McRad
FDR
Uprising
Skateboarding and punk rock have always, always gone hand in dirty, bloody hand, and when the dudes making the music are also the dudes on the boards, then it’s a match made in skatepark heaven. Such is the case with Chuck Treece, who has recently reignited his old Philly skatepunk outfit, McRad, after taking time off to do studio work. No, not just studio work; the man has worked with a wide array of musicians from Bad Brains, to Amy Grant, to Billy Joel (the bass work on Joel’s “River of Dreams,” that’s Treece). The man with many skills, with McRad he is credited as having written, arranged, and performed all songs. Mad skills!
Thankfully Treece has put away his studio hat, at least for the time being, to put out the first disc of new McRad music in over 20 years! FDR may not be a perfect disc of music (although it definitely has it’s high moments), but it gives a very needed nod back to the days of skating empty pools and catching airs to guitar shrieks instead of hip hop beats. Sometimes with slight hints of rap, instrumental at times, here and there a heavy dose of metal guitars, and even a melodic touch of soulful pop, but always at its core: Punk.
Key songs: “Weakness,” “Dead By Dawn,” “Ejected.”
For more pro skaters at the mic’ check out Revolution Mother headed by Mike V!
Uprising Records: http://www.uprisingrecords.com
