Bomb the Music Industry! (commonly abbreviated as Bomb or BtMI!) were an American punk rock musical collective from

Baldwin, Nassau County, New York Baldwin is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) located in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 33,919 at the time of the 2020 census. History Original inhabitants of the ...

, 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 we ...

. The band was known for their

DIY "Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and sem ...

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 that 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 are noted for their sty ...

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

PowerBook The PowerBook (known as Macintosh PowerBook before 1997) is a family of Macintosh laptop computers designed, manufactured and sold by Apple Computer from 1991 to 2006. During its lifetime, the PowerBook went through several major revisions and r ...

'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 (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...

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 th ...

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, consisting of Dave Kirchgessner (vocals), Brandon Jenison (trumpet), Jim Hofer (trombone), Nate Cohn (drums), Colin Clive (guitar/vocals), Mark Petz (tenor saxophone) and Gr ...

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 SKAppleton is the largest annual ska concert in the Midwestern United States. It is held in early May each year in Appleton, Wisconsin, and features ska bands from around the region. The concert has included such bands as Mustard Plug, The Toast ...

, 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 ''Get Warmer'' is the fourth full-length album by DIY collective Bomb the Music Industry!. Recording and composition Originally, the band were going to follow up 2006’s '' Goodbye Cool World!'' with an EP entitled ''No No New York''. This con ...

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 may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

for physical releases. Their first official music video, for the song "Wednesday Night Drinkball" from their 2009 record

Scrambles ''Scrambles'' is the fifth studio album by Bomb the Music Industry!, released digitally and physically on February 15th, 2009. The album was released a year and a half after Get Warmer, making it the longest gap between the release of two chrono ...

, was directed by Bryan Schlam and premiered after the album's release. Following the release of

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

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

The Office ''The Office'' is a mockumentary sitcom created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, first made in the United Kingdom, then Germany, and subsequently the United States. It has since been remade in ten other countries. The original ser ...

. They also recorded a cover of "

Little Boxes "Little Boxes" is a song written and composed by Malvina Reynolds in 1962, which became a hit for her friend Pete Seeger in 1963, when he released his cover version. The song is a social satire about the development of suburbia, and associa ...

" which was featured in a season eight opening sequence of Weeds. 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 is an American public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life". As of July 2021, ...

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 together. (sometimes spelled skacore) is a subgenre of ska punk that mixes ska with hardcore punk. Early ska punk mixed both 2 tone and ska with hard ...

, they incorporated elements from a variety of genres, including

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

power pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a 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, an energetic performance, an ...

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

chiptune Chiptune, also known as chip music or 8-bit music, is a style of synthesized electronic music made using the programmable sound generator (PSG) sound chips or synthesizers in vintage arcade machines, computers and video game consoles. The ...

indie rock Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the music they produ ...

, hardcore, and

electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electro ...

. 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,

Harvey Danger Harvey Danger was an American alternative rock band that was formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1992 by journalism students at the University of Washington. The band rose to prominence in 1997 with the single " Flagpole Sitta", which was later u ...

, Pavement,

Anti-Flag Anti-Flag is an American punk rock band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The band is known for its left-wing political activism. Their current members include Justin Sane (vocals, guitar), Chris Head (guitar), Pat Thetic (drums), and Chris Bar ...

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

, 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 (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other wi ...

, strings,

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

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 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!'' (2006) –

(Digital) /

(Vinyl) /

(Vinyl) *''

'' (2007) –

(Digital) /

(CD/Vinyl) *''

'' (2009) –

(Digital) /

(CD/Vinyl) *''

'' (2011) –

(Digital) / Ernest Jenning 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! Biography Stevenson was raised in Nassau County, New Y ...

'' Split 7" (2009) –

(Digital) / Kiss of Death Records (Vinyl) *'' Adults!!!: Smart!!! Shithammered!!! And Excited by Nothing!!!!!!!'' (2010) –

(Digital) / Really 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 a variety of individuals performing only once with a band due to their 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

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bomb the Music Industry! 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