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DS Album Review: Eep-Oop! are here to start the party with debut album Sorry 6:00 AM (3 hours ago)

Well folks, the world is going to hell. Every day is a little more apocalyptic than the last and it’s hard to even remember the last time we went 24 hours without a constitutional crisis. In times like these it’s tempting to throw your hands in the air and drink yourself into oblivion. But fear not, my friends! If you find yourself fighting those feelings of anxiety and despair with a pint glass of hope, boy have I got the record for you. 

Seattle’s Eep-Oop! are here to turn all your bad feelings into good feelings…or at least supply the soundtrack to a night of binge drinking with your pals. Just like a good mix drink, Sorry, the debut album from this five headed pop punk hydra, is a little bitter, a little sweet and guaranteed to lift your mood and help you forget that we are living in a global dumpster fire.

The opening track “Blackout” sets the tone right out of the gate with the cracking of a beer and the rallying cry of the alcoholic, “Let’s get blackout drunk in the parking lot”. It’s a fun little rager to kick things off with a grin. “Don’t Waste Away With Me” is a synth driven tale of a relationship on it’s last legs, with each singer playing the parts of the respective aggrieved parties begging one another to walk away. The alternating perspectives make for a playful trading of self inflicted jabs, rather than a bitter feud. “R2Steve2” is the self deprecating declaration of a guy who can’t seem to get his shit together, and barely seems to care. I’m sure we all know some version of this guy, or maybe we are this guy deep down.

The album continues with more tales of self medication and voluntary alcohol fueled amnesia in the face of the struggles of life and love. Other standouts include “Crashing And Crawling” which has a lovely half time pre chorus dropout that adds a nice dynamic change to an otherwise full force charge, and an ode to corporate frustration and isolation called “Inbox” that finds Aimee taking the lead.

Overall, this is a solid first effort from a band that has a lot going for them. If you enjoy fellow Seattle punk poppers like Dead Bars and The Subjunctives or Bay Area drunk punks The Hammerbombs, this might be just what you’ve been looking for. The album drops November 21st, but you can stream the first two singles and preorder the album now via Bandcamp.

Dying Scene Radio Presents: Four Records – Episode 5 : Steven Gorrissey (Mismiths) 24 Oct 4:00 AM (2 days ago)

Welcome to Four Records! Happy Halloween! This week Forrest speaks with Steven Gorrissey, singer for the Mismiths, the best Misfits/Smiths tribute band you didn’t know you needed. This year they released the Dead To ME.P., five songs mashing the sounds of two polar opposite singers, Glenn Danzig and Morrissey. The Mismiths are coming to your town:

Oct 24th – Jerry’s Pizza – Bakersfield, CA

Oct 25th – OC Fairgrounds – Costa Mess, CA

Oct 26th – Cheznanigans – Santa Maria, CA

Oct 30th – The Barn – Riverside, CA

Oct 31st – Yucca Taproom – Tempe, AZ

Nov 1st – Harvard and Stone – Hollywood, CA

Nov 8th – Kilowatt Brewing – San Diego, CA

Nov 15th – The Hideout – La Habra, CA

Nov 28th – Summer Fox Tower – Fresno, CA

Nov 29th – Ivy Room – Albany, CA

Nov 30th – Humdinger Brewery – San Luis Obispo, CA

Dec 11th – Dave and Busters – Hollywood, CA

Dec 12th – Mi Vida Loca – Fullerton, CA

Feb 19th – Star Bar – Atlanta, GA

Feb 20th – The Handlebar – Pensacola, FL

Feb 22nd – Pensacon – Pensacola, FL

For more information about shows and to buy merch, click here.

Gorrissey’s Four Records:

0-10: Twisted Sister – Stay Hungry

Teenage: Sick Of It All – We Stand Alone

Twenties: Morrissey – Maladjusted

Recent Record: Mon Laferte – Volume 1

Listen on Podbean

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Email: fourrecordspodcast@gmail.com

Opening song: Rad Skulls – Loud as Shit

Closing song: Lucas Perea – Underneath Ashes

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DS Interview: Jeff Caudill and Todd Trout reflect on Gameface’s “Three To Get Ready” Thirty Years Later 22 Oct 4:00 AM (4 days ago)

Gameface formed in 1990 when Jeff Caudill and Todd Trout met Paul Martin and Bob Binckley. Jeff and Todd kept seeing their future rhythm section at multiple punk rock shows around Orange County, California. This prompted Jeff and Todd to combine their talents with Bob and Paul. A band and a bond were formed.

They would go on to play shows and backyard parties and release seven-inch EPs. The things young punk rock bands do for the next few years. After recording a full-length LP (Good) for Network Sound Records and touring the US, they eventually caught the eye of Bill Strange of Dr. Strange Records, who gave Gameface the opportunity to record their next album. While still young in age, they were on their way to establishing themselves with the caliber of shows they were playing. However, it’s here the story takes an unfortunate turn. 

This year marks thirty years of that album, Three To Get Ready. A pop punk album that feels more mature than other releases around that time. The record was a learning experience for Jeff and Todd both personally and professionally. They were kind enough to reflect on that time and the story behind, Three To Get Ready.

(This interview has been edited for clarity)

Dying Scene (Forrest Gaddis): When you guys had recorded the album, how long had you been a band at that point?

JC: I guess four years, 1994 is kind of when we approached that album.

DS: How did the band get together? 

Todd Trout: We were at a Big Drill Car show and Jeff met Paul and Bob. Jeff and I had been kind of playing in little side bands since high school. We were right out of high school. I think it was our first year, 1990. Jeff said, “Hey, we’re going to go jam with these two guys.” We went to Buena Park and had our first practice. I think we wrote a song or maybe two. It was kind of magical. We left thinking, well, that was great. Very power pop, which I think is definitely our groove, especially around that time. 

JC: We just kept seeing these same two guys at all the shows, whether it was a hardcore show, an ALL show, or Big Drill Car. I remember just the best lineup. I think it was Down By Law, Chemical People. We ended up just walking up and talking to them. I don’t know how the relationship really started, but it was like these dudes must be into the same kind of stuff we’re into. Paul or Bob, maybe both, went to a school where a friend of mine’s dad was the teacher. I was in a band in high school, and the teacher had the record cover on the bulletin board of the school. The teacher was like, “Hey, you guys like indie music? You might like this.” So they somehow knew of my high school band, which is very weird because like ten people knew about that band.

TT: It was like, Paul went to Savannah High School and Bob went to Cervite. Mr. Jocelyn’s class. So, that shows how music connects us all. I mean, because how many copies did you guys press?

JC: I mean, a couple hundred at most. Most of them are sold out of the back seat of a car at the show, right?

TT: Versus being distributed by some huge label, and they are aware of it. That was an awesome connection.

JC: We were finally like, “We know that you guys like the same type of stuff, would you want to start a new band?” That’s kind of how it really happened.

DS: How often were you guys playing shows when you started to write this album? 

JC: This album was certainly a different type of situation for us. 

TT: For people who aren’t aware, prior to that album coming together, Bob, our drummer, had struggled with a lot of addiction issues. It got to a point where I don’t think he was really able to function normally, at least mentally. The last practice Gameface had was during the O.J. Simpson Bronco chase. I’ll never forget that as I was driving to practice down the 5 Freeway and we hadn’t had practice for a few weeks. It was really critical. Like, oh my God, we got to get together.

JC: We had shows coming up and all kinds of stuff.

TT: I see all these cops way back there behind me, and I’m thinking, I don’t know what’s going on. I didn’t know it was OJ. I remember just speeding. They’re all behind me. They’re not going to pull me over. That was our last night of practice. Then, tragically, Bob took his own life in a tragic fashion. We might as well throw the whole story out there because I think it’s important, especially if there are people struggling with addiction. He ended up going to a gas station around 2:30 in the afternoon, bought some gas, sat down, lit himself on fire, and died in just a horrible fashion. 

