Interview w/ Jason of Cloak/Dagger

First, What is your name and what do you do in Cloak/Dagger?

I am Jason Mazzola and I scream for the Dagger.


You guys have been a band for a couple years now, how have the bands personal influences changed since the start of the band? How has the punk and hardcore scene changed (in your opinion) since the start of the band?

When we first started we were big on Circle Jerks, D.I., Black Flag without Henry and some garage rock. Now I'm big into The Stooges and Black Flag with Henry. Punk and the Core is at a real good time right now where people don't follow the rules of being "punk" or "hardcore" as much. There are a lot of bands just playing what they want to play and drawing from a bunch of different influences that don't worry about fitting into a category. I am proud to say we are a part of that.

It's not every day you come across punk and hardcore bands getting comparisons to bands like Hot Snakes, was it the bands intention to write songs that didn't fit the usual hardcore mold?

Not at all. We just decided to do a faster more traditional hardcore band and the songs just turned out the way they did. We all like a lot of different bands and I think that combined things just ended up the way they did. Me and Collin Barth love Hot Snakes and you can hear a bit of their influence in his guitar playing but you can also hear Greg Ginn and obscure jazz musicians I don't know that he plays in the van in his playing.

Your debut record, We Are was released on September 11th 2007, was that intentional or coincidence? Do you guys consider yourselves a political band? What are your views on the current state of America?

We just happened to be released on 9/11. It was a high terror alert. I don't know if I would call us a political band because the lyrics we have aren't over the top political but we have played a war protest show in DC and a free show to get people to register to vote here in Richmond. I think that world wide the U.S. does not have a good reputation right now and that if all goes well the next president can turn that around. People need a different face to associate with the U.S. Bush is not doing anything for them.

Do you think the Reagan era is comparable to the Bush era? Does it seem that people, more specifically people in punk/hardcore, are caring less about their political environment?

Definitely. Bush is the new Reagan, 10 years from now when we look at fliers with W. on them it's going to be the same as seeing Black Flag fliers with Ronnie on them. I think people involved in this music are still political and it shows. I just think people choose a time and a place for it and not every show has to have that underlying theme there. Sometimes people just want to go to shows and hang out. Hardcore doesn't seem as political as it was in the 90's to me but I am also older and different view points on politics don't seem so extreme to me. The first time I heard a band speak against the government I was shocked.

Cloak/Dagger has a couple shows coming up in Europe, is this the bands first time to Europe? Any cool stories? What are the bands plans after you return from Europe?

This is our 2nd time going over but this time it's just to the UK. Last time we were there I broke my foot on stage and had to finish the 2 and a half weeks of the tour with a plaster cast. It was awful, the food was good, we lost a lot of money but we can't wait to go back. We have 9 new songs written and keep writing more. We are releasing a 2 song 7" on Jade Tree that is in the works now.

Speaking of shows, you guys are also playing the Fest in Gainsville this year. Is this the first time playing the Fest? What bands are you siked to see?

This is going to be our 3rd year playing The Fest and it's always a good show to be on and to go to. I'm looking forward to seeing Paint It Black, Municipal Waste and New Mexican Disaster Squad's last show. Sad to say there's no Marked Men this year.

Is punk/hardcore a young mans game?

Definitely. The older you get the harder it is to go on tour and come back home to bills and debt. It is also hard to drive hours to a show and not even make gas money back after playing. All that aside I love it but it takes it's toll on you when you get older. Rent and gas add up.

Finish the sentence: If I wasn't in a hardcore band, I would be...

Drawing more and would not be broke.

Any last shout-outs?

Thanks to anyone that read this and you.

http://www.myspace.com/wearecloakdagger

Interview w/ Seasick

How did seasick start? How have your influences changed from the bands start to your latest record?

Mark: When seasick began there was no permanent drummer. There was one dude
who played on the very first demo to help out, then another dude who
played one show which I had attended at 120 Hamilton st in New
Brunswick. I believe I went to the show with Beneath the Street who
were also playing. A few months later I saw Nick and Matt at another
BTS show and asked them about seasick, they told me they needed a
drummer. At the time I was trying to learn but didn't own a kit, but
that didn't seem to matter and we had our first practice with me on
drums a few weeks later. At the time we were really into pretty much
straight up thrash and old hardcore, which is reflected on our split
with Don't Wake Up, with influences like DS 13, Limp Wrist, Das Oath,
Tear It Up, Down in Flames, Kamikaze and of course Negative Approach,
Black flag, Ramones, Minor Threat Etc. After that record and tour I
switched over to guitar and our style began to develop, our Bad
Brains, Bl'ast and Infest influences began to come out. We have always
tried to develop and push ourselves forward, maybe because we get
bored playing the same old thing really fast. We still play fast
hardcore but now we are much more open to developing our own thing
outside of some preconceived established sound. We hope the LP we are
currently writing reflects all of our interests, from Inside Out to Lungfish
to Spazz to Sun Ra, in a cohesive but heavy and brutal manor.

