Dear Landlord- Dream Homes
released on June 30, 2009 on No Idea Records

Dear Landlord is a band that plays punk rock in the vein of Crimpshine, Screeching Weasel and Pinhead Gunpowder. They formed in 2004 and are made up of two former members of Rivethead and two current members of The Copyrights. Track 1 is fast, poppy and full of snotty vocals. The lyrics are pretty straight-up and the bass line is reminiscent of the Ramones mixed in with Screeching Weasel. Track 3 feels has a time signature that focuses on how the drums interact with the guitar/bass to create a sound that doesn’t stray far from the first track. The vocal style of Track 5 is pretty similar to that used by Billie Joe Armstrong and Ben Weasel and it changes things up a bit with the snottiness, even if the vocalist isn’t the best.

Overall, it feels pretty formulaic and there isn’t much variation going on (except for Track 5). If you’re a fan of any of the bands mentioned above, you might like this. However, I feel that there’s definitely room for improvement. If this band was around 15 years ago, they might have made it big like the bands of that time. Perhaps with a few more albums under their belts, they’ll find their niche. Worth checking out anyway.

FCC: 2,3,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,14
Try: 1, 4

01. I Live In Hell
02. Rosa
03. High Fives
04. Lake Ontario
05. Landlocked
06. Doormat
07. Three To The Beach
08. Park Bench
09. Goodbye To Oakland
10. Last Time I Checked
11. Whiskey And Records
12. Lost Cause
13. Begging For Tips
14. A World That We Never Made

3/5

No Friends- Self-Titled
released September 29, 2009 on No Idea Records

This is a band made up of Tony Foresta (Municpal Waste) and the remaining members of New Mexico Death Squad (Richard Minino, Sam Johnson and Alex Goldfarb). They play hardcore that is in the vein of Dag Nasty, Black Flag and the Descendents. Track 1 starts off this album with the rapid drumming and tight guitars that are very reminiscent of Black Flag. Track 4 combines the speed and urgency of the Gorilla Biscuits with hooks reminiscent of the early Descendents material. Track 8 has a time signature that is well-organized with the hooks in all the right places along with the drums and guitars. It might be odd for fans of Municipal Waste to hear Tony Foresta’s vocals over hardcore but believe me, it works very well. As you’re listening to this, put aside the technical aspects of these songs and just think about what it was like to be younger and getting tossed around in circle pits. The entire album clocks in just under 20 minutes.

In conclusion, this CD is a wet dream for a fan of early-mid 80s hardcore. It’s like this band stepped out of the Waybac machine, straight from 1984. I would like to see more out of them and I’m always looking for bands that take the best aspects of early hardcore and put them on display. The lyrics are also very competent, even if they seem standard for the genre. Check out this album if you’re a fan of old school hardcore.

FCC: 4,5,10
Try: 1, 3,5, 6, 11

01. intro
02. Set In Your Ways
03. Never Ending Fight
04. Broken Windows
05. Have You Ever Heard Of Aspirations?
06. We’ve Got No Friends
07. Sans Opinions
08. Black Hearse
09. Material Addiction
10. Clean Up Crew
11. Loaded Question
12. outro

4/5

Re: pop punk updates (dress code, music, etc…)

Attn: pop punk fans, as we find ourselves in a post-Lookout! world the guide lines and definitions of pop punk are changing. It is time we re-evaluate the genre and styles. Here are a few key points the pop punk figureheads all agreed on during the annual meetings at the Insub-Fest, Gainsville-Fest and Riot-Fest…

dress code:
-blue cut off jeans (to be cut at the knee and threads left hanging, both men and women are expected to adhere to this mandatory fashion and discard all full length pants save for two pairs of levis [skinny fit preferred but 501's are acceptable for heavier set people or mid-west residents] for winter wear)
-thick framed glasses (even if not prescribed)
-band shirts (nothing older than 2000 unless SubPop or SST related)
-plaid flannels (fun if you’re a boy or a girl)
-footwear shall either be standard chuck taylors or cross trainers (any leather shoe is unacceptable)
-hoodies (replacing leather and gas station jackets of days of old, these cotton wonders are far more animal friendly and do not support the looks of the attendants of the fascist big business gas companies that are ruining our planet)
*note: ball caps and beards are encouraged as well (for both genders).

