Red Collar

BY: ASHLEY ESS
I don’t listen to mainstream radio unless I have to. On the occasions that I have left my iPod at home or I’m riding in the car with someone else, I will peruse the stations but usually end up disappointed and annoyed. I don’t listen to the radio
for two reasons: 1) So many new bands sound exactly the same to me, and 2) I really don’t believe that any of them are saying anything relevant. I’m not insinuating that I need
politically-charged lyrics—not all the time. It’s just that I need to hear someone who speaks to my generation, shares in some of my fascination and frustration with the state of the world, and still can find a way to let loose.

When I was asked to check out Red Collar, a Durham-based outfit coming to Bella Festa, I was understandably skeptical. If this was just another emo-punk band, I wasn’t sure I could
handle it. To my liking, Red Collar wasn’t just another anything. In fact, the five man—er, four man and one
woman—frenetic showcase defies classification.

Comprising Jason Kutchma, frontman and guitarist; Michael Jackson (not the crazy-as-a-loon King of Pop), guitarist;
Andrew Blass, keyboardist; Beth Kutchma (Jason’s wife), bassist; and Paul O’Keefe, drummer, Red Collar takes the ennui of American twenty-something and tears it a new one.

Anybody who’s ever accepted that “cushy” office job fresh out of college can relate to an anthem like “Hands Up,” the first track on their new EP: “Your decisions are not your
decisions/Because they come from above/The only question you’ll ever be asking is/If you’re so smart, how can you be so dumb?” The song reminds me of the scene from Office Space
where they take the copier and smash it to bits with a sledgehammer; it’s got the same kind of “screw this job, and
screw you” theme within it.

Not surprisingly, the name “Red Collar” came from Kutchma
and his friends’ stint within the workforce. “[We] were working
the same type of job, and this type didn’t fall into the traditional yet simplistic blue-and-white collar categories,” he explains via e-mail. “It was white collar-only in the sense that
we had/needed a college degree and worked in offices with A/C. But we had the blue-collar pay and the blue-collar
vacation time. So I came up with Red Collar, thinking it was splitting the difference between the two.”

Watching this group perform, one would never guess they had ever worked in the tame office landscape. To say that they are high energy would be an understatement. In fact,
what started as a three-piece band grew due to the need for more members to give the music its proper live performance.

“Beth and I were playing with a drummer and we, ahem, excuse me, I had a completely miserable show. I broke a bunch of strings and couldn’t, for the life of me, stay in tune, and I kept on apologizing to the band and the crowd; I just couldn’t get it together. It was really awful,” Kutchma admits. His solution was to find another guitar player, who came to them via Craig’s List in the form of Mike Jackson. A few months later, they picked up Andrew Blass after realizing that a keyboard would add more dimension to their sound. Now if
they need to break a string every now and then, the songs don’t suffer. Although, he jokes, “We are a pretty active band onstage, but now with Beth and Andrew going a little crazy
maybe we should start looking for a backup bass and keyboard player, too!”

The result is a raucous show with rousing choruses akin to Irish drinking songs. They were written to be sung along to, loudly, but to try to lump them into any kind of genre can be
difficult. “We really just describe it as rock,” Kutchma continues. “We tried telling people what bands we sound like but then people never agree on it. ... I think we have pop elements in our songs, but I wouldn’t describe it as pop-punk. How about instead of punk-rock, we’re rock-punk? That
sounds good enough.”
Welcome to encore! http://encorepub.com/archives/MUSIC/article_2.htm

Don’t miss their sounds at Bella Festa on Friday the 13th with Black Skies at 10pm; $5.
Copyright © 2007 Wilmington Media. All Rights Reserved.
- Encore Online

