Life, Activate

I am typing this from my desk in my room, my res room that is, I have just moved into college and am losing my shit I’m so stoked. I am going to Terror and Trapped Under Ice Monday, with Ryan and I might go to a punk show tonight. I still can’t believe I am here, as I type this, I have Bitter End, playing very loudly, and I just finished washing all my dishes. I don’t know what to say

Critical Convicitions – Demo Tape

This band is straight out of Canada’s capital Ottawa and is pretty much the eptiome of the kind of the punk I like. Critical Convictions, is a four piece female fronted hardcore punk band who knows how to show their aggression, their sound reminds me of Limp Wrist in a way (I’m super into Limp Wrist right now). This band can play fast thrashy punk songs but still maintain a little bit of substance in the sense of sound, the music sounds more full and less barebones punk.  Female vocals are also a tricky business done well by CC, they can either come off too manly or too screechy, but these are a very happy medium, you can tell it is feminine, but not annoying and high pitch. The songs have a mid to late 80’s feel to them, with the simple rhythms and straight on approach that makes it just music that you can really enjoy. With a true punk attitude, a true punk sound and nice people to boot, this band deserves all the praise they can get, when I move I will definitely be making the trip to Ottawa to see them. Support Canadian hardcore.

http://www.myspace.com/criticalconvictions
http://www.criticalconvictions.blogspot.com

Coll-edge

So, I am getting ready to move to Kingston for school, and I guess for those of you who read this, I will show you what has me amazingly stoked.

My mother made me a sleeve for my macbook, from a Soul Control shirt, complete with padding on its inner, this thing fits fuckin’ snug and obviously looks unreal.

Soon.

Updates to be had, good ones, interviews with Anthony from The Carrier, and Jay and Mike from Reign Supreme. Reviews of Critical Convictions and New Lows also coming soon. I move to college soon, I won’t have alot of friends and stuff, so updates will happen lots!
Tell your friends! Bookmark me! Check often!

Dear Everyone:

This pertains to anyone who has read even a word on this blog, I appreciate the support so much, whether you are into it or not, thank you so much. And thanks to all the b9ers that visit, and friends who post the link up for me, I had just over 500 views on Monday, I don’t care if that is impressive or not, I was so stoked, that people from all over are reading this. That’s all it’s about, this is my one small effort to give back to the scene that has done so much for me. Call me a faggot, tell me I can’t write, ban me from your message board (oof), I am not worried its just unreal to know that people care.

 

unlimitednights@gmail.com

Email me ANYTHING you have to say.

Jake Bannon Interview

Jake Bannon, one of the most influential people in modern hardcore, with a band as enormous as Converge, and a label as monumental as Deathwish Inc. this is one serious fuckin’ dude. Yet still, he is humble and nice enough to answer a few questions for me about hardcore and his life. This was in the print issue of UNAW, so if you have it, you have seen this, if not, here you are!

Who are you and what do you do?
My name is J. Bannon. I am involved in a variety of things in the independent music/art community and have been for over half my life. I’ve been creating artwork for bands and labels for a number of years now. As an extension of that, I started Deathwish in late 2000, early 2001 with former Converge Tour Manager, Tre McCarthy. The label has been extremely busy since then. I’ve been making music w/ Converge for nearing two decades, I have also been creating music on my own and other collaborators for a good while. Some of those projects include, Supermachiner and now, Irons. I also have continued to write and record music on my own. I have two releases planned for 2008 for some of that material.

When and how did you get into hardcore and what did it mean to you then?
My brother was very much a fan of metal in the early.mid 80’s, and he passed on many of the releases he felt were too “heavy” for him, to me. From him, I learned about Iron Maiden, Motorhead, Metallica, Slayer, etc. That’s what I was listening to when I started skating and riding bmx. I discovered hardcore and punk through that bmx and skate culture. That’s a pretty common road for the generation of hardcore community I come from. I really appreciated that the bands and people involved didn’t look any different than me. That was very empowering to me. I didn’t feel the division that I felt between music and listener that I felt while listening to Metal. Soon after I went to my first shows in the city (my father lived in East Boston), so I spent weekends there at his apartment, then I’d take the train to shows and record stores, basically immersing myself in hardcore/punk/metal scene every chance I got. Not long after that, I started playing music, looking for possible band mates, etc.