Nick: I think our progression as a band is fairly typical, in that our
sound is heavily influenced by whatever we're predominately listening
to. Since our musical interests aren't static, neither is the music
we produce.
In other words, ROIR..

Finish the sentence: America has fucked me because...

Mark: Of capitalist and state interest over that of the autonomy of people
and their desires, needs and ability to think.

Nick: ...it has convinced the vast majority of my contemporaries that
civilization, as it is organized today, represents the apex of human
progress. As such, no one gives a fuck about anything beyond their
parochial, bastardized ideas of the good life. Though, of course,
America is not the sole proprietor of this particular form of
"fucking."


Matt: I've been spoiled by great savings everyday at Wal-Mart! Now when I go into a normal department store, say Macy's, I am disappointed by the lack of low prices.
- Hide quoted text -

Do you think current hardcore lacks responsibility? Do you think that hardcore kids have more of a responsibility to be open minded?

Mark: I think in a lot of ways yes. Some kids just don't get that when there
is a mic in your hand or you are playing your set the things you say
and the way you conduct yourself have different if not greater
influence on those around them. Years and years of "big business"
ethics in hardcore have driven the scene to a point of complete apathy
and sometimes it can be easy to be dragged down with it. Hardcore is
something that is not a business and will thrive or fail based on the
choices we make, therefore collectively the scene is what we make of
it and our responsibility. Holding exclusive attitudes like ones that
are overly chauvinistic or spitting out homophobic language is
damaging to all of us because these actions limit us to a narrow white
hetero male stereotype that I got into this music to get away from.
Hardcore is not a locker room or a football field but in some places
it can be hard tell the difference.

Nick: This question is a can of worms. There is both a descriptive
and normative aspect to this question, but I take it you're more
interested in the later, which is whether hardcore SHOULD be
responsible, not whether it currently is or not. The answer to this
question depends on whether you think hardcore is more than a mere
music sub-genre. Since I view hardcore as a collection of values
antithetical to those predominately espoused in mainstream culture,
which includes the value of compassion (as opposed to that of
competition), my answer is yes, hardcore should be responsible. Snotty
self-destruction, macho-jock posturing, and excessive edge
pretentiousness are all fucking lame selfish tendencies that don't
belong in hardcore.


Matt: A middleground must be found where one can both "up the punx," but do so in a manner that is sensitive to social political problems.


What was your first memory of someone elses artistic ventures changing your life?

Mark: Probably when I was a baby or young toddler, I can't remember the
exact age or an exact moment, when my father would play me the
Beatles, Stones, Supremes, Cream, Hendrix, James Brown, Springsteen…
Even though I could hardly understand what it was as soon as I heard
music I was never the same, and hearing it is probably one of my first
ever feelings.

Nick: No clue. I don't think I've experienced an artistic epiphany,
or what have you.


Matt: Mark your answer is lame. Answer: Age - 12 Album - Significant Other Band - Limp Bizkit. Response: I didn't know bands could play this fast, and to this day I have yet to hear a band that could.



What is your favorite era of hardcore/past hardcore trend?

Mark: Being that I am a giant nerd Im into lots of "eras" and regions of
hardcore. Its almost funny to think of it in that way, maybe because
sometimes harecore can be so cheesey and awesome at the same time. You
could also look at the different "eras" of hardcore and see how
hardcore is always changing and evolving just like any other art form,
and there can be a great deal of significance in regional difference.
I really like "two thousand era thrash" aka the thrash revival, the
youth crew (and post youth crew) era, early DC, early SoCal and of
course New York Hardcore. But whats most important to me and my
favorite era is whats going on right now and the bands and people
involved currently, because that's whos really doing something. The
past is done, retro is poison. Also my favorite hardcore trend is
vegan straight edge kids wearing
Jnco's, earth crisis jerseys and jester hats. And don't forget devil
sticks. MOSH.

Nick: Favorite era, like every other hardcore kid, is probably early
80s hardcore. I can't pick a specific region though, because between
81 - 85 America was producing incredible bands that were all insanely
diverse. What I like most about that era is bands like the Big Boys,
Minutemen, Husker Du, played really weird shit and it was still
considered hardcore. Today, hardcore is defined much more narrowly.


Matt: My favorite trend is the acceptance of Jocks and Nikes.



Do you find it, as you get old, harder to balance hardcore and adulthood?

Mark: Well Im 23 years old now and it seems that most drop out around the
age of 22, so at this point I guess Im starting to be a bit of an
older dude at local shows which I have never encountered before. Going
to work early totally sucks when you have to drive an hour to see a
show and get home really late, but I still get the feeling when I see
an awesome band that Im really living my life and it makes me not care
that I will be tired and shitty all day at work, and fuck that place
anyway. I guess when I was a bit younger some would say hardcore and
DIY is just a phase but to me this is my lifestyle and Im still having
fun, probably more than ever because of how great it is here in New
Brunswick. HCHC!

