X IS FOR EYES

X  is for Eyes is a Pop punk band out of  IL, Chicago.

The Dopamines

Banner Pilot

THE WONDER YEARS -Tour Begins on Monday

Philadelphia’s The Wonder Years, will be leaving for a seven-week tour of the U.S. beginning on Monday.
The Ghostbus-Tour will find the pop-punk juggernaut teaming up with Bridge Nine’s Energy, as well as A Loss For Words, for 40 shows that cover both coasts and just about everything in between.
The Wonder Years will have copies of a limited edition (250), hand-numbered CD. I Refuse to Sink: A Collection of Prior Recordings features six tracks from the now out-of-print, No Sleep Records-released 7-inches Won’t Be Pathetic Forever and Distances. The CD is only available from the band on tour.

Tour Dates
SEP 19 – Boston, MA @ The Great American Hardcore Fest
SEP 21 – Nangatuck, CT @ Nangatuck American Legion w/ Energy, A Loss For Words
SEP 22 – Albany, NY @ Bogies w/ Energy, A Loss For Words
SEP 23 – Amityville, NY @ Broadway w/ Energy, A Loss For Words
SEP 24 – Binghampton, NY @ American Legion Post 80 w/ Energy, A Loss For Words
SEP 25 – New Berlin, PA @ American Legion w/ Energy, A Loss For Words
SEP 26 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom and Tavern w/ Energy, A Loss For Words
SEP 27 – Cincinnati, OH @ Warsaw Arena w/ Energy, A Loss For Words
SEP 28 – Whitesburgh, KY @ Whitesburgh Shriners Building w/ Energy, A Loss For Words
SEP 29 – Indianapolis, IN @ Studio 8 / The Murphy Arts Center w/ Energy, A Loss For Words
SEP 30 – Springfield, IL @ Black Sheep Cafe w/ Energy, A Loss For Words
OCT 01 – Springfield, MO @ Club Neon w/ Energy, A Loss For Words
OCT 02 – Lawrence, KS @ The Jackpot w/ Energy, A Loss For Words
OCT 03 – Denison, TX @ Fat Daddys Sound Shack @ Joshuas Crossing w/ Energy, A Loss For Words
OCT 04 – Abilene, TX @ Rose Park Activity Building w/ Energy, A Loss For Words
OCT 05 – Mcallen, TX @ Nikki Rowe VFW w/ Energy, A Loss For Words
OCT 06 – San Antonio, TX @ Rock Bottom w/ Energy, A Loss For Words
OCT 07 – El Paso, TX @ The Spot w/ Energy, A Loss For Words
OCT 08 – Albuquerque, NM @ Amped Theater w/ Energy, A Loss For Words
OCT 09 – Mesa, AZ @ Badlands Music Venue w/ Energy, A Loss For Words
OCT 11 – Whittier, CA @ The Green Turtle w/ Energy, A Loss For Words
OCT 12 – Canoga Park, CA @ Cobalt Cafe w/ Energy, A Loss For Words
OCT 13 – San Francisco, CA @ Sub-Mission Art Space w/ Energy, A Loss For Words
OCT 14 – Sacramento, CA @ Branch Street House w/ Energy, A Loss For Words
OCT 15 – Chico, CA @ Paradise Lost w/ Energy, A Loss For Words
OCT 16 – Olympia, WA @ Black Lake Grange w/ Energy, A Loss For Words
OCT 18 – Salt Lake City, UT @ V2 w/ Energy, A Loss For Words
OCT 19 – Denver, CO @ Quixotes w/ Energy, A Loss For Words
OCT 21 – Buffalo, MN @ The Vault w/ Energy, A Loss For Words
OCT 22 – Aurora, IL @ Doug’s Rockhouse w/ Energy, A Loss For Words
OCT 23 – Ann Arbor, MI @ The Metal Frat w/ Energy, A Loss For Words
OCT 24 – Rochester, PA @ Blue Violet Cafe w/ Energy
OCT 25 – Doylestown, PA @ Maennerchor Field w/ Energy
OCT 26 – Holmdel, NJ @ Holmdel Firehouse w/ Energy
NOV 01 – Erie, PA @ Forward Hall w/ Energy
NOV 02 – Nitro, WV @ The Brickhouse w/ Energy
NOV 03 – Mt. Airy, MD @ Mt. Airy Firehall w/ Energy
NOV 04 – Altoona, PA @ Eldolyn Terrace w/ Energy
NOV 06 – Bucksport, ME @ The Kave w/ Energy
NOV 07 – Manchester, NH @ Rocko’s w/ Energy
NOV 08 – Holyoak, MA @ Water Front Tavern w/ Energy

Interview with Broadway Calls

strong>Broadway Calls is the fastest growing pop-punk band on the planet: they just released their Side One Dummy debut “Good Views, Bad News” and they’re touring worldwide. We took the chance to have a talk with Ty, guitarist and singer, and talk with him about his band and their music.

