Kung Fu Records
Encyclopedia
Kung Fu Records is an American
independent record label
founded in 1996 by Joe Escalante
and Warren Fitzgerald
of the punk rock
band The Vandals
. Founded in order to release a record by the Riverside, California
band Assorted Jelly Beans, the label soon grew to include a roster of notable artists such as The Ataris
, Ozma
, Tsunami Bomb
, and The Vandals themselves. In 2000 Escalante started Kung Fu Films as a subsidiary of the music label in order to release DVD
s of live concerts, music video
s, band documentaries, and independent films. In 2005 Kung Fu also spawned the spinoff label Broken Sounds Records, focusing on hardcore
releases.
bassist
Joe Escalante
and guitarist
Warren Fitzgerald
in 1996. Escalante had been urged by his wife to allow the Riverside, California
band Assorted Jelly Beans to open for The Vandals, and he and Fitzgerald were so impressed by their performance that they decided to start a record label in order to release the band's debut album. Escalante named the label after his study of Kung Fu San Soo, and its first release was a split single featuring both The Vandals and Assorted Jelly Beans. The Assorted Jelly Beans' debut self-titled album
followed that same year, as did the soundtrack to the Ben Affleck
movie Glory Daze
, which featured The Vandals and Assorted Jelly Beans and a theme written by Fitzgerald. At the end of the year the label also released a Vandals Christmas album entitled Oi to the World!
The label began to grow quickly, releasing The Ataris
' debut album Anywhere But Here in 1997, as well as releasing an album by the Bigwig
and signing Longfellow. The Vandals also re-released some of their more obscure records through the label, including their live album Sweatin' to the Oldies
and their country-themed album Slippery When Ill
(re-released as The Vandals Play Really Bad Original Country Tunes
). By 2000 the label had added Apocalypse Hoboken
, Antifreeze, and Useless ID
to its roster, and released a solo album by Vandals drummer and renowned studio musician Josh Freese
. It was at this time that Escalante launched the subsidiary label Kung Fu Films (see below). With their contractual obligations to their longtime label Nitro Records
complete, The Vandals also moved their operations fully over to Kung Fu, re-releasing Oi to the World! and an "Anniversary Edition" of their 1990 album Fear of a Punk Planet
. Their first new studio album for Kung Fu was Internet Dating Superstuds
in 2002, by which time more bands had signed to the label including Audio Karate
, Ozma
, Tsunami Bomb
, and Mi6. In the next few years the label added The God Awfuls
, Underminded
, and Versus the World
, and launched the hardcore
spinoff label Broken Sounds Records.
In recent years there has been less activity from the Kung Fu Records label, as Escalante has focused his attention on Kung Fu Films releases and on his new career as a morning radio show host. A number of the label's past acts have either broken up (such as Tsunami Bomb), moved to other independent labels (as in the cases of Ozma and Bigwig), or signed to major labels (most notably The Ataris). However the label is still active and maintains a steady roster of roughly a half dozen bands, and continues to be the home of The Vandals.
, blending the rebellious and independent attitude of early punk rock
with more pop
-based melodies and song structures. Musically Kung Fu shares aesthetics with other southern California
record labels such as Epitaph Records
, Nitro Records
, and Fat Wreck Chords
, all of which have rosters rooted in the 1990s punk rock revival, particularly emphasizing bands that originated in southern California. As the label has grown it has branched out, and in 2005 spawned the spinoff imprint Broken Sounds Records to focus on more hardcore
acts (see below).
. Over the years Kung Fu Films has released more independent films, such as 2005's Cake Boy starring Fitzgerald, and several video compilations showcasing bands from the Kung Fu labels. The film imprint is best known, however, for its series of live concert DVDs grouped under the title The Show Must Go Off! To date there have been 19 "episodes" of the series released. These have included bands signed to Kung Fu Records such as The Vandals and Tsunami Bomb, but more often have branched outside the label to include groups such as Alkaline Trio
, Guttermouth
, Reel Big Fish
, the Circle Jerks
, and The Bouncing Souls
.
