I've heard pretty much my whole life that "rock 'n' roll" is a young man's game. Don't ask me where I heard this, because it has been in multiple places from different people. It's a phrase that has floated around in my mind ever since I was actually young. Now that I'm somewhere between middle age and certifiably "old," I still think about it every now and then. I especially think about it when I hear a band like Gatecrash, who are my age and can still crank out a brilliant debut LP such as this one. I also wonder: could this band have made such a masterful record any better if they were twenty or thirty years younger? The answer to that is no, I really don't believe so. I've also heard nonsense sayings like "age is just a number." Well, to anyone who has seen The Damned or the Circle Jerks, I think this saying might have some truth to it. I haven't seen anyone completely incinerate a room the way Keith Morris is do...

Shock Treatment: So Charles, you started off in The Dimestore Haloes in the mid-90s, before moving on to The Cheap Cassettes in the mid-2000s. What inspired the shift from the traditional band setup to going solo with Songs From The Film?" Charles Matthews: Yeah! I took ten years, almost ten years, off from music between the Haloes and the Cheap Cassettes, and I really didn’t do much during that time. Now that I am without a band again, I want to continue making music in whatever way I can, and not stop for so long. I’m getting older, like everybody, and I only have so much time, so I wanted to keep making music in whatever way I can. So it’s kind of like what McCartney did at the end of the Beatles, just with way less talent. Hahahaha. He was burned out after that intense band experience, and so am I. Shock Treatment: What can people expect from Songs From The Film’s music that may differ from your previous projects? CM: I am not writing for a particular band now, so I can do any...

This "First Blood" business came about because I was thinking about how I could still do some kind of interview, but without asking the typical "how did the band start" or "what are your influences" kinds of questions. I've interviewed Nicole Laurenne twice before. The first time was for my first blog, Audio Ammunition , back in 2013, when she was in a great garage band in Phoenix called The Love Me Nots. The second was on my podcast, Born Too Late , a couple of years ago. Since I got a lot of those standard questions out of the way already, I didn't want to ask them all a third time. So, here we are. A series of questions centered around Nicole's "first" musical experiences in life. What's with the title, you ask? Well, first off, it kind of fits, wouldn't you say? The second reason is that I love the 1982 Sly Stallone movie, OK? So there you have it—consume and enjoy! Shock Treatment: What was the first rock 'n’ roll con...

Shock Treatment: Hi there Disket! Thanks for participating in my interview! Tell me about how you all met and decided to combine your rock n roll super powers to form Disket? DISKET: We’ve known each through the music scene in New York and through the bands our members play in. Mary and Claudia from Baby Shakes, Myke from Mala Vista, Roberto from Vaxine and Dani DJs around NYC. Claudia was the first to throw around the idea of jamming together. It was pretty casual at first, we practiced and wrote songs for about a year before we even had a name. Shock Treatment: So Keith Richards has to have a Shepherd's Pie before each performance and Alice Cooper has to watch Kung Fu movies to get into character before he hits the stage. Do any of you have any pre-performance rituals? Running B/W Vamos A Ganar by Disket DISKET: Oh is that what KR gets?!! Then we need Choripan and Cuchifritos before we set one foot on stage! Sometimes we take a dip in the east river before a show, you should try ...

Position Nuit (pronounced  nwee)  are a volcanic L.A. five piece band that plays blown out rock n' roll with a dark and surly disposition. This is their debut single, consisting of only two songs yes, but these songs will leave enough of an impact, enough of that salty taste in your mouth, that it'll leave you thrusting for more. The band sounds like they were raised on real rock n' roll as a religion, much like The Cramps, Nick Cave or Jon Spencer treat or treated their craft. There's an old saying: "you have to know the architecture before you start tearing down the walls." Well, the same goes for adding walls and coats of paint. But Position Nuit have a strong enough foundation, that they can do whatever the hell they want and I'd like it.  The first song "The Filthiest" starts out with a killer, rolling thunder drumbeat accompanied by loud, aggressive guitars pushing right up against it, like a freight train right on it's heels. Creating ...

