Tag Archives: Punk

Interview: Todd Kowalski of Propaghandi

8 March, 2009 Brian Mc Leave a comment

Nothing's slowing these guys down... — Propaghandi

Hardcore punk rockers Propaghandi may be getting up there in age but have no intentions of slowing down. On the verge of releasing an all new album entitled Supporting Caste, the band continues to spread their thoughts through song on real causes that actually mean something. Focusing on real current events, the band are more activists over performers. Having been around for over twenty years it is nice to see this band continue on with what they love to do.

Recently I had the chance to chat it up with the bassist of Propaghandi Todd Kowalski. He was more than happy to answer some questions for me.

You guys have been around since 1986 right? How challenging has it been to be a punk band for over 20 years?

I joined a mere 12 years ago but I’d say despite wanting to bite each others eyes out a few times we’ve been ticking along pretty good. I think the fact that we all like the songs we’re trying to make is a big factor in it all working. if we didn’t like what we were hearing it would turn us into pustulous blobs with fangs.

How long did it take for Propagandhi to start touring outside of Canada and around the world?

I think the first Propagandhi tour to the U.S. was around 92. They went down to the west Coast.
I remember it clearly but wasn’t in the band yet. Our friends Regal and Keith were the roadies, those guys had the van. I thought that was so cool that they all went on tour. I never knew anyone who traveled with their band before.

Who are some of your favorite bands you toured with in the past?

My favorite was Los Crudos who I played four or 5 shows with in about 95 they blew my mind!! This wasn’t with Propagandhi though it was with another band [I was in] called I Spy. It’s all the same to me. We’re all friends playing music.

When you were just starting to play punk rock music, who were your musical influences? Has that changed today?

Today my biggest musical influence, Sacrifice, just sent me two new songs off their upcoming record. They haven’t recorded for about 18 years. These songs blew my head right off my shoulders. They are the best band of all time! Besides them I was in [to and] am still 100% into SNFU, RAZOR, Nomeansno, Voivod and DEATH. That hasn’t changed at all. I like new bands too but these bands have been on rotation for 20 years non stop!!

When did you start becoming move aware of your surrounding and stepped up to spread to the close minded?

I started to slowly become aware of things over a long period of time. I was very, very much a part of the small city mentality growing up. I had to see people get hurt and upset by certain things first hand before I started to wise up. I think the punk bands that I started to listen to when I was in junior high slowly helped me make sense of what I was trying to figure out. It’s been a slow ongoing process .

Your high level approach at everything that goes wrong on this world opened up my eyes when I was younger through your music and from just reading about what causes you were involved in. Was there anyone who helped turn you into an activist of sorts?

As far as bands, I’d say MDC, C.O.C were the biggest influences for a while and later I was really influenced by Born Against, Maliftingbanner, Los Crudos and bands like that. As far as people I think it was a lot of people including my Mom who would always go out of her way for people. I always appreciated that.

I understand many of the band follow a vegan lifestyle. How tough is it for you when touring the world to keep to it?

It’ s generally really, really easy. There is a million [of] choices of things to eat besides meat and dairy and crap like that. It’s well worth the small effort. We end up eating way better than if we were stopping and eating burgers and fries everyday. The hardest place for us was Japan just because we couldn’t decipher the ingredients to things we were looking at. That’s our own problem, though. The food was available.

Were any obstacles ever thrown in the band’s path that make you ever want to give up?

The main obstacles are the frustration at momentary or lengthy lack of ability to achieve our personal visions [with] a lot of this being due to a bit of a lack of natural talent. We work hard to get where we’re trying to go.

Propaghandi has a new album coming out this month called Supporting Caste can you tell me about it?

Yeah, We’re really excited about it. There’s 14 new songs of different types. I think it’s our best effort yet. We worked hard to improve our skills and write the best songs we could. I think it turned out pretty good. If it’s no good it’s certainly not because of a lack of effort!

Recently on your website a couple of MP3’s from the new album were offered for legal download in exchange for donations for as little as $1.00 that will go towards worthy causes. Your request for donations was quite bold almost commanding fans to do something good in return for a sample of for what is to come. How was the response to this?

