A BAND A DAY WITH NXNE: BAD RELIGION

LOWDOWN:
• Band members: Greg Graffin (vocals), Brett Gurewitz (guitar), Jay Bentley (bass), Greg Hetson (guitar) Brian Baker (guitar), Brooks Wackerman (drums)
• Biggest hit: ”21^st century (digital boy)” was their biggest single. Many fans hold their first album dearest  How could Hell be Any Worse?
• Must-listen, little-known hit: ”Do What You Want”
• Year formed: 1979
• Genre: punk
• Most notable achievement/fact: One of punk’s most influential and most enduring bands.

A BAND A DAY WITH NXNE: THE BLACK BELLES

LOWDOWN:

• Band members: Olivia Jean (vocals/guitar), Shelby Lynne (drums), Tina NoGood (keys), Ruby Rogers (bass)
• Biggest hit: The Colbert Bump gave them big exposure with Charlene II (I’m Over You)
• Must-listen, little-known hit: We’re big into the b-side “Lies” which sounds a whole lot like a much badder-ass Nancy Sinatra number.
• Year formed:  
2009
• Genre: Garage rock (assuming your garage is full of goth gear)
• Most notable achievement/fact: The Nashville band was quote-unquote “discovered” by Jack White. They’re signed to his label, Third Man Records.

A BAND A DAY WITH NXNE: EIGHT AND A HALF

The Basics:
• Members: David Hamelin (guitar/vocals); Liam O’Neil (synths); Justin Peroff (drums)
• Hits & Must-Listens: Their first album just dropped this month, so we’ll let you be the judge. That said, we like the singles and album cut Wait Up.
• Year Formed: 2011
• Genre: Synthy, popesque rock
• Of Note: Rose from the ashes of The Stills (Liam O’Neil and David Hamelin) and the…um, shards?…of Broken Social Scene (Justin Peroff)

A BAND A DAY WITH NXNE: EIGHT AND A HALF

THE NXNE 12:
• All the members’ tweet (perfect for all your stalking needs): David Hamelin (@FinalDavid), Justin Peroff (@juniorpande), Liam O’Neil (@liamoneil).
• There’s an awesome tumblr you can follow, too.
• Drummer Peroff, ex of Broken Social Scene, acts on the side. He appeared in Kate Hudson/Matthew Conaughey’s How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days as well as CBC teen drama Our Hero. 
• 90210 actress Jessica Stroup is the sexy star of the video for “Go Ego.”
• Eight and a Half was self-produced and mixed by Metric producer John O’Mahony.
• Montreal native David Hamelin has called the fair city of Toronto the “Capital of Uncool”, (crycrycry), but opts to live there anyway. Which makes us cooler, so all good.
• Are you a film buff who caught that the name was cribbed from Federico Fellini’s epic flick 8 1/2?
• Eight and a Half played their eighth-ever show at SXSW. Apparently it wasn’t half bad.
• The first happened earlier this year at the Drake. Pictures here.
• Hamelin and O’Neil first met at school. Their first band played ska with O’Neil on saxophone.
• Justin Peroff also DJs under the name Juicetan and does party promotion.
• They play tonight (April 27th, 2012) at Bookie’s Big Blast at Sound Academy, alongside NXNE alumni Young Empires and Dinosaur Bones.

… Don’t fret if you can’t weasel into the show tonight – they play NXNE 2012 this June. Head to http://nxne.com/2012/eight-and-a-half/ for more.

A BAND A DAY WITH NXNE: BAD RELIGION

12 FACTS:

• Guitarist Brett Gurewitz started their label to serve as “just a logo and a P.O. Box” to sell Bad Religion records. The label? Epitaph records – maybe you’ve heard of it?

• Bad Religion’s first ‘real’ gig was opening for Social Distortion. Social DEEEEEE!!!

• The cross-out cross logo is known as the “crossbuster.” The band claims the logo is anti-establishment rather than anti-religion. Badestablishment just doesn’t roll off the tongue as nicely, does it.

• Their first music video, “Atomic Garden” was directed by Pirates of the Caribbean director Gore Verbinski.

• Vocalist Greg Graffin holds a Ph.D. and teaches life sciences and paleontology at UCLA.

• Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder was a guest singer on 1993’s “Recipe for Hate.”

• They’ve released over 15 studio albums in their 33-year career.

• Bad Religion’s first full length How Could Hell Be Any Worse? was bankrolled by a $1,000 loan from Gurewitz’s father and went to sell 10,000 copies in under a year.

• They’ve had somewhat of a revolving door, going through 14 members. Only Graffin has been around for the entire time. 2010’s The Dissent of Man marks the first time since 1979 that Bad Religion’s lineup had not changed in four consecutive studio recordings.

• Drummer Brooks Wackerman’s older brother Chad was once a member of Frank Zappa’s band. Brooks played for Tenacious D on their 2006-2007 tour.

• Guitarist Greg Hetson was a founding member of American hardcore band Circle Jerks. 

• Guitarist Brian Baker was a founding member of hugely influential hardcore band and straight-edge pioneers Minor Threat.

Bad Religion plays NXNE 2012 on Thursday, June 14, 2012, in a free, open-air, all ages show at Yonge-Dundas Square alongside Good Riddance and No Use for a Name. Head to nxne.com/badreligion for more good stuff.

Website: http://www.badreligion.com