Welcome to TPZ3. What was supposed to be a month of celebration and joy has quickly turned into one of further anguish and disappointment. We stand behind black lives and against the systemic racism that people of color go through every day by the hands of police and society. To clarify, many of our interviews were done prior to the killing of George Floyd, so, unfortunately, most of the content in this zine will not be discussing race, like we all
should be doing right now. But we want to emphasize the importance of listening to black voices and their experiences; to empathize with those who are being eradicated for the color of their skin. The core values of That Punk Zine will always believe that black lives matter. Forever and always, Steven Keehner, Jack Seda-Schreiber, Jennifer Velasquez, and Brianna Townsend
"History isn’t something you look back at and say it was inevitable, it happens because people make decisions that are sometimes very impulsive and of the moment, but those moments are cumulative realities.�
-Marsha P. Johnson (1945-1992)
2
@thatpunkzine
IN CELEBRATION OF PRIDE MONTH, AND TO FURTHER SUPPORT BLACK LIVES, WE WILL BE DONATING 20¢ FOR EVERY READ WE GET ON ISSUU AND THATPUNKZINE.COM. THE TOTAL WILL THEN BE SPLIT AND SENT TO FOR THE GWORLS AND THE TREVOR PROJECT! 3
thatpunkzine.com
THAT PUNK ZINE #3
IN THIS ISSUE:
4
@thatpunkzine
CONTRIBUTERS
Instagram/ Twitter: @thatpunkzine
• “THAT PUNK POLAROID” (COVER) AND “MAY THE ODDS BE IN YOUR FLAVOR”
Issuu:
BRIANNA TOWNSEND (@BT.ARTISTRY) • DOGLEG, GLITTERER, AND MMATA STEVEN KEEHNER (@SOMEWHATSTEVENKEEHNER)
That Punk Zine The official playlist of issue three:
• ANA FRANGO ELÉCTRICO “SUPER” JACK SEDA-SCHREIBER (@HALLOWEENJACK_REALCOOLCAT) • “WHO GIVES A FUCK?” JENNIFER VELASQUEZ (@VELASJEN)
That Punk Zine #3
THATPUNKZINE. COM IS LIVE RIGHT FUCKING NOW! 5
STAFF Editor-in-Chief: Steven Keehner “Super” Jack Seda-Schreiber Jennifer Velasquez Brianna Townsend
thatpunkzine.com
Have you ever wanted to go back to the early 2000s? Do you want the perfect soundtrack to match that nostalgia? Well look no further, Meet Me @ The Altar is the band for you! With riffs that hit you full force and melodies that rattle your soul, MMATA is the perfect band to bring you that punk bliss (batteries not included). Those aren’t my words, but they are Téa Campbell’s, the guitarist for Meet Me @ The Altar. The up-and-coming pop punk band not only has the potential to redefine what the genre can sound like, but what it can look like, too. It isn’t a groundbreaking statement to acknowledge that pop punk is a white- and maledominated area of music. Despite the occasional woman-led group rising to the top of the pecking chart every so often, it is just a simple reality. But as a group composed of queer women of color, MMATA is used to others viewing
6
@thatpunkzine
hometown. Despite not having any LPs to their name (yet), MMATA is pushing their way into a position within the scene at a pace that is making them impossible to ignore. In her “sales pitch” for the band, Campbell scratched the surface of what makes their music so interesting. The 2000s pop punk sound is a massive influence for the group. If it were possible to contain that lightning in a bottle feeling, Meet Me @ The Altar is figuring out how to do so. By combining that raw and energetic pop punk sound that saw the genre thrive in the mainstream, while also working to create their own sound through more technical instrumentals, MMATA creates a modern and interesting twist on an underestimated genre. In a genre that is characterized by its sad lyrics and overdramatic themes, there is a sense of optimism to be found in the music of Meet Me @ The Altar which gives such a “We once showed up to a local different experience when listening to their festival to load in and the ticket person told music compared to other acts within their us it wasn’t time for doors as if we weren’t scene. supposed to be there,” as Campbell explained. It doesn’t take long for one to find themselves engrossed in one of the band’s “As soon as we play, though, people are riff-driven, intense, and fun tracks. shocked that their impression of us was so wrong. It’s a blessing in a curse because While explosive choruses and uptempo we’re already super ambitious people. That punk galore make up much of the band’s outside pressure influences us to write the catalog, one cannot ignore their lyrical best material that we can and put on the content. best performance.” Whether it be about trying to find their way Consisting of guitarist Téa Campbell, in the music industry in “Tyranny” or about drummer Ada Juarez, and lead singer Edith taking chances to pursue what you love in Johnson, the group doesn’t have a their recently released “May the Odds Be in hometown. But despite that, their sound Your Favor”, there’s as much to take from still fulfills the pop punk dreams of pizza, the group lyrically as there is musically. For flannel, and wanting to get away from said a pop punk band, that isn’t that common. them as outsiders.
