History
The Robocop Kraus formed in 1998 with Thomas Lang as lead singer and on guitar, Matthias Wendl on guitar, Johannes Uschalt on drums, and Roman Maul on bass. Maul left before the release of a split EP with The Cherryville on Swing Deluxe records, Lang and Uschalt's record company. Tobias Helmlinger replaced Maul on bass and Markus Steckert joined in on keyboards and organ. After touring with Yage, The Robocop Kraus followed their split EP with The Cherryville up with their first full-length album in 1999 entitled Inferno Nihilistique 2000, again, on Swing Deluxe. The band toured Germany, France, and Spain in support of Inferno Nihilistique 2000.
In 2001, the band released their second album and first worldwide release Tiger on Day After Records, a Czech record label. They toured in support of Tiger throughout Germany, France, Holland, the Czech Republic, Poland, England, and Ireland with The World/Inferno Friendship Society and Yage. A year later, The Robocop Kraus released As Long As We Dance We Are Not Dead, a two CD collection of rarities including songs from The Robocop Kraus/The Cherryville split EP. They hooked up with The World/Inferno Friendship Society and The Independents once more for a US tour and followed that up with another tour across Japan in 2002.
2003 saw the release of their third album Living With Other People on L'Âge d'or.
After Hans Christian Fuss replaced Johannes Uschalt on drums, The Robocop Kraus began recording their fourth studio album They Think They Are The Robocop Kraus in February 2005 at Grōndahl Studios with Pelle Gunnerfeldt. They released They Think They Are The Robocop Kraus in Germany on 20 June 2005, followed by a European wide release on 5 September 2005.
In February 2006, They Think They Are The Robocop Kraus was released in the US and The Robocop Kraus went on tour with Art Brut in support of this album.
Rancid is an American punk rock band formed in Berkeley, California in 1991. Founded by Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman, former members of the band Operation Ivy, Rancid is often credited as being among the wave of bands that revived mainstream interest in punk rock in the United States during the mid-1990s. Over its 33-year career, Rancid has retained much of its original fan-base, most of which was connected to its underground musical roots.
Bad Religion is an American punk rock band, 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 while 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.
Tiger Army is an American psychobilly band based in Los Angeles, California. The group was formed in 1996 in Berkeley, California, and its only constant member is singer, guitarist, and lead songwriter Nick 13. The band has released six studio albums and four EPs.
Punk-O-Rama is the title given to a series of ten compilation albums published by Epitaph Records. The first volume was released in 1994, the second in 1996, and the rest annually from 1998 to 2005. The albums included artists from Epitaph's roster as well as from its subsidiary label ANTI- and its partnership labels Hellcat Records and Burning Heart Records. In total the series included 257 songs contributed by 88 different artists.
Tocotronic is a German rock band formed in 1993. Similar to Blumfeld or Die Sterne they are considered a part of the Hamburger Schule movement. They are influential for bands such as Wir sind Helden.
The Blood Brothers are an American post-hardcore band which formed in Seattle's Eastside suburbs in 1997. The group released five full-length albums before their 2007 break-up, but reunited for a series of shows surrounding and including FYF Fest in 2014. They reunited once again in 2024 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their album Crimes.
Terrorgruppe is a German punk rock band from Berlin-Kreuzberg founded in February 1993. The band writes lyrics in German, and their music is usually categorized as fun-punk. Their lyrics address social and political themes on occasion; for example in the song "Kinderwahnsinn" they discuss the idea of zero population growth, and in the song "Neulich Nacht" they address the topics of homosexuality and homophobia. Their lyrics are also against right-wing extremism, a common theme for many German punk bands. Terrorgruppe is known for live performances involving on-stage gags and audience participation. They played at the Chaostage in Hannover in 1995, and wrote the song "Wochenendticket" about the experience.
Downset is an American rap metal band from Los Angeles, California. Originally called Social Justice, the band's music blends influences from rap, funk, hardcore punk, and metal with "socially aware lyrics."
