For this episode, I am joined by my friend Ben Fowers, guitarist for the straight edge hardcore band Embrace Today. We discuss Ben's life in Boston, how he got into punk and hardcore music, and what it was like growing up in a city with serious hardcore history. We dive into his early days of picking up the guitar, starting his own bands, and eventually joining Embrace Today.

Ben shares his experiences of performing and recording with the band, touring the country, and playing iconic shows and festivals. Whether you're a hardcore fan or just curious about the world of underground music, this episode is packed with insight, stories, and first hand experiences from the early 00's hardcore scene.

Follow Ben on Instagram at @fwrs

Follow Embrace Today on Instagram at @embracetoday

Follow Village Pet Salon on Instagram at @villagepetsalon

Thank you for listening!
Find me on Instagram at @mattxcementina
Intro/Outro music by Stuart Stock-Tucker

Lunch break is over and we are back in session, so don't be tardy! That's right, people, I haven't dropped out yet. Thanks for hanging in there with me! In this episode, I am joined by my friend and fellow SLO High alumni, Diego Castañeda. Diego and I were classmates at San Luis Obispo High School, and this year (2024) marks our 20 year graduation anniversary. Talk about hardcore! We may have gone our separate ways after school but, the almighty algorithm brought us back together for our own epic reunion, and here it is! It was great sitting down with Diego and reminiscing on our days as SLOHS Tigers, as well as catching up on the last two decades of our lives since we walked the graduation stage.

Follow Diego on Instagram at @therunnind10 and check out his YouTube channel DFilms3001.

Thank you for listening!
Find me on Instagram at @mattxcementina
Intro/Outro music by Stuart Stock-Tucker

Earlier this year, I was fortunate enough to catch Poison The Well on their anniversary tour celebrating 20 years of You Come Before You, and the show was epic! Poison The Well was one of the first hardcore bands I started listening to, and just hearing their name always takes me back to a time in my life of discovering this music. However, they were not the first, and they were not the only band in my cd player during this era. In this episode I'm sharing some of my most nostalgic heavy bands, that took me from the punk rock world down in to the underground.

Thank you for listening!
Find me on Instagram at @mattxcementina
Intro/Outro music by Stuart Stock-Tucker