New Lexicon

We Appear, Again

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:00:19 -0400

Fellow Punks,
It is with a coupling of anti-ambivalence and no small amount of disbelief to announce we have somehow managed to move both heavens and earth to make ourselves able (or, if you prefer, to Enable ourselves) to perform at least twice more in 2013. And lucky us, both shows are on home turf: Philadelphia, PA (August 11th) and Gainesville, FL (November 2nd). We will play our songs. We will not sell t-shirts.

Seeya then,
PAINT IT BLACK

Something gets lost in the simplification:

Fri, 10 May 2013 20:26:26 -0400

It’s sort of about subcultural semiotics and their reproduction & commodification. But if that’s too much of a struggle you could just say, “it’s about posers.”

Our Vinyl Weighs A Ton

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 19:07:42 -0400

People seem to be curious about the pressing info for our new 7”, so we took a few days off work and did some intensive detective work (or, slept until 3pm and texted Var). So here it is. We sold all the pink and clear at the record release show and the yellow and white were all for mailorder. We’re told the only thing left is purple but who knows? Word is these are going fast too, so I dunno. Maybe buy one if you care about physical things? Or not, whatever.

1st Pressing:
1,000 Purple
500 White
400 Clear w/ Hand-Colored Labels
100 Yellow
100 Pink
100 Clear

Photo stolen from someone on Twitter who somehow has a test pressing even though not all of us do :(

fuckyeahnaturalstate: anarcho-queer: Police And Exxon Mobil...

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 10:00:53 -0400

fuckyeahnaturalstate:

anarcho-queer:

Police And Exxon Mobil Threatening Journalists With Arrests For Reporting On Arkasas Oil Spill

Reporters covering the oil spill from ExxonMobil’s Pegasus pipeline in Mayflower, Arkansas, are reporting that they’ve been blocked from the site and threatened with arrest.

On Friday morning, Inside Climate News reported that an Exxon spokesperson told reporter Lisa Song that she could be “arrested for criminal trespass” when she went to the command center to try to find representatives from the EPA and the Department of Transportation. On Friday afternoon, I spoke to the news director from the local NPR affiliate who said he, too, had been threatened with arrest while trying to cover the spill.

Michael Hibblen, who reports for the radio station KUAR, went to the spill site on Wednesday with state Attorney General Dustin McDaniel. McDaniel was in the area to inspect the site and hold a news conference, and Hibblen and a small group of reporters were following him to report on the visit. Upon arrival, representatives from the county sheriff’s office, which is running security at the site, directed the reporters to a boundary point 10 feet away that they should not pass. The reporters agreed to comply. But the tone shifted abruptly, Hibblen told Mother Jones on Friday:

It was less than 90 seconds before suddenly the sheriff’s deputies started yelling that all the media people had to leave, that ExxonMobil had decided they don’t want you here, you have to leave. They even referred to it as “Exxon Media”…Some reporters were like, “Who made this decision? Who can we talk to?” The sheriff’s deputies started saying, “You have to leave. You have 10 seconds to leave or you will be arrested.”

Hibblen says he didn’t really have time to deal with getting arrested, since he needed to file his report on the visit for both the local affiliate and national NPR. (You can hear his piece on the AG’s visit here.) KUAR has also reported on Exxon blocking reporters’ access to the spill site.

Since the spill happened a week ago, cleanup crews have collected 19,000 barrels of oil and water.

Hibblen says county officials seem to be deferring to Exxon when it comes to reporters. “This gets back to who’s really in charge, and it seems like ExxonMobil,” he said. “When you throw the media out, that’s when the media really get their tentacles up.”

Edit: The FAA declared a no-fly zone over the spill area, saying that “only relief aircraft operations under direction of [ExxonMobil employee] Tom Suhrhoff” could be over the site. (The no-fly zone was later relaxed.)

Local TV news director Nick Genty says that “Exxon is running the show at the site. When we try to get information from local law enforcement, they direct us to the PR from Exxon.“

I know I’ve reblogged similar stories, but this situation just really hurts my heart.

BANDCAMP

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 11:54:10 -0400

Hey everyone, we’re excited to inform you all that we now have our own BANDCAMP page and as of this writing the entirety of our recorded output — including some songs you may have never heard before — is now available for immediate streaming and (paid, sorrys) download in your choice of high-quality MP3, FLAC, or just about any other format you could possibly desire. This is cool, spread the word:

http://paintitblack.bandcamp.com/

Invisible

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 17:57:00 -0400

Invisible:

I’ve got a problem with the way you see, your eyes are always trying to take something from me. I’ve got a problem with the way you hear, only listening to the bankers & the bombardiers. But for now I’m not invisible. I’ve got a problem with the way you think. Respect could keep us afloat, but you would rather sink. I’ve got a problem with the way you act. Run your mouth, confuse opinion with fact. Your stare, the weight of your glare, pinned & mounted, but you best beware. And if I don’t make any sense to you, well, I never really wanted to. Through fictions fed & feelings misconstrued, at least I know my aim is true. I learned to crawl, to stand, to fall. I even learned to scale those fucking walls. I learned to scream, to swim upstream, and to subsist on optimism & caffeine. Ice will melt. Seas will rise Iron will rust. Fire will fall from the skies. Hearts will break, but ours will mend, once we’ve spent all that we can spend. We will turn against ourselves, we will feel fear. We are a moment, and we will disappear.

