MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL » 2010

MRR Radio #1196 • 6/12/10

12 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: Hal and the Ron-less peanut gallery forge on… featuring Jack Novak, Mike, Dave, and Adam…

Listen here:

Download here

Home Blitz (photo by Farinas)

Intro song:
X (Australia) – Hate City

Adam – Hot Dog Music
CIRCLE JERKS – Wild in the Streets
PAGANS – Not Now, No Way
PLASMATICS – Butcher Baby
RAMONES – Real Cool Time
MARCHING ORDERS – Everyday Life

Dave – Songs That Make Me Giggle
HOME BLITZ – Hey
NAZIS FROM MARS – So You Wanna Be Fucking Pop Star
THE GERMAN MEASLES – I Don’t Like Your Friends
HOMOSTUPIDS – Our Companion
THE SPITS – Drop Out

Mike & Jack – Dusty Old 7-inchers
THE CHUMPS – I’m a Chump
FANG – Spiderman
THUMPER – Self
THE CROWD – Modern Machine
WODNESS THEGNAS – Shield

Horrible Hal’s New Tunes
ATOMIC SUPLEX – Rock and Roll Must Die
DEADLY COMPANIONS – Static Electricity
VARSITY WEIRDOS – Can’t Go Home
THURNEMAN – Din Tystnad Som Svar
CYANIDE PILLS – Stick Em Up

Lovely Extras
HORRIBLY WRONG – Murder On My Mind
THE CHEMICALS – Brains

Outro song:
THE REDUCERS SF- Ole

June 12th, 2010 by MRR Radio
Comments : 4 Comments »
Categories : MRR Radio, MRR Radio Podcast

Blog of the Week: Pressure’s On

11 06 2010

Producing an excellent podcast — that perfect mix of new and old, of cohesive themes and surprising contrast pairings — is a rare art form. While most punk podcasters merely throw their favorite songs up in a jumble for friends, Ben Sizemore (nee Ben Econochrist) brings it to the next level, or the level after that. He has the benefit of a varied and sharp taste, and a music collection of old classics he’s collected over the years and new things he picked up at a show last week. In his weekly radio show, Pressure’s On, Ben gives the best of punk, artfully composed for your listening pleasure, with only a few interruptions for back-announcements, allowing you to catch your breath. In listening you might remember a record you have neglected to dust off and enjoy, or find something new you didn’t know had been calling your name.

The podcast link is HERE, but we recommend going to the site for the complete playlists and links to some other podcasts you might enjoy on PO’s parent site, Combat Music Radio.

June 11th, 2010 by Ariel Awesome
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Categories : Blog/Website of the Week

Video of the Week: Conquest For Death

11 06 2010

This amazing video was made as a promo for CONQUEST FOR DEATH‘s tour of Africa(!) back in 2007. (See some awesome photos by Karoline Collins from that tour here.) The footage is from the band’s previous tours in Japan and the US. Count the jumps!

June 11th, 2010 by MRR Web Coordinator
Comments : 4 Comments »
Categories : Video of the Week

New Band Spotlight: Criaturas

9 06 2010

Demo review by Justin Briggs from the new issue of MRR, hot off the presses, and photos stolen from Chris Strickland‘s Facebook page…

Criaturas (photo by Chris Strickland)

CRIATURAS – This cassette is pure, unabashed sonic perfection and we’ve been blasting this thing around my house for weeks now, non-stop. On first listen, the first thing that caught me off guard was the guitar. Its tone is crazy and flanged or something throughout, which in itself sounds crazy enough, but the leads and hidden little tickles that are thrown into the spaces between the riffs, are fucking mind blowing and are what really catapult this from being a great demo with great songs, into its own fucking orbit of great cosmic importance in my world. There is this real subtle melody in the last song, “Hay Viene la Muerte,” that makes me psyched to geek out on this kind of shit every goddamned time I hear it. It’s not really just the guitar that’s brilliant either — everything here is great, from every word of Dru’s amazing vocals to every drum hit. It’s punk, it’s hardcore, and it sounds like nothing else out there. CRIATURAS hails from Austin, TX, and some of them have been in other bands you know and probably like, but it doesn’t matter ’cause this shit is head and shoulders above almost every other release that will come out in 2010, and that’s a promise. A flawless example of everything I love about music. Period.

