Against Me!
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Against Me! is a punk rock/folk punk band formed in Gainesville, Florida, whose career has spanned such categories as folk, anarcho-punk and more melodic and mainstream punk rock. Their first full-length album, released on No Idea Records, is Reinventing Axl Rose. They have released music on Plan It X Records, Sabot Productions, No Idea Records, and most recently, Fat Wreck Chords.
Thomas Gabel started the band as a solo act with vocals and acoustic guitar, occasionally with backup from drummers or bassists. This period in the band was marked by playing shows in laundromats, emphasizing the folk-punk aspect of their work. A six song EP was released on Plan It X Records entitled "Crime."
Reinventing Axl Rose was the band's first full-length album. This album was a shift because of the addition of electric guitars, and bass guitars. There is a much more recognizable punk sound, but still a large folk punk influence, particularly in songs like the Irish-influenced "Pints of Guinness Make You Strong" and the tongue-in-cheek ballad "Baby, I'm an Anarchist!".
After Reinventing Axl Rose, a 3 song EP entitled Disco Before the Breakdown was released. The title track was a marked departure from the earlier sound, incorporating friends and musicians from their label, No Idea Records, as a horns section. "Tonight We're Gonna Give it 35%" showed perhaps the band's greatest transition away from folk punk towards more rock and punk sounds. "Beginning in an Ending" is the only track harkening back to the band's early days.
Their most recent full length album, As the Eternal Cowboy was released on Fat Wreck Chords. Though many fans welcomed the opportunity of more exposure for the band, some older fans and those with anarchist sensibilities themselves, were less pleased. Some even considered the band sell-outs. This became an issue of great dispute among fans. The album itself showed another move away from their folk punk roots towards a more punk rock sound.
They just recently finished recording a new album to be released on Fat Wreck Chords. It is entitled Searching For A (Rumored) Former Clarity and is scheduled for release on September 6, 2005.
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Current Band Members
- Thomas Gabel - guitar, vocals
- Andrew Seward - bass guitar
- James Bowman - guitar, vocals
- Warren Oakes - drums
Former Band Members
- Dustin Fridkin - bass guitar
- Kevin Mahon - drums
Discography
- Vividas-Vis! (Demo) - 1998
- S/T (12") - 2000
- Crime as Forgiven By... (EP)- 2001
- Against Me! Acoustic EP- 2001
- Reinventing Axl Rose- 2002
- Disco Before the Breakdown (EP)- 2002
- The Eternal Cowboy- 2003
- Cavalier Eternal (7")- 2004
- We're Never Going Home (DVD) -2004
- Sink, Florida, Sink (7") - 2005
- I Like To Hang Out (VHS)
External links
- Official Band Website (http://www.againstme.net)
- Plan-It-X Records (http://www.plan-it-x.com)
- No Idea Records (http://www.noidearecords.com)