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ALL/Descendents
- "LIVE PLUS ONE" Epitaph by Jason Allen Two for the price of one This is a searing double CD live set from the Descendents and their other incarnation, ALL. It contains a few songs that have been released on some of their other live albums, but is definitely worth it's price. The Descendents disk was recorded in October of 1996 at the Whiskey-a-Go Go in Hollywood, CA. You can tell how much fun these guys were having with Milo back. The ALL disk was recorded at the end of March, 2001 in their current hometown of Fort Collins, CO, at the Starlight. If you like any type of punk, punk-pop, hardcore, or just plain rock music, chances are, you'll like this. If you've every wondered where bands like Blink 182 got their sound, this band is where it originated. Stand out tracks include, Mr. Bass, Birds, Educated Idiot/Life On The Road, Catalina, and, well, the rest of the songs. Overall, I'd give this release six stars out of five. It's their best release in years. - - - - -
ALL
- "PROBLEMATIC" Epitaph by Mat Orefice Maybe this veteran Fort Collins Colorado (by way of L.A.) punk-pop foursome should have titled this disc "More songs about coffee and girls." ALL, who morphed out of the remains of Cali-punk pioneers Descendents in 1987 when singer Chad Price (All's third frontman) replaced Milo Aukerman are back with another hyper-caffeinated collection & their 11th release in 12 years "Problematic" is fast and passionate, featuring sharper-than-ever writing from bassist Karl Alvarez, plus worthy songwriting from stunt-guitarist Stephen Egerton and vocalist Price. Best of the 18-track bunch are the tuneful opener, "Carry You," the virtual love of "www.sara" and "ROIR" a well-written, angst-ridden anti-rich rant that succeeds despite being out of character with the band's trademark lighthearted approach. The band's secret weapon continues to be drummer Bill Stevenson, the most agile and inventive (as well as the most recorded) beat-keeper In modern music. On the minus side, singer Price's throaty bark has the range of a test tone. Known for their energy and intensity ALL and the Descendents may have helped invent the sound of neo pop-punk (the Descendents' first single appeared in '79), but they have yet to cash in or sellout Other pop-core bands have gone on to mall-approved success, but All continues to dish out lovesick, winsome speed-pop that never lets angst get In the way of a catchy melody. - - - - -
"KEEPING
IT ALL TOGETHER" by Matt Schild There's a tired cliche pronouncing "There's no I in team." Had ALL been around in the days cliches were being coined, "There's no I in ALL" may have become the phrase of choice for nerdy high school sports coaches around the world. "We have a real solid grip on the democratic process," said Bill Stevenson, drummer for the band. With three other members alongside Stevenson, bassist Karl Alvarez, guitarist Stephen Egerton and singer Chad Price, throwing ideas into the mix, it is inevitable the combo would have to be flexible. Nearly everything the band has done has been a team decision, Stevenson said, from songwriting to their relocation to Fort Collins in 1994. "We came through a few times and kind of took a liking to it," Stevenson said. Since moving, the band has had its hands full, first building its own recording studio, the Blasting Room, in 1994, then starting up Owned and Operated Records, which released its first full-length album earlier this year with Wretch Like Me's New Ways to Fall. Not content to remain behind-the-scenes players in the music industry, the band has also managed to shove some more irons into the fire by recording three albums since their move. The story of ALL is a long and twisted one, by any band's standards. Forming in Los Angeles as the Descendents in 1978, the band was a three-piece. Soon after the trio, consisting of Stevenson on drums, Tony Lombardo on bass and Frank Navetta on guitar, picked up Milo Aukerman and the basic four-piece layout of the band was established. After enough permutations of guitarists and bassists to make anyone's head spin, Alvarez and Egerton joined the band in 1986. Soon after, Aukerman left the band, Dave Smalley picked up the mic, and the band changed its name to ALL. Since then, the lineup has been somewhat more stable, though Price is the third singer the band has had. Though the band has evolved dramatically over the years, its sound hasn't strayed far from its origins. With driving drums and busy guitar and bass arrangements, ALL continues to produce it's distinctive punk sound. Since moving to Fort Collins, ALL has recorded Pummel, released by Interscope Records, brought both Aukerman and the Descendents moniker back for Epitaph's Everything Sux in 1996 and recorded, once again with Price on the mic and Allroy on the album cover, Mass Nerder for Epitaph, lined up to drop on May 5. Though the lineup and name have gone through changes, Stevenson said there is little difference between the two bands, with songwriting and style being generally the same between the two. "I call it a two-headed baby. The only difference is Chad sings in ALL and Milo sings in Descendents,"he said. "They are the same band with 25 percent different members." The songwriting for the past Descendents album was done while the band was wearing its ALL mask,and many of the tracks on Mass Nerder were written while the Descendents were the focus, Stevenson said. Owning the Blasting Room has changed the way the band looks at recording, Stevenson said. "Recording has really turned into an almost fun thing," he said. "When you have to pay by the hour, you end up compromising things." The band has also been able to record its tracks live from the studio rather than the standard method of laying down each instrument's track individually. This has enabled the band to produce an album reflecting the band's true sound, with a minimum of drop-ins and overdubs, Stevenson said. "We know that records are made in a really dishonest way, so that when we make our record we do it(live)," he