Monday, June 30, 2008

Alkaline Trio - Agony and Irony

Alkaline Trio - Agony and Irony
Epic Records

Alkaline Trio are at that point in their career where no matter what they do, people will bitch about it. If they put out an album that sounds different, old fans will complain that it doesn't sound like their old records. But, if they put out something that sounds like the early stuff, people will complain that they haven't progressed their sound. It's the vicious catch 22 of the punk rock community. You can't win.

While I can say that I haven't really been enthralled with the last two Trio records, they're always solid albums with a listen from time to time. And as I said in last week's live review, they're still a fun live band who gives it their all every time. So, regardless of any negative stuff I saw online, I was excited to check this record out. Unlike the aforementioned fickle fans who are never satisfied, I was impressed with Agony and Irony.

"Calling All Skeletons" is a great opener, with one of the best verses The Trio have put out in a while. So catchy. The same can be said of the next two tracks, which already appeared on a teaser EP they put out a little while back. "Over and Out" is the first to really slow the album down, and Matt's first song that really deals with some storytelling, which is cool. It's not entirely from the first person perspective; he looks at other "characters" throughout the song. The bassline is killer as well.

Throughout the album, there is a poppy sense of catchiness that Alkaline Trio always does well, but there's a lot less of the pseudo goth nonsense that can get annoying. Actually, I don't think there's a single mention of a coffin, which is nice. "Live Fast, Die Young" is the only real dud of a track, as it's pretty slow and never seems to reach what it's building towards in it's four plus minutes. "Love Love, Kiss Kiss" is a catchy song, despite the lyrical misstep in "Love love, kiss kiss, blah blah blah," but I figure Dan is usually good for one lyric botch per album, so I'll let it slide.

While it's not the perfect Alkaline Trio record, Agony and Irony is one more solid album in the impressive catalog these guys have strung together. It's on a major label, and hopefully they pick up some new fans, but I'm not sure I see them selling out arenas in the near future. Really, it's a shame since they have over a decade of solid records, but such is the fickle music industry.

Lemuria / Crumbler / Fallen From the Sky - 6.27.08

Deep Sleep
7:30PM

After a streak where I didn't get to too many shows, I was lucky to catch yet another awesome one for the second Friday night in a row. Early that evening, Heather and I headed out to Old City (where I miraculously found cheap and easy street parking), and got some delicious, albeit costly, ice cream at Franklin Fountain. We wandered around a bit and found ourselves at the show a bit before 7. As expected, a decent amount of people we knew were already there, as this show as shaping up to be an awesome time.

Florida's Fallen From the Sky played first. I think I've managed to catch them about once a summer for the last three years, and they're always strong. They're never a band that completely floors me, but I'm always happy to see them turn in a set. They have a melodic punk sound, not unlike Strike Anywhere, but with heavier vocals. I always find it odd that they went so far in the MTV2 contest thing a few years ago, given that they seem to only draw a handful of kids in Philly and I've never seen them outside of a basement, but they're a good band and nice guys, so I always want them to do well. They played mostly songs from their new full length, Tonight We Radiate, and I really wanted them to play their Beyonce cover (done for the aformenioned MTV2 contest), but no luck. You can, however, hear it on their Myspace page.

One of my favorite hardcore bands that never plays is Crumbler. They pretty much disappeared for a while, and with Klint being on tour a lot, that makes sense, but I was happy to hear that Dirty Weeks was being put out on vinyl and this would be their release show. Before the show, Larry told me that they'd play 13 songs, which I assumed would take about 11 minutes. Well, including some technical difficulties, and a lot of heckling, their set stretched out to a bloated 20 minutes. They played most of the songs from Dirty Weeks, as well as a handful from their demo. I really hope that they keep playing, although I'm sure that's a futile wish. Either way, great band, great dudes, and I try to check em out any time I can.

To futher add to the genre diversity of the show, Lemuria played last. This three piece has pretty much grown into one of my favorite bands in the last few months, and I can safely say that Get Better will be in my top albums of the year at the end. Unfortunately, they didn't play toooo many songs from the LP. They recently released a collection of early material on Asian Man Records, and I can honestly say I haven't listened to much of it at all. They played a lot of these songs live, so I was at a loss for familiarity, but they sounded tight, and faster than they do on record, which is good. The vocals were way low in the mix, but the music was full, especially considering they only have one guitarist. The songs from Get Better that they did play were some of my favorites though: Pants," "Lipstick," "Dog"/"Dogs" (!!) and then closed with "Mechanical" (sans whistling). I was really happy watching their entire set. Great band who deserve the success they've gotten in the last few months, and I can wait to see them again and hear what they have comin out.

