Get Outta Town goes the way of Radiohead In Rainbows …

I know what you are thinking.

“That headline makes no sense”

Oh, but it does. Get Outta Town Records has just created their own digital download store. That’s right. And get this, you can get albums based on DONATIONS. That’s right. So if you think the new DEA album is worth $5,000, you can purchase it for that much. Each album downloaded comes down in 128kbps (semi yucky) but if you donate MORE, you can get higher rips (yay!).

So head on over and grab that Get Outta Town Records 2009 sampler. Make sure you donate at least $45 for it. And then tell Charles I sent you. Maybe I can get some referral bonus … 😉

Lewd Acts – Black Eye Blues – Deathwish Inc – 2009

I moved to Worcester in 1997 where I would end up hanging out a lot at 34 John St. A guy lived there named Tre McCarthy. Pretty good dude. One time I saw him acid drop off his couch in the middle of a phone call. The phone (cordless phone, not a cell phone. This was 1998 afterall) smashed everywhere. He put it all back together, and somehow the person on the other end of the line was still there! Also, one time I was riding with him to his new apartment. To make room in his car, he had to push a tennis racket out of the way. Yes, a tennis racket. Can you picture Tre playing tennis? Still a mystery to this day.

Years later, Tre would co-start Deathwish Inc. Jake and him would release a ton of albums over the years. In the beginning, Tre would send me a lot of their releases, but that tapered off over the years. That’s fine. We both realized that I would rather NOT review something than give it a less than stellar review. And everyone knows generic straight edge is my bread and butter. Obviously, DWI needs to release more of that … I think the last package Tre sent my way was the Curse I LPs. Yeah, a while back.

So when Tre hit me with the new Lewd Acts release, I knew I was in store for something awesome. And I was not disappointed.

This LP rips. It’s not my normal fare, but I dig it. It gives me an Integrity (less scary) / American Nightmare / Lion Of Judah (minus the wigger mosh, space trip hop bit) vibe. Overall, a quality vibe. I can envision lots of kids slow moshing for this band, plenty of head banging, that’s for sure. I’ve seen the tees everywhere. Never knew why the hype was so big. But after listening to this album, I’m a believer.

I’ll probably swing over to Ebay to see if I can find some deals on tees. Otherwise, definitely go hit up Deathwish Inc for this album. Support the bands, support the label.

Keith Sidorowicz – Vegan Straight Edge, Drummer, Energy …

Keith is a guy you see at every show. You can’t recall where or when you first met him, but you then start to see him at every show you attend. Doesn’t matter what town or state, he’s probably there. He gives off this quiet guy vibe, but once the music kicks in, so does he. Moshing, stage diving, finger pointing — he knows all the words. Now you can find him behind the drum kit for the band Energy. They’re huge. You know this. Keith took some time out from his busy touring schedule to answer my mostly random questions so if you could read this interview and support the bands, he and I would appreciate that. LOL.

Yo, how’s your edge?

It’s feeling fresh! Just gave it some sesame tofu last night, and we are going on another full U.S. tour next week with The Wonder Years and A Loss For Words.

Where did it all start for you? If I had to guess, I would say you were always a fan of music growing up and naturally drifted to punk and hardcore. But please, clue us in proper.

Music has certainly been around me all my life. My family would always listen to a lot of Mo-Town and R&B in the house growing up so I would always listen to the 45’s my mother would put on at dinner. Then as I started meeting my extended family my cousin had a great palate for hip hop and he would listen to his tapes when he skated. He jammed the Beastie Boys, A Tribe Called Quest, and Run-Dmc whenever I attended family bbq’s. I would always bring maxell cassettes and dub them for my own possession. In fact, around 4th grade the lp Paul’s Boutique” inspired me to get on the drumkit with that opening drum fill. So I started taking lessons with a very respectable instructor named John Miceli and I would play along to hip hop tapes whenever I got home from school.

