The Witzard

AM0RA 2022 press shot (CREDIT: Nicky Fechtmuller, @nickyfexx) It's funny how things work out sometimes. My friend, Omarey, and I went to a The Color Fred Bend to Break 15-year Anniversary Show at Underground Arts in Philly back in mid-November. Both long-time fans of Fred Mascherino (ex-Taking Back Sunday, Breaking Pangaea) and going primarily for his not one, but TWO bands on the bill—his current band, The Color Fred, and long-defunct super-group Terrible Thing's first show in 11 years—we admittedly didn't know any of the other bands on the night's bill. We got there early and got some beers and Liquid Deaths before the show started. Omarey & I were treated to an impromptu one-song solo set from Liam Frost from Oceans In The Sky, who is signed to Fred's recently-launched label imprint, Heading East Records . Next up were openers AMORA, whom I had never heard of before, but we're f***ing fantastic! See, this is why you must trust the musical tastes and o...

Break Away's A Straight Edge X-Mas EP cover shoot out-take (SOURCE: Ace Stallings) Break Away was a Richmond, Virginia-based Straight Edge/Youth Crew Hardcore band active from 2010-19. Break Away's primary line-up consisted of vocalist Ace Stallings, drummer Sam Deyerle, guitarists Shane Legano & Dewey "Dewey Zei" Seigler, and bassist Eric Hoyt. Break Away's members played with or would go on to, eventually, make music with BOXER, C.C.P., Cast Aside, Dead Beat, Dead Serious, Hate O Four, Mutually Assured Destruction, No Other Way, Sentinel , Shattered Xistence, Tempter, and Tough Luck. Although, Break Away broke up in 2019, we recently saw Ace "Lurch" Stallings (@AceXEdge)—who is in Mutually Assured Destruction and Sentinel, was once a member of C.C.P., and is involved with Big Takeover Festival, the Forum of Passion Podcast, and Richmond's own Raven Records—Respond, "Tis the f***in' season," to a Tweet by Spooky Daniels (@Ba...

Take Today, L-R: Mark Bancroft, Emily Reed, Joseph M. Edwards, and Donald Bush pictured with Communiques LP's (SOURCE: Instagram) Take Today formed in the early 2000's (2003, to be exact) after the demise of a previous project, Empty Handed NJ . Take Today's current line-up consists of vocalist/guitarist Joseph M. Edwards, bassist/vocalist Emily Reed, guitarist/vocalist Mark Bancroft, and drummer Donald "Don" Bush. They're from Southern New Jersey & Eastern Pennsylvania just outside of Philadelphia. Although, Take Today's Bandcamp page readily lists their "hometown" as Burlington, NJ. Take Today released Communiques, Volume One as a trio including Joseph, Emily & Don in 2014 and followed it up with Communiques, Volume Two as a quartet in 2021. Back in early November, Take Today combined Communiques, Volumes One/Two as one cohesive "album"-length release containing the original seven songs, plus, three additional bonus tracks...

Hell yes, believe it or not (oh, you better believe it!) beatboxing is still alive and well in 2022. If you don't believe us, go check out The Best of Max Bent & Stan Ipcus: He's The Beatboxer, I'm The Rapper. It's a sprawling nine-track collection that spans 25 years of organic D.I.Y. beats and rhymes collaborative efforts between two life-long friends, Stan Ipcus & Max B. Human Beatboxer Max Bent and seasoned emcee Stan Ipcus have been performing and recording together since the late 90's when they were both students and aspiring musicians at The University of Maryland (UMD.) They, literally, met on-air in 1998 during a live freestyle session broadcast on college radio station, WMUC, when Max was beatboxing for a room full of rappers and Stan Ipcus stepped up to the mic to flex his skills. The audio recording of that WMUC moment—plus, eight other Max Bent & Stan Ipcus beatbox/emcee collaborations spanning almost 25 years—is included on this new Bes...

10 Minute Major live at The Kingsland - Brookylyn, NY (CREDIT: Bella Bennett @rand0mbella) 10 Minute Major is a new Alternative Rock, Post-hardcore, and Indie Rock-leaning band hailing from Huntington, New York consisting of four seasoned Punk/Hardcore vets. 10 Minute Major's current line-up is vocalist/guitarist Nick Yulico, guitarist/backing vocalist Eric Perry, bassist Bart Ostrowski, and drummer Pete Figoni. Amongst them, these Long Island Hardcore vets have spent time making and playing music with Glass Jaw (an early iternation of Glassjaw,) The 2 Minutes Hate, and Breadless Circus. We've been keeping an eye on 10 Minutes Major (@10minutemajorband)'s Instagram page, as well as members Nick Yulico (@nickyulico,) Eric Perry (@kimjongmfdoomm,) and Bartholomew "Bart" Ostrowski (@strauss_thall)'s personal pages for quite a few months now. Actually, back in February, 10 Minute Major quietly released a single called "Everyone Lies" exclusively on...