Conundrum Circle

Issue 3

EX FRIENDS

photo by Ron Akins

EX FRIENDS are a punk rock band from Pennsylvania. Fun times! Check em out and catch em live!

Questions by Eric Huber, interview via email. Hi! Can you please introduce yourselves to the readers? What do you play? Joel: vocals Jayme: lead guitar, vocals, laundry JP: drums, vocals, sandwiches Leta: rhythm guitar, vocals, pants police Audrey: bass, vocals, jokes

I enjoyed your set at Comet Ping Pong (DC). From what I heard, that show was put together at the last minute. I was impressed nonetheless; anything you want to share about that show, either stories from your set and/or what the deal was with the last minute thing I mentioned, like how everyone pulled it off?

Joel: It was supposed to be at another venue called Casa Fiesta but something went haywire at the last minute. Some very nice, very generous people stepped in and made it happen at Comet Ping Pong. And they gave us pizza! JP: I caught two dudes snorting pizza flour or something in the bathroom. It was weird. They were mad at me.

What is the relationship between Plow United and Ex Friends? Joel: I play bass in Plow United and I sing in Ex Friends. That's the extent of it. Ex Friends kind of started in the maelstrom of energy that was happening when Plow United was getting back together, and that has definitely helped us here and there, but I like to think Ex Friends is kind of doing its own thing at this point. Early on, when I would write a new song, there'd be a moment of confusion over whether it was a Plow song or an Ex Friends song, but nowadays it's always very clear. JP: FWB

Audrey, I will be real. Your bass lines are sick. What I want to

get into is, most punk, or at least most modern punk, has bass lines that simply thump out the root of the power chord that is being played on guitar. Why do you do more than this? Is it to make the sound of the songs cooler, or is it because you have itchy fretting fingers, or neither? Audrey: Thanks! I have a short attention span, so I have to play a lot of notes to have fun.

On a similar note, you guys have two guitarists, sometimes three. Does each guitarist have a separate role, or is it not that clear cut?

JP: Yes we all have separate rolls with regard to guitars. Jayme does mostly what I would describe as lead guitar... Leta plays mostly rhythm guitar and has reworked some of Joel's old parts from before her joining. They both contribute vocals as well, both lead and back ups at different times. Honestly though they both are great guitar players which has made working on new material a blast. As of now we have no plans to give the Ovation back to Joel, but who knows what making another record will bring... I mean, he does write our songs first on an acoustic so technically he plays them before any of us right? Audrey can also play guitar pretty well, she taught me how to play power chords at our friends house in Greenville, South Carolina. I have the least amount of guitar chops, lets call it "none".

Leta: The past tour has been a fun experiment with guitars and seeing what works. It's a new line up for the band, as of now we're just cutting back to two. Jayme is our lead noodler supplying a truly unique sound to Ex Friends. He creates really interesting textures in each song while I take the classic punk approach and hold down the roots of the tune with a spoonful of piss, brat, and blues.

My favorite PA band is the Sickoids. I have weird taste. Do you know about them?

JP: Yes, those Sickoids are super sick. Leta: Yeah they rock, the band collectively moved to Cali together. I'm glad they are still associated with PA.

You guys have a Wikipedia page. Does this mean you dont have day jobs? Audrey: We have awesome day jobs. teacher, tattoo artist, graphic designer, music therapist, carpenter

JP: Looks like our page is flagged for review. Lets not get carried away.

What can we expect from the new full-length? Any other future plans? Joel: The first LP was mostly stuff about cities in general, and Philadelphia specifically. The songs for the new record are shaping up to be more about suburbs and small towns. There's more emphasis on story and more on character. There are fictional people in the songs and things happen to them. Musically I think we're doubling down on what we did on the first record. We try to keep it concise. We want you to sing along, etc.

