Visit Brenda Stardom’s Blog; The BS Report, to read this with the links intac, and some pics. She’s got a cool site, so spend some time reading about other stuff too.

7-6-2005 – California Redemption: Band With A Mission
17:00 GMT

Fate has been good to the 1000 Oaks band California Redemption, or CAre for short. Three years ago they were performing as a cover band doing Bad Religion songs, calling themselves Battery Legion. At the same time they were busy recording an 8 song CD to use as a free demo in hopes of scoring a gig by December. Fate’s first hand was played when they were following Nardcore bands, Ill Repute and Missing 23rd on tour.

Singer Alon and guitarist Mikkei got the chance to talk with Ill Repute’s guitarist, Tony Cortez. He’d never heard their music, but he sensed there was something there and going with his gut, added them to the Nardcore Christmas show at the Ojai Woman’s Club, December 26, 2002.. It was their first public appearance and they went over big with the crowd. They haven’t stopped since and show no signs of slowing.

The Nardcore scene is tough one to crack and crack it they did. They don’t consider themselves a Nardcore band, however, and don’t like to label themselves as just punk, though their MySpace profile calls them Punk / Rock / Hardcore. When I asked Alon, he laughed, “hahah….we honestly don’t label ourselves as anything.” Alon is the driving force behind CAre, not content to be just the vocalist and lyricist, produced not only all their CD’s, but started a record label LTErecords (Let Them Eat Records) and did an outstanding job producing a 22 band compilation, Mixo-De-Punko Vol II – Welcome To The Neighborhood — and promoting the release show at The Loft in Ventura in April. They also have a great CD out called This Time It’s For The Money and have released 4 songs for download from a 5 song demo they’ve just finished on their website and are working on another album.

It’s remarkable they are college students and still have time to travel all around California and as far as New Mexico, as well as writing and recording new music. Check this out — these aren’t your average punks: This is straight from Alon:
Alon – Business Management…will probably emphasize Non-profit

Keegan – Business Management…same school and everything as Me…same
deal..

Mikkei – Went from being a music major, to a history major…now at CSUN..

Doug – will be done this semester with his Bachelors degree in Political
Science, and will continue on to his Masters next semester(smartass)/
I asked Alon if the band would pack it in after college. “No way,” was his reply. I corresponded with him via email and I’m going to let him tell the story:
Ok…the summer before 7th grade, I moved to thousand oaks. I had no friends. My favorite band was bad religion.(this is REALLY far back huh..!) At school I got in trouble in woodshop…so did Doug. That’s where we met.

Fast forward to high school.(t-o high)…freshman year…some lame bands were asked to play on the quad during lunch…one of them was called MUTE…they covered Blink 182 songs and I can still remember making fun of their drummer…Mikkei and Keegan were in MUTE…I thought they were
horrible(at that point)

MUTE…sucked…but somewhere in our sophomore or junior year, they decided to get a new drummer…or he quit…or something…ANYWAYS…they asked Doug to do it since he was a drummer, and he wore NOFX t-shirts to school!

Well… I became good friends with Mikkei and Keegan…they eventually stopped covering lame songs… they started and making their own lame songs…Well…MUTE had 2 different kinds of songs…ones that Mikkei wrote and sang…and ones that Mikkei wrote…and Ed ruined with shitty lyrics
that made no sense. Ed was the only member of MUTE that isn’t in CAre.

Well…with Doug as the drummer…MUTE played some shows…recorded a 4 song CD…I went to a bunch of the shows…and I started to like a lot of the songs…well at least the ones with decent lyrics…(I’m a lyrics junkie)

After a bit, Mikkei quit the band…I guess he didn’t really see it going anywhere at the time, and wasn’t enjoying the bickering between everyone and Ed…this is supposed to be fun right?

So…when Mikkei quit, MUTE ended instantly, and for the first time in years…my best friends, Doug, Keegan and Mikkei were no longer in a band.

It didn’t take long before they got bored and wanted to start playing again.So one day one of them asks me…”hey Alon…you wanna cover some Bad Religion songs at Doug’s House?”

And that’s how I got suckered into being in this band.

(our website takes it from there)
Alon stated he’s a lyrics junkie and it’s more than evident in the band’s lyrics, penned mostly by Alon, which are positive reflections of today’s political and social climates. I’m particularly drawn to a new song, “Equals”. I’m listening as I type, my chin hitting that blasted brace as it bobs up and down to the beat.

“Everywhere you look, everywhere you go, school, work, markets, even our shows,

segregation at the roots; judging on differences and by looks.

That’s fucked up wait till you know the kids you judge by their clothes.

They might have problems, not know better. That poor girl judged by her gender.

My friend John, he’s got a Mohawk. He wears plaid pants and has no socks.

Got’s converse shoes and tattoos, walks around with a bottle of booze.

Eyes follow him wherever he goes. Where he is everyone knows.

He gets the attention he never had growing up with no dad.”

That’s just a sample and lyrics are provided, as well as downloads on both their main site and MySpace. This is just part of what Alon has to say about words:
Getting a message across, the music is why we’re here, and we wouldn’t have it any other way, but it seems like too many people are getting into the fashion aspect of it, and not really paying attention to WHY people are pissed, and WHY anyone would go out of their way to voice in opinion. And that’s just what we have to offer. An opinion. If you don’t want to listen, you don’t have to. In one of our new songs I say “We’re not just another lame excuse to punch your friends”…cuz that’s not what we’re about. When you’re at a show, you should be so happy you’re not one of the millions, if not billions of suffering kids out there. No matter how rough we might have it here sometimes, there are SOOOO many more who have it worse.
Fate has continued to shine on CAre. They’ve taken time out from performing to write and record another new CD. Their next show brings it full circle. They’re performing with Ill Repute, Bad Samaritans and ex-Rejected Society’s Travis Cortez’s new band, Take Your Best Shot August 21 at the Livery Theater, 34 North Palm St, Ventura.

Fate isn’t through with CAre. There continued evolution will be most interesting to track. The other band members are Doug, drums, Keegan, bass and Mikkei, guitar. Vist their website, MySpace and LTErecords for downloads, lyrics, pics and CD’s.

Alon is the hardest working guy in the scene. We need more people like him. Rock the fuck out, brother.
–Brandon Cruz (Dr. Know)

Brenda Stardom
Portugal