Harley's War - "Harley's War 2012" CD Review (MVD Audio)

Cro-Mags/Harley’s War bassist/vocalist Harley Flanagan posted a new track, “Comfort the Children”, to YouTube in late 2008 but little was heard after that. Seemingly out of nowhere, Harley’s new disc, Harley’s War 2012 (MVD Audio), hit the streets earlier this month. There isn’t much in the way of liner notes with this release so I’m taking some guesses as to the source of this material.

The disc’s first five tracks are previously unreleased studio material that feature Ryan Krieger (Drums and Rhythm Guitars), Will Dahl (Rhythm Guitars and Leads), Sean Kilkenny (Rhythm Guitars and Leads) and Rocky George (Lead Guitars). Given this lineup toured with Harley’s War in 2007, I’m guessing that the band may have had an unreleased studio session in the can. The songs are a solid mix of NYHC and experimental (almost bordering on black) metal. “Life is a Struggle” and “Comfort the Children” sound like the early Cro-Mags and have “from the streets” lyrical themes. “Extinction”, “Purpose of Your Life” and “The End is Drawing Near” are dark-themed metal tracks which include Tibetan Monks “OM”, quotes from Floyd Red Crow Westerman and Maha Mantra from His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.



The next six tracks sound like a live rehearsal where the band touches on multiple point from the Cro-Mags back catalogue. The band sounds great and blasts from one song to the next – my only (minor) ‘complaint’ is that Harley’s vocals could have been better mic’d.
- “World Peace”
- “These Streets”
- “It’s the Limit”
- “My Life”
- “Street Justice”

The disc’s final tracks are from a live show recorded in Japan which I’m assuming this is from Harley’s 2007 tour. This recording appears to be from the soundboard as the crowd is only audible between the songs. The tracks on this segment are:
- “Survival of the Street”
- “Days of Confusion”
- “No Sympathy”
- “Premeditated”
- “Jones”
- “Hard Times”
- “Life of My Own”



It is great to see Harley back in action and these new studio tracks add to his legacy. One would assume that Harley will head out on the road once his first release for Southern Lord drops so the live and demo tracks serve as a good teaser for what is to come.

Links:
Harley Flanagan

Harley's War - "Hardcore All-Stars" CD/DVD Review (MVD Audio)

After the 2001 ‘break-up’ of the Cro-Mags, bassist/vocalist Harley Flanagan wasted no time going out with his solo project Harley’s War. Harley’s War’s first disc, entitled Cro-Mag, came out in 2002 and featured seven new tracks (which included a ‘who’s who’ of NYHC), four demos 1982-1983 (which include early versions of “Do Onto Others” and “Don’t Tread on Me”) and a live track from 1981 from the Stimulators.

In 2009, MVD reissued Cro-Mag as a CD/DVD set entitled Hardcore All-Stars. This reissue adds five additional studio tracks and a complete sixteen-track live show from the final hardcore matinee at CBGB (Oct. '06) but drops the Stimulators live track (which sounded a bit dodgy so no great loss).

Genre labels can be a dangerous thing…A number of reviews have called the Cro-Mags the “first cross-over band” but I always considered them strictly hardcore (and later metal). My definition of “cross-over” is the hip-hop/metal hybrid of bands like Biohazard and Anthrax. Getting back on point, the twelve new studio tracks on Harley’s Hardcore All-Stars CD capture the raw intensity of this hip-hop/metal crossover sound and Harley throws a bit of old-school punk and oi into the mix.

These new tracks features Harley on vocals and bass; ‘Crazy’ Jay Vento and Rocky George are the primary guitarists but Vinnie Stigma and Gabby Abularach (x-Cro Mags) guest on a couple of tracks; Ryan Krieger (x-Cro Mags) is on drums and Harley shares the mic with Micky Fitz (of The Business) on “Spirit of ‘77”. This later track also includes Vinnie Stigma and the band pays tribute to the Ramones with a chorus from “Blitzkrieg Bop”. This portion of the disc ends with the gang vocal sing-along on “NYHC X-mas”, which also features Vinnie Stigma along with Mike Gallo, Jimmy G. and Phil Calvano.



The next four tracks are demos from 1982-3 that feature Harley on all instruments and vocals and these tracks give an early look into the rage and power of the Cro-Mags. One can also hear the common theme of coming from “the streets” in Harley’s music from the early version of “Don’t Tread on Me” and the previously unreleased demo “Dead End Kids” to the newer tracks “Criminal” and “Who Survived”. The disc closes with a 16-track live performance from Oct. 2006 from the “final hardcore matinee” at CBGB (the video portion can be found as a bonus feature on the Cro-Mags “The Final Quarrel” DVD).

