One of the gems of my old zine was an interview of an American band that was ( in my view ) slowly gaining ground in the international music scene back then. I forget how or why it came about it, I sent a letter to their address one day and thankfully, they replied and that was it. I really thought back then that they would be causing quite a stir as they played a pretty catchy/melodic style of mod/punk, a kind of that 70's sound that never fails to perk me up, plus me mga torotot sa ibang mga kanta nila which is a huge plus in my book. At that time, the video of their song "Shots Heard 'Round the World" was doing the rounds and it was highly representative of their brand of fist raising, upbeat and left-leaning music. The song is inspired by the Haymarket affair and the video starts off with a shot of the August Spies / Haymarket Martyrs memorial where the following quote can be read:
"The day will come when our silence will be more powerful than the voices you are throttling today."
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| ...be a martyr...get a monument...1887 Haymarket Martyrs Memorial from findagrave.com |
Watch Shots Heard 'Round the World here
I am reprinting this since I can't seem to find anything about The Strike on the 'net nowadays and I still think that these guys should still be heard.
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The year was not 1977 and Minneapolis may be a long way from London, but when the members of the Strike formed in 1993, they were not concerned. Organized by brothers Chad ( guitar, vocals ) and Chris ( drums ) Anderson ( after moving to the Twin Cities from Winnipeg, Canada ), the Strike set out to revitalize the recipe of punk set forth by predecessors like the Clash, the Alarm, Stiff Little Fingers and the Jam. After finalizing their lineup with Kris Adams ( bass, vocals ) and Micah Garlich-Miller ( guitar ), the Strike began setting their socialist slogans to a blistering blend of punk and reggae pulled from the blueprints of '77 punk. As the Strike's following in Minneapolis gained momentum, the band released a single on Johann's Face, an independent Chicago label. Building from the anticipatory bass rumblings of "Danger" to the chorus of the b-side, "Take Action", the single set the Strike on the path of their forefathers like Stiff Little Fingers while the mix of male and female vocals pushed this brand of punk into new territory. It quickly became evident that the sum of the Strike measured up to more than four musicians. After the single's gratifying reception, more recordings ensued including a second single, a series of compilation tracks and a 2 week East Coast tour with friends Dillinger Four. The diverse crowds combined kids from the pop-punk circles, skinheads, punks and of course, mods solidifying the Strike's across the board appeal. With "We've Got Soul, Let's Take Control" scrawled across the bass drum, the Strike used their socialist songs to try to create awareness in a scene long since jaded to the purpose of punk.
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| ...original zine page... |
1. When did you guys start and why did you pick this particular kind of music? Your style seems to come from the old punk stuff, any particular influences?
We started in 1993. We've always listened to this kind of music, even when we were young. Bands like the Jam, Stiff Little Fingers, the Clash, the Alarm, Cocksparrer, Big Country, they all kick ass and we definitely take influences from all of them.
2. Here is our discography:
7"s:
Danger/Take Action 7" - released on Johann's Face Records - 1995, about 2000 pressed, black vinyl, out of pressing.
Victoria EP - released on Cerebellum Records in Minneapolis in 1996, red vinyl, 2000 pressed, includes these songs: Victoria, Ball and Chain, Red Storm Rising and This Fragile Life ( cover of a Neurotics song )
This Rebel's Choice split 7" - with Dillinger Four released 1997 by Doin' It For the Kids out of Minneapolis. There have been 3000 pressed already and Doin' it For the Kids is currently in the process of reprinting it. Includes 2 Strike songs Fire Away and Ain't Gonna Take It ( cover of a Tom Robinson Band song ). Black vinyl.
12"s/CDs:
A Conscience Left to Struggle with Pockets Full of Rust - first full length album released in winter 1996/1997 by Johann's Face Records in Chicago. LP: 1500 pressed on back vinyl, currently out of pressing, includes 12 songs. CD: 2000 pressed includes the 12 songs listed below plus Danger and Take Action ( same versions as the first single ), Never Break and an extended dub version of Downpresser Man.
Side A: Side B:
Where Did We Go Wrong? 20 Years
Kicking Ass Downpresser Man ( Pete Tosh cover )
Shallow Over There
Open to Interpretation Too Far Away
Victoria ( new recording ) Win or Lose
Waiting You Can Forget It ( Sisters Three cover )
Shots Heard Round the World - second, full length album released in March 1999 by Victory Records in Chicago. Available on cd and vinyl ( black, some limited green and red copies ).
Side A: Side B:
Shots Heard Round the World Communique
Yesterday's Heroes Tribute
Clockwise Call of the Wild
Time for a Change Fragile Life
Royal Albert Arms Ballad of Frank Little
Turning
Three Steps Forward
Compilations:
Takin' A Detour - released in 1996, England by Detour Records, includes the song Airwaves, a few copies of pink vinyl, the rest black, CD version also available, # of pressings unknown.
