Leftöver Crack is an American punk rock band formed in 1998, following the breakup of Choking Victim. The band is currently signed to

Tankcrimes Tankcrimes is an independent punk rock and heavy metal record label owned by Scotty Heath and operated from his garage in Oakland, California. Tankcrimes currently has over 100 releases. Bands with releases on Tankcrimes * A.N.S. *Abscess * Ago ...

for CD releases, and

Alternative Tentacles Alternative Tentacles is an independent record label established in 1979 in San Francisco, California. It was used by Dead Kennedys for the self-produced single " California Über Alles". After realizing the potential for an independent label, t ...

for vinyl releases. Leftöver Crack spans several different music genres including

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier pu ...

, ska, and

crust punk Crust punk (also known as crust or stenchcore) is a form of music influenced by English punk rock and extreme metal. The style, which evolved in the early 1980s in England, often has songs with dark and pessimistic lyrics that linger on politic ...

. They write mostly political lyrics of a radical leftist nature, opposing religion, capitalism, and authority. Members of Leftöver Crack reside in the C-Squat on 155 Avenue C in the

Lower East Side The Lower East Side, sometimes abbreviated as LES, is a historic neighborhood in the southeastern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is located roughly between the Bowery and the East River from Canal to Houston streets. Traditionally ...

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the List of co ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

. Natives of New York City, band members have a well-documented history of back-and-forth conflict with the

NYPD The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...

which precedes the band's formation. The name "Leftöver Crack" is explained by Stza as being "an oxymoron", based on the idea that

crack cocaine Crack cocaine, commonly known simply as crack, and also known as rock, is a free base form of the stimulant cocaine that can be smoked. Crack offers a short, intense high to smokers. The ''Manual of Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment'' call ...

addicts are known for vigorous use and are unlikely to have any "leftover" crack.

History

Beginnings

Formed around the same time as the breakup of Choking Victim, Leftöver Crack was initially an outlet for Choking Victim frontman Scott Sturgeon a.k.a. Stza to release songs that, for one reason or another, were never recorded by Choking Victim and which he claims are the "Leftover songs" - hence the name. For almost two years following the band's formation, the band consisted almost solely of Stza, who recorded many of the songs that would feature on later releases onto a four-track recorder whilst searching for band members. The band eventually solidified (albeit temporarily) around a lineup of Scott "Stza" Sturgeon (vocals, additional guitars), Brad Logan of F-Minus (guitar),

Alec Baillie Alec Baillie (died November 10, 2020) was an American bassist. He played in the bands Choking Victim, Agent 99, and Leftöver Crack. Biography Baillie grew up in Manhattan and attended the same high school as his future bandmate Scott "Stza" ...

(bass, previously of Choking Victim), Mike Trujillo of Blindsided (guitar) and Amery "AWOL" Smith (drums, previously of

Suicidal Tendencies Suicidal Tendencies is an American crossover thrash band formed in 1980 in Venice, Los Angeles, Venice in Los Angeles, California by vocalist Mike Muir. Muir is the only remaining original member of the band. Along with Dirty Rotten Imbeciles, ...

and the Beastie Boys). Now a complete band, Leftöver Crack proceeded to record several songs with the full lineup, including songs such as "Rock The 40 Oz.", "Crack City Rockers" and "The Good, The Bad And The Leftover Crack" - effectively the band's 'theme song'. Five of these songs were later included on the band's first release, "Rock the 40 Oz." 7" EP, which was released by Bankshot! Records on March 8, 2000.

Signing to Hellcat Records

After contributing the song "Crack City Rockers" to the second installment of

Hellcat Records Hellcat Records is an independent record label based in Los Angeles, California. The label, an offshoot of Epitaph Records, was started as a partnership between Brett Gurewitz of Bad Religion, the owner of Epitaph, and Tim Armstrong of Rancid, ...

' ''

Give 'Em The Boot Hellcat Records is an independent record label based in Los Angeles, California. The label, an offshoot of Epitaph Records, was started as a partnership between Brett Gurewitz of Bad Religion, the owner of Epitaph, and Tim Armstrong of Rancid, w ...

