Drew Smith of Burn Burn Burn talks touring, new releases, and what got them here.

We've talked about Burn Burn Burn before. Our first real article was a review of their "This Machine" EP. We did an interview with their guitar player, Adam! France, about his solo tour. Their founding guitar player, Garrett Griebel (who is currently living on the other side of the country), runs City Bear Design and has done a lot of our graphic design work. It's safe to say we're friends. The coverage they've received here is not without merit, however. They deserve all the publicity they can get.

It's great seeing a band play so many shows, release so much material, and still manage to be kind of silly. They've got a T-shirt with a slain Jar Jar Binx, proclaiming "Death to the Prequels!" They're calling their next romp down the coast "the Pickle Back to the Future Tour." These guys are real folks, who love punk, pickle-backs, and nerd culture.

I did a phone interview with Drew Smith to talk about that tour, which starts this Wednesday. Drew is an interesting guy who has worked with the Assasinators and the Americommies previously. Luckily it was kinda early when we had our chat and neither of us were too fucked up to share some good words.

Our conversation was out of order. I'm not good about writing up questions before an interview. I'm not great with professionalism either. The interview was full of nonsense and it was hard to find the important stuff and put it in order. That being said, I did it, and I think I did it well.

Burn Burn Burn got started when Drew decided he wanted to pursue a cleaner sounding project. He'd been hanging out with John, their founding drummer, a lot. Drew would scream into the mic, while playing three chords over John's drumming. At the time, Drew was a little more shaky and atonal in terms of his vocal styling. When I brought it up, he responded with, "I didn't know what the hell I was doing, I still don't know what the hell I'm doing. All I wanted to be like, and all I ever want to be like, is Fat Mike; when it comes to funny stage banter. Trying to implement that is the worst idea ever because, no matter what, you're not Fat Mike and you're not going to be a funny drunk douche bag. You're just going to be a drunk douche bag."

In the beginning Burn was a four piece. It was Drew, Chris Daniels, John Taylor, and Garrett Griebel. Travis Rimby (of CLR fame) quickly replaced Chris on the bass. That didn't last too incredibly long, and bass powerhouse, Benny Iler has been holding it down ever since. More recently, the band members have switched out a lot. John quit the band about a week before they recorded "This Machine," about a month before their nation-wide "Life is Tight Tour." Garret took over the drums for the EP, making his contributions to the final product total out to lead guitars, drums, and graphic design. Drew explained, "He's a magical ginger. He's like a leprechaun, but really tall." They had a friend from San Diego fill in on "Life is Tight," and since they got back, Ian Walter of Generation Decline has joined on drums. With Garret on the east coast, Adam has taken over lead guitar duties, while Brett Wood from On the Ground is filling in on rhythm guitar.

The new tour is equal parts promotion for the new split and a sheer need to be on the road. "Our split with Stabbed in the Back is supposed to be released right around this time. With vinyl it's always so up in the air. It might show up by the time we leave for tour, it might not. It's really cutting it. Either way, we're basically touring just because we're a band. We've got the itch and we need to. It's not the only tour we'll be doing this year anyway. Instead of doing a crazy 11 week one, like we did last year, I think we're gonna split them up and kinda regionalize it. Probably every other month, we'll just do a 2 or 3 week tour and go in different directions. If we don't have the split by this tour, we'll have it by the next tour." 

The funny thing about the split is, the Burn Burn Burn tracks were recorded before "This Machine." Drew said they were recorded for a different split that never happened. "[The tracks] were recorded, I think a month before we recorded 'This Machine.' It was supposed to be on a split with another band. With vinyl it already takes forever and that band still needed to record their's. Long story short, they broke up and became another band. We were just like 'Okaaaay. We've still got these split tracks. Who wants to be on a split with us?' So, it's going to be with Stabbed in the Back. We're super excited, because those guys are super awesome."

This tour is really exciting. The west coast is pretty easy for these guys. It's going to be a lot of meeting up with old friends. "The last tour, we toured the whole nation. Pretty much everything was foreign to us. Except the west coast and Montana. So, this will be a piece of cake." They've got a lot of great bands on bills while on this tour. It was nice to hear someone so excited about their craft and the opportunity to practice it among other masters.  "I'm most excited to play with Western Settings. They're based out of San Diego. We're playing with them on our San Diego and Tijuana dates. We're playing with the Briefs in Bellingham, SNFU and Nihilist Cunt in Reno, and our homecoming show is with a Wilhelm Scream."

Getting to play with bands you've followed for years seems like the perfect payoff, but when asked about the most rewarding part of being in a touring band, Drew said, "Honestly, it's knowing it was all done because of you. Being a touring band at this level, you get the least amount of help from anybody. Whatever satisfaction you get out of it, it's all because of the work you put into it." When I asked if he thought bands with managers lost out on some of that satisfaction, he replied, "It depends on what level they're at. You can quote me on this, if they're in a local band and they have a fucking manager, they're lame asses. One: you're not going to appreciate anything you get, and two: you have no idea how to do anything. Do you know how easy it is to book shows locally? Try booking a tour. It's hard as shit. Now, if they have a national tour booker, that's some next level shit. I don't condone or condemn any band that does that. If we got offered that, I'm not sure if we'd take it or not."