As young adults in our early twenties to try and navigate addiction and then suicide was super intense back in the early nineties versus, say, now with all the materials and support that’s out there. That’s the buildup. This was not a normal, “Hey, we got some new songs kicking around.” It was a very laser-focused healing process, I think.

JC: The months leading up to Bob’s suicide, we felt really helpless. We honestly did not know how to… We weren’t in a lot of communication with him. You know, it’s not like we had cell phones. It’s not like I could reach out. We would see him briefly. I remember one time he came over to my house and we had a very strange interaction. He was struggling with a lot of paranoia. I think it was quite possibly schizophrenia, but who knows? None of this was diagnosed at all, but he was concerned with the government listening to our conversation in my apartment through the light bulbs in the house.

He asked that all the lights be turned off. After he left, I felt very clueless and helpless. I couldn’t just grab him and take him… In hindsight now, I wish we had been a little more aggressive about… I do remember talking about what we were going to do. Jumping months and months later, we had decided that we wanted to keep the band together. It was the best thing iwe could do to honor our friend and deal with our own grief. We felt like being together was the best way, doing the things that we love and how we function best as friends.

We are going to continue the band. Let’s just take some time and deal with an incredible amount of grief and loss. We were just not equipped and didn’t really talk to each other about it. We just sort of were there, and I think the act of having a project and having some sort of community helped us through. We probably didn’t talk it through like we should have, but that’s the nineties for you.

That’s where we were. I remember having some songs that I’d written before all this. I also remember a good batch of songs that came after, and just about all of them, you can kind of see little pieces of us dealing with this.

TT: I was going to say, at that time, we were all in our super early twenties. We were hanging out as much as possible. Like every weekend, the band was together; not a lot of other responsibilities were happening at that time. It was literally working part-time and then just doing the band. Practicing a couple of times a week and just always together. There weren’t cell phones. It was really hit or miss in that sense. I think, like the rest of us here, are any of us planning on dying or killing ourselves in the next year?

The answer is no. To Jeff’s point, when he said maybe now he would have grabbed him, but we would have never thought that. Bob was like, “I’m going to be fine. I’m going to work myself through this.” Again, mental health and all that was not anywhere in conversations back in the 1990s. Bob probably had undiagnosed mental issues that we had no clue about because we had no experience with that. I think that’s important. We were so close-knit, and we were together all the time, the four of us. That’s all we did. We had toured, and we had gone out eight weeks in the summer, and it was just the time of our life type stuff.

It was just this huge blow, and I think Jeff just started doing some more songwriting and started talking. Bob was Paul’s best friend, and Jeff was my best friend. We were all so supportive of each other. It doesn’t mean we always got along, but the care was there. I think for me and Jeff, playing in other bands, it’s never been that closeness that Gameface had. I get it was a different time. Not many responsibilities, et cetera.

JC: It really was because of our age, because of the timing, because of what we went through. Gameface has felt more like family and all the things that come with that: all of the pain, the highs, and lows. Gameface has certainly felt more like a family than a band throughout my entire life. It means something bigger than other bands I’ve played in.

TT: Yeah. And we had a bunch of Gameface friends; it’s just a huge collective. It was very unique, having this huge group that wasn’t even a scene. It was just a group of friends. I remember Bob’s funeral being super emotional, and everyone’s there. That was just a testament to the closeness of this group. We decided we’re gonna push forward with some of these songs and see where it goes. Our game is always, like, un-punk, not hardcore. We’re just this power pop band.

JC: I just want to add to that; that’s another conversation in itself, but the fact that we existed in this hardcore scene, playing music that wasn’t hardcore.

TT: We tried out some drummers. This guy, Phil, he’s got this big mohawk. He’s just a lightning-fast drummer. When you go back and listen to Three To Get Ready it wasn’t so successful because it was so much faster than anything else we played. I remember, so we’ve got this mohawk and he’s just cranking through stuff. He said, “Oh, my favorite song from Gameface is ‘Retraction.’” It’s just one of our slower songs that we had. I remember that blew us away. Here’s this tall punk rock mohawk guy, and his favorite song is this more emotional, slower song. Instantly, right there it feels like a really good fit, personality-wise. It’s not the easiest situation to come into.

DS: Were there any big memorable shows around that time?

JC: It’s all a blur at this point, to be honest with you. They’re all memorable in that they all led us to where we are. We met a lot of people that we’re still tight with today on the very first tour. I can’t really point to any one moment. I know I’ve mentioned this before in an interview or two, but a friend of ours that we still have today is Francis Garcia, who was in a band when we first played with him called Yuck. He ended up playing in a bunch of bands. He’s from Texas. I think we first met him in Houston. It was one of our first road shows. We played Arizona, New Mexico, or whatever. And we get to Texas and so this band starts playing. They’re playing Superchunk and then a Green Day cover. Then they’re playing all these rad original songs that are right in our wheelhouse.

I remember that was one of the first times we met a very like-minded group of guys in the middle of the country. We were like, “We’re going to be best friends.” That happened in little pockets all over the country on that first tour. I think that was just the vibe of doing the thing that you sort of heard about. You go out and play, and you find your people. Now it actually happened.

That was really pretty monumental for us in those early years. We didn’t start playing killer shows until after Three To Get Ready, really. That was sort of like throwing us out into the world and trying to find people that were into that stuff. Luckily, that was the early ’90s, and there definitely was a scene for that. Green Day was getting big and Jawbreaker was… it was all these things that were sort of bubbling up, and we certainly benefited from that.

TT: We played crazy shows, basement shows, small club shows, and then, you know, started playing. I think that the Three To Get Ready, Texas Is the Reason, Lifetime tour.

JC: Yeah. We’re actually playing like proper venues and stuff.

TT: Hanging out with Brian McTernan in Boston. Our friendship with Texas Is The Reason kind of bloomed right there, and that was wonderful. We went on our first European tour off Three To Get Ready. That was an experience, but it wasn’t always great. I mean, it was wonderful. We went to all these different countries and played these shows. Then we got home and played with the Spin Doctors at the House of Blues in Hollywood. Which, to this day, I’ll say for this interview, I loved it. We were getting ready for soundcheck, and there were probably thirty reporters out in the crowd.

The Spin Doctor guys are below the stage and chairs doing their full interview because at that time they were the shit, right? They finish and Jeff says, “Hey, does anyone want to ask us a question?” The guy says, “Yeah, who are you?” They all packed up and left, and it was so funny. I remember the curtains opening, and it was like a bunch of thirty-year-old women, and that was mind-blowing. Now being in our fifties… I mean, that was kind of one of our bigger shows at the time. That was one of the last shows we played with Phil, I think.

DS: Did you have a venue out here that felt like home to you guys that you played often? 

Pre-Three To Get Ready, we were learning how to be a band, and Toe Jam in Long Beach was the place. If you want to talk about memorable shows, we played there with just about every band in our scene.

TT: Sense Field’s first show was there.

JC: Inside Out played there. I think that felt like a home venue. I think we’re too old to have adopted Chain Reaction. I know Chain Reaction is like the Orange County place, but I think that kind of happened after us. We played there a couple of times, but it was never really my vibe at all.

TT: I think the Melody Bar in New Jersey. I know that’s not local, but that was a place we always loved playing. It was just this awesome scene. Mankato, Minnesota, also. Those are the two places that really stick out to me. Just every time we came to town, awesome shows, just awesome bands. I mean, Shades Apart, all this great stuff. Those weren’t local, but those are places that I would consider every time Gameface went out there.

JC: We played so much in Orange County and Southern California that I feel like there was a time where we did wear out our welcome. You can kind of overstay. When we did get out and start touring those areas, like New Brunswick, New Jersey, and Mankato, Minnesota, are those areas where it felt like an event. I remember we did two shows on the same day just to accommodate the vibe in New Jersey. We sort of found homes in other places once Orange County had moved on from us.