In 2005 Kung Fu Records launched the spinoff imprint Broken Sounds Records to focus on releases by hardcore
acts such as the Righteous Jams
, The Getaway, xdeathstarx
, Suffocate Faster, and H2O
. To date, however, the only album to be released under the Broken Sounds imprint has been the Righteous Jams' Rage of Discipline.
and Japan
. Such international distribution is not common for American independent record labels, and has allowed Kung Fu to put its stamp on albums by notable artists who are not signed to the label. For example, in 2004 Kung Fu served as both the European distributor for Social Distortion
's album Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll
and as the American distributor for the UK
band Stiff Little Fingers
' album Guitar and Drum
.
's Punk-O-Rama
or Fat
's Fat Music series. However the third sampler was titled Punk Rock is Your Friend, and this became the series' overall name. Future compilations were released as Punk Rock is Your Friend: Kung Fu Records Sampler #_, the first such release being #4 even though the first two did not carry the Punk Rock is Your Friend title.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
founded in 1996 by Joe Escalante
Joe Escalante
Joseph Patrick "Joe" Escalante is an American musician, record label owner, radio host, film and music video director, and amateur matador, as well as a former television executive and entertainment lawyer...
and Warren Fitzgerald
Warren Fitzgerald
Warren Fitzgerald is an American punk rock musician, guitarist, songwriter, and record label owner.-Overview and business:Warren Fitzgerald is most famous for being the current guitarist of The Vandals...
of the punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band The Vandals
The Vandals
The Vandals are an American rock band established in 1980 in Huntington Beach, California. They have released ten full-length studio albums and two live albums and have toured the world extensively, including performances on the Vans Warped Tour...
. Founded in order to release a record by the Riverside, California
Riverside, California
Riverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California...
band Assorted Jelly Beans, the label soon grew to include a roster of notable artists such as The Ataris
The Ataris
The Ataris are a rock band from Anderson, Indiana. They have released five studio albums, and their most recent E.P. was released on November 25, 2010 on the Gainesville, Florida based label, Paper + Plastick. It contained the brand new tracks "All Souls' Day" and "The Graveyard of The Atlantic"...
, Ozma
Ozma (band)
Ozma is a rock band from Pasadena, California. The band's sound is a mix of new-wave–influenced power pop and Casiotone-driven melodies sustained by heavy guitar riffs. The complexity of Ozma's songs grew considerably during the band's initial nine-year history...
, Tsunami Bomb
Tsunami Bomb
Tsunami Bomb was a punk rock band from Petaluma, California that was active between 1998 and October 2005 and released 2 studio albums and 4 EPs. They were founded by Dominic David who left in 2003...
, and The Vandals themselves. In 2000 Escalante started Kung Fu Films as a subsidiary of the music label in order to release DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
s of live concerts, music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s, band documentaries, and independent films. In 2005 Kung Fu also spawned the spinoff label Broken Sounds Records, focusing on hardcore
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
releases.
History
Kung Fu Records was founded by VandalsThe Vandals
The Vandals are an American rock band established in 1980 in Huntington Beach, California. They have released ten full-length studio albums and two live albums and have toured the world extensively, including performances on the Vans Warped Tour...
bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Joe Escalante
Joe Escalante
Joseph Patrick "Joe" Escalante is an American musician, record label owner, radio host, film and music video director, and amateur matador, as well as a former television executive and entertainment lawyer...
and guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Warren Fitzgerald
Warren Fitzgerald
Warren Fitzgerald is an American punk rock musician, guitarist, songwriter, and record label owner.-Overview and business:Warren Fitzgerald is most famous for being the current guitarist of The Vandals...
in 1996. Escalante had been urged by his wife to allow the Riverside, California
Riverside, California
Riverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California...
