Best deal under a dollar

Ska Punk is not dead! 99 Cents (or less) put on a great set at ABC No Rio today. Of the four bands that played tonight they were the best and the most fun. I haven't skanked in sooooo long that I had to get in the pit for them. They even did a killer punk cover of La Bamba! The lead singer really got into the show and they brought up a large crowd of their local fans, so that made the place and the pit way more fun. This one guy did not stop dancing the whole set, I don't think he ever got tired. They're from NJ so I hope to see them again soon. The mp3s on their site and the ones from StereoKiller seem to be broken, hopefully they'll fix them soon cause I didn't see any of their CDs at the merch table.

A little bonus to boot, I picked up a CD by Carpenter Ant before the show, they had played ABC last fall. The interesting thing is that I went to high school with the lead singer Roy Carnage (aka Ray Gurz). It's a funny thing too, cause a few weeks ago I was wondering what the hardcore scene was like back in the Lehigh Valley. I searched around for stuff on old hardcore bands of friends I knew. Ray once did vocals for the SxE band Grow, and some other friends were in Blindside (not the same band that currently goes by that name). So I came across the Capenter Ant website and a few forums that talked about the local scene and such. So C.A. is a pretty good skatecore band, they seem like a lot fun. They did their most recent show in June, but I hope they'll come up to NY soon. I emailed ray to see what their shows are, I'll give a review of them once I finally see them live.

Henry Rollins and Fat Mike

Henry Rollins is interviewed in the summer 06 issue of Punk Rock Confidential, a magazine put out by Fat Mike. Now I probably wouldn't have bought the magazine had I known that Fat Mike put it out. I used to like the guy, his music was decent, his label rocked and I loved the Rock Against Bush CDs and thought he helped the punk community become a little more involved in politics. Then I read a quote attributed to him about SxE and read some of the lyrics of his songs closer [" the kids who used to live for beer and speed now want their fries and coke"] and just realized that I couldn't listen to a jerk that cares way too much about being drunk and high, even the stuff he says in his magazine just piss me off. To be honest, I don't think I'm better than him, I just can't see his point of view and when he says shit like that it pisses me off, just as much as militant Straight Edge music pisses me off.

But I was happy to read a great interview of Henry Rollins in the issue, a saving grace of $3.95 i spent on it. Even thought Henry has never labeled himself SxE, he lives the lifestyle and that means a lot to especially when coupled with his outspoken views and of course his great music. What's fantastic was that Henry basically challenged Fat Mike and Sean Hannity to a fight. Henry just let it go in the interview and ripped on everyone from Karl Rove to Paris Hilton (who i actually think is damn hot, I love the skinny girls what can I say); he didn't pull any punches. As always I was impressed by Henry, and think that if he had acually ran punkvoter.com we'd have a real president in office. One of the best quotes in the article speaks to something I think is really important and needs to be said about so many punks and other people in every (sub)culture:

"However, I think the wrong thing to do is to put that kid that shopped at Hot Topic down. Not to say "You Suck!", but to say here's something you might like to check out. Putting him down closes doors, it doesn't lead to a dialogue, you're not going to turn the kid on, you've
failed the mission and if anything you've just got another subscriber to Fox News. Don't shut them down even though it's a harder road to go."

I love his show on IFC and hope that he comes out strong in the upcoming election to do something that will get people motivated to act and vote.

Poison Free Roadster

Anyone that knows me, knows I love to drive and drive fast. Which is certainly a shame since when I moved to Brooklyn I had to sell my Subaru WRX. But I still love cars and just found out about a new auto company called Tesla Motors. They will be producing the fastest and longest range 100% electric car. It goes from 0 to 60 in 4 seconds and has a range of 250 miles on a single 3.5 hour charge. Freaking Beautiful!

Now aside from the power and range the fact that it's 100% electric just makes it that much more desirable and important for the world. No need to feed off oil from despotic and evil rulers (foreign and domestic.) I can't wait for when they come out with a rally model.

[Saturday, July 28, 2006] PS: Since I haven't had a car for a while now I didn't even think about how one that lives in NYC would even be able to own a 100% electric car that needed to be plugged in. Tesla will be offering a solar panel carport as mentioned in the AutoblogGreen interview but that still won't help those that have to park in the street. Now of course I realize that anyone that would own this particular model won't be parking it in the street. Although, it does raise the point of needing to offer a built in system for recharging. Solar panels on the car itself, such as those offered by XsunX (with this kind of name I wonder if the founder is SxE, solar power is very DIY and Poison Free) that are transparent and can be applied to windows as well as possibly the entire surface of the car.

All that would need to be created to meet this lack of outlets on the street and when traveling long distance is some sort of power transfer station (like a gas station) that could give your car a quick jump of juice in a short period of time. That of course is years out, but by the time the average driver will be purchasing a 100% electric 2 door hatchback we might have this kind of technology.

