This is one of the few American bands I'm into now, and I really love their music. I got to see them the other day in concert in Six Flags, Jackson New Jersey. Did anyone else go? It rained, but it was worth it, since when GCH came out..the sun came out..haha. The concert was awesome. They are amazing live. Love the energy they have on stage.^^ I hope to see them again some day in concert. Any one else like this group? favorite songs? Btw, this first post under construction..wanna make it nice and all that jazz...haha.------
Official Website: www.gymclassheroes.com
MP3s: www.purevolume.com/gymclassheroes
MySpace: www.myspace.com/gymclassheroes
Community: www.livejournal.com/community/gymclassheroes/
Genre: Indie / Hip Hop / Rock / and more..
Travis McCoy (Schleprok) – vocals
Disashi Lumumba-Kasongo – guitar
Matt McGinley – drums
Eric Roberts – bass
De Jesus - er...showman..lol
-studio albums-
As Cruel as School Children
Released: July 25, 2006
Label: Decaydance Records/Fueled by Ramen/Atlantic Records
Chart positions: #35 (Billboard 200)
01 1st Period: "The Queen and I" – 3:14
02 2nd Period: "Shoot Down the Stars" – 3:38
03 3rd Period: "New Friend Request" – 4:14
04 4th Period: "Clothes Off!" (featuring Patrick Stump) – 3:55
05 Lunch: "Sloppy Love Jingle Part 1" – 1:52
06 6th Period: "Viva la White Girl" – 3:53
07 7th Period: "7 Weeks" (featuring William Beckett) – 3:51
08 8th Period: "It's OK, but Just this Once!" – 3:10
09 Study Hall: "Sloppy Love Jingle Part 2" – 1:01
10 10th Period: "Biters Block" – 3:48
11 Yearbook Club: "Boys In Bands Interlude" – 0:59
12 12th Period: "Scandalous Scholastics" – 4:17
13 13th Period: "On My Own Time (Write On!)" – 4:42
14 Intramurals: "Cupid's Chokehold" (featuring Patrick Stump, only on the re-release) – 3:58
15 Detention: "Sloppy Love Jingle Part 3" – 2:15
The Papercut Chronicles
Released: February 22, 2005
Label: Decaydance Records/Fueled by Ramen
01 "Za Intro" – 1:40
02 "Papercuts" – 3:26
03 "Petrified Life and the Twice Told Joke (Decrepit Bricks)" – 4:53
04 "Make Out Club" – 4:43
05 "Taxi Driver" – 1:59
06 "So Long Friend" – 1:14
07 "Everyday's Forecast" – 4:21
08 "Pillmatic" – 3:11
09 "Simple Livin'" – 3:06
10 "Cupid's Chokehold" (featuring Patrick Stump) – 4:03
11 "Faces in the Hall" – 4:13
12 "Graduation Day" – 1:44
13 "Apollo 3-1-5" – 2:29
14 "wejusfreestylin'pt2" – 1:12
15 "To Bob Ross with Love" – 2:38
16 "Papercuts (The Reason for the Lesions Remix by Mr. Dibbs)" – 3:46
17 "Kid Nothing vs. the Echo Factor" – 4:01
18 "Band Aids" – 4:58
...For the Kids
Released: December 2001
Label: Independent release
01 "Thinking Out Loud" – 1:21
02 "Food for Mic Skills" – 4:23
03 "Oh My God" – 3:56
04 "A Beautiful Day" – 3:39
05 "Extra Extra" – 5:40
06 "Crab Apple Kids" – 4:20
07 "Happy Little Trees" – 2:07
08 "How It Was" – 2:57
09 "Song For Noah" – 3:59
10 "This Thing Called Life" – 4:43
11 "Eighty-Five" – 4:25
12 "wejusfreestylin" – 1:29
13 "Pig Latin" – 3:51
14 "Eighty-Five (Sie One Remix)" – 4:08
15 "Hey Mina" – 1:55
-independent albums-
Hed Candy
Released: 1999
Label: Independent release
Greasy Kid Stuff
Released: 2000
Label: Independent release
♥ Clothes Off!
♥ Shoot Down The Stars
♥ Cupid's Chokehold
♥ The Queen and I
♥ New Friend Request
♥ Paper Cuts
♥ Cupid's Chokehold (other version)
Time has come today for Gym Class Heroes. Rightly recognized as true pioneers of live hip-hop, the Geneva, NY-based band has won popular and critical acclaim for kicking out genre-busting jams that seamlessly meld rap, rock, R&B, and anything else that happens to strike the musically voracious outfit’s fancy. Now, with their new Decaydance/Fueled By Ramen release, “AS CRUEL AS SCHOOL CHILDREN,” Gym Class Heroes have stepped up their game on every level. Produced by S*A*M (aka Sam Hollander, hailed for his collaborations with Method Man, the Sounds, and Earth, Wind & Fire) and Sluggo (the alter-ego of renowned session bassist Dave Katz, known for his work with Roger Daltrey), with co-production from the band’s close mate, Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy, songs like the witty MySpace anthem, “New Friend Request,” explode out of the speakers with a rollicking sonic irreverence ideally suited for the hazy days and hot nights of summer.
