Ray Cappo

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Ray Cappo
Ray Cappo (2010) (cropped).jpg
Cappo performing in 2010
Background information
Also known asRaghunath Das
Ray of Today
Origin Connecticut, U.S. [1]
Genres Hardcore punk, krishnacore, melodic hardcore, pop punk, indie, folk
Occupation(s)Singer

Ray Cappo, also known as Raghunath Das, [2] is an American punk rock musician best known as the vocalist for the bands Youth of Today and Shelter and as founder of the independent record label Equal Vision.

Contents

Originally from Connecticut, Cappo played drums for the band Violent Children. [3] Before moving to New York City in the 1980s, Youth of Today had already made an impact on the straight edge hardcore punk scene. [3] [4]

Career

Earlier career

Cappo was occasionally a guest DJ for college radio station WXCI, in Danbury, Connecticut, on a radio show called "The Adventure Jukebox" hosted by Darryl Ohrt of the band No Milk on Tuesday. Cappo played a wide array of hardcore music on the program, largely culled from his massive collection of records, rare unsigned EPs, and demo tapes. During this time, Cappo enthusiastically supported local hardcore shows including gigs by many early hardcore bands such as No Milk on Tuesday, 76% Uncertain, Seizure, End Product, and Abusive Action, and was often mentioned in the liner notes of their records. [5]

Youth of Today

Cappo performing with Youth of Today in Germany, 2010 Ray Cappo.JPG
Cappo performing with Youth of Today in Germany, 2010

Along with guitarist John Porcelly, also known as Porcell, Cappo started the seminal hardcore band Youth of Today in 1985, which quickly became one of the most well-known bands in the New York hardcore scene. Based on their straight edge ethics and a fast, aggressive sound, they created a subgenre known as Youth crew, influencing a large number of bands. [6] An important figure in the early days of Youth of Today was Kevin Seconds, singer of the Reno, Nevada, band 7 Seconds. Kevin not only influenced the band, but also released their first EP, "Can't Close My Eyes" on his Positive Force Records. Before disbanding in 1990, Youth of Today released two 7-inch EPs (one later remixed and released as a 12-inch) and two LPs, widely considered to be some of the most influential American hardcore records of their time.

Revelation Records

In 1987, along with Jordan Cooper, Cappo started Revelation Records. The label's first release was Warzone's "Lower East Side Crew". This was soon followed by a compilation entitled New York Hardcore 1987: Together, or simply the Together Compilation. This compilation included tracks by Youth of Today and Bold, (formerly Crippled Youth). This was also the first time bands like Gorilla Biscuits, Sick of It All, and Side by Side would be recorded and heard all over the world. Revelation would soon expand its roster westward, releasing records from California bands like Chain of Strength and No For an Answer. Today, Revelation remains a functioning record label operated by Cooper, who moved from New Haven, Connecticut, to Huntington Beach, California, in 1990. [7]

1990s and Krishnacore

As Youth of Today began to wind down, Cappo found himself drawn to Krishna Consciousness, due in large part to his study of religions that embraced his vegetarian and straight edge ideals. He became a devotee and an outspoken proponent of the ideologies laid out in the Bhagavad Gita. [8] Cappo resolved to create a final album to express his beliefs. The album was a marked departure from the style of Youth of Today, and Revelation Records decided to release it under a new band, which became known as Shelter. [4] Cappo again found himself starting a record label to release bands with a Krishna-conscious message, the still operating Equal Vision Records. [9] The rise of Shelter would unexpectedly create a musical subgenre called Krishnacore, with bands such as Cro-Mags as its spiritual forefathers and 108 among its main proponents. [3]

Better Than a Thousand

Better Than a Thousand was a band founded in 1997 by drummer Ken Olden and guitarist Graham Land after their previous band Battery broke up. The duo recruited Cappo as their vocalist and signed to Revelation Records. [10] They recorded their first album, Just One, in five days while Shelter was on break from touring, [10] and released it in July 1997. [11] Cappo recorded his vocals for the album in a bedroom studio in two days. [11] They got to work immediately on their second album, with Olden saying they needed to follow up Just One with something more focused. That second album, Value Driven, was recorded in another home studio setup in 1998, and released that year. [10] They toured for the album, [10] then broke up after Cappo moved to California and quit his straight-edge lifestyle. [11] [10] In 2020, Olden remixed and remastered both albums for a reissue package released by End Hits Records. The reissues included the original albums and five rare bonus songs, and some editions included a 36-page fanzine called We Must Believe, previously unpublished photos and liner notes. [10]

