MRR #402 is here, the November 2016 edition of the most comprehensive fanzine in punk. This issue features an interview with the official archivists of Dischord Records: Ian MacKaye and Nichole Procopenko. On top of that: interviews with HALLELUJAH! from Italy, Melted Ice Cream Records from New Zealand, French Oi! powerhouse RIXE, melodic Mexico City duo CREMALLERAS, Portland post-punkers LITHICS, and LAS VENAS from Madrid. Plus: features on renowned drummer Charles Hayward of THIS HEAT, Japanese-style hardcore by way of Greece DIRTY WOMBS, and Philadelphia D-beat band DRONEZ. We’ve also got photo spreads featuring AMERICAN HATE, LUMPY AND THE DUMPERS, and LEMONADE on a steamboat in Omaha, Nebraska, selections from the Toronto Women in Punk Calendar and shots from Olympia Hardcore Fest by Angela Owens. All that plus all your favorite columnists and the biggest reviews section in punk, don’t miss it!
You can also order this issue by mail by sending $4.99 in the US, $7 Canada, $9 Mexico, or $11 worldwide to: MRR • PO Box 460760 • San Francisco, CA 94146 • USA …or just SUBSCRIBE!
Still available: MRR #401 • October 2016 issue…
Special MRR Art Issue! Featuring MRR artist-in-residence Olivia Gibb, Tokyo photographer Chiro Yoshikawa, L.A. artist/designer Sonya Sombreuil, Sebbe Melbourne, Toronto’s Lia Lepre, Jess Scott, NOLA’s Ben Passmore, Indiana’s Alex Micallef, Osa Atoe, video artist Perry Holstein, Copenhagen’s “This Record Changed My Life” exhibition, Sarah Sequoia, Ashley Hohman, Apolo Cacho, Sam Wallman, Shitboy Face, Trevor 32, Mónica Di Francesco, Luke Kislak, Aaron Demuth, Cecilia Calidera, Joseph Heuermann, Keith Caves, Josh Feigert, Rael Brian Rau, and a photo spread from Casa Club Ramones in Mexico City.
“New Blood” is our weekly feature spotlighting new bands from around the world! See below for info on how to submit. Now, check out some killer new shit…
Band name:
FETISH GEAR
Date & location formed:
March 2016, Richmond, VA.
Reason for forming:
To carve out a place in the punk/metal/heavy music scene for femmes, people of color, and queer people to express their anger and aggression.
What are your lyrics about?
Fury, vengeance, and personal empowerment in the face of trauma experienced at the hands of white supremacist, transphobic, hetero-normative, and patriarchal social systems.
How would you describe your sound?
Greasy, noisy, devastating hardcore sludge.
What’s in the future for this band?
To record a first release, do more small tours, and influence other femmes, queers, and people of color to start their own bands and make space for themselves in their own scenes.
Date & location formed:
June 17th 2015 was the first practice in Seattle, WA. but it took like six months for us to actually play a show.
Reason for forming:
The original concept was to start a screamers tribute band essentially but once we started writing and actually playing we transcended into a more raw and stripped down territory in the vein of Nervous Gender or like a fucked up Units but still carrying the initial screamers influence on our sleeve.
Control Test (photo by Shea )
What are your lyrics about?
Lyrics are about rock n roll, criminal abuse, neglect, murdering cops, being taken advantage of, and anti-borders.
How would you describe your sound?
Were like a raw punk band but with synths instead of guitars. raw synth punk.
What’s in the future for this band?
We are doing a west coast tour in October then recording and releasing a 12″ EP.
Links and contact info:
Band name:
LAUGHING BOY
Date & location formed:
2015/Vancouver, BC.
Reason for forming:
I (the singer) had just moved to Vancouver and wanted to start up a band with some locals (Thomas, Jakob) who I had known from meeting in Toronto.
What are your lyrics about?
A lot of personal issues such as mental health and addiction as well as criticisms of the VPD and the problems that exist within the Downtown Eastside.
How would you describe your sound?
Totalitär pacing and riffs with a bit of Rattus and Poison Idea thrown in.
What’s in the future for this band?
Who knows; writing more, playing infrequently and having fun. This band has been a welcome break from all of our other projects and it’s a chance for us to enjoy ourselves, rather than stress out over usual band shit.
Date & location formed:
December 2015 in a basement in San Francisco.
Reason for forming:
We all met working as bike messengers in SF and realized we had similar interests and ideas musically, and after jamming guitar and drums for a few months we added bass and it just clicked really well.
