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Tom DeLonge, former front man for Blink-182, is singing a different tune with Angels & Airwaves

Christ and Pop Culture

Love listening to bands like Blood Water, Mxpx, and Flatfoot 56? These bands and many, many more (over 70 to be more exact) are available on Indie Vision Music’s Punk Never Dies Vol. 1.

If you’re a fan of punk rock, this is a perfect opportunity to find new, great bands. Personally, I think they did a fantastic job with this sampler! Download is available through this link.

The Free Christian Music Blog

I am a sucker for punk, especially good punk.  Growing up I listened to bands like The Misfits, The Meatmen, The Ramones, Fear, The Descendents, The Circle Jerks, and Black Flag to name just a few of my favorites.  Besides being old and particular about my music, I really enjoy the raw side of all these bands.  For example the sloppy driving guitars of Black Flag, the emotion behind Ian MacKaye singing “guilty of being white,” or Lee Ving and the rest of Fear whipping up the crowd before each song they played live.  So, when a band comes along that draws from influences that I count among some of the bands that hooked me into punk then it is worth noting.  Let me introduce you to Unshackled.  These guys are out of El Paso, Texas and are churning some serious punk out.  For real, check them out, if you are a fan of any of the bands above then you will LOVE Unshackled.  Plus, they bridge the gap, and dare I say, play some Oi! type songs????  Yup.  Read below to learn more about these guys and you can pick up their new album NOW from Thumper Punk Records in conjunction with Caustic Fallout.  Do as I say…..

 

Band: Unshackled
Music Style: Punk/Street Punk/Oi!
Home Town: El Paso, Texas
Facebook Myspace Bandcamp

Q: I was reading that Unshackled formed in 2006; how come in 2011 we are just now hearing of Unshackled?  Give us some detail about how the band formed.

JEROME: Short answer just had not committed early on during the bands formation, I personally always wanted to move it forward but I never really had any idea how to go about it. Well everyone is probably hearing about us now because a lot of what Dusty and David have been helping us with and also a more focused core of Unshackled moving forward. The band formed after Victor’s and my first band broke up, around the same time Eddie’s band was breaking up as well, I asked Eddie if he wanted to play with us and he was all about it. We wanted to add another guitar which was Tick who was playing in a really good ska band called the Intellijents and the rest as they shall say is history.

TICK: We’ve mostly concentrated spiritual warfare here in the city of El Paso. We’ve been blessed with a great following of kids from the scenes here and they all deserve alot of love. The only reason I can think of as to why 2011 is the year the ministry has expanded beyond the borders of the Bordertown is because God is blessing the march forward.

Q: What is the significance of the name Unshackled?

JEROME: Well our drummer was listening to a Christian AM station and the radio program was called “Unshackled,” and at the time we were working on a name and that one seemed to fit.  It really means a lot to me because of everything I have been through, along with some of the guys in the band our personal testimonies, victories, and what we have been delivered from. I also see it as a banner of hope that we can become liberated from the oppressor.

TICK: It’s who we are, truly. Spiritual beings having a worldly experience & not worldly beings having a spiritual one. Unbound by the enemy’s hold on this world, free. if I may say so myself, it is rather short, sweet and to the point, I enjoy simplicity.

Q: The band is definitely Christian, I can tell by the awesome lyrics and song titles, do you guys consider yourselves a Christian band or Christians in a band? What is the purpose of Unshackled?

JEROME: When I first heard that term many years ago with a band called Lugnut I really disliked the fact that it was not a Christian band but Christians in a band, and after a several years of maturing in my faith I look at it this way and I told the guys the other day, “If a Christian makes a sandwich it does not make it a Christian sandwich, it’s still a sandwich.” We All laughed after I said it. The purpose of this band since day 1 has been to preach the good news of God’s awesome saving Grace, and loving people as they are. More importantly what He does in our lives daily, share our faith, and speak about our cultures and what it means to hardcore, punk, skin etc.

Q: When I listen to the album that Dave at Thumper Punk Records gave me I can hear so much influence of early punk and Oi! I even hear a lot of modern type punk in your stuff, what bands do you compare your sound to and what bands have influenced you guys?

