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Interviews

An Interview with Rival Schools’ Walter Schreifels: On Quicksand & The Origins of Post-Hardcore

Ever wonder what band headlined the first Warped Tour in ’95? The answer: Quicksand, fronted by Walter Schreifels. “At the time I thought it was a budget Lollapalooza,” he recalls. As he sips on a cup of coffee at Bonnerhaus, the Ryan’s Rock Show headquarters, he further reminisces on the festival’s early days.

“The guy from Sublime threw a bottle at this Italian kid who was a roadie for one of my friends, just a random act of violence. He threw a [glass] bottle at him for no fucking reason! They got kicked off the tour, but then were invited back because on the West Coast they were needed. Then those dudes got arrested.”

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Interviews

Dredg Interview: Chuckles & Mr. Squeezy, Dan The Automator

It’s been a couple years since my last interview with Dredg, and within that time, I’ve become infatuated with Dan The Automator projects Handsome Boy Modeling School and Lovage. As I get reacquainted with Dredg vocalist Gavin Hayes and guitarist Mark Engles over dinner on Sunset Blvd, Hayes chimes in on the renowned producer.

“Dr. Octagon, Handsome Boy, Lovage — he’s done a lot of great work. Growing up in the Bay Area, most people dig at least one of his things.”

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Interviews

Asking Alexandria Interview: Reckless, Relentless, & Soberless in Seattle

Over a late afternoon lunch on Hollywood’s Sunset Strip, Asking Alexandria guitarist Ben Bruce expresses his admiration for actor Charlie Sheen. “I just want to meet him. I just want to party with him. I wish he’d call me and say ‘hey, come to my house tonight, and let’s go crazy.'”

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Interviews

Interview with Former Glassjaw Guitarist Todd Weinstock: Social Security, Afrobots, & GJ

I was listening to Glassjaw’s Worship and Tribute album a few weeks back, and thought to myself: what’s former guitarist Todd Weinstock been up to lately?

Weinstock — who had been a member of Glassjaw from 1996 to 2004, and appeared on all releases from the band’s Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (1997) debut EP through second full-length Worship and Tribute (2002) — has stayed pretty busy since he and the group parted ways in ’04. Following his near-decade stint with Glassjaw, Weinstock handled guitar duties for electropop band Men, Women & Children, lent his talents to a project dubbed Cubic Zirconia, and stayed active DJing in New York City. Today, one of his more recent endeavors: producing bands.

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Interviews

Periphery Interview: Music Philosophy, The Next Album, & Haunted Shores

It’s Friday night in West Hollywood, and Periphery guitarist Alex Bois just picked up an unexpected souvenir. “We got a $100 ticket [for parking on Sunset Blvd],” he exclaims. “But it’s ok, it’s Friday night and we’re here in Hollywood.”

Perhaps optimism like this is the key ingredient in fueling Periphery’s momentum. With only one release under its belt, the group has become an international touring force, headlining shows in unfamiliar territories, and supporting heavyweights like The Dillinger Escape Plan and DevilDriver. Now with the band’s second album in its writing stages, the D.C. area based sextet has one primary objective: for this record to destroy the last.