Massimiliano Adelmo Giorgini (born 1968) is an American bassist and record producer who rose to fame when several of the bands he produced experienced huge gains in popularity during the pop-punk boom of the mid-'90s. Among these bands was Giorgini's own
Squirtgun
Squirtgun is an American punk rock band from Lafayette, Indiana formed by record producer Mass Giorgini in 1993.
History 1993–1998
Squirtgun originally consisted of Mass Giorgini (Bass, Vocals), Matt Hart (Vocals, Guitar), Flav Giorgini (Gu ...
, which received minor
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
rotation and several soundtrack appearances in major films in the 1990s. Mass Giorgini is also a linguistics scholar specializing in forensic literary analysis and is the son of renowned Italian artist
Aldo Giorgini.
Music career
Giorgini has played bass guitar, alto and tenor saxophones, and sung backing vocals for a number of
punk rock bands including
Screeching Weasel
Screeching Weasel is an American punk rock band consisting of Ben Weasel (vocals), Mike Kennerty (guitar), Mike Hunchback (guitar), Zach "Poutine" Brandner (bass) and Pierre Marche (drums). Screeching Weasel is originally from the Chicago subur ...
,
Common Rider
Common Rider was an American ska punk band, formed in 1999 by Jesse Michaels (guitar, vocals), Mass Giorgini (bass) and Dan Lumley (drums). The band's name is taken from a Japanese TV show, ''Kamen Rider'' (Kamen Rider means "Masked Rider" in Ja ...
,
Squirtgun
Squirtgun is an American punk rock band from Lafayette, Indiana formed by record producer Mass Giorgini in 1993.
History 1993–1998
Squirtgun originally consisted of Mass Giorgini (Bass, Vocals), Matt Hart (Vocals, Guitar), Flav Giorgini (Gu ...
, Rattail Grenadier, The Mopes, Teeth and the Man,
Torture the Artist, and
Sweet Black And Blue.
As a composer, Giorgini has written songs primarily for his band Squirtgun, but in addition has lent writing assistance to several bands he has produced. His songwriting work also appears in the films ''
Mallrats
''Mallrats'' is a 1995 American buddy comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith and starring Jason Lee, Jeremy London, Shannen Doherty, Claire Forlani, Ben Affleck, Jason Mewes, Joey Lauren Adams, Michael Rooker, and Smith as Silent Bob. ...
'' (Gramercy Pictures) and ''
Bubble Boy'' (Disney).
As a producer, he has worked in conjunction with leading punk rock figures such as
Billie Joe Armstrong
Billie Joe Armstrong (born February 17, 1972) is an American musician who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the rock band Green Day, which he co-founded with Mike Dirnt in 1987. He is also a guitarist and vocalist for t ...
of
Green Day
Green Day is an American rock band formed in the East Bay of California in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, together with bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt. For most of the band's career, they have been a powe ...
and
Kris Roe of
the Ataris
The Ataris are an American punk rock band from Anderson, Indiana. Formed in 1996, they released five studio albums between 1997 and 2007. Their best-selling album is ''So Long, Astoria'' (2003), which was certified gold. Their high-charting s ...
, and produced music by bands such as
Rise Against
Rise Against is an American punk rock band from Chicago, formed in 1999. The group's current line-up comprises vocalist/rhythm guitarist Tim McIlrath, lead guitarist Zach Blair, bassist Joe Principe and drummer Brandon Barnes. Rooted in hardcor ...
,
Anti-Flag, and
Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio is an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Matt Skiba (vocals, guitar), Dan Andriano (vocals, bass) and Derek Grant (drums, vocals).
Founded in late 1996 by Skiba, bassist Rob Do ...
. Since 1990, he has owned and operated Sonic Iguana Studios in
Lafayette, Indiana
Lafayette ( , ) is a city in and the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, located northwest of Indianapolis and southeast of Chicago. West Lafayette, on the other side of the Wabash River, is home to Purdue University, whi ...
