Here are more lists. And more are on the way! I just saw the Cro-Mags and they were great. Happy New Year!
Josh Feola
Josh graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Boston University, and while there, he did time in Mentally Challenged and Soul Swallower (I think). Josh has been overseas for the better part of the year since he’s graduated. Right now he is the only guy without a hard science PhD at Seravia, which is based in Beijing. He gets a jpeg on his links contribution a month ago, though the Grillo’s tee certainly doesn’t hurt. A native Texan, and a Spurs fan, his dad owns season tickets:
Top 10 Grossing Movies of 2000-20091 (reviewed)
1. “The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King” — $1,119.1 (2003)
Are these movies really this old? I don’t think I saw this one. I read the books when I was in elementary school but I forgot how it ends. I’m worried about Frodo and I wanna know what he’s up to (snort).
2. “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” — $1,066.2 (2006)
Definitely did not see this, but I was working at an art gallery in Hollywood when it came out. I went to a few movies that summer. I saw Little Man on my birthday but it didn’t even break even so that’s all I’ll say about it (though I thought it was good). When the Pirates movie came out there were a lot of men and women dressed as Johnny Depp hanging around the Arclight, which was a terrible look.
3. “The Dark Knight” – $1,001.9 (2008)
I saw this movie a lot. I was teaching English in Indonesia when it came out and I took my host family. My host brother (11) liked it but preferred the “Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.” I went again with my students on the last day of class. Later that summer I met up with my ex-girlfriend in Bangkok and we saw it in Imax. In Thailand you have to stand for the the national anthem while pictures of the King are projected on the screen before every movie. I bought the DVD for my Dad last Christmas and watched it with my parents and my uncle and aunt and their kids. The kids were 7 and under and I felt pretty bad when I realized they couldn’t watch it because it is too scary.
4. “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” — $974.7 (2001)
This movie killed it! I was so excited when it dropped. My only beef is the dude (R.I.P.) who played Dumbledore (R.I.P.) didn’t get it right and it threw off the whole series a little bit. I always imagined Dumbledore to be more spry and ironic. This movie always reminds me of winter and this one sweater I used to wear.
5. “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” — $961.0 (2007)
I think I saw this on UPN once. Garbage.
6. “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” — $938.2 (2007)
Neville is so cool in this one. I snuck into this movie with Greg at Circle Cinema (R.I.P.) but we had watched Transformers 1 immediately before and I think drunk some vodka before that so I fell asleep. I watched it again in 3-D later. The only good 3-D part was when everyone was flying around on brooms.
7. “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” — $929.4 (2009)
This movie was pretty cool. I saw it in Beijing right after I moved here. I was in a bad mood at the time. I rewatched it a few days ago too. Pretty bummed Harry didn’t meet up that girl with the cool hair, would have been a good match. Also I think the crazy girl is hot.
8. “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” — $925.3 (2002)
Did they really release this one year after 9/11? Bizarre.
9. “Shrek 2″ — $919.8 (2004)
How did this make the list? I thought the baby boomlet didn’t happen until 2007. I didn’t see it but AJ may have.
10. “Avatar” — $212.7 (2009)
I am reserving a spot for Avatar, a late-entry contender that I believe will make the grade. In fact, I predict it will become the all-time No. 1 grossing film, usurping the sleeper Titanic, also by James Cameron. I think Avatar will break $2 billion. I’m counting on China to push it over the hump. My whole company is going to see it when it comes out in Beijing next month. I already saw it in Texas and obviously there is nothing bad to say about it, unless you’re criticizing the plot or the acting. And then you’re missing the point. I may be an anthropologist but before that, I am a person with eyes. (For the record, Ribisi was good.)
Honorable Mention: “Star Wars: Episode 1 — The Phantom Menace” — $924.3 (1999)
This movie was released in November of 1999 but it deserves a nod. By a cruel twist of fate, George Lucas was born in 1944 and had to cede his crown to the Jims of the world by the time the 21st century rolled around. I won tickets to the first new Star Wars movie on the radio and went on opening day with my mom. I thought it was unimpressive. But don’t take my word for it.