Durham North Carolina’s Red Collar is a self-proclaimed throw back to the early 90’s Dischord era of straight ahead DIY rock n roll for the masses. While the masses may not be all that massive just yet (a quick check of the band’s blog sees members enthusiastically describing 10 fan shows a success), by all accounts the numbers are growing. In a lot of ways a band like Red Collar must attract new fans inch by inch, fan by head-nodding fan. So earnest in their delivery of the live performance, Red Collar is making noise on the scene with a sincerity for rock n roll that conjures images of broken down vans and sleeping on floors. The follow up to their roughly recorded Hands Up EP of two years ago, 2009’s self-released Pilgrim, is measurably more refined than its predecessor. Produced by Brian Paulson (Beck, Wilco, Superchunk) this new offering is a more mature attempt to harness the potency of a live Red Collar experience (three of the four previously released tracks have been rerecorded). Frontman Jason Kutchma’s passionate working-class vocals are hooky and accessible to most every real human being in America today. Fueled by second guitarist Mike Jackson, Red Collar’s brand of elemental punk-influenced riffing compliments the chosen subject matter perfectly. Bassist Beth Kutchma (Jason’s wife) and drummer Jon Trousdale tighten everything together like you’d expect while making their mark on each song. Kutchma’s bass floats in just the right place — a sort of co-pilot or second gun to her husband’s driving melodies. Basic in its execution the beauty of Pilgrim is the energetic sum of its swirling, reverberating parts — all coming together to recreate that feeling of personal connection between band and fan — the feeling that hangs in the air after at the end of a solid show.

All of the band’s tour dates for the summer appear to be east of the Mississippi, but hopefully the increased exposure and KEXP’s listeners’ love will draw them out West soon. Keep an eye on their website and MySpace page to see if and when that happens and to enjoy more great music from the band. For now, you can find many videos of their energetic live performances on the web. - KEXP

This new full-length from Red Collar, Pilgrim is really hard to pin down. It was described to me as Fugazi meets the Hold Steady, a strange pairing if there ever was one. Listening to it though, it's obvious why those comparisons were made. The super-angular guitar parts in a lot of the songs are straight out of the Fugazi playbook, and some of the more grandiose moments here certainly wouldn't sound odd with Craig Finn crooning over them. Pilgrim is quite honestly one of the most original records that have crossed these ears in quite a while.

The Fugazi influence really shines on both "Hands Up" and "Rust Belt Heart," the guitar work having the same sort of focused noodling one would find in many of that band's songs. "Stay" and "Catch A Ride" possess the same quality to a lesser extent, but the slightly more subdued manner in which Red Collar execute these parts actually enhance the songs, instead of leaving them feeling cold and somewhat devoid of emotion.

Meanwhile, the freewheeling nature of a lot of these tracks lend themselves to the notion that the Hold Steady were any sort of analog for Red Collar. The incredibly catchy "Used Guitars," with those infectious group vocals in the chorus, as well as the captivating performance by vocalist Jason Kutchma, are both highlights, as are the title track and the heavily acoustic, totally awesome "Tonight"; the electronic tinges and reverbed vocals mesh surprisingly well inside the song's minimal shell.

Things become slightly more brooding on "Tools," as the instrumentation and vocals definitely feel far darker than anything else here. The driving, jagged guitars coupled with light keyboards give the song a real Murder by Death feel, and that's certainly far from a bad thing. The only other slight example of this dynamic from Red Collar is in "The Astronaut," though it's largely in the vocals; the guitars crunch along and the drums pound with calculated ferocity, leaving before it wears out its welcome.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Pilgrim's opener, "The Commuter." Appropriately enough, the song's intro is minimal and atmospheric, with sounds of vehicles whizzing by liberally thrown in. The song has a compelling buildup and a satisfying payoff replete with loud guitars and strong vocals from Kutchma. Those group shouts of "we been workin' overtime" are definitely appreciated, too. When listening to a record from a new band, it's pretty much essential that the opening track has to be good, and "The Commuter" delivers big time.

As hard as it has become to forge an original sound in any scene these days, Red Collar have done a nice job in carving out a new niche with Pilgrim. It's fresh, exciting and compelling, and I look forward to hearing more from this band. - Punknews.org

David Menconi of the Raleigh News and Observer named Red Collar as one of 8 Great Bands to watch in 2008. The article is composed of photos, interviews and videos and can be viewed on the N&O website at http://www.newsandobserver.com/great8.

