CAMBRIDGE: “2010 (PROBLEMS THIS CITY’S GOT)”

Rebel Time Records loves Cambridge. Not the city, but the band. Though,  the city is nice too, we’re sure. They’re from Vancouver and they’ve just done up a new ditty called “2010 (Problems This City’s Got),” about the upcoming Olympics. Jesse, frontman for Cambridge has written a blurb about the song…we’ve posted the blurb here and you can check out the tune on their MYSPACE We should have it availalble for download shortly…read on…

“A little while ago, someone asked me “What’s yer’ beef with the Olympics? I like watching figure skating and curling and shit.” That got me thinking, about what was going through my mind in 2003. 

I had just started spending time in Vancouver, and truth be told, I never gave much thought to all the “Support the Bid” bullshit that was all over the city. I don’t care much for sports on the best of days, so I could not of been any less interested. It seemed like a bunch of rich white guys working on their own retirement package. In the coming months that passed, Canada Line and Sea to Sky construction announcements sounded with as much fanfare as was expected by glory-blind supporters and the people of Vancouver were sated by the appeal of getting blown on the world stage. The majority of people I knew were just as apathetic as me, only showing any spark of interest when talking about the chance to get good Hockey tickets. These games were to be a gift to us, and Vancouver’s chance to show off our nuts to the rest of the planet. The months passed to years and plans got underway, all with a goofy, shit eating grin from VANOC as they tossed around terms like “fiscal responsibility” and “Minimal Impacts.” Greenest games ever. And only at a budget price of 600 million dollars. Still, you could not pay me to care.

 Then they started throwing old ladies in jail.

That was the point that I realized that the IOC and VANOC really didn’t give two shits about us. Canada Line construction decimated local businesses along Cambie street, and I started getting flyers from people on the bus about the company that did the construction (SNC Lavalier) took tax money to pay for the line, but take a healthy chunk of the profit to continue making bullets. The Sea to Sky highway became a goddamn shit show, the city started buying up cheap property and evicting tenants and we watched as Vancouver’s homeless population rose 373%. Budget costs kept skyrocketing and all the bean-counters had to say was “oops, we budgeted in 2003 funds and didn’t count for inflation. Way she goes.” Wacky theories about security and police enforcing became fact in front of our eyes and now the 2010 games will be the biggest security operation in Canadian history. Nurses and Teachers and Ambulance attendants striked for an increase to their shameful wages and the resounding cry from Victoria was “there is no money in the budget, go back to work.” Olympic costs rose and blank cheques rolled without a question. The majority of people still were blinded by gold.

Then it came time. Tickets were going to be sold and beer’frothing Hockey freaks would be able to get some rink time and all would be well. Well, actually before any tickets would be sold to the public, corporate sponsors like ICBC, Bell and RBC got the lions share of good tickets for free before the public. Not much left for locals. And was was left would not be cheap. IOC rulings denied the Ladies Ski Jump team from competing, superseding the highest level of Canadian appeal. Stories of over-inflated costs, controversy, and trampled rights became a familiar sight in both pro-Games media and underground news sources. More and more people became aware that these Games were a whitewash of corruption, greed, exploitation and elitism.

Now, mere weeks from the start of the games, this city is a shame filled disaster. Thousands of douchbags flock to the city on a weekly basis, IOC officials dictate human and charter rights, and cops, cops and more cops line the streets everyday. I can’t even park at my own house, because it’s 3 blocks from a venue. And what is the final cost of these Games….(besides a legacy of greed, intolerance and environmental catastrophe for years to come?)

6 Billion Dollars.

Enough for every Man, Woman and Child in Vancouver to ride the bus once a day for free for 10 years.

This whole thing is fucked. So we recorded a song to voice some of our concerns. Actually Stu DaggerBear recorded it. He is as handsome as he is handy. The song conveys our message on non-participation. There is not much we can do at this point, other than refuse to participate in any of it. At least we can claim a moral victory. I welcome any response and dialog, I’m sure some people might disagree with me, but it is clear to me that the costs outweigh any benefits.

-jesse cambridge

To see other ways to spend 6 Billion Dollars go to http://no2010.com
To learn more about your rights go to www.pivotlegal.org.

killing fields: “militant hardcore” out of montreal

Here’s a new band out of Montreal that I’m listening to a lot! Check out their MYSPACE and download the “Down To My Last Round” EP for free…great hardcore along the lines of Union Made…

AT NUMBER 6: REBEL TIME RECORDS!

