No Posts til Thursday

I am currently in the process of moving to a new apartment and I will not have internet until Thursday so unfortunately there will be no update tomorrow. Ill be back in action on Thursday with something...not sure what yet though. Also, Ill be going home to Miami in less than 2 weeks so there will be no updates during that time either but I will be getting my hands on some good stuff as well as going record hunting with Roy. Until Thursday...

Love is never wrong

Drug Czars - Self Titled 7 Inch

City: Ft. Lauderdale
Years Active: ????
Type of Music: Punk
Myspace or Website: http://www.myspace.com/drugczars

Another band I don't know much about but they feature members of The EAT, Roach Motel, Chickenhead, Trapped By Mormons, Morbid Opera, Crumbs, Charlie Pickett & Eggs, and Heatseekers. That should give you an idea of what you're in for

Drug Czars - Self Titled 7 Inch

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=FBVREA6A

Remembering Never

City: Ft. Lauderdale
Years Active: 2000 - Present
Type of Music: Hardcore/Metal
Myspace or Website: http://www.myspace.com/rememberingnever954

Taken from the Ferret Records website:

South Florida, a region once known for its humidity and magnetic pull for retirees from across the nation. Now this region is known for its high occurrence rate of hurricanes and home to socio-politico rage-core unit, Remembering Never. This five man unit composed of Mean Pete (vocals), Grease (guitar), Norm (guitar), Aldo (bass) and Danny (drums) is uncompromising hardcore with a message. From a cynical eye towards those who govern in all realms to messages of a vegetarian lifestyle, Remembering Never isn?t afraid to ruffle feathers. Incorporating metallic speed and ire into their guitars, shards of melody and chaotic arrangements that threaten to collapse their sound is a combination of technical skill and primal aggression.

Forming right out of High School around the turn of the millennium, Remembering Never originally had Mean Pete on guitars and Justin Daily on vocals. According to Pete, the band originally sounded like every other band in South Florida and was more based on personal songwriting. The members who were in other bands, including Pete who was a vocalist in Until The End didn?t take Remembering Never too seriously. The group admits at first no one cared for the band and they ended up playing a lot of bad shows. After a year of playing locally, the band recorded an eight song demo that Carl Severson of Ferret Music caught wind of. Severson was impressed enough to want to put the album out, but at the time Ferret was stretched thin on releases. Severson turned the demo over to Chris Tzompanakis of Ferret band, SkyCameFalling who had started his own label, One Day Saviour and was looking for artists. One Day Saviour released the demo in 2001 which went on to sell close to 20,000 copies (it has just been re-released with new artwork).

Shortly thereafter, Daily quit the band to focus on other pursuits. Pete reluctantly picked up the microphone and put down the guitar, a decision he wasn?t entirely comfortable with. At the time of the member switch, Remembering Never had composed a great deal of their first full-length album She Looks so Good In Red and Pete had almost no time to compose lyrics. Musically the album which was released on Ferret Music in 2002 was angrier and more severe than the demo sessions. Lyrically Mean Pete claims it was a joke that only the band members got, as over the top narratives talked about violence against loved one?s and severing of relationships, much like Glassjaw?s first album. Like the aforementioned band, who has since taken a much different approach in their lyrics, Pete regrets anyone thinking that he was serious about any of those lyrics or believing that he advocated abusive acts towards women.

Tour-wise Remembering Never was finally getting out on the road including a stint with Suicide Note as well as tours with On Broken Wings, Evergreen Terrace, Between The Buired & Me, Alexisonfire, and Every Time I Die. When working on material for their next album Women And Children Die First, Pete decided to focus on issues that not only affected him but that would be hardcore anthems. As he wrote in the album?s liner notes ?Being in a hardcore band, it is my privilege and my responsibility to share ideas.? As Carl Severson of Ferret claims ?That album is really their defining moment. The demo and the first album might as well have been a different band. This album was more extreme, more pissed and more potent.? The second full-length was released in 2004, the significance of the title Women And Children Die First was supposedly the working title of a Slayer album that they were forced to drop by their label. Remembering Never?s album became their signature statement and went on to sell over 70,000 albums worldwide within two years. The album was included in the ?Best Of 2004? list for Decibel Magazine as well as coverage in places such as Sirius Satellite Radio, Revolver, Alt Press and other media sources. This album also marked the first time that Remembering Never became a full time band and toured fully behind the album. Tours included co-headlining a PETA sponsored tour with Most Precious Blood as well as tour with Throwdown, The Acacia Strain, ZAO, Terror, Scarlet, Eighteen Visions and It Dies Today.

