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)