Harley’s War (new tracks):
• "Hardcore LAMF"
• "Nightmare"
• "You Don't Know"
• "Hardcore NYHC-OG"
• "Last Days"
• "Criminal for Life"
• "Parasite"
• "Spirit of '77"
• "Urban Screams (C-Squat)"
• "Scarred for Life"
• "Who Survived"
• "NYHC X-Mas"

1982 Demos:
• "Don't Tread on Me"
• "Wake Up (Do Unto Others)"
• "Dead End Kids"
• "Why Don't You"

CBGB, NYC Oct. ‘06:
• "Intro"
• "Signs of the Times"
• "World Peace"
• "Show You No Mercy"
• "Malfunction"
• "Days of Confusion"
• "Street Justice"
• "Survival of the Streets"
• "Don't Tread on Me"
• "Do Unto Others"
• "Last Days"
• "Crush the Demoniac"
• "It's the Limit"
• "Life of My Own"
• "Hard Times"
• "We Gotta Know

The real bonus is the DVD which includes high-quality live footage from CBGB along with an in-depth interview with Harley. The NYC live footage is classic – while Harley’s War featured a rotating line-up, most of the footage is split between a 2002 show where the lineup was Rocky George and "Crazy' Jazy Vento on guitar and Gary Sullivan on drums and the "Last Hardcore Matinee" show which took place in October 2006. Various special guests on some of the other footage include Vinnie Sitgma, Sean Kilkenny, John Joseph, Daryl Jennifer and Jorge Merauder.



The DVD also includes live footage from Germany and Japan, music videos for the songs “Hardcore” and “Who Survived” along with Harley reminiscing in CBGB post-closure (also found on The Final Quarrel DVD).

Live footage from various CBGB shows:
• "Death Camps"
• "Criminal"
• "Who Survived?"
• "Spirit of '77"
• "Urban Screams"
• "Down But Not Out"
• "Sign of the Times"
• "Regulator" (Bad Brains cover)
• "Life of My Own"
• "Can You Feel"
• "World Peace"
• "Malfunction"
• "Steal My Crown"

Remaining tracks Are From the "Last Hardcore Matinee" show:
• "Street Justice"
• "Survival of the Streets"
• "Don't Tread on Me"
• "It's the Limit"
• "Crush the Demoniac"
• "Life of My Own"
• "Hard Times"
• "We Gotta Know"
w/ Will 'Cavman' Dahl, Joe Affe, Walter Ryan and Craig Ahead (on two tracks)

Links:
Harley Flanagan

Cro-Mags: Buy a Ticket for John Joseph's Walking Tour, Get on the Guest List for Friday's Show at House of Vans

There is something fundamentally wrong when the two Cro-Mags websites [Paris' site is www.cro-mags.com and Harley's site is www.cromags.com] haven't been updated in years. While Paris' site was registered before the release of Revenge, I don't remember either site being active before the "final quarrel" in 2001 .

Anyway, the RSVP list for Friday's free Cro-Mags / Pissed Jeans / Fucked Up show at House of Vans in Brooklyn is full but John Joseph posted to Facebook earlier today "Do this SATURDAYS walking tour and get free VIP tix to sold out Cro-Mags show FRIDAY."

THE HISTORY OF ART, CRIME, DRUGS and PUNK ROCK ON THE LOWER EAST SIDE:

What was it about the Lower East Side that attracted so much talent and crime in the last 40 years? Since my early days of punk the summer of 1977 I’ve been exposed of the best music and the worst crime. Everything from Max’s Kansas City to the Alphabet City Butcher Daniel Rackowitz who lived right above me and killed his girlfriend, chopped her up and fed her to the homeless in Tompkins Square Park. I was also in that park when the riot of 1989 kicked off and I played one of the last shows at CBGB’s.

Most people walking around on the Lower East Side today with its trendy boutiques and coffee shops have no idea of its history, the great music and violence that has always co-existed side by side down here. I’ll take you to the punk clubs, gang hangouts and drug spots where some of the craziest things went down. It’s a first hand account from someone who was immersed in the danger having myself grown up on the streets of NYC since the age of 14. I guarantee you it will be a true punk rock & crime history lesson from someone who was there way back then and is still here.

