March 3, 2012: Ross Rogers (Feb. 10, 1984 - March 1, 2012)

We don't normally post stuff like this but Ross Rogers was an awesome dude and was a really special friend to my brother, Benjamin Adam Robbins. Ross was one of the coolest dudes I knew at 13 years old and like I said with him being such good friends with my brother, it made me cool too. Ross Rogers ran a skate zine called Pink Crack and that zine definitely influenced me early on when it came to me doing my own zine. I wasn't Ross' closest friend but he always was a super nice guy and treated everyone he met with the utmost respect. I wish his close friends and family the best luck in dealing with such a tragedy. I will always remember how much my brother cared about him and how much good tunes that my brother and I may have been exposed to because of Ross. You will be sorely missed Ross, thanks for all the good memories, and being such a good friend to my older brother.

http://www.thrashermagazine.com/articles/burnout/ross-rogers/

February 28, 2012: Brutal Truth Interview

Josh: Who is Brutal Truth, to you? Let’s start it off with an existential question.
Rich: Brutal Truth is more of a what as opposed to a who, ya know? Brutal Truth has always been a band that is 4 guys who get together and are vibing more than anything. We have never been a band that goes, “Hey guys, let’s get together and write and be a totally grind band.” Brutal Truth is a work of art that can’t be helped. It’s like being sick to your stomach and really having a feeling like you have to get something out. Violently, you know? I don’t know, we just have a great time and try and make music that is worthwhile. More for us. I don’t know, we don’t think about it a whole lot, it just is what it is. It’s its own creation and we are just caught up in it.



Josh: How did it all come together in the beginning?
Rich: The first time, or when we got back together?
Josh: The first time, but I am interested in both.
Rich: Brutal Truth’s very very beginnings were as a bedroom band, just Dan Lilker in his bedroom with a four track. He was just trying to make the most extreme music he possibly could. Brutal Truth was a 3-piece for the first couple of shows. It was then Danny, Scott Lewis on drums, Brent McCarty on guitar and Kevin on vocals. Then Scott quit and I’ve played with them ever since. That lineup (Lilker, McCarty, Hoak, Sharp) took us from about 1994 on into our first break-up. It was probably 2005, or after Katrina hit New Orleans, and one of our friends approached us about recording a new song for a compilation to benefit EyeHateGod [For the Sick tribute album] after Hurricane Katrina. We said ok, because us and EyeHateGod go way back and then everything just felt right since then and we started working on new stuff. We got together one weekend and jammed and then got together the next weekend and recorded the one song. We all kept in touch after that and it just snowballed from there. Erik Burke (Lethargy) stepped in on guitar (replacing Brent McCarty). We didn’t want it to be the typical reunion album or just be like when a bunch of 80-year old guys get on stage and play the hits, you know. If we were going to get back out there then we would get back out there. I think Evolution Through Revolution (2009) is some of our best stuff in our 20-year history and we get together and play through all the songs those new songs and the new ones we have now, are some of the best shit we have. There wasn’t anything hanging over our heads, ya know. We just were able to get straight to work on amazing songs. I mean that’s basically the history in a nutshell.

Josh: That was pretty concise for that long of a time. For the record, what are some of the notable past bands that members of Brutal Truth have been in? I know we have Stormtroopers of Death for Dan, but what else?
Rich: Dan Lilker was in Anthrax, SOD, Nuclear Assault and so many others. Erik Burke, years ago played in the band Lethargy with members of Mastodon. He also has Sulaco and Kalibas. Kevin has a band called Venomous Concept with dudes from Napalm Death. I don’t know if Kevin really had another band outside of Brutal Truth.

Josh: You have Total Fucking Destruction as well.
Rich: Yeah, Total Fucking Destruction, definitely. I also, have another project called Peacemaker, which is noise, poetry, experimental type stuff, and I have a couple CDs out of that.

Josh: In the beginning did you all conveniently live in the same town?
Rich: When I joined the band I lived in Philadelphia. I just packed everything in storage and pretty much toured all the time, so it didn’t really matter where I lived. I don’t think I really lived anywhere, except for a tour bus from about 1993, when I joined on up until we split up and they dropped me off on a street corner somewhere. They were all New York State based and I would go back to Philly during breaks for a couple weeks and then meet back up with everyone. Usually I would just fly to Rochester and then we would jam from about Friday at 6pm then wouldn’t stop until Sunday around 11pm. We would just lock ourselves in and get stuff done. We usually will work on demos and then get together a few times and work things out. Somewhere in the process we will send the demos to Kevin so he can work on lyrics and whatnot. Then we get together a few times, all of us together. We work it out in practice and figure out which ones work best live as well.

Josh: What would you say is your favorite Brutal Truth Release?
Rich: The newest one definitely [The End Time]. I think it is the most fun to play and listen to.

Josh: Where do you feel Brutal Truth fits in with modern grindcore?
Rich: I don’t know, I don’t care (laughter).
Josh: Haha, Good answer.
Rich: I don’t know where we fit into in the scene. I am just at war with the drum set, grinding, ya know. I am grateful for the fans, but I don’t know where we fit in into the modern scheme of things. I can’t even tell you bands that are on the modern grind scene.
Josh: Do you feel…
Rich: I mean a lot of the shows we play and bands we play with aren’t grindcore bands. We did a west coast tour with Eyehategod, ya know?
Josh: I did an interview with EHG a while back and they mentioned how they don’t always go out with bands that sound just like them. Their thought on it seemed to be, “why would we want to play with a bunch of bands that sounded like us?”
Rich: Why would you want to, I think that is a newer thing that people want to do.
Josh: I agree.
Rich: Why would you want to listen to a couple hours of bands that sound the same, it baffles me sometimes.




Josh: If you had to pick a band early on that inspired you all with your sound, would you have one, or did your sound just happen?
Rich: It just kind of happened. We just wanted to play fast and it just snowballed from there.

Josh: You all did a split with Spazz, if you had to pick a favorite split what would it be, that one is probably up there for me?
Rich: Melvins was probably a little special to me since they asked us to do a song. Normally we would have a bunch of demos and those might have become a few splits around that time.

Josh: Here is a fun question we always like to ask. Metallica or Slayer?
Rich: Slayer, definitely (laughter).