Why Hardcore shows are better than any other kind

Hardcore shows have energy and so much heart. You can feel the excitement and the energy (and smell the sweat, not a plus at all but it shows you the energy if you couldn't already feel it) when your at a show and especially in the pit. Yesterday I skipped going to the hardcore Matinee at ABC No Rio, which I haven't been to in a bit cause of other stuff, to go out to Long Island to visit with some friends and go see Fiona Apple. Now don't get me wrong, I don't just listen to Hardcore music, but as the years go on I get more and more into Hardcore. Damien Rice went on before Fiona, I really don't know his music, but if he had someone screaming out background vocals during a few songs I would've felt more at home. Plus the whole arena thing just sucks, the Jones Beach Theatre is neat since it's on the water but it's too damn big and the acoustics sucked of course.

When crazy Fiona got on stage we snuck down to closer seats since half the place was empty with the on/off rain all day. Fiona could scream in a Hardcore or Post-Hardcore Screamo band if she wanted, she's got a great raspy voice when shes screams (her singing voice is much more sweet) almost like Brody Dalle (formerly Armstrong) of the Distillers. So I really do love Fiona's new CD, the old jazz era sounding vibes are great, a definite diversion from the Champion and Comadre (a band I saw at ABC No Rio a few weeks back) discs that I've been spinning in my iPod lately. Now I did enjoy the show (er..concert I guess since it's not punk or hardcore) and loved how she danced like someone from an insane asylum. At one point while talking to the crowd she actually said "Shut up Fiona" and hit her head on the side with both open hands, then said "Jesus Christ" and started playing the piano again.

So despite sitting in a wet seat still a few hundred feet away I enjoyed the experience, but there is nothing at all like being 3 feet from a stage in a pit and feeling the heat and energy put out by the band and the kids around you. Next weekend I have friends that want to go to the zoo in Central Park, I wanted to go but I heard the gay penguins broke up, so I'm not sure I still want to go cause I really really need to be in a pit.

Hip-Hop Straight-Edge

So while searching the net for the BBC documentary I mentioned previously in a nice little download form I came across something that totally blew me away. Hip-Hop Straight Edge music that I like, by a band called superXcontra. To be honest I tend to prefer punk and I rarely listen to Hip-Hop unless it's the Beastie Boys or mc chris. But the fact that these guys' lyrics are straight-edge and the beats are melodic and the rhyms don't sound lame or silly. I'm also happy to come across SxE music that is not hardcore. I always try to look for music that breaks boundaries and this definitely has and with talented artists as well.

Despite some violent tones in the lyrics they have a positive spin. They sing against the way current rap stars promote drinking and buying super expensive clothes and such. I love these lines:

but you you worried bout ya fashions and ya brand name clothes / a bottle of kris goes for 2-3 hundred dollas / that's like six weeks of food if you one ta spread out them dollas / gone in sixty seconds if you at the right party / 80 bottles gettin bled some gettin poured on all the shortys / insane in the brain now the blood's on ya hands

So I ordered their album for $5 and it comes with the BBC documentary that I was looking for originally. I hope the rest of the tracks are as good as the ones I downloaded.

"Straight Edge is a promise I'll take to my grave" from the song NVRSCRD

All Ages and Breaking Edge, so much in one post, but it's all related I promise

So I finally got the "All Ages" book in mail today from the UK. I read the Foreword and the Intro so far. I'll post a reveiw of the whole thing soon. Just wanted to post a few things to start with though. Ray Cappo wrote the foreward, and as I read it I thought about the article by Ray that I found on Grrrls With X's on Their Hands. I don't know when he wrote it, or if it's truly his writing, the original source link was a now defunct Anglefire page. But even if it's not really his words, it still makes me think about what it means to break edge and what others should do and say about people that break edge. First reactions are always to say WTF! especially when you consider that someone is Ray, who has been such a huge influence on the scene and SxE kids across the planet. Now I never met Ray and don't judge him for his choices at all. It just makes you wonder what being SxE meant to him (or anyone for that matter) that it can be thrown aside with a simple glass of wine. I think people become angry hearing about Ray and others they know breaking edge because it affects them in a certain way, by this I mean that your community has lost someone and this pride and conviction you hold deeply feels like it was stepped on. When people outside SxE step on your convictions, you just brush it off and say whatever. But when someone inside SxE steps on them, you feel that and can't let it go. As a community we should definitely be more concerned with finding out the why though first and then decide how we feel afterwards.

That all then leads to the concept of becoming Straight Edge again. Is that possible? Can you drink a glass of wine or smoke a cigarette once and then decide that you want to be SxE again. I tend to think no, I mean you can decide to no longer drink or smoke, but you can't take on the label again. I feel this way cause it's like you dirtied what it meant and then crawl back. Now this leads to the ill feelings that arise when someone does break edge, but I still feel this way.

