Leftöver Crack

Musically blending crusty hardcore punk, ska, and some tongue-in-cheek death metal influences, New York punk's Leftöver Crack are best described in terms of their unapologetically leftist rabble-rousing politics. Their anti-police, anti-racism, and anti-homophobia stance was firmly established on albums like 2001's Mediocre Generica and 2004's Fuck World Trade, which they surrounded by a host of singles, EPs, and splits for labels like <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Hellcat%22">Hellcat</a>, <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22HellBent%22">HellBent</a>, and <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Fat+Wreck+Chords%22">Fat Wreck Chords</a>. Following a lengthy hiatus peppered with occasional live appearances, Leftöver Crack returned in 2015 with their third full-length, the politically charged Constructs of the State.

Leftöver Crack formed in 2000 as their parent band, <a href="spotify:artist:2E5ZgjjhiIZ1lrgGSRnKCe">Choking Victim</a>, was breaking up. The group is based around a core lineup of singer, songwriter, and instigator Stza (Scott Sturgeon), guitarist Ezra Kire, and bassist Alec Baille, with a revolving-door drum stool that has included J.P. Otto, Brandon Possible, and Ara Babajian, who splits his time between Leftöver Crack and his own more traditional ska-punk group, <a href="spotify:artist:2QRPuDfRA9LtoeGFaMikmK">the Slackers</a>.

After a self-released demo, Shoot the Kids at School, came out in 2000, Leftöver Crack made their vinyl debut with the Rock the 40 Oz. EP on the <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Bankshot%22">Bankshot</a> label, followed by the full-length albums Mediocre Generica on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Hellcat%22">Hellcat</a> and Fuck World Trade on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Alternative+Tentacles%22">Alternative Tentacles</a>. (Mediocre was originally titled Shoot the Kids at School, complete with cover art depicting the title literally, but <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Hellcat%22">Hellcat</a> forced the band to change both the name and artwork. The band left the label after its release.) After Possible died of a drug overdose in 2004, Leftöver Crack split temporarily. Regrouping the following year with Babajian on drums and Brad Logan (aka Brad Minus from the California pop-punks <a href="spotify:artist:20M02mDZGFdv7UZKCi0jEQ">F-Minus</a>) on second guitar, the band began touring and released Deadline, a 2007 split album with <a href="spotify:artist:4wq4tyV2ms137JVJw46Vh0">Citizen Fish</a>, via <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Fat+Wreck%22">Fat Wreck</a>.

Over the next few years, Leftöver Crack became less and less active as members focused on other projects, namely Stza's band <a href="spotify:artist:0ZyPhNogYtuJGK8ZdYQpQG">Star Fucking Hipsters</a> and Ezra's Morning Glory. Ezra left the band, publicly feuding with Stza, only to temporarily join up again for a handful of shows in 2010. Five years later, in late 2015, Leftöver Crack reemerged with their long-awaited third full-length album. Released by <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Fat+Wreck%22">Fat Wreck</a>, Constructs of the State featured a revamped lineup based around Stza and Baille with guitarist Chris Mann and drummer Donny, both from the band Introsp3ct, second guitarist Brad Logan, and singer Kate Coysh. In 2018, a 30-track collection of "E-sides and F-sides" called Leftover Leftöver Crack was released. ~ Stewart Mason & Timothy Monger, Rovi