Josh: What are some current bands you are digging right now.
Rich: Umm…
Josh: It doesn’t have to be punk or metal.
Rich: I don’t know man. I’ve been listening to Phillies games on the radio a lot. Ahhh, Gee wiz man, I really don’t know.
Josh: It’s alright man; I end up listening to a lot of podcasts, myself.
Rich: I don’t generally listen to a lot of music. I kind of got burnt out because of working around it. It just devours you. I still haven’t quite gotten over that still you know. When I get in the car I will probably listen to Slayer or Bolt Thrower, ya know? There are bands that I watch when Brutal Truth plays with them and I like ‘em. I dug Brujeria when we played with them.

Josh: I don’t think that is cool to know that you are out watching newer bands instead of being tucked away in a van or tour bus, ya know? I think that says a lot more than what you might be listening to. It shows that you are still connected.
Rich: Brutal Truth still watches other bands, especially smaller DIY bands.

Josh: Do you all still hold the record for the shortest music video?
Rich: Haha, I think Erik had a good publicist that year. I don’t know, haha. It got on MTV and all that. We have shorter songs, but not one that have been made into a music video. [Brutal Truth’s song, "Collateral Damage" clocks in at 2.18 second)

Josh: So what’s the story behind Kevin’s cowboy hat?
Rich: Haha, I don’t know man. He just started wearing it back in the day and just stuck with it I guess, hahahaha.

Josh: How has the reception been since the reunion and up until now?
Rich: It has been killer man, it has been great man, I can’t complain. We have a heavy schedule with all the other projects so it has been really great getting out there for a weekend or for festivals and people have been really generous.

Josh: I really feel like when Sounds of the Animal Kingdom came out you really paved the way for bands to expand their sound outside of the confines of metal and grind. You really helped bands like Burnt By the Sun and Relapse to expand the genre to new territories. That album has so much going into it and really expanded what before seemed like narrow confines.
Rich: We didn’t really know at the time what we had created, but I can see what you are saying and how that can be viewed. It’s cool man. It was a really difficult album to make for us and it was good that people seemed to get it. When Brutal Truth came around there was a wave of grind bands and then later on near that album and after there were a lot of cool heavy bands that we played with like Today is the Day and Pig Destroyer that were doing a lot outside of what a normal grind band might do. There was Burnt By the Sun and a lot of bands that Relapse put out around that time that were doing some cool stuff.
Josh: I feel like around that time there were a lot of bands that you could say had that “Relapse sound” and while it may not put it into one category it at least let you know that these bands were doing something different.
Rich: You could say that Burnt By the Sun was just a metallic hardcore band but they were so much more than that, they were just Burnt By the Sun. I think the same goes for Brutal Truth but with grindcore.



Josh: Sounds like you have a lot coming up with The End Time, sounds like you guys are going to hit that up as hard as you possibly can with festivals and the like and trying to hit the road in different spots during 2012. Any last words or comment you would like to make?
Rich: Brutal Truth just wants to send out the message to all of our fans that we are fucking ready to grind, ya know?
Josh: Awesome, thanks so much.
Rich: Thanks a lot man.

February 27, 2012: Magrudergrind Interview

I got a chance to sit down with a good friend, who I don’t get to see enough. Chris Moore is one of the nicest guys and plays in some awesome bands. We sat down to talk about Magrudergrind and generally just catch up. This interview was done around last September (2011), but between tours, Fest 10, getting married, running a record label, moving into a new house and playing in two bands, here it is at the end of February. I hope you enjoy…








Josh: Sitting here with Chris Moore, I’m going to start with the basics, who is Magrudergrind?
Chris: Like, who is in Magrudergrind? Who is the entity known as Magrudergrind? Um, Me, Chris, I play drums. Avi, he sings, and RJ, he plays guitar.

Josh: What is the story behind the name?
Chris: It’s really stupid. When we were 16, we practiced in a neighborhood called Magruder Discovery and yeah. It’s one of those thing where you make up a band name when you are 16 and you think it is cool then and regret it a few years later but its too late, so that’s the deal with that.

Josh: I was in a band called Momma’s Fault, so I know how that goes.
Chris: Ha, that’s a good one.

Josh: You all are coming up on 10 years. What are your thoughts on that?
Chris: It’s crazy; we never thought the band would last more than a few months. It started off with us just fucking around and the fact that we have been at it as long as we have is surprising us too but we are stoked, ya know.

Josh: Any plans for a new album since the last full length came out in 2009?
Chris: Since then we have put out an EP called Crusher and we are writing a new full length, and hopefully we will get it recorded some time this winter.
Josh: Of this year? (Interview was done in 2011)
Chris: Yeah, hopefully.

Josh: What other bands are you all currently in?
Chris: I’m the only one, at the moment, that is in other bands. I play in Coke Bust, Disciples of Christ, and Sick Fix. RJ and I sometimes play in a pentagram cover band call Pentagon but we haven’t done that in a while (laughter). We dress up we have some cool wigs. I take that back. I have a cool wig; RJ has some anime looking wig (laughter).
Josh: How active are the other bands?
Chris: Relatively active. Coke Bust and Sick Fix are doing a European tour next summer. Coke Bust just put out a 7” on Grave Mistake [Records]. We are also doing a West Coast tour in October (2011). Sick Fix is relatively less active, we are hopefully recording a full length at the end of the year, but we literally haven’t put out a record since 2005 or 2006, or something like that. DOC just recorded a split with Triac and we will be doing a West Coast tour with Shitstorm in the wintertime also.

Josh: What are everyone’s activities outside of the band?
Chris: I work in pet care; take care of dogs, cats, or fish. I house sit. RJ works at a bar. Avi works at a social media advertising company.

