Against Me!
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Against Me!
| For The Record... |
| Members include John Bowman, guitar; Tom Gabel (born c. 1980), vocals; Warren Oakes, drums; Andrew Seward, bass. Founder Tom Gabel wrote and performed songs around Gainesville, FL, 1997; John Bowman, Warren Oakes, and Andrew Seward joined c. 2001; released Against Me! Is Reinventing Axl Rose, 2001; As the Eternal Cowboy, 2002; released DVD We're Never going Home, 2004; Searching for a Former Clarity, 2005; Americans Abroad!!! Against Me!!! Live in London!!!, 2006; New Wave, 2007. Addresses: Record company—Sire Records, 936 Broadway, 5th Fl., New York, NY 10010. Management—Sabat Productions, Attn: Against Me!, P.O. Box 28, Gainesville, FL 32602. Web site—Against Me! Official Web site: http://www.againstme.net. |
Punk rock group
With their roots deeply entrenched in the punk genre, the band Against Me! has risen to near-celebrity status with several CDs and single releases. In addition to providing music for the anarchic masses, Against Me! has toured heavily since the band grew from one member to four. In a move that signaled their continual evolution as a band, Against Me! signed with record label Sire, home to the Replacements and The Cure, and released their first major label CD, New Wave, in 2007. While many appreciated this effort, a lot of people accused the band of selling out, which is frowned upon in the punk genre.
In 1997, Against Me! founder Tom Gabel began performing protest and folk songs in places around his hometown of Gainesville, Florida. He began adding members and writing lyrics. Band membership fluctuated until 2001, with the addition of drummer Warren Oakes, guitarist James Bowman, and bassist Andrew Seward.
Against Me! then released several singles and toured constantly, and their CD Against Me! Is Reinventing Axl Rose debuted in 2002. Of the album, Gabel explained to Matt Pullman of the e-zine Late Night Wallflower, "That's how I identify myself politically. … I feel like I said it how I wanted to say it." The band incorporated elements of punk and folk, and fans of the band grew in number. Against Me! toured across the country, earning more name recognition.
Following their first full-length record, Against Me! signed with Fat Wreck Records and released As the Eternal Cowboy in 2003. Ironically, as the group grew more popular, many purists felt the group was moving away from its punk roots when they signed with a more popular indie label. Following the CD release, the band toured and put together a DVD, titled We're Never Going Home, which chronicled their experiences on the road and being courted by major record labels. Against Me! also expanded their fan base and made several concert dates in Europe.
In 2005 the release Searching for a Former Clarity continued Against Me!'s evolution as one of the formidable bands in punk music. The CD was met with much fanfare and positive reviews. Steve Tauschke, in an interview on the True Punk web site, called the new release "a measured pairing of hardcore gusto and neo-folk acoustics that retains Gabel's anarcho-punkroots." Against Me! went on tour once again, this time as the headliner. Though their DVD made a mockery of the major record labels pursuing them, one label would not sign a media release form and eventually stopped chasing them: Sire. However, Sire returned and the band signed with them based on their track record of successful bands already on the roster.
Purists and fans were again in an uproar, accusing the band of crossing over to make more money and attain fame and recognition. The group also made an appearance on The Conan O'Brien Show that caused further grumblings from the naysayers. Those who love punk music tend to have anti-establishment views. The artists who perform in this genre are often not creating music to get rich or to become celebrities, but to help the masses stay focused on the cause. With singles such as "White People For Peace" and "Thrash Unreal," it would seem that Against Me! was continuing that (anti-establishment) tradition. Tom Gabel told Matt Schild on the Aversion web site, "There is a fine line when throwing around the term ‘sellout’. It's not necessarily getting big, but punk is commodified. … Industry wants to make money off it." Searching for a Former Clarity did well and even placed on Billboard 's Top 100 Albums list. The band's success led to an invitation to join the Warped Tour and to concert dates across the globe. Against Me! also released their first live concert album, Americans Abroad!!! Against Me!!! Live In London!!! under their old label, Fat Wreck.