. He has been involved in creating the recordings of many bands (sometimes
recording
A record, recording or records may refer to:
An item or collection of data Computing
* Record (computer science), a data structure
** Record, or row (database), a set of fields in a database related to one entity
** Boot sector or boot record, r ...
,
mixing,
mastering, and
producing). His production work has taken him all over the globe, including production stints in Australia, Spain, Canada, and the Cayman Islands, as well as in numerous states of the United States.
Discography
*
Screeching Weasel
Screeching Weasel is an American punk rock band consisting of Ben Weasel (vocals), Mike Kennerty (guitar), Mike Hunchback (guitar), Zach "Poutine" Brandner (bass) and Pierre Marche (drums). Screeching Weasel is originally from the Chicago subur ...
-
''Ramones'' (1992)
*
The Queers
The Queers are an American punk rock band, formed in 1981 by the Portsmouth, New Hampshire native Joseph “Joe” P. King (a.k.a. Joe Queer) along with Scott Gildersleeve (a.k.a. Tulu), and John “Jack” Hayes (a.k.a. Wimpy Rutherford). With ...
- ''
Love Songs for the Retarded
''Love Songs for the Retarded'' is the second studio album by the American punk rock band the Queers, released in 1993 by Lookout! Records. It was the first of five studio albums the band would record for Lookout!, and their first by the lineup o ...
'' (1993)
*Screeching Weasel-
''Wiggle'' (1993)
*
Smoking Popes
Smoking Popes is an American pop punk band from the northwest suburbs of Chicago. They are composed of brothers Matt Caterer (bass), Josh Caterer (lead vocals/guitar) and Eli Caterer (guitar/backing vocals) and Mike Felumlee (drums).
History
...
- ''
Get Fired'' (1993)
*Screeching Weasel- ''
How to Make Enemies and Irritate People
''How to Make Enemies and Irritate People'' is the seventh studio album by the Chicago-based punk rock band Screeching Weasel. Planned as the group's final album, it was released in August 1994 on CD, vinyl, and cassette through Lookout Records. ...
'' (1994)
*The Queers- ''
Beat Off
''Beat Off'' is the fourth studio album by the American punk rock band the Queers, released in 1994 by Lookout! Records. Recorded during a time when the Queers' usual drummer, Hugh O'Neill, was on a forced leave of absence from the band to deal ...
'' (1994)
*
The Fighters – ''Breaking Bones for Laughs'' (1994)
*
The Fighters / Winepress – ''The Rambling Boys of Pleasure'' (1994)
*
The Bollweevils – ''Stick Your Neck Out!'' (1994)
*The Queers- ''
Move Back Home'' (1995)
*
The Riverdales
The Riverdales were an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois, United States, made up of Screeching Weasel members. Bassist Dan Vapid (Dan Schafer) and guitarist Ben Weasel (Ben Foster) are heavily influenced by the Ramones' sound and b ...
-
''The Riverdales'' (1995)
*
Squirtgun
Squirtgun is an American punk rock band from Lafayette, Indiana formed by record producer Mass Giorgini in 1993.
History 1993–1998
Squirtgun originally consisted of Mass Giorgini (Bass, Vocals), Matt Hart (Vocals, Guitar), Flav Giorgini (Gu ...
-
''Squirtgun'' (1995)
*
88 Fingers Louie
88 Fingers Louie is an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois, United States, which was formed in 1993.
After disbanding in 1999, guitarist Dan Wleklinski and bassist Joe Principe formed the well-known punk rock band Rise Against. The b ...
- ''Behind Bars'' (1995)
*Starbilly – BUZZ Records (1995)
*
The Crumbs
The Crumbs are a rock band originating from Miami, Florida. The band is composed of Raf Classic (guitar/vocals), Johnny B (guitar), Emil 4 (bass), and Chuck Loose (drums).
They have been inspired by 1950s rock music and the music of The Ramones, ...
