can’t pick one of those!! We recently “signed” a band called The Glow Cats, from Denmark and they are just lovely. My old band Rabbit Troupe doesn’t really play shows or record these days, and I really miss that band. Maybe that counts?
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A lot of people have a certain game plan going into starting a record label, like wanting a specific band to get recorded. What were your motivations going into starting Beta Snake? I was in a band with Hemmy Hemmerich (currently Second Born Son, formerly known as TheYesBicycle) when I was 18, and I wanted to start a label just so I could put out our CD. But we broke up before we could finish the CD and for whatever reason I still thought it would be cool to do a label, probably to fill the void that being in a string of failed bands left in me. A few months later, I met Steven Donahue (The Maple Faust, Rabbit Troupe, Young Legs) and tricked him into letting me release The Maple Faust’s album. A good enough start, I’d say. You’ve been in a number of bands over the years. What would happen if you were offered a record deal with another label? If Skateboard Kyle got picked up, would regular Kyle still run Beta Snake? I’ve been in 13 bands since 2006 (8 of which have had stuff or will soon have stuff out on Beta Snake Records). I can’t imagine Skateboard Kyle ever being picked up, but if for some reason it did ever happen I would probably at least try to keep running things here. I was actually just out on tour with my main band, Makeout Vertigo, and it turns out that it’s actually kinda hard to run label things while being out on tour. Even just being on the road for ten days. So maybe it wouldn’t work out so well? Steve Donahue would probably just take over at that point. Except he usually plays guitar for SK live. Fuck it.
Above: The first Beta Snake release from 2009, The Maple Faust’s Equinox Opposite: Steven Donahue and Kyle fivin’
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Beta Snake records is releasing a compilation album, right? (herein the interviewer assumes that Kyle said yes because he mentioned it earlier. NO TAKE BACKSIES!) Anyway, these tracks are different than the ones that the bands have released thus far. How is that and what was the difficulty in gathering the tracks? Yes! It will be our third compilation album. We’ve got 19 tracks from 19 bands and they’re all exclusive to this comp. Usually I just get my bands together and record new songs with all of them first, and that pretty much covers (an estimated) 75% of it. But seriously, I’d much rather just ask a bunch of bands to record new material and release that, than to put out a CD of songs everyone’s heard already. At that point it’s really just a matter of asking every band I can think of/find on the internet and wait until I collect about 45 minutes worth of new music. This time around it took about 6 months to compile the tracks. What has changed since BETA01? Do you have a method to recording/producing/playing that you stick to or are things a little more amorphous? Our very first release was a single by The Maple Faust, and it was an insert we printed at home and stuck in a jewel case. It looked good enough, but for the next couple of years we tried to avoid “home-made” releases. But that got crazy expensive and we said fuck it. So we brought that aesthetic back some time in 2011 and since then we’ve occasionally been pretty lazy with hand-made packaging and that sort of thing. Why don’t people like Dakota Fanning anymore? I think it’s mostly cause people forgot about her after her little sister killed it in “Super 8.” And also, it probably doesn’t help that she’s at the unfortunate age between being a cute little kid actor and a completely wrecked, drug-addled young adult. This is purely speculation. Here’s hoping she’s up to something productive these days.
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SOUNDS In an interview in 2010 you said that you “would like to not have a negative amount of money” from working on an independent label. How great an effect does cash money have on the work that you’re able to do independently? Did you watch that YouTube video? I would like to take a second to personally apologize for that. Anyhoo, money isn’t really the biggest concern. When it comes down to it, between Steven and I, we have everything a band would need to record a modestly produced album. And thanks to the internet, there’s really no need to pay money for promotion. So the only thing we really spend a large amount of money on is the packaging of our releases. If we’ve had a financially successful month, we’ll put out our next CD in a nice jewel case with professionally printed inserts and a pretty disc. If not, it’ll be a sharpie-covered CDr in a paper sleeve. Would you opt for a Pepsi sponsorship if it meant that they’d pay for the productions of all record, but each band had to sing at least one song about the crisp refreshing blessings of Pepsi Company soft drinks? It sounds shitty but I might go for it. Maybe not Pepsi. I’ve already name-dropped Davy’s hot dogs and Modelo in this interview. Shit like that I could get behind writing songs about and forcing my friends to do the same. Quality products.