D.F.W.

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 13:11:00 -0400

“Irony and cynicism were just what the U.S. hypocrisy of the fifties and sixties called for. That’s what made the early postmodernists great artists. The great thing about irony is that it splits things apart, gets up above them so we can see the flaws and hypocrisies and duplicates. The virtuous always triumph? Ward Cleaver is the prototypical fifties father? “Sure.” Sarcasm, parody, absurdism and irony are great ways to strip off stuff’s mask and show the unpleasant reality behind it. The problem is that once the rules of art are debunked, and once the unpleasant realities the irony diagnoses are revealed and diagnosed, “then” what do we do? Irony’s useful for debunking illusions, but most of the illusion-debunking in the U.S. has now been done and redone. Once everybody knows that equality of opportunity is bunk and Mike Brady’s bunk and Just Say No is bunk, now what do we do? All we seem to want to do is keep ridiculing the stuff. Postmodern irony and cynicism’s become an end in itself, a measure of hip sophistication and literary savvy. Few artists dare to try to talk about ways of working toward redeeming what’s wrong, because they’ll look sentimental and naive to all the weary ironists. Irony’s gone from liberating to enslaving. There’s some great essay somewhere that has a line about irony being the song of the prisoner who’s come to love his cage.”
— David Foster Wallace

Obedience ingrained, so discreet.
Our chains rendered obsolete.
Post-everything.
Feel nothing.
Ironic detachment replaces outrage.
I’ve grown comfortable in my cage.

http://gluehc.com/exclusive-paint-it-black-d-f-w-new-song-stream/

LITTLE FISTS

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 11:38:00 -0400

LITTLE FISTS:

Good morning bright eyes. I watched you while you slept, reflecting on resolutions broken & promises kept.
You know we’ve got to fall before we walk; we’ve got to sink before we swim.
So have patience, stop checking the clock, and if someone locks you out, kick your way back in.
They’ll tell you what you are, they’ll tell you what you’re not.
They’ll surround you with mirrors, baby, dont get caught.
They’ll reduce you, sterilize you, try to cut you down to size, too.
Shine too bright, they’ll say you’re just craving attention. You’ll run the gauntlet of their smirks and condescensions.
Did you run too fast? Did you fly too high? Did you see too much with your eyes open wide? I’d rather “yes,” be our reply, than have as epitaph, “Too afraid to try.”
So we’ll dance like wild beasts, charged with disturbing the peace. And when it looks like things can’t get any worse, we’ll sing until our hearts burst.
No compass, no maps,
we’ll find our own way back.
And when things look bleak, I’ll kiss the tears from your cheek, and watch you clench your little fists in your sleep.

http://www.bigcheesemagazine.com/features/article/exclusive-song-stream-paint-it-black-little-fists

christianbeale: “Hardcore without punk isn’t music, it’s a genre of porn; punk isn’t a genre of...

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 22:42:15 -0400

christianbeale:

“Hardcore without punk isn’t music, it’s a genre of porn; punk isn’t a genre of music, it’s a thought process.” - Dominic Mallary

PROPS FOR VENTRILOQUISM

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 16:34:00 -0400

PROPS FOR VENTRILOQUISM:

You don’t know this song, but I caught you trying to sing along. Your mouth is moving but the words are all wrong.

False signifiers.
Like little liars.
Send in the clowns
numb from the neck down.

If you don’t know now, chances are you never will. The pitcher’s full, but your plants are wilting on the windowsill.

You talk, and I wince, but you’ve got everybody else convinced; You’ve memorized and rehearsed your lines, while I’ve forgotten most of mine.

You know all the steps, but you’ve got no swing. It’s an “I know why the caged bird sings,” type of thing.

http://www.punknews.org/article/51068/streams-paint-it-black-props-for-ventriloquists

HEADFIRST

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 20:03:00 -0400

HEADFIRST:

I will be heavy like stone to hold you down. Weightless like wings to lift you from the ground. I will be flesh and bone, fragile and frail, and I will be the wind when it’s time to set sail.

Headfirst, kicking and screaming. Naked and afraid into this world we’re thrown. You might feel out of place sometimes, but you’ll never be alone.

Beneath these petals, thorns. They’ll try to buy away your hopes and dreams, but all that glitters isn’t what it seems. It’s never enough to be strong; be brave & smart. Smart enough to be afraid; brave enough to lead with your heart.

http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2013/03/an_interview_wi_83.html

If you think the prison industrial complex isn’t a...

Sat, 23 Mar 2013 22:45:01 -0400

If you think the prison industrial complex isn’t a recapitulation of slavery and apartheid, you’ve got your fucking head up your ass.

