Release of the Day: Mommy - s/t EP

As with their demo, on their debut Toxic State Records EP, Mommy takes on institutionalization and alienation from the perspective of being numb, unwanted, and self-loathing. The band's unorthodox vocals, bass, and drums setup is backdropped by intense swirls of noise, which make the brooding music all the more claustrophobic and disquieting. "Gross thighs, gross legs/walking the edge of towers/anyone that's nice enough/to want to touch me/usually thinks twice before/spending the night," Mike Caiazzo maniacally huffs in his half-gurgle, half-scream on the record's first track. It's an uncomfortable, masochistic listen and Caiazzo wields his voice like a whip, flagellating himself and anyone foolish enough to breach his personal space.

The EP also comes with a zine-like insert featuring song lyrics, notes from California hospital system "Contra Costa Health Services," and adorable childhood photos, rendered totally perverse by the surrounding content. But Mommy hasn't created a shock-inducing record so much as an unflinching one; something in the lyrics, photos, and delivery lead me to think this is an intensely personal and honest record. It's not a cheap thrill, but an exorcism, and, for my money, the best hardcore record of 2015.

Release of the Day: L.O.T.I.O.N. - Digital Control and Man's Obsolescence

There are more reasons to be paranoid than not in This Year of Our Lord 2015. New York's cyborg punk band L.O.T.I.O.N., no stranger to paranoia, questions authority from digital, organic, and systemic realms. Where does this authority come from? What damage it can do? How likely is it that I will take the brunt of misuse? On July 17, 2014, Eric Garner was the recipient of an illegal restraining tactic on the suspicion of selling "illegal cigarettes" and swatting away an encroaching government-sponsored arm. Due to victim's health, the illegal maneuver, and the extended period of time over which the maneuver was delivered, Eric Garner died. This isn't an isolated event, either; rather, it's one incident in the contemporary string of police brutality.

So when L.O.T.I.O.N. is talking about the "Militarized Urban Zone" on the first track from their excellent debut LP Digital Control and Man's Obsolescence, it isn't simply a dig at eerily imperialistic practices of the United States Military. This is status quo on American soil. Even a beacon of civilization and commerce like New York City is held hostage by those obligated to serve and protect. L.O.T.I.O.N.'s lyrical themes concerning control, violence, and censure aren't the stuff of sci-fi, though they certainly have a historical home there. The band is cognizant of this, but to hammer home the importance and ubiquity of their ideas, they use the present tense during lyrics. On "Torture Report," the sickening lyrical mantra "They Do This To People" repeats with the cyclicality of truth. They may have done this to people in the past and will continue to do it in the future, but it's applicable to now. And that's a terrifying thing.

Release of the Day: Broken Prayer - Misanthopocentric aka Droid's Blood

Broken Prayer isn't satisfied with humanity. On the opening track "Kid," from their blistering synth-dripping, hard-hitting record Misanthropocentric aka Droid's Blood (stream in the link) on Sorry State Records, Scott Plant, the vocalist, laments "It wasn't supposed to be born this way/it wasn't supposed to be born this way/so ugly/so dumb." What's so disfigured? What's so broken? A lot of things. And a lot of things that are way-the-fuck-out-of-line. Scott took a moment before playing "White Children" when I saw Broken Prayer in August of last year. The Ferguson shooting was still fresh and as a St. Louis native, Scott took a moment to talk about what it and the subsequent unrest meant for him. But Scott also touched upon the idea that we're so used to seeing people of color as the victims of police violence. What happens when the radius of violence trickles into other neighborhoods? What do you do when the perimeter of your circle of (what was actually fragile) idealism is breached?

Mark Plant, Scott's brother and lead guitarist of Broken Prayer, and I actually talked for over an hour at the Mousetrap, a DIY spot in Chicago, about what had been going on in Ferguson. He knew a lot more than me about what had happened and what this meant for St. Louis and furthermore what this meant for people like us who weren't in authoritarian roles. And it scares the shit out of me. And I'm a dude who passes for White without a second glance. I can only imagine what sort of fear a Black American or any person of color feels on a daily basis. Another way to think of Scott's lyric "How could God let this happen to White children" is "How could God let white children end up becoming the monster cops we see on TV strangling minorities and shooting kids?"

That's what's so ugly and so dumb. This cyclic violence. The creation of self-conscious authority ready to attack "the other." The idea that only some should feel safe. And beyond all that, this fucking stay-at-home-and-watch-people-get-hurt apathy.

This record stays with you, especially in light of recent (and recurring) events. It's catchy enough for the lyrics to get lodged in your head, and thought-provoking enough to make you want to do something about it.

Interview with Greg Benedetto of S.H.I.T.

S.H.I.T.

I wish I had gone to Not Dead Yet last year. The Toronto punk festival boasted one of the more memorable lineups in recent years with Hoax, Forward, Marked Men, A Cold World, Earth Girls, Rash, Destruction Unit, Perfect Pussy, and dozens more. And it's run by Greg Benedetto of mutant hardcore band S.H.I.T., a band both unsatisfied with bland punk for punk's sake and unimpressed with your distaste in the disinterested world at large. What's a complaint without a rallying cry but a whine? I'm not saying that S.H.I.T. is some sort of charity band: what I'm saying is that S.H.I.T. ain't fucking blind - they're going to hold the scars of a broken system up to the light and look for some next steps.

