Music Video Premier: THE LAST STAND ‘Opportunities Lost and Found’

 

By A. Starr | Smutlife

Last year we came across a track on StereoKiller.com that The Last Stand (ex-Inhuman & ex-Shutdown) had just posted for their soon-to-be released (at the time) EP, ‘Opportunities Lost and Found.’  The self-titled track caught our attention and almost instantly had us throwing a line to Mike Scondotto about shooting a music video for them.  Soon after, Mike and the guys graciously granted us the opportunity to put something together.

After our initial performance shoot which took place at the Lucky 13 Saloon in Brooklyn, along with some follow up live performance coverage shot across the tri-state area, we were finally able to splice something together for the guys and help spread the word.

Even though The Last Stand is still a relatively new band that has been grinding away doing plenty of shows in the area, they’ve already played with the likes of Trapped Under Ice, Wisdom In Chains, Maximum Penalty, Youth of Today and Agnostic Front.  They are currently working on a full-length release that should be out this summer on American Enemy Records.  We wouldn’t waste our time and energy on an outfit that isn’t deserving of it.  The Last Stand is comprised of veteran NYHC heads that still do what they do outta pure passion and love for the scene.  Support these guys and their music… Shit is real!!!

Check out their latest interview over at In-Effect:  HERE

THE LAST STAND official band site:  HERE

Exclusive RED EYED DEVIL “Corrupt Her” video

SMUTLIFE and ANGRY WHITE BOY teamed up back in March to put together a promo piece with one of NYHC’s newest outfits, RED EYED DEVIL.  To many, the band might be unknown as a unit but it’s counterparts are hardly new to the hardcore scene.  Formerly EGH (Everybody Gets Hurt), R.E.D. consists of no other than Tom Murphy (drums), Gregg Heyward (guitar), Frank Sexton (bass) and Rob Cullen who belts out the lyrical mayhem on the mic. Read more

The Last Stand – NYHC

Words & Interview by Steve DiLodovico | Smutlife

Michael Scondotto is Brooklyn born and bred and for years he’s been immersed in the NYHC scene. He’s seen the best and the worst of what Hardcore has had to offer for well over two decades now. It’s in his blood, and he’s been pounding out anthems of aggression, both with Inhuman and now his newest outfit The Last Stand.

The Last Stand comes from the ashes of Shutdown; another brutal outfit that bludgeoned its way across the consciousness of Hardcore fans. After Shutdown’s demise (well, more like an extended hiatus: they have gotten together for a handful of shows over the years), the itch to play just wouldn’t leave, and the guys looked to start something new. That became The Last Stand, and they have just released their debut, self-titled, 4-song EP. It’s one of those throwback joints; it feels like it could have come out in ’88 or ’89, yet it maintains a fresh, innovative sound while still remaining true to its roots. Heavy breaks, sing-along choruses and speed make The Last Stand’s latest sound like true Hardcore.

The band has released the 4-song CD and plans another run of colored vinyl versions soon. In the meantime they are playing shows and grinding it out, finding fans new and old along the way. SmutLife caught up with Mike recently and had a chance to discuss The Last Stand. Read more

OuterSpace: Back to the Real

Words & Interview by Steve DiLodovico | Smutlife

Outer Space is a rarity among Hip Hop acts: for well over a decade both Planetary and Crypt the Warchild have found the elusive formula known as consistency. They have steadily released joints ripe with solid, rugged beats and rhymes that are as murderous as the Philadelphia streets which inspired them. Outer Space make albums. Not MySpace singles, not YouTube videos, but full-on albums. It is a testament to their long-standing devotion to the art and the fact that they will not give up. Ever.

SL: What’s up with Brother’s Keeper?

Planet: The album’s basically done. Psycho Les gave us two beats that we were waiting on, 7L gave us a beat and we’re doing that with Sick Jacken. Less features this time, though. We’re looking to have it out by March of 2011. It’s gonna be some heartfelt shit. There’s a lot of topics on this record; we did some storytelling, some fictional stuff, which we never do. Read more

Keith Morris is Back ON with OFF!

