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The Riffs | |
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| Origin | Portland, Oregon, United States |
| Genres | Punk rock, rock and roll |
| Labels | Pelado, Vendetta, TKO |
| Past members | Toni Transmission |
The Riffs are a rock and roll and punk band from Portland, Oregon. They have released three full-length albums, all on indie labels, namely Pelado Records, Vendetta Records, and TKO Records.
The Riffs are heavily influenced by early punk bands, most notably the Sex Pistols, whose influence can be heard most prominently in the guitars, Sham 69 and the Dead Boys (they paid tribute to the Dead Boys on the cover of "Dead End Dream"). Like other bands that played the first wave of punk music, they were also fans of Protopunk like Eddie and the Hot Rods and The Velvet Underground, as displayed by their cover of "Waiting for My Man" on Underground Kicks.
Throughout the first two LPs, Underground Kicks and Dead End Dream, the songs and lyrics (written by all members of the band) tell a bleak story of growing up in the Portland punk scene, presumably in poverty, afflicted with drug addiction, the repercussions of drug abuse, regret about past violent criminal activity, and a "No Way Out" feeling when it came to creating a fulfilling (if any) future.
The band matured for their latest release, Death or Glory, as evident by lead singer Mengis' improved vocal abilities; also, he achieved a greater vocal range, such as in "Death or Glory," smoother production, and implementation of experimental instruments (such as the keyboard in "Poison Boys"). The lyrical content also took a turn for the positive in many ways; Death or Glory had considerably more romantic songs than ever before.
MDC is an American punk rock band formed in 1979 in Austin, Texas, subsequently based in San Francisco, and currently Portland, Oregon. Among the first wave of bands to define the sound and style of American hardcore punk, MDC originally formed as The Stains; they have periodically changed the meaning of "MDC", the most frequent being Millions of Dead Cops. The band's lyrical content expresses radical left political views and has proven influential within the punk subculture.
Hanoi Rocks were a Finnish rock band formed in 1979. They were the first Finnish band to chart in the UK and they were also popular in Japan. By 1984, the band was considered to be on the verge of an international breakthrough when they released their first major label album for CBS and headed for their first US tour. Tragically, the tour was cut short when their drummer Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley died in a drunk driving accident with Vince Neil behind the wheel in December 1984. The band never recovered from the loss and announced their split in June 1985. After their initial break-up, lead singer Michael Monroe became the first Finnish artist to chart on the American Billboard 200 in 1989. Monroe and original lead guitarist Andy McCoy reunited in 2001 with a new lineup that lasted until 2009. Although musically closer to traditional rock n' roll and punk, Hanoi Rocks has been cited as a major influence in the glam metal genre for bands such as Guns N' Roses, Skid Row and Poison.
Poison Idea was an American punk rock band formed in Portland, Oregon, in 1980.
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.
The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster were an English rock band from Brighton, formed in 1999. They released three albums, Hörse of the Dög (2002), The Royal Society (2004) and Blood and Fire (2010).
Throwdown is an American heavy metal band from Orange County, California. Formed in 1997, the band has endured numerous lineup changes to the point where no original members remain. Throwdown has toured as part of Ozzfest, Sounds of the Underground, Hellfest, and Warped Tour, as well as with bands such as In Flames, Lamb of God, As I Lay Dying, Killswitch Engage, Korn and Cavalera Conspiracy. The songs "Forever" and "Burn" were staples on MTV2's Headbangers Ball and Revolver Magazine called them part of "The Future of Metal" after hearing the album Vendetta. Initially branded a hardcore punk band, albums like Venom and Tears and Deathless took a sharp turn towards metal, with critics likening the band's sound to that of Pantera and Sepultura. The band are straight edge.
The Exploding Hearts were an American punk rock and power pop band formed in Portland, Oregon, United States, in 2001. The band was composed of vocalist/guitarist Adam Cox, bassist Matt Fitzgerald, guitarist Terry Six, and drummer Jeremy Gage.
Acid Bath was an American sludge metal band from Houma, Louisiana, active from 1991 to 1997. Acid Bath combined doom metal roots with influences from hardcore punk, death metal, gothic rock, and blues to create the band's unique sound. They broke up after the death of bassist Audie Pitre in a traffic collision in January 1997.
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.
Electric Frankenstein is an American punk revival band from New Jersey, founded by Sal Canzonieri in 1990. The band relocated to North Carolina in 2021. Their style is a mixture of punk rock, hard rock, garage rock, glam, and heavy metal. It is called High Energy Rock & Roll. In Europe it is called Action Rock.
The Generators are a punk rock band formed in 1997 in Los Angeles, created as a response to the breakup of the 90s punk rock group Schleprock. The original lineup was composed of Doug Kane on vocals, Mike Snow and Eric Ortega on guitars, Ernie Berru on the drums and Rich Santia on bass.
Poisoned Electrick Head (PEH) is an English psychedelic indie rock/punk band formed in 1986 in St Helens, Merseyside, England. The band is best known for the 1994 independent chart hit "Out of Order" and for its fantasy-costumed stage act. Poisoned Electrick Head split up in 1998 and formally reformed in 2009. The band's name is taken from the final words sung by Vivian Stanshall in the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band track, "My Pink Half of the Drainpipe".
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.
"Poison Heart" is a song by the punk rock band Ramones. Written by Dee Dee Ramone, who had retired as their longtime bassist in 1989 but still wrote songs for the band, "Poison Heart" was included on the 1992 album Mondo Bizarro and was also released as a single. The song was given to the band by Dee Dee in exchange for bailing him out of jail and has a slower tempo than typical Ramones songs.
The Crumbs are a rock band originating from Miami, Florida. The band is composed of Raf Classic (guitar/vocals), Johnny B (guitar), Emil 41⁄2 (bass), and Chuck Loose (drums).
The Forgotten is an American punk rock band based in San Jose, California. The Forgotten have toured the U.S., Canada, Europe and Japan numerous times.
Dead Ends is a punk band from the Philippines that came out during the Philippine punk movement in the mid-80s. Dead Ends released a total of four full-length independently produced underground punk albums in the band's lifetime from 1985-1996 as well as a fifth special edition greatest hits album in 2003.
TKO Records is an independent punk rock record label in Portland, Oregon. The label is primarily known for its role in the late 1990s American street punk scene and has continued its notability as a source of new releases, reissues, and archival recordings. The OC Weekly newspaper recognized the label as "best record label" in Orange County in 2011 and its record store of the same name as "best punk-rock record store" in Orange County, 2008.
The Fighters were an American pop-punk band from Chicago and part of the punk rock subculture of the Midwestern United States in the early 1990s. Formed in 1993, the band's style included guitar-driven, energetic punk with gang vocals and humorous lyrics. They embraced the DIY ethic in recording and releasing records on lead-singer Jason Mojica's Rocco Records label, booking their own tours, and organizing punk rock shows in non-traditional venues such as laundromats. Members of The Fighters were involved in creating the third edition of the Maximumrocknroll DIY resource guide, Book Your Own Fuckin' Life, and were active participants in the Underdog Records collective, which helped distribute Chicago-area punk music around the world.
Stellar Corpses was a psychobilly horror punk band formed in Santa Cruz, California in 2005. The first lineup included singer, guitarist and primary songwriter, Dusty Grave, upright bassist Dan Lamothe, drummer, Matt Macabre and lead guitarist, Mr Grim. Their sound and style combined elements of psychobilly, Horror punk, hardcore punk gothic rock and metal. Since their formation Stellar Corpses toured both in the US and internationally.
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