Nick: Not really. I'm 23 years old and more involved now than I ever
was. I know hardcore is generally a youth oriented genre, but I
actually think it's getting more fun as I get older, because I'm no
longer some awkward 16 year old.


Matt: Not really, even with band, I still find the time to browse myspace for hours, which after talking to most of my friends with office jobs is pretty much all the adult world is anyway.

You guys are from New Jersey, is it a blessing or a curse to be from a state with a long and highly respected list of awesome bands?

Mark: I think its great that we are known for having so many good bands. I
tend to think that there are even more incredible bands than more
people know about or give credit to. Also, Dramarama (you know, that
"anything, anything" song) is from NJ, so think about that.

Nick: I don't think it matters either way. What is important though,
is that we currently have more incredible bands than any other state.
There is no better place to play than "America", New Brunswick on a
Saturday night.


Matt: Well, it certainly isn't a blessing, because regardless of how many bands come out of this state, people still think it's a shithole.

Your new record, "Ouroboros" is out now on Soulrebel Records. What was it like writing and recording the record?

Mark: The writing of the record was very meticulous. We wrote probably about
eleven songs and dropped many of them completely and re wrote several
of them at least five times. There is lots of pre writing, discussion
and arguing that goes into our writing process because when we write
that's really all we care about. We try to make each record better
than the last and Im very happy with how Ouroboros turned out. The
actual recording session was great. It was recorded in our old shed
that we threw shows in called Fuck Mountain in New Brunswick. Our
engineer was, as usual, Ryan Jones who is responsible for our "sound"
and he was great like always. Craig from Soulrebel was there for a lot
of the session to show his support and insight, and lots of our
friends came and did guest vocals (or guest violin in Erin's case).
When we finally got the vinyl and it looked great it was such a relief
because of all of the hard work, and now we are back in that mode
writing our first LP.

Nick: We are by no means a prolific band. We release very few songs,
because we put a lot of time into each one of them.


Matt: Writing and recording for Seasick is pretty much like pulling teeth for months, only to have a record that our drummer hates about 6 months later.
- Hide quoted text -



What was the coolest show you guys have played to date?

Mark: This summer at the house in New Brunswick called "America" we played a
show with Reproach, ANS, Killin It and Thriller and it was the most
fun ever. There were about 200 kids at that basement show, which is
probably some kind of record for New Brunswick basements because no
one around here can remember a basement show bigger than that.
Everyone seemed to have a great time, too. No fights, no cops, great
bands, no bullshit. The first time we played Seattle was awesome too.
We played with Said
Radio, Sunset Riders, Ceremony and Shipwreck and it was really
positive vibes all night, and a lot of great literature was there too.
We covered Cro Mags and the kids threw Nick around like the 50 pound
twig he is and it was hilarious and totally sweet.Also any show we
ever played at the Treehouse (RIP) in Georgia was
great. It sucks that it had to be closed down, it was a really cool
place. The kids who went there and put the shows on really gave all of
themselves to that place, especially Spanish Nick. It will be missed.

Nick: Those that Mark mentioned were all great. Two more come to my
mind. We play Rochester fairly regularly, but one time we played at
this bar with The State and Dead Tired. Rochester kids are crazy
about hardcore, and the show was absolutely nuts. When we played the
HCHC fest a few months back it was wild.






Given the opportunity, what show line up would you like to be apart of?

Mark: Even though I doubt they would care that much and it really doesn't
have to do anything with DIY, I would LOVE for us to play with the Bad
Brains at least once. Playing with Propagandhi would be totally rad
too. So I guess my dream show is Bad Brains, Propagandhi, Seasick, and
lets throw Killin' It on the show and have a fuckin party.

Nick: Seasick, Tragedy, and Propa-fucking-gandhi. Good call on that one.


Matt: I would like to be apart of one of those sweet heavenly jam sessions I've heard so much about. You know, where like Hendrix and Janis Joplin are playing and shit. It would be even sweeter now because most of the Ramones are dead and could get like Keith Moon or John Bonham to fill in.



Anything you want to add/shoutouts?

Nick: Hub City Hardcore. If you're not from NJ and you get the HCHC
skull and cross bones tattoo I will pay you and buy you a fat
sandwich.


Matt: My band. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to, once again, embarrass myself.

myspace.com/seasick

Interview w/ Rival Mob

First off, the stock interview question, What got you into hardcore. What was your first memory of hardcore changing your life?

-My brother. I don't think it has. Stock answer for a stock question, sorry man.

How have your feelings on hardcore changed as you've gotten older and wiser?

-I mean, yeah, they have changed as a result of aging. I used to get really worked up about trivial shit, as we all do when we're young, and looking back it seems laughable. Some of those feeling are still there, but for the most part it's just a matter of putting things in perspective, and not to sound like a hack, but when you care less you tend to enjoy it a bit more. Then again, letting things irritate you more than they should tends to be what puts the hard back in this core, so who knows. Also: getting laid.