In late 7th grade my friend Mike brought in an Operation Ivy tape when we had a sub for math class and a few friends of mine and myself took turns listening to it all day. That lead me to go out to store called “Trax On Wax” and buy their record “Energy” as well as a few tapes by The Clash cause Jesse Michaels was wearing a Clash shirt in the lp photo. Then in 8th grade my friends Doug, Mike, Chris and I all realized we played instruments and decided to start a band. One afternoon we all met up in my basement and he brought a mixtape he borrowed from his brothers tape collection. It consisted of Youth Of Today, Snapcase, Silent Majority, and Minor Threat. We needed a song to play in order to get in the groove so he put on “In My Eyes”. The lyrics really struck a chord with me, and at that point I had no idea anyone could scream like that, or play such tempo’s! We played the song about 35 times that day, and did not come close to doing it justice, but I was sold. When practice concluded that tape never left my basement, and I told Mike to bring more into class the next day!

When did you fully realize what straight edge was? And what does it mean to you now?

I realized what straight edge was a week prior to that first practice my friends and I had in my basement. My friend Mike came into homeroom one morning sporting 2 of the thickest X’s I had ever seen on anyones’ hands. I asked him “what gives” and he responded by saying he was straight edge now. He described it as the definition of no alcohol, drugs, or promiscuous sex. I related to that because my extended family has a very bad history of drinking and poor decision making in their lives. Seeing my relatives acting inappropriate frequently left a huge impression on me to the point that I never wanted to see myself act or communicate in that manner. In 2009 straight edge has upgraded to an all time high for me. It continues to be the lifestyle for me because it keeps me focused, motivated, cements morals within myself, and is a very peaceful approach to communicating with others.

You’ve been in a couple of great bands. Tell us about them and how your experience differs between each. What goals do you want your current band to accomplish?

Wow. I don’t know if I can reflect on the entire list of bands that I have been a part of. My bio is almost as lengthy as SSD’s “How We Rock” intro. But, I will explain my approach to any project that I work with. I have to find a creative outlet in the band, I need to be working with a great bass player, I need to have artistic freedom, and I need to be able to get along with every single member in the band. I try to make sure I work with all different sounding bands. I try not repeat a certain genre of hardcore once I move on to my next venture. Some bands I have been in may have something in common, but each one of them has their own features. As far as goals in the bands, it’s not too complicated. I need to be on the road constantly, not loose money, meet a lot of exciting people, be into the music, reach as many people as we possibly can, and also have fun of course!

You seem like you are a dude with a lot of things to say. How did you end up behind the drums in a classic “anonymous position” instead of behind the mic?

I’m a drummer before anything in life, so that’s what I have to do first and foremost. I have been training for well over a decade now in technique, music theory, and reading. I even continue to do so as much as I can off tour with many established instructors in NY. I just always got the niche of percussion easily and if anything it is always so flattering to be asked constantly to fulfill drum duties for so many great bands. Now as for getting my turn on the mic, I have books of lyrics I never show anyone that are eager to be spat out. I’m so down to front a side project but I cannot find anyone that wants to play music inspired from Inside Out, Burn, and “Disengage” era Youth Of Today. Oh well, at least I have a goal to work on outside of Energy.

Which would you rather?

a) Get a Mets tattoo on your ass
b) Get a Yankees tattoo on your forehead

a)Mets tattoo on my ass! The only bombing things from the Bronx are Krs-One and District 9.

a) Win one million dollars
b) Tour across every continent

b)Tour across every continent. A million dollars would be nice, but my travels would not be as interesting as they are without the music and people involved with it. I truly mean that too. Things can get very hectic sometimes with this lifestyle, but I would never trade anything for it!

a) Hang with Tegan Quin
b) Hang with Jules Masse

a) Tegan Quin. I have met Tegan before and it was very inspiring! We had a really awesome talk about Face To Face and it was so humbling to see that Sara and herself had the same touring upbringing and work ethic as hardcore and punk bands before they took off in their indie following. Tegan And Sara have been my favorite song writers for a legit time, and I would always be down to get coffee with them.Now I love Side By Side and Alone In A Crowd, but I dunno if I would want to meet the current Jules Masse. No harm meant, but it probably wouldn’t be the same as when he would spring up all over the Anthrax stage in a hoodie at boiling temperatures.

a) Live in San Diego
b) Live in Chicago
c) Live in Western Mass

a)San Diego! It happens to be one of my favorite spots on the West Coast. Great burritos, The Living Room Cafe, Over My Dead Body, Che Cafe, and Sarah Ellis! Chicago is a runner up. Great people out there and excellent cuisine. Western Mass is very foreign to me.