DS: Is there a moment on the album that you feel is your proudest moment, maybe a riff, maybe a lyric? 

JC: I just listened to it, and like I said, I try not to revisit all that too often. There’s definitely a lot of moments. I mean, just that opening bass hum; I could listen to that for three minutes. I mean, there are some lyrical things where I feel like it has sort of stood the test of time. I don’t know if I’m going to be able to conjure them all up right now.. 

We had talked about it in the wake of Bob’s passing. We definitely didn’t have the tools to talk to each other about how we were dealing with our grief. Just the idea of being present and staying together. The moment for me that encapsulates that was in the song “Three,” it says, “We don’t have to talk about it, we just have to be there. One on my left, one on my right.” That’s definitely a line that still resonates now. When I hear that, I think about that stretch of time where we really didn’t have the words to say to get through what we were getting through, but just the fact that we were together.

“The Only Chance We Get,” for me, sort of encapsulates the message of the album about trying to understand the gravity of the now. I’m not going to be able to articulate this. “The Only Chance We Get” and the quiet moments in that song, I think, are ones that just kind of stay with me.

TT: “The Only Chance We Get” and “Gibberish” are two songs that we continue to play in every set pretty much to this date. I think those two songs mean so much. I’m more of a lyric guy than a music guy. If there’s a good lyric, it makes the song for me, but obviously, those two songs have stood the test of time. I think “Start Me Over” and “Only Chance” are the two songs, for me, on that album that Jeff so eloquently says, “Start me over, pick me up and start me over.” We were just defeated at that point, not knowing how to deal with our friend’s death. It wasn’t like he got sick and died; this was tragic.

I have one other thing I wanted to add as far as the songs go. I’m guessing we were twenty-three, kind of similar in age to our daughters now, and the song “Green Tree” is Jeff really kind of at that awkward age of being an adult, but not an established adult, but not a teen anymore; and him just passing by his old house, the place where he lived, and just trying to figure out your way as a young adult. Probably not with a full-time job or steady income. I think that the album kind of resonates with that period. I think that was also connecting to a lot of people at the time. The people coming to our shows, the people we were friends with, were all the same age, and everyone was kind of going through that.

Three To Get Ready was really memorable, not just for the tragedy addressed, but also the time of life we were at. I was going to say the back art was a box that Bob had made and left on our porch the night or so before he ended up taking his life. That was something I thought was also really heavy. We weren’t fucking around as far as our feelings, like, “Hey, this is out there. We don’t have to deal with it.”

The song, “Three,” the lyrics just kind of describe it. It was just really, we’re not going to sit here and polish up this horrible situation. It’s just a horrible situation. I would say Dr. Strange was so supportive of that whole process, too. Bill was just such a good guy to us, and to this day, it wasn’t just this business thing for this record deal, you know?

JC: Yeah, he had written us a letter and said, “I don’t know what the future looks like for you guys, but if you want to continue this, I would love to be a part of whatever comes next for you guys.” I feel like that’s kind of what we needed to hear as a band. If someone wants to put out a record, which at the time was pretty huge. However, he’s just been a solid guy for support since then..

As we toured after Three To Get Ready, the songs kind of seeped out into the world. It wasn’t like we came out and said, “Hey, this is what happened.” People who knew and people who wanted to know could ask, and we would talk. I definitely met a lot of folks who were pretty moved by the whole situation, and people who were kind of in the same boat. I don’t want to say, “Our music saved anyone’s life.” That’s insane to say. I do remember talking to some folks who said, “Listening to your music really helped me through a pretty dark period.”

Those types of conversations, that’s the valuable stuff from all of this. I remember a lot of that coming out of the Three To Get Ready period, having a lot of conversations with people similar to that. That’s really heavy. That’s the stuff that makes it worth all of the other scene bullshit. Speaking of scene bullshit, the big song for me is “The Big Deal,” where I do feel like I articulated the scene politics, and because we got a lot of eye rolls from the hardcore scene, like, “This is a weak attempt at being punk.” We heard it all, so that’s where the unpunk thing was born out of.

TT: One of our very good friends came up to me years ago and said, “Hey, can I talk to you, really big dude?” And he said, “I was over in Iraq, and we could only bring a couple albums, and I brought Three To Get Ready as one of mine.” I’m thinking, “Oh, this is interesting. I don’t know where this conversation is going.” And he says, “So, you know, we’d have to go out and patrol, and there were times we were shooting at and being shot at. It was really intense, and as soon as I got off duty, I’d run back to my bunk and put on Three To Get Ready. And I just kind of say to myself, ‘This is not who I am. This is not who I am. I don’t want to lose myself.’”

You know, just the horrors of the military and killings. He just wanted to introduce himself. That’s something. The impact you don’t really think of, especially, to your point, Jeff. All the conversations I’ve had about addiction and mental health, but this was now this other level. I did say, “Well, out of curiosity, what did you listen to before you went? How do you get really jacked up?”

He’s like, “I listen to Slipknot.” To this day, he is a dear friend of ours, we see him pretty much every time we go out. He’s just this wonderful guy in the sense that he just gets the point. I don’t want to get into politics and military stuff right now, but I’m saying it was definitely somebody trying to keep themselves from getting lost in that shuffle.

JC: It’s nice to feel like you’re a sort of a source of grounding for people.

TT: That was a day. Having this dear friendship is really special, all based off of that album, you know? 

DS: Were there any disagreements about the songs when it came to recording the songs, or were you guys pretty much on the same page at that point?

TT: We rarely had disagreements, Jeff being the principal songwriter, too. Maybe he remembers it differently, but I’m saying I think we followed his lead with the emotions and the skilled songwriting. That album hit so many nerves in the emotional stuff, even “The Big Deal.” Even “Gibberish,” just kind of that relationship aspect, right? To this day, there have been so many bands that we’ve met saying, “Hey, we cover that song.” It’s one of our favorites because it’s not just the music; it’s those words. For this album, I don’t think there was any… I think it was very rare. I think it was a pretty good open conversation.

JC: I think we threw everything we had at this one. I wrote a lot of songs, but there were definitely a lot of collaborations. I’m going to go back to another song we haven’t mentioned yet. I don’t want to say it was deliberately nostalgic, but because we were mourning our friend and writing about, deliberate or not, we were really writing about our friendship. The song I remember Todd came with was “Ten Blue Sticks,” which is about a childhood friend of his, but I believe that was some music that Paul had written. Todd had written lyrics, which is rare. There are two songs on this record that Todd wrote. Todd wrote the lyrics for “Undone” and I had written the music.

Of all our records, it might have been the most patchwork album where everyone was sort of contributing. I don’t think we said no. If I didn’t say no to the song, then no one will say no to anything.

TT: I would say putting my grandfather at the end, which was a thrill for me. Like, hey, run with it. You know, I won’t make that work versus how do we make it work?

JC: It wasn’t the time for us to be super critical about what we were bringing. I feel like if anyone was bringing anything, it was valid. It was like, yes, yes.

DS: Like the improv thing: Yes, and…

JC: Yeah, yeah. I don’t know, are there fourteen songs? I know we re-recorded “Home,” but it’s a lot of songs.

DS: I know the Anniversary Edition had you guys doing a cover of “Time After Time.”

TT: Was there a different version? Because “Time After Time” is at the end of Three Get To Ready. It’s kind of a hidden track.

JC: Is that pre or post Grandpa?

TT: There’s two Grandpa stories, one before and one after and then the reissue is the original version of that one.

JC: It’s the demo that we recorded before the album.

TT: It was for the Look, Ma! No Hands! or some kind of compilation.

JC: Right. We recorded a couple of songs for a cassette-only thing that was basically distributed at a show that we played; it was a show. I can’t remember the other bands, but we recorded two songs. It was a Valentine’s Day show.

