Staten Island Hardcore Documentary Showcases Music History (Interview with City Lights Films)

Why do you guys feel this was a movie that had to be made?
Sam and myself grew up in Staten Island, went to Staten Island shows, and  played in Staten Island bands. It is something that played a huge part  in our lives and continues to do so today. Memories fade, and we wanted to preserve the history and let people know what went on here, especially in the 1980s and 1990s.


How big would you say the punk scene was on the Island, and what was different for local music in it's heyday?
The hardcore punk scene "back in the day" was huge.  It was something to look forward to on your weekends after a long week of school. Flyers were passed around in school during the week, and on the weekends at the Staten Island Mall. Bands promoted, it wasn't just a social media Facebook event invite. You were almost certain you would have a decent crowd at a show where the crowd would stay for all of the bands playing, regardless of who was in the band or what type of musical genre they fell under, whether it be rock, metal, hardcore or punk.


What's something everyone will learn from watching the film?
Hopefully people get a good history lesson. We have learned, from filming this documentary that a large chunk of the current show goers and bands do not have an idea about any history or where their roots came from. They learned about their music from Facebook and Myspace. They found an underground mainstream band that their friend hit the like button on, and they decided to emulate it.




What surprised you the most about making this film?
We were surprised to get contacted from people out of the wood work. We have received our own history lesson just from digging up information on Staten Island and the music that was played out here, the beginning of punk and hardcore in this area. Little stories and urban legends, that made us realize we were dealing with something that was huge. For example, we had no idea that Metallica actually hung out on Staten Island for a few days, and that Kirk Hammet dated someone from here who went to shows and local concerts in the 80s. We didn't believe it until we received a photo showing the band with local Staten Islanders.


What are the pros and cons of making an indie film?
The pros of making a film is the rewarding experience, knowing you accomplished something great, and the excitement of knowing people will be watching something you created. The cons on the other hand, is the high cost of equipment, the time you put into the film and the lack of support because you aren't a "big time film maker."


Do you guys have a background in music yourselves, and tell me about it?
We have both played in many bands growing up, Sam since the age of 12, and myself since the age of 16 – some local bands, some non local bands. Sam has played in some well known S.I. bands such as Big Wheel, Indifference and Murdock, and I played in some local bands, my favorites being Dreams Forever Drowning, and my current band, Ruthless Dudes.


What's the difference between yesterday's punk and today's punk?
Yesterday's punk was all about hating authority, and doing things yourself. Today's punk is about going to Hot Topic, social media and how many Facebook friends you have.

Do you feel the music scene is lacking unity, or is it in a good place as far as people working together?
I try to get to as many shows as I can, but due to work, school and film projects, I really only get to go when my band is playing, or if I am on a special project related to a Staten Island band. I don't see the unity like I did when I was much younger, it seems like more of a popularity contest or who wants to fight who.  It is sad. Not saying that all is lost, I still see many young people that remind me of myself when I was going to shows as a teenager.


What other projects have you guys worked on, and/or hope to make?
We have done music videos for the Staten Island band's A Wake In Providence and Deception Theory, and we have some more music videos in the future that we are working on. We also will be starting another film when we complete this one, to which the script is in the works.


Anything else to add?
We just want people to take the time out to check out our trailer, pass it along and tell a friend. Making a film is hard work and a lot of time and effort goes into it. Our goal is to get our film to blu-ray or DVD, get it into film festivals and have a following.

Support City Lights Films in their quest to bring notice to hardcore!
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/staten-island-hardcore-a-history

Help Get S.I. Hardcore Indie Film Off the Ground

Staten Island Hardcore - A History

"Staten Island NY, also known as the forgotten borough, has a hardcore punk history that not many know about."

Indie filmmakers Anthony Clemente and Samuel Peralta are looking to gather some of the untold stories of Staten Island's booming punk and hardcore scene from the 80s into the late 90s as they document some of the former and still current rockers reliving their glory days. 