band Assorted Jelly Beans to open for The Vandals, and he and Fitzgerald were so impressed by their performance that they decided to start a record label in order to release the band's debut album. Escalante named the label after his study of Kung Fu San Soo, and its first release was a split single featuring both The Vandals and Assorted Jelly Beans. The Assorted Jelly Beans' debut self-titled album
Assorted Jelly Beans (album)
-Track listing:# "No Time" - 2:24# "Plain Life" - 2:22# "Braindead" - 2:38# "8th Grade Nerd" - 2:33# "In Our Eyes" - 2:38# "Don't Ask Me" - 2:39# "Punk Rock Jock" - 2:11# "Assorted Jelly Beans" - 2:11# "You'll Never Know" - 2:20# "Another Way" - 2:04...
followed that same year, as did the soundtrack to the Ben Affleck
Ben Affleck
Benjamin Géza Affleck-Boldt , better known as Ben Affleck, is an American actor, film director, writer, and producer. He became known with his performances in Kevin Smith's films such as Mallrats and Chasing Amy...
movie Glory Daze
Glory Daze
Glory Daze is an independent film starring Ben Affleck, Sam Rockwell, French Stewart and Alyssa Milano. It had a limited release in 1996.- Plot :...
, which featured The Vandals and Assorted Jelly Beans and a theme written by Fitzgerald. At the end of the year the label also released a Vandals Christmas album entitled Oi to the World!
Oi to the World!
Oi to the World! is a Christmas album by the southern California punk rock band The Vandals. It was released in 1996 by their label Kung Fu Records, who also re-released it in 2000 with altered artwork and a bonus track...
The label began to grow quickly, releasing The Ataris
The Ataris
The Ataris are a rock band from Anderson, Indiana. They have released five studio albums, and their most recent E.P. was released on November 25, 2010 on the Gainesville, Florida based label, Paper + Plastick. It contained the brand new tracks "All Souls' Day" and "The Graveyard of The Atlantic"...
' debut album Anywhere But Here in 1997, as well as releasing an album by the Bigwig
Bigwig (band)
Bigwig is a hardcore punk band from New Jersey, formed in 1995. They were originally composed of Josh Farrell , John Castaldo , Tom Petta , and Dan Rominski . It is said they got their name from a character in the book "Watership Down", a large, tough rabbit...
and signing Longfellow. The Vandals also re-released some of their more obscure records through the label, including their live album Sweatin' to the Oldies
Sweatin' to the Oldies: The Vandals Live
Sweatin' to the Oldies is a live album and video by the southern California punk rock band The Vandals, originally released in 1991 by Triple X Records. It consists of a live concert recorded at the Ice House in Fullerton, California, as well as interviews with the band members and an overview of...
and their country-themed album Slippery When Ill
Slippery When Ill
Slippery When Ill is the second album by the Huntington Beach punk rock band The Vandals, released jointly in 1989 by Restless Records and Sticky Fingers Records. It was their first album to include Dave Quackenbush on vocals, who would remain the band's singer for the rest of their career...
(re-released as The Vandals Play Really Bad Original Country Tunes
The Vandals Play Really Bad Original Country Tunes
The Vandals Play Really Bad Original Country Tunes is an album by the southern California punk rock band The Vandals, released in 1999 by Kung Fu Records. Essentially a re-release of their 1989 album Slippery When Ill, it contains 8 of the 10 songs from that album along with 2 newer, previously...
). By 2000 the label had added Apocalypse Hoboken
Apocalypse Hoboken
Apocalypse Hoboken was an American punk rock band hailing from Chicago, Illinois which toured the US and Europe and released seven albums on various labels, including Rocco Records and Dyslexic Records...
, Antifreeze, and Useless ID
Useless ID
Useless ID is a four-piece punk rock band, formed in Haifa, Israel in 1994. Known as one of the most successful Israeli punk bands worldwide.-History:...
to its roster, and released a solo album by Vandals drummer and renowned studio musician Josh Freese
Josh Freese
Josh Freese is an American session drummer and songwriter. He is a permanent member of A Perfect Circle, The Vandals, and Devo, having formerly played drums for Nine Inch Nails from late 2005 until late 2008, and for Guns N' Roses from mid-1998 to 2001. Freese has appeared on close to 300 records....
