Jello Biafra as the president of the United States in Lovedolls Superstar, occupying an empty office adjacent to SST/Global, 1985 (photo by Jordan Schwartz)

Fanzine We Got Power! was created in 1981, born out of a love for hardcore music between two friends, David Markey and Jordan Schwartz. The zine compiled photos and text that documented the early LA hardcore scene including legends like Black Flag, the Minutemen, Social Distortion, Red Cross/Redd Kross, Suicidal Tendencies, the Descendents, M.D.C., Big Boys, and so many others who would change the face of music as we knew it.

We Got Power! has now been compiled into a book due on 10/5 via Bazillion Points (order it), and it's chockful of photographs and pieces that document this crucial time in punk rock music. In celebration, Markey and Schwartz dropped off a few of their photographs that appear in the book along with some details behind each. Check out those photos below.

Continue reading "'We Got Power!' book out next week, check out a gallery of classic early hardcore photos"

The actual origin of Dos came about in the fall of 1985 when Watt and Kira, who were already dating, began improvising two-bass jams in their free time, sometimes recording these results into Watt's four-track recording machine.

The sudden death of Minutemen guitarist and lead singer D. Boon in a van accident on December 22, 1985, led to the end of the Minutemen and left Watt deeply depressed. Kira had parted company with Black Flag not long beforehand and moved to New Haven, Connecticut to attend Yale University. Watt considered abandoning music altogether. But intending to keep him playing after Boon's death, Kira and Watt began collaborating via four-track cassettes sent back and forth in the mail. The activity led to Kira flying back to California for the formal forming of Dos in September 1986.

They recorded their first album, an all-instrumental affair save for Kira's closing track, "Taking Away The Fire", almost immediately, and made their performing debut as Dos opening for ex-Black Flag guitarist Greg Ginn's instrumental group Gone that same week. Watt released Dos' eponymous first album, Dos on New Alliance Records, the label he had formed with D. Boon in 1981. Around the same time, Watt formed fIREHOSE; many of the songs on fIREHOSE's first album Ragin', Full-On, are actually Dos songs with lyrics added (by either Watt or Kira) and rearranged for a power trio format. -[Wiki]

Dos released the Numero Dos EP and Justamente Tres in the years following and the duo were even married from 1987 - 1994. Though they split (amicably apparently), Dos lives on and will release a NEW LP called Dos y Dos on July 12th. The record, which features material recorded over the span of thirteen years, features the new track "Number 8" which spawned a video that you can check out for the first time below. Grab the CD at Insound.

Mike Watt is currently "trying his hardest" on bass for Iggy & The Stooges on the European Festival circuit, and will return in time to play a Dos album release party in his beloved Pedro, CA on July 16th. In addition to Dos and Iggy & The Stooges dates, Mike Watt will also team with George Hurley to play Minutemen covers at the Jeff Mangum-curated ATP in Minehead UK on December 3rd.

All tour dates and that Dos video is below.

Continue reading "Mike Watt band Dos releasing 'Dos y Dos' (video premiere)"