So if you are looking to learn some history, hear great music and stories of your favorite genre, and help contribute to the Staten island music scene, check out this film and help fund it!

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/staten-island-hardcore-a-history

More information at - https://www.facebook.com/citylightsfilms

Diet EP Review

Local Staten Island punk/grunge band Diet are releasing an EP very, and upon the first listen, I'm in love. Diet consists of Thom Kinnear of guitar/vocals, Michal Pando on bass/backing vocals, and George Bulger on the drums, not to mention, the recent addition of Chris Taranto on guitar/vocals (he does all backing vocals on the EP).

The EP opens up with "Zooey," and has an erie feel to it with the way the guitars and bass seem to wave back and fourth over light drum work. It has a soothing yet hypnotizing feel to it. The track breaks into a standard groove and melody around the 1:40 mark of the song. The vocals come in and go perfectly with the music, and has a Brand New type haunting vibe to it, before the song yet again switches around at 3:55. In kicks the heaviness and the gritty guitars with louder vocals. For lack of a better word, a really cool song to kick off the album.

"Gaze" is a straight up punk song from the first snare hit, and sounds like a throwback to the late 70s and early 80s. To be quite honest, after the first track I feel like I'm listening to a totally different band. It really is an amazing switch of genres.

Next up is "Shapes," which mellows the fast paced previous track down. The song feels drum driven as steady tom rolls swing rhythmically with the guitars building an instrumental tension of what's to come next.

And what's next is the "Short Song," as it flows directly from the last and picks up around 1:05. As the name suggests, the song is over quickly but in that short span they reminded me of Relient K's first album, one of my favorite punk albums by the way...

"Shoe Bomber" goes back to more of a 90s signature punk style, think old Blink 182, MxPx, or the aforementioned Relient K. The driving guitars lead to a nice solo section toward the end flowing over pulsing drums.

Up next is the single,"Knee Brace." I previously spoke about this track and it's no secret I'm a big fan of it, and so is everyone else locally. The verse is super fast, the bridge is super melodic and features a lot of bassy goodness along with effected guitar work. The transitions are great between the instrumental and the vocals.

"Planks" is the final track on the EP. Again Diet slows the tempo down, and focuses on instrumentation as the vocal point. The song has a very distinct bass line, a signature sound on guitar that kind of runs as a theme throughout the album. The vocals on this are really soft, and the track has a little more of an indie, Nirvanish appeal to it. About mid way through the song, it starts coming undone and intentionally falls apart. The distortion is cranked up, strings are plucked feverishly and chaotically, but the bass and drums remain a constant as the song sort of descents into itself. 

Overall, the album is work of art unto itself. I am actually blown away by this band's artistic ability, and their willingness to stray away from the stereotypical notions of punk rock being "easy" and "non-musically" driven. Diet manages to take the best parts of classic punk, 90s punk, indie rock, and alternative and mesh them into a melting pot of an EP that flows from one song to the next seamlessly. 

Thom Kinnear's vocals and vision as a guitarist and vocalist are extraordinary. Michal Pando's bass playing is so fluid and succinct, that most of the songs would simply not sound so pretty without him, and George Bulger's drumming is on point. The way he effortlessly switches between fast and slow, heavy and soft, tom rolls and straight up snare and bass is great! 

Diet isn't playing any games or holding anything back, and with the addition of Chris Taranto are sure to, if not already, change the way people think of punk music. Hands down my favorite local submission of the year. Well done gentlemen.

New Hope Release's 'Just Like Yesterday'

New Hope is a punk band from Staten Island comprised of Cedric Brice (guitar/vocals), Justin Alpert (guitar/vocals), Rosario Panarelli (bass/vocals), and Dino Casalino (drums). They are hoping to release their new EP, Unlucky 17, this spring and recently released their first single, "Just Like Yesterday."

"Just Like Yesterday" is a slower song chalk full of punk guitar tones, drum patterns, and vocal work. They mix it up by throwing in a piano part, and musical solo/bridge part.