Shock Treatment: So Brad, can you tell me who’s all in the Brad Marino Band and what everyone does in the group? Brad Marino: Sure thing, so the “Brad Marino Band” consists of myself along with Bobby Davis on the bass/back up vocals & Craig Sala on the drums/vocals. We’ve sometimes had an additional guitarist but we’re running lean and mean now as a 3 PCS. It keeps things tight and simple. For the upcoming Spain tour, Gene Champagne will be playing the drums. Shock Treatment:  Tell me about this new record you have coming out  Agent of Chaos : Brad Marino: “Agent of Chaos” is my 5th long player. I’m really excited about this one. It’s got 12 tracks all written by me- which surprisingly is a first- in albums past I’ve collaborated with someone on at least 1 or 2 tracks or thrown in a cover to round it out but this one is all songs made up by me. It also has a great mix of songs- all the things that make a Brad Marino record. Punky stuff, Power Pop, Rock n Roll and it’s...

Phoenix’s own rock n’ roll soul shakers Freaks of Nature sweat and bleed on stage as if it was 1966 all over again. Their music is as raw as a side of ground chuck and sounds like it could fit right between One Way Streets and The Swamp Rats on a Back from the Grave compilation. Freaks of Nature’s music is by four guys that “get it.” They immerse themselves in this kind of music and culture from a certain time period not because it’s a trend, not to get girls, or to get rich but because they found kindred spirits in the type of music young people made in the mid to late 1960’s in their parents garage, it spoke to them and awakened a sleeping giant in their creative souls. This music won’t dazzle you with technical skill or bore you with metaphysical lyrics and metaphors, but if you can smell what these cats are cookin’, it’s going to exorcize your demons right where you stand! Interview by Jay Castro Shock Treatment: Please tell me who’s all in Freaks of Nature and what does every...

In 2008, The Jolts released their debut full length and titled it Haute Voltage. That name pretty much sums it up right there. Four guys from the town of Vancouver all in leather jackets and I’m pretty sure they all smell like dust and gasoline. These long running canucks have been doing this for ten years now and are in a similar school with bands like Jersey boys Electric Frankenstein or Swedish heroes The Hellacopters type of punk rock, heavy emphasis on the ROCK. Word on the street has it The Jolts put on quite a live performance too. It makes sense judging by the kind of force their music emits. Guys like this aren’t usually the types that pride themselves on studio recording mastery. The Jolts are ready to release their third long player later this year and I’m pretty sure it’s going to set off Mount St. Helens again and if not then the seismic effects will be similar none the less. This interview originally appeared in Audio Ammunition on February 19th, 2025 Interview by Jay Ca...

The Mandates are a pressure packed Rock n’ Roll powerhouse blasting out of the streets of Calgary. Some of the other press the band has received describes their sound as very “New York” and I couldn’t agree more. The songs drip with Ramones heart and glow with Dead Boys power. The best testament to this lies in the band’s debut full length, which they released in March of 2013. The album will make you want to fight that fancy dressed jerk that keeps hittin’ on your best lady friend. Then steal that same douche bag’s car and drive it really fast right through the front doors of that convenience store that humiliated and kicked you out earlier for trying to buy cigarettes and beer with your fake I.D. Every impulse a great Rock n’ Roll record should bring out of you. This interview originally appeared in Audio Ammunition on January 30th, 2014 Interview by Jay Castro Shock Treatment: Please introduce yourself and how do you contribute to the Mandates Rock n’ Roll machine? My name is Brady ...

In 2010, Kurt Baker released an EP called Got It Covered where he introduced the world to his greatest influences by covering their music. This didn’t feel like a covers album though. Kurt turned the volume to 11 and cranked out tunes by power pop titans The Nerves, Joe Jackson, The Vapors and many more. He played those songs with such gusto and gumption I had to hear more of his songs. That same energy continues to electrify piece of music he puts out. I often ask the people I interview if there’s a certain song or album they put on to help them get out of a bad mood. For me, Kurt’s LP Brand New Beat has been permanently added to that list. This interview originally appeared in Audio Ammunition on January 8th, 2014 Interview by Jay Castro Shock Treatment: You were born in Portland, Maine, where you still live today. What was it like growing up there? I live in Arizona and Maine is a place I really want to visit before I croak. I imagine rocky shorelines, foggy cold breeze, ...