New Wave, Against Me!'s first release on Sire, continued the rise of the band. Though still overall a punk record, New Wave had a slight rock edge to it that only garnered more success for the band. With this release, Against Me! was under the production of Butch Vig, who also produced the seminal Nirvana album Nevermind. The band followed with a tour and began preparing for their next release. With singer Tom Gabel's lyrics still entrenched in protest against mainstream and the band's innate ability for an entertaining live show, Against Me! should be looking toward continued success.
Selected discography
Against Me! Is Reinventing Axl Rose, No Idea, 2002.
As the Eternal Cowboy, Fat Wreck Chords, 2003.
Searching for a Former Clarity, Fat Wreck Chords, 2005.
Americans Abroad!!! Against Me!!! Live in London!!!, Fat Wreck Chords, 2006.
New Wave, Sire, 2007.
Sources
Online
"Against Me!," All Music Guide, http://www.allmusic.com/ (January 10, 2008).
"Against Me!" As the Eternal Cowboy, Scene Point Blank, http://www.scenepointblank.com/reviews/103 (January 10, 2008).
"Against Me!: The Grooveshark Interview," Grooveshark, http://www.grooveshark.com/blog/2007/12/08/against-me-interview/ (January 10, 2008).
"Against Me! Interview," Let's Sing It, http://artists.letssingit.com/against-me-against-me-interview-vft4h/news/256211/1 (January 10, 2008).
"Against Me! Interview," Mammoth Press, http://mammothpress.com/index.php?area=readinterview&pid=156 (January 10, 2008).
"Against Me! New Wave," Scene Point Blank, http://www.scenepointblank.com/reviews/1410 (January 10, 2008).
"Against Me! Searching for a Former Clarity," Scene Point Blank, http://www.scenepointblank.com/reviews/633 (January 10, 2008).
"Interview: Against Me!," Scene Point Blank, http://www.scenepointblank.com/features/96 (January 10, 2008).
"Interview: Against Me!," Skratch Magazine, http://www.skratchmagazine.com/interviews/interviews.php?id=114 (January 10, 2008).
"An Interview with Against Me!," Meshsf, http://meshsf.com/newpage/meshsf/article.php?id=212§ionid=19 (January 10, 2008).
"Interview With Against Me!," True Punk, http://www.truepunk.com/interviews/against_me/ (January 10, 2008).
"An Interview With Tom Gabel Of Against Me!," Late Night Wallflower, http://www.latenightwallflower.com/site/2006/09/page/2 (January 10, 2008).
"Interviews: Tom Gabel of Against Me!," Punknews, http://www.punknews.org/article/15414 (January 10, 2008).
"Music Interview: No one's against Against Me!," University of Calgary Gauntlet, http://gauntlet.ucalgary.ca/a/story/5666 (January 10, 2008).
"Tom Gabel of Against Me!," A.V. Club, http://www.avclub.com/content/interview/tom_gabel_of_against_me (January 10, 2008).
AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Artists:
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Against Me!
- Genres: Rock
Biography
Before becoming a full-fledged punk band, Against Me! was an acoustic solo project spearheaded by Tom Gabel, who began playing shows as a 17-year-old in Gainesville, Florida. Starting in 1997, Gabel performed as a solo act wherever anyone would have him, drawing much influence from early acoustic protest music. By 2001, he'd beefed up his sound with the help of a full band -- including guitarist James Bowman, drummer Warren Oakes, and bassist Andrew Seward -- but there would always be some anarchism and Billy Bragg in the group's raucous braggadocio. After a few initial 12" and 7" releases, Against Me! issued the fan favorite Reinventing Axl Rose in 2002. The underground hit blended elements of punk, folk, and country into socially conscious and impassioned anthems. Continuing their reputation of always being on the road, the musicians logged countless tour dates around the country in support of their early material.A slightly more polished album, As the Eternal Cowboy, was released in 2003 on the indie label Fat Wreck, followed by a compilation of that album's demos titled The Original Cowboy. After the release of a DVD (We're Never Going Home) and another 7", the band returned with its most mature effort to date, 2005's Searching for a Former Clarity. A subsequent headlining tour in support of the introspective, politically aggressive album saw Against Me! proudly hitting every U.S. state, and they signed with Sire Records in December 2005. Later they issued a rough version of Searching for a Former Clarity, titled Total Clarity. They were back on the road by spring 2006, this time opening for the Alkaline Trio, and spent the summer months playing the main stage at the Warped Tour. Though the guys were officially signed to Sire's roster, they released their last indie album in the form of Americans Abroad!!! Against Me!!! Live in London!!!, a concert album recorded while on tour in London with Murder by Death.
