Choke Artist

pulses. & With Sails Ahead are two “progressive”-post hardcore bands from VA and NJ respectively. I got a chance to sit down with them right before a weekender tour together.In this episode we talk about dumbass swancore redditors, phony networking, how COVID forced us all to unplug for a bit, scene clout pyramid schemes and more.Bandcamp: pulses. / With Sails Ahead Spotify: pulses. / With Sails AheadChoke Artist Shop: here

Rally Point is an indie/math rock band from Philly. This podcast was recorded right after an impromptu show in my backyard. The band's original show had been cancelled due to a possible Covid exposure. We talk about their experiences in DIY, share some hell gig stories, talk about booking tours and more.Check out their last EP “Transitional at Best” on bandcamp

My pal Mddy comes through to talk Ogbert, DIY, 5th wave emo, sending emails, publicists, and much more. Check out the last Ogbert LP "I Don't Hate You" hereAlso our bands our playing a show together at the Knitting Factory in BK, come through xo

Marcos Mena is the guitarist of LA based “fruit-rock” band Standards. After a couple of years of extensive touring and loads of online content, the band has etched a name for themselves as a super fun and colorful instrumental band.If you know Marcos you know that he's a super driven person. It was great to pick his brain about the music industry and what he's done so far with his projects. Also was great to see how far he's come as a person and musician in the past few years.”yum !!” is out on 9/24. I've heard it and it rules so definitely check it out

Vanessa is a friend I've made through touring to Chicago in bands. She is the guitarist of the band Crowning, freelances illustration/photography, and runs a DIY space in Chicago called "Empty Bliss". In this episode we talk about getting older in DIY, the pitfalls of freelancing, the recording process for our bands and a lot more. Listen to CrowningPre-order new Choke Artist comp

Kurt Travis is a singer/songwriter, primarily known for his work in the bands Royal Coda, A Lot Like Birds, and Dance Gavin Dance.We talk a bit about what he’s been up to with his new company Big Wave, how the pandemic has affected his livelihood, and shoot the shit about some album’s he’s been a part of. We also get into the pros and cons of being such a highly respected/influential musician. DGD fandom gets a bit nerdy/culty and it was interesting to pick his brain about that.Kurt’s a genuinely nice guy who loves music and it was rad to hang and talk with him for a bitShop: chokeartist.limitedrun.comSpotify Playlist

We talk gear! We talk solos! We talk attitude!!Nah we did none of that. But we did get to talk about some ins-and-outs that comes with being in a band online in 2021. Adam is working on a collab project with Anthony Green which will be sick. Ky's band Catbamboo just did a collab track with Kurt Travis called "Crave". Both Sawce and Catbamboo have new albums coming out, and they're all super talented musicians so support themsawce.bandcamp.comcatbamboo.bandcamp.comchokeartist.limitedrun.com

Got to sit down with two friends that I’ve made through the NJ DIY scene. Hope you’re okay with some goofing around and shit talking. Teddy and Ky are two people who aren’t afraid to speak their minds, which is something I think is highly valuable in a world where people play nice to get ahead. We complain a bit about the scene and poke fun quite a bit. Don’t get mad.Check out Teddy’s podcast Chumbology: A Chumbawamba Anthologyand Check out Ky’s band steve.buy a damn hat

2020 was a WILD year. I was lucky enough to release some great albums. On this episode, we go through one track from each LP released last year on Choke Artist.Before each track plays there’s a ~5 minute discussion with members of each project. We talk about the track and it’s meaning, along with any anecdotes/fun facts. Was really cool to get some new insight on songs that I love and talk with everyone.1. Floral - Saturday Night 2. Ultra Deluxe - The Cypress Stomp3. Champagne Colored Cars - Cache Memory4. Adventurer - House 5. kissies - Camp Shame 6. Grey Matter - Dang! (Love Yourself)7. Snooze - Chesapeake 8. The Most - First FrostAt the end I get into some things to expect for 2021. Thanks everyone who supports this label. I really appreciate it

Deanna has some music industry experience that was really insightful and helpful for me to hear. In addition to managing indie label Egg Hunt Records, she works as a tour publicist and was also integral in running a record shop/venue here in NJ. She also sings freelance and for the band Powerlines.She came on to talk about shitty music licensing deals and how artists tend to get shafted by them, as well as her experiences working for her label and why she loves it so much. Tons of good stuff in this one, hope you dig it.Also available on youtube: link

