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Against Me Information
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'Against Me!' is a punk rock/acoustic punk band formed in Naples, Florida but then moved to Gainesville, Florida, whose career has spanned such categories as folk, anarcho-punk and more melodic and mainstream punk rock. Their first full-length album, released on No Idea Records, is Reinventing Axl Rose. They have released music on Plan It X Records, Sabot Productions, No Idea Records, and most recently, Fat Wreck Chords.
Tom Gabel started the band as a solo act with vocals and acoustic guitar, occasionally with backup from drummers or bassists. This period in the band was marked by playing shows in laundromats, emphasizing the folk-punk aspect of their work. A six song EP was released on Plan It X Records entitled "Crime, As Forgiven By."
After Crime, a 6 song self-titled Acoustic EP was released. It contains no electric guitar or drums; only acoustic guitar and bass guitar. It is one of the band's definitive releases.
Reinventing Axl Rose was the band's first full-length album. This album was a shift because of the addition of electric guitars, and a full band. There is a much more recognizable punk sound, but still a large acoustic punk influence, particularly in songs like the Irish-influenced "Pints of Guinness Make You Strong" and the tongue-in-cheek ballad "Baby, I'm an Anarchist!". The latter song, one of their most famous, takes jabs at those who they deem to be "spineless liberals," though ironically Against Me! would later join the Punk Voter campaign in 2004, a musical effort that was part of the "Anybody but Bush" movement to remove George W. Bush from office by voting for John Kerry.
After Axl Rose, a 3 song EP entitled The Disco Before The Breakdown was released. The title track was a marked departure from the earlier sound, incorporating friends and musicians from their label, No Idea Records, as a horns section. "Tonight We're Gonna Give it 35%" showed perhaps the band's greatest transition away from acoustic punk towards more rock and punk sounds. "Beginning in an Ending" is the only track harkening back to the band's earliest days.
Their second full length album, As The Eternal Cowboy was released on Fat Wreck Chords. Though many fans welcomed the opportunity of more exposure for the band, some older fans and those with anarchist sensibilities themselves were less pleased. Some even considered the band sell-outs, as the band had, according to them, gone against their former ideals, such as a DIY ethic and anti-capitalist standings. This became an issue of great dispute among fans. The album itself showed another move away from their acoustic punk roots towards a more rock sound. This subject becomes the topic of their next release "We're Never Going Home".
"We're Never Going Home" is a tour documentary, produced by Jake Burghart of Transition Video Magazine, which follows the band on a US tour where they were berated with million dollar deals by the major record labels. The anticipation for their next record sent record executives off to wine and dine the band with offers of fortune and fame. The video offers insight into how the band handled these offers and also gives a peek at what it's like to live life on the road with one of America's hardest working bands.
Their latest album Searching For A Former Clarity was released on September 6, 2005. It broke them into the mainstream, debuting at number 114 on the Billboard charts. The band released a music video for their first single, "Don't Lose Touch," specifically for Myspace. The video can now be seen on the television music station Fuse. The band's performance of "Don't Lose Touch" on Late Night With Conan O'Brien aired on September 30th, 2005.
Most recently, Against Me! has hit the most mainstream of airplay as their music video performance of "Don't Lose Touch" aired on the MTV 10 Spot on November 11th, 2005.
Current Band Members
* Thomas Gabel - guitar, vocals
* Andrew Seward - bass, back-up vocals
* James Bowman - guitar, back-up vocals
* Warren Oakes - drums, beard
Former Band Members
* Dustin Fridkin - bass
* Kevin Mahon - drums, percussion
Discography
Full Length Albums
* Reinventing Axl Rose - 2002
* As the Eternal Cowboy - 2003
* Searching for a Former Clarity - 2005
Other
* Against Me! (Demo tape) - 1997
* Vivada Vis - 1998
* Against Me! EP - 2000
* Crime As Forgiven By - 2001
* The Acoustic EP - 2001
* The Disco Before the Breakdown - 2002
* Cavalier Eternal - 2004
* We're Never Going Home (DVD) - 2004
* Sink, Florida, Sink/Unsubstantiated Rumors Are Good Enough For Me To Base My Life Upon - 2005
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