 Hostile territory meets a hostile foreign force when the musical equivalent to Eat, Fuck, Kill, Repeat returns to the United States. The Monsters restart their machine once again with a return to the United States in September, and for the first time in 14 years, they’re touring the East Coast. The veteran Swiss punk maniacs start their run in New York City and venture into the Southern States, highlighted by a repeat performance at Muddy Roots alongside Circle Jerks, Municipal Waste, and many more. The tour is an extension of their run in support of their recent album You’re Class I’m Trash, and the band confirms a new album is in the works to be released through Voodoo Rhythm Records in the coming months. The band’s take on the upcoming tour. It’s been a while since The Monsters played on the East Coast of the USA. Our friends from the Muddy Roots Festival in Cookeville, TN. invited us for the third time to play their festival. And who are the Monsters if they’re not playing there? It’s the best and most real and freaked-out festival there is. This year with The Circle Jerks headlining! And while we take the long transatlantic flight, we might as well play a show in New York, as The Monsters did at CBGS in 2003, at Bowery Electric in 2014, and now, in 2026, at TV Eye. One has to play New York every 11-12 years, or else… And on the way, and in between, while passing thru and making friends, we will play some more shows, just for the fun of it! In Chapel Hill, in Silver Spring, and finally in Atlanta's Star Bar. Who wouldn’t… Follow The Monsters online and through Instagram for all their latest adventures.  Photography © Patrick Principe
As cliché as the adage is, life gets in the way of one’s priorities at times. Especially when the threat of a snap-wrist outbreak of war is a truism. Israel and Palestine are the prime example in this era. When you’re from that region of the world where frayed nerve tensions ember on the daily, a politician’s rhetoric could shift an everyday resident’s concerns from how the work commute will look, or if a checkpoint is open or closed, to whether their day will be spent in a bomb shelter, or if unlucky, out in the open. When asked for an unbiased take on those realities, Alonzo and Amitkes Crotch, two brothers and founders of the long-running garage punk band The Crotches, are quick to acknowledge that taking sides out of the picture is necessary to grasp the magnitude of this scenario: everyone’s life is on hold when those air-raid sirens blare. The Crotch brothers (Alonzo, Amitkes, Shashe’) grew up with this reality in their past lives in Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and it's important to emphasize that past, given their recent immigration to Las Vegas to escape their home country’s ultra nationalist narrative and nosedive into messianic zealotry. Already holding opposite views in a country where such dissent comes with severe societal backlash, especially when making a reverse Aliyah, the brothers already accepted those realities of their choices after an early conscious awakening to the country's hypernationalism enabling the State’s flagrant actions against Palestinians throughout the Occupied Territories, in addition to shunning citizens who go against the country's political/societal grain. These guys have vehemently fought against such popular viewpoints there with their music and activism since forming the band in 2011. The Crotches don’t shy away from their leftist politics in their songs, and they’re notable company alongside names like Charlie Megira and Gilad Atzmon, who’ve expressed the same views in their artwork, which only bolsters their subversive outcast status within a mainstream society that holds the unshakable belief in the Israeli narrative. Outside the politics, these guys have fun and talk shit amongst themselves, not taking themselves so seriously as they do their work. What would you expect from a band whose lead singer strips onstage and crushes his dome with beer bottles? So how did two of the three brothers end up smack dab in the weirdness that’s current America? A few horrendous events followed. The 2022 elections took place, bringing to power a neo-Kach government- the most far-right-wing government in Israeli history. The fallout was instantaneous, with an authoritarian-esque judicial reform proposal and the appointment of ministers who would galvanize Judeo-jingoistic settler movements throughout the West Bank and amplify attacks on Palestinians and leftists while bellowing rhetorical fervor throughout the Knesset for reoccupying the Gaza Strip with Jewish settlements for the first time since 2005. Then October 7th, 2023. Hamas’s kidnappings and widespread slaughter of civilians across southern Israel triggered the country’s war across the Gaza Strip, emboldening this government’s insidious, genocidal plan: clear the strip of inhabitants by any and all means necessary. Couple this ongoing state-backed settler violence surging into overdrive across the West Bank, in addition to governmental efforts to increase settlement expansion throughout Palestinian enclaves, and the brothers knew their time in the Holy Land was up. They had to make a change for their own sake; they just didn’t think it would be to the town that Bugsy Siegel helped build, trading biblical-era holy sites for Elvis impersonator marriage chapels. Jerusalem to a new world Gomorrah. Since landing in Las Vegas, Amitkes and Alonzo have reformed The Crotches with a lineup consisting of two Los Angeles area musicians named Moose on drums and Jakey on bass, touring throughout the West Coast of the United States to build a new audience and closing an album gap of seven years with their new unapologetic release Fuck The Crotches on their own record label Love Now! Records. Get to know these guys below.  