Source: http://boxofficemojo.com/alltime/world/?pagenum=1&p=.htm
Brian Murphy
Brian, who hails from Maine, is like a Q-base programmer and homeowner by day, and his office is conveniently near Jason Barrow, and I am told they have lunch together now and then. By night (and lunch) he runs Hows Your Edge, a T-shirt database and record swap list community. He takes a size 11.5 Nike. He is into joints:
Top 10 of The Last 10
1. Mental — Planet Mental Biggie and Tupac Tee
2. In My Eyes — Y2X Tour Longsleeve
3. Stop And Think — Red and Yellow Eagle Tee
4. Justice — Go Veg Tee
5. Have Heart & Guns Up – Hardcore > Shoes / Shoes > Hardcore
6. Gorilla Biscuits — Large Gorilla Head
7. Down To Nothing — Chilling Is What We Do Best
8. American Nightmare — Demo Tee
9. Bane — Mr Sparkle Tee
10. Cold World — BAPE Tee
Top 10 of 2009
10. Mongoloids — Told You Verse Wouldn’t Be Straight Edge This Year
9. Right Idea — Smorgasbord Tee
8. Cruel Hand — 3 Wolf Tee
7. Rival Mob — LOC Tee
6. Grillos Pickles — LOC Tee
5. No Tolerance — Demo Tee
4. Have Heart — Have Heart Sucks
3. Set Your Goals — Bo Jackson Tee
2. Floorpunch — Fast Times Sound & Fury Tee
1. Alert — Addiction Rip Off Tee
Chris Morgado
Chris Morgado sings for Chris Morgado’s Wrong Side, and is straight edge. He is into Fangoria and low-brow literature, just got a rocker tattoo, and has a fine recurring wrestling column. There is no one better at doing a show review, so why not review the decade? (and year):
Top 10 of the Decade:
1. 1-25-03
We could technically call this the beginning of the LOC era, with the Planet Mental record release arguably being the end. Mental’s 7″ release show. Think I Care opening and covering Sheer Terror and me decking CC (whoops). Stop and Think playing their annual Mental record release set. And two of the soon-to-be biggest bands of the 00’s headlined, but none of us cared about them that day. If the A.N. set at B.T.S.J. was their coming out party (see below), then this was Mental’s. Skanking hadn’t gotten entirely goofy yet, kids hadn’t yet picked up on stage moshing (the onstage mosh at this show was entirely Mental crew … cut to 2007 and every kid who gets on stage to dive has to do his gumby skank first … yeah, you owe the LOC for re-popularizing the onstage mosh, kids), weird shirts weren’t the norm (the bright yellow 1-25-03 shirts and Owen‘s homemade TJRB shirt would now be considered plain) … this was the beginning of all the shit that’s been taken to dreadful, horrible extremes by the hardcore kids that came after. But with us it was something pure and honest. It was also the beginning of me picking up dudes at shows on stage and dropping them on their heads. Bad trends, bad trends … but the start of a great, fun era. The entire middle portion of the 2000’s was dominated by the LOC, and you know this. I have never felt more connected to hardcore than I did during Mental’s run as a band.
2. American Nightmare
Say what you want about what they became and the cult hero/icon status Wes achieved, 2000-2001 A.N. were THE hardcore band to see if you wanted to mosh and stage dive. Especially in Boston. The footage from the Back To School Jam in Framingham still sends chills up my spine. If memory serves, A.N. OPENED that show and got that reaction. That’s the A.N. I want to remember. Standhard on bass. Wes moshing more than singing. Mothy and Andy Heley and Joey C and Spaulding, all Straight Edge, and putting on stage dive clinics. The A.N. intro. The build up in “Hearts.” 4:20 Fest. Opening for Hatebreed at Bill’s Bar (Elijah from D.B.N.O. broke his hand during AN and couldn’t mosh to Hatebreed, he was so bummed. I swear to God I stage dove over two girls who were onstage grinding during Hatebreed, and for some reason I was wearing an open zip-up with no shirt for the entire show. And Standhard sang “Kill An Addict.” It was all filmed for a DVD, yet the footage has never surfaced). The show at Mass Art (Stop and Think’s first show. I moshed with sunglasses on for SNT and a spent a couple songs moshing with my shirt over my face during A.N. I’m told someone threw a dead fish onstage near the end of their set, but I never saw it) … That they went on to become one of the biggest and most copied hardcore bands of the decade and not just a local favorite for their friends to go nuts to is just a testament to how good they actually were. When their fan base expanded to include a lot of fun hating purebred dork hipsters who clung to Wes‘ every syllable and fashion choice, I soured on seeing them, and now I regret it, because it kept me from going off to the 7″ songs one last time when they retired them at 1-25-03.
