Introducing The Putz: Punk Rock Pioneers and Ethical Pricing in the Modern Music Industry

Hello everyone,

IBR is back with a new record. This time, it’s a band that’s a new addition to our label, and we’re talking about The Putz. For those who don’t know them, they’re a punk rock band from the American Midwest. Punk rock and the American Midwest might sound like flannel shirts and long beards to many of you, but this trio, going against the grain, plays a direct, no-frills, super melodic punk rock, just the way I like it.

On And Up And Out” is a 7″ that contains 4 songs that fully represent the band’s style. Listen to them and form your own opinion. When good old Henry from Memorable But Not Honorable asked me if I was interested in co-producing the record, honestly, I accepted without thinking twice. And once I listened to it, I was even more convinced and happy to have contributed to the release of this 7″.

The reasons are simple: it’s a band I like – and that’s the main reason for me to produce a record (which in other words means putting up the cash) – and above all, it’s a band that works hard with tours and concerts all over North America. In the end, if the band doesn’t work hard and believe in themselves, why should I believe in them?

Another small digression: let’s talk about 7″s. It’s my favorite format but, let’s be clear, it’s now obsolete and prohibitively expensive for many. They used to be bought/sold easily for 5 euros, but in 2024 it’s impossible to maintain those prices. Many collectors complain – and they are absolutely right – but just do a little research and ask for some quotes to realize that selling a 7″ for 8 euros is an ethically correct price to balance the books as much as possible, without taking advantage of the enthusiasts who still support this small niche of punk rock.

I won’t go on any longer, but I recommend one last time to listen to the EP and form your own opinion, and if you want to support the band and the label, it wouldn’t hurt.

Below you will find some useful links.

On And Up And Out on Spotify

The Putz on Facebook

The Putz on Instagram

Buy “On And Up and Out” from I Buy Records (Europe)

Buy “On And Up and Out” from Memorable But Not Honorable (USA)


Work Harder, Not Smarter Out Now!

Hello punk rockers, Exciting news!

In partnership with Memorable But Not Honorable Records, we’re thrilled to announce the release of The Carmines highly anticipated album. I have absolute confidence in both the album and the band’s talent. Last summer, I had the pleasure of meeting Nate Roberts at Punk Rock Raduno, and he’s the coolest guy you could ever meet. He’s even promised to teach me how to surf next summer!

Let’s give a high-five to Nate and the entire band! Make sure to give the album a listen and consider buying the record if you enjoy it.

You can stream the entire album here:

The Carmines – Work Harder, Not Smarter available at:

(USA) – Memorable But Not Honorable

(Canada) – Forbidden Beat

In 2023, I have to admit that I Buy Records has not been very active. Unfortunately, or rather fortunately, I changed jobs with new and many commitments, and the impact was not very easy, given that I had to start from scratch. However, in 2024, I must say it will be a very important year. I am working on various releases, a tour, and much more, so I commit to updating the website more frequently and also the news section, always related to my activities. Oh, I almost forgot. I have updated the record shop section. In addition to making the new Carmines album available, I have uploaded over a hundred new albums from the best American labels and lowered the prices of many albums. Take a look! Until next time!

Recap E Gli Album Imprescindibili del 2022

Ho iniziato a leggere l’ultimo post sul sito ed è di Maggio scorso rendendomi conto che tutti i buoni propositi del 2022 sono andati a farsi fottere ancora una volta.
Avevo promesso di essere più attivo sul sito, e puntualmente non l’ho fatto visto che sono passati “solo” 7 mesi dall’ultimo post. Ma alla fine, tranne me, non penso che qualcuno ne abbia sentito davvero la mancanza. Ormai i blog non se li caga più nessuno dato che i contenuti si sono ormai spostati su podcast, twitch, youtube. Magari un giorno mi aggiornerò anche io ma la vedo dura.

Se nel blog non sono stato attivissimo come label/distro e booking le cose sono andate decisamente meglio. Proverò a fare un breve recap di cosa si è fatto e vi metterò qualche link per l’ascolto/acquisto, così se vi siete persi qualcosa che vi interessa, c’è tempo per rimediare e supportare.

School Damage – Critical Excess

Con un groppo in gola devo dire che qui in Italia è un album che è passato un po’ troppo in sordina. I più attenti sapranno che è già la seconda release per IBR e spero con tutto il cuore che continueranno a fare parte della “family” a lungo visto che mi legano tantissimi ricordi a questi ragazzacci di Toronto. In alto trovate il link per ascoltare il loro album e farvi un’idea ma il loro sound è ben chiaro già dalle prime note: punk rock veloce e doloroso come un pugno in faccia, testi cupi e nichilismo a go-go. Ciliegina sulla torta, dal vivo vi spettinano e vi trapanano le orecchie.

Se interessati potete acquistarlo cliccando qui.

The Young Rochelles – Interstellar Communication

New entry in casa IBR! Gli Young Rochelles sono un trio di Long Island, New York. Chiodo-Converse-Downstrokes, insomma sapete cosa aspettarvi: 4 pezzi al fulmicotone con tante ottime melodie e con i fratellini di NYC nel cuore. E’ davvero un piacere aver pubblicato questo 7″ in compagnia degli amici di Hey Pizza Records (US), Endless Detention Records (AU) e Dumb Records (JP). Questo tipo di distribuzione secondo me sono fondamentali per dare il giusto risalto a un disco quando non si hanno grossi mezzi a disposizione.

