Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Razorcake reviews "Yorba Linda b/w Crystal Cathedral" 7"


Razorcake

Chris Gordon is not simply an angry punk who writes about what he sees on the news. This two-song seven inch is a testament to that. The short essay on the insert makes all the difference by not simply throwing music into the world expecting the listeners to interpret it correctly, but rather putting the effort to explain, “This is why I made this.” Gordon is honest; he pulls from his life experience admitting his disappointments with his hometown as well as the reluctance with which he leaves it. While the lyrics themselves—sung in strained pleads that were too lacking in definitive melody—did not stir radical feelings of rebellion in my chest, the context they were presented in won me over.  –Ashley (Self-released, fuckthestowaways.blogspot.com, romancandlesmusic@gmail.com)

Monday, September 29, 2014

MRR reviews Roman Candles "Riley Versus Jason In the Battle of Gracious Living"


MRR Issue #377 Oct. 2014 Reviewed Roman Candles "Riley Versus Jason in the Battle of Gracious Living

ROMAN CANDLES Riley Versus Jason In the Battle of Gracious Living - Angsty, entirely acoustic folk pop. Like if MODEST MOUSE were beat up in an alley and still will not stop playing. Getting political satire is best when sung earnestly. Check out TOM PAXTON's album One Million Lawyers and Other Disasters. I preferred the softer ELLIOT SMITH style guitars and softer voice that still carries a sense of humor. That thing that contemporary acoustic folk guys do with their voice to sound, oddly quirky and charming? Yeah, don't do that. Be Yourself. First song second side about cuddling on the couch alone and smelling a memory at the mall or something? That had a sensitive touch. Can someone hand me a DISCLOSE record please? Hand me something maximum. The hippies lost, ROMAN CANDLES. Get a band, sir! (Jason) (14-song cassette, lyrics included, www.plan-it-x.com) 

You can buy the LP from No Idea HERE.  or K Records HERE
and the cassette tape from Avocado HERE
and for digital download click HERE

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Kali Comp II


I realized I never posted about this, but I recorded a song with Garrett La Bonte on his 4-track this summer, and my friends Nik Soelter and Mark Chen put out a compilation tape with a bunch of bands from California on it. You can check out my song HERE. And you can pick up a tape from Mark over at KYEO SPEAKS

Saturday, September 13, 2014

Roman Candles Interview with Razorcake


Before I left for the Peace Corps, my good friend Sean Arenas asked me to do an interview with him for Razorcake. You can read it by clicking the link HERE.

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

It Came From Plan-It-X Comp.


Roman Candles is going to be on this really great comp. The song, "house show" which I recorded with Garrett La Bonte on a four-track at the beginning of the summer is gonna be on this awesome comp with other awesome bands including: 


BANDS CONFIRMED SO FAR:
YOUR HEART BREAKS (animated queer indy pop from WA)
FREE CAKE FOR EVERY CREATURE (magical pop from Philly/NY)
GHOST MICE (folk punk)
LOOMING (pop punk with looming undertones)
GARRETT WALTERS (queer folk from bloomington)
EMPEROR X (experimental electronic traditional folk music)
SUPER FAMICOM (only H.P. Lovecraft could explain this band)
SPOONBOY (political folk from DC)
MARTHA (pop punk's playing pop from the UK)
SPOOK SCHOOL (jangly indy pop from the UK)
COTTONTAIL (NC poppy folk members of Ramshackle Glory)
ROMAN CANDLES (solo peace core punk from CA)
BOOGDISH (sharp-comedy-to-true-punk from Bloomington)
DOGBREATH (pop music made by punks from AZ)
MITCH THE CHAMP (gnome rock from WA/Bloomington)
Super stoked to be a part of this thing. You can donate to the Kickstarter by clicking HERE

