Maybe Next Midnight Interview

Who is Maybe Next Midnight (names, instruments)

Josh Bell- Vocals

Kayla Wimert- Drums

Trey McKee- Bass

Mitch Mayes- Lead Guitar/Vocals

Travis Wonderly- Guitar/ Vocals

Where are you from?

(J): Fayetteville, North Carolina

How long has Maybe Next Midnight been a band?

(M): Maybe Next Midnight has been a band for about a year but we’ve gone through different member changes.

Where did the name Maybe Next Midnight come from?

(TM): We were previously under a different name but due to copyright issues, we were pressed to come up with another name right on the spot. So someone mentioned “ Maybe Next Midnight” and we just went with it.

How did Maybe Next Midnight become a band?

(K): Trey and  I were the original members of this band. We were actually just a 3-piece band with a totally different sound than we have now. Issues arose with our previous vocalist, So Trey and  I decided to start this band from scratch and actually play what we love, which is pop punk. We actually found Travis and Josh on Craiglist. Mitch actually just found us on Facebook and we went from there.

How would you describe yourselves as a band?

(TW): We don’t necessarily see ourselves as just a band, we see ourselves as best friends who like to write and play music together. 

Who are your influences/favorite bands growing up and/or currently?

(K): Hit The Lights, New Found Glory, We Are The In Crowd

(M): Nirvana, The Wonder Years, Taking Back Sunday

(J): Silverstein, Armor For Sleep, Basement

(TM): Blink 182, NOFX, Anti Flag

(TW): Rise Against, Anberlin, Brand New

Tell us about your single  “Trenches”

(M): I actually wrote a lot of the song “Trenches” about a year ago and have just kept changing it over and over again. At that point it was just an idea floating around in my head, and then I saw that MNM were looking for another guitarist. So after I joined I showed them what I had and we just went from there.  

What was it like release your first single and how have people responded to it?

(K): I’ve never been more proud of anything like I am with this single. It’s just rewarding to finally release something that you’ve been working so hard on.  The response  to this single has been very humbling. So many people have reached out to us telling us how much they love it. Some people have actually been spending 5 bucks for this one single. Its mind blowing because they really didn’t have to do that. So if you guys are reading this, Thank you so much. 

Any big plans or goals for 2015?

(J): We plan on releasing one more single and then an EP before summer. Then hopefully hitting the road for a summer tour. Maybe get our name out around the US and possibly a few other places.

Kickstand 72 Interview

Who is Kickstand 72 (names, instruments)

Jarek Mueller - Vocals/Guitar

Jason Capuzzi - Guitar

Brody Martin - Bass

BJ Foster - Drums

 

Where are you from?

We are from Minneapolis, Minnesota.

How long has Kickstand 72 been a band?

We've been under the name Kickstand 72 since December, but we've been playing our songs for a few years before that. 

Where did the name Kickstand 72 come from?

We wanted a name that was reminiscent of being a kid and having fun and growing up. Unless you're a motorcycle enthusiast or like to wear exceedingly tight clothing, I think that if you think of a kickstand it might take you back to being a kid, riding bikes around, chasing girls and peeing on strange things and people. -Jarek

How did Kickstand 72 become a band?

So Brody was a horse breeder back in the day, but he wasn't very good at it. Turns out it's illegal to breed a horse with yourself. We've all made THAT mistake. Who knew, right?

Anyways, I had a band that needed a drummer and Jason had a band that needed a drummer, so I drummed for Jason's band and the lead singer of that band played drums in mine. After a few years and member changes and a lot of ball fondling, we got the lineup we have today. We just recently changed the name from Zero. Because that was awful. Just fucking awful. -Jarek

How would you describe yourselves as a band?

As a band I'd say we're a bunch of fuck-ups that are obsessed with dick jokes. And somehow when we're not sticking our hands down each others pants or having a who-can-drink-the-most-left-over-jello-shots-from-last-weeks-halloween-party-without-puking-fucking-everywhere contest, we manage to write bad punk songs and play them poorly. -Brody

 

Who are your influences/favorite bands growing up and/or currently?

I'm the oldest member of the band by like, 5 years, so I think I grew up listening to some substantially different artists than the other guys. I actually grew up listening to old-school metal like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Pantera, Slayer, and Metallica. I think the other guys, for the most part, grew up listening more along the lines to the music we play. Bands like The Offspring, Blink-182, Sum 41, Green Day and that nonsense. I didn't really get into that until I was a little older.

Nowadays, I think we're really influenced by those bands that the other dudes grew up with. Jarek came from an old-school hardcore/streetpunk background before this band, and he and Brody have been listening to skate-punk for a few years, so I think that bleeds into our sound quite a bit. Jason really likes the sound of The Wonder Years, so I think you'll definitely be able to pick up those influences in a few of our songs. I'm still really into the metal drumming with drummers like Dave Lombardo, Brann Dailor, and Chris Pennie. But I'm a huge fan of Travis Barker and Atom Willard and anything either of those fuckers do. They're amazing.

As far as our stage performance goes, I think we're heavily influenced by Blink-182, in a way. Our main goal is to have fun and move around on stage, so we like to jump around and tell stupid jokes and make fun of each other. It's not so much that we're trying to copy another bands performance style, we're just being ourselves and doing what we love, how we love to do it. -BJ

Tell us about your previous EP “You Got Your Punk in my Peanut Butter"?

Well, we've recorded the EP twice, and I've noticed our EP was a lot like having sex. The first time around it was really awkward and we didn't really know what we were doing. By the second time around we learned from our mistakes and kicked the girl out and Brody took her place. That made it so much better. But we will say, the EP itself is a surprisingly good Frizbee. We'll probably redo it 2-3 more times, just to be safe. -Jason

Going into this online interview, you have mentioned you are recording a new album. Could you tell us about that process?

The entire album is a gagglefuck of songs that we kinda wrote over the years. Some are good, but all of them suck. I deployed to the middle east after I finished my vocals and pretty much left the rest up to the other guys. I've given them about a year to record everything, and things are getting done. Slowly, but surely. We've also teamed up with Rise or Die Records and Promotions to put this sumbitch out. They put together compilations of unsigned bands and pass them out of big tours. They're also rad as fuck and you should check them out. Do it. Come on. I'll be your best friend.

So hopefully if all goes well, this album will gain us a few less fans than we lose. So, altogether it's a win-win.-Jarek

For the last few months I've been collecting rocks to throw at Brody while he plays bass. All kinds of rocks. Quartz, granite, big, small, black, grey, you name it. I've accumulated close to 130 pounds of rocks that I keep in my room. Everytime Brody fucks up I'm gonna throw a rock at him. You know what? Even when he plays something right I'll throw a rock at him. I don't want any of these rocks go to waste. Goddamn I can't wait until we start recording bass. -Jason

Any big plans or goals for 2015?

Brody is going to try to start an underground self-horse breeding ring.

BJ decided he's teaming up with his stepdad to make man on man on moose porn.

Mr. Capuzzi is getting back into his Korean heritage and wants to open a Mongolian BBQ palace.

Jarek is working to become the fattest man in the world.

Oh, and we're releasing our album in the summertime. So that'll be pretty cool I guess.

Cans - Blood, Sweat, and Beers Review

      I dig this album. A lot. That's the easiest way to put it. It's very tight pop punk with super aggressive vocals. Though the sound itself is much harsher, the melodic style reminds me a lot of Crucial Dudes. I genuinely wish this was longer than four songs. I haven't gotten too many submissions from Austria, so I'm glad they were the first. Plus, the album artwork is super cool. Definitely check these guys out, I give it a solid 4/5.

Alex The Kid / Columbus - Split Review

           Fun fact: This split rules. The five piece Alex The Kid and trio Columbus put out a beauty of a split. This album contains most everything good about today's neo-punk rock. The guitars crunch, the vocals are dirty, but on point, and the whole thing stays true to punks roots. I genuinely wish the tag teams weren't from Australia, so I had a decent shot at seeing them live.
          ATK's two song side is tight as tight can be. The tracks are up beat, catchy, and generally punk. On the flip side, Columbus' three track side is rad as rad can be. "Nothing" is a genuinely great song. This is one of the album's I've reviewed that will be kept on my iPod for my listening pleasure. Album is a full 5/5, I just wish it was longer.

Alicewell - "Wounds" review.

      

                     I'm still behind on these, and to be honest I'm a month behind on this one, so my apologies to Alicewell. That being said, their album entitled "Wounds" is not too shabby. I think it may be a bit of a stretch to fall into any sort of pop punk categorization, but I think it may overlap a lot of fans. There's seven tracks of pop-rock goodness on this release, and I haven't found a standout-poor song on it. These fine, young, Swedish gentlemen have done a quality job of creating music that can cross genres and draw in fans from many different groups.
                   The album maintains a steady energy throughout, with no lulls. Take it as you will, but the tone and attitude is almost identical across every song front to back. Some people may prefer the consistency, but I would have liked to see them change some things up a bit. It's definitely not breakdown music, but a little something would have gone a long way.

Tl;dr

• Alicewell (Eskilstuna, Sweden)
• For fans of: Taking Back Sunday, This Providence 
• Wounds Album
• Favorite Track: Wounds
• 3/5

Thieves - Colorchange EP Review

                  I'd never heard of Thieves until they contacted me regarding their latest EP, but after asking around it turns out they actually have quite a few fans in my town. I also once had a teacher who spent a moderate amount of time talking shit on the state of Texas, but these guys could definitely take her. Thieves most recent release is a thirteen minute spin of pleasure and grace. The Colorchange EP was released on 90 Five Records and production-wise, came out flawlessly. Music wise, I can't find anything to complain about. There is enough variety throughout the five tracks to keep you involved, but the band is very definitely planted in their genre. Genre hopping/stretching works for some bands (Brand New) and not for others (most everyone else), but Thieves know who they are, and are confident in it. This is a band I would actually like to see live, and maybe have them sing me to sleep.

Tl;dr

• Thieves (Austin, Texas)
• For fans of: With The Punches, Stickup Kid, Hawthorne Heights
• Colorchange EP
• Favorite Track: Colorchange
• 4.5/5

facebook.com/thievestx

http://thievestx.bandcamp.com/album/colorchange

Infinite Singal - "Nox Opus" Album Review

       Today I come to you with a review of Infinite Signal’s full length “Nox Opus”. “Why?” you ask. Well, because it’s my job, and with great music comes great responsibility. But I digress, this trio out of Minneapolis not only came to me for a review, but they ended up playing in my town as well on tour supporting this new album. Everything about this band screams “I grew up to [2004 pop punk band].” And while the band may not necessarily be doing anything progressively mind-blowing, what they are doing – they are doing well. The album has a smooth sense of alternating between lyrically packed fast songs (Z-word) to slower ones that get you in the feelings (The Sounding Line). Altogether, I don’t have anything negative to say about the album, but it’s nothing ground breaking either. It’s good, and very well written and performed, but it might not amaze you.

Tl;dr

• Infinite Signal (Minneapolis, Minnesota) 
• For fans of: New Found Glory
• Full Length Release
• Favorite Track: The Sounding Line
• 2.5/5.