Swingin' Utters (often typeset as $wingin' Utter$, and originally called Johnny Peebucks and the Swingin' Utters) is a Californian

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 ...

band that formed in the late 1980s.Bush, John
Swingin' Utters Biography
,

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

, retrieved September 30, 2012 After U.S. and European tours supporting the release of 2003's "Dead Flowers, Bottles, Bluegrass and Bones", some band members concentrated on raising their new families. From 2003-2010, the band played frequently, though mostly limited to the west coast of the United States and Canada, taking a break from any longer, comprehensive touring or recordings. During this time, they released the "Live in a Dive" double live album on Fat Wreck Chords (2004), and "Hatest Grits", a b-sides and rarities compilation (2008). After a seven-year gap in the release of any new, original recordings, the band released the "Brand New Lungs" 3-song 7-inch ep in 2010, followed by the "Here, Under Protest" LP (2011), and have since released four more records, and have resumed touring internationally.

History

Johnny Peebucks and the Swingin' Utters began in Santa Cruz,

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, later moving to

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

. The early lineup comprised singer Johnny "Peebucks" Bonnel, guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Darius Koski, bassist Kevin Wickersham, and drummer Greg McEntee. The band changed its name to the Swingin' Utters in 1994. The band's 1995 album ''

The Streets of San Francisco ''The Streets of San Francisco'' is an American television crime drama filmed on location in San Francisco and produced by Quinn Martin, with the first season produced in association with Warner Bros. Television (QM produced the show on its ow ...

'' won them 'Best Debut Album' at the

Bay Area Music Awards ''BAM'' (short for ''Bay Area Music'') was a free bi-weekly music magazine founded and published by Dennis Erokan in the San Francisco Bay Area from January 1976 until June 1999. History ''Bay Area Music'' magazine was first published in Janu ...

, and they were included on the first

Vans Warped Tour The Warped Tour is a touring rock music festival that toured the United States and Canada each summer from 1995 until 2019, and returned in 2025 for its 30th anniversary. By 2015, Warped was the largest traveling music festival in the United S ...

.Osterbeck, Ryan
Swingin' Utters
, ''

Metroactive ''Metro'', also known as ''Metro Silicon Valley'', is a free weekly newspaper published by the San Jose, California-based Weeklys media group for four decades, a period during which its readership area became known as Silicon Valley. Metro was o ...

'', retrieved September 30, 2012 They have been signed to

Fat Wreck Chords Fat Wreck Chords (pronounced "Fat Records") is an independent record label based in San Francisco focused on punk rock. It was started by NOFX lead singer Michael Burkett (better known as Fat Mike) and his wife at the time, Erin Burkett in 1990. ...

since 1996, releasing ''

A Juvenile Product of the Working Class ''A Juvenile Product of the Working Class'' is an album by American punk rock band Swingin' Utters. It was released on September 10, 1996, as the band's first album on Fat Wreck Chords. The album's name was taken from a line in Elton John's song ...

'' that year and releasing seven original albums, two EP's, a rare/b-sides compilation, a best of compilation, several 7" singles, and a live record on the label since. While Johnny Bonnel is the lead singer of the group, lead guitarist Darius Koski provides lead vocals on many of the band's tracks. Spike Slawson, Max Huber and Jack Dalrymple have also provided lead vocals on occasion.Greene, Jo-Ann
''Dead Flowers, Bottles, Bluegrass, and Bones'' Review
,

, retrieved September 30, 2012 The band toured the US with the Damned and

Dropkick Murphys Dropkick Murphys are an American Celtic punk band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1996. The current lineup consists of co-lead vocalist and bassist Ken Casey, drummer Matt Kelly, co-lead vocalist Al Barr (on hiatus from the band since 202 ...

in the early 2000s. They also toured Europe with Rancid.Taylor, Lewis (2003)
He's still Asleep at the Wheel, and it's a good thing.
, ''

Eugene Register-Guard ''The Register-Guard'' is a daily newspaper in the northwestern United States, published in Eugene, Oregon. It was formed in a 1930 merger of two Eugene papers, the ''Eugene Daily Guard'' and the ''Morning Register''. The paper serves the Eugene ...

'', May 16, 2003, retrieved September 30, 2012 The band's track "The Lonely" was included in the Association for Independent Music (AFIM) Indie Award-winning

soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...

of the 2001 film '' That Darn Punk''.Huey, Steve
''That Darn Punk'' Original Soundtrack
,

, retrieved September 30, 2012Morris, Chris (2002)
Wainwright, Parton Take Indie Awards
, ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'', March 23, 2002, p. 10, retrieved September 30, 2012 In 2010 a tribute album for the band, ''Untitled 21: A Juvenile Tribute to the Swingin' Utters'', was released. After a seven-year gap in the release of any new, original recordings, the band returned in 2010 with the ''Brand New Lungs'' EP, and followed it with the album '' Here, Under Protest'' in 2011.Swingin' Utters
", ''

City Weekly ''Salt Lake City Weekly'' (usually shortened to ''City Weekly'') is a free alternative weekly tabloid-paged newspaper published in Salt Lake City, Utah. It began as ''Private Eye''. ''City Weekly'' is published and dated for every Thursday by ...

'', July 23, 2010, retrieved September 30, 2012Heaney, Gregory
''Here, Under Protest'' Review
,

, retrieved September 30, 2012 The band finished their second full-length since their return, ''

Poorly Formed ''Poorly Formed'' is the eighth full-length album by Californian punk rock band Swingin' Utters. Track listing Personnel * Johnny Bonnel (vocals) * Darius Koski (guitar, vocals) * Jack Dalrymple John Stewart Dalrymple III (born October 16, ...

'', which was released in early 2013.Swanson, Kristen (2012)
In The Studio: Swingin’ Utters on rejuvenating the band, the Fat Wreck family and their new album
, ''

Alternative Press Alternative press may refer to: Individual publications * ''Alternative Press'' (magazine), an American music magazine Alternative journalism * Alternative media ** Alternative media (U.S. political left) ** Alternative media (U.S. political r ...

'', July 17, 2012, retrieved September 30, 2012 Longtime bassist Spike Slawson left the band in 2011, and was replaced by Miles Peck. Miles left the band in May 2017, and was replaced by Tony Teixeira. In April 2013, the band toured Australia with

and

Frank Turner Francis Edward Turner (born 28 December 1981) is an English Punk rock, punk and Folk music, folk singer-songwriter from Meonstoke, Hampshire. He began his career as the vocalist of post-hardcore band Million Dead, then embarked upon a primaril ...

. The band released the album ''

Fistful of Hollow ''Fistful of Hollow'' is the ninth full-length album by Californian punk rock band Swingin' Utters. The title and cover of the album are references to ''Hatful of Hollow'', by The Smiths. Track listing Personnel * Johnny Bonnel (vocals) * Dar ...

'' in 2014. It was the last album to see original/co-founding member and longtime drummer Greg McEntee, who left the band in April 2015. He was then replaced by Luke Ray. Johnny Bonnel and Darius Koski are the only remaining original members of the band. Swingin' Utters toured with several other Fat Wreck alumni to support the celebration of the Fat Wreck Chords 25th Anniversary, in August 2015. The U.S. tour was followed by a show in Tokyo, Japan.

Musical style

The band's sound is a traditional punk rock sound, and has been described as "

street punk Street punk (sometimes alternatively spelled streetpunk) is an urban working class-based subgenre of punk rock, which emerged as a rebellion against the perceived artistic pretensions of the first wave of British punk. The earliest street pun ...

". ''CMJ New Music Report'' described their sound as "blue-collar pop-influenced punk".Sciarretto, Amy (1999)
Swingin' Utters ''Brazen Head EP''
, ''CMJ New Music Report'', July 19, 1999, p. 25, retrieved September 30, 2012 Comparisons have been drawn with early punk bands such as

the Clash The Clash were an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they are considered one of the most influential acts in the original wave of British punk rock, with their music fusing elements ...

Sham 69 Sham 69 are an English punk rock band that formed in Hersham in Surrey in 1975. They changed their musical direction after seeing the Sex Pistols play live in early 1976. They were one of the most successful punk bands in the United Kingdom, ac ...

the Sex Pistols The Sex Pistols are an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they became culturally influential in popular music. The band initiated the punk movement in the United Ki ...

, and

Stiff Little Fingers Stiff Little Fingers are a Northern Irish punk rock band from Belfast. They formed in 1977 at the height of the Troubles, which informed much of their songwriting. They started out as a schoolboy band called Highway Star (named after the Deep P ...

.Greene, Jo-Ann
''The Streets of San Francisco'' Review
,

, retrieved September 30, 2012DaRonco, Mike
''Juvenile Product of the Working Class'' Review
,

, retrieved September 30, 2012Jenkins, Mark (1996)
Descendents Persist; Utters' Clash Envy
, ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'', December 13, 1996 The band have also incorporated elements of

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

and

roots rock Roots rock is a genre of rock music that looks back to rock's origins in contemporary folk music, folk, blues, and country music. First emerging in the late 1960s, it is seen as a response to the perceived excesses of the then dominant psychedel ...

