Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
60. Big D and the Kids Table - Part 1 (w/ Runaway Ricochet)
214 Plays4 months ago
Hey elitists from the internet! Checkered Past is finally tackling one of the most requested subject bands: Big D and the Kids Table! To help with the discussion, Rob, Celine and Joey welcome Saxton of Prog Ska Midwesterners, Runaway Ricochet! They dig into Saxtons history with Ska, the evolution leading to their new record Diminishing Returns and the various influences that went into it. Then, they all dig in on Big Ds early era from the party atmosphere of their debut to the in-your-face Ska Punk of their follow up to their biggest record of all.
Hosts: Celine, Rob and Joey
Engineer: Joey
Editor: Arianne
Skassociate Producer: Chris Reeves of Ska Punk International
Merch: www.checkeredpast.ca/merch
Patreon: www.patreon.com/checkeredpast
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction and Ska Band Discussions
00:00:00
Speaker
On this episode, we're finally ready to tell you how it goes. Wish us good luck as we die on this gypsy hill, talking about the heroes of Ska's Dark Age, Big D, and the motherfucking kid stable on Checkered Pass, the Skaadcast.
00:00:35
Speaker
What up Checkerheads, welcome to Checker past the Skycast with Celine and Rob. The show where a Joel and Benji Madness and ah Bad Mary Kate Ash Lee Scratch Perry Olsen in the bathroom explore the history and impact of a different band each episode, hope to bring in new fans along the way. Why did I do twins? I can't remember why I did that. I think I had her. Oh, I know why. I know why. Scott and twins. No, it had to do with our guests. I'm Robin, this is my sister, Golo, Celine.
Childhood Collectibles and Family Stories
00:01:02
Speaker
Our mother is downsizing her place and my grandma used to have a Barbie collection and I had now have Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen dolls mint condition in box. As well as the first Britney Spears doll, hit me baby one more time and all five Spice Girl dolls. And Queen Elizabeth. And Queen Elizabeth, Diana Ross Bob Mackie, a really sick Cher doll and a really sick Elizabeth Taylor doll.
00:01:30
Speaker
And this is our co-host with the most, and you know who jumped in there, uh, email checker, pass plot at Gmail to purchase any of these. yeah checker just yeah on um if you to have that action ah There's a really sick Mr. T one. And that I accidentally jammed my nail through, but that plastic is old and brittle and the MC hammer doll, which you probably should have. There's a couple of them. No, I'm going to get you to display it. There's a couple of come exclusive that are like a plastic unplayed. It's so. Yeah. Can't touch this on tape. Right. Really? It's a ah precursor to NFTs.
00:02:14
Speaker
We have a guest here. yeah That was awesome. That was a perfect little thing. ah But before we introduce our guest, real quick on twins. Yeah, because we've got to do a thing. um The property brothers are not twins. I found that out. I swore to God they were twins. they they're Are they actual brothers? They're just brothers that look almost exactly the same. But they're mannequins, so that makes sense. That's what you wanted to say before introducing a guest? No, we have to do a ah segment. It's time to pick it up where we left off. Here we go.
00:02:48
Speaker
Quick, really important. ah The Property Brothers are not doing this. Yeah, that was really important. ah You both have ah things that you said. Okay, well, we'll start with our, this just being old. So the Slackers came to town. yeah And I've been having a very, I have to leave probably partway through this app because of tummy troubles and burnout and just having the longest worst week. but Um, the slackers were on like here on Friday and I was like, this is so sad. We love the slackers. Like, why can't we just go? And I was like, there's literally like nothing left in the tank. Like there's like literally nothing. I can't imagine being out and you know, going out in the city you're from and like having been a bar star, it's like, and you're just going to know everyone and then you have to talk to them. And so Joey, it was like, you know what? I'm going to go.
Concert Adventures and City Nightlife
00:03:38
Speaker
I'm going to go. Smart move. i ah two Two hours before.
00:03:41
Speaker
ah Yeah, but we did the math. We're like doors open at nine, two bands. Yeah. So I was like, I i got to be there at 10. I had you got to go get some, so I had to go get something to eat and then I was going to take the train so I could have a beer. Where was it? Starlight? Yeah. yeah like So. I was like, okay. Celine had decided that she was not going to go. So she uber decided, I didn't have a fucking choice. You knew you can go. so you like uber eats Something delicious. And I was like, I'm just going to run and grab like McDonald's. So I did because it's like two minutes from her house. I ate it.
00:04:14
Speaker
I was sitting there looking at my phone, looking at the time. I was watching some sick YouTube deep dive. And I was just like, I can't do it. and You did not say that. Did you say it? I said, I can't do it. And you were like, I told you you couldn't do it. like okay That makes me sound like a bad part. Okay within five minutes he was like laying on the couch and snoozing and I was like oh you're just and I can't go I just like kept going over like you're just dancing at the slackers you're having a good time you're having a beer you're out you took the train it's late like you're just out you're out and about and yeah you're having a good time I'm like yeah aren't you happy you went out
00:04:56
Speaker
It's like no way. He's like immediately asleep. He's like, I'm, you know, cause I kept being like, isn't that sad? You love the slackers. Like you love the slackers. I was just laying on the couch. I'm going. You know what? I'm going. yeah pun yeah look at i was like that like a little bit every time she would do it yeah anyways and yeah right en old in that It's just sad because I know ah when this happens, I'm always like, why didn't I just go? But but a jury sometimes there's just nothing. Sometimes there's literally nothing left. And it's very sad. We miss strung out too. Like that was the other kind of like bummer show because Ben, Ms. Pink's are playing.
00:05:33
Speaker
But ah we'll get we're going into effects, so that'll be something to see the the band that loves. I'd rather see the slackers. Oh, me too. Me too. But I mean, it but I don't have a dozen of one, six of the other. I've yeah seen both bands. like yeah yeah And also the slackers, I feel like, will be back. so They're always back. They always come back. They tour. Those guys tour. No effects, apparently, not touring, but we'll see. Yeah. Maybe because the co-defendants will just keep touring. Smelly's gotta make surfboards. okay good good for him that's what yeah like he's making surfboards and i think millionaires i'm not i'm not concerned about whatever yeah i'm not worried about their lives not worried did you have anything else to well no i was gonna bitch about my clients but you'll save that everyone's just ungrateful and i'm gonna fire them all and they all deserve it i just like the story about you yeah really going to sleep instead of watching the slackers is well just like just the denial just the slow denial i was i was so gonna go
00:06:32
Speaker
You were so, there was no way. yeah And again, I know I sound like a bad partner, but there was just no fucking way. If I was going, would you have gone? Yeah, I probably would have gone. Sometimes it's like you need the like the. You were asleep. You were literally like. OK, let me let me ask you, though. You did fall asleep while crowdsurfing. If it was just like perpetually kept you up. Slackers is kind of chill. I don't know if I made it. I know once I was there, I would have been OK. How did you get the LRT? Yeah. Oh, been fine. You didn't sleep on the train. No, never sleep on the train. but Sleep on the bus because it hums really loudly. You've already heard their dulcet tones. Let's introduce our guests.
Runaway Ricochet: Formation and Influences
00:07:17
Speaker
Yeah. ah They're the bassist vocalist for Twin City Progressive Scosters Runaway Ricochet, whose new album Diminishing Returns is available everywhere via Scott Punk International. Saxton's here. Hey, at girls of Scott Twitter. Welcome to the park.
00:07:32
Speaker
Hello, it's lovely to be here. Thanks for having me on. You asked, um, have you failed falling asleep crowd surfing? It's a bucket list goal of mine. I think, um, just like him take a bunch of melatonin and jump into the crowd. but Well, I don't, some people have a superpower where they can just fall asleep whenever. And oh yeah there's definitely been times where I've like been kept up for maybe two minutes in a crowd. And so like, I feel like some people could fall asleep within two minutes if they were really tired.
00:08:05
Speaker
You know what, when I was in my first band, one of the like handful of shows we ever played in our hometown was with this band of dudes who were like my older stepbrothers friends who a bit older and the guitarist in that band was fully sleeping under the stage while other bands were playing. I don't. like that like laying on the ground like he was laying in a coffin like with with his arms like crossed yeah like you like Dracula and just fully sleeping underneath the stage it was fucked up
00:08:36
Speaker
I've seen sound guys at festivals do that where they'll put a hammock up underneath the stage because it's, you know, like seven or eight feet up and they're just like snoozing in a hammock while there's a metal band playing above home. There's no way. This one time we went to like this music festival called Vantopia. Oh, yeah, we had this shitty van and we came late. So there wasn't like a lot of spots left. We came like a day late. So we like park, but we were kind of like, oh, sick. There's like a spot right by the stage. We were right by the speakers and there was like nonstop, just somebody's playlist. So it would be like really sludgy stone a rock and then all of a sudden just be like super fucking like blast beat metal. I've been like all night long. There was one time I was crying. I cried at like I think like four in the morning. I was like, I just wanted to like kind of fall asleep to like a sludgy stoner rock song. And then I'd be like, it was fucking blood brothers kept coming on the ground. Yeah, it would be like, yeah, like fairly chill stoner rock. And then there'd be just like crazy keyboards blasting your ears out wild. Have you been at a music festival and cried because you couldn't sleep?
00:09:47
Speaker
Um, there was this one music festival, um, that there was this band called Northern Hammer that was just like guitar player and a drummer and screams and amps screaming. Uh, and they played from like. I want to say like 1 to 2.30 a.m. in the campground area stage. And it was disrespectful. seven I loved it. I had a great time dancing, but our old guitar player David was like, they just wandered out of their tent and looked at me and was like, why are they playing this late? Why are they making noise? And they got like three encores because everyone who was awake and dancing loved it.
00:10:35
Speaker
Sasquatch was like that dude. Everyone high on chemical drugs loved it. Everyone not high on chemical drugs not love it. Um, but yeah, music festivals are not a place for sleep. Like who, what are they trying to do? I guess, but I, I think I believe in a balance. Like I think music festivals should be about sleep. I think it should be about like having a good time in the day from like 12 to 12. And then everybody goes and gets like a nice rest. And then see you back at like 11 30 the next day, well rested and bright eyed and bushy tailed, you know?
00:11:11
Speaker
Peace ourselves. Let's get hydrated. Let's have fun and take care of ourselves. What I'm hearing is we have to turn SBI Fest into a camping festival. yeah and We can we can ah try that out. We should cut off some. It's happening in my in our backyard, actually. yeah yeah We're making the hot dogs this year. yeah Love that. So we got to start with our first official question, because those are all important questions. um Have you ever cried at a music festival?
Personal Ska Music Journeys
00:11:40
Speaker
but ah So we always ask our first time guests, ah what is your history with Ska music, your checkered past, if you will?