Criaturas (photo by Chris Strickland)

June 9th, 2010 by Justin
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Categories : New Band Spotlight

Monday Photo Blog: 7 Seconds

7 06 2010

Raymond Ahner sent a batch of photos of 7 Seconds, from their show at Gilman back in early April. Reno’s finest(?), still alive & kicking.

Seven Seconds @ 924 Gilman St, Berkeley, CA 10 April 2010 (photo by Raymond Ahner)

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 7th, 2010 by icki
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Categories : Monday Photo Blog, Photos

MRR Radio #1195 • 6/5/10

5 06 2010

THIS WEEK: Mariam and guest DJs Bryony and Justin play some radness…

Listen here:

Download here

Akemarropa

Intro song:
CIRCLE JERKS – I Wanna Destroy You

Bryony gets us hip to her new favorite jams
PENETRATION – Money Talks
BRAIN FLANNEL – Dim
LIFE CYCLE – Face to the Grind
MINDLESS – Sex Negativity
WOOLF – December

Mariam plays new stuff, as usual…
AKEMARROPA – Odio
LA VIRGEN DEL POZO – Derramando Sangre por la Causa
COUGHING FIT – Flash in the Pan
BAD TASTE – Bad Taste
ABANDON – At a Distance

Justin plays rad old shit
DISCARD – Death from above
ADIEXODO – ??
HAEMORRHOIDS – Punk
STENGTE DORER – Det Angar Ogsa Deg
NERORGASMO – Distruttore

Mariam again
CAMERA SILENS – Réalité
DAILY VOID – New Breed
LA VOZ – Olvidalo
PUTAS MIERDAS – Desde la Alcantarilla
CHIN CHIN – Never Surrender

Bryony wraps this shit up
NEON BLUD – Sophmore Blud
ACTION PACT – Suicide Bag
WIRE – Option R
BEEX – Obliterates

Outro song:
CELIA AND THE MUTATIONS – Round and Around

June 5th, 2010 by MRR Radio
Comments : 1 Comment »
Categories : MRR Radio, MRR Radio Podcast

MAXIMUMROCKNROLL #326 • July 2010

4 06 2010

The July 2010 issue of Maximum Rocknroll is here! This month we have some killer cover art courtesy of Avi Spivak of Humanbeing Lawnmower zine… And a delightful selection of content to match, starting off with U-Ron of REALLY RED, who offers a different perspective to the controversial interview with his former band mate John Paul in MRR #323. Japanese hardcore destruction comes courtesy of SLANG, alongside the definitive Scottish crust of SEDITION. Australia’s CIRCLE PIT provides some dirty punk, London England’s TRASH KIT brings to mind the post-punk energy of bands like New Age Steppers, Rip Ring and Panic; San Francisco’s HIGH CASTLE plays ragged, noisy, art inflected punk rock, plus we got some East Bay punk weirdness courtesy of STREET EATERS. MARCEL DUCHAMP from Chile plays politically charged and very raging hardcore, but we also got some brutal grind inflected hardcore represented by Florida’s own MEHKAGO NT, the long running and much loved RANDOM CONFLICT straight outta Alabama, and yet more twisted Midwestern hardcore from Michigan’s BUNNY SKULLS. We got scene reports from Calgary Canada and New Orleans, plus all our usual columnists, and the most comprehensive review section in punk, punk!

Go to our BACK ISSUES page to order this issue.

June 4th, 2010 by MRR Web Coordinator
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Categories : MRR magazine, New Issue

Top Tens from MRR #326 • July 2010

4 06 2010

Mariam Bastani
VILE GASH-Life-Rot-EP / COUGHING FIT-EP
BEYOND PINK-LP / LAURENCE WASSER-EP
LÖGNHALSMOTTAGNINGEN-EP
RELIGIOUS SS DISORDER/SKELETON PARTY-LP
RATAS DEL VATICANO-LP / DEFEKTORS-LP
DURESS-EP / LIBYANS-EP
VERRÄTERISCH-tape / HOLY SHIT-10”
THE CONVERSIONS-Spineless Wonders-LP
CONQUEST FOR DEATH/NECRO HIPPIES-live
PLF/NERVESKADE/WALLS/IRON LUNG-live

