Mikey Ireland of Spirit Houses and I Am the Avalanche

Mikey Ireland is a lifer in the underground. Between cutting his teeth playing guitar in I Am the Avalanche, singing and playing guitar in Pass Away, and owning/operating his bar Three-Diamond Door in Brooklyn, it’s a wonder he’s still moved to create outside of those projects. And yet he just released his first EP as Spirit Houses, a subdued acoustic project he’s been developing for some years. The EP, Two Passing Ships, is an introspective and melodic powerhouse. Ireland, as Spirit Houses, skillfully combines the traditional elements of solo acoustic acts with complementary instrumentation in creating a record that is sure to engage a wide palette of listeners. Two Passing Ships is available on all streaming platforms, and the vinyl is available for preorder via Suburbia Records. Punknews' Mike Musilli sat down with Mikey to talk the new record, lyrical inspiration, and touring with old friends.

Josh Caterer of the Smoking Popes on the band's new LP

In the early 90s, punk rock was going through a transformation, it was becoming increasingly difficult to categorize and fit into that studded box. One of the first bands to stray from the traditional path was Chicago’s Smoking Popes. Their crooning mix of punk rock, indie rock and pop was innovative as it was catchy. The band is experiencing a re-energization as of late, reuniting with their original drummer for the first time in 20 years and releasing their eighth studio album, Into the Agony, on October 12.

Lead singer and guitarist Josh Caterer spoke to Punknews interviewer Gen Handley about the anticipated comeback, the terrific new album as well as his obsession with Judy Garland.

Catching up with Jeff Berman of Divided Heaven

5 long years have gone and a lot has changed for Los Angeles based solo artist Divided Heaven. With the release of their newest effort Cold War and the addition of a bassist and drummer. Divided Heaven transformed themselves into a full fledging punk three piece, writing heartfelt songs with a punk edge. Editor Samantha Barrett sat down to chat with singer/guitarist Jeff Berman on the band, the new album, dreams and what they have been up to.

Skippy of Pirates Press talks about records

If you have a punk rock record pressed in the last 10 years, then you definitely have at least one record pressed by Pirates Press. The manufacturer/label handles literal tons of punk pressings and also runs a street-punk/oi! focused label offshoot. Because the second most hollowed day for record collectors is right around the corner - record store day black Friday- Punknews' John Gentile spoke to the founder of Pirates Press, Skippy, about, what else? Records!

A conversation with Jeff Rosenstock and Chris Farren of Antarctigo Vespucci

Antarctigo Vespucci is a band born of the bond between Chris Farren and Jeff Rosenstock. Forged in the midst of both artists' burgeoning solo careers, and following the respective ends of both Fake Problens and Bomb the Music Industry, Antarctigo Vespucci recently returned with their sophomore LP Love in the Time of E-Mail (their first for Polyvinyl). While on the road supporting the album, the band met up with writer Graham Isador in Toronto. This is their conversation.

WLMRT are serious, maybe

This is a big week for Toronto noise-punks WLMRT. Friday, November 16 will see the release of the band's third EP, titled Lube 2, on Pleasence Records. They'll celebrate the same day with a performance as part of Long Winter, the cold-weather music and arts festival. The band plays the Tranzac Club on Friday evening as part of the kickoff for the event's seventh year. Last weekend I spoke to vocalist Shelby Wilson and bassist Kat McGouran about the release, the band's recent gig playing before an SLC Punk screening (of all things), and their escape plan when the Waltons come calling. You can listen below.

“What the Misfits Mean to Me”

As you know by now, it's Misfits week at Punknews. Not only did the band create an entire genre and aesthetic, but they've influenced thousands of bands in their wake. So, we reached out to some cool bands and asked them how they've been influenced by the gang of ghouls. You can read their contributions below.

“I tried out for the Misfits”

It's a lesser known fact that when The Misfits were resurrected in the late '90s, they actually held semi-open auditions for their new singer before deciding on Michale Graves. Iconic Philly punk rocker Pat Society of Violent Society (and now Battalion Zoska) heeded the call. He traveled up to Lodi to rehearse with the revived band in their proto-form and gave it a shot. Check out Pat's adventure from the '90s below.

Up close and personal with Lande Hekt of Muncie Girls

The hype is real for Exeter’s Muncie Girls, in the little time that the band have been in existence they have toured Europe and The UK extensively and have released two full length albums. They recently released their second LP, Fixed Ideals through Buzz Records and Specialist Subject Records. The new album draws from some of their most personal content that they have ever written. Editor Samantha Barrett spoke with guitarist and vocalist Lande Hekt about the new record and about their upcoming US tour.

Dave Vanian on The Damned's new album, the human race, and cool clothes

As it turns out, Dave Vanian, the guy who is perennially dressed like he's about to go to a funeral, the guy who is often credited with inventing (or at least advancing) goth culture, the guy who co-wrote "I just can't be happy today," is a really upbeat guy. As vocalist for first wave punkers The Damned, Vanian and crew embraced the true ethos of punk more than almost any other band and, instead of running headfirst into three chords, leather jackets, and studs, have spent the last 42 years twisting, turning, and flipping their sound- sometimes it's a garage rock blowout, sometimes it's a gothic nocturne, and sometimes it's an 18-minute avant garde mind warper produced by Hans Zimmerman.

Their brand new album, Evil Spirits finds the band wrapping goth and garage rock melody around a classic punk charge, and the result is an album like only the Damned can do and it is goooood. But despite, the perhaps, heavy nature of some of the tunes, Vanian himself seems downright jovial. In order to understand Vanian's convival nature, Punknews' John Gentile spoke to the singer about the new LP, his fashion sense, and romance.

Thomas Witty of Natterers on the band's first full-length

With the release of each EP over the passed couple of years, the UK’s Natterers have made quite the splash within the contemporary hardcore scene. 2018 is a very different year for the band though. The surf and 80’s hardcore-influenced band has totally outdone themselves with the release of their first full-length Head In Threatening Attitude , which was released on October 5, 2018 through Boss Tuneage Records. They took their sound to a whole different level. Fans of the Punknews Podcast may recall that core members Emma and Thomas made a brief appearance on episode 350 along with other notable punk musicians. But with the release of such an outstanding record, it is time for Natterers to get a proper interview. Contributing editor Ricky Frankel spoke with the band’s guitarist Thomas Witty about some of the songs on Head In Threatening Attitude, the band’s recent line up change, the punk icon that mastered the album, and more. Read or listen to their conversation below or on iTunes.

Photo Credit: Meg Manley