But there's also an element of the whimsical in the band, right? I mean, the name S.H.I.T. can be an acronym for a million things, but when you get down to business, it spells out "shit," you know, fecal matter? Ever heard of it? So there's this self-conscious absurd side to the band too, especially if you get down to songs like "Generation Shit," "Mind Fuck, and "Muscle Mag." Sometimes you have to laugh through the ugliness.

But, as Greg says below, getting started with your community is a great way to begin change, and one hundred percent necessary to the upkeep of a positive, thriving DIY scene, which Toronto has, in part because of the band's own venue S.H.I.B.G.B.'s, which is coming up on its first year anniversary. This stuff makes me happy. I'm a cynical fuck who often gets trapped in the idea that things only ever get worse, but hearing about positive community growth gives me hope that my grinch-sized heart can grow three times its size.

Jordan Reyes: Let's start with a little bit about Toronto. Are there any bands that you'd recommend checking out?

Collective Unconsciousness 7"

Greg Benedetto: There are a slew of excellent bands right now. Lots of good shit. TRIAGE, VCR, ANTI-VIBES, THE BRAIN, GAUCHO, ABSOLUT, MOCOSO, HASSLER, THE FLQs, FARANG, SEVERE, CONUNDRUM, BELT FIGHT, COLUMN OF HEAVEN, ABYSS, HIRED GOONS, WILD SIDE, STRAIGHT TRUTH, BILE SISTER, NEW FRIES. I'd go on record to say Toronto / Southern Ontario has one of the best DIY punk scenes going in the world right now.

JR: Another question I'm asking out of ignorance. Is there a history of punk music in Toronto? Do you ever feel like you guys come from a "historic line" of punk bands?

GB: Legend has it that, there was a band from D.C., named after a Ramones song, who used to practice playing Viletones' "Screamin Fist" before they had any songs of their own. Toronto had a scene that was on par with first wave punk in NYC, London & LA. We just weren't a major center at the time so it's not nearly as well documented. Only recently has it started to come to light via things like the books "Treat Me Like Dirt," & "Perfect Youth," and the documentary "The Last Pogo Jumps Again." We also have a pretty impressive history of hardcore acts that followed. Unfortunately, a lot of those bands released their works on cassette tapes, so they're still difficult to track down in the age of the download. YYY's "Sin" is a veritable classic though, no doubt. I'd recommend tracking down the TOHC '83 comp that was finally pressed to vinyl a few years back. It's a great snapshot of what was going on here. From 90 onward, Southern Ontario's lineage is indisputable. Chokehold, Left For Dead, The Swarm, No Warning, Haymaker, Violent Minds, Fucked Up, Career Suicide, Cursed, Urban Blight etc etc etc

JR: Toronto boasts one of the best music festivals around in my opinion - Not Dead Yet - do you guys have anything to do with organizing and helping the festival? Do you think it's a positive event for the city?

GB: Yeah, that would be me. My partner and I work on it with the help and support of a number of individuals, some of which are my bandmates. Measuring it's effect on the city is a bit difficult. I definitely think that it's helped the scene in the city grow, perhaps because it gives kids a touchstone and something that is from the city but respected abroad. It also helps embolden relationships with punks outside of Toronto, which is a huge asset. At the same time, festivals are not how things actually are. They falsify the record a bit. They're rarely the best conditions for a gig. Every year we think about what we didn't like about the year past and how we can push the festival to be the best one out there.

JR: You guys have a handful of cassettes and 7"s out right now. Are there any plans for an LP?

Generation Shit 7"

GB: We currently have no concrete plans for anything right now other than gigging here and there. Any future recordings will come when they come. Our latest recording will appear on a compilation on Beach Impediment records, due later this month.

JR: A lot of your songs deal with decay or are along the lines of things getting worse or even just being in a bad situation. Do you think punk is a response to this (even a measure of combat against it) or just another way to keep the trajectory going?

GB: Personally, I participate in punk because of hope not because of want for decay. The world is already shit, why would we want it to get worse? I think we're more interested in drawing attention to the shit, putting it in peoples faces, in the hopes that they realize they need to do something about it. 

JR: Do you think it's necessary for punk to be in response to something else or can it be played for its own sake?

GB: In 2015, if punk is being played for its own sake it's just rock music. In 2015, I think playing rock music is about the most boring thing you can do as an artist. Punk needs to be volatile, concerned and done for a reason beyond vanity. 

JR: Do you think you guys fall into the category of being "world-weary" and if so, does that affect the music you play? Let's put it another way. If the world were better off, would you still play punk/hardcore?

GB: I can't really answer that because I live firmly in the world that I see. Maybe if the world wasn't so rough these days and we were all at peace and there was no looming food crisis or other apocalyptic scenario we could chill out but that's just not the case. 