Friday, August 22, 2014

Interview with Calvin Jalandoni



I met Calvin when I was in middle school. We were on the same pop warner football team. But I didn’t start talking to him until high school, and it wasn’t really until we were in college that we became friends. Up until a certain point he was always more Riley’s friend than mine. The first night Roman Candles recorded, Calvin played three songs from the demo on his radio show on KSDT. Six months later, Calvin came on the first Roman Candles tour playing bass, and when Riley quit, Calvin learned all the songs on guitar and offered to help finish the tour. When we got back from tour, Calvin helped me record three new Roman Candles songs for an upcoming demo. Later, he painted the artwork for the Last Exit to Berkeley tape, and he recently just put out his first full length album, and came on tour with me for three weeks. I got to watch him confuse a lot of people on a nightly basis, and blow people’s minds with his undeniable ability to play the guitar. In this interview we talk about New Found Glory, high school football, breaking edge, Jimmy Hendrix, The Beatles, and art. This was recorded live to tape in Calvin’s backyard Friday, August 1, 2014.

Can you talk about when you first started playing guitar and how you first got into music?
Sure, I first started playing the guitar when I was 7 years old, but before that my mom forced me to take piano lessons, so I’d say I was about 5 years old, and I really disliked having to take lessons with my teacher. She would come to the house, and I would cry when she would come over because I just wanted to play with my toys, or I’d pretend that I was asleep when it was like 6:00 p.m. So I’d have these like grueling piano lessons that I didn’t want to take, but that definitely set a foundation of music that I’m now grateful for. And then when I was 7, my sister had an acoustic guitar laying around the house, and I just started plucking the strings, and I immediately felt some sort of resonance with it, and I just felt like immediately, I told my mom that I wanted to take lessons.
            So I took guitar lessons at a music center for a few years. And I did like recitals for little kids. Then after that, I was just practicing on my own, and then in middle school I played in the jazz band, so that was really helpful for me learning how to solo, and how to improvise, and then I took more personal lessons with Brett, who is my older sister’s friend, and he was really influential in showing me how to really maneuver around the guitar, and then in eighth grade he showed me Megadeth, and everything went wild from there. I wanted to learn how to solo like that, and since then I went through periods where I was super depressed and would barely play at all, and then in college I was really finding who I really am, and I realized the guitar is the main thing I want to do, and I always had those past experiences even though I wasn’t practicing as much, but recently in the last few years I picked it up again. And then in 2011 I decided to start doing my solo project.

When I first started hanging out with you was when you joined Media Blitz in high school, and I was wondering if you talk about how you first got into punk, and kind of take us through your bands chronologically?
Yeah, so when I was 14, well actually back in middle school I was getting into hardcore music – anything straight edge like youth of today, earth crisis. I would wear all these hardcore shirts as a middle schooler, and no one would have any idea what they were. So at that age, I was getting into straight edge, and I know that hardcore was a counterculture within punk, and researching and learning more about it that opened up punk to me, and I started to meet other punk kids in high school. From there I met Riley and Jason, and they needed a new member for their band, and I ended up playing the guitar for them. Those were really important experiences for me too that I’m really grateful for. Learning how to perform in front of people with my electric guitar. And my first show was at the Masonic Lodge in San Diego, so Media Blitz drove down there, and we were like 16 years old. Then when I was 18 I was in the band Thought Process, and that was the first time I had ever recorded music in a studio. And Ditch was our frontman, and he’s one of the most respectable guys I’ve met in the punk scene, and Jeff Salisbury was our drummer, who is an amazing guy, so I had a lot of fun with that.

And didn’t you also play in Break the Chain?
Oh yeah uh I played a few shows with Break the Chain. That was when I was still straight edge, but then I got into college, and I really needed to explore all the things that life had to offer. I only played a few shows with them.

What did you go to school for?
I studied visual arts. Specifically studio arts. So, you could choose what to focus on like drawing or painting, and then we had classes on theory and history. That was at U.C.S.D., the same location as the Che Café. And I use to have a radio show that played hardcore and punk on KSDT, and it was called 2 Hour Revenge Therapy, and it was influenced by the Jawbreaker album, and that was during my first year of college.


