Signifying Nothing Episode Beta
By admin on Apr. 26, 2006.
Signifying Nothing Episode Beta
Playlist
Little Rascals-No Shirt No Shoes No Dice
97a-It’s In Our Power
Fury-Space Love
Hands Tied-Rearrange
Fit For Abuse-Nuclear Threat
Shark Attack-On The Attack
Ten Yard Fight-First & Ten
The Evens-All The Governors
Signal Lost-Blueprints For Babylon
Negative FX-Protester
Lion Of Judah-War Of Souls
Restless Youth-Already Dead
Icepick-Angels N Demons
Bold-Speak Out
Judge-No Apologies
Righteous Jams-The Fight Your Game
Siege-Grim Reaper
DRI-Reaganomics
Spazz-Donger
Mental-DFJ’s Diary
Knife Fight-America’s Hardcore
Soul Swallower-Dead Fall
Low Profile Threat-Untitled
Tragedy-Product Of A Cold War Depression
Direct Control-Ronnie’s Dead
Splitting Headache-School Of Life Drop Out
Mind Eraser-Thawed Out
Frank Castle Gonna Break Your Neck!-Fuck Your Flag
Look Back & Laugh-Violent Coercion
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Top 100 Of The Nineties: By The Grace Of God-For The Love Of Indie Rock 7″
By admin on Mar. 2, 2006.
By The Grace Of God
For The Love Of Indie Rock 7”
Victory Records
1996
I remember Victory sending out a newsletter sometime in 1996, probably the summer, about their new releases. The usual garbage like Snapcase and Earth Crisis had new releases, the One Life Crew controversy was covered, and there was an announcement about a new band called By The Grace Of God. This band was supposed to have members of Endpoint and apparently had recently played their first show, playing three songs and a Judge cover. At the time of course crap like Snapcase was huge, real hardcore bands like Devoid Of Faith and Floorpunch were starting to gain momentum, so hearing dudes from Endpoint were doing a band that covered Judge was a good thing.
I got the 7” shortly after. I was pretty floored by it. It sounded, by the time period’s standards, pretty “modern” but was still hardcore and a definite return to the older Endpoint style. Throw in a cover of fucking Plastic Bomb on the CD and I knew this band was good.
I saw them live twice. One at Manville Elks Lodge with the scab version of Deadguy & C.R.. The other time was of course at the infamous show in Yardley PA. I actually missed the whole thing! Our friends in the band Rad opened the show but then Saves The Day was playing so I walked down to the Wawa at the end of the street. By the time I had come back everything had happened. Whoops.
By The Grace Of God would go on to record another record for Victory and then one more record on a smaller label. Members of this band have gone on to be in Black Cross, Good Riddance, and Elliot.
Here is an mp3 of Fissures.
These songs are posted for sample purposes. I post them so that people can be turned on to cool music and hopefully return the favor for someone else. Each mp3 will be up for one week and then will be taken down. please support the bands and labels by buying these records and checking them out when they play your town. DIY hardcore punk bands deserve your support as an alternative to Clear Channel/MTV/RIAA nonsense.
If you are the artist or copyright holder for this song and would like it removed please email me and it will be removed in a timely manner.
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Rain On The Parade
By admin on Oct. 12, 2005.
John and Justin did this interview in May of 1997 for a zine called We’re Not Gonna Take It, which they never finished. We ended up finally using it in 2000 for Parade Brigade #2.
This interview was conducted at the basketball court down the street from the New Providence Hall during Ensign’s set. Also present were myself and one of ROTP’s friends named Lee. I think I asked one question. John and Justin handled the rest. Ronny Little and Matt Smith give answers.
Who is in the band and what do they do?
Ronny-Right now it’s me, Ronny Little, I sing. Matt Smith plays bass; Chris Ross plays Drums, Justin Phillips and DII on guitars.
When did you start as a band and what was the purpose?