Friday, June 27, 2008

LaGrecia - On Parallels

LaGrecia - On Parallels
Suburban Home Records

Jason Shevchuk is a hell of a singer, and an engaging frontman. However, Jason Shevchuk is a pretty bad songwriter. I love Jason's voice in Kid Dynamite, but it was only part of what made that band so special and important for so many people. In the early era of None More Black, Jason was now the primary songwriter, and the early NMB material was pretty poor. To be honest, I'm not even a fan of the first LP. But, when Dave Wagenshutz and CPM (and later Jared Shavelson) stepped into the band, they gave it new life, and gave Jason's songwriting the supplements that it needed. Strong drum parts and stepped up guitarwork helped the band improve, and by the time they broke up, they were one of the best melodic punk bands going.

Unfortunately, Shevchuk hasn't surrounded himself with this talent in LaGrecia. Not only is he the primary songwriter, but he's also the only guitarist - a position I'm not sure he has the chops for in a band of this style. LaGrecia has stepped out of the ordinary for Jason and infuses more of a rock element. At times, it's fun and interesting. The chorus to "According to My Notes" is catchy and fun, "My Lightening" is solid, and "The Montage" is a deeper, dark ending to the album.

However, the album misses more than it hits. The drums are weak throughout, and very little is done to change it up and keep songs interesting. The bridge in "You Like Baseball, I Like Ghosts" could provide a nice change, but it just seems empty. "Slower Than Manasses" never builds any steam or anything attention grabbing, and jazz inspired "Two Shotguns" borders on unlistenable.

After hearing the original LaGrecia demos, this was a surprise, since I expected the whole thing to be terrible. There are impressive parts and elements to this LP (not to mention the stunning album art), but by and large it misses its mark. Part of this can be attributed to Shevchuk stepping outside of his usual realm, and part can probably be attributed to him being a weak songwriter with minimal support musically from the rest of his band. Unfortunately, they've already broken up, and we'll never see if they could get it together.

Sigur Rós - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust

Sigur Rós - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
XL/EMI

The Icelandic kings of dreamy, spacey rock are back, hot off the heels of their widely acclaimed movie Heima, with a new full length. Before you listen to Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust you probably have already set your expectations. You're expecting a record filled with tons of gorgeous atmosphere, songs pushing the ten minute mark, and bascially a record that logically follows everything else they've done.

With their latest full length, Sigur Ros turns your expectations upside down, and changes everything you thought about them. Sure, the epic soundscapes are there. The cello bow still strums the guitar, and soft melodies turn into soul melting crescendos. But, from the opening acoustic guitar riff of "Gobbledigook," it's obvious that this record will be different. The first two songs are arguably pop songs. If you could understand what he was saying, you wouldn't be surprised to hear these songs get huge, or be all over the radio. The first two songs clock in at under 7:15 (combined!!), and have fairly standard structures. Drums pound, hands clap, horns blast, and acoustic guitars are prominent. Dare I say, this is some of the most interesting music Sigur Ros has hit us with.

"Festival" is the first song to approach the ten minute mark, and while it starts slow, and spacey, it ends with another horn filled triumph. The same is true for the other "long song" on the album, although it's not nearly as strong as "Festival." As a whole, the second half of the record is much slowed and more what you'd expect from Sigur Ros, but it's still impressive. The emotion and power conveyed through the minimalism in the last two tracks is great.

While I'd never criticize Sigur Ros' earlier work, it's wonderful to see them pushing the envelope and trying to change their sound so drastically. The irony of challging themselves to actually fit into a more conventional sound is interesting, but I'm glad to see them pushing themselves as artists.










Thursday, June 26, 2008

Alkaline Trio / Bayside / The Fashion - 6.24.08

The Chameleon Club
6:30 PM

Before Tuesday night, I hadn't been to the Chameleon in at least five years. But, at the prospect of seeing Alkaline Trio there, I had to go. Compared to their Philly show at the TLA, the club was much smaller, more intimate, and had better sound. And for Heather, a major selling point was Bayside playing at the Lancaster show, and not the Philly date. So, we headed on out past the smell of horse manure and smorgasbords to The Chameleon.