Non sono rimaste tantissime copie a disposizione, se siete interessati si può acquistare qui

Ratbones – Teenage Confusion And Adult Delusion

Faccio sempre fatica a parlare della mia band, ma ammetto che sono contento e orgoglioso del risultato finale ma soprattutto soddisfatto dei feedback ricevuti. E’ stato un disco nato e registrato nel bel mezzo della pandemia e, considerando le distanze che mi separano dagli altri ragazzi, non è stato proprio facile. Considerando il periodo storico, sicuramente è una storia comune per un milione di altre band, quindi kudos per tutti quanti. Colgo l’occasione per ringraziare tutti gli amici che ci hanno sostenuto, il disco è sempre disponibile e loro trovate qui sia in CD che in LP.

Zoanoids / Proton Packs – Split

Che dire di questo split? Semplicemente magnifico! Due band che adoro e a cui sono legato particolarmente perchè rappresenta un po’ la mia visione dell’etichetta. Da una parte una band che ormai reputo dei fratelli e tra le persone migliori all’interno della “scena”, dall’altra una band che ho scoperto casualmente e che è stata una piacevolissima intuizione. Purtroppo, come molti sapranno gli Zoanoids si sono sciolti, ma se tutto fila liscio a Gennaio ’23 uscirà il secondo disco che è davvero fantastico.

In ogni caso anche questo split sta per terminare. Sono rimaste veramente una manciata di copie e lo potete trovare qui.

Ratbones – Ratbones

Questo è il disco d’esordio dei Ratbones uscito nel 2013 quando ancora non facevo parte della band e che vedeva una lineup diversa da quella attuale. Il cd prima stampa è ormai soldout da una vita ma abbiamo pensato bene di ristamparlo con Mom’s Basement aggiungendo una ghost track.

Anche la seconda stampa sta per terminare e la trovate qui

Beatnik Termites – 7″ Collection

I Beatnik Termites non hanno bisogno di presentazioni, dai. Scoperti da ragazzino ormai 20 anni fa, avere la possibilità di far uscire un disco per loro è stata una piccola ma enorme soddisfazione. L’idea di questa raccolta è nata, purtroppo, solo un paio di settimane prima del mini tour tra Spagna e Italia che ho organizzato per loro e ovviamente non ci sono stati i tempi tecnici per una adeguata stampa in vinile. Magari un giorno succederà, mai dire mai.

Il disco è ancora disponibile qui.

Inoltre colgo l’occasione per anticipare che tra Gennaio e Febbraio 2023, ci saranno due dischi in uscita, a breve vi darò maggiori dettagli.

E adesso che ho parlato dell’ attività come label, adesso passiamo al booking. La chiusura del Ligera, il nostro piccolo CBGB, purtroppo è stato un colpo durissimo. Trovare un posto adeguato per ospitare i nostri concerti in modalità sostenibile non è stato affatto facile ma con il Giambella Proud sono certo che con il tempo si potrà instaurare una nuova ed interessante collaborazione. Cosa si è fatto nel 2022? Poco ma lo riporto lo stesso:

  • Beatnik Termites/Ratbones : un fantastico ma complicatissimo mini tour in Spagna di 4 giorni. Tra un furgone rotto il giorno della partenza e casi di Covid nella “crew” nonostante tutto l’abbiamo portata a casa alla grande. Un grazie particolare ad Hormiga, senza di te non ce l’avremmo mai potuta fare. Da segnalare anche la partecipazione dei BT al Punk Rock Raduno, a mio avviso uno dei concerti più fighi di tutto il festival.
  • Stinking Polecats: primo concerto a Milano post reunion dopo oltre 20 anni. E’ stato il primo concerto al Giambella Proud Live, non proprio facile ma sicuramente divertente. In apertura si sono esibiti Massilanciasassi (già frontman dei Leeches) e i Panamas che vi consiglio di tenere d’occhio.
  • DeeCracks/Ratbones: un piccolo weekend tra Milano e Castiglione delle Stiviere con i cari austro/svizzeri. Suonare al Dallò è un’esperienza mistica ed è probabilmente uno degli ultimi posti caldi e accoglienti di tutto il Nord Italia.

Cosa bolle in pentola per il 2023? Al momento nulla, ma appena si allineano i pianeti come dico io, qualcosa si muoverà. Promesso.

Adesso parliamo dei miei album preferiti del 2022. Premetto che escluderò a priori qualsiasi mia release e parlerò solo di full length. No reissue, no EP, no compilation, no live album, no cover album, no acustici. Non si tratta di una classifica e l’ordine è praticamente casuale seguendo la mia playlist di Spotify Punk Rock 2022 (che trovate qui sotto).

Sangue – 13 Pezzi: non sono un grande ascoltatore dell’ HC, ne ascolto poco ma solo quando mi acchiappa immediatamente. Porca miseria questi sono 13 turbo pezzi che ti stendono al primo istante e che trasudano di cuore, attitudine, e sudore. In fondo in fondo la Sardegna non è così lontana da NYC.

