With The Quickness #2: Descendents/ALL Artist Chris Shary Curates Playlist Full of 20 Punk Favorites (Exclusive Spotify Playlist)

"SUNNY & SHARY Beach Umbrella Rental" (Artist Unknown)

Chris Shary is a Descendents/ALL-affiliated artist, drama teacher, father, husband, dork, and self-described "Grade "A" [Certified] smarta$$." Shary has been scribblin' pictures of mostly Punk bands ever since 1988 and had a short-lived music career himself; making records with his own bands, Evel Knievel Rice, Pilot Car, and Sizewell, as well as performing back-up vocals on 7Seconds' Leave A Light On and Down By Law's Blue. While most well-known for his work with Descendents/ALL, Chris Shary has created album artwork, T-shirts, concert flyers, etc. for blink-182, The Dead Milkmen, The Dickies, FIELD DAY (ex-Dag Nasty,) The Germs, Good Riddance, The Queers, Redd Kross, Rise Against, and Teenage Bottlerockets. Chris Shary designed the artwork for Descendents' Cool to Be You, Hypercaffium Spazzinate, SpazzHazard 12-inch EP, and and "Feel This" 7-inch flexi-disc.


Shary, also, created the cover artwork for ALL's albums Mass Nerder, ALL, Problematic, and Live Plus One with Descendents. Chris Shary says he's, likely, designed hundreds of T-shirts for countless Punk bands since '88. It appears as though Shary was very recently drawn into an episode of FOX's beloved animated sitcom, Bob's Burgers. With The Quickness #2 features 20 tracks hand-selected by Chris Shary himself showcasing everyone from Black Flag to Swingin' Utters and even a "deep cut" from Desmond Dekker & The Aces from 1968! An assortment of Shary's hand-made goods and products are available to purchase directly from his Big Cartel store with an additional assortment of limited edition T-shirts available from Bifocal Media. I would strongly suggest Following Chris Shary (@chrisshary) on Instagram, if you don't already, as his Punk-themed posts are well worth your while!


CHRIS SHARY'S "WITH THE QUICKNESS" PLAYLIST (TRACKLIST)

01. Black Flag - "Rise Above" from Damaged (1981)

02. Snuff - "Hey, Boff!" from There's A Lot of It About (2019)

03. Swingin' Utters - "Undertaker, Undertake" from Peace & Love (2018)

04. The Damned - "Love Song" from Machine Gun Etiquette (1979)

05. Redd Kross - "Jone Hoople" from Beyond The Door (2019)

06. Groovie Ghoulies - "Chupacabra" from Go! Stories (2002)

07. Madness - "Bullingdon Boys" Non-Album Single (2019)

08. Desmond Dekker & The Aces - "Israelites" from Intensified (1968)

09. L7 - "Dispatch from Mar-a-Lago" Non-Album Single (2017)

10. Gameface - "I Owe You One" Non-Album Single (2019)

11. The Lillingstons - "Night Visions" from Stella Sapiente (2017)

12. The Slits - "Typical Girls" from Cut (1979)

13. Meat Puppets - "Nine Pins" from Dusty Notes (2019)

14. SHARP/SHOCK - "Superficial" from Youth Club (2018)

15. Jawbreaker - "The Boat Dreams from The Hill" from 24 Hour Revenge Therapy (1994)

16. Fireburn - "Controller" from Shine EP (2018)

17. PEARS - "Green Star" from Green Star (2016)

18. Direct Hit! - "Blood On Your Tongue" from Human Movement with PEARS (2017)

19. 7Seconds - "Satyagraha" from Soulforce Revolution (1989)

20. Masked Intruder - "Please, Come Back to Me" from III (2019)

Richmond, Virginia Hardcore Punks Ghouli Return with Debut EP NOTHING with Bob Quirk (Doctor & Mechanic Recordings)