The chorus is catchy, and the singer's voice goes well with the song. I like the background vocals and harmonies and the "oh-oh's" in the first chorus.

Be sure to give this band a listen if you like 90s punk like MxPx, Slick Shoes, and old Green Day.

Download the track for FREE below

https://www.facebook.com/NewHopeNY
https://twitter.com/NHPunkNY
http://newhopeny.bandcamp.com/

Pete's Lost Luggage Interview with Jon Marotte

First and formost, explain the name Pete's Lost Luggage. Is there a great story?

Sadly no, I would love to say that there was some hysterical story behind the name but it’s actually kind of lame. Pete was in Italy for a month doing God knows what, and he put a status on Facebook which I comment on saying “if you don’t write lyrics while you are out there I hope you lose your luggage.” Then one of us suggested we should call ourselves Pete’s Lost Luggage, which we all thought was kind of funny. Mostly we felt having a silly name, embodied our attitude about the band. We aren’t taking ourselves too serious and we felt a silly name would be fitting. So far some people like it some people don’t but that’s just the nature of everything in life.

At the core, what is this band and what are you looking to do as musicians?

Have fun! That’s the first thing we all said when we put this band of misfits together. For the most part we are old (if you consider 25 old) Jon (me) is 25 and the oldest member. But we’ve all been playing in bands for years. I had my first band when I was 15, so 10 years I’ve been playing locally. I disappeared for a few years because I didn’t like the way the scene was going but we will get into that later... So this band from day one was just about us having fun, playing the music we love, and not giving a shit what anyone else thought. I’ve heard people ask

why I still listen to or want to play Punk when punk's been dead for years. My answer has always been because I love it, the music is emotional, it’s aggressive yet can be calming and uplifting. So many emotions can be fit into a two minute song, and of course most important it’s fun. I always felt metal and hardcore (and I listen to a lot of metal and hardcore) was always too serious. Music is supposed to be fun, it’s like anything else in life, there’s a time to be serious and there’s a time to be silly. Sometimes you can be both at the same time. But for the most part it’s just about having fun, playing the music I grew up loving and still love to this day.

How do you feel the current state of punk rock is in the mainstream and locally?

I can only speak for myself on this one. For me personally it sucks, mainstream has always sucked, you had that good time period when bands like Blink 182, Green Day, Brand New got airplay but even then only a small group of people actually liked it. And I prefer my bands not being on the radio and/or not being too popular because it makes it more personal if that makes any sense. Locally the scene seems like it’s getting better. Like I said earlier I left the scene probably around 2006/2007 after my old band Holdaway/A Class of Their Own split. I didn’t like the direction it was going in, it got too hardcore. The music was still good, even though I am more partial to punk, but there where some good bands, The Broken, A Dozen Dying Roses, That Hideous Strength (which actually for the most part was the same people I was in Holdaway with, just a different guitarist and singer) but all the good punk bands broke up for faded away. 

When I started to going to local shows there where some f***ing awesome bands, Melmac, Sydney, Big Wheel, Miracle of ’86, Ripping Christ from the Cross, those are the bands I loved going to see. I remember going and playing shows at Dock there would be 200+ people there, all different types of people and different genres of bands would play it was awesome. Then the hardcore scene took over, and like I said there were good bands but the people sucked. That whole “crew” fad happed, where there were different hardcore crews and they would fight each other at shows. Moshing and jumping around where replaced with beating people up instead. I never got into that. I had a good friend of mine jumped at a show because the band whose shirt he was wearing backed a different crew and the other kids didn’t like them so they f***king jumped him. And he was like the nicest dude ever. It just got stupid, now a days the scene seems like it’s improving, there some good younger bands, Wester, Everything Ever, Process of Fusion, we’ve played with these guys and I dig them. We just need more venues on the Island 10-12 years ago there was a lot more places to play, Dock St, The Wave, The Caves, Martini Red, The Lane. Now there is Full Cup and I guess Dock St still. But the crowds need to be better, seems the days of 200 people at a local show are over, now your lucky if you play to 25, most people come see their friends band and leave, it’s sad.

