Tastemakers: Interview with Jeff Takacs of Rocket Fuel

Tastemakers is a new feature to BKUG, highlighting people in the music industry. There are so many people who go unnoticed behind the bands, the labels, and the shows. We will be spotlighting different people, with each feature, to give you another look at the music scene that you love and the people that help make it run as smoothly as it does.

Our second installment of Tastemakers features Jeff Takacs from the podcast, Rocket Fuel.Rocket Fuel is a podcast  featuring bands of all sizes. The most recent episode featured The Cheap Girls. Jeff talks about his beginning and what his podcast has grown. He talks about the evolution of punk and how internet has affected this little punk rock scene.

BKUG: How did you start Rocket Fuel. Was it a evolution from something in the past or a new idea all together for you?

JT: The idea for Rocket Fuel came over a little over four years ago, when I was having lunch with my wife. I had been reading Michael Azzerad’s Our Band Could Be Your Life and I was telling her about some of the bands in the book and how much punk rock has meant to me. I then mentioned that one day I wanted to just buy airtime at a small, local AM radio station and just play great tunes. My wife said, “Why don’t you do something like that on the internet. Like a podcast?” I replied with “What is a podcast?”. After that I did a little research and episode #1 of Rocket Fuel was released.

BKUG: What goes into the preparation for each Rocket Fuel podcast? Where do you begin and what are the main objectives of each show?

JT: There is actually quite a bit of preparation that goes into each episode. I generally line up and conduct the interview for the episode first and build from there. With the interviews, I try to interview a band that has just put out a new record or is about to release a record so that I can help get the word out on it a little bit. On most episodes, I have a contest to go along with the interview, where the band will give away copies of the new record, shirts, stickers and stuff like that. After the interview, I pick all of the other songs for the episode, most of which are also from new releases as well, then record my parts and edit everything to create the final version of the episode. I would say that the total time it takes to produce each month’s episode is about six hours.

BKUG: So you’ve recently become a father as well. Congratulations on that again. How do you balance that, the podcast, and that thing we all have to deal with called “real life”. Are you still able to do the podcast in your leisure and enjoy it just as much?

JT: Thanks for the well wishes, Matt. It’s hard to believe, but my youngest son Nate just turned six months old and my oldest son Evan is about to turn three years old. Man, I gotta tell you, balancing everything is very difficult. Having a full-time job, being an involved dad and a good husband doesn’t leave much time in the day to do things like Rocket Fuel. However, my wife Lynne is extremely support of me doing the show and will help in every way that she can. I do all of the podcast work after the kids are in bed at night or on weekends and sometimes she will even take the kids out of the house for several hours so I can record for the show. Thinking about the last part of that question, I think that because I have so little free time, getting time to work on Rocket Fuel means more to me now and I actually have ended up enjoying it more. I am very happy that I have been able to keep the show going for the four plus years now.

BKUG: What do you think about the state of punk in 2012 as compared to 5 years ago? 10 years ago? The music always changes, but is the same mentality still there or has it evolved or changed?

JT: That’s a good question. I would say that the state of punk rock and underground music in general is stronger now than it was 5 or 10 years ago. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like there are a lot of really talented, hard-working bands in the punk scene nowadays and that is very encouraging to see. I think that this increased level of really good bands has also led to individual city and town punk scenes to flourish too, which should only lead to even more good bands cropping up. It’s cyclical that way and I believe that we are in an upswing of that cycle. As for the mentality, I believe that punk rock was built on the foundation of “hey, I can do that!” and that idea is just as alive and well today as it was when the Ramones formed in your great city back in 1974.

BKUG: What role does the Internet, and shows like yours, have in this upswing? No one can deny the access to illegal music, but how can you balance pirating music along with well planned promotion for free music and things like free podcasts. Is the availability of so much music a band thing or a good thing, coming from a fan perspective?

JT: I think the role that a show like Rocket Fuel can play is to bring attention to good bands. My simple goal with the show is to connect my listeners with hopefully their new favorite band.As for the whole are we better or worse off with the internet question, I have thought about this topic quite a bit. In fact, someday I am going to write a lengthy blog type article on this subject and post it on the Rocket Fuel site. In the end, I believe that underground music is better off with everything that the internet brings because now, fans have the ability to discover bands and get their music (hopefully by buying it legally, but I’ll save that discussion/argument for another day). At the end of the day, all of the crappy bands that the internet brings are just fads that fade away as quickly as they came. I can’t even tell you how many bands I have discovered on the internet and am better for it.

BKUG: How have you seen the things like online message boards, PunkNews, and and the online punk community in general, change from when you younger. Pros/Cons?

JT:This is going to date me for sure, but when I was first getting into punk rock when I was in high school, there was no internet. Back then, we just roamed the streets with the dinosaur and learned about new bands by what was on the shelves of our local independent record store or by looking in the mail order catalogs from our favorite labels. But getting back to your question, I think a lot about the good and the bad that the internet has brought to punk rock. While I think that the internet can make music fans lazy and can (and has) lead to people going to shows less, I ultimately think that the internet is good for punk rock because it makes it easier for bands to get their music into people’s ears and it also makes it easier for people to connect with the bands that they listen to. The internet also provides a chance for fans of music to be more involved in the music they listen to, and Rocket Fuel is the perfect example of that.

BKUG: How has Kickstarter helped/hurt bands and fans?

JT: I think Kickstarter can be very useful and good for bands that are doing it for the right reasons and very evil for bands that are using it for the wrong reasons. What I mean that by that is that if a small, up and coming band uses it to help release their first record and just want a little help from their friends and fans, Kickstarter can be a great way to run a preorder system through to get the funds neccesary to complete the project. For example, a band that I admire called Sharks Come Cruisin’ used it recently to put out their first full-length. They have a pretty good following and like many bands, were having a tough time matching up with a label, especially because their tunes aren’t something you run into everyday. Kickstarter was a perfect match for them and they were able to get the funds they needed to press the record and get it out to the world.

Where I cannot support bands using Kickstarter is when they use it to milk their fans for money for projects that money is not needed. When I look at some of these bands who collect hundreds of thousands of dollars, I feel like that is abusing both the fans and Kickstarter. If you reach your goal for the project early, you should end the Kickstarter, not let it run up and up and up to the point where you are basically just pocketing that money. I just don’t think that that is right.

BKUG: Can you name some of your favorite memories over the years of doing Rocket Fuel. A favorite band or interview maybe.

JT: I have been very fortunate to get to interview some of my favorite bands because of this little engine that could called Rocket Fuel. For me personally, my favorite memory of doing the show was interviewing Vinnie from Less Than Jake. I have been a huge fan of the band from the first time I heard Pezcore back in 1995. He was one of the earlier interviews I had on the show, so when that episode came out, I felt like I had hit a landmark for the show. Since that time I have had the chance to work with him and his label Paper + Plastick on contests for the show.