Could you talk about what your influences for art are?
As far as art, huge influences for me number one Marcel Duchamp, he was a surrealist, he really flipped the idea of what art could be, and in a sense access a whole new level of freedom in art. And Salvador Dali. He’s one of the few artists that I feel like had full integrity all the way up until he died. You know, there’s some artists and musicians that start to have a downfall in their music, and you kind of can only remember them for their past, but Salvador Dali, if you look at his paintings through the progression of his life, they only got better and better. That’s how I would like to carry on with my art is to always make it better and better all the way until I die. Andy Warhol, he’s another influence on me, and then anyone who is a performance artist, so there’s Maria Abramovic. U.C.S.D. was a really they were more of a conceptualized art school as opposed to honing certain skills, and they had a really good performance art program, so that helped to expand my mind also.

Well I remember when you were living in the dorms, you were still straight edge for most of the year, at what point did you decide it wasn’t for you anymore? What was your tipping point?
I just felt like I didn’t need to hold on to self imposed rules and regulations just to impress a crowd of people that don’t know me at all. I felt trapped into having to represent myself to a scene of people that in the end don’t personally know me, and don’t know the kind of life that I live, and I feel like you can maintain a balance with life, and not have to go to such extremes like partying every night or telling everyone to fuck off. So, I just I felt like it was becoming more limited than freeing for me, and that’s why I stopped doing it. But I still really respect those bands for helping me to grow up into the right person. And I’m grateful that I was straight edge because I do think that it helps you when you’re younger because for my personal opinion I really think you should wait awhile before you do that stuff because I guess for me it gave me such a better perception of reality, but each person is different, so I understand, but I respect it for people that need it, and I’m really grateful for all those bands in the past because they all still influence my music nowadays.

What did you listen to or what was responsible for your change in direction that you went from playing in hardcore and punk bands to playing very experimental music.
I’d say the number one band that kind of led to a change in experiment was The Beatles. And obviously you always hear about The Beatles your whole life, but it wasn’t until I got older that I could really understand what they were doing with their music. And I was amazed at how narrow my spectrum of music listening was, and then I started listening to them and to Radiohead, and those really set a new standard for me as far as people that take music to a progressive standard. And I see The Beatles, I felt like they were more artists behind an instrument as opposed to just musicians, and I know John Lennon when to school for art, and that’s kind of one of the reasons why I decided I could major in art also, and kind of just let it filter into my music now. I personally feel like the top 3 things that had the greatest effect on human culture so far were Jesus, the Beatles, and the Internet. World War II could have been in there among other things, but the Beatles came out of WWII's aftermath.

So how you describe your music now?
I would say my music is experimental in the sense that I’m creating a synthesis of all the different types of music that I’ve ever liked with the electric guitar, and not limiting myself to any one type of music, but rather whatever feeling I want to express at that moment, and the words I want to communicate I’ll use a certain type of riff, so I just take from everything that I like, but the main things that I really like are Jimmy Hendrix and the band SLEEP, and I really like mixing those together, but also The Beatles, and just from anything I like to listen to, and I always just want to keep people on their toes. My music strives to have no limitations.

Can you describe growing up in a Filipino household where both of you parents are immigrants and expected you to major in biology? How did you go about telling them that that wasn’t was going to happen?
That was actually a huge struggle for a long time. I’m actually surprised because nowadays I really enjoy hanging out with them, and I spend a lot of time with them, but in the past they were sort of a terror. Growing up in a Filipino family, like my parents worked really hard to get to America using a certain structure, and using certain guidelines that they feel are secure, but in reality aren’t there anymore because the world changes so much. And so they really wanted me to go into the medical career, but I would be living the life of a completely different person, and I’d be miserable on the inside because that’s not who I am, and their minds kind of started to change because my older sister would talk to them a lot, and explain to them how I need to do what’s best for me, and how I’m going be happy and get fulfillment for my life as opposed to having to torture myself into studying for something that I didn’t want to. It took a really long time, but slowly they were more and more accepting of what I do, and they were less and less trying to tell me to change what I had to do. Now at this point they’re supportive. And maybe they don’t fully understand everything I do, but they understand that it’s what I love to do, so they let me do it.

