Category Archives: 90’s

90's, Music, Punk, Times Of Yore

Times Of Yore: Heckle – Complicated Futility of Ignorance

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One of my buddies sent me an email the other day asking for me to give him a name of a band that he might have overlooked in the past.  Between him and I we have always appreciated all types of good music, punk being the favored.  He was looking for something to listen to, something good and I knew the perfect band for him to check out, the problem was I could not remember the name of the band for the life of me.

Am I really getting that old that I can not remember the name of a band?  In my defense there is tons of music out there for your listening pleasure…

Well I did remember the CD had a blue cover.  That is a start.  Not a good start, but it was something.

All last night I thought good and hard what the hell this band name could be.  I kept thinking the band was called Bender or Bekker but nothing would come up when I searched online.  I eventually just gave up and went to bed.

This morning I woke up with a record label stuck in my head.  The label was aimed towards the punk rock bands and was called Hopeless Records.  One thing led to another and soon I was on the Hopeless Records website and was searching for the catalog of CDs.  I was not expecting to find anything on the site but suddenly my eyes focused on a blue covered album.  Just when I was about to give up I found what I was looking for.

So Kevin, this is the band I was trying to tell you about and if you have already heard of them you should check them out again for the sake of me stressing out trying to figure it out.

Heckle
Heckle

The band is Heckle

Heckle was a east coast hardcore/punk rock band from New Jersey formed in the mid-nineties.  The bands first release was a split release with their friend’s band called AFI.  They released their first full length under the now defunct Wingnut Records in 1996 and not even a year later were picked up by Hopeless Records and released their second and final CD called Complicated Futility of Ignorance.

The thing I loved about this band is that they sounded like all of the SoCal punk rock I was getting into at the time.  One of my friends told me to buy it randomly one day and I was glad I did.  It more more melodic punk rock over a hardcore feel and was just easy to get hooked on.  It was perfect for a guy like me who was addicted to Face To Face and Bad Religion.

I have to say I am stoked my friend asked me to find him a band to listen to otherwise I may not have found Heckle again.  They were one of those bands that disappeared unknowingly from my music collection but will once again be reunited into regular play.

I was unable to find any videos for your entertainment but if you want to hear more about this band you can check out the following links:

Heckle on Hopeless Records

Heckle on Artist Direct

80's, 90's, Live Shows, Music, Outlaw Country, Punk

Warped Tour Line Up 2009 Looking Amazing…

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Vans Warped Tour 2009
Vans Warped Tour 2009

While checking out Punknews.org this evening I could not help but get excited for the Van’s 2009 Warped Tour.  The successful punk rock festival created by Kevin Lyman looks to be getting back to it’s punk roots this year.  This will mark the 15th year the festival has been running.

The line up announced so far:

Anti-Flag, Bad Religion, Big D and the Kids Table, Bouncing Souls, Chiodos, Flogging Molly, Lights, NOFX, P.O.S., Shooter Jennings, TAT, The Devil Wears Prada, Thrice, Underoath and Westbound Train.  Also listed to perform are Less Than Jake, Silverstein, Senses Fail, Streetlight Manifesto, The A.K.A.s, The Ataris, Alexisonfire, Black Tide, Dance Gavin Dance, Escape the Fate and Gallows.

Can you say awesome?  WIth Bad Religion, Flogging Molly, NOFX, and Shooter Jennings listed I am going to be there for sure.  In fact I may try to hit the Cleveland and Columbus shows… maybe even Pittsburgh!

I have has the pleasure of reviewing and photographing the Warped Tour in 2007 and 2008.  I hope again to be able to cover the festival as each year is all so entertaining.

My reviews of both years on Blogcritics.Org:

Warped Tour 2007 Review

Warped Tour 2008 Review

Something that got my attention too was the announcement by Kevin Lyman on NotMTV.tv that there would be some changes at the next installment of the Warped Tour including 40 minute sets, less stages with only one major stage, and ticket prices staying hopefully around the same price.  By the looks of the line up too it looks as if he is making a point to actually have a more punk oriented festival in 2009..

Here is an interview with the creator of the longest running festival ever thanks to NotMTV.tv:

For more info on the Warped Tour check out:

Warped Tour Official Website

Warped Tour on Twitter

Warped Tour Schedule

80's, 90's, Funny, Music, Punk, Random

Punk + Rock + X-Mas = Jingle Cats???

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Many of you know I do not call the birthday of Jesus by it’s common name.  I skip out on tradition mainly from over exposure of retail during the holiday season.  I see how people really are before the big day.  I have turned away last minute shoppers from buying just one more thing that is not necessary to give.  I have seen nice turn to pure evil in .00056 seconds.  It’s tough being in retail.  I am glad I am out of it and I do not miss it one bit.

I am sure many of you have heard this before but if not, I call this day of giving some refer to as Christmas or X-Mas simply J-Day.  It stands for Jesus Day, you know, the whole reason the day exists for all you religious type out there.

My wife and I are not religious though we do respect people’s beliefs.  We  actually see J-Day a little differently than most mainly because J-Day is the day my wife and I hooked up.    In fact this J-Day will mark 4 years.

Impressive.