THe Triangles Best 35 songs of 2007

The Independent named "Used Guitars" as one of the best 35 songs of the year calling it: "a power-pop anthem in a solvent of snarl, and it sits as the key of Red Collar's debut EP, Hands Up. But Red Collar isn't a freshmen team, and their experience builds into a chorus that's perfect for a band whose musicians have aged so well: "We were made to fail every day/ Maybe what we want, well it's just to much to ask/ I once reached for stars/ but now I sell these used guitars/ And I wish you all the luck that I never had." Go figure: Singing along to failure still holds redemption. —Margaret Hair"

Also, check out this full review of The Hands Up EP by Grayson Currin of the Independent Weekly:

If the name didn't tip you, it takes about 28 seconds of The Hands Up EP to know exactly who Durham's Red Collar is for and what they're about: "I got my bachelor's/ Got my master's/ I got my doctorate/ Yes, I'm a real go-getter." This isn't a red collar for the working-class conservatives of America; this is the red collar of the blue-collar, progressive proletariat. This may be a red band in a red state, but their symbology is more Lenin and Marx than W and donkeys.

But the five-piece tempers political persuasions with a swill of maturity. The four songs on Hands Up seem less about coercion and condescension than a little paean on behalf of responsibility and decency. There's "Stay," a backlash against grass-is-always-greener escapism, and "Witching Hour," a sardonic caricature of evil's hungry conquest over good. No, Red Collar, led by Jason Kutchma, has evolved beyond scene polemics, and their music�rooted in a purely punk past but married to a mature melodic embrace�follows suit. Somehow, they fuse several great strains of punk�like the power plod of early '80s Boston band Mission of Burma and the scabrous edge of D.C.'s Fugazi�with a wide-open sense of pop. It sounds surprisingly more fresh than forced or marketed.

That's likely because, amidst their politics, Red Collar never forgets why they're here: Check the chorus of the titular opener, which churns at a jagged D.C. clip for the first 100 seconds. The fury slowly folds in on itself, firmaments of protest briefly ceding to reveal a redolent, almost jangly vista of a hook: "There was a time when the world was mine/ if I just stayed on track/ When I answered the call, I wanted it all/ Now, I want it all back," Kutchma, Mike Jackson and Andrew Blass sing together on the hand-clap-worthy chorus, celebrating the over-educated kid who's suddenly realized he may be in too deep. As dangerous as it seems, it sounds as though two of the biggest East Coast acts�R.E.M. and Fugazi�wound up staying in the same hotel off of Interstate 95 somewhere near Fayetteville in 1995. That was Red Medicine time for Fugazi and the post-Monster era for R.E.M.: Rightly, there's snarl to spare by the second here, but Red Collar pulls up just in time to sink the hook. And making those mechanics charming and persuasive, which Red Collar does really well, is a wild gift, indeed.
- The Raleigh News and Observer

Steeped in post-modern disillusionment, punk rock passion and the notion that the truth might hurt, but it’s always the best policy, Red Collar’s debut EP is the sound of the brokenhearted overcoming.

It’s a stuck-in-the-middle class, educated, but street smart credo.

It’s a “three chords and the truth” punk mentality, a post-punk cynicism, an indie rock melody, and an anthemic quality born in a barroom.

It’s a fist-pumping refrain that takes a while before you realize you’re shouting out, “We can’t be everything we wanted to be.” It’s 1977’s “No future.”

It’s an angular riff and a heavy backbeat. It’s the whole gang singing a chorus together, the little morsel of joy you find in a simple “ba-ba-da-da” refrain.

It’s the kind of raw, passionate energy that makes Strummer and Springsteen iconic.

It’s the resigned poesy in claiming “You saved up your strength like/Pennies for a rainy day/But the Almanac is calling for clear skies,” on “Stay.”

It’s a condemnation of the fractured American Dream, a middle finger to corporate corruption.

It’s a shattered dream of stardom and making a difference turned into a duct-taped-together last-chance. It’s grabbing that chance by the throat and running with it. It’s finally doing something real.

It’s the hope that comes from proving yourself wrong.

It’s just rock ’n’ roll.

