MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL » 2012

Come to Our Show: a Punk Flyer eBook

31 01 2012

Blogger, punk flyer collector, and MRR reader Willona Sloan recently sent us a link to her free eBook of amazing flyers called Come to Our Show. Originally intended to be a printed book, this project was put on the back burner for a few years, but now it is finally available to one and all thanks to the wonders of the interweb. The book contains a very impressive collection of flyers from many decades of DIY punk, mostly concentrated on DC bands and the ’80s, but represents a pretty wide variety of genres and regions. No extra info is given with the flyers, leaving you to guess sometimes where or when exactly the show is from. Yet I find that the parts of the story that are left to the imagination can be just as inspiring as the artifacts themselves. And, besides, it’s free and it’s fun — what have you got to complain about?

Willona’s eclectic blog DC Scorpiongirl is worth checking out too. Send her kudos on a job well done while you’re there.

January 31st, 2012 by Paul
Comments : 1 Comment »
Categories : Blog/Website of the Week, Book reviews

Monday Photo Blog: Milo from Chicago

30 01 2012

Here’s a Monday Photo Blog that has been in the works for some time. But clearly worth the time, effort, and wait. The man with the master photo plan in Chicago, IL (is there any other?!), simply known as Milo, has sent us some color pics of some ragers to view in the safety of your home, or at work, or wherever it is that you peep this stuff. Enjoy!!

Milo of Illegales Sin Fronteras at the Lake, NY. 11.11.06 (photo by Milo)

Brendan of Krang, at Crown Liquor 5.22.11 (photo by Milo)

Welkin Dusk, ex-vocalist of Expendable Youth at Chicago by Night, 11.17.11 (photo by Milo)

Ralph of Raw Nerve at Rancho Huevos 4.24.11 (photo by Milo)

Mark McCoy of Failures at Panchos in Chicago 7.10.10 (photo by Milo)

Juan of Lechuza at Treasure Town 7.22.11 (photo by Milo)

Send your tour photos, bands that have come through your town, the best of your local bands, etc. to: photoblog {at} maximumrocknroll(.)com (note new email address!). Include your name, the band (or subject) in the photo, where and when it was shot, and a link to your website (or flickr, Facebook, or whatever). Just send your best photos — edit tightly. Three to seven photos is plenty, and it’s best to send pictures of different bands. Please do not send watermarked photos. Please make your photos 72 dpi and about 600–800 pixels at the longest side. Not everything sent in will be posted, and a response is not guaranteed, but we do appreciate all of your contributions — and feel free to submit more than once. Thanks!

January 30th, 2012 by Matt Average
Comments : No Comments »
Categories : Monday Photo Blog, Photos

MRR Radio #1281 • 1/29/12

29 01 2012

MRR Radio is a weekly radio show featuring the best DIY punk, garage rock and hardcore from the astounding, ever-growing Maximum Rocknroll record collection. You can find the MRR Radio podcast, as well as specials, archives, and more info at radio.maximumrocknroll.com. Thanks for listening, and stay tuned!

THIS WEEK: Rob pulls lots of new tunes from the record bins and whips out an Ian MacKaye tribute. Rock on!

Listen here:

Download here

Intro song:
JOHN HENRY WEST – Ten Thousand Words

Eddy Current Suppression Ring

Rob Plays the Rock ‘n’ Roll
ARMITAGE SHANKS – Did Punk Rock Make You a Millionaire?
MEAN JEANS – Freaked and Geeked
MANDATES – Photo in My Wallet
THERAPISTS – I Need It
COMPLAINTS – Falling Down
LEADERS – Mental Abuse
THE ILLS – I Kill Me
NAUGHTY GIRLS – Bad Habits
FUTURE VIRGINS – No Echo
IDOL LIPS – Down By L.U.V.
EDDY CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING – You Let Me Be Honest With You
GOVERNMENT ISSUE – They Know