- ''The Crumbs'' (1996)
*The Queers- ''
A Day Late And A Dollar Short
''A Day Late And A Dollar Short'' is a compilation album by the American punk rock band the Queers, released in January 1996 by Lookout! Records. It collects material recorded between 1982 and 1994, most of it with original member Wimpy Rutherfo ...
'' (1996)
*
Cub- ''Box of Hair'' (1996)
*
Screeching Weasel
Screeching Weasel is an American punk rock band consisting of Ben Weasel (vocals), Mike Kennerty (guitar), Mike Hunchback (guitar), Zach "Poutine" Brandner (bass) and Pierre Marche (drums). Screeching Weasel is originally from the Chicago subur ...
- ''
Bark Like a Dog
''Bark Like a Dog'' is the eighth studio album by the American punk rock band Screeching Weasel. It was released in 1996 through Fat Wreck Chords. It was the band's first album released through Fat Wreck Chords. It was also the band's first albu ...
'' (1996)
*The Queers- ''
Don't Back Down'' (1996)
*Beatnik Termites – ''Bubblecore'' (1996)
*The Riverdales- ''
Storm the Streets'' (1997)
*
Squirtgun
Squirtgun is an American punk rock band from Lafayette, Indiana formed by record producer Mass Giorgini in 1993.
History 1993–1998
Squirtgun originally consisted of Mass Giorgini (Bass, Vocals), Matt Hart (Vocals, Guitar), Flav Giorgini (Gu ...
- ''
Another Sunny Afternoon'' (1997)
*
Groovie Ghoulies
The Groovie Ghoulies were an American pop punk band from Sacramento, California, United States, whose music took inspiration from horror movies. They released numerous albums, EPs, and singles, and toured internationally. The band's name was ...
- ''Re-Animation Festival'' (1997)
*
The Huntingtons
Huntingtons are a punk band from Baltimore, Maryland which formed in 1993 in the Maryland and Delaware area by Cliff Powell (a.k.a. Cliffy Huntington), Mike Holt (a.k.a. Mikey Huntington) and Mike Pierce (a.k.a. Mikee Huntington). The band is he ...
-
''Fun and Games'' (1997)
*Beatnik Termites – ''Pleasant Dreams'' (1996)
*The Queers-
''Punk Rock Confidential'' (1998)
*
Parasites (band)
Parasites are an American pop-punk band. They were formed in the late 1980s by guitarist / singer Dave Parasite and bassist Ron Nole in New Jersey. Dave later relocated to Berkeley, California, and continued with a new lineup during the heyday ...
– ''Rat Ass Pie'' (1998)
*
The Connie Dungs – ''Earthbound for the Holiday'' (1999)
[In addition to engineering and producing the album, Giorgini played keyboard parts under the pseudonym "Teakettle Jones."]
*
Groovie Ghoulies
The Groovie Ghoulies were an American pop punk band from Sacramento, California, United States, whose music took inspiration from horror movies. They released numerous albums, EPs, and singles, and toured internationally. The band's name was ...
- ''Fun in the Dark'' (1999)
*
The Lillingtons
The Lillingtons were a pop-punk band formed in 1995 in Newcastle, Wyoming. The band is composed of its original members, vocalist and lead guitarist Kody Templeman, drummer Tim O’Hara, bassist Cory Laurence, and later added rhythm guitarist Al ...
- ''Death By Television'' (1999)
*Dead Letter Dept. (Formally: The Stiffs) – ''Forever in a Day'' (2000)
*
Groovie Ghoulies
The Groovie Ghoulies were an American pop punk band from Sacramento, California, United States, whose music took inspiration from horror movies. They released numerous albums, EPs, and singles, and toured internationally. The band's name was ...
- ''Travels with my Amp'' (2000)
*
Anti-Flag- ''
Underground Network
''Underground Network'' is Anti-Flag's third studio album, released on Fat Wreck Chords in 2001. Widely considered to be the band's breakthrough album, it helped make Anti-Flag become a household name in the U.S. punk scene with tracks like "Und ...