Words & Interview by Steve DiLodovico | Smutlife

Keith Morris is a fucking legend. Nothing embodies the sneering, acidic nature of Hardcore Punk Rock like the sound of Keith’s bratty, obnoxious voice (trust me, that’s a compliment). It’s a talent he’s honed for well over 30 years now. This former Black Flag (and, now, ex-Circle Jerks) vocalist has become the quintessential frontman and this has never been more evident than right now as Keith furthers his legend with his new outfit: OFF! OFF! is a powerful new platform for Morris. The sound is raw, frenetic and calls to mind the earliest days of Black Flag. It’s a blistering minute of scathing friction and aggression; a stripped-down, unglamorous rock and roll behemoth of pure energy that reminds you of everything that is good about music. Read more

Severed ‘My Warning’ – behind the scenes from the music video shoot

Words by Marina Hooks | Smutlife

A few weeks ago Smutlife sat down with the guys from Severed, a New York City death/thrash metal outfit, to discuss the idea of shooting a music video for their song ‘My Warning’ off their self-titled new album.  The idea was to keep the concept simple yet still be outrageously fun and chaotic.  So, what a better way to do it than by closing out the summer with a backyard pool party bbq with friends, family and fans.

‘We had a 30′ deck that ran the length of a 4ft. above ground swimming pool which was beyond ideal for the main performance set up.’  A tool shed tucked away just a couple feet in the back corner of the yard also played a big part in the video,’ explains director Alex Starr. Read more

Music is the antidote to the Stress in this White Boy

Words & Interview by Steve DiLodovico

Stress is all over the place. Hyper doesn’t even begin to describe him. Holding a conversation with him is like trying to catch a blur that is constantly in motion. His tattooed frame alternately sits, stands, jumps and moves in emphatic waves of uncontainable energy. That’s what the kid is: a vibrant ball of perpetual motion and energy. Get him talking about music and watch him go off. Stress is a man of many talents. He’s a producer (beyond the confines of a mere “beat-maker:” he produces music), a DJ, a photographer with a savagely keen eye (check out a recent piece in Urban Ink for Stress’s coverage of the most recent Black ‘N’ Blue Bowl for further proof) and much more. He is the owner of Pass & Stow in Bristol PA, a shop that specializes in urban gear, music, sneakers, art and just about anything else you can think of relating to music. He led the SubHoodz back in the day. He runs a label with long-time collaborator and SubHoodz cohort Harry “Hav” Robbins called Krush Unit, and has worked with wide array of diverse artists. Everything the kid has and has done has been because of music.

Stress is entrenched in music. His life revolves around it and is, many ways, defined by it. His devotion is evident: one look at the walls in his home-based ChopShop Studios tells the story of a life. In the way that stained glass windows in a church tell biblical stories, Stress’s walls describe his life in music. Artwork bearing names like the Bad Brains, Cro-Mags, Murphy’s Law adorn the hallowed walls of ChopShop and they give testament to Stress’s life like bible stories. And, sandwiched in between Philadelphia Eagles artifacts and framed album cover art rests Stress’s gold record, given to him for the remix work he did with Gym Class Heroes and Ghostface Killah.

Smutlife spent a day out at Stress’s Langhorne PA headquarters. We were joined by producer on the come-up (and younger brother of Stress) Sev-One and when we weren’t telling “back in the day” stories about the Hardcore and Hip Hop scenes of the ‘80s, we managed to spend some time talking about what it is that Stress does and why he’s been able to make great music on such a consistent basis. Read more

Slayer: the Reign Continues

By Steve DiLodovico | Philadelphia Indie Music Examiner

You can argue all you want: there is no band out there heavier than Slayer. Never has been, never will be. They utterly destroyed all forms of metal, punk, hardcore and anything else that could be called “extreme music” with one broad stroke on 1986’s brilliant Reign in Blood and have been setting the mark for aggression and speed for close to three decades. They have a canon of landmark albums; they even have received mainstream acclaim from (gasp!) the Grammys. And it hasn’t slowed or softened them one bit. Their latest release, World Painted Blood, is a vicious reminder of the power Slayer commands. They have yet to record anything close to a power ballad; they eschewed the slick hair and wardrobe trends of the early ‘90s (yes, that’s a direct shot at Metallica…) and have been steadily obliterating the countless dull replications who have come and gone during Slayer’s nearly-three-decade reign. Slayer is back, armed with a new album and out on the road with its original lineup. Along with them are two other thrash metal giants: Megadeth and Testament. Given the history between Slayer and Megadeth (it has been widely documented that there has been some past beef, most notably between Kerry King and Dave Mustaine) it seems almost a miracle that these two bands could coexist on such a big tour, but, according to Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo the two bands are getting along with no problems.