BKUG: What can we expect for the future of Rocket Fuel. Any big plans you can talk about? How about some bands and new records you’d suggest checking out/keeping an eye on?

JT: There are a couple of projects that I am working on that are RocketFuel-related, but they haven’t come along enough yet for me to talk about.  I don’t want to jinx it kind of thing.  Some bands with new records that are already out or about to come out are Red Collar, Cheap Girls, Civil War Rust, The Atom Age, JKutchma and the Five-Fifths and Daytrader.

Contest: Anti-Flag “The General Strike”

Anti-Flag is releasing a new album on March 20th, called “The General Strike”. We’re teaming up with SideOneDummy to help 2 lucky fans get an early copy of the Album.

Just sign up at our contest link here and you’ll be entered to win. 1st Place gets a Vinyl Copy, 2nd Place gets a CD copy, and 3rd place will get one of our last BKUG shirts from the 1st printing. Sign Up before March 2nd!

Interview: Candy Hearts

Candy Hearts just released a full length titled, “Everything’s Amazing and Nobody’s Happy” via Kind Of Like Records. We were able to catch up with Mariel to talk about their recording process, her hometown of New Jersey, and their upcoming tour with Man Overboard on the “Pop Punk The Vote” tour.

BKUG: You released a full length entitled, “Everything Amazing & Nobody’s Happy” On Kind Of Like Records, back in September. How was the task of writing a follow up full length to “Ripped Up Jeans and Silly Dreams?” Usually bands find it hard enough, just writing one. Was this writing and recording process any different then from your past release?

Mariel: Writing the second full length was similar to the writing process of the first. It’s always months of no songs and driving myself insane over it, then writing half the album in a week. This time was different in the sense that I put more pressure myself because I was worried about it not holding up to the first. You know? There was nothing before the first one. No one had expectations.

BKUG: Well this record has definitely grabbed some warranted attention. This was released through Kind Of like records. Did the backing of the label take a little pressure off while writing this, or add even more pressure to push harder for better songs?

Mariel: We made this record without the backing of a label but were determined to find one after the record was made. This put a lot of pressure on us because we knew, as young band, that a label would already be taking a major chance on us even if our songs were perfect.

BKUG:Jersey has always had a unique underground scene, did growing up there, inspire your writing in anyway?

Mariel: The scene in New Jersey was kind of strange. It wasn’t really the old punk scene people tend to wistfully mention when they talk about Jersey. Mostly it was Sublime cover bands and/or funk bands. There was a punk scene though, sort of. I went to this hardcore show in a girl’s basement once - my first experience with house shows - and this pack of scene girls threw a Snapple bottle at my head. Thankfully they only hit my shoulder. Nice aim, right? It wasn’t anywhere near as friendly as what I see happening now.

BKUG: There’s something special about house and basement shows. What do you think it is about a house show that’s enjoyable from a punk/underground perspective? What can people who are into more mainstream alternative genres learn about a vibrant underground scene that features house shows?

Mariel: I think house shows are enjoyable for both the band and the attendees because you cut out the middle man. There’s no one checking IDs at the door, there’s no one who’s main priority is cashing in. When you play a show at a house, it’s because the people there care about the band, not how many people you’ll draw. If you don’t have the $5 suggested donation, it’s cool. You can still come in an enjoy music with some friends. Coincidentally, more people tend to go to those kinds of shows anyway, buy merch, donate and generally help out the band because they’re usually your peers. They’re not some people at a bar who are trying to get drunk over the noise. I’m not really sure what anyone can learn from a scene that features house shows. Maybe they can learn that they can be self sufficient if they want to. Maybe they can just feel like part of something, when maybe they felt kind of alone before.

BKUG: So you guys head out next month on the “Pop Punk The Vote Tour” Opening for Man Overboard, who just came off tour with pop punk veterans, New Found Glory. Can you tell us a little bit about the tour? How has the reaction been so far since the announcement of the tour?

Mariel: We’re going all the way to Texas! I know the other guys in the band are used to extensive, long tours across the whole U.S. but this is definitely a new thing for me. I’ve never been to Texas before. I’m extremely thrilled to be playing venues bigger than we normally play and the same old kind of venues but in a different state. We’re only on half of the tour so we have a week of dates we’re doing on our own that we need to announce. I should probably get on that. People have been really positive. I know we tend to stay very much near the easy coast so people who thought they wouldn’t have a chance to see us, finally do. I’m just thrilled and nervous and excited.

You can pick up “Everything’s Amazing and Nobody’s Happy” on cd now, from Kind of Like Records, or you can preorder the album on cassette over at Merch Now, which is due to be released on Feb 14th. Make sure to check them out on tour with Man Overboard, Seahaven, and Handguns. Check CandyHeartsBand.Tumblr.com for more info and below for dates!

Tastemakers: Interview with Paul Brown of 1787 Collective

Tastemakers is a new feature coming to BKUG, highlighting people in the music industry. There are so many people who go unnoticed behind the bands, the labels, and the shows. We will be spotlighting different people, with each feature, to give you another look at the music scene that you love and the people that help make it run as smoothly as it does.

Our first edition of Tastemakers features Paul Brown of Atlantic City. Paul Brown is the founder of 1787 Collective. They are a group throwing shows in, the many time forgotten, Atlantic City, NJ. Paul is a scene veteran and is also very much involved with Stereo Killer and Fast Break! Entertainment as well. Paul talks about Atlantic City, and bringing shows back to the city that is overshadowed by casinos and broken hearts.

BKUG: So tell us a little bit about 1787 collective, and what made you start it? What is 1787 collective in your eyes, what does it mean to you?

PB: What gave me the idea to start 1787 was a combination of factors. The first factor, was that I was asked to assist in East Coast Tsunami Fest this past June in Reading, PA by the fest’s organizer Chris (Guitarist of legendary PA hardcore band Mushmouth/Out To Win) and helping with that weekend was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. My involvement was limited, albeit however it made me think about things quite a bit deeper.

The second, overwhelming factor was that I had actually moved to the suburbs of Philadelphia in May/June of 2010. I became heavily involved with Marketing/PR for Stereokiller.com. I have had a close relationship with many people from the Phoenixville/Lansdale/Hatfield area scene for a very long time, mainly back in the early Repercussion days. We would all just trade shows and I felt as if that area was like a second home anyway. So living much closer to there for over a year allowed me to grow even closer with the people I already cared about and it showed me how well their scene was run and how tight knit it really was.

While working for Stereokiller AND helping with random parts of Tsunami Fest, I also hopped on board with Fast Break! Entertainment, which is run by Tony Topps (The Red Tops/Hard To Kill) and Soda (more bands than I can mention), with their marketing and promotion.

