Interview: Attica! Attica!

pmpdblog:

Aaron Scott has been making his own style of punk rock in bands like De La Hoya and Marathon for over 10 years. His latest project is a solo outfit dubbed Attica! Attica!  His latest album Napalm & Nitrogen was released on Black Numbers records back in 2009. PMPDblog was lucky enough to catch up with Aaron and talk about the band’s future plans.

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Here’s a pretty cool drawing by Su Liu, whose pencil stylings you might recognize from the cover art from Napalm & Nitrogen.  I don’t have much else to share this week, except that my essay on sexism was reprinted on a very cool website called XY Online.  It’s a site that archives articles on all sorts of topics relating to masculinity and gender politics.  Take a peek! - Aaron
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Here’s a pretty cool drawing by Su Liu, whose pencil stylings you might recognize from the cover art from Napalm & Nitrogen.  I don’t have much else to share this week, except that my essay on sexism was reprinted on a very cool website called XY Online.  It’s a site that archives articles on all sorts of topics relating to masculinity and gender politics.  Take a peek!

- Aaron

Pre-Order time!  My split 7” for Suburban Home’s Under the Influence series can be ordered now.  I cover Propagandhi’s “The State Lottery” and Ruiner covers Oasis’ “Morning Glory.”  Pre-orders come with a coupon for the immediate download of the digital files.  This is the first 7” that I’ve ever had music on, so I’m super stoked!  You can get it in sky blue or opaque red vinyl (or both!).  Suburban Home is a great independent label that, like many small labels, could really use your support.  Go get your copy!
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Pre-Order time!  My split 7” for Suburban Home’s Under the Influence series can be ordered now.  I cover Propagandhi’s “The State Lottery” and Ruiner covers Oasis’ “Morning Glory.”  Pre-orders come with a coupon for the immediate download of the digital files.  This is the first 7” that I’ve ever had music on, so I’m super stoked!  You can get it in sky blue or opaque red vinyl (or both!).  Suburban Home is a great independent label that, like many small labels, could really use your support.  Go get your copy!

mattxgauck: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1696910694/next-stop-adventure-5-alaska I’m gonna do a 21 day bike tour in Alaska. If you wanna help out, that’d be super rad. Mostly you’ll just get a zine or 5 out of the deal, so if you want something to read in August, here’s your opportunity. Thanks! My buddy Matt is pretty much the raddest person ever.  I think this video demonstrates that suitably.
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mattxgauck:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1696910694/next-stop-adventure-5-alaska

I’m gonna do a 21 day bike tour in Alaska. If you wanna help out, that’d be super rad. Mostly you’ll just get a zine or 5 out of the deal, so if you want something to read in August, here’s your opportunity. Thanks!



My buddy Matt is pretty much the raddest person ever.  I think this video demonstrates that suitably.

This austere-looking gentleman is my friend Chris, the brains behind Sakes Alive!!  He and I are friends because we have a mutual affinity for exclamatory punctuation in our respective band names.  And he’s a pretty cool guy.  He recently suggested that Sakes Alive!! and Attica! Attica! join forces for one of his new tracks, to which I enthusiastically exclaimed, “Yes!!”  (Actually, it was more like “Yes! Yes!”, but whatever.)  Something Chris (and you, dear reader) may not have realized is that being a featured performer is my absolute dream job.  I’m not kidding.  I want to get that call, the call from the studio where a producer has me on speed-dial and says, “Aaron, we’ve got this killer track but it’s missing that extra something, and I think that something is you.  You gotta fly down here and lay down the hook on this thing and make it a hit!!”  Yeah, it’s ridiculous, but it’s my dream.  If T-Pain can make a living doing basically nothing except wearing hats, showing up on boats, and singing for 20 seconds here and there, so can I.I think I’m getting away from the point here.  Chris from Sakes Alive!! has a new track!!  It’s called Day Jobs.  I sang the hook on it.  Nate Dogg would be proud.  Go listen to it here.
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This austere-looking gentleman is my friend Chris, the brains behind Sakes Alive!!  He and I are friends because we have a mutual affinity for exclamatory punctuation in our respective band names.  And he’s a pretty cool guy.  He recently suggested that Sakes Alive!! and Attica! Attica! join forces for one of his new tracks, to which I enthusiastically exclaimed, “Yes!!”  (Actually, it was more like “Yes! Yes!”, but whatever.)  Something Chris (and you, dear reader) may not have realized is that being a featured performer is my absolute dream job.  I’m not kidding.  I want to get that call, the call from the studio where a producer has me on speed-dial and says, “Aaron, we’ve got this killer track but it’s missing that extra something, and I think that something is you.  You gotta fly down here and lay down the hook on this thing and make it a hit!!”  Yeah, it’s ridiculous, but it’s my dream.  If T-Pain can make a living doing basically nothing except wearing hats, showing up on boats, and singing for 20 seconds here and there, so can I.