What’s your name and what  do you play in Broadway Calls?

Hi, my name is Ty, and I sing and play guitar for Broadway Calls.

Your new album “Good Views, Bad News”  has just come out on Side One Dummy: how would you describe it to people who  never heard of your band before?

We’re a pop punk band. Melody always comes first with us, so the songs are catchy, and I try not to write mindless pop lyrics. I try to write stuff people can relate to and want to scream back in my face. There’s only three of us, so we try to make the most sound we can.

You released a full length on  Smallman, then re-released by Adeline Records, co-owned by Billie Joe  Armstrong of Green Day. What changed in the approach of writing songs, if  anything changed?

Honestly, nothing really changed. We had another guitar player when we were making our last record, so he added a few riffs, but it’s always pretty much been me in my room, writing a verse and a chorus, and then getting together with Josh, and making a song out of it. It always just starts with a melody, and goes from there.

You formed in 2005 and in 2009 you are already  considered one of the best new comer in the pop punk scene: how did you make  it so fast? Was it hard?

Um, it doesn’t seem fast to us. Ha. We’ve been going non stop since we started, and it has all seemed pretty gradual until about a month ago. Right before the record came out all kinds of crazy things started to happen. Way more attention than we’ve ever received started to pour in, and it’s  been kind of wild. In a good way though! For instance, we’ve never had the entire rest of our year booked solid from July until December! It feels pretty cool.

You worked with Descendents drummer Bill  Stevenson and Jason Livermor for the new LP. How was their approach and did  they help you with any advice of any kind?

Oh yeah, they definitely helped a lot. The attention to detail that Bill applied to our songs was grueling and tedious, and helped so much. And Jason’s ear for finding tones is seriously unmatched. I’ve never had guitar tone like this before. It was such a great experience. We can’t wait to get back to them.

How did you sign to Side  One? Lately they have been releasing amazing bands.

We met a guy on Warped Tour ‘08 that ended up getting a job in the SideOneDummy office and spreading the word about us. Then Joe Sib flew to san Francisco one night to watch Fake Problems, and we were playing right down the street. He came to our show as well, and before we even had our amps off the stage, he said he wanted to put our record out. They have such an amazing roster right now, and it’s an honor to be a part of it.

“Good Views, Bad  News” is filled with a lot of pop punk harmonies: what are your musical  influences?

Everything from Green Day and Alkaline Trio, to Refused, Paul Simon, and R. Kelly. We listen to everything, but our band is one of the many punk bands that take from The Ramones, and make it our own.

You come from the Rainier, Oregon: how is it, musically  speaking? In which ways does it differ from the east and the west coast  scenes?

Musically speaking, I think Broadway Calls is it. Ha. There’s one stoplight and about 2,000 people. We’ve been embraced along the west coast pretty well, but along the east coast it’s hit or miss. Mostly because we haven’t spent nearly as much time over there. We’re doing a solid month on the east coast in October though, so it should be good.

A lot of labels are making a hard work to promote their music,  even lowering down CD prices: Fat Wreck sells cd’s for about 8 dollars, No  Idea for about 7 dollars. What’s your position on the crisis of the music  industry, mp3 piracy and record labels selling less and less  records?

It is what it is. I’ve never paid attention to record sales in any regard. The labels just need to find a way to catch up to technology. In the past couple of years, I’ve stolen records, and I’ve paid for records. I think cd’s will be obsolete in a few years, but vinyl is coming back, and obviously digital sales are rising. Just embrace that. Everything is free nowadays if you’re internet savvy enough.

Speaking of tours, you are suporting The Offspring in Europe  right now. How is it going? What are your favorite albums and songs by The  Offspring, if you listen to any of them?

Every show was amazing with those guys. We didn’t know what to expect. Sold out shows to thousands of kids, and their fans are rabid! It was a lot of fun. I don’t have a particular favorite song, but every song they played was a hit, and it was very fun to meet and watch them on a nightly basis.

Any final word? Things you  want to say and that I did not ask?

Thanks so much for the interview! Sorry it took so long to get back to you. Things have been crazy lately.

Crucial links:

Rude Recordz

Broadway Calls on Myspace

Broadway Calls on Twitter

Broadway Calls on Last.fm

Interview with Banner Pilot

Banner Pilot is a very young punk rock quartet from Minneapolis that formed in 2005. Their new album “Collapser” comes out on September 1st 2009 on Fat Wreck Chords. We sat down with Nate and asked him some question about his band and their upcoming projects.

What’s your name and what do you play in Banner Pilot?

Nate: My name is Mike Johnson. On the record I play bass and lead guitar and live I play bass.

Your new album “Collapser” comes out Fat Wreck Chords on September 1st: how would you describe it to people who never heard of your band before?

