The Witzard

Beach Rats (CREDIT: Matthew Gere) Beach Rats were one of our favorite Punk/Hardcore super-groups to emerge in recent years and we've alays wondered if and when they would return with a proper full-length. It appears as though the New Jersey Punk/Hardcore Gods have heard and answered our prayers, as Beach Rats have announced their first proper full-length album, Rat Beat, dropping this July! Beach Rats consists of frontman Ari Katz (Lifetime, Ex-Ressurection,) guitarists Brian Baker (Minor Threat, Bad Religion, Dag Nasty) & Pete Steinkopf (The Bouncing Souls,) bassist Bryan Keinlen (The Bouncing Souls,) and drummer Daniel/Danny "Dubs" Windas (A New Enemy, The Arsons, Let It Burn.) Beach Rats' 2018 EP, Wasted Time , was released on Bridge Nine Records and featured the same line-up—just with Daniel "Dubs" Windas appearing in a somewhat less official capacity. Beach Rats have now signed with Epitaph Records, an imprint owned, operated, and founded by Bake...

Last week, we saw an Instgram post by Scott Crawford (@saladdazed) which read, "Not sure who's doing these beautiful Blue Note-inspired Punk Rock album cover re-imaginings, but I love them," along with a blue-hued image of Hüsker Dü's Flip Your Wig. Crawford added the hashtags #bobmould, #granthart, #gregnorton, and #flipyourwig, along with the additional commentary, "looks like it's art by @stealworks." So, with a little bit of our own digital sleuthing, we learned @stealworks was, in fact, graphic designer John Yates. Stealworks: THE DESIGN PORTFOLIO OF JOHN YATES further details, "Stealworks is the nom de plume of graphic designer, trouble-maker, and tea drinker, John Yates." Yates owned and operated his very own label imprint, Allied Recordings and a sub-label, Dakota Records, between 1990-99 and served as the in-house graphic designer for one-time Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles. John Yates has designed ic...

Wasted Time by Beach Rats Beach Rats is a New Jersey -based Hardcore band consisting of vocalist Ari Katz , guitarist Brian Baker , guitarist Pete Steinkopf , bassist Bryan Kienlen , and drummer Daniel "Dubs" Winda s. Amongst them, Beach Rats have about 32+ collective years spent recording, touring, and melting faces within countless New Jersey & New York -based Punk/Hardcore bands. Brian Baker alone has played with Bad Religion , Dag Nasty, Dead F**king Last , Doggy Style, Government Issue , Junkyard, The Meatmen , Minor Threat, Pavement (no, not that Pavement ,) and Samhain. Ari Katz has spent his time playing with High School Sweethearts , Lifetime, Miss TK & The Revenge , and Zero Zero, while Pete "The Pete" Steinkopf & Bryan "Papillon" Kienlen have both been long-time members of The Bouncing Souls . Drummer Daniel "Dubs" Windas , the greenhorn of Beach Rats , has spent his early years between 1999-2007 and onward play...