Ok,since this is officially the first post of the zine,i'll give you an hint : yes they are from NY.Yes they plays the good ol NYHC i used to like and i still love...and NO,you wont find any thug-rappin shit here,just good skins (yes i said SKINS!) from the old days talkin about everyday life & speakin out their minds on everything...Enough?enough already!
FIRST,WITH WHO IVE THE PLEASURE TO TALK WITH?
I'm Ted, I'm the singer. And I'm Blake the Guitar player
INTRUDUCE YOURSELF! MEMBERS OF THE BAND & OTHERS BAND YOU HAVE PLAYED WITH?
Olde York is:Blake Farber - GuitarDev Farber - Drums (yes, they are brothers)Mike Kaufman - BassTed Wohlsen - VocalsWe've played with a lot of bands all around, Murphy's Law, No Redeeming Social Value, Hard Response...(Blake you can finish this list) Well I could keep listing and listing but then that ll take up too many pages... So lets keep it short and simple now...
WHEN THE BAND FIRST STARTED?
The band started about 5 years ago, although I (Ted) was playing bass and we had a different singer. When he quit, I took over vocals and we got a new bassist.
ASIDE OF THE OBLIVIOUS NYHC INFLUECE,ARE THERE SOME OTHERS ABROAD BANDS THAT DOES HAVE INFLUENCED YOUR STYLE? DID YOU GUYS LISTEN TO ABROAD HARDCORE? ANY FAV.?
Ted-We all listen to a lot of different stuff, and I think that comes through in our music. I think that is why we are able to have a lot of different styles, but still maintain a unique "sound".
Blake-Well the whole band always jams out to rush or trys to play it at least... I love speed/thrash metal especially from the 80s. And also into Faith No More.
IS THERE ANYONE IN THE BAND IN STRAIGHT EDGE? HOW DO YA FEEL ABOUT THAT?
Mike is straight edge and vegan, Blake and I (Ted) are vegetarians. I guess I'm the least straightedge cause I like to drink beer a lot, but none of us do drugs or smoke or anything like that.
HOW MANY RECORDS YOU'VE PUT OUT TIL NOW? HOW WAS HAVE EDDIE SUTTON FROM LEEWAY ON YOUR FIRST FULL LENGHT?
We had a demo thing that we put out, that was basically an earlier recording of some of the songs on the "Empire State" album , And a Split 7" with Dealin With It. But this is our first official album. Blake is friends with him, so he asked him to do it and he was really down to help us out. It really added a whole new level to the song "Talkin Smack".
OK,BEST SHOWS EVER SEEN?
Ted- Probably Token Entry at The Anthrax back in the late 80's.
Blake- I think one of my favorite shows that I've been to more recently was Killing Time in 2008 at the Pyramid. Was packed people singing moving and stage diving, was a classic NYHC experiance.
HOW'S LIKE THE SITUATION IN NEW YORK? I MEAN,IS THERE REALLY A DIVIDING LINE BETWEEN THE NYHC SCENE & THE NY HARDCORE PUNX SCENE? HOW DO YA FEEL ABOUT IT?WHAT ARE THE MAIN REASONS THAT HAVE SPLITTED UP THE SCENES FOR YOURS?
I think at one time there was. The was a period where it became like hardcore was really like metalcore, and I can see why the punk kids wanted to avoid that. However I think that things are changing some what. A lot of the newer NYHC bands (at least the ones we play with) are a lot more old school and based in the roots of hardcore, and the punk kids are realizing that and coming out to shows more now, even if it is a hardcore show. Granted there still are plenty of shows that are like that early 2000's style where everyone is kickboxing in the pit, but there is less of that around I think, and so it's more welcoming to everyone else who isn't there to try and be a toughguy or whatever.
ANY POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO IT?
Just keep trying to get the scenes united again. That's the way it should be. I am so tired of going to a show and its 5 or 6 bands that all sound exactly alike. Come on, through some difference in there, change it up. When I came up in the scene that is the way it was, you would have a hardcore band, a punk band, a ska band, and some arty freakshow all sharing the same stage, and it was cool!
DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELVES LIKE SKINS OR PUNKS?UP TO U ,IS THERE REALLY A NEED TO CLASSIFY/LABEL OURSELVES OR ITS MORE A QUESTION OF FEELING? EXPLAIN YOUR CHOICE.
(Ted)I consider myself a skin, but certainly NOT a bonehead, let me very clear about that! I believe in a working class ethic, supporting and having honor for your family and friends, etc. I think everyone else in the band would probably be considered hardcore kids? Except for maybe Dev, he defys classification. Definately no one would be considered punks in the stereotypical sense (Spikey hair, leather jackets with lots of studs, etc...)
(Blake)Though I grew up a street punk kid when younger. though we all are when you consider the real meaning of hardcore as being short for hardcore punk. I think labels help people get a frame of reference about things. Like if you say "Oh Johnny? He's a skin." the listener has a very definite sense of what Johnny is about, at least on the surface. But I do think it gets way over used too. Like taking any kind of music and adding -core to the end of it, metalcore, rapcore, gospelcore, etc...It's kinda ridiculous. Most of the time they have nothing to do with hardcore at all.