Ronny-Well, I started the band in the summer of 1994 because a lot of bands today aren’t playing the style of hardcore that I want to be hearing except for Mouthpiece and a few others. I just decided that it was time for me to take a whack at this hardcore thing because I’ve done bands but I never actually wrote the music that we were playing. This time I was actually writing the music and I learned how to play guitar, so I could be in a band where I liked the music.
Did any of your other bands ever release anything?
Ronny-I was in a bunch of shitty bands that started out good but they ended up playing really lame shit and that’s why I wanted to learn how to play guitar, so we could go through the process and not write lame songs. So then, I got my shit together, and Rain On The Parade is the first band I’m completely happy with.
We know Rain On The Parade is a Half Off song, but why did you pick that song to name your band after?
Ronny-I was listening to a lot of Half Off when I was starting to write all of the songs. Actually, our original name was Glue, but we decided that a lot of bands use that, like punk bands, but that was before Justin. It was Glue when it was just me and DII and these two guys who really didn’t care about the band. So as soon as they were out DII and I were looking for new members but nothing really came together until the summer of 95 and that’s when we changed our name to Rain On The Parade.
What do you think is the worst hardcore record of all time?
Ronny-I’ll let Matt go first since he’s been silent.
Matt-This list is too long.
Ronny-Probably one of the bands I was in during high school.
Matt-Any band that played before Stand Up played; the bands that didn’t even headline over Stand Up were the worst.
Ronny-Unisound was a really shitty club in Reading PA that all the worst bands would play, but it was cool because all the worst bands would get to play with good bands like Gorilla Biscuits, Token Entry, Judge, Turning Point. I’d have to say that the Unisound bands were the worst hardcore bands around. I really want to choose someone but I can’t. It’s weird because I always knock bands left and right but when somebody asks me I can’t remember the shitty band’s names.
How about the cheesiest bands?
Ronny-Matt think back, what are some really bad records you’ve brought?
Matt-Billingsgate.
Ronny-Billingsgate, yeah! And Even Score, they got it; they are even cheesier than Victory Records shit.
This leads to our next question-Are there any Victory bands that you like?
Matt-By The Grace Of God
Ronny-Yeah, By The Grace Of God; they’re the only band I’d say I like
Do you guys like Murphy’s Law?
Both-Yeah I love Murphy’s Law!
The reason why we asked that is because a lot of people that are straight edge today are so close minded, they say, well Murphy’s Law aren’t edge so we can’t listen to them.
Matt-That’s dumb. I’m straight edge
Ok here we go with the generic style-Do you guys skate?
Matt-Yeah, I skate
Ronny-I skated in high school but I was never really good.
What was the downfall of glam rock?
Matt-Grunge. When grunge became cool and mullets weren’t. People traded in their construction boots and Ratt t-shirts for Soundgarden shirts and Docs. That was the downfall of glam rock.
Ronny-I think the downfall of glam was just how conservative the 90′s got all of a sudden. The 80′s were very wild, the styles were ugly, the crazy patterns and florescent colors. The 90′s we are seeing a lot of bands not wearing costumes on stage. I mean, Twisted Sister-look at them. You know that they don’t walk down the street like that. You know that they don’t walk in for Thanksgiving dinner like that and go HI MOM! in their makeup and big hair and plus I think that glam was just bad. People in the 90′s just woke up.
What do you think of Ebonics?
Ronny-Ebonics? I thought we were talking about hardcore?
Matt-Speak English. Ebonics is a thing people learned like five years ago. That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.
Ronny-I know that, that is the way people talk in the ghetto and stuff but sometimes I hear it at a hardcore show.
Matt-I worked in Philly with mostly people from the ghetto and that is how they spoke and I refused to listen to them when they started speaking in Ebonics. I would always be saying “what?” Then they would speak white boy or something and they would explain it to me. They can speak English but they choose not to.