I think I’m getting away from the point here.  Chris from Sakes Alive!! has a new track!!  It’s called Day Jobs.  I sang the hook on it.  Nate Dogg would be proud.  Go listen to it here.

I live sweat...: "...we fall woefully short in practice." - Aaron Scott, aka. Attica! Attica!, on punk, sexism, and how men can help.

There’s a blog called I Live Sweat that has been posting a compelling essay series on sexism in punk music.  I decided to submit my own essay, and it was just published yesterday.  If you have a few minutes, give it a read.  Feel free to e-mail me to continue the discussion.

Thanks to Andy at I Live Sweat for getting this series going. I also want to give a special thanks to those friends of mine, female and male, who helped me refine this essay. We have such a great community of writers and thinkers, and I’m grateful that a few of them took the time to help me clarify my thoughts and my words.

Thanks for reading! 

- Aaron

ilivesweat:

(Andy’s note: Plenty of readers have been asking after a male perspective on the sexism issue. Here’s one. For my money, Aaron’s done us proud here. Enjoy.)


Photo by Joe Zwielich

I am a straight male who loves punk music. By pure chance of my sexuality and gender, I am a person of…

The West Coast Tour with Ghost Robot Ninja Bear was AWESOME.  If you can’t tell from the photo, it brought Oscar and I became closer than ever. (Zing!)  This photo from Gasworks Park in Seattle embodies one of the best elements of touring with only one other person: free time.  When five or six people have their own agenda in the morning, at the gas station, at the rest stop, at the grocery store, etc., there isn’t much time for going to parks.  My favorite part of this tour was the trips we took during our free time, getting lost in Vancouver, walking on the beach in San Francisco, napping by the river in Chico.  The shows weren’t too shabby, either, mind you.  We did the usual tour thing, meeting good people and hanging with old friends.  Mostly, it was just a great vacation with the daily opportunity to play music.  It’s a good life we have…traveling helps to remind me of that.  Thanks to all the promoters and venues for the shows, to the friends (old and new) who put us up, and to YOU for coming out.  We really appreciate it!And just a quick reminder before I let you go: VINYL!  Go get your vinyl copy of Napalm & Nitrogen here.- Aaron 
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The West Coast Tour with Ghost Robot Ninja Bear was AWESOME.  If you can’t tell from the photo, it brought Oscar and I became closer than ever. (Zing!)  This photo from Gasworks Park in Seattle embodies one of the best elements of touring with only one other person: free time.  When five or six people have their own agenda in the morning, at the gas station, at the rest stop, at the grocery store, etc., there isn’t much time for going to parks.  My favorite part of this tour was the trips we took during our free time, getting lost in Vancouver, walking on the beach in San Francisco, napping by the river in Chico.  The shows weren’t too shabby, either, mind you.  We did the usual tour thing, meeting good people and hanging with old friends.  Mostly, it was just a great vacation with the daily opportunity to play music.  It’s a good life we have…traveling helps to remind me of that.  Thanks to all the promoters and venues for the shows, to the friends (old and new) who put us up, and to YOU for coming out.  We really appreciate it!

And just a quick reminder before I let you go: VINYL!  Go get your vinyl copy of Napalm & Nitrogen here.