We will drop by the famous CBGB’s location where The Ramones and so many other legendary punk bands started. We’ll walk by Great Gildersleeves where the Hells Angels regularly ran people over on their motorcycles. Stroll down memory lane at Saint Marks Place passing Trash and Vaudeville (punk store), the Electric Circus where the likes of Bad Brains, Crass, and so many others jammed. All the while telling you my anecdotes and funny stories of the crazy shit I’ve seen go down. Then Tompkins Sq Park, giving first hand knowledge of the areas events. We’ll even hit MANITOBAS for Bob Gruen's famous Punk Rock photo exhibit before we go by the Ritz (now Webster Hall) and Irving Plaza where so many great bands like Black Flag, Bad Brains, Circle Jerks, Motorhead (first US gig), The Damned, Buzzcocks and where the late punk-rocker John Belushi slam danced his nights away. Finally our last stops on the tour will be Max's Kansas City where we end in Union Sq Park discussing the area and what is what like. Drugs, hookers, violence, the Palladium where The Clash's London Calling album cover was taken and many great bands played. Ever heard of Julien's Pool Hall? The porno theaters where I’d sleep in the dead of winter for 50 cents a night and the Gramercy Park Boxing Gym (now PC Richard’s) where my old man and many world Champions boxed. The bottom line is, whether you’re a seasoned New Yorker or someone visiting the city on vacation, this tour is not to be missed. I can guarantee you it will be a memorable experience.
Hosted by John Joseph

Links:
Rocks Off Walking Tour (Tickets are $35)
John Joseph

Cro-Mags - "The Final Quarrel: Live at CBGB 2001" DVD Review (MVD Visual)

The latest incarnation of the Cro-Mags (with John Joseph and Mackie Jayson) have been touring pretty regularly over the last few years and it seems hard to believe that it had now been twenty-five years since the release of Age of Quarrel. I’ve read some recent interviews where John has been talking about recording a new Cro-Mags disc which should prove to be interesting as the band’s last recorded legacy was the “final quarrel” show that John, Harley and Doug played at CBGB back in May 2001 under the moniker Street Justice.

To give some background for this show, Harley & Parris (along with Rocky George and Gary Sullivan) released the Cro-Mags final studio disc Revenge (2000) but a major falling out between Harley and Parris resulted in Parris breaking up the band. The Revenge lineup reunited the following year with John Joseph and Doug Holland and started touring in support of Soul Brains (the reunited Bad Brains). Former rhythm guitarist Parris Mayhew attempt to stop this lineup of the band from calling themselves the Cro-Mags (see segment of Parris’ posted quote below) so I can’t remember whether the band was playing CBs as a ‘secret show’ or if this was to avoid Parris’ threatened lawsuits.

"This recent attempt to perpetrate fraud on the fans was easily stopped with the friendly notification to the venues involved in the SOUL BRAINS tour, that the use of the name CRO-MAGS was not permitted by the owner. As of today, most of the venues are voluntarily pulling any current advertisements using the name CRO-MAGS. Their reaction to the issue was apologetic and immediate. They knew and recognized the ethical and legal position they were being deceived into being put in and expressed their shock and regrets.” – Parris Mayhew ‘01

Taking a look back at the Street Justice / Cro-Mags show, this video does a solid job of capturing the vibe and experience of a Cro-Mags show. The band rips through almost the entirety of Age of Quarrel, substituting “Everybody’s Gonna’ Die” (from the band’s 1985 demo) for “Seekers of the Truth” and adding a breakneck cover of “Blitzkrieg Bop”. Both Rocky and Gary are solid players in their own right, so the absence of Parris and Mackie isn’t that noticeable.

The show is filmed with a single camera from above the crowd so I'd have to guess this was filmed from the soundboard loft. The sound is clear but the mix is "off" as Gary Sullivan's drums and Rocky's guitar are too high in the mix while John's vocals are too low. The reality though is that none of this matters as the Cro-Mags were all about aggression, energy and attitude (which is well documented here) and this is what they sounded like from the crowd on any given night.



Included as a bonus feature on the disc is a full set from Harley’s War which was filmed during the final days of CBGB at the “last hardcore matinee” (where the bill also included Agnostic Front,Murphy's Law and Sick Of It All). The show is well filmed and looks and sounds great. Harley is a solid front-man with a great voice for the music and Craig Ahead (from SOIA) joined the band for "Hard Times". The set includes a mix of Cro-Mags songs and tracks from Harley’s War debut CD. Here is the full track list:

1 – Intro > Sign of the Times
2 - World Peace
3 - Show You No Mercy
4 - Malfunction
6 - Days of Confusion
7 - Street Justice
8 - Survival of the Streets
9 - Don't Tread on Me
10 - Do Onto Others
11 - Fuck the Middle East
12 - Down But Not Out
13 - It's The Limit
14 - Crush the Demonic
15 - Life of My Own
16 - Hard Times
17 - We Gotta Know



Other bonus features include Harley giving a tour of post-closure CBGB, Harley and his son in a pre-show warm-up and two live videos ("Life On My Own", "Down But Not Out") from 2002 when Harley's War first got started.