A few of the bands that you record are not from around these parts (my parts). Do you scout out bands that are unsigned or do they come to you? Do you bribe them with sweets and nudie pics or is it more a mutual desire to produce music?
Just pUt øut mUsic thAt yOu lIke and døn't Really woRry aboUt anythIng else
An overwhelming majority of Beta Snake bands are based in north Jersey. I try to stick to my own projects and the music of my own personal friends. I do like to occasionally reach out to far-away bands. I post in a “Twee Lovers Club” Facebook group, and that’s how I came into contact with Kasper Clemmensen and heard the Glow Cats. I noticed that their EP was only available digitally, and asked if they would let me press a short CD run. And it worked out well enough, I’m excited for everyone in our scene to hear them.
albums that we’re getting ready to put out on CD. Steve and I also really want to put out a couple more 7”s in the near future. Describe Beta snake records using three colors. Neon pink, neon pink again, neon black. Being in so many bands, do you ever mix up what songs belong to what bands or play other bands songs live? I’m surprisingly good at not mixing up songs. But I do apparently have limited space in the old hard drive because I do tend to forget 3 Rabbit Troupe songs for every new solo tune I write. It gets frustrating, but I’ll never learn my lesson, whatever that may be. What is your most cherished memory playing live? One time Rabbit Troupe played in this kid’s parents’ garage, I think sometime in 2011. And during our last number my good friend Brian (Brian Foy Fully Insured, formerly of the S’ods and occasionally in the Skateboard Kyle live band) picked me up and started me crowd surfing while we were still playing the song. That was wild. Nothing better than a packed garage, and then someone pulls something like that.
What is next for Beta Snake records? What ludicrous displays can we expect? We have a “Beta Snake Records secret singles CD club”, in which one pays $7 and every two months receives a completely hand-made CD single featuring unreleased tracks from some pretty sweet bands. That’s been going surprisingly well, so we’re going to have a lot more really excellent “secret singles” on the way. I also tend to start a new side-project band every couple of weeks so we have quite a few EPs and full-length
If you were giving advice to eight year old you on starting a label, what would you tell him? (This might come in handy for readers with limited mental capacity, such as the interviewer) My first bit of advice to anyone is usually, “Don’t listen to anything I say.” With that in mind: just put out music that you like and don’t really worry about anything else. It’s really fun hanging out with your friends/bandmates, staying up all night drawing album covers and then getting hammered and using sharp tools to cut out CD case inserts. Especially if you’re eight years old!
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SOUNDS
Makeout Vertigo
Bonus question: If you were DJing in heaven and Edgar Allen Poe asked you to put on a slow jam for him and a lady friend (assuming he likes chicks), what song would you play for him from the Beta Snake Catalogue? Even if Edgar Allen Poe did make it to heaven, I probably won’t. Regardless, I’d definitely pick, “House Band” by Car Seat Headrest off the “Youth Culture Dummy” v/a comp from last year. It’s no slow jam but fuck it, I’M the DJ.