00:11:50
Speaker
It's a kind of basic origin story for most of the younger Ska generation. It's a little movie that came out in the year 2000 featuring some Digimon and some Ska. There we go. And I got obsessed with that movie as well as I got Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4 for the GameCube and that was like one of my first video games that I ever got and for some reason my parents thought it would be good to get me into skateboarding and my younger years I really wanted to be a skater but eventually settled for a ska musician but I just remember hearing these songs on the soundtrack and in the movie that I loved so much and I would later find out was all my best friends are metal heads
00:12:35
Speaker
And then the song that really, I don't know, that song was in both of those the game and the movie. And so, yeah, it wasn't until I was in middle school that I learned how to look up soundtracks and be like, what is this awesome stuff that I loved as a kid and found out it was gone. The rest is history. What else is on the Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4 soundtrack? I'm like kind of half Googling it while you're... Spokesman by Goldfinger, which I love. Can you half Google something? It looks like you're just actually Googling it. It also had a shimmy by System of a Down, so I got really in the middle. I scared all of my friends when I was like six or seven years old. System of a Down is just such a vibe. like it's just like ah It's like camp, but also metal, but also angry, but also political, you know?
00:13:25
Speaker
Yeah, no one knows. No. and um Let me. And this sounds like a banger. Like I didn't remember Tony Hawk's like the fourth one having such awesome tunes like we got we got Rocket from the Crypt. We got JFA. They got a number of the beast. I no don't remember. Seneca Falls is on there. Oh, yeah. Yeah, Seneca Falls. Yeah, for sure. Blackball, which is like when Tony on Pro Skater 4 came out, that's an old offspring song. Zeke. That's funny. Oh yeah. That's what the first time I heard Zeke and like, I fucking love Zeke. People's personalities are Zeke when they like Zeke, I've realized. it's It's a Motorhead thing. yes Yeah, Zeke fans are like a different breed.
00:14:04
Speaker
uh you so you're a gamecube guy i love hearing this because like yeah gamecube gamecube is like you know you don't you know you have to you have to like uh defend gamecube i love that was my that's my that's the system i probably played the most yeah it's wild what were what were your games you play a thousand your door No, so I got Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4, played the crap out of that. um We had a Teen Titans game that I remember playing a lot of and like a Shrek 2, they had a video game for.
00:14:36
Speaker
Was there? Yeah. Was there Scott licensed? Oh, see Joey's bringing out the game. Oh, my goodness. Like Joey, that's rude. They're talking. No, you got to you got to show some respect for the GameCube when it comes out. That was it that was important. There was a people like the controller. Is that a thing? Yeah, it was great. Let's see what else. There's a Star Fox game that I really liked. Oh, Star Fox Adventures, where it was like a different game that they like pasted Star Fox on top of. That game was fun. It was really fun, except when you go back and play it, you find out that there's really clunky mechanics. Like you can't aim while you're moving. You have to stop moving to aim the gun. That's like the Mega Man games were like that too. Like the Mega Man, the 3D ones, you'd have to stop moving to shoot because it was like a tank. but Yeah, couldn't ah I guess I couldn't figure out how to program that early on. um The ones that I still go back and play are Kirby Air Ride,
00:15:31
Speaker
i will play to this day um super smash bros melee and double dash classics of course yep mario gulf is my uh my goal yeah okay game yeah toadstool tour yeah it's the best one toadstool tour i said that's it that's no but toadstool tour oh yeah oh yeah another joke we really had to throw it in there Sorry, I'm so sorry. So, back to Scott, I got distracted by GameCube. What's the difference? GameCube and Scott, there's a Venn diagram. I feel like it's ah like two circles overlapping each other. Well, okay, real quick, do y'all know about the trend that um punks are going to shows with their 3DS or their DSi and taking pictures or video on it? No, that's rad. Yeah, yeah, that's a Jeff Rosen stuff. I have a DS kicking around.
00:16:24
Speaker
Yeah, bring it out to the next time you go to a show. There's a I'm sure there's someone who brought it to this house show. they They like took a whole bunch of pictures on their 3DS, which I love. Yeah, I think that's really cute. too Do they ever have a camera plug in for the GameCube? Like, could someone bring a GameCube with the little camera attachment? How did they add so much Game Boy Advance GameCube? Like, over yeah, there i wonder there were so many like attachment things because I wonder if there was like, yeah, like even because I like the or was there There wasn't a GameCube Pokemon Snap. No. I'm going to bring my Xbox one and just record a whole show on my like. Connect. On your the connect. Yeah. So that people can like dance and it like makes people dance like. on Yeah, totally. I like that. So what was the connection between so you get to Scott through video games and through Digimon and then how did that translate into starting ah being a musician? How did Xbox connect into being a musician? um Well.
00:17:23
Speaker
I got really into less than Jake was the the main band I was into and then I think my freshman year of high school, I found out about real big fish and ah my best friend at the time, ah well, still best friend, I don't know why I needed to add at the time. but ah he was a really into ah He got really into Less Than Jake as well, and we went to a real big fish show with ah Survey Says and a local-ish band called Three-Minute Hero that is ah now defunct. and It was just so much fun.
00:18:00
Speaker
and i when I could no longer skateboard just because I broke my board and my parents were like, oh, that's enough of that. I'm like, okay, I'll go play music. And I always wanted to sing in a band. And so I asked people, what should I learn? Should I learn guitar or bass or a horn? What's the hardest thing to fill in a band and everyone said bass so i said okay i'll start learning bass and so i it was really fun to play ska because the bass lines are just like so active and movement bass compared to a lot of pop music or rock music where it's just on the reed all the time
00:18:40
Speaker
And then I yeah then wanted to start a ska band and had a little high school rendition of Runaway Ricochet. I technically formed the band in... I started writing songs that would go on the first album in 2015 and I think we did our first live show at our at our high school like 2016, either late 2016 or early 2017. Holy shit. And so what was the, so you started then and like, how did the progression of the music go from then to today?
00:19:16
Speaker
So it's a weird and windy path. I had the- The best kind of path, if you ask. Robert Frost would be a fan. I don't know. No, that's right. Robert Frost definitely fought through Ska. Yeah. Robert Skaast. Yeah, it's OK. Sorry, please go on.
Band Challenges and Growth
00:19:38
Speaker
I had a high school rendition of the band where we did a lot of covers. um I remember we did the live rendition of Suburban Rhythm at one of the like talent shows or ah variety shows that the the music program at my school did. um Music program is a very light term. There is just pain and choir. That's the whole program. There was no like theory classes or anything. I had the the friends that were like, oh, yeah, I play a horn. I'll be in the band. And I was always taking it really seriously. Like, I want to do this forever.
00:20:11
Speaker
And they're like, yeah, OK, we're we're just in high school. We're going to go to college and then it's going to break up. And so they never got super invested in the original stuff that I was writing. So then I was just like, well, I want to record this. So I'm going to for my first job, I bought a drum set and a guitar and um learned how to play drums and guitar and recorded the whole first album. All you need is here in my parents basement because like, why not? Hell yeah. Yeah. why Hell yeah. sir Yeah. My, uh, my dad was also a musician. He had this program called real band. I don't know if any of you are familiar with that. It's mainly for like programming and backing tracks for jazz or jazz combos. Okay. Is it like a PC program? Yeah. Yeah. It's like a DAW, but you would like.
00:20:57
Speaker
program how many bars were in a song and like chord changes and it would ah generate instruments like you could generate drum tracks or walking bass lines based on the chord changes. And I recorded jazz focused. Yeah. Okay. that least that's That's how I knew that. And ah so my dad was like, well, we can record into this. So I think we used a combination of that and the free version of Audacity to record the whole first record. Cool. smokes Then I went to a music school in St. Paul called McNally Smith. It was a for-profit music college that was like contemporary stuff, kind of like ah Berkeley, and except in the Midwest. And I love that. I met a whole bunch of really talented musicians, a former guitar player, David, who was out there writing and recording on the whole last record. We were roommates in college. um But I say that term lightly. He was often sleeping in other rooms.
00:21:57
Speaker
we yeah tweet And then our old drummer Colin um who recorded on gas station culture was also our roommate. They shoved like four people into a really tiny like one bedroom but like a what I feel like a one-bedroom in New York would be. and So we got very familiar with each other. ah ten And I met like the first rendition of the band at college, ah like the real band that wanted to play shows and write original music. But then the college went bankrupt ah my first semester. Like five days before ah finals, they just sent a email that was like, we will not be offering classes spring 2018.
00:22:45
Speaker
Jesus. What? Did you get to like wrap up your, like get your credits and wrap up your course? Well, um, all, uh, it was on a Thursday night that that went out and Friday morning, none of the teachers got paid because the school was bankrupt. And so some of the teachers just stopped going and then finished the course and other The base plate program was super cool and like finished up all of the, uh, like just like gave you an A in the course. It was like, you're good. makes sense And then you can test you out of any classes so that you can still get your degree. Cause classes were ah credits. We're not really transferable because it was such a unique school.
00:23:26
Speaker
um So then, the a lot of the members of the band were from all around the country, so they all moved back, and I had to like kind of reform the band. ah Our guitar player at the time moved back to Iowa, so then we got David, because he actually wasn't playing in the band while I was going to school, we were ah just friends at the time. And then we became more than friends, we became bandmates, which was very fun. And ah let's see, our drummer Sam was also from McNally and he joined a little later after gas station culture.
00:23:59
Speaker
Um, and that record like was still mainly me writing stuff and writing horn parts and drums and just giving them the music. Whereas diminishing returns, we tried to collaborate a lot more, or at least like David and I worked together a lot to get the songs to sound like they do now. Did you enjoy doing something more collaborative? Yeah. Um, he was really good at, um, like, I'm really bad with, um, revisions. I kind of just like want to write something and then record it and move on to the next thing. That's what I would want to do. Yeah. and so
00:24:40
Speaker
I'm like, I know it could be better, but isn't it fine? Right. Right. And like any creative writing classes I took, that was always my least favorite part was like, okay, now go revise this. I'm like, can I just like write something else? I'll make the next one better. Yeah. So like Swan Song, for instance, the closing song on the record, Diminishing Returns, was a reggae song. As was a Mental Marathon, the like I don't want to sing it, but just imagine, just imagine it really slow and reggi reggae rockified. Sure. Okay, here I'll go. to and know That was kind of circus-y. You still got System of the Down on the Mind. So Caliope, I think really is just like the precursor to Scott, really. I think that's what we were learning. That's that's circus music. Okay. Caliope. Interesting. yeah
00:25:36
Speaker
I was trying to do a 3-11 thing, but then... Yeah, you'll be here a while. I'll be here a while? Yeah. Oh, is that a song by 3-11? Don't worry about it. So yeah, so the new record is ah fabulous. I'll just say, I listened to it like 50 times. It's really good. um It is such a cool thing that it's ah one of those listening experiences where every time I listen to it, it's like there's something new to discover. um yeah I think that that is a really fun, like everything is couched in what you would consider like a conventional sort of pop structure, but then every little piece is like a surprise.
