Band on Quarantine 

Hey guys, sorry for the delay in posts.  Have not had much time to sit down and write these last few weeks.  

This past Sunday, we were scheduled to enter the studio to record 4 new songs for our coming album.  We were hoping to release these songs over the coming weeks to promote what was to come.  Unfortunately Covid-19 has forced us to cancel all our plans.  

Ironically enough we had just decided to name the album "The Odds Are Even Worst."  We really fucking hit the nail on the head, didn't we?  I speak for all of us when I say we are upset by the derailment of our efforts.  Not to mention most of us are out of work at the moment, so our savings, that we so carefully budgeted, are quickly disappearing.  

Moving past that, from the very bottom of my heart I hope everybody reading this is doing alright.  A month ago I could never have imagined we'd ever be here.  This shit starts to get intensely real when people you know start dying.  For everyone who is affected by Covid-19, in any way, we are praying for you.  And for all the people who are stepping up to the plate, and providing care and emergency services for the rest of us, when the dust settles this country, and planet will owe you a huge debt of gratitude.  Shout out to my sister for being on an ambulance during this craziness, and as if that's not enough, on her off days she's taken it upon herself to suit up and use her personal vehicle to transport the sick and unhealthy.  

Right now it's around midnight.  I am having a few beers and listening to Casper Allen live stream a show from New Orleans.  If you haven't heard him yet, do yourself a favor and check him out.  Everybody remember to support your favorite indie musicians during this time, support the healthcare community, and support each other.  God bless, and see you soon.

 

Frank 

Steal Reserve 

ACCIDENTAL OUTLAW Relase show with RED ARKADE 

Alright yo story time.  We were releasing Accidental Outlat at Beery's in Bethpage in July of 2017.  The bill was legit.  We had Flake, Almost Aimless, The Martians, Psychonaut Underground, The McGunks and Red Arkade.  We had played with every band in the past,with exception of Red Arkade.  

Now we had been playin Mr. Beery's for years; classic dive bar with a stage in the North-East corner, and an anything goes policy.  There is a big parking lot in the back, and in the corner of the lot there was always a sketchy food truck parked with no sign of ever being open.  Everyone joked about a drug kingpin being run out of the old bus.

So Red Arkade rolls up.  If you have been lucky enough to meet the guys, they always make an entrance.  I ran out to greet them in their parked car, where I found them rolling up; broad daylight, windows down.  We exchanged loose formalities, and with that a macho type undercover detective storms through the lot.  I shit you not; plain clothes, with the vest over it, and the badge on a chain hanging off his neck.  I was on probation at the time.  I momentarily consideredAs  running from my own show.  

He walked right up and asked what was going on.  As soon as he found out we were all in bands, and performing nearby, he completely lost interest.  My man walks right up to the food truck, and a handfull of other detectives follow.  Door kicked in, people dragged out in cuffs.  Drug ring being run out of the old bus.  That show was fucking awesome, and that night was fucking awesome.  That was how we first started hanging with Red Arkade.  

Jimmy G: Greatest Front Man of All Time 


If I had to vote, I would say Murphy's Law is the greatest New York Hardcore band of all time.  They represent everything I love about the genre.  It's not about fashion, and it's not about flexing; t's about the experience.  I have never seen comedy show that made me laugh harder, and I have never seen a front man that can command an audience like Jimmy G.

I first hung with Jimmy Gestapo in the summer of 2014.  I had been listening to him for years.  Tony and I, along with my brothers and friends, went to see Murphy's Law play on a boat show in New York City.  It was a few days after Jimmy's father passed away, and we spent the hours before their set drinking tequila in his honor.  We talked music, and when he asked my bands name, he got such a kick out of the malt liquor tribute that he offered us a show together.   

After a few weeks I hadn't heard back from him.  As luck would have it, Danny Diablo (another one of the greats) was hosting a party that September, and we were attending. When Jimmy arrived he never missed a beat.  He walked right up to me and put me on the spot.  "Is Steal Reserve playing our Halloween Show?" 

He had never even heard us play, and he was a good enough man to give us a chance.  We played the show, and it was such a memorable night.  The point of this post is not to tell the story of the night, but to tell the story of the man.  Jimmy G is the embodiment of Punk Rock.  He is an ambassador of underground music.  

Unfortunately music is a very clique business, full of jealousy and competition.  Murphy's law, and Jimmy only care about the music. They want to foster the next generation; stear them in the right direction, and encourage their growth.  He has remained a friend and a supporter of our music over the years.  I only wish more of us could follow his example, and support the future of the music we all love.

 

Frank,

Steal Reserve 

 

 

Rust: Song Origin  

     Once again thanks all for the feedback.  One of our readers asked us to explain some song origins and inspirations, so I figured we'd start from the top.

     Rust was the first song we wrote as a band.  Although we released the album in 2017, believe it or not we had the first track written, and recorded in 2013.  

I had just turned 20 years old, and had no idea that this song would serve as the foundation for the rest of the album.  In 20113 I had just finished my second year at film school.  It had been years since I played music seriously, but we decided to write and release a single that summer.  Anthony wrote a progression, and the lyrics just seemed to write themselves.

    Now if you're familiar with script writing at all, most scripts start with characters.  If you can find a great character, you have to walk in his shoes, create a history, and a personality.  Our subject in Rust is an example of this strategy.  It was the first time I ever wrote a song from a characters point of view.

     Our character has seen a lot.  Life experience has created cynicism and pessimism.  He grew up on the streets,  turned 23 in prison, and trusts no one.  This was a story I knew very little about.  Little did I know...

     Little did I know less than two months later I would be locked up.  I would be thrown out of film school.  I trusted no one.  It would not be last time I was in trouble.  

     Rust was the first of 8 songs dealing with the issue of being labeled an outlaw.  To this day it remains one of my favorites, and one of the most personal songs we have ever done.  The next song we wrote was Miracle.

 

Steal Reserve