Christian Blunda – Funky Punks in Space: Per chi non lo conoscesse, lui è il cantante dei Mean Jeans. Questo disco a mio avviso non ha avuto il giusto risalto. Non aspettatevi di certo un disco dei MJ: qui parliamo di una sorta di synth-punk rock dalle venature ’80s fatto davvero molto bene. Non ci credete? Ascoltatevi Inside a Black Hole o Vortex: pezzoni clamorosi!

Sack – Ripper! : I Sack sono un vecchio progetto di Kody dei Lillingtons/TBR rispolverato dopo anni e che vede adesso coinvolti Ray Rocket e praticamente i Bricheros (gruppo peruviano/del Colorado molto fico). Ad anni di distanza, sparano fuori un disco niente male, punk rock fino al midollo. Non sono i Lillingtons, né i TBR ma hanno una propria personalità. E proprio per questo che perdono a Kody la canzone “I hate the Beach Boys“.

Stinking Polecats – ST 2022: Dopo vent’anni gli SP si sono riformati (a dire il vero ci fu una reunion nel 2014 leggi qui il report) e hanno pubblicato un album molto figo. Il tempo è passato ma il talento è rimasto intatto. Promosso a pieni voti, potete acquistarlo qui

Screeching Weasel – The Awful Discolosures of: In una fase estremamente prolifica Ben Weasel sforna un nuovo album a distanza di soli 2 anni. Ad essere onesto, ho preferito il precedente Some Freaks of Atavism forse perchè più immediato all’ascolto ma anche qui il livello è molto alto. Se siete fan delle donnole sicuramente non resterete delusi (prima stampa disponibile qui).

The Manges – Book Of Hate For Good People: Se il punk rock made in Italy è motivo d’orgoglio per tutti noi, grande merito è dei veterani di Las Pezia che continuano a sfornare a distanza di tanti anni ancora album di altissimo livello. High On Stress e Red Flags probabilmente sono tra i loro pezzi migliori di sempre.

Suzi Moon – Dumb & In Luv: Devo essere onesto, nonostante ne abbia sentito parlare spesso ho spesso ignorato colpevolmente Suzi. Ex Civet e Turbulent Hearts, ha sfoggiato davvero un gran bell’album. Ho visto anche qualche video su youTube e sembra che anche dal vivo spacca i culi a 3/4 delle band in giro, mi piacerebbe davvero vederla da queste parti. Ascolto vivamente consigliato.

OFF! – Free LSD: Altro disco che è un bel pugno in faccia. Il caro Keith Morris, invece di godersi la meritata pensione del punk e crogiolarsi sul suo glorioso passato, è ancora lì fuori a sfornare dischi incredibili e dare lezioni di punk hardcore a tutti quanti.

Brad Marino – Basement Beat: Anche qui, una piacevolissima sorpresa e anche qui un’artista che ho sempre un po’ trascurato colpevolmente. Disco ramonescore al 100% ma fatto con cognizione di causa. I giri, le melodie e i trick del genere ci sono tutti, ma questo disco è l’esempio che se sei bravo, puoi anche non cadere nella banalità del clichè. Ancora pochissime copie disponibili qui

Expulsados – El Laberinto de Neblina: E’ storia risaputa che i Ramones in Sud America sono venerati come divinità e gli Expulsados ne sono un po’ il simbolo. Cantassero in inglese, potrebbero essere paragonati tranquillamente agli Huntingtons in overdose di Mondo Bizarro. Se amate il ramonescore amerete anche questo disco, da ascoltare piacevolmente mentre si sorseggia del mate.

The Windowsill – Focus leggenda narra che pubblicare questo disco è stata una fatica immensa. Tra pigrizia, covid e scazzi vari sono passati 5 anni dall’ultimo album e devo dire che l’attesa è stata ben ripagata. I pezzi scorrono via piacevolmente a conferma che Marien è tra i migliori songwriter in Europa per il nostro genere.

The Young Hasselhoffs – Life Got In The Way immaginatevi i Beach Boys un po’ tristi, con la chitarra un po’ distorta, non più tanto Young e sbarazzini e forse un po’ troppo maturi: lo scenario detto così non è proprio tra i più invitanti ma se ascolterete il disco sono certo che rimarrete affascinati dalle ottime melodie che dopo un paio di ascolti ti si appiccicano in testa (disponibile qualche copia qui).

Per adesso è tutto. Ci risentiremo a breve quando avrò qualcosa da dire.

A Little update from IBR world

Hey Hey! IBR is not dead, I’m just working hard behind the scenes. I’m basically too busy with work and personal life to update the website, but IBR is still alive and I’m pushing very hard to back on tracks with all the plans I had just before the pandemic.

I’m also ready to announce a very nice tour that we had to postpone twice for obvious reason. It seems like we’re slowly going back to our lives, but damn, let’s stay careful.

Anyway, we have not one, not two, not three but 4 fucking releases coming out this month! I’m very happy to have been involved with these bands as they truly represent the meaning of two simply words: P-U-N-K R-O-C-K.

First album comes from my band Ratbones (follow in case you don’t!) and it’s called Teenage Confusion and Adult delusion. We really worked very hard and I hope you guys are gonna like it. It’s gonna be released together with the help of the mighty Mom’s Basement Records. Bandcamp/CD release day is May 20. Unfortunately, the vinyl release is a little postponed but it should be ready around late June. I’m gonna setup a preorder very soon so you can get it as soon as it’s available. Can’t wait, amigos!

