Interview: Chicken of Dead To Me

San Francisco punk rockers Dead To Me recently dropped a new album titled Moscow Penny Ante on Fat Wreck Chords.  The band, having been around since 2003, has had their fair share of changes with musicians coming and going, but never really lost their sound.  Their ability to mix up a bunch of genres like reggae and ska into their punk rock groove always stood out to me.  Having caught them twice this year, you could say I dig them a little.

Having toured the US in 2011, the band will be heading to Europe for a tour in 2012.  I seriously do not think these guys, between touring and recording, ever take a break.

Photo by Katie Hovland

Recently I had the opportunity to chat with bassist / vocalist Chicken.  He was more than kind in doing an interview with me.  Check it out:

BHP: So, how’d 2011 treat you guys?

Chicken:  This year has been great for us! We have toured pretty much non stop and we recorded a new album and released it. So needless to say we have been very, very busy. It’s a good thing.

I’ve been lucky enough to see DTM twice this year, once in SXSW.  Any comments about that magical evening in March?

That night was crazy. I learned how to play guitar listening to Screeching Weasel, so I was pretty bummed out about what happened. I just wish the whole thing never happened. It was a bummer too because the other bands that played (Dead To Me, Banner Pilot, The Flatliners) all worked really hard to get to Austin for SXSW and we all played great sets. Unfortunately, no one remembers because of the whole Ben Weasel fiasco.

DTM played CMJ in NYC recently.  How did it go for you guys?

CMJ in New York was so much fun. Fat Wreck did a great job of putting together an amazing evening of awesome bands. We had a blast! We played two shows in one day in NYC, and that is super hard to do. Just getting around NYC with all our gear is a nightmare, but we pulled it off. We played a free show in SoHo at the Chrome Bag store with kegs of beer and lots of drunk New York hipsters. Good times.

Your band’s style mixes up a plethora of punk rock goodness that spans from almost a street punk to a reggae-vibe.  Was this style how DTM always was since its inception or has the band experimented throughout the years?

We have always just wanted to write songs that we want to hear. If it has a little Reggae vibe to it, then so be it. We love bands from all different genres like Hip Hop, Reggae, Hardcore, World Music, etc… so we just want to be able incorporate all of our influences into the songwriting process.

Fat Wreck Chords has been there for you since your debut.  How does it feel to be on their roster?  You actually worked for them for a few years correct?  Being employed by Fat Mike on two different levels…nice.

Yeah, it is awesome being on FAT. I used to work in the mail room there and it was so much fun. It was like a family vibe for sure. We did tons of stuff together, not just work. We would play in bands together, go to shows together, go out to eat all the time and all that. Now being in a band on the label, I consider it an honor. When I call the label and have questions about this or that, I am talking to people that have known me personally for over ten years now, so I trust them completely. It’s a great feeling for sure.

DTM’s new album Moscow Penny Ante dropped a couple months back.  It is a great release by the way.  What can you tell me about this new release?

We are all really excited about our new record, Moscow Penny Ante. I love the job Matt Allison did producing it and am so excited to be playing new songs live, it rules. We have been touring so much over the last two years that this batch of songs is a very good reflection of the live spirit of DTM. It is much more cohesive than African Elephants and has a little more straight forward delivery I think.

Does the title have any reference to your country of origin?

No, I grew up in California. The title is taken from a term Malcolm X used to define his crew of small time thugs in Harlem, NY. I feel like a small timer in a sea of boys in bands that want to be big time and I could care less. I am happy with everything we have been able to do and I’m riding this thing until the wheels fall off. I never though in a million years that because of songs I wrote in my bedroom, it would take me to places as far away as Moscow.

What was done differently on this album that stands out over previous releases?

I feel like there as an overall confidence in song writing on this new record that wasn’t as apparent on previous releases. We got experimental on African Elephants and I love that record for that, but on Moscow Penny Ante I felt way more confident with what my melodies would end up sounding like and how I wanted the guitars to sound.

