Interview with The Bollweevils

On Saturday April 7, 2012 I was very fortunate to sit down for an exclusive interview with Chicago punk legends, The Bollweevils. The band were set to hit the stage at Brauerhouse in Lombard and breaking in a new bass player. The guys were very candid and open about their career, former band members and what the future holds.


Critical Mass: Thank for taking the time to talk with Critical Mass guys. I appreciate it. Since returning as a band in 2006 you guys have played a few shows as headliners as well as opening for Raygun at Riot Fest and at the HOB. Then the shows kinda slowed down. Will we be seeing more shows in 2012?

Miguel: We'll be playing more shows. If I had my way we would definitely play more shows.

Daryl: There will be more shows this year. We're actually looking to expand and do more shows outside of Chicago which is something we didn't get the opportunity to do earlier with The Bollweevils. And now we had some opportunities arise, so now we're gonna try and exploit those as much as we can.  

CM: In November a new song appeared on Facebook and you guys were quoted as saying "New song that will never see the light of day." Will this tune ever be officially released as either a digital single or on a 7"?

Ken: Well, our plan was to record a bunch of stuff. And we were trying out a particular engineer and a particular recording studio. And even though we liked some parts of it, we didn't like it (as a whole). But at the same time we gotta throw some stuff out there and see what sticks. What did you think of it?

CM: I liked it. I thought you could have thrown it on any of the old records.

Ken: Now, there ya go. (To Daryl) What do you think of that statement?

Daryl: Well, it all depends on what you mean. Does it sound like old records? And it's not...

CM: Well, Heavyweight sounds like it could have come out a year ago. It doesn't sound dated.

Ken: Well, it started out as a demo, and if it turned out good (it would be released). But there were parts that each of us were not happy with. So, unless we're all happy with it...

Daryl: We'll still play it live.

Ken: That song will probably come out again, just re-recorded.

Daryl: Yeah, that's the thing. It has to be redone. We were not happy with the engineer...

Ken: No, we were happy with the engineer. We just didn't like parts of the recording.

CM: The bands been around, on and off, for well over 20 years. Do you feel that there are more people interested in the Bollweevils now than during your initial run as a band?

Daryl: No.

Ken: No.

Pete: I think it was exciting riding that initial wave after getting back together, there was a lot of excitement there. And now it’s just faded.

Daryl: Yeah, the opportunities we had stopped. I mean, the iron was hot and we could have struck it a bunch of times, but we never did because there were circumstances that were beyond our control.

Ken: There's interest. I think the problem is that now we're able to do some more. Whether it’s playing more shows or whether it’s recording some more that will kind of enhance that. At least we didn't come back and suck. At least I don't think we did. I've seen some bands come back and embarrass themselves. So, I'm happy we've never done that. But I think, in the works, it’s been let’s do this and let’s do this, so now we're trying to do that. And part of that interest is playing places like Brauerhouse. It's a nice normal sized venue, and we're playing. And that's kinda what we wanna do. We wanna build that back up.

Daryl: How many bands come out and play in the suburbs?

CM: Not many.

Ken: And that's where we cut our teeth. We've played the suburbs and we've played in the city.

Daryl: We used to play the Elmhurst VFW hall, and that place was packed!

Ken: So that's always been what we've done.

Daryl: We do our own thing, we walk our own way and we get it done. And I don't think we suck when we play.

Miguel: I just wanna say that when they came back around, that was my first opportunity to see the band. So I was very fortunate. And now here I am in the band. It's kind of a fucking cool thing.

CM: Pete, you have been in the band since reforming back in 2003. How did he get involved in the band?

Pete: I actually used to play in a band with Ken here called Kronk. And that was what, in '93? I played in the Four Squares too. And we played at the Fireside (Bowl) all the time. But Kronk is what started it all.

Daryl: Pete really was the glue that kinda made us stay together.

Ken: Yeah, actually without Pete we really wouldn't be a band. I mean fuck Miguel. (Laughter)

Daryl: If it wasn't for Pete and the ability for us to get together and have a guy keep time really well, and who was a good friend, and fits into the band well...we could have played with anybody from the very beginning...

Ken: If we would have had Pete from the beginning we may never have broken up.

Pete: Thank you.

Ken, Bob, when we got back together, Bob pretty much said that if Pete's not playing drums then I'm not in. So, that was the happiest day of my life because I've always wanted to play in a band with him.

Daryl: He's the longest running drummer in the bands history, going on 10 years now.

CM: Do you guys have any contact with your former drummer, Brian?

Daryl: No.

Ken: I don't.

Pete: He wanted to split the songs with us, with me, when we first reunited. He wanted to play half the songs, and I play half.

