Features / Regular Columns

Last year was a strange year. A lot happened in my private life which led to me not doing as much as I wanted to do. Some negative, but mostly positive. However, no matter how positive the events were, it cost me a lot of energy. With my energy and attention drained at other places, I did not have a … Read more

It's ok to like ska. I'm not kidding. It is perfectly acceptable to like ska. With the current explosion of young ska bands coming up and their growing popularity, I've heard some peers kind of dragging on ska. That's ridiculous. The original ska music was VERY rebellious music. It was working class. And it was damn good. Go back and … Read more

The split record is one of the most unique formats in the record industry and something that doesn't translate to the digital realm the same way it hits when you flip the wax. Splits take a number of forms, from 2-song 7" records to full-lengths where each band takes a side. Sometimes the bands cover each other, sometimes they collaborate … Read more

It is that time of the year again, that time of changes. The seasons change. For some reason I am much more aware of this when summer transitions into autumn than when winter becomes spring for example. It is like saying goodbye to warmer weather and saying hello to yellow and red leaves (and halloween decorations) is so much more … Read more

It's Like Three Card Monte, But With Bands... There's actually no wrong answers here. I was just thinking about the process I went through with most of the bands I started. A few people in my scene know about this, but so many others don't and I thought it would be fun to share. Write a few tunes. Find people … Read more

This past weekend we celebrated Memorial Day. In my world this is the first long weekend of the summer and it is spent in our yard grilling and drinking to excess. On that front, there's nothing really to report. We spent the weekend with our usual shenanigans that happen every weekend during the warm months in Michigan. To be completely … Read more

I know this punk guy named Tony. You probably know the same guy. I met him many years ago when he was in his teens and had a rockabilly band called Al and the Black Cats. Then his band The Chernobyl Babies infected my little punk bar with pogo punk years later. He always has a smile for ya. Always … Read more

A couple of years ago I drew up a gigposter for a show I was putting on and used one of my friends as the model for it. It was a cartoony number with her on a couch drinking and playing video games. When I finished it she had mentioned how cool it would be to have a copy that … Read more

Back in the early '90s, I found my people. My punk rock family. My own personal group of weirdos and misfits. Some of us wore the uniform of leather jacket, shocked out hair, big black boots. Some of us had long hair, flannel shirts and sneakers. Some wore Fred Perry shirts, blue jeans and Docs. I myself was trying to … Read more

Joe Anderl is lead vocalist and guitarist for The 1984 Draft. They recently released a Spilt 7in with Todd Farrell Jr. (Two Cow Garage) on September 2nd via Poptek Records. Their next album “Best Friends Forever” is set to release on January 19, 2023 via Poptek Records, Sell The Heart Records, and Engineer Records. “Best Friends Forever” can be pre-ordered … Read more

I went out on tour with my buds in Norcos y Horchata as their bass player a few weeks back. I haven't been on an actual tour since before the pandemic, so this was going to be an adventure. The routing brought us from Michigan to New Jersey and back. It was a solid 10 days out there with one … Read more

The Importance of Punk and Anti-Establishment Music in Rural America By Curt of Townies It is a warm September night (9/11 actually, but this piece won’t touch on that whole thing) and Cheap Perfume is about to take the stage. The stage is in front of a small dance floor, separating the main bar from the back bar. The bar … Read more

I hate this place. I really hate this place. I have three half-Korean adult children. Two of them currently call Chicago home. One builds beautiful violins and the other is an amazing cartoon artist. My youngest still resides here in Grand Rapids. MI. He is a fantastic chef and he is learning three Asian languages fluently. These kids are amazing … Read more

I think about music all the time. Always have since I was a kid. One of the many ideas I've pondered and debated with my peers is the recurring trend of bands putting out an amazing first record, gaining some form of notoriety or fame, and then completely bombing their follow-up record. I've read interviews with bands where they cite … Read more

Let's have a chat about preaching to the choir. It's that thing where the message you are putting out there with your music isn't really getting past the people who may already know the message. I'm getting up there in my years and experience. By the time we started The Lippies, I had already placed a lot of thought into … Read more