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New York, NY 10005
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Big Hassle Media LA
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Los Angeles, CA 90016
P 323.456.3490
Tito Belis
Big Hassle Media
tito@bighassle.com
212-619-1360
Ken Weinstein
Big Hassle Media
weinstein@bighassle.com
212-619-1360
Against Me!
White Crosses
The story of Against Me! begins in Naples, FL, the year 1997. Tom Gabel, who was playing in a local grind-core band at the time, started playing under the name as a solo project with no intentions of doing anything beyond making a demo tape, and overcoming stage fright by playing a show by himself. Shortly after these goals were realized, he started collaborating with his friend Kevin Mahon (now of the band forgetters), who accompanied him on a make-shift drum set built out of scavenged (dumpster) pickle buckets and whatever real drum parts they could round up. The two then recorded another 10 song demo tape entitled Vivida Vis on a four track tape recorder in Tom’s bedroom at his mother’s house. They self-released the album by dubbing copies on boom boxes and stealing photo copies for the covers and lyric booklets from Kinko’s and Office Depot’s all across America. Tom and Kevin moved to Gainesville in 1999 and released their first self-recorded, self-titled 5 song 12″ EP on the Baltimore label Crasshole Records in 2000. This was followed by their first 7″ EP, recorded by Rob Mcgregor at Goldentone studios, entitled Crime As Forgiven By… and released by Sabot Productions in 2001. Shortly after, they were joined by James Bowman on guitar, followed by Dustin Fridkin on bass. After the last show of their first full fledged tour as a 4-piece band, while driving south on I-75 from Bloomington, IN back to Gainesville, FL their van was struck by a semi truck. They rolled multiple times and landed upside down in a ditch, and while all of their equipment and van were destroyed, everyone walked away from the accident relatively unscathed. It was at this point Kevin Mahon left the band to pursue an interest in train hopping. After briefly considering quitting altogether, Tom and Dustin continued under the name as a 2-piece releasing another 7″ EP on Sabot Productions, fan-titled The Acoustic EP. Unsatisfied with playing music as an acoustic duo, Tom and Dustin began playing music with Warren Oakes on drums and were rejoined by James Bowman on guitar.
In 2002, the four-piece released the landmark full length album Reinventing Axl Rose on Gainesville, Florida’s No Idea Records, recorded by Rob Mcgregor at Goldentone Studios; an album that has gone on to become No Idea Records’ top selling album. Shortly after the album’s release, Dustin Fridkin left the band to return to college. Faced again with an uncertain future, the band considered breaking up. By chance, Tom received a drunken email from his friend Andrew, who at the time played in the Murfreesboro, TN band Kill Devil Hills. Andrew jokingly said that Against Me! should kick their bass player out and let him join the band. Tom called his bluff and shortly after, Andrew moved to Gainesville, FL. Together, Tom, James, Warren, and Andrew released 3 full length albums, 1 live album, 1 DVD and multiple EPs. As The Eternal Cowboy, released in 2003 by Fat Wreck Chords, saw Against Me! with Rob McGregor as producer but this time making a 100% analog recording in Memphis, TN at the famous Ardent Studios (The Replacements, R.E.M., Afghan Whigs, Led Zeppelin, Big Star). Against Me! toured relentlessly in support of the album. In 2005, Against Me! headed to Baltimore, MD to record with producer J. Robbins (Government Issue, Jawbox, Burning Airlines); the album, Searching For A Former Clarity (Fat Wreck Chords), was met with much mainstream critical praise and landed AM! a record deal with the label Sire Records. The bands major label debut New Wave, recorded in 2006 and released in 2007, was produced by Butch Vig (Garbage, Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Green Day) and mixed by Rich Costey (Mars Volta, My Chemical Romance, Franz Ferdinand). The album was a media breakthrough and among many other accolades was named Spin Magazine’s album of the year. Against Me! hit the road to support New Waveand again, the road ended with a crash. Early in the morning hours, on an icy interstate, while driving overnight from Denver to Salt Lake City, the band’s tour bus hit a patch of ice, skidded out of control and landed on its side in a ditch off the interstate. Luckily, everyone walked away unscathed. The moment was a breaking point for the band in many respects as shortly after finishing the remaining few weeks of touring in support of New Wave, Warren Oakes left the band to open a Mexican restaurant in Gainesville, FL.
In 2010 Against Me! recorded their 5th full length album, White Crosses, once again working with Butch Vig, but this time featured Alan Moulder (Smashing Pumpkins, NIN) doing the mix, and George Rebelo (Hot Water Music) playing drums. They also began touring with pianist Franz Nicolay (The Hold Steady, World/Inferno Friendship Society). Shortly after the albums release Against Me! announced it would be parting ways with Sire/Warner. The band also announced that drummer Jay Weinberg (Madball, The E Street Band) would now be sitting behind the kit, pounding heads.