said. Unlike many other bands who have a principal songwriter, each member of ALL pens his share of songs, Stevenson said. Though each song is the brainchild of an individual member, the ultimate sound is the product of the band as a whole. "They get the stink of ALL on them no matter who brought them in," Stevenson said with a laugh. Though each band member leaves his own funk on each song, songs are credited to who came up with the meat of the song. Lyrics are credited to help establish each member's identity within the band,Stevenson said. "People may enjoy what particular interests everybody has," he said. "You can feel a sense of honesty, and see we're not making this up out of the air." Many local bands have credited ALL for being the impetus for the Fort Collins music scene, but Stevenson sees their role differently. "If anything, I'd be trying to contribute to it rather than create it," he said. A hefty contribution it is, however. With the take off of Owned and Operated Records, many local acts,such as Bill the Welder, Drag the River and Tanger, are looking at upcoming albums. Though Owned and Operated does not focus exclusively on the Fort Collins scene, local bands are more likely to get signed because its easier to get a feel for locals, since no traveling is required to get a feel for them."Before I want to record and release a band I want to see them live and see what they're all about,"Stevenson said. "I enjoy seeing bands succeed because this type of music is so appealing to me." - - - - -
"P[UNK]-SAT" The following questions test your knowledge of hardcore's old and new schools. If you pass with flying colors, you can move on to college rock. 5. Spike has heard that the 1982 album
Milo Goes to College is a seminal influence on all the new pop-punk
he and his friends love to mosh to, but a bump on the head from an
uncaught stage-dive the night before has caused him to partially lose
his memory, and he can't remember the name of the band that recorded
the LP. When he heads to his local record shop to purchase it, what
group should he ask for? 6. After Milo left the band, former
members of the aforementioned group formed another band, which has
recorded eight albums before recently signing to Interscope. What
is the band's name? - - - - -
ALL
"Pummel" Interscope, LP by David Jenison ALL GO FOR THE GREEN (DAY) Sprung from the Descendents' ashes many years ago, Los Angeles punk force ALL have received much attention for last year's departure to a small Missouri city and their recent settling in the college town of Ft. Collins, Colorado. Another recent move is their change to Interscope after years of recording for Greg Ginn's Cruz label. "In the past year or so we've seen bands like Green Day and Season to Risk turning up at the Wal-Mart in Brookfield, Missouri," remarked bassist Karl Alvarez. "We really like the idea of getting our records in places where people go who aren't hip to the Mom and Pop record stores that traditionally carry the independents. People forget that punk rock was on the majors early on with bands like Iggy and the Ramones. The fact that the major labels ignored the real groundbreaking rock of the '80s gave everyone a real bad feeling about the majors, but as it stands now, they are starting to get a little hipper." Having built their own studio to record their debut, the band expects the new album to be released next March. - - - - -
ALL - Interview If any band could claim the crown as most roadworthy, All would have to be serious con- tenders. Their regimen of constant touring and recording isn’t for the weak-hearted. Total commitment is required. All formed from the ashes of the Descendents after vocalist Milo Aukerman left to pursue a degree and career in biochemistry. Dave Smalley was the band’s first vocalist, leaving after one LP and EP, replaced by Scott Reynolds. Scott stuck around for more than three years and a bunch of tours and recordings, before leaving and was replaced by Chad Price. Chad’s debut is the “Breaking Things” album, a return to form after the somewhat disappointing ”Percolator.” All’s incredibly tight musical trio consists of bassist Karl Alvarez, guitarist Stephen Egerton and drummer Bill Stevenson. With the assistance of Stu Ginsberg from WMWM, I interviewed Bill and Karl in the noisy confines of the Middle East Bakery... SV: You guys are constantly touring and recording. What keeps you going after all these years? Bill: Coffee. SV: Anyplace in the US that stands out for coffee? Bill: I like Sufficient Grounds in Berkeley. Karl: Yeah, that’s good. Espresso Arno in Columbia, MO is good. That’s close to home so we frequent that one. SV: Why did Scott leave the band? Bill: He just didn’t want to do it anymore. We kind of reached an impasse. Karl: In our band, we don’t have people die of romantic heroin overdoses and stuff like that. We have people leave because of disinterest or other interests. Prickly human kind of things like that that don’t involve the trauma and heartbreak of some stupid idiot sticking a needle in his veins. The secret is we barbecued and ate him and that’s why he isn’t with us anymore. He was kind of tough, though. It tasted like cigarettes. You’ve got to get them young. if you’re going to eat’em fresh. SV: So is there a big cannibalism scene in Brookfield, MO? Bill: Yeah, it’s thriving. But there’s still a lot of racism and sexism involved in the cannibalism scene. Karl: People like the dark meat and they like the white meat and you can’t change their preferences. Bill: I’m a vegan cannibal. I just eat the hair and the eyelashes. SV: So what’s Brookfield like? Karl: You know Mayberry? It’s like Mayberry. SV: Every band is getting signed to a major label these days. I’m sure you guys have been approached. Bill: My uncle’s been approached. SV: How do you guys feel about all that? Bill: It really depends on the specifics of the arrangement. That’s a very, very complicated question. It depends on what they’re being signed to do and, also, what the compensation is. The compensation for their work and what their work involves and how long the