Hardcore goes in and out of several phases. What was the worst and the best in your opinion?

-Shit...I would say without a doubt that the best show-attending experiences of my life - and by that I mean being adamantly into just about every band on a bill, moshing for everything, being there weekly and all that shit - were gigs at the Elks Lodge in Cambridge circa 2003. Regular bills from this period: the A-team, Think I Care, So Be It, Mental, Say Goodbye, XfilesX and so forth. That was my Woodstock I guess. I won't comment specifically on the worst, but I think there's been a fair amount to not give a fuck about since.

What influences your writing, both musically and lyrically? How do outside influences (books, media, location) affect the writing process?

-Since I don't write the lyrics, I'll give you a largely one-sided answer. NYHC of yore influences my songwriting a bit. I don't care much for outside influences, but rats off to anyone who can pull it off halfway earnestly.

What is being in a hardcore band from boston like? Do you think it is easier to be from a place where hardcore is more accessible than say a place with a not so well known or respected hardcore scene? Are there any downsides to boston hardcore as a whole?

-Boston used to be a city with a scene that had three clearly identifiable parts: an in-crowd, those on the margins of that crowd that wished they were more to the center, and those who didn't give a fuck. That's the Boston I grew up with, and I had as many beefs with it as I was into it. Ever since Lockin' Out - sort of the last bastion of that scene - fell from favor, bands from outside the city like Have Heart and Guns Up took the reigns and made BHC a lot less insular and more of a state-wide type thing, relatively speaking. Even though most of those dudes now reside in the city, I never really associate(d) them with Boston. They were doing their own thing and that became big, and they got what they earned, but most of that shit went on outside of the city and it never had the feel that other eras of BHC did. What we've got now in the city proper is a little thing called the "new scene" (nu scene is also acceptable). Gig and followers are few and far between, but I'm into it. I'm also not into knocking the bigger bands and gigs. I'd like to think the Mob kinda straddles the two.

Ultimately Boston is a college town, and hardcore being a fleeting expression of youth, you're getting a lot of assholes from exotic locales like New Jersey and California moving here, getting into Allston, then getting over the core and shitting on it. Looking beyond that shit, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

Why do you think there is a such a division with kids who like different styles of hardcore and punk?

-Because rivalry is king. Fuck anyone who thinks HC is anything different than what you make of it.

If you weren't involved in punk or hardcore, what direction do you think your life would have taken. A turn for the better/worse/indifferent?

-I don't think it would have. A life where I'm not attracted to extreme music is one I don't understand.

I understand it's a straight to the point question without a simple answer, but what are you feelings about the current state of America?

-You just gotta smile.

Anything you'd like to add? Shout-outs?

-Shouts outs to Rampage, New Lows, Have Heart, Step Forward, Scapegoat, Waste Management, Sam & Gil, the 29 and the (ever dwindling) Boston straight edge.

Thank you so much for your time, guys.

-And you.

mspace.com/therivalmob

Interview w/ Patrick of End of a Year

How did you get into punk/hardcore music? First Show? Best Show?
- The first show I attended was Warzone with One King Down opening. Raybeez wore oversized work gloves and was drenched in sweat. I don’t know what about that appealed to my 15 year old mind, but it made an impression. I remember he said, “this is better than drugs” really softly into the mic after a song and it spoke to me for some reason.

Is it different now then when you first got into it?
- Difficult question. It often feels different to me, but then I take a minute and look at it under the microscope and it seems very much the same. For example, I don’t relate at all to what kids are into right now. Death metal with hardcore parts is really gross to my ears. So I am one of those old haters who can’t understand the kids. But when I was a kid listening to 108 constantly, there was definitely older dudes who had been into Sick of it All or Youth of Today who couldn’t understand where I was coming from. So ultimately that part is the same. I would argue that 108 had as much or more substance than much of what came before it, but a 16 year old may feel that way about whatever nonsense they are listening to.
In the world of “real hardcore” I think a major change has been the growing abundance of junior hardcore historians. When I was a kid there wasn’t this bizarre fixation with the past. Don’t get me wrong, it’s only natural to research the origins of your interests, but I’m amazed at the proliferation of internet blogs celebrating the obscure and rightfully forgotten music of earlier eras. Everyone in North America should own the Negative Approach discography, but does everyone really need the Parliament Kids 7” from 1983?

Anyone who listens to End Of A Year will notice right off the bat that you guys aren't your typical punk/hardcore band. What are the bands influences as a whole? What inspirers the music/lyric writing process?
-Tough question because we have wildly disparate listening habits. Our music always seems to have an anxious feeling to it. That may be our common influence- anxiety. For myself, major influences are Lungfish, Elvis Costello, the 90’s hardcore music I grew up in, and Philip Jose Farmer. Distance from things I want. That’s what most music is probably about at the end of the day. Aside from pop punk; I don’t know what that music is about.