Drew's been booking the tour himself and their label, La Escalera, is providing records to sell, making sure Burn can do all they need to on tour. I was interested in how that union came to be. Drew filled me in on the strange circumstances surrounding the summer that lead to getting signed. "La Escalera signed us right after we recorded 'This Machine.' It's kind of weird how everything went down. We had a really messy summer. It's a really long story but, we got asked to play this festival in Montana and everyone got really excited." Talk of the drive lead one of the band members to suggest a national tour. " 'We should just tour the whole country and keep the drives down to four hours' I'm doing the math in my head. I'm like, 'We'd be gone for like three months!' He said, 'We could just book from the road.' I'm like, 'We? You don't know how to do this! You mean, I book all the shows from the road?'" When all was said and done, that guy quit before the album got recorded. After Drew was a month into booking the tour already. So they went ahead and announced the tour anyway. Drew told me that La Escalera contacted them and asked, "What's up with this new release? Do you need some one to release it?" La Escalera puts out the Loss, Success, Random Orbits... It's an amazing independent label. What a great fit and an amazing opportunity.

Burn Burn Burn has a lot going for it. They're signed to great label, they've managed to survive through countless member changes, and their recent releases have been gracing my playlists (and I'm sure countless other people's) for the last year or more. If you get a chance, head on out to one of their tour dates. New merch and a solid line-up are sure to make it worth your time, even if you've seen them before. It starts on Wednesday, May 28th in Burien, WA. For more information visit their Facebook and Bandcamp pages.

"PICKLEBACK TO THE FUTURE TOUR 2014"

May 28th Burien, Wa - Black Zia Cantina

May 29th Bellingham, Wa - Make.Shift w/ The Briefs

May 30th Olympia, Wa - Trackhouse

May 31st Prineville, Or - Cinnabar Lounge w/ tuck and roll

June 1st Reno, Nv - Jub Jub's Thirst Parlor *free show* After SNFU

June 2nd Sacramento, Ca - Cafe Colonial

June 3rd Hemet, Ca - The Wheelhouse Bar w/ Slow Children

June 4th Los Angeles, Ca - The Redwood Bar

June 5th San Diego, Ca - The Tower Bar

June 6th Tijuana, Mx - El Tigre Bar

June 7th Oakland, Ca - Stork Club

June 8th Chico, Ca - The Hundredth Monkey Cafe

June 9th Portland, Or - Katie O'Brien's

June 10th Seattle, Wa - El Corazon w/ A Wilhelm Scream and DIRECT HIT!

Ten Pole Drunk talk their beginnings, the new album, and the upcoming tour.

I met with Ten Pole Drunk at Le Voyeur about a week ago in hopes of getting some insight into their new album and their upcoming tour. It was a fitting location. We've both played their before, more than once. Probably together. It kind of just seemed like meeting some great friends for lunch. That's actually exactly what it was.

Despite the time stamp being 1 PM, I was still really groggy when I showed up. I was kind of surprised to see everyone there. Damien, the vocalist. Raquel, the drummer. James, the guitarist. Ricky, the bassist. Even Joi, the band's "babysitter." All of them bright eyed, full of smiles, and ready to tell their story. At least, to tell some jokes, thinly veiled by their story. It was comforting to see that they were already eating fries and drinking beer. They certainly didn't waste any time making themselves at home. That's what I've always loved about Ten Pole, they're at home wherever they are.

It's kind of hard coming up with questions for your friends. People you've played with a lot, shared beers with, and probably punched in the face before, generally have already told you what you need to know. It was tempting to just have a beer with them and catch up, to forget about my obligation to this blog or my commitments to them, and to just hang out. The good news was, once we got to talking, it was easy to stay on topic, even though we honestly were just kickin' it.

I started where you would expect: Asking about the origins. I asked how long they'd been playing. Raquel informed me, "It's been about a year and half since we started playing shows."

Damien sat there with a smug look, slowly nodding and added, "Dead Baby Bikes, two years ago."

"Our first show was at Dead Baby Downhill. So, that's like our band anniversary," James tried to clarify.

I was as confused as you are. Apparently Seattle is home to a bicycle club known as Dead Baby Bikes. Once a year, they do the Dead Baby Downhill. Ten Pole played their first show the same night at Studio Seven. This all sounded pretty great. I had to ask. "There's a bicycle club in Seattle called Dead Baby Bikes. They do a downhill race every year that turns into this major event afterwards. There's a couple thousand people in the streets. They do bike jousting on tall bikes, and they build stages in the street. They take over downtown. There's no cops." James is apparently an expert.

Thanks to the fact that I was pretty stoned, this conversation led to some confusion. I thought these guys were called "Dead Baby Box" when they first played that show. I was wrong. However, TPD seemed pretty impressed with that name, "Maybe we should have been Dead Baby Box." I guess it's a weekly thing for them to "try to change the band name," I was glad to contribute to the tradition.