TT: It was President’s Day weekend, but it was at that, whatever that really cool place was. 

JC: I think it was like the promoter of the show. He was like, “Give us some love songs,” and we had a demo of “Time After Time.” Anyway, that’s getting really in the weeds, but we can move on if you like.

DS: I kind of treat these and most interviews I do like that kid who’s into jazz, I like those small details.

JC: No, there’s plenty of those.

DS: I think those small details are what make some of these. It’s that little nugget that music nerds like so much.

TT: Jeff’s done all the design layouts for our album. His full-time job is that, and he’s done a million album covers. Going way back into the first two records, we had the first album say, “The Millennium Falcon is piloted by Han Solo.” Little nuggets for our own kind of music we drop in there. 

I think back to my grandfather; that was one of those things like, “Hey, let’s do this thing at the end of the album. Just this weird story.” People thought, “Who’s the homeless guy?” I’m like, “Well, that was my 91-year-old grandfather.” I think we’re always trying to have some type of that creativity to add in there just for our own amusement, right?

JC: Versus what was cool, I do think adding that audio stuff that’s like, that comes before “Ten Blue Sticks,” we did it sort of like for our own amusement. Especially the grandpa stuff, it’s pretty poignant. When you do listen to it as a whole unit, it’s actually not just for a laugh.. 

TT: I think Three Get Ready was about just those life situations and how to navigate them at such a young age.

DS: How many records did you guys do with Dr. Strange?

JC: Three To Get Ready and then we had a seven-inch before. It was kind of like a single just leading up to that. Then we did the Cupcakes EP.

TT: Then Every Last Time was with Revelation Records.

JC: And then, The Reminder was through Dr. Strange, but I’m certainly not calling that a proper release.

DS: Did they just have the rights to the old music? 

JC: It was really our idea. I think it was because we wanted to just compile everything onto a CD. The demos really were only on a cassette. The early seven-inches were only on vinyl, and CD was king. We’re like, let’s just put all of our old stuff on one CD.

TT: While it doesn’t sound great, all these demo songs were never released. Songs we were playing at the backyard parties before we played any proper shows. I mean, love it or hate it. I think it’s fifty-fifty. Some people think, “I love that you have that.” It’s also not that great-sounding.

JC: Right. I think at this age, where you know, everything eventually gets digitized and you can find it on the internet. The internet, I think it would have been a better move to not compile them all in a CD and just eventually have them all surface on the internet. Then, people that wanted to find the Gameface demo or, you know, the weird thing that we whatever, I think that would have been a better move because now that thing is part of our discography, and it’s certainly not on par with, you know, a lot of our proper albums.

Kind of like the Into The Unknown Bad Religion record, which I love. I want to go on record saying I love those songs. I think it’s a great record. They don’t even acknowledge it as part of their discography.

DS: When they did those Decades sets, I don’t think they touched any of those.

JC: I have it on vinyl, and it’s a very expensive, sought-after record.

DS: How do you feel your songwriting has evolved since this record?

JC: I think that we were still sort of learning how to be a band. I mean, those songs are pretty solid. That was like the beginning of really understanding how to put songs together. I definitely feel like I’ve grown since then; my taste has changed, my influences have broadened, all that.

Those songs are just so direct, like, “I’m gonna tell you exactly what’s going on with me.” I’ve learned to be about nuance and building some tension, building some suspense. I don’t know how successful I always am, but I know some songwriting tricks that I didn’t know or even care about back then. That was kind of the beauty of it. We didn’t really care. It was just like we’re gonna tell you exactly what the fuck is going on, and this is it. I think I’ve learned a lot about the craft of songwriting since then, for better or worse. I guess, probably better.

DS: I kind of had a Gameface and adjacent afternoon. Let’s listen to everything. I gave the Low Coast another listen because it’s been a minute. It’s kind of a different beast, not even a beast. A different animal I’ll say because it’s really nice. You can hear the songs teased out a little bit more.

JC: I think the same thing. I think Sleep Pod Two does the same thing. We’re thirty years older now, but there’s some maturity in understanding how to present a song or a melody. Start a song and know where you want to go with it, not just give it all. Like for Gameface, we pretty much give you everything in the first verse and the first chorus. That’s the beauty of it. The beauty of being young and fucking having all these high-running emotions. Not caring about song craft and just being fucking this is it.

TT: I think, though, in alignment with just becoming better songwriters and better musicians, when Steve joined the band after Three To Get Ready, his drumming style really allowed the songwriting to expand. Jeff was able to play guitar. You couldn’t play guitar during Three To Get Ready. For Cupcakes and Every Last Time and the albums after, it really anchored the songwriting process. In my opinion, that allowed Jeff’s musical growth and writing to come in. Without that, all the new albums wouldn’t have been possible if they weren’t in accordance with how Steve was.

JC: We got an actual real rock drummer. Then we were able to sort of mature and write rock songs, and that kind of makes Three To Get Ready special and youthful. I do love those songs, but thinking about playing them as they were now, it just feels exhausting to me. I struggle sometimes, right? And this week I’m gonna have to shift my approach. We’re getting back in the studio this week. I have to turn that switch and sort of think in a different way than I would with my current musical thing.

DS: Is it easier or harder to write something new that stays true to the sound that you guys have cultivated but evolves it, or do you just have your other projects where you try something new?

JC: Yeah, I feel like Gameface. We’ve stretched it as much as we can, or we do as much as we can within a sort of narrow. I don’t mean narrow in a bad way, but just our thing that we do.

TT: I think it’s a pretty basic formula that we stick to, but I don’t think we’re afraid to add anything. I just think we get together and play these rock songs that we like. I think we know our boundaries.

JC: I think that is the right word. I don’t want to push our boundaries too much because we’ll become something that we aren’t. We all have our outlets beyond the band to sort of cater to that, but I don’t think Gameface has ever really thought about that. It’s always, “This is what comes naturally. This is kind of what we do.” We’ve never sat down and said, “Okay, how can we push our limits as a songwriting group?” I don’t think we’ve ever had those conversations, but I do feel like we all know what the band is. It’s very apparent if I’m creating something new; I know pretty immediately whether it’s a Gameface thing or not just because we’ve had so many records.

TT: I’m doing a new writing project that has keyboards. With Gameface that wouldn’t fit, not that that wouldn’t be cool, but our songs are pretty… there’s a formula for a sound that we’re looking for. While it continues to mature like these new songs, which are great, but they’re very Gameface. You wouldn’t go, “Oh, wow. The new Gameface sounds completely different.” No, the new Gameface sounds the same.

JC: We’re not gonna pull an AFI on ya. 

DS: For the second time by the way.

JC: There’s nothing wrong with that; I think it’s actually pretty great, but also, just to have the luxury to do that is pretty amazing. Our side bands are different bands for all the different sounds, right?

TT: To keep the Gameface stuff kind of pure and holy, I guess.

JC: Whether people want to admit it or not, when you love a band and they change, it’s rough. It’s hard to stomach sometimes, and the bands that you love have that group of records, maybe two or three albums that are the ones that really… Either the other ones are okay, but when you think of the bands that you love you’re gonna gravitate towards the ones that are probably all in a row, when they were doing exactly what that band does for you. I don’t think there’s any fear of us veering too far away from what we did to make people like us in the first place.

DS: Are you able to tease at all what you guys are working on?

JC: Sure. I don’t think that we’re the type of band where the word’s going to spread like wildfire. We’ve been sitting on a couple of songs for, I don’t know, how many years, at least two years ago, and we had just made some practice recordings. Every once in a while, I pull them out and listen to them, and I still like them. Especially now, I feel like they have something to say. We want to keep the bar high when it comes to releasing music. We don’t want to just put out some stuff that we’re kind of going to scrap together, but I feel pretty strongly about these two songs. The idea is just to do a single or a seven-inch, or something.

