5 Records From: Dee Putman (Obscenities, Zip-It)

Yo yo I'm Dee, guitarist/bass player/lead vocalist for the Obscenities, synth player for Zip-It, honorable member of The Waterheads, and one-time member of Whip Sock. I was asked by Joey to write an article listing my top five favorite albums, I’m currently sitting on my couch, unshowered, greasy hair, wearing dirty clothes, contemplating my existence and the infinite void that awaits us all and ya know what? I really don’t feel like listing my “favorite albums” or whatever. I consider myself to be a pretty forward-thinking guy so instead, I am going to list albums that I have currently been obsessively listening to. Let’s begin! 

Darkened Apocalyptic Occult Goat Ritual by Luciation (2009)

 I can’t even pronounce this band’s name, which is fitting considering I can barely make out what I’m listening to whenever I put this album on. This is the most recent and maybe the last album from Danish raw black metal band, Luciation and boy is it an album to go out on. This album isn’t for the faint of heart, this album is for the dark few who have exhausted themselves on listening to every single piece of recorded sound from the early Norwegian black metal scene and are still craving more depravity. This album’s production is so fucking dirty I feel like I need a bath every time I listen to it. This album would disgust even the most seasoned black metal fan, I absolutely love it. This music is so loud and abrasive that you surrender yourself to the pummel of sound and it almost becomes a relaxing ambient soundscape. I don’t know if I can recommend this album to anyone but I think everyone should give it a listen. 

 Sexdrome by Sexdrome (2009) 

Here I have another Danish black metal album and fuck is it amazing. This is the self-titled album from Danish raw black metal/blackened punk band Sexdrome. This band combines the best of punk/hardcore with the best of European black metal. This genre needs more artists like Sexdrome to breathe new life into the genre of black metal and expand it into more experimental territory. This album is more “accessible” than Luciation but its production is still dirty and lo-fi as fuck. Listen to this album if you know whats good for you. 

Disassembly Line by Capitalist Casualties (1992) 

 The 90s West Coast power violence scene that this band was a part of took hardcore punk to it’s logical next-step, play fucking faster, & play fucking heavier. This album is probably one of the best hardcore albums ever. I know this a good punk album because it always makes me speed every time I listen to it in the car. I remember back when I was 14, I was listening to Big Black’s album Songs About Fucking on repeat at an extremely loud volume to get myself pumped up to fight a bully who had been picking on me. If I been listening to Disassembly Line instead it probably would have given me the strength to punch a fist sized-hole through the bully’s skull killing him instantly. 

 Primary Colours  by Eddy Current Suppression Ring (2007)

 Alright, time to move away from the field of extreme music into something softer. This is Primary Colours by Australian garage-punk band Eddy Current Suppression Ring (great band, shitty name), this album was recorded in a span of only 24 hours and this is one of the best garage albums I’ve ever heard. I discovered this band a few months ago and I feel like I discovered some hidden treasure that no one else knows about. I love this album’s angular and hook-filled songs, this is one of those albums that have no filler songs. When I first heard this album I dropped what I was currently doing and gave the music my full attention, when you hear an album like that you know its special. If you love garage punk like me then I highly suggest you check this album out. 

  Mcclusky Do Dallas by Mcclusky (2002)

 This is the second album from Welsh post-hardcore/noise rock band Mcclusky produced by Steve Albini. This is another hidden gem album where I feel like I’ve discovered gold. This album should be considered a classic of the post-hardcore genre. The opening track on this album is a fucking banger, this is another no-filler album. Every song fucking crushes. Check it out if ya dig post-hardcore. 

 HONORABLE MENTIONS: Collective Hardcore – Four Collective Hardcore Songs, Jackman – Bad Intentions.

Interview with Shireen M.

Last month Shireen M. released her mind-bending record, 'My Sweet Encodable'. We caught up with her to find out about musical inspirations, how the latest record came about,  and goals for the future.

How did you initially start with music and how did your project get started?
I must have been like 4 or 5 when I got my first CD. I think it was Britney Spears' debut album or something. I was also lucky enough to be in the same house with a piano and a family who helped me get lessons pretty early on. Eventually, I wanted to try out different things, like guitar, and making music on a computer, which I made repeated attempts at for a long time until I gave up and got a sampler. That was about 3 years ago. And what I've done recently kinda starts there.