REVIEWS BIG EYES: DEMO 2010 7 Razorcake called this EP a themed work, with the theme being fear of loneliness (in so many words). No doubt, Big Eyes could pull this off, but is that what they were going for? Does it matter? Nothis is pretty subtle art; in laymans terms, it is open to interpretation. Prefer to Be Alone is the first song, pretty aggressive-sounding for them, but thats a good thing, since Kates guitar riff and vocal hook are pretty nasty. The song title is not misleadingthis song is a vent against the extrovert mentality, or at least thats how I took it. That is how the record is open for interpretation. Track 2, Since You Left, is so fucking catchy that I dont know if it is safe for human consumption. On BEs later split with Mean Jeans, MJ covers this song, and they play it at almost twice the tempo. I think that is to compensate for their (anyones) inability to reproduce the complex simplicities of Kates songwriting. Picking favorites is distasteful (unless you pick Big Eyes), so I will say both bands shred with this song. Side B makes me want to stop writing and just listen. Butwriting (typing) about this record makes me appreciate it more, if thats even possible. You Aint the Only One has the classic BE drumbeatthe bouncy one, for those of you already initiatedbut the song is sadder than it is bouncy, when you account for the lyrics and melody and harmony and everything besides my arbitrary category, bounciness. All Alone closes the EP in a way that is not cheesy, but not quite as memorable melodically as their later stuff, if thats what they are going for. Not a bad place to start on a band I am now hooked on. There is a reason this was released on vinyl. (GRAVE MISTAKE RECORDS, review by Eric Huber) RED DONS: NOTES ON THE UNDERGROUND 7 Side A on this EP is one four-minute-fifty-second opus, called Cold Hearted. The riff at the beginning is cool, but it is cooler how it changes key to go into the verse. The first few times I listened, I thought this was much slower than other RD songs, but it is busier on every instrument. It gets infectious, and by the time it is over, you just want more, even if you are questioning the bands need to sing did you ever wonder why? so many times in a row. But still, you want more. The sound is on point, and the details really dont matter in this band. There are details, but the sum of the parts is so awesome that I just didnt feel the need to look any closer. Well since you want more, there is another side. Its been a while since we last talked yeah is the first line of Losing Track, song one of two on side B. It sounded cheesy to me at first, but when the bass kicks in after, you put it together and get a catchy-ass song. Maybe it is still cheesy, but I dont know, its just a single; I say let the band experiment with sounds. However, I dont think this single is as

good as the Pariah single (except for the fact that the A-side on that was kept on the next LP) or the Forced Turning Point. Fuck rankings though, this band is worth collecting em all. And I dont think Dead Ender, side B of Notess closer, is cheesy at all. Peace. (GRAVE MISTAKE RECORDS, review by Eric Huber) BORN WRONG: HOLDING CELL 7 Dont give me that true patriot love shit, like I give a fuck. Thats my favorite line from this record. Hardcore lives. BW give us a textured, well-produced (but not overly so) hardcore EP. I know its sometimes hard to tell these kinds of bands apart, but I think Born Wrong has an ideal mix of uniqueness and aggression (which tends to be less unique in music, since, at least as I see aggression, it is a relatively easy emotion to reproduce. I mean, you dont even have to be really angry to make an angry song). BW are trying to make their anger sound plausible though, and I think it works. For one thing, there is text in the center of the wax on side one that says your life is a prison. For another, these songs are well-crafted and deliberate enough that I would wonder why a band who is this talented would want to fake a musical emotion. This legitimate anger is not just in the vocals or lyrics though; the riffs pound ass! This EP never lets up, for better or for worse. If it is too short for you, stop whining and play it again. It will not sound worse with repeated listens. Also, you can call me a sick twisted fuck, but I am really into the cover art! (SCHIZOPHRENIC RECORDS, review by Eric Huber) HARD STRIPES: s/t 7 Hey guys, this hardcore band is from Richmond, Virginia. After the mysterious intro, side one starts with a mid-tempo juggernaut called Duress. I cant tell when the second song, Pollution, starts, so I will consider side A as a whole. I really like the fast beat part between the mid-tempo juggernaut parts. Im intrigued, and would like to see this band live. There is a breakdown part at the end of side one that I hesitate to call a breakdown because it is too cool to be one. In other words, I dont think Evergreen Terrace fans would like Hard Stripes, but if they heard HS, they would probably stop liking ET. At least I did. But no, those two bands have nothing in common. Side two starts with a mid-tempo riff, with a repetitive albeit impressive fill to go into the mid-tempo juggernaut verse of side two. I like this record more every time I hear it, and I think writing about music, or at least this kind of music, makes me like it more. In other words, send me shit to review! huberericw@live.com. But I really like this record apart from the writing effect. I like the tempo changes, and the fast parts are monstrous. If you dont like music that is monstrous, stay away. HSs musicians are clearly talented, but they dont try to play show-off shit. Thats my kind of ethic right there.