Their real name, Ten Pole Drunk, is a reference to an old public intoxication test, where the suspect would have to walk the length of ten telephone poles without falling over. James admits he stole it. Saying, "To be really honest I stole it from someone else, Tyler, from American Dischord (AMDX). He used to be a member of [unintelligible band name] out here and that was a contender that they didn't use, and I wasn't going to let that go to waste!"

With the name out of the way, that left the question of how these guys started working together. Damien volunteered to spill the beans, "I moved up here after living in Portland for about a year. I meet this ass-hole [James] a year into school. We started jamming at our buddy's house. He had a bunch of drums and guitars. So, we just get drunk. He allowed us to get drunk and stoned and shit, but it kept us in a safe area. So, we ended up meeting her [Raquel] and were Dead Peasants. Ricky gave us our first show. We decided to kill Dead Peasants and started this band."

James added, "Our bass player left us and Ricky kind of stepped in to get us back on our feet, it just turned into this. I think it was a good move for us, because before we were just playing a really generic, straight forward form of punk rock. This changed our sound for the better."

Hearing that got me gushing about how great their style is. It's like good old-school hardcore: Still punk. Not metallic. Devoid of machismo. I asked them if that was working for or against them. A lot of the punk going on around here either has a really melodic sound, or heavy elements of metal and thrash crossing over. It didn't surprise me to hear that it did work out for them, and James was more than stoked to tell me all about it. "We used to be on this circuit, where we played the 2 Bit a lot, and there'd always be these old guys drinking beer. It made my day every time it would happen; they'd all just migrate into the pit and go out of their way afterward to say, 'I haven't seen punk rock or hardcore like this since I was a kid,' and we get that reaction all the time. People that were there in the 80's for that kind of hardcore. We played with Fang at the Chuck [Charleston] and their singer went out his way to super compliment us. Like, 'You guys remind me of when we were starting out.' It's really worked in our favor."

The other side of that, as Damien pointed out, were the shows where everyone would go outside. "When we were first starting out, there were a couple shows where it was abysmal. We had people go outside. I had an extra long cable. So, I just went outside and started yelling at the kids. I guess they were all straight-edge or something. They just went out there and mad-dogged us. Except a few crazies, out there smoking cigarettes, that just started a circle pit outside. We were doing 'Crucified.' I was just out there yelling, 'crucified for your sins!' So I sound super crazy."

I was excited to hear about how their distinct sound and old-school style would shape the new album. I heard their old demo and it didn't do them justice. I got a teaser track before the interview, a rough mix of "Godzilla." It was fairly amazing. One of the lines in it was "keeping hardcore alive," which I honestly believe they're doing.

Upon bringing up their old demo tracks, everyone laughed and assured me this new album would "blow them out of the water." The new album will consist of nine tracks, recorded with Scott, at the Boiler Room. They're shooting for a release at the end of May. There's going to be release parties in Everett and Olympia, and they're taking copies on tour with them. I think that's a big selling point for this tour. Everyone who shows up can get the new album, and most recent run of merchandise before the die-hard fans at home. Unless, the die-hards want to get out and catch an out-of-town date.

Being their first real release, you can expect all of their old songs. Everything written since October is gonna have to wait for the next album. This release has classics like, "More Chicks in the Pit," "Godzilla," "Due Process," "Are You Having Fun Yet?" and "Tacoma Low Lives." They say it's pretty much an even split between political songs and party anthems.

Which lead us to talk of tour. They've planned an awesome journey through Oregon and California to promote the album. It will take place over the first ten days in May, with a bonus "homecoming" show in Olympia on the eleventh. This is their second tour, with the first being a trek through eastern Washington, on over to Idaho. Despite that trip being full of good performances, nice bands, and great crowd response, it was kind of miserable. "Our van overheated non-stop. I think it overheated eight to ten times. So, the whole trip, in eastern Washington, while it's over a hundred degrees, we're stuck in this van where we had to have the heat blaring the whole time," James lamented. "We're going to drive at night. That's what we learned."

A common practice with touring bands is to try to play places where they have friends, especially to ensure a place to sleep. When I brought that up, they had a laundry list of people they were stoked to see on the road, but it also sounded like the were going to wing it a bit. "We harass people," Damien assured me, "That usually works out."

The thing that excites me about this tour is the new merch. James gave me the run-down, saying "We've been busting our asses on merch. I'm so goddamn tired of screen printing. We did something a little off the beaten path with our CD's, as far as packaging goes. I don't want to give too much away, you'll have to wait for that... but, we've also got patches, stickers for the first time, a run of buttons, and shirts. We're just finishing up the last of the Godzilla shirts." I got some details about the packaging, but was sworn to secrecy. I also got a sheet of five patches and one of those fabled Godzilla shirts. I sport both regularly, now.

 The CD's are 100% DIY! Once again, James acted as band spokesperson, and excitedly laid-it-out, "We're doing it all ourselves. We're putting the labels on the CD's. we're printing the packages. We have 200 sheets of cardboard at home right now. It's a two color screen print, so it takes about ten minutes for each one, just to get the color on it. Then we still have to glue them up and do all that. Plus, there's even more than that, because there's bonuses going into each one." Everyone loves bonuses, Joi assured me that they would be different. "If you buy two CD's, you'll probably get different prizes."