From L - R: Amitkes & Alonzo - Photography by Dusty Wade. How old were you guys when you three first discovered punk music, and who introduced it to the family? Also, how did Alonzo’s involvement in skate culture influence that early musical awakening? Alonzo: When I was between the ages of 13 and 16, we had the great privilege of living with our family on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. That was in the late 90s, and those were the years when my mind opened up, and I was first exposed to many important subcultures, including punk. I was 14 when I first snuck into a Rock n' roll concert; it was The Offspring at Irving Plaza. That was obviously a shaping moment, and the love for Rock'n'roll that ignited that night naturally passed on to my brothers, who took it in other directions, and over time we refined our mutual taste. And yes, I can definitely attribute that taste and my passion for cool to the fact that during those years all I cared about was skating. This was also a time when skateboarding was still very much a crime, especially in NYC... More than once I had to walk back home with one less skateboard than what I had left the house with because it was snatched and confiscated by some asshole cop. I think that to this day there is a lot in common between skateboarding and The Crotches’ music, which is not Punk per se, but, like skating, it shares the essence of punk in energy and intention, though not necessarily in the generic, scenic, fashion aspects. It’s more of an attitude. The Offspring never became a major musical influence on our music, but I will forever love them because they took my virginity, very respectfully, and it barely hurt. Where did you go to see shows during your formative years? Is there one specific gig you remember that really shaped the humanistic views and beliefs you express in your music today? Amitkes: When I was finishing high school, I used to go to a place called The Patiphone (later Rogatka, then Koro). That’s where I first saw a real DIY venue in operation. It was a tiny room with a tiny bar, and some of the best bands in town used to play there. In the adjacent room, they ran a DIY label named Fast Music, and I ended up trying to get my hands on every release they put out. The shows I saw there definitely made me wanna sink deeper into the underground, and that might have helped shape our resistance instinct. If you want to further your knowledge about this rock'n'roll niche, you can look up the doc Furious and Fast: The Story of Fast Music and the Patiphone. Regardless of our worldviews, in 2008, Alonzo and I went to see a band we didn’t know at a small basement club called Levontin 7 in South Tel Aviv. They kept breaking guitar strings, and by the middle of the set they had gone through all of their guitars and those of the opening bands, and the show had to end. However, we’d seen more than enough, and I think that after this show we officially decided we’re gonna do this Crotches thing for real. That band was called The Black Lips, and a few years later we opened their show when they came back to town. That was a cool full circle. When you were living there, which neighborhoods in Tel Aviv-Jaffa were the epicenters for punk culture? What were the go-to venues for local and international acts, and which record stores were the best at stocking local releases? Amitkes: Jaffa and South Tel Aviv are definitely where you'll find the cooler venues and record shops. The scummy areas around the central bus station were home to some underground clubs and venues we used to frequent and later on play at, like The Barzilay Club for parties and The Zimmer for shows. Street punks used to hang out at Dizengoff Square, but to be honest, we were always more garagey rock' n’ rollers and never truly part of that scene. We often interacted with the punk scene, but we liked other shit too. When I was a young teenager, I used to get records at The Third Ear and Hor Beshachor (Hole in Black); other cool shops in the city include Uganda, Neweiba, and Holit, all of which have their own local labels. How did the concept for The Crotches first come about? Was it always intended to be a family affair? Alonzo: This was always the intention for sure, and the original band consisted of just us three brothers - Amitkes, myself, and our baby brother Shashé who played drums with us for the first 4 years until he moved to Amsterdam to pursue a successful Jazz career. At least 3 years before we wrote our first song, we were already telling everybody that we were in a band called The Crotches, and by the time we played our first show on March 11th 2011, the word was out. We didn’t play that great, obviously, but it was packed, and we knew we had to keep doing this. Amitkes: Yeah. The crowd’s reaction was so addictive it introduced me to a high I knew I couldn’t get anywhere else. A high that felt constructive in comparison to others on the more destructive side. And what better way to do it than with your own brothers? It had to go on, and it did every day since that first show… Leaving your home country is never easy, and you recently made the massive move from Tel Aviv to Las Vegas. What drove that decision, and how are you adapting to life in the States? Did you face any backlash back home for making the move, or did you have a strong support system? Amitkes: Definitely not easy, but at the same time trippy, enlightening, and, in our case, necessary. In our immediate circle, there was no backlash at all for this decision. If anything, the people close to us who obviously hold the same values and ideals as us sympathize with our choice and agree that it has become unbearable to live and make art in Israel, especially in the past decade and especially if your art is political and not just oblivious mind-numbing crap. In your experience, how does mainstream Israeli society view the ethos of punk rock—especially when it intersects with politics and the dominant Zionist narrative? Alonzo: There is most definitely an Israeli Punk scene, and it has had some impactful moments culturally over the years. Socially speaking, I think mainstream society in Israel is pretty unbothered by the punk scene or any other good indie music in Israel, really. That’s another reason we decided to expand to the US: it felt like we’d been preaching to the choir for a long time, and that, as an uncompromising independent band, we’d reached something of a glass ceiling. Amitkes: With that, we have an amazing audience back there whom we adore, and that many freaks and punks in that scene are fighting every day for a change in the Israeli status quo. They are the sane minority, and in my view, that does have something to do with their musical preferences.  