First ever mixtape podcast episode! It’s half an hour, throw it on on your way to work and check out some new bands. All of these tracks were released this year or last year and there’s some bangers if you’re into mathy/indie/emo stuff. Hell yea.Track List: 1. Typopro - The Thick2. Champagne Colored Cars - Glacier3. Little Geronimo - Glow* (premiere!)4. Space Corolla - Cordales5. Alright Goodnight - Crushing Lack of Enthusiasm6. Rally Point - Thank You (You’re Welcome)7. Inoculous - Blank8. Odmiana - Orange Yellow Brown

With their new EP “still” out this Friday 11/27, it felt only right to have Snooze on this week. Logan Voss and session drummer/producer Anup Sastry come by to chat about the remote recording process and collaborating together for this new release. In this episode we listen to and comment on the first two tracks from the EP. We also talk about social media, the concept behind Snooze’s last album Familiaris, DIY vs the Music Industry side of things, and much more. Anup is a mounstrous drummer who has toured in some serious metal bands so it was cool to pick his brain.If you haven’t heard the album yet, check out the singles here.Pre-order vinyl off our webstore.

OH BOY you’re in for a treat this week. One of my favorite New Brunswick bands, Bathing in Chunks comes to hang on the pod. This podcast got off the rails a bit and mostly stayed there. If you know the band and have seen them perform live, you will understand why. We also premiered Episode 2 of my hit series Man Vs Shirt.You can watch the episode on Youtube hereCheck out BIC on bandcampBuy a god damn Choke Artist beanie.

My pals in The Most come through to discuss their new album “Of What We Have”, out tomorrow 10/9/20. We get into a bit about their history, their influences, and their approach when creating their new album.This features a listen through of a new song "Mile Run” around the 45 minute mark. You can watch it on youtube hereGo check “Of What We Have” on bandcamp!Or go pre-order a record!

This podcast runs deep. Teddy and Shaun both played in Basement Beers and now play in th0tcrimes. We bust open some conspiracy theories, talk about the DNC primaries, tell some stories about doing drugs, and more.

Radcliffe is a artist/thinker/shit-stirrer who can frequently be seen around New Brunswick NJ. They perform a bit in the area under the names “Bentwaeve” and “NGGA”. We talk about the difference between these two projects, and what they aim to accomplish. In addition we talk a bit about some tribulations they’ve faced in a predominantly white-based college music scene, the art of trolling, inclusiveness, and more. Also we declared war on indie rock.

Last week I got to sit down and talk with one of my favorite musical groups, Weatherbox. The band was started in 2004 by singer/songwriter Brian Warren in San Diego, CA. They recently reunited after going on hiatus in 2016. Their current lineup consists of some new and familiar faces.This podcast was recorded at Brooklyn Bazaar, a day after the band played a sold out show upstairs with Person L, Fire is Motion, and the Sal Show. I’ve seen them a couple times in my life and this was for sure the best set I’ve seen.I’ve been a pretty geeked-out fan for about 10 years (still remember buying “American Art” on interpunk) so I tried to ask as many questions as I could about the band’s history and ethos.Their last album “Flies in All Directions” was released on Triple Crown Records in 2014. They’re currently working on some new music and recently dropped some live session videos produced by Shane and Jake’s session project, Half Way Home Sessions.

Standards are a 2 piece math rock duo from Los Angeles, CA. They currently embarked on a 3 week tour across the US. Invalids opened up for them in DC and Philly & I got a chance to catch them live and hang out with them, super hard working people.We talk about the band’s work ethic, our take on record labels vs doing it yourself, the pros & cons of the internet, Marcos’ guitar endorsement, the “math rock scene”, and a bunch more.In addition addition Kynwyn also plays drums for the band Crying and runs a music site/fb group called Odd Times & AtmospheresBe on the lookout for some standards vinyl coming soon via Choke Artist ;)

Got to sit and talk with Ultra Deluxe, an experimental & aggressive band from NY.The group incorporates elements of chiptune/screamo/and sci-fi to make something neat. Their last album Contact is described as a “gay dystopian space opera”; we talk about the whole concept behind that throughout the episode.We also talk about conspiracy theories, problems with the education system, some of the terrible things our history textbooks omit, and a bunch more.

Zach, Kyle, and Nicky are 3/4 of New Brunswick based fun punk/emo band steve.We talk about the tenants of DIY: Inclusivity in the scene, shows running too late, show houses, chalkboards, the art of truly not giving a fuck and having fun, MTV + more.Their new album “The Fondue’s and Fondont’s” will be out in a couple of months.

Derrick Braxton & Jelani are both New Brunswick-area natives who are remarkably community driven. You can often catch either of them spinning records at a NB basement show near you.It doesn’t stop there; in his tenure as a producer, Derrick has produced beats for notable artists like Lupe Fiasco and Raekwon. In addition, he helps run the Hub City Music festival that takes place this April, and the “Rock New Brunswick” festival that takes place in Boyd ParkWe talk about the creative process, the “music industry”, race relations, the New brunswick Scene, the “old New Brunswick”, and more.

NJ heavy-band Illusionist stops by to hang 10. We talk about their origins/style, their new album, the scene, and much more. Their latest album “Don’t Mind This” was released on 10/31/18 and can be heard here.

I sat down with verified mall-punk Kait Bemis to chat about Canadian melodic-skate punk band “Reset”. They were pretty good, until two of their members left to join a manufactured pop-punk band called “Simple Plan”. In this episode we uncover the truth about Simple Plan and the deceit in their pop-punk angst filled charade. Tune in to find out the truth + more tidbits and rants.

Got a chance to sit down and hang out with Jake and Dave from DOWNTRODDER (sludgy/grimy politically charged punk from Philly/NJ). Cheech sat in on the pod too.We spent the first 20 min talking about “Camp Anarchy”, a punk rock festival being run by Fat Mike. We mostly talked about why it’s stupid to pay $120+ to sleep in a tent just to see The Offspring, and why VIP packages are stupid. Jake used to play in The Best of the Worst with Cheech and I, so we talk about ska throughout the pod as well. Besides that we rip on things that are “wack”, and I reveal the true meaning of the song “Cotton Eye Joe”

Elio and Liz are two friends of mine that I made through playing music, and we’re all teachers now. We talk about what DIY taught us and how we apply it in the classroom, as well as balancing being a public school teacher and playing in bands.It was a nice, heartwarming talk. Tons of feel good moments

Jeff Hersch is a musician/community advocate from Flemington NJ. In 2014 he helped found Flemington DIY, an all ages community space located at 90 Main Street. Flemington DIY has been a host for show, art galleries, jazz nights, tap dancing lessons, screen printing workshops, film screenings and much more. We talk in length about the events leading up to the space existing and how it has transformed into a thriving non-profit community hub.If you’d like to get involved or donated to the cause, visit flemingtondiy.org

Ernie Trent is a vocalist from NJ who fronted a few melodic hardcore/metalcore type bands throughout the years. We played together in a band called Marloneisha from 2004 - 2007. Throughout his tenure as a vocalist he also fronted bands called The Dead Season and Gray Lines of Perfection.We talk about the scene we grew up in and how it impacted us as people. Gray Lines was a prominent touring christian hardcore band, and we discuss what that meant to him and to its members. We also speak about the criticism the band faced and the assumptions made about them.Also covered: Hellfest 2003, which Trent performed at with The Dead Season and I fucking missed because I had lyme’s disease that summer. Damn.

Got to do a podcast Max Rauch from LKFFCT! Max and I got to a hang a bunch recording a new album for a band I play in called Thirsty Guys. He was super nice and easy to work with. If you need reasonably priced recording in NJ hit him up.We talk about a bunch of music stuff, the demystification of the aughts with the internet age, how we first discovered DIY, and much more. We also reveal how to pronounce his last name in this very exclusive episode. Max recently started engineering albums for bands so we talk about what he’s aiming to do and what his process is like. The beat in the beginning was made by Max under his alias “Hamburger Boy” and the song at the end is one of tracks by his solo project “Mauch”

Natalie from Well Wisher comes by to talk about their new album “This is Fine” out in a few days on 6131 Records!!We talk about the band’s formation from the ashes of Dollys, getting older and balancing music with other aspects of life, the Asbury Park scene, the writing/recording process of the “This is Fine” and more. Check out Well Wisher’s music on bandcamp.

Rob is a good friend of mine and we had a great time catching up and hanging out. He plays bass for a dance-rock band called Echo Black. They are embarking on a two month US tour in a few weeks. Check out their videos on youtube here. Rob ran a lot of house shows in New Brunswick and Clifton from 2010 - 2015. We talk a bit about all the ragers from back in the day as well as the old thrash/metal band he used to play in called Stressed Out.

The boys from In Angles do a sleepytime podcast, wrapping up their their summer tour. We also talk about our new EP "Shortfalls" coming out next week on Choke Artist. Honestly we were tired as shit when we recorded this and I don't remember what else we talked about but check it out.Check out our new music video for a song off the EP here

Got a chance to sit down with my good friends Nate and Ty from FLORAL for this week’s podcast. This was towards the end of a 4-day run In Angles did with them on our West Coast tour.We talk about the band’s formation and influences growing up in the Bay Area. We also talk about along with their writing/recording process, their UK tour where they played ArcTanGent and their takes on “studio magic”. Is it a let down when bands use tricks in the studio to sound like better musicians, or can it still be genuine?Check out Floral online (they're great), or buy their 12" at chokeartist.storenvy.com

Sick Shit stops by after a show at The Grand Exchange in New Brunswick.We talk about the band’s new Cassette Persevere, their recording process, Jack Dickerson, mosh etiquette, and share some tour stories. The band also offers some interesting perspective about the term “female fronted” being used as a type of genre.Hear their new cassette on bandcamp

Episode Johnny Bentonamo aka “The Queer Demon” is a musician who currently resides in NJ. If you have yet to see him play live, you are highly missing out on an entertaining and unique live performance.In this episode we talk about Johnny’s history as a musician and what he tries to channel through his music and live shows. We also talk for a while about our shared condition of Crohn’s disease. Shitting pants stories are shared, as well as hospital visits, meds, day-to-day life and much more.Check out Johnny’s music on bandcamp.

The band “Children’s Books” from Philadelphia stop by to talk about the creation of the music video for their new single Take Me under which will be released next week.For some reason, during this podcast my computer glitches and the software just closed without saving, so this is our second attempt at a podcast. I spend the first couple of minutes of this one being pissed off about that.We talk about their new music video and the themes that they helped build around the release online, their meticulous demo-ing process, underoath reuniting, getting old, how the band views promotion online, and much more.

Fero Lux is a 4 piece post-hardcore band from Broward County, FL. I got a chance to talk to them about on their recent tour with NY based band Dead Empires. In 2016, we helped press their debut full length “Some Divine Ashtray” to vinyl. -We talk about the weird-transience of FL, the Parkland FL shooting and the effect it had on the band, their last full US tour, linking up with The Number Twelve Looks Like You, future album plans, finding the few and far between reaffirming moments in life, taking care of our bodies on the road, Dave’s experience driving for Dillinger Escape Plan on tour w/Soundgarden and NIN, and more.

This week Mem Pahl (Teenage Halloween, Jeffrey Lewis, Cat Tatt), Skylar Sarkis (Taking Meds), and Ben Kotin (Taking Meds/Such Gold) come by to chat after a show in New Brunswick.  We talk about our past experiences playing/starring in musicals, the start of Taking Meds spawning from Such Gold, the general lack of bass players, rock music losing it’s edge, “the weezer challenge/clown hour”, our first mixtapes/burned CDs, the death of limewire, the ethics of downloading music, glorified rock stars with abusive tendencies, what it means to be punk in 2018, inspiration for lyrics, and more.

Max, Pete, and Rob from THE PLANET YOU stop by to talk about their band and their new self titled record coming out this Friday. Besides talking about their new album, we talk about the band’s formation at MSU as music majors, Johnny B (the most important musical act in NJ), the importance of breaking down the 4th wall in performances, tracking an album live vs recording instruments separately, the benefits of releasing an album DIY, our issues with “math-rock”, the process of creating accessible music that still challenges listeners, and more.We also premiere a new TPY track called “Posilutely” at the end of the pod: (1:05:55).

Champagne Colored Cars are a DIY punky/math rock band based out of Atlanta, Georgia. They stopped in New Brunswick for a show at Chateau d’If..we did a podcast

This week I reunited with my boys in Curious Volume to talk about their reunion show on Staten Island this Firday, March 16th. CV was a punk/ska band who reigned supreme on Staten Island from 2005-2012. Jay and Cheech joined me as well. We talk about the band's history & the challenges they faced in retrospect, Staten Island's music scene, Dock St. - and all-ages venue they grew up in, the band's formation in 1999, their very first gig at an elementary school, how Green and Blink 182 influenced us all to start bands, Cheech's missing identity, getting old in your hometown, and more.

The guys from Decoration come through to hang on the couch and chat for an hour!We talk about First Fest (an inclusive workshop/concert that took place in the central NJ in 2016), the Hunterdon County scene, State Champion Records - a DIY label based out of NJ, the inception of Flemington DIY - a 100% non-profit and volunteer run community space on Main Street in Flemington, the Blue Lives Matter discussion that happened there, the art of the “dance splat”, jamming in a room vs bringing prepared riffs to practice, the current state of Bam Margera, some of the bands’ influences, sandwich craft mastery, public access television aspirations, and more.

