Bouncing Souls confirm Dublin show

intoxicated

www.toxicpromotions.net presents:

Bouncing Souls
+ special guests The Draft (ex Hot Water Music)

The Voodoo Lounge
Saturday 17th of February 2006

Tickets onsale next week www.tickets.ie

http://www.bouncingsouls.com
http://www.myspace.com/bouncingsouls
http://www.thedraftband.com
http://www.myspace.com/thedraft
http://www.myspace.com/hotwatermusic


BOUNCING SOULS

Asbury Park, NJ is Bruce Springsteens town. Theres no two ways about it. So when The Bouncing Souls moved there to write what would become The Gold Record, Bruces old ghosts, spirits which permeate the area, were almost sure to appear. It happens to anyone whos ever been to a rock show at The Stone Pony, Asburys most famous jaunt. Ive seen it time and time again. ****, Ive even seen the Souls cover Springsteen at the Pony. Anyway, in 1999 Springsteen made it into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame for the songwriting abilities he honed on the Jersey Shore. In 2006 its fitting that the Souls create their latest album on the same hallowed streets. The result is undoubtedly the Bouncing Souls greatest achievement in songwriting and what will be one of the best albums of the year.

Sure, the Bouncing Souls have written some great tunes, but never have so many been put onto one cohesive disc. All the energy of their first few albums are evident as well as the youthful melody of their latter ones. The difference here is an obvious maturity in their ability to craft a multi-layered song that isnt overly complicated and still accessible to old school fans.

The first track, The Gold Song serves as a proper introduction. You can picture it as a fist-pumping, show-opener for years to come. When the chorus comes around and singer Greg Attonito boasts I heard someone say that nothing gold can stay, but theres a love in all our souls and it shines like gold, you realize the Bouncing Souls wear their souls on their sleeves and yes you can feel the love.

The second track is where I mostly draw the Springsteen parallel. Its called, oddly enough, So Jersey and its a love song about risking it all, growing up and the music that provides the soundtrack of hope. The ever-so faint backdrop of piano provides a touch of straight up rock n roll, right out of Born to Run. It works beautifully and takes the song to a whole new level, a level only a punk band with the integrity of the Bouncing Souls could pull off without sounding manufactured. The E-Street Band would be proud.

While most of the songs are about love, life, music, and the unspoken for, the lyrics to one of the most heartfelt songs werent even written by the band. They were written by a soldier with the U.S. military. Letters From Iraq stems from a page on bouncingsouls.com featuring soul baring insight into the thoughts and feelings of soldiers overseas. To hear the words from the pen of someone living in a warzone can be downright chilling. Underneath the palms, theres improvised bombs. Because, Jihad Johnny knows Yankee is a liar. Back that up with a thumping beat and youve got yourself the protest song Anti-Flag wish they wrote.

Theres been plenty of positive words written about the Bouncing Souls over the years. I asked a friend not too long ago if he liked them and his response was who doesnt like the Bouncing Souls? Theyve cemented themselves as a group a lot of bands want to be and you know something? They just get better as time goes on. To hear them do what they do is pure love and when youre that passionate about something, the love does indeed shine like gold.


THE DRAFT

Reinvention can be a bitch. But for the men behind The Draft three-fourths of whom recently crawled from the wreckage of the now-defunct, legendary post-punk outfit Hot Water Music taking a powder was never, ever an option. Instead, frontman/guitarist Chris Wollard, bassist/spokesman Jason Black and drummer George Rebelo the nucleus of what became this new band stared down their collective doubts and insecurities, flipped off their detractors, recruited a new guitarist in longtime associate Todd Rockhill and took the next evolutionary step.
Although their captivating, incendiary debut offering is called In A Million Pieces, its by no means a reflection of The Draft. Arguably as cohesive an album, if not more so, than anything HWM ever laid down in its decade-plus of existence, the disc is downright daring in certain respects. And with that notion, Blacks enthusiasm comes as little surprise. Theres nothing on this one that I want to bury, he says proudly. I love all twelve songs.

The cathartic but melodic Alive Or Dead from which the disc draws its title is as much of a vibrant, memorable anthem as it is a testimonial to the difficulties ushered in by unexpected change. Not to be outdone, the simply awesome All We Can Count On with its irresistible, chant-along refrain and xylophone touches is just another in a number of vigorous swings on an album conceived and realized with the shackles off.

I think we all knew there was no way that we wouldnt just completely start over as a new band, Black explains. We always said that the minute one of us walked away from Hot Water, then that was it. But it was totally scary. At the same time, I dont think we had the desire to keep pushing it as Hot Water Music. Wed done a lot.

