http://www.myspace.com/streetwisehardcore streetwisehc@gmail.com
xfeelthedarknessx@gmail.com
First off i want to thank Jai and all of Streetwise for taking the time out to do this interview with Worldwidetakeoverzine
How did the band come to be named Streetwise
Well, the band was originally known as Lucky Strike (like the cigarettes) and then later on as Gunpoint when it first started 4 years back, but after the original bassist, Orly, left the band, I (Jai) joined to fill the low-end, and after a few jam sessions, we decided to start anew, of sorts. New year. New name. New music. We had made a small list of possible names, and we all agreed on Streetwise.
what are your views on fighting at shows
Everything has a time and place. Albeit, the majority of fights that happen are over nonsense and have no place in hardcore, there are times when a fight is welcomed as a viable solution to an occurring problem. There will be times that people will come in with the sole purpose of picking fights and causing problems, and they are to be dealt with dually.
how can the readers from around the world contact you about ordering merchandise and music
We currently have DIY demo tapes available for mail order. They can visit our MySpace profile at http://www.myspace.com/streetwisehardcore , or they can e-mail us at streetwisehc@gmail.com, and we'll make arrangements.
who are some of the bands main musical influences
Jai - Madball, Biohazard, Agnostic Front, Crown of Thornz, D.R.I., Skarhead, Sheer Terror, Cro-Mags, District 9, Integrity, and Satan.
Vic - First Blood, Terror, Slayer, Death Threat, old Sworn Enemy, Donnybrook, Hatebreed, Sudden Death, Sublime and a lot of sex.
JJ - Hatebreed, E-Town Concrete, Shattered Realm, Blood for Blood, Nas, Psycho Realm, Biggie Smalls, and Sublime.
Bob - Charles Mingus, John Coltrane, Joe Pass, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Bud Powell, Max Roach, Fats Navarro, Gravediggaz, Wu-Tang, Andres Segovia, Vicente Fernandez, Los Tigres del Norte, Beto Quintanilla, Southside SKANKTONES
are any members in side projects other than Streetwise
Currently, Bob is the only one involved in other projects. He plays in a ska-punk jam band called the Southside Skanktones, and he also has a solo project of his own compositions that takes influence from a wide range of things.
http://www.myspace.com/southsideskanktones
http://www.myspace.com/bobhazemusic
how long has the band been together
About 4 years, but only about 8 months with the current line-up.
how many cds eps 7 inches split cds and demos has the band currently released
We've only recorded the 4 song demo we currently have out, and we're working on new material for a second demo/ep to be out soon.
what do you base your lyrics on when writing new material
life. struggle. social issues.
is there a large and thriving scene in the Laredo area as well as throughout Texas
The Laredo scene, as with any hardcore scene, has had its ups and downs. From the loss of venues, to the loss of bands, Laredo has had its share of bumps along the road, but we've managed to maintain a certain level of heart at our shows. We've thrived as a strictly DIY hardcore scene, always willing to help smaller bands on tour with shows, and the kids are always happy to go off and support the bands by picking up a cd or a shirt. Even opening up their doors to give the bands places to sleep if need be. We have had our share of bigger bands roll through, but we strive to keep up the DIY ethic that hardcore punk has always had roots in.
is this the original lineup and if not what is the current lineup
Not much has changed, but the original line-up was:
JJ on vocals
Bob on drums
Vic on guitar
Orly on bass
...but as Orly left to study in another city, I (Jai) was asked to join to take over bass duties.
if you could have anyone do guest vocals on your next recording who would it be and why
Freddy Madball, Jamey Jasta, or Ezec.
hah.
Probably Boogie Capone (Underboss/Full Contact) or Southside Arturo (Five Families) because ever since any of us started going to shows back when they took us in and treated us like one of the homeboys. We grew up going off for Underboss, Full Contact and Five Families. Bob even played drums in Underboss for a short time.
