strung-out

Strung Out
Strung Out in Adelaide, July 2008.
Background information
Genres	Punk rock Melodic hardcore Skate punk
Years active	1989–present
Labels	Fat Wreck Chords
Members
Jason Cruz Jake Kiley Rob Ramos Chris Aiken Jordan Burns
Former members
Jim Cherry

Strung Out is a punk rock band from Simi Valley, California, USA formed in 1992. They are known mainly for their musical style, which fuses aspects of punk rock and heavy metal to form their primary sound. They have released seven albums on Fat Wreck Chords and appeared on numerous compilations and skate/surf videos. They have played on the Warped Tour and continue to tour internationally.

Biography

The band formed in 1992 in Simi Valley, California. The original lineup consisted of vocalist Jason Cruz, guitarists Jake Kiley and Rob Ramos, bassist Jim Cherry and drummer Adam Austin. After releasing a self-titled 7" record, they became one of the first bands to be signed to Fat Wreck Chords, the record label owned and operated by Fat Mike of the band NOFX. Austin left the band in 1992 and was replaced by Brad Morrison who also left the band and was replaced on drums by Jordan Burns, formerly of fellow Simi Valley natives Ten Foot Pole. Their first album, Another Day in Paradise, was released in May 1994. Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues followed in 1996. In 1998 they released The Skinny Years...Before We Got Fat, a compilation album of their pre-Fat Wreck Chords material.

Strung Out playing at Club Duo in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan

The band showed notable musical growth on their 1998 album Twisted by Design, which was both speedy and technical but also with darker overtones. The album established a mixture of the fast, poppy sound the band had established with Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues but mixed it with more atonality and more abstract song structures.

Bassist Jim Cherry left the band in 1999 and went on to play in Pulley and Zero Down, but died of heart failure in 2002. He was replaced by Chris Aiken, whose musical background had a strong impact on the 2000 album The Element of Sonic Defiance.

In 2002 the band released their fourth full-length album An American Paradox, their first release to appear in the Billboard Top 200. The initial production run contained a bonus song entitled "Don't Look Back". A video was filmed for the song "Cemetery" and was included on several punk rock video compilations. In 2003 they recorded and released a live album as part of the Fat Wreck Chords Live in a Dive series. Exile in Oblivion, was released in 2004, with a video filmed for the song "Analog." Strung Out recently finished recording their sixth full-length album, Blackhawks Over Los Angeles, which was released June 12, 2007.

While on tour with Evergreen Terrace in the fall of 2007 in Philadelphia PA, the band's van was stolen, which contained their equipment, merchandise, and personal belongings. The band continued the tour, traveling and playing with instruments provided by supporting acts I Am Ghost and Evergreen Terrace. Surprisingly, the same event has happened to ska/punk act Suburban Legends at the same hotel.

When they are not touring or making music, Jason Cruz enjoys life as an artist, Jordan is a co-owner of Moto XXX along with NOFX drummer Erik Sandin. Rob Ramos works in the film industry, and Jake gives occasional musical lessons.

In March 2009, Strung Out released a collection of rarities & b-sides entitled Prototypes and Painkillers. The album will be the second such compilation from the band who previously compiled material on The Skinny Years: Before We Got Fat in 1998.

On September 29, 2009, Strung Out plan on releasing a their 7th studio album titled Agents of the Underground.

In October 2009, Strung Out will be touring with Nations Afire.

