Leftöver Crack

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Leftöver Crack
Origin	New York City, NY, USA
Genre(s)	Ska punk, hardcore punk, crust punk
Years active	2000–present
Label(s)	Fat Wreck Chords, Alternative Tentacles, Household Name Records, Hellcat Records, BANKSHOT! Records
Associated acts	Choking Victim F-Minus Morning Glory INDK Star Fucking Hipsterz No Cash No Commercial Value Crack Rock Steady 7 Crack City Rockers Niño Zombi
Website	LeftoverCrack.org
Members
Stza Ezra Kire Brad Logan Alec Baillie Ara Babajian

Leftöver Crack are a political American punk rock band formed in 2000, following the breakup of the ska punk band Choking Victim. The band is currently signed to both Fat Wreck Chords and Alternative Tentacles and consists of Stza Crack (vocals), Ezra Kire (guitar, vocals), Brad Logan (guitar), Alec Baillie (bass guitar), and Ara Babajian (drums). Leftöver Crack are typically associated with Morning Glory, and INDK.

Leftöver Crack, combined with Choking Victim, Morning Glory and INDK, share a total of seven members between them. These seven musicians are collectively referred to as the "Crack Rock Steady Seven" (CRS7). The line-up of Leftöver Crack changes fairly often, drawing on members of other New York City punk bands such as The Stockyard Stoics and The X-Possibles. Stza, Ezra, Brad, and Alec are currently the band's only completely permanent members.

Leftöver Crack spans several different music genres including ska, hardcore punk, crust punk, classical music and death metal. Leftover Crack state they write music that is anti-sexist, anti-homophobic, anti-religion, anti-racist, anti-police, anti-fascism, anti-imperialism, anti-capitalism and anti-government. Members of Leftöver Crack reside in the C-Squat on 155 Avenue C in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York City, a punk house.

1 Influences and history
2 References in Literature
3 Discography
4 References
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] Influences and history

Leftöver Crack combines elements of ska, hardcore, crust punk, classical music, and death metal. Leftöver Crack's song Gay Rude Boys Unite, which seems to borrow some stylistic elements from Operation Ivy, accuses the punk scene of being homophobic, and called for the inclusion of all minorities in the struggle for social equality.

Leftöver Crack has been banned from performing in many venues in New York City, such as ABC No Rio, the Knitting Factory, and North 6th. However, they still play at banned venues under different guises such as the Crack Rock Steady Seven and by using their old name Choking Victim, or individually as solo acts. They repeatedly have trouble touring in certain countries, especially Canada, due to members having prior criminal records. They were most recently denied entry into Canada for a tour scheduled at the end of 2007.

The band took an indefinite hiatus after the death of drummer Brandon Possible at the end of 2004. Stza spent the interim playing Leftöver Crack and Choking Victims songs by himself at a few solo acoustic shows. Leftöver Crack began touring again in the summer of 2005, including some dates with Citizen Fish and The World/Inferno Friendship Society, as well as playing dates in October 2005 in California after the Wasted Fest was canceled. The so-called Crack Rock Steady 7 also embarked on a small European tour in November; however, this incarnation consisted of only Stza and The Infested, in some cases billed as the "Crack Steady Rockers".

Stza has also started a band called the Star Fucking Hipsterz, the line-up of which includes vocalist Kisston from Help Me Help Me I Can't Breathe, guitarist Jamie Toulan from Doomsday Cauldron and Old Skull, and drummer GG (Another Dying Democracy & Sick of the Abuse). The band mostly strayed from any pop or melodic elements found in CV/LOC and went for a straight metal/crust sound. The band started playing shows in the NYC area early in August 2005. This line-up lasted for two shows; one at C-Squat and another at Tompkins Square Park before they dis-banded. Years later, Stza enlisted a whole new group of musicians, creating an entirely new band but under the same/similar name : Star Fucking Hipsters. The band had an entirely different line-up of new songs and have released two demo tracks on their official Myspace. Before finding a singer, the original three helped write and piece together three new songs that would appear on the future Leftover Crack/Citizen Fish split LP. They (Sturgeon, Frank DeGeneric, Nico Ramirez, Yula Beeri, and LOC/Slackers drummer Ara Babijian) are now currently working on an album which is being produced by Fat Mike, although it has not yet been confirmed whether it will be released through Fat Wreck. The album is titled 'Allergic to People' and is planned to be released by June 2008.