'' compilation series, the band was signed to the label, initially being contracted to produce three albums for Hellcat. The band agreed, and promptly began recording songs for their first full-length - tentatively titled "Shoot The Kids At School". Unfortunately for the band, Hellcat Records refused to release the album, due to concerns over the album's controversial title, artwork, and subject matter (especially in regards to the recent

Columbine shootings On April 20, 1999, a school shooting and attempted bombing occurred at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado, United States. The perpetrators, 12th grade students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, murdered 12 students and one teacher. ...

). The band eventually relented and changed the album's title, art, and track listing, under the promise that they would be released from their contract afterward as a result. The album was eventually released under the title of '' Mediocre Generica'', a sly attack at Hellcat Records, who Stza claimed wanted a "mediocre, generic" album in comparison to the original. The album was released on September 11, 2001. At this point, the band now consisted of Stza (vocals, additional guitars), Alec (bass),

Ezra Ezra (; he, עֶזְרָא, '; fl. 480–440 BCE), also called Ezra the Scribe (, ') and Ezra the Priest in the Book of Ezra, was a Jewish scribe ('' sofer'') and priest ('' kohen''). In Greco-Latin Ezra is called Esdras ( grc-gre, Ἔσδρ� ...

, and Ara Babajian from NYC ska band Agent 99, and later

The Slackers The Slackers are an American ska band, formed in Manhattan, New York in 1991. The band's sound is a mix of ska, rocksteady, reggae, dub, soul, garage rock, and jazz. The Slackers' notability is credited to their prolific career, tours of Nor ...

, on drums.

Leaving Hellcat - recording the second album

As a result of legal disputes with Hellcat Records, the band was effectively left in limbo for approximately two years, unable to leave their current label, yet also unable to sign to another - as well as being unable to release any new material under the name of Leftöver Crack. However, the band did manage to bend the rules of their contract slightly, releasing a split EP with F-Minus as "The Crack Rock Steady 7" - effectively Leftover Crack working under aliases with additional musicians. The EP was titled "Baby Jesus Sliced Up In The Manger" and was released on November 27, 2003. In February 2003, the band began to record the songs that they had written and developed over the last three years with esteemed engineer

Steve Albini Steve Albini (pronounced ; born July 22, 1962) is an American musician, record producer, audio engineer and music journalist. He was a member of Big Black, Rapeman and Flour, and is a member of Shellac. He is the founder, owner and principal en ...

, a majority of which would see a release on their second album. After recording two final songs that winter, and having finally been dropped from Hellcat Records' roster, the band opted to release the song the following the year as the "Fuck World Trade" demo for the consideration of independent punk record labels. Around the same time, the band were approached by renowned underground punk rock figure and ex-

Dead Kennedys Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band that formed in San Francisco, California, in 1978. The band was one of the defining punk bands during its initial eight-year run. Dead Kennedys' lyrics were usually political in nature, satirizing p ...

frontman

Jello Biafra Eric Reed Boucher (born June 17, 1958), known professionally as Jello Biafra, is an American singer, spoken word artist and politician. He is the former lead singer and songwriter for the San Francisco punk rock band Dead Kennedys. Initially ac ...

, and as a result signed to his

record label.

''Fuck World Trade''

On August 30, 2004, Leftover Crack released their second album - ''

Fuck World Trade ''Fuck World Trade'' is the second album by American punk band Leftöver Crack, released in 2004 on the Alternative Tentacles label. The album continues the band's self-defined status as anti-racist, anti-sexist, anti-capitalist, and anarcho-c ...

'' on Alternative Tentacles (Household Name Records in the UK). The album has been banned in multiple chain-stores such as

Wal-Mart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarte ...

Best Buy Best Buy Co. Inc. is an American multinational consumer electronics retailer headquartered in Richfield, Minnesota. Originally founded by Richard M. Schulze and James Wheeler in 1966 as an audio specialty store called Sound of Music, it was rebra ...

and

Music Land ''Music Land'' is a '' Silly Symphonies'' animated Disney short released in 1935. Plot The short begins by showing a map of Music Land, before zooming in to show the Land of Symphony, a massive classical-themed kingdom where the princess (an an ...

due to the album's controversial name and subject matter - as well as the front cover, which features

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

Dick Cheney Richard Bruce Cheney ( ; born January 30, 1941) is an American politician and businessman who served as the 46th vice president of the United States from 2001 to 2009 under President George W. Bush. He is currently the oldest living former ...

