PENNYWISE

PENNYWISE:
Never Gonna Die
April 20, 2018
Epitaph

Jim Lindberg
Fletcher Dragge
Byron McMackin
Randy Bradbury

The Golden State represents power and possibility to many around the world, a place
where dreams are made but nightmares might come true. The cultural epicenter that is
California has been defined by so many monumental mile markers, from the silent film
era to skid row, from Disneyland to Ronald Reagan, from celebrity excess to social unrest.
Straight Outta Compton, Suffer, Master of Puppets, Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables –
as the late Tupac Shakur famously said, Cali is where “we riot, not rally.”

Few bands have endured with as much demonstrably California-encompassing vibrancy
as the Hermosa Beach, CA institution that is Pennywise. They reign unchallenged, outside
the margins of the mainstream, a staple on the SoCal radio airwaves and worldwide
festival circuit revered and championed by generations of fans filling theaters and clubs.
Pennywise possess the power to merge the subversive with the celebratory. Each
Pennywise record is chock full of fast-paced anthems expertly engineered to inspire
radical change, personal empowerment, relentless hijinks, and reckless fast times. On
paper it may read like a mess of contradictions, but on record, it sounds like California.
At this point, three decades since the band’s DIY beginnings, Pennywise classics like
“Same Old Story,” “Fuck Authority,” “Alien,” “Homesick,” and “Bro Hymn” are as
fundamental to punk rock and hardcore as stage dives and guitars.

The combustible chemistry between the diverse creative personalities within Pennywise
delivers some the culture’s strongest songs, obliterating the boring sameness of
easygoing attitudes with a push-and-pull process that hammers the strongest songwriting
and performances from each individual into a remarkable cohesive whole.

The defiantly titled Never Gonna Die is the first full album of brand new songs with singer
Jim Lindberg, guitarist Fletcher Dragge, drummer Byron McMackin, and bassist Randy
Bradbury in over ten years. It’s as timely as it is timeless, charging head first into the chaos
of the current climate of the world with the tried-and-true determined sound the
Pennywise faithful demand. Never Gonna Die was forged in the same space where the
band penned classic songs with late bassist Jason Thirsk and produced once again by rock
producer and close collaborator Cameron Webb (Motörhead, NOFX, Alkaline Trio).

“We Set Fire Tonight” is a furious resistance anthem challenging the “austerity measures”
around the world that deny basic social services to the most vulnerable.
“American Lies” cuts through the fog of disinformation and disingenuous worldviews,
rejecting partisan posturing in favor of true patriotism. “Can’t Be Ignored” is both selfexamination
and societal exhortation, addressing the ravenous hunger for more that
shatters the spirit and could literally destroy the world as we know it.
The title track demands an evolutionary shift in consciousness, pleading to put hundreds
of years of dogma to rest, to never accept those prejudices are “Never Gonna Die.”

“Live While You Can (Time Bomb)” is the Pennywise take on the timeless adages to live
while you can, enjoy today, and never let the bastards get you down. “Goodbye Bad
Times” further emphasizes the holistic side of the band’s ethos, a steadfast reminder of
the power of encouragement, personal empowerment and communal interdependence.
As ever, touring across the world playing with and playing to likeminded rabble rousers
and mischief makers, Pennywise summon all the best and brightest of SoCal punk spirit,
consciously exposing the world’s flaws as well as their own, and celebrating life loudly.

As the terrifying clown who shares the band’s namesake returns to the pop culture
consciousness, via a massively well-received movie adaptation and its forthcoming
sequel, so too has Pennywise – the band – reemerged at their absolute strongest. Forbes
Magazine said, “It doesn’t just float, It soars.” Pennywise? They effin’ scorch.

ANTI-FLAG

Music bestows a voice upon the voiceless. It provides a mouthpiece for the unheard to be heard. It amplifies the cries of the downtrodden in the face of oppression and tyranny. It’s the last line of dissent….

“Dissent is the highest form of patriotism.” – Howard Zinn

Since unleashing their seminal 1996 debut Die for the Government, Anti-Flag has empowered and emboldened the listeners of two generations beset with a new millennium stricken by war, racial upheaval, and financial collapse. The Pittsburgh, PA quartet—Justin Sane [vocals], Chris#2 [bass, vocals], Chris Head [guitar, vocals], and Pat Thetic [drums]—has consistently embodied a timeless punk spirit over the course of nine influential offerings, including The Terror State, For Blood and Empire, and most recently, 2015’s American Spring. The latter boasted appearances from icons such as Tom Morello and Tim Armstrong and yielded the anthem “Brandenburg Gate,” which cracked 1.3 million Spotify streams and counting. 

