It was the perfect breeding ground for Operation Ivy’s innovative genre blend. Founder Tim Yohannan, who also launched influential zine Maximum Rocknroll, envisioned it as a space that would challenge all the norms of a capitalist nightclub. At the heart of it was 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, all-volunteer-run venue that held its first show on December 31st, 1986. The band didn’t exist in a vacuum: The late-Eighties East Bay punk scene they sprung from was fertile ground for creativity. They weren’t the first to mix these genres, but the band - made up of singer Jesse Michaels, drummer Dave Mello, and future Rancid members Tim “Lint” Armstrong and Matt “McCall” Freeman, on guitar and bass, respectively - completely changed the rules for what was possible in each, inspiring thousands of others to follow their lead. Embracing the concept of “substance over surface,” sitting in the tradition of punk band names like Bad Brains, Bad Religion and the Bad Seeds, they find it a title worthy of their cause.Operation Ivy only existed for two years, from May 1987 through May 1989, but in that time, the Berkeley, California, band forever altered the future of both punk and ska. Harnessing decades of punk legend status for a fresh opportunity and a broader perspective, they make a subtle nod to their origins with their name as a playful acknowledgment of history. Though it might seem like picking back up after all these years, Doom Regulator are not just an iteration of their last band. He explains, “ As soon as we started writing together, we found that we had the same collaborative energy that we had in the past, so it was natural and fun just to keep going.” Of course the topic of music came up and when Armstrong started to play some of his new tracks, Michaels was immediately inspired and sparking ideas for vocals. Even with the gap between Op Ivy to now, Michaels says, “ our creative connection seems to be stronger than ever and all the music we loved back then, we still love.” The idea to form a band came organically one day when Jesse and Tim met up purely with the intent to reconnect. Officially forming in March of 2021, the ska-punk pioneers have over 35 years of history together. This was only the second song we did but it felt hot immediately and just flowed so we thought it would be a good way to introduce the new band to the world.” Speaking to the creative process he continues, “ Like many of the tracks we have worked on, I heard the music and wrote the lyrics very quickly, almost on the spot. On the lyrical intent behind the song Michaels explains, “ Raid is about every person's spiritual autonomy from the powers that be, regardless of who they are or what their particular struggle is.” The new track kicks off the Hellcat Singles Club: a collection of new releases by a variety of bands curated by Tim Armstrong and the Hellcat team.Īnti-authoritarian anthem “ Raid” features breezy, classic Jamaican influenced ska contrasted with a vocal approach aligned with the brute force of punk for a vibe that’s updated but not completely disconnected from early ska legacy. Tim Armstrong (Operation Ivy, Rancid, Transplants), Jesse Michaels (Operation Ivy), Joey Castillo (Circle Jerks, The Bronx) and bassist Spencer Pollard (Trash Talk) unveil their new project DOOM REGULATOR with the release of their debut single “ Raid” today via Hellcat Records.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |