At Our Heels Interview

Better than On Your Knees: At Our Heels Unplugs the Bright Lights of Nu-Hardcore
by Ryan Pangilinan

“I really wanted something that was just our logo and people would see it and recognize it as our thing,” said Alex Pulisci, the man behind Bay Area thrash hardcore outfit At Our Heels.

In a day when punk and its subgenres have turned into theme songs for movies and commercials (has anyone seen the Johnny Rotten butter commercial?), it’s quite refreshing to find a band like At Our Heels, a DIY group with limitless potential.

Coming from a situation with a rotating lineup, Pulisci found himself at a musical crossroads and started At Our Heels.

“We had, like, 15 different members or something,” he said. “I was doing the bulk of the writing and my writing style kind of changed, so I figured that starting a new band would be a good idea. Start fresh with new songs, a new name and new members.”

When the dust had settled, Pulisci’s project became more of a solo endeavor than anything else.

“The member situation didn’t work out so well and it ended up being just me. It ended up that it was a better way for me to work.”

Calling on friend and Heartsounds’ Ben Murray to man the drums, Pulisci wrote and recorded 2009’s self-titled seven inch (Heart in Hand Records).

Taking cues from the likes of American Nightmare, The Misfits and (early) AFI, At Our Heels’ doesn’t let up for a second and runs through six tracks in a little over seven minutes.

The band’s rampant, non-stop sound has also put them on the same bills with likeminded acts such as Trap Them, Verse, Final Fight, Lewd Acts and Pulling Teeth, to name a few.

Currently, Pulisci is splitting his time between school and a new At Our Heels full-length on Creator-Destructor, which he hopes will be finished next year.

“I’m trying to use my free time to polish up some songs…. We have three new songs that we’ve been playing live. We’re going to have a 10-13 song full length coming out,” he said.

“I’m pretty stoked on the new songs,” Pulisci added.

If their seven inch is any indication, then naysayers should take note: people may like their ‘core watered down or cut with neon colors, but for kids who still jam out to “Astro Zombies” before heading off to work or school, At Our Heels is the best band out there.

At Our Heels Myspace

Like Bats Interview

Winged Rodents and Midwest Punx: Like Bats Vs. Totally Crushed Out
by Ryan Pangilinan

The Midwest seems to breed great punk bands like there’s no tomorrow. One such group is Indiana’s Like Bats, a band that mixes punk ferocity with melodic instrumentation and harmonies, not unlike J. Church or the Lawrence Arms. Their 2009 demo (recently reissued on Traffic Street Records) was one of the surprise EPs of the year and subsequent splits with Young Devilry, Strait A’s, and Rumspringer have only whet the appetites of kids who are paying attention.

Like Bats is gearing up for a winter tour, playing alongside the likes of Jettison and Lemuria, as well as a new 7” entitled, “Look on the Bright Side” (Traffic Street). Recently, singer/guitarist Mike let Totally Crushed Out pick his brain a bit about the workings of being like a bat.

TOTALLY CRUSHED OUT: How did Like Bats get together?

Well, Like Bats was a band I started when I was 16 with completely different people and a kind of different; way shittier sound. It went through a couple line up changes before it died. Then in October 2008, I broke up with my girlfriend and started writing songs that became our demo and I wanted to get a band together to play the songs. And I just really like the name Like Bats for some reason, so I decided to kind of extend it off of that.

On the demo, there's an influence of fast melodic bands like Lawrence Arms, Screeching Weasel and 88 Fingers Louie. Is it fair to say that you guys have a pension for 90s punk?

Yeah man, 90's punk is definitely one of my favorite styles of music. We all love bands like Jawbreaker, Red 40, Crimpshrine, Pezz and bands like that. But 90's emo bands definitely plays a role as an influence as well.

Lyrically, the songs have been about the negative aspects of a relationship; are the songs autobiographical and if so, have you heard any responses from whom they might have been about?

Yeah, the songs on the demo are about a specific break up I went through. She actually got really pissed at me when she first heard it and didn't talk to me for a while. Haha. But whatever, I don't care.

Your tours, by and large, have been centered around the Midwest and parts of the East Coast. Are there any plans to tour out west?

