BLUE CROSS is a two-piece post punk band from Ottawa. They formed before the semi-recent goth trend and have had several releases over the past few years. I thought I’d shed some light on this mysterious band. You may know Jo mainly from GERM ATTACK or him booking your band a show the last time you played Ottawa.
—Interview by Amelia

Jo of BLUE CROSS

MRR: BLUE CROSS formed in 2009 and is only two members — Jo and Jess?
Jo: Yeah, it’s only two people as it’s a lot more efficient. BLUE CROSS started as two people and will most likely remain that way, as it’s a simple working formula.

MRR: Who does what in BLUE CROSS?
Jo: I play the instruments and Jessica sings. We both write lyrics. Sometimes I’ll write entire songs and sometimes I’m just adding to lyrics she’s already written. She’ll modify stuff I’ve written if she finds that it wouldn’t come out sounding right once sung. The music is essentially improvised. It’s recorded DIY with very limited gear and knowledge. Its got a go with the flow approach as its built in layers starting with percussion. I’ve been playing drums the longest, so I always visualize music based on rhythmic patterns. Admittedly the band’s newer songs have progressively been more thought out in advance. I think it’s probably the heavy metal influences in the music really shining through. Heavy metal is generally technically proficient and slave to the metronome. It’s not the most organic kind of music because if something is off, then it fucks with the balance of the song. Do you get what I mean? You listen to a band like THE STOOGES and it’s so chaotic and organic, but then you compare it to a band like ANGEL WITCH and it’s always on the dot…yet they’re both atmospheric rock ‘n’ roll. Ultimately BLUE CROSS draws parallels between styles of music that haven’t really crossed genres so much. You look at metal bands like DEATH SS, BLACK HOLE or PAUL CHAIN and those bands atmospheric, dirgey, grimy sounds definitely give CHRISTIAN DEATH or BAUHAUS a run for their goth money.

Jess of BLUE CROSS

MRR: How did you two meet? When did you decide to do a project together?
Jo: I’ve known Jess forever but rarely see her since she moved to Montreal many years ago. Not sure how we met, but it was through mutual friends. One day, a few years ago, said she’d be in town and would stop by for a visit. I had just recorded a local band that day so all this gear was set up. Since I’m afflicted with some sort of non stop music machine disease, while I was waiting for her to show up, I made up three songs. Those songs where very rhythmic. I think since I had Jess’ upcoming visit in mind they came out sounding scary, as she is a legit goth! When we where teens and punx thought goth was COAL CHAMBER or CRADLE OF FILTH and that DISRUPT or STATE OF FEAR was the coolest thing since sliced bread, she knew what was up! She’s a spooky kid with punk brains! Anyway, back to my story—when she showed up an hour or two later, I was literally holding the keyboard note down as she walked in to the last song. I asked her to sing for this ridiculous music I just made. We made up nonsensical lyrics secretly borrowed from CONDEMNED 84 and DISCHARGE lyrics at lightning speed then recorded the vocals. A few weeks later I figured we should make a hundred tapes. Those got distributed fast and somehow became a freak hit with local hipsters.

MRR: I really liked the title track off the I Am Death LP. Anything you want to say about that album? How many copies were pressed?
Jo: That title track is a good example of when we transitioned to using drum machines more than real drums. If you saw how we record this shit, you’d think it’s a ghetto version of modern day studio trickery. A lot of tracks have one measure of drums recorded then repeated, cut ‘n’ paste style. Also, a lot of the drumming features a drum machine and real drums playing simultaneously. This band leaves a lot of room for improvising! I think the trick is to not get carried away ’cause next thing you know you’ll be recording “an army of didgeridoos”! There’s two different pressing of the album on cassette tape. One by local indie rock/experimental tape label Bruised Tongue Tapes. They do a good job and are pretty rad guys with Hitlerjugend haircuts. The other is done by a similar label in Lyon, France called Pain Frites Tapes. I met them in person so they could give me the tapes while I was bass player for heavy metal band CAUCHEMAR in spring 2012 when we were touring through Lyon. They where real nice, but weren’t digging the metal show ahhaa. Surprisingly the CAUCHMAR merch table sold a lot of BLUE CROSS I Am Death tapes during the rest of that tour. We were even featured in metal zines consequently. I’m not sure how many copies are pressed of this record, but the guy who released it, Christian Troxell, is pretty busy and has released a wide array of bands on his Noxious Noise label like GASMIASMA or THOU and books shows for bands like PENTAGRAM and co runs a vegan Korean restaurant in New Orleans. I wish the front and back cover didn’t get screwed up somewhere in the process. If you look at it, you’ll notice the pixilation. Somehow, something went wrong….

MRR: I heard your new LP will be along those lines, but with a lot of songs influenced from The X-Files conspiracies? Can you elaborate on this?
Jo: Yeah the new LP is recorded and in the manufacturing process that is so long as anyone who has been in bands knows. The album name is in fact Conspiracy and was recorded during an X-Files binge. The most recurring theme in BLUE CROSS is that of mistrust towards the bullshit we’re fed daily. BLUE CROSS is pure skepticism. It ties in with the X-Files as 2-3 songs deal with alien abduction and alien invasion conspiracies theories. Believe in it or don’t, the underlying message is to always question what we’re told. It seems obvious to me that the same powerful elite who own most of the world’s resources also own the media….and therefore, own the way the masses think. Sure, punk rock is somewhat sheltered from this, but a lot of so called liberated minds still get caught up in the pitfalls. We thought of having the “Take me to your dealer” alien smoking a blunt with Rasta hat on as the album cover, but then opted for something close and a bit more tasteful as to not loose all credibility — ahhaa!