What are your lyrics about?
Being stuck on a planet with a bunch of maniacs and how it makes us feel. Environmental destruction, sadistic authority, and the mindless reaction to it all.
How would you describe your sound?
Dark, ominous post punk with lots of depth between the riffs. A shimmering blade in the dark.
What’s in the future for this band?
Recording a 7″ next month which will hopefully be out in March, followed by a tour of the west coast. We play our first show Saturday, November 12th in Oakland at ABCO with Ötzi, Healers and Crimson Scarlet.
Date & location formed:
Fall 2015 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Reason for forming:
We’re all friends and have played in bands with each other in the past so it just sort of evolved naturally out of that.
What are your lyrics about?
Our lyrics focus on Anarchist and anti-capitalist politics, Feminism, punk hypocrisy, and how these things play into and effect our day to day lives and the lives of others.
How would you describe your sound?
Heavily influenced by Anarcho Punk and UK82
What’s in the future for this band?
We dropped a demo a few months back which is available to order online from Runstate Tapes. We’re also touring through the Northeast of the U.S. and parts of Central and Eastern Canada from mid-late August. We have a tour tape with 4 new songs on it that will be available during that time. Past that we’ll be recording a full length in the fall.
Do you have or know of an awesome new band*? It’s easy to submit to be in MRR’s New Blood feature — just email us the following info, and keep keeping’ it real…
1) Band name:
2) Date & location formed:
3) Reason for forming:
4) What are your lyrics about?
5) How would you describe your sound?
6) What’s in the future for this band?
7) Links and contact info:
Along with the answers please send a band photo at least 600px on the longest side (with photo credits), and a logo if you have one, to:
*By “new band” we mean a band that formed within the past year or year and a half.
Horrible Hal sez “Fuk!” a lot!
THE REJECTERS – Hiroshima Hop
MELT AWAYS – Circles
CHOKE CHAINS – Choke Chain
PAUL JACOBS – Waiting for the Grave
VICKY AND THE VENGENTS – Why
RADIO BURNS – One Step Reputation
Rotten Ron – Mainlines Metal for Breakfast
ACID – Hooked On Metal
CHAIN – Subway Stabber
VIDEO FILTH – Violent Struggle
HARAM – El Nabi
WHIPPER – Chase the Rainbow
PLASMA ALLIANCE – Peace & Freedom
Hal-itosis Stinks It Up
SEX CRIME – Nowhere to Go
MAKACH – Zouk
THE BOARS – By My Side
LOS JACKS – Esperando al Eskuadron
RIK AND THE PIGS – Nothing
Rotten Ron Ron brings up the Mad Bum
CROWN COURT – Disco Skins
Outro song:
THE WELLIES – Higher Calling
Maximum Rocknroll Radio is a weekly radio show and podcast featuring DIY punk, garage rock, hardcore, and more from around the world. Our rotating cast of DJs picks the best of the best from MRR magazine’s astounding, ever-growing vinyl archive. You can find MRR Radio archives, specials, and more at radio.maximumrocknroll.com. Thanks for listening!
THE BLUES are Oakland’s most explosive group. They’re on the road right now — if you live in the Midwest or the South you might be lucky enough to catch them!
Max
RANK/XEROX – Nausea
SHOPPING – In Other Words
CONDOMINIUM – Why Be Something That You’re Not?
BENT OUTTA SHAPE – IYDKMRNIGE/This Operation Stinks
GRASS WIDOW – Shadow
Max & Marissa / Max / Marissa / Marissa & Grace
WET DRAG – Work Drag
VIOLENCE CREEPS – Back and to the Left
STILLSUIT – Telephone
MOZART – Miserable Adult (demo)
Outro song: THE BLUES – Wazzup
Maximum Rocknroll Radio is a weekly radio show and podcast featuring DIY punk, garage rock, hardcore, and more from around the world. Our rotating cast of DJs picks the best of the best from MRR magazine’s astounding, ever-growing vinyl archive. You can find MRR Radio archives, specials, and more at radio.maximumrocknroll.com. Thanks for listening!
“New Blood” is our weekly feature spotlighting new bands from around the world! See below for info on how to submit. Now, check out some killer new shit…
Band name:
KID CHROME
Date & location formed:
I got my Tascam four track April 2013 and I’ve been recording Kid Chrome stuff with it since then, but the first show where I performed the songs live was June 2nd this year in Seattle, WA.