Who are some of your musical heroes or inspirations? Anyone who’s had a direct influence?
Robert Wyatt, Takako Minekawa, John Maus, Cluster, D'Angelo, Theo Parrish, Tadd Mullinix (and all of his aliases), drexciya (and related projects), safety scissors, Woo.. These are just a few!

Do you have any non-musical inspirations that have informed your work?
I try not to let much of anything have a direct effect on what I make, and try to let it happen without interference. It's not like I don't take in inspirations all the time, I just don't know which ones are informing what I'm doing. If that makes sense.

How did your new album come together? Is there a story behind it?
I was going through it at the time I wrote a lot of those songs. They were all experiments after many failed experiments.

How did you choose the title for the album?
I came across a couple of academic art journals from the 60s, and I found that phrase on one of the pages. Seemed like a good way to frame everything.

I noticed in the liner notes of the album on Bandcamp you shouted out your brother. Has he been a helpful resource? How has he made an impact?
My brother has been helpful my whole life, especially when it comes to music. I grew up watching him make tracks on fruity loops and going to 90s/early 2000s Detroit raves (he went, not me sadly). He's always been really supportive, and he's also a wizard when it comes to mixing and recording. Which is why I asked for his help. And I'm ever grateful to him.

How would you describe your music? 
I don't really know. People have told me my music is atmospheric, claustrophobic, has it's own world. etc. I think I'm going for a glitchy dream pop thing, but not so genre specific. I care a lot about the texture of the sounds and the overall feel of a track. 

Detroit seems to have a bubbling avant-garde/experimental scene. What do you think the musical and artistic community around you? 
I'm not going to pretend to be an expert on any of the music scenes around here. I would mostly like to see more (free and open to the public) larger events and spaces striving to bring experimental artists together. Local artists alongside non-local, and prominent artists alongside those just starting out. Those gatherings seem sporadic at the moment. But it does feel to me like the abstract is appealing to more people, and has been for awhile now. And I think Detroit's scene has been a great vehicle for it.

What does DIY mean to you? 
Make something happen using the resources around you. Learn things by doing them. Get your own thing going.

What are your goals in regards to music? 
More shows, collabs, new projects, and probably a new EP soon.

5 Records From: Ty (Greyhound, Tooth, sunnhaus)

In this new segment; Remove artists, friends, and collaborators are invited to share 5 seminal records from their life with us. Whether the records changed the way they view music or directly influenced their writing process, they give us the inside scoop.

For our second installment of the series, Tyriq Hannah (greyhound, sunnhaus, Tooth) takes us through five of his all-time favorites. Just in the past month, both Tooth and sunnhaus have released powerhouse tapes. 

Check out Ty's picks:

Hold Your Horse Is by Hella (2002)

First time I heard this album was a little after exmilitary was released and it really blew me away first listen. I was just getting into drumming and Zach Hill really opened my eyes to how you can approach a kit and it made me dig deeper on his setup and how he just moved around while recording this. '1-800-ghost-dance' is such a fucking jam and also been a long time cousin is the best song on this album like those hill fills??? fuck.

Black Metal by Dean Blunt (2014)

From the god himself, Mr dean blunt. Black metal is extremely underrated and I truly believe it was a very polarizing moment in his solo career. His lyrics and production on Black Metal really shined his creative process and how I think Dean just thinks of music. With the incredible opener LUSH, the middle shining moment of X and the dark and riveting GRADE really solidified this album. Black Metal really taught me how to take risks on production and delivery of vocals, especially with dean’s very monotone voice I can relate to it and how he can just introduce himself on a track. side note: FOREVER is ungodly amazing and it's worth the entire listen.

Hollinndagain by Animal Collective (2002)

Animal collective really changed my life when i first heard them in middle school and this was their album that stuck with me the most in terms of how i view music. All these tracks are live and it was them at their noisiest and abrasive. With panda’s drumming, Geo’s noise manipulation and avey's screaming stuck with me how I could interact or just be seen by a crowd if I was to perform live. This also really made me want to start improvising with friends and jam in general.

