A new week, another great musician who’s words and work will be included in America Is Just A Word. Justin Pearson – currently the bassist and half of the vocal team that is grindcore/noise-rock/post-hardcore group The Locust – will be talking to me about his experience fronting the mid-90s emo/screamo/post-hardcore/whatever weirdo term is out their act Swing Kids, as well as his role as owner and part-operator of San Diego-based record label Three One G. Swing Kids were known for their manic, mathy and impossible-to-guess-what-will-happen-next take on the ferocious, caustic emo sound that was brewing in San Diego at the time. Pearson’s work in Swing Kids, The Locust and the other half-dozen-plus bands he’s operated in have really helped to challenge the constraints that emo and various other post-hardcore subgenres have fallen into today.
Recently, the Swing Kids had a couple of reunion shows in support of a handful of local charities and as part of the release celebration for Brian Peterson’s book, Burning Fight. Peterson’s book is about the continuation of hardcore past the “death” of the genre as written in American Hardcore. Soon enough, I’ll have a copy of the book in my hands; you can pick up your copy here.
Swing Kids (live):
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO-ypLAQeIs&feature=related]
