text:
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Anthony Pappalardo on Amenity "You Can't Stop The Show"
I first met Mike Down 19 years ago when my band Mouthpiece was playing the Che Cafe in San Diego, California. We loosely kept in touch over the next five years or so and then our communication faded. What I remembered most about Mike was his passion for hardcore and music in general. Mike could talk for hours and hours about the bands he played in, the shows he went to, the bands he loved, the records that inspired him, his label, the Chula Vista kids, etc., it all meant the world to him and he expressed it in a way that so few ever could. Mike was also all about making things happen. Whether it was putting out records, touring or printing up t shirts, posters and stickers, Mike was definitely a doer and I respected him quite a bit for that.
Within the past couple years, around the release of the Radio Silence book and the start of Double Cross, I re-connected with Mike. We went back and forth through emails for awhile and eventually last week we started talking on the phone. Just as I had remembered him from 19 years ago, he still had that same passion, enthusiasm and sincerity for hardcore. He pitched the idea to me about debuting this new Amenity song on DCXX and before I even heard the first note, I was sold.
Just a little background on the track, what you're hearing is Amenity's Mike Down on vocals, Tim Gonzales on guitar and guest vocals by Quicksand's Sergio Vega as well as San Diego native, Hajj Daud who does the spoken word piece. There's no drums, no bass, just four guys speaking and playing from the heart.
As for what Mike's up to now, he's managing and developing a band of kids, 14-17 years old from NYC called BYS. BYS have been hosting an all-ages matinee series called "Better Together" at The Studio at Webster Hall and have an EP to be released late spring 2010. Check them out at BYS-CREW.com As for Sergio, he's now playing with the Deftones and they have a new record called "Diamond Eyes" due out May 18th, 2010.
Gravity and Down Side (Mike's label) will be releasing all the new Amenity tracks, as well as the entire back catalog and some unreleased stuff, that has long been out of print. For Lyrics and Info check out Amenity at http://myspace.com/amenitysd.
Ok, enough of what I have to say, now dig into what Radio Silence's Anthony Pappalardo has to say about Mike and Amenity. -Tim DCXX
Mike with Amenity on local San Diego radio station 94.9, July 2009, Photo: Dan Rawe
Mike with Amenity at Gilman St, Berkeley, CA, 1988
Let me outline my nightmare scenario: you're hanging out with someone who picks your brain for a minute and realizes that you have a connection to hardcore. Seconds later you're going back and forth about shows, favorite records, t-shirts once owned and lent to ex-girlfriends and fight stories that never actually happened. Suddenly you're in a familiar place, both you and new guy ordered the same zines, mail ordered the same 7″s and have a grip of mutual friends. You have that wide-eyed glow of a sixteen year old until dude utters this one: "Man…those were the days, before the internet, it's so fucking easy for these kids today to just go to a chat room and learn about moshing."
The only thing lacking on the interwideweb is context. I love having access to every mp3 of every record and demo I can think to search for. The comedy is seeing Abused mp3s two entries below links to a Poison The Well CD and a Cock Sparrer live set with some cut and paste blurbs about said bands.
What differentiates these bands from any other overly compressed file @blogspot.com? Is a blog with punk/hardcore links any different than a site with unreleased Dangerous Toys and Bullet Boys tracks?
I'll stick my neck out and say that no one's life was changed by Jackal or Bang Tango. They might have catchy pop metal tunes or make doing yard work go by a little easier but at the end of the day it's pop music made by dudes who wanted to get pussy and blow magic marker rails. It was easy for Mr. Cobain's flannel to wipe these gentlemen out because they weren't ever relevant and they're gone now or relegated to Casino tours.
Amenity, Berkeley CA, 1989, Photo: Robb Osborne
With everything ripped and uploaded we now have a living archive of blood, sweat, emotion and feeling available to us all. EBay prices and message board fetishes overshadow reality. In the pre-blogsphere, context was everything. Everyone from that world has a connection to a local band that they saw every weekend, the band that never recorded but were amazing live, the band that recorded their one demo with a chain smoking hard rocker who didn't understand why the guitar player wasn't soloing. It's nice to get a little back story…it grounds things and makes you appreciate their existence so much more.
My early days of shopping for punk and hardcore records in the suburbs of Boston were simple. First I sought out the heavy hitters. I'd run to the B section for Black Flag, the M section for Minor Threat, skip to the Local section hoping a copy of Get It Away slipped by the clerk and could be scooped for a few bucks, and then I'd study the records that I wasn't familiar with. Hardcore records offered plenty of context clues. You could look at the singer's shirt, skim the thanks list and size up the fonts used on the record and quickly decide if said band was worth a few bucks. Sometimes you end up with a perfectly pedestrian predictable record like the Inner Strength 7″ and other times there's something interesting enough about the look and vibe of the record for you to take a chance.
Later on in my mailorder and bin scouring days, Amenity immediately struck me with the unique look of their records. They didn't come off as a straight edge band, a punk band, a by-the-numbers hardcore band or as anything other than Amenity. Their name sounded unique, they were from Chula Vista, CA which sounded exotic and ubiquitous to me. Their records weren't packed with macho live shots or crew photos that I could immediately draw a conclusion from. They used contrasty, almost primitive Mayan sun-worshipping images which seemed to be a nod to their Californian lifestyle. Their records were printed on textured paper sometimes featuring wood cut print artwork that referenced Mexican Revolutionary protest posters. Once you cozied up and let the needle lock into the grooves of their records you knew that they were ushering a sound that was rooted in the tradition of hardcore but would eventually evolve into something unique that reflected each member's personality.
Tim Gonzales with Amenity at the 94.9 radio show, July 2009, Photo: Dan Rawe
Tim with Amenity 1989
I first met Tim Gonzales, Amenity's guitar player, in San Diego in the late 1990s. My band was playing a show and I made a point of wearing a kelly green off-set screened Amenity shirt given to me by my former band mate Ryan Murphy. His old band Undertow had played with Amenity several times. He didn't understand how blown away I was that he had such an incredible Amenity shirt. I had never even seen the design before he showed it to me in 1994 in a basement apartment in Allston, Mass. I figured that since we were playing in San Diego near Amenity's home, someone would appreciate me wearing that shirt and soon enough I was rapping out with Tim about SS Decontrol, DYS and other bands from where I was from.
When Nathan and I began to compile content for Radio Silence, I reached out to Mike Down via his MySpace page. After Amenity's dissolution in the early 1990s Mike played in a few rock bands and toured with Rage Against The Machine, but the majority of his time had been spent in the hip hop scene, even recording a track with Sean Paul. Any reservations I may have had about Mike's current relationship to his past in hardcore dissipated upon seeing the bold Down Side logo featured on his MySpace page which was once so prominent on Amenity and Forced Down releases.
A few days later I was standing in front of the Diesel store on the Upper East Side a block from my work and my phone rang. I was thrust into a whirlwind conversation with Mike Down about Amenity, Forced Down, Gravity Records, Chula Vista, Unbroken and everything he was now doing. There was an undeniable passion in his voice and the thing that struck me immediately was that this passion permeated every topic of the conversation. Every anecdote or detail was delivered with a genuine immediacy and energy that let me know that he understood the project and what he could contribute personally.
Sergio with Amenity at the 94.9 San Diego radio show, Photo: Dan Rawe
Sergio with Amenity, 1989
I learned that Mike made both San Diego and New York City his home and we soon met up at Von Bar on Elizabeth and Bowery, pissing distance from the former site of CBGB. We spent hours over the next few weeks meeting up here and there and discussing the brilliant minutia of hardcore. Every time I met up with Mike he'd introduce me to a minimum of fifteen new people; people he'd bump into on the street, people we'd see at clubs, people we'd meet up with or just old friends tending bar.
The thing that struck me about this was that none of these people were handshake friends who would cough and forget your name. Mike's people were genuine, they shared his passion and drive. It felt as if once you had crossed into Mike's world that a switch was flipped and you were really living. It took me by surprise when he casually told me that Amenity was planning on getting back together to play shows and most importantly, record new music.
The biggest thing I had taken from Mike in our time discussing San Diego and Amenity specifically was that Amenity really acted as a bridge in their scene. While they were completely active and driven in the 1980s, what they contributed to the 1990s really defined them. One thing that Mike Down embodies is the idea that D.I.Y. isn't an excuse to skate by. Amenity records didn't have the charming rushed look of early hardcore records. The design was sophisticated. Touching on the Revolution Summer Dischord aesthetic, the records were silkscreened and stamped by hand on textured paper. The early 1990s sent hardcore into two trajectories: the slicker more professional route, and the very personal hand screened path. When you look at two copies of the This Is Our Struggle 7″ side by side you immediately notice that the stamps are placed differently on the inserts, that there's a personal touch to each record. It was nice to know that some kid just like myself tucked in a burb thousands of miles away had touched and created the record I was now playing.
Barry with Amenity at the Radio Silence Release party San Diego, CA, Photo: Dan Rawe
Barry with Amenity 1988
From our first conversation, I knew that Amenity's reformation wasn't a nostalgia trip and was solely motivated by a desire to create and pay tribute to San Diego and Chula Vista. Mike's conversations never touched on Amenity's past but rather the new songs they were writing, the shows they'd soon be playing, and most importantly, the new faces that would soon see them play. Mike never mentioned "the old gang" that was going to come out for their shows, that was a given. It was all about the younger generation that had reached out to him and were inspired by Amenity.
A few months later I found myself escaping the cold snap of a New York winter and laying on the grass of a beautiful public park in San Diego overlooking the bay. In a few hours Amenity would transform a raw warehouse space, complete with saw blades and drilling equipment, into an all ages venue because they had to. They weren't going to play unless it was for everyone so they took it upon themselves to find a way to do it.
From the first note I was struck by the intensity and enthusiasm of the crowd. There was no critique of the appearances or back stories of the four men on stage; only kids ages 13 to 43 screaming every word of their struggle until they were hoarse. One of the highlights of the show was watching Amenity perform their newest track Shine, not only because it was a great song and featured Matt Anderson's signature scream, but also because the younger kids there knew this song and sang it without the urgency of any other track.