All the while assisting with these ventures, my homesickness from Atlantic City grew by the minute. In August of 2011, with certain puzzle pieces of my life getting knocked off the table, I decided to find new pieces that fit…which involved moving back to the Atlantic City area. My first task (besides finding a new place to live) was an attempt to have regular, well-organized shows here again.

It had been since the early 2000’s when ‘headlining’ bands would come here. Our old venue, Delareto’s in Absecon Highlands, NJ was our home base. Every band came through in the late 90’s. NJ Bloodline. E-Town Concrete. Throwdown. 25 Ta Life, you name it…they played that basement. I wanted that again. There were sporadic house shows and local band shows here and there. Why not have those local bands play with headliners that never came here before?

1787 Collective in my eyes is a rebirth. It’s Atlantic City 2.0. It’s not just Hardcore. Hardcore is a BIG part of it, but my roots are in punk and ska, so all areas of DIY music are encompassed in our mission. 1787 represents legitimacy and hopefully the national underground Hardcore/Punk/Metal touring market to take this area seriously and not pass us over anymore.

BKUG: What’s behind the name 1787 Collective? What goals have you set for it for 2012 or even further?

PB: What’s funny is the name ‘1787 Collective’, despite it sounding so simple, took me MONTHS to settle on, when I was living up in PA still, when I worked at Reverb (the venue for Tsunami Fest), I would doodle at my desk or on my design program on my MacBook. I didn’t want to have “Paul Brown Productions” or make it be about me. I didn’t want my name all over everything, I wanted it to be a name that was synonymous with my home state, as well as not limiting us to JUST doing shows or JUST in Atlantic City. The first name for the company was ACUnderground…then it was 1854 Productions (1854 is the year Atlantic City was incorporated), but I wanted something that wouldn’t limit us much. So, I decided on 1787 Collective after much deliberation. 1787 is the year that New Jersey became the third state to ratify the US constitution and join the union, along with PA and Delaware. The term ‘collective’ denotes a group of people coming together for the same common goal. New Jersey is a state, that for a decade now has gone through venues faster than you can remember their names. Our shows are run with security as members of the scene and affordable as possible. All but one of our shows have been under $10 so far. We want to achieve that whenever possible, despite the reality that it won’t be the case 100% of the time.

For 2012, I hope to bring the Atlantic City area, and eventually all of Southern NJ, band names that have either NEVER played AC or we haven’t had them in a very long time (I.E- Shai Hulud, Sworn Enemy, Reign Supreme headlining shows and they’ve never played in Atlantic City before). We have reunions, one-off shows and maybe even a mini-fest/benefit planned.

I have events I am working on for 2012 that may bring Atlantic City band names that will hopefully garner us respect as a music scene among many facets of the underground scene. None of which I can discuss at the moment, so if that’s your next question…forget it, haha. It’s shaping up to be a good year, however I plan on helping with Tsunami Fest again this year if the powers that be will it so. Our shows will eventually slow down and idle a little around the times of both Tsunami Fest as well as This Is Hardcore, to ensure that we do not affect the Atlantic City’s pilgrimage to those two fests that both help the Mid-Northeast’s DIY scene or violate any bands radius clauses, if they do in fact exist. Atlantic City lies merely 60mi east of Philadelphia and 120mi. Southeast of Reading, PA where Tsunami was held last year. Willing Tsunami Fest is in the same place, a 1-2hr drive is not out of the question for kids here. We don’t want to hurt either fest in any way, they’ve been around longer than us and we want to show that courtesy.

BKUG: Atlantic City is a very unique place. Does the music scene there  get “overshadowed” by the town and maybe even it’s reputation. How has “the scene” changed through the years. Are you happy with where it is now, and where do you expect to reach?

PB: Unique is an understatement for Atlantic City. It’s funny, I get a lot of people who are scared to come to Atlantic City like it’s South Central LA or something. Our scene has always been overshadowed in a sense by the reputation of the city, however the truth is that the kids never left. The hardcore and punk kids have been here for 20yrs, it’s just the shows on a regular basis stopped for nearly a decade due to lack of steady venues. I was born in Atlantic City and raised in the immediate suburbs of AC, a town called ‘Egg Harbor Twp’. Atlantic City is our centerpiece and it has a rich history. The surrounding communities of EHT, Absecon, Galloway, Hamilton Twp, Linwood, Somers Point and Northfield has ALWAYS had a deeply-rooted DIY culture. It was just in hibernation to anyone who didn’t live here. Many of the original kids from when I was 13-14 have started coming out again, it’s amazing.

I think the whole pride in where you’re from/Atlantic City scene feeling is coming back. I’d like to think 1787 has had a small part in it, however there’s always been house and basement shows to keep the foundation of our scene alive with an occasion rental of a hall here and there. We just want it to be steady and for larger, headlining, out-of-area bands to come.

Back when I was 15, 16, 17, it was all hard as nails music. Bands like Ego Cage, Burnside, Da Real Deal, N.O.C., from South Jersey. When bands like Mushmouth, Forsaken Existence, Freight Train, Clubber Lang and others would roll into the area, we would be running for our lives, but it was FUN. It was that fear that made shows exciting. The scene here has always been a little leaning towards ‘toughguy’ in the sense that everyone thought they were more badass than each other. Older kids from Philly and Northern NJ would come down and play with us like cat toys and then leave after their friends bands were done. Now, there’s some long-bonded relationships with those people. Things are fairly tame these days. I don’t use people as projectiles nearly as much as I used to. I’m happy with where it’s gotten back to in such a short time, but it can’t slow down or falter. Not an option. I’d like to, at some point be considered on the level of neighboring markets like NYC (even though nothing will ever compare), Philadelphia and Baltimore.

BKUG: You guys, location wise, are very close to Philadelphia. Does the scene seem to “spill over” in a sense? Are there any major differences between the two in your opinion?

PB: There is definitely a spill-over and there always has been. Some of my favorite memories of shows was taking the train line from Absecon up to 30th st. in Philly and then walking 8 blocks or so to Stalag 13 and Killtime before I was old enough to drive. With only 60 miles separating AC and Philly, there’s a large intertwining of scene members. Many people from down here that I grew up with in the scene moved up to Philly and now claim to be ‘from’ Philly, which I always get a chuckle out of. At our shows down here I try to include Philly/Suburban Philly bands whenever possible. I have friends from Philly who have come down for almost every single show. People don’t realize how easy it is to get here from Philly. The ACExpressway is a 50 min drive. The Philly to AC rail line is something like $9 each way. So simple.

