Quote Unquote Records

Last month as I was sifting through about a dozen or so whiny interlinked suburban hardcore groups I found something quite interesting. An indie label called Quote Unquote Records with the strangest marketing strategy I've ever heard about, that is to say they don't have one. All records produced and marketed are available for free download on the label's website, no catch. Founded in 2006 by Jeff Rosenstock (Who also fronts the band Bomb The Music Industry!) the label operates on a "Donation Only" basis, which includes suggested donations of about five bucks for any of the already fifteen releases the label has racked up in the past year, of course however the albums themselves are completely free. 

Quote Unquote Records

At Myspace



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The Bands Of Quote Unquote

Bomb The Music Industry!
(Various, USA)

Think- Centered around Jeff Rosenstock, the Ska/Punk/Electronic collective is somewhat of a hit or miss. Depending on which of its 20+ "members" happens to be on hand for recording or touring the bands sound can sway from horrid drunken crap to well crafted punk and ska. In 2004 after The Arrogant Sons of a Bitches went on hiatus Rosenstock opted to, instead of becoming a vapid alcoholic, record an album under the name Bomb The Music Industry. Doing so alone he crafted Album Minus Band, From there things took off as old band-mates, friends, and fans all seemed interested in performing the songs live and from this stemmed BTMI's revolving door membership system. The music is always unrelentingly energetic and erratic which sometimes rocks (Free Bird) and sometimes does not rock, does not rock a whole lot.

Try-
Frrrrrrreeeee Biiiiirrrrrrd! (Album Minus Band)
Even Winning Feels Bad (Goodbye Cool World)
Side Projects Are Never Successful (Goodbye Cool World)

Total Downloads- Total Download

(Try this first: Quote Unquote Records)

Website

Myspace

Purevolume

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The Matt Kurz One
(Richmond, Virginia)

Think- Primarily banished to the world of Mary Poppins rip offs and various forms of computer made crap, the one man band has long been thought dead. But alas! we find our hero Matt Kurz a shining example among a sea of completely retard ed idiots banging on steel string acoustics. After playing for several bands Kurz thought his music days were over. However after recurring dreams of an old bluesman who played with his feet and a trip to San Francisco, he was inspired to start his band in which he is featured simultaneously playing five instruments...on every track...even during recording.

Try- Everything Is Boring Now

Total Download- His two albums "If You Can't Join 'Em, Beat 'Em" and "Impending Doom Is No Excuse"

(Try this first: Quote Unquote Records)

Website

Myspace

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The Livingbrooks
(Long Island, New York)

Think- The Long Island Trio (Featuring our old friend Matt Kurz) formed during that hazy pre-myspace world of 2001 and unfortunately dispersed after releasing its debut; Easily one of the best albums on Quote Unquote records Night Of The Livingbrooks has a timelessly great "Surf Punk" sound. Really!, no joke check out the undeniable charm (Well, Punk charm) of Baldwin or Big Muff Buddah.

Try- Big Muff Buddah

Total Downloads- The debut album Night of the Livingbrooks

(Try this first: Quote Unquote Records)


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Pegasuses-XL
(Athens, Georgia)

Think- The only band on the label that raps. Although rap they do Pegasuses-XL is not a rap band. What Peagasuses-XL is, is one set of killer drums, two synthesizers, beat boxing, and a shit-load of cool. As you read this the band is putting the final touches on it's new album Antiphon which can be sampled at their myspace.

Try- Welcome To It(,) Me , Every House Is Not A Homie, and 600$ Man.

Total Downloads- The bands three EP's The Midnight Aquarium, Pegasuses XL, and Third EP and the upcoming full length Antiphon.


(Try this first: Quote Unquote Records)

Myspace


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Chotto Ghetto
(Santa Monica, California)

Think- After releasing its debut on another label Chotto Ghetto switched to Quote Unquote for it's followup EP entitled simply "Rampage". While not actually "Hardcore" the band is often labeled that way, In reality they give off a feel more akin to The Refused or The Bronx.