TICK: To be honest, and we’ve done this, we’ve talked about it, we really can’t compare our sound, it’s different when it’s yourself on the CD y’know? We had to ask other people but the consensus resulted in answers that typically looked like this: “it depends on who’s song it is” we all have our own styles that we implement in songs we write individually, then we bring it to the table and work on them together. They usually evolve into something better than our own puny individual ideas. Well, ‘better’ by our standards heh. But to answer the question the best way I can, we get alot of Minor Threat, The Havoc, and Officer Negative. Like I said, we all have a different base of influence, Connor has a lot of indie/punk 3rd-wave Ska roots, Joe is the biggest Hardcore fanboy I know, Eddie is our friendly neighborhood Brutal Metal Monster, I’m the old school snob, too cool for new school… it just goes any which way sometimes. some of my personal influences include Toydolls, Cocksparrer, The Havoc, The Adicts, & The Angelic Upstarts, I pull a lot of musical ammunition from them, I even throw props their way in some songs we write, I’m just hoping for the day that someone will catch on and call me on it

Q: Unshackled had an EP that was released a while back called “Overcome” and I know that you recently signed to our pals at Thumper Punk Records & Caustic Fallout, when can we expect a full length?

JEROME: Really soon, August 3rd, 2011 BABY! OH YEAH! CD release party is on August 6th with FBS!

Q: So I know that there are certain spots in Texas that have pretty decent hardcore and punk scenes, although I am not sure about El Paso, how are things down there?  What is the scene like?

JEROME: The scene is amazing here for a smaller scene compared to others across Texas it’s amazing, we get a lot of compliments that El Paso is really friendly. The different scenes in el Paso know it’s not huge so you get a lot of Punk kids going to the hxc shows and Hxc kids going to punk shows so we all work together and support all the bands and help out as much as we can, now of course you have those guys that think that they are better than everyone, they hardly come around which is ok by me. I’d rather see two kids moshing their heart’s out than have 100 egotists standing doing nothing haha.

TICK: Come down n’ visit sometime! this really isn’t the best city for musicians, if you’re in a band and you’re local, you will usually play for free so if you wanna be a rockstar outta here…heheh… good luck. This sure isn’t Denton. But oh my gosh, these kids are so supportive of their scene despite the shakey local music industry. The scene here is friendly, a bit small, we all mostly know each other, if not personally then by association but we’ve all run into each other at least a couple times. It’s laid back and doesn’t take itself too seriously, which is a bit of a refreshing turn from the overbearingly politically-driven grievance-fest I’m so used to. Perfect recipe for real fun shows, even when they’re small, scratch that… tiny…

Q: I saw that you guys have shared the stage with some decent bands like FBS and Fight To Die, what other bands have you played with, what shows have been the most memorable and why?

JEROME: Man we have had the pleasure of sharing the stage with many awesome bands, some of my all time favorites as well. Bands like For Today, xLooking Forwardx, OCD, Rotting Out, Lionheart, and Call to Preserve. I have two shows that I want to share the first being this band Useless Kids last show, just so many things went awesome that night spiritually. Seeing kids sing along to “Awesome God” piling on with tears in their eyes singing along to the other songs with kids standing in front singing Overcome…such an awesome moment. The second show was we were playing inside a house we called the gym and we were playing “Overcome” and I had just gave my testimony and I saw this kid kicking back against the wall, and I went and grabbed him and I gave him the mic to sing. As soon as he was about to sing he burst into tears I hugged him and he prayed with me to accept Christ as the band and kids were still singing, such a sick moment for him.

TICK: We’ve also played with The Remnants, The Last Hope, The Krum Bumbs, Flatfoot 56, The Great Commission, The Independents so so so many, I can’t remember them all the time but honestly, every show seems to get better.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Q: Does the band have plans to tour at all? Will we see you guys at Cornerstone next year?

TICK: Goodness, we get asked this so much, we have procrastination problems it would seem. We always try to but circumstances never turn out the right way for one reason or another: Money, work, personal/family needs, but we are planning realistically, for once, for a Cornerstone romp for next year. The only thing that would solidify that for me is if Ballydowse shared the stage w/ us. Hands down, my favourite band… RIP…for now

Q: Tell us some good inside dirt about the band.  I am sure you guys have a funny story to share about a show that went wrong….

JEROME: You know we run a pretty tight ship when it comes to shows and composure and mishaps. I’m really trying to think and the only thing I can think of is when I broke the stage and this venue called No Man’s Land haha. I was jumping getting rowdy, and I slammed my foot down and my ankle went through the stage I quickly recovered and went on with the show. I also Chipped my tooth with the microphone. I had fallen of the stage as the pit was coming my way I tried to jump out of the way as I did that my knee met my elbow because the pit came crashing into me chipping my tooth.  I even held the piece in my hand hahah PUNK ROCK haha!