-Bryan Reed - Diversions-The Daily Tar Heel

This Durham quartet is one of N.C.'s most electrifying new acts, and watching them light up a room with pure rock 'n' roll energy is a revelation. Blending spiky punk riffs with singer Jason Kutchma's everyman anthems and a solid underlying pop ethic, the band delivers with absolute Strummer/Springsteen-like conviction, pinballing across the stage and singing with cathartic abandon. Its full-length debut is allegedly in the can and should be one of this year's more anticipated regional releases. Highly recommended for fans of Fugazi, Jawbox, The Hold Steady, the Constantines – well, you get the drift: rock 'n' roll with a soul and conscience. - John Schacht

SO PUNK ROCK

As Salem and I sat at a table in the Garage about an hour before Red Collar’s concert, Mike Jackson came over to show us his beat-up guitar. The body was stickered with duct tape, bruises from last night’s guitar-smashing climax.

“We don’t always do that, but the band that played with us last night, American Aquarium, we said their lead singer sounded like the singer from Superchunk. They hadn’t heard of Superchunk, so we played a cover of ‘Slack Motherfucker,’” Jackson said. To Red Collar, an honest cover involved smashing guitars and screaming. In fact, a lot of situations involve going hardcore.

“We’re going to start buying cheaper guitars,” Jackson said. If Red Collar plays legit post-punk covers, they also play damn good Bruce Springsteen. That’s the line on all the music blogs: “Red Collar plays like Bruce Springsteen fronting Fugazi.” Well, they also sound in patches like Talking Heads, Sex Pistols, REM and Modest Mouse. It is by a sincere and fearless willingness to be influenced that Red Collar can play any song and make it their own. Backstage before the show, lead singer Jay Kutchma denied the Springsteen association. “I think we get that by nature of my voice, which is deep and husky. There aren’t a lot of guys in indie music who sing that way,” Kutchma said. Or it’s the tone of his lyrics: “People say that because I write songs about the working class.” But he certainly doesn’t hinder the comparison by leading off the set with a cover of “Dancing in the Dark.” Previously a romantic hipster, dressed like an ironic gay cowboy, in gold spurred boots and a sheriff’s badge, when Kutchma steps before the microphone he has transformed into a hulking, black-muscle-shirt, backpocket-bandana ghost of the Boss. Kutchma spreads his legs like a rock star and holds his electric guitar way down at his knees. His voice is deep and American, like Springsteen, which is to say he sings like a man. On stage Red Collar is a four-part animal. Kutchma is the center of gravity at the front corner. He rocks, paces like a melancholy giant and smiles. Beside him, Jackson — who wears a tight black buttoned shirt, and looks much skinnier and more vulnerable than he did in his scarf and jacket before the show — beats his bandaged guitar. He spins like an overcharged molecule, bouncing between the other musicians and honing in on each emphatic chord and back-up vocal scream. Next to him is Kutchma’s wife, a little blond rocker named Beth. The bass player matches the enthusiasm of her band mates, though she screams less and smiles the most. While the three guitarists riff and shout, drummer Jonathan Truesdale reins them in with strong and active percussion. The quartet sounds egoless and organic, without playing like a jam band. Best of all, they play every moment with exuberant sincerity.

A difference between Red Collar and some indie bands is age. They are a three-year-old garage band with roots in 20 years of indie music, back to the early ’90s DC punk scene. Those influences fermented during the long years of growing up. Jay and Beth got to know each other playing in a small acoustic band fronted by Beth in Pennsylvania. In time the band folded and Jay and Beth got married. Jay shifted between jobs, from low-level office work to middleschool teaching, tried screenwriting and finally university administration.

His jobs were always red collar — a term which refers to the class of workers between blue and white collar, who carry neither shovels nor silver spoons.

After moving to Durham, where they both eventually took jobs at UNC, Jay and Beth felt their lives slipping into suburban malaise.

“When Jay and I moved, we stopped going to live shows,” Beth said. “We didn’t have time. And it seemed like at most shows people just stood around having conversation.”

That’s when the couple started Red Collar. Jackson, a Chicago emigr, joined the band when Beth responded to his post on Craigslist, which advertized him as a guitarist with punk influences like Fugazi. Truesdale joined the band after a year of cheering in the front row at Red Collar shows.