Alonzo Over Jerusalem - Photography by Itamar Ginsburg You’ve noted before that there is immense pressure on Israeli artists to stay silent and not criticize the government's agenda—and that people are more afraid to speak their minds now than ever. Was that censorship and pressure already palpable before the 2022 elections, or did it exponentially increase following the outbreak of the war on Gaza? Alonzo: Generally, and with a few exceptions, I think that artists in the mainstream have always been too silent and complacent; it’s part of the reason they become mainstream - they don’t go against the grain and never provoke critical thinking or socio-political awareness. For those reasons, the lukewarm, biased mainstream media embraces them, and they become household names. That has always been the case, though we agree that the shock and after-shock of October 7th and the war on Gaza have deepened this silence amongst Israeli artists. We attribute this to the Israeli government’s poison machine, which immediately politicized and propagandized the horrific attacks of October 7th, unifying Israelis around their victimhood and fear of annihilation, and it worked better than ever, to the point where that fear and hatred spread even to more alternative scenes as well, again, with many exceptions. Moreover, the world’s justified criticism of Israel's genocidal war in Gaza isolated many left-wing artists who are peace seekers, vocal anti-occupationists, and sometimes even declared anti-zionists. A lot of them started to feel that their like-minded partners around the world turned their backs on them purely for being born Israelis, and that sadly resulted in even more silence. They were forced to turn inward and cater to those around them, who were less receptive to that criticism. This is a very discouraging and dangerous process that unfortunately benefits the Israeli government and plays straight into their hands, who actively work at minimizing any criticism for their actions, whether from within Israeli society or from the rest of the world. Let’s dive into Fuck The Crotches. First off, what’s the story behind that title? Secondly, what were your main goals with this record, and how does it set itself apart from your previous two albums? Amitkes: Our first album was basically raw, youthful emotion that reflected our loves and losses, laughs and lusts of that time; it was pure DIY rock n’ roll songwriting, in a good way, for the most part, I think. The second album showcased more of our political awareness, with songs like Love Now, an anti religious anthem, "Good Night Prejudice," an anti-racist song that was aimed at the Israeli up-and-coming settler regime which is by now in power creating havoc, and "Ya Shabab," a song in Arabic we co-wrote with our friend Buddha (shout out!) that calls for joined resistance between Palestinian and Israeli youth. After these two albums, we released a bunch of EPs and many singles that consisted of a few love songs and some more politically involved materials like Zarat Hatarbut, Israel Hayom and Dancing on Blood, all aimed at this relentless, deadly, populist administration, and our three-song EP ACAB, which includes the song "Prisoner of Zion, our most explicitly anti-zionist song. Alonzo: Our new album Fuck The Crotches is our first attempt at recording music in English and somewhat rewinds to our early era of pure emotion; we basically just said: “fuck it, we’re outta here and we need to write a cool album that we can have fun playing and which people can understand the lyrics and catch our vibe right away.” Fuck The Crotches is kinda like our business card for this current adventure in the States, and its title seemed fitting for the time and the place - Fuck everything, even us. Amitkes: Luckily, that title resonates with our fans and haters alike. How did the current lineup come together? What connections brought everyone into the fold for this version of the band? Amitkes: When we decided to move to the States, we knew that Nimshi and Gadi (our amazing rhythm section and stepbrothers) wouldn’t be able to come along for the ride, and that we needed to find a new drummer and bass player. We put that word out, and Roy, a mutual friend who plays drums on the song "Procrastination," mentioned a young and wild drummer from LA who goes by the name Moose. We reached out to him, and he brought Jakey to play Bass; the rest is history. We dearly love all these aforementioned people and consider them all Crotches for life. For readers looking to dive deeper, which three notable bands in the Israeli punk scene do more people need to hear, and why are they essential? Alonzo: All you really need in life, dear readers, is… The Crotches. But if you insist, here are three fundamental bands that were influential for us — Subway Suckers, Noseei Hamigbaat (The Top-Hat Carriers), Charlie Megira and Monotonix… And to name one more — Hashakranim (The Liars). None of them are active today, unfortunately, but they’re all fucking amazing. Enjoy, and see you all at the shows! Fuck The Crotches will be available on vinyl via Love Now! Records, and on Spotify. You can follow The Crotches online on Instagram and Facebook.   Reverend Beat-Man is bringing his one-man voodoo garage blues back to the U.S. West Coast this summer. Kicking off in late July and rolling through late August, the legendary Swiss performer will deliver his raw, hypnotic live shows across a string of dates, captivating audiences with his signature fusion of primitive rock 'n' roll, gospel, and psychobilly. Known for his electrifying stage presence and wild performances, Reverend Beat-Man’s return promises a heavy dose of gritty, soul-shaking energy that fans have come to expect. Tour stops include intimate clubs and underground venues throughout California, Oregon, and Washington, giving longtime followers and new converts alike a rare chance to experience his unholy sermon up close. As the founder of Voodoo Rhythm Records and a tireless ambassador of outsider rock 'n' roll, Reverend Beat-Man continues to blaze his own trail, delivering a show that’s equal parts revival and rock spectacle. Full dates are listed below.