JR: I got to catch you guys in Chicago last year, which was a really great show. Do you get to tour as much as you'd like? Do you have plans to tour again any time soon?

GB: I'd say we play a sufficient amount for a band that has full time work and other obligations. We are not musicians first. We are human beings living under the same systems as everyone else. We just did some dates in Texas and Mexico. We will likely play out a few more times over the next few months when we can find the time. When we're not doing that, we focus our efforts locally on helping the scene here.

JR: What all is in the near future for S.H.I.T.?

GB: Our venue is approaching it's one year anniversary, so there's a milestone. Beyond that, who knows?

JR:Anything else you'd like to say?

GB: If you're not contributing to your community yet, start!

Interview with Rusty of Total Abuse

My friend Jeffrey and I were in Los Angeles in the middle of May for the Posh Isolation event 13 Torches for a Burn, which included sets from bands like Sexdrome, Iceage, Croation Amor, Puce Mary, and more. Neither of us had driven around Los Angeles much before, but we soon discovered that it is very spread out - long distances sometimes are traversed to get from one place to another. Throughout our trips to spots like Mount Analog, Vacation Vinyl, the Church on York, many vegetarian restaurants, and Los Globos, we needed to listen to good tunes. One of the bands that was played frequently was Total Abuse.

Total Abuse is a sometimes unsettling 5-piece band from Austin, TX that unabashedly incorporates hardcore with disturbing lyrics that sometimes ask as many questions as provide answers. They have released three full-length albums as well as a handful of 7"s and EPs on labels such as Deranged and Post Present Medium. They are currently about to put out another 7" titled Looking for Love and working on another full-length, which will be their first record in a couple years. They had been on a hiatus until this recent flurry of activity and set of dates with Chicago noise rockers Rectal Hygienics (one of my favorite bands from the area).

The members of Total Abuse are Rusty Kelley, Duncan Knappen, Ryan Foster, Dustin Pilkington, and Matt Lyons. I have never seen them live before, but am excited to see them on their tour through the U.S., which includes stops in most major cities. For tour dates and more info, check out their Website. You can also give them a "like" on their Facebook Page to keep up with their movements and see what they're working on.

I asked Rusty a few questions on the reunited Total Abuse

Jordan: Why did Total Abuse reunite now?

Rusty: We came back together because it was the right time. We had taken a break because I (Rusty Kelley) was having a hard time mentally and beyond. The last LP Prison Sweat was recorded under hellish circumstances. It is a dark record because it was written when we were all going insane and falling apart. Bad things.

R: Two years later we all started talking again. We are all healing and healthy. It made perfect sense to create together again. Total Abuse is ready to fight.

J: You guys are releasing a new 3-song 7" called "Looking for Love." Can you tell me a little bit about the recording process? Also, the artwork is incredible on it.

R: After playing our first show in two years we started writing new songs. We recorded with our good friend Dustin Coffey and the process was perfect. The songs deal with the desire to start over. To fully accept one's evil deeds and hoping someone forgives you. To search for new love and the process of licking the boots of those you have done wrong. Start anew dirty and screaming.

R: The cover art was done by an artist named Jamie Fletcher who also did the cover for the Prison Sweat LP. The back cover and insert fanzine was done by the artist Matthew Bellosi.

J: How did you get to know the guys from Rectal Hygienics and decide to tour with them?

R: I heard their LP and related solo projects. They seemed to be on the same path as Total Abuse in the spiritual sense. Reveling in the things that we obsess over, revealing the things inside our heads without shame or thought of the consequences. Rectal Hygienics has no secrets to tell. 

J: Is there anything in particular that you guys are looking forward to on this upcoming tour?

R: Playing gigs and driving through the great county in the world. America is our home, the place we love to be.

J: You guys have played a lot of shows. Are there any particularly memorable stories from any of your shows?

R: We once played at a venue in Brooklyn NY called 538 Johnson. The moment we got there, we could tell everyone hated our guts. They did not want us playing there (the band we were touring with was welcome so they had to allow us to play). We were hellishly drunk and angry and confused from a gig we had just played hours earlier. The moment the first note was struck our guitarist smashed into a group of kids and started sloppily punching them (if you can call it that) and kids started kicking and punching our guitar player as we finished the song. Our guitar player ran out of the venue and the show was over. Total fucking trash. A total failure. Ugliness to it's core. No faking. No wrestling moves. No bleeding foreheads. Just a bad reputation. 

J: I’ve always loved your lyrics. How do you write them?

R: I write about what I am ashamed of. I write about what I am afraid of. I write about the things I can't stop thinking about. I want people to see I am true in what I sing. What I sing is what comes from the heart. No gimmicks. No tricks. I promise. 

J: Looking back on your releases, are there any Total Abuse songs or releases that you like more than others?

R: They are all perfect

J: What have you guys been up to since you last played?

R: We have been writing tracks for a new LP on deranged records and preparing for our tour with Rectal Hygienics 

J: Rusty, I know you've been in a few horror movies. Are you guys big horror fans? Are there any favorites from you guys?

