SEVER THE HANDS

In the Spring of 2004, Jim Heffernan, Jon Burns, and Damian Vallelonga began playing music together in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. While they all hailed from the same sunny land locked enclave of Onondaga County, Jim grew up in Manlius, Jon and Damian went to Nottingham. On a side note, go hornets. Guess who'se writing this bio.

While it took a practice or two to lock into who was playing what instrument (there was a rotating period where any one of them could've ended up the drummer, bass player or guitarist) they figured it out, and got writing. This was the first band, for all of them, that held extremely high importance on democratic creation. Song structure, arrangement, vocals, even lyrics were shared and worked on almost entirely in equal thirds. Their first release, under the name "Awake" also marked the second release from the newly founded and organized Banger Studios (the first recording project beng Us vs. Them). While the quality of the actual recording was raw, the songs themselves excited them, and pushed them on to embark on several North East tours. They changed their name to Sever the Hands for their second EP, and their last recording was completed just in time for their final shows in the winter of 2006.

Technically driven, Sever the Hands was a push for these musicians. A push to see where they could take their composition, their musicianship, and their work ethic. It was also a new challenge to combine influences, everything from Cap-N-Jazz, Bread and Circuits, Memento Mori, and His Heros Gone.

MP3s
Love You Alive  (The Brown EP 2006)

VIDEO

 

LADIES AND EVERYONE

Ladies & Everyone was an instrumental math rock band from Syracuse, NY. They started in late summer of 2003. Their influences ranged from
Progressive Rock to Jazz to Post Rock and Punk.

When combined, the resulting sound made them one of Syracuse's most unique & original bands. They wrote and played increasingly technical & challenging music all the way up till their untimely demise in the early fall of 2008.

VIDEO

 "Dreamland: Movement II" live in Binghamton, NY March 2006



SANDWORMS

In early 2009, Jon from The Nojons started recording a few songs on his own with the intention of releasing them as some kind of solo project thing. A few weeks later he began practicing these songs with Michelle (formerly of The Steinways) playing bass and Jim (from Rejouissance) playing drums. The trio found a groove and soon had a few songs together and a plan to play some shows. 


In July 2009 Sandworms released the "... It's a Fucking Demo" CDR and began playing a bunch of shows around the Brooklyn area. They played and played and played.


In June 2010 Sandworms released a 7-song CDR/Cassette thing called "All The Time in the Fucking World." They subsequently went on tour to the midwest and back with Marvin Berry and The New Sound. The extended version has 2 bonus tracks that were not on the original release.


Dead Broke Records has re-released "... It's a Fucking Demo" on cassette and it is available through their distro here: Dead Broke Rekerds


Early in 2011, after playing a few more shows, Sandworms agreed to take a break from stuff for a while. What does that mean? Who knows! If there's more action ahead, Time To Operate will let you know. 

REVIEWS OF "... IT'S A FUCKING DEMO" 

From Razorcake "With a name like that, I’m thinkin’ this is either gonna be some sorta sludge punk band or complete noise, right? Well, they choose option C and throw a wrench into all my name-pigeonholing efforts. Five tunes of punky pop residing somewhere between Replacements Road and Plimsouls Place, all of which is well written and performed. I halfway wish the recording had a wee bit less reverb pumped in, but am also afraid that any deviation from its current incarnation would somehow spoil the magic. Best to leave well enough alone, then, and be content with the fact that they have succeeded in delivering my pic for sleeper fave of the issue." –Jimmy Alvarado 

From Maximum Rocknroll
"This Brooklyn band probably gets lumped under the basement pop-punk umbrella, but they have a sound that is relatively original and multi-dimensional, with a slight '50s or even "Don't Stop Believin'" flavor to it. The first song sounds like it could've been recorded any time in the last thirty years: setting things off with an anthemic sounding, palm-muted guitar hook, backed up by warm and boomy instruments, and the kind of vocals that sound like they're beaten down, but still searching for something. The rest of the demo continues similarly, but without any of the songs sounding too much like any of the others. I hope this band gets some attention, and these songs get released on vinyl." - Dan Goetz

MP3s
Born, Raised and Trapped With You (... It's a Fucking Demo, 2009)
Broomhead (All The Time in the Fucking World, 2010)


RELEASES

"... It's a Fucking Demo"
5 Songs
2009


DOWNLOAD

"All the Time in the Fucking World" (Extended Version)
9 Songs
2010


DOWNLOAD

VIDEO

 

"Born, Raised and Trapped With You" live at The Charleston. Nov 2010. (Video by Mary Frembgen)

BAYONET U.K.

