Everything you ever wanted to know about The Ruckus

Illustrated by the exceptionally talented Javi Rodriguez*.

The Ruckus was founded in mid-2009 by Melanie Parker-Levi and Tiffiny Kallina, two super best friends who live on opposite sides of the country. We share an obsession with punk music and a love of jeopardizing our hearing at shows.

Melanie, Executive Editor – Tampa
As the daughter of a guitarist and a groupie, Melanie’s future has always been mapped out. By the time she was 16, she had taken over her father’s vinyls and could regularly be found blowing curfew at The State. As a reluctant adult, Melanie spends her days designing blogs and her nights photographing and writing about music. Melanie likes cupcakes, her wiener dog, Foxy, and biting off more than she can chew. Living in Florida affords her the opportunity to go to a lot of punk shows. As a result, she is frequently drunk and enjoys naps 100% more than the average person. melanie@whatstheruckus.com.

Tiffiny, Co-Executive Editor – Denver
Tiffiny was raised by a pack of wolves in the wilds of Montana where she learned to hunt, fight, and generally be hardcore. Overcoming extreme adversity (but not a lack of social skills), she made her way to the big city to become a music blogger. Tiffiny likes her camera, awesome funny things, badass t-shirts, pie, and freedom. Tiffiny’s favorite Beatle is George. She is of the opinion that if Josh Ritter or Frank Turner come to town you should drop everything and be there. Tiffiny is a victim of hyperbole. To discuss these subjects, contact Tiffiny at tiffiny@whatstheruckus.com.

Please enjoy our handy FAQ.

Will you review my album/EP/single/show/book/cat?
Honestly, we’d love to. Unfortunately, like many bloggers, we have day jobs in addition to bringing The Ruckus. We got into this because we love music (and we really love new music), but it would be impossible to evaluate every submission we get. We do want to hear your stuff, though, so send it over. Digital is great- save a tree and the postage (email for the address if you want to send a physical release). Looking for a local contact? We have bloggers everywhere. In Denver, email Tiffiny. In Tampa Bay, email Melanie. Anywhere else? Send it to hello@whatstheruckus.com and we’ll make sure the right person gets it. If we like what we hear, we’ll be in touch.

Are you aware that posting MP3s is wrong?
We support the artists that we write about, and we expect our readers to do the same. In the cases where we do not have explicit permission to post, the MP3s on this site are intended for sampling purposes and will only be available for a limited time. If you like the music, please support the artist by purchasing music, t-shirts, concert tickets, posters, beer cozies, or whatever they’re selling, and make sure to tell your friends.

You shot my band. May I use your photo?
We would be honored. Please please please credit back to whatstheruckus.com, though. It would also be much appreciated if you sent us an email about it because we’d love to see it.

Why are you guys so awesome?
We were born this way.

Who would win in a fight – Tiffiny or Melanie?
Tiffiny is pretty scrappy but has some major coordination problems, so likely Melanie. Melanie also lives on the mean streets of St. Petersburg, giving her an environmental advantage.

I am in a band, but we are under 21. Is it true that Melanie will buy us alcohol if we come to Florida?
[We were asked to remove the answer to this question for legal reasons.]

Are you more likely to listen to my band if I have a mustache?
Frankly, yes.

Why do you love Fake Problems so much?
Because they are amazing. Also they give us presents.

What about Frank Turner?
If you have to ask, you’re never going to understand.

I heard that Tiffiny was once bitten by a tiger and in retaliation she took an equally sized bite of flesh from the tiger and used it to patch her own wound. Is this true?
Yes.

* See more of Javi’s work at Game Over Nation, and see the making of our cartoon here.