Shortly after arriving, The Fashion began playing to a half empty room, despite the show being sold out. Initially, I wasn't sure how I felt about them, but after they won me over after a few songs. They were energetic and tight, playing a mix of indie punk, with a dancy feel. Despite being from Denmark, they sung in English, and had a fun vibe throughout the set. It got a bit long by the end, but overall they really impressed me. The mix was a bit shoddy at first, and throughout the entire set, the stage left guitar was overpowering, but they sounded good. I could have done without any of keyboard parts (which were already minimal). I really enjoyed The Fashion, for never having heard of them, and I hope they make their way over from Denmark again soon.

Bayside played next, and my mom always taught me if I didn't have anything nice to say, not to say anything at all. I'm kidding, to an extent. They were really tight, and the drums sounded huge, but they seemed a bit slow, and the song selection left a lot to be desired. Of course, I'm not one of the biggest fans of this band anyway, so my opinion may be biased. Either way, I wasn't too interested in their set, although the Hot Topic inspired crowd seemed thrilled with it.

After a set up pause that was way too long, Alkaline Trio finally hit the stage. It'd been years since I'd seen them, and I felt some nervousness about how they would live up to my memories and expectations. Well, any trepidation was wiped out when they opened with "Private Eye." From there, they played at least 17 songs, which I tried to remember, but I invariably missed some. They were energetic and involved in the set the entire time, and strung songs together from all albums. I heard a lot of my favorites that I didn't expect to hear, as well as some of my favorites from Agony and Irony, which will be out soon. Dan had some trouble with his bass amp towards the end of their set, but they worked through them to close with "This Could Be Love" (including a three tier sing-a-long challenge), and an encore of "Old School Reasons" and "Radio." Despite the crowd being annoying (I'm chosing my words very carefully), they knew songs from all albums and sang along to almost all of the set (with the only exception being the songs from Maybe I'll Catch Fire - aside from "Radio"). Despite not seeing The Trio for years, I was happy to see that one of my favorite bands still turns in great performances, with a wide array of songs from all albums.

Setlist (in minimal order): Private Eye (opener), Armageddeon, She Took Him to the Lake, I Lied My Face Off, In Vein, Help Me, Calling All Skeletons, Nose Over Tail, Message from Kathleen, We've Had Enough, Crawl, Time to Waste, Mercy Me, Maybe I'll Catch Fire, Goodbye Forever, This Could Be Love (closer), Old School Reasons (encore), Radio (encore).

Jena Berlin / Landmines / Stay Sharp / The Mad Splatter - 6.20.08

The Party Mansion
8PM

This show definitely had more of a party feeling than a show. A majority, if not all of the bands, were friends in some way, and a majority of the people in attendance were friendly, or knew each other somehow. Beers were drank, fun was had, and craziness went down. Overall, this was one of the most fun shows/parties I've been too in a while. I got to see some people I haven't seen in a while, and all of the bands were great.

The Mad Splatter were the first band to play, and to be honest, I didn't have very high expectations. The whole idea of themed bands never really appeals to me, and the horror movie theme is something that REALLY doesn't appeal to me. However, they were pretty good. Very heavily inspired by Screeching Weasel, but with scratchier vocals and a little bit more of an edge. With only one microphone, they seemed a bit flat and could have used some more melody, but I assume that's something that will be worked on with recording or a better PA system. As far as the lyrics are concerned, I have a feeling I won't really be able to get down with the horror theme, but there were enough "baby"s and "whoa ohs" to keep me entertained and just imagine that they weren't songs about zombies or whatever. By and large, I was impressed with The Mad Splatter, and assuming they keep at it, they're on the right track. I'll probably never been a fan of the horror theme, but it's fun, solid pop punk, and who can complain about that.

One of the best new bands to hit Philly in a while is Stay Sharp. It seems like they've come out of nowhere, but they've been on some killer lineups, and they deserve it. They played a short set of intense hardcore inspired punk, with a ton of energy. They sounded big and full, and were a blast to watch. Kids seemed to really enjoy them, and a little bit of "mosh" broke out. As with the Doylestown show, they played their Warzone cover, and did so well. I don't have any recordings of these guys yet, but I need to remedy that soon. I've really liked them when I've seen them live, and I'm sure that will be happening a lot more in the future. Not to mention that a bunch of their songs have baseball inspired titles, so that works for me!