Ronny-I think it’s a racist thing to be honest, you know I don’t think racism is something that is reserved for white people. I’ve seen a lot of fucked up shit and I think that it’s just one more barrier that they are putting between us. I’m speaking a language that I was taught in school; they can be speaking it too. I understand that there is a lot of animosity, that’s fine, actually that’s not fine because I’m not glad it’s there. But they could make it a little easier, I’m not saying all people are like that though. When I hear it at a hardcore show I know that these kids lived in suburban homes and stuff like that. Ebonics just separates people, I don’t know why we can’t just speak the same language.
What band best represents hardcore?
Ronny-Minor Threat or SSD
Who would win in a no holds barred steel cage match, Barney or Grimace?
Ronny-Grimace has that retard strength. There is a reason why dinosaurs are extinct, they were weak. Grimace will pound his ass!
What is Grimace?
Ronny-Grimace is a facial expression, not a purple whatever the hell he is
Before you mentioned Minor Threat was the best representation of hardcore, what do you think of Embrace?
Ronny-I like Embrace
How about Fugazi?
Matt-They’re alright, I mean they never set out to be a hardcore band
What about the whole no dancing thing?
Matt-They aren’t really a danceable band. People see them as an alternative band. I mean, why would you want to dance to Fugazi anyway?
Ronny-I think they play good rock and have been consistent at it for years. Every album they have recorded has been either good or at least ok. Repeater is awesome!
What about Black Flag? What do you think of the rumors of a reunion?
Ronny-I love Black Flag! Is that reunion thing happening? I’ve been hearing about that for years. If they came around to Philly I’d definitely see them. I’d be the first one out, whipping out my credit card and getting tickets from Ticketron.
What do you think happened to Rerun?
Ronny-I think The Doobie Brothers beat his ass after he tried-
Matt-To bootleg tapes and when they saw the tape recorder fall out, they stopped the show. Then they went to Rob’s place and worked it out.
What’s up next for you guys?
Matt-We recorded nine songs and eight of them are on our 7” that is out on My War Records.
How about a full length?
Matt-It was supposed to be out as a full length but it got messed up. Most of the songs weren’t ready so we will try to do that next.
This question is kind of awkward, but if you could see any band do a cover of any band, who would it be and what song?
Ronny-I’m not really big on covers, you know what, I would like to see our band cover Rain On The Parade!
So Ronny, is that Government Issue song named after you?
Ronny-(totally clueless) Sarge?
Nevermind…
Ronny-When Government Issue was playing I was listening to Van Halen and AC/DC so I don’t know.
Most important question of the night-Favorite Van Halen singer?
Ronny-You don’t even have to ask that. Let me make this clear, there was only one Van Halen singer and that is David Lee Roth. They were Van Hagar when David left ok?
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Weapon X
By admin on Oct. 12, 2005.
Weapon X was a band who only played one show at the Manville Elks Lodge on August 9th 1997. Members of Weapon X have also been in Ensign, Vision, The Purpose, Black Turns Green, Kurbjaw, A Death In The Family, and some others. Here is the flyer from the show. I remember the week before Floorpunch, Vision, and 25 Ta Life played the same venue. In fact, Manville would be a consistent venue for a few years after this. Sometimes I really miss the place. It was easy to get to (go around the circle, go up six lights, make a left!), the people who ran it seemed to be really cool, and I always knew no matter what show I went to that some of my friends would be around. Anyhow, here are some things I remember from this show-
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Weapon X opened and sounded good. Of course, at the time anything that was not “metal” sounded good to us. Something about body bags and all that stuff you know? They busted out two covers at the end of their set, Insecurity by Turning Point and In My Way by Judge. They sold shirts (with the Calvin edge logo that I think is on the ep too if I remember correctly) and had 200 clear vinyl eps. I got a shirt and an ep. About a year later, in one of my first eBay sales, I sold both for a lot of money.