TICK: Dude, happens to everybody, Poppin’ strings, cables going out, kids slam dancing into our equipment, stolen equipment right out of the back of Eddie’s truck on our way to a show in Anthony during a 10 minute pit stop for drum heads at Guitar Center, speakers blowing up, it just happens, none of us have fallen off the stage yet so at least we have yet to embarrass ourselves that way. *knocks on wood*

Q: So being a band that preaches the gospel, where does everyone get their inspiration from in the bible, what verses do you want to share with anyone reading this?

JEROME: What really got me going again and again is 2 Timothy  6-8;  “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.  So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.” I read the word quite often and I fall in love all the time, everything that I read always confirms what I am going through daily it’s awesome.

TICK: God’s not dead, His word is alive, His entire word is an inspiration. There’s a verse in Luke I really like though “ask and it shall be given, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you” God knows our hearts, our desires, our needs. We seek Him, we find our joy and freedom we asked for; we knock on the doors of truth, the pearly gates open up to us.

Q: Being a Christian punk band in a punk scene that is normally pretty anti-everything must be tough at times, how is Unshackled received in general in the scene?  Anyone ever really given the band a hard time a show?

TICK: We normally have a pretty laid back atmosphere in this scene and are received fairly well, like I said, these kids are great! However, there will always be people who try to make us lose sight of what we are doing and why. We, however, just keep in mind we are not just playing music for the simple fact of playing. We are trying to open people’s hearts to the Father and when doing that you will always face opposition. this is a rebellion, a war we’re conducting in spirit, we’re gonna get a few bloody noses… It just isn’t those peoples’ time yet to receive faith, but we won’t stop trying to reach out, even if it’s just one person at a show. (which it sometimes has been…at many a show) There was one instance where a Skinhead brother of ours, Abel, was attacked by a group of thugs for a reason I’m still not clear on, but this gentleman has been the target of many a cast stone for his rough-and-tumble aggressive faith. Hell, he ushered me in to the kingdom, I trust him with my life. I only wish I were there to share the beating, he didn’t deserve it.

JEROME: By God’s grace we are received really well, people are really receptive we have been blessed to impact a lot youth’s lives and churches that we have the privilege of playing and praying for. Off course we have a lot of ankle biters and vipers, but it’s to be expected. I had one guy make fun of me because I was wearing an “I still believe in God” shirt, but that’s about all I can remember. Everyone is willing to listen because they want to know Jesus, it’s just coming to terms with accepting and letting their guard down and letting Him love them.

Q: Fun time:   What are the most embarrassing albums we would find on your iPods/MP3 players or album collections?

TICK: Tegan & Sarah: “The Con: and Alanis Morissette: “Jagged Little Pill”

JEROME: I don’t know about this one hahah…Um…I would have to say Two Door Cinema Club, The Sounds, Yellowcard. I say these because people don’t see me as the indie or pop music listener.

McDonalds or Burger King which is better for relieving tour gut?

JEROME: Neither, I would say Whataburger which is a Texas national treasure but if i had to pick i would say Burger King.

TICK: Neither, they’ll both give me bubbleguts even more.There’s something unnatural about a single food item from certain places that accounts for the total caloric intake a fully-matured human being should consume per week…

Who would win in a fight, Chuck Norris, a Ninja, or Nancy Pelosi?

JEROME: I would say Nancy Pelosi, she fights dirty hahaha!

TICK: I’m pretty sure everyone else in the band would say this: Chuck Norris. Seriously man, the guy grinds coffee with his teeth and boils the water with his own rage… Our practice shed has a big poster of Chuck Norris facts…

Q: What message do you want to send to the punk scene?

TICK: Acta Non Verba…

JEROME: It has not and will not be about religion, Christ has had a horrible image painted by many people who say that they live for Christ, but don’t base your faith on a human, not even us, because we will all fail from time to time. Really seek out God ask Him to reveal His love for you and get to know your Creator seek out His heart and know that the God of Elijah and Noah and all of our fore fathers is not dead. He is very real and He speaks all the time. If He can love a chump like me, He is capable of loving any one of you awesome people out there, don’t settle for less than what you are worth,

Q: What bands should we check out?  Who are you guys listening to or playing shows with we should know about?