Photography by Giorgos Papahatzopoulos
Austin rockers, you’re in for a treat. One of Greece’s best rock n’ roll exports, Acid Baby Jesus, returns to Texas next week for several appearances at SXSW. As for our neighbors to the North and the South, you’re in for the same treat as they’ll be touring through Mexico and Eastern Canada after a short Lone Star State run. Don't miss out on these if you're local to any of the dates below, it's their first time back to this side of the world in 11 years! Acid Baby Jesus at SXSW 2025 March 12th Liberty Bar (6:00 p.m.) 29th Street Ballroom w/Frankie & The Witch Fingers (8:00 p.m.) March 13th Crowbar (6:00 p.m.) March 14th Hotel Vegas (9:00 p.m.) Acid Baby Jesus in Mexico March 15th CDMX - Bahama Records March 16th Cuautitlán Izcalli - El Taller March 18th CDMX - TBD March 19th Tulum - La Guarida March 20th Cancun - Mora Mora Acid Baby Jesus in Canada March 21st Toronto - Sound Garage March 22nd Ottawa - Gabba Hey March 23rd Montreal - L 'Esco Learn more about these Athenians via their Instagram and Facebook. 
Twenty years ago, the world was a very different place. MySpace was the coolest social media phenomenon and the Razr Flip Phone was cutting-edge technology. Facebook (known then as The Facebook) had just launched. NATO began its largest expansion in its history, admitting seven new member countries. George W. Bush was re-elected president of the United States. Shrek 2, Spider-Man 2, The Incredibles, The Passion of Christ, and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban were box-office hits. The Glastonbury festival featured headliners Oasis, Paul McCartney and Muse. Ronald Regan had died and his funeral was attended by world leaders. Society was experiencing political, social, and technological upheaval in unprecedented ways. Live Strong bracelets and Uggs topped the list of fashion must-haves. And right in the middle of it all, a small but mighty record label released the 4th and final recording by Bay Area new-wave popsters Red Planet.  We Know How It Goes showcased a dreamier synth-pop array of songs than their three prior releases. Songs evoking the 80s sensations Simple Minds and Modern English with layered pop harmonies and melodies reminiscent of Pet Sounds era Beach Boys, filled the full-length CD with sweet melancholy songs. Swirling colorful images played among the snotty themes of goth girls, clove cigarettes, and ending relationships, which were common themes of Red Planet’s previous releases. The record came out as Gearhead experienced its transition from underground taste-makers to an internationally known lifestyle brand. Despite a full-court media blitz to over 400 publications and radio stations, and a short tour to promote the record, the band slipped into oblivion. The record that was possibly one of the best pop gems of the year faded into the background as 2004 drew to a close.  Now, twenty years later, gifted with a talented remixing and remastering by guitarist/keyboard wizard Chris Dunn, this dreamy-pop masterpiece is once again surfacing for a second look and listen.
The classic Speak and Spell artwork still adorns the front cover but the subtle reworking of these melodic masterpieces brings the yearning melancholy out front, raising the harmonies in the mix, and emphasizing the dancing interplay of guitar and keyboards around the clever and sometimes poignant lyrics. This digital-only remix also includes several songs from the pre-Gearhead years, and a long-lost outtake from the Let’s Degenerate sessions, produced by the legendary Kurt Bloch (Fastbacks, Young Fresh Fellows, Presidents of the United States, Tokyo Dragons). Once nominated as Best Northern California Rock/Pop artist, and on the fast track to national recognition after opening for Cake, The Dandy Warhols, Syl Sylvain (NY Dolls), The Cardigans, and Howard Jones, the band was sidelined like so many others by the 9/11 catastrophe and the struggles to rebuild a career truncated by that national disaster. But twenty years later, we are gifted with the opportunity to visit one of the most finely- crafted pop gems of the 2000s. Available now for streaming and download on Bandcamp the reissue will be available worldwide in early 2025 on all streaming platforms. Limited copies of the original CD (pressing of 1700) are available for purchase. 