They’ve incinerated stages on tour alongside Rage Against The Machine, Sick of It All, Billy Talent, The Offspring, Rancid, and more in addition to festivals ranging from Coachella to the Vans Warped Tour. A cultural institution, they have spoken out on behalf of movements such as Occupy Together, Greenpeace, Sea Shepherd, and Amnesty International between launching their own label A-F and ANTIFest. 

As the world changed again with the controversial 2016 presidential election, the time felt ripe for Anti-Flag’s tenth and most definitive offering yet, American Fall [Spinefarm Records].

“There’s a focus on politics right now for obvious reasons,” says Chris#2. “When that happens, our band gets more attention. Being our tenth record, we wanted to make sure that we were true to ourselves. It had to sound like Anti-Flag. At the same time, London Calling is my favorite by The Clash because they took risks. Since they were in front of more eyes than ever, they didn’t play it safe. We wanted to push the envelope so we had a reason to put out another record when everyone was watching.”

Writing back home in Pittsburgh, the signature sound naturally evolved with slower grooves, tighter songcraft, thicker guitars, and bigger melodies. It provided the perfect musical counterpoint to the incendiary and inflammatory subject matter.

“Because we’re living in very divisive and dark times, we wanted to deliver our message in a way that wasn’t overbearing and oppressive to listeners,” adds Justin. “Getting a little more melodic makes the pill easier to digest. It became more impactful and simple.”

“Any fool can make something complicated. It takes a genius to make it simple.” – Woody Guthrie

Kicking off 2017, the boys traded snowy Pittsburgh in January for sunny Southern California where they would co-produce American Fall with Good Charlotte’s Benji Madden. His personal perspective proved indispensable in the studio.

“He understands that we know how to do this, but he also added a fresh take,” Chris#2 goes on. “It was cool to have him around on these songs, because many of them are structurally and sonically pretty catchy punk rock. We embraced the idea of writing singalongs and big hooks. We were all on a similar page going into this.”

“He had a great sense for feeling where something was heading and pushing it in that direction,” adds Justin. “That was a really impressive skill that he brought to the process.”

Introducing American Fall, opener and first single “American Attraction” hinges on a hulking drum beat and hummable guitars before snapping into an explosive chant. It’s quintessential Anti-Flag as far as the subject matter goes...

“We were definitely interested in talking about the politics of distraction on that one,” Justin exclaims. “The politics of distraction lead people to make choices that aren’t in their best interest. They follow leaders who are just using them and don’t care to actually do something positive for the country. When you live in a society that glorifies guns, drugs, and war, you become susceptible to those politics—while the individuals in charge are only worried about re-election. They don’t care about you.”

“Sooner or later, the people of this country are going to find out the government doesn’t give a fuck about them. Government doesn’t care about you. All they are interested in, is keeping and expanding their own power.” – George Carlin

Elsewhere on the record, “The Criminals” gallops ahead at full speed driven by a performance soaked in blood, sweat, and tears and pure punk fury. The acoustic guitar and chant of “When The Wall Falls” gives way to a buoyant groove, and “Casualty” caps everything off with a fitting middle finger, proclaiming “Try to shut us down, but we won’t be another casualty.”

Speaking directly to those in need, the lyrics to “Casualty” are accompanied by phone numbers for Trans Lifeline, Suicide Prevention, Domestic Violence, Crisis Text Line, and Trevor Project Lifeline. Moreover, the booklet includes essays, quotes, and writings of Nobel Prize winner Joseph Stiglitz, Peter Montgomery, Ryan Harvey, and more.

American Fall heralds another era for Anti-Flag as their impact remains as palpable as ever.

“We were on Warped Tour THIS summer,” recalls Pat. “Three-to-five trans folks would come to the booth and say hello to us every day. These same marginalized kids were at the shows 20 years ago, but they were afraid to express themselves. The fact that they are NOW empowered to be who they really are is incredible…the fact that they know they are welcomed by our band and community is awesome, the same goes for so many others who are feeling alienated and they are receiving that message loud and clear.”

In the end, American Fall does what Anti-Flag has always done—it inspires change.

“I want everybody to realize they’re not alone,” Chris#2 leaves off. “These conversations we’re having are ones that others are having too. Four kids from Pittsburgh don’t have all the answers, but we’re looking out the same window and realizing that the color and the shape of things isn’t what we want. However, we can band together with some likeminded individuals who feel the same way and turn it into the thing we want.”

“After all this, won’t you give me a smile.” – Joe Strummer

REEL BIG FISH

Reel Big Fish were one of the legions of Southern California ska-punk bands to edge into the mainstream following the mid-'90s success of No Doubt and Sublime. Like most of their peers, they were distinguished by their hyperkinetic stage shows, juvenile humor, ironic covers of new wave pop songs, and metallic shards of ska. The group cultivated an underground following that broke into the mainstream in summer 1997, when the single "Sell Out" became a modern rock radio and MTV favorite. Reel Big Fish's popularity gradually waned in the subsequent years, following the decline of ska-punk as a marketable genre. Nevertheless, the band restructured its lineup and continued issuing new material to a smaller (yet considerably rabid) fan base.