Band Members

Current members

• Jason Alexander Cruz - vocals DOB: Feb 06, 1974
• Jake Ira Kiley - guitar DOB: June 19, 1975
• Rob Ramos - guitar
• Chris Aiken - bass DOB: June 3, 1975
• Jordan Burns - drums

Past members

• Brad Morrison - drums (1992 - 1993)
• Jim Cherry - bass (1992 - 1999) (d. 2002)
• Adam Austin - drums (1990 - 1992)

Discography

Albums

• Another Day in Paradise (1994)
• Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues (1996)
• Twisted by Design (1998)
• An American Paradox (2002)
• Exile In Oblivion (2004)
• Blackhawks Over Los Angeles (2007)
• Agents of the Underground (2009)

7"s and EPs

• "Somnombulance" 7" first ever recorded
• Strung Out 7"
• split 7" with Jughead's Revenge
• split 7" with Blount (1995)
• Crossroads and Illusions (1998) CD-EP
• The Element of Sonic Defiance (2000) CD-EP
• Fat Club 7" (2001)

Compilations, Soundtracks, and Live Albums

• The Skinny Years...Before We Got Fat (1998)
• Live In A Dive: Strung Out (2003)
• Prototypes and Painkillers (2009)

Non-album tracks and B-sides

• Punk Sucks compilation (1995) - "Support Your Troops"
• Split 7" with Blount (1995) - "Somnombulance" (demo version)
• Punk Bites compilation (1996) - "Wrong Side Of The Tracks" (demo version)
• The Fearless Flush Sampler compilation (1997) - "Jacqueline" (Jackie O demo version), "Season Of The Witch"
• Punk Bites Vol. 2 compilation (1997) - "Just Like Me" (demo version)
• Fat Music Vol. III: Physical Fatness compilation (1998) - "Ultimate Devotion" (demo version)
• The Show soundtrack (1998) - "Betrayal"(old version)
• As a Matter of Fact compilation (1998) - "Jacqueline" (Jackie O demo version), "American Lie," "Through Your Fingers"
• Before You Were Punk 2 compilation (1999) - "Every Breath You Take" (originally performed by The Police)
• Short Music for Short People compilation (1999) - "Klawsterfobia"
• Fat Music Vol. V: Live Fat, Die Young compilation (2000) - "Novacain"
• Punk Goes Metal compilation (2000) - "Bark at the Moon" (originally performed by Ozzy Osbourne)
• Beyond Cyberpunk compilation (2001) - "Betrayal" (new version)
• Fat Music Vol. VI: Uncontrollable Fatulence compilation (2001) - "Your Worst Mistake"
• Punk Goes Acoustic compilation (2003) - "Velvet Alley" (acoustic version)
• Rock Against Bush, Vol. 1 compilation (2004) - "No Voice of Mine" (demo version)
• Crusty Demons of Dirt: the Soundtrack (2004)
• Punk Rock Mixtape 2006 compilation (2006) - "Analog" punkradiocast.com
• Edge 103.9 (Acoustic Live & Rare Compilation) (2006) - "Angeldust" (acoustic version)
• Kingrock Entertainment, Listen Up, Vol. #1 - "All the Nations" http://www.interpunk.com/item.cfm?Item=69240&

Videography

Music Videos

• "Bring Out Your Dead" from Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues - appears on Peepshow VHS (Fat Wreck Chords 1997)
• "Mind Of My Own" from Twisted By Design - appears on Peepshow Vol. 2 VHS (Fat Wreck Chords 1998)
• "Cemetery" from An American Paradox - appears on Peepshow Vol. 3 DVD (Fat Wreck Chords 2003) and Cinema Beer Buddy DVD (Hopeless Records 2002)
• "Analog" from Exile In Oblivion
• "Calling" from Blackhawks Over Los Angeles

Charts

Album - Billboard (North America)

• Peak Position: The Billboard 200 #185 in 200]

References

External links

• Official website
• Strung Out at MySpace
• Review on Prototypes And Painkillers / source: www.Punk76.com
• Interview and arm wrestle with Jason and Jordan
• Fat Wreck Chords – Strung Out's record label
• Strung Out cover feature (Distorted online punkrock magazine)
• Interview with Strung Out (audio format only
• Our second interview with Strung Out
• Strung Out interview May 2009
• Skratch Magazine: article
• Concert live wire: interview
• Interview at The Land Salmon
• Interview with Chris Aiken
• Interview With Jake Kiley