Rob Visits Ian MacKaye
TEEN IDLES – Teen Idles
MINOR THREAT – Stand Up
EMBRACE – Give Me Back
SKEWBALD – ???
PAILHEAD – I Will Refuse
FUGAZI – Waiting Room

Rob – Pummel Time
NO COMMENT – Dead Stare for Life
NO COMMENT – Past Tense
NO COMMENT – Sarcastics
NO COMMENT – Distant
NO COMMENT – Hurt
NO COMMENT – Hacked to Chunks
BESTHÖVEN – Destroy Capitalism (CRUDE SS)
SKITSYSTEM – ??? (Ebba Grön)
BASTARD NOISE – See the Same Fate
REPROACH – …And for What

Outro song:
VOID – Condensed Flesh

January 29th, 2012 by Rob
Comments : 2 Comments »
Categories : MRR Radio, MRR Radio Podcast

Video of the Week: Shit Manarchists Say…

27 01 2012

“All that class privilege stuff, that’s behind me now…”

January 27th, 2012 by Mariam
Comments : 4 Comments »
Categories : Video of the Week

Record of the Week: G.A.S.H./CLEANSING WAVE split flexi

26 01 2012

GASH sends shivers down my spine in the same way GISM has the power to do so. It’s visceral, it’s violent, and it feels good. “Power Fucker” is the strongest track out of the GASH tracks. Live, GASH has some bloodshed and vivisection videos that can render some faint hearted watchers uncomfortable. This is a band that pushes limits in the way GISM did, and does it with excellence. Shares members with another solid Boston ripper, ASPECTS OF WAR. The CLEANSING WAVE track is just as strong as their demo earlier this year and still reminds me of MORPHEME with the sickest drumming. This is a beautifully done flexi release that is not just a novelty but a must-own record that captures the raw punk brutality of what is coming out of the Northeast right now. The cut and paste on this flexi still smells of glue. Instructions on flexi say to “play loud and throw away” — punk is meant for destruction and chaos. Get this or don’t. P.S. The blood on my test press had not oxidized when it was received.
(Total Fucker)

January 26th, 2012 by Amelia
Comments : 1 Comment »
Categories : Record of the Week, Record Reviews

Top Tens from MRR #345 • Feb 2012

24 01 2012

Ponx! Every month, a couple weeks after the magazine comes out, we post our reviewers’ monthly top tens from the latest issue of Maximum Rocknroll. This one’s from MRR #345, the February 2012 issue. Eat it!

Mariam Bastani

Mariam Bastani
SPEED KILLS-Como o Fogo-EP
MARIA T-TA Y EL EMPUJÓN BRUTAL-EP
BROWN SUGAR-LP & EP
LONG PIGS-EP / WARNING//WARNING-LP
HYSTERICS-EP / POL POT-LP
G.A.S.H./CLEANSING WAVE-split EP
BLACK AND WHITE-Mortal Sin/World War 3-45
FORCED LAUGH-Live at Club Anthrax-EP
BITTER AMERICAN-Infinite Tick-EP
DISPLEASURE / REPLICA / YADOKAI-live

Justin Briggs

Justin Briggs
TRUE RADICAL MIRACLE-Cockroaches-LP
BASTARD NOISE-Skulldozer-LP
CRIATURAS-Oscuridad Eterna-LP
BROWN SUGAR-LP & EP
LONG PIGS-EP / WARNING//WARNING-LP
MARIA T-TA Y EL EMPUJÓN BRUTAL-EP
REASON FOR HATE-Why?-EP
HYSTERICS-Arm Candy-EP
PIG HEART TRANSPLANT-Weapon/Gut Pleasure-45
BLOODKROW BUTCHER-live

Tim Brooks
HEAVY TIMES-Jacker-LP
CRIATURAS-Oscuridad Eterna-LP
RADAR EYES-Miracle/Me and My Dogs-45
NO COMMENT-Downsided-EP
LOVE TRIANGLE-Boomerang Girl/Quick Joey Small-45
EDDY CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING-2xLP
WHITE CRIME-End of Change-EP
WAX IDOLS-No Future-LP
MANIC DEPRESSIVES/0:30 SECOND FLASH-split 12”
YOUNG GOVERNOR-Where It’s Quiet-10”

