Here On This Island

This Is My Life and You Can Have It

2011-10-11T13:40:00.000-07:00

Yes, I will have a few more posts left for Here On This Island so please sit tight. Thanks for the support and interest in the blog everyone. So I have yet another new blog and it is called This Is My Life and You Can Have It. With this blog I am essentially sharing vinyl. tapes and cds from my personal collection that I have been building since my teenage years. With this blog I am generally focusing on sharing indie rock, indie pop, lo fi, shoegaze and post punk. Dig in!

Half Man "Force Field" 7 inch (Mountain Collective/1993)

2011-09-04T16:43:00.000-07:00

I would be completely remiss if I got through this blog without posting something from on of the first Long Island hardcore bands I ever saw, Half Man. I have seen their other releases such as the split 7 inch w/ Kisses & Hugs as well as the full length As Everything Fell Apart posted on other blogs so I figured why not share the Force Field 7 inch.Half Man were loud and abrasive with socio political lyrics in that Born Against meets early Ebullition Records style hardcore kind of way that I still love. Force Field contains five songs, all of which were previously released as part of 12 song demo cassette which I have never actually seen. Wild. Anyhow this is the type of hardcore that was going for awhile in the 90s here on Long Island and it had a powerful effect on me as did Half Man's Chris Jensen and his various projects over in the years including the label he started, The Mountain Collective. This ep is a great trip down memory lane for me and I love every step.

Half Man Force Field track listing
1. Force Field
2. Substitution
3. No Lunch Today
4. Change of Pace
5. Candle Stubs

Download Here

Scent of Human History/Memory as Perfection "split" 12 inch (2003/Waking Records/McCarthyism Records))

2011-09-03T05:02:00.000-07:00

Here is the last bit of material I have from the band Scent of Human History, a band whom I have a very deep personal relationship with and was fortunate to be around when this record came out. I remember being on tour with Yes Sensei and Scent when this record came out. We pulled into the Baltimore area and bullshitted on our way to a show a Charm City Art Space with Hot Cross, lickegoldensky, Medic and a few other cats. And we stayed at Josh from McCarthyism's house. I fondly recall being very happy that folks from outside of Long Island were as excited about Scent of Human History's music as I enough to put out a record for them and document their great music. Their music was loud, abrasive yet beautiful and sprawling. Like I have said previously in my write ups about the band, they played what one would call "screamo" in that expansive Pg 99 and City of Caterpillar manner. And their four songs on this split are some of the best the band ever recorded.

As a side note I have not included the Memory As Perfection tracks as I am short on time and being that this is a blog about Long Island music I felt as if the space here isn't appropriate to share their music.

Scent of Human History/Memory As Perfection "split" track listing
1. The Choice Unchosen
2. Take Your Time With Time
3. Change Melts Away
4. Still Not Past the Future

Download Here

Knox Overstreet "Jammer Failed/Coming Around" 7 inch (Abominable Records/2000)

2011-08-27T15:24:00.000-07:00

I know... I know... This blog has been greatly neglected the last few months but for those of you have been following Here On This Island you'll be thrilled to know that I have ripped all the last remaining releases that I have planned to share here. Everything should be wrapped up in the coming weeks and from there I shall focus on my new blog which I'll be launching soon as well as some regular posting once again on Away From This Island. Anyhow...in wrapping up some of the discographies that I was promising to complete here is a 7 inch from a band whom I have spoke very highly in this space and whose passing I still lament, no other than Knox Overstreet. They were such a great band and the two songs on this 7 inch, "Jammer Failed" and "Coming Around" are just aces. This two song 7 inch was the second release on Abominable Records who were a short lived label out of Nassau County. Their first release was the It Was Certainly a Grand Piano CD compilation and I believe they had one more release a cd-r from the band HelicopterEjectionSeat. Anyhow back to Knox-once again they played driving melodic indie rock/emo that was a mix between Garden Variety, Indoor Living era Superchunk, Afghan Whigs and even Big Star. The songs were super catchy and none of the instruments were over bearing, Knox Overstreet I have say had one of the most mature and balanced sound out just about any band I have encountered in the local scene over the years. No one was trying to show off or anything like that-it was all about the songs and they were all great. I have know shared the band's entire discography here as well as some live stuff, I can't recommend their music enough.

Download Here

Rok Lok Records Showcase August 20th

2011-08-02T19:26:00.000-07:00

Here is a flyer for a show that I am putting on August 20th at Mr Beery's in Bethpage. It is a Rok Lok Records showcase of sorts as it features bands I have done releases for or will be doing releases for in the next few months or so. The DEEP POCKETS Demo cassette came out this past winter and it rules. If you haven't picked up a copy yet do so now! BRICK MOWER's Why Are We Doing This? 7 inch is in production right now, VEHICLE BLUES from Missouri will be on a split 7 inch with KEVIN GREENSPON that will be going to press this fall. And both GIANT PEACH and MAKE IT PLAIN are two bands whom I love a great deal and will be looking to do something for towards the end of 2011. Most likely 7 inches.

The info for the show is as follows:

Rok Lok Records presents:
Saturday August 20th
@ Mr Beery's 4019 Hempstead Turnpike Bethpage, NY
9PM 21+ $5
featuring: DEEP POCKETS, BRICK MOWER, MAKE IT PLAIN, VEHICLE BLUES, FAMOUS LAUGHS, and GIANT PEACH.

Check out the bands:

Deep Pockets Demo on Bandcamp
Brick Mower Why Are We Doing This? on Bandcamp
Make It Plain on Bandcamp
Vehicle Blues on Myspace
Famous Laughs on Myspace
Giant Peach on Bandcamp

Risk "Demo" cd-r (2010/self released)

2011-07-17T08:49:00.000-07:00

Here is a fairly recent release but I am not really certain to the extent of which this material was made available or how many of this demo actually made it into the hands of folks so I figured why not share it. Risk, not to be confused with the band from the mid west this Risk is a four piece that resides in Brooklyn but two of the members were originally from Long Island and each in their own ways played significant roles in making Long Island DIY what it was in the late 90s/early 00s. Guitarist/vocalist Jay Melli was in bands such as Scent of Human History, Sometimes Walking Sometimes Running, United States, Jan Cux, etc while guitarist/vocalist Bryan Winston was a part of making the Long Island Freespace a reality.

Risk plays fast screamo/emo fury infused hardcore that reminds me of bands like Yaphet Kotto, Shotmaker, and even a bit of Kaospilot. A style of music that admittedly I listen to less and less these days but when done right I still absolutely love. You know classics never die and when I hear current bands of this ilk cherry pick the Ebullition archives so to speak I can't help but get excited. This four song demo cd-r comes packaged in a re-purposed brown paper bag with graphics glued on. Totally DIY packaging that really takes me back. I can't help but think of late night Kinko's hang outs with my friends making zines and demo packaging. Great stuff.

Risk "Demo" track listing
1. Need to Burn
2. Bombs Away
3. Living Dead
4. Bloodlines

Download Here

Encrypt Manuscript "Dialogues" cd (Tone Library Collective/2003)

2011-07-13T04:04:00.000-07:00

Today's upload comes courtesy of Encrypt Manuscript who burst onto the scene displaying exceptional, kinetic musicianship and a front man that had, as they say, a flair for the dramatic and with those things combined Encrypt Manuscript quickly became a formidable live band. Their music was a brand of high energy, math-y post hardcore that experimented with jazzy parts from time to time. Dialogues is the debut release from this band who as I stated in my previous post about their 7 inch, Encrypt Manuscript were a band that in my opinion didn't release enough material in their tenure as a band. Their releases progressively got better and better. Dialogues is a fantastic document of a very talented band finding its footing, and while it is a good document I do believe there are some steps along the way that feel a bit awkward when stacked next to their more or less flawless 7 inch and Census full length. Still Encrypt Manuscript lay fantastic framework of what to expect on future releases and even more so set the stage for their live show with a blistering At the Drive In meets Make Believe approach post hardcore. This is also the inaugural release on The Tone Library Collective label who released quite a few cool things in their short time releasing music including music for Rachel Jacobs, Empty Silos Echo War, The No Nucleus comp and of course material from Encrypt Manuscript. One of my favorite aspects about Encrypt Manuscript is that they seemed to appear almost randomly. They didn't play shows every weekend and like I said only had a handful of releases during their tenure as a band. So I guess what I am saying is that when they played it seemed all the more exciting. It was like "hey remember us?" and then you got floored. Seriously.

Encrypt Manuscript Dialogues track listing
1. Riot Cop Fox Trot
2. The Dead Sleep Here/Theme For Seagulls
3. Parabola Modes
4. How Do You Syllabicate Your Name?
5. (Re)consider The Hysterical Consortium

Download Here

Porcelain Decay "s/t" 7 inch (Sot Records/2000)

2011-07-11T19:50:00.000-07:00

Okay folks... I am back. As promised I shall start to finish up the remaining uploads I have planned before unveiling my new blog (which I am very excited about). And I suppose you should be too if you like obscure indie rock/lo fi and shoegaze because I'll uploading plenty. Today's upload comes courtesy of a melodic DIY punk rock band called Porcelain Decay which featured current/ex members of Fellow Project, Bridge & Tunnel, Contra, Church of the Rowdy, and 3 Mylile. They played catchy, politically charged DIY punk rock and outside of this 7 inch the only other thing the band released to my knowledge was a track and in my opinion their best one to the "Who Has Two Thumbs and Loves Long Island Punk and Hardcore" 7 inch compilation on Traffic Violation Records. Porcelain Decay were a ton of fun live and you can guarantee that vocalist "Lord Snake" (Adam from Contra) would put his fingers in a gun formation to his head mid song at least five times a set every time they played. I know right now somewhere my good buds Joe and Tia are wondering "why is Mike posting this" but the fact remains that Porcelain Decay were an integral part of what was going in the late 90s Long Island DIY scene so I'd be completely remiss if I were to not share it. Personally speaking I feel the music does have a rather dated quality to it but that is just fine with me. This vintage Long Island Y2K DIY punk rock! Enjoy!

Porcelain Decay "s/t" 7 inch track listing
1. DIY Revolution
2. Punk Rock High Pt 2
3. Down In It
4. Porcelain Decay

Download Here

Last Dude Japan Show

2011-06-28T18:29:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Dude Japan will be playing our last show Sunday July 17th at Mr Beery's in Bethpage, NY. It is the kick off show for Deep Pockets' tour. Also playing are Polygon, Crow Bait and our buds from Massachusetts, Snow What. Personally speaking, this will most likely be the last time I ever perform music live so it would be nice to see some friends that have been along for the ride over the years. It is time for me to take on new challenges in my life.

On July 16th we start recording our final ep which will be released via cassette on Bridgetown Records and on cd from Rok Lok Records. Thanks for listening it means the world to us.

Knox Overstreet/Radio Raheem "split" 7 inch (Pony Collision/2002)

2011-06-14T18:33:00.000-07:00

Free time has been in extreme short order so maintaining either of the blogs has been extremely difficult. Good thing I didn't go ahead with my third blog sharing my entire indie/shoegaze/lo fi vinyl/tape collection. I guess that will have to wait til the fall. In any event here is a record that I was meaning to upload a few weeks ago, the split 7 inch between Knox Overstreet and Radio Raheem. Somehow, someway this record wound up in my hands. I wasn't able to get any for the distro but I Phil Sutton (drummer for Radio Raheem) was kind enough to hook up one of their biggest fans with a copy of this awesome but poorly distributed (as far as I can tell) record. Many of my friends from those days who enjoyed both Knox Overstreet and Radio Raheem didn't even know that this record existed. Crazy! Anyhow each band offers up a track and they are both on their A games. I have posted a few releases from both Knox Overstreet and Radio Raheem- don't be a tool download them all.

Download Here

Reflex Blue/Casa Negro "Live in Bayshore" (unreleased live recording/2001)

2011-05-30T10:29:00.000-07:00

It has been awhile since I made a post but to say I have been busy is an understatement. I intended to upload the the Knox Overstreet/Radio Raheem 7 inch but my phone/camera is out of battery life after foolishly leaving uncharged for the last four days where I was away from home. So in keeping things in the family so to speak today's post is the second offering from former Casa Negro guitarist Greg Gerardi's vaults. It is a show from the old Bayshore house featuring Casa Negro and one song from a project called from Reflex Blue which was Jon Gruber from Casa Negro on drums and Jammer of "Jammer Failed" fame on guitar. I am not sure of Reflex Blue ever did anything else or recorded anything so this may very well be the only documentation of the project. And in the case of Casa Negro since they never formally recorded or released anything I am excited that Greg has been sharing these live recordings because they serve as the only documents of a really awesome band that for whatever reason never buckled down to record anything formally. In any event download the Live in Bayshore recording here at the Bandcamp page Greg created.

Portal "Portal" cd-r (self released/2002)

2011-05-18T04:20:00.000-07:00

Back in January I posted the sophomore effort from Portal, Lost in The Translation and I was pleasantly surprised to hear from folks how much they liked it or were looking for it for years, lost their copy or whatever. So without further delay I happy to finally share the debut release from Portal. For those who missed that first post, Portal was a experimental home recording project by Contra/Church of the Rowdy guitarist Stephe Cooper. In these home experiments Cooper employed various genres-prog rock, art rock, kraut rock, midi/electronic music, ambient and even lo fi garage punk. I think Lost in The Translation is a much more calculated, though out work thus to my ears being a bit more enjoyable than the debut, however this disc is certainly enjoyable and firmly lays the groundwork of what was to come. Honestly, it is a shame that Cooper only released two Portal cds because both are so damn good. This debut cd-r features a Jane's Addiction cover.

Portal track listing
1. Frogball
2. A Call to Arms in Defense of Mother Earth
3. Shifting
4. Dry Lake
5. Summertime Rolls

Download Here

The Insurgent/Sometimes Walking Sometimes Running "split" 7 inch (Traffic Violation Records/2001)

2011-05-16T18:56:00.000-07:00

When I look at this 7 inch outside of the memories of wonderful music both bands created and how the label that released this influenced me a great deal, what I think of most was the vibrant basement shows that marked this era of Long Island DIY for me. The cover of this 7 inch is a picture of a room that I am sure looks familiar to anyone who went to DIY punk/hardcore shows on Long Island in the late 90s/early 2000s. The picture is no other than the basement of "Ren's House", one of several DIY show spaces that Long Island in that time period. Ren, who played guitar in Sometimes Walking Sometimes Running, and his family allowed their home to be opened up for youths to congregate and make a racket but above all a safe place to express themselves. Every time I went to a show there it felt special. Some of the best shows that I have went or been a part of have taking place in that room. When Latterman went on hiatus after Turn Up the Punk We'll Be Singing guitarist Phil Douglas played the show in a bear costume. It was just always great. And generally speaking that was the vibe of Long Island at the time as house shows were very prevalent; from Ren's house to The Vargas House, Ryan Woodhull's house, The Hobo House, and a few other that come to mind. It all had a very powerful effect on me and I feel very fortunate to have been a part of something so organic, creative and liberating. These days it seems like the only cats doing house shows that I know of are the folks at Dead Broke.

Anyhow the music on this split 7 inch are two bands that I have posted about prior. The Insurgent play anthemic pop punk with a emo flair that is one part Crimpshrine and one part Rites of Spring. The one song that The Insurgent contributes may be my favorite song of theirs. And on the flip side Sometimes Walking Sometimes Running played chaotic, noisy hardcore screamo that was like City of Caterpillar, Pg.99, etc.

The Insurgent/Sometimes Walking Sometimes Running "split" track listing
1A The Insurgent "Miles to Go"
1B Sometimes Walking Sometimes Running "You"
2B Sometimes Walking Sometimes Running "She Won't Kiss Me Because I Smoke and I Smoke Because She Won't Kiss Me"

Download Here

Bunsen Honeydew "Transistor" 7 inch (Bumble Bear/2000) + "Modern Gal"

2011-05-15T20:01:00.000-07:00

I'd hate to start out a post about a band whom I loved a great deal negatively but for the life of me I can not understand why the drums are barely audible on this 7 inch. I thought it was the rip I did as it had been sometime since I actually spun the vinyl but holy shit on my stereo spinning the the 7 inch again I was asking myself what happened to the drums. It seems as if on the the 7 inch all that was captured was the treble happy, noise overdose guitar sounds that were the band's trademarks. And for anyone who saw Huntington based Bunsen Honeydew back then can certainly attest that the band was blisteringly loud. Still to this day I have very seldom come across a band as loud as Bunsen Honeydew were. But in addition to the wall of shoegaze, Kevin Shields worship that the guitars spewed from Brain Rayman and Danny Tieman, drummer Theo Cateforis propelled the songs to even greater volumes with his awesome, heavy handed drumming. All while bassist Lisa Cuomo anchored the madness with a rich and fluid sense of low end melody. Anyhow I am getting ahead of myself...

I first became aware of Bunsen Honeydew when I struck up a online friendship with Bunsen Honeydew guitarist Danny Tieman back on AOL chat when I was trying to find musical kindred spirits on Long Island back in the late 90s so that I could start a band. Back then trying to find folks who like bands like Pavement, Sebadoh and Sonic Youth was a tough sell when trying to start a band so naturally I gravitated towards Danny when he told his band "made a bunch of noise with their guitars". I liked the sound of that. And when Bunsen Honeydew played Cedar Beach I was finally able to see them and confirm that yes, I like the sound of that. In fact I REALLY liked the sound of it. Coincidentally, that show was also featured On the Might of Princes and it was the first time I saw them play. Man what a great night that was.

Bunsen Honeydew played noisy guitar shoegaze/mod indie pop that was influenced by bands like Television Personalities, Ride, My Bloody Valentine, and The Pastels. Even an element of The Buzzcocks can be detected at times. They generally traveled outside of the Long Island DIY community but they certainly played shows on Long Island, and played places where there were DIY shows happening. I booked them a few times at the spots like The Mod Center, Roadhouse Pub, etc. And each time they were louder, louder and louder. Anytime they played myself and Tommy Orza (from OTMOP) would buddy up and make the trek. Tommy even would constantly play in his car this tape of recordings of theirs that he wasn't even supposed to have. I think the band didn't like it or something but Tommy coerced Lisa to make him a copy or something like. Regardless, he'd never make me a copy no matter how much I pleaded so I was just content to hearing the band's music in his car. And I think in nut shell I think that was my biggest issue with Bunsen Honeydew, getting their music in a tangible form was next to impossible. I fucking loved the band's music so much but I would even know that records came out. Generally speaking most of their music was released over seas on small boutique indie labels. Even Graham Coxon of Blur released the Didn't You Used to Be Invisible? on his Transcopic Records label. In fact just recently I discovered that the band released Modern Gal as a 7 inch on the Little Teddy Records label out of Germany. Frustrating that I have to hunt down records from a band that I followed as they were active years after the fact. In a way though it is kind of funny and probably very telling of why most people on Long Island never heard of the band.

Back to the issue at hand the Transistor 7 inch which was released on Bumble Bear Records in 2000 features the title track which is a noisy, hypnotic shoegaze romp that mimics Ride at their best while the b-side "Tiny for Louis" is a ambient, shoegaze drone piece that recalls moments from My Bloody Valentine's Loveless. Beck even had a copy of the 7 inch as it appeared in a stack of his records in a photo that went along with a interview he did for Vanity Fair. The bonus track that I have included "Modern Gal" was included on The Hope Machine compilation that I put out and honestly I do not know if this is the version that appears on the Modern Gal 7 inch on Little Teddy. Something tells me that it is not. The band was eventually issued a cease and desist by Jim Henson's people and the re-named themselves Four Volts shortly before drummer Theo Cateforis left the fold. They issued a album called Triple Your Workforce on Kanine Records. Lisa Cuomo moved on shortly thereafter and the band continued on for awhile before folding and moving onto other projects. You can check out Four Volts here.

This is definitely one of my favorite bands from Long Island but I just wish I had better audio documentation to share. In any event check out this out and who knows maybe someday I'll have the time to find some Euro distros where I can import their other releases and eventually rip those. For those interested I do have a couple of copies of this 7 inch remaining in my distro.

Bunsen Honeydew Transistor track listing
1. Transistor
2. Tiny For Louis

from The Hope Machine
1. Modern Gal

Download Here

Casa Negro/Knox Overstreet/TheLord Humongous "Live at the Mod Center" (unreleased live recording/2000)

2011-05-10T18:13:00.000-07:00

Through doing this Here On This Island I have certainly reconnected with a lot of people whom I hadn't seen in many years. Friends or just acquaintances whom I shared in experiencing all of this great music growing up. And I have to say it has been a good feeling to know that it was just me who felt this way about playing music, and being a part of something creative and substantial in regards to the Long Island music scene. At times I have thought maybe the joy culled from those experiences so far removed is just nostalgia or my head just playing tricks on me but clearly in trading words with these folks I speak of it is apparent that I wasn't alone in feeling the profoundness of these experiences in the Long Island music scene. One such person who got in touch with me is Greg Gerardi who played guitar in Casa Negro (originally called Music- who appeared on The Hope Machine comp). He has been residing in San Diego for awhile now had been in touch with me intermittently over the years sharing with me whatever new music he was doing. I appreciated that. In fact I still spin The Challenger Deep cd he sent. Anyhow, he saw a post I made about one of the shows at the North Shore Public Library and how shows with Knox Overstreet, Casa Negro, and Lord Humongous were some of my favorite shows to play when Yes Sensei was starting out. Low and behold Mr. Gerardi has a stack of live shows that he recorded back in the day that he asked if I'd be interested in hosting on Here On This Island and considering A) I love the bands involved and B) some of the bands never properly recorded so live recordings would help at least provide a sort of aural documentation so I said absolutely.

This is a bit different from usual posts since I don't actually own the material but I feel it is just more important to properly archive this stuff. You can download the files from a Bandcamp page that Greg uploaded. He and Mario Quintero mastered this live set at Black Box Studios in San Diego, CA.

Even though I have written about all three bands before here is a brief run down of what the bands are like. Casa Negro played loud, bombastic post punk that is a lot like Shellac, Karp and GodheadSilo. Knox Overstreet were an awesome indie/emo band that meshed together the influences of Garden Variety,Superchunk, Afghan Whigs, the Replacements, Big Star, etc to create truly great rock music. The Lord Humongous played screamy hardcore that was a blend of all the best elements of Scapegrace, The Last Crime, Rorschach, "My War" era Black Flag, and Slint.

Here is the link to the Bandcamp page. Thanks to Greg for sharing this.

Encrypt Manuscript "s/t" 7 inch (Tone Library Collective/2005)

2011-05-08T16:02:00.001-07:00

Here is the second release from a band who my opinion just didn't release enough music the five to six years that they were a band. During their tenure Encrypt Manuscript released the Dialogues cdep, Census full length cd and this two song 7 inch which I am sharing with you today. Encrypt Manuscript consisted of Brian Davis on vocals, Jordan Achilli and John Phillips on guitar, Conrad Mata on bass, Jay Gerstner on drums-who was eventually replaced by Tom Roslak for the Census. Musically speaking Encrypt Manuscript first and foremost played urgent, frantic post hardcore that most certainly drew influence from stuff like At the Drive In and Blood Brothers crossed with Make Believe but it doesn't take long to notice other elements. The musicianship of Encrypt Manuscript was certainly a thing of beauty as Achilli and Phillips traded off intertwining jazzy, note-y guitar parts all the while it was anchored by a really taut yet free feeling rhythm section of Mata and Gerstner. Needless to say there was a complexity as well as originality to the music where it was in stark to contrast the usual notion from young bands of just put together a few power chords together in major key, scream over it and done; Encrypt Manuscript were on a level musically that few bands ever reach much less dream of. And over this complex aural post hardcore web Encrypt Manuscript weaved vocalist Brian Davis howled and screamed like a mad man in a manner that was a cross between a dramatic, deconstructed spoken word and free form stream of consciousness ramblings. Say what you will the vocals being rough on the ears at times but simply the form in which Davis approached the vocals complimented what his mates were doing what guitars and drums almost too perfectly. The band was a wonderful pastiche of chaos and the two songs on this 7 inch I think represent some of material that the band did.

Encrypt Manuscript s/t track listing
1. Knife Fight at the Blind Tiger
2. Phantom Limb Pain

Download Here

End I "s/t" 7 inch (Rok Lok Records/2001)

2011-05-04T05:05:00.000-07:00

Here is a quick little morning post for y'all! For those unaware End I was a solo moniker used by On the Might of Princes guitarist Lou Fontana however this was the only material ever recorded/released. The music is droning guitar/vocal based, lo fi basement emo and it is eerie as it is beautiful. Jagged guitars mixed with elegant melodies is what one can expect when spinning the two songs that make up this 7 inch. Originally, this release was planned as a four way split between End I, my own Stars Are Insane, I'd Rather Be Flying (Jason from OTMOP's solo name) and a solo song from Tommy Orza also of OTMOP but Jason didn't seem into the idea and after Tommy recorded his song he got a little shy about releasing it. Not sure why, I heard (as well as have a copy of it) and it is awesome. So I decided to scrap my contribution and make the 7 inch just 100% Lou since he already had a second song stashed away. I pressed up 300 of these all on green vinyl, 100 came with lyric inserts and they are long out of print. However, for you completists out there who need the physical record there are two distros that I know of that have copies- Interpunk and Vinyl Junkie Distro.

End I s/t 7 inch track listing
1. The Wishing Flower
2. Schiavo

Download Here

Radio Raheem "s/t" 7 inch (Zoo Music/2001)

2011-05-02T18:37:00.000-07:00

In getting vinyl ripped for this blog I don't think there was a 7 inch that I was more excited to share than this release but with that being said it has also been the most maddening release to rip. I say that because I have ripped it several times and I can't get it to sound exactly right. I am not sure what is up but no matter how I rip this the sound quality is far more distorted than it should be which just annoys me. But at the end of the day I just want to share this great music and perhaps latter on when I am more patient I can do another rip. Or perhaps if someone from the band sees this they'd be kind enough to upload the original files. So before the hate mail comes in, trust me I tried and tried to get it to sound better but alas...