2000s

Cappo lives with his family in East Chatham, New York, and is active as a yoga teacher. [8] He continues his association with the Hare Krishna community in the area and is an avid mixed martial arts fan and practitioner. [12] Aside from the European Youth of Today reunion tour in 2003 and occasional American and European reunion shows, Cappo has been only intermittently involved in the hardcore music scene. [8]

In 2006, Cappo released another Shelter record entitled Eternal on Good Life Recordings, and embarked on a European tour. He maintains a website for his yoga and raw food diet classes and an email list promoting raw foods and featuring recipes and inspirational quotations. Cappo also sponsors tours of India featuring important sites for practitioners of yoga. [8]

In 2020, Cappo launched the podcast Wisdom of the Sages in collaboration with fellow Hare Krishna devotee Kaustubha Das. The show features musicians alongside senior devotees of the Hare Krishna movement.

Discography

with Reflex from Pain

with Violent Children

with Youth of Today

with Shelter

with Ray & Porcell

with Better Than a Thousand

with Story of the Year

Related Research Articles

Revelation Records is an independent record label focusing originally and primarily on hardcore punk. The label is known for releases by bands such as Youth of Today, Warzone, Sick of It All, Quicksand, Side By Side, Chain of Strength, Shelter, Judge, No for an Answer, Gorilla Biscuits, and End of a Year.

Youth crew is a music subculture of hardcore punk, which was particularly prominent during the New York hardcore scene of the late 1980s. Youth crew is distinguished from other punk styles by its optimism and moralistic outlook. The original youth crew bands and fans were predominantly straight edge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Youth of Today</span> American hardcore punk band

Youth of Today is an American hardcore punk band, initially active from 1985 to 1990 before reforming in 2010. The band played a major role in establishing the "Youth Crew" subculture of hardcore, both espousing and evolving the philosophies of the straight edge and vegetarian lifestyles.

Judge is a New York hardcore band formed in 1987 by Youth of Today guitarist John "Porcell" Porcelly and former Youth of Today drummer Mike "Judge" Ferraro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gorilla Biscuits</span> American hardcore punk band

Gorilla Biscuits are an American hardcore punk band from New York City, New York, United States, formed in 1986. The band currently consists of Anthony "Civ" Civarelli, Walter Schreifels, Arthur Smilios and Luke Abbey, and is signed to Revelation Records. Gorilla Biscuits are part of the New York hardcore scene.

John "Porcell" Porcelly, also known as Paramananda Das, is an American musician, best known as the guitarist for the 1980s hardcore bands Young Republicans, Violent Children, Youth of Today, and Judge. He also sang in Project X, and has had stints in other bands such as Bold and Gorilla Biscuits. More recently he has played in bands like Shelter, Never Surrender and Last of the Famous.

Project X was a short-lived hardcore punk/youth crew band from New York City, and also the name of their only release, being a five-track EP. The band consisted of members of other prominent NYC hardcore bands Gorilla Biscuits, Youth of Today, Side by Side and Judge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York hardcore</span> Punk music and associated subculture

New York hardcore is both the hardcore punk music created in New York City and the subculture and lifestyle associated with that music. New York hardcore grew out of the hardcore scene established in Washington, D.C., by bands such as Bad Brains and Minor Threat. Initially a local phenomenon of the 1980s and 1990s, New York hardcore eventually grew to establish an international reputation with little to moderate mainstream popularity but with a dedicated and enthusiastic underground following, primarily in Europe and the United States. With a history spanning over more than four decades, many of the early New York hardcore bands are still in activity to this day. Some of them have been continuously or almost continuously active since their formation as well as having reunion shows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shelter (band)</span> American hardcore punk band

Shelter is an American Hare Krishna hardcore punk band formed by Youth of Today vocalist Ray Cappo in 1991. Because of the religious Hindu-oriented messages in its lyrics, Shelter's subgenre has been dubbed by some as Krishnacore.

<i>Were Not in This Alone</i> 1988 studio album by Youth of Today

We're Not in This Alone is the third and final full-length studio album by New York hardcore punk band Youth of Today. It was originally released by Caroline Records in 1988.

Contributions to popular culture involving direct reference to the Hare Krishna mantra include the following.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battery (hardcore punk band)</span> American hardcore band

Battery was an American straight edge youth crew hardcore punk band from Washington, D.C. that was active from 1990 until 1998 and re-formed for a brief reunion in 2012. They toured on numerous occasions around both the United States and Europe and had several releases, including 3 full-length LPs, the last of which was released on Revelation Records. Vocalist Brian McTernan was also a member of Ashes, Miltown and My Best Mistake and guitarist Ken Olden also played in Damnation A.D., Better Than A Thousand, Youth of Today, Worlds Collide, When Tigers Fight, Fort Knox and Hard Strike.