One Nation by Hype Williams (2011)

my favorite Hype Williams album is One Nation but in terms of how it influenced me as an artist, this would be the one. I would say this album changed how I look to work with bandmates and the many instruments and elements that could be used to create an album or just a project. This album influenced my project Greyhound in the sampling sense and Sunnhaus on connection and communication when it comes to jamming. I would recommend listening to this at least 3 times in a row to REALLY get this album and especially track 4 and 1.

Al Fatihah by Black Unity Trio (1971)

There is no album like this at all anywhere. Rare free avant-garde jazz from the early 1970s, amazing stuff. This album really changed me in 2017 when I first heard this and I don't think I've changed since. It changed my spiritually, musically and personally. Hassan Al-Hut is the drummer on this and if i could meet him one time i want to tell him how much he changed my drumming in general. He is VERY all over while playing on this record but the way he plays just hits my soul like no other and also goes with the sax player Yusuf Mumin who steals the cake on the track John’s Vision. Id recommend this to ANYONE and also to my free jazz lovers. This is an amazing album front to back.

Honorable Mentions:

Abdul al Hannan - the third world

Seely - Seconds

Spazz - self-titled 7”

Milford Graves - Bäbi

MIKE - Renaissance Man

5 Records From: Kyle Edmonds (208)

On this new segment of the blog, Remove artists, collaborators, and friends tell us about five seminal records in their life. Whether the record changed the way they view music, inspired them, or directly influenced their music, they give us the inside scoop.

Debuting the segment is Kyle Edmonds of 208. 208's debut tape ENOUGH ENOUGH! is an explosive set of noisy, psychedelic punk tunes. It fuses all of the best aspects of the Detroit underground sound.

Here are Kyle's picks and reasonings for each choice:

African Rhythms by Randy Weston (1975)

the entirety of this lp is spontaneous and intense, it's an unstoppable stream of inspiration for me to explode with natural feeling though whatever I create.

More by Pink Floyd (1969)

"quicksilver" was my introduction to the idea of noise music being thematic. it seems an obvious concept, but this record made it click in my head that I could write music with entire scenes or movements in mind.

Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath (1970)

the themes of wickedness and evil in the music of black sabbath is one of the sole reasons i ever wanted to write music in the first place, the idea that songs could inflict fear into people delights me.

Water Buffalo by Tonstartsbandht (2008)

water buffalo and an when are records i crammed into my skull for weeks on end until i ended up hating them, and when i didn't want to hear them i still played them for myself again and again; i love them because the songs are simple, drenched in effects and slathered with gibberish, and that pushed me to realize i can create whatever the hell i want and put it out.


Tristeza by Oscar Peterson Trio (1970)

at the same time i started writing music by myself, i was having a visceral emotional reaction to the music i loved and frankly couldn't stand listening to most anything; so i gravitated toward stuff that contained chords and other bullshit i couldn't understand.

(p.s. this album cover inspired the artwork for "enough! enough!" )

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Stay on the lookout for more '5 Records From:', thank you very much to Kyle for kicking this badass series off with some killer records!

Interview with Rae Vandermeer

Remove caught up with Rae to catch up on their new band Zip-It, booking for Gay House, being raised on punk, and much more. 

What bands and projects are you apart of? 
 I recently just started a new band called Zip It!, and of course there's Pineapple Hill. Josh and I have been talking about starting a country band for a hot second, but it's yet to happen. Sorta like if Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash had two punk kids. I also just started booking shows at Gay House with the help of my roommates, Madi and Dylan.

What are some of your musical influences? 
God, there's a lot. I was raised on SoCal skate punk and NY hardcore, so a lot of what I like to write stems from that. I still listen to bands like Fabulous Disaster and Tilt on the regular- in fact I have a Tilt tattoo. Once I was out of high school, I gave up on the whole "I'm too cool for pop music" thing and recently I've really been enjoying Jessica Hernandez and The Deltas, Stef Chura, and of course, Mitski. In terms of newer punk, Mannequin Pussy, Amyl and the Sniffers, and FEA are just killing it. Clearly, I tend to look up to strong, openly emotional, femme vocalists.

What's the status with Pineapple Hill?
 We're sitting back for a moment. There's seven of us, and being able to coordinate can be difficult, but we're still here! Earlier in the year we put out a single called "He's a 'Good' Guy" that's about the lack of accountability for abusers in the scene. I'm really proud of it, and I know the rest of the band is. Jack Reed of How Rad Recording out in Canton mixed and mastered it for us and it sounds great. It was the first time I had ever recorded anything for real and had it like put on streaming services, so of course it's special to me. Pineapple Hill is special to me.