00:26:14
Speaker
You'll never know what to expect. That's my interpretation of it or how I felt listening to it. It did not become real big fish white noise at all. No. I'm really curious when you're- It keeps your attention in a good way. Outside of Scott, what were the big influences that went into this? What were you trying to accomplish or what was the overall theme and what kind of other bands or whatever you were trying to- channel. you the the record was written and recorded over the course of six years and only ah especially like with us being on the younger side and like still figuring out our ah musical identity so to speak We went
Creative Process of 'Diminishing Returns'
00:26:54
Speaker
through a lot of changes. So when I wrote the first half of Anchor, that was like right when we got back from the studio from Gas Station Culture in 2018. And I was like, oh, we're still writing like, kind of third wave ska stuff. And um then
00:27:10
Speaker
The last song that was written on the record, Apathetic, would have been Winter 2022. And I was drawing a lot of different inspirations at that point in time. Apathetic so apaththe because there's probably a lot of Origami Angel and um Thank You, Scientists, a little bit. ah Whereas back in the earlier era, it was probably Honestly, Big D and The Kids Table was a huge influence for me. How It Goes is one of my all-time favorite ska records and I was listening to a lot more of ah that type of ska at the time and now I listen to more like progressive rock or math rock or fifth wave emo, whatever you want to call it. There's so many words for music nowadays.
00:27:54
Speaker
yeah I know there's always like a YouTube music has been like telling me what my niches are and it's like kind of different day-to-day and it's like you like dark house and then it's like you like glitch house and I'm like okay now we're making things but yeah I don't know like is runaway ricochet bubble grunge adjacent adjacent bubble on his bubble grunge Scott Jason I love how like people don't want to use the word alternative anymore. So they're like, oh, it's just this genre adjacent. Like it just sits next to it. And I'm like and talking about here. It's just like thought on the bus and it saw the open seat and it was like, you know what? I'm going to sit over there right next to it. It's good Jason to it.
00:28:37
Speaker
um How about on the lyrics? What went into the lyrical content of the new record? Yeah, were you a big part of the lyrics on this one? Yeah, so I... ah All of the songs start with me writing lyrics on my phone and then ah finding chords to go underneath it, but it's... like I kind of hear both at the same time when I'm writing it I hear a melody to the lyrics and I hear how I want the song to move underneath it when I'm writing it all out so I'll type out a song ah lyrically and um like send a demo I'll write the horns and then David and Sam would ah kind of do what they want with it or David would say I don't
00:29:15
Speaker
really like this section what if we did something like this and would bring a riff to the table or if anyone had strong feelings and wanted to change a part we would make edits but generally it was a him and I going back and forth and he wrote make it out lyrically and then um there's the tag at the end of swan song the try not to breathe too hard that's way the wrong key but whatever that'sed good to me ah He wrote that little tagline lyrically, but otherwise I think I wrote the rest of the lyrics. I draw a lot from Jeff Risenstock, Sydney Gish, I like a lot. I think her lyrics are genius.
00:29:57
Speaker
the weaker than's Canadian soft rock. Yeah. Um, propagandia so do you like have a sound in mind at all or you're just like lyrics first, just kind of like what you want to like talk about, or do you have like a bit of a sound in mind before you start like open up that notes app? Um, I mean, I'll be able to hear if it's going to be more of a ska song or more of an angry punk song. Yeah. And know if I want it to be like a major or minor song. um Stuff like that. But i I'm not sitting down to like, you know, Mental Marathon, for example, that song is like a super crazy progska sound that
00:30:39
Speaker
I feel like I haven't really heard anywhere else. So I wasn't thinking that when we, when I was writing those lyrics, cause that was supposed to be a reggae song. So I heard a like very chill version of the song when I was writing the lyrics and it turned out totally different sound. Which is awesome to kind of see it go through that process. It's amazing, and Ella, on the live show front, so how's it been playing shows? You were just at SPI Fest, we opened for you. Yeah, it was super fun. Killed it, killed it, killed it. You did. Killed it. Not us, you. No, yeah, not us. We're in our flop era. Yeah, we started and ended it up. Yeah.
00:31:18
Speaker
Um, live shows have been super fun.
Live Performances and Band Dynamics
00:31:20
Speaker
It was interesting going on the road this time because we brought on our new guitar player, um Joe Lundy, which, uh, the songs are crazy. And I asked if he wanted to join the band and send him what songs to learn. And we don't have really sheet music. I have some chord charts, but I didn't send him anything. He just learned it all by ear. which is wild. A lot of the runs that are buried in there and um he had subbed in with us a few times but I was generally picking easier songs because I didn't want him to have have to learn these crazy runs for a one-off gig.
00:31:57
Speaker
So he crushed it. It was a lot of fun having him on the road and having that different chemistry on stage. We also brought Dante on tenor saxophone who yeah um we know from space monkey mafia, but after the tour, I think it, I think he wants to stick around. So now we'll have like a full three piece horn section when we tour and hell yeah fabulous and yeah if maybe we'll have two guitars someday. to Just keep growing the band line. Keep dreaming, keep dreaming, yeah. Keep reaching for the stars. Or you could just get one of those guitars, that's two of them. Yeah, double neck. Double neck guitar. If I can get Michelangelo Batio, you can play both guitar parts at the same time. Yeah. I'm very against having tracks for punk music. It just feels a little inauthentic. And while I respect the bigger sound and wanting to give the best live sound,
00:32:54
Speaker
and make it sound really thick i would much prefer everyone just rocking out no not everyone on a click track just having monitors like even using in-ears on stage i'm kind of wishy-washy on i play with a pop group and it's like tracks and click and all that and it just doesn't feel nearly as authentic of the performance. So that's Joey's experience because he's in a cover band and it's like tracks and like a metal cover band so like Bon Jovi and shit so it's like tracks and in-ear and very like. So I don't get the click though and I think that makes a big difference. I really like when I have a good in-ear setup because I can hear myself better. I'd like to have myself really loud in the mix so I can hear myself playing poorly.
00:33:41
Speaker
But you're just like wincing the whole time. Yeah. that And it makes you play better because it's fucking loud. And I'm like, oh, if everyone can hear this, it'd be terrible. i would play better of But. Tracks like the tracks that we use are just like keyboards where we couldn't fill in with guitar basically. So it's, it's a little bit different. if If I was a drummer and I could hear the click the whole time, it might be feel a little less authentic, but I do know what you mean. There is like, there are some venues where we can't use our in-ear setup and there is something about like just having the monitor. I'm one or the other. You're either like a guy in a laptop. And you've basically got nothing and you're it's all track. You're either Craig. Yeah, you're either Craig or you are banned to me. I'm like, I'm cool. Or you're like avid like pussy riot, like your avant garde. And you're like, using it or like multimedia or like you're engaging with it. But yeah, I'm one or the other. and I will say um our drummer does play to a click because
00:34:40
Speaker
Before, and the in the pre-click era, we started playing things really fast. And our songs are already pretty fast. Like, Baggage is, um, 2.34 BPM. Joey, 2.34. That's fast. Yeah, it's good. Yeah. And, um, I think like live, we were starting to approach like two 50 or two 60. And, um, so we had to draw a line and be like, okay, no Sam, you should probably play to a click. And there's some songs we don't, um, that like escargrove, uh, with the tempo change. And also I just like to count that one off. And so he doesn't do a click for, for some stuff, but most of it, uh, it.
00:35:19
Speaker
to be responsible because otherwise we can't be trusted. I can't be trusted. And you know what with fair with fast music in particular like when I played with ah Take Today like Nicole uses a click for all their stuff too and it just If the drummer is tight and everyone can keep tight to the drummer, you're good. Yeah. Well, that's the key. That's the key. I don't think everyone needs to click. Well, I mean, I guess it's different, different, different strokes for different folks, I suppose. But yeah, if the drummer is on a click and everyone else can lock him with the drummer, then it still feels natural, you know?
00:35:55
Speaker
Yeah, I do miss the Wild West days of just playing everything um irresponsibly fast. opinion that is fine You know the All Plus One live album? That's a All in Descendants. Hell yeah, I love that one. um I was another huge inspiration for me is all Carl or all there as his bass playing is phenomenal and yeah Yeah, the fact that all of those songs are way faster in the live recording and he's still just ripping all of those bass lines is incredible that I I got that album when I was working at Subway in high school and those two CDs were Constantly going back and forth in the lake back room. It was fucking I loved those that a ton of my life
00:36:40
Speaker
Yep, totally. I have one last question before we get into the time, Scott, Shane, and this is from our friend mutual friend, Kaylee. ah If you meet another musician with a five-string bass, do you feel like you have to talk about it or is it look enough? It's i so like enough ah We generally talk about it um because five-string bass players ah have to Have to. Yeah, it's in the content. What's the extra string do? It makes sense. Is it lower or higher? Is it lower or higher? I use it i use it lower. um Some bass players will tune it high and they're crazy and also need to be put in their place. who there's also So not only is there a four and five string hierarchy I am learning, there's also a hierarchy between the high and low extra string people. Yes.
00:37:33
Speaker
Here's the deal is that we were all told to play bass because it's hard to find bass players and like, I don't know if every city has this, but any of the twin cities, there are so many extremely talented bass players. So it's like kind of a vicious market. back You got to be cutthroat. Yeah, no, we got it. So you have to have it. You have to have a higher key.
00:37:56
Speaker
boom Um, I will say the only other thing I will say, and it's like sincerely not important, but me and Celine are also from a town called St. Paul that has 5,000 people and it's in Northern Alberta. And whenever we say that we're from St. Paul, people think we're from Minnesota. And is that so bad? no No, it's not so bad. It's fucking terrible. I'm not that bad. It's really funny because every time you watch a movie like Fargo or whatever and stuff takes place in Minnesota. It is kind of Canadian. Well, it is shot in Calgary at a TV show. Every time I talk to people from that part of the Midwest, I'm like, I get it. You're very Canadian. It is. It's very... And Midwest accents are pretty... Alternative Canadian.
00:38:41
Speaker
but it's canadian canadian Do they vote midwest Republican? um Don't look at me. Does your state vote Republican? No, no. Okay, awesome. Hell yeah. yeah all right Then I don't mind being mistaken from there. I think it's time to end the time, Scott Sheen. okay
00:39:13
Speaker
All right, ah some of the places that we looked at for our band today, which is Big D and The Kids Table, ah Wikipedia, All Music, Last FM, Discogs, Bostonscot.net, Punk News. ah So let's get into it. Let's talk about Big D. As if a premonition of Things to Come Big D in the kids table was formed in 1995 as the song Time Bomb was just hitting the airwaves. The Kismet was not localized to the time but also the place. The Berkeley School of Music, which you just talked about in a second, in Boston.
