Bomb the Music Industry!

Bomb the Music Industry!
Jeff Rosenstock, Rick Johnson, and Matt Kurz (L to R).
Background information
Origin	Baldwin, Nassau County, New York, USA
Genres	Punk rock, Ska punk
Years active	2004–present
Labels	Quote Unquote Records, Asian Man Records
Associated acts	The Arrogant Sons of Bitches, Rick Johnson Rock and Roll Machine, The Matt Kurz One, Pegasuses-XL, Shinobu, Kudrow
Website	www.bombthemusicindustry.com
Members
Jeff Rosenstock (Guitar, Vocals) John DeDomenici (Bass, Vocals) Mike Costa (Drums) Tom Malinowska (Guitar) Laura Stevenson (Keyboards) Matt Keegan (Guitar, Trombone, Keys) Sean McCabe (Trombone, Mandolin) James Lynch Dave Solomon Jason Rutcofsky Jenna Beatty Ambrose Nzams Steve Foote Sean Qualls Christine Mackie Nik Cousins Craig Howe Rick Johnson Matt Kurz Jimmy Doyle Jeff Tobias

Bomb the Music Industry! (commonly abbreviated as BtMI!) is a musical collective originally from Baldwin, Nassau County, New York. They write, produce, record, and distribute all of their music under the leadership of songwriter and producer Jeff Rosenstock.

They are known for their DIY punk ethic, embodied in such actions such as distributing six albums worth of their own material for free on their website, and offering free stencils and paint for fans to create their own T-shirts.^[1][2] They also offer their fans a chance to perform on stage if they learn a song and bring their instrument to the show. Beginning in April 2009, the band only plays all-ages shows with ticket prices of $10 or less.

Rosenstock and several other contributors were previously members of The Arrogant Sons of Bitches. As that band was breaking up, Rosenstock recorded the first BtMI! song, "Sweet Home Cananada," using his PowerBook's built-in microphone. "I wrote that song and put it out to see if anybody wanted it. That was how it started, people showed interest and I like recording stuff."^[3]

Style

Bomb the Music Industry! plays a blend of several musical styles anchored in ska and hardcore punk. 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 video games. Tracks such as "Sweet Home Cananada" and "Future 86" strip down the arrangements to barebones loops and guitar, with the latter (a previously unreleased Arrogant Sons of Bitches demo) featuring a full brass section but lacking the upstroke rhythms on the guitar, a key element of third-wave ska.^[4][5][6]

Lyrically, BTMI songs vary widely from furious rants about corporate rock to ordinary stories about finding a job. They also use a good deal of humor, as in "Can I Pay My Rent In Fun?" and "Sorry, Brooklyn. Dancing Won't Solve Anything." One interviewer described the band as "ska for smart people." Jeff Rosenstock responded, "...you could call us ska music for smart people or indie rock for dumbasses at the same time. That's nice that somebody thinks we're smart."^[3]

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, playing guitar and saxophone. 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 Wisconsin.

Throughout June 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. On October 4, 2008 the band entered the studio to record their next album titled Scrambles, which was released February 15, 2009. The album Others! Others! Volume 1 was released on May 7 of 2009, an album of demos, unreleased songs, and bonus tracks.

In an August 8, 2009 blog post on their MySpace, Bomb the Music Industry! announced the creation of their first music video for the song Wednesday Night Drinkball.^[7] Directed by Bryan Schlam, the video depicts Rosenstock and fellow band members singing to the song and handing him instruments to play as they drive through a city at night.

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)

Discography

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"

References

External links

• Official website
• Quote Unquote Records
• Official MySpace page
• Official band forum
• Bomb The Music Industry! lyrics
• Bootleg/live set website