Junkyard – tiny curations

1. Give The Devil His Due
2. Misery Loves Company
3. Simple Man
4. Lifer

David Roach, lead Singer for rock band Junkyard. Hailing of Los Angeles, California. Hollywood. coming up in East Hollywood, off of the Sunset Strip back in the day along with Jane’s Addiction and Green River who would go on to become Pearl Jam. Playing those bars and clubs around there in that whole scene. Junkyard would sign with Geffen Records and release 1989’s “Junkyard” album with singles such as “Hollywood” and “Simple Man’ and getting heavy rotation with videos on MTV. The Black Crowes opened for you. There are famous photos of both Axl and Slash of Guns N’ Roses wearing the iconic Junkyard in triplicate and Junkyard logo and the Junkyard Hollywood shirts.

The original lineup included: Chris Gates from Austin punk band The Big Boys and who would go on to play in Skatenigs and other projects. Max Gottlieb on lead guitar, Clay Anthony on Bass RIP who now Todd Muscat now plays bass, brother of Brent Muscat of Faster Pussycat. Johnny Hell on drums and now Pat Muzingo. And even Brian Baker from hardcore punk band Minor Threat and now with Bad Religion; formed Junkyard. That’s a lot of hardcore punk roots!

And even in an early incarnation of the band skateboarding legend no poser, Tony Alva on bass!

The current lineup includes Tim Mosher on guitar and Jimmy James on guitar

A little background on the formation of the Junkyard band from Hollywood, California. You lived in Austin and moved to LA and met up with fellow Austinite Chris Gates from the fabled Austin punk band the Big Boys.
Could you tell us a little bit about the early days? I think most people looking back on it now and in the 80’s with a lot of nostalgia and just want to know what it was like back in that heyday of LA and Hollywood.

Where did you live in Austin exactly? I hear your shoutout to “South Austin” in the song “Texas” off of the self-titled debut album Junkyard from 1989. Because it strikes a chord with me as I am a Native Austinite, and what the newcomers and Californians now call a unicorn. I was born and raised in South Austin and have myself always had not only the Texas Pride and love for Austin, but when I tell somebody where I am from I always make the distinction and tell them South Austin is where I am from.

Here even in this song off of 1991’s Sixes, Seven’s and Nines a craps reference, track 3 off of that album, here is “Give the Devil His Due”.

Know how I know that was track 3, because I used to listen to that album and love that album. My mom drove me to Waterloo Records on 6th and Lamar, it’s still there today. And we bought that album when it came out.

I was too young to drive and couldn’t get in the show, but my dad took me to The Backroom at 2015 East Riverside for the best games, drinks, and rock and roll and that night was Junkyard. He went inside got me the Junkyard Hollywood shirt and I was able to meet you guys and get a huge rollout poster signed by the band.

And after that was another one off of that album that I grew up listening to, “Sixes Sevens and Nines”, that was ”Misery Loves Company”.
That was a great album, even a song penned by Country and outlaw legend Steve Earle (and we are sad to hear too about the passing of his son Justin Townes Earle).

Let’s play the single from 1989, “Simple Man”, can you do us the honors of introducing this song and what it means to you?

If you could tell us a little bit about that, but also as you return to Austin, for this Homecoming show Thursday night December 9th at the 3Ten downtown on Willie Nelson Boulevard with a Willie Nelson statue and everything. I’m heading down there tonight to see a live final taping for Season 47 of “Austin City Limits” for Texas Panhandler “Terry Allan”.

But when you play the 3TEN club next door, support of The Black Birds and another one of Austin’s own Broken Teeth featuring Jason McMaster of Dangerous Toys and Watchtower on vocals and Jared Tuten of Pariah on guitar. If you could tell us more about your time then and now in Austin, as this city has obviously changed a lot since then and just in the past 5 years.

Any thoughts or words on label mates Pariah?
Remember Pariah, they were signed to Geffen Records.
They were a band from Austin, big at the time, sweeping Austin Music Awards around the time of Dangerous Toys in the late 80’s and early 90’s. They had big support from family and had gotten a 25,000 person mailing list together and had big support around town and for their live shows.

Drummer Shandon Sahm was the son of Sir Doug Sahm, a la Little Doug from the Sir Douglas Quintet and Texas Tornados. Shandon and his Pariah guitarist Kyle Ellison would go on join the Meat Puppets. The Meat Puppets famously appeared with other Geffen Records recording artist Nirvana on their 1993 MTV Unplugged performance. Nirvana would also be blamed for blowing up the entire Cock Rock scene.
Tom Werner who produced Mötley Crüe’s Shout at the Devil, also produced the self-titled Junkyard debut album. And also 1993 debut album by Pariah “To Kill A Mockingbird”. Releasing that album a full 2 years after Nirvana’s Nevermind. When the scene had completely changed. So the album sounding a lot like GNR wasn’t well received.

Kyle Ellison’s brother, Sims Ellison would take his own life shortly after being dropped from the label. The SIMS Foundation was formed after his passing and has been serving musicians, music industry professionals, and their dependent family members, ensuring that they have access to affordable, personalized mental health care from providers for over 25 years.

Look forward to seeing you play in Austin at the Homecoming show. Anything that fans should expect other than the unexpected? Anything that new fans should know coming into the show other than having a good time?
You guys are Bluesy with a punk rock edge sleaze rock Blooze…
But I think that you unapologetically rock and roll. Carrying the torch for rock. Junkyard has consistency. The only other band that I can think of like that in the same vain along with you guys that are still putting out really great music is like LA Guns..

Conans Pizza, South Austin, Austin’s Original Deep Pan and home of The Savage Pizza, winner of the Austin Chronicle’s Pie Fighters Best Pizza in Austin bracket challenge and award from 2020. for Forty Five years. Did you every go to Conan’s Pizza in South Austin off of Stassney Lane and Manchaca, now Menchaca Road?

Here is the new single “Lifer”. Typically, on this show we stick to deep dives from a band, the cuts that are not as well known, but hardly ever do we play anything new. This is the exception. And it’s not because you are on the show today or you will be playing this upcoming show, But I really do like this song and have added it to my playlists of favorite and think that it stands up to the older hits and I like it and want to play it now.

Anything about this song that you would like to say or any parting words?

Thanks for listening.