The Bronx (band)
Encyclopedia
The Bronx is an American hardcore punk
band from Los Angeles
formed in 2002. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist Matt Caughthran
, guitarists Joby J. Ford and Ken Horne, bass guitarist Brad Magers, and drummer Jorma Vik. They have released three eponym
ous rock
albums, and two additional albums of mariachi
music under the alter ego
Mariachi El Bronx.
. The initial lineup of the band consisted of singer
Matt Caughthran
, guitarist
Joby J. Ford, bassist
James Tweedy, and drummer
Jorma Vik. At their first performance they impressed Jonathan Daniel, manager of American Hi-Fi
, who became their manager, and as early as their second show had attracted the attention of A&R
representatives from major record label
s. After only twelve live performances the band signed a contract with the Island Def Jam Music Group. However, feeling as though they were not yet ready to record for a major label, the band opted to form their own label White Drugs to put out their first few releases. They recorded a demo entitled Sure Death in 2002, followed by their first single "Bats!" in 2003. Their debut album The Bronx was released in August 2003, followed by the EP
La Muerte Viva
that November. To support the album, singles and music video
s were released for the songs "They Will Kill Us All (Without Mercy)" and "False Alarm". The band toured the United States and Australia in support of the album.
The Bronx's major-label debut was The Bronx (2006), a second eponymous album that was supported by singles and music videos for "History's Stranglers", "White Guilt" and "Shitty Future". Ken Horne of The Dragons
played some guitar parts on the album and soon joined the band as second guitarist.
In April 2007 the band announced that they would record two new albums, which like their first two albums would both be eponymously titled. The Bronx
was planned as a punk rock
album, while El Bronx would be a mariachi
album. They entered a recording studio in March 2008 to begin work on both albums, with Brad Magers (formerly of Christiansen and Your Highness Electric) replacing Tweedy on bass guitar
, and Vincent Hidalgo (formerly of The Drips
) also joining the group. That June they posted the new song "Knifeman", from The Bronx, on their Myspace
profile, followed by the premier of "PR Rules" from El Bronx. During summer 2008, The Bronx played the entirety of the Warped Tour
. They also appeared in the film What We Do Is Secret
as Black Flag
, performing the Black Flag song "Police Story". Beginning with preparations for the release of El Bronx, the band has performed as "Mariachi El Bronx" when playing their mariachi set and as "The Bronx" for rock sets. The Bronx was released on November 11, 2008, with El Bronx following on August 17, 2009. The band toured North America, followed by a festival performance in the United Kingdom. A second album of mariachi music, Mariachi El Bronx
, was released in August 2011.
Several members of the band also appear on the debut EP
by Armistice
, a Canadian
indie pop band consisting of Coeur de pirate and Jay Malinowski
.
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...
band from Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
formed in 2002. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist Matt Caughthran
Matt Caughthran
Matt Caughthran is an American singer, best known as the frontman for Los Angeles based punk band The Bronx. In addition to The Bronx, Caughthran is involved in a side project, The Drips. Caughthran has also recorded a number of tracks with Bullet Treatment which can be found on the What More Do...
, guitarists Joby J. Ford and Ken Horne, bass guitarist Brad Magers, and drummer Jorma Vik. They have released three eponym
Eponym
An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...
ous rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
albums, and two additional albums of mariachi
Mariachi
Mariachi is a genre of music that originated in the State of Jalisco, in Mexico. It is an integration of stringed instruments highly influenced by the cultural impacts of the historical development of Western Mexico. Throughout the history of mariachi, musicians have experimented with brass, wind,...
music under the alter ego
Alter ego
An alter ego is a second self, which is believe to be distinct from a person's normal or original personality. The term was coined in the early nineteenth century when dissociative identity disorder was first described by psychologists...
Mariachi El Bronx.
History
The Bronx formed in 2002 in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. The initial lineup of the band consisted of singer
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
Matt Caughthran
Matt Caughthran
Matt Caughthran is an American singer, best known as the frontman for Los Angeles based punk band The Bronx. In addition to The Bronx, Caughthran is involved in a side project, The Drips. Caughthran has also recorded a number of tracks with Bullet Treatment which can be found on the What More Do...
, 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...
Joby J. Ford, 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...
James Tweedy, and drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Jorma Vik. At their first performance they impressed Jonathan Daniel, manager of American Hi-Fi
American Hi-Fi
American Hi-Fi is an American pop punk band from Los Angeles, California, which originally hailed from Boston, Massachusetts. The band consists of vocalist Stacy Jones, guitarist Jamie Arentzen, bassist Drew Parsons, and drummer Brian Nolan...
, who became their manager, and as early as their second show had attracted the attention of A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
representatives from major record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
s. After only twelve live performances the band signed a contract with the Island Def Jam Music Group. However, feeling as though they were not yet ready to record for a major label, the band opted to form their own label White Drugs to put out their first few releases. They recorded a demo entitled Sure Death in 2002, followed by their first single "Bats!" in 2003. Their debut album The Bronx was released in August 2003, followed by the EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
La Muerte Viva
La Muerte Viva
La Muerte Viva! is The Bronx's second EP and the first recording on Wichita Records, released on November 15, 2003. The EP was only largely released both in Europe and Australia and being limited edition has since become somewhat of a collectors item....
that November. To support the album, singles and 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 were released for the songs "They Will Kill Us All (Without Mercy)" and "False Alarm". The band toured the United States and Australia in support of the album.