So what do you do now, are you working?
I work at GNC, the vitamin store. I learn about nutrition everyday, and when I’m not there, I’m working on music. I want to play more shows and just spread my music out there.

What was your favorite album ten years ago?
I’m twenty-four, and ten years ago I was fourteen, the real honest answer to this question is “sticks and stones” by New Found Glory. I’m pretty much showing you my nudity right now.

When I first met you, this is something that maybe not a lot of people know, is that you were playing varsity football, and your favorite band was Ten Yard Fight.
Oh the varsity Football Days.

Can you explain to the readers how playing high school football influenced you.
Well my brothers played varsity football, and they were All-Stars honestly. My cousin was an All-Star. I was still really confused in high school. Everyone is confused in high school, and they don’t know what to do, so they group up in something. And I just felt like oh my brothers did it, and I’ll give it a shot also, and to be honest I went through a lot of miserable experiences. I really just didn’t enjoy being yelled at and treated like a piece of scum. But on the positive side I really know how to take care of my body in the sense of exercise, and I gained a level of discipline for myself that I still take with me in everything that I do. And also, nowadays, if I’m going through a tough situation I ask myself, ‘was this worse than high school football?’ And the answer is always ‘No.’ And I carry on that torch [laughing]
FUCK YEAH! [laughing]
Yeah, even though it was miserable, I'm still glad I played. If I could go back in time and change it, I wouldn't. It gave me an iron skin.

Can you just let people know where to find your music, and what your future plans are?
You can listen to my music on calvinjalandoni.bandcamp.com and you can look at my art on calvinj.info which is my online art portfolio. I recently released my first music album. It’s self titled, and it’s a concept album about the existence of the soul. It’s actually going to be the first part in a three part music trilogy and they’re all connected with the same theme, but they have a different focus. So this first album is about the exploration of the soul, and the second album which I’m going to work on and will be out next year is going to be about the psychology of the soul, and I hope to go on tour again in March, that’s my plan, so we’ll see what happens.

Well thanks a bunch.
Yeah thanks a lot. This is really awesome. I’m really stoked to get to do this. 

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

The Stowaways Issue #17 Out Now


The Stowaways Issue #17 is out now. It's got an interview with Calvin Jalandoni as well as a really long tour journal that I wrote about the three weeks I was on the road with Calvin and the two weeks I was out with Fugue. It's also got the last batch of show reviews I wrote before leaving. This is it, the last one for a while (maybe ever). I wanted to write something honest. The tour journal is probably the most honest thing I've ever written that I've let someone else read. Thanks for checking it out. 

Friday, August 1, 2014

Dumb Rock

Lucas Chemotti recorded some songs for Dumb Rock from a show in 
Portland.




Thursday, July 17, 2014

Roman Candles Yorba Linda b/w Crystal Cathedral 7" Single


I'm having a record release show for a new 7" single. It's a two song 7", and the second single from Riley Versus Jason. This is a full band recording that Madison and I started back in 2011 and finished in January. The release show will be at Vinyl Solution in Huntington Beach on Monday July 21, and it will also be mine and Fugue's welcome back show from our west coast tour. Pelican Vision will also play a set as a part of their release for their new cassette tape. I only made 100 of these 7"s because I'm leaving for two years, and wasn't feeling too ambitious. If you would like a 7" please come to the show because that's your best bet for getting one. I hope to see you there. Best, Christopher

Click HERE for the Facebook event. 

Sunday, July 6, 2014

Summer Tour with Fugue

Hey everyone, I'm touring up the west coast with my friends in Fugue. I'll have the new issue of The Stowaways, as well as copies of "Riley Versus Jason In The Battle of Gracious Living" available on record, and cassette. I'll also have copies of the "whatever happened to vbk?" and "gracious living" 7"s for sale. If we're playing in or near your city, please come to a show. I hope to see you there. 