Will the band be taking a break anytime soon.  Seems like you boys have been touring all over the world this year?

What is a break? I’ve never heard of that before.

Aside from DTM, your drummer Ian does some amazing artwork on used vinyl.  I am kicking myself in the ass for not buying one when you played in Cleveland.  How long typically does it take him to turn a beat up vinyl into a work of art?

I am sure he will be bringing some with him on our European tour in Jan/Feb 2012 so come to a show and try to grab one before they sell out. His pieces can take anywhere from an hour to twenty minutes to three hours sometimes. It depends on what materials he has laying around and how much time he has available to work on something.

Would you agree that punk is not dead?

It never has been and never will be!!

Did you ever think that you would be where you are now 20 years ago?

I definitely used to dream about playing in a touring punk band all the time 20 years ago. I knew with all my heart that it was what I wanted to do. I feel so insanely fortunate that I am able to do it now. I have literally traveled much of the globe and met amazing people world wide. I feel very lucky to be on FAT and lucky to have been able to play with some of my all time favorite bands over the years. It’s like living in a dream, it rules.

Awesome.  Well that’s all I got…anything you care to add?

Thank you for the interview, we appreciate it! To anyone reading this, come hang out when we come t Europe in early 2012, it’s gonna be a blast!

Dave Hause & Cory Branan To Play Akron’s Gurley House!

Stoked is one word that explains how I felt when Dave Hause gave me the thumbs up Thursday that he would play the Gurley House in Akron with his current tour mate Cory Branan.

A few weeks back, I noticed the the guys had a one day break from touring.  Since they for whatever reason had no Cleveland stop, I asked them to play a house show.  They were all about it.  So, with short notice, I reached out to the Gurley House in Akron and asked if they were down for a show.  Once I got their OK, they helped me recruit two amazing local bands, Signals Midwest and Harvey Pekar, to jump on the bill.  It is going to be an awesome night.

Dave Hause is most commonly known for being in the amazing punk rock band The Loved Ones.  Hause also has been doing the solo thing for a few years now (more on that in an upcoming interview I did with him).  He dropped an amazing full-length album earlier this year titled Resolutions that everyone needs to hear.

Cory Branan is a singer / songwriter from Mississippi who has just an amazing voice and sound.  Branan has worked with Lucero in the past on their albums and vice-versa.  His name is actually dropped on the Lucero song “Tears Don’t Matter Much”.  If you have not heard of him yet, you are missing out.

With such short notice though, I need everyone to please spread the word.  I would love to have a nice turnout for these guys.  If you plan on going, bring some cash for donations.

Special thanks to Jeremy of the Gurley House for hosting the show on such short notice and also to Corey for making the above flier.  Also big thanks to Signals Midwest and Harvy Pekar for agreeing to play.

This is going to be a really fun show so you should all come on out.  What else do you have going on a Thursday night in December?

Remember Me???

Many apologies for not updating this site as much as I want to.  Happy belated Thanksgiving.

As many of you know, I was quite the traveling body this past month.  Sometimes “me” time is a good thing.

Last weekend, I got to check out a new city that I  hope to return to one day soon – Asheville, NC.  I did way more than I had expected to while stumbling around that town (literally at times).  I took in a parade, cheered on a local flat track roller derby bout, drank way too much micro-brewed beers (oyster stout is where it’s at!), ate amazing Himalayan food, tried a wasabi chocolate truffle, climbed a mountain and sat atop of Chimney Rock (see pics below),  and best of all, I did so in great company.  That right there is what I am thankful for: Making amazing memories.

I hope everyone has enjoyed their holiday and did not spend their entire net-worth on stupid Black Friday.  I’m sorry, I could care less about deals.  You work retail for 10+ years and you despise that day after Thanksgiving.  People are rude, inconsiderate, and just plain ol’ insane.

