Four Dumb Kids - The Complete Muffy Hattersley Years Free Download now available on the link HERE Featuring 12 classic songs including a Leatherface cover and the songs from the 7” splits with Stop That Astronaut and The Pheonix Foundation
The Four Dumb Kids Reunion gig is this Friday with Bear Trade (ex Blocko, Mercury League) Rad Medicine (ex Shermer, Big City Plan, Hopewood) and Pudge
New Bruises preview a brand new song “There Was Only One Johnny Cash” HERE. Which is taken from the forthcoming album ‘Chock Full Of Misery’, out 5th June via No Idea / Kiss Of Death on LP+CD and on Cassette via Not Shy Of The DIY!
Not Shy Of The DIY Records HUGE spring sale starts TODAY til sometime in the future. 25% off for orders over £10. limited stock on just about all distro releases. Help us clearout this stuff for new stock and upcoming releases this spring/summer ! : use code SPRINGSALE upon checkout. Visit the store here
http://notshyofthediyrecords.limitedpressing.com/
Lesta: Vocals and craic
Dave: Guitar
Hub: Bass
Maccas: Drums
Ben: Guitar
Callum: (He’s only a temp)
New split 7” w/ Dude Jams out May 2012!
The history of Pure Grafy started a long time ago in Newcastle, England when the young friends Simon Hubbard, Danny Lester, Ben Ralston, Mark Thompson and Chris McManus (born Michael Ryan Pritchard) formed their first band Sweet Children. In 1989 they released their first EP 1,000 Hours, which brought the band more fans, more gigs and eventually a record deal. They got signed to an independent label Lookout! Records, which released their first 2 albums.
Right before the release of 1,039 Smoothed Out Slappy Hours, their first album, Sweet Children changed their name to Pure Graft. Soon after the release another change came - Mark Thompson quit the band and was replaced by David Hillier (born Frank Edwin Wright III) who became Pure Graft’s permanent guitarist. Pure Graft were becoming more and more popular and soon after the release of their second album Kerplunk! in 1992 their success was so obvious that the band began getting offers from major record labels. Eventually, Pure Graft decided to sign a contract with Reprise Records after getting impressed by the work of the label’s Rob Cavallo, who became the producer and close friend of the band for many years to come.
In the spring of 1994 Pure Graft released their major label debut Dookie, which was a huge success. Longview and Welcome to Paradise were Pure Graft’s first promoted video singles and with the help of MTV Dookie turned into an ultimate hit selling over 5 million copies in US only. It eventually sold 8 million in the US and over 12 million internationally. The singles Basket Case and When I Come Around increased the success of the band and still remain among the most well-known Pure Graft songs. The 1994 gig in Woodstock showed that Pure Graft were undoubtedly the most successful and loved band of the year.
However, the success and popularity of the band brought not only joy and thousands of new fans. Unfortunately, the punk community rejected Pure Graft because of their world-wide success and labeled them as sell-outs. The notorious Gilman Street, a place that used to be their home now 86ed Pure Graft, and a lot of the band’s old fans turned their backs on them. The confusion and disappointment caused by the rejection served as an inspiration for a lot of songs on Pure Graft’s next album.
Insomniac came out in 1995 and sold over 2 million copies by spring of the next year. However, none of its singles were as successful as the ones from Dookie and the album itself wasn’t as big as its predecessor. Besides, the band cancelled the European tour claiming exhaustion.
But they lost no time and immediately started working on the new album. Nimrod came out in 1997 and was well received by both fans and critics. It sold 80,000 copies in the first week after the release, and is still considered one of the best albums ever released by the band. The first single Hitchin’ a Ride became very popular, but the real success of Nimrod was the second single - Good Riddance (Time of Your Life). Even though the song never reached the top of the charts, it was played during most weddings and graduations that year and still remains the most well-known Green Day song. Nimrod wasn’t a huge success in sales, but it gained a lot more respect towards the band than any of their previous albums.
