This special edition focuses solely on the just released Operation Ivy tribute comp Mooorree Than Just Another Comp, due out in April via Sell The Heart Records and Lavasocks Records. We got in touch with Alex Botkin of Lavasocks, and we rolled a FIVE.
1) Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions! The first one I'd like to ask is: Why is Lavasocks doing an Operation Ivy tribute, and why now?
Coming from the 924 Gilman scene, Op Ivy has always been one of the legendary pillars of the scene, and with the previous comps tackling Green Day, Rancid, and Jawbreaker, it felt that Op Ivy was the next clear choice! But there was definitely a growing resurgence that made it feel like the perfect time. Jesse Michaels and Tim Armstrong performing “Sound System” at that backyard party ignited the reunion rumors once again, and then Eve 6 and We Are The Union releasing their “Sound System” cover (which appears on this comp) inspired me and Andy to make the comp happen. I also should shout out Bad Time Records for in general helping bring about a new wave of ska that has so many talented bands and also one of the nicest communities I've seen centered around music.
2) It seems that almost everyone I meet has a story about the first time they heard OpIvy. Do you remember yours, and what does OpIvy mean to you?
I'll be honest, I came to Gilman as a Green Day fan, but as I began to develop an interest in the history of the scene and Gilman specifically, I found Operation Ivy to be such a unique moment in history. DIY origins, quick rise to localized fame, and then it was all over so quickly. There was a mysteriousness to their lore, and I think you can't help but get swept up in the wish to have been there when they were performing. I also put on a series of shows in 2017 for Gilman's 30th anniversary called The Lookouting, which brought back a bunch of the Lookout! Records bands to play Gilman after decades apart. Op Ivy was the most requested, and this just made me even more infatuated with the music. What was it about this that made it stand the test of time? I'm still not sure, but I was hooked.
3) You've got a lot of great bands together for this comp. Kudos! I know at least two of these were previously released covers (American Television “Officer”, Eve 6 and WATU “Sound System”). But aside from that, and any others I may be unaware of, how did the assignments of band to track come about? Was it a first-come-first-served free-for-all, did Lavasocks/Sell The Heart dictate who got what, or something in between?
With all of these comps, it usually begins with asking friends what songs they'd want, and then we fill in the gaps. I remember Eichlers took Unity pretty early on, but I'm happy that there wasn't too much competition. It's always amusing how the deepest cuts from these albums tend to get picked first, the “hits” later on, but for this album it felt like everyone got their first or second pick. Maybe the popular songs are more daunting. We decided to do so many songs beyond Energy because there were too many bands to contain it to just that. Catbite asking to do “Healthy Body” also pushed us to just go all out and do (nearly) every song Op Ivy ever recorded.
4) I'm sure you're proud of every track on the album, and for good reason. But can you give us one that you think is a particular stand-out, and why?
I have to say Sad Snack. We recorded it live at Gilman, and this one was certainly a challenge to tackle. There's no lyrics online, or in the 7″ that “Left Behind” comes from, so we didn't have much to go off of. They really transformed it and made it an instrumental piece with just the chorus vocals intact. There's so many good ones on here (33 in fact) but this one felt like the most DIY and dare I say punk approach to it. They had the energy, and really made it their own track!
5) Does Lavasocks have any more tribute albums up their sleeves?
There's always something burning inside to keep going with what's next, a driving force to keep pushing on, dare I say, a fire inside. Nuff said.
Mooorree Than Just Another Comp is available digitally at the STHR Bandcamp. For physical releases on vinyl (inventory is going fast!) visit the Sell The Heart or Lava socks web stores.
Roll of the Dice is a short interview format with a variable amount of questions. A Pair of dice is rolled and the total, between 2 and 12, is the amount of questions we can ask. All questions are given to the interviewee(s) at once, and no follow-ups are allowed. The interview may be lightly edited for content and clarity.
the white drew carey (aka – Jeff Sorley) is the founder and head editor of TGEFM. He's lived (outside of) Chicago, Madison WI, (ugh) Penn State, Lyon FR, Oxford UK, central New Jersey, and now within earshot of SFO in the Bay Area. When not scouring the web for more great bands and labels to post about, he also spends time drawing (mostly) silly sci-fi and anime stuff under the name Asplenia Studios.