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Bomb The Music Industry!

Scrambles

Written by: PP on 05/03/2009 19:22:33

I was first introduced to Bomb The Music Industry! about two years ago; they had just released "Get Warmer" so there was quite a bit of press on these guys, and combined with the intriguing band name, I had to go an check these guys out. Turns out it was a good choice, as "Get Warmer" was precisely what I needed, a drunken punk rock album heavy on the ska-punk influence and focus on a vibrant, fun sound that had you dancing from the first moments of the record. Needless to say, "Scrambles" was on my highly anticipated album's list of 2009, and here are my thoughts on it, enjoy.

Like a good friend of mine commented, the best way to describe Bomb The Music Industry! is to call them a drunken ska-punk band. Only this time around, the ska influence has been dropped almost entirely in favour of more drunken punk rock sounds, and additionally, more of the gypsy-punk stuff that made Against Me! famous on their early records. A song like "It Shits!!!" is as humorous as it is full of energy, and if you're not singing along by the chorus or dancing along to it's frantic pace, then there's probably something wrong with you. There's a couple of these high-energy doses scattered on the record: "Shut) Up The Punx!!!" brings in some horns and trumpets into a frenetic, somewhat chaotic sound that triumphs because of the feel-good vibe it gives out, and "Stuff That I Like" is full of bouncy rhythms and funny lyrical work to brighten up your day. The other songs range from the unusually long (5:50min) half-ballad "$2,400,000", an oldschool 70s garage punk rock vibe on "Gang Of Four Meets The Stooges (But Boring)", the keyboard/riff dynamics and a rare ska-beat of "Can I Pay My Rent In Fun?", and the piano-led "Fresh Attitude, Young Body".

Throughout the record you'll hear faint references to bands like The Lawrence Arms, Against Me!, NOFX, Streetlight Manifesto and others, but not enough to warrant calling "Scrambles" an attempt of cloning the sound of any of those bands. Moreover, the record has like a dozen different styles already because of the fact that there are something like twelve members in Bomb The Music Industry! (or more in their liveshows, where everyone is encouraged to learn the songs and bring an instrument to play), so it's somewhat difficult to pigeonhole these guys into any particular genre other than just 'punk rock'. In all seriousness though, if a fun, vibrant sound with lots of different instruments and edges thrown in randomly sounds like a great idea to you, then getting "Scrambles" should be a no-brainer - in a true DIY fashion you can even download the entire album (or their discography) for free on their Myspace page!

Download: It Shits!!!, Shut) Up The Punx, 25!
For the fans of: The Lawrence Arms, Streetlight Manifesto, old Against Me!
Listen: Myspace

Release date 15.02.2009
Quote Unquote Records