'' (2001)
*
Rise Against
Rise Against is an American punk rock band from Chicago, formed in 1999. The group's current line-up comprises vocalist/rhythm guitarist Tim McIlrath, lead guitarist Zach Blair, bassist Joe Principe and drummer Brandon Barnes. Rooted in hardcor ...
-
''The Unraveling'' (2001)
*Caulfield - ...''Sleep Tight, Ya Morons'' (2001)
*The Real Swinger – ''Back from Nowhere'' (2001)
*Ded Bugs – ''Planet of Blood'' (2001)
*
Common Rider
Common Rider was an American ska punk band, formed in 1999 by Jesse Michaels (guitar, vocals), Mass Giorgini (bass) and Dan Lumley (drums). The band's name is taken from a Japanese TV show, ''Kamen Rider'' (Kamen Rider means "Masked Rider" in Ja ...
- ''
This is Unity Music'' (2002)
*
Justin Sane
Justin Cathal Geever (born February 21, 1973), known professionally as Justin Sane, is an American musician. He is the lead guitarist, singer and songwriter of Anti-Flag, a punk rock band formed in 1988 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, known for i ...
- ''
Life, Love and the Pursuit of Justice
Justin Cathal Geever (born February 21, 1973), known professionally as Justin Sane, is an American musician. He is the lead guitarist, singer and songwriter of Anti-Flag, a punk rock band formed in 1988 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, known for ...
'' (2002)
*
Groovie Ghoulies
The Groovie Ghoulies were an American pop punk band from Sacramento, California, United States, whose music took inspiration from horror movies. They released numerous albums, EPs, and singles, and toured internationally. The band's name was ...
- ''Go! Stories'' (2002)
*
Ben Weasel
Benjamin Foster (born 1968), also known as Ben Weasel, is an American musician, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the punk rock band Screeching Weasel.
Early life
Foster was born in 1968, and was raised in Prospect Heights, Ill ...
- ''
Fidatevi
''Fidatevi'' is the first solo album released by American punk rock band Screeching Weasel frontman Ben Weasel. The album was released on June 18, 2002 on Panic Button Records.
Weasel has said that the lyrics on the album "Are based on experien ...
'' (2002)
*
The Queers
The Queers are an American punk rock band, formed in 1981 by the Portsmouth, New Hampshire native Joseph “Joe” P. King (a.k.a. Joe Queer) along with Scott Gildersleeve (a.k.a. Tulu), and John “Jack” Hayes (a.k.a. Wimpy Rutherford). With ...
- ''
Pleasant Screams'' (2002)
*
The Copyrights
The Copyrights are a pop punk band from Carbondale, Illinois, made up of Adam Fletcher (lead vocals, bass), Brett Hunter (vocals, guitar), Kevin Rotter (vocals, guitar), and Luke McNeill (drums). They are currently signed to Fat Wreck Chords. Th ...
- ''We Didn't Come Here To Die'' (2003)
*
The Methadones
The Methadones were a band formed in 1993 by guitarist/vocalist Dan Vapid. The Methadones initially lasted only a few shows before Vapid put them to the side to focus on his main band Screeching Weasel. By 1999 Dan was no longer a member of Scree ...
– ''
Career Objective'' (2003)
*
Groovie Ghoulies
The Groovie Ghoulies were an American pop punk band from Sacramento, California, United States, whose music took inspiration from horror movies. They released numerous albums, EPs, and singles, and toured internationally. The band's name was ...
- ''Monster Club'' (2003)
*The Riverdales-
''Phase Three'' (2003)
*
Squirtgun
Squirtgun is an American punk rock band from Lafayette, Indiana formed by record producer Mass Giorgini in 1993.
History 1993–1998
Squirtgun originally consisted of Mass Giorgini (Bass, Vocals), Matt Hart (Vocals, Guitar), Flav Giorgini (Gu ...
- ''Fade to Bright'' (2003)
*
Teen Idols
The Teen Idols were a pop punk band originally from Nashville, Tennessee. They were formed in 1992 by Phillip Hill and originally broke up in 2003. The band reunited in 2008 in Chicago, Illinois, with a retooled lineup before breaking up again i ...
