Link 80
Encyclopedia
Band history
Link 80 started in late 1993 in the East Bay of CaliforniaCalifornia
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...
. In the beginning, original members (guitarist Matt Bettinelli-Olpin
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin is an American actor, writer and musician.-Biography:Raised in Oakland, California, Bettinelli-Olpin later attended the University of California, Santa Cruz.-Music:...
, drummer Joey Bustos
Joey Bustos
Joey Bustos was one of the founding members and the drummer of the influential punk band Link 80. The members changed the musical direction of the band and subsequently changed the name of the band to Desa...
, bassist Adam Pereira and singer Jeff Acree) played around town as Drano, The Rag-Tags, and Mr. Slave-Unit, before settling on Link 80.
The name came from the interstate highway I-80
Interstate 80
Interstate 80 is the second-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, following Interstate 90. It is a transcontinental artery running from downtown San Francisco, California to Teaneck, New Jersey in the New York City Metropolitan Area...
which they used to get to the drummer's garage for band practice and connected the band members' homes.
In May 1995, Nick Traina
Nick Traina
Nicholas John Steel Traina was an American singer, who was lead singer for the punk band Link 80.- Early life :...
joined the band after meeting Adam at a show in San Francisco's Mission District. Nick's passion and voice combined with the rest of the band to make them different from most ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
bands and gave Link 80 the "against the rest" attitude they display throughout their lyrics. Far more punk than ska and with an energy and a sense of immediacy lacking in pop-oriented ska bands, Link 80 was able to avoid the clichés of ska-punk characterized by their peers. As Asian Man Records
Asian Man Records
Asian Man Records is a small, DIY record label run by Mike Park in Monte Sereno, California. Park started a record label and began releasing music in 1989 under the name Dill Records, with the Asian Man label established May 1996.-Artists:...
describes them, they are an energetic blend of ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
, 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...
, and 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...
.
17 Reasons
Recorded in 1996, Link 80 had released their first full-length album titled 17 Reasons17 Reasons
17 Reasons is the first full album by the ska punk band Link 80. It was released on CD and 12" vinyl by Asian Man Records in 1997. The record was the first original release for Asian Man Records .It was recorded during two sessions: one at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, CA with Steve Fontano and...
, in early 1997. The album consisted of 17 fast and energetic punk rock and skacore songs (and one hidden track, a cover of "Who Killed Marilyn
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s....
?" by Misfits). It was also the first album recorded for Asian Man Records (AMR1-AMR4 were originally released on Dill Records).
Their only official music video was off this album for the song "Verbal Kint." The video was directed by Scott Pourroy.
In 1996, with all the members still in high school, the band left for their first U.S. tour. On this tour, the band created their own "crew," known as ATRC, or Against the Rest Crew.
The core line-up for these definitive years was Nick Traina (vocals), Joey Bustos (drums), Matt Bettinelli-Olpin (guitar, vocals), Adam Pereira (bass, vocals) and Aaron Nagel
Aaron Nagel
Aaron Nagel is the original trumpet player for punk rock/ska core act Link 80, born and raised in Berkeley, California. He currently plays guitar in the band DESA with other former Link 80 members Ryan Noble, Adam Davis, and Barry Krippine....
(trumpet). Though he was not present on the recording of 17 Reasons, Jason Lechner (saxophone) joined the band in time to support it at shows and on tour. This line-up would release the first and second of their three albums.
Unlike many bands, each member of Link 80 were an integral part of the songwriting team. With Aaron in charge of the horn lines, Joey, Adam and Matt were behind most songs' core-music, while Nick and Matt were responsible for the lyrics. In addition, everyone participated in background vocals, occasionally even singing lead. For example, Adam sings a majority of "Termination" and "Slap," while Matt provides the lead vocals on "Turn It Around."
The following year Link 80 was on to its second US tour. Beginning in Oregon on June 14, the tour was cut short after a show at the Globe in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on August 1. The following morning the band went their separate ways, with some members flying home, some driving, and some taking a train.
Killing Katie
Link 80's last album with Nick, Matt and Seth Blankenship, Killing KatieKilling Katie
Killing Katie is the second album by the punk band Link 80. It was released on CD and 10" vinyl by Asian Man Records in 1997.It was recorded with Steve Fontano at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, California between the 18th and 20th of April 1997...
