THROWBACK PUNK

THROWBACK PUNK BY NICK SENIOR

WE’RE CAREENING INTO 2020 AND WHAT THE YEAR HAS IN STORE IS NOBODY’S GUESS. IT’S PRETTY DAUNTING TO THINK ABOUT, SO WE’RE GONNA SWITCH GEARS A BIT AND TAKE YOU BACK TO THE DAYS OF STAPLED ZINES AND MIXTAPES, WHEN YOU FOUND YOUR FAVORITE BANDS IN LINER NOTES AND PAGES THAT TURNED YOUR FINGERS BLACK.THESE BANDS BRING A NEW TWIST ON THE SOUNDS OF '80S AND '90S PUNK. WE ALSO REVISIT SOME ALBUMS CELEBRATING BIG MILESTONES, AND CHECK IN WITH SOME BANDS THAT WERE THERE AND ARE STILL CREATING THE CLASSIC PUNK SOUND.

PHOTO BY FARRAH SKEIKY

FOXHALL STACKS INTERVIEW WITH GUITARIST JIM SPELLMAN In the Year of Our Lord 2019, every new punk band seems to have an astounding pedigree of members from all sorts of legendary bands, only to be the guitar tech for Bad Religion or the live bassist for Rancid. Washington DC’s Foxhall Stacks have stacks on stacks of pedigree (Jawbox, Minor Threat, Burning Airlines, Wool, and Velocity Girl), and what makes those bands click is on full display throughout The Coming Collapse, out now on Snappy Little Numbers. In that way, the band are maximalists – big power-pop hooks are lifted on top of gleefully distorted riffs. This is heartfelt punk rock that owes a huge debt to the classics of the past without sounding dated.

Guitarist Jim Spellman is keenly aware of his new band’s place in the world, and that confidence oozes through the speakers.

“We wanted to make a rock record,” he says. Too many people our age get lured into acoustic music or small amps and playing quietly. We play loud rock with Marshall Stacks and Les Pauls and refrigerator-sized bass amps. It’s fair to call us maximalists, perhaps to a fault. We love electric guitars and harmonies and layer them on like pomade on a pompadour.” ��

DOGBRETH INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST/GUITARIST TRISTAN JEMSEK You know that friend that everyone likes? They are genuine, honest without being an asshole, and can connect with a wide range of people? Somehow, Ever Loving is the musical version of that concept. Dogbreth’s broad-spectrum rock has all the ingredients to appeal to just about everyone: it’s a little jangly, a tad grungy (they do hail from Seattle, after all), and definitely dreamy. It’s the musical equivalent of a friend’s embrace – warm and comforting. It’s also got a surprising amount of depth beyond the hazy textures. This idea to create such an easy-going and lovable record, not coincidentally released on the friendliest label out there, Asian Man Records, somehow came naturally for the band. Their goal going in is reflected in the efferves cent feeling Ever Loving imbues on the listener.

Vocalist and guitarist Tristan Jemsek notes, “We wanted to make a record that rocked with a lot of beauty and texture. I was trying to sort of imagine a cross-section between Crazy Horse and The Cure, something with shimmer and chime and lots of humanity.” This is a classic-sounding record that will be remembered for years to come. ��

FOSTER CARE INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST CHRIS TEENAGER Just about any pissed off idiot can write a mediocre punk tune - the frenetic fury typically only requires a few chords and an inciting incident. However, those who are a little bit more measured and considered in their approach can elevate a random racket into something approaching art - or at least a really fucking good time. NYCs Foster Care take their name seriously by giving their songs time and room to grow into something special. That’s not to say the band’s brash take on garage punk is veering off into art punk territory. However, El Abuso (Spanish for “the abuse”), out now on Florida’s Total Punk Records, feels like a grown-up version of the band, somehow with more vitriol and focus than their past work.