In July 2007, the band's major-label debut -- New Wave, a decidedly more rock-oriented record produced by Butch Vig -- hit shelves. New Wave was the first album by Against Me! with no acoustic tracks; it was also their first on a major label's tab. Reviews were generally favorable, and the band toured heavily in support of its release. By the summer of 2009, drummer Warren Oakes had officially left the group to pursue an alternate career as a restaurateur, eventually opening up a Tex-Mex eatery in Gainesville. Hot Water Music's George Rebelo joined in his place, and the revised lineup re-enlisted Butch Vig to produce the White Crosses album, which appeared in mid-2010. ~ Johnny Loftus, Rovi
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
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Against Me!
| Against Me! | |
|---|---|
 Left to right: Seward, Weinberg, Gabel, and Bowman in 2011 |
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Naples, Florida, United States |
| Genres | Punk rock |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Labels | Misanthrope, Crasshole, Plan-It-X, No Idea, Sabot, Fat Wreck Chords, Sire, Total Treble |
| Associated acts | Hot Water Music, The Draft, Forgetters |
| Website | againstme.net |
| Members | |
| Tom Gabel Andrew Seward James Bowman Jay Weinberg |
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| Past members | |
| Kevin Mahon Dustin Fridkin Warren Oakes George Rebelo |
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Against Me! is an American punk rock band formed in Naples, Florida in 1997 by singer and guitarist Tom Gabel. Since 2002 the band's lineup has also included guitarist James Bowman and bassist Andrew Seward; current drummer Jay Weinberg joined in 2010. After releasing three studio albums through independent record labels, Against Me! moved to Sire Records for 2007's New Wave, which reached no. 57 on the Billboard 200. Their fifth and most recent album, 2010's White Crosses, was their most successful, reaching no. 34. In 2011 the band launched their own record label, Total Treble Music, through which they plan to release future albums. In 2012 Gabel publicly came out as transgender, with plans to begin a medical process to live as a woman and eventually take the name Laura Jane Grace while continuing to front Against Me!. The first album expected to feature Laura Jane Grace as frontwoman is Transgender Dysphoria Blues.[1]
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Contents
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Biography
1997–2002: Formation and Reinventing Axl Rose
Against Me! was formed in 1997 by singer/guitarist Tom Gabel as a solo act, occasionally performing with backing musicians. The first Against Me! release was an eponymously-titled 1997 cassette demo. With the addition of drummer Kevin Mahon, a second demo, Vivida Vis! (1998), was released in limited numbers by Misanthrope Records. The band's first EP, Against Me!, was released in 2000 through Crasshole Records. Their first widely-distributed release was the EP Crime as Forgiven by Against Me! (2001), released by Plan-It-X Records and Gabel's own Sabot Productions. A third EP, an eponymously-titled acoustic recording by Gabel and bassist Dustin Fridkin, was released later that year.
Mahon left the band and was replaced by Warren Oakes, and second guitarist James Bowman was added for the band's first album, 2002's Against Me! Is Reinventing Axl Rose, released by No Idea Records. Fridkin left and was replaced by Andrew Seward, and this lineup released the single "The Disco Before the Breakdown" (2002).