That’s turned out really well so far. We’ve raised a lot of money for those organizations and they seem to appreciate it. We’re hoping people check out what they’re doing and learn something about it. That’s the real point of it (laughs), yeah it’s bold, and we like insulting our listeners but everybody knows it’s a joke. Those who don’t get mad and amuse those who do. We all win!

You are slated to play the Harvest Of Hope festival in Florida this March. How does that make you feel being a part of this important benefit show?

Yeah, that’s a good benefit. We’re happy to be a part of it. The vibe and spirit of this festival is so much better than the corporate, crap, [and] useless festivals like the Warped Tour that have been thrown at people. We usually haven’t played festivals but if it’s a good one, we’ll be there!

Are there any acts appearing on the Harvest Of Hope festival you are excited to see or have previously toured with?

We’ve played two shows with Strike Anywhere before. I’m excited to see Bad Brains!! Most of the other bands I haven’t heard before so it should be good!

Propagandhi was one of the earlier bands to start with Fat Wreck Chords. I know that Supporting Caste will be released on the indie label G7 Welcoming Committee Records (that was actually started by Chris Hannah and Jord Samolesky of Prop.). How does it feel to have been a part of the Fat Wreck Chord family and then move on?

I think we did all we could with Fat. It’s time to start a fresh slate and prepare to go full tilt with people who are on the same page as us. We’re very happy about it.

In April of 2008 it was announced that G7 would cease to release new material and October of 2008 it was reiterated. While still providing downloads it looked as if the label was finished, what was this all about? What happened to change the mind of G7 to release Supporting Caste?

Derek from G7 moved to Halifax and left Chris stewing in his own juices in the G7 office. I guess they figured enough is enough. But we [all] wanted to put out the Propagandhi record, so we did it on G7.

Will this mark the last release for Propagandhi?

Hell no, we’re just getting started!

You have rocked out in the 80’s, 90’s, and 00’s. Was there a certain decade you favored over the others while performing as a band?

I think the 80’s were the best. Pop music sucked and always will suck but before the 80’s there was no speed metal, death metal, hardcore, barely any punk that interest me, no thrash metal, doom metal, power metal etc. (laughs) That all truly came to be in the 80’s. For my tastes and love of speed it blew my little mind to pieces.

The late 80’s cheese metal and pop and the 90’s sucked total crap except for a handful of bands. Born Against etc… and DEATH were great of course!! I hated Nu Metal, Grunge, Pop punk and all that. What a sickened musical state. Recently there is a lot of bands that I think are great. The new Sacrifice record, Krisiun, Cynic, Immolation, Necrophagist…man, they all rule!!

So what’s next for Propagandhi?

Next on the itinerary is more touring then we’ll work on new songs every chance we get!!! Watch out!!

Supporting Caste will be released on March 10^th on G7 Welcoming Committee Records. Make sure you pick up your copy and support this long running punk rock act!

Look for Propagandhi to make a return to the road in support of their recent release. The band just finished playing a slot at the annual Harvest Of Hope Festival that just ended and will continue the US before heading overseas.

The Harvest Of Hope festival, if you have not heard, is a three-day outdoor music festival in St. Augustine, FL that is held to benefit Harvest of Hope: www.harvestofhope.net . The nonprofit organization was founded in Gainesville, FL a little over a decade ago to provide social services to migrant farm workers and their families in the U.S. Since then, HOH has raised and spent over $700,000 to pay for gas, tires, car repairs, rent, utilities, medical services, food, clothing, funeral expenses and educational scholarships in low income migrant worker communities. For more information about the festival itself or on how you can help please visit www.harvestofhope.com

