US punks Bad Religion head to the UK next week for a quick headline tour tickets are still available from badreligion.com
6/3/2022 Bad Religion London O2 Forum Kentish Town
6/4/2022 Bad Religion Manchester Academy One
6/5/2022 Bad Religion Newcastle University
6/7/2022 Bad Religion Nottingham Rock City
6/8/2022 Bad Religion Bristol Marble Factory
Beach Rats announce their debut album Rat Beat, out on July 29th via Epitaph Records. An impressive lineup of punk rock lifers, the band is comprised of vocalist Ari Katz (Lifetime), guitarist Pete Steinkopf (Bouncing Souls,) bassist Bryan Keinlen (Bouncing Souls,) guitarist Brian Baker (Bad Religion, Minor Threat) & Danny Windas (Let It Burn) on drums. They also share the music video for the album’s title track “Rat Beat” which embodies the nature of punk in its purest form; hard, fast and loud.
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Beach Rats came to be as each member found themselves settled in the beach community of Asbury Park, New Jersey. After releasing an EP in 2018 and performing a slew of high-energy shows, the global pandemic gave the band a reason to get back to recording. The majority of the songs on Rat Beat were conceptualized and rehearsed in the basement of Brian Baker’s home and then tracked by Eric Bennett at Lakehouse Studios in only one day.
Baker recalls, “We’d go down in the basement, put on masks, open the windows and we could play – within CDC guidelines! We couldn’t go to dinner at each other’s houses but we could practice.”
The DIY spirit of punk music is very much alive in Beach Rats. With the fervor to create something new, yet nostalgic, the band intentionally wrote the 12 tracks on Rat Beat how they used to back when they were teenagers. Or as Baker puts it, “like we did before we knew how to write songs.“
Not wanting to take themselves too seriously, the band formed merely over a love of the genre. These are veterans of punk rock just having fun and trying replicate that feeling and sound of what it was like to make punk music in the 80’s.
“You’re gonna get authentic punk and hardcore from BEACH RATS because we are all from the 80’s,” Bryan Kienlen comments. “It’s literally taking it back to some of our biggest influences like Negative Approach and Poison Idea, And of course, Minor Threat.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON BEACH RATS, VISIT:
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Most known for his role as songwriter and lead singer of punk rock band Pennywise, Jim Lindberg has been making inspiring, thought-provoking music since the 1990’s. Musically, he is influenced by an array of genres from punk and folk music to old school country and americana. Lyrically, Jim takes inspiration anywhere from transcendental philosophers to real life events; seeking always to tell a story or find the answers to life’s big questions. Today, Lindberg shares the first glimpse of his solo project with the track “The Palm of Your Hand” produced by Ted Hutt (The Gaslight Anthem, Lucero, Flogging Molly). The track features David Hidalgo Jr. (Social Distortion) on drums, Joe Gittleman (The Mighty, Mighty BossTones, Avoid One Thing) on bass, and Marc Orrell (The Dropkick Murphy’s, The Walker Roaders) on guitar. Check it out here and the new lyric video HERE:
Lindberg began writing “The Palm of Your Hand” over fifteen years ago, coming up with the chorus at the time but the song remained predominately unfinished until 2020 when he entered the studio to work on his forthcoming solo record. “I wanted to create two fictional characters who are struggling with shame, guilt and self-delusion to match the chorus lyric and so that’s how ‘Left-Handed Sal’ and ‘Walleyed Sally’ were created,” notes Lindberg. “It’s a song about two people who for one reason or another can’t seem to get out of their own way and end up inflicting all kinds of damage on the people around them. The only way they’ll get out from under all their problems is to ‘Let that ego drop’ and let their feelings show. The answer is right there in front of them, in ‘the palm of your hand’”
Formed in L.A.’s South Bay in the late 70s, Descendents began as a power trio featuring bassist Tony Lombardo, drummer Bill Stevenson, and guitarist Frank Navetta (d. 2008). The band recruited vocalist Milo Aukerman in 1980 and set about acquainting themselves with the Southern California Punk movement. Over the years, the band has sustained a potent catalogue and single vision, further cementing them as US punk legends.
‘9th & Walnut’ is the location in Long Beach, Southern California, at which the band wrote their earliest music. The first release was the Fat EP back in 1981, then followed it up with the scene-defining ‘Milo Goes To College’ the following year. This much is known. What is about to unfold are the songs the group wrote before anyone had heard their name even if it’s the last thing they’ve released. (it’ll all make sense)
In 2002, the original four-piece lineup — Frank Navetta, Tony Lombardo, Bill Stevenson, and Milo Aukerman — got back into the studio to finally record their first-ever songs. The songs were written by the band before recording the ‘Fat EP’ (1981). In a (Wal)nut shell, this is the Descendents’ earliest material, something of a “lost” until now that is.
From the band’s distinct surf-beats to the crunching guitars, it’s all here. packed with a tonne of great melodies and harmonies. From the classic punk (“Sailor’s Choice,” “I’m Shaky”), antisocial gonzo punk (“You Make Me Sick”), Damn they even murder ‘Glad All Over’ (in a good way) marrying the harmonies with the rapid guitar attack taking ownership I guess. It’s eighteen songs in twenty-five minutes so there’s no time to get bored or skip tracks.
Some of these songs were written when Frank was only 14 years old.” When the band reconvened to record them, it was just like the earliest days: “We just fell right into our old mode. It was so natural.” said Frank. It’s incredible to think really and it must have been a lot of fun for the band to do, that urgency and youthful energy comes across in the recordings. the progtastic ‘Nightage’ clocking in at a ridiculous post two minutes is just showing off. ‘Mohicans’ is almost collage pop-rock with enthusiasm and loud guitars but the melody is poptastic.
There are freshly recorded versions of ‘Like the Way I Know,’ in all its sub-one-minute splendor. Descendents’ debut tracks “Ride the Wild” and ”It’s a Hectic World” (heard here for the first time with vocals by Milo). Considering these songs’ age (40 fuckin years) they sound as potent and fresh as the day they were written. Which is a tribute to both the band’s talent, enduring, and endearing qualities.
Californian punk bands are a much-maligned bunch and the ones who crashed and burnt tend to have the fondest regards looking back but to be fair and give credit where it’s due. Sure X, Germs and Fear delivered some seminal moments but it’s the bands who lasted the course that should get the biggest pat on the back and accolades like the Adolescents, Bad Religion and of course The Descendents. Cherish it and play it loud. Whilst it might not get the credit their latter releases get (which is fair) but it will make a very nice addition to a lot of people’s record collection mine included.
Pre-order ‘9th & Walnut’ HERE:
Descendents are vocalist Milo Aukerman, bassist Tony Lombardo, late guitarist Frank Navetta, and drummer Bill Stevenson.
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Author: Dom Daley
Mike Ness has a special message for the European fans: “We can’t wait to get back to Europe this coming June! We’ve missed our fans and all of your beautiful cities. Five years is WAY too long! See you soon.”
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