Landmines were the only non-local on the bill, but they fit the show perfectly. They're a gruff punk band from Richmond, and it shows. They came out (some sleeveless!) and killed it. Lots of energy, lots of intensity and an overall solid set. This made me pretty bummed that I missed them at FEST, but I'm not going to make that mistake again. I'm not familiar with their recorded material, but they have a record (coming) out on Paper and Plastick, the new vinyl and digital label from Less Than Jake, so I need to make sure I check out their new record.

Finally, to end the night, Jena Berlin started. Sort of. After a song or two, they had a bunch of trouble with their bass amp (and any other gear they borrowed). Regardless, when they did manage to play, they were energetic and fun as usual. Jon ended up all over the room, Jeff flipped a drum set, mics and beer bottles were thrown, and tons of fun was had. They played a handful of songs from both full lengths, including "Chelsea" and "Truth About Liars" as well as three songs from their forthcoming 7", This Is Mine As Much As It Is Yours. Despite the technical problems, heckling, and drunken antics, Jena Berlin turned in an awesome set, which I've pretty much come to expect from them. Good band, great dudes, fun night.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

The Steinways - Gorilla Marketing














The Steinways - Gorilla Marketing
Cold Feet Records

Realistically, I should have reviewed this record months ago. When it leaked, I found myself listening to it constantly, but struggled to keep from reviewing it, since it was still months away from release. I figured I'd wait until at least the pre-orders were up. Well, now the pre-orders are up and I'm no longer listening to this record daily. Not to mention, most people who would be interested in this have heard it and made up their minds already. Regardless, I'll try to do my best with this review.

It's funny when a band "matures." Sometimes it's great, and other times it's horrible. On Gorilla Marketing, pop punk darlings The Steinways have put out a much more mature pop punk record (I'll take Oxymorons for $1000, Alex). From the opening guitar interplay on "Arena Rock" to the dance inspired "(Nobody Wants To) Make Out (With Me Because I Wear Sweatpants)," it's obvious that they've been working on their songwriting. Guitarist Ace and bassist Michelle sing a lot more on this record, and they've thought about their vocals a lot. Ace's songs seem to be the most catchy, but at the same time, I'm not 100% sure how I feel about them. At first, I liked them, but as I've listened to the record more and more, I feel like they're a tad weaker.

Now, just because they've matured, it doesn't mean that the Steinways have lost the clever playfullness that made them fun in the first place. "Fuckmarket Pharmacy" is the perfect follow up to "Fruitmarket Fantasy" from the first LP. "Half Baked Heartache" has a great break down/bridge with a catchy homage to Boston Market, and really makes me want cornbread. "Manhattan Boots" challenges Blink 182 in it's sexual brusqueness. So, even though they're maturing, it's good to see that they are still keeping it fun, and hilarious. This is what makes me love the Steinways so much. Fun lyrics, catchy vocal melodies, and tight harmonies. That's what this style of pop punk should be.

Now, even though I love the Steinways, it's not to say that this record isn't without it's flaws. The aforementioned "(Nobody Wants To) Make Out (With Me Because I Wear Sweatpants)" is kind of grating at times (if not hilarious), and the effects scattered throughout seem tacked on and pointless. The closing instrumental track also has that tacked on feeling, and to me, doesn't give the closing to this album that it should have. I wish that it ended one track earlier, with "CGI," which I think is one of the stronger songs on the album.

Despite it's shortcomings, this is definitely up there as a contender for my album of the year so far. It's fun, it's catchy, but it shows that the Steinways are able to progress and not get caught in the trap that a lot of similar bands do. This record is finally up for pre-order, and you should definitely pick one up asap. Also, try to catch them at Insubordination Fest this summer!

The Honor System - Single File














Asian Man Records

One of my bigger show-going regrets is skipping out on seeing The Honor System when they played Funrama in Philadelphia a few years ago. My girlfriend at the time and I had gone to the Philadelphia zoo that day, and she didn't feel like going to a show afterward. I sort of agreed, and we ended up heading home. In hindsight, I'm still kicking myself, since I never got another chance to see them.

This record features Dan Hanaway, formerly of the Broadways (and the "original angry guy with a beard" according to Brendan Kelly), playing a more heavy indie rock than his previous band. More technical leads and interwoven guitar parts fill the album, with Hanaway's typically socially conscious lyrics. The lyrics are really my favorite part of the album, but gruff vocals and strong intensity really make this a great listen. They have a handful of other releases, and while good, they never really grabbed me like this album did. Check it out, and if you like it, check out Dan's old band, The Broadways, and his new band, Whale | Horse.