, with comparisons to band such as Dropkick Murphys and

the Pogues The Pogues are an English Celtic punk band founded in King's Cross, London, in 1982, by Shane MacGowan, Spider Stacy and Jem Finer. Originally named Pogue Mahone—an anglicisation of the Irish language, Irish phrase :wikt:póg mo thóin, ''p� ...

.Bell, Robert (2011)
Swingin' Utters
, ''

Arkansas Times ''Arkansas Times'', a weekly alternative newspaper based in Little Rock, Arkansas, United States, is a publication that has circulated more than 40 years, originally as a magazine. Founded as a small magazine on newsprint in 1977 by publisher A ...

'', June 22, 2011, retrieved September 30, 2012Loftus, Johnny
''Live in a Dive'' Review
,

, retrieved September 30, 2012 Bonnel cites early punk rock bands and Celtic music as his early influences."`Utters' have come a ways since their cover days", ''

Deseret News The ''Deseret News'' () is a multi-platform newspaper based in Salt Lake City, published by Deseret News Publishing Company, a subsidiary of Deseret Management Corporation, which is owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS ...

'', October 31, 1998 Darius Koski said of their music "I've always thought of ursongs as just loud, aggressive and fast folk or country songs."

Side projects

Members of the Swingin' Utters have been involved in many musical

side project In popular music, a side project is a project undertaken by one or more people already known for their involvement in another band. It can also be an artist or a band temporarily switching to a different style. Usually these projects emphasize ...

s, most notably

Johnny Bonnel Johnny "Peebucks" Bonnel (born August 7, 1967) is the lead singer and a songwriter of the punk rock band Swingin' Utters and the alternative punk rock band Filthy Thievin' Bastards. His new project is called Druglords of the Avenues. His nickna ...

, Darius Koski, and

Spike Slawson Sean "Spike" Slawson (born April 9, 1970) is an American punk rock musician, a member of Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, Swingin' Utters, Filthy Thievin' Bastards, Re-Volts, Uke-Hunt, and Los Nuevos Bajos. Early life Having grown up in Pittsb ...

Filthy Thievin' Bastards The Filthy Thieving Bastards is an American folk/punk rock group formed in 2000 in San Francisco, California. The band was originally a side project put together by Johnny Bonnel and Darius Koski of the Swingin' Utters. Spike Slawson (also from ...

(formed in 2000).Bell, Mike (2001) "",

Canoe.ca Canoe.com is an English-language Canadian portal site and website network, and is a subsidiary of Postmedia Network. The phrase Canadian Online Explorer appears in the header; the name is also evidently a play on words on canoe (or ''canoë'' in ...

, June 1, 2001, retrieved September 30, 2012Filthy Thieving Bastards
, ''

Thrasher Thrashers are a New World group of passerine birds related to mockingbirds and New World catbirds. Like these, they are in the family Mimidae. There are 15 species in one large and 4 monotypic genera. These do not form a clade but are a phe ...

'', July 1, 2002, retrieved September 30, 2012Weiser, Rosy (2012)
Darius Koski, Santa Cruz County Stories: Keeping the rock-n-roll spirit intact
, ''

Santa Cruz Sentinel The ''Santa Cruz Sentinel'' is a daily newspaper published in Santa Cruz, California, covering Santa Cruz County, California, and owned by Media News Group, which is controlled by Alden Global Capital. History The paper was owned by the McP ...

'', April 30, 2012, retrieved September 30, 2012 Druglords of the Avenues with Johnny Peebucks singing (formed in

Oakland, California Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, California, Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major We ...

in 2004), and

Me First and the Gimme Gimmes Me First and the Gimme Gimmes (often shortened to MFGG or the Gimmes) are a punk rock supergroup and cover band that formed in San Francisco in 1995. The band's lineup consists of Spike Slawson, C. J. Ramone, Joey Cape, Pinch and John Reis. ...

(in which he is the

vocalist Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define singi ...

).Laban, Linda (2005) "Punk act Me First is wacky to the last", ''

Boston Herald The ''Boston Herald'' is an American conservative daily newspaper whose primary market is Boston, Massachusetts, and its surrounding area. It was founded in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States. It has been awarde ...

