Masked Intruder: A short Q and A with Jays Topics (Calgary Punk Shows)

We were able to catch up with the boys from Masked Intruder recently and Intruder Blue filled us in on some touring, mask wearing, girls and of course about their current US/Canada tour that they are on with Strung Out. Making waves in the pop punk world, Masked Intruder is an act not to missed. Be sure to check your local listings for a show near you.

Jay: Thanks for taking the time to talk to us! We know you've probably been busy getting ready for this tour you just started on. In light of that, how do you prepare for a tour like this? You guys gotta practice your on stage moves right?

Blue: To get ready for tour we usually get a couple of big bags and draw dollar signs on the side of them with sharpies. It can be hard to find a loot bag on the road, and you don’t wanna be caught trying to run with a buncha stolen loot without a cool looking bag to hold it. Other than that, you know, we don’t do much to prepare. We don’t really need to practice our on stage moves; we got that shit down.

Jay: You'll be joining Strung Out on the 9th of this month along with La Armada playing in San Francisco then coming up into Canada a few days later. We were wondering, have you been keeping up on your Canuck lingo? You'll need to brush up. Especially for the Saskatchewan folk.

Blue: Oh yeah? I mean, we know a couple things I guess. Like, we know the difference between a loonie and a toonie, and we know about poutine and denim jackets. Canada is cool.

Jay: We're super excited to see you roll through Calgary next week. What can fans expect to see at the shows upcoming? We know it wont be your faces!

Blue: Fans can expect to have a good time. And, if they don’t, they can expect to get hassled by officer Bradford, our court appointed chaperon. His mustache makes him look like a real asshole, which, you know, he is. 

Jay: Lets talk about outside the band for a minute. On an average, how many times would you say the masks get you pulled over? That's gotta be a drag eh?

Blue: Surprisingly, not often. We are pretty good at getting away from the cops, so it’s not like we would stop if they asked. But, as it happens, they don’t really ever hassle us. I guess it’s cause we’re white, and they’re racist, cause they’re cops.

Jay: Your latest album M.I was released last year through Fat Wreck Chords. We think its awesome. Are you finding the fans are digging it? Do you get more requests to hear the new or the old?

Blue: Thanks! Yeah, fans seem to have responded super well to it. As far as requests, it’s pretty split down the middle.

Jay: Back to the masks for a sec. You guys must reel in the ladies non stop! I know if we tried that with ski mask's, we'd somehow end up on in jail. How does that work? Is it the color? Is it the musty tour smell? What exactly do the ladies want guys??

Blue: I wish I knew! If we had any luck with the ladies, I would be happy to share the secret. I say that, but I actually probably wouldn't. If we got the girls, we would probably be too busy making out to do interviews.

Jay: You guys seem to be the experts on public ski mask wearing. Can you recommend a good place to be seen in public with a ski mask? My suggestion would be for somebody to withdraw money from the teller, but that's just my opinion.

Blue: You know, you’d think that you would be able to bank in the comfort of a ski-mask, but not so much. We like to think of our modern society as being all enlightened, but we face discrimination every single day. Try wearing a ski mask into a bank and you’ll see what I mean. It’s all “ahhhh!” and “he’s waving a knife around!” and we’re just like, fine, we’ll take our business elsewhere. You can’t let haters get you down.

Jay: I guess we should talk about music for a bit too. Are you guys working on new material while on tour? I would imagine you focus alot more on a killer set every night. Is there even downtime to write at all?

Blue: We don’t work on new material much on tour, that mostly happens when we are home. On the road, we’re more focused on the show, and then partying our faces off. It’s very absorbing work. 

Jay: You guys are playing at The Republik here in Calgary on the 16th. Should be a blast! I expect we will be having a good ol Canadian Beer together. What are we drinking??

Blue: Sounds good! We love beer! All of us except officer Bradford. He’s more of a whiskey guy.



-Masked Intruder plays The Republik with Strung Out Thursday April 16th-

Teenage Bottlerocket: Tales From Wyoming (Album Review)

Keeping things new and fresh can be a challenge for many musicians these days with the amount of bands flooding the internet every single day. Whether it be punk, pop punk, street punk or whatever other sub genre pulled out of the air to justify somebody's sound is currently the trend, putting together an album you can sit back, throw on repeat and still enjoy the third time around is no simple task. 

However, it is a true testament to these guys with their recent efforts in putting together a killer record. From beginning to end, you cant help but try and sing along even if you don't know the words having heard these songs for the first time. I actually found myself listening to "I Found the One" a few times before moving on to the rest of the album just so that I could try and learn the lyrics. 

Teenage Bottlerocket blow the doors off with their latest release Tales From Wyoming available online and in stores March 31st 2015. You can order the album along with other merch here. 

Once you press play, you are once again front row and centre to a solid album that makes you feel like you are in the room watching these boys rock out. The introductory track "In My Head" gives Tales From Wyoming a powerful start to the record that only promises to please fans from beginning to end. Ray's voice punches through and brings us back to familiar territory with Teenage Bottlerocket, yet the album offers a crisp and polished new sound. The distorted guitars and Miguel's deadly bass lines set up the listener to some of the best we have received from the boys yet.

