CLASSICS OF LOVE

It’s been some time since we’ve heard the emotional aggression of Jesse Michaels’s unmistakable voice, but 2020 has brought an unexpected dose of fond and familiar relief. On July 29, Michaels posted a Bandcamp link to a brand new five-song EP from Classics of Love.

Immediately noticeable is a much harder, faster, and stripped–down approach than when we’d last heard from the band in 2012. This is with good reason, as Classics of Love now consists of a whole new lineup of musicians. Michaels had planned on starting another band.

“[It was] an unnamed death rock project, which got canceled because of the pandemic,” he says. “It was spooky punk, kind of like TSOL or 45 Grave. This stuff was not originally going to be called ‘Classics of Love,’ but I couldn't think of a name. The guys in the old band Classics of Love, that I played with from 2008-2012, gave me their blessing to use that name.”

Jesse Michaels, Sharif Dumani, and Peter John Fontes used a Tascam MS-16 to record the new songs inside a practice space in Los Angeles. The updated sound was a welcome change, judging by the reaction of fans online, who said they’d missed the more oldschool sound of Michael's vocal delivery. Most often known or referenced for being the frontman of Operation Ivy, Michaels continued making music after they broke up in 1989, playing in bands such Big Rig and Common Rider.

His lyrics have been cited as works of timeless inspiration, being referenced in other songs and immortalized in tattoos. There is a passion and rage on these songs, creating a truly beautiful balance of empathy and aggression. In terms of what inspired the new approach, Michaels says he didn’t go to his usual sources. with the lyrics,” he says. “Mostly, I tried to go for an approach similar to the old hardcore bands I grew up listening to. Specifically, bands like The Fix, Negative Approach, The Necros, Minor Threat, and so on. Direct, honest, simply expressed feelings, and very aggressive.” “I do have a lot of rage inside because I think most people are blind, dogmatic, deeply unchari-

ing totally honestly, or as honestly INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST JESSE MICHAELS BY JORDAN WOLFE

Of course, there continue to be endless requests for an Operation Ivy reunion. When asked about the possibility, Michaels is not totally dismissive—but don’t expect it to

PHOTO BY ALAN SNODGRASS

happen anytime soon. “It is not absolutely out of the question, but not in the works,” he says. “Especially given the current state of live music for the foreseeable future. If it ever were to happen, a lot of things would kind of have to fall into place, and I am not even sure if it's really possible.”

Michaels is as humble as he is a recognizable name that thousands have thanked at some point in their life, whether for inspiration or for simply improving a record collection. But he is not immune to reality and its sometimes-unavoidable circumstances in terms of mental health.

“I have crushing depression and mental illness, so my life has no orderly productive flow, and is often just about survival,” Michaels says. “I do not go into heavy detail about my personal life in public, but essentially it is an illness that my entire family has.”

Thankfully, Michaels is as strong as he is aware of his inner workings, and he goes on to explain another delicate balance, between perseverance and defeat.

“With serious depressive mental illness, my experience is that it is an illness that eats the soul and turns a person into a fuckhead,” he says. table frauds,” Michaels says. “And do about it except get punches in that very statement that I just when you can. Exercise and so on. made conveys the fact that I have Fight as hard as you can every day, a bit of judgment in my own heart. and try to be of service. And that’s But this music is not about trying to life. Life says, ‘Fuck you, depresbe a saint. It is about communicat- sion,’ eat it and fight.” “And there is not that much you can as possible, and the hope is that Since this interview, Michaels has through that directness, it reach- gone on to say the Classics of Love es something in the heart that is lineup has once again disbanded, beyond language, that everybody but there are still plans to release can relate to. Including people a seven-inch version of their EP that don't agree with what I think.” through Asian Man Records. ��

PHOTOGRAPHY BY VINCE SADONIS

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST DAVE SMALLEY BY JANELLE JONES it reminds us all of our common humanity, just what we all bond over in life,” says vocalist Dave Smalley of Don’t Sleep’s latest release, Turn the Tide, out now on Mission Two Entertainment. “Because a lot of times, whether it’s stories, or music, or whatever else, movies, what kind of bonds this human family together is art. I think this will be one of those albums people can really believe in.” that,” he says. “As a fan and a player. or who have even died from COVID, Turn the Tide marks the second release Smalley has put out since we’ve all been affected by shutdowns and disruptions amid the pandemic. In April, with the Bandoleros, he released the Ignited EP, and in the works were tours with the Bandoleros, DYS, Down By Law, and, of course in support of the upcoming Don’t Sleep album, but all have been canceled. And the live experience is something Smalley lives for, laying it all out there every show. beautiful part of the hardcore exIn any case, as for this album and all Don’t Sleep stands for, the vocalist asserts: “This whole group is like a call to arms,” adding, “It’s got a certain chemistry to it that is very unique.” He hopes this album

Ifeel really great about this album coming out now because “

And people need something to be- “I love performing for crowds and lieve in during these hard times. Like connecting with crowds and inspirthe rest of us, Smalley, who’s been ing crowds,” he says. “Just putting involved in the hardcore and punk my arm around sweaty people and scenes since the early ’80s with bands screaming in a microphone tolike DYS, Dag Nasty, and Down By Law, gether. I don’t know what’ll happen and more recently Don’t Sleep and to my way of performing. I’m very Dave Smalley & the Bandoleros, is well-known for grabbing people by feeling cooped up and missing going the shoulders and screaming into to shows and playing out. the microphone with them. That’s a “I miss going to concerts; I'll tell you pression, that physical connectivity.” I miss both sides of it. I’ve been in this Smalley wonders when he can go perpetual thing of weirdness since back to that way of performing and March, no touring and no playing. when we can all get back to going to It’s a minor complaint because there crammed shows, but as is his wont, are people who’ve gotten really sick he remains positive. “will make people feel good and

so my complaining is not meant to “I hope it’ll be able to come back,” he be even in the same conversation as says. “I’m sure it will. We’re humans; that. But it has been weird.” we get through stuff. We do.” The album truly is delightful, teeming with “hard, fast ragers,” as Smalley says, while also incorporating some other unexpected elements with songs like the reggaefied “The Wreckage” and the acoustic closer, “December.”

About how extremely powerful the songs are both musically and lyrically, Smalley explains: “I think really there’s two things about hardcore that have made I think people like you or me, have helped shape us, which obviously the music—the music is fast and powerful. And it feels good by the way to be back in a hardcore band. I gotta tell you, it feels great. But, the other side of the coin is the lyrics. This isn’t—and I love the Carpenters—but this isn’t a Carpenters, love song genre. This is where there’s a lot of passion and pain and determination and overcoming odds. Those are things that are part of hardcore.”

“You can’t divorce the lyrics from the music in hardcore,” he concludes. �� �� ��