The band started out in 1995, amid other popular southern California ska-influenced acts such as Reel Big Fish and No Doubt. Of the original line-up, only singer/songwriter Matt Embree and drummer Chris Tsagakis remain. Their first two releases were recorded with bassist James Salomone and trombonist Rich Balling. Upon signing to Drive-Thru Records, the band released the album Halfway Between Here and There, a straightforward third-wave ska effort, though lyrics in songs such as "Gun In Your Hand" hinted towards the political leanings which would be evident in their subsequent releases.
They are notable for their strong political views, which they share with fans through periodic website posts.
Their live shows are known for being highly energetic, with improvisational jams in between songs. They perform extended versions of many numbers; they fall somewhat short of being a full fledged "jam band," however it is fair to say that they exhibit musicianship live that is not captured by their recordings.
With 2001's Progress, the band took a huge step forward musically. The incarnation of the band which recorded the album consisted of Embree, Tsagaskis, Balling, Salomone, and current trombonist Chris Sheets. Steve Choi played keyboards on the album, but was not credited as a full member of the band, although he often joined the band on stage. With this album, the band moved beyond playing pure ska. Progress involved elements of punk, reggae, and hardcore punk. Indeed, the band itself notes influences ranging from Fugazi and Bad Brains, to Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and Toots and the Maytals. The album spawned their only music video, for the song "Analog Boy".
Some time after the release of Progress, Steve Choi was made a full time member of the band, however both Rich Balling and James Salomone left the band. They gained saxophonist Steve Borth, who had played formerly in the popular East Bay ska-punk band Link 80. Bassist Joe Troy, a longtime friend of Embree, joined the band as well to complete their current line-up.
In 2003, they released The Resignation, a CD/DVD release. The album was recorded live, with the exception of vocals and some overdubs. Embree also shared songwriting duties with Steve Choi, whereas he had previously been responsible for all of the band's material. Also of note is the album cover, which was originally a painting by Aaron Nagel, a Bay Area artist and member of both Link 80 and DESA. Musically, the album continued the genre mixing of Progress and experimented with unconventional time signatures. It again featured overtly political lyrics, evident most obviously in songs such as "Overcome (The Recapitulation)," and "Mastering the List".
Since the release of The Resignation, several members have found time for side projects.
In July 2006 band member Steve Borth left the band to pursue his side project turned main focus, Satori. Embree is involved with his own independent label, MDB Records, as well as his own solo project Love You Moon also contributing to the hip hop group Seekret Socyetee, Coke vs. Bills with Joe Troy, Pebaluna with Lauren Coleman, and Apotheke with members of the Rx Bandits. Steve Choi plays drums in Machines and has collaborated with Asian Man Records founder Mike Park in both The Chinkees and The Bruce Lee Band. Embree and Tsagakis are two of the core members in The Sound Of Animals Fighting. Tsagaskis is the creative force behind his ambient, electronic project called Technology.
On October 10th, 2006 they released the follow-up to The Resignation entitled "...And The Battle Begun"
through Sargent House / MDB Records. ...ATBB continued to show the changes that the Bandits were making to their sound, adding more elements of progressive rock and funk grooves. Sprawling compositions and virtuoso playing from all the members of the band won the band many new fans, and gained a spot on the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival.
On July 14th, 2009, they released their latest album, Mandala. The band showed tremendous musical growth since their early 3rd wave ska roots, and Mandala was a true musical force to be reckoned with. Prodigious drumming from Chirs Tsagakis and solid bass grooves from Joe Troy formed the backbone, while Steve Choi and Matt Embree dueled with noodley guitars and emphatic vocals from Embree. The Bandits had reached a progressive peak, showing that progressive instrumentation could still have soul and feeling, and that a few songs could change a room's demeanor.
In 2011, the band announced that their summer tour would be their last tour. Despite this, on May 6th, 2013 they announced that they will be embarking on a 10-year anniversary tour for Resignation, and will also be releasing an EP this summer.
Rx Bandits toured the United States during the summer of 2013 to mark the tenth anniversary of the release of The Resignation. The band released an EP featuring covers of The Police, Blonde Redhead, Weezer, Fugazi, and King Crimson.
"Gemini, Her Majesty", the bands 7th studio album was released on July 22nd 2014 via (Mash Down Babylon/INgrooves). Produced by Jason Cupp (Maps & Atlases, Birthmark) and recorded at Prairie Sun Recording Studios in Sonoma County, CA, Gemini, Her Majesty is the follow-up to 2009's critically acclaimed release, Mandala.
"In the past, our aim was to bridge the gap between our recorded music and our live performance," says vocalist/guitarist Matt Embree. "But this time around we really didn't ever consider that. We almost willingly ignored it. It was really nice to make a record that we didn't apply live performance constraints to. That said, now we're going to have the hefty task of figuring out how we want to arrange and play these new songs live. We love the challenge."
Over the course of the past 19 years (yes, 2015 will be their 20-year anniversary), RX Bandits have managed to stay light years ahead of the pack by taking a genre-blurring approach to songwriting. Their adventurous style of play gives them a unique sense of flexibility, one that allows them to seamlessly fit anywhere and everywhere, from the main stage at Bonnaroo and Coachella to Bamboozle and Reading. Their songs have been featured in video games (Guitar Hero, Rock Band), used as the backdrop for ESPN's X Games and continues to be religion for their legion of diehard fans around the world.