I’ve always thought of the South Jersey and Philly scene to be eerily similar because many of their bands spent a lot of time down here back in the day and all of us traveled there on the regular. Hell, my old band played more shows in the Philadelphia area than anywhere else. Our record release show was at The FUChurch. Our ‘last show’ (never true) was at the Polish Club in Phoenixville, PA (one of my favorite venues, run by great people). The major difference is that we have nowhere near the amount of shows, or at least we didn’t before. We are doing our best to provide shows for our home area and give friends from out of the area incentive to travel. We are getting there, however I don’t want to oversaturate.
I don’t want kids here to feel spoiled. I’d rather do semi-regular shows and make them special, rather than try to do 3 shows a week and dilute the scene. If it comes to the point where 1787 begins booking diverse enough bands, then yea we will do many more shows, however as it stands right now our show was 3 months ago today(october 21) and things have been amazing. The vibe I get from some people is that they think we are in competition with Philadelphia and NYC. I don’t consider it a competition at all, that defeats the entire purpose of what respective show promoters in each area work for. If they think it’s a competition, they’re in it for the wrong reasons and need to quit.

BKUG: So you’ve seen a lot of fads pass through, in your time going to shows. Can you touch on it a bit. How has pop punk and hardcore changed and what has stayed the same in all the time you’ve been going to shows?

PB: The trends come and they go, as different bands rise in popularity they influence those around them. Hell, I remember going to shows in the basement of Delareto’s, our old venue and watching kids mosh that were wearing UFO’s…terrifying, but it’s how it was. I remember the cuffed high-water jeans and khaki fad that came down here from Philly, the Kangol hat and North Face vest trend from our friends up north. I’ll go with the moral majority and say I can’t really stand the tighter than spandex jeans and Davey Havoc hair trend that’s being promoted by Victory Records these days, but to each their own. I think the look is a small part if you’re really in it for the right reasons, then good for you.

Pop-punk? I love pop-punk. Bands like Man Overboard, True Things, Neighborhoods and Coming Clean are just a few from South Jersey that are doing big things. The pop punk with breakdowns thing is hit or miss… I don’t hate it but there are some bands that are just awful at molding too many genres…I was with a friend the other day in his car and he started playing a band, who’s name escapes me now…but it was metalcore-poppunk-dubstep….STOP DOING THAT. The changes and evolution of the music is inevitable, but for God’s sake…some things just need to not happen.

BKUG: Speaking of changes in Music, the Internet has been such a game changer for bands and labels. How has it affected you and the way you go about promoting your shows and 1787 collective?

PB: The internet has been a double-edged sword. On one hand, information is everywhere. Literally, almost everything is at your fingertips. This is a good thing and a bad thing. I am a huge supporter of the social media uprising, but it isn’t everything. It’s not just about Facebook invites. Its not just about how many followers a band has on Twitter. People think they can just create a messageboard thread and let it run. There’s something to be said about actually going out and fliering for shows. Talking to people in person about your shows and bands holds more weight than sending a Facebook invite. I recently was given one of the original fliers for a show I did back in ‘99…it had my friends HOME phone number and our ‘CJB.NET’ web address on it…Christ…REMEMBER CJB.NET?

Also, with the Internet…its a shame but few people pay for music these days. I’m honestly loving the re-emergence of cassette tapes like Ride The Fury is doing and mostly vinyl-only releases like Harvcore Records is doing. It gives everything the good old days vibe. I’ve been very nostalgic lately. I’m working on a word-of-mouth only show. No promotion anywhere except between friends. Hopefully it works out and doesn’t leak to the web.

1787’s website, 1787nj.com literally just launched 20mins before typing this response to you. It’s in it’s infancy stages by far, but I would like to eventually become a homebase for New Jersey shows, bands, promoters and banter. Fingers crossed I can keep up with it!

So where does 1787 go from here?

PB: From here, 1787 keeps going in the direction it’s been since our first show in October. Contacting bands, responding to bands, on-the-street promotions, gaining respect for our area from the music community again. Hopefully becoming a destination and not a last resort. Bands truly don’t realize how dense the underground scene population is here. The shows left for a long time but the kids(now adults) didn’t. There’s also a new generation of awesome people coming up.

Slowing down isn’t an option. We aren’t trying to oversaturate the scene. We aren’t the only ones doing shows in South Jersey. We aren’t in competition with anyone. Getting Atlantic City and the surrounding areas back to what it used to be for a new generation and for the old generation that gave up is the goal and there is no other option. If it kills me, I’ll be sending an email to an agent on my deathbed and CC someone else so that way, when I kick the bucket the show can still go on. This scene made me who I am and this is the best way I can help pay it back, as well as set things in motion for when I’m old and grey…sitting in the back watching these crazy kids mosh around in their powerlace Nike’s(Had to sneak in a Back To The Future reference, sorry).

Thanks so much for not only coming to AC and seeing what we do, but also thinking that even though you’re not from here, that it’s important enough to tell other people about. I can’t thank you enough for the chance to do this interview.

Make sure to check out 1787 on Facebook and head out to their show on Feb 4th featuring Shattered Realm, Barricade, STM, Troublesome, Fallback & Crosscheck at The Boneyard.

Review: Grey Area / The Reveling / The Copyrights / Luther [Split LP]

Lately, Black Numbers has been putting out some really solid releases.  Their most recent split release is just as strong, and was one we were really looking forward to getting our hands on.  When we heard Grey Area would be included that immediately piqued our interest.  Add The Copyrights, The Reveling and Luther and I was pretty sure that this would be one of the best splits of 2012.  I have no problem saying that this anticipation was correct despite it being only the first month of the year.

I dare any other label to get 4 bands as strong for a 12” split.  The record kicks off with Grey Area’s track “Lucky”.  One of the catchiest on the record.  Grey Area doesn’t slow down with their next track, “Bad Anything”, which starts with a simple drum fill and heads into one of the most driving chord progressions on the record.  Ernie Parada’s vocals were produced really well for this release and shine throughout.  The bridge is big and open and resolves to another big beat the solidifies a gigantic ‘feel’.  The harmony at the end of this track is simply unforgettable.

The Reveling are featured next and the intro to “It’s Time to Ride” immediately drew my ears to the tune.  This is my favorite song on the record, for sure. Sean Morris’s vocals somehow give me the feeling of being both clean and raspy in other Reveling tunes and there is a pain that you can feel that is unique to this song. The emotion is right in your face.  This is admirable because it’s something that a lot of today’s pop punk bands can’t seem to grasp how to do correctly.

The Copyrights are next.  I was never big into the Copyrights, but this record will probably get me to take a strong second look at them.  They remind me a lot of The Dopamines.  Their part of the split kicks straight into gear.  They are definitely the fastest band on this record and that scores them major points in my book.  The Chorus of “The New Frontier” features gang vocals that make you feel like you are right there singing with the band.

The Last band on the split, Luther, are personal favorites of BKUG as we featured their old band The Ruining in our first Post Mortem. The last track on the record “The Door is a Penthouse” is a great closer.  ”The Breeze is on our backs” is the repeated line, over a super catchy lead guitar riff.  The ending is extremely emotional and builds up till the end where the last vocal note is held out and the song ends abruptly, it’s almost perfect. Luther really rounds out this split and as you reach the end of it you realize this record touches on many different aspects and takes on modern punk rock.