Amenity's latest chapter is more deliberate, more conscious and aware that they're moving forward into the past. You Can't Stop The Show is a journey of a band beginning at its rawest components, just a guitar and vocals somewhere in a bedroom thinking about their mission and how they'll execute their plan. This path is now illustrated over 20 years after the band's inception and it's Mike and Tim laying it down again with some help from Sergio Vega and Haji Daud who contributed a poem that captures the spirit and heart of Amenity.
You Can't Stop The Show. – Anthony Pappalardo
Can't Stop The Show by TimDCXX
Amenity at the 94.9 radio show, San Diego, CA, July 2009, Photo: Dan Rawe
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Agnostic Front – Victim In Pain – 25 Year Anniversary Show
Agnostic Front has changed the face of music throughout their 25-year-long career and the Victim In Pain and United Blood records started it all. In celebration of these eminent re-releases, Agnostic Front will pay homage to where it all began with a headlining show on February 26th in NYC. Showcasing at The Bell House in Brooklyn, Agnostic Front will have their original 1984 lineup in tow – Roger Miret, Vinny Stigma, Rob Kabula, and Dave Jones. "We haven't played together since '84, this is the CLASSIC lineup together again doing vintage AF songs and some classics. We couldn't be more excited to do this!" said vocalist Roger Miret.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Howie Abrams – In-Effect Records part IV
24-7 Spyz at City Gardens, Trenton, NJ, Photo: Ken Salerno
NYHC legend Howie Abrams has brought us a great interview. If you missed out, check the archives from last month for the first 3 installments for plenty of talk about CB's, AF, In-Effect, and more. Here is the fourth and final part. Big thanks to Howie! -Gordo DCXX
Hardcore obviously was different in 1991 than it had been in 1986. In your eyes, what changed in NY for both good and bad, and where were you at as a "fan" by that point? What are stand out memories for you during that time period?
In '86, I think the hardcore scene still felt relatively similar to the scene that had originally been created. It had gotten big, but not so big that the essence was completely lost. Not everyone got along, but whatever fighting took place was usually HC kids versus an outsider.
That said – the divisions had begun to surface and unfortunately grew and splintered the whole thing as time went on. There were numerous scenes within the scene now. "United and Strong" became divided and snobby. You almost had to redefine yourself based on what faction of the scene you felt you belonged to.
There were the Hardcore/Metal crossover kids, the straight edge kids, the alterna-core kids…it was no longer a bunch of disenfranchised youth with different haircuts in the same room, representing the same movement. It was as if the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines all decided that they could not fight side by side, but needed to prove that THEY were the REAL ones.
Lou Koller with Sick Of It All, Photo: Ken Salerno
Also, these developments within the HC scene ran parallel to the rise in popularity of hip-hop culture in NY. As time went on, the scene took on this real street/thug vibe and while a lot of the more street types were genuinely into hardcore, many of them weren't particularly dedicated to it and had a short fuse. With an aggressive scene such as there was in NYC, you can imagine what went on at some of the shows as time went on. It got ugly and things started to go downhill. CBGB quit doing matinees and the hub for the scene was gone.
Many people did things to try to revive what once was and there were always shows somewhere, but it was never the same. For the most part, they were just shows…not a gathering of a community, although I know there are people out there, probably younger kids, who are going to say that that's not true. Fine. Also, major labels were now on to hardcore and some of the bands started to get signed. That set off a chain reaction of a lot of "fake" hardcore bands popping up because everyone thought they would get a big record deal by playing hardcore.
For all of the criticism I just outlined, hardcore most definitely changed my life in a very positive way. There have been many lessons; both good and band and some of the very best experiences of my life have been related to hardcore. For all of this, I am eternally grateful and more importantly, for the great people and bands I can now call my friends. I feel as if there's more to offer on this topic, but the bottom line is that as you move further and further away from anything that once had specific characteristics, you can rest assured that they will change for better or for worse with time.
There are definitely some GREAT bands that have formed since those days, but the community aspect of hardcore will never…CAN never be the same ever again. It's just the way the world works. Enjoy what you have while you have it, because it won't be there forever.
Ludichrist at City Gardens, Trenton, NJ, Photo: Ken Salerno
What were you up to during the 90s in the music scene and with Roadrunner? Who were your favorite bands to work with, and how do you characterize that time period for the NYHC scene?
The 90s definitely represented a change for Hardcore, especially here in NY. Metal was now a huge part of the NYHC sound, which didn't bother me all that much. However, it was the complete change in the vibe and overall attitude that made me feel less a part of what was going on. The original essence of "us against the world" had faded away and the scene became so splintered. Also, a lot of bands became focused on monetary success via Hardcore, to the point that some even operated as if their sole purpose for making and playing music was to get "big."
Even throughout my time at In-Effect, we never made decisions based on stature or how much money could be made. It was way more about getting a fair shake and reaching as many kids as possible. Ultimately, it was as if the label and our bands were still fighting Mike Tyson with one arm tied behind our back on a daily basis. Now, huge record labels were aware of hardcore and it made many people re-think the whole thing. No major label publicist at the time gave two shits about a kid's fanzine or college radio show. Nor were they going to take out a co-op ad for a show at a VFW hall.
These labels signed these bands to cash in on something they thought was commercially viable and a lot of bands fell for it. They actually believed hardcore was going to get onto the radio. Boy, were they wrong. I don't have anything against the bands who jumped into that whole thing…that was their prerogative. I guess I was just surprised by how many smart kids from the scene drank the Kool-Aid.
As for the violence that became more of an issue in NY – sure it got pretty ugly and you had to concern yourself with kids who had a whole different idea of what the show experience was about, but hardcore is aggressive to begin with and the dancing is physical and violent. What the fuck did people expect to happen when it became as trendy as it did???
24-7 Spyz stage mayhem at City Gardens, Photo: Ken Salerno
Just because there were a lot of independent thinkers around, didn't mean that some of them weren't fucked up kids – and many were. I don't condone bringing weapons to a hardcore show…it makes no sense to me whatsoever, but kids bringing box-cutters and guns to school makes no sense either…on paper. These shows were a legitimate, volatile gathering of the tribes and you can't expect that many people from such diverse ethnic backgrounds and economic situations to regularly come together in that type of environment and all be on the same page.
The violence definitely fucked things up for a lot of kids and made them lose interest, but to me that's a bit of a cop out. There's violence in the world every minute of every day and you can't just run and hide. Imagine what NYC would be like if we just let the "bad guys" win uncontested and did nothing about the problems. Ultimately, a lot of the problems sorted themselves out and sadly, there were a lot fewer kids around to see that change.
As for Roadrunner, overall it was a really good experience. The owner really liked what I had done with In-Effect and asked me to come there and do something similar. He originally wanted me to launch another imprint, but I actually talked him out of it. At that time Roadrunner was underground as fuck with all of the death metal bands they had and I saw no reason why RR could not just expand by also working with hardcore bands. I signed a number of pretty important bands there such as Madball (for the second time), Shelter, VOD, Black Train Jack, Dog Eat Dog and others. I was also behind the marketing of some of the other RR bands like Sepultura, Type O Negative, Biohazard, Front Line Assembly…
Hardcore actually meant a lot less to me by that time in terms of purity. The scene had become so impure anyway, so I just chose to focus on the bands which I thought were great and also had the right attitude. For instance, a lot of people shit on Dog Eat Dog and tried to reduce them to being some sort of Leeway rip-off, but when I signed them, they only played HXC shows, were incredibly respectful and supportive of NYHC and were doing things the right way. Eventually, they blew up basically as a pop group in Europe and for all of us, including the band, it seemed to come from out of nowhere. Very often, that's how things happen. They were playing the right music at the right time and the elusive luck and timing you hope for fell into place for them. In the end, a lot of cats were jealous of them due to their success and all the early shit-talkers were begging to open up for them overseas. Fuck those hypocrites!
I'm very proud of what I accomplished there and for me, Madball is a great example of something I had a part in that went well for all involved. I've known Freddy since he was 8 or 9 years old, when he would come up from Florida and tour with AF. I put out the Ball Of Destruction 7″ when he was 12, but to see him become one of the most undeniable front-men in the history of hardcore and to watch him come into his own as a person was and continues to be really gratifying. Those guys trusted me and worked hard and overcame a lot to get to where they've gotten. To this day, they're one of the only bands that can still get me on the dance floor and incite me to lose it!
Freddy with Madball, 2007, Photo: Face The Show
The NYHC scene lost some legends during that time, notably Chuck Valle and Raybeez. How did their deaths impact you, and what was it like to see so many people from the NYHC scene come together in the wake of those events?
It's always sad when you lose someone, but the saddest is when it's someone young who passes. Chuck Valle's death hit me particularly hard because if you'd met him even once, let alone really knew him, you were well aware of what an incredible individual he was. Talented as can be and just a great, live and let live kind of guy. The fact that he lost his life and his future as a result of an act of senseless violence still makes me feel sick. As for Raybeez, I honestly didn't know him well, but his contribution to the scene in NY is immeasurable. Then there were the characters like Big Charlie, Frenchie, etc. Simply put – sad.
It always made me proud when the scene would rally around one of its own. Whether it was Roger Miret or Pete Koller's legal issues or especially when we lost someone from the NYHC family. Hell – not many "real" families come together the way the HXC community did to assist the families of those we lost along the way. One of the best things about the hardcore scene as far as I'm concerned. That's the unity everyone was striving for and it was never more evident than when one of "us" was in need. Rest In Power to all who have moved on.
Pete Koller with Sick Of It All, Photo: Ken Salerno
The slow death and ultimate demise of CBGB's had to have given you something to reflect about. What were your best memories of the club, how do you feel about the way it went out, and how will you remember it?