Ghouli are a macabre-inspired Richmond, Virginia-based Hardcore Punk band, who just released their debut EP, NOTHING, earlier this morning. We, actually, first learned about Ghouli last week, when Stereogum Senior Editor, Tom Breihan, posted the first installment of his new Let The Roundup Begin: The Month In Hardcore - January 2020 column. Ghouli hail from an area that boasts a decades-long pedigree of great Punk/Hardcore bands, which includes newcomers One Step Closer, CANDY, Break Away, NOSEBLEED, Division of Mind, Red Vision, and Left Cross. Ghouli were formed in early 2018 and their current line-up consists of frontwoman Sam Poe, guitarist Mikey Kent, bassist Ethan Mackenzie, and drummer Eric Kelly, including former members of Hold Tight, Radio Reds, and Teen Death. Mikey Kent recently told The Witzard, via email, that Ghouli are "heavily influenced by 80's Hardcore bands, like T.S.O.L. & Poison Idea, old school Death Rock, like Christian Death, and 2000's bands, like Government Warning, Direct Control & F*CKED UP."


NOTHING is Ghouli's proper follow-up to their self-released 2018 Demo. It was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Bob Quirk—who has previously worked with Iron Reagan, Fried Egg, left Cross, and Haircut—during Summer 2019 at Ground Up Studio. According to Discogs, Quirk, also, recorded, mixed, and mastered Ghouli's 2018 self-titled Demo EP. Much like its predecessor, NOTHING was self-released digitally on Ghouli's Bandcamp page with clear red-hinted cassettes available from Orlando, Florida-based imprint, Doctor & Mechanic Recordings AKA DAM Recordings. With six frantic tracks clocking in at just under 13 minutes, NOTHING is a guttural "punch" to the head, reminiscent of Black Flag's 1981 full-length debut, Damaged cover image. Ghouli's upcoming gigs include 1/22: Richmond, Virginia (RVA) with Lipid & Iron Cages at VSC and 2/7: Norfolk, Virginia with Bato at Studio 239B. Ghouli's NOTHING EP is now available on digital streaming platforms, as well as the aforementioned cassette tapes, via Doctor & Mechanic Recordings.

"More Than Toast" Re-mastered Single/Flexi-disc from Mtx forever: A HISTORY OF THE CONCEPT OF THE MR. T EXPERIENCE (Sounds Rad!)

The Mr. T Experience (oftentimes, abbreviated as "MTX") are a long-standing Punk Rock/Pop-Punk establishment hailing from Berkeley, California. MTX have been active ever since 1985 and are a product of the same local "scene" as The Donnas/Electrocutes, Green Day, Jawbreaker, NOFX, Operation Ivy, Rancid, and Tilt. They, also, share stylistic similarities with other bands not native to The Bay Area, who are, often, closely associated with this movement, such as The Queers, Screeching Weasel, and The Groovie Ghoulies. MTX's unique sound is, additionally, characterized by a heavy Ramones-ian influence and they even went as far as to cover 1978's Road to Ruin in full, as part of Selfless/Clearview Records' Ramones Covers Album Series. MTX were mainstays at iconic Punk/Hardcore club, 924 Gilman Street/Gilman during the 1990-2000's and were signed to Lookout! Records 'til about 2004. The Mr. T Experience's current line-up consists of "Dr." Frank Portman, Ted Angel, Bobby "J" Jordan, and Jaz Brown. Trusty fans of The Witzard may know MTX from their appearance on 1996 comp. Generations I: A Punk Look At Human Rights, which was covered, here, as part of the eighth and final(?) installment of John Swan III's beloved Various Artists: How Compilations Influenced A Generation column.

MUSIC VIDEO CREATED BY: Madeline Brownley "on her dad's phone"

While it's not exactly "new" material, The Mr. T Experience have returned at the top of 2020 with quite a few exciting announcements in tow for both long-time and newfound fans: a special 5x7" Valentine's Day flexi-disc version of "More Than Toast," a career-spanning 24-song 2xLP entitled Mtx forever: A HISTORY OF THE CONCEPT OF THE MR. T EXPERIENCE, and a couple new seasonally-appropriate T-shirt designs. Said 5x7" "audible valentine" features a newly re-mastered version of "More Than Toast" from 1994's Our Bodies Our Selves. It will, also, be featured on Mtx forever, along with an assortment of 23 additional greatest hits, fan favorites, and deep cuts from across The Mr. T Experience's 30-year catalog. MTX's "More Than Toast" flexi-disc/valentine is currently available for pre-order directly from Sounds Rad! along with either a CANDY HEARTS T-SHIRT or "SONGS ABOUT GIRLS" T-SHIRT. As of 1/20/10, members of Sounds Rad!/MTX's Mailing List will have received a special "Dibs! List" email invite, letting them sign up for a special Dibs!-only pre-pre-order version of Mtx forever. It's further explained as a "limited [edition] first pressing LP on 180-gram lavender vinyl with a large-format poster shipped in a super-Rad custom shipping box" that's limited to just 300 packages. Dibs! List pre-orders will go live on Valentine's Day and are expected to start shipping by or before March 2, 2020. Mtx forever: A HISTORY OF THE CONCEPT OF THE MR. T EXPERIENCE will, then, see a wide release on Friday, March 13, 2020.