If we needed a good example of what makes Punk Rock so unique in the second decade of the new millennium, we wouldn’t need to look much further than this split. It does a perfect job of describing modern Punk Rock.  Most splits, now-a-days, either play it safe and pick 2 similar bands or go the exact opposite and pick 2 very different artists.  Black Numbers did an impeccable job of picking 4 bands that really compliment each other well.  This is a split you will want to listen to the whole way through.

The Split can be streamed here and purchased here.

Review: The Menzingers “On the Impossible Past”

Because of rising popularity, a new legendary label, and a great sophomore full length release, we named the Menzingers’ follow up to Chamberlain Waits one of the albums that we were most looking forward to in 2012.

Anticipation has been growing for new Menzinger material since they released a video for Irish Goodbyes a few months into 2011. And “On the Inpossible Past” does not disappoint.

The record kicks off with an arpeggio riff and Greg Barnett’s voice. Quickly the band kicks in and Barnett’s voice peaks with a gravely, almost pained vocal line: “I’ve been having a horrible time pulling myself together…”  The refrained line: “… Why all good things should fall apart” catches the listeners ear immediately. Anyone who thought the Menzingers would lose some edge heading to a bigger (albeit still independent) label are proven wrong on the first track.

The second track also starts with an arpeggio but has one the best harmonies I’ve heard the Menzingers pull on an album. I alway believed that Tom May and Mr Barnett harmonized so well live but that magic hadn’t yet  shown through on studio recordings. ”Burn after Writing” remedies that perceived minor problem I had had with The Menzingers’  albums this far. May’s voice sounds amazing on this record in general.  The band rings out and plays the catchiest riff on the album, a simple guitar line that is guaranteed to be stuck in your head for days.

Its hard to choose, but I think my personal favorite track is Ava House, the song starts with a steady, single floor tom beat. When the band kicks in you finally take notice of the great dynamics the Menzingers have between songs and even within parts of the same song. The Chorus gets quiet and you hear “Ava are you trying to get high? I hope the floor holds this time, we’ll dance in subtle romance together while we make it our time”.  This song is completely vocal driven and really highlights the strides that Barnett and May have made since the Menzingers’ Debut.

The title track “On the Impossible Pass” can only be described as haunting.  The flanging effect on the guitar and synth swells in the background before the drums kick in create a weird mood that is a surprise and helps set the stage for the end of the album.  This track is nothing but sad.  It then goes right into  ”Nice Things” which kicks in with a tight muted groove. As May sings “Do you want to, do you want to feel safe” repeatly you can’t help but feel the emotion.  The albums ends strong with “Freedom Bridge”

Throughout this album The Menzingers are able to create distinct moods and sounds.  They’ve shown that they are one of the most dynamic and talented bands putting out music today.  Their songs come together to create what will certainly be one of the best albums of the year.  The genius of the Menzingers is their ability to keep their songs simple on the surface but delve into deeper themes both musically and lyrically that you keep appreciating as you keep giving this record spins.  The Menzingers just have ‘it’, a feeling you got when Gaslight Anthem put out Sink or Swim and ‘59 Sound.  ’It’ is hard to describe, but go up and Pick up “On the Impossible Past” and you’ll know what I mean.

Video: Interview with Vinnie Caruana (IATA/Movielife)

BKUG’s newest Staff Member Maggie interviewed Vinnie C. from I Am The Avalanche (and The Movielife).  He spoke about Avalanche United, Green Point, IATA’s writing process, The video for Brooklyn Dodgers, and much more.

Check it out below:

[youtube id=”QhaYXPGpTtg” width=”600” height=”350”]

Local Spotlight: State Lines

State Lines’ Hoffman Manor was released last June and the band has done nothing but impress since then. They’ve been playing locally and touring to support it. The hard work has paid off as they’ve been picked up by Tiny Engines. Tiny Engines will put put the bands next 7”, Self Titled EP. Big things are in the works for State Lines. We caught up with State Lines days before the announcment.

BKUG: Tell BKUG a little about the history of your band, when did you form and the story behind your band?

SL: The band was started in September of 2010, it started with me demoing out some songs in my basement on this simple little 8-track recorder. It’s something I had always done in high school except these songs were a bit different, a little more introspective then I was used to writing. I got some of my good friends to join and we put a 6 song demo online where we were lucky enough to have it garner some listens.

BKUG: What are your main influences?

SL: While everyone in the band has a large variety of music tastes, when it comes to what we want this band to sound like we have a common idea process. Growing up on Long Island I think we really miss that “long island sound” that was going on in the late 90’s early 00’s, I think the urgency, energy, and emotion behind alot of that type of music is what has always inspired me to play in bands. Thats something we’ve always tried to embrace in our music

BKUG: What’s your goal as a band overall? 

SL: As a band our goals are always changing as we grow up into different people and grow up into a different band. In the short time we’ve been a band we’ve been blessed to have alot of support and get to play some incredible shows with some of our favorite bands. As of right now there’s alot of excitement coming from within our band and I think its safe to say our goal is just to keep doing what we’ve been doing. Keep playing shows, keep making records that we’re proud of, keep working hard and hopefully it will pay off and we can expand our support system throughout the country.

BKUG: Tell us a little bit about the writing and recording process of Hoffman Manor. 

SL: In our band the writing process starts with me writing the song on an acoustic guitar. I’ll usually have an idea of what I want the other instrumental parts to sound like but it definitely starts to really take shape when each band member puts in their own creative input and style on their respective instrument. Thats always been the way its been with this band as its just whats always felt natural and we really enjoy the music we create together

BKUG: So how can we expect to see your band change from last year to this year? Have anything in the works for 2012? Tours, Albums, Eps?

SL: Well we have a 4 song, 7”inch EP being released soon this year. As far as a change in sound, I’ve always kind of just written what feels natural to me, alot of the time it can be attributed to what my influence is at the time, but from what i’ve heard feedback wise it sounds like the next step of maturation from Hoffman Manor (our last release), and that excites me.

BKUG: How has the reception been?

SL:One thing that we can never stress enough is how incredibly supportive the reception to our band has been since day 1. Ever since we started by posting our 6 song demo online one night we’ve been lucky enough to have people really support and that’s always kept our faith in this band and confidence in what we’ve done. We always have felt like were improving and reaching a new level of people with our music and I think that’s important. Stagnancy can ruin a band.

BKUG: Tell us a little about the scene in long island, are there a lot of shows and promoters? Is the scene healthy?

SL: The Long Island scene is incredibly healthy and strong, I think there are alot of people who take pride in being part of the scene because of its rich history and culture. Lately there’s been an insurgence in DIY ethic and that been almost like a saving grace, it’s most certainly got everything to do with our bands success., Our scene is healthy like a horse, homie…….like a horse.

