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
Bike Test 1 2 3
Bomb the Music Industry! Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can feel it in my forehead and while that always fails
My lungs are getting clearer
I can see trucks racing by on the roof above my trail
Cops are waiting to ticket
Anyone with out-of-state plates, I'm not missing anything
Swore off all prescribed medication
I sit at a bench at a compost heap
And I'm about to pedal up a sixty-degree slope
At the top of a hill at a very, very rapid speed
There's one, only one, only one, only one place left to go
At the top of a hill at a very, very rapid speed
There's one, only one, only one, only one place left to go
At the top of a hill at very high speed
There's nowhere to go but down
At the top of a hill at very high speed
There's nowhere to go but down
At the top of a hill at very high speed
There's nowhere to go but down
And it gets easier
As I ascend my bike uphill on foot
'Cause last time I kicked it into first
I broke a gear by going too hard
And it gets easier
As I pass the Edward Scissorhands village
Where privileged white kids date-rape girls
And taunt me in their SUVs
And it gets easier
As I see the double vans in our driveways
I'm glistening now but I know someday
I won't even break a sweat
And it gets easier, and it gets easier
As time goes things can only get better
And it gets easier, and it gets easier
As time goes things can only get better
And it gets easier, and it gets easier
As time goes things can only get better
And it gets easier, and it gets easier
As time goes things can only get better
R-I-D-E, I wanna
R-I-D-E, I wanna
R-I-D-E, I wanna ride
"Bike Test 1 2 3" by Bomb the Music Industry! is a song about biking through different terrains and how it becomes easier as time goes on. The lyrics describe the physical exertion of biking and the hurdles that come with it such as cops ticketing people with out-of-state plates, riding through nowhere to a hot water fountain, and encountering SUVs with privileged white kids who taunt the singer. Despite these challenges, the song emphasizes the sense of liberation and freedom that comes with biking and the fact that things will only get easier as time goes on.
The lyrics also suggest a sense of growth and personal empowerment that comes with biking. The repetition of "And it gets easier, and it gets easier, as time goes things can only get better" reinforces this idea of personal growth and development. The line "I swore off all prescribed medication" indicates a desire to take control of one's health and well-being, while the line "I'm about to pedal up a sixty-degree slope" suggests a willingness to take on challenges and push oneself to the limit.
Line by Line Meaning
Full speed along the North Oconee River
I'm riding my bike as fast as I can by the river
I can feel it in my forehead and while that always fails
My head is starting to hurt, but I'm not giving up
My lungs are getting clearer
I can feel my breathing improving
I can see trucks racing by on the roof above my trail
There are big trucks passing by on the highway overhead
Cops are waiting to ticket
The police are looking out for people with out-of-state license plates
Anyone with out-of-state plates, I'm not missing anything
I'm not worried, because I'm riding my bike
Swore off all prescribed medication
I stopped taking any medicine
And rode two miles through nowhere to a water fountain spitting out hot water
I biked to a remote place outside of town where there's a hot water fountain
I sit at a bench at a compost heap
I stopped at a bench near a pile of compost
And I'm about to pedal up a sixty-degree slope
I'm getting ready to ride up a very steep hill
At the top of a hill at a very, very rapid speed
When I reach the summit, I'll be going super fast
There's one, only one, only one, only one place left to go
Once I reach the top, there's only one direction to go: down
At the top of a hill at very high speed
I'll be going very fast when I reach the peak
There's nowhere to go but down
The only way to go from here is down the hill
And it gets easier
It's starting to feel less difficult
As I ascend my bike uphill on foot
I'm walking my bike up the steep part of the hill
'Cause last time I kicked it into first
Because the last time I tried to ride up this hill in first gear
I broke a gear by going too hard
I messed up my bike by pushing too hard
As I pass the Edward Scissorhands village
I'm going by a place where people look like the characters from the movie 'Edward Scissorhands'
Where privileged white kids date-rape girls
It seems like some people here are doing terrible things
And taunt me in their SUVs
They're also making fun of me for riding my bike
As I see the double vans in our driveways
I'm noticing that some people have two vans parked in their driveway
I'm glistening now but I know someday
I'm sweating, but I hope that someday I won't have to work so hard to ride my bike
I won't even break a sweat
It won't be hard for me anymore
As time goes things can only get better
I'm hopeful that things will improve over time
R-I-D-E, I wanna
I really want to ride my bike
R-I-D-E, I wanna
I'm excited to keep riding
R-I-D-E, I wanna ride
I want to keep going on my bike ride
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Jeffrey Ernest Rosenstock
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sweakerthan
Love the structure of this song. So good
@astrobstrd
I just KILLED IT on the mandolin.
@BurnsyRuns
Super relatable. I feel the same way about skatboarding
@mattrodas6588
Love it!!
@BongieThaYungN
This is cool!
@DanMForMichigan
Full speed along the North Oconee River.
I can feel it in my forehead and while that always fails, my lungs are getting clearer.
I see trucks racing by on the roof above my trail,
cops are waiting to ticket anyone with out-of-state plates.
I'm not missing anything.
Swore off all prescribed medication and rode two miles
through nowhere to a water fountain spitting out hot water.
I sit at a bench at a compost heap and I'm about to pedal up a sixty degree slope.
At the top of a hill at a very rapid speed there's only one place to go.
At the top of a hill at a very high speed there's nowhere to go but down.
And it gets easier as I ascend my bike uphill on foot
'cause last time I kicked it into first I broke a gear by going too hard.
And it gets easier as I pass the Edward Scissorhands village
where privileged white kids date rape girls and taunt me in their SUV's.
And it gets easier as I see the double vans in our driveways,
I'm glistening but I know that some day I won't even break a sweat.
And it gets easier, as time goes things can only get better.
R-I-D-E. I wanna ride.