You guys have had a pretty big year so far including a European tour, an American tour, a new record label and a slew of split 7", how has that been? Any crazy tour stories? How are you guys handling the pressure of everything that is coming your way?
- We can’t always tour as often as we “should,” so to remind people we’re alive we have gotten really into 7”’s. We’ve been blown away by the amount of offers we get for those and it feels wrong to pass them up when they come from good labels, people, or bands.
Finding a label to invest in you fully and commit to a relationship is a different sort of thing. We feel lucky to have formed this connection with Deathwish. 7”’s are like anonymous sex or sex with friends. A full-length and the associated promotion of it is like a marriage. A little more serious.
We are the anti-crazy story tour band. Some bands are magnets for that sort of thing, but we are really military in our approach to travel. We arrive, play our music, fall asleep on the cleanest floor we can find. If I thought about it I could probably cite a million incidents of the US or Europe being weird as hell and giving us something strange to look at but almost none of those stories would involve us intentionally putting ourselves in that situation.


As mentioned before you guys signed to, what is arguably the biggest label in punk and hardcore today, Deathwish Inc. How did that come about? What exactly is going to be released on Deathwish? What is it like working with a bigger label?
- Around the time our relationship with Revelation was dissolving, I shot Tre at Deathwish an Email and told him what we were about and what we were looking for. I didn’t think about it again for a couple months until I found out Tre had been poking around, asking questions about us. So I hit him with another Email and said, “listen man, I know you like us.” At this point we engaged in a multi-month conversation, got to know each other, determined we don’t hate each other, and from there it was a go.
Right now we are recording for a 7” Deathwish will be releasing this autumn. After that we’ve got a 7” and a 10” we owe Hex Records and Red Leader Records respectively, and hopefully by summer we’ll be seeing a full-length on Deathwish.
Working with Deathwish has been a bit of mindfuck in a way. We’re used to doing everything ourselves and coming out of pocket for certain stuff. Deathwish doesn’t pay our rents or buy our girls new shoes, but they’ve been quick to offer if they thought we needed something. That is a crazy idea, to me at least.
So far I’m really happy with our relationship with Deathwish. It seems to be the best of both worlds. If I want to talk to the dudes who run Deathwish, I’ll call. So in that respect, it’s a very small label. But there is also a small staff there who can take on different responsibilities for us and take some work off my shoulders and in that respect it’s like a larger label.

How did you decide which bands you wanted to do split releases with?
- Mostly, bands approach us in a friendly way and we appreciate them asking and it turns into a conversation. If we get along well and we can fit it into our recording schedule, we’ll make it work. We don’t get caught up on who is en vogue right now or any of that nonsense. If you are a band making good music that is full of cool dudes, we’re open to it.

Maybe it's just me, but i definitely fell as if the songs on Disappear Here are a little bit more rough and jaged sounding, as opposed to Sincerely, which seems to have a bit more of a melodic side, was this intentional (or am i completely off)?
- I think I’ve gotten better as a singer (however slightly), the other guys have gotten better at their instruments, and the band has gotten better as a unit. With us, nothing is intentional. We try to set a course or parameters for ourselves, but it never takes. We just get together and bang’m out. Songs are just whatever comes out.


Besides the bands that are on the splits, are there any bands that you are currently siked on?
- Mistletoe from Syracuse is a current favorite of mine. Helms Alee; Coke Bust; Bill Callahan; Engineer; some of the stuff I’m personally into.

What do you think about the current state of the punk/hardcore scene? Any current bands you think people should know about?
- Every time I get bummed on punk and hardcore I’m pulled out of it for a moment by good bands playing in those scenes or styles. Right now I am most into Mistletoe from Syracuse and Helms Alee from the Northwest, though that is probably considered metal.

Top 3 Records Ever? Hardcore/Non Hardcore
- It’s probably subject to change, but these have been consistently important to me:
- Lungfish – Talking Songs for Walking
- Earth Crisis – Destroy the Machines
- Elvis Costello – Armed Forces

Top 3 Books?
- Also subject to change:
- Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis
- To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip Jose Farmer
- A Canticle For Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr.

What are your thoughts on the upcoming election?
- I’ve been to 45 states and I can say with confidence that the US is chock full of hicks, hillbillies, rednecks, hayseeds, yokals, and rubes. Intelligent people are hostages here. I’m sure whichever of these tickets win: my needs will not be met.
I’m young and have a brain in my head so I won’t be voting McCain, but I’m also not terribly impressed with Obama. The nation is split in half and I don’t see any man capable of uniting it. When I here politicians call for non-partisanship I have to laugh. There are fundamental ideological differences between the voters, how can anyone hope that the people who represent them will come together?
I’ll likely find some oddball weirdo to vote for.

Any last words?
- Thank you for the interview and thank you to anyone who reads it.


myspace.com/endofayear

Interview w/ George of Blacklisted

1. Top five favorite records as of right now?

1.) Fleet Foxes-Fleet Foxes & Sun Giant E.P.