More details are coming from the other 3 releases, just stay tuned. In the meanwhile, two more albums are available from the worst store on the web (click here):

Hakan – Manifesto
Limoges_NOLU – Milan Shakes, Turin Shocks, Speciani Sucks

and don’t forget we have still copies of School Damage new album, it’s still damn hot!

I’ll try to update the website as much as possible, but I won’t make any promise. If you wanna get in touch, just reach me through the social media where I’m a little more active.

Cheers

Interview with School Damage

When the band started?
We started in 2010 I think. We’ve gone through a lot of drummers since. And two guitar players. But we’ve been lucky enough to play in several countries, see some cool shit and drink their alcohol.

Could you please tell us which are your main musical influences ?
When we first started we were definitely influenced by the Riverdales and Lillingtons. Now we’re a bit more fluid with how we write songs. We don’t really follow that Ramones Core structure anymore. A lot of bands do that style of music better than us anyway.

Visualizza immagine di origine

You played at PUNK ROCK Raduno in Bergamo in 2017. Im terribly sorry I must admit I’ve missed your set. How do you found playing @EDONE’ in Bergamo and how was your Europe tour? Do you have some funny stories to tell us about?
You missed our set?! Haha, it’s okay man. We were on pretty early in the day. That was a lot of fun. Endless beer, great bands and everyone is so friendly. We’ve done a few festivals but the Raduno is up there as one of the best. It’s a different vibe than North America. Way more chill. I got pretty drunk on the last night and fell in a Rose Bush on the way back to the hotel and got cut up pretty bad. I have scars from that. As for the European tour, it was great. We definitely annoyed those Ratbones guys who we toured with. We got really hammered in Austria and woke up at the German Border with illicit substances on us. That sobered us up pretty quick. Luckily they didn’t have the dogs out.

Visualizza immagine di origine

Do you like and do you want to tell us about other good bands from your area? You’re from TORONTO right? Have you ever heard about Vincenzo Esposito? He’s an Italian basketball. player that played in TORONTO RAPTORS around 1995, he was such a pioneer speaking about italian basketball!!
Toronto has definitely had some incredible bands. I’m proud of being from Toronto because of our music history is so rich. We’re one of the pioneering place’s for punk rock! Unfortunately a lot of my favorite bands from here have broken up, but Brutal Youth are probably my favorite and they’re good friends of ours since day one. Teenage Head and the Vapids are incredible bands too, but they’re not from Toronto. They’re from the neighboring city called Hamilton. I’ve been to several Raptors games but I’m not Huge basketball fan so I’m not familiar with that player. The Raptors would have just started in 1995 and I was 12. I was too busy jacking off and listening to my shitty CD’s.

CANADA is great for PUNK ROCK music, I’m thinking about CHIXDIGGIT, my favourite Canadian band, and PKEW PKEW PKEW..another great band i had the opportunity to see before the pandemic.
So what’s the magic, the magic glue, that make Canada have so many great bands?

Funny story. I recently found a flyer where Pkew Pkew Pkew actually opened for us. But obviously they’re very successful now as well as very nice dude’s and a great band. We’ve played with Chixdiggit a few times too and they’re also great guys. I love KJ. I always say he’s the nicest guy in punk. He can tell you a story about me if you ever get a chance to talk to him. I don’t know what it is about Canada. Maybe it’s the long winter’s. But Italy has some incredible bands, too so don’t sell yourself short.

Which place do you like to play more? I mean when things will be ok again do you wonder about going on tour? Do you think about something to promote the new record?
I can’t fucking wait to go back on tour. We had a tour with Lone Wolf through Canada but of course it got cancelled due to COVID. It’s weird putting album out during a pandemic because there’s no other way of promoting it besides online. We can’t even play the new songs live. But we’re very thankful Andrea from I Buy Records and John from Mom’s Basement are helping us put this new album out. Hopefully we can tour America and Europe again. I love the unpredictability of touring other countries.

Visualizza immagine di origine

Do you know and do you listen to some bands from Italy?
Yes! Ratbones, Livermores (RIP Manu), Mega, Proton Packs, Teenage Bubblegums. The Ratbones and Jimmy Vapid have shown me a lot of great Italian bands and we’ve been fortunate to play with some of them.

Another question about Canadian bands..do you guys like the Weakerthans?
It’s a band Ive see a couple of times live and that really impressed me alot. I can honestly say I haven’t listened to them very much. I’ve seen them live once and think John Samson is a great song writer but never fully got into them. I really liked the era of Propaghandi when he was in the band still.

So speaking about your new album, could you tell us something more about the lyrics and the ideas behind it?
Lyrically I feel it’s darker than any other album we’ve done. Jon, our bassist, called them depressing. But he’s right. The songs I contributed are kind of depressing but there’s also a bit of hope in there as well. I’m a depressed person so that’s what you get. We’re older now so it’s more of a mature album. No joke songs it anything. It’s our first album with Dennis Lee, our new drummer. I don’t think he likes me very much but I like him.

Do you find yourself great playing as a TRIO?
We’ve been a 4 piece off and on but I am happy with being a trio. But at times I miss a second guitar covering up for my mistakes.



Last question..Do you have any message for your Italian fans?
We have Italian fans?! Well, I just want to say that we can’t wait to go back there and we are probably going to hug and share a beer with every single one of you when this is all over and we can visit Italy again. Also, Italians are also the most attractive people in the world.