Vocalist Chris Teenager acknowledges this dichotomy was intentional, “[Someone] will come up with a riff, and I’ll write from there. It’s punk, nothing profound, just what’s pissing me off at the time. Since I work in food service, there’s always fresh inspiration.” However, he notes, “this time around we wanted to really make a record that wasn’t just a collection of songs.”�� PHOTO BY ANDY BERNDT DESPERATE ACTS

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST/ GUITARIST MATT KEIL

Summer of Panic is what happens when a group of artists feel composed, confident, and unified in one vision: kick ass punk rock. Comprised of members of bands that were/ are on Victory, Bridge Nine, Red Scare, and Havoc Records, you’d expect one thing, but Minneapolis’ Desperate Acts happily zig when you expect a zag. What has emerged is a gritty, Midwest melodic punk behemoth, full of songs that feel small and massive – both in sound and scope – at the same time. It’s the type of record that is impossible to have on in the background, because it very quickly becomes the only thing you pay attention to for 12 minutes. That focus and style didn’t come easily, but vocalist/guitarist Matt Keil is relieved they all put in the work. “We had an identity crisis trying to write our first few songs as a band. There was a conscious effort to try and differentiate from our earlier bands and add in newer elements that often resulted in a mess. I think with this latest record we've settled in and become more comfortable with what we are.” Thankfully, what they are is a punk band that feels like they’re carrying the torch of past greats into a promising future.

The record itself dwells on some haunted adult themes of how to deal with the world around you. “I think the recurring theme,” Keil notes. “Is being made aware of constant abject horror in the real world all the time, when in daily life you're just focused on your very immediate needs and drudgery. You deal with keeping your family moving along and the small environment in front of you, and in the meantime you have these little panics because it doesn't always seem like there's a lot of hope for a just world. When you're at work, you can't say, ‘I think, possibly, the world is being ruined' – you just start a stupid band with your friends.” ��

SPIRAL HEADS Spiral Heads got my head spinning with how perfectly they conjure up the old punk spirits. Take the melodic sensibilities of The Wipers and early Nirvana, with the punch of seminal bands like The Damned and Buzzcocks, and you’re halfway there to why this three-song EP, out now on Bridge 9, is a gloriously efficient batch of retro punk. The fact that the band is comprised of members of MGMT, American Nightmare, and Doomriders makes the effect even greater - none of those bands sound remotely alike, yet Spiral Heads carry a succinct, solidified sound already. It’s only the record’s brevity that remains frustrating. However, that length was intentional.

“These songs each live in their own world intended to take the listener on an extremely short journey,” bassist and vocalist Simon Doom states.

That desire to keep things short and sweet is part of what led to the band’s creation, as guitarist and vocalist Jim Carroll recalls.

“Simon and I were both at a point of stagnation with our various other musical projects. We needed something to inject a bit of fun and life into things again. Stripping things back and starting in a realm we were very comfortable with allowed us to hit the ground running.” ��

That creative spark has lit the fire that will hopefully result in more music in the near future. Three songs ain’t enough, guys.��

PHOTO BY DAVID VERA

KATATONIC Names can be deceiving. Take for instance Katatonic, which sounds like an awesome moody Swedish death/ doom act. The truth could not be any further from that, however, as the actual band (not the one in my head) are a riotous LA- based fuzz/grunge/punk group who specialize in hip-swinging basslines and fantastically catchy shouted hooks from vocalist Nat M. Their throwback fury recalls fellow City of Angels greats The Bags, with more grunge and grime. It’s wonderful stuff, and this short self titled EP, out now on Devour Records, is a perfect introduction to their particular musical maelstrom.

Nat M notes that the desire to write came naturally, “I mean, since high school I’ve always wanted to make music where it punches you right in the face with aggressive lyrics and loud, heavy, yet catchy guitar riffs. Sometimes a few slow songs to catch your breath. Making music has always been fun (as it should be). It’s even better with people who share the same ideas or [are] even open to experiment with new sounds.”