JEROME: Right now I would Say Media Blitz is really awesome band from Cali, DEBTOR (BLOOD AND INK RECORDS) , Kingdom Front is another local band (I drum in Cheap Plug hahah).

TICK: Ballydowse, Justin Hinds & The Dominoes, The Pogues, The Jesus Skins, and The Levellers. Been listening to Symarip and Bomb! the Music Industry a lot lately. I love Symarip, you should too!

Q: Feel free to give some shout-outs, etc, share whatever you want!  Thanks for the interview guys!

TICK: A shout-out to whoever reads this. especially to those who got something out of it. Bless.

JEROME: If anyone wants to get in touch with us hit us up on facebook, twitter, Bandcamp

Facebook.com/UnshackledTX
@Unshackled915
UnshackledTx.Bandcamp.com
xkingdompridex.webs.com

MUCH LOVE TO THUMPER PUNK, CAUSTIC FALLOUT, FBS, THE HOAX, FALSE IDLE, THE WAY, AND ALL THE BANDS THAT CAME BEFORE THANK YOU FOR BEING THE WATCHERS…
BRING THE MOSH.

Thank you Josh!  YOU RULE!

HXCChristian.com

Here is a great band to check out.  With all the classic style of Social D mixed with a classic punk sound.  The Way from California delivers in a big way.  These guys have been pumping some solid punk rock for the past two years.  They were recently picked up by our friends at Thumper Punk Records (who recently released “Hymns of Punk Rock Praise” by False Idle).  So look for big things from The Way.  We hope to see them at Cornerstone 2011.  Be sure to keep your eyes and ears open for their first full length release on Thumper Punk.

Band: The Way
Music Style: Punk
Location: Oxnard & Santa Paula, CA
Facebook Myspace Reverbnation

Q: Where and when did The Way get there start?

A: The WAY started around January of ‘09. Tank, Harry, and Ryan were in a band called “R.I.P. The old Me” and had just lost their singer. That’s when I joined the group. A couple of weeks later Manny came to a practice to try out on lead guitar and we never looked back!

Q: What is the significance of the name The Way?

A: I guess you could say that the Bible verse that drives this band most is John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me.” That verse is so powerful in its claim of absolute truth. It also fits with anything in life. It is the solution to any problem we face, any discouraging situation, any question about who we are. It is so simply put but it, (along with John 3:16), sums up the entire gospel message of the New Testament.

Q: What does everyone in the band do when they are not playing?

A: Ryan works for a concrete coloring company, Manny works for a body shop, Tank and Harry are currently unemployed and I work grounds maintenance for Pacifica High School out here in Oxnard CA.

Q: What bands have influenced the sound of The Way. I kind of get a Social D, early punk feel when I listen to you guys. Who do you compare your sound to?

A: Well You nailed it with that one! Social D is one of our favorite bands. As a matter of fact we cover a couple of their songs. Bad Religion is another big influence along with Pennywise, Rise against, and Good Riddance. We also dig on The Crucified.

Q: I understand that the band just signed with Thumper Punk Records, congrats! What does this mean for the band, when can we expect a full length?

A: We are very excited to be added to the Thumper Punk roster. Thumper Punk has been busy promoting us online and we are happy to get some exposure outside of our local scene. We look forward to meeting some new friends and hopefully hooking up some gigs outside our area.

Q: The Way is a Christian band, has the band always been a Christian band?

A: From the get go we have put ourselves out as a Christian band, first and foremost. We don’t go around looking down our noses at people or anything but we are unashamed of Jesus. We are more than willing to evangelize at a bar gig in the opportunity arises!

Q: What is the purpose of The Way?

A: The WAY has a passion for expressing our lives, thoughts, and even shortcomings through music. Jesus Christ has been the biggest influence on how we see the world and that comes through in our songs.

Q: From where in the bible does The Way draw most of its inspiration?

A: Like I said before, the fact that Jesus is the ONLY way to the Father is what our biblical inspiration hinges on. Jesus stands at the apex of history. He was and is the most influential, most important, most beautiful person who ever walked the face of the earth.

Q: The song “Walking Dead” is a pretty powerful song with incredible lyrics, sounds like someone has quite a testimony in the band. Care to share the personal story behind the lyrics?