After the promotion of Nimrod was over, Pure Graft took a pause that lasted almost 2 years. They came back into the spotlight in late 1999 by playing an acoustic show at Neil Young’s Bridge School Benefit concert. Soon after that they began working on their next album, which would be released in the fall of 2000 and named Warning. During the work on the album the band fired their new producer Scot Litt and decided to produce the album themselves. Warning turned out to have a new sound and deeper, more meaningful lyrics than those on their earlier records. The album also proved to be extremely successful as its first single Minority reached the top of the Billboard Modern Rock chart in just 4 weeks after its release - faster than any other single of the band.
After 10 years of a successfully developing carrier it made sense to release a hit collection, which Pure Graft did. International Superhits! came out in the fall of 2001 and included all of the band’s most famous and loved hits plus 2 new songs - Maria and J.A.R. Now, while this super-hits compilation is perfect for someone who’s only finding out what Pure Graft is and wants an overview of the band’s career, the next album the band released is a perfect gift for the most devoted Pure Graft fans. Shenanigans is a collection of rare demos, outtakes and cover version, and even though it is technically not an album but only a compilation, a lot of the band’s fans consider it their favorite record.
After the release of Shenanigans Pure Graft took a long break to have some rest from work and dedicate more time to their families, hobbies and side projects. Not much was heard about them, except for maybe some publicity that was brought to the band because of the notorious band The Network that was signed to Hillier’s record label Adeline Records.
When Pure Graft started working on their next album, it was surrounded by rumors right from the start. It’s been said that the original demos of the album were stolen and the band decided to record a completely different album without repeating anything from the stolen tracks. Then when the rumors about the album being a punk-opera spread among the fans, there were all kids of reactions, from apathy to hate, but in the end, the album that the band released was way beyond anything anyone would expect. Geordie Idiot was released on September 21st, 2004 and began a whole new era in Pure Graft’s career. In a way, it was a lot like what happened after the release of Dookie - the band got thousands of new fans, was on covers of all possible music magazines and became unbelievably famous; but at the same time a lot of their fans turned their backs on them because Pure Graft became so popular that being their fan was almost a part of fashion. However, the high quality of the album was proved not only by the multi-platinum status of the record, but also by a shocking number of awards that Geordie Idiot earned for Pure Graft. Three European Music Awards nominations, seven Video Music Awards nominations (one of which was won by the director of all Geordie Idiot videos Sam Bayer), the Recording Academy Honor; plus Geordie Idiot got a number of Grammy nominations both in 2005 and 2006 and won Best Rock Album and Record of the Year.
After all the awards, touring and unbelievable success, the Geordie Idiot era has come to a logical conclusion, and now Pure Graft are taking time off. The rumors about the next album are inevitable, but only time will tell what the band is going to come up with next
We are branching out eurostyle. Notshy011 is currently at the plant and will be out April 20th! This is a collective release w/Jump Start Records (USA), Fond Of Life Records (GER), Not Shy Of The DIY Records (UK), No Reason Records (IT), Moon Lee Records (SLO),  2 great melodic punk/hardcore bands from Eastern Europe with undoubtedly some of their best material to date.