“It’s just a complete full-on summertime album,” acknowledges frontman Travis McCoy. “The whole fun element of hip-hop has disappeared. Everybody takes themselves so seriously, it’s become a fashion show more or less. We wanted to the vibe to be as fun as possible.”
The roots of Gym Class Heroes reach back to 1997, when McCoy first met drummer Matt McGinley in where else but gym class. The band officially came together in 2001 with the two high school friends eventually teaming up with guitarist Disashi Lumumba-Kasongo, and bassist Eric Roberts. Their goal from the start was to create a new palette for hip hop, one that replaced the genre’s trademark programmed beats and samples with the live instrumentation of rock ‘n’ roll.
“Our music is rooted in hip-hop,” McCoy says, “but not restricted to it. We never drew ourselves into a corner, which made it easy for us to play for all kinds of people – from jam band fans to death metal fans to punk fans to hip-hop fans.”
Gym Class Heroes toured non-stop, living life on the road while simultaneously building up both a fanbase and a repertoire. In 2001, they self-released their debut collection, “FOR THE KIDS.” Two years later, they hit the studio once again and after a four day burst of creative energy, emerged with “THE PAPERCUT CHRONICLES.” The album’s deeply personal lyricism and inventive sonic vision caught the attention of Decaydance founder Pete Wentz, who promptly invited Gym Class Heroes to sign aboard the Decaydance/Fueled By Ramen roster.
The band spent much of the next two years doing what they do best – playing live. They headlined sold out dates, lit up Vans Warped Tour, and toured the world with bands like Fall Out Boy, constantly out there bringing their unique hip-hop vision to new fans. As 2006 began, Gym Class Heroes pulled off the road – albeit temporarily – and got busy making the record of their career.
“AS CRUEL AS SCHOOL CHILDREN” is marked by its diverse grooves and warm, organic textures. The band took inspiration from an array of dissimilar artists, spanning dark sonic provocateurs Interpol and Radiohead to pop power balladeers like Phil Collins and Hall & Oates. But most crucial to the album’s buoyant sound was the band’s love for the funk-flavored mainstream R&B of the 80’s, including such colorful icons as Prince and Ready For The World.
“That music was not only fun and innocent,” McCoy says, “it was really well crafted. Some of the arrangements in that stuff just blow me away. Those are the songs that last forever. We’re definitely interested in making that type of music. I sing a lot more on this record. I really feel that most rappers are afraid of melody. Why? Melodies get you girls, man!”.”
Just like any righteous beach party blowout, “AS CRUEL AS SCHOOL CHILDREN” sees Gym Class Heroes visited a number of special guests, including William Beckett of The Academy Is… on “7 Days,” and Arrested Development’s Speech, who lends his inimitable MC stylings to the unforgettable “Biter’s Block.”
“That is a real honor,” McCoy says, “having a Grammy-winning artist on our album. I can’t say enough about how much that meant to us.”
With Gym Class Heroes, what you see isn’t always what you get. Though the overall feel of the album is bright and breezy, McCoy’s personal, playful lyrics can often be peeled back to reveal hidden layers of emotion and introspection, notably on songs such as the first single, “The Queen and I.”
“It’s a personal song,” Travis says, “about girls who fancy alcoholic beverages, girls who like to have too much of a good time. I have weird underlying issues with females and alcohol. This song is kind of like closure, though you’d never get that vibe listening to the song. It’s fun to do things like that, make music that’s fun with a really poppy vibe, but when you listen to the lyrics, it’s like, ‘Holy mini cooper, that dude just said…’ If you’re not paying attention, you think it’s just another radio ditty that sticks in your head, but then when you really listen you see it’s a whole lot more.”
That sense of artistic juxtaposition extends to the album as a whole. “AS CRUEL AS SCHOOL CHILDREN” might appear upbeat and carefree on first glance, but attention paid unveils a far darker underbelly of personal and social commentary. The album’s title, McCoy explains is “a metaphor for the world today. It’s crawling with lunch money bullies and insecurities. Once you come to realize that, the second you decide to live by your own rules and push aside outside opinion, you really begin to live life.”
From the word go, Gym Class Heroes have defined themselves via that kind of free-thinking philosophy, always breaking musical boundaries and changing perceptions of what hip-hop or indie or rock can be. With “AS CRUEL AS SCHOOL CHILDREN,” Gym Class Heroes make plain that they are proudly unified in their disorderly vision, confident that their integrity will pay off dividends in the end.
“We’re doing this on our own terms,” McCoy says. “We’re not interested in changing who we are or what we do to make anybody happy, which makes it even cooler when people start picking up on it and noticing us.
“In a sense, we’re a lot like the chubby kid smiling away on the album artwork. Everyone has their opinion of who he is and what he should be. He keeps smiling and doesn’t change. Instead he waits and watches the world around him change to fit his standards. This album is the chubby kid’s middle finger held high.”
Booking Agent: Nick Storch for The Agency Group
International Agent: Mark Ngui for Primary Talent
Publicity: Glenn Fukushima
Management: Crush Music Media Management
Recurring lyrical elements
+ Travis frequently references other songs by Gym Class Heroes.