From this corner, I’d love to see one final Cro-Mags tour with the AoQ lineup. Harley’s been trying to bury the long-standing beef between band members but it sounds the likelihood of a full reunion is comparable to “hell freezing over”. A couple years back Harley posted: "Growin' up everyone has favorite bands that break up, and as fans, everyone always wishes they would reform or do a tour, and the fans don't care about the beefs, they just want the band back together. Very seldom do you have the opportunity to make a lot of people happy with one simple act. But unfortunately, it is not all that simple. People have a hard time growing up and old beefs die hard.”

One can always hope though….

Links:
Harley's Cro-Mags Site
Parris' Cro-Mags Site
John's Cro-Mags Site

Baptists - Self-Titled 7" Review (Southern Lord)

STREAM: Baptists - "Good Parenting"
(RIAA Weenies - Link is posted on the band's Facebook page - Buzz off!!)

Vancouver four-piece hardcore band Baptists just released their self-titled debut 7” for Southern Lord. Baptists is a fairly new band, having formed in 2010, but is comprised of long-time veterans of the Vancouver hardcore scene. Members have had stints in bands that include Ladyhawk, Sports and A Textbook Tragedy. This new four-track (12 min.) single is raw, aggressive hardcore played in the style of bands like Converge and the Cro-Mags.

In a recent interview with Discorder Magazine, the band talked about putting out this record on Southern Lord:

Discorder: How did Baptists come to put out a record on Southern Lord?

Danny: We got a MySpace message from Southern Lord. We never used our MySpace.

John: I thought it was a hoax.

Danny: We kind of did until it [the record] was in our hands. Greg [Anderson] from Southern Lord messaged us and told us to email him and [said] they’d be into doing something. We had these four songs recorded that we just basically recorded before Nick went on tour for two months so we didn’t forget them. Ya, I don’t know, we sent him those songs and he said he’d put them on a record.

After dropping the needle onto the 7”, the first track, “Good Parenting”, sets the tone and kicks off with a wave of grinding distortion prior to vocalist Andrew Drury unleashing his shrieking bark. Across this single, the guitars grind and chug but keep things off-balance by sneaking in some winding, melodic leads. Nick aggressively pummels the drums and John locks onto the beat with his bass.

This is no-frills hardcore that will strike a familiar and positive chord with fans of the bands that came out of the 80’s/90’s East Coast hardcore scene. There is enough anger in these tracks to be a flashpoint for the mosh pit but there is enough substance in the band’s music to keep the tracks memorable.

Baptists' debut single is available on limited-edition splattered grey wax (ltd. to 300) for $5 through Southern Lord's webstore.

Links:
Baptists

The Stimulators - "Loud Fast Rules!" CD Review (ROIR)

In 1977, after hearing The Damned, Motorhead and The Clash, guitarist Denise Mercedes returned from London and decided to start her own band. She recruited LES poet Patrick Mack on guitar and vocals, artist and fashionista Nick Marden on bass and, after trying out the likes of Jerry Nolan (Heartbreakers, NY Dolls) and Johnny Blitz (Dead Boys) on drums, settled on a then 11 year-old Harley Flanagan (Cro-Mags, Harley’s War). Soon the Stims gained a rabid fan club of the youngest rock ‘n’ rollers in the city and became regulars at legendary clubs like Max’s Kansas City, CBGB’s and Danceteria, sharing bills with bands like Richard Hell & The Voidoids, Bad Brains, Suicide, B-52s and The Cramps.

The Stimulators' Loud Fast Rules! was one of the early ROIR cassette-only releases which has finally been reissued on CD. The band played shows around the world from '77 - '81 (along with a brief reunion at one of the "Save CBGB" shows) and this CD captures a live show recorded at The Pier in Raleigh in 1981.

Given the involvement of Harley Flanagan, I was expecting The Stimulators to be a hardcore band but, interestingly enough, the band plays melodic, semi-chaotic punk (which was later called 'post-hardcore' when this style of music took hold in the mid-80's). Points of comparison would be the art-punk sounds of early Gang of Four crossed with the pre-goth melodic punk sounds of The Damned. Adding to the mix, the band makes a few well-executed forays into reggae. While the post-harDCore Washington, DC crews popularized the mix of reggae and punk, The Stimulators pre-date bands like Scream and Dag Nasty by a number of year and may have served as a source of influence for these later groups.

Last Fast Rules! isn't a high-fidelity recording but it is a reasonable sounding live recording that does a great job of capturing the band's energy. The Stimulators blast through twelve originals (and Harley co-wrote a couple of these tracks) along with covers of Kiss' " Rock 'N' Roll All Night" and Iggy's "I've Got a Right". Prior to listening to this recording, I hadn't appreciated that Harley is a pretty solid drummer in his own right.

In addition to this live recording, The Simulators only other documented recording is an impossible-to-find 7" which contains studio recordings of "Loud Fast Rules!" and "Run Run Run".