, was released August 26, 1997, less than one month before Nick's death. The album contains 8 studio tracks and 3 hidden live songs, including the long-time crowd pleaser "Blank Mind" (of which there is no studio version). Of the four hidden tracks, the first is a cover of Buffalo Springfield
Buffalo Springfield
Buffalo Springfield is a North American folk rock band renown both for its music and as a springboard for the careers of Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Richie Furay and Jim Messina. Among the first wave of North American bands to become popular in the wake of the British invasion, the group combined...
's "For What It's Worth," referred to as "Everybody Look What's Going Down" by the band.
After Link 80, Nick started a new band, Knowledge, and immediately began playing shows and recording. Shortly thereafter, on September 20, 1997, Nick, who suffered from Bipolar Disorder, overdosed on his fourth suicide attempt, and was found dead by his caretaker at his home.
The Struggle Continues
With Nick gone, Link 80 needed someone to fill in on vocals.After recruiting a man named Stoney Moak to fill in for vocals temporarily for their shows, Ryan Noble
Ryan Noble
Ryan Noble is an English footballer who plays for Sunderland as a striker.-Sunderland:A product of the club's youth academy, Noble made his first professional appearance for Sunderland on 2 January 2010, coming on as a substitute for Darren Bent in a 3–0 FA Cup victory against Barrow at the...
from the Blast Bandits was chosen to pick up permanently where Nick had left off. Along with Ryan and Adam Davis, who took over for Matt, came a new sound and lyrics, while still maintaining the "against the rest" attitude. Link 80 began to lead more towards a hardcore/ska sound rather than a punk/ska sound. With Ryan, Link 80 recorded the album The Struggle Continues
The Struggle Continues (Link 80 album)
The Struggle Continues is the third album by the punk band Link 80. It was released on CD and 12" vinyl by Asian Man Records in 2000.It is the first Link 80 album without Nick Traina and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, who were replaced by Ryan Noble and Adam Davis, respectively.- Track listing :#...
as well as some b-sides that appeared on various compilations in 1999 and toured numerous times with such bands as Capdown
Capdown
Capdown are a band from Milton Keynes, England. Originally known as Soap, their songs have political themes as alluded to by their name, which is short for Capitalist Downfall...
and MU330
MU330
MU330 are a ska punk band from St. Louis, Missouri.Formed by students of St. Louis University High School in 1988, MU330 played a self-described brand of music called "Psycho Ska", high energy ska punk marked by manic performances and humorous, often strange lyricism...
.
The last track on The Struggle Continues, "Unbroken", was written by ex-guitarist Matt for Nick after his death.
Related Bands and Projects
In 2002, the band consisting of Seth Blankenship, Adam Davis, Aaron Nagel, Steve Borth, Joey Bustos, Barry Krippene, and singer Ryan Noble went on hiatus. Steve Borth would join Rx BanditsRx Bandits
RX Bandits is a four-piece band based in Seal Beach, California. The band formed in 1995 in Orange County, California. They have appeared on the Vans Warped Tour, at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and at The Bamboozle.-Early years :Originally known as...
, before forming his own band Satori
Satori (band)
Satori Charleston, SC Southern Rock/Jam Band. 2000-2006Matt Kelley - Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar, Mike Zahn - Lead Guitar, Paul Bracewell - Percussion, Jacob Henley - Drums, Nathan Gee - Bass, & John Hagar - Piano & Organ....
in 2006. The remaining Link 80 members would form DESA
Desa (band)
Desa is a rock band from Oakland, California. The band is currently signed to and released its second album in 2006. The band recently completed a two-month US tour with labelmates Rx Bandits to help promote the new album...
. They have since maintained that Link 80 would return, but for now they are focused on their respective projects.
Joey and Ryan are now in The Soft White Sixties. Matt formed a band called Dolores (with Nick's brother Todd Traina
Todd Traina
Todd Traina is an American film producer and the founder of Red Rover Films in 2007. In 2007 Traina was named by Daily Variety as one one of its “10 Producers to Watch.” My Suicide, a quirky low-budget dark comedy released in 2009 which Traina produced, won a Crystal Bear at the 2009 Berlin Film...
) that released on 7" on Johann's Face Records and is a member of the comedy group Chad, Matt & Rob
Chad, Matt & Rob
Chad, Matt & Rob is a group of filmmakers based in Los Angeles. The group has created numerous shorts that often blend comedy with horror, adventure and fantasy. They coined the term "Interactive Adventure" to describe their 2008 film The Time Machine: An Interactive Adventure; the project was...