'', January 10, 2005, retrieved September 30, 2012Elfman, Doug (2005)
They've got it covered
, ''

Las Vegas Review-Journal The ''Las Vegas Review-Journal'' is a daily subscription newspaper published in Las Vegas, Nevada, since 1909. It is the largest circulating daily newspaper in Nevada and one of two daily newspapers in the Las Vegas area. The ''Review-Journal' ...

'', February 18, 2005, retrieved September 30, 2012 Drummer Greg McEntee also joined

Viva Hate ''Viva Hate'' is the debut solo studio album by English singer Morrissey. It was released on 14 March 1988 by His Master's Voice, six months after the final studio album by the Smiths, ''Strangeways, Here We Come'' (1987). Vini Reilly, the l ...

in February 2007, and the Re-Volts are fronted by

, with Darius Koski and

Jack Dalrymple John Stewart Dalrymple III (born October 16, 1948) is an American politician and businessman who served as the 32nd governor of North Dakota from 2010 to 2016. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 36th lieutenant gover ...

on guitar for their first record. Dalrymple was the former vocalist/guitarist for fellow Fat Wreck band Dead to Me as well. Jack also sings and plays guitar in two bands that are on Adeline Records: One Man Army, who briefly reunited after almost a decade of hiatus and released a new EP, and toyGuitar, in which Jack is joined by Miles Peck on guitar. A former Utters bandmate, Miles was also the lead singer and guitarist in Bay Area punk band the Sore Thumbs.

Band members

Current members * Johnny "Peebucks" Bonnel – lead vocals (1988–present) * Darius Koski – guitars, vocals, accordion (1990–present) *

– guitar, vocals (2006–present) * Luke Ray – drums (2015–present) * Tony Teixeira – bass (2017–present) Former members * Aric McKenna – guitar (1988–1990) * Greg McEntee – drums (1988–2015) * Joel Dison – guitar (1988–1992) * Max Huber – guitar, vocals (1992–2002) * Kevin Wickersham – bass (1988–1997) *

– bass, vocals (1997–2012) * Miles Peck – bass, vocals (2012–2017)

Timeline

Discography

Studio albums

* ''

Scared Fear is an unpleasant emotion that arises in response to perceived dangers or threats. Fear causes physiological and psychological changes. It may produce behavioral reactions such as mounting an aggressive response or fleeing the threat, com ...

'' (1992) * ''

'' (1995) * ''

'' (1996) * ''

Five Lessons Learned ''Five Lessons Learned'' is the fourth full-length album by American punk rock band Swingin' Utters. Released in 1998, it was their second album on Fat Wreck Chords. Background This album's title track was used on the video game ''Tony Hawk's P ...

'' (1998) * ''

Swingin' Utters Swingin' Utters (often typeset as $wingin' Utter$, and originally called Johnny Peebucks and the Swingin' Utters) is a Californian punk rock band that formed in the late 1980s.Bush, JohnSwingin' Utters Biography, Allmusic, retrieved September 30 ...

'' (2000) - CMJ No. 50Top 75
, ''

CMJ New Music Monthly CMJ Holdings Corp. is a music events, online media company and a distributor of up and coming music CDs, originally founded in 1978, which ran a website, hosted an annual festival in New York City, and published two magazines, ''CMJ New Music ...

'', February 2001, retrieved September 30, 2012 * '' Dead Flowers, Bottles, Bluegrass, and Bones'' (2003) * '' Here, Under Protest'' (2011) * ''

'' (2013) * ''

Fistful Of Hollow ''Fistful of Hollow'' is the ninth full-length album by Californian punk rock band Swingin' Utters. The title and cover of the album are references to ''Hatful of Hollow'', by The Smiths. Track listing Personnel * Johnny Bonnel (vocals) * Dar ...

'' (2014) * '' Peace and Love'' (2018)

Compilations

* '' More Scared: The House of Faith Years'' - 1996 * '' Hatest Grits: B-Sides And Bullshit'' - 2008 * ''

Drowning in the Sea, Rising with the Sun ''Drowning in the Sea, Rising with the Sun'' is the fourth compilation album by the punk band Swingin' Utters. The album contains fan favorites and some unreleased material. ''Drowning in the Sea, Rising with the Sun'' was released by Fat Wreck ...

'' - 2017

Live albums/EPs

* '' Live at the Fireside Bowl'' EP - 1996 * '' Live in a Dive'' - 2004

Singles/EPs

* '' Gives You Strength EP'' - 1992 * '' No Eager Men'' - 1993 * '' Nothing To Rely On'' - 1995 * '' The Sounds Wrong EP'' - 1995 * ''

I Need Feedback I, or i, is the ninth letter and the third vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''i'' (pronounced ), plu ...

