Behind the Vinyl

I'm going to take you back to about a year ago. It was February of 2023 and Gouge Away was in the midst of a return. This was after several years of staying relatively quiet and a behind the scenes breakup. Gouge Away was in Portland having a band practice when they reached out to Militarie Gun about showing up to watch them play on a kick-ass bill of Spiritual Cramp and Supercrush. Ian Shelton an...

For a majority of his music career, Erik Kase Romero has been behind the scenes. Romero has developed into a prominent music producer – most notably working with the Front Bottoms (also plays instrumentals in the live experience), Lorde, and the Bouncing Souls. Romero has developed a name for himself in the industry and his musical genius is something that musicians desire. A quick peek at his web...

When you sit back and think about some of the centerpieces of hardcore punk in the early 2000's, Paint it Black will instantly come to mind. Especially in the Philadelphia area. Philadelphia has a long history of great bands that paved the way for what music music is today. Paint it Black fits that category. One of the most exciting news of this year is when Paint it Black decided to release "Fami...

We are joined by the real Kevin Hart* of Public Opinion which has been a fun new discovery in 2023 and ready to take on the world in 2024. The band is extremely underrated but with a full catalogue of new songs waiting to be released, the group should see a welcoming success in the near future. Hart, who has a rich history of playing in several different groups, said that he wants to release the n...

Charmer's music has always been a powerful exploration of mental health, and "Rose Thorns" is no exception. What's different this time? The lyrics have matured, and the songs are all about moving forward from the mental health struggles that life throws our way. It's a journey towards finding clarity and purpose in life. David believes this new music takes him back to the "early Charmer" days. Get...

We have Saturdays At Your Place on a special Saturday release of BTV! So, hopefully BTV can spend this Saturday at your place... The band first met in college and quickly recognized the incredible house show scene in Michigan. After creating a catalogue of songs that was enough to hit the road, the emo outlet decided to hit the road once the pandemic cooled down. Since then, there has been nothing...

We had Pittsburgh's finest, Short Fictions, back to talk about their face melting album, Oblivion Will Own Me and Death Alone Will Love Me. 

"It's not what you say, it's how you say it" These words are what Nathan Hardy of Microwave lives by. You can hear it in his songs through the raw emotion that comes out in Microwave's lyrics. Experienced writer's often say you have to listen if you ever want to say anything worth while. Basically, in short, it means you have to read and experience other styles in order to develop your own. The sa...

When I say Militarie Gun is one of my favorite bands, that's not an understatement. The band's June 23 release, Life Under The Gun, put an exclamation point on that remark. It felt like record from a veteran band - one that has been around for 10-20. However, for Militarie Gun, they have only been releasing music since 2020 as a group, and made instant noise in the hardcore scene with All Roads Le...

  A magazine wrote earlier in the year that Fidlar is unapologetically back. The group took a noticeable three year hiatus right before the pandemic. They were burnt out after touring 10-11 years straight. But, what often gets misconstrued is that Fidlar planned the whole time to step away, which is far from the truth. Perhaps it's the mysterious move to delete everything on social media. But, the...

Bandcamp:  https://restrainingorderhc.bandcamp.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4HXv1CWVOyIO8ZNvGOSyEy?si=O3yDmKM4RBKFsXWH0vt_BQ Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/restraining-order/6290600

Kamtin Mohager was known for his time in Teenage Wrist leading into pandemic, but around 2020 he went through a transition period. Mohager decided to part ways with Teenage Wrist and started up Heavenward. It was the first time since The Chain Gang of 1974 that Mohager had the opportunity to call all of the shots. He was able to let his true music colors. But, instead of returning to his dance mus...

Drew Waldon and Gumm have seen rapid success over the course of the past year. The band can fall back on the hard work finally paying off. The members of Gumm all work jobs outside of the band but they take on every show and tour that comes their way. Gumm is the first band that Waldon has fronted and the EP Staring Through You is the first time he has recorded vocals. There is continued growth go...