. It was at this time that Escalante launched the subsidiary label Kung Fu Films (see below). With their contractual obligations to their longtime label Nitro Records
Nitro Records
Nitro Records is an independent record label created and owned by Dexter Holland and Greg Kriesel . They started the label in 1994. The label is famous for being an incubator for punk rock artists who have subsequently become successful, most notably AFI...
complete, The Vandals also moved their operations fully over to Kung Fu, re-releasing Oi to the World! and an "Anniversary Edition" of their 1990 album Fear of a Punk Planet
Fear of a Punk Planet (album)
Fear of a Punk Planet is the third album by the southern California punk rock band The Vandals, originally released in 1990 by Triple X Records. It was their first album to include the lineup of Dave Quackenbush, Warren Fitzgerald, Joe Escalante and Josh Freese, solidifying the band's roster after...
. Their first new studio album for Kung Fu was Internet Dating Superstuds
Internet Dating Superstuds
Internet Dating Superstuds is the ninth studio album by the southern California punk rock band The Vandals, released in 2002 by Kung Fu Records. It was the band's first album after their permanent move to Kung Fu, after having fulfilled their contract with Nitro Records in 2000...
in 2002, by which time more bands had signed to the label including Audio Karate
Audio Karate
-History:Audio Karate signed to Kung Fu Records in fall 2001. They put out their debut album, Space Camp, on May 14, 2002. The album featured the songs "Nintendo 89," "Rosemead," and "Senior Year." After the release of Space Camp, Audio Karate toured the world with bands such as The Ataris, NOFX,...
, Ozma
Ozma (band)
Ozma is a rock band from Pasadena, California. The band's sound is a mix of new-wave–influenced power pop and Casiotone-driven melodies sustained by heavy guitar riffs. The complexity of Ozma's songs grew considerably during the band's initial nine-year history...
, Tsunami Bomb
Tsunami Bomb
Tsunami Bomb was a punk rock band from Petaluma, California that was active between 1998 and October 2005 and released 2 studio albums and 4 EPs. They were founded by Dominic David who left in 2003...
, and Mi6. In the next few years the label added The God Awfuls
The God Awfuls
Brand New War are a punk rock/street punk band from Los Angeles who began their career as The God Awfuls and are currently signed to Kung-Fu Records....
, Underminded
Underminded
Underminded is a hardcore band from San Diego, California. The band is currently taking a break as its members concentrate on side projects. Frontman Nick Martin is currently in Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows and drummer Tanner Wayne is now drumming for Chiodos.-History:Band members Nick Martin...
, and Versus the World
Versus the World (band)
Versus the World is a punk rock band from Santa Barbara, CA on Kung-Fu Records. The band combines post-hardcore with pop punk. They released their debut album, "Versus the World", in September 2005. Mike Davenport was the long time bassist from The Ataris....
, and launched the hardcore
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
spinoff label Broken Sounds Records.
In recent years there has been less activity from the Kung Fu Records label, as Escalante has focused his attention on Kung Fu Films releases and on his new career as a morning radio show host. A number of the label's past acts have either broken up (such as Tsunami Bomb), moved to other independent labels (as in the cases of Ozma and Bigwig), or signed to major labels (most notably The Ataris). However the label is still active and maintains a steady roster of roughly a half dozen bands, and continues to be the home of The Vandals.
Music
The majority of Kung Fu's releases are categorized as pop punkPop punk
Pop punk is a fusion music genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. Allmusic describes the genre as a strand of alternative rock, which typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk tempos, chord changes and loud guitars...
, blending the rebellious and independent attitude of early punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
with more pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
-based melodies and song structures. Musically Kung Fu shares aesthetics with other southern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
record labels such as Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...