BKUG: Who are some bands we should check out.

SL: I personally think there’s alot of bands on Long Island that work there butts off and play great music. For alot of them they’re starting to get the recognition they deserve and I think its awesome, unfortunately some bands still go under the radar and I think a band that has truly worked hard yet ended up in that kinda situation is a group of dudes called Kwyjibo from Long Island. Go check them out and show those dudes some love

You can download Hoffman Manor right here.

Tastemakers: Interview with Paul Brown of 1787 Collective

Tastemakers is a new feature coming to BKUG, highlighting people in the music industry. There are so many people who go unnoticed behind the bands, the labels, and the shows. We will be spotlighting different people, with each feature, to give you another look at the music scene that you love and the people that help make it run as smoothly as it does.

Our first edition of Tastemakers features Paul Brown of Atlantic City. Paul Brown is the founder of 1787 Collective. They are a group throwing shows in, the many time forgotten, Atlantic City, NJ. Paul is a scene veteran and is also very much involved with Stereo Killer and Fast Break! Entertainment as well. Paul talks about Atlantic City, and bringing shows back to the city that is overshadowed by casinos and broken hearts.

BKUG: So tell us a little bit about 1787 collective, and what made you start it? What is 1787 collective in your eyes, what does it mean to you?

PB: What gave me the idea to start 1787 was a combination of factors. The first factor, was that I was asked to assist in East Coast Tsunami Fest this past June in Reading, PA by the fest’s organizer Chris (Guitarist of legendary PA hardcore band Mushmouth/Out To Win) and helping with that weekend was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. My involvement was limited, albeit however it made me think about things quite a bit deeper.

The second, overwhelming factor was that I had actually moved to the suburbs of Philadelphia in May/June of 2010. I became heavily involved with Marketing/PR for Stereokiller.com. I have had a close relationship with many people from the Phoenixville/Lansdale/Hatfield area scene for a very long time, mainly back in the early Repercussion days. We would all just trade shows and I felt as if that area was like a second home anyway. So living much closer to there for over a year allowed me to grow even closer with the people I already cared about and it showed me how well their scene was run and how tight knit it really was.

While working for Stereokiller AND helping with random parts of Tsunami Fest, I also hopped on board with Fast Break! Entertainment, which is run by Tony Topps (The Red Tops/Hard To Kill) and Soda (more bands than I can mention), with their marketing and promotion.

All the while assisting with these ventures, my homesickness from Atlantic City grew by the minute. In August of 2011, with certain puzzle pieces of my life getting knocked off the table, I decided to find new pieces that fit…which involved moving back to the Atlantic City area. My first task (besides finding a new place to live) was an attempt to have regular, well-organized shows here again.

It had been since the early 2000’s when ‘headlining’ bands would come here. Our old venue, Delareto’s in Absecon Highlands, NJ was our home base. Every band came through in the late 90’s. NJ Bloodline. E-Town Concrete. Throwdown. 25 Ta Life, you name it…they played that basement. I wanted that again. There were sporadic house shows and local band shows here and there. Why not have those local bands play with headliners that never came here before?

1787 Collective in my eyes is a rebirth. It’s Atlantic City 2.0. It’s not just Hardcore. Hardcore is a BIG part of it, but my roots are in punk and ska, so all areas of DIY music are encompassed in our mission. 1787 represents legitimacy and hopefully the national underground Hardcore/Punk/Metal touring market to take this area seriously and not pass us over anymore.

BKUG: What’s behind the name 1787 Collective? What goals have you set for it for 2012 or even further?

PB: What’s funny is the name ‘1787 Collective’, despite it sounding so simple, took me MONTHS to settle on, when I was living up in PA still, when I worked at Reverb (the venue for Tsunami Fest), I would doodle at my desk or on my design program on my MacBook. I didn’t want to have “Paul Brown Productions” or make it be about me. I didn’t want my name all over everything, I wanted it to be a name that was synonymous with my home state, as well as not limiting us to JUST doing shows or JUST in Atlantic City. The first name for the company was ACUnderground…then it was 1854 Productions (1854 is the year Atlantic City was incorporated), but I wanted something that wouldn’t limit us much. So, I decided on 1787 Collective after much deliberation. 1787 is the year that New Jersey became the third state to ratify the US constitution and join the union, along with PA and Delaware. The term ‘collective’ denotes a group of people coming together for the same common goal. New Jersey is a state, that for a decade now has gone through venues faster than you can remember their names. Our shows are run with security as members of the scene and affordable as possible. All but one of our shows have been under $10 so far. We want to achieve that whenever possible, despite the reality that it won’t be the case 100% of the time.

For 2012, I hope to bring the Atlantic City area, and eventually all of Southern NJ, band names that have either NEVER played AC or we haven’t had them in a very long time (I.E- Shai Hulud, Sworn Enemy, Reign Supreme headlining shows and they’ve never played in Atlantic City before). We have reunions, one-off shows and maybe even a mini-fest/benefit planned.

I have events I am working on for 2012 that may bring Atlantic City band names that will hopefully garner us respect as a music scene among many facets of the underground scene. None of which I can discuss at the moment, so if that’s your next question…forget it, haha. It’s shaping up to be a good year, however I plan on helping with Tsunami Fest again this year if the powers that be will it so. Our shows will eventually slow down and idle a little around the times of both Tsunami Fest as well as This Is Hardcore, to ensure that we do not affect the Atlantic City’s pilgrimage to those two fests that both help the Mid-Northeast’s DIY scene or violate any bands radius clauses, if they do in fact exist. Atlantic City lies merely 60mi east of Philadelphia and 120mi. Southeast of Reading, PA where Tsunami was held last year. Willing Tsunami Fest is in the same place, a 1-2hr drive is not out of the question for kids here. We don’t want to hurt either fest in any way, they’ve been around longer than us and we want to show that courtesy.

BKUG: Atlantic City is a very unique place. Does the music scene there  get “overshadowed” by the town and maybe even it’s reputation. How has “the scene” changed through the years. Are you happy with where it is now, and where do you expect to reach?

PB: Unique is an understatement for Atlantic City. It’s funny, I get a lot of people who are scared to come to Atlantic City like it’s South Central LA or something. Our scene has always been overshadowed in a sense by the reputation of the city, however the truth is that the kids never left. The hardcore and punk kids have been here for 20yrs, it’s just the shows on a regular basis stopped for nearly a decade due to lack of steady venues. I was born in Atlantic City and raised in the immediate suburbs of AC, a town called ‘Egg Harbor Twp’. Atlantic City is our centerpiece and it has a rich history. The surrounding communities of EHT, Absecon, Galloway, Hamilton Twp, Linwood, Somers Point and Northfield has ALWAYS had a deeply-rooted DIY culture. It was just in hibernation to anyone who didn’t live here. Many of the original kids from when I was 13-14 have started coming out again, it’s amazing.

