30 Apr 2011
a legend
I can relate to this guy so much because, like me, he is fully aware of his own fuck ups, intolerable idiosyncrasies and just doesn't give a fuck if it bothers you.
29 Apr 2011
TIM ARMSTRONG
Tim Armstrong was born in Berkeley, CA on November 25, 1966. His mother often worked long hours to support Tim, his older brothers Greg, Jeff and her husband who suffered from alcoholism.
One of Tim’s earliest memories is going to the racetrack, Golden Gate Fields (which would later become the subject of a song from Rancid 2000). His first introduction to punk rock was when he would follow his brothers on their record shopping trips to Berkeley’s Telegraph Avenue – they nicknamed him “tagalong”. His brothers listened to the Ramones, the Clash and the Specials – which later came to be Tim’s main source of inspiration for his music.
Tim and Matt first met in 1972 at a father-son group called the Y-Indian Guides! They remained friends and were in some of the same classes in school. From senior year they seriously started to put a band together They played in various bands over the years and finally formed Operation Ivy in 1987. Tim says he and Matt were much more than friends – they were brothers.
In the few years that would follow Tim’s life would take a turn for the very worst. Between 1989 and 1991 Tim was hospitalized three times for alcohol and drug abuse. His brother Jeff, found him on the sidewalk in Telegraph Avenue and rushed him to hospital where he was found to have a 3.9 alcohol level – enough to have been fatal. After that, Tim was in and out of detox centers, living in a Salvation Army hostel, he was malnourished and broke. Matt stuck by him through this time often buying him food and giving him money. But it wasn’t until Matt finally gave up on playing music with him that Tim decided once and for all to “get clean”. His music meant way too much to him, his partnership with Matt meant even more.
Tim was living in a $100 a month punk rock house when money from Operation Ivy’s album finally began to come in. Tim felt like he’d been blessed, he says “For the first time in my life I had enough money to take care of myself and write music” A sober Tim learned how to vent his anger and frustration through making music with Rancid.
In 1995 on tour in Australia Tim first met a young girl named Brody who would become his wife in 1998. Sadly, the marriage ended in 2003 with much interest from the media. And saw Tim give some of his most personal interviews to date.
In 1998, Tim set up his own label with Brett Gurewitz– Hellcat Records. Becoming the home of such bands as, Dropkick Murphys, US Bombs, Slackers and F-Minus. Tim also took the role has producer and songwriter for a lot of bands and artists.
In 2001 he furthered his talents by making the commercially successful 3-piece the Transplants.
Tim remains to be an inspiration to young punk kids worldwide through his songwriting, individual guitar-playing and distinctive voice..
LARS FREDERIKSON one of the two kings of punk rock.
Lars Frederiksen was born on August 30, 1971 in the South Bay city of Campbell, California. His mother, Minna Frederiksen came from Denmark, she came to the US as an immigrant, barely able to speak English and with very little money. Lars’ father, John Dapello abandoned the family when Lars was just 4 years old.
Life was a constant struggle for Minna and she worked two jobs to try to support her two sons’, Lars and his older brother Robert.
However seeing his mother struggle gave birth to his survival instincts for later in life and surely helped to instill that working class “punk rock ethic.” His first introduction to music was by his brother Robert, who was four years older than him. Some of Robert’s favorites were Kiss and AC/DC and Lars immediately fell in love with the powerful music. One of his first introductions to punk was when he saw the movie “Rock n’ Roll High School”. He watched in 27 times in a row. It was to be the first time he heard The Ramones and said they changed his life.