R: Reflections Of Evil by Damon Packard. The entire film is on youtube for free or available on DVD through amazon - It is a true horror film .

J: What’s in the future for Total Abuse and your other projects?

R: A new Total Abuse LP and more performances, Captive - black leather glove LP, Breathing Problem - the keyhole LP

J: Anything else you'd like to say?

R: Thank you so much. 

Interview with Carbonleak

I like mixed bills. It often seems that shows are catered to one genre in particular, regardless of how much musical overlap that fans and musicians may have with other kinds of music. The majority of people like more than one style of music. For some reason or another, though, mixed bills are the exception rather than the rule. One band, however, sticks out as working as being the non-hardcore band at hardcore shows around Chicago and the

Northwestern Indiana area. That band is Carbonleak.

Carbonleak plays in a slower-tempo shoegaze style influenced by many bands from the 80s and 90s, as well as the hardcore background that the band comes from. The band boasts members previously from bands like Raw Nerve, Sea of Shit, Dastard, and Erfert. The band has released a couple of tapes so far in their history, though they have played a lot of shows with artists like Destruction Unit, Waxahatchee, Nervosas, Swearin', and more. Tommy, Joe, and Mike have all been active, accomplished musicians for many years and Carbonleak is a reflection of that, albeit in a different musical guise from what is typical.

I don't want to spoil too much of what's in their future, but 2014 seems like a great year for the band, for reasons they illuminate below.

Check the band out on their bandcamp page, give 'em a "like" on Facebook and for G-d's sake, catch them at a show where they really shine!

Jordan: It seems like NWI is home to a ton of really incredible bands like Big Zit, Carbonleak, Public Assault, and more. There's a lot of overlap between NWI and Chicago, but do you think there's anything that makes NWI bands different? 

Tommy: We have always been very proud to come from and be involved with the NWI scene. It’s historically been just slightly different and more off-kilter than what happens in Chicago. The bands are weirder and the crowds tend do usually go off and be silly more than in Chicago. I think the difference is obvious in that in the suburbs and in Indiana there is just not as much to do and things aren’t as accessible in rural areas so punk becomes a little more than just something to do.

J: What bands do you guys play in?

Mike: Currently only Carbonleak

Tommy: Currently Joey is the only member that is playing with other bands. He plays drums in Big Zit and is filling in at Ooze shows but I think that might be permanent now?  He might even be playing with other bands that I am drawing a blank now! Oh yeah! He also plays in Pukeoid still. And a couple other bands that are on extended hiatus. Joey has always been in a handful of bands at the same time. It’s pretty rad. Mike and Joey used to be in a band called Dastard and they played a lot with my old band called Erfert. We have all been in a lot of bands over the years tho.

Joe: Yeah Tommy covers a current list. I tend to be play in numerous bands at once. I don't necessarily prefer to do that honestly. It just happens, haha.  At one time when I was younger and had more free time I was in 8 different bands at once. I can't balance all of that anymore at all or I'd go insane.

J: Carbonleak seems to be a bit different than some of the more punk-rock oriented bands that you guys play in. Why make a slower shoegazier band?

M: For almost ten years I had been in and out of power violence bands. After leaving Sea of Shit I was ready for a change.  Also, Joey and I were in a fuzzed out power-pop band called Dastard. After that band fizzled out Carbonleak kind of picked up where it left off.  

T: We are all fans of many types of different music, as most people are. There are a lot of bands that the 3 of us really like that were more on the shoegaze or whatever side of things and it strayed away from our more punk and hardcore past. We were talking about doing a band together in this vein for a very long time and there was actually a couple times in the past that we got together to start it and it just never really took off. But I am really happy that it finally did.

J: Yeah. We definitely listen to a ton of different types of music. The slower shoegazier stuff has always been a part of what we listen to while at the same time listening to the more punk-oriented stuff. Punk, and really I just mean hardcore when I say this, has always been very secondary for me even though I primarily played in more aggressive bands in the past and to this day. Punk can mean a million things now. You know, like, we're a punk band because of how we go about doing things for our band but we don't sound like a punk band, haha. Don't get me wrong, I love playing in the other bands I'm currently in but I've been playing drums for a very long time now and once I picked up bass to play in Pukeoid and kept at it, Carbonleak is where I have more of a creative input and I really love that. Also, Mike and Tommy are older than I am but we've all sort of grown up together. I've wanted to be in a band with these guys since I was like 17 or 18. Now we are and it’s the most tuned in band I've ever been in.

J: Are there any bands that you think influenced the Carbonleak sound?

M: I think we're all pretty eclectic in our musical influences but personally I take a huge amount of influence from certain bands: The Jesus and Mary Chain, Dinosaur Jr, MBV, Swirlies, Swervedriver, Sonic Youth... just to name a few. I think they're all pretty obvious. We aren't trying to reinvent the wheel. We just want to have fun.  

T: Tons of bands influence us and I think we would all probably have a different list of bands to answer this question. Personally, when we started I actually imagined this band to be even more chill than it is now. I was listened to stuff like Duster a lot and I know when we started that was a big influence that I had in my head. The songs ended up being more driving and louder than that kind of stuff. I think our history of being in more aggressive bands totally shows and I think it lends for a pretty cool combination. I think we are also very influenced by our friends bands a lot also.

