By Michael Swanger michael@dmcityview.com

Sick Of It All may be one of the longest-standing bands still proudly waving the flag of New York Hardcore, but you won't hear them beating the drum for the Bush administration on their album, "Death To Tyrants."

This year marks the band's 20th anniversary; a rarity in a genre in which bands quickly burn out, and the veteran quartet shows no signs of slowing down on their ninth full-length album. Songs like "Take The Night Off" and "My Machete" address their growing frustration with the government and its foreign policy - opinions they're not afraid to share.

"We needed a way to release it, and it came out in the lyrics," says vocalist Lou Koller. "We've been angry about what's been going on and not understanding how people can still support the regime that's in power."

Koller says their frustrations include everything from President Bush, to his handling of the war in Iraq and his inability to capture Osama bin Laden, to Haliburton and Vice President Cheney. Drummer Armand Majidi wrote most of the album, though bassist Craig Setari, Koller and his guitar-playing brother, Pete Koller, share his views. The 40-year-old singer says the band even gets fan mail from soldiers overseas.

"Mostly they talk about the music and how we've stayed true to our sound," Koller says. "They don't touch on the political end so much. They say the music keeps them going, keeps them excited."

Sick Of It All's aggressive music might be the perfect soundtrack for a war zone. Koller's primordial screams, his brother's slashing guitars and the rhythm section's thundering grooves are not for the faint of heart. Add to that blunt lyrics and you have a highly combustible mix of art and political activism.

"Growing up in the punk and hardcore scene, that was always part of the sound, and the bands we loved always had political songs," Koller says.

Outspoken to the core, Sick Of It All has been spreading the hardcore reality since forming in 1986, offering their no-frills views on politics, social injustices and life on the streets of New York City. Their 1992 album, "Just Look Around," was a benchmark for the hardcore scene. They've enjoyed major-label success and toured the world over, though they've found a home with the independent record company, Abacus Recordings. Along the way, they've become an institution of hardcore while giving bands like Korn and AFI their first national tours, building a loyal fan base and accepting their roles as the genre's elder statesmen.
"The reason not a lot of young bands don't last in hardcore is because there's only so much money you can make," Koller says. "It was seven years before we could quit our day jobs. But it was the love of what we're doing that keeps us going."

Staying true to their artistic vision, Koller adds, has enabled them to endure hardcore trends. "Like anything when it gets bigger, it starts to lose its focus," he says. "When we got into it, it was very open-minded. Nowadays it's so segregated because people won't see certain bands unless they're wearing leather-studded jackets or if they don't have MySpace haircuts. Nobody cares about the music; it's more about the fashion."

Though they prefer to lead by example, Koller says young bands seek their advice and they're willing to give it to save the music.

"We tell them it's going to be hard and that you have to do it on your own, even if you just do it on the weekends," he says. "It sounds cheesy, but you can do what you want, you've just got to make sacrifices. That's what I hope people get from us. I like it when people are proud we've been around 20 years."

Dixie Chicks play Wells Fargo Arena

The Dixie Chicks, the biggest-selling female group in history, will bring
their 2006 'The Accidents & Accusations Tour' to Wells Fargo Arena for a
performance on Aug. 24. Lead singer Natalie Maines says in a press release
that fans can expect 'more of an old-style rock show, not so much about
theatrics and props but just about the music.' Tickets go on sale June 3
through the Wells Fargo Arena Box Office, at Des Moines area Dahl's Foods
stores, by calling 1-866-55-DAHLS or online at www.dahlstickets.com.

Badkids host party at Crush

Badkids Inc., the production company that brought us the "Bike Drop" stunt that took place last year at the Wells Fargo Arena parking garage, unveils its latest DVD during a premier party on Friday at Crush. The event includes a screening of the DVD "Badkids" to be projected on large screens throughout the club starting at 8 p.m. followed by performances by The Formula Project and Tripp Marxx.

Belin Strings return to Nollen Plaza

The Belin String Quartet kicks off its sixth season of Friday afternoon summer concerts at Nollen Plaza this week, the first in a series of 10 performances sponsored by the Civic Music Association. Showtime is 12:15 p.m. and admission is free.

The quartet includes Mary Pshonik (cello), John Helmich (violin), Julie Fox Henson (violin), Tracy Engman Finkelshteyn (violin) and Sherida Josephson (viola). The three violinists will rotate throughout the series. On July 22, the group will collaborate with the Metro Arts Alliance for a special Jazz in July show, and on July 28 they will hold their final show of the season, a children's concert, at Gateway Park in front of the new Des Moines Public Library.

Scene notes

The Juke Joint Sinners, a group of all-star Davenport musicians, won the finals of the 2006 Iowa Blues Challenge sponsored by the Central Iowa Blues Society last Friday at the Hilton Garden Inn. They defeated two local groups, Big Mike & Holdin' On Tight and the Soul Searchers, respectively, for the crown. The Sinners will represent Iowa during the 2007 International Blues Challenge in Memphis and take home the lion's share of a $5,000 prize package split by the three finalists... The Hat Trick Heroes, a young Florida rock trio with ties to Des Moines, has been added to the Summer Jam lineup for July 23 at Water Works Park. The trio consists of Tampa-based brothers Michelangelo Rumore (16 years old, vocals, bass) and Santino Rumore (13 years old, guitar) as well as 16-year-old West Des Moines drummer Chris Peters, son of Citadel Broadcasting Co. Vice President Terry Peters, who oversees local radio stations KGGO and 97.3 The Hawk. KGGO is co-producing the Summer Jam event and is giving the band some airtime Friday during Clutch's afternoon drive show to plug their 7:30 p.m. show Sunday at Keysters and their debut album, "If You're Scared... Turn Around," which includes seven original guitar-driven tunes... Cafè Diem in Ankeny hosts a free "Women's Voices Concert" Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Performers include Sharon Eide, Nancy Rambo, Jen Allen and Mary McAdams. Call 964-7374... Ride Wit' Me: The Official Memorial Weekend Kick-Off concert with local R&B singers Joey Ashby and J. Shade will be held Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Iowa Genealogical Society building, 624 E. Grand, in the East Village. DJ Casino will perform, too. Admission is $5... Iowa City native and Madison, Wis., singer-songwriter Kelly Pardekooper is getting married Saturday in Iowa City and will play a free show that night from 9 p.m. to midnight at George's, 312 E. Market St. In addition to getting hitched, Pardekooper has another cause to celebrate - he just inked a deal with Amsterdam-based Sonic Rendezvous Records to release his next album overseas... Adam Haug and Micah Sturdevant, the guys from Under the Microscope we first told you about in January, plan to release a second compilation of tunes by local independent artists and need your help. Working musicians of all genres within the 515 area code are encouraged to submit one original song by June 1 to be included on "Cretum Sonitus," which will be released in late June or early July. A final mix tape will be sent to participating artists who, in turn, may burn copies of the album and distribute them free of charge. Bands can drop off their CDs or cassettes at Best Place Ever or e-mail their MP3 audio files to abomb515@gmail.com. Visit www.underthemic.com... Singer-actor John Corbett has canceled his performance at the June 25 Big Country Bash to be held at Water Works Park due to a scheduling conflict. CV

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