The band was founded by guitarist Steve Austin and drummer Brad Elrod, who previously played together in Alien In the Land of Our Birth.[2] The duo would move to Nashville, Tennessee, in the early 1990s, and would form Today Is the Day in March 1992 after meeting bassist Mike Herrell, who previously lived in Alabama.[2] Today Is the Day released its debut demo EP, entitled How to Win Friends and Influence People, in 1992. This self-financed release garnered the attention of Amphetamine Reptile Records (also known as AmRep) who signed the band in February 1993. The full-length Supernova was released in April that year.[3]
In September 1994, Today Is the Day saw its popularity in the metal underground increase with the release of their second album, entitled Willpower. That same year, Willpower was followed by the Clusterfuck '94 split EP with labelmates Chokebore and Guzzard. Today Is the Day also contributed to the tenth volume of AmRep's Dope Guns and Fucking in the Streets 7-inch series with Brainiac and Steel Pole Bath Tub.[3]
Today Is the Day's self-titled album was released in March 1996. This album was the first of the band's releases recorded at Austin's own studio, Austin Enterprise, in Nashville. Today Is the Day was the band's final recording for AmRep.
The years 2000 and 2001 were relatively quiet for Today Is the Day in terms of releasing new material. Live Till You Die was released in August 2000, and included live tracks recorded during the tours in support of Temple of the Morning Star and In the Eyes of God, covers of songs by The Beatles, Bad Company, and Chris Isaak, and various songs compiled from studio sessions held at Austin Enterprise during the late-1990s. The band also recorded a cover of Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters", originally scheduled to be released on a split 7-inch vinyl titled Crush 'Em All through Undecided Records.[4] The split was originally to be shared with Converge,[4] and later with Supermachiner,[5] but after falling through, Today Is the Day's song appeared on the Undecided Records Various Artists compilation The Old, the New, the Unreleased in 2005.[6][7] In 2001, new Today Is the Day songs were released on splits with Metatron and 16, the first new material since 1999.[3]
The new songs put out on the split releases later appeared on Today Is the Day's double album Sadness Will Prevail, released in 2002. For this album Austin chose to work with bassist Chris Debari and drummer Marshall Kilpatric. Today Is the Day also released their second live album entitled Blue Blood in 2002, the album includes live material from the Temple of the Morning Star era.[3]
Today Is the Day returned in June 2004 with a new album entitled Kiss the Pig, which featured the debut of new drummer Mike Rosswog (previously of Circle of Dead Children). Kiss the Pig was the last album released by Today Is the Day on Relapse Records.[3]
Post-Relapse years (2005–2019)
In December 2006, it was announced that former Hate Eternal drummer Derek Roddy had joined the band and would appear on their next studio album, Axis of Eden, released in 2007 through SuperNova Records, a label originally set up by Steve Austin to reissue out-of-print material of the band.[8]
In 2007, a feature-length film based on the album Axis of Eden was produced by director David Hall. The film made its debut on September 13, 2007, the first day of the Axis of Eden tour.[9] Shows during that tour consisted of footage of the film being played on a projector while the group performed.[9] To promote the film and tour, a section of the movie that included the track "IED" was made available on the internet as a music video.[10] A second video, directed by Tate Steinsek, consisted of live footage from the tour and was released online. The film would later be made available for purchase as a digital download on November 2, 2008.
In April 2010, it was confirmed Today Is the Day would join former AmpRep label mates Melvins, Boss Hog, and others at Amphetamine Reptile's 25th Anniversary bash in Minneapolis on August 28, 2010.[11] In July 2010 Black Market Activities Records announced that they were welcoming Today Is The Day to its roster. Black Market Activities released Today Is The Day's ninth studio album, Pain Is a Warning, in 2011. It was produced by Kurt Ballou of Converge.[12]
In June 2014, Austin announced that Today Is The Day has joined Southern Lord Records, for the release of its tenth studio album, Animal Mother, which was released on October 21 of that year.[13] By late 2015, Steve Austin, along with Chris Spencer from Unsane, formed a new project called UXO, which also featured bassist Aarne Victorine and drummer Patrick Kennedy.[14] Their debut self-titled album was released on January 29, 2016, through Reptilian Records.[15]
On September 26, 2016, it was announced that Today Is The Day joined The End Records for the release of their eleventh studio album, which was expected to be released in 2017.[16] The group also announced via their Facebook page that they planned to reissue almost their entire discography (including their debut self-issued How To Win Friends And Influence People demo) to coincide the 20th anniversary of Temple of the Morning Star.