DOWNLOAD

Friday, June 13, 2008

Interview - Jon Nean (Blacklisted)

I first met Bean when he was playing with No Roses, who I absolutely loved. When they broke up, he was playing bass for Blacklisted, and then eventually moved over to guitar. I was glad to hear Bean writing riffs again, and frankly, this new era of Blacklisted is by far my favorite and they're rising to the top of the hardcore crop. Between their crazy tour schedule, Bean dropped me an email with these answers.

1. Ok, you have friends in from out of town. What five places in Philly do you take them?
The first place i usually have to take people is the Art Museum steps.(not my choice) Rise and Fall from Belgium has requested that trip more than once. The second place would have to be Kims at Kensington and Ontario to get a haircut. Third would be Govindas for a swell veggy lunch. Fourth would be Chinks on Torresdale ave for all the meat eaters and seekers of authentic Philly cheesesteaks. Last but not least would have to combine two favorites since they are both close in proximity and near and dear to my heart: Santucchis Pizza and than the Philadelphia Water Ice Factory at Frankford and Castor.

2. Favorite venue in Philadelphia to play? Favorite to see a show?
The First Unitarian Church since The Killtime and Stalag no longer exist. My favorite place to see a show is the same answer. Doing flips off the PA speakers and not getting kicked out...

3. Favorite all-time show(s) you've seen in Philly?
No particular order: AN at The Killtime. Subhumans in The Conflict House basement. The first time H20 played the Church with Crown of Thorns. Oxymoron at the Rotunda. Walking Concert at the Khyber. Little League/Rival Schools at The Pontiac Grill. I could go on for days.
Philadelphia has had so many great bands/artist come through.

4. Top current Philadelphia area bands?
Paint It Black
Let Down
Brain Dead

5. Top all-time Phiadelphia area bands?
Ink And Dagger
Kid Dynamite

6. What records are you loving right now? (Not just Philly bands)
NMH - On Avery Island
Baroness - Red Album
Paint It Black - New Lexicon
Let Down - We're in This Alone
The Flaming Lips - Transmissions From The Satellite Heart

7. Best food in Philly. Which is your top spot for each?
I guess i answered most of these in the first question mainly because
every time people visit from out of town all we end up doing is eating
so I'll give some different answers.

Pizza? Since Tuccis was named already...Montecinis in the Mayfair Mall is my number 2.
Burrito/Mexican? Im a sucker for The Mexican Post
Cheesesteak (vegan counts)? Giannas, duh.
Chinese? New Harmony
Other? Primos Hoagies.

8. Closing up, what do you guys have planned for the near future? Shows/records/tours/etc?

Our new LP "Heavier Than Heaven, Lonelier Than God" just came out April 1st. We just got home from a six week U.S. tour in support of said record. Later this month we will be flying down to Florida for 3 shows with our friends Paint it Black. Shortly after that we will hopefully be doing 10 days in Canada with This is Hell. Then we are off to Australia/New Zealand. Then we do Sound and Fury and This is Hardcore here in Philly. After that we will be headed to Mexico, Central America and South America for a month. Come home for a day or two than leave for Japan. After Japan we have a BIG U.S. tour in the works with three of the best bands in Hardcore today. Busy Busy Busy.

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Farside - The Monroe Doctrine














Revelation Records

I have no idea why my friend Bill picked this record up while we were in high school, but I'm glad it did because it really opened up my eyes to some other stuff. It got me out of a "punk rut" that I was in at 16 and really helped usher me into the Revelation "emo" sound. Bill was one (and may still be) one of those kids that loved to skip around records. Because of that, we only ever listened to a handful of songs from this record whenever we were in his car. However, those three or four songs are definitely some of the stronger songs on this record. "Moral Straightjacket," "I Hope That You're Unhappy," and "The Slowdance" were full of emotion, and not in a way I'd really embraced before. They almost sounded like they could be radio rock hits, but at the same time, there was an aggressive edge to it and heavier guitars.

Now, while I really like this record, towards the middle, it kind of takes a strange turn and loses me for a bit. A "joke" song, a few forrays into cheesy metallic guitars, and thrash-ish crossover song make the middle of the album worthy of a few skips, but even despite all that, there are a solid 10-12 awesome songs that make this record worth listening to, especially if you've never listened to it.