Britain was in turmoil. Punk rock had shaken the foundations of a withered and corrupt political and social aristocracy.


In the winter of 1977, Mick Jagger found himself without a home. Sixteen years old and living on the hostile streets of Berkinghamshireton with nothing but a pair of Dr. Marten boots and an electric guitar to his name, he sought shelter with school-mate and aspiring bassist, Thom Davis. The two dreamt of a world where the working classes could regain their pride of old. Music was their only weapon against the evils of the government, the stifling oppression of poverty and the tired rhetoric of the elders.


Mick and Thom conceived of Bayonet U.K. that spring, along with drummer Benny Lonsdale. They gave the repressed a voice, the homeless a home and the ignorant a place in public discourse. Bayonet U.K. made a name for themselves with an unrelenting sonic and poetic assault on the prevailing culture and a mercilessly violent, loyal presence in the streets and gutters of their home town. The movement was building. It seemed no one could stop the bricks and bottles of the working class.


Following the independent release of their debut EP, Bayonet U.K. were courted by greedy capitalist record companies. Punk Rock had become big business and everyone was looking for a piece of the pie... the money-pie. It threatened to tear the band apart but Bayonet U.K. stayed strong. A lifetime in poverty had instilled in them not the opportunism of the alley cat, but the stalwart pride of the mighty lion.


For nearly thirty years, the band has toured tirelessly throughout the greater United Kingdom, breaking periodically to record. Though fame and fortune were never in the cards, and Thom Davis is now partially brain-dead from a quarter-century of knife fighting and alcoholism, their mission has never been more clear. To Bayonet yer arsehole!

THE NOJONS

Sweet Nojons timeline:

March, 2003: The Nojons are started by Jonny Nojon as a one-man recording project in his dad’s basement outside of Philadelphia.

March, 2004: The Nojons release their first CD “Sophistocution” on the shitty record label, ingeniously titled “Nojon Records.” It immediately “sells” out of its first pressing of 50 copies.

March, 2004: Jonny Nojon is joined by Petey Nojon on guitar, Chrissy Nojon on drums and Knuckles Nojon on bass. 

April 24, 2004: This line-up plays its first and only show. They are joined by their friends Bad Cops at the Red Haus in Syracuse, NY while some girl walks around the party all butt-naked.

"Ain't For Me / Bullets" live at The Red Haus, Syracuse. Apr. 2004 (Video by Daphne Yang)

February, 2005: Jonny Nojon records some tracks for BootlegRobot.com’s “28 Days of Rock” feature.

June, 2005: The Nojons release their second CD “Get Stoked”. This time, Jonny’s crappy musicianship is aided on two tracks by the blazing in-studio drum chops of Chrissy Nojon. 

October, 2006: After relocating to the New York City area, The Nojons begin to practice under a new line up. This time, Knuckles is replaced by Jimmy Nojon on bass. They play one or two shows in this manner.

"Get Stoked" live at The Westcott Community Center, Syracuse. Apr. 2006 (Video by Steve Sneddon)

January, 2007: Petey Nojon switches to bass as the band becomes a 3-piece and begins recording some tracks at Bangers Studio in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

April-ish, 2007: The Nojons release a 4-song, self-titled 7-inch on Punks Before Profits/Feral Kid Records. They play a couple more shows here and there.

October, 2007: Just in time for Halloween, The Nojons release a 4-track CD called “Night of The Nojons” on Time To Operate Records. They play another show or something.

"Hipstercide / Living With The Living Dead" live at The Delancey, New York. March, 2007 (Video by Steve Sneddon)

December, 2008: The Nojons release a live album entitled "The Nojons Eat The Crowd Live at The Charleston." Tracks include a few old favorites, some new jams from the 3rd album, some hilarious and charming banter and a REALLY COOL SCREECHING WEASEL COVER.