Josh: You all played with Venom recently. How did that come about?
Chris: We got asked to play two festivals that were right around the same time. One was in Holland and was called, Neurotic Death Fest, and the other was in Portugal with Venom. They were on the same weekend. Between the two festivals they offered to pay for our plane tickets to go to both festivals. It was ridiculous. We left on Thursday night, played Friday in Holland, flew to Portugal, took like 10 taxis, and a long ass bus ride into the city where the fest was. Got there right before Necros Cristos played, watched them, and then Venom played on the big stage, and we played on the small stage, after Venom. We were like, “how the fuck are we going to play after Venom.” Fucking Venom. It ended up being one of the most fun shows we have ever played. Venom was also surprisingly good.
Josh: Yeah, I feel like they would be hit or miss, ya would never know.
Chris: Yeah.
Josh: Was Cronos in the band?
Chris: Yeah, I think he is the only original guy. He looked pretty badass. He had one of those low cut metal tank tops, where you could basically see his nipples (laughter). His Microphone stand was above his head. I guess he is doing the same thing, I have an old video that has old Slayer and them and the video is exactly like what you describe.



Josh: Outside of when you get plane tickets paid for, what is your reception like usually when you tour?
Chris: Its hit or miss, sometimes when we play people just stand there. They are like, “this band blows.” Sometimes it is crazy, ya know? We just played Extreme Obscene Fest in the Czech Republic, and it was another weird situation, we played after Entombed on the same stage. I felt like I was going to puke. Regardless of what you think about Entombed in 2011, to play after them is really intimidating, especially in front of 3 or 4000 people.
Josh: I bet they played the hits, Wolverine Blues stuff.
Chris: Yeah, more from Left Hand Path. We played and there were like 3000 people going insane. It all depends. I mean tonight, we never played in Charlotte before and people went crazy. We thought no one was going to show up; it was a last minute show.
Josh: I think what helped tonight was being to get strong local support. I think a lot of people would have still come but I know it helped, being this last minute.
Chris: All the locals were awesome. The dudes in Torch Runner and Young and in the Way were both real sweet dudes.

Josh: Do you feel like fast punk, or whatever, has had its day?
Chris: I don’t know, truthfully I don’t care about that. I like playing the music I play. When we started there were no bands that sounded like what we play, not in DC. The town doesn’t have a scene for grindcore, doesn’t have a scene for metal. It doesn’t have a good fast punk scene either. When we started playing screamo was big. It was huge, Pg. 99 would play a show and no less than 200 people would show up. In interest of the style of music that we have been playing has never been really popular. There are a lot more bands, now and not because of us, that are playing faster stuff and people are more receptive.
Josh: Maybe I should approach it differently, like you said, that you don’t really care. I know what I like and I don’t really care either if other people are super into it. Just do it because.

Josh: So you are on tour with Despise You?
Chris: Yesterday was out last show with them. We played a total of 9 shows with them and all the shows were incredible. I have been corresponding with their singer for a long time and nerding out over their stuff for a while.
Josh: I feel like I’m out of the loop but don’t they have members of a lot of prominent powerviolence bands? Like Spazz?
Chris: Yeah, Chris Dodge is playing bass for them. Also, some of the members were in Sixteen and Gasp. They have all been in a million bands. It was their first East Coast and it took a while but I finally convinced them to come over. It was a great tour.



Josh: I guess the next question is about the Crusher EP. Do you feel there was some sort of backlash with it coming out on Scion A/V?
Chris: Yeah, I’m sure there are tons of people that feel like we are huge sellouts now.
Josh: That you all have Scions now?
Chris: Yeah, we all have Scions, and we are loaded now (laughter). I would be lying to say it didn’t bother me at first. Some of my good friends were like, “fuck you guys.” Whatever, ya know. We are still doing the same shit, we are still doing the same music, and we are still having fun. That is what the band is about. If people want to write us off because of that then, that’s their shit.
Josh: I feel like I heard a lot about it, and then now no one seems to care. Its kind of funny that people just forgot about it after making such a stink. Its funny that people cry sellout and don’t factor in how long you all have been around and how hard you have worked. Also, for just the simple fact that you all are doing the same thing, so it’s really silly.
Chris: The tour we just did, I booked all myself. All the promoters of the shows were my friends. I didn’t send any emails, I just made phone calls. No weird middleman, no one booked the tour for us. If that isn’t DIY, then I don’t know what is.

Josh: What made you all decide to be the type of band that you are?
Chris: I don’t know, it wasn’t a decision to be a certain band; it was just an evolution of stuff that we had been playing before that. We had all been in hardcore punk bands and we just wanted to play faster. We started listening to different music and it turned into what it turned into. There are/were no grind/metal bands that influenced us directly in DC.
Josh: Really if you just play hardcore punk as fast as you all do by default it is grindcore or powerviolence.
Chris: Yeah, it is what it is.
Josh: Let’s play faster than the fast bands.
Chris: Our first tour was booked from a zine, Book Your Own Fucking Life. I don’t know if you remember it.
Josh: No.
Chris: It was just a zine that had a lot of contacts for people around the country. Most of the shows sucked, but I am still friends with a lot of the people that we booked those shows through. It’s kind of crazy to think about.
Josh: I wish something like that still existed. I guess people don’t feel like it needs to. It just gets tough to wade through shitty contacts to find those good lasting ones.
Chris: Yeah.
Josh: What are some of your favorite bands outside of punk?
Chris: I have been listening to a lot of Zola Jesus. She is this weird synth/goth, kind of like electronic music. I think she is from Wisconsin but I believe she moved to LA, possibly. It’s pretty good. I’ve been playing the new Big Eyes LP lately.
Josh: It’s good.
Chris: Magnetic Fields, Fleetwood Mac, a lot of hip-hop.
Josh: Rumors from Fleetwood Mac?
Chris: Rumors and Tusk.
Josh: Yeah, good stuff.
Chris: Those are such good records; even Tango In the Night has some good stuff on it.
Josh: I think if you have to tell someone one Fleetwood Mac album then Rumors, it is unfuckwithable.
Chris: Can we pound to that? What else? Superchunk, they are a North Carolina band.
Josh: Yeah, I listen to them all the time, great band.

Josh: Any last words, anything you want to mention?
Chris: Umm
Josh: Before I kill you (laughter).
Chris: Thanks for doing the interview, it was cool. Hope we can come back to North Carolina soon. Raleigh is always awesome but Charlotte has been especially good, hope we can come back here.
Josh: Yeah that would be awesome, thanks so much.