7
thatpunkzine.com
But as interesting as the band’s music is their origin story, which doubles down on how the group’s a byproduct of a changing scene. In 2015, after Campbell discovered a YouTube drum cover of a Twenty One Pilots’ track from Juarez, she contacted her about collaborating, and after, they formed the group. “We ended up deciding to start a band because we both wanted to be in one our entire childhoods. We had no clue what being in a band would mean for us, but we both knew this was something we wanted to stick with.” After going through different members, lead singer Edith Johnson joined the group in September 2017. Since then, they have dropped numerous EPs and singles, including the recent releases of “Garden” and “May the Odds Be in Your Favor.” It’s becoming clear that the band is finding their groove from release to release, with a more mature and developed sound each time through. But despite the rise of the internet opening the doors for bands like MMATA to reach a greater audience, this hasn’t come without the difficulties often faced by women of color in the music industry. “We feel like we have to prove that we belong in the scene because of its history of pushing out the groups we fall under. While the stereotypical white guy bands get praised for mediocrity, we have to push ourselves to even be recognized. Whenever we show up at venues for a show we’re playing, people look at us like ‘what are they doing here?’ and it gets old quickly.”
“MAY THE ODDS BE IN YOUR FLAVOR” BY BRIANNA TOWNSEND
But despite this, they use it as inspiration to work harder. With plans to release another single this summer, the group is continuing to work on their debut album, and is planning to tour as soon as possible. “There are many people who support us in the scene, and there are others who pretend to support us but hope for our downfall. That’s just how it is for any band/ artist, but the supporters are all that matters.”
8
@thatpunkzine
“WHO GIVES A FUCK!” BY JENNIFER VELASQUEZ
“I think everyone kind of has this innate, foundational part of themselves that can be unlocked through certain activities. For me, that’s been music. So I can allow myself to stumble on an instrument and find something that feels right and like myself. I’ve never done something new just to be new. What I’ve done instead is trying to allow myself that room to stumble around and play something that is based in that foundational musical self while being colored by different life experiences, by new records I’ve gotten into, by new ideas I’ve had. And so, Glitterer is me doing that with some different instruments at a different time in my life.”
seen another EP release, with Not Glitterer and later, a debut full album, Looking Through The Shades, dropping in July 2019. With each project serving as a unique musical experience, the tracks, which rarely clock in at over two minutes, have this weird partnership, as if there’s a secret connection behind them, waiting for us to put it all together. Featuring elements of hip-hop, punk, dream pop, and much more, it’s hard to label what this is. It isn’t Title Fight. It isn’t even Ned Russin. This is Glitterer.
As Russin pointed, Glitterer, despite its radical change in sound from Title Fight, isn’t a case of evolution, but of discovery, “I’ve never planned my approach to writing music But if you don’t, that’s okay! TPZ I don’t want to have my is anti-gatekeeper, so for the influences mapped out - so I unknowing, allow me to give guess in that regard there is you the SparkNotes of Mr. some sense of ‘natural’ Russin. evolution to things. Though I hesitate to sign off on that idea Russin is a longtime veteran of because I’m skeptical of that the punk music scene. At 13, he narrative. Another thing I don’t was one of the founding like to do is to act like music is members of the legendary some magical thing I don’t have Pennsylvania-based band, Title control over, but I try to allow Fight. From hardcore, to emo, space for my subconscious to to post-hardcore, to pop-punk, move around while writing.” to eventually shoegazing, TF has been a constant mainstay But amid self-discovery, comes of the scene. the overarching problem of trying to move on from one’s As each member of the band past. However, there is a has veered off in their own fundamental flaw in trying to direction, the once lead singer do so: the past is always right and bassist has never stepped behind you. away from the scene. Because Title Fight is only on Released in August 2017, an EP, hiatus, there is a constant named after the artist of demand for answers from fans Glitterer, has since seen him of the band. Through this, take a new direction. From the there’s a scarlet letter for drum machines to the Russin: where he goes, the synthesizers, Glitterer is a one- legacy of his previous success man band that proves that follows him. there can be an “I” in the word “team.” Even now, with the last TF release, Hyperview, dropping in Unapologetic, dynamic, and February 2015, it’s not thoughtful, the project has also uncommon to see interviews You should know who Ned Russin is — and also know and be aware of his influence on punk music.
