The Witzard

SAMIAM 2023 press shot (CREDIT: Austin Rhodes) SAMIAM just wouldn't be the same without a little bit of chaos. Over their three decades together, the Oakland, California-based band have specialized in energetic hard luck songs that are as hooky as they are relatable. So, perhaps, it's fitting that the creation of Stowaway, the band's first new album in 12 years and their ninth full-length, wasn't the easiest. There are very few bands better at capturing the feeling of stumbling only to get up again and on Stowaway, SAMIAM prove exactly why they remain one of the most endearing and enduring Punk bands of their generation. Initially formed in 1988, SAMIAM—whose current line-up includes long-time members Jason Beebout (vocals,) Sean Kennerly (guitar,) and Sergie Loobkoff (guitar,) as well as newer additions Colin Brooks (drums) and Chad Darby (bass)—grew out of the D.I.Y. Punk scene centered around 924 Gilman Street. After the release of 2011's Trips , the band didn...

Koyo (oftentimes stylized as either KOYO, KŌYŌ, or KOYO LIHC) are a Long Island-based Hardcore, Punk, and Emo revival—sometimes, described as "Stony Brook Hardcore"—band featuring current and ex-members of Adrenaline, HANGMAN, Rain of Salvation, SeeYouSpaceCowboy, Soul Provider, and TYPECASTE. KOYO have been together since about 2020 and its current line-up features Joey Chiaramonte, Mike "Marazzo" Marazzo, T.J. Rotolico, Harold Griffin, Steve "Spanos" Spanos, and Salvatore "Sal" Argento. KOYO's sound primarily harkens back to early 2000's Long Island Melodic Hardcore/Emo and evokes bands such as Taking Back Sunday, The Movielife, Glassjaw, and RIVAL SCHOOLS. KOYO released three EP's between 2020-21, Painting Words Into Lines, Short Beach Sessions, and Drives Out East, issued by The Coming Strife Records, Reconsider Records, Life & Death Brigade, DAZE, and Triple B Records. Each EP was released in multiple color variants,...

Early on during Nation-wide Quarantine/Lockdowns, it appears as though Ridgewood, New Jersey's own Senses Fail hunkered down and laid down a remotely recorded album chock-full of covers of classic Punk, Hardcore, and Emo-adjacent staples. "Doing a quarantine covers record. Just finished "We're Only Gonna Die" by @badreligion," a Tweet dated April 8, 2020 explained. "Gonna be DIY. I'm gonna mix it and Gavin & I are doing I remotely. Pretty fun, so far. We, also, have a Morrissey song. Thinking about Jawbreaker, maybe, early Get Up Kids," Senses Fail frontman James "Buddy" Nielson further detailed on @SensesFail's band page. Since then, no additional details concerning said covers comp. have come to the surface, but fingers crossed, it's still happening! Through Being Ghoul by Senses Fail Concurrently, Senses Fail have seemingly been working on the proper follow-up to 2018's If There Is Light, It Will Find You, e...

Less Than Jake with New Drummer Matt Yonker (CREDIT: Paris Visone) Less Than Jake (LTJ) are without a doubt Ska Punk stalwarts, at this stage of their career, having been a non-stop touring machine for the past 30 years. LTJ have been one of my personal favorite bands for quite some time now and they're, honestly, one of the bands I've seen live the most. Way back when, in The Witzard's earliest aughts, we conducted an interview (better yet, a Twitter-view ) via Twitter, with long-time LTJ bassist and co-vocalist Roger "Lima" Manganelli. Plus, we've spoken with both guitarist/co-vocalist Chris DeMakes and former drummer/pseudo-frontman Vinnie Fiorello on seperate occasions, but never for an actual published interview. Less Than Jake are easily one of the most fun charismatic bands I've ever seen live and one time, in Philly at The TLA, they even invited the entire crowd (well, anyone 21+) to accompany them to the bar for post-show beers. Oddly e...

CREDIT: Katie Neuhof (Pure Noise Records) Spanish Love Songs are a five-piece Los Angeles-based Punk/Indie Rock band consisting of guitarist and vocalist Dylan Slocum , guitarist Kyle McAulay , bassist Trevor Dietrich , drummer Ruben Duarte , and keyboardist Meredith Van Woert . Initially formed in 2014, Spanish Love Songs have released two fill-length albums and an EP on Wiretap Records, Bearded Punk Records, Uncle M Music, and A-F Records. Spotify and Bandcamp, also, list an additional Name-Your-Price album-length collection entitled LITTLE GIANTS from 2016, which appears to consist primarily of acoustic/demo recordings. Currently abroad on a three-week UK/EU tour supporting The Menzingers , Spanish Love Songs just released their third highly-anticipated album, Brave Faces Everyone , this past Friday, via Pure Noise Records . Brave Faces Everyone was preceded by three pre-album singles/music videos, "Losers," "Kick," and most recently, "Beachfront Pro...

CREDIT: James Grottola (Flatspot Records) TYPECASTE is a "Long Boston" (Long Island/Boston)-based 90's Metalcore-leaning Punk/Hardcore band. As of February 2020, TYPECASTE is signed to Baltimore imprint, Flatspot Records , and consists of frontman Dylan Carlo and additional members, Sean, Joey, Ray & Marazzo —yes, it's nearly impossible to find their last names online! Following a self-titled 2017 DEMO EP and critically-acclaimed creature of habit EP (2018) TYPECASTE have returned with their third consecutive EP entitled BETWEEN LIFE . Late last month, world-renown Heavy Metal magazine, KERRANG! ran an exclusive premiere of pummeling BETWEEN LIFE EP track, "Traverse," and now, The Hard Times & Pure Noise Records' HARD NOISE has run their own "ALBUM PREMIERE" of the full 4-track EP. Although, it clocks in at less than 12 minutes total, BETWEEN LIFE really is a skull-crusher, honestly, more so indebted to Metal/Metalcore than...

CREDIT: Lupe Bustos (Big Picture Media) Worcester, Massachusetts-based Melodic Hardcore/Pop-Punk band Four Year Strong have finally returned with the announcement of their long-awaited fifth full-length album BRAIN PAIN, produced by Will Putney. Fans have been eagerly awaiting a proper follow-up to Four Year Strong's self-titled 2015 album, which was "followed-up" by a 2017 Odds & Ends-style compilation called Some of You Will Like This, Some of You Won't. Four Year Strong consists of vocalist/guitarists Dan O'Connor & Alan Day, bassist Joe Weiss, and drummer Jackson "Jake" Massucco. To be completely honest, I had never heard of Four Year Strong (FYS) 'til the other day, when my buddy at work casually mentioned "Four Year Strong had a new single out;" it soon clicked that I vaguely recognized the name "Four Year Strong" because I had received an email earlier that very same morning from a press agent at Big Picture Media...

This will, likely, be a weekly—or, at least, sporadically—published loosely structured column to help spotlight new or recent Punk/Hardcore 7-inches "on wax." I fully intend for this column to regularly spotlight new. up-and-coming, and largely "underground" artists... but who knows what it ultimately end up being. As often as possible, we'll share pre-order/purchase links or download information for said featured releases. Also, if you're part of or represent such a Punk/Hardcore band, please, feel free to reach out to us directly at sharpcheddar856@gmail.com and we'll send you our mailing address to send us a review copy (or even digital files) for an upcoming installment of Punk/Hardcore On Wax . It's my hope that this very column will expose at least a few angsty young teens to some up-and-coming or ever Old School Punk/Hardcore bands, if nothing else! Sincerely, Matt "The Witzard" Horowitz Punk/Hardcore Correspondant Save Face ...