Jay Kutchma’s songs tell stories about American disillusionment. “Hands Up” begins with a Johnny Rotten laugh and the snarling lyrics: “I got my bachelor’s/ Got my master’s/ I got my doctorate/ Yes, I’m a real go-getter.” Other songs

talk about failure: “We were made to fail every day/ Maybe what we want, well it’s just too much to ask/ I once reached for stars/ But now I sell these used guitars/ And I wish you all the luck that I never had.” Red Collar is too punk, too loud to ever be a songwriter’s band. Still, although Kutchma’s voice can be obscured by noise, the basic meaning of his songs comes through as a feeling. From their first song and speeding through to the last, Red Collar is determined to find catharsis, redemption and joy for themselves and everyone in the room, in 50 minutes on stage.

After over 250 shows, an EP and an upcoming album, the members of Red Collar have paid some dues. But they aren’t ready to give up. Instead, the four members recently agreed to tour with the band full-time beginning in March. “Most people say, ‘It’s too hard. We’re quitting the band.’ But we said ‘No, we’re quitting our jobs.’” Kutchma said.
- Gus Lubin, YES Weekly

"In a small bit of irony, this five-piece from Durham, N.C., is the Six Points band with the most classic D.C. indie sound, with jagged guitars and shouted vocals that recall Fugazi and Jawbox." - The Washington Post

From power pop to punk rock, Red Collar skips from major chords and quick staccato punk percussion into catchy bridges (“Hands Up”) that topple into sentimental melodies and solemn chants (“Used Guitars”). The result is a pleasing blend that boasts the best of memorable pop and harsh punk estrangement.

Red Collar picks up the patches of town-gown abuses and sews them back together. Purposefully a link between the white-collar and the blue-collar crowds, The Hands Up EP vents it frustration with both. In “Hands Up,” the band laments “There was a time when the world was mine / If I just stayed on track / When I answered the call, I wanted it all/ But now I just want it all back.” The song deals with the false promise of education and the equally empty value of hard work. “Used Guitars” opines about a used-guitar salesman that didn’t make it big in the music industry, singing “We were made to fail everyday / Maybe what we want is too much to ask.” Red Collar sits squarely on the boulevard of broken dreams, but will still perform anyway. They’re not playing for fame; they’re just playing.

Red Collar channels the angst of the workingman in a way that hasn’t been seen in rock in a long time. Thankfully, Red Collar has enough experience and well-chosen punk-rock influences to create an energetic and convincing modern rock anthem that anyone frustrated with The Man should be proud to own. (307 Knox Records)

-Josh Spilker - Southeast Performer Magazine

Captain Obvious
http://www.musicbanter.com/general-music/24705-cmj-weekly-top-5-a.html

The band's first release The Hands Up EP, is a post-punk triumph, drawing from influential bands like Fugazi and Jawbox, while maintaining a unique and intriguing voice. Lead singer Jason Kutchma is captivating, with a weathered yet melodic every-man quality that is never more apparent than on the album's gem "Used Guitars"...

Here Comes the Flood
http://www.musicbanter.com/general-music/24705-cmj-weekly-top-5-a.html

Punk equals dumb if we are talking about the music, right? Basic chords, brain dead rhythms. Wrong. Red Collar is a quintet from Durham, NC, who have just put out an EP called Hands Up. They know how to turn around the beat. It's raw, it's powerful and it's smart. If you are tired of Green Day and such, Red Collar is your ticket to advanced DIY punk music...

Berkeley Place
http://berkeleyplace.wordpress.com/2007/09/30/real-rock-and-roll-the-blakes-st-and-red-collar-hands-up-ep/
This is a really great rock and roll record. Kinda punk, kinda hard rock, and tons of fun, this is a rare example of an EP that leaves me wishing there was a complete album to listen to. Since I’m such a slow blogger, you’ve probably already heard about them from the umpteen sites that reviewed them already, but I’m posting anyway. Lets create a groundswell. More Red Collar!

Veritas Lux Mea
http://www.musicbanter.com/general-music/24705-cmj-weekly-top-5-a.html

What sets Red Collar apart from most new R-I-A (rock-indie-alt) bands these days is that they've actually got some quality lyrics, as evidenced by the ones in "Hands Up"...