Mitch Cardwell

Mitch Cardwell
LOS LLAMARADA-Gone Gone Cold-LP
EDDY CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING-2xLP
BLACK AND WHITE-Mortal Sin/World War 3-45
FRUSTRATIONS-Negative Reflections-LP
IMPEDIMENTS-Broken Hits-LP
CHOSEN FEW-Joke’s On Us-LP
GRUBERGER BROTHERS-Greetings From Reading, PA-LP
MANIC DEPRESSIVES/0:30 SECOND FLASH-split 12”
CYCLOPS-Cyclops-EP
ARMITAGE SHANKS-All Cisterns Go!-EP

Robert Collins

Robert Collins
BASTARD NOISE-Skulldozer-LP
YADOKAI-live
BROWN SUGAR-LP & EP
WARNING//WARNING-There’s Nothing Left-LP
CRIATURAS-Oscuridad Eterna-LP
PIG HEART TRANSPLANT-Weapon/Gut Pleasures-45
CYCLOPS-Cyclops-EP
BLACK AND WHITE-Mortal Sin/World War 3-45
LOS CAIDOS-demo / METH SORES-demo
RAJAT-demo / IMPATIENCE-demo

Dougie!

Sean “Dougie” Dougan
BLACK AND WHITE-Mortal Sin/World War 3-45
SONIC AVENUES-Television Youth-CD
ARMITAGE SHANKS-All Cisterns Go!-EP
HEAVY TIMES-Jacker-LP
WAX IDOLS-No Future-LP
EDDY CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING-2xLP
FRUSTRATIONS-Negative Reflections-LP
TERRY MALTS-live
YOUNG GOVERNOR-Where It’s Quiet-10”
SKITSYSTEM-Beväpna Er-EP

Layla G

Layla Gibbon
HYSTERICS-Arm Candy-EP
MARIA T-TA Y EL EMPUJÓN BRUTAL-EP
FORCED LAUGH-Live at Club Anthrax-EP
SCEPTRES-Childsplay/Job Centre Plus-EP
READING RAINBOW/SUPER WILD HORSES-split EP
TY SEGALL-Singles 2007-2010-2xLP
BLACK AND WHITE-Mortal Sin/World War 3-45
CYCLOPS-Cyclops-EP
WAX IDOLS-No Future-LP / LOVE TRIANGLE-EP
BROWN SUGAR-LP /TERRIBLE FEELINGS-EP

Dan Goetz
“I went your schools, I went to your churches, I went to your institutional learning facilities…”

Bob Goldie (circa 1986)

Bob Goldie
STEVEN ADAMYK BAND-Forever Won’t Wait-LP
FUTURE VIRGINS-Western Problems-LP
MANDATES-Take You to the Dance-EP
TERRIBLE FEELINGS-EP / EROTIC DEVICES-EP
MANIC DEPRESSIVES/0:30 SECOND FLASH-split 12”
NO QUALMS-EP / HIGH SOCIETY-EP
WHITE CRIME-End of Change-EP
VENGEANCE-Are a Bunch of PC Wimps-EP
NO COMMENT-Downsided-EP
REASON OF INSANITY-Violence-10”

Kenny Kaos
THE PIZZAS-We Don’t Have to Do Anything…EP
THE ILLS-I Kill Me-EP
MANIC DEPRESSIVES/0:30 SECOND FLASH-split 12”
ARMITAGE SHANKS-All Cisterns Go!-EP
BLACK AND WHITE-Mortal Sin/World War 3-45
V/A-Portland Mutant Party-EP
READING RAINBOW/SUPER WILD HORSES-split EP
THE CRAZY SQUEEZE-Gimmie a Kiss/I Need a Witness-45
COMPLAINTS-Falling Down-EP
THE MAXINES-Queer Mods-EP

