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Interview: The Homecoming Queens (w/ Jon, Tom, Rich & Phil)

Ed. Note: It’s no secret that I have an affinity for ska…of all waves.  Homecoming Queens seem to tread in a lot of grey areas.  They frequently burst forth with the exuberance of third-wave and pop-punk like Catch 22 and many of that era’s standard bearers, yet they have the capacity to transcend the limitations of those trappings, unafraid to reach into the realms of jazz to pull out some denser, darker and smokier tones, much like a less matured Mad Caddies.  But the potential is there, and occasionally shines through.

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MP3: The Homecoming Queens – Heathrow

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MP3: The Homecoming Queens – 13 and four tenths Miles

Guess who was supposed to review the Homecoming Queens live at Village Pub South a few weeks ago? Me. It was me. See, here’s what happened: the opening act, Tomahawk Chop, failed to do their part in promoting the show, so the promotion company only let them play three songs. In cases such as this you only need to know two things about Long Island punks: they’re stubborn as hell, and you should never take their set away from them. Word of this got to the rest of the bands, and eventually everyone scheduled refused to play. Bam, no show. That’s what you get for dealing with punks.

So, good news, in the parking lot I caught up with Jon Graber (vocals/guitar), Tom Kelly (bass), Rich Seibert (vocals/trumpet), and Phil Deitz (trumpet/flugelhorn/vocals) of the Homecoming Queens. We discussed the nature of the Long Island scene, the flaws of the modern music industry, and the Nuge.

Aural States – First of all, can you describe the Long Island ska/punk scene? Read the rest…