The Jolts

     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. 

Interview by Jay Castro

Let’s begin with introductions, who’s all in The Jolts and what do you all do?

JOEY: The Jolts are Joshy Atomic on lead guitar, Evan Dabbler on bass, Matt Von Dander on drums and me, Joey Blitzkrieg, singing and playing rhythm guitar.

I see you guys have some side projects going on aside from The Jolts.  Can you tell me a bit about them?

JOEY: Joshy is playing guitar for Fashionism, a glam band/political party fronted by Jeffie from the Tranzmittors. They have a 7” that just came out on Hosehead records. Our drummer Von Dander's side project, Dead-Exes is recording demos right now. My Ramones tribute band The Ramores (which has featured all of the other Jolts members in the past) just celebrated our 15th anniversary last Halloween and will be playing more shows later this year.

You guys played Shake! Arama last year, how did that go?

JOEY: Great! Matti put on a killer festival with a diverse lineup of great bands. We were only in town for one day but still caught 8 bands. The mystery show at a tiny art space was a definite highlight. Line Traps and Shitty Neighbours blew the doors off that place. Shake! Records is doing a killer job right now, releasing tons of great punk/psych/garage stuff (including our last 7" and our albums on cassette).   We'll hopefully be on the Shake! Arama 2015 lineup this summer.

I also saw you had some gear stolen. I don’t know about you but that sort of thing always makes me lose hope for humanity. Have you recovered anything?

JOEY: We had a bad break in at our last jam space. Between all the bands that shared the room (Jolts, Vicious Cycles, Greenback High, Piggy) 17 guitars and 2 amps were stolen. The community response was incredible though and in the end between tracking some down ourselves (including Joshy's brand new SG and my Firebird) and donations from tons of people we were able to recover or replace almost every piece.  

What sorts of things influence your lyrics?  Can you remember the strangest thing (person or event) that influenced you to want to write a song about?

JOEY: The lyrics are from all over the place. Pulp sci-fi/slasher flicks and video games tend to inspire me but the end result is usually about girls. "Hey Alright" from our first LP is a true story about getting kicked out of a wedding reception for smashing glasses. "TANSTAAFL" from our upcoming release is about violent revolution and inspired by Robert Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.

Are there any records you own that you feel some Jolts fans may be surprised are in your collection?

JOEY: I'm a big ABBA fan, with tons of their records on regular rotation at my place. ZZ Top's “Eliminator” and “Afterburner” also stay near the turntable. Joshy is a vinyl junkie so he's got all kindsa weird stuff including a growing “Exotica” collection. Matt can’t get enough of Fickle Heart by Sniff' n' the Tears and I think Evan probably has a Steel Panther download card.

I noticed you put a link to a Guardians of The Galaxy article on your Facebook page. Are you guys fans of comic books or movies of that genera?  What have been some of your favorite and least favorite comic book adopted movies so far?

JOEY: Our song "Infinity Love" (from 8 Percent) is a love song for Lady Death from the perspective of Thanos, so I was very excited about Thanos finally entering the Marvel Movie world. I actually haven't liked too many of the comic adaptation films besides Nolan's Batman’s. G of G was pretty cool but I'd rather watch Astron-6's “Manborg” any day.

If you could pick just one person that’s been the single most influential person in your life, who would that be and why?

JOEY: Definitely Joey Ramone. The Ramones are pretty much the main reason I ever started a band and all the music I enjoy today either inspired them or was inspired by them. Hearing his voice singing those songs still thrills me today like it did as a teen in my bedroom. Even though the Jolts don't always sound like them, we try to have that '1-2-3-4' energy as our initial inspiration for any song.

I have to ask you about that Skeletor shirt design.  That has got to be one of the coolest band T-shirts I’ve ever seen! Who designed that?

JOEY: Ha! I did that up one night before a small tour, just messing around with ideas. Skeletor has always been one of my favorite cartoon characters. He just looks so bad ass. 

Where can people go to hear or buy your music or merch?

JOEY: Pretty much all our music is up on our Bandcamp page and our web store has some of our current merch. Also you can always send us a message on Facebook.

What’s going on with The Jolts for 2015?

JOEY: We're just doing the finishing touches on a new record so we'll just be playing some western Canada shows and waiting for our buddies Teenage Rampage Records to put it out. It should be ready for early summer with some touring to follow.