Try- Holy Wars

Total Downloads- The Rampage EP and one track off of their debut Shooting Devils.

(Try this first: Quote Unquote Records)

Website

Myspace

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Other bands (That I'm too lazy to write about) that are associated with the label include:
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Cheeky
(Long Island/Brooklyn, New York)

Bi-gender punk band with a great guitar and strange lyrical subject matter.

(Try this first: Quote Unquote Records)
Myspace
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Rick Johnson And The Rock And Roll Machine

What isn't already explained in the title?

(Try this first: Quote Unquote Records)
Website
Myspace
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The Riot Before

My Favorite, I had the pleasure to see these guys live. They have an amazing back catalogue and based on the songs from their upcoming release they played during their show here we can expect great things to come.

(Try this first: Quote Unquote Records)
Blog
Myspace
Purevolume

Taqwacore

The Taqwacore Network
Hardcore/Punk/Metal/

I first learned about what I'm calling The Taqwacore Network in the most unsuspected of places, the pages of Rolling Stone magazine. While not terrible the article only scratched the surface of exactly what Taqwacore is. Needless to say I was intrigued. Now don't go thinking this is some mainstream fad, Taqwacore has it's roots in a novel written by one Michael Muhammad Knight (aptly named The Taqwacores) about a group of rambunctious, stinky, and outspoken punks living in Syracuse, New York. Knight's fictious musical genre has since it's written premiere in 2003 become a reality. That is, the reality of Islamic punk music. The book, called by one professor "The "Catcher in the Rye" for young muslims", has inspired several groups to form Islamic hardcore, punk, and even metal bands similar to those in the novel. Though few and far between Taqwacore bands began to emerge as early as 2004 and several of the most prominent groups have recently united for the nationwide Taqwatour. (The word Taqwacore itself is a portmanteau of Taqwa, The Islamic concept of a constant awareness of God's omnipresence, and Hardcore.) It is fairly easy to assume that the bands catch criticism from inside the Islamic community however when I recently spoke to Michael Muhammad Knight he had this to say: "There are all kinds of Muslims, so we get all kinds of reactions. Some wish death upon us, others identify with us, and some are much more conservative than we are but they still respect and appreciate what we're doing."

Despite requests to abstain from quoting The Koran, common themes within the genre include The nature of prayer, The meaning of being a "True" Muslim, Anti- Drug/Alcohol themes, And a healthy dose of political criticism. In the end I suppose Taqwacore can be summed up by the words of Islamic playwright Riazatt Butt "(Taqwacore) means being true to myself, having my own faith, and interpreting Islam the way I want to, without feeling guilty..."


Links:

The Taqwacore Forum on Myspace


Several other articles on or around Taqwacore:

Article about The Kominas (Includes Mp3)

Rolling Stone Article 

Mike Knight's poem "Mohammad was a Punk Rocker"

The Bands:

The Kominas (Boston, Massachusetts)
Think- The most visible Taqwacore band can be described as straight punks that bust out guitar hooks that sometimes harken to ska or reggae and sometimes resemble surf music. The Kominas, in the punk tradition, all contribute to vocals and share duties with the audience themselves.
Try- Basim Got Beat Up and CHAKU
Total Downloads- 5 including the one found on the Muslim Wake Up! link found above.
Myspace
Lyrics

Vote Hezbollah (San Antonio, Texas)
Think- The two man group straight from our little hometown, offers only one track to listen to on it's myspace page, but I simply fell in love with it.
Try- Poppy Fields
Total Downloads- 0
Myspace

The Dead Bhuttos (Pakistan)
Think-A band much calmer (in my option funner) then the rest. Catchy verses, chorus in a different language, and I swear to god I hear a kazoo somewhere in the mix.
Try- The Teri Assi Ki Tassi album version
Total Downloads- 2, a radio and an album version of the same song.
Myspace