Anyhow enough with the tech talk let me just say that this 7 inch is one of my favorite 7 inches ever. Period. And the band responsible for these three great songs is a band that I miss dearly and maintain that Long Island never showed enough love for. Seriously shame on you Long Island. Radio Raheem were a post punk trio from Quogue which is in eastern Long Island and I first came to know of them when Yes Sensei played a show with them in our friend Jenn's back yard. Myself and the rest of the guys in Yes Sensei collectively let out a "fuck yeah" as almost two years of being the black sheep if you will of local shows here was a band right before our eyes and ears who played our type of music. Radio Raheem reminded me of bands like Unwound, Rodan, Crownhate Ruin, Kerosene 454, Shellac, etc and they were anchored by a incredibly taut rhythm section that consisted of persistent and on point drumming of Phil Sutton which around was wrapped the low end rumble of Ryan McCoy. And topping it of was the discordant guitar of Michael Fredrich who wrote lyrics that tended to reside in the dark, introspective side of things and were delivered in way that reminds me of a cross between Steve Albini and Nick Cave. Almost instantly Radio Raheem not only became my favorite band on Long Island but a relationship with them and Yes Sensei was forged and was maintained throughout the tenure of both of the band's lifespan.

The band had a cd-r demo (which by the way if anyone has PLEASE, PLEASE send it my way- I need "Aloha" on my Itunes in the worst way) out and then they issued 500 copies this three song 7 inch. Sometime later they issued a split 7 inch with another great Long Island band whom I have shared here, Knox Overstreet. At some point like 2002-2003 I coaxed them into letting me do the band's then forthcoming full length release on Rok Lok. I was excited but lots of stuff happened- the band was touring and trying to write a definitive work but also grow and stretch away a bit from the more aggressive post punk sound of their previous releases. They started to record the album but the recording was marred with numerous problems like computers crashing and glicthing which eventually led to a considerable portion of the recording being lost forever. Additionally, myself on the label front I was still really kind unorganized with doing a label. Fuck I didn't even have a computer (this still amazes me that I started the label 1998 and didn't own a computer until 2004) and I definitely wasn't properly equipped to promote a release they way they were hoping to promote their album as I was still doing things the old school way which at that point wasn't helping anyone. So understandably at that point I think the band rethought what they were going to do with their band and their album. Eventually, the band re-located to Williamsburg and started to cement itself quite a following. They soon buried the Radio Raheem name and renamed itself Rahim and signed to French Kiss Records. And they left behind the basement recording set up to work with J. Robbins to record the Jungles EP and then again for their first full length album Ideal Lives. As Rahim some elements of its former self were still there but for the most part they wer starting to draw more influences from dancy post punk stuff like Gang of Four and Q & Not U as well as stuff like Blonde Redhead and the outcome was marvelous. Both Jungles EP and Ideal Lives are masterful albums that showcase truly poised and mature song writing while still being very exciting. As a friend and fan I was really excited to see them achieve such a creative high point, and above all be recognized for their work. Eventually McCoy left the band and some new folks joined the fold and they self released a 7 inch called The Same which would be a precursor to their final album Laughter which came out on Pretty Activity Records in 2008.

Whether under the name of Radio Raheem or Rahim the band always delivered music of an extremely high quality that was well thought out yet still felt natural and unforced. And on a personal level not a thing changed about the guys in the band even when they signed to a known indie label who certainly at the time definitely had some hype about it. Unlike other bands who have over the years transplanted to Brooklyn, Radio Raheem/Rahim always remembered where they came from and never scoffed at coming back to play Long Island. They never put up some sort of goofy front like they were too big or cool for that. Shit, they even looked out for old friend's bands over the years when they could. Several times they went out of their way to invite a very ramshackle and decidedly unprofessional Yes Sensei to play shows with them when I am certain their booking agent must've been displeased but regardless they always did what they felt was right and what they wanted to. I have nothing but respect for the band collectively and individually. I highly recommend that you try and track down whatever Radio Raheem or Rahim material you can find, as it is all exceptional.

Radio Raheem s/t track listing:
1. Evidence
2. Out of the Ocean
3. Skin Cells

Download Here

And as a bonus here is a Radio Raheem video of the song "Evidence" that I just came across

Screen House Music "Positive" cd-r (Life On an Island/2006)

2011-04-29T23:14:00.000-07:00

It is late and I have to work tomorrow (errr today) so why am I still up? Well to share this awesome album with all of you that is what. This will be the last Screen House Music album that I will be uploading as I do not own physical copies of Conscious or On the Roof. I do have the files so if anyone would like them feel free to email as I have no qualms about sharing great music but for the sake of blogging I only upload stuff I actually own. And if anyone has any physical copies of either of those releases I'd be down to purchase them or trade. In any event Positive is the third release from Nicky Marino's (For Serious This Time) Screen House Music. Positive continues to build on the minimal folk/drone home recordings that the previous two releases established while growing and maturing with the sound. The music that appears on Positive was originally conceived as one twenty minute track and later on broken up into eight short songs as Marino states on the back sleeve of the release. Once again it is a Screen House Music release that is more of a private press than a full on release, for a lack of better words, as my copy is numbered 2 out of 18 copies. It really is a shame that this great music didn't get shared with more people. I can't recommend the sounds of Screen House Music enough.

Download Here

The Insurgent "Loudest Letter" 7 inch (Square of Opposition/2002)

2011-04-28T12:28:00.000-07:00

Since I am heading into the home stretch here at Here On This Island as I'll wrapping things up sometime this summer or sooner, I have to complete posting various band's discographies and in this case I need to get started. Here is the final release from the great Long Island band The Insurgent. And mind you I never thought I'd attach the word great to The Insurgent when I first heard them. I mean quite frankly I thought their side of the split 7 inch with Contra was unfathomably horrid but something beautiful happened along the way as the band really grew and matured. In my opinion next to On the Might of Princes' Where You Are and Where You Want to Be I can't find a more era defining release for Long Island than The Insurgent's incredible 10 inch Inside Every Kid (which I WILL be posting). A record that I foolishly turned downed to be apart of releasing because all ever thought about was that band on the Contra split 7 inch. Clearly, this was an absolutely different band, just same in name and people. The Insurgent mixed the catchiness of Bay area pop punk with a introspective midwest emo quality. I always detected a Crimpshrine meets M-Blanket meets DBS kind of vibe. You could sing along to the songs but it was never just straight ahead. There was a smartness to lyrics that forced listeners to question themselves, and from my perspective it was never preachy. In contrast I found it absolutely inspiring from the lyrics, writings, hand made record packaging. And the four songs that comprise Loudest Letter I think are four of the best songs the band ever penned.

Every aesthetic and idea that this band put forth was inspiring and 100% sincere. Maybe that would get lost amongst the sea of bands doing this sort of thing these days but I imagine everything is relative and I can't express enough how good it felt to have a band like The Insurgent a part of the fabric of the Long Island DIY community. Once again I never thought I'd say that...

Folks from The Insurgent went on to play in Ringers, United States, City Limits, Nakatomi Plaza, and whole bunch that I am definitely forgetting.

The Insurgent Loudest Letter track listing
1. Tin Cans & Strings
2. The Lines Don't Match Up
3. Avenge Oscar Wilde
4. Murdock and Electric

Download Here

Splurge "Tales From the Me Generation" 7 inch (Traffic Violation Records/1996)

2011-04-27T21:11:00.000-07:00

So I have finally started to rip more of a chunk of my vinyl collection and here is a 7 inch that I have been dying to share. Splurge was a band from the Port Jefferson/Setauket area of Long Island and they were a band I was absolutely mad about when they were together. Before On the Might of Princes came along Splurge was my favorite local band. Their songs were melodic and in that fast Jawbreaker meets Crimpshrine meets Plow United pop punk. They were super catchy and the lyrics were smart. At the time it really blew my mind that kids close to my age and only a few towns over were writing lyrics like this and even more so were pressing their own records on the label that influenced me to start my own label-Traffic Violation Records. To put it simply Splurge was quintessential 90s Long Island pop punk. I still prefer their Exit/Stretch 7 inch the best but being that I hadn't seen Tales From the Me Generation anywhere online I decided to share that instead. I highly recommend you head on over to the wonderful Long Island blog Uncle Ron's Dusty Discs who has the rest of the Splurge discography (minus the split CD with Contra which I will post soon) posted. Members of Splurge went on to be in Explosivo!, The Devil Himself, The Brass, Exelar, Air Raid Barcelona, Love Panther,etc. Check it out.

Splurge Tales From the Me Generation track listing
1. 49 Cent Refill
2. Spit Spot
3. Zero Outta Ten
4. Comet Girl

Download Here

Bo Coach "The Mustard Tape" cassette (Rok Lok Records/2000)

2011-04-25T21:44:00.000-07:00

I know there is some very clear bias here because this is a release that came out on my own record label but the reality is a good portion of the bands featured on this blog have done a release with me at some point so why should I exclude something I did release? Especially when it is the only release by one of my favorite bands that I experienced in the local community. Bo Coach were a band that came from my neck of the woods of eastern Long Island, the Shoreham-Wading River area to be exact and they concocted quite the racket for a few years right around the time I was getting started with Rok Lok Records and my own music projects. They played fuzzy, indie rock that could best be described as a mix between The Pixies, The Velvet Underground, Sonic Youth, and Man or Astroman. I wrote about them previously on this blog but this time I'd like to go more in depth about the band, my personal experience with the band and in particular their lone release The Mustard Tape.

Bo Coach originally consisted of Adam Conover on vocals and acoustic guitar and Noah Strevralia on electric guitar with Mr Korg (who later appeared on Stars Are Insane's Justin Age 8) providing the pre-programmed drum beats. The one performance I saw in this incarnation was a beautiful noisy, ramshackle of mess. Underneath the hissy guitars and the uncooperative synthetic drum beats there was an undeniable suburban garage pop sensibility to Bo Coach's songs. Some months later they played again this time with my band at the time and two new members entered the fray, Adam Schultheiss (aka Skulltheiss) on bass and Ed Guldi on violin and electric guitar. Schultheiss brought a minimal warm low end that helped anchor the madness while Guldi's violin drones made the songs sound more ominous. This set up allowed the band who was without a drummer to write songs that were full without percussion, something that to this day I marvel at. And I guess in this respect this is where the similarity to how the Velvet Undergound structured their songs became very apparent. Their music was hypnotically sprawling and was off kilter and out of tune at times but in a manner that was aesthetically endearing. And above all their was just a great sense of melody driven by Conover's fantastic vocals which against Strevralia's noisy, skronk punk guitar ramblings epitomized in my ears the term "beautiful mess".

Also around this time Bo Coach bid farewell to Mr Korg and brought in Casio RX-1 as well as Denise Y whom handled Casio RX-1 in shows as well as providing vocals and sound effects. Right around this time the band started to put together The Mustard Tape. In true lo fi indie rock fashion, over the span of several weekends, and various basements the songs that made up The Mustard Tape were recorded. In fact most songs on this release were recorded in a different room and on a different date. Originally the core of what was to make up The Mustard Tape were recorded by myself and the band on my old Fostex 4 track at Chris Grant's old house one drunken weekend while his parent's were out of town. Originally recorded that night were "Mannequin", "Welcome Citizens", "Fast One", and "Head On"" as well as a cover of The Velvet Underound's "Heroin" which was recored well past the inebriated state. Of those songs the only recordings that were kept for release on The Mustard Tape were "Fast One" and "Head On" as well as all of the out takes that feature Ed playing a guitar nowhere near in tune and somehow playing the melody backwards. Still to this day I can't for the life of me fathom what was wrong with the recordings of "Mannequin" and "Welcome Citizens" that we did that night. Honestly, they sounded beautiful. Especially "Mannequin" the way the violin melody and Conover's vocals so wondrously meshed together. If I recall correctly Noah quipped that they "sounded too pretty, not dirty enough" or something to that effect. And hence that is why the version of "Mannequin" that does appear on The Mustard Tape is as lo fi as possible. "Welcome Citizens" was re- worked when the band combined it with the Half Japanese-esque rambling oddity of"Uncle Roy" and performed (and subsequently recorded) it as "Uncle Roy/Welcome Citizens" at Coffee House which was like a talent show held at Shoreham Wading River High School. You were only supposed to play one song so the figured "heck with that let's make two songs one". I love that you can hear my good old buddy and band mate Mark Gill yell "Yeah Uncle Roy" in the song. It cracks me up every time.

After all the songs were done a master tape was created, Noah and Adam photocopied tape covers whose artwork was just as hodge podge as the music they created- I loved it. I bought like 70 blank cassettes and we all took turns home dubbing the bastards. We sold them at shows and I even traded some copies to distros back in the day who truthfully most have been absolutely perplexed when they heard this fuzzy, lo fi racket. I feel sometimes I am the only person that got the band and felt as intensely as I did about them. But then I talk to other folks from eastern Long Island who felt the same way, so perhaps it is just a eastern Suffolk thang.

For all the noise and shenningans where the scuzzy recordings may hide it, at the heart of it all, Bo Coach knew how to write really good songs that were smart yet playful. When you remove the fuzz and actually be able to discern the melodies and structure, "Mannequin" is a brilliant song. And perhaps I have an advantage because I was able to hear them perform this live sans poor production values. But even songs like "Construction Paper Princess" is an absolutely marvelous song that nearly brings me to tears every time. "Uncle Roy" is smart, playful, and is certainly unique. And "Fast One" is a quintessential suburban indie rock ripper. One of my biggest regrets in my life is misplacing the original master tapes of the original recordings of "Mannequin" and "Welcome Citizens" as I would've love to share those with everyone today. Heck, just one more listen would do me right. I don't think anyone back then ever thought myself or anyone would ever archive this stuff.

After The Mustard Tape Bo Coach played more shows wrote another tune or two which were never recorded as well as a really awesome reworking of the song "99 Red Balloons". They even let me include "Fast One" on The Hope Machine. My old house mate had an awesome video of a set where they played it and I wish I had that video to rip. Towards the end of the band, the started playing with a live drummer, Jaime Hamilton. She was untrained as a drummer but certainly musically inclined so it kept a minimal flavor. Not too long after that Strevralia and Hamilton focused on their other project The London Six which basically signaled the end of Bo Coach. Close to a year after the demise of Bo Coach they played a impromptu reunion show in my garage and it ruled. It felt so good to sing along to all those songs again. I understand at first listen or two Bo Coach and The Mustard Tape maybe hard on the ears due to the ultra lo fi nature of the recordings but once you peel away the layers it reveals itself to be a wonderful collection of brilliant indie rock songs. Out of now 49 releases (and counting)The Mustard Tape to this date remains one of my favorite releases in the entire Rok Lok discography and I constantly toy with the idea of repressing it.

Bo Coach The Mustard Tape track listing
1. Mannequin
2. Uncle Roy/Welcome Citizens
3. Fast One
4. Most in the World
5. Construction Paper Princess
6. Eta Carinae
7. Rose Song
8. Head On
9. Head On (Outtakes)

Download Here

Everyone Loves OTMOP right? Want another demo track?

2011-04-23T05:22:00.000-07:00

Seriously, everyone loves On the Might of Princes right? I don't listen to the albums nearly as much as I used to be even just a thought or mention of the band's name fills my head with so many thoughts and emotions. Who I was and where I was in my life when I discovered this band and how fortunate I felt to see a band this incredible from the beginning to the very end and even into reunions. But most importantly I am transported to a time and place in Long Island DIY that is long gone. And while there are great bands, great venues, and great people today doing stuff on Long Island for me on a personal level nothing feels like it used to back then. And I guess this flier that I am posting here today is a perfect example of what I am talking about. My buddy Steve booked a show at the Local 7 space to raise money so our mutual friend and someone who had given so much of himself to the Long Island DIY community, Jon Contra could be able to have his soon relocated from Florida back to Long Island. Specifics don't matter but what matters is that the Long Island DIY community came out in droves to have music lead to having a very positive effect in the outcome in someone's life away from the bands, basements, zines and potlucks. Sometimes we wrap ourselves up so much in the music, the ideas, the friendships, etc that we forget about the real world and it was awesome to see everyone come together to help a friend. It was such an honor to be playing this show which for me a I really felt was one of the high marks of the Long Island DIY community. In addition to On the Might of Princes, Contra reuniting, Regarding I, Latterman, The Backup Plan, and my band Yes Sensei, Scent of Human History played. This was a night that I will always remember not only for the great music but for the great reason that the show happened and how it was able to help.

For some audio content I have decided to upload a demo version of the On the Might of Princes song "Water vs The Anchor" that appeared on the Creep Records CD compilation The Last Stake Has Been Driven. It was recorded at The Creep House but it is a completely different recording than the version that appears on Where You Are and Where You Want to Be. I imagine when asking fans what is the song that best defines On the Might of Princes, and some will say "For Meg" and others, like myself will say "Water vs The Anchor". I say that because it is the song that hooked you in right away long before the album closer even came through your speakers. Everything about "Water vs The Anchor" is perfect as it showcases all the different musical genres that the band was primarily influenced by and it had great lyrics that were absolutely anthemic in nature. So check out this earlier version as I am not sure how circulated this comp that it appeared on was.

Download ON THE MIGHT OF PRINCES "Water vs The Anchor (Demo)"

Grid Iron "Quietly, Confider" cd (Burn It Down Rebuld/2003)

2011-04-19T17:11:00.000-07:00

Completing things is a nice feeling and that is what I have done with this fourth and final upload from Grid Iron. I am glad I have now been able to share with everyone all of this band's entire discography. And with that being said I do want to say that I will be completing some more discographies in the coming weeks and months which will ultimately bring a close to Here On This Island. I figure between some albums, eps, tape and vinyl rips as well as some more live and unreleased material by summer's end I will have accomplished what I set out to do with this blog and document this great music that has been such a huge part of my life. Thus far I want to thank all of the people who have supported the blog and who have listened to this music for themselves. I also want to thank all these great bands for creating all this great music. However, I do want to point out that I do have to say I am amazed and somewhat disappointed when I look at the download stats seeing how even with free music people are still unwilling to take a chance. The stats are staggering, while I won't name names there are certain bands who I have uploaded who are downloaded far more than "lesser known" bands. It is no wonder why so many independent record labels are closing up shop. Unless you can cement a name brand band people won't take a chance to try out something new or even outside the box. It actually depresses me a great deal. I feel fortunate that I grew up in a age where independent labels/artists thrived and those who dared were rewarded. Personally, I think it speaks volumes for our culture at large when people's playlists are as bland and predictable as a fast food restaurant menu. Anyhow enough with my rant...

After a series of eps in late 2003 Grid Iron released their full length album Quietly, Confider which would become the band's final release. And what a release to go out on. In some ways it is a shame that this was the band's final release because you could really start to sense a growth that was only just starting to take footing. Quietly, Confider builds on that Jawbreaker influenced, jagged guitar indie rock/emo but another half of the album features more quieter (no pun intended), introspective tunes and dare I say even ballads. I know totally un-punk but seriously who gives a shit? A good song is a good song. There was certainly a roughness and charm to the earlier Grid Iron material that I enjoyed but Quietly, Confider finds the band firing on all cylinders and personally speaking, I forgot how damn good this album is. So check it out and if it so interests you I do have a couple of copies hanging around in my distro.

Grid Iron Quietly, Confider track listing:
1. Sleep Through This
2. The Pretender
3. The Derivative of the Sum is the Sum of the Derivatives
4. Treading Air
5. The Colors
6. Tears
7. Climbing the Ladder
8. Blindsight
9. Tides
10. Gift Horse
11. One Day Rains

Download Here

The Story of Man "The Story of Man" cassette (Life On an Island/2006)

2011-04-14T11:07:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love just about everything the Life On an Island folks release and this early release is certainly one of my favorites. Here is a cassette release that I was very happy to finally rip and share. Everything about this release is just exceptional from the minimal handmade packaging, the music and just the over all concept. Or least the concept on how I perceive it. The Story of Man is a unique compilation of sorts that chronicles solo, home recordings of various different genre styles and techniques by each of the four artists on this release. The album closes with a collaboration between three of the four artists. The Story of Man documents recordings by Mike Naideau (Giant Peach, Blood Soda), Alex Gentile (For Serious This Time), Nicky Marino (For Serious This Time, Screen House Music) and J. Shelton. The music for is all instrumental and resides in the folk/experimental folk and bedroom pop genres and if you have listened to any of the Screen House Music releases I have shared in the past you will certainly enjoy this cassette. Once again I just think the idea of four individuals who could've easily just easily recorded and released this songs under their own but opted to release under a banner compilation project is just a fantastic one. It lends a cohesiveness that you wouldn't expected from a compilation. The final outcome is absolutely marvelous and personally I'd like to see more projects of this nature come to fruition. Only 75 of these cassette were made and I feel very fortunate to own one. This is certainly a very special release made by some of Long Island's most gifted song writers.

The Story of Man The Story of Man track listing
1. Staub2 (A.Gentile)
2. Ocean (M.Naideau)
3. Dreads (N.Marino
4. End (A.Gentile)
5. Peanuts (N.Marino)
6. Rain (M.Naideau)
7. Autumn (A. Gentile)
8. IV T (J.Shelton)
9. Ode to Tzantza (M.Naideau/A.Gentile/N.Marino)

Download Here

Left Left "Left Left 1" cd-r (self releasd/ 2005)

2011-04-08T12:26:00.000-07:00

Today's upload is one of the more recent acquisitions in my collection as it was given to me as part of a care package back around Thanksgiving when Risk was recording in my basement. Left Left is a project that Jay Melli of Risk and formerly of Sometimes Walking Sometimes Running, Scent of Human History, United States, Jan Cux, etc. gave me to show what he been up to for the last few years since we spoke. It is crazy how time passes and you realize how long it has been since you have spoken to a good friend. Anyhow, in the care package he gave me two finished releases from his project Left Left as well as a disc of unfinished material. Joining Melli in this home recording project was his buddy Dan. The best way to describe what Left Left sounds like is to think of it like a mix tape as there is no set genre adhered to. Stylistically, the music switches from shoegaze/post rock/ambient/drone/collage kind of stuff to full blown bedroom pop with distorted drums and all. There are even some acoustic crooners to be found. Essentially take early Sebadoh and mix it with Refrigerator and shoegaze/ambient stuff like lovesliescrushing and Jen Paul/No Lakes and that should give you an idea. And in the excess overload that is common with lo fi and home recording projects this cd-r is fully loaded with twenty tracks but the diversity of sounds really keeps things fresh all the while still having some cohesiveness as an album. Seriously, the best music is made by people in their bedrooms.

Left Left Left Left 1 track listing
1. Makes Like Clocks
2. Happily Ever After
3. I Watched Movies
4. Take 2
5. Tunnel Time
6. Acid Face Bagel
7. Magentalude
8. Ga Lonons
9. Robot Pudding Yummy
10. Daisy
11.This Could Be The First Hour
12. Can Not Keep
13. Let's Get a Malted
14. Gack Attack
15. Sittin In My Room (Wussies)
16. Piss Off
17. Come Kin
18. Late For Church
19. Three Then One
20. Skin Flix...Then Stop

Download Here

The Mutes Brothers "Isn't It Neat Being Unique? (Part One)" cassette (Eiffel Trousers Records/1998)

2011-04-05T18:52:00.000-07:00

Building off my excitement of the recent announcement of the upcoming Bookstore reunion on May 28th 2011, I feel inclined to finally upload this gem that I have been hiding in my back pocket. The Mutes Brothers was the band that Jonathan Kaplan (bass) and Joey Lambiaso (drums) did before they started Bookstore. Based out of the Valley Stream, The Mutes Brothers played a quirky yet smart hybrid of indie rock, subtle shoegaze influences, jazz, and Motown. The music was very jammy at times with long instrumental sections not wanting to surrender but eventually giving way to versed pop conventions. Isn't It Neat Being Unique? (Part One) has five songs but certainly is an extended player in terms of length and bang for your buck. I first heard of The Mutes Brothers from my old AOL buddy Danny (from the excellent Bunsen Honeydew who I WILL be featuring soon) one night when chatting about local bands we were recommending to each other. Then I finally heard their song "Nancy Drew" which was included on a cassette compilation on Eiffel Trousers and I totally loved it. The song grooved and then out of nowhere it had this noisy My Bloody Valentine esque guitar noise freak out in the middle of it that dissipated into a notey guitar melodic trade off- I heard that and I was sold. Hopefully you will be as well.

The Mutes Brothers Isn't It Neat Being Unique? (Part One) track listing
1. Loquacious
2. Let's Go Out
3. Nancy Drew
4. On a Farm
5. No Pants

Download Here

Book Store Reunion Show!!! Rok Lok Records 2011 Sampler

2011-04-03T19:12:00.000-07:00

I figured since I have posted some Book Store tunes to download here that I would let everyone know about the band's reunion show on May 28th at Mr Beery's in Bethpage. Also playing will be Dude Japan, My Summer, Werewitch and Destructasaurus Rex. I am excited and I have to say I never thought this day would come. It should be a ton of fun.

In the meantime I recommend that everyone go back and download Hello From Bookstore and Sleeping On Glass Pillows. Also you can stream the full length self titled album on Rok Lok Records over on Bandcamp. You can also order a copy of the CD over at Rok Lok Records.

Also download the Rok Lok Records winter/spring 2011 sampler. Check out recent and soon to be released tracks as well as a Book Store tune to get everyone stoked on the reunion show. Download the sampler here.