A big thanks to Todd and Jeff for sharing their story with us.

If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. Call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis. You’re not alone.

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Dying Scene Photos and Show Notes: The Courettes with Starr and the Czars, Comet Ping Pong, Washington, DC (09/17/2025). 21 Oct 6:00 AM (5 days ago)

On Wednesday, 17 September 2025, Denmark-based Danish-Brazilian garage rock duo, the Courettes, played a sold-out show to a packed crowd at Comet Ping Pong in Washington, DC, with local band Jake Starr and the Czars as the opening act.

Comprised of Brazliian singer/guitarist Flavia and Danish drummer/vocalist Martin Couri, the Courettes is a married couple that really packs a punk rock and roll punch with their take on garage rock. They started their set with The Boy I Love, which let Martin lead with the drums and allow Flavia to take the stage delivering some wild riffage before launching into her raw and beautiful vocals. The crowd rocked out stomping, clapping, and singing through the show.

The band endured a 30-hour flight before driving straight from the airport to the venue with only some of their equipment, which made for a special night. Usually accompanied by backing bass and synth tracks, the Courettes were forced to deliver their songs in their rawest form with vocals, guitar, and drums. They also shared that their working visa cost a whopping $7,000.00 and implored the crowd to buy some merch and make the best of this rought first night of their North American tour.

Jake Starr and the Czars got the night started the night off with their take on 60’s garage rock. Starr, the vocalist, informed the crowd that he had just returned from a trip to Iowa and was much in need of this night of rock and roll. Starr explained that he and the band had just recorded an album in Europe and that most of the night’s songs would be available on that forthcoming record.

DS Interview: Alex Cox Talks “Dead Souls,” Westerns, and Punk Rock 20 Oct 4:00 AM (6 days ago)

Director Alex Cox has been making films since the late 1970s, starting with his first short film, Edge City. After writing Repo Man in 1978, Cox finally sold the film to Mike Nesmith of The Monkees, who got Universal Studios to back the film. Cox hired punk rockers and punk bands, such as the Circle Jerks and the Untouchables, to populate his version of Los Angeles, a practice he would continue in his next few films: Sid and Nancy, Straight to Hell, and Walker.  

Alex Cox’s early films are cult classics among punk rockers, film students, and other seekers of the strange. However, in 1988, Cox was essentially blacklisted from Hollywood. Since then, he has been working outside the Hollywood system, opting to work independently and mostly on his own terms, raising funds as needed. If there’s anyone who’s body of work has kept the punk rock ethos through out his career, its Alex Cox.

Cox has continued to present stories using his unique voice and take on genres; one in particular is Westerns. Cox has spent many years studying and presenting his interpretation of them. Whether it be in a more modern setting, as with the films Straight to Hell or Searchers 2.0, or period pieces with unexpected elements like Walker or Tombstone Rashomon Cox has done extensive work in the genre and continues to push its limits in new and unexpected ways. 

We caught up with Alex Cox to talk about his new film Dead Souls, Westerns, and some of his older films. 

Dying Scene ( Forrest Gaddis): Tell us about your current movie, Dead Souls. 

Alex Cox: It’s a Western, written by me and Gianni Garko, based on Gogol’s Dead Souls, shot last year in Almería and Arizona with two crews, one Spanish, one American.

What drew you to adapt Gogol’s Dead Souls as a Western and what themes still feel relevant?

I’m always looking for excuses to make Westerns, and Gogol’s story, with its hero crossing vast distances for mysterious reasons, is a natural. What are its themes? What I drew from the story was the commodification of human beings – whether they be serfs, or slaves, or prisoners, or “illegal” workers or “collateral damage” – but the book no doubt has many other themes. Since it isn’t finished (Gogol only completed volume one of three) we don’t know what Chichikov’s purpose was, or how it all ends.

What attracts you to the Western Genre?

The desert! Some fine Westerns, such as The Great Silence, don’t take place there. But most of them do.

Is there any part of the Western Genre that doesn’t work for you and what have you done to make that aspect your own?

The worst aspect of the Western, and all narratives, is that it can be reduced to a story of good versus evil, where good (i.e., middle-class capitalism in support of railroads and genocide) triumphs. Good Westerns usually do not do this. Some examples are The Searchers, Kirk Douglas’ Posse, Sergio Leone’s films, A Bullet for the General, and Sollima’s, Questi’s, Petroni’s, Lizzani’s, and Peckinpah’s Westerns.

You’ve said this may be your last film. How has that shaped your approach to Dead Souls?

I called the Kickstarter campaign ‘my last movie’ to encourage people to support the project, in the same way as The Who have announced multiple farewell tours. Will it be my last movie? Possibly. I’m 70 years old and raising money for films is very time-consuming.

How did crowdfunding shape the creative process compared to traditional financing?

If you work for a single financier they will most likely have a say in the project, particularly in terms of casting. With El Patrullero, the Japanese executive producers gave us complete casting freedom. Usually, that isn’t the case – unless the budget is so low that you can’t afford ‘star’ actors. In the case of a $250K crowdfunded film, no one is pushing you in that hopeless direction. 

Can you tell me a little about how you got into punk rock? How active in the LA punk scene were you while you were at UCLA?

Devo was the first punk band I saw, in a basement in Hollywood off the Strip. Then there were all these LA bands – the Plugz, the Screamers, X, Black Flag, Circle Jerks, Wall of Voodoo, GoGos (they were a punk band at first, and not all glamorous). More bands visited. I saw 999, Gang of Four, Talking Heads, and The Clash. The Sex Pistols were supposed to come to LA, but they broke up in San Francisco, the day before. Happy times.

Repo Man and Sid & Nancy are classic punk rock movies. How did punk ideology influence the storytelling and aesthetic of your films?

You would have to ask a film critic. I don’t analyse the stuff – just churn it out.

Was there any pushback from the Repo Man script, in regards to it skewering American culture, but being written by someone from England?

Michael Nesmith, the executive producer, liked the script a lot.

I don’t think the execs at Universal ever read it.

I know Repo Man 2 is in the works. Is any of that script based on Waldo’s Hawaiian Holiday or connected to Repo Chick?

Neither one. Right now Repo Man 2: the Wages of Beer is just a mouldering press release. But who knows?

You’ve worked with musicians like Joe Strummer, Courtney Love, Elvis Costello, and The Pogues. What did they bring to a set that trained actors could not?

The ability to play musical instruments! Some actors can’t do that but all musicians can. On Dead Souls I worked with a number of actor-musicians – Ed Tudor Pole, Sarah Vista, Zander Schloss, Javier Arnal, Dick Rude. Some actors are trained, some are not. Some people have a natural acting talent, a talent for impersonation, and telling stories.

You’ve said punk rock wasn’t just about music, it was about “bringing down the government.” How does that manifest in your films now?

When did I say that? And which government? The funny thing is that punk rock burst forth in rebellion against the Labour Government in England and Carter in the US. There were definitely many things to complain about in the late 1970s, but we rebel punks had no idea how bad things were about to get. 

Is there an era of your filmmaking you consider your best, and a film from that era?

Again, that’s a question for somebody else to answer. I like almost all the films I made. There was very good source material – Borges, William Walker – and I worked with some very good writers – Rudy Wurlitzer, Lorenzo O’Brien, Tod Davies, Thomas Middleton…

Do you feel your films are misinterpreted by the audience? Which one do you think is the most misunderstood?

I hope they aren’t misinterpreted. I try to be pretty clear about things and to make the story comprehensible to the viewer. If a film has a point, then you want that point to come across. I think Sid & Nancy may be a failure in that regard. Abbe Wool and I wanted to make a salutary tale about a frivolous pair who betrayed the punk ethos (Sy Richardson’s speech in the methadone clinic is what the film was all about) but a sentimental stew ensued.

Are there any movies or projects that didn’t work out that you wish had?