, and

Rudy Giuliani Rudolph William Louis Giuliani (, ; born May 28, 1944) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 107th Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001. He previously served as the United States Associate Attorney General from 1981 to 19 ...

(

Tony Blair Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He previously served as Leader of the ...

on the UK release) causing the World Trade Center attacks. The album also displayed a greater degree of artistic freedom from the band, featuring longer songs, a wider range of instrumentation (such as strings, synthesizers and double-bass drumming) and a larger amount of genre experimentation - featuring elements of

death metal Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, fe ...

, classical music and

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has ...

along with the band's trademark combination of anarcho punk and ska. The album also included several guest appearances, including Chris Head, Justin Sane, and Chris No. 2 of

Anti-Flag Anti-Flag is an American punk rock band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The band is known for its left-wing political activism. Their current members include Justin Sane (vocals, guitar), Chris Head (guitar), Pat Thetic (drums), and Chris B ...

, as well as a collaboration with The World/Inferno Friendship Society.

Hiatus

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.

spent time writing songs for his band

Morning Glory Morning glory (also written as morning-glory) is the common name for over 1,000 species of flowering plants in the family Convolvulaceae, whose current taxonomy and systematics are in flux. Morning glory species belong to many genus, genera, ...

. Leftöver Crack began touring again in the summer of 2005, including some dates with

Citizen Fish Citizen Fish is an English punk rock band that has been active since 1990 and shares members with Subhumans. Citizen Fish does not emphasize the raw political statements and nihilistic viewpoint of the former, instead focusing on issues of ...

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".

Return and split with Citizen Fish

Blacknoise Records released a four-way split entitled ''The Kids Are Gonna Pay'' in March 2006 with Leftöver Crack contributing 1 new song, "Look Who's Talking Now". Other bands on the split included 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 31, 2006,

Fat Wreck Chords Fat Wreck Chords (pronounced "Fat Records") is a San Francisco, California-based independent record label, focused on punk rock. It was started by NOFX lead singer Michael Burkett (better known as Fat Mike) in 1990. The label has released mater ...

released a 7" split single with UK

ska punk Ska punk (also spelled ska-punk) is a fusion genre that mixes ska music and punk rock music together. (sometimes spelled skacore) is a subgenre of ska punk that mixes ska with hardcore punk. Early ska punk mixed both 2 tone and ska with har ...

band

, to which Leftöver Crack contributed the new song "Baby Punchers". To support the release, the 2 bands joined with other Fat Wreck bands, The Sainte Catherines and Dead to Me, and went on a U.S. tour. The full length split with Citizen Fish, entitled ''Deadline'' was released on March 6, 2007 with Fat Wreck Chords releasing the CD version and Alternative Tentacles releasing the vinyl version. The album featured seven songs from each band (plus an intro for Leftöver Crack's side), as well as featuring three songs originally intended to be released by Stza's newer band, Star Fucking Hipsters. 1103 copies were released on white vinyl.

Departure of Ezra and tour of Australia

Following the release and subsequent touring in support of "Deadline", Leftöver Crack gradually became less prominent as members (namely Stza and Ezra) focused on other musical projects - such as Star Fucking Hipsters and Morning Glory, respectively. Although still regularly playing shows, the band effectively took a backseat, especially when Star Fucking Hipsters released each of their first two albums, " Until We're Dead" and " Never Rest in Peace". Towards the end of 2009, it was announced that longtime guitarist and backing vocalist Ezra had left the band. Although initially appearing to be an amicable departure, this later escalated when Stza effectively began an online 'feud' with Ezra, accusing him of being a liar and drug addict. In November 2009, Leftöver Crack toured Australia and New Zealand for the first time in their career. However, the lineup for all of the shows consisted of Stza, guitarist Frank Piegaro (of Star Fucking Hipsters/Degenerics) and two Australians filling in - Alex Flamsteed (Hereafter) & Chris Cox (Phalanx). Following the Australian tour, Stza stated at a house show in West Auckland that Leftöver Crack would most probably be inactive in the future, much like Choking Victim before them. This coincided with the increased rate of activity from Star Fucking Hipsters, which has become his main creative outlet as of late. In December 2010, Leftöver Crack announced that they were playing three shows. Returning to the lineup was Ezra, implying that the feud between him and Stza may have been resolved. In January 2011, it was announced through their Facebook page that Leftöver Crack would be doing a West Coast tour in February and an East Coast tour in March. They will also be playing a small UK tour in August 2011, including the Reading and Leeds festivals.