00:39:45
Speaker
ah In their early days, they were very well known for a massive revolving lineup that went in and out of live shows and recordings with vocalist Dave McWane as the overall anchor as the aforementioned Big D, which he denies, but come on, his name's D. He denies that he is Big D. Yeah, but his name is Dave. He's like, I'm not Big D. Yeah. He's like, everyone everyone thinks I'm Big D and I'm not Big D. I didn't really know this. Sincerely fucking with us. i Yeah, okay. Well, the band's name has many urban legends. Dave has confirmed that it really was just an idea of his friend who just said, if you start a band, you should call it Big D in the kid's table. So he did. That's the story. The crucible that the band was formed in included the legacy of the mighty, mighty boss tones, Bim, Scala, Bim, and the Alstonians, where old-school Ska met two-tone, straight-edge hardcore and East Coast metal, with the local New England scenes helping to feed the sound in style. Here's something Dave said.
00:40:36
Speaker
Well, I went to Berkeley for drums. That was my principal instrument. I think it helped me greatly because if you're going to speak, you should choose your words carefully and the more vocabulary you have, the more eloquent you're going to sound. So that just goes with music. Obviously, a lot of other artists have gone a different way and that's their way, but it's more fun to learn their language or learn the language you're going to speak musically because you're just going to articulate your ideas better. The early days were all about gigging and DIY, hitting every basement, hall, or indie show they could get billed on, and the explosion of Ska in the 90s certainly didn't hurt.
Big D and The Kids Table: Origins
00:41:07
Speaker
They of course didn't want to waste this opportunity, so they founded their own record label, Fork in Hand Records, in order to issue a full length split, the cult classic, Shot by Lamy, in 1997.
00:41:18
Speaker
Named after their producer, John Lamy, it featured one side as Big D and the other side as Drexel, which is just Big D but a punk band. um Not my first stuffed animal, Lamy. No, L-A-M-M-I, okay not l a and L-A-M-B-Y. not the um jamer No, I'm jammer. I'm jammer. laing That's what it was called. Yeah. Yeah. You got it. Speaking of video games. Yeah. Uh, at this point, the key members were the aforementioned Dave was Steve foot on the bass, Sean Rogan on guitar, max McViti on drums, Chris bus, Chris Bush, Chris Saland to Chris's on tenor sacks, uh, Gabe and Pheeberg on drum on trombone and Dan Stoppelman AKA Mark the skipper on trumpet and vocals.
00:42:02
Speaker
Uh, so I didn't put this on the listening list because this is kind of like an old record. Uh, but, and it's, they don't really consider it their first full length quote unquote, but it has its fans. And so it would be, uh, I would be remiss not to play at least one song actually in the interest of time. Let's just play track two. This is a song called Jeremy. Do you think saying quote unquote is a millennial thing? Yeah, probably I think air quotes is a millennial thing. Very quiet.
00:42:37
Speaker
Are you familiar with this one shot by Lamond? No. No, yeah. This is from the era when they had two singers. You showed me the song before.
00:42:55
Speaker
I need seven. In case you couldn't tell. It sounds like it. I would have been seven.
00:43:13
Speaker
Anyway, Jeremy and beware of me does rhyme well. well really how How do y'all feel about this album? All in all. But we're supposed to ask i yeah so because you Because there are some people that hey I feel like we didn't we didn't do the like because you mentioned that big D is a part of your checkered past. Oh, we're we'll get into ours in a second because you're just going to go cold open into OK, because it's the time. doing The timing will get us to where we. um Well, that I just sort of like loosely. I don't think this is very like doesn't sound very good, and right?
00:43:51
Speaker
ah there are some people who are big fans ok because it's more like DIY sounding? Yeah. So so my I don't love it, um but i some songs are okay. They're it's this they're very goofy songs. you know like big d i They're not like a super serious band all the time, but on this, they're just like, all the songs are just jokes. Like it's either about slow walkers or it's about turtles or I don't know. It's like yeah a really goofy album. The solo has the same energy to me as um those damn bandits.
00:44:26
Speaker
yes oh my god i was gonna say the same thing and i found the people men talk mind meld yeah when uh some people who are like i love shot by lamby i'm like you're the same people that gave me shit for saying i kind of like those damn bandits how do you feel about it um i am not a huge fan I think that there's a lot of promise um that doesn't get like fully... Their their vision, ah I think, is more realized in Good Luck and Onward. um the The only two songs that really stood out to me were Number 5 and Stupid Mind. There's some really cool horn stuff going on. um But, like you mentioned, lyrically, it's pretty goofy.
00:45:08
Speaker
Jeremy beware of me. What's goofy about that? That's scary. That's scary. The horns I do feel like are for a four piece horn section, not doing a whole heck of a lot. Like they're just kind of like very straight ahead. Like like they're not even doing cross melodies or anything. It's just like one straight melody, four pieces. Very of the time. The improv on this album is pretty good because I would imagine they're like pretty fresh out of high school, if not still in high school at this time. In Berkeley. Oh, they were in Berkeley when they did this? Yeah, in Berkeley. That's rough.
00:45:44
Speaker
ah On a $700 budget, I think, because how much it cost to make it? Yeah. That sounds pretty good for 700 bucks, to be honest. I mean, it doesn't sound great, but 700 bucks? Now I know the price tag. adjusted for inflation, that's probably like $100,000. That's like how much it takes to make a record now, right? That's a like like a Lady Guga record. ah Probably had to take out a mortgage on their parents' house to just to afford it. um Yeah, I don't know. it's ah I don't love it. But that those damn bandits thing was the first thing I thought of, too. so is Who among us is loving this? like Do you know someone who loves this? Some people on our Discord were talking about it. Is there someone close to you? No, just some people on the Discord were talking about how much they like it. And I was just like... hope Sorry, Discord. Jerry, I didn't hear what you think about it.
00:46:34
Speaker
I didn't listen to this one. It wasn't on the list and i ah this is a band that like kind of passed me by. they were I saw them at Warp Tour one time I think. ah My buddy Keelan was really into them. ah so and And I believe that I enjoyed them. It's a big part of Robin Celine's checkered past. As I was listening through, um I was like, oh, this is like a band that I would have been into. i just They just kind of were on my perif and I never got into them.
00:47:07
Speaker
Well, but this one, when I was coming up in the old, uh, you know, list mania days of Amazon, it was like, uh, the one that people talked about, but you can never find. So until you could get like, if you were able to find it on your lime wires or whatever, you're pretty, you're laughing. But for the most part, it was a bit of a rarity because it was, um it was very much a regional release. And it wasn't until later, you know, with the internet and when they kind of bought all the rights to their stuff that they started putting it all out again. Right. But, uh, yeah. It's a piece of music history, that's for sure. Whoa, it's certainly a piece of something. I don't know, I don't hate it that much. Yeah, I like Waiting Room or Quiet Room. Quiet Room is a good song. Waiting Room is Fugazi song. I like Fugazi. I like that song too. Different thing, that's a great song. Do you think those two rooms are in the same house? Were the bands at that time just working on describing a house that they all visited?
00:48:03
Speaker
Would that have been around the same same time-ish? Late 90s? Well, Fugazi would have been the late 80s. Really? all Well, I'm just so young. so um What I was thinking is like, did they have to like, you know, with songs like Tommy and Jeremy, did they have to like, you know, beat off some lawsuits from Pearl Jam and The Who?
00:48:26
Speaker
Anyway, um question answered by our guest or are you no it great joke while the split itself was more of a regional phenomenon, as well as a small run live EP, the band's extreme DIY ethics caught the eye of taste maker Mike Park, who decided to give Big D a full length release on his Asian Man Records label. It featured this same lineup with John Lamy contributing some extra guitar work and once again producing. They paid John $300 in a case of beer and ordered for him to give them 24 hours of studio time a because they were gonna get kicked out the next day for paying customers. It was recorded to tape and so with the tight turnaround, that meant a lot of idle studio chatter is left in the recordings as opposed to the split.
00:49:10
Speaker
These songs were far more road test and polish, but still featured the band at their raw peak showcasing their defiantly anti-pop ska approach, showcasing influences from their Boston hometown is all as well as Skankin' Pickle, Catch-22, and Operation Ivy. The album was titled Good Luck and Did the Impossible, shot a ska band into the national conversation as every other band exited it. let's I think the first track we'll play is number four, because the song is everywhere.
00:49:39
Speaker
Still doozy. Still got doopy songs.
00:49:45
Speaker
Uh, vinyl. Oh. And then his phone for the backpack. Rob is digging in his pack. He's putting on a fake mustache. yeah In honor of dirt lip. My other character. The name is dirt lip. He has the vinyl is what he has. We did it. He's taking it the record out of the city. Oh, because it's because it's blue. It's in very good condition. The paper is shining. It is crisp. Ten members of the band. That's wild. When I got it wrong, it wasn't Dan, the trumpet player that was the other vocalist. What do you guys think of silly little mustaches? I like them.
00:50:38
Speaker
I had a dirt lip at one point in time. and no And were you aware that it was a dirt lip or were you like, I'm growing a sick messy? um No, I probably more the the previous was just like, this ah this is a fun little time here. You're like, this is a funny little mustache that I'm i'm doing right now. ill I was like, I'll never again in my life have the opportunity to grow bad facial hair. that's true It's a very it's all it's all better from here. Just try being ah just be French Canadian and you won't have an issue. and what I guess you're French. I can't grow racial facial hair to say the women. yeah The other women go to. ah What do you think of the record? Good luck, Saxton. I like it. There's some good stuff on here. I didn't listen um as much ah in the past like this was one that I had to brush up on a little bit for today.
Album 'Good Luck' and Ska Scene Impact
00:51:33
Speaker
But the songs that I have that stuck out were Fat Man, Take Another Look, Find Out, and I'd Rather. I feel like those four have some cool stuff going on and overall their horns are a little more polished and like doing some more like melody and counter melody stuff, which I like. Yeah, I think that it's a it's way more listenable. It's better produced. It's the same but producer too, which is funny. like It's exactly the same people that did it. um You said they recorded this whole thing in 24 hours.
00:52:06
Speaker
That's the story. That's fun. That's why it has all the impressive. That's why it has all that cross talk. Like when you listen to it, there's like a bunch of like I always thought the cross talk was intentional to make it seem more like a party because they're so they they feel like very much like a hangout party band. And then that this time cross talk at this time, they would have definitely been the the party. They always like even their videos. It's always just like, let's hang out with our buds, which is like kind of what I like, like like about them, that energy. At the end of a 51 Gardiner, that super long dialogue where they're trying to discuss the song form, yeah which I think is hilarious. And then Arrogant Sons of Bitches like did the same thing in their 2006 album. I can only assume they were like... ah
00:52:52
Speaker
Pay an homage to that or however you wanna call it. Yeah, it's funny. because i love but I love that on albums. They would have been contemporaries, ah but Arrogant Sons of Bitches always felt like, and I don't know if I'm alone in thinking this, like two years ah behind, like the big like they were like like Big D will do something kind of wacky, and then two years later, they would kind of follow suit. um Not like they're the same, because obviously Arrogant Sons of Bitches go way more overboard with a lot of their songwriting. ah But yeah, you can very much feel the big D influence, which is kind of cool ah because because they existed at the exact same time and it's cool that they were kind of being self influencing. This record was a huge deal for me when I was in high school. ah This came out and did what I say, 99.
