Justin, host of the New Monuments podcast, gets down this week to talk about his podcast and our relationship to this growing movement for racial justice. Justin talks to us about his recent reckoning to be more active in this monumental moment. On the first part of the show we talk about whether OUR ideas are in fact changing or our world is changing. We discuss whether we should be confrontational or understanding in dealing with those changes in our ideas and/our our reality. On the second part of the episode we talk about the challenges of organizing and what actions on our part would be commensurate with the times. We know Black Lives Matter, although we can all know this better, so we ask what can we DO to better understand this and live it. . We are all coming into this moment from different perspectives, but it is exciting and exhilarating, and occasionally frustrating too, to see how ideas and actions clash as they do in this conversation on how to move forward together. PLUS we listen to music from the newly released Shut It Down benefit compilation for The Movement for Black Lives with tunes from Minority Threat, The 1865, Thou, and Racetraitor. And we also play a shot from the past with Time Zone. 

Dispatches from the Underground

DftUnderground Episode 400

Is voting really in our interest? There is almost zero critical discussion in the mainstream media or in any political realm about whether voting in this society is reasonable or beneficial to the people. So we sort this shit out ourselves. We get neck deep into whether there is justice in the voting booth. Brilliant and talented musician Pansy joins us to give us a healthy, international perspective on the wild political reality we live in as we talk about elections and democracy under capitalism. We confront our own biases, shoot holes in the mainstreams unconscious, and endless ignorance surrounding this issue, and explore questions of privilege and empowerment related to our present voting predicament. We try to take nothing and no one for granted. AND we have a ton of fun talking shit while breaking it all down. PLUS we listen to music from Power Trip (R.I.P. Riley Gale), Body Count, and Pansy. 

DftUnderground Episode 399

With a new wave of protests against the police happening all across the country following the police murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor some people have found it hard understand what these protest have been like and what they have been about. That’s understandable given that the mainstream media has us all spun out and confused, so we turned to covering this story how we think it should be covered, in detail, on the ground, and with a conscious bias. We spent some time in the streets and spent some time reflecting and feel like we can give a pretty solid break down of what the protests against the police were like here in NYC after the protests in Minneapolis inspired us all in late May / early June 2020. We give detailed first hand accounts of what happened and what we saw, and also get our heads straight on just how we all should be looking at these protests against the police and this new wave of the Black Lives Matter movement that has swept across the country. Everything the news is unfit and incapable of doing properly, we take as our mission here. We are totally biased, critical, and conscious about our updates from the front lines and from deep down in the underground. PLUS we listen to some tunes from Killer of Sheep, Maafa, Soul Glo, and Ache.

DftUnderground Episode 398

Quarantine Coverage Episode #4: Community We are airing an episode this week that was recorded prior to the incredible rebellion that has erupted in the US following the racist and outrageous murder of George Floyd at the hands of the police. We could not be more proud of the courageous protesters in the streets demanding justice for George Floyd and making is clear that Black Lives Matter. We are very eager to talk about those issues more on our podcast, however we did not want to distract from Black voices speaking about these issues or muddle anything with our perspective on these issues before everyone clearly heard from those leading this incredible movement. On this issue we choose to listen before we offer our perspective. So we are waiting to talk about these protests until we have listened more carefully and processed the insight and perspectives of Black voices leading this incredible moment in history. We hope to have an episode up soon, but won’t post until we feel we have truly taken the time to understand first. So we chose to air the great episode we had scheduled to be released this week despite the fact that it is not talking about the incredibly important issues burning up our streets. This week we talk about community in the time of Covid. We have three incredible contributions from musicians talking about this moment and helping us get some perspective on what punk community is and what we should be reflecting on during the quarantine. The punk community is so reliant on being able to congregate in a physical space together, since we so often don’t live in a single area and it is hard to maintain any perspective when we can’t be with our community, as we are essentially cut off from each other during this quarantine. So we distill what it means to maintain a healthy underground perspective when we are being bombarded by the mainstream and cut off from our community and friends. With contributions from Paul Rivera of the La Armada, Danielle Kolker and Jesse Sternberg of Out if System Transfer, and Glenn Gentzke of Treads and InRod. Plus we listen to tunes from all these incredible bands AND Power Alone. 

DftUnderground Episode 397

Quarantine Coverage Episode #3: Days and Days N Daze in Quarantine Whitney Flynn from Houston based folk punk phenomenon Days N Daze gets down to help us understand how to stay optimistic and focused during these darks days. She lifts our spirits as she talks to us about what she has been thinking during the quarantine, living in the chaos, and moving to NYC. And on the second half of the show we talk about Days N Daze new record “Show Me The Blueprints.” just released on Fat Wreck Chords. Plus we hear two tunes from the new record from Days N Days, as well as a tune from Skull Caster and Apes of the State.

DftUnderground Episode 396

Quarantine Coverage Episode #2: May Day. We celebrate International Workers’ Day from our unemployed quarantine by focusing on how this unique moment in history has made people more conscious about the ills of capitalism, the necessity of workers, the potential of science, and the need for alternatives to our current sorry state. Since we can’t be in the streets together this holiday, we celebrate by trying to see the joy in the selflessness we are seeing around us and the potential for change even in the most selfish acts of ignorant conspiracy whackos. We hear from Divin, a punk currently in a more literal lock down. He is in rehab and gives us his perspective on what’s going on there and out here in our own lockdowns. And we listen to music from Noogy, and two brand new songs from each of Days N Daze and Racetraitor’s new records. 

DftUnderground Episode 395

Quarantine Coverage Episode #1: Getting a Grip. This week we have a DOUBLE SIZED episode with FOUR special guest contributors. All our minds twisted up in this pandemic pandemonium we need to take some time to get a grip of ourselves, our thinking, and this moment. We spend this episode figuring out how to begin being reflective in this isolation. With contributions from Dick Lucas of the Subhumans in the UK, Chris Mann of the California band Intro5pect, Bobette of Montreal’s Union Thugs, and artist and activist Vittoria from Milan, Italy. PLUS we listen to music from the Subhumans, Union Thugs, Perdixion, and a brand new song from All Torn Up!  

DftUnderground Episode 394

Sick of Corona virus coverage? Yeah, us too! So Justin and Jon from the band World War IX get down to talk a ton of shit about what WWIX has been doing and we have nothing substantive to add to people’s germ obsession. WWIX has a new singer, new tunes, new record, and a new unbelievable comic. I have heard some of the dumbest shit this week while people talking about the virus, let me assure you we have a TON OF DUMB SHIT TO SAY, but sadly you will need to rely on someone else to hear more about COVID-19. We just talk a lot of dumb punk shit, helping you live in the gutter a lil more comfortably. Super fun episode. We could not stop laughing, hope you can’t too. Plus we listen to tunes from a bunch of great DIY NYC punk bands: WWIX, Witch Slap, Citizen Blast Kane, Axolotl, and RBNX.  

DftUnderground Episode 393

Dani, Chris, Donny, and Sara from SoCal’s Intro5pect get down to talk about their genuinely unique blend of punk, why they stopped making it, and why they have started again. And when so many punx are getting timid or confused a out how to or whether to talk politics, Intro5pect gets deep down in it and helps us get our heads right about how to do left wing politics in punk. And we talk a lil shit about going to show also. Plus we listen to tunes from Intro5pect, We the Heathens, and Apes of the State. 

DftUnderground Episode 392

We get neck deep in bougie-ass politics this week. We talk shit about voting; whether we should do it or not. We talk shit about the incoming from the Democratic primaries, the outgoing of the Trump impeachment, and try to sort through the endless electoral cycle of death in which we find ourselves. And we also talk a lot about why the mainstream media and culture work so hard to keep the confines of political debate narrowly defined. By restricting the topics we consider debatable and whom we can choose to debate about, our collective conscious and unconscious is stifled from growing, and saturated with ideas in the interest of a bunch of bourgie-ass suckas. We talk politics in a way NO ONE else is, and then we drag that shit into into the gutter on our level, where that shit belongs. PLUS we listen to tunes from Maafa, Cop/Out, FEA, and Lupus. 