There are a couple of scripts I wrote with Rudy – Body Parts and Out of Control – which I would still love to make. They are 1980s action thrillers set in Tucson and Central America. Both are coming out as a book soon – one of those double novels you turn upside down to read in both directions. 

Where can we buy your books or films?

Where to buy my books? I always check Thriftooks and A Libris, or go to the bookshop in town. Or the library! 

You can order new books or discs online directly from the publisher (Oldcastle / Kamera books in my case, disks from BFI in England and Kino Lorber in the US). No Amazon or its subsidiaries (AbeBooks etc.)

A number of Alex’s films are also available on the Criterion Collection. For updates on all things Alex Cox. Check out his website, here.

DS Exclusive: People of Riot Fest — Stories from the Grounds 19 Oct 6:03 AM (7 days ago)

Riot Fest, celebrating its 20th year in 2025, is most publicly about the bands on stage. But so often, the much more compelling stories are found on the grounds of the music festival’s home in Douglass Park. Here are a few of those stories.

Love and Heartbreak at the Riot Fest Wedding Chapel

Olivia Beck married her husband, David Martin Beck, [03.11.1982 -12.14.2023] at the Riot Fest Wedding Chapel in 2022. The following year, her husband was tragically killed in a confrontation in his apartment building. This year, Beck paid tribute to him by scattering some of his ashes beside and in front of the wedding chapel. She also left a framed photo of her husband. Being a young widow with a child is challenging, but Beck is determined to carry the spirit of her husband forward as she knows he would hope for and expect of her. 

Olivia: David and I met at this dive bar in San Antonio called the Texan 2. Its the grossest bar ever, and he worked there forever. He made me cry the first time I met and he laughed. I found it funny eventually. He then invited me and my ex over for a game of Magic The Gathering, so we met because we were nerds. This was in 2018.

His favorite bands were Bad Religion, Senses Fail, Rise Against, and Thrice. He was a through-and-through punk, and I loved that. He introduced me to a lot of bands, so we had similar tastes in music. Some of my favorites are NOFX, Bad Religion, and Less Than Jake. I have those on repeat a lot. 

Our honeymoon at Riot Fest was EXHAUSTING. It was hot that year, and we walked so much! My veil flew off after we married, and a homeless man caught it. The dude offered it back only if we gave him $20, which David gladly did. The last day, we were ready to start our lives back in our hometown. 

When I lost my husband, I was 2 months pregnant. We tried for a year to get pregnant, and so we were extremely ecstatic. My stepdaughter, Ellie, was also excited to be a big sister. When David was murdered, [Shawn Pivonka was charged with murder, but the trial ended with a not guilty verdict] I succumbed to a deep depression and almost attempted suicide. I had to be in the mental hospital for 2 weeks, and honestly, dealing with that mental anguish and witnessing everything was much harder than labor and birth itself. I lost all hope, but I eventually went on to support myself and my unborn baby until I was 9 months pregnant as a bartender.

When we received the verdict (not guilty), it felt like losing David all over again. I rarely ate, and I slept all week. I kept going over all the “what ifs?” “What if I was outside when his life was taken? Could I have done something? Could all of this have been prevented, and we’d be in a timeline where our family is all together as one?” 

Spreading his ashes was cathartic. To be honest, I almost didn’t go to Chicago because I didn’t feel strong enough, but I could hear David yelling at me, “YOU SPEND THAT MONEY, GET YOUR ASS UP THERE, BABY!” I was nervous about breaking down and crying, but it actually felt like a weight lifted off my shoulders. People recognized me and gave me their condolences – and these were people I’ve never even met, from all over the world. I was afraid of being alone, but I certainly wasn’t. 

This Riot Fest was more than I could ever have asked for. I went in with NO expectations. Last year, I fell in love with someone, the first person I ever had feelings for after losing David. We had such a strong connection that we made plans to go to Riot Fest together. Things didn’t work out, and we had a falling out. Well, as the universe would have it, I ran into him at the festival, and he told me that he had been looking for me and that he’d been missing me every day. We rekindled a close friendship, and we saw all the bands together. He even put me on his shoulders at Green Day, and it was magical. On top of that, I made new friends from NY and California. Everyone seemed drawn to me this year, [Beck had posted in an unofficial Riot Fest-related Facebook group about her plans to spread David’s ashes]. I feel like it was David’s spirit making sure that I was okay and had fun

Brothers in Arms Together Again

Sean Elliot [left, in the above photo, and Robert Taylor] first became friends more than three decades ago as young soldiers in the United States Army. After having lost touch for decades, they reconnected and reunited at Riot Fest. Here is their story:

Sean: I moved a lot as a kid but settled here and went to Downers Grove North with Mike Vinikour [featured in Dying Scene in 2023] joined the army because I didn’t know what else to do with myself. I always had that rebellious streak, so punk just clicked right away with me. I got stationed at Ft Hood, Texas (about an hour from Austin) after training in 1988. There were not a lot of punks in the army or in Texas in the 80s. Rob and I met at the mall in Killeen (just off base) and immediately became great friends, bonding over our love of punk music and culture. We were in Austin every weekend with some other friends.

After I got out, Rob visited me here in Chicago a few times. But it was pre-Internet, and it was easy to lose a number and contact in those days, which is what happened.

On his role as a veteran in today’s political climate and how being punk plays into that:

I’m not sure if being a punk and being a vet is incongruent or not. That’s probably a question for somebody smarter than me. I don’t think it is because I’m patriotic in the fact that I love what this country is supposed to be and should be, and things like that. [For example] My need to be protective. I am overly protective by nature.

Having served definitely plays into who I am as a man. Although, unlike some people, I don’t make it my entire personality. As a punk and a man, I just tried to move through the world with intent. I lead with kindness and try to know. Make as many people smile in a day, or help as many people in a day as I can…A fairly sizable guy who can handle himself. I try to make sure that I always protect those who aren’t as strong and need protection.

What does Sean love most about his friend and brother by service and by choice:

As far as Rob goes, he’s just an awesome human being. Rarely in a bad mood, we kind of see the world the same way. We’ve always been super close and 3 plus decades in between. Then and now didn’t change any of that. That’s my brother till I’m dead, just a smart. Solid, funny friend I could tell anything to. That dude is Downtown Julie Brown kind of down.

Robert: I grew up in a small Kansas farm town nestled between Topeka and Lawrence called Perry, population 900. My dad served 6 years in the Army and loved every minute of it. He was planning on making a career of it, but the Army had become too undisciplined for him, due to the draft and the Vietnam War. He said that the day he saw a Private with his arm around a Lieutenant, he knew that the Army wasn’t for him anymore. It was decided from the day that I was born that I was going into the Army. I grew up hearing “When you’re in the Army…” my entire childhood. I had a good relationship with my dad and I knew that it was important to him that I serve. Also, I wanted to go to college and the Army was just about my only option to make that happen.

Three days after graduating high school, I was being shipped off to Basic Training. After completing my training in 1987, I was sent to Ft. Hood, TX. Summer of 1988, I had just bought a car and was finally getting away from the barracks in the evenings. I spent a lot of time at the mall in Killeen, because that’s what you did as a teen in the 80’s, and that’s where I met Sean. I’ll never forget, I was walking out of a record store and saw another punk! I didn’t know any other punks at Ft. Hood at that time. We immediately gravitated towards each other. We started talking and Sean asked what I bought at the record store. It was Mama’s and the Papa’s greatest hits, not punk at all, but I had grown up listening to them. When I showed Sean, he said, “My mom’s a hippy, I love the Mama’s and the Papa’s!” I knew immediately that we were going to be good friends…!

Sean got out of the Army in the Summer of 1989, and I still had a year left. We kept in touch, and Summer of 1991, I went to Chicago to visit him. I visited him again on NYE 1993/1994. That was the last time that I had seen and spoken to him. Sean had a wife and daughter, and life just got busy. I was terrible about writing and keeping in touch with people. All of my friends at that time had finished school and were getting married and having kids. I switched majors halfway through college and was focusing on finishing school and starting my life.

