The Witzard

The Bollweevils (sometimes, known as Rat Patrol) are a Chicago area Punk band, who were originally active from 1989-96. At that point, The Bollweevils broke upp/went on hiatus from about seven years while frontman Daryl Wilson finished up medical school and became a doctor morphing into Dr. Daryl Wilson, M.D. The Bollweevils played their "last" show at The Fireside Bowl in November of 1996, but soon re-formed for then-one-off shows in both 2003 and 2006 before fully, properly re-forming in 2007. The Bollweevils had a bit of a rotating cast of members and players for a number of years during this phase of their career, but have now solidified their current line-up as Dr. Daryl Wilson, Ken Fitzner AKA Ken Weevil, Peter "Pete" Mittler, and Pete Mumford AKA Sensitive Pete. Around 2012, The Bollweevils started diligently working on their first album together since re-forming and being fully revilatized. So, some 11 years later, The Bollweevils released their first ...

Fred Mascherino & Frank Zummo (photographer unknown / SOURCE: Night Owl Public Relations) Distinguished song-writer and guitarist Fred Mascherino (ex-Taking Back Sunday, Say Anything , The Color Fred) and prominent drummer Frank Zummo (SUM 41, Street Drum Corps, Mötley Crüe) have teamed up for a song collaboration. Their mesmerizing Indie Rock anthem, "Be Here Now," sees a world-wide release today, via Mascherino's very own Heading East Records. "'Be Here Now" is about the challenge of staying in the present moment," explains Fred Mascherino. "Something that's hard to do with today's technology. Our phones remind us of what's coming up and we re-live the past in our constant posting. But to unplug and appreciate where you are right now, by giving your full attention to the person in front of you or by giving yourself time to relax and process life, can be a really powerful action." In late 2020, after a year of confined ...

DIVIDED HEAVEN in Baltimore, Maryland (photographer unknown / SOURCE: Facebook) We're one day away from the official start of summer, so let's kick things off with a cover of one of the greatest Descendents songs ever written. DIVIDED HEAVEN and German singer-songwriter Matze Rossi have just released a stripped down version of "Clean Sheets" that will leave you feeling a bit more tender. Rossi's raspy howl plays wonderfully with DIVIDED HEAVEN founder Jeff Berman's voice as they belt out a song that has become part of the pantheon of Punk music. Said cover really captures the spirit of singing your favorite songs with all of your friends. You know, the moment at a party or a show where everyone knows every word and can't help but sing at the top of their lungs. It's a special kind of moment reserved for a special kind of song and "Clean Sheets" is just that kind of song. Divided Heaven · Clean Sheets (feat. Matze Rossi) Just this past...

Coolie Ranx (photographer unknown / SOURCE: Facebook) Coolie Ranx (born Obi-Ajula Ugbomah) is well-known for his work within the New York City Ska scene and beyond. Starting in the very early 1990's, he was the frontman of New York City's own The Toasters, who were instrumental in getting Ska on the map in America. The Toasters, also, formed Moon Ska Records , which became the homebase for a multitude of the Ska bands that nurtured the 1990's Third Wave Ska revival. He departed The Toasters in 1997 and went on to start his own band, Pilfers. Through Pilfers, Coolie created an infectious and unique sound aptly named Raggacore, which seamlessly blended Pop, Reggae, Dub, Hardcore, Punk, and Ska in a rugged, hard-hitting energy. Coolie Ranx has continued to work within the scene as a collaborator and solo artist, well-known for his pinpoint precise chat skills, effortless genre-blending prowess, and soaring melodic vocal delivery. Coolie Ranx has appeared on releases along...

CATBITE & Brian Fallon Are The Slacures (CREDIT: MO @phobymo) "We never got to make it to the legendary Chris Gethard Show, so we decided to create our own Goth alternate reality and create The Chris Gothard Show!," CATBITE (@catbiteband) shared within an Instagram post earlier this morning. The four-piece Philly-based Ska band had been teasing something called The Slacures for a number of days; posting "coming 6/9 😈. Subscribe to or YouTube channel for first dibs, link in bio," a number of days ago. Alright, so all of this finally materialized together earlier this morning as a CATBITE & Brian Fallon (The Gaslight Anthem, Molly & The Zombies, The Horrible Crowes) together as The Slacures covering The Slackers' "Yes, It's True" written by vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Vic Ruggiero from their 1998 album, The Question . So, CATBITE & Fallon created The Slacures—see what they did there, The Slackers + The Cure =...

NOT, L-R: Kyle Whitmore, Brendan Scholz, Davey Warsop, and Jarred Cooper (SOURCE: Earshot Media, photographer unknown) Descendents/ALL are now bands that have strongly infleunced and heavily affected generations of youthful, angsty fans. So, this si where it may get a bit confusing: Descendents & ALL are esentially the same band featuring slightly different, albeit similar line-ups. Descendents' most well-known and longest-standing line-up is singer Milo Aukerman, bassist Karl Alvarez, guitarist Stephen Egerton, and drummer Bill Stevenson. While ALL is Alvarez, Egerton & Stevenson with a rotating cast of beloved frontmen: Dave Smalley, Scott Reynolds & Chad Price and briefly functioned as TonyALL with the addition of bassist and song-writer Tony Lombardo (ex-Descendents.) For obvious reasons, Descendents, ALL & TonyALL have rarely ever ALL consistently functioned at the same time. It's safe to say Descendents' fourth and then-final 1987 album, aptly-title...