DOWNLOAD

Friday, June 6, 2008

Braindead - No Consequences

Braindead - No Consequences
Burn Bridges Records















It's no secret that I think Braindead is one of the best hardcore bands in the Philly area. They've come along way over the last few years, and with a steady lineup, I think they're ready to get the respect the really deserve. Their first demo 7" was solid, and showed a lot of promise, and their split with Blackbirds really impressed me. I've been anxiously awaiting a full length, and a few weeks ago, Stevie sent me the mp3s of this. It's been in pretty heavy rotation since then, and is now out on CD and the LP is available for pre-order.

No Consequences starts with an ambient opener that really reminds me of the first song on Fairweather's Lusitania. Spacey, yet building, and a perfect taste of the new sound of Braindead. The second track, "Sure is Lonely Down Here" almost seems like an extension of the opener, as it never really develops into it's own song. It's 1:40, but doesn't stick out for me aside from the first few lines, so I kind of look at it as an intro. Following this, the songs really start to come together and a lot of growth is shown. "Guilt and Shame" is redone from the demo and sounds a lot more powerful, even without Perry doing a guest spot.

The middle of this album is so strong it's unreal. "Presented In" picks up where the intro left off and has a slow, plodding end with spacier guitars that lead into "So Single." This may be my favorite song on the entire record, and the guest vocals by Jon Loudon at the end are the huskiest his voice has ever sounded. "Dear Alison" is a great musical interlude that really shows how Braindead is pushing themselves and stepping outside of what is expected from a typical hardcore band. These three songs in a row are really strong and keep the album from falling into a lull throughout the middle.

"A Wake For a Dream" is a 6+ minute closer that ends much the same as On The Might of Princes album Where You Are.... Just like the OTMOP record gets louder, the No Consequences builds, the song distorts, and eventually breaks up, with little holding it together other than the guitar lead that sneaks through. I'm not a huge fan of how abruptly the ending cuts off, but I think it's a nice touch to the record.

Hopefully this record will give the guys in Braindead the success they deserve, and people really give this band the attention they deserve. With a killer LP, a lineup that seems more solid, and a lengthy summer tour schedule planned, this seems likely.

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Interview - Jeff Ziga (AAJ, Armalite, Amateur Party, etc)

Jeff Ziga is a man that you've probably seen around Philly. A lot. He's taken your money at the Church door. He's stage dove on you at many shoes. If you're lucky, you've seen one of his 6 million bands. If you're me, you sat with him in an airport while a pilled out black dude tells you about hanging out at TGIFridays in Gainesville. Jeff gave some really detailed answers, complete with links for you! Because it's so long, I left it all in lower case, which normally bugs me, but at least he was consistent with it, so I'll let it slide. Enjoy!

1. Ok, you have friends in from out of town. What five places in Philly do you take them?
ok weather's nice, so we're gonna assume that in this hypothetical situation. first, we'd go to mini-golf in franklin square. every bullshit tourist spot that i went to on a field trip ages ago is represented in miniature but are no less impressive than the actual tourist destinations they represent. plus you're playing minigolf. also, i think they sell ice cream there. second, ray's for iced coffee. it's probably the best iced coffee in the city and it is also nearby. third, probably south street. people like it and want to go there. i used to and sometimes still do, but i'm deferential to other people and their wishes and if i was visiting their city i'd probably want to do whatever corny thing they are totally over. i like sitting in the park better. soooo, fourth, the park. which ever one. i've never gotten in trouble for drinking in the park except once in washington square when my friend pretended to burn a miniature american flag on the memorial flame and a park ranger saw her. if you can somehow manage to not to do something completely retarded like that, you'll be fine. anyways, parklife is fun and relaxing and it is a good place to hang out for a bit, have a few beers and start calling people and find out who's doing what. that leads us to... fifth, i don't know. we're at the point in the day / evening when you have to let it ride and see what happens. this hypothetical day has been all about that already. starts off somewhere and just sort of winds around with no rhyme or reason. i'm dealing with some general "friends from out of town" and not specific people. it's like this, i'm not gonna take my aunt record shopping. so it's tough. mutter museum? have they been there? are they edge? are they up for sneaking into a hotel pool late late night or do they want to nerd out and listen to records and drink? it's all good in my eyes.

2. Favorite venue in Philadelphia to play? Favorite to see a show?
dis-fucking-graceland. it's also my favorite bar. hands down. it's actually the only bar in the city that i have a strong opinion about. most places are just places. i don't give a shit about what the place looks like. i like it if the people that i'm forced to consider while i'm there are likeable. but disgraceland i like because of the actual place and that's sometimes in spite of who i have to hang out next to. i've been drinking in there on more than one occasion and the guy working the bar was blasting cock sparrer's shock troops, which i appreciated greatly. i don't frequent the place at all as much as i'd like. the last time i was there was to see forca macabre and someone was all "what are you doing here?" and it made me feel weird but i guess i brought that on myself for wearing a plain white t-shirt to a crust show. i also wore khacki pants to see angelcorpse at the troc. eh.