January 30, 2012

Neil Mauney (Pullman Strike), Alex Kastanas (Cherry & the Tramps), Waxahatchee (ex PS Eliott), Old Milwaukee, and Greg Ellis (Motel Glory)
Show at Lunchbox Records
Reviewed by Kristen Leake

On Thursday, January 19th, Lunchbox Records opened its doors after closing time. A small crowd of people piled into the record store around 9pm. I have attended shows at Lunchbox Records numerous times but this time was different. You know the coffee shop atmosphere created by musicians playing acoustic guitar in the corner? Lunchbox had a very similar ambiance with its dimmed lighting, small group of people and soft chatter but it was very suitable for this type of show.



The show began thirty minutes after its original start time due to the small crowd. Once a few more people trickled inside the record store Neil Mauney from Pullman Strike played. I have seen Pullman Strike play many times so I looked forward to seeing Neil play solo. He played a lot of songs off his recent demo such as, “Son of a Public Servant” as well as Pullman Strike covers. Similar to Pullman Strike, his lyrics are very sincere and carried by strong vocals. You can check out his demo at http://neilmauney.bandcamp.com/ and as well as Pullman Strike at http://pullmanstrikenc.bandcamp.com/



Alex Kastanas, who is a member of the band Cherry and the Tramps, played second. I have heard of Cherry and The Tramps but have yet to see them live. I was very curious about seeing Alex’s set and I was not disappointed. Alex has a beautiful, soulful yet flirtatious voice. I loved her cover of “Valerie” by Amy Winehouse. I’ve never heard the song before but when I went home to listen to it I realized Alex nailed it. She also did a wonderful job with her Gillian Welch covers and a few of her own songs. I asked her about Cherry and the Tramps and she said they played at Snug Harbor on New Year’s but should be playing another show at the Milestone sometime soon.



Waxahatchee (Katie Crutchfield), a former member of PS Eliott, played next. I know a handful of PS Eliot fans attended the show just to see her. The set consisted of songs from the album, “American Weekend” such as “I Think I Love You.” Katie continues to sing with the same delicate yet passionate voice that PS Eliott fans adore. Towards the end, she played a Guided By Voices song “Game of Pricks,” but in her own style. I never had the opportunity to see PS Eliott, but I am glad I finally got to see her live because there are remnants of PS Eliot in her lyrics and voice. You can listen to “American Weekend” at http://waxahatchee.bandcamp.com



Afterwards, Old Milwaukee shook things up. They are a three-piece band inspired by the alternative country music movement. Although they played an acoustic set, they were very lively and captured everyone’s attention with their catchy lyrics and three person harmonies. They played a great cover of Wilco’s “Passenger Side.” The guys joked about how the best songs they played were not their own but they did a great job executing them while keeping their Old Wilwaukee sound. I also enjoyed their original songs such as “Gospel Ship” and “Bad Times.” I have seen them live before but I absolutely love their acoustic set that includes their drummer playing with just a snare drum and a tambourine on his foot. You can listen to a song off of their EP at, http://oldmilwaukee.bandcamp.com/



By then it was getting late for a week-night show and most of the crowd had slipped out of the store but there was only one act left, Greg Ellis from Motel Glory. I saw Greg perform with his full band on New Year’s at Petra’s Piano Bar in Plaza Midwood. I liked his stuff then, so I knew I wouldn’t feel any different about his solo performance. This time around his set was cut short, but it was still fun. The majority of his songs were upbeat and originals influenced by punk and alternative country. My favorite songs from his set were “1st Second Wind” and “Swine Flu”. From what I know, Greg doesn’t have a bandcamp account but his band, Motel Glory definitely does. You can check it out at http://motelglory.bandcamp.com

January 27, 2012

Once again I post on this more than 6 months after the last post. I don't know why it is so hard to keep up with a little blog. Well who knows. As all of the previous posts say, I am going to try and do a little better when it comes to updating this blog. Mainly because this will probably replace the physical zine of Self Aware and we will begin to post interviews, reviews, columns and what ever crap I normally would have cut down trees for in the past.
I'm bummed about the reality of the situation but with the record label (Self Aware), planning a fest (Treasure Fest), being married, and being in two bands, Pullman Strike and Late Bloomer, something has to give. I am currently transcribing two awesome interviews as we speak but for the time being check these Charlotte, NC area bands out...

Young and in the Way
Calormen
One Another
Old Milwaukee
No Power
Hungry Girl
Andy the Doorbum
Blossoms

(p.s. Andy the Doorbum has a double LP coming out Feb. 4th, if you are interested then follow the link, he is also the model for this entry).

June 14, 2011

So instead of a post about myself, I will let you know about some things you should get behind. First off is Durham, Raleigh based zine (print/webzine) Fracture Compound. They are an indie/punk/everything else zine with one of the busiest writers in the state, Bryan Reed. The first issue had an interview with Superchunk and looked pretty damn good for a first issue. I really hope they stick around because the state could use another zine and one that has a different format than SELF AWARE.

fracture-compound

Another zine you should check out is Florida's own, SEVEN INCHES TO FREEDOM. This zine provides some of the best insights on DIY punk that I have ever read. They push me to make a better zine everytime I read it but definitely have the lock down on their content. I really wish I could explain it better than that but I think it would be better to just go pick up a copy for a couple of bucks.

seven inches to freedom

That's gonna wrap it up. Hope you enjoy the links. Hopefully it won't be another two months before my next post.

April 26, 2011

I can't believe that I haven't updated this in almost a year. The original intention was to use this site to supplement things we couldn't possibly cover in the zine and still be relevant if we sit on our collective asses and fall behind schedule by about 4 or 5 months. I kick myself everyday with how lazy I have become in regards to my writing and really try to push this blogging medium to new levels.

So what has happened in my life in the year that I have been absent to this blog? Well most importantly, I got engaged. I am getting married in November and time is running out and a lot of wedding things still need to get done. In order to truly make my fiance hate my guts I decided to plan a fest, TREASURE FEST, that goes down at the end of May. The fest in question is not the usual one venue fest with about 14 bands or so but is instead, over 60 bands and 5 venues over two days in Charlotte, NC. Bands such as Algernon Cadwallader, Daytrader, Red Collar, Restorations, Shitstorm and Denmark's Cola Freaks, just to name a few. It has truly been a lot of hard work and it remains to be seen if people truly give a shit about the amount of red tape this fest truly has been. With that said, I have had a blast setting it up and hope that I can continue to do this every year or at least do it again next year.

