Bomb the Music Industry! (commonly abbreviated as Bomb or BtMI!) was an American

punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

musical collective from

Baldwin, Nassau County, New York Baldwin is a Hamlet (New York), hamlet located in the Hempstead (town), New York, Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, in Long Island, New York (state), New York, United States. It had a population of 33,919 in 2020. Hi ...

, United States, led by singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist

Jeff Rosenstock Jeffrey Ernest Rosenstock (born September 7, 1982) is an American musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter from Long Island, New York. He is known for his former bands Bomb the Music Industry! and The Arrogant Sons of Bitches, as wel ...

. The band was known for their DIY punk ethic and commitment to accessibility. In addition to distributing their music via a

pay what you want Pay what you want (or PWYW, also referred to as value-for-value model) is a pricing strategy where buyers pay their desired amount for a given commodity. This amount can sometimes include zero. A minimum (floor) price may be set, and/or a suggest ...

model, they primarily played affordable all-ages shows and established an accessible and collaborative environment for fans. Due to these factors, the collective has been referred to as "the

Fugazi Fugazi (; ) is an American post-hardcore band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1986. The band consists of guitarists and vocalists Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto, bassist Joe Lally, and drummer Brendan Canty. They were noted for their style-transc ...

for the internet age of punk." While the group's structure remained loose throughout its history, with their roster varying significantly between performances, a core five-piece lineup gradually coalesced around Jeff Rosenstock, John DeDominici, Mike Costa, Tom Malinowski, and Matt Keegan, although they continued to be frequently joined by other collaborators. In 2012, the band announced an indefinite hiatus, playing their final show in Brooklyn in 2014.

History

In the midst of the breakup of Jeff Rosenstock's prior band,

The Arrogant Sons of Bitches The Arrogant Sons of Bitches (commonly abbreviated as ASOB) was a 6-piece ska punk band from Long Island and Baldwin, New York. The band was known for its strong DIY punk roots, self-releasing two albums and two EPs. Their final album, ''Thr ...

, Rosenstock recorded an anti- Bush protest song titled "Sweet Home Cananada" using his

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's built-in microphone. He released the song online under the moniker Bomb the Music Industry!, with the use of the word "bomb" deriving from a

graffiti Graffiti (singular ''graffiti'', or ''graffito'' only in graffiti archeology) is writing or drawings made on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from simple written "monikers" to elabor ...

term, which was meant by Rosenstock to signify a synthesis between creation and destruction. "I wrote that song and put it out to see if anybody wanted it. That was how it started, people showed interest and I like recording stuff." Rosenstock has cited his frustration with the typical practices of the independent music business as the impetus for trying a different, flexible approach, stating that the "merchandising aspect of things … was getting in the way of writing songs." Due to the response to this first track, Rosenstock launched the first online donation-based record label,

Quote Unquote Records Quote Unquote Records is a donation-based online independent record label, founded and run by Bomb the Music Industry! and The Arrogant Sons of Bitches frontman Jeff Rosenstock. The label is an example of Rosenstock's DIY ideals. Many of the l ...

in 2006; the label's inaugural release was the first full-length Bomb the Music Industry full-length record, '' Album Minus Band''. Eschewing traditional music merchandising, the band encouraged fans to bring blank T-shirts to shows, which the band would spray paint for using custom stencils, as well as blank CDs, onto which the band would burn copies of their album; Rosenstock and his collaborators provided these services for free, accepting donations when offered. While the band would eventually decide to engage in traditional merchandise sales as well, the free options remained available, maintaining their reputation for DIY ethics. The first three Bomb the Music Industry! records were almost entirely written, performed, and produced by Rosenstock himself, with early shows featuring Rosenstock either performing solo alongside backing tracks on his iPod, or accompanied by a lineup of sporadic guests varying significantly in lineup size. Several tours featured Rosenstock performing as a duo, either with

Mustard Plug Mustard Plug is an American ska punk band from Grand Rapids, Michigan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, consisting of Dave Kirchgessner (vocals), Brandon Jenison (trumpet), Jim Hofer (trombone), Nate Cohn (drums), Colin Clive (guitar/vocals), Mark Petz ...

bassist Rick Johnson, or collaborator Matt Kurz. The Rosenstock/Johnson iteration toured the United Kingdom as part of the ''Ska is Dead'' tour. In 2007, following their performance at SKAppleton, Bomb the Music Industry! embarked on the ''Real Bands Tour?'', featuring a full-band lineup, an approach which was reflected in the production of their 2007 record '' Get Warmer'', and followed for subsequent records. While they continued releasing their records digitally for free via Quote Unquote Records, from Get Warmer onward they partnered with

Asian Man Records Asian Man Records is a DIY record label run by Mike Park in Monte Sereno, California. Park started a record label and began releasing music in 1989 under the name Dill Records, with the Asian Man label established in May 1996. History Asian Man ...

for physical releases. Their first official music video, for the song "Wednesday Night Drinkball" from their 2009 record '' Scrambles'', was directed by Bryan Schlam and premiered after the album's release. Following the release of the album ''

Vacation A vacation (American English) or holiday (British English) is either a leave of absence from a regular job or school or an instance of leisure travel away from home. People often take a vacation during specific holiday observances or for sp ...