Several hurricanes and tattoos later, Remembering Never has emerged as one of the most respected voices of the metal-core scene. As of Fall 05, the band entered Planet Z Studios in Massachusetts with wonder producer Zeuss (Hatebreed, Throwdown, Shadows Fall) to record their forthcoming full-length for a spring 06 release titled God Saves Us. It promises to be the most savage and heaviest sounding record to date. It also does a good job of balancing personal lyrics with the worldly messages of the band. The Goddamn Busy Signal is a song that deals with Gay rights. As Mean Pete says ?This is not just someone?s opinion on someone else?s lifestyle, it?s about religion and government sticking their nose where it doesn?t belong.? The ironically titled White Devil is about Pete and other members of the band who grew up broke, stealing to get by. ?It?s really about an circle of life that it is difficult to break out of, being born into poverty and how it places a limit of what you can accomplish.? Selma named for the character in the film Dancer In The Dark is about the power that women have that is underestimated every day. Pete comments ?We are the most negatively positive band out there. We?re really positive but we present it in a negative way.? With the release of God Saves Us 2006 promises to be the year that mainstream takes notice of the band who live by their underground roots.

We All Fall Down (Remembering Never - Demo

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=XRSL64XI

You can order all of Remembering Never's releases here:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/104-7758838-6198343?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=remembering+never&x=0&y=0

As Friends Rust

City: Pompano Beach/Gainesville
Years Active: 1996 - 2002
Type of Music: Emo-core
Myspace or Website: http://www.myspace.com/asfriendsrustrip

Okay before I let the band tell you their story, I just want to say I love As Friends Rust. I remember hearing the demo and being really into it but kinda forgetting them because they didnt do much for a while. After seeing them at a fest in Sarasota, I would basically drive all over Florida to see them. I still listen to them regularly and am working on going to see their reunion in August. August 15th, 2008 in Gainesville so mark your calender. Here's to hoping that Damien does another hardcore/emo-core band because the world of hardcore misses him. Also, if anyone has the original demo, hit me up because theres one song on there that didnt make it onto the Fists of Time and I want it.

Taken from the AFR Myspace:

Creation

In 1996, Jeronimo, Henry Olmino and Matt Crum - who were playing together under the moniker "Wayside" - recruited Damien Moyal, who had fronted Culture, Morning Again and Shai Hulud - and was also doing Bird of Ill Omen and Culture at the time - to step in on vocals. The sound was a distinct amalgam of Samiam, Split Lip and Gorilla Biscuits. Much screamier than the following efforts, the band wrote quickly and passionately, and in no time was playing, kicking ass and taking numbers across Miami. Actually, the band's first show was a Pixies tribute, where they covered "Hey" from the album 'Doolittle' and "The Sad Punk" off of 'Trompe Le Monde.' The band stepped into the studio to record the first of several efforts with acclaimed producer James Paul Wisner, and made off with a pretty impressive 6-song session. Four of these would later be released, while the other two remain unattainable. The band sent out demo cassettes (remember those?) to a plethora of labels, all of whom - including Doghouse Records (who later signed AFR) and Equal Vision Records (who released the band's finale) - turned them down. The band eventually split up, as Damien planned his move to Gainesville to pursue Culture, and the remaining members began to lay the foundation for Rocking Horse Winner.

Reincarnation

By autumn of 1997, Damien was settling into Gainesville to begin his new life. While things in Culture were going well, he craved the speed and fun of a less heavy, dogmatic outfit. It just so happened that Steve Looker, guitarist for Culture, was a huge fan of AFR's ignored demo, and suggested that they put together a new line-up of the band, provided the original members were cool with it. They were, and the search for a new line-up began. Ironically, Steve never ended up playing with the band, as he left Gainesville to play in Morning Again. In early 1998, the team was assembled. Timothy Kirkpatrick, who had recently joined Culture on drums, assumed the same duties in the new AFR. Kaleb Stewart, who nobody in the band really knew, but had mentioned to Damien once "Hey, if you ever need a bass player for anything..." stepped in on bass. The two guitarists at this point were Gordon Tarpley (also of Culture) and Joseph Simmons, who had played in Bird of Ill Omen with Damien, and had recently parted ways with Morning Again and moved to Gainesville to join Culture, in a strange "trade" for Steve Looker. Anyhow, this band quickly wrote a song - yes, just one - and hopped into the studio with Gainesville's famous Rob MacGregor. The song was "Home is Where the Heart Aches" and was added to 4 of the 6 songs from the original line-up's recording, and released on Good Life Recordings as "The Fists of Time" EP. Gordon left, and was replaced by Peter Bartsocas, who was an old friend of Damien and Joe, and had also played in BOIO with them back in Miami. The band learned those older tunes, wrote a couple more new ones, and immediately began to tour. Discount took AFR out on the road with them in the summer of 1998, covering the east coast and midwest, twice over. As AFR had no van, Jim Reed (known admirably as "Diggler") took them in his Astro van. At the end of the summer, Peter left the band and was replaced by James Glayat (who had played with Tim in Roosevelt, way back in the day) and a new EP was recorded, co-released by Good Life Recordings and Doghouse Records. This EP was intended to be self-titled, but was mistakenly referred to as the "God Hour" EP by Good Life in all of their marketing materials. By autumn of 1998, Europe had already caught on to the enigma that would become As Friends Rust, and the band made plans to tour there in the winter. They recorded one more song - "The First Song on the Tape You Make Her" - for a split with Discount, whom they brought along to Europe, to return the favor. The tour was a success. As the new EP's were just getting into fans' hands, the new songs proved to be bigger and catchier than the old, and the crowd response was deafening. This member roster would remain intact for several more years of touring, but unfortunately would record nothing else. Being poor, drinking and fighting ended up being what the band chose to do rather than actually writing songs or recording, so they toured virtually the same set for about three years. It never seemed to bother fans, though. Nonetheless, this era of the band would go down as the 'real' AFR, in terms of passion, performance and plain old fun. Cut to late summer of 2000. Following three years of relentless touring in the US and abroad (mostly abroad, actually), the band lost 3 key members in one fell swoop. Kaleb, Tim and James split, leaving only Joe and Damien to decide whether or not the pieces should be picked up, or the band should be laid to rest.