Sat. July 5th Fullerton, CA @ Programme Skate & Sound
Sun. July 6th Irvine CA @ 88.9 FM KUCI "Barbara Bush's Bathtime Breakdown"

Mon. July 7th Provo, UT @ Muse Music Cafe
Tues. July 8th Salt Lake City, UT - Day off
Wed. July 9th Rexburg, ID @ Sammys Sounds
Thurs. July 10th Missoula, MT @ The Doll House
Fri. July 11th Spokane, WA @ Mars
Sat. July 12th Seattle, WA @ Ground Zero (earlier)
Sat. July 12th Seattle, WA @ Hollow Earth Radio (later)
Sun. July 13th Vancouver, BC @ Astorino's (just Fugue)
Mon. July 14th Seattle @ house show
Tues. July 15th Olympia, WA @ Le Voyeur
Wed. July 16th Portland, OR @ The Laughing Horse
Thurs. July 17th Portland, OR @ Darkplace
Fri. July 18th Arcata, CA @ The Ink Annex
Sat. July 19th Santa Cruz
Sun. July 20th San Luis Obispo
Mon. July 21st Yorba Linda @ house show

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Summer Tour with Calvin Jalandoni

Hey Everyone, I'm touring out to Plan-It-X Fest in Indiana with Calvin Jalandoni this summer. Tonight is our tour kickoff in Fullerton. I'll have the new issue of The Stowaways, as well as copies of "Riley Versus Jason In The Battle of Gracious Living" available on record, and cassette. I'll also have copies of the "whatever happened to vbk?" and "gracious living" 7"s for sale. The radio set from the other night is available to download by clicking on the link. If we're playing in or near your city, please come to a show. I hope to see you there. 

Thursday June 12 – KCSB 91.9 FM “5432fun!!
Friday June 13 – KXLU 88.9 FM “Demolisten” 

Saturday June 14 – Fullerton, CA @ Comic Book Hideout
Sunday June 15 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Trunkspace
Monday June 16 – Denver, CO @ 7th Circle
Tuesday June 17 – Denver, CO @ 7th Circle
Wednesday June 18 – Kansas City, MO @ 
Art Closet Studios
Thursday June 19 – Chicago, IL @ Tiki Tomb w/ Justin Conway
Friday June 20 – Indiana Plan-It-X Fest
Saturday June 21 – Indiana Plan-It-X Fest
Sunday June 22 - Indiana Plan-It-X Fest set time 2:30 p.m.
Monday June 23 – Nashville, TN NEED HELP
Tuesday June 24 – Huntsville, AL @ 
255 PRATT AVE. SHOWS
Wednesday June 25 – Mississippi NEED HELP
Thursday June 26 – 
WTUL 91.5 FM
Friday, June 27 – NOLA @ the mudlark
Saturday, June 28 - NOLA (just hanging out)
Sunday June 29 – Houston, TX @ Super Happy Fun Land
Monday June 30 – Austin, TX 
The Annex at 1808
Tuesday July 1 – El Paso, TX TBA
Wednesday July 2 – Albuquerque, NM 
The Wagon Wheel
Thursday July 3 – Tucson, AZ @ 
Gary's Place
Friday July 4 – San Diego, CA @ 
Ché Café Collective
Saturday July 5 – Fullerton, CA@ Programme w/ 
Fugue
Sunday July 6 - KUCI 88.9 FM "Barbara Bush's Bathtime Breakdown"


for the facebook event click HERE

Monday, June 9, 2014

the stowaways issue #16 out now


The Stowaways Issue #16 is out now in time for my summer tour with Calvin Jalandoni. 
This issue has a Pocketknife interview with Madison Woodward and a Layman interview with Jeremy Stith. It's got a years worth of show reviews while living up in Arcata, California. It's got some record reviews, zine reviews, and a couple book reviews. If you're interested pick one up at a show this summer. Click HERE and HERE for tour dates. Cover art by Zack Benson. Happy Summer.

