“For the introduction of a new music must be shunned as imperiling
the whole state, since styles of music are never disturbed without
affecting the most important political institutions.” -Plato

...And of course punk rock was no different, but for some it was just
an honest fluid emotion climaxing from the first note to the less than
60 second conclusion, and I am sure that still holds much truth over
25 years after the media -labeled “punk” music broke onto the scene...
but almost 30 years later, it’s the year 2001... “how long can it maintain?”
I ask. With the beginning of President Reagan’s Administration the
musical underground was saturated with bands from The Ramones,
Blondie, and The Dead Boys to Social Distortion, Circle Jerks, and X.
As these early years moved along, we saw surge in bands such as
Bad Brains, Descendents, Minor Threat, and Cro-Mags who all took
the sound and made it specifically their own. With the ending of
Reagan’s 8 year term, most of those bands seemed to coincidingly
fade away with an unsuspecting cavalry not far behind... what I call
the “second wave of american punk music.” It is here we find The
Bouncing Souls high upon its unfaltering crest... The Bouncing Souls,
as a band, were born in 1989 in New Jersey where they made New
Brunswick their home for 5 years. Here we could see them throwing
parties regularly and accenting the events with an outdoor collection
of local bands, including themselves. They immediately drew a faithful
regular crowd that would follow them to local pub gigs or other New
Jersey venues. Things continued in this fashion for sometime until
they began throwing caution to the wind by writing music and lyrics
which were spontaneous, whereas before they seemingly over analyzed
by viewing their songs from all too numerous points of view, and by
allowing such a revision, were able to present a more honest and
non-contrived piece of music which sparked a drastic change in their
entire attitude and how they approached not only song writing, but by
negating their ego, they were able to let forth a unfiltered being which
saturated every aspect of their lives. Fueled by such a new found
freedom, they began a rapid succession of musical collaboration and
produced their first collection of songs that represented such. Their
first full length cd entitled The Good, The Bad, and The Argyle was
self released on their own label Chunksaah, so named after a friend
Tim Chunks who had simply lent them cash for its production. Shortly
after its release, they embarked on their first transcontinental tour
playing some good shows, some bad
(as any first tour is always
unpredictable), but never once was there any question about their
focus and determination to continue writing and touring which they did
as often as any opportunity knocked. They quickly delved into the
touring circuit aided by their still ever-present booking agent Margie,
with their off time finding them rehearsing the old songs while pumping
out new and fresh material. After their 5 year residency, New Brunswick
seemed to lack the flavor it once had for the band. Some minor
discussion and planning was had to solve this dilemma and when the
dust settled, they chose to make the metropolitan area north of them
their new found base with Hoboken and New York City their new home.
It was during this time that they received a phone call from BYO records
in Los Angeles telling them that BYO was interested in signing them to
a two record deal which included The Good, The Bad, and The Argyle.
The band, already familiar with the label, agreed to a deal and while
touring, completed their second album, Maniacal Laughter. The year is
now 1996 and with only one member having a stable rent paid home,
they began a more than long touring stint which encompassed most of
the year. They toured and opened for such bands as The Mighty Mighty
Bosstones, NOFX, and the Descendents while headlining their own tours
whenever possible. Having recognized some of the luck in their lives as
well as being ensconced by everything they love and enjoy, they brought
to the stage an undisputedly passionate playing which not only engulfed
the audience, but earned the respect of the elder headlining bands as
well. It became so evident that The Bouncing Souls knew where they
were headed, that more and more attention was brought to them. One
such man to notice was Brett Gerwitz, founder of Epitaph Records. Late
in 1996, the band was approached by Epitaph and asked if they were
interested in signing a three record deal with them. The band deliberated
on it for some time until they flew out to Los Angeles to witness what
occurred in the offices and see how the label was run and it was shortly
after this visit that they agreed this was the perfect label they needed.
Little changed in their approach to their music. As a matter of fact,
nothing at all changed other than their hope that perhaps more people
would hear their music through wider distribution, but left that to the
record label and held up their part by touring incessantly and writing
new songs which found their place on their first Epitaph self titled
release in 1997. The progress continued with various gigs from numerous
headlining tours to The Warped Tour festival and Epitaph’s own
Punkorama tour. They found their older songs upholding the test of time,
becoming punk classics while their newer songs received a pleasantly
warm welcome. The fan base began to grow and spread with new faces
taking the crowd while the old faces remained adamantly in tact and
ever present showing the consistency of both audience and band... and
the touring continued... while at home they both individually and as a
group began to spend more and more time in New York City. As a result,
they made the city their official home base for practice, meetings, and
residential living. It was here during a temporary lull in traveling, they
wrote their fourth full length cd, Hopeless Romantic in 1999. After touring
to follow up its release, The Bouncing Souls found themselves at the end
of the year undergoing something they never experienced before...
serious inner turmoil. By the beginning of the year 2000, they found
themselves short one drummer, but quickly recovered within a month’s
time as they found what
(or more appropriately who) was the perfect
solution to such a dire problem. This was their first ever line up change
since their incarnation, but with their renewed vigor, they crammed
practice after practice, and took themselves back out on the road in the
United States, Europe, and Australia before confidently settling into the
summer months to write their next album and most recent. Upon its
completion in early September, it was appropriately entitled How I
Spent My Summer Vacation. The band themselves describe it quite
accurately as “simply the best album we’ve ever written,” and by the
crowd response in Europe while opening for Greenday recently, it may
very well be. Currently The Bouncing Souls await yet another tour with
Greenday in Japan come March 2001 before the official May 8th release
of the new album. Dedicated as few bands have been to a life of music,
The Bouncing Souls have always been concerned with the basic
questions to which living opens itself... questions about love, about
sorrow, about fate, and about personal freedom. Although some of
these questions may still remain unanswered for the band, there never
has there been a more honest and melodic presentation in their music
than How I Spent My Summer Vacation... And even though The
Bouncing Souls’ music has
not “imperiled the whole state” as Plato’s quote on new music expresses,
they have accomplished something more severe. They have affected the
more drastic self-induced institutions... emotions such as fear and self-
doubt... negative emotions which kick against the flame of a good man or
woman. They have enabled people to recognize their flaws on one hand
while reaching forth with the other to amend such. They have and continue
to display to their fans
(and others) where the process of individual thought
can take a person. What the future holds for any of us is always uncertain
and the same holds true for the band, but if the “second wave of punk rock”
finally breaks, I can’t help but to believe they will simply ignore the forever
fickle trends of the masses, roll back, re-converge, and march forth in
the purest of musical form...

- ROB SANTELLO

The Bouncing Souls are...
Greg Attonito: Lead Vocals
The Pete Steinkopf: Guitar and Vocals
Bryan “Papillon” Kienlen: Bass and Vocals
Michael McDermott: Drums