Ken: I just threw up a little in my mouth (Laughter)

Daryl: The only time I've seen Brian was socially. And I saw him out at a show. But at the same point we haven't kept contact with him. Not really. There's no grudge or anything like that. We're adults so we don't need anything like that. There's no animosity. He's got his own life. He's got a wife now and he's doing what he does with his animals.

Ken: Brian's a stand up guy.

Daryl: He works with the zoo. Last time we talked to him he asked what was going on with the band, so y'know. The bands doing what the bands doing. I'm glad he's back on the Chicagoland area doing what he's doing.

Ken: We're glad he's doing well. Good for him and his wife.

CM: Speaking of former members, you have a new addition, Miguel. How did you get involved in the band?

Miguel. Basically I ran into Daryl at a concert, a Descendents show, and we were both wearing the same shirt and I thought that was cool (Laughs).

Ken: What shirt? A black shirt? (Laughter)

Miguel: It was a Descendents shirt and we were just bullshitting around at the show. And I asked him how Bollweevils were, and he said they were looking for a bass player. I said "well I play bass."  And I tried out and it worked out pretty well.

Ken: Bob lives way out of the way, so as far as playing shows...and he's got 2 kids. So, it was a major undertaking. So, when he decided he didn't wanna do this anymore, and we did, we said, y'know, unless somebody really fits in and kicks ass we're just not gonna do it. It's not worth it. And Miguel came to practice and I think we knew within the first 5 minutes that he was the guy.

Daryl: We had him learn 4 songs and he came in with 8 and it put pressure on us to remember the others.

Ken: I was asking Miguel "How does that song go?" (Laughter) But yeah, for me it was the first 30 seconds. For the other guys it was the first couple of minutes.

Daryl: It's funny because we had a few people we were gonna try out for the band, and I just told him (Ken) that this kid Miguel came to me at a show and wanted to try out.

Ken: I'll tell ya, I've played with Bob since we both learned our instruments together. And it's a pretty tough act to follow. For me, it's a pretty tough act to follow. So I was pretty happy when the kid did it. Thanks Miguel.

Miguel: It was pretty tough for me too because he was the guy in the band. Bob's always been the guy. I always played along to his bass lines learning songs. I was like I wanna follow this guy with momentum rather than one up him and do something completely different and bastardize the sound. So, it's like Bob was a big influence on me to learn. And coincidently we play really similarly. And it wasn't even intentional.

Ken: Bob is one of the most underrated bass players in general.

Daryl: If it wasn't for him living so far way I think he would still be playing with us.

CM: So you guys are still close considering he's not in the band anymore.

Daryl: Yup.

CM: Ken, when I interviewed you back in June of last year I asked if any of the old albums were gonna be reissued at some point in the future. And at that time you said there were no plans, but that you would be willing if a label was interested in doing so. Has there been any talks with any labels about reissuing those classic albums?

Ken: I haven't pursued it. Although The Feds (Ken's post Bollweelis break-up band) record is out there on iTunes because of whoever took over the distribution of Dr. Strange Records, and before hand, it's still out there. They had The Bollweevils stuff too. But I kinda got that back. But The Feds stuff, I haven't done that yet. That's actually, no offense to these guys, that's actually my favorite band I ever recorded with on record. As long as it's out there I'm happy with it. As far as the other stuff, nothing yet.

CM: If a label came up to you guys would you be interested in reissuing the old records?

Ken: Yeah, the master plan would be to find somebody willing to put out some of the new stuff and then tie that in with the old stuff. When it comes to a label, we're pretty loyal and we wanna work for a label. We just don't want someone to put out our record. We want to kick our ass and bust our ass for our label. And it's hard. And I think that kinda puts some people off sometimes in this weird sort of way. They're just sort of used to putting the record out. That's how it was when we were starting out. So, if that happens, expect it all to follow along. And part of the reason for that is down to what we can do show wise, and we didn't think it was fair. We started off on Riot Fest Records. And he was pretty excited about putting some stuff out. But if we couldn't do it, then it's probably not a good deal for him. So, we'll see what happens.

CM: Will we be hearing any more new material from the band this year? You guys have that one new song, but are there any songs in the vault that we can expect to hear at some point in the near future?

Ken: We have about an albums worth plus of songs.

CM: That were recorded recently?

Ken: No, they haven't been recorded yet. As soon as we play a few shows and get back out there I think that's the plan to record them and get them out there.

Daryl: We play news songs when we play live, which is the thing. So, the thing is we had songs we were working on before. But because of the distance between members before we just couldn't get it together. But now that we have kind of a cohesive team that can get it done, we do have songs in the works. Miguel's been working on songs too and bringing them to the table.

Ken: The funny thing about The Feds record is that two thirds of that record was supposed to be the next Bollweevils record. And that's kind of a shame that two thirds of that record was supposed to be the next Bollweevils record.

Daryl: I used to listen to that record and think "I could sing over that."