Photography by Franck Alix
News from the Lowlands! One of the underrated power trio's in all of punk rock, The Anomalys are back, and this time, it took only TWO years for them to come through with a new album. Record time, and hey, there is no pressure, right? Down The Hole is set for release in September on their longtime mothership, Slovenly Recordings, and the power trio chose the song “Despair” as the second single to debut. Opting to exhibit the range of tempos Down The Hole carries, “Despair” is a frantic-paced spazz out compared to the mellow n’ rolling riffs of the record’s first single, “Anxiety.”
One thing for sure: Down The Hole is a much darker album than their last record (review here) and should stoke anyone who felt seeing Jay Reatard live was truly a life-changing experience. There’s no filler in this one. This record is straight from the gut into your face and switches from slow and steady to fast as f*uck.
Down The Hole is available September 6th on vinyl and digitally through Slovenly Recordings. Catch them in Benidorm as part of this year’s Funtastic Dracula Carnival, which is happening in late October. Nissan Motorsports (NISMO) kicked off the 2024 Pirelli GT4 America championship season at Sonoma Raceway with great expectations, and was rewarded with strong performances including a pair of podium finishes. The two-car TechSport Racing team has returned for 2024, joined by single car Nissan Z NISMO GT4 entries from Blackdog Racing and Flying Lizard Motorsports, giving Nissan three teams with championship pedigrees. Problems with the track surface meant the Friday practice sessions were cancelled as track repairs were made, compressing a three-day schedule into two, and eliminating valuable track time for the two new Nissan teams. The Saturday morning practice session set the grid positions for both the Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning races.  Nissan Z NISMO GT4 Leads at Sonoma Mike Carcamo, Program Director, Sports, NISMO, Infiniti, and Motorsports, Nissan Motor Corporation recapped the weekend, “It was a very important debut for the evolution kit for the Nissan Z NISMO GT4. The start of the weekend was rough as track conditions limited our running time, but the teams made the best of it. We could tell that the pace of the car was there considering the depth of the GT4 field. We couldn’t have had a better start than race #1 with the front row sweep and podium finishes in both the Silver and Pro-Am classes. Race #2 was more difficult. We were in the hunt for the lead until we detected some smoke and we pulled the car for a potential issue in the engine. Clearly, we showed that the car has pace and we’ll be focusing on reliability. We also appreciate the effort from newest Nissan teams from Flying Lizard and Blackdog Racing, who suffered from the cancelled Friday sessions to learn their new race car.” Eric Powell who started from the pole in race #1 and scored the fastest race lap in race #2 noted that, “It was an interesting weekend with very little practice time. Our knowledge from developing this platform last year definitely helped us. The car is very different from the 2023 development car. It’s a step up in every way and I think we showed that this weekend. We didn’t exactly get the results we hoped but we proved the car is very fast and can fight for wins. Our time is coming very soon! The car truly felt amazing today. I was loving it.”  Jonathan Neudorf photo by Michelle Haunold Lorenz Race #1 Highlights:
TechSport Racing made it an all-Nissan front row with Eric Powell and Jonathan Nuedorf leading the 30-car field across the starting line. Powell set the pace early on, stretching out a 3.5 second lead before the driver change pit stops began. Meanwhile Jonathan ran strong before handing off the Michai Stephens. A few minutes later Powell handed off to Colin Harrison. At the end of the race, the team were each rewarded with a podium finish, Neudorf/Stephens placing third in the Silver class with Powell/Harrison third in the Pro-Am class. Race #2 Highlights: Two Z’s started from the top ten on Sunday morning, with Michai Stephens starting second in the #23 TechSport Nissan Z NISMO GT4 and Michael Cooper sixth overall in the #9 Blackdog Nissan Z NISMO GT4. Stephens ran with the front pack before handing off to Jonathan Neudorf. Neudorf was challenging for the lead with just ten minutes left when the car started to smoke and the team retired the car. Colin Harrison turned the #22 TechSport Nissan Z NISMO GT4 over Eric Powell who set the fastest race lap on the way to a fifth -place finish in the Pro-Am class. The Pirelli GT4 America championship is for customer teams racing with homologated race cars. There are no factory teams. All Pirelli GT4 America races are broadcast live, and archived on the SRO Motorsports GTWorld YouTube channel. Dean Case Nissan Motorsports PR  The Monsters are coming; what have we done to deserve this? The fact that one of Switzerland's best-kept secrets is finally coming Westward is a 2024 highlight for the rock n' roll maniacs in the towns they're roaming through. These guys are the real deal, lifers in the drudges of the punk n' trash rock world with no intention of stopping or slowing down the destruction of eardrums wherever they plug into. Forty years to tour over here isn't too late; we're just grateful and stoked that these Swissmen have had the opportunity to do so. The Monsters are like Slayer; they kept their sound the same throughout their career. Chainsaw through bone garage trash! It works, it's authentic, and they stuck with it through all the trends and crap pumped via the mainstream culture machine. After all, they can't stand copycat bands and hate them today as much as yesterday. Take advantage of this chance! The Monsters Mexico & US West Coast Tour Spring 2024
Get all the information you need about The Monsters via their website and stream their new album You're Class, I'm Trash via Bandcamp.  Photography by Patrick Principe You’re damn right a band consisting of Roger Corman-esque furry nether regions will snag some attention! The Sex Organs aren’t only a visual spectacle; their music taps into the brain’s subcortical parts with songs about sex toys, camel toes, masturbation, and how folks should cum more and stress less. The metagalactic duo returns to Earth to further destigmatize the carnal mindset with their new album, We’re Fucked, and premiere their video for the single “Do It Yourself.” “Do It Yourself” is the fourth cut from their second record, announced in early February alongside the lead single “Sex Shop,” “Nipple Twister,” and “Where is My Dildo.” We’re Fucked marks The Sex Organs reuniting with Toulousian engineer Lo Spider over at Swampland Studios and with their Bernese propaganda outlet, Voodoo Rhythm Records, spreading songs against sanctimony and encouraging humankind to (make) love (to) themselves and others!