Time went on, the internet happened, and then social media. I tried for decades to find Sean online. MySpace, Facebook, Google, PeopleSearch…no luck at all. For whatever reason, a year ago, I was doing my monthly search for Sean when his Facebook profile finally appeared!

We had talked about getting together in July but Sean had suggested Riot Fest. I was all in. Seeing Sean after 31 years was amazing! It’s amazing how you can just pick right back up where you left off with someone.

Being in the Army in the late 80s was…interesting. All my life, I had heard that people loved soldiers, that women loved a man in uniform… but none of it was true. Vietnam was still fresh in everyone’s mind, and people near military towns hated you. I don’t blame them, their town is overrun by 18 to 25 year old shitheads…. The punks, especially, did not understand why I was in the Army.

Post-Active Service, Robert thinks about his role as a retired veteran. Cautiously saying:

My role as a vet today, hmmm. With everything that’s going on in this country today, that would take too long to answer. I’m currently a GIS Analyst for a local government, living in the SF Bay Area. 

Riot Fest was a blast! I had been to the Denver RF for the Misfits reunion, but never to Chicago. I go to Punk Rock Bowling every year, and many of the West Coast Punk in the Parks, so it was nice to be at a midwest fest!

What is the best thing about Sean? The guy has one of the biggest hearts ever, fierce and loyal! We will absolutely stay in touch, and we’re hoping to make RF an annual event!

A Festival Newbie

Riot Fest has also long been the first music festival and even the first concert for many pint-sized punks. Kacie and her husband, Tim (first names only per request), joined that tradition when they brought their one-year-old daughter Madison to Riot Fest 2025.

Kacie: We are from Las Vegas. Kacie and Madison (daughter), husband is Tim. We loved the festival! It was our very first one, have been wanting to go since we saw the lineup a few years ago but didn’t get a chance to until this year. My favorite sets were Weird Al and Green Day!

We decided to bring her because we want to introduce her to lots of different music and activities. She thrives when we’re out of the house, so it was just natural to bring her along. Also, because she was free lol. My husband prefers more of the bands than I do, but it’s always nice to hear new things.

The only other festival we considered taking her to was When We Were Young, but we would have needed to buy a ticket for her. When we saw the lineup for Riot Fest and that we could bring her for free, we went all in.

She did keep the ear protection on when we were closer to the stages, when she was sleeping, and when we were walking around. But when we sat in the shade at the back of the stages, she wouldn’t keep them on.

Judging by the huge smile on Madison’s face, it won’t be long before she is rocking out at another show and maybe even Riot Fest 2026. Start them young!

My favorite quote related to photojournalism has also long acted as a sort of mission statement or modus operandi as a photojournalist. It comes from the legendary William Albert Allard:

I think the best pictures are often on the edges of any situation, I don’t find photographing the situation nearly as interesting as photographing the edges.

Allard is my inspiration to look for the stories from the grounds and not just on the stages at a festival such as Riot Fest. There are so many stories out there, I wish I could share them all.

See you at Riot Fest 2026! Cheers!

DS Show Review: Skalloween with La Pobreska, Los Rudos, Undisputed World Champions, and Trinidad Suave in Riverside, CA (10/11/25) 18 Oct 8:00 AM (8 days ago)

Smelvis Records nailed it again with their annual Skalloween show and for it’s 24th year, it was a celebration of all things spooky, Spanish, and skanking. There was also a costume contest, so dressing up was encouraged which was awesome to see so many characters ripping it up in the pit. So if you were wondering, Beetlejuice, Spider-Punk, Nacho Libre, and Shrek are all ska fans!

Based in the Inland Empire, Romano’s Chicago Pizzeria is located inside a Riverside shopping center. You would never guess that attached to it is a perfect intimate venue for punk shows. I thought we were at the wrong place until I saw people standing outside in costumes. The creativity was mind blowing and the energy was unmatchable. It wasn’t just the crowd either. The stage was decorated with skeletons, creepy dolls, and all kinds of Halloween props.

The first band to play was Trinidad Suave from South Central, and immediately the entire crowd was jumping. They played for about 45 minutes and frequently brought up current political/societal issues, while giving advice on how to deal with them, which is one thing I deeply appreciate. Then they gave the stage to Undisputed World Champions.

Undisputed World Champions turned up in bulletproof vests, keeping the energy with their amazing sound and stage presence. Their front man really knows how to control a crowd. Even when they switched it up and shocked everyone by doing a cover of Oasis’ “Wonderwall”, the audience was still intrigued… they were that good! After their 45 minutes was the next band on the lineup, Los Rudos, a Spanish ska core band playing in their hometown. They were insanely talented. Their technical skill was awesome but it was the bass lines that really stole my heart and left me eager for more.

Finally, it was time for the headliner and after an anticipating warm up, La Pobreska started out the set with their song “El Inmigrante“. The entire room collided in a beautiful chaos. Those are some damn talented musicians. Each one of them, from the vocalists, to the trombonists, are so fluent yet so intense in everything they do. And the crowd was brutal to say the least. Especially during “Hasta La Victoria“, “Rebeldia“, and “Las Cruces de Tijuana“. It was over an hour of raw substance, movement, and passion. Their onstage energy and presence is so excellently symbolic, it is a must see.

@murderc1ty

SKALLOWEEN 2025 #ska #skapunk #2tone #bands #punkrock #punkshow #punkmusic #ie #losangeles #alt #emo #fyp

♬ original sound – cam / spike

Smelvis Records 24th annual Skalloween was a night full of outright love and solidarity. Seriously this was one of the most unified crowds I’ve ever been in. I already can’t wait until next years.

DS Album Review: The Jukebox Romantics “This One Looks Cool” 18 Oct 4:00 AM (8 days ago)

The latest album from New York State heartfelt pop-punks, the Jukebox Romantics, is called This One Looks Cool. This album is ten infectious songs about life, heartbreak, and everything in between. The record marks their first full-length LP since 2018 and their first release after a four-year hiatus. While long waits are sometimes hard between releases for both bands and fans, a record of this caliber is worth the recharge.

“Coffee, Cigarettes & Damp Church Basements” comes off as a bit of a preamble to a record that isn’t afraid to give all the feelings. Its acoustic guitar intro readies us for an emotional rollercoaster. While the opening track is not a bad song by any means, “Packing Up My Knives” feels like where the album takes off. It’s melodic, riffy, and dark in just the right places.

Leading up to its release, the band has released three singles, including “Honolulu Sun” and “March 24, 1984.” The highlight is the album’s last song and third single, “The Walk to Heartwood,” a nearly nine-minute opus that barrels through multiple genres, leaving the question: why isn’t there more ska on this album?

The wide range of influences seems to waver between a lot of 1990s punk rock, but lean heavily into the Alkaline Trio and Good Riddance. Some lyrics feel rough around the edges, which always gives an album a layer of authenticity not always obtainable on something more polished. The song titles are quippy. Their lyrics are witty and raw, but not as self-deprecating as expected in this type of album. Overall, this sounds like street punk with a bigger, and somewhat beaten heart; balancing grit and melody

I’m a sucker for a therapy record, and that’s what this feels like. This One Looks Cool is thoughtful and catchy. The Jukebox Romantics wear their influences on their sleeves, but know just the right amount of how much to interject and where. If you like catchy pop punk with a bit of a dark edge, check out this album!