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The Resonars

     The Resonars are full of the vocal harmonies and jangly guitar melodies that made the early to mid-1960’s so sweet before the Vietnam War changed the social and musical landscape. Originally beginning as a full band, later becoming a solo project for years and now recently becoming a full band again at the insistence of Burger to play this year’s SXSW. The Resonars seemed renewed and full of purpose with an EP and a few LP’s being released and re-released. The band’s brand of Byrds and Hollies influenced songs is poised to introduce them to a whole new set of ears.

Interview by Ed Stuart

Who’s answering the questions?

Matt Rendon

Jeremy Schliewe

Where is the band from?

Tucson, AZ

Who is in the band and what instrument do they play?

James Peters – drums

Isaac Reyes – guitar, vocals

Matt Rendon – guitar, vocals

Jeremy Schliewe – bass, vocals

How did the band start? 

Matt: It’s been a solo recording project since 1997. The performing band started when we were invited to SXSW early last year.

What was the reason to release the Long Lost Thoughts EP where Matt plays every instrument and sings everything by himself after a few releases? Bright and Dark is done the same way with only Matt playing everything too. Has there been a release where the entire band plays on the recording?

Matt: The four-way split released on Trouble In Mind next month will be the first with the entire band.

In 2012, it looks like a full band was brought together for a SXSW performance. Can you elaborate on this story?

Matt: Sean Bohrman called Isaac, and asked if he could cajole me into playing a Burger Caravan show in Tucson and SXSW a week later. Isaac brought in James and I brought in Jeremy.

Jeremy: As far as my end is concerned, I was playing with Matt in another band called The Freezing Hands.  At this time The Resonars was still a one-man show.  Matt was toying around with the idea of making The Resonars a live act.  He asked me if I would like to be a part of it.  I answered yes, of course, with no hesitation.  I had heard a good chunk of his music, though not all of it, and thought it was great.  It was precisely the type of band I wanted to be in.

Do you think music can still be a vital force in such a disposable age?

Jeremy: Music will always be a vital force.  The landscape may have changed—it seems there is a lot more out there now because bands don't have to wait around to be snatched up by a big label in order to get exposure.  With so much music available for a minimum of effort, it does seem to create a lot of flashes in the pan, acts that will probably not enjoy as long a stint of popularity.  That's just the nature of the beast these days.  It doesn't mean that tan act is bad or in it for the wrong reason.  It's just the way of the listening public.  Things come and go quickly—at least that's how it seems to me, but the love of music will always be there in one form or another.

Matt: There’s always gonna be kids, adults too, who need music to reflect their feelings, or to make them feel better so in that sense, absolutely. Can it be a vital force socially? I don’t think so. Everything is too splintered. There are microcosms, like the Burger scene in Fullerton where there seems to be an unending flood of talent, bands exchanging ideas and influencing each other, it’s a culture. Of course, that is an observation from an old fart in Tucson, I could be completely wrong.

How do the band hook up with Burger? It looks like Burger put out Crummy Desert Sound, That Evil Drone and re-released Bright and Dark.

Matt: I had That Evil Drone recorded and the label I was on at the time didn’t seem that interested. I was despondent and ready to quit making records when the Makeout Party rolled in to Tucson. Sean and Lee had just started Burger and I kind of sheepishly asked them if they would want to release it. They were genuinely excited to do it, and as anyone can tell you who knows them, their excitement is pretty contagious.

How is the Tucson scene? Are there any similar bands that play in the same vein as The Resonars?  I know Tucson is known primarily as a college town with University of Arizona being there.

Matt: The Tucson scene is OK. There needs to be more youth and there are some new bands I’m genuinely excited about. The Resonars are pretty unpopular, though. People think we’re too loud and we’re not arty, gimmicky, or doing the Americana thing.

Jeremy: Not being from Tucson originally, I don’t have as good a grasp on the "scene" as the other Resonars do.  It seems to me that what we're doing is fairly unique, in that our sound does have a heavy sixties rock influence.  There are certainly other bands I enjoy seeing here, but I can't think of any others that go for the sixties vibe to such a degree.

It looks like the band is playing Europe in the fall. Do you know any bands The Resonars will play with? How excited is the band for this opportunity?

Matt: Yeah, we’re touring Europe in September/October with a bunch of other Trouble In Mind bands. We’re so excited about it that we’re all willing to give up our jobs to do it.

Jeremy:  Personally, I'm really excited for this tour.  It's a great opportunity to see some cool places and share what we do with another chunk of the world.  I know we'll be playing with Mmoss, which will be awesome.  I'm a big fan of their stuff.

50 years ago people used to buy music and get their water for free, now people pay for water and get their music for free. How do you think this affects music in any way?

Jeremy:  It has its good points and bad points.  Growing up, it was much harder for me to get my hands on music.  I had to scrape up the money for it and hope that one of the local dealers had something in their stock that was to my liking.  I get a little envious of the younger generation sometimes because of all the easy access they had to music from a young age.  I wonder sometimes if I'd be a different or better musician if I had what they did.  In the end, though, I think that this wide availability—whether it's paid for or not--is a positive thing since it's all for the love of music.

Matt: Whereas I, as a kid, would have to wait months to find a copy of say, a Pretty Things record, today’s kids have access to it instantly. Someone tells them about a band, it sounds interesting, and they can hear them that minute. I think for people who are looking to be inspired, it’s definitely a good thing.

I’ve read a couple interviews where The Resonars records where done primarily with a 4-track. In blurt-online there is a quote “I got a hold of a four-track reel-to-reel and it ended up breaking. I got an eight-track reel-to-reel and didn't like it. Then I started working with an ADAT and that sound was far too clean. I also tried an eight track cassette, but nothing seemed to work," he says. "I was getting more and more frustrated, until finally I just said ‘fuck it' and went back to the original four-track cassette.” How influential is that in the sound of the recordings? What is it about the 4-track that is so special in the recording process?

Matt: It’s the only machine I’m truly comfortable with. I’m a total dunderhead when it comes to machinery and recording technology. With that 4-track (it’s a Vestax MR-44, by the way) I can hit record and not worry about the bullshit and just focus on the music. I got it to the point where I can make it sound at least as good as any 1960s garage-punk recording.

"Photographs, if you give them the time, they can almost create a sound. You start hearing the soundtrack behind this photograph. It doesn't matter what the images are, they always sort of set something off[.]" Most bands usually just use life experience as a lyrical starting point. What brought about the photograph idea?

Matt: I don’t even remember! I think I was just leafing through one and a song popped in to my head, and then another, and another.

Where can people hear the band?

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Resonars/114993301867228

http://www.reverbnation.com/theresonars

What’s next for The Resonars?

Jeremy: I am going to keep rocking with these fine fellows.

Matt: We need to start recording a new LP, the first to be recorded by a full band. We tour Europe for three weeks in September/October. After that, who knows? I’d like to stay on the road!

Photo credit by Jessie Jones.

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Biters

Interview by Ed Stuart

Who’s answering the questions?
Tuk, aka the artificial kid

Where is the band from?
Atlanta ‘where everybody can be somebody’

Who is in the band and what instrument do they play?
Tuk - guitar, voice
Travis - bass, voice
Matt aka "AL''- guitar, beer
Joey Boloney aka "Chuck"- drums, weed, black outs

How did the band start?

I was in a previous band called Poison Arrows and a few idiots kept overdosing, going to jail, going to rehab, relapsing etc…so I got away from them and started a new band.

BrokenBeard.com wrote, “[If] the Biters weren’t the biggest band in the world real soon [that] we’d all be doomed, and I believe that now more than ever.” How does it make you guys feel when reading this kind of review? Does it add any pressure to the songwriting, live performance, etc.?
I think that’s a great statement, and hope it comes true. I work my ass off either way.
When you’re in a band like ours and barely scrape by, a quote like that gives you a little hope and energy too keep going for a little while longer.

I have seen younger bands and new labels releasing cassette only releases, but I hadn’t seen the 8-track release since the 70’s. What was the big idea behind the 8-track release of All Chewed Up?

The 8-track is a "kiss my ass" to the whole garage rock tape revival trend. Tapes are one of the shittiest formats for music but some how they're popular again.
We thought we'd put out something even shittier than cassette tape, an 8-track.

How did you guys hook up with Social Distortion? I see Biters is touring with them this fall.
We submitted the band and they liked us. They picked us to open. It’s pretty awesome.

Last year you played shows with D Generation. How did those shows go?
Those shows were bad to the bone. They’re one of my favorite bands, always a dream of mine to play with them.

Why now, the desire to add a permanent keyboard player?
The new stuff that isn't released yet has a lot more backing vocals and harmonies. We can’t achieve what we've recorded with the current line up. Also, we have piano/synth in previous recordings. I've always wanted one and can’t find ANYONE!