Lets talk about Ambitions. That first EP was a giant, then the LP came out sleeper style. Then you guys broke up. It all seemed strange to me. I always felt this band should be HUGE, but it didn’t together like that. So what happened there? Did Ambitions never get the respect you deserved, or am I missing something?

The time spent in Ambitions will remain as a huge success for the rest of my life. The band pushed me harder as a musician, I was introduced to so many sincere individuals through them, and I was able to tour with some of my favorite bands of the time. I’m very proud of “Stranger”. We wrote some really interesting songs, and I think the right people caught on to it at that time and they won’t forget the shows we played or put their vinyl on ebay. I feel that we were very respected by the right people, especially by a lot of the bands we played with. Unfortunately, Ambitions just ended at the wrong time. I know that if we had kept playing out and really toured on that lp, it would have gotten into the hands of more people. I respect every members decision on what they wanted to do post Ambitions, and I love them to death. The only thing I did not care for during that time were the commutes on I-95.

You’re now playing in Energy. Do you see that as a departure from your previous bands or as a natural progression? How would you compare a Ambitions gig to an Energy gig?

Energy was a very warm welcome. I had no idea I would end up as a member of the band, but I’m quite thankful everyday that it worked out that way. Energy is definitely similar to the melodic sound that Ambitions embraced, yet it has some elements that are quite different. Energy embraces more of a punk flavor in the vein of mid A.F.I, Bad Religion, and just elite punk that dominated the early 1990’s. Ambitions had a palate that was more on the side of post-hardcore, alternative, and melodic youthcrew stuff. I always got so excited when people would ask if we had a major Turning Point , Farside, and Dag Nasty influence. A lot of the grooves I played in Ambitions defiantly translated well in my learning process with the Energy catalog. Then once I figured out the Energy set like the back of my hand, I just started to come up with these new ideas left and right nonstop. So there is a progression of compulsive growth as a musician upon my new home at Energy camp. As far as shows go, Ambitions had a very similar base to the Energy crowd. I dig when people just have a lot of fun and will love a band because it reaches them with a burst of life. I like when kids listen to the music in all of its aspects, and not because a band has ironic merch or because the trends are telling kids that it’s cool to like a band. Independent thoughts are what’s up in the new year!

What bands get you psyched these days? Psyched on the edge and psyched on the core?

My playlist definitely caters to a ton of indie, hip hop, female fronted and classic core material but don’t be fooled, I get really excited on hardcore bands going on right now. The new Bane songs are unbelievable and I’m so glad Triple B is putting them out. As for others, I dig Debaser, Capital, Backtrack, Crime In Stereo, Agent, Defeater, Blacklisted, Foundation, Cancer Bats, Memorial, Tigers Jaw, Transit, Title Fight, ON, Paint It Black, Cruel Hand, Touche Amore, Offsides, Mindset, Commadre, and Polar Bear Club. I’m sure most of the kids reading this already know whats up, but if not then you should go to your local record store and stock up.

Is it a pre-requisite to get an anti-crucial haircut before joining a band like Energy? Consider when Steve from Embrace Today started playing with Panic. He certainly came out of that band with a very un-crucial haircut.

Haha, I was waiting for this and appreciate you breaking the ice. Yes, it is true that my pos top has been m.i.a for awhile now. Honestly my hairstyle just changed because I wanted to change it. There was no consultant, female, trend , or band member that brought about my current hairstyle. I feel that every individual tends to have their own style even if they are anti-fashion. The true story is that one day I was getting complimented on having a very strong hairline and it just kind of hit me that I should really take advantage of it while it’s in it’s prime era. My hairstyle will never reflect how I act, think, or present myself to others. That’s a cliche statement, but it is what it is. Trust me, I will always love the crucial kid style, but we also need diversity. And lastly, my hair will never jeopardize my edge.

Suppose I gave you a straight edge, hardcore time machine. One use only. Which show would you attend and why?

This is a real tuff one! It would have to be the classic “shutdown” show at CBGB’s with Youth Of Today, Gorilla Biscuits, and Side By Side. I hear stories about that matinee all the time and I could only imagine how a-wall the youth got that sunday. Plus I would’ve loved to have had a chance to stage dive to “backfire” off my favorite stage of all time.

Over the years, what was your favorite show to play, and why? Also what about your favorite to attend?