Propaghandi On Tour:
03/08/09 – Atlanta, GA, USA
03/10/09 – Virginia Beach, VA, USA
03/11/09 – Baltimore, MD, USA
03/12/09 – New York, NY, USA
03/13/09 – Brooklyn, NY, USA
03/14/09 – Philadelphia, PA, USA
03/15/09 – Cambridge, MA, USA
03/20/09 – Winnipeg, MB, Canada
03/21/09 – Winnipeg, MB, Canada
04/17/09 – Sheffield, UK
04/18/09 – Bristol, UK
04/19/09 – London, UJ
04/20/09 – Brighton, UK
04/21/09 – Norwich, UK
04/23/09 – Cologne, Germany
04/24/09 – Munich, Germany
04/25/09 – Solothurn, Switzerlan
04/26/09 – Bologna, Italy
04/28/09 – Rome, Italy
04/29/09 – Venice, Italy
05/01/09 – Prague, Czech Republic

For more info on the band feel free to check out:

www.propagandhi.com
www.myspace.com/propagandhi
www.smallmanrecords.com
www.g7welcomingcommittee.com
www.mutinypr.com

Cleveland, Folk, Indie, Jam, Live Shows, Music, Outlaw Country, Punk, Review, Rock

Those Darlins, Hacienda, & Dan Auerbach – Beachland Ballroom – Cleveland, OH – 03/05/09 – Concert Review

7 March, 2009 Brian Mc 1 Comment

It was an entertaining evening Thursday night fueled by heavy doses of country twang and serious rock n roll thanks to the bands that performed at one of Cleveland’s best little venues, the Beachland Ballroom. The line-up was enough to call for that simple dreadful sign stating that tickets were sold out. All who were lucky enough to obtain admittance to last night’s performance certainly are still talking about the show that Those Darlins, Hacienda, and Dan Auerbach who is known as the lead signer of The Black Keys all put on.

Having heard about the show last week I decided that it was a show not to be missed and make plans to attend. Accompanied with a couple of friends who have love for the country and the rock I was sure they would have a great time checking out all the bands. We arrived to the Waterloo Rd. venue a little early as I was not certain how long it would take to make the trek there. The Beachland Ballroom is not located exactly downtown Cleveland but just a short drive away on a sketchy yet hip part of town. We arrived with no problems and finally made way into the ballroom. One of the things I like about the Beachland Ballroom is how quaint it is. It reminds me of a gymnasium from a middle school of my past with a stage and no real distractions in the main gathering area itself.

Calling them darlings is an understatement...

Once we finally got in we made a pit stop at the merch tables and I dropped five dollars on Those Darlin’s Wild One EP. For three songs the five bucks was totally worth it. The main reason I even planned on attending the concert was because of the trio of ladies otherwise known as Those Darlins. I just had received a taste of their sound last week and promptly posted a blog about it. What I heard not only made my day but also made me what to see them perform live.

Normally people get excited for the main act at a concert and the openers are almost like icebreakers for the evening. For the first time in a long time this was not the case for me. I dig the Black Keys and I have seen them live before. I actually had not heard the solo release yet on Dan Auerbach yet and to be honest I was more interested in seeing the opener over the other two bands.

Nashville’s neighboring sweethearts Those Darlins took the stage to a decent sized crowd and opened with “Wild One“. I think it is safe to say that they impressed the crowd right away physically and musically with their mix of country, folk, bluegrass, and sass. Dressed to impress, the three fine-looking girls and their mustache clad drummer had an amazing stage presence and were all smiles through their set. Sipping on strong drinks in between songs the girls shared singing duties and entertained all. “I love you” was shouted more than one time, and although I admit a major crush on the three darlings, I assure you it was not me.

They played the two other tracks on their Wild One EP including the humorous “Whole Damn Thing” as well as a healthy bout of tunes to be hopefully released on their debut CD in June. At times they sounded like The Carter Family and other times reminded me of a female version of Hank Williams III but much better looking. Seeing them live on stage having such a good time really added to the attraction. I was not ready for them to finish when they did and really could have listened to them play all night with their unique sound. I can only hope for a return by the sassy ladies once their debut CD is released.

Many people were excited to see the San Antonio rock jam band Hacienda take stage. I wish I could say I was too, but honestly the only thing I knew about this band is that they were backing up Dan Auerbach during his set and that their latest album, Loud Is The Night, was recorded at Dan Auerbach’s Akron Analog . I checked out some of the set and at times was shaking my head along to the beat. It was good music, but just not what I was looking to hear at the time.