Thanks a lot for your time, please also If you’d like say something funny that you know in italian 🙂 We will mention it on the radio show for sure! 🙂
Thanks Tommi!
My Italian is terrible so when we were at Punk Rock Raduno the bartender wouldn’t give me a beer until I pronounced it properly. We also call things that are cool “tight” in North America but in Italy you don’t have an expression like that so we were calling things “stretto” which obviously makes no sense to anyone else in Italy but it was funny to us. We were definitely dumb tourists.

Interview with Avem

AVEM in Latin means BIRD. And their songs are only about birds: the thing itself is quite bizarre but funny that it intrigued me enough to go deeper. I must say that they are good. And if they have received the blessing of Jimmy “Maestro” Vapid, it means that it is worth knowing them a little more. And who could interview them if not the most famous ornithologist of the italian scene, mr. Tommi GB aka Il Gabbiano from Radio Eustachio? Please a warm welcome to Tommi, a great dude that will entertain you with cool interviews!

When the band started ? 

Avem has been around since the end of 2017, when three old friends from high school got together to play some of the old songs we used to jam.  That quickly morphed into writing a new song or two, and when we were outside smoking weed considering what to write lyrics about a huge woodpecker started pounding on a nearby tree. The thought of singing about birds came to mind, and that’s what led us to start singing about birds! We’ve added another guitar player since that time, and are on our third drummer so lots has changed since the initial band started!

Could you please tell us which are your main  musical influences ? 

Well we obviously hate the Ramones LOL jk!!!! We all grew up listening to punk rock and ska of all kinds.  We were teenagers in the 90s and early 2000s so it was a lot of Fat Wreck and Epitaph bands.  I’d say some big bands for Morry (guitar player) and myself these days are Teenage Bottlerocket, The Manges, The Hextalls, Giant Eagles, The Queers, Windowsill, DeeCracks, Teenage Bubblegums, NOFX. Anything Dan Vapid, anything Jimmy Vapid, Mr T Experience,  Weakerthans, Louis Armstrong.  Swing music of the 20s-50s.  Been listening to a lot of The Beths and Jagger Holly lately too. Don’t forget the Groovie Ghoulies. OH and The SUCK‘s new album kicks ass.  Haha we could go on and on.  All of these bands do cool little things or write cool songs that inspire us to write the songs we do.

Speaking about influences for sure you love talking about birds in your songs, please tell us something more about this

 

Birds are so rad.  Some of my earliest memories of being a kid living on a farm are all the cool birds that used to come to our feeder.  What’s so cool about birds is that the more you learn about them, the more you learn that there are so many species that are incredibly different, and it’s amazing what they do to survive.  For example a 3g hummingbird flies over the Gulf of Mexico 1300-1800km IN ONE FLIGHT every single migration. That is twice a year this tiny little thing flies across a massive body of water, for reasons humans still don’t entirely understand.  Some birds dance, some birds mimic, some birds simply survive.  There are a lot of similarities you can find between birds and how they behave/what they have to go through and humans, so we like to talk about birds themselves, and human life experiences as told through the perspective of birds.  

Do you like and do you want to tell us about other good bands from your area?  

Oh man I don’t want to do any of them a disservice because there are so many that work so hard and kick ass!  School Damage is one that comes to mind but you might have heard of them already 😉 If I had to name 3 local bands they’d be in no particular order: Hangtime, Busm, Mad Murdocks.

My favourite Canadian band are the Chixdiggit! I had the opportunity to see them live here in Italy. I can tell I was also really impressed by the Creeps when Andre from IBR bring them to punk rock raduno. I went in tour as a roadie with Andre and his band The Ratbones…They told me great things about their Canadian tour, about Jimmy Vapid and alot of other cool things.  Ah man also i saw 3 years ago the band PKEW PKEW PKEW that are really good… So what’s the magic, the magic glue or powder that make Canada having so many great bands? 

Oh man I remember seeing Chixdiggit! with Kepi Ghoulie playing bass for them.  I’m surprised their hips don’t break, their power stances are so low awesome.  I also interviewed KJ once for a friend’s blog, MusicSheBlogged (what up Sarah Litt!)   What’s the magic, you ask? I’d have to ask the same thing about Italy!!! There are some fucking amazing bands coming out of Italy that just blow my mind and I wish they’d come over here to Canada!  Maybe because there are a lot of Italians that live in Canada? I’m going to go with that answer.

Which place do you like to play more? I mean when things will be ok again do you wonder about going on tour?

So far we’ve only really played in our home province, in the south side.  Toronto at Bovine Sex Club is an awesome place, there was a bar called The Foxx Lounge & Hotdoggery that kicked ass north of Toronto, and an AWESOME place in the suburbs in the basement of a restaurant called Rotilicious. That place kicks so much ass.  In terms of where we want to play, we’d love to come across the ocean and play in Italy, Holland, Austria, Germany, France, Europe in general. There are just so many kickass bands in Europe and the scene seems so cool, we would consider our lives complete doing a tour across Europe that ends up at Punk Rock Raduno.

Do you know and do you listen to some band from Italy?

Sure do!  Ratbones, Manges, Teenage Bubblegums, Riccobellis, Proton Packs, TOUGH, MEGA, Livermores.. all amazing bands.  You got any more for us??