Vic DiCara is a krishnacore guitarist, vocalist and bass guitarist. He played in Beyond, Inside Out, Shelter, Burn, and later the Hare Krishna band 108. As part of the band 108, DiCara was instrumental in recording three albums considered influential in the hardcore punk scene of the 1990s. DiCara is also noted for the incorporation of Hindu spirituality into his music.

<i>Mantra</i> (Shelter album) 1995 studio album by Shelter

Mantra is an album by New York City hardcore punk band Shelter. Released in 1995, it was the band's first album for Roadrunner.

<i>Just One</i> 1997 studio album by Better Than a Thousand

Just One is the debut album by the hardcore band Better Than a Thousand, released in 1997. Originally just intended to be a fun project, Ray Cappo, Graham Land and Ken Olden recorded some hardcore songs at Issa Diao's studio in Atlanta. After releasing this album, the band gained a large following. This was mainly because Better Than a Thousand's sound reminds a lot of people of Ray's old band Youth of Today, only then slightly updated to the melodic hardcore style that was famous around 1997.

Damnation A.D. is an American band from Washington, D.C. The group released several albums in the 1990s before disbanding. They reformed in 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fed Up!</span>

Fed Up! was an American straight edge hardcore and Krishna Conscious band formed by Caine Rose and Jai Nitai Holzman in late 1987 and active until 1989.

Krishnacore is a subgenre of hardcore punk that draws inspiration from the Hare Krishna tradition. Although some hardcore punk bands had already made references to Krishna Consciousness in the 1980s, the subgenre was established in the early 1990s by the bands Shelter and 108. The name is a portmanteau of "Krishna" and "hardcore".

Animal rights are closely associated with two ideologies of the punk subculture: anarcho-punk and straight edge. This association dates back to the 1980s and has been expressed in areas that include song lyrics, benefit concerts for animal rights organisations, and militant actions of activists influenced by punk music. Among the latter, Rod Coronado, Peter Daniel Young and members of SHAC are notable. This issue spread into various punk rock and hardcore subgenres, e.g. crust punk, metalcore and grindcore, eventually becoming a distinctive feature of punk culture.

References

  1. ↑ Abbey, Eric James; Helb, Colin (2014). Hardcore, Punk, and Other Junk: Aggressive Sounds in Contemporary Music. Lexington Books. ISBN   978-0-7391-7606-1.
  2. ↑ "Influential Krishnacore Band Shelter Reunite for U.S. and European Shows". ISKCON News. April 23, 2018. Archived from the original on March 29, 2020. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 "The Krishna Hardcore Connection". The Temple News Online. May 4, 2000. Archived from the original on January 9, 2011. Retrieved April 4, 2010.
  4. 1 2 Downey, Ryan J. "Shelter Biography". allmusic.com. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved April 4, 2010.
  5. ↑ Prorock, Chris (April 2, 2011). "MORE THAN A WITNESS: "ADVENTURE JUKEBOX" RADIO SHOW - WXCI-FM, DANBURY, CT. 1985. HOSTED BY RAY CAPPO". MORE THAN A WITNESS. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  6. ↑ True, Christopher M. "Youth of Today Biography". allmusic.com. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved April 4, 2010.
  7. ↑ Clift, Caitlin (April 19, 2007). "Home Grown". The Daily Titan. Archived from the original on May 26, 2010. Retrieved April 4, 2010.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Underwood, Tripp (September 18, 2009). "East meets West". The Boston Globe. New York Times Company. Retrieved April 4, 2010.
  9. ↑ Furfaro, Danielle (June 15, 2008). "Burning Desires". Albany Times Union. Hearst Corporation. p. 3. Retrieved April 4, 2010.[ dead link ]
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Ramirez, Carlos (April 28, 2020). "Better Than a Thousand's Just One + Value Driven LPs to Be Reissued in Expanded Editions". No Echo. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  11. 1 2 3 Downey, Ryan. "Better Than a Thousand Biography". AllMusic . Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  12. ↑ Harder, Jeff (February 25, 2010). "Disengage: Ray Cappo Is In the World But Not Of It". FIGHT! Magazine. Archived from the original on February 25, 2012. Retrieved April 4, 2010.
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