From MaximumRockNRoll, Issue 320….as part of the “MRR’s Staff Picks The Top Ten Records of the OO’s,” Ramsey Kanaan, MRR Record Reviewer, picked the “ten bestest labels of the past decade.” At Number 6? REBEL TIME RECORDS! Here’s what Ramsey had to say:

“Not to be outdone in terms of political (i.e. left) musical output, Rebel Time Records plies the politics with more pop and melody, with the likes of the fantastic CLASS WAR KIDS (LAWRENCE ARMS with PROPAGHANDI’S lyrics), BROADCAST ZERO and BRAT ATTACK”.

Thanks RK! Much appreciated.

Canada was well represented on Ramsey’s list, with SUDDEN DEATH coming in at Number 3 and INSURGENCE RECORDS coming in at Number 5!

New Rebel Time Record Reviews From RIOT 77 Zine

From the latest issue of RIOT 77, a great punk rock zine out of Ireland…

The Brat Attack
Those Who Sow Sorrow Shall Reap Rage
Some well-informed hardcore here from Canada’s The Brat Attack. In what may be a collection of recent works, this disc gathers together fourteen tracks recorded over the space of six months. Undoubtedly from the same political (and at times musical) stable as fellow Canucks Propaghandi and earlier the Subhumans, this band are vegan torch-bearers out to put an end to the capitalist agenda of conservative world leaders and call for a leveling of the playing field. Truthfully, The Brat Attack can back themselves up pretty well in the booklet that accompanies this release and their politics are ones of inclusion rather than alienation, which makes a refreshing change from being spoken down to, as if often the case with bands as militant as this. A lot of effort has clearly gone into getting their message across correctly, inspiring and informing instead of aggravating the listener. With plenty of info and food for thought to be found here, the ideas expressed are well thought-out and avoid any dogma.

Broadcast Zero
Yesterday, You Could Change The World
Like Youth Brigade on speed, Broadcast Zero are a tight unit, playing no-nonsense Street Punk and Hardcore. Singer Nick Shrubsole has a pair of lungs on him that casts my mind back to hearing Mike Marsden of The Ducky Boys for the first time. Yup, those pipes are about to blow at any given second. The onslaught of Broadcast Zero is rich in the traditions of Punk Rock’s past, but there’s a spirit in here that makes me realize we’ve lost something along the way that this band is eager to put back. Choppy riffs that plough the hooks into your brain with brute force instead of sweetness. Pointing the finger at the outside world whilst maintaining a degree of warmth and affection for the listener, this connected with me on a level I expect from Punk Rock but unfortunately don’t always get.

The Class War Kids
Reflection! Rage! Rebellion!
The Class War Kids from Canada are a heavily politicized bunch of Street Punk miscreants. Musically this reminds me of some of the crossover stuff No Idea has invested in, where Street Punk and Midwestern Hardcore influences don’t seem all that far apart. Both favour singalongs, screeching guitars and pounding drum rhythms. Layer some hoarse vocals over the top and you’ve got a recipe for some very fine music indeed. The added bonus with The Class War Kids is of course their social conscience. The band shows no inhibitions in laying out it’s stall and calling out all those they feel responsible for the current state of trans-global relations. What really tips this record in my favour though is simply the kick-ass songs, that remind me of how good the old Punk Rock can be without all the trimmings. The beefy two-guitar attack lays waste to all in it’s path. Well played.

The Rotten
Enemy Of The State
From Canada, The Rotten are signed to an offshoot label of Insurgence and though no press info accompanied any of the releases from Rebel Time, its safe to say this band operate within the North American Street Punk circuit. With an emphasis placed on rhythm and pace, The Rotten are well aware they aren’t re-inventing the wheel here, but could care less and keep the focus on the good times. The upsurge in bands like this in the 90’s kicked the sheen right off Punk Rock at a time when it needed it most and brought back a sense of fun to the genre that had almost given way to PC histrionics. The Rotten make their point and share their love of a well-constructed Punk tune with the listener. Sometimes all it takes is a guitar lick and a snarl to bring a smile to my face and The Rotten occupy that slot on the stereo today.

THE BRAT ATTACK: “ANOTHER HOME RUN FROM REBEL TIME RECORDS”

Review of THE BRAT ATTACK from AMP MAGAZINE (June/July 2009):

“Out of Winnipeg, Manitoba comes the one-two punch of radical politics and catchy powerful punk courtesy of THE BRAT ATTACK. Bango! Kids, this is it. This is music to energize and inspire you into action. With some razor-throat vocals a la Jake from FiLTH and …some tight, high-energy melodic hardcore/punk a la early PROPAGHANDI and GOOD RIDDANCE you have a winning combination that does not miss. This disc is laced with great songs, but I would say the blistering lead number “Spark” and the female-led “Merchants Of Beauty”were among my top favourites. Another home run from Rebel Time Records. Keep your eye on this up and coming Canadian label (RK)”

Here’s a link to the video for “Merchants Of Beauty” off of “Those Who Sow Sorrow Shall Reap Rage”:

 

Merchants Of Beauty @ Yahoo! Video

CLASS WAR KIDS SHORT-LISTED FOR ATLANTIS MUSIC PRIZE!

