They were known for their DIY punk ethic, embodied in such actions such as distributing six albums worth of their own material for free on their website, and offering free stencils and paint for fans to create their own T-shirts. They also offered their fans a chance to perform on stage if they learn a song and bring their instrument to the show. Beginning in April 2009, the band would only play all-ages shows with ticket prices of $10 or less. Rosenstock and several other contributors were previously members of The Arrogant Sons of Bitches. As that band was breaking up, Rosenstock recorded the first Bomb The Music Industry! song, "Sweet Home Cananada" using his PowerBook's built-in microphone. "I wrote that song and put it out to see if anybody wanted it. That was how it started, people showed interest and I like recording stuff." Bomb the Music Industry! plays a blend of several musical styles anchored in ska and hardcore punk. The influences go deeper than ska and punk, however, as studio experimentation, synth-pop, and DC hardcore all pop up in the mix. Rosenstock says bands such as Harvey Danger and Neutral Milk Hotel are as much an influence as evidenced by tracks such as "This Graceless Planet" (an adaptation of a song by We Versus The Shark into the musical aesthetic of Bomb the Music Industry!), "Stand There Until You're Sober", and many other songs' meter experiments (which feature, respectively, jarring synth breakouts, backwards looping, and time signatures such as 23/4). In live performances the band has begun using digital technology to create breakdowns that sound like they are lifted from 8-bit video games. Tracks such as "Sweet Home Cananada" and "Future 86" strip down the arrangements to barebones loops and guitar, with the latter (a previously unreleased The Arrogant Sons of Bitches demo) featuring a full brass section but lacking the upstroke rhythms on the guitar, a key element of third-wave ska.
Lyrically, Bomb The Music Industry! songs varied widely from furious rants about corporate rock to ordinary stories about finding a job. They also used a good deal of humor, as in "Can I Pay My Rent In Fun?" and "Sorry, Brooklyn. Dancing Won't Solve Anything." One interviewer described the band as "ska for smart people." Jeff Rosenstock responded, "...you could call us ska music for smart people or indie rock for dumbasses at the same time. That's nice that somebody thinks we're smart." Bomb the Music Industry! has toured as a duo consisting of Rosenstock and Rick Johnson of Rick Johnson Rock And Roll Machine and Mustard Plug. Both carry vocal responsibilities while Rosenstock plays guitar and Johnson plays bass. Both play a variety of instruments as well, such as theremin, tub drum, and saxophone. Additionally, Rosenstock has been known to play keyboard with his feet. Often, this incarnation of the duo performs accompanied by an iPod wired into the venue's PA system that supplies all of the instruments that the duo themselves cannot perform live.
Bomb the Music Industry! has also toured as a duo consisting of Rosenstock and Matt Kurz of The Matt Kurz One. During this tour, Rosenstock fronted the band, playing guitar and saxophone. Kurz sang backup and played bass. As with the Rosenstock/Johnson combo, the rest of the instruments were played through an iPod. Fans were encouraged to join them onstage and play instruments.
In December, 2006, Bomb the Music Industry!, this time as just Rosenstock and Johnson, toured the United Kingdom as part of the Ska Is Dead tour with Mustard Plug and The Planet Smashers. On May 19, 2007, Bomb the Music Industry! headlined Skappleton 2007, the biggest ska fest in Wisconsin. Throughout June 2007, Bomb the Music Industry! embarked on what its website describes as the "Real Bands Tour?". On this tour, the band sidestepped their regular, thrown-together arrangements and opted to perform with a full rock ensemble, consisting not only of Rosenstock as frontman but also of two keyboard players, a bass player, an additional guitarist, and a drummer. The decision to play with this ensemble reflects upon the style of their 2007 album, "Get Warmer", which was recorded with a similar ensemble of live players as opposed to by mainly Rosenstock.
On October 4, 2008 the band entered the studio to record their next album titled "Scrambles", which was released February 15, 2009. The album "Others! Others!" Volume 1 was released on May 7th of 2009, an album of demos, unreleased songs, and bonus tracks. The album "
Adults!!!... Smart!!! Shithammered!!! And Excited By Nothing!!!!!!" was released in early 2010 via their website.
http://www.bombthemusicindustry.com/
http://www.myspace.com/bombthemusicindustry
The band went on an extended hiatus in 2013
25 Hour Goddamn Telethon
Bomb the Music Industry! Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You can still sleep 'till it's dark outside, you can still just hang around
You can still not make new friends, you can ignore the ones you have
You can always ostracize yourself and you can forget how to laugh
Problems are all I create
I live in four month mistakes
Or am I fucked this time, can we not go away?