Voodoo Rhythm Records will release We’re Fucked on March 15th, a tour across Spain and parts of France and Switzerland will occur in April. Catch everything on The Sex Organs via their official website or through Voodoo Rhythm Records. The Sex Organs on Tour March 15th - Museumnacht - Schule für Gestaltung (Bern, CH) April 17- La Torpille (Lyon, FR) April 18 - La Divine (Perpignan, FR) April 19 - tbc - (Zaragoza, ESP) April 20 - Bali R'N'R Show - (Benidorm, ESP) April 21. 16 Toneladas (Valencia, ESP) April 22 La Divergente (Toledo,ESP) April 23 Funhouse (Madrid, ESP) April 24. La Teteria (Ubeda, ESP) April 25 Velvet (Malaga, ESP) April 26 Planta Baja (Granada, ESP) April 27 Flamin-Go' ! (Almeria, ESP) April 28 Garaje Secreto (Alicante, ESP) April 30 Brin de Zinc (Barberaz, FR) May 1 - Rössli (Bern, CH)
International tours are daunting, especially the first time around for any band. It's a significant expense financially and with time to leave a lasting impression on an uncharted territory to a new audience.
Let's take Japan's rock n' roll scene world, which left different impressions upon Western audiences from different portrayals by the American publicity machine over the last few decades. Not everyone can have the white rhino mass exposure scenario that Shonen Knife received in 1991 when Kurt Cobain gave them an endorsement that catapulted the Osaka trio from dwellers within the American independent circuit throughout the 1980s onto a larger platform with a deal with Capitol Records and subsequent Stateside festival date with Lollapalooza which followed. Tokyo trio, The 5.6.7.8's, received a similar break, albeit from a paralleling industry, when Quentin Tarantino recruited the women to perform a handful of songs in his movie Kill Bill. The move kicked up the women's status from a small-time garage band into in-demand performers across the West, with their music further engrained into the American pop culture consciousness when Vonage licensed their take of a Rock-A-Teens song for a national commercial.
Those two examples are “stars align” exposure moments for any small-time artist’s career—an industry top-tier tastemaker endorsement for the general American public to draw a baseline opinion. The rest had to forge their baseline through, and plenty of Japanese garage rock bands from the 1990s did just that when coming Westward. Supersnazz toured the United States. Their high-energy shows got the attention of the Seattle scene, which led to a Sub Pop signing and, eventually, Sony Japan taking an interest in the quartet’s work. Guitar Wolf’s tendency to lean towards a skull-piercing trash n’ roll sound gone Mach 2 resonated with Oblivians founder Eric Friedl so much that he effectively launched Goner Records when issuing their Wolf Rock! album in 1993. Touring commenced across the US for the Tokyo trio, with Matador Records brass convinced enough to be the other US label to sign the three for 1996’s Missile Me. A Japanese major handled their homeland releases for the majority of their still-going career with another roundabout to America via a licensing deal with Third Man for Love&Jett in 2019.