Rok Lok Records Winter/Spring 2011 track listing
1. Brick Mower "Cheap Gasoline" from Why Are We Doing This 7 inch
2. The Only Ghost in Town "I Know" from Hidden East Coast EP 7 inch lathe/cd
3. Dude Japan "Raft Captain" from The Things That Matter cd
4. Deep Pockets "Indoor Scarves" from Demo cassette
5. Stars Are Insane "Brace Yourselves" from A Plan...A Perfect Disaster cdr
6. Yes Sensei "I Like Trucks" from In Excelsis cd
7. Babe Florida "Pe de Amoras" from I Know Why They Call It Pop cassette
8. Screen House Music "January 14th 2009" from I Know Why They Call It Pop cassette
9. Sandy City "Meeper Sleeper" from Surfin' WA 12 inch
10. The Only Ghost in Town "Shangri-La" from The Summer Was Over Before It Began cassette
11. Weed Hounds "Hard Drivin" from split w/ Dude Japan 7 inch
12. Fellow Project "Racing Horse" from Boots 7 inch
13. Damezumari "All" from Hope Inscribed on Handbills 7 inch
14. Dude Japan "Olympic Swimmer" from Teenage Summer EP 7 inch lathe/cdr
15. Book Store "Gonster" from s/t cd

Prescott C "Somewhere In the Distance" cassette (self released/1999)

2011-04-01T11:15:00.000-07:00

Another quick post today folks...Here is the first release from Prescott C, a four song cassette called Somewhere In the Distance. It features the band in their original three piece line up with Angela on bass. I have uploaded releases by Prescott C in the past which I hope you have all enjoyed and in the coming months I'll be uploading more. For those that missed out Prescott C was the band that preceded Bricks For Shoulders and while still as heavy as that band there was more of a emphasis on melodic post hardcore type of stuff as opposed to the more aggressive flavor of Bricks For Shoulders. If you dig stuff like Hum, Far, Smile and Sleepytime Trio then you may dig Prescott C. Go ahead don't be scared, download it is free. And as bonus to make up for the short post here is a old flyer for a show that Prescott C played with Book Store and some other band I don't know.

Prescott C Somewhere In the Distance track listing
1.Grant Me This One Day
2. My Longest Hour
3. Symbolic Violence
4. Limited Sight Distance

Download Here

No. 12 Looks Just Like You "Synth Pop Radio" cassette (self released/2000)

2011-03-30T15:22:00.000-07:00

A real quick post today because I am off to see the Mountain Goats in a bit...

I know what you what you are thinking, no, this is a completely different band. In fact they came first. THIS No. 12 Looks Just Like You was a all female indie pop/rock band that formed in 1995. Both were clever enough however to name themselves after one of the best Twilight Zone episodes. The No. 12 Looks Like Just You is band I heard of for awhile but never actually saw play live until 1998 and it was certainly a welcomed stray from the norm. Back then sadly I could barely count on one hand how many bands had females involved. Not only was taking a bite out of the gender ratio welcomed from my point of view but No. 12's carefree, loose basement pop was a breath of fresh air from the myriad of white suburban angst that bands in the local scene seemed to embrace oh so much. I was able to book No. 12 on a few shows and even include their song "Kisslisp" on The Hope Machine. I am not certain if the band released anything outside of this cassette Synth Pop Radio which is 13 tracks of lo fi, loose and quirky basement pop that to my ears is a mixture of Bis, Dressy Bessy, early Bratmobile and The Beat Happening.

No. 12 Looks Just Like You Synth Pop Radio track listing
1. Play It On Your Stereo
2. Kisslisp
3. This is Howe
4. Let's Rap! With Rockin' Rikki Rachtman
5. Sunset Drive
6. Hungry Hungry Hippos
7. Symphony #12
8. All About Your Love
9. Keyboard of Doom
10. How to Eat Humans: 101
11. #12 U.S
12. It's Musty Down Here
13. Icabod Crane

Download Here

Smash the State...Not my House

2011-03-29T13:26:00.000-07:00

It has been awhile since I have done one of these... Here is a flier for a show that Yes Sensei's original drummer set up in his back yard. It was a lot of fun. A beautiful Long Island summer outdoors show with solid tunes. If I remember Davecat's mom fired up the barbecue too which was always stellar. Man, did Yes Sensei miss moving its practices to Dare where there was not any barbecue to be had. Davecat threw a drum stick at Paul at this show for forgetting how to play the then just new tune "Progress is Dead" which is one of the few times I have seen Paul genuinely pissed off.

This was the first time that we played with Chromelodeon whom were buddies of Dave from his days at Temple. We played them a bunch back then and it was always fun. They came to Long Island and we went to Philly both a bunch.

Radio Raheem played and if memory serves me correct they barely got half way through their set before the fucking cops shut it down. Playing with Radio Raheem back then was for us a real treat as finally we didn't feel like the black sheep of Long Island music. In them we found sonic and spiritual brothers. Also they gave a whole new meaning to being eastern Long Island band. I mean fucking Quogue? Soundly I didn't sound as out east anymore being from Rocky Point. They had me beat by another 45 minutes east bound for sure. They eventually changed their name to Rahim and released a couple of records on French Kiss, however still managed to rule. Even though they stopped playing "Aloha" (and the rest of the Radio Raheem era tunes). Though, props for them actually playing "Aloha" when the opened for Les Savy Fav at the Bowery Ballroom.

I will be uploading some Radio Raheem VERY soon but in the mean time here is a Rahim track called "One At a Time" from their Jungles EP:
Download RAHIM "One At a Time"

Also in the spirit of things here is a Yes Sensei track called "What's the Matter Matterman?" from our first album What I Do Best is What I Do Worst which is still available for sale ($6 PPD in the US) at Rok Lok Records
Download YES SENSEI "What's the Matter Matterman?"

Fellow Project "Where's the Wire?" 10 inch (Make Or Break Records/2004)

2011-03-27T09:20:00.000-07:00

Okay. I lied this is the last Fellow Project I will upload. Well maybe that is a lie too. It is just that all of the other releases are still readily available. As far as I can tell Where's the Wire? is pretty much only available from the band. So after you download this awesome album be sure to go see them live and buy the 10 inch from them (as well as all of their other available awesome music) so you can spin this great record on your turntable. Where's the Wire? is still beginning to end probably my favorite Fellow Project record. It is the last overtly folk rock influenced record that the band did as everything since has been more rock/post punk influenced which still certainly rules but definitely the sound on the first three Fellow Project records is what I love most about the band's ever growing discography. The band's releases always have great vocals and lyrics and for my money Where's the Wire? is coming up aces in both of those categories. This is also the last album that original drummer Adam Kuhn played on. Where's the Wire? is wonderful 10 inch record that comes with a bonus cd that includes a song that is not on the record. And because I am such I good sport I am sharing that track with everyone as well.

If for some reason you missed my previous two entries about the first two Fellow Project albums Watch It! and If We Were Mariachis I highly recommend you go back and download those two albums. Especially if you like listening to great music there is no reason why you shouldn't download all the Fellow Project albums I have made available here. And do yourself, the band, and the labels who have released their music over the years by adding their available releases to your record collection. In recent years they have released music on Dead Broke Records, Kiss of Death and even my own Rok Lok Records.

Fellow Project Where's the Wire? track listing
1. Doom?
2. Vamanos
3. Papillion
4. Songs Are Like Bugs
5. The Pace
6. Scrap
7. Races
8. Where's the Wire?
9. Sunrise* (cd bonus track)

Download Here

Power-Lloyd "Live From Bluffington; Live From the Honker Burger" cassette (self released/2000)

2011-03-23T21:02:00.000-07:00

Here is a rare slice of eastern Long Island tuneage courtesy of lo fi collage/noise pop trio Power-Lloyd. And God help you if you forget the damn hyphen! I am not sure if it was the water we drank, growing up near a nuclear power plant that never opened or just digging on the finest fuzz box happy indie/alternative rock that the 90s had to offer that caused a bunch of the bands in eastern Long Island to make so much darn noise in the late 90s/early 2000s. Armed with a four track (my old Fostex I believe) and a lineup of instruments that defy convention (seriously seeing Mark Gill play a vacuum cleaner is one of the best things I have ever seen) Power-Lloyd played lo fi collage/noise pop that was just the sound of three friends having a good time. No pretentions or anything like that. Like I said just three friends getting in front of a 4 track and saying "Go". What came out was a mystery to even them I presume much less listeners. But for you folks who need reference points to click "download here" to put things simply Power-Lloyd reminds me of a combination of the snippets of sound collage on Olivia Tremor Control records, Beck's Stereopathetic Soul Manure, Edith Presler and God is My Co-Pilot. In addition to jangly guitar chords, bass, and vocals added to the arsenal of sound were various children's toys that produced sounds, drum machine, various percussion, whistles, and various sound makers. Oh yeah did I mention a vacuum? I did but I like that so much that I'll mention it again.

Power-Lloyd consisted of Jason Cassara, who collaborated with me on the Stars Are Insane album Justin Age 8 and Chris Grant and Mark Gill both of whom were in my first band Pale Marble Movie. Gill was briefly the bassist of Prescott C and recorded the Low Flying Planes EP with them. Anyhow back to Power-Lloyd... They recorded their lone release which was packaged in a fun grab bag of goodies (which I have lost. Shame on me...) Live From Bluffington; Live From the Honker Burger for the most part on 4 track in various spaces in the Rocky Point/Shoreham area but two tracks I believe were recorded at the North Shore Public Library from the same show that Stars Are Insane performed. (See this post to download the Stars Are Insane set if you missed it.) And if you are wondering if Live From Bluffington; Live From the Honker Burger is a Doug reference, the answer is most certainly yes. In fact check out Power-Lloyd's re-imagining of The Beets' "One Little Voice" for further Doug references.

Power-Lloyd were a ton of fun the few times they played and so is Live From Bluffington; Live From the Honker Burger. Anyhow Power-Lloyd certainly isn't for everyone because quite simply most people don't know how to have fun. Somehow I have to convince Mark to make a guest appearance playing some vacuum on the next Stars Are Insane album...

Power-Lloyd Live From Bluffington; Live From the Honker Burger track listing
1. Jelly Belly Blues
2. Israeli Sub Machine Gun
3. Math Camp
4. Vegetable Bitch (A Chorus of Boris)
5. One Little Voice
6. Upwelling

Download Here

The Microwave Orphans "Orange Julius" cassette (Eiffel Trousers Records/1998)

2011-03-21T10:21:00.000-07:00

Hey folks here is quick post today with some studio material from the one, the only- The Microwave Orphans! This cassette release Orange Julius was limited to 40 copies and unless I am completely off my rocker it was a preview to the official release of these tracks on the band's split cd with 48 in the Basement Young N Abrasive as the five recordings that appear here are on that said split. If my memory serves me correct these tapes were unveiled at Microwave Orphan's appearance at the Cancer Sucks Festival. Each of one of these tapes were numbered and each came with a orange julius recipe and a "trading card" sticker of a drawing of a band member. Mine came with Computron Rsgmd (aka guitarist/keyboardist Matt Dallow). See the picture below.

I hope everyone has been enjoying the previous Microwave Orphans cassette I posted a short time ago called Precise Microwave Orphans Order: 17 of the Worst Performances. If you have I am sure you'll also dig Orange Julius. While the live cassette documented all the chaos, and insanity of Microwave Orphans shows Orange Julius captures the beast in the studio a bit more contained but instead really showing off its slick new wave tinged punk rock colors nicely. Personally, I enjoy listening to these tunes on their own sans sharing space with 48 in the Basement. That band outside of a couple of tunes was never really my cup of tea.

The Microwave Orphans Orange Julius track listing
1. Busted Amps and Broken Strings
2. Orange Julius
3. Jenny
4. Brisket
5. Shattered Window

Download Here

Stars Are Insane "Live Reading" (unreleased live recording/2000)

2011-03-20T23:40:00.000-07:00

For those unaware Stars Are Insane is a home recording "solo" project that I have been doing since 1998. The bulk of the material has been recorded by myself via four track but I have had accompaniment and collaboration at times on the recordings and for live performances. Through the six albums (as well as whole slew of unreleased stuff) I have done under the name I have channeled the influences of shoegaze, lo fi, Shrimper Records, tape labels, Sebadoh/Sentridoh, My Bloody Valentine and Dump amongst others. From 1999 to 2001 is when I was most active with the project mainly because of the laid back and secluded living situation I had at the time. In those years I released four full length cassette tapes as well recorded a unreleased album. At this point Stars Are Insane only existed in a live forum on a limited basis doing a few acoustic shows. But for the most part the Stars Are Insane project was mainly just a home recording project to do the things that I felt I couldn't do with a band.

For the third Stars Are Insane album Justin Age 8 I collaborated with my friend Jason Cassara. After we finished recording the album we decided to test the material out live and the album I present to you here today is a recording of the first show that he and I did. Live Reading, is a name I devised to formally document our inaugural non solo performance at North Shore Public Library on July 7th 2000. Personally, I couldn't think of another venue back then that would have be as inviting for a project like this to exist in a live forum. A few of the songs "Big Circles, Moons and Stars" as well as "Gravity" were included on the So. I Dreamed of Noise four cd-r set that collected the first four albums as well as unreleased and live material. Additionally, the version of "Fuck Lando and His Gambling Problem" that appears here is the same that appears on Justin Age 8. Cassara and I did a few more shows together and later on even did a couple with Dave Armone involved in the fray when the fourth cassette, Gay came out.

I don't want to rant on to much about my project but just the same I would like people to check out the music. Most of the releases are out of print, though I have a brand new cd-r called A Plan...A Perfect Disaster out now, though half the pressing is already gone. A "selected works" cd-r called Partial History will be coming out soon. I shall post the complete discography below with links to the Bandcamp so you can at least stream everything. All the albums are on Last FM as well. I'll be working on music for new releases for later this year. If anyone out there is doing a compilation please let me know as I'd love to contribute something.

One last thing before I go...I didn't have any photos of Stars Are Insane shows so I posted a photo that I believe Jon Kaplan took at a show at The North Shore Library that Book Store and Bo Coach played. I was playing Velvet Underground's "Heroin" with Bo Coach and at the end I believe I ran into the audience and tackled Joey from Book Store to close it out in chaotic fashion.

Stars Are Insane Discography:

Gracias cassette (Rok Lok Records)(September 1999) (out of print) Listen on Bandcamp
Anonymously Yours cassette (Rok Lok Records) (February 2000) (out of print) Listen on Bandcamp
Justin Age 8 cassette (Rok Lok Records) (July 2000) (out of print) Listen on Bandcamp
Gay cassette (Rok Lok Records) (October 2000) (out of print) Listen on Last FM
9 Untitled Songs cd-r (Rok Lok Records) (August 2005) (out of print) Listen on Bandcamp
So. I Dreamed of Noise four cd-r set (Rok Lok Records)(January 2006) (out of print) Listen on Bandcamp
"I Said It" on I Know Why They Call It Pop cassette compilation (Rok Lok Records) (December 2010)
A Plan...A Perfect Disaster cd-r (Rok Lok Records) (February 2011) Listen on Bandcamp

Stars Are Insane Live Reading 7/7/2000 track listing

1.The Admiral

2. Big Circles, Moons and Stars

3. Gravity

4. Those Are the Most Deadliest Scorpions I Have Ever Seen

5. I Stayed Up All Night Thinking of You (New Wave Reprise)

6. I Hereby Make An Anatomical Gift

7. Fuck Lando and His Gambling Problem

Download Here

Backspace "Backspace" cassette (self released/2002)

2011-03-17T07:15:00.000-07:00

Between my neighbor sawing and hammering away at building a deck at 8 AM, house mates talking in the kitchen which is adjacent to my room and the dog freaking out I have been awoken prematurely from my slumber. 8 AM isn't very early but considering I haven't been able to fall asleep until 3 or 4 every morning that leaves my body craving (and needing) more rest. So why not fight fire with molten lava?

Today's upload comes from Backspace which is Jay, Ren and Robbie from Sometimes Walking Sometimes Running giving us a two fiery blasts of instrumental drone/noise/power electronics. I received this tape in a care package from Ren back in 2005 which he sent along with a copy of the unreleased Scent of Human History album and a copy of what was then called United States Demo Tape Riots (see pic below), which ultimately became the band's 12 inch/cd/tape Divorce Songs. In the note that Ren sent me along with the goodies this is what he had to say about Backspace:

The Backspace tape is some stuff that Jay, Robbie and I did on 12/30/02. Bored, stoned and stuck indoors. side B is much better than side A, but it works better after you sit thru side a. I recommend listening to it in the car...loud.

From what I can gather this Backspace tape wasn't formally distributed/released instead it was a private press kind of thing where only copies were made for friends and that sort of thing. I showed it to Jay a few months ago when his awesome new band Risk was recording in the basement and he was surprised to see I had a copy or that Ren even made copies of it. So needless to say I feel grateful that Ren decided I was worthy enough to receive a copy of this. And really I think that is how music is best shared- amongst friends. I know music of this kind definitely does not have a broad fan base and it takes a very specific pair of ears to appreciate it but once you do your ears lock into the sounds swirling around and hear something rather pleasurable and dare I say soothing. Maybe I am messed up but stuff like this does relax me quite a bit. The little dense,droning melodies that keep things moving along in time all the while hypnotic feedback, hiss and tape manipulation are occurring around it. In listening to this Backspace cassette one can certainly hear how this type of music and experimentation seeped through into Scent of Human History's sound, particularly the unreleased album so with that being said I do firmly feel that fans of Scent of Human History who while themselves perhaps wouldn't identify themselves as noise/drone fans would certainly find value in listening to this. It is easy to connect the dots. So whether in your room on your stereo or as Ren suggests in your car, play this motherfucker LOUD.

Download Here

Intransit "Demo" cassette (self released/1999)

2011-03-15T23:55:00.000-07:00

Why am I still up at 2:30 am?? Being unemployed makes one not only poorer but sleep deprived and a little batty...

One of the earliest post on this blog was a the self titled four song cdep from the Selden based Intransit. In that post I mentioned that the band had one other release, a previous demo cassette and that I would upload it at some point. Well that point is now. This is a five song effort showcasing five excellent mid tempo post hardcore tunes that recall the sounds of Quicksand, Hum and Jawbox. This four piece consisted of Mark Pernice (guitar/vocals), Scott Altman (guitar), Karen Ciafonne (bass) and Steve Gache (drums). Pernice and Altman went on to play in Come Down while Ciafonne and Gache went on to play in This Year's Model and Bravado, though Gache would trade in the drum kit for guitar duties in both of those bands. Anyhow, Intransit were a good band with good people but unfortunately that wasn't enough to keep the ship afloat as the band disbanded not to long after the release of the self titled cdep. Which is an absolute shame as I felt around that time the band's sound was really starting to shine and if I am not mistaken the lion's share of that material was never recorded. With those later songs I felt a strong Hum Downward is Heavenward influence especially on the guitar sounds as they were getting really thick sounding. I would almost say that there was a hint of shoegaze influence towards the end but alas some things just aren't meant to be documented, just to happen in the moment. Regardless, I feel fortunate that I got to watch the band develop in a short period of time.

I would say that on this five song demo cassette there is more of emphasis on the Quicksand and Jawbox influence, which of course is never a bad thing. It is solid. Also I am certain that the version "Netself" on this demo is the same that appears on the cdep. The one thing I will say is that I wish everyone could see the packaging/layout on this tape as I always found it very striking. Granted by today's standards no big deal but back in 1999 just about every demo or even any other DIY release looked like dog shot, so to get this demo with a full color glossy double sided j-card and printed cassette labels it was a real treat. Anyhow check out the Intransit Demo and if you missed it go back and download the self titled cdep.

Intransit Demo track listing
1. Redshift
2. Netself
3. Now You've Done It
4. Otto
5. Gestalt

Download Here

Five Days Late "A Few Words For Thought" cassette (Ruckus Records/1999)

2011-03-14T10:40:00.000-07:00

This is going to be a real short one today. But all you need to know are two words: pre Latterman. 'Nuff said

Hey Latterman fans here is one more piece to the puzzle in your collections. And no I am not selling this... Here we have the only release from Five Days Late which was three fourths of what went on to become the original line up of Latterman. Five Days Late consisted of future Latterman members Matt Canino (bass/vocals), Phil Douglas (guitar/vocals) and Dan Sposato (guitar), with George Dehaven playing drums. A Few Words for Thought isn't too far off from what early Latterman sounded like with a heavy influence coming from bands like No Use For a Name and Face to Face. Even lyrically it touches on some of the same things that Latterman did in those early years. I know right now somewhere if they hear about this post, both Canino and Douglas are putting their hands to their faces wondering when I'll be done bringing dusty nuggets out of the past. I think this is it. Or is it...............

Five Days Late A Few Words for Thought track listing
1. Explanation
2. Falling Back
3. How Many Days
4. Starting Point
5. They Are Gone

Download Here

Prescott C "2 Song Tape" cassette (self released/2000)

2011-03-13T11:32:00.000-07:00

Previously I had posted a release from Bricks For Shoulders called You Are Therefore I am and in that post I mentioned that Bricks For Shoulders came from the ashes of the band Prescott C. Here is a release from that band. I am not sure if the cassette has an official name or not but I just refer to it at as 2 Song Tape because well there are two songs on it...I picked up this cassette for myself and the distro at a show that my old band played with Prescott C at The Classic Cakes Cafe. Man that was a fun spot for shows. Th lead track "What I Learned at the Opera" appeared on The Hope Machine compilation and the other track "This Is My Spring" only appeared here. Anyhow, Prescott C was a loud, bombastic post hardcore guitar/drums duo with both members trading off vocals. Their music was a mix between bands like Smile, Sleepytime Trio, Hum, and Kerosene 454. They used to play out a lot and they were rather prolific with releases in their time as a band. I am never quite sure why Prescott C were never really able to solidify someone in the bass role but regardless they were able to keep everything sounding tight as just a duo. Guitarist Steven Dejoseph played blisteringly loud through two guitar cabinets and Tom Crooke pounded away on the skins furiously ultimately proving to be quite a formidable live band.

Listed below is a discography of the band's output to the best of my recollection. I am pretty sure that I am missing a few comp appearances.

-Somewhere in the Distance cassette/cd-r
-2 Song Tape cassette
-Low Flying Planes EP cd-r
-Unreleased ep

Download Here

The Waiting Process "A Lesson in Broken English" cassette (self released/1999) + comp track

2011-03-11T15:22:00.000-08:00

There was a time when bands that sounded like The Get Up Kids didn't flat out annoy me and a band of that ilk that I happened to enjoy very much so was The Waiting Process. I happened to see their first show at the Rock Lobster back with their original singer and by the time I contacted them a couple of months later about coming out to eastern Long Island to play a show I was booking at the MOD Center with On the Might of Princes and my old band they had already got a new singer. Gone was the endearing heart on the sleeve kind of mid paced emo that I saw them play at their first show but in its place was a more upbeat and energetic brand of poppy Get Up Kids emo. And you know what I preferred it. In addition to bringing the new sound with them to the show they also brought these sweet looking, shrink wrapped cassettes called A Lesson In Broken English which I nabbed and am now sharing with all of you. I haven't looked at this cassette much less listen to it in a long, long time but I never released how much the cover art looks like Knapsack's Day Three of My New Life, aesthetically speaking that is. That aside-in listening to this cassette for the first time in a long time I do have to say while it is dated in the late 90s Long Island emo sound I find myself still loving the parts I used to love when this tape got a lot of play on my tape deck. The song "September Fading" found its way onto a lot of mix tapes I made back in the late 90s especially when making tapes for pen pals when I was trying to send friends abroad a taste of Long Island.

I booked The Waiting Process a few times and they even gave me the tune "Something Bigger Than The Both of Us" for The Hope Machine compilation. On the cd-r they gave me with that song there were a few other new tunes and I am not sure if those were ever released. I need to check and see if still have that cd-r and if so I'll be happy to upload those tunes. Eventually the band broke up and I do know that the guitarist Derrick played in The Reunion Show and is currently playing with Sainthood Reps. I recently ran into Christopher, the vocalist who appears on all of the Waiting Process releases, and while he didn't speak of any music projects he did inform me that he is working on a graphic novel. And being a comic nerd I am pretty stoked to hear that and eventually check that out.

By the way ever wonder where Taking Back Sunday got the name of their band? Check the track listing out...

The Waiting Process A Lesson in Broken English track listing
1. Skyline Drive
2. September Fading
3. A Lesson in Broken English (All and Every Word)
4. Paula's Song
5. Taking Back Sunday

The Hope Machine compilation
"Something Bigger Than the Both of Us"

Download Here

The Microwave Orphans "Precise Microwave Orphans Order: 17 of the Worst Performances" cassette (Eiffel Trousers Records/1998)

2011-03-10T02:59:00.000-08:00

This one was a bit challenging to rip considering how everything was haphazardly sequenced together so I do hope I that charm comes through digitally. Personally I love the presentation of this live tape as it has that old school "bootleg" quality. I have mentioned Microwave Orphans before in various posts I have made about Eiffel Trousers Records, the awesome label run by the MxOx's front man Matt Roren, but this is the first release I have been able to upload of theirs. I am not sure how Matt or the band or anyone else feels about this but personally I feel this is the best way to introduce folks to what The Microwave Orphans were all about. Their more proper releases while chock full of excellent pop punk/new wave tunes I never felt those releases were successful in conveying to listeners anywhere the same off the cuff, zany experience that were the band's live shows. Recordings in a studio just can't capture that. Their songs weren't math rock it was just simple fun punk but every time you saw them it was a different experience. I mean the only constant was that Matt would usually strip down to his tight whiteys...I must've seen them play the same ten songs for about a year straight and I never once minded because it was so much fun.

Musically speaking The Microwave Orphans played a mixture of pop punk 'ala Vandals and Nofx mixed with stuff like Devo, The Dead Milkmen and Modern Lovers (bands they all covered too!) crossed with the unpredictable stage antics of the Butthole Surfers. Precise Microwave Orphans Order: 17 of the Worst Performances chronicles various live performances many from former Long Island DIY show spots long gone from the years 1997-1998 and the title is rather misleading. Yes, there is chaos and tom foolery in abundance but I think this tape does an outstanding job of documenting one of the most entertaining live bands Long Island has ever had.

The Microwave Orphans issued several tapes and few cds all under the Eiffel Trousers Records label as well as bunch of compilation appearances. Since their break up Matt Roren went on to sing for The Reprecussions as well as Lord Humongous in addition to his own solo project The Matt Roren Karaoke Experience which relived some the off the wall, humorous entertainment that fans came to expect with The Microwave Orphans. The original bassist of Yes Sensei, Paul Como played in the band. Come to think of it Andre Bermudez (also a Yes Sensei alumni as well as Space Robot Scientists and Freaks From the Apocalypse) held down low end for the band for a spell. There were many members over the years in the band that it almost gives Guided By Voices a run for their money.