J: Like Tommy and Mike explain we're all extremely eclectic. Aside from the obvious bands that Mike states, and Tommy's mention of Duster and preconceived thought of being more chilled out, which we all had, he also mentioned we are influenced by our friends a lot and that is definitely true. Really I think Carbonleak goes back a little further than we even knew. Mike and I were in a band called dastard together and we played in Appleton, WI one day where Tenement was supposed to play but they dropped. This was like 6 or 7 years ago. Anyway their other band, which had Amos on drums, Harlequin Kid played and our jaws were on floor. They sounded like Dinosaur Jr. and the fucking Swirlies but heavy. So long story short I suppose Harlequin Kid is kind of what got the wheels turning in me and Mike's heads and once Dastard stopped and we hooked up with Tommy finally it worked out into what we are now.

J: I know that you guys have a demo out from 2012 - have you guys written many songs since the demo?

T: The first demo that we released actually came out in 2013. Since then we have written a lot and recorded a couple times. We recorded for a 7inch a long time ago now and have been working on it forever. It should be out by the fall, after many delays. We have a handful more songs that are ready to record again but we are just trying to figure out how we want to release them. First idea is to record it all and split it up for a couple different releases, or we could stock pile them awhile more and do a full length. Since its been so long since the demo came out we decided to do another tape of demos that we released on a weekend tour we did. To keep things fresh and to have new music at shows we also have another tape that will be out soon that is live recordings from a show that we did at township.

M: Yeah, we're almost done with a 4 song 7" EP that should be out in the fall. We've posted rough mixes of two of those songs on our bandcamp - Windows and Short Chain. There's also an acoustic version of Underneath and a 4 track demo version of Hey Alice. They were released under the title Identity Aversions #1. Which was available on cassette for a limited time. We probably sold like 20 of 50. We lost the other 30 or so when Tommys van was stolen a few weeks back. In addition to that we've written about 5 other songs. Our live set usually on consists of 1 or 2 songs from the demo. 

J: Are there any plans to put out some of your new songs?

T: The plan right now is to put out a 7inch on our friends label called “Mudcat Records”  Before that sees the light of day we will have another tape out that will have a live set of songs.  I think the plan after that is to keep writing for a full length and find a sucker to put it out for us. 

M: I think we plan on doing a couple of splits or another EP after this upcoming EP. I'm hoping to have all of it released before the end of the year. 

J: I've seen you guys a couple times, but only in NWI and Chicago. Have you guys ever toured or considered touring?

T: To date we have not done any extensive touring yet. We have played outside of Chicago a decent amount though. In January we did a weekend of shows with our good friends in the band Cloakroom, And in April we did another weekend of out of town shows with Waxahatchee. And every chance we get we like to get out of town. In September we are doing a string of shows with our pals in the band Darto from WA. We have considered doing a longer tour in the fall or around when the 7 inch comes out. We don’t really want to go out for an extended period of time without a record out. But soon! 

M: We did a long weekend with with Cloakroom back in January and we did a few dates with Waxahatchee in April. We don't have a tour booked yet but I imagine we would in support of our upcoming release.  

J: What all is in the future for Carbonleak?

M: More shows, releases, maybe an additional member... 

T: The future of Carbonleak includes a lot more shows, songs and stuff. We are all very busy people with a lot of other shit going on but we all care a lot for this band and there is definitely a lot more in store

J: Who's your favorite superhero?

M: I don't know much about superheroes or comics but based on the amount of Justice League Unlimited that I've been watching I'd say Martian Manhunter 

J: Not much of a superhero guy. I like horror movies. Not much room for superheroes there.

T:The Chinese Redbud Woman

J: Are there too many Marvel movies now?

M: Probably 

T: There are too many movies and forms of entertainment in general.

J: Agreed with Tommy. Too much everything.

J: Anything else you'd like to say?

T: Thanks for the interview

J: Thanks Jordan.

Interview with Black Monolith

Passenger by Black Monolith is an inspired piece of epic sounds from the heavier end of the music spectrum. The one-man band from Oakland, CA had previously put out a digital demo release on Bandcamp in 2011, but hadn't released anything else until recently when Passenger came out on Derek Prine & George Clarke's (of Deafheaven) new record label All Black Recording Company. In my opinion, the label struck gold when they decided to put out Passenger - I can listen to Passenger when I run, drive to work, clean my guinea pig's cage, or really do anything.

The songs range from a blackened d-beat sound to black metal to post-rock. Gary, rather effortlessly, melds many styles of music together into one cohesive collection. This feat of songwriting, coupled with the single-handed nature of being in a one-man band, makes for something staggeringly impressive, which seems to only emphasize the pairing of the name "Black Monolith" with the music.

This album will surely make my year-end list and is well worth the price of admission. You can pick up the album and a beautiful t-shirt from the band's bandcamp page. The band has not yet planned any sort of tour or live date, so purchasing the album or a t-shirt is the best way to support great music!