Dan Auerbach with Hacienda and friends took stage after a short break. It was at this moment that I realized how sold out the show really was as I could barely move through the crowd to find a good place to watch the headliner. With only hearing a track or two off of Dan Auerbach’s Keep It Hid I knew it was not anything Black Keys but still was not completely sure what was going to happen.

The sounds Dan Auerbach and crew put forth reminded me of early rock at it’s finest with a jam feel at times. Each member on the stage had their own specialty to make the live performance even more interesting. Guitar solos, dual vocals, and smiles ear to ear by the performers just added to the good time being had by all. I got a huge kick out of the duel drumming and especially seeing Patrick Hallahan from My Morning Jacket do his thing moving from drum set to congo and maraca and even beating upon a giant triangle. Rocking out until after midnight the band continued to electrify. I can not tell you what songs they played as I still have yet to pick up the CD but I can tell you Keep It Hid is on my “to buy” list.

It was an excellent night for new music to hit my ears thanks to all three acts playing on stage. I became a bigger fan of Those Darlins as well as gotten a good taste of what Dan Auerbach’s solo material sounds like backed with a full band. Spite the sold out crowd it was a great evening and I know I was not the only one who enjoyed it. If these three acts happen to come your way and you are looking for a night of fun and music do yourself a favor and grab a ticket before it sells out.

The tour continues for just a few more dates. Catch them if you can!

March 5 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
March 6 – Chicago, IL @ Metro
March 7 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
March 10 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
March 11 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
March 13 – San Francisco, CA @ Bimbo’s
March 14 – Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre

Hip Hop, Music, Music Video, Punk, Rap

P.O.S. “Optimist” Video

4 March, 2009 Brian Mc Leave a comment

I know my last blog was about P.O.S. and I feel I am starting to sound like a super fan, but when artists release videos like this…

…you have to talk about it and share it with others.

I’m not sure if you read my review of the P.O.S. CD Never Better but I did state how organic sounding the beginning of “Optimist” was and how I thought it was cups. I had no idea he created the beat from the game that combines cups and stacking skills…very original!

I was lucky enough to receive an email today on how the song was actually created:

P.O.S. describes how “Optimist” was created:

I made the beat to this song after my friend Alegra taught me how to play a game she learned when she was young. Based off of taking a few upside down cups and tapping on them and swooshing them around. The main rhythm of the beat was made by setting up some mics and playing the game. (You see it clearly at the top of the video) I added the organs and pads to kind of soften up the hard noise of the clapping and cups. I wrote the words while listening to the beat in my car, driving around mpls (Minneapolis) trying not to sweat how it came out. This was one of the last songs I wrote for the record and I was just not about feeling any pressure. Not from the label, not from my fans, no pressure no stress. That’s where the inspiration came from for this song I think. Not worrying about what anyone has to say about anything, ever. Doing my own thing and expecting the same from everyone else. That’s where the refrain comes from, “We make our own and if they don’t feel it, then we are not for them”.

I loved the idea of this video as well as how P.O.S. created the song and just had to post it here. I hope you all enjoyed it.

Download This!, Hip Hop, Music, Music Video, New Release, Punk, Rap, Review

P.O.S. – Never Better – CD Review

2 March, 2009 Brian Mc 2 Comments

P.O.S., born Stefon Alexander, is a hip hop artist from the city of lakes many refer to as Minneapolis. P.O.S. can mean a lot of things, but in this instance it is an abbreviation for “Pissed Off Stef,” something he was referred to long before the days of his hip hop career. Growing up a punk rocker, P.O.S. was not originally a fan of hip hop until he learned it was more of an alternative form of expression over a glorified music genre.

Recently putting out his fifth release, Never Better, once again on Rhymesayers, P.O.S. produced over half of the CD himself. The album was also released in a limited, custom, do-it-yourself edition, featuring 16 solid picture inserts with six plastic overlays, allowing the owner to create their own cover art combination. I admit to having some fun with this prior to checking out the CD.