I missed my chance last night to see an amazing band I got into earlier this year.  Seahaven made a stop at Now That’s Class in Cleveland and I made a decision to not attend.  I regret that decision a lot.  Have you heard of this band yet?  Check it:

They are pop punk indie rock and I can not get enough of them.  From what my friends told me, they were incredible last night too.  I will be talking about them some more very soon.

So why would I skip out on seeing such a great act?  No, it was not because I had to work ass early this morning.  It was because my pals at Eulogy Tattoo were having their third annual Black Friday sale. 

Wait?  Did I just say Black Friday?

Yes, I just stated I endulged in a Black Friday event after I just had so many nice things to say about it.  Boo hoo.  This was different as it is not technically retail…  They were selling select $20 tattoos. 

I know you have already look at the pic to the left and asked yourself what in the hell is that?  That’s my Black Friday deal and I did not have to fight one person getting it.

<— This, my friends, is a Cliff Owl.  Who is Cliff?  He’s the man behind Eulogy Tattoos in Canton and a pretty swell fellow. 

Why did I get such a thing?  I think the question should be, why have you NOT gotten one?

It was more than just tattoos for me though, it was about seeing a group of friends for a few hours after a hectic day at work.  That right there made my holiday much more meaningful than standing in a Wal-Mart with a mob of people Thanksgiving night at 10pm surrounding a shrunk-wrapped pallet of DVDs ready to shank someone so you can save $2.47 on a shitty DVD.  I am just not into that.

I am, however, all about hanging out with a bunch of good people and getting a tattoo that many people out there would probably regret.

7″ Vinyl Review: Roll The Tanks – Goodnight Jimmy Lee

If it looks like cake and smells like cake, it must be cake right?  Not in this case.  This cake-looking and smelling thing I speak of is the birthday cake scratch n’ sniff 7″  titled Goodnight Jimmy Lee by LA rock act Roll The Tanks.  The two song 7″ was released on Sabot Productions in early October.

The threesome, who have toured already with Against Me!, have have sparked the interest in many and not just because they recruited Mighty Mighty Bosstones’ Joe Sirois to play drums.  They have rubbed elbows with the right people and played their asses off making sure the world noticed them.  Their determination and hard work has paid off as the band will be dropping a full length debut titled Broke Til Midnight.

Title track “Goodnight Jimmy Lee” is a catchy-sounding yet brutally honest tribute written about the late Jimmie Lee a.k.a. Jay Reatard.   “Now he’s gone and I’m no Jimmy Lee” bounces over catchy guitar playing that screams 90s alternative rock.  As fun as the song is, the deeper meaning pays homage to an artist who left this world far too early in his career.  The b-side, “Pistolero”, is a cross between that twangy country rock all the kids seem to be getting into these days with indie rock of the 90s.  The acoustic-driven song almost carries a nice Fake Problems feel, but far more upbeat.

I am looking forward to hear what Roll The Tanks can dish out on their debut.  Until then I have the feeling I will be listening to these songs on a regular basis as well as scratching and sniffing the cover smelling the goodness that is birthday cake.  Did I mention that the cover smells like cake?  Yes, I may be a little excited about this.

W.T.F. Browns…

Yes, the Browns game today was total crap.  Hell, the season has pretty much been total crap and as a lifetime fan of the franchise, sometimes it is just so hard to be a Browns fan.  Regardless, I am in it for life.  I would not have it any other way.

Don’t worry, my site is not turning into a sports page or anything, I do, however, want to share a fun hoodie my pal Nick from Flagrant-T came up with.  It is simple, to the point, and aimed at all you frustrated Browns fans out there:

I have already rocked mine last week when coming home from my trip to Austin and a whole slew of people got a kick out of it.  With today’s loss, it is safe to say I will be wearing this tomorrow to work.

$20 and it is yours (use the code TAILGATE today for 10% off your order).  Head over to WTFShirtz.com and grab one for yourself today!  While you are at it, check out the “I Shaved My Balls For This?” shirt I actually sported during day three of Fun Fun Fun Fest.  Needless to say, everyone loved it.