3. Dump Truck/ The Wrong Side
I’m not going to say too much about this, after all it’s my own band. But I’d be lying if I said that it wasn’t in the top 10 of the decade for me. After all, I’ve never wanted to do anything but sing in a hardcore band. That anyone ever liked it, even my friends, was always a miracle to me. Getting to play shows with legends like Absolution and Cro-Mags, having old BHC dudes who I looked up to/terrified me as a kid like the record and say that the “last” show was their favorite show since the days of The Rat … that was just the icing on the cake. I was just happy to have a band.
4. The Final Mosh
Floorpunch. Breakdown. Cro-Mags. All at CBGBs, the day after I graduated college. I shouldn’t have to say any more, but I will. BTrust arm wrestling five dudes at once and winning. The intro montage (“The Hard Way” into “Rise And Fall” into “Scarred For Life” into the” Intro Bust”). Porter having to mosh to the stage with his wife in tow. Getting immediately moshed into the corner under the crow’s nest and spending most of the first half of the set being burned by the pipes. A certain sketchy dude and his beer body slamming me on the stage during Breakdown for daring to jump on his shoulders to sing along. Legit losing my mind in the dark to the “Clockwork Orange” music. Seeing Cro-Mags for the first time when I thought I never would ever (I have since seen some version of them at least a dozen more times). Seeing Floorpunch for the “last time” (I have since seen them at least four more times). Even being made fun of afterwards by D-tox in his review on Moshaholic.com for doing a “funny bunny hop mosh” couldn‘t sour these memories for me. Best show of the decade? Almost definitely.
5. National Edge Day
We created a fucking holiday. Like seriously, Boston Straight Edge CREATED A FUCKING HOLIDAY. Even if I wasn’t into it for a handful of years in the middle when I felt like it was just a scenester in-joke, the fact remains, Edge Day has gone from a nickname for two particular last shows for specific bands (Ten Yard Fight and In My Eyes, respectively), to an actual holiday that kids all over the world legitimately celebrate and put on their own shows every October 17. Ten years of National Edge Days, full of incredible moments (most notably Porcell doing “Straight Edge Revenge” with In My Eyes … to say it was INSANE would be an understatement. Porcell getting onstage, Xing up, then taking the mic was like an actual bomb of crazy going off. We‘re talking a pile on of people that started on the floor, flowed up onto the stage, and touched the ceiling) most recently culminating with Have Heart following tradition and playing it their last show. To 1,500 kids (I worked the stage for their set, and let me tell you, I thought kids were going to crush each other to death, if they didn‘t die of heat stroke first). It’s almost unbelievable. It’s a legitimately great feeling knowing that every October 17, no matter where he is in the world, there can be Edgemen ready and waiting to trash Spaulding’s bedroom while blasting The Only Way.
6. The New Scene
Towards the end of the decade, hardcore got completely and utterly retarded, so Carms took it back underground. Every band that debuts in this scene is better than every other new band out there. That may be a bold statement, but it’s almost definitely true. And that’s all I’m going to say, because the fact is, if you don’t already know about it, you don’t need to know at all.
7. No Warning — Ill Blood
Hardcore record of the decade, hands down. If Suffer Survive had been as good, maybe No Warning would have made my list as hardcore band of the decade too. But alas, it was not to be. Still, there’s no denying that Ill Blood was and is a masterpiece. People can claim it’s just a rip off of Blood For Blood, Madball, and Biohazard all they want, but the fact is you can’t hear actual riffs from those bands on this record, nor will any of it‘s tracks be confused for a song by one of those bands, whereas dozens of bands since have written songs that sound like Ill Blood outtakes, right down to the chord structures. This was the peak of the band musically, and I’d be remiss to not mention their show at CBGB’s with JJ’s Cro-Mags, where they blew the Mags off the stage (yes I’m serious), or their Posi Numbers sets in 2004 and 2005. I missed the ’04 set by 10 minutes, but I did get to see Ben get backed down hard afterwards by a raging Btrust (who was there playing in Invasion and had just been introduced to Ben by me and DFJ) when he found out Ben had just tried to fight CC. But having seen the video, I feel the 2005 set was even more ridiculous. The entire room was PACKED solid, you couldn’t move without clocking at least one person. At one point I even moshed on top of the PA because there was no room on the floor (which led to Chubby Fresh kissing my ass trying to get me to mosh as hard for Integrity the next day). Unfortunately I can‘t prove this because DeLong stole all my N.W. videos to make that two-minute promo video that came with the promo CDs for Suffer Survive. But that may be for the best, because the stage dive I did to get down kind of stunk. Back to the point, I can honestly say that Ill Blood is the last 100%, start-to-finish, legendary hardcore album my ears will ever hear.