Taking his love of punk rock, P.O.S. chose to try a new way of expressing himself and soon was creating rhymes and beats that elaborated into a style of his own. It’s hip hop fueled with punk rock suggestions, personal journeys, and accomplishments, making for a striking release.

Already making a name for himself in the underground hip hop world with Doomtree, P.O.S. is slated to be touring a city near you this summer at the Van’s Warped Tour. Keeping himself occupied until then, P.O.S. will soon will be appearing with label mate, Atmosphere, in the Spring for even some live shows before the Summer kick off.

“Sorry I took so long” is stated by P.O.S. on the beginning track “Let It Rattle.” This introduction track really proved P.O.S. has something to say with an array of statements fornicated into a rap track with excellent intense drumming. My first taste of P.O.S. was exactly what I was expecting.

Following the impressive opening was even more insane drum heavy track “Drumroll (We’re All Thirsty)”. Accompanying P.O.S. was Doomtree making for a thrilling collection of words and beats. In addition to this track a video that blew my mind accompanies it. The video is like watching an urban war with people running for their lives while being attacked by… well I think it would be best if you just checked out the video for yourself to come to that determination. I have my own ideas.

Continuing the CD was the intriguing “Savion Glover,” with P.O.S. taking a lyric from Fugazi‘s “Five Corporations,” and adding it to the already heavily referenced track that seemed like a non-stop expression. “Purexed” really had a Sage Francis flow style throughout leading up to even more impressive drumming backing the chorus. I loved the energy and personable, friendly feel throughout the track. “Graves (We Wrote The Book)” was a little more urban hip hop sounding mixed with some guitar jams. Again, choice words added together with clever rhymes kept me entertained throughout the song.

“Get Smokes” was a freestyle of sorts, with P.O.S. stopping and laughing for a brief moment here and there in between his determined flow, speaking out on everything from Iggy Pop to the disturbed nation. The beats backing him were a unique mix of funk, and even at times had a record-scratching Kid Koala resemblance. “Been Afraid” was a little more serious than the previous tracks, speaking of the misfortune of a girl caught up in a violent relationship.

“Low Light Low Life” stood out with the catchy beats, accompanied by horns and keyboard, with the sweet female flow of Dessa from Doomtree adding to the excitement of the track. This song not only was one of my favorites on the CD but will get the party moving for sure with amazing RJD2 like beats and Blueprint reminding flows.

The CD seemed to start mixing things up with “Optimist (We Are Not Meant For Them),” as it started out very plain and organic sounding, with beat produced by slapping hands on inanimate objects, perhaps cups. P.O.S. concluded with a screaming and hollering refrain of sorts.

“Terrorish” mixed the rapping some more with a little hard screaming, courtesy of Jason Shevchuk of None More Black. The quick bass line kept me rocking my head along to the quick track, with P.O.S. spitting out words as fast as he possibly can. Can you say freestyle group sing-a-long lyricism?

“Never Better” continued with a stray away from the hip hop and more so an indie rock, alt rock approach, reminding me of Cooper Temple Clause mostly from the highly distorted guitars, as well as Judah Nagler, of The Velvet Teen, lending his calm dreary singing. Closing down the CD was “The Brave And The Snake,” a track that left me wanting more – and thanks to a secret track, I got my craving. The secret track was a stunning bonus and seemed to calm me down after such an exciting dose of a real hip hop release.

Never Better really grew on me throughout as I listened to the CD. It was like during each track I was reading a Choose Your Own Adventure book because I had no idea what was coming up next. The genre combination, especially the punk rock and hip hop, kept things ever so interesting to the point where I have listened to this CD over and over.

P.O.S. does not sound like he is full of himself at all during any of the tracks, and when you add that to his amazing beat creations and genus writing skills, I have nothing bad to say about this release or P.O.S for that matter. Drums, bass, a constant flow, and a serious widespread talent for expressing himself make me a fan of P.O.S. and I am pretty sure it will for you, too, if you appreciate expression and real hip hop.