Carolyn Keddy
NO FUNERAL-12” / HEAVY TIMES-LP
READING RAINBOW/SUPER WILD HORSES-split EP
MAGNETIX-CD / CYCLOPS-EP
THE ILLS-I Kill Me-EP
ARMITAGE SHANKS-All Cisterns Go!-EP
THE CHOSEN FEW-The Joke’s On Us-LP
EDDY CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING-2xLP
TY SEGALL-Singles 2007-2010-2xLP
MANIC DEPRESSIVES/0:30 SECOND FLASH-split 12”
TAV FALCO AND HIS UNAPPROACHABLE PANTHER BURNS-live

Ray Lujan
CIGARETTE CROSSFIRE-LP / COMPLAINTS-EP
THE CRAZY SQUEEZE-Gimmie a Kiss/I Need a Witness-45
EDDY CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING-2xLP
FACTORY MINDS-CD / HEAVY TIMES-LP
IMPEDIMENTS-LP / THE MIGHTY FINE-CD
THE NATURE-Allting Blir Ok-EP
READING RAINBOW/SUPER WILD HORSES-split EP
SHY MIRRORS-LP / SONIC AVENUES-CD
WAX IDOLS-LP / STOOGES-live
TOP TEN-live / PIERCED ARROWS-live

Marissa Magic

Marissa Magic
BROWN SUGAR-LP & EP
WHITE LOAD-Pig Eyes/Little Black Pig-45
DISPLEASURE-demo
V/A-Punks Win MPLS-LP
NO FUNERAL-Six Song EP-12”
GHADAR/MARY-KATE AND ASHLEY OLSEN-split EP
MARIA T-TA Y EL EMPUJÓN BRUTAL-EP
BITTER AMERICAN-Infinite Tick-EP
FORCED INTO FEMININITY-live
REPLICA / PERMANENT RUIN-live

Fred Schrunk

Fred Schrunk
FUTURE VIRGINS-Western Problems-LP
CRIATURAS-Oscuridad Eterna-LP
HYSTERICS-Arm Candy-EP
MARIA T-TA Y EL EMPUJÓN BRUTAL-EP
KOBAN-Solid Gold-EP
HYSTERESE-Hysterese-LP
CAROLEE-EP1-LP
TERRIBLE FEELINGS-Blank Heads-EP
SCEPTRES-Childsplay/Job Centre Plus-EP
LONG PIGS-Cut Off-EP

Martin Sorrondeguy(!)

Martin Sorrondeguy
CRIATURAS-LP / SPEED KILLS-Como o Fogo-EP
MARIA T-TA Y EL EMPUJÓN BRUTAL-EP
KOBAN-Solid Gold-EP
JESUS H BOMBS-Life of a Fly-EP
WHITE CRIME-End of Change-EP
BROWN SUGAR-Tropical Disease-EP
G.A.S.H./CLEANSING WAVE-split EP
LONG PIGS-Cut Off-EP
WARNING//WARNING-There’s Nothing Left-LP
REPLICA / DISPLEASURE / PERMANENT RUIN-live

Top Ten Zines
Degenerate #9
Modern Hate Vibe #5
Freak Out #3, #4
Making Waves #1
Punks, Punks, Punks #5
Fanzine Mierda #7
Frozen Dirt #1
Kiss Off #14
Taste Maker #1
Overdosing in Republican World #1

January 24th, 2012 by MRR Web Coordinator
Comments : 2 Comments »
Categories : Top Tens

Monday Photo Blog: David Ensminger

23 01 2012

David Ensminger, former editor of Left Of The Dial, is also responsible for interviewing some heavy hitters for this very zine. He’s also handy with the camera as I learned this weekend when I opened the email he sent over for this installment of the Monday Photo Blog. Below are four photos from the recent Visual Virtriol in Houston, TX. Two nights of punk from the Houston, New Orleans, and surrounding vicininty held at Super Happy Funland. If you’re interested, David also has a book of punk flyers titled Visual Vitriol: The Street Art and Subcultures of the Punk and Hardcore Generation available here.

