THE ANXIETIES: Richard Hell does a line with Stiv...

WARNING: THIS RECORD WILL KICK YOUR ASS

Rule Number 1: Most live recording full-lengths suck… Why? Most of the time all you can hear is a paper-thin drum sound, way too loud trebly bass and the guitar is almost nowhere to be found. On the worst live albums, the vocals are cranked up beyond what is necessary and it sounds like some dude singing over a sound check of a drum kit. I used to get so pissed, when I would buy one of my favorite band's live CDs in the used section and then be subjected to 45 minutes worth of sub-par renditions and crappy re-writings of classic songs with unnecessary “recently added” dumb ass "spoken word" parts. The garbage in the middle of the song where the singer is going on and on about something really stupid.

When I listened to the Anxieties Live at Centaur Guitar, I was fucking stunned by the energy, snot driven fury, and sharp musical attack of Scott Von Rocket and his droogs from Portland, Oregon. Portland has been cranking out some serious punk rock and new wave damage for years with record collector staples such as Sado-Nation, The Neo Boys ( a must), and The Wipers. The Anxieties subliminally carry on this tradition of garage rock that punches hard with punk rock viciousness. In fact if you took the chord stylings of the Neo Boys and combined them with Richard Hell’s best 5 songs, did a line of the pure white stuff for good measure, you’d come out sounding like this. Von Rocket has a distinct vocal style that bashes your skull in while soaking the fragments in neurotic rhythmic melody. I’ve been diggin’ on these guys since their “Black Hole” 7” a few years back, when I really sunk my teeth into what this band was about. Desolate themes of Sci-Fi experimentation, psycho girls, and wild noise rule the land in an “anything goes” nightclub, where no one paid to get in tonight.

The guitar is fuzzed, crisp, and cranked like a motherfucker on this live album, and it’s all here without charge, but donate to this worthwhile band! Fuck man, if we do not support our punk community, we’ll be left with nothing, seriously, these bands put their hearts and energy into this process and it’s never for money. It’s for the human need to rock like fuck, exorcise displeasure, and allow self-expression while keeping the sounds of sonic freedom alive. Download it, blast it, and send them some scratch for a 12 pack… “Panic Room”, “ Lab Rats”, and the nail biting spastic rock blast of “Blank Stares” are the future soundtrack to your next downward spiral. You know, the one with that fishnet and garter girl you met at the show, who promised you that there would be No Tomorrow and No Future. When you wake up in your own vomit with a new girlfriend and a smirk on your face, don’t blame me. I’d go get a refill and play this album again and again.

-Kevin McGovern


HEY PUNKER, ROCK OUT NOW WITH OUR OCTOBER ISSUE ONLINE…

HORROR SHORT + Q&A: "MANNEQUIN" AWAITS, WATCH NOW

I am really getting into the new craze of horror shorts on YouTube, given my short attention span and the lack of “new” horror with actual terrifying appeal. The big studios miss the mark every time and we get watered down PG-13 style garbage instead. Just type in “horror shorts” in your search browser and you’ll be exposed to a whole new world of indie filmmakers and actors/actresses that I feel have more to offer than the prevalent nepotism in commercial Hollywood film. -k.m

What was the inspiration for “Mannequin” in its creepy, surreal, twilight zone, meets sheer terror approach?

( Deric Nunez) You pretty much hit the nail on the head! The surreal nature of the Twilight Zone was a constant source of inspiration when producing Mannequin. There was also a show I would watch as a kid called “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” which too had that blend of surreal meets terror. Throughout production, I kept saying that I wanted Mannequin to feel like an adult version of that show.
I should also credit my overactive imagination. The idea for Mannequin actually came from when I was taking the trash out to that exact dumpster featured in the movie, and wondered to myself what I would do if when I turned the corner to toss the trash, something out of place was standing there.

How long did the writing and filming process take?