Jordan: The name Black Monolith makes me think of 2001: A Space Odyssey, which is actually my all-time favorite movie. How did you decide on the name? Did Stanley Kubrick have anything to do with it?

Gary: Absolutely. I love Kubrick’s work and Space Odyssey is one of my favorite films as well. The black monolith, or TMA, in the film was always really interesting to me; as far as what it stood for and it’s role in the movie. When deciding on what to call my project, it was the only name that made sense. I never considered anything else.

J: Your music is a great amalgamation of punk, hardcore, black metal, post-rock, and more. How did you arrive at your sound?

G: I never set out to create a new sound. I have always gravitated more towards heavier music but have been greatly influenced by all sorts of genres. It has been satisfying for me to incorporate most of what I like into my music. If done well I think that many different genres can work together and often share similar characteristics even when they do not share the same family tree. It’s really a balancing act of putting my favorite parts together and it just comes out this way.

J: Similarly, how do you write your songs? Do you have to write out all the parts before you go into recording?

G: It usually starts with a riff or some chord progression. Over time I’ll build on the skeleton; adding drums, doubling guitar tracks, bass and vocals last. There is a lot of improvisation. Everything is recorded at my home,by myself. So I have a lot of freedom to lay things down on the spot and I’m able to work on my songs all at once. The lyrics start with words, phrases, or just a rhythm of vocal sounds that unconsciously pop into my head. They are almost never written beforehand. After hearing the song an exhausting amount of time, I start the mixing process.

J: Do you play live at all? How would you play a show as a one-man band?

G: Not currently. If I ever decided to take Black Monolith on the road I would prefer to have a full live band as opposed to a computer.

J: Before Passenger came out, you had released a 3-song EP in 2011. Did you put it out as a physical release at some point or was it just a digital release?

G: It was only released as a free digital download on Bandcamp. Never had any plans for a physical release.

J: The song "Dead Hand" appears on your demo as well as Passenger. Did many of the songs on Passenger come from that time?

G: Half of the album was written between 2011-2012 and the other half was written in 2013.

J: How is it being the first release on All Black Recording Company?

G: I can't thank them enough for trusting my work and putting the time and effort into releasing the record. 

J: Are there any projects you have been listening to lately that you'd recommend to people reading this?

G: WTF with Marc Maron is all i’ve been listening to lately.

J: What all is in the future for Black Monolith?

G: There’s a 7” in the works that will hopefully be released this winter. 

J: Anything else you'd like to say?

G: Thank you to everyone who has supported Black Monolith.

Interview with Nicktape from Coke Bust

I first heard Coke Bust while eating some pizza at Swerp Mansion (while it existed) a while ago. One of the dudes who lived there just put it on and it was awesome. When I was a beer salesman, I used to drive around and listen to Coke Bust's record Lines in the Sand because I always seemed to be angry at bar owners, who are often the scum of the earth and hearing some more anger was really therapeutic for me.

I finally got to see the band last year at the Coach House when they played with Culo, which was a great show. Coke Bust knows how to play a lot of different styles of hardcore, which makes for an exciting pit and also for exciting records. At the show, I got to pick up a tour-only copy of Confined, which was supposed to come out a little bit afterwards and it blew me away. It's a seamless record. But saying that is almost a cheapening of the flow so I'm going to expand upon it a little bit. When I listened to it, I definitely thought that the whole record was recorded in one take. Parts come and go effortlessly, which is something of a rarity in a hardcore record.

I don't know how many times I listened to "Sent in Circles," though. That song blew my fucking mind. And hearing the lyrics saying "we need a fucking change" before ending with "we're sent in fucking circles" made a lot of sense to me. It's a bit of world weary exegesis on pretty much anything. I could apply it to so much that was going on in my life.

In addition, I've become straight edge since the new year, so it had real-life application to me. It's a reminder of what needed to change in my life, so on a personal note, thanks Coke Bust (who are a straight edge band.)

You can check them out on FACEBOOK or see their WEBSITE or listen to them on spotify. But seriously, buy a damn record.

Jordan: Who all is in Coke Bust? When did you guys start? How did you guys know each other? What made you decide to start a band?

Nick: Coke Bust is Me (Nicktape), Jubert (Bass), James (Guitar) and Chris (Drums). Chris and I started the band in 2006, after being friends since about 2002. Our old high school bands used to play together and we grew up in the same suburb of DC. We wanted to start a fast straight edge hardcore band. Two of the members ended up leaving, but they got replaced by James (someone else we grew up playing music with in high school) and Jubert (a younger dude who we saw at lots of shows).

J: Has the lineup changed at all?

N: Yes, we replaced Jeremy and Parsons when they both quit.

J: When you think of Coke Bust, what adjectives would you use to describe the band? Are there any central ideas that end up making it on each song or release?

N: From a musical standpoint, "fast, energetic, independent." Lyrical, "therapeutic." There isn't really a set of rules or central ideas. We just do what feels right, as vague as that sounds.