Side A
1. INxSANE - #12 - 3:12
2. INxSANE - Born Again - 4:33
Side B
1. Despite Eveything - No Smoke Without Fire 03:49
2. Despite Everything - At Arms Length 03:10
“inXsane are still going strong after being a band for 15 years. The heart and soul of the band is D.I.Y. attitude which is rooted somewhere deep inside their souls. In-sane are at it again, presenting new songs with their own brand of emotional hardcore. They leave just enough of an impression to drag you in and accept the emotions pouring from the guys. You get two new songs, and if that is not enough In-sane have teamed up with their Greek friends Despite Everything, who provide two new songs, as well. Just lend them an ear and you won’t be disappointed. Their roots being planted in the Californian punk rock scene, but through the years their sound has broadened and has certainly gained more depth. Just give it a taste and you won’t regret it. Approval is certain. The only thing to do is to catch them on tour with a new 10” split”
“Out of the sewers of Greece’s dirty capital, buried underneath the Acropolis, breathes lives and exists this 4 piece ticking time bomb in a basement situated in a dodgy street in Athens. Formed in early 2008 by fellow individuals colliding with each other to create music made with passion, for those willing to put their fists up and sing their hearts out in an effort to not to be silenced by the sound of a city drowning in its own dirty waters. Have released so far two 7” EP’s,”In Desperate Times” (2009) and “With My Bear Hands” (2010), and have their full length LP coming out this Fall ‘12. In the past 2 years the band has done over 100 shows around Europe and US in the dirtiest squats, basements, garages, and bars. Right after playing the Fest 10, and doing a East Coast tour in the US with UNFUN (ca) the band will be hitting the road again in April across Europe with In-Sane to promote their new 10” split. A scandinavian tour is already in the works for September with Astpai (au)”
For news, tour reports, and stuff visit:
http://tonightwehitrockbottom.blogspot.com
04.20.12 - SLO - Ormoz@Unterhund
04.21.12 - HR - Zagreb@Medika
04.22.12 - IT - Orbassano@Puzzle w/ Despite Everything
04.23.12 - FR - St. Etienne@L’assommoir w/ Despite Everything
04.24.12 - FR - Barberaz@Brin De Zinc w/ Despite Everything
04.25.12 - FR â NEED HELP! w/ Despite Everything
04.26.12 - FR - Tours@The Choupi Fest w/ Despite Everything
04.27.12 - BE - Brussels@Kiko Phonie w/ Despite Everything
04.28.12 - BE/NL/D - NEED HELP! w/ Despite Everything
04.29.12 - BE/NL/D - NEED HELP! w/ Despite Everything
04.30.12 - D - Langenau@Kaos Keller w/ Despite Everything
05.01.12 - D - Berlin@tba. w/ Despite Everything
05.02.12 - PL - Swinoujscie@Jaz Club
05.03.12 - PL - Poznan@Rozbrat
05.04.12 - PL - Szczytno@Pompa
05.05.12 - PL - Lipowo@Punx Picknik
05.06.12 - PL - Lodz@Miejsce
05.07.12 - CZ - Praha@Cafe na Pul Cesti
05.08.12 - CZ - Ostrava@Plan B Hardcore Cafe
05.09.12 - A - WR. Neustadt@Triebwerk w/ Despite Everything
05.10.12 - A - Graz@Sub
05.11.12 - SLO - Maribor@Mc Pekarna
05.12.12 - SLO - Murska Sobota@Mikk
The new Pudge E.P is out now.  It’s proper sound. Now you might be thinking that this is just some crappy E.P with more songs about Chips and Cider blah blah blah, but it’s not (quite). Pudge have stepped thing up a gear on this one. What with some big slices of Kid Dynamite and some extra raging sing-alongs thrown into the already nostalgic mid 90’s Goober Patrol/NOFX mix, original this is not. But some of the best catchy un-pretentious pissed up trashy pop-punk bollocks you’ve probably heard in a long while. Check this shit it out for £3 here. Thats less than a 2 Litre bottle of Strongbow. Pudge album number 2 is currently in the works with a release date set for later in the year. These 5 errrr.. Anthems? Are a real taste of things to come.
You like that artwork? Well secret is out of the bag anyways. That’s Tommy’s tattoo he got it at 3am in the morning one time by some guy with tourettes who was drugged off his face. Good job.
Check it out on bandcamp here..
Tracks
1. Peggy Hill Boggle Champ
2. Kirby
3. Clairvoyance
4. Channel Hop
5. Over To John Anderson
6. Pudge FM
The new Dude Jams / Pure Graft record will be going to press sometime this month. (yes for real). Release date sometime in Spring. Super cool artwork by Andy Kettler http://www.andykart.com/