For me, the death of CBGB was tremendously significant. Not the death of hardcore at CBGB, but the loss of the club itself due to those greedy motherfuckers at the BRC who own the building the club was housed in. What sucks is that the BRC does a lot of good things in the community, but they just wanted Hilly out of there and eventually got what they wanted. It's a fucking John Varvatos store now and I get pissed off every time I pass 315 Bowery (makes spitting sound).
For better or for worse, CBGB was the place that will always be looked at as the home of the NYHC scene. Sure there were previous homes like A7, but very few people got to experience that. CB's was THE place and that's hard to disagree with. So many kids' lives changed as a result of that place, including mine. There cannot be a "scene" without a venue for it to thrive in and CBGB was that venue when it came to NYHC. It was the Madison Square Garden of hardcore for that matter.
Wherever you were from, no matter how great your local scene was, CBGB was the mecca and every band treated their shows there as special events. Trying to highlight a favorite moment or show there would be impossible. Every hardcore band I love(d) played their best shows at CBGB. I miss it…even down to its disgusting bathrooms.
Killing Time at CBGB, NYC, Photo: Ken Salerno
What do you think about the current state of hardcore? Many would argue you can have the best of both worlds, as many old bands have reunited and are playing out, and many young bands have carried the torch of traditional, classic styles as well, and have pushed the envelope for HC and metal. Any thoughts? Where do you fit in with all of this?
I'm not even sure of what to say about the current state of hardcore. It's fun to see some of the old bands get back together to throw down, as well as some of the older bands who never left. I saw the Cro-Mags (John, Mackie, Craig Setari and A.J. Novello) in December and they killed it, but it really has nothing to with the current state of HXC or what the HXC scene will look like in the future. People can argue the point until they're blue in the face, but there is no scene that exists today that even faintly resembles the hardcore scene I remember.
Sure there are still some DIY ethics out there and there are some bands who play $5 or $7 shows in "unorthodox" venues but it's just not the same. A scene requires a lot of elements to be in place and working all at once and I don't see that anywhere. I suppose that can change and hopefully it will, but I won't be holding my breath. There can only be one "first time" and only so many times there can be a so-called resurgence.
I suppose you could say hardcore jumped the shark. Doesn't mean I won't always love it and my experience with it. It also doesn't mean I won't continue to go see the older bands when they come out of the woodwork to play. I just highly doubt there will ever be a new, yet to exist hardcore band that will move me in any meaningful way. That said – much respect to the bands trying to keep the spirit alive, including those who might be in a basement or garage somewhere rehearsing for the first time. Go for yours.
Nuclear Assault at City Gardens, Trenton, NJ, Photo: Ken Salerno
Monday, February 22, 2010
What one hardcore/punk album has stood the test of time for you?
Harley delivers some Hard Times at City Gardens, Trenton NJ, Photo: Ken Salerno
Harley Flanagan – Cro-Mags
Bad Brains Roir cassette, Ace Of Spades, Master Of Reality, any old Minor Threat before the one with the sheep on the cover, Jealous Again, first Circle Jerks album, Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing, Cockney Rejects…a lot of great stuff that came out around that time…I can't narrow it down to one. I tried to bring elements of all of these things and more into the stuff I started writing. I don't know if I succeeded but these were some of the influences and inspirations. I also liked a lot of DC and west coast stuff, Void was off the hook. There was a lotta great stuff. That first Scream album was sick. Of course there were a lot more. In the beginning it was the Sex Pistols, The Damned, The Clash, The Ramones, Dead Boys…that's what set it off for me as far as punk and then hardcore. But..anyway, that was the 70s.
Even shows like Siouxsie And The Banshees and all that old punk shit like the Buzzcocks…I mean it wasn't hardcore or anything, but there was a lot of great shit happening in those days. I saw a lot of great shows like that at the Paladium and at Irving Plaza, never mind all the little punk gigs at Max's and CB's back in the OOOLD days with all the little hardcore gigs at A7 and all the other great places.
Check out my new book coming out – it talks about all of it.
Mike and Ian with the Minor Threat skateboard
Mike Vallely – Professional Skateboarder
I have to go with the first Minor Threat EP. That record just screams out above the rest with everything I've ever associated with hardcore music: the DIY ethos, the energy and power of the music, and the urgency and passion of the lyrics. I can't play that record without getting fired up.
A deep thinking Justin Guavin, Photo courtesy of: Guav
Guav – Conviction Fanzine / Records
In 1986 I was 14 years old living in Ithaca, NY and I knew that it didn't get much harder than Mötley Crüe's "Shout At The Devil." Their song "Red Hot" was pretty much the fastest song anyone could humanly play, and "Bastard"—that song is just MEAN. I was convinced that that was the pinnacle of hard music.
Flipping through the radio late one night when I should have been sleeping, I came across a radio show from Ithaca College called The Sound And The Fury, and it was playing the most atrocious, discordant garbage that I had ever heard. And for some reason I couldn't stop listening to it. It was terrible.
I grabbed my tape recorder and held it up to the radio and taped 90 minutes of the radio show that way. And I listened to that tape over and over again. And then some more. I didn't want to like it, because I thought if I liked punk, I'd have to be a punk rocker—and I wanted to be a metal dude.
But it had gotten its hooks into me and once I figured out when the show was, I'd stay up and tape it like that. The only problem was, to save space on the tape and get the most music onto it, I'd pause the recorder in between songs when the DJ was talking, so I ended up with piles of tapes full of bands that I loved and had no idea what their names were. But there were a handful of songs that really stuck out for me. I somehow learned that my favorite song, "Sailin On," was by a band called the Bad Brains.
Later that year I was visiting my grandfather down in NYC and he gave me some money to go to Tower Records, and one of the records I bought was Bad Brains "Rock For Light." I ran back to his apartment and listened to the record, and was pleased to find out that two of the other songs that were my favorites from my unlabeled tapes were also the Bad Brains, from that record. Jackpot!
And that's pretty much all I listened to for a month. I had never heard anything so urgent, frantic and yet so tight and melodic as the Bad Brains. And to this day, that record has stood the test of time for me and every time I play it it's like I'm 14 and hearing it for the first time all over again. I'm always blown away by it.
A close second place, both for it's musical longevity and personal impact on my life, would go to Gorilla Biscuits, "Start Today."
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Effort Fanzine
Effort Fanzine issue 3
I love printed fanzines and to be quite honest with you, in some ways I wish Double Cross was a physical, hand held, printed fanzine, but the truth of the matter is that we do what is convenient and works best for us, which happens to be the online format. Hopefully some how at some point, you will see Double Cross in some sort of printed format because I know that is a definite goal for us. In the meantime, if you want to see an example of a great printed hardcore fanzine, look no further than Effort.
Unquestionably and easily Effort Fanzine is one of, if not THE best fanzine I have seen in many, many years. These guys cover all the bases; great design, awesome photos, honest reviews, a perfect mix of old and new hardcore and on top of all that, they've gotten better and better every issue.
Because Effort has stood out to us, we wanted to show support and help bring their work more deserved attention. Meet the guys behind Effort and more importantly, get your hands on an issue ASAP. – Tim DCXX
Ulf and Kalle of Effort Fanzine, Photo: Alexander Peters
Tell us about yourselves, how and when you got into hardcore, and what each of you bring to Effort Fanzine?
Ulf: My name is Ulf, I'm the youngster of the two of us, at age 21. I got into hardcore in 2002, which means I've missed out on some great bands for sure. I was in 8th grade and was into all kinds of things musically. I always liked Iron Maiden, Metallica and various heavy bands, but I wasn't passionate about it. However, I always had a thing for heavy music.
I grew up in a very small town, where everybody knew each other. So, I knew that there were some kids that were into some kind of crazy music. They were going to shows all the time, and I think they rehearsed in the basement of our school, but I didn't have a clue what kind of music they were playing or what this "hardcore" thing was all about. That changed when the kid next door, who I've been friends with all my life, started going to shows. I got really curious about it, started asking all kinds of stupid questions, and after probably being a real pain in the ass for a while, he let me tag along.
I then found out about this thing called "Straight Edge" which I totally connected with, since I never had any interest in alcohol or drugs. Shortly after, I bought my first electric guitar and started my first hardcore band. After some half assed attempts in my basement for a couple of years, I was asked to play guitar for a band that was starting out, Go For Broke. That's how Kalle and I met each other.
When it comes to Effort fanzine, we both work together on pretty much everything. Kalle does all the layout work, with some input from me, but the rest of it, we do together. We're into the same stuff, so there's never any trouble.
A Chain Of Strength photo spread from Effort Fanzine issue 3
Kalle: My name is Kalle and whenever I'm around Ulf I realize how old I am (27). I got into punk rock at the age of twelve (1994), both the mainstream stuff (Bad Religion, Green Day, Offspring etc) and older stuff like Asta Kask, Stiff Little Fingers and Sex Pistols through an older acquaintance. Growing up in Sweden in the 90's you'd also have to live under a huge rock to miss out on Refused and in a way I guess they're the reason I'm here today.
I also got heavily into Shelter and later on, obviously, Youth Of Today. I fell in love with fanzines pretty quick, and I started my own at the age of 14 (or perhaps 15, can't really remember when we started out). It was complete crap but you have to start somewhere I guess. Me and two friends did three issues, then me and another friend did a fourth one. After that I did a more hardcore related zine called Send In The Clones Fanzine, which lasted four issues. I also do a newsletter/free zine called Get Involved, which is less pretentious than Effort. It's usually something I just throw together whenever there's a cool show.
Effort Fanzine issue 1
What was the motivation/inspiration for starting Effort? With the whole internet age, fanzines definitely are not as common as they used to be, so what pushes you to still do it in this classic format?
U: The idea of starting Effort came to us when Go For Broke were planning to do some shows outside of Sweden. We were going to go on tour for a week, with shows in Germany, Poland and Czech Republic. Kalle had previously done Send in the Clones Fanzine, a really good fanzine I might add, and I had done a fanzine called Changes. We both had kind of started working on new issues, but we just got stuck, we had no motivation to really push ourselves to finish our respective fanzines, so we just kind of threw it out there, "Well, why don't we do a fanzine together instead?" It made sense, and with the motivation to have it done in time for the tour, we did the first issue.