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In My Eyes and Fastbreak got crazy reactions if I remember correctly. Those early In My Eyes shows were pretty amazing. Fastbreak were still good at this point.
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I remember Justin buying, for both of us, the Time Flies and Count Me Out demos. At the time they were just two more youth crew bands to us, I never would have thought both would get as big as they did.
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This was also the first show with the new lineup (I think?) for Hands Tied. I remember being really excited but not many other people watched them! Despite all the cool shows in the summer of 1997, two big things were missing for most of the summer: Hands Tied and Floorpunch. We went outside to go to the car (for some reason we packed our lunches for this show!?!) and Justin and I overheard a couple “scenesters” openly talking shit about Hands Tied. This bummed me out hard. I wish 26-year-old Bill could go back and let 17-year-old Bill know that he had better be prepared for many bum outs in the next few years.
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Despite the lure of singing along to the words hope is good, don’t do drugs, we skipped Shutdown to go get something to drink down the street at Quick Check. On the way down the street, we saw some workers cleaning up a nasty car accident. This older woman was standing on the curb, so we asked her what happened. We started talking and she, surprisingly, started asking us about “the concert at the lodge.” We made small talk for a few minutes and she seemed to really get where we were coming from. I remember feeling really good about that.
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I do not remember anything special about Ensign’s set. I probably saw them about twenty times that year, so most of it is a bit blurry.
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We did not bother watching Good Riddance. Well, Courtney may have; I know I stayed outside and tracked down Nate for Weapon X interview below.
For a long time this was the only Weapon X interview ever done, but apparently someone in Europe did one a few years later too. Present for this was Nate, myself, Justin, Pete Smith, and Justin’s sister Courtney. This is an amusing interview for me; the comments certain interviewers make in here would seemed ridiculous shortly after. Courtney’s brief cameo near the end of the interview would become a Manahawkin catch phrase for a while after. Sorry Courtney; we were assholes back then, especially me.
Bill-Who is in Weapon X?
Weapon X is Nate Edge on vocals, Chris Youth on bass, Positive Paulie on drums, and Shaun Edge on guitar
Bill-Are you gonna play more shows?
I want to
Bill-I haven’t gone off like that since Redemption 87, and that was the first band of the day!
Awesome
Pete-In My Way did it for me
Bill-Turning Point and Judge covers
It was good people were singing along because I couldn’t remember part of it…
Pete-My day isn’t complete without listening to the Judge 7”
I always mix up verses
Bill-Who from Strength 691 is in Weapon X?
Just me
We bullshit for a couple minutes…eventually the conversation gets into this dick measuring crap about hockey. I was not too into this back then and I really cannot stand it now.
Justin-Ronny Little was saying how the Flyers were going to win it all but they went down.
Pete-The Flyers and Rangers can both go down. Now the Devils on the other hand…
Justin-Yeah
Bill-Here we go again…
I’m all about New Jersey but I’m just not a Devils fan…not really a big sports fan
Bill-With the Turning Point cover a lot of people seemed to not know it or even the Judge cover. What do you think of that?
Doesn’t really bother me… I did Judge because, well…Judge is Judge! The thing with Turning Point is I love Turning Point ever since I first heard them. They’re so awesome; I always wanted to cover them. The closest I came was Strength 691 was going to cover Guidance but we never got around to it.
Bill-Has Ensign been supportive?
Tim pretends to hate it
Justin-That’s so you stay in Ensign!
Bill-You’re like Porcell…in so many bands
I told Tim some of the stuff is four to five years old. I had stuff written for a long time. I really wanted to do vocals for old school straight edge hardcore. I had people but I would get a guitarist and by the time I got bass the guitarist would’ve sold out.