Al-Thawra (Chicago, Illinois)
Think- Al-Thawra is definitely the hardest band here. With growling metal vocals, ugly distorted bass, machine gun blasts and explosions breaking through the music, and the seemingly most out of place Tablas and, Sitar? loops.
Try- Whadi
Total Downloads- 4
Myspace

Sagg Taqwacore Syndicate (Hotel Divisadero Barrancas, AL-Safran)
Think- Probably my favorite, The Sagg Taqwacore Syndicate claims to have no political or religious affiliation but, come on it's in the name. The STS differs from most the other Taqwacores because it is based more in Hip Hop then any of the harsher rock genres. Slow, beat heavy, cool near rap vocals but with obvious reggae inclinations.
Try- Steal This Government
Total Downloads- 3
Myspace


Al-Qaynah ("Afghanistan" and elsewhere)
Think- Self-described "Eastern Metal" Al Qaynah is actually a group of collaborators from around the world. The music itself sounds precisely what they call it, metal from the east, think Al-Tharaw but with cleaner production.
Try- Ground Zero Pilgrims
Total Downloads- 3
Myspace

Burning Idiot Noise

Burning Idiot Noise (Brighton, United Kingdom)
Psychedelic / Punk

Think- This British four piece composes noisy, slow, repetitive, sex music. Good for that all night weed infused dance party or like I said hot hot sex. Actually that might pan out on only one of the tracks (the back half of The Calculus) and the rest are more geared towards what is known as chillage.

Try - The Calculus

Total Downloads- 8

http://www.myspace.com/burningidiotnoise
http://www.burningidiotnoise.co.uk/

Monotonix

Monotonix
(Tel Aviv, Israel)

Think- Monotonix, An Axe, Drum, Vocal Trio, came all the way from the Middle East for one thing and one thing only. To blow our floundering American showmanship away with the most energetic, intense show ever preformed. Seriously, I can't really decide which part of the show I enjoyed most, perhaps when Ami Shalev (Lead Singer) started playing the Bass Drum with his head or when upon breaking his microphone he decided to sing a cappella while perched on top of the Rock Bottom Tattoo Bar's very expensive looking digital Jukebox, the fact that the band played the entire show wandering the audience and disregarding the stage also helped. In Israel Monotonix is somewhat of a supergroup Ami Shalev owning the largest indie/garage studio/record label in Tel Aviv, developing producing skills by recording hundreds of bands. Yonatan Gat a formidable guitarist, who records under various band names often playing all instruments, just ripped it up at one point peeling off a blazing solo while standing on top of the bass drum head. Which leads us to Ran Shimony, I have never seen anyone who can work so much sound out of two drums and three cymbals, nor anyone who could keep perfect rhythm while his lead singer moves his entire drum kit and suspends it from the ceiling culminating in the most amazing jam I've ever seen with Ran pounding a tribal beat on his upturned bass drum, Ami smacking in rhythm on a snare drum hung upside down from a cymbal hung from the ceiling and Yonatan peeling off the aforementioned solo. Monotonix achieved its goal by blowing my mind if you ever find yourself in the position to see them live, do so.

Try- On The Road and Summers and Autumns

Total Downloads- 4 (Half of the 8 track Cd Monotonix is currently touring behind)

http://www.myspace.com/monotonix
http://www.monotonix.com/

The Bad Robots

The Bad Robots (London. England)

Think - Rather then succumb to the recent UK trend of dance oriented bass lines and prominent if not exaggerated British accent *Cough* Franz Ferdinand *Cough* Arctic Monkeys *Cough* The Bad Robots prefer downplaying their accent and have a rather straight forward yet notable bassist. Sometimes (Disarmingly Charming) they rather dismayingly remind me of American 90's bands such as The Gin Blossoms, whether or not this is a bad thing I have not yet decided.

Try- Disarmingly Charming and I Don't Wanna Know.
Total Downloads- The Bad Robots offer an entire eight track album for free download on their website.

http://www.thebadrobots.com/music/Music.htm