11
and/or videos with Russin like “Glitterer (Ned Russin from Title Fight) Interview.” “It bothers me a little, but not enough to say something,’’ explained Russin. “I understand the importance of context, but I don’t think it’s that important. I’m sure, yeah, some people have clicked on some article or maybe went to a show because of the mention of a previous band. But it’s a massively incorrect assumption that most people give a shit about that.” As he would later explain, while understanding why fans get upset at artists for changing, there’s a dangerous precedent that can be established viewing this relationship as a case of the evolution of either party. For artists, it can lie with them viewing the fans as not as evolved. While for fans, the lack of connection to the current music being made becomes the source of betrayal. But despite the constant demand for answers, Russin’s past success doesn’t bother him, “The burden part is not that I have to live up to it or deal with my past - I’m fine with that - it’s that you have to deal with other people’s expectations and interpretations of it.” For him, that line between creating art that would be more ideal for those long-time fans versus what he’s making now doesn’t exist. Unapologetic to exploring his art, he creates what he needs to create. “People listening to anything I’ve done is amazing, truly humbling and something I can’t fully wrap my head around. But to think some music is better or more desirable than something else because more people would listen to it is ridiculous. I write the song that I need to write and hope it finds the person who needs to hear it.”
thatpunkzine.com
This piece doesn’t need a flashy opening. If you will take anything from this article, let it be this: Dogleg is one of the bands to watch out for. And their debut album, Melee, which dropped this past March, is one of the albums of the year.
or filler tracks. No interludes, no samples, no bullshit - we wanted it to be straight to the point and 10 songs worth of intensity and emotional outpouring,” stated Alex Stoitsiadis, the lead singer, guitarist, and founder of the once solo project.
From the moment the album opens with “Kowalski Backflip,” it takes the listener on a rollercoaster of endless, fast-paced punk laced with meaningful lyrical work and incredible production. To say that the Detroit-based fourpiece has ‘reinvented the wheel’ would be an understatement to just how high they have set the bar for the rest of the scene.
Formed as a method for Stoitsiadis to express himself creatively, the solo project continued to grow into the band as it is now.
Named after a fellow Detroit band, Bear vs Shark, and their track, “Broken Dog Leg,” he expressed his pride in being able to carry the torch of talented bands from the area, “I love the MC5, Death, the White Stripes, and all those “Throughout writing and other classic legendary status structuring the album, we bands from here, and I’ve have tried to make sure that always had a huge love for every single song was up to a those classic Motown standard of high quality, and heartstring-puller songs. that there were no songs that Some classic foundations of would be seen as superfluous emotional music right there.”
12
The band’s lineup comprises Stoitsiadis, Chase Macinski, Parker Grissom, and Jacob Hanlon. Growing in size, Melee is the product of their growth. My biggest complaint with the album lies in that it’s impossible to listen to only one track without wanting to listen to the whole album. The tracklisting fits so smoothly, which, for an album that is not only fast but loud, is an accomplishment. On pace, where so many bands often slow down an album to avoid overwhelming the listener, Dogleg worked against the grain and made a sound that they wanted to hear. “We tried to keep it intense the whole way through, which is how a punk-adjacent record should be. That’s not to say that there shouldn’t be moments of quiet, though!
@thatpunkzine
We all tried to make sure that each song had just the right balance of tension and release so it didn’t all sound the same when listening all the way through. I'm proud of how it all turned out. It’s relentless, as it should be.”
demos of the song, I had that riff played out on a synth keyboard and I liked how it provided this soft but raw ending to it all. But I thought bringing in real strings and horns for it would top it off perfectly.”
As already mentioned, what’s remarkable to me is what the group can carry out with their sound. With the ability to carry the thrash noise of a Title Fight track to the glam sound of The Get Up Kids, there’s something to pick out every time you listen, and none of the 2,140 seconds that make up Melee are wasted.
As he explained, contrary to how I initially interpreted the ending, there was a much darker and intense twist behind it all.