Every band has a different avenue for discovery. Fink knows that all too well and has lived it himself with his bands. Fink’s name will ring a bell to American followers of the 90s garage punk from his short yet impactful time crisscrossing the States with him and his brother’s (Fifi) band Teengenerate. For a band that was active for only three years, their catalog makes it seem like they were around much longer, with two LPs and slews of singles scattered across Australian, Japanese, and American trash rock labels like Crypt, Estrus, Dog Meat Target Earth, and many others. However, Teengenerate wasn’t his first foray onto American shores; Fink and Fifi’s prior band, American Soul Spiders, struck a deal with Sympathy For The Record Industry, which gave them the idea to go West, but as a sight-seeing mission instead of rocking faces. Their straight-ahead firebrand style of rock over America came on their next trip West via an invitation by Estrus honcho Dave Crider in 1993 for an appearance in Bellingham, WA, at the Garage Shock festival. That initial trip helped Fink and company with multiple returns across the Pacific until 1996 when Teengenerate split. Since that excursion, Teengenerate built a reputation in the States with their rowdy gigs and high-octane punk assault recordings. Singing their lyrics in English gives them a steady fanbase to build off of, with Fink and Fifi’s more melodic band Firestarter and Fink breaking off to form The Raydios and Ruler. However, none of these bands has returned to tour the US as often as Teengenerate before the post-9/11 world. Fink’s return to the United States in the last few years has been for festival appearances at Mosswood Meltdown in Oakland, CA, under the Firestarter banner in 2018 and two years prior, performing a handful of Teengenerate songs alongside Japanese rockers The Thundderoads. Fink’s new undertaking is now off the ground with Angel Face, who’ve released their debut album through Slovenly Recordings, and talks about touring the United States, the Toyko rock scene, and his plans with Angel Face. 
Photography by Takada Yuko
Where did you and your brother grow up in Japan, and what were your childhoods like? Was there anyone in your family who really nurtured your guy's musical tastes early on or encouraged you to discover different styles of music outside of what was popular in Japan?
Both my brother, Fifi, and I were born in the mid-’60s and grew up in a rural port town about two hours from Tokyo. He got a shortwave radio around when he was ten years old, so we both started listening to a lot of foreign music that was rarely on Japanese radio. We loved rock, punk rock, and disco music from the US and UK on time, but old rock'n'roll, blues, and soul music from the ‘50s and '60s were also favorites. Outside of music, did you two share any other mutual interests? Before music, were there any early aspirations you held growing up? Bruce Lee was it! And reading novels and manga, maybe. How were you and your brother discovering music together, young kids, and who was the first to discover punk rock ultimately? Were you first drawn into music from some of the Japanese bands of the 1970s, or was it the Western bands that grabbed your attention initially? I remember Fifi was excited to find a Sex Pistols single at a supermarket in '77. But after thinking it over, he chose Abba instead of it. I don't think he made the wrong choice. Most of our friends liked Japanese rock bands rather than US/UK stuff, but we didn't. The exceptions were Stalin and The Badge and Western bands like The Stones, The Who, Dolls, MC5, Raspberries, Ramones, Stranglers, Knack, etc. How were you two continuously accessing information about new bands emerging in the country and different parts of the world? Were you mostly getting information via word of mouth, or was there a zine network you two knew about that kept track of all the different bands and tours around the country and abroad? From that shortwave radio and few zines, and when I was around 12 or 13 years old, a record rental shop opening near my house was a big thing. I used to listen to a lot of records there. Though we had little music information, we might know much more than the people around us. Was Shimokitazawa always the main neighborhood where local and international punk/garage bands tour back through? Has it managed to keep the same atmosphere it had when you and your first formed American Soul Spiders? Around ’83, when I moved to Tokyo, it was popular as an independent theater for young kids, not as music, though there were a few venues and record shops. But when I started Teengenerate in the early '90s, we often played there. And many clubs opened at the same time. The other old areas where many clubs opened had something like their own traditions, so it was hard for us to do.
Did you and your brother move to Tokyo with the intent to start American Soul Spiders? I was reading on the Keen Reaction blog that you guys had trouble finding like-minded people initially, and you two didn’t feel like you fit in with what was happening around the city. Can you elaborate on that?
No. Fifi moved to enter a college in ’81 or '82. I did the same thing, but it was an excuse to come to Tokyo to find someone to play with. But like you say, I couldn’t find anyone for over a few years because heavy metal occupied Tokyo then. So I asked Fifi who started playing guitar. We two formed a band called Westside Jet Boys for a few years, but no one could fit in. After splitting the band, I started American Soul Spiders with Sammy around ’88. And a year later, Fifi joined us after leaving a band. I don’t know if you can answer or elaborate on this question, but was there a consensus felt among some of the other Tokyo-based bands who managed to tour the US earlier in their careers that they, too, didn’t mesh with what was happening in the city at the time? What was the general attitude around the city's punk music scene, and was the city a hyper-competitive place for all bands, regardless of genre The time was for metal, grunge, and melodic hardcore. The people wanted fast, heavy, and violent things. And most bands sang in Japanese. They were much different from what we listened to and wanted to play. Meanwhile, we played originals in the style of Birdman-influenced garage rock and sang in English, so only a few people came to our shows, and the club owners lectured us as to why I didn't sing in Japanese. American Soul Spiders had no place to play, and no bands played with us. The only exception was Super Snazz. Then, I decided quickly to leave Japan to play in the US. At the time of Teengenerate’s start, labels were transitioning away from vinyl to the CD format. However, you guys continued releasing single after single on the overseas labels for the band’s duration. Were you guys a popular find in a record store’s import section, and were these steady partnerships with European and American labels helping you gain some sort of cult status within Tokyo because your music wasn’t being released by a Japanese company outside of Target Earth and Wallabies? First, we have never been in such a cult status. No, like your country and others, people here loved rock'n roll and bought vinyl records by the mid-'90s. Like many other garage bands then, we didn't intentionally release it on vinyl, but the label wanted to release it on it. I'm glad to have it on vinyl instead of CD because I don't have a CD player. You first came to the US as American Soul Spiders when SFTRI released your first single but as tourists. Was that your first trip to the States? During that trip, what groundwork did you lay down that made returning to tour the country that much easier for you all later on when Teengenerate came back to the US in May 1993? Yes, to both questions. On the first visit, the singer and the drummer couldn't come with us, but we had the instruments on us. We had thought that if we went over there, someone would play drums for us, and I could make it work, but it just didn't. But we were convinced that we should have played in the US, and we made so many friends who would help us on the first tour.