Mannequin took about a month to write, a 15 hour day to film, and approximately two weeks to edit before it was released on the Cowmaster Studios YouTube Channel on May 3rd, 2013.
The writing process was definitely the most stressing due to the sheer number of rewrites and edits.

Amelia Gotham provides a very convincing and compelling performance, did you discover her or is there a set group of creative individuals you prefer to work with?

A bit of both… I have a crew comprised of friends that I have worked with and known for years. Once Mannequin was written up, I had my crew in place, but just needed that perfect actress to bring it to life.
I discovered Amelia through an online casting service called LA Casting, which has been tremendously helpful when trying to lock down great talent. Amelia submitted a video audition for the role and just hit it out of the park, she was perfect. The crew and I were so pleased and grateful to have been able to work with such an amazing talent.

I love the horror-short format, do you plan on full-length features in the future, or to continue the eerie succinctness of the short film, which mimics the fast happening terrors of everyday life?

I would love to do a horror feature in the near future, but right now I feel the best course of action is to continue with the horror-shorts in order to build a fan-base that enjoys my work.
The horror-shorts are a lot of fun because they allow me to explore new ideas and techniques at a quicker pace than a feature-film.

What films inspired you to write and create in the world of horror.

It was less a single film that inspired me, and more the genre as a whole. I just love being scared, so when it came time to come up with my next film concept, horror just made sense. My first horror film was called Knock. The crew and I had so much fun working on it that I figured the horror genre required further exploration. The great reception it received was tremendously inspiring as well.
I am constantly drawing inspiration from the techniques other horror movies utilize to get reactions from their audience. I’m really big on studying techniques.

What advice could you give to aspiring independent filmmakers and writers to realize their nightmares on the digital screen, the way you have skillfully done?

I’ll rattle off a few:
- Study the techniques that other horror films utilize to create tension. Absorb the horror genre because you can’t successfully make a film in a genre you know nothing about.
- Make a film that you believe in, based around a technique or challenge you want to explore.
- K.I.S.S (Keep it Simple Stupid) Make something that is within a reasonable scope based on your budget, team size, and skill level.
- Stop thinking about it and just go for it. You will make mistakes, but that’s part of the process.
How necessary is adequate backing in the making of a quality and terrifying horror short film?
The great thing about horror films is you don’t need much in terms of budget to create a terrifying experience. Horror is about the pacing and setup, both of which are free.
Take the Blair Witch Project or Paranormal Activity for example. Both of those films are inspiring to me due to how successful they were at building that sense of terror, while staying on a shoestring budget.

There’s a nice flow of isolation, relationship strains, bloodshed, and poetic conclusion to your past films, A New Day and Last Hand, was your writing process in Mannequin deliberately different in the use of minimalism?

For Mannequin I just wanted it to be a very simple story about a girl and a random encounter she experiences. The hardest part about writing Mannequin was actually trimming the script down until it both told the story I wanted to tell, and contained no extra fluff weighing it down. Thankfully I had my co-writer, Erika Kotero, to help keep the integrity of the script on track.
I should also point out that Last Hand was my film partners work, his name is Michael Papilla. Though I did lend some consultation work on the set, I was more there to act and help edit. I would really recommend checking out his film, Forgiven Faith. It’s not horror, and it’s a bit low budget, but has really terrific pacing and is entertaining to watch.

What locations do you primarily film in and is it easier to do it local?

I stick to local spots or locations that have been thoroughly scouted. I like being able to just set up at a location with no worries of pedestrians or "the law" intervening and ruining a shoot. Plus, it is very important to have a location you are comfortable working in.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my family, friends, and fans that have contributed to and supported to the continuing growth of Cowmaster Studios.

SEE FULL ARTICLE AT Fear & Loathing LB:OCTOBER

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BIG DEAL: It's a secret.... post June Gloom interview

This interview with BIG DEAL originally aired in our September Issue of F&L. It goes a bit out of our normal fare but has the attitude we admire, not to mention I really like this album. Some cool perspectives on being a band and the whole racket that is involved with it, while explaining the cool concepts on the June Gloom LP. – Kevin

With your newest release June Gloom, music fans and purists can bask in the underground/pop/garage intricacy of these amazing compositions that appear to draw upon such groundbreaking releases as Blondie’s “Parallel Lines” and the Pixies “Bossanova” while adding a completely new component. What was the process in the writing and recording of the newest collection?