Do you remember your first show if who played, where, what happened?
First show I ever went to was at the Rat in Boston, around 1988-1989 I believe. I was terrified. I was dropped off across the street, and I made my way over to the show. There were people much older than me everywhere, and I felt invisible. I stuck my head in the door, paid some money and stood in a shadow in the back of the room for what felt like an eternity. I believe Poison Idea headlined, w/ Sheer Terror opening, maybe Swiz too? I didn’t retain a single second of memory of music though. It was total sensory overload for me, I was 13. After that, I went to a DRI show at the Paradise, and a few random shows after that. Eye For An Eye, Kingpin, and Arise were pretty much dominating Boston at the time, so most people attended every show they could when they would all play. My interest became real serious when I went and saw AF, SOIA, Wrecking Crew, and Burn @ The Channel. And I religiously went to shows @ The Channel/Edge, until it closed it’s doors in late 1991. Even Metal shows. I saw Meliah Rage, Suicidal Tendencies, Exodus, Carcass, Napalm Death, all there at the channel.  For me, that era of 1990-1994 had some of the greatest shows that have ever happened in Boston. It was a true melting pot.

What does all of this mean to you now?
A great deal. I found a great deal of myself at those shows, and in many ways I grew up in that. It was the beginning of my interest in something that would eventually become woven into the rest of my life. I’ll forever be appreciative of that.

When you started Converge, what were your major intentions?
Just to play music that moved me, that interested me in some way. Like all bands when you first start, you emulate what’s around you for a brief time. We did the same. We emulated Slapshot and Wrecking Crew, like all bands did of the day. After a year or two we started coming into our own, finding ourselves creatively, etc. As time passed, we grew and our sound evolved into what it is today.

You are obviously a very influential person, but who are your personal influences, with things like song writing and making art?
I am a fan of art and music. I don’t feel there is one person that I appreciate more than others, more just a huge melting pot of them: Starkweather, Swans, M. Gira, Neurosis, Dan Higgs, Leviathan, Nausea, The God Machine, Laughing Hyenas, Godflesh, Integrity, Ringworm, Rorschach, Only Living Witness, Diamond Head, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Sheer Terror, Ulver, Satyricon, Deathspell Omega, Jesu, Celtic Frost, etc. Those are just the more musical things that interest me.

When considering signing a band to Deathwish, what are things you consider?
We release music that we appreciate on a variety of levels. Aside from that, there are no set guidelines to our decision making. As importantly, we only want to work with bands that want to work with us. We don’t get into bidding wars, or any ego driven nonsense like that.

What is the best thing about hardcore right now?
That it exists. That is still continues to give a platform to interesting art/music.

What is the worst thing about hardcore right now?
I honestly just choose not to pay attention to the music/art that is not interesting to me, so I really don’t have much to say about those things.

Last words?
Thanks for your time, it is appreciated.

Could you also give me a 7 song playlist of things you are jammin’ to right now?
Judas Priest “Cheater”
Crowbar “Planets Collide”
Swans “You Know Nothing”
Crowbar “Repulsion…”
Neurosis “A Chronology For Survival”
Danzig “Soul Of Fire”
Led Zeppelin “Achilles Last Stand”

Interview With Dan Yemin

When I e-mailed Dan a few months ago just talking about his music he was one of the nicest dudes in the world, when I e-mailed him again and asked him for an interview he was more than receptive. Upon receiving the reply to my questions, everything was in capitals, I had to change it. It was way worth it, he is definitely one of the smartest, nicest and most legit dudes in hardcore, as you will see displayed in the next few paragraphs

Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Dan, I sing for Paint It Black, play guitar for Lifetime and play bass for Armalite, I’m also a psychologist and a husband. Which comes first depends on the present circumstances and what time of day it is

What bands have you been in and which was your favourite for whatever reason?
That’s sort of like asking a parent which child is their favourite. Unfair and impossible to answer. I will say that the current line up of Paint It Black has the most amazing work ethic I’ve ever encountered in my years of making music. The degree of seriousness with which the band prepared for recording “New Lexicon” was seriously amazing

When you first started with Lifetime, how far did you want to take things and did everything that happened exceed your expectations?
I thought maybe if we were lucky, we would put out a 7 inch that some people might like, maybe make a small mark on our little corner of N.J. Despite all its flaws the most amazing thing about punk and hardcore is that persistence and heart will eventually yeild results. We’re living proof.

