Bomb the Music Industry!
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| Bomb the Music Industry! | |
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Baldwin, Nassau County, New York, USA |
| Genre(s) | Punk rock, Ska Punk |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Label(s) | Quote Unquote Records, Asian Man Records |
| Associated acts | The Arrogant Sons of Bitches |
| Website | www.bombthemusicindustry.com |
| Members | |
| Jeff Rosenstock John DeDomenici Laura Stevenson Mike Costa James Lynch Dave Solomon Jason Rutcofsky Jenna Beatty Sean McCabe Steve Foote Sean Qualls Christine Mackie Robert Dale Sager II Jeff Tobias Corey Landis Montgomery Craig Howe Rick Johnson Matt Kurz |
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Bomb the Music Industry! (commonly abbreviated as BtMI!) is a musical collective originally from Baldwin, Nassau County, New York. They write, produce, record (sometimes using only a PowerBook's built-in microphone), and distribute all of their music under the leadership of lead songwriter and producer Jeff Rosenstock. Rosenstock and several other contributors were members of The Arrogant Sons Of Bitches. They are known for their DIY punk ethic, embodied in such actions such as distributing five albums worth of material for free on their website, and offering free stencils and paint for fans to create their own t-shirts. They also offer their fans a chance to perform on stage if they learn a song and bring their instrument to the show.
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[edit] Style
Bomb the Music Industry! plays a blend of several musical styles anchored in ska and hardcore punk. They're often compared to bands from previous waves of ska such as the Blue Meanies, Fishbone and Big D and the Kids Table[citation needed], each an example of a band that blended a range of influences and experimental effects onto the ska framework common in each band's respective era.
The influences go deeper than ska and punk, however, as studio experimentation, synth-pop, and DC hardcore all pop up in the mix. Rosenstock says bands such as Harvey Danger and Neutral Milk Hotel are as much an influence as evidenced by tracks such as “This Graceless Planet” (an adaptation of a song by We Versus The Shark into the musical aesthetic of Bomb the Music Industry!), “Stand There Until You're Sober,” and many other songs' meter experiments (which feature, respectively, jarring synth breakouts, backwards looping, and time signatures such as 23/4). In live performances the band has begun using digital technology to create breakdowns that sound like they are lifted from 8-bit videogames. Tracks such as “Sweet Home Cananada” and “Future 86” strip down the arrangements to barebones loops and guitar, with the latter (a previously unreleased ASOB demo) featuring a full brass section but lacking the upstroke rhythms on the guitar, a key element of third-wave ska.
[edit] Touring
Bomb the Music Industry! has toured as a duo consisting of Rosenstock and Rick Johnson of Rick Johnson Rock And Roll Machine and Mustard Plug. Both carry vocal responsibilities while Rosenstock plays guitar and Johnson plays bass. Both play a variety of instruments as well, such as theremin, tub drum, and saxophone. Additionally, Rosenstock has been known to play keyboard with his feet. Often, this incarnation of the duo performs accompanied by an iPod wired into the venue's PA system that supplies all of the instruments that the duo themselves cannot perform live.
Bomb the Music Industry! has also toured as a duo consisting of Rosenstock and Matt Kurz of The Matt Kurz One. During this tour Rosenstock fronted the band, played guitar and the sax. Kurz sang backup and played bass. As with the Rosenstock/Johnson combo, the rest of the instruments were played through an iPod. Fans were encouraged to join them onstage and play instruments.
In December, 2006, Bomb the Music Industry!, this time as just Rosenstock and Johnson, toured the United Kingdom as part of the Ska Is Dead tour with Mustard Plug and The Planet Smashers.
On May 19, 2007, Bomb the Music Industry! headlined Skappleton 2007, the biggest ska fest in the Midwest.
Throughout June of 2007, Bomb the Music Industry! embarked on what its website describes as the "Real Bands Tour?" On this tour, the band sidestepped their regular, thrown-together arrangements and opted to perform with a full rock ensemble, consisting not only of Rosenstock as frontman but also of two keyboard players, a bass player, an additional guitarist, and a drummer. The decision to play with this ensemble reflects upon the style of their 2007 album, Get Warmer, which was recorded with a similar ensemble of live players as opposed to by mainly Rosenstock. Their next album will be titled "Scrambles" and is due out some time in 2008.
[edit] Major Tours
- Skank & Destroy Tour 2006 (w/ Mustard Plug, Against All Authority, Westbound Train)
- Ska is Dead UK Tour 2006 (w/ Mustard Plug, Planet Smashers)
- Catch 22 Xmas Tour 2006 (w/ Catch 22, Patent Pending, Whole Wheat Bread)
- Anti-Flag Winter Tour 2007 (w/ Anti-Flag, The Break)
- Asian Man Records Making Punk Fun Again Tour 2008 (w/ the Queers, Lemuria, Andrew Jackson Jihad, Kepi Ghoulie)
[edit] Discography
| Date of US Release | Title | Label |
| 2005 | Album Minus Band | Quote Unquote Records (Digital) / Asbestos Records (Vinyl) |
| 2005 | To Leave or Die in Long Island | Quote Unquote Records (Digital) / Asbestos Records (Vinyl) |
| 2006 | President's Day Split 7" | Asbestos Records |
| 2006 | Goodbye Cool World | Quote Unquote Records (Digital) / Asbestos Records (Vinyl) |
| 2007 | Get Warmer | Quote Unquote Records (Digital) / Asian Man Records (CD/Vinyl) |
| 2007 | O Pioneers Split 10" | Quote Unquote Records (Digital) / Team Science (CD) / Asbestos Records (Vinyl) |
| 2008 | Scrambles |
Compilation Appearances
- V/A - More Bang for Your Buck III - Asbestos Records 2006 "Congratulations John on Joining Every Time I Die"
- V/A - Shine Some Light: A Benefit for Dan Lang Gunn - Asbestos Records 2006 "If Assholes got Awards, I'd Have a Trophy Case"
- V/A - Ska is Dead - Asian Man Records 2007 "I'm Terrorfied!"
- V/A - More Bang for Your Buck IV - Asbestos Records 2007 "My Response To An Article In Alternative Press"
- V/A - Everyone Living Under A Gun - The Political Party 2008 "No Rest For The Whiny"