I think the whole pride in where you’re from/Atlantic City scene feeling is coming back. I’d like to think 1787 has had a small part in it, however there’s always been house and basement shows to keep the foundation of our scene alive with an occasion rental of a hall here and there. We just want it to be steady and for larger, headlining, out-of-area bands to come.

Back when I was 15, 16, 17, it was all hard as nails music. Bands like Ego Cage, Burnside, Da Real Deal, N.O.C., from South Jersey. When bands like Mushmouth, Forsaken Existence, Freight Train, Clubber Lang and others would roll into the area, we would be running for our lives, but it was FUN. It was that fear that made shows exciting. The scene here has always been a little leaning towards ‘toughguy’ in the sense that everyone thought they were more badass than each other. Older kids from Philly and Northern NJ would come down and play with us like cat toys and then leave after their friends bands were done. Now, there’s some long-bonded relationships with those people. Things are fairly tame these days. I don’t use people as projectiles nearly as much as I used to. I’m happy with where it’s gotten back to in such a short time, but it can’t slow down or falter. Not an option. I’d like to, at some point be considered on the level of neighboring markets like NYC (even though nothing will ever compare), Philadelphia and Baltimore.

BKUG: You guys, location wise, are very close to Philadelphia. Does the scene seem to “spill over” in a sense? Are there any major differences between the two in your opinion?

PB: There is definitely a spill-over and there always has been. Some of my favorite memories of shows was taking the train line from Absecon up to 30th st. in Philly and then walking 8 blocks or so to Stalag 13 and Killtime before I was old enough to drive. With only 60 miles separating AC and Philly, there’s a large intertwining of scene members. Many people from down here that I grew up with in the scene moved up to Philly and now claim to be ‘from’ Philly, which I always get a chuckle out of. At our shows down here I try to include Philly/Suburban Philly bands whenever possible. I have friends from Philly who have come down for almost every single show. People don’t realize how easy it is to get here from Philly. The ACExpressway is a 50 min drive. The Philly to AC rail line is something like $9 each way. So simple.

I’ve always thought of the South Jersey and Philly scene to be eerily similar because many of their bands spent a lot of time down here back in the day and all of us traveled there on the regular. Hell, my old band played more shows in the Philadelphia area than anywhere else. Our record release show was at The FUChurch. Our ‘last show’ (never true) was at the Polish Club in Phoenixville, PA (one of my favorite venues, run by great people). The major difference is that we have nowhere near the amount of shows, or at least we didn’t before. We are doing our best to provide shows for our home area and give friends from out of the area incentive to travel. We are getting there, however I don’t want to oversaturate.
I don’t want kids here to feel spoiled. I’d rather do semi-regular shows and make them special, rather than try to do 3 shows a week and dilute the scene. If it comes to the point where 1787 begins booking diverse enough bands, then yea we will do many more shows, however as it stands right now our show was 3 months ago today(october 21) and things have been amazing. The vibe I get from some people is that they think we are in competition with Philadelphia and NYC. I don’t consider it a competition at all, that defeats the entire purpose of what respective show promoters in each area work for. If they think it’s a competition, they’re in it for the wrong reasons and need to quit.

BKUG: So you’ve seen a lot of fads pass through, in your time going to shows. Can you touch on it a bit. How has pop punk and hardcore changed and what has stayed the same in all the time you’ve been going to shows?

PB: The trends come and they go, as different bands rise in popularity they influence those around them. Hell, I remember going to shows in the basement of Delareto’s, our old venue and watching kids mosh that were wearing UFO’s…terrifying, but it’s how it was. I remember the cuffed high-water jeans and khaki fad that came down here from Philly, the Kangol hat and North Face vest trend from our friends up north. I’ll go with the moral majority and say I can’t really stand the tighter than spandex jeans and Davey Havoc hair trend that’s being promoted by Victory Records these days, but to each their own. I think the look is a small part if you’re really in it for the right reasons, then good for you.

Pop-punk? I love pop-punk. Bands like Man Overboard, True Things, Neighborhoods and Coming Clean are just a few from South Jersey that are doing big things. The pop punk with breakdowns thing is hit or miss… I don’t hate it but there are some bands that are just awful at molding too many genres…I was with a friend the other day in his car and he started playing a band, who’s name escapes me now…but it was metalcore-poppunk-dubstep….STOP DOING THAT. The changes and evolution of the music is inevitable, but for God’s sake…some things just need to not happen.

BKUG: Speaking of changes in Music, the Internet has been such a game changer for bands and labels. How has it affected you and the way you go about promoting your shows and 1787 collective?

PB: The internet has been a double-edged sword. On one hand, information is everywhere. Literally, almost everything is at your fingertips. This is a good thing and a bad thing. I am a huge supporter of the social media uprising, but it isn’t everything. It’s not just about Facebook invites. Its not just about how many followers a band has on Twitter. People think they can just create a messageboard thread and let it run. There’s something to be said about actually going out and fliering for shows. Talking to people in person about your shows and bands holds more weight than sending a Facebook invite. I recently was given one of the original fliers for a show I did back in ‘99…it had my friends HOME phone number and our ‘CJB.NET’ web address on it…Christ…REMEMBER CJB.NET?

Also, with the Internet…its a shame but few people pay for music these days. I’m honestly loving the re-emergence of cassette tapes like Ride The Fury is doing and mostly vinyl-only releases like Harvcore Records is doing. It gives everything the good old days vibe. I’ve been very nostalgic lately. I’m working on a word-of-mouth only show. No promotion anywhere except between friends. Hopefully it works out and doesn’t leak to the web.

1787’s website, 1787nj.com literally just launched 20mins before typing this response to you. It’s in it’s infancy stages by far, but I would like to eventually become a homebase for New Jersey shows, bands, promoters and banter. Fingers crossed I can keep up with it!

So where does 1787 go from here?

PB: From here, 1787 keeps going in the direction it’s been since our first show in October. Contacting bands, responding to bands, on-the-street promotions, gaining respect for our area from the music community again. Hopefully becoming a destination and not a last resort. Bands truly don’t realize how dense the underground scene population is here. The shows left for a long time but the kids(now adults) didn’t. There’s also a new generation of awesome people coming up.

Slowing down isn’t an option. We aren’t trying to oversaturate the scene. We aren’t the only ones doing shows in South Jersey. We aren’t in competition with anyone. Getting Atlantic City and the surrounding areas back to what it used to be for a new generation and for the old generation that gave up is the goal and there is no other option. If it kills me, I’ll be sending an email to an agent on my deathbed and CC someone else so that way, when I kick the bucket the show can still go on. This scene made me who I am and this is the best way I can help pay it back, as well as set things in motion for when I’m old and grey…sitting in the back watching these crazy kids mosh around in their powerlace Nike’s(Had to sneak in a Back To The Future reference, sorry).