George Hood (Flawless Victory) would also be one of our first choices. We got mad love for Flawless.
in only one sentence describe your sound to someone who has never heard you before
I was up in Austin, TX back in April for TXHC: The Way It Is Fest and was using this particular line to sell our demos amongst the show-goers:
"We sound like Madball but more Mexican."
haha
how were you first exposed to the scene and what made you say i want to be in a band
Well I got into hardcore through punk rock. A lot of my older sister's friends were into all that, and they would give me mixtapes of some old school jams. Back then, I thought bands like Agnostic Front and Bad Brains were just punk bands. It wasn't until I found myself at local shows and talking to other kids that I found what hardcore was, and I found more hardcore bands that I liked more than a lot of the punk stuff I was listening to. I was still a punk rocker, and eventually cropped and became a skinhead, but I slowly became more and more involved in hardcore.
I've always wanted to be in a band, but, for whatever reason, people never took me serious when I brought up starting a band. I played in a punk band for a short while, but that didn't last, and I just concentrated on booking shows and whatnot for awhile until these dudes asked me to join Gunpoint/Streetwise.
where do you see the band in 3 years from now
No clue. Hopefully still going, but I, unfortunately, will not be a part of it. I'm gonna be moving to Austin, TX around January, and so I've told the dudes to do what they do with the band whenever I leave.
the term hardcore has become so overused that any band putting a breakdown into a song is considered hardcore but explain to the readers what hardcore means to you
Hardcore is the absolute essence of an angry youth. People express that differently, but it's all the same. Chugs and breakdowns or raging fast riffs and blast beats, it's still hardcore.
These mosh metal bands that play a 3 minute long breakdown are weak, but if that gets one kid to look beyond that breakdown and look into real hardcore, I'm cool with it.
What is your most memorable show and why
Probably playing with Hoods and Grave Maker here in Laredo. Aside from a buncha bullshit that went down for the show to even happen that I won't go into detail about, kids were goin off the whole show, and by the end of the night, everything was cool and everyone was just hanging out. The Grave Maker dudes rule. Bailey and crew know how to have a good time.
where else besides myspace can the readers go to to findout about upcoming shows and other band related information
http://www.laredohardcore.net
the actual site is down now, but it redirects to the forum which I help moderate. We keep it posted with all shows going on, amongst other things.
who are some of the up and coming bands from the Laredo area as well as throughout Texas that we should be on the lookout for
I know you already know Flawless Victory and Full Contact, but those dudes rule. They rep Laredo hard all over this nation of our's.
Aside from them:
The Red Alert - http://www.myspace.com/theredalerthates
Tony Montana's Last Stand - http://www.myspace.com/txgxc
Determined to Defeat - http://www.myspace.com/dtdhc
Power Trip - http://www.myspace.com/powertriphc
False Reason - http://www.myspace.com/falsereason
Chop Block - http://www.myspace.com/chopblockhc
Who are some of the bands that you enjoy sharing shows with
Chop Block are our homeboys. Dudes rage hard and always show mad love. Flawless Victory is always fun to play shows with, too. Anyone who is down to rage and play some hard jams, we'll share the stage with.
where do you think you would be right now had you not been exposed to the hxc metal scene
I don't know, to be honest. I can't see myself in any other situation but the one I'm in. Hardcore plays a major role in my life, and if I didn't have hardcore, I don't really want to know where I would be…
why do you think that people always associate violence with hardcore shows and it always gives hxc scenes and shows a bad reputation
Well hardcore is definitely a violent subculture. As I said before, hardcore is just an outlet for an angry youth. If you aggravate someone who is already angry about everything else, you can expect a reaction. That just happens to be a violent reaction in most cases.
People just like to concentrate on the bad things and talk down on it.
Do you have any upcoming shows that you would like to tell the readers about
We have a couple of shows coming up in September with some awesome bands. Folsom, Lose None, Horizons, Ill Intent, Tiefighter, Grave Maker, ABHF, amongst others.
Also, we're planning on a week long tour through either Mexico, Northern Mex/South Texas, or just a week in Texas. We'll announce that soon enough, so keep an eye out for that.
Is there anything else that you would like to add that i may have forgotten to ask that the readers should know about.
Support Hardcore to the fullest. It's all that a lot of us have. It's the only thing that has kept us sane in these insane days. Even when we're down and out, hardcore is there for us.
Never forget that.
Thank you Sean and WWTO for allowing us this opportunity to reach out and get our name out there. Much love.
