I 'll tliim Behrend Beacon I H
1 ill I 111 l-l Februaiy 26,2010 1
V/1,1 till U www.thebehrendbeacon.com | §
MUSIC
Earlier this month, Bomb the
Music Industry! released their
latest EP, recorded over the
weekend and mixed in the few
following days, titled Adults!!!:
Smart!!! Shithammered!!! And
Excited by Nothing!!!!!!!
At seven tracks and 21:40
minutes total, this EP carries the
trademark post-ska sound devel
oped by singer Jeff Rosenstock,
and it does not disappoint.
BtMI! is the brainchild of
Rosenstock and is performed by
a rotating cast of musicians that
care to contribute.
The album has “the whole big
family playing a million horns,
bells, organs at full speed! Yes
yes yes!!!,” reads a description
from the digital release’s web
site.
Adults is a well put together
EP that is more ska-focused
than most of BtMl!’s releases,
which tend to be fairly punk ori
ented. But ska is present on al
most every track on the EP: it’s
very horn heavy, which is a
major plus.
The standout song is called
"Slumlord,” and it has a great
buildup to an even greater cho
rus whose lyrics are in Rosen
stock’s traditionally
“joking-but-you-don’t-get-to
laugh,” fashion.
There is less synth influence on
this EP as well.
Bomb the Music Industry! was
the first band to develop what’s
been called “post-ska laptop
punk.” Each BtMI! album was
basically recorded and produced
CAi v iPUS
The I 1 LA.y.LR.S. Club Steppers
b the Music Industry
on Rosenstock’s laptop, and
then released for free on the In
ternet.
JEFF KRAMER
COpv
Formed from the remaining
members of the ska group the
Arrogant Sons of Bitches in
2004, BtMI! now records with a
rotating cast of musicians.
As the Arrogant Sons of
Bitches were breaking up,
Rosenstock recorded the first
BtMI! song, “Sweet Home
Canada,” on his Powerßook’s
built-in microphone.
If you play a musical instru
ment, you can learn BTMI!
songs and join Rosenstock on
stage during his current tour, the
Bring Your Own Band iPod Tour
of Love Love Love Love Love
Love.
BtMI! has previously toured
with only Rosenstock and Rick
Johnson of Rick Johnson Rock
and Roll Machine and Mustard
Plug. They would occasionally
play a theremin, and Rosenstock
has been known to play a key
board with his feet. Often, they
are accompanied by an iPod
wired into the PA that provides
all the instruments they are un
able to play.
Adults contains less of Rosen
stock’s hoarse yelling and jar
ring atonal guitar and more
actual singing from Rosenstock
and the contributors to the
album, as well as more tonal, co
ordinated, and less punk-influ
enced ska.
However, Adults is a great find
if you listen to either current
punk or ska, and I recommend
you get it for free (as well as
their other albums) on their sec
tion of the Quote Unquote
Records website.
r > ♦ * «
Bomb the Music Industry!'s multiple album covers are as distinctive and innovative as the music that goes on
their albums.
Creative Commons: Bomb the Music Industry!
Background design from Creative Commons: clifflOi