Justin-You have a striking resemblance to Jimmy Gestapo…just a little
It’s the glasses; I have pictures of us hanging out
Justin-Awesome guy
Bill-Jimmy rules
Take them off and you get Civ
Bill-Yeah, wow
Justin-RJ…(Laughs)
Bill-Our friend RJ looks so much like Porcell
Awesome
The conversation turns towards band reunions. Judge and Wide Awake come up; Justin makes some embarrassing comments about loving Wide Awake.
Justin-What do you think about old bands getting back together?
Let’s put it this way…one minute you’re in your face straight edge, supporting the scene, and when the scene went bad they broke up and now their back for the money. I don’t want to name names…
Bill-That’s our job!
That’s what Ressurection on the demo is about
Justin-Never seen the demo
Real small press
Bill-Are all two hundred seven inches clear?
Yeah
Bill-Are you going to do a 2nd press?
I want it to be like a Schism release…like New York Crew…if someone else wanted to repress it I’d be into it but I’m not going to
Bill-Is Weapon X going to be playing any of the Ensign/Good Riddance tour dates?
No because they’ll all be here and I’ll be on tour
Bill-Be funny if you played to the pop-punk kids…
That’d be awesome; the guys in Redemption 87, when they were out here for that weekend, said Weapon X should fly out, the kids would love it.
Bill-They’re playing their last show tonight
Justin-That’s funny because when Redemption 87 came out here Eric said New Jersey was the best place he’d ever played
Pete-Zoli said the same thing when Ignite came here, he said in California the kids have no energy
Well New Jersey is the best
Pete-When my brother came home from California with Hogan’s Heroes two years ago he said they loved them, especially at Gilman St.
Bill-Did you see Justin’s construction gloves?
Yes they’re awesome. I was going to get a pair but didn’t have time
Bill-You need chains and construction gloves for the whole Judge thing
I think I’m going to go for the whole Underdog thing and get football jerseys
Justin (suddenly peaking up)-Play Frontside Grind!!!
I wanted to do Back To Back
Bill-Play Say It!
Can’t…
Bill-During Ensign’s set Tim was like “you want to hear Say It?” and everyone was like YEAH and then he’d say “nope”
Bill-What happened during Shutdown’s set? We weren’t here…
Stupid shit
Justin-There was some kid raving tonight
Bill-Our whole high school is ravers
Courtney-I’m in the middle school, I’m not a raver
Pete-You could exchange their skate shirts for an Earth Crisis shirt because they already have the pants and shoes, you wouldn’t know the difference
Bill-I can’t tell sometimes
I remember when I started skating everyone was into hardcore
Justin-Token Entry
Bill-Ok, let’s finish up
Thanks for the interview; we had a great time tonight, awesome show
Justin-What do you think is the worst hardcore record ever?
Hmm…gotta think on this one
Bill-New Strife?
Pete-I’d have to go with Billingsgate
Bill-Ray and Porcell…that record just sucks
Yeah that would get my vote definitely. Ok I have to go help load
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Judge-Where It Went: The Complete Discography
By admin on Sep. 20, 2005.
Judge
Where It Went: The Complete Discography CD
Revelation Records
What more can really be said about Judge that has not already been said? This discography contains all of their released material- NY Crew Ep, Bringin It Down LP, Chung King Can Suck It LP, There Will Be Quiet… EP, plus a couple demo tracks. All of this is great and all, but I have a problem-Why isn’t the complete demo on here? Oh wait, they need a “bonus track” for the vinyl. What a bunch of bullshit. It’s called a fucking “discography” for a reason. Why would I shell out more money for three more songs I have had for years on tape? Duh, uh, no. At least Revelation didn’t remix/otherwise fuck with this stuff like when they ruined the Youth of Today and Chain of Strength records with shitty remixes/new layouts. It would be nice to have that WNYU set on CD also. I still think that is the best recording of Judge out there. My small (and really they are small) complaints aside, this is essential material whether you are straight edge or just like good hardcore. NY Crew is essential. Bringin It Down has not held up too well for more, but having Chung King on CD is also nice. I have always preferred that version for whatever reason.
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