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NEW RELEASES Roy Orbitron Thomas Earl Petty/ Rasputin’s Secret Police Josh and Brandon Roy Orbitron is Conor Meara and anyone he can manage to con into playing his music. If you get an image of a blue-collar papa with a Bruce Springsteen fetish bordering on bad mental health, I’d say that you have a pretty good ear. Some might be accustomed to hearing these tracks live with a minimal setup of guitar/vocals by Conor and drums by Dan Russell or Sean of Huge Pupils fame. On the record, they are fleshed out with layered vocals, angular violin accompaniment, and an array of string and piano/organ sections that realize a fuller and much more impressive concept. The album is a great example of one man’s vision being manifested by friends and talents such as Wilbo Wright, featured on upright bass and BANJOTAR. The other side is done by the stomp rock/cult duo Rasputin’s Secret Police from Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania. They are almost polar opposites sonically from Roy Orbitron. Instead of lush arrangements, Brandon and Josh usually rely on a tight conversation between guitar, voice, and drums. Their music can be seen as two small musical cells that expand and contract at will, utilizing the space created by a smaller orchestration to build and release tension as a collective mentality; the effect of which often reduces audiences to reaching out to sing and writhe along in mass numbers of sweaty flesh heaps. That being said, this batch of songs seems to have a more significant amount of instrumentation and feature female vocals as well as synth pads on several tracks. Initially, these inclusions turned me off slightly. I’ve since come around, and actually think that they use these new timbres to advance the effect instead of just tinkering. I love both of these bands more than a small little blurb can express. This split can be seen as progress for both bands, and worthy of multiple listens. Overall, the split represents a complete and isolated package which augments and expands upon songs that are distinct on vinyl, yet equally as powerful in a small venue full of friends and drunken strangers. They certainly don’t give a fuck what you think, but they’d be more than happy to welcome you and all your smells. -Matt Janasky Available on Bandcamp at rasputinssecretpolice6666.bandcamp.com or raworbison.bandcamp.com
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SOUNDS Brothers of The Head C’mon Now Brothers of the Head are a power trio in the truest sense of the phrase. They make stoner metal in the truest sense of the genre, featuring some of the crunchiest riffs this side of the Delaware. C’mon Now powers through seven tracks punctuated by some strong instrumentation from each member, especially from guitarist/lyricist Ian Everett, who can wail on guitar and has the unique vocal chops to boot. The opener, “Lucifer Rising,” is a great showcase for the band’s talents, as is the probably facetiously titled “Stairway to Hell,” which is a scorcher of track. Everett’s guitar is on full blast with the band in lock step with him. It isn’t all solos and riffs on this album though. “I’m a Bad Man (But Baby, I Ain’t That Bad)” slows things down a bit with somewhat of a folk ballad that’s more Kurt Vile than Sleep.
Available through Panter People pantherpeople.bigcartel.com
The highly ambitious “The Cosmic Trucker” shows the band struggling a bit with trying to break genre expectations. Clocking in at an epic 19 1/2 minutes, “Trucker” is an extended solo that’s fine enough, but feels a bit like a lost opportunity as compared to the other songs on this album; it doesn’t feel as tight and focused. But that’s just one song on a really good tape that shows tons of potential from this band. -Matthew Komar
Huge Pupils The Dreamcatcher Chord EP This album is more punk and quick in comparison to their side of the 12” split with Roy Orbitron. The thick bass/snare of “Paranoid” and the jangly, yelly “Untitled” (B-side) are my favorite tracks. “94 Nissan” is where they finally realize The Dreamcatcher Chord. The concept is beautiful and cheesy at once, the dreamcatcher hanging from the rear view mirror of a mid 90s eco-sedan. Around a minute and a half in, the track gets into some darker heavier vibes, with nice tom rolls; I enjoyed that. The track “Bone Snakes” is nice and sloppy, a bit floppy. In many ways, this release falls right into the realm of many punk and noise releases, nothing particularly memorable about it. During the listen, there are points that are really fantastic and spark intensity in your brain curls, but overall it just kind of gets shelved. Their side from the split 12” was one of my favorite releases of the last decade, but this release feels more like quick sketches as opposed to the beautiful lush mood soaked and well-conceived tracks of the split. -Stefan Walz Available through Panter People pantherpeople.bigcartel.com
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SOUNDS True Key We Own the Night Sample heavy and catchy Matt Pietrucha has put together yet another mix that is a perfect listen for a summer night. Every song on the album has a different feel to it, but they all fall somewhere in between a more whimsical version of Tycho and a less obnoxious, more chilled out Pogo. The beats on this album are pleasantly syncopated, intelligent, and break away from the horrifyingly played out and generic four-on-the-floor thing that electronic ‘musicians’ are so keen on doing these days. The title track “We Own the Night” is a bouncy yet chill four minutes that made me feel like I was stuck inside the sock of a character in an 80’s video game about basketball while robo-tripping. At the least, this album should be given a listen to for the most tasteful use of high pass/low pass filters by an electronic musician from New Jersey... probably ever. On my really expensive, rad speakers, the sub-bass on some of the tracks gets seriously low. It gets even more intense at True Key shows. The point is, if you consider yourself a fan of IDM and local music that doesn’t suck, you should listen to this album. -Heidi Hussa Available on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, and Spotify The Glow Cats OH! EP Twee pop has always existed on the fringe of indie music as a polarizing entity. Some people are drawn to it for its melodic jangles and others remain cynical to its schoolyard crush lyrics. Copenhagen’s The Glow Cats manage to further this gap on their newest EP OH!, a three track collection of saccharin soaked lyrics and upbeat guitar riffs that are sweet enough to make candy floss seem like kale. Sonically, OH! shows a lot of growth from the cat-faced singles that the band released just last year. With the addition of new members, the band feels much fuller and the song structures are even tighter than those early tunes.
