Episode #132: Joe Cardamone & Quarentina

JoeCardamone // photo credit Stephanie Smith

Los Angeles native artist Joe Cardamone has lived a few lifetimes while leaving a wiry dent in the global underground music and film scenes. The band that Joe fronted for 17 years, The Icarus Line, formed in East Los Angeles in 1998. Over the course of six albums the punk agitators became an underground phenomenon and the most dangerous punk group of their generation. The cult band the never gave up.

Cardamone's new album, Quarentina, was birthed from the necessity for distraction and expression. Life gets real hectic real fast and when you are getting dragged down into the sea you better learn to swim. Out of this chaos came some uncut gems, a batch of cool mini songs about love and pain. Tracks done in one or two passes just to grab the moment, not think, and keep flying. A force of nature, the album features 19 songs that were recorded in the matter of a few weeks after the dissolution of a relationship. Sounding so direct you feel like you are in the room with him, Quarentina is the most stripped down, raw and intimate Joe has ever sounded on a record.

I spoke via Zoom with Cardamone about his new album and the accompanying short films for it.

Tracklist (all songs from Quarentina)

Joe Cardamone, "Laws"

Joe Cardamone, "Count In Sevens"

Joe Cardamone, "Nite Theme (Rock n Roll)"

Joe Cardamone, "Ur So Cool 2"