In support of "Gemini, Her Majesty" RX took to the road in the summer of 2014 with support from The Dear Hunter and From Indian Lakes. RX Bandits are looking to a stacked 2015 Spring touring schedule with plans to attend the 311 Caribbean Cruise with 311, Pepper and The Dirty Heads, a West coast run in March and a East coast run in early April. The band is also looking forward to touring the UK with Circa Survive in May 2015.
Prophetic
RX Bandits Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Courtesy of everything
That you could ever want to hide
Our veins are dry
Sometimes the truth cuts deeper
Than the sharpest knife
Looking is an awkward feeling
Anything to stop the burning
We've been running all around
We just survive
Too busy occupied with dying to
Stop and consider life
So many pretty pretty pictures
On the walls an on our fingertips
Let's sew the borders round it
Losing is an awkward feeling
When your bleeded down
Ain't no way to stop the burning
We've been running all around ourselves
And it's the choices that we choose
In our everyday abuse
Just a short solution to a long term problem
I stabbed myself just for the scar
To see if I could feel something
And it's the choices that we choose
'Cause we're all prophetic fools
Just a short solution to a long term problem
I need
Just one more thing
To be completely blinded
Shoot it up, shoot it in,
Buried it under all this callous skin
Losing is an awkward feeling
When your bleeded down
Ain't no way to stop the burning
We've been running all around ourselves
And it's the choices that we choose
In our everyday abuse
Just a short solution
To a long term problem everyone
Innocence is way overrated now
Choking this sober feeling down
I guess you've come over me
So define lonely
The lyrics of "Prophetic" by the RX Bandits speak to the struggle of finding meaning and purpose in life when it seems like everything is going wrong. The opening lines about bleeding eyes are a metaphor for the sense of overwhelm that comes from being bombarded with all the negative aspects of life and feeling like there's nowhere to hide. The idea of dry veins suggests a sense of exhaustion or depletion, as if the truth has drained the life out of the singer.
The chorus of the song captures a sense of hopelessness and inertia, with the repeated phrase "We just survive / Too busy occupied with dying to / Stop and consider life." The second verse adds the idea of pretty pictures and the need to sew borders around them, which could be interpreted as an attempt to control or contain the chaos of reality. The line "I stabbed myself just for the scar / To see if I could feel something" speaks to the desperation and self-destructiveness that can result from feeling numb or disconnected.
The final verse ties together the themes of choice and consequences, acknowledging that the singer is aware of their own destructive behavior but is struggling to find a way out of it. The lines "Innocence is way overrated now / Choking this sober feeling down / I guess you've come over me / So define lonely" suggest a sense of resignation and acceptance of the pain that comes with being alive.
Line by Line Meaning
Our Eyes are bleeding
We have seen and experienced a lot and it has taken a terrible toll on us
Courtesy of everything That you could ever want to hide
All the secrets and pain we have kept bottled up are causing us to suffer
Our veins are dry
We have no more strength left to endure the hardships that come our way
Sometimes the truth cuts deeper Than the sharpest knife
Hearing and facing the harsh reality of our existence hurts more than any physical pain
Looking is an awkward feeling When you're beaten down
Examining our past and present circumstances is difficult and uncomfortable when we have been worn out by life's challenges
Anything to stop the burning We've been running all around
We are desperate to find a way to ease our emotional turmoil and have been searching tirelessly for solutions
We just survive Too busy occupied with dying to Stop and consider life
We are barely getting by and are too consumed with our pain to pause and reflect on the value and purpose of our existence
So many pretty pretty pictures On the walls an on our fingertips Let's sew the borders round it
We have constructed a false reality through superficial possessions and temporary pleasures in order to feel better about our lives
Losing is an awkward feeling When your bleeded down Ain't no way to stop the burning We've been running all around ourselves
Failing when we are already down is a painful and difficult experience, and we are struggling to find a way to put out the flames of our own suffering
And it's the choices that we choose In our everyday abuse Just a short solution to a long term problem
The unhealthy coping mechanisms we use to deal with our pain are only temporary fixes that ultimately do more harm than good
I stabbed myself just for the scar To see if I could feel something
We have reached a point of desperation where we are willing to inflict physical pain on ourselves just to feel anything at all
'Cause we're all prophetic fools
We are all capable of seeing the future consequences of our actions, but we choose to ignore them and act foolishly anyway
I need Just one more thing To be completely blinded Shoot it up, shoot it in, Buried it under all this callous skin
We crave one more thing to numb our pain and would even go so far as to bury it deep within us to avoid facing our problems
Innocence is way overrated now Choking this sober feeling down I guess you've come over me So define lonely
We have lost our innocence and are now suffocating under the weight of our sobriety, and we are struggling to come to terms with our feelings of loneliness
Just a short solution To a long term problem everyone
We are all seeking quick fixes to our deep-rooted issues, but we need to face our problems head-on if we want to find lasting solutions
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Christopher Tyler Tsagakis, Matthew Dean Embree, Steve Choi
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind