SPED - "Dad I Learned it From Watching you" (Self Released)

Sped is an unusual treat for us at TYS. This NYC punk band manages to crank up the fun factor and combine the grit and the melody in a very catchy way. Just listen to these 12 songs of snotty punk and you'll find out (or better, remember) a sense of freedom and wildness that only true punk rock music can deliver!

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Today punk is filled with bands made up of kids who perhaps grew up listening to a newer generation of punk bands, which unfortunately is not always true to the roots of this music. Gladly, this is not the case with Sped. At all. This band plays real, tuneful punk rock that takes us way back to a time when punk was dirty and in your face. These three-chord tunes are distorted, fun and straight to the point. Without crossing over to crust punk or anarcho-punk, these NYC dudes manage to get the job done and create a sufficient amount of damage!

It's interesting to observe how his record nods to various directions of punk; it has the uptempo punk/core songs, it has the poppier moments and also its mid tempo groovers. the first thing I think about when I hear this is Dee Dee Ramone, plain and simple. There are also other influences, like Rancid, Screeching Weasel and many many others. These guys follow the tradition of lowlife punx who want to write catchy and snotty music. Maybe Sped isn't crazily innovative or anything, but you can tell they have fun making this music and they do what they do well and with commitment.

There is something in this record that will send your mind straight to the dirty roads of New York and make you think of love stories, fist fights, drunken nights and being up all night. This album has a school theme throughout too, which fits nicely with the dirty punk attitude. Can you relate to being the odd punk kid at school, feeling out of place, being always late, falling asleep in the classroom? Maybe even getting drunk at school? Ha ha. For most of us this shit is history, but these guys have made an album for this kind of stuff.

So! If you like your mid paced punk laced with teenage attitude but also filled with spikes and worn out clothes, then this is for you. It's a nice break from all the metal and hardcore. Sped will do you some good.

UPs: following a not so trendy punk tradition, crazily catchy songs like "Jenni's Got a Nosebleed".

DOWNs: lack of originality and perhaps the school theme gets too much at some point

LOWDOWN: Snotty punk rock with tiny hints of hardcore and a careless attitude!

FEAR rules

It doesn't matter if you are a straight edge kid... no matter who you are, you can definitely still enjoy FEAR's sheer intensity and punk rock tunefulness!!! Here is a band that I think many newer 'true' kids have somehow skipped during their punk rock education. It's time to restore FEAR up there as one of the top-5 classic punk bands!

This song is angry, sarcastic and nihilistic. This song IS punk! Have a beer with fear?

Another Old School Pic: Strung Out, Rocking Out

Looking back at more than half my life, I realize how I grew up looking at hardcore and punk bands' photos. No matter what people say about punk being only about the music and the message, I know that aesthetics is also another important aspect of it. In the same way other kids grew up admiring athletes or models, the people I always looked up to were the musicians from my favorite bands. And it has always been great to see how the people whose music I loved so much looked pretty much just like me. It made me feel inspired, like I could be doing the same thing one day.

I just love it when a moment in punk is captured in a pic, and I will never stop checking out this awesome form of, well... art. I guess this simple Strung Out snap says it all, really. It's all about fun, friendship and wigging out!

Another Old School Pic: Duane Peters

No matter what happens in this world, there will only be *one* Duane Peters. An old school skater and punk rocker extraordinaire, how can you not love this guy!? Still making music, still skating (instead of sitting with his slippers on reading the sports pages like so many other punk 'legends'). So crank up Back to the Laundromat and let it rip!

pic taken from http://10thingszine.blogspot.com/

Jack Terricloth (World/Inferno Friendship Society) Speaks on TYS!

Hey everybody, my name is Jack Terricloth. I sing and am occasionally forced to play various  instruments in the popular World/Inferno Friendship Society, a gang of musical girls and boys (mostly girls at the moment actually) from Brooklyn NY! I’m here today to answer questions posed from someone I’ve never met from somewhere I’ve never been; Greece! Let’s see what he wants to know!

- Can you tell us a few things about the recording of the new album “The Anarchy and The Ecstasy”?

Sure my friendly unknown interlocutor!  We Recorded our 13th offering here in Brooklyn at Vibromonk Studios with producer Dan Shatzky who is well known for his work with many well known or at least well regarded acts, many of whom straddle the world music/rock line.  I’d list them for you but I really don’t like other bands.  They muddy up the market share and steal my musicians.  Plus I don’t want you to think that I think you are a lazy journalist and wouldn’t Google the man yourself such is my respect for your profession.  For any of our shared listeners in the know- it is also the same studio we recorded our 2^nd album ‘Just the Best Party’ ten years ago.

- What are your main musical influences?

The desire to swing, swing freely and quickly, with really loud drums and a piano skiing down a high alpine slope, with a horn section on top of the piano, chasing a remarkably good looking pair of singers who are holding hands and kicking 2 electric guitars in front of them, and the guitars are feeding back . . .

- What is special about the new album so that people have to hear it?

Ok if that’s not enough, it’s a really talented drummer, a baby grand piano, it’s the Matterhorn, the horn section are all people you would know if you googled them, the two singers are making out and I stole the guitars.

- How would you describe your sound?

YOU WOULD LIKE IT!

- You incorporate a lot of anarchy talk into WIFS.

I just gotta be me.

- What does anarchy mean to you today?

That it’s Sunday and I’m drinking in a bar doing an interview.

- And how does it translate into everyday life in the big city (or elsewhere)?

Oh that. OK, that you examine your situation, decide what is the fairest thing to do for yourself, your community that will cause the least amount of hurt or sorrow then act on it. To not be constrained by so called common sense. Believe the impossible can come true. Never give up the joke, never fall down the stairs.  Give a Hobo a quarter if you have one.

- How is working with Chunskaah?

Working with Chunksaah is like going to a Bad Brains show with the sexy substitute teacher when you are 17 and all your friends seeing you at the show with her.

- What business advice do you have to give to kids trying to become musicians on their own terms?

Don’t wait! Don’t wait for a label or a manager or anyone to tell you are good! Get your stuff out there anyway you can! No one is going to do it for you and most people will want to stop you.  Also, there is no point starting if you don’t love the whole process- touring, recording, rehearsing.  If you want to make money it would probably take less effort to become a dentist.

- Do you tour a lot?

We tour about 6 months a year, though we did take last year off to record “The Anarchy and The Ecstasy”.  We are back on the tour cycle right now.

- What are the things you hate / love about touring?

I love touring.  It is where I get to do everyday the thing I excel at.  I don’t even mind the bus- at least I’m suffering for a purpose.  ‘We share everything’ a friend of mine once wrote me about a tour she was on, ‘the sickness, the filth and the drugs’. It is like being in the perfect army in a just and kind war.

- Do you have any plans for touring Europe at any point?

Yes we do, middle of July through end of August.  www.worldinferno.com do not think we are getting to Greece sadly but there is still time.  How you guys doing over there anyway? Heard a lot about riots over in the states.

- What are your creative plans individually and musically for the remaining of 2011?

Like I said, on tour forever.  Doing some solo shows during the brief period we are home.  Not losing my apartment would be cool-you’d be surprised how creative I need to get about that. In my negligible free time I’m working on a second novel (yes, I wrote a first one. Why not look at www.jackterricloth.net ?)

- What is the message you are trying to convey with your career as an artist?

Act on impulse, don’t be cowed, don’t quit.

- I would like for you to choose a topic that you feel strongly about and tell us a few things about it. It can be music, scene, social or whatever else related! Thanks for the interview and like we said, the last words are yours.

I don’t mean this to be a cop out but you choose the topic when you invited me to talk about The World/Inferno Friendship Society. Thank you for the interest and the opportunity.

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A note from the editor: Thanks to Talia for this interview, thanks to Jack for his time and awesome answers, thanks to you for reading this. Pics stolen from all over the web, if you happen to be the owner and want your name mentioned or something, then let us know! You can check the TYS review for WIFS's latest album here.

S.O.A. - No Policy EP

What can be said about a band like S.O.A. (System of Alert)? These guys pretty much created the old school hardcore sound that  kids still listen to and bands still copy to this day. They were only around from 1980 to 1981 but they managed to put out this gem of no frills, raging punk music. This band had a young Henry Rollins on vocals (known as Henry Garfield, before he joined Black Flag) and this sounds so pissed off and it's so fast that it's just perfect! This is real fucking hardcore!

I just believe this e.p. (hear all of it below) is so utterly important and influential for hardcore that everyone should listen to. It is what straight edge kids call "crucial", it is like hardcore punk's "Number of the Beast" or something and you should definitely check it out if this record has escaped you. When people talk about Negative Approach and Agnostic Front as early hardcore influences they don't realize it's S.O.A. who influenced these bands in the first place! Fast songs, gruff vocals, razor sharp guitars, filled with anger against drugs, against society, against everyone! Enjoy this this piece of hardcore history!

DINOSAUR JR - New Stuff ('Over It' Video)

Ahhh... Sweet Dinosaur Jr reunion. This is one of the few cases that I am actually happy to see an old band reunite. Cause Dinosaur Jr and J Mascis (vocals/guitar) are no ordinary case. This uncounsiously eccentric band, which started as an obscure hardcore outfit evolved into one of the biggest alternative rock bands (though they're still punk rock to me) of our times. They have the perfect melodies that stick in your head, they have years upon years of history on their back, they have the long-haired straight edge weirdo frontman; what else do you want? Dinosaur Jr along with Husker Du must be the two most underrated albeit influential bands in mid tempo, mellow punk rock music. Dig!

This is such a cool video... The skateboarding and bmx thing is obviously a joke! A parody of the punk loves skateboarding story, so predictable and common in punk. And the song is simply awesome. Enjoy Dinosaur Jr coolness!!!

p.s. Dedicated to Luke.

Descendents Vans - A Shoe Punx Want to Own

Now we've never encouraged people to become blind consuming machines; we - just like you - are definitely against the capitalist system and the useless crap it brainwashes us into buying. Hell, we try to spend as little of our money as possible in our daily lives, trying to save it for stuff that is actually worth buying (like vegan food, gas money for shows, cool punk music & gear). But every now and then, even the most anti-consumerist punk indulges a bit on him/herself. Which brings us to this awesome Descendents edition Vans shoe. As summer approaches and you don't want to wear those old skate shoes no more, this is what you should be looking for; old-school Vans with Milo's face imprinted all over.

Where Emo Meets Straight Edge: Davey Havok (AFI)

LAST NIGHT I was watching a bunch of AFI videos, and was reminded what a unique combination of straightforward punk ethos and emo aesthetics their charismatic - yet weird looking - frontman, Davey Havok is. 

Undoubtedly, Davey has done lots for the hardcore punk scene through AFI's 3 first albums which were instrumental in forging that more melodic US hardcore sound (in a scene that was definitely more metal oriented). Moreover, they have contributed to and have influenced the whole skatepunk and popunk genres with their classic The Art of Drowning album (2000). Changing their musical direction and becoming more easy listening through the years is not such a huge surprise; after all, lots of bands do it as they grow up and mature musically. It is logical to want to evolve and attract bigger success through your music.

What is actually interesting to observe is that even though Davey and AFI have transformed into a fully fledged, corporate-value rock band, they have maintained their hardcore punk mentality and values since their inception in 1991. Davey himself has stuck with straight edge and veganism since the early days, and is not afraid to talk  against drug abuse and meat eating with every chance he gets.

Moreoever, Davey Havok has also largely influenced the modern punk scene in another way: he has carried the flag for the horror punk style that the Misfits created in the 80s (he even had an offer to become their singer in 2000). We could really say that with his ongoing output throughout the years, Davey has become the ambassador of horror punk and has really helped this genre develop further.

One could ask whether Davey uses punk to stay cool and get the punk kids on AFI's side, or if he actually uses his long lasting punk values to influence and corrode the shit-filled mainstream music industry. We think that the case is actually the latter, while I don't think Davey even cares as he keeps making awesome music spreading punk, horror, straight edge, romanticism, and moshing alike to the world.

Last but not least, if you just watch the following video, you'll get a picture of where exactly Davey & AFI stand: the perfect amalgam of hardcore, pop and goth!

Hockey Meets Punk Rock (Another Old School Pic)

All-time favorite Canadian hockey player Scott Niedermayer and a young Russ Rankin of Good Riddance (Russ is a well-known hockey enthusiast). Who said punk rock and sports don't mix, again?

Unwritten Law - 'Swan' Review (2011)

What a nice surprise it is when one of your favorite bands drop their new album out of the blue, without you having heard anything about it! It's like seeing a good old friend on the street--always nice, always got lots of things to say.

And for me Unwritten Law is such a band when it comes to clean cut punk rock. Scott Russo must be one of the best singers in punk right now (or hell, in all of punk's history), while UL always had great musicians adding their own extra elements, and not just "playing their instruments" as part of another punk rock band. Pat Kim; definitely an exceptional bassist. And on this album, Dylan Howard is doing a really great job on the drums.

So what is Swan all about and what should we expect from this old school yet always fresh punk rock outfit? Well, to be honest, some more of the all around goodness they've showed in the past: mainstream flirting, catchy punk rock (just like it used to be!), with lots of melancholic overtones and excellent musicianship. The lyrics are - like always with Unwritten Law - quite sad and grey, but show the strength of a person who goes all out and makes moves, a person who takes risks in life and is not afraid to lose.

Swan has its mainstream moments for sure, but it really is punk rock. Mainstream music lacks bands like Unwritten Law right now. I don't know if Swan means that this will be their swan song, their last album, but I surely hope that it's not. It's been six years since UL offered us anything and we'd hate to see them go now. Thanfully they're on 2011's Warped Tour so let's hope they're here to stay.

Hell yes! Time for punk rock and summer's always on the way!

TRUTH OF MY YOUTH *Interview*

A while ago we did a review for Maine's awesome pop punk/hardcore band Truth of My Youth. Just really amazing modern sounds in the vein of Title Fight, Daggermouth, Wonder Years etc. After getting in touch with these guys we decided to do an interview and have a quick chat about this new band, their influences and their plans for the future. Look out for these guys... their could be your next favorite band!

TYS: So... Why "Truth Of My Youth"? Are you big New Found Glory fans? Tell us some things about how the band got together, how long you've been around etc.

PAT: We all love New Found Glory, They're Probably the biggest influence on us. We had trouble with our name and one of us looked on the back of the Catalyst record and loved the name. We have only been together since last september when my old band broke up and Sam and Ian's band had stopped playing. We have have had a couple line up changes since then. The line up now is me on vocals, Sam and Connor on Guitar, Ian on bass and Alex on Drums.

TYS: What are your main influences? It is interesting to hear about it, cause you already have a very personal sound on your 1st EP. If you had to strip things down, would you say you are a punk rock or a hardcore band?

SAM: Truth takes influences from a lot of places, there's a lot of pop punk in there but we all also took a lot from punk and hardcore bands. I'd say our main our main influences are bands like New Found Glory, Blink-182, Boxcar Racer, Lifetime and the Descendents. We all also love Title Fight. If it came down to the two I'd probably like to think we were a punk band.

TYS: Since you say Blink is a big influence, are you more into the early comedy stuff or the later "serious" side of the band?

IAN: Blink is Blink, everything from the early stuff to the last self titled album. Its all gold.

TYS: Can you tell us some things about TOMY's lyrics? Could you pick your favorite lyric from the whole EP and explain it to us plz?

PAT: Most of all the TOMY lyrics have a common theme of looking back on the mistakes you have done or gone through and wish how you chould change them or done things different. My favorite line is a tie between "For now my chin is up and I'm never losing hope" and "I hope my friends don't go through what i do, I hope they don't live like i do". One song is about how I dated thsi girl and she lead me on and it really took me a long time to get over it and i finally fell over it. Another is seeing my bestfriend going through financial problems, I have seen some as well but it killed me to see him go through it.

