MAKH DANIELS

I met Makh when I was 15, when my band played for the first time in Redwood City. I'd probably seen him around before, he probably was at some shows that my previous band had played with a group he was friends with, but the first time I was introduced to him was at this show our bands played together. They were called Hands Held The Dead. I remember them playing last in this huge gym at the YWCA, in the near dark. I think alot of kids had left, or maybe not that many had been there to begin with. Either way, when I think of them playing that night I remember how big and empty that room felt. And then I remember how large and brutal they sounded. I remember how I instantly felt connected to Makh after seeing him play. You could literally see the tension leave his body. Total release. I could tell he was on my 'team'. I could tell he used music to work out whatever he needed to work out. His next band was one of my favorite bands, Betray The Species. They had one 20 minute song that they played at like 15 shows and I believe I saw most, if not all of them. It was one epic intense experience seeing them. The second song they wrote came out on a CD called Sleepwalker and contains the lyric "someone somewhere loves me" which always just cuts right to my core, and which is more than true considering the turn out at his funeral this week. Alot of people in a lot of places loves him. He went on to play in a bunch of bands ending with Early Graves. I hadn't seen him in a few years but we were in contact on the internet consistently, which regrettably is much too common these days with old friends, although it's better than nothing I suppose. He was a great dude and an all around inspiration.

I have a few different live recordings of Betray The Species first song, one on VHS that I have to dig up, but until then:

Hands Held The Dead cdr
Betray The Species - Sleepwalker

Mi Ami - Singles

Probably the best live band from the Bay Area in the last 5 years. Big fan of the 2 full lengths, Watersports & Steal Your Face. They seem to really be at home in the 12" single format, of which they have several, tho they don't stay in print for long. Do yourself a solid and go see them whenever you can and check out the LP's!

Mi Ami - African Rhythms (+2) 12"
Mi Ami - Ark Of The Covenant b/w Ark (version) 12"
Mi Ami - Towers Fall (Techno 1.1) 12"
Mi Ami - Cut Men/Out At Night 12"
Mi Ami - World Of 80 (from Fear And Excitement In San Francisco)

(Young) Pioneers

loved this band.

(Young) Pioneers - First Virginia Volunteers (1995)

(Young) Pioneers - Crimewave EP (1996) (vinyl rip)

(Young) Pioneers - On Trial EP (1997)

(Young) Pioneers - Free The (Young) Pioneers Now! (1997)

(Young) Pioneers - collected singles (all vinyl)
includes:
- Young Pioneers 7" (1994)
- We March 7" (1995)
- Employers Blacklist 7" (1995)
- (Young) Pioneers/The Van Pelt 7" (1996)
- (Young) Pioneers/Avail 7" (1997)
- (Young) Pioneers/Drunk 7" (1997)

The Cost

I won't gush too much, but this band was my favorite for a good part of my life. They had the nerve to evolve and change, which alot of east bay bands never did, and at each stage they blew my mind wide open. I am forever appreciative for that.

The Cost - S/T (New Disorder)

The Cost/DBS split 7"

The Cost - Chimera (Lookout)

The Cost - Practice Demos (Unreleased)
*these were recorded by the band in their practice space. duh.

Midnight Laserbeam

They scared the shit out of me the first time I saw them. I had no idea what was going on. You probably won't understand that by listening to the records, but they had two drummers and a guy screaming into the mic. When you are 14 and you go to Gilman to hear more bands that sound like Rancid, this situation will frighten you. I had never heard sounds like this. Being scared was awesome.

Midnight Laserbeam - After This We'll See Fireworks

Midnight Lazerbeam - A Death In The Discotheque

Mark McGuire

Immense guitar galaxies. Take a trip:

A Pocket Full Of Rain

An Old Hags Cackle Pt II

Dream Team

Guitar Meditations

Let Us Be The Way We Were

Light Movement

Off In The Distance

Open Chords

Stranger Than Paradise

The Garden Of Eternal Life

Tidings II

interested in more.

OVENS

60 ripping minutes of complete Suburban Paranoia and pure pop genius.  Kids that grew up soaking in the Slap-A-Ham/625 Thrash aesthetic, all the while secretly learning every Weezer, Dino Jr, Melvins and Beatles song they could. Outstanding.

Ovens - Ovens (tumult 2009)