8. Reunions and Reformations
One thing the 00’s saw a lot of were reunions. Lots of reunions. Short ones, long ones, great ones, crappy ones, scabbed ones … First and foremost you had Cro-Mags with JJ and Harley finally burying the hatchet … for about three months (which included a fantastic and intimate show at The Continental in NYC … Picture your living room. Now fill it with hardcore kids and the Cro-Mags, with everyone out for blood and Harley trying to spear anyone who came near his side of the stage. Total chaos). Agnostic Front going back to playing Cause For Alarm, Liberty and Justice, and One Voice songs (Posi Numbers 04 set, so many brand name dudes sneaking out of the pit to catch their breath in the band room and then having to turn around and run right back because AF were busting out “Public Assistance” or “Toxic Shock” for the first time in years). Integrity played several shows, including what I’m told was an incredible show at the Choppin’ Block pub in Boston, where the mic was passed out and brand name dude after brand name dude took the mic to sing their favorite Integ jams (including Jarvis from Head Automatica doing “18″), plus blistering sets in Brockton and the El N Gee in CT that I did actually get to see, before they went a little too overboard and put out a blatantly pandering new record. Only Living Witness bombed the Middle East in Cambridge with two sold out shows (not only teasing pulling “Bad Blood” out of mothballs, but covering “It’s The Limit” the night Pboy and I went). Underdog and Killing Time playing out semi-regularly again (for Underdog this is a good thing, for Killing Time … not so much). Madball breaking up when Freddy went to jail and reforming when he got out. Gorilla Biscuits doing full-blown tours with merch provided by Paul Frank and a new 7″ that we should never speak of again. BURN finally putting out Last Great Sea. Bands with singers that were DEAD even reformed (Reagan Youth, Germs, etc). Floorpunch came back for a benefit show and then a run on the summer fest circuit (the fact that I can say summer fest circuit about hardcore … not in my top 10 for a reason). Absolution. Supertouch. Breakdown. Beyond. Antidote. Reach The Sky. Negative Approach. Wrecking Crew. Outburst. Crown Of Thornz … I could go on almost forever. Some were good, some were great, a lot were just plain bad, but in the end nearly every HC band except Minor Threat (Ed. — and Judge) reformed in this decade, including a couple misguided Black Flag “reunions“ courtesy of Greg Ginn and a tape deck (pitted against a Black Flag covers tour to benefit the West Memphis Three with Rollins and Keith Morris, that, by all reports, blew the Ginn shows out of the galaxy). If you were a hardcore kid under the age of 30, you pretty much got to see every single band you ever thought you’d never see. For better or for worse.
9. Town of Hardcore
One thing the 2000s will be remembered for, and not fondly, is for pretty much killing off the fanzine in favor of the blog. I’m not into it. I like holding reading material in my hands, not via the down key on my laptop (yes, I appreciate the irony that this is being written for a Web site. All I can say is, I didn’t change the times, the times changed me). So in my eyes, Town of Hardcore is probably THE last hardcore fanzine that will matter. It was the first long-running zine I can remember since Hardware and Extent stopped coming out in the late ’90s, and without a doubt was the ONLY consistently good zine in the entirety of the decade. Not one bad issue. Not a single solitary one. Always outspoken, with impeccable taste and a love for Toy Town Hardcore that has never been matched (and a love that was repaid via Toy Town HC mainstay Jason Clegg’s printing of this EXCELLENT zineography), Steve was never afraid to burn bridges or ask the tough questions that no one else would (asking No Warning about the Final Solution demo, asking Joey C about FSU‘s connection to Righteous Jams, etc). Do you remember hardcore? Damn right I do. And Town of Hardcore more than earned its spot in those remembrances.
10. XMulletX.com/wwwboard
While every other message board then and now just wallows in anonymous shit talking, spambots, n00dz, and bullshit, the Mullet board stayed true to the core and made long-forgotten bands like Outburst popular. The only hardcore message board that ever mattered, and the only one that didn‘t end up sucking the life out of the scene. The member profiles alone were a thing of beauty. Nothing but brand name dudes talking hardcore, moshing, food, and shows. I still remember xMulletx telling me that he was adding a message board to his website, and that his goal was to have all the N.J. dudes who were telling their awesome stories to the wastes on the Rev board jump ship and start telling them there. And it worked. If you didn’t know the right people or couldn‘t pass the entrance exam, you couldn’t join the board (and most of the time, even if you passed, you still couldn‘t, I think because Standhard forgot how to set up new accounts). Kids called it elitist, we called it quality control. More message boards should take the hint.