–Download This! – P.O.S. – “Drumroll”

-Check out P.O.S.’s MySpace page.

-Need something to do? Head over to Make It Better, a do-it-yourself album cover maker. The site was inspired by the DIY Never Better CD artwork concept. You can also check out the entire album while messing around with the fun little program.

-Are you wondering waht the DIY CD artwork is all about? Check this out:

-Check out the powerful video for “Drumroll” – seriously, this video is insane:

Download This!, Hardcore, Music, Music Video, New Release, Punk, Review

LeATHERMOUTH – XO – CD Review

28 February, 2009 Brian Mc Leave a comment

Hardcore act LeATHERMOUTH, a side project including My Chemical Romance’s Frank Iero, released XO recently on Epitaph Records.

Before you even start thinking bad things let me say that LeATHERMOUTH is not My Chemical Romance nor is their sound remotely close. Don’t judge this band until you pop the CD in and hear it for yourself as it has nothing to do with happy times or even emo pop punk. XO is brutal and has the anger of Gallows combined with the outspoken reflection on the world like the Dead Kennedys, a nice combination I might add. Add some fuming hate that has been building up for years and you have yourself one pissed off release.

Having not researched the band prior to my first listen, the only thing I knew about LeATHERMOUTH was that they, according to the CD booklet, were “bass, drums, two electric guitars, and vocals.” After some research I learned that they are a hardcore band formed almost out of pure bottled up anger by the guitarist of the chart topping wonders My Chemical Romance.

The band was actually formed by friends of Frank Iero who finally joined them after the band stated that their initial lead singer failed to write lyrics for the songs they created. Hearing this disappointing news, Frank Iero took the reigns as the lead singer of the band and wrote all the lyrics for the songs.

I still was not convinced of the idea of an almost pop punk band member being in a hardcore side project and almost passed on listening to the CD until I read what Frank Iero told Epitaph.com:

“There’s too much bad hair and white belts. Sometimes it nice to turn your brain off and just listen to someone sing about girls. I’m not knocking it. I do think there is a time and a place. But LeATHERMOUTH isn’t like that… it’s about hate. Hate that boils up inside and eats away at you, if you don’t vomit it up you know it will eventually destroy you.”

After reading that I quickly grabbed my copy of XO and threw it in my CD player and the result was enough anger to make any smiling face turn to a stern frown. Fans of My Chemical Romance, you should stop reading now; LeATHERMOUTH has nothing to do with that happy high school punk rock music you cherish.

The opening song “5th Period Massacre” set the mood by talking about the overflowing sad amounts of suppressed anger from bullied youth only to explode into a shooting at an education institution. The music was heavy, the lyrics were graphic, and the anger was all so tempting.

Following the impressive opening track was “Catch Me If You Can” a hardcore melee full of breaking the law and causing chaos and rebellion. The song was actually created from letters written by serial killer Jack The Ripper making for an even more interesting track.

The mortal “Murder Was The Case That They Gave Me” was far from Snoop Dogg and more so The Bronx with pure hate energy throughout. “Sunsets Are For Muggings” not only humored me by the title but seemed to reach back to the 80s hardcore punk sound. “My Love Note Has Gone Flat” seemed to just strangle any decent thought in my head. “Bodysnatchers 4 Ever” was chaotic, ruthless, and very suggestive of old school horror flicks again with the energy simular to the Bronx.

For Frank Iero’s first attempt at being a lyricist and lead singer I think he nailed it. His raspy scratchy voice lies perfect with the hardcore feel the rest of the band provided. Their music will make you angry and that seems to be LeATHERMOUTH’s soul intention and with that, they have provided a serious impression on me with XO.

Angry, loud, and hardcore is all you need to know about this CD. If you like horror movies, being angry at the world, and fast furious hardcore music with exceptional force this CD is for you. If you like songs about girls in high school and mild mischief don’t even bother.

-Download This! – LeATHERMOUTH – “Bodysnatchers 4 Ever”

-Check out the video for “Bodysnatchers 4 Ever”:
(The following is NSFW (cussing) so view at your own discression)