00:53:37
Speaker
Um, and I would have gotten into it a few years after that, but I listened to it over and over and over again. And yeah. they for iland yeah over And uh, all like, I love those songs. I, the dirt lib can't be caught. Those were like, um, we should listen to take another look though. I have that queued up because that's like, that's a banger.
00:54:08
Speaker
It's a cool scar riff too. It's pretty atypical. Yeah.
00:54:16
Speaker
The musicianship is good on this. Yeah. This is where you can really feel the stank and pickle feel to-y, yelly vocals sound good. This is good. This is more punk, though, too. Yes. And I like his vocals. I like when Dave's vocals are more gritty and raspy, as opposed to like the clean cartoony voice.
00:54:51
Speaker
I like how Boston he is all the time. Yeah, he's so Boston. Even his little Boston hat. He looks so Boston.
00:55:04
Speaker
I was reading an interview in preparation for this and he was talking about how much he loved Tim Hortons when he came to Canada because they have good soup. and what else I was like, what a Boston thing to say. It's like, you come to Canada, first thing you get is a bowl of soup. Yeah. i that's This is the type of vocals I like from Big D when it's more scratchy, gritty. Yeah. I love the punk stuff. Yeah, same. Yeah. And that, yeah, cause I, so one of the things that I did, didn't really realize cause like, I feel like all their stuff kind of mixes together in my brain, ah how like stylistically different a lot of their records are. It's like, oh, this one, they really focused on this type of music. This one, they really focused on this type of music.
00:55:45
Speaker
um because ah like going like oh yeah this is a big d this song this is a big d song but i didn't realize how different the records were and doing this whole like exercise of kind of re-listening front to back is uh it was very interesting like it's really cool and i keep forgetting how prolific they are they actually release a lot of material yeah um the last song i have queued up is 51 gardener because it features one of my all-time favorite uh little big d breakdowns
00:56:13
Speaker
I love a big deep break down.
00:56:23
Speaker
It's a party. It's a party. I love a tease lyric where you think someone's gonna say something and then they don't. yeah Especially with swearing. Yeah. That's one of my favorite things. A tease lyric, a very obvious rhyme, and they don't give it to you. Yeah.
00:56:46
Speaker
That's very catchy. It's so cool. For that 4-1, there's a song in Shop Island that has that same melody, but... It almost sounds like...
00:57:14
Speaker
Kelly's grooving. Yeah, he's pretty good.
00:57:31
Speaker
Fun. I love that song. That's a classic. Very good. Yeah. I feel like um Plastic Presidents captures that energy a little bit. Totally. Yeah. With their stuff. Because like they'll do the ska sections where Earl is just like rapid firing lyrics and then they'll do the super punk parts and the breakdowns. It has the same energy or similar energy. Uh, so, and then this is also where we start to like plastic presidents. Um, this is also where we start to get to like honing in on the lyrics that big D. So big D also has their core lyrics, like, you know, less than Jake, we've talked about that. You have three kinds of songs. yeah Big D kind of also has three kinds of songs. It's like ah they also talk about their buddies. They love to talk about their buddies. They love to talk about dirtbag life, uh, which is specifically about porches or causing noise complaints.
00:58:22
Speaker
<unk> etc many of their songs are actually about noise complaints they're party guys yeah and then they're they they seem like drinkers ah yes yeah remember those videos yes they seem like they like to get drunk they those little bitch videos where they just like are yeah pound and beers that's what i always think and then also that bender song are you gonna go into our the bender song oh yeah there's a song yeah it's coming up Oh, about the bender. I was thinking like when bender becomes a human and it's, come on baby, baby, do that conga, no, no, no, no, bender's not any longer. This big deed to a cover. Yeah, that's where my brain went. I was like, does big deed to a cover of that like, come on baby, do that. Gloria Estefan and the Miami sound machine. Because bender goes on a bender when he's a human and he's crushing beers. Yeah. Anyways, they can take that if they're listening.
00:59:15
Speaker
Dave? Any last minute thoughts about good luck? Oh, Joey, yeah we didn't hear about your thoughts. Uh, you know what, this is kind of my first going through the, uh, the discography. Uh, I enjoyed it. I liked that. I thought this one was a little on the third wavy side for me personally. Uh, but I like could hear that they were taking that sound and like actually going somewhere with it. Yeah. You know what I mean? Not just just doing a third wave sound. Not. Yeah, totally. And then by the next album that we talk about, I feel like it kind of coalesced into more like actually taking that third wave of sound and progressing it along to something new. New. Yeah. Awesome. I would agree with that. OK, let's do it. Well, we're going to take a break.
Concert Experiences and 'Gypsy Hill' Album
01:00:14
Speaker
Welcome back to checkered past where you have a Saxton of runaway ricocheting. We're talking Big D and the kids table. And before we move on, Saline says she has to read something. First of all, I'm very brave and I have a tummy ache and I'm staying as long as I can. But I have forgot about this, but my friend got chat GPT to write me like a Scott Jar Jar Binks birthday card. Misa say happy boit day, Selene. Boom badda boom, it's a Scottastic day, Selene's boit day, hip hip hooray. Jar Jar and the ska band be skankin' all night with tootin' horns and dancin' oh so right. May your day be full of love and skankin' beats with friends fun and lots of treats. Miska love you so much.
01:00:56
Speaker
yeah That's the best use of chat GBT I've ever seen. It's a fantastic day. It also says, I'm so fucking glad you were born. It also described the cover. um It's a engagement card and there's an engagement ring that says brilliant and engaging. And my friend wrote, Celine, you are brilliant and engaging. in sharp yeah that's good And that's what I was, but I just wanted everyone to tell me happy birthday again, like two weeks after my birthday. and
01:01:29
Speaker
yeah All right. That's it. That was fun. Fun little ah sideways move there. Starting in the late nineties, the band decided to start their own annual ska show called A Nightmare Before Halloween as a nod to the Boston's hometown throwdown. The early 2000s saw the band tour and promote themselves more aggressively, getting a lot of heat from their Asian man affiliation to their advantage. The hard touring lifestyle was too much for such a huge nine piece lineup. So they trimmed down to a more agile seven. with Jason Gilbert and Paul Cutler joining on drums and trombone respectively, along with Dave, Dan, Steve, and Sean. A real who's who of generic white dude first names. With a tighter lineup, the band decided to write tighter material
01:02:14
Speaker
issuing the general wackiness and chaos of their 90s sound in favor of more aggressive, street-level poetry, with Jim Siegel on the boards, who at the time ah produced Dropkick Murphy's Blood for Blood and War Gasm, so he brought a mass hardcore feel to the band's new sound. The result was an EPLP titled Gypsy Hill and released independently on their band's own Fork in Hand Records in 2002 to critical acclaim. It was a loose concept album based on their Germany-UK tour, and featured cameo recordings from some of the people they met. The record's relative success helped the band book larger tours, including the band's Warped Tour, and they would average about 200 dates a year. Let's kick off this discussion with the one and only Check Least.
01:03:04
Speaker
One of the best, honestly.
01:03:14
Speaker
Yeah, maybe 10 seconds of Sky on the whole zone. Yeah, I know, it's great. Oh, so many points. Just wait. They're great now.
01:03:29
Speaker
My life, my book, it is so funny! My life, my book, it is so funny! My life, my book, it is so funny! My life, my book, it is so funny! My life, my book, it is so funny! My life, my book, it is so funny! My life, my book, it is so funny! My life, my book, it is so funny! My life, my book, it is so funny! My life, my book, it is so funny!
01:04:05
Speaker
The point of arrangements on this record all in all are just so good. Too soon, too late. It's wild. for like Usually their records are super long and then this one is like 29 minutes. That was like a borderline hip-hop flow though. So hold on to that because there's the hip hop influence in. That's what I like about it. and Big D is like very real. Yeah. Very real. Because his flow, he's got a good flow. He loves hip hop. I can tell. So checkered past of ah checkered past.
01:04:38
Speaker
Uh, so yeah, like I said, that's like, so this record came out 2002, 2003, uh, right when I was like really getting into ska music. So it was super big deal. That's when I was just becoming more into like punk and Scott through Rob and getting into alt things and alt music. And when I was 16, because I just had got my car like maybe less than a year ago, we road tripped down to Calgary from St. Paul, which would have been a five hour drive to go to Warped Tour. It would have been 14. Yeah. Yeah. 13-ish, 14, whatever, 14. And Big D was playing and we were like stoked to see Big D. Very first stage. But there was like nobody there. Yeah. There was the very first stage when you walked in. You were like listening to Big D on the way down. Yeah.
01:05:22
Speaker
like all the time. And so I had my backpack on cause I didn't know any better. And I walked time ice ganked right up to the front of the stage. And I'm just like, Hey, I can see my favorite band. I'm so excited. And they opened with checklist. Yeah. And, uh, that was my first mosh pit immediately formed right around me. And there was like, no, but the more they played, the bigger the crowd got. Yeah. People were like, who's been watching real time as people were starting to really like get what they were doing. I was like seeing them live. 10 people super stoked and then it ended up being pretty full by the end, I feel like. Yeah, that was super fun. And I was like awakening moment because that was not the first show I've ever seen but Dropkick Murphy's were before that but also so the very first call song I remember hearing my checkered past, which I haven't had crossover yet. Yeah.
01:06:09
Speaker
Video game, yes, but nobody else has like the first been DDR Little Bitch the Specials. Oh, yeah. By dancing to it for Dance Dance Revolution. I haven't had crossover with that yet one day. And then obviously Big D covered Little Bitch. So for me, that was like a very easy way to get into them because I was super into that song and it was like my first experience was gone. Then I was like, oh, this is like a more punky, like at the time I thought better version, you know. Anyways, so yeah, Big D is very close to our checkered past heart. And checkered heart. and this out Now that we're talking about this record, now I can talk about what I didn't realize was a thing, is that this is a lot more of a polarizing band than I was expecting. ah like When I was coming up, like the only bands that were really doing anything still were Big D and Streetlight. A mustard plug, I guess, to some degree, because they had the tours and planet smashers in Canada. But Big D was like,
01:07:06
Speaker
always there, always touring, putting out stuff. like It was one of the few ska bands that was reliably putting out good material all the time. and I was just like, yeah, everyone must love them, right? It turns out that's not the case. There's a lot of people that really don't vibe. is it the It's the cartoon evil. It's the vocals. like My wife said this. so My wife's one of those people who really doesn't like Big D. She's mentioned it multiple times, ah but she's always like, it sounds like he can sing, but he chooses not to. ha ha
01:07:36
Speaker
you can kind of hear that with um uh what's the fluent in stroll like is way more like vocally uh in tunes not the right word but you know like he's like doing a lot more singing compared to the early stuff so i feel like that point is true and i understand whenever people are like i just can't with the vocals like i get it but i love it I like it too. I like it too. I like to do it. I like to talk singing though. Yeah. When I don't like it is when it sounds two-third wavy, which I know everyone's sick of me saying that, but I like when it's like punky and toxic-y and like hip-hop influence and has like a good flow. I like, like that. Also, there's something to be said about like,
01:08:19
Speaker
I also want to just sort of sings in such a way that as long as it works with the music, it's fine in my opinion. And if they choose to sing in a way that's kind of goofy, but as long as it goes with the music, that's I'm I'm a talk singer. Yeah. Yeah. I'm the big D of my band. Jackson, how do you feel about this record? Gypsy Hill? I love it. Goodness. Yeah. um What the hell are you going to do is an absolute banger. Yeah, ten like six seconds. I think one of the first times I'd ever heard a song that was that short and that to the point, love it. But like the whole, what I would guess is side a like checklist through those kids suck.