For anyone interested in Harley's rapid evolution from punk to hardcore, last year's Harley's War - Hardcore All-Stars (MVD) set contains Harley's 1982 solo demos, some of which later ended up on Age of Quarrel.

Links:
Cro-Mags (Harley's site - with picture of The Stimulators at Max's)
The Stimulators

Suicidal Tendencies: Interview with Guitarist Mike Clark // Show at Terminal 5 on Nov. 14th

Last week, I had the opportunity to talk with Suicidal Tendencies / No Mercy guitarist Mike Clark.

This is a busy time for the band as they just released their first new disc in ten years, No Mercy Fool! / The Suicidal Family and are kicking off a coast-to-coast tour that starts next month. I talked with Mike about the new disc, which consists of re-recordings of Join the Army and No Mercy (Muir and Clark's thrash metal project) tunes along with the hard to find track "Come Alive" (from the 2008 Year of the Cycos tour CD). Mike shared that the band's long awaited new studio album is finally finished and due out in January of next year. Suicidal Tendencies will be previewing tracks from this forthcoming album on the current tour.

DOWNLOAD: Interview with Suicidal Tendencies guitarist Mike Clark (MP3)

The local area is at Terminal 5 and Suicidal Tendencies are playing with the Cro-Mags and Underdog. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 (DOS) and the show is all ages.

Suicidal Tendencies Tour Dates:
Fri/Oct-15 -- Reno, NV, Knitting Factory
Sat/Oct-16 -- Portland, OR, Roseland
Sun/Oct-17 -- Seattle, WA, Showbox
Wed/Oct-20 -- San Francisco, CA, Fillmore
Fri/Oct-22 -- Las Vegas, NV, House of Blues
Sat/Oct-23 -- Phoenix, AZ, Fear Farm
Tue/Oct-26 -- Colorado Springs, CO, Black Sheep
Fri/Oct-29 -- Detroit, MI, Harpos
Sat/Oct-30 -- Milwaukee, WI, Eagles
Sun/Oct-31 -- Cleveland, OH, Peabodys
Tue/Nov-02 -- St. Louis, MO, Pops
Thu/Nov-04 -- Houston, TX, Meridien
Sat/Nov-06 -- Dallas, TX, Palladium Showroom
Sun/Nov-07 -- Austin, TX , Fun Fun Fun Fest
Tue/Nov-09 -- Tampa, FL, State Theatre
Wed/Nov-10 -- Orlando, FL, Firestone
Fri/Nov-12 -- Washington, DC, 9:30 Club
Sat/Nov-13 -- Worcester, MA, Palladium
Sun/Nov- 14 -- NYC, Terminal 5
Wed/Nov-17 -- Chicago, IL, Metro
Thu/Nov-18 -- Minneapolis, MN, Cabooze
Sat/Nov-20 -- Denver, CO, Summit
Sun/Nov-21 -- Albuquerque, NM, Sunshine Theatre

Links:
Suicidal Tendencies

Nails (Southern Lord) Kicks off US Tour // Show at Europa on Sept. 23rd

New Southern Lord signees Nails are kicking off a US tour this month which stops at Europa on Sept. 23rd. On the bill with Nails are Venomous Concept and Strong Intention. Tickets are $12 and the show is all ages.

NAILS’ music is beyond brutality; filthy, vicious and raw. Imagine a cross between the good Amrep bands of the nineties (Helmet, Hammerhead, Today is The Day, Unsane) and Cro-Mags Age of Quarrel riffage played at breakneck speeds. Their epic battle cry Unsilent Death was recorded during the cold winter of 2009 at Kurt Ballou’s (Converge, Trap Them, Disfear, Black Breath) Godcity Recording Studio. The CD version of Unsilent Death was originally released in very limited quantities by Six Feet Under records. The LP version was self released by the band on the band’s own Streetcleaner label and quickly sold through the 1000 piece pressing. Southern Lord is extremely honored to pick up the torch of this album and let it burn brightly through many more countless battles!

With plans already in place to record a new release for Southern Lord in early 2011, the NAILS crew will spend the rest of this year on the road. As previously announced, the band will take part in the Southern Lord-sponsored The Power Of The Riff Festival in Los Angeles on August 8th alongside Goatsnake, Black Breath, From Ashes Rise, Repulsion, the Animosity-era lineup of Corrosion of Conformity and countless more. In early September they embark on a cross-country rampage that will last over a month, including five dates opening for Venomous Concept.