So back to the book, I'll review it soon, but I wanted metion that I came across another great blog recently by Eric Grubbs who is writing a post-hardcore book. And he said the book has been "quite handy" for research on his book, so I'm looking forward to reading the rest and certainly interested in reading Eric's book when he's finished.

Priorities

I went out tonight with some friends. It bothers me a little when it seems, to them, that the biggest priority of the evening is drinking. I thought the biggest priority was having a good time with friends. The quote of the evening "I don't want to go to a place to eat that also serves beer, I want to go to a place that also serves food." I don't mind going to a bar to hang out with some friends, but when we go out to eat I definitely want to go to a place with good food, especially since I don't eat fried food. Sure I understand that my choices affect my friends, but their choices affect me too. Am I being overly sensitive here, I don't know, but it's how I feel.

Great SxE Audio Documentary

Straight Edge Lifestyle has a great BBC audio documentary on their site. It's a little long and since the site is in flash they don't provide direct access to download the audio.

To be honest I quite dislike their site (from a design aspect), most Flash sites suck and this one has really bad navigation. But listen to the documentary it's pretty cool.

Regrets

So a friend, after reading my blog, told me I shouldn't regret ever drinking. So I thought I should clarify that statement a bit. I don't regret ever drinking, but I regret the situations in which I chose to drink. To be honest having drank in my past, like everything in my life is part of who I am, and has made an effect on the choices in my life. I may have never become Straight Edge if I didn't make those choices or regret the situations that lead me to drink. I'm damn fucking proud of who I am now and of being Straight Edge. So despite my past and my regrets they are the sum of my being.

Books on SxE

So I was looking around on the net a few months back for books or pretty much anything on SxE and came across this book called All Ages by Beth Lahickey. I kept looking still for other books, there were a few others but people seemed to really like this one. So I plucked down the $12 (actually a tad less since I got it online.) I'm waiting for it to come in the mail, I was hoping it'd come today since I have to ride the bus to Pennsylvania tomorrow. I also get to show my brother my new tattoo. He's not Straight Edge but he's got a bunch of tattoos, the best being the Rebel symbol from Star Wars. After I read the book I'll put up my review on the book.

Maybe after this one I'll also take a look at the other books and such out there that talk about being SxE, might be a cool idea to start compiling a list and reviewing SxE media outside of music, which is already heavily reviewed.

XXX

July 1st I got my first tattoo. I've always wanted one, but I could never decide on what I wanted. Growing up I also knew that it was against my Jewish faith to get one, but since I've been SxE I'm more commited to the Edge than I am to archaic laws (anyways I want to be cremated so the whole burial in a jewish cemetary is already out the window) about things that have no reference in today's world.

So back to the tattoo. I wanted a dragon or the old style Japanese Kanji for dragon; I being born in the Year of the Dragon and all. But I never felt a true connection to these ideas. One day while standing on the edge of a mosh pit watching the kids and the crowd and just hearing the music I knew that was my connection. So I thought about it, talked with my friends and drew up three Xs in varsity style in Illustrator. I gave them a slightly different look that typical. My friend Charles had met this SxE tattoo artist a few years back at a show and he told me I should look for this guy to do my tattoo.

So I searched the net for a while, Charles had forgotten his name. But I finally found him and like fate, his shop Brooklyn Ink was only 5 streets from where I live now in Bay Ridge. I knew then that I had to get my first tattoo and "Old School" Alex was going to be the one to do it. Everyone always asks if it hurt, but to be honest it didn't. I was so pumped and excited and had so much positive energy and adrenaline that I actually loved the whole thing, It was unbelievable. I had Charles take photos and I put them on Flickr.

I'm Straight Edge

I'm Straight Edge. And this year I'll be turning the big 3-0. I grew up around skaters and straight edge kids since I was around 10 (most my friends claimed edge when we were around 14) yet I never liked hardcore music growing up and thus never felt the connection they did to the scene and thought I needed to be hardcore to be straight edge. Some of my friends and others from my school broke edge after graduating and when I went to college I drank (recall I never claimed edge, thus I never broke edge.) And to this day I regret ever having that first drink.

While in college I also gained an appreciation for music, especially punk and ska. Rancid [...And Out Came the Wolves] being the first punk CD I ever bought drew me into punk like a hyena to a rotting carcas. After school I got into hardcore music and started going to shows more often since I finally had time and that's also when I drank more. I then started realizing that I didn't like being drunk. I looked back onto my years with my SxE friends and the X's on their hands and how they were what I wanted to be but never was.

So I claimed edge and threw away all the shit that I felt was dragging me down. Of course I got shit about it from some of my friends, but once they realized what it meant to me they we're totally cool with it. Some aren't and I'm not friends with them any more, not cause they drank, but cause they couldn't be okay with me not drinking.

Now I'm Straight Edge and proud. My real friends accept me and are proud of my commitment to my life.

Update: acutally just reposted this because blogger doesn't let you delete comments from a post unless you had some stupid setting enabled before the spam was posted.