The Skinny: Special Report – Sonisphere Festival’s Five MUST-Know Bands!

what’s The Skinny? here’s the deal. There are SO many sick bands out there that just don’t get enough love. Well, with The Skinny, that’s all going to change. We have taken it upon ourselves to get together and bust out a list once a month where we tell you about a handful of sick-ass bands that we feel NEED to be heard. Signed or unsigned, new or old, these are just bands that deserve some additional attention. We challenge you to take the time to check each one out; they are amazing, they are loved, and now they have been Skinned. This month we’re continuing our Sonisphere Festival coverage and Skinning a handful of our favourite bands featured on the smaller stages. Be sure to check out this rad acts!

01. Zebrahead (Punk, Pop Punk, Rap) [ skinned by: Joey Slater ]
the skinny: Californian punk-rock-rappers Zebrahead have been on the scene so long compared to other bands around right now it’s difficult to understand why they aren’t more popular. After forming in 1996, they’ve released undeviatingly catchy, upbeat songs spanning seven studio albums. Their songs have been widely used in movies and videogames, and “With Legs Like That” is used as the entrance music for WWE wrestler Maria. In the first half of 2009 the band wrapped up recording their eighth album, a collection of covers which is set to be entitled Panty Raid. While Zebrahead are unlikely to ever climb to global recognition or shake up any moral or political issues within their songs, they’re great at what they do and if you’re into punky, poppy sounds then they’re worth checking out based on staying power and consistency alone.
links: MySpace | Home | Last.FM

02. Airbourne (Hard Rock, Rock, Classic Rock) [ skinned by: Joey Slater ]
the skinny: Sometimes, no matter what madness is going on in your life, you just need a good dose of rock and roll to make everything seem a whole lot better. And that, friends, is why Airbourne are the best thing Australia have given the world since Skippy the Bush Kangaroo. Also a regular in the video games music business, their tracks have been featured in Madden NFL games, Burnout Paradise and Rock Band. Their debut album Runnin’ Wild was nominated for a host of rock music awards and they also went on to win “Best New Band” in Classic Rock Magazine’s Roll of Honour Awards. This is all highly promising for a band whose average age is only about 21. They’ve got the look, they’ve got the sound, they’ve pretty much got it all. You should expect to see more from these guys.
links: MySpace | Home | Last.FM

03. Twin Atlantic (Alternative, Rock, Powerpop) [ skinned by: Joey Slater ]
the skinny: What would you think of if I said “Scotland”? …Men in kilts? Bad weather? Twin Atlantic? That’s right, Twin Atlantic. You should probably remember that name, because these guys are gathering more and more steam with everything they do. And rightly so, because they’re really quite good. For a long time, punk rock bands tried desperately to sound American, but recently more have been sticking to their roots and singing lyrics in their natural accent. Twin Atlantic are in the latter category, as Sam McTrusty’s highland vowels roll delightfully around in the songs surrounded by solid rhythms and more soaring twangy guitars than you could shake a caber at. After a UK tour supporting Taking Back Sunday and a performance at the Sonisphere Festival, their forthcoming album Vivarium is set to be released on September 14th, 2009. With their own fresh sound, Twin Atlantic look set to move on to only bigger and better things.
links: MySpace | Home | Last.FM

04. Thunder (Rock, Classic Rock, Metal) [ skinned by: Joey Slater ]
the skinny: No matter what new and great music modern bands come up with, there’s always going to be something joyful in listening to old school classic rock. Once hailing themselves as “the biggest band you’ve never heard of”, English rock ‘n’ roll metallers Thunder might not have been far wrong. Since forming in 1989, Thunder have released nine studio albums, seven live albums, a bunch of EPs, toured extensively, played on the Monsters of Rock tour along with classic rock giants Deep Purple and Alice Cooper… the list goes on. Thunder have done it all. In pale comparison to many of their peers, Thunder have achieved much less commercial success, though have still managed to retain the title of one of the best live acts of all time. The first ever UK Sonisphere Festival set the final farewell for Thunder as they played their last ever show. So even if you’ve never heard of them before, please take a moment in reverence and spare a thought for one of the forefathers of rock, and not just these guys but all the long-established rockers of yore, for without them the modern rock scene might not be as awesome as it is today. To Thunder, and all the classic metallers of olde – we salute you.
links: MySpace | Home | Last.FM

05. Fucked Up (Hardcore, Punk) [ skinned by: Joey Slater ]
the skinny: Just when you thought hardcore music couldn’t get any more, well, hardcore, Fucked Up went and called themselves, well, that. Living up to the hype, Fucked Up have openly discussed their views on politics and fascism, and use imagery pertaining to socialism, religious mysticism and Nazism, and yet somehow weirdly combine it all with music that’s surprisingly melodic and not at all violent sounding, which is really quite clever. The band are known for their energetic live shows, and caused controversy after two performances on MTV Live during which they caused considerable damage to the set and encouraged the TV audience to mosh. (But come on, MTV, what were you expecting?) Since forming in 2002, Fucked Up have released numerous albums, LPs and compilations, and are purportedly working on a musical titled “David Comes to Life”. There aren’t too many bands around right now like Fucked Up. They’re a little like Against Me!, Alexisonfire and those kinds of bands. But they also have a mad little spark of their own. Definitely worth a listen.
links: MySpace | Home | Last.FM

we want YOUR input! so do you think we suck at skinning bands? Do you have a group that you want to see posted here? Well then take two minutes and send us an email to mail[at]puregrainaudio.com with your thoughts. We’ll take each letter seriously and with any luck you’ll see your nomination live in one of our future installments of The Skinny!