Blacknoise Records released a 4 way split entitled "The Kids Are Gonna Pay" in March 2006 with Leftöver Crack contributing 1 song, "Look Who's Talking Now", other bands on the split are Morning Glory, F-Minus, and Bent Outta Shape. The 7" was limited to 1000 copies on white vinyl and is now sold out. The first 100 included limited edition patches designed by Brad Logan's wife, Kristen, and some included an insert.

On October 31st, 2006 Fat Wreck Chords released a 7" split with Citizen Fish. To support the release the 2 bands joined with other Fat bands, The Sainte Catherines and Dead to Me, went on a U.S. tour.The full length split with Citizen Fish, was released on March 6th, 2007 with Fat Wreck Chords releasing the CD version and Alternative Tentacles releasing the vinyl version, 1103 copies are on white vinyl. This release has been viewed by some fans as Leftöver Crack's poorest release to date, many viewing the split as sacrificing Leftöver Crack's signature speed in favor of an aruably slower-paced, accessible listen.

[edit] References in Literature

NYC author Tao Lin has repeatedly mentioned, featured, or quoted Leftöver Crack in his books. Bed by Lin contains a story about two college students going to a Leftöver Crack concert in Brooklyn and You Are A Little Bit Happier Than I Am contains a story titled "At That Leftöver Crack Concert Two Years Before I Met You" which references a Leftöver Crack show, focusing on Ezra's facial expressions on stage.

The title and some lyrics from the songs "Burning in Water" are taken from the book of poetry by Charles Bukowski entitled Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame, itself gining its namesake from the famous painting.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Full Lengths

Mediocre Generica - (September 11, 2001)
Fuck World Trade - (August 31, 2004)

[edit] EPs

Rock the 40 Oz. - (May 8, 2000)
Shoot the Kids at School - 2000)
Rock the 40 Oz: Reloaded - (July 16, 2004)

[edit] Splits

Baby Jesus Sliced up in the Manger (as the Crack Rock Steady 7, with F-Minus), HellBent Records, 2001.
The Kids Are Gonna Pay (with F-Minus, Morning Glory, Bent Outta Shape), Blacknoise Records, 2006.
Leftover Crack / Citizen Fish Split 7" (with Citizen Fish), Fat Wreck Chords, 2006.
Deadline (split album) (with Citizen Fish), Fat Wreck Chords, March 6th, 2007. (LP on Alternative Tentacles Records)

[edit] Compilations

Give 'Em the Boot I, (Infested) Hellcat Records, 1997.
Give 'Em the Boot II, (Crack City Rockers[Demo]) Hellcat Records, 1999.
Punk Rawk Explosion 6, (Nazi White Trash), ?, 2003.
Give 'Em the Boot III, (Atheist Anthem) Hellcat Records, 2002.
Go Kart vs. the Corporate Giant Vol. 3, (Rock The 40oz) Go Kart Records, 2002.
2003 Sampler, (So Ya Wanna Be A Cop) A-F Records, 2003.
Fueling the Flames of Revolution Vol. 3, (One Dead Cop) A-F Records, 2003.
Against Police Injustice,(Operation:MOVE, Super Tuesday[Demo]) Non Commercial, 2003.
Mass Destruction, (Muppet N.A.M.B.L.A) BANKSHOT! Records, 2003.
Riot Ska, (Drug Song, Nobody Is Free) Beer Records, 2004.