J: How does a Coke Bust song get made? Is there a central songwriter? Does each person make their own part?

N: Typically, James or Jubert will come to practice with a set of riffs. We'll jam them out and then we will go around the room and say "I like X and Y but maybe we can add Z." Sometimes we trash the songs. Sometimes we end up re-working the songs so much that they sound nothing like they did when they were just a set of riffs. Each person makes their own part, but we are all pretty open to different ideas. For example, Chris (our drummer) wrote a riff. I sometimes suggest ideas for crazy drum shit. Jubert (bass) has written guitar parts, and everyone at some point has given me cool ideas for vocal arrangements. 

J: Similarly, how do you know when a Coke Bust song is done?

N: Once we jam it out and it's done we all kinda just know. There have been some times when we've gone back weeks later and said, "ya know... that one song... I think it could use something." So maybe it's not done until it's recorded? Haha.

J: How has the songwriting process changed throughout Coke Bust's existence? Or rather, has it changed at all?

N: I think it's changed for the better in the past couple of years with James in the band as our guitar player. The song writing process is much more democratic, free and there is kind of an unspoken "don't get your feelings hurt" rule that we sort of have. It works out well. Maybe it's just the fact that we've been doing this for so long?

J: What topics do you like to cover lyrically? Are there any consistent themes in terms of lyrics? (if you think you covered this in the above question, you can skip - i'm just a lyrics dude since I was an english major haha)

N: I just tend to write lyrics about things that are stressing me out or things that I feel like I need to get off my chest. That's really the only inspiration for the lyrics. There might be some constant themes, but ultimately it all just come from my anxiety!

J: You guys have been with Grave Mistake Records for a bit now - how has that been? Have you worked with other labels?

N: We have worked with other labels and I wouldn't say that we've ever really had a bad experience (aside form a tape that came out in Southeast Asia) working with labels. For the most part every label we've ever worked with has been great. Grave Mistake and Refuse Records have both put out multiple releases for us though, and we're very happy with them. I like the fact that when we do a record it's a conversation with a friend who we trust. It doesn't feel "business-y" at all and I like that. 

J: How do you all record your music? I saw that you used a studio in a video about recording the 12" "Confined" - is that typical? What studio is it?

N: We usually demo stuff either ourselves or at a friend's house. Whenever we do a record we go to a studio, though. Degradation, the Vaccine split and Confined were all recorded with Kevin Bernsten at Developing Nations Studios in Baltimore, MD. 

J: What was making "Confined" like? Was it any different than other times?

N: I wouldn't say it was much different. We tried pretty hard to make sure that the record flowed in a way that made sense. We wanted to make sure that the record was 100% all killer. We cut a bunch of songs and tried to record the songs like we would play them live. 

J: How was Hopscotch? I know it's kind of a different scene for you guys. Did you all get to see any other bands? How did you like Raleigh in general?

N: Hopscotch was weird, man. I liked playing the DIY pre-show at the record store way more! I enjoyed seeing Broken Prayer. They were cool. Raleigh has always been a great city for us, and I love playing there.

J: I got to see you guys in Chicago with Culo, which was really an amazing show. I thought it was kind of funny, though, that it was Culo since you're a straight edge band and they are like the antithesis of that. How was that?

N: Culo is an awesome band and everyone in Coke Bust is a fan. We like to play with all kinds of different bands. If we only played shows with bands that sounded like Coke Bust and had the same set of ideals I think what we do would get boring really fast. Everyone in our band loves all kinds of music outside of fast, straight edge hardcore. Pentagram, Sabbath, Hendrix, the list goes on. We just like good music. Culo is great. 

J: What all do you guys have lined up for the future?

N: We just got back from a Brazlian tour, but we're headed back to Europe soon to do a Western European tour: England, Scotland, Belgium, Spain, France and Portugal! After that we're going to play Damaged City Fest in DC. Then we will play Rain Fest in Seattle and tour our way down to Central America. We're working on a new record too. I'm stoked. 

Interview with Sickoids

I don't know how many times I have listened to 2012's Sickoids' LP off of Residue Records. I first heard about it in Maximum Rock n Roll about the time that I was moving back to Chicago from Durham. I didn't really know what all was going on in terms of music there, but I did want to keep my interest in hardcore alive and so I would read Maximum Rock n Roll and pick up fliers whenever I saw them, which eventually got me into my first DIY spaces. Needless to say, I missed the Sickoids playing here, but eventually I hope to see them again.

One of the major things I noticed when listening to the Sickoids record along with the lyrics sheet was the maturity and intelligence in their lyrics. I was really blown away actually. There's a lot going on in that record when listening to it - people coming and going in, death, war, and a general unease with life. That and the uncanny ability to throw really great hooks and anthemic choruses on top of a violent amalgamation of irritated guitars and panic-attack drums made the record really stick out to me. I was totally hooked.

They just put out a brand new record released by Sorry State Records and Grave Mistake Records (two of my all-time favorite record labels). It's a six-song twelve inch that can be streamed on the SORRY STATE BANDCAMP and purchased as well from either label. In addition, you can check out the band on their FACEBOOK PAGE or follow the band on their BLOGSPOT

Jordan: Who all is in sickoids? How long have you guys been playing together? How did the band start?