- ''Nothing to Prove'' (2003)
*Ded Bugs – ''Stop and Smell the Stinking Corpse Lilies'' (2004)
*Resident Genius/
Howard Zinn
Howard Zinn (August 24, 1922January 27, 2010) was an American historian, playwright, philosopher, socialist thinker and World War II veteran. He was chair of the history and social sciences department at Spelman College, and a politica ...
- ''You Can't Blow Up A Social Relationship'' (2005)
*Los Pepiniyoz – ''Lluvia, Lluvia, Lluvia'' (2005)
*The Vacancy – ''Heart Attack'' (2005)
*The Queers- ''
Munki Brain
''Munki Brain'' is an album by pop-punk band The Queers.
Release
On October 13, 2006, the band's upcoming album was titled ''Munki Brain''. On December 29, 2006, "Houston We Have a Problem" was posted on Asian Man Records' Myspace account; it ...
'' (2007)
*
The Riptides
The Riptides were an Australian power pop group which was formed in Brisbane, Queensland in 1977 as The Grudge. Their founding mainstay was Mark Callaghan on lead vocals, bass guitar, rhythm guitar and as principal songwriter. Former member M ...
– ''Hang Out'' (2006)
*The Queers –
''Grow Up'' (2007)
*Amuse – ''Tosche Station Lot Lizards'' (2007)
*Suckerbox – ''Suckerbox'' (2007)
*The Peacocks – ''Touch and Go'' (2007)
*
Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio is an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Matt Skiba (vocals, guitar), Dan Andriano (vocals, bass) and Derek Grant (drums, vocals).
Founded in late 1996 by Skiba, bassist Rob Do ...
– ''Remains'' (2007)
*Los Pepiniyoz – ''Carta a la Luna''(2007)
*
The Riptides
The Riptides were an Australian power pop group which was formed in Brisbane, Queensland in 1977 as The Grudge. Their founding mainstay was Mark Callaghan on lead vocals, bass guitar, rhythm guitar and as principal songwriter. Former member M ...
– ''Mental Therapy'' (2008)
*
Squirtgun
Squirtgun is an American punk rock band from Lafayette, Indiana formed by record producer Mass Giorgini in 1993.
History 1993–1998
Squirtgun originally consisted of Mass Giorgini (Bass, Vocals), Matt Hart (Vocals, Guitar), Flav Giorgini (Gu ...
- ''Broadcast 02.09.08'' (2008)
*Root Hog- ''Root Hog'' (2009)
*Viernes13 – ''Rockaway Hits'' (2009)
*Karmella's Game – ''You'll Be Sorry'' (2009)
*
Anti-Flag- ''The People or the Gun'' (2009)
*
The Riptides
The Riptides were an Australian power pop group which was formed in Brisbane, Queensland in 1977 as The Grudge. Their founding mainstay was Mark Callaghan on lead vocals, bass guitar, rhythm guitar and as principal songwriter. Former member M ...
– ''Tales From Planet Earth'' (2009)
*
Torture the Artist – ''Torture the Artist'' (2009)
*Tungas – ''El Espíritu del Tiempo'' (2010)
*
The Riptides
The Riptides were an Australian power pop group which was formed in Brisbane, Queensland in 1977 as The Grudge. Their founding mainstay was Mark Callaghan on lead vocals, bass guitar, rhythm guitar and as principal songwriter. Former member M ...
– ''Tough Luck'' (2010)
*The Peacocks – ''After All'' (2010)
*Svetlanas – ''Svetlanas'' (2010)
*Squints – ''Taking Toll'' (2011)
*
Horace Pinker – ''Local State Inertia'' (2011)
*
Anti-Flag- ''The General Strike'' (2012)
*
One Man Army – ''She's an Alarm'' (2012)
*
Rise Against
Rise Against is an American punk rock band from Chicago, formed in 1999. The group's current line-up comprises vocalist/rhythm guitarist Tim McIlrath, lead guitarist Zach Blair, bassist Joe Principe and drummer Brandon Barnes. Rooted in hardcor ...