One of the first punk gigs he went to was Social Distortion in 1982 where he got to hang out with the band and had a song dedicated to him – he was only 11! However, Lars’ was a pretty crazy 11 year old by all accounts. He was already working as a drug delivery boy for the local hells angels and done several stints in juvenile hall for crimes such as breaking and entering, possession of a controlled substance (PCP) and cruelty to animals (he was high and put chewing gum on a dog (?!). He was also a member of local gang the Skunx and by age 16 he became the leader of the troupe. He became addicted to amongst other things, heroin. But it wasn’t all bleak; also in this year he picked up the guitar and learned to play. At 18 he was asked by Charlie Harper to join the punk band UK Subs, Lars remembers it as being like “going on tour with my dad”. When his band Slip opened for a lil’ band named Rancid at Gilman Street, Tim dropped a broad hint to Lars that if his band ever broke up well………..luckily it did and Lars locked himself in his room and learned to play the entire Rancid record. Tim says “I think he knew the songs better than we did.”
The rest, as they say, is history – Lars became a critical member of Rancid after recording their second album Let’s Go in 1994. Lars became the official “motormouth” for the band, taking over the role as chief Rancid spokesman when it came to interviews and playing live gigs.
He formed his side project band Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards in 2001. Making a somewhat autobiographical album, which focused on his childhood, and growing up in Campbell, CA.
He has also produced a lot of records for bands including the Dropkick Murphys and the Anti-Heroes.
On a personal note, the last few years have been very tough for Lars, in 2001 he returned home from tour with the Bastards to find his wife of 3 years, Megan, had packed her bags and left him. Also on tour with the Bastards, he slipped a disc in his back, had to have surgery and was diagnosed with Degenerative Disc Disease – a disease that could eventually crumble the bones in his spine and he may not be able to walk. And probably the most devastating thing to happen was his older brother, Robert sadly died of an aneurysm. Lars wrote the song Otherside on Indestructible in memory of his dearly missed brother.
28 Apr 2011
RAISED FIST< Swedish hardcore is where its at.
IM not better than you, Your not better than me.
Raised Fist
Raised Fist was formed in 1993. They got the idea for the name from the Rage against the Machine song called "Know your enemy" where the lyrics goes like: "Born with an insight and a Raised fist .."
With influences rooted firmly among bands as GORILLA BISCUITS, YOUTH OF TODAY and WIDE AWAKE the band started out as firm believers in the old school style. They blasted out their first two excellent releases, the CD EP "You're Not Like Me", and the much acclaimed MCD "Stronger Than Ever". On these recordings the band and mad man, growling Alexander Rajkovic is up for an intense hardcore adventure that has the same spirit and energy stuff as the early Revelation and Boston releases conveys.
Late 1998 Raised Fist came back with their long awaited debut album "Fuel". A record that meets the old style coupled with a more heavy sometimes almost MACHINE HEAD-like metal assault. KERRANG gave "Fuel" four K�s (K K K K) and wrote "...It is a melody-free album of pogo-inducing open chords and Sick Of It All-style Noise. It's not just posturing either, these four men sound as if they really mean it and there isn't a track here that lets up for a second"..." Raised Fist sound like they're spoiling for a ruck, and after hearing "Fuel" you'll be too". (James Cooper).
The second album "Ignoring The Guidelines" (recorded by Daniel Bergstand who has produced MACHINE HEAD and MESHUGGAH among others) was released by Burning Heart Records on May the 26th 2000 and is certainly another reason to believe. Here, RAISED FIST takes their intense hardcore even further. The metal is there, but less prominent. The punk edge, the stomping build-ups and deadly aggressive styled vocals makes "Ignoring The Guidelines" to another great release from this hardcore cult maniacs.
In the fall of 2002, RAISED FIST is releasing their third album, entitled "Dedication". Once again, produced by Daniel Bergstrand. We are given another doe of the extreme and powerful hardcore we have come to know from this band. These guys and their brutal attack are again all over the place, showing total commitment and sincerity to the music they love.
Crank it up real high, and you know why this band is and will continue to be one of the most talked about hardcore-acts in the world.