The album is not just a re visiting of previous releases, nor is it a departure from those endeavours either. Tales From Wyoming gives us an earful of songs that do not stray too far from their early roots in the punk rock scene, however does touch on some subjects that will be new to fans. On one of the tracks called "TV Set", you can hear Teenage Bottlerocket's ability to delve into more serious subjects without becoming overly preachy and still keep a tone that is both sombre and enjoyable to listen to. Its a refreshing approach to singing about the worlds current state of affairs few bands are able to hone without sounding pompous.

Teenage Bottlerocket. Photo used with the permission of Miguel Chen.

We also get a taste of the regular goods in songs like "Haunted House" and "Too Much La Colina", bringing Kody to the front of the vocal delivery. The lyrics are catchy as hell, the guitar riffs so infectious that you find yourself unknowingly nodding your head along as you listen. 

When its time to shake up the tempo of the album, we have "I Wanna Die" which gets gritty right from beginning to end. Its raw, fast and ultimately a good time to listen to and again proof that the boys dont just stick to one formula of getting things done and aren't afraid to kick it into high gear. 

"First Time" gives us an opportunity to listen to Ray's vocal ability and songwriting talent. It is perhaps one of the most stripped down and honest tunes we have heard on a Teenage Bottlerocket album about a subject that is clearly close to the chest. I have to say this was one of my favourites.

Tales From Wyoming is witness to some of the best songwriting performed by Teenage Bottlerocket. In having steadily become a staple in the punk rock world, this latest release leaves us wanting to listen to it over and over again. This record is sure to become a fan favourite and is a true display that these boys have carved their way into the roster of essential punk rock bands that will be sticking around with no real end in sight.

Teenage Bottlerocket is currently on tour in support of Tales From Wyoming and if you have never had a chance to see them live, do yourself a favour, check out your local show listings and check them out. They are one helluva good time.



Teenage Bottlerocket plays the Ship and Anchor with The Copyrights June 10th in Calgary.

An interview with Darius from Swingin Utters.

"Im out eating. I'll be back in 20 minutes or so. Meet at the merch table maybe?"

This is how my interview with Darius Koski started out last Saturday November the 15th, when music veterans Swingin Utters and Lagwagon filled the halls of Flames Central with fans of raw, fast and honest 90's punk rock. 

As the crowd begins to grow within the building, my anticipation for this short interview grows. 

As does my anxiety. 

Now, Im normally not a nervous person. Meet new people? Great. Interview with punk rock pioneer? Fantastic. For some reason, receiving the text message that indicates the extra twenty-ish minutes of wait instills a small measure of panic that maybe, just maybe, I might blow it this time. After all, Darius Koski is an international touring musician. This is no basement project we are talking about.

As I am about to finish the Pilsner I have chosen to be my aid to stress relief, I see him walk in. Darius is dressed sharp, and unassuming. We meet, shake hands, and we are off to do the interview in a quieter area away from the repetitive club music that fills the air.

His demeanor put me instantly at ease. He was laid back and very approachable. Under the Gatsby style hat and behind the frames, is a man who is clearly not the type to shy away from a conversation yet is ready to tell you what is on his mind whether you like it or not. 

And so it goes with the interview. To the point, short, free of any falsified illusions of grandeur, Darius laid it all out on the table.

So just how does it feel to be somebody who has been a part of the punk rock scene for 25 years? Just how does your perception of music change if at all?

" I just like what I like, you know what I mean? I cant stand some garage bands, or rap artists, but i really love other ones. I dont listen to music by genres like alot of people, I think, do. Unfortunately alot of punk rock people, will listen to punk rock and thats ALL they listen to. I dont really understand that"

It becomes clear that Swingin Utters takes no shame in drawing from other styles of music and that Darius could genuinely care less for genre specific definitions about his music.

" I think the street punk moniker, in general, is just kinda silly." he says when asked about their Street Punk Status.  

And with the release of "Fistful of Hollow" Swingin Utters has ventured once again, into different and fresh territory. With songs like "Spanish", "Napalm South" and "End of the Weak", the latest full length from Swingin Utters delivers musicianship with a crisp and raw new approach, where we can still hear the familiar tones of steady rock riffs, with a mix of warm and catchy chorus lines like on "Agonist". 

But Darius doesn't stop there. 

On the topic of his solo project he elaborates: 

"Its almost done. I mean, its all recorded, but there's like a day worth of mixing. Hopefully, i'm assuming it will be out for late spring."

Coming back to the newest installment from Swingin Utters, Darius comments on what fans can expect from "Fistful of Hollow":

" Its a little bit different than the last. I mean, our whole goal has always been to make each record sound different, even though there's obviously a thread that runs through it all. Whatever we sound like."

He goes on.

"I dunno, I keep hearing that everybody thinks its different, it's a departure' and that's good. Thats exactly what we want to hear, and that's what we heard from the last one too. I mean, Miles chipped in this time and he hasn't done that before, so him and Johnny (Peebucks) did four songs that dont really sound like stuff we've done before. So its kinda headed in an even different direction. But it's not like a Jazz Odyssey or anything. Its still us. We love the way it turned out."

One thing is for sure. If the fans don't keep an open mind, they will miss out on what Swingin Utters has to offer now, and in the future. The Utters will continue to branch out and mature in their sound as they have on their latest release. 

So as fans and listeners, do yourself a favor and pick up "Fistful of Hollow" and allow room for what might be unfamiliar.

You will enjoy this one.

-Jay Caption-