2003–05: As the Eternal Cowboy and Searching for a Former Clarity
Against Me! signed to Fat Wreck Chords and released their second album, 2003's Against Me! as the Eternal Cowboy. It reached no. 36 on Billboard's Top Independent Albums chart and was supported by singles for "Cavalier Eternal" and "Sink, Florida, Sink".[2] The DVD We're Never Going Home followed, documenting their Spring 2004 tour. 2005's Searching for a Former Clarity was their first album to chart on the Billboard 200, reaching no. 114.[3] It spawned singles for "Don't Lose Touch" and "From Her Lips to God's Ears (The Energizer)", which also became the band's first music videos. The live album Americans Abroad!!! Against Me!!! Live in London!!! followed in 2006.
2005–10: New Wave and White Crosses
Against Me! moved to Sire Records for 2007's New Wave, produced by Butch Vig. It debuted at no. 57 on the Billboard 200 and featured their first charting single, "Thrash Unreal", which reached no. 11 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart.[3][4] "White People for Peace", "Stop!", and "New Wave" were also released as singles, and New Wave was named as Spin's album of the year.[5] The DVD Live at the Key Club followed later that year. In 2008 Against Me! supported Foo Fighters on a North American tour, and Sire released the digital EP New Wave B-Sides.[6][7]
Oakes left the band in June 2009, in part to focus on running his Mexican food restaurant.[8][9] "I didn't want to play music with Warren anymore", said Gabel, "it's been a long time coming. Warren's heart hasn't been in this for a while now."[8] Oakes was replaced by Hot Water Music drummer George Rebelo.[9] The following month Fat Wreck Chords released The Original Cowboy, an album of demo recordings from the Against Me! as the Eternal Cowboy sessions.[10]
On August 17, 2009, Against Me! headed into the studio with New Wave producer Butch Vig.[11] Their fifth studio album, White Crosses, was released on June 8, 2010.[12] Against Me! joined Billy Talent on tour in Canada in March 2010, and also supported the Silversun Pickups during a US tour starting June 2010 .[13] The band for this tour includes former keyboardist for The Hold Steady and World/Inferno Friendship Society, Franz Nicolay.
Against Me! released their second album with Sire, White Crosses, on June 4, 2010.[14] The band announced the release of an EP for the song "I Was A Teenage Anarchist" to be released on April 20, 2010.[15] However, on April 7 the EP was released on iTunes for users in the US and Canada, with the previously stated April 20 release date for those in other countries.[16]
On September 29, 2010, just over a day before the start of their Australia/ New Zealand tour, Against Me! cancelled all of their upcoming shows, due to a "culmination of circumstances" and having "to take some time off from touring to go home and sort things out."[17][18] November 28 saw the arrival of a new post on Gabel's blog, saying that Against Me! have cut ties with Sire.[19]
2010–present: Transgender Dysphoria Blues and recent activity
November 2010 saw Against Me!'s departure from Sire Records, their first (and only) major label. Following a two-month hiatus from touring, the band spoke for the first time since their tour cancellation, talking of their upcoming December 2010 shows, which saw Jay Weinberg cover for George Rebelo on drums, as he toured with Hot Water Music.[20]
Throughout December 2010, Gabel spoke of George Rebelo's intentions to record an album with his primary band Hot Water Music.[21] In January 2011, Weinberg was officially confirmed as Against Me!'s new drummer.[22] Total Clarity, an album of demos and unreleased songs from the Searching for a Former Clarity sessions, was released on May 24, 2011 through Fat Wreck Chords.[23]
Gabel has expressed his desire to release at least one album per year for the next decade[24] and that he hopes to record Against Me!'s sixth studio album in Winter 2011.[25] As well as this, he spoke of releasing a 7" on Sabot Productions before Summer 2011, featuring two original songs. This was announced as being Russian Spies / Occult Enemies, which was released on June 14, 2011. In the same studio session, the band recorded a cover of the theme song for a season 8 episode of One Tree Hill, which aired May 3.[26]