Available through Beta Snake Records betasnakerecords.tumblr.com
Continuing in the tradition of the twee pop genre, The Glow Cats pick up where Scandinavian bands like Suburban Kids With Biblical Names left off in the latter half of the last decade. The three songs are exercises in balancing guitar driven jangle, plucked melody, and low burning vocals that Kasper Clemennsen delivers with clean conviction. Perhaps the most endearing of the tracks was the fast-paced opener “The Snow Man.” At 2 minutes and 50 seconds it is the longest track but feels like the shortest. The harmonizing of two men singing about the same object of affection has never been less awkward. I really do wish there was another word for jangle which meant the same thing, because I feel that to write The Glow Cats off because of a culturally bankrupt term is completely unfair of the musicality that they are able to bring to the table. With the ability that they have to craft catchy songs, it’s no wonder why The Glow Cats wear the twee pop brand on their arm so proudly. -Colin Gross Discharge 24
SOUNDS Maybe that’s what makes this compilation so compelling. The multiplicity of sounds that are garnered within the 48 minutes this album holds reflects the label’s established mission of putting music ahead of egotism. The bands are putting out previously unreleased material for you to hear for the first time under the premise that you’ll be experiencing every other song’s maiden voyage in the same way. Unless Kyle put a gun to each band’s collective head and forced them to submit music (possible, not likely) this compilation shows a good amount of trust in their cohort. Pleasant surprises are what this album is all about. Jumping from the lo-fi glaze of Pixl-Visionary’s “Exhibitionary” to the air-tight crunch of Casual’s “Producer,” you get a real sense for how varied the sounds that Beta Snake has as its command are. The order of songs brings this level of assortment to the forefront, making it hard to imagine that some of these bands would be playing at the same show, but leading the mind to wonder what a brilliant show that would be. Just like the label that spawned it, Habitual Drinkmaster sounds young. But this youthful exuberance works like a keg of musical shrapnel that is sure to catch on your ear at one point or another over the course of the album. It just depends on what you’re into. From the instantly absurd, unpolished bedroom gem “Greg Kinnear One Man Band” to the late night folk balladeering of Young Legs or Tawny Blooms, this compilation builds a shit ton of bridges and my best guess is that you’ll find yourself walking willingly over more than one of them. -Colin Gross
Beta Snake Records Habitual Drinkmaster compilation Kyle from Beta Snake Records sent me a copy of their newest compilation Habitual Drinkmaster and I’m sitting here shirtless in an attic (soak it in gents, this is all me) embodying the album title with a drink in hand and a grin on my stupid white boy face. I suggest you do the same (with your own face, hand, and attic of course). If you have ears that you use for listening to music, 3 or 4 of these songs will surely tickle your fancy. For a comp of 19 songs by bands that you may not have heard anything from, this is a pretty strong sentiment. The songs cover a wide range of production styles and genres, but there is a certain uniform positivity which makes the transitions fluid. I have my favorites, and chances are that unless you’re me, they’re different than the ones you’ll like best.
