On Magrudergrind's Crusher EP, there's a track called "Heaviest Bombing" about writing graffiti. It fades from grindcore brutality into a hip-hop breakdown, ends in a squall of screeching feedback, and then jumps back into violent chord changes for the next song.
That shit's pretty cool. And the Washington D.C. band (whose stupid name comes from the neighborhood it used to practice in) will unleash crude, sneering grindcore at Churchill's Pub on April 28.
We spoke to singer Avi Kulawy about screaming, graffiti, and smoking crack. Here's what he had to say.
Crossfade: Have you played Miami before?
Avi Kulawy: Not in a long time. Since 2006 maybe, it was kind of before we had a name for ourselves, so to speak. We played with Bodies In The Gears of The Apparatus, from Pennsylvania. I don't even remember where.
Who is the fastest band to you?
Quattro Stagioni, from Germany. They're fast as shit. That drummer, like, smokes a bowl of crack before he plays, man.
What's the shortest set you ever played?
Probably, like, 5 minutes, when that shit got shut down. We prefer to play shorter sets in general. Once you get past a certain threshold, it's not intense anymore.
Yeah. It's a compilation of EPs and singles and records we put out before. We aggregated everything from the first few years and put it on a CD. It came out in 2005. It's old and outdated.
You remember how to play them?
I recollect them, I don't know how to play them. I just scream. So I recollect 'em.
How long would it take to play that set?
It would take maybe 40 or 50 minutes. We used to make our songs way shorter than now. We don't play anything off that record. Mostly we play what's on the self-titled record from 2009 and the Crusher EP from 2011.
What is Magrudergrind's relationship to graffiti?
We're all real big fans of street art. We all listen to a lot of hip hop and integrate it into what we do, and we really appreciate it. We all used to paint stupid shit, not really anymore. But I still love the shit out of it and appreciate the shit.
What's that "Magrudergrind Über Alles" graff all about?
We just did a tour in Europe in March. We played in Toulouse, France, and someone painted that up the night before the show. We were surprised and ecstatic about it.
You played Grindavik, Iceland?
Nah, it's just a place on a sign on the way to this pool called the Blue Lagoon. It's a natural hot springs in Iceland. We played in Reykjavik.
How do you feel about being able to make the type of music you do and go around the world with it?
It's the most amazing thing ever. With punk and grind and metal, you have a community anywhere in the world and can call on people who know your friends from other cities or countries. The network is supertight and it's the best way to travel, having someone who lives there show you the cuisine and local spots.
How do you know Shitstorm?
We did a split with them back in 2006 or 2008 that we got offered by Robotic Empire from Richmond, Virginia. They were like, "You should do a split," and we grew really tight with them over the years and played a ton of shows with them.
How many shows have you played?
Shit, I don't know, man. Maybe, like, 500 or 600 shows. Maybe more.
Where was your first show?
We played a house show in D.C. and no one knew who we were or what we were doing. We played with Los Locos and the singer actually played for us later.
How long will you play?
I don't know, man. Forever. Till I can't scream any longer.
Magrudergrind with Cellgraft, Slashpine, Gorilla Pussy, Super Mutant, presented by Speedfreek Presents. Saturday, April 28. Churchill's Pub, 5501 NE Second Ave., Miami. The show starts at 10 p.m. and admission costs $10 at the door. Call 305-757-1807 or visit churchillspub.com.
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