(VINYL CONFLICT, review by Eric Huber) BIG EYES: BACK FROM THE MOON B/W I DONT CARE ABOUT FRIDAY NIGHT 7 I am incredibly biased toward the A side. Nothing against the B side, I just love Back from the Moon. If it is pop-punk, I challenge anyone to come up with a better pop-punk song from the last few years. It kinda has to be pop cuz of the two verses, three choruses, and bridge structure of the song, but this is punk as fuck cuz Kate and co. are the bossest, and thats all it takes to be p. as f. This single might not be that valuable to people on a budget at this point, since both of these songs are on the Almost Famous LP, but I argue that since the two tracks on here are the last two songs of the LP, they are kind of hard to reach otherwise. Ok thats bullshit, I really just love this song so much I would buy it in any form. The B side is more fun and traditional punk, and even the lyrical theme is Ramones-y: not wanting to go out and see people who remind you how lonely you are. Like a lot of BE songs, and this is something I dig on, I dont care has semi-sad lyrics but a happy sound. I first heard about this kind of contrast regarding the Smiths, but who the fuck are they? Both songs on here kick ass, and if you can disregard/get over the fact that they are both on the full length, you want this. I cant imagine not liking it, for real. (GRAVE MISTAKE RECORDS, review by Eric Huber) MORNING GLORY: POETS WERE MY HEROES 12 Here is the story of how ridiculous I am. Winchester people, remember the Off With Their Heads show? MG opened for them at Sweet Carolines (up the punx!!! NOT). Anyway, I am so dumb that I left after Walk the Plank, the first band, and they werent even bad! Im still trying to figure out why I leftprobably some bullshit reason. Worse yet, I missed Morning Glory. This LP is really good. I mean, it is probably too long (two 33rpm 12s), but I think Fat Mike has found a sick band to put on the underground punk monopolizers (Fat Wreck Chords) roster. He knew dude from Leftover Crack, who is also in this band, so that is probably how it happened. I like this a lot better than Leftover Crack, who seem to flaunt their politics, whereas MG seems to make their politics into a personality. This is like a punk opera though, replete with orchestral parts (a carry-over from LOC), and it maintains it punkness, for the most part, despite being like an opera. This is high praise to be coming from someone who thinks of Fat Wreck Chords like I think of dinosaurs of the past, and who hasnt liked any of their bands (outside of NOFX) since I was 17 or so. The last song on the first side is sick, and these guys can really write a tune. Oh, and this record is less crusty than LOC. March of the Asylum is weird. They take that marching chant thing and rock it out so hardthe contrast and irony are just overwhelming. I have mixed feelings about this record, and reviewing full-lengths is hard as fuck! It is good though, and if you like LOC, even a

little, you will probably like this. If you are like me, and judge a records value by how few ska songs it contains, this is clearly victor over the crack rock steady beat. A sonic accomplishment? Yes. A record I like to listen to a lot? Not as much, but I certainly appreciate the effort. (FAT WRECK CHORDS, review by Eric Huber) VARIOUS ARTISTS: SHORT, FAST, AND LOUD ISSUE #24 10 I am including this review because a few distros on the web still have this for sale. I got this used at DCs punk record mecca, Smash! It was $8.99 but it did not come with the zine that is supposed to come with it. I dont really feel ripped off though. I want the zine, and will trade a few old issues of Maximum Rocknroll or Razorcake for it if anyone has it, but the music on here is disgusting enough to satisfy me. Lots of grindcore on here, but it all has enough of that punk edge to distinguish it from death metal, AKA Satans poop. The first track, from Voetsek, is killer in a raw and unrefined way. Also, a Coke Bust song that I did not have otherwise. Sick! There are too many bands on here to name them all, but I think the most established one is Brutal Truth. Ill concede that they are more metal than punk, but I will not concede that they suck. Speaking of records that dont let up, this one never quits. You might have to stop it before it ends if you are trying to relax, whatever that means. I mean, cut me some slack, how are you supposed to review something like this? It is meant to be unpleasant, I imagine. Do I dislike it? You are mistaken. Pleasant music sucks. Go watch the super bowl halftime show or some shit. Sorry I cant come up with a value judgment, but I do not feel that I am in a position to judge noise this unadulterated. If you dont have the capacity for this type of music, I dont know what to tell you. Just keep your comfort to yourself and away from the youth. (SIX WEEKS RECORDS, review by Eric Huber) NIGHT BIRDS: FRESH KILLS VOL. 1 CD This is not a new NB release; it came out before Born to Die in Suburbia, the record that got all the ink from punks everywhere. I reviewed Born to Die last issue, but this record may be just as good, if not more interesting. I am really into albums that compile demos and singles from bands who want to package it all in one. This is that. I never really noticed how good the Birds were, since all the songs flowed into one record on Born and Other Side of Darkness. Not that this record has poor track orderit doesntbut it is more that when you hear songs that were recorded in separate sessions, the songs start to sound different from each other. Thing is, NB probably want to sound like one long song, cuz that is how LPs are generally made. This one is a nice exception. NB have an untouchable sound, scare quotes to indicate that they really have more than one sound. The lyrics stand