Top 10 Records I Heard In 2009:
“Let me be very specific here. These are records I heard for the first time in 2009, not necessarily records that just came out in 2009 (though most of them are). I’m a borderline hermit, sometimes I don’t operate on the same timetable as the rest of the world or the scene when it comes to hearing new things…”
1. Blacklisted — No One Deserves To Be Here More Than Me
I’ve sat in my car in the middle of the night listening to this record and wishing I had a garage that I could pull the car into and leave running with the door shut. Beautifully and brutally depressing. If you were between the ages of 14 and 24 and wanted the “Eye For An Eye” mosh part II, you not only vocally hated this, but you were a total idiot who had to have been living under a rock for the last three years. This is exactly what Blacklisted has been building to ever since Peace On Earth War On Stage. A great example of a hardcore band drawing from other influences while successfully progressing: you can literally trace the growth from release to release and from live show to live show. I’ve called this the most depressing Nirvana record ever written, but that’s not true, because Kurt Cobain could only have dreamed of doing something the reflected his misery with such distorted, bludgeoning riffage. The kids don’t like it? Well fuck the kids, I’m a grown man with mental problems. Now excuse me while I go swallow a bottle of painkillers and listen to “Our Apartment Is Always Empty” while hoping to fall asleep and not wake up.
2. Battle Ruins — Demo
This demo features the masterful voice of Brendan Radigan, singer of The Rival Mob (see No. 6). But this band sounds nothing like the Mob. Instead, we get Oi-influenced punk rock similar to what The Lovely Lads were doing before they broke up. At times I’m reminded of The Trouble as well. Joehawk is in this band, so I’m not expecting them to do too much until he quits, but was this the best demo I got all year? You bet.
3. Death Threat — Lost At Sea
Show me someone who says they don’t like the Death Treat, and I’ll show you someone who doesn’t like the core. But even I’ll admit that their last couple records had lost me. There were always good tracks, but on the whole the records didn’t do it for me from start to finish the way Last Dayz or Peace and Security did. I don’t want to say they went soft, but it seemed like the songs and the crowds at their shows were skewed to a younger crowd rather than the sketch balls that I remember being at their shows in the Hanover House days. This E.P. was different. Not counting the Outburst cover, all three songs on this are a return to the Treat I fell in love with in 1997, with fast parts suitable for only the very hardest skanking and moshes that mix slow and low with the crucial Connecticut kick box. The title track especially, with its chugging after the fact mosh part that sneaks up on you and spins you around with a spin kick to the face. These are Death Threat songs that DFJ can mosh until he pukes to again. Listening to this, I feel like someone is going to catch a friendly fire bash to the skull with a mic stand at the New Milford Teen Center any second now.
4. Iron Age — The Sleeping Eye
I wanted to like Iron Age for so long. I really did. And I never could. Great name, great imagery, an apparent thrash metal/Cro-Mags Best Wishes influence … really they should have been everything I wanted in a band. But I could never get into them somehow, I don’t know if it was just the production or the song structures or what. Whatever it was, it’s been overcome. This record is everything I ever hoped to hear from this band. Not a single boring minute even though 2/3 of the songs clear five minutes, and the classic, clean, ’80s thrash metal sound quality that I’ve been waiting for. So psyched to finally be a believer.
5. Lady Gaga — The Fame/The Fame Monster
I‘m counting these together, because they are both so good that I can’t decide which one I like better than the other (and they’re available together anyways). And arguably I shouldn’t even like either. But boy do I like them. The best weightlifting music I’ve had on my iPod all year. And it helps that Lady Gaga’s legit and not some manufactured teenybopper bimbo (she writes the music, she comes up with the outfits, she doesn‘t need autotune because she can actually sing, etc.), but everything about her is total freak show. A dress made out of Kermit the Frog puppets, what the fuck? A fire shooting brassiere? A video where her eyes are digitally changed to look like one of those sad cartoon Mexican kid paintings? Seriously some of the weirdest, craziest Grand Guignol shit streams in front of my eyes when I watch her videos or live performances. And for pop music, some of these songs are heavy as hell — a lot of the beats are very militaristic, to the point where I can envision Nazis stomping to them, and lyrically she can get into some dark ass shit (everything from Hitchcock to rough sex to stalking). But most importantly, when I listen to these records at the gym I push up an extra 10-20lbs on every set.