- ''
Long Forgotten Songs: B-Sides & Covers 2000–2013'' (2013)
*
Anti-Flag- ''Document of Dissent'' (2014)
*
The Copyrights
The Copyrights are a pop punk band from Carbondale, Illinois, made up of Adam Fletcher (lead vocals, bass), Brett Hunter (vocals, guitar), Kevin Rotter (vocals, guitar), and Luke McNeill (drums). They are currently signed to Fat Wreck Chords. Th ...
- ''Report'' (2014)
*The Grow Ops – ''The Grow Ops'' (2015)
*
Anti-Flag-
''American Spring'' (2015)
*Ducking Punches- ''Fizzy Brain'' (2016)
*
The Riptides
The Riptides were an Australian power pop group which was formed in Brisbane, Queensland in 1977 as The Grudge. Their founding mainstay was Mark Callaghan on lead vocals, bass guitar, rhythm guitar and as principal songwriter. Former member M ...
- ''Canadian Graffiti'' (2017)
*Frank Muffin – Forest for the Trees (2018)
*The Sweethearts- ''Traces of Time'' (2018)
*Ducking Punches- ''Alamort'' (2018)
*City Mouse- ''Get Right'' (2018)
*Covert Flops – ''DEFCON 1-2-3-4'' (2019)
*Frank Muffin – Year of the Muffin (2020)
Academics and background
Giorgini is the son of artist
Aldo Giorgini. Prior to his career in music, Giorgini earned a degree in Psychology from Purdue University and began a course of graduate study in that same field. When his father became terminally ill with a form of brain cancer, Giorgini suspended his studies in order to care for his ailing father. Following his father's death, Giorgini abandoned his doctorate studies in psychology, and dedicated himself to music. A pair of articles co-authored by Giorgini were published in respected psychology academic journals from Giorgini's period prior to his departure from the field.
Giorgini later returned to academics in the area of Spanish Literature, in which he earned both a Master's and Ph.D. degree from Purdue University in Cervantes Studies at the same university. He has published several articles in academic journals and chapters in book-length studies on literature and film. Most of his research has been on the investigation of encoded messages protesting the Inquisition written between the lines of the novel
Don Quixote
is a Spanish epic novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts, in 1605 and 1615, its full title is ''The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'' or, in Spanish, (changing in Part 2 to ). A founding work of Wester ...
by
Miguel de Cervantes
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (; 29 September 1547 (assumed) – 22 April 1616 Old Style and New Style dates, NS) was an Early Modern Spanish writer widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and one of the world's pre-emin ...
. In March 2014, Giorgini delivered a TEDx Talk at Purdue University summarizing some of his research on the same topic.
Giorgini was the model for the fictional character "Max" in the novel ''Weasels in a Box'' by
John Jughead. In the novel, the character "Max" is a punk rock producer who also studies the literary figure ''Don Quixote''.
Giorgini has taught Audio Production Techniques in the Theatre Department at Purdue University, as well as Italian and Spanish in the Foreign Language Department of the same institution. In addition to his ongoing research on Cervantes and his production work, Giorgini presents at symposia on forensic techniques in the analysis of coded language.
References
External links
Sonic Iguana StudiosOfficial Squirtgun siteMass Giorgini's Blog
An article by Mass Giorgini for an academic psychology journal:
Response Time Distributions: Some Simple Effects of Factors Selectively Influencing Mental Processes(1999) by Richard Schweikert & Mass Giorgini, from the Psychonomic Bulletin and Review, Volume 6, Issue 2, pages 266-288.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Giorgini, Mass
Living people
1968 births
Purdue University faculty
American punk rock bass guitarists
American male bass guitarists
American people of Italian descent
American audio engineers
American record producers
20th-century American bass guitarists
Screeching Weasel members
20th-century American male musicians