KC- We started writing for it when we were in California after SXSW. We really wanted to move on from the first record and keep evolving into what we glimpsed the band could be. Our favourite bands and our favourite times in music were when, for lack of a better word, independent bands changed the mainstream. I don't really think that's possible anymore as mainstream is now tied into reality TV shows where they engineer emotions and everything else is squabbling for scraps.

The coolest thing about the newest release is the inclusion of a double vinyl release and it comes with an iron on transfer to make your own T-shirt. As a product of the 1990s myself, it’s refreshing to see a DIY approach that embraces slacker ideology and the concept of beautiful dropouts and losers. How does this type of approach affect the band’s personal belief system and lifestyles?

KC- In part we just wanted to thank people who actually wanted something physical , who are either aware enough to pitch in and help a band survive , or have a real appreciation of the format. Personally , I love things that you can make your own, or modify to suit you. It was also a lot more feasible then putting a shirt in every vinyl!

AC: When it' so easy to steal music I think it's cool to reward those who don't do it and are actively supporting bands. They can wear their iron on transfers as a badge of honour!

“In your car” is a monster hit on the digital airwaves. The video has an entrancing quality to it with brilliant simplicity, not to mention a great single! What was the basis for the song and accompanying video?

KC- This is news to us! Great news! though we are skeptical without seeing it for ourselves. Alice started the song in California, I finished it in London when we returned. I really wanted the video to be in the desert where I grew up. It has this incredible beauty that's threatening and brutal and a bit scary. The creatures in the video, i wanted to look like the guitar lead sounded in my head.

A favorite of mine is “Close your eyes” on the latest album, on this track it’s like a daydream experience with the Velvet Underground and the Vaselines providing the second hand buzz. How does the band balance more straight ahead synth garage rockers with moody ballads in the writing process?

KC- They are both parts of us, and something we miss from a lot of modern rock music. Balance is a really important idea to us, but it's also really liberating as you can go as far in each direction. Led Zeppelin records were almost always half acoustic ballads, which isn't the way a lot of people remember them, but makes it better going back to it.

Have you had experience with Southern California’s notorious June Gloom? It always gets the best of me every year but remains oddly cathartic at the same.

KC- We have! My mom now lives in San Clemente and she finds those months really hard, and I find it funny. I lived in Costa Mesa for a couple years and I liked it the most when it was gloomy and dark and cloudy, and moody. Such a relief from the endless sunshine! And now, it's the inverse. London is gloomy for all but a few weeks of the year. That is balance for you.

What are some of your favorite bands that played a role in your decision to make music for a living and outside of the band, do you have non-musical occupations?

KC- I love Nirvana and the Beatles and Depeche Mode, Smashing Pumpkins, Afghan Whigs, Sunny Day Real Estate. Those bands got me through growing up. I feel a sort of debt in that respect. I have/had all kinds of jobs, teaching guitar and working in a pizza place , waiting tables. I was a roadie for Dick Dale.

What is your opinion on how the digital revolution has changed the release of recordings and accessibility to artists? Do you feel you have more control in the creative process or does the help of a recording company offer a more lucrative lifestyle in terms of distribution and live gigs?

KC- Accessibility is the easy part to understand. Anyone who hears of something can immediately look it up, which is amazing, but also kind of sad. It's the hearing about it part that is now the commodity. And that’s where it gets confusing. We have never been written about on a high profile blog in the states. Major labels have the power to market their bands relentlessly. Still not an even playing field but…

From your combined experience, what is your advice for new indie bands looking to make an imprint in the indie/underground music world? What DIY methods work? Which ones don’t?