Ken: Uh, I'm not so sure of that. (Laughter) Maybe we should just do a whole Feds set one day and see how that goes. (Laughter)

Miguel: This will be the last Bollweevils show ever. (Laughter)

Daryl: We're just glad to be back and glad to be playing out again. It's a fucking blast.

CM: Well, I wanna thank you guys again for talking with Critical Mass. I really do appreciate it. And I'm glad to heave you guys back again.

Pete: Thank you.

Daryl: I seriously wanna thank you for interviewing us.

Ken: Thank you.

Miguel. Thanks.

Interview with The Napervillain MILF's

The Napervillain MILFs are Chicagolands "Anti Cover Band Cover Band."  They play a wide array of material from Soft Cell's "Tainted Love" to Husker Du's "New Day Rising". And they do it their own way, putting a harder edge to certain songs while also staying true to the original style of others. I recently had the chance to speak with singer/rhythm guitarist Michael Mazza and lead guitarist Michael Cox before their set opening for The Bollweevils at Brauerhouse in Lombard on Easter Saturday April 7, 2012. Here's what the guys had to say about their sound, what's next for the band and how they came up with that kick ass name!

Critical Mass: Thanks for taking the time to talk with Critical Mass, guys. I appreciate it.

Michael Cox: Well thanks for talking to us.

CM: For those new to the band can you give us some history on the band and who's in it?

Michael Mazza: Well, we've got Michael Cox on lead guitar, myself on vocals and rhythm guitar. And we're in the process of finding a new drummer right now. Larry Ohler is playing his last show with us this evening. He was a temporary drummer to get us off the ground.

MC: We owe Larry a great huge debt of gratitude.

MM: We actually booked our first show in December without a drummer. So we actually had our show on schedule at Reggie's, and had no fucking drummer. So he kinda bailed us out. So he's played the first gig with us and has played 4 or 5 gigs since then.

MC: He's also done double duty between Perversions (Larry's full time band) and Napervillain MILF's where he would play 2 sets in one night. So, Larry's the fucking man as far as I'm concerned.

MM: And we also have Walter Kiefer on bass.

MC: Walter will not be with us tonight. He had something come up in Ohio.

MM: Yeah, he had a family reunion which is not very punk rock (laughs)

MC: But we have the very VERY capable Steve Brown filling in for him tonight. So he'll be helping us out.

CM: You guys call yourselves "the anti cover band cover band, declaring war on crappy cover bands like 7th Heaven". Can you elaborate on that?

MM: Yeah, I play in an original project that's been going for 8 years.  And every winter we go on hiatus from December to March because our lead guitar player drives a snow plow. And the dude's on fucking call like all the time. And I kinda wanted to keep playing out in that 4 month window and keep the chops us. And I really love playing out, so I thought "hey I wanna form a cover band." And originally it was gonna start as a Cult tribute. And then I figured the window for something like that would be about 7 people, so I kinda ditched that. So I figured I would start a cover band, but a cool cover band doing Replacements, Husker Du, Guided By Voices. That kinda stuff. So I called Michael, who I went to High School with and found out we had a lot in common music wise. So I called him and said come on over and we'll jam. And since then it's been going really well.

MC: Like Michael said, we got together last year, and tried to kinda work through a master list of songs that we would like to cover. Songs that we thought would be a really kick ass cover. Songs really off the beaten path. And we're sifting through this list and we got on the discussion of 7th Heaven (a local Chicago area tribute band). And Mike's got this great 45 minute rant about how these shop working Napervillain MILF's go crazy for them. They LOVE this shit! And I said "Well, we should just call ourselves Napervillain MILF's" as a big fuck you to them.

MM: If I have to hear "Don't Stop Believing" at a show I'm just gonna shoot myself. I mean who wants to hear that?

CM: Nobody!

MM: So yeah, I think there's kind of a niche for doing what we do 'cause no one else is doing what we do. We're playing deep cuts, mostly punk and balls out rock but no one else is doing it right now.

MC: And the thing is, the way Mike and I have a theory on this, is that you take 5 women who go to see 7th Heaven for whatever odd reason. Out of those 5, you have 4 who are perfectly happy with the music and its right up their alley. And that's fine. This is America. It's a free country and you can listen to crappy cover bands if you want. Now you take that 5th girl in that gaggle of 5, and maybe she listens to The Cure, she listens to (Naked) Raygun, she listens to Pegboy, she listens to, y'know, all the great music that came out in the early 90's and 2000's, the music of our generation. So, we're looking for that 5th girl in that gaggle of 5 who wants to hear a good Raygun cover, who wants to hear that Pegboy cover, who wants to hear Shot Baker, Husker Du and The Replacements. That's kinda what our niche market is.

CM: Do you guys do any original music, and will there be any original material in future?

MC: We're pretty successful as a cover band operation.

MM: Don't say cover band.