On the label front, things are looking up. People are interested and records are moving so that is always good. We have a busy year, with releases from Matt Evans, Pullman Strike (NC), Just Die!, Yardwork, Andy the DoorBum and Florida's own Small Talk. If somehow that all pans out then I will truly be a happy camper.

I am currently unemployed and it hasn't been that bad since I have a very supportive fiance and future in-laws. The zine, as always, is way behind schedule but will soon be out. It features interviews with the legendary EYEHATEGOD, Punch, The Measure and a whole lot more. Like I said previously, I really want to update this more and be more relevant with show reviews, record reviews and short interviews that don't make it into the zine. Thanks for the support and please come to Charlotte, NC, and experience the amazing music scene we have here and TREASURE FEST which takes place May 20th and the 21st.

self aware records
treasure fest blog
treasure fest facebook

BUY A TICKET FOR ONLY $25 (for both days)
treasurefestnc@gmail.com

June 4th, 2010

So this update is a little behind schedule but isn't that starting to be a running theme with anything Self-Aware? Also if we are mentioning Self-Aware records/zine, then I will give a quick update before I go into this show review. First off we have two new releases out. The first is the Meth Mountain discography tape and the second is the new issue of the print zine, Self-Aware issue #6. The aforementioned tape has 18 tracks and a digital download card. Buy both together for $7ppd. The zine features pieces on, Algernon Cadwallader, Bandname, Raein, Concrete Sox, Entombed and an interview with Make Do and Mend. Alright with that out of the way, here goes...


So when I heard the legendary Eye Hate God was coming through the area, I knew right away I was going to be at one of the shows. After missing D.R.I. in Charlotte, I told myself I wouldn't be a dumbass twice. I decided on going to see them in Spartanburg, SC, and I think it was a great decision. If you are going to see EHG go see them in a shit-hole like South Carolina to make the experience so much better. On the bill with EHG was Withered, Nachmystium, and for some reason Joe Buck of Hank III fame. Honestly in some way I almost expected EHG to sound kind of bad and for all of them to be completely wasted but that wouldn't make me any less of a fan. Withered went on first and were really tight but nothing really stood out to me. I thought to myself that I would have been into this more in like 2005. Definitely tight metal. Nachmystium was next and definitely caught my interest a little bit more with their style of "Americanized" black metal. While I'd consider myself a moderate fan of black metal, I still really can't get super into them. I think some of the issue is how popular black metal seems to be all of a sudden and how many people are miraculously into maybe the most unpeople friendly genre ever. How people are really into Burzum and Emperor as easily as they are today, is just beyond me? While I am a fan of both of those bands I wouldn't never expect as many people to be fans as well. Nachmystium rocked it and then Joe Buck came on next and just totally ruined the momentum for the show with his brand of "solo psycho-billy while looking like Skelotor". What was maybe an hour felt like an excruciating eternity. While in some way it definitely fit with EHG, it doesn't mean I didn't want to rip my ears out. Finally EHG set up and I headed to the front. I really haven't been more excited for a show in a long time and was probably grinning like a madman. Mike Williams definitely seemed a little trashed but everyone else looked like they were sober enough to put on a good show. When Jimmy Bower turned his amp and started chugging some of the most amazingly down tuned riffs I knew this was going to be a religious experience. They finally get going and everything thing sounds phenomenal. Mike Williams might have been a little off but I wouldn't have it any other way. Most of the set consisted of tracks from "Take As Needed For Pain" but for that I am glad. Each song was more awesome than the last and I haven't had as much alcohol thrown on me in a good while. Jimmy Bower accidentally kicked a beer bottle into my roommate's face but I think Wes was proud to have it done by such a living legend. I definitely was not let down and was in fact surprised with how amazing they sounded. While my ticket was $24, I honestly feel like it was worth every penny.

(pictures by the amazing Angie Owens)

May 6th, 2010

First things first, I have to mention that
Self-Aware has a new website. It is currently in the state of eternal UPGRADE but for the time being allows you to keep track of us a lot easier. Go to the link and look at what we have released and our future plans. I will continue to update this as irregularly as I do, so no worries. If you are in the need for some new records or 'zines, then by all means help us out and check out the site.

Keeping with the contribution theme, here goes a show review from my brother, Adam Robbins. He recently went to see NOFX in Oregon and wrote a very brief summary of the show. It is short and sweet just like him.


So recently my girlfriend and I drove down to Eugene to see the infamous NOFX. (I might add that she actually did the driving since I do not have a license). Gauging from the last few times I have seen the band I wasn’t really expecting much of a show, but with my deep love for the band the goes back more than a decade and the simple fact the Jenn had never seen them was reason enough to go. Normally I wouldn’t pay more than 20 dollars for a punk rock show, especially with a opener like Tony Sly, but I figured, "what the hey? Anything could happen." Knowing Fat Mike's history with substance and what not it may have been the last time I could have been able to see them before he pulls a James Brown and is running from the police high on PCP, and then is shot like ‘Pac. So we show up over an hour and a half late, great because we miss Mr. Sly and some crappy band called Teenage Bottle rocket that Fat’s really pumping up these day. Surprisingly it wasn’t too crowded and the level of drunken idiots was down to a minimum. So NOFX finally came on and played quite possibly the best show I have seen in years, playing stuff as far back as Liberal Animation, including a good number of Ska stuff. Fat mike was soberish, El Hefe rocked the house, Smelly killed it, as did Melvin. They must have played for an hour and a half; however, we left after 45 minutes only to get talked into going into a nightclub with my dear friend Anna called The Clownfish, which was fucking clown shoes. So check out NOFX, especially this Cokie the Clown stuff, and steer clear of any place with the name Clownfish.

April 5th, 2010

So this is a really interesting update. I am lucky to have a good friend of mine, Kristen Leake, bringing you a show review, thus bringing a fresh perspective to the webzine. Kristen writes a new blog entitled, Outside The Mosh Pit, so make sure you check it out (especially since she had some nice things to say about Self-Aware). Kristen will be writing some stuff in the summer/fall issue of Self-Aware zine so as long as the spring issue comes out at the end of this month or early March you should see her contributions sooner rather than later. Thanks once again and enjoy!!!



