Ian McFarland is probably best known as the bassist for Boston hardcore veterans Blood for Blood. For nearly 10 years B4B have toured the world, and helped put Boston back on hardcore’s map. But for the past two years, McFarland has also been running Killswitch Productions, a successful video-production company that has put together DVDs for New York hardcore legends Agnostic Front and Boston’s own Slapshot. The back-story: in 2002, McFarland was in Los Angeles to shoot a video for a hardcore band and enlisted the help of an old friend, Anthony Moreschi — also known as Wrench, the singer for the influential Boston hardcore outfit Ten Yard Fight. (He isn’t the only Ten Yard Fight member to make the jump to behind the lens; TYF guitarist John LaCroix recently directed the video for the Explosion’s "Here I Am," their first for Virgin Records.) Moreschi already had production experience with skateboarding’s 411 Video Magazine, and with their shared roots in the hardcore scene, the two stayed in touch and began brainstorming projects. A few months later, Killswitch Productions was born.

In the music-video world, the pair’s hardcore credentials are a key to their success. "Agnostic Front has been my life for over 20 years," says AF frontman Roger Miret, "and when we decided to put together a DVD, we wanted a director that would understand our lifestyle and the importance of its honesty and truth reflected. Ian and Anthony have proven themselves many times to me as genuine hardcore guys and fantastic director/producers." Slapshot’s Chris Lauria agrees. He writes in an e-mail: "When we decided to put together our 20-year-history DVD we wanted someone with a knowledge of the local hardcore history, as well as experience with quality videography and editing skills. [Ian and Anthony] both had the enthusiasm as well as the professionalism to undertake this project." Killswitch has also produced videos for Terror, the Unseen, and Cannae, and it looks as though Ian and Anthony have no intentions of slowing down. Both the Agnostic Front and Slapshot DVDs will likely be released next year; the bands are in the midst of negotiating distribution deals.

Another plug for Boston’s Lunch Records, in case you missed Jonathan Perry’s profile of the label’s Four by Four comp last week: you need to check out Taxpayer, five dudes who have been best friends since middle school in West Newbury. The band formed two years ago and soon after jumped into the studio for an overnight session that resulted in "I’ll Do My Best To Stay Healthy," which was released on Ernest Jenning Records (Brooklyn, NYC) last May, and they’re the highlight of the four bands on Four by Four. They’re looking to release a full-length by the end of next summer: someone had better be smart and get on this before it passes by. Please go see them perform Tuesday, upstairs at the Middle East with Harris and Human Flight Committee. Or check the Web site at www.taxpayermusic.com.

(Chris Rucker is the host of New England Product, Sundays from 9 to 10 p.m. on WFNX 101.7 FM.)