, Nitro Records
Nitro Records
Nitro Records is an independent record label created and owned by Dexter Holland and Greg Kriesel . They started the label in 1994. The label is famous for being an incubator for punk rock artists who have subsequently become successful, most notably AFI...
, and Fat Wreck Chords
Fat Wreck Chords
Fat Wreck Chords is a San Francisco, California based independent record label, focused on punk rock. It was started by Fat Mike and his ex-wife, Erin, in 1990....
, all of which have rosters rooted in the 1990s punk rock revival, particularly emphasizing bands that originated in southern California. As the label has grown it has branched out, and in 2005 spawned the spinoff imprint Broken Sounds Records to focus on more hardcore
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
acts (see below).
Offshoots and subsidiary labels
Kung Fu records has also spawned several subsidiary imprints specializing in particular types of releases. In 2000 Escalante started Kung Fu Films as an offshoot of the label with the release of the independent film That Darn Punk, in which he starred. The label also released the internet television series Fear of a Punk Planet, which was later released on DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
. Over the years Kung Fu Films has released more independent films, such as 2005's Cake Boy starring Fitzgerald, and several video compilations showcasing bands from the Kung Fu labels. The film imprint is best known, however, for its series of live concert DVDs grouped under the title The Show Must Go Off! To date there have been 19 "episodes" of the series released. These have included bands signed to Kung Fu Records such as The Vandals and Tsunami Bomb, but more often have branched outside the label to include groups such as Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio is an American punk rock band that formed in McHenry, Illinois, in 1996. The band's line-up consists of Matt Skiba , Dan Andriano , and Derek Grant...
, Guttermouth
Guttermouth
Guttermouth is an American punk rock band formed in 1988 in Huntington Beach, California and currently recording for Hopeless Records. They have released nine full-length studio albums and two live albums and have toured extensively, including performances on the Vans Warped Tour...
, Reel Big Fish
Reel Big Fish
Reel Big Fish is an American ska punk band from Huntington Beach, California, best known for the 1997 hit "Sell Out". The band gained mainstream recognition in the mid-to-late 1990s, during the third wave of ska with the release of the gold certified album Turn the Radio Off. Soon after, the band...
, the Circle Jerks
Circle Jerks
The Circle Jerks are an American hardcore punk band, formed in 1980 in Los Angeles, California. It was formed by Black Flag's original singer, Keith Morris, and future Bad Religion guitarist Greg Hetson. They were among the preeminent hardcore punk bands of the L.A. scene in the late 1970s.The band...
, and The Bouncing Souls
The Bouncing Souls
The Bouncing Souls are a punk rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey, formed in 1987. By the time of their acknowledgment by the national punk rock scene, they had reignited a "pogo" element to New Jersey punk rock by playing fast light-hearted songs, a model followed by various other local...
.
In 2005 Kung Fu Records launched the spinoff imprint Broken Sounds Records to focus on releases by hardcore
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
acts such as the Righteous Jams
Righteous Jams
Righteous Jams, which was formed by Joey Cardona and Jesse Standhard in 2002 as Invasion, is a Boston, Massachusetts-based straight edge hardcore punk band. Only one demo was released under the name Invasion before the group was renamed Righteous Jams in 2003, following the addition of Elgin James...
, The Getaway, xdeathstarx
XDEATHSTARx
xDEATHSTARx was an American Christian metalcore band from Redlands, CA. All of the members are straight edge and they incorporate both Christian and straight edge themes within their music, with their view of the loss of values in modern society. The group released its first album in 2004 is...
, Suffocate Faster, and H2O
H2O (American band)
-Prologue:Prior to the formation of H2O, in the early-mid-1980s, Todd Morse and Rusty Pistachio were part of the speed punk band "Roadside Petz". This band featured Wayne Williams on drums...
. To date, however, the only album to be released under the Broken Sounds imprint has been the Righteous Jams' Rage of Discipline.
Current artists
- Audio KarateAudio Karate-History:Audio Karate signed to Kung Fu Records in fall 2001. They put out their debut album, Space Camp, on May 14, 2002. The album featured the songs "Nintendo 89," "Rosemead," and "Senior Year." After the release of Space Camp, Audio Karate toured the world with bands such as The Ataris, NOFX,...