music:
-cookie monster vocals highly endorsed (who needs harmony or vocal talent when one can growl or rouse throaty group choruses?)
-lyrics shall now contain obscure references to literature or landmarks, depressing content, mention of alcohol consumption and love and romance should only be sung of the the past tense in a heartbroken and sour manner, female praise should only be given as much as self deprecation in any particular song
*note: under no circumstances should the lyrics contain any self esteem, swagger or cockiness (let’s leave that to those hipsters)
-breakdowns and harmonic leads are here by officially endorsed
-while Ramones-core is not completely frowned upon (yet) it is only appropriate from groups with former sidemen from Screeching Weasel and the Queers, Canadians, Europeans and Chicago residents.
*note: vocals should now favor Danny Vapid over Ben Weasel for this particular sub-genre.
-GPC is the official guitar choice

random:
-bikes and skateboards are preferred over cars for urban dwellers (let’s keep it green)
-stance on Green Day depends on company
-veganism is highly encouraged (pesticides and chemical bi-products are fine so long as it keeps those fuzzy-wuzzy amnimals safe)
-Fat Wreck and No Idea are the official pop punk labels of choice (fallowed by Red Scare and Asian Man)
-be sure to openly mock anyone dressed even the slightest bit fashionable and yell out “hipster!”

please adjust accordingly. thanks!

-see ya in the pit!

ANGRY YOUNG MAN

• Tom Petty/Mudcrutch < Lynyrd Skynyrd/Allman Brothers
• Frat Dudes <  Jax Beach Rockabilly dudes
• Less than jake > Yellowcard
• Xenophobic Gainesville Hipsters < Go Nowhere Riverside Hipsters
• No Idea Records > Dead Tank Records
• Hot Water Music/Against Me > Whole Wheat Bread/evergreen terrace
• Paines Prairie = Hanna Park
• Santa Fe College > Florida State College (FCCJ)
• Boca Fiesta < Burritto Gallery
• Kickstand > Zombie Bikes Bike Gang Bike Co-Op
• Gainesville Artwalk < Jacksonville Artwalk
• Wayward Council/ Hyde & Zekes/ Sharpies > Weird Wax/nothing/ nada
•  Lake Newnan < Jax Beach
• Anthem Tattoo < Ink Smith and Rogers
• Purple Mushroom < Glasseye
• RTS > JTA
• Reggae Shack  > Phase 1 Jamaican Products
• 1982 > Jack Rabbits
• O Connel Center < Jacksonville Arena
• Gator Football < Jacksonville Jaguars( Fuck the Gators, they win every fucking game, thats boring)
• Downtown Farmers Market < Beaver Street Farmers Market
• Civic Media Center > The Museum of Southern History
• Balls > Blanding Billards
• Alachua/Newberry/Waldo > Macleney/Fernandina Beach/ Orange Park
• Downtown Gainesville < Downtown Jacksonville
• Gainesville Beer Prices < Jacksonville Beer Prices
• Jammy Dodgers < The Band Aids
• Grabass charlestons < SPP
• Hardback = Milk Bar
• Kickstand (venue) < Doozers Pub
• Backstage Lounge > The Pit (Beach Blvd)
• The Atlantic > The Landshark
• The Venue > Freebird
• Young Livers < The 2416
• Religous As Fuck > Civilization
• Radon = Grabbag
• Asshole Parade > Status Faux
• Anchor Arms < Swirl360
• Assassinate the Scientist > Whaleface
• Whiskey & co. < Honey Chamber
• Chris Wollard < Kevin Lee Newberry
• 2nd Ave   <  College St.
• Gainesville Downtown Library Bums <  Jacksonville Downtown library bums
• Fletchers = Da Dirty Dirty
• Swamp < river
• Mothers < Harpoon Louies
• Video Rodeo > Superstore Video News
• Gator Dawgs > JAG Dawgs
• Leonardos < Moon River
• Obscurist Press = Infintesmal Records
• Southernshedpunk.com > Whacksonville.com
• Stephen Stills < Ricky Medlock
• Oaks Mall < Normandy Mall
• Glory Days Booking = Orange Garden Productions
• Haile Village Market < Riverside Arts Market
• Hogtown Brewery = Bold City Brewery
• Las Margaritas > La Nopalara
• The Fest( corp. sponsered) < Conmoto Trech Fest(imagine if HOH was in downtown jax! !)
• Later Gator bus service > Calling a fucking cab/driving drunk

Whose leg do you gotta hump to get some warp-speed, power violence-influenced, Locust-style grind these days? 

Combatwoundedveteran — members of which formed Holy Mountain – were one of the best in their day, dispensing with all filler/fodder, zooming in on the heart of technical metal/hardcore/punk and playing at a withering, mach-70-level pace.

