MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL » 2010

Blog of the Week: Suburban Voice and Sonic Overload

30 06 2010

By now you should be familiar with Boston legend and monthly Maximum Rocknroll columnist Al Quint. The publisher of the long-running Boston fanzine Suburban Voice didn’t let the “death” of print media stop him. The paper version ended with issue #46 in 2003, but he’s since moved the zine to the web, where it lives on in blog form. The site is mainly focused on reviews, just like it has since Al’s very first outing in 1982: Suburban Punk (download issue #1 here!). He’s got a fairly wide range of musical tastes, so you get everything from rock and metal to classic punk, new hardcore and some poppier stuff, as well as the occasional personal aside. This is one of the best resources for record and demo reviews anywhere, and quite an undertaking for just one dude.

Brian Walsby and Al Quint, circa 1985

Al’s undying love of music is best appreciated on his weekly online radio show Sonic Overload. The show started out back in 2000 as a real-live radio show called Inflammable Material on Allston-Brighton Free Radio. Again, Al didn’t let the demise of this outlet stop him from doing what he loved. Here, you can download two hours (!) of music every week, and it’s a consistently great show. The shows are archived on this blog site, but as yet it’s not available in podcast form. But I guess that’s looking a gift horse in the mouth, and Sonic Overload is one mighty gifty horse.

If you’re interested in checking out some issues of Suburban Voice fanzine from over the years, just hop on over to our friends at Operation Phoenix Records, where you can download this and loads of other classic zines of yore.

June 30th, 2010 by MRR Web Coordinator
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Categories : Blog/Website of the Week

Monday Photo Blog: Lyon Calling

28 06 2010

Alex Simon from France (currently living it up in Melbourne) sent a batch of photos from his home country, all shot in Lyon by a photographer called Zen. While everybody knows Melbourne’s got great things going on, from what I’ve heard and read, Lyon’s a pretty rocking place itself.

Fast Arbeit Babies @ Coco Charnel, Lyon, March 2009 (photo by Alex Simon)

Fast Arbeit Babies @ Coco Charnel, Lyon, March 2009 (photo by Zen)

Sida @ Grrnd Zero Gerland, Lyon, April 2010 (photo by Zen)

Fleurs @ Coco Charnel, Lyon, March 2009 (photo by Zen)

Wanna submit a photo for the MRR Photo Blog?

If you shoot shows and have photos you want to submit for the MRR Blog, send them to: photoblog {at} maximumrocknroll(.)com. Be sure to put “MRR Photo Blog” in the subject. Include your name, the band, where and when it was shot. Just send your best photos – edit tightly. Three to five photos is plenty. We will be exercising a little quality control here…not everything sent in will be posted. Please size your photos so they are 500 pixels (72 dpi) at the longest side.

There are a lot of awesome photographers out there shooting shows…and there are a lot of unseen archives of old shows. Show us what you’ve got!

June 28th, 2010 by icki
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Categories : Monday Photo Blog, Photos

MRR Radio #1198 • 6/27/10

28 06 2010

[You can find the MRR Radio podcast and all the current shows, as well as specials, archives, and more info at radio.maximumrocknroll.com. Thanks for listening, and stay tuned!]

This week’s show: Fred, Zoe and Hannah assault your eardrums with some obnoxious, catchy and pissed off punk rock songs. Riot Grrrl, demo tapes, anarcho-punk, grungy pop… it’s everything you wastoids could want!

Listen here:

Download here

Twat Sauce

Intro song:
DEAD WIFE – D.W.S.Y.H.F.

Fred – Dog Equals Genocide
GOD EQUALS GENOCIDE – I’m Bound
ROGERNOMIX – Rogernomix
WHITE LUNG – Atlanta
BABIES – Somebody Else
ST. DAD – Jobs and Junk

Zoe – Life Is a Highway
LA LA VASQUEZ – Mexican Ghost on a Boat
MARK SPARKLES – ?
PURPLE RHINESTONE EAGLE – Sleep Golden Sleep
STREET LEGAL – Knocked Off My Feet Again
TWAT SAUCE – Come Back
BIG BLACK CLOUD – Blow Up France