Tracks like “Fox” and “Wrist” unfortunately serve as a reminder of what we don’t have in gigs because of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis — despite this, it is an album worth celebrating. Yet, the highlight of the LP comes right at the end, with the appropriately titled, “Ender.” Clocking in at over six minutes, the track follows much of the path it paves to that point. Right when you think you've figured out where the band is going, they throw one final knuckler in a minute-long, orchestral ending.
“It paints this scene of someone that is so caught up with never being good enough that they contemplate suicide over it, and the final drum hit kind of plays like a final gunshot and sounds like one too - which gave me major fucking chills when I heard the final version. The strings then come in as some overture as that person kind of ascends, so to speak. It’s deeply personal to me and I love the vibe it gives.”
“We’ve had a full year planned for Melee’s release and now it’s kind of gone up in flames like the rest of the world, which is a kind of odd and ironic twist for us. We joked about how long it took to finish the album and had a saying that the ‘sun will explode before the album is out.’ Now it’s out, and it looks like the whole world is on fire. Despite this, Dogleg is still a band worth celebrating as another incredible band to fit the “emo revival” genre. “We have some more stuff coming to keep things rolling regarding momentum, but it is a bummer not being able to play the songs in front of people. We’re hoping to get to that point soon, and it’ll be even more ferocious and explosive from everyone’s anxiousness over getting that stuff back.”
“Overall, we wanted to make it a definitive, epic, and emotional ending, and I think it works extremely well.” It’s a jaw-opening ending; for such a chaotic album, for it to end so gracefully is not only funny, but interesting and clever. Dogleg makes music that begs to be performed in front of a live audience, after 2020 fucks off.
Almost humorously, this loud and chaotic piece of art ends in the most gentle way imaginable. Citing ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead’s album, Source Tags & Codes as inspiration, Stoitsiadis saw the potential for the idea as he wrote it out.
But for now, as with many other musicians, everything is paused — through continued promotion of social media (and a full merch “The album hit me like a ton store) Dogleg, of bricks emotionally, and that like many others, ending was just so vital and is trying to keep raw that I wanted something moving. that could match that. In
13
thatpunkzine.com
Ana Frango Elétrico is an amazing young talent. Having released her second album, Little Electric Chicken Heart, she is making her way as one of the most talked-about new musical acts. Elétrico’s unique blend of garage rock guitars, breezy bossa nova, and thoughtful lyricism makes for the perfect soundtrack to both isolated self-reflection and sun-kissed walks. I talked with her about her songwriting process and recent album. Jack: What inspired you to come from? make music? Who are your influences? “Frango Elétrico” means “Electric Chicken” in Ana: Mainly, my musical Portuguese. My last name is partners and friends. I have Fainguelernt, of Russian been playing the piano and origin, so “Frango Elétrico” doing other musical came from a poetic exercise, practices since I was young. playing with sound and This was essential to my meanings of the words of development as a composer. my last name.
we get a lot of over here, so it breaks the patriarchal surname heritage.
The sound of your latest record differs from your first record, Mormaço Queima. What inspired the change in direction?
My recent album, Little Electric Chicken Heart, came My influences include Jorge I enjoy having an alter ego; it from a three-year process of Ben, Gilberto Gil, Itamar gives me the freedom to development from my Assumpção, Caetano Veloso, create in other perspectives. experience at the studio, and also my Also, the way it sounds is like between Mormaço Queima contemporaries, Ava Rocha, a fusion of humans with and LECH. Mormaço Queima Negro Leo, Maria Beraldo. animals and machines (Ana was one of my first They inspire me and Electric Chicken). experiences in a studio, stimulate my composition recording songs I wrote at process. It also addresses the fact I 16. I recorded them, wanting do not belong to any of them to be the way I Where did the stage name those “great families” of conceived them in my head. “Ana Frango Elétrico” Brazilian composers, which The idea for it was—a
14
@thatpunkzine
“decadent bossa-pop rock played in a punk way.” I carefully planned LECH, from the first to the last song, from its conception to its mastering, from the microphones to its cover. There was a wish to exercise and execute my thoughts as a producer, as opposed to only a singer, guitarist, or composer.
tune Saudade, given the meaning of the word as “a feeling of longing, melancholy, or nostalgia, being both happy and sad at the same time”. Do you see this as a mission statement for the record?
met Chico França, the song’s composer.