(The song "Mykonos" off the "Sun Giant E.P.", The line "It aint often that you'll ever find a friend". Being in Blacklisted has given me the opportunity to go places that the social class I grew up in would never afford me. I've been places I can barely even point out on a map. It has been an experience to say the least. But being on tour and meeting other bands it seems like I have never really met any new "friends". I've mostly kept to myself, Showed up, Played and left. It is what I was/am here to do. However, when I am swimming inside my head thinking about things, I get a little depressed thinking that I've been to more countries or even states than I have actual friends in my life. Touring so much I've come back to every one of the friends I thought I had at home, Living a normal life, Growing up, quickly falling in to the comfort of what they are going to be for the rest of their lives(And I am proud of them and rooting for them). Meanwhile I am 26, I have not a penny to my name, All my belongings are in plastic target bins in the corner of an apartment and I am waiting to go to Japan. Somehow through that all that line ("It aint often that you'll ever find a friend") gives me a small feeling of comfort).

2.) Great Lake Swimmers-Ongiara.

( The song "Back Stage With The Modern Dancers," The line, "like roses growing their thorns, Getting ready to perform, With bare feet and painted faces they took their places, On shivering legs beneath," In a way I feel like I wrote that line. I have always felt that making music was this really beautiful thing. Its creation in a pure form. Its you bringing to the table what you have artistically and trying to make it mesh with what is, in my case 3-4 other people. With "Heavier Than Heaven" there was a lot more people involved than just the musicians. We wanted it to really be stunning on every level it could be, Packaging, Sound, etc , etc. Melissa Farley, Jake Bannon and Kurt Ballou all were part of it. So in the process all these people helped in its creation. And I think as a whole it came out really beautiful and at the same time really different from everything that is out or has came out in recent times. So in that respect it is a "Rose". But, once that was all over and we had to tour on it on our own just the 4 of us. None of those people would be there to help us really convey what we were trying to get across. We were completely stripped down and alone. It would be just us and the music, and it became a really volatile and violent thing. A good amount of backlash came and a good amount of praise came. A lot of emotion went into that album and in Blacklisted's own strange way, us playing live was our way of "Growing our thorns" in order to "Get ready to perform". The rest, Well you can decipher yourself. )

3.) Bon Iver-For Emma, Forever Ago.

(The album as a whole is great. It's a really solitary lonely album. The song "The Wolves[Act I & II"), The line "What might have been lost, Don't bother me". Through all the trials and tribulations Blacklisted has gone through I OFTEN think of quitting. But there is something in it that keeps me going, Some Un-seeable force. Probably the same force that keeps Hope Conspiracy making albums whenever they want. I recently did an interview with Norm Arenas of Texas Is The Reason and I asked him why he moved to Chicago and San Francisco after TITR The reason I asked him was because recently I have really been thinking of walking away from Blacklisted and more specifically they are the two places I would move. His answer was really inspiring. Part of it was after T.I.T.R was over people kept asking him about it. I don't want that to happen. I have never wanted the "fame" that has come with being in a band. A lot of people are mislead thinking Blacklisted is some huge phenomenon but the fact is we are not. But we are what I always wanted to be with a band, I've never compromised anything artistically to be what I wanted this band to be. So when Justin Vernon sings the line "What might have been lost, Don't bother me" it hits home. Because when I do walk away from Blacklisted, I want it to just go away. Like all the people who have quit the band over the years. Like when we first started, 4 kids unknown to the hardcore scene just making music.)


4.) PJ Harvey-White Chalk.

(PJ Harvey's best work. An extremely dark album. The song "When Under Ether," there is a specific line "Conscious of nothing but the will to survive". One of the hardest lines in music history. Hardcore/Punk bands can only wish they could write something as powerful as that. Every time I hear that line it kills me. It sums up how I feel as a human. As depressed as I may get the bottom line is exactly what she says "survive" and to advance in life whether it be anything from a plumber to a musician, You have to dedicate yourself to it. 110%.)

5.) Jesu-Jesu

(Justin Broadrick, One of the most talented musicians in "Independent Music". The song "We All Falter," Will break your heart. However, there is another song "Friends Are Evil" with the line "And all the stones you've thrown, They come from your highest throne, Pass them on to me below, They remind me nothing lasts". When you are in a band your main function is to create/make music. Recently it feels though, that in the hardcore scene there is much more you have to do. You have to be "cool," fit the mold, say the right things, know the right people. Its fickleness makes it a very difficult thing to function in. One minute you are being praised, the next you are being ripped down and defamed. You cant trust anyone in it. Through all the emotions that you have thinking about it, whether it be Anger, Frustration, Etc Etc, The truth is, It's really just Lonely. Its sad to know that nothing lasts. Its sad to see something you create get destroyed because it's not "Cool," but at the same time knowing that the people destroying it have never given anything positive in their life. They have never given a piece of themselves for the world to have. They just sit at home and cast judgement on something they are to afraid to even really be a part of. Its sad to see the place you've come to to feel comfortable is now a place where you somehow feel the most outcasted.)