NAILS September/October 2010 Tour:
9/05/2010 Nile Front Room - Mesa, AZ
9/06/2010 10756 Limas - El Paso, TX
9/07/2010 Ten Eleven - San Antonio, TX
9/08/2010 Red 7 - Austin, TX
9/09/2010 The Nightmare - Dallas, TX
9/10/2010 Downtown Music - Little Rock, AR
9/11/2010 The Roxy - West Hollywood, CA w/ Trash Talk, Magrudergrind
9/12/2010 Firehouse - Birmingham, AL
9/13/2010 585 Wells - Atlanta, GA
9/14/2010 Talent Farm - Pembroke Pines, FL
9/15/2010 Transitions - Tampa, FL
9/16/2010 Warehouse 8B - Jacksonville, FL
9/17/2010 Legitmate Business - Greensboro, NC
9/18/2010 Daniels Pub - Cincinnati, OH
9/19/2010 Dojo - Indianapolis, IN
9/20/2010 Double Door - Chicago, IL w/ Venomous Concept
9/21/2010 Blondie’s - Detroit, MI w/ Venomous Concept
9/22/2010 Sonar - Baltimore, MD w/ Venomous Concept
9/23/2010 Europa - Brooklyn, NY w/ Venomous Concept, Strong Intention
9/24/2010 Katacombes - Montreal, QC w/ Venomous Concept
9/25/2010 Sneaky Dees - Toronto, ON w/ Venomous Concept
9/26/2010 242 Main - Burlington, VT
9/27/2010 Bogies - Albany, NY
9/28/2010 *TBA - Philadelphia, PA
9/29/2010 Lilly’s Pad - New Haven, CT
9/30/2010 The Church - Cleveland, OH
10/01/2010 Mickey Finn’s - Toledo, OH
10/02/2010 1108 Main - Cedar Falls, IA
10/03/2010 The Beat - Minneapolis, MN
10/04/2010 Scion Lab - Kansas City, MO
10/05/2010 Blast O Mat - Denver, CO
10/08/2010 Che Café - San Diego, CA
10/09/2010 Sub Mission - San Francisco, CA
10/10/2010 The CYC - Fresno, CA
10/30/2010 Troubadour - Hollywood, CA

Links:
Nails

Cro-Mags, Murphys Law and H20 Play Rocks Off Concert Cruise Shows in August (NYHC)

STREAM: Murphy's Law - "Don't Bother Me" Live

Rocks Off has a number of NYHC bands playing this month as part of their Concert Cruise series. "The Rocks Off Concert Cruise is a 3-hour tour through New York Harbor with Bands, Booze, Bridges and great times."

August 11th, 8PM
Cro-Mags
Rocks Off Concert Cruise Aboard The Temptress
Pier 81 – W 41st St and West Side Highway
$30/$35 (DOS)

August 12th, 8PM
Murphy's Law
Rocks Off Concert Cruise Aboard The Jewel
E. 23rd St. & FDR Dr.
$20/$25 (DOS)

August 22nd, 7PM
H2O
Rocks Off Concert Cruise Aboard The Temptress
Pier 81 – W 41st St and West Side Highway
$29.99/$35 (DOS)

Links:
Upcoming Rocks Off Concerts

Cro-Mags "Alpha Omega" (1992) CD To Be Reissued on Divebomb Records

I'm probably in the minority as I still think this is a pretty good disc. This was the Cro-Mags third disc and the sound is firmly in the crossover thrash genre. While detractors moan about how the band had moved away from the NYHC sound of The Age of Quarrel, crossover thrash was red-hot at this time. Biohazard released Urban Discipline in 1992 and the sound reached the mainstream the following year with the Judgement Night soundtrack.

Divebomb Records has partnered up with Century Media Records to reissue one of the most overlooked crossover albums ever, CRO-MAGS’ Alpha Omega. Only 1000 CDs will be pressed up for this special reissue. Since the original release of Alpha Omega in 1992, its creative origins have been long argued amongst the band members, and with so many turbulent rumors floating about it’s no wonder this record has neither been properly understood nor – even worse – acknowledged by many Cro-Mags fans.

Reissue highlights:
- New introduction by Andrew of Aversionline.com
- Contains bonus music video
- Out of print for years
- Limited Edition of 1,000 (CD ONLY)
- Remastered by Jamie King (May 2010)

Tracklist:
01 See The Signs
02 Eyes Of Tomorrow
03 The Other Side Of Madness (Revenge)
04 Apocalypse Now
05 The Paths Of Perfection
06 Victims
07 VII
08 Kuruksetra
09 Changes
+ The Paths Of Perfection (Music Video)



Divebomb Records has a pre-order going now till 7/13 which includes free shipping.

You can read both Harley and Paris' views on Alpha Omega at the sites below.

Links:
Cro-Mags (Harley's Website)
Cro-Mags (Paris' Website)

John Joseph Will Release New Novel, 'Meat is for P*ssies', in December (Punk House)

In Summer '08, I interviewed John Joseph when his first book "Evolution of a Cro-Magnon" was just released. In the interview, John mentioned that he was working on a new book entitled "Meat is for P*ssies". The new book is now finished and it will be out this December (PunkHouse).