A: “Walking Dead” was influenced by a very low point in my marriage. I lost my desire for my wife and was starting to give into temptation. When the Lord pulled me out of that situation it was clear to me how far I had strayed and dead I was inside. He restored my love for my wife and presented her to me in a whole new way. I have never looked back.

Q: When you guys play shows, do you share the gospel on stage? If so, how is is accepted by the crowd? Do you have shows where there is a mixed crowd of Christians and non-Christians?

A: The majority of our shows lately have been a mix of believers and non-believers at Christian venues. When we play places at those we are more open on the mic about Jesus. When we play the clubs and bars we save it for the one-on-one conversations throughout the night.

Q: Has The Way had anyone approach them after a show and given their life to Christ?

A: Nobody has approached us as of yet to receive the Lord after a show. We do however love it when people come up and ask questions about us at shows. It gives us the opportunity to share the good word.

Q: What bands has The Way shared the stage with?

A: The WAY has played with tons of great local bands. Some of the more well known ones are House of Heroes, Abandon Kansas, The Classic Crime, and most notable, Seventh Day Slumber. Maybe one day we will get that call to open up for Social D!!

Q: What shows have been the most memorable and why?

A: I would say the most memorable show to date would be the night we won the battle of the bands for a local bar. We were not officially signed up for it but were called last minute to fill a dropped slot. Long story short we won the top prize and used the money to record our new CD!

The Way – Live – “Never Enough”

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Way – Live – “You Don’t Know Me”

Click here to view the embedded video.

Q: Can we expect to see The Way tour soon? Will you guys be heading to Cornerstone Festival?

A: Touring is something we would really love to do. I don’t think that we are quit ready at the moment but look forward to planning something in the near future. As for Cornerstone, it has been on our mind and want to do it, badly

Q: Any message you want to convey to the punk/hardcore scene, shout-outs, etc?

A: To all our christian brothers and sisters who love punk rock we say to keep strong in your faith in Jesus! Never forget what He did for you on the cross, always remembering to live your life according to His will and not anyone elses. Please Check us our @ reverbnation.com/theway805, facebook.com/theway805, and myspace.com/theway805! God bless!!

HXCChristian.com

I have been keeping in touch with Jason Berggren, early vocalist of Florida Christian hardcore band, Strongarm, about getting him involved in the Sociology of Christian Punk research at the University of Bristol. I referred the researcher to Jason and, as I was, he was recently interviewed about the subject of, and many issues including and surrounding, Christian punk/hardcore music/scene.

About a week ago, Jason mailed me a copy of his book, 10 Things I Hate About Christianity: Working Through the Frustrations of Faith. I plan to begin reading through the book very soon and will be posting about the material within its covers, either as I go along or in whole when I am finished.

On a different note, I am really trying to find the time, as well as the motivation in my little free time, to post some more music, some scans of zine articles, updating missing artwork (thanks for the iTunes tip Mike!), rips of some 7″s and LP’s recently obtained, and scans of entire album artwork from memorable Christian hardcore records from the 90′s and early 2000′s. Honestly, the little free time I have has been taken up by EA Sports’ FIFA ’10. But, bear with me! I have been doing a lot of work gathering some pretty awesome figures in the Christian hardcore scene of the past, some of the present, to participate in the Sociology of Christian Punk research, writing music for Killing Years and getting us back on track with playing shows and recording, and working. Some prominent figures that are confirmed to be interviewed or have already been interviewed for the research are members of great bands such as: Bloodshed, Unashamed, Overcome, Strongarm, and Outcast; as well as the man behind HXCChristian.com. I am still waiting on confirmations from several other members of memorable Christian hardcore bands, such as: Underoath, Stretch Arm Strong, Focused, Zao, Six Feet Deep, Sleeping by the Riverside, and Focal Point; as well as well-known Christian hardcore enthusiast and artist, Dave Quiggle.

There is a lot to look forward to with this research. It will be awhile, but this stuff is going to be published in sociology articles with the University, presented in a dissertation from the researcher, and then hopefully into a book on the entire subject (which will be great!). In other news; I am psyched that Tim from Focused will be sending me a shirt from their reunion, I will finally be getting my hands on a couple rare Christian hardcore 7″s I was offered, and I’m going to get me an Overcome shirt!