6. The Rival Mob — Raw Life
The New Scene strikes again. Paleolithic and anti-social, this is classic hardcore with no metal and just the slightest hint of rock and roll, and one of the catchiest riffs in recent memory on the title track. Plus a sense of humor (the Roger Miret sample in the middle of “RCBS”? Pure gold) and a singer who can actually sing when called upon to do so (I don’t want to say it’s to my dismay, because the record is perfect, but to my dismay, it’s not on display here the way it was in Brendan‘s previous band The Lovely Lads or in Battle Ruins, but if you heard the Pearl Jam cover on the WERS live set or saw them open with Ted Nugent‘s Stranglehold this summer you know that the white boy can wail). I might even go so far as to say that the Mob could pick up the “hardcore rock n roll” crown that Down But Not Out let fall off their head back in 2001. And speaking of D.B.N.O., covering “Player Haters”? Instant win.
7. Shel Silverstein — The Great Conch Train Robbery
This is one of those records I’m talking about that I only just heard this year that actually came out before this year. Before this year as in decades ago. Most people know Shel Silverstein from his children’s books, but he also was a musician and songwriter (he wrote Johnny Cash’s “A Boy Named Sue”). And kind of a sick fuck (though it’s not on this record, he wrote a version of “Sue” from the father’s perspective … that ends with him making the son live as a woman and be his bitch. Like prison bitch). I mean, his books kind of indicate it, but a lot of the songs on this record are just … lyrics include lines like “a piece of ass won’t bring you piece of mind”, and one song is called “Quaaludes Again,” let me put it that way. This is totally adult stuff. Folk music to be sure, but it’s also got a lot of blues in it, and is catchy as all get out, with plenty of up beat numbers, and songs like “So Good To So Bad So Soon” are actually pretty poignant.
8. Tigers Jaw — Spirit Desire
9. Tigers Jaw — Self Titled
Not hardcore. Not even pop hardcore, which seems to be the current popular trend with the teenyboppers that make up the hardcore scene these days. This is pretty much straight indie pop rock. The self titled came out in 2008, but again, I only just heard it this year. Acoustic guitars, awkward singing, catchy hooks, emotionality … Why do I like it so much? Because deep down, I’m a secret softy. And because they’re really, really good.
10. Trapped Under Ice — Secrets of the World
I thought T.U.I.’s set at This Is Hardcore looked like a Sick Of It All set from the Ritz in 1992 (with twice the stage dives) and that’s something I can never get sick of. So it’s a good thing T.U.I. plays a classic style of HARDcore, the quality of which we wish old favorites like Madball still wrote. In other words, it’s something I can never get sick of hearing. Heavy, groovy (though the Crown of Thornz influence seems to have lessened since Stay Cold), lyrically desperate, and 100% moshable all the way through without ever once resorting to a No Warning riff. 2009 saw T.U.I. become THE hardcore band to watch, and this record is a big part of why. I WILL be in that mosh pit next time they come around.
James Ritter
Ritter is the coolest person I know. He sings for Lion of Judah, plays guitar for America’s Youth, and collects junk. He has a storage space of potato chips from the ’70s, Michelin onesies and Captain America helmets. My fellow co-CEO of Trash King Records, he kicked Spoiler out of America’s Youth for having a ponytail. Ritter asked me to not post the first list in favor of the second, so here are both of them:
Joints of the Century:
1. Over 120 NOS Skateboards from the ’90s.
I found five of these sitting under a guy’s car at a flea market in Va. It was two Matt Hensley H Street Vista’s and some early ’90s New Deals. I think I paid $5 each for them and got the dude’s phone number as he apparently had a basement full. I called the dude every day for at least a month and got nowhere. I then cut it down to once every two weeks or so. After about a year of annoying this dude he let me into his basement. I came out with over 100 more boards and a crate of wheels, all for around $200. Dude’s basement was a legit fr34k palace: old surf boards, vintage italian race bikes, original paintings from the ’60s. He told me they had about 400 more boards a few years prior, but their storage spot was robbed. Dude never skated, just copped ‘em at an auction like 15 years before. I ended up with like seven H Street Hensley Vistas, a few H Street Hensley Kingsizes, a blind Jason Lee Schiffer, a Blind Gonzales Elephant Man, tons of New Deals, other Blinds, all kinds of junk.