. Aaron runs Two Twenty Two Design Studio and is an artist whose work can be seen on the covers of The Resignation
The Resignation
The Resignation is the fourth full length release from Californian ska punk band Rx Bandits. It peaked at #148 on the Billboard 200.-Track listing:All songs written by Matthew Embree, except where noted....
and ...And the Battle Begun
...And the Battle Begun
-Rx Bandits:* Matthew Embree – vocals, guitar* Steve Choi – guitar, keyboards* Steven Jess Borth II – saxophone, keyboards, backing vocals* Chris Sheets – trombone, backing vocals, percussion* Joseph Troy – bass...
. Adam Pereria played with Thought Crime after leaving Link 80 and Nick Traina started Knowledge
Knowledge (band)
Knowledge were a Jamaican roots reggae group, best known for their work in the late 1970s and early 1980s, which saw them sign to A&M Records.-History:...
before his death in 1997.
Discography
- Split 7" w/ Wet-Nap (1995, Wannabe Brothers Records)
- Remember How It Used To Be 7" (1995, Switchblade Records)
- Split 7" w/ Subincision - Rumble At The Tracks (1996, Switchblade Records)
- 17 Reasons17 Reasons17 Reasons is the first full album by the ska punk band Link 80. It was released on CD and 12" vinyl by Asian Man Records in 1997. The record was the first original release for Asian Man Records .It was recorded during two sessions: one at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, CA with Steve Fontano and...
(1997, Asian Man RecordsAsian Man RecordsAsian Man Records is a small, DIY record label run by Mike Park in Monte Sereno, California. Park started a record label and began releasing music in 1989 under the name Dill Records, with the Asian Man label established May 1996.-Artists:...
) - Killing KatieKilling KatieKilling Katie is the second album by the punk band Link 80. It was released on CD and 10" vinyl by Asian Man Records in 1997.It was recorded with Steve Fontano at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, California between the 18th and 20th of April 1997...
(1997, Asian Man RecordsAsian Man RecordsAsian Man Records is a small, DIY record label run by Mike Park in Monte Sereno, California. Park started a record label and began releasing music in 1989 under the name Dill Records, with the Asian Man label established May 1996.-Artists:...
) - 23 Reasons" (1997, Tachyon Records) This contains the first two albums on one CD, only available in Japan.
- The Struggle ContinuesThe Struggle Continues (Link 80 album)The Struggle Continues is the third album by the punk band Link 80. It was released on CD and 12" vinyl by Asian Man Records in 2000.It is the first Link 80 album without Nick Traina and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, who were replaced by Ryan Noble and Adam Davis, respectively.- Track listing :#...
(2000, Asian Man RecordsAsian Man RecordsAsian Man Records is a small, DIY record label run by Mike Park in Monte Sereno, California. Park started a record label and began releasing music in 1989 under the name Dill Records, with the Asian Man label established May 1996.-Artists:...
) - Lifestyles, Textiles & X-Files Split 7" w/ Lesdystics (Tomatohead Records)
- Split CDEP/7" w/ Capdown (Householdname Records)
Compilations
- Skank For Brains (1995, Beach Records)
- What Are You Looking At?What Are You Looking At?What Are You Looking At? is a forthcoming BBC comedy show, hosted by Jimmy Carr and produced by Hat Trick Productions. It is a clip show looking back at the week's television. A pilot was recorded starring Carr and the BBC plans to make a full series. However, the programme has already been...
(1996, Switchblade Records) - This Aren't Two Tone (1997, Too Hep Records)
- Cinema Beer Nuts (1997, Hopeless RecordsHopeless RecordsHopeless Records is an independent record label located in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California. The label was started in 1993 by Louis Posen and financed by a group of private investors. Hopeless's artists are generally considered punk rock, pop punk, post-hardcore, or alternative rock, but some...
) - Misfits Of Ska II (1997, Asian Man RecordsAsian Man RecordsAsian Man Records is a small, DIY record label run by Mike Park in Monte Sereno, California. Park started a record label and began releasing music in 1989 under the name Dill Records, with the Asian Man label established May 1996.-Artists:...
) - It Takes A Dummy To Know A Dummy (1997, Dumb Ass Records)
- Punk Goes Ska (1997, Stiff Dog Records)
- Punk 'til Ya Poop (1997, Bad Stain Records)
- Ramen Core Volume 1 (1997, Burnt Ramen Records)
- Dillinquents (1997, Dill RecordsDill RecordsDill Records was a small punk rock/ska record label based out of Monte Sereno, California, that put out CDs/records from 1989-1998. The name is an allusion to initially the label's only band, Skankin' Pickle. It was started by Mike Park, a.k.a. Bruce Lee of Skankin' Pickle. The first other band...