'' in 2012, an instrumental version of the track "Can’t Complain" was featured in an episode of

The Office ''The Office'' is the title of several mockumentary sitcoms based on a British series originally created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant as '' The Office'' in 2001. The original series also starred Gervais as manager and primary charac ...

. They also recorded a cover of "

Little Boxes "Little Boxes" is a song written and composed by Malvina Reynolds in 1962. The song was first released by her friend, Pete Seeger, in 1963, and became his only charting single in January 1964. The song is a social satire about the developm ...

" which was featured in a season eight opening sequence of

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. Later that year, the band announced an indefinite hiatus, stating that their summer US tour would likely be their last, stating that "the 9 – 10 months of our lives when we are not playing music are not fantastic. ... it seems like it’s just time to see if there’s anything out there that can provide us with full-time joy instead of part-time joy." Following an international farewell tour in 2013, the band played their final show in Brooklyn on January 19, 2014. A documentary about the band titled ''Never Get Tired'' produced by filmmaker Sara Crow, which had been funded via

Kickstarter Kickstarter, PBC is an American Benefit corporation, public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York City, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative project ...

and had begun filming in 2010 prior to the band's breakup, was released in 2015, commemorating the band's history and legacy.

Style

While Bomb the Music Industry!'s musical style was originally rooted in

ska punk Ska punk (also spelled ska-punk) is a fusion genre that mixes ska music and punk rock music. Ska punk tends to feature brass instruments, especially Horn (instrument), horns such as trumpets, trombones and woodwind instruments like saxophones ...

, they incorporated elements from a variety of genres, including

synthpop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s ...

power pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a subgenre of rock music and form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, ...

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be ca ...

chiptune Chiptune, also called 8-bit music (although not all chiptune is 8-bit music), is a style of electronic music made using the programmable sound generator (PSG) sound chips or synthesizers in vintage arcade machines, computers and video gam ...

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...

hardcore Hardcore, hard core or hard-core may refer to: Arts and media Film * ''Hardcore'' (1977 film), a British comedy film * ''Hardcore'' (1979 film), an American crime drama film starring George C Scott * ''Hardcore'' (2001 film), a British documen ...

, and

electronic music Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ electronic musical instruments, circuitry-based music technology and software, or general-purpose electronics (such as personal computers) in its creation. It includes both music ...

. The group's diverse influences and interests have been reflected in the variety of covers they recorded over the years, by artists such as

We Versus the Shark We Versus the Shark is an American math rock band from Athens, Georgia, United States. The band formed in March 2003, and is composed of several multi-instrumentalists who change instruments and all sing during live shows. Their debut full-lengt ...

Harvey Danger Harvey Danger was an American indie/alternative rock band. It was formed in 1992 in Seattle, Washington, by Aaron Huffman and Jeff J. Lin, who were both journalism students at the University of Washington. Drummer Evan Sult and singer Sean N ...

, Pavement,

Anti-Flag Anti-Flag was an American punk rock band formed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1988. The band was known for its left-wing politics, left-wing political activism. For the majority of the band's career, their members included Justin Sane (voc ...

Slow Gherkin Slow Gherkin is an American ska punk band from Santa Cruz, California, United States. Slow Gherkin was formed in 1993 by teenagers AJ Marquez, Zack "ZK" Kent, Phil Boutelle, and James Rickman. They released their first album, ''Double Happines ...

, and others. Rosenstock's lyrics explore both personal and political themes, often incorporating self-deprecating humor. Common song topics include mental health, employment issues, personal relationships, and criticisms of the music industry (including the independent scene). The band made use of a variety of arrangements and instrumentation, including straightforward rock structures, stripped down acoustic guitar-and-vocals recordings, and combinations thereof with

brass Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, in proportions which can be varied to achieve different colours and mechanical, electrical, acoustic and chemical properties, but copper typically has the larger proportion, generally copper and zinc. I ...

strings String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductors * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic c ...

elements, and others. The band occasionally incorporated complex time signatures on tracks such as "9/11 Fever". When an interviewer once described the band as "

ska Ska (; , ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a w ...

for smart people," Jeff Rosenstock responded: "...you could call us ska music for smart people or

for dumbasses at the same time. That's nice that somebody thinks we're smart."