You guys are definitely influenced by a lot of great bands from the 90s and early 2000s. Who do you guys most wish to sound like and what is unique to YOU guys alone?

Again I can only speak for myself on this one, and I wouldn’t say we try to sound like them, more influenced by. For me I’d say Lagwagon, Strung Out, Brand New, and NUFAN, any of the Fat Wreck, Lookout or Epitaph bands. That’s my style. That’s who I steal from, I mean am influenced by the most.

Tell us about your EP and the process of recording?

The E.P. has four songs and they are all awesome (laughs). The process was fun, recording was always one of my personal favorite parts of being in a band, finally hearing the songs you’ve worked of for so long become tangible. And when they come out even better then you imagined it’s a great feeling. But we have to give a lot of the credit to our buddy Joe Dell’Aquila of Exeter Studios who did the recording. He’s awesome, he does a

great job and it’s a lot of fun recording there.

What song do you feel is really a standout, and is your new music going to be in the same vein?

As far as I am concerned "Steve! Look Out for that Stingray" is the best thing I’ve ever written. It’s fast it’s catchy, Pete wrote a great hook for the chorus, and not to boast but, the outro is a work of art! I love that song. In regards to future stuff, for the most part it will have the same feel but we do want to mess around, be versatile, try things. Who knows, maybe one day we will put out a funk album instead of punk!

Rumor has it that Pete has a history of falling on stage. Is it safe to say he has a"substance" problem like all "real" bands? 

No, he just has really bad balance, and it’s like the old Chinese proverb says “man with poor balance, fall down a lot.”

If you had to make an all-star lineup of punk bands to do a show with, who do you choose?

Lagwagon, Descendants, No Use For A Name, Strung Out, Brand New, Lawrence Arms, Wilhem Scream.

What's in the immediate future for the band?

Writing songs for a full-length album, we hope to be in the studio sometime early 2013, and playing shows, got any we can play?

Anything else to add?

I’m sure there is more I could say but I don’t feel like typing anymore.

Check out my album review of Pete's Lost Luggage 

http://thesibandguy.blogspot.com/2012/11/petes-lost-luggage-ep-review.html

Listen to their album here

http://www.reverbnation.com/peteslostluggage

Pete's Lost Luggage EP Review

Pete's Lost Luggage is a relatively new Staten Island band that brings back the sounds of one of my favorite era's of music, 2002-2005. There style is new school punk/angst filled dare I say emo punk. They sound a lot like a combination of New Found Glory, Brand New from Your Favorite Weapon and a little bit of Fall Out Boy circa Take this to Your Grave.

The band consists of:
Pete King - Vocals
Jon Marotte - Guitar
Carl LaPiedra - Bass
Chris Benne - Drums.

With that being said I absolutely love it! It's the sounds of my teenage years in High School all over. Little known secret, before I was a ravaging rap/rocker, I was actualyl a drummer/vocalist in punk bands for about six years. Ok, but enough about me, onto the EP cleverly titled, Greatest Hits Volume 3.

Photo by Four Walls Productions

The first track, "Don't Touch the Radio, It's Not Yours" kicks off like something straight out of NFG's earlier albums but adds a different dynamic with the small bursts of screaming. The prechorus resembles F.O.B. and the chorus sounds like Brand New, especially the way the music does the pause of the drums with the chugging guitars in between. It has everything in one song, and still sounds unique to them. A solid start to the EP.

Next up, "I'm High, Everything is Funny" is my least favorite track of the album, but that's not to say it's bad, just my personal taste. The best part of this song is the more aggressive layered vocals at the end. It almost creates a rallying cry and anthem, which is what punk is all about.

"Slow it Down to a Tempo of Faster" is quite simply put, awesome. The band was definitely not lying when they named this one as it's raw in your face punk reminiscent of early MxPx. Benne's drum playing is great on this track, and Pete's melodic yelling is on point as this is clearly a song of emotion.