Mtx forever 2xLP Tracklist:

SIDE A

01. "Love American Style"
02. "More Than Toast"
03. "I Believe In You"
04. "Hell of Dumb"
05. "Naomi"
06. "Deep Deep Down"


SIDE B

07. "She's Coming (Over Tonight)"
08. "Dumb Little Band"
09. "The End of The Ramones"
10. "Oh, Just Have Some Faith In Me"
11. "Even H*tler Had A Girlfriend"


SIDE C

01. "Ba, Ba, Ba, Ba, Ba"
02. "Book of Reverberation"
03. "I Wrote A Book About Rock & Roll"
04. "The History of The Concept of The Soul"
05. "F**ked Up On Life"
06. "I Don't Need You Now"


SIDE D

07. "Swallow Everything"
08. "I Fell for You"
09. "Zero"
10. "...And I Will Be with You"
11. "Leave The Thinking to The Smart People"
12. "London"

Four Year Strong Return with "Talking Myself In Circles" & "Brain Pain" from Upcoming Album BRAIN PAIN (Pure Noise Records)

CREDIT: Lupe Bustos (Big Picture Media)

Worcester, Massachusetts-based Melodic Hardcore/Pop-Punk band Four Year Strong have finally returned with the announcement of their long-awaited fifth full-length album BRAIN PAIN, produced by Will Putney. Fans have been eagerly awaiting a proper follow-up to Four Year Strong's self-titled 2015 album, which was "followed-up" by a 2017 Odds & Ends-style compilation called Some of You Will Like This, Some of You Won't. Four Year Strong consists of vocalist/guitarists Dan O'Connor & Alan Day, bassist Joe Weiss, and drummer Jackson "Jake" Massucco. To be completely honest, I had never heard of Four Year Strong (FYS) 'til the other day, when my buddy at work casually mentioned "Four Year Strong had a new single out;" it soon clicked that I vaguely recognized the name "Four Year Strong" because I had received an email earlier that very same morning from a press agent at Big Picture Media. Come to find out, once I checked my email again, Four Year Strong had not only released ONE, but TWO new songs that fateful day!


Going into this completely blindly... I really didn't know what to expect, aside from the fact that FYS' label, Pure Noise Records, had recently released super-strong efforts from the likes of Bayside, Senses Fail, Microwave, Selfish Things, Save Face/Graduating Life, and Hawthorne Heights, yes, THAT Hawthorne Heights. Needless to say, I was extremely impressed by the overall sound, style, and feel of Four Year Strong's "Talking Myself In Circles" and "Brain Pain." Especially, lead-off single, "Talking Myself In Circles," which has, additionally, received an accompanying music video. It's a rather chilling, yet great video that, somehow, falls somewhere in-between Marilyn Mason's gut-wrenching early 2000's visuals and OK Go's unique brand of stop-motion/single-shot trickery. Also, major shout-out to drummer Jackson "Jake" Massucco for sporting a Gang Starr T-shirt throughout "Talking Myself In Circles." Four Year Strong's fifth studio album, BRAIN PAIN, will be released Friday, February 28, 2020 on Pure Noise Records. Four Year Strong's "Talking Myself In Circles" & "Brain Pain" are now available on your digital streaming platform of choice.