25 Apr 2011
RANCID
FORMED: 1991, Berkeley, CA
Rancid's history starts in the end of 1991. Tim and Matt had played in Operation Ivy who ended up in -89 and Tim was in serious drugs and alcohol problems. Matt saw that Tim must have something to do to get off that problems and they formed the band "Downfall" but it was over almost at the same time.Tim "started all over" and had nothing to do, and at that time he and Matt formed the band RANCID.
It was very impotant for Tim to have a band, to get off all the problems and have something to do. They also after a while got Brett Reed on drums and now they were three in the band. Brett had played in the local band "Smog". Exept Operation Ivy, Downfall and Rancid, Tims have played in other bands like: Shaken '69, Silencers and Dance Hall Crashers etc. More about that on " Bandmembers ". Rancid was at the start like all the other new bands, no famous at all. Their debut was in a house in Oakland, a frined to Tim's house. Matt had another band too, Gr'ups, but leaved them and began seriously with Rancid. 1992 they debuted on the label "Lookout Records" with the single "I'm not the only one". It was the most of Rancid's song, a quite slow beginning, and then more "speed" and more heavier in the end of it.
After this, Rancid needed a second guitarist and asked Billie Joe Armstorng in Green Day but he wanted to continue with Green Day. At the same time as this, Rancid recorded their first album, and under this time they visited their "hometown" Berkley when Breet "ran into" Lars Frederiksen. He was in the band "Slip" who once had been on a show with Rancid, he was now in "UK Subs" but wanted to change band, because he was sick of that band. After a while in Rancid he said in an interwiev: "Punk rock to me is not about making a better life for yourself, not sitting around and moping about shit. Personally, I can't do that. I do what comes naturally to me, making music; keeping my convictions
inside and going on with what I'm doing. Rancid isn't one of those bands that wants to change the world."
Rancid's first album was finished in April -93. Lars wasn't on that album because he wasn't in the band from the beginning and didn't want to take the honour from the others. On the back of the album is a picture on Rancid pointing on the sing with the text: St Gilman St. where they lived under the time when they recorded the album. The most famous song on that album was "The Bottle", "Unwritten Rules", "Get outa my way" and "Another Night". After the album there was a lot of tours in Europa etc.
In the new year, they released the "Radio Radio Radio" single, on Fat Wreck Chords. This was Frederiksen's debut on record; the title song, "Radio" was co-written by Green Day's Armstrong. "Radio" was the perfect cross between Green Day and Rancid; the song was played at normal Rancid hyperspeed, but the chorus was pure Green Day pop harmony. "Dope Sick Girl" was also a lightening-speed track, featuring split vocals and one ofthe fastest guitar leads ever played. "Just a Felling" reached with. Lars providing a guitar lead that rivaled "Dope Sick Girl" and a chorus drenched in melody. The middle section slows slightly, and Tim Armstrong's vocals drop to a chant. "Someone's Gunna Die" was Freeman's turn to excel, the song a hardcore gem with a chanted chorus of "oi, oi, oi."
In February 1994, the band began recording "Let's Go." The album was overflowing with tight melodies, choruses that rang with hooks and anthemic lyrics. The radio single chosen was "Salvation," a pure crowd sing-along, but it was the loosest of the songs, and for that reason alone, not representative of the rest of the album. "Salvation"'s lyrics were semi-autobiographical, telling of Armstrong's experiences at the Salvation Army, where he exchanged a bed for driving around the burbs, picking up the well-to-do's cast-offs.
As almost always, there's a lot of ska and reagge in Rancid's songs and syncopated bass lines that sneak in, like the slow passage in "Burn". It was as if Rancid had rolled the whole of the larger punk genre into "Let's Go." An in a way they had. But it's really the intangible things that make "Let's Go" a punk classic. This includes the lyrics that ring with truth, sincerity, and reality. Equally important, though, was the sustained level of energy, a hyperkenetism that infuses the record, spraying out over the listener like a jolt of double espresso. That spring, with the album completed, Rancid put together a side project, Shaken '69. Joining forces with ex-Op Ivy drummer Dave Mello, the Uptones' Paul Jackson and Eric "Dinwitty" Dinn, and featuring Skankin' Pickles' Lars Nylander and Mike Park on horns, Shaken '69 is a pure ska band.