The band has jumped head first into 2011 already completing a full headlining tour of the U.S. followed by another tour supporting the Dropkick Murphy’s and has dates planned taking them through the summer into the fall including another U.S. headlining tour (supported by Screaming Females and Lemuria), dates on the Van’s Warped Tour and appearances at a slew of other festivals. In February the band entered Madison, WI’s famed and now closed, Smart Studios for a week where they recorded a two song 7″ EP to be released by Sabot Productions this June 14th entitled “Russian Spies/Occult Enemies”, the first Against Me! recordings to feature Jay Weinberg. This May 23rd the band will also be releasing a collection of rarities and demo recordings on Fat Wreck Chords recorded during the Searching For A Former Clarity era, entitled “Total Clarity”.
Since 1997 Against Me! has played over 2,000 shows worldwide, not only having played in every state in the U.S., but traveling world-wide to Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Iceland, Ireland, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, Hungary, Croatia, Poland, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Lithuania. They have toured with a wide range of bands including The Foo Fighters, Green Day, The Pogues, Jimmy Eat World, NOFX, Lucero, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, Mastodon, Matt & Kim, Cursive, Rise Against, The Bouncing Souls, Hot Water Music, Billy Talent, Silversun Pickups, Alkaline Trio, The Blood Brothers, Social Distortion, Japanther, The Grabass Charlestons, and Sage Francis. In addition, they have made multiple appearances at festivals such as Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, The Warped Tour, Reading & Leeds, Pukkelpop and many more.
AGAINST ME! ANNOUNCE WHITE CROSSES REISSUE ON JULY 26
28-TRACK ALBUM TO BE THE FIRST RELEASE ON BAND’S OWN LABEL, TOTAL TREBLE MUSIC
COLLECTION TO INCLUDE ORIGINAL 10-SONG ALBUM WITH FOUR BONUS TRACKS & BLACK CROSSESALBUM FEATURING ALTERNATE TAKES AND UNRELEASED SONGS
Against Me! is excited to announce the re-release of their fifth full-length album, White Crosses. Originally released by Sire Records on June 7, 2010, and presented now in two parts, White Crosses and Black Crosses, the reissue will be the first release on the band’s newly launched record label, Total Treble Music.
This reissue is a 28-track collection that includes the original 10-song album with four bonus tracks, all produced by Butch Vig and mixed by Alan Moulder. The second half, Black Crosses, is a collection of alternate versions and unreleased songs. Of the 14 self-produced Black Crosses songs, nine were recorded with drummer Warren Oakes at Goldentone Studios in Gainesville, FL, shortly before he departed the band in Spring 2009. The other five acoustic songs were recorded at Crescendo Studios, also in Gainesville, in early 2010. Both the 3xLP vinyl and 2xCD versions of this release are presented in their originally intended packaging created by Steak Mtn., including a 32-page lyric and art booklet.
Against Me! are currently finishing up an East Coast US headlining run with Screaming Females and Lemuria, and will be performing their third stint on the 2011 Vans Warped Tour this Summer. On June 14, the band released “Russian Spies”/”Occult Enemies,” a two-song EP recorded with new drummer Jay Weinberg at the recently closed Smart Studios in Madison, WI. The band will be completing their Summer with a string of shows opening for blink-182, after which they will begin preparing to record their sixth full-length album to be released on their own Total Treble Music.
White Crosses tracklisting:
01. White Crosses
02. I Was A Teenage Anarchist
03. Because Of The Shame
04. Suffocation
05. We’re Breaking Up
06. High Pressure Low
07. Ache With Me
08. Spanish Moss
09. Rapid Decompression
10. Bamboo Bones
11. Lehigh Acres
12. Bob Dylan Dream
13. One By One
14. Bitter Divisions
Black Crosses tracklisting:
01. White Crosses (Goldentone Studio Version)
02. I Was A Teenage Anarchist (Acoustic Version)
03. Because Of The Shame (Acoustic Version)
04. The Western World (Goldentone Studio Version)
05. Strip Mall Parking Lots (Goldentone Studio Version)
06. High Pressure Low (Acoustic Version)
07. Hot Shots (Goldentone Studio Version)
08. Spanish Moss (Goldentone Studio Version)
09. Rapid Decompression (Goldentone Studio Version)
10. Soul Surrender (Goldentone Studio Version)
11. Lehigh Acres (Goldentone Studio Version)
12. David Johansen’s Soul (Acoustic Version)
13. One By One (Acoustic Version)
14. Bitter Divisions (Goldentone Studio Version)
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White Crosses - Album Art
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Ryan Russell
L to R: Andrew Seward, Tom Gabel, Jay Weinberg, James Bowman
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Ryan Russell
L to R: James Bowman, Tom Gabel, Jay Weinberg, Andrew Seward
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Ryan Russell
L to R: Jay Weinberg, James Bowman, Andrew Seward, Tom Gabel
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