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Positively Broken Down - But Built Back Up? Where Is Latterman Now?

Latterman was one of those bands that got you into punk rock. They didn't beat you over the head with specific ideologies and their guitar riffs were always wound tighter than any of Woody Allen's neuroses, making every hair stand on end with each power-packed sub-3-minute track.

Incidentally, Mr. Allen probably would have enjoyed Latterman. If he were able to get over the frantic, anthems, fist pumping choruses and all their local Long Island fans sprinting to whichever local venue they were playing on that day, he would have heard Latterman's dual-shouted, timely, melodic and just plain positive and humanistic lyrics.

That's not to say they were poppy or happy-go-lucky. Shredding guitars and a drummer who could pound out 64th notes for hours on end kept sentiments like, "And I know that we'll be okay/one of these fucking days!" on track with fists in the air. When four people as friendly as any of the Latterman incarnations get together to make music, what comes about is post-hardcore, post-punk rock with traditional pop influences to hold it all together and keep them from going the way of the angsty punk rock buffalo.

Alas, that's exactly what happened to Latterman. Just like one of their most famous lyrics says, "things can't stay new forever/we have to work to keep it together," Latterman worked hard at maintaining the sensibility they started with. But, after seven years as a band, it seems that these commitments to positivity and inciting change is what tore them apart. In a statement on October 18, 2007, Bassist/Vocalist Matt Canino stated, "I don't give a shit about 'being positive' or whatever that meant when we were 18... I felt like a broken record going on tour and talking about sexism in punk rock every night and then some fucking bro-dudes coming up to me and saying some fucked up shit." He went on to note that he doesn't speak for the rest of the band.

These days, Brian Crozier (who only joined Latterman for their last stretch, replacing Mike Campbell on guitar) is playing in a band called Suicide Fix based out of New York, and they sound like a more traditional hard, fast, east coast punk band.

Former drummer, Pat Schramm, and guitarist, Jeff Cunningham, have gone on to help form the band "Bridge and Tunnel" (a reference to the way in which non-New Yorkers get to New York). Two women, Rachel and Tina (guitar/vocals, bass/vocals), round out the band and seem to be a testament to one of the overarching values of Latterman: anti-sexism in the music business. They've almost finished recording their first album with No Idea Records and, with former members of Latterman and the same dual vocals band structure, it's not a stretch to say it may satisfy former fans' thirst for more.

Latterman, Suicide Fix and Bridge and Tunnel all have myspace pages that the bands recommend as the best place for current information (minus Latterman, who has not touched their page since breaking up). New tracks and oldies but goodies for old time's sake abound.

Latterman

Posted by Mark Steffen on Mar 27, 2008 @ 12:00 am