terms are. It’s pretty complicated. At this point, at least for the next two years, it’s going to be a lot cooler or trendier to be on an indy, because everybody’s on a major now, and a lot of these bands are selling 3 or 4000 copies on majors. Ian’s selling 4 or 500,000 copies (I think it’s more 150-200--AL) and so’s Brett and we do ours through Cruz. SV: Bad Religion just signed with Atlantic, though. Bill: I don’t know what’s up with that. I’m just saying it’s better right now to be on an indy for the time being. This happened in the late 70s/ early 80’s with all the skinny-tie bands and the same thing’s happening right now with the bathtub- clogging hair bands, Pearl Garden and all that. It’s the same thing that happened with all the skinny-tie bands. In the lone run, it’s going to screw things up for those kind of folks that are trying to cash in. With All, we have a developed fan base and a sort of integrity that goes along with our thing and that’s something that’s long- standing and not trendy. But we also don’t come in and play huge shows because we don’t have that trendy hype going on. It’s something more solid. Karl: We also don’t have a press agent whose waiting to magnify our doings for someone. SV:(Stu): How do you feel about SST reissuing all the Descendents’ stuff and making money off things like “Somery”? Bill: We did that. We make money off it. You know what, “Somery” sold more than any of the Descendents albums put together. All the kids are just now getting into it and, so that way, they can buy one record and kind of get into it and see what it’s all about and, then if they really like it, they can buy all the other records. See, back when we were touring, nobody came to see us. It’s only now the Descendents have become popular. Karl: We have a secret to success for any up and coming band. Bill: Change your band name. Karl: Yeah, change your band name. Or break your band up and your singles will go for 30 bucks a pop. Bill: And have the singer die. It’s rad...the Descendents’ stuff sells so much since it doesn’t exist. Now we get a lot of interest. SV: (Stu): I’ve always considered the Descendents the godfathers of this style and now a lot of the bands you’ve influenced, like the Doughboys, are getting signed. Karl: Yeah but see, being signed is not an end to itself. That is a means to an end, the end being getting your records out. Bill: We make tons of money off the band. We’ve never had jobs. We just do it in a way that’s not...You might think Michael Jackson is rich and that we all work at McDonald’s but there’s a lot of areas in between there. You can have a profit...it’s like with your magazine. You’re not Rolling’ Stone but, yet, you’re probably able to manage. Karl: It’s like minor league ballclubs. Some of them have the most fanatical followings. period, but they’re not going to be on NBC. Bill: Besides bands like that are cooler. Once a band gets to be Madonna-sized. I don’t like to go see them because they’re not special anymore. When it’s, like, me and my buddies and we go see their band, it’s kind of special. but if the whole world finds out about ‘em. It’s not really that special anymore. Karl: There’s kind of a limit as to how many people you can have at a show and have it not be some big, amorphous mass of people. SV: Sort of like with Nirvana, where there’s a big increase in the idiot quotient. Karl: Nirvana kick a lot of ass and still do as much as they ever did and it’s not their fault that everyone decided they were god. Bill: I’m glad Karl’s plugging ‘em because they need some exposure. SV: It’s funny, because a lot of bands say they want to reach a larger audience and some of their fans get this attitude that it’s not cool because it’s not an underground thing anymore. It sounds almost like elitism. Karl: Exactly. I believe so. I think that you run into that more on the alternative level than anywhere else because you’ve got a thing where there’s an ”anyone can do it” ethic going on. Anyone can start a hand, have a band, whatever, so, basically, there’s a jealousy thing operative if the band gets anywhere. And one way a bunch of guys who are just starting out can make themselves appear larger- the cheapest and easiest way is to tear down something bigger than themselves. It’s a cheap way to get your band exposure, set yourself apart from this other thing. SV: We’ve all read the sad story of the Trailblazer (All’s portable toilet). What have you guys been doing since its demise? Have you found a substitute? Karl: We have found no substitute, but we must admit we’ve tried. So far, club bathrooms base improved. We’ve been doing better. Bill: When we wrote that, those were the days of touring, back there, in shitholes. with no...l mean. Stuff has improved for us. Usually, there’s OK bathrooms. If not, I still use the double cup method. Or I’ll just do it behind the trailer on the ground. like neanderthal man. Karl: I mean. if no one’s going to provide a restroom for you, the least you can do is show your appreciation. So we’ve left heaps of appreciation from coast to coast. Steaming heaps of appreciation. SV: On “Politics.” on the new album, you say ‘keep your politics out of my music,” Can you expand on that? Karl: Well, it’s like this, I think maybe one of the purposes of music is to transcend politics and I think when you’re judging music with a political criteria, you’re ignoring a lot. because music is not political. Music is notes and things swirling around in the air. I think that the bulk of the Critical establishment favorably reviews music because of a political slant. Not because of the music, at all and it kind of misrepresents what the thing is about. And, also. I feel like any time a magazine favorably reviews a left-wing band, a la maybe Mekons or the Clash. That just opens up the door to the right-leaning bands-”Oh, it’s cool to be political in a rock band? Cool, we’ll start Skrewdriver.” It gets so asinine and it was only our statement to keep your politics out of our music and my music. SV: There are people who will ignore the musical content and say a band