MC The anti cover band cover band. I think we have a good thing going. Mike's got his outlet for his original music through Collectors. I don't have an original project right now, to be honest with you. My hands are kinda full right now.

MM: Yeah, it's kinda two different enemies, so I actually really have a lot of fun doing this. So I think it'll continue to be just covers. But cool shit. Y'know it doesn't have to be Bon Jovi and fucking Journey all the time. The tribute scene in Chicago is kinda....

MC: Wacky to say the least.

MM: There are some cool tribute out here. There's a Clash tribute and a Husker Du tribute called The Husker Dudes. So there are some cool tribute acts. But in terms of covers bands there's really no one doing what we're doing right now.

MC: During the genesis of the band, to backtrack slightly, a week before our first show I dragged Mike out to see the Nefarious Fat Cats. The Nefarious Fat Cats are Jake Burns (Stiff Little Fingers), John and Joe Haggerty (Pegboy) and Mark Derosa (Dummy). And during that infamous meeting (with Mike) I said "You have to come to this Christmas show at Liar's Club. THIS is what we gotta be like!" And he heard me screaming that until the cows came fricking home. And he came out to the show and within the first 3 songs, I mean John Haggerty on guitar. What more can you ask for?

MM: What did I say?

MC: The first words out of his mouth were "I quit!" (Laughter)

MM: They were fucking amazing.

MC: Those were the guys we looked up to as far as setting that goal.

MM: Those guys play out twice a year and they're better than any cover band in the city. Easily!

MC: Hands down. So that's who we look up to, to set the goal as as far as being the anti cover band cover band. It's The Nefarious Fat Cats hands down.

CM: I know Jeff from Naked Raygun has joined the band on stage in the past for your cover of the Raygun classic Rat Patrol. I take it Jeff's a fan?

MC: Jeff is gonna be singing with us tonight again. He will be doing 2 songs with us tonight.

CM: Both Raygun songs?

MM: No. One is a surprise, don't give it away.

MC: Yeah, one is a surprise and we can't give it away. But he will be singing 2 songs. And Jeff said it was an honor for him to sing with us. And for Jeff to say that...

MM: We're honored to sing with HIM.

MC: Yeah, we're honored to back him up. Jeff's just a real nice guy. He's very personable when you talk to him. And he's just a regular guy. And for him to wanna get up on stage with us is a blessing. We're very humble.

CM: What's next for the MILF's? Any big plans for the rest of the year?

MM: World domination. (Laughs)

MC: We have a few tricks up our sleeve. We have some shows we're working on. Nothing confirmed that I can say right now. But we have a few tricks up our sleeve. Just stayed tuned and check us out on Facebook.

MM: Yeah, we plan on playing out about once a month. A steady stream of gigs coming.

CM: Is there a website you guys wanna plug where we can get up to date news on gigs and get some merch?

MC: Check us out on Facebook.

MM: We also have a Bandcamp page where you can check out some of our live shit. We're probably gonna put some stuff up from tonight's show.

CM: That sounds great. Thanks again for talking with Critical Mass guys. I really do appreciate it.

MC: Thank you for talking to us. We're big fans of Critical Mass and it's great to talk with you.

Concert Review: The Bollweevils @ Brauerhouse Lombard, IL 4/7/12

The Bollweevils were one of those great bands to come out of Chicago that should have been HUGE! But it didn't happen that way. Like Naked Raygun before them, they put out stellar album after stellar album, played some now legendary shows and toured as much as they could making fans in every city they gigged in. But the albums were not big sellers and the mainstream media ignored them entirely. Then the band broke up leaving the true fans wanting more. Over the years the band would reform with a new drummer and play some more high profile gigs like Riot Fest in '06, as well as opening for Naked Raygun in front of sold out crowds at the House Of Blues and even a headlining show at Reggie's Rock House. Then it all just seemed to stop again.

 Spring ahead to November when out of the blue a band spanking NEW Bollweevils track appeared on the bands Facebook page and the blood started flowing, the energy grew, and the buzz started...Will they play out again? Will they be just as powerful as before? Is it for good this time? The answer to those questions is YES!!!! The Bollwevils are back with a new bass player and a new single ("Honesty Isn't So Simple"), but with that same old attitude! And that attitude, full of raw energy and passion for their craft, was in full effect at Brauerhouse this past Saturday (4/7/12) when they played a close to an hour set of classics to a packed house of die hard fans.

 The band hit the stage running with a blistering version of "Bottomless Pit" and the mob went wild. The band was in great shape playing hard and fast, thrashing their bodies along with each and every riff, and beat. Steve Brauer said it best when he said to me "It's like 1994 all over again!" I couldn't agree more. If you closed your eyes you could magically be transported back to a time when life was a little more simple and the Chicago punk scene was a lot less plastic and pathetic.

