Songs for the Underclass

Last updated
Songs for the Underclass
ArtBergmannSongsfortheUnderclassAlbumCover.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedAugust 26, 2014
Genre Alternative rock
Length24:09
Label Weewerk
Producer Lorrie Matheson
Art Bergmann chronology
Lost Art Bergmann
(2009)
Songs for the Underclass
(2014)
The Apostate
(2016)

Songs for the Underclass is an EP by Art Bergmann, released August 26, 2014 on weewerk. [1]

Prior to writing and recording the EP, Bergmann had spent several years effectively retired from the music business. Living on a farm in rural Alberta while recovering from degenerative arthritis, [2] he continued to perform sporadic live shows and released two albums of archival demo recordings, but had not recorded a new album since 1998's Design Flaw . [3] The EP, one of the most explicitly political works of Bergmann's career, was inspired by his renewed anger at the direction of contemporary politics, [4] and was supported by his most extensive tour of concert dates since the 1990s. [4]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Drones of Democracy"7:44
2."Company Store"5:15
3."Ballad of a Crooked Man"7:02
4."Your Cold Appraising Eye"4:08

Related Research Articles

Jimmy Eat World

Jimmy Eat World is an American rock band formed in 1993 in Mesa, Arizona. The band is composed of lead vocalist and lead guitarist Jim Adkins, rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch, and drummer Zach Lind. They have released ten studio albums, the last nine featuring the current lineup.

<i>Damaged</i> (Black Flag album) 1981 studio album by Black Flag

Damaged is the debut studio album by the American hardcore punk band Black Flag. SST Records released it on December 5, 1981.

Sum 41

Sum 41 is a Canadian rock band from Ajax, Ontario. Originally called Kaspir, the band was formed in 1996 and currently consists of Deryck Whibley, Dave Baksh, Tom Thacker, Jason "Cone" McCaslin, and Frank Zummo.

AFI (band)

AFI is an American rock band from Ukiah, California, formed in 1991. Since 1998, it consists of lead vocalist Davey Havok, drummer and backing vocalist Adam Carson, bassist, backing vocalist and keyboardist Hunter Burgan, and guitarist, backing vocalist and keyboardist Jade Puget. Havok and Carson are the sole remaining original members. Originally a hardcore punk band, they have since delved into many genres, starting with horror punk and following through post-hardcore and emo into alternative rock and gothic rock.

Extended play Musical recording longer than a single, but shorter than a full album

An extended play, often referred to as an EP, or mini-album, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but is usually unqualified as an album or LP. Contemporary EPs generally contain a minimum of three tracks and maximum of six tracks, and are considered "less expensive and time-consuming" for an artist to produce than an album. An EP originally referred to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play (SP) and LP, but it is now applied to mid-length CDs and downloads as well.

Suicidal Tendencies

Suicidal Tendencies are an American hardcore punk band formed in 1980 in Venice, California, by vocalist Mike Muir, who is the only remaining original member of the band. Along with D.R.I., Corrosion of Conformity, and Stormtroopers of Death, they are often credited as one of "the fathers of crossover thrash". Their current lineup includes Muir, guitarists Dean Pleasants and Ben Weinman, bassist Ra Díaz and drummer Dave Lombardo. Notable musicians who have contributed to the band's studio or live activities include guitarists Rocky George and Mike Clark, bassists Louiche Mayorga, Robert Trujillo, Josh Paul and Stephen "Thundercat" Bruner, and drummers Amery Smith, Jimmy DeGrasso, Brooks Wackerman, David Hidalgo Jr., Thomas Pridgen and session musician Josh Freese.

Bad Religion American punk rock band

Bad Religion is an American punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California in 1980. The band's lyrics cover topics related to religion, politics, society, the media and science. Musically, they are noted for their melodic sensibilities and extensive use of three-part vocal harmonies. The band has experienced multiple line-up changes, with singer Greg Graffin being the band's only constant member, though fellow founding members Jay Bentley and Brett Gurewitz have also been with the band for most of their history, and guitarist Brian Baker has been a member of the group since 1994. Guitarist Mike Dimkich and drummer Jamie Miller have been members of the band since 2013 and 2015 respectively. To date, Bad Religion has released seventeen studio albums, two live albums, three compilation albums, three EPs, and two live DVDs. They are considered to be one of the best-selling punk rock acts of all time, having sold over five million albums worldwide.

New Found Glory American rock band known for their infectious brand of pop-punk

New Found Glory is an American rock band from Coral Springs, Florida, formed in 1997. The band currently consists of Jordan Pundik, Ian Grushka, Chad Gilbert, and Cyrus Bolooki (drums). Longtime rhythm guitarist and lyricist Steve Klein departed from the band in late 2013. During their lengthy recording career, the band have released ten studio albums, one live album, two EPs, and four cover albums.