Brace Belden
HOME BLITZ-Prepetual Night/Murder in my…-45
STRAIGHTSHOOTER-45
CIRCLE PIT-Total Waste/Everybody Left-45
SHITTY LIMITS-Last Orders/Selling Point-45
GEORGIANA STARLINGTON/WILD CHOIR-EP
HYGIENE-Things that Dreams are Made of-45
RON HOUSE-Blind Boy in the Backseat-LP
TUNNELRUNNERS-Plasticland-EP
TIMMY’S ORGANISM-I’m on a Hunt-EP
PUFFY AREOLAS-In the Army 1981-LP

Tim Brooks
DOOM-Lost the Fight: Pro-Life Control Sessions-LP
HYGIENE-Things that Dreams are Made of-45
SURVET SKINS-LP
DEFEKTORS-The Bottom of the City-LP
RANGE RATS-LP
LÖGNHALSMOTTAGNINGEN-EP
TUNNELRUNNERS-Plasticland-EP
LOS MONJO-Mexicanos al Grito de Mierda-EP
SHITTY LIMITS-Last Orders/Selling Point-45
ALEHAMMER/TYRANT-split-LP

Robert Collins
UTOPIA-Niee-LP
LA URSS-live
LAURENCE WASSER-EP
DURESS-Burden of Truth-EP
USELESS CHILDREN-live
HOLY SHIT-K.B.D.O.O.P-10”
BEYOND PINK-The New Black-LP
DEFEKTORS-The Bottom of the City-LP
CHILDREN OF TECHNOLOGY-LP
CROW-Bloody Tear-LP

Sean “Dougie” Dougan
REDSKINS-Epilogue-CD
WHATEVER BRAINS-Love Taps-EP
RANGE RATS-LP
DEFEKTORS-The Bottom of the City-LP
GOVERNMENT ISSUE-Joy Ride-LP
SHITTY LIMITS-Last Orders/Selling Point-45
HYGIENE-Things that Dreams are Made of-45
BURNING YELLOWS-Urinal Cakes/Drought-45
FROM ASHES RISE-Live Hell-LP
DMV-EP

Layla Gibbon
LIBYANS-Paralyzed/Keep Waiting-EP
RATAS DEL VATICANO-Tiempos de…-LP
PUFFY AREOLAS-In the Army 1981-LP
BRILLIANT COLORS-both EPs
KITCHEN’S FLOOR-EP / CIRCLE PIT-45
VILE GASH-EP / RAW NERVE-LP
BURNING YELLOWS-Urinal Cakes/Drought-45
THE CONVERSIONS-Spineless Wonders-LP
WALLS/IRON LUNG/NECRO HIPPIES/LIVID-live
RELIGIOUS SS DISORDER/SKELETON PARTY-LP

Bob Goldie
GERM ATTACK-Death to Cops-EP
CANADIAN RIFLE-Facts-EP
THE NEW YORKER-Home is Where the…-EP
MUCH WORSE-Proper Execute-EP
UNDERDOG-EP / REACTORS-45
ORGANIZED SPORTS-G.U.I.D.O.-EP
BLACK TRIANGLES-Dead in a Pile of…-EP
VILE GASH-Life-Rot-EP
MESS FOLK-Modern Man-EP
KNIFE IN THE LEG/FIX MY HEAD-split-LP

Kenny Kaos
THROWAWAYS/SPASTIC PANTHERS-split-EP
JOHNNY THROTTLE-Sick of Myself/Job in…-45
STICKS N STONES-Red Light/Time Change-45
MISSING MONUMENTS-Black Rainbow-45
WHITE WIRES-Pogo ‘Til I Puke Tonight-45
CHIN CHIN-Sound of the Westway-LP
STEVE ADAMYK-Speed It Up/2010-45
THE BRIMSTONES-Shut Me Down-EP
TIMMY’S ORGANISM-I’m on a Hunt-EP
APACHE-Finger Banger-video