MRR: Do you play live shows?
Jo: Nah, we aren’t enough people to play shows- besides our songs are all improvised and have never been rehearsed. At once point, we had a full line up recruited that practiced for a few months, but it morphed into another band that I quit. That band only recorded a similar to BLUE CROSS live demo that’s unreleased. I was playing guitar and became the default singer. It included members of PREGNANCY SCARES, ASILE and MANNEQUIN. Now we’ve put together a new live line up that includes members of ASILE. Those guys have a hand in everything. They’re like Ottawa’s all star band or something! The future will yield a live show, but a rare appearance I can assure you! We’re not trying to sound exclusive or like BATHORY or something, it’s just a matter of logistics. Read the rest of this entry »

by Amelia

My first punk show was at ABC No Rio and the band AS$TROLAND played. I’ve been a follower of the band members’ projects ever since. AS$TROLAND and ABC are why I kept coming back to shows. I am grateful my exposure to punk began with the Lower East Side DIY scene. At the time it was inclusive, political, and DIY on a radical level. AS$TROLAND‘s music was loud, the feedback was piercing, and the songs were short enough for my attention span. Jsn Shithead, their singer, has continued to be active in the DIY punk scene and is always willing to do art for a good cause. He did the ABC No Rio ads for MRR, as well as a few flyers back when was I booking shows there. He has a distinct style and punk, street art aesthetic. Here is artist and longtime Brooklyn punk Jsn Shithead…

MRR: How’d you get the name Jsn Shithead?
Jsn: When I was in college I spent a summer working for the physical plant, mowing lawns and raking leaves. That summer I had a mohawk of green dreads, and some prick in a truck rode by and said, “Nice hair, shithead!” And I kept it. Only to later realize how close it is to DOA’s fearless leader’s name….

MRR: Where are you from?
Jsn: Born in Syracuse, NY, grew up in Silver Spring, MD. Then moved to CT in high school and started going to shows.

MRR: How have you seen punk in New York change?
Jsn: I really started going to shows regularly in New York, when I moved to Brooklyn in ’93. ABC NO RIO had the hardcore shows I dug, and CBGB’s had the MADBALL shows and occasionally big punk shows. The city was balanced but things seemed endless. The Continental had good shows, then Coney Island High was killing it…now it’s not as Manhattan-centric. The venues are mostly in Brooklyn, except ABC No Rio is still at it. The Acheron and the Swamp are putting on great shows in Brooklyn!

MRR: What was your first show?
Jsn: It was in 1986 at the Anthrax in Norwalk, CT. I still have the Jim Martin flier. It was the DESCENDENTS, M.I.A., and um, now I gotta go find that flier….

MRR: What was the last show you went to?
Jsn: We just played on February 5th…does that count? I saw CELL 63 & THE WILL.

MRR: What bands have you been in?
Jsn: First off, I don’t play any instruments—I scream. My first band was AS$TROLAND, then I was in INVESTIGATIVE REPORTS and DEATH MOLD for brief times, simultaneously. Now I’m singing for MISCEGENATOR. Tim from DEATH MOLD is on drums, Rich from AS$TROLAND is on guitar, and Dan from BUCKSHOT FACELIFT is on bass.

MRR: Have you always done the artwork for your bands?
Jsn: I always try to but it’s not always easy. 3/4 of AS$TROLAND went to the Rhode Island School of Design with me, so there were always strong opinions about how we were visually represented.

MRR: Have you done artwork for other bands?
Jsn: Definitely. The latest is a guy pulling his face off, for fellow Brooklyn band AGITATOR. When I moved to Brooklyn, I came to be a part of URBAN FOLK ART®. We were screen printers for hire and an artist collective. We printed shirts for Wreckage Records in the mid ’90s. We were also printing and designing for our contemporaries.

MRR: Who influenced your style?
Jsn: I always loved the psychedelic posters by Rick Griffin and MAD Magazine. I feel like I learned a lot of anatomy from Don Martin. And later, the comics of R. Crumb, Frank Miller, Jack Kirby, the queen of punk fliers, Shawn Kerri.

MRR: Do you like Pushead?
Jsn: I love Pushead. The cover he did for the RORSCHACH’s Protestant reissue is insane!

MRR: Do you think late ’70s street art from New York City influenced your style?
Jsn: I wasn’t really exposed to that as it was happening. It’s not bad stuff, I just was drawn more towards what I could get my hands on and study. There are plenty of books of that stuff now that I have and appreciate, but I don’t think it’s guided my work.

MRR: What are you doing now?
Jsn: MISCEGENATOR is playing more often. I’m painting more and showing my work on a more regular basis.

MRR: Any upcoming projects or shows?
Jsn: Not much is planned now. There’s a closing party at URBAN FOLK ART® Gallery for the show that I’m in currently. Then it’s back to the studio. Due to the snow in NYC, the next MISCEGENATOR show is postponed, but you can follow us on the Facebook for updates.

MRR: Any last words?
Jsn: My name is Jason Mitchell and I like to draw skulls. Come out and see MISCEGENATOR when ya can, and check out my art online at jsnmidas.tumblr.com and www.midasimages.net!