Christian Hardcore Records

It was bound to happen sooner or later, someone taking all the classic hymnals we know and love and turning them into classic punk rock anthems. Well, I would like to introduce you to False Idle.  Some of you may know the brain child behind the project.  Our pal Sef, formerly of the band uniSEF, Christian punk rock staple of Idaho.  Sef’s new project False Idle is releasing an album jam packed with punk rock hymnals on newly formed record label Thumper Punk Records.  I was able to catch up with Sef and David of Thumper Punk to learn more about False Idle, the upcoming release “Hymns of Punk Rock Praise,” and Thumper Punk Records.  The new album will be available the last week of August.  Go, get it, and praise God!  Also, scoot over the the HXCChristian.com radio station, we are playing 3 songs from the upcoming album in the rotation!

Band: False Idle
Music Style: Hymnals in a Punk Rock Style
Location: Idaho
www.FalseIdlePunk.com Myspace Facebook

Q: Can you give us an introduction to Thumper Punk Records? The label is fairly new to the scene, but from what we understand at HXCChristian.com you have some things in the works. Why did you start Thumper Punk Records? What can we expect from the label in the future?

A: (David) Thumper Punk Records was formed to help artists record, produce and distribute music that reflects a positive, Christ-centered message. I started writing a music blog (www.thumperpunk.com) several years ago to share information about Christian punk and ska bands, and recently decided that it was time to get-off-the-couch and take the next step. My initial discussion with Sef began as result of a discussion in the HXCChristian.com forum about worship hymns played in a punk rock style. Sef and I were on the same page with the music, and have the sole purpose of bringing glory to Christ. So, here we are.

Q: The first release for Thumper Punk Records will be a new recording artist called False Idle, with a familiar person to HXCChristian.com as the mastermind, Sef, fill in the people on who you are and your background….

A: (Sef) Who am I… hmmm… well some of the folks reading this might recognize the name uniSEF, which was a project that I started like 5 or 6 years ago that eventually turned into the band that some of you may know. We went our separate ways about a year ago now and I, not being able to sit around for very long, started up the new project False Idle.

Q: We understand that False Idle is not your typical run of the mill hardcore punk band, can you fill us in what makes False Idle different than other bands?

A: (Sef) Well, False Idle it isn’t actually a band. It’s what we in the music industry like to call a solo project. I’m not big on having the focus be on me, so I had to come up with a ‘band name’ so I could fool everyone. Tricky… eh? The funny thing is, uniSEF started the exact same way… but don’t get your hopes up!

Q: So False Idle is covering traditional Church Hymns in a punk style, what famous Hymns can we expect a punk twist on? What songs are the most interesting and why?

A: The list is as follows:
Old Rugged Cross
It is Well with My Soul
Great is Thy Faithfulness
He Lives
To God be the Gory
He’s Alive

(Sef) Initially I was partial to “It is Well,” because I really tried to make that one into a technical punk style of song, “He Lives,” because I went a little more hXc with that one, and “He’s Alive,” because, A. It is an amazing song B. It was the song that kicked off the project and C. I really challenged myself to develop it well… But now that the whole CD is done, I honestly like them all a lot for all different reasons. I’m super stoked on how they all turned out.

Q: Sef, who has collaborated on this album with you, did you record all the different instruments?

A: (Sef) I did all of the song choosing and concept writing myself. My initial plan was to play all of the instruments myself on the recording, but as my relationship with Thumper Punk Records grew, I really started striving to put out as high quality of a CD as I could. That being the case I called in the big guns for drums. My good friend Matt L. (Death and Revolution) was kind enough to once again lend his skills to one of my projects, and he tore it up for sure. My friend Jess H. was also kind enough to record some piano and organ parts for the project. Then of course had the fellas over to lay down some gang vocals, just to give it that good ‘ol punk rock feel! Aside from that, I played all of the other instruments

Q: I read somewhere that you had some great guest vocals, care to share who might be making guest vocal appearances on the album?

A: (Sef) Haha… those rumors… you can never trust em… But yes, my pal Nate Rising from FBS laid down some gang vocals and backup parts throughout the CD. Josh from FBS begged and begged me to let him have some parts on the CD but I told him “no way dude”… haha… Actually he was going to do some too, but the window of opportunity was pretty tight… so it, unfortunately, didn’t happen. But if you listen real close you’ll also hear another familiar voice, Tyler from uniSEF came back into the studio too hook it up with some of his signature backup vocs…

Q: How challenging was it to come up with different music to come up with for these traditional hymns? Did you try to stay true to the traditional sounds of the songs or did you reinvent them completely?