Zip-It is sort of a supergroup. Tell us how it came together. 
First, I want to establish that yes, "supergroup" went right to my ego so thank you. It was sort of my doing, I suppose?I've wanted to front a punk band since I was a kid. I can't imagine doing anything else. I knew Kyle (of The Waterheads) was interested, and Dylan started learning bass. After recording a song we had wrote at practice, Mikey asked if he could join on drums, and then we asked Dee to join in on synth. Kyle and I work really well together, and writing with her is the most fun I've had in a hot minute. We seem to be on the same wavelength and I truly feel blessed to have met her and call her one of my best friends and bandmate.

What can we expect from Zip-It’s live show?
Spooky surf punk? I think Mikey referred to it as goblincore? I really like what we have going on, and I think other people will too. We have a lot of fun practicing together and just hanging out with each other in general and I think that positive energy with transfer on stage.

You booked and ran Shangri-La house? Was that your first experience with booking shows? what did you learn from living there? 
I definitely had a part in booking at Shangri-La, but none of it would have happened without the help of Josh and Alex! They both have supported me in booking and music in general since I started, and I really appreciate that. The first show I ever put together was there, and until the very last day, it was where I felt most comfortable holding shows. They both let me run shows out of there- even after I moved out- and were always by my side to make sure things ran smoothly. I think the most important thing I learned from booking there and with them is the importance of teamwork, and having people to trust and rely on. As cliche as it sounds, I've always been a "if you want it done right do it yourself" kind of person, and having them around really taught me that it's okay to have people help you.

What’s the most important part of booking shows? What kind of space do you aspire to create? 
Well, of course, you want people to show up. You want donations- especially for touring bands- but at the end of the day it's about the music. Not to sound like a boomer, but in a world where the success of a musician is often determined by streams and social media following, having this authentic and analog experience is really important. When you're booking or running a space, you play a big part in facilitating that. It's all about creating a space where people can be comfortable and just enjoy the music. At our first Gay House show, we had a touring band from Pittsburgh called "Lem" play in our living room and it was just such a wholesome experience. That's what I want. Good people playing good music to other good people.

What’s your dream band to book? 
I really love booking, and I'd love to book tours etc., but I don't really look at bands I admire and think "holy fuck let me book you." There are definitely bands I'd love to play with though! I'm really loving what Destroy Boys are doing, and of course Mannequin Pussy. Seeing them live was really inspiring. I would love to book out in L.A. with Crawl Space Booking- who books all sorts of bands from Negative Approach to Bongzilla- although that's just a pipe dream.

What does DIY mean to you? 
Ah yes, this has been heavily debated recently hasn't it? Again, I think DIY is really about that analog experience. Like, of course stream your friends music! Follow their social media! but for me, DIY is all about the shows. It means more to me to see someone singing along to 'My Kind of Scum' in a crowded basement than it does to watch our monthly listeners go up on spotify. I don't think I'm the only one that feels that way. DIY isn't a genre, it's a community of people supporting each other's hard work. Lately I've seen a lot of people argue that you aren't "real DIY" if you would sign to a label and personally? I call bullshit. We all love music, We all want to get our work out there. We all want to reach our own definition of success. To some, that means getting signed. To some, it means playing house shows and producing their own music forever. There is nothing wrong with either. One is not better than the other. It's easy to feel like you're competing with other local acts- which I think is where the whole "gatekeeping DIY" thing comes from- but reality is you aren't. The scene can't possibly become over-saturated. That just isn't going to happen. Go to shows. Support your friends. Stream their content. When it comes down to it, all any of us want to do is play music.





(questions by Joey Molloy)

Interview with Drew Dley

Remove had the chance catch up with Andrew Bradley and discuss his favorite records, new music, his tattoo, and more.

What bands are you in and what do you play? 

I play guitar in The Hand. Tambourine in Toeheads. I play guitar in Whip Sock. . . formerly. I’m also working on some solo stuff. Im trying to interact with the creative process more because I tend to start a lot of my stuff but never develop it further.