Spike Jonze-directed Beastie Boys Story "Live Documentary" Set to Premeire In IMAX Theatres & On Apple TV+ (Fresh Bread & Pulse Films)

CREDIT: Atiba Jefferson / Glen E. Friedman (Apple)

BEASTIE BOYS BOOK is a phenomenal 571-page historical document and mixed-media hardcover book written by surviving Beasties Michael "Mike D" Diamond & Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz released on SPIEGEL & GRAU in 2018. It was, of course, written following the untimely death of founding Beastie Boy Adam "MCA" Yauch on May 4, 2012, now known world-wide as MCA Day, but is without a doubt, a well-written tribute to his life and career. Last year, following widespread critical/fan-acclaim of BEASTIE BOYS BOOK, Mike Diamond & Adam Horovitz went on tour in support of their book somewhat confusingly billed as, "BEASTIE BOYS STORY: A 2 PERSON 1 MAN SHOW ABOUT 3 KIDS WHO STARTED A BAND TOGETHER." It wad directed by long-time collaborator and friend Spike Jonze and appeared to be, by most accounts, something to the effect of a live audio book version of BEASTIE BOYS BOOK. Now, it has been announced that a "live documentary," also, called Beastie Boys Story, again, directed by Jonze will see a limited release in IMAX theatres, as well "home video" on Apple TV+.


"The film is set to premiere on the heels of the 26th anniversary of the release of Beastie Boys' #1 charting 1994 album, Ill Communication, and reunites Beastie Boys with director Spike Jonze over 25 years after directing the music video for the album's immortal hit single, "Sabotage," explains a press release supplied by Nasty Little Man. Beastie Boys Story will open exclusively in select IMAX theatres for a limited engagement starting April 3, before premiering globally on Apple TV+ on April 24. According to a mysterious man named "Larry" (an allusion to "The Larry Routine?") this will all "make more sense once you see the trailer that the film-makers haven't finished editing yet..." Additionally, there's a new comprehensive photo book from the Beastie Boys & Spike Jonze, simply titled Beastie Boys, dropping on March 17, 2020, via Rizzoli New York. Long-time Beasties photographer and friend Glen E. Friedman recently put together a book of his own called Together Forever: The Run-D.M.C. & Beastie Boys Photographs, via Rizzoli New York, as well.

CREDIT: Tobin Yelland (2019)

"There are some friends you have lunch with so many times over the years, you know their order. Spike is one of those friends. And even when you don't recognize anything on the menu, he comes up with something good for the whole table. Like when we wondered what to do when our book comes out... then, Spike placed his order: you will put on a show for the children."

- Mike Diamond & Adam Horovitz


"I owe Beastie Boys a lot. One time, they pulled me out of a burning ship and another time, they helped me cheat on my college exam to get into Florida State. So, it was a real privilege to get to reunite with them and help them tell their story."

- Spike Jonze


"This is the eighth time I've re-written this thing, the film-makers kept telling me I was doing it wrong, but I'm really feeling this one. Here's what the film is: Mike Diamond & Adam Horovitz of Beastie Boys tell you an intimate, personal story of their band and their 40 years of friendship together. From the 1980's New York City Punk scene, to "[You Gotta] Fight for Your Right (to Party)" and becoming the first Hip-Hop artists to make a #1 record (Licensed to Ill,) through their evolution, which took them to "Sabotage," "Intergalactic," and beyond. Created with their old friend, their former grandfather, and collaborator, film-maker Spike Jonze, the film seamlessly mixes a live stage show and documentary to create a new format, a live documentary.

Does that make sense? It'll make more sense when you see the trailer that the film-makers haven't finished editing yet, despite constant badgering. But anyways, I'm not mad. In this film that was shot at Kings Theater in Brooklyn, Mike D & Ad-Rock discuss their evolution as musicians, artists, and people and a whole bunch of other crazy sh*t. Their co-conspirator, musician, activist, inventor, discredited astrophysics professor, and my favorite Beastie Boy, Adam Yauch, couldn't be there that night because he passed away in 2012. But even though he's not there, his spirit is very much felt onstage through Mike & Adam and the force of nature that was Yauch, their band, and their friendship."