What pushes us to keep this going is really that we have a love for what we do. It's really one of those things that's so great about hardcore, if you want to know more about a band or a person that you've encountered, just shoot an email and ask, and you'll probably get an answer. And we do believe that this is more than music, so having the chance to talk to our favorite bands and people that inspire us, and giving them the chance to express themselves in a more relaxed setting than on a stage, it's special to us.
But you're right, fanzines are not as common as they used to be. We've had kids who've come up to us and asked "What's that? A fanzine? What's a fanzine?", and it's so easy to kind of lose faith in current hardcore when that happens. But then again, there we are, with a fanzine and the opportunity to show them what we're doing, and why we're doing it. But it all comes down to that it's what we love to do. Both Kalle and I are persons with creative minds and a need to express our ideas, be it through music or print.
K: To be completely honest, Effort Fanzine was originally the brainchild of Marcus Ericsson (Damage Control) and myself. We had talked about doing a fanzine together for quite some time but nothing ever happened. So basically, two months prior to the tour Ulf was referring to, I just asked Ulf if he would be into it and he was. I knew that he's both a solid dude and that we saw eye to eye on most things hardcore. I don't think either of us ever thought about doing a second issue until we realized how much positive feedback we got. For me, doing the zine online was never an option, I really have a soft spot for a quality printed fanzine and there are few things that can beat that feeling of holding it in your hands.
A spread of The First Step from Effort Fanzine issue 2
Give us a brief run down of the first 3 issues, what have been some the highlights in each and what have you been most proud of?
U: Ok, the first issue was put together in two months time for the Go For Broke tour, as I said earlier. We interviewed Get The Most, Right Idea, Aram React!, Lion of Judah, Common Cause and On. It was released in the summer of 2008, 200 printed, and it sold out quite fast. What I'm most stoked about with this issue, is probably that we actually did it. And with a pretty tight deadline as well. We got so many emails from people who were really in to the zine, and I was surprised. Not that I wasn't stoked about the zine myself, but people were really contacting us just to let us know how much they liked it. It gave us inspiration enough to do #2.
With issue #2, we wanted to focus more on in depth interviews, and with both The First Step and Justice calling it quits, we felt like both bands needed some heavy documentation, from how they started, to why it ended. So, with those two pretty massive pieces, especially the TFS one, plus a Mindset interview and a feature about the Radio Silence book (with some In My Eyes and Ten Yard Fight talk as well), we released this 76 page zine on January 31st 2009. We had a release show with Balance, Go For Broke (our last show), Hårda Tider, Loud And Clear, Rhythm To The Madness and True Colors. Justice also did a surprise set, which was something I'd never expected. We printed 200 copies here in Sweden, and React! Records printed 300 overseas. React! still has copies.
Common Cause spread from Effort Fanzine issue 1
I'm very proud of this issue, in several ways. The TFS piece was mostly Kalle's work, but I'm stoked that we could have such a huge feature on them, really asking everything we wanted, and Stephen seemed to be really into it as well. The Justice piece is special to me, cause that was mostly my thing in #2, and with them playing that surprise set at the release show, my mind was blown. They've played several shows since then, but this was the first one since they had broken up. Really something special.
#3 is going to be released Friday, February 12th, at the Floorpunch show in Linköping. It features interviews with Espen Follestad, Mark Palm, Remission, Give and Not Sorry, plus tons of other stuff. This issue took a year for us to put together, so that's a pretty long time for us, since we started working on the first issue in May 2008, and had the second one released in January 2009. This is my favorite so far though, but I guess that's always how it is. TGhe interviews with Espen and Mark especially turned out really cool, and it gives a nice back story to where they both are in their lives today.
K: After the first issue where we covered pretty much all the bands we were into, doing a second issue got sort of complicated. Mindset were one of the few bands left so we took the opportunity to cover two of the most important bands in modern history; TFS – well, what can I say that hasn't already been said about this band. If I didn't have to hang up the phone there's no doubt in my mind that the 26 page interview could've been almost twice as long. Justice – there are few modern European bands that made such an impact in hardcore. I don't care what people say these days, Justice were solid people and I can't really think of more passionate people. Along with the Espen and Mark interviews those are really the highlights thus far.
Effort Fanzine issue 2
What goals have you set out to accomplish with Effort and what can we expect for future issues? Any certain interviews you're hoping to get?
U: We never really set any goals. But we both have genuine interest in hardcore…I guess some would call us nerds, or obsessed. So be it, they're probably right. I guess our interest makes Effort good, because we are really interested in the bands we interview, which gives us an opportunity to ask about stuff we wouldn't care about otherwise, and since we do care, we usually get really good answers. We've read so many interviews with the same standard formula, and it gets boring. Not only for the reader, but for the bands or persons interviewed. A mutual interest in the interview is important to us.
About future issues, I'm not sure… I never thought we'd make a second issue to begin with, hell, I originally doubted that we'd finish the first issue. But when the first one was released, we found ourselves making plans for #2 already, and here we are about to release #3, so you never know. When it comes to interviews we're hoping to get, well…we're both massive Chain of Strength fans. I'd love to have a huge, in depth Chain piece in the next Effort. It's no coincidence that the first Effort shirt design was green and black ink printed on a white shirt. Sure, we want to focus on current hardcore, but for Chain, we'd make an exception. I'd be really interested in hearing their perspective on their band. And well, every fanzine makers dream, Mike Judge.
K: There are a few bands that I'd love to interview, one being Praise. I also feel that both Common Cause and Mindset have come a long way since our interviews in #1 and I feel that it could be interesting doing a follow-up interview. I also have high hopes for Peace.
Dag Nasty photo that appears in Effort Fanzine issue 3, Photo: Phillip Fuller
What five fanzines of the past and present are your favorites and why?
U: Can't say I'm that good at keeping up with current fanzines, not good enough to make lists anyway. However, spending a lot of time on tour, I tend to buy a lot of fanzines to read in the van. My current favorites include Sight Beyond Sight, don't know if a new issue is in the works but that first one was amazing. Wake Up And Live out of Portugal keeps putting out quality stuff. I always enjoy reading Soulcity, by Marcus Damage Control. I Drink Milk Fanzine from Hungary is pretty sweet as well. As for past zines, Schism, Boiling Point, Open Your Eyes… Let's just say that the classics have really made an impact on what we're doing today with Effort.
K: I Drink Milk and Heat are two fanzines that I think stand out today. They're my favorite ones, another one is Powered Fanzine which is rather short but then again it's free. Looking back I think of [besides the above mentioned classics]: Impact, Start Today, Best Of Times, Extra Life and Town of Hardcore as quality fanzines. I can't even think of five fanzines today that I will consider classic in a few years.
Five favorite bands of all time and five favorite current bands and why?
U: Youth of Today
Bad Brains
Chain of Strength
Minor Threat
No surprises there, but I guess there's a reason for that. Youth of Today is my favorite band, period. They just have it all. Chain of Strength, well.. as I mentioned, I'm a huge fan. And contrary of what people usually say, I think that the fact that they staged the TTD cover photo only makes them cooler. There will never be a band harder than the Cro-Mags, and I really have a soft spot for Best Wishes. Bad Brains cause they're probably the most energetic hardcore band known to man, even their records sound like mad live sessions. And Minor Threat for being a band I could completely, 100% relate to at age 14, and today.
Get The Most
Common Cause
True Colors
ON spread from Effort Fanzine issue 1
Mindset is my favorite current band. I guess a reason why would be that they really sound like Youth Of Today. However, I'm constantly stoked hearing new stuff from them and seeing how Ev really put time and effort into his lyrics. In the new Effort Zine, we actually have a feature on the new Mindset 7″, where Evan gets to elaborate on his ideas presented in the new songs, and I totally connect with the whole vibe Mindset are putting out. From videos I've seen they're a pretty awesome live band as well, so I'm looking forward to seeing them on our continent sometime in the future.
Just yesterday I was visiting Common Cause in the studio when they were recording their new 7″, and the stuff I heard there is enough for me to put them on this list. Their previous releases are solid as well, especially the LP, but the new stuff is blowing my mind, and live they just kill it. True Colors have enough releases to speak for themselves, I love that band. Too bad they're breaking up, but I'm really looking forward to that last 7″. ON was great when I saw them this summer on their Euro tour, and I like the fact that they're not promoting themselves as an "ex-members of" kinda band. Get The Most is just wild, awesome hardcore. Too bad I couldn't catch them on one of their Euro dates last year. Basically, React! Records – Quality label, with a quality dude behind it.
K: There are a few reasons we do this fanzine together, and to keep it simple you can just ask us about our favorite bands. I wouldn't change a name on that list.
True Colors photo from Effort Fanzine issue 1
What would be the most memorable show you went to and why?
U: Most memorable show for me would have to be the Outlast reunion show in Linköping 2003. If you're not familiar with that band, I'd say that when it comes to Swedish hardcore, we all can pretty much agree on Refused being the big name. In Sweden, Outlast is in that league as well. One of the most important bands for the Swedish hardcore scene, and I never thought I'd see them. That show was really something else. More recently, seeing The First Step was amazing each time, definitely my favorite band of the past decade.
K: The first show that comes to mind is Shelter at Café Eloge in Vänersborg 2001. We skipped school and took a flight there and it was just everything a hardcore show should be. Perfect stage, huge crowd, amazing bands and the support act Subject To Change played "Put It Aside" with Porcell on guitar and Ray on vocals during the mosh. It was almost unreal.
Any final words, plugs, info on where people can order copies of Effort Fanzine?
K: A huge thank you for helping us out, we really appreciate it. It's truly overwhelming to be a part of such an incredible thing as DCXX, considering past features. Also a huge thank you to Aram React! Effort #3 will soon be available through itstimetoreact.com and effortfanzine on myspace. Issue 2 is still available at both React and at Revelation.