2. Bad Brains — Pay to Cum in picture sleeve with HR’s autograph in pencil.
Tracked this down off a dude in San Francisco that was trying to sell it via an online yardsale (not eBay), and don’t worry about how I tracked him down. I emailed the dude several times and finally got pictures of the record in question. I sent “Black Arm” to swing by the dude’s house and pick up the record. “Black Arm” reported the original owner was quite the fr334k, which to me means this dude was next level. Not as cool as finding it at a yard sale or a flea market, but the owner before me reported he found it at a yard sale in the late ’80s for $2.
3. Sonny Rollins — Saxophone Colossus OG pressing on Prestige.
This isn’t one I found, but one my dad copped. My dad is the OG junk meister, copping crap since before I was even a thought. He got me on the hustle young, but kinda fell off in his old age. I got him back in the game and one of his first scores was a mint copy of this record for a dime at a local yard sale.
4. A box full of human bones, skull included.
My girlfriend called me from an auction to let me know that she had found a box full of human bones: skull, feet, hands, all kinds of parts. I had her drop a bid and I came out on top, and she now looks like a huge fr34k to all the old auction bitties.
5. Gretsch 1961 6186 Clipper guitar.
Found this chilling at a flea market between some beat up washing machines a dude was selling. It set me back all of $20. Proof that never sleeping past 6 A.M. pays off.
6. Sparrow — Physics 12″ on Unruly.
Found this one at a local flea market in the wrong sleeve after my friend had already flipped through the box. I was bummed out that the sleeve was missing on such an ill and valuable early-90s Baltimore rap record. The following weekend I get a call from my friend that found just the sleeve in a different box of records the dude was selling. I pieced together the full record and now it is chilling in Germany and some Euros are chilling in my bank account.
7. Stack Up complete in box for Nintendo.
A silver lining in one of the crappiest flea markets on earth. Got this and a bunch of other games off some old dude at the flea, paid around $18 for the whole lot.
8. Anne Briggs — s/t LP on Topic Records.
Flea market find. $1
9. Nirvana — Bleach on white vinyl first Sub Pop pressing.
I found a dude near my house that had a listing for a few punk and hardcore 7″s (Warzone, Wide Awake, some other randos). I hit the dude up and he let me know that all the 7″s were gone but that he had a few LPs he’d like to sell. I get over there and he has probably over 700 LPs, and the prize of his collection a Nirvana Bleach on white vinyl. He said he was holding the Bleach for the people that had bought the 7″s and he knew that it was worth something so he wanted more for it than the others, $15. The other parties had left a “deposit” (who leaves a deposit on this when he only wants $15). It’s amazing the change of heart a $100 bill can make.
Top 10 This Year:
1. Coca Cola
2. Pizza
3. French Fries
4. Deep Fried Macaroni
5. Nerd Ropes
6. Fried Eggs
7. Waffles
8. Popcorn
9. Twinkies
10. Deep Fried Snickers Bars
Gil Sayfan and Jack Daniels
Gil and Jack make up half of Stand Hard Records’ Free Spirit. Neither are edgemen, but Free Spirit is a straight edge band, at least according to me.2 Free Spirit is signed to Lockin Out Records:
10. Haverhill, Mass., at Anchors Up with Rival Mob, Wolf Whistle, Cruel Hand, Thought Crusade, Step Forward
First FS gig of 2009 as a part of our weekend with Step Forward and Thought Crusade. We debuted the FS caricature gear and our new bassist Danimal in a big way.
9. Ankes Up with Bracewar, Bad Seed
Jack showed up to this show during the last FS song because he had to stop for Blue Ribbon BBQ, and we performed with a double scab lineup provided by Rival Mob members. With a botched “T.J.R.B.,” the intro to our set — this gig was a loveable trainwreck.
8. New York, N.Y., at Santos Party Haus, with Rival Mob, R.B.H.G., Breakdown
Yeah just an out-of-town gig with Breakdown, no big deal. Just like in Toronto (see below) most of our friends were present for this one. Crazy-ass NYHC, props from Mike Dijan (to Danimal, no less), “Don’t Give Up.” Some real “mind = blown” moments …
7. Haverhill, Mass., at Anchors Up, with Alert, Force Fed, Thought Crusade, Wolf Whistle, Rival Mob
This gig right here is THE gig — it should be No. 1, but isn’t. Arguably the greatest Rival Mob set to ever happen, as confirmed by Jack’s moshing.