''Constructs of the State''

On July 20, 2015 Scott Sturgeon confirmed Leftover Crack had finished their third album, '' Constructs of the State''. It was released on November 27, 2015 through

, and featured guest appearances from Days N' Daze,

Mischief Brew Mischief Brew was an American folk punk band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania consisting of vocalist and guitarist Erik Petersen, bassist Shawn St. Clair, and drummers Christopher Petersen and Christopher Kulp. The band played DIY folk punk and a ...

The Bouncing Souls The Bouncing Souls are an American punk band from New Brunswick, New Jersey, formed in 1989. By the time of their acknowledgment by the national punk rock scene, they had reignited a "pogo" element to New Jersey punk rock by playing fast light-h ...

, Intro5pect, Blackbird Raum,

Penny Rimbaud Penny Lapsang Rimbaud (born Jeremy John Ratter, 1943) is a writer, poet, philosopher, painter, musician and activist. He was a member of the performance art groups EXIT and Ceres Confusion, and in 1972 was co-founder of the Stonehenge Free Fes ...

and

Jesse Michaels Jesse Michaels (born 1969) is an American songwriter, vocalist, guitarist, artist, and author from Berkeley, California. His lyrics deal with politics, racism, and general social issues. He is most well known as the vocalist for the ska punk ba ...

. On May 25, 2016, the band released a music video for the song Bedbugs & Beyond courtesy of Shibby Pictures.

Venue bans, criminal records and visa restriction

Leftöver Crack has been banned from performing in many venues in New York City, such as

ABC No Rio ABC No Rio is a collectively-run non-profit arts organization on New York City's Lower East Side. It was founded in 1980 in a squat at 156 Rivington Street, following the eviction of the 1979-80 Real Estate Show. The centre featured an art ga ...

and the

Knitting Factory The Knitting Factory is a nightclub in New York City that features eclectic music and entertainment. After opening in 1987, various other locations were opened in the United States. The Knitting Factory gave its audience poetry readings, perform ...

. However, they still play at banned venues under a different name, Crack Rock Steady 7 or individually as solo acts. They repeatedly have trouble touring in certain countries, especially Canada, due to members having prior criminal records. They were denied entry into Canada for a tour scheduled at the end of 2007. At a show in

Boston, MA Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- most ...

in August 2008, Stza angrily stated Leftöver Crack would never return to Boston; however, they played just outside of Boston on June 18, 2016. In 2006, after their show in Boise, Stza announced to a group of fans that they would never return, Boise was subsequently skipped in '07 and Star Fucking Hipsters' 2010 Boise date was canceled a week or so after being posted, though they returned to Boise in March 2011. In June 2016 Leftover Crack was allowed entry into Canada and played Amnesia Rockfest in Montebello, Quebec, but had many members denied again in 2018.

Moving to Tankcrimes

It was announced in September 2021 that all Star Fucking Hipsters and Leftöver Crack discography would move from

Fat Wreck Fat Wreck Chords (pronounced "Fat Records") is a San Francisco, California-based independent record label, focused on punk rock. It was started by NOFX lead singer Michael Burkett (better known as Fat Mike) in 1990. The label has released mater ...

Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...

-based record label

. Tankcrimes is a small independent label with bands such as Spazz,

Ghoul A ghoul ( ar, غول, ') is a demon-like being or monstrous humanoid. The concept originated in pre-Islamic Arabian religion, associated with graveyards and the consumption of human flesh. Modern fiction often uses the term to label a cer ...

, Necrot, and punk supergroup Kicker. It is unclear if '' Never Rest in Peace'' from Star Fucking Hipsters (which was originally released via

) or '' Mediocre Generica'' (originally released on Hellcat) would also shift to the Oakland-based record label.

Members

Current * Stza – lead vocals, keys, guitar (1998–present) *Donny Morris – drums (2015–present) *Al Rosenberg – guitar (2019–present) *Kate Coysh – vocals (2017–present) Past * Brad Logan – guitar (1998–2000; 2004–2021) * Sandra Malak - bass guitar (2021) *

– bass (1998–2020; died 2020) *Chris Mann – guitar (2015–2019) *Amery Smith – drums (1998–2000) *Mike Trujillo – guitar (1998–2000) *Brandon Chevalier-Kolling – drums (1998, 2004; died 2004) *

Ezra Kire Ezra Kire (born Ezra Cannon, December 30, 1975) is an American musician with the punk band Morning Glory, and is an ex-member of punk bands Leftöver Crack, Choking Victim and InDK. He currently resides in New York City. Early life Ezra Kire ...

