TSFR: THE BRONX

The Bronx have to be one of my favorite bands of the modern age. I say this not only because of their electrifying music and live shows, but because of their business model. This is a band that after a handful of local shows had labels begging for a record deal. Not wanting to become slaves to the industry, the band declined and instead built up a fanbase by way of self-financed and operated touring and eventually put out their first album The Bronx (2003) on their own label, White Drugs. After signing with Island/Def Jam, the band put out their second album also titled The Bronx in 2006 in an agreement that required little inference from the label. Disliking major label support even more than they thought they would, The Bronx departed from Island/Def Jam and produced their third self titled which came out last year, soon to be followed by a mariachi (that's right, mariachi) album this year.



Now normally I don't do biographies for bands, but The Bronx deserve it because they stand it out in an industry built on deals with the devil and trend-based music. The band's unique blend of punk rock dares its listeners to pigeonhole them, only to be defied by the next release. After all, how many bands are bold enough to do a friggin mariachi album? The Bronx (who by the way are from Los Angeles) are band without fear or limitation and continuously impress me with their music.

The song featured is "White Guilt" from their second self-titled album. I use this song because it really stands admist the rest of their music and because i just think the video is really, really, really cool. I encourage you to check out the rest of their catalouge though. With clever lyrics, solid riffs, and enough collective energy to power a small city, THIS SHIT FUCKING ROCKS.

The Bronx - White Guilt
Uploaded by UniversalMusicGroup

-Brien



"I wanna be original, I wanna be surrounded by art / but everything is digital, the formulas are falling apart" - The Bronx, "Knifeman"

It's lines like that that make me love this band. I wanted to use that song for this post, but oddly enough there's no music video for it. Go look it up anyway n00bz!

TSFR

It was October of 2007 when I found my beloved Schoolyard Heroes. I was going through my daily music news rounds and an article caught my eye about a newspaper in Seattle condemning the band for their violent lyrics, warning readers of the enormous threat they pose to society. Clearly, no one had ever explained to the author the meaning of "metaphor". The thing that separates Schoolyard Heroes from most other horror-punk bands is that their twisted, graphic lyrics about zombies, blood, and the apocalypse are posed as metaphors for more relatable issues like love and the superficiality of American society. This, and the endless barrage of catchy guitar riffs and leads, interesting song composition, and the dual vocal attack of guttural screams contrasted against frontwoman Ryann Donnely's operatic singing style.



The Video below is for the song "Plastic Surgery Hall of Fame" from their most recent (and IMO best) album Abominations (2007). Dissonant, biting guitar licks, graphic horror-themed lyrics, soaring vocals from an actually respectable female lead (a rarity these days) - oh yeah, THIS SHIT FUCKING ROCKS.

Schoolyard Heroes - The Plastic Surgery Hall Of Fame
Uploaded by UniversalMusicGroup

-Brien

I Hate Disney

This is an official stand against "band" the Jonas Brothers, the latest in a long line of glam glitter rock. No, not quite glam rock of the 80's yesteryear, glam rock today. Bands like Hannah Montana, Camp Rock, Kidz Bop, all of that stuff.

The music in general is awful, their image is a pre-processed Disney image that appeals to parents and kids alike. Particularly stuck in my craw is the fact that the Jonas Brothers wear purity rings. Okay, not the fact that they wear them so much as they talk about them. With such an impressionable audience, the last thing the band needs to be talking about to them is sex. No popular music figure should force their idea of abstinence on anyone else, that decision should come with great thought put into it, not simply because it's the cool thing to do. It's not their fault entirely, some executive probably told them they had talent, and that exec apparently understood talent to be teenage appeal.

Disney has a tight hold on the 4-15 year old demographic on the music industry. Hopefully that hold will be broken soon, as people start to tire of buying the same CD over and over again. How many High School Musical's can be made before people realize it's ridiculous? However, the guilt does not solely fall on Disney's shoulders, the major labels have substituted image for talent for a while now.

For every great musician to emerge in today's nearly talentless music industry, ten Jonas Brother imiators emerge from the woodwork and attack them with barb wire sticks.
For every brilliant musician who emerges, the actual Jonas Brothers arrive and beat that artist sensless with sticks swathed in fecal matter.

Please comment if you agree, or disagree or whatever

Richard M. Harland