TYS: What are your aspirations in this band and as musicians? Do you wish to do it full time at some point, or are you the kind of people who see it as a hobby in order to keep it pure?

CONNOR: I think I would say our aspirations as a band comes from our love of pop punk and hardcore and our want to make some of our own. As for full time or part time I think we are all taking it as it comes to us and giving the time we need to to be successful. Our music will always be pure because it will be what we think is quality pop punk and that's what matters to us

TYS: What's living in Maine, Portland like? Is there a nice scene there? Are there things to do for punkrock and HC kids? What is good about Maine that the world should know of?

IAN: Living in Maine is all in all a good time.The cold winters get pretty old, but its really not a big deal. As far as stuff to do for kids like us there are some pretty fun shows set up around the area. Skateboarding is always happening as well. One thing about maine is that its the place where the Pop-Punk is happening.

TYS: What are some other things you love and some things you hate about Maine other than music?

PAT: I don"t really know if i hate much about maine but the cold does annoying at times but theirs always something to do year round. Sledding in the winter, hiking in the spring and fall and soo many water holes in the summer. I love living in Maine.

TYS: Would you say there is a lack of bands who play passionately and sincerely (like you) these days? If yes, why? How do you see the future of HC/punk? Do you think you'll still be into it when you're 30?

SAM: Not at all, I feel like that's what the genre is all about. I think that punk and hardcore will always be around, it'll go through changes but i think theres enough people who care about it enough to keep it going for a long time. And i sure hope so, i hope we all are but i don't really look that far ahead.

TYS: OK so now, you'll give the 1st thoughts that come to mind in relation to the following:

Heavy Metal: Slayer 666

Lifetime (the band): A band that everyone should love

Skateboarding: One of the most fun things you could do in your life 

Husker Du: Green Day did a killer cover 

Graffiti: 90s skateboard videos

Straight Edge: Pat

Blink 182: The best band I have ever and possibly will ever hear. The roots of our tree 

Favorite 80s hc/punk band: The Descendents

Favorite junk food: Pizza if that counts? Or gummy bears!

Best punk guitarist: Tim Armstrong/Frank Navetta

Horror films: Dead Alive,Leprechaun In The Hood,

Ramones vs. Sex Pistols: Ramones

Minor Threat vs. Black Flag: Fuckin Black Flag

Black Sabbath vs. Iron Maiden: Sabbath is heavy as balls but Maiden has zombies.... Gotta tie them

TYS: Do you ever drive outside Maine for gigs (or is Maine as big as Europe or something)?

SAM: Nah, so far only shows in state, were hoping to start playing out of state more as soon as we can.

TYS: In closing, plz describe TOMY with just 3 words to someone who's never heard of you before and eyes your CD at a show. Add anything else you want about the band, give your shout outs etc. Thank you very much!

CONNOR: Were a band that is all about having a good time playing the music we love for people who wanna listen. We have roots in different genres which can be appealing to many parties.

We'd like to give a shout out to our boys in Steiner Street, Backround, Let It Go, Broadside, and many others!

As for the three words, "Maine pop punk"

Check out:
http://truthofmyyouth.bandcamp.com
facebook.com/tomypoppunk

The World/Inferno Friendship Society - "The Anarchy and the Ecstasy" (Review)

And now for something completely different... WIFS have created a record that crosses the borders of punk rock as we know it, wandering far into different musical territories that will broaden the horizons of the unsuspecting listener. It is just great when bands take the punk ethos and run with it unconfined by the dictating music boundaries. WIFS seem to do just that in their new record (their 13th record to date), as they deliver a lovely concotion of punk, folk, rock, soul, ska and something else that is totally their own.

Frontman Jack Terricloth and co have assembled to create a masterpiece of modern revolutionary rock that might not be very heavy, but it is Revolutionary and it is Rock for sure, and therefore will go down very well with fans of later DOA, The Clash etc. In fact, we could say that the WIFS is a modern-day reincarnation of a Joe Strummer inspired ghost. The players are all skilled and throw in their solos, musical ideas etc just perfectly in order to create that amalgam of bittersweet, cynical and sometimes melancholic piece of modern rock n roll music. There are guitars, basslines, trumbets, trombones, xylophones, and a sweet back up female voice that will inevitably warm even the coldest of hearts out there!