The Microwave Orphans Precise Microwave Orphans Order: 17 of the Worst Performances track listing
1. intro
2. Happy Girl (Massapequa Bowl 5/23/97)
3. Hornswaggled (Dr Shay's 11/1/97)
4. Artie (Rocky Point VFW 1/26/97)
5. Backpack (Dr Shay's 5/18/97)
6. Amy's On Crack (Dr Shay's 10/19/97)
7. The Beach Song (Dead Milkmen) (?? 7/14/97)
8. I Wanna Be a Homo Sexual (Screeching Weasel) (Dr Shay's 4/13/97)
9. Talkshows and Broken Hearts (Matt's Living Room 7/19/97)
10. Artie (Gille's Backyard 6/14/97)
11. Railroad Love (Rock Lobster 4/4/98)
12. Jenny (Fabulous Jacks 4/5/98)
13. Imperial March/Busted Amps and Broken Strings (Massapequa Bowl 5/31/98)
14. Da Crack Haus Jam-Da Funk/Gimme Gimme Gimme (Black Flag)/Theme to a Spy Movie That Doesn't Exist/Vegan sXe Warrior (Crack Haus 7/3/98)
15. Freedom of Choice (Devo) (Josh's Basement 7/4/98)
16. Night of the Living Dead (Da Funky Fish 7/5/98)
17. The Time Warp (Richard O'Brien) (Mod Center 10/31/98)
18. Brisket (Huntington Knights of Columbus 5/29/98)

Download Here

I'd Rather Be Flying "Standing On the Shore Watching You Drown" & "Shadow Of a Doubt" (1998)

2011-03-09T14:56:00.000-08:00

So now that I am unemployed I have far more time than I know what to do with, which is of course is a lie because anyone who knows me is well aware that I am always working on some sort of project. My days are generally filled resume sending and filling out applications. When that is not being done I am going to move full speed ahead in cranking out the real rarities in my collection- the tapes and vinyl. Just today I have ripped three cassette releases and here is the first batch. Like I told you in my previous On the Might of Princes post that I wasn't done posting rarities from the band or related projects. Here is a probably little known solo project from the band's guitarist/singer Jason Rosenthal called I'd Rather Be Flying. Heavily influenced by Lou Barlow/Sentridoh and lo fi tape label stuff he created this moniker to record music under. Recorded all to four track Rosenthal displayed the same type energy, emotion and sincerity that he did with On the Might of Princes only through a acoustic guitar and some tape loops/guitar noise. The first track called "Standing On the Shore Watching You Drown" is featured on a emo/indie tape compilation called Like Two Kites Flying. Volume 1 which came out on the Sweden based Communication Records and Mandarin Fanzine. The interesting thing about this song is that it did get turned into a early On the Might of Princes song that was recorded on a unreleased demo via reel to reel so most likely this will be the only opportunity for On the Might of Princes fans to hear the original song that was reworked by the band but never released. Who knows maybe one day they'll let people hear that unreleased demo... The other track is a super lo fi cover of Sonic Youth's "Shadow of a Doubt". I am fairly certain this track was never released anywhere. Jason recorded it and gave me a copy.

As far as other I'd Rather By Flying releases the only one I am certain exists is the track "Satellite" which appears on the Next Year We'll Be Robots Volume 1 cassette on Robin Hood Records that also featured Silver Scooter, Soul Junk, Rop Style UFO, Nova Scotias and others. I know Jason spoke of tapes he made and perhaps some other comp appearances but I am not certain as to the details. I do have one other unnamed track in my possession but upon hearing the song it sounds like it was a personal gift for someone special not to be shared. And it is master cassette for a 4 track. How I came about it is most likely a result of doing some 4 track stuff at Tommy Orza's (OTMOP bassist) house one day and the tape someone ended up in my box of tapes. Most likely Tommy and Jason were doing some 4 track stuff and the cassette was one the floor and yeah. We were young and unorganized. What I am getting at it doesn't feel right sharing that tune. Unless of course Jason says it is okay...

In any event if you dig the version of "Caboose" on The Making of a Conversation or the original version of "An Illusion to Italy" than you'll love these two tracks.

Download Here

So you had shows in a library???

2011-03-08T13:16:00.000-08:00

Yes. We did. From December 1999 till early 2001 I somehow was able to book a series of monthly shows in the basement of the North Shore Public Library. It was pretty awesome while it lasted. How it went down was that Noah from Bo Coach introduced me to Peter Carrol-a super rad guy who worked for the library and wanted to do something to bring more teenagers in the library. Using the shows through the North Shore Youth Council program as an example we touched base and just like that like clockwork I started booking shows there. We kicked off the first show with a show featuring Space Robot Scientists, Bo Coach and my old band Pale Marble Movie. Things went really, really well. The staff was very supportive. Kids came out in droves and the kicker was if kids weren't watching the show they were upstairs reading. It was a fun a time and lots of bands that couldn't get shows elsewhere were getting an opportunity to play. At some point the fun stopped because Peter Carrol stepped down from his position and retired and naturally the people taking over weren't as hip as he was. It was a quick, predictable bureaucratic decision that was handed down and was definitely a bummer to myself and a lot of folks. Venues closing or stopping shows is par for the course in DIY but in hindsight I do have to say I don't think anyone really understood how much Peter Carrol and the supportive employees of the shows stuck their neck out for the program as they were certainly getting flack from the board, and the usual cast of old farts who complain about everything. I had somewhat of a grasp on that so I was as diplomatic as possible in organizing with him but like I said I don't think I full realized how much heat he was under.

Here is a flier for one of my favorite shows at the library that included some of my favorite Long Island bands. This show was a birthday show for Knox Overstreet bassist Own Antku and had a fifth band on the bill who weren't on the flier, With Every Idle Hour. I have raved about Knox Overstreet a few times already in this blog and will continue to do so as I'll be ripping their 7 inches very soon but let me talk about some of the other bands.

Music who later went on to be known as Casa Negro were a three piece noisy post punk band that was a lot like Shellac, GodheadSilo, or Big Business. They were a great band that played out for a short period of time but if my memory serves me correct they only ever had one release under the name Music and that was the track "Not In The Fire" from The Hope Machine compilation which I have attached below. I am pretty sure that there was a Casa Negro demo or recording that was passed around friends. If not that would be a shame. I'll have to ask around.

Lord Humongous is band that has been around for quite awhile. I first came across them at some show at the Roadhouse Pub back in 1998 or thereabouts. And while they don't play shows anymore I recently spoke with guitarist Ned Overton who says they still rehearse and write. They play my kind of hardcore-noisy, screamy and a bit more expansive then the usual one-two punch type hardcore fare. They are a cross between The Last Crime and Scapegrace mixed post punk stuff like Rodan, June of 44 and New Plastic Ideas era Unwound. Chiming, discordant guitars with driving rhythms and frantic screams. For the longest time all they had recorded was a track for the Appropriate Response as well as an unreleased demo which was incredible and I am not sure why was never released. I need to find my copy of those tunes and rip em. Then they contributed the track "Desmond Tutu" for The Hope Machine which I have attached below as well and that wrapped up the era of the band with Steve McCarthy on vocals. He was replaced by John Gruber former bassist of Music/Casa Negro but they never recorded anything with him. Matt Roren of Microwave Orphans, The Reprecussions, etc became their most recent vocalist but after some shows and recording a EP for Example Such Cloth Hammer Engine Records was no longer involved with the project. A great band that writes great songs yet most people on Long Island have never heard them and most likely will never. An absolute crime. I definitely feel fortunate for the experience of getting to hear their music over the years.

Download MUSIC "Not in the Fire"

Download LORD HUMONGOUS "Desmond Tutu"

Check Ahoy!! I have a new blog!

2011-03-07T18:20:00.000-08:00

Building off what I have started with Here On This Island I have started another blog called Away From This Island. This blog will focus on various genres of music I have encountered in my years involved with DIY whether from touring, booking shows, reviewing, trading records, carrying a record in the distro, etc. Anyhow check it out and spread the word.

My first entry is BRRR Summer Songs (Part One) which is indie pop in the vein of Jens Lekman, Mt Eerie, and Thanksgiving that features a member of Brown Recluse (Slumberland Records) and Pet Milk. Enjoy!

Campaign "Numb" 7 inch (Mountain Collective/1993) + comp tracks

2011-03-07T16:15:00.000-08:00

I have always been critical of what Long Islanders refer to as hardcore music. Personally, I feel like what most consider as "hardcore" is essentially pop punk with more palm muting . Far too many melodic centric bands poorly imitating Lifetime and especially Silent Majority. I just feel there is not enough raw, noisy bursts of energy coming out of Long Island. I mean does suburban living make everything peachy keen where young people don't want to listen to a Black Flag record and then rage with their own racket? Regardless, when ever I need to get a fix for my brand of Long Island hardcore I generally reach for this 7 inch by Campaign which is the first release on the legendary and inspiring label The Mountain Collective. The collective label originally started by Campaign's front man Chris Jensen was based out of Huntington and Numb is a four song 7 inch that is filled with raw, pissed off blasts of hardcore that is just vintage 90s Born Against -esque hardcore. It is noisy, driving and fast with lyrics that are politically and socially charged-everything that I want in the hardcore bands that I listen to.

Around the time and a couple of years later there were a few bands locally that fit this bill such as Scapegrace, 1.6 Band, Halfman, The Last Crime, Mind Over Matter, ,La Magna, etc. and some of them I got to see but Campaign was one of those bands that I never got a chance to see live. When Numb came out I was a sophomore in high school and I didn't really discover local hardcore until the following year or so later. Jensen has been involved in so many bands that I have great admiration for such as Campaign, Halfman, Your Adversary, Judas Iscariot and Countdown to Putsch but also I have a great deal of respect for what he has done for DIY as a whole with Mountain Collective and his work with the Long Island Freewheel Collective and the Long Island Freespace. To my knowledge aside from Numb the only other releases Campaign had were two tracks on the Anger and English double 7 inch compilation and a Food Not Bombs compilation ; all of which I have posted as a bonus. Also I must admit I didn't rip these files. A friend from awhile back ripped it and in thumbing through my 7 inches last night I pulled out the record and realized that I had rips of all the Campaign stuff I had so why not upload it?

Numb 7 inch

1. Numb
2. Subsistence
3. Quick Fix
4. Becky Bell

Anger and English double 7 inch
1. Devaluation
2. Enduring Loss

Food Not Bombs comp
1. Industry Slave

Download Here

On the Might of Princes "Live on WNYU" (on air recording/2001)

2011-03-06T19:49:00.000-08:00

Here is double shot of On the Might of Princes stuff pulled out from the archives. First is a flier for the going away show for what was the send off of their first full US tour with Contra. Man, what an awesome show this was. On the Might of Princes as always was just incredible. It sounds silly but there was knot in my stomach because I at the time I couldn't bare the thought of going six weeks without seeing them playing. Back then it seemed like they were playing somewhere locally every weekend-trust me I do realize how fortunate I was to be able to see this amazing band week after week.after week. The same could be said though about a lot of bands. A funny story about this flier is that when On the Might of Princes was taking a lunch break while recording The Making of a Conversation at Paris Studios in Ronkonkoma the band ducked into a record store that was across the street and in there was a bin of promo flats and empty 45 sleeves for free. In there was this New Edition 45 sleeve, guitarist/vocalist Jason Rosenthal laughed, took it and months later I see it turn up again as this flier that I have posted here.

And the second bit of OTMOP rarity that I have for you today is a full live set that was done on the air at WNYU 89.1 FM in New York sometime in late 2001. It was recorded by Steve Roche from Off Minor, who recorded a bunch of great on the air sets at WNYU in this period of time. At the time On the Might of Princes embarked on a few short tours/weekend trips with Massachusetts' screamo/emo band The Last Forty Seconds (pre Saddest Landscape/Her Breath on Glass) and this stint on WNYU was indeed one of those as Last Forty Seconds played on the air as well. Sadly, I don't have those tracks- if anyone has them feel free to send along.

The tracks captured on this performance document what On the Might of Princes were sounding like in the period that Where You Are and Where You Want to Be was out and about. The cool thing is that the set also captures the track "Go Fuck Yrself" when it was still a new tune. The version of The Water vs the Anchor on this set was previously released as a bonus track on the CD reissue of Where You Are and Where You Want to Be on Rok Lok Records and Eugenics Record Label. Now I am stoked to share with everyone the rest of the set. On the Might of Princes fans are just as passionate about the music as the band were so I always enjoy giving fans something "new" to sink their teeth into. Additionally, I'll have some more OTMOP live sets/rarities and related projects being posted in the future.

On the Might of Princes "Live on WNYU"
1. The Water vs The Anchor
2. Go Fuck Yrself
3. Thirteen Cheers for Beer & Bullshit
4. Old Wives Tale
5. For Meg

Download Here

For Serious This Time "I Hope It Pours" cd-r (Life On An Island/2007)

2011-03-04T12:46:00.000-08:00

In spirit of recently having to unfortunately turn down the opportunity to take part in releasing music from this wonderful band, I feel compelled in some way to publicly show appreciation for the band For Serious This Time. I have mentioned them a few times here in this blog when posting about Screen House Music the side project of For Serious This Time's guitarist/vocalist Nicky Marino. The music found on I Hope It Pours is very different from the bouncy, note happy indie rock found on their current releases such as the outstanding When You're In It but that cd is still readily available from their own label Life On an Island so I can't as someone who runs a label in good confidence upload that album, which I must admit is the one I reach for most when I need a For Serious This Time fix. But with that being said I Hope It Pours while very different from the rest of the band's discography is still awesome in its own right and documents the humble beginnings of this band rather nicely.

In stark contrast to the Treepeople/Modest Mouse crossed with Capn' Jazz bouncy indie rock that For Serious This Time is known for I Hope It Pours for the most part is folk based indie rock with primarily acoustic guitars and vocals anchoring the songs though minimal percussion, field recordings and samples are thrown into the mix as well. This debut full length effort documents founding members Alex Gentile and Nicky Marino, and what they offer isn't too far off from Marino's Screen House Music project, Mountain Goats, early Bright Eyes and maybe even the Life Rocks album I posted awhile back. The music and lyrics are endearing with a youthful exuberance about that doesn't come off sounding silly to these old ears the way most music of this nature does. Perhaps it is the romantic imagery of Long Island and growing up here that they use in their songs that appeals to me so much. I can relate to that. I always loved growing up on this island and have positive memories of hanging out with friends and making our own brand of fun. For Serious This Time and pretty much all the music I hear coming from Life On an Island documents their own spin on growing up here but I can relate. And man I dig it.

Anyhow unlike previous Life On an Island releases that I have posted here where there were less than 20 copies made, 100 copies were made of I Hope It Pours though it is out of print. I am not sure if these tunes were included on the discography tape or not, I'll have to check. It really bums me out that I can't be a part of the release of their new 12 inch. Trust me folks the music is awesome and when it comes out later this year on Dead Broke Records and Life On an Island definitely pick it up. I will be carrying in the distro for sure. If real life wasn't so complicated right now and I already wasn't up to my neck in commitments on the label side of things I'd be all over it. In the mean time check out I Hope It Pours and also head on over to Life On an Island to pick up their other available releases.

I Hope It Pours track listing
1. September 4th 2005
2. New Things
3. Two trips
4. Want to Go Do Echoes?
5. Let's Go to the Cliff
6. Intermission
7. A Tin Within A Tin
8. Lucky 7's
9. Milk Bottle Mountain
10. Summer September
11. I Hope It Pours Tomorrow (This is the New Thing Pt 2)

Download Here

Dude Japan "Raft Captain"

2011-02-24T11:28:00.000-08:00

I know, I know absolutely shameless. But hey two things:
1) It is a link to a free MP3 download so I think folks coming here are into that sort of thing
2) who cares that it is in fact my band
3) Most importantly it is my blog so I can do whatever the fuck I want. You dig?

With that out of the way...

The fine folks over at Rcrdlbl.com today are featuring my band Dude Japan and not only gave a nice write up about us but they are offering a free download of the song "Raft Captain" off our new album The Things That Matter which is available now on CD at Rok Lok Records. It will be coming out soon via cassette on Keep It Together Records.

And for you Long Islanders be sure to come the CD release show for The Things That Matter tomorrow night at Mr Beery's in Bethpage. It is a wonderful night for Long Island indie rock as the show will also feature Fellow Project, Wax Phantom, Deep Pockets and my friends from New Jersey the wonderful Brick Mower!!!

DOWNLOAD: Dude Japan - Raft Captain

Space Robot Scientists "At Home With Machines CD-R (Eiffel Trouser Records/1999) + Bonus Tracks

2011-02-22T21:30:00.000-08:00

In building off my previous post here is a Eiffel Trousers release for you to sink your teeth into. Here is the debut release from Space Robot Scientists, At Home With Machines which was a cd-r release on Eiffel Trousers but I could have sworn that at a few shows where Matt had a merch table set up that I saw a cassette version. Perhaps I am imagining things? Anyhow my first exposure to Space Robot Scientists was a party at Josh's house one night where Microwave Orphans, Clump and Space Robot Scientists all played in late 1998. At the time Space Robot Scientists were a duo that consisted of Andre Bermudez (Freaks From the Apocalypse) on baritone guitar, vocals, and programming as Matt Dallow (Microwave Orphans) on keyboards and vocals. It was one of the first times I had seen a band use a drum machine in a live performance and have it work so well. Their set was awesome- it was weird and spacey, dance inducing, noisy. Everything that I felt was missing from local music at the time. Seriously, if I heard another pop punk band I was going to go insane. I just watched wide eyed and all through their set but by the time they played the droning "King of Untied Welcomings" as was absolutely hooked. Conventional thinking tells you that anytime drum machines or pre-recorded material is implemented into a band's live act then the band can not be exciting live, and usually I'd probably agree with that statement but Space Robot Scientists are without a doubt the exception to the rule. Bermudez would perform with so much hyper energy and attitude and snarl while Dallow almost motionless 'ala Martin Rev would hammer away on his keyboard creating bizarre, wavy sound after another. Space Robot Scientists wre an absolute treat to see every time not only for the brilliantly unique music but their wonderful live show that went along with it.

At Home With Machines sums up what I love about Space Robot Scientists and what drew me to them that first time I saw them. The songs are smart but have a grooving simplicity that their later work lacked, and that is not to say their later work isn't as brilliant or even more so I think personally I just love the simplistic grooves and how all the sounds wrapped around these throbbing almost video game esque midi beats. At Home With Machines still contains three of my favorite Space Robot Scientists songs which were for whatever reason never re-recorded for any of their other releases and those songs would be the aforementioned "King of Untied Welcomings", "SysX" and "Dabba". Not to mention the song that I would wager to say is the band's signature song, "Sanitize". Sanitize the universe-cha-cha-cha. However, the album does feature three songs that would later be re-recorded- "My Control", "Colin Ferguson" and "Fuck You Doctor", the later of which was lent out to the Eiffel Trousers/DAB Records CD comp Victims of the Modern Age.

At some point the added some point they added Sean Corkery on bass and the band continue to create outstanding synth driven post punk that meshed together influences of Wire, Public Image Limited, Suicide, Gang of Four, Joy Division and Atom & His Package. The material that Space Robot Scientists would create for their 2001 sophomore album We've Got a Time Machine on my own Rok Lok Records would be a bit more distorted and dare I say darker sounding than At Home With Machines. During this period they would do hands down the best cover of Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart" that I have ever heard. To bad they never recorded it. The band would go on to release a third and final cd- 2004's Aggro Disco on Example Such Cloth Hammer Engine (better known as ESCHE). A couple of summers back Space Robot Scientists did a reunion as part of Rok Lok Fest at the Knitting Factory. I was fortunate as from 2004 til last month Bermudez joined me as collaborator in Yes Sensei. He has always been a good friend but I don't think I have ever played with another musician who has influenced me so positively and generally me made a better musician the way Andre has. I'll missing writing music and performing with him. Anyhow before I get too sappy...

As a bonus I have included two bonus tracks a alternate unreleased version of "Sanitize" and the version of "Itinerary" from The Hope Machine CD compilation on Rok Lok Records. Enjoy!

At Home With Machines track listing:
1) My Control
2) Colin Ferguson
3) Dabba
4) SysX
5) White Trash Town
6) I'm Straight
7) Fuck You Doctor
8) Sanitize
9) King of Untied Welcomings
10) The Day the World Turned Day Glo

Bonus Tracks
1) Sanitize (alternate version)
2) Itinerary (Hope Machine version)

Download Here

Remember-If It's On Eiffel, It's out of this world!!!

2011-02-20T19:13:00.000-08:00

That was the little tag line that was included in The Mutes Brothers Isn't It Neat Being Unique?cassette on Eiffel Trousers Records (which I shall be uploading in the near future) but this flyer posted is for what was essentially a Eiffel Trousers Records showcase as all of the bands save for The Peawees had releases on the label. As I wrote previously Eiffel Trousers Records was a label that was run by Microwave Orphans front man Matt Roren and existed in the late 90s. The label hosted a varied discography that included bands such as his own Microwave Orphans as well as the Space Robot Scientist. Ska/surf/pop of Freaks from the Apocalypse. Melodic pop punk of Supermatchboxx, Embarrassing Wrecks, Whoopie Cushion, Milton, Clump, and 48 in the Basement, 4 track weirdness of Caroline's Pneumatic Drapery, Tork & Co., indie rock of Book Store, On the Might of Princes,The Mutes Brothers, and Potbelly Bandits. They were a label that primarily released cassettes but over the years cds were issued as well. ETR did an excellent job of documenting what was going on that time and made sure to have fun while doing it.

And the site of this show is from The Massepequa Bowl- a venue that I saw several excellent shows at most notably the last Striped Basstards show which was tons of fun but insanely packed and hot as hell. Anyhow, it wasn't too out of the ordinary in the late 90s to see shows with The Microwave Orphans, Freaks From the Apocalypse and 48 in the Basement playing together in fact it was quite regular but what makes this show special is that it featured a rare live performance from ETR's resident experimental/lo fi/weirdo/psych rock out fit Caroline's Pneumatic Drapery who to my ears only existed on cassette as well as The Peawees a band from Italy who had just around the time of this show released their album on another local record label Motherbox Records. And while the Peawees' wannabe Ramones styled punk rock didn't do much for me I was pretty blown away that a band from Italy was putting a record out on a Long Island label and would actually come to Long Island and PLAY. I was still relatively young so it definitely had a "wow" factor to me.

Something about this flier always struck me and I had it hanging in my various bedrooms for years. It was a real sharp looking flier that stood out from the usual photocopy fare. I am not sure if this comes through at all but this flier was printed on reflective card stock. Nice!

One last thing... I shall get back to regular posts soon. This week I joined the unemployed club so most of my time recently has been spent looking for a new job and trying to figure out ways to conjure up cash (i.e Ebay) so I can survive in the space in between jobs. Thanks for reading everyone and once again your support/feedback is greatly appreciated.

Smells Like.... Bo Coach!

2011-02-11T10:28:00.000-08:00

Here is a set list that I nabbed from one of the last shows that one of my favorite Long Island bands ever played. Bo Coach were a lo fi indie rock band that was based out of the Shoreham/Wading River area of eastern Long Island, which was a town away from my home town of Rocky Point. Bo Coach shows were always great because you never knew what you were going to get or what members would show up. It was always on the brink of disaster which was part of the fun and I guess which is why when they were on (which was just about all the times) it was an absolute beautiful mess to witness. Smart pop with almost new wave sensibilities thrown in with fuzzy noise that wavered in and out was essentially what Bo Coach went for sonically. So if you put The Pixies, Man or Astroman?, The Velvet Underground and Sonic Youth in a blender it would come out sounding like Bo Coach. Simply put, it was quintessential suburban indie rock. My first band Pale Marble Movie played with them a lot, and even one time we joined them for a raucous rendition of The Velvet Underground's "Heroin". I released their only formal release, The Mustard Tape as a cassette on Rok Lok Records in early 2000 and it remains one of my favorite releases. It has been out of print for awhile now though I may do a small repress some point as I'd really love to share their great music with a new generation of music fans. Bo Coach allowed me to include their song "Fast One" on The Hope Machine compilation and I have attached that song here. Enjoy!

BO COACH "Fast One"

Grid Iron "6 Songs" (unreleased/2003)

2011-02-10T08:12:00.000-08:00

In starting to organize the recordings that I would be using in this blog I came across this cd-r in my spindle and I had no idea what this was because I never recalled Grid Iron releasing a 6 song ep. And some of the songs sounded like they could have been different mixes of tunes on Quietly, Confider but there were also songs from the Demo re-recorded as well as two songs that I never recalled hearing before on a recording. Then it dawned on me and I am fairly certain I unraveled the mystery of these songs. This is what I believe to be the story here- shortly after Grid Iron first started playing they started teaming up a lot with my band Yes Sensei for shows. We liked them a lot and playing shows together were always fun. After we, Yes Sensei that is, released our first album What I Do Best is What I Do Worst in 2002 we started looking to the future and thinking about our next release. After some discussion it was decided that we'd do a split cd with our buddies Grid Iron each of us doing six tracks each. Grid Iron had their shit together and it didn't take them very long to get their half of the split together and it wasn't before long where drummer Adam Kuhn was pestering us (rightfully so) wondering when we'd record out tunes. And unless I am mistaken (which would sure make me and this post seem rather silly- what can I say but those years were my "drunk years" so the memory is a bit fuzzy at times)- at some point Adam handed me this cd-r which was to be their six songs for the split.

Finally, we set up shop in Yes Sensei bassist Paul Como's parents' house, ran cables everywhere and had a pretty good set up going. We recorded the tunes and it really didn't sound all that hot. Mostly it was my fault because I waited to the last minute to get a good guitar cabinet. Back then I hated recording and was more interested in playing shows constantly. Anyhow, we sat on that recording and were going to patch it up but eventually Paul left our little band and with Michael Parish assuming the bass role and weeks later Adam Vargas joining us on guitar we all thought it best to scrap the recording and finish re-working the five songs and discarding one from the band's library of tunes we had to make our second full length album which would turn into We Who Transplant Sustain; which meant that the long planned discussed split cd with Grid Iron went the way of so many youthful discussions and plans. And that is really unfortunate because in listening to these songs for the first time in years I realize what a missed opportunity I had to release a collection of outstanding songs on my label. I have a few regrets in my label history of projects that I passed up on or ones that didn't happen for whatever reason. I have been listening to this batch of songs a lot the last several days and all I could think was "man how did I NOT release this?"...oh well. Live and learn.