Congratulations to the CLASS WAR KIDS…they’ve been short-listed for the 2009 Atlantis Music Prize…”A prize awarded to the best full-length album from Newfoundland and Labrador, judged on artistic merit, without regard to genre or sales.” The winner will be announced on December 17th.

Good luck! We’re rooting for you!

TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW WITH “TURN IT DOWN”

On November 18th, Aaron from Roots Rock Rebel radio  interviewed Nora from Turn It Down: A Campaign Against White Power Music…

In a written intro to the interview, Aaron said: 

Yes, this beautiful/miserable planet of ours is a racist racist place. In
Canada, migrants are being deported by the thousands every year while we
talk about “reasonable accomodations”, indigenous land is getting
swallowed up for the winter Olympics and to build condos for the rich, and
no, Palestine still ain’t free.

But luckily, people in the punk rock and ska community are fighting back.
Our special guest on the show this week was Nora Flanagan, who is the
project coordinator for the Turn It Down campaign against white power
music. Nora spoke with us about how her group is using community
organizing as a tool to counter a new rise in racist hate music, and also
about the new “Northern Agression” compilation, recently released on
Insurgence Records. Northern Aggression brings together some of North
America’s finest anti-racist punk, hardcore, and hip-hop acts to give a
big middle finger to racists everywhere. From the dirty rock from whence
they crawled, to the halls of the House of Commons in Ottawa, NAZI PUNKS
FUCK OFF!

A transcript of the intervew can be found behind the jump.

“TURN IT DOWN” INTERVIEW

Nora from TURN IT DOWN: A CAMPAIGN AGAINST WHITE POWER MUSIC was interviewed on the Roots Rock Rebel Radio show on Wednesday, November 18th. Nora talked about anti-racist organizing and the campaign around the NORTHERN AGGRESSION: PROJECT BONEYARD VOLUME II compilation. You can both stream and download the interview: HERE. In addition to the interview, host Aaron spins some great reggae, ska, punk and hardcore! Here’s a bit about the episode:

Roots Rock Rebel
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
10pm-12am
CKUT, 90.3FM, Montreal!

Greetings radio junkies,

Yes, this beautiful/miserable planet of ours is a racist racist place. In
Canada, migrants are being deported by the thousands every year while we
talk about “reasonable accomodations”, indigenous land is getting
swallowed up for the winter Olympics and to build condos for the rich, and
no, Palestine still ain’t free.
But luckily, people in the punk rock and ska community are fighting back.
Our special guest on the show this week was Nora Flanagan, who is the
project coordinator for the Turn It Down campaign against white power
music. Nora spoke with us about how her group is using community
organizing as a tool to counter a new rise in racist hate music, and also
about the new “Northern Agression” compilation, recently released on
Insurgence Records. Northern Aggression brings together some of North
America’s finest anti-racist punk, hardcore, and hip-hop acts to give a
big middle finger to racists everywhere. From the dirty rock from whence
they crawled, to the halls of the House of Commons in Ottawa, NAZI PUNKS
FUCK OFF!

Make sure you check out Turn It Down and Northern Aggression and SUPPORT
YOUR LOCAL ANTI-RACISTS!

www.turnitdown.newcomm.org
www.myspace.com/projectboneyard

CLASS WAR KIDS REVIEW FROM RAZORCAKE

Review of “Reflection! Rage! Rebellion!” from Razorcake:

CLASS WAR KIDS:
Reflection! Rage! Rebellion!: CD
Class War Kids is an inspired anarcho pop punk band from Newfoundland, Canada. It’s okay that Propagandhi started to suck because this instant classic easily fills their oversized vegan shoes. Some of the lyrics are embarrassingly trite, such as on the anti-rape song, “Never Her Fault.” But others are gleefully confrontational, even by subculture standards. The boldest song mocks present-day military worship and is called “Fuck the Troops.” Other hits include “Cherry Poppin’ Conservatives,” a track about breaking down sexual orientation barriers. Slightly faster and harder than Propagandhi, but Propagandhi is clearly their main musical influence. Female backing vocals add additional flair to an already amazing mix. I bet all of their PC goofiness is merely a ruse to get laid, but as long as they keep making killer records, let these geeks have their fun. –Art Ettinger (Rebel Time)

Just for the record…Rebel Time Records has no problem with Propagandhi!