GREETINGS, FELLOW INSOMNIACS

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 15:44:00 -0400

GREETINGS, FELLOW INSOMNIACS:

No sleep.
We are restless pestilence. Broken
promises collect like bounced
checks. Never penitent.
I call it “home” where I lay my
broken bones. Sticks and stones, a
row of disconnected pay phones.
We are contraband smuggled
through the tunnels under
Wonderland.
You’ve been sleeping on the job,
so here’s your reprimand.
We are breeding, multiplying in the
space between the walls. What you
call living feels more like dying, if it
feels like anything at all.
Wearing our hearts on our sleeves,
seems you’ve forgotten what your
head is for. My blood is on your
hands, and no that’s not a fucking
metaphor.
We are afraid of conflict, but always
at war. And we no longer feel pain,
that’s what the medicine’s for.

http://noidearecords.com/bands/releases/paintitblack-invisible.php

“Mexico 2012—60,000 human beings dead. Now go party and score some cocaine.”

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 21:15:30 -0500

In light of our destination on Friday, check out this thought provoking article on some current Mexican punk by our pal Stuart :

http://shit-fi.com/tercer-mundo

Photo

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 21:42:13 -0500

Holas! We are playing Mexico D.F. for the first (and probably...

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 13:31:55 -0500

Holas! We are playing Mexico D.F. for the first (and probably only) time ever on March 8th. The show is with our dear friends and kindred spirits PUNCH. This is going to be very special, we hope you’ll join us in you’re anywhere nearby. Info follows below. Hasta luego!

http://www.facebook.com/events/527714117268170/

March 8th 2013 7:00pm
Frontón Inclán
Bucareli 118
Col. Juárez

La Banda:
PUNCH (San Francisco, CA)
http://punchcrew.tumblr.com/

PAINT IT BLACK (Philadelphia, PA)
http://www.paintitblack.org/

Soporte Nacional:
Per Se (MRD)
http://perseskram.bandcamp.com/

Soporte Local:
Doble D
http://dobledhc.bandcamp.com/
Crimen
http://crimengobierna.bandcamp.com/
Die Alone
http://diealonemx.bandcamp.com/
Rat Vandals
-

Entrada General: $150 MXN

No se permitirá el acceso con cámaras profesionales!
Cero alcohol, cero tabaco, cero drogas.

Cualquier duda será contestada por inbox.

Esperamos verlos!

INVISIBLE

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 12:19:00 -0500

This new record has been in the works for what feels like a long time. So long, in fact, that it seems like a lot of people, us included, stopped believing it was really going to happen. The challenges of geography, too many bands and tours, and other more mundane aspects of adult life, all conspired to delay and discourage us. But here we are, despite these obstacles, with a new record and a renewed sense of purpose. And in a way, that’s what these new songs, and this band, are really all about. This music, and the culture and community that surround it, don’t really have an expiration date, even though the larger world around us would have us believe that these are childish things, to be put aside as we become responsible, productive citizens. Now, that is obviously bullshit of the highest order. But this isn’t about avoiding adulthood; it’s about redesigning it so that it doesn’t clash so violently with our most deeply held beliefs. It’s about the compromises we refuse to make, but also about the subtle negotiations between ideals/aspirations & day-to-day pragmatics. It’s about figuring out how to keep making noise even when life quiets down. Yes, it’s about parenthood, but it’s also about deliberately resisting corrupt mainstream value systems, even (especially) when they’re bombarding you from all sides. It’s about brutal, devastating loss. More than ever, it’s about alienation and outrage.

We can’t wait to share it with you.

INVISIBLE
01 Greetings, Fellow Insomniacs
02 Headfirst
03 Props For Ventriloquism
04 Little Fists
05 D.F.W.
06 Invisible

Out 2nd April 2013 on No Idea Records.

www.paintitblack.org

OK, March 31st at the F-U Church in Philly: PAINT IT BLACK JOYCE...

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 18:43:48 -0500

OK, March 31st at the F-U Church in Philly:
PAINT IT BLACK
JOYCE MANOR
LOMA PRIETA
CONGENITAL DEATH
BAD SIDE
All Ages. $10. On sale Friday, Feb. 8th. We will have a new 7”EP with six excellent new songs on it at the show. More on that later, though. No other shows planned at the moment.

Please reblog if you’re so inclined.

A day late. A dollar short.

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 07:33:22 -0500

(Sorry for the delay, other emergencies got in the way of posting this in a more timely manner)

Today we celebrate the life of a man who pushed us to take risks in the name of freedom and justice. Implicit in that is a critique of the psychological structures that allow us to treat people as less than human. This goes beyond race, including in its scope gender, sexuality, class and other elements of “difference” as well. Objectification in all it’s myriad forms facilitates oppression, and its not a stretch to see the same process at work in our exploitation of non-human animals as well. So today let’s remember to keep ourselves in check, everytime we slip (and we ALL slip) into old patterns of “different” = “less than.”

Photo

Sun, 06 Jan 2013 09:23:14 -0500