New York had the Ramones. Los Angeles has PENNYWISE, the most significant hardcore band to emerge from SoCal punk’s second wave. As it celebrates it 20th anniversary, the Hermosa Beach band is doing things its own way, taking on a brave new world by linking up with MySpace Records and offering its latest album, REASON TO BELIEVE free to fans for two weeks. Starting on March 25, P-Dub fans can grab a high-quality download of the Cameron Webb-produced, 14-track album, arguably the band’s fiercest record in a decade. Not surprising from a band that has always forged its own destiny, it’s an Internet first--marking the first time a U.S. record label has provided an artist with the opportunity to offer a new album free of charge and the first time MySpace has offered a full album download with a worldwide push.
PENNYWISE formed in 1988, when punk couldn’t be less popular and hair bands were a sign o’ the times. Its four members quickly developed a style entirely their own--a tsunami of California hardcore, melodic surf punk and optimistic anthems that went against the seek-and-destroy ethos of its era. PENNYWISE garnered a nationwide following through constant touring--they’ve done the Vans Warped Tour so many times they’ve got permanent road rash--as well as numerous snowboard, skate and surf videos. After nine albums, PENNYWISE is best-known for its pounding rant “Fuck Authority,” searing soul-searcher “Alien,” and their ode to brotherhood, “Bro Hymn,” an autobiographical song that pays tribute to its founding bass player, Jason Thirsk, who committed suicide in 1996. Currently, the new single “The Western World” is the most requested song on KROQ 106.7, L.A.’s No. 1 modern rock station and already in heavy rotation.
Despite the early loss of Thirsk, the union of vocalist JIM LINDBERG, guitarist FLETCHER DRAGGE and drummer BYRON McMACKIN, high school friends from Hermosa, ran too deep to quit while they were ahead and they signed on bassist RANDY BRADBURY and continued putting out albums that went straight for the American jugular--politically-charged, culturally relevant, unflinchingly honest and consummately independent.
Among the band’s studio albums are its eponymous Epitaph debut (1991) and 1993’s Unknown Road, which revealed the full potency of what they had to offer. Before recording its third album in early 1995, PENNYWISE was hit up by the majors. It was, after all, hot on the heels of the “year punk broke,” but the band stayed true to its roots and remained on SoCal’s independent Epitaph Records. The resulting album, About Time, remains till this day one of the greatest punk records of all time.
By 1996, when PENNYWISE was recording its fourth album, Thirsk took time off to deal with alcohol addiction but tragically, he never came back. He died July 29, 1996, eight years after the band’s inception. The albums that followed--Full Circle (1997), Straight Ahead (1999), Land of the Free (2001), From the Ashes 2003 and The Fuse (2005)--revealed a band that just got harder and more political over time, as the world of music got softer and less interested.
With REASON TO BELIEVE, hardcore fans and newcomers alike will see first hand that punk bands may come and go, but Pennywise is forever.
Thanks for stopping by the page hope you are having a great week. Just working hard setting up a crazy 53 city tour starting in late January its going to be freaking amazing.
Looks like this so far: DATE City State 21-Jan Phoenix Az 22-Jan Albuquerque Nm 23-Jan Oklahoma City Ok 24-Jan Dallas Tx 25-Jan Little Rock Ar 26-Jan New Orleans LA 27-Jan Gulfport/Biloxi MS 28-Jan Miami Fl 29-Jan DAY OFF 30-Jan Atlanta Ga 31-Jan Huntsville Al 1-Feb Nashville Tn 2-Feb Columbia Sc 3-Feb Raleigh Nc 4-Feb Virginia Beach Va 5-Feb Baltimore Md 6-Feb Wilmington De 7-Feb Atlantic City Nj 8-Feb DAY OFF 9-Feb Hartford Ct 10-Feb Providence RI 11-Feb Boston Ma 12-Feb Portland Me 13-Feb Manchester Ne 14-Feb Burlington Vt 15-Feb Montreal QC 16-Feb Buffalo ny 17-Feb Toront OC 18-Feb Detroit MI 19-Feb Cleveland Oh 20-Feb Pittsburgh PA 21-Feb Charleston Wv 22-Feb Louisville Ky 23-Feb Indianapolis IN 24-Feb St Louis Mo 25-Feb Chicago Il 26-Feb Milwaukee Wi 27-Feb St Paul Mn 28-Feb Fargo Nd 1-Mar Souix Falls Sd 2-Mar Omaha Ne 3-Mar Des Moines Ia 4-Mar Topeka Ks 5-Mar Denver Co 6-Mar Casper Wy 7-Mar Billings Mt 8-Mar Salt Lake City Ut 9-Mar Boise Id 10-Mar Seattle Wa 11-Mar Vancouver BC 12-Mar Anchorage Ak 13-Mar Portland Or 14-Mar San Francisco Ca 15-Mar Hilo Hi 16-Mar DAY OFF 17-Mar DAY OFF 18-Mar Las Vegas Nv
COME OUT AN PARTY WIT YA BOI. DEC 4tH AT THA CRETIN HOP IN SPOKANE WA. SHOW STARTS AT 6 COST: $5 OR 3 CANS OF FOOD. DEC. 19th AT TUSCAN SANDS IN ZILLAH WA. SHOW STARTS AT 8 COST $5 W/ TOY OR $8 W/ OUT.
Peace is a word Of the sea and the wind. Peace is a bird who sings As you smile. Peace is the love Of a foe as a friend; Peace is the love you bring To a child
Searching for me You look everywhere, Except beside you. Searching for you You look everywhere, But not inside you.
Peace is a stream From the heart of a man; Peace is a man, whose breadth Is the dawn. Peace is a dawn On a day without end; Peace is the end, like death Of the war.
Stopping by to show your page some LOVE, would like to thank all my friends for the support and listening to our constant upload of the music that we bang out when we hit the studio!! Also I would like my friends for faithfully following the G-Code movement. As I have recieve alot emails about the release of our next mixtape that will be Spring 2010 I uploaded a rough draft of the original song we did for a Chicago producer. We are in the studio constantly trying to put the finishing touches on our next release which is guaranteed to be a "street smasher" and an internet success as was G-Code. Also check our old myspace page www.myspace.com/jtrecords20 check the pop out player for the song "What It Is" (scroll down the music player until the song appears) this song was written and produced by our very own JT of JT Records aka BO-FLEX, over 1.5million hits this song will be released on our next mixtape 2010. Stay posted to the movement sign our guestbook and leave us your comments and feed back.
Resident artist Seth Freeman has released a new EP called "One And Only Maybe."
Download for FREE both the live acoustic version and the album version of Seth Freeman's song "Losing Streak" at http://www.residentband.tv (for a limited time - ends 12/13/09)
The full EP is available for purchase on Seth's website, http://www.sethfreemanmusic.com, and on iTunes.
Dont miss Saint Anger live at Bella Notte Nightclub Dec. 6th! Come meet, cop hot music and see a great show from Saint Anger, the hottest MC out of Virginia! SEE U THERE!!
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