GrimSkunk

En novembre 1998, un local de pratique montréalais voit cinq jeunes punks unir leur rage pour jeter les bases de ce qui deviendra quelques mois plus tard GrimSkunk. Les premiers enregistrements de ces pionniers du rock alternatif au Québec témoignent d’une longue marche à travers une province vierge de toute structure de diffusion pour ce style musical. Autumn Flowers (1991), Exotic Blend (1992), Rooftop Killer (1993), GrimSkunk (1994) et Meltdown (1995) s'imposent comme une explosion punk-rock-métal, nuancée de quelques envolées progressives et psychédéliques. Rapidement, une vision internationaliste s'impose à la formation. Alors qu’elle passe des clubs aux salles prestigieuses de grande capacité, elle commence à se sentir à l'étroit au Québec. Après avoir traversé le Canada, le groupe met le cap sur l'Europe et les États-Unis. De ces nombreux périples, il enrichit ses nouvelles chansons d'influences des musiques du monde comme en attestent ses disques Fieldtrip (1998) puis, dans un registre plus pop, Seventh Wave (2002). Avec la même passion, GrimSkunk cultive son indépendance en créant sa propre étiquette de disques, Disques Indica, en 1997. En plus de ses propres productions, le groupe y accueille de nombreux acteurs de la scène locale pétris de talents mais en mal de structures : Les Trois Accords, Dobacaracol, Vulgaires Machins, Caféïne... et aussi plusieurs artistes étrangers réputés dont Tryo, Joseph Arthur, The Cat Empire. Après plus de trente années d'activités, le quintette dépasse allègrement le cap des 2.000 spectacles en carrière (devant plusieurs centaines de milliers de spectateurs) incluant de multiples apparitions dans des festivals internationaux prestigieux. Une passion pour la scène immortalisée sur le CD/DVD Live + DVD unplugged (2003). GrimSkunk ne s’essouffle pas au virage du nouveau millénaire et ravive même sa flamme à la parution de chaque nouvel album : Fires under the Road (2006), Set Fire! (2012) et Unreason in the Age of Madness (2018).

Major Lee

Né des cendres de la formation Nucléik, le quatuor alternatif francophone Major Lee, formé à Victoriaville [Québec] en 2004, est composé de Antoni Boluda [voix/basse], Frédérick Gagnon [guitare/voix], Sébastien Houle [guitare] & Dave Moreau [batterie].

Major Lee signe avec Les Disques Newrock et lance un 1er album "Ça passe [ou] ça casse" en avril 2005. Le groupe, vite reconnu pour ses prestations énergiques, prend plaisir à partager la scène avec des groupes comme Sum41, Yellowcard, Goldfinger, Grimskunk, Vulgaires Machins, Les 3 Accords, eXterio, Les Pistolets Roses, Kamakazi, Vans Warped Tour.

Major Lee sors un 2e album "Envers [et] contre tous" toujours sous l'étiquette Newrock en avril 2008.

Les Disques Newrock ferment leurs portes en 2011.

De retour en studio, un premier extrait "On couche en enfer" sort en mai 2016, laissant le temps au groupe d'enregistrer le 3e album "Jamais deux [sans] trois" qui sort finalement en septembre 2017.

EXTRAITS RADIO: Sors de mon lit [2005]; Salaam [2005]; Colombine [2006]; Les vieux chums [2007]; Ti-Q [2007]; Sexy mama [2008]; L'homme le plus fort du monde [2009]; Prends la porte [2009]; Québec Idol [2010]; On couche en enfer [2016]; Le premier jour du reste de ma vie [2017].

VIDÉO CLIPS: Sors de mon lit [2005]; Colombine [2006]; Les vieux chums [2007]; L'homme le plus fort du monde [2009]; On couche en enfer [2016].

The Hacked

The Hacked est un groupe de musique Punk originaire du Québec fondé à la fin de l’année 2016. Le groupe est formé de quatre amis de longue date; Dan au chant, Tom à la guitare, Vanak à la basse et Mat à la batterie. Dès leur début, ils enregistrent leur ep ‘’Speak The Truth’’ et se font rapidement une place dans la scène punk underground à Québec. Plus tard dans la même année, ils font deux concerts aux États-Unis à la suite de l’enregistrement d’un cd ‘’split’’ avec le groupe Unwanted Noise. Influencé par la musique punk des années 90’ et 2000’, ils jouent un son agressif mélangé de touches mélodiques.