We met at a punk rock x-mas party.  I will never forget the night.  We both had rough days and randomly ran in to one another at party my friends threw.  She was actually friends with my best friend’s girlfriend at the time and I remember I kept asking him before the party if she was coming.  They told me she was coming and I figured it was a good day to talk to her.  Good conversation, endless cans of gross Natural Light, and the rest is history…

So what does this blog have to do with punk and rock and x-mas?  Well I have a certain little compilation I listen to every once in a while during the holidays I thought I would share with some of you.  It is a compilation for all you punk rockers out there who like tradition and also like a little out of the ordinary.  The CD really reminds me of the night of the party I met my wife at not because that music in particular was playing but more so the reminder of the combination of punk and holidays.

Punk Rock X-Mas
Punk Rock X-Mas

Track Listing:
1. Punk Rock Christmas, (It’s Gonna Be A) – The Ravers
2. Silent Night – The Dickies
3. Hooray For Santa Claus (Theme From “Santa Claus Conquers The Martians”) – Sloppy Seconds (CD only)
4. F*ck Christmas – Fear
5. Merry Jingle, A – The Greedies
6. There Ain’t No Sanity Claus – The Damned
7. Homo Christmas – Pansy Division
8. It’s Christmas – Bouquet Of Veal (CD only)
9. Merry Xmas Blues – Celibate Rifles (CD only)
10. Merry Christmas (I Don’t Wanna Fight Tonight) – The Ramones (UK single version) 11. Deck The Halls – Metal Mike/Alison & Julia
12. Feliz Navi-Nada – El Vez
13. Run, Run Rudolph – The Humpers (CD only)
14. Daddy Drank Our Xmas Money – TVTV$ (CD only)
15. Here Comes Santa’s Pussy – The Frogs (CD only)
16. Christmas Christmas – Mojo Nixon
17. Mr. Grinch – D.I.
18 White Christmas – Stiff Little Fingers

Choice tracks on the CD would have to be of course The Ramones, Mojo Nixon, and D.I.  I originally bought this on cassette when I was 17 and played the hell out of it.  It was not until a few years back at The Exchange (no way they would ever ever fire me on the day after x-mas) for $5.00.  Worth every penny of it!

So check it out if you dare, or not.

There again if that is too much for you there is always Jingle Cats:

Jingle Cats - "Meowy Christmas"
Jingle Cats -

In case you are wondering, yes I own this CD too.  Well actually I took it away from my old co-workers at a certain little music store one year because they played it daily. 

Just in case your sick sick mind wants to know what Jingle Cats sounds like I found a clip:

90's, Hip Hop, Music, Music Video, Punk, Rap, Rock, Times Of Yore

Times Of Yore: DINK

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So I am slacking on updating here with good quality reading material. My apologies. It was Thanksgiving weekend you know…. I know not a good enough excuse…

Anyways, let’s talk about the gem I came across recently, rather…a few weeks ago.  Well actually let’s clear that up by saying my friend John hooked me up with a CD I loved from the past (read on for an explanation) so I guess I was handed the gem.

Where was I?  Oh yeah…

It all started when I tried to buy a CD from the Ex-(we’d never fire you after xmas)-change in Kent last month.  I was looking for something I have not listened to in a while, something completely random.  As I was shopping in Kent I could not help but to think of a certain alt-industrial act from Kent that had a small taste of success.  The band was Dink.

As soon as I came to the decision that I would leave that music shop with a Dink CD in hand I went searching for it and found nothing.  The CD that comes through the store a lot according to a certain pal who works there just ao happened to be out of stock at the time.  I managed to find the Blame It On Tito EP that Dink released but after getting home I realized the wrong CD was in it…

Fail.

My buddy John who hung out with me later in the week confessed that he had an extra copy of the CD and gave it to me after finding out I was having a hard time finding it.

Score.

Dink
Dink

Dink was not around for a very long time but they sure are not a band many have forgotten about.  Hailing from Kent, OH the band formed in 1992 and stood out from may of the bands at that time combining elements of industrial metal, hip hop style (mainly excessive samples), and alt punk sounds.

The first time I heard them I was an instant fan.  In 1994 the band released their debut self-titled CD under Capitol Records.  To me it was a fine mix of bands like Ministry with the industrial feel and Faith No More with the rock jam.  At times the lead singer even sang like Mike Patton.

Included on that CD was a song called “Green Mind” that was the band’s big commercial hit.  I to this day still listen to the track once in a while.  The song, produced by Skinny Puppy‘s Dave Ogilvie, was really the only success the band tasted.  The video for “Green Mind”, which I need to mention my good friend Kevin can be seen in it for a brief moment, debuted on MTV’s 120 Minutes.  The band was actually discovered by Capitol Records as the track was played contently on a Cleveland radio station program, 107.9 The End’s Inner Sanctum (recently resurrected on Cleveland’s 92.3).

After Dink was released the band recorded some more songs for a follow up CD that would never be released as Capitol Records dropped the band due to a change in the music scene (some of the tracks can be found on the Blame It On Tito EP).  Industrial apparently was not “in” anymore and the record label said bye bye to the talented band.  With no record deal the band called it quits.

Sucks to see such a talented band just stop because they were let go.  I would be very interested in hearing some of the unreleased material that may still be out there.  Rumor has it there are 3 cassettes worth of demos floating around out there that the band sold at their local shows before they made it big.  I wonder if any of the original band members continued with a musical career or if they just all called it quits and ended their short stint of fame?

Hopefully I will find out one day.

Until then, enjoy the “Green Mind” video:

The voice at the beginning of the video is none other than Ohio’s most overheard rightwing car salesman Bob Serpentini.

Here is an interview I found while surfing the net with an unamed member of Dink.  Pretty interesting read.