'' - 1998 * '' Brazen Head E.P.'' - 1999 * ''

Teen Idol Eyes Adolescence () is a transitional stage of human physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age of majority). Adolescence is usually associated with ...

'' - 1999 * "

Fat Club The Fat Club is a series of twelve 7-inch singles released monthly by Fat Wreck Chords from March 2001 to February 2002. 1,300 of each single were pressed; They were not available for sale individually, but were distributed by postal service to tho ...

" - 2001 * '' Brand New Lungs'' - 2010 * "Taking The Long Way" - 2010 * '' The Librarians Are Hiding Something'' - 2012 * '' Stuck in a Circle'' - 2013 * ''

Sirens Siren or sirens may refer to: Common meanings * Siren (alarm), a loud acoustic alarm used to alert people to emergencies * Siren (mythology), an enchanting but dangerous monster in Greek mythology that lured sailors to their deaths. Places * Si ...

'' - 2020

Splits

* '' Swingin' Utters/Slip'' ( split single with

Slip Slip or The Slip may refer to: * Slip (clothing), an underdress or underskirt Music * The Slip (band), a rock band * ''Slip'' (album), a 1993 album by the band Quicksand * ''The Slip'' (album) (2008), a.k.a. Halo 27, the seventh studio al ...

) - 1994 * '' Swingin' Utters/UK Subs'' (split with

UK Subs U.K. Subs are an English punk rock band, among the earliest in the first wave of British punk. Formed in 1976, the mainstay of the band has been vocalist Charlie Harper, originally a singer in Britain's R&B scene. One of the first hardcore pu ...

) - 1995 * ''

Bombing the Bay A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-transmitted mechanical ...

'' (split with

AFI AFI may refer to: * Actual flip-angle imaging, a type of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) * ''Address-family identifier'', a 16 bit field of the Routing Information Protocol * AFI (band), an American rock band ** ''AFI'' (2017 album), the tenth ...

) - 1997 * ''

BYO Split Series Volume II ''BYO Split Series Volume II'' is the second album in the ''BYO Split Series'', featuring Swingin' Utters and Youth Brigade (band), Youth Brigade. Track listing References External links''BYO Split Series Volume II''
on BYO Records ...

'' (split with Youth Brigade) - 1999 * '' Der Glorreiche 7" Klub#4'' (split with Wham Bam Bodyslam) - 2012 * '' Swingin' Utters/Modern Action (split single)'' (Modern Action Records 2013)

Compilation appearances

* "Five Lessons Learned"- ''

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 ''Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2'' is a 2000 skateboarding video game developed by Neversoft for PlayStation and Natsume for Game Boy Color. Published by Activision, it is the second installment in the ''Tony Hawk's'' series of sports games, and was ...

'' * "Stupid Lullabies" - '' Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX'' * "Eddie's Teddy" - ''

The Rocky Horror Punk Rock Show ''The Rocky Horror Punk Rock Show'' is a tribute album featuring the soundtrack of the 1975 cult film ''The Rocky Horror Picture Show'' performed by modern punk rock bands, released on Springman Records in 2003. Background The album started as ...

'' * "The Lonely" - '' That Darn Punk'' * "Dirty sea"- '' Keep the Beat, Hairball 8 records'' - 1996 * "Reggae Gets Big In A Small Town" - ''

Mighty Attack ''Mighty Attack'' is a compilation album mostly of hardcore punk artists from USA, and UK. It was originally released in 1999 in Japan as a 33 song CD. The album was compiled by Flavour Records. The American versionAllmusic was compiled and rel ...

'' - 1999 * "Back to You" - ''

Short Music for Short People Short may refer to: Places * Short (crater), a lunar impact crater on the near side of the Moon * Short, Mississippi, an unincorporated community * Short, Oklahoma, a census-designated place People * Short (surname) * List of people known a ...

'' - 1999 * "Teenage Genocide" - '' Hardcore Breakout USA 1,2,3,...'' - 2004 * "Not Your Savior" - '' The Songs of Tony Sly: A Tribute'' - 2013

DVD

* ''Live at the Bottom of the Hill'' (2003)

References

External links

* * Swingin' Utters at AllMusic {{DEFAULTSORT:Swingin Utters Fat Wreck Chords artists Punk rock groups from California Cowpunk musical groups Folk punk groups Street punk groups Musical groups established in 1988 SideOneDummy Records artists