Standout Tracks: Rabbit Troupe “Welsh Pavlov,” Hides a Well “Sleepy Head (ukulele version),” Casual “Producer,” Stranger Cells “Equation” Available through Beta Snake Records betasnakerecords.tumblr.com
The Maple Faust Farewell My Kind Stranger Spider In My Tea isn’t ska, but it made my spine shake like it was ska. Make what you will of that. Almost gang vocals. There’s a myth I’m missing here. The Cadent Cavaliers is well sung and played. I admire that, although I would’ve been snarky during their set at the Bloomfield Ave Cafe. Versatile musicians with good instrumentation make better intonation then track one. -Alex Cumming Available through Beta Snake Records betasnakerecords.tumblr.com Discharge 25
9 SOUNDS
v
M us
es
the
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The guitars Conor Meara lives with. Photography by Nicole Hamilton
SOUNDS
1970s Framus 517 Got at J.B. Kline's in Lambertville, NJ. Shortneck, durable, parlor style acoustic. "Built in the heart of Bavaria," West Germany. J.B. said the last time he saw one of these he took it on a cross-country trip back in the '70s. Used on Roy Orbitron's "Fluorescent Spells," "George Harrison," and had it Nashville high-strung for use on "Thomas Earl Petty." Frame: Portrait of my son from daycare (2012)
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2002 Takamine G-116
2012 Gibson Firebird
My roommate PJ's. Bought at Sam Ash in Franklin
Got at D'Town Guitars, Doylestown, PA. Traded in
Mills Mall in Philly. Survived beaches, squats, and
a 1968 Gretsch Streamliner that had bad voodoo.
thieves of Barcelona and plenty of other abuse.
A new #1, so good it feels like cheating. Currently
Classical style, nylon strings. Painted by PJ.
using live for RO.
Frame: "The Jolly Toper" Frans Hals (1628-1630)
Frame: "Roy Orbison" Jarett Walen (2012)
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SOUNDS
1975 Gibson SG-250
1976 Rickenbacker 4001
“Sputnika.” Pretty rare junk I got on eBay.
"Baby" I got from a little old lady on eBay. My #1 bass
Gibson made these for 2
years to compete
and I will never need another except when I threw it off
with cheap imports/copies flooding the market
stage at an Alien Father show and snapped her neck.
(Ibanez, Greco, “lawsuit” guitars). But the model
But some woodworking magician brought her back to
failed so they discontinued. Has poorly repaired
life. Used first with The Pidgeons, then The Canaries,
cracks in the body and shitty sunburst finish over
then Le Rug, All Over, Alien Father, and anything else
shitty wood, so I painted it purple.
I’ve ever played bass on. Except some RO.
Frame: Diploma with Honors from the Institute of
Frame: Portrait of Abraham Lincoln by my step-grand-
Audio Research (2007)
father's first wife (1966)
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a daySOUNDS in the life
1967 Guild T-100D
2010s VGT "Mandolin Guitar"
Got at J.B. Kline's in Lambertville. Previously
Hand-made by Mike Virok of Bordentown Guitar
my #1 semi-hollow archtop, made in Hoboken,
Rescue. Tuned to GDAE (low-high). Pickup is a
NJ. Used on RO's "Fluorescent Spells,"
split P-Bass pickup. Tortoise shell binding. Used
"George Harrison," and "Thomas Earl Petty."
on RO's "Thomas Earl Petty."
Frame: Portrait of a girl given to me by our
Frame: Old western painting by Frank McCarthy
drummer Dan because it's "bad luck".
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a daySOUNDS in the life
1947 Electromuse
19?? Short-scale No-name Bass
Got at J.B. Kline's in Lambertville. Lap steel
Sounds like an upright; it’s surprisingly warm and fat. Strap pins
guitar made for raw country/blues and clean
replaced with nails. Used on RO’s “Virgil Warbug & the Shambles
Hawaiian. Duane Eddy had one when he was
Haus Choir.”