No Slow...All Go - hardcorepunkrockandroll of Minneapolis and St. Paul released by Half Mast and the Daggers 1996, includes the songs Never Break and Airwaves. Available on 2 record set or CD.
The Modern World - The Jam tribute released by Detour Records and Flavour of Japan in 1997, released in Japan only, includes a cover of When You're Young
Mark's a Dick and Gar's a Drunk, The Johann's Face story - released by Johann's Face Records 1997 on cd and vinyl, includes Hang em High ( not on any other release )
Limited Options...Sols as Noble Endeavors - released by Half Mast Records, 1997 includes Kicking Ass ( same version as on LP )
Sun, Sea and Socialism - released by Mad Butcher Records of Germany, 1998, includes Where Did We Go Wrong
Scoot Sampler - cd in Scoot Quarterly magazine, Feb 1999. Compilation includes Victory Records and Jump Up! bands. Two tracks Shots Heard Round the World and Communique, same as album versions.
3. What do your lyrics talk about? Who writes them?
Chad writes almost all of the lyrics. He writes mostly political lyrics that are totally relevant to what's going on today and what's going on in everyday life. He writes about workers' rights, historical events, personal and political struggles and once in a while, a love song.
4. Is politics an important part of your band, I mean, do you consciously try to put 'em in your lyrics?
Yes, politics is definitely an important aspect of our band and our personal lives, especially labor politics. As far as the lyrics are concerned, we try to be subtle and creative about it, to make you think, we like that in other bands too. We're so sick of hearing songs in which lyrics are about nothing.
5. Do you believe that punk is a dying breed?
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| ..from one of the blogs below |
5. Do you believe that punk is a dying breed?
Fuck no. It's the whole attitude. It just goes through changes. There is a lot of shitty music that's out there nowadays though.
6. How often do you play live? Have you ever been on a tour?
We play live 2 to 3 times a month. Right now with our new album coming out, we're going to play a lot of weekend shows close to home in Chicago. Hopefully, we'll be touring the US, Canada and Europe this summer/fall. We did tour with Dillinger Four in the summer of 96 which was a blast. It was only a 2 week stint on the east coast but it was great!
7. What can you say about the Sex Pistols reforming and all this mainstream focus on fresh, young ( and also old ) punk bands?
Well it was great ti be able to see the Stiff Little Fingers twice and also the Toy Dolls and we're waiting for the Clash to reunite. But at the same time, it must be shitty for the people in bands living on their past glory and making money off of it and having to play really old songs that you must be totally sick of and that probably no one appreciates your new material ( if you have any ).
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| album cover again from a blog about the strike... |
8. Could you tell us more about your release "A Conscience Left to Struggle with Pockets Full of Rust"? How did that came about? It was released by Johann's Face records wasn't it? What's it like being there?
"Conscience" was the product of 4 years of work and also some songs that were written 3 weeks prior to recording. When we were looking for someone to put out our first 7", we made a demo tape and sent it to 50 labels and got only one response, Johann's Face. We put out our first album n JFR in 1996. We left JFR to put out our 2nd album on Victory Records also in Chicago. Our new album is called Shots Heard Round the World and is coming out on 03/23/99. Our website is www.victoryrecords.com if you want more info.
9. Music is a very influential and powerful tool. What do you hope to achieve with your band and music? Do you think that there can be any change to all that is happening around us?
Well, we want to put out music that we feel proud of, that sounds good musically, and also music that has a message to it. We don't think we can "change the world" or anything, since social change comes from a collective mass movement not from a single person. I do believe it's possible to open eye through music, I say this from personal experience, from when I was a kid in small town America and the only way I heard about progressive ideas was through music and definitely not from my school, the media, etc. It's hard to get your message across at live shows because usually the sound is so bad that you can't understand what the fuck is being said anyway.
9. Music is a very influential and powerful tool. What do you hope to achieve with your band and music? Do you think that there can be any change to all that is happening around us?
Well, we want to put out music that we feel proud of, that sounds good musically, and also music that has a message to it. We don't think we can "change the world" or anything, since social change comes from a collective mass movement not from a single person. I do believe it's possible to open eye through music, I say this from personal experience, from when I was a kid in small town America and the only way I heard about progressive ideas was through music and definitely not from my school, the media, etc. It's hard to get your message across at live shows because usually the sound is so bad that you can't understand what the fuck is being said anyway.
10. Any parting messages?
Nope, thanks for the interview!!!
Cheers,
Chad, Chris and Kristin
The Strike
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I read somewhere that the group split-up a few years after Shots which was quite surprising to me. Another good band that got lost in the shuffle...
Hear the Strike doing This Fragile Life
Blogs with write-ups about the Strike:
Music Ruined my Life
Hymies Records
Blogs with write-ups about the Strike:
Music Ruined my Life
Hymies Records
Understand, understand. Do you really understand?
Take a stand, take a stand. It's time for us to take a stand!
- The Strike 1999
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