Carolyn Keddy
TY SEGALL-Melted-CD / LIMINALS-I’m Dead-EP
PAUL CARY-Ghost of a Man-LP
TIMMY’S ORGANISM-I’m on a Hunt-EP
BRILLIANT COLORS-both EPs
PUFFY AREOLAS-In the Army 1981-LP
RATAS DEL VATICANO-Tiempos de…-LP
CULTURE KIDS-Drop Off the Block-EP
CHIN CHIN-LP / TUTU AND THE PIRATES-LP
TUNNELRUNNERS-Plasticland-EP

Ray Lujan
CHIN CHIN-Sound of the Westway-LP
LEATHERFACE-The Stormy Petrel-LP
REDSKINS-CD / THE OVER ATTACKS-CD
FRESH & ONLYS-Vanishing Cream-EP
NEW CREASES-About Last Night-EP
IMMATERIAL-Betty-EP
BUNNY’S A SWINE-Nothing Bad-CD
DOOMHAWK-LP / RVIVR-LP
JOHNNY THROTTLE-Sick of Myself/Job in…-45
THE NON BELIEVERS-CD/X (Australia)-live

Mark Murrmann
TIMMY’S ORGANISM-I’m on a Hunt-EP
REACTORS-I Want Sex/Seduction Center-45
RATAS DEL VATICANO-Tiempos de…-LP
TUNNELRUNNERS-Plasticland-EP
STICKS N STONES-Red Light/Time Change-45
BED WETTING BAD BOYS-Best/Worst…-EP
MOJOMATICS-Love Wild Fever-45
RELIGIOUS SS DISORDER/SKELETON PARTY-LP
HAUNTED GEORGE-American Crow-LP
LOS MONJO-Mexicanos al Grito de Mierda-EP

Ken Sanderson
KNUSTE RUTER-Gjennon Veggene-LP
PARLAMENTARISK SODOMI-Regnskog…-EP
MOUTH SEWN SHUT-2009-LP
UTOPIA-Niee-LP
ARTIC FLOWERS-live
KNIFE IN THE LEG/FIX MY HEAD-LP
KRIMTÄNK/SUB ALERT-split-EP
DURESS-EP / GERM ATTACK-LP
CEREMONY-EP / DEAD FRIENDS-12”
BEYOND PINK-The New Black-LP

Fred Schrunk
RVIVR-Rain Down-LP
THE CONVERSIONS-Spineless Wonders-LP
LIBYANS-Paralyzed/Keep Waiting-EP
2009-The Future is Soon-LP
CHIN CHIN-Sound of the Westway-LP
RATAS DEL VATICANO-Tiempos de…-LP
BEYOND PINK-The New Black-LP
FAT BEAVERS-Still Dont Know What to Do-LP
UTOPIA-Niee-LP
REACTORS-I Want Sex/Seduction Center-45

Martin Sorrondeguy
VILE GASH-Life-Rot-EP
ORGANIZED SPORTS-G.U.I.D.O.-EP
CULTURE KIDS-Drop Off the Block-EP
DURESS-Burden of Truth-EP
LOS MONJO-Mexicanos al Grito de Mierda-EP
LIBYANS-Paralyzed/Keep Waiting-EP
HOLY SHIT-K.B.D.O.O.P-10”
RAW NERVE-LP
RATAS DEL VATICANO-Tiempos de…-LP
NERVESKADE-live

Top Ten Zines
Antipatia #6, #7, #8
Mermadia Bomb # 42
Arty Party
Dealin’ With It #3
Evil Minded #5
Social Sterility #1
Rad Party
Plastic Bomb #70
Last Breath #6
Accept the Darkness #2
More Noize #4
Toinen Vaihtoehto #224, #225

June 4th, 2010 by MRR Web Coordinator
Comments : No Comments »
Categories : MRR magazine, Top Tens