U: Thank you for supporting us since the first issue. It's really motivating and rewarding to do a zine when we get all this positive feedback. We're stoked to be on DCXX! Also, thanks to all the bands and people who've been as stoked about being a part of this as we are. Peace.
Agnostic Front photo from Effort Fanzine issue 3, Photo: Phillip Fuller
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Dedicated to all the kids who care enough to make tomorrow a brighter day… Let's make a change!
I see it on the streets
As we walk right by
What little value we place on human lives!
But it's time we get priorities
It's time to rearrange
Won't turn away any longer
It's time we make a change!
People so cold
They ignore others' pain
People too proud
To realize that we're the same
But I'll make a change!
But it's time we get priorities
It's time to rearrange
Won't turn my back any longer
It's time we make a change!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Matt Henderson – Blind Approach / AF / Madball – PART IV
1995 Madball promo test, photo courtesy of: Matt Henderson
If you've been following along, you know this has been a great interview. If not, go check the previous installments. Plenty of AF and Madball talk here. Enjoy. -Gordo DCXX
Relativity Records: It's a known fact that you guys (AF) weren't happy with them later on, but at the moment, how was the relationship with the label? What other labels were you guys looking at back then?
When we did that record I didn't know anything about the business and just thought it was kind of cool to be on a label that could pay for our recording and actually print up CDs, get ads in magazines, etc. Roger really dealt with them as it was his deal long before I got in the band, so that question is better for him to answer. I do remember some good people working with us though that I still talk to today like Bill Wilson (Blackout), Howie Abrams (Madball's first Road Runner rep) and Brian Freeman. Another thing I remember was that we were the first band that they decided not to release on vinyl, and only on CD. That was a big deal for the hardcore scene to bitch about and we were kinda pissed.
The back ups: Biohazard, Armand, Wrecking Crew: Tell us more about your relationship with those bands/guys.
Armand was really good friends with Craig and was actually working at the label at that time. He is a really good musician and would hang out with us a lot while we worked on the record and was always a good guy to bounce stuff off of. I knew Wrecking Crew pretty well because they did a summer tour in 1988 and when they hit Mpls they had van problems that forced them to stay at one of my friend's house for a week or so and we hung out a lot then. When I moved to Boston we reconnected and I used to tag along with them when they played shows. So when we did the record in Rhode Island it was an easy trip for them to make and come help out. The rest of the AF guys knew them as well from doing shows together so that was cool.
Biohazard and AF had established a relationship from doing a lot of shows together around then and they were able to make the trip as well. That was one of the better memories I have being in the studio and everybody had a good time. Plus, I think the backups are one of the better sounding things on that record, so thanks to those guys for helping out.
Matt with Agnostic Front in 1992, Photo courtesy of: Matt Henderson
Last Warning: tell us more about that last show at CB's. What were the other bands like that day? Especially Dmize? Tell us what you remember about that band in general?
That was a good day and a great show. Roger was really intent on getting the right bands to play with, not only to have a good show, but to give the bands he thought deserved the opportunity to play a show at a time when there really wasn't a lot of shows going on, and to help out friends. It was sort of saying "this is our last show, but everybody needs to realize that these other great bands are out there playing still and need your support." I really liked Dmize. I was just starting to get to know Hoya and he played their latest demo with "Soul Search" for me and I dug it. They also did a cover of Black Sabbath's "Zero the Hero" which was real cool. The other bands that stood out for me that day were Merauder and Cold As Life – R.I.P Big Rawn.
During Infiltrate, you hear Roger calling out Minus for doing the crucial underwear mosh. Any good stories about Minus? Any other NYHC characters you'd like to reminisce about?
So, yeah, Minus was in his underwear. That was his thing, or at least at about every show I would see him at. My stories about Minus are that he was always a really respectful guy to me and anyone around me, whether he had his pants on or not. As far as other characters in NYC, there are just too many to mention, and most of the rumors you hear about them are all probably true, unless they include random acts of violence toward innocent people. There were acts of violence, but 99.9 percent of the time people were asking for it when it came their way so it wasn't random and nobody was innocent.
AF played the official last show at CB's but you guys did a Farewell tour in Europe shortly after, what do you remember of that tour? Europe always had a lot of respect for NYHC bands in general, any opinions on that?
That was a great tour for us, and so much different than that first tour that I mentioned earlier. It made me regret the end of the band a little because the shows were so good. I don't really know why Europe as a whole is so much more receptive to American/NY Hardcore but clearly it hits a nerve with the people there and I definitely appreciate their support.
Matt, Roger and Vinny with Agnostic Front, 1992, Photo courtesy of: Matt Henderson
What was your initial reaction when you learned that AF was going to be breaking up? What were your plans then? Madball had already put out something in 89 but when did you join Madball exactly and when were the Droppin' Many Suckers songs written?
The initial reaction I had was "it's time." I felt like we really put our hearts into what we were doing but we were all a little burnt out and had gone through some rough times for real. One of the smartest things I think Roger did was to encourage us to do a Madball EP and release it for that tour. On our first tour in Europe in 1990 there were a lot of people asking "where's Freddy Madball??!!" and showing up with the seven inch for signatures, etc., so it was obvious that it made a big impact out there.
And because Freddy was in NYC in 1992 and he would travel with us we thought we could bring him to Europe for that last tour as well. So we put some music together and Freddy wound up using a lot of lyrics out of a notebook of Roger's with stuff that he had written while he was locked up. I loved writing those songs because it was more simple and straight forward stuff and was nowhere near as technical as the AF songs would get. We recorded at Don Fury's spot in like 2 days and that was it. We actually played two sets every night on that European tour opening for ourselves as Madball, with Roger on bass and Freddy singing. We would always say shit like, "yo we just want to give a shout out to AF for hooking us up and letting us use their gear for the show", or "shout out to AF – great guys except for that bass player – he's a real dick" because Craig was always on the side of the stage and it was fun to break his balls. I don't know if people got the joke or not but we had a good time with it.
Another Voice: how did you feel about the record? What was your involvement in it? Do you feel like it's actually another One Voice?
Originally the goal was to get Craig and Willy involved but it just didn't happen, and without them it is hard for me to consider that record a true continuation of One Voice, but I had a good time with it and I think the record came out good. It was a good opportunity to play guitar again and work with Roger.
What's the most important thing you learned while playing in AF?
What a good rhythm section is all about. Bass, guitar and drums locking it down. No band should be without it.
What was the best/worst thing about playing with AF?
The best thing was becoming friends with those guys and joining the NYHC family.
The worst thing had nothing to do with the band itself, it just wasn't a great period for hardcore. People who used to go to AF shows all grew up and started going to school (like me) or started to play in bands that sounded like Quicksand, or Stone Temple Pilots, or some Emo garbage and thought that hardcore wasn't cool anymore. They changed their minds later on but it took a few years and a few Madball shows to kick them in their asses.
Agnostic Front hang out 1992 on the Obituary tour, Photo courtesy of: Matt Henderson
Tell us about the transition from AF to Madball and about who came up with the idea that Madball should be full-time/serious band?
So after we came back from that European tour and AF was over Roger headed to Miami to become a Harley mechanic and I decided to head back to Boston to finish school because I didn't have anything else going on in NYC full time. We did have the DMS 7" out though and we figured why not just have fun and play shows on weekends. Hoya was brought in at that time to fill the bass player slot. It was a good reason for me to go to NYC on the weekends and be with my friends and we had good time doing it.
The shows were really small because not much was going on in the city at that time. The goal was not to take it to a "professional level" at all until we got approached by Howie who was at RoadRunner and he wanted to sign us and have us do a full length. I had a hard time deciding if that was really what I wanted to do because of all the shit that AF just went through, but I really liked playing the Madball songs, and once I started playing with Hoya and got a feel for his style – he writes some amazing shit – I thought that it was a good opportunity. For me it was a little like getting a chance to start fresh. Madball already had a name obviously, but they were only known for two EPs, one of which I wrote the majority of the music for, and I wanted to keep going with it musically.
You basically were active during what people often consider the worst years of HC (early/mid 90s to end of 90s). Tell us your take on that era (the rise of vegan straight edge, shitty screamo/political bands): do you feel like it got away from the roots too much? Some great records were written in that era (you guys, Crown Of Thornz, Merauder, Blood for Blood, Breakdown), did anything stand out then that you remember?
I agree that the early 90s were a bad time. That was a backlash to the late 80s peak. 1990 was all about "post-hardcore" with ex-members of well known hardcore bands starting new bands like Quicksand, Fugazi, and Into Another. Some of that music was ok, but I always felt like there was an attitude along with it like "hardcore is over and we are playing real music now." I didn't go for that shit so I listened to metal more at that time. Slayer had Seasons In The Abyss which was a great record.
Then there was the beginning of the whole Social Distortion greaser/cowboy fantasy which I really hated. Social Distortion's first record in 1982 was a great punk rock record, but all of a sudden that "Ball And Chain" shit started and everbody started cuffing their jeans and sticking a big comb in their back pocket and I wanted no part of it. That's what made being in Madball in 1993/1994 a lot of fun. We were all about "Fuck you. We like playing hardcore." And we were good at it.
We would play these real small shows back then that were made up mostly of our friends, a lot of whom were done with hardcore but came to our shows because they wanted to see old friends. Eventually, people started digging the music and by 1995 I felt like the scene was thriving again. It was in the city anyway, with a good mix of young blood and the old timers all at the shows. We had Madball, 25 Ta Life, Merauder, Bulldoze, Vision Of Disorder, and H20 all playing shows together. New Jersey had Fury of Five, Boston had 454 Big Block, Blood for Blood, Ten Yard Fight and others. There was Powerhouse and the Hoods on the West Coast, so it felt like a scene to me. The Midwest didn't have much going on from my memory, but the Northeast and CA were real good.
Original artwork for 1994 Madball logo, courtesy of: Matt Henderson
Take us through the Madball discography (favorite song on each album, best/worst thing about each of those records, etc.). Ball Of Destruction: you weren't on the record but what did you think of that record the first time you heard it?