9. Used on RO's "Thomas Earl Petty."
Frame: “A Short History of America” R. Crumb (1979)
Frame: "The Flight" Frederic Remington (1895)
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SOmetImes beføRe gOIng †o a shOw,
yoU've got tO eQuIP yOuRseLf
VVIth †he tOOls
neCesSARy †O engage In cønflIct
agaIns† sCUmBagS. -Bros Fall Back zine Discharge 33
Ladyfest philly A recount by Heidi
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Saturday in West Philadelphia. We parked about a block away 4014 Walnut St. Walking down the block we spotted a large Beaux-Arts style building on the opposite side of the road, but it wasn’t until we saw a small crowd of alt-bitches (a sigh of relief, my people) looking somewhat out of place in this West Philly fratparty college neighborhood did we realize we’d reached Ladyfest. Enter the Rotunda: though it was bright outside, the interior of the back hall of the church was dimly lit, made even dimmer by black fabric partitions separating the stage and from the rest of the room. We walked in from a small stairwell to a dimly-lit, non-air-conditioned room that looked something like an old worship hall. Large balconies were on either side of the room, and big, old fashioned glass-paned windows let in a little bit of a breeze on the back wall of the building. We were greeted by a table covered with information sheets and boxes of free condoms. I paid for the admission and vaguely recognized the girl handing out wristbands… I remembered her from my formative years as an Infernite (A devout fan of the klezmer punk band/nefarious get-drunk-and-break-stuff gang World/Inferno Friendship Society).
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ShOws lIke this make me feel empOweRed enOugh †O call Øut dØUchebags Øn their sexIst, racis†, and hOmophØbic attItUdes. I struck up a slightly awkward but sentimental conversation with her
I was surprised to see such a wide representation of causes there.
about those days. I always find it interesting how the DIY world is
Being an alt-bitch, at a show like this, the like-mindedness of the
so seemingly small and inclusive, but in actuality, pretty expansive. I
strangers I’m surrounded by makes me feel comfortable and appre-
looked up after talking to her and realized that everyone I walked in
ciative of this sort of scene. It’s a scene that, in a small, but important
with had disappeared, so I decided to wander around and find where
way, opens dialogues for discussion on important issues our post-cap-
the vegan ice cream was hiding at, since inevitably, there would be
italist society that we (as a whole) haven’t worked out yet. This comes
vegan ice cream here somewhere (addendum: there was).
with living in a society that’s still largely a patriarchy.
Amongst the merch tables, there were tables run by various LGBT,
The buzzword of the evening at Ladyfest was “safespace,” which they
women’s rights, racial equality organizations, coalitions for advoca-
had successfully created. Shows like this are the shows that make me feel
cy of various social and political issues, and there was even a small
empowered enough to call out douchebags on their sexist, racist, and
representation there for interesting fringe groups. Individual artists
homophobic attitudes (there wasn’t much of that at Ladyfest anyway). I
had tables to themselves, selling prints and t-shirts. There were pins,
wish the aura of ethics that purred through the building could be captured
patches, and buttons for sale, a swap table, show promotions and
and bottled. Then maybe there would be less sports bars in the world.
really, really great zines.
We had arrived to Ladyfest somewhat late and missed the workshops
A personal favorite of mine was had a title I don’t think I’ll ever get
they had earlier in the day with topics such as, “Urban Gardening
tired of: “Bros Fall Back - a guide to getting bros to leave your personal
at Plotland,” “Amps, Pedals and PAs: Demystifying Electronics,” and
space.” It was put out by a group of people who were hosting a show at
“Victim-Blaming in the Media: What It Is & What You Can Do About It.”
Philly Noise Gallery. I grabbed a copy of each of their publications and
To the left of the tables, there was a large, hardwood, dancehall-esque
stuck them in my bag for later reading.
clearing leading to a large erected stage. The first band of the evening,
The caption on the back of one of their zines could sum up the whole
Batty, from New Jersey, was setting up. Batty is Tiff Cheng on guitar (also
attitude of Ladyfest. “Sometimes, before going to a show, you’ve got
a coordinator of Ladyfest), Jeff Busko on bass, and Rachel Razza plays
to equip yourself with the tools necessary to engage in conflict against
drums. They all share vocals duties. I was into their set, it was catchy, had
scumbags: racist hipsters, macho bro punx, classists, and the enthusiastic
some instrumentals interludes mixed in with punky sing-a-long choruses
guardians of cis, straight society. Stay fierce and unaccommodating!”
with squealing guitar solos (check out “Spent Time” on their bandcamp).