3. Favorite all-time show(s) you've seen in Philly?
i have no idea. ink and dagger with dave w on drums? american nightmare at 802 lombard? tool at the first union center with floor seats and two personal joints? i'm just going to put avail at the first unitarian church on a sunday afternoon sometime around '96 or '97 because it was a good early show experience and it was very hot and crowded and i talked about it a lot afterwards. there's just too many. i've been impressed so many times. but i put avail on there cause i saw them most recently at the fest in gainesville last october and they still killed it.

4. Top current Philadelphia area bands?
tough to say. but i'm committed to putting one and only one. clockcleaner.

5. Top all-time Philadelphia area bands?
again, tough one. but i'm committed. ink and dagger with dave w on drums. i actually don't think that's true, but whatever. they were awesome and it's a reasonable enough answer.

6. What records are you loving right now? (Not just Philly bands)
recently repeated listens have been given to the germs -- m.i.a. the complete anthology, death side -- the will never die [two disc collection], deep wound -- almost complete, the misfits -- legacy of brutality, iron age -- constant struggle, los crudos -- all, the descendents -- milo goes to college, cold world -- no omega
some of those aren't albums, but collections, but it's not like i'm gonna ever track some of that stuff down. maybe someday.

7. Best food in Philly. Which is your top spot for each?
Pizza?
marra's. any other resonable answer is equally acceptable. i don't discriminate when it comes to the world's perfect food. also, not enough people give props to cacia's / sarrcone's / iannelli's and the other bakeries that serve up pizza and tomato pie. under-appreciated to be sure. and i know this isn't part of your question, but, hands down, the best pizza i've had in america is from totonno's on neptune avenue in brooklyn. though i haven't been to difara's or anywhere in new haven, ct yet. and supposedly pizzeria bianco in phoenix arizona is amazing everyone who eats there so hopefully i'll go sometime. anyways, everyone's got an opinion on this. it's the most delicious debate and i could consider the evidence forever always.

Burrito/Mexican?
jose's? veracruzana? i've never really nailed this one down i guess. again, i'm not very discriminating when it comes to food in general. i don't eat bullshit. as long as it's good, i'm all about it. i'll go to the nearest good place. i also like mexican breakfast better than burritos and la lupe on 9th and federal is good for that.

Cheesesteak (vegan counts)?
now that i'm basically no longer a bloodmouth, it's all govinda's / gourmet-to-go. it's better than gianna's and anyways, i try to stand in solidarity with robby redcheeks as best i can [but sometimes everyone's getting it delivered and i don't want to starve (or think for myself apparently)]. honorable mention goes to the palm market on 2nd between fairmount and brown. descent veggie and vegan options [including chicken salad hoagie!] but they'll also put avocado on anything you want. oh and when i ate meat, the best steak i've ever had was at lucky's on kensington and lehigh. but i've never been to a few of the supposed classic places [jim's, chink's, that other one i can't remember right now] so what do i know.

Chinese?
i just eat at "a-mandarin resturant" near the first unitarian church because i'm always there working or otherwise and they have a dish called "three kinds of mushroom" and the lady is nice and will put some steamed bean curd in there for me. but if we're talking eastern / asian cuisine, i prefer sushi on a conveyor belt and supposedly there's going to be one in center city soon. right now, you have to go to that eyesore of a steven starr place "pod" on upenn's campus. other than that, i like vietnamese a lot. especially dishes with peanut sauce.