- The God AwfulsThe God AwfulsBrand New War are a punk rock/street punk band from Los Angeles who began their career as The God Awfuls and are currently signed to Kung-Fu Records....
- Sweet and Tender Hooligans
- The VandalsThe VandalsThe Vandals are an American rock band established in 1980 in Huntington Beach, California. They have released ten full-length studio albums and two live albums and have toured the world extensively, including performances on the Vans Warped Tour...
- Knock-Out
Past artists
- Antifreeze
- Apocalypse HobokenApocalypse HobokenApocalypse Hoboken was an American punk rock band hailing from Chicago, Illinois which toured the US and Europe and released seven albums on various labels, including Rocco Records and Dyslexic Records...
- Assorted Jelly Beans
- The AtarisThe AtarisThe Ataris are a rock band from Anderson, Indiana. They have released five studio albums, and their most recent E.P. was released on November 25, 2010 on the Gainesville, Florida based label, Paper + Plastick. It contained the brand new tracks "All Souls' Day" and "The Graveyard of The Atlantic"...
- Josh FreeseJosh FreeseJosh Freese is an American session drummer and songwriter. He is a permanent member of A Perfect Circle, The Vandals, and Devo, having formerly played drums for Nine Inch Nails from late 2005 until late 2008, and for Guns N' Roses from mid-1998 to 2001. Freese has appeared on close to 300 records....
- Kenneth Keith Kallenbach
- Longfellow
- OzmaOzma (band)Ozma is a rock band from Pasadena, California. The band's sound is a mix of new-wave–influenced power pop and Casiotone-driven melodies sustained by heavy guitar riffs. The complexity of Ozma's songs grew considerably during the band's initial nine-year history...
- Mi6
- Tsunami BombTsunami BombTsunami Bomb was a punk rock band from Petaluma, California that was active between 1998 and October 2005 and released 2 studio albums and 4 EPs. They were founded by Dominic David who left in 2003...
- UndermindedUndermindedUnderminded is a hardcore band from San Diego, California. The band is currently taking a break as its members concentrate on side projects. Frontman Nick Martin is currently in Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows and drummer Tanner Wayne is now drumming for Chiodos.-History:Band members Nick Martin...
- Useless IDUseless IDUseless ID is a four-piece punk rock band, formed in Haifa, Israel in 1994. Known as one of the most successful Israeli punk bands worldwide.-History:...
- Versus the WorldVersus the World (band)Versus the World is a punk rock band from Santa Barbara, CA on Kung-Fu Records. The band combines post-hardcore with pop punk. They released their debut album, "Versus the World", in September 2005. Mike Davenport was the long time bassist from The Ataris....
International distribution
Kung Fu records has notably expanded to include distribution and promotion deals in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Such international distribution is not common for American independent record labels, and has allowed Kung Fu to put its stamp on albums by notable artists who are not signed to the label. For example, in 2004 Kung Fu served as both the European distributor for Social Distortion
Social Distortion
Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. The band currently consists of Mike Ness , Jonny Wickersham , Brent Harding and David Hidalgo, Jr...
's album Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll
Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll
Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll is the sixth album by American punk rock band Social Distortion. It is their first studio album in eight years, since the release of White Light, White Heat, White Trash in 1996, the longest gap between Social Distortion's studio albums to date...
and as the American distributor for the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
band Stiff Little Fingers
Stiff Little Fingers
Stiff Little Fingers are a punk rock band from Belfast, Northern Ireland. They formed in 1977, at the height of the Troubles. They started out as a schoolboy band called Highway Star , doing rock covers, until they discovered punk. They split up after six years and four albums, although they...
' album Guitar and Drum
Guitar and Drum
Guitar and Drum is the ninth studio album recorded by Stiff Little Fingers, released in 2004.- Track listing :#"Guitar & Drum" – 3:11#"Strummerville" – 3:19#"Can't Get Away With That" – 3:16...