is good be- cause of the political content, but the music can still stuck. Karl: Exactly, and I think that’s a real problem. I think the straight-edge bands suffer from that a lot because straight and alert’s cool and every- thing, but it don’t mean much to me unless you can show me what you’re doing with your straightness and alertness in such a way that it sounds interesting to me, that it makes me curious about what you’re doing. It’s an easy rallying point to get people to like your rock band if you have a political stance. It’s easy. You’re preaching to the converted and your faithful converted will come and see your band. That’s another cheap and easy trick you can use. SV: (Stu): How do you feel about the marijuana initiative? Karl: I think they should legalize it. There’s too many good people in jail for no good reason. Bill: I think it’s make people stoned. What’s the marijuana initiative? SV: (Stu): For instance, Urge Overkill and Cypress Hill are putting information in their CD’s in favor of legalization. Karl: What are they trying to do to get it legalized? You’ve got to take that with a grain of salt because it’s like this. Ii you’re confining your political activity strictly to a musical thing, it’s stupid. You’ve got to get outside this musical frame of mind of. like, if I speak the truth from my stage, it will change things. You’ve got to have dudes on the street doing this stuff. Bill: A friend of mine pointed out this out to me..all these bands that are out there speaking out in favor in abortion. But it’s like, let’s see,you’re 21, you’re out touring in a rock band, fucking all these girls and you’re pro-abortion? Well, isn’t that something. Isn’t that a surprise. Man, you’re really dedicated to the cause, aren’t you? It sounds like personal self-interest to me. - - - - - Return to Top
ALL "Breaking Things" Cruz,
LP by Mike Daly Loud. Fast. Rough. Serious. Funny. Beautiful. Adjectives that best describe All’s Breaking Things. Not since Bad Religion’s "Recipe For Hate" have I heard a record that kicked such major ass, yet had such sweet melodies. This happens so rarely I’m almost speechless. I wanna bang my head, sing like a bird, love like a stud, sweat like a pig. and break things. Of course, no human being can do all of these at once, so weeping like a baby seems to be the only logical response. Guys named Price, Alvarez, Stevenson and Egerton take us through identity crises (“Original Me”), strip bars (“Strip Bar”), the pain of abortion (“Birthday I.O.U.”), romantic bliss (“Right”) and torment (“Shreen,” “Guilty,” ‘Stick”). They give us pep talks (“‘Cause”); get restless (“Bail”); get laid (“Horizontal”);drive recklessly (“Rosco”), lose faith (“Crucified”); and demand a blow job from the president (“Politics”). Yes, it’s a long. eventful. even arduous journey. and it may well make you tired-but in a rock ‘n’ roll sort of way. Fuckin’ phenomenal record. - - - - - Return to Top
ALL
"Percolater" Cruz, LP by Deborah Orr JACKPOT! This is All. This is All’s sixth record. Even though All now live in Missouri, where the only coffee you can get is Folgers or MBJ, they still make lots of references to the coffee lifestyle. All try changing tempos a little on this record, creating suspense by slowing things down, reminding us of Youth Brigade once they dropped the “Youth” and signed to Enigma, or 7 Seconds around the same epoch. All’s new vocalist, Scott Reynolds, can’t always hit those high notes on the choruses but an endearing, youthful effect is achieved when his voice cracks. While some of All’s more experimental efforts are a little on the flatulent side (like a whole track of someone tuning a guitar). “Dot” is classic All, whizzy and boiling over with happy punk sentiments, and “Wonder,” “Empty” and “Minute” remain true to formula showing there’s life in that spiky haired Allroy cartoon character yet. - - - - -
ALL "Dot" Cruz, CD-5 by MM Don’t try and understand the conflicting energy that is All. Just enjoy. Spawned from the ashes of The Descendents, All just want to drink gallons of coffee and play hundreds of shows. Is there a problem? They care not a bit about haircuts and attitudes, disregarding shoegazing and sonic reduction in favor of playing exactly what they want to play. The band even moved from Southern California to the peaceful backwoods of Brookfield, MO to shed any ‘scene’ image. Older tracks like “Just Perfect”’ and “She’s My Ex” have shown the band adept at a Sort of fuzz-bang-pop energy--- hooks with equal parts brain and heart. “Dot” is from this mold, as is the speedier "Can't Say”. Sandwiched between the two is a wacky cover of Johnny Cash’s seminal “A Boy Named Sue”-- just for kicks. Isn’t that what life should be all about? Play this ten times a day and call us in the morning. No excuses! - - - - -
"ALL
OR NOTHING" by Daniel B. Levine HE DOESN’T CHANT mantras; nor does he gaze into crystals. Instead guitarist Stephen Egerton finds enlightenment by playing with All, a band whose unique blend of rifts and metaphysics revolve around food, girls and coffee. It’s the Allular way of life, says Egerton. By observing only their own unique sets of commandments (including Thou shalt not partake of decaf and Thou shalt not commit adulthood) Stephen and the band have been going for all since 1988, when drummer Bill Stevenson (who did time with Black Flag) formed the group from the ashes of the Descendents, the legendary Southern California brat-punk outfit. Since then, Stephen’s combination of jazzy noodlings, caffeinated powerchords and inescapable pop hooks have propelled All through countless tours and six albums, including their latest, Percolator (Cruz). "Touring is a constant thing for us", says Egerton. "After a show, we all pile in the van and play songs- we’ve got thousands of them. When it comes time to record, we just play our favorites. I guess that’s why our albums are somewhat disorienting -there’s all these completely different things happening on the same record." Disorienting or not, All’s music has earned the band one of the largest and most devoted followings in the punk underground. I don’t think we can make music any differently, says the guitarist. Albums should get across the personality of the band that makes them, and we’re really just a bunch of nerds - we’ve just graduated to a bigger high school. - - - - -