- Aaron 

Look what showed up in the mail today!  VINYL.  In case you missed the announcement last week, Napalm & Nitrogen is coming out on vinyl and you can pre-order it from Black Numbers.  Thanks to those of you who already jumped on it and ordered your copy.  If you’re on the west coast, you can pick it up from one of the shows on my west coast tour starting next week! We’ve been correcting a few minor errors since last week, too.  Most notably, we mistakenly had shipping to Canada listed as $8…we corrected that to $4.  Sorry about that!There’s also a song from Napalm & Nitrogen on the latest Rust Belt Rising podcast.  Even though you probably know the song, it’s worth the listen to hear some other new artists.Okay, seriously.  Go get some vinyl. - Aaron
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Look what showed up in the mail today!  VINYL.  In case you missed the announcement last week, Napalm & Nitrogen is coming out on vinyl and you can pre-order it from Black Numbers.  Thanks to those of you who already jumped on it and ordered your copy.  If you’re on the west coast, you can pick it up from one of the shows on my west coast tour starting next week! 

We’ve been correcting a few minor errors since last week, too.  Most notably, we mistakenly had shipping to Canada listed as $8…we corrected that to $4.  Sorry about that!

There’s also a song from Napalm & Nitrogen on the latest Rust Belt Rising podcast.  Even though you probably know the song, it’s worth the listen to hear some other new artists.

Okay, seriously.  Go get some vinyl.

 - Aaron

Napalm & Nitrogen on Vinyl!  West Coast Tour!Have you seen that Mr. Show sketch in the donut shop where David Cross plays a guy who only listens to vineyull?  And his only friend is the guy who doesn’t know what donut to get?  Well, that fictional character that couldn’t stand the sound of digital music can FINALLY listen to Attica! Attica! on vineyull.  And so can you!I’m very, very pleased to announce that Napalm & Nitrogen is being released on vinyl!  My good friends at Black Numbers have helped me produce the first vinyl version of any album I’ve ever been a part of.  Very exciting.  So here’s the important stuff:- The Black Numbers Webstore has the record on orange/white swirl, opaque yellow, and translucent red.   You can also get all three for a sweet deal, or all three plus a test press and a limited edition A!A! t-shirt.  Whoo!- The vinyl version of N&N also includes a new song called, “The Good Ones Go First.”  You can acquire this song digitally on the Black Numbers Bandcamp site. - And one more thing: I’m going on a West Coast tour in two weeks with Ghost Robot Ninja Bear.  I’m really stoked that my old friend Oscar will be on tour with me, supporting his own record which was just released yesterday on a pay-what-you-like basis.  Go pick that up!  And here are our tourdates.  Hope to see you on the road!Until then,- AaronMAR 23 - Bremerton, WA @ The Beerwell House w/ Ghost Robot Ninja BearMAR 25 - Vancouver, WA @ Nouvelle Nouvelle w/ Ghost Robot Ninja Bear, Shaunn Watt, Andy DixonMAR 26 - Seattle, WA @ The Black Lodge w/ Ghost Robot Ninja Bear, Damage Done, SuccessMAR 27 - Portland, OR @ Red & Black Cafe w/ Ghost Robot Ninja Bear, Confederacy of DuncesMAR 28 - Portland, OR @ Reed College Chapel w/ Ghost Robot Ninja BearMAR 29 - Chico, CA @ Cafe Flo w/ Ghost Robot Ninja Bear, Rustwater, Ol’ ToneMAR 30 - Modesto, CA @ Bound For Glory w/ Ghost Robot Ninja Bear, Roy DeanMAR 31 (early) - San Jose, CA @ Streetlight Records w/ Ghost Robot Ninja BearMAR 31 (late) - San Jose, CA @ Good Karma w/ Ghost Robot Ninja BearAPR 01 (early) - Santa Cruz, CA @ Streetlight Records w/ Ghost Robot Ninja BearAPR 01 (late) - San Francisco, CA @ House Show TBA w/ Ghost Robot Ninja BearAPR 03 - Oakland, CA @ Mama Buzz Cafe w/ Bastards of Young, SuccessOh yeah, in case you need to see David Cross talk about vineyull, here it is. 
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Napalm & Nitrogen on Vinyl!  West Coast Tour!

Have you seen that Mr. Show sketch in the donut shop where David Cross plays a guy who only listens to vineyull?  And his only friend is the guy who doesn’t know what donut to get?  Well, that fictional character that couldn’t stand the sound of digital music can FINALLY listen to Attica! Attica! on vineyull.  And so can you!