At this point we decided to take a smoke break. After we got back to it, I got a lot of awesome stories about the legend of naked Damien, more stories of hot vans, a little glimpse into bringing your rowdy friends into the studio and letting them drink while recording gang vocals, and a great story about an out-of-town gig that somehow ended in drunks shitting out of a third story window. The world of Ten Pole drunk is a magical place.

You're going to have to wait for the podcast to hear anymore about it, or you can just catch them next week. Either way, be sure to tell your friends about the tour and see the band as soon as possible. Their fun, antagonistic stage show will be everything you ever hoped punk could be... and you might get hit with Damien's dong.

Oly Pyrate Punx Brought in the Secretions! Are you paying attention yet?

I'm starting to get really pissed off at the number of awesome conversations my phone loses. The newest and most precious was my conversation with Mickie Rat and Paul Filthy of Sacramento band, the Secretions. I remember them talking about the long standing the Secretions have had, Paul still being the new guy after logging eight years in the band, and being able to enjoy their friends bringing their offspring to shows.

I remember them telling me that this was near their first experience in Olympia, that this tour was awesome, and that, thanks to punks all over, this tour was not at all an uncommon success.

I first heard the Secretions (almost by accident) when I was 15. I was cruising MySpace for "socialist punk bands." I found the Socialfucks and quickly stumbled onto the Secretions by way of Ashtray. The Secretions are a punk band that pull influence from horror, pop, street, and the 50's (even if they don't realize that.) It's a fresh sound that brings back memories of security. Grandma's rocking-chair was a lot like this. That is, if Grandma sang about boners or fucking in a cemetery.

The show was everything I've been waiting for. It's been a decade since I found their music, and they held up to my idealizations. They were tight, fought technical difficulties with an iron fist, hit every song perfectly with only a 1.5 second break, and still managed a nice comedy break in the middle.

Mickie and Paul are employees of the State of California, and Danny is a fourth grade teacher. If you ever thought your dreams of being a punk rock star were out of reach, these guys are here to slap you in the mouth, in a fatherly way. They may be the most supportive and positive old-timers I've encountered thus far. Their biggest praise of Washington was the tight-knit scene, and the fact that we don't "try too hard to be punk."

They even went out to McCoy's with us after show. You know, the black bar straight down from the Track house. They have cheap shots and local scene-heads around every corner.

Either way, these guys should be familiar to you. If not, you probably know at least one band on the roster that night. Ain't Got Time to Bleed. Red White and Die. The Deceptives...

It was an amazing show. Those guys really made my night, though I found out (in a conversation that wasn't deleted) that Paul joined the band not too long after they played the first live show he'd ever seen. That's what childhood dreams are made of. That... and getting to drunk with your heroes after their fans slam you against a low ceiling.

Generation Decline - Battle Anthems

If you've never seen Generation Decline, I pity you. You haven't heard any of their recordings? Well, there's no hope for your mortal soul.

Unless, of course, you remedy this immediately.

Gen. Decline gave me the blessing of receiving their new CD before anyone else had it. It's an amazing showcase of what the Bremerton punk scene has to offer. It's full of crusty, Bay-area style. The female fronts and male back-ups are reminiscent of Nausea and half of F-minus. You can hear some of Seattle's Skarp in Angel's vocals. Generation Decline is another great example of Washingtonians knowing their roots and having a thorough plan for the future.

At a whopping seven songs, this isn't even close to the longest release Fringe Music has handled, but it  may be the most important. Generation Decline manages to meld street punk, hardcore, and metal in the coolest way this author has ever experienced. Take an amazing rhythm section, meld it with a lead guitar that out-does Black Flag's Greg Ginn, and it manages to stand out above the rest of this year's guitar heroes and does so without ever sounding pretentious. Make sure they stay punk-as-fuck; and add an amazing female lead.

The Distillers wanted to be this band.

Star Fucking Hipsters wanted to be this band.

The Washington underground is blessed to have the real McCoy.

Nothing on this CD feels forced. You can savor the members' every last sweat-drop as you venture through. No holds are barred. No prisoners are taken. If you can manage to make it through this without devoting your entire life to music or destroying the system, you're a fucking cyborg. This is the new soundtrack for sedition.

Since this isn't out yet, and I didn't get an official release, I don't have the lyrics. As such, I can only give you what I picked out:

These people hate the powers that be.

They want you to help bring it down.

They also want you to make this tour a success.

They especially want you to read their interview with Fringe Music. It will be published shortly after it takes place on Tuesday, April 29th, 2014.

This album gets a 4.5 out of 5.

BUY THAT SHIT!!!

Burial Suit - 2014 Demo

Hardcore isn't something I think of when I think of Olympia music. Even long term Olympia institutions, like GAG, have their roots in something else. I find Olympia hardcore to be incredibly old-school, maybe with some outside element to bring it forward, but Blank Boys and Kill Shot sounded like they were birthed in California in the early eighties.