Until March 31st, I felt like the only Charlotte native who has not seen The Junior Astronomers live. The Local 506 in Chapel Hill had a free show consisting of O’ God The White Whale and The Junior Astronomers.

O God The White Whale performed first and I just wasn't feeling it. Granted, I talked to a couple of kids who were there solely to see them. So I suppose it just wasn't my preferred style of music. The band is hardcore with metal undertones... and one of the songs will surprise you with a 10 second rap. What I enjoyed most about their set were their song titles (e.g., I Love Jesus But Sometimes I Drink, I asked her to Dance She Asked me to Die). Nevertheless, I was happy when their set ended. I don't think I was the only one because when The Junior Astronomers stepped on stage, the number of people inside doubled.

Seeing them live was worth the drive to Chapel Hill. These guys are not your typical indie rock band. Their distinctive vocals make it difficult to put them in a general music category. The band's overall sound is raw and unrefined. All of their songs are upbeat so don't be surprised if you unconsciously tap your foot to the beat of each song. This is going to sound old school but I honestly felt like two-stepping during their set! Everyone was dancing. Note, I said dancing and not moshing. No jumping on top of each other, no running into each other, no doing spin kicks or whatever kids do in the pit these days... It was a different atmosphere compared to what I'm used to. Half of the crowd was jumping up and down, and the other half was bobbing their head while swaying their body from side to side. The crowd reciprocated the positive energy The Junior Astronomers emitted. I did not want their set to end... After playing their last song the crowd and I chanted for more. Being the cool guys that they are, they played a couple of requests before calling it a night.



After the show, I talked to a couple of the guys in the band--who by the way, are very nice and easy to talk to. I mentioned how I wished Flavorless Candy was on the set list and they apologized. Terrence (the vocalist) actually looked around for an acoustic guitar to play the song for me. There wasn't one in sight... bummer, but that just shows how genuine the guys are. If you don't know already, they are raising money to buy a trailer so they can tour in the near future. Until that time comes, make sure you see them...even if you have to drive an hour or two. It's well worth it.

March 9th, 2010

It's been a little bit since the last update but isn't it always that way? We have a new print zine wrapping up right now so be sure to pick that up since it is our 6th issue. You will see interviews from Raein, the legendary Italian screamo band and Make Do and Mend, a great post-hardcore band on Panic Records. So it's been a busy past few weeks and there haven't been many shows worth making an update for. I was moving during the DRI show and couldn't make it out and definitely regret it. West should be doing a write-up on that for the print zine if all goes well. So here I go with this update...

Leatherface @ The Milestone (3/09/10)

So I have never really gotten around to listening to Leatherface as often as I wish but when given the opportunity to see such an influential band i try not to pass it up twice in one week and since i had just missed DRI then I figured I was obligated. I wasn't familiar with the rest of the lineup but it wasn't like I was going to see anyone else but Leatherface. I missed the first band and I apologize for not knowing their name. I came in during Riot Before, a Richmond, VA band, who played a by the numbers style revolution punk ala Strike Anywhere but not nearly as good as them. They weren't bad but nothing really grabbed me. The lyrics kept throwing me for a loop with lines like, "mustard seed."

Next up was Yesterday's Ring from Montreal. They played a "loud" country-punk hybrid which often does does sit well with me. It seems to be a good idea the mixing of the two genres but for the most part ends up sounding really cheesy. For example, banjo mixed with pop punk. Once again they weren't bad and were definitely super tight but it wasn't my thing.

Finally Leatherface was slated to go next and the oldest guys in the club took to the stage and tore the place up. The odd thing is that the singer of Leatherface looked a lot like my grandpa in the face and it definitely freaked me out. I probably only knew a small handful of songs but when they played them with such force I felt that I had known them all my life. You realize how many bands have been directly influenced by them and how underrated of a band Leatherface truly is. Bands like Hot Water Music for one wouldd probably not exist if it weren't for Leatherface. I wish the turnout was better so they feel good about coming back. I am totally bummed that more people did not get a chance to come out and witness such an awesome set.

Jan. 31, 2010

Youth Attack Showcase @ Lunchbox (12/28/09)



As soon as I had heard that the Youth Attack winter tour was gonna be coming through Charlotte, I almost hit the roof. I was stoked beyond belief. For anyone not familiar with the Youth Attack winter tour, it consisted of Failures, Aerosols, and Salvation. If for some reason you're not familiar with these bands, you may be familiar with the clusterfuck of "ex/current-members of" list that comprise these bands. Members of Charles Bronson, Orchid, Ampere, Das Oath, Wasteland, Cancer Kids, and Vaccine, among tons of others were all in tow. As I got there around 8:30 for the 8:00 show, I was immediately told that Aerosols had gotten lost, and the show wouldn't start until about 10:00. Undeterred by the hold up, I thumbed through records for a while, and then walked down to Common Market for a drink. Upon my return around 9:30ish, local openers Young & In The Way were almost done setting up. They started a few minutes before 10, and played their brand of heavy hardcore to a pretty thick crowd. After they finished, the first Youth Attack band of the night; Salvation from Pennsylvania took the floor. Salvation fucking ripped through about 12 minutes of some of the most intense hardcore I've seen in a long while. The dichotomy of the band's appearance made me laugh, as the singer, guitarist, and bassist all had skinned heads, and looked mean as fuck, while their drummer seemed to be some kind of Bohemian dude with long hair, with a "Boston's More than a Feelin" mustache, rocking some kind of aboriginal necklace; they fucking ripped though. Failures was up next. This was the band I think everyone (or at least myself) was most fixated on, as it features Charles Bronson's vocalist Mark McCoy. They were one of the absolute tightest breakneck outfits I think I've ever seen. They were fucking flawless, which is almost unseen with a band as fast as they are. You can usually expect some sloppy moments, but not with Failures. They didn't say shit in between songs, it was just violent burst after violent burst of awesome hardcore.