Grid Iron grew in leaps and bounds from their Demo and this collection of 6 unreleased songs is a wonderful document of band finding its footing and doing so in style. The level of songwriting and performance improved so greatly, even the two re-recorded songs from the Demo, "Tarry Under Docks" and "Crater Basin" sound like a different band. I highly recommend this batch of songs and this is easily one of the best uploads song writing quality wise that I have the privilege to share here. One last bit- if anyone knows the names of the two untitled tracks please pass those along. Thanks!

Grid Iron "6 Songs" track listing
1. Gift Horse (version)
2. Tarry Under Docks (version)
3. (track #3)
4. Tides (version)
5. Crater Basin (version)
6. (track #6)

Download Here

On the Might of Princes "Live at The Spot 9/9/99" (soundboard recording)

2011-02-09T07:25:00.000-08:00

Oh boy to say this is a rarity is an understatement. And I am really excited to share this with everyone. How I came into possession of this is nothing short of a miracle. As the story goes when I was compiling material for the CD reissues of The Making of a Conversation and Where You Are and Where You Want to Be that I released with my buddy Wells a few years back I started doing some detective work to track down recordings and such to make the reissues really special. I distinctly remember seeing On the Might of Princes play a show at The Spot on Stony Brook University Campus and I was aware that they did happen to record the shows through the soundboard from time to time. And what made me recall this and try to track down the possibility of the recording was that I definitely remembered them playing a song that was never formally recorded, "Poison of Youth". I remembered this so vividly because Pauly from Splurge showed up mid way through them playing that song and tried to coerce the band into playing it a second time. This was stuck in my memory banks when the search for a possible recording commenced. Through a string of various different people who I knew at the time and hadn't seen/spoke to in years I was able to find the guy who was manning the sound board that night. I did and he revealed to me that he if his memory served him correct he did indeed record the entire set that night however, if he did indeed have the recording he wasn't sure if it still existed as he explained that hundreds of recordings he did over the years were lost in a fire in his home a couple years prior. Mike searched through what recordings remained and low and behold one day the cd-r of the entire show in my PO box. So we were able to include a recording of a song that most On the Might of Princes fans never heard and would've never heard if it wasn't for a lot of luck and for all the folks who used to be involved with The Spot that took time out of their days to assist in locating the recording. And now I am stoked to share the entire set with the world.

About the music enclosed on the soundboard recording captured here, it is all songs that were from time period of the band's first album The Making of a Conversation came out. In fact the album was formally released almost a month prior to the date of this show. And this recording is the only known live recording outside of a video that surfaced of "Poison of Youth" (different show from the one here) that features the original On the Might of Princes line up with Nicole Keiper on drums. The performance is rough and sloppy at times which was a trademark of On the Might of Princes live shows from the beginning all the way to the end. People loved On the Might of Princes for their sincere, heart on the sleeve song writing and performances that were the most visceral thing anyone had ever seen-not whether or not they missed a note or lyric or whatever. I am happy that this recording exists not only for giving people a chance to hear the song "Poison of Youth" but to hear that early On the Might of Princes had a edge as well which in some ways I do believe got lost in the recording of The Making of a Conversation. There is a misconception from fans of the band who came on board with their later albums that OTMOP's early material was "safe" and that they weren't as powerful live-clearly those are thoughts from people who weren't there at during this era of the band to witness it first hand. People who were there know better and will tell you otherwise. I think that this recording proves that there was a raw power to OTMOP's early material in a live construct that maybe didn't translate as well to the studio.

I have a few more On the Might of Princes live sets that I will be uploading in the near future. As far as more OTMOP rarities I do know that there was a unreleased demo recorded on a reel to reel in Lou Fontana's basement where at least two maybe three songs that were never re-recorded appear. I heard it only a couple of times but it ruled, I was wish those guys would release that in some manner just as a document in the evolution of the band. I know fans would love it. Even if they just release for free digitally or something. Additionally, there is another track that was written in the period after The Making of the Conversation was recorded and before Keiper was replaced by Chris Enriquez and the band started putting Where You Are and Where You Want to Be together; the song is called "History of Churches". I can't find a recording anywhere of it. I know the band played it in Spring of 1999 when they played with Promise Ring and American Football at NYU. I tried seeing if there was a soundboard recording of that show but no luck. Who knows maybe something will turn up some day...

Also I want to credit the photo above the Maria Ciafonne who took this photo at a show with On the Might of Princes and In Transit at here apartment in late 1998/early 1999. I didn't have a live photo from the show at The Spot so I felt this photo would be the most appropriate.

On the Might of Princes Live at The Spot 9/9/99 track listing
1. Absentee Ballot (partial)
2. The Snow Watchers
3. At Half Mast
4. Poison of Youth
5. Juliana (Taking the Long Way Home)
6. Astoria
7. Water Wings
8. A Shadow Taller Than You
9. A Thousand Words

Download Here

Cedar Beach Rules!

2011-02-08T10:26:00.000-08:00

Cedar Beach was the best. And I think anyone who went to shows there or performed there would agree. Yeah, you couldn't "mosh" or whatever the fuck but you know what that shit is stupid anyway and made shows worse. In the late 1990s to mid 2000s the Town of Brookhaven as part of their youth program during the summer would let kids put on shows at the pavilion on the beach and I can't speak for everyone but for myself and my friends this was absolute gift to stave off boredom growing up in eastern Suffolk County. Big touring bands never came to eastern Long Island so we had to make our own thing. I mean seriously what beats watching bands play and hang out with your friends at a beach at night? Nothing that is what. I have toured around the country many times, played in venues all over with my bands-nothing was better than Cedar Beach.

And in looking back no one can argue the influence that eastern Long Island byproducts had on the scene for years to come mainly in thanks to Traffic Violation Records and the family of bands that label helped document. Here is a flier for what was essentially though not formally a Traffic Violation Records showcase as the only band on the bill that wasn't on the label was Big Lick. Seeing bands like Splurge, Striped Basstards, and The Howards who were all from eastern Suffolk County as well and releasing records was very inspiring to me in starting my own label. Yeah, being exposed to K Records, Shrimper Records, Sub Pop and Kill Rock Stars at a young age was very inspiring to me and got me into music and underground culture but what Traffic Violation (as well as Mountain and Eiffel Trousers) was doing hit a nerve with me because it was local and done by people my age or younger.

Anyhow to go along with this flier I have decided to upload two more tracks from the Traffic Violation Records "6 Band Comp". Props to Jason from the excellent To Live and Die on Long Island music blog for making the this rip available. Scroll below to download Splurge's "49 Cent Refill" and Striped Basstards "Inside My Head".

Download SPLURGE "49 Cent Refill"

Download STRIPED BASSTARDS "Inside My Head"

Kiwi "Anarchists Have More Fun" CD (Burn It Down Rebuild/2003)

2011-02-07T07:05:00.000-08:00

"This is about having a good time with my friends". Well said Kiwi.

Kiwi was a DIY synth pop/punk band that existed from around 2002 to maybe sometime in 2004. It was originally a duo that consisted of Matthew Winn (Wildebeest/The Fish) on synthesizer and vocals and Jesse Vargas (The Life of Crime/Jack Bandit) on drums/vocals. Later on Mike Campbell of Latterman/Grid Iron/The Brass played bass to turn the duo into a trio. I believe someone else played bass briefly but I am not 100% certain of that or whom it would've been. Kiwi played really fun, dance inducing bouncy synth pop that lyrics that centered around the exuberance and idealism of youth and DIY culture though there was also heavy political tinge to the lyrics that touch on consumption culture, corrupt politics, battling racism, sexism, and homophobia and of course songs about the fucking pigs. Mixing this rather serious lyrical content was dancey, grooving rhythms propelled by airy sounds of synth Kiwi certainly upheld the argument that, yes anarchists do indeed have more fun. Musically speaking if you dig stuff like Devo, Atom & His Package, Robotnicka, Math the Band and even local new wave synth driven locals Space Robot Scientists then chances are you'll dig Kiwi and their full length album Anarchists Have More Fun. It should be noted that the cover I have posted here is actually the cover of the booklet; as the cd and booklet were each housed a unique hand sewn printed fabric sleeve. Each one was different, mine came in a American flag print. I have seen some in flannel and even printed Cowboy art fabrics. Fucking tight.

As far as other releases are concerned to my knowledge the only other release Kiwi had was a split cd with The Lazer which I do not own so if someone out there could share those tunes with me I'd appreciate it. Kiwi were always fun and in hindsight they were the ultimate basement band. Listening to this cd right now makes me want to call them out of retirement to come and play show in my basement. Of course that wouldn't happen. I have to say one of my favorite experiences seeing Kiwi was at some basement in Northport where Jesse Vargas the band's drummer didn't show up but Matthew Winn and Mike Campbell forged ahead by recruiting Ryan Nadieau from Guadalupe/For Those Who Can Not Wait to join them for a unrehearsed impromptu set. Nadieau had never played the songs but fucking nailed it. It was such a fun performance; everyone was dancing and having fun. For me it came at a time in my mid 20s where I was starting to feel out of place at basement shows and just within punk in general but all of that was washed away with such a fun and care free set that Kiwi put on that night. Indeed it certainly was about having a good time with your friends.

Kiwi "Anarchists Have More Fun" track listing
1. Hopping Fences
2. With Friends Like These Who Needs Sleep?
3. All They Can Offer Us
4. We Don't Need No Borders, Let the Revolution Burn!
5. Honor Among Thieves
6. We Hate the Pigs Cause the Pigs Hate Us
7. Hopes, Dreams and Fears
8. Fun House Mirror
9. Who Needs Who?
10. Vitamins and Minerals
11. Dance on the Graves
12. Clap Clap Clap

Download Here

Who wants to read some Howards comix???

2011-02-04T11:49:00.000-08:00

Here is one of those artifacts of Long Island punk's past where I asked myself how and why have I held onto this for so long? The Howards were one of the first punk bands that I knew to be from my neck of the woods in eastern Long Island. They played snotty, Screeching Weasel-esque pop punk and were based out of Port Jefferson. Here is a flier in comic strip form that was made essentially to get people out to shows and spread the word about their band. I picked this flier up probably at either Music Den or Alien Nation Skate Shop-both of which were in the Port Jefferson area. The Howards released a track "No Place Left to Go" on the Traffic Violation 6 Band Comp 7 inch which I have included below and also a split 7 inch w/ Checkerboard Charlie called "Kinda Port Jeff's Finest" which was released on Traffic Violation Records as well. You can download this 7 inch over Uncle Ron's Dusty Discs.

The Howards went on to form A Boy Called Spite, Explosivo!, The Devil Himself, Small Arms Dealer, Iron Chic and Wax Phantom. WHEW!!

Download "No Place Left To Go"

And now for something different...

2011-02-03T07:59:00.000-08:00

Here is the first entry in something a little different that I'll be doing. In addition to the regular music uploads I shall posting scans of show fliers that I have amassed over the years. I realized if I just keep this stuff in boxes I am a pack rat (or is hoarder the new "in" term?) but all of this accumulation is worth it if I am archiving and sharing it with people. And if people enjoy seeing this type of stuff, awesome.

This flier upload is a two for one as there were two fliers made for the same show. The top one was a small flier that I found amongst the stack at None of the Above Records and the second is one of my first encounters with a digital flier. Danny from Bunsen Honeydew (whom I WILL be uploading tunes for this blog shortly) emailed me this flier on the good 'ol America Online. It took me a bout 15 minutes to download it and another 10 to print it. Ahhhhh... high speed internet in the late 90s was funny. Anyhow, this is the flier for which is essentially the night that changed my life as it was the first time I saw On the Might of Princes play. It was maybe their second or third show; I can't exactly recall. While music has always been a huge part of my life, no band influence my life in the manner that On the Might of Princes did- I started a label, a band, etc. all because of these guys. I don't listen to the music nearly as much as I used but every time I see this flier I get choked up and it takes me back to a time that was really exciting for me. It makes me feel good despite all of the uncertainty in my life at that time, but that is realizing in hindsight how fun growing up is no matter the heartache.

Life Rocks "Ours Minds Are Made Up-There's Going to Be Trouble" CD (Burn It Down Rebuild/2004)

2011-01-31T08:59:00.000-08:00

I think I have been pretty clear before about how much I despise folk punk. I never got it. I never understood the fascination with early Against Me or any period of Against Me for that matter...so I imagine it is a bit of a surprise to be sharing this album because Life Rocks and their lone release Our Minds Are Made Up-There's Going to Be Trouble is definitely a folk a punk album, make no mistake about it. Perhaps I give my friends a pass? Or perhaps there are actually some good tunes on the release? I am not known for just liking a friend's project just to be a nice guy because really how is that being supportive of their art by just just being a yes man or a body in audience. There enough pairs of deaf ears to go around why be another.

For those unaware Life Rocks was a project that consisted of Matt Canino (Latterman, Rvivr) and Ian Campbell (Bent Outta Shape) and it was a folk punk project where most of the tunes were focused around two acoustic and two sets of vocals, though there were a few numbers that involve more of traditional electric indie rock set up which are ironically some of the strongest offerings on the album. The songs generally feature poorly tuned acoustic guitars with shouting vocals that at times struggle to stay in key but that is pretty much what the whole charm about folk punk was right? The lyrics are generally focused around a very idealistic, youthful Peter Pan kind of thinking that I have hard time relating to any longer. Out of all of the releases I have shared thus far this is the one that I don't think has aged well as with me as a whole where I can spin it in any regularity BUT with that being said I do certainly believe there is still merit to be found. And more importantly, I know there a fans of both Matt and Ian's related bands who have never heard this and may appreciate it so that in itself is more than enough reason to share. Our Minds Are Made Up-There's Going to Be Trouble is a very honest document and proclamation from two young artists at a time where these songs and the ideas shared were very much alive not only in themselves but the people around them. The Long Island that is sung about in these songs seems like a world away and is just a very different place son in that regards it is hard to relate to. That isn't say that Long Island today doesn't have its own brand of dreamers and scene makers or what have you but there is no arguing that it is totally different.

Life Rocks "Our Minds Are Made Up-There's Going to Be Trouble" track listing
1. Platt River Vs Long Island Sound
2. Stay Warm, Sweet Dreams
3. Expressways and Empty Skies
4. Smile Real Big
5. Dear Friends
6. North Shore Blues
7. Peanut Butter Garlic Hot Sauce
8. Mountains & The Beach
9. South Shore Blues
10. Keepers of the Fabled City
11. It Takes a Little Bit of Skill and A Little Bit of Not Giving a Fuck

Download Here

Matthew Winn "Home and Time EP" cd-r (self released/2004)

2011-01-26T07:05:00.000-08:00

Here is a release that in listening to it once again for this post I do believe I enjoy significantly more than when I originally heard it and subsequently reviewed it for Under the Volcano. Home and Time EP is a five song EP that would serve as a precursor to songwriter Matthew Winn's Wildebeest project in which he just performed under his own name. The five songs captured on Home and Time EP is more or less identical to Wildebeest so fans of Wildebeest's wonderful Motion and Language will be very pleased to hear this batch of songs.In fact there is an early version of the song "Living and Dying" that goes under the name of "Blurring the Line" that is a fairly different arrangement so yet another treat for Wildebeest fans. Some of these songs I'd say give Motion and Language's finest tunes a run for their money; in particular "These Sounds Are From Home". Everything about this song sits pretty darn well with me. Winn on this batch of songs is able to mesh a musical maturity with a youthful exuberance which I don't think I full appreciated until recently. I am not sure how many of these cd-rs were circulated so I am absolutely thrilled to share this nice batch of tunes with everyone. I am certain there are fans of Motion and Language that never heard this who would be ecstatic. And for those not familiar with Winn or his Wildebeest project; if you are into indie/folk stuff like Simon Joyner, early Hayden or Will Simmons then you may really dig this.

Matthew Winn Home and Time EP
1. Battle of Fort Slongo
2. A View of Paris
3. Browns and Greens
4. These Sounds Are From Home
5. Blurring the Line

Download Here

Guadalupe "Contract the Stank" cd (Burn It Down Rebuild/2004)

2011-01-24T08:42:00.000-08:00

It so cold out so I need something energetic to keep me going. Coming into a freezing cold office sucks but rocking out to Guadalupe's Contract the Stank for the first time in a long time certainly does not suck. Around 2003-2004 I started to notice that there were a lot of kids in the Northport area giving the Long Island DIY scene a real shot in the arm. It felt young and exciting again. And that is not to say that there weren't exciting things amongst my peers but perhaps there was some jadedness starting to peer through as at that time lots of people/bands who made Long Island DIY such a vibrant creative community in the late 90s-early 2000s started to or had already flocked to Brooklyn. In Northport shows were packed with kids, there were several solid bands and kids were making cds/tapes/zines/etc. And doing it all with a passion for living in Long Island which is something that really appealed to me as I have always loved living in Long Island and have not had the same scorn for it the way some others have. Sure, there are aspects of living here that suck but that is relative. Travel around the country and talk to people and you'll know what I mean.

Anyhow, one of those bands was Guadalupe who were DIY hardcore/punk off shoot of the Northport indie rock band For Those Who Can Not Wait. I remember going to a show at my now house wondering whom all these kids I'd never met or seen before were and that is when my buddy Jon Contra was like "That's Guadalupe and they rule". Or something to that effect. Regardless, he was right. It was fast, exuberant and fun. It wasn't rocket science by any stretch of the imagination but it was perfect. Songs about friends, DIY, bike riding, cops and of course "stealing shit from other boats". It was just fucking fun and I loved it. They also did pretty rad Minor Threat and Body Count covers. Yes, THAT Body Count.

According to the liner notes Guadalupe spent two days with Phil Douglas (from Latterman, Iron Chic) the fifteen songs that appear on Contract the Stank. Fifteen songs may seem like a lot but don't blink because the record can be over just like that. Remember this is hardcore punk we are talking about here. Anyhow, Contract the Stank was made originally as cd-r in the brown paper bag upside down American flag on Burn It Down/Rebuild. Later on Burn It Down/Rebuild pressed as "real" cd release with different artwork. I prefer the artwork on the original cd-r release as opposed to the cd as the cd version's artwork reminded me far to much of the cover to The Insurgent discography cd. To each is their own. To my knowledge this was the only release that Guadalupe had though I do recall them recording tracks once at my house for a 7 inch though I am not sure if that ever materialized. I do know that guys from Guadalupe went on to be in a few other bands like Nude Beach, Dustheads and Yellow Tears to name a few.

Guadalupe Contract the Stank track listing

1. Kick the Shit
2. Bike Tuff
3. Guadalupe
4. No Sleep Ever
5. Fly the Dos
6. Rock the Plank
7. Drop the Stank
8. Seeing Red
9. Patrol These Streets
10. Can't Stop
11. Instrumental
12. Prove It
13. Sign on the Dotted
14. Stay Alive
15. We Win

Download Here

Bricks For Shoulders "You Are, Therefore I am..." CD (Far Between Records/2005)

2011-01-20T07:08:00.000-08:00

A good chunk of the releases that I have been sharing here I have reviewed at one point during my tenure as a writer at Under the Volcano magazine; and only know am I realizing that it would be cool to perhaps include those reviews and mix it with current thoughts about the releases to see how time has affected my opinion on a release. Perhaps this weekend I'll find the time to pull out some reviews for some upcoming uploads. And I thought of this because I definitely recall reviewing Bricks For Shoulders You Are, Therefore I am and for some reason I think while I gave it a overall positive review I do believe that I did some critical nitpicking; perhaps getting on a journalistic high horse or something. Regardless, I honestly can't recall if that happened or if my mind is playing tricks on me.

Bricks For Shoulders was a band that morphed out of Prescott C; who while had some glaring similarities to their later self Prescott C was a bit more melodic whereas Bricks For Shoulders was certainly more aggressive as well as technical. At some point in Prescott C's tenure they transformed (albeit not by choice) to a guitar and drums duo and if my memory serves me correct Bricks For Shoulders was started not only as a stylistic change but because after many trials they found a bass player in Zach (ex-With Every Idle Hour) to have a solid three piece lineup. However, that was short lived as guitarist/vocalist Steven DeJoseph and drummer/vocalist Tom Crooke would carry on once again as a duo. I remember watching these guys play and it was always awesome and way loud. Like seriously loud. DeJoseph would play his guitar through a guitar cabinet and a bass cabinet on the opposite side of him all while screaming and howling like a maniac. Like I said, very loud and lots of low end. All of this while Crooke would pound away at his drum kit as if he were mad at it. Really mad. Musically speaking Bricks For Shoulders cherry picked elements of post hardcore, post punk, hardcore, screamo to make it their own. I hear a variety of bands influence in their sounds- Four Hundred Years, Sleepytime Trio, Castor, Smile, and even Hum. Though the latter's influence while there it isn't as apparent as it was in Prescott C. Maybe it was just me but I always felt these guys never got enough props from folks in the "scene". Solid musicianship, always tight as hell live and too boot good people-what's not to like? Fucking kids...

While Prescott C was fairly prolific with several releases under their belt before packing it in, as far as I know You Are, Therefore I am... was the only formal release that Bricks For Shoulders had though Crooke has informed that there was some unreleased material. If I can get my hands on it as well as have the band's blessing I'd be happy to share it. I shall be uploading some Prescott C in the coming months. Dejoseph in addition to playing guitar in Bricks For Shoulders/ Prescott C is also a very talented drummer and assumed the kit in Pretty Polly and for the last several years has been playing the band Playing Dead. And Crooke plays drums in Dude Japan and also creates music with him playing all the instruments under the name Swell As Hell. Check it all out.

Bricks For Shoulders You Are, Therefore I am... track listing
1. You've Got to Be Kidding Me
2. Non Prescription Glasses and Your Star Tattoos
3. Art and Narcissism
4. Segway
5. You Should Treat Your Kids as Well as You Treat Your Cars
6. You Fill in the Blanks, While I Load My .357
7. End of Transmission

Download Here

Come Down "Sender" cd (self released/2001)

2011-01-19T08:22:00.000-08:00

Here is a band that came out of the ashes of Intransit as guitarists Mark Pernice and Scott Altmann teamed up with former On the Might of Princes drummer Nicole Keiper and Tom Mallon on bass, keyboards, and programming right around time the new millennium touched down. Come Down played moody, spacious indie rock that reminded me of a cross between The Verve, Radiohead, Spirtualized and Portishead as well as some of the slower tempo Pedro the Lion material. There is also an element of the post hardcore that most of the members played in previous bands that is evident at times but in a manner that isn't too obtrusive. Unlike, a lot of bands from the island at the time who relied on fast, aggressive bursts of distorted guitars and throbbing low end to express themselves Come Down reveled in quite the opposite as their songs were about playing at slower tempos and locking into grooves that would flow carrying with it touches of layered sounds that didn't make the presence so obvious. There was a maturity to the songwriting of Come Down where parts in songs didn't feel rushed and that was something that I wasn't exposed to a lot with most of my peers' bands. It was most welcome. At the time it should also be noted that bands were definitely being more pronounced with their sense of dynamics thanks to bands like On the Might of Princes and Latterman, where parts and changes jumped out at you. Subtlety in songwriting wasn't the order of the day and that was something the struck me instantly about the songs Come Down wrote.

I only saw the band a few times and somewhere along the line I picked up a copy of the CD that I am sharing with you today- Sender which I do believe is the only release that the band had. If I am mistaken and someone does know of another recording please let me know. Furthermore, I am not very familiar if the members of Come Down went onto to pursue other projects. Once again inform me and I shall be happy to share that information here. In the meantime check out Sender.

Come Down "Sender" track listing
1. Synesthesia
2. New Script
3. Fast Cars
4. Everyone With Guitars
5. I Drive With Closed Eyes

Download Here

Screen House Music "Volume 2: For Reading To" cd-r (self released/2006)

2011-01-18T10:19:00.000-08:00

Last night it snowed and this morning it is raining so in searching for a soundtrack to get my day started I couldn't find a better collection of songs to fit the inclement mood outside than Screen House Music's Volume 2: For Reading To. So it is only fitting that I share this album with you. A lot of the music I share here is rare in the sense that not many physical copies of these releases were made. Mostly demos just to be sold at local shows or to be shared with friends, not to be part of some mass production. And no release would be truer than this sophomore Screen House Music release as my copy is numbered 11 out of 13! I don't point that out as some sort of collector nerd type of "hey look what I have" but more as man, what a shame that this music wasn't initially shared with more people as it is just a fantastic document of the growth that was taking place in songwriter Nicky Marino's wonderful little Screen House Music project.

For those of you missed my previous post regarding Screen House Music's debut cd-r release; first go download it now but as a brief recap/run down of what the project is all about...Since 2006 and based out of Northport Nicky Marino; also known for his work in the wonderful indie rock band For Serious This Time has released several cd-rs and tapes as well as compilation appearances that chronicles music that can best be described as a organic hybrid of folk, bedroom pop, ambient and lo-fi shoegaze. Automatically I am reminded of stuff like Dump, Secret Stars, and a whole slew of great music from 90s tape labels like Shrimper, Cactus Gum, Catsup Plate, etc. The bulk of his music is instrumental but has a strong voice in the sense that the melodies created within the music while subdued and generally minimal it all resonates rather nicely. Unlike a lot of music of this ilk that can just be forgettable background music; Marino has a uncanny ability to have listeners be completely enveloped by the layers of sound and melodies he creates. Plain and simple; if you like good music that is honest and comes from a place that is simply just about creating music then don't waste a minute in downloading Screen House Music Volume 2: For Reading To.

Screen House Music Volume 2: For Listening To track listing
1. Before Rain, Grey
2. Phone Rings, Start Over
3. Miss the Bus, Better Day
4. Discovering
5. Weeks Street
6. Things to Rely On
7. I Really Don't Remember
8. P.J Branch
9. Source
10. Landscape
11. Top of the Gap

Download Here

Advertisement-Last Yes Sensei Show

2011-01-16T09:25:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to interrupt our normal broadcasting to pimp something as equally as important to me as all of the bands and releases that I have shared with all of you these last few months. A little over ten years ago myself and a couple of friends started the band Yes Sensei to create a type of music that we weren't hearing locally. The band went through several line up changes over the years and had the great fortune of releasing a few albums, a 7 inch and make some compilation appearances. And now the time has come to wrap it all up and put a little bow on it. It would mean a lot if people came out to say goodbye. It will also be the release show for our our fourth and final album In Excelsis. You can stream the album here at Bandcamp:

We shall be playing our last show next Saturday at Mr Beery's with friends Everything Sucks, Thought & Memory and Risk (ex-Scent of Human History/United States). If all goes well we shall have copies of our brand new album In Excelsis with us.

