Some artists deal with the subject of mortality in delicate, reflective brushstrokes. OFF! bandleader Keith Morris confronts it roughly the same way a hungry pit bull meets a T-bone steak—with fang-gnashing ferocity. To wit: multiple compressed assaults from the band’s new sophomore salvo, Wasted Years (Vice). Because, at 58, the Circle Jerks/Black Flag vet (who still maintains a spin-off combo dubbed Flag) has faced his own frailties, overcome most of them, and simply accepted—then soldiered on—with the rest. Morris, guitarist Dimitri Coats, bassist Steven Shane McDonald and drummer Mario Rubalcaba will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our brand new feature on them.
Rubalcaba: Cheesy endorser promo plug? Nope. Wholehearted thumbs up to the best drumsticks out there on the market. I’ve been playing these sticks for more than 10 years and love’em more than ever. The “cuts and fades” are amazing. I was playing the same model for a long time and recently tried a whole slew of newer designs and models. I was overwhelmed with how many I really liked. On the new OFF! LP, I played a different model or tried out a different size every other three songs. That was alot of fun! Vater also makes a whole bunch of other great accessories and percussion stuff. Available at all great music stores. Go check them out.