WHATS LIKE THE NY SITUATION FOR WHAT CONCERN THE VENUES NOW?ITS REALLY HARD HOW IT SEEMS TO BE? WHATS UP WITH PROMOTERS?WHY THE GODFATHERS OF THE SCENE DONT PLAY WITH PUNK OR OI BANDS ANYMORE,BUT WITH METAL BANDS?WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENED?!
Actually, I would say that the situation with venues is getting better. I mean it is still hard to get people in NYC to come out for shows, unless its someone really big, and Manhattan has not a whole lot of places to play for hardcore bands right now, though there are one or two spots, but Brooklyn has a bunch of places, some are even all ages, which is good to see. You have good promoters and you have bad promoters, usually the bad ones don't last all that long. I don't think that it really is fair to say that they don't play with more punk or Oi! bands, cause at least around here they are. A lot of the older bands do play with punk bands, like Reagan Youth, they are really playing a whole lot of metal shows. And I don't begrudge any band doing whatever show they want to book...I can tell you that metal kids spend more on merch and such then punk kids (at least in NYC) and while everyone likes to complain and rant about how this band sold out and that band sold out, eating is better then not eating, so hell yeah, I'd go on tour with a metal band!
Blake- I think the venue situation is getting worse and worse, being from L.E.S there is no more venues to play around here any more... ok so it moved to Brooklyn, but there are still tons of people who wont go to Brooklyn for a show...
THE WHOLE METALCORE THING IS KILLING HARDCORE FOR SURE,BUT THERE ARE SO MANY BANDS THAT ARE TRYNG TO BRING IT BACK - NOT ONLY IN NY BUT ALL OVER THE COUNTRY ,COULD U PLEASE TELL US SOME NAMES OF THE CURRENT BEST BANDS IN NY? WHO DESERVE SOME RECOGNITION AND WHO DESEVES NOT?WHO & WHY IS KILLING HARDCORE FOR U?
To be honest I couldn't really name who is playing metalcore these days in NY, cause I am not involed in that scene. Good NYC bands that I think are cool are Everyday Dollars, Caught In A Trap, Reason Enough, Dealin' With It, Voice Or No Voice, Step 2 Far, The Mug$, Sick Of Society, Back To Back and Reason To Fight.
IN YOUR EYES,WHY THERES A LACK OF YOUTH IN THE CURRENT HARDCORE SCENE?
Two reasons. 1st, a lot of the venues in NYC are 21+ so the kids can't get in, and the old folks from back in the day don't wanna go out, so that makes it hard to get a big crowd at a show.2nd, I think a lot of kids are appathetic, they just spead all day on Myspace and Facebook. When I was coming up in the scene, you wanted to hear a band, you went to a show and checked them out and hopefully bought a 7" or an LP. Today, they just go on Myspace, check out the music and never go out.
TALKING OF YOUTHS - WHERE ARE THE STRAIGHT EDGE YOUTH CREWS RIGHT NOW?EXCEPT FOR Poison Proof,ARE THERE IN NEW YORK SOME STRAIGHT EDGE BANDS?
Poison Proof still around? What happened to them? There is really no sxe youth crews any more.. If there are, they listen to new school hc or metalcore. Most of them are in the suburbs.
I HAVE THIS STRONG FEELING,THAT HARDCORE IS DYING FOR THE SAKE OF MASS MEDIA & SHIT...I MEAN,HARDCORE IS REALLY DYING OR IS THERE A CHANCE TO A NEW AND RIGHTFUL WAVE OF HARDCORE PUNK,OR IT'LL ALL VANISH DEVOURED BY MTV& STUFF IN FEW YEARS? I HOPE NOT BUT...
Hardcore maybe down but its not dying, this beast still has a lot of fight in it!
FEW MORE STUPID QUESTIONS,BEST & LIFE CHANGING RECORDS?BEST 7'' & BEST LP?
Ted:Best 7" - Supertouch "What Did We Learn E.P." Best LP - Token Entry "From Beneath The Streets"
Blake: 7"- Outburst "Miles To Go! LP" - a mix between Sick Of It All "Blood Sweat And No Tears" Killing Time" Brightside" Leway "Born To Expire"
HARCORE = PUNK? OR ISN'T IT? THERES SOME PEOPLE OUTTA HERE WHO'S ARGUING IT'S NOT..(fuck em by the way...)
Yeah it is, anyone who says its not doesn't know the real definition of hardcore
ANY LAST SHOUT OUTS?(STUO TUOHS!)
Thanks for doing the interview, and please pick up a copy of "Empire State" (our full length). Check out our music video for the song "False Idols" online. And just keep posted on our myspace for shows and more..
http://www.countdownrecords.com/
http://www.blakefarber.com/
www.myspace.com/empirestaterecordingcompany
http://www.blakefarber.com/
www.myspace.com/empirestaterecordingcompany
Thanks! 
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