Discography

Full-length albums

*'' Album Minus Band'' (2005) –

(Digital) /

Asbestos Records Asbestos Records is an American independent record label in Stratford, Connecticut, United States, founded in 1996. It was established as a business to release albums and compilations for local bands, and to book shows at the Newtown Teen Cente ...

(Vinyl) /

(Vinyl) *'' To Leave or Die in Long Island'' (2005) –

(Digital) /

(Vinyl)/

(Vinyl) *''

Goodbye Cool World! ''Goodbye Cool World!'' is the third release by DIY collective Bomb the Music Industry!. It was released on the band's website, as well as on a limited vinyl release. The album's working title was reported to be ''Clap Your Hands Say Shut t ...

'' (2006) –

(Digital) /

(Vinyl) /

(Vinyl) *'' Get Warmer'' (2007) –

(Digital) /

(CD/Vinyl) *'' Scrambles'' (2009) –

(Digital) /

(CD/Vinyl) *'' Adults!!!: Smart!!! Shithammered!!! And Excited by Nothing!!!!!!!'' (2010) –

(Digital) / Really Records (Vinyl) *''

'' (2011) –

(Digital) /

Ernest Jenning Ernest Jenning / Ernest Jenning Record Co. is an independent record label established in 2002 in Jersey City, New Jersey. EJRC has been based out of Brooklyn, NY since 2003. The label is run by Pete D'Angelo and Gandhar Savur, and is home to art ...

Record Co. / Really Records (CD/Vinyl)

EPs and splits

*'' Presidents Day Split 7″'' (2006) –

(Vinyl) *''Bomb the Music Industry! / O Pioneers!!!'' Split 10" (2007) –

(Digital) / Team Science (CD) /

(Vinyl) *''Under the Influence Vo. 3'' Split 7" w/

(2009) –

Suburban Home Records Suburban Home Records and Distribution is a record label based in Denver, Colorado, United States. The label was founded in 1995 by Virgil Dickerson, and is known for focusing on vinyl releases and bands in the pop-punk and alt-country genres. Its ...

(Vinyl Only) *'' Others! Others! Volume 1'' (2009) –

(Digital) *''Bomb the Music Industry! /

Laura Stevenson Laura Anne Stevenson (born April 25, 1984) is an American singer-songwriter from Long Island, New York, and formerly a keyboard player for the musical collective Bomb the Music Industry! Life and career Early life Stevenson was raised in Nas ...

'' Split 7" (2009) –

(Digital) / Kiss of Death Records (Vinyl) *''Everybody That You Love'' 7" (2010) –

(Digital) / Paper + Plastick (Vinyl) *''Ska is Dead, Vol. 6'' Split 7" w/

The Slackers The Slackers are an American ska band, formed in Manhattan, New York in 1991. The band's sound is a mix of ska, rocksteady, reggae, dub, soul, garage rock, and jazz. The Slackers' notability is credited to their prolific career, tours of Nort ...

(2011) –

(Vinyl)

Compilations

*V/A – '' More Bang for Your Buck III'' –

(2006) feat. "Congratulations John on Joining Every Time I Die" *V/A – ''Shine Some Light: A Benefit for Dan Lang-Gunn'' –

(2006) feat. "If Assholes got Awards, I'd Have a Trophy Case" *V/A – ''Ska is Dead –

'' (2007) feat. "I'm Terrorfied!" *V/A – '' More Bang for Your Buck IV'' –

(2007) feat. "My Response To An Article In Alternative Press" *V/A – ''Everyone Living Under A Gun – The Political Party'' (2008) feat. "No Rest for the Whiny" *V/A – ''Head Above Water- A Response to the BP Drilling Disaster'' (2011) feat. "Sleep through Monday" *V/A – ''Tallahassee Turns Ten – A Mountains Goats tribute album'' (2013) feat. "Ethiopians"

Music videos

Wednesday Night Drinkball
from ''Scrambles'' (2009)
Everybody That You Love
from ''Everybody That You Love'' (2010)

Band members

As a collective, the membership of Bomb the Music Industry varied significantly between performances, with some individuals even performing just once due to the band's policy of allowing fans to join them on stage. Over time, a core five-piece lineup solidified for both recordings and live performances, albeit with frequent outside contributions. Due to the impossibility of documenting all live contributors to the collective, this article only lists individuals who contributed to the group's recordings.

Final core members

– vocals, guitars, keyboards, saxophone, songwriting, percussion, programming, production * John Dedomenici – bass, drums, vocals * Mike Costa – drums * Tom Malinowski – guitar, vocals * Matt Keegan – keyboards, trombone, guitar, vocals

Studio contributors

References

External links

* {{Authority control Musical collectives Musical groups from Long Island Musical groups established in 2004 Musical groups disestablished in 2014 Asian Man Records artists Punk rock groups from New York (state) American ska punk musical groups Post–third wave ska groups Jeff Rosenstock