Definitely seeing Silent Majority a lot were the best times of my life. They are my all time favorite band in any genre of music. Tommy Corrigan is my absolute favorite edgeman because he just gets it and continues to write some of the best lyrics I have ever read. Tommy also has an impact on me because he never really made me feel shunned away as a younger kid, and that meant a lot to me since I felt that when I first came around a lot of older dudes sort of wanted you to “earn your stripes”. Every show I played in Heads Vs Breakers were some of my favorite memories and I truly appreciate Rich Jacovina for giving me that phone call one night and definitely giving me such a wonderful opportunity to play with some of the best people ever. Anytime Kill Your Idols played was unreal. That band kept me in check with my spirits when a lot of my friends were dropping out hardcore in high school and college. Plus they put so many of my bands on shows with them, and to this day they will always come up to me and say hello. Indecision always sparked a lot of life to me. I would just spend that 30 minutes they played pouring every ounce I had on the dance floor to classics off “Unorthadox” and “MPB”. Any Bane show past and present just gives me chills and they still get me to stage dive. The past few years I was finally able to tour with them . Getting to know all of them as people made the band an even bigger deal to me. And last but not least , the BURN and Insted reunions were certainly a treat to experience.

How important is a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle in terms of the hardcore scene? Personally, how important is it to you?

Veganism and Vegetarianism is important in all aspects of everyday life. It is a huge part of who I’m and how I’m aware of my surroundings. In hardcore the cruelty free lifestyle defiantly rallies a collective of people that connect with one another because they already disagree with what the majority is telling how you must live. But Globally it is more effective because there are so many individuals that are doing something against animal cruelty that do not even know what hardcore is. I assist in 2 organizations on my downtime from touring. Make Peace With Animals is a Greyhound Rescue out of Mineola NY. On the next end, I’m a personal assistant at the North Shore Vet Practice where animals are not only treated for medical issues, but they are also treated for personality, hygiene, nutrition, and fitness. I’m very lucky to work with such generous and passionate people and they defiantly have educated many clients to not only care for their animals, but also themselves through their diet. So promoting a cruelty free way of life is not just for a sweet cover of “No More”, there are a ton of organizations, restaurants, and individuals that are spreading the kind word as we speak in your own town all over the globe!

I feel like I’ve run into you in some of the farthest corners of the US. What’s the furthest you’ve ever traveled for a show you weren’t playing?

Seattle is a very well known area for bringing me out just to attend a hardcore show. Probably my 2 favorite times were for the Trial reunion in 2005, and the unforgettable weekend when Champion played their last show. I absolutely love the North West!

Top 5s
a) Current EPs
1)Title Fight- The Last Thing You Forget
2)Bane- Triple B 7inch
3)Paint It Black- Amnesia
4)Capital- Blind Faith
5)Debaser- Rich White Boys

b) Current LPs
1)Polar Bear Club- Chasing Hamburg
2)Defeater-Travels
3)Touche Amore- To The Beat Of A Dead Horse
4)Memorial- The Creative Process/Berlin
5)Cruel Hand – Prying Eyes

c) Vegan restaurants in America
1)Angelika Kitchen (NYC)
2)Curlys’ Veg Diner (NYC)
3)Pizza Pi (Seattle)
4)Govinda’s (Philly)
5)Red Bamboo(NYC)

d) Tegan And Sara Releases
1)The Con
2)If It Was You
3)So Jealous
4)The Business Of Art
5)My mix of their live banter

e) T-shirts
1)BURN longsleeve
2)Silent Majority tour 96
3)Insted We’ll Make The Difference tour shirt
4)Outspoken Current design
5)Quicksand Slip tour

Any closing thoughts, shout outs or positive mental attitude statements?

Thank you to Have Heart! I will miss seeing those guys play so much, but I’m so proud of what they accomplished. Thank you for interviewing me on HYE. This is a big deal since I’ve been a long time fan. Thank you to Chris Wrenn ,Karl Hansel (go get em at Epitaph!) and everyone at Bridge 9 for just being the best label out there. Josh Lovell for being the best. JC at C&C Drums. Diesel Cafe in Sommerville for keeping me occupied in MA on off days. And of course anyone that supports Energy and the hardcore scene worldwide. Make your move and be a part. Put out a record, promote a show, and keep an open mind. Stay Fresh!