+ In "Cupid's Chokehold", he references "Makeout Club" ("and I know you heard that last song/about those girls that didn't last long").
+ In "Make Out Club", he references "Girl or Dog" from Travis's solo album 'Bernie Allen' ("That girl I talked about/In that 'Girl or Dog' song/Yeah, the poster girl for paxil/Almost made me lose my grip").
+ In their cover of "Under the Bridge", they reference "Simple Living" ("from the poorest of poor to the richest of rich/I already told you once before, simple living's a pinkberry"). "
+ In "Clothes Off", he references "Naked Peekaboo", a song done in drunken collaboration with The Academy Is... ("Possibly reconvene and play some naked peekaboo").
+ On The Papercut Chronicles, "Papercuts" is referenced in a number of GCH songs (in addition to the remix of Papercuts): "Band Aids", "through all the papercuts and all the broken hearts..." ; "Pillmatic", "a couple meds to ease the pain of the papercuts..."
+ In the song Pillmatic they also reference a previous album, "...For the Kids". ("this ain't a song for the kids like our last album.")
+ GCH has frequently referenced Bob Ross, even dedicating two songs to him ("To Bob Ross with Love" (The Papercut Chronicles), and "Happy Little Trees" (For the Kids)). (These songs are the same songs but with different beats)
+ GCH frequently pays tribute to other musical influences, their favorite artists, and other people who have generally helped them. "Taxi Driver" uses several band names as lyrics for example "Fall Out - Boy meets girl, Jimmy Eats World".
+ The song "Scandalous Scholastics", about an affair between a student and his teacher, makes reference to "Don't Stand so Close to Me", a song by the Police based around the same premise.
+ "Band Aids" and "On My Own Time (Write On)" also thank their hometown, people who have helped through the years, and other artists.
+ The phrase "so sexy" is uttered in several GCH songs such as "Scandalous Scholastics", "Shoot Down The Stars" and "Clothes Off!".
+ GCH have made a reference to the community website MySpace several times in their songs, in fact their song "New Friend Request" is about finding love through it.
+ The song "Taxi Driver" includes the following band references: Death Cab for Cutie, Dashboard Confessional, Cursive, Bright Eyes, Sunny Day Real Estate,
My Chemical Romance, Hey Mercedes, Coheed and Cambria, Fall Out Boy, Boy Meets Girl, Jimmy Eat World, Thrice, Brand New, The Postal Service, Planes Mistaken for Stars, At the Drive-In, ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, Midtown, The Get Up Kids, Scraps & Heart Attacks, The Early November, Thursday, Taking Back Sunday, Jets to Brazil, Story of the Year, and Hot Water Music. They also mention their recording label, Fueled by Ramen, in the last line.
+ "Cupid's Chokehold" is a direct loop from Supertramp's "Breakfast In America."
Jul 07 2007 12:00P Milwaukee Summerfest Milwaukee, WI
Jul 10 2007 8:00P Central Station Darmstadt, DE
Jul 11 2007 8:00P Alte Feuerwache Mannheim, DE
Jul 12 2007 8:00P LKA Longhorn Stuttgart, DE
Jul 17 2007 8:00P Academy 2 Birmingham, UK
Jul 18 2007 8:00P Studio 24 Edinburgh, UK
Jul 19 2007 8:00P Academy 2 Manchester, UK
Jul 20 2007 8:00P Forum London, UK
Jul 22 2007 8:00P Gebaude 9 Koln, DE
Jul 23 2007 8:00P Knust Hamburg, DE
Jul 26 2007 7:00P Vector Arena Auckland, NZ
Jul 28 2007 8:00P Brisbane Ent Center Brisbane, AUS
Jul 29 2007 7:30P UNSW Roundhouse Kensington, AUS
Jul 30 2007 8:00P Acer Arena Sydney, AUS
Jul 31 2007 7:00P Acer Arena Sydney, AUS
Aug 02 2007 8:00P Rod Laver Arena Melbourne, AUS
Aug 03 2007 7:00P Rod Lover Arena Melbourne, AUS
Aug 04 2007 7:30P Billboards Melbourne, AUS
Aug 05 2007 8:00P Adelaide Ent Center Adelaide, AUS
Aug 07 2007 8:00P Burswood Dome Perth, AUS
Aug 09 2007 2:00P Fort Canning Park Singapore, THI
Aug 11 2007 8:00P Chiba Marine Stadium Tokyo, JPN
Aug 12 2007 9:00A Maeshima Osaka, JPN
Aug 15 2007 6:00P Pipeline Cafe Honolulu, HI
Aug 21 2007 8:00P Decaydance Fest @ Olympia Paris, FRA
Sep 01 2007 5:30P Seattle Memorial Stadium Seattle, WA
Sep 22 2007 8:00P Street Scene 2007 @ Del Mar Fairgrounds Del Mar, CA
Sep 23 2007 8:00P Street Scene 2007 @ Del Mar Fairgrounds Del Mar, CA
credit;
www.fueledbyramen.com
wikipedia
its addicting
I love their songs, especially "on my own time"
It was even more annoying than Avril's GIRLFRIEND.