Fucking great! It was like a continuation of Victim In Pain and hit the nail on the head.
Droppin' Many Suckers: how did you like recording with Don Fury? I still think this is one of the hardest seven inches ever written.
Don Fury, the man, the legend….. I hate the way that recording sounds but I love those songs. I don't really think that recording does those songs justice. I have a cassette somewhere of us doing those songs live on the radio in Jersey, WSOU, right before we went on that last tour and it sounds amazing. We used to write in this crappy little rehearsal studio in SoHo called Giant and the equipment was shit but it added to the rawness.
We would work on getting our music together and Freddy, who would show up when he got out of high school for the day, would sit in the corner with his book bag and work with Roger's notebook and add or erase stuff. Then when he said that he had something that might work we would start the song and he would grab the mic and scream and bounce off the walls and those songs totally came to life. Freddy had a lot of anger and energy back then and it all came out real clear.
When we did those songs in Europe people were actually a little afraid of us and especially Freddy. Freddy would just put it right in everybody's face and people would have to take a few steps back. Good times.
Matt with Madball at the Marquee in 1994, Photo courtesy of: Matt Henderson
How was the relationship with Wreckage Records?
I think it was a win-win for both sides. We did Droppin' Many Suckers for dirt cheap and I am sure they got their money back and then some. We got a lot of seven inches up front to sell and had no expectations from them beyond that.
Did you even think that some of the songs would stand the test of time they way they did?
I didn't really think about it that way. I was just looking to have fun playing some straight up hardcore with my friends.
Set It Off: one of the 3 most important records of the 90s.
This is when I feel we really started to become a true band. I really enjoyed writing music with Hoya because his style had such a groove and he would write these riffs that would force me to step it up as well. I remember being in Boston and I called him up to check in and he was like "yo, I think I got a new song for the record," and he played the opening riff to Set It Off over the phone with his cheap guitar and shitty little practice amp in his bedroom and I was blown away. That was the start of the transition from the Ball of Destruction/DMS real raw style to the more groove-oriented stuff that I really liked about Madball.
Madball in Belgium, 1996, Photo courtesy of: Matt Henderson
What do you remember the response/reaction to it in the scene?
Once again, I didn't feel like people were getting what we were doing right away. I remember doing the song Set It Off for the first time live before the record came out and people just stood there and looked at us. I don't really know why. I remember heading to Argentina right after the record came out – we had connections there from the AF days, and we played it for some friends that were AF fans and they would say "its really interesting…..? Aside from Sick of It All, who were on the road a lot and didn't play NYC much at that time, I felt like we were the only ones trying to do real, mean, tough, hardcore. I think it took people a minute to figure it out.
Tell us about being on Roadrunner.
Being on RoadRunner was cool and that label was really good to us. They had their office just a few blocks away from Vinny's apartment and we would just show up there all the time and bullshit with everyone. I know all of the DIY people think we were on some big metal label and it probably turned some people off, but that label and the people who were a part of it were very down to earth, knew the scene, loved heavy music and believed in what we were trying to do.
Now, they are a business so of course they did what they could to make their money but what fucking label doesn't? I can guarantee that the more trendy labels that are popular in hardcore are the same way, so don't be fooled. If you really think that other labels are more interested in the artists and are more grass roots, you are confused. More bands get ripped off by "friends" or "indie" labels than labels with contracts and lawyers.
Madball in Europe drawing beards on their own promo posters, Photo courtesy of: Matt Henderson
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
What one hardcore/punk album has stood the test of time for you?
Randy Johnson with Against The Wall at Spanky's in Riverside, CA, Photo courtesy of: Mikey Fastbreak
Randy Johnson – Pushed Aside / Against The Wall
The hardcore/punk records that have stood the test of time for me are the ones that are unflinchingly self-interrogating. It's a generic truth that hardcore/punk records are the best at confronting how fucked up everything around us can be, which worked perfectly for me as an alienated kid. But the albums that still work for me today "get the persons that got them good, themselves, themselves, themselves." So, yeah, Embrace tops my list. The way those songs are put together with those layered guitars over mid-tempo beats and perfect choruses will always work for me. For some of the same reasons, I'm still really into Verbal Assault, Trial. As for as it being a hardcore self-interrogation, the record opens with Trial, which sets the table for the record to blast away the all too easily expressed generics and slogans that were all over the place and get back to the pissed-off awareness that hardcore/punk is at its best. I also really, really still love and listen to Dag Nasty, Wig out at Denko's, which is just so fucking good for so many reasons.
Bobby Sullivan with Soulside at Maxwell's in Hoboken, NJ, Photo: Ken Salerno
Bobby Sullivan – Soulside
Rock For Light by the Bad Brains. This record blasted onto the scene with so much skill in the music, it changed the game. They introduced the fast tempos that defined the hardcore genre, the rootsy reggae to satisfy any reggae enthusiast and even a tinge of pop to give this record some unforgetable vocal harmonies. But overall it's the passion in the music and the lyrics that gives it that undefinable something, which makes it not matter how good the recording quality is. I still get chills listening to this one.
Dan Yemin feeds the crowd with Paint It Black, Photo: Face The Show
Dan Yemin – Lifetime / Paint It Black
It doesn't officially qualify as an album, but my pick is most definitely the "Out Of Step" EP. From the opening blast of "Betray" through the sellout-smashing snarl of the hidden track, "Cashing In," this one is perfect. Truly original & pissed as fuck, this still gets me just as stoked as it did 25 years ago.
Posted in | No Comments »


text:
Totino's Pizza Stuffers are a Mom LifesaverKelsey Banfield
I know I'm not alone when I say I am constantly searching for quick, portable snacks that satisfy. The good people at Totino's took this into consideration, that all moms are searching for just the right portable snack food, when developing their new Totino's Pizza Stuffers. They did their homework, talking to Moms all around the country, finding out how they handle snack time on the go. I loved reading the results of their recent survey because the results were very true to how I feel.
The Totino's survey found that while 90 percent of women with school-aged children think it's important to give their kids a snack in between lunch and dinner, more than half of moms (61%) say they are too busy preparing dinner or finishing work to give their kids an afterschool snack. And, three-quarters (75%) of moms say their least favorite parts of snack time are finding a snack or cleaning up.
A lot of people turn to drive-thrus as a place to find a quick snack fix, but almost three-fourths (74%) of moms in the survey reported having gotten the wrong food in a drive-thru line, 72 percent have had slow service, and 65 percent have had to wait in a long line. The easy answer here is a Totino's Pizza Stuffer. Skip the drive-thru and go straight home to whip up a quick Pizza Stuffer. Or, cook them at home and pack them warm in the car for pick-up and don't worry about any mess! Totino's was smart to make them portable because their survey also revealed that Moms feel the most important qualities about snacks to a mom are that the food is easy to make (31%), tastes good (26%) and is portable (17%).
Now that we've had pizza stuffers in the house for a few weeks I can testify that they truly are convenient and delicious. I've popped in the car with them for my daughter, and heated them up for a quick snack at home. They have arrived just in time for the school year, so pick some up soon!
*This is a sponsored post by Totino's but the views expressed are entirely my own.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Thomas Jefferson wrote parts of the Declaration of Independence in a Philadelphia tavern.
Here's today's Free-for-all Friday challenge at the mentalfloss.com Brain Game.
Today I'm going to be signing copies of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children at San Diego's Comic-Con, so if you happen to be one of the happy mutants that managed to snag a tick
Life in the Post Food-Surplus World. The globalization of food supplies makes one break in the chain a potential disaster.
Parenting, illustrated with crappy pictures™.
Today's not-really-all-that-helpful way to stay cool: 17 gorgeous images of glacier caves hidden near Juneau, Alaska.
Jump blues is a type of up-tempo blues that first gained popularity in the 1940s and experienced a renewal in interest during the (dreaded) 1990s swing revival.
With nothing more than some rope, some guns and a whole lot of gumption, Jesse James committed the first train robbery in the west 138 years ago today.
James' posse, the James and Younger gang, plott
We already knew that parrots can learn our human languages, but as turns out, they also speak to one another with an incredibly complex language.
1. Benjamin "Bugsy"
Back in the early 1970s, when Americans were just plain wild about the (seemingly) imminent reality of living in space, a NASA design study attempted to conceptualize just how such an idea could be br
All across the country, people are hot and miserable. Perhaps this collection of adorable animals cooling off with icy snacks will help.
Last month we announced the Mental Floss Trivia Show was headed to Columbus, Ohio, this fall. We were immediately overwhelmed with emails from Columbus-area readers.
The Voyager 1 probe was launched in 1977.
The term "monochrome town" evokes an image of a dreary gray industrial area. It is not always so!
It's Think Thursday once again at the mentalfloss.com Brain Game, and today's puzzle may require some noggin effort (and a scratch pad).


text:
Featured Events
Oct 1, 2016
Texas Longhorns at Oklahoma State Cowboys
Boone Pickens Stadium - Stillwater, OK
Texas vs Oklahoma State Football Tickets Sold
Watch a critical game up close with Texas Oklahoma State football tickets. Click on the game you wish to attend above and gain access to our entire catalog of Texas Oklahoma State football tickets for Texas Memorial Stadium. Our customer support team is second to none, offering customers the option of communicating with Vivid Seats representatives either via chat or telephone. Vivid Seats suggests you obtain seats quickly, because fans from Austin to Stillwater will be looking for Texas vs Oklahoma State football tickets this fall.
Schools like Texas and Oklahoma State have made the Big 12 are one of the most competitive conferences in college football. You will likely be watching a number of future NFL players on game day should you purchase Texas Longhorns vs Oklahoma State Cowboys football tickets. Oklahoma State's Barry Sanders and Thurman Thomas and Texas' Earl Campbell and Bobby Lane are even in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Buy your Texas Oklahoma State football tickets from Vivid Seats, and make some noise this year when the Cowboys come to Austin.