50 years ago people use buy music and get their water for free, now people pay for water and get their music for free. Do you think this affects music in any way?
Since people don't pay for music any more artists cant survive like they used too. They can’t concentrate on being a musician because there’s no income. This has allowed for terrible quality of song writing and musicianship to flood the market. It also has taken the budget out from under record labels. The labels are too scared to take a chance on signing a band or artist that isn't a sure thing for fear of losing money. Henceforth you get a million copycats. You have music made strictly for money. Any art made specifically for money isn't art. The direct reaction to the artificial, robotic mainstream music is an underground scene filled with talentless turkeys, apathy, shitty recordings, poor songwriting, and entire movement based off irony and ignorance.

Since Biters has been compared to Cheap Trick, T. Rex, Thin Lizzy and The Boys (just to name a few) in reviews, can you name a few influential LP’s that have had an effect on both the band members individually and the overall songwriting process?
For me personally:
Bon Scott era AC/DC
Tom Petty - 1st album all the way to Wild Flowers
Nick Gilder - City Nights
Slaughter and The Dogs - Do It Dog Style
Sweet - Desolation Blvd.
Alice Cooper - Love It To Death, Killers, Billion Dollar Babies
David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars

Since I see the band is described as Electric Playboys in the Disposable Age. Do you think music can still be a vital force in such a disposable age?
At this point, not really. I’m waiting for a few anti-establishment demi gods to grace our presence once again.

Where can people hear the band?

On tour this fall with Social Distortion!

What’s next for Biters?
Hopefully finding someone to put out our new record and a lot of touring!

Sell music on itunes at ReverbNation.com

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Dime Runner

Interview by Ed Stuart

Who’s answering the questions?

Brian Schickling

Where is the band from?

Fullerton, CA

Who is in the band and what instrument do they play?

Brian Schickling - Vocals

Rocky Rigs - Guitar

Danny Drumkiller - Drums

Ryan Page - Bass

Brian Taylor - Guitar

How did the band start?

Brian Schickling and Rocky Rigs met up in one of Orange County’s fine facilities. With not much to do, the two started to write songs and put the band together. There have been a couple line up changes, but they were short lived. This line up has been the longest-lived and hardest playing.

The band has been featured pretty regularly on Surf & Destroy. How did the band initially hook-up with the podcast? Did Hostage find the band or did you submit songs?

We hooked up with them a while back when we were supposed to play a Pushers show last summer. We sent them some songs and they have been into us since. We’d like to thank them for the love!

Black Vinyl Limited put out the band’s most recent 7-inch and it looks like an LP on the horizon. Explain the Black Vinyl connection. How did you meet them, etc.?

Black Vinyl WILL be putting out our LP and 7” very soon. Our debut 7” Recharged Rejects was put out by Wanda Records (DE) a German Record Label. We also have two songs on iTunes available. I work at Vinyl Solution Records in Huntington Beach so that’s where I met up with Drak from Black Vinyl LTD.

List your three most influential OC punk bands? Have these bands had any influence on the band’s songwriting?

1.     The Stitches

2.     US Bombs

3.     Smogtown

Yeah these bands have had an influence on the song writing process…but not much.

Do you think music can still be a vital force in such a disposable age?

Music is everything. No matter what and how disposable things are in this day and age no one can ever dispose of the feelings music brings a person.

50 years ago people use buy music and get their water for free, now people pay for water and get their music for free. How do you think this affects music in any way?

The only way it affects music is by bands and labels not getting paid for their work. Which affects the way music is put out.

Where can people hear the band?

On Facebook:  www.facebook.com/DIMExRUNNER

What’s next?

Playing shows here and there. A European tour is scheduled in March 2013 and the release of our full-length in the upcoming months.

Sell music on itunes at ReverbNation.com

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Welcome To Audio Ammunition Blog

Welcome to Audio Ammunition! This blog was created with the primary goal of giving some press to smaller and lesser known bands. These bands put in a lot of time and work into their projects and need to get some press of any kind for their efforts.

Audio Ammunition can't be everywhere. We can't interview all the bands, reviews shows, take pictures, etc. So we're open to accepting interview submissions from others who want to contribute. Please email all inquiries to audioammunitionmag@gmail.com.

No one is getting paid here so if you're expecting compensation you're at the wrong place.

If you're band is interested in being interviewed or written about, please send an e-mail to audioammunitionmag@gmail.com. Bands please provide a link to MP3's and have a photo so we can post this information on the blog. How will future fans know what you look like and sound like without these links?

Thanks,

Audio Ammunition