John just gave a detailed interview to Examiner.com on the new book, an upcoming reality show and more.



Links:
John Joseph's MySpace Page

John Joseph (Bloodclot/Cro-Mags) is Doing a Spoken Word Show at Webster Hall

Cro-Mags/FVK/Bloodclot (and occasional Bad Brains) frontman John Joseph is kicking off a spoken word tour next week. The NYC show is at The Studio @ Webster Hall on Saturday, Feb. 21st. Admission is $10 and the show starts at 7PM.

For anyone who (correctly) thinks that Rollins' spoken word tours get lamer by year, John is still the real deal. I saw him read from his book, "Evolution of a Cro-Magnon", last summer and he still knows how to hold the attention of everyone in the room.



Here are the upcoming spoken word tour dates:
Fri/​Feb-​20 - Phila​delph​ia,​ PA @ THE KHYBE​R.​
Doors​ @ 7:​00/​SHOW 8:00

Sat/​Feb-​21 - New York,​ NY @ WEBST​ER HALL(​THE STUDI​O)​ .
Doors @ 6:​00/​ SHOW 7:00

Sun/​Feb-​22 - Washi​ngton​ DC @ BLACK​ CAT.
Doors @​ 8:​00/​SHOW 8:30

Mon/​Feb-​23 Alban​y,​ NY @ THE LINDA​.​
Doors @ 7:​00/​ SHOW 8:00

Tue/​Feb-​24 - Cambr​idge,​ MA @ THE MIDDL​E EAST
Doors @ 7:​00/​SHOW 7:30

Links:
Bloodclot's MySpace Profile
The Cro-Mags MySpace Profile

John Joseph and the Cro-Mags Play the Knitting Factory on Dec. 28th

John and crew are playing a Cro-Mags jam at one of the last nights of the Knitting Factory. John will be playing with Mackie, AJ (from Leeway), and Craig (from Sick of It All). Also on the bill is Wisdom in Chains, Laws of Gravity and Trapped Under Ice.

Tickets are $15 and doors are at 5:30PM.

John Joseph: Playing Cro-Mags Set at Dr. Tom/Walter Ryan Benefit Show + Second Video from Book Reading at The Delancey

On September 27th, the NYHC is coming together for a benefit show at Studio B for Dr. Tom and Walter Ryan (Subzero/Merauder). John Joseph is playing a Cro-Mags set and other bands on the bill include Sick of It All, Jasta and Murphy's Law.

The NYHC community has always come together to help out someone in need and, from what I've heard, Dr. Tom and "Monsta" Ryan really need our support. Come on out to the show, sign up for Moli (click on the poster), make a donation. Every bit helps...



While on the subject on John (Joseph)...I finally located a misplaced video where I filmed some of John's book reading at The Delancey back in June.



If anybody missed it, I also did an interview with John before his book reading (see previous post).

Links:
John Joseph's MySpace Profile

John Joseph: Book Release Party Interview, NYC, 6/19/08 (Cro-Mags, F.V.K., Bloodclot)

Last Thursday, John Joseph, vocalist for many of the great NYHC bands (Cro-Mags, F.V.K., Bad Brains, Bloodclot, etc.), had a book release party for his new book at The Delancey. John's new book is an autobiography entitled "The Evolution of a Cro-Magnon" and is available from www.punkhouse.org.

I had a chance to catch up with John at the beginning of the night and talked with him about the new book, his new band Bloodclot, his views on the current musical and cultural scene and his plans for the future.



John also did a book reading this night (second video to follow) and played a full Cro-Mags set.

Links:
PunkHouse.Org
John Joseph's MySpace Profile
Bloodclot's MySpace Profile

John Joseph (Cro-Mags) Schedules Book Release Party and Live Show

Former Cro-Mag and current Bloodclot vocalist John Joseph has scheduled a book release party and live show on Thursday, June 19th at The Delancey. John is going to be reading from his recently published auto-biography "The Evolution of a Cro-Magnon" (Punk House Books)and playing a live set of Cro-Mags and Fearless Vampire Killers tunes with an 'all star band'. (It would be great to see some of the Bad Brains turn up for this)

The reading and vegeterian food (from John's Krishna Temple) are free but it is a $5.00 donation to see the band play. All proceeds are going to Food Relief for the Homeless.

Links:
John Joseph's MySpace profile
The Delancey

Mackie Jayson Joins Madball

Mackie is one of my favorite hardcore drummers.

This announcement was posted to Madball's MySpace page yesterday:

We’re sad to announce that after 6 years with the band, our drummer Rigg Ross will be moving on. We’d like to wish him all the best for the future, and he will have our love and respect forever.