The Bronx's major-label debut was The Bronx (2006), a second eponymous album that was supported by singles and music videos for "History's Stranglers", "White Guilt" and "Shitty Future". Ken Horne of The Dragons
The Dragons (band)
The Dragons was a rock band based in San Diego, California, that released six CDs between 1991 and 2005. The band was notably fronted by singer/guitarist Mario Escovedo, whose musical family also includes Alejandro Escovedo, Pete Escovedo, Javier Escovedo , Coke Escovedo, Paris Escovedo and Sheila E...
played some guitar parts on the album and soon joined the band as second guitarist.
In April 2007 the band announced that they would record two new albums, which like their first two albums would both be eponymously titled. The Bronx
The Bronx (2008 album)
- Track listing :...
was planned as a 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...
album, while El Bronx would be a mariachi
Mariachi
Mariachi is a genre of music that originated in the State of Jalisco, in Mexico. It is an integration of stringed instruments highly influenced by the cultural impacts of the historical development of Western Mexico. Throughout the history of mariachi, musicians have experimented with brass, wind,...
album. They entered a recording studio in March 2008 to begin work on both albums, with Brad Magers (formerly of Christiansen and Your Highness Electric) replacing Tweedy on bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, and Vincent Hidalgo (formerly of The Drips
The drips
The Drips is a punk rock band from Los Angeles, currently signed to White Drugs/Wichita Recordings.- History :A side-project of members of various other bands, The Drips are Matt Caughthran and Joby J. Ford, both from The Bronx, Tony Bevilaqua from The Distillers, David Hidalgo, Jr...
) also joining the group. That June they posted the new song "Knifeman", from The Bronx, on their Myspace
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
profile, followed by the premier of "PR Rules" from El Bronx. During summer 2008, The Bronx played the entirety of the Warped Tour
Warped Tour
The Warped Tour is a touring music and extreme sports festival. The tour is held in venues such as parking lots or fields upon which the stages and other structures are erected. The BMX/skateboarding shoe manufacturer Vans, among others, has sponsored the tour every year since 1995, and it is...
. They also appeared in the film What We Do Is Secret
What We Do Is Secret (film)
What We Do Is Secret is a 2008 American biographical film about Darby Crash, singer of the late-1970s Los Angeles punk rock band the Germs. Rodger Grossman directed the film and wrote the screenplay, based on a story he had written with Michelle Baer Ghaffari, a friend of Crash's and co-producer of...
as Black Flag
Black Flag (band)
Black Flag was an American punk rock band formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California. The band was established by Greg Ginn, the guitarist, primary songwriter and sole continuous member through multiple personnel changes in the band...
, performing the Black Flag song "Police Story". Beginning with preparations for the release of El Bronx, the band has performed as "Mariachi El Bronx" when playing their mariachi set and as "The Bronx" for rock sets. The Bronx was released on November 11, 2008, with El Bronx following on August 17, 2009. The band toured North America, followed by a festival performance in the United Kingdom. A second album of mariachi music, Mariachi El Bronx
Mariachi El Bronx (2011 album)
Mariachi El Bronx is the fifth studio album by the Los Angeles rock band The Bronx, released August 2, 2011 through ATO Records. It is the band's second album under their alter egos "Mariachi El Bronx", in which they play mariachi music in place of their usual hardcore punk and hard rock...
, was released in August 2011.
Several members of the band also appear on the debut EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
by Armistice
Armistice (band)
Armistice is a Canadian indie pop band, consisting of singer-songwriter Béatrice Martin, better known by her stage name Coeur de pirate, and Jay Malinowski of Bedouin Soundclash. The duo released a five-song EP, Armistice, on February 15, 2011 on Dare to Care Records...
, a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
indie pop band consisting of Coeur de pirate and Jay Malinowski
Jay Malinowski
Jay Malinowski is the vocalist and guitarist for the Canadian reggae group Bedouin Soundclash.At the age of 16 he played his first show. He met the group's future bassist Eon Sinclair while attending Queen's University, and they decided to form their own band which reflected the music they both...
.
Band members
| 2002–2008 La Muerte Viva La Muerte Viva La Muerte Viva! is The Bronx's second EP and the first recording on Wichita Records, released on November 15, 2003. The EP was only largely released both in Europe and Australia and being limited edition has since become somewhat of a collectors item.... The Bronx The Bronx |
|
|---|---|
| 2008–present The Bronx The Bronx (2008 album) - Track listing :... Mariachi El Bronx Mariachi El Bronx Mariachi El Bronx (2011 album) Mariachi El Bronx is the fifth studio album by the Los Angeles rock band The Bronx, released August 2, 2011 through ATO Records. It is the band's second album under their alter egos "Mariachi El Bronx", in which they play mariachi music in place of their usual hardcore punk and hard rock... |
|
Current members
- Matt CaughthranMatt CaughthranMatt Caughthran is an American singer, best known as the frontman for Los Angeles based punk band The Bronx. In addition to The Bronx, Caughthran is involved in a side project, The Drips. Caughthran has also recorded a number of tracks with Bullet Treatment which can be found on the What More Do...
- vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
(2002–present) - Joby J. Ford - guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, backing vocals (2002–present) - Jorma Vik - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(2002–present) - Ken Horne - guitar, backing vocals (2006–present)
- Brad Magers - bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals (2007–present)
Discography
Albums- The Bronx (2003)
- The Bronx (2006)
- The BronxThe Bronx (2008 album)- Track listing :...
(2008) - Mariachi El Bronx (2009)
- Mariachi El BronxMariachi El Bronx (2011 album)Mariachi El Bronx is the fifth studio album by the Los Angeles rock band The Bronx, released August 2, 2011 through ATO Records. It is the band's second album under their alter egos "Mariachi El Bronx", in which they play mariachi music in place of their usual hardcore punk and hard rock...
(2011)