Tag: Pittsburgh Punk

Ep 112 Renaissance Gem

Gem Fair does literally everything, from writing about music for Pitchfork, to making music as Space Buns Forever, drumming for Big Baby, Playing second bass for Larval State, and being the front man for Positive Thinking. Gem does it all, including some stuff we forgot, like being a ring announcer for Enjoy Wrestling. And like everyone one this podcast who practices in more than one medium, we go deep on what parts of the human brain get exorcise with each medium, as well as what it means to make art before the apocalypse. Finally, be sure to check out Gem’s podcast A Dog With a Mullet.

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Episode 80: The Hardest Working Man in Hardcore

Adam Thomas is in 6 bands. Yes, you read that correctly. You might be in a band with Adam Thomas right now and not even know it. In this episode, we talk about every damn one of them, from Concealed Blade to Empty Beings, S.L.I.P. to Chronic Abuse, from No Time to Heavy Discipline, and we even give a shout out to Blood Pressure, may that band rest in peace.

During our candid conversation, we discuss that very special moment when punk divides a young person’s life in two. Adam tells stories from his recent European tour with Chronic Abuse, we get into how much smarts it takes to sound as stupid as Concealed Blade, I might have accidentally ruined S.L.I.P., and we reminisce about life in Carrolltown, PA.

Every single band Adam is in is quite good, and has a unique sound. Check out the Heavy Discipline 7″, the Empty Beings Dead and Pathetic LP, S.L.I.P.’s Slippy when Wet LP, No Time’s great album You’ll Get Yours, Concealed Blade’s self-titled LP, Chronic Abuse’s transatlantic debut, and if you don’t have Blood Pressure’s Need to Control, you’re seriously wasting your time on Earth.

And of course, we swear.

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Episode 79: We Have 12 Years, Maybe Less

In this episode, we talk with Dusty Hanna and Damon Di Ciccio about the new Silence album The Countdown’s Begun and all the apocalyptic feelings that inspired it. This is one of our “close reading” episodes where we take an artistic work and examine it like we’re in a graduate seminar.

This is a long episode, but how often does a band get to do a 33 1/3 type examination of their own album? More importantly, if you’re listening to this podcast, The Countdown’s Begun probably captures a lot of what you’re thinking and feeling at this moment in history. You can and should buy The Countdown’s Begun through Profane Existence, or you can snag it on the Play Alone Records website. Downloads can be had at the Silence Bandcamp Page, and last but not least, folks in Pittsburgh can get the LP at Skull Records or Cruel Noise Records.

In the process of talking in depth about every song on the album, we listen to the song “Soundtrack to the Picture of the Same Name”, we speculate about how the world can go on, and of course I swear a lot.

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Episode 77: Enter the Skullcast 11

For the last 11 years, mutants have been invading Pittsburgh at the end of August, and we’re talking to two of the people responsible, Dusty Hanna and Erica Moulinier. In this podcast, we look behind the scenes and into the inner workings of Skull Fest. Actually, most of the time we just sit around and geek out over bands we want to see at Skull Fest 11 on August 15th to the 18th in 2019. However, making Skull Fest is an educational experience. Dusty and Erica know all about the kind of guitar pedals legendary British Postpunk bands need to get their signature sound, and last year they learned all about the Cro-Mags’ dining habits. We also explain nicely but forcefully why you shouldn’t move to Pittsburgh if you haven’t already.

Come to Skull Fest! Dusty and Erica discuss this year’s lineup of bands in depth, and while weekend passes have been sold out, tickets to individual shows are available on the Skull Fest Website. Added bonus, if you go to Skull Fest you can see me wearing cargo shorts and maybe I’ll give you a bottled water out of the trunk of my car.

This is yet another podcast where I swear gratuitously as I explain to a guest they are allowed to swear.

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Episode 70: It’s Weird to be Alive

John Villegas is alive and addicted to creating and discovering.  I know him best as the proprietor of Cruel Noise Records, but he also is in 4 bands: Drug Lust, Peace Talks, De Rodillas, and Detainees.  The Cruel Noise podcast teaches people all over the world about punk. He also writes some great cassette reviews on Instagram.

During the course of our conversation we pause several times because we are drinking beer.  This is also our longest podcast, so there’s no way I can explain everything we talk about.  You’re just going to have to dive in.

We didn’t have to try hard to earn our explicit tag.

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Episode 40: Enter the Skullcast 8

Skull Fest is a punk festival that draws fans and performers from around the world to Pittsburgh.  Dusty Hanna is the principal organizer and lead singer for the great Pittsburgh Peace Goth Punk band Silence.  He stops by to tell everyone about the great things in store for Skull Fest 8: Skulls in Space.  In the process we talk about what punk means, what it’s like to accidentally start a festival, and somewhere in the bottom 5 is a story about a severed fox head.

Skull Fest 8 will be held in various locations around Pittsburgh on August 18th to 21st.  Tickets can be found at the Skull Fest Web Site and at Cruel Noise Records in Polish Hill.  You can find out more on The Official Skull Fest 8 Facebook Event Page.

As always, there is swearing.

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