The Honor System
Encyclopedia
The Honor System is a punk rock
band from Chicago
, Illinois
that formed after the breakup of The Broadways
.
(guitar), and Tim McIlrath
(bass, vocals). Their first release was a 1999 demo cassette comprising the songs "Fool's Good", "Single File" (the band's only song with main vocals by McIlrath) and "Facelift". This demo was reissued on 7" and digital download by Solidarity Recordings in 2010.
Soon after, Chris Carr replaced McIlrath, who went on to form Rise Against
. The band recorded and released their first full-length album Single File
on Asian Man Records
in 2000, featuring re-recordings of "Fool's Gold" and "Facelift".
The band's second release, the six-song EP 100% Synthetic, was released on Double Zero Records
in May 2001. Later that year, McGuire left and was replaced by Tyler Wiseman, formerly of Tuesday
. http://media.www.dennews.com/media/storage/paper309/news/2002/12/06/TheVerge/Experienced.Lineup.To.Debut.Saturday.At.Friends-338538.shtml
After a couple of national tours http://www.sweetslyrics.com/bio-The%20Honor%20System.html, the band released a self-titled three-song EP (limited to 1000 copies http://interpunk.com/item.cfm?Item=56570) featuring the songs "Moving Day", "The Sound of Sinking" and "American Math", and showing a move toward a heavier sound, bolstered by the arrival of Wiseman. This was followed three months later by the band's second full-length recording, Rise and Run, which featured re-recordings of the EP's first 2 tracks.
Shortly after Rise and Runs release, the band went on hiatus when DePaola left to look after his ailing mother http://www.beatbots.com/view.php?audio=48. Hanaway and Wiseman went on to formWhale
with some fellow Chicago musicians. An early incarnation of the band recorded some demos before Carr returned on bass, joined by ex Sweep the Leg Johnny
drummer Scott Anna on drums. The new line-up recorded and released a self-produced debut EP, "Count the Electric Sheep", in 2006.
In August 2008, Solidarity Recordings released Single File on vinyl for the first time, in two colours (limited to 400 and 100) http://vinylcollective.proboards79.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=16394. In September, I Hate Punk Rock Records reissued Rise and Run in 3 colours and as a special edition featuring all 3 standard colours and 3 rare presses, limited to 5 http://www.ihatepunkrock.net/store/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=454.
In April 2010, Solidarity Recordings reissued a remastered edition of the band's original 1999 demo tape, on three colours of 7" vinyl and digital download (Amazon MP3 and iTunes).
, favour more introspective lyrics, Dan Hanaway's lyrics for The Honor System retain his socio-political perspective: covering issues including police corruption ("Nails", "The Blaming Game"), criticism of the media ("The Blaming Game", "Losing Connection", "Hz"), anti-capitalisim/corporatism ("Fool's Gold", "Muffled By Concrete", "Replacement Parts", "Moving Day"), war ("Clockwork"), religion ("Witchhunt"), etc.
Musically, the band built upon The Broadways' melodic punk rock, dual guitars and non-traditional song structures, incorporating better production, more developed instrumentation and, particularly after McGuire's replacement by Wiseman, an increasingly heavy sound. Hanaway's vocals show a continued evolution from their rougher sound on his earlier works.
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 from Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
that formed after the breakup of The Broadways
The Broadways
The Broadways were a short-lived punk band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1996 after the dissolution of the influential ska-punk band Slapstick. The latter's vocalist Brendan Kelly and trumpet player Dan Hanaway assumed the roles of bassist and guitarist, joined by Rob DePaola on drums and Chris...
.
History
The band initially consisted of former Broadways members Dan Hanaway (vocals, guitar) and Rob DePaola (drums), along with Nolan McGuireNolan McGuire
- The Parker Brothers :Nolan's earliest work was with The Parker Brothers .also did a tour with digger- The Honor System :He played on The Honor System's debut album, Single File, and subsequent EP, 100% Synthetic...
(guitar), and Tim McIlrath
Tim McIlrath
Timothy "Tim" James McIlrath is an American punk rock musician. He is the lead singer, rhythm guitarist, songwriter and co-founder for the American punk rock band Rise Against. McIlrath is known to support animal rights and actively promotes PETA with his band...
(bass, vocals). Their first release was a 1999 demo cassette comprising the songs "Fool's Good", "Single File" (the band's only song with main vocals by McIlrath) and "Facelift". This demo was reissued on 7" and digital download by Solidarity Recordings in 2010.
Soon after, Chris Carr replaced McIlrath, who went on to form Rise Against
Rise Against
Rise Against is an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1999. The band currently consists of Tim McIlrath , Zach Blair , Joe Principe and Brandon Barnes .Rise Against spent its first five years signed to the independent record label Fat Wreck Chords, on which it...