OLD PUNKS NEVER DIE (OR LIE)

A few choice reviews from one of our favourite blogs: OLD PUNKS NEVER DIE. Well worth keeping an eye on, and, for those across the pond, The Old Punk stocks a good selection of Insurgence Records and Rebel Time Records material.

THE BRAT ATTACK – THOSE WHO SOW SORROW SHALL REAP RAGE

This is The Brats fourth album, and I don’t know how the fuck I missed the other three. This is anthemic rebel noise done right proper! Clearly designed to upset our enemies and fire us up in equal measure, the tracks are a finely-tuned and targeted assault on the stupidity that constitutes the current social order. It’s a big target, but The Brats main-line their attack straight into the system’s nerve centre. This is music that goes well beyond the meaningless clichés often found in lesser offerings. This mob know it’s 2009 not 1979 and, while they’re clearly well versed in our history, they’re also fully aware of the reality of the struggle today. ‘Those Who Sow Sorrow…’ is a beautifully angry response to the situation we currently find ourselves in.

That’s not to say they’ve forgotten their roots – there are definitely nods to the likes of Aus Rotten and The (English) Subhumans in their approach, but there’s also a strong flavour of bang-up-to-date melodic streetpunk underpinning the whole lot. Of course, without the intelligent, witty, and straight-talking lyrics, this would be nothing more than pleasing ear candy à la Rancid, and there’s more than enough of that sort of nonsense in the world already. The Brats are clearly not a part of that poseur punk mindset. It’s abundantly clear that they’re willing to accept the challenge of making punk rock a threat again.

The accompanying promo sheet nicely summarises the whole package as ‘a hummus-powered, positive & purposeful punk rock radical-left political primer… [that's] even got melody, hooks & a catchy chorus or two!’. This is the sound that fills you with hope as you put a match to the Molotov in your hand and in your head.

OP’s opinion: @@@@@

THE CLASS WAR KIDS – REFLECTION! RAGE! REBELLION!

I love this band! I want to have their babies and breed an army of punk rock superheroes hell-bent on creating regime-changing anarchy! OK, I know that I don’t have the appropriate ladybits required for babymaking but, if I did, my womb would be theirs. These young soul rebels have revolution etched into their genetic make-up.

This disc picks up from where the last one left off without simply being more of the same. It keeps all of the energy, urgency and humour that hooked me first time without sounding in the least bit rehashed. You could quite happily play their entire recorded output back to back and enjoy every fist-pumping, life-enhancing, sweat-soaked second of it. I wouldn’t be surprised if you then pressed ‘repeat’ and did it all over again.

Even at their most serious, The Kids aren’t afraid of making you laugh while they fire you up. When they tackle sexual indoctrination and self-restriction in ‘Cherry Poppin’ Conservatives’, they do it with a literal ‘fuck you’ attitude, happily asserting that ‘it don’t matter who’s into penis or vagina, if you like ‘em both, best of ya!’. The remedy is to ‘whip it out, slap it around’ while also making sure that Christian Conservatives get their ‘ass cherry popped!’. Sounds like one hell of a party.

The funnies don’t always fit the theme, and that’s where the poetry of their message shines through. ‘The reason I’m so angry is because I’m so in love, I won’t give up but one heart can only bleed so much for a world so fucked up’ (‘Love & Anger’) captures the essence of why we feel so compelled to scream out, and how we’re building a future based on love as we kick down the world around us.

This whole package brings to life Raoul Vaneigem’s lesson that ‘people who talk about revolution and class struggle without referring explicitly to everyday life, without understanding what is subversive about love and what is positive in the refusal of constraints, such people have a corpse in their mouth’. In true punk rock style, The Kids spat the corpse out a long time ago.

OP’s opinion: @@@@@

THE ROTTEN – ENEMY OF THE STATE

On first listen, I was a bit underwhelmed by this offering. But I quickly realised that my mistake was playing this straight after the other two and not giving my brain a chance to reset. Much like wine appreciation, you need to clean your aural palate when enjoying fine music.

Suitably refreshed, I hit play again. What a difference a cup of tea makes to your ears. The Rotten may not have quite the same the musical or lyrical prowess of their label breathren, but that doesn’t stop ‘em expressing themselves in no uncertain terms. The noise is stripped down, punked up and gobbed out in the finest tradition of the old school style. There’s a decent dose of street politics and wrong-side-of-the-tracks anger aimed at the ‘great and good’, as well as tongue-in-cheek humour and the desire to just have fun. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

The influence of Canuck punk pioneers DOA courses through the veins of these 21st century (angelic) upstarts, underpinning but not overpowering this rough diamond of a record.

The Rotten – they’re anything but.

OP’s opinion: @@@@