Jan 17 2008

By BILL MICKELSON

What’s Up

Neutralboy’s latest release, “Everybody Dies,” is a mean piece of work. It’s a collection of stories of hard living and tales from the road. Which is incidentally also where it was recorded.
The Bremerton four-piece were beckoned to Colorado by a local independent label called Fivercore Records, who set them up with producer Bart McCrorey at Motaland Studios in Denver.
True to its grit, the band played shows on the way from the Northwest to the Rockies, a few during the week they recorded and a few on the way back this past summer. (Now, they’re on the road again, in support of the new album which you can pick up at Ploy Studios 609 4th St. in Bremerton). Also a testament to their grit, “Everybody Dies” was the second CD Neutralboy had recorded that year. They kicked off 2007 laying down tracks with MxPx’s Mike Herrera in Bremerton. When they finished that album up it got label attention which then threw it into a cycle of being sent out to be re-mastered and sent back for approval and so on.
Drummer Hal 9000 who also hails from Colorado said in the midst of that the Fivecore records cats had been wanting to put out Neutralboy’s next CD. And they said, “OK.” The resulting album, “Everybody Dies,” truly showcases the breadth and depth of Neutralboy and songwriter Mike Frottage.
It starts out with Frottage waylaying everyone on the title track.
“Everybody dies,” he repeats over and over, slower and slower in a gruff yell through the 30-second opening song. Then a chorus answers, “Neutralboy Lives!” And the signature straight-ahead punk kicks in with “All Eyes on the Crooked Guy.”
On the first leg of the “Everybody Dies” CD release tour earlier this month, the band came across one such “crooked guy” at a club in Spokane.
“I was talking to him outside and I just knew looking into his eyes that this guy was going to be trouble,” Hal 9000 said. Inside during Neutralboy’s set, this show-goer was a bit overzealous, falling all over the stage, hitting people with mic stands, and so on, Hal recounts. Frottage gets pissed and throws his guitar at the guy, starts swinging the mic stand at him until the verse kicks in, and goes back to singing again. “Then you see (guitarist) Anton (Reder) with his guitar raised and his other fist in the air,” Hal said.
Reder came down wailing on the out-of-line rebel rouser. He came out with a bloody fist, and Frottage’s guitar neck snapped during the episode, but in the end, the “crooked guy” got what was coming to him.
I don’t if that metaphor could quite define “Everybody Dies,” but there is a sense of hardcore resolve that is reaped in the disc’s 14 songs.
It’s got all the confidence, drugs and booze from their last CD “Weapons of Mass Destruction,” but if its possible that a 15-year-old band can mature, Neutralboy has done so on “Everybody Dies.”
Staying true to the same four chords they’ve been playing all these years, the song structures seem even more refined with apt variety. And an even more exciting evolution, Neutralboy’s brought in a host of collaborators with this record, mostly a Colorado crew. Jon Snodgrass of Drag the River/Armchair Martian contributed country-flavored vocals to the reflective “Dead Guys Sing Sad Songs,” a song that also features Angela Kimber on a solemn cello. On the other end of the spectrum, Sarah Stoli from Hal 9000’s former band Stoli and the Beers adds a screaming chaos to the song “Baptized By Fire.”

About FIVECORE records


About Fivecore Records
This Label started out in 2005 to promote Drenver's aggressive music nationally. We  feature a specific selection of some of our areas best underground bands. styles include punk, thrash, hard rock, metal and whatever else we feel fits what we're trying to do. Key word here is aggressive and you could say we are not fans of the main-stream.

Recently Fivecore has set our sites on working with national acts. We have just signed our first band from outside the Denver area (Seattle WA) and will continue to pursue our mission to bring you the best underground bands around.

Fivecore is comprised of humble individuals that all share a common desire. We all want the world to have access to what we feel is good heartfelt heavy music without the corporate stigma and stains. All of our artist produce their own music without outside interference.

As we develop our methods and label style we will be actively pursuing new acts to represent. At this time our efforts are restricted to the bands currently involved.