The EP closes out with "Steve! Look Out for that Stingray" (and for the record it is not too soon for a Steve Irwin joke)... Again, this song starts out with a blast of guitars and drums. This is by far the longest track on the album clocking in at 4:00 minutes while the rest range from 1:30-3:00. I like the duel chorus vocals on this followed by the nice interlude/solo of the bass around the 1:50 marker.

Photo by Four Walls Productions

Overall, Greatest Hits Volume 3 hits the mark as a first EP. The songs are all very catchy and well written. The album's single is definitely "Don't Touch the Radio, It's Not Yours." The only possible gripe I can have with the album is the quality of recording, but then again it's a demo and I love it, it almost suits the sound and style.

One thing for sure is when they hit the studio to record a full length, they'll have a fan patiently waiting to be handed a copy.

Check them and their album out at http://www.reverbnation.com/peteslostluggage
http://www.facebook.com/PetesLostLuggage
https://twitter.com/RealLostLuggage

Radioactive Material Interview (Broken Records Festival)

 What was the experience of playing the concert like?
It's always awesome to play with a bunch of friends and familiar faces, but it's also great to play with new bands and meet new people. The fact that this show was so diverse was also a nice change of pace.

How do you feel about Broken Records Magazine, and why is a united Staten Island important?
It's pretty cool to see a magazine that promotes local bands like us along with more well known bands. Well, as Lincoln said, "A house divided against itself can't stand."

What would you like to see the festival grow to?
We would be stoked to see the festival become an annual event and grow to a point where venues like Killmeyer's and Dock Street wouldn't be able to host it.

What does Radioactive Material stand for?
It stands for giving off energy and sub-atomic particles. There are usually four types: alpha, beta, gamma and neutrons, but we're a new a found strain known as bamfs.

What is your hope for punk rock in today's music scene?
Our hope is that it could flourish as it used to in the old days when punk was a bit more accepted.

Who are some of your influences, and what makes you unique from those?
We all listen to a variety of music which makes our sound unique because we try and make our songs more uplifing and positive than any of our influences, some of which are the Ramones, Sum 41 and Blink-182.

Are you guys going to be working on an EP or album?
Our EP is actually already recorded and once the rest of our merch is made, we will have an official release show.

What are some of the long term plans for the band?
As far as the road can take us, and we mean that literally. We can't wait to go on tour.


What's one of the biggest problems faced when being in a band and why is it worth it to overcome them?
A bit** named Hurricane Sandy and we'll overcome this cause playing music is our dream. We want to get back on our feet asap.

Anything else to add?
Just thanks for letting us be a part of this and check us out on Facebook -  http://facebook.com/RadioactiveMaterial and you can listen to our music on soundcloud - http://soundcloud.com/radioactivematerial

Interview with Curious Volume Guitarist/Vocalist Andrew Paladino

What does the name Curious Volume mean, and how does it symbolize the band?

The name Curious Volume doesn't mean anything. It's from Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven." It doesn't have any symbolic meaning other than that with a meaningless name, we can take our music any direction we want to and our name will still make the same amount of sense (or lack thereof). 

How did the band get together and what do you guys bring to each other that make the music work?

Trotta and I started the band in 2003 when we were in 7th grade. Since then we've had a few lineup changes. Our current lineup was formed in January of 2011. Brian and I were in bands together at school and would jam after school all the time. He was always helping us out, playing keyboards for our bigger shows and being my go-to "ear" to bounce my ideas off of. He was an unofficial member for a long time until we decided that he belonged in the band forrealz. Zach had been filling in on drums for us for a few months and the fit was just too good to deny. His old band had just broken up, so we stole him and now he's never allowed to escape. Both Brian and Zach have contributed so much within the past year and a half or so, it's really impossible to imagine where we'd be without them. Trotta and I would just be yelling at each other.

Describe your style of music? What is skate punk?