 Besides coming back to rip our faces off with spot on versions of "Dehumanize", "John Doe" and "Last Laugh" the band also brought with them some new blood in the form of new bassist Miguel. This show was Miguel's first gig as a Bollweevil, and he literally killed it! This guy has the chops and riffs that make him a perfect fit. Former bass player Bob has to be proud of the way Miguel stays true to the original songs. He was having fun playing even when he was dodging the mic as the crowd surged into and ONTO the stage every few seconds.

 Lead singer Daryl sounded just as powerful as he did back when the band were still new on the scene. Ken played those all too familiar riffs like he never left. Even though he had his old Fender Telecaster off to the side, he decided to play the whole set on a beautiful Paul Reed Smith guitar instead. But it didn't really matter. Ken has a sound all his own and that's what makes him one of the most underrated guitarists in Chicago. Drummer Pete kept the beat going all the way from start to finish making the songs sound just as fresh today as they did when they originally came out.

 The band tore through classics like "Bulletman", "The Failure Of Bill Dozer" and "99 Stoney", and the crowd ate it up singing along word for word. The Bollweevils left the stage dripping in sweat after giving their all to a crowd who gave back just as much energy as the band gave. It was a great night for everyone. When I spoke with the band before the gig Daryl told me there will be more shows this year. So, if you missed out this time, I suggest you make it out next time. It's a show not to be missed. Welcome back gentlemen! We missed you!

Interview with Joe Queer

Critical Mass: Thanks for taking the time to talk with Critical Mass, Joe. The Queers last album, "Back To The Basement", came out in 2010 and was a great record to say the very least. When can we expect a new studio album?

Joe Queer: We're hoping to record this summer. First I have to finish my book I'm writing about the tour Dave and I did with Marky Ramone a few years ago. Also I'm building a recording studio in my house so that's keeping me busy. After the book's done and the studio's built we'll do the new album.

CM: You tour constantly, and have for a number of years now. Where are some of your favorite places to play and why?

JQ: Italy is our favorite. We just have a ton of friends there and the shows are a blast. We feel very much at home there. Brazil and Japan we love also. Great places to go. In the US Chicago and SF are our faves.

CM: It seems like everyone's a Ramones fan now that the bands no longer around. I've had the pleasure of seeing them a couple of times back in the day. But you actually had the chance to PLAY with them. What was it like playing with such a legendary band? And do you have any cool stories about playing with them?

 

JQ: Oh man it was fun. Great guys. We were pals with them years ago. We'd always get backstage and hang out with them. Security wasn't like at a Rolling Stones' concert, ha!! One time I said I was Richard Hell's cousin and they let me back LOL! Course once we'd get backstage they'd recognize us as the nuts from NH and we'd be welcomed.

 

So Joey would throw us a bone now and then and let us open up. Christ the first time we played with them was in '86 in Hartford,CT. 4000 people. We'd never played in front of 400 never mind 4000. I was shaking like a dog passing a peach pit. Richie was drumming then. Cool guy. Actually just emailed him yesterday. Anyway we got up there and played everything we knew and some we didn't and stayed on for about an hour. Hell we didn't know how long we were supposed to play. Joey came up afterwards and told me that when you were opening to just play for 22 minutes and get offstage cause no one was there to see us anyway. He said just hit 'em with your best stuff and get off fast and the crowd will appreciate it and everyone will be happy. I mean he wasn't saying it to be mean. We were clueless and he knew it. I never forgot that advice and still tell it to bands that open for us on tour. Most bands I tell it to take it personally cause they're too stupid to realize it's great advice.

 

Joey gave me his address at a Boston show so I could send him a cassette of 4 songs we did. About 2 months later they played the University of NH and I got backstage as usual. I told Joey I was Joe Queer and he immediately said he liked Love Love Love and Goodbye California. Now I hadn't asked him if he liked it or mentioned song titles-so it was obvious he had listened to the songs. I can't begin to tell you what a thrill it was when he told me he really liked the songs and wanted to cover Love Love Love. For an insecure nobody from NH that was pretty big.

CM: Back in the early 90's the band released a slew of albums which are considered modern day classics now. Did you realize when those albums where written recorded that they would be somewhat of a template for what was to come as far as the whole punk explosion that's happened in recent years?

JQ: Hell no. I mean we knew Love Songs was a good album. Don't Back Down too. Beat Off and Move Back Home we knew weren't really too hot. I'm still surprised people know who we are.

CM: Speaking of those older albums, you had a monster band with Hugh and B-Face, as well as Dan Vapid and Dan Panic at certain points. The punk world lost a great drummer when Hugh passed away. But what os your relationship with B-Face, Vapid and Panic these days? Do you guys still talk?

JQ: Bface and I email. Haven't seen him in a couple years. I still miss hanging out with him. He's a funny motherfucker. But he's doing good. Panic I have no contact with. Good guy but he's on a different wavelength than me. Vapid we haven't seen in a year or two. We're about due for a visit. He's doing good too. Just had a kid and playing in a new band called The Cheats. Great songwriter.