WIFS: Embracing the Chaos

I am glad to see independent music like this coming out in these 'by the book' times. I mean, when you're faced with such a piece of innovative music, there comes a point you just can't resist and you get into it even though if it's more rock than punk and doesn't fit into any specific music category or lifestyle choice. Another last thing I wanted to mention about this exceptional record is that even though it creates a pretty emotional and personal relationship with the listener, it does it in a subtle and friendly way.  Therefore, it an be enjoyed over and over without becoming something too emotionally charged that you can only play under specific circumstances (like maybe The Pogues, Social Distortion etc). This is real music for all times, from the Friday night mayhem to the quietness of your living room and the morning after.

Congrats to Chunksaah Records (run by Bouncing Souls members) for putting out this pieceof 'chilled anarchy' molotov cocktail of lyrical and musical ideas!

Truth Of My Youth - 'Farside EP' Review

Today we are happy to present and review Farside by Truth Of My Youth, an exceptional new band with a very refreshing and crucial 'core to deliver in today's scene. The band has formed its own brand of melodic hardcore/pop punk which is so tuneful and inspiring that it truly stands out from the millions of poppy hardcore/easy-core fad bands out there. They have a sense of urgency in their sound that really makes you wanna go out and live life like it's your last day. Let's go!

TOMY is from Maine/US, and this is their 1st EP. They play 6 songs of upbeat hardcore with melancholic pop punk sensibilities in the vein of Lifetime, Dag Nasty, Good Riddance and - of course - early New Found Glory (the band's name is also a NFG album title). You won't find any songs with metalcore beatdowns here; just real punk rock music played fast and with a 'heart on the sleeve' hardcore-spirited approach. The production sound is also kind of different, as it is a bit rougher and not so polished compared to most of the stuff that's generally on display in the music world today.

I don't know so much about this band. But if I was at the party and this played, I would surely go and ask what it is. Listening to TOMY creates a strange blend of feelings... like hope with nostalgia and restlessness all mixed together. This band should really be big in a couple of years. They've got what it takes. If you're up for some real modern punk music, go and check 'em out! You can listen to the whole Farside EP at bandcamp: http://truthofmyyouth.bandcamp.com/

The Cheifs - "Holly-West Crisis" Re-Issue (Dr. Strange Records)

Before hardcore even had a name, there were bands who played a form of raw, unadulterated heavy punk that became the base for what was about to follow. We're talking about that early proto hardcore sound of Black Flag, Circle Jerks, X etc. Today, we - as hardcore fans - consider this sound a must and a lesson in hardcore history. The Cheifs are one of those primitive punk bands lost in the annals of punk history. Luckily, now Dr. Strange records has re-released everything they ever recorded on a single slab of vinyl.

So what's the deal with this lesser known early So Cal punk band from the early 80s? Well they were around for just a short while (from 80 to 82), but put down some quality punk music that captures the essence of that early époque that is so dear to us all. Their sound is crunchy and dirty with snotty attitude but at the same time has a tunefulness that most current punk bands can only be jealous of. Even some thirty years later, the Cheifs have a sense of urgency and a musical power that can't go unnoticed. I mean this is really rad, essential punk for skaters and hardcore historians alike! The bass is distorted, the guitar is fuzzed out to the max, the tempo is always steady and at mid-speed, and the ball just keeps on rolling.

Definitely there before we were punk

Listening to the Cheifs, I just wish for some better weather so I could just rock that shit on a stereo somewhere outside! This is perfect music for suburban punk parties, for having no money in your pockets and feeling good about it, sleeping on people's couches and going around the neighborhood with your bike or skateboard... Yeah. This shit can even make you feel young again. Fans of DOA, Dicks and even pre-MDC should definitely get into this now. This is real snotty, psychedelic punk nihilism!

Limited to 1,000 pieces by www.drstrangerecords.com.