The group recorded a couple of songs which hopefully will be turning up in the near future on compilation. Shaken '69 would like to do more, but as all the members are in working bands, it's difficult to schedule time. In June, Rancid embarked on a month-long tour that covered the south and midwest. After a brief break, they spent August with Sick of It All playing the west coast.
But the highlight of the summer shows was the Epitaph Summer Nations shows. A label celebration and party, the celebration stretched across 3 days at L.A.'s Palladium, a gala event to rejoice in the rise of punk and Epitaph. The highpoint for many fans was when Pennywise invited Armstrong and Frederiksen onstage for a rendition of Minor Threat's "Straight Edge." 1994 also saw the release of the Epitaph compilation, "Punk-o-Rama", which features two Rancid tracks, "Hyena" and "I Wanna Riot." Rancid was also featured on the Kill Rock Stars compilaiton, "Rock Stars Kill." Their track, "Brixton," is cloaked in an early reggae sound, down to the '60s sounding keyboard lines.
The album was subtitled "23 More Bands that Don't Want to Be Rock Stars," which might have been true in some cases, but at least one band wasn't so sure. By now, Rancid was a hot commodity, "Let's Go" went swiftly gold, and is currently working toward platinum, thus label reps were turning up at numerous shows. And when the dust settled, Rancid went back to work. January 1995 saw the release of their new single "Roots Radicals" b/w "I Wanna Riot." The single was extremely catchy, with snatches of punk guitar leads vying with the ska-infested bass and drum line. The chorus is anthemic; heard once, you'll be chanting it forever. The song has since reappeared on their new album.
In February, Rancid returned to the road for a short tour encompassing L.A., Chicago, New York, Boston, and other big cities. Then it was back to the studio in March, where they spent the next six weeks recording the new album. After "Let's Go" it was hard to imagine what Rancid's next step would be. Many bands would have been satisfied recording an extension of their last album. But Rancid have an ability to scour out new musical crests and mount them with seeming ease. And it was with "...And Out Come the Wolves."
Even the brief intro to the opening track, "Maxwell Murder" was unexpected: a dark, eerie sample from the movie, "Gringo." And although the rest of the song was standard Rancid punk, the album quickly shifts gear with "The 11th Hour". This song was slower than almost anything they'd done before. The new single, "Time Bomb," was full-on ska. Two more ska tracks, "Daly City Train" and the hook-laden "Old Friend" also appear.Rancid's propensity for trade-off vocals has increased, to great effect. With each member having a distinct voice and style, the trade-offs give each song and the lines within added power and individuality. As always the lyrics were ripped from the band's personal experiences.
There's the good times to be found in "Olympia, WA," Op Ivy's demise in "Journey...," the chilling look at addiction in "Junkyman," the misery of homelessness in "As Wicked," and the ubiquitous songs about girls, including "She's Automatic," "Old Friend" and "You Don't Care Nothin' "
"...And out come the wolves" was nothing short of sublime, and will inevitably bring Rancid even greater success. After its completion, the band took a well-deserved break. A September tour of Europe is scheduled followed by another national tour. At the time of writing in early August. RANCID's last album ( Life Won`t Wait ) is REALLY to recommand, but just a little bit much ska and reggae i think.
RANCID are of course my favourite punkrock band.
Rancid's history starts in the end of 1991. Tim and Matt had played in Operation Ivy who ended up in -89 and Tim was in serious drugs and alcohol problems. Matt saw that Tim must have something to do to get off that problems and they formed the band "Downfall" but it was over almost at the same time.Tim "started all over" and had nothing to do, and at that time he and Matt formed the band RANCID.