Hannah – Lots of feelings, all bad
BIKINI KILL – Outta Me
X – Some Other Time
GRASS WIDOW – Lulu’s Ups
BIKINI KILL – Star Bellied Boy
SONGS FOR MOMS – I Used to Believe
HOLE – Pale Blue Eyes

Fred – Pogo in the Pit
UTOPIA – Kolomyja
RVIVR – Grandma
BAYONETTES – Guilty Pleasure
2009 – See You Later

Outro song:
CANADIAN RIFLE – Blank Trade

June 28th, 2010 by MRR Radio
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Categories : MRR Radio, MRR Radio Podcast

Video of the Week: Code of Honor

25 06 2010

We’ll warm up with an undeniably fantastically great song/video/band, “Fight or Die” by San Francisco’s CODE OF HONOR from Target Video, 1983. After that is something I’ve been looking for for-fucking-ever, and was so stoked to see that someone finally posted on the YouTubes. It’s a half-hour long appearance by Code Of Honor on SF’s public access cable channel (probably also from 1983) performing songs from throughout their “career” and being interviewed by Maximum Rocknroll’s longest-running shitworker, Steve Spinali! I’ve started with part three ’cause I like watching the interviews (there’s another one that starts at minute 4:00 on part one), but of course the whole thing is worth enjoying if you’re a fan — and who isn’t?

Here are links to PART 1 and PART 2.

June 25th, 2010 by Paul
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Categories : Video of the Week

New Band Spotlight: Tied Down

23 06 2010

MRR columnist Juls Generic, formerly of Vancouver, BC’s Margaret Thrasher, is back in punk rock action — this time playing guitar in Newfoundland’s TIED DOWN. The band looks promising, considering three out of four of them were hella sick (literally) at this show, and they still kicked ass.

The bassist of the band, photographer/videographer Jonathan Kennedy, has a great blog site, where he posted the art for their upcoming demo. Sweet! Look for a review in MRR in the near future.

Set list for the video:
Anatomy
Get Rad
Tied Down
Native American Apparel
Tally Counter

And this, from bassist Jonathan:

We played two other songs. One at the beginning which was a clusterfuck and we gave up halfway through. One at the end that was almost a clusterfuck but the camera ran out of recording space halfway through.

Shout out to Chris Scott for filming while I played bass.

June 23rd, 2010 by MRR Web Coordinator
Comments : 7 Comments »
Categories : New Band Spotlight

MRR button frenzy!!

21 06 2010

Holy shit, Batman! New buttons for all you button freaks!

First up we have a button set designed by Avi Spivak, who also did the cover for this month’s MRR. These seven wonders of the badge design world will look marvelous mounted on your denim, and will set you back only $5 ppd if you live in the USA, or $7 ppd if you live elsewhere. 1″ of button magic!

MRR button set by Avi Spivak

Click here for detailed artwork. Pay by PayPal (5% surcharge) here:

Next, we have some XL button action from Barcelona, courtesy of Guillem, who designed the cover for MRR #316. This work of ingenious destruction will set you back 2 bucks ppd in the USA, or $4 ppd for international… 2.25 inches of button madness!

Click here for detailed artwork. Pay by PayPal (5% surcharge) here:

To order by mail, send check or money order (payable to “Maximum Rocknroll”) or well hidden cash to: MRR • PO Box 460760 • San Francisco, CA 94146 • USA

All button work undertaken by former MRR coordinator Cissie at Blah Blah Buttons.

June 21st, 2010 by MRR Web Coordinator
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Categories : Merch

Monday Photo Blog: The Return of Pete Craven

21 06 2010

Pete Craven was one of the first people to have photos shown on the MRR photo blog, and he contributed some truly awesome shots for the photo issue. Pete sent in a new batch, for your pleasure. Thanks Pete!

Brutal Regime at Cowley Club, Brighton, May 2010 (photo Pete Craven)

Shitty Limits at Hectors House, Brighton, May 2010 (photo Pete Craven)

The Sceptres at Cowley Club, Brighton, April 2010 (photo Pete Craven)

Constant State of Terror at The Albert, Brighton, April 2010 (photo Pete Craven)

Wanna submit a photo for the MRR Photo Blog?

There are a lot of awesome photographers out there shooting shows…and there are a lot of unseen archives of old shows. Show us what you’ve got!