Busy Kids, from Houston. (photo by David Ensminger)

The Drafted, from Baytown. (photo by David Ensminger)

Vivian Pikkles, from Houston. (photo by David Ensminger)

Sparrowhawk, from New Orleans. (photo by David Ensminger)

January 23rd, 2012 by Matt Average
Comments : 3 Comments »
Categories : Monday Photo Blog, Photos

MRR Radio #1280 • 1/22/12

22 01 2012

THIS WEEK: One Fine Show Title Making This Listening Extra Fun

Listen here:

Download here

Maxies (photo by Xarah)

Intro song:
LARRY – Half Assed

Adam – Hotdog Music
THE BLITZZ – Degeneration
SYDNEY DUCKS – Esprit de Corps
COMPLAINTS – On My Mind
MANIC DEPRESSIVES – Going Out With the In Crowd
CRAZY SQUEEZE – Gimme a Kiss

Chad – Horror Rising
HOOKERS – Horror Rises from the Tombs
NO PROBLEM – Your Eyes
THE BELTONES – My Old Man
THE SLEAZIES – Gonna Operate on Myself
ATTAK – Your Generation

Rotten Ron – R.I.P. Tony G.
BRAIN TRANSPLANTS – If I’d Known Sooner
EXECUTIONER – Hellbound
SPEED KILLS – Bike Cops
VARIX – Problems
WHITE LOAD – Little Black Pig

Halitosis – Why Drugs Rule
CROSSTOPS – Snobb
ROZPOR – Zostarnut Mlady
MAXIES – Jo Jo
CRISIS HOTLINES – Astral Projections
POST TEENS – Fucked Up Perception
NEGATIVE LIFESTYLE – New Solutions

Outro song:
JOHNNY & THE SELF ABUSERS – Dead Vandals

January 22nd, 2012 by Hal
Comments : 4 Comments »
Categories : MRR Radio, MRR Radio Podcast

Blog of the Week: Remote Outposts

19 01 2012

"Fuck the East Bay, This Is N.O.K." CD - 1997

We live in an age where almost every punk record ever released is available for download. Usually you’ll find what you’re looking for on one of the hundreds or Blogspot sites dedicated to making old out-of-print vinyl accessible to everyone, and that is awesome. But what the vast majority of these blogs lack is a personality, a connection of some kind to the music presented. All you get is the record cover, a download link, and if you’re lucky a track listing or a sentence or two about the record.

So it’s totally exciting when you find a site like Greg Harvester’s Remote Outposts. Like Terminal Escape (which is dedicated entirely to cassette releases and includes entertaining reviews of each tape), Remote Outposts can be just as enjoyable to read as it is to listen to all of the great music available. Greg’s musical tastes are all over the map — literally — but you will find a heavy concentration of “Region Rock” (hard to define, but mainly music from the Southeastern US from the ’90 thru now that tends to be melodic and rough) and a preference for demos and records that never found the appreciation they deserved. Lengthy descriptions accompany each post, giving these releases a much more tangible essence. “I try to talk about how it makes me feel or talk about what kind of people made up the bands. Sometimes, I think that’s even more exciting than the music…the stories behind it,” says Greg.

Mr. Harvester, who names Terminal Escape and Region Rock and More as sparking his interest in blogging, is a veteran of too many Southern, Midwestern, and Bay Area bands to mention, and in his touring and moving around the country has amassed quite a collection of demos and records over the years. So many that he’s been able produce a blog post every single day recently. Also in the mix lately has been a bunch of great demos and live tapes on loan from the collection of Erick Lyle (formerly Iggy Scam of Scam zine, and also a million bands from the South and the Bay Area).