BoySetsFire is an American post-hardcore band from Newark, Delaware. Formed in October 1994, BoySetsFire is composed of guitarists Chad Istvan and Josh Latshaw, vocalist Nathan Gray, drummer Jared Shavelson, and bassists Chris Rakus and Robert Ehrenbrand. Their lyrical themes are politically driven.
Matchbook Romance was an American emo band from Poughkeepsie, New York and was formed in 1997. They were signed to Epitaph Records. They released two full-length albums and one EP. Their EP, West for Wishing, released in 2003 was their first recorded album during their time on Epitaph; their full-length debut album, Stories and Alibis, was recorded in the same year.
Pelican is an American post-metal band from Chicago, Illinois. Established in 2001, the band is known for their atmospheric and almost entirely instrumental style. They have released six studio albums and six EPs.
Motion City Soundtrack is an American rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1997. The band's line-up consists of vocalist and guitarist Justin Pierre, lead guitarist Joshua Cain, keyboardist Jesse Johnson, bassist Matthew Taylor, and drummer Tony Thaxton. Over the course of their career, the group has toured heavily and released six studio albums, the majority on independent label Epitaph Records. The band's sound, usually described as pop-punk and/or emo, makes notable use of the Moog synthesizer. Pierre mainly handles the band's lyrics, which often touch on themes of anxiety, alienation, relationships, and self-destructive behavior.
Brendan Kelly is the bassist/vocalist of Chicago-based punk band The Lawrence Arms, as well as guitarist/lead vocalist in The Falcon and Brendan Kelly and the Wandering Birds. Kelly's former bands include Slapstick and The Broadways. He is known for his raspy vocals, drunken demeanor, and onstage witticisms.
Scottish rock band Big Country, which formed in 1981, has released nine studio albums, eighteen live albums, twenty-five compilation albums, one extended play (EP), and twenty-nine singles released on Mercury Records, Reprise Records, Vertigo Records and Cherry Red Records.
Youth Brigade is an American hardcore punk band formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1980 by the brothers Mark, Adam, and Shawn Stern. The band subsequently founded BYO. Many later punk bands cite Youth Brigade as an influence, including The Nation of Ulysses and The Briefs.
Have Heart are an American straight edge hardcore punk band formed in New Bedford, Massachusetts in 2002. The band recorded a demo that was released in 2003. In 2004, they released the What Counts EP, with their debut full-length, The Things We Carry arriving in 2006. Their last full-length, Songs to Scream at the Sun, garnered much critical acclaim from hardcore critics and fans alike, winning 'album of the year' from many hardcore-oriented websites.
The Menzingers are an American punk rock band from Scranton, Pennsylvania, formed in 2006. The band consists of Greg Barnett, Tom May, Eric Keen (bass) and Joe Godino (drums). To date, the band has released eight studio albums, with their most recent, Some of It Was True, released on October 13, 2023.
Red Alert are аn English punk/oi!-band, formed in Sunderland, England, in May 1979. The group released five EPs and a studio album, and appeared on numerous compilations, including Punk And Disorderly and Carry On Oi!. Three of the band's releases reached the Top 30 in the UK Indie Chart. Red Alert broke up in 1984, reformed five years later and continued touring and recording.
Touché Amoré is an American post-hardcore band from Los Angeles, formed in 2007. The band consists of vocalist Jeremy Bolm, guitarists Clayton Stevens and Nick Steinhardt, bassist Tyler Kirby, and drummer Elliot Babin. Among other releases, they have released five studio albums: ...To the Beat of a Dead Horse in 2009, Parting the Sea Between Brightness and Me in 2011, Is Survived By in 2013, Stage Four in 2016, and Lament in 2020.
Malignant Tumour is a Czech metal band formed in 1991 in Ostrava. The group's lineup has changed many times over the years, with only vocalist and founding member Martin Bílek remaining to this day. The rest of the band consists of bassist Robert Šimek, guitarist Martin Vyorálek, and drummer Petr Bohda. As of 2024, they have released six studio albums, two EPs, and numerous split albums with other musicians. The band has won several Břitva music polls, and in 2010, they received an Anděl Award in the Hard & Heavy category.