CM:  A few years ago you re-released the old Lookout records on Asian Man Records with new guitar tracks. How did that idea for the reissues come about?

JQ: Eh Screeching Weasel had reissued their Lookout stuff on Asian Man so we did it too. I fixed some vocals-I think the only guitar thing that was different was we used a different track for the lead guitar on Steak Bomb from Beat Off. Vocals we had other tracks and used them instead of the original ones. Anyway it was cool to reissue them as most were out of print.

 
CM: In recent years the bands original singer Wimpy has showed up at gigs and sang with the band, and even sang a few songs on Beyond The Valley (as well as the Drunken Cholos with Tulu). Is there any chance of a Night With The Queers type tour where Wimpy and Tulu would come out with you and open the shows, playing the old tunes like Webelos, Nothing To Do, and This Place Sucks before the modern day version plays all the classics from the last 20+ years?

JQ: No. Tulu couldn't handle touring and would really need to practice to be able to play night in and night out. Wimpy has been singing Queers' songs with a ton of bands which sort of cheapens things. It used to be special when he showed up but he has done a Queers set with all sorts of bands-The Jabbers (GG Allin's original band that Wimpy should have nothing to do with-he cheapens himself and I'm embarrassed when people mention him singing with them)The Guts at Insub Fest he did a whole set with them. The Apers-eh it goes on and on. So we're letting him sort of do his own stuff and we're doing ours. We're still getting him onstage if he's around but just for a couple songs. So. there wont be any tour

CM:  You have played with and have some upcoming shows with the current line-up of Screeching Weasel. I had the chance to see you and Weasel on the same bill in Chicago in 2000, I believe it was. And the crowd went apeshit. How have the crowds responded to this line-up now, being 2 legendary bands on the same bill?

JQ: The few times we've played with them have all been awesome. SW broke up before they hit it huge. Plus they're just an awesome band. So whenever they play it'll be a blast.

CM: Looking back on around 30 years of making music and touring the world, what are some of the highlights for you as a musician? And is there anything you still wanna achieve at this point in the game?

JQ: We've been touring since '94. Before that we weren't really a band-just fucked around Boston opening up for bands at the Rat etc. We did some great shows-played with The Dickies-Angry Samoans-Pixies-Ramones of course-but we were basically a weekend band. Anyway just getting to meet some of my heroes like Dick Dale and Joey Ramone has been exciting for me. Played onstage with Billy Hinsche from Dino Desi and Billy-a 60's band I worshipped. Billy's sister married Carl Wilson of the Beach Boys and he still sings with Brian Wilson and Al Jardine. That was pretty cool for me as The Beach Boys are one of my fave bands of all time.. Billy's a great guy. He let me play  a 72 Telecaster that Carl Wilson gave him years ago-man that was something else. Actually I played Dick Dale's guitar backstage too-that was cool as fuck.

 

 

CM: Joe, I wanna thank you again for taking the time to talk with Critical Mass. You've had, and continue to have, an amazingly influential career in music. And we're looking forward to seeing you in Chicago again soon. Thanks man.

JQ: Ok talk soon.

Music Reviews: Rawhide - "Branded For Life"

When I think of Sweden I think of snow capped mountains, wonderful cuisines and it's culture. When I think of Swedish music I think of Abba and Ace Of Base. Not really the best way to describe the musical accomplishments of such a beautiful country. Then you hear Rawhide, a quartet from Uddevalla who play down and dirty hardcore laced punk rock. And then I think to myself maybe Sweden isn't so bad, musically, after all.

Rawhide's latest release is a 4 song 7" EP called "Branded For Life" (out now on Patac Records). It's hard and edgy with an in your face attitude that gets the blood flowing in your veins. Kicking off with "Out Of Track", the song sounds a little like a Turbonegro track, before going full speed ahead with it's angry vocals and hard hitting drums. It's riff heavy and savvy, but also crisp in it's approach and all around sound. I'm really impressed at the production of this record, considering most hardcore records are not well produced and sometimes get lost in a muddy sound. So it has that going for it as well. "Through My Eyes" is also a heavy hitter full of hard rocking beats and riffs. It's great to hear this all-killer-no-filler style of music coming from the same country that gave us Roxette.

The band, Rambeling Rob (vocals/guitar), Little Mike (guitar), Captain Twofinger (bass) and El Wocko (drums) play like their lives depend on it. Rough and on the edge of losing control. This is the soundtrack to a Hells Angels rally. It's unapologetic and honest hardcore punk rock. It may not be for everyone, but I love it. "Sanitarium Blues" closes out this EP and makes you want more and more from these guys. I'm excited to see what else they come up with. If it's half as good as "Branded For Life" I think this band has a long career ahead of em. Hardcore punk rock is alive and well in Sweden of all places...who would have thought?