text:
Looking a little like Santa himself, Bill Lehmbeck displays a seven-foot Santa carved by fellow chainsaw artist Larry Carter. The delightful carvings of Lehmbeck and two other artists are for sale at Lehmbeck's shop, Chainsaw Art, in Country Village.
Photo by Anne Schefter/Woodinville Weekly.
by Anne Schefter
Some people look at a piece of wood and see just that. But to chainsaw artist Bill Lehmbeck, there's potential art in that chunk of wood.
Lehmbeck carves impish bear cubs and other Northwest features such as whales and fish with the noisy tool most people associate with firewood cutting. He has been creating this type of art for 20 years.
"I watched another carver carve one day and just decided I was going to do it. I had a lot of experience working with chain saws and wood. I was in the remodeling business as a carpenter and had also done a lot of firewood cutting for my wood stove. So I just went ahead and started carving.
"Almost anybody could do this if they really wanted to, if they know how to run a chain saw properly and safely," said Lehmbeck. "But it really depends on how much talent they have to begin with." Lehmbeck said he had no art background himself.
As proprietor of a shop called Chainsaw Art at Country Village, where he has carved and sold his work for the past eight years, Lehmbeck allows two other chainsaw artists to display and sell their art at his shop as well.
Lehmbeck said the actual carving of pieces is fairly quick, but the search for wood and its preparation are long processes. When loggers fell a cedar tree, they call Lehmbeck, who goes to the site to get the wood.
He looks for choice grain in the wood to make his whale and fish carvings. "The flat grain makes good fish," he said. After being carved, the wood then needs to be burned and brushed. The bear cubs are painted.
Lehmbeck said the larger carvings such as the cubs make attractive lawn and porch decorations; the whales, fish, little evergreen trees, and other Northwest-themed items are designed as decorative wall hangings.
"The majority of stuff I sell is to out-of-staters," Lehmbeck said. "People come here from all over the country. They really like this art and think it's unique.
"I'm having a wonderful time doing this," said Lehmbeck, who will be 67 in March. "I just have a lot of fun and get to meet an awful lot of wonderful people. I'm not trying to get rich, and I'm just subsidizing my Social Security a little. This is wonderful therapy for me. Country Village has been real good to me," said Lehmbeck.
He said during the Mariner playoff games, people crowded around his shop for tailgate parties. (In addition to a television, his shop is equipped with a barbecue, refrigerator, and a heater).
An animal lover as well as a "people person," Lehmbeck maintains a hen house and pens for the many barnyard fowl that roam Country Village. "People just dump them here," said the artist. Right now Lehmbeck is caring for orphaned chicks in the hen house. He also takes home stray dogs wandering around the shopping center until he finds their owners.
Lehmbeck, who resides in Tukwila with his wife, displays and sells his artwork at the Evergreen State Fair in Monroe each year.


text:
Jerome C. Schutzler honored as Alumni Fellow
Category: Alumni News
Posted by: sxc1 on Oct 30, 2006
Mr. Jerome C. Schutzler (Aerospace Engineering 61, 'Engineering Mechanics 64), co-founder, Spectral Engineering Inc. was one of twenty-two Penn State alumni who were honored on October 26, 2006, as Penn State Alumni Fellows.
When Jerome C. Schutzler entered Penn State, America was in the midst of the Cold War. The Soviet Union was about to orbit three Sputnik satellites, and development of space technology was a national priority. This developing "space race"--coupled with an interest in aviation--influenced by Jerry's decision to pursue an undergraduate degree in aeronautical engineering and a master's degree in engineering mechanics at Penn State.
In 1964, Jerry joined the Astronautics and Space Division at Mcdonnell Douglas. There he was responsible for the design of some of the first successful thermal protection systems for hypersonic reentry vehicles and the development of early computer programs for thermostructural analysis.
Jerry cofounded PDA Engineering in 1973, which quickly became a leader in reentry technology. At PDA, He conducted research leading to the development of high-temperature materials for hypersonic flight vehicles. From 1978 to 1990, he served on the Board of Directors and helped direct PDA's transition from private to public company in 1985. Jerry's tenure at PDA also included a project that he considers the most rewarding work of his career. In response to a critical need by the military, Jerry pioneered the development of photochromic transparencies, which are used on the B-2 Stealth Bomber and other military aircraft.
Jerry retired in 1991, but recently cofounded Spectral Engineering to respond to the military's continuing need for transparent photochromic systems.
Jerry and his wife Janice are members of the Ahterton Society, the Mount Nittany Society, and the President's Club. He is a member of the Penn State Alumni Association. Jerry also serves on the advisory boards for The Leonhard Center at Penn State and the Materials Science and Engineering Department at the University of Washington.
Jerry and Jan live on Camano Island, WA. They have two sons, Jeff and Brian.
The Alumni Fellow program is administered by the Penn State Alumni Association in cooperation with the University's academic colleges and the Office of the President. Alumni are nominated by an academic college or campus as leaders in their professional fields and accept an invitation from the president of the University to return to campus to share their expertise with students, faculty and administrators.


text:
Outback Leather/Hats/Straw Hats/
Shady Brady Turquoise Band Hat
Shady Brady Turquoise Band Hat
THIS HAT IS CUSTOM MADE, PLEASE ALLOW AT LEAST 3 WEEKS FOR SHIPPING. Another interesting style of Shady Brady straws. This straw is so unique with this one of a kind turquoise hat band, it is complimented with a great looking turquoise medallion and some beads which makes this hat really stand out. So if you're looking for a great compliment on your choice of styling you will definitely want this hat to accent any casual jean look or would be great with boots and skirt.
- Genuine raffia straw
- Water resistant
- Wire reinforced brims for easy shaping
- 1 yr warranty from the straw breaking, splitting, or cracking
- Cushioned sweat band
- Genuine turquoise hat band
Customer feedback
Customer Reviews
There have been no reviews for this product.


text:
The fourth annual magic show benefiting the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clarita will take place July 24 at the West Ranch High School theater.
The show, "Beyond Amazing: Magic Before your Eyes," will be presented by the local Ring 280 of the International Brotherhood of Magicians.
Doors open at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. for close-up performances followed by the stage shows at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
The theater is located at 26255 Valencia Blvd. Tickets are $10 and free for those 3 and under. To order tickets, call (661) 254-2582.


text:
Maui was represented by both Lokelani Intermediate and Maui Waena Intermediate at the Hawaii Regional Botball tournament May 18 at Hanalani School in Mililani, Oahu. Sixteen Hawaii middle and high schools competed.
Students were given seven weeks to plan a strategy, build robots, program them and complete documentation on the process.
This year's game was based on a Mars landing and had possible points earned by placing boosters on posts, gathering samples and capturing geodes.
Article Photos
Maui Waena Intermediate School's team mentor Brendan Baker (standing at left) is pictured with John Fabella (sitting at left), Wesley Sakutori and Sydney Dempsey (sitting) as they wait for a match with Hanalani School.
Maui Waena ranked second in the seeding rounds, captured second place overall and was given the Judge's Choice for Best Programming.
The overall top three were decided by documentation (online and onsite), seeding rounds and double elimination.
The formula for calculating the winner was 30 percent documentation, 30 percent seeding and 40 percent double elimination.
Maui Waena scored 100 percent on the online documentation (the onsite score was unavailable) and had second-place seeding, down by only two points. The high score for seeding earned Maui Waena a bye on its first double elimination match.
In the double elimination, Maui Waena won three matches, its last against Hanalani, but lost the next two matches.
The first match was lost to Waihawa Intermediate, by two points, and the next to Hanalani, by nine points, leaving Maui Waena in third place for double elimination.
Because of Maui Waena's high ranking, its robotics team was invited to attend the international Global Conference for Educational Robotics convention in Oklahoma.


text:
Different rules?
January 22, 2014
The administration of the Williamsport Police just doesn't get it....
Hey lets face it this was a terrible tragedy and also an accident that cost an innocent person his life and the Officer his freedom to this point and possibly his job! But the judge that left the suspected drug dealer out on bail should have some responsibility also. Had the suspect not been free on a low bail the pursuit would not have happened and Mr Robinson would still be alive and Officer Deprenda wouldn't be facing these charges. It's a sad time for all but putting all the blame on Officer Deprenda does not seem at all fair. There is all kinds of blame to go around here. And Chief Foresman throwing Ofc. Deprenda under the bus doesn't seem fair either along with the DA. Fleeing felon KNOWN drug dealer on the street after being charged with Possession with intent to deliver over 200 bags of ****** who left him out! Safety for all is needed but don't be the one that needs a cop in a hurry for a burglary, robbery, assault then say they need to slow down there going to kill someone!
0 Agrees | 0 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
scienceisking, I agree. People do think differently when it's someone they love, but that's not a slam, that's just the truth. The new story in todays paper, concerning the charges being filed against the officer has the comments disabled and this is why the Sungazette cannot get information. Partial reporting has no place in todays society. When you only report on your side, you do "your side" a gross injustice. It makes "your side" much harder to believe.
2 Agrees | 0 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
Is anybody else under the impression that minion Miller is the chief of police?
5 Agrees | 2 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
Sorry about the late entry... been a little busy.
"" It sounds like they were able to review the dashboard cam in order to pinpoint the exact speed ""
Not likely...
Being that the Air-bag Data control module records date, time,temp, SPEED, angel of impact, position of Brake back in the late1990's.
And now with newer auto's of today I expect the systems are capable of much much more. Like Onstar... set of an airbag and it has your location, turns your radio into a two-way radio to communicate with you and call the local area 911 if you don't respond to the call. If we can think it.. someone is making it.
4 Agrees | 1 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
So who cares, stop harassing people.
8 Agrees | 0 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
ScienceIsKing-"@mikekerstetter, You're full of it."
You are entitled to your opinion.
8 Agrees | 0 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
You're full of it. I guarantee you that if it was member of your family, you would think differently. Sometimes you need to be able to put yourself in the shoes of others instead of being a simpleton.