  I saw Oso Oso several years ago for the first time in a small town in New Jersey. I was instantly hooked after their debut album, Real Stories of True People Who Kind of Looked Like Mosters…, and always wanted to see them live, but never really had the opportunity. Around 2018, right before Basking in the Glow came out, I took the trek to a small venue in NJ, and saw Jade and his band play in fr...

It's the return of the legendary Mikey Erg on Behind the Vinyl - this time for an in-person interview before The Ergs! show in Asbury Park last month. This interview is a little more focused on The Ergs! so if you are a fan of the band this is definitely a discussion for you. We talked about the return of pop punk when The Ergs! first formed, The Fest and how it's the best show anyone will play th...

When you hear 90's punk bands from Chicago talk about their inspirations, The Bollweevils are almost always mentioned in some capacity. After 14+ years of not releasing music, The Bollweevils are back in action, with the record Essential coming out in May on Red Scare. Before talking about the new music, we jumped in a time machine and discussed being on Dr. Strange before Red Scare and the bands...

We have Sunny Singh, also known as hate5six, for this one. Most hardcore fans know him for popping up at shows across the country with a camera in hand but he has also made a huge impact on the community as a whole. Ever since Sunny decided to leave his full-time job, he has made a pact with himself to push even harder with the new year. This year's goals currently sits at 1,000 recorded sets, in...

Dirty Heads have by now solidified themselves as a true southern California staple group, with each release continuing to demonstrate their ability to effortlessly transcend genre. It seems the trick to their unique brand of artistry is to often create (and at times, reimagine) as an extension of an intended mood, without overthinking or taking things too seriously—a feat much easier said than don...

Dave Hause is a musician who wears several hats. On the road, he's the front man of a well-known punk band. One that travels the world and releases music often. At home, he's a family man who can be found bringing his sons to school or running errands out in town for his family. The juggling act of being a musician with a family at home is a rewarding process. Dave said when he's home he is presen...

New York hardcore has a legendary list of bands that have paved the way for a younger group to join the mix. Koyo is keeping the reputation going. Hailing from Long Island, Koyo is making it known that they are here to stay and will be a band to talk about, not only when discussing the history of NY hardcore, but the current chapter of hardcore music as a whole. Koyo has been busy this year. After...

Step into the mind of Chris No. 2 as he takes us back to the origin story of Anti-Flag and what they have been fighting for through music since the start. There have been countless moments over the year where the band's message became dangerous for the members - fights at shows, death threats, and even seeing their merch taken out of big-time stores, but the band never lost focus. This group has b...

Here it is! The exclusive in-person interview with Frank Turner last Saturday at the Stone Pony Summer Stage!  We talked about how meaningful Asbury Park is (A fun story about Chuck Ragen + Tim Barry), the difference between touring in his 20s compared to now being in his 40s, opportunities outside of music on the road, finding an audience in locations outside of England, playing new songs live wh...

Back in 2018 I received a text from a buddy during the work day that Joyce Manor was playing at Vintage Vinyl (a record store in central Jersey that has since closed) that night and that I should definitely attend. Joyce Manor was at the midst of blowing up at the time. They saw quick success as a band through their first several records and were hoping to continue the success with their new recor...

Dylan Baldi joins Behind the Vinyl to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of Cloud Nothings legendary record Attack on Memory. This record had countless implications for the band. For Dylan, it was the first record he transitioned over from being the main songwriter who mostly recorded in his parents' basement, and switched over to a more collaborative effort where the full band joined in on the rec...

It has been over a month since the phenomenal record release weekend of Screaming Females' album labeled Desire Pathway.  There was a ton of excitement in the air leading up to the release and the band did not disappoint when it came time to finally hit the stage and play the songs. The Scream Females' home state of New Jersey was lucky enough to have the release of Desire Pathway and the annual G...