4 / 5 stars

Interview with Matías from Lili Champ

Critical Mass: Thanks for taking the time to talk with Critical Mass, Matías. I really appreciate it. For anyone new to Lili Champ, can you give us a little history on the band and how you guys got together?

Matías: Thank you Chris for this interview. We are a punk rock trio from Santiago, Chile.

The band is Gastón on Bass, Pato on Drums and me on guitar, and everyone sings.

Gastón and Me started the band two years ago ´cause we have the same taste in music and enjoy almost the same bands. We just released “Vientos” our first album 4 months ago, so we got a lot of projects for this year.

CM: "Vientos" is really a great album. So full of catchy hooks and pop/punk excitement. Is there other material out there?

Matías: Well, thanks for your words. We got a “demo” on our bandcamp website, but is just 4 songs that me and Gaston did separately. So, I always prefer to say that "Vientos" is our debut album, because the whole band worked on the whole process, even Pato did the art.

CM: I can tell you guys are fans of pop/punk. In your own words who are some of your personal musical influences?

Matías: Yeah, is really difficult to name bands, because they are too many bands that influenced me in my life, but I can say that most of the Lookouts bands influenced me… Screeching Weasel, Green Day, MTX, The Queers… In the last years I´m listening a lot to Dead To Me, Banner Pilot and  Against Me! for example, but I´m always trying to hear new bands and songs, so there are too many.

Speaking of latin bands, from my country there are 2 bands that I really love, one is called “Fiskales Ad-hok” and the other is called “BBS Paranoicos”, I really like “Carbona” from Rio de Janeiro, Brasil and “Loquero”, “Expulsados” and “Cadena perpetua” from Argentina. Feel free to check those bands. You won´t regret it.

CM: When it comes to songwriting is it a group effort is is there one primary songwriter in the group?

Matías: When we started, Gaston and I wrote some songs separately and then we put together some ideas for the final work.

Now we prefer to work together on every song when we are rehearsing. I think that my favorite songs came from a group effort. Anyway, I´m always writing some lyrics that we probably will use, but I really like when we all work on the songs.

CM: Like I said earlier, I think "Vientos" is such a great album, and I can't wait to hear some new material. Are there any plans to release anything else this year? Either another full length, an EP or even a 7" single?

Matías: We just released "Vientos", so a new full length maybe next year. We are working on new songs right now and we will release a 4-way split 7 inch with Hopewrecker (USA), Colin Farrel (Italy) and Valve Drive (Japan) soon. We recorded a new song specially for this release, and a secret cover for the digital version, so you will hear a new song may in May.

CM: Being from Santiago, Chile is there a big punk rock scene in your homeland?

Matías: There´s 2 or 3 bands that usually play for something like 5,000 people, when there´s a big fest or something usually go between 5,000 to 10,000 people and it´s up to if there´s any foreign band playing (I mean big bands like NOFX for example). But small bands usually plays for 50 to 200 people in Santiago, that is the capital city. Outside of Santiago there are some cities that have a lot of bands doing excellent work and I think they play for the same number of people, maybe a little bit less, but I think there isn´t a punk rock band living only from the music business (because there´s no way at all to make a business with music here).

 

CM: Do you guys play a lot of shows outside of Chile? And are there any plans to tour behind "Vientos"? 

Matías: We never played outside of Chile, it´s very difficult for us even play outside Santiago, our hometown.

We all work and study, so it´s very difficult to program a tour right now. But we are always looking to plan a little tour, maybe in another South American country, but not in the nearly future. I mean maybe at the end of the year. It will be very great if we get some show outside Santiago. We´ve been busy with things like launching "Vientos" and recording songs for compilations. So I think April is a perfect month to plan some shows outside of the capital city.

CM: Would there be any chance of touring in the United States at some point in the near future?

Matías: I don’t know. It will be a dream. I don’t know if any punk rock band from Chile toured in the States, I don't think so. But, who knows? We are just starting, so I really don´t know. Maybe it's not so difficult. The 4-way split is a good start for us, and even some reviews and interviews, so we really don’t know what we will want to do in the near future.

CM: Is there a website you wanna plug where fans can get up to date news, tour dates and merch?

Matías: Yeah, of course. We got "Vientos" for free in many websites (Bandcamp for example) and you can find it at our main website, we got some info there and the lyrics if someone wants to sing and learn some Spanish. Also you can find us on Facebook (we usually update this page), and if someone is interested in buying our album, you can find it at interpunk.com for a very good price.

If you wanna get in touch with us, we got an e-mail address,  mail@lilichamp.com , we love to contribute to any kind of projects and compilations.

CM:  Thanks again for talking with Critical Mass, Matías. It's been a pleasure to speak with you. And I hope we get to see you guys in the States soon. Thanks again man. 