ALL
"Percolater" Cruz, LP by Maureen Odell Percolater, ALL’s outstanding fourth LP is a fun, happy, energetic popcore treasure. Having descended from the Descendents, it’s only natural for ALL to enjoy keeping their groovy songs short and sweet and they do. But incorporating a gleeful pop sound to their speedy trademark tempo is what this Missouri-based (by way of LA) quartet really excels at. "Nothin," "Dot," "Birds," and the great "Wonder" are just a few of the, dare I say, “perky”, pop punk ditties to be found on this immensely impressive release It’s ALL or nothing, folks! - - - - -
ALL "Trailblazer" Cruz 010,
LP (Pop) Southern California punk-popsters, now relocated to the Midwest, burn with a white-hot flame on first live album, cut at CBGB’s last summer. Record is a tightly wound exposition of their hearty, cleverly wrought post-adolescent rockers, played with bash-out energy and knowingly sung by Scott Reynolds. A terrific bet that’s still being woefully overlooked by modern rockers. - - - - -
ALL "Trailblazer" Cruz, LP
(Indy) by Chris Morris Pop songforms and pure punk energy lock horns on this whipsaw live set, recorded at CBGB’s last summer. ALL, which grew out of the ashes of SoCal’s Descendents, views the road as its natural habitat (the album takes its name from a brand of portable toilet), and the dub date caught herein captures the sweetly cranked-up fervor that has become the quartette’s hallmark. Vocalist Scott Reynolds work is rawer here than on ALL’s more polished yet still febrile studio records (Allroy’s Revenge may be the place for initiated to begin), but the explosive tenderness of numbers like “Fool”, “Skin Deep”, and “She’s My Ex” combines the songwriting assets of the Buzzcocks and early Black Flag. To cop another title, most of this stuff is just “perfect.” - - - - -
ALL
"Trailblazer" Cruz, LP by Steven Mirkin Consistently touring, Los Angeles-based (though rumoured to be Missouri-bound) ALL have earned themselves a reputation as a live act that is not to be missed. Their new release, Trailblazer, shows why. Recorded last October in front of an appreciative crowd at CBGB’s, these descendents of the Descendents prove themselves to be one tight outfit. Led by the propulsive drumming of Bill Stevenson, they remind me of the early ‘80s SST bands: echoes of Husker Du and Black Flag, but poppier. They’re good at what they do; “Postage” sports a nice angular guitar solo, the rhythm section chugs and propels, they are one tight unit. And the singer declaims only somewhat-audible lyrics. Like the Indigo Girls and their ilk (to pull a comparison right out of left field), earnestness is an. but those neo-folk bands just aren’t as much fun to listen to. The energy level starts out high - and goes up from there. And a few songs (“She’s My Ex”, “Box”, and “Sex In The Way”, to name three) even have pretty catchy vocal lines. LA’s loss is Missouri’s gain. (Box 7756. Long Beach, CA 90607) - - - - -
"ALTERNATE
CURRENTS" by Ara Corbett ALL, one of the local scene's strongest outfits, have just moved to the unlikely locale of Brookfield, Missouri. Drummer Bill Stevenson's father has rented out a four-bedroom house to the burly bunch, who'll collectively increase Brookfield's population from 5500 to 5504. "We can't afford to live in LA," Stevenson explained days before the haul. "I've been living under my desk for nine years. The last time I had a bedroom was in early high school." For a band on the road eight months of every year, homesickness won't be a problem. The move is being gratefully embraced, actually. Stevenson recently bought fishing poles for himself, bassist Karl Alvarez, guitarist Stephen Egerton and singer Scott Reynolds from his former employers, Hermosa Tackle, to catch up on an almost-forgotten ALL tradition, fishing. Their new live LP, Trailblazer (worth buying for the liner notes alone), is appropriately dedicated to the portable toilet with the identical brand name. With defecation in pizza boxes, 24-ounce Styrofoam cups and the Anticlub bathroom behind them, ALL look to begin a more wholesome, if not more hygienic, new life. "We're kinda like squares," Stevenson says. "You've seen picture of us - we're geeks. There isn't anything here for us that we can't provide for ourselves. Big city, small city - you're still the same individual." - - - - -
ALL
"Trailblazer" Cruz, LP by Jon Matsumato Some punk is nihilistic. Some punk is political. Some punk is pure unadulterated fun. Color ALL the latter and add a little laughing gas for emphasis Trailblazer certainly isn’t a trailblazing album. But as far as live LPs go, this is like riding shotgun on the band’s tour van. as it screams down Route 66. While oilier punkazoid outfits have slowed the tempo or gone quasi-metal. ALL continues to lay the bricks on the rhythmic accelerator. Geez, the quartet hardly even bothers to stop to catch it’s collective breath. Songs segue together with such frequency that you end up with what seems like several marathon slam-jams. In this sweaty, hell-bent-for-fun atmosphere (the legendary CBGB’s to be exact), melody does tend to take a backseat to reverie. Fortunately, All (as it was in it’s previous Descendents incarnation) is a band that can get away with this type of controlled chaos – most of the time anyway. With song titles like “Postage”, “Sex in the Way”, and “Gnutheme,” don’t look for Dylan-type social acuity. This is the type of brat-rock that might result if you weaned a bunch of frat musicians on the Buzzcocks and the Ramones rather than on Bryan Adams and Van Halen. Though newish vocalist Scott Reynolds is merely serviceable, the rest of the band is in fine fettle. Billy Stevenson’s hammering drum shots are still lethal weapons, while Stephen Egerton also serves up some marvelously warped Black Flag-ish guitar parts. Toss in several snippets of funk and a few hollerin’ harmonies for variety, and you’ve got a pretty happening punk album for the new post-post-post-punk decade. - - - - -