Can we leave today and start the next mistake?
Or am I fucked this time, can we not?
Upon my last trip back there I remembered why I left
All their flakiness, my shakiness and the friends I never met
But I didn't feel relief, in fact I just felt more regret
With a higher wage and a Metrocard I could deal with loneliness
Problems are all I create
I live in four month mistakes
So can we leave today and start the next mistake?
Or am I fucked this time, can we not go away?
Can we leave today and start the next mistake?
Or am I fucked this time, can we not?
And in four months when it finally gets warmer
I'll have already planned more disorder
When I'm comfortable and feel like I'm in my place
I'll be on my mistake
Another boring story, another problem self imposed
Another boring story, another problem self imposed
Can we leave today and start the next mistake?
Or am I fucked this time, can we not go away?
Can we leave today and start the next mistake?
Or am I fucked this time, can we not go away?
Blah blah blah, problems self imposed
Blah blah blah, problems self imposed
The lyrics of "25 Hour Goddamn Telethon" by Bomb the Music Industry! explore the theme of self-sabotage through the lens of the singer's cyclical pattern of making mistakes every four months. The opening verse suggests that even though the singer may physically travel to new places, they are unable to escape their own negative habits and tendencies. The lines "you can always ostracize yourself and you can forget how to laugh" hint at a loneliness and isolation that the singer has created for themselves, possibly through their own self-destructive behavior.
The chorus repeats the idea that the singer is prone to making mistakes and moving on to the next one after four months. There is a sense of inevitability and resignation in lines like "problems are all I create" and the repeated question of whether they can leave today and start anew or if they are "fucked this time." The second verse adds another layer to the singer's struggles, as they revisit a place they left and realize that nothing has changed, and that they still feel a sense of regret and disconnection.
Overall, the lyrics of "25 Hour Goddamn Telethon" are a poignant reflection on the ways in which we can hold ourselves back and create obstacles for our own happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
No matter where you go to you can still sit on a couch
It doesn't matter where you are, you can still be stagnant and unproductive.
You can still sleep 'till it's dark outside, you can still just hang around
Even if there's sunlight outside, you can still choose to sleep in and not do anything productive.
You can still not make new friends, you can ignore the ones you have
It's possible to choose not to make new connections and to neglect the relationships you already have.
You can always ostracize yourself and you can forget how to laugh
One can isolate themselves and forget how to enjoy life.
Problems are all I create
The artist is responsible for creating their own issues in life.
I live in four month mistakes
The singer makes mistakes that last for a period of four months at a time.
So can we leave today and start the next mistake?
Is it possible to move on and create new problems for oneself to deal with?
Or am I fucked this time, can we not go away?
Is the artist stuck in their current predicament and unable to move forward?
Upon my last trip back there I remembered why I left
The artist recalls why they left their previous location and situation.
All their flakiness, my shakiness and the friends I never met
The people in the artist's past were unreliable, and the artist feels unstable and unconnected to their social circle.
But I didn't feel relief, in fact I just felt more regret
Going back to the past did not bring the singer any solace, but instead they experienced more disappointment and remorse.
With a higher wage and a Metrocard I could deal with loneliness
The artist feels like they could better handle their feelings of isolation and loneliness if they had financial stability and a means of transportation.
And in four months when it finally gets warmer
The singer is looking ahead to the future when it will be warmer in four months.
I'll have already planned more disorder
The singer anticipates causing more chaos in their life by that time.
When I'm comfortable and feel like I'm in my place
The singer is predicting they will feel settled and secure in their current situation.
I'll be on my mistake
The next mistake the artist makes will happen during this period of comfort and stability.
Another boring story, another problem self imposed
The artist acknowledges that they tend to create their own dull, uneventful situations and issues.
Can we leave today and start the next mistake?
The singer is still wondering if they can make a change and move on to creating new problems.
Or am I fucked this time, can we not go away?
The singer expresses doubt and concern that they might be stuck in their current situation.
Blah blah blah, problems self imposed
The artist is repeating that their problems are self-inflicted.
Contributed by Michael V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.