NB local Nishad Datta from DUSTERS comes in to talk shop about the New Brunswick scene and its many pockets, race relations, the “white people police”, his Benghali and Tibetan heritage, gentrification, skinhead culture, getting rowdy at NY Redbull games, the current state of nerdery, recording the new DUSTERS LP at Trax East, and much more. We also premiered a new DUSTERS tune! Check out “Working Class Transplant” at 01:15:00.Be lookout for a new tape from DUSTERS coming soon through Crowd Control Media and their LP “East Coast Realism” coming out this Summer.

This week James and Josh from American Lions come in to discuss the bands’ process creating their new album “Serf Rock”; from writing the album in an isolated in house in Massachusetts all the way through recording for a month straight at Panda Studios in California. The album is a very fun listen and I’d recommend checking it out!We also talk about the bands history with New Brunswick basement shows, our favorite hell gigs, normies, the headaches of booking a tour, and more.Check out Serf Rock on Bandcamp or on Spotify.

Eoin and Alex from The Mayflower Collective come by to talk about the changes the big changes they've made to their company.In the five years Mayflower Collective has existed, they’ve run shows, released music, done press, video sessions, and more. Recently they’ve shifted over to focusing more on press and management.We talk about the collective's history, the exploitative nature of the music industry that can water down a scene, the ambiguity of “collectives”, the best type of bands to work with, Eoin’s experience as a program director for a college radio station, my experience talking to someone who worked for a big booking agency (it was bad), pay-to play shows, maintaining DIY ethics over everything, and more.Follow Mayflower on IG, Twitter, FB

Pedro is a guy who has been involved with the scene in this area for a while. He's an avid music fan/concert goer, occasionally performs spoken word poetry, and has published zines about the code of DIY. We talk about Pedro’s history growing up in the central NJ music scene, the sacredness of “zines”, the origin of New Brunswick basement shows in the 80s, Pedro’s newfound interest in incense, the ethics of mosh pits and pitting naked, the hostile tendencies of discussing things on the internet and more stuff.

Caroline Romanelli is a NJ based show promoter who hosts weekly shows and open mics at the Scarlet Pub in New Brunswick. Recently she has started her own promo company “Embrace DIY Productions”, which aims to branch out to different venues in the New Brunswick area. We talk about Caroline’s history in getting involved in music, the dicey-ness of working in the “music biz”, the death of the Jewel CD Case, the evolution of the music industry, what it takes to build a residency at an establishment as a promoter, medical marijuana, watching friends grow out of the music scene, and more.Be sure to follow Embrace DIY on twitter, IG, and Facebook: @embraceDIYnj

Matt Koerner from the NJ band Feeny came by and helped me in a pinch for a new ep!We talk about the history of various record labels we grew up on, the venues we grew up in and their demise, the importance of a local-all ages music venue and how it helps foster a music scene, and a bunch of other stuff, including his band Feeny and the direction of music they’ve taken in the past year. Check Feeny out on bandcamp

Had two dear friends sit down for a chat for this pod, was a lovely time

Jordy Lyric is an all-around artist who has been involved in the DIY scene since she was young. She writes and records solo music which you can here on here bandcamp jordynlryic.bandcamp.com. In this Episode we talk about growing up in the metalcore scene, her experiences booking and running shows in Philadelphia, finding fulfillment in DIY, people fizzling out, her experiences managing bands, and the secret awesomeness of the south Jersey scene. We also talk about how easy it is to become jaded and lose sight of ideas that help foster a supportive scene.

Erica Butts is a singer/songwriter who currently resides in Hoboken. She fronts Rest Ashore, a pop-math rock group who just released their new album Pornoviolence. Check it out at www.restashoremusic.comIn this episode we talk about the formation of Rest Ashore, the tricky delays that bands often run into when they record, some of Erica’s influences musically and lyrically, her song-writing process, writing “math-rock” music, the music scene in Hoboken/Jersey City, what it takes to build up a music venue, and the struggles of playing in a band where everyone is hours apart from each other.

Old City Revival is an ambient indie/alternative band from South Jersey. They’ve been around since 2014 but have been involved in bands with each other since before then. Their latest EP “In Waves” was released in June of 2017 and can be heard on their bandcamp (www.oldcityrevival.bandcamp.com) In this episode we talk about the band’s song writing process, the difference between a house show and a house party (and how they can both be good), some of our pet peeves when dealing with venues, phony people, net neutrality and what it can mean for artists/creators, and common misconceptions about playing in a band.