Dutch punk/ska outfit Bitter Grounds, just released a music video of their song ‘Struck Out’. The song will be featured on the upcoming full-length album, to be released near the end of the year through German DIY label Ring of Fire Records.
Bitter Grounds rose from the ashes of ska-punk band Beans, which formed in 1996 and played hundreds of shows, and released four well-received records, until calling it quits around 2005. Ten years and several bands later, the foursome are back better than ever!
Los Angeles-based ska-punk band The Interrupters will release their sophomore album, Say It Out Loud, on June 24 via Hellcat Records. Say It Out Loud is undeniably fun and urgent in message. And backing their modernized 2-Tone-tinged, guitar-fueled, melody-heavy sound are lyrics that confront everything from social control and self-empowerment to domestic violence and the media circus surrounding the next presidential election.
True to The Interrupters’ unabandoned passion and personal-meets-political dynamic, the first song shared from the album is “By My Side,” a fist-pumping, tender tribute to outcast solidarity.
Listen to “By My Side” now:
Since the release of their 2014 self-titled debut, The Interrupters have split their time between touring with the likes of The English Beat and Bad Religion and cranking out new material that shows off their irrepressible sensibility. So when the time came to record their sophomore album Say It Out Loud, the four-piece hit the studio with Rancid’s Tim Armstrong and fired off 14 new songs that both capture their frenetic energy and reveal a whole new level of boldness in their songwriting.
“Over the past couple years we got to know ourselves so much better as a band, and that gave us a lot of room to really grow on this album,” notes frontwoman Aimee Interrupter, whose bandmates include guitarist Kevin Bivona, bassist Justin Bivona, and drummer Jesse Bivona.
Produced by Armstrong and recorded partly at his studio (as well as at Travis Barker’s Opra Studios), Say It Out Loud are a batch of feel-good songs proving The Interrupters’ unstoppably upbeat spirit. The Interrupters have forged a formidable bond that deeply informs their music. “Loyalty, family, friendship, and unity—with upstrokes,” says Kevin. “That pretty much sums up The Interrupters and what we are all about.”
Pre-orders for Say It Out Loud are available at http://www.wearetheinterrupters.com/. The Interrupters will headline a SOLD OUT headline show at The Roxy in Hollywood, CA and are on the Vans Warped Tour all summer long, staring in Dallas, TX on June 24 through August 13 in Portland, Oregon.
Say It Out Loud Track List
1. By My Side
2. She Got Arrested
3. Babylon
4. On A Turntable
5. The Prosecutor
6. Control
7. Phantom City (feat Tim Timebomb)
8. Media Sensation
9. You’re Gonna Find A Way Out
10. Divide Us
11. The Valley
12. Good Things
13. Jenny Drinks
14. Loyal
The Interrupters Tour Dates
June 17 Hollywood, CA – The Roxy (Record Release Show – SOLD OUT)
June 24 Dallas, TX @ Gexa Energy Pavilion
June 25 San Antonio, TX @ AT&T Center
June 26 Houston, TX @ University of Houston
June 27 New Orleans, LA @ Mardi Gras World
June 29 Nashville, TN @ Tennessee State Fairgrounds
June 30 Atlanta, GA @ Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood
July 1 St. Petersburg, FL @ Vinoy Park
July 2 Orlando, FL @ Tinker Field
July 3 West Palm Beach, FL @ Perfect Vodka Amphitheatre
July 5 Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
July 6 Virginia Beach, VA @ Farm Bureau Live
July 7 Syracuse, NY @ Lakeview Amphitheater
July 8 Camden, NJ @ BB&T Pavilion
July 9 Wantagh, NY @ Nikon At Jones Beach Theater
July 10 Hartford, CT @ XFINITY Theatre
July 11 Scranton, PA @ The Pavilion at Montage Mountain
July 13 Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center
July 14 Darien Center, NY @ Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
July 15 Pittsburgh, PA @ First Niagara Pavilion
July 16 Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
July 17 Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
July 19 Indianapolis, IN @ Klipsch Music Center
July 20 Cuyahoga Falls, OH @ Blossom Music Center
July 21 Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
July 22 Detroit, MI @ The Palace Of Auburn Hills
July 23 Chicago, IL @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheater
July 24 Shakopee, MN @ Canterbury Park
July 26 Milwaukee, WI @ Marcus Amphitheater
July 27 St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino & Hotel St. Louis
July 28 Bonners Spring, KS @ Providence Medical Center Ampitheater
July 30 Salt Lake City, UT @ Utah State Fairpark
July 31 Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center Arena Lot
Aug. 1 Albuquerque, NM @ Balloon Fiesta Park
Aug. 2 Phoenix, AZ @ Quail Run Park
Aug. 5 San Diego, CA @ Qualcomm Stadium
Aug. 6 San Francisco, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
Aug. 7 Pomona, CA @ Pomona Fairplex
Aug. 9 Las Vehas, NV @ Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Aug. 11 Boise, ID @ Ford Idaho Center
Aug. 12 Auburn, WA @ White River Amphitheatre
Aug. 13 Portland, OR @ Portland Expo Center
Originating from Boston and currently based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Jaya The Cat are one of the premiere bands on the European live circuit.
The quartet, who coin their style as “Drunk Reggae Punk” have shared the new video for ‘Fake Carreras’, taken from the 2012 album, ‘The New International Sound Of Hedonism’.
Speaking on the video, vocalist Geoff Lagadec says, “So, we took a little time off from working on our new album to make this sweet tour video for ‘Fake Carreras’. We hope you love it as much as we love you!“
At this very moment, I’m listening to a new EP from a band called Bankshot. They are a ska punk band outta Davenport, IA. The five tracks on the self-titled release bring me back to the sweet 3rd wave days when all of my favorite bands came out of the Midwest and college towns, and sometimes from Midwest college towns. As I listen I’m reminded of old Mustard Plug, Los Rudiments, new acts like I Voted for Kodos, and the combined roots of multiple generations of punk and ska.
The music on the whole is energetic and upbeat the way in the way that you’d assume if you knew anything about skapunk. In keeping with the nature of the genre, track length is short (generally) and the songs are rather rapid paced. The tracks can, at times, seem a bit busy and perhaps careening towards falling apart. That’s not a bad thing per se, as within those same attributes, there’s the raw urgency of youth. a quality which rarely transcends later years. The production is sparse and suited to the material. There’s a very garage rock / old school sound to the recording. I think it provides a sense of how the band might sound live.
With only five tracks, it is a brief introduction into what has the potential to be a very promising band if they can keep on refining and defining their sound.
There’s a warm feeling that overcomes some people when certain sounds, something familiar and inviting plays. I’m getting those kind of feelings now as I listen to the new Leftover Crack album, Constructs of the State. It’s been the better part of a decade since the controversial and exceptional Fuck World Trade was released. Just in time for the holiday season, for your gatherings with kith and kin are the crack rocksteady sounds both old and new to warm your cold dead hearts.
The new release stays true to form with 13 scathing salvos against a broken system, what’s new is more sonic diversity. Track five, Slave to the Throne is a brutally metallic track with speed metal thrash riffs more akin to Slayer or Obituary than more common ska-punk outfits. There’s also a wider range of instrumentation in play with folkish sounds of banjo and possibly a washboard on track six, Bedbugs and Beyond.
Many of the tracks feature film or tv soundtrack backdrops to frame the context of the lyrics. “Of course I’m dangerous, I’m police. I can do terrible things to people..with impunity.” from True Detective sets the tone of the track Corrupt Vision. In addition to the tonal variety of the individual tracks, there’s plenty of guest vocals including track four, System Fucked featuring Jesse Michaels of Op Ivy.
The album continues in a consistent manner, lashing out at broken systems of finance, patriarchy, healthcare and prison systems. The sounds of the songs may change from track to track but the tone is the same. There’s something very broken. I don’t know if an album can provide solutions to the complex problems that we face as a society, but if it can make people think it’s a start.
