Guerrilla Teens – ‘All The Hits’ (Bandcamp Self Released)

Guerrilla Teens – ‘All The Hits’ (Bandcamp Self Released)

One beacon of light for music fans worldwide throughout this sorry Covid-19 mess has to be the website Bandcamp. It’s given us a veritable treasure trove of new stuff to discover these past six months (The Hip Priests, Bob Vylan, Division Of Laura Lee, Stay Voiceless and Phoxjaw to name but a few of those all getting some of my shilling) plus to top it all off they also went and set up “fee waiver days” to further support their clientele currently unable to work.

Now that to me really is keeping with the true spirit of punk rock, so it’s kind of apt that Scott ‘Deluxe’ Drake a veritable legend of the US punk rock scene has decided to utilize the platform to launch his new band Guerrilla Teens.

Having already released a contender for album of the year in the shape of ‘Bats From Planet Skull’ (via the then already disbanded Lovesores) back in April, Scott has wasted little time in bringing us Guerrilla Teens – formed once again out of Portland Oregon by members of The Humpers, Lovesores, Suicide Notes, Magick Gardens, Epoxies, 8 Foot Tender and Sex Crime, with the band line up consisting of Guerrilla Deluxe aka Scott Drake on vocals, Anna Bananas aka Anna Anderson on bass and vocals, Deaf Jeff aka Jeff Fieldhouse on guitar and vocals, Tim Panzee aka Tim Connolly on drums and vocals and finally Saul Teen aka Saul Koll on guitar.

Originally released via Bandcamp in staggered bite-size segments across consecutive months ‘All Our Hits’ is all the band’s Covid-19 demos, together in one convenient package, however in saying this the most immediate thing that hits you from the first guitar chime of opener ‘Dillinger Red’ is just how NOT demo sounding these tracks actually are. Each of the ten tracks bristling with uneasy low-slung guitar energy, the bass and drums pumping out hypnotic rhythms over which Scott works his trademark sneering vocal magic.

Take one listen to the likes of ‘Tell Me What To Do’, ‘Super Aces’ or ‘Black Weather’ and you’ll feel the immediate need to self-isolate with this album on constant rotation.  It’s infectious and dangerous and if it does ever get a physical release it absolutely demands the full gatefold vinyl treatment just so you can lie on your bed, headphones cranked, staring dreamily into the band members bloodshot eyes.

Straight outta the Covid-19 garage, Guerrilla Teens really are a full throttle sonic assault on the senses – a 100% ballad free zone, which in these anxious times, really is music to my (perma-ringing) ears

Looking ahead Guerrilla Teens have already stated (right here on RPM) that post lockdown they would love to tour the UK and Europe just to kick the living shit out of Boris Johnson, plus of course play ‘All The Hits’. So, please make sure you all click on the link below – go purchase your download and let’s make this happen!!!

Buy ‘All The Hits’ Here

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Author: Johnny Hayward

Rob Moss Interview Exclusive

Rob Moss Interview Exclusive
If Rob’s name is familiar it’s because he was a member of Government Issue and Artificial Peace — two iconic Washington, D.C. hardcore bands.

Looking to get back into the rock ‘n’ roll game, Rob called up old friends and friends of friends to record an album of new material. While a bass player in his past, Rob now plays rhythm guitar and sings lead vocals.

Tell us about your current album. How did it come together?

Rob Moss and Skin-Tight Skin is the first music I made since I was the bass player in Artificial Peace and in Government Issue in the early 1980s. A few years ago I picked up a guitar and taught myself some covers. Then I wrote a bunch of originals and posted them on Facebook. A friend asked if I wanted to record them in his studio.

You have a different lead guitarist on every song. Why is that, and how did you get them to play on your album?
I wasn’t sure I had time to put together a working, touring band. And asking a lead guitarist to record 14 songs as a favor would’ve been a lot to ask. I thought it might be easier to ask 14 guys to play lead on just one song. So I called up old friends and friends of friends, thinking the worst they could say is ‘fuck you!’ Only two turned me down.

 

But kidding aside, it gave me the chance to work with guys who mean a lot to me. Back in 1979, I first saw Marshall Keith in the Slickee Boys. They were having so much fun on stage that I wanted to start my own band even though I didn’t know how to play an instrument. And around the same time, I first heard Bob ‘Derwood’ Andrews on the first Generation X album. That those two guys – and many more of my favorite musicians – would play on my new album is beyond tremendous.

 

How did you get ‘Derwood’ to say yes?

I just asked him.

 

What’s the response been to the album?

Many people comment on the song quality. That even after hearing the album once, they find themselves humming the songs. The earworm thing. To me, that’s the best compliment.

 


What was the early Washington, D.C. scene like for you?
It was new and fun, and things happened fast. Brian Gay (the original bass player in the GIs) and I started writing songs before the Teen Idles or any of the Dischord stuff happened. But there were almost no all-ages shows back then. Marc Alberstadt (original drummer in the GIs) has brother a few years older than us. He’d sneak us into places. That’s how we first saw the Slickee Boys, the Bad Brains, Tina Peel, Sorrows and other bands.