Nate: Well, if I was describing it to someone who doesn’t listen to punk music I’d say it is fast music with loud guitars that sounds a little like Green Day. If the person looked at me in confusion after that, I’d say we sound sort of like Nickelback but better.

If I was describing it to someone who *does* listen to punk music, I’d say that we’re melodic punk rock similar to Jawbreaker or the Lawrence Arms. That’s probably enough for someone to have a decent feel for what we sound like.

You released a couple of albums before this new one. What changed in the approach of writing songs, if anything changed ?

Nate: The basic process has always been that #1, I write the guts of a song at home with a drum machine, then #2, Nick and me come up with vocal melodies over it, and then #3, we take that to the full band and flesh the song out. On the new record, there was less time spent on #1 and more time spent on #3. We were able to spend more time on the songs and have more input from everyone. It was fun to do and I think the end result is a little more varied and interesting.

How did you sign to Fat Wreck? Did you send a demo or did you receive a call from the label?

Nate: It was pretty straight-forward– we’ve always wanted to do a record with them so we sent a copy of some demos we’d been working on. They liked the songs, and that was about it.

“Collapser” is filled with great pop punk melodies: what are your musical heroes?

Nate: Thanks! Well, I’m a pretty big fan of stuff like Jawbreaker, Dillinger Four, Lawrence Arms, Superchunk, Screeching Weasel, and so on, and I think our tunes end up sounding similar to some of those bands.

You come from the Midwest punk scene: how is it? In which ways does it differ from the east and the west coast scenes?

Nate: I like it. It’s a good scene; there’s been definite ups and downs over the years but I think the current crop of bands and basements and labels are pretty great. I’ve never lived on the east or west coasts, so I guess I can’t really say how our scene compares to theirs. But probably, their scenes fucking suck and ours is totally awesome. Just kidding. I don’t really know. But I will say, Minneapolis feels kinda like a little city or maybe a gigantic medium sized town — if that makes sense — and I think that’s conducive to having a good scene. If you live in a huge city, it’s so spread out it’s probably hard to really have a “scene”, and if you live in a little town there might not be enough stuff going on to truly form a scene. So I think we kind of fall in the middle of that and it makes it easier to have a situation where you have a lot of different bands and a lot of different styles but it all feels at least a little bit connected

It looks like there are a lot of new bands coming out on No Idea and Fat Wreck that have great records: Dear Landlord, Off With Their Heads, Banner Pilot, Dillinger Four, Lawrence Arms, and so on. How do you think that these punks bands (you included) are making great records while older bands (as Pennywise, Lagwagon, No Use For A Name) are getting to sound a little bit old? Do you think kids are looking for something new, fresh and different these days?

Nate: Well, it’s probably just a simple difference in style I guess; the first set of bands you mention play a slightly different style of punk music than the second set of bands. So if you like that type of punk music you’ll probably be into those bands right now.

I didn’t really grow up listening to the other bands you mentioned — I was more into stuff like Screeching Weasel / NOFX / Rancid / Dead Kennedys / etc — and I’m honestly not that familiar with their stuff. But all of them have been around for 15-20 years so even if they’re still putting out awesome records, it’s pretty hard for them to be perceived as new or fresh, you know? I’m sure the OWTH and Dear Landlord and Lawrence Arms records of 2026 will be awesome but I doubt they’ll be viewed as, you know, “new” by anyone.

A lot of labels are making a hard work to promote their music, even lowering down CD prices: Fat sells cd’s for about 8 dollars, No Idea for about 7 dollars. What’s your position on the crisis of the music industry, mp3 piracy and record labels selling less and less records?

Nate: Well I think there’s good and bad to it, but mostly bad. The long term result of everyone grabbing albums for free will be less bands, less labels, less music, and what’s left will probably be of lesser quality. In an ideal world, an album would only be available for free download if that’s the way the band wanted it to be.

The good part is that if you’re a band your music will get around more now. And that’s pretty cool on an individual level, but on a large scale I think music piracy/illegal downloading/file sharing or whatever you want to call it does more harm than good for music.

How does a band like Banner Pilot survive in this chaotic world?

Nate: With album sales down, I think bands will have to start resorting more and more to weird things like endorsements and product placement if they want to make money off their band, but we’d never resort to something like that.

Hold on a second, I need to take a drink off of my delicious Mountain Dew so I can get the energy to be xtreme and finish this question. Ahhh. That really hit the spot. I hear that Mountain Dew is available in a store near you.

Anyway, we’ve certainly lost money on the band, but we’d be insane if we started a punk band to try to make money. It’s a fun thing to do– we write songs and hopefully people check them out and enjoy them. If at the end of the day we can break even that’s a nice bonus, but all it’s really about is playing music and having fun

You have a twitter account (twitter.com/bannerpilotband): is it helpful for a punk band to keep it? I have subscribed to some twitter accounts of some bands but what I mostly read is 140 letter bullshit.