While personally I have been comfortable with putting the beast to rest so to speak for awhile now, yesterday was the last practice I think now finally it is starting to sink in that a large chapter of my life is about to come to a close.

Here is a run down of our discography, most of which is still available at Rok Lok Records

- 2 song demo cd-r (self released) (out of print)
-What I Do Best is What I Do Worst cd (Rok Lok Records/The Children's Revolt)
-We Who Transplant Sustain cd (Rok Lok Records)
-s/t cd (Rok Lok Records)
-3 Songs 7 inch (Rok Lok Records/Russian Folk Stories) (out of print)
-In Excelsis cd (Rok Lok Records)

compilation appearances:
-"Russian or Retarded" on No Nucleus cd (Tone Library)
-"All of Your Bass Are Belong to Us" on Dead Broke Tape Comp Volume 3 cassette (Dead Broke)*exclusive track

Also later this year another cd filled with unreleased, demo, live material as well as the 7 inch and comps tracks will be released on Rok Lok Records

Grid Iron "Songs" cd-r (self released/2001)

2011-01-14T10:31:00.000-08:00

It is Friday so that means it will be a quick post. Always too much to do on Friday! Anyhow here is a small release from Grid Iron, a 3 song ep that is definite improvement all around from their demo, which I liked a lot but definitely was a little rough around the edges especially in the recording department. The production values were stepped up for this batch of songs and also the song writing/performances were improved. Joining vocalist/guitarist Byrce Hackford on this collection of songs is the line up that included Adam Kuhn (Fellow Project/Small Arms Dealer) on drums and Mike Campbell (Latterman/The Brass) on bass and would ultimately be the line up for the rest of the band's life. In my previous post about their demo I stated that the only releases that existed were this cd-r ep Songs and the full length Quieter,Confider but in searching for stuff the other day I came across a generic cd-r labeled "Grid Iron 6 songs" that had songs that for the most part with the exception of one or two that weren't on any other releases. If my memory serves me correct this could've been the batch of songs that Bryce gave me for the proposed split cd w/ Yes Sensei that got scraped because we had a line up change, scraped the recording and opted to re-record our tunes for our second album. In time I will most likely upload those tracks as well.

Grid Iron Songs track listing
1. Climbing the Ladder
2. The Pretender
3. Tears

Download Here

Latterman "Tour Demo" cd-r (self released/2001)

2011-01-13T07:32:00.000-08:00

For the Latterman completists out there here is rare little piece of the band's history. I know guitarist Phil Douglas dreads knowing that I have this cd in my possession still. Every now and then to get a reaction out of him I'll pull it off my shelf. I think it has something to do with it being one of his earliest recording efforts. It definitely doesn't sound bad at all and it in terms of recording and song writing quality it is leaps and bounds over the band's previous offerings. What more could I possibly say about Latterman that hasn't already been said here or anywhere else for that matter? For those that really need more info, to put things as simply as possible next to On the Might of Princes-Latterman was one of the main reasons that the DIY scene on Long Island thrived so much in the late 1990s and early 2000s. It could certainly be argued that Latterman was met with even greater "success" with their later albums on Deep Elm.

This demo was put together for a US tour in 2001 and it served as a preview of what becoming on their first full length Turn Up the Punk We'll Be Singing as the four songs presented here were all re-recorded for the album which would be released later that year. As a tour demo it certainly does its job in documenting Latterman at that point in time and sharing that folks they encountered on tour.

Latterman "Tour Demo!" track listing
1. Rebellion Vs The Alarm Clock
2. There's No Wrong Way to Do Punk (You Clown Doctor)
3. King Tough is My New Idol
4. For Someone Easy Going You Sure Do Seem to Wear Pants A lot

Download Here

Portal "Lost in the Translation" cd-r (self released/2002)

2011-01-11T20:38:00.000-08:00

It is a snowy night here on Long Island so I figured I'd do a late night (well late for this guy) upload. This offering is rather off beat but to me it really exemplifies what I love about the music that people make in their bedrooms. Being free from whatever scene aesthetics that may dominate people's attitudes to create and express themselves; music of this kind that doesn't really exist beyond the bedroom really excites me because it is completely uninhibited and it does whatever it wants to. Especially in the case of Portal to me it is documentation of a brilliant, creative musician exploring a myriad of ideas in his own unique way which is the complete opposite of what the musician is generally known for. Portal was the home recording side project of Contra guitarist Stephe Cooper. While Contra was known for furiously fast pissed off hardcore punk that relied on politically charged lyrics and a generally bare bones attack musically speaking; Portal was a project that explored prog/math rock, lsynth/midi music, kraut rock and even lo fi hardcore punk. Imagine taking the Mahavishnu Orchestra and cross it with Sonic Youh, Black Flag, Kraftwerk, Battles and Bjork's more experimental work and that should give you a rough idea. Cooper self released two Portal cd-rs both packaged in a DVD case. The first was a self titled 5 song ep and the second release which is posted here is the full length effort Lost in the Translation.

Publish Post

Lost in the Translation contains 13 tracks of tunes the run the gamut of genres explored and most of simply defies explanation. There are electronic bleeps and beeps that remind me of video game music but moments later you can get hit a with blast of guitar feedback only to be wrapped in a bordering psychedelic, jammy guitar freak out or even a frantic sound collage. Then there are surprise forays into a brand of lo fi hardcore punk that sounds like 5th generation bootleg Rorschach recording not too mention the Inside Out and Cave In covers that appear on the recording. Portal is not for everyone but for those that can brave the journey it is certainly a worthwhile trip to take

In addition to Portal and the aforementioned Contra, Cooper was also in the hardcore band Church of the Rowdy (with members of On the Might of Princes and Porcelain Decay) and later on he went on to be in two projects that were similar in scope to what Portal was doing but outside of the bedroom by way of B-Camel and the more lo fi basement art pop of Squeaky Bandits.

Lost in the Translation track listing:
1.The Printer Song
2. Hi Jonathon, How Are You? What's Up?
3. Minor Details
4. Queen Pineapple
5. (Excersion 1) Gina Opium
6. Validation
7. The Splitting of Our Species
8. (Excursion 2) Disappearance of the Spoons
9. All Around Me
10. No Spirtual Surrender *(Inside Out cover)
11. The End of Our Rope *(Cave In cover)
12. In the Land of Grey and Pink
13. Untitled

Download Here

Book Store "Sleeping On Glass Pillows" cassette (Eiffel Trousers Records/1999) +"Gonster"

2011-01-06T08:21:00.000-08:00

Well here is nice little rarity, one that I wasn't sure ever existed until my good buddy J-Ro gave me a cd-r copy a few years ago and confirmed that yes, his brother Matt Orphan did indeed release it as a tape on the mighty Eiffel Trousers Records label (whom I will speak more of later on). I knew of these songs because after chatting with Book Store bassist Jon Kaplan in a AOL chat room he sent me a tape with these songs on it but I wasn't aware of the "formal" release. The band never had them with them at shows or anything so I imagine to most this release was or is a mystery. I am not sure why that is. Maybe they weren't happy with the recording or something as it does have a fuzzy, lo fi quality to it but to my ears it sounds just grand. I do know that this recording features Book Store's original drummer Lou S. so perhaps that was a reason. Strange...

In any event out of the five songs presented here four were re-recorded for the self titled cd on Rok Lok Records (why yes, I still have some available...). Aside from some songs I think sounding better here than the album for my own personal aesthetic reasons; particularly "Dreamy" which is played a little faster and for the better; what makes Sleeping On Glass Pillows a point of interest for any Book Store fan is that it is the only place to get the song "Maggie Cassidy". It was a short lived song that I only saw the band perform once in the many, many times I saw the band while they were together. And the record nerd in me just loves stuff like that-forgotten tracks or rare exclusive comp or demo tracks. Sometimes when that stuff is dug up it is golden and while "Maggie Cassidy" certainly isn't the best song Book Store wrote but is definitely a strong slice of indie rock that far outshines some other tunes that the band played throughout their life span. In a way I am curious what this song would sound like if they kept playing and re-recorded it for the album like the did with the others. All in all, Sleeping On Glass Pillows is perfect basement indie rock to tap your toes to.

As a bonus I have included the original, and superior version "Gonster" that appeared on The Hope Machine compilation. Not that I don't like the version that opens up the self titled album I just find this version to have more energy, and I really like the guitar tones much better as they are really fitting for the song. Also I prefer the extended hyper jam outro presented on this version as opposed to shortened version on the album that went back to the verse, or "Radio Friendly Gonster" as some of us called.

And to wrap this post up I just would like to share a few thoughts about the label that released this tape and many other great releases through the mid to late 90s, Eiffel Trousers Records. This was the label that was started by Matt Orphan of The Microwave Orphans and with Eiffel Trousers Matt was able to mash together the label influences of Lookout Records, K Records, Kill Rock Stars and Shrimper to have nice diverse roster of releases. From the new wave tinged punk of his own Microwave Orphans as well as the Space Robot Scientist. Ska/surf/pop of Freaks from the Apocalypse. Melodic pop punk of Supermatchboxx, Embarrassing Wrecks, Whoopie Cushion, Milton, and 48 in the Basement, 4 track weirdness of Caroline's Pneumatic Drapery, Tork & Co., indie rock of Book Store, The Mutes Brothers, and Potbelly Bandits- Eiffel Trousers always kept it interesting from release to release as you never knew what you would get. And let's not forget, Eiffel Trousers Records was responsible for releasing the second pressing of the On the Might of Princes demo. No matter what your personal thoughts of each band were, there was no way you couldn't appreciate the sincere aesthetic that Eiffel Trousers was able to convey with every release.

Honestly, when Matt stopped showing up to shows with those shoe boxes of tapes a part of me felt rather empty. And that is not to take anything away from anyone, it is just Matt was the first person I met in the Long Island scene that was into the same kind of weirdo indie rock that I was into. He knew who Sebadoh and Shrimper Records were which as silly as it sounds that was huge for me at the age as I wanted to play in a band more than anything and finding people that didn't want do a pop punk or hardcore band back than was very, very difficult. If you said Sonic Youth or Jesus Lizard or Pavement to anyone- they laughed and would proceed to tell you that NOFX is the greatest band ever. Times have certainly changed...Matt introduced me to people who I'd later go on to create music with and essentially the core of the creative circle that I travel in so for that I am very grateful. People reminisce a lot here on Long Island about many old bands, venues, and labels but I always feel very few people give the proper due to what Eiffel Trousers Records did in releasing music and coordinating shows in the mid to late 90s. Matt here is to you my friend, thanks for all that you have done over the years. Since I have finally have a reliable set up to rip cassettes I'll certainly be uploading more of the label's discography in the coming months. For those interested Eiffel Trousers has a old Myspace page that is still up, check ahoy

Book Store Sleeping On Glass Pillows track listing
1. October
2 Dreamy
3. Sweet Day
4. A Simple Notion
5. Maggie Cassidy

and then "Gonster" from The Hope Machine

Download Here

Sometimes Walking Sometimes Running "Unreleased" 2000/2001

2011-01-04T09:46:00.000-08:00

A quickie but gem of a upload for y'all today. Here is another nice batch of unreleased tunes that have come into my possession, three unreleased songs from Sometimes Walking Sometimes Running. I previously featured their 5 Untitled Songs CD and these 3 songs continue in the same tradition of chaotic screamo 'ala Pg.99 and City of Caterpillar though I do feel the band is a bit more experimental. On the first track offered here there is a long percussive, almost tribal section that reminds me of something of Neurosis' Enemy of the Sun. There are noisier, more bordering on psychedelic moments than the more fast paced, furious screamo blasts found on the 5 Untitled Songs ep. It is obvious that some of band member's various side projects or one off noise projects like Car Fire or Backspace were having its influence rub off on this last batch of Sometimes Walking Sometimes Running songs. All three songs offered here are untitled and I believe they were recorded in either late 2000 or early 2001; I am not 100% certain. I want to thank guitarist/vocalist Jay Melli for allowing me to share this with everyone. For you Long Island/NY area folks be sure to check out Jay's new band Risk who will be playing my band, Yes Sensei's last show on January 22nd at Mr Beery's in Bethpage.

Download Here

Knox Overstreet "Demo-2000" + " I Shot the Clerk"

2011-01-03T08:49:00.000-08:00

Just the other night my girlfriend and I were watching Dead Poets Society, which reminded me that when I got back to the blog posting I needed to upload some more Knox Overstreet so without further delay here is the band's "demo" from 2000. And I say "demo" because I am not entirely sure if these songs were ever formally released. When I was putting together The Hope Machine compilation and I asked Knox Overstreet for a track bassist Owen Antku gave me this cd-r saying that "it was their new demo and I can use whatever track I liked". I ultimately chose to use "Take the Ticket", which became the lead off track on The Hope Machine. These songs certainly floated around on tapes and burned cd-rs among friends but I never saw an official demo at shows. Like I said in my previous post about their 2003 demo, Knox Overstreet were not the type of band that shilled themselves with merch or going out of their way to do anything other than write good tunes and have a good time. While on one hand I found it refreshing on the other I found it absolutely maddening because they were certainly a band that I felt more people should've known about. The three songs captured on this demo showcase the band in their earlier stage where they definitely had a emo/indie rock, Garden Variety-esque vibe to their song writing. In a weird way at times I can kind of hear a guitar sound that I would later identify with bands like Life At These Speeds.

As a bonus I have included the track "I Shot the Clerk" which was recorded around the same time. It came out in 2000 on the It Certainly Was a Grand Piano compilation via the Abominable Records label whom also released Knox Overstreet's "Jammer Failed b/w Coming Around" 7 inch which I shall certainly upload once my vinyl ripping gets up to par. I am almost there and I will certainly be uploading a bunch of rare Long Island vinyl and many more tapes in the coming weeks.

And I just wanted to add a few more thoughts...in looking at the "cover" for the Knox Overstreet "demo" I glanced at the bottom and saw the email contact which was actually for Owen Antku's other band, Flying Train Committee which was a Samiam/Knapsack sounding project that he and Lord Humongous' Ned Overton (guitar) and Mike Simensen (drums) were a part of. Seeing that reminds me of a few things; the first if anyone has any Flying Train Committee recordings PLEASE send them my way (not sure if any of those guys read this blog or not) as I never got any though I recall pestering Ned a few times. And secondly, I absolutely loved going to and playing shows with Knox Overstreet, Flying Train Committee, Music/Casa Negro, Lord Humongous, With Every Idle Hour, and Intransit as there was no scene bullshit or whatever; it was always just good times. All those bands were awesome musically and had some of the coolest, most down to earth dudes. When I look back at shows and especially the early Yes Sensei shows; I feel pretty fortunate to have been able to have one of my projects welcomed into that fold of bands.

Knox Overstreet "Demo-2000" track listing

1. "Take the Ticket"
2. "Pabst Blue Ribbon"
3. "Blast Off"

It Certainly Was a Grand Piano comp
4. "I Shot the Clerk"

Download Here

Fellow Project "If We Were Mariachis" cd-r (Burn It Down Rebuild/ 2002)

2010-12-22T08:19:00.000-08:00

This isn't the first time that I have posted about Fellow Project and it most likely won't be the last, though I probably won't share much more because I don't want to be sharing titles that are still readily available. The Watch It and this album If We Were Mariachis represent the bulk of the rarities in the band's discography mainly due to the limited nature of the "pressings". And since it is the season of giving I implore you or any lover of good music to head to a few of the links I shall provide below and pick up some of Fellow Project's available records for a loved one or even as a gift for yourself. Like, I mentioned in my previous post about Fellow Project, they are essentially the only band that I have written about that is still active so be a sport and support their music as well as the labels who continue to support them.

On Fellow Project's sophomore effort If We Were Mariachis the trio continued to explore the anthemic folk tinged indie rock but this time around some "mathy", more dynamic tinges were thrown into the mix hinting at would the band would later (and currently) be known for. Watch It! was a solid start for the band as it showed that; yes a band with a acoustic guitar can rock but overall If We Were Mariachis is a far stronger record as it really documents a band get settled into its niche groove. The songwriting is top notch and honestly, I am amazed at how well the bulk of this album holds up. To me, one of Fellow Project's greatest strength as a band has been the lyrics and vocal arrangements but also the seamless juxtaposition of more straight forward, anthem rockers next to more in depth, introspective dare I say "musician's rock". Fellow Project has always had a knack for writing really smart music that has been able to still be fun and not take itself to seriously. They are one of those bands whom I feel really fortunate to have seen play live many times (at least 100 times at this point) and watch them develop over the years with new recording after new recording.

Quite honestly, I don't think I have ever heard them write a bad song. There maybe the odd track or two that won't hit me as hard as others but still the songs and ideas are always of high quality. Stand outs on If We Were Mariachis for me get going right away with the opening track "3 Left Turns Created a Monster" with it is insanely catchy chorus with the lines "Let Me Die Quick/Let Me Die Quick/ And Painless" always makes me want to sing along. "Dangerous" is a great folky indie rock romp. "The End" has one of the most beautifully haunting guitar melodies I have heard come from a Long Island band that out of nowhere picks up temp and goes in a unexpected direction. And the way the flute and vocal harmonies are weaved in are just wonderful. "Perfectly Subtle" is a morose acoustic ballad that reminds me so much of Simon Joyner- and when has that ever been a bad thing?? And easily, the curve ball of the album is the closer "Give Me More" that with its driving rhythm and picked note guitar playing and then the unexpected frantic scream towards the end is a tune that has always stuck with me.

If this was a just world where quality musicianship was rewarded there isn't a doubt in my mind that Fellow Project would be enormously popular-however it seems that they are just left to a select group of music fans that have excellent taste. Such is this unjust world. With that being said please check out the following links to help make the world a bit more just; well at least for Fellow Project.

Boots 7 inch (Rok Lok Records)
Rok Lok Records

Stream or purchase digitally Boots on Bandcamp

The Buried Life cd (Dead Broke Records)
Dead Broke Records

split 7 inch w/ Go Sell Drugs (Kiss of Death)
split 7inch w/ Thousandaires (Kiss of Death)
split 7 inch w/ Jonesin' (Kiss of Death)

Kiss of Death

If We Were Mariachis track listing
1. 3 Left Turns Created a Monster
2. Dangerous
3. Shoot the Latter But Save Your Face
4. The End
5. The Myth
6. The End and The Myth
7. Evelyn What?
8. Perfectly Subtle
9. We Do the Best We Can With What We Have
10. Picapatas
11. Give Me More

Download Here

Carly & Donna "Believe In Yourself" cd-r (self released/2002)

2010-12-20T07:55:00.000-08:00

Even though 2002 wasn't that long ago, this cd certainly takes me back a bit. It takes me to a time in Long Island DIY history that I look fondly upon. From my vantage point, I have felt for the most part that punk or DIY culture's cry for diversity has always been largely for window dressing at best as very seldom do you see artists or bands really go against the grain and when they do make an appearance it is safe to say they aren't met with the most open of arms. Plain and simple most people, despite the grand standing and soapbox discussions want nothing more than Peter Pan-esque party time pop punk reassuring them they can stay young forever. However, with that being said I do have to say in a brief period in the late 90s early 2000s I do believe I experienced a genuine sense of diversity not only from musical stand point but also from an ideological as well from a gender stand point. And mind you the latter was far from perfect but from my perception as someone who had already been involved in independent/ music for a considerable amount of time, I found the involvement of women in the Long Island scene at that point in time in every aspect to be prevalent as well as inspiring. Whether it was music, arts, zines or organizing it was clear that women were an enormous part of the community and as someone who has always been serious about practice what you preach and as someone who put a lot of stock in DIY culture it truly meant the world to me that at least locally the creative community I involved myself with was growing past merely being a forum for white suburban male adolescents (and 20 somethings) to express themselves.There was a lot of excitement over getting Freespace off the ground so perhaps there was a sense that EVERYONE was working towards something bigger.

Personally, it is hard for me to excited about shows if each band is a rehash of one another sonically, lyrically, etc. etc. And in that period of shows for me it certainly was exciting for me because it seemed like every show each had bands that sounded nothing like one another but what tied everything was a sense of respect and genuine camaraderie. And that was the common bond. One of the projects that started turning up at shows and "turning things down" so to speak, were a female indie pop/folk duo, Carly & Donna; which was Carly Comando from Slingshot Dakota and friend Donna Baxter. In some ways this powerful duo epitomized how awesome shows were in this time period. A hardcore band like Solidarity Pact or Scent of Human History or post punk band like my own Yes Sensei or Empty Silos Echo War or even Latterman could be on a show with Carly & Donna and it wouldn't feel out of place or forced or anything like that. People would be just as attentive for their set as any of the other bands; sometimes even more. Who knows perhaps I remember things differently than others but I have to say it always stuck me rather vividly how natural everything was.

As far as the music, it is crisp and clean indie pop/folk much like The Softies or Holiday Flyer. Both Comando and Baxter possess such wonderful voices and the way they harmonize is nothing short of heavenly. The harmonizing vocals is what really reminds me of The Softies. And to hear the vocals intertwined with the the clean strummed acoustic guitars and Comando's fantastic keyboard playing, Carly & Donna were able to create a perfect brand of indie pop/folk that while subtle in the sense that it wasn't a rock band set up in the DIY show scene but in many ways was more powerful than most bands. Punk culture generally doesn't reward musicianship so it was a pleasant surprise to not only hear something different from the norm but music that was not haphazardly put together but instead beautifully woven together.

The cd-r demo Believe in Yourself features 3 songs though one is only a 35 second short melody and vocal over a metronome which seemed like more of quick idea but still there is a charm about it. As far as I know I don't believe they ever recorded any other songs though I certainly recall more being played live. Comando went on to form Slingshot Dakota who have released two full length albums Keener Sighs and Their Dreams Are Dead, But Ours is the Golden Ghost.

Carly & Donna Believe In Yourself track listing:
1. "Through It All"
2. "For Lauren"
3. "You"

Download Here

Scent of Human History "Unreleased Album" (2003)

2010-12-17T12:06:00.000-08:00

As I hinted earlier this week I had a nice surprise for everyone. Additionally, I mentioned having in my possession this unreleased recording in my post about their split cd with The Lazer and now I am finally ready to share this unreleased gem with everyone. In listening to this album it blows my mind that it was never released. If it was it could've easily been identified as a classic for that era of Long Island music but instead it has just been a rumored relic to many and only heard by a few. All of the Scent of Human History releases were solid but I think this collection of ten songs captures what they were doing perfectly, especially the band in their twilight as the songs were getting longer, more expansive and noisy bordering on psych at times mixed with the chaotic screamo that they were known for. I remember seeing most of these songs played live in the year that Yes Sensei and Scent of Human History played a lot of shows together but the one song that sticks out the most for me is the absolutely beautiful fifteen plus minute epic "Science". Everytime I saw them play this song it sent chills down my spine and coming from a critical point of view, this song really was sign of growth for the band as the beginning of the song was almost faint whisper like quiet and it slowly morphed into a monolith of sound with a eventually culminating chaos seemingly coming from nowhere. This may seem quaint now, but this was a good couple of years before "post rock" and stuff like Explosions in the Sky and Pelican started being all the rage. At that point it reminded me of later era Swans but back in 2003 no one I knew was claiming to like the Swans. I remember very vividly playing a show with Scent of Human History in some basement in Northport and their first song was a really fast, chaotic screamy awesome mess that barely broke one minute and a half. It finished and Jay Melli (the band's guitarist and vocalist) said "we have one more", I look around and people are puzzled. I mean I know that they were all in for some "Science" but it was cool to get a sense that no one knew what was coming. It was awesome. And so is the rest of this incredible unreleased album. I known it to be a great album for many years and I believe many of you will feel the same way after listening to it.

A quick not about the track listing. This is not 100% as the cd-r and tape I have of it are not labeled with track names, however I was able to name the tracks from memory and process of elimination.

Scent of Human History "Unreleased Album" track listing:

1. "Wind"

2. "Why Don't You Cut the Floor Out From Under Me"

3. "Territorial Pissings"

4. "The Choice Unchosen"

5. "Just in Stress"

6. "Change Melts Away"

7. "Or Will Drown"

8. "Instrumental"

9. "Science"

10. "Untitled"

Download Here

Grid Iron "Demo" cd-r (Diner's Club Records/2001)

2010-12-16T06:56:00.000-08:00

Initially started as a side project when original Latterman drummer Bryce Hackford had a desire to get out from the behind the kit and it in front of the microphone and guitar amp 'ala Dave Grohl; Grid Iron quickly turned into a full time local band regularly playing shows and doing a few recordings in the process. Grid Iron played jagged guitar, gruff vocal driven indie rock/emo punk that reminded me of bands like Jawbreaker, Jawbox and very early Karate crossed with 90's emo/punk hybrid stuff like DBS. Eventually, wanting to focus on Grid Iron Hackford left the Latterman fold to be replaced by original Grid Iron drummer Pat Schramm. Funny how things work out eh? On the four song demo Grid Iron was comprised of Hackford on guitar/vocals, Schramm on drums and Chris Cerrone on bass and vocals. After Schramm and Cerrone both left at different points that were replaced by Adam Kuhn (Fellow Project, Small Arms Dealer) and Mike Campbell (Latterman, The Brass) respectively and recorded another cd-r demo as well as a full length CD called "Quieter, Confider" on Burn It Down/Rebuild. Shortly, after the release of the album the band dissolved with members moving on in different directions. A bummer I always enjoyed watching them play and they usually played shows with Yes Sensei which was always fun. We even planned a split cd that never happened for whatever reason, most likely because we took forever to record. We started recording for it than our first bass player quit with that recording being scrapped and most of those songs ended up being re-recorded for our second full length We Who Transplant Sustain. Anyhow...back to Grid Iron, if anyone is interested I do still have a couple of copies of this demo in my distro as well as copies of their full length Quieter, Confider.