01:09:06
Speaker
Um, are all bangers. My favorite one on this album is probably Wailing Paddle. Um, just like is more like pop, I guess of their songs, but the hooks are really good. I do have that queued up, so we should listen to it. Yeah. yeah So this is a cover of the Rudiments song, Wailing Paddle, ah which I was on our Discord, I was like, oh shit, we're talking about Rudiments? Everyone go listen to the Rudiments, they fucking rule. That makes a lot of sense, because like this doesn't seem like their songwriting, but I'm not familiar with the Rudiments, I'm gonna have to go check them out.
01:09:43
Speaker
They're an Asian man from the early 90s, from Sacramento, or like Bay Area. So they would have been contemporaries of like 80s. And they were very organ-heavy, like, they were one of the bands that called themselves Psycho Scott because they were just really all over the place. So they're super listenable. Circle Your Empire, that's the record.
Band Lineup Changes and Musical Evolution
01:10:20
Speaker
This is such a cool arrangement of the song. I love it. Yeah, I'm really excited to go listen to the original after the part. It's different. It's slower in a lot of ways.
01:10:46
Speaker
It's also one of my favorite bass lines. It's not that complicated, but I love it.
01:10:53
Speaker
how Is this still their original bass player for this record? yeah or still okay I am not as familiar with like when all of the members came and went. I know that there's been a lot, especially because of how big of a band they were. When he said they were trimming down to a more agile 7-piece, Is wild? Yeah. Yeah. That's going from like 10 people and good luck, which actually like, there's also, if you include guests, I think it's up to like 15. It's pretty crazy. Insane. yeah so many people Trying to arrange six people's schedules for, for my band or for the longest time, it was even just five schedules is so stressful. I can't imagine seven people.
01:11:37
Speaker
Yeah, the the core of the band was Dave Shawn. I'm blanking on the end. Sorry, I'm terrible. Steve Foote is the bass player. That's who it is. Sean Rogan is the guitarist. Steve Foote is the bassist. That's like the core songwriting. And then the horn section was mostly stable, but kind of went in and out a little bit. And they've rotated drummers quite a bit. That was sort of the the piece that was always moving around. But yeah, it was actually there. Yeah. Guitar bass and vocals drove a lot of the music for a long time before they started changing their lineups a little bit more. Right. ah How do you feel about Gypsy Hill? um I enjoyed it a lot. um I liked that six second song or whatever. And to your point, Saxon, ah reminded me of all and no all.
01:12:23
Speaker
i was like Yeah, that's like that's sick. I love a song that's just like two notes. Great. um I like this one. It was nice and compact. It was good. it was like the You could hear the progression of the band. Like I said earlier, this album I felt like was taking ah the sound and like moving it into like a place where it's no longer just kind of like a third wave band kind of doing new stuff but now they're moving into like their their own sound. The next evolution of kind of what
01:12:56
Speaker
Scott Punk could be, I feel like. This is maybe my second favorite Big D record. I put it, it's really up there. That's fair. I love J.T. Hill. I think I love it because it's like 29 minutes and all the songs really have a real purpose and a point. It doesn't feel like there's a lot, but they have. It leads you wanting more. It does. And I kind of like that from a record. Like I, I've said it on the pod before that I do prefer a short record. 30 to 40 minutes. My sweet spot for sure. offense taken Although have listened to diminishing returns a lot. And also, uh, I feel like.
01:13:34
Speaker
Like the next album, and I said this to Rob, it has some long songs on it. And there are some bands where I'm like, yeah, give me a nine minute song. And there are other bands where I'm like, you could have cut two minutes out of that song. For sure. I listened to that Symphony X song about the Odyssey that's like 29 minutes long or whatever. I probably listened to that like 12, 15 times. Right. Like, whatever. like I get a lot out of that. What is the longest ska song? What is the longest ska song? Yeah. It's the longest song on your record. well yeah Well, we actually have a longer one on our first record. Riverside was like six and a half minutes. um And needlessly so. That song doesn't need to be that long. I just wanted to write a long song. ah That's fair.
01:14:19
Speaker
i think I think your next record, that's got to be the goal. Do a one song, the whole record. do like that I actually wanted to do that. There's a jam that got cut um that was going to be at least seven minutes because on um gas station culture, we have like a CD only ah jam that we improved in the studio that like takes ah a riff from one of the songs and then goes in a different place with it. and I wanted to do that for this record. so um the bridge riff and make it out.
Creating a Concept Album
01:14:50
Speaker
do get a good ah da dada do get a good do and ah It's only in that song because I wrote that riff and was like, okay, I want to do a jam around this riff. So so we need to have a song that features this riff. So then David ah put that and make it out. And then we cut the instrumental song. So I want to do like an EP. That's just the one song. Hell yeah. yeah i'm I'm here for it. Like, honestly, or like, uh, or it'd be another cool concept would be to do like, uh, like each song is like an act of a story and do three or five songs as like 21 12. Yeah. Yeah. Kind of that sort of deal. That'd be pretty cool too. Uh, you know what though? Like, I think.
Exploring Ska Jazz Fusion
01:15:39
Speaker
Y'all probably have pretty close to the longest ska songs that are not like a version or a dub or. Yeah, that's the one thing I was going for. Dubs. Yeah, because yeah. And I mean, there's a lot of like Scott jazz fusion out there that I'm sure like they've the band has just riffed on. That's true. Like fucking whatever for 55 minutes or whatever, you know what I mean? Like we saw that we went to a show years ago now where we have like our bird. Yeah. We have like a pretty strong jazz community in Edmonton and they they just put on a show that was like all these jazz artists. Like it was like a Scott tribute type of thing. So it's jazz artists doing these songs and it was really great. ah But that's kind of what it was like. They were just sort of taking Scott standards sort of tradscaw standards and stuff and then like just riffing riffing going off on them. And like it it was sick. But. It is weird to watch a Scott show sitting down though. like that's like It was very weird. That's a very bizarre way to experience it. Yeah, trying to dance in your chair. ah so when ah i I sat in with this ah band the Von Tramps when they were opening for ah
Unusual Concert Experiences
01:16:54
Speaker
um losing okay I think it was the English beat sure that they were opening for, but isn it was in a theater. and so Everyone like got popcorn in the lobby and then sat down in like slant like a slanted theater chairs. i mean People were standing up during their set, but they all sat down for the Von Tramp set, which was very weird. Um, they also, that venue gave us complimentary peanuts. No drink tickets, no food. Um, just like they pulled out some fancy peanuts from behind the counter for us. They're like, do you like monocles? Well, yeah, we are you physician protein, you know no popcorn though.
01:17:43
Speaker
yeah oh Man, that's good. All right. Let's move along 2003 continued this trend and as the band began to build up their ah ah Build up their follow-up
Innovative Albums and Collaborations
01:17:54
Speaker
ah man. How did I write this so poorly? 2003 continued this trend and as the band began to build their follow-up They released a couple stopgap releases. The first was a split with cult Japanese hardcore grind band melt banana and and the second was the far stranger rap only porch life consisting of songs recorded and partially released in 2000 part joke part hip hop ode it marks a strange and otherworldly addition to the band's catalog I have one song let's listen to it it's like 50 seconds motherfucking big D is the name of this song yo yo this is how we do it on the porch
01:18:36
Speaker
This one was talking about how he's got some hip-hop vibes. Yeah, he's a big hip-hop guy.
01:18:45
Speaker
This is terrible. It's not awful. It's bizarre. I don't know what to look for. It's for them. that's true that is true it's for them they like are a band that had earned the right very early on to kind of just do anything they felt like and people would be just like sure big d but when you have 10 people in your band you can just bully people into letting you do what there's 10 of you i'm actually not familiar with this release at all yeah
01:19:24
Speaker
It's a long record, too. It's like an outward. Wow. Is it all like like that? That kind of like lo fi. Yes. OK. Yes. And if you ever hear their records and you hear like, you know, they got scratches and stuff on their records. Yeah, it's all kind of tied to this hip hop thing that they got going on just slightly in the background. That's fun, though. And that will anyway, it's like this. You cannot listen to it on Spotify. You have to go out of your way to find it. But yeah, Port's life. I feel like that's ah Like if it was a UK band, we'd be like, Oh yeah. Right. But it's an American band. So people are like, what? They did a hip hop thing. Also Boston, like, yeah, not New York, Boston.
'How It Goes' Album Promotion
01:20:08
Speaker
um The same lineup entered the studio once again with Jim Siegel on the boards to record the much longer and more ambitious How It Goes, once again featuring the band's combination of party-ready ska-punks, street-level stories, and mass hardcore. After recording, John Riley replaced Jason Gilbert on drums for the next stage in the band's touring. The album was nearly a full 80 minutes long, 20 tracks featured arguably the band's breakout song that finally got the band away from Scott Darling's to appealing to the broader punk community in 2004. The album also marked another new label as the band had joined Spring Man Records before embarking on bigger tours
01:20:45
Speaker
that ever Bigger tours than ever before while mainstaying the Warp Tour on bigger stages than previous years. Here's what Dave had to say. I look at it like, the Beastie Boys check your head. That album is long, but the energy is there for the entire thing. I'll listen to that record from the first song to the middle, then take a break and listen to it from the middle to the end. You can do it with this record too. um The whole Spring Man thing was, I guess they were handing out flyers at Warp Tour while they're on Ernie Ball stage. and uh just to like get people to come see them and uh they saw like the spring man guys all saw them doing that and they're like oh shit look at these guys like they're actually working they're like they're working this and they're building their fan base like literally grassroots from the ground up we should help them get a record out so i would and i i was gonna say that warp tour i remember them doing that i remember just seeing dave mcwane like standing out at the fucking
01:21:37
Speaker
Calgary motorway whatever with like a big batch of flyers just like hey come to your show Hey comes here or whatever Boston version of that. come see Yeah, I'm not gonna try and then And I was like fucking gonna be there your big D. Don't worry about it. I probably was dressed something like this and I was like, come on do i look like not going to be there This pork pie, yeah, not probably out of Mohawk at the time but um Anyway, so let's ah let's start the how it goes conversation with the one and only LAX, this is the song.