We've never been able to put a genre-label on our music. We've gone through phases where we were rock n' roll, punk, ska-punk, etc. I'm very uncomfortable with catering to one genre when I write. We all listen to so much different music that it usually comes out sounding like a conflagration of all of that stuff. When people ask me what genre we are, I usually just say, "punk," because I like to think that no matter how weird our music gets, we're always keeping things as raw as possible and thus maintaining that "punk" vibe.

Skate punk is I guess one of the genres that could fit our music. When I think "skate-punk" I think of Suicide Machines, NOFX, The Offspring. We're definitely hugely influenced by that type of music.

To people who say, "real punk" is dead, how do you respond?

It depends how you define "punk." I think if you're looking for every band that falls into the category of punk to sound like The Casualties or The Ramones or something, that's a very unfortunate way to look at it. Punk's sound has evolved over the years, as has the appearances and the mannerisms and activities. But at the root of it, the DIY rebellious attitude could be found all over the place in music and shouldn't be taken for granted. You can't go to a local show with 14 year old kids running around beating each other up, having the time of their lives and tell me punk is dead. Also, one could say I'm an anarchist. I'm not an anarchist for the punk cred, but obviously that's been a relevant facet of a lot of punk movements over the years.

What is a Curious Volume performance like?

We usually have a loose idea of the songs we're gonna play. I myself usually do a lot of running around and hurting myself. Everyone else plays with a lot of life and energy as well. Usually kids know the words to our songs so they help sing along and stuff. Nothing fancy, just heartfelt performances. We also prefer to have Biggie or Wu-Tang blasting before we start playing.

Any crazy band, show or fan stories?

It's difficult to choose just one! This past January, we went on tour with No Such Noise! from South Jersey. The whole tour was wild and we became best buds with them. The highlight of craziness was definitely, believe it or not, North Carolina. We played at this venue that used to be a movie theater, and found out during the show that our sets would be followed by a dubstep rave. Needless to say, we fully embraced this and went all out. Danced to dustup music the whole night, some of us got pretty drunk, and we made some friends with the locals. The whole night was a sensory overload. The details of the craziness should probably stay within the bands, but yeah. Gotta go with the North Carolina dustep rave. 

Biggest rock star moment as a band?

I can't think of any. I consider any time that I get free booze a "rock star" moment, but that definitely doesn't speak for the whole band. Whenever Trotta walks away from the rest of the band and does his own thing (when we're at the merch table or watching another band play, for instance), I send him a text that says "rock star." He does the same thing to me. He actually deserves credit for starting that. I hate giving him credit though, so forget I said that.

Biggest failure as a band?

We have lost two battle of the bands. But we won one. Battles of the bands are stupid, and usually aren't taken very seriously, for good reason. But yeah, we've failed at those.

Tell us about Mumbles & Whispers.

Mumbles & Whispers is the album that I wrote from 2006-2009. We first released it in 2010 with our old lineup. Recently we recorded it again, to do it justice with the new and improved lineup. We took our time and Brian did an awesome job of engineering it. We improved the songs and re-pressed the CDs with new art. We give it away for free online. The lyrics range from ridiculously depressed to deliriously optimistic. 

What are the main differences between the first recording and now?

The main differences between the old and new versions are the recording quality, a generally more daring and tasteful take on a lot of the music, and the fact that I know how to sing now. Listening back to the old versions, it's embarrassing that I allowed my horrible squawking to be released for people to listen to. This new version is like the "grown-up" take. We think it's the way that these songs were intended to be heard. Also, we made the transitions between songs cooler and totally redid the track Fifteen Minutes.

Any plans of touring in the near future? New album?

We will be announcing two tours very soon. We can't say who we're going with just yet, but we can say that we'll be venturing out further than we ever have. Also, we're currently recording a new single that will be released on a 7" split record. Again, we're not at liberty to say who's putting that out or who the other band on the split will be, but we are extremely excited to be making these announcements in the near future. As for the next full length, I'm done writing all 11 songs. We've pieced about 3/4 of the record together as a band so far, and the writing process has been both challenging and rewarding. We have no idea when that's coming out, but definitely not until we get these next couple of tours under our belts so that we could release it to as many people as possible.