– guitar (2000–2012) * Ara Babajian – drums (2000–2002, 2005–2007) *JP Otto – drums (2002–2005) * Tom 'Jangles' Knox *Joey "Gunner" Hunt *Austin Hotchkiss *Harrison Rolfe *Lance Michael

Discography

Full lengths

*'' Mediocre Generica'' - (September 11, 2001) *''

'' - (August 31, 2004) *'' Constructs of the State'' - (November 27, 2015)

EPs

*''Rock the 40 Oz.'' - (May 8, 2000) *''Shoot the Kids at School'' - (2000)

Compilation albums

* '' Rock the 40 Oz: Reloaded'' July 16, 2004 * '' Leftöver Leftöver Crack: The E-Sides and F-sides'',

, 2018.

Split albums

*''Baby Jesus Sliced Up in the Manger'' (as the Crack Rock Steady 7, with F-Minus), HellBent Records, 2001 *''Baby Punchers / Meltdown Split 7"'' (with

, 2006 *'' Deadline'' (with Citizen Fish),

, March 6, 2007 (LP on

)

Music videos

* Rock the 40 Oz. (2002) * System Fucked (2015)
Bedbugs and Beyond (2016)

Compilation album contributions

*''Give 'Em the Boot II'', (Crack City Rockers emo

, 1999. *"Punk Rawk Explosion #6" (Nazi White Trash) Punk Rawk, 2001. *"Eat This!", (Nazi White Trash (Demo?) ), Eat Me! Records, 2001. *''Give 'Em the Boot III'', (Atheist Anthem)

, 2002. *''Go Kart vs. the Corporate Giant Vol. 3'', (Rock The 40oz) Go Kart Records, 2002. *''Punk Rawk Explosion 6'', (Nazi White Trash), ?, 2003. *''2003 Sampler'', (So Ya Wanna Be A Cop)

A-F Records A-F Records is an American independent record label founded by punk rock band Anti-Flag and based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was created to help expose more political punk bands to a larger audience. The label's offices were damaged when a ...

, 2003. *''Fueling the Flames of Revolution Vol. 3'', (One Dead Cop)

, 2003. *''Against Police Injustice'',(Operation:MOVE, Super Tuesday emo 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. *"Breeding Disloyalty", (Operation: M.O.V.E) Household Name Records, 2004. *''The Kids Are Gonna Pay (Look Who's Talking Now) with F-Minus, Morning Glory, Bent Outta Shape, Blacknoise Records, 2006. *"Rotten Schwuchtel Sampler - A Queer / Pro-Gay Punk & HC-Compilation", (Gay Rude Boys Unite) Not On Label, 2008. *"Alternative Tentacles", (Gang Control) Pasazer, 2010. *"Coaster", (Infested (The Lindane Conspiracy Part I) Fat Wreck Chords, 2018.

Live

*2001: ''Live C-Squat 3/31/01'' *2002: ''Straight Outta' Naples'' *2008: ''live at the stage @ Arnhem, Holland''

Bootlegs

*2004: ''Fuck World Trade'' (demo)

Film

*2007: Chris Fuller's

Loren Cass ''Loren Cass'' is a feature-length motion picture about adolescents coming to terms with their lives in St. Petersburg, Florida, after the riots that took place in 1996. It was directed by independent film-maker Chris Fuller and took ten years t ...

(Gotham Award nomination)

References

;Footnotes ;Sources * * * * *
Leftöver Crack
on Punknews.org.
Summertime to-do lists - Times-Standard Online

High school graduates share their views on life
*

External links

Official Facebook PageOfficial Myspace PageInterview with Stza by Tao Lin (2011)10 Questions with Leftöver Crack
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leftover Crack Punk rock groups from New York (state) American ska musical groups American crust and d-beat groups Hellcat Records artists Musical groups established in 1999 Musical groups from New York City Third-wave ska groups Fat Wreck Chords artists Alternative Tentacles artists Political music groups 1999 establishments in New York City