Well this winter, we're doing a southern tour. And in the summer, we're going to do a full US, which will definitely include dates out west.

The demo has been reissued on Traffic Street and you have a 7" on the way; what other plans are in store for Like Bats?

Well, we got the tour this winter, and the 7" should be out early or mid January. After that, more touring and hopefully some splits and I just started writing the full length, but I have no idea when that will happen.

Like Bats Myspace

Traffic Street Records

Heartsounds Interview

Beating Heart Baby: Heartsounds Pump Blood into Punk Rock

by Ryan Pangilinan

No more than a few years ago, Bay Area metal act, Light This City, was one of the most revered underground bands out there. Their ability to find fans in hardcore kids and metal purists was not as common as in the years that passed as genre bending became the norm. When Light This City ended, drummer Ben Murray and Laura Nichol started Heartsounds, a pop-punk outfit that’s heavier on the punk and less on the pop.

“The idea to start Heartsounds came a month or two after LTC called it quits and returned home from tour,” said Murray. “Laura and I have been listening to punk rock for years and way before Light This City even started. We just happened to be fans of metal as well.”

Taking cues from bands like Strung Out and Jawbreaker, Heartsounds deftly combines melody with a punk rock sensibility. Also like those bands, Murray and Nichol don’t rely on sappy, vapid words for their lyrical inspirations.

“Laura wrote five songs lyrically, while I wrote seven,” explained Murray. “It has been a tough few years for me and a lot of the lyrical content is about the hopelessness I felt waking up every morning.

“I suffer from extreme anxiety which plagued me during Light This City…. It’s very unhealthy and writing about it was an amazing catharsis for some of these emotions and feelings.”

Working with Light This City producer, Zach Ohren, Murray and Nichol recorded their debut full-length “Until We Surrender,” which saw a release in August on Murray’s label, Creator-Destructor.

The album is non-stop from the opening chords of the artists’ call to arms, “The Song Inside Me” to the bombastic drums on “Our Last Hope,” “Until We Surrender” rarely lets up, though there are somber moments that could be found in the mix.

“The song ’10,000’ on the record is about [my dad’s diagnosis with Stage 4 brain cancer], and most of my songs’ content is influenced by that situation,” said Murray.

The bleak visuals that are the basis of Heartsounds’ lyrics contrast to the pop nature of their music, which surprisingly, has found an audience in some of Light This City’s fans.

“Tons of LTC fans have checked it out and loved it. While there are remnants of metal hidden in the record, it’s a pretty drastic change of style,” said Murray. “Needless to say, we didn’t think the reception was going to be great from Light This City fans, but we were proven wrong.”

Though the band’s shows have been regional affairs (both Murray and Nichol are in school), Heartsounds does intend to stick around and take on touring duties when their schedule allows it.

“We can’t be road warriors like we were in LTC, but I do know that both of us want to pursue this band as far as we can…. [There’s also] big news and plans in the works but you’ll just have to stay tuned,” teased Murray.

“Until We Surrender” is available through Creator-Destructor Records, as well as RevHQ.

Heartsounds Myspace

Punch, "Punch"

Punch
“Punch”
(625 Thrash/Discos Huelga)

Despite the renowned words of Kevin Seconds, hardcore unequivocally is boys' fun. The ratio of dicks to chicks is 10:1. Testosterone levels can be lethal or at the very least off putting. When a "she" does wind up in the mix, the result is Walls of Jericho. So yeah, the scene could really benefit from a well-intentioned lady's touch. And no, this isn't a covert scheme to raise probability for the boot-knock.

Respect to Punch. Female-fronted and seriously pissed, they put to rest any reservations concerning the ability of women to step off the sidelines. In terms of intensity, their vocalist (Meghan) spits with a scathing venom that far exceeds the generic dick-flex of most guys on the microphone. It's like nails on a chalkboard, but awesomely refreshing. She's rounded out by a thrashy brand of hardcore that brings to mind the likes of Ceremony and American Nightmare. Fast enough enough the crew, crusty enough for the flannel, and just the right amount of heavy breaks to lure the flatbrims. There's scene unity for you. Should have know it would be a broad showing dudes how the game is played. Excuse me while go I scarf down a Luna bar.



-- Dave Woods