Victims of Circumstance

Last updated
Victims of Circumstance
Origin Clearwater, Florida, United States
Genres Ska, punk rock
Years active2005-present
Labels Financial Records
MembersMichael Smyth
Glenn Stewart
Lindsey Pittard
Jason Atheney
Devin Johnson
Past membersAaron Zylman
Alan Garcia
Brandon Vola
Website Official website

Victims of Circumstance is an American punk-ska band, known for blending pop-hooks with a unique style of ska. Founded in 2005 in Clearwater, Florida, United States, the current line-up includes band members Michael Smyth (vocals & guitar), Glenn Stewart (drums), Lindsey Pittard (bass), Jason Atheney (saxophone), and Devin Johnson (trumpet).

Contents

The VOC, as they are known by fans, built a loyal following while playing around their home state of Florida before setting out on a tour that ended with an invitation to The Mighty Mighty Bosstones tenth Hometown Throwdown in Boston, Massachusetts, in 2007. Victims of Circumstance has performed with numerous national acts including Voodoo Glow Skulls, Big D & the Kids Table, The Pietasters, Whole Wheat Bread, Everybody Out!, The Toasters and others.

In 2007 they asked The Mighty Mighty Bosstones' saxophone player and skacore veteran Tim "Johnny Vegas" Burton to produce their first album, Do It Yourself. At the end of 2008, Steve Foote of Big D and the Kids Table produced their second album, Roll the Dice, released in 2009.

In early 2011, the VOC flew to Japan and recorded their first live album, 2011's Live in Japan.

On October 25, 2011, they released their self-produced album Acupunkture and received rave reviews such as - "This album is Great!. It stands up with the best in the genre." - Tim "Johnny Vegas" Burton of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones.[ citation needed ]

Victims of Circumstance continued touring to support Acupunkture. In July and August 2012, the VOC completed another successful three week European tour which included playing at the world's biggest punk rock festival, Rebellion, in Blackpool, Lancashire, England. The VOC also provided support on their tour for bands such as MXPX, Snuff and the Creepshow.

In the fall of 2012 the band recorded a five-song EP of cover tunes. Titled Decades, it featured one song from each decade from the 1950s through the 1990s. Following that release, VOC returned to the studio to write and record their fourth studio album, No More Heroes.

In 2014, Victims of Circumstance released their fourth studio album No More Heroes. One reviewer[ who? ] noted that the new album "delivers even more of the catchy, fast-paced, horn-driven punk many have grown to expect from Victims Of Circumstance. And as always, there are a few bouncy ska songs thrown in for good measure."[ citation needed ] Online punk news organization, Dying Scene, selected No More Heroes as their top pick for best punk-ska album of 2014.

In early 2015 the VOC announced their third European tour to celebrate their 10th anniversary. Victims of Circumstance released their fifth studio album in 2020.

Band line-up

Discography

EPs

Albums

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Mighty Mighty Bosstones</span> American ska punk band

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones were an American ska punk band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1983. From the band's inception, lead vocalist Dicky Barrett, bassist Joe Gittleman, tenor saxophonist Tim "Johnny Vegas" Burton and dancer ("Bosstone") Ben Carr remained constant members. The band's final line-up also included drummer Joe Sirois, saxophonist Leon Silva, guitarist Lawrence Katz, keyboardist John Goetchius, and trombonist Chris Rhodes.

Ska punk is a fusion genre that mixes ska music and punk rock music. Ska punk tends to feature brass instruments, especially horns such as trumpets, trombones and woodwind instruments like saxophones, making the genre distinct from other forms of punk rock. It is closely tied to third wave ska which reached its zenith in the mid-1990s.

<i>A Jackknife to a Swan</i> 2002 studio album by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

A Jackknife to a Swan is the seventh studio album by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. It was released on July 9, 2002, by SideOneDummy Records. It was recorded over a few weeks in February 2002. This album marked the band's return to an indie label, and was the last album released by the group before their four-year hiatus between 2003 and 2007.

<i>Kids on the Street</i> 1996 studio album by Cherry Poppin Daddies

Kids on the Street is the third studio album by American band the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, released in 1996 on Space Age Bachelor Pad Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Voodoo Glow Skulls</span> American ska punk band

Voodoo Glow Skulls are an American ska punk band formed in 1988 in Riverside, California, by brothers Frank, Eddie, and Jorge Casillas and their longtime friend Jerry O'Neill. Voodoo Glow Skulls first played at backyard parties and later at Spanky's Café in their hometown of Riverside, where they played shows with the Angry Samoans, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Firehose, Murphy's Law, and The Dickies.

<i>Pay Attention</i> 2000 studio album by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

Pay Attention is the sixth studio album by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. It was released on May 2, 2000 by Island Records. The video for "So Sad to Say" premiered on MTV's 120 Minutes on April 25, 2000. In March and April 2001, the band held several shows in certain US cities as part of a multi-day club tour.