Thanks so much for not only coming to AC and seeing what we do, but also thinking that even though you’re not from here, that it’s important enough to tell other people about. I can’t thank you enough for the chance to do this interview.

Make sure to check out 1787 on Facebook and head out to their show on Feb 4th featuring Shattered Realm, Barricade, STM, Troublesome, Fallback & Crosscheck at The Boneyard.

Local Spotlight: Kids Carry Germs

Kids Carry Germs was started at a time when aggressive Punk/Hardcore was not ‘in’ around Staten Island. A tale of perseverance brings them to today. KCG has an aggressive new album out now called “…And So the Fall Begins”. From the first note of the album, you can tell the record is going to kick your ass with vocals that attack you, and fast beats that keep your head bobbing and your mind wishing you were at a show raising your fist along with the band at a show. KCG has shown a lot of potential live, but this is their first recording that you hear that really translates the intensity in their songs to the listener.

Below are 3 streaming songs from the new album, you can download the record here for free. We spoke with guitarist and founding member Dom.

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BKUG: Tell us a little about the history of your band, when did you form and the story behind your band?
DM: KCG formed in March of 2007 as a side project for vocalist Evan Jakiun and guitarist Dom Manzi, who both were already in well known punk rock bands on Staten Island. Soon after, our original punk rock bands broke up and KCG very quickly became the main focus for us. We started writing and practicing and playing shows around the Staten Island area just pretty much trying to get our name and music out there and establish ourselves and people took a liking to us pretty quickly, definitely a lot quicker than we expected. We were real different from everything else that was happening on Staten Island around that time. It was when street punk rock and post hardcore, screamo/death metal was at its biggest and we came out playing extremely fast punk influenced hardcore and people really attached to the different sounding music and the style in which we played it. Basically throughout the years we just continued recording and playing and writing new music and developing our style and now it’s 2012, this March will mark our 5 year anniversary as a band and we’re still pushing on with that same DIY punk rock attitude we started with. We have a real solid lineup of great musicians and our music has definitely matured and changed but we still remember where we came from and appreciate our beginnings very much and look back on our early days with great nostalgia.

BKUG: What are your main influences?
DM: As a band we have a ton of influences ranging from old school hardcore punk bands to newer acts that have emerged within recent years but our biggest influences that have stayed with us since our inception are Gorilla Biscuits, Champion and old school really early AFI.

BKUG: What’s your goal as a band overall?
DM:Overall our most important goal is to keep playing music we love and enjoy playing. Second to that, we’d love to bring our music to as wide an audience as possible and touch and inspire young hardcore kids the way our ‘hero’ bands have touched and inspired us. If one kid tells me our record made his day better or helped him cope with a certain hardship he may be facing, my job is done as a musician. There’s really not much more I can ask for than that.

BKUG: Tell us a little bit about the writing and recording process of your last release.
DM: The last release, entitled “And So The Fall Begins” and is now available for digital download on Mediafire, was by far the most enjoyable and interesting writing process we’ve ever had as a band. Whereas it used to be just one or two people writing all the songs, this album was a complete team effort all around. Everybody was throwing in awesome, different ideas and really taking the songs to a new level that we thought we’d never get to. Our process for this album and from now on is pretty much one person will bring in a skeleton of a song and then the band as a whole will work around that and add to it and make it something amazing. We all bring real unique styles of playing and writing to the table so when we all collaborate effectively; it really makes something special to us.

The recording of the last album was also an amazing experience. We recorded with Jeremy Comitas at Stained Glass Studio in Weehawken, NJ and he’s recorded a ton of amazing bands so right from the start we were excited to work with him. The best part about the recording process was the creativity that took place in the studio. Jeremy is a musical genius who writes amazing stuff so he definitely brought up a lot of cool ideas that really shaped the songs in a great way. Normally we’d just go into the studio and bust out the songs as we’d written them and that’s the end of it. But with Jeremy, he helped us really craft the songs to give it a distinct style and feel which is something we had never done before. He taught us a tremendous amount about writing songs and music in general so it was definitely a memorable experience and the knowledge we gained in the studio with him will remain with us for as long as we play music.

BKUG: So how can we expect to see your band change from last year to this year? Have anything in the works for 2012? Tours, Albums, EPs?
DM: Oh we have a ton of things in the works for 2012 haha. We released the album for digital download on January 13th and we will be having our release show on January 28th and after that our plans are just to play and promote this album as much as we possibly can. Our biggest plans are for some possible tours and to play out of state. We’ve developed a great following on Staten Island but it’s time for us to go up and out for a while. We’ve been playing out of state shows but we never really focused on that as hard as we should have so now it’s time for us to spread out. So far it’s been working out great so 2012 is looking pretty good so far. Another thing we are extremely excited about is we plan to do an EP of old songs re-written and re-recorded. Our older stuff is incredible but the recording and writing process we used to have isn’t really up to our standards so we plan on revamping all of that material and blasting it out on an EP. Hopefully a new record around the end of 2012, but we’ll see about that haha.

BKUG: How has the reception of the new record been?
DM: The reception has been pretty positive so far, it’s just recently been released to a large audience but so far people really like it. The new record is a complete 180 from our old material so at first it was a little shocking to people and a lot of people didn’t embrace it but as of lately people are really connecting to it and enjoying it a lot.

BKUG: Tell us a little about the scene in Staten Island. Are there a lot of shows and promoters? Is the scene healthy?
DM: The scene in Staten Island is a little complicated. There really aren’t continuous shows but when there are shows, they usually go extremely well depending on how they are booked, ran, and promoted. A lot of people try to run shows, and they receive the credit for the attempt, but they just don’t do it the correct way. The genres are mixed, the bands aren’t well known and the shows are promoted like shit. But there are the good ones who throw the awesome shows packed with people and awesome bands. So it really depends on the situation to decide how the scene is around us. The one problem we have with the promoters on Staten Island is that they never bring large acts to the island. No big name bands ever play here which sucks because that gives local acts a great opportunity to play to a larger than normal crowd of different people. We plan to change that and have some bigger bands come through to the island for 2012.

BKUG: Name some bands we should check out.
DM: Some bands from Staten Island we love and everybody should check out are our friends in Vice, Wester, Curious Volume and A Life Worth Living. Some bands we’ve played with recently or will be playing with soon that are totally awesome are So Many Ways (Mightier Than Sword Records/Chicago,IL), Knuckle Up (Mediaskare Records/NJ), Kills and Thrills (Hotfoot Records/ Long Island, NY), Bayonet (Mightier Than Sword Records/New Jersey)

Kids Carry Germs have some cool things ahead of them. Make sure you get out to a show and see them, ASAP. The physical record is being released on January 28th.