DS Interview: Ricky Rochelle Reveals What’s Under His Second Layer 17 Oct 8:01 AM (9 days ago)

New York has a long history of producing some of the most iconic punk rock and pop acts around. Hell, without that storied city we wouldn’t have the foundations that have held our scene up for decades. Ricky Rochelle came up in the Long Beach area of New York as the drummer and singer of pop punk upstarts The Young Rochelles. Now, with his second solo record Second Layer, Ricky is delving into a deeper reservoir of inspirations and the results are stunning. Elements of synth, reggae, and big pop hooks swirl and mingle with his established punk foundations to create a confection that is both light, sweet and easy on the ears. However, beyond the surface lies a story of trauma, disconnection, and redemption. It’s in this second emotional layer that the true beauty of this record hides.

I caught up with Ricky to chat about the record, what inspired him and the process of making Second Layer. Go check out the record and read on to get the low down!

DS: Hey Ricky! Thanks for taking the time to chat. The new record sounds great! It’s definitely a bit of a departure from the Ramonescore style of your previous projects. What influences were you pulling from that lead to this new batch of songs?  

RR: Hey, thanks!! You know, not many of the layered sonics were present in my mind while I wrote my new album, Second Layer. I’m very open to what my music productions can become, especially these days when I’m not writing within the confines of a Ramonescore box, or whatever pop punk style defined The Young Rochelles. I enter the recording studio with the songs written, and I come to perform them with that day’s natural energy.

I trust my producers 100%, and while I co-produce my music, I let the main producer lead the way. My current producer, Gregg Gavitt, has impressed me with his musical intelligence, playing abilities, and important additions to my songs. His bass guitar and keyboard playing are pure wizardry. Gavitt seemingly has endless knowledge of all music from 1970 to today. The power pop-esque keyboards, The Police/The Slackers homages, and leaning into grunge and other sounds I’m not known for, mostly come from Gregg. He’ll hear my pop punk songs and sometimes want to take them on a slightly different journey. Admittedly, it occasionally can be out of my comfort zone to let him steer me into somewhat new territory, but those risks have defined Second Layer, making it stand out in my discography. Gavitt and I make a complimentary combination, and it’s always a super fun process to record music with him.

DS: The recording is very tight and clean. Can you tell me a little about the recording process? 

RR: I’m a recovering perfectionist, known for obsessing over vocals and song mixes. Lately I’ve been more relaxed with artistic decisions, so I don’t get stuck in the process, but yes, a lot of care is taken into making things sound the way they need to sound. Additionally, these songs were recorded one at a time, rather than in the same chunk of time. I’m more inspired that way. I’ve retired from doing demos.

RR: A lot of heavy and personal feelings came up during the recording process. The story can be heard on this album, but the long and short of it is that I became estranged from my Dad after a lifetime of surviving his verbal and emotional abuse. My parents divorced when I was two years old; My mom left with me in the middle of the night, fearing for our lives after what she felt was a direct threat. At that age, I believed my parent’s divorce was my fault, and wasn’t told otherwise. I was always caught in the middle of him and my mom, who he consistently tried to hurt…using me as his pawn. He had severe mental problems, and I should have been more protected. I suffered for many years.

As a son seeking his father’s love, I gave my Dad the benefit of the doubt until I truly believed we couldn’t continue our communication any longer. It was time to stand up for myself. The final straw broke when he went into a rage that lasted for months regarding him not knowing my wedding date, even though no invitations had even gone out by that time. He didn’t know any less than anyone else in my family did. But he flipped. He had a history of ruining personal events for me, and it ultimately became unsafe to invite him to my wedding… so he wasn’t there. Fast forward almost two years of no communication, and I found myself on the phone with my Dad telling me he had stage 4 esophageal cancer. He ended up in the hospital shortly after that. Then a nursing home. Then a hospice care center. It was in those final two months of his life that we reconnected after a lifetime of ups and downs. He finally offered some sort of non-apology, minimizing the significance of the harm he caused, which I hesitantly accepted. After all, it was the only option. We buried the hatchet, and weeks later, he was gone forever. The songs on Second Layer, especially the back half, tell the story of me and my Dad. I hope that my story can provide some relief to other survivors, who too often fall through the cracks of society, and are expected to be self-sufficient in a sometimes cruel world. We are all human and there is hope beyond our problems. We thrive by finding support and solutions.

So, I didn’t set out to make Second Layer a serious album from the start. The maturity of themes on the album was just a reflection of the tough times I endured during the years of its creation.

DS: Sounds like a heavy experience. I’m glad you were able to use that emotional journey to fuel your creative output. With a couple of solo releases under your belt now, what has the general response been to this turn of your career so far?

RR: The response has been great. People are enjoying the variety of themes and sounds and taking it for what it is: personal and artistic growth, if you will. I keep seeing the words, “Emotionally resonant” describe my new album in reviews. I think that’s a good thing… haha. Anyone who’s taken the plunge into my new work has expressed many kind words. Perhaps people thought all I could do was Ramonescore, but it was always clear to me that I have more to offer. My mission is to keep relaying important messages through relatable stories, wrapped in the uniquely catchy melodies I receive from the universe. I’m happy to report that my records are selling and my streams are growing, with prominent playlist placements helping the cause.

DS: You’ve certainly broken the mold with this album. What prompted the move to Germany based Lighthouse Records for this release?

RR: Lighthouse Records was the most enthusiastic about Second Layer and heard something special in it early on, before I had even realized its strength. He made a solid offer and I accepted. (Thank you Niko!! I enjoy working with you).

DS: Very cool! So, what can fans expect in terms of touring for this record? Are there any shows on the horizon that we should know about?

RR: I’m starting with localized shows and will be branching out from there. There are always a million things happening at once for me, so it’s just another plan, but touring remains on my mind. If I can get the right crew for the job, I’ll be out there again. My next show is on November 8^th in Brooklyn, NY at The Gutter with Goin’ Places and The Downstrokes.

DS: Thanks so much for your time and for bringing this gorgeous record into the world! Is there anything else on your mind that you’d like our readers to know about?

RR: I’m continuing my climb and you should too!! Keep making music, art, and all that. Live and love life while there’s time!! Support the artists you like. And as always, fuck fascism. Thank you again for your kind words and all the great questions. Dying Scene rules. See ya!!

Dying Scene Review — Rat Bath – “Fuck you and Fuck yur god too” 17 Oct 6:00 AM (9 days ago)

Sometimes I’ll listen to a single and get the complete vibe of the entire band in one go. I think this single pretty effectively encompasses that. Plus, the cassette came with a discount code for Bandcamp, which is something I haven’t seen before and a welcome addition to the fun game of physical media purchasing. Coupons! Yippee. Slotting the cassette into my yellow Walkman, I was excited to finally hear the vocals, considering I was absurdly high and dancing way too hard to hear them accurately at the show.

“FY&FYGT” features the stellar vocal work of Fred Kanyon, something you need to see live to feel the power of. The band’s electric energy radiates from the vocals, the moments where Fred leans into the microphone and really screams the repetitive eponymous refrain. I know quite a few bands that manage to blur the line between live performance and recorded sound well, but Rat Bath really shines both live and recorded.

Time seems to go on, and as it goes, the music follows it. Political music has its place deep in the annals of time and history, and Rat Bath is leading the way. They mix queercore, grunge, emo, and pulse-pounding pop punk into a delightful smorgasboard across their discography. You can feel the hands of each band member across the music, a mix of influences screamed out on-stage, and “Fuck you and Fuck yur god too” is a wonderful example of that.

The b-side on the single, “DM Stands For Dungeon Mommy,” follows the lead’s vibes and sound while featuring a truly delightful conceptual track. Leaning into the grungier aspects, we hear them sing about a dominatrix doing dominatrix things. They are both fantastic songs that have been stuck in my head since I first heard them.

Rat Bath has something to their work. Since 2019 they’ve been releasing an album every year along with relentless singles. Talking to them reveals their love for their fans, their love for music, and a relentless forward movement towards growth and improvement. The cross of queerpunk and grunge is sorely needed, and this band embraces it beautifully. Check out the single on their Bandcamp.