Tough Age play honest and melodic pop songs, I would like to elaborate on the “honest” part for just a moment. Theatrics in music are great and fun, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes you want to listen to something that you can emotionally connect with. Jarrett and his band seem like they’re in the same station in life as a lot of us are. They’re not singing about sipping Dom Perignon and dancing with strippers on a private yacht. That kind of silly garbage I can’t and most importantly don’t want to relate to. What I find refreshing is a man with real song writing talents picking up a guitar, turning it up loud, and singing about what he knows best: his own life and what he feels and thinks as he stumbles through it. That is honesty, charm and charisma and it spills out onto Tough Age records and on to the interview below. This interview originally appeared in Audio Ammunition on October 17th, 2014 Interview by J Castro Shock Treatment: I first want to start off by saying thank you ...

Oakland’s The Shanghai’s are audio Fun Dip for your soul. Imagine yourself as that stiff, flavorless dipstick that comes separated from the rest of the party in a standard Fun Dip packet. You put on some Shanghai’s records, bounce around the room for a while and suddenly you’re covered with that sweet, colorful sugary goodness for the entire neighborhood to enjoy. You’re a changed human being after hearing The Shanghais music whether you know it or not. They play fast, loud, catchy, beautifully simplistic Ramones-y punk songs. Yes, indeed the skies are a little brighter, those kids playing outside the bedroom window aren’t so loud, and the world just may be okay for a little while longer. This interview originally appeared in Audio Ammunition on October 16th, 2014 Interview by J Castro Shock Treatment: Let’s begin with introductions. Who’s all in this outfit and what do you all do to keep the Shanghais rolling? NATALIE: We have Dani on guitar, Laura on drums, Trevor on bass, and me (Na...

The Connection is a rock ‘n’ roll band with one foot karate kicking into the future and the other one has a black Beatle boot heel caught on the corner of the Wayback Machine. These New Hampshire boys write songs with monster 1970’s style power-pop hooks, soaring harmonies like those mid-1960’s British Invasion bands had, and then all this is encapsulated into a Ramones rocket ship tempo. This unique sound fires down your ear canal and explodes at just the right time to produce dazzling fireworks in your brain. You’ll be moved, you’ll be swayed, and you’ll be urged to get up and do the twist by a mysterious, unexplainable force. That’s where the name “The Connection” comes in. Once you lay a needle on one of their records, this band makes an unbreakable bond with your soul and to quote The Borg “resistance is futile.” This interview originally appeared in Audio Ammunition on August 8th 2014 Interview by J Castro Shock Treatment: Ok Geoff, let’s start with who’s all in the b...

The Smoke Bombs smash and grab fistfuls of British Street Punk in one hand and early 1980’s Southern California hardcore in the other. They then take it to an old abandoned warehouse downtown where they mix it up and add some secret ingredients. They then stuff some ping pong balls full of it and create a device that emits a dense, hard hitting brand of punk rock into the atmosphere immediately upon ignition. They hurl these handmade concoctions at unsuspecting audiences and it causes the foundation beneath the arid desert floors to quake. So remove any loose articles of clothing and strap your shoes on tight, The Smoke Bombs have arrived and the room you’re in is about to turn upside down! This interview originally appeared in Audio Ammunition on July 21st, 2014 Interview by J Castro Introductions! Please tell us who you all are and what’s your function in The Smoke Bombs: LAYTON: Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar BRANDON: I’m Brandon Meunier and I play guitar in The Smoke Bombs. JASON: Ja...

What makes a good pop punk band? Surely it’s not musical skill; The Ramones have been hounded for years over their technical simplicity and yet they remain kings. It most certainly isn’t lyrics; most pop punk bands use the simplest of words to describe everyday mundane events, love, hate and every emotion in between. What I feel makes a good pop punk band is the ability to emotionally throw yourself into your music, admitting imperfection, vulnerability, and most importantly, just have pure, unpolluted fun. Long Beach, NY’s, The New Rochelles take all of these qualities, stuff them into very loud amplifiers and blast it at you like confetti cannons. What makes most grownups so boring? Whatever it is listening to the New Rochelles will help in steering clear of it! This interview originally appeared in Audio Ammunition on July 24th, 2014 Interview by J Castro First off, who’s all in the band and what is everyone’s function in The New Rochelles? RONNIE: I'm Ronnie Rochelle. I'm t...

Atlantic Thrills – A Day at The Beach 7” (Almost Ready Records) According to the bands bio, this Providence, RI band can play anything from full blown nuclear mushroom cloud garage punk to fun in the sun drenched surf ditties; let this record stand as exhibit “A” as evidence to why the above statement is 100% truthful. The A side, “A Day at The Beach” is the perfect soundtrack to a warm day on the sand, dancing, frolicking about and even playing volleyball with an oversized beach ball. The B Side, “Hold Your Tongue,” is a 1960’s garage Rock N’ Roll stomp-o-rama similar to The Monk’s song “Complication.” Atlantic Thrills effortlessly deliver the goods . . . and then some! – Jay Castro Ausmuteants – Amusements LP (Goner Records) Dusty Australian synth-punk band of apocalyptic doomsayers Ausmutants bring us songs pieced together with duct tape, scrap metal and ultra melodic hooks all wrapped in shell casings of bleakness and urgency. Ausmutants immediately remind me of contemporary ba...

In a perfect world, there would be a tribute statue erected in Norway with the likeness of Yum Yums front man Morten Henrikson. For years he’s been strumming away writing and performing glowing pop songs, just the way the Norse God of pop songs intended. Songs that are so jam packed with guitar hooks and genuinely heartfelt lyrics that you instantly feel a connection with them. Sometimes I feel like maybe that's why bands like The Yum Yums aren't as popular as they should be; it's almost too emotionally “real” for most people to take. That's why all these disconnected theatrical rock star puppets rule the airwaves. So where is this Norse God of pop songs and why isn't he striking down all of these fraudulent poets of musical swill you ask? Why he's too busy writing songs for his band The Yum Yums! This interview originally appeared in Audio Ammunition on June 17th, 2014 Interview by Jay Castro What is the origin story of your band Morten? I know you have h...