The band retained the rights to their self-titled debut album which was released through licensing deals in several territories via their newly formed label, White Drugs. It was around this release that they quickly garnered a rabid following in many parts of the world - namely the United States, UK/Europe and Australia - as the result of heavy touring, intense live shows and their unusual blend of 1980's punk and modern day rock music.
The Bronx's style is influenced by bands from the 1980s Californian punk scene, such as Black Flag, Fear and Suicidal Tendencies - with subtle DC influences such as Bad Brains and Fugazi. This is blended with more traditional big rock guitar riffs and a hardcore style of drumming to further intensify the band's unique style.
To date, the band has released one full self-titled album (2003) as well as the limited edition "Bats!" (Tarantulas) and "La Muerte Viva!" (Wichita & Shock) EP's. A live DVD, titled "Live At The Annandale" was recorded at the Annandale Hotel in Sydney, Australia and released by, White Drugs.
Their second (again, self-titled) full-length album was released on July 18th, 2006 by Island Records - with a special vinyl edition of the album released on July 4th, 2006 by Swami Records - San Diego indie-label belonging to John Reis (Rocket From The Crypt).
In August 2006, former The Dragons guitarist Ken Horne became an official member of the band.
The bands most recent release (2008) was again self titled, and released on White Drugs. In 2009, the band, under the deceptive pseudonym Mariachi El Bronx, released an album entitled "El Bronx". It featured all band members playing mariachi music.
Bats!
The Bronx Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The Bronx's song Bats! is about addiction, specifically the way that addiction and the pursuit of pleasure can both mask deeper pain and eventually lead to self-destruction. The lyrics are a mix of observations about addiction and the singer's own experiences with it. The verse "She liked my drugs I liked her hair" sets the tone for the song, emphasizing how addiction can start as a simple attraction to someone or something but quickly spiral out of control. The chorus's repetition of "skies are falling so you paint your pictures well" takes on a different meaning each time it's repeated. At first, it seems to suggest that the world is ending and that all the singer can do is create art or find some kind of solace in their addiction. Later in the song, however, it becomes clear that the "pictures" being "painted" are simply a way of distracting oneself from the pain and chaos in their life. The singer acknowledges that their habits are self-destructive ("an overdose bleeding out your nose") but is unable or unwilling to stop.
The lines "you scream poem into my ear so insincere, cut off my ears" encapsulate the song's contradictions perfectly. The singer is both attracted to and sickened by the people and things that enable their addiction. They recognize the insincerity of the people they're involved with but are unable to walk away. The final repetition of "bats!" suggests a final breaking point, where the singer acknowledges that their addiction has turned them into something monstrous.
Line by Line Meaning
She liked my drugs i liked her hair
I was with a woman who liked the drugs I had and I liked the way her hair looked
she's like a god cuz she don't care
She had an air of superiority because she didn't care about anything
she had to watch her little brother die what a great disguise
She had experienced a great loss but kept it hidden behind a facade
skies are falling so you paint your picture well you can paint one thousand because it makes no difference
The world is crumbling around us but we still try to create something beautiful even if it ultimately has no impact
vicariously we crave disease
We have a strange desire to experience negative things through others
i don't love you you wish i did
The person I was with wanted my love but I didn't feel the same way
an overdose bleeding out your nose my heart is lost
I am lost and confused after witnessing someone close to me overdose
baptized in my hate bats!
My anger consumes me
the way you make me chase belief
You make me question everything I thought I knew
you scream poem into my ear so insincere cut off my ears
You try to convince me of something with false sincerity to the point where I would rather not even hear it
skies are falling so you paint your pictures you can paint one thousand it makes no difference
Once again, in the face of chaos, we try to create something that ultimately won't have any impact
Contributed by Ryan L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@alexflippo2272
Saw them with the distillers must have been in '03 or '04 I remember they were selling these on vinyl wish I had bought one.