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Razorcake Reviews The Stowaways Issue #15


Razorcake reviewed the most recent issue of the The Stowaways

STOWAWAYS, THE #15, $2, 8 1/2" x 11", copied, 20 pgs. 
A guy's life, mainly told through the shows that he goes to. It's all there, from packed fest to empty room. "We took the 91 to the 55 to the 405, exited Euclid, parked at the Costco, walked across the street, walked down the bike path to bottom of the riverbed, and sat under the bridge waiting for the show to start." - Chris Terry (fuckthestowaways.blogspot.com)

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Slingshot Reviews The Stowaways Issue #15


The Stowaways #15 ($2)
by Christopher Gordon
5082 Wendover Road
Yorba Linda, CA 92886
fuckthestowaways.blogspot.com

The Stowaways is a great punk zine because it's written by someone who goes to a fuckload of shows, so almost any DIY-minded (not necessarily just punk) band that passes through the Orange County / Los Angeles area has at least a passing chance at getting a show review. Unfortunately, the reviews aren't always very comprehensive (one act, for example, is acerbically dismissed as a 'fucking stupid band' with no further explanation), but the author's enthusiasm about the bands he loves often makes up for it. The zine also includes interviews with Elliot Babin (Dad Punchers, DNF, Touche Amore) and Kris Westreich (Collosal Wrecks) which was totally readable but sometimes suffered from Awkward-First-Date-itis (e.g. "Do you have any other siblings?") and a pleasantly incisive editorial about racism in the punk scene. I'll definitely be around for #16 (x.lenc) 

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Roman Candles Summer Tour + Tape

TAPES ARE IN
BUY THEM HERE






Hey Everyone Roman Candles is going on TOUR this summer to play Plan-It-X Fest. I'll be heading there and back with my friend Calvin Jalandoni who plays in a one-man, psychedelic, noise band. I'm really looking forward to it. Avocado Records is also putting out Riley Versus Jason In The Battle Of Gracious Living on cassette tape. It's coming with a full color 5-panel j-card. These are the real deal. They ain't no burger tapes baby. You can now buy it HERE. It comes with a digital download to for all you Ipod-toting indie-crushers. 

The tour dates below: 


Thurs. June 12 – KCSB 91.9 FM “5432fun!!”
Fri. June 13 – KXLU 88.9 FM “Demolisten”
Sat. June 14 – Fullerton, CA @ Comic Book Hideout 

Sun. June 15 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Trunksapce
Mon. June 16 –  Denver, CO @ 7th Circle
Tues. June 17 – Omaha, NE
Wed. June 18 – Kansas City, Missouri @ Art Closet Studios
Thurs. June 19 – Chicago, IL w/ Justin Conway
Fri. June 20 – Indiana Plan-It-X Fest
Sat. June 21 – Indiana Plan-It-X Fest
Sun. June 22 - Indiana Plan-It-X Fest set time: 2:30 p.m.
Mon. June 23 – Nashville, TN
Tues. June 24 – Huntsville, AL @ 255 Pratt Ave.
Wed. June 25 – Mississippi
Thurs. June 26 – New Orleans, LA
Fri. June 27 – NOLA @ Mudlark
Sat. June 28 - NOLA
Sun. June 29 – Houston, TX @ Super Happy Fun Land
Mon. June 30 – Austin, TX
Tues. July 1 – El Paso, TX
Wed. July 2 – Albuquerque, NM
Thurs. July 3 – Tucson, AZ @ Gary's Place
Fri. July 4 – San Diego, CA @ The Che Cafe
Sat. July 5 – Fullerton, CA @ Programme Skate and Sound w/ 
Fugue
Sun. July 6 - KUCI 88.9 FM "Barbara Bush's Bathtime Breakdown"


Then I'm heading ON TOUR with Fugue: 

Sun. July 6th - Las Vegas, NV
Mon. July 7th - Provo, UT @ Muse Music Cafe

Tues. July 8th - Salt Lake City, UT
Wed. July 9th - Rexburg, ID @ Sammy's Sounds
Thurs. July 10th - Missoula, MT @ Ole Beck VFW Post 209
Fri. July 11th - Spokane, WA
Sat. July 12th - Seattle, WA @ Hollow Earth Radio
Sun. July 13th - Vancouver, BC (just Fugue)
Mon. July 14th - Seattle / Tacoma, WA
Tues. July 15th - Olympia, WA
Wed. July 16th - Portland, OR @ The Laughing Horse
Thurs. July 17th - Eugene, OR
Fri. July 18th - Arcata, CA @ The Birdhouse
Sat. July 19th - Bay Area, CA
Sun. July 20th - Santa Cruz/Santa Barbara, CA
Mon. July 21st - Los Angeles, CA