C-W-Veteran came along at a great time. An Albatross‘ We Are the Lazer Viking, the self-titled Get Fucked record on Level Plane and The Locust’s Plague Soundscapes had all just come out; the world was aflutter, riding the coattails of insane tempos, archetypal hardcore shout-screaming and cavernous speed-metal guitars.

I Know a Girl Who Develops Crime Scene Photos is one of the best examples of the post-power violence movement for many reasons:

• The drummer absolutely RAPES and SKULL-FUCKS (sorry for the grotesque image) his kick drum; 
• If you’re searching for distortion that rivals Dystopia and any black-metal outfit you can scrape from a Norway slum, look no further than, as their fans call them, Combat!;
• The vocals … There are only a few screamers with better rage presence than Ponch and Norris (both served as vocalists at different times);
• At no point does IKAGWDCSP let up; we’re talking a dozen-plus songs on each side of vinyl, every one of them needling you like you were a damn pincushion;
• And, finally, I’m a stickler for production, and I Know a Girl has one of the fullest knob-jobs I’ve ever heard, deep and rumbling like The Melvins‘ Houdini and crackly like old Heroin/Racebannon/Assfactor 4/Usurp Synapse, (three of my all-time favorites) …

All of the above qualities on their own would be worthy of attention; combined, they are absolutely devastating. That I Know a Girl is served up on luscious mild-yellow/mild-swirl-marble vinyl only seals the deal (lock up a $10 copy HERE; don’t worry, I won’t make anything off it) …

What really happend? Fuck if i know, but i bet Tony Bentweiner is pissed!!! More footage below:

“if any brewtality happens i got this.”

     All the assholes were fleeing Gainesville last weekend for the Gators game in Jax. I hate football, so I fled Jacksonville for the Fest 8 in Gainesville. 

    For the Gainesville natives who remained, University blvd must have been a hell of a sight. Friday afternoon to Sunday night, the place was crawling with all sorts of weird folk. Whatever culture Gainesville has is completely consumed for these days late in October. It becomes a punk town. From 250 pound beardos to rude boys to crusties, every weird subgenre of every weird subgenre of every weird genre in music was represented there. Fringe groups that come together for 3 days a year for the purpose of partying and listening to music.

 Now that I think of it, the same thing can be said about the Gathering, so I’m gonna take a different approach to this and focus on cops and crusties. Now, as any Florida native knows, Florida’s justice system is on par with 17th century Massachusetts’. For the eight years of festin’ Gainesville has put on, the cops have been generally cool with it. Considering how many drugs and beers are consumed at the fest, most fest kids, despite their weird subgenre of weird subgenre of weird genre affiliation, have been grateful for this. Most fest kids.

     One stupid fucking crusty was dancing in the middle of a street, a rare cop appeared, and tried to get him to get out of the way of traffic. Another stupid fucking crusty thought he saw an opportunity to crush the system, so he punched the cop. The cop tasered him. About 5 more stupid fucking crusties started to beat the shit out of the cop. The cop radioed for backup, tear gas was broken out, arrests were made and the crusties lost. The next day this was all over the local news. http://www.gainesville.com/article/20091102/ARTICLES/911021004

    This is the second time in two years Gainesville cops have had fest problems, and in the words of one Lieutinent, they are going to ‘increase staff’ for the next one. Way to up teh p0nx, guys. Put aside the fact that these kids were out of line and got what was coming to them (personally, I would’ve loved to see the cops go Kent state on their asses. I hate hippies.) and let’s assume that the cop was being a prick. When cops are being pricks, you don’t fucking punch them. Now if you’re from out of town and you’re representing a subculture that has had problems with the town’s cops before, you swallow your pride use a little tact and try to give your people a better name. That ain’t the time to relive 82 and start a riot. It’s the time to shut up and get out of the way so I don’t have to be frisked anymore next year. Yeah, big black dudes at the venue frisk you when you go in. I don’t fucking get it.  

Gainesville debates Fest impact:  http://www.gainesville.com/article/20091103/ARTICLES/911031008/1118?Title=Fest-s-impact-on-city-is-debated

ANGRY YOUNG MAN

TRUE NORTH: Gainesville,Fl: We Speak In Code: LP

Something  in the water here in the swamp makes bands think their a lot better and “ground breaking” then they really are. Self- important/ self absorbed 3rd wave DC influenced emo reins supreme here.