March, 2009: Getting frustrated with the fold-it-yourself CDR format, Jonny Nojon decides to resort to an even more frustrating medium, the hand-dubbed cassette tape. The Nojons release about 13 or 14 copies of "Unnatural Selections". The 90-minute cassette compiles the first two CDs, Night of the Nojons EP, and a bunch of rare, unreleased demos and crap... TO RAVE REVIEW(S?)!


February, 2010: After two years of fucking around, The Nojons release the hotly anticipated 3rd album "Men Without Coffee" (the working title had been "Recaffeination") in the most frustrating format of them all: download only!


Currently, The Nojons are researching an even more frustrating format. When they have figured out what that is, they plan to use it to release a new 3-song EP entitled "Yuppie Larvae."


REVIEWS

S/T 7"
From Razorcake
So super fun. I liked it right from the start. Just the pop punk I was looking to listen to this morning. Lyrics are lighthearted and silly without being juvenile sounding. The song titled “....California 1983” is about buying a used time machine and going to ........California in 1983 to go skateboarding. How rad is that? I’m so impressed with this band right now. I’ve been listening to crappy stuff, trying to justify why they are crappy, and now I realized that I should have just been listening to this band. Go buy a copy of this 7”. It is bound to put you in a good mood; nothing depressing about it. Good to dance and sing a long to as well. Gosh, I’m so f’in into this record, I feel like I bathing in it. And I don’t even know what that means. - Corinne


S/T 7"
From Maximum Rocknroll
The opening track is a totally fun, funny and catchy spoof/homage to SoCal '80s punk. A definite hit. The rest of the record continues with influences from many eras of pop-punk-- DESCENDENTS, RAMONES-core, NOFX, and maybe even the JACK PALANCE BAND. I would complain that this band tries too hard to be clever and funny, but they actually pulled it off well enough in "California 1983" for me to forgive them. Recommended! - Paul Curran

Unnatural Selections Cassette 
From Razorcake
Apparently, this tape is limited to something like ten copies, which is a shame, because this tape rules. However, I’m pretty sure it’s a collection of old records, so, either way, you should track it down. Poppy punk that I don’t know if I’d label straight-up pop punk (though there’s a few songs like “My Philly Girl”), that reminds me of the Dead Milkmen and Scared Of Chaka at times. They also manage to accomplish the feat of having a ton of songs that don’t sound exactly alike, yet are still similar enough that it doesn’t make me bored after a while. I recommend the heck out of this band. – Joe Evans III 


MP3s
Urchins of the Night (Sophistocution, 2004)
California 1983 (Get Stoked, 2005)
Philly Girl (S/T 7", 2007)
Night of Nojon (Night of The Nojons, 2007)
Quit Your Job (Eat The Crowd, 2008)
Anastasia (Men Without Coffee, 2010)


RELEASES

"Sophistocution"
14 Songs
2004


DOWNLOAD

"Get Stoked"
13 Songs
2005


DOWNLOAD

"S/T" 7"
4 Songs
2007


DOWNLOAD

"Night of The Nojons"
4 Songs
2007


DOWNLOAD

"Eat The Crowd"
Live at The Charleston
11 Songs
2008


DOWNLOAD

"Unnatural Selections"
39 Songs
2009

"Men Without Coffee"
10 Songs
2010


DOWNLOAD

RUST EMPIRE

Rust Empire began in the summer of 2010 with five old hats from pre/present/post-hardcore, punk, jazz, funk, rock and stoner doom bands.

It’s an unlikely grouping of gents that surprises everyone who knows them, but they make loud music. What else really matters?


Rust Empire on bandcamp

MONOLITH

In the fall of 2006, Damian Vallelonga, Jim Heffernan and Jon Peters decided to combine their efforts between Boston and Brooklyn and start something together. Coming off the break up of Awake/Sever the Hands, Jim and Damian were ready to work on something heavier, less technical, and faster. They recorded the Monolith demo at their own Banger Studios in Brooklyn during the winter of 2006, and then immediately left for a northeast tour.

MP3s

Old Armour (Demo, 2006)

RELEASES

"Demo"

4 Songs

2006

VIDEO 

"Battleship" live at Bangers Studio. Jan 2006. (Video by Jon Davies)