The album does get to a point where I believe that it’s almost too overproduced. It’s a fine example of production, but the it serves to burnish the raw edge that I’m missing. Between that and what I think is an imbalance of more ska heavy content I’ve had to knock the score down a bit. All aside it’s a fantastic album, fit for a time when things are in constant threat of being ripped apart at the seams.
Final note: I’ve been going over this release for about a week now. Initially I didn’t feel quite so strongly about it as I’ve become over successive listens. The more times I hear it, the more the music sinks in and the impact of the band’s rage takes hold. We’re living during some incredible times, but we’re also living through some incredibly fucked up times. If you ask me, it’s times like these that music is the best weapon against a war to which we’ve all been blindly conscripted.
The Krayons are a new fast, raw, energetic punk / ska band from Wakefield West Yorkshire. Their songs pick up on relevant world issues and politics in a high energy ball of sonic punk passion. “Ready, Steady, Nuke” is the debut album from the angry Yorkshire 3 piece and is available now via www.underdogzrecords.co.uk . Digital versions of the album are avlialbe via iTunes, Amazon, CD baby, Band Camp, Spotify and all leading online download services.
The a-side is from last year’s exceptional See the Light album while the b-side is a previously unreleased original titled “Connect the Dots” from their See The Light recording sessions. Read what drummer Vinnie Fiorello had to say about this single below:
“The song is an important one to everyone in the band, it encapsulates being through ups and downs in life- not only remembering who was there for you but also who is still around. The notion that you have to carry this heavy weight around on your shoulders becomes null and void when you realize the people, places, and things that matter the most in your life.”
You can catch them this summer on VANS WARPED TOUR, dates below!
06/13/14 Houston, TX at Reliant Park-Main Street Lot
06/14/14 San Antonio, TX at AT&T Center
06/15/14 Dallas, TX at Gexa Energy Pavilion
06/17/14 Albuquerque, NM at Isleta Amphitheater
06/18/14 Mesa, AZ at Quail Run Park
06/19/14 Las Vegas, NV at Luxor Lot
06/20/14 Pomona, CA at Pomona Fairplex
06/21/14 Mountain View, CA at Shoreline Amphitheatre
06/22/14 Ventura, CA at Seaside Park
06/25/14 Chula Vista, CA at Sleep Train Amphitheatre
06/26/14 Sacramento, CA at Sleep Train Amphitheatre
06/28/14 Southeast Auburn, WA at White River Amphitheater
06/29/14 Portland, OR at Portland Expo Center
07/02/14 St Louis, MO at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
07/03/14 Indianapolis, IN at Klipsch Music Center
07/04/14 Toronto, ON Canada at Molson Cadadian Amphitheatre
07/05/14 Montreal, QC Canada at Parc Jean Drapeau
07/06/14 Holmdel, NJ at PNC Bank Arts Concert Center
07/08/14 Buffalo, NY at Darien Center
07/09/14 Scranton, PA at Toyota Pavilion
07/10/14 Boston, MA at Xfinity Center
07/11/14 Camden, NJ at Susquehanna Bank Center
07/12/14 Wantagh, NY at Nikon at Jones Beach Amphitheater
07/13/14 Hartford, CT at The Comcast Theatre
07/15/14 Pittsburgh, PA at First Niagara Pavilion
07/16/14 Cinncinnati, OH at Riverbend Music Center
07/17/14 Cleveland, OH at Blossom Music Center
07/18/14 Auburn Hills, MI at The Palace of Auburn Hills
07/19/14 Chicago, IL at First Midwest Bank
07/20/14 Minneapolis, MN at Canterbury Park
07/22/14 Columbia, MD at Merriweather Post Pavilion
07/23/14 Virginia Beach, VA at Farm Bureau Live
07/24/14 Atlanta, GA at Aaron’s Amphitheatre
07/25/14 St Petersburg, FL at Vinoy Park
07/26/14 Miami, FL at Cruzan Amphitheatre
07/27/14 Orlando, FL at Central Florida Fairgrounds
07/28/14 Charlotte, NC at PNC Music Pavilion
07/29/14 Nashville, TN at Tennessee State Fairgrounds
07/30/14 Milwaukee, WI at Marcus Amphitheatre
07/31/14 Kansas City, MO at Sandstone Amphitheatre
08/02/14 Salt Lake City, UT at Utah State Fairpark
08/03/14 Denver, CO at Sports Authority Field at Mile High
I wonder if Mustard Plug ever thought in a million years that they would be “influential”? Well, I guess if you have a long enough career and enough exposure, you’re bound to influence somebody, right? Well, welcome to that somebody They go by the name Backyard Superheroes.