ALL
FOR NOTHING IN BROOKFIELD, MO by Keith Moerer Every year, thousands of Midwestern kids pack four to a van and move to New York or Los Angeles to chase fortunes in the music industry, living in, cruddy but not cheap hotels where they scrape together money for beer and pay-to-play gigs. The
guys who make up the pop-punk outfit All had a better idea. After
years of living and playing in the LA suburb of Lomita, they packed
their guitars, amps, and fishing rigs, and moved to Brookfield, Missouri
(pop. 3,500). Call it career tide, call it group psychosis, but All
drummer Bill Stevenson claims it's the most pragmatic move the band's
ever made. Consider: “I just said, ‘I can’t do this anymore,’” explains Redondo Beach native Stevenson, who’s spent the last seven years sleeping on the floor underneath a desk, at least when not drumming for All or his previous bands, the Descendents and Black Flag. “The area we were in became infested with other groups that were more interested in smokin' dope and drinking and all that. It became a party center, which I just can’t stand.” Though self-recorded on a minuscule budget, the band’s last studio album, Allroy’s Revenge, won significant airplay on KITS in San Francisco, and over the years the group has picked up important fans like critic Jon Pareles of the New York Times. Still, the band has struggled. “We kinda do better in college towns, but where we do best is in these nowhere towns like Green Bay, where there’s not a hip media thing going. ‘Cause we’re not hip—we’re not even hip with the punkers or whatever.’" Why Brookfield, a farm town four hours from St. Louis and two hours from Des Moines? For one thing, it’s where Stevenson’s dad was born, and the house they live in belongs to him (they’re paying the same rent as the previous tenants). Stevenson’s dad currently lives in the California desert, but the drummer still has family, an uncle and aunt, living in Brookfield. "I probably have other relatives here that I don’t know about, because small towns are kinda . . . you know what I mean? Maybe everyone here is a relative." When we talked to Stevenson, the band had just returned from one such tour, and the drummer was anxious to settle into his adopted hometown, build some new custom fishing rods (“We’re all really into fishing”), and reassure the locals, still apprehensive about punk rockers disturbing the peace of their sleepy town. Has Stevenson discovered any drawbacks to living in Brookfield yet? “The only disadvantage is that there’s not really anything going on culturally or socially—nothing. But were not interested in disturbing these people’s quiet existence. We’re more interested in something of that nature ourselves.” - - - - -
ALL-"Trailblazer"
(Cruz CRZ010/CD)***1/2 by Leo Finlay ANYONE WHO’s heard last year’s excellent ‘Allroy’s Revenge’ will understand why the ‘undertones of hardcore’ tag lends itself so readily to ALL. Twelve frantically paced and utterly infectious tracks marked them down as one of the few current core bands you could sing along to. It helped of course that the band features three ex-Descendents giving them a classy tradition to follow on. ‘Trailblazer’, recorded last July in CBGB’s repeats seven of ‘Allroy’s ...’ tracks, and while none are treated drastically differently the live sound makes for an even more compelling mix. The new tracks show no loss of energy either. And the fact that the 14 tracks clock in at just over 30 minutes means there’s no time to get bored. You won’t find anything great lyrically here, but for sheer good-time rock’n’roll it’d be hard to match ‘Fool’ or ‘She’s My Ex’, and the ridiculously manic, yet catchy, instrumental ‘Gnutheme’ just has to be played repeatedly. It’ll never be a case of ALL or nothing, but this is one of those little gems you’ll keep going back to. - - - - -
ALL interview by Pat Graham intro by Troy Nelsen In 1978, a teenage drummer/songwriter/producer named Bill Stevenson formed the now legendary Descendents. Feeding off the energy of the Southern California punk scene and black coffee. The group played bittersweet pop songs that cut like a chainsaw. Eleven albums, and nearly as many members later, only the band’s name has been changed to protect the innocent. All’s current line-up consists of: Stephan Egerton, a lean guitarist who fills the void between Tony Iommi and Andy Summers; Karl Alvarez, who pounds the melody into your head with his thumping bass lines; red-haired Scott Reynolds, with a voice like an angry canary: and of course Bill, the drummer trained to kill. After a winter tour of Europe, the boys crossed the U.S. in support of their new live LP Trailblazer. The following is a conversation with Bill and Karl after their April 27th show at the Unicorn. SR: What do you guys think of Europe? - - - - -
Fringe
Benefits - ALL by D. Parker I just finished experiencing the latest effort of California’s ALL entitled TRAILBLAZER, which was recorded raw & alive last July at CBGB’s in the big smooze, New York City & now I want to see this band live. . . .RIGHT NOW. The band consists of Scott Reynolds, voice; Stephen Egerton, guitar; Karl Alvarez, bass & Bill Stephenson on drums & if these 14, yes, 14 tracks aren’t "Just Perfect" "Skin Deep" "Carnage" then I must be confused about what pressurized punk/hardcore/rock, that is to say, the scarred, writhing remains of the post-punk pop invasion version of pressurized punk/hardcore/rock is....and I don’t think I am. I’m just amazed. One doesn’t get a chance to hear bands like this anymore....forget in London, Ontario, Canada. Songs like "Sex In The Way"; "Box"; "Fool"; "Postage"; & "Copping Zs" (I could list all 14 cuts if you’d rather, make ya wanna run out & do something, change things while all the while dancing. And not only is ALL gonna play at our own Call The Office, babies,[That’s Thursday July 12], but they’re gonna be releasing another album soon [which you’ll find at The Record Dealer on Richmond Street, who, by the way, are presenting ALL this time around]. So if you’re not there on July 12th, it would be kinda stupid being somewhere else. CTO — JULY 12 — ALL the way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - - - - -
"UPCOMING
TOURS " Coincidentally the American guitar contingent will also be making it’s presence felt in the UK this autumn/winter. And leading the way will be ALL- the band who rose from the ashes of underground cult group The Descendents, still cited as an influence by many bands over here. Touring Europe for the first time on the back of import interest in their LP ‘Allroy’s Revenge’, their passionate steely sound will win them innumerable fans and have them lorded as kings. - - - - -
"A
NEW STYLE IN ROCK 'N' ROLL BY THE GROUP ALL" by Jon Pareles Somewhere between the churning. stop-start attack of hard-core rock and more melodic pop songwriting, a revved-up. post-punk rock style is starting to jell. ALL, one of the best ‘popcore” bands, came to CBGB on Wednesday night as part of a New Music Seminar showcase, with a punk-length (40-minute) set that had hardcore fans diving from he stage as other audience members hummed along with guitar lines. All was formed by three ex-members of a California band, the Descendents. with a new singer. Scott Reynolds. Its songs. like those of the Descendents. rake up adolescent concerns - lust and romance, disillusion with the adult world. frustration - without much self-importance posturing. "I set myself up for this stupid situation," goes one love song. All’s songs move at a furious pace but can stop on a dime. In high gear, the band suggests a sunnier version of the Ramones. While some of its newer songs have the yearning tunefulness of the Replacements. All’s blaring guitar chords and a crisply explosive rhythm section only make good tunes better. - - - - -
by Kevin Byrne Heavy bass, blistering drumming, and wild antics from the lead vocalist is the best summary of seeing ALL. The band has been around under the previous monkier of the Descendents back in the days Milo was a part of the fun. ALL today is much more of a popcore unit than a thrash band. Karl Alvarez handles the bass like it is fire. He pumps the living stuffings out of each note while the newest addition, Scott Reynolds, controls the pace. But the whole highlight of the evening is watching Bill Stevenson crack his drum kit to shreds. A vet of the hardcore days of Black Flag, Bill has been able to handle the pace that he has been a part of for many years. No wear or tear was present at the gig. It was strictly business for ALL. The main feature was material from the new LP Allroy’s Revenge with the high point being "Scary Sad." There was lots of attention paid Stephen Egerton's guitar axe as he mixed in well with the band but it would have been nice if the level was higher. I’ve seen ALL twice before and they are a group that has not failed me yet. thanks to Cruz Records for having the power to bring ALL to our town. Popcore rules? I thought so after witnessing ALL!!!!!! - - - - -
Noteworthy
Albums For The First Half of '89: All — "Allroy’s
Revenge" Cruz by Cary Darling Though All has the abrasive guitar crunch of hardcore, it is imbued with so much melody and wit (especially on side two), that it transcends any associations with the style. Tracks like "She’s My Ex" and "Mary" have all the ragged glory of early Replacements. If these guys were from Minneapolis, instead of Lomita, they’d probably be huge. - - - - -
ALL
- "Allroy's Revenge" LP by "3-D" I keep trying to make myself believe that this (and the previous two All records) is really a Descendents album. It's not working though. No Miloage. Still, I am hooked. This is pretty much the only band whose love songs I actually enjoy hearing. I relate to most of ‘em, unfortunately. I believe this to be the best All record so far...the songs are more powerful at times, more infectiously hooky at times, and the new kid, Scott Reynolds, blows Smalley away. I didn’t like that guy at all. Another point of interest is that some of the music was written by long former member Tony Lombardo. Also, this will definitely get my vote for Cutest Album Cover of ‘89. Cruz P.O.Box 7756 Long Beach. CA 90807 - - - - -
ALL
- Allroy's Revenge (Cruz) by Chris Morris One of the great delights of listening to post-punk rock 'n' roll is running across a band that can bang hard without sacrificing devotion to melody or lyrical acuity. In this stylistic lineage are groups such as the Buzzcocks (actually the original punk model of the form). Husker Du and the Minutemen, whose melodic structures were tightly wound into flaring 60-second chunks. To this august group, we can now add ALL, a Southern California-based quartet that has come into its own with its second full-length album, Allroy's Revenge. Spawned from the remains of the old SST Records demi-hard-core act the Descendents, All writes tunes that, for the most part, hold their own with the best work of their noble melody-punk precursors. No one songwriter can claim the best work, although ex-Black Flag drummer Bill Stevenson weighs in with the most consistent writing in "She’s My Ex," "Carnage" and the suicide psychodrama "Scary Sad." The wild card on the new album is newly recruited lead singer Scott Reynolds, who replaces original bellower Dave Smalley. In addition to his warm. open-throated singing, Reynolds contributes the album’s best number, the raving unrequited teen-love stomper "Mary" ("I’m not surprised this happens all the time. My hand lights her cigarette inside my mind And she’s never seen me before") As both a vocalist and a writer. Reynolds is a real find. And All has all the instrumental chops to support its acute writing, Guitarist Stephen Egerton chords puissantly, bassist Karl Alvarez shows the melodic flair of John Entwistle at times, and skinman Stevenson has long been one of SoCal"s most redoubtable punk-oriented thrashers. Sweetly souped-up and manically graceful Allroy's Revenge is one of the best records to issue forth recently from the West Coast street-rock crux. - - - - -
ALL.