Kid Chrome (photo by The Safari LA)
Reason for forming:
I mean, it didn’t really “form.” I’ve always just kind of done solo recording projects in my room, but I started doing it live because someone asked, and I said yes. And then I liked how it turned out haha.
What are your lyrics about?
The lyrics are vague and simple rock n’ roll concepts about extremely personal things.
How would you describe your sound?
Someone in a windowless basement with a four track, guitar, and a drum machine, who likes The Stooges and Roky Erickson a lot and can’t seem to get it right, but is trying the hardest they can.
What’s in the future for this band?
Hopefully get a record out and tour a lot, or forever, or just put out demos and mixtapes and tour a lot.
Date & location formed:
Springfield, Illinois like December of 2015.
Reason for forming:
We just wanted to play some hawdcore.
What are your lyrics about?
Everything from personal struggles to being an unwavering, unapologetic hardass. The things that are just easier to say when you are yelling them at strangers.
How would you describe your sound?
Each of us has a style of hardcore and punk that we’re all more familiar with. Tater likes that 77 rock n’ roll punk thing, Gus and Drew like ignorant tough guy shit, and Blue digs on like post-punk/hardcore. Our sound borrows from each of these little bit, but the ignorant tough gal punk shines through the most probably.
What’s in the future for this band?
Right now we’re working on our second tape and also a little weekend run in December. Also we’re playing that insane fest that Ralph is putting on in Chicago in December 2016.
Date & location formed:
Formed in November 2015 in Richmond, VA but didn’t really do much until March 2016.
Reason for forming:
We just want to make music that we’d listen to and can be proud of.
What are your lyrics about?
Lyrics are about personal issues, politics, DIY, and questioning whether or not lyrics are relevant in music.
How would you describe your sound?
Crusty melodic screamo punk.
Pigeon Meeting (photo by Jake Cunningham)
What’s in the future for this band?
Right now we’re just writing more and playing local shows. Hopefully we’ll record something else by the end of the year.
Date & location formed:
March of 2016, Los Angeles.
Reason for forming:
The band was originally started as a home recording project by Kaz. He met Davey and was a fan of his last band Lost Tribe, and they wanted to do the same sound.
What are your lyrics about?
Personal issues.
How would you describe your sound?
UK post punk mixed with LA Deathrock.
What’s in the future for this band?
Tape and 7” coming out on Death Shadow records. More shows around the LA area. West coast tour in Feb of 2017 with Portland’s Shadowhouse. Record full length LP
Date & location formed:
Started playing in mid 2015 in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada.
Reason for forming:
We were all sort of on a dry spell of playing in heavier bands and decided to start a straight edge hardcore band. Something uncommon in our area. We’ve since had member changes and have give up on the straight edge dream as a band. It’s hard to have a straight edge band in a place that has like 10 straight edge people.
What are your lyrics about?
They are mostly very angry and ranting about something or someone.
How would you describe your sound?
Take a straight up hardcore band and just make it a bit heavier. Dirty bass and guitar tones and heavier vocals. Almost Think I Care like.
What’s in the future for this band?
We are currently writing to record our second release. Likely a 7″ this time around.
Do you have or know of an awesome new band*? It’s easy to submit to be in MRR’s New Blood feature — just email us the following info, and keep keeping’ it real…
1) Band name:
2) Date & location formed:
3) Reason for forming:
4) What are your lyrics about?
5) How would you describe your sound?
6) What’s in the future for this band?
7) Links and contact info:
Along with the answers please send a band photo at least 600px on the longest side (with photo credits), and a logo if you have one, to:
*By “new band” we mean a band that formed within the past year or year and a half.
You can SUBSCRIBE to MRR for as little as $26 and have over 120 pages of punk sent to you every month! Hundreds of record reviews, exclusive features and interviews, all your favorite columnists and much, much more.
Out now! MRR #402 • Nov 2016
Dischord's Ian MacKaye and Nichole Procopenko, HALLELUJAH! from Italy, Melted Ice Cream Records from NZ, RIXE from France, Mexico City's CREMALLERAS, Portland's LITHICS, LAS VENAS from Madrid, Charles Hayward of THIS HEAT, Greece's DIRTY WOMBS, Philly's DRONEZ, and photo spreads featuring the Toronto Women in Punk Calendar, Olympia Hardcore Fest, and AMERICAN HATE, LUMPY AND THE DUMPERS, and LEMONADE.
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