On June 3, 2011 the band announced that they started their own record label, Total Treble Music.[27] In September 2011, Gabel built a recording studio in Elkton, Florida, for future Against Me! projects.[28] The studio has since been named Total Treble Studio.[29] The first band to record an album in the studio are Cheap Girls from Lansing, Michigan, with their album Giant Orange.[30][31]
Against Me! started recording their sixth studio album, entitled Transgender Dysphoria Blues[32] in February 2012, at Total Treble Studio;[33] the album is a concept record about a transgender prostitute.[34]That May, Gabel publicly came out as transgender, having dealt with gender dysphoria since childhood.[35][36] Gabel plans to transition to living as a woman by taking hormones, undergoing electrolysis treatments, and eventually taking the name Laura Jane Grace.[35] "I felt like I drop-kicked them in the face," Gabel said of informing the other members of Against Me! "We had the most awkward hug ever, and then they left. And the second I shut the door, I was like, 'What the fuck did I just do?'"[36] Gabel will continue fronting the band, saying "However fierce our band was in the past, imagine me, six-foot-two, in heels, fucking screaming into someone's face."[36]
Band members
| 1997 Against Me! (demo) |
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|---|---|
| 1998–2001 Vivida Vis! Against Me! (EP) Crime as Forgiven by Against Me! |
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| 2001 Against Me! (EP) |
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| 2001–02 Against Me! Is Reinventing Axl Rose |
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| 2002–09 "The Disco Before the Breakdown" Against Me! as the Eternal Cowboy Searching for a Former Clarity Americans Abroad New Wave |
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| 2009–10 White Crosses |
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| 2010–present "Russian Spies / Occult Enemies" Transgender Dysphoria Blues |
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- Current members
- Tom Gabel – guitar, lead vocals (1997–present)
- James Bowman – guitar, vocals (2001–present)
- Andrew Seward – bass, vocals (2002–present)
- Jay Weinberg – drums, percussion (2010–present)
- Former members
- Kevin Mahon – drums, percussion, vocals (1998–2001)
- Dustin Fridkin – bass, vocals (1998, 2001–2002)
- Warren Oakes – drums, percussion (2001–2009)
- George Rebelo – drums, percussion (2009–2010)
- Touring members
- Franz Nicolay - piano, keyboards, accordion, vocals (2010)
- Tyson Yerex - piano, keyboards, guitar (2009–2010)
- Adam Trachsel - bass (2010)
Discography
Main article: Against Me! discography
- Studio albums
- Against Me! Is Reinventing Axl Rose (2002)
- Against Me! as the Eternal Cowboy (2003)
- Searching for a Former Clarity (2005)
- New Wave (2007)
- White Crosses (2010)
- Transgender Dysphoria Blues (2012)
References
- ^ http://music.cbc.ca/#/blogs/2012/5/Against-Mes-Tom-Gabel-Comes-Out-As-Transgender
- ^ "Against Me! Album & Song Chart History: Top Independent Albums". Billboard charts. http://www.billboard.com/#/artist/against-me/chart-history/558350?f=326&g=Albums. Retrieved 2009-09-07.
- ^ a b "Against Me! Album & Song Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard charts. Archived from the original on 16 June 2010. http://www.billboard.com/#/artist/against-me/chart-history/558350. Retrieved 2010-06-17.
- ^ "Against Me! Album & Song Chart History: Alternative Songs". Billboard charts. Archived from the original on 22 June 2010. http://www.billboard.com/#/artist/against-me/chart-history/558350?f=377&g=Singles. Retrieved 2010-06-22.
- ^ Kandell, Steve (2008-01-01). "Album of the Year: Against Me!". Spin. http://www.spin.com/articles/album-year-against-me. Retrieved 2012-05-10.
- ^ "Tours: Foo Fighters / Against Me! (Canada)". Punknews.org. 2007-12-10. http://www.punknews.org/article/26874. Retrieved 2012-05-10.