At the same time, we’d like to welcome Mackie Jayson (former Cro-Mags, Bad Brains) to the band. We look forward to playing our first shows with him later this month. See you all soon!

Unfortunately, Madball doesn't have any area shows scheduled at this time.

John Joseph (Cro-Mags/Bloodclot) Reading and Book Signing Tomorrow at Generation Records

Bloodclot/Cro-Mags front-man, John Joseph will be reading from and signing his new book "Evolution of a Cro-Magnon" tomorrow night at 8PM.

This is at Generation Records which is located at 210 Thompson Street.

Bloodclot plays Club Highline with Sick of it All on February 9th and L'Amour on February 17th.

New CD/DVD Releases for this Week

There are a couple of interesting releases this week:

Angels of Light - We Are Him
The latest release from Michael Gira's post-Swans band. I've loved all of the past Angels releases and the early press on the release has given it great reviews.

"We Are Him is the most assured and relaxed Angels of Light album since the debut, and deserves to be considered alongside Gira's highest peaks. The frightening rage of old Swans surfaces several times, albeit in more bucolic clothing; the contrast is bracing. Lyrically Gira's constantly in-pocket, addressing his subjects with renewed agility, but also in a very relaxed voice; if De Sade had lived long enough to tell folk tales around a campfire, some of them might have sounded like this. The genuinely playful orchestration - banjos? horns? chimes? slide? check – is by turns charming and perverse, and has a band-of-brethren feel to it that's both ominous and exiting. The title track is like a pure shot of adrenaline. An intimate, unexpected masterpiece." - John Darnielle/The Mountain Goats

Blue Cheer - What Doesn't Kill You (CD)
Who would have thought that Blue Cheer would still be touring and recording after 40 years? I believe this to be the band's first studio recording since 1991's Dining With Sharks. The band put on a great live show at NorthSix about a year or so ago so I would expect this to be a great disc.

Cro-Mags: The Final Quarrel - Live at CBGB (DVD)
MVD has put out some pretty interesting stuff documenting the NYHC scene and this is no exception. This DVD captures the final Cro-Mags show (with both John Joseph and Harley Flanagan) at CBGB in 2001. As a bonus features, Amazon says that the disc includes a full set from Harley's War, Harley Flannigan's post Cro-Mags band.

Heaven & Hell - Live from Radio City Music Hall
Dio-era Sabbath captured live on March 30, 2007 at Radio City Music Hall. This has been released as a 2-CD set and a (separately sold) DVD. Both this tour and this particular show got stellar reviews -- 'nuff said.

Killswitch Engage - "As Daylight Dies" (CD/DVD)
The CD came out a month ago and is now being reissued with a bonus DVD and four bonus audio tracks. (I'd be p*ssed if I bought this a month ago). The DVD contains:
"My Curse" video
Making of "My Curse" video
"The Arms of Sorrow" video
Making of the "The Arms of Sorrow" video
"Holy Diver" video (Dio Cover)

and the bonus tracks on the CD are:
Be One
Let the Bridges Burn
This Fire
Holy Diver

Pink Floyd - Piper at the Gates of Dawn (CD)
There is both a 2-disc and a 3-disc version of the 40th anniversary edition of the first Pink Floyd release (w/ Syd Barrett).

The two disc version contains both the stereo and mono versions of Piper. The three disc version contains the same stereo/mono Piper discs plus a third disc of bonus tracks. The bonus track include all the Pink Floyd singles from 1967, ('Arnold Layne', 'See Emily Play', and 'Apples And Oranges'), plus the B sides 'Candy And A Current Bun' and 'Paintbox'. Other tracks are a version of 'Interstellar Overdrive' - previously only available on an EP in France - and the 1967 stereo version of 'Apples And Oranges'.

Bloodclot Makes Its NYC Debut at Knitting Factory on July 29th

NYHC is alive and well...

With Bloodclot consisting of singer John Joseph (x-CRO-MAGS), drummer Danny Schuler (x-BIOHAZARD, bassist Rick Lopez (x-MERAUDER) and guitarist Scott Roberts (x-CRO-MAGS, BIOHAZARD, and THE SPUDMONSTERS), this should be a great show.

The show isn't up on the Knitting Factory website yet so no word on ticket prices or other bands on the bill.

Vinny Stigma is playing the Rumblers CC annual Kustom Kills & Hot Rod Thrills show on August 24th. The show is in Williamsburg in the space under the BQE @ Union Ave. Other bands playing include The Disasters, Murphy's Law, Turbo ACs, and Electric Frankenstein!

Lastly, Agnostic Front are playing two shows in the area next month:

Aug 1 - Hoboken, NJ - Maxwells
Aug 3 - Brooklyn, NY - Cha Chas on Coney Island