Mischief Brew | |
---|---|
Also known as | Kettle Rebellion (2001–02) |
Origin | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Genres | |
Years active | 2000–2016 |
Labels |
|
Past members |
|
Website | www.mischiefbrew.com |
Mischief Brew was an American folk punk band from Philadelphia consisting of vocalist and guitarist Erik Petersen, bassist Shawn St. Clair, and drummers Christopher Petersen and Christopher Kulp. The band played DIY folk punk and anarcho-punk music; it incorporated styles including American folk, Celtic folk, Gypsy-punk, and swing with lyrics influenced by the labour movement, protest music, and punk culture.
It was started by Erik Petersen as a solo project, but eventually grew into a band. Petersen drew inspiration from the protest movements of the 1960s, [1] "the idea that rebellion in music didn't originate in punk rock" (Profane Existence No. 54, 2007), and anti-establishment artists like Woody Guthrie and Crass. [1] Petersen's lyrics often pay homage to American labor radicalism of the early 20th century. [2] [3]
Mischief Brew has released albums and EPs on many different labels, notably Art of the Underground, Gunner Records, and Fistolo Records. [4] In support of these records, Mischief Brew toured extensively throughout the United States as well as Europe. [5] When playing live, they performed with four to five people, incorporating such instruments as junk/found percussion, trumpet, accordion, violin, mandolin, and vibraphone into their set.
Mischief Brew started after Erik Petersen's previous band, The Orphans, broke up in 2000. The Orphans were a punk band formed in West Chester, Pennsylvania in 1995 consisting of Erik Petersen on vocals and guitar, Andrew (Drew) Petersen on vocals and bass, Tom Johnson on guitar, and Andrew Baxter on drums. The group would go on to perform reunion shows in 2004 and 2008.
At first, Mischief Brew consisted of only Petersen on an acoustic guitar or mandolin, playing songs off of the Mirth demo. In 2003, Petersen released the Bellingham & Philadelphia split with Robert Blake, and the Bakenal CDEP. After extensive acoustic touring in support of the first two releases, Petersen assembled the first full-band incarnation of Mischief Brew, featuring Chris "Doc" Kulp (of Red Devil) on drums and Sean "Shantz" Yantz (of Evil Robot Us' and Abusing the Word) on bass. In 2005, Petersen released his first full-length, Smash The Windows , featuring guest spots by artists from Leftöver Crack, World/Inferno Friendship Society, and Guignol. [6] This release saw him experiment more musically, with styles ranging from gypsy-folk to swing.
The second album was Songs From Under the Sink, a collection of songs written between 1997 and 2002 which stresses his anarchist beliefs and is complemented by his clever guitar melodies. Yantz left the band shortly after Songs from Under the Sink was released, and was replaced for a few shows by Kevin Holland and later by Shawn St. Clair (of Endless Nightmare, Lost Cause, Stations, the Bad Dudes and Wrought With Sickness), who played bass. Mischief Brew's released Photographs from the Shoebox in 2008, a split LP/CD with Joe Jack Talcum of The Dead Milkmen.
In 2009, two versions of the song "Punx Win!" appeared on a split with Andrew Jackson Jihad. Rather than a traditional 7-inch single, Pirates Press Records released the record as an 8" with parallel grooves, therefore able to play either version of the track depending on where the needle is dropped. Petersen and Guignol collaborated in 2009 on Fight Dirty. [7] Mischief Brew released The Stone Operation in May 2011. The previous year, on October 18, 2010, an unmastered track from the album, "Dallas In Romania," was previewed by Y-Rock on WXPN. [8]
Leading up to and following the release of This Is Not For Children, Mischief Brew released three music videos for their songs "O, Pennsyltucky!" (Fistolo, 2014), "City of Black Fridays" (Shibby Pictures, 2015), and "Squatter Envy" (Shibby Pictures, 2016), all three of which appeared on the album.