Alice: To be honest I don't think we're in a position to be giving advice on what works, as we're definitely still figuring that ourselves. But this seems to be the plan that new indie bands are following for success.

1) Make your band name a misspelt word to make it easier for people to Google. Usually it's coolest if you take a fairly mundane word but just change it slightly. For example ' I've just started a new band called 'Cetchup'.
2) Make sure you have a logo ( this is more important than the songs). It must look good on t-shirts, that one day might be sold in Urban Outfitters if you're lucky.
3) Make sure you have a collectively clear image and brand that people want to get behind.
4) Play some songs…(maybe)

OR
1) Work really hard on writing some great songs that you really believe in and want to spend the next part of your life playing all over the world.
2)Be in a band with your best friends. If you're going to be stuck in the back of a van for most of your life you're going to want to be stuck there with people you love.
3)Don't compare yourself to everybody else, especially if you're on an indie label. Trying to compete with bands on major labels is like trying to compete in a marathon against Olympic athletes who have money and support behind them and you're just a normal guy and all you've got is a really cheap pair of running shoes. There is a chance you could win, or even just make it to the finish line but you're going to have to work twice as hard.


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PUNK POLLUTION: NEW REVIEWS OF THE SOCIALS AND SUBSETS

FEAR & LOATHING LB OCTOBER...NEW ISSUE ONLINE NOW
Cincinnati invaded my turntable over the weekend and left me in a state of gratifying amnesia, where you know you had a life altering experience but can’ quite remember the details. The Socials and the Subsets display the extremely lethal prowess of a new hybrid of surf punk, emerging from the poisonous shores of the Ohio River. The last time I was in this eccentric city was the hazy spring of 1999, playing the Punk Rock Prom with my band on a weekend tour. Halfway through the mind numbing 8-hour drive to our destination of debauchery, we filled up at the Ohio border with gasoline and armfuls of malt liquor. Soon enough we arrived at our stay in an off-campus dwelling to get ready for the show, which ended abruptly after I cut the set short and jumped into a cover of “Cherry Bomb”, with some sinister Midwest girls singing along. Shortly after, I had an intoxicated altercation and annihilated my lower leg, which would end up causing me to limp for weeks. I woke up the next morning and drank all day with our merch guy while spinning records, swilling moonshine, and desperately attempting recovery through high octane stimulants. Jump to 2013 and I find this city grabbing my leg through the sewer grate in Long Beach with a grip of nonchalant violence and head twisting screams of melodic dissatisfaction with the world.

Yeah, you know it, both of these must have EPs are on slick black vinyl with badass cover art and inserts. The Socials just fucking floor me every time I hear them. “The Beast Bites” EP opens with “GoVermont”, this tune strangles the kill switch with Mrs. Communication’s incredibly catchy vocal surrounded by art-damaged guitars of seductive feedback noise. “Hot Tips” keeps the cheap high going with a swift deconstruction of pop/rock format dying to let the basement burn. With its intense dynamics in pulsating bass and drums, this band knows the razorblade filled apples they are peddling. Andy Slob, legendary Junk Records sometimes in-house producer, captures the “fuck tomorrow” atmosphere that embraces cheap mascara, noise pollution, and the intensity of a band at its prime. The B-Side continues the macabre pop noise with a devious nod to classic bands like Red Scare and early Fastbacks. “Nouvelle Technologie” and “The Future has Let Me Down Again” embrace the disinterest and fabricated fear of the 20-teens in their acupuncture delivery of Art Damaged Punk. This maladjusted orphan loves vintage “new wave”, the kind that wasn’t on the radio way back when… consume, now.

The Socials



The Subsets give you a new facelift minus the anesthesia, with four head slamming tracks of mysterious surf riffing and fingernail scratching vocals, all in perfect harmony that are the “Ape Facin’” EP. These noisemakers take cues from such long forgotten greats as “The Left” and “Black Market Baby” , while keeping the punker than punk tunes in a sharp and dirty rock n roll focus. My personal favorites off this black leather jacket of vinyl mayhem are “I Don’t Wanna Be Here” and title track “Ape Facin’”.