On January 20, 2017, The End Records released the digital-only sampler album Silver Anniversary on music-streaming service Spotify, containing tracks from the band's first nine albums.[17] A deluxe 20th-anniversary edition of Temple Of The Morning Star was also released on March 24, 2017, on 2CD and 2LP formats, which included rare and unreleased material.[17] The deluxe reissue first became available for preorder in February 2017.[18] The band announced a tour to celebrate the album's re-release and anniversary.[19]
A European leg of the anniversary tour was announced, as well as a deluxe reissue of In the Eyes of God, which was released on September 22, 2017.[20]
Recent activities (2019–present)
On December 12, 2019, Decibel Magazine premiered a new song titled "No Good to Anyone", the title track to the upcoming eleventh studio album by the band. The album was slated for release in February 2020 through BMG.[21][22] On January 9, 2020, Revolver premiered "You're All Gonna Die", the second single to be released from the upcoming album.[23] "Burn In Hell", the third single from the upcoming album, was released on February 13, with a music video produced to promote it.[24]No Good to Anyone was released on February 28, 2020, and to promote the record the band toured the United States with 16, Child Bite, and The Obsessed. However, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic the tour was cut short and most shows had to be cancelled. In 2021, it was announced that Austin had managed to purchase the rights to the band's entire catalog, which led to SuperNova Records reissuing the material as well as announcing a new album for 2022.[25]
The band is noted for its erratic sound and experimental approach. Sampling and electronics have played an important role in the band's music since Supernova. Their 1996 self-titled album lacked any bass guitars, using keyboards and featured prominent noise and industrial influences. Dialogues and sound clips sampled from movies are also frequently used, mostly on Temple of the Morning Star and In the Eyes of God; some of the movies sampled throughout their discography are Memento, The Illustrated Man, The Holy Mountain, Chopper, Rosemary's Baby, Dune, Goodfellas, Carrie and Waco: The Rules of Engagement among others.[34] The 2002 double album Sadness Will Prevail introduced string instruments and piano and also featured extensive electronics, field recordings, sound manipulation, acoustic guitars, sampling and unusual production techniques. Some of the band's recordings display a more stripped down and straightforward approach with less use of electronics and experimentation, such as Kiss the Pig and Pain is a Warning. Most of Today Is The Day's albums are recorded and produced by Steve Austin in his own studio Austin Enterprise[35] and the band's production often displays bizarre, unorthodox recording techniques and multiple effects; as noted in the multi-layered vocals and dissonant guitar work.
The band made a cameo in the 1999 dark comedy independent film Duck! The Carbine High Massacre.[48] In the scene, the group performs at a religious after school club after its leaders mistaken them for a Christian rock band. The 2006 film Threat featured a remixed version of the track "Willpower" as done by producer Darph/Nadar. Steve Austin was featured in the Amphetamine Reptile documentary film The Color of Noise.[49] In 2017, a documentary based on Steve Austin and his life as a musician was released titled The Man Who Loves To Hurt Himself.[49] The documentary, directed by Anthony Short, premiered in France in May 2017 at the International Filmmaker Festival of World Cinema. Short was nominated for the awards for Best Director and Best New Filmmaker.[50]
In 2006 Steve Austin launched his own record label, SuperNova Records, which was founded in order to properly release material by Today Is the Day, among others. As of April 2007, SuperNova has released DVDs of live Today Is the Day shows from 1995 and 1996, as well as reissuing a remastered version of their Willpower record, previously released on Amphetamine Reptile Records. The label also released a film Axis of Eden based on the album of the same name.[51] The label became inactive when the band signed onto Black Market Activities in 2010. In 2021, the label was resurrected after Austin retained the masters to the bands music so as to reissue the discography on streaming platforms.[52]
Helmet is an American alternative metal band from New York City formed in 1989 by vocalist and lead guitarist Page Hamilton. Helmet has had numerous lineup changes with Hamilton as the only constant member. Since 2010, the band has consisted of Hamilton, drummer Kyle Stevenson, guitarist Dan Beeman and bassist Dave Case.