Mischief Brew have played shows in support of Food Not Bombs, Iraq Veterans Against the War, and ABC No Rio. [9] In October 2011, Petersen played an acoustic set at Occupy Philadelphia. [10]
Founding member and vocalist Erik Petersen died on July 14, 2016. [11] [12] [13] Three days later, a tribute to Petersen was held on WXPN radio’s The Folk Show. [14] [15]
At the time of Erik Petersen's death in 2016, Mischief Brew consisted of three members—brothers Erik and Chris Petersen and Shawn St. Clair. [16]
Original bassist Sean Yantz was briefly replaced by Kevin Holland (for a few shows) and later Shawn St. Clair, who remained with the band until its end. As well, original drummer Christopher "Doc" Kulp, who had played with Erik since Kettle Rebellion and was replaced by Erik's brother Chris, continued to make guest appearances with the band following his departure. [17] Along with these members, the band regularly featured other musicians such as Franz Nicolay and Tom Swafford, as well as other guests and early members. [16]
Kettle Rebellion was the first "full-band" group that later became Mischief Brew. The group was formed in 2001 following the Mirth demo, and they recorded eight songs in 2002, which were later discovered and released on an eponymous EP in 2014. [18]
Mischief Brew regularly released extended plays and 7-inches throughout their time as a band, many of which were split with other bands. The Under The Table 7-inch was originally part of Suburban Home Records' Under The Influence series. The Kettle Rebellion EP was a long-lost EP with studio songs from Mirth; the master tape was stolen from Petersen's house and leaked online with incorrect song titles, but the EP was properly released.
Leftöver Crack is an American punk rock band formed in 1998, following the breakup of Choking Victim. The band is currently signed to Tankcrimes for CD releases, and Alternative Tentacles for vinyl releases. Leftöver Crack spans several different music genres including hardcore punk, ska, and crust punk. They write mostly political lyrics of a radical leftist nature, opposing religion, capitalism, and authority. Members of Leftöver Crack reside in the C-Squat on 155 Avenue C in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Natives of New York City, band members have a well-documented history of back-and-forth conflict with the NYPD which precedes the band's formation. The name "Leftöver Crack" is explained by Stza as being "an oxymoron", based on the idea that crack cocaine addicts are known for vigorous use and are unlikely to have any "leftover" crack.
Strung Out is an American punk rock band from Simi Valley, California, formed in 1989. They are known mainly for their musical style, which fuses aspects of melodic punk rock, progressive rock and heavy metal to form their primary sound. They have released nine studio albums on Fat Wreck Chords as well as one Live album, 2 B-sides collections, a best-of, a box set and appeared on numerous compilations and skate/surf/dirt bike/offroading videos. They have played on the Warped Tour and continue to tour internationally. The band currently have an ongoing collaboration beer with Lucky Luke Brewing Company called “Astrolux Golden Ale”. Their albums have charted on the Billboard 200.
The Vindictives are an American, Chicago-based punk rock group, founded by singer and songwriter Joey Vindictive in 1991, releasing 12 EPs and albums by July 1996.
Lars Erik Frederiksen is an American musician and record producer best known as a guitarist and vocalist for the punk rock band Rancid, as well as the frontman of Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards and the Old Firm Casuals. In addition, he currently plays guitar in Oxley's Midnight Runners, Stomper 98, and The Last Resort. He was also briefly a member of the UK Subs in 1991.
Folk punk is a fusion of folk music and punk rock. It was popularized in the early 1980s by The Pogues in England, and by Violent Femmes in the United States. Folk punk achieved some mainstream success in that decade. In more recent years, its subgenres Celtic punk and Gypsy punk have experienced some commercial success.
Sloppy Seconds is an American, Ramones-influenced punk band sometimes referred to as a junk rock band from Indianapolis, Indiana, that started in 1984. They gained notoriety in the underground punk scene with gritty and controversial songs like "Come Back, Traci," "I Don't Want to be a Homosexual", "Janie is a Nazi", "I Want 'em Dead" and "So Fucked Up."
Anthony Joseph Genaro is an American musician, best known as the guitarist and co-lead vocalist for the punk rock group The Dead Milkmen. Residing in Philadelphia, Genaro has performed with a number of punk and indie rock groups, most recently including The Low Budgets, and is also a solo artist.
Gypsy punk is a hybrid musical genre that combines traditional Romani music with punk rock, and is considered a subgenre of the wider label of folk punk. One of the first rock groups to incorporate elements of punk and Roma music was Motherhead Bug, which was active mostly in the early 1990s. A broader audience became aware of the genre after the band Gogol Bordello released the album Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike, with front man Eugene Hütz describing their performance as a "Gypsy Punk Cabaret".