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Humboldt DIY Zine


Humboldt DIY put out its second issue of their zine. It's an anonymous community-based zine where anyone can submit whatever they want, so it's kind of a free-for-all mash-up of writings and artwork. I did an interview with Steve Lovett who owns and runs People's Records, which is Arcata's only record store at the moment. Steve also played in the band Raid, which is remembered for their involvement in the formation of the hardline movement. I think the interview was pretty interesting, and turned out alright. The zine overall is rad, and I think a huge improvement from the first issue. If you're interested in one, you can email humboldtdiy(at)gmail(dot)com. 

_____

In other news my friend Alex Poska put out his first issue of his #diy4lyfe  zine, which he interviewed me for. He also made a tape comp with a bunch of the bands from the issue that you can grab from him. 

My friend Garrett La Bonte is also putting out a zine this week called Glimpses that has an interview with me in it. You'll be able to grab that from the Avocado Record Store within the week. He's having a release show for it this Friday. click HERE for the facebook event. 

Sunday, March 16, 2014

MRR reviews The Stowaways Issue #15


Maximum Rocknroll Issue #371 reviewed the most recent issue of The Stowaways

THE STOWAWAYS #15 / $2 or trade
11 x 17 - copied - 24 pgs

I like to compare The Stowaways to a lo-fi tape. The production is pretty shoddy and the songs aren't perfect, but if you listen to it a few times, you're likely to find something that you really like. This issue opens up with a call out to one of Christopher's friends who dressed up as Trayvon Martin for Halloween and is now being shunned by the local punk community in Southern California. He explains the incident, defends his friend, but also asks for his friend and others to be accountable for their actions and stand up against racism. I've been following this zine for a while, so seeing this really impressed me. It shows the author's growth and I think it's important to include these things in our zines. The rest of the zine is mostly show reviews and a few brief interviews, which is standard content for The Stowaways. The editor clearly cares a lot about what's going on in his community and what his peers are doing. My past grievances with this zine have always been about the layout, but in this issue I finally got over it and kind of appreciated the bareness of it all. The latest issue, plus issue #14 are the best ones yet and are worth checking out if you want to dive into the LA music scene. (VX)
Christopher Gordon / 5082 Wendover Rd. / Yorba Linda, CA 92886

Chummer Mag Kickstarter

Hey everybody my friend Ben asked me to share this. He is starting a magazine, and he'd like your support. He use to write this blog, Classical Geek Theatre, which is the only reason why I ever started my own blog, which I guess is now the reason why I do the zine. I wish I could link ya'll to his old blog, but Ben is an idiot and deleted all his old content. But back in the day, Classical Geek Theatre wrote show reviews of all the 21+ shows that my underage ass couldn't attend. He covered the echo park / silverlake scene extensively, and turned me onto quite a few of the l.a. bands I still listen to today. Bands like manhattan murder mystery, death to anders, the happy hollows, and the deadly syndrome, were all covered on CGT. He also turned me onto Troma, specifically the Toxic Avenger, comic books, specifically The Watchman, and football, specifically the Indianapolis Colts. Just kidding, football still sucks. But check out this video, and support if you can. The kickstarter link is HERE.

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

roman candles shows in march


i'm going home for spring break next week, and i'll be playing a couple of shows while i'm home. i'm playing a show at bridgetown on Monday, March 17 with brave young, children of god, and pedestrian. that should be fun. facebook event HERE


I'm also playing a house show in long beach on Saturday, March 22 with tough stuff, olivias, and struckout at the greenhouse. i'm stoked for this show. facebook event HERE

i'll have the most recent issue of the stowaways available. that's all for now. 

