Tag: Red Strat

Fine China first entered our collective consciousness in the late 90s through a trio of EPs for Velvet Blue Music. Seamlessly blending indie pop with layered synths, they soon exploded in 2000 through their Tooth & Nail debut When the World Sings and one of the catchiest songs of the era, “We Rock Harder.” They released two more albums up through 2005 and then there was a lengthy silence. Most of us assumed the band had finished until 2018 when the band started releasing music again, just as prolific as before.… Continued →

I recently caught up with Joby Harris of Christian indie/punk supergroup Crash Rickshaw, for what turned out to be a rather enlightening (and lengthy) interview. What’s the story behind their decade-long hiatus? And why reconvene now? IVM: It’s been 24 years since the Crash Rickshaw debut, and 9 years since any last recorded music (only 10 copies made of The Unknown Clarity). Why the long wait, and what prompted the return? JH: We made the first Crash album at a prime time of being young, highly creative, knee-deep in a great music scene in Southern California and big dreams of doing that kind of thing forever.… Continued →

Oh my! After a 20-year hiatus, post-punk/hardcore darlings Crash Rickshaw are back! The band, comprised of members of Project 86, Innermeans, Rainy Days, Starflyer 59, and more, will release a brand-new EP, entitled Big Sir. The new project will release via Velvet Blue Music on August 1st, and will be the label’s 250th release! In addition to digital downloads, physical media will include blue & yellow haze vinyl, and compact disc. Pre-orders are now live at Velvet Blue Music… Continued →

I wasn’t sure what to make of this band the first time I heard them. It was heavy, metallic hardcore, created in the era just before full-blown metalcore had become a thing. And the vocals were unlike anything I’d ever heard in hardcore before. The band hailed from southern California and were only active for a couple of years in the late 90s. They released a pair of demos, before releasing a devastating 4-song EP for fledgling Solid State Records, then-brand new sub-label of Tooth & Nail focusing exclusively on hardcore and metal.… Continued →

I’d like to tell you all about a brand new band, so new in fact that the red paint is still wet. This band is called “Red Strat” and features Tim Taber (The Prayer Chain), Jason Martin (Starflyer 59, Brothers Martin, Low & Behold, and more), Steve Dail (Project 86, Starflyer 59, Inner Means), Rob Withem (Fine China), and Charlie Martin (The Rocky Valentines, Starflyer 59). Velvet Blue and the respective members have all been sharing news of this new band and their first show on October 2nd at The Wayfarer in Costa Mesa, CA.… Continued →