- ^ "Against Me! Release Digital EP of New Wave B-sides". Punknews.org. 2008-07-31. http://www.punknews.org/article/29884. Retrieved 2012-05-10.
- ^ a b "Warren Oakes Leaves Against Me!". Punknews.org. 2009-06-09. http://www.punknews.org/article/33895. Retrieved 2012-05-11.
- ^ a b "George Rebelo (Hot Water Music) Joins Against Me!". Punknews.org. 2009-06-15. http://www.punknews.org/article/33987. Retrieved 2012-05-11.
- ^ "Against Me! to release The Original Cowboy on Fat this summer". Punknews.org. 2009-04-23. http://www.punknews.org/article/33222. Retrieved 2012-05-11.
- ^ "Against Me! title next album". Punknews.org. 2009-10-19. Archived from the original on 27 October 2009. http://www.punknews.org/article/35640. Retrieved 2009-10-19.
- ^ Cizmar, Martin (2010-04-05). "Against Me! Announces Tracklist, Release Date for White Crosses... Wait A Minute, Didn't I Already Hear That Record? - Phoenix Music - Up on the Sun". Blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com. Archived from the original on 16 June 2010. http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/uponsun/2010/04/against_me_announces_tracklist.php. Retrieved 2010-06-08.
- ^ "Tour : Against Me". [1]. 2010-06-13. http://www.againstme.net/events.
- ^ [2][dead link]
- ^ ""I Was A Teenage Anarchist" EP and new album "White Crosses" ... - MySpace-blog | van Against Me!". Blogs.myspace.com. http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=18625122&blogId=532251298. Retrieved 2010-06-08.
- ^ "Digital EP now available on Itunes in US/Canada - MySpace-blog | van Against Me!". Blogs.myspace.com. http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=18625122&blogId=532391642. Retrieved 2010-06-08.
- ^ http://www.againstme.net/news/12590
- ^ http://ifeelsicktomystomach.blogspot.com/2010/11/all-apologies.html
- ^ http://ifeelsicktomystomach.blogspot.com/2010/11/all-apologies.html
- ^ http://ifeelsicktomystomach.blogspot.com/2010/11/all-apologies.html
- ^ http://www.rocksound.tv/features/article/tom-gabel-on-against-mes-future-no-label-new-drummer
- ^ http://www.againstme.net/news/21371
- ^ "Total Clarity". Fat Wreck Chords. http://www.fatwreck.com/record/detail/744. Retrieved 2011-04-16.
- ^ http://www.spin.com/articles/tom-gabel-talks-future-against-me
- ^ http://melbournesound.wordpress.com/2011/04/16/against-me-interview-with-tom-gabel/
- ^ http://ifeelsicktomystomach.blogspot.com/2011/04/summer-tour-2011.html
- ^ http://www.punknews.org/article/42893
- ^ http://www.interpunk.com/item.cfm?Item=198920&
- ^ http://www.punknews.org/article/45537
- ^ http://thepunksite.com/interviews.php?page=againstme2011
- ^ http://www.punknews.org/article/45537
- ^ http://music.cbc.ca/#/blogs/2012/5/Against-Mes-Tom-Gabel-Comes-Out-As-Transgender
- ^ http://www.punknews.org/article/46185
- ^ http://music.cbc.ca/#/blogs/2012/5/Against-Mes-Tom-Gabel-Comes-Out-As-Transgender
- ^ a b "Tom Gabel of Against Me! Comes Out as Transgender". Rolling Stone. 2012-05-08. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/tom-gabel-of-against-me-comes-out-as-transgender-20120508. Retrieved 2012-05-08.
- ^ a b c Montgomery, James (2012-05-10). "Tom Gabel Reveals Details of Transgender Life in Rolling Stone". mtv.com. MTV. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1684887/tom-gabel-against-me-transgender-rolling-stone.jhtml. Retrieved 2012-05-10.
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