Burial Suit doesn't fit into this model. Their music is still undeniably formed from a serious foundation of punk rock, but in the tradition of bands like Last Lights and Gallows, there's some palpable noise influence, and the metallic edge is gleaming for all to see.

This demo is a breath of fresh air, not just for Olympia, but for the world of hardcore at large. Kicking off with a discordant, watery ambiance piece may be an over-done approach, but showing their ability to keep it down and build mood while approaching the inevitable slowdown and feedback ring-out, really grabbed me. Doing a musical intro on a demo might seem like a risky endeavor. I personally think it conjured ideas of the future. It really showcases the band's ability to create a scene, musically. Engaging the listener. Perhaps they could even employ this tactic and give us an album that flows better than something by Pink Floyd or Nine Inch Nails; gods of the concept album.

The first actual song on this demo is a the break-neck, "Broken." It's short and brutal. The drums are demanding. The guitars blast through, with punk-like simplicity, and metal-like precision. Chanting back-ups once again stir thoughts of classic punk in cramped back rooms, while the powerful growls of the leader hearken to a simpler time of brutal death metal. It reminds me of Trash Talk in that way.

The second actual song starts out like something from Comeback Kid, but the second you hear the vocals it loses that. There's no whiny kid leading this outfit. The guy who's in charge here sounds like he ate that guy from CBK for breakfast. The conviction from the entire band really make this track stand out. There are some amazing starts and stops. Most of all, the lyrical content of, "Salesman! Bastard Salesman!' is really relatable. Who hasn't felt like screaming for hours on end after an annoying run-in with some douche at a Verizon Counter? ...or even worse, a car lot? This track really demonstrates the versatility these guys can bring to one song. Just how variable their sound is. How quickly they can glide through that shit.

The last track has a melancholy guitar intro that breeds a feeling of loneliness, then blows straight into intense blast beats. It's fucking unsettling... Then comes the noise break. I think you get where I'm going. It's another master piece hidden right in plain sight.

The demo as a whole is very minor key, dark, diverse, tight as a drum, fast as fuck, and full of the kind of power that could put these guys on the circuit with some of the biggest names in the industry. If you missed them at Bleak Outlook, you'll have to start stalking their Facebook. These guys aren't slated to play Capital City Punk and Core Fest, or Rain Fest. Which was a mistake by the bookers in both cases.

Punk Rock Karaoke at the China Clipper 4/28/14

Olympia's seven-day-a-week karaoke bar, the China Clipper, is known to locals as "the Crippler." It's a dimly lit throw-back, with a large back room that sports another bar, ample seating, dance floor, stage, the best karaoke set up in town, and around 300 punk rock songs in the books. Perry Ornorio, long time member of the punk scene and several downtown activist groups, including the Downtown Association, dug them all up after being frustrated by the lack of punk available at the bar. The collection includes everything from the Ramones to the Unseen. Green Day to Dead Kenedys. The only problem is that most punks don't want to sit in room full of bros singing Robin Thicke just to get a chance to scream a Germs song.

Perry saw a touring band that knew tons of punk songs and played what audience members wanted sing. Recalling the experience with several friends, including Oly Pyrate Punx captain; Brandy Rage, led to the idea of organizing a one night event. A chance to fill the Clipper with a bunch of rowdy, drunk punk kids. Flooding the song que with titles that contain the word "fuck" is a very appealing prospect.

Through lots of begging and pleading the bar finally agreed to a punk karaoke take-over. Really, the only thing they did was give permission for fliers advertising the event to be posted, and special black "Jello Biafra Shots" to be sold. Since they started doing karaoke every night, the Clipper has adimately insisted on alienating no one. They're going to stick by that. If some random wants to do Celine Dion, they'll get their chance.

Sounds like the Clipper was insistent on it happening on their slowest day, a Monday, under the understanding that it would be "just this once." The good news here is, we're actually going to have a night full of drunken punk. There's a better chance of people showing up if it won't be happening again.

I would love to see all my readers show up. Load up your car with all of your insane friends and head for the Clipper, Monday, April 28th. Practice your favorite punk song, as long as it's not by Black Flag. There's no fucking Black Flag.

Adam! France talks tour, solo work, and sad times

Adam! France (that's the way he writes it. I swear to God,) is quite talented, quite sweet, and quite handsome. As if swinging around that beautiful guitar in Burn Burn Burn, or hollering in Violent Occurrence weren't enough to get your lady's panties wet; the man also busts out some amazingly heartfelt acoustic work. Trust me, if it was good enough to get me feeling like a rainy October day, it'll melt your lady in seconds.

He recently released three tracks of this gloomy singer-songwriter business on a split shared with Old Growth. To spread the word about this amazing collection of acoustic punk fare, both parties decided to embark on a short tour through the western United States. This was Adam's first tour without a band behind him. In fact, it was the first time he'd taken his solo act out of WA. With the exception of a few little sets on the Burn tour, trying to kill time. According to him, it couldn't have gone better. It was a big gamble. Going out on the road as a solo acoustic act. An unknown, solo acoustic act at that. The risk seemed to be compounded by the fact he was touring with another acoustic project. Playing all acoustic shows. Adam had never played anything but opening sets for punk and hardcore bands... How could it ever work?