out in this album to me more than in the others. Interestingly, the songs are mostly about horror movies! Sweet. I dont even watch horror movies, or movies at all really, but NB lyrics are witty. There is really no filler song on here, and this record is a winner. If you have even the slightest interest in punk, you cannot go wrong starting here. They bring the old school back, with a new twist. Thanks! Oh, and needless to say, if you got Born to Die because of how famous it was, but you liked it, you want this one too. Takes off some of the bandwagon/poser guilt you may be feeling at being a latecomer to the sensation that is the Night Birds. (GRAVE MISTAKE RECORDS, review by Eric Huber KING KAHN AND THE SHRINES: IDLE NO MORE 12 I used to think my favorite song by them was Took My Lady to Dinner. Then I decided it was probably too misogynistic and makes too much fun of overweight people (he is totally joking, and I could be taking it wrong), so I decided I needed a new favorite. I picked Land of the Freak. That song is funky as fuck and really catchy. But it is not really a song as much as the un-p.c. one I mentioned earlier. I like Guttermouth, and King Kahn is nowhere near as offensive as g-mouth. So I took my claims back, and decided I would never print anything in a zine that betrayed anything resembling bigotry on behalf of Mr. Kahn. I like their music a lot, and I doubt that they are bigots. I can totally imagine a bunch of fat and ugly (his words) ladies getting down to some King Kahn. Please correct me if I am wrong. My pointregardlessis that this music is too fun to diss. I dont even care if it is punk (Im pretty sure its not). It is, to me, RnB mixed with Garage Rock. However, I did not mean to imply that I like the other albumSupreme Genius of King Kahn and the Shrines, foo; that is the album the two songs I was debating the personalfavoritism of are onbetter than the one being reviewed here. Why imply it when I can state it directly? I like the other one better. This album still is good though. More mature, if you will. I just dont look for maturity when I listen to King Kahn. Ill give it a chance now. Update: I am currently listening to the last song on side A. It is so slow. Good and interesting as fuck though, and I think it is meant to showcase KKs voice. I think it is meant to be in a 6/8 time signature. Again, correct me if Im wrong, but in this case I probably wont give a shit. Would you? I mean were talking about the time signature of a fuckin rock song. Has that ever been done? Besides in prog songs. GeezusI flipped it over and the first song on side B has the same time signature and has a female singer resembling some like Motown RnB shit, like legit rnb, not 167th Wave, or whatever were on. I cant really get into it yet. The song after that is like some rockabilly jizz, but its probably pretty good on its own. What I am slowly getting at is that I like the other album, Supreme Genius of King Kahn and the Shrines, better, but if you like Ian Svenonius-type shit like post-punknrnb type shit you might be cool with picking this up in a store if you see it. I got it at Sweat Records in Miami, FLA. That place is really cool, and it has so much indie rock that you might need to step outside and puke, but the punk selection is sick, and they have coffee and vegan snacks and

pamphlets and stuff, which adds to a stores legitimacy in my book. Shitstorm played there a few times/maybe just once, Im not sure how many times, but I mean Shitstorm is a big deal sorta, I mean they are on the mighty Scott Hulls comp This Comp Kills Fascists Vol. 1. They are from Miami, so a little less cool, but still cool. King Kahn is fun! (MERGE RECORDS, review by Eric Huber) EndnotesWhat those of us in the Winchester community need to be discussing in our daily lives is how we are going to get to Damaged City Fest 2014. That shit is gonna be off the hook!!! Check out the lineup online, there is a facebook group. We got Infest, Govt Issue, Shitstorm, Coke Bust, and, my personal favorite: many more. It is at April 11 and 12 in DC. Sound cool? I think its sold out, haha. Also, I booked a show earlier this year. Never done it before. I wish someone else would do it-the music was good. I think more people snuck in than paid. The best part was when some guy who must have been in a real hurry asked someone to help carry his amp down icy stairs and I volunteered and fell and bled out my head. That really happened. Im alright, but come on.