June 21st, 2010 by icki
Comments : 1 Comment »
Categories : Monday Photo Blog, Photos

MRR Radio #1197 • 6/19/10

19 06 2010

[We are currently phasing the MRR Radio site into the main MRR site (this one). In the meantime you can still find the podcast and all the current shows, as well as specials and archives, at radio.maximumrocknroll.com. Thanks for listening, and stay tuned!]

THIS WEEK: Rob and his brother Brent (aka DJ Majitope) relive their youth and the good old days of living in Indiana.

Listen here:

Download here

The Dickies (photo by Theresa K.)

Intro song:
DOW JONES AND THE INDUSTRIALS – Can’t Stand the Midwest

Rob/Majitope – The Hits, Part 1
AGNOSTIC FRONT – Time Will Come
7 SECONDS – Aim to Please
TOKEN ENTRY – Latent Images
INSTED – Live and Let Live
GORILLA BISCUITS – High Hopes

Rob/Majitope – The Hits, Part 2
RAW POWER – We’re Gonna Die
CHAOS UK – No Security
DRI – Sad to Be
GBH – Sick Boy
EXPLOITED – Cop Cars

Rob/Majitope – Old Punk from Richmond, IN
FORGOTTEN FUTURE – Reasons/Rubish
BLACK PHLEGM – Music Industry
DRYROT – Push and Pull
KID WITH A STICK – The Words That Fail

Rob/Majitope – The Hits, Part 3
REAGAN YOUTH – Reagan Youth
POISON IDEA – Lifestyles
ADOLESCENTS – Wrecking Crew
THE DICKIES – You Drive Me Ape
ANGRY SAMOANS – Lights Out

Rob/Majitope – The Hits, Part 4
ARTICLES OF FAITH – Up Against the Wall
FACTION – Skate and Destroy
SUBHUMANS – Religious Wars
MDC – I Remember
TREASON – Drop Out

Outro song:
ZERO BOYS – Vicious Circle

June 19th, 2010 by MRR Radio
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Categories : MRR Radio, MRR Radio Podcast

Video(s) of the Week: more Chaos in Tejas 2010!

17 06 2010

Oh, hell yes, party people. Whoever does the Aborted Society label outta Seattle just sent us a killer batch of videos from this year’s Chaos in Tejas. Most of the heavy hitters are there, including BASTARD, CROW, RORSCHACH, and TALK IS POISON, but the ones I wanted to share with you are from two fucking awesome newer bands. The first one is Bay Area chaos merchants MÖRPHEME, who I’ve only ever seen at much smaller shows, and whose energy always overpowers that of the audience itself. It’s cool to see them here at a larger venue where you can actually hear what they sound like, and it makes me happy to see them appreciated by the larger world of punx. By the way, these videos are all available in HD, so if you got the connection speed, check ‘em out in full screen glory…

The second video is from another semi-local band that blew everyone away on their recent US tour. CROSS STITCHED EYES contains members from California, the UK, and Germany, and despite having a great LP out on Alternative Tentacles, still seems to linger in some obscurity. Hopefully their impressive performances, like this one, will help to rectify that.

June 17th, 2010 by Paul
Comments : 1 Comment »
Categories : Video of the Week

From the Vaults: Deranged Diction

16 06 2010

I was doing my review of a German band called Kellerasseln and the vocals kicked in my memory of a comp that I sadly still have back in Chicago with the rest of my records. The comp I thought about is called Welcome to Montana…Come Die With Us, put out by Poisoned Candy Records in 2005, and the band I had in mind is called DERANGED DICTION. Originally from Missoula, Montana, they moved to Seattle, WA, in 1983. Deranged Diction changed singers three times, but still managed to put out some awesome tunes. I would be lying if I didn’t say that my favorite era of theirs was when Tom Kipp sang on their first batch of songs, including “Pruning,” which appeared on the We Got Power comp put out by Mystic Records in 1983, and one of my favorite punk songs ever, “Periscope.” Their guitar player, Jeff Ament, went on to form Pearl Jam, which is pretty much the antithesis of what I am into, and I guess they jumped on the reunion show bandwagon last month, but shit guys, Deranged Diction’s Montana era is rad and there is no denying…

June 16th, 2010 by Mariam
Comments : 5 Comments »
Categories : From the Vaults