<i>Suffer</i> (album) 1988 studio album by Bad Religion

Suffer is the third album by American punk rock band Bad Religion, released on the Californian independent record label Epitaph Records on September 8, 1988. It was the first album that was both released and distributed by the label. Following the release of the EP Back to the Known (1985), Bad Religion went on a temporary hiatus, then reunited with its original members and went to work on its first full-length studio album in five years.

The Dictators are an American punk rock band formed in New York City in 1973. Critic John Dougan said that they were "one of the finest and most influential proto-punk bands to walk the earth."

Rudimentary Peni are a British anarcho-punk band formed in 1980, emerging from the London anarcho-punk scene. Lead singer/guitarist Nick Blinko is notorious for his witty, macabre lyrics and dark pen-and-ink artwork, prominently featured on all of Rudimentary Peni's albums. Bassist Grant Matthews has also written a number of songs for the band, though his lyrics primarily focus on sociopolitical themes. Very few photos exist of the band, as their albums feature Blinko's drawings instead, but Pushead published a few in an early edition of his magazine.

Against Me!

Against Me! is an American punk rock band formed in 1997 in Gainesville, Florida, by singer and guitarist Laura Jane Grace. Since 2001, the band's lineup has also included guitarist James Bowman. After releasing three studio albums through independent record labels, Against Me! moved to Sire Records for 2007's New Wave, which reached no. 57 on the Billboard 200. In 2011, the band launched the record label Total Treble.

<i>Entertainment!</i> 1979 studio album by Gang of Four

Entertainment! is the debut album by English post-punk band Gang of Four. It was released in September 1979 through EMI Records internationally and Warner Bros. Records in North America. Stylistically, it draws heavily on punk rock but also incorporates the influence of funk, dance music, reggae and dub. Its lyrics and artwork reflected the band's left-wing political concerns. It would be an influential release in the burgeoning post-punk movement.

Art Bergmann Canadian rock singer-songwriter

Arthur Frank "Art" Bergmann is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter who was one of the key figures in Canadian punk rock in the late 1970s. Bergmann was made a member of the Order of Canada in 2021.

<i>Chuck</i> (Sum 41 album)

Chuck is the third studio album by Canadian rock band Sum 41. The album was released on October 12, 2004. It is the band's last album to feature the full classic lineup; lead guitarist Dave Baksh left Sum 41 on May 11, 2006, to pursue his career with his own band Brown Brigade. Chuck peaked at No. 2 on the Canadian Albums Chart and No. 10 on the US Billboard 200, making it the band's highest-charting album until it would be surpassed by Underclass Hero in 2007.

Young Canadians were a Canadian punk rock band formed in Vancouver in 1978 and active for just under two years. The YC's were influenced not only by the other punk bands in town at that time such as D.O.A. and the Pointed Sticks, but also by the New York Dolls, the Stooges, and 1960s garage rock. Although the band only released a small amount of material before breaking up, their single "Hawaii" is one of the classic Canadian punk anthems.

Relient K American alternative rock band

Relient K is an American rock band formed in 1998 in Canton, Ohio, by Matt Thiessen, Matt Hoopes, and Brian Pittman during the band members' third year in high school and their time at Malone University. The band is named after guitarist Hoopes' automobile, a Plymouth Reliant K car, with the spelling intentionally altered to avoid trademark infringement over the Reliant name.

U.K. Subs

The 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. They were also one of the first street punk bands.

<i>Underclass Hero</i> 2007 studio album by Sum 41

Underclass Hero is the fourth studio album by Canadian rock band Sum 41. It is the first of two albums by the band recorded without guitarist Dave Baksh since he left a year early to focus on Brown Brigade. The album was recorded as a three-piece. The album was first released July 18, 2007 in Japan. It was released under the Island Records label and distributed worldwide by Universal Records, by Aquarius Records. There are no photos of the band inside the liner notes, though the front cover features a monochrome image of vocalist Deryck Whibley spitting in a hallway. The album features more alternative rock songs than their previous albums. The album's lyrics have been described as more mature and personal than in some of the band's previous records. It was written as a concept album focusing on lead vocalist Deryck Whibley's outlook on life, covering subjects such as politics, atheism and family life. The album has more of a pop punk sound in comparison to the alternative metal style of their previous album, Chuck.

<i>Design Flaw</i> 1998 studio album by Art Bergmann

Design Flaw is the fifth studio album by Art Bergmann, released on the Other People's Music record label in 1998. The album featured acoustic recordings of songs, primarily from Bergmann's prior albums but also including a new Gram Parsons cover.

References

  1. "Art Bergmann: 'Songs for the Underclass'". Exclaim! , August 13, 2014.
  2. "Bergmann still kicking the chair away; Arthritis can't dampen spirit of punk". Victoria Times-Colonist , September 4, 2014.
  3. "CanCon legend is still angry after all these years". Toronto Star , October 23, 2014.
  4. 1 2 "A punk still in his prime". Ottawa Citizen , October 22, 2014.