) - Puro Eskanol Volume 2 (1998, Aztlan Records)
- Ska Sucks (1998, Liberation RecordsLiberation RecordsLiberation Records is a Southern California record company. It was formed by 16-year-old David Taba in 1994. The label notably discovered and released the debut album of Home Grown and, in 1994, released the classic Punk Sucks compilation...
) - Mailorder Is Fun! (1998, Asian Man RecordsAsian Man RecordsAsian Man Records is a small, DIY record label run by Mike Park in Monte Sereno, California. Park started a record label and began releasing music in 1989 under the name Dill Records, with the Asian Man label established May 1996.-Artists:...
) - Puro Eskanol, Vol. 2: Rice & Beans (1998, Azatlan Records)
- Skank For Brains: Saturday Matinee (1998, Beach Records)
- Waiting For Punk? (1998, Twisted Records)
- Ska: The Third Wave Checkered Box Set (1998, Beloved Records)
- Ska: The Third Wave, Vol. 4: Punk It Up (1998, Beloved Records)
- Hey Brother...Can You Spare Some Ska? (1999, Vegas Records)
- Mailorder Is Still Fun! (1999, Asian Man RecordsAsian Man RecordsAsian Man Records is a small, DIY record label run by Mike Park in Monte Sereno, California. Park started a record label and began releasing music in 1989 under the name Dill Records, with the Asian Man label established May 1996.-Artists:...
) - Mission Control Presents: Dr. Strange Vs. Asian Man, Vol. 1 (1999, Asian Man/Dr. Strange Records)
- Punker Than Your Mother (1999, Sour/Soda Jerk Records)
- To Protect And Serve - Chapter 13 (1999, Chapter 13 Records)
- Coffee, Cigarettes and Nuclear War (1999, Absolute Zero Records)
- Punk Goes MetalPunk Goes MetalPunk Goes Metal was the first compilation album to be released as part of the Punk Goes... series created by Fearless Records. It features covers of heavy metal songs by punk rock bands and was released on August 1, 2000....
(2000, Fearless RecordsFearless RecordsFearless Records is an alternative rock-oriented record label that has been signing artists since 1994. Fearless is based in Westminster, California and are best known for their early pop-punk moments captured in the Fearless Flush Sampler and Punk Bites releases, as well as additional releases by...
) - Plea For Peace (2000, Asian Man RecordsAsian Man RecordsAsian Man Records is a small, DIY record label run by Mike Park in Monte Sereno, California. Park started a record label and began releasing music in 1989 under the name Dill Records, with the Asian Man label established May 1996.-Artists:...
) - Just Not Punk Enough (2000, Orchard Records)
- Here We Are Nowhere (2000, Substandard Records)
- Punked Up Love (2000, VMS Records)
- Taken From A High School Journal (2000, Deafinit Records)
- Have You Heard (2001, New School Punk Records)
- Ten Minutes to Ogikubo Station (2001, Asian Man RecordsAsian Man RecordsAsian Man Records is a small, DIY record label run by Mike Park in Monte Sereno, California. Park started a record label and began releasing music in 1989 under the name Dill Records, with the Asian Man label established May 1996.-Artists:...
) - Shut The Punk Up, Vol. 1 (2001, Orchard Records)
- Dropping Food on Their Heads Is Not Enough: Benefit for RAWADropping Food on Their Heads Is Not Enough: Benefit for RAWAGeykido Comet Records benefit CD for Afghan Women released in 2002 was in response to the atrocities done to Afghan women by the Taliban. Featuring local unknowns as well as groups like Anti-Flag, Youth Brigade, Chumbawamba, Fleshies, The Frisk and Jello Biafra as well as setting aside 100% of all...
(2002, Geykido Comet RecordsGeykido Comet RecordsGeykido Comet Records began as a small and humble bedroom operation in 1998 seeing the first release in January 1999: Intro5pect 7-inch EP "Education"....
) - Mailorder For The Masses! (2002, Asian Man RecordsAsian Man RecordsAsian Man Records is a small, DIY record label run by Mike Park in Monte Sereno, California. Park started a record label and began releasing music in 1989 under the name Dill Records, with the Asian Man label established May 1996.-Artists:...
) - Lessons For Today (2003, Almost Good Music)
- The Great Soup Opera (Wormhole/Atomic Records)