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

two roman candles shows this week


I'm playing a show at the birdhouse on friday with comix trip, hollow down, and neighbors. the show starts at 7:00 p.m., is all ages, and $5. This is a benefit show for the second issue of the humboldt diy zine, which is a community based anonymous submissions zine. I'm excited for the zine to come out because I did an interview with Steve Lovett who owns People's Records, Arcata's only record store, and Steve use to play in the band Raid from Tennessee, which is responsible for starting the hardline movement, so the interview was pretty interesting as you can imagine. The facebook event HERE




I'm also playing a show at the greenhouse on Monday March 3rd with Spoonboy and thelittlestillnotbigenough. This show is also $5, all ages, and starts at 7:00 p.m. I'm super excited to play this show because the greenhouse was the only house that I was aware of that existed in Arcata, and did house shows, and when I moved up here I heard that they had stopped doing shows a while ago, but apparently they are making an exception for this one, and I get to play there! Facebook event HERE.



In other news, Avocado Records is putting out Riley Versus Jason on cassette tape, and those are being sent to the plant by this weekend / early next week. 


Monday, February 3, 2014

Roman Candles February shows


Hey everyone I'm playing a show tomorrow on KHSU 90.5 FM around 3:00 p.m. It will definitely be between 3:00 and 4:00 in the afternoon. I'll play some new songs, maybe a cover, and potentially the song that will be on the four way 7" split with layman, fugue, and pocketknife. I'm looking forward to this. I think you can listen online HERE.

I am also playing a house show at the Birdhouse on Saturday February 8 with Robber's Roost and Gunsafe. The address for the Birdhouse is 1763 H. Street, Arcata, CA 95521. The show starts at 8:00 p.m. is $5 donations and all ages. The facebook event link is HERE.

I dropped off some Roman Candles lp's at 
People's Records 
725 8th St, Arcata, CA 95521(707) 822-7625

The Works
210 C St, Eureka, CA 95501(707) 442-8121

Alex Poska did an interview back in January that you can read HERE

Sunday, January 19, 2014

roman candles news

Winter break was really nice. I was able to play six shows. Mark Chen recorded the first two shows that you can download HERE and HERE. You can watch a cover of the replacements' "alex chilton" from the show at the dawghouse on december 30th with bad kids and dogbreth below



marty videotaped a new roman candles song "too fucked to cum" for razorcake at the vlhs on january 6 



Daryl filmed a song from the january 16th show at the freak house with jeff enzor, mitch the champ, and garrett walters



I also recorded 8 new songs with madison woodward that are currently being mastered by andrew schubert. they will be released on a 7" called blacklist the white kid in blackface which will hopefully be out in time for tour this summer. I will be touring to plan-it-x fest with Calvin Jalandoni

Calvin has been there since roman candles started. he was at jeff salisbury's house the day we recorded our first demo tape. he whistles on "hospitals" and sings back-up vocals on our cover of "show me the way to go home" from that demo tape, and that night - after we recorded the first demo, Calvin drove back to UCSD to play our songs on his radioshow "2 Hour Revenge Therapy" on KSDT at the time. Calvin also went on the first roman candles tour, and I'm excited for him to be playing his own songs this time around. 

I also got to finish two songs that Madison and I started recording over two and a half years ago, and finally finished. I am hoping that they will be released as a 7" single. They are full band recordings, and Madison made them sound great. 

My friends and I will be releasing a 7" split with Roman Candles, Fugue, Layman, and Pocketknife. Each band will have one song, and that should ideally be out by the end of the summer before I leave for the Peace Corps. 

I dropped off some lp's and 7"s at Amoeba Berkeley today, and restoked Amoeba Hollywood and Vinyl Solution over break as well. 

The new issue of the stowaways is also available. Daryl filmed a commercial for it, that was improvised on the spot. you can check that out HERE

Before I wrap up I'm playing a show at the Birdhouse in Arcata with Gunsafe and Robber's Roost on February 8th that I'm pretty excited about. I think that's all for now. The artwork and pressing info tba shortly.