01:22:13
Speaker
Are you familiar with this song? Yeah, I listened to it for nearly seven minutes earlier today. Oh, I mean, did you know this song before? No. I felt like it was fucking everywhere for a period. Like I said, this is the band that just skirted me by, just barely. You know, like I just, I had friends that listened to them. i just i don't think i ever caught them live other than maybe one time at warp tour here it comes he says fuck so many times
Song Themes and Lyrical Styles
01:22:43
Speaker
and this is very funny at one point he doesn't he just say fucking fuck yeah
01:22:54
Speaker
I do like his, uh, it's not exactly the same as the way Jeff Rosenstock does it, but they both kind of have a similar, like, way that their delivery really makes you listen to what they're saying. yeah You know what I mean? Like, it's they enunciate things in such a way where you're like, oh, that's unmistakable that those are the lyrics, you know?
01:23:17
Speaker
If you think you're so fucking impressed, if you get your name on the fucking guest list, raise your nose to the people in line, give the doorman a fucking high five!
01:23:26
Speaker
And it's like, that song is kind of genius in the way it's constructed. Like it's super long, but like, it starts as a, it's like a rip on LA culture, but then it like takes this like hard right turn towards the end of the song where it then becomes about them being broke all the time. Like, and then it kind of, but then it's that cycles back down to that whole thing about like, that's a big concept of their music. Like, They talk about how hard, like how much struggles they have and like how hard it is to be a working band. And so it starts off and like, okay, this is like, we're going to just fuck with l LA people, but we know it's back to the same old Big D stuff, right? But that's always massive for them. Do you have the, a physical copy of this album with like the liner notes? Cause I have some really interesting things to say in there.
01:24:11
Speaker
I don't, uh, I have the CD at home. I don't have the record though. Yeah. I don't know if they have anything different on the the vinyl, but even on the CD in the liner notes, he just talks about the process of recording the record and how they were just couch surfing, or at least Dave was at the time and would just like ah steal stuff from gas stations. Cause they didn't have any money for food. They like spent everything on recording this record. Yeah, and this one is a much bigger, more expensive play for them for sure. It sounds like it. It sounds fucking awesome. A lot more into this one. I will admit, because I was like trying to finish my listening earlier today, I didn't make it all the way through the record, but like
'How It Goes': Influence and Sound
01:24:53
Speaker
by the second or third song, I was like, this is the sound. Like this is clearly where they were.
01:25:00
Speaker
this is where they were trying to get to from that first record. You know what I mean? like this is they've They've kind of realized, and I'm sure they change as they move along in their career, but like kind of how bands like no effects sort of like they are their first couple of records are kind of a shit show and they sort of sound like garbage and then they like kind of realize their sound and they've had their sound for like a while and then they kind of like changed it a little bit later this is like i feel like that first sound was kind of them finding their shit over the first two records and eps and such and this is like the big d sound it sounds like to me
01:25:38
Speaker
Yeah, I would agree like it it seems like the the three albums before this were just like ah perfecting their craft and how it goes is the pinnacle of that sound and then strictly rude onward. I think they like chill out. They grow up a little bit. um right And I feel like their 2021 release, Do Your Art, was like trying to capture the fire that um How It Goes had, with it being 20 songs and having all of the samples throughout. like The samples throughout How It Goes, I feel like, are so clever.
01:26:15
Speaker
Oh yeah, it's like, I think because they're not like going to tape like they were on Good Luck, like and they liked that whole like party vibe or even in Gypsy Hill and they have like, you know, whatever their found recordings of people in bars that they were talking to. yeah This one they actually pulled samples from like alternative places and stitched it together in a more thoughtful way. It's definitely a more... um like i think if gypsy hill feels like like okay we're just like plowing out songs as fast as we possibly can this is like we wrote 20 songs we want to put out 20 songs yeah the previous one was like uh like a snapshot of a moment in time and kind of like putting all these recordings together to make a thing whereas this one it it seems everything is more methodical yeah like they were they're actually building something rather than like
01:27:01
Speaker
Taking the pieces and making an album out of it and sort of yeah yeah it's actually said this was like a huge influence on you so talk to us about this record like how did it have an impact um so I my first car that I drove was a two thousand and four on the c r v the
Recording Techniques and Artistic Variety
01:27:18
Speaker
classic burgundy color at a six disk changer and i got so in the cds in high school like all all of my job money was going to this place they they have a few stores around town uh... cheapos records where they would just have a whole bunch of used cd and vinyl and i would go and spend like an hour to just flipping through every single cd in the new arrivals to find like all the weird ska music that i could
01:27:44
Speaker
ah Even though like Spotify existed at this time, I have... I don't know why I chose to make it so difficult, but um I didn't have like Bluetooth in my car. There are those cassette to phone aux cables. Yes. But I feel like the audio quality sucked and they would break every few months. They always break. Always. Always break in really weird ways where it wouldn't allow certain ah channels through. So like when I listened to Little Piece of Heaven, it would only be the orchestra and no no vocals or lead guitar. I saved it just so I could listen to that song like that.
01:28:16
Speaker
yes But, um, how it goes lived in my, uh, in my six disc changer, I always had a spot and, um, uh, I but was like starting to to drive into the city at that time. Uh, or I started going to community college and. but I have a 30-minute drive where I would listen to half of it, then I'd listen to the other half on the way back, and um like a lot of gas station culture was really influenced by this record, and I still feel like the horns I look to this record for
01:28:50
Speaker
um like Chicago has such an iconic horn line and so memorable it's a lot of scott songs i feel like have like a four bar max phrase um but generally it's like one or two bars of just like something really hooky um like uh for example alternative baby by real big fish just like da that diddada dada da Like really simple and streamlined and and Big D is a lot more jazz influenced with some of these longer lines and harmonies. Oh yeah. That was also the streetlight move. Streetlight always had like super long complicated horn lines that sometimes never repeated, right? It would just be like real long phrase for the whole ah ah measure and then you're onto the next thing.
01:29:39
Speaker
Yeah, so this this whole record is, I'm definitely nostalgia biased, but I think that this is the greatest of all time Scott record, ah because there's no other record that really sounds like this with how raw the guitar and the vocal delivery is, um and how sloppy but tight the whole thing feels. I'm a big fan. Yeah, for a bunch of Berkeley guys, right? Yeah. like At the end of the day, there are like super trained musicians just there. They happen to be making like some pretty dirty punk music. I liked that production wise, it ah when like the punk parts kick in, sometimes on
01:30:16
Speaker
Scott punk albums with really big horn sections it can like feel thinner because Like the horns fill out so much of the sound but production wise this album like fucking sounds awesome All the parts sound great. Everything's out big and like it's it's a really really well produced record. Nothing ever gets buried Yeah, yeah, totally. We should throw on a little bitch and talk about that cover. I heard my name iconic My batman single six single I think they'll take for the song. They don't want to take. Famously, they would would do a new video at every stop in a different town of them where they would just keep feeding Dave clients and you would just like shoot them back and then lip sync it, like like dead eye into the camera for the whole mission. They are. The homies cat fighter in the most recent one.
01:31:14
Speaker
Content warning.
01:31:18
Speaker
I'm alive. This is a very fun song. My number one ska song. Personally, this is to me the best ska song. This part's cool with the horns trading up. You know you're just a little bitch. And I really like his vocals with that.
01:31:41
Speaker
Um, and day as, as good as the original, I think they're in its own way. Like that is still like incredible. Yeah. And it has like a big energy and that being faster is fun. Yeah. like they' cover They don't do a ton of covers, except for on the cover record, I guess. But like when they do covers, they tend to make interesting choices. I always think of their cover of Old Friend is such a... like They take it to a whole other direction in how they do it. I don't know if I've ever heard it. It's incredible. It's really good. and It was on Hooligans United. um But yeah, like this is the second cover we've played. And again, I'm like, wow, this is different enough from the original to be iconic in its own right.
01:32:24
Speaker
And like when they played Wailing Paddle Live, like that one, they'd always come on stage and be like, oh yeah, this is a song by Fall Out Boy. And then they would play that. And like, it's always a good little bit. Yeah, it's a good little bitch. Yeah. wow how do you feel about it ah have so yeah we've been going but ah i i that might tellm me her um or that I could have seen the band live in this era like right when they were playing all these songs fresh from the studio because Oh, it's just so good and it would be so fun to marsh to all this was typing hot from the stew. This was our era of seeing Big D. Yeah, like Big D. I've seen more than any other band. This was our era of seeing Big D. You're young. They were truly one of those bands that came through Edmonton like.
01:33:12
Speaker
All the time. All the time. 200, 200 shows a year. like Yeah, that's a shitload of shows a year. They weren't always, ah they were sometimes opening, sometimes headlining. They really just came through whenever they could with whatever band was coming through. And they always had a pretty big turnout here. and Yeah. Part of it was like they'd be opening for like Big Wig or something. And so people were just coming to see them and Big Dee just so happened to be opening. So yeah. I imagine they still put on a great live show and and probably do a handful of these songs. They've never been to Minneapolis when I've been of age to go to a show. So. Oh, 21 is a crime. Yeah. to like have that That's crazy. That's so old. like That's baby. But it's like to not drink and be able to go to like a show. That's fucked. Yeah. I'm like, I've been going to those 16. That's five years earlier. and That's bad.
01:34:01
Speaker
i any thoughts Any other thoughts on this record before we kind of move on? Did you, yeah, you listened to LAX. I think it's really that they like can have the juxtaposition of the sounds of Ashton Village, which is just a really chill ska song.
Ska and Punk Track Dynamics
01:34:17
Speaker
And like later, how it goes, the um the title track just being super chilled out but then a lot of the other stuff being so in your face punk um is is a really nice ebb and flow like if you're gonna make an hour plus album and 20 songs there's got to be some variety and i think that they accomplished that i think they really did the sides well because i think safe haven opened side too
01:34:42
Speaker
Like, I think that's how they had it operate. Although I think this is a double record. In 80 minutes, i think I think this is two records. It's gotta be a double. Yeah. So, which is crazy. That's a lot that's ah that's a big sco that's a lot of value for your money. Yeah, more stuff. It's gotta be a double-double. Canadian. Right? Super. All right. let's I'm gonna finish this off. We probably won't play that last song. I have one more song here, but I think we'll skip it. but Instead, we'll do a little ah let's do a little segment called Label. She's the bomb. We're here to talk about Spring Man. Spring Man is a Cali label formed in 1997, lasted about eight years, but took full advantage of their sub-decade of existence. Their first releases were by New Jersey pop punk band Shower With Goats, who helped kickstart their motto of being friendly punks. It's a great name. They would go on to sign bands. I'd rather do yoga with goats than shower with them. They would go on to sign bands that hewed more in the pop punk vein, including Pain, who also did some ska stuff, The Groovy Ghoulies, River City Rebels, and The Phenomenauts. The band who ruined the time warp. Hold that thought. They were well poised for the band's warp tour where their bands and their label were often featured. They also gained notoriety for the compilation The Rocky Horror Punk Rock Show. That was a set of covers for the entire Rocky Horror soundtrack.
