Skatepunk

Skateboarder's Paradise Check Out

I came across this pretty awesome list of songs from 2012. New songs, for the most part -- I think I had only heard about 15 or 20 of these bands/songs. Besides the music, the photos are pretty damn cool, too, and you can hit play on #100 and listen all the way through on their player... Mostly Mellopunk® stuff...what would've been called College Rock in the 1980's. I have no idea what it's called these days. How about just "music?"
The site is called RolloGrady.com and it's got a lot of good stuff on it.
http://www.rollogrady.com/100-best-songs-of-2012-recap/

Rad! Top 100 Songs of 2012! Check Out

It's absolutely amazing that Tony Hawk can put together this kind of video part in a couple of sessions. Welcome to Independent, indeed.

Tony Hawk Back On Indy Check Out

Check this link for the full story.
http://espn.go.com/action/skateboarding/story/_/id/8821731/lil-wayne-get...

Lil Wayne Gets Baked Check Out

Kyle Leeper + Tony Karr in NYC Check Out

Tommy Fynn Welcome to DC Video Check Out

Macro: a Neon Christmas card from Neon on Vimeo.

And here's the How-To Video. Sorta.

Case Study: Macro from Neon on Vimeo.

Cool 3D Demonstration with Danny Brady Check Out

New Bryan Herman SHow - G6 Check Out

There's an underlying concept of continuity in the best parts of this video that should be the future of skateboarding videos... this video is so rad.

The Future Of Skate Videos? Check Out

I found this rad article in the Asbury Park Press about Chuck Treece and thought I'd share. Chuck's always seemed like such a rad dude to me. His energy and our similar loves in life have always been inspirational.

Like “All You Need is Love” by The Beatles and “What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye, some songs are able to capture the essence of a cultural movement.

“Weakness,” recorded by McRad in 1985, certainly did that for skate boarding culture. The origin of the song stems from co-writer Chuck Treece’s experiences boarding on the streets of Philadelphia in the ’80s.

“We do what we can in Philly — they closed all the parks and we didn’t have much around,” said Treece. “I wanted to make ( ‘Weakness’) into what it was like to skate 50 blocks to South Street from West Philly.”

“Weakness,” co-written with John Wagner and released on the McRad “Absence of Sanity” album, features a driving four chord progression that rhythmically lopes at first before hitting overdrive. The track was featured in several skate boarding videos, including “Public Domain” by noted filmmaker Stacy Peralta, and it's have been covered numerous times by other artists.

“(Weakness) is about grabbing what you can about skating and making the best of it,” Treece said.

Treece and McRad are coming through the area with a show Friday, Nov. 23, at the Saint in Asbury Park. The Mike Pinto Band — Pinto is also a Philly native — is also on the bill and it’s part of the Saint’s 18th anniversary series of shows.

Treece is a skate-punk renaissance man who first emerged as a pro skate boarder and transitioned to music in the early ’90s when songs like “Weakness” started making a name for McRad. Since then, he's worked as a go-to session man — he played bass on Billy Joel’s “The River of Dreams” — and has toured with bands like the Lemonheads, Urge Overkill and Bad Brains.

All the while he’s been skate boarding, raising a family and in 2010, he was awarded a Pew Fellowship in the Arts.

“Chuck Treece is known as a seasoned guitarist, bassist, drummer, vocalist, and, in many circles, a skateboarding legend,” the Pew folks said.

Perhaps even more notable than the Pew Award, Treece is set to have a Nike sneaker designed in his honor. The Nike McRad Dunk is due in stores early next year, Treece said.

But first, it’s Asbury Park. His “Weakness” will be performed at the Saint and it should give us the strength we need as we recover from superstorm Sandy.

“The history and magnitude of the Jersey music scene of the last 10, 20 years is amazing,” Treece said. “It’s still extremely important. Now a lot of people are seeing how important New Jersey is.”

Staff writer Chris Jordan: 732-643-4060; cjordan@njpressmedia.com

Chuck Treece Is A Ruler Check Out