Photo Credit: Jack Baikoff The Bloodtypes extract the best elements from ’77 punk and ‘80’s new wave and combine it into a form of music that’s as catchy as an airborne illness. Guitars that are straight from the Johnny Ramone cook book: fast and loud with hooks that don’t stop coming. A rhythm section that does more than keep a tempo, but constructs a sturdy frame work in which to deliver this volatile and explosive music to the listener with ease. A front woman with a voice that has the glam and urgency of Missing Person’s Dale Bozzio fused with the bounce and pop of The Go Go’s Belinda Carlisle. What you feel when listening to the Bloodtypes is a fully oxygenated, nutrient filled substance being delivered through your neurotransmitters straight into the sensory parts of your brain that will immediately form a physical and psychological dependence. You’ve been warned! This interview originally appeared in Audio Ammunition on February 19th, 2015 Interview by J Ca...

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...

Labor Party is a trio of veteran hard rock n’ rollers influenced by bands like The Stooges, MC5 and the Dead Boys that reside in the Phoenix metro area. Their music is fast, loud, guitar fueled rock n’ roll with enough power in the backbeat to run the city they’re playing that night. Their experience really comes into play when you see this band live. They seem very much at ease on stage allowing them to put on a highly energized, highly entertaining show as they hurl their music at their audience like boulders on catapults. They have a look in their eyes like all they do is start the engine and where the music is going to take them is anybody’s guess. And that’s what makes Labor Party so undeniably great at what they do. This interview originally appeared in Audio Ammunition on January 14th, 2015 Interview by J Castro Shock Treatment: Who’s all in the band and what do they do to keep the Labor Party rolling? Buck Ellis - Drums, backing vocals. Sharon Labor – Bass guitar, ba...

Speaking only for myself of course, I love music, all kinds of music. My soul is influenced by so much it’s hard to go through and pluck 10 releases out of the past year that I loved the most, it was agonizing in fact. So I narrowed it down to not only the records I loved and was obsessed over but also the records that were sent to the Audio Ammunition stronghold that collectively spent the most amount of time on my various radios. ~ J Castro 1) Impo & the Tents – Peek after a poke LP (Alien Snatch Records) Late 1970’s style power pop punk like The Undertones or Buzzcocks mixed with a splash of The Dickies: Super enjoyable, super amazing record that commands repeat listens. 2) Average Times – S/T LP (Hosehead Records) A dazzling debut LP: Monumentally catchy and loud bursts of 77 punk-pop inspiration! These are sons and daughters of punk from the last 20 years; they gathered everything that was great about so many bands from that time and discard the dead weight! 3) Ne...