Who are some of your biggest influences or musical heroes? And in terms of your solo stuff who’s inspiring your writing process?
I’ve always really liked Kevin Shields from My Bloody Valentine a lot. Johnny Marr from The Smiths. When it comes to The Hand, definitely Tony Iommi, that’s just known. Those are the big ones.

What about some all-time favorite records?
Nervous Breakdown by Black Flag.
Doo Little by Pixies.
Innerspeaker by Tame Impala.
Songs for the Deaf really inspires me from a production standpoint.

Do you have any tattoos? 
I have one tattoo. It was done with a gun, but it just looks like a stick and poke. It says ‘Punk’ and its written on my shoulder. The story is that it was 2AM and I was with Joey and a friend. Joey’s friend who does tats told us to come over blah blah. Basically he was bored and asked if anyone wanted one. I said ‘Sure, why not.’

What does punk mean to you? 
Be yourself. First time I went to a punk show everyone was just being a goof. Anything goes and everyone’s cool with it. As long as youre not fucking with people, it’s a really positive environment.

I understand you had a stage name when you were in Whip Sock. What is it and what was the story?
It is true. I don’t think I put up anywhere, but my name for Whip Sock was Miss Anthropy. You know, its a pun. It’s great. “A disdain for humanity,” which I definitely feel sometimes. I certainly feel the pull of nihilism and giving into that.

You and Hanania are famously outspoken about your politics. Where do you stand?
I’m a Marxist-Leninist. That means a lot of things. I was drawn to that because Marxist-Leninist revolutions have always yielded really good results for people. That’s the only way we move forward.

What are your goals with music? What are you looking forward to? 
The Hand is in the midst of embarking on the recording progress. I’m excited to put that out after a year of not doing anything. Once the recording gear gets set back up Im gonna start trying to do some noisy shoegazey stuff in the basement. Once Miss Eerie’s back in town we’ll get a project going.

Any long term goals with music? Or are you just taking things as they come?
Definitely someone who takes things as they come but I’ve always wanted to make an album of just my music. I believe music is collaborative at heart, but I wanna see what I can do on my own. So, eventually, I’d really like to have an album of just my music. The other thing I’ve always wanted to do, which I feel like is achievable, is have a band I’m in press a record to vinyl. That would be a success to me. It’s certainly very achievable, but you do have to take the steps to get there.

Stylistically, do you have an idea of what that solo record would sound like?
I guess I would want to draw on a lot of noise, shoegaze, post-punk. That territory. That’s what I’ve been envisioning. I have some ideas, now its time to bring them into fruition. That’s sick. I’d love to hear that.

Okay, big question. One pedal on your board for the rest of your career. What is it?
I just got this line-6 DL4. It’s a delay pedal and its got a looper. I think just generally I would pick a delay pedal because it gives you a lot of options. You can make way more sound if you set up right. Delays can give you noisy bullshit, but also beautiful spaced out delays. Actually, when I first went to college and I was in the dorm. All I had was my amp and a delay.

What music has gotten you really excited in the last year?
I really like Craig Garwood’s music a lot. I put him on frequently. I like Rastakraut, it’s just chaos and noise. I love that kind of thing. 

You’ve been involved with DIY music since we were in high school. How has it informed your attitude, what does it mean to you?
It’s always been there and it’s always meant a lot. I’ve played shows in backyards, basements, legion halls. That’s just how you do music at the grassroots level. That’s important because music doesn’t always have to be the best. It doesn’t even have to be new or exciting. As long as its happening somewhere and there's a community to support it that's good enough for me. It’s the basis for artistic endeavors.

It kind of comes full circle now that you’re at The Ham House contributing directly to it. It totally comes full circle. I’ve always wanted to run a venue. I don’t know how well we run this house, but people come and listen to music and we're able to raise money and donations for community organizations, I’m very happy about that.


(Interview conducted by Joey Molloy)

untitled ep - sunnhaus

untitled ep - sunnhaus

This is a new project from Ty and Owen. All the songs were improvised and recorded straight to iPhone. It's raw and bursting at the seams with energy. The noise bits are surprisingly melodic at points, and Ty's vocal delivery displays a level of control that he's been honing for awhile now with his Greyhound project. If you're a fan of punk, noise, or anything left of center: Sunnhaus is for you.