2. What were you listening to in ninth grade?

Hmm, I was in 9th grade in 1996. I got into hardcore the summer before 9th grade and it became my main focus musically. I tried to listen to as many albums as possible and see as many shows as I could. Locally I really liked Ink & Dagger. Ink & Dagger was probably one of the best bands I have ever seen artistically. Sean had a zine called "Dead By 23" Which in a weird way is responsible for a lot of the music that I am into today(Non-Hardcore related). He had a very eclectic taste and was always looking for new sounds. R.I.P.

3. What records get the most play when you're touring? What gets played in the van?

Everyone has a different thing they listen to. It varies everyday. Sometimes we are all psyched on one thing, Sometimes we cant even decide what to listen to. When we want to just choose something that no one will have any qualms about we will put on Dinosaur Jr or Nirvana.

4. So I think every single person who has heard Heavier than heaven has established that it's a perfect record. It's so well rounded, so many different elements. What odd records did you listen to a lot while you recording it and while writing it?

Specifically an odd album that comes off the top of my head that was listened to would be Neutral Milk Hotel-On Avery Island. There is so much stuff surrounding the second album "In The Aeroplane Over The Sea" but "On Avery Island" is just as good. The sounds on it are great. His voice and lyrics are great. The album is just a completely punk album. It's amazing. Listen to the song "April 8th" It will make you a believer.

5. Would you rather be an Indian or a Cowboy?

A very difficult question. One I have pondered many times. Along with the other classic, "Would you rather be a wizard or a warrior?". Native Americans have many great qualities. Being a Hunter/Gatherer, It doesn't get any more agro-male then that, You get to kill buffalo with a fucking bow and arrow, How cool is that? Being one with the land. Native American music and art is really amazing. Scalping enemies, Thats a true mans work. Wearing their teeth and ears around your neck. A true warrior.

A Cowboy is equally as cool. Working on a farm. Herding cattle. Riding horses. If you choose to be an "Outlaw," Robbing trains, Stagecoaches and Banks. Having shootouts and saloon brawls. Billy the Kid was a great example of a "cool" cowboy. Died at 21 and killed 21 people in his life, One for every year he was alive. Doc Holiday was great, at least the way they depicted him in Tombstone. For someone that wasn't real, Clint Eastwood as The Man With No Name, Epitome of western cool. I don't know what I would pick its too hard of a decision.

6. If you could handpick a lineup to play with, who would it be?

Bands to play with? Or people to play in my band? Id love to play with Dinosaur Jr, Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine. And Id love for any member of any of those bands to play in a band with me. Haha.

7. Since I know you've seen Cat Power tons of times, what was your most memorable time seeing them?

When I was 16 I snuck into this club and as I was walking up the steps she was running down looking upset, she breezed right by me. I guess she had a fit on stage and left. I didn't get to see her actually play but it was one of the best shows I ever saw. Another time I saw her perform with just her and a guitar and then her at a piano. She had some back up musicians playing guitar but not like she does now. She played for close to 2 hours it was great. She was at her best that night. The new version that sounds like an old Tennessee blues band, Im into but it doesn't grab me as much as her early albums. One thing I love to do is put Moonpix on a playlist with Smog's "Knock, Knock" and play it on random. Both albums were written around the same time with what seems like a lot of similar topics, Her and Bill Callahan broke up before those records were recorded/released. They go really good together. The Smog song "Left With Only Love," Will destroy your whole life. "When I lost you I lost my family, You did what was right to do, And I hope you find your husband and a father to your children."

8. When was the time/band/show where you knew Blacklisted was going to become, ultimately, your life?

I don't know that there was a time. I just started the band and never stopped. I kept going and going. I also don't know if Blacklisted is really much of a life. Its more of an outlet I suppose. I think it's the process of making music that keeps me here. Just being able to create music and have that outlet.

9. What are some of the most memorable shows/concerts you've ever attended?

One that sticks out that I saw in the last year or so is Down at the electric factory. It was so loud. Every member was in top form. Before they played they had a screen that they played music videos on. They played Cro Mags, Bad Brains, Crowbar, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and a bunch of others. It was great. A true rock experience. Another is Leeway who played Cbgbs a few years ago with Maximum Penalty. Me and Shawn the drummer of Blacklisted went out to see it. Maximum Penalty(One of the most underrated New York Hardcore bands) Got on stage and destroyed it. "Yo we are only playing old stuff, Strictly the demo and first 7" and they did. Then Leeway got up there and played perfect, They even included "Foot The Bill" off of "Open Mouth Kiss," Another highly underrated piece of New York Hardcore history. Anytime I saw Burn was amazing. Especially the first reunions they did in the 90s at the YWCA in Philadelphia. It was perfect. Chaka showcasing what it is to be one of the best frontmen ever. Gavin, Need I say more?