Which band has had the biggest impact on your life?
Again, there’s no real way to answer this. Each distinct period of time making music has had an important impact in its own way. Early Lifetime taught us patience and stubbornness, mid period Lifetime taught us to fend for ourselves, and mid to late Lifetime taught us the importance of song craft, collaboration and production. Kid Dynamite taught me the humility of starting over, and how to turn defeat and disappointment into something special. It taught me about second changes and momentum, and the perils of being a control freak. Paint It Black taught me about resilience and emotional alchemy, and that i need music more than I realized. It taught me about taking responsibility and refusing to accept defeat, and again about the perils of being a control freak, it continues to teach me how to trust, how to let go and the importance of patience and humility. Its taught me how to say more with less, and sometimes even to say less with less! Thats just off the top of my head.

What was going on in your life hardcore wise when your stroke happened?
I had this fantasy of making a record where I would write and record all the music and have different vocalist on every song. I wanted it to be about community and friendship and not letting quitters stop me dead in my tracks. It was going really, really slow.

Is there any way you have drawn experience from your Psy.D. and applied it to your writing?
Definitely, people always ask if I find my work depressing. Just the opposite, I find it inspiring to be a daily witness to the best of the human capacity for resilience. That constantly informs my writing

Why did you decide to continue playing music after such a monumental thing like a stroke?
Facing mortality at such a young age forces you to re-evaulate your priorities. I had been working 60-65 hours a week, not playing music. Death woke me out my “normal” adulthood. For that I’m grateful. Every damn day.

What is one thing you would change about the current hardcore scene?
Less Intergrity, more “This Is Boston, Not L.A.”
(And just to clarify, I like Integrity a lot, but I don’t need to hear 30 other bands play that style of music).

Who has been your biggest influence through your entire life, musically, and education etc.?
If I have to choose one, it would be Ian Mackaye. For obvious reasons.

What is one record you would recommend to everyone?
Just one? You’ve got to be kidding! Here’s a good start. If you have these albums, then you’re allowed to make music:
Minor Threat – Out Of Step
Bad Brains – S/T
Germs – GI
Black Flag – Jealous Again
The Clash – S/T
Buzzcocks – Singles Going Steady
Circle Jerks – Group Sex
7 Seconds – The Crew
Generation X – S/T
Naked Raygun – Throb Throb
Husker Du – Metal Circus
Descendents – Milo Goes To College
Dag Nasty – Can I Say
Verbal Assault – Trial
Gorilla Biscuits – Start Today
Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures
Sex Pistols – Never mind The Bollocks
Side By Side – You’re Only Young Once
Token Entry – Jaybird
Public Enemy – It Takes A Nation Of Millions
Boogie Down Productions – By All Means Necessary
Verbal Assault – Trial
Wu Tang Clan – Enter The Wu Tang (36 Chambers)
Youth Of Today – We’re Not In This Alone

What is the best thing about hardcore right now?
1) Bands taking risks and pushing boundaries: (Fucked Up, Blacklisted, Have Heart, Verse, Crime In Stereo, Cloak/Dagger, etc.)
2)Bands doing various versions of early 80’s style really well, with a modern twist (Career Suicide, Government Warning, Ceremony, Trash Talk

What is the worst thing about hardcore right now?
It’s a toss-up between jocks, fake gangsters, and hairstyles. There’s probably some stylistic area where all three over lap. Paving over all that would be a good start.

Last words?
Thanks for the support…

Tattling On The Playground

I just cannot get this out of my head, a few of my friends were arrested a few months back for graffiti. It isn’t the easiest thing to get caught for unless of course someone tells on you. On the playground there is an obivous unwritten code that you dont tell on kids for anything, ever. I like to feel that the hardcore scene is sort of like this, calling the police and telling them where those kids will be, is fucked up, not only do you look like a 10 year old but you lose all credibility. If you have a problem with someone, beat them up, dont get them arrested, especially if you are someone who has said “fuck the police” atlease once. Disgusting, would you ever tell people that you did this?