Read more…

Skam Dust: Corona Warrior

Words & Interview by Steve DiLodovico | Smutlife

Skam Dust. You know that kid; the one that runs with them legendary DMS All-Stars. He’s part of a cast of grimy MCs and Hardcore royalty like the Shotblockers, Madball, Danny Diablo AKA Lord Ezec. Skam Dust rose from the womb of Skarhead with a background forged in the hardest NYHC and a throat full of shrapnel. Skam only recognizes real: you can hear it in his verses and you can feel it in his voice. He is New York to the core: Corona, Queens: Spaghetti Park to be exact. It’s the kind of stomping ground that breeds Legends. Read more

Snowgoons are gettin’ down to business – as usual.

For over a decade now, swift advancements in technology have taken a devastating toll on the great number of major record labels and associated media groups that once ran rampant around the globe.  As this happened, many talented yet commercially unmarketable artists began to seek alternative avenues to get themselves recognized by the masses.  As the major labels began to dissolve,  more and more execs began to revamp and restructure their agenda on a more independent tip.

Enter BabyGrande Records - one of the more respected ‘indy’ labels in the realm of underground hip hop, that was formed back in 2003 by Chuck Wilson who previously headed A&R at Priority Records. With the insemination of BabyGrande, he began to build an impressive roster of high caliber lyricists and a handful of super talented producers. Read more

A Punk and Hardcore History Lesson: Tesco Vee and Tony Rettman Talk about Their New Books

Words & Interview by Steve DiLodovico | Smutlife

For all the revisionist histories being written recently about the birth of the Hardcore movement (ahem…I’m talking to you Mr. Blush) two new books have just been released that further tell the story of how America’s most visceral form of music took hold and spread throughout the country in the late 70s and early 80’s. Representing the vibrant Midwest scene (which was an integral part of substantiating hardcore music) are authors Tony Rettman and the legendary Meatmen and Hate Police frontman (and co-founder of the seminal and irreverent Touch and Go fanzine) Tesco Vee. Their two books are the stories as told by the people who lived them.

Rettman’s book, Why Be Something That You’re Not: Detroit Hardcore 1979-1985, is a detailed oral history of the early days of Detroit’s rich underground music scene. Some of its most influential artists tell the tales of a time when revolution and rock morphed first into Punk Rock and then into Hardcore. At the forefront of that scene is Tesco Vee. Tesco (who, at the time was a school teacher) has compiled an exhaustive, extensive filing of the original and edgy ‘zines he produced (along with Dave Stimson) and has presented them in Touch and Go Fanzine: The Book. Both tomes are crucial companions for one another; both are complementary and tell a comprehensive narrative of the culture and climate when Hardcore was in its infancy. Why Be Something That You’re Not and Touch and Go Fanzine: The Book present some priceless images; live photos, old fliers that are sure to pull in any history junkie. Bands like Negative Approach, The Necros, The Fix, The Meatmen, The Pagans, and dozens more you probably never heard of are heavily featured, with commentaries coming from such icons as Henry Rollins, Ian MacKaye, John Brannon and a host of others who witnessed this scene firsthand. Read more

Exclusive with Mike of ‘Inhuman’: Talkin’ bout music and the NEW project

Words & Interview by Steve DiLodovico | Smutlife

Mike Scondotto is the roaring throat of Brooklyn’s Inhuman, a powerful outfit that combines the best of Old School NYHC with elements of Punk and Metal to achieve a brutal throwback sound. Scondotto is a student of the genres and what began as a simple interview about his own band quickly progressed into a detailed discussion about all things Hardcore and beyond. Mike, having been born and raised in BK, was right in the middle of the late-80’s NYHC explosion and witnessed some legendary bands at the height of their prime. But, first and foremost; he’s a fan. He’s an unapologetic Metalhead and a connoisseur of collectibles and getting into a music conversation with Mike can end up lasting for hours. That is, if you can hold your own…

For those that don’t know, give us a little history on Inhuman.

MS: Basically the band started in 1995, in the summer. Before that I was a bass player in a band called Confusion. I always wanted to have my own band and to sing. I wanted to do something more along the lines of traditional New York Hardcore. Confusion was more of a Death Metal band. My original scene was New York Hardcore; I started going to Hardcore shows when I was 14. I think secretly I wanted to be a singer, so I started writing a lot and actually wrote a lot of the songs that became our first demo and 15 years later I’m still doing it. Read more

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