Another question about Canadian bands..do you guys like the Weakerthans? 

Fuck yeah.  They’re such a great band, I really hope they get back together and make another album.  Their lead singer John. K. Samson is brilliant and he kicked ass when he was in his old band Propagandhi (who also still kick so much ass)

So speaking about your EP, how does the idea of doing a split with COBRA&THE DAGGERS came up? 

We’ve known those two for a very long time and are dear friends of ours.  They had recently moved across the country and sent us some songs they had done together just for fun, and we thought they kicked ass!  We asked if they wanted to do a split digital release with us, as their songs needed to be shared with more than just close friends.  We’re super stoked with how the EP turned out, and I absolutely love their songs.

Are you planning a full lenght album soon?

We’ve been working on a full length for quite some time now, we’ve got probably close to 15 songs that nobody has ever heard before.  With the world being different than it was a year ago it’s been tough for us to get together and practice, it’s also tough to get studio time.  We’re still working at that, but in the meantime we’ve recorded a couple new songs with Jimmy Vapid that will be coming out one of these days.  
Qualcuno ci invita a Raduno così possiamo festeggiare e insegnarti gli uccelli, cazzo sì!  OR one I actually use regularly, Manache! hahahaha

CONTACTS:

avemtheband.com

instagram.com/avem.theband

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The Creeps and DeeCRACKS Live at Punk Rock Raduno

Hello punkrockers, times are tough but here I am to cheer you up. Together with the nice fellas at Punk Rock Raduno and Mr. Nate at Hey Pizza Records we are gonna release two live albums by two super bands: The Creeps from Canada and DeeCRACKS from Austria.

Both bands don’t need presentation and they are with no doubt between the people I love the most in our scene, so glad I can call friends. Preorders open NOW, release day is 2nd April for both. Each label involved will have an exclusive color, as much as you can, please support each part involved.

If you already pre-ordered the debut album of this incredible band from Michigan you should have received an email regarding the late. Because of the Covid and the Brexit the parcel coming from the USA is still trapped in UK.
I tried my best to push for a quick delievery but there’s nothing I can do except waiting. And hoping. The courier just said so. So I do. Just in case you are tired of the long wait, just drop me a line and we’re gonna work it out.
There are few copies still available before the sold-out. I would say tenish.
…and if you’re still not familiar with the band you can listen to their debut album on bandcamp.

Interview with Proton Packs

Who are your favorite bands to play with at shows?
We always have a blast with the guys from The Livermores, Chromosomes and Ratbones! Speaking of foreign bands, last year we played with the Haermorrhoids from Germany in Siena and it was really a cool show!

Tell us your favorite memory of Manu Livermores?
He was such a sweet guy, one of those people who are really pure at heart. He was truly passioned about punk rock… a real rock n roller. Our favorite memory of him is all the times he sent us funny vocal messages with his heavy accent about new albums or about stuff that had happened in the scene. He really knew how to cheer you up! We will all miss him a lot.

What do you think about the current state of punk rock?


We think underground punk rock is as healthy as it’s ever been, in terms of new albums and hype surrounding it. There are a few crucial factors that have contributed in the last years to this new interest in the scene: cool festivals like Raduno, Puke Fest, The Fest and so on, dedicated podcasts like The Dummy Room, exciting labels like Mom’s Basement, I Buy Records, Striped, Badman, Stardumb, Hey Pizza, Monster Zero and many others that keep putting out cool records. Also a lot of people from the old guard still believing in it. There are a few new bands coming up too, so we think it’s safe to say punk rock is doing fine, at least in our specific bubble. The problem we see is that touring has become increasingly more difficult and less profitable. It’s almost impossible to make a living off playing punk rock and this will affect the new generation, as there probably won’t be the right environment to generate new “higher level” bands. I’m not talking about the next Green Day, but the next Teenage Bottlerocket or even the next Lillingtons. We also need to factor in what will be left of clubs and bars and of live music in general after Covid. We have a big question mark ahead of us.

What is your favorite project that you’ve been a part of?
Every album we do is special to us because it’s really exciting to see a project coming to life and becoming real and tangible as you go ahead: the artwork, shaping the songs, sequencing them, going to the studio etc. We really love this process! Besides the albums, we loved working on the “Party time for astronauts” split with The Livermores That split is a memento of our time with Manu and we will always cherish it.



What made you guys want to organize Lobotomy Fest?
In the past years we never played too much in Tuscany, because we always preferred to go play around northern Italy, where most of the scene is. Then, a couple of years ago we started talking with the guys from Corte dei Miracoli who run an amazing multicultural space in Siena and we saw that there was the chance to organize something punk rock-related there. It all started like a one night-only event, but it soon turned out to be a much more inclusive project that spanned 5 whole days with movie screenings, art happenings, book readings and many many bands. We had so much fun doing it that we decided to replicate it this year. Unfortunately, Covid put everything to a halt, but we are determined to make it work again, when things will smooth out with the virus. We had big projects for this year.

What are some bands that you want to play Lobotomy Fest?
We like to dream big and we always nurtured the idea of having the Lillingtons play! Nowadays it seems things aren’t too good with those guys, but we also love Sack very much and it would be awesome to have them play over here! Anyway, 2021 is already lined up, because we want to have all the bands that were scheduled to play in 2020 to play the next edition!