I think of the Midwest’s alluring appearances, like the city these bands reside in. You look at the clear skyline, trees, and seemingly placid water flow along the shores. However, you don’t recognize the unspeakable nightmares that lie underneath the surfaces. When you do encounter them, chances are it’ll be too late. The addictive noise of the Socials and the Subsets will be playing in your mind while you gasp the last breath of your “old life”. Enjoy.

-Kevin McGovern, 2013 Fear & Loathing LB Facebook

The Subsets

Reviews this Week: BRIAN JAMES cd and POKER ep

Brian James: Chateau Brian

The legendary guitar slinger behind the Damned and Lords of the New Church makes his mark in the new decade. This album is filled with acoustic introspection and the skillfully crafted work of an extraordinary musician and songwriter. With a brilliantly executed bar stool meditation that embraces classic blues and edgy rock influences, the lights are dim and the feelings vibrate loudly. I hear anguish and loss among the ruins with a look towards the past and the present state of affairs in the heart of Brian James. I would say this CD exposes Brian James as the man, not the “myth”. It exposes his soul like a fine French wine. This old school recording contains tracks performed in one take, with raw and naked warmth. In the flesh and quite contagious in its delivery of sordid goods.

My fave tracks are : STARING AT ME, TRIPTINA, MOAN MOAN MOAN, and STARING AT ME

If you love acoustic JOHNNY THUNDERS then you will also LOVE THIS ONE! Unlike J THUNDERS we don't have to put our arms around a memory because BRIAN JAMES IS HERE TOO STAY! GO BUY THIS CD! – Mike Spent

POKER: Boots And Booze EP

Hot off the presses, this will ignite your senses with its flawless execution, original power punk-pop madness of the highest order. Like the perfect scissor cut, instead of a cookie-cutter clipper shave. I was getting my hair cut the other week, courtesy of a mysterious girl from Merced, and we discussed the drain of being born in a small town/city. The conversation flowed with a cool aloofness and after discussing how we both crashed into our current city, came to the sensible conclusion that people who willingly stay in the same predictable place in life have nothing to offer except misery to others. Change is necessary to get yourself out of a preset destination where you bathe in regret and bore yourself to death in a circle of self-deprecating thoughts.

What does this have to do with POKER? PASSION! The willingness to rock the fuck out like no one’s watching and ravenously embrace the unknown, like taking your last $100 and moving to a city you’ve never been to before, because there’s no way it’s any fucking worse than where you already are. This extreme passion come from the prodigious city of Rome and takes place on these 3 classic tracks with frenetic female vocals, catchy melody, and ear pleasing guitars of sophisticated highbrow sleaze. Imagine an amphetamine fueled Josie Cotton singing for the Sex Pistols with modern production and you’ll start to get an image of what lies ahead for you in this sabotage of the senses courtesy of White Zoo Records.

This EP will leave you reeling, kind of like the pretty rich girl that lets you stay the night, kicks you out the next morning, and tells you to call her after it’s dark. Lustful destruction wrapped up in the most attractive of disguises. It’s on limited vinyl, so get it before it’s too late. Just listen to the song I’m leaving you with and get obsessed. – Kevin McGovern

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New Reviews: HONEY BANE and THE DOGS

This week I want to introduce everyone here to my co-conspirator at Fear & Loathing LB, Gonzo Journalist and rock n roll troublemaker,Mike Spent. He has two CD’s revved up and ready for your eyes to consume. We have some exciting things in the pending works for the October issue: Pure Hell, The Faint, Habibi, Jeff Dahl, Smogtown, The Dogs, Rats on Rafts, and Third Phase of Moon Radio to name a few. So hold tight, unfasten your mind, and dig deep into our newest rock music reviews. –Kevin