I guess this was kind of a pre cursor for the “gainesville sound”. From pretentious wanna-be arty album photography to really complicated bass chords over shouty vocals.  The music seems cocky. Like you should be sucking their nuts just for getting together and existing. This is a quintessential No idea release. I.E. they have no idea what real rockers listen too. If you want to hear better versions of all these songs you could probably listen to all the other better bands these really cool and hip dudes also play in.  I don’t care what other bands you were in. Just be in a good one worth caring about for once. 11 tracks DEFINITLY NOT RECOMMENDED!!! (Scottanimo Bay)

WEBSITE:http://www.noidearecords.com/bands/releases/truenorth_code.php

Available at:

NO IDEA RECORDS

PO BOX 14636

Gainesville,FL

32604

BATTLE: Gainesville, FL: In Remission: LP

Don’t be discouraged by a front cover showcasing a kid holding his head in his hands – he’s not crying. 18 tracks (even 4-second “Chi-Kank”) of non-stop furious yelling, blast-beating, breakdownin’, gang-vocalin’ hardcore fun really backs up the name “battle”. There is no special remastering or electronic synth; just the talents of the band itself (or lack thereof. Hey, after all it is punk). But this is not just music to listen to. Give the lyric insert a good two or three reads. Each word is so clear; you won’t find yourself dissecting metaphors, trying to find out what the song really means. Tracks like “Breathe. Think. Learn.” and “No Holds Barred” end with a high, positive note and strong, fist-in-the-air anthems. I think crust punks, NY-style hardcore kids, and metal(core)heads alike might appreciate this CD because it has elements attributing to each taste, musically anyway. I can’t really see anything not to like. Make sure not to shut off your music player at the end, because there’s a secret track waiting for ya. You’ll know what I mean. “BATTLE! And don’t forget the exclamation point ya son of a bitch!” (Ambika)

BATTLE!Gainesville,FL: Demo 2008: CD

  These two tracks definitely bring back the familiar BATTLE! excitement, beginning with a tempting drum beat slowly picking up pace in “Dear Dad”.  I say excitement because when I hear that particular beat starting a song, it’s like Harley Flanagan said about seeing Bad Brains in the documentary American Hardcore. Well, I don’t remember exactly what he said, but it was something along the lines of “When you heard that beat, you couldn’t wait for it to rip.” The metal-infused guitar strumming is played up with a sort of high-pitched piece a minute into the song, with a sufficing dirnt to end it. “Bricks” features guest vocals by Kat from Boston/Connecticut-based ROADRAGE. The vocal trade off sounds great, kinda like Nausea or Aus-Rotten a la “The Second Rape”. (Ambika)

WEBSITE: http://www.myspace.com/battle , http://www.rileykenney.com/battle!/store/

WATSON: Tampa, FL: Chasing .500: CD

I saw WATSON last year at FEST 7, they had a huge bro crew singing along to every song. They played with a hell of a lot of energy, ass sweat and fully soaked from the inside shirts aplenty.  After the show the lead singer bro gave me 2 CD’s and thought I was in the band ENVIROMENTAL YOUTH CRUNCH. He was really cool and sweaty. Basically I really, really wanted to like this CD.  But when I got home and spanked it in to the old music player, I just couldn’t get into it.  The music is like DINOSAUR JR crossed with THE LINE.  A good idea in concept, but lacks in execution  I don’t understand all these bands in Gainesville and Tampa. They all try and sound the same. Slightly pop punk with gruff vocals to conceal their wiener true feelings.  At times try’s to be melodic but vocals are all over the place. If I was from Tampa I could see going to all their shows and being total bros, but as for this CD, you could do better gentlemen. 6 songs. Not Recommended. (Scottanimo Bay)

WEBSITE:http://www.myspace.com/watsontampa

AVAILABLE AT:

ADD RECORDS

PO BOX 8240

Tampa, FL

33674

GRABBAG: Jacksonville, FL. : Dismantaling Punk Capitalism CD

  The album artwork really has a mind of its own; there’s a chupacabra-like creature on the lyric page and CD front, some sort of tribal border design, and the usual Shedpunk Inc. man with a bulging eye. What it has to do with the songs, I couldn’t tell ya. I don’t really care, either, because I thoroughly enjoyed the whole album for its fast pop-punk, its obscene lyrics, and its unclean recording. Having full-blown studio recordings is just not fun. It’s like basement shows opposed to expensive amphitheaters, in that I would so much rather have rawness than exactly how it sounded on the radio. There’s never a dull moment with the J Church-like powerpop, a disco song, and a little acousticore number to end it. Plus, Marty McFly was a Punk Rocker, from Grabbag’s 2007 S/T, sneaks up on you as a secret track. There are notable bass lines in really every song, and I only mention so because they seem to overpower and conquer the tune as a whole. And of course, it must be pointed out that Scott’s drawings, which normally include a character with an eye infection, are the inspiration of his facial expressions at live shows(or vice versa, as he tends to squint one of his eyes). It’s what I think about as I’m listening to this, so keep that in mind. (Ambika)

