Washington DC’s punk rock is back!
By Stella Bruk
The boy’s grew up and went their separate ways, and now they return, and come back with surprises.
Since 1993’s Fumble album which was actually recorded in 1990, Pete, Franz, Skeeter and Kent haven’t met for a single project.
The idea of getting together began to take shape in 2009 when Pete and Franz played together at Black Cat in Washington on December 2009 and again almost a year later in October 2010 at the Echo in LA. They all met at the Redwood last February to an insane audience, with the presence of former band member Dave Grohl, as the ordinary fan. When Dave joined Scream in 1987 he lied about his age claiming he was 20 when he was actually 17. On that night they played old songs “Still Screaming” and “This Side Up,” and new ones that included – “Stopwatch” and the one off “Jammin’ at Redwood” (originally titled Jammin’ at 606). The barrier separating the audience from the band no longer mattered because Pete Stahl and members of the audience were crowd surfing in true punk rock style.
In February2011, the four original band members Pete Stahl (vocals), Franz Stahl (guitar), Skeeter Thompson (bass) and Kent Stax (drums), went in the studio to record plus the new guitarist Clint Walsh and Dave Grohl, who ‘indirectly participated’, coz the new album was recorded entirely at Dave Grohl’s Studio 606. They met and practised what would be the second album of the project Complete Control Session. These series of studio recordings are on Side One of Dummy Records co-owners nationally syndicated all punk rock “Complete Control Radio” show. The music is released on 10” vinyl and via digital download on August 16th, 2011 via Side One Dummy Records. The first official release in the series was done by The Bouncing Souls in April 2011.
To complete this and give the album the Midas touch, John Lousteau was in charge of producing the seven-track EP Scream’s Complete Control Session which features the following tracks : Stopwatch, Get Free, Jamin at 606, Elevate, The Year Bald Head Singers Were In, Move All, Demolition Dancing.
With loads of post-hardcore riffs, power chords, multi-tracked duelling guitar tones and raw screams, the EP makes us push the furniture to the side of the room and mosh like we did years ago.
Listen the track “Stopwatch”, on their website http://www.screamdc.com/
Punk rock is not dead that’s for sure!
Well, I’m a sucker for the MA sound. Not sure quite what it is. Maybe it is something in the water, but that state produces some of the best punk rock and roll around.
The Crisis Kings are a new band in the old familiar genres of thrash/grind/hardcore metal. Newly formed in 2011, the East U.K. quartet wasted no time in busting out a 7 track EP. The seven tracks do an adequate job of showcasing the band’s skills and for a debut effort recorded in a pig shed, it really deserves praise just for sheer effort.
Aiaight, here’s a fun one. The “Black Aggie” EP is a new 5 shot disc from Baltimore’s The Snallygasters. I don’t know what a “snallygaster” is, but if this is the kind of smack they’re throwing down in the home of Edgar Allan Poe and John Waters, I want some more of this junk.
One of the best parts of doing what I do (whatever that is) is getting music from across the globe. Right now I’m listening to People. Religion. Death from Finnish band Part Time Killers, a punk rock quartet from Lahti Finland.
Straight outta muthafuckin’ Hotlanta is The Carry-Ons with their brand new rocker, “Succession”, and boy let me tell you what: Succession brings it in a whole lot of directions.
Here is a band i recommend. Honestly they are worth listening to. They are a band out of Fort Collins, Colorado. They started recording in 2009 and continue to.
I won’t belabor the historical info about Swingin’ Utters. You truly should know who they are already, but if you don’t, well, you should. (be ashamed of yourself) If you want to learn more about them, by all means check their official bio here: 
Right now I’m listening to Resistor Radio, the new full-length release from The Rumblers. The release marks eight years since the band’s debut. While I’m not familiar with “Hold On Tight”, I can only assume that the new work represents a more focused and enlightened version of the past.