Musically, Brian and I took cues from :30 Over DC – a compilation album of local bands that came out in 1978. We formed a band called The Indians around the same time that Government Issue started. Brian on guitar, me on bass, Mike Manos on drums and a female singer. After one show, Steve Polcari replaced her and we changed our name to Assault and Battery.

 

We were still in high school and played shows with S.O.A., Minor Threat, the GIs and others. In September of 1981, Brian went to art school in Chicago. So Pete Murray, who’d been in Red C, became our new guitar player and we changed our name again.

As Artificial Peace we played mostly in the DC area, Baltimore and New York City. We were on the bill with a lot of early hardcore bands, including the Bad Brains. We also played with Black Flag on their Damaged tour. Recording-wise, we did a few sessions. One of which had three tracks on the Flex Your Head album and that entire session was later released as an album on Dischord.

 

I was going to University of Maryland, while the rest of the guys in the band were going to community college or not at all. I’d come home on weekends to practice. I had limited time, I wanted to work on new songs. But, at the time, they were less driven. That led to the band breaking up. They formed Marginal Man, and I went on to join Government Issue and play on their ’83 USA tour.

 

After the tour I learned I got accepted to transfer to a school in Boston. Stabb and Marc understood. But Tom was not too happy, knowing he’d have to break in another bass player. And by that time, for me, the scene was not so fun. People took themselves too seriously.

 

Today it’s easy to know what’s going on in different cities. How did you do that pre-Internet?

I had pen pals. Vote Vasko in Finland. And a bunch of kids in LA, Northern California, Toronto, Vancouver and elsewhere. We’d send each other letters about what was happening. We’d trade flyers, fanzines, cassettes and vinyl. So, we were aware of what was going on in different scenes.

 

Of course, there was Yesterday & Today Records. Skip Groff, the owner, would bring back records from London. He’d stock imports. Other than trading, that’s where I got most of my punk records.

What’s your plan, post-pandemic?

Well, I was never completely set on forming a touring band. I’m more interested in songwriting. So how things will affect me once venues open up is unclear. And I’m not sure I could find one lead guitar player who could do all those songs justice. As far as recording a follow-up album, I’ve written more songs that are as good or better than the 14 on the current album. I’d like to record them. We’ll see.

 

The album’s available as a CD and digital download on Here on Rock On Records

 

Note: the full list of musicians on the album can be found on the Bandcamp page and the album’s available as a CD and digital download on Bandcamp at the link above

Introducing….Guerrilla Teens

Introducing….Guerrilla Teens

Up today in our feature of Introducing a band you probably aren’t familiar with yet but should be we bring you all the way from Portland US of A….Guerrilla Teens. Read the feature and it’ll become apparent why you seriously need to check these out.

We asked a few questions and got a prompt reply it might not have been to answer our questions but its a reply none the less.  In full…

“This year, as a researcher for the Oregon Center for Musical Anthropology, I have been monitoring the activities of the “Guerrilla Teens”, a group of aggressive feral orphans living in the shadows of our state’s largest city, Portland. Upon release from an area juvenile detention facility (due to overcrowding during the pandemic) the youngsters set up camp under the Ross Island bridge. They were first noticed when a passerby heard the strumming of a rudimentary guitar coming from a lean-to near the river’s edge. Apparently subsisting on a diet of nothing more than twigs and berries, the Teens managed to build makeshift musical gear using only raccoon traps and discarded Rainier beer cans. Over the last three months, I’ve not managed to approach the Teens close enough to attempt communication for fear of being mauled (or worse) but I’ve been able to observe some of their bizarre habits. It quickly became obvious to me that they have created their own primitive religion and have entered into some sort of “blood-pact” which centers on the worship of high energy Rock and Roll.

They have created many of their own “songs”, the lyrics of which were at first only guttural shrieks and grunts but soon evolved to closely mimic modern English. These outbursts are oddly compelling and when heard at a loud volume can cause the listener to gyrate involuntarily and practice poor judgement. It is my expert opinion that it is in the best interest of public health that these “Guerrilla Teens” be watched closely. Very closely.
Regards,
Phelan J. Hesperius, PhD
Research Coordinator
Oregon Center for Musical Anthropology
We did then however get a response to our probing questions later so here goes. Who the fuck are Guerrilla Teens?
Guerrilla Deluxe aka Scott Drake – Vocals
Anna Bananas aka Anna Anderson – Bass / Vocals
Deaf Jeff aka Jeff Fieldhouse – Guitar / Vocals
Tim Panzee aka Tim Connolly – Drums / Vocals
Saul Teen aka Saul Koll – Guitar
Where you from?
Portland, Oregon
How did the band come together?
The band came together during the quarantine…members of several bands
(Humpers, Lovesores, Suicide Notes, Magick Gardens, Epoxies, 8 Foot Tender, Sex Crime…etc…)
found each other huddling in the darkness of the apocalyptic wasteland
and concluded that the only way to survive was to rock!
Previous recordings available?  
The debut demo recordings of Guerrilla Teens are available on Bandcamp
Post pandemic what’s the plan?
We’d love to do an extensive tour of Europe and the UK and then get really drunk
and beat the living shit out of Boris Johnson
Well, There you go, kids, two tracks so far and a video on the way in a couple of weeks hopefully.  Hit em up on Bandcamp and Facebook and let them know you’re ready for some action so in the meantime how about some old school Humpers?