Nate: It’s just a goofy, sorta fun thing. I don’t know if it’s really all that helpful necessarily but I suppose it’s a way for people who listen to your music to keep up on what you’re doing.

You’re right, though– most twitter accounts are just full of inane self-absorbed blather. Still, it’s entertaining to scroll through a bunch of updates a couple times a day and it can end up being a useful communication tool (like with the Iranian elections this year for example).

Speaking of tours, you will be playing at The Fest 8, and I will be there: what do you expect from this? Have you already played there? Which bands are you excited about? Any new band at The Fest that you might want to recommend to people, Banner Pilot aside?

Nate: This is our fourth year playing. It’s a blast! We’ve always had a great time and it’s one of the highlights of the year. I would recommend that people check out The Dopamines– great pop punk band who put on a super fun show. The band Good Luck is also really fun live; they were probably my favorite set from Fest 7.

Will you tour Europe to support “Collapser“?

Nate: Definitely! I think we’re aiming to head over there in March or April. Not sure for how long or to which countries, but we’ll be over there!

Thanks a ton for your time! Your music is awesome!

Nate: Thanks man!

Anchor Arms

Anchor Arms

Florida natives Anchor Arms have spent a long time building up community ties in their hometown of Gainsville, Florida. It wasn’t until 2007 that their penchant for slowly building and soaring alt-punk was noticed by aging rock star Jon Bon Jovi who took them on his US tour of that year. The tour opened up new doors for the band and now they are touring across the world and selling hundreds of records in Virgin Megastores across the world.

Anchor Arms will be playing FEST 8 in their hometown of Gainsville, Florida this upcoming Halloween.

For more on FEST 8 check out TruePunk’s Guide to FEST 8

Strike Anywhere

Strike Anywhere

When Thomas Barnett’s band Inquisition decided it to call it quits, Barnett decided he wasn’t ready to stop just yet. Quickly he assembled Strike Anywhere – named after an Inquisition song – and continued Inquisition’s legacy of fast, catchy songs. With rocking beats and riffs combined with emotional and powerful lyrics, Strike Anywhere gained the attention of the hit-makers who organize the Tony Hawk video game soundtracks. After having singles appear in the wildly popular video games the band began touring and recording more extensively. Like many mainstream bands, Strike Anywhere has taken up causes like vegetarianism and global wage equalization.

The band recently released the album “Iron Front” on BridgeNine Records.

This Time Next Year release “A Place For You”

Escapist Records has announce the release of This Time Next Year’s debut EP, “A Place for You.” The Walnut Creek, CA pop-punk outfit originally released the seven-song EP through the independent label in mid-2007 and was one of the “100 bands you need to know in 2009″ by Alternative Press.

This Time Next Year has gone on to sign with Equal Vision Records with the release of their debut full-length due this Fall. “A Place for You” will see its official vinyl release (with free digital download) in the coming months – details are currently being finalized. In the meantime, you can catch the band on their current full U.S. tour supporting labelmates Fear Before.

Pennywise

Pennywise

Building on punk rock’s long obsession with horror, Jim Lindbergh (vocals), Fletcher Dragge (guitar), Byron McMackin (drums) and Jason Thirsk (bass) named their band after the monster from Stephen King’s legendary novel “It”. Their self-titled debut album was released on Epitaph records in 1991 and the world took notice. Today the name Pennywise is an essential part of punk history.

The band’s lineup has been shaky since “Pennywise” was released. Lindbergh immediately departed, and Thirsk took over vocals while Randy Bradbury took bass. Then Dave Quackenbush of the Vandals took Pennywise’s vocals for a bit while Thirsk returned to bass and Bradbury left to pursue other opportunities. This was all before their second album could be recorded – by which time Lindbergh had returned to vocals! Their second album, “Unknown Road”, did not make the charts, but likely because sales were being generated in the underground scene at a much higher rate than the commercial market. Refusing to join fellow mainstream punkers Green Day, the Offspring, and Rancid on tour nor any major record labels, Pennywise developed a reputation for DIY-ethics and grassroots fanbases.

Sadly, in 1996, Jason Thirsk lost his battle with depression and alcoholism, taking his own life with a gun. The band decided to keep moving ahead without comrade Thirsk, bringing Randy Bradbury back into the fold. On the first Pennywise album after the loss of Jason his brother Justin Thirsk of 98 Mute helped the band re-record Jason’s song “Bro Hymn” and re-dedicate it to the fallen friend. In fact, the entire album “Full Circle” was a tribute to Thirsk.

Associated acts:

Con 800, One Hit Wonder, Chaos Delivery Machine, Ignite, The Black Pacific

Since then Pennywise has recorded more albums and kept touring.

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