Please take some time to learn more about our bands and visit the downloads section to have a listen. This site is still under construction so more features and music will be added soon. 

This page was last updated: 4/29/2008
New For 2008
Jett Black   dead town
Jett Black News

Jett Black has recently undergone personnel changes. New to the group is Eddie Green Halen taking over on lead guitar and Bassist Jay lee returns to the band after a two year break.
Welcome to the Fivecore family guys.
FRONTSIDE FIVE
Lyin' Bitch will sodomize your sense of humor. Can't Cum Within 100FT of your Love is the LBRO's second release and it is packed with aggressive true punk rock energy. Yes, it's raunchy and vile at times but so is life. Tracks include step into my backhand, no rules, secrete sessions, and cant take it to the grave along with 14 other tracks that will get you in the mood to skate, drink or mud wrestle.


Click here to buy
JETT BLACK: Dead Town: CD

Straight ahead, no bullshit rock from Denver. The title track and “Dirty Girl” stand out on this second release from this outfit. Was there ever a question with a bass player named Igor? Plus, this baby features the best version of a Joe Walsh chestnut since Triumph covered it. No, I’m serious!
Razorcake Magazine–Sean Koepenick (Fivecore)
FALL OUT OF LINE
RAZORCAKE MAGAZINE
Fall Out of Line: CD
This is the record that I shall judge all hardcore records against for quite some time. Really, it’s that good. We’re talking serious skate rock here. From the opening chords of “Skate to Hell” (not a Gang Green cover) to the end of “Mr. Hyde,” this had me screaming and weaving through traffic. I’ve really got to stop reviewing in the car! We’re talking spastic hardcore punk with a damn near perfect mix of skating, drinking, and politics. I was almost out the door with my skate before I remember that my foot is busted. Get this now and prepare to be shredded. –Ty Stranglehold (Fivecore)

The album is skate-rock, pure and simple. Whether you're into old-school stuff like JFA or Gang Green or contemporaries such as Bones Brigade, this is a fine addition to the genre and I'll be hoping for a live show the next time I'm in Denver. It's thrashy, it's fun, and it's cheap. What excuse do you have not to buy this?
NEUTRALBOY BITCHES! 
Neutralboy has finished their new full length CD entitled "Everybody Dies" to be released in Dec. on Fivecore Records. This band has been touring the states for years and slaying crowds across the nation. You can check out some tracks and learn more about the band at www.myspace.com/neutralboy Scope out the tour dates and hit up a show. NEUTRALBOY LIVES!!!

Click Here to Buy



50/50 Split
McRad & Frontside Five did an east coast summer tour this year in support of their latest release 50/50 Split.
Frontside Five kicks off the CD with 7 new tracks and 1 rerecorded track (the song Frontside Five) of their brand of skate punk. Their contribution follows up the previously released "Fall out of Line" nicely.  A few songs this time are a little more rock n roll and the almost instrumental "Thrasher" is a fast aggressive thrash song.
McRad fronted by skater/musician Chuck Treece of Philadelphia decided to put out an eclectic selection of songs. Chuck includes some ambient dub a few new punk tracks and some live performance material circa 1984 recorded live at CBGB's in New York City. Chuck gets his kid involved too with some ambient noise tracks that he put together using his younglings as musicians. Additionally the CD closes with a great rock song called "Hesitation". All and all this is a fun record and any collector of skate rock/punk should pick this up. It's a limited addition and likely wont be pressed again
Chuck Treece (McRad)
VALIOMIERDA RELEASE
Picking The Bones

Valiomierda has a new full length called "Picking the Bones" completed and  now available on I-tuns and other electronic media sites ONLY at this time.











Lyin Bitch and the Restraining Orders
Prescription's "Epoxy Lips Now"
Available on Fivecore Records!!
Click here to sample some tracks

Click here to Buy Now


PRESCRIPTION  
McRAD   50/50 SPLIT WITH FRONTSIDE FIVE
Visit Fivecore Records Affiliated Studio MotaLand Productions. Most of our releases are tracked by Motaland. So if you are a band and need a quality recording at affordable rates this is an ideal studio to check out. Specializing in aggressive music since 1997. www.motaland.com



New Bands:
Fivecore Records has a great deal going on this year, with the addition of four new bands we will be busy helping you learn all about them. New to the roster is Neutralboy, Prescription, King Rat and The Swanks all featuring their brand of aggressive punk rock.