With a new moniker derived from old school military connotations in place, the band soldiered forth, driving up to the new Baltimore facility of longtime HWM producer Brian McTernan to cut demos in the Spring of 2005. While iconic punk guitarist Brian Baker (of Bad Religion, Dag Nasty and Minor Threat fame) was in tow for those early sessions and toyed with the thought of joining The Draft, it wasnt until the addition of Rockhill a man with one of the coolest genuine surnames in music that the lineup cemented and In A Million Pieces was perfected.

Initially we wanted to just be a three-piece but after writing for a while we knew that by the time we got out of the studio we wouldnt be able to pull it off live, Black explains. Weve known Todd for almost ten years, He played in a band called Discount that Hot Water went to Europe with in 99 and we knew he was a super good guitar player. Bringing Todd into the band was just one of those things that we knew would work.

And one needs to look no further than the scorching, ska-inspired thump of Let It Go or the blissful, bombastic rock & roll opus Wired to hear how In A Million Pieces not only thrives on equal parts effort and innovation. There were definitely some confines in Hot Water Music that dont exist any more, Black says of the rejuvenated foursome. Were a whole new band. And even if our fans arent looking at it that way, we are especially from the writing standpoint. So for us, its nice to say, ****. I dont care if we would never do something like this before. On some level, Im sure it was purposeful for us to do some stuff thats different as a way to get our own identity going.

And if Wollard despite dalliances with the microphone here and there during HWMs decade long existence had any trepidations about moving out in front of the band full time, The Drafts positively received live shows last summer coupled with his bandmates enthusiasm for In A Million Pieces helped put them to rest. I think Chris was born to do it, Black says. Im glad that whatever we had to go through on this record, the end result is that this record is great. This is the best stuff Chris has ever written.

From the edgy, hook-laden Bordering catches Wollards and Rockhills respective guitars ringing atop Blacks rumbling bass and Rebelos furious drumming, its just one example of how The Draft have lined their debut disc with sonic gold. Be it the urgent charge of Longshot, the memorable punk rocker Not What I Want To Do or the scorching, gang-chorused Lo Zee Rose, the band has cut a new melodic path.

For Black, the kick of trying something new far outweighs the risk of mixed public opinion. We kind of feel like, if you dont want to put yourselves out there for public scrutiny, then dont play shows and dont play records, he says.

I figure there will be three types of people that hear the record, the outspoken bassist continues. One people that never heard Hot Water Music and can listen completely without bias. Two people that purchased it because they were supportive of Hot Water and are into it; and Three people that hear it and were into Hot Water and want to hate it. So Im just ready for all three and we expect that theres going to be detractors no matter what.

Backbiters be damned. The Draft are alive with zeal and optimism as captured to perfection on the explosive, victorious New Eyes Open. With it, Wollard captures what it means to not only stare down adversity, but kick it in the pants. Or as Black sums up confidently, Its kind of nice because even though were using most of the same people, its like having a whole new set of tools.

New eyes open, indeed.

melekalikimaka

yay

Jello

intoxicated wrote:

Saturday 17th of February 2006

Not 2007?

Fraggle Rocks

This is last year's date isn't it?

I got so excited for a minute there.

Jello

Fraggle Rocks wrote:

This is last year's date isn't it?

I got so excited for a minute there.

Don't think so, the 17 of Febuary next year is a Saturday so I'm sure it was just a mistake!

Fraggle Rocks

Had a bit of a check there actually, and Bouncing Souls were playing in California on 17th February so it might be true. ****ing hope it is.

ANarcho-Munk

Well Fraggle, he'd hardly post it up just for the laugh!

Ro: maaan!

It's just a mistake. It's next year.

intoxicated

its 2007.....well spotted

Fraggle Rocks

Where are tickets available for this? They were on www.tickets.ie a few days ago but they're not there now...

intoxicated

****BOUNCING SOULS change of venue ****


www.toxicpromotions.net presents:

Bouncing Souls
+ special guests The Draft (ex Hot Water Music)
Blood or Whiskey

Temple Bar Music Centre
Saturday 17th of February 2007
Doors 7.30pm
www.tickets.ie

http://www.bouncingsouls.com
http://www.myspace.com/bouncingsouls
http://www.thedraftband.com
http://www.myspace.com/thedraft
http://www.myspace.com/hotwatermusic
http://www.bloodorwhiskey.ie


BOUNCING SOULS [Epitaph]
The Bouncing Souls have never been in the New Yorker. The NJ band that has been kicking their singular brand of angular punk-anthems for upwards of 15 years now, are not necessarily what you would classify as critical darlings, but they have something more tangible. The boys have an arsenal of songs that no one in the North East corridor can deny, tracks like Sing Along Forever, Kate Is Great, or The Freaks, The Nerds, And The Romantics are as potent as anything to come up from the NJ boardwalks. All offer a glimpse of the spark that makes The Bouncing Souls such a cultural enigma; their simple straight-ahead love of the live set and steadfast dedication to their rabid devotees.