Right after Failures packed their shit, Aerosols took the stage. This band has the lead singer from Ampere playing guitar, and the dude who sang in Wasteland handling vocals, so you knew from the start that it was gonna be good. They had a new bassist in tow, and the night before, the singer had sliced his arm open on a lightbulb while playing in a basement, so the odds weren't necessarily in their favor. They seemed to somewhat struggle through the set a little, but it was still fun to watch, and sounded really good. The band is fucking flawless on record, and if you don't have their albums, then get a hold of them. I'm sure they're hard to find since everything Youth Attack seems to turn to gold, but I know tons of blogs have posted them for download. After the show, I spent wayyy too much money on some records, but don't regret it all, because they may have been the best records I bought all year. If you decided to sleep on this show, then at least check out all of the bands, and punch yourself in the bag for missing one the best shows on 2009. (West Hastey)


Jan 22, 2010

It's been about a month since the last entry but I promise that I wont leave you hanging for as long as I have. Here is a show review of a show that happened about a week ago. Just to let you know we used to post show reviews in the print zine but so much time often passes between each issue I don't feel right letting them be so dated.

Mammoth Grinder @ Lunchbox (1/15/10)



I hadn't seen Mammoth Grinder since this summer and was really stoked to see them again. Every time they come through they blow me away and I'm usually not blown away by jack shit being as jaded as I am. When I arrived at Lunchbox at 8pm I realized it was going to be a good show because people don't often come early for Lunchbox shows and there was already a crowd. A lot of unfamiliar faces too so that is always good. I had to run door while the first band Grids played but it was still a good set. They are a staple of the Charlotte, NC scene and even though I'm not entirely into their sound (Jesus Lizard/Young Widows style noise rock) they definitely put on a good show. I think it was due to them not playing as loud as they normally do so everything sounded crisp and it was nice being able to really hear Bobby their drummer. Next up was Dead City from Memphis, TN and were on tour with Mammoth Grinder. I think a lot of people in Charlotte weren't too into their sound since it was a mix of Entombed, Crowbar, and Integrity but I bet while standing outside the people who were super into Integrity a few years ago were moshing in their minds. I dug them but I definitely think I would have been more into it myself a few years back when all I listened to was Godbelow and Pantera.

Next up was Mammoth Grinder and once again they did not disappoint. Even with a new bass player they still got the goods. When they first start playing people just go berserks and start jumping off each others backs, bonking heads, and just being complete idiots, myself included. I can't remember a dull moment in their set which is a huge feat with my attention span. If you aren't familiar with their sound just envision fast brutal thrash metal played by punks. Lastly is Lowbrow, another local on the bill. This was their return show after being on hiatus due to their guitarist Brendan studying for a semester in Nicaragua. They had a new song and played all the gems off their 7" "Broken Speech" (self advertisement). I will say and sadly so that I didn't feel like they were on top of their game but not playing a show for six months will do that to you. I am really excited for them to be back and I'm fairly sure they will be killing it in no time with a slew of new songs. Overall this was a really awesome show and might be one of my top shows of the year but we will see this year has just begun.

Dec 20, 2009

Descendents Vans From The Descendents? (WTF)



So I posted the other day about getting a pair of Descendents Vans for my birthday. Would have not been that big of a deal to post anything else about it but I noticed something odd about where the box came from. First, before I give it all away in the first couple of sentences, I will give you some back story. So I got a pair of Descendents Vans a few years ago when they first came out and I still stand behind my view that they are the coolest band series shoes that have come out so far from Vans. In my opinion all of the other shoes have looked like utter shit. The Germs ones looked alright but I hate the Germs too much to ever condone. So as every pair of shoes I have or anyone has I wore them out. Then I wanted another and it seemed that I couldn't get them for under a hundred bucks or in my size. So when my girlfriend got me some I was pretty stoked to say the least. After wearing them for a day or two I was curious as to where the shoes came from in case they had more. I checked out the box and it read, "ALL, P.O. Box 36, Ft. Collins, CO." Holy shit. So from the random knowledge I know about the Descendents/All I knew that some of them had moved to Ft. Collins, Colorado. When I say some of them I mostly mean Bill Stevenson and Karl Alvarez.



That leads me to believe that Karl and Bill house Descendents/All merchandise that they peddle for extra cash. Would make a lot of sense if this is the case but it would seem that bands of their caliber wouldn't waste their time. I for one, am exciting about the prospect of them personally sending off this stuff and it not just being marketed and distributed by faceless corporations. For the record, I also had a friend tell me that she ordered a coffee mug that came from the same location as my shoes. It could be much more complex than the way I thought it out but it does seem that they have some control enough to personally mail me a pair of shoes. Neat!!!

Dec 14, 2009

Forgetters @ The Milestone (12/14/09)

So the day started out just like any other day except for the fact that it was my birthday (24th) and I had to work at 6am. Work wasn't too bad but that's a relative term when you work at a very busy vet clinic. A few people wish me a happy birthday and a few others, who will not be named, think it is a funny idea to post my phone number online. This leads to a person sending me a picture of their penis which is very frightening and almost caused me to wreck my car. Bastards!

I get home and eat left over birthday food from a family party the night before and commence to studying for an exam the next day. I only mention the bday food because I had Meatloaf cupcakes and they are very delicious. After a few hours of studying my girlfriend comes over and gives me a present and takes me out to an all you can eat sushi place. The food is great and so is having a new pair of Descendents Vans. Fuck Yeah!



After this we head off to The Milestone and go see Forgetters, Blake Schwarzenbach of Jawbreaker and Jets to Brazil's new band. This is where my story actually begins, i only felt it necessary to mention it being my birthday because I try and interject myself as much as I can into my musings. The first band, Pinko plays and is really bad. Granted this is their first show so I shouldn't be too hard on them but I honestly doubt they will get any better. There seems to be a formula to being in a bad band. All the guys in the band are really talented and the set begins with a ripping solo. Solo intros are probably only a good idea if you are Yngwie Malmsteen and even that is highly debatable. They spend the rest of the set switching between grunge, dead milkmen-esque ramblings, metal and as mentioned previously, solos.