.
Label compilations
Much like other independent record labels, Kung Fu has released a series of low-priced compilation samplers designed to draw attention to the label. Originally these compilations did not have a unifying title similar to EpitaphEpitaph Records
Epitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...
's Punk-O-Rama
Punk-O-Rama
Punk-O-Rama was the title given to a series of ten compilation albums published by Epitaph Records between 1994 and 2005. 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...
or Fat
Fat Wreck Chords
Fat Wreck Chords is a San Francisco, California based independent record label, focused on punk rock. It was started by Fat Mike and his ex-wife, Erin, in 1990....
's Fat Music series. However the third sampler was titled Punk Rock is Your Friend, and this became the series' overall name. Future compilations were released as Punk Rock is Your Friend: Kung Fu Records Sampler #_, the first such release being #4 even though the first two did not carry the Punk Rock is Your Friend title.
CD samplers
| Album Cover | Year | Title | Other information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | No Stars, Just Talent No Stars, Just Talent No Stars, Just Talent is a compilation album by the Seal Beach, California record label Kung Fu Records, released in 1999. It was the label's first sampler compilation and featured artists signed to the label at the time, as well as others such as blink-182 who were not signed to the label but had... |
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| 2000 | The "Gone With the Wind" of Punk Rock Samplers | ||
| 2002 | Punk Rock is Your Friend Punk Rock is Your Friend Punk Rock is Your Friend is the third compilation album by the Seal Beach, California record label Kung Fu Records, released in 2002. It features artists signed to the label at the time. It also features songs by artists who were not signed to the label though who have contributed songs to some of... |
First in the series to carry the Punk Rock is Your Friend title. | |
| 2003 | Punk Rock is Your Friend: Kung Fu Records Sampler #4 Punk Rock is Your Friend: Kung Fu Records Sampler No. 4 Punk Rock is Your Friend: Kung Fu Records Sampler #4 is the fourth compilation album by the Seal Beach, California record label Kung Fu Records, released in 2003. It features artists signed to the label at the time, as well as others who were not signed to the label but had participated in some of... |
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| 2004 | Punk Rock is Your Friend: Kung Fu Records Sampler #5 Punk Rock is Your Friend: Kung Fu Records Sampler No. 5 Punk Rock is Your Friend: Kung Fu Records Sampler #5 is the fifth compilation album by the Seal Beach, California record label Kung Fu Records, released in 2004. It features artists signed to the label at the time, as well as others who were not signed to the label but had participated in some of... |
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| 2005 | Punk Rock is Your Friend: Kung Fu Records Sampler No. 6 Punk Rock is Your Friend: Kung Fu Records Sampler No. 6 Punk Rock is Your Friend: Kung Fu Records Sampler No. 6 is the sixth compilation album by the Seal Beach, California record label Kung Fu Records, released in 2005. It features artists signed to the label at the time, as well as others who were not signed to the label but had participated in some... |
Subtitled Hardcore is Your Friend, Too as it contains several tracks intended for the label's hardcore Hardcore punk Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A... imprint Broken Sounds Records. |
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Video samplers
| Cover | Year | Title | Format | Other information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Secret Weapons of Kung Fu | DVD DVD A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions.... |
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| 2004 | Secret Weapons of Kung Fu 2 | DVD | ||
| 2005 | Secret Weapons of Kung Fu 3 | DVD | ||
See also
- Kung Fu Films
- Broken Sounds Records
- Joe EscalanteJoe EscalanteJoseph Patrick "Joe" Escalante is an American musician, record label owner, radio host, film and music video director, and amateur matador, as well as a former television executive and entertainment lawyer...
- Warren FitzgeraldWarren FitzgeraldWarren Fitzgerald is an American punk rock musician, guitarist, songwriter, and record label owner.-Overview and business:Warren Fitzgerald is most famous for being the current guitarist of The Vandals...
- List of record labels