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
No Rest for the Whiny
Bomb the Music Industry! Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We can try to change but we've still got our bills
That we gotta pay, and the payments stay the same
No matter where you move, no matter how cheap the rent
Stop screaming for a change, start screaming for a wage
And the irony of plastic is when it starts replacing cash
Soon enough you have no cash and it gets replaced with debt
All dimly lit pastels, they go white and then to yellow then to pink
It's like a fucking party to celebrate that you are fucked
Electric flow and dirty clothes and student loans
Oh god, you gotta pay 'em
Electric flow and dirty clothes and student loans
Oh god, you gotta pay 'em, gotta pay 'em, gotta pay 'em, gotta pay 'em, pay 'em
While you can't get a decent wage, I still can't find a job
Yeah, my life just repeats the 2005 series
Of rejected applications and me botching interviews
And waiting for phone calls from a temp agency that never calls at all
It's never easy but it's always
The electric flow and dirty clothes and student loans
Oh god, you gotta pay 'em
The electric flow and dirty clothes and student loans
Oh god, you gotta pay 'em
The attack, I'm feeling the attack, I'm feeling the attack
Of basic social skills I know I know I know I know I lack
I'm hyper cognizant of facts, I'm well aware that we are barely scraping by
My good intentions aren't enough to salvage that
Give me one, give me two, give me three four five
Give me more per hour so I can afford to pay for food and gas
And bags to throw away the trash
You gotta throw away the trash
It's hard to pay the bills when you can't work a forty hour week
It's hard to interview when I am too depressed to even speak
It's hard to have a blast when we spend all our spare time feeling weak
Because we're thinking about that
Electric flow and dirty clothes and student loans
Oh god, you gotta pay 'em
The electric flow and student loans and dirty clothes
Oh god, you gotta clean 'em
The attack, I'm feeling the attack, I'm feeling the attack
Of basic social skills I know I know I know I know I lack
I'm hyper cognizant of facts, I'm well aware that we are barely scraping by
My good intentions aren't enough to salvage that
Give me one, give me two, give me three four five
Give me more per hour so I can afford to pay for food and gas
And bags to throw away the trash
You gotta throw away
The song "No Rest for the Whiny" by Bomb the Music Industry! is a commentary on the struggles of young adults in the modern world, particularly the difficulty of making ends meet amidst rising living costs and limited opportunities for higher-paying jobs. The opening lines, "We got knocked off the horse and we can't get back up / We can try to change but we've still got our bills," set the tone for the rest of the song, which goes on to describe the cycle of debt, frustration, and dashed hopes that so many young people face. The irony of relying on credit cards and other forms of debt to make ends meet is also noted, as is the pressure to keep up with appearances even when financial difficulties are mounting.
Throughout the song, the lyrics alternate between the specific (student loan debt, job interviews gone awry, bills that seemingly can't be paid) and the general (the constant struggle to balance work, money, and happiness). The chorus, with its repeated refrain of "Electric flow and dirty clothes and student loans / Oh god, you gotta pay 'em," serves as a kind of mantra for the song's themes. The final lines, "Give me more per hour so I can afford to pay for food and gas / And bags to throw away the trash," offer a simple but powerful plea for greater economic fairness and stability.
Overall, "No Rest for the Whiny" is a pointed commentary on the challenges facing young adults today, and a call to action for greater economic justice and opportunity. By blending punk energy with incisive lyrics and a clear sense of purpose, Bomb the Music Industry! delivers a song that is both catchy and thought-provoking.
Line by Line Meaning
We got knocked off the horse and we can't get back up
We experienced a setback and we can't seem to recover from it.
We can try to change but we've still got our bills
We can attempt to alter our circumstances, but we still have financial obligations that must be met.
That we gotta pay, and the payments stay the same
We have to make payments on our debts, and the amount owed doesn't decrease.
No matter where you move, no matter how cheap the rent
Regardless of where we live or how much we save on rent, we still have financial burdens to bear.
Stop screaming for a change, start screaming for a wage
Instead of demanding a systemic change to the economy, we should advocate for fairer wages for ourselves.
And the irony of plastic is when it starts replacing cash
Using credit cards can be counterproductive in the long term, as it can ultimately lead to debt replacing savings.
Soon enough you have no cash and it gets replaced with debt
In time, cash reserves can be depleted and replaced by debt to meet financial obligations.
And all you're left with is past mistakes and the envelopes change color
All that remains is the regret of past financial missteps and seeing the colors on bills shift from pastels to brighter hues to indicate late or missed payments.
All dimly lit pastels, they go white and then to yellow then to pink
Initially, the envelopes are soft in tone, but as debts accumulate, they gradually become more alarming in color.
It's like a fucking party to celebrate that you are fucked
The feeling of being trapped by financial burden can feel like a cruel irony worthy only of mockery.
Electric flow and dirty clothes and student loans
We have electrical bills, laundry to do, and student loans to pay.
Oh god, you gotta pay 'em
We can't ignore our bills and must find a way to pay them.
While you can't get a decent wage, I still can't find a job
Even if we do manage to secure a job, fair wages can still elude us.
Yeah, my life just repeats the 2005 series
We feel trapped in a cycle of despair, much like the plot of an old TV show.
Of rejected applications and me botching interviews
We struggle to find work and often fail to impress during job interviews.
And waiting for phone calls from a temp agency that never calls at all
Even when we pursue temporary work, it can be hard to find any opportunities available.
It's hard to pay the bills when you can't work a forty hour week
When we are unable to work a full-time job, it can be difficult to meet financial obligations.
It's hard to interview when I am too depressed to even speak
Depression can make it difficult for us to perform well in job interviews or other social situations.
It's hard to have a blast when we spend all our spare time feeling weak
It can be challenging to enjoy ourselves when we are struggling with fatigue and other health issues.
Because we're thinking about that
Our financial struggles can consume our thoughts and make it challenging to focus on anything else.
The attack, I'm feeling the attack, I'm feeling the attack
We feel overwhelmed and attacked by our financial stresses.
Of basic social skills I know I know I know I know I lack
We feel inept at basic social interactions that could help us secure a job or connect with others who can help us financially.
I'm hyper cognizant of facts, I'm well aware that we are barely scraping by
We are acutely aware of our financial struggles and the fact that we are just barely getting by.
My good intentions aren't enough to salvage that
Despite our best efforts, good intentions alone cannot solve our financial problems.
Give me one, give me two, give me three four five
We need more money per hour in order to afford basic necessities like food and gas.
And bags to throw away the trash
Even garbage bags are an expense that we struggle to afford.
You gotta throw away the trash
Even though we struggle to afford garbage bags, we still need to find a way to dispose of our waste.
Contributed by Liam T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.