All pics from Future-Breed.com and Little Pink Shoes. Support the photographers, support the bands, support the artists.

Summer 2009 – The Summer of Bane …

Summer 2009 is one for the record books. It was just a real good summer. In also seemed like it was all about Bane. In fact, it felt more exciting than Summer 1999 (as far as Bane goes).

1999:

  • June 7 1999 @ The Space Worcester Mass: Bane, Ten Yard Fight, The Swarm, Adamantium, Embrace Today (“The sooner more people get naked, the sooner we play again.” Zach)
  • June 10 1999 @ Mcternan’s Studio in DC: Bane backups for Give Blood
  • August 27 1999 @ Merrimack College North Andover Mass: Bane, Garrison, Errortype:11, Mid Carson July, Little Dipper

    2009:

  • June 20, 2009 @ Blenders NYC: Sick Of It All, Bane, Capital, Inhuman
  • June 25, 2009 @ Some Studio Wakefield (fixed), Mass: Bane backups for the two new EPs
  • August 09, 2009 @ The Palladium downstairs Worcester, Mass: 10 For 10 Tour: Bane, Terror, This Is Hell, Poison The Well, …
  • August 13, 2009 @ ICC Allston Mass: Bane, The Suicide File, Alpha & Omega, Foundation, Harms’s Way, Convicted
  • August 15, 2009 @ Some Venue in Long Island, NY: Bane, This Is Hell
  • August 16, 2009 @ Starlight Ballroom, Philly PA: This Is Hardcore Fest: Bane, Blacklisted, Ceremony, Wisdom in Chains, Trapped Under Ice, Reach The Sky …

    Let me start with some pictures. Here are a few from the Blenders gig.

    I know. You’re thinking, WTF? Well, I was selling merch for most of the evening (except during Bane). That’s ok, though. Blenders has the merch downstairs, and they very smartly have flatscreens all over the place showing the gig upstairs. That’s good and bad. Good for merch dudes, partially bad for bands because people can chill downstairs while still “attending” the show. Good gig. Met Mario.

    Ok, now here are some shots from the Bane merch table at This Is Hardcore. Noticing a trend here?

    Quality merch. The kids ate it up. I felt bad for the kid I sold the XS longsleeve to with the hole in the shoulder. But his girl definitely wanted it, even after they returned it and re-bought it. That’s a quality fan.

    Big Bob taking a breather and Justin checking for that color vinyl. Good dudes.

    Obviously the best hair cut of the weekend. Great look.

    Get ready for some blurry pics of Reach The Sky and Bane now. Squint and shake your head while viewing them. That could clear them up some.

    Brothers from different mothers?

    And then it was over, and the crowds left. Quiet times. Of course, Bane was the last band out. Bedard and Co had to say goodbye to every single band and person in the venue, it seemed.

    Finally, a good blackmail pic. So goofy.

    Yeah, summer of 2009 was a good one. Hit up the beach a few times, did some camping, saw plenty of great shows, and an awesome time. No complaints here. It made me feel like a kid again (even on those weekends when I had to go to work).

    Lets hope winter 2009/2010 can compete with winter 99/00.

    • Set Your Goals – This Will Be The Death Of Us – Epitaph – 2009

    I’ve been following Set Your Goals since my friend Matt turned me onto them some years ago. Of course, he was biased. He is their tour manager. Luckily for him, they are an awesome band and chill dudes. I’m a pretty big fan of their previous albums, and even interviewed Matt a few years ago. I’ve been looking forward to this album ever since Merrick started singing snippets of it.

    Now that I have it in my hands, I am not disappointed. Of course, it isn’t at all what I expected. Which is not an issue, just surprising. I was expecting SYG to go super poppy for this one. And you know what, I was completely wrong. This album is HARDER than any other release they’ve dropped.

    And you know what? This album reminds me of the Judgment Night Soundtrack. I know, I know, “lay off the reefer, Brian,” but hear me out. Judgment Night was this dope mid 90s movie where the soundtrack was all artist team ups. So you had Biohazard and Onyx on one song, Helmet and House Of Pain on another (ill, ill song) and Sonic Youth + Cypress Hill on another. It was just this ill little mashup of bands dropping insane songs where each song had a completely different vibe. That’s what this album has. One song has an ill double kick and metal up your ass, while another has a perfect pogo bounce. Throw in some guest spots by Hayley Williams (Paramore), Chad Gilbert (New Found Glory), Vinnie Caruna (The Movielife), Jon Gula (Turmoil, oh what??), and you’ve got a pretty sick sound.