Very simply, seemed to be the answer. To hear him tell it, there was one iffy show at the beginning, and everything just got better from there.  Luckily, every show took place where Adam had friends. There was always a floor to crash on. Always a shower to clean up in. They even got to cook on few occasions, which is quite rare on the road. If you didn't know. They always made enough money to pay gas to the next gig. From what I heard, it was a old road-dog's dream.

Funnily enough, there were no old road-dogs on the tour. Adam has toured before in Burn, but he's only been with them for a year and a half. The guy's is only just turning 24. The other guys were younger than him. Adam sounded like he had a good time advising these guys. Being the older, more experienced one of the group. Which is fitting, considering the split they were touring behind was considerably more mature than any of his earlier releases.

Adam started this solo project in February of 2012. He kind of fell apart after his long-term girlfriend left him. You can hear the hurt in his voice when he talks about it to this day. Not a fresh hurt, but an old, scarred wound that has created strength and growth. I'm sure the scar runs deeper and the growth was more profound, thanks to losing his childhood dog at the same time. The pain is there for all to hear on the "Losing" EP. Those songs were some of Adam's favorites. More straight forward and angry. They really lay the groundwork for his career. Recorded alone, in his bedroom, the whole thing comes off like a heart-crushing, coming of age story, told in the most sincere way. The natural environment of heart break is one's bedroom. You can tell that's where this was made. It worked. That's probably why he kept doing it.

His "Learning and Leaving" EP came next and carried the same vibe. Maybe a little more confidence. He'd already done it once. Experience and dedication where very apparent. By that time he had already been encouraged by Drew Smith, of Burn Burn Burn, to open a few shows and really get those heartbreak anthems out there.

As far as I know, the new split was also a bedroom composition. The lyrics aren't so much about terrible women. He's still frustrated, to be sure. It was the initial listen to this EP that gave me insight into Adam's melancholy approach to acoustic punk. That being the case, the rest of his catalog confirmed what he told me. That he's trying to leave that behind. Be a cry-baby no more.

No matter what you feel about acoustic music, singer-songwriters, or Adam's other projects you should get into his solo stuff. It's different. It's touching. It never, ever, sounds like Bright Eyes. It definitely seems like Adam's number one priority. I'm personally a big fan, because it gives a moving look into a massive talent, keen intellect, and deeply sensitive heart. All the while remaining uncompromising, vicious, and honest.

Fools Rush, What a Bunch of Fucking Professionals

Portland, Oregon based punks, Fools Rush, finished up a Washington tour last week. I caught up with them at the Track House last Sunday. I couldn't believe how great they were. The energy was amazing. There was an edgy, gritty feeling to their entire set. The vocals were melodic and beautiful but heartfelt and on the verge of screams, the guitars were graceful and elegant, but still noisy and aggressive... and OH MY GOD that drummer! It was like mathy pop-punk for a gilded gutter. I had never heard them before, and simply showed up expecting to cover another lack-luster punk show, put on by bands I've seen twenty times. It was an amazingly gob-smacking happenstance. They set up quick, spent minimal time talking, and still managed to look effortless and laid-back. The two seconds between songs were filled with awesome one-liners, that off-set the massive sound perfectly.

After the set, I caught up with these guys hoping to get a little insight into the band and what they were doing at a house show in Olympia. I was pleased to find the members of Fools Rush were warm and comical. Humble and gracious. Something often missing from touring bands. Especially ones with this much command over their demanding material. I found out that Drew Smith of Burn Burn Burn had hooked them up with OPP. Damn, Olympia Pyrate Punx, you always do this. Great bands in town, simply because your organization exists.

I found out that Fools Rush was founded by guitarist/ lead singer, Alden, as an acoustic project. He carried the name through many states, got to Portland, and started up a band. None of those guys are in the band anymore. The current incarnation had played about a dozen shows before this tour, with the drummer having been around a lot longer. They started out in Richland, went up to Seattle, got detained on the Canadian border and weren't allowed in due to a lack of work visas, played (and scored free pizza) in Bellingham two nights in row, and finished up in humble Olympia at the Track House. From what it sounds like, every stop was great. The crowd was always awesome and someone even handed them a Benjamin in Bellingham to get a hotel room. Once again, touring WA proved to be an awesome time to people who had no idea what to expect.

As we parted ways, Fools Rush made sure I had copies all of their CD's (DIY beauties in recycled packaging. One cover was printed on a Mike's Hard Cider box.), a hand screened shirt, hand screened (and I believe hand sewn) beer coozy, and some sick squid stickers. When I got home proudly wearing my new t-shirt, I took a listen and the recordings were every bit as awesome as the live show. Something I'm learning to be extremely surprised by. All of their shit is available for free download on Bandcamp. If you couldn't make any of the dates on this tour, do yourself a favor and go get this stuff ASAP.