Indie Blog Heaven
http://indieblogheaven.typepad.com/indieblogheaven/2007/09/the-band-red-co.html
Political, with angular guitar riffs, and lyrics that are a cut above most, these shouted anthems are golden, especially the track "Hands Up." If you're a fan of The Hold Steady, the band channels them nicely on the track "Used Guitars"...

Bring Me Up
http://www.musicbanter.com/general-music/24705-cmj-weekly-top-5-a.html

Don't go ahead thinking this music is like other post punk bands, because there is an evident experimental twist to many of their tracks which hails to a unique flair that shouldn't go unnoticed. I'd have to say "Red Collar" has re-written the rule book on this genre.

Theft Liable to Prosecution
http://www.musicbanter.com/general-music/24705-cmj-weekly-top-5-a.html

If you ever wanted to hear Bruce Springsteen fronting Fugazi here's your chance with Red Collar…

Three Hive: Sharing the Sharing
http://www.3hive.com/2007/09/red_collar.php

These Durham, NC rockers take me back a decade or so, sounding like a solid Dischord band if Dischord were down south in Alabama. Country Fried Hardcore? Springsteen fronting Fugazi? Sacrilege? Perhaps....

The Glorius Hum
http://www.3hive.com/2007/09/red_collar.php

Jason Kutchma’s voice is weathered, and when he sings “we were made / to fail every day” there’s no bitterness, no anguish, just dark acceptance. And more importantly, kindness: “And I wish you all the luck / that I never had.”

The Oak Room
http://www.3hive.com/2007/09/red_collar.php

There's a lot of good stuff happening for Durham's Red Collar. They've put out a great EP and have a release show this Friday at 305 South. Even better, they got a slot at the Reverbnation showcase at SXSW later in the month. Couldn't happen to nicer folks.

Diversions
http://www.3hive.com/2007/09/red_collar.php

Steeped in post-modern disillusionment, punk rock passion and the notion that the truth might hurt, but it’s always the best policy, Red Collar’s debut EP is the sound of the brokenhearted overcoming. It’s a stuck-in-the-middle class, educated, but street smart credo. It’s a “three chords and the truth” punk mentality, a post-punk cynicism, an indie rock melody, and an anthemic quality born in a barroom…

Azltron
http://www.3hive.com/2007/09/red_collar.php

Red Collar is fittingly titled, as their sound implies the strain it takes to move oneself from blue collar to white collar. Their Hands Up EP explodes with the energy of quitting time on Friday afternoon. Their energetic narrative and unwaivering punk aesthetic recall those crazy nights out with your best friends that upon reflection seem almost poetic....

Diversions
http://www.3hive.com/2007/09/red_collar.php

Frontman Jason Kutchma was best described with the word impassioned. His stage presence was powerful as the band sped through disillusioned rock songs such as “Used Guitars” and “Hands Up,” off the new EP. Though the band has often been compared to Fugazi and Bruce Springsteen, on stage, Kutchma brought to mind the intense sincerity of Joe Strummer...

Adventures in Carolina
http://adventuresincarolina.blogspot.com/2007/07/red-collar.html
Red Collar are a five piece from Durham, NC. I'm not going to try and pigeonhole them, they just play good modern rock 'n' roll. Listen to them. They put on such a good show. With so much energy, even in the bloody hot pit that is the Local 506. They put a smile on our faces. I don't think you ask for much more than that. I paid money to see a lot worse bands and I will pay good money to see Red Collar again.


Other mentions:

Powerpopulist
Circles of Concrete
Rock Sellout
Indie Surfer
Earfarm
Side one, Track one
The Oakroom
Diversions-August 2007
Diversions-April 2007
Happy Clap Music
Breakfast of Champions
Music Banter
My Old Kentucky Blog
The Punk Guy
Large Hearted Boy
Everybody Cares, Everybody Understands
Gimme Tinnitus
It’s Too Long
Pop Tarts Suck Toasted
The Music Slut
Parasite and Sychophants
- various blogs