Other?
oh i could go on and on. food rules. hoagies? this is philadelphia we're talking about! hoagies are essential and they're everywhere. surprisingly, i go to subway a lot. it's near work [it's near everywhere] but it's not that great though i don't really eat meat and i like the variety of veggies that they can put on there. i like primo's sometimes if it's lunchtime. they have a good sandwich with broccoli rabe, roasted red peppers, eggplant and provolone. you can get that basic sandwich at citizen's bank park too. my favorite hoagie comes from the palm market [mentioned above]. basic cheese hoagie with provolone, spicy brown or dijon mustard and then every hoagie vegetable you can think of, in addition to black olives and avocado. sometimes i don't even get the cheese. it's all about the mustard and crunchy veggies. and tomato. cannoli? my favorite dessert and the very last thing i'd give up if i ever went vegan. all vegan cannoli is shit and tastes like they're filled with sugarwaxcream. can you tell that i grew up closer to the italian side of my family? i dip almond biscotti in my coffee and eat my salad after the meal. isgro's / termini bros / cosmi's for cannoli or just go anywhere if you want. it's not like any of them don't really know what they're doing. now is probably a good time to mention that my other favorite dessert is italian rum cake. oh and falafel is important. during the day, 20th and market, there is a zany one man cart that serves the best falafel in the city. he also serves chicken but i've never had it. it takes forever and he'll talk your ear off, but it's worth it. other than him, mama's vegetarian and bitar's are probably the best.

8. Closing up, what do you guys have planned for the near future? Shows/records/tours/etc?
i'd like to pull together a new armalite seven inch sometime this year. as for aaj, we're a band that has played together for 10+ years and has four cd demos and a half of a seven inch to show for it. it's called inertia. also, i'm gearing up to play keyboards in a cover band. ugh this was a depressing question. should have ended with the food part. also, i stopped putting up website addresses because i mentioned a lot of stuff and i assume that people know how to use google. later!



















Photo taken from Armalite's Myspace.

Plow United - Narcolepsy

Creep Records

When I was in 7th grade, my exposure to punk rock was pretty minimal. A kid in my neighborhood had given me a mixtape with some Rancid, Minor Threat and Operation Ivy a year before, but that was where my knowledge reached its end. That changed in 7th grade when Scott McDonald played me two Plow songs from the Creep Records Who Gits the Deer? compilation. I was hooked and immediately got my hands on a copy of their first LP. It was poppy but snotty, and the songs were fun. It was different from the other punk I knew, and it was something that I fell in love with.

As Plow continued putting out full lengths, their sound progressed. Goodnight, Sellout was more mature and a bit darker. It wasn't as fun as the first record, and it was a lot less poppy. But I was happy to have another full length in my hands. When Narcolepsy came out came out, a lot of people were upset. It was heavier. Much heavier, and much angrier. From the opening cries of "Entropy, entropy, things aren't, aren't what they used to be," it was obvious that this band had changed. Of course, this record came out after they broke up, and we'll never know what would happen if they stayed at it. Luckily, they left us with this great full length to end on, and it's come to be one of my favorites from this era, and at times, it's definitely my favorite Plow United record.

The version below is a vO rip of the original press, not the cash-in reissue that Creep did a few years ago with worse sound, shittier artwork, and without paying the band anything.

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The Gaslight Anthem / Scream Hello - 5.29.08

Disgraceland
7:30 PM

Wow, typing this made me realize I went through most of May without going to a single show. Luckily, last Thursday, The Gaslight Anthem played what will probably be their smallest Philly show in a long time. This band is blowing up like crazy, and their new record will only propel that ascent to the bigger clubs and "punk" venues that cities have. So, I decided to skip Blacklisted and Paint it Black and in NJ to catch Gaslight on one of their last "intimate" shows.

I'm glad I did.

Scream Hello opened, and although I was unfamiliar with them, I had a good idea of what to expect. They hail from New Brunswick, and come from a variety of other bands I'm semi-familiar with. I was told they sound a bit like Braid or more aggressive Get Up Kids, and that was pretty spot on. They opened with good energy, and sounded tight, even if the vocals were a bit low in the mix, and their songs had a tendency to run a bitttt long. Overall though, I was really impressed. They have a new full length on the way which should be good and I'm excited to hear it. I'll definitely check this band out when they play the area again.

After a delay that was a bit too long, The Gaslight Anthem started up with the opening notes of their 2007 full length, Sink or Swim. From minute one, kids were screaming at the top of their lungs and the temperature of Disgraceland skyrocketed. They played a tight set, mixing most of the songs from the LP, as well as three songs from their recent EP. I was bummed that they didn't play "Senor and the Queen," but hearing "Blue Jeans" live was great, and fairly unexpected. As they did a few months ago, they slipped in a bit of "Stand by Me" between their upbeat storytelling punk anthems, and closed with "We're Getting a Divorce, You Keep the Diner," which had kids screaming "It's all right, man. I'm only bleeding, man. Stay hungry, stay free, and do the best you can." If you get a chance, check these guys out as soon as you can. Don't say I didn't warn you when they're playing huge venues on their next time around.