Plow United is an American punk rock formed in Wilmington, Delaware in 1992. They play fast punk rock with pop, thrashcore and hardcore influences. Their lyrics are sometimes labeled "emo". Band members are Brian McGee, Sean Rule (drums) and Joel Tannenbaum (bass).
Blaster the Rocket Man was a Christian horror punk band from Indianapolis, Indiana. It formed in the early 1990s as Blaster the Rocketboy and signed with Boot to Head Records in 1994. It released two albums before signing with Jackson Rubio Records. Its name changed to Blaster the Rocket Man for its 1999 release The Monster Who Ate Jesus. Its final release was The Anatomy of a Monster, a compilation of material from its Boot to Head years plus some bonus material.
Franz Nicolay is an American musician and writer. He is best known for playing the accordion and piano in The World/Inferno Friendship Society and keyboards in The Hold Steady from 2005 to 2010 and again from 2016 onwards. He is also notable for founding Anti-Social Music, a composer/performer collective based in New York City, and for performing in the Balkan jazz quartet Guignol.
The Connie Dungs were an American punk rock band from Ashland, Kentucky, formed in 1994.
Mutiny are an Australian folk punk band based in Melbourne. Their slogan is "Folk punk for punk folk". They first formed in 1991 and have performed in Australia, Europe and the US. The original members were Chris Patches, Greg Stainsby, Briony Grigg, and Alice Green (bass). Chris originally sang in Melbourne crust band Compost. Greg and Alice were members of Melbourne punk band Insyte. Their songs tend to revolve around lives and issues of the working class and convicts, with a strong thread of Australian history throughout all of their releases. Their sound is often referred to as 'pirate' as their melding of folk sounds with punk imagery, politics and style gives many of their songs the feel of a jig. The use of a mandolin and piano accordion add to this feel as well. They have a strong anti-authoritarian philosophy and this comes out in their music and live shows. They played throughout the UK and Europe in 1994 and again through Europe in 1997. They also toured the United States in 1999. Greg Stainsby, Alice Green and Mark Jennings are currently also in The Currency.
Child Bite is an American punk/metal band formed in 2005 in Detroit, Michigan. The band's core members are founding vocalist Shawn Knight and longtime bassist Sean Clancy. Child Bite's sound has been described as "enormous and predatory, from the baleful rhythm section to Shawn Knight's [frightening vocals]."
Kill Your Idols is an American hardcore punk band from New York, active from 1995 through 2007 and again from 2013 to the present. They were signed to SideOneDummy Records. Their releases on SideOne were Funeral for a Feeling (2001), a split with 7 Seconds in 2004, and From Companionship to Competition (2005). Other notable releases by the band were No Gimmicks Needed and This Is Just The Beginning... which were released on Blackout! Records. The band released several 7-inch EPs, splits with other bands, multiple compilation tracks, and two full-length LPs in their 11-year run. Most of their records were released on vinyl as well as compact disc. Some were released on different colors of vinyl, different sleeve covers, hand numbered tour presses, and picture discs, making their records a favorite among collectors.
Smash the Windows is the first full-length album from the DIY folk punk band Mischief Brew. The album was released in 2005 by Fistolo Records (US), and in 2006 by Gunner Records (EU). It was recorded in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY at Vibromonk Studios by Tamir Muskat and Danny Shatzky, December 2004-January 2005. The album has guest appearances from members of World Inferno, Guignol, Evil Robot Us', and Leftöver Crack.
Dave Hause is an American singer-songwriter. He currently performs both solo and with his band The Mermaid. His music draws from heartland rock, folk rock and punk rock. He has also played in multiple Philadelphia-area punk and hardcore bands, including The Loved Ones and The Falcon.
Into It. Over It. is an indie rock band founded in 2007 as the solo project of Chicago, Illinois-based musician Evan Thomas Weiss. It is considered a leading act of the early-2010s emo revival scene.
Question The Mark are a Welsh punkrock band from Cardiff, Wales. The band have released three EPs, Tearing Our Arms Off Through (2009), Smoke Signals (2012) and Nightmare On Misery Street (2018), one studio album, Idle Hands released in 2010, one official compilation album, 1096 Days Later released in 2012 and one 4 way compilation EP, Roaster released in 2013.