Anything else to add?

Please go ahead and download our music for free at CuriousVolume.com. Share it with your friends, come see us on tour, follow us on twitter, like us on Facebook, come over to meet my parents, etc. Thanks so much for the great questions, and thanks to the readers for either reading through all of my rambling answers or just skipping ahead to the last question to find out what a badass note I ended this interview on. I did it all for the Nookie.

Check out Curious Volume at these sites:

http://curiousvolume.com/

http://www.facebook.com/curiousvolume

https://twitter.com/#!/curiousvolume

http://www.myspace.com/curiousvolume

http://soundcloud.com/curiousvolume

http://www.last.fm/music/Curious+Volume

http://www.youtube.com/curiousvolume

CuriousVolume@gmail.com

Wester Interview by Paul Marino

The local music scene of Staten Island has a never ending flow of sound coming from its home shores. While there is a rather large collection of Hardcore bands saturating the isle there is at least one band that alters the formula and throws a melodic-indie twist on their own version of it. The band Wester has gone through more than one name change but every member has stayed within the band, all since their start in a much larger band, Super Happy Fun Band (now defunct). Band-mates Steven Bacas, Christopher Peters, Michael Scionti, and Jason Roschbach wanted more out of their music and came together to form the group Story, which stuck to more traditional Hardcore music.

After some time playing as Story the band changed their name to Sink You Fool, a shout out to a favorite movie of the artists (points to anyone who knows which film). Under this alias they wrote, composed, and covered a broad variation of Ska music, but late in 2010 the bands direction changed yet again and they became what we know now as Wester.

The band has stuck to it’s Melodic Hardcore mix to produce two EP’s; the first called, Freight in Limbo, released in 2011, and the second, Flux, coming out late 2012. Steve, the bands lead guitarist, described both EP’s as music driven by “relatable sadness.” Lead singer Jason compares some of his lyrics to the feeling of heartbreak, something he and many of us know all too well. Unable to comment on the EP was the bands drummer, Chris, and bass player, Mike. Though both were unable to attend the interview, Steve and Jason spoke on behalf of the absent members.


Wester compares themselves to bands like Brand New and Lifetime and hopes that with the release of Flux, playing shows through out the year, and accumulating fan support they can get signed onto a record label, which is most bands dream.


Steve had made it clear throughout the interview that he did not want to see this group “die out,” as he has seen of some of his past musical endeavors. The four piece wishes to tour within the coming months but said that nothing is currently planned. When asked why there were no definitive tour dates Wester explained that with all the band mates either attending college or working full time that it was becoming difficult to work around all their schedules. They did promise, however, that it would not affect their future in music and pledged to keep working with what they are given.

If you’re interested in Wester check out their music at www.reverbnation.com/WesterNY (which has their first EP available for your listening pleasure) and look for updates on their facebook page at  www.facebook.com/WesterNY. Be on the look out for Wester as their album release gets closer and their vision of making it big moves forward.
    

A Life Worth Living Q&A

Punk rock will always have a special place in my heart because it was the first music I ever really listened to. Back in the day, way back in the day...I was a drummer in a punk band called For Lack of a Better Word, but I digress. 

With great acts of the 90s like MxPx, Slick Shoes, Dogwood and later decade turns like original Relient K and Blink 182, punk has seemed to have lost some of it's luster as the angry voice of a generation. A Life Worth Living is trying to recapture some of that voice and make something memorable.

Where'd you get the name from?

I got the name when reading the Death and Trial of Socrates. In it he decides to allow himself to be put to death, and does so because of his notion of what is the best way to live life. He says something along the lines of a life worth living is one lived for honor and the state. I say no to that, and so our name is an different interpolation of his statement. No one liked it at first. If we could change the name we could call ourselves "Short Controlled Bursts."