What were your impressions of the American and European audiences the first time you toured overseas? Were you planning your US tours around your invitations to Bellingham for consecutive appearances at Garage Shock in 1993 and 1994? How did the opportunities for Teengenerate to tour Europe present themselves, and how did you work out the logistics?
The audiences on the tours were totally great. We were never so welcome in Japan. Yes, in the first two years, we planned the US tour around Garage Shock, the greatest show event that Estrus was organizing in Bellingham. Tim Warren planned the Euro tour with Gaunt and New Bomb Turks in ’94 to promote our album Get Action. In the Keen Reaction blog, Maso talks about Teengenerate’s live set, playing mostly cover songs and incorporating originals by the Savage!!! came out. Initially, was Teengenerate started as a covers band? No, it wasn’t. In the early days of Teengenerate, I tried to write simple, solid punk rock songs, but my habits from my American Soul Spiders days got in the way, and it was difficult to do so. Once I got used to it, it was getting better. Did you guys feel like outsiders in your own country with how popular Teengenerate was becoming abroad? Or was it a factor in shared camaraderie between groups like you, Guitar Wolf, The Registratror, Supersnazz, and The 5.6.7.8's, who often toured the United States throughout the 1990s? Outsiders, maybe that. I was bored playing here and thinking of escaping Japan to live in the U.S. But after many international releases, everything around us suddenly changed. Then, our live show attendance went up, and those garage bands asked us to play together. The club managers didn’t ask us to sing in Japanese anymore because those bands started to sing in English then. 
Fink in action! - Photography by Takada Yuko
What led to you wanting to go in a more melodic direction with Firestarter? Did you develop the idea for Firestater’s musical style while writing for Teengenerate in the three years of the band’s activity? What lead to your departure to go back to the Raydios?
Fifi wrote most of the Firestarter songs. In the early days, the band was still a three-piece doing more eccentric, primitive punk rock, but when I joined in early '98, I told them that it would be a shame if he didn't sing songs like The Tweezers, a great power-pop band he was doing alongside Teengenerate around '95 and we must have done both types of songs. Fifi Had asked me to join Firestarter since I formed The Raydios with Sammy in '97. He was so insistent that I decided to join it. So, my band broke up once. Did The Raydios ever make it abroad like your other bands have at this point in life? Unfortunately not, we put some records out of foreign labels, including Slovenly. How did the idea to form Angel Face come about? How far back do you go with the other members of the band? When Toyozo from Fadeaways asked me to join a new band in March '21, I told him OK because I had left a band called Ruler a few months before and hadn't done anything. We haven't had any particular concept for the band now and then and just played the songs we could. The other two members are Rayco, who used to play drums in Ruler, and the singer, Hercules, who joined the band in July of '21. All the members are old friends of mine. The second half of 2023 was active for Angel Face, with two singles and the debut album seeing release at the end of the year. Do you guys have any other recordings in the works or plans to tour outside of the country in the works for 2024? We’ll have a demo recording session for new tunes in January or February and some gigs by March. And we may go to Europe around in Autumn if they want. Nothing is confirmed yet about this. You’ve done so much in music already, gone places that not a lot of people can go to, and have likely influenced tons of bands and labels around Tokyo, for that matter. What else do you want with music or with your life going forward? I think I’ve done almost nothing in music and other areas yet, but I’m satisfied with my life so far. I will live by writing and playing as many songs as possible because I like it so much. It’s my life. What advice would you give a kid who wants to pursue a similar path as you? Any famous/regrettable last words? I'll give them words by Bruce Lee: "Don't think, feel!" Angel Face's S/T debut album and new 7" is out now via Slovenly Recordings. Keep up with where Angel Face roams through their Instagram. Interview by Eli Grisham. |
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