People In Planes are having a pretty good year so far. The five piece rock unit (Gareth Jones on vocals, Peter Roberts on guitar, Ian Russel on keys, Kris Blight on bass & John Maloney behind the kit) from Wales, UK have just released their second LP, Beyond The Horizon, to critical acclaim and rapidly widening audiences. Through raw talent and determination, these guys have come to possess the right kind of sound, style and blistering, brooding rock delivery that’s currently winning over American crowds as the band tours the country over the next two months with revived rock heroes the Toadies.

We tracked down PIP singer Gareth Jones to talk a bit about Neil Young, the addictive qualities of American politics and the sputtering state of the music industry today.

Al Jourgensen, Sin Quirin, and Tommy Victor of Ministry were all in Hollywood last thursday for a signing with the crew from the Zach Passero horror movie Wicked Lake. Johnny scored us an in-person interview, and we hired the Enjoy Human video production team to tag along and shoot it.

Al was somewhat hammered, so all we really had to do was hit record and try and follow the Alien as he whipped his dick out in Virgin Megastore, ranted about being drunk dialed by Neil Young, engaging in sodomy with Jim Morrisson’s ghost, and kung fu-ing George Bush. Maybe that sounds wild, but he wasn’t nearly as unhinged as most of the maniacs that roam the treacherous streets of Hollywood at night, and not once did he try and sell us a star map. So in context, it was a rather pleasant evening.

With a brutally addictive assault of rhythmic precision, gorgeous speed-freak riffs and iron-lunged vocals that rank among the very best hardcore has ever seen, The Bronx have become de facto narrators of life in Los Angeles- they are a product of the city, and the imprint is a key component of their sound. And while their unique blend of punk and hardcore has earned them a cult following, the band’s still pushing boundaries, to say the least. They just finished recording two albums- that’s right, two. And one of ‘em is a mariachi record. They also kicked Def Jam / Island to the curb, and are putting the albums out themselves on their own label, White Drugs.

Yesterday, we started talking to guitarist / songwriter Joby Ford, about why emo music is for sissies, Josh Homme’s recently publicized / YouTubed outburst, and the spectacle that is Jeffree Star. Our conversation continues today, digging into deeper topics such as authenticity, and why there’s no point in being on a record label anymore.