01:36:00
Speaker
that also had contributions by Alkaline Trio, Tsunami Bomb, Swing and Utters, Flaw Fast, Groovy Groot, and Peepers in the Gimme Gimmes. And it also featured Big D, covering once in a while. ah and The label shuttered in 2006 so that the founder Avi Ehrlich could found Silver Sprocket Comics the following year to advance a more co-op community and anarchist ethos built around comics, records, and bicycles. Silver Sprocket is still active today and counts past guests Sad Snack and Indica and Decay as contributors and artists. Cool. Did you know that? I had no idea. There is a connection between Silver Sprocket and Big D and the kids table. Go back. Super cool. um So we'll just end this episode in 2005 when the band continues its hard touring lifestyle and championing Scott just as the Dark Ages truly sets in, along with the Planet Smasher
Spring Man Records and Legacy
01:36:48
Speaker
Streetlight Manifesto and Mustard Play. I had said all those bands before. They would be one of the biggest touring acts in the genre, and it was in this year that Joe Sibb from a certain record label would see them handing out flyers. Oh yeah, I just talked about that.
01:36:58
Speaker
Oh, the label. the Oh, it wasn't Spring Man that caught them. It was a different record label. It was Side One Dummy that saw them handing out the the flyers. That was what it was. Joe Sibb from Side One Dummy. Because that will be the next era. Put down your tomatoes, listeners. Yeah, they were like, oh, it was Side One Dummy. Side One Dummy, you dummy. Go to Side Two, you dummy. all Side One, you dummy. And so that's Big Diggy and the Kid Stable, part one. Let's do a game. It's a very fun game. i yeah You think we'd be excited when he says game, but we're not. Let's do a game. so This game is called so so but more like snatch phrase, am I right? In this game, Selen, Joey, and Saxton will be given a rapid fire list of famous musician catch phrases that I will say with zero inflection. And it will be their job to guess the musician.
01:37:55
Speaker
ah Buzz in with your name or Scott or buzz or whatever. Get it right. Get a point. Get it wrong. Get the gong. so When in doubt, we are looking for the artists that popularize the phrase. So for example, the reason why I picked this is because Big D and their song say, watch out now all the time. Okay. So if I said, watch out now, you'd be like Big D and the kids table. Two chains. Two chains. Salin, two chains. Okay, good job. oh okay wow yeah Yeah, boy so Lynn yes flavorfully, that's right. Sorry. I love guys. that Sorry. I'm gonna Yeah,
01:38:32
Speaker
ah yeah okay Salin. Yes. Yeah. Oh, Lil Jon. Yes. ah Sorry. I love catchphrases and rappers. Young Money. Salin. Yes. Well, Young Money, but also definitely like um and Nicki Minaj, Young Money, also Drake, Young Money. of Everyone in Young Money says Young Money. but who Yeah. Okay. Joe died he said young lee popularized it. Lil Wayne. way Oh, it was Lil Wayne. Yeah. Lil Wayne and Birdman. Lil Wayne would have popularized it. Okay. We are the best. Oh, sorry. We the best music. I fucked it up.
01:39:05
Speaker
the bell yeah fucking ah d j gal dj callley that' right or is that come on we got it gay yeah it't pass you're waiting more enough I just don't know shit this is also i like generational no what we'll get past the rappers it's just funny where my dogs at so limb yes little bowwell so dog No um just guessing Where my dogs at? Salin. Ice Cube. No. ah Joey. yeah Joey, when I get home from work. today The answer is DMX. Oh, where my dogs. OK. Here. No. OK. Now we're past we're past rapper on to a different genre now. OK. Woo. Mr. Worldwide.
Musician Guessing Game
01:39:51
Speaker
Salin. Pitbull.
01:39:53
Speaker
Oh, yeah. Oh, sorry, sorry. No, you fine, you fine. Yeah, Pitbull. I'm being a monster. Pitbull is not a rapper. He talks. I do not think that counts as rap. I don't know. We're actually entering Celine's territory here. Sorry, I'm doing it. We'll get it. Pop off. This only happened last time when there was drug references. It's Britney, bitch. Celine Britney Spears.
01:40:21
Speaker
pause up little monsters so then lady gaga gabba gabba hay salin yo gabba gabba for the remones you lose you're gonna give the remones to someone else yeah cuz you said yo gabba gabba funny cutting you out so someone else say remones yeah one two fuck you o Oh, ah Saxton, that's um ah the butthole surfers. Oh, before that. Oh, yeah. I've heard it's heard so many bands do it, and I don't know who originated it. yeah thinking Speaking of cartoon cartoonish vocals. So then. Sex pistols. Oh, after after between the sex pistol. Yeah. Is it ah bad brains?
01:41:14
Speaker
Oh, contemporaneous. ah The Dead Kennedys. dead kennedy jello bi ara jello whoeo sallin yes the misfit yes yeah I to go AFI. I was like before, before. Whoa, go. Salin, AFI? Yes. Up the Irons. Well, I don't know. ah Joey. Yeah. Iron Maiden. Yes. ah This thing. Celine. Yeah. Oh, I actually don't know the Metallica. No. Oh, do you move or gear? No. Saxon. Is it kiss? No. Oh, a deal. Deal. silly Deal. I was like it's but it's not Ozzy. It's not Ozzy. Right. Death to false metal. Oh, what's death to false metal? What's death to false metal?
01:42:07
Speaker
I don't know. Death to all butt metal. Solend's or Mass would be sad. The band that is in the Guinness Book of World Records for the loudest concert of all time. So Solend, is it Metallica? No. Oh, Joey. yeah Think Motorhead. Think Loincloths. Was it those sexy men? Really? Joey Manawar. Is it Manawar? Those sexy men? Louder than Motorhead? They had the loudest concert of all time. Wow. Death to false metal. Manawar. Damn. Thank you. Thank you very much. Salin, Elvis Presley? yes no why that was good very story
01:42:41
Speaker
No, that's, uh, that's peace and love. No autographs, no autographs, peace and love. Um, Heidi Ho. sal Yes. Heidi Ho. Mr. like, uh, the poop from South Park. Nope, That is earlier. our Yeah, Callaway. The Heidi Ho man. I heard it. OK, you're talking Minnie the Mooch. He said it a bunch and a bunch of songs, but including Minnie the Moocher. Hello, baby. Selen. Yeah. Hello, baby. you be Yeah. Who's that though? Jerry Lee Lewis. No, I don't know. ah Joey and small Michigan J Frog.
01:43:50
Speaker
He ain't small. Celine big. yeah the The big bopper. I was going to get away from this. ah Dooby Dooby Doo. Okay. When will this end? When is the game over? There's two more. There's two more. It's not a two more. Dooby Dooby Doo. Dooby Dooby Doo. Do you know, Saxton, do you know what Dooby Dooby Doo is from? Is this a fun game? This is fun. I mean, it sounds dangerously close to Scooby Dooby Doo. Yeah, which got their name because of this guy. Really? Yes.
01:44:27
Speaker
It sounds like i want what I want to be doing outside of a show. Celine, Ray Charles. You know, I'm not too far off. Frank Sinatra. Frank Sinatra. I was really hoping ah it would be the Doobie Brothers. I feel like that'd be funny. I was about to say that and I was like, no, no. you know you are not point I love the Doobie Brothers, by the way. Pick it up. o Who said it the first time so in a toaster? ah King no a Toaster no, but who's cave? um What was the Prince Buster? Yes? Whoa. Yes, Prince Buster. He's right. I Know that because of the fuck All right, who won? My holy shit, that was just like sore Tommy and all
01:45:11
Speaker
That's that was impressive. Way to go. Way to go. The catchphrase, more like snatch phrase. Am I right? That was that. That's why Selene knew it. So because I have a snatch and you guys don't.
Guest's Music Projects and Future Plans
01:45:21
Speaker
I can't speak for Saxton. It's not my business, but I know it's not my it's not my business and I don't know, but I can speak over here. Thanks for being on the podcast, Saxton. Over to you. What do you want to plug? I play in this band. You might know it. Runaway Ricochet. We just put out this record. Pretty cool. um i have I play in a funk band as well called Cat Tales that is going to be releasing a record in the next few months. I was going to say, who are your funks? who who is who's Who's the bands that you guys like?
01:45:52
Speaker
um man you i like I'm very tired. I'm sorry. So I don't know much about funk. Fun fact, I don't know much about much old music. I kind of listen to real modern stuff because like there's so much cool music coming out. but yeah there's good modern funk too you're like like oh man like Bruno Mars. I was gonna say we live in Mark Ronson. Yeah, I was like, we live in an era where funk has got to come back right now. Our bass player really likes Funkadelic. Yeah, part Parliament. Yeah, Parliament.
01:46:24
Speaker
um and Yeah, I really don't know a lot of things to know. Oh, that's okay. I just got really excited. Mr. Collins. Thank you, Jazzy Hornline. So that's what I do. I just got a berry sax, and so I got to record some berry sax on it, which is very fun. And the name of the band again was, I'm sorry, I missed it. ten cat It's like T-A-L-E-S. man Like stories. Yeah. love it So that'll be coming out in the next few months. The stuff that we have out now kind of sounds like shit, but it's going to sound a lot better.
01:47:00
Speaker
um and I have music. Uh, out under my full name, Eric Saxon, I might come up with a moniker eventually, but I released a solo of them a while back, uh, in the pandemic. And, uh, and I played sax on a record with the confused that came out last year. So there's all sorts of music. You're all over your music game. Where do you find, stuff's all on yeah, where's the best way to find all of that? It's all, it's all on streaming Spotify, all the streaming Spotify, whatever. Okay. However you want to do Google it.
01:47:34
Speaker
What are your social handles? Uh, Instagram is runaway Rick Twitter or X formerly known as Twitter. It's so bullshit. Uh, everyone knows it, but, uh, uh, that is Scott have Saxton. Awesome. yeah but You know, runaway Ricochet on both of them. I run both those social media pages as well. Perfect. Hell yeah. Thanks for listening to Checkered Past. Hit us up on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok at checkeredpasspod, or send us an email at checkeredpasspod at gmail dot.com. Support the pod and get bonus content, including a full length and unedited video of this episode. Sign up for the Checkered Head Patreon at patreon dot.com slash checkeredpast. We also have merch available at checkeredpast.ca. Checkered Past is edited by Arianne, engineered by Joey. me And our Scott associate producer is Chris Reeves. And until next time, I'm Rob.
01:48:24
Speaker
Excellent. Engineer Joey. In the mortal words of Big D, I'm trying to forget to wonder why.