Frontman Greg Attonito expands, "We started as a live band playing basements, bars, parties, and clubs to anyone who cared. Over the years we've made records, toured the world over, met so many people and created countless memories together. Through it all, the live show has remained the essence of The Bouncing Souls."

The Bouncing Souls have been a band longer than some of their fans have been alive. That's quite a statement to make in these times of no-hit wonders, sub-genres here and gone before you can name them, complete musical saturation…and quite a story to tell.

Officially the band names 1987 as it's start…a vague reference to the first time the original members jammed together in high school, and perhaps when the name came about. Nothing of note happened until at least 1991 when the band moved to New Brunswick, NJ to live in the ghetto and try to make the big time. When no one would give them a show, they put on their own shows in their basement or yard. When no one would put out their record, they started their own label (Chunksaah) and did it themselves (that's right, DIY). Through persistence and charm they landed a US tour…and never looked back.

The story gets really good now. It's late 1995 and The Bouncing Souls are scheduled to make a record to license to BYO Records…the studio is booked, the plans in place…. the only problem was that there weren't enough songs yet. The Souls didn't have enough money to go home to NJ and then get back to LA to record, so they camped out in the living room of the BYO house and wrote songs and jammed in the basement for a couple of weeks. Manager/guru Kate [Hiltz] would cook breakfast and dinner, and at night they would all sit around spinning yarns and spilling hopes. They spent every minute of every day together and that spirit, that comradery, that togetherness comes through in those songs. It is a definitive record of a place in time and what was important and meaningful. Maniacal Laughter stands the test of time because of that feeling.

Shortly afterwards, the band signed to Epitaph records. It is impossible to recount the trials and tribulations during the next 9 years spent mostly on the road. The records tell the stories of loves won and lost, friends here and gone, homes squatted and deserted. The songs themselves are a testimony to the good times and the low points. The basic outline of those times was this: tour, tour, tour, get home and kiss the ground, tour, get home and be thankful you are away from everyone for a week or a month, tour, tour, get home and realize that you are going to the studio so you'd better write songs about tour and missing your girl or some "life" in an alternate universe, tour, go to the studio and lay down some tracks, wait being bored and broke until the record comes out, repeat.


In between and all along there were marriages, a line-up change, break-ups, a baby, a lot of birthdays, several beers, even a couple mortgages and motorcycles. The lives of the highway kings diverged and came together; wherever this road takes us it was meant to be…they were already home. Somehow it all took it's toll and when the cycle was in full swing, everyone stopped and looked around and decided they wanted to be more in control of their destiny and their story again. So there was a separation, a summer vacation…and then…the spark re-appeared. Everyone missed everyone else.

So that could be the end of the story but somehow it's not. What is truly earth shattering is that these boyhood friends have continued to put out relevant and vibrant records as their fan base has continued to grow. On any given night at any given Souls show you can find equal parts mid-30's professionals and 13-year-old diehards; it's a rare band that can span generations and with the summer release of The Gold Record [Epitaph] the Bouncing Souls are in top form showing no signs of disappointing their devotees.


Early this year the band converged once again in Kate's basement for a couple of intense weeks of writing and hanging out. They took the old show out on the road for a couple of dates just for the fun of it and then spent some time in Greg's garage in LA soaking in the sun and the company.
Technology got involved with mboxes and pro-tools and filesharing during the time spent apart. And then…like 10 years had never passed, everyone moved into Little Eden (fancy name for Kate's house in Asbury Park). The mornings were filled with the familiar sounds of showers, toasters, and coffee. The days spent in the basement, home-cooked dinners, evenings by the fire with acoustic guitars. And the songs tell the story of a family returning to its roots and talking about what really has mattered all of this time.

Attonito adds, "Writing this record for me was a digging deep experience. I wanted to get really into what I love about music and then find out where it came from and why I love it."

And as The Gold Record unfolds it's obvious that the boys have nailed it: The Gold Song kicks things off in classic Souls form; all tight riffage and fist in the air sing-a-longs. Attonito, bellows, "I heard someone say that nothing gold can stay, but there's a love in all our souls and it shines like gold."

The Pizza Song finds the band expanding on their already stellar catalog, acoustic guitars ring out; accordions & a wash of keyboards flesh out the mix as the band sings out, "and if these walls could talk they'd say they've seen it coming all along."

No band has a history so rich, influencing and playing with everyone from relative newbies Against Me, goth-popsters Alkaline Trio, and streetpunks The Casualties. No band has a broader catalogue of underground gems. No current, continual band has had such a lasting impact on the punk landscape. And with the release of The Gold Record that legacy of family and follow-thru promises to be set in stone.
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