Grid Iron "Demo" track listing

1. "Second Song"
2. "Jazz Age"
3. "Tarry Under Docks"
4. "Crater Basin"

Download Here

Bigg Uppz "Demo" cd-r (self released/2003)

2010-12-15T09:08:00.000-08:00

So much for promises... There are several reasons why there has been such a long gap from the last upload. A lack of free time being one and the other as lame as it sounds my digital camera is garbage and in doing this blog I really wanted to take pictures of the actual releases so I could share the artistry and packaging with everyone but right now that is just adding to the time it takes to getting stuff up here. So it becomes a matter of weighing what is more important. And of course I spent the better part of the morning to prepare a gem of an upload that I have wanted to share for awhile now (an incredible album that went unreleased for whatever reason) only to find that the last couple of tracks were screwed up so that will be coming at a later date. Anyhow enough bullshit, on with the show...

This past weekend was the first rehearsal that included past members to get ready for the last Yes Sensei show (mark your calendars January 22nd 2011 @ Mr Beery's w/ Everything Sucks, Thought & Memory and Risk) so it is only fitting that I share this release with you today as it features original Yes Sensei bassist, Paul Como causing quite the ruckus. Upon leaving Yes Sensei, Como teamed up with his buddy and then co-host of WUSB's Caffeine As Gasoline, Matt to form this noise making duo. Armed with drum machine, pitch shifting sounds and layers of distortion and feedback Bigg Uppz recalls the aural onslaught of bands like Big Black, Lightning Bolt and Wolf Eyes- so certainly not easy listening. The short lived duo unleashed this eight song demo and played I believe only two shows. One was with Yes Sensei and one with Lickgoldensky whom I shit you not played the same song like seven times out frustration-whether amongst themselves or the sparse attendance. Bigg Uppz was a short lived wrecking ball of sonic chaos that certainly didn't take itself too seriously.

Bigg Uppz "Demo" track listing
1. "One"
2. "Two"
3. "Thre"
4. "Four"
5. "Fiv"
6. "Six"
7. "Sevn"
8. "Secret"

Download Here

Small Arms Dealer "The Hot Knives EP" cd-r (self released/2004)

2010-11-17T07:33:00.000-08:00

First off, sorry for the lack of posts lately I have been busy with work and label stuff but fret not I shall try and get back up to speed with at least 2-3 posts a week. Anyhow here we go with today's post...

Small Arms Dealer's debut release, their titled demo The Hot Knives EP!!! In what was as close to a "all star band" as you can get Small Arms Dealer featured ex- members of Explosivo!, The Devil Himself, A Boy Called Spite, The Howards, Contra, On the Might of Princes and Fellow Project; Small Arms Dealer came onto the scene I believe in 2004 and played explosive indie/pop punk with dual guitar attack and great vocals and lyrics which seems to be a staple of all the projects that Lubrano/Beaker are involved with. The songs in all of their projects but especially Small Arms Dealer are insanely catchy but not in a vapid manner at all, in some ways it is pretty damn smart as there is plenty of note happy guitar work that generally isn't associated with pop punk. There is a real sense of driving energy about all of the songs yet that intensity never sacrifices the pure hook in each every one of their songs. And this formula continued on their subsequent follow up full lengths A Single Unifying Theory and The Patron Saint of Disappointment which were released on Deep Elm Records.

Two summers ago Small Arms Dealer played their last shows with a afternoon show at the Dead Broke House and a evening finale at Mr Beery's-regrettably I wasn't able to make it as I was attending to my dog who had fallen ill. I have to say, honestly, a knot gets tighter in my stomach when anyone mentions either show saying how amazing it was because I can only imagine. I would've love to sing along with those songs one more time.

Members of the Small Arms Dealer went on to various projects with Lubrano and Beaker once again teaming up again in Wax Phantom who have a ep out on Dead Broke Records. Additionally, Lubrano teamed up with Phil Douglas (Latterman, Solidarity Pact), whom played drums with Small Arms Dealer the last couple of years, to start Iron Chic who thus far have released a demo, 7 inch and full length album on Dead Broke Records/86'd Records. Lou Fontana now plays guitar in Fellow Project. Steve Andolpho watches New Jersey Devils hockey while original drummer Adam Kuhn still likes snakes.

The cool thing about The Hot Knives EP is that out of ep's five songs only two were re-recorded for later releases. Personally, I prefer when bands don't re-record material so for the nerd in me that is a reason I wanted to share this ep with everyone-also because it fucking rules. Additionally, I should add that Small Arms Dealer recorded a few songs before they broke up but I don't believe they were ever released or shared. At some point do hope they do because those tunes were aces. And knowing my luck here is the part where inevitably someone will tell me that those songs were released as a last show exclusive or something...

Small Arms Dealer The Hot Knives EP track listing
1. "Tonight...On a Very Special Episode"
2. "The Hot Knives Technique"
3. "Scumbagsville, CT"
4. "Robotic Man of the Future (Mini Robot 100%)"
5. "Who?...Me?"

Download Here

Screen House Music "Volume One" cd-r (self released/2006)

2010-11-03T07:51:00.000-07:00

Even though it wasn't that long ago 2006, I definitely recall that as a year where I seriously thought that nothing in music could surprise or excite me any longer. Of course that was a narrow view because I was solely basing this opinion on that fact that it seemed as if I was getting at least a dozen crappy band friend requests a day on Myspace. And don't even get me started on the tons of the uninspired music I'd have to review for Under the Volcano or even get as demo submissions for Rok Lok. As awful as it sounds at some point I didn't even want to open up friend requests and I am not sure why one day I felt compelled to open up one of those said requests, but I am glad I did because that was the day I discovered the wonderful gem that is Screen House Music. Immediately, I was blown away by the sparse looseness of the songs. There was a lo fi folk/ambient/experimental thing that reminded me a lot of the stuff that I grew up listening to like the whole Shrimper Records cast of characters like Paste, Dump, Simon Joyner and Will Simmons. The one song that stood out and I proceeded to play another 8 or so times straight in that one sitting was the tune "On Our Cameras"-it just blew me away the way the song builds and doesn't get hooked into a specific phrasing or chord too long but just long enough to have it sink its melodic teeth into one's ears-just seriously smart and mature songwriting but very organic sounding. The arrangement of a field recording of friends party like chatter in the background and how it switches from a acoustic guitar progression to a reverb happy electric guitar and percussion as well some wavy background sounds is nothing short of sublime. As corny as it sounds something about this song makes me feel young and in a good way. But the reality is that there is something great about every song on Screen House Music's Volume One. My thought is someone from Long Island making this type of music and I am not aware, how can this be?

After listening to all the songs multiple times and specifically "On Our Cameras" and singing the praises of Screen House Music to just about everyone who was within a earshot of me for the next 48 hours or so, I decided to send a message directly. I soon learned that Screen House Music was the project of Northport's Nicky Marino and we started trading emails back and forth. Eventually, snail mail transactions took place where he'd send me more Screen House Music recordings as well as other stuff he and his friends would do while I'd send him label releases including stuff specifically from my own 4 track project Stars Are Insane which I felt was somewhat similar to what he was doing with Screen House Music. With each release of his I was blown away at the maturity of the compositions, level of looseness and just the overall aesthetic. And to me I was amazed at how all of this great music was being written by someone in high school.

I have remained intrigued with the project and over the years I have done my best to follow what Marino is up to creatively. He self released the sophomore cd-r SHM2 but Positive cd-r and The Story of Man cassette both came out on Life On a Island. A cassette (which sadly I have yet to hear/obtain) called On the Roof came out on Open Range Records. Last but not least I have finally been able to have the good fortune to be able to release some Screen House Music on my label with an upcoming appearance on the I Know Why They Call It Pop cassette. And from what I understand new material is being worked on which is just thrilling. Keep up with Screen House Music here. Additionally, Marino plays guitar and sings in the fantastic band For Serious This Time who I urge everyone to check out.

Screen House Music "Volume One" track listing
1. "Everyone's Unsure"
2. "Layer One"
3. "Layer Two"
4. "Layer Three"
5. "Next Season"
6. "On Our Cameras"
7. "At Friends Houses"
8. "Conclude"

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Latterman "None of These Songs Are About Girls" cd-r (self released/2000)

2010-11-02T09:05:00.000-07:00

Today's post will be a quickie due to being a bit short on time but also because I also recently profiled Latterman when I uploaded their demo which hopefully everyone has enjoyed. Oddly enough even though this self released ep came out after the demo only one of the five tracks here were later re-recorded, unlike the songs on the demo, which I suppose makes the tunes here a bit more of a rarity. I'd wager that most Latterman fans never even heard of this ep much less the songs on it.

None of These Songs Are About Girls starts off with the song "There's Never a Reason Not to Party" which to me is "the" Latterman song. It was later re-recorded for their first full length album, Turn Up the Punk We'll Be Singing but I think I prefer the version presented here. I generally don't like re-recorded versions of songs, as there is usually a spark missing that made the original version great. The other tunes on this ep are pretty solid as well, with "Matt Galante's Got It Right" and "Saving Private B" being the stand outs aside from the opening track. "Matt Galante's Got It Right" was also released on volume 2 of the Waggy Fanzine comp CD which if you are looking for physical copies of these tunes will be easier to track down than a copy of None of These Songs Are Bout Girls. I am not sure how many were made but I'd wager no more than 100 and maybe that is even a stretch. Latterman fans fear not I have a few more pretty rare barely known releases that I will be uploading soon.

Latterman None of These Songs Are About Girls track listing
1. "There's Never a Reason Not to Party"
2. "We're Not Having This Argument"
3. "So, It Was a Drag huh?"
4. "Matt Galante's Got It Right"
5. "Saving Private B"

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Wildebeest "Motion and Language" (self released/2005)

2010-11-01T09:12:00.000-07:00

Let me start off this entry by publicly apologizing (even many years after the fact- just over 6 to be exact) for originally lumping Matthew Winn's pre-Wildebeest release in with the unfortunate (and certainly not forgotten by this guy) folk movement of the early 2000s when I reviewed it in a issue of Under the Volcano. I was certainly wrong in making that comparison, and the debut from Wildebeest Motion and Language is what squashed any ill conceived notions of the type of music the talented Winn was creating. I can attempt at trying to conjure up my own words to describe what Motion and Language is about and while I will first I'd like to offer a snapshot of Winn's own words as the following text was pasted on the sleeve when you opened up the cd case:

"This is the story of nine months living in Spain, and of the frustration and isolation that comes with the building of relationships with people and places you recognize you'll never be able to fully embrace. This is the story of entrances, transition, languages and exits."

I believe this words beautifully set the stage for a work that is not only very personal in nature but a work that is realized. As a music fan and musician myself that is the thing that really blew me away about Motion and Language, because punk is generally about writing a batch of songs and sticking them together. There is never a sense that there is direct correlation between the words and sounds, how they mesh together is just a matter of throwing it to the wind and seeing where it crashes-which don't get me wrong this is why punk is great but to see someone who had been in local punks bands come forth with a work of such purpose and cohesion was just something that impressed me. Wildebeest's Motion and Language has only gotten better to my ears over the years as the depth of the work- influence, ideas and musicianship is vast. There is also an element of quirky, youthful exuberance present that makes even a realized work not take itself too seriously. At first listen to almost shaky, raspy vocals can be off putting (and maybe that is why I viewed the earlier work as folk punk) but that is soon washed away as their is a undeniable, endearing passion about the delivery. You don't come across works as strong as Motion and Language all that often and to be blunt-this album is an absolute masterpiece in regards to Long Island music of that time period (early to mid 2000s).

I would classify Wildebeest as cross between folk and indie rock but with definitely a DIY punk ethos about it. There are even lyrical references to Jawbreaker and Capn' Jazz. The bulk of Wildebeest's songs are based on acoustic guitar and voice but a strong cast of accompaniment via bass, keyboard, percussion/drums, accordion and clarinet is also present. The lyrics are very well anchored into the them of the album and in some cases, specifically on tunes like "Harps and Trumpets", "Living and Dying" and "Phil Writes Songs Like Kevin Seconds" excels at offering vibrant imagery yet allows the words to resonate on a individual level. I got to know Winn personally for period of time and I was able to express my admiration for his work (as well as apologize for past misconceptions) and just like many things-one minute people's paths cross and the next they don't. Sometime after Motion and Language, I believe Winn relocated to Athens, GA and then to Brooklyn. I heard snippets of his newer material and it really evolved in strong way, opting for a very authentic roots folk and blues flavor. I'd actually like to hear the full completed works (if anyone has feel free to share) and from what I understand the Wildebeest moniker has been abandoned and Winn has a new project called The Fish. Check it out here

Wildebeest Motion and Language track listing:
1. "Wisdom Tooth"
2. "Burggos Moon"
3. "Fighting Windmills Again"
4. "Harps and Trumpets"
5. "Intermission"
6. "Vegas Song"
7. "Return to the Fort (Fight Song)"
8. "Cat and Mouse"
9. "Living and Dying"
10. "Phil Writes Songs Like Kevin Seconds"

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Jon K "2 Song Demo" cd-r + "Paper Airplanes" (self released/2004)

2010-10-27T07:50:00.000-07:00

Soon after the break up of Book Store bassist/vocalist Jon Kaplan starting turning up at various shows performing solo with a creative mixture of new indie pop/rock songs and spoken word, which proved to be just the right spontaneous flare that made Kaplan's performances not only entertaining but set them apart from the usual singer/songwriter fare.Usually when you see a guy with just a guitar and microphone before a note even is played, or a vocal is sung people generally know what to expect, and if people ever had that idea about a Jon K performance it was evaporated within seconds. Sometimes Kaplan wouldn't even play a song, as it would just be spoken word or some type of performance art. I saw a show once where he came straight from his shift as a waiter and the note pad in which customers orders were on turned into a free form spoken word frenzy that was insanely funny and entertaining. No matter what, it was always very spur of the moment and very real.

But for sake of discussion in this blog I shall now shift the focus to the music end of what Jon K did. On all of the Book Store recordings Kaplan's tunes were sincere yet fragile, tug at your heart strings kind of indie pop songs. And while not to take anything away from Book Store or the band's principal songwriter, Dan Fucello, you kind of always hoped that Kaplan would unleash an album of his own. At least that is how I felt because songs like "The Aquarium Song", "Best Wishes" and the amazing "We Won't Be Here Forever" were three of the greatest indie rock/pop songs I'd ever heard. Seriously. There is just a magic in his song writing ability that you very seldom come across in songwriters and maybe there is a element of bias because we are such good friends. But still I am friends with plenty of great dudes who are in not so great bands. Bottom line- great music is great music and it doesn't matter if a friend or stranger wrote it. There are several interesting things about Kaplan's songwriting abilities, one is the ability to encapsulate elements of the history of rock/pop music by cherry picking various snippets if you will from The Beatles, The Jackson 5, Miles Davis, REM, Gang of Four, Nirvana, Built to Spill and heck even various hip hop. From a songwriting stand point, one thing that can't ignored is that Kaplan in his solo work was a bassist turned guitarist and I think as a result the songs really groove. And groove isn't necessarily something you would associate with indie rock. His guitar playing is almost percussive and jagged at times as opposed to just straight strumming.

As far as the tunes we have here, in late 2003 Kaplan recorded three of the songs that were included in his set at the time to record a 2 song demo that included the tunes "I Can't Complain" and "Off Yr Radar", the latter of which was included on The Tone Library's "No Nucleus" compilation cd. The third track "Paper Airplanes" was later released along with the other two songs as well as an assortment of Kaplan's spoken word recordings and his songs from the Book Store releases for Jon K compilation of sorts titled Aquarium Single. Today's upload includes the 3 songs from that 2003 recording session and seriously they are absolutely with a doubt indie rock perfected. If you enjoyed the Built to Spill meets Dinosaur Jr sounding song "We Won't Be Here Forever" off of the last Book Store ep "Hello From Book Store" then you will absolutely love this group of songs, as they are in the same vein.

I am divided because on one hand I am bummed that Jon never recorded another batch of pop songs like this but on the other hand I appreciate that because he has always grown and evolved as an artist and musician. If that isn't a sign of a true artist I don't know what is. After his stint of solo shows he started recording truly unique almost psychedelic pop music in the creative collective Destructasaurus Rex, whom I had the great honor of releasing their first album (and hopefully I'll release more in the future) 100% Mad Indie Rock Flava which can be streamed here at Bandcamp . Currently Kaplan is focusing on his improv theater work and graphic design, as well as recently making a few contributions to my latest Stars Are Insane album.

Jon K "Demo" + track listing
1. "Paper Airplanes"
2. "I Can't Complain"
3. "Off Yr Radar"

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Sometimes Walking Sometimes Running "5 Untitled Songs" CD (Traffic Violation Records/2000)

2010-10-25T08:33:00.000-07:00

After a few days rest I am back at and today's upload comes from Sometimes Walking Sometimes Running, who were previously mentioned when I uploaded their post SWSR project Scent of Human History. If you dug the Scent of Human History material then chances are that you'll enjoy the 5 Untitled Songs cdep that Sometimes Walking Sometimes Running released on the seminal Long Island DIY label Traffic Violation back in 2000. Where Scent of Human History was a bit droning and epic, Sometimes Walking Sometimes Running was more of chaotic short blasts of screamo fury. Stylistically, SWSR (as I shall refer to them from here on out in this entry) cherry picked all of the finest elements of the top screamo/emo bands of that time period- Pg.99, Yaphet Kotto, Saetia, Reversal of Man, etc, all while putting their own stamp on the genre. And as I stated previously, this type of music was just nowhere to be found outside of these group of friends and maybe a few others, like The Life of Crime (As a side note- if anyone has any The Life of Crime stuff please send it my way. I think they recorded a demo) and SWSR certainly made the most of creating music in scene that seemed completely hypnotized by music that was solely melodic in nature. They certainly stood out but their chaotic, visceral brand of music resulted in truly raw performances that were unlike what most of their peers offered as far a "stage presence". I mean just watch the segment on the Between Resistance and Community documentary where SWSR absolutely tear shit up in the generator show segment...oh boy it always gives me chills.

Not only were SWSR quite the chaotic song smiths, most (if not all) of the members were gifted artists visually. I remember vividly when I was first introduced to these guys I was simply awestruck by the artwork on their show flyers and even more so the creative zines that they'd distribute at shows. I remember get a stack of them (which I still own) from a show at the Vargas House and I was just really impressed with how their strong sense of visual aesthetic tied into the aura of their music, it all tied together nicely. And that is one thing I will definitely say about most Long Island bands, the artwork/packaging/visual aesthetic for the most part up until that point was so beyond bland. SWSR were definitely on the opposite side of the spectrum. And it was never more evident until the 5 Untitled Songs cdep came out. Everything about the packaging and artwork was just beautiful. There wasn't a release at that time that could even hold a candle to 5 Untitled Songs in regards to visual presentation.

SWSR eventually broke up, where three of the four members formed Scent of Human History. In their short history as far as I am aware of all they released was 5 Untitled Songs cdep and a split 7 inch with The Insurgent, which was also on Traffic Violation Records. I do believe a demo tape was released but I am not 100% on that. If anyone can confirm or deny that as well as share it, that would be greatly appreciated.

Sometimes Walking Sometimes Running 5 Untitled Songs track listing
1."Sweet Advice From a Jailbird"
2. "I Guess The Best Thing to Do is Laugh Out Loud"
3. "Baroque"
4. "Welcome to 4AM"
5. "This Linear Engagement"

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We Meet Under Tables "CD EP 1-Summer 2005" cd-r (self released/2005)

2010-10-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

Today's entry is bit more current than some of the other things I have been posting but just as awesome, obscure and bit too short lived. Music lovers I present to you We Meet Under Tables! Coming out of nowhere it seemed We Meet Under Tables first came to my attention one summer when I was given the duty to find bands the fill the summer schedule at Cedar Beach's for the teen band nights that were going Thursday to Saturday nights from July to August. Trust me that was a harder task than one would ever expect, so finally all of those countless Myspace band friend requests were finally coming in handy. And one of those bands who happened to find like a diamond in the rough was We Meet Under Tables. The band immediately jumped out at me with their frantic rhythms, percussive centric, noisy guitars and a dual vocal assault. Sonically it was a cross between Fugazi, Lungfish, Wire, and Gang of Four which was just music to my ears especially since my band Yes Sensei was looking for other like minded bands to play with because at that time a lot of the bands we had a creative kinship with had broken up or moved on. I hooked them up with a show and started talking to the band about more shows and even eventually trying to coerce them into letting me release some of their music.

The band consisted of Ryan Blecher on guitar/vocals, Mitch Hansen on bass/vocals and Caryn Koza on guitar/vocals and rotating cast of drummers which included Blecher himself also taking on drum duties on the recording of the ep which I present here. At one point they recruited one time Yes Sensei drummer Dave Elliott and later Cheeky/Eachother's Mothers drummer/Little Lungs guitartist/vocalist Angie Boylan. Ironically, Blecher went on to replace Elliott as the drummer for Yes Sensei. Got all that? Despite all the shifting around We Meet Under Tables created quit a racket for a couple of years there. Their live shows were high energy, raucous events they were greeted with members tossing and flailing around on stage. I do believe blood was involved more than once... With Elliott at the drum helm the band recorded and released a second ep cd-r. And then at some point during the lineup with Boylan on drums material was being worked on for a split 7 inch with Yes Sensei but by the time to record the band fizzled away, which was a shame. And as far as I know they never recorded anything with Boylan on drums.

After We Meet Under Tables Ryan Blecher played drums in Yes Sensei, Fellow Project, Firing Squad, Kenwu as well as recording solo material (playing all instruments) under the name BigR. Mitch Hansen joined up with Blecher to once again assume the bass and vocal role in Firing Squad. I don't believe Caryn Koza has been involved with a band since We Meet Under Tables parted ways. At some point shall upload the second ep. In the meantime enjoy this first ep.

We Meet Under Tables "CD EP 1-Summer 2005" cd-r track listing:
1. "Shipwreck, Sir!"
2. "Wires to Wires"
3. "Good Laws"
4. "On the Front"
5. "Words"
6. "Opposition"

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Fellow Project "Watch It!" cd-r (self released/2001)

2010-10-20T07:57:00.000-07:00

Unlike most of the bands I have posted so far, Fellow Project is still together and releasing one excellent record after another. Fellow Project originally started as a off shoot project from the Porcelain Decay to showcase the more folk/indie interests of guitarist Joe Jerkens and bassist Tia Meilinger. They recruited Adam Kuhn from Grid Iron/Fuck Cops and later Small Arms Dealer to play drums and quickly they started playing shows. And quickly they became one of my favorite bands to ever come from Long Island. Their songs were catchy, had great lyrics and there was that sing along type of energy without being juvenile. In their original three piece lineup the recorded three full length albums and the one I am sharing with you here today is their first album called Watch It! which was a self released cd-r. For my money Fellow Project have always been a real treat as they were so opposite of what every other band on the Island was doing. I mean Jerkens would rock out using an electric acoustic dobro! And maybe I am off my rocker but I truly sensed that there was/is a deep appreciation within the band of music that just isn't contemporary. Perhaps that is why they have stuck around for so long and why subsequently their fans have stuck around for the ride. Their songs resonate beyond any sort of temporary fad or trend, which is what happens when your music has roots. Sadly, I think Fellow Project tend to get lumped in with unfortunate folk punk movement of the early 2000s-speaking of fads.

Over the years Fellow Project have evolved so much sonically that their current incarnation bares very little resemblance to those humble, "folky" beginnings. The current lineup which includes Ryan Blecher (Yes Sensei/We Meet Under Tables/Firing Squad) on drums and Lou Fontana on guitar (On the Might of Princes, Small Arms Dealer, God's Gift to Women) has the band doing a more of post punk sound that resembles a cross between The Grifters, and Cursive. I also detect hints of Lou Reed, Bingo Trappers, Television and The Feelies in Fellow Project's music.

Watch It! and the following two albums were more rooted in the folk rock spectrum then their current recordings so it may take current fans by surprise but that doesn't mean the songs aren't as kick ass as their more current full on rock motif. I strongly feel that especially the first two albums have slipped away from most people's memory banks though maybe it would help if the band started playing these songs again (HINT! HINT!)

I have often said that Fellow Project are Long Island's most prolific band and here by listing their discography you can see for yourselves. Perhaps I am missing a compilation or two. And if anyone is interested a few of their releases in my distro including the Boots 7 inch which I released. Get into it. www.roklokrecords.com

discography:
-Watch It! cd-r (self released)
-If We Were Mariachis cd-r (Burn It Down/Rebuild)
-Where's the Wire? 10 inch/cd-r* (Make or Break Records) *has bonus track
-No Nucleus cd compilation (The Tone Library)
-Dead Broke Tape Comp: Volume 1 cassette compilation (Dead Broke Records)
-4 Way Split Series: Volume 1 7 inch compilation (Dead Broke Records)
-Dead Broke Tape Comp: Volume 2 cassette compilation (Dead Broke Records)
-The Buried Life cd (Dead Broke Records)
-split w/ Jonesin' 7 inch (Kiss of Death)
-split w/ Thousandaires 7 inch (Kiss of Death)
-Boots 7 inch (Rok Lok Records)
-split w/ Go Sell Drugs 7 inch (Kiss of Death)
-Life on a Island: Summer Compilation #2 cassette (Life on a Island)

Fellow Project Watch It! track listing
1. "A Jolly Good Thing"
2. "Uncle Joe"
3. "What's the Matter"
4. "Silence is a B Flat"
5. "Tired Themes for Sorry People"
6. "Interlude in the Key of Housed"
7. "White Trees & Broken Bones"
8. "Ruthless"
9. "Papllon"
10. "My Way vs Your Way Means the Highway"
11. "Sample"
12. "Untitled" (track is unlisted on sleeve)

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City Limits "demo" cd-r (Innocent When You Dream/2003)

2010-10-19T09:56:00.000-07:00

I am cheating a bit here because City Limits wasn't a Long Island band proper as the members were scattered all across the United States-New York, Massachusetts, California, etc. but two of the members were a part of a very prominent Long Island DIY band in the late 90s called The Insurgent so I feel compelled to share this excellent ep. Due to the limited nature of this ep I'd wager to say many people even on Long Island and fans of The Insurgent have never heard of it. Also, for fans of the post Insurgent band United States, this ep will be a treat as it falls in between those aforementioned bands not only time was but also musically as it is very discordant guitar, Fugazi influenced post punk much like United States.