. .Or Nothing At All by Steve Stolder It's after midnight at the Chatterbox, a shoebox of a punk club closeted in San Francisco’s Mission District. On the low-slung stage, All are racing through songs from their first album and soon-to-be-released follow-up (Allroy Sez and Allroy's Revenge, respectively), their one EP (Allroy For Prez), plus a few choice selections from the days when the group was known as the Descendents, near seminal LA punks who debuted with a single in 1979 and issued a handful of records though 1987, when they transmuted into All. Front and center is vocalist Scott Reynolds, making his debut before Bay Area followers and looking like young Roger Daltrey in jeans and a T-shirt In contrast to his recently departed predecessor, the more demonstrative and garrulous Dave Smalley. Reynolds is the kind of singer who simply plants his feet, closes his eyes, and emotes! He’s flanked by guitarist Stephen Egerton and bassist Karl Alvarez, seriously working their way through multiple rapid-fire chord changes and tricky tempo shifts Behind the trio, pounding his way through a maelstrom of sweat and wood chips. is Bill Stevenson, the lone connection to the original Descendents and the groups anchor—the man who established ‘"All Central," the Lomita three-storefront compound where the band lives, plays and rehearses (and rehearses and rehearses, if stories about the hardworking quartet are to be believed.) The set completed with a flurry, a wild-eyed Stevenson rushes off the stage only to be blocked by a well-wisher. For a moment it appears that the wide-shouldered drummer is prepared to pummel the poor guy, but instead he snarls at him, shoves him rudely out of the way, and stalks the length of the bar toward the exit. Several weeks later, while seated with Alvarez and a young woman friend at a cafe a few blocks from the club. Stevenson recalls the incident "I apologized to him," Stevenson promises "I mean, here he was trying to tell me I was a great drummer or something and I do that to him. I take myself too seriously sometimes. When I get on stage, I try to relax and just enjoy playing, but I just can’t." After tossing down a cappuccino like a glass of water, he reconsiders and dismisses the offended party as being a little foolish for getting too near him at the wrong time. Dangerous business, he promises with an intense glare. Intensity is what All are all about... Stevenson and Alvarez are all too willing to present their spew about the philosophy of All—basically living life to the fullest...... eschewing human boundaries you get the idea The doctrine is best expressed though on the records. Musically, the frantically tight All show off their debts to their heroes... Along with obvious guiding lights (the Ramones, Black Flag, and The Last, whose latest SST release was produced by Stevenson), there are the unexpected icons, fusion heroes the Mahavishnu Orchestra, art-rockers King Crimson, go-go gods Trouble Funk, Frank Zappa, (Stevenson's dream band would be the original Black Sabbath fronted by Little Richard, if that tells you anything.) He likes to go to the symphony, particularly if Stravinsky or Beethoven are on the program. All four members provide songs for the group with material ranging from the some truly wonderful power-pop (Reynolds ought-to-be-a-hit "Mary", Stevenson’s equally strong "She's Mv Ex"’) to metallic (Alvarez and Egerton’s "Copping Z's"). Lyrically, the material is frequently marked by the tortured romantic angst of Stevenson—tracks like "Scary Sad" ("Every doctor, every shrink, every bloody bathroom sink! All the filth we tried to hide/Just a face I needed to be beside") and "Net" (I prefer the dead of night! To living with a breathing lie that looks like you / And I prefer the cold of heart/To warming up to someone who reminds me of you"). Stevenson’s songs center on a couple locked together in a to-the-death romance that’s somehow touching and, indeed, scary sad. He's glad to describe the situation. His former girlfriend, ("She's on probation now"), has had drug problems (he swears he’s never taken anything and isn't too crazy about liquor either) but like the song says, "I can’t expect she’ll change her ways can’t accept the things she done/ She's just my ex she’ll always be my ex." For Stevenson, that says it ALL. - - - - -
ALL
- Chedsey Interview All
were interviewed at Alfredo's Mexican Restaurant in Lomita by Al,
Joy, Kirk, Stephanie and Paul. Stephen from All was very sick that
night and missed out on dinner. |