Last Dude Japan Show

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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