It Came From The Basement

RIYL: Surf Curse, The Replacements, SnowingI had the opportunity to talk with my friends in North Jersey power-pop outfit Goalie Fight about their new record, On Ice! We discussed the writing, inspiration, and role that Craigslist had to play in its inception. Come into the penalty box and have a listen!

RIYL: Twin Tribes, Creux Lies, The CureI recently had the pleasure of hanging out with Boston synth-pop outfit House of Harm before their Synthecide appearance at St. Vitus. A band that beautifully toes the line between brooding and shimmering, their songs range from longing motivational pop sugar to brooding cynical goth ragers. We spoke about their experience in the Massachusetts DIY scene, songwriting influences, and more.

RIYL: Creux Lies, Deafheaven, BauhausOn January 6, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Chicago post-wave outfit Bleached Cross before their midnight show at Brooklyn metal mecca St. Vitus. Made up of members of Frail Body, Crowning, and Pains, Bleached Cross takes all the bats and ghouls of goth infused post-punk, and pairs it with explosive and cathartic screamo choruses. In our interview, we talked about their unique sound, arrival in their current incarnation, and even Silent Hill 2.&n...

RIYL: Deafheaven, Alcest, OathbreakerStaten Island post-metal outfit Strega Nona writes sprawling, politically charged, vibe-seeking metal ballads. I had the pleasure of meeting with 3/4 members of the band; unfortunately, drummer Nick Gutilla could not make it. The band is part of a contemporary movement of pairing what used to be one of the most abrasive sounds, black metal, with post-rock influences, crafting songs that are as cathartic as they are dramatic. We discussed influences, their ...

This is the third and final installment of my interview with Max Rauch, Mauch. So far we have discussed his career as a musician, producer/engineer, and now we cover the most conceptual project of his at the moment Pizza Bagel Records. He and frequent collaborator John Cozz, came together to create what they both described as a content farm, the duo release their records via the imprint, as well as crowdsourced music for complications, geared towards raising money for different social c...

This is part two of my interview with Max Rauch, Mauch. Last episode we covered his musical career, starting as admiring younger sibling, to national touring musician, and back to wholesome artistic philosopher. In this episode we will talk about his start in audio production. Mauch has recorded many artists I’ve covered in this column, John Cozz, Wizard Brain, his own band LKFFCT, and he brings something different to each of his projects, acting as songwriting collaborator and not...

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing a very prolific member of the NJ DIY community. Max Rauch, also known as Mauch, has been heavily involved in the scene for the last 20 something years. First as a musician, then an engineer, and now as one half of the artist imprint Pizza Bagel Records, Mauch has done it all. Our interview went on for a whopping two and a half hours so this will be broken down into 3 sections, his career as a musician, his start to music production, and the for...

RIYL: The Jesus Lizard, Korn, ShellacOklahoma sludge outfit Chat Pile made their east coast debut at the Brooklyn metal mecca, St. Vitus. I had the pleasure of talking with them a bit before their show. Outside the venue, the line stretched down the street as several people had gotten to the venue early in the hopes of securing one of the eight remaining Grimace Smoking Weed figurines the band was selling. After we went inside, we met up with the band at the bar, and they led us downsta...

RIYL: Pyrrhon, The Body, MizmorNew York post-metal duo Scarcity played their first show as a band at St. Virus a few weeks back, opening for label mates Chat Pile. I had the pleasure of Speaking with their vocalist Doug before the performance. We talked about influences, loss, and even a bit about the rising Jewish presence in post-metal, a topic I love.Scarcity’s debut record, Aveilut, is a crushing confrontation with our universal mortal abyss. Equal parts tremendous and unfathomable, the r...

I first discovered the Milano-based screamo band Øjne maybe six years ago. I was still in college, and the heat of my screamo awakening. I was looking for something that fused the chaos of Pageninetynine with the melodic tendencies of Touché Amoré. Øjne’s Prima Che Tutto Bruci fell into my algorithm, and I had found exactly what I was looking for. Fast forward to last year and a meme I spent maybe 3 minutes on. I used one of their songs, “Ogni Inverno,” in a video of me cooking pasta wit...