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Clockwise from top left: Heidi picking up the “Bros” pamphlet, Tiff Cheng of Batty, Rachel Razza and Jeff Busko of Batty, Shady Hawkins
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After
from
reversals, vegan-everything, buzzwords we
think?’ And then I remembered, I’m here. And
Brooklyn. Fronted by a foot-stompin’ lead
them
was
Shady
Hawkins
heard a lot of throughout the night. It was
I think a lot of us here don’t see gender. We
singer, they played punk/rockabilly songs
getting dark out at that point and we be-
see each other. And that’s why we’re here. It’s
with themes of revenge, family issues and
came excited to return to the fest as the
fucking wild to me. So, in the bathroom I was
questioning your sexuality. She had some
two members of +HIRS+ passed by us, lugging
like putting on my skirt and I was like, ‘Wow,
great manical laughs as she repeatedly
their equipment towards the venue; so every-
I feel really good in this and I wanna go out
belted out, “You are dead to me!”
one unanimously decided to go back inside.
and people are gonna be like, ‘Wow, she looks
In a respite between sets, we had to exit
By this time, the venue was totally packed to
really good in that.’ And it’s fucked up. I have
the premises to get beers. It was almost im-
the brim. +HIRS+’s wall of amps were towering
never introduced ourselves, and I won’t now,
perative at this point because we had drank
on the stage already. I had seen them earlier
but this is my best friend Scott. We’ve been
ourselves caffeine-stupid from the free
this year at Two Piece Fest, so I was already
best friends for 11 years and he has been the
iced coffee kegs donated by La Colombe
prepared for 10 second blasts of the grind/
biggest ally in my life, and has like, through all
they had inside. Full of the jitters, the
crust queer thrash. But before getting to the
the things that I’ve gone through, listened to
only thing to do was to walk to the weird
anticipated sound blasts, the vocalist, Greg,
me and at the very least with an open mind,
and chic airport-esque bar behind the
had to say the following:
been like, ‘I’m there for you.’ It’s fucking wild
Rotunda. I forgot the name of the place, but you wouldn’t want to go there anyway.
“I normally don’t like to talk before we play, ever. But I felt very compelled tonight for a
to be playing music in front of this dumb wall of amps. We’re some band from here. We are so glad to be here.”
My friends and I sat around a table and
lot of reasons. But the main reason is that I
ordered unnecessarily overpriced Yuengling,
was ready to have a fucking panic attack. Be-
They shared a hug as applause ensued, and
vaguely laughing about some of the more
cause I was like, ‘I don’t have, like, the clothes
began their mind-crushing set. What she
stereotypical aspects of the prodigious DIY
that I like on. I don’t have, like, makeup on.
said was understood and accepted by
feminist festival scene. The gender role
There’s all these people, what are they gonna
everyone at the fest. It was sort of just
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something that everyone was resonating the entire day. + HIRS+, as
effected mic. Behind her was a projection of a girl on a dirt path running
always, was aggressive, confrontational.
back, forth, forward, and in reverse. It was at this point that I realized I was either really drunk or really fucking into this set. Each new song
Up after them was Whore Paint. Whore Paint is a no-wave, crooner,
brought a new and original tape-hiss’d soundscape. I get why people
noise-punk, female three-piece band from Rhode Island currently
like have solo projects and get to tour Europe.
residing on Load Records. Clad in black lingerie, they were anything but soft and sweet. They dominated the stage with piercing screams
Pretty much immediately after U.S. Girls set ended, the lights went up
and growls, razor-sharp guitars, and staggered drums. I was completely
a bit and I was brought out of my trance. It was over... I looked around
mesmerized and they were one of the stand-out performances of the
and sought out my buddies, who all looked rather beat up (read: drunk;
night for me.