. The band recorded and released their first full-length album Single File
Single File (album)
Single File is the debut album by Chicago-based punk rock band The Honor System.- Track listing :# "Nails" – 4:33# "The Blaming Game" – 3:03# "Saints" – 4:05# "Decompose" – 3:55# "Facelift" – 3:35# "Flight" – 3:55# "Fool's Gold" – 2:09...
on 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:...
in 2000, featuring re-recordings of "Fool's Gold" and "Facelift".
The band's second release, the six-song EP 100% Synthetic, was released on Double Zero Records
Double Zero Records
Double Zero Records is a record label from Algonquin, Illinois formed in 1999. Drummer Mike Felumlee organized the label as an outlet for Smoking Popes releases. The label later released material by The Honor System, Duvall, The Red Hot Valentines, Split Habit, Ryan's Hope, Amazing Transparent Man...
in May 2001. Later that year, McGuire left and was replaced by Tyler Wiseman, formerly of Tuesday
Tuesday (band)
Tuesday was a pop punk/emo band formed by three ex-members of influential Chicago ska punk band Slapstick after the latter's 1996 breakup. Dan Andriano , Matt Stamps , and Rob Kellenberger released their first EP Early Summer on Asian Man Records in 1997...
. http://media.www.dennews.com/media/storage/paper309/news/2002/12/06/TheVerge/Experienced.Lineup.To.Debut.Saturday.At.Friends-338538.shtml
After a couple of national tours http://www.sweetslyrics.com/bio-The%20Honor%20System.html, the band released a self-titled three-song EP (limited to 1000 copies http://interpunk.com/item.cfm?Item=56570) featuring the songs "Moving Day", "The Sound of Sinking" and "American Math", and showing a move toward a heavier sound, bolstered by the arrival of Wiseman. This was followed three months later by the band's second full-length recording, Rise and Run, which featured re-recordings of the EP's first 2 tracks.
Shortly after Rise and Runs release, the band went on hiatus when DePaola left to look after his ailing mother http://www.beatbots.com/view.php?audio=48. Hanaway and Wiseman went on to form
Whale Horse
Whale|Horse is a rock/post-punk band from Chicago.- Formation :After their earlier band The Honor System went on hiatus, Tyler Wiseman and Dan Hanaway began work on a new project with assistance from drummer Jason Kyrouac and 's former bassist, Jordan Schalich...
with some fellow Chicago musicians. An early incarnation of the band recorded some demos before Carr returned on bass, joined by ex Sweep the Leg Johnny
Sweep the Leg Johnny
Sweep the Leg Johnny was a Chicago-based math rock band in existence from 1996 till 2002. The name is a reference to a line in the film The Karate Kid....
drummer Scott Anna on drums. The new line-up recorded and released a self-produced debut EP, "Count the Electric Sheep", in 2006.
In August 2008, Solidarity Recordings released Single File on vinyl for the first time, in two colours (limited to 400 and 100) http://vinylcollective.proboards79.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=16394. In September, I Hate Punk Rock Records reissued Rise and Run in 3 colours and as a special edition featuring all 3 standard colours and 3 rare presses, limited to 5 http://www.ihatepunkrock.net/store/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=454.
In April 2010, Solidarity Recordings reissued a remastered edition of the band's original 1999 demo tape, on three colours of 7" vinyl and digital download (Amazon MP3 and iTunes).
Style
Lyrically, while the other band formed from The Broadways' breakup, The Lawrence ArmsThe Lawrence Arms
The Lawrence Arms are an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1999. They have released five full-length albums and toured extensively.-Pre-history:...
, favour more introspective lyrics, Dan Hanaway's lyrics for The Honor System retain his socio-political perspective: covering issues including police corruption ("Nails", "The Blaming Game"), criticism of the media ("The Blaming Game", "Losing Connection", "Hz"), anti-capitalisim/corporatism ("Fool's Gold", "Muffled By Concrete", "Replacement Parts", "Moving Day"), war ("Clockwork"), religion ("Witchhunt"), etc.
Musically, the band built upon The Broadways' melodic punk rock, dual guitars and non-traditional song structures, incorporating better production, more developed instrumentation and, particularly after McGuire's replacement by Wiseman, an increasingly heavy sound. Hanaway's vocals show a continued evolution from their rougher sound on his earlier works.
Current
- Dan Hanaway – 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...
, 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... - Tyler Wiseman – guitar
- Chris Carr – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Rob DePaola – 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 ....
Albums/EPs
- Single FileSingle File (album)Single File is the debut album by Chicago-based punk rock band The Honor System.- Track listing :# "Nails" – 4:33# "The Blaming Game" – 3:03# "Saints" – 4:05# "Decompose" – 3:55# "Facelift" – 3:35# "Flight" – 3:55# "Fool's Gold" – 2:09...
(2000) - 100% Synthetic (2001: CD)
- The Honor System (EP) (2003)
- Rise and Run (2003)
Compilation appearances
- Magnetic Curses: A Chicago Punk Rock Compilation (2000) - "Fool's Gold" (demo)
- Living Tomorrow Today: A Benefit For Ty Cambra (2001) - "Witchhunt" (unreleased version)