WEBSITE: www.southernshedpunk.com

AVAILABLE AT: Download the whole album for free here:  http://southernshedpunk.com/index.php?pr=Albums

GRABBAG

4264 SW 22nd Ln. Unit 109

Gainesville, FL 32607

USA

THE JAMMY DODGERS: Gainesville, FL: Fish n’ Chips: 7inc

Energetic positive pop-punk mixed with 80’s hardcore. Think Minor threat sexed up with early 90’s Lookout Records. Somehow it works. Its really fucking peppy, and positive to boot. Male- female dual vocals.  Dude kind of sounds like a dull Fred Snyder from The B-52’s. You know, if you saw Fred at an after party and he wasn’t the life of the place. The female vocals shine through. Overall I like this record. It’s fast and has good lyrics. Although their left-wing cliché songs are borderline simpleton.  I heard this band broke up after  the dual vocalists broke off their love affair. Oh well, life goes on.  7 songs.  Recommended. (Scottanimo Bay)

WEBSITE: http://www.noidearecords.com/bands/releases/jammydodgers_fishnchips.php
AVAILABLE AT:

No Idea Records
PO box 14636
Gainesville, FL
32604

DEAD FRIENDS: Gainesville, FL :S/T : 7inc

Thrash-tastic, sludge, heavy grunge punk. The music sounds swampy and frantic, but in a good way. Lyrics are yell/sung in a questioning manner like “whhhhhhyyyyyyy??????” but the lyrics are funny and sung with gruff passion that only a beardo could posses.  Overall I kind of dig it. At least they jam like hell, which is more then I can say for every other Gainesville band.  DEAD FRIENDS sound  like weirdo crazy- dirt- grunge -punk but hip enough for the young bloods to dig and you know what? I like that. Gainesville needs more bands like this. 6 tracks , and 1 is about Kobe Bryant fucking up his image in front of the kiddies. Recommended.  (Scottanimo Bay)

 WEBSITE: http://www.myspace.com/deadfriendz
 
AVAILABLE AT:

OBSCURIST PRESS
PO box 13077,
Gainesville, FL
32604

Left for Dead was a short lived power-hardcore/violence-hardcore or whatever you want to call it band from Hamilton in the mid-late 90s. They were fierce and fell like a punch in the face. They released a live split with Chokehold in 1996 on Rhythm of Sickness Records, a split with Ochre on Phyte Records and a split with Acrid on No Idea Records in 1997. Somewhere I read they also had their own 7″ ep but I haven’t heard it. All this stuff was compiled on a discography CD by No Idea Records in 1999 under the name “Splitting Heads”. In 2004 they did a brief reunion and recorded their live set which was released on LP by Deranged Records.

I don’t have the final live set, so if anyone wants to hook me up…

Left for Dead on Myspace
Left for Dead – Splitting Heads

Just wanted to mention the new press of senor and the queen on gold vinyl is limited to 335 copies, so grab one or two before they’re gone. I’m still working on figuring out how many copies were on black this time around and my only guess is around 700. I had heard the box looked to be around 1,000 copies total. I’ll update again if I hear anything new.

So I got my copies today from No Idea. Interestingly enough I got a shipment notice from Sabot Productions today as well…
Anyways, here are the pics of the gold vinyl. Enjoy. Will update once I have an idea of pressing numbers. Current estimate is a total of 1,000 copies between black and gold. These are still available from Vinyl Collective and No Idea. I think Sabot has them in stock as well, you’re choice.

So every couple days or weeks, whenever I remember or am really bored, I cruise through the no idea site and see if they have anything new I missed or new presses. Well, the sink or swim description had changed and instead of the usual green or purple vinyl words, it said now on clear vinyl. I emailed them real quick and this morning it was confirmed that it is a new press on clear vinyl. Very interesting they would do it on clear since gunnar already did a press on clear. So yeah, figured I would let you know. I was told all US presses would be /1000 from now on, so I’m assuming it’s /1000, but will update once I get word on that. You can grab these at no idea right now and I’m sure vinyl collective will have some soon and any where no idea sends vinyl to.

edit: this press is /500 and is supposed to be the last color for the US pressings, they will continue to do clear “Forever” according to the email I just received. Very interesting…

PS. Telling the difference will be easiest by the logos on the back of the LP, if you don’t trust that for some reason, check the etchings…