What is your writing process? How do you guys pick a topic and then write such great concept albums that are cohesive as they are fun to listen to?


We always start with a concept that we all like and we try to convey the mood of the album in that direction, both musically and lyrics-wise. We also have a very long working list of kick-ass song titles, which we often use as a stepping-stone to begin working on a new tune.
Actually, we consider Space Opera our only true concept album, because it has a single storyline from start to finish. Conspiracy ’66 and P A R A D O X are all centered around a specific theme and topic but the songs themselves are not necessarily related. We like to write about conceptual and specific stuff because we’re not versed in the trivial side. A lot of bands are really good at the girl-songwriting thing and we love to listen to those bands. It’s just not something that works for us specifically. I think our approach to lyrics and themes is a nice thing for the more dedicated fan (given that we have any :D) because the songs contain a lot of references that can be researched and linked to one another.

What other projects or bands do you guys have going on?
Brodie and El Leon Blanco play in The Thirtysevens. They’re great, check them out!
Alex and Brodie manage Commando Records and lately they’ve been putting out cool cassettes like the first Sack album and the latest MEGA LP. So cool!
Matt plays in Bentoniac (garage blues) and I Diavoli Blu (country folk).

In Loving Memory of Manu “Nisba” Livermore

Come sapete, la scorsa estate tragicamente il nostro amato Manu “Nisba”, chitarrista dei Livermores è venuto a mancare. Lo sgomento e la tristezza regnano sovrani da quel maledetto giorno ma in qualche modo è necessario andare avanti, così l’adorata famiglia di Manu ha istituito una raccolta fondi in memoria.
Per chi non lo sapesse, Manu era un’insegnante di sostegno per bambini disabili e il desiderio della famiglia è stato proprio di conciliare le due cose che più aveva a cuore Nisba: aiutare i più deboli e la musica.

Di seguito un piccolo comunicato congiunto I Buy Records/Livermores/Proton Packs:

Da oggi in collaborazione con l’Ass. Qui ed Ora Osimo nasce un progetto di Musicoterapia a nome di Emanuele per bambini con disabilità, grazie alla musica si puó riuscire a rompere i muri dell’isolamento e del silenzio. Tutto l’incassato di ogni singolo cd, t-shirt o LP a nome “The Livermores” verrà devoluto in beneficenza.
Per noi e per la sua famiglia è un modo per veicolare un messaggio di speranza e dare un aiuto concreto a chi ne ha bisogno in continuità con il lavoro che Emanuele svolgeva con grande dedizione e passione. Per maggiori informazioni potete scrivere alla pagina Qui ed Ora Osimo.
Per le donazioni, ci sono due opzioni:

BONIFICO:

ANAGRAFICA: Qui Ed Ora
INDIRIZZO: Via Michelangelo 116/8
LOCALITA’ : Osimo 60027 (AN)
IBAN: IT95 K085 4937 4900 0000 0401 033
BIC : ICRAITRRF90
BANCA : Banca di Filottrano – Credito Cooperativo (Filiale di Osimo)

PAYPAL:
Tipo di Pagamento: Familiari e amici
Indirizzo: quiedoraosimo.emanuele@gmail.com

Questo è solo l’inizio. Manu non è più tra di noi, ma il suo ricordo resterà vivo per sempre nei nostri cuori.
Grazie a tutti.

Interview With DeeCRACKS

Hello guys, how are you? Welcome back to IBR headquarters once again! It’s a pleasure to chat with you again!
MIKE: Ciao bello, thanks for having us back. All is good here, hope things are great for you as well.

So, September 5 2012. It’s a very important date to me. Well, being that you guys are such a hard-working band, this day doesn’t make a lot of sense to you but actually it was the date of the first show I booked (together with my buddy Ame) since I moved to Milan. IBR wasn’t a thing at the time but I clearly remember everything and that show really pushed me to start doing something (that I hoped would be cool) in Milan. Do you remember that show/weekend we spent together?
MIKE: Of course, I remember, we were with our Chinese bassplayer Zhong at the time and it was one of the first shows of a month-long tour. It was at Ligera and you got us some great pasta, from your mom or grandma if I’m not mistaken. You did a great job there and were a gracious host. Your apartment was lovely too. Do you still live there?  There was this abandoned building next door, which our GPS told us was actually your place (haha). I’m happy it wasn’t!

Yes, I still live there but the abandoned building is now destroyed!ahahah! So 8 years later, and after thousands of shows, what has changed for DeeCracks? (Don’t say bass-players! 🙂 )
MATT: Not very much really, We all have gotten a little older but I’d like to say the attitude hasn’t changed.

In Addition to DeeCracks, you all have different side-projects (Matt with Ratcliffs & Jagger Holly) (Mike … I can’t count how many bands that you play with) how do you manage to keep up with all of those different obligations? Also, a bit of news over the past few days. It was announced that Mike will play the drums at Punk Rock Raduno for the Mopes, how did this amazing opportunity come about?
MIKE: Yeah, it’s so awesome! I can’t wait for that show! I’m really excited for it. Basically Jughead texted me to see if I could play at Punk Rock Raduno with Mopes and of course I said yes. Jughead teamed up with us and Will from Zatopeks to do a special Screeching Weasel/Mopes/Even in Blackouts set at our Sweet Sixteen Festival last September, so I guess, he must have liked the way I played there. I’m super happy about it! I’m always grateful when someone approaches me to fill in or play in a band with them, it’s always an honour and it fills my heart that people dig my drumming, after all, it’s my happy place.

