Rok Lok Records Showcase August 20th

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So you had shows in a library???

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"

Dude Japan "Raft Captain"

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

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

Smells Like.... Bo Coach!

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"

Advertisement-Last Yes Sensei Show

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

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

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

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

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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Latterman "Demo" cassette (Ruckus Records/1999)

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

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, La Magna, 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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