You said you are trying to create punk rock that's new and evolving. How are you doing this and what do you think you do differently?

Walter Benjamin talks about Art in the age of mechanical reproduction and how it's changes how art is represented and even how its created. We do not claim to have invented something new, but we consider what punk rock was. We critique older generations (both in lyrics and music) and we attempt to build on that. We also feel that the music we play is music that could not have been produced in the 70s or 80s. We take our energy and anger and mix it with melodic punk of the 90s, and we come out with something that sounds like 2011, at least I think so. We discuss problems that are specific to our time (such as the global economic crisis, which began in 2008).

Is the punk scene on the Island as big as it used to be, and how do you feel about it?

When I was in high school I remember there being a ton of punk rock bands, but by my senior year most had fallen apart. The scene I see now is comprised of both Brooklynites and Islanders. The music is there, but I feel there is a lack of community and inclusion. It seems like there are cliques between different subgenres. I miss going to IHop with 30 kids after our weekly show regardless of what kind of music they thought they played. It's important to remember that these things are cyclical. Before I started going to shows, there was a lull in the amount of shows and bands, just like was the case here a couple years back.

What is your take on Staten Island music, and is it hard to be in a band here?

It's hard to be in a band anywhere. I am so lucky to have found so many people who are into the sound I want to put out. I sometimes think my other band mates are more into it than I am. My advice is what I learned from a movie. "Bands come and go, so just watch your money."

 

Do you have any bands that took you under their wing when you guys started?

For A Life Worth Living we pretty much did it on our own. I have known Barrie from Generic Insight Radio, and she was sweet enough to give us our first show. We have a lot of friend bands who we help out and they help us out, but this is more of a recent thing. For the first two years ALWL was constantly going through lineup changes so we never really played consistently. Now we have two best friend bands and one I would like to think we can take under our wing. We love you, Man The Change and Departures. You too Wester!

If you had to describe a show of yours in 3 words, what is it?

That was fast!

Do you think punk has a place in mainstream media anymore, or has it gone to really pop acts "claiming" punk?

Punk, in essence, cannot have a place in our current mainstream, because our mainstream isn't open to individuals who voice an opinion that goes against current modes of power control. Yes, there are shows on TV and radio that speak out against our current state, but they are few and far between. To join the mainstream as is, means a removal of punk ideology.  If you need to change your “punk” to sell it, then it's just a commodity any fool could buy.

 

However, if as a society as a whole, we decided we would rather have education and free programing, then punk can find its home there. Until then Punks needs to be angry and rebellious against mainstream media.

What's the bands biggest or coolest moment?

I would think it is the time we got banned from a venue for saying the title of one of our songs- "It's Not Gay If It's Cousins".

Where do you see yourselves in 5 years, and what's the ultimate goal of the band?

I usually don't think about the future of this band, and maybe that is a problem. I have been dealing with some issues over the last six months regarding art and messages in art. At the core of what I do is the hope that someone understands my lyrics and thinks about life a little differently. I would prefer it to be on a large scale, but at the same time there is no where I'd rather play than a basement. All I can say for sure is that I hope in 5 years we are still playing as fast, if not faster.

A Life Worth Living - Stupid Stupid from Brooklyn Underground on Vimeo.

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Check out A Life Worth Living at other sites

http://www.brooklynug.com/fr_alwl.cfm
http://www.skatepunkers.net/search/label/A%20Life%20Worth%20Living
http://www.subhumannature.com/2010/07/life-worth-living-motorcycles-in-heat.html
http://www.melodicpunkportal.com/search?q=a+life+worth+living
http://freepunkstuff.blogspot.com/2010/07/life-worth-living-motorcycles-in-heat.html
http://xeasycorex.forummotion.com/t602-a-life-worth-living-motorcycles-in-heat-demo-2010
http://www.punksandskins.com/search.php?sid=47990af30205fa02e2b38e0fcd70517d