Enemy Combatants - Ignorant Bliss

If you're a fan of Punkcore Records bands like, a Global Threat, or Clit 45; and enjoy the heavy breakdowns of hardcore bands like Backtrack, there's no reason not to love Enemy Combatants. Not unless, adding "fucking" to the middle of  word to ensure the proper amount of syllables will ruin a song for you.

Their Ignorant Bliss EP is straight punk. From the cover art that I can only assume is Rush Limbaugh slamming pain-killers and puffing a huge cigar, to the total run time of ten minutes and two seconds. Looking at the cover, I expected the tracks themselves to come off a lot more lo-fi. Enemy Combatants is a very DIY band, but you might not guess that from the recordings. The guitars are powerfully defined, the vocals are crispy, and the bass is present without sounding like a down-tuned guitar. The drums seem to have fallen prey to a lack of competent mics, however. The snare is kinda dull and low in the mix, but it still carries the band adequately. The most impressive thing is, I can't tell whether the guys practiced eight hours a day for a month prior, did a million takes, had amazing post production, or are just fucking machines. I couldn't find a single weak or misplaced note on the whole thing. I never got that cut-and-paste feeling that comes from heavy post production, either.

These four cuts give a telling cross section of what Enemy Combatants have to offer. From a typical street anthem about uniting and fighting back, to a low, metal-tinged intro on a song depicting the frustration that comes with a stagnant and abusive political system. The title track really stands out as an amalgam of hardcore and street. Tying together expertly delivered vocals, gang choruses, metallic hardcore breakdowns, and intricate guitar leads. The final track is a crowd pleasing sing-along. "Fuck You" isn't eloquent, it's repetitive, and it's everything that got me into punk in the first place. Telling the world that you refuse to conform, be led, or live within a superficial construct of what it means to be a person. Turning the anger that comes from constantly being forced into a position unfitting of a rat, into something positive. A joyful little ditty to get the kids up and moving.

If you're a lyric listener, and expect a certain level of articulate mastery in your verse/ chorus journey, you probably shouldn't bother. These messages weren't meant for you. The points made here are simple, but heartfelt. If you can look past choruses like, "The time is right, so u-fucking-nite," and "Fuck you, That's what we say. We don't need you. Hey! Hey!" or that happens to be what you're into, then the musicianship is really going to be worth your time.

4 out of 5

Shaun Is Trying To Start a Ska Scene, Bringing Bands Like Skandalism

I went down to Le Voyeur last night after getting a text from my friend Shaun. If you frequent Olympia punk shows, or have ever been to a Kill Shot show in Seattle or Tacoma, you probably know Shaun. He's the tall, lanky, kinda crusty guy who always has a big dopey smile on his face.

You see, Shaun randomly found Bay Area ska-punks, Skandalism, while listening to music online and saw that they were trying to fill a northwest date on their tour. Apparently, they worked out the kinks, and, with a little help from Olympia Pyrate Punx, Skandalism spent their Monday on the sunny beaches of Priest Point Park. From what I hear, it was all PBRs and PBJs until they headed back into town for the show. The guys in Skandalism were very impressed with Olympia's hospitality, the energetic crowd they were able to draw on a Monday night (which was, apparently, better than their Saturday show in Portland), and our record stores. They found a tape by their friends, "Tough Stuff" at Phantom City Records. It was nice to have them here on their first real tour. They said that they'd done San Diego before, but this was the first time they've been out longer than a weekend.

I got there a bit late and the band was covering Operation Ivy's "Knowledge" when I walked in. I had a hunch these guys were going to be young, annoying stereotypes. I was wrong. The musicianship was definitely there (although someone should have turned down the bass player's microphone). The songs were passionate. At times, surprisingly so. The style was blended with a lot of different flavors, including a token Leftover Crack break down. It was refreshing to find out that the Bay Area ska-punk sound of the late 80's and early 90's is still around, and doesn't seem to have become stale or stagnant. To top it all off, the guys were very nice and handed out copies of their album, "No Shirt, No Shoes, No Friends," along with really cool logo stickers.

On my way out, I caught up with Shaun, and he let me know that he plans to be booking a lot more ska shows here in Olympia. His one concern was getting locals. The conversation seemed to be centered on the fact that Oly-ska doesn't exist and Seattle ska is elusive at best. While Shaun has plenty of contacts in touring ska bands across the country, he's going to need a lot of help finding some locals to get on bills. That's going to have to get remedied quick, because Skandalism said they hope to back. Soon. Like, four months kind of soon. If no Washington ska bands step forward, they may be playing by themselves... again.

SuperNothing - "Life We Chose"

What can you find in Kent, aside from T-birds hockey? These five fucks! Hardcore punk band, SuperNothing has been tearing up the scene since the summer of 2009. After 5 years of amazing shows and sing-alongs recorded in small bursts, they finally gave us all what we really needed; 68 minutes and two seconds of pure hatred and contempt for societies institutions.

