Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Gig : Backtrack (February 10, 2012)

Long Island, New York Hardcore band, Backtrack will be visiting the Philippine shores on February 2012 to demonstrate 'The Roots Of Evil'. This will be a one night show, so start marking that calendar.


"It’s safe to say I’m not the only one, it’s always been easier said than done.
I’ve seen their fall so now it’s time for a change, won’t let my darker half control my ways." - Darker Half

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Interview : Truth


1. When and how did it all started? Who came up with the band name?

Jerrad : Hey dude, thanks for doing this with us. Umm...the band all started fall/winter of 2010, I had met my friend Jordan who was into the same stuff as me, and he played guitar, and I played drums. We knew of a bass player for us, but we weren't sure of a front man, which is where our friend Austin came into play. The name is pretty straight forward, which is why we chose it and like it so much. We all agreed on Truth, being a hardcore band, everything said is the honest truth, and as straight to the point as possible.

2. Do you still remember your first band rehearsal? What's it like? 

Jerrad : Our first band rehearsal is really embarrassing actually, haha. Me, Jordan, and Austin all got together in the living room of my parents house which is barely big enough for the furniture in it, so we moved everything to one corner of it and set all of our gear up. We jammed for a bit just playing random things that came to mind. We continued this weekly until we found a bass player that stuck with us, James, and luckily his parents had a big enough house with a spare room upstairs that we could turn into a band room. Pretty cool.

3. How old where you when you first started listening to hardcore-punk?

Jerrad : I actually wasn't too old. I had heard of random punk bands growing up from some stuff my cousin listened to, but I never really got into it until about my freshman year in high school.

4. Who writes the lyrics?

Jerrad : The lyrics actually are a group effort, Jordan writes most of them, but myself and Austin have written some as well.

5. What does Straight Edge mean to you?  

Jerrad : Straight edge really means more to me than anything. As cliche as it sounds, the family I've grown up and around has all had really, really difficult struggles with addiction. When I first got into like, metal/punk and all of that, I tried my share of things, and immediately realizing it wasn't for me. I found straight edge after seeing a friend of mine wearing an In My Eyes shirt. I was drawn to it, fell in love with straight edge hardcore bands, the whole idea behind it, and the feeling of saying that I'm a part of a movement unlike any other.

6. Any vegan/vegetarian band members?

Jerrad : Yes actually! Jordan is vegetarian, and James is vegan. Austin and myself are not.

7. Who are your current favorite straight edge bands?

Jerrad : Current straight edge bands I'm really into are our friends in Modern Pain. Some bands from north that we're either friends with, or have gigged with, like Stick Together from PA. Alert from MA. Outlast from Jersey. 

8. Memorable show so far..

Jerrad : I actually have a few. The second show we played was a small fest with a bunch of hardcore bands from Texas, like our friends Power Trip, and End Times. It was awesome, there were a ton of kids there, and we didn't expect much of a reaction, but kids went off. People were singing our words, which was a shock because our demo had only been out for a month or two. Another was the time we played on the Mother of Mercy/Foundation/Stick Together tour that came through Ft. Worth. We got added on about an hour before the show started because another local dropped. That was our 4th show, and the place was packed. Tons of people were there, but we showed up and played our set, and it was awesome. All of our friends and even people we didn't know went off for us, pitting, singing the words, everything was so tight about that gig. 

9. Can you share the band's goal for 2012?

Jerrad : Our goals in 2012, tour a little bit, gig with cool bands, write an EP, and just have fun playing music we love.

10. Thanks a lot for sharing your thoughts and ideas man. 

Jerrad : Anytime dude, thank you for interviewing, I enjoyed it.

www.facebook.com/truthtx
www.xtruthx.bandcamp.com

Friday, December 09, 2011

Review : Straight Answer 'Passion Is The Reason' (CD)


Straight Answer is a legendary old school hardcore band from Jakarta Indonesia. They have been around since 1996, and to celebrate their fifteenth year of being active in the hardcore-punk community, they released a new full-length album called 'Passion Is The Reason'. Yes, passion is Straight Answer's reason for staying and continuously contributing in the scene. This CD features seven fast and insightful songs about being free and independent, fighting for change, and having a bright future. Fans of positive hardcore, take note! 

"Never give up, never give in
Because we are built to last
- Passion Is The Reason 

Review : Adaje / Shark Bait 'Split' (Cassette Tape)


Second release from Carucage Records, a DIY label out of Memphis, TN and St. Louis, MO. They will be releasing four new 7" records soon, so you might want to check out their website from time to time. Now, on with the split cassette tape. Side A features Adaje, which opens up with an instrumental song called 'Caveman' followed by a song called 'Caveman Not Cometh', a song about misery and selfishness. Heavy guitar riffs, good drum fills, and a harsh vocal delivery are some of the things that you can expect from this band. Shark Bait, on the other side, plays screamo with some indie elements. Lyrics deal with betrayal, egoism, and regrets. Fans of emo/screamo/skramz should check out these two bands.

Here's a video of Adaje playing 'Caveman Not Cometh':


http://adaje.bandcamp.com