GAD! Zine

     Jay Hyde (pronounced "Jihad" if you're an angry redneck) is a heart-on-his-sleeve-if-he-didn't-cut-off-his-sleeves kinda guy who loves punk rock. He's been in several cool local bands over the years (including a couple with yours truly), but this is the first time, with the help of a killer backing band, that he's been able to fully express himself creatively. And I dig it.     What we get here is both kinds of music, punk AND ska-punk! If ya ever heard "Punk Rock Getaway" by Tiger Helicide, a song written, sung, and guitared by Jay, this has some of that energy. But the new music is waaaay tighter, brighter, and a lot more fun! Topics covered include politics, corruption, anxiety: FUCKIN' PUNK RAWK STAPLES!! Danceable. Sing-A-Long-able. We need more. Make it happen!  -Harmless Notjaypeg on Bandcamp! Notjaypeg on Spotify!

     We played a show with these dudes. They're really cool, but I don't remember how they say their name aloud. Is it like, "I meant no offense when I said your mom's got a face that could snag lightning"? Or is it like, "The Alabama Tigers ain't got no off-fence!!"? Whatever. These guys kick ass. Their music is noisy and RAW (and RAWR!). Back On Our Bullshit has the best production of anything they've released up to this point. That's not to say it sounds clean at all, cuz it don't. Just means you can blare it louder at the neighbors. Ragged as fuck vox raging to blasts of thrashy hardcore punk. Country boy D-Beat. Equal parts fun and disaffection. That's how ya do it! Fave tune: "MK Ultra" -Harmless 

 [This interview originally appeared in GAD! issue 32.] Phantom Eye is Jesse Norris’ (TOWU, Lighthouse, Tiger Helicide) pseudonymous solo music project. Interview by Harmless. GAD!: How long have ya been making music? PE: I’ve been playing music on and off for basically my entire life. My first band where we played originals was active in the early to mid 2010’s. I pretty much stopped playing music from 2014 to 2018. In late 2018, my first like “real band” formed. That was TOWU with my friends Eli and Nick. I’ve been making music constantly ever since. GAD!: Who are your greatest musical influences? PE: For where this project is currently, I’m super influenced by the works of Alex Zhang Hungtai, especially what he released under the Dirty Beaches moniker. GAD!: What were the influences behind the initial Phantom Eye release? Musical and otherwise. PE: The first Phantom Eye release was the single We Did Our Best from the 2023 EP that came right after. For that stuf...

   ‘Tuesday Nights’, a 4 song live EP, is the latest release from Gadsden based indie rock outfit Comic Mischief . The opening track, ‘NSMB Wii’, is a much rawer and energetic rendition of their most recent single that I personally prefer. The chugging rhythm guitar coupled with the other guitar’s melodic lead line creates a sort of hectic feeling you don’t get on the studio version of this track. The vocals are rowdy, in a great way, and the whole band seems to be playing their heart out.     ‘Under The Rug’ sees the band returning to one of their earlier songs that was originally released in 2024 as a single and later included on their debut full length titled ‘E For Everything So Far’. Again, this live version brings a new energy to the song and is a testament to how far the band has come. I booked what I believe to be the band’s first public appearance back in 2023. I loved what they did from the start, but it’s been really cool to see the band progress a...

                                                                                     Lighthouse continues its pilgrimage to the 60's and 70's rock through post-punk-tinted garage glasses. Mellow-ish rock that is unafraid to slap a synthesizer and stomp a pedal. This EP features four tracks, each written and sung by a different bandmate. "When Will I See Brighter Days" is a great opener and plays the most like your standard LH song if only by virtue of singer/guitarist Jesse handling the vocals. Standard is relative. The song plays big yet fragile. The next tune, "Sundance", is vocalized by bass player Eli. The music has a fun Doors -y vibe while Eli's voice is low and steady. I reckon like his bass.  It's probably my fave. Kinda reminds me of PiL 's Commercial Zone stuf...

  ZENCII is the musical alias of Abdul Clark based in based in  northeast Alabama. Clark produces his own experimental  rap/hip hop music and  accompanying  social media content.  Interview by Jesse Norris. Jesse Norris:  How long have you been making music? And how long  as  ZENCII if you have used any  previous  monikers? ZENCII:  Freestyling with the boys at middle school lunch tables  definitely started   it  but I realized I had something to say when I was about 17. I had 1000 other names and ideas for  projects  but when I landed on “ZENCII”, that word felt it would fit wherever my sound went. A name like “maya  bandsjalou ” felt like a box on the sound even though I might pull that one back out one day. I still think  it’s   dope . JN:  What are your main influences when you sit down to work on a new track? Your influences  don’t  have to just be musical artists. ZE...