I was first exposed to City Limits back in late 2003/early 2004 when my band Yes Sensei was on tour with Scent of Human History. On two of the dates City Limits hooked up with us and I was just blown away. The songs just had so much energy and they all had a simplistic groove that locked you in. And watching over the years how The Insurgent continually evolved it really didn't surprise me that Kyle and Justin's next project would morph into something like what City Limits was. I'll never forget the show on New Year's Eve in Brooklyn when they played and people were going absolutely nuts during "Strangers on a Train" singing along to every word. Clearly I had been living under a rock for awhile because I was a late comer to City Limits but that didn't make me enjoy them any less.

Honestly, I wish I had more to write but quite frankly after that winter I never heard much more about the band though a few friends claim to have some other songs or speak of other recordings. This 5 song demo here was limited to 49 pieces packaged with a handmade booklet inside a striking black letter pressed pocket sleeve. I am not entirely sure what all the members ended up doing but Justin went on to sing in United States and play drums in Ringers. If anyone has anymore tunes please send them along as I'd love to hear them.

City Limits "Demo" cd-r track listing
1. "Strangers On a Train"
2. "Fiction"
3. "Clear Channel"
4. "Destinations"
5. "Authorized"

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Fuck Cops "Demo" cd-r (Burn It Down Rebuild/2003)

2010-10-18T08:17:00.000-07:00

Today's post while was certainly going to be posted at some point, is going up as per request of Mac over on Viva La Vinyl. So here you go and enjoy! There was a period (and I guess it still prevails but truthfully "scene" happenings haven't been on my radar for some time now) where good, solid hardcore with thoughtful lyrics gave way to a brand of of melodic "hardcore" nonsense singing some white boy suburban blues that seems to be all the rage on Long Island. I mean what scene doesn't need nearly two dozen Lifetime and Kid Dynamite rip offs? Ugh... Anyhow in 2003 a very short lived band called Fuck Cops (aka The Local Conservative Commission) was forged by members of Contra, Latterman, Fellow Project, and Grid Iron to remedy the situation and makes Long Island Hardcore not be a four letter word even for a short period of time. Growing up on bands like Dead Kennedys, Born Against and then local hardcore bands like Campaign I could never get into these so called hardcore bands that were popping up all over Long Island that just sang about girls breaking their hearts or whatever the fuck. And while I certainly had my brush with youthful idealism I don't think I ever really thought punk and hardcore lyrics could change the world or whatever but I did (and still do) like that idea of using the form as a means of exchange ideas and being a launch pad for young people to express their anger for shit going in the world. Because look around-there is a lot to get angry about and think those things should be discussed by whatever means necessary, so why not song form? And that is one thing that I just couldn't wrap my head around. Post 9/11 there was even more to be angry about, yet it seems no one was angry enough or wanted to us the forum of punk and hardcore to be a forum to confront or discuss any of that. Long Island "hardcore" seemed content just having a good time and while I support a good time as much as anyone else I also appreciate music and art that has substance. So I guess what I am saying, while I generally am not into preachy types of music or art- I DO appreciate and enjoy music or art that challenges perceptions and goes against the grain. As far as I am concerned the grain on Long Island for too long was hardcore that wasn't all that hard and Fuck Cops were just the edge that was the opposite of what was going and that spoke to me very loudly.

So yeah with a name like Fuck Cops you can certainly expect very political, heavy, metallic at times hardcore. Fuck Cops was short lived but they certainly played a important part in the vibrant DIY punk/hardcore scene on Long Island in the early 2000s. And while most will discard on the basis of being political-for those who were there can attest to how active the scene was with challenging bands of varying genres/sounds but decidedly punk in their actions, and how basement shows, zines, activism and organizing flourished in this period. And Fuck Cops and their members certainly played a huge role in all of that. Thank you Fuck Cops for the brief but rad memories.

Fuck Cops "Demo" track listing

1. "Song Luke"
2. "Song Paul"
3. "Song Mary And The Immaculate Conception"
4. "Song Matthew"

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Intransit "s/t" cd (self released/1999)

2010-10-15T09:41:00.000-07:00

It is Friday and there is a lot to do but still I would like make a quick post about this excellent 4 song ep by Intransit. This fairly short lived band went on to be splintered off into This Year's Model, Bravado and Come Down but not before releasing an excellent demo tape and the 4 song ep which I am happy to share here. Based out Selden, Intransit played post hardcore that meshed together the sounds of Hum, Quicksand, and Jawbox. It was a shame that were together for only a short period of time as their songs were just fantastic and furthermore unless my memory is way off there were a few songs that they were playing around the time this cdep came out were never recorded. The live track on this ep, "Crying For Satire" was one of my favorites and as far as I know this is the only recorded documentation of the song. If I am wrong and if there was a unreleased batch of songs let me know as I'd love to here them.

A funny (well funny to me) story about this cd is that it was being pressed at the same time that I was pressing the On the Might of Princes The Making of a Conversation cd and the local pressing plant where I was doing the cd called me up and informed me that my cds were ready for pick up. A friend and I headed down there to get them. When we opened the box in the office what was in the box wasn't On the Might of Princes cds but in fact were this Intransit cd. So I was bummed that my cds were in fact not ready but I was stoked to see that Intransit had there cds done and ready to share with everyone. And honestly even though many years have passed, I am now excited once again to see Intransit's awesome tunes be shared with everyone. Now I shall work on getting the demo tape ripped and uploaded for everyone to enjoy. Also if anyone is interested in this cdep I still have a couple of copies in my distro.

Intransit "s/t" cd track listing
1. "Without Sickleave"
2. "Instrumental"
3. "Netself"
4. Crying For Satire (live at CBGB's)

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Book Store "Hello From Book Store" cd-r (self released/2002)

2010-10-14T07:58:00.000-07:00

Contrary to popular belief there is more than just punk and hardcore on Long Island and furthermore it is my belief the DIY culture is not just limited to those said genres. I know shudder to think... And one band that certainly proved so by carving out a nice sized niche for themselves in the late 90s/early 2000s was Bookstore. Perhaps at first their sunny brand of fuzzed out indie rock was met with reluctance but bottom line- catchy songs have a way of eventually hooking you in. Bookstore was formed after bassist Jon Kaplan and drummer Joey Lambiaso's previous band The Mutes Brothers broke up and eventually hooked up with guitarist/vocalist Dan Fucello to create a power pop/fuzz indie rock trio. While today wearing influences like Built to Spill, Velocity Girl and Superdrag on your sleeve seems like the hip thing to do at that time on Long Island so Bookstore certainly stuck out amongst the rest of the bands in the Long Island scene. But like I previously mentioned Bookstore (who were from Nassau County) certainly found a rousing response in eastern Suffolk County where simply put they were adored. It didn't hurt that in eastern Long Island it seemed as if people were more into indie/alternative rock/emo as opposed to raging punk and hardcore.

To get their feet wet Bookstore teamed up with the local label Eiffel Trousers Records to release their 5 song demo tape called Sleeping On Glass Pillows. Over the span of the following year Bookstore played lots of shows locally and regionally which led to an appearance on the Rok Lok Records cd compilation The Hope Machine in which they featured the song "Gonster" in all of it's glorious extended jam section, pre radio edit-inside joke sorry. Eventually, I offered to release their self titled full length cd on Rok Lok Records which came out in June of 2001. Whatever resistance they were met with before hand was washed away as the self titled cd made its rounds around stereos and mix tapes on the island so it was official people loved Bookstore. They were playing out a lot in support of the album and it was announced that they were going to do a full US tour. In between the tour getting booked over the course of local shows in the interim new songs starting creeping into the set. Songs that would eventually comprise the bands third effort, a six song ep called Hello From Bookstore just in time for their summer 2002 tour.

In contrast to the pristine production found on the self titled album Hello From Bookstore was raw but absolutely welcome as from a personal viewpoint I felt it better displayed what Bookstore was like as a live band. Bias aside, while the self titled album is a great indie pop rock album it can be argued is too polished, as there were a few moments that you felt there was restraint from a production standpoint because I knew what the songs sounded like live. But back to Hello From Bookstore...this is a collection six rock solid, fuzzy indie rock songs that are insanely infectious. The song writing while still rooted in hook and pop sensibilities matured a great deal in such a short period of time. And the songs run the gamut of emotions- joy, frustration, longing and the quasi lo fi recording approach only helps make the songs all the more personal. Looking back it really is a shame that I didn't offer to put these ep out as most of the songs rank as my favorites by the band. Songs like "Field Day" and "Summer Solstice" are so tug at your heart melodic but both have a groove that locks you in. And where do I begin describing the majesty of Kaplan's offerings on Hello From Bookstore? "Best Wishes" in its almost jazz like jangle pop breeze and the absolutely incredible "We Won't Be Here Forever" gives Doug Martsch a run for his money. It should also be noted the name of this blog actually comes from a line in "We Won't Be Here Forever".

Bookstore returned home from tour and played some local shows and as the band started to write new material it was decided that they'd call it a day and in the winter of 2002 Bookstore played their last show. If you dig Hello From Bookstore may I recommend that stop over at Rok Lok Records to pick up a copy of the self titled cd as I still have plenty left. You can also stream the album in its entirety or purchase digitally at Bandcamp

Hello From Bookstore track listing:
1. "Field Day"
2. "La Belle Dame Sans Merci"
3. "We Won't Be Here Forever"
4. "Summer Solstice"
5. "Best Wishes"
6. "Valentines Day"

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Scent of Human History/The Lazer "split" CD (The Children's Revolt/2002)

2010-10-13T08:11:00.000-07:00

This release while not too old certainly is a solid document of a small part of what was going on in Long Island in the early 2000s. And mind you not necessarily musically and lyrically but the sense of DIY artistic expression and camaraderie that was so prevalent at the time. Around that time there were several homes that opened up and were having shows, from Ren's House in Nassau County and the Vargas house in eastern Suffolk. There was a very loud, very celebratory sense from kids creating their own entertainment and their own rules. And while I think there a lot of bands, individuals, and ideas that certainly made that time period exciting, I think these two bands carved out a niche out of the whole Long Island scene that I was really drawn too. So why not split a release?

The first three songs from this split cd are from the hardcore/screamo trio Scent of Human History whom evolved from the bands Sometimes Walking Sometimes Running, Jan Cux, Footnote to Blacknote and a handful of other projects, including their post Scent project, United States whom I had the pleasure of releasing a 12 inch for. For whatever reason, regardless of Long Island's history of spawning some excellent screamy, discordant hardcore bands like Scapegrace, Halfman, La Magna, Devola, The State Secedes, etc. outside of Scent of Human History and some elements of On the Might of Princes, the screamo/hardcore style never really caught on. So to some degree Scent of Human History and their related projects were always an anomaly amidst the glut of pop punk, emo or melodic hardcore on Long Island. Anomaly or not, they were fantastic and for my money always a very good live band. Taking nods from bands like City of Caterpillar and Pg 99 their songs shifted in between really fast blasts of furious, distorted chaos and hypnotizing noisy borderline psychedelic jams. One of my bands, Yes Sensei, had the pleasure of playing a bunch of shows with them and at one point did a winter tour together in after Christmas 2003 into 2004. Not only was there musical chemistry but personal, and as someone who had admired their music and art for a long time I was happy to see off Long Island there was a far better appreciation for what they were doing. Those shows and particularly that tour were lots of fun as it became this unspoken pissing contest of who could play louder and who could make their songs longer and more improvised. That tour changed my life (seriously) and Scent of Human History is a band whom through their music, art, zines, etc inspired me a great deal.

Offering eight songs of pissy, snotty poppy punk rock and roll is the one, and the only The Lazer. The band who gained infamy in the pages of MRR. The band whose tour stories sounded like far fetched fish tales. The band whom could barely keep in tune or in time. The band where every set seemed like an adventure or a joke-you be the judge. The band that you hated simultaneously while loving. Yes, all of that but above all The Lazer were real and holy shit were they fun. For a band that wrote seemingly simplistic songs there seriously aren't enough adjectives to describe The Lazer. For those, unaware The Lazer is the band that eventually morphed into the wonderful Bent Outta Shape. I know it sounds like a cop out but to really fully grasp everything that surrounded The Lazer you had to be there and really know the people in the band and how their very distinct personalities came into play ine the whole spectrum of things. Every time I hear these songs I immediately think of shows at Ren's House. More selfishly I think about how glad I was when they kicked out my best friend Adam who went on to share guitar duties with me in Yes Sensei from 2003-2009 and have our own crazy stories. But of all things there is one thing I certainly think about it when listening to these songs and it chokes me up most often, I think of Jamie Ewing whom passed away in November of 2008 leaving behind this life far too early. He and I were not best friends by any stretch of the imagination but we were certainly friendly and anytime we were within an earshot of one another we'd talk like old high school buddies. And when he filled on the bass player slot for Scent of Human History on the winter tour they did with Yes Sensei we got even closer. It stung hard when I heard of his passing and it still gets me from time to time. Jamie as a person was one of kind and so likable. There was a charisma about him that I have never seen in another person ever. And the reality was that Jamie was one hell of a talented songwriter. The phrase "wearing your heart on your sleeve" gets thrown around rather loosely but I don't think there is a description more fitting for Jamie's ability with a guitar and his voice. Sincerely, Jamie was the closest our generation had to a songwriter of the caliber of Paul Westerberg. He will certainly be missed by all whom he encountered but fortunately he left behind a great deal of great music that will make us smile, laugh, cry and ultimately to remember him by.

Here is an attempt in putting together somewhat of a discography for both of these bands but bare in mind both Scent of Human History and The Lazer never really "advertised" their releases or in some instances would just make copies for friends. In the case of Scent of Human History I didn't even know the demo existed until a friend mentioned it in passing. If anyone has any corrections/additions please let me know. Additionally, if someone actually has a rip of that aforementioned Scent of Human History demo or a copy they'd be willing to part with hit me up.

Scent of Human History
"demo" cassette (self released)
"split w/ Lazer" cd (The Children's Revolt)
"split w/ Memory As Perfection" 12 inch (Waking Records)
"unreleased album" (not really sure why it didn't come out-it rules!)

The Lazer
"split w/ Kiwi" cd (self released)
"split w/ Scent of Human History" cd (The Children's Revolt)

Track Listing:
1. Scent of Human History "An Individual"
2. Scent of Human History "An Optimist"
3. Scent of Human History "A Request"
4. The Lazer "Piss Broke"
5. The Lazer "Leopard Print Mets Hat"
6. The Lazer "Professional Driver"
7. The Lazer "Carpel Tunnel"
8. The Lazer "These Are For Fucking"
9. The Lazer "Curling Up in Front of a Warm Fire with jay Meli and a Good Book"
10. The Lazer "Nor Can Clean His Own Parking Lot"
11. The Lazer "Wisconsin"

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Latterman "Demo" cassette (Ruckus Records/1999)

2010-10-12T12:14:00.000-07:00

I'll be totally up front, aside from a few select bands I have never had much love for the pop punk genre. Personally, I feel so many bands focus on trying to be punk that they forget the pop part which for me means that your songs catchy and if you don't have the pop part I have a had hard time finding a lasting appeal or even short term for that matter. I love pop song sensibilities and the idea of getting a song stuck in one's head. One of the select few bands that make the grade for me in this genre are Latterman. Born from the ashes of the somewhat similar band Five Days Late whom I saw a few times and came to become very friendly with their guitarist Phil Douglas and bassist Matt Canino. I included them in a few shows that I was booking. One show in particular was for the cd release show for Exlposivo's The Uh Oh EP and as I was finishing the flyer I got a call from Phil saying that "Five Days Late was no more and that their new band Latterman was going to play". Cool. They made their way to the Shoreham Wading River Library to play the show and with goofing around and talking to each other as if there was no one in the room (actually the exact opposite!) by the time 15 minutes rolled around and before their fourth song the announced it would be their last one. Jokingly, I gave them hell and honestly this was one of the things while they may not look fondly upon I just loved. Those early Latterman shows felt like an inside joke but not in some elitist way, just friends having a good time. Heck, even by the time the band had a demo, ep, 7 inch and material which made up their first full length Turn Up the Punk We'll Be Singing, Latterman sets were like 4 or 5 songs at most. I once saw a 3 song Latterman and not because they were pressed for time. I swear after the second song when Phil announced they were only going to play one more I think I was the only person in the audience who realized he wasn't bullshitting. That was funny. And there was the show at the Hardware store where it was packed (sardine can packed) and it took M.R like 15 minutes of trying to tune his guitar by ear. Classic...

But shenanigans aside, Latterman also wrote great songs that also had great messages. And perhaps why I mention all the tom foolery is that while someone just casually listening to the band and learning they had a message could easily discredit them for being a band that was "preachy" or "too serious". Fact is Latterman was none of those things. Personally, I think it was awesome that there was a band that was singing about topics of real substance, and to put things in perspective Latterman was bringing forth their songs with messages of self belief, hope, positive thinking, embracing friends, and not letting life get you down all on the heels of American independent rock culture still clinging to some of the angst and self depreciation of the 90s. Yeah, there was certainly a level of idealism but it was a pleasant surprise and to quote Uncle Buck "I don't want to know a kid who isn't a dreamer". Also, it was just awesome seeing so many kids being drawn to this band and those messages. Furthermore, I don't think it can be undermined in how Latterman and just the presence they created at shows was very inclusive. It was the first time I saw a Long Island band actually take a pro active stance in regards to sexism in the scene and not just pay token lip service-they helped create a new environment at shows on Long Island and I have to say not only was it exciting and welcome but God damn it was long overdue.

So about this demo...The 4 songs captured here (some of which were recorded for later releases) showcase the band in its earliest incarnation not only lineup wise but in terms of sound which has some roughness on the edges but the inspiration, exuberance and sincerity as well elements of what the band what later become known for certainly shine through. Though, Latterman's second album No Matter Where We Go is firmly cemented as my favorite release from their discography, there certainly will always be a place in my heart for their early material.

I will certainly recommend that everyone if you haven't done so already check out some of the post Latterman projects like Iron Chic and Rvivr who are both incredible.

Latterman "Demo" track listing
1. King Tough is My New Idol
2. Too Many Emo Days
3. Seriously Guys We Can Rule the World if We Tried
4. An Ode to Jon Contra

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Knox Overstreet "Demo" cd-r (self released/2003)

2010-10-08T09:21:00.000-07:00

Sadly, this is a demo that most people even on Long Island never heard. And to take it a step further I would also have to say that most people whom attended Long Island shows weren't very familiar with Knox Overstreet which is absolutely criminal. Knox Overstreet were one of those bands that wrote great songs, were great dudes but never gave a fuck about belonging to a scene, adhering to trends, playing "cool" shows or whatever nonsense young bands tend to get wrapped up in. This quartet concerned themselves with only one thing and that was writing top notch songs.

My first exposure to Knox Overstreet was seeing them at a show at the Rock Lobster with (if my memory serves me correct) On the Might of Princes, Intransit, The Cotton Weary and Joshua. Immediately the first thing that struck me about them was how loud yet insanely toe tapping melodic they were. Also right off the bat their drummer, Mike Post, was an absolute thrill to watch as he had a contagious energy about him that seemed to rub off on the rest of the band. He had a stage presence and charisma that is usually reserved for front men. Sonically, they reminded me a lot of Garden Variety. At first glance the Garden Variety influence early on was pretty obvious from the melodic clang of the guitars and the vocals of Mike Catanese certainly reminded me Anthony Roman but when you shed away the layers it was obvious that there were a lot more pop sensibilities if you will at work. Over time I got to know the band pretty well and booked them at various shows over the years. Heck, I even had their track "Take the Ticket" be the lead off track on a cd compilation I did called The Hope Machine. Knox Overstreet and my band played together a bunch when we first started playing and it was really amazing seeing how they progressed from that first show I saw at the Rock Lobster.

From 2000 until the cease of the publication I wrote for Under the Volcano and a part of what I tried to accomplish there was write about DIY bands from all over the world that I was being exposed to via my label trading with other labels but a part of that for me was to also review releases from local bands. And as a result one night at a show at Saints & Sinners (which I do believe ended up being band's last show), drummer Mike Post handed me a copy of the latest Knox Overstreet demo to consider reviewing. Like I had to consider... I was blown away as the band on this 4 song demo grew in leaps and bounds from their earliest incarnation. That aforementioned Garden Variety element was only faintly there, now I was hearing elements of Superchunk, Big Star and The Replacements to create a very smart, hook laden brand of indie rock. It was so good that I was appalled to see that the demo was #1 in an edition of only 30! And that was the kind of band that Knox Overstreet was-one that never realized how good they were. Or even took themselves too seriously. Or heck even had a thought to share their music with anyone outside of their circle of friends. For better or worse as an outside looking in very few bands operated the way Knox Overstreet did. I have done everything in my power over the years to share with people the great music of this band that in my mind was sorely under appreciated.

Knox Overstreet did have decent amount of recorded material all of which I shall post here over the course of time. For those interested here is a run down of their discography (as far as I know of):

-"demo" (not sure if this was officially released. i just have a burned cd-r w/ 3 tracks)
-"Take the Ticket" on The Hope Machine cd comp (Rok Lok Records)
-"I Shot the Clerk" on It Certainly Was a Grand Piano cd comp (Abominable Records)
-"Coming Around/Jammer Failed" 7 inch (Abominable Records)
-split 7 inch w/ Radio Raheem (Pony Collision Records)
-"demo (2003)" cd-r (self released)

Knox Overstreet "demo (2003)" track listing
1. Out of the Van
2. Shake That Tree
3. Fast Women
4. Not At All

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On the Might of Princes "Demo" cassette (self released/1998)

2010-10-07T07:29:00.000-07:00

In 1998 I created my label Rok Lok Records to release this band's first album so it is only fitting that On the Might of Princes is the first entry in this blog. My earliest exposure to On the Might of Princes was only a few months into their existence and it was solely by chance. They happened to be sharing a bill with a band that my old AOL chat room buddy was in called Bunsen Honeydew at Cedar Beach, which was a "venue" that the North Shore Youth Council allowed young people to book their own live music events in the summer months to keep youths out of trouble and that sort of thing. Anyhow, On the Might of Princes performed and I was absolutely blown away. It was just so raw and it hit me on a personal level that I couldn't fully explain-to put it simply I had never seen anything like it before or since. And this feeling continued in the subsequent times that I saw them over the next few months and eventually years. At some point I mustered up the courage to approach vocalist/guitarist Jason Rosenthal express my appreciation of the band's music and invited them to take part in some shows that I was booking. It was the beginning of what I would like to think of as a long, healthy as well as creative friendship with the band. After a few shows it was clear something truly special was taking place, there was an electric feeling going on in the Long Island scene and while not take anything away from any other bands, On the Might of Princes have to be given a large amount of credit for their contribution to making the scene at that time so vibrant. Bias aside, their influence can not be undermined. While screamy hardcore and emo had already made its presence felt on Long Island via bands like The Last Crime, Campaign, Scapegrace, The State Secedes, Half Man, to name a few- I don't think a band had meshed such a strong sense of pained melody with visceral, discordant emo/hardcore the way On the Might of Princes did. Perhaps the only other Long Island band prior to them that did something similar was the wonderful (and very under appreciated I may add) Garden Variety.

With all of this excitement it seemed as if it was a good enough time to record a demo. So in September of 1998 On the Might of Princes with microphones hanging from the ceiling of guitarist Lou Fontana's parents' basement, the demo was born. I imagine like many demos, it was recorded over the span of a weekend or maybe two. And I remember vividly when Jason gave me a copy of the demo, I must have listened to it at least a half dozen times in the first sitting. Over the course of the next several months I listened to the demo almost non stop. At the time I worked the closing manager shift at a local McDonald's and I couldn't have had a better soundtrack to get me through those nights than the On the Might of Princes demo. A co-worker at the time commented saying "this band is good but don't you own any other tapes?", which I guess illustrated how much I did indeed listen to the tape. Personally, I was at that post high school crossroads and amidst all the confusion in my life at the time hands down On the Might of Princes' music was the only thing that made sense, and to this day I don't think I have ever experienced anything as cathartic as seeing them play live. Eventually I released their debut album The Making of a Conversation in 1999 (later re-issued with bonus tracks in 2007 including "Drunk & Missing Vital Parts" and "An Allusion to Italy" from the demo) and the band continued to progress and earn themselves accolades with their second and third albums, Where You Are and Where You Want to Be (Traffic Violation/Creep and later Rok Lok Records/Eugenics Record Label) and Sirens (Revelation). The rest they say is history...

Originally the band self released the six song demo and also contributed a exclusive track taken from the same sessions, "Water Wings" for a tape compilation called Strong Island that myself and friend Phil Wohl released to document some of the bands we were booking. Months later after the original batch of demos were sold out a new pressing on local label Eiffel Trousers Records were made that included "Water Wings". A cool thing about the demo was that it was the first time anyone really heard the song "A Shadow Taller Than You", which hadn't been played out live at that point and it was just a song that I felt would go on to really define that time period for the band. Also that song, in my opinion would pave the way for some of the things they'd do later on. I know the vast majority of On the Might of Princes fans are more fond of the later stuff but I don't think anyone can deny the rawness, and gut wrenching sincerity that is captured on the seven songs on this demo. From a historical point of view the demo I think perfectly documents what On the Might Princes and the respective time were like. Still after all of these years I love the entire demo but stand outs for me are "Water Wings" which has always been and always will be my favorite On the Might of Princes song. It is just so simple and endearing while the distortion overload of the guitars is one of the most beautiful messes I have ever heard. And still to this day the original version of "An Allusion to Italy" sends chills down my spine. There is personal charm and warm aesthetic on the demo version that makes the version on Where You Are and Where You Want to Be sound rather sterile.you be the judge.

I hope you have enjoyed the inaugural upload at Here on This Island and I look forward to sharing more with everyone in the coming weeks.

On the Might of Princes "demo" track list:
1. A Fond Farewell
2. Astoria
3. Anywhere in Europe
4. Drunk and Missing Vital Parts
5. A Shadow Taller Than You
6. An Allusion to Italy
7. Water Wings

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