disclaimer: do not assume Ladyfest was all about drinking. There were not even drinks on premises. That was our own sorry decision). We
Closing the night was a much anticipated set from U.S. Girls, a one wom-
exited, and were sort of talking about going to another party after-
an electronic project of Meghan Remy, who shared a story about tour-
wards, or getting food, or going to a bar. I was in and out of paying at-
ing in Europe before she began her set. She was an impressive figure
tention to what they were saying. Aside from thinking about the things
on stage, with bleach blonde hair, in a red kimono, and standing alone
I knew I was going to write for this article, I was dazed by the night:
and fiercely feminine before her set up. Before she began, she spoke of
impressed by the outpouring of people for this event, the music, the
running into someone she hadn’t seen in many years at the fest: “She
volunteers who’d put it together, and just the fact that communities like
still makes music and I still make music, so it’s good to run into someone
this exist.
because of this festival ... To find out that someone didn’t give up just like
All in all: it was rad. Good job Ladyfest. Good job Philadelphia. But
I didn’t give up even though we came from shitty small towns.”
mostly, thanks, so much thanks, to everyone out there who ever told a
Armed with a box concealing her equipment, she laid down a backbone
bro to go fuck himself.
of reverby distorted beats layered underneath lo-fi but addictively catchy synth lines and sounds, over which she sang through a severely
Photos by Dawn Foster
Opposite, L-R: Whore Paint, Rebecca Mitchell of Whore Paint, +HIRS+ Above: U.S. Girls Discharge 39
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S ’ R O I
R R A W
e s po
Of all the artists in the Trenton circuit, Black Collar Biz reigns supreme. His steady, warrior-like focus and his aim to merge hip-hop with artistic expression and social consciousness brings us an entirely new experience. Written and Photographed by Nicole Hamilton Discharge 41
v v
Features
T
he initial aim of most writers and lyricists is to “write from life,” but when faced by the target most attempts fall weak and the mark remains untouched. Black Collar Biz lands an arrow in the red every time. And when he does, we can hear it bleed. “It’s all poetry,” he says, “and it’s all truth.” He understands how music can console you just as much as it can make you want to party. Black Collar’s talent for the written word comes from the approach of living his own life. “You always got to try to be better than you are. You got to understand what you want to do, and where you’re coming from, and where you’re going. Learning doesn’t necessarily mean knowledge in the text book sense of the word. The importance of learning is that you have a good idea of what is going on in your own life and what is going on around you.”
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HOLDYOURAPPLAUSE
I’mnotastar
Justahumanmotherfuckinbeing Trynareshapethelandscapewithamustardseed
GROW
THAT’SALLITRYASK BUTYOUWISHTOSTAYTHESAME
W H E N YO U R E C YC L E YA PA S T N OT H I N G ’ S F O R E V E R YO U N G
LYRICS FROM: “NEVER BE THE SAME”
Features
That’s the type of music that is
human
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He continues, "I had an artist friend of mine
and to bring in an arrangement of studio
come to studio one day and was talking
musicians. If I can orchestrate my music the
about his relationship with his girl, the loss
way I hear it in my head and write poetry
of their baby, and the resulting heartache.
to it, I think that will really reach the
And I was like, ‘Yo, that's a great song!’ But
public. That's all I want to do."
he felt otherwise, sayin' he didn't want to make that type of music. But I told him, that is the type of music that people can understand. That's the type of music that is human. But then again, he 's a gangsta type rapper and his lyrics are about shootin' people, slingin' drugs, which is more a reflection of a general lifestyle vs what he experiences in life as a young man. In this type of situation, you don't get the whole 360 degrees of the person. You only get 25 percent. It's the 360 percent that matters when you're trying to reach people.”
Black Collar’s performance at Trenton's Art All Night event was a good introduction to his artistic approach. He gave the audience a real experience, which he believes is a rarity these days, since listeners no longer go to shows and settle for the fleeting feeling offered by simply driving around and listening to a track or two. And so, with a live band including brass, strings, a DJ, and a back-up singer on stage, they performed "What's A Morning Without Sunshine" between a series of flickering video installations and in front of an
"I'm an artist. That is what I'm trying to get
audience who, historically speaking, never
people to understand. Eventually, I want to
witnessed a hip hop act at the annual Art
make world music, my own genre of music,
All Night celebration in Trenton.
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