    You can catch these dudes touring constantly. If you are lucky, you hit up Gig Life and witnessed a good time. They even have tshirts for “grown ass men.” If you can’t find one in their tour merch, peep Ebay. You never know what you may find. Go ahead and spend those dollars on this release. You won’t regret it.

    All About Biking

    Lately, I’ve been very UP on cycling. I’ve been trying to ride as much as possible. You can imagine that’s difficult when you have

    a) dogs that need walking
    b) a mortgage that needs paying
    c) a house that needs upkeep
    d) a job that needs to be kept

    Yes, all these things can add up, but I’ve been squeezing in miles whenever I get a chance. And not just that, but I’ve started to religiously follow various biking blogs. Everything from NYC Bike Snob to Fat Cyclist all the way over to prolly. Each of those guys has an extreme view coming from completely different angles of the sport & culture (especially in prolly’s case).

    At the end of the day, it’s all motivation to go out and ride. And that’s what I’ve been doing. I introduced my commuter ride a over 12 months ago, and here you can see it in action.

    Day #1:

    Getting the job done (or getting to the job):

    Here’s a sweet view from my office. Check the conference room in the back of the following pic.

    (did you notice the poorly attached saddle bag? Whoops, it’s been fixed since then)

    There’s something wrong with the heating system in that room so I frequently have to put up with loud, open door meetings. Usually it isn’t so bad. Sometimes, however, there’ll be that one ungodly loud telecon speaker. Oooofffff, diss.

    That picture was actually taken one Saturday when I had to come in. Yeah, not cool, but at least it gave me the opportunity to ride. When it all boils down, that’s what it is about. Getting out and riding. So coming from a bike that was found in my friend’s basement, I think we’ve come a pretty long way. And look forward to going even further.

    Now get out and ride.

    Panic Records has Lions Lions Info …

    Timm hit me up with some news. Check it.

    Lions Lions have posted a new track from their upcoming Lp on Panic Records entitled “From What We Believe”. You can check out the track “The Knitter” on their myspace at www.myspace.com/lionslions

    Lions Lions start their East Coast Tour this weekend with friends Auburn and Adrienne

    08.01.09 – Farmville, VA @ Mad Hatter w/ Auburn, Adrienne
    08.04.09 – Freehold, NJ @ Freehold VFW w/ Auburn, Adrienne
    08.05.09 – Providence, RI @ Club Hell w/ Auburn, Adrienne
    08.06.09 – Jewitt City, CT @ Jewitt City Fish And Game Club w/ Auburn, Adrienne
    08.07.09 – Natick, MA @ The Natick Elks Lodge w/ Auburn, Adrienne
    08.07.09 – Natick, MA @ Natick American Legion
    08.08.09 – Portland, ME @ The Deering Grange Hall w/ Auburn, Adrienne
    08.09.09 – Allenstown, NH @ Ground Zero w/ Auburn, Adrienne
    08.10.09 – Burlington, VT @ Oddfellows w/ Auburn, Adrienne
    08.12.09 – Hopewell Junction, NY @ The Hopewell Reformed Church w/ Auburn, Adrienne

    Ok, so where is this Grange Hall In Portland, Maine? And are they playing an Elks Lodge or the American Legion in Natick? This is a real weird gig lineup. I’ve never heard of 90% of these venues (Club Hell, been there. Left before Fetish Night started). Track down these venues and show your support.

    Super7 x GB for SDCC …

    Are you a comic nerd that also loves hardcore? Then keep your eyes peeled at SDCC for these limited figures.

    “Better watch out, better be scared!” Seminal hardcore and straight-edge band Gorilla Biscuits teams up with Super7 once again for the final release of the figure based on their debut 7″ cover. A tribute to the 12″ G.I. Joe figures of the 1970’s, heavily collected by Civ as well as many of the early Revelation records staff, the figure is cast in army green vinyl and comes packaged in a wooden footlocker with wraparound art of the Gorilla up to his elbows in urban warfare.
    Available all days. $65 ea.

    Bidip Bo!