But don’t think that just some old dude digging up tapes from the “good old days.” Remote Outposts features a lot of current bands, like Wade Boggs from Athens, GA, who released their LP on the site, and Cleansing Wave from Worcester, MA, a newish noisy crust band. Greg says, “I like to think of it as an archive more than nostalgia… I also revel in pulling people into the blog by posting bands they like and then using that as a platform to discuss ways they can combat sexism, transphobia, macho bullshit or racism in their own punk scenes. Music is definitely the driving force behind it all, but it doesn’t end there… I did one full week where I posted only bands with only women in them because I was sick of so many music blogs (and punk and society and everything) that were so male-centric. I’ve been trying to be more conscious of posting bands with women in them.”

When asked for his favorites, or suggestions on where readers should start on his web page, Greg cited: “Fred Lane, Twat Sauce, Pink Collar Jobs (from NC), the multiple Impractical Cockpit tapes I’ve posted, Hickey Million, The Curse, Jarvis (or any band from Chattanooga, TN, or labeled as Region Rock), Potential Johns, Uke of Phillips, etc, etc….Download anything on there. So far, I love everything that is on the blog. I just want to share music that I love and hope that people will enjoy it.”

January 19th, 2012 by Paul
Comments : 1 Comment »
Categories : Blog/Website of the Week

One year since the KUSF 90.3fm radio shutdown

18 01 2012

January 18, 2012 is one year since the shutdown of San Francisco’s college & community radio station KUSF. At 10 am that morning KUSF’s program director, representatives from the University of San Francisco and armed campus police interrupted DJ Schmeejay while on the air, asked him to leave the studio and turned off the transmitter. It is a horrible silence.

The final five minutes of KUSF

Without knowing what transpired at KUSF, I showed up to do my show at 11:15am (show starts at noon). As I am locking up my bicycle, I am met by fellow DJ and USF student Michelle who can’t even get the words out. USF has sold the station and everyone is getting kicked out. She is followed by Janet and Tresa of the show Love Letters Live who confirm it. Campus police gather in the foyer of USF’s Phelan Hall and I will never enter the station again.

Over the next days, more than a few people would point out to me that no one listens to radio these days. Who cares? Fortunately these naysayers are a minority. I am reminded of when I was just getting in to punk in 1979, the older kids would tell me that no one listens to that shit any more, punk is dead and all that. I just blew them off because I liked what I was hearing and whether it was dead or not would be determined by me. A similar thing happened in the late ’80s when CDs started to take over. I still buy vinyl to this day. Why should my attitude toward radio’s importance or lack of it be any different? Plus the fact that a corporation would pay $3.75 million dollars for a low-power college radio station makes the situation a bit more intriguing.

As the details of the deal emerge it becomes clearer that a very shady exchange is going on. Media conglomerate Entercom is at the center. As the owner’s of KDFC San Francisco’s classical radio station, they sell that station to a University of Southern California non-profit Classical Public Radio Network. Entercom begins to simulcast KUFX a San Jose classic rock station in San Francisco at KDFC’s 102.1fm. KDFC begins broadcasting on KUSF’s 90.3fm. However KDFC’s programming continues to originate from Entercom’s studios. KUSF’s eclectic programming is silenced. The very thin line between public and corporate interests becomes almost invisible.

90.3 belongs to San Francisco

The former DJs and radio producers under the group Friends of KUSF have petitioned the FCC to deny the sale of 90.3fm. The FCC has begun some unprecedented inquiries into the deal. A year later the sale of KUSF still has not been approved by the FCC. As a comparison it took the FCC almost two years to approve the sale of NBC Universal to Comcast which strangely was approved the day after KUSF was shut down. More importantly USF still has not set up the on-line radio station they promised would be replacing terrestrial KUSF. While waiting for the FCC’s decision, the outed volunteers with the help of New Jersey radio station WFMU have set up KUSF In Exile to continue broadcasting the station’s unique music and cultural programs which include shows in twelve different languages.

To mark the anniversary there is a KUSF Protest at Entercom, 201 3rd St at Howard in SF on Wednesday, January 18 at 10am – the hour the station was shut down.