- "Larry"

The Witzard Premiere: dubldragon. Share Joshua "Zeus" Thomas-directed "Marble" Music Video from Macroforms (Milled Pavement Records)

dubldragon. is a Bay Area, California-based Hip-Hop group consisting of emcee Chad "Skeptik" Porras and producer Dan "Danny G." Gensel. They have affiliations with The Lobetrotters Collective, Full Moon Freakz, and Deep Thinka Records and are currently signed to BRZOWSKI's imprint, Milled Pavement Records. dubldragon.'s latest album, Macroforms, was released in November 2019 on Milled Pavement. Macroforms has been described as "an examination of man's place (or lack thereof) in the universe. In a digital space, what meaning does physicality have? When man has depleted The Earth entirely, will we have anywhere to ruin next in its place? Where do the divisions lie between, wants, needs, and desires? As unanswerable as it may be, it sure is fun to think about, isn't it?" Skeptik & Danny G. have already released two music videos for "Case" and "The Aleph" from the album. Supposedly, there are, at least, TWO MORE music videos ready to go from Macroforms, as well.


Today, we proudly present The Witzard premiere of the third music video from dubldragon.'s Macroforms, "Marble." Directed and edited by Joshua "Zeus" Thomas, "Marble" is, as dubldragon. explains it, "a celebration of the artistic process." dubldragon. continues, "from dancers to musicians to painters to sculptors and beyond, we all face the trials and tribulations, the highs and the lows, and the successes and defeats that come along with being creative." "Marble" chronicles the unique creative processes, trials, and tribulations of San Francisco sculptor Amanda Maranca, San Jose emcee, producer, and painter Lyrics In Full Effect AKA L.I.F.E. Sacramoento's own singer, emcee, producer, and dancer Spacewalker, and dubldragon.'s in-house producer Danny G. "Marble," as well as the entirety of Macroforms, teeters the line between Hip-Hop, Electronic, and a wide array of genres and sub-genres. dubldragon.'s Macroforms is now available to download, purchase, or stream on Milled Pavement Records. Stay in touch with dubldragon. via their website, and Subscribe for regular non-invasive updates!

Henry Rollins Speaks On Upcoming Album FUNGUS II from Ty Segall & Brian Chippendale's New Band Wasted Shirt (Famous Class Records)

"Rarely, when formulating combinations of musicians you would like to hear play together, do you get to, actually, hear it. If Brian Chippendale & Ty Segall made a record, would you want to hear it? If the answer is "yes," read on. If the answer is "no," it's too bad you ended up canned, suspended in syrup with nothing but other peaches to keep you company.

Ty's 2019 album, First Taste, and the new Lighting Bolt album, Sonic Citadel, are easily some of the best material either entity has ever released; so, if these two happened to find themselves in the same recording studio, a fan just might entertain elevated expectation levels. In fact, some might, actually, show signs of enthusiasm, even excitement at the fact that from July 5-13th, 2018, in the air-conditioning free environs of Ty's home studio, the duo, eventually, calling themselves Wasted Shirt, wrecked the joint as thoroughly as you hoped they would."

"Prepare to Be Stoked Dept.: The album is exploding euphoria from start to finish. A morphing Day-Glo rainbow that will bring a smile to your face, like if you were on your way to Washington, DC for The Million Puppy March. Upon first spin, all boxes are checked and any previously held doubts are completely obliterated. The more you play it, the better it kabongs you upside your head. "Hectic" doesn't even begin to describe it. Brian & Ty, two mere particles in the grand scheme, collide at high speed, the technicians dive for cover, the reaction is recorded. Mutation is achieved. This is Freedom Rock. Turn up the volume. Hasten your emancipation. Sonic joy awaits.

It's a great time for music. As major labels continue their agonizingly slow march to total irrelevance, these masters of mediocrity, at least, provide great contrast. That is to say, the time has never been better for experimentation, spontaneity, and restraint-free creativity in music, lest we endure a never-ending post-modern stasis of cynical emulation. What would happen if Ty Segall & Brian Chippendale went to the studio in the dead heat of July? There was only one way to find out. Life is short. More assaults on the mordantly predictable need to happen because when it works, like with Wasted Shirt, it really works. Wasted Shirt['s Fungus II] will be available from Famous Class on February 28th, 2020. Perfect weather for cartwheeling to the record store."

- Henry Rollins (@henryandheidi)