Podcast Punk Rock Radio:
Already available on I-Tunes and our own direct link is our new Fivecore radio show. The show of course will feature all of our bands along with friends unaffiliated with the label. Just because we don't pimp their stuff doesn't mean you shouldn't hear it. We support our scene!
Additionally we will have our bands in the studio doing interviews or just hanging out helping us pick the play-list. The first show is hosted by Bart McCrorey of Frontside Five and Adam Mullins of Tard. You can easily subscribe to the monthly show by simply clicking the subscribe button on the shows main page. As long as you have I-tunes on your system your computer will do the rest.

Video Podcast
Ok this is pretty sweet. We will be producing a video-cast that will feature the bands proforming live in the studio. The sessions will be filmed and available for streaming or download. The best thing about this set up is that there will be studio quality audio. The first show should be available in late Febuary so check back often for the link.
New to Fivecore Records
“I remember a time when music had soul, music had a conscience and music had balls…man.” – Bill Hicks

There is no whining in this band. There are no victims in this band. There is no sheepish shrugging when the time comes to take responsibility for choices and actions. Rather than make excuses and sob at life’s misfortunes, King Rat hurls back with tunes that hit hard and fast into the target’s face.
The band is fueled by authentic punk rock do-it-yourself rebellion. They have developed an outspoken identity of self-reliance and literary blue collar grit. This is a band influenced by the old school: singing from the gut, thinking with the heart, and gnashing with the teeth. They chew through the modern mire of sonic litter and offer a soundtrack for people who are engaged in facing and beating the shit out of their demons.
King Rat does not rely on the opinions of television and newspapers to sway their decisions. They have fought through loss and created their own identity that forbids them from fleeing to suburbia to wait for death. King Rat started out by adhering to the original notion of punk independence. Musical trends come and go. Punk rock was once a vehicle for voicing personal or political outrage and social defiance. It has digressed into an umbrella sheltering a horde of spoiled boy bands whining with tattoos and guitars. These imposters promote collective misery under the guise of being rebels.
King Rat has never, nor will ever bastardize the purity of their roots by acting like children when the battle requires them to fight like men. They are going to do it their way: loud, proud and one hundred percent for real.
King Rat is no stranger to the scene, having self-produced five studio albums and toured the U.S. many times. The latest effort, entitled DUCT TAPE AND DREAMS, is now available to the industry. Of the hundreds of gigs they’ve played, the most notable have been with Bad Brains, X, Pennywise, Mike Ness, The Adicts, Alkaline Trio, U.S. Bombs, Supersuckers, H2O, Bad Religion, ALL, U.K. Subs and the Lunachicks…to name a few.
The Swanks vs The World
Click here to Buy
Whoever said rock is dead spoke too soon. Since 1999 The Swanks have been showing Denver how it's done, blasting out full-scale musical assaults of hook-laden guitar rock. With vocals growling like a pissed-off tigress, the band rails about hit men, Harleys and the joys of alcohol and explosives. Naysayers, take note.
Vocalist/guitarist Shanda Kolberg (a bitter veteran of both the band Period and the state of Iowa) sought her fortune in Denver, where she formed The Swanks with Shay Moss and Rex Burdick. Bassist Moss (see "punk" in the dictionary) had been part of local faves Ted Bundy Band and Fox Force Five, while lead Les-Paulist Burdick had relocated from Hawaii and played in the group IDK.
After booting their original drummer, The Swanks recruited Phillip Atencio of the ferocious hardcore band Los Terribles. The Swanks released their first, self-titled album in March 2000, followed by a live album, a pair of critically acclaimed compilations (Undead in Denver I, II and III), 2003's Keep America Rollin', and their latest effort, The Swanks -vs- The World.