Sickoids: SICKOIDS is Rob (guitar), Vince (drums), and Eric (bass).  Rob and I were in another band together (Witch Hunt), and when it became inactive, we wanted to keep something going.  We began writing songs in 2010, and we acquired Eric towards the end of that year.  We played our first show in March, 2011. 

      

J: What's the name sickoids from?

S: The name was pulled directly from the SUBHUMANS (Canada) song 'Death to the Sickoids.'  We were looking through some of our favorite records - for band name inspiration, of course.  After going through 100s of potential names (even considering some of the hilarious results on the band name generator website), SICKOIDS just made perfect sense.

J: What all have you guys released? What's the history of releases you've done?

S: We released a demo in March 2011, a full length in March 2012, and our next 12" titled 'No Home' is coming out this month (April 2013).

J: What have been some of the bands you've enjoyed playing with?

S: We've been lucky to play with a lot of great bands: NIGHT FEVER, BUKKAKE BOYS, MANIPULATION, CULO, BLOODKROW BUTCHER, RATFACE, NIGHT BIRDS, MUTANT GENES, NEGATIVE DEGREE, PERDITION, BOSTON STRANGLER, TRAUMA, DOUBLE NEGATIVE, STRIPMINES, among many others.

J: Do you have any bands from your home that you particularly like?

S: Philly was our home, but we all recently moved to other cities.  Bands worth checking out from there include: BAD ENERGY, BAD SIDE, THE BROOD, BACKSLIDER.  Apparently the best current Philly bands have names that start with 'B.'

J: On your self titled record on residue, you talk a lot about war and social issues and alienation. How did those come to be so important?

S: The lyrics stem from things going on inside our heads.  So, they're not really limited to one approach or agenda.  Though, they tend to focus more on personal matters, rather than broad political new items.

J: Similarly, how does a song get written? What roles do you have in terms of the songs getting made?

S: One of us will bring a riff or two to the table and the others will add their own parts as they see fit.  Sometimes someone will have the entire song more or less mapped out.  We all have ideas or suggestions for all the instruments, and we're all pretty good about adapting to what works best for the song.  We've developed a really chemistry playing together, so things tend to fall into place quickly and naturally.

J: Your logos on your shirts are really intense from someone hanging to a man with a gun to a child to frank booth. I was surprised by the frank booth since it was so different being separated from things in real life. Where do the designs come from?

S: Even though some of the things going on in the shirt designs might seem random or separated from actual lyrical content, they do convey a mood.  That's something that's crucial to our artwork.  Rather than spell something out blatantly, we prefer to make it a bit more abstract.  When we look for new things to use in the art, we tend to levitate toward that kind of content - whether it be from a magazine or movie or AP photo from the library archives.  In the end, usually some sort of overall (dark) mood comes across.  

J: What is a live show like? How different is that from practicing? Do you have certain things that become staples of a performance?

S: One thing that has always stayed the same with our live sets is not stopping between songs and basically bursting all of our energy into that 15-20 minute block of time.  In that way, we try to make the music speak for the band, and playing as hard as we can is the best thing we know how to do.  

J: What was the process of putting out a 12 inch on residue?

S: We set out on a week-long tour just weeks after playing our first couple shows.  That's not always a good idea, but we felt that there was no point in waiting around.  We all agreed it just had to be done.  We played an awesome show in Chicago (it was probably the best set we had played as a band up to that point), and after the show we were hanging out with Jordan (Residue) and some other friends.  He liked our set and told us he'd be down to do a record for us when the time came.  We were obviously really stoked to hear that and glad that we were dumb enough go on tour after less than a month of being an active band.  As soon as we had enough songs, we recorded them with our friend, Steve Roche (Permanent Hearing Damage, Philly), and Jordan did a great job of making it a tangible thing!  We were all really happy with how it came out.

J: How was that record different than the new one on grave mistake/sorry state? Was the recording process the same? How was it working with those dudes?

S: The process was more or less the same for 'No Home.'  We knew that those guys were down to put it out for us (after talking to Daniel when we were on tour with the first LP - Alex got on board a bit later), and we knew we HAD to record the songs before we all moved out of Philly.  We knocked it out in basically one weekend, just weeks before we packed it up for Oakland, LA, and Richmond.  Again, Steve made it sound great, and the last six months has been getting all the artwork together and ready to print.  Alex and Daniel have really solid taste, and they know their shit when it comes to putting out quality records!  With all of our heads together (and all being in different cities), it took a little bit longer to produce, but we definitely came away with a better package in the end.  We're actually incredibly excited to see the finished product!

J: Do you guys have any other plans in the future?

S: Our only plan after the record coming out is to tour Europe for a little over 3 weeks in June.  The tour is being booked by Flo from Trapdoor Tours, and Chris from Hardware Records has been cool enough to press both of our LPs in Germany for European distribution.  

J: Anything else you'd like to say?

S: Thanks a lot for the interview!!