Matías: You´re welcome Chris, and thanks to you for helping us. We really appreciate that you give us space on your website.

Interview with Josh Caterer of The Smoking Popes

I recently received an e-mail from an old friend, Steev Custer, asking me if I would be interested in an interview with Smoking Popes frontman Josh Caterer. Steev also asked if he would be allowed to conduct the interview himself, being as he's a huge Popes fan and has even shared the stage with the Popes with his band My Big Beautiful. Being from Chicago and knowing the lasting legacy the Popes have had on our punk scene, and having complete confidence in Steev's ability to handle the task at hand, I immediately agreed. Below is the amazing final results of 2 Chicago music legends talking about everything from songwriting and family to guitars and birthday parties. Enjoy!


Critical Mass:  The Smoking Popes have frequently released different versions of songs on their albums, such as First Time re-recorded for Stay Down, and Can't Find It re-recorded for Destination Failure. Are the re-recorded versions closer to what you wanted them to be originally, or are they merely fresh perspectives on older songs?

Josh Caterer: There are always different ways to do a song. Once you have the heart of the song, the lyric and the melody, you can put whatever skin on it you want to. And if it's a good song, it will work in different skins. Thelonious Monk said "The inside of the tune is the part that makes the outside sound good". When you do a song in a different arrangement you're only changing the outside of the song so you can see the inside from a different angle. I've always found it interesting to explore those variations. Like Dylan doing two different versions of "Forever Young" on Planet Waves. That's awesome, because he's giving you a glimpse into the process. Anytime he writes a song, he has to decide "Is this up-tempo, or is it a ballad?" And with that song, he says "I'll do it both ways, and YOU can decide."


CM: There are three brothers in the Smoking Popes (Josh -vocals and guitar, Eli -guitar and Matt -bass) leaving drummer Neil Hennessey being the only member of the band not of the Caterer bloodline. Do you feel it makes for a more or less stressful dynamic to work so closely with family as opposed to being in a band with non-relatives?

JC: For us, it makes things easier. We grew up loving the same kinds of music and we learned to play by jamming with each other, so it's very easy for us to communicate with each other. We all automatically have a similar vision for what makes music sound good. So, when we're working on new stuff, we don't have to talk a lot about arrangements. We just play through the song, and we know we're all striving in the same direction and we trust each other.

CM: Josh, you've written a majority of the Smoking Popes music, do the other guys in the band veto songs from time to time, or do you personally pick and choose what material you feel is best and present it to the band?

JC: I have a pretty strict filter on my own songwriting. I tend to be my own worst critic and I won't even play a song for the guys unless I've been working on it for a while and I feel pretty confident that it's strong enough to be a Popes tune. It's a very vulnerable thing to play a new song for somebody for the first time. I hate it, actually. Here's this thing I've been privately creating in my own little world and it seems good to me, but it's really hard to be objective about that, and it might actually suck. So I play it, and the whole time I'm kind of glancing up at whoever's listening to see if they're grimacing. 

CM: Over the years, Eli has stuck with his green Fender custom shop Telecaster, while you have played a variety of Fender Stratocasters and recently a Gibson SG. How many guitars do you own, and is there a mainstay in your collection that you keep coming back to?

JC: I have two Fender Double Fat Strats which are really great guitars. They're really solid. They can take a beating and stay in tune and they sound great. Pretty much everything I've recorded for the last ten years has been with those Strats. But I've recently come back to the SG, which was the first guitar I had back in the 90's. I recorded our early EP's and our first full-length album, Get Fired, with an SG. It plays differently. I feel like you have to be a little more delicate with the SG. But it gets a great tone and, frankly, it looks awesome. So I'm playing it more these days. But I'll never give up the Strats.

CM:  You've recorded albums for Johann's Face, Capitol, Victory Records and Asian Man records, and toured with bands such as The Goo Goo Dolls and Morrissey. What's left on the list of things you'd like to see the band accomplish?

JC: I think the real accomplishment of any band is to continually make inspired music so that you're never treading water creatively. As long as we're continuing to do that, it doesn't matter to me what label we're on, who we're touring with, whether we're playing to festival crowds or small clubs. Ultimately, you want to be able to look back on your body of work and be proud of the music you made. I think if we keep focusing on that, everything else will work itself out.

CM:  Josh, at a Smoking Popes show in Dekalb recently you were quoted as saying that you would come to my birthday party and play your song I'm Brand New for me. Is that really going to happen, and are you only going to play that one song, or can my friends and I call out requests?
JC: It depends. When's your birthday? And who are these "friends"? Will Jeff Pezzati be there?

Contributing writer Steev Custer is a founding member of the bands My Big Beautiful, Death And Memphis and is a former member of The Bomb. He is also a guitar teacher and the CEO of Gearhead Guitar Repair, Inc..