DftUnderground Episode 391

Jesse, Whitney, Meagan, and Geoff of Houston's Days N Daze get down to talk about the trials and tribulations of this most recent Cracktober Fest with Cop/Out and Leftover Crack. We clear up any of the rumors and gossip swirling around about the tour, and talk about how the band has persevered and even thrived through all its more recent struggles. And we get neck deep in what it touring is really like when you live life on the road. Then on the second half of the show we go back to Days N Daze roots and find out how they got started, and how they all ended up together. And we also talk a lil bit about where they all headed now. We talk a healthy amount of shit in the midst of all those crazy ass stories and also manage to find that sobering, shining light behind all the darkness, just as they help us do in their sweet tunes. PLUS we listen to tunes from Days N Daze, Chad hates George., Murder, and Cop/Out. 

DftUnderground Episode 390

Libby Lux from Portland based Bridge City Sinners gets down to talk about their recent tour with the The Goddamn Gallows and their recent appearance at Muddy Roots Fest. We talk a ton of shit and Libby regales us with a bunch of crazy ass stories from this tour, including right wing nuts getting the shit literally kicked out of them, and a flaming biker coming to their show in Virginia. We also talk about the challenges of being a female musician, and how we all can do better to respect the space and talent of the incredible women in our scene. PLUS we listen to tunes from The Bridge City Sinners, Rum Rebellion, Ground Score, Escape from the Zoo and Cop/Out. 

DftUnderground Episode 389

Lauren from the Dispatches from the Underground Collective gets down to talk about the recent mass shootings in the US. On the first part of the show we talk about how more gun control laws are no panacea for this problem. On the second half we talk about the ideologies behind these shootings, especially the racism and misogyny that are emboldened by the insurgent right wing and we talk about how capitalism brings people to be susceptible to these ugly ideologies. And lastly we talk about the role we have in underground / DIY scene in combating these wretched ideologies as they pop up in our scenes and scenes in the same realm as ours. PLUS we listen to tunes from Cliterati, Fat Heaven, and Cop/Out. 

DftUnderground Episode 388

Christina and Cody from Basement Dwellers and Punk Island get down to talk about all the sweet shit Basement Dwellers are doing holding down some of the best up and coming punk in DIY NYC. We talk about Cody’s band Alouth and also get neck deep in some of the best of what’s happening at Punk Island 2019 which is happening JUNE 22nd on Randall’s Island from 10 am to 8 pm and as always is ALL AGES and ALL FREE. PLUS we listen to tunes from Alouth, Days N’ Daze, Killer of Sheep, and Intercourse. 

DftUnderground Episode 387

Scott Sturgeon aka Stza Crack of Leftöver Crack and Whitney Flynn of Days N Daze get down with Al Ghostcat of Cop/Out, film maker Ryan Kollin and artist Kaitlyn Chen in a seedy hotel in Miami for a Post Tour “Party” or whatever you want to call it. We wrap up this winter 2019 tour: “Still Crusty After All These Years” featuring Leftöver Crack - Days N Daze - and Cop/Out. We tell some fucked up stories from the road, and some good ones, talk a TON of shit … mostly we talk shit … and we talk about punk family and what that means. But we also talk about the new things on the horizon! Whitney tells us about the new Days N Daze album in the works, her solo stuff, and gives us a sneak peak of a book she is writing. Sturgeon talks about the NEW Leftöver Crack songs that they have been performing live lately, and the NEW ALBUM they are working on, as well. He also gives us exclusive first NEWS of what CHOKING VICTIM is up to right now and in the near future! Plus we talk about the likelihood of the next Cracktober fest and we suss out lot of details about the upcoming Leftöver Crack brand crack/cocaine and crack/cocaine related accouterments coming to a bodega near you sooner than you wanted. PLUS we listen to tunes from Cop/Out, Days N Daze, Leftöver Crack, and Intro5pect. 

DftUnderground Episode 386

On Dispatches from the Underground host NYC punk Joey Steel, and guests explore the depths of underground, sub, and counter-culture while also trying to grasp a UG perspective on the mainstream and pop culture we are subjected to endure. Dig deep/Get down.

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Dispatches from the Underground

hubhopper