It was very impotant for Tim to have a band, to get off all the problems and have something to do. They also after a while got Brett Reed on drums and now they were three in the band. Brett had played in the local band "Smog". Exept Operation Ivy, Downfall and Rancid, Tims have played in other bands like: Shaken '69, Silencers and Dance Hall Crashers etc. More about that on " Bandmembers ". Rancid was at the start like all the other new bands, no famous at all. Their debut was in a house in Oakland, a frined to Tim's house. Matt had another band too, Gr'ups, but leaved them and began seriously with Rancid. 1992 they debuted on the label "Lookout Records" with the single "I'm not the only one". It was the most of Rancid's song, a quite slow beginning, and then more "speed" and more heavier in the end of it.
After this, Rancid needed a second guitarist and asked Billie Joe Armstorng in Green Day but he wanted to continue with Green Day. At the same time as this, Rancid recorded their first album, and under this time they visited their "hometown" Berkley when Breet "ran into" Lars Frederiksen. He was in the band "Slip" who once had been on a show with Rancid, he was now in "UK Subs" but wanted to change band, because he was sick of that band. After a while in Rancid he said in an interwiev: "Punk rock to me is not about making a better life for yourself, not sitting around and moping about shit. Personally, I can't do that. I do what comes naturally to me, making music; keeping my convictions
inside and going on with what I'm doing. Rancid isn't one of those bands that wants to change the world."
Rancid's first album was finished in April -93. Lars wasn't on that album because he wasn't in the band from the beginning and didn't want to take the honour from the others. On the back of the album is a picture on Rancid pointing on the sing with the text: St Gilman St. where they lived under the time when they recorded the album. The most famous song on that album was "The Bottle", "Unwritten Rules", "Get outa my way" and "Another Night". After the album there was a lot of tours in Europa etc.
In the new year, they released the "Radio Radio Radio" single, on Fat Wreck Chords. This was Frederiksen's debut on record; the title song, "Radio" was co-written by Green Day's Armstrong. "Radio" was the perfect cross between Green Day and Rancid; the song was played at normal Rancid hyperspeed, but the chorus was pure Green Day pop harmony. "Dope Sick Girl" was also a lightening-speed track, featuring split vocals and one ofthe fastest guitar leads ever played. "Just a Felling" reached with. Lars providing a guitar lead that rivaled "Dope Sick Girl" and a chorus drenched in melody. The middle section slows slightly, and Tim Armstrong's vocals drop to a chant. "Someone's Gunna Die" was Freeman's turn to excel, the song a hardcore gem with a chanted chorus of "oi, oi, oi."
In February 1994, the band began recording "Let's Go." The album was overflowing with tight melodies, choruses that rang with hooks and anthemic lyrics. The radio single chosen was "Salvation," a pure crowd sing-along, but it was the loosest of the songs, and for that reason alone, not representative of the rest of the album. "Salvation"'s lyrics were semi-autobiographical, telling of Armstrong's experiences at the Salvation Army, where he exchanged a bed for driving around the burbs, picking up the well-to-do's cast-offs.
As almost always, there's a lot of ska and reagge in Rancid's songs and syncopated bass lines that sneak in, like the slow passage in "Burn". It was as if Rancid had rolled the whole of the larger punk genre into "Let's Go." An in a way they had. But it's really the intangible things that make "Let's Go" a punk classic. This includes the lyrics that ring with truth, sincerity, and reality. Equally important, though, was the sustained level of energy, a hyperkenetism that infuses the record, spraying out over the listener like a jolt of double espresso. That spring, with the album completed, Rancid put together a side project, Shaken '69. Joining forces with ex-Op Ivy drummer Dave Mello, the Uptones' Paul Jackson and Eric "Dinwitty" Dinn, and featuring Skankin' Pickles' Lars Nylander and Mike Park on horns, Shaken '69 is a pure ska band.