10. What is your recommended reading list?

Paul Auster wrote a book called "The Book Of Illusions" that I read in the last year, It's a really good book. Raymond Carver wrote a book of short stories called "Cathedral," A lot of the stories are a little longer then what he had been known to write. The story "Chef's House" particularly is a really good read. I read a biography on Houdini recently, One of the most interesting characters in our Worlds History. I don't really have a specific taste when it comes to books. Ill read most anything as long as it captures me in the first few lines or paragraphs.

11. Current hardcore bands your into?

Let Down. I think they work extremely hard and just go for it. A true example of what punk/hardcore should be. Plus they are straight edge which is always a bonus. Ceremony. Trying a lot of different things on their newest record, All of which worked perfectly within the realm of what they already sounded like. Rhythm To The Madness. True Musicians. From Belgium, Playing hardcore better then almost any band from America. Cold World. The new record is one of the most catchy albums in a long time without compromising what they already set out to do. Nick Woj and Alex are 2 of the best songwriters in hardcore right now. Alex's guitar playing and vocals on that album alone are worth listening to the album at least once a day.

12. What should we look out for from Blacklisted in 2009 and beyond?

Im not sure. Lets see if we get through the year first. But if it happens, A new record that will further remove us from modern punk/hardcore and further catapult us to the top of the mountain known as "obscure" or "this record will be appreciated in 10 years"

13. Any shout outs...

Whoever is still bearing with me...

Interview w/ Dave Ackerman of Splitting Headache/Tear it Up

How did you get into punk/hardcore music? First Show? Best Show?

Dave- I got into Punk through metal. I got into metal when I was like 7 so it was just the natural progression. The first hardcore band I saw was Agnostic Front in 1992 opening for Obituary as I was still into Metal. I started going to local shows around 1993-94. The first show I ever saw featured the Bristles and Hodge Podge. (local band). Ressurection cancelled. Best show? Impossible to answer. Some shows are musically awesome while others are just fun. Bands that I've had the most fun seeing: Cro Mags, Casualties, Dustheads, Fit For Abuse, Circle Jerks, and Government Warning.


Is it different now then when you first got into it?

Dave: Very! Punk has gone through so many stages. When I first got into it Green Day / Rancid mainstream popularity filtered in a lot of bullshit bands and people. That faded it was more people with genuine interest. Now, because of the huge emo/poppunk radio bands there is a lot of band and people inspired by that. I also just think shows have a lot more people who are trying to flaunt material possessions like fancy sneakers or designer hoodies which I think is stupid. I also think that shows are getting more and more violent every year.

What Inspires you lyrically?

Dave: Idiots I see everyday. Whether its people from shows, people I see at my job, or the idiot I see staring back at me in the mirror.

Is there any upcoming plans for Splitting Headache.New Releases? Tours?

Dave: Splitting Headache has nothing going on. Mike (guitar) is the proud father of a baby boy. We are going to start practicing again soon and hopefully play a few shows in December before we mostlikely will break up. I am probably moving to Tulsa, OK in January and if that happens, we will call it quits.

What do you think about the current state of the hardcore scene? Any current bands you think people should know about?

Dave: The bands I like, I really like but I'm not into nearly as much current hardcore as I've been in the past. I feel like a lot of current Hardcore has gotten too metal and moshy. I was never into that stuff in the early 90s and that era is what a lot of bands are trying to rehash. I like Government Warning, Direct Control, Career Suicide, and bands like that. I would recommend Psyched to Die to people into those bands. They are a newer band featuring members of the Ergs, Splitting Headache, Fast Times, and Hunchback.

Top 3 Records Ever? Hardcore/Non Hardcore

Dave: Another tough one. In no order- Agnostic Front - Victim in Pain. Corrosion of Conformity - Eye for an Eye. Circle Jerks - Group Sex. Non Hardcore. Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. Metallica - Kill Em All. Neil Young - Harvest.

What are your thoughts on the upcoming election?

Dave: This is the first election I've registered to vote for. That said, I'm still not floored by anyone. I am not a fan of big government and I really don't to pick anymore fights with other nations. There is too much red tape for any major changes to ever really take place in this country. But, I'm still gonna cast my vote for change if you know what I mean.

If you could see any band any line up past or present who would it be?

Dave: Black Flag. 1982 tour.

If you werent in a band what would you be doing with your life?

Dave: Well, my current band is a step away from not being in a band so it's easy. I work full time at an animal hospital. I also date a girl in Boston so I spend a lot of time with her when I'm not working. If I never did any bands ever, I have no idea where I'd be now. Probably living a productive lifestyle with a wife, children, and money in the bank.

Any last words ?

Dave: start your own band. Play what you want to play and if it's good people will like it regardless of what everyone else sounds like. And if they don't, atleast you did what you wanted to do.

myspace.com/splittingheadache