The second band is One Another (ex Minority Party, Columns) which fits nicely on the bill with Forgetters. They have similarities to Jawbreaker but just pigeonholing them would do them no justice. Definitely shows that they are a newer band but I really think if they move in the direction of what I thought were there stronger songs then they would be really great. Definitely a breath of fresh air in Charlotte where punk bands tend to be either weird or heavy.




Next is Forgetters. I don't know what to expect. Some of my friends think it is going to sound like later Jets To Brazil and say they don't really care. I like Jets To Brazil but I can see what they mean. On a side note, Neil Hamburger performed stand-up across town so some people I would have expected to see aren't present. When do you get a chance to witness a punk legend everyday? Alright tangent done. So first the line-up... Along with having Mr. Schwarzenbach , Forgetters also showcases the talent of Against Me's first drummer, Kevin Mahon and bassist Carolina Paquita, who from what I saw at the show is a very talented artist. So the band starts playing and it sounds as you would expect a Schwarzenbach band to sound like. Their sound and tightness was astounding and from little snippets I could ascertain his lyrics are still top notch. He didn't really seem to sing with the faux British accent like in Jawbreaker so that was cool. I remember being like 13 years old and asked if I liked Jawbreaker and my response was, "Yeah, but I'm not really into British singers." I was scolded and soon realized that Mr. Schwarzenbach was not in fact British. Bollocks. The music that Forgetters play is darker than Jawbreaker in parts and definitely not as poppy as Jets. To me it fits somewhere in the middle of those two bands. They don't have anything recorded yet so you are going to have to take my word when I tell you that they are definitely a band worth checking out and if you like anything he has done in the past then you won't be let down. I hear they have a 7" coming out this spring so I will be eagerly waiting for it.

Now I must go back to studying for exams and hoping that I have the chops to do well enough on these exams to graduate on Saturday. Yikes!

(note: the forgetters photo is not at the milestone and until a photo surfaces this is as close as you'll get)

Dec. 9, 2009

Some things did not make it into the current issue of SELF AWARE so now we can keep you updated a little more. I'm going to try and update this often and just add a record review or short interview but don't expect too much because I am still a lazy bum.



Algernon Cadwallader @ The Silent Barn (8/2/09)





Recently I decided to go vacation in the Big Apple with my girlfriend of five years to celebrate our five years of dating. I know, congrats to anyone strong enough to stomach my idiocy for this long. While we were there we decided to try and catch some shows. We heard about two shows, one was Bridge and Tunnel and the other was Algernon Cadwallader. Since we had already seen Bridge and Tunnel we opted for the latter so we could go to a baseball game (GO METS!!!). The show was in Brooklyn so we had to take the metro. I knew we were getting close to Brooklyn because it seems like the people on the train were getting more hipsterish as we went on. We finally get there and walk to the show space. I’ve never been to Brooklyn but it reminded me of St. Louis in the movie Summer Vacation. I expected someone to steal rims off a car and spray paint “honky lips” on it.

The place is pretty well hidden but we manage to find it alright. We enter the place and its just like I would have imagined. An old storefront converted into a living area and also converted into a neat little area to host shows. The lighting is dark the smell is musky, it feels like all the places I’m used to playing, I was in love already. The first thing that I realize is the show is like 90 percent female. This is weird to me but may not be weird to you. All the shows I’m used to are all 90 percent male. While I am not used to gynocentric shows it is still nice to see and something that I wish there was more of. More people start piling into this small space and the place is packed and it is hot. No harm, I mean it is August.

The first band up, is called, if I remember correctly, Tania. They play repetitive dancey electro-punk, I’m not into it and since I am totally not into it, I lose interest in the show fast. After what seems like forever, the band ends and I learn that the next band is called, Songs for Moms. While they are setting up and while the first band was setting up I realize that New York bands must take forever to set up. Songs for Moms finally start and they are a lot better than the first band, everyone is shaking and singing along and it turns out to be a really awesome set. Think Andrew Jackson Jihad with an all female line-up and maybe not as jangly or nothing like that at all. Next is Algernon Cadwallader, from Philadelphia, who I was really stoked to see. They were just as amazing as I hoped and really suggest you going to see them if you get a chance. Lastly another all female band, the third that night to be exact, plays. They were called Each Other’s Mothers and it happened to be there reunion show. They also have a member of Bridge and Tunnel so that is cool. Sonically they were a mix of Algernon and the Fucking Champs. I might be saying FC because they were instrumental and rocked hard but whatever. Everyone is sweaty partying hard and the atmosphere, while being really smelly, is very positive.


It was good to see such positivity in this space and really hope that I can see more shows where more females attend. There is definitely a place for more women to participate in punk rock as more than an attachment for their boyfriends. These women at this space genuinely seemed to care about the bands and care about the scene. Later on that night, on my way back from the show back to my hostel in Manhattan, all of my positivity is dashed asunder while drinking Arizona Green Tea. I realize to my dismay that Arizona is not in fact made in Arizona it is made in New York. For such a great show this instance really ruined my night. Liars. (Joshua Robbins)

Self Aware Issue Five OUT NOW!!!

The new issue is now out.
paypal $4ppd to selfawarezine@gmail.com

Meth Mtn. "Gentrificat" CDEP

If you want the first CD Meth Mtn. (ex and current members of Obstruction, Lowbrow, and Within Reach) then here it is. This will not be repressed by the band so this is your only chance.

Track Info:

1) Apology
2) I Gave Up
3) Paradox
4) Pieces
5) Gentrifi-Cat

Download

Myspace

Things are going on.

I don't really update this that much so if you do stumble across this go to these sites instead.

http://www.selfaware.webs.com
http://www.myspace.com/selfawarezine
or
selfawarezine@gmail.com

Self-Aware Issue #3

It took awhile put the newest issue is finally out. If you want a copy just hit me up on jrobbins85@gmail.com. This issue wouldn't have been possible without the help of my awesome friend, West Hasty. Since Issue Two West has been helping me with layouts and making sure I get things done. The wrong truth is he does most of the work and I get the credit for it. Works for me.

So This issue features:

ANS/Seasick Interview
Fest 2008 article
Prisons essay
Lowbrow/Grids 10 questions
Best of 2008
and more...

I apologize for the holdup but I go to school and work. Keep checking back for updates.