POST/BOREDOM Balance and punk aren’t two words that often go together, but Seattle’s Post/Boredom aren’t your average punk band. For starters, they don’t really sound all that typical. Theirs is a sound steeped in the recent history of amplified music – think bits of Shellac, Deadguy, and Nirvana, and you’re partway there. Secondly, the band are clearly having fun and not taking themselves too seriously – Post/Boredom are clearly focused on not being bored with their own music. There’s a sense of adventure and playfulness that elevates the songwriting and invites/ rewards repeat listens. Ritualistic Time Abuser (another name for any hobby ever), out now on Hex Records, is not interested in wasting your time. Thematically, the record wrestles with the frustrations that abound in the world, but without a dour lens.

BOTHERS In civilized society, one should apologize when they discover they are bothering someone. Of course, this Portland trio are the exact opposite of an apology – loud, brazen, bold, and a little unhinged. Their brand of punk feels familiar yet not pulling from the expected. It’s occasionally melodic, but this isn’t pop-punk. There’s a ferocious energy, but Bothers aren’t hardcore. It’s fast, but the songs are wisely curated and instantly memorable. Bothers is also pissed. There’s a few spoonfuls of manic frustration here, and that added layer of seasoning results in a delicious batch of punk energy. Those who love Wipers or Born Against will be at home. The band’s “mantra” suits their musical chaos wonderfully: “We've been friends with bad ideas for a long time,” they note. “If you ride out the bad ideas together long enough, someone is bound to cave, and you just keep moving. None of us know what we're doing.” That vibe is perfectly played out in this haymaker of punk fury out now on Dirt Cult Records. ��

“The balance between writing about negativity and humor is something that was incredibly natural to all of us,” the band collectively note. “We all have strong viewpoints about the world we live in, but would rather address those via an uplifting vehicle, such as laughter, rather than having to force an issue and end up preaching to the choir, so to speak.” ��

Catch their “Heatwave” and welcome in your new favorite punk band. ��

PHOTO BY ADAM DEGROSS TENNIS SYSTEM I don’t know what the hell a Tennis System is, other than a TIMELOST Timesuck, waste of time, whatever you want to call it, Philadelphia’s Timelost went ahead and lollygagged around and made the quintessential album to get lost in. The album is a clear labor of love for two metalheads (from Woe and Set & Setting) who wanted to explore dreamier sonic pastures. It’s fascinating how Timelost doesn’t sound like either, though their previous acts’ appreciation for noise and haunting melody shine throughout Don’t Remember Me for This, out now on Golden Antenna Records. bizarre way to keep score – and a weird thing where you have games inside a set inside a match. Whatever. The Tennis System of note here is an LA band that straddles the line between punk and shoegaze. There’s way too much haze and reliance on atmosphere for the former, and entirely more energy and political frustration for the latter. Lovesick, out now on Graveface Records, exists as a powerful bridge between the two worlds, bolstered by an absolutely perfect production from Jack Shirley (Deafheaven, Oathbreaker). The record’s target feels very much in line with the introspective yet punk attitudes at play here, as vocalist and guitarist There’s a clear, heavy, grunge edge and punk velocity Matty Taylor notes. that propels these songs forward, both in spite and because of the gaze-y textures. That cohesion was built on a shared musical vision that was the result of a whole lot of trust and happy accidents, recounts vocalist and guitarist Shane Handal. “You know, we live in a very fucked up time,” he says. “You’ve got kids glued to phone screens, a racist bigot president, and social injustice around race and gender. The music world isn’t any better. The focus is no longer about the art of music, but rather how many “We have been friends for about a decade now through touring, and always kept up with each other through random phone calls. We spent more time on this album than I have ever spent on anything in my entire life, so that helps [laughs]. Also, being a thousand miles apart, we really had to trust and listen to each other’s ideas to ‘followers’ you have on your socials, the number of streams you’ve got on your DSPs and how similar your music is to that of someone else who is or has been successful. It makes me sick. Lovesick discusses the frustrations and personal struggles we have and continue to face in the industry.”�� create something like we did.” ��

PHOTO BY ANTHONY TRAN