Cairo, IL… from MRR #324

4 06 2010

In the May issue of Maximum Rocknroll we ran feature about Chris Johnston of Plan-It-X Records and his move to Cairo, IL, with some other punks, and the opening of their coffee shop called Ace of Cups. Interviewer Aaron Lake Smith also wrote a feature about this in TIME magazine, and appeared on Chicago Public Radio’s Eight Forty Eight, where the subjects of race (Cairo is about 60% black and about 35% white) and economics were again glossed over by Smith. The word “mission” was used often in the description of the project going on in Cairo, IL. It is no secret that punks are often guilty of aiding mass waves of gentrification in larger cities, but what does it mean when white punks move into an ailing, forgotten city with a majority African-American population? Is a coffee shop going to bring the town back or is it an attempt to gain the trust of its residents? What about involving the community and serving their expressed needs? What does it mean to “rescue” a town. It’s a complex question that goes beyond the realms of punk and idealism. Decide for yourselves… —Mariam, MRR magazine coordinator

Chris Johnston (photo by Aaron Lake Smith)

Cairo, IL (pronounced “Kay-ro”) sits on a narrow peninsula hemmed on both sides by the Mississippi River and protected from flooding by a set of rusted, vine-entangled levees. The land surrounding the little outpost of civilization looks like it would be untamed and lushly green in the summer. The town in some ways feels like a miniature cross between New Orleans and Detroit—reliant on the logic of dams and levees like New Orleans, but then vacant and possessing a rusted-out sense of lost splendor like Detroit.

Chris Johnston is the 36 year-old proprietor of Plan-it-X Records. After years of living in “cool” places like Bloomington, Olympia, and Gainesville and swirling through an endless kaleidoscope of punk shows, vegan restaurants, and community spaces, Johnston recently decided it was time to do something. Last summer, Johnston bought a building on Cairo’s main drag and has since opened Cairo’s first coffee shop-grocery store-community space, called Ace of Cups. Johnston and a number of others live upstairs of the massive building (it used to be a Knights of Columbus hall), though it has no heat in the winter. In going to Cairo, it seems that Johnson was actively pursuing what we all want after the mix-tape listening, rooftop-climbing, forty-drinking hangover wears off—a sense of purpose, a direction; a reason for existence, a town that could never be gentrified. And with Cairo, that’s what he got.

This interview was conducted in the dead of winter, in the warmest room in Ace of Cups: a room with maps tacked up on all the walls, and the space heater running at full blast.

Intro, interview and photos by Aaron Lake Smith

What brought you to Cairo, Illinois?

It’s been a plan of mine for a while to have a big building and do something productive and creative in it. For various reasons, we wanted a big place to do something and wanted to start a community center, but couldn’t afford to do so in places like Gainesville and Bloomington. Those places already have a lot going for them. The people who live there don’t even need the stuff people build for them. In Gainesville, at the community spaces, almost no one comes in anyway. Here in this tiny town that has almost nothing, we get almost the same amount of people. We wanted a little more freedom. Then I found Cairo. The more I read about the town, the more intrigued I got, how it has nothing and real estate was dirt cheap. I realized my plan could encompass not only making my life better, but increasing the quality of life for people that live here. Myself and various people discussed “The Plan.” Most of them aren’t here today. But we talked about how doing anything here would be productive. Just by opening this space, we’ve done something for the community.

Read the rest of this entry »

June 4th, 2010 by Mariam
Comments : 7 Comments »
Categories : MRR magazine, News

Blog de la Semana: Antipatia Zine

3 06 2010

Having just reviewed issues number six, seven and eight of ANTIPATIA, a Spanish language zine from Barcelona, Spain, I immediately subscribed to their blog to read the issues I missed and to make sure I will never miss any again! The interviews and reports are some the best I have ever read seamlessly incorporating, music, culture and political themes. The blog gives you access to their archives where you can read every issue up to date with the option of printing them out for yourself. Subjects include all realms punk; a really awesome Cuba punk report, the artist/tape label/zine maker Afeite al Perro, a concise history of industry and war as bedfellows, a heads up to good punk from Barcelona, and much more. There is information about their radio station, Radio Bronka, giving access to radio shows from Spain and beyond (including MRR Radio). The blog also has an events list, flyer archive and photo gallery (check out their new pics of ATENTADO!). You can also order from their distro offering zines, books and music (punk and more) from all over the world. The blog is primarily in Spanish with some English, but non-Spanish speakers can still enjoy it to a degree. It is a bummer for those who can’t speak Spanish, because this is a blog/zine would benefit anyone that wants to learn about punks of other cultures in an intelligent and informed way. You guys are really missing out.