I’m very, very pleased to announce that Napalm & Nitrogen is being released on vinyl!  My good friends at Black Numbers have helped me produce the first vinyl version of any album I’ve ever been a part of.  Very exciting.  So here’s the important stuff:

- The Black Numbers Webstore has the record on orange/white swirl, opaque yellow, and translucent red.   You can also get all three for a sweet deal, or all three plus a test press and a limited edition A!A! t-shirt.  Whoo!

- The vinyl version of N&N also includes a new song called, “The Good Ones Go First.”  You can acquire this song digitally on the Black Numbers Bandcamp site. 

- And one more thing: I’m going on a West Coast tour in two weeks with Ghost Robot Ninja Bear.  I’m really stoked that my old friend Oscar will be on tour with me, supporting his own record which was just released yesterday on a pay-what-you-like basis.  Go pick that up!  And here are our tourdates.  Hope to see you on the road!

Until then,
- Aaron

MAR 23 - Bremerton, WA @ The Beerwell House w/ Ghost Robot Ninja Bear
MAR 25 - Vancouver, WA @ Nouvelle Nouvelle w/ Ghost Robot Ninja Bear, Shaunn Watt, Andy Dixon
MAR 26 - Seattle, WA @ The Black Lodge w/ Ghost Robot Ninja Bear, Damage Done, Success
MAR 27 - Portland, OR @ Red & Black Cafe w/ Ghost Robot Ninja Bear, Confederacy of Dunces
MAR 28 - Portland, OR @ Reed College Chapel w/ Ghost Robot Ninja Bear
MAR 29 - Chico, CA @ Cafe Flo w/ Ghost Robot Ninja Bear, Rustwater, Ol’ Tone
MAR 30 - Modesto, CA @ Bound For Glory w/ Ghost Robot Ninja Bear, Roy Dean
MAR 31 (early) - San Jose, CA @ Streetlight Records w/ Ghost Robot Ninja Bear
MAR 31 (late) - San Jose, CA @ Good Karma w/ Ghost Robot Ninja Bear
APR 01 (early) - Santa Cruz, CA @ Streetlight Records w/ Ghost Robot Ninja Bear
APR 01 (late) - San Francisco, CA @ House Show TBA w/ Ghost Robot Ninja Bear
APR 03 - Oakland, CA @ Mama Buzz Cafe w/ Bastards of Young, Success

Oh yeah, in case you need to see David Cross talk about vineyull, here it is. 

New Attica! Attica! track!  (Sort of.)  When I first started playing acoustic music 7 or 8 years ago, I filled out my set with a couple covers.  I frequently played “Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream”, a folk-era classic by Ed McGurdy that was covered by the biggest folk artists of the time.  The Iraq War was just starting at the time, so it seemed particularly timely…or timeless…at the time.This track is all about the hometown of Flemington, NJ.  I recorded it a couple years ago with my best bud from high school, Bill Henderson.  It was released on Live Fast, Get Folked, a free comp created by Start Something NJ, a group that hails from Flemington as well.  I’ve been sitting on this track for awhile, waiting for the right time to release it.  This comp was the perfect fit, and I’m stoked to be the opening track!  For more discussion about the comp and the current state of DIY folk/acoustic music, swing over to Please Don’t Hang Out In Front of the House.- Aaron
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New Attica! Attica! track!  (Sort of.)  When I first started playing acoustic music 7 or 8 years ago, I filled out my set with a couple covers.  I frequently played “Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream”, a folk-era classic by Ed McGurdy that was covered by the biggest folk artists of the time.  The Iraq War was just starting at the time, so it seemed particularly timely…or timeless…at the time.

This track is all about the hometown of Flemington, NJ.  I recorded it a couple years ago with my best bud from high school, Bill Henderson.  It was released on Live Fast, Get Folked, a free comp created by Start Something NJ, a group that hails from Flemington as well.  I’ve been sitting on this track for awhile, waiting for the right time to release it.  This comp was the perfect fit, and I’m stoked to be the opening track!  For more discussion about the comp and the current state of DIY folk/acoustic music, swing over to Please Don’t Hang Out In Front of the House.

- Aaron