<i>Lets Face It</i> 1997 studio album by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

Let's Face It is the fifth studio album by American ska punk band The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. It was released on March 11, 1997, by Mercury Records and Big Rig Records.

<i>Question the Answers</i> 1994 studio album by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

Question the Answers is the fourth studio album by the American ska punk band the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, released on October 4, 1994. "Pictures to Prove It" was released to alternative radio on February 17, 1995.

<i>Dont Know How to Party</i> 1993 studio album by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

Don't Know How to Party is the third full-length album by the American ska punk band The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, which was released in 1993. Don't Know How to Party was The Mighty Mighty Bosstones' major label debut on Mercury Records, their first venture away from their original label Taang! Records. The album reached #187 on the Billboard 200, and spawned several singles, including the Bosstones fan favorite—"Someday I Suppose". Lead singer Dicky Barret would later state that, "When we made `Don't Know How to Party', no one knew where [we] [were] coming from". Bassist Joe Gittleman stated that the album was "slower than [our] other records."

<i>More Noise and Other Disturbances</i> 1992 studio album by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

More Noise and Other Disturbances is the second studio album by the American band the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. It was released in 1992 by Taang! Records. It was a hit on college radio. "Where'd You Go" was released as a single.

<i>Devils Night Out</i> The Mighty Mighty Bosstones 1990 debut studio album

Devil's Night Out is the debut studio album by the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. It was released in 1990 by Taang! Records. It was one of the first albums to mix ska and hardcore punk.

The Hippos were an American rock band formed in 1995 in Los Angeles, California, and disbanded in 2002. The band released three full-length albums. Their early work is best classified as part of the third wave of ska music, or as ska-punk, though in the later years of their career the band transitioned to a more synthesizer-driven power pop and rock sound.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spring Heeled Jack (band)</span>

Spring Heeled Jack is a third wave ska band based out of New Haven, Connecticut. The band was formed by guitarist/vocalist Ron Ragona and drummer Dave Karcich in 1991. After a short breakup, Ragona and Karcich reformed the band with a new lineup. This lineup went on to record two albums before announcing a hiatus in 2000. While the band members moved on to perform in several new bands, their intention was to play the occasional reunion show. This plan would never come to fruition as a cerebral aneurysm would be cause for Karcich's death in 2002. In 2015, several band members returned to reform the band full-time. A third studio album, Sound Salvation, followed in 2017.

Tim Burton, known professionally as Johnny Vegas, is an American musician who played saxophone for the band The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. Burton was one of the four remaining founding band members when the Bosstones disbanded in January 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Mighty Mighty Bosstones discography</span> Ska punk discography

The discography of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, an American ska punk band formed in 1985 in Boston, Massachusetts, consists of eleven studio albums, ten EPs and twenty two singles, among other recordings.

<i>Pin Points and Gin Joints</i> 2009 studio album by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

Pin Points and Gin Joints is the eighth studio album by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, which was released on December 8, 2009. It is their first album of all new material since the release of A Jackknife to a Swan in 2002. Pin Points and Gin Joints was produced by Ted Hutt, notable for working with other bands such as The Bouncing Souls, Flogging Molly, and The Gaslight Anthem. Recording and writing sessions for the album lasted from November 2008 to July 2009.

<i>The Magic of Youth</i> 2011 studio album by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

The Magic of Youth is the ninth studio album from Boston ska punk band The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, released on December 6, 2011 on Big Rig Records. The album was released in whole mainland Europe on December 6 via Rude Records.

Kicked in the Head were a ska punk band founded in Boston, Massachusetts in the mid-1990s. Known for Halloween shows with Big D and The Kids Table, the band signed with the label run by Big D, Fork in Hand Records, and released their debut album World Domination in 1997. They went on to appear on the Warped Tour in 1998 and opened for The Mighty Mighty Bosstones.

<i>While Were at It</i> 2018 studio album by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

While We're At It is the tenth studio album from Boston ska punk band The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, released on June 15, 2018 on Big Rig Records. It marks the band's first studio album in seven years and is the final part of a musical trilogy that began with Pin Points and Gin Joints in 2009 followed by The Magic of Youth in 2011.

<i>When God Was Great</i> 2021 studio album by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

When God Was Great is the eleventh and final studio album by the Boston ska punk band the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. It was released in 2021 on Hellcat, the band's only album with the label. The album was co-produced by Hellcat founder and Rancid member Tim Armstrong. The album was preceded by the singles and music videos for "The Final Parade", "I Don't Believe in Anything" and "The Killing of Georgie ".

References

  1. "Victims of Circumstance - Do It Yourself". Punknews.org. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  2. "Victims of Circumstance – "Do It Yourself"". ReadJunk.com. Retrieved 13 September 2020.