The group recorded a couple of songs which hopefully will be turning up in the near future on compilation. Shaken '69 would like to do more, but as all the members are in working bands, it's difficult to schedule time. In June, Rancid embarked on a month-long tour that covered the south and midwest. After a brief break, they spent August with Sick of It All playing the west coast.
But the highlight of the summer shows was the Epitaph Summer Nations shows. A label celebration and party, the celebration stretched across 3 days at L.A.'s Palladium, a gala event to rejoice in the rise of punk and Epitaph. The highpoint for many fans was when Pennywise invited Armstrong and Frederiksen onstage for a rendition of Minor Threat's "Straight Edge." 1994 also saw the release of the Epitaph compilation, "Punk-o-Rama", which features two Rancid tracks, "Hyena" and "I Wanna Riot." Rancid was also featured on the Kill Rock Stars compilaiton, "Rock Stars Kill." Their track, "Brixton," is cloaked in an early reggae sound, down to the '60s sounding keyboard lines.
The album was subtitled "23 More Bands that Don't Want to Be Rock Stars," which might have been true in some cases, but at least one band wasn't so sure. By now, Rancid was a hot commodity, "Let's Go" went swiftly gold, and is currently working toward platinum, thus label reps were turning up at numerous shows. And when the dust settled, Rancid went back to work. January 1995 saw the release of their new single "Roots Radicals" b/w "I Wanna Riot." The single was extremely catchy, with snatches of punk guitar leads vying with the ska-infested bass and drum line. The chorus is anthemic; heard once, you'll be chanting it forever. The song has since reappeared on their new album.
In February, Rancid returned to the road for a short tour encompassing L.A., Chicago, New York, Boston, and other big cities. Then it was back to the studio in March, where they spent the next six weeks recording the new album. After "Let's Go" it was hard to imagine what Rancid's next step would be. Many bands would have been satisfied recording an extension of their last album. But Rancid have an ability to scour out new musical crests and mount them with seeming ease. And it was with "...And Out Come the Wolves."
Even the brief intro to the opening track, "Maxwell Murder" was unexpected: a dark, eerie sample from the movie, "Gringo." And although the rest of the song was standard Rancid punk, the album quickly shifts gear with "The 11th Hour". This song was slower than almost anything they'd done before. The new single, "Time Bomb," was full-on ska. Two more ska tracks, "Daly City Train" and the hook-laden "Old Friend" also appear.Rancid's propensity for trade-off vocals has increased, to great effect. With each member having a distinct voice and style, the trade-offs give each song and the lines within added power and individuality. As always the lyrics were ripped from the band's personal experiences.
There's the good times to be found in "Olympia, WA," Op Ivy's demise in "Journey...," the chilling look at addiction in "Junkyman," the misery of homelessness in "As Wicked," and the ubiquitous songs about girls, including "She's Automatic," "Old Friend" and "You Don't Care Nothin' "
"...And out come the wolves" was nothing short of sublime, and will inevitably bring Rancid even greater success. After its completion, the band took a well-deserved break. A September tour of Europe is scheduled followed by another national tour. At the time of writing in early August. RANCID's last album ( Life Won`t Wait ) is REALLY to recommand, but just a little bit much ska and reggae i think.
RANCID are of course my favourite punkrock band.
YOU TUBE VIDEO TO Mp3 CONVERSION FOR LISTENING
im the conversion king.. ever wanted to have a youtube video, download it, extract the audio with out video and save as an mp3 to remix or listen to??? well check this... ...
1st step. go download a free youtube downloader for mac or pc, i use mac cause im not a loser so hopefully this process works for the both of them, however install the tube downloader and check that it works. i use wondershare this which has a downlaod for both but only used the mac one.
2nd. locate the file name it will end with a .flv
3rd. open flv file in quicktime 7 or pro or whatever you have
4th. extract to mp4 and this is where you may choose to seperate the audio compression and video, select what is optimal for you and export.
5th, new file will save to your chosen folder then open in itunes as mp4 and convert to mp3. . happy listening or producing or mixing.
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