Let’s talk about Punk Rock Raduno. It’s not the biggest festival, but I’m pretty sure it’s one of the most beloved festival in the world. Being that you played/attended at every edition, what are your feelings about the festival? And what do you think is the secret behind the success of the festival?
MATT: Hm… well if you are looking at Europe during springtime and summer you might have noticed there’s a ton of festivals going on! If you ask me, there’s way too many. Every now and then we are playing some of them but I have to say I don’t really like it. It’s just very unpersonal and stressful. Raduno feels a bit different though. It feels more like a family reunion, you know? Everybody’s there for the same cause! Bands and fans! It’s like amongst all of those parties there’s one just for us!

It’s pretty well-known that way back in 2013, you were banned from USA. I don’t wanna go back to that infamous story but is the ban permanent or are you working on finding a solution to be able to go back to USA?
MIKE: Yeah, it’s a never-ending story really. As of now we are still banned, but we are still trying to make it back there one day. Never say never! Maybe once Matt will write a worldwide sensational big hit song, we’ll make it (haha).

Although this sad story might have demoralized a touring band, you rolled up your sleeves and toured everywhere possible. We’re talking Russia, Israel, China, Mexico, Turkey, just to name a few, most of which are not really conventional destinations for punk rock bands. What can you tell us about the punk rock scene in those countries? Leather jackets and ripped blue jeans?
MATT: Our main goal has always been getting around as much as possible. We hardly ever turn down offers, especially when it’s about shows or tours abroad. The cool thing about punk rock is that it connects the people all over the world. Scenes are the same everywhere.
Of course there are cultural differences In different places. Like for example Japanese bands practice hard until they reach perfection, while we don’t (haha). And by the way, no one should be “demoralized” because they got kicked out of the USA.

Last summer you guys did a great tour with the legendary CJ Ramone. How it was? What can you tell us about CJ? How is CJ behind the curtain? Any funny stories you would like to share with us?
MATT: We like to remember it as the ‘No AC Tour‘. It was kinda hard because last summer was brutally hot… But every show was great! It was professional to a certain degree (which we aren’t really used to), but the atmosphere was super relaxed! CJ is a great guy and really down to earth and yet absolutely aware of how big of a impact the Ramones were on thousands and thousands of people (was and still are) We were really grateful that he chose us to support him on his (final???) Euro tour. And yes, there are some funny stories but I don’t think I wanna share them here (haha).

Let’s talk about records, Sonic Delusions is your latest full length album and two years later, are you satisfied with the final result? What is the general feedback or opinions that you got from friends and fans? What’s it like being on a major label now?
MIKE: Yeah man, it’s been great. Our fans really seemed to enjoy it and thanks to Pirates Press Records we found some new listeners, that we hadn’t reached before. I wouldn’t do anything differently with it really, maybe the artwork wasn’t our strongest, but that’s a matter of taste. We wanted to stick out and be different then the other bands on PPR, not only sound wise. So, it was all good. It’s not a major label though, it’s a very ambitious punk rock indie label that’s turning the right screws. We’re really happy to be a part of it and thankful for the opportunity. We like the fact that we got a special place in their hearts also, as we are a little different. Pirates Press and DeeCracks is not an obvious fit, but they took a chance on us and we took a chance on them, and we both thrived with our matching work ethics, vision and spirit. So, in my mind, it’s perfect.

For your upcoming italian tour you will release a new 7″ “…Can’t Get It Right” through Striped Records and Bad Man Records which has two brand new songs and two songs that were previously released on compilations. What can you tell us about it? I had the chance to listen to them ahead of time (thanks for doing that!!!) and I can say it’s another solid release in your discography!
MATT: Well the “new” songs are actually taken from the 2017 Sonic Delusions session. We always record extra material for 7″s, compilations and so on. (well I guess every band does that…), “Killed by Death” was featured on the Mom’s Basement‘s HEAD tribute compilation and then there’s a newly recorded version of the song ‘Caroline’ (the original one was part of the OCW 30 seconds songs compilation). We are really happy to have Striped with us for this one since they always did a great job taking care of our merch!

Whats next for you guys after the Italian Tour? New album? Big tour in the farest corners of the world?
MIKE: You know us, there is no stopping us from hangover hoppin’ all around the world. We’ll be hitting the road again in April around Europe, mostly Gemany, Austria and bella Italia. In May we will record a new album, Pirates Press is gonna release it once it’s ready. So we’re looking forward to that. We will be touring in France and Spain in fall and we’ll do Japan again sometime in 2021. That’s all, more definite plans will come once the new record is ready, so stay tuned.

Before letting you go, this is your chance to say what you want to say and ask me a question!! It’s always a big pleasure to talk to you, see you at NoReason Fest!
MIKE: Andrea, thanks again for the interview. Hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. But what can I ask you? Hmmm… Can I just ask you to just keep up the good work? Keep booking and playing shows, keep IBR and your bands alive, help shape and build the Italian punk rock scene and bring it to the rest of the globe… just keep your heart out there and keep being you. Can you do that for me?

Oh sure, Mike! I will never give up my friend!

Special Thanks Goes To John Proffitt Jr. for editing the interview

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