A: (Sef) At first it was pretty easy, I had been coming up with ideas in my head for the first couple of songs for some time, but as the project progressed it got a little more difficult. There is actually one song on the CD that I completely re-wrote about halfway through the process because I just didn’t like the feel it had at all. Luckily a song by Flatfoot 56 totally inspired me for that specific song, and now I love how it turned out. I’ll let you try to figure out which one…

My goal throughout the project was to keep as close to the traditional feel of each song as I could, but also to make it a full on punk rock CD. Thinking back now, that was quite a challenge… haha… My hopes were to bring these amazing songs from the past into today so that this generation could have a chance to hear, and appreciate them.

So to make sure I stayed true to the original feel of each song this is what I did. Once I had all of the concept recordings finished, I sent them to my mom… yup, you can always count on mom… So when she came back and said that they were good, not really her style, but she recognized them all and could sing along with them, I knew that I pulled it off.

Q: Where and when can we get our hands on the new False Idle album?

A: (David) False Idle’s Hymns of Punk Rock Praise will be available through the Thumper Punk Records website (www.thumperpunkrecords.com), and digital downloads will be available from iTunes, Amazon and the usual suspects.

Q: What else do you have in the works for Thumper Punk Records? Any chance you will try to release some hard to find records on your label?

A: (David) Regarding my future plans for the label, I have been discussing projects with a number of bands and hope to announce the next project soon. While I wouldn’t be against re-releasing hard to find music, my primary focus will be to support new projects. If I had a shout-out, it would be to the entire HXCChristian.com team for supporting a Christian ministry to the punk and hardcore community.

Q: So after False Idle, what are you plans, do you think you might do a follow up album?

A: (Sef) Well, it’s pretty funny. I had so many song ideas thrown at me when I started this project; the joke going around is “what songs are you going to put on Hymns, “Volume II…” So let’s just say there is a pretty good chance that False Idle isn’t gonna be a one trick pony…

Q: Anything else you guys would like to add, websites, facebook pages, myspace pages, shout-outs, etc, feel free to add, and thanks for the interview!

A: (Sef) I just have to say, I have been doing the punk rock thing for quite some time, and up until this project I have done it 100% DIY all the way. So when David @ Thumper Punk Records approached me with the idea of putting this out on a label, I was a little hesitant. But after talking to friends and family and giving it some serious prayer, I decided to give it a shot. And all I can say is David has been awesome! I can’t say enough about what he has done for this project and where his heart wants to take his new label. He has my full support from here on out.

For all of you musicians out there reading this, you will not find a more musician friendly and supportive label than Thumper Punk Records. If you are looking for a label, start there… and if you are a fan of great music, keep an eye out for Thumper Punk Records… you will not be disappointed…

Thanx to you guys at HXCChristian.com for playing the snot out of these new songs too! I am listening right now and have heard all 3 songs we sent to you… You guys are rad!

I’m always up for an email so hit me up anytime… God bless

- Sef Idle

www.falseidlepunk.com
False Idle Myspace
False Idle Facebook
sef AT falseidlepunk.com
http://thumperpunk.blogspot.com
www.thumperpunk.com

HXCChristian.com

So, yesterday at 4pm I was interviewed by my new friend, Ibrahim from the University of Bristol in the U.K., about Christian hardcore music. He is currently working on a dissertation on the Sociology of Christian Punk. His research is funded by the University and will lead to a series of articles on the subject matter, as well a book published in the near future on the material he gathers that is already had interest expressed in by a few American publishing houses. I, obviously, was interviewed regarding Christian hardcore, but we also covered the topics of: the hardcore scene in general, the Christian hardcore scene (past and present), Christian hardcore music, hardcore music, straight edge, and even the roles females have played in the hardcore and Christian scenes. It was pretty awesome. I will be reviewing the transcript of the interview within the next couple days. I am currently assisting him in gathering those who I believe have been prominent members of the Christian hardcore scene so that not only will his research be accurate, but a future book on the subject could be as rad as possible. I will keep everyone posted in the future. Meanwhile, there are some things I plan to post on the blog; including some old Tooth & Nail, Facedown, and other labels’ compilations; as well as some scans of zines, memorable album artwork, and old live pictures of bands.

Christian hardcore rules.

Christian Hardcore Records