Resuscitation

At the end of 2000, with a point to prove, Joe and Damien brought in new members. Chris 'Floyd' Beckham (who had played bass in Culture a couple of years earlier) stepped in on guitar. Little Alex, an old friend of Floyd's from Ohio came in on drums, and Guy (of Army of Ponch fame) played bass. Determined to release a full-length LP, which had not yet happened for the band, the new version of AFR began writing. And write they did. Demo versions of two songs ("Morningleaver" and "This is Me Hating You") were recorded at Rob MacGregor's studio for a limited edition Doghouse Fan Series 7". Soon after, Tom Rankine (another former Bird of Ill Omen member) joined in on bass, and Zach Swain (previously of Orlando's Carlisle) took over on drums. Within a few months, an album's worth of material had been amassed, and the band - still signed to Doghouse Records - headed into the studio with James Paul Wisner to record its first and only LP "Won." Recorded in summer of 2001 and released in early fall, the band began touring the album diligently, and by autumn was in Europe (with friends Strike Anywhere) showing off its new material, members and sound. The album was widely acclaimed, and the band was attracting the attention of a more mainstream audience and press. During this tour, a sold-out show at London's Camden Underworld was filmed and later released as a DVD on Punkervision.

Termination

Upon returning to the States, AFR started writing its next work, to be released as an EP for Equal Vision Records, who had proposed doing a one-off several years earlier. The band entered the studio - once again, with James Paul Wisner - in February 2002 to record what would be its final release, "A Young Trophy Band in the Parlance of Our Times." Tension was high within the band, as personalities and musical directions clashed. This final EP ended up being the band's most praised release. One week later, Damien - the only remaining founding member - quit the band. They continued under the name As Friends Rust for a few months, but eventually gave it up to pursue other endeavors.

Damien has gone on to do a solo project called Damien Done
Tim continued on to the now defunct Moments in Grace
Kaleb went on to do Grey Goose, Bread Riot and the much missed Cro(w)s
Matt plays various instruments in Feathers as well as ROM
Tom and Joe morphed AFR into Salem, which has since disbanded.
Tom and some of the Salem guys are now playing in Currents
Floyd now plays in J. Page
Peter is the brainchild behind The Drake
James and Peter are bringing Gainesville to NYC with GATORS!
Zach went on to plays drums for How Dare You

You can still order just about everything right here:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/103-3406571-3882222?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=as+friends+rust&x=0&y=0

Spark Chamber/Machete Split

City: Miami
Years Active: ???
Type of Music: Indie Rock
Myspace or Website: n/a

Another release I don't know much about except that it was released by Big Dis Records in 1997. Any info, throw it my way please.

Spark Chamber's side of the split

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=646782WV

Machete's side of the split

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=VF192WHE

Vanbuilderass

City: Gainesville
Years Active: 1995 - 1997 (roughly)
Type of Music: Punk
Myspace of Website: n/a

Vanbuilderass was awesome, plain and simple. Unfortunately, I never got to see them and all they released was this 7 inch with a few songs on comps. This is all they left for the world...too bad. I dont really know a whole lot about them to be honest but Steve Heritage from Assuck and Schematics Records released this on his label and recorded them. Also I was told that the drummer now plays in Rehasher with Roger from Less Than Jake. They also covered the song "One Shot Deal" on the full length. If anyone has more info, pass it on please

Vanbuilderass - Choices

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=QCL5O863

The Rocking Horse Winner

City: Lake Worth
Years Active: 2001 - 2005 (roughly)
Type of Music: Indie Rock
Myspace or Website: http://www.myspace.com/trhw

I remember seeing Rocking Horse when my friend Ryan filled in on a show which I believe was their first. I can't remember if he was actually in the band or not but I liked them from the start. Real good mellow rock with beautiful vocals. Alot of the time, when members of hardcore bands get together to play something mellow, it usually doesn't turn out so well. In this case, it really did. They released their first full length on Ohev Records and then were snatched up by Equal Vision. I like the second full length "Horizons" but their first is really amazing. To the best of my knowledge, the first full length is out of print so if anyone knows otherwise, please let me know and Ill take down the link. Members were in Poison the Well, Anchorman, and As Friends Rust.

The Rocking Horse Winner - State Of Feeling Concentration

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ANSVUTYU

You can still order The Rocking Horse Winner "Horizons" here:

http://equalvision.com/releases/show/63