6. Boston, Mass., at Club Lido, for The G.A.H.C. (Great American Hardcore Jointy)
We opened this gig up with a “Stop and Think” cover and a pit consisting of out-of-town friends erupted. Ned Russin moshing in a FS hood will always be a recipe for success. Our lovely banner illustrated by Kenny, and Biff in shades didn’t hurt either.
5. Roxbury, Mass., at Evacuate w/ Rival Mob, Waste Management, Force Fed, Urban Blight
A true NEW SCENE gig featuring all the greats. FS hit single “Selfish” and the “Just Another Fool” cover were debuted for the first time. Shaved heads and camo shorts, KoRN Spaulding in the pit, Urban Blight, Danimal non-sequiturs — this gig was the shit.
4. Doylestown, Penn., with Step Forward, Thought Crusade, Force Fed
First out-of-state FS gig ever, and best of all with our doggs in Thought Crusade. Doylestown girls in effect, homies Rifkin and Hoodrack hangin’ out, heavy snacking from Wawa (shootout to the soft pretzel and hoagies), and a surprise set by No Tolerance.
3. Toronto, at The Kathedral, with all New Scene bands, Fucked Up, Cro-Mags
Canada gig with Cro-Mags — how much else could one say? Mike (the Best Mosher Alive since the Best Mosher retired) blessed our band with his moshing, and we all learned a little bit about ourselves and snacking in AJ’s car on the 12-hour drives. Josh P proved to be the greatest FS roadie to live.
2. Haverhill, Mass., at Anchors Up, with Have Heart
A fitting celebration for the end to our boys in Have Heart’s career and our one year as a band. Packed house with a big set chock full of Brendan Radigan boot-first stage dives. Our bassist Doug Free holdin’ it down on stage mosh. Thanks friends!
1. Providence, R.I., at Club Hell, with Rival Mob, Have Heart, Bane
This is the gig we signed our million-dollar record deal with Lockin Out. Tanktops were handed out to the crew, intro by Sweet Pete, Y.O.T. cover, first big reaction by out of town moshers. Our friend Wheelz broke his ankle three notes into Bane’s set and a few doggs stuck around for Fetish Night. Shirt off.
Wim Berchmans
Wim, better known as Stief (for some reason), played guitar throughout Justice’s entire tenure. I think he actually played drums on their first 7″, which sounded awesome on that thing, so he has that going for him, too. Wim also runs Powered Records along with friend, bandmate and co-conspirator Flip Hermans. He is the most positive person I know, or close to it:
“Here’s my 2009 top 10 photos I took with my shitty digital camera my mom gave me last christmas. I just want to state that I’ve no aspirations to be a photographer, that I just happened to have my camera with me and took them and that’s that. Let me also state that I think Vinnie Stigma3 rules in a non-ironic way, and that he obviously wrote some of the best hardcore songs known to man (obviously).”
My Top 10 Stigma Moments Of The Decade:
10. Seeing Stigma play a song about his dog that drinks beer, live on stage.
9. My friend overhearing a conversation with Stigma and another guitar player about how it’s not the actual playing that’s important but the going off on stage.
8. Someone telling me, “Stigma doesn’t mind taping a pack of cigarettes to his strap ‘like it’s a remote device,’ the kids just love seeing him go off on stage,” he says.
7. Stigma appearing in the award-winning movie “New York Blood.”
6. This entry in my friend’s blog: 5) “Vinnie Stigma (born Vincent Cappuchino)”
5. Stigma on youtube where he talks about “Sting” and “a horse coming out of the elevator.”
4. Stigma being real stoked in a weird way when my friend was wearing a REPROACH (Belgian band) shirt and then asking how things were in Overpelt (“Overpelt up in flames” is a song of theirs) and saying he knew their lyrics.
3. A story I heard about supposedly Stigma waking up in the tour van, seeing the radio tuned to 59.5 and yelling out, “it’s 5.95 and the show is at six, we’re going to be late!”
2. The youtube video “Stigma for President.” (And the second one.)
1. Stigma adding me on myspace.
Top 10 Photos of 2009:
(Click for 10)
- Worldwide gross in millions.
- Gil has the tight Mark Hurst edge, and Jack had a tight ponytail for a while.
- Seen here.