Amphetamine Reptile Records is a record label founded in 1986 by Tom Hazelmyer in Washington state. The label specializes in noise rock and also released Strap It On, the debut album by alternative metal band Helmet which sold more than 40,000 records. According to Hazelmyer, the success of the album was vital to keeping AmRep going throughout the 1990s, as it "helped support the other things that sold less." The label was the subject of the 2015 documentary The Color of Noise.
The Jayhawks are an American alternative country and country rock band that emerged from the Twin Cities music scene in the mid-1980s. Led by vocalists/guitarists/songwriters Gary Louris and Mark Olson, their country rock sound was influential on many bands who played the Twin Cities circuit during the 1980s and 1990s, such as Uncle Tupelo, the Gear Daddies and the Honeydogs. They have released eleven studio albums, with and without Olson, including five on the American Recordings label. After going on hiatus from 2005 to 2009, the 1995 lineup of the band reunited and released the album Mockingbird Time in September 2011; Olson left the band for the second time after the tour to promote the album. After another hiatus in 2013, the 1997 lineup led by Louris reunited to play shows in 2014 to support the reissue of three albums originally released between 1997 and 2003. Since then, the band has continued to tour and record, releasing the albums Live at The Belly Up in 2015; Paging Mr. Proust, co-produced by Peter Buck, in 2016; Back Roads and Abandoned Motels in 2018; and XOXO in 2020.
Strap It On is the debut album by American alternative metal band Helmet. It was first released in 1990 through Amphetamine Reptile Records, and later Interscope Records in 1991.
Lubricated Goat are an Australian noise rock band which originally formed in 1986 by multi-instrumentalist Stu Spasm. They achieved brief notoriety in November 1988 for appearing nude on the ABC TV program Blah Blah Blah, wearing only their instruments and shoes. Mainly influenced by the Stooges and the Birthday Party, they are credited for playing a grimy, confrontational style of rock, which preceded grunge. They have issued five studio albums, Plays the Devil's Music (1987), Paddock of Love (1988), Psychedelicatessen (1990), Forces You Don't Understand (1994) and The Great Old Ones (2003).
Unsane is an American noise rock trio that was formed in New York City in 1988. Its music touches on elements of hardcore punk and metal. The writer Patrick Kennedy wrote, "While developing the blueprint for noise-metal bands to follow, Unsane cut a remarkable swath through underground music, inspiring a devoted, cult-like following around the world."
Cows were a noise rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota who formed in 1986 and disbanded in 1998. The band’s music mixed punk rock with surreal humour and copious amounts of noise played through distorted amplifiers and trumpet bleats, codifying them as a noise rock band. Throughout their career Cows released nine studio albums, all but one on the Minneapolis-based label Amphetamine Reptile Records. A star in honor of the Cows is on the outside mural of First Avenue.
Cunning Stunts is the fifth studio album by the Minneapolis-based noise rock band Cows, released in 1992 by Amphetamine Reptile Records. It was their first album where they began developing real melodies and patterns instead of their usual blasts of noise. The switch to producer Iain Burgess brought an increase in sound quality from previous albums. It was long since out print; however, MVD Audio reissued and distributed the album on CD and a limited edition "Blue Opaque" vinyl LP in 2016.
Chokebore is an American indie rock band formed in the early 1990s in Honolulu, Hawaii, and subsequently based in Los Angeles, California, United States. The group was active between 1993-2005 before taking a hiatus for 4 years. The group reformed in 2009 and is currently active. Over the course of the band's history they were most successful with European audiences, though are based and primarily toured in the United States.
Supernova is an American punk rock band formed in Costa Mesa, California, United States, in 1989. The band has released three full-length albums, numerous singles and EPs and were part of the original 1995 Vans Warped Tour line-up. They are perhaps best known by wider audiences for their song "Chewbacca", which was featured on the soundtrack to Kevin Smith's 1994 independent film Clerks. They are also known for the song "Up & Down", which was performed in 2007 on the Nick Jr. Channel children's show Yo Gabba Gabba!
Feedtime is an Australian noise rock band from Sydney, New South Wales, that was initially formed as a duo in 1979 by Rick Johnson on guitar and vocals and Allen Larkin on bass guitar and vocals. They soon became a trio with various drummers until 1982, when they were joined by Tom Sturm. This line-up issued four albums, Feedtime, Shovel, Cooper-S and Suction, before disbanding in February 1989. They reunited in 1995 with Johnson and Larkin joined by the latter's younger brother, John Larkin, on drums for another album, Billy, before disbanding again in 1997. The Rick-Al-Tom line up reunited again, in 2011.
Janitor Joe was an American noise rock band formed in Minneapolis in 1992. The band's founding members were vocalist and guitarist Joachim Breuer, former member of the Minneapolis-based rock band Bastards, bassist and vocalist Kristen Pfaff and drummer Matt Entsminger. Pfaff was replaced by Wayne Davis following her departure in 1993 to join Hole.
Supernova is the debut studio album by American band Today Is the Day, released in April 1993 by Amphetamine Reptile Records. In 2008, a remastered version of the album, including tracks from the band's "I Bent Scared" 7" single, was released via Steve Austin's self run SuperNova Records. A music video was produced for the track "6 Dementia Satyr".
Willpower is the second studio album by the American band Today Is the Day, released on September 1994 by Amphetamine Reptile Records. The album was recorded just a few months after Steve Austin's father, whom he had not seen for months at the time, died in a violent car crash. A remastered edition of the album was issued in 2007 through the then-newly formed SuperNova Records, which included the track "Execution Style", a rare extra from the Willpower sessions that was previously released on the compilation Dope-Guns-'N-Fucking In The Streets Volume Ten.
Today Is the Day is the third studio album by American noise rock band Today Is the Day. It was released on March 26, 1996 by Amphetamine Reptile Records. It was the band's only studio album to feature keyboardist Scott Wexton.
Temple of the Morning Star is the fourth studio album by the American noisecore band Today Is the Day, released on September 23, 1997, by Relapse Records. Since its release in 1997, the album has garnered much praise from critics and is considered to be one of the band's best albums. The album was reissued twice, first in 2006 on CD formats, and again in 2017 to celebrate its 20th anniversary. In 2017, the album was included in Decibel magazine's "Hall of Fame" list.
X-Aspirations, sometimes simply called Aspirations, is the debut studio album from Australian rock band X. It was recorded in a single afternoon in 1979 at Trafalgar Studios in the band's hometown of Sydney and released the following year on the band's own label. After the album's release, the X's original lineup fell apart. In October 2010, X-Aspirations was listed in the book 100 Best Australian Albums.
Cherubs are an American noise rock band from Austin, Texas, formed in 1991. Their line up consisted of guitarist Kevin Whitley, bassist Owen McMahon, and drummer Brent Prager. During their initial run, they released two albums and an outtake compilation, all of which were released through Trance Syndicate. They broke up in 1994, shortly before the release of their second album Heroin Man. They reunited in 2014 and a third full-length, titled 2 YNFYNYTY, was released on March 3, 2015, through Brutal Panda Records. A second reunion album, titled Immaculada High, was issued through Relapse Records on July 26, 2019.
SuperNova Records is an independent record label founded and operated by Steve Austin, the frontman of the American noise rock band Today Is the Day. The name was first used in 1992 for the release of the band's demo album titled How to Win Friends and Influence People and the name was then used for the creation of the label in 2006. The label's initial purpose was to reissue then out-of-print Today Is the Day albums and to release video recordings of live performances of the band from the 1990s. Later Austin began to sign and promote other bands.
Today Is the Day is an American noise rock and experimental metal band that originally formed in Nashville, Tennessee, and is currently based in Orland, Maine. The band's discography includes eleven studio albums, two compilation albums, five split releases, a demo EP, various singles, and numerous live / video releases.
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