Against Me!

一組對音樂充滿執(zhí)著，包覆狂放急躁龐克之聲，宣泄些許美式新民謠之音，這次卻完全放棄Acoustic方式詮釋，推翻你對樂曲既定想像空間的樂團(tuán)Against Me!，不止僅有這些本事，他們可以把破壞性極強(qiáng)的金屬氣流混搭至瀕臨崩潰邊緣EMO領(lǐng)域，沖力加速度引爆最暢快之聆聽感受，見識到他們獨(dú)立時(shí)代的不妥協(xié)宣言。
 
團(tuán)中靈魂人物Tom Gabel，自17之齡便展開個人不插電演唱生涯，偶而會因場子需求，加入客席貝斯與鼓手。雖然Tom以Against Me!之名錄制DEMO帶，卻沒讓樂迷留下太多印象，只知道那是Tom Gabel的首張DEMO。直到2001年找來對音樂抱持相通理念的吉他手James Bowman、貝斯手Andrew Seward、鼓手Warren Oakes等三位，加入以Gabel主唱/吉他為首的Against Me!，這個團(tuán)名才真正受到重視。標(biāo)榜著無政府主義，高頻音量大聲唱著龐客樂種，經(jīng)過多支單曲試探，贏得許多樂迷愛戴。2002年推出第一張專輯 “Reinventing Axl Rose”，在龐克聲響中巧妙融入民謠、鄉(xiāng)村之音，獲得AMG四星半近滿分贊譽(yù)。陸續(xù)於2003和2005年發(fā)行 “As The Eternal Cowboy” 以及 “Searching For A Former Clarity”，逐步建立起Against Me!獨(dú)立界響亮名聲。
 
經(jīng)過多年奮戰(zhàn)終獲主流大廠賞識，拱出首張跨入國際舞臺之作 “New Wave”，找來曾制作過Nirvana、Smashing Pumpkins、Sonic Youth暢銷大碟，同是Garbage鼓手之重量級制作人Butch Vig操刀。開場同名單曲「New Wave」，吉他隆隆作響四處回蕩，加入Tom粗獷Power的嗓音詮釋，一股熱血沸騰的情緒油然而生；首支主攻「White People For Peace」，雖高聲唱著反戰(zhàn)之歌，卻憤怒表示這些抗議、這些難過的淚水，似乎無法引起政府的同情，更無法消弭因戰(zhàn)爭而引起的悲動印記；對于下一代提出值得深思嚴(yán)肅議題的「Thrash Unreal」，將以限量方式出版，許多樂迷已經(jīng)摩拳擦掌準(zhǔn)備搶購收藏；濃烈放克頻率圍繞之「Stop」以及爽快滲入EMO情緒的「Piss And Vinegar」，都是Against Me!極盡所能發(fā)揮高能量破壞力的表徵。
 
The roots of Against Me!'s rousing punk-folk sound lie in Tom Gabel's guitar-and-stool troubadourship around his native Gainesville, FL, beginning in 1997. The then 17-year-old Gabel performed as a solo act wherever anyone would have him, drawing much influence from early acoustic protest music. The band around him would eventually solidify by 2001 — including guitarist James Bowman, drummer Warren Oakes, and bassist Andrew Seward — and get considerably louder as punk bands often do. But there would always be some anarchism and Billy Bragg in the raucous braggadocio. After a few initial 12& and 7& releases, Against Me! issued the fan-favorite Reinventing Axl Rose through No Idea in 2002. The underground hit blended elements of punk, folk, and country into socially conscious and impassioned anthems for late-night basement shows and bars. Continuing their reputation of always being on the road, countless tour dates were played around the country. The slightly more polished As the Eternal Cowboy followed from Fat Wreck in 2003, and after a DVD (We're Never Going Home) and another 7&, the band returned with their most mature effort to date, 2005's Searching for a Former Clarity. A subsequent headlining tour in support of the introspective and politically aggressive album saw the band proudly hitting every U.S. state. They signed to Sire Records in December 2005 and were back on the road by spring 2006 opening for the Alkaline Trio. That summer found Against Me! on the main stage at Warped Tour, their first time on the festival. Though the guys were officially now on the roster at Sire, they released the live album Americans Abroad!!! Against Me!!! Live in London!!! on Fat Wreck in August 2006. Recorded while on tour in London with Murder by Death, it harnessed the band's notoriously invigorating live show as well as any album could. Finally, in July of the following year, the band's major-label debut, New Wave, a decidedly more rock-oriented record produced by Butch Vig, hit shelves.