When he showed me that song I was astonished. I thought, “I really want to record this.” “Chocolate” is an older song, which I had already recorded as a live People in Brazil used to say version on the 2016 that “saudade” is a word that collection “Xepa/ only exists in Portuguese. Nata” (available on the main The choice of this tune to streaming platforms). begin the album is an What was it like recording important decision. The On LECH, I was going this record in the studio? whole album speaks about through some of my older Who helped you bring your issues of a little electric songs and decided ideas to life? chicken heart, which is mine, “Chocolate” was one I and its entire atmosphere is wanted to realize on this Martin Scianm, who about evoking nostalgic album. The similarity produced the album with sensations and feelings, a between both versions is me, all the musicians that kind of déja vù. their lyrics. I speak of took part in the recordings, ordinary stuff, scenes, and Antonio Neves, who did the In “Saudade,” your verse objects, but I sing about brass arrangement. It was roughly translates to them as if they are an adventure. “Maybe I’m not afraid of something surreal or the thunders”, what do fantastic. We took all the equipment you mean by this lyric? to an old studio with a huge I found the lyrics to recording room and high Maybe I would translate it as another one of my ceilings, which was exactly “Maybe I’m not SO afraid of favorites "Torturadores" what I wanted. We took a the thunders”. This “so”, it’s very interesting as it week to finish the tracking. important because it means seems to address the Then, more meetings with that, even if we’re afraid, dictatorship in Brazil. Martin to record the voices we’re not paralyzed, we can What inspired you to write and overdubs, and then it deal with that. It means not a song like this and why went to the mixing and being afraid of love, of our did you end up juxtaposing mastering process. deep feelings, our internal it on a more upbeat thunderbolts, being alone… instrumental? I took part in the mixing process, which I liked a lot. Can you tell me more Torturadores means It’s something I’d like to keep about the lyrical themes torturers. It was inspired by on doing in my future works. on the song “Promessas a the story of a Brazilian Previsões” and woman who was tortured by Do you have a favorite “Chocolate”? These are an official during the civiliansong of the record? two of my favorites of the military dictatorship in record, and I noticed that Brazil. Since then, she had I like my guitar on “Tem they were addressing gone into a deep Certeza?”. It embodies the similar themes. depression. manner in which I play. And also Chocolate, I like the “Promessas e Previsões”, is Things like this happen here freedom I had in recording the only song on the album I because of the militaries that one, regarding my voice didn’t write (“Tem Certeza?” I who tortured and murdered and the whole musical wrote in collaboration with people during the conception. Bruno Schiavo). I lived in São dictatorship and were never Paulo for a few months in judged or condemned, as The record opens on the 2018, and while doing so I they were in many other
15
thatpunkzine.com
countries such as South America. Another thing that inspired that song was the Escrache, which is a demonstration in which a group of activists go to the homes or workplaces of those whom they want to condemn, especially ex-torturers and dictatorship collaborators, to influence decision-makers and governments into a certain course of action.
It inspires me as I say in the chorus: “searching/torturer’s names and addresses/only to tell/the grandchildren and doormen/who do have the right to knowing”. Any plans for what’s next? An American tour on my “to-do list.” My plan is to release Little Electric Chicken Heart there on vinyl and then go on a tour. We’re looking for the right partners to make it happen. I am planning to release a new compilation, re-recording some tracks from Mormaço Queima, played by LECH’s band and a new original single on which I play the piano.
More and more often, I’m wonderingWhy shouldn’t I place The period of a bullet at the end of my stanza? Today, Just in case, I am giving my final, farewell concert. Memory! Gather into the brain’s auditorium The bottomless lines of those who are dear to me. From eye to eye, pour mirth into all of them. Light up the night with the by-gone festivity. From body to body, pour the joyous mood. Let no man forget this night.
Around 2022, I hope to release my third Listen to me, I will play the flute album. For now, though, because of the pandemic, I’m with my family at our On my backbone tonight. country house. My mom is fighting cancer, so we’re taking care of her. I’m not concentrating on writing or composing during all this. What is a Little Electric Chicken Heart, anyway? I used to joke that it was a barbecue at an antique shop. But it’s about loving many people, the small feelings that are pretty big. I used to quote a poem from the Russian poet Vladimir Mayakovsky which fits very well. Its name is Backbone-Flute: For all of you, Whom I loved or a love, Hidden like icons in the cave of the soul, Like a goblet of wine at a festive gathering, I shall raise my heavy, verse-brimming skull.
16
@thatpunkzine
