Thursday, December 27, 2012

Winter Scene Report 2012


Winter Scene Report 2012

The world didn't end.  That sucks, now I have to find another doomsday prophesy to entertain me for the next X amount of years.  Do things really come to an end anyways, or just keep evolving?  I was going to have a doomsday report that hardcore shows are becoming more and more infrequent locally and fewer and fewer hardcore and punk bands popping up and playing out but I’m not going to, so fuck that noize.  Like a lot of things in life, the music scene goes into circles, and at the moment a lot of the hardcore and punk bands have broken up, on a lengthy hiatus, playing out with side-projects etc., but  there are local bands still doing their things and more shows will come around eventually.

Lincoln metal band Feeder/Gainer have a new cd available, and have recently played a release show.  I would expect the band to be playing out with the new songs, so keep your eyes appealed.  Staying in Lincoln, the avant-garde dance freak Plack Blague has been playing out recently with new material.  I was lucky/brave enough to catch his set recently in Omaha, and the new material is nastier than ever.  I can’t wait to hear what will come out next.  A Plack Blague remix release is also currently available online featuring remixes by Bad Speler, Cock E.S.P., and Yann Is The Bastard.  Rounding off Lincoln scene news, Bent Life has a short tour stint in January with the following dates:

1.3 Fargo ND @ New Direction
1.4 Minneapolis MN @ Medusa
1.5 Waterloo IA @ 220 East
1.6 Omaha NE @ West Wing

Bent life will also be playing local support for the Terror show in Omaha Feb 21st at the Slowdown.   The bands self titled 7” is out right now on 6131 Records.


Here in Omaha, the local metal scene is red hot with quite a few showings of the grinders Astral Menace playing out.  They have recently recorded some songs and should be out sometime soon, so be on the lookout for that when it drops.  Newer local hardcore band Sister Kisser has been playing the late-night party scene featuring scene veterans of bands I've enjoyed in the past.  I would expect something recorded sometime soon if not available now at shows.  More info once available.   Omaha hardcore bros. Relentless Approach have a new 7” available via Bezerker Records titled Notorious Thugs.  In support of the new record the band will head west for a winter tour playing the following cities:

1-18 Kansas City
1-19 Oklahoma City
1-20 Dallas
1-21 Albuquerque
1-22 Phoenix
1-23 San Diego
1-24 Tijuana, Mexico
1-25 Los Angles
1-26 Orange County
1-27 Santa Barbara
1-28 Bakersfield
1-29 San Francisco
1-30 Oakland
1-31 Reno
2-1 SLC- Ogden
2-2 Denver

Find Relentless Approach on facebook  for more info on the tour/shows.


Here at the CCHQ, things have been a bumpy road the last few months.  If you follow the blog at all you have already noticed that I have reached my 1gig upload limit and to get more space, I’d have to purchase it at a monthly fee.  I’m really against spending money on such a simple setup as Blogger so I have been looking around for other solutions.  As of right now, only text updates/news will be posted as long as I am allowed to.  More news will be announced on the topic once I get it all figured out.  This doesn't mean that Crucial Changes nor CCPP will end.  In other CC related news, a new hardcore/punk/metal fanzine made by Martin Gonzalez will be available in a few weeks called Pointless Existence that features interviews of underground bands from all over the world.  I’m really excited to see more locals getting involved in the scene.  Local artist Taylor Smith will also be releasing a new cut-up art zine very soon as well.  Be on the lookout for both.  In final news, Crucial Changes Printing Press will once again be attending Chicago Zine Fest in March 2013.  This years event was quite the experience and I’m really excited to showoff how we do it here in Nebraska to new audiences.  Expect a new CCPP zine to be ready and hopefully a new cd-r comp. specifically for the fest in upcoming months.  Oh yeah, my year end best-of list coming soon...  Hardcore forever.

I hope everyone had a good year in 2012, here’s to another… cheers!

-K


Are you mad that I didn't mention your band/project?  Then tell me about it!  If it's a local underground project/event/etc. I will write about it.  Do you have something you want to submit to Crucial Changes?  Do it.  Surprise me.

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Local bands live on KZUM

Olivia from KZUM DJs Soundcheck, an all-local based radio hour (6:30 to 7:30 every Friday afternoon) and has recently had some of Nebraska's best underground music acts play live on air.  In-studio sessions and interviews by Lincoln's Plack Blague, and Omaha bands: Swamp Walk and Bruja are now up for everyone to check out if you missed the initial airing.  Cheers!