"Life We Chose" seems to be presented to an audience that isn't gioing to get it anyway. The cover photo is the Kentcore menace playing at the 2 Bit Saloon... to a room full of punks checking their phones and having side conversations. The only people in the room that seem to care are the ones on stage, and the photographer. As they say in the title track, "We play shows that no one goes to. At least it's the life we chose." Judging by the conviction with which the lyrics are spit forth, the power of the drum kicks, the break-neck riffs, and the juiciness of the bass pops, they chose the right life.

On the surface, this LP comes off as a typical punk tirade against all the usual suspects. Junkies (Sonic Junkie,) the media (Face Time,) and the church (Jesus Fucking Christ) are all targets. Each one decimated more than the last. There's something personal in the way the lyrics are written. The words "you" and "I" pop up a lot. You can feel the belief behind the lyrics. Like Dre has honestly been writing this shit to keep from ripping the throats out of random passers-by. That's what really makes this album stand out from your standard punk fare.

To be honest, "Life We Chose" isn't the most innovative thing, musically. Somehow it never comes off as cliche. Sure, you probably won't be blown away by some genre-bending, life-changing diddy (unless you count 21 Gun Solution,) but you will not be disappointed. It's reminiscent of some early new millennium street-punk, while having what seems like a solid Fat Wreck influence. You can hear the ska, thrash. black metal, and crust influences, as well. These guys know their roots, and they know which way their leaves are growing.

The last thing I'll say is that these guys re-did some old jams and I think "Face Time" was way better this time around. Giving a very desperate, paranoid vibe to whole thing. "Dope Sick" probably should have been left the way it was. It's the only song on the album that feels like an after thought.

So, if you're new to SuperNothing, or you're an old fan, you should give this album a try. I'll be spinning it at work tonight for sure. The delivery is solid, the choruses are chantable, the lyrics are relatable, and the conviction in the performance will suck you in and make you want to smash the state right along with them.

I give it a 4 out of 5.

Burn Burn Burn - This Machine

Burn Burn Burn is a beloved Seattle punk band that I have had the pleasure of seeing and, in my Kill Shot days, playing with on many raucous occasions. Their stage presence rivals some of the greatest bands I've ever seen. I remember the Adicts exploding on stage at Punk Rock Bowling a couple years ago, and the feeling I had in my gut was almost exactly the same as the feeling I had the first time I watched Burn tear up the back room of Olympia's Le Voyeur. These guys may be fucking drunks, but the self-proclaimed Seattle Alcoholics sure do know how to hit ever note in the face, with Bruce Lee like precision. At the end of the "Life is Tight" tour, they made another stop in Oly, and killed every song. Needless to say, I had high hopes for this album.

From the opening snare hits, this EP speaks to my youth, my attachment to the concept of youth, and my discomfort with all things serious and frivolous. I get overwhelmed with thoughts of beers in the back of my friend's car, on the way to see some Seattle show. The experience of stale farts, spilled beer and accidental cigarette burns was always followed by the most glorious of slam-dancing, and a bruised and boozed night in a hotel room. That's what 'This Machine' is to me.

Everything I loved about punk rock back in those days is on this album. I thought it had been lost. That the melodies would never be as passionate, or that the albums would always be too produced. I found it in this EP though. In 2013! Can you believe it?

The song, 'My Friends,' points out that your buddies are really what matters, even when your lady decides you're too immature. 'Aim For the Drain' glorifies the life style, and alludes to the life saving comradery and self-satisfaction that come with being in a band.  'Bastard Church' cuts down the Westboro Baptist Church and gives you your angst fix. It all gets tied up with 'Tall Tales/ Entrails' which is a hyper, passionate song against the existence of Hell, and the brainwashing done by Christianity (I think.)

The album flows amazingly. The songs are true to life, while not sounding like an amateur closet recording. The label that picked it up is the real deal. If you haven't already, get your hands on copy and never let go.

I give it a 5 out of 5

Welcome to the Western Washington Fringe Music Scene Blog

Hey there!

Glad to see someone stopping by.

This blog is a work in progress. I am, by no means, a professional. I am simply a guy, with a huge passion for music. My goal is to use this blog to spread the word about local bands, record releases, and live shows. To build an audience for many bands that may not know how to get themselves out there. To highlight shows and venues that music lovers may not even know exist. To bring bands, fans, labels, and venues closer together and strengthen the music community as a whole.

So... What kind of content can you expect?

Well, first and foremost, we'll have a concert calendar that we hope to have updated daily, detailing what shows are going on, when, and where. The aim is to have these events linked to band and venue profiles on BandCamp, ReverbNation, Facebook, YouTube, etc. We'll also be linking these events to anything I've ever written about the bands, venues, festivals........ You get the idea.

The next big thing is going to artist interviews. Our hope is to do at least one interview a week. This is a new venture, so be patient if things don't happen quite that regularly.

Beyond that, you can expect reviews of live shows, albums, venues, merchandise, and the like. We'll definitely be linking to new releases, music videos, and event pages. Hopefully, we'll even be hosting our own shows in the next few months.

So sit back, relax, and let your ears get pummeled by some of the best music in the northwest.

All my love and fury,

Paulie