3 Agrees | 9 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
I see the editors totally remove ALL the comments in the editorial of 2 days ago...wonder why!!!
4 Agrees | 0 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
How many times does tragedy involving drugs have to knock on city halls' doors before YOU get SERIOUS!....when sons die for not...clean up this town...in every way!
3 Agrees | 1 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
I certainly hope that the WBP has the good sense to push the DA for charges to be filed against the officer and the drug guy [If not for his actions committing a felony].....YOU can do it WBP...someone needs to step up and show the public that this town is REALLY serious about drug dealers and officers that need a new job!
3 Agrees | 2 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
Please understand that it's still an ongoing investigation and is now in the hands of the District Attorney.
Once the investigation is complete and a final decision is made by Mr. Lindhardt, we will evaluate all of the facts and act accordingly. "As I have stated before, the Williamsport Bureau of Police is forever changed by this tragic accident".
"Our hearts ache collectively for the Robinson family".
2 Agrees | 1 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
"I, my colleagues, and many of you have been struggling to come to terms with the tragic traffic accident that occurred on Sunday, January 12, 2014. The accident involved Williamsport Police Officer Jonathan Deprenda and James David Robinson who was killed in the incident."
It brought me right back to memories from seventeen years ago. As a young patrol officer at my former police department, I saw a man die in a vehicle fire that resulted from a traffic accident. I was unable to save him and it haunts me to this day.
Over the last week, "I along with many of my colleagues have come to realize that it could have been any of our loved ones involved in this tragic accident instead of Mr. Robinson". Our loved ones travel that same stretch of road on a regular basis. "This is a tough pill to swallow".
"All of us are deeply troubled with the accident investigation information released by the Pennsylvania State Police on Wednesday".
1 Agrees | 1 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
Capricorn1-"Mike, while I understand that some may have some compassion for an officer that became over eager while performing his duties, I'm pretty sure you would feel differently regarding holding this officer accountable if it was a member of your family that was killed."
Cap, I don't think so. I'm one of a rare breed of American who still believes that accidents occur for which blame and punishment need not be assigned.
A long chain of events occurred that led to this crash, including the fact that Mr Robinson turned into the path of the passing police cruiser.
2 Agrees | 4 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
justsomeguy, rear end collisions are not always the fault of the person behind. In two of my accidents, one in 1968 and one in 1972, I was the vehicle from behind and both accidents were the other vehicles fault. Both involved improper changing of lanes. Both drivers were cited and both paid for all of my damages, pain and suffering.
3 Agrees | 1 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
To scott36-I don't think you have read all the comments accurately....so how do we, the people, go about "requesting accountability" from the current administration because I, for one, will be there????
2 Agrees | 0 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
Well, I've wasted enough time on this. If no one else cares about the accountability of the police department, then you get what you deserve.-enigma Well said!!!!-Scott
3 Agrees | 2 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
I agree with MikeKerstetter:
Either way it's a tragedy. It's hard to defend 88 mph in that area. And who is to say that Mr Robinson even saw the cruiser if he was the lead of three cars. I mean, who looks out their mirror to see if someone is passing them before making a left turn on a two way two lane street.
With that said, though, if the police are responding to help me, or one of mine, I want them to get there quicker than possible. On the other hand, I don't want them to kill me or another one of mine getting there. Looking at it from both sides, I have a hard time charging the officer with vehicular homicide or any similar charge for this accident
This is horribly TRAGIC! Very tragic: for the Family of Mr. Robinson, the Rookie Officer who will have to live with this, and the Williamsport Police Department! My thoughts and prayers go out to all parties involved.
2 Agrees | 6 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
Rear end collision is always the fault of the person behind. Always. Doesn't matter if he's a cop. That's the law and in this case the law is pretty basic.
3 Agrees | 3 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
Changes are needed, immediately, regarding training and supervision within the police department and administration. There is nothing that would lead me to believe these polices exist therefore cannot be executed. If that were the case the city solicitor would not be referring to the state vehicle code but instead would have at least mentioned current "written guidelines" regarding high speed pursuits within the department. I do think this officer is responsible for his negligence, however, these guys are operating with no knowledge, education, instruction or leadership or supervision. That is not acceptable and hopefully something can be done to at least "review" current policies involving the health and welfare of all, even alleged criminals, in Williamsport. Where is the police chief in all this? Why was there no public apology for this ---because, still, nobody wants to take responsibility and are willing, as always, to "hang this guy out to dry"
4 Agrees | 0 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
"city solicitor Norman Lubin said the code could not be amended by individual municipalities. Emergency vehicles, according to the state code, may exceed the speed limits "so long as the driver does not endanger life or property."-from the SG article.
Both Life and Property have been "endangered" and worse, now a man is dead. Change the policy before more needless accidents happen in the future.
3 Agrees | 1 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
I would like to see the DA make it a 2fr...charge the officer with manslaughter and charge that drug guy [If not for his actions] with homicide. Get a scum dealer off the streets and help this officer find a new job....sounds like a plan?
5 Agrees | 2 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
Plus, every cop is armed with whatever they want. Nuff said.
5 Agrees | 3 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
Think of all the things that cops do everyday, speeding to name one, that you and I would never consistently get away with.
5 Agrees | 1 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
Different rules for the police? Not only are the rules different, but so is the game.
5 Agrees | 2 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
Hindsight bias refers to judgement based upon a known outcome. We do not accept the vicissitudes of daily life. Someone is culpable; someone must pay; we rely upon our own sensitivity based upon moral relevancy du jour to blame and judge. Scraps of evidence and public demands for more of the same so that the public trail may progress seems apropos.
2 Agrees | 1 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
Showing 25 of 94 comments Show More Comments
Post a Comment
You must first login before you can comment.


text:
Marquees and Equipment for WeddingsWhen you are planning a wedding party than you deffinitely need to have a look at our marquees and equipments. Their structure allows to hold firm up to 60mph strong wind and if you are worry about the temperature than please have a look at our patio heaters by clicking here.
Please feel free to browse our website for everything you may need to hold a succesfull wedding party.
For more hire information visit our showroom our you can call us on 020 8457 5807. We guarante to beat any comaparble quotes in London.
More Marquee Hire >>


text:
Contingent Capital with a Dual Price Trigger
Robert L. McDonald
Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management
February 15, 2010
This paper proposes a form of contingent capital for financial institutions that converts from debt to equity if two conditions are met: the firm's stock price is at or below a trigger value and the value of a financial institutions index is also at or below a trigger value. This structure protects financial firms during a crisis, when all are performing badly, but during normal times permits a bank performing badly to go bankrupt. I discuss a number of issues associated with the design of a contingent capital claim, including susceptibility to manipulation and whether conversion should be for a fixed dollar amount of shares or a fixed number of shares; the susceptibility of different contingent capital schemes to different kinds of errors (under and over-capitalization); and the losses likely to be incurred by shareholders upon the imposition of a requirement for contingent capital. I also present some illustrative pricing examples.
Number of Pages in PDF File: 37
Keywords: Contingent capital, bank regulation, capital
JEL Classification: G21, G28
Date posted: February 17, 2010 ; Last revised: April 12, 2011
Suggested Citation
Contact Information
© 2016 Social Science Electronic Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Contact Us
This page was processed by apollobot1 in 0.219 seconds


text:
Single Article Purchase:
Killing of Legionnaires' organism?
Published online May 4, 1979
Choose criteria for pricing info
Want online access for an institution? Learn More/Request Quote >
Obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ by reading an article and completing an online quiz. Quizzes are available to AMA Members, subscribers, and those who have purchased tokens.


text:
- Admissions
- Academics
- Research
- University Life
- Alumni
- About
Admissions & Info:
Every educational program is rooted in a set of assumptions about what is most valued. Here are ours: expressed as the abilities we want our students to acquire beyond the skills and techniques of social entrepreneurship and the passion they bring to SIS about service and societal betterment. We believe these are essential to equip students to grow and adapt along with this fast-moving field.
Understand context and apply theory.
It is important to understand the context in which social enterprises operate, and place them in the framework of theory and history.
• Our students study different schools of thought, in particular political economic theories that address the relationship between business and society, and ethical concepts that tackle the question of public and private sector social responsibilities.
• They also acquire an appreciation of the larger issues and challenges that historically and currently shape social change efforts.
• Finally, students are expected to grasp how the theories and concepts they learn are a lens to uncovering and understanding the root causes of the problems social enterprises seek to address.
Practice critical thinking.
The program's courses are intended to increase the critical thinking abilities of its participants. The field of social enterprise is trendy, and at times more characterized by catchy idealistic slogans than deep thought. We expect to attract students with a passion to promote social change and fight injustices. The program aims to help them be smart about what they are doing, by helping them understand the systemic nature of the problems they want to address, and use this knowledge to set priorities, find leverage points, appreciate time lags, and create lasting solutions that minimize backlash.
Look for evidence.
In our courses, students learn to distinguish evidence-based, proven practices from well-hyped management fads. Extensive study of real world cases throughout the program's courses also provides an analytical frame of reference for students to take with them and apply to the situations they encounter after graduation. There are seldom clear cut right or wrong answers to case studies, but individual study and group debate about how to resolve complex situations will support the program's objective of expanding the critical thinking abilities of its participants.
Awareness and reflection.
This ability is especially relevant to decision making in the absence of clear facts or precedent – a situation in which many social entrepreneurs frequently find themselves. In those cases decisions are often driven by ambitions, ideology, and personal values. Our program does not intend to prescribe any particular set of these, but it will teach the importance of awareness, reflection, and critical assessment with regard to these drivers of entrepreneurial actions.
Ethical reasoning.
Entrepreneurs are often known for their abilities to innovate by working around obstacles and creatively breaking through established constraints. To help our students identify appropriate boundaries when pushing the envelope on social norms and mores, the program gives ongoing attention to moral reasoning, the ethical dimensions of social enterprise, and the practical ethics of professional conduct.
Share the same core values with us? Apply to become a member of our dynamic students community.