HONY BANE: "ACCEPTANCE of EXISTENCE" CD

This release is existential post punk atmospheric dub, with the twisted sensuality that only HONEY BANE exudes! Brilliant while relevant in its musical execution, I love the entire mind-blowing output! My personal fave is VIOLENCE GREW. The album opener, "The Right Thing To Do!" echoes her CRASS years. Classic teen-angst and vocal rants in free form for your rock n roll fix! New soon to be classics include: DONT TELL ME!, WHO's HELL AM I IN?, and YA GOT ME ALL WRONG (this song starts out with a folkie kind of 70s soft rock vibe and enters into HONEY BANE telling it like it is in a very sexy way!) I was relaxing to the CD in a twisted kinda HONEY BANE way! I dig the artwork of the cover too! BUY IT! TRY IT! LIKE IT! I definitely do…


THE DOGS: “HYPERSENSITIVE” CD

This 3-piece proto punk band formed in the vintage year of 1969! What can i say each song rules… Track one "SLASH YOUR FACE" starts out like a classic 1970s acid rock song that morphs into a punk n roll explosion flawlessly. Sophisticated punk rock pioneers, the DOGS, are an AMERICAN ORIGINAL. They resurrect the sounds of fury from the graves of the MC5, the STOOGES, and even BROWNSVILLE STATION! They pay homage to all the original DETRIOT BANDS in the track "MOTOR CITY FEVER", the name says it all ! Every Rock City influence is completely obliterated in this smoking tour de force. My fave tracks are "YOU CANT CATCH ME" "SLASH YOUR FACE" and BEATIN THE FLOOR"(which reminds me of The Stooges Classic, Cock in my Pocket). BEATIN THE FLOOR is personal fave. I am seriously diggin’ these lyrics, "driving down the street going 90 miles an hour", now that’s what is what i like to do! Punk and roll at its best so BUY THIS CD! The DOGS logo is a sick 70s graphic… dig the DOGS! I almost forgot, PUNK ROCK HOLIDAY and its lyrics "got nothing to lose and some ones gonna pay the price!” My personal anthem!


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Tijuana Panthers: Semi Sweet

A heat wave comes crashing into Long Beach. The over-priced studio apartment you’re in has zero ventilation and the local hardware store is out of fans. That cute girl, who said she would call today, still hasn’t, as you check your cell over and over in excruciating hotness. Then out of nowhere, the sun starts to set, the air cools, and the speakers start to crackle with an oncoming rumble of serious rock n roll that fastens itself to your cerebellum called Tijuana Panthers. She ultimately calls, comes over, and this fine wine of an album plunges you into all of its surf-gutter garage pop grandeur.

Equal parts Troggs, Modern Lovers, Buddy Holly and Ventures, this album plays with airtight pop/garage rock ferocity that showcases the band’s incredible grasp of creating melodic psychedelic damaged anthems with addictive melodies soaked in cool intensity. The single Tony’s Song is an obvious head turner with its insidious delivery of perfect verse to chorus combination that reeks of Phil Spector perfection with a punk snarl. The tracks One Way Ticket, Baby I’m Bored, and Boardwalk display the full range of the band’s musical prowess in a fashion that mimics scanning your radio for the right station and every excellent song from all subculture rock genres is playing simultaneously. These 12 tracks play like a greatest hits album, zero filler, and nothing but pure candy for the rock n roll libido.

After the two of you annihilate the evening with good conversation and smoldering body language, I think your night might have an extended stay added on to it, courtesy of Tijuana Panther’s “Semi Sweet” magnum opus. The music certainly carries all of the conversation on this one. Long Beach has thee band that will be taking over the antiestablishment airwaves in no time, and it’s about time! Kick out the jams kids and get this album before your luck runs out.





Tijuana Panthers


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-Kevin McGovern 2013 (F&L,LB)

This review originally ran in the Long Beach Independent! Support the Long Beach music scene, it's cool.


I'll be presenting some of the best music coming out of Long Beach, CA in 2013 and we have some things that will blow your mind from all over the U.S. and the world in the upcoming October issue. Until next time.