To be fair, there’s a number of influences that can be heard on the new self-titled album from Brunswick, NJ ska band, Backyard Superheroes. On casual listening there’s elements of Less Than Jake, Streetlight Manifesto, a reminiscence to an old Oregon band, The Varicoasters (who probably didn’t influence this band at all, so it’s some other common influence), and of course a heavy dose of Mustard Plug.
Don’t let me mislead you though. The band isn’t a clone. They are a current interpretation and perhaps amalgam of 3rd wave ska punk. I for one applaud it. I loved this music in my youth. I love it today.
The album of concern here, Backyard Superheroes, the first full length (second album) by the band of the same name, drops 14 tracks of fun loving 90s throwback ska punk. The songs are all quick paced, quirky and largely delivered with a tongue-in-cheek speak/sing-a-long style. The horn section meshes nicely with the distorted guitar and walking bass lines, just like it is supposed to. Beyond that, I’d suggest that this is a solid fun release. I would seriously confuse this with 90s era Ska if I didn’t know better.
Aside being from Jersey, I don’t know a whole lot about the band specifics. However, based on their bio that they are professed to be loud, and, well, that’s good enough for me. You can catch a sampling of their sounds here: http://www.reverbnation.com/backyardsuperheroes I suggest that you do.
I apologize for not having this review up before the official release date Tuesday, May 13th, but I suppose if you can wait seven years for a new Mad Caddies release, a late review isn’t going to concern you in the least. So, if you did not read the prior sentence, there’s a new Mad Caddies album. Fresh off the presses, once again on (the now venerable) Fat Wreck Chords, I present to you Dirty Rice!
First things first, though. If you’re aren’t familiar with The Mad Caddies, let me give you a brief back story. The band started back in their high school days, way back in 1995 in Solvang, CA (Santa Barbara County). Over their illustrious career, the band have produced multiple full-length recordings and E.Ps. Their sound, while very firmly footed in 3rd wave ska-punk has influences from wide ranging styles including, dixieland, polka, swing, reggae, jazz, punk, and traditional ska. What I’m saying is that you get a whole lot of flavor from this one sweet band. I digress; back to the review.
The new album is a nicely polished example of what a 3rd wave SoCal ska band can do after close to two decades of rocking. For those who are familiar with Mad Caddies at all, youl know that while they come correct, they don’t come traditional. They’ve definitely got their own brand going; This album is no exception. A fine mixture of ska, punk, ragtime, dixieland, and soul are well represented on the new album, though sometimes on a more subtle note. It reminds me a little bit of Stay Tuned by Let’s Go Bowling, another awesome record that is a departure from prior work, yet completely badass after you succumb to its charms.
12 new tracks. Mad Caddies are back. Get the album. Find them on Tour!
At this very moment, I’m listening to a new EP from a band called Bankshot. They are a ska punk band outta Davenport, IA. The five tracks on the self-titled release bring me back to the sweet 3